Tag: independent

Posted in A Father's Love, Devotions, spritual Warfare

Confession is Great for the Soul–1 John 1 final

Posted on by Michael Smith

I heard in a sermon a few weeks ago that no one simply drifts into a great life.  We were designed by God to be intentional and God Like.  That is why sin has had such a terrible impact upon us and upon the world as a whole.  The natural man defaults away from God and drifts toward a selfish and empty life.  Even with eternity in the balance, men choose to be separated from God naturally.

But God chose differently.  Through his spirit, we are drawn back to him.  In that, if we confess our sin–our natural desire to be Lord of our own life, and follow his lead and begin the personal relationship with him as Lord of our lives–our affirmative decision to surrender allows him to forgive us and restore our eternal life and journey with him.

While simple, it is by no means easy.  we have to choose each day to follow him and not run our own show.  But, when we choose that life–we have a Great Life Indeed!

God Bless You

This is the message we heard from Jesus[c] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Posted in Devotions

I Samuel 15 part 3–Arrogance and Rebellion

Posted on by Michael Smith

 There is a point that is too far. As we journey with the Lord, there comes a time when our arrogance and rebellion set the stage for the remainder of the journey. Cain’s murder of Abel, Samson telling Delilah his secret, and Saul’s decision to run the battle his way were turning points in the lives of these men.  It was at that point they rejected God and he rejected them.  See, as most fathers, God wants for us to be free and blessed.  But as we continue to fight him for our independence, he will ultimately oblige us and allow us to be independent of him and let us struggle with the bondage and misery our independence brings.

We should not favor independence, we should favor freedom.  When God led his people out of Egypt, he was leading them to freedom from slavery.  As they followed–they were truly free. The more they tried to walk away from him, the more they found themselves in bondage. The same holds true for us.  If we can submit to his leadership and truly seek him, we will be free—free to follow and free to experience his peace and provision. But the more we wrestle with him over who will be boss of our lives, the more we find ourselves entrapped and enslaved. Our arrogance and rebellion will be perceived as witchcraft and idolatry.  Truly, the god we then worship is ourselves.  Just as Saul was building a monument to himself at the battle with the Amalekites.   It is simple, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness—and all the remains will be added to you.  Help me Lord to avoid arrogance and rebellion in my life.

God Bless You

But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”