Restore My Spirit, O God - Begins!

"Restore My Spirit, O God" - Begins!

Book 2 of the "Renew Devotional Trilogy"; "Restore My Spirit, O God - Inspiration for Regaining What's Been Lost," will officially begin Saturday, October 1, 2016. The format will be similar, but slightly different from "Renew My Heart, O God," with a concentration on quotations, a few Scriptures, and encouraging words to awaken your spirit to connect and stay  connected with God. I will be posting daily with its completion at the end of September next year.

I pray that these devotions will continue to encourage you and bring you increasing hope and healing, and allow you to continually draw near unto God with your spirit entwining with His. It's time to connect with your Creator. It's time for your spirit's awakening.

Prayers and blessings,

Jeff

Book 1: "Renew My Heart, O God - Daily Devotions for Healing Your Heart," is coming soon!! By the grace of God and prayers of the faithful, my book and e-book will soon be here! Christian Faith Publishing has accepted my book and we will begin the publishing process soon. We expect this to take about 4-6 months. Thank you readers for your prayers and support and spread the word, as my heart's desire is to bring God's Words and the light and love of Jesus Christ to as many as He would bring. And Book 2 in my "Renew Devotional Trilogy," "Restore My Spirit, O God - Inspiration for Regaining What's Been Lost," is starting in just two days! I am truly excited, humbled, and praising God all the way!

Search Deep for the Truth – Interim Post 8

Falsehood is never so successful as when she baits her hook with truth, and no opinions so fatally mislead us, as those that are not wholly wrong; as no watches so effectually deceive the wearer as those that are sometimes right.

 -C. C. Colton

It is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth, where few are willing to search for it.

 -Johann Wolfgang Goethe

            Satan is the “father of lies” and the ultimate deceiver and counterfeiter, and unfortunately, he is currently the ruler of this world. In fact, it is probably impossible for him to speak any truth as he is the epitome of pure evil. But he is also crafty and shrewd, using partial truths to convince us that he is right. Just read the story in Genesis, Chapter 3, how Satan twisted what God had said to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden – and it worked. Partial truths are most absolutely dangerous, as they seem correct and are partially correct, but in reality, a half-truth is still a full lie.

            That is why we must have discernment and know Him and His Truth and know His Word. That true knowledge is our weapon to combat the lies of the enemy. If we do not know Him and if we do not know His Word, then we are easy targets for the enemy. Don’t be an easy target and don’t let down your guard. Lies are everywhere. 

Christ Is Truth – Interim Post 7

The highest conceivable state of spirituality is produced by a concentration of all the powers and passions of the soul upon the person of Christ.

 -C. H. Spurgeon

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.

 -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everyone may be entitled to his own opinion but everyone is not entitled to his own truth. Truth is but one.

 -Doug Groothius

            There is no higher level or state of spirituality that we can attain than that which entails our spirit entwining with the Spirit of our Creator. Thankfully, Christ our Savior, has torn the veil in two, allowing us to freely enter into His presence directly and learn the mysteries of life as we experience Him. That door to Him is always open, but to fully realize that state of supreme spirituality requires that we enter into His presence frequently, if not continually. That’s how we become the ultimate in spiritual maturity.

            When we’re in His presence we are also in the Truth. We can think what we may and we may have “learned” it from reputable sources, but those qualities do not always define the truth. God has certainly set boundaries and standards and absolute truths, both for us and all creation. If the “laws of physics” were whimsical we would live in a very troubled world, indeed, if we could even exist at all. Embrace Him, embrace the Truth.

True Spirituality – Interim Post 6

True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires.

1.     First is the desire to be holy rather than happy.

2.     A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss.

3.     The spiritual man wants to carry his cross.

4.     Again, a Christian is spiritual when he sees everything from God’s viewpoint.

5.      Another desire of the spiritual man is to die right rather than to live wrong.

6.     The desire to see others advance at his expense.

7.     The spiritual man habitually makes eternity-judgments instead of time-judgments.

  -A. W. Tozer

You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration in matters of your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, you cannot take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual.

 -Oswald Chambers

            We are spiritual beings and we should strive to keep that aspect of our being always at the forefront, as that is the way we have been created. Just like physical strength and mental ability, we must continue to exercise, strengthen, and feed our spiritually nature appropriately to gain increasing ability and stability. Likewise, just as improper exercise and consuming inappropriate food can make us unhealthy, so too, it is with our spiritual nature.

            What we read, study, meditate on, and who we pray to and what we pray for, all infiltrates into our spiritual nature and becomes a part of it. We should take great pride in keeping every aspect of our being in a healthy balance, for if one part is amiss it will assuredly affect the others. Strive to become whole and complete, mature and not lacking anything good, and continue to always be becoming – it is a life process and a life journey.

Live in the Truth – Interim Post 5

Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder; it is a howling reproach. What Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai were not suggestions but ten commandments.

 -Ted Koppel

Man has always sacrificed truth to his vanity, comfort and advantage. He lives by make believe.

 -W. Somerset Maugham

Truth is often eclipsed but never extinguished.

 -Livy

            It is disheartening that mankind from the beginning of time has had difficulty in accepting truth in its pure form and has chosen to adapt truth to make it more palatable and fit the mentality of self. Rather than embrace truth and live in its fullest sense and allow it to transform and propel us ever onward and upward, we choose the easier way by making truth conform to our wayward selves. Unfortunately, one day we will all fully know pure truth. Many of us will be in pure bliss, but many more will be shockingly horrified, “with weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12;13:42;13:50;22:13;24:51;25:30 and Luke 13:28)

              God has set specific boundaries and absolutes. He is perfect and so is His truth. He is not wishy-washy nor does He ever waver or change His truth - just as in mathematical equations there is but one answer that correctly fits. The square peg will never perfectly fit into the triangular hole no matter how hard we try, no matter how we attempt to explain the inconsistency away, and no matter how we covertly cover it up; square is not triangular.

His Word Is a Timeless Masterpiece – Interim Post 4

God did not write a book and send it by messenger to be read at a distance by unaided minds. He spoke a Book and lives in His spoken words, constantly speaking His words and causing the power of them to persist across the years.

 -A. W. Tozer

A verse must be read often, and re-read and read again before the wondrous message of love and power that God has put into it begins to appear. Words must be turned over and over in the mind before their full force and beauty takes possession of us. One must look a long time at the great masterpieces of art to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning, and so one must look a long time at the great verses of the Bible to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning.

 -R. A. Torrey

            God’s Word is timeless and eternal. We mortals cannot improve upon what it was sent for and the effect on the human heart and mind that was intended. It is for all people and all generations for all time. It is a beautiful and majestic masterpiece, growing more wonderful with every viewing. To really comprehend and appreciate it in its fullness requires viewing it again and again, growing with ever-increasing fondness for the intricacies of its splendor. It is an awesome and amazing wonder of this eternal world, marvelous to behold and melodious to the ear, with a transforming power never to be seen or heard or experienced in any other great work in our existence.  Delve deep into its depths. You are in the very presence of God.

The Word’s Inestimable Value – Interim Post 3

Thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.

 -Theodore Roosevelt

The most learned, acute and diligent student cannot, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of this one volume. The more deeply he works the mine, the richer and more abundant he finds the ore; new light continually beams from this source of heavenly knowledge, to direct the conduct, and illustrate the work of God and the ways of men; and he will at last leave the world confessing that the more he studied the Scriptures, the fuller conviction he had of his own ignorance and of their inestimable value.

 -Sir Walter Scott

            Words are powerful and the effects long lasting. With the Word of God, it is even more profound and eternal. The depth and richness of the nuances of every verse continue to enlighten and inspire and new revelations manifest on every reading. These are God’s eternal Words given to us to show us just a glimpse of His glory. He is unfathomable and His Words carry the ultimate power in the universe and all creation.

Nothing cuts to the heart like His Word and nothing is more able to convict us of sin and bring us to Him. God Himself is there within His Word, alive, fresh, and new each time, to show us the way, guide our thoughts and actions, and speak to our hearts to bring us His peace and comfort and joy that can only be found in Him. Let His Word come alive in your life and let His Spirit entwine eternally with yours. 

It’s Time to Read, Time to Change – Interim Post 2

Isn’t it amazing that almost everyone has an opinion to offer about the Bible, and yet so few have studied it?

 -R. C. Sproul 

We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.

 -John Stott

            Yes, it is amazing! The Bible will always be a subject of discussion and controversy, and sadly, most of us are not students of it. Yet the most important point is to give the Bible an unbiased try. Let God’s Words jump off the page and confront your current thinking, shake up your thoughts and understanding of things, enlighten your ideals, build your character, and transform your patterns of behavior. Replace the deceptions of the world with God’s eternal truth.

That’s what the Word was intended to do. It is powerful and alive, and it will speak to you if you will just listen. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) tells us: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Read His Word. If you meditate on it, it will come to life and revelations will abound.

Make Time to Meditate on His Word - Interim Post 1

From C. H. Spurgeon:  Seven Points on Reading the Bible

1.     READ THE BIBLE WITH AN EARNEST DESIRE TO UNDERSTAND IT.

Do not be content to just read the words of Scripture. Seek to grasp the message they contain.

2.     READ THE SCRIPTURES WITH A SIMPLE, CHILDLIKE FAITH AND HUMILITY.

Believe what God reveals. Reason must bow to God's revelation.

3.     READ THE WORD WITH A SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE AND SELF-APPLICATION.

Apply what God says to yourself and obey His will in all things.

4.     READ THE HOLY SCRIPTURES EVERY DAY.

We quickly lose the nourishment and strength of yesterday's bread. We must feed our souls daily upon the manna God has given us.

5.     READ THE WHOLE BIBLE AND READ IT IN AN ORDERLY WAY.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable." I know of no better way to read the Bible than to start at the beginning and read straight through to the end, a portion every day, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

6.     READ THE WORD OF GOD FAIRLY AND HONESTLY.

As a general rule, any passage of Scripture means what it appears to mean. Interpret every passage in this simple manner, in its context.

7.     READ THE BIBLE WITH CHRIST CONSTANTLY IN VIEW.

The whole Book is about Him. Look for Him on every page. He is there. If you fail to see Him there, you need to read that page again.

 -C. H. Spurgeon

In our busy days and lives it is extremely difficult sometimes to find a few moments of peace and quiet. Yet still, with the electronic age, we have easy access to Bible apps and social media, so if we are wise, we can make the time and use it to our eternal advantage to read His Word, pray, and seek His guidance for the upcoming day. Be wise with your time. Nothing will have a more profound impact than spending time with Him.