Category Archives: Free in Christ

I am Safe During any Storm!

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   “For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; in the secret place of His tent will He hide me; He will set me high upon a rock.” –  Psalm 27:5

If tomorrow you have a “day of trouble” can you keep your heart fixed on the goodness of the Lord? When you keep your heart fixed steadfastly on His goodness you are able to weather any storm. You will travel safely though the terrible storm just like Noah was kept safe inside the Ark.

Think for a moment, what if the Holy Spirit quickened to your heart that you must be prepared for a “day of trouble,” what if He said this day is coming soon and you must get prepared. The way to be prepared is in that same verse. David said: “He will hide me in His shelter.” I believe that being hidden in His shelter works in two ways:

  1. As a Christian we are safe and hid in Christ, so we must never give in to fear. (Colossians 3:3) If you are in Christ, you are hidden from the powers of darkness.
  2. We must hide God’s Word inside our heart.  You hide the Word of God in your heart by memorizing it, and meditate upon it.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1.

In a time of trouble He is there.  As you hide God’s Word in your heart your spirit man is prepared to be steadfast, unshakable, and unmovable even through the toughest storm.

You Are Chosen and Have Purpose

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“He hath chosen us in Him…” Eph 1:4

Have you ever thought about what it really means to be chosen by God?  Do you remember an event or a series of events when it became clear that you were chosen?  Did you feel God’s sovereign hand protecting and guiding you?

You have been chosen to be God’s child so you can be His representative on the earth. Paul said in Ephesians 1:5, that He planned for us to be adopted and revealed as His own children. This is our identity and purpose in one verse.

Once you discover your identity and God’s specific purpose for your life, you will no longer get all tangled up in the world around you.  He has chosen you to carry His peaceful plan into a world of chaos and confusion.  Represent Him, speak what He says, and carry His peace into every situation.

The world can not produce peace.  Your presence should bring peace and order into the world around you.  You walk in a very special purpose and calling.  Let that calling shine to others around you.

“Grace be to you, and peace, from our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Eph1:3.

The Day of Freedom

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 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”   1 Thessalonians 5:21

Learning to Trust AgainDid you know that this could be your day for freedom?  You must first determine what you need freedom from.   Do you need freedom from fear and anxiety or do you need freedom from discouragement?

You can gain freedom from these emotional bondage’s by being thankful.  It may sound too simple but a thankful heart is a profound truth found in God’s Word.   A thankful heart is a heart that sees what God has done and is thankful for the blessings.

If you have not developed a thankful heart you will find yourself repeatedly struggling with disappointment and discouragement. Freedom means you have overcome these deadly emotions! It just takes one act of obedience to God’s Word to overcome.

Looking at how the Lord has blessed you develops a thankful heart.  If you are always focusing on what is wrong then that is what you will see, think about and feel.  That’s the picture that will develop! To develop a thankful heart you must focus on what is good about the situation and thank God for it. A thankful heart has to be cultivated out of obedience to the Lord.   Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21; “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus,” Even in a devastating situation, look for what you can thank God for and focus on this blessing.

Maintaining your freedom from fear and disappointment is the next challenge. Living in the present is the key. When your thoughts are always drifting backwards on what went wrong you would feel discouraged. When your thoughts are always on the future you can become anxious and fearful of the unknown.  Stay in the present and focus on what God has done this day and be thankful.  A person with a thankful heart is at peace.  Face each new day and focus on what God has done.

Learning to Trust Again

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“He heals the brokenhearted and bindeth up their wounds.”  Psalms 147:3

Learning to Trust AgainGod has made full provision for healing the pain of past so you can trust again.

Have you ever trusted someone to love you that did not know how to love? Or have you ever loved someone that did not know how to receive your love? In both cases you will experience rejection. This type of rejection is very painful especially when it comes from someone whom you really trust. The pain from being hurt by someone you trust is much greater than being hurt by a casual friend. It takes years to build trust, but it only takes a moment of rejection to tear down trust. This is because when you trust someone, you open your heart up to them. When they reject you, the natural tendency is to close your heart to them in order to avoid being hurt again. The pain that comes from rejection creates a big wound that must be healed in order to be able to trust that person again.

Jesus made complete provision for our physical and emotional healing. But many people are stuck, “locked in time” desperately needing to be set free from the pain of the past. One way many people try to get rid of pain is to just forget what happened and forget about the person who hurt them. You can tear that person out of your address book and for a while you will be able to forget what happened but if healing did not occur the pain is still there. The pain that lingers from the past keeps you tied to the past. Isaiah, the prophet, said in Isaiah 1:4-6 that those people who have not been healed will go backwards. Like taking one step forward and then two steps backward, you aren’t getting anywhere.

Another way many people deal with pain is to run from it or pretend it really isn’t there. Pain is like a shadow you look around and it is still there no matter how fast you run. That is why so many people are walking around with the shadow of the past still on them. Pain must be faced and dealt with in order for it to be put away. Instead of running from pain, stop, turn around and face it. Pain must be faced to be healed. You may be one who has received some healing, but the pain still remains. Jeremiah 6:14 also says that when a person has only been healed slightly, they say peace, peace, but when there is no peace. The amount of peace you are having can be a good indicator of how much healing you have received. Once you are healed and the pain is gone you will be ale to hold your heart open again and trust. Healing produces trust in you. If the person that hurt you has proven over and over to not be trustworthy, suggest they also receive healing. Healing produces trustworthiness in them. Then wait on the Lord to give you peace.

The following steps can be taken to work through healing. These steps will need to be repeated out loud or written down several times during the healing process. You will experience the peace of the Lord as you go through this process. Now is the time for healing!

1. Step one for healing is to face it.

Who hurt you? _________

Who left you? __________

Who did not receive you? __________

Who refused to love you? ___________

 

2. Step two for healing is to face what you lost.

Did you loose a good friend?

Did you loose a husband?

Did you loose a wife?

Fill in the blank, I lost _________.

 

3. Step three for healing is to accept that the thing you lost is gone.

Make a list and write down all that you have lost.

I accept the fact that ____________is gone.

 

4. Step four for healing is to acknowledge to the Lord that you have been hurt and angry.

Lord, I have been angry at __________ for ___________.

I ask you to forgive me, and cleanse my heart of this anger.

 

5. Step five for healing is to release what you have lost.

Lord, I ask for your help to be set free from this pain. Lord by myself I can not accept the losses. I ask for your help to accept what I have lost. I accept the reality that _________ is gone; and I release (person or thing).

6. Step six for healing is to forgive the person.

Lord, I choose to forgive __________ for hurting me. They owe me nothing.

 

7. Step seven for healing.

My hope is in You, Lord. I know You are the one that gives life. Not the person or the things I have lost.

 

8. Step eight for healing is to choose life.

Lord, I choose Life; help me to continue looking forward towards the life you have given me.

 

Where Can I Go to Find Safety?

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“It is better to trust and take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”  Psalm 118:8

In the days we are living, there is troubling news on every side.  There are wars and rumors of wars, famines, and earthquakes in various places. Everywhere you turn, you hear of devastation. Many are like the man who called our office today from another country asking: Where do I go where it is safe? I couldn’t tell him whether or not he should leave his country, but I could tell him to take refuge in the Lord and He would lead him to safety.

In Ps 91:2, the psalmist David says the “Place of Refuge” or safety is the secret place where you go to spend time with God.  In the secret place, your quite time, all voices are silenced and you can focus on hearing the voice of God.

God is your refuge. He is the only one who knows the answer to your present problems.  Take refuge in Him and the answer will quickly come. In the refuge of the Lord, the enemy cannot touch you, taunt you, or discourage you.  You are safe under the shadow of His wings.  Find the secret place every day.  There you can find rest for your soul and strength to overcome the trials of these difficult days.

Psalm 112:7, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is firmly fixed.”