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“My guilt has overwhelmed me

    like a burden too heavy to bear.”

Ps 38:4

“I confess my iniquity;

    I am troubled by my sin.”

Ps 38:18

King David, “the man after God’s heart,” carried tremendous GUILT when he was brought to face his sins of stealing another man’s wife and having her husband killed in battle. 

Unconfessed and unrepentant sin is a cancer in the soul. 

We can ignore it (like David did for a period of time), but it grows and starves us of our joy of life. 

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Ps51:12

Jesus knows the heavy burden of sin; He took on our sins when He died on the Cross. 

Read Psalms 51 to feel David pleading for forgiveness with a repentant heart. 

David felt the heavy burden of the consequences of sin; GUILT!

David knew the PENALTY  of unconfessed, unrepentant sin; DEATH!!

Good morning as we present ourselves to Jesus with a repentant heart

Rock Of Ages – Tennessee Ernie Ford TV

Chris Tomlin – At The Cross (Love Ran Red) (Lyrics & Chords)

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

1 Peter 2:4–5 

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but CHOSEN by God and PRECIOUS to him— 5 you also, like LIVING STONES, ARE BEING BUILT UP INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, to be a holy HOLLY PRIESTHOOD, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Here Peter explains that being a ” living stone” correlates the spiritual relationship we share with Jesus who is the Cornerstone. 

Ephesians 2:19-21. – Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Paul spoke of us being built up in 

Phil 1:6 -“ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

We are a work in progress. Jesus sees us as a living stone to become a holy priesthood!

Jesus knows our potential; He made us!

Good morning “living stones.”

How Firm a Foundation – katiekatew

Standing On The Promises – Gospel Music Hymn Sing

Johnny 

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

Do we understand that there are positive consequences for obeying God and negative consequences for disobeying God. The Bible is very clear. OUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES. If we are truly saved, we can never lose our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14.) However, how God treats us is determined by our actions.

God wants and expects us to live holy lives (1 John 1:5-10.) He wants the best for us, but this is dependent on how we live.

Leviticus chapter 26 states what God expected of the Israelis. God spells out what He blesses and what He curses. God’s character DOESN’T CHANGE. This is a great guide for us to living holy lives.

I had a pastor once that preached only out of four books of the New Testament. It didn’t take me long to find a new church. 

If you don’t understand the Old Testament, you can’t possibly understand the New Testament.

Are you striving to live a holy life?

Praise God always 

Jim Reeves – Have Thine Own Way Lord (with lyrics)(HD)

Josh Turner – Long Black Train (Official Music Video)

Dave

For additional scriptures, go to GotQuestions.org and search for: “How can I live a holy life?” Also, “What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?” Also,”What does it mean to obey the gospel of God (1 Peter 4:17)?” Also, “What is the character of God?”

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

1Pet 2:16

Our God created each of us as ” free moral agents.”  

We have the freedom to choose our lifestyles and standards. 

Peter admonishes us to use our freedom as servants of God. 

Jesus made this clear when he gave us clarity of the two greatest laws. 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Mt 22:37

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Mt 22:39

Jesus then explained who our neighbor is with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. 

We serve God by serving other people. 

The highest acts of service are those that meet unexpressed needs along with meeting needs without seeking recognition. 

Editors note: as Mother’s Day approaches, I vividly remember my mother having me deliver food to a neighbor and saying , “Slip this into Mrs. So and So’s kitchen.” Mom sought NO recognition. 

Good morning and let freedom ring by serving God today by serving others.

If I Can Help Somebody/Closing ~ Tennessee Ernie Ford (1960) -Hankfan Hankfan

There Is Freedom (Official Lyric) – Josh Baldwin

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

This week I had a R.O.M.E.O (retired old men eating out) lunch with a dear friend.  Frequently these lunches involve several Romeo’s dining together.  They tend to travel in flocks.

This friend had requested that it only be the two of us .  To my surprise, he entered using a cane and had lost considerable weight since our last gathering.  As we settled in, he noted that he has been dealing with severe chronic pain caused by arthritis in his neck vertebrae.  As with all gatherings of folks in our age bracket, we enjoyed about 20 minutes of an “organ recital” where we opined about all things going wrong with our organs!  His question to me was “How do you manage to keep your Spirits up as you deal with such obvious disabilities?

I share this as others are likely dealing with similar issues.  I have no magic potion but this is what we discussed.

1. Stephen Covey in his wonderful book  Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People says in effect…We humans are different from animals in the fact that we have the power to choose our response to anything that happens to us.  Indeed that is why we  call it  R E S P O N S A B I L I T Y. Sp. !!
2. Every day is a Blessing.  Every morning, I reflect in prayer as I remember all of those on our prayer lists, text chains and devotionsdonedaily.com  website.  Before I rise I give thanks for the day ahead and I choose to rejoice and make it a good one.  With Christ in my heart, I rise and try to be a light to all others in my day.
3. We discussed the book of Job in the Bible.  Job lost everything…his health…his family…his friends…all of his possessions…but he never lost his FAITH in God and he was rewarded in the end just as we will be in Heaven.
4. I believe that God reserves His greatest challenges sometimes for his strongest warriors. Thereby giving them the opportunity to be even more of a witness for Him through their faith throughout  these ordeals.  Thus,  we can give thanks for our infirmities.
5. Unlike my friend , my maladies , other than 30+ kidney stones  and occasional bouts of gout have not come with chronic pain.  I thank God for that Blessing each day. 
6. I mentioned to my friend that I also find comfort in reading the Bible, listening to gospel and spiritual hymns, writing these little devotions for our prayer list friends subscribed to  devotionsdonedaily.com  and by pairing all of the songs to devotions everyday on devotionsdonedaily.com. I like to say that these activities keep my Spirits high… and keep me off of the streets and out of the bars!
7. I also thank God that my stroke ten years ago did not damage the part of my brain that enables me to choose my response to things ,  nor my ability to be grateful for all things great and small,  and to praise God always in all things.  These things I choose to do with gusto, one day at a time.

Lunch with my friend was a Blessing to me.  I hope I helped him as much as he helped me.  

Side note: As there are many on my prayer list who I have never had the pleasure of meeting face to face;  ( I love you anyway.)  my stroke left me paralyzed on my left side.  I still do therapy 6 hours a week just to “stay even.”  I “walk “ with the aid of an electric cuff mounted just below my knee.  With each step it sends an electric shock down the nerves in my left leg that jerks my toe up so that I can use my hip to swing my left leg forward.  I tell my children that every step I take is a “near death experience.”  I also use a red “hurricane” for balance.  It is equipped with a horn, headlight, tail light, bell, and cupholder.  It is a real conversation starter.  The sight of me “walking” can stop the traffic on an interstate highway!  I am Blessed by the attention.  It has introduced me to many new friends and kind souls.

Lynda Randle – One Day At a Time [Live]  – Gaither Music TV 

It Is Well With My Soul – SE Samonte

We are spiritual beings here to have a human experience.

Exercise your spiritual muscles …

Subscribe to our “Devotions Done Daily” email. 

The cost is zero…the value priceless and eternal 

 http://www.devotionsdonedaily.com/subscribe

Have a great week and keep your spirits high.

Hugs,  Bill

“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thes 5:19

When we accept Christ , His Spirit dwells in our spirits as Jesus living in us!

We , as individuals control the power and impact of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

From the time we accept Christ (justification) , we are in the sanctification or transformation stage ( work in progress) until we are glorified at the end of our physical lives. 

Paul warned us to not quench the Holy Spirit … therefore delaying the progress of transitioning to the image of God. 

We quench the Spirit in multiple ways:

    1. Deliberately choosing sin 

    2. Hardening of the heart by not being willing to forgive someone

    3.Prioritizing worldly activities over spiritual disciplines

    4.Suppressing spiritual gifts by not allowing the Holy Spirit to develop our God- given gifts

    5. Suppressing the joy of the moving of the Spirit in worship;  ie. Lifting hands in singing. 

    6. Denying the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miraculous events

Good morning as you and the Holy Spirit  engage today. 

Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow – Worship Song With Lyrics – Linng Mission

Jesus Is Living In Me-James Easter and Jeff Easter (with Sheri Easter)

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.”

Ps 139:9-10

When we become Christ’s adopted children, we are His!

We might deny Jesus like Peter did, but Jesus continues in our midst to redeem us. 

Ask Jonah how running from God worked for him. Jonah slipped down to the coast and bought a ticket to a town 2,500 miles away from Nineveh, where God commanded Jonah to go. 

With Jonah floundering in the depths of the sea, God sent the original “robo-taxi” (whale) to save him and bring him back. 

Good morning as you run toward God; not away from God

He’s In The Midst | Upper Ballroom | Official Music Video | Redeemed Quartet

Marshall Hall, Angela Primm, Jason Crabb – Take My Hand, Precious Lord (Live) – Gaither Music TV

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

You have said, “Seek my face.”

My heart says to you,

“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”

Ps 27:8

Much joy can be derived from anticipation. 

Just think of the joy of anticipation of the Super Bowl recently .

Not since Moses saw the face of God on the mountain has any man seen God’s face. 

But we have great joy in anticipation of seeing God’s face. 

We get a glimpse of His face when one of His children helps someone with a kind deed, or you receive a compassionate phone call or note. 

Good morning as you anticipate seeing the face of Jesus today – be looking – you might get a glimpse. 

George Strait – I Saw God Today ♬ (Live From AT&T Stadium) [2014 Version] @GeorgeStrait ❤

MercyMe – I Can Only Imagine (Video)

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

Many Christians talk about  salvation in their lives as in the past. The Bible says, “we are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.” (2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Corinthians 1:18; Romans 5:9-1).

This refers to justification, sanctification, and glorification. Christians are now in the process of sanctification, which is becoming more like Jesus every day. 

God wants us to have AN AMAZING LIFE BY LIVING AS GOD ALREADY SEES US IN HIS MIND. God will allow trials and tribulations in our lives that are used by God to sanctify us (become more like Jesus).

When I experience trials in my life, I asked God what He wanted me to learn, and please let me learn it quickly.

God expects us to live amazing lives. Are you living the AMAZING LIFE GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE?

Praise God always. 

Bill & Gloria Gaither – I Want to Be More Like Jesus Every Day [Live] ft. Old Friends Quartet – Gaither Music

Chris Tomlin – At The Cross (Love Ran Red) (Lyrics & Chords) – christomlinmusic

Dave

For additional scriptures, go to GotQuestions.org and search for: “What does it mean that we are saved and being saved at the same  time?” Also, “What does it mean to be sanctified?”