righteousness – Brian Friedl

A Love That Leads

Brian — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 12:59:50 +0000

Have you ever thought about loving God as a commandment? When someone commands us to do something , sometimes there is something inside of us(our flesh) that causes us to want to say “No!”. We feel that our rights and freedoms have been infringed upon.

What if that commandment is born out of love? It may or may not inspire us to obey As a parent there are times where I’ve had to give commands for the benefit of my children though they may not see it that way.

His commandments are the ultimate framework for the best life in relationships with God and man. He commands us to love Him and others because He knows that’s what will glorify Him, bring us joy, and draw others to Himself.

In light of all He has done, I willingly choose to obey this commandment. For I owe everything to Him. But there is even more love at work. For as hard as I try I cannot keep the commandments perfectly and they clearly point out my shortcomings.

Our Father in heaven has already made provision for this. With a love so great, While we had broken His commands, He rescued us through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. This kind of love leads us to new places of worship, loving Him, and loving others. This kind of love leads us to righteousness. Not our righteousness in our own strength, but Christ’s righteous imputed to us by faith.

#truthtalk4life #knowlivespeaktruthinlove

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@brianfriedl
Note: All Bible quotes are taken from the New American Standard Bible offered by youversion.com unless otherwise stated.

A Heart Of Obedience

Brian — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 12:20:28 +0000

There is a stinging truth that our pride often prevents us from seeing the depths of wickedness in our hearts. We make light of our sin and the sacrifice that was made to atone for it. We think of ourselves more highly than we ought.
Sometimes we even intentionally sin ignoring the magnitude of the Lord’s sacrifice reducing the cross to an unlimited get out of jail free card. It is true that where sin abounds grace abounds all the more; however, Paul said in Romans:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be…” ~ Romans 6:1-2a NASB

God sees our heart for what it is and longs for it to be pure like His. He desires our heart to overflow with righteousness and justice out of a love and devotion for Him. Our hearts were designed to love and worship Him!

What sin in your life continues to promise life but keeps delivering death?

Confess that sin before God today, turn from to Your Father in heaven, and know that what He has provided in Christ is all you need.

Pray today that the minds of our brothers and sisters as well as ours would be rightly fixed on Jesus Christ, that we would humbly see our hearts as they truly are, and that we would realize our desperate need for Him. For He is our love, He is our justice, and He is our righteousness.
@brianfriedl

#truthtalk4life

Praise Marathon

Brian — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 13:21:09 +0000

We must never forget that our access to the Father was initiated and secured by His love through His Son, Jesus Christ. As we walk and experience His blessing, it’s not long before we are tempted to think we are “doing a good job” and soon after we go back to trying to carry out righteousness in our own strength.

The Psalmist humbly and rightly understands that His access was granted to Him by the LORD’s lovingkindness and thereby bows in reverence.

Personal Reflection

When was the last time you went on a praise marathon? Maybe never? What I mean by that is focusing on what to praise God for and praising him every time you remember throughout the day. You could even set up a reminder on your smartphone, calendar or have someone call you every hour to remind you. This day will be a day of praise!

Try this for one day and post the results in the comments. Can’t wait to hear what you praised Him for and any ways God has affected you through this.

Prayer Focus

Gracious Father, you are the victor over all darkness. By Your great love our debt has been paid through Your Son Christ and You have made us Your children for all eternity. Our lips could never praise You enough. Fix our eyes and teach our hearts to bow and revere You as you deserve. Let us never forget the victory You have won in our hearts for Your glory. We praise You in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

#truthtalk4life

@brianfriedl

Powerful Grace

Brian — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:17:16 +0000

God’s grace is nothing short of amazing just as the great hymn proclaims. It rescues us from inborn death and willful disobedience. God, has given us the promise that if we walk in the light as He is in the light, the blood of Jesus not only justifies, but cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Grace is not just a reset button for our lives. It is an ongoing powerful change agent reminding us of God’s love for us. It strengthens our heart, is part of God’s gifting a to us, and is unleashed by faith. It holds arms with truth and our Savior was found full of both. True grace increases our desire for righteousness spurred on by our love for the One who has given it to us.

Personal Reflection

In a world with disregard for God and seemingly increasing wickedness, it’s tempting to run only to truth and point out the sin and error all around us. Yet we are administers of grace also. Think of some times you’ve been given grace.

How did it change you?

Who do you know that needs grace today?

In what ways can you give them grace?

What impact might that have on their walk with God and others?

Prayer Focus

Gracious Father, thank you that your grace never ends and that it instructs us as we are being conformed to the image of Christ. Your plan is perfect and your grace is sufficient. May we be like Christ, full of grace and truth, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Abstain To Expose

Brian — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 11:05:49 +0000

As Christians and children of light, we are to walk in the light bearing the fruit of goodness, light, and truth. When we see “even expose them” we might be prone to think that we have to run to dark places and call them out and sometimes that may be the case, but think about how light works for a moment. It exposes darkness because it is being light, not because it is drawing attention to darkness. Wherever there is light darkness is exposed. Be the light as God intended.

Exposing darkness can be as simple as not choosing to participate in something. I remember while I was in college, a group my friends would go to a grill your own steak place whenever one of us had a birthday. Most of us had been friends since kindergarten and we enjoyed sharing tons of memories together. After supper; however some of them decided they were going to go an adult club. Myself and another friend abstained from participating. This created some tension and peer pressure but also gave opportunity to speak to the value of women in God’s eyes even without saying a word. Exposing darkness can happen with a small flashlight; it doesn’t always need a flood lamp or lighthouse.

Personal Reflection

What opportunities has God given you to walk as a child of light? Are there things you can shine light on or abstain from to expose darkness? Pray that God would give you eyes to see.

Prayer Focus

Holy Father, we thank you that you have made us your children of the light. May we shine your glory for all to see. My darkness dwindle and may your righteousness, goodness and truth reign now and forevermore, Amen!

#shinegodslight #childrenofthelight #truthtalk4life

@brianfriedl

Freedom To Rest While You’re Standing

Brian — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 11:35:57 +0000

The LORD God has planned the greatest rescue of all times for a self-imprisoned people. Israel continued to turn its back on their God and and a result found themselves in chains of slavery on more than one occasion.

We often find ourselves in the same place but as Gentiles in modern times. There are three actions of God mentioned that are paralleled in what Christ has done for us:

He brought them out of the land of Egypt so that they would not be slaves. In the same way Christ through His finished work at the cross has freed us. We are no longer slaves to sin
He broke the bars of their yoke. In Christ we no longer need to toil but we can rest in his power.
He made them walk erect or upright. This is reminds me of righteousness. For under the law we cannot stand. We find ourselves burdened and a sinner, yet as a believer, Christ is our righteousness. We can stand and walk with Him in the light. For He cleanses us from all unrighteousness with His blood.

Personal Reflection

What is your Egypt? What prevailing sin do you need to leave behind? It has been there so long it has become comfortable and there are days you long to go back to it, forgetting that God has set in front of you the promised land. Confess to Him today and rejoice in His rescue. Walk in the light and let His blood cleanses you today!

Prayer Focus

Father we confess to you that we sometimes long for the sins of our past believing in our minds that was somehow better. Let your truth squash that lie and may out affections be set on you alone. Draw us into a deeper place of worship and joy today in the Name of Jesus, Amen!

Passing On The Passion

Brian — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 12:18:55 +0000

One of the greatest ways to serve and impact your family is for you to be righteous and walk in integrity. So what does that look like? If Christ is our righteousness, we might say it this way, “honestly walking in Christ” or perhaps “living the truth”. When our whole hearts sincerely pursue Jesus with an honest and genuine faith our life is transformed and the lives of those around us because the Word is living through us.

I want my children to have that kind of life. I don’t want to try to just show them a good example. I want them to have a heart that longs for Christ and to do His will. They best way I can encourage that is to live that myself. Our children will see how we react when we fail and our faith, hope and love through all of it.

Personal Reflection

How’s your walk with Christ? Is He your righteousness? Are you walking uprightly with Him? Are you trying to show your kids the right behaviors or is your focus living for Christ? Ask the Lord to make you a person of integrity in Him

Prayer Focus

Gracious Father, we thank you for your Son Jesus and His obedience and finished work at the cross. We praise you that He is our righteousness. Help us to walk in that truth with integrity. Let us not only say but do your Word to your glory. Let our focus be Jesus rather than behavior. Give us a real passion for you. May our children see that and catch the passion. We pray all of these things in the power of Jesus’ Name, Amen!

@brianfriedl

#parentingwithpassion #truthtalk4life #lovejesus

Does Your Outside Match Your Inside?

Brian — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 12:39:49 +0000

There is nothing new under the sun. This proverb is timeless for sure! From the beginning it was intended that God would be the ultimate desire of our hearts. We were designed to delight in His law, precepts, and statutes.

Take a close look at verse 3. Sacrifice is an outward expression of an inward obedience. The challenge is that we can sacrifice or do something on the outside with no real desire for God or obedience behind it. Hence the need to our weigh hearts. He knows every thought and motive contained therein. What a mighty God we serve!

Personal Reflection

Let’s face it sometimes we get distracted and just go through the motions of trying to be good or maybe we don’t think about our relationship with God at all. If you’re in that place today, wake up and make time for God today. Confess to Him that you have neglected your relationship. Make a plan to be in His Word. Invite someone else to study with you so you are more likely to stick with it. Get serious about your relationship. Choose for Him to be the 1st desire of your heart.

Prayer Focus

Heavenly Father, distraction by things in this life seem to be one of our biggest enemies. Help us to invest in our relationship with you. Make our hearts desire you above all else. Give us discipline to be in your Word that we may know you and walk with you everyday; always; in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

@brianfriedl

#pureheart #desireGod #truthtalk4life

Restore My Heart

Brian — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:59:24 +0000

Jeremiah tells us that the heart is deceitful above all else and is desperately sick. We cannot fool the LORD. He sees right to our core and tests us according to absolute truth and fact.

What hope is there then if we are desperately sick at the heart of our being? Our hope lies in the great physician; the one who handcrafted every cell in our body; the only one who has the power to restore to perfection through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Without Him we would have been left in a helpless state. Instead God’s desire for us to be with Him has trumped our inability to do what is right. He has rescued us with the blood of Christ and we are now righteous in His eyes.

Personal Reflection

What sin are you hiding from others? Know that it is not hidden from God. Confess it and walk in the light as he is in the light and experience true freedom today. Let Him cleanse and purify your heart.

Prayer Focus

Father God, we confess that we have harbored sin against you and you alone. We have been deceived and thought we needed something more than your provision. Please forgive us and lead us into the light of your love and righteousness. Thank you for your son Jesus and His powerful victory at the cross. In His name we pray, Amen.

@brianfriedl

#restoration #righteousness #love #truthtalk4life #knowlivespeaktruthinlove