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RECIPES FOR CHANGE - MAKING COMMITMENTS THAT LAST
When we find ourselves in ways of thinking, feeling or
behaving that loop us into cycles of destruction, we
realize it is time to change. But even if we know we
are caught in the negative patterns, we rarely make the
efforts to change until we have just completed another
cycle and are facing the whole field and see the harvest
for what it is: We are reaping what we have sown.
The laws of reaping is true in every area of our lives,
whether it be physical in taking care of the temples God
gave us to live in... Or in our souls, and the nature
of how we think, how we feel, and what we believe... Or
in our relationships, and how we give and receive words
to either build up or tear down... Or in our faith and
how we choose to obey God and resist sin, or instead
rebel and reap destruction by opening demonic doors of
plunder... Or in our money whether we choose discipline
or emotional spending... or in how we raise our
children, with either integrity or compromise. The list
goes on.
I have found that within the campaign to change there
are also cycles within change. It starts with facing an
unpleasant and full grown field of choices. That moves
to self realization that it was our choices that created
what we see. And if we are responding appropriately, it
brings us to repentance before the Lord and a decision
to change directions and make difference choices.
Further fueled with brokenness, prayer, and God’s Words,
we move into a new place and begin again in hopes of
changing what did not work.
However without the depth of understanding at phase one
of truly believing that we do reap what we sow, we lie
to ourselves or compromise the truth and end up in a
cycle of wanting to change, but losing momentum, drive,
and commitment to follow through the long haul. God
does forgive us and grant us mercy. But forgiveness
does not change the nature of our seeds that we planted
or the harvest we reap. God is not mocked, what we do
plant, we do reap.
MIRRORS FOR OUR CHOICES
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Bodies:
Appetites for pleasure and comfort
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Are
you practicing temperance, self discipline which
is a fruit of His Spirit?
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Are
you making choices to build health through diet,
exercise and rest?
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Are
you crossing God’s boundaries of sin through
covet, lust, greed, adultery, fornication,
drugs, pornography?
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Are
you seeking the Holy Spirit for comfort or has
something displaced His place with an idol?
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Souls:
The drive for peace, joy and abundance
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Are
your choices in media/ entertainment planting
peace, joy and abundance to your soul?
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Are
you spending time in prayer?
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Are
you spending time in worship and His Presence?
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Are
your choices for fellowship edifying?
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Money:
The power to accumulate
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How
much of your life is spent accumulating?
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Does
a bigger barn satisfy the cravings of your soul?
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Check
your heart for greed, covet and idols.
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Spirits:
Our faith and lining up with who God says we are
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Do
you read and listen to God’s Word every day?
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Do
you pray with understanding and then also pray
in tongues?
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Do
you worship Him in Spirit and truth?
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Do
you seek to please Him?
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Do
you guard your heart and your faith?
TIPS IN MAKING CHANGES THAT LAST
Changes that last are what is born from faith, hope
and love.
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Faith:
What does God’s Word say about your need to change?
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Are
your choices sin?
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Are
your choices edifying and helping build an
abundant life?
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Make
a choice to list the scriptures that directly
deal with your area of need.
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Do
you truly believe that sin reaps destruction?
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Do
you really believe that your choices produce a
harvest?
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Hope:
What has God provided to help you change?
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Answers to prayer
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Daily
grace as you lean on Him
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People, services, understanding
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Negative reinforcement – seeing what you are
reaping is often the exact reinforcement we need
to turn the other direction with righteous
choices.
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Fellowship with His Word
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The
ability to see the multiplied harvest of what we
daily plant
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Love: Do
you love God more than your excuse for your wrong
choices?
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Where
do you spend your time?
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Listen to what you say, out of your heart the
mouth speaks and where your treasure is, your
heart is also.
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What
is your passion?
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How
bad do you want to change?
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God
loves us so much that He will open our blind
eyes and give us a mirror to see ourselves and
how the choices we make are stealing our
abundance.
We need to see the end harvest with every choice we
make.
PRAYER: Lord grant us eyes to see the final
harvest for the daily choices we make. Let the
understanding and truth of that harvest propel us to
make decisions that refuse evil seeds and run after good
ones. Above all Lord, let us be people of Your faith,
hope and especially love. In Jesus Name.
James 1:21-24 NKJV
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of
the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his
natural face in a mirror ; 24 for he observes himself,
goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he
was.
Rev 2:5-6 NKJV
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent
and do the first works, or else I will come to you
quickly and remove your lampstand from its place —
unless you repent.
Gal 6:7-9 NKJV
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked ; for whatever
a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to
his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who
sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting
life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for
in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
1 Cor 13:13 NLT
There are three things that will endure — faith,
hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love.
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WORD O’ GRAM : CHANGE ME
Commitment to switch directions
Having fortitude to transform
Altering my direction for good
Needing reform and conversion
Growing past what does not work
Expecting a multiplied harvest
Making good decisions
Every day. Amen.
Because they do not change, therefore they do not
fear God. Ps 55:19 NKJV |
