Keep the Faith Now

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Fear Scripture " For the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." Isaiah 41:13 English Standard Version In spite of Israel's past rebellion God was working on their behalf. The fear they experienced by the other nations around them was great, but the prophet reminds the people of God's love for them and how they ought to trust Him for their future. We are important to God and when we face opposition He will uphold us. Do you gravitate toward the path of least resistance? Do not fear God is there to help you, He will prop you up and you can face anything. Be audacious in your faith God is holding your hand, He will walk you through every dark moment in life and get you there even when you can't see. "In the movie Inside Out, Fear is an emotion who's main job is to protect the young girl Riley and keep her safe. He is constantly on the lookout for potential disasters,...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Deflated Scripture "So don't lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. Hebrews 10:35 Good News Translation " You must hold on, so you can do what God wants and receive what He has promised. " In this letter the believer's were under a lot of pressure and persecution about their decision to leave Judaism to become Christian. The believers were encouraged to persevere in the midst of their struggle. Have you ever second guessed yourself when it comes to following Christ? Have you ever wondered what have I done? In difficult circumstances we must put our faith to work, in times of hopelessness, sadness, and frustration we need to persevere in doing the will of God. Know this that God's promises to you are unbreakable, so don't fall out, don't get deflated, for there is a reward waiting, your faithfulness and your tenacity will prove well for you. Don't forget how you stood through many trials, there were many t...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Cross-Examine Scripture " Put me on trial, Lord and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart." Psalms 26:2 NLT This is not an expression of self-righteousness but the honest testimony of a real man of God. The words examine and test refer to the testing of metals to determine their true value and to remove the rubbish. This is a prayer rendered to God that He would help the inner man of the psalmist, through examination, and investigation. We need God to morally put us on trial, withholding nothing. We ought to enter God's court with praise and thanksgiving knowing it is He that knows the intent of each of our hearts, interrogate our motives oh God and the self-deception that lurks within, search for evidence of any ways that must be judged and purged by the guidelines of your Word. That we may be vindicated in your presence, judge our case favorably. Don't let us suffer the fate of those who rebel against you and don't condemn us a...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ The Deceiver Scripture "Then the Lord God asked the woman, What have you done? "The snake deceived me, and I ate, the woman answered." Genesis 3:13 Good News Translation God doesn't ask questions because He needs information. Being God He knows everything. He ask questions for our own good, to give us the opportunity to face the facts. When God calls out for Adam it was an act of grace not that He couldn't find him, but He wanted Adam to hear His voice for his inner nature had been polluted by sin in such a way that He didn't want to face God. God calls out to His wife to question her she tells God that the serpent deceived her. From this they quickly learned how to make excuses. Paul said this " But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." 2 Cor. 11:3 Satan is a deceiver his intentions are to still, kill and ...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Intentional Scripture "I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord. I have good plans (intentions) for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future." Jeremiah 29:11 New Century Version God's is an intentional God, He makes plans for His people that ultimately display His glory. His intentions are good to give His people hope and peace. In the German common language version of the bible it renders "For my plans for you remain firm: I intend your fortune and not your misfortune....a future full of life. The calamity that God allows to occur in our lives are intended to bring men to repentance. Before the foundation of the world God foresaw the need to remedy the evils sin would bring upon mankind, when Adam and Eve disobeyed and fled from His face, but He sought them out and bestowed His gracious intentions of a substitute in their stead. It was His fixed purpose to send His Son to bring mankind into a state o...

S.E.E.D For Today_ Debt Free Scripture "He gave Himself as a payment to free all people. He is proof that came at the right time. I Timothy 2:6 NLT Christ death is a ransom for all mankind. This concept of paying a ransom describes the release of captives taken in war  or the liberation of slaves from their owners and the sum of money given. Jesus death is the price paid for the release it was His purpose to make us debt-free. Christ makes the exchange with His life leaving us paid in full. This was not Christ death it was ours but He made this huge trade on our behalf. In obedience to the Father, Christ wipes out all we owe due to our sinful nature. He had not owed anything, innocent, and truth. Example An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else. These are some points  that I have put together for a debt-free life. 1.) People who become debt free decide that enough is enough! Their old lifestyle isn't working and they are ready to make some...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Trade Scripture "[He has sent me] to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns (beauty) instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of [tears of] of grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of  Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that He might display His glory." Isaiah 61:3 Good News Translation  The background of this passage is the Year of Jubilee, after 49 years the Jews were to celebrate the fiftieth year. The year that everyone was given a fresh new beginning. This was the Lord's way of balancing the economy and keeping the rich from exploiting the poor. Jesus made a trade (exchange) His life for our debt, our bondage, our sorrow, our brokenness, our poverty, our loss. He exported all the rights that Satan had over our lives by His death and resurrection.  Born into the world, He imported His Kingdom, traded with us now we have His love, His joy, His pea...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Shareholders Scripture "And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact together with Christ we are heir's of God's glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Romans 8:17 NLT Paul proceeds to unfold some of the implications of being members of God's family. If we are children then we are heirs and shareholders with Christ. The heir is in a position of privilege as a result of receiving shares from their place in the family. All that Christ claims will belong to all of us as well. The promised inheritance comes with a statement of fact that as heirs we become shareholders not only of what He possess but also of the sufferings that revealed His glory. We do not share in the redemptive suffering of Christ, but we do share the consequences in terms of opposition from the world He came to save. As members of the same family we share in the trials of life as well as the benefits. Example In the terms of in...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Correlation Scripture " I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. This is true because if two or more people come to gather in My Name, I am there with them." Matthew 18:19-20 New Century Version Bible The premium here is put in the concept of correlation through prayer. Jesus here gives the utmost encouragement for the disciples not just be in agreement but to correlate in unison for some definite thing. The twelve had been falling out the way about the question of precedence in God's Kingdom and this stirred up their flesh and gave rise to offense. The Lord Himself had been directing them how to deal with one another about such matters. But He shows them a more excellent way by explaining to them the power of correlation.     Example In banking terms correlation is the connection, the link, the tie in, a mutual relationship between two or more, ...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Asset Allocation Scripture "Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later." Romans 8:18 NLT Contemplation of the future privileges of the believer leads Paul to think of the contrast this makes with the present state. He shows that the risk and suffering involved is the path we tread as we move to blessing and to glory. The early Christians led a somewhat dangerous existence, it may well be that the contemplation of the future glory was very precious to them. Paul sets the risk and the sufferings over against the coming glory, saying that they are not worth comparing with it. Troublesome as they are he is willing to risk his life to obtain fulfilling God's will and to receive the reward. Paul allocates the asset of receiving the eternal glory of God in this perspective; he says that our light and momentary troubles (the risk) are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Invest (Planting) Scripture "People harvest only what they plant." Galatians 6:7b New Century Version Bible Sowing to the flesh and sowing to the spirit. Sowing to the flesh means to allow the old nature to have it's way, so also sowing to the Spirit means to allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. The one sower does their sowing in order to promote their flesh, the other does their sowing in order to promote the Spirit. This is dealing with corruption and life. Everyone is looking to reap the benefits of a good life, but people can only harvest what they plant. If we sow seeds to the flesh the harvest will be of fleshly benefits. In the flesh there is nothing good, there we deal with our lust and pleasure and the final harvest of the flesh is corruption. When we sow to the Spirit we reap the harvest of life and the Kingdom of God. Yesterday we talked about investing and risk tolerance. Corruption in the investment world strikes simultaneously...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Invest (Risk Tolerance) Scripture " Invest what you have, because after a while you will get a return. Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds;" Ecclesiastes 11:1&4 New Century Version Bible Solomon used two activities to illustrate his point. The merchant sending out his ships and the farmer sowing his seed. In both activities a great deal of faith is required. Solomon as we know was extremely wealthy, he involved himself in various kinds of trade which were always done with risk in mind. He talks about the merchant and the farmer who can never be certain of the investment because you cannot control circumstances. We are ignorant of the future but we must not allow that ignorance to make us so fearful that we become careless or paralyzed to take a chance.  You must not wait until circumstances are ideal, then you will never do anything. Life has a certain amount of risk to it and that is where faith comes in. If you...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Fashion Scripture "And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2 ASV Bible As citizens of heaven we should no longer conform to the present age. It cannot and must not serve as a model for Christian living. It's values, and goals are in opposition to growth in holiness. The church should stand out from the world  as a demonstration of God's intentions for the human race. To engage in culture is one thing to be culturally identified with the world is to place the church at risk. Rather than allowing the world to squeeze you into it's fashion you are to be transforming fashion by the renewing of your minds. There is continuing pressure to adopt the customs and mind-set of the world in which we live, but we must reject it. Releasing ourselves from the control of the world around us, we c...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Functional gods Scripture "You must not have any other gods except Me" Exodus 20:3 NCV The Jews lived in a world of blind and superstitious nations that worshiped many gods. The phrase except or (before) "Me" can mean in opposition to "Me". For the Jews to worship another god would be to declare war on Jehovah God and incur His wrath. An idol is a substitute for God and therefore not a god, for there is only one true and living God. Present day religious language goes like this, (you worship your god and I'll worship mine, because both is right) this is unbiblical and illogical, for how can there be more than one god? If God is God, He is infinite, eternal and sovereign and will not share His throne with any other. "I Am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols." Isaiah 42:8 God is a jealous God not in the sense that He's envious of other gods, for H...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Timing Scripture "God has given them a desire to know the future. He does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing." Ecclesiastes 3:11 If we accept life as it is, even the hard parts will become bearable. Often times we feel like aliens in the world of time. We also desire to understand our place in the world against the backdrop of eternity. But we cannot find out what God does from beginning to end, we are not able to discern any plan or pattern of all this. God's purposes are usually outside of our realm of control or investigation. God accomplishes His purposes in His time, but it will not be until we enter eternity that we will begin to comprehend His total plan. Our earthly pursuits while lawful in their season become unprofitable if God never intended them to be. Sometime we try to force timing through our own efforts to be happy but out of God's order become a disappo...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Terrible Times Scripture " In the last days there will be many troubles, because people will love themselves, love money, brag and be proud." II Timothy 3:1-2 NCV The Apostle Paul describes the times will be so grievous because of the people that live in them. He describes that the world is full of vicious people and the church is surrounded by them and invaded by them as well, people who love themselves and money more than they love God, selfish, lustful and enslaved by their desires and the continual gathering of money and possessions. Selfish people are typically boastful and prideful. Pride can lead to abusive speech and behavior. In order for pride and arrogance to survive, it must view others as lesser individuals, as unworthy or unfit. We don't want pride to continue it's reign in us , it can dehumanize, and strip away all respect toward others. The fallen world is the source of this boastful pride and God stands in...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Pride on the Inside Scripture "Love is always patient; love is always kind; love is never envious or arrogant with pride." 1 Corinthians 13:4 ISV Paul confronts the church at Corinth about their pride. In this church the Christians were haughty, arrogant, and preoccupied with their own importance. Their is another phrase used for this type of pride and that's being puffed up. Being puffed up is what happens to a person who is prideful on the inside. This inflated vanity led the church to even overlook sin. When entering the church a person should definitely fill the spirit of love not self-exaltation. It does not honor God nor the message of the Gospel. The boastful manifestation over advantages, position and titles display negative overtones of the Kingdom of God and His Church. Love does not behave itself unseemly but pride does, it seeks only to promote the one it controls. Pride forms a key element in the psychological construct of narcissis...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Pride Of Life Scripture " For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything thing we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions, these are not from the Father, but are from this world." I John 2:16 NLT The author explains why the love for the world is incompatible with love for God. He does this by showing those things which make up the world and defines them as antithetical (being in direct and unequivocal opposition) to God. To make his point the author gives a definition of everything in the world, which involves three elements, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life or pride of possessions. Being puffed up in pride because of one's material possessions represents a conscious allusion to the temptation of Eve in the garden, the craving of the fruit for the flesh, the desire of the eyes stimulated her to covet what was forbidden, and the pride of life which would be the ...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Argumentative Scripture " Pride only leads to arguments, but those who take advice are wise." Proverbs 13:10 NCV Pride is the source of rude and disrespectful behavior. Pride will keep us in conflict, discord and in lack of harmony with our relationship with God and people. Deep rooted pride stirs up much trouble and serves to start arguments in a person's heart. The bitter contention between individual saints and collective bodies that meet in the name of Christ are stirred by pride. The danger of pride is the effort to maintain dignity that it prevails, or contention that is stirred by being offended that is fueled by pride,  the strife that rises up and causes arguments that are like forest fires that sometime take forever to put out, leaving nothing but ashes when the smoke clears. The danger of pride makes no room for God we become argumentative with Him as we reason and reject His will. These arguments separate us from God, th...

                                                                                                                       S.E.E.D. For Today_ Pride       Scripture "Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness ( arrogance, self-importance, contempt, vanity, conceit, pomposity) before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 NLT Before destruction there is more than likely pride. The writer is telling us of the price of pride which can cost a man everything including his life. The writer also shares with us in Proverbs 8:13 God's take on pride, "To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" (undisciplined lips). Pride was an archangel's rui...

S.E.E.D. For Today_ Conversation Scripture "Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech." Proverbs 4:24 NLT Don't speak with two mouths for bitter water and sweet water cannot come from the same fountain says James 3:11 as he gives reason why we must bridle our tongues. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing, but that is not how it should be. Perverse lips is really devious talk that refers to any kind of speech that is misleading, untrue, or deviating from what is acceptable. The heart and the mouth are intimately connected. Our conversation shows the state of the heart. "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt. 12:33-34) God's children must be careful to have conversation that cannot be condemned as spoken of in Titus 3:8. Colossians 4:6 says to "let your conversation be always full of grace,". We must get rid of our undisciplined lips. " He who guards his lips guards his...