Paid In Full

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." - Colossians 2:13-14

Sometimes when I'm studying for a sermon or even just having a quiet time with the Lord, I wonder, do I really comprehend the incredible gift we were given when Jesus died for our sins? Do any of us? Not that we take this act for granted, but we speak about it so routinely that I think we fail to absorb the full scope of this gift.

It's as though all of our sins were listed on a writing board. And then Christ has come along with a cloth and erased them forever...as though they were never even there. On that board, somebody puts a receipt that says, "PAID IN FULL." That's what the nails of the cross did—paid the penalty for our sin in full. Christ has done it all. Our sins have been nailed to the cross; they've been taken care of. Nothing more is needed for forgiveness other than our accepting this amazing gift.

The New York Times

Lysa TerKeurst

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Devotion:

Have you ever wondered if the dreams tucked in your heart will ever come to be?

Me too.

I still remember sitting on my bed as a young girl and staring down at an old typewriter my dad brought home. I was fascinated with the way the keys struck the paper. I started to string together words — sentences — paragraphs. I whispered, "Maybe one day a whole book."

But the whisper got buried in a tangle of other things.

All the while the Lord had a plan. A hope. A future. If only I would seek Him, I would find Him, if I would seek Him with all my heart. Not just my Sunday heart. Not just my quiet time heart. But, seek Him in it all.

Be Who You Are!

By Doug Fields

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
Psalm 139:14 (NLT)

I am NOT a morning person! There. I said it, confessed it, admitted it, and shouted it.

I used to feel extremely guilty that I was not a morning person.

For many years I was convinced that good Christians “rise and shine and give God the glory, glory.” I tried to be that person, but I never got there. I don’t wake up with a smile and say, “Good morning, God!” as I whistle and skip down the hallway heading toward my quiet time. I’m the guy who drags himself out of bed mumbling, as I smack the snooze button and throw the alarm at the cat.

It has been the constant stories from early risers that have triggered my feelings of inferiority. For years, I was envious of those who could live on little sleep and wake up early with one hand on a Greek New Testament and the other grasping a pen to journal and pray. I thought good Christians wake up early and survive on little sleep because they are so Spirit-filled. On the other end of the spectrum, are the backsliding, carnal Christians, who like me, need a full eight hours of sleep in order to function.

What to do when God doesn't answer...

Today, I just want to share to you Pastor Bill Hybels' interesting experience after a baptism service in their church. 

He writes: "I bumped into a woman in the stairwell who was crying. I thought this was a little odd, since the service was so joyful. I asked her if she was all right. 

She said, 'No, I'm struggling.' 

She said, 'My mom was baptized today. I prayed for her every day for almost 20 years. The reason I'm crying is because I came this close to giving up on her. 

At the 5-year mark I said, "Who needs this? God isn't listening." 

At the 10-year mark I said, "Why am I wasting my breath?" 

At the 15-year mark I said, "This is absurd." At the 19-year mark 

My Best Friend

Friends play an important role in my life. It's hard for me to think of a period when I didn't have several close ones. 

My best friend is David. The close relationship we have didn't happen merely because of the passage of time, although that certainly played a role. In analyzing our friendship, the most significant factor has been that we nurtured the relationship. We spent time together. We talked. We shared things about ourselves that we had told no one else. I share this about David because it's the best way I know to talk about my Best Friend in the universe. His name is Jesus. 

This morning, I went for a walk with Him through a wooded area near my home. I had a quiet, peaceful time. Of course, I did most of the talking, because Jesus is a better listener than I am. But I paused occasionally. A few times I stopped, and we pushed aside our conversation to take in the wild ducks that live all year long at the little lake. Jesus and I sat in silence on a bench as I stared at the murky water and gazed upward at the cloudless sky. In the far distance, I heard a child call another. Although I couldn't see them, cars occasionally whizzed down the nearby street. 

Healing Thyself

While the Church has its part in healings, so does the sick person. For instance, you can take preventative measures -- proper diet, physical conditioning, and quitting smoking. 

Gluttony and laziness are sin, not because they make you ill, but because they undermine your sense of spiritual (and bodily!) proportion about yourself and show a lack of inner discipline. 

If your body is a temple for the Spirit, and is made to be that way by dint of God's creative hand, then it is an insult to God for you to lay waste to it.

Then, there is your devotional life. When you turn your attention to God, and open yourself up ever more to the inner work of the Spirit, it helps in every aspect of your life. Devotional disciplines like daily prayer, quiet time, and journaling help keep you in tune with God and helps you to turn over more of your life to God. 

If your illness is caused by a sin you're still holding onto, as it sometimes is, the disciplines help you find the sin, where its roots are, and how it can be ended. Also, the Spirit might bring you the gift of spiritual healing of yourself -- making you both the healer and the healed.

If this should happen to you, give praise and thanks to the God who made it possible. Let yourself go in the praise of God! It's fun, and it's right!

It's not illness, faith healers, doctors, unusual occurrences, or even the sick person that merits our greatest attention. It is Jesus the Healer who merits it. This remains true even if health is not restored.
http://www.spirithome.com/healings.html