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Good morning Dewey’s Daily Cup Readers!
Pastor Dewey Note: Yesterday I told you about our Dear friends daughter being shot in Los Angeles. Shannon was shot and severely wounded, she is the daughter of Pastor Marty and Paulette Cooper of Christ Full Deliverance Ministries in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. She is in ICU, has been in critical condition. I just got off the phone with Pastor Marty and he and Paulette thank you for your prayers for Shannon. Shannon was shot by her husband and then he killed himself. Marty said that Shannon is making a bit of progress, but has a long way to go. Shannon has children, please keep them in your prayers. Please add this prayer need to your Church’s prayer list. We must be in constant prayer on all things.
Today’s Title of inspiration: Let the fragrance of the Lord escape from within you, by Karen Rowe November 11, 2014
It’s Monday morning as I write this to you for Friday’s Cup –and I didn’t want to lose this morning’s inspiration! Weeks come and go so fast these days that I am almost convinced of 2 days in a modern day week; LOL –Mondays and Fridays; and with another breath, months and years have come and gone!
How about you –Does your life seem to be on fast-forward?
Does it scare you to think that life on earth will not last forever?
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone (James 4:14).
Sometimes, we get so captured by the business of life –and the desire to live forever, that we can forget that our life’s plan is set by God.
Our vertical destination (our relationship with God) is set in Christ Jesus; and given with a choice to choose this life, but the horizontals (our relationships with people) “seem” negotiable; according to our own justification. But does our justification –no matter how justified, make our justifications right in God’s eyes?
I hope that we can see that living a life pleasing to God is loving each other. That “straight and narrow” vertical path to eternity is directly connected to the cross of Jesus –his outstretched hands of love for all of God’s people.
Will you be patient and kind –and love & forgive your neighbor like Jesus has loved and forgiven you?
Life seems to pick up speed like a roller coaster and we must be prepared in the Lord Today!
“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone (James 4:14).
Forgiving is like waking up in the morning!
At first is seems impossible to get up when we feel tired, (in a similar way of how it first feels when we are still too angry to forgive), but the faster we get up the easier that task is done –and so it is with forgiveness!
Sleeping in is good sometimes, but holding on to a grudge is not!
The longer we may hold on to a grudge, the more we shove the Holy Spirit away!
There is a window of time that we can get up from sleep the easiest; and have the most energy to begin a good day! There is also a time it is easiest to forgive and move on! The Holy Spirit is our helper! Never impossible, but the closer we stay to Jesus the easier it is for good.
Have you ever slept too long? Have you ever stayed angry or mad too long?
The longer we sleep (the more times we hit that snooze), the harder it is to get up sometimes. “Putting things off” seems to come with a notion of gained time; and with a false idea that it will be easier later. However, like getting that 10 minutes of extra deep sleep in a difficult morning where hours are really needed, that 10 minutes just made it harder to get up than the 1st alarm! This is like putting off forgiveness in our life.
In addition, carrying a bitter heart (keeping your JOY captive) is like holding a “lid” on the candle jar that keeps the fragrance captive. Forgiveness in our heart is similar –in fragrance! Think about how it feels to be short on sleep –those times when nothing seems to function well all day, everything seems more difficult and our inner peace is disturbed –if the Holy Spirit is not your helper for the day; then, where is your joy in the Lord? The joy of the Lord is our strength!
The Holy Spirit is our helper for every burden we let go of –and there is a Freedom in Christ experienced! JOY! Joy is the fragrance of Life!
Life is free in Christ Alone; and freedom flows from within our fragrant heart! Forgiveness is energizing to our FAITH, soul and spirit –and don’t forget healthy for our mind, body, and spirit, because it is “The Way” to be abiding in Jesus (LOVE), which is life with God.
My comparison this morning is to encourage living free in God’s Grace; in the strength of the Lord’s forgiveness, which is life with JOY. Jesus forgave while still living with the pains of the cross, but for us the act of forgiveness seems too often, to be more of a burden (or choice) to forgive than the Way Jesus taught us to live. Faith is not hard: “Faith is either impossible or easy” –Faith comes by hearing God’s Word and the Holy Spirit is our Helper. Believing and Abiding in God’s Love makes all things possible –if we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in our heart as our helper.
Remaining patient and kind is a challenge to our faith sometimes, but again the reward of PEACE and JOY is the fragrance in our heart that comes from abiding in the heart of God (JESUS). My comparison this morning is to encourage living free in God’s Grace; in the strength of the Lord’s forgiveness, which is life with JOY in Jesus.
Our “horizontal” love and compassion for each other, should mimic the “vertical” love and compassion from God in Heaven to us on earth!
Monday’s Revelation!
As the alarm went off this morning, it literally “felt like” taking a “lid off of my sleep.” It was uncomfortable! I know that sounds strange to say, but follow me, isn’t that like how forgiving someone can feel? This was the beginning of the Lord’s revelation that I am sharing with you today! I was tired and didn’t want to wake up –and I thought of a candle jar with a wonderful scent captive and waiting on the inside, but that won’t come out unless we take off the lid!
Like the fragrance of God’s grace is a gift of God –nothing will happen in our life until we take off the lid to our heart! Just like nothing will be accomplished in our day that is waiting for us until we get up.
“The act of forgiving” is for us (the one forgiving); and also sometimes for someone else, but as far as it depends on us, approaching the act of forgiveness can appear hard –but remember the Holy Spirit is our Helper! Always remember this: All we have to do is show up with a willing heart!
WORD UP: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR HELPER!
Putting off the inevitable with a snooze only intensifies the misery of fighting for just a few more minutes of sleep –How much longer do we hold on to a grudge? The more times the snooze button is used –the more justifying we will make for just a few more minutes to avoid the inevitable –even if just one more minute of sleep!
If you can visualize forgiveness as a beautiful experience –like the fragrance in a candle that is released when the lid is taken off; then if we believe this, why would we fight to hold on to a grudge? Forgiveness is like taking the lid off of your captive heart to live the joyful life you were made to experience. “The Act of holding on to un-forgiveness” is much harder than the act of forgiving –because we do it in our own strength! It is just a matter of who you want to please –God or yourself; and the difference will directly influence your fragrant life –The Joy in the Lord is fragrant!
“All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad (Psalm 45:8).
All we have to do is show up with a willing heart! Do you believe God loves you? He does you know!!! God loves you so much! God loves your neighbor too! When someone does to you what you would never do to them –remember The HOLY SPIRIT IS YOUR HELPER!
The Scriptures on my mind today are in comparison about life, love and forgiveness –I hope this comparison inspires your prayer life today! Life is but a vapor –look at how fast time passes by! Do you really want to waste one more day holding that captive lid down on your life? Life with Christ is filled with Joy –Let the fragrance of the Lord escape from within you!
Dear Father, I thank you for Jesus. I thank you for your Word and I thank you for the Holy Spirit. I thank you that you always hear our prayers and teach us like a parent –sometimes your answer is delayed, because You know that we would naturally beg and justify our desire –not knowing the plans you have made. But Father you are WISDOM and I thank you for understanding! I pray that, as the Holy Spirt has brought this revelation to me this morning; I ask you to bring everyone their own revelation this morning in their life. I pray that those who may be holding on to a grudge, will ask you for your help to take that lid off of their heart; and be set free in grace to receive the fullness of JOY that is found only in the freedoms in Christ! In a world that has your love confused, I pray that by your Holy Spirit, all who asks and seeks to know your love, receives their revelation of your love for them! Thank you Father for sending your Son! Jesus we know you were the only one who was qualified to save us from the penalty of sin. Jesus I am sorry that you had to suffer and be hurt so bad. Today I am saying to you, thank you; and I am grateful for crosses that I am asked to bare –are nothing in comparison to the beatings and nails that you took for me. Humbly Father, I bow down at the feet of Jesus and I pray this simple prayer: Father, help me do YOUR work (not mine) through me (not by my own agenda) at my expense; and I thank you for the Holy Spirit who does this work in me and through me. I thank you Father for each and every reader today; bless them Lord; and –I thank you for Dewey and FGGAM! I thank you for everything! Father, we ask you to reveal Your Word to us today as we continue to read in Galatians 5. I praise your holy name. In Jesus I pray, Karen and together, all of God’s children we say, Amen.
Now, will you read with me from Galatians Chapter 5 (ESV)
Christ Has Set Us Free
5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach[c] circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Keep in Step with the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy,[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
I hope this is a blessing to you! If you would like further information, prayer; or have any questions for me, feel free to email me: karen@hopeintoday.com
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
The Train Whistle, Sounding the call of God’s Love!
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