ROMANS 12:9 The Narrow Path.

Romans 12:9

"Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." 

APPLICATION: I pray that God will break my heart for what breaks His, truly. But also that does not make me scared to face evil. That i learn how to handle difficult situations with a God-like mind set. God knows what's best for me, it gets hard sometimes, but God is with me, not against me. 

Don Miller writes in his book Blue Like Jazz " normally the things we want the most in this world are the things that kill us." I believe this to be very true. It isn't human nature to seek the things that the Lord offers us, the ten commandments, and for me the still small voice or calling He has for my life. We aren't born a christian,saved and heaven bound, we must at some point in our lives answer the call God has for our lives and live accordingly to that. 

Because i know this,it makes my convictions very clear. Love the way God loves me, given freely, loving all, deeply, sincerely and at all times. Cling to what is good, the truth of His words and to hate those things which are evil and that can trick me into a "Luke-

Warm" christian walk or not one at all. For the things of this world, the things that my flesh craves the most, security, merit, popularity, pride, money, that new pair of Nikes. These things I can get instead of the fruits of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-26) selling-out for the things that make me died inside...The things that kill me. 

MY APPLICATION:

Matthew 7:13-14 

" Enter by the narrow gate;for wide is the gate and broad is the path that leads to destruction and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the path which leads to LIFE, and ONLY FEW FIND IT."

Now that i have found that small narrow path, that few are on, I am want to walk in search of the gate that is hard to find. I consistently and feverishly pray that I do not venture off the small path. And lead other to the small path, and love them in hopes that they too don't depart from it. 

MY COMMISSION:

Psalm 119:11

" Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

AND 

Proverbs 22:6

" Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart for it." 

ROMANS 12:13 Love.

Romans 12: 13 

" Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.: NKJV 

Theme: Sharing is caring, the saints are us, you and me, the ones that know and love the Lord. In order to be effective disciple of the Lord we have to be all of the fruits of the Spirit. See Galatians 5: 22-26. 

When we display affections for each other and specially those who do not know that Lord, they will know us for the love we have for one another. When people that are suffering, sad and alone in this world, they will look at the saints AKA: you and me and wonder " why are they do happy? How do I get that?" They will ask and we will tell them one word: JESUS. We have joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It's important to try our very best to enact all these fruits the Spirit gives us in our; daily walks on our own, in  our  family and friend relationships, as well as our marriages and boyfriend/ girlfriends relationships. 

ROMANS 12:10 Why is This Okay?

Romans 12:10 

" Be Kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,in honor giving preference to one another." NKJV 

Surfing the web, flipping the channel on the tube, even walking down the street you run in to it everywhere! Violence, crime,harsh and crude languages in this day and age is unescapable. Today the acceptance of crude humor, media violence and unspeakable crimes is on some level okay in the average social class. Today we have video games with it, blockbuster movies are coated head to toe in it, and the breaking news always has a tragic story! People today have just came to the conclusion that either one of three things; " it's not a big deal." "It's not happening to me so I don't care." or get this one " Everyone is doing it, so it must be OKAY.".... 

But is it really okay? Is perverting and distorting image of marriage and the family unit  that God intended for us, with pornography, homosexuality and divorce? Is that okay? Is throwing way collectively hours upon hours of our life glued to a light-up screen watching movies, playing video games and having a make- believe life on Facebook, Youtube so on in virtual lives, that cause us to ignore the Lord and distort the truths of His word. Not to mention the act of violence, thought and things I don't want to type out or even think about towards other people that rot our world. 

APPLICATION: By armoring myself with the truth of His word, starting at the beginning of my day, through-out my day and falling asleep at night with it engraved one my heart. I need to do this so that the things the world says is "Okay" and it's deprived standards for my life, I can think otherwise. For I am God's Child, and He holds me to a higher standard. 

MARK 8:37 Treasures in Heaven

Mark 8:37 

"For what can a man give in return for his soul?" NKJV 

APPLICATION: When we look to man or things other then God to fulfill us, we will be disappointed somewhere along the line. I can't look to this earth and this life apart from the Lord to make me happy and complete. I must spend this life pursing the Lord and the things of His perfect Kingdom,only then will I find fulfillment. 

Matthew 6:19-21 " Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 

In all honesty this for me is a daily cross. I have to bear everyday. Everyday to some extend I am scooped-up or have a small snag of the things of this earthly life that the world tells me will make me happy. But now that God is in my heart and I understand that He is walking beside me at all times. Those snags become more and more apparent and less and less frequent. The goal is to say "NO" to the world completely and " YES LORD YES..." to Him fully. For example; the appearance I have verses the appearance that the world says me is most appealing, the education i have in comparison to the one that I have that the world tells me will bring me the most merit and security. On top of all of the material things that puts a smile on the faces of the rich and famous. For this life isn't about earthly tangibles is for but a season,but joy in the Lord is eternal. 

MARK 8:35 Actions Speak Louder Then Words.

Mark 8:35 

" For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

Saving your own skin is not the actual goal. That's the initial draw, but shouldn't be the earthly life-long mission. The real mission that will keep you going will be the higher purpose/ calling of your life. Hebrews 5:12-14 " For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and not solid food. for everyone who partakes only of milk in is unskilled in the word of righteousness,for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are full age, sense exercised to discern both good and evil."

Read your bible, this is how we do this Don't stay the same during you whole life w/God. Eat food, prepare food, give to others food! knowing the Lord to save yourself is not enough, you need to love God and grow in Him to find true salvation. For knowing the Lord and knowing His existent is not enough for even the demons and the devil himself knows He is there. 

James 2:19" You believe that there is one God. You do well . Even the demons believe and tremble!." 

APPLICATION:  You have to reflect that you love and have faith in the Lord and all His truth. just saying He is read with your month to save yourself from hell, means nothing. That isn't salvation. Actions speak louder then words. 

MARK 8:34 Procrastination.

Mark 8:34 

"When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, " Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me." 

• Following the Lord/Jesus requires sacrifice, dropping your old ways out of love and follow Him.

• " The cross" is like the trials in our lives and owning of sins when you desire to follow Jesus.

• Jesus asks that if your going to love Him, He wants you to love Him all the way,and that consists of leaving you old life behind.

• Jesus wishes you with Him, walking beside Him carry your cross, but He doesn't want you to do it half hearted... BINGO!   

Procrastination is something many people do. Come on I'm sure we ALL have been there; it's Sunday night 8:31 PM, your watching last week's episode of Glee, on you backed up DVR and you realize the 10,000 word essay that you that you have only written 6 words of... only 9,994 words to go. Oh and don't forget the 3 chapters you forgot to read in the "History of Shoelaces" along with the annotations! Okay... it's now 8:40 PM and lights out is at 11 PM... The goal is to GET ER DONE! Power through it, make a pot of coffee and zip-out the essay, and skim through and highlight random sentences about the art of velcro... So what I'm not really learning anything about the "History of Shoelaces" and who cares the essay it's may best work, but at least my paper is done and I read the 3 chapters.... right?

How often do we have a similar mind set when it comes to our walk with Jesus? We skip church on Sundays, we put off reading our bible until the last five minutes before bed, and the power of prayer only comes to mind when we haven't got the paycheck this month, we are on "E" tryin to make own way to work. When we take this route in our walk we aren't really walking with our Savor. When Jesus talk all the people " Whoever desires to come after Me" deny yourself, take YOUR CROSS and follow ME. If your not doing thing whole heartedly and procrastination in your faith your not really denying yourself, you haven't metaphorically are you following Jesus....

APPLICATION: I don't get anything out of my faith if I don't do things all the way. There's no point in doing the work if your not really getting anything out of it. I need to "pick up my cross" own my walk with Christ and actually follow Him with all my heart. I will doing this by understanding in what areas were my walk is at a stand still and also asking and keeping my brothers and sisters in Christ to hold me accountable. If you sit on the fence all the time your bound to fall. 

Inconceivable! ACTS 12:9

Acts 12:9 

" So he went out and followed him., and the did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision." NKJV 

Theme: Be sensitive to God's still small voice and to the signs, visions, and answered prayers in my life. 

How can we do this? Some people say "Oh that's a lucky" or " you just have good car-ma!" or my personal favorite "inconceivable!". We need to train  ourselves to be sensitive to these blessings rained down, we need to read our bibles. Make our reading of it a daily re-occernce and a habit. Enough of this generation of appetheic christians that aren't reading their bibles! If your not reading your not following Jesus! How can you if you don't read His word?How can you justice your faith, if you don't even know His TRUTH and what it says? Psalms 119:11 " I have hidden Your Word in my hear that I might not sin against You."  When I do this, I am putting on our armor of the Lord. When i don't do this I go out for battle without my helmet. and without my truth in the morning then I will never see the blessings of the Father rain down in my life all around me. 

Peter was so marveled by the blessing that was being rained out on him that he was thinking dreaming or seeing a vision!  He was stunned! because he was armed with the truth. He didn't mistake this happy as "inconceivable" or "good luck" no... it's was a happening of the Lord. He was being blessed. When we are spiritually sensitive to God you understand the things in your life as prayer answered, blessing rained down, visions and God's calling in my life.