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STEPPING STONE #12
FALLING DOWN
Welcome back to ...
THE PATH
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Psalms 33:20
Our soul waiteth for the LORD: He is our help and our shield. |
The best investments
are ones that are long term.
I trust you're taking one step each day to gain the most success of
your program.
Good to have ya back ... I missed ya.
Did you say 'Hi' to the Holy Spirit today? He is
waiting.
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P roverbs
27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
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You may not like the things that a true friend tells
you even though they may be for your own good. But that’s what makes
them a true friend, isn’t it?
I just wanted to remind you of this Proverb that I
shared with you back at the GARDEN GATE because the things that I have
to share with you today may seem a bit abrasive. But you have to
admit, warning is a good thing. If you knew there was a camouflaged
ditch in the road that your friend was about to walk down, you’d warn
them about it, wouldn’t you?
As your friend, I caution you ...
You ARE gonna fall down ...
EVERYONE DOES
The devil sees every instance as an opportunity to
attack. His evil offerings will not appear to be bad, but he’ll
package them with ribbons and bows and make them look like a gift
instead of a curse. He is dressed in a tuxedo, not a red suit with a
forked tail, a pitchfork in his hand, and horns on his head. His
intent is to disguise evil. He’ll try to make you think he and/or his
ideas are romantic, fun, intelligent, captivating … honorable even. Be
alert. Be careful how you walk. Be alert. Walk in the guidance of the
Holy Spirit. Do not be deceived. He does not sleep. He will use
whatever means that he can to lure you into his deceit: television
shows, commercials, movies, books, magazines, billboards, food
packaging, newspapers, mail, clothing, dreams, music, thoughts, even
Christian holiday gimmicks such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
You name it, his purpose is to win your soul away from God, ANY
way he can.
He’s depending on the chance that his repeated
attempts will make you give up the fight for righteousness.
BEAT THE DEVIL AT HIS OWN GAME
How do you do that? By reverse psychology. He’s
depending on your weakness, so he’s going to aim for that. Guess how
you send his arrows crashing to the ground ... By planting this good
seed:
The last thing the devil is expecting is that Jesus
will become stronger in you because of his games. So, use it to your
advantage. Lean on Jesus when the arrows are flying. Don’t let
temptation become stronger than the presence of the Lord at any time.
Do whatever you have to do to get rid of it. An even better thing to
do is avoid it in the first place.
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Proverbs 26:11
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth
to his folly.
Don’t walk down roads where you know there are
ditches.
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Ephesians 6:11-18
Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the trickery
of the devil. We don’t fight against man, but against evil. Stand, protected with TRUTH, wearing the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shoed with the Gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God. Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, and protect your fellow believers.
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We’ve
talked a great deal about trial and tribulation all along THE PATH and
you’ve learned many different ways to fight the good fight. But what
happens once you fall?
The answer is simple.
GET UP!
You’re not suddenly a failure because you fell.
You’re not banned from being a Christian. You’re not bad. You’re not
different. You’re not hopeless. You’re not stupid.
(But you do look a little silly if you lie there in
pools of self pity.)
It’s all up to you. God gives you the choice to make
decisions. As long as you feel sorry for yourself the devil is
winning.
When the devil shoots
his arrow at you, put up your shield of TRUTH! It’s never too late to
begin again.
Many attempts repeated, complete any undertaking!
Every day is a new day . . . a fresh start. Every
moment is a new moment. No matter what, you aren’t a hopeless cause.
Read the New Testament. Get to know the character of Jesus' apostles
at the beginning of their walk with Christ. They were not all full of
virtue from the beginning. It took time. It took faith. Some of the
un-virtues they possessed were doubt, fear, pride, jealousy . . . The
Apostle Paul even described himself this way:
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1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief.
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Peter, the rock upon whom Jesus built His church,
had so much cowardice that he denied emphatically to some girls at a
campfire that he had ever even known Jesus.
Yet, these were His Apostles. Jesus knew that they
would need and depend on the Holy Spirit after He left. Don't you let
the enemy make you believe that Jesus can’t change YOUR life.
It seems impossible? Remember this about miracles,
if you're not asking for something that seems impossible … you're not
asking for enough. God wants you to depend on Him to make it possible.
You can’t possibly do it alone.
You may think that you have done some unforgivable
things in your life and there’s no way you could ever make up for
them, but that is exactly the reason why our Lord died for us. THAT IS
THE GRACE OF GOD. There is one string attached … you have to be
genuinely sorry for what you did.
Your sins cannot outdo God’s grace, neither in
frequency or intensity.
An extremely cool thing just happened. As you
started reading that last paragraph, your mind went into it’s computer
mode. Searching … searching … File found! And it opened up what you
stored in there about God’s Grace. It didn’t like the word
“unforgivable” because you weeded that out already, and it started
reinforcing the TRUTH right away. Then as you read the second sentence
and the third and the fourth, well, you could practically quote it
word for word! Now that’s cool!
~It’s working~
J
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Ephesians 2:8
For by Grace are ye saved through
faith; not of your own doing: it is the gift
of God.
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Grab the Grace, forgive yourself, get up, and
continue to fight … to the finish!
What if David never forgave himself for killing
Uriah? What if Peter never forgave himself for denying the Lord three
times? What if Paul never forgave himself for persecuting Christians
before his calling? What if Thomas never forgave himself for doubting?
What if they just gave up?
All of these people have a great impact on
Christianity because they fell down, they repented, they accepted
God’s GRACE, forgave themselves, and then THEY GOT BACK UP and
persisted in the cause. They did it for God, they did it for
themselves, and they did it for US! They’re our heroes. Just think of
the wonderful teachings we could have had from Judas, had he just
forgiven himself.
You can read more about this at:
We are the Lord’s new disciples. We are the
believers … The saints of this generation.
We fall down, we get up!
CHECK OUT THE SONG
ON THE C-O-O-L CD PLAYER
WE FALL DOWN
Most every spiritual giant in the Bible, faced trial
and tribulation. Our Lord Himself was tempted by the devil. It happens
to the very best, so expect it to happen to you.
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Mark 13:22
For false Christs and false
prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to
seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. |
But I urge you to take the advice of the Apostle
Peter:
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1 Peter 4:12-13
Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some
strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. |
Trials and tribulations will come, make no mistake.
It’s the attitude in which you choose to deal with them, that makes
all the difference in the world.
If you’re working in your garden, and a mosquito
comes along pestering, shoo it away. If you get a thorn, pull it out.
If you get dirt on your face, brush it off. If you fall down, GET
UP and carry on!
Abrasive? No ...
TRUTH!
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Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
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STEP TWELVE
Good work today my friend. Lay down that twelfth STEPPING STONE
and just look at that beautiful path winding through your
garden! You can see the new seeds you’ve planted are starting to
grow, and you’re doing a fine job keeping all the weedlings out.
Next time we meet on THE PATH, I’ll be sending you on a little
excursion, but for now, it’s time to take a rest and let the
light of TRUTH shine in your heart for a while.
Make sure you talk with the
Comforter (Holy Spirit)
today.
He is a gentleman and awaits
the invitation.
Continuing in EACH step daily
is so very important.
Go back over each step often to
be sure you have not missed anything.
MAKE SURE YOU JOT DOWN A LIL SOMETHING IN YOUR
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Tomorrow, return to the main page and select:
STEPPING STONE #13
And I’ll meet you there!
Take care and have a SON-sational day.
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If you’re
under the care of a doctor, or if you’re taking prescription
medication for any reason, DO NOT discontinue it unless you have
orders from your doctor. |
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