Monthly Archives: August 2012

{Post from the Past} God’s Grid – By: Janaya Richards

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Most Christians want to be pure and live a life that is honoring to God. We want our minds to be clean and our hearts to be right; but our hearts are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) If we can’t even understand our own hearts, how can we possibly keep them clean?
The answer is, we can’t – at least, not by ourselves. We need the Holy Spirit guiding us and helping us. According to Psalms 19:14, “The words of [our] mouths and the meditation of [our] hearts [should] be acceptable in [God’s] sight.” But, the world we live in is full of junk! How can we keep our hearts and minds clean?  We need a filter. The Bible gives us a perfect filter. Philippians 4:8 says,

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever thing are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are just, whatever things are commendable, whatever things have a good report, if there is any excellence, and if there is any praise, think about these things.”
Use God’s own Word as a filter for your heart and mind. Don’t let anything into your life that can’t pass through the grid of Philippians 4:8.

{Post from the Past} A Revelation about Prayer

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The way we pray can reveal what type of person we really are. 

  • Selfish people generally pray very little.
  • Selfish people will pray for things that affect only themselves.

But:

  • Grateful people will regularly go to the Lord in prayer.
  • Grateful people thank God for all the blessings He gives to them.
  • Grateful people consistently pray for other people and their needs.

What type of person are you?

{Post from the Past} Elect Exiles – By: Janaya Richards

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“To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” 1 Peter 1:1-2

I read these verses during my devotional time a few days ago, and – at first – these verses appear to be just another of Peter’s opening greetings; but if you take a closer look – and really read what Peter is saying – you’ll learn so much about God’s sovereignty over our lives and our trials.

This letter was written to the “elect exiles.” That almost seems to be a contradiction. The exiles were Jews who had been persecuted out of their homes and countries and chased all over the known world. They probably thought that God didn’t know or care about their plight. However, the word elect means “chosen specially by God”. How does that work?

Read further. Peter says that these Jews were exiled “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” God knew about His people, cared about His people and planned this for His people.

The verse also says that God was working through these struggling Jews to accomplish their sanctification. James 2:2-4 tells us that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness!

Finally, Paul encourages the exiles that through their trials they were identified with Christ. Christ told His disciples, “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) When we are identified with Christ in our trials, we bring glory to God!

When I’m struggling to understand ‘Why?’, I need to remember this: God chose this specific trial just for me! He has put something in my life to sanctify me and to make me more like Him.