Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tday's Prayer

Today's Prayer
Dear God, I lift up your name and praise you this day, for you are the mighty God, creator of the universe, lover of mankind, sustainer of all, most magnificent and awesome father, most caring and devoted nurturer, most powerful of anyone and anything, all-knowing and ever-present. How can I even count the ways that you are worthy of my praise?! Thank you for your gift of love and life. Thank you for your promise of eternal life with you through your righteous son. Thank you for Jesus my Savior and the Holy Spirit who convicts and seals and guides me along the way. Thank you for the Word and your Word that illuminates, instructs, and leads me. I am grateful for who you are, all you do, and what you plan to do. In the name of Jesus I humbly come before you. Amen

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Third Commitment To A Holy Life

The Third Commitment To A Holy Life


By God’s grace Consecrate all of your life and all that you have to be God’s servant now and as long as you live.------The Holy Sacrifice


If you have given over your will to God’s will in the second commitment to a holy life. God now calls you to lay yourself on his alter once again for this Holy process.


Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.


This scripture clearly tells us that we are “not our own, but “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”1Cor 6:20. That price is the precious blood of Jesus shed on the cross for us. We have been keeping our bodies and minds as our personal possessions to do with as we please. We now must relinquish them to Jesus Christ to use as He pleases. This may be a slow and painful process. SELF does not want to die. But to be completely God’s person is gloriously rewarding. He has heights and depths of Joy for us that we never imagined. And while we may have yielded our will to Him before, now our will is lost in His will. Our minds must now reject all sinful thoughts.


Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.


Philipians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.


2Corinthians10:5 Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,


This may also be a slow process but daily reading and meditating on the words of Jesus helps.


May \the Holy Spirit lead and guide you as you commit yourself to seeking this wonderful experience.


Love, Howard S. Dimmick

The hird

wysiwyg

The hird

wysiwyg

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Second Step to Holiness


In the first step I saw that repentance, brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit, made me aware of the magnitude, wickedness and folly of my ways. Then I gladly turned to Christ for forgiveness and He graciously responded with love and irrevocable forgiveness. This is redemption, for He paid the price of my sin by shedding His blood on the cross for me. I am then saved. Hallelujah!


The second step is the submission of my will to God’s will. Paul talks about this in Romans 7

: 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.

Paul realizes something is wrong, he cannot do what he knows he ought to do and he does what he knows he shouldn’t do, and he cries our as many of us have:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

His own will is dominant so he does what he wants instead of what he knows he should do. But he knows who has the answer: I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

So if our will is not surrendered to the will of God we are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit!

Jesus not only died on the cross to forgive our sins, but, sent the Holy Spirit as my counselor and guide with power to tame my will and let me submit (surrender) to the will of God.


We see this also in chapter 6: 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We know Sin is death to the sinner, but here he is talking about the Christian who still sins because he has not surrendered his will to God’s will. But we can be made free in Christ. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Hallelujah!

Don’t be deceived, there are those who think this verse means God won’t condemn us if we do sin. They don’t read the rest of the verse. It says “who do not walk according to the flesh!

Friday, April 03, 2009

We were Brought With a Price

We were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus; therefore I will glorify God in my body and spirit, which are God’s.
I will not use any part of me to do my own will but allow God to have his will in all my life.
I not let Satan or sin to possess, barrow or pollute my body, mind or heart, for I am God’s.
Jesus is mine; the Holy Spirit is in control of every thought, act and relationship.
God is love. I Know God, He knows me; therefore agape love will be my aim and attitude.
Christ accepted me, and I accepted Him. I’ll not allow any division or separation from Him.
This is my commitment to Him, for he gave his life for me, and His Spirit to me. Amen.