Many members; one body

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good afternoon.  You thought I forgot about the blog, didn’t you?  Here you go, be blessed.  Happy Tuesday!

TFTD: Many members; one body

Romans 12:1-5 (New International Version)

 ¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^[a] act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  ³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We are many members, but of one body; the body of Christ.  We live in a world that is status oriented.  You are somebody important if you have a title, a lot of money, etc.  Many people strive to be the best all by themselves; however as believers we are individuals who should work together to serve the same body.  Let’s use the example of the body; you have a head, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, arms, legs, toes, fingers, a heart, a brain and many more organs and nerves.  The eyes can’t see the world unless the brain is operating properly relaying messages to the eyes and to the legs to allow you to travel and explore the world.  All of the members of our body are important separate, but they are magnificent when they work together.  All of the members need one another in order to function properly.  I’m sure you know where I’m going with this.  That is how we SHOULD be in the body of Christ.  We should recognize that as individuals we are important, however when we join and work together to serve our purpose we are powerful.

Churches are currently suffering because you have some members who think they are more important than the other members.  They think the church can’t function without them.  On the contrary, the body can’t function without Christ.  Unless that member thinks he/she is Christ he/she better get off of their high horse and come back to reality.  Maybe you are like the arms of the body; you reach out and help people, you offer encouragement through hugs, you may prepare meals, you may be crafty with your hands, you may use your fingers to point people in the right direction.  Or maybe you are the mouth piece of the body; you share the Word of God with others, you encourage, you pray, you read for those who can’t, etc.  All of these functions are important and need each other to be effective for the kingdom of God.  You may be able to speak well, but then you may need to lead them to someone in the church who are the ears and know how to listen to the concerns of the people.  We all are different and will not carry out the same function but we do work for the same purpose to glorify God and to spread His Word.  We just do them differently. 

Never underestimate what you have to offer to the Church.  God designed you for a specific purpose and you are needed.  Someone reading this right now has been feeling useless or unimportant in the church, but I am here to encourage you and let you know that you are needed.  You are an individual part of an important body.  Carry out your function.  You may be a toe and think that you are insignificant, but when you remove certain toes, it’s impossible to stand.  No member of the spiritual body or physical body is unimportant.  They all serve important roles.  If a part is removed the body will still function, however it will be a little more difficult.  Don’t remove yourself from the body of Christ because then the work that needs to be done will be a little harder for the rest of the members to carry out without you.  Trust, the work will get done for Christ, but we need all members to work together.  That includes you!

Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Where do you set your sights?

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning.  I pray that you had a blessed weekend.  Happy Monday to you all!

TFTD: Where do you set your sights?

Psalm 16:7-11 (New King James Version)

 ⁷ I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
         My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
 ⁸ I have set the LORD always before me;
         Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
         
 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
         My flesh also will rest in hope.
 ¹⁰ For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
         Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
 ¹¹ You will show me the path of life;
         In Your presence is fullness of joy;
         At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Where do you set your sights?  Are they on material things of this world?  Who do you set your sights on?  Are you looking for that man or woman to complete you?  In order to move forward you have to look ahead.  When you are driving you must look ahead at the traffic in front of you to determine which way to go.  When you are running a race you must look ahead to the finish line and not to the side lines.  In life we should have the Lord set before us.  Powerful things happen when you keep your eyes on the Most High.

Think about one time in your life where you decided to look back or look to the side at other people, things, or even your past.  You had your mind focused on a goal and then you became distracted by the things around you and started to doubt the path that you were on.  When our eyes and hope are placed on people or things of this world we will forever waver in our journey.  People are fickle and always changing.  Things come and go, but God is the same.  The blessing is that with your eyes set on the Lord you should not be moved by the people or things of this world.  When you are looking towards heaven for your answers, encouragement, and instructions; you will surely reach your destination. 

Only the Lord can show you the path of life.  People will take you all around the mulberry bush, but God will lead you right to your destination.  Why do we take instruction or direction from people who do not know where we are going?  I’m sorry, but I am guilty of this myself; why should I entrust the vision which God planted in my belly to someone who doesn’t even see past the nose on their face?  We have a tendency to run to people who “appear to be all and know all” secretly sabotaging our journey to our destination.  STOP going to people who God did not lead you to.  Keep your eyes set on Him and He will direct your path to people who will assist you on your journey.  This will be people who will pray for and with you, fast with you, encourage you, offer sound advice to assist you on your journey.  They will not discourage you or rob you of your dream because God sent them your way.  We have bad judgment and pick the wrong people to lead us and give us advice. 

Keep your eyes set on the Lord and you will not be moved, He will show you the path of life, and when you step into His presence you will experience the FULLNESS of joy.  Not a sample of joy, but the fullness.  Fullness of joy is when your money is low, friends are few, car is broke down and yet in still you can praise the Lord.  Joy is not contingent on your surroundings or your circumstances.  It is contingent on your relationship with God.  I dare you to follow God and step into His presence.  There is nothing like being in the presence of God. 

Where do you set your sights?

Have a blessed day setting your sights on the Lord.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

God Is

Sunshine’s Reflections

 

Good morning!  It’s Friday!  YOU’VE MADE IT!  I pray that you have a blessed day and weekend.

TFTD:  GOD IS

When you are going through or even when things are going well, always remember who God is. 

He is:

EL SHADDAI-  God Almighty or “God All Sufficient.”

ADONAI- LORD

JEHOVAH-JIREH- “The Lord will Provide.”

JEHOVAH-ROPHE- “The Lord Who Heals”

JEHOVAH-NISSI- “The Lord Our Banner.”

JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH- “The Lord Who Sanctifies”

JEHOVAH-SHALOM- “The Lord Our Peace”

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU- “The Lord Our Righteousness”

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH- “The Lord is There”

EL ELYON- ‘Most High”

EL-OLAM- “Everlasting God”

EL-GIBHOR- Mighty God

God is all that you will ever need and so much.  When you measure your problems and struggles up against your MIGHTY GOD then your problems are small.  Remember who God is and who you are in HIM.

Be encouraged and have a blessed day! 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Great Peace

Sunshine’s Reflections

 

It’s Thursday!  God is truly a sustaining God.  He is a keeper!  You have made it to Thursday, if you hang on to God’s coat-tail you will be able to make it to the end of another work week.  Glory to God.  Rejoice in the small things daily!

TFTD: Great Peace

Psalm 119:165 (New King James Version)

 ¹⁶⁵ Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

Philippians 4:7 (New King James Version)

⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When you love the Word of the Lord and His commandments you will begin to experience a great peace.  Peace is a state of mutual harmony between people.  You will live in peace with your neighbors, co-workers, family and friends.  Great peace; you will become free from any strife or dissension that may come your way.  Great peace; your mind will be free from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, and obsession.  You will experience a level of tranquility and serenity.  Great peace; you will find quietness and the ability to stand still in the midst of a chaotic situation.   

Oh to have peace in the midst of a storm; in your home, on your job, in the schools, in the streets, in the church.  Experiencing great peace is right at our disposal, all we have to do is read God’s word, live by it, and love it.  The closer you grow to God the more you love Him and His commandments.  The closer you grow to God the more peace will pour out over your life.  If you can never find peace anywhere that you go, I would challenge you to examine your personal relationship with Christ.  If you go from home, work, school, church, stores, family, etc. and can never find peace I would dare say that you may be the problem.  You may be bringing a lot of anxiety and stress to the atmosphere. 

When you become so in-tune with God it’s like a blanket of peace is draped over you.  Someone comes up to you with nonsense and you can just say “peace be still” and that situation can change.  Someone can be yelling at you and you can hide up under the arms of God and peace will fall over the room.  Oh to experience a peace like this requires work on our parts.  It requires us to be in God’s word daily.  It requires us to run in His presence.  Lay at God’s feet.  Meditate on His word.  Love His commandments.  Pray.  Fast. 

When you make God a priority He promises to give you peace that surpasses all understanding.  It will not make any sense to others or even yourself why you are so calm in a financially frustrating situation.  It will not make sense to others why you are so serene when everything around you is falling apart, but that is the peace of God in your life. 

Have you experienced the peace of God, the great peace?  Would you like to experience it?  Examine your life to see what needs to change in your spiritual relationship with Christ.  It’s time to live a life filled with peace.

 Have a blessed day!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Who will you call?

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Wednesday to you all!  I pray that your week has been a blessed on thus far. 

TFTD: Who will you call?

Psalm 116:1-6 (New International Version)

 ¹ I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
       he heard my cry for mercy.
 ² Because he turned his ear to me,
       I will call on him as long as I live.
 ³ The cords of death entangled me,
       the anguish of the grave came upon me;
       I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
 ⁴ Then I called on the name of the LORD :
       “O LORD, save me!”
 ⁵ The LORD is gracious and righteous;
       our God is full of compassion.
 ⁶ The LORD protects the simple-hearted;
       when I was in great need, he saved me.

In grade school I was taught that when someone is in trouble you should call 9-1-1.  Call the police and they can help you when you find yourself in a state of emergency.  With age, I learned to call on my parents when trouble arose.  I even called on friends.  Then I found out that neither 9-1-1, my parents, or my friends could save me from death.  The only One capable of saving my soul is the Lord.  There are times when I reached out to call someone and no one answered.  People are always either busy, going through their own struggles, or unequipped to handle what it is that you are dealing with, but thanks to God for always being available to hear my cry. 

When I cry God turns His ear to me; He doesn’t check call waiting to decide if he wants to speak to me, He doesn’t tell me to call back later and He doesn’t tell me that He doesn’t feel like talking.  God is not so consumed with self that when I do call; He only speaks of Himself.  On the contrary, He turns His ear to me to hear my cry, petitions, and prayers.  I have to learn to call on Him for everything.  There are times when everyone around you will be preoccupied with other things and the only person you can turn to is God.  Why do we make God the last person we go to in many cases when He is the Only One that is available all of the time?

It’s time to go to someone with a track record of getting things done.  I called out to the Lord to save me and He did.  I called out to the Lord to forgive me for my many sins and He did and continues to forgive.  I called out to the Lord to make me strong because I felt weak and He did.  God has an impeccable track record of getting things done.  When I was on my way to hell, God saved me.  God is the only One that can save you from death.  Your friends and family may love you, but they can’t save you.  It’s time to go to the source of your salvation.  Allow God to rescue you from a life of torment and pain.  Walk into your destiny and become saved by His grace.  Jesus could have come down from the cross, but He chose to stay there to save you and me. 

Who will you call on to save you?  Who will you call on when you find yourself in a tough situation?  Who will you call on first? 

I pray that you will start making God your priority.  Call on Him first and He will lead you the rest of the way.

Have a blessed day.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Your body is not your own, but a dwelling place

Sunshine’s Reflections

 

Good morning!  Happy Tuesday!

TFTD:  Your body is not your own, but a dwelling place

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (New International Version)

 ¹²“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³“Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. ¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”¹⁷But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.  ¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New King James Version)

¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body^[a] and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Your body is not your own.  You should not do with it what you please.  Even though you have access to many things in this life; that doesn’t mean that everything is good for your body.  Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  It is a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit to rest and rule however you cannot put anything into the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. As believers, our bodies are members of Christ himself.  We are a physical extension of Christ.  Christ dwells in us and we carry out His task.  The scripture poses a deep question in 1 Corinthians 6:15 and I’m paraphrasing (but please search the word for yourself) Since you are a member of Christ would you unite Christ with a prostitute?  Let’s make it plan and apply it with our daily life since you are a member of Christ would you take Christ to the bar and get drunk, to that man or woman’s house whom you are not married to and engage in sexual activities, to the casino and gamble, to the street in order to fight, to the many people who you lie to, and the list goes on?  Every time we engage in ungodly activities we are taking the Holy Spirit which lives in us into those places.  OUCH! 

How serious do we take our relationship with our body to Christ?  How many of us honestly care for our body has holy temples to the Holy Spirit?  Since the Holy Spirit dwells within us we should take care of our temple.  We should read and study the word of God.  We should not be slothful; we should exercise and eat properly.  We should not indulge in activities and behaviors that are contrary to the will of God.  We should not allow anyone else to treat our bodies any kind of way.  You need to know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells within you and the Spirit has been sent from God.  Your body does not belong to you.  God sent His Only Son to die for you and bought you at a very expensive and yet selfless price.  

What are some ways that you can glorify God with your body?  Take time to think of how you care for your body; could you do better?  Is the Holy Spirit’s dwelling place within you fit for kingdom building or kingdom demolition?  Some people can see the God in you by looking at you; what does your temple say to them?

Food for thought: Take serious inventory over how you care for the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  Would you take your parents or children to the places that you go now or participate in the activities that you do now?  If you wouldn’t take them then you should not want to take the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you. 

Have a blessed day. 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

To live is Christ….

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Monday to you all.  I pray that you had a blessed weekend. 

TFTD:  To live is Christ

Philippians 1:21 (New King James Version)

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

To live is Christ.  One reason Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians was to encourage them to stand strong in the face of persecution.  As believers we too will face persecution; we will face it from unsaved family members, back sliding friends, unbelieving co-workers, or even people of different religious affiliations.  People will argue that what they believe is the truth.  People will challenge your believe system.  People will even deny Christ all together.  But be encouraged and stand strong during these times of persecution. 

To live is Christ.  When you live you should live to be pleasing to God and spread His word with others.  The only reason we are alive today is because of Christ.  He could have taken us all out with one breath; instead God sent His Son to shed His blood for our sins.  So we live because of Christ.  What’s glorious about the sacrifice of Jesus, is that once He died for my sins and yours He guaranteed us eternal life.  To live is Christ and to die is gain because as believers when we die we will have everlasting life. 

John 3:16 says

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

To live is Christ.  God is not a man who He should lie and we can stand on His word knowing that as long as we live for Him we are living a beautiful life.  Many people are walking around spiritually dead; that is no way to live life.  Anything that is dead cannot bear fruit.  If you are spiritually dead then you are not experiencing the life that you can have in Christ.  If you are spiritually dead when you die you will eternally be separated from the Father.  As Christians we need to help revive the spiritually dead and lead them to Christ.  Our lives should speak volumes to them saying, “There is a better way to live”.  I live today because of Christ and when I die I will live forevermore.  I don’t know about you, but that is awesome to know that with Christ we will forever live.  With Christ we are able to experience life on a higher level.  When your spiritual life is healthy then your physical life will be healthy as well.

To live is Christ.  What are you waiting on to try Him?  Before you accepted Christ you weren’t living at all, just walking around aimlessly, but with Christ you can have life and that more abundantly.  Try Christ.  To live is Christ.

 It’s time to experience the life that God has intended for you.  Start living today, accept Christ as your Lord and savior.

Have a blessed day living!

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Purify Me Lord

Sunshine’s Reflections

It’s Friday!  I pray that you have a blessed day and a wonderful weekend.

TFTD: Purify Me

2 Corinthians 7:1 (New King James Version)

 ¹ Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (New International Version)

 ¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Purify Me Lord

by: Nicole Ellis

Purify Me Lord from the filthiness of this world
Reach within my flesh and remove anything that is not of you
Surround my spirit with your holiness and purge my spirit of all things unclean
Purify me Lord

Lord, I stand on your promises of life everlasting
I rest on the promises that you will comfort me, heal me, restore me
Remove the things that contaminate my mind
From the things that I watch on TV, to the songs that I allow to enter my spirit,
all the way down to the people who secretly sew destruction into my life
Purify Me Lord
I have things that entered my eye gate that have to be cleansed
Cleanse my very being for I am filthy
Dirty
Disgusting
But with you I am clean, free, and purified
Purify me Lord
Purify me Lord
So that when people see me
They see none of me and all of you
I want to be purified not for man
But to reverence you
Get rid of all impurities that go against you
Purify Me Lord
Purify me…

Allow God to cleanse you from the inside out.  There are things that He has to remove from your heart, mind, and spirit.  Call out to Him to purify you.  Have a blessed day. 

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

God’s commandments are not a burden

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning!  Happy Thursday to you all! 

TFTD: God’s commandments are not a burden

1 John 5: 1-5 (New King James Version)

 ¹ Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our^[a] faith. ⁵ Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

God has given us commandments to live by.  These are Holy standards for living a godly life.  God has given us the Ten Commandments along with many other standards for living a life that is pleasing to Him.  Unfortunately, many believers look at these standards as merely suggestions and even inconvenient.  God created the heaven and the earth and it was good and perfect.  Man fell into sin and broke a perfect harmonious relationship with Christ and God had to send His Son to redeem us.  We are incapable of living a sinless life because of sin, but God gave us specific instructions on how to live a life that is not consumed by sin.

Keep His commandments.  Don’t look at the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself as a burden, but maybe you need to examine why you feel it’s a burden.  Could it be that you do not know how to love yourself and that is why loving your neighbor is such a challenge?  Maybe you have been lied to most of your life and you feel like keeping the commandment of not lying is a little extreme because that is the norm.  You have a problem with do not commit adultery and I would dare say the problem is not with the commandment not to commit adultery, but the problem is within you stepping outside of your covenant of marriage or stepping inside of someone else covenant.  God’s commandments are not burdensome; however they will guide you to living a better life. 

God’s commandments are not suggestions, but a road map to how to treat others and more importantly how to treat God.  There are commandments throughout the bible that tell us how to treat one another, how to love, forgive, communicate, resolve conflict, how to reverence God and live a life that is pleasing to Him.  Living in sin is a burden; not following Gods commandments.  When we don’t follow His commandments that is when we should feel overwhelmed and stressed because we are not listening to God.  Anything that God calls us to do will exact peace in our lives and anything that we do contrary to His instruction will cause pain, harm, stress, fear, doubt.  Keep and follow His commandments and don’t look at them as burdensome look at your sin as a burden and a hindrance.

 Have a blessed day following the commandments of God.  It’s a safe place to be in the will of God.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

In order to live a clean life: Follow HIS WORD

Sunshine’s Reflections

Good morning.  How has your week been thus far?  Have you been struggling a little bit this week?  We’ll if you have this blog is for you.  I pray that today and the rest of this week will be much better than it already has.

TFTD: In order to live a clean life: Follow HIS WORD

Note: Now I love reading the New King James Version of the bible, however  I am aware that sometimes a few words may be difficult to comprehend.  Sometimes you will see two versions of the same scripture posted on the blog.  I hope it helps in your personal study.  God bless.

Psalm 119:9-11 (New King James Version)

 ⁹ How can a young man cleanse his way?
         By taking heed according to Your word.
 ¹⁰ With my whole heart I have sought You;
         Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
 ¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart,
         That I might not sin against You.

 

Psalm 119:9-11 (New International Version)

 ⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
       By living according to your word.  ¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
       do not let me stray from your commands.
 ¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
       that I might not sin against you.

Have you been searching for the answer to living a pure life?  Have people asked you how they can live a better life?  We’ll the answer is clear; you can live a pure life by living according to God’s word.  I know this has been a common theme on the blog recently, but it’s true if you want the answers to your problems, go to the Word of God.  If you want to live a life that is pleasing to God, then live according to His word.  If you want to refrain from sinning then hide the Word of God in your heart.  If you want to learn how to be a better person and a better Christian, search the Word of God.  If you want to learn more about forgiving, communicating, loving, and so much more, you can find it in the Word of God.

The world wants you to get away from the bible and what God has to say, but I want to encourage you to run to His word.  Have you ever wanted something so bad that you could almost taste it?  I’ve been working on becoming a healthier “me” physically and it required some drastic changes in my diet a few months ago.  Sometimes I find myself wanting some foods that I shouldn’t have.  I think about them and can almost taste them.  Maybe yours is not food.  But that longing that you have for that thing can become so strong that you think about it all day.  That is how we should be about God’s word.  We should desire God’s word with our whole heart.  It should be on our minds all day long.

When life starts to get you down you should be able to tap into your heart and pull out a word of encouragement, a prayer, a commandment, or a promise from God.  Hiding His word in your heart is your ammunition against the enemy, doubt, fear, selfishness, anger, and more.  When you hide the word of God in your heart, living according to His word becomes a little easier.  It’s impossible to live according to the Word of God if you have never read it, study it, or believe in it.  It’s great that you listen to the preachers on television on Sunday and that you go to church and listen to the ministers, but when are you going to seek the Word and read it for yourself? 

Everyone that comes across the pulpit doesn’t necessarily preach the word.  Yes, I said it.  And we live in a day and time where you are going to have to discern lies from the truth.  The closer you stay in God’s word, the more equipped you will be to tell whether someone is preaching the truth or show boating.  The closer you stay in God’s word, the more equipped you are to live a life that is pleasing to Him.  I didn’t say you will live a perfect life or one without sin; however by hiding the word in your heart you will make better choices against sin.

How can a person cleanse his sinful ways?  By living according to the word of God which requires you to read, study, memorize, and apply His word to your daily life.

Have a blessed day in Jesus Name.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis   

Can’t breathe: Try Spiritual CPR: Consistent in praying, Persistent in pursuing the knowledge of God, and Resistant to temptation.   

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