When We Feel Helpless

Psalm 50:15

and call on me in the day of trouble;
    I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

NIV from www.biblegateway.com

In adventure movies, we often see people trapped and helpless, frantically looking for a way to escape. Real life can sometimes feel that way for us, and as we begin to look for a way out, our prayers become filled with requests for rescue - physical healing, changed circumstances, additional provision. 

   Did you ever consider that even more important than physical rescue is spiritual liberation? (See Eph. 6:12). First and foremost, Jesus Christ delivered you from the power and penalty of sin. As your living Savior, He also knows your continued helplessness in the face of sinful habits, uncontrolled emotions, and ungodly thoughts. He wants to free you from these sins. So seek out His offer of spiritual rescue every day - whether or not a physical crisis looms over you.

   Follow the example of the psalmist, who cried out to God for deliverance. Psalm 50:15 says, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor me." Start by admitting your helplessness to the Lord and to yourself. Confess any fears, unbelief, or self-reliance that you might detect in your life. Surrender all further attempts at change that are done apart from the heavenly Father. Then turn your gaze toward Him. Think about His relationship with you, who He is, and what He desires. Let the Holy Spirit fill your spirit with the truth of God's Word. Meditate on it. Commit yourself to following His way. Then trust God, and wait on Him to change you from the inside out. A day will arrive when the helpless feeling will leave to be replaced by the joy of being free. When it does, give God the glory. 

 Stanley, Charles F. "When We Feel Helpless." In Touch: Daily Readings For Devoted Living. April 2016. page 31.

Our Way or God's Way

EXODUS 2:11-25

   Whenever challenges come into our life, there are two ways we can respond: God's way or our way. Moses is an example of a man who, on separate occasions, tried out both options. In today's passage, we see him taking matters into his own hands. Although his motives were pure - namely, the relief of one Hebrew man's suffering - his method was wrong. Moses made three mistakes.

1. He focused on the difficulty. How often have you and I done the same thing?The unfairness or pain of a situation grabs our attention and in our desire for a solution, we forget our all-powerful God.
2. He relied on his own strength and understanding. When a problem arises, the most natural response is to do what we can to make it right. However, God wants us to rely on Him, not on ourselves.
3. He acted impulsively. If a situation seems urgent, fixing the problem as fast as possible becomes our top priority. In our hastiness, we forgo waiting on the Lord.

   We've all followed Moses' example at some point and suffered the consequences of self-reliance. But God didn't reject Moses or cancel His plans for him. Instead, He refined the future leader's character through trials and gave him another chance. The Lord will do the same for us.
Stanley, Charles F. In Touch: Daily Readings for Devoted Living. February 2016. Atlanta. page 8.

In the name of Jesus, I refuse to be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]. I submit to transformation by the [entire] renewal of my mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that I may prove [for myself] what is Your good and acceptable and perfect will, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [n Your sight for me]. My path is growing brighter and brighter until it reaches the full light of day as I follow You. Thank You, Father that Jesus was made unto me wisdom. Confusion is far from me. I trust in You and lean not to my own understanding. As I acknowledge You in all my ways, You direct my paths. I believe that as I trust in You completely, You will show me the path of life. Amen.
Romans 12:2; Proverbs 4:18; Proverbs 3:5-6
Copeland, Germaine. Prayers that avail much: A 365 Day Devotional & Journal. Tulsa, OK: Harrison House. 2010. page 36.

Focus

³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:33-34

   Do not be discouraged by the difficulty of keeping your focus on Me. I know that your heart's desire is to be aware of my Presence continually. This is a lofty goal; you aim toward it but never fully achieve it in this life. Don't let feelings of failure weigh you down. Instead, try to see yourself as I see you. First of all, I am delighted by your deep desire to walk closely with Me through your life. I am pleased each time you initiate communication with Me. In addition, I notice the progress you have made since you first resolved to live in My presence.
   When you realize that your mind has wandered away from Me, don't be alrmed or surpised. You live in a world that has been rigged to distract you. Each time you plow your way through the massive distractions to communicate with Me, you achieve a victory. Rejoice in these tiny triumphs, and they will increasingly light up your days.

Romans 8:33-34; Hebrews 4:14-16.

Young, Sarah. Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2004. page 320.

Who am I? My identity

I am not a sinner in the hands of an angry God

I am a saint who sins in the hands of a loving God

I cannot consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with my self-perception.

John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 3:26; 4:6; 1 Peter 2:9,10;1 John 3:1-3

WHO AM I?

Old: I am unworthy. I am unacceptable.

New: I am accepted and worthy. Romans 15:7

    "Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God"

Psalms 139:13-18    "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Old: I am a fearful/anxious person.

New: I am free from fear.

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

II Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I John 4:18-19a "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he (God/Jesus) first loved us."

Old: I am a weak person.

New: I am strong in Christ.

Daniel 11:32b "...but the people who know their God will firmly resist him."

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Old: I am not very smart.

New: I have God's wisdom.

Proverbs 2:6-8 "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protect the way of his faithful ones."

I Corinthians 1:30 "It is because of him (God) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Old: I am unloved.

New: I am very loved.

John 15:9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I (Jesus Christ) loved you. Now remain in my love."

Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ: Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine...? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Old: I am unwanted.

New: I am adopted by God and I am His Child.

Romans 8:16-17 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ."

Galatians 4:5-7 "..that you might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."

Ephesians 1:5 "he (God) predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will"

Old: I am depressed and hopeless.

New: I have all the hope I need.

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Psalm 16:11 "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in this land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”

Old: I am alone.

New: I am never alone.

Hebrews 13:5-6/Deuteronomy 31:6"...because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

    "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels no demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Old: I have no one to take care of me.

New: I am protected and safe.

Psalm 32:7-11 "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you...  but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!"

Psalm 27:1-6 "The Lord is my light and my salvation -  whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?...One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple...I will sing and make music to the Lord."

WE BECOME WHAT WE FOCUS ON!

WHAT AM I LOOKING AT TODAY?

WHAT AM I FOCUSING ON TODAY?

WHAT WILL I BE LIKE TOMORROW?

Jesus is the truth

(John 14:6)

the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth

(John 16:13)

the Word of God is truth (John 17:17)

we ought to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

 

Additional Material

“Victory Over the Darkness” Neil T. Anderson

“How to Listen to God” Dr. Charles Stanley

http://www.ficm.org

http://www.intouch.org

“Wheel and Line” audio Dr. Charles Solomon

“Turkeys and Eagles” audio Peter Lord

Blackmon, Selma, editor. The Exchanged Life News.

"Healing of Memories" by David A. Seamands

Healing of Memories by David A. Seamands

   “The pain, the pain is so strong. That is all I feel. I was raised that real men don’t cry. I don’t care anymore. I started crying the day after and I cry a lot now and am not ashamed of who sees me…I was supposed to be there. I was to go to work that day. I got up but was sick and I went and laid back down. I turned on the TV just in time to see the second plane go into the building.”

In Luke 4, we read the purpose of Jesus coming to earth.

First Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2a.

    “¹⁷   And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
¹⁸   The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…
²¹   ‘Then he said, ‘This Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!’”

   David Seamands writes, “I define a counselor as a temporary assistant to the Holy Spirit. Both of the italicized words are important. Assistant, because the goal of all Christian counseling is to assist people to become emotionally and spiritually mature enough to relate directly with the Holy spirit, the Great Counselor. Temporary, because dependence on the counselor should never become permanent. If it does, then the counseling itself becomes a part of the problem and not a means of solution; a part of the disease, not the cure. It is only a temporary means to an end, the goal of total dependence on the spirit. However, this in no way underestimates the crucial importance of counselors in the healing process. All through history God has used humans as assistants, not only to carry out His work, but also to ‘stand in the gap’ as His intermediaries who show people what His character is really like. There are vast numbers of people who feel like the scared little girl whose mother was trying to comfort her with the assurance of God’s presence. ‘I know that,’ she said, ‘But I need a God with skin on Him!’ The counselor fills this need. For many counselees, this is the first time in their lives they have experienced a stable, trustworthy, and truly loving (accepting yet confrontation) relationship. Thus the very being of the counselor is the commencement of healing…

   …the uniqueness of memory healing is walking back into our past with the Lord and asking Him to heal us at a specific time and place of need…Our prayers should be to Jesus, asking for His direct intervention and healing presence… Memories include feelings, concepts, patterns, attitudes, and tendencies toward actions which accompany the pictures on the screen of the mind. This is the way the Bible uses the concept of remembrance, or stirring us up to remember something. When Scripture commands us to ‘remember the Lord,’ it does not mean to simply have a mental picture of God. It is a command to whole persons to orient all our thoughts and actions around God…

   …It is the Spirit who takes all that He made possible by His sufferings, death, and resurrection and makes it actual in our lives now. The Holy Spirit is the paraklete. Para-alongside, and kaleo-to call. The One Called Alongside. And Romans 8:26-27 assures us that the Holy Spirit helps us with our infirmities, our cripplings, and our weaknesses. The Greek word for help is a compound of three words meaning ‘to take hold of on the other side.’ It is a beautiful and sensitive picture of the knowing, understanding, caring God who is not participating with us in our healing.” 

"The Calvary Road" by Roy Hession

  

The Calvary Road by Roy Hession

 Do you want life man’s way that leads to conflict and frustration or God’s way that leads to inner peace? Colossians 3:15

   What is my attitude? Am I willing to be honest and truthful with myself? Do I have peace with God in my heart? Do I have love and concern for others? Do I want a better home life? 

   Some random quotes from this everyday, where road and rubber meet, practical Biblical based book:

• Everything that comes between us and another, such as impatience, resentment, or envy, comes between us and God.
• The first effect of sin in us is always to make us hide; with the result that we are pretending, we are wearing a mask, we are not real with either God or man.
• God is the All-revealing One, who shows up every man as he really is.
• It is utterly impossible for us to be walking in any degree of darkness and have fellowship with God…We cannot have true fellowship with our brother either-for we are not real with him, and no one can have fellowship with an unreal person.
• Being broken is both God’s work and ours. He brings His pressure to bear, but we have to make the choice…we are not likely to be broken except at the Cross of Jesus.
• It was into the home that sin first came. It is in the home that revival first needs to come.
• I suggest that the beam in our eye is simply our unloving reaction to the other man’s mote.
• When God is leading us to challenge another, let not fear hold us back. Let us not argue or press our point. Let us just say what God has told us to and leave it there. It is God’s work, not ours, to cause the other to see it.
• When we are challenged, let us not defend ourselves and explain ourselves. Let us take it in silence, thanking the other; and then go to God about it and ask Him.
• Blood cannot be applied to the sins of our proud hearts until we have been broken in repentance as to what has already happened and as to what we already are. This will mean allowing the light of God to go through every part of our hearts and into every one of our relationships.
• Humility, lamblikeness, the surrender of our wills to God, are what He looks for supremely from man. It was to manifest all this that God ever created the first man. It was his refusal to walk this path that constituted his first sin (and it has been the heart of sin ever since). It was to bring this disposition back to earth that Jesus came.
• Every sin we ever commit is the result of the hard unbroken self taking up some attitude of pride, and we shall not find peace through the Blood until we are willing to see the source of each sin and reverse the wrong attitude that caused it by a specific repentance, which will always be humbling.
• There then is our choice-to protest our innocence and go down to our house, unblessed, dry of soul, and out of touch with God. Or to justify God and to enter into peace, fellowship, and victory through the Blood of Jesus.

Forgiveness part 2

   “Whatever your situation, whatever has happened in your past, remember that you are the loser if you do not deal with an unforgiving spirit. And the people around you suffer, too. You have within you the power to forgive, to be healed, and to be set free to live your life to the fullest.” This is on the back jacket to Dr. Stanley’s book, Put the past behind you and give…

The Gift of Forgiveness. [part 2]

   Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

   Dr. Stanley writes, “If we refuse to deal with the bitterness and resentments that put us in bondage, we cannot have the fellowship with our Father that we are supposed to have.” (see page 124) He also continues, on page 126, “I rarely counsel people to confess their forgiveness to those who have hurt them if the other persons have not asked for it…God forgave us long before we ever asked for it…He has forgiven us of things we will never ask forgiveness for. In the same way, we are free to forgive others of things they will never know about.”

Forgiving Others

   Forgiveness is an act of the will that involves five stages:

•   We must recognize that we have been totally forgiven. (Romans 6:10)
•   Release the person from the debt we think is owed us for the offense.
•   Accept others as they are and release them from any responsibility to meet our needs.
•   View those we have forgiven as tools in our lives to aid us in our growth in and understanding of the grace of God. (Genesis 50:19-21)
•   Make reconciliation with those from whom we have been estranged.

Forgiveness is an act of the will… Forgiveness is for our benefit. The other person’s behavior may never change. It is up to God, not us to change that person. It is our responsibility to be set free from the pressure and weight of an unforgiving attitude.

We will know we have forgiven when…

   Several things will occur once the forgiveness process is complete. First, our negative feelings will disappear. We will not feel the way we used to feel when we run into these people on the street or in the office. Harsh feelings may be replaced by feelings of concern, pity, or empathy, but not resentment.

   Secondly, we will find it much easier to accept the people who have hurt us without feeling the need to change them; we will be willing to take them just the way they are. We will have a new appreciation for their situation once the blinders of resentment have been removed from our eyes. We will understand more why they acted and continue to act the way they do.

   Third, our concern about the needs of the other individuals will outweigh our concerns about what they did to us. We will be able to concentrate on them, not on ourselves or our needs.

   Forgiveness is a process that can be painful and at times seem unending…We must get involved with the process of forgiving others and find out what it means to be really free. If we will persevere and keep our eyes on the One who forgave us, it will be a liberating force like nothing else we have ever experienced.

   Forgiveness is complete when we have experienced the forgiveness of God; we can forgive others who have wronged us; we are able to forgive ourselves.

"Telling Yourself the Truth" by William Backus & Marie Chapian

More tidbits from Telling Yourself the Truth by William Backus & Marie Chapian

Before you read this book, ask yourself this question, “Do I really want to be happy?” If the answer is yes, then I must realize that my joy comes from my relationship to God and His unchanging faithfulness.

“…whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

   Pursuing peace means to choose it. You will never have peace if you are putting yourself down. The peaceful person is the one who is at peace with himself. Dag Hammerskjold said, “A man who is at war with himself will be at war with others.” When you like yourself, you will be free to like and appreciate others. When you are hard on yourself, you will be hard on others.

   “I can’t even if other people can” are crippling words. Changing your misbeliefs will change your feelings and actions. You can do it.

   One of the first parts of our counseling is to take a history. Examining early years may be important for the following reasons:

1. To discover your misbeliefs learned in childhood.

2. To discover your misbeliefs about events in your childhood.

3. To examine your self-talk: What did you tell yourself then? What do you tell yourself now?

   Change a person’s beliefs and you will change their feelings and behavior.

   There are no pat answers to emotional suffering. Your counselor can pray with you for knowledge and discernment and the wisdom to use them effectively.

What you believe affects how you behave.

A few of the other chapter titles to this book, Telling Yourself the Truth, are:

Misbelief in Depression

Misbelief in Anger

Misbelief in Anxiety

Misbelief in Lack of Self-Control

The Misbelief in Self-Hate

Misbelief in Fear of Change

Misbelief in Never Taking a Chance

Misbelief in Being Indispensable

Frustrated with life?

The Gift of Freedom

  “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But not that you know God-or rather are known by God-how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”

Galatians 4:6-9 

  

  Frustration is defined as “a deep chronic sense or state of insecurity and dissatisfaction arising from unresolved problems or unfulfilled needs.”

  Though “frustration” hardly seems like a tool God would use, Romans 8:20-21 reports that it is an avenue by which God teaches us how to enjoy the freedom He so graciously provides: “The creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

  Do you experience a deep sense of frustration that derives from problems or needs beyond your control?

  Remember God is in the process of revealing a great lesson to you. He allows frustrations to build so you will be driven back to Him in prayer.

  It is in times of quiet devotion that we hear the Savior whisper to our confused and frustrated hearts words of hope and peace.

  Only God can offer the freedom we need to survive the greatest frustrations. He is the One who knows how to satisfy perfectly our every need.

  Are you feeling frustrated today? Rejoice! God is at work in your life. Ask Him how you should handle this frustration. Never allow feelings of doubt and confusion to rule your emotions. God has set you free!

In Touch July 2001, page 23, July 4

Jesus Christ sets us free from sin

All sin is rebellion against God, but because of Jesus Christ, we can be set free from its entanglement.

  “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

Romans 6:11-18

  There is a sure way to deal with sin and that is by applying God’s Word to whatever temptation you are facing. If not dealt with, temptation will turn into sin, and sin will gain a stronghold in your life. From that point, it will permeate all you do.

  People like to think that sin only affects them. For example, they deny the seriousness of adultery by thinking it won’t hurt anyone else, but it always does!

  Sin destroys families, friendships, but most of all, it destroys our fellowship with God. The aftershock of David’s sin with Bathsheba was felt throughout his family and kingdom. It weakened his ability to rule Israel and cost him the respect of family and countrymen. However, the most dramatic result of his sin was how it clouded his fellowship with the Lord.

  In Psalm 51, David prayed this prayer to God: “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge” (v.4).

  When we cry out to the Lord, He provides the strength and power we need to deal with our sin. He forgives and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. While there are consequences to sin, God will not caste us away. We may have to endure sorrow and embarrassment, but He will walk beside us and strengthen us in our walk with Him.

In Touch June 2001, page 35, June 29

Forgiveness: what is it?

Hannah Hurnard wrote the following in Walking Among the Unseen.

   “Just one more thing ─ never refuse to forgive. Forgiveness is the mightiest power of all, and you must joyfully practice it continually. It means willingness to bear everything that other people do to you, and to loose them in your thoughts from the wrong that they have done to you or spoken about you. When you loose the wrongdoer in your own thoughts, you will find, first, that you have loosed yourself from unhappy and harmful emotions, so that instead of being hurt, you will be blessed. But if you do not forgive men their debts, you will be bound to resentful, angry, grudging feelings which harm you. Remember ─ your reactions to your enemy can hurt you more than your enemy can.

   …Why did Jesus allow himself to be crucified? No one could have done it if he had not allowed it… Why did he believe so clearly that he must give his life?

   So that he could reveal, and triumphantly demonstrate, the truth that God bears and forgives the very worst that men can do, and that this is the only successful method of dealing with evil. Bear it and share in all its consequences with those who commit the wrong. Forgive them, love them, as Christ forgave and loved. Divine forgiveness, the greatest power in the universe, can be a force in us.” Pg 18, 38

Additional Resources

¨      Boundaries Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

¨      Forgiveness Malcolm Smith

¨      The Gift of Forgiveness Dr. Charles Stanley

 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12

“…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22

God's answers to our struggles

How many of the following characteristics describe your life: inferiority, insecurity, inadequacy, guilt, worry and doubt?

Read what Scripture says about your feelings.

 Do you feel insecure? Your God will never leave you nor forsake you (see Heb. 13:5).

Inadequate? You can do all things through Christ (see Phil. 4:13).

 Guilt? There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (see Romans 8:1).

  

Worried? God has offered His peace for your anxiety (see John 14:27; Phil. 4:7;

1 Peter 5:7).

Do you doubt? God provides wisdom for those who ask (see James 1:5).

Which of the six negative characteristics listed have you struggled with the most, and why?

Further reading and study One Day at a Time by Mike and Julia Quarles page167

Conflict and Frustration? Christ is our answer

Conflict and Frustration

Conflict and Frustration

Does this sound familiar?

This happens when a person depends upon his/her own strength to cope with present pressures and past rejections.

People are a three-part whole.

(1 Thessalonians 5:23)

We are a SPIRIT (Determines Our Identity), who has a SOUL (Personality) with a MIND (Thinker), EMOTIONS (Feeler), and WILL (Chooser), and lives in a BODY (Dwelling) that includes Speech, 5 Senses and Action.

Conflict and Frustration

Conflict and Frustration

Does this still sound familiar?

Ø  This may be due to our mind having a distorted view of God, self and others.

Ø  This may be due to our emotions dictating our actions.

Ø  This may be due to our will choosing to depend on the flesh instead of God.

God loves us enough to do what it takes to reveal our dependence on the flesh, so that we will be ready to exchange it (flesh) for His life.

The Exchanged Life

“All Things”

Romans 8:28

Ø  MIND being renewed to Truth Romans 12:2

Ø  EMOTIONS gradual healing

Psalm 23:3

Ø  WILL chooses to depend on Christ Romans 13:14

Christ living His life through us is victorious living!!!

Romans 15:18

Ephesians 3:20