Day 7: Redemption

redemption [ri-demp-shuh n] noun

1. an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.
2. deliverance; rescue.
3. atonement for guilt.
4. repurchase, as of something sold.
5. recovery by payment, as of something pledged

Redemption is one of the most beautiful words in the whole of human language. The fact that One would atone for  the sin of another is inhuman … in fact, it’s divine. In Hebrew the word redemption transliterates as peduwth, which means, “a division or distinction; from the primary sense of cutting.” Cutting. The cutting of the whip in the flesh of Jesus … the cutting away of the bonds of sin from our hands and feet. The cutting away of old habits, attitudes and mindsets of the old life. The cutting away of sin and shame by the cutting of Jesus. Redemption enables us to live a lifestyle of ThanksLiving as God created us to be, righteous and free.

This ThanksLiving, let’s give thanks  to God for His gift of redemption.

Redemption of Purpose: Father, Your Word says we are Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which You prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Thank You that You created us on purpose, for purpose. We confess we have used our gifts and talents for our own purposes. Please redeem every sinful act. We ask You to recommission our lives  for Your purpose. Thank You for calling us to live effective, significant, purposeful lives for You.

Redemption of our Mind: We thank You, Father, that You have given us a sound mind.  Your word says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. May we use our mind as tools to pursue You rather than instruments of sin. Please redeem every sinful habitual thought pattern by the truth of your Word. Thank you that You train our mind to think Your thoughts, that we might not sin against You.

Redemption of our Past: Dearest Father, we thank You that in Christ Jesus we have been completely redeemed. You have bought us back from the  bondage of the Enemy with the precious blood of Christ. We are now free to live as slaves of righteousness. Where we have squandered our talents and treasures on sin and pleasure, Your Word promises to restore the years “the locusts have eaten.” We give thanks that You give beauty for ashes. Every act and deed of our past has been redeemed for our good and Your glory. We truly thank you. Help us to focus today on redemption as part of our lifestyle of ThanksLiving.

More Redemption

Redeeming the Time a blog post by Jane VanOsdol

Walking with God a Bible study by Mary Kane

Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Comment section on what God teaches you today about redemption.

redemption. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice (accessed: November 15, 2014).

“Psalms 111 (New King James Version).” Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle. Web. 22 Nov, 2014. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=111&p=0&rl=0&t=NKJV>.

Day 5: Restoration

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope, even today I declare, that I will restore double to you.” Zechariah 9: 12

Day 2: Cleansing

ThanksLiving: living a thankful life

“These men called together their fellow Levites, and they all purified themselves. Then they began to cleanse the temple of the Lord, just as the king had commanded. … The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found.” 2 Chronicles 29:15-16

cleansing [klenz] verb

1. to make clean
2.  to remove by or as if by cleaning “to cleanse from the soul.”

Being clean is something that many of us take for granted. I am very thankful for running water and soap that make it relatively easy to wash away dirt. A few years ago my son went on a fundraising hike across America to raise money for the burn unit of a local children’s hospital. As he backpacked his way from California to Florida, he often went several days without a shower or washing the few clothes he had. Dirt was a fact of life, and as his mom, I was dismayed at what became acceptable standards of “cleanliness” to him.

Thanksliving and cleansing

A clean body can help protect us from disease and discomfort. A clean home makes for a healthy environment for family and friends. Likewise, regularly confessing our sin keeps our hearts clean before God. Jesus is the One who purifies us permanently from our sin by taking that punishment upon Himself. Being thankful for His sacrifice is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Pray for cleansing

Just as Hezekiah cleansed the Temple of the Lord from the idols that the people had brought in, we must get serious about cleansing our temples. In 1 Corinthians 6:19, God tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that we are not our own. Jesus bought us for a very expensive price — His own life. Keeping that in mind, we may need to throw out some junk to make room for the holiness God desires.

1.  Pray and ask God to show you if there is a habit or pattern of sin in your life that needs to go.
2. Find a verse of scripture that pertains to this struggle and begin praying it into your life.
3. Thank God for how He is already at work cleaning up and redeeming this area of your life.

If we are truly ThanksLiving, living a thankful life, we will thank God for the cleansing He provides through the cross and the blood of Christ.

More cleansing

If you’d like to explore this theme further, please read  The Cleansing of My Temple.

Comment

Please leave a comment below on what God is teaching you about cleansing. We’d love to hear from you!

Previous Links

• Introduction
• Day 1: Light

“cleansing.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 16 Nov. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cleansing>.

Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

We have a lot to learn from the Little Engine that Could. The Little Engine could because the Little Engine had a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when, “… people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. “(Carol Dweck).

Just like the Little Engine.

Big things didn’t scare her. She was up for the challenge.  She had grit. She had drive. Blood. Sweat. Tears. The secret to her success? Thoughts. True thoughts lead to courageous words, which lead to bold actions. Success does not depend on talent, resources or smarts. Success is determined by mindset.

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

God is all about a growth mindset.

Spiritual Fixed Mindset

In an earlier post, we learned a Spiritual Fixed Mindset believes I can’t because God can’t or won’t. This mindset is marked by negative self-talk, playing it safe, living small, and walking in fear.

But a Spiritual Growth Mindset says I can because God can.  This mindset is about  hope, faith, dreams and Truth.

“I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me.” That’s what I’m talking about.

Spiritual Growth Mindset believes God has called and gifted each person to be highly effective and fruitful within their sphere of influence. This mindset believes God redeems all sin no matter how deep, how wide or how ugly. A Spiritual Growth Mindset also embraces the truth God uses all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Spiritual Growth Mindset is marked by:

• God-talk. Speaking God’s words. Speaking about God’s goodness.
• Faith. Living by faith. Thinking by faith. Praying by faith. Planning by faith.
• Focus. Eyes riveted on God and His will. All the time.
• Thankfulness. Thanking God for what He has done, is doing and will do.
• Joy! Enjoying life and the work God has provided.
• Service. People in need + you + your gifts = ministry
• Seeking God. In good times, and in hard times. Especially in the hard times.
• Prayer: Praying through struggles, progress, setbacks, jump-starts, trials and blessing.

Spiritual Growth Mindset says despite past mistakes, flaws, and sins, God uses anyone who is willing to follow Him. Because God is eternal and the giver of life, nothing is fatal. Nothing is final. We are never stuck or without hope. We can change, heal, and grow. The lame leap, the dumb speak and the dead live again.

Live it out.

Eliza was in my math class a few years ago. She was growth mindset waiting to happen. Eliza never met a math problem she couldn’t conquer. No, she wasn’t the SMARTEST kid in my class—she was the WORK-HARDEST kid in my class. I knew when she was struggling because she self-talked out loud. “I will get this problem. I can do this! and then she’d try and try again.

Let’s try it.

Let’s change our minds, change our words and change our destiny.

Because God is almighty and all powerful, I can beat ___________________ (name your obstacle).

With God, I WILL over come this fear of ___________________.

God, because You are on my side, I will not bow down, walk out, give up, or turn back on __________________.

God is working _________________  for my good and His glory.

God, because I know You’ve got this, I will by faith _________________ (name a next step).

With a growth mindset, the Little Engine made it over the mountain to the sunshine valley on the other side. Use your Spiritual Growth Mindset and speak to that mountain. Tell it in the name of Jesus to get out of your way.

Action Steps:

1. Watch your words and thoughts. Quit with the defeatist words and attitudes. NOBODY likes to listen to a pity-party—especially God.
2. Get you some God words and thoughts. Find a few Bible verses that speak truth into your situation and say and pray them as often as needed.
3. Keep on keeping on. Never give up. God is the victor and He always wins. The more Word you put in your heart the more you will be changed.

A changed mind leads to a changed heart which leads to a changed life. Leave me a comment and let me know how your life is changing. I’d love to hear from you!

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copyright 2017

 

 

Too many times I’ve heard people say “That’s just how I am. I can’t change.”

When you think about it, what that really means is “I’m beyond God. He’s not powerful enough to fix me.” And mixed in with that is also a dose of “I don’t want to put in the work to change.”

Now I’m not Pollyannaish about this. I’m all too familiar with my own faults. We all are born with weaknesses (as well as strengths). But the good news is that we have a God who is in the renovation business and promises to transform us. He tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:16-18:

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Choose Your Attitude for 2017

As we can see in the above verses, God can redeem the weaknesses in our lives. We may always have certain tendencies, but I believe His transforming power can cause us to walk in victory, whether it’s an immediate transformation or a process.

If you happened to miss the first post in this series, you can read it here: Fresh Spirit. For today, let’s focus on an attitude to cultivate for 2017. If you’re grumpy, pick joy. If you’re constantly complaining, cultivate a spirit of thankfulness. If you worry too much, choose trust. Having the desire to change is one thing, but how can we actually do it?

Fresh Start Action List

1. Become aware. Ask God to point out to you when you are copping the attitude you don’t like. Sometimes we are so entrenched in our habits that we don’t realize how we are acting. Pay attention to the words you say and the thoughts you think. We can’t change things we aren’t aware of.
2. Make the choice to stop the behavior and choose a different one. Pray for strength to switch your current faulty attitude to the new one.
3. Brainstorm ideas with God on things you can do to cultivate the new attitude and things you must stop that lead to the bad attitude. For example, if complaining is your downfall, pick one area that you frequently complain about. Resolve that for one hour you will not say one bad thing about it. The next day make 2 hours your goal, and so on until you’ve gone an entire day without complaining about that one thing. On the flip side, to cultivate thankfulness, start a Top 10 Thankful List that you fill in every day. Before you know it, you’ll have established a habit of gratitude.
4. Commit to doing the hard work to change yourself. Maybe even ask someone to be your accountability partner. It may not be easy or quick, but commit to doing the work that it takes to change. When you have a bad day, don’t beat yourself up over it. Simply start again from where you are.

Remember, God is in the renovation business. If need be, He can take you down to the studs and build up from there! May 2017 be the year of a fresh attitude.

Pray on!

Ok, so where’s this verse been all of my young life?

In my 40 plus years of Bible reading, I’ve NEVER read this Scripture before. I am just saying.  Is God just funny like that, or have I been blind all these years (ever seeing, but never perceiving)?

12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” 2 Corinthians 10:12

Guilty as charged for longer than I care to admit. I have wasted time, talent, brain cells, resources and decades of my life comparing and measuring myself to others and ALWAYS coming up short. Coveting their talents, gifts, clothes, businesses. For crying out loud, even jealously envying the ministries of other brothers and sisters in Christ. Never smart enough, talented enough, wise enough, quick enough, fun enough, popular enough,

just never enough

Blessed is she who believes what God has said is true.

What has He said to us? Read these next words slowly—Out Loud:

I am called, I am chosen,  I am gifted,  I am forgiven,  (oh, say that one again) I AM FORGIVEN!  I am loved, I am redeemed, I am restored, I am anointed,  I am adopted, I am released, I am protected, I am equipped, I am powerful in Christ, I am a warrior, and my enemies will be defeated before me. I am His beloved child.

That’s who you are. That’s who I am. God says it in His Word, so it’s the truth. Let’s stop listening to the lies of the enemy and trying to measure up against the world.

Nothing but the truth.

, and ONLY THEN will we become all we were created to be.

Knowing God’s truth is the key that opens the door to abundant life.

We must  keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.

But measuring ourselves against Jesus… isn’t that a tall order? Yes, and it reminds me of my sons. When they were young they constantly measured themselves against the grownups of our family. Charting their progress at each family event by measuring themselves.  The first benchmark was my itty-bitty five-foot-nothing mother. The kids were thrilled when they passed-up Grandma, but they weren’t willing to stop there. They locked eyes on their 6’2′ grandpa. He was a worthy measure! Same thing with Jesus. Why stop short by comparing ourselves to our friends, our fav sports persona or rock star? Let’s aim higher and lock eyes on the Most High.

We compare ourselves to Him, and take hope in the fact that if we are in His word and His word is in us, we are being transformed into the image of Christ. Day by day, piece by piece, chunk by chunk, blow by blow, from glory to glory until we look like, talk like, sound like, act like, love like, live like Jesus.  Amen.

That’s how we measure up. By the Book.

Amen.

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