WEEDS IN YOUR GARDEN

Do you have a garden at home? What are you growing? Is your garden thriving and producing crops or is it limp and choked by weeds? Gardens take time and effort if you want them to produce the desired plant. By time and effort I mean that you need to make sure the plants get adequate water as all living things need water to sustain them or they will die. Next you may want to fertilize them if necessary. One of your biggest responsibilities will be to keep the weeds from growing in the same place with the crops as they will overtake the garden if it is not tended to.

My strawberries have done fairly well this year but there is a wild strawberry plant, also known as a weed, that is growing amongst the big lush berries. If I do not get rid of this, plus the clover that is wrapping itself around the strawberries, then I will not get much fruit from what has been planted.

How is your "spiritual garden"? Is your spiritual life growing and thriving or does it need to be watered, fertilized, and weeded? Is the only time you spend any time with God on Sunday for one hour when you "have to"? Do you even bother trying to get to know Jesus better and strengthening your spiritual life? The "fertilizer" of sorts would be getting into the word of God to know Him better so you can "grow" in Christ. The "weeds" would be things you are doing or sins you commit that take you further away from God. It could be an attitude of your heart.

What kind of "weeds" are growing in your life that need to be pulled out down to the roots? If you have clover in your yard and simply cut the flower off the rest of the weed is still under ground and will spring up again. The thing about weeds is they do not require much to grow but take lots of effort to eradicate.

Matthew 13:7(NIV) says 'Other seed grew among thorns which grew up and choked the plants' referring to the word of God falling on hard hearts that do not have Jesus inside of them. Are the "weeds" of sin choking your relationship with Jesus? Only you can answer that question. Have you neglected your "spiritual garden" and gone out and done your own thing? Do you want to bear spiritual fruit or just have weeds all over the place?

Get those weeds out daily by having time alone with the Lord. Take time to let the "fruits" of the spirit grow in your life.

Galatians 5:22-23(NIV) says 'But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.' Don't let weeds choke your life but be "fruitful" for the kingdom of God.

PRAYER: Today I choose to keep the weeds of sin out of my life. I do not want growing closer to you to be choked out by sins. Give me strength to resist attempts by the enemy, Satan, to make excuses for why I can not spend time each day with Jesus. In Jesus' name. Amen.

DAILY 'TO-DO' LIST TO KEEP YOU ON RIGHT PATH

Be thankful and say so
Smile
Be kind to others
Be kind when someone is mean
Be courageous
Let go of a hurt
Forgive even if person is still ugly to you
Let go of your right to get back or get even
Share
Say only what will build others up
Stop worrying and give cares to God
Go to church
Read your Bible daily
Pray
Find someone to bless each day
Shine for Jesus especially within your own home
Be honest
Do not lie
Do not judge others
Love unconditionally
Remember that God loves you
Don't fear
Do not worry
Know that God is your best friend
Don't compare
Don't belittle yourself because you are a child of the king and are of great value!!
Forget yourself.
Be a friend!

The scriptures say in 1 Peter 1:16 "Be holy as I am holy".   If you practice saying the list above out loud you will start to have a better outlook on life. No matter what is going on in life you can have victory through Jesus Christ. Stay in his word and the truth will set you free! Jesus is Lord!!

The point is to mentally remind yourself not only of the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20, which help you stay on the right path in life but to have these little 'to do' items in your brain as reminders of how to be Christlike. Do not get in a trap set by the enemy where you feel worthless and of no value. Each and every day set out and stay focused on what you can do to show Jesus love to those around you. Do not let situations or other people rob you of your God given joy!

1 Corinthians 15:57 says "But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

PRAYER: Lord make me a light in a dark world. Where there is hopelessness let me show the hope of Jesus. Where there is darkness let use me to shine your light. Where there is hate let me show love. I purpose to focus on ways to be Christlike to all those people you place in my path. In Jesus name. Amen!
Click on link to worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/wutmEjdbedE

SAYING YES TO GOD AND NO TO UNGODLINESS

Do you love the things in the world? It is okay to do fun things but we have to ask ourselves if the fun things we are doing would bring glory to God or shame to Him? Ask yourself, will it help me be closer to God or further away from Him? Would what you are doing hurt your witness if someone saw you? These are just a few thoughts to ponder. Each person has to be convicted by the Holy Spirit. No one is judging anyone or trying to say they are better. To do so would to be self -righteous. None of us are perfect. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory it says in Romans 3:23.

Titus 2:11-12 says "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." There are things that will definitely hurt you as a believer and are against His word. These are the things we should avoid if we expect to have a closer walk with Him.

You can not lead a double agent or 'secret service' for Christ life. Do not be one way on Sunday and then do as you please the other 6 days. What good did the word you heard on Sunday do if you go out into the world and forget it all?

1 John 3:10 says " This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." Think on that verse for a while.

If someone were to see you would they know you belonged to Christ?

Philippians 3:14 says "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Are you pressing on for that goal? Do you want to be more like Jesus?

PRAYER: Lord help me to turn away from things that will take me away from you. I want to reach higher for the goal of being more conformed to your image. Give me the ability to walk away from things I know are wrong and I know will hurt me. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Click on link and worship the Lord!
http://youtu.be/-rkFsIKRgMU

DECONTAMINATE YOURSELF

Are there things in your life that you know are wrong to do or think, and they separate you from having a closer walk with the Lord?

When a person gets chemicals or hazardous wastes on their body they must go through a decontamination process. I think of the image of astronauts back in the early days of the space program going into an Airstream trailer to keep them away from the public til they got the all clear after their flight into space. This was their quarantine of sorts.

In this world there is much that can come into our minds and cause contamination. This contamination sometimes causes wrong thinking and no desire to be with the Lord. You have to root out this contaminated area and not let it gain control or gain a foothold in your life.
Is something hindering you from being closer to God? Are you hanging out with the wrong kind of people who do things that do not please God? Do you listen to off color humor and think nothing of it or watch movies you would not dare take Jesus along to see? Does your speech bring glory to the Lord? Do you have anger and hate in your heart? If you have areas where you have been 'contaminated' by the world God can clean you up. It starts by praying and reading His word, the Bible.

Galatians 5:7 says "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" Ask God to purify you of areas that need to be cleaned up in your walk with Him. Ask Him to bring conviction of right and wrong and what displeases Him. Psalm 51:17 says "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." In this same chapter of Psalms verse 10 it says "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Do you want to get the bad junk out of your life? Jesus can help if you let Him. Matthew 6:33 says "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."
2 Corinthians 7:1 says "Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

PRAYER: Lord I want a clean heart and a right spirit. I want to be set free from those things in my life that do not please you. Show me what areas of my life I need to decontaminate and with your help I know I can succeed. In Jesus Name. Amen.