Strongholds vs. Transformation

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Only spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for over throwing the fortresses of evil. There is a temptation to meet Satan with fleshly weapons of human wisdom and strength but that is not where true victory lies.  Human wisdom and strength have no place in this battle.  This is a spiritual battle, one we are not equipped to fight without the strength and protection of the Holy Spirit.  

Only spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for over throwing the fortresses of evil. There is a temptation to meet a Satan of with fleshly weapons of human wisdom and strength but that is not where true victory lies.  

Satan loves to distract us from the joy and blessing of the upward call of Christ by focusing our attention on what we are doing instead of who and Whose we are.  In Revelation, Satan is referred as "The Accuser of the Brethren"as he seeks to destroy the confidence and victory of believers.

The whole of any person has strength and weakness, good and bad and faith and fear.  Instead of walking in victory we succumb to a guilt and defeat triggered by a single area of weakness.  This does not mean we should ignore our sin but that we should find our identity in Christ as we seek to be freed from it.  It just means to be aware of your enemy, Satan, who loves it when he can persuade us we are not worthy of victory.  

The work of God in a believer's life to transform them into the image of Christ is sanctification.  The issue is not what sanctification is but how it is accomplished.  If by obedience and works, we will focus on our ethics and morality.  If by our spiritual discernment and power, we will focus on God.  Growing in faith and righteousness will not occur without a concerted effort on the part of a believer to yield to the Spirit of God within.

Sanctification by God seems to have been replaced with obedience by men.  But God says And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Conformation to God's precepts and principles is not God's transformation of our heart by His Spirit and The Word.  God has promised to change us, not help us change ourselves. The answer to overcoming our strongholds lies completely in His hands. Place your weakness there today and start the beautiful journey of transformation.  

Scripture to Claim:
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

More on Overcoming Strongholds

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:11-12

Only spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for over throwing the fortresses of evil. There is a temptation to meet Satan with fleshly weapons of human wisdom and strength but that is not where true victory lies.  Human wisdom and strength have no place in this battle. This is a spiritual battle, one we are not equipped to fight without the strength and protection of the Holy Spirit. 

Admitting we are weakin an area of sin will help us begin the journey of overcoming our strongholds.  You can rationalize it, rename it, excuse it or deny it, but it is yours to deal with.  This verse was not written to only some Christians.  We are all faced with battles, but we can know victory in Jesus name. 

Repenting and grieving over our sin and the damage it has caused to our own lives and the lives of those around us is the next step. Repentance is sorrow converted into action and new life.  It is a verb. Action is required to produce change. If we say we are sorry and do not change our actions – stop the sin cycle – that is not repentance.  Do whatever you have to do to keep the temptation away. Put distance between you and what you know your weakness is.  Allowing it to stay in your life is a dangerous move.  Remove yourself from failure by closing the door where Satan has been entering and declare that desire dead.  You can’t play with fire and not get burned.  A fact of life is that to choose to sin is to choose to suffer because every sin is a violation of God’s design and desire for our lives. 

Visualize the freedom you have from the sin.  Imagine how it feels to be unchained.  Think about the relief from the burden of guilt and shame. When we are bound by sin, the hopeless weight we carry is such a burden.  Dream of the joy, peace, and purpose that God has promised and ordained for you.  Visualize the change God can be in your life.  

Get Moving!  Breaking an old habit without starting a new one is like weeding a garden but no planting anything in its place.  Empty ground grows weeds. 

The fully committed life of a believer is a battleground, not a playground.  Surrender your complete life to God…area by area…emotions and actions, business and home, hobbies and relationships.  With the Spirit in control there are few other decisions the believer is faced with.  The Christian life is not merely a standard or pattern of behavior, but a life lived under the control of Christ.  The goal of spiritual transformation is not to change a behavior but to change a heart.  Religion can alter behavior, but only Christ can change a life.

Scripture to Claim:
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  2 Corinthians 5:17

The Threshing Floor

Some content taken from Altar-ed by Sam Nobles

His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 
Matthew 3:12

In biblical days there was no machinery, so after the harvest, the grain was separated from the straw and husks manually on a flat, smooth surface, known as the threshing floor.  After the wheat (grain) was separated from the chaff (husk), winnowing forks were used to throw the mixture into the air so the wind could blow away the chaff, leaving only the good grain on the floor.  

In the Bible, the threshing floor is symbolic of judgement.  It is a place where good and evil are separated.  The grain is the good stuff and the chaff, that blows away in the wind, is the bad stuff.

Every one of us will meet God on the threshing floor of our lives at some point, and that will prove what we are made of.  The meeting at the threshing floor is necessary to separate the chaff (trivial, worldly, etc.) from the wheat (substantial, significant, etc.) in our walk with the Lord.

I’ve been there, going along with my own plans, living life in my own strength. Then I hit a bump and think I can solve the problem in my own strength.  Our loving Lord allows a meeting on the threshing floor in our lives so that we can learn to die to our strength, to our plans, and to our agenda.  We really begin to see what is going on inside of us when we meet God at the threshing floor.

Perhaps you’re at the threshing floor today. Maybe you’ve hit a bump at work or maybe things are a bit shaky in your marriage and it looks as if it may fall. Maybe you’ve thought you could straighten things out in your own strength only to find that you can’t. At the threshing floor, it all gets hashed out.

The threshing floor is the place we come to when something has to change, when we can no longer go on living the way we are. We desperately need the wind to carry away the chaff.  Even though it is a place of judgement, it is a place of cleansing. God meets us on the threshing floor, and in His name we are refined and made whole. At the threshing floor it all gets sorted out, and when we walk away from the threshing floor, we walk away with only the good.  

Scripture to Claim: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:7

Treasure in Broken Vessels

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.  We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

No matter how much money we spend on cosmetics, healthcare or how many miles we run on the treadmill, our mortal human bodies revolt. We get weaker physically as we grow older no matter what we do.  We are wasting away day by day.  It is a fact of life.  But we are also weak spiritually without the treasure of Christ in us. We are all broken, both physically and spiritually. The treasure of Christ in us gives us the power to overcome. 

We have this treasure in jars of clay… to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
A clay jar is not very sturdy, even though it appears to be.  If it falls over it is broken. As humans, we try to do things in our own power, fall down and shatter into what feels like a million pieces.  I fall when I am trying to do anything in my own power.  God doesn’t want us to come in our strength. He wants us to come to him in our weakness.  We are chosen and desired by Him even in our weakness.  Our weakness is represented by the jar of clay, a very ordinary, fragile, and commonplace thing.  The treasure we have?  The hope of knowing Jesus Christ.  We are these fragile broken vessels with the treasure of Christ inside.  Though we are weak on the outside, the treasure of Christ in us is our strength.  Only by the power of Christ in me do I have the strength to hold it together day by day. He shines through all my cracks and broken places and gives strength.  The cycle is complete -He is the potter, we are the clay which me made into clay jars, and the potter always treasures his creation.  He treasures us, and He is the treasure inside of our broken vessels.  

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

It will happen at some point.  No one gets through this life unscathed without blisters and scars to show for the journey.  So, as the saying goes, it is not if, but when.  You will be broken, and it will be tough but the power of Jesus in us helps us to endure.  Christ in us – in the broken vessels that we are – is our treasure, our strength, our hope. Hope can never be found in our circumstances, because our circumstances are sometimes awful, and they change. They are not consistent.  There are ups and downs in our lives.  Our hope is found in our identity, which is Christ in us.  

Cracks and broken places can be beautiful things that allow God’s light, love and gospel to shine through us to the rest of the world.  Yes, we are wasting away on the outside day by day, but we are getting better day by day on the inside.  

Scripture to Claim:

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:5

To Be In The World and Not Like The World

Some content taken from Altar-ed by Sam Nobles

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” James 4:4 ESV 

To define: the world is any mindset, philosophy, or worldview that sets itself against God.There is and always has been an irreconcilable incompatibility between the church and the world.  We want to have a place in the world so that we can share God’s love and salvation with the world, while maintaining the testimony of Christ.  

For Christians it is a challenge to be in the world and not of the world.  We walk very closely with the world, getting as close as we can, without totally conforming to the world.  We want to be close enough to have a relationship where we can have an impact, while maintaining enough distance to be separate.  It is just as hard for the church. We want to be appealing to the world to draw them in.  In the process we can lose the true goal Christ has given us.  

Our goal should be to reach the world, not become like the world.

So many churches today have been commandeered by carnal spin-doctors, who try to convince believers that the church can be just as inclusive, pluralistic, and broad-minded as the world, but it can’t.

Our goal should be relevance, but not at the expense of reverence.

It is okay for a church to be “relevant”, but it is not okay for “relevance” to take the place of reverence – this is still the church. It is far more important to be biblical than it is to be cool.

Our goal should be to grow strong more than it is to grow large.

A strong church will be a growing church, but if the goal is growth instead of strength, people will be spiritually shallow. If there is a mist in the pulpit then there will be a fog in pews.

Our goal should be edification and evangelism more than entertainment.

There is nothing wrong with having a good time at church and even being entertained, but there is a huge problem when the entertainment becomes more valued and promoted more than the Word of God.

As the Church, the Body of Christ, we need to remember that proclaiming the gospel of Christ is our goal. Relevance is a means to an end. Not our focus.  It is a bridge for us to be able to more effectively spread the Gospel today and become a stronger church  

Scripture to Claim:

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)

Reclaimed (Part 4)

II Corinthians 10:3-6

Our lives are filled with sin patterns that must be overcome to claim a new life in God.  Overcoming strongholds requires spiritual warfare targeting whatever area of weakness that has caused recurring defeat. Some specific actions include:

Steps to Rebuilding 

·   Get a proper attitudetoward sin. Romans 12:9b

The fully committed life of a believer is a battleground, not a playground.

·  Surrender your completelife to God. Romans 12:1, James 4:7 

The goal of spiritual transformation is not to change a behaviorbut to change a heart.  

·  Closethedoorwhere Satan has been entering. Romans 6:6-7,11

 A fact of life is that to choose to sinis to choose to suffer.

·  Studythe Word of God about your weakness.Hebrews 4:12

Every sin is a violation of God’s designand desirefor our lives.

God’s Word about a sin reveals the truthabout that wrong and strengthens our convictionand holds us accountable.

·  Be filledwith God’s Spirit Galatians 5:16

The Christian life is not merely a standard or pattern of behavior, but a life lived under the controlof Christ.

Strongholds vs. Transformation 

The work of God in a believer’s life to transformthem into the image of Christ is sanctification.

Sanctification by God seems to have been replaced with obedienceby men. Romans 12:2

God has promised to changeus, not help us changeourselves.

The powerful strongholds that we struggle with can only be torn down by yieldingto a power greater than ourselves…Jesus!

A False Witness Who Breathes Out Lies

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God.  This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him.  Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad.  This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.

A false witness is someone who tells a lie about another person to either hurt them or provide an advantage for themselves. Another example would be lying to a police officer or while under oath in a court of law to change the outcome of a case. This isn't just creating a little white lie. It is intentionally trying to change the outcome of an event by telling a lie.  Lying and bearing false witness are both a form of lying. However, bearing false witness is directly aimed at another person.  A false witness is more than a liar, but the type of person who would file a false police report to see someone persecuted falsely. A false witness is someone who would lie under oath and seeks to destroy innocent lives.   

Naboth, a Jezreelite in the Bible, was falsely accused and tragically stoned to death as a result.  His story is found in 1 Kings 21.  He refused to sell his land to King Ahab and as a result, Ahab’s queen, Jezebel, had him falsely accused of cursing both God and the King. He was taken outside the city and killed. Bearing false witness is serious. 

Colossians 3:9-10says Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator.  With this new self and in the knowledge of our creator we can overcome the “old self” ways. 

One Who Sows Discord Among His Brothers

As Christians we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are one body, with many members, working together toward one goal and one purpose – to further the Kingdom of God.  When there is disunity in the body, the body cannot function like it is supposed to. It is weakened and ineffective. The members cannot function together with disruption and strife.  Satan longs for the body of Christ to be rendered ineffective and it only takes one person to get it started.

This disruption to the body of Christ is particularly displeasing to God because one person causing strife can start an avalanche, causing others to fall into sin also. We may think it is a small thing to sow discord in the office, the shop, the church or the home; but the Bible says that God hates discord and strongly denounces those who sow strife.  Satan loves to get into the middle of Christians and break them apart.  If he can tear down the church from the inside out, he has accomplished his goal. All it takes is one of us to stir the pot.  Don’t be the crack in the door that he uses to get in.

I am so glad to know that, even when we fail, our God does not hate us.  Even though we may be guilty of some of these things on this list of what God hates, He loves and forgives us and in Him we can be made new again.  

Scripture to Claim:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32  

A Heart That Devises Wicked Plans

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.  Proverbs 6:16-19

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God.  This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him.  Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad.  This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.

A Heart That Devises Wicked Plans  “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”(Jeremiah 17:9)

This is all about planning - planning ahead of time to do something wrong or evil.  Planning a robbery, planning a murder, kidnapping, etc.  For the most part this applies to people outside the walls of the church, right?  I don’t think God would have warned us about it if He didn’t think that we could have these thoughts too.  Devising wicked plans can be anything we are planning to do that is against God’s commands. 

All sin begins with a thought.  When we think about something, and dwell on it, we are more likely to eventually follow through with actions.  What we do with those thoughts is key to how we conduct our lives.  I have never sat down, or even let my mind drift while driving down the street, about killing another human being or robbing a bank.  But I will admit that I have had plenty of conversations – both in my mind and some out loud with myself – about what I would like to say to someone who has hurt me or angered me.  Is this devising a wicked plan?  No.  Is it wrong? It is not the attitude that God wants me to have and can lead me down a road of bitterness and resentment. Instead I need to give those feelings to Him, ask Him to check my heart, forgive me, and help me show His love to the person that I am so consumed with.  Our hearts are in danger when we let thoughts roll that go against God’s commands. We need to guard our hearts and take every thought captive and give them to Him.  

Feet That Run to Evil

If we have feet that run to evil, it means that we are quick to participate in sin.  There is already a desire and a willingness, maybe even an eagerness, to engage in sin. However, this is more of an impulsive action, not a thought-out plan such as above.  

Doing things on impulse is something we all struggle with.  Shopping on impulse, sexual behavior, overeating, acting out in anger, participating in gossip, and so much more.  Following these impulses will get us in much trouble.  When we throw caution to the wind and willingly engage in impulsive and sinful behavior we are putting ourselves in danger.  We are all sinful by nature and sometimes the path to evil will be appealing because that is the way Satan wants it.  He wants to lure us away in an impulsive moment.  But if you have ever made an impulsive decision you regret, you know that the path is only appealing for a moment until the snare snaps. 

Guard your heart and be aware of the devil who is always looking to lead you astray. Make choices carefully instead of impulsively, thinking of where it will lead - closer to God, or farther away?  

Scripture to Claim:Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…  Ephesians 3:20  NASB

Hands That Shed Innocent Blood

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God. This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him.  Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad.  This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.

This one seems pretty easy right?  All life was created by God and all life is valuable.  Murder, taking an innocent life, is something that God hates.  That makes sense.  Abortion, Euthanasia, and the martyrdom that is happening in the world today also fall into this category.  Christians are being martyred every day.  Innocent blood shed because they won’t denounce Jesus Christ.  Gangs and cult killings are the merciless shedding of innocent blood.  Abuse and crimes gone wrong where innocent bystanders or first responders are slain. God is the author and giver of life and no one has the right to decide when a person should die but Him.  

But figuratively speaking, innocent blood can be shed in many ways.  Physical murder is killing the body, but you can destroy lives, crush spirits, and fatally wound the souls of others without spilling a drop of blood.  What about the ways we snap and shred the spirit of the child in our pathway on a harried morning?  Or the way we take out a stressful day on our spouse in the evening? Death and life are in the power of the tongue… Proverbs 18:21a.  With abuse, a person’s life may not be taken in a physical sense (sadly many are), but emotionally, a portion of their life is gone forever.  These examples are nowhere near the horrific situations on the other end of the spectrum, shedding innocent blood, but they do matter to God. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:21-24 that if we hate someone, unreasonable without offering room for forgiveness, we have sinned equivalent to committing murder: You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

If you have a problem with someone you are holding in your heart, it is a slippery slope.  When hurt is harbored and ruminated over, bitterness and hate can follow quickly.  In every case, all shedding of innocent blood begins in the heart.  But there is someone whose innocent blood was shed for us and the good news is that He can take away the hurt in our hearts that can so easily turn to hate.  Jesus can wipe away bitterness and turn it into love.  Onlythe love of Jesus Christ can overcome the hate the sheds innocent blood.  As Christians we need to pray - pray for this world, the ones who do not value life and do not know the love of the Heavenly Father.

Scripture to Claim:
Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Ephesians 4:22 NLT

A Lying Tongue

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God. This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him.  Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad.  This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.

No one wants to be labeled a liar.  Yet, our lives are full of small and, what we deem acceptablelies, that we hide behind to try to fit in, to try to feel better about ourselves, to be seen as better than we really are.  Lies like “I’ll be praying for you”, “I am sorry I didn’t see your call”, “Nothing is wrong, I am fine”, roll off our tongues without thought.  But a lie is a lie, no matter how little we think it is. 

Justification– we can easily justify a little white lie.  We lie to protect.  We lie to surprise.  We lie to avoid conflict.  We lie to make others happy.  We lie to survive.  Some of these circumstances seem perfectly justified to tell a little white lie, but wrong is wrong and the Bible clearly says, in many areas, that a lying tongue is an abomination to the Lord.  There is no justification for it.  Not on God’s terms.  

Misery- In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue…

One little lie always leads to another.  It is truly a tangled web once we set it in motion, and when you are tangled up in the midst of it all, you will be miserable and wish you had never started it.

Contradictory to God – And God in You

God desires truth. God is truth.  Telling a lie contradicts everything God is and everything He is in you.  There will be conflict in your heart when you tell a lie because it is contradicting who you are in Christ.  

We tend to be careless and lazy when it comes to following some of these “basics” of a relationship with Christ.  We sometimes think we can blur the lines of truth or bend them just a little as long as it is not something major or doesn’t hurt anyone.  If no one else is affected by my little lie, what is the big deal?  The big deal is our hearts and our relationship with God.  Satan is the father of lies and he loves to put a chink in our armor, even if it is an inconsequential “little white lie”.  He knows if we can get comfortable with one little lie, it will make it much easier to tell more “little lies”, and then to move on to bigger ones.  Before you know it, you are tangled up in a giant web of deceit.  Don’t give the devil a foothold.  Resist the urge to be dishonest in any way

Scripture to Claim:
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.  John 17:17 NASB

Haughty Eyes

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God. This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him.  Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad.  This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.

Haughty - higher or raised up.  Let’s be honest, we have all looked at someone and thought of ourselves as better in some way – stronger, wiser, higher, more intelligent, more dignified, etc. Maybe it was in Walmart, maybe it was at work, maybe at church.  It doesn’t seem like a horrible thing compared to other sins, right?  Are you looking down your nose at others in your circle of influence, or someone out of your circle?  This could happen without giving it much thought.  

We should regard this carefully, because obviously, it is important enough to God to make the top seven.  Behind haughty eyes there is a haughty spirit or a proud heart, that sends this message. And if you have ever caught the haughty eye look from someone else, you know how deeply it cuts.  This is important.  God does not want us to think we are better than others, and He especially does not want us to treat others like they are beneath us, even with a look. Comparison plays a role here also. We all seem to be constantly comparing ourselves, measuring ourselves against one another, looking for proof that we are worth something.  Comparing ourselves by looking down on others only temporarily gives us a sense of worth that in the end will hurt others and ourselves.  

God gives many examples in the Bible of how He brings down the haughty and proud.  Two times in Proverbs He warns that haughtiness precedes destruction – Proverbs 16:18and Proverbs 18:12. Pride and haughtiness are at the center of all other sin.  When we are haughty or prideful, we are the center of our world.  We put ourselves above all others, even God.

Check your heart and your eyes and make sure that the message you are communicating with the world is one of love and acceptance.  Turn your eyes up, but not in haughtiness.  Look up to your Heavenly Father to find your worth and keep you grounded.  He doesn’t look down on us with haughtiness, but with love.  Think about your Heavenly Father’s eyes on you.  He looks at us with love and grace and mercy.  He wants us to look at others through eyes of love, acceptance, and kindness.  

Scripture to Claim:

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…Colossians 3:12

Altar-ed

2 Samuel 6:1-13

The longer a person lives the Christian life, the more we notice the areas that need changing. I’ve come to learn that it’s impossible to change and grow spiritually in your own power. If we, as believers, will submit to the Lord and His plans, we can see the change that we desperately desire. The Lord invites us to the altar of His presence that we may be altered into His image.

      I.     David Took a WorldlyApproach to Solve a SpiritualIssue.  

·  Our goal should be to reachthe world, not become likethe world.

·  Our goal should be relevance, but not at the expense of reverence.

·  Our goal should be to grow strongmore than it is to grow large.

·  Our goal should be edificationand evangelismmore than entertainment.

    II.     At Nacon’s Threshing Floor, David Discovered That the Strengthof Man is Unnecessary in the Planof God. 

·  The threshing floor is where the substantialis separated from the trivial.

·  The bump at the threshing floor is necessaryto separate the chaff from the wheat in our walkwith the Lord.

·  David thought he was doing something for God, but later realized he was doing the rightthing the wrongway.

·  A good and rightthing can be wrongif it is out of place.

   III.     David Learnedfrom His Mistakesand did Things God’s Way.

· We need to sacrifice the desiresof our fleshfor the things of God and offer the sacrifice of praise.

·  We must continually come to the altar of the Lord to seek His Word, His will, and be “altar-ed”.

There are 2 things that every believer needs to know:

·  There is a Godand you are notHim. 

·  God does not expect usto do that which only Hecan do.