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everyday life

Time For A Serious Question: Why Is Discernment Important?

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1 Corinthians 11:27-29

[27] Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
[28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
[29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
[30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

When I began to study upon this, my heart was immediately stirred and quickened to establish this thought within me: How does a person know when they have ate and drank in an “unworthy” way?

First of all, I am sure that in many cases a lot of us have passed right by this passage with no thought to the mystery that is dwelling here. I had recalled this passage before in times past when I read it, but something was different this time  and was leading me to open my heart for something new. As I began to wonder the purpose, I realized the part that became more clear was “not discerning the Lord’s body”. In the lack of performing this simple act of discernment, we tend to ‘fall asleep’ and fall prey to the enemy, which leads me to say that many of us are asleep standing up (or even attempting to still serve God in some way and are weakly or ill!).

Secondly, as the cup of salvation dwells within you, you KNOW that you are saved and are renewed in that each day. This piece of the puzzle has a part of everyday life, but it is not what keeps me alone! Let’s remember the bread of life, the word of God, the very substance that will speak to us in the hardest of times! I know as a minister that it would be easy to get discouraged and deceive yourself into thinking that no one ever uses the word of God, but that simply is impossible! If there ever moments in your life when you are victorious, obeying God, working in charity, or overcoming the enemy…one thing is evident: the word of God is coming alive in you. Sure, knowing the promise of eternal life is vital to unlock the faith but how much more does the word of God come alive when used and discerned!

I can use myself as an example. When I accepted Christ as my Savior there was a bondage of addiction to drugs and alcohol (amongst the natural lack of having Christ). Salvation forgave me of my sins, and the word of God came alive and the power of the spirit of God delivered me from every bondage! I stand today a free man from so much of what I never thought I would walk away from. Life is so much simpler now to simply discern things and to make sure that I am partaking in the cup of salvation and eating of the bread of life! It is when I neglect to do so that I starve, grow weak and fall asleep (therefore in turn lay vulnerable to the enemy).

With all of this in mind, please take time in prayer to self-assess to see what you are partaking of each day. See if you are maximizing the full potential of what is dwelling from the freely given gift of Christ in your life.

Are You On That New Roller Coaster Called Work?

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When you get up in your everyday life, there is always going to be more than you can accomplish in one day ahead of you. People are sleeping less, and trying to do 36-48 hours of tasks in 24 hours nowadays. As we continue with this trend needless to say the wear and tear of it has to begin to show somewhere. One can often find their-self in a place where they do not have much to do and consider their self in a “good” place. On that same token, when we are overwhelmed with things that we must take care of, we consider ourselves “bad” and think we are not doing enough and try to do more.

I wish I could say everything that everyone else in the world might say, but I would be lying to you. First of all, I have learned to not base the progress of my life on the number of tasks I have accomplished in a day. I cannot base it on the amount of money I draw in either. I could do a 100 things and earn a 1,000 dollars in one hour, but does that really put me in a “good” place? Not really at all, to be honest.

Work is always going to be there whether you go a mile a minute or are barely creeping. And trust me, I am all for being a person who likes to get things done. However, there has to be a place in your life for God. Your standing with God in your life to me determines how “good” or “bad” of shape we can be. You see, I can be in the worst of situations in life and still be in the best shape, simply because I’m living a Godly and spiritual life and not letting my life be worldly and continually task-driven. In fact, I have found that I am only in a bad place when I am spiritually weak and am not able to handle everything in my life on my own.

We were made to live life with God. We were made to serve God. We should remember to keep him first, and all the other things in our lives will begin to work for our good! We were built to live life by faith! Remember to be full-time for God, and to let every other work be part-time! All of your works (and your Godly obedience of course) is to be purposed draw others to Christ!

Distancing Yourself From The Noise

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THE WORD

II Corinthians 6:16-18 – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

One of the hardest challenges that I have discovered is to find and keep a peaceful walk with God. All the things you hear around you can be so demeaning, destructive and depressing. People that make you think about horrible things can definitely influence you in a way that you never thought possible. I know when I was going through this sort of attack at one point it had almost got the best of me. I am glad to say I overcame! How?

What I would like to shout from the rooftops is a simple reminder that you must remember to make an effort to separate yourself from the verbal/mental attacks if the opportunity presents itself! Do not be overtaken by situations and people that are a bad influence to you. I know that we have to be a light to the world for everyone, but if it proves to be too much for you, take a retreat and prepare (through prayer and fasting) for another opportunity. God always presents great opportunities to witness. The spirit will do the convicting and bring peace for you as you yield with a willing mind and loving heart! Put your spiritual ear plugs in and refuse to be a part of the noise today!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

A great way to understand separation is by the contrasts. Go into a popular gathering place and listen to all you hear. You may find present distractions make concentrating in prayer difficult. In a literal and physical demonstration walk out of the building and go somewhere quiet like your car or home. During that moment observe the peace and how easy it is open up your mind before God in prayer! I can testify that there has not been a time that I made the effort to steal away that it did not help me pray through more effectively and in turn reduced the overall stress in my mind!

Pick And Choose Your Battles

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THE WORD

2 Chronicles 20:15  – And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When we deal with everyday problems and the trials of life it can be hard to be calm in the midst of the storm. As our emotions begin to influence our judgment we may begin to spiritually decline. And as we decrease spiritually the lack of love is reflected in our irrational actions with little regard to try and improve the situation.

So the question is: What will you reap from that which you sow? If you sow something in anger or revenge then chances are that you will reap the by-product of these poor decisions. If you sow things with love (especially when the situation is provoking you emotionally) you will find that your feelings will be lessened in their ability to lead to bad decisions. God wants us to have peace and patience in everything that we do. Always remember to pick and choose your battles each day, and try to find the true worth of what you are fighting for. Sometimes it is best to walk away and let God give you peace first. The spirit of God will guide and fight for you in your every endeavor! Remember that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

If you observe someone letting their emotions get the best of them you may just learn something. It may be by the change of tone of their voice or body language but it is easy to pick out when someone may not be thinking clearly. Put yourself into check the moment this attempts to happen to you. What was done that provoked you? What was said that bothered you? What happened that caused you harm? As you find the answer, pray and examine the right choice that you can make instead of the one you immediately feel.