"RESTORE MY SPIRIT, O GOD" IS COMPLETE!

"RESTORE MY SPIRIT, O GOD" IS COMPLETE!

 

Once again, the year has gone by fast! All the devotions for "Restore My Spirit, O God - Inspiration for Regaining What's Been Lost"  ( Book 2 in "The Renew Devotional Trilogy") have been written and posted! I will be spending the next few months finishing up all the ancillary material and editing. Book 2 has almost a third more words than Book 1, so it will take a bit more time. When I have completed all of my initial proofreading, I will submit it to the publisher for approval and hopefully the book will be available next spring. The entire publishing process takes about 5-6 months.

 

During these next few months I will be quite silent on my web pages, probably only giving updates as to the progress of the publishing process. My goal is to begin Book 3 - "Revive My Soul, O God - Empowerment to Bring You Back to Life," on January 1st of 2018! Book 3 is all about "becoming" the person that God wants you to be, and it will include topics addressing our daily strife and struggles, with Scriptures, quotes, prayers, and personal stories and anecdotes.

 

Spread the word about "Renew My Heart, O God - Daily Devotions for Healing Your Heart"! It is available in all formats - hardcover, paperback, and all e-Book formats, on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble (bn.com), booksamillion.com and other internet retailers. Search for "Renew My Heart," or "Renew My Heart, O God," and the book should come right up. (Or just access my Author Web Page Portal Link below and click on the company logos and it will take you directly to the book formats.) And thank you all again for your prayers and following! My mission is to bring the light and love of Jesus Christ to as many as He would bring.

 

Here is a summary of "The Renew Devotional Trilogy":

 

Book 1:  "Renew My Heart, O God - Daily Devotions for Healing Your Heart" AVAILABLE NOW ONLINE
It's all about "healing" your heart!

Book 2:  "Restore My Spirit, O God - Inspiration for Regaining What's Been Lost" GETTING READY FOR PUBLICATION 
It's all about "connecting" with God and staying connected! Your Spiritual Handbook!

Book 3:  "Revive My Soul, O God - Empowerment to Bring You Back to Life" COMING SOON

It's all about "becoming" the whole person that God wants you to be!

 

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

 

Prayers and blessings,

Jeff

Go for the Great

Sometimes, you’ve got to let go of the good to gain the great. Let your heart be ready.  

September’s Awakening, Day 30

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.

 —Kenny Rogers

Do not let the good things in life rob you of the best things.

 —Buster Rothman

 

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:21–23 NIV 

 

            Never sell yourself short. God may have something great for you, if you methodically sacrifice a bit now, and give up some of the good you have now, all to gain His great. You won’t be disappointed. But great comes at a cost, and you must diligently follow His lead. Holding on to the good can prevent you from grabbing hold of the great. If God speaks to your heart to let something go, rest assured, He has something much better for you. Letting go can be frightening, but holding on can be stifling. Trust in Him. Remember, He wants the best and greatest for you, you must simply follow. Maybe it’s time for you to exchange your good for His great and best. 

 

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

Sword Vanquished by the Spirit

Are you fighting with the sword or with the Spirit? Victory comes by His Spirit.

 

September’s Awakening, Day 29

There are in the world two powers—the sword and the spirit. And the spirit has always vanquished the sword.

 —Napoleon

 All the resources of the Godhead are at our disposal!

 —Jonathan Goforth 

 

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:52–53 NIV

 

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords. Revelation 19:14–16 NIV 

 

            Indeed, the Spirit will ultimately and completely vanquish the power of the sword. In the end times, when Christ comes at His Glorious Appearing, He will vanquish all the world rebels, including the antichrist and the false prophet, with the “sword coming out of His mouth,” the Word of God, which strikes down all enemies and none can prevail against. That’s the ultimate power of the Spirit, and that same power of the Spirit is available to us and lives inside us today. The power of the sword, nor any power indeed, can prevail against the mighty power of His Spirit. Victory over sin, evil, and death is assured—they have no sting nor will they overcome the Spirit.

            So, don’t grab your sword, evoke the power of His Spirit, and let your victories begin.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

Power Purge

Has the power of the world purged you of everything noble and good? Has your own power numbed you to be indifferent to the virtues that should be upheld?

September’s Awakening, Day 28

The power that is supported by force alone will have cause often to tremble.

 —Lajos Kossuth

Power gradually extirpates from the mind every humane and gentle virtue.

 —Edmund Burke

 

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: Colossians 2:20 NIV

 

            Power by force will always be opposed. Pure power exercised unmitigatedly can purge the possessor of the balance with moral, humane, and noble virtues. One needs only to look at the dictators of the world to see this imbalance in action. People suffer at the expense of power imposed upon them and power exercised simply for the sake of the world power hierarchy. For those in the world who are oppressed by power, it is difficult indeed to not be adversely affected in every way. When you are oppressed by power for lengthy periods of time, your own sense of morality and standards begin to change and conformity to the influence of the power imposed upon you becomes the new normal. Pray diligently for the oppressed in the world for theirs is a difficult lot in life to continually bear.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

Power Test

Would your character pass the power test? Have you ever misused the power given to you? It takes great character and self-control to wield power in an appropriate fashion.

September’s Awakening, Day 27

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.

 —Abraham Lincoln

The measure of a man is what he does with power.

 —Pittacus 

 

Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing. Proverbs 11:7 NIV

 

One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, Psalm 62:11 NIV

 

            It’s true. Power is best in the hands of the One who can truly use it appropriately—God. Power in the hands of one with poor character, judgment, and restraint is like fortune and fame—easy to become addicted to and misused. Wielding power appropriately, with control, certainly requires one who is well grounded, with exemplary character, secure in self-esteem, and has methodical self-control. Misusing power can be too great a temptation to overcome. Most assuredly, with power at your disposal, your character will surely be tested, and certainly there will be many who are watching and potentially many people affected.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

 

Which Is It?

Does power corrupt people, or do people corrupt the power available to them? How are you using the power allotted to you?

September’s Awakening, Day 26

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.

 —Lord Acton  

Power doesn’t corrupt people. People corrupt power.

 —Author Unknown  

 

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; John 13:3 NIV 

 

Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. Psalm 53:3 NIV

 

            If we contemplate this dilemma logically, we must arrive at the conclusion that power itself is neutral. It is the choices we make in using the power allotted to us that tends to become problematic. As humans, there will always be the irresistible temptation to use power to our personal gain or advantage, and therein lies the problem. Therefore, even though power is neutral, the temptation to abuse it is virtually irresistible, like trying to avoid eating the forbidden fruit. Power is truly an enormous temptation and easy to abuse, and only a select few with exemplary character, nobility, and restraint, can effectively and safely wield it, and those select few are few indeed.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

Obligation

What is greatness built upon? Freedom, liberty, and opportunity, or responsibility, obligation, and duty?  

September’s Awakening, Day 25

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty.

 —John D. Rockefeller, Jr 

The love of liberty is the love of others; love of power is the love of ourselves.

 —William Hazlitt

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; . . .

 —Thomas Jefferson, beginning of the Declaration of Independence

 

So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” Luke 17:10 NIV   

 

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48b NIV

 

            With our inherent and inalienable rights, the freedoms that we enjoy, the opportunities that we have, and the ability to possess in quantity, comes along with it great responsibility, certain obligation, and required duty to those who have not. We are not only to be good stewards of what we have, but just as Jesus stated in Luke 12:48; to whom much has been given, much will be required, and to whom much has been entrusted, much more will be asked. It is a biblical principle that cannot be denied or ignored. Freedoms, rights, and opportunities come at a high price of giving back in return.

               Exercise your freedoms, tenaciously hold onto your rights, explore every opportunity, and gain much so that you may give and return much. Fulfil your responsibilities, meet every obligation, and perform every duty in an exemplary fashion. This is what greatness is built upon.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart