Instant gratification (Ecclesiastes 2:1-2) (1 Kings 11:1-3) is the root of extended painful regret which can last for years, even a lifetime. (Dr. Swindol) “Unaccountability always leads to disaster.”
King Solomon willfully disobeyed (Deuteronomy 17:16-17) the written Word of God and flaunted (1 Kings 11:1-3) his own desires and his wives turned his heart away from the Lord. Daniel Webster said, “The highest thought a man can have is his accountability to God.” Just a little distraction, or a foolishly allowed boredom and the erosion begins in our intimacy with Jesus. Daily self-denial (1 Corinthians 15:31) and waiting for God’s timing is the root of spiritual victory and fulfillment of God’s purposes.
Self-consciousness is wrong for a Christian because the self-focus can lead to self-pity. Self-pity is satanic because it accuses God of being wrong and unkind in what He sends or allows in our lives. We need to keep our minds set (Colossians 3:1) on things above so that we will be filled with Christ-consciousness 24/7, and, at all times, we will have God’s point of view on everything. This morning everything seemed to be going wrong but I didn’t get upset and the Lord showed me two wonderful facts. When things ‘seem’ to be going wrong -- nothing can go wrong if God is in control. This truth was the reason I didn’t get upset. God always has a holy purpose and a beneficial reason. Let the first flick of temptation itself be the yellow light of WARNING and the red light of STOP. Then transform it into the green light of GO in faithful loyal obedience to Jesus. This is how we use Satan’s tactics against him and go on in victory.
When we are filled with Christ-consciousness, the commonplace things around us will shine with His beauty and glory. Our all-glorious God is the sum- total of perfection, wisdom and beauty. All that God was, He still is, and all that He still is, He always will be. There is no shadow of change with our Sovereign God. Jesus always was and is fully God, never less than God.
The fact that Jesus was willing to temporarily veil His Deity, incarnate in His humanity, and with heart-wrenching anguish pay in full for all the sin of all the world - - - proves the oneness, the unity and the singleness of holy purpose of the Holy Trinity, the One True Triune God.
To be filled (Ephesians 5:18) with the Holy Spirit is not the same as filling a glass with water. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be filled with all the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s total control. He is fully in charge of every detail, even the seemingly insignificant to His total control.
Our part is to co-operate with Him by yielding, surrendering all we are and have to His total control. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit (Romans 8:2) of the Life that is in Jesus and that life is reproduced in us only by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the very Breath of God.
I know that (Genesis 32:10) I deserve nothing from the Lord. I also know that (Romans 8:32) I am eligible for everything because the highest Court in the universe has declared me JUSTIFIED!
When the Lord said, “Be healed,” He was not telling that person to take medication or see a doctor. With His spoken Words, He imparted health to the sick person. When the Lord said (Daniel 10:19, Joshua 1:7) “Be strong”. He is not telling a weak person to shape up but His very Words impart strength to the weak person. Everything in Jesus and Jesus Everything.
As we experience the power of God’s spoken Words in our own lives every day, gratitude should be running out of our pores.
Jesus invites us (Matthew 11:29-37), actually welcomes us to take His yoke and learn of Him while we walk in sweet companionship with Him. I can’t even imagine a more desirable or prestigious position than to be closely yoked with Jesus. Nothing could be higher. This is the higher ground where the air is always invigorating and refreshing. His yoke enables us for the climb.
When we become (2 Corinthians 5:17) new creations in Christ Jesus, we receive a new wardrobe. We are to clothe ourselves (Colossians 3:12-14) with sympathy, mercy, patience, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, etc. and all this graced with love.
Everything we have is the wonder of God’s Creation and the miracle of God’s unfailing goodness. How great (Zechariah 9:17) is the goodness of our God and how great is His beauty.
Light obeyed always brings more light. Light disobeyed (John 12:35) is the blinding light that becomes darkness. Deliberate disobedience makes us responsible and accountable for the darkness and confusion in which we find ourselves.
Someone has wisely said, “A pessimist sees a difficulty in every opportunity and an optimist sees an opportunity in every difficulty.”