In Joshua 1:5 we read:  "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life:  as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee:  I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." 

Joshua was faced with a very formidable task.  He had been given the responsibility of taking a multitude of stubborn and rebellious people into a new land.  Once they got there, the task before them was not going to be easy.  They were going to engage in battle a people who were firmly entrenched in their land and firm in their resolve to hang onto it.  I suspect that Joshua was experiencing a few feelings of trepidaton!

In the midst of Joshua's fears stepped our faithful Lord, Who offered Joshua some words of encouragement. 

Perhaps this day finds you facing a future of uncertainty.  Perhaps there are issues that are causing you concern.  The three things God promised Joshua are relevant to you, as well: 

1) God promised He would not FAIL you!  No matter what difficulties life brings, God will never be found lacking in strength and love.  He will not let you down!

2) God promised He would not FORSAKE you!  No matter what you have done, no matter what failures you have experienced or struggles you might be facing, God will always be there for you! 

3)  God promised He would FILL you!  The Lord said He would be with you all of your days.  In the New Covenant we have with the Lord, He manifests this by filling us with Himself, with His Spirit.  If we will yield to His control, He will work all for good in your life! 

Seek with all your heart more of the Lord's presence and power in you life!  Cultivate an ever-increasing hunger and thirst for Him!

Embrace these three promises!  God loves you and desires to do good in your life!  He IS faithful!  You CAN trust Him! 

Think on these things....  

Isaiah 43:19 says,  "Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

This is a great time of the year, when it is customary to reevaluate the past and to look forward to the future.  I love the thought that today is the first day of the rest of our lives.  Regardless of the events of the past, good or ill, the future is a blank page, awaiting the touch of God's hand.  God is desirous to do good in your life.  He wants you to experience more of His Presence and more of His Power.  He wants to bless you, to anoint you, to use you powerfully.  He wants you to experience more intimate fellowship with Him, more fruitfulness for Him. 

No matter what has transpired in the past, no matter how tortous the wilderness you have found yourself in, God is ready to do something new in your life.  He is ready to bring springs of new life to the dry places of your life! 

Remember:  God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!! 

 Think on these things....

In Joshua 3:5 Joshua admonishes the people, "Sanctify yourselves (today) for to morrow the Lord will do wonders among you."  When I came across this verse recently I was deeply moved, for two reasons. 

The first reason is the exhortation it gives.  We are to sanctify ourselves.  To be sanctified means to be set apart, separated from the ordinary things and dedicated to a special purpose.  There are many places in the Word of God where we are exhorted to sanctify ourselves.  Following are just a few:

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." 1 Thessalonians 4:3

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23

"If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." 2 Timothy 2:21

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." 2 Corinthians 6:17

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

These verses, and many others to be found in the Bible, exhort us to be separate from the things of the world, and to be set apart for the Master's use. 

The second reaction I had to this was one of excitement!   The things God is wanting to do in us and through us are beyond our comprehension!  God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives!  He is eager and willing to do wonders among us, if only we will prepare ourselves!  God will do great things tomorrow if we will only sanctify ourselves today! 

Will you today do whatever it takes on your part so God can do the exciting things He is wanting to do tomorrow? 

Think on these things....

We come today to the final installment of the Balanced Life series of blogs.  We have covered the following in days past:

• Spiritual - "Seeking God's Face"
• Physical - "Taking Care of God's Temple"
• Mental - "Thinking God's Thoughts"
• Emotional - "Mastering My Emotions"
• Relational - "Loving God and Others"
• Sexual - "Maintaining Sexual Purity"
• Financial - "Practicing Faithful Stewardship"
• Occupational - "Doing God's Will"

Influencing each of the above areas is today's last area:  Volitional - "Enthroning Jesus as Lord".  Someone has rightly said that salvation (justification) is free, but discipleship (sanctification) is costly.  There is truth in that statement.  Whereas God freely offers us relationship with Him based solely on His grace and mercy, not our own efforts, it is also true that He then calls us to discipleship.  Inviting Christ into our lives is only the beginning of a life-long journey into greater Christ-likeness in both character and conduct, as we fall more deeply in love with Jesus and His Word, and as our lives, thoughts, actions, attitudes, and emotions come under His leadership and Lordship. 

Jesus Himself lays out the demands of discipleship in several places.  Two of them are found in Luke's Gospel: 

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it."  Luke 9:23.

"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple."

The life of the genuine disciple of Jesus Christ is one of dying to self, of allowing Him to be in control, of surrendering our will to His.  It is stepping down from the throne of our own lives and allowing Jesus to be the Sovereign over all of our life's affairs. 

Now don't perceive this as a burden or bondage!  To surrender to the Lordship of Jesus is to find true freedom!  It is the path to blessedness in life, because God is much more capable of ordering our lives than we are!  Left to ourselves, we always follow a path of self-destruction.  Only God has the wisdom to lead us.  And, knowing how very much He loves us, it just makes good sense to surrender everything to the Lord's control! 

In ever area of your life - spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, relational, sexual, financial, and occupational - may you yield control to the Lord.  May your prayer be the same as that of John the Baptist in John 3:30: "He must increase, but I must decrease." 

And, may your prayer by that of our Lord Jesus Himself, when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane:  "...not My will, but Thine be done." (Luke 22:42)

Think on these things....

Paul has some sound counsel in the book of Ephesians.  In Ephesians 5:15-17 he exhorts,

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."

I am always amazed when I think of those who arise in the morning, go to work at a job they hate, come home, watch a little TV, go to bed, and get up the next morning to do it all over again - day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year - until an entire lifetime has been wasted in the pursuit of that which does not satisfy! 

Paul exhorts us to use our time wisely, to find and do the will of God!  Someone has said that the greatest search in life is for the will of God; the greatest discovery is the discovery of the will of God; and the greatest accomplishment is accomplishing the will of God. 

Do you know that God has a special plan for your life!  You were created for a purpose!  God has a general purpose that applies to each of us: 

1.  God desires our Salvation In 2 Peter 3:9.we read that God "is longsuffering t us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  Have you entered into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  This is God's first and foremost concern for your life.  This above all other things is His will for you.

2.  But, not only does God desire your salvation, but He also desires your Sanctification.  1 Thessalonians 4:3 states, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."  Sanctification means that we are set apart from the ways of the world and are dedicated to God's will and purposes for our life. We begin our relationship with God at the point in time of our salvation, but that relationship must continue through the life-long process of sanctification. 

3.  Finally, God's general will for all of us is Service.  We find in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and 1 Corinthians 14, among other places the spiritual gifts that are given to us by God's Spirit.  His will is that we use these for His service. 

These are God's general will for each of us individually.  (For the church as a whole, God's will is that we fulfill the Great Commandment - love God and others and that we fulfill the Great Commission - make disciples.  These are subjects for another blog!) 

But, in addition to God's general will for each of us, there is also His specific will for each individual - for you!  Whether your parents planned your birth or not, from eternity past you have been in the mind and heart of God.  He eagerly desires intimate fellowship with you, but He also has a very clear and specific plan for your life. In Christ you have a destiny!  Are you fulfilling that destiny?  Are you doing what God placed you on the earth to do?  You will know you are doing God's will when you have peace, when you have passion, and when you are productive (i.e., you are fruitful in what you are doing.) 

Remember the old saying, "Only one life; 'twill soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."  Are you wasting your life away, or are you doing God's will for your life? 

Think on these things....

How many cars do you own?  How big a house do you own?  How much money do you have?  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and have placed your faith and trust in Him, the answer to these questions should be "None!"  You may have in your possession much of the above, but the fact is, it all belongs to the Lord!  He owns it! 

Today we continue our series on the Balanced Life - "Financial:  Practicing Faithful Stewardship."  Notice what the Word of God says:

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Psalm 24:1

"For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.  I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.  If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fulness thereof." Psalm 50:10-12

God owns it all!  He has entrusted it to our care and safekeeping and proper use, but it all belongs to Him!  The proper care of that which belongs to God is known as Stewardship.  It means that we perceive God as the owner of everything we have, and ourselves as shouldering the responsibility of using God's property wisely.  1 Corinthians 4:2 says,

"It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 

And, 2 Corinthians 5:10 records this sobering thought: 

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Jesus also taught an important lesson on the issue of being held accountable for what the Lord has entrusted to us, found in Matthew 25:14-29.  Three men were given varying degrees of responsibility.  Two demonstrated faithful stewardship; one did not.  The one who did not had taken from him what he had, because he failed to use his master's money properly.

This day of accountability is a sure and certain reality.  And, that accountability will include how faithful we were with that which belongs to the Lord.  Just as gifted and anointed men and women of God have fallen due to becoming out of balance sexually (see my last blog entry), many have fallen because of greed, poor stewardship, and a lack of balance in the financial area of their lives. 

What does the Lord expect of His disciples?  The answer is found in Luke 14:33: 

"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple." 

Beginning today, remember that everything in your possession belongs to the Lord.  Give it all back to Him. He expects you to be a faithful steward of the things He has entrusted to your care.  Use everything to glorify the Lord and to help advance His Kingdom work on this earth!  Maintain purity in the area of your finances.  Don't become greedy or coveteousness, which, according to Colossians 3:5, is nothing less than idolatry. 

Practice faithful stewardship, and the Lord will bless and honor you in return! 

Think on these things....

Joyce Meyer once said something that makes a lot of sense to me.  She said, "Your gifts can take you where your character cannot keep you."  How true this is! 

We have seen in recent years the fall of prominent, gifted ministers to sexual sin.  Unfortunately, this tragic drama has played itself out far too many times.  None of these men set out to destroy their lives, marriages, and ministries; yet, they nonetheless set in action a course of events that eventually resulted in much harm.

James 1:15 records what I call the "Life Cycle" of sin:

"Then when lust hath conceive, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." 

Sexual sin begins with a thought, an idea that is entertained and dwelt upon, which eventually brings forth the act of sin, which always results in death.  Even Jesus establishes the fact that adultery (and sexual sin) begins in the heart; i.e., in our thoughts: 

"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But i say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28) 

God created the institution of marriage and the relationship of the husband and wife to serve as a portrayal of the greater relationship that exists between the Church and Himself.  This is found in Ephesians 5:21-33.  Satan, who cannot create, but who can counterfeit, gloats in his successes in perverting that which God created as good, including the intimate relationship between a husband and wife. 

In order to keep from falling into Satan's trap, the same trap others have fallen into, it is important that we not even begin to entertain the idea of sexual sin.  We must discipline our thoughts, lest our thoughts lead to sinful actions, which lead to death. 

So how can avoid this trap?  The key is in ABIDING:

1)  Abide in the Spirit.  Galatians 5:16 says, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

2) Abide in Christ.  John 15:4-5 reads, "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." 

3) Abide in the Word.  Psalm 119:9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word."  Note also Proverbs 6:20-35 and Proverbs 7:1-27. 

Finally, if you find yourself in sexual sin or addiction, remember the words of Jesus in John 8:31-32,26: 

"If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 

Victory over sexual temptation and sin is yours in Jesus Christ!  Guard your hearts and minds and thoughts, abide in the Spirit, in Christ, and the Word, and let Jesus set you free from the bondage of sexual sin today! 

Think on these things....

Continuing our series on the Balanced Life, we come to Part 5:  Relational:  "Loving God and Others" 

I recall at one point in my life telling the Lord that I really wanted to live in complete obedience to Him, to His will, but that there was so much to remember!  I asked, "Can you just give me the bottom line?"  The answer came immediately, and it is found in Matthew 22:37-40: 

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  The second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." 

How true that is!  Christian character and conduct boil down to these two simple commands:  Love God and Love Others!  Jesus emphasizes this again in John 13:34-35: 

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have lone one to another." 

How do we show love to God? 

1) We do so by spending time with Him / abiding in Him (see John 15:1ff). 

2) We show we love God by obeying Him (see John 14:15, John 15:10, and I John 2:3. 

3) And, we show we love God by loving others. 

So, how do we show that we love others?  I believe the answer to this question is found in heeding what is known as the "Golden Rule" as found in Matthew 7:12: 

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." 

In Jesus' day other religions had a similar maxim, but theirs were stated in the negative.  Their philosophy:  Don't do to anyone anything you don't want done to yourself."  In other words, stay to yourself, and don't bother anyone.  Jesus, however, turned that to a positive:  Do to others what you want done to yourself.   This is a proactive approach to life that seeks out ways to be a blessing to others! 

So, how do we want to be treated?  I believe in at least 7 ways.  We want to be: 

1. Forgiven when we make mistakes.

2. Restored when we repent.

3. Listened to when we need to talk.

4. Respected when we disagree.

5. Comforted when we suffer.

6. Accepted when we are different.

7. Loved when we are sometimes unlovely. 

How do you measure up?  Are you showing your love to God?  Are you showing your love to others?  Are you healthy and balanced relationally? 

Think on these things....

I have a friend who once said that the number one thing hindering our walk with God and our effectiveness for God is the issue of unforgiveness in our lives.  I wholeheartedly agree with him. This one issue alone has done more harm than anything I know.  Hebrews 12:15 says,

"Looking diligently let any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled." 

It is absolutely true that bitterness can defile us.  Every aspect of our lives are impacted negatively by bitterness.  Spiritually, physically, mentally, financially - all of these are affected.  When we give Satan ground in our lives by refusing to forgive, then he begins to build a stronghold, from which he attacks all the other areas. 

On one of my trips to South Africa, during one of our retreats with pastors, I was teaching about how much of a poison bitterness can be, and one man said it was like an acid that corrodes the well-being of our lives.  How true this is! 

The Bible has a lot to say about the issue of anger and bitterness.  He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding (Proverbs 14:29).  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty (Proverbs 16:32).  And, Proverbs 25:28 says, 

"He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls." 

We become very vulnerable to self-inflicted harm when we become angry.  We get out of balance and self-destructive when we do not control our negative emotions. 

One final thought:  May we all heed James' counsel in James 1:19-20:

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God." 

Think on these things....

Paul states in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, the following:

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 

We are in a spiritual battle, and our enemies are Satan and all of His demons.  In John 10:10 Jesus states that Satan's objective in your life is to "steal, kill, and destroy."  Satan hates you and is very eager to do you harm in any way he can.  He wants to see you weakened and defeated. 

And, the primary battlefield Satan likes to use is our minds.  He attacks our thoughts with the weapons of fear, doubt, unbelief, and lies.  Beginning with Eve in the Garden of Eden, this has always been his mode of operating.  Most of the world has fallen under the influence of Satan's evil way of thinking.   

According to the verse above, we are to cast down these evil imaginations, and every thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.  We are to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  We are to wage war against Satan's lies and be victorious.  This victory begins in our minds.  

So how do you fight the ideas Satan throws at our minds?  With another idea!  We fight Satan's lies with God's Truth.  Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the Truth.  He states in John 17:17 that His Word is Truth.  In John 14, 15, and 16 the Holy Spirit is called "The Spirit of Truth". 

So, the way to fight the weapons of Satan (fear, doubt, lies, and unbelief) is with the Truth of the Word of God, and by abiding in the Truth of Jesus and the Holy Spirit! 

In order to live victoriously, and to be balanced in the area of our mind we must begin to replace what Satan has planted in our minds with God's thoughts as found in His Word (Jesus and the Bible) and as revealed to us by His Holy Spirit. 

What have you been filling your mind with?

Think on these things....

Continuing our series on the Balanced Life we come to the second area of our lives in which we need to seek balance:  Physical. 

The Word says the following:

"What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

God clearly desires that we take care of our physical bodies.  There are at least three reasons why this is so important: 

1)  Our bodies are the vessels in which the Holy Spirit of God has chosen to abide!  Think of it!  God Himself lives within us!  He views our bodies as His Temple!  We do not want to ask the Spirit to live in a soiled vessel. 

2)  When we are out of balance physically, the other areas of our lives are affected.  It affects us spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally, sexually, and financially.

3)  Our bodies are to be used as the vessel through which God conveys His message of love and forgiveness to a lost world.  If we are not taking care of ourselves physically, we are hampered from being able to minister effectively.  Note Paul's words in Philippians 2:27,30, speaking of his associate Epaphroditus:

"For indeed he was sick nigh unto death ... Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life." 

On first reading this sounds so noble!  Epaphroditus must have been a committed servant of God to work himself to the point of almost dying!  Yet, what if he had died?  He would have had no further opportunity to serve the Lord or the people of the Lord!  I truly believe that Epaphroditus was out of balance in this area, not taking care of himself physically.  Consequently, he almost died and his ministry would have been finished prematurely. 

It became evident to me recently that not taking care of myself physically can indeed hinder ministry.  A few months back I was supposed to make a trip to the Philippines, but some frightening health concerns forced me to delay that trip.  If I had been taking better care of myself (eating properly, exercising regularly) I would have been able to go.  But I was not taking care of myself and my poor health hindered the work of God from being accomplished through me. 

Yes, I trust to the Sovereignty of God, but I also feel very responsible for that missed opportunity.  I was filled with grief that my poor choices had negatively impacted the ministry the Lord would have liked to do through me.  I have vowed to never let that happen again, and I am on a path to taking better care of myself.  (Your prayers are appreciated!) 

Let us learn the lesson of taking care of our physical bodies - the Spirit's Temple - to the glory of God! 

Think on these things....

As we begin to consider the eight areas of our life where we want to find balance and wholeness, the first and most obvious place to embark is in the area of the "Spiritual".  There is nothing more important than daily seeking God's face!  All the other areas of our life and ministry will be adversely affected if we are neglecting this area of our lives. 

The key to maintaining spiritual health is to continually abide in Christ.  In the Greek, the word "abide" means to remain with, to continue with.  It carries the idea of being inseparable from constant fellowship with the Lord.  To fail to do so invites spiritual atrophy and a lack of fruitfulness.

Jesus said, in John 15:1:4-5,

"Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches:  He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without Me ye can do nothing."

To David (Psalm 27:4), Paul (Philippinans 3:13), and Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42, John 11:2, 12:1ff), one thing was more important than anything else in life - to abide daily, constantly, continually with Jesus.  The passionate driving force of their life was to sit at the feet of Jesus in intimate fellowship!  They knew that there would be no real fruitfulness if there was not first intimate fellowship with the Lord.  Their lives were consumed with the pursuit of more of God's presence and more of God's power in their lives! 

Are you equally passionate about your daily fellowship with the Lord?

How God loves you and desires to fellowship with you today!  How He yearns for you to spend time with Him!

In today's world, it is easy to become distracted by many things, and we are all busy with overloaded schedules.  However, there is nothing more important than your daily time alone with the Lord, in intimate fellowship!  Our spiritual health and well-being are dependent upon this daily discipline. 

Beginning today, make time every day to spend time alone with the Lord in Bible reading/study and prayer.  Seek the face of the Lord before you do anything else in your day.  Know that God is inside you, through His Holy Spirit, and that He is eager to fellowship with you, to comfort you, lead you, teach you, guide you. 

By doing so, we are laying the foundation for more of the presence and power of God in our lives.  And, we are laying a proper and strong foundation for finding balance and health in all the other areas of our life. 

One thing is more important than anything else - spending time with God.  Seek God's face today!  Do it today!  You will never find balance or wholeness in your life if you are not doing so!

Think on these things....

God eagerly desires our well-being - the wholeness of the entire person.  This is evidenced in Matthew 4:24, where we read of Jesus:

"And His fame went throughout all Syria:  and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases (physical) and torments (emotional), and those which were possessed with devils (spiritual), and those which were lunatic (mental) and those that had the palsy (physical); and He healed them."  

Additionally, we read in 3 John 2 the words of John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

And, we read Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:23:

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul (mind, will, and emotions) and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

From these verses it is evident that God cares about the whole person, not just the spiritual or physical! 

In the days ahead we will consider each of the areas of our person and how by getting "in balance" in each of eight areas of our lives we are better positioned to experience more of the presence and power of God in our lives!

Think on these things....

How much God LOVES you!  How unconditional is that love!  How He desires intimate fellowship with you!  How He desires you to bear much fruit in your life and ministry!  How He is eager for you to experience more of both His presence and His power!

Though God loves us unconditionally, and is eager to bless us, unfortunately, we often sabotage what God is eager to do in our lives because we get OUT OF BALANCE in one or more areas of our life!  There are at least 8 areas of our life in which we can get out of balance: 

Spiritual

Physical

Mental

Emotional

Relational

Sexual

Financial

Occupational

In the days ahead we will look at each of these individually.  As we journey together, ask the Lord to reveal any area of your life that might be hindering your experiencing more of His presence and power, more fellowship with Him and more fruitfulness for Him. Be willing to allow Him to examine every area of your life, and be willing to openly address areas that need your confession and repentance.  

Why are we doing this?  Is it because we fear God's wrath or because we are hoping to earn God's loving favor?  No!  Our objective here is not legalism.  Our motive is love!  We allow God to examine and cleanse our lives so that we might remove any hindrance or barrier that is limiting Him expressing Himself in all His fulness in our lives!

Are you ready for God to work a marvelous cleansing and change in your life?

Think on These Things....