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Lies and Deception!

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  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1, NIV Lies and Deception The enemy’s scheme of lies and deception goes way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in the perfect garden with everything they needed. They had conversations with God every day. There was no sickness, no strife, no heartache, no worries. There was one tree out of thousands that God told them they must not eat the fruit from. No big deal. But along comes the enemy, who purposed to deceive Eve into focusing on the one thing she didn’t have, while overlooking all the great things she did have. He got her to question what God said, why He said it, and why God was withholding what would make them like Him. Rather than dismissing it, Eve started dwelling on subtle lies and soon gave way to disobeying God, with all its tragic consequences. It’s the same today. The e...
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The Prrspective: Christ Formed In You!

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  The Perspective: Christ Formed In You Scripture: Romans 14:17 “ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ” (NIV) The kingdom of God is inside us. It is the person of Jesus Christ. Attributes include righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Eating and drinking are “external factors”—perishing activities that feed a perishing physical body. They are among the things we can see. The internal workings of the Spirit are eternal, unseen except as they are reflected in our behavior. These attributes are part of the divine character God wants to work out in us. Paul prayed, “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ” (Romans 15:13, NIV) This “overflowing” is God working in us in response to our placing our trust and faith in him. By the power of the Spirit we can overflow with hope. Our circumstances ar...
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Revelations 2:1-11!

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  May 17 Introduction Revelation 2:1–11: In this chapter, we read letters that were written to the church communities in Ephesus and Smyrna. These messages include words of encouragement and admonition. Today’s Key Verse: Revelation 2:7b GNT “To those who win the victory, I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God.” Read 2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: “This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands.  2  I know what you have done; I know how hard you have worked and how patient you have been. I know that you cannot tolerate evil people and that you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and have found out that they are liars.  3  You are patient, you have suffered for my sake, and you have not given up.  4  But this is what I have against you: you do not love me now as you did at first. ...
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The Power: Christ Formed In You!

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  The Power: Christ Formed In You Scripture: Ephesians 5:18 “ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ” (NIV) We have a choice to make. Who is going to control how we think, feel, and act? Christ or the old self? We have seen that the Spirit of God gives us the power to walk in the newness of life since we are raised with Christ from the dead. We have seen how the Spirit works in the life of the believer to transform us from the inside out. “ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ” (Galatians 5:16, NIV) If the Spirit controls us we will overcome the power of sin in our life. “ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. ” (Romans 8:13, NIV) Both of these verses say we have the power of choice here. What will it be? It is up to us. As a child I was taken to an amusement park from time to time. Usually, we...
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Revelation 2:1-20

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  May 16 Introduction Revelation 1:1–20: The book of Revelation was written during a time when Christians were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Through John, the Holy Spirit was giving the early church the hope and encouragement needed to remain faithful during times of suffering and persecution. The book of Revelation belongs to the literary genre called “apocalyptic literature.” Apocalyptic writings seek to reveal the secrets of heaven and describe the conclusion of human history. In today’s reading, the writer tells how he received a message from an angel sent by Christ and describes his vision of the risen Christ. Today’s Key Verse: Revelation 1:8 GNT “I am the first and the last,” says the Lord God Almighty, who is, who was, and who is to come. Read 1 This book is the record of the events that Jesus Christ revealed. God gave him this revelation in order to show to his servants what must happen very soon. Christ made these things known to his serva...
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Serving the Kingdom!

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  Serving the Kingdom Scripture: Isaiah 58:10–11, NIV “… And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ” Living a fulfilled life is the desire of every living being. Many of us attempt to find life in the wrong way in the wrong places, and in following the wrong pursuits. The best antidote for fighting depression, anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions that can cripple us is to discover what we have been designed for, and to use ourselves in conformance to our design. In some way we want to help meet the needs of other people, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We have been designed for eternity. God has a purpose for us, and we need to dis...
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Set Free!

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  “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3:25, NKJV Set Free Three Hebrew teenagers had their hands and feet bound firmly with ropes and then were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol. This seemed like an impossible situation for survival. But in that furnace, the only thing that burned were the cords that held them bound. God was showing us that there’s no bondage the enemy puts on you that He can’t break. There’s no addiction, no depression, no sickness that He can’t free you from. Yes, there will be opposition. The enemy will try to bind and restrict in any way he can. Sometimes the medical report is not good, or your child is off course, or the addiction seems permanent. Those cords are only temporary. Your time of release is coming. God wants us to see Him not just as a God who protects, but as a God who frees ...
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