For your freedom was not for self, but that, through love, you would serve others.  Before you were a new creation, you could not even serve as you were designed.  Stay focused on Christ and your mission.  Make no provision for your flesh.  Radically amputate all paths back to those old sins.  Put on the full armor and ready yourself for battle.  Know that He goes before you as a consuming fire!  He has secured the victory.   Refocus your mind to serve through love. 

Reflection

What area are you most prone to give your flesh opportunity to have its way?

How can you make no provision for the flesh in that area? 

In what ways are you leaving a door open to those old sins?

What must you do to radically amputate the sin in your life?

Prayer

Father give us the mind of Christ; focused and ovedient.  Let us serve others through love and leave the opportunities for our flesh behind.  Let us embrace your victories and walk in the good works you have prepared in advance for us to walk in.  Amen!

Read 2 Samuel 11. 

This chapter comes right after some of David’s mighty victories.  There are two things in this story that help us understand the breeding ground of sin.  The first is captured in the opening verse:

“Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.”

~ ‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Did you catch it? At the time when the kings go out to battle David stayed at Jerusalem.  There are times when we are tired, want to give up, and yet there is a mission we are on and a specific vision for our lives. We must not withdraw from that mission, lest we put ourselves at risk of idleness and sin.  Said another way, if our focus wanders from Christ and we stop even for a moment living His mission, and we remove ourselves from active duty, and we have lost the battle already.  We must keep fighting the good fight taking rest in the Lord only along the way.  

By the time we get to verse 4 David has already committed adultery in his heart as well as physically.  The other sad part of this is that the men working with the king willingly participate in helping him carry this out.  It’s not until Nathan challenges him, that he sees the sin that has overtaken him.  Could not any of these men appealed to David’s heart or had David closed his heart to them?

Reflection

So what can we take away?

We must remained focused on the mission with eyes fixed on Christ

We must be connected with others that will hold us accountable and advise us from God’s word.  (Yes this implies we must trust, be humble and vulnerable)

We must also be ready to confess and repent for when we forget these truths.  

Prayer

Father You have searched and known our hearts. For we are capable of much evil.  Help fix our eyes on Jesus and equip us to live out the mission you have for us.  Surround us with godly brothers and sisters in Christ that will speak truth into our hearts even when it hurts and prepare our hearts to receive that truth.  Thank you LORD for Your great love with which You love us through Christ, Amen!

Here we find Him in a teaching moment with the Pharisees. He had been healing the physical ailments of the many and was challenged by them about the disciples lack of cleanliness and washing.  

Jesus reminds them that it is not the external, but the internal that requires cleansing.  How sad it is that we hold fast to the traditions of men as doctrine and deny the very truths He has given us. Especially the truth of the gospel. 

We must realize that all of us do, in some form, do the very same thing.  That born in us, was the sin of Adam and apart from Christ, we are capable of evil thoughts and all the defilements that come with them.  We must not try to overcome this inner darkness, but instead lay them at the cross like the sick were laid in the marketplace, hoping to touch but the fringe of the Savior’s cloak; knowing that He was their only hope. 

For we are all in need of the Father who knows the intentions of our heart. The One that gave us His perfect Son, who by His sacrifice, won the cleansing of our hearts for all eternity.  His provision pierces through bone and marrow to our very souls; clearly displaying our need of Him and His Son’s obedience has brought us life abundantly. 

Praise God that You have been shown the way to Him!  Praise Him for those around you that point you back to Him on a regular basis!

Reflection

I’m so thankful for the people in my life that remind me of my need of Christ and His mission for my life. 

Who in your life is reminding you of your need of Him?

Who is helping hold you accountable to His word and mission (Matt 28:18)?

If the answer is no one, get that resolved!  You need other believers in this life.  

Prayer

Gracious God, we thank You for Your unwavering love that made a way for us in the midst of our darkness. Surround us with Your children to point us to You. Let our eyes be focused and fixed on Jesus, Amen!

This worked well until I was introduced to God’s standard. Suddenly, I was no longer a superstar. Instead, I couldn’t measure up, as hard as I tried. It all came to a head as I listened to the gospel being shared when I was 15yrs old. My world crashed and I realized clearly that I needed Christ so I surrendered my life to Him. 

If our standard goes no further than ourselves, we will falsely think we are good.  We can see a clear picture of our heart,who we are, and our need of Jesus, only when we view ourselves in light of God’s law.  It’s part of His plan for us to see that we come up empty. We must see our need for His wonderful Savior.  Only then can we receive Christ who does measure up and meet every standard.  For His heart is pure and His righteousness is excellent!

Reflection

Who/what standard do you compare yourself to?

If the answer is self or others, your standard isn’t high enough.  God has given us the standard of His law in His word.  

In what ways have you or are you currently trying to measure up to His standard in your own strength?

Can you see that you are left lacking?  Do you see your need for a Savior?

Rejoice out loud for what Christ has done!

Prayer

Father, Your standard is Holy and righteous; perfection at its finest. For though we cannot achieve it, Jesus perfectly satisfied every part by His finished work at the cross.  We rejoice that You have made a way for us to enter into relationship with You!  Moreover, you have made us Your sons and daughters!  We have the Holy Spirit living in us testifying to our adoption!  Our lips will never cease praising You in the name of Christ, Amen!

Read 1 Kinds 11

The temptations that enticed Solomon continue to attack every leader. Once we “arrive,” it becomes easy to stop feeling hungry for growth and excellence. How quickly we become satisfied—and how soon we begin to spiral downward. Note how this process of decay looked for Solomon:

1. Distractions: He deviated from his call to lead and be a light to the nations.
2. Adversaries: God raised up adversaries to steer him back to his priorities and call.
3. Self-absorption: He became consumed with himself rather than his call.
4. Loss of God’s presence: God withdrew His anointing.
5. Pursuit of pleasure: He became even more obsessed with his own pleasure.
6. Emptiness: He finally grew weary of his pursuits and recognized his emptiness.

None of us are exempt from this temptation. We must keep our eyes on Christ and press on to the mission He has for us. We must not get distracted or we may find ourselves in the same place Solomon did. 

Reflection

What things in life distract/tempt you the most?

How do you keep yourself pressing on instead of just growing complacent?

Prayer

Father, we pray that You would fix our eyes on Christ and not let them waver.  Let us not suffer the same fall that Solomon did.  May we keep our mission before us and run the race with diligence that You have marked out for us.  In Jesus’ name

I spent the early part of my life trying to be a good person and convinced myself that I was. I was often called a perfectionist because of my high standard for everything I put my hand to.  It didn’t matter if it was my artwork, my schoolwork, or my self-perceived goodness. 

I excelled far beyond every standard I had been given, until one evening in August of 1989, when I heard about a new standard.  One of absolute perfection; God’s standard of righteousness. Not only could I not meet it, but I had already broken every aspect of it.  

More difficult than my inability to keep the standard, was the consequence of my sin and rather than having to endure that unbearable weight, there was One who took the full weight upon Himself.  For a guy who had shut out the entire world and all of the emotions with it, I was overtaken by grief and gratitude. 

In that moment, the LORD revealed to me:

• My sin
• My need
• My Savior

While faith grows, it is built on those foundational truths that were secured in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.  I am forever grateful for His perfect plan that brought me to a place of worship and understanding by letting me feel the weight of my sin and likewise that burden lifted.  

Reflection

Do you remember understanding the weight of your sin and your need of your Savior for the first time? 

Think back to the moment you grasped the finished work at the cross that has been done for you and just meditate on that for a moment. 

This should not be a once a year activity on Easter.  Instead, make it a point to daily praise God for the wonderful freedom you enjoy through the wonderful finished work of His Son at the cross.  

Prayer

Father, you alone have the power to rescue and lift us from the hopeless graves we have comfortably dwelt in.  Open our eyes to our sin, our need, and our Savior each and every day that we may present our bodies as a living sacrifice to You in Jesus’ name. Amen!

The boat swayed and rocked so much so that you would it looked like people were performing a dance routine in unison as they walked and tried to keep from falling.  I was planning to be strong and take it head on, but my stomach waged an all out strike at the idea.  We made it back to our room and I dove for the bed. I trusted in a good night sleep for the night fully anticipating to be better in the morning

I woke early; ready for my last run on the ship.  I stepped out of bed and quickly realized my bout with the waves was not over.  I tried twice to push through and finally on the third try, I made my way to deck 13 where the running track was.

As I began to run, I noticed some things right off the bat.  First, I started feeling better as soon as I took off.  Scientifically it made sense that if I was running, I was in the air more often and not feeling the ground move beneath my feet.

The day also happened to be incredibly windy.  When I would make my turn I was met with 40mph wind.  While this was a challenge, running also made this section of track pass more quickly.  Had I walked I would have been a mess between the wind and waves.

As I reflected, I realized that sin parallels with sea sickness.  It’s something that is internal and corrupts our ability to perform the most basic of functions.  We must throw it off and run.  When our eyes are fixed on Christ, and our feet are running, we can stay steady even when the “ship is rocking”.  When the wind blasts in our face, we will still make progress for the kingdom of God if we press on.

Reflection

What things are most likely to rock your boat?

What’s holding you back from the decision to run?

Make your mind up to run the race He has set before you, even when you’re not feeling it!

Prayer

Gracious Father, you have instructed us to run with good reason. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus and run steady in the storms while we carry out the ministry of reconciliation.  Thank you for your life lessons in everything.  We love You and lift these in Jesus’ name!

 God’s plan for you is victory; however, It must be accomplished His way and He requires your surrender. It begins with your motivation. Is your motivation born out of a love for Him and for His glory? Or perhaps is it for you to not have to feel the guilt and shame any longer? 

Reflection

Read Galatians 5:1-14 and take an honest look at yourself today. Adjust your motivation.. Spend time in His word today. Let Him reveal to you the depths of what He has done….Love Him for His glory and you will be on the path to victory…
Prayer

Father, teach us to long for and love you. Help us to see your love for us and let that stir our desire to glorify you.  We know that victory follows surrender.  Remove any pride in us and let us live in Your victory, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

I’m not against work or giving it everything I have. In fact I have believed for a long time that I could accomplish anything I put my mind and hands to.  This was my coping mechanism for  the rest of my life’s problems and my solution to all of them.  I was in fact a workaholic.  My answer to everything was to work harder.  I would watch Rocky intentionally so I could press on with what I was facing.  After that shot in the arm, I could go back in the trenches and hit it again.  But it always wore off. 

This method seemed to work most days, but not all.  When I was made aware that I had sinned against God, it’s no surprise that my first reaction was to try harder, but Even Rocky couldn’t solve this one. When it happened again, I turned my focus up another notch, and another and yet had the same result.  I had to figure out how to up my game in this battle.  

Eventually, after wearing myself, my mind, and my ego to the point of surrender, I was able to comprehend God’s provision for me through Jesus.  It was His finished work at the cross that rescued me.  My work was not enough. It was not possible in my own strength to fix my sin problem.  When I came to terms with that truth, not only was there an answer to my sin problem, there was a new relationship in my life that brought freedom.  

It’s amazing to me how much time I wasted because I had no understanding the first 3 words of this verse.  

“For with God, nothing shall be impossible” ~ Luke 1:37. 

 I had the second half down but it’s no longer truth when you drop the first part.   Don’t waste your time as I did.  Let go of the “I am the solution” mindset for a moment and see what God has done for you.  Invite Him to be your Lord today and you too will have the victory and freedom you desire.  Those three words change everything!

#truthtalk4life #knowlivespeaktruthinlove

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@brianfriedl

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:14-15‬ ‭NASB‬‬‬‬

Have you ever wondered why God would not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able and why He would provide a way of escape ?  The last part of the verse is clear, “…so you will be able to endure it”. God wants you to succeed! He gives you an option to make the right choice just as Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife.  David had an option to stop looking at Bathsheeba, but chose to ignore that option and continued to gaze.  

This brings me to a couple of quick observations:

1) If we are not allowed to be tempted beyond what we are able, it means we have everything we need to be an overcomes at the time we are tempted.  Did you catch that? I believe this is because what we have in Christ is more satisfying that anything temptation can offer. God is patiently walking with us as this knowledge becomes wisdom.  When we truly believe this we are able to endure in Christ. 

2)  The process of temptation and enduring/falling proves to be a training ground showing us that We already have the Perfect Gift…Jesus Christ who is all we need. We know this to be true, now we must live it as truth for it to equip us to speak it as truth to others. 

3) We must not become distracted by our performance or lack thereof or we will miss the lesson. We must continue to focus on learning that we are completed and fulfilled in Christ; fully satisfied. 

Personal Reflection

What’s your first reaction when you are tempted? Fear of failing?  Trying to entertain the temptation while trying to “stay strong”? Over confidence?

What if you truly believed that all your needs are satisfied in Christ so much so that the minute temptation hit, you remembered that truth and began looking for the way of escape?  You would endure!

Take some time right now, grab a pen and paper and list out all the ways you have learned in scripture that Jesus satisfies your needs.   Keep this list in your Bible, review it daily and add to it every time you learn of another one.  When temptation comes you will see whatever it is as the counterfeit it is and fully relying on the truth. U

Prayer Focus

Father of lights You have given us every good thing and perfect gift. You have given us your Son Christ!  For Him and all He has done we praise you!  Solidify Your truth in our minds. Let us be fully content in Jesus and His finished work at the Cross. Thank you for not allowing us to be tempted beyond what we are able and for the way of escape.  May we learn swiftly and glorify You in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

#truthtalk4life

@brianfriedl