Sin & Compromise VS Purity & Holiness

"But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold." Psalm 73:2 NIV

"When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me." Psalm 94:18 NIV

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. Psalms 73:26-28

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

The battle is raging strong between the spirit and the flesh. Can't eat! Can't sleep! Battle of the mind, heart, and spirit is raging stronger and stronger every day. Can't think straight. Find myself quickly being drawn out by the current. Losing my foothold. Can no longer focus on what is around me. Blinded by this circumstance that has come into my life. Feel smothered. Yet, not realizing what is happening to my very soul. Extremely emotional and confused. Then when on face book today Bro. Elder David Doran's Post seemed to jump off the screen at me:

When sin & compromise enter the yard of your home...you are losing ground -

When sin & compromise get on the front porch of your house you are in big trouble -

When sin & compromise enter your house, purity and holiness leave -

You can't have purity & holiness and sin & compromise at the same time, they cancel each other out. Make a choice 4 God!

Have I sinned?

"But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold."

In these last days Satan is going to come at us any way he can to destroy us. He will even use the ones we love.

I know I have quoted this scripture quite often but it is imperative that I do so again: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

I am so thankful that "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."Psalm 23:3

Say What?

Caleb and I were sitting in my rocker/recliner yesterday reading together when out of the blue he stops and turns to me and says; "You know grandma, I know that what I did yesterday was wrong. I know I'm not suppose to mimic the teacher. But she was wrong too." I asked him how she was wrong and his reply was: "She didn't fill the send home note out right. She wrote down that I talked back and I didn't. She should have put down that I mimicked her. She didn't do her job right and she's a teacher. She doesn't know the difference between talking back and mimicking. If I'm gonna be in trouble then put down what I did that was wrong."

Yep, he was dead serious. He admitted what he did was wrong and he will take the punishment for that, but don't accuse him of of doing something he didn't do. Nope he just won't accept it. LOL!!! This kid is just WAY to serious sometimes.

I had to explain to him that it was just a simple mistake and that I talked to his Principal (who wasn't even aware that there was a problem) and that everything is ok. So, now we can forget about it and move on.

P.S. The principal did get a laugh out of that one. :) Only Caleb!

What Will He Say Next?

Caleb came home with a note from his teacher today saying that he was talking back to the yard duty teacher at lunch recess. Caleb told me "I wasn't talking back grandma. I was mimicking her as she walked away. They don't know the difference between talking back and mimicking and they are suppose to be teachers."

Dear Lord help me I almost lost it. It was everything in my power not to laugh out loud and keep a straight face. I thought I was going to bust a gut. Was it funny that he mimicked a teacher? Absolutely Not!!! You just have to know Caleb. He was so serious about them not knowing the difference between talking back and mimicking. It was hard to control myself as I counseled him on that one. - F Y I young man - Talking back or MIMICKING your teachers is NOT allowed. LOL!!!

What's On The Inside?

"When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes
out - because that's what's inside. When you are
squeezed, what comes out is what is inside."
— Wayne Dyer

Sooooo......Have you ever felt that you have truly forgiven someone of a hurt that they have caused you? Then one day, Bam! Out of the blue, something happens and that old wound is opened up and you begin to feel the pain all over again? Old emotions start rising up within you and before you know it, you are reliving the hurt and agony of the situation all over again? All of a sudden you discover that there is a root of bitterness still lurking within you. You are shocked to discover that it is there and you ask yourself, Where did that come from? This cannot be! For bitterness to live within, one cannot move forward.

Once again you find yourself playing the game of Spiritual Wac-A-Mole! That ugly thing called bitterness has risen it's ugly head and you must get the Spiritual hammer and beat it back down. It must be destroyed before it destroys you. Bitterness and the very root of it MUST die lest it choke the very life out of you.

We have sung the following song as a child:

O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little mouth what you say

I would like to add:

O be careful little mind what you think

O be careful little heart what you feel
O be careful little heart what you feel
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
O be careful little heart what you feel

It is said that each of us has an inner sense of what is right, or fair, or just. When that is violated a natural result is to react, to right the wrongs and correct the injustices or to become bitter. When one becomes offended or disappointed by others and allows the hurt to germinate in the heart, bitterness and resentment will take root. This is characterized by an unforgiving spirit and generally results in a negative critical attitude which is sinful and self-defeating. Such bitterness when allowed to fester, will destroy and kill.

We must recognize and identify the bitterness when we see it in our lives. We must confess and repent. Then we need to renew our mind. Forgive and depend on the Spirit of God for strength and depend on his love towards us.

"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." Isaiah 38:17

Dear God, Cleanse me thoroughly. Remove every inch of bitterness. Leave not even one spec of a root that can cause bitterness to rise its ugly head again. I want nothing but the fruit of your spirit to manifest in my life.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

When the pressure is on and I feel the squeeze, what comes out can not be bitterness but it must be the fruit of your spirit only.

Concentrate On These Statements

To get something in God you've never had, you have to do something you've never done.

To grow deeper in Him, you have to go out into deeper waters.

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands for you to receive something better.

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.