Abiding TV

Consider [Jesus] that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Hebrews 12:3

Look up...because in times like these, your very life may depend on it.

Some time ago, the Lord showed me that a spirit of weariness is trying to work its way into our lives these days through all the pressure and bad news that surround us. It's working to get our eyes off the Word of God by bombarding us with negative forces. It's trying to get us to look down at defeat instead of up at Jesus.

If you let that happen, your spirit man will begin to lose his dominion. And the Word tells us what the results of that is. It says you will "be wearied and faint in your minds."

Jesus put it this way in Mark 4. He said that when the cares of this world enter into your heart and mind, they'll choke the Word and cause it to become unfruitful. And since your faith is the product of the Word, that means your faith will wither. Once that happens, you're headed for disaster.

What can you do to stop this chain reaction of weariness?

Look up! Get your eyes back on Jesus. I remember on the field of athletic competition that when an opponent allowed himself to drop his head, he was no longer dangerous. He could be very easily defeated. So keep your head up. Keep considering Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Consider Him instead of the cares of this world. Consider what God says in His Word. Be moved by the thoughts of God. Let His thoughts become your thoughts.

Look up! Get your eyes off the circumstances around you and onto your heavenly source. Don't be afraid you're going to lose everything. God is your source, not the world. He can take care of you regardless of what happens around you.

If you've gotten weary lately, begin to lift your eyes. Raise your head up instead of looking down. God is up. Jesus is up. The devil is down—under your feet. Look up!

Scripture Reading:
Isaiah 40:21-31

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee . . . 
—Psalm 63:1

Some Christians have learned little of a daily devotional life. Some time ago a policeman asked me what the secret of victorious living was. I told him that there is no magic formula that can be pronounced. If any word could describe it, I would say surrender. The second word I would say would be devotion. Nothing can take the place of a daily devotional life with Christ. Your quiet time, your prayer time, the time you spend in the Word, is absolutely essential for a happy Christian life. You cannot possibly be a happy, dynamic, and powerful Christian apart from a daily walk with Christ. Christ is calling Christians today to cleansing, to dedication, to consecration, and to full surrender. It will make the difference between success and failure in your spiritual life. It will make the difference between being helped and helping others. It will make a difference in your habits, in your prayer life, in your Bible reading, in your giving, in your testimony, and in your church membership. This is the Christian hour of decision!

Need help getting started? Read “How to Dive Into Your Walk with God.”

Prayer for the day
I long for a deeper devotional life, living Lord. May I consecrate myself completely to You.

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.

— Ephesians 3:17 (AMPC)



An addiction is something that controls people—something they feel they cannot do without or something they do to alleviate pain or pressure. It is what people run to when they are hurting or feel lonely.

It comes in many varieties, such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, shopping, eating, work—and, yes, even approval.

Like any addict, insecure people look for a “fix” when they get shaky. They need someone to reaffirm them and assure them everything is all right and they are acceptable.

When a person has an addiction, the things they are addicted to are on their mind most of the time. Therefore, if someone is an approval addict, they will have an abnormal concern and an abundance of thoughts about what people think of them.

The good news is that none of us has to suffer with insecurity; there is a cure for the approval addict. The Word of God says we can be secure and confident through Jesus Christ. That means we are free to be ourselves and become all we can be in Him.

Prayer Starter: Lord, teach me what it means to be rooted deep in Your love and to be secure in my relationship with Jesus. You know my weaknesses and everything that seeks to control my life. You know the “fixes” that I have tried. Help me to know my freedom in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TUESDAY
01
Ephesians 4:1-7

If you’re a Christian, you know the importance of being part of a church, because that’s where we grow and worship together as the body of Christ. However, it’s also a place where conflicts, disagreements, and annoyances occur. Although we are saved and destined for heaven, we still live in a fallen world and struggle with our own sins and weaknesses. What’s more, we come from diverse backgrounds and have different personalities and levels of spiritual maturity.

That’s why it’s essential that we learn to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling” of Christ (Eph. 4:1). How would a physical body function if the various parts ignored the brain’s direction and did their own thing? That’s what happens when a church won’t listen to its head, Jesus Christ. The inevitable result is conflict as individual members push their own agendas.

The only way we can walk worthy of our calling in a local church is to have the qualities mentioned in verse 2: humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and love. When these Christlike attributes characterize a group of believers, being together will be like a small taste of heaven on earth. Although there may still be disagreements, the manner in which they’re handled will change. Instead of angry outbursts, silent resentment, and bitterness, there will be greater concern for the other person than for oneself.

Our involvement in a local church is one of the ways God works to conform us to His Son’s image. The close connections developed within the community of faith will both encourage us and sand off the rough areas in our life. In that way, we end up looking more like Christ.

Bible in One Year: Genesis 1-3

January 1, 2019
Psalm 84:11 says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Notice at the end of that verse it says “them that walk uprightly.” God will withhold nothing from them that walk uprightly. I believe withholding nothing is God’s best. But there is a requirement to that. God requires that we walk uprightly.

Having God’s best sounds great. We all want to experience His best in our lives. But why isn’t the Body of Christ experiencing it? I believe the primary reason most of the Body of Christ is not experiencing God’s best in their lives is because it requires a serious commitment. It requires diligence and unwavering determination. To have God’s best you must be willing to give Him your best. And, that is where so many of God’s people fall short. We all want to have God’s best, but we are not willing to give Him our best. Most Christians are not willing to make that kind of commitment. You have to constantly ask yourself: How desperate am I for God’s best in my life?

I have found that desperate people will do desperate things. They will do whatever it takes to change their situation. If you are truly desperate to have God’s best in your life then you will be willing to do whatever the Word requires of you. It is not going to happen automatically. You have to strive for it.
That’s what happened to me 46 years ago, I got desperate for change. I got tired of just existing. I got tired of just barely getting by. I got tired of living from paycheck to paycheck. I got tired of the devil stealing everything that I had worked hard for. I was tired of feeling frustrated all the time. Are you at that place? Are you tired of just surviving? Are you ready to experience God’s best for your life? Then say right now, “As for me, I choose to have God’s best in my life.” When you truly understand this, then you will begin to realize that having God’s best is a chosen and determined outcome.

Make a decision today and everyday, to put God’s Word first and to walk uprightly before Him! Remember when you do, He promises that no good thing will be withheld from us!

Author: Jerry Savelle

Hebrews 10:17

…“Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

I don’t know about you, but I would say that Hebrews 10:17 is good news. God sees all our sins—past, present and future—and says, “Your sins I remember no more!” The words “no more” are a strong double negative in the original Greek text. In other words, God is saying, “Your sins I will by no means ever remember!”

Has God lowered His standards? No, He is still perfectly holy. He did remember all our sins—2,000 years ago at the cross. Every sin which we have committed or will commit has been punished to the full in the body of Jesus Christ at the cross. That is why today, God remembers our sins no more. We should, therefore, not be sin-conscious.

Each time we feel condemned for our past mistakes, God wants us to remember the cross and say, “Lord Jesus, you were sentenced for this sin I committed. You bore the judgment, so God will not judge me for this sin. You were condemned for this sin, so God will not condemn me for it.”

If you don’t look to the cross, you will become sin-conscious and you will walk around with a certain expectation of judgment. And that expectation of judgment will give the devil a chance to get you thinking that God has something against you because of your sin.

You must come to the place where you know and believe that all your sins are forgiven, and that you are saved eternally.

Hebrews 10:12, 14 says, “But this Man [Jesus], after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…For by one offering He has perfected forever…”

You and I are perfected forever because of Jesus’ perfect work on the cross. We are perfected by God’s full acceptance and perfect delight in His Son’s work that has so glorified His holiness. Beloved, hear God say to you, “I will be merciful. Your sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13

Today people everywhere are gathering together to celebrate the first bright moments of the new year.

Yet, for thousands of others, this day will be the toughest 24 hours of their lives. For those people, New Year's Day will serve only as a dim reminder of loneliness and loss. It will simply mark the beginning of another year of failure.

What about you? What's this year really going to be like for you?

You may appear to be happy enough. You may be passing out seasonal smiles and holiday greetings just like everyone else. But inside, you may hurt. You may be disappointed. You may even feel like you can't go on.

If so, I want you to know something. All of that can change in an instant. You can start your life over today and make this New Year's Day the most joyful day of your life!

How many times have you said to yourself, "If I could just start over, I'd do it all differently"? That doesn't have to be simply an idle wish. Jesus Christ has actually made it possible. That's His Christmas present to you. He paid the price for all your sins. He paid the penalty for all your mistakes.

That's the reason He came to earth. That's the reason He was born—so you could start over!

You may look at your life and say, "But I've made some terrible mistakes. I've done some despicable things." That doesn't matter. Jesus paid the price for them all!

How can you make a new start? Romans 10:9 says that "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." It's as easy as saying, "Jesus, I'm turning my life over to You. From this day forward I'm Yours."

What better time to turn your life around than on this first day of the new year. Right now, wherever you are, just give your life to Jesus. Then jump up and down and holler, "Praise God, I'm starting all over!" And find out what it really means to have a happy new year!

Scripture Reading:
Romans 10:1-13

“Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29:13‬ ‭KJV‬‬
“Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Glorious God, Yahweh, you are worthy of our praises! We worship, praise and glorify your name because your majesty is forevermore. Even if we were to search the deepest parts of the world we will find none like you, you are truly the Omnipotent one. EZE (King), GLORIOUS GOD be thou magnified.

Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love.” You have to cover that offense. You have to forgive. It doesn’t belong to you. It didn’t originate with you. That offense came from that situation. It belongs to that person.

It is not yours unless you take it in. It is only yours to forgive and to cover. The Scripture doesn’t say that offenses won’t come, but it tells us how to deal with an offense—cover it and forgive. The choice is ours. We can either seek and go after love or we can go after the offense.

Wholeness Winning In Life From The Inside Out

Blessed Sermon from our Pastor Joyce Meyer Making Right Choices

An Australian, Greek woman who went through horrible abuse and trauma in her life shares how as A believer our past does not need to be our future. Jesus sets us free of our past.

She shares how God rescued her and how He wants to rescue you, but will you let him? All rights belong to church of the highlands.