101 FAITH NOTES

Scriptures and Meditations on God’s Promises

Written by Pauline Creeden

Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved by the author – Pauline Creeden

email the author at pcreedenbooks@gmail.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the author.

Churches and other non-commercial interests my reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of the author, provided that the text does not exceed ten percent of the entire book.  When reproducing text from this book, please include the following credit line:  “From 101 FAITH NOTES by Pauline Creeden.”

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE Copyright ©1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman foundation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.  Used by Permission.

About the Author:  Pauline Creeden is an avid reader, reviewer, and writer. When she is not training horses and riders for the show ring, she reviews for Thomas Nelson Publishers, Amazon.com, Tyndale, Zondervan, and many others.  Her articles have been published in Christian Magazines, and on her blogs.  The quotes throughout this text are portions of those articles.

Acknowledgements and Note from the Author: Thank you to my husband for his continued support and love for me.  I have to thank my friends at Christian Writers and CIAindie, without your encouragement and advice, this book would never have been published.  Finally, thank you reader for taking the time to pick up this book.  It is my hope that you will be blessed with a deeper understanding and relationship with your Jesus.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

1. One of the common misconceptions about Christians is that once you’ve been covered by Christ, you no longer sin or make bad decisions.  But that’s not true.  The difference is that when we fall down into the pit of sin, we don’t stay there. Christians get up and get going again.

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2. For though the righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity (Proverbs 24:16)

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3. No matter how far away from the Master we have wondered away, He will search for us and call us until His work is complete.

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4. Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)

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5. You have to think differently, and agree with God that what you have been doing is sin.  It does not matter whether you were willful in your sin or if you sinned “accidently” – the response to the knowledge of the sin must be the same: repent.

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6. The Ninevites believed God.  They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least put on sackcloth. (Jonah 3:5)

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7. The first step in repentance is to agree with God that you have sinned and stop reasoning with yourself that you are okay; that what you’re doing is not sin.

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8. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

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9. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

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10. Unfortunately sin has this addictive quality to it.  Once you start, it becomes so hard to quit.  This is why God tries to teach us what we should avoid, calling it sin, so that we never have to learn to quit.

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11. Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)

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12. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

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13. Is your problem bigger than the Earth, or more impossible to break than the creation of it?  If God is powerful enough to create the heavens and the earth, isn’t He powerful enough to help you overcome your sin?

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14. Ah Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17)

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15. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:18-20)

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16. A person born to Christian parents is not a Christian - he is a heathen. Although he would like to claim a heritage, a heritage will not give him heaven.

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17. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:19)

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18. Anyone can say that he believes Jesus came to earth and died on a cross, he can even believe that Jesus was resurrected - but these are only historical facts and they cannot save him. And they do not make him a true Christian.

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19. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

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20. If you have to see before you believe, than you can’t call that faith.  Faith is given before the miraculous event takes place, every single time.

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21. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

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22. Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

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23. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)

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24. Believing is seeing.  The act of believing is an interior motive.  It is what causes something to be true or false at least in our own minds.

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25. For we live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

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26. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. (1 Peter 1:8)

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27. God is not some distant, far-away, absentee father.  No, He is present, He cares, and He doesn’t want you to worry.

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28. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

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29. Adversity and loss can often become the rudder by which our life is steered to come closer to God.  We re-prioritize and discover what really has importance, and what remains shallow and unworthy of our time and energies.

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30. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

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31. We cannot be separated from God’s Love, from Heaven, from His salvation, from being His child and heir.  Not even LIFE.  Life cannot separate us from it anymore than death can.

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32. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:38-39)

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33. Notice that your hairs are numbered.  I don’t know about you, but every day I shed hairs. This means that God cares enough to know how many hairs are on my head today, because the number is different than yesterday!

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34. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matthew 10:30)

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35.  Almost every sin has its root in idolatry.  We are busy trying to replace God:  heal ourselves, make ourselves feel better, comfort ourselves, or solve our own problems.  We become divided in our attempt to serve ourselves and God. This is all idolatry.

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36. Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:11)

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37. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3)

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38.  The Proud man can take care of himself.  He’s got things under control.  He can find the solutions to all his problems.  He doesn’t need anyone’s help.

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39. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

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40. The Humble man lets God lead.  He understands that he is not God and God is the one in control.  He realizes that he cannot solve his own problems but looks to God for help.

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41. I know, O LORD, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)

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42. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free. (Psalm 119:32)

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43. Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. (Matthew 7:13)

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44.  It’s better to ask and receive the answer ‘No,’ then to assume the answer is going to be ‘No,’ and never ask.

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45. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6)

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46. Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

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47. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

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48. We are not strong enough to solve all our own problems much less everyone else’s.

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49.  Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22)

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50. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:5)

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51.  You believe in me when I give up on myself, but will I believe in You when I am full of myself?

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52.  Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say “Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. ( Psalm 30:8-9)

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53.  You love me when I feel that I am un-loveable, but will I love you when I don't FEEL you're there?

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54. What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? (Romans 3:3)

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55. If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

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56. Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:3)

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57.  Today God has taught me that I don’t fellowship with the Lord because He needs it, but because I do.

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58. Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. (Psalm 32:6)

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59. Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. (Psalm 43:3)

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60. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

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61.  Oh Lord forgive me for not keeping my every thought captive to your obedience. How I pray Lord that I my progress and my witness will be seen by all.

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62. Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them as your ministry, so that your progress may be evident to everybody. (1 Timothy 4:5 NKJV)

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63. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)

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64.  There are only so many hours in the day and we only have so much energy.  If we spend our resources on things that are unfruitful – that bring us down instead of raising us up, we won’t have the resources necessary in order to help our fruitful branches bear more fruit.

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65. I’m the true vine and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be more fruitful. (John 15:1-2)

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66.  We need to put everything under the obedience of Christ.  If it is not fruit bearing, prune it.

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67. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.  It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (Matthew 18:8)

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68. If I might occupy some remote corner of Heaven, the place farthest away from the Lord, but know that I have His approval - that would be huge gift.

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69. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. (Psalm 84:10)

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70. “Is God with us or what?”  Don’t we contend with God and ask Him if He’s “with” us – on our side, doing what we want Him to do?  Don’t we constantly need proof that He’s here for us instead of just trusting that He is?

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71. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is He among us or not?”(Exodus 17:7)

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72. God does not and should not fear us.  We are to fear and to respect Him.  Just because He loves us and takes care of us, doesn’t mean that we lambs can tell the lion what to do.  He could just as easily eat us as lie down with us.

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73. Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?  Let him who accuses God answer Him! (Job 40:2)

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74. If I am to take up my cross and follow Him, I need to count the inconvenience as nothing when it comes to bringing one person the love Jesus has for him.

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75. Then Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

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76. You do not eat only once or twice per week.  If you did, how much strength would you have?  So don’t think that going to church on Sunday or reading a chapter or two of the Bible per week is enough.  Just like you have to eat every day, you have to eat God’s word every day, too.

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77. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)

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78. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

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79. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua 1:8)

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80. For you to have peace and tranquility in your life, you’ll have to change your behavior outside of the prayer closet, as well.  You cannot spend an hour of devotional time in the morning and evening and live like a heathen the rest of the day.  This is no life change.

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81. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

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82. Wouldn't you love the freedom of knowing that you do not make mistakes? If you take every decision to God and He answers how each decision is to be made - you can be at peace and know that you didn't make a mistake, because all is in HIS hands.

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83. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4)

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84. Seven times a righteous man will fall, and seven times he'll get back up and keep going. (Proverbs 24:16). This has been extended to seventy times seven by Jesus in Matthew 18.

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85. Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV)

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86. No matter how many times we fall, we've got to pick ourselves back up out of the pigpen and keep going. This is what we are called to do - to pick up our cross, and follow Jesus - for His burden is easy and His yoke is light - because HE carries it with us.

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87. For my Yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:30)

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88. Let us always praise His name - in times of joy, in times of tribulation, in times of sorrow, in times of victory, and in times of defeat. When we feel the most depressed, the farthest from God - let us praise His name, even when we don't FEEL like it - because the sounds of God's people praising God makes the powers of darkness tremble, and gives us victory even when we feel defeated.

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89. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (Psalm 108:4)

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90. The Bible is full of ordinary people who went to impossible places and did wondrous things simply because they decided to obey God, even when others said "You can't do that."

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91. The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:31)

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92. The doors God sets before us are much like grocery store entrances - the doors seem closed, but the minute you step up to them, they open.

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93. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. (2 Chronicles 20:17)

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94. God opens the door the minute we step up in faith.  But if we never take the step of faith, the doors will always be closed.

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95. Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” (Exodus 14:13-15)

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96. “A loser is a person who quits.  Because if you believe in yourself, and keep trying, even if you fail over and over again, eventually you’ll win – you’re not a loser until you give up.”

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97. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9)

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98. The temporary pain and misery of this time will be worth the results, worth the splendor, the dignity, and the beauty.  We must not give up.  We have to remember that God has promised this threshing will not go on forever.

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99. Does one crush bread grain? No, he does not thresh it continuously, but when he has driven his cartwheel and his horses over it, he scatters it [tossing it up to the wind] without having crushed it. (Isaiah 28:28 AMP)

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100. The beauty of what is inside us will be revealed without being bruised, crushed, or destroyed.

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101. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice (Isaiah 42:3)

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Continue reading for the first portion of The Prodigal Life and a sample of the first few Devotions for Horse Lovers.

THE PRODIGAL LIFE

Introduction

Jesus Prayed: “I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” John 17:14-16

We are not of this world.  It was so important that we know this, Jesus said it twice in this one prayer.  Because we are not of this world, the world hates us.  The world is miserable and because misery loves company, it wants us to be miserable, too.

Our life on this planet is so confusing, demanding, and hard. There are times when we feel so burdened that we wish we could just fly away to heaven already and be done with it all.  We need to remember that God promised to never place a burden on us that we can’t handle.  If you’re here on Earth, it’s because God believes you can handle it.

So we have to wade through the muck of lies, ungodliness, and hatred.  We have to be diligent and search for the truth.  We have to keep our eyes on Jesus so that we can be kept from the evil one.  The world has lots to say about what will make us healthy, happy, and whole.  God gave us the choice to believe the world, or believe Him.

It all comes down to two choices.  Over and over again in the Bible, God gives us this choice.  Choose life or choose death.  Choose the old gods or choose Him.  Choose yourself or choose Him.  Choose money or choose Him.

Sometimes we make the right decision.  And sometimes we waver in that decision.  Sometimes the answer doesn’t seem so cut and dried.  Sometimes it seems easier to curse or deny the God that “gave” us these problems than it is to praise Him.

So what do we do when we find that we have made the wrong decision?  What do we do when we’ve fallen for the lies of the world?

God knew from the beginning that we would not be faithful one-hundred-percent of the time.  He knew that the world would try to choke us like weeds.  Jesus gave us the warnings, and told us what to expect.  Even better, Jesus gave us the picture of what to do when we found ourselves neck deep in the world’s muck and ears filled with the world’s lies.  He gave us His word, His truth, and He gave us the parable of “The Prodigal.”

We’ve all heard it a million times.  We know the story so well, that we probably only skim it or skip it all together when we chance upon it in our daily devotional.  But we need to remember that ALL God’s Word is for each of us.  It is not this part for you and that part for Joe down the street.  All of it is personal.

When we become children of God, He intends all the word to be ours.  It tells us how to live so that we don’t make bad decisions when the time comes.  It tells us what to do when we’ve made a bad decision and need to make amends with God.  It helps us to understand the deep, unconditional love which God has for us that we will not find in this world without Him.

When we understand that the whole word of God is meant for us, we might find new eyes to look at the life of “The Prodigal”.  We might even find that we are in one of the stages of his life.  Take a look at those stages with me, and see if you don’t find places where you can relate.  I know that I can connect with each and every stage.

Many of us forget that the prodigal son was first and foremost a son.  He was not a stranger who rebelled against God.  What this means is that though we think of people who lived a rough life and then had a conversion later on as prodigals, that is not who this story is intended for.  It’s for sons.  It’s for God’s children.  It’s for those of us who are Christians, who come to God and accept Him as our father.  Then after accepting Him, some of us go astray.  Some of us become prodigals, and go through these stages.

Understanding and connecting with each stage of the prodigal is important, because by doing so we can progress to the next level.  In that progression, we will find growth and the Father waiting for us to come home and be His child.  And His child is what He has called us to be.

This book is written for those of us who are already God’s children and have gotten lost and made wrong decisions.  It’s written to help us to have a greater understanding of God’s grace and how He loves us and wants us to come home. I pray that as you read this exposition, you come to a greater realization of your relationship with God.  Maybe someone will even wake up to the wrong choice they’re making and realize that they’ve wandered away unawares.  Either way, it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will use this book to grow closer to you.

STAGE ONE – A Son of God

A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” So he divided to them his livelihood. Luke 15:11-12

If we consider the story of the prodigal as a story of each of our lives, in stage one we are defined as a “son.” This means that we are saved by grace.  Our name is written in the Book of Life. If you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, and His blood covers your sins.  You are a Christian.  You have an inheritance that God will fully give you upon asking. You belong to Him and you are His child.

But you still have free will.  You are God’s child – but you may not act like it.  No one acts like God’s child all the time, except Jesus.  You make mistakes.  You make bad choices.  You have wrong thoughts, and judge situations based on your short-sightedness.  You are human.

So often we decide to try to run our own lives without God’s regulations.  We say “thanks for the inheritance, can I have it now and go on with my life the way that I want?”  We want our independence, but we want to be “saved,” too.

Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Luke 7:47

When I was younger in the Lord, I used to think that I must love little, because I was forgiven little.  But this is not the truth.  Who decided that I was forgiven little?  Who decided that the sin stains on my life were so small?  I did.  I made that short-sighted decision.  Because I became a Christian at such a young age, I felt that my life was about as close to “sin-free” as it could get. So I passed judgment on my own life and decided that I wasn’t so bad.

This made me like the younger son, ready to take my inheritance and go on with my life.  This is a lie of the world that has permeated the church today.  We cannot continue to go on with life, doing our own thing, making our own way, once we have been born again.  You have DIED to doing things your own way.  You can only LIVE again as you take up your cross, daily, and follow Jesus.

And I was not forgiven little.

For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble on one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10

I was guilty of all, and I was forgiven much.  This is where so many Christians go wrong.  It’s how we see ourselves.  We forget that we are guilty of murder, because we have hated someone.  We forget that we are guilty of adultery, because we have looked lustfully at another.  We judge ourselves as “not so bad” and forget how much we have really been forgiven.  We forget how much that forgiveness cost.

That forgiveness cost someone His life.  If He had not died the sinner’s death, we would have had to do it.  My sin was worthy of a death sentence, and instead Jesus took the sentence for me.  But you’ve heard that a million times, haven’t you?  I had already heard it a hundred times when I was twelve-years-old and came to Christ.  It was already old news and therefore easily forgotten.

“Familiarity breeds contempt.”

When we see a stack of unpaid bills on the kitchen table, we often forget that they are there, because they are always in the same place.  There could be something important in that stack that needs to be paid yesterday.  Unless we are in the routine of paying our bills immediately upon getting a paycheck, we’ll forget the importance of what’s there simply because we see it in the same place every day.

When we forget the value of what Jesus has done for our sin, we find ourselves trying to do things our own way.  After all, we’ve gotten this far and haven’t sinned “much”.  We’re doing “pretty good” by our own estimation, so why not just continue on as we are going?

Some people call this “easy” faith.  It’s where we say the sinner’s prayer and get saved then continue living the way that we want to live.  Where’s the cross? Where’s the cost that Jesus told us to count before coming with Him?  Unless we are taught exactly what we’re getting into by becoming God’s son, we forget all of our responsibility, and only remember the inheritance.

When we’re stuck on the inheritance and forget the responsibility, then we make the same choice that the younger son made with his father in the parable. That’s when we say: “Thanks Jesus for the free ticket to heaven.  I’ll take that inheritance, and continue trying to do what I can to be good.  See ya.”

STAGE TWO – Prodigal living

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  Luke 15:13

Some synonyms for the word prodigal: wasteful, reckless, extravagant, and uncontrolled.

When we behave like a prodigal, we waste the grace that God has given us.  We proceed recklessly through our lives without caring about God’s law.  We are extravagant in our self-indulgence, usually spending as much as we can on our comfort in an effort to make ourselves happy.  We are uncontrolled by God, and lose all self-control (which is a fruit of the spirit, by the way) because of it.

Remember, this is the picture of a SON of God.  This is a Christian who has chosen independence over living as his Father’s son.  This is a Christian who has decided that his own judgment of right and wrong was good enough to live on his own.  And I have been guilty of this, personally.

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:27-28

When we have independence, we get to choose which way we go.  Imagine for a moment that you give a boy 50 dollars and set him loose in the toy store.  You will see that child waver this way and that way.  Maybe he’ll get a bunch of Matchbox cars.  Or maybe he’ll get one toy gun.  Or there’s even the chance he’ll get three action figures.  Then again, he might get a video game.

This wavering back and forth, this indecision is described in the above Proverb as turning right or left.  And that’s what we do when we are independent.  We swing one way, then we swing the other.  We can’t decide or make up our minds.  We are wishy-washy.  Independence becomes indecisiveness.

The problem here is that we don’t know everything, so we don’t know what would be the best choice for ourselves.  The kid in the store doesn’t know which toy he will get the most fun out of, the one that will last the longest, and the one that he’d be most happy with.  So the child waivers in his lack of knowledge and his fear of the future – and so do we.

Independence is counterfeit freedom.  We think if we can make all our own choices and do our own thing, we will be free.  But the opposite is true.  By trying to be independent, we are attempting to take God’s place as the ruler of our lives.  We can never succeed at creating happiness because we are the created, not the Creator.

All our attempts at trying to create happiness fail miserably.  We end up becoming slaves of this world.  When we are trying to create comfort, we spend more money.  When we are trying to create satisfaction, we eat more.  When we are trying to create joy, we get lost in pleasure seeking.  Because we are not controlled by God, this leads to adultery, alcohol, drug abuse, or any other sort of superficial happiness the world promises.

Each of these things (over-spending, over-eating, adultery, alcohol, and drug abuse) promise happiness, comfort and joy.  But instead they give us debt, an unhealthy heart, a broken heart, a weak liver, and an unstable mind.  Worse yet, they give us shackles of addiction that keep us from being able to quit doing them and leave us stuck in their trap.

All of these provide us with “instant” satisfaction, but also “fleeting” satisfaction.  What kind of satisfaction is that?  It’s the reason that the song by the Rolling Stones states: “I can’t get no satisfaction.”  It’s pleasure that lasts for a moment but has no lasting fulfillment.

As human beings, we desire fulfillment.  Momentary pleasure promises fulfillment, but falls short every time.  The alcoholic thinks that just a little more alcohol will make him happy, but instead it leaves him sick, broke and hung-over.   The easy woman thinks that if she gives in to the man she thinks she loves, he will love her. Instead, he usually leaves her.  The food addict eats more and more hoping that the satisfying first bite will be repeated each time, but the food gets blander as they fill up.  The pot smoker goes on to harder drugs in an attempt to get back that first high.

We are in a constant search for what will satisfy us, but everything this world has to offer leaves us empty, broke, and broken.  Still we will keep searching for that satisfaction – that fulfillment in these empty things – until we hit rock bottom

For more reading, look for

THE PRODIGAL LIFE: COMING ALL THE WAY HOME TO GOD

40 Devotions for Horse Lovers

2 Minute Devotions Relating Scriptures to Horsemanship

Day One

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:2 NIV)

Horses sleep lying down.  In movies they often depict horses that lie down as sick or in pain, so most people don’t know that they need to lie down to get REM sleep.  If they can’t lie down and get deep sleep, they become sleep deprived and develop disorders.  They can have narcoleptic type fits that could cause them to fall over during times when they get a chance to relax, like while being groomed.

In order to lie down and rest, they need to be in a predictable environment with a “guard on watch.” This is why you’ll sometimes see one horse lying down while another stands over him. If they are in an environment that is unpredictable, they will worry about predator attacks or even attacks from other herd members that do not “like” them.  If they live alone, they sometimes fear falling into deep sleep because they have no one to warn them if danger threatens.

The attribute that David ascribes to God in this Psalm is His ability to give us a place of peace and rest in our hearts.  If we trust God, our hearts can become a predictable place where no worry can permeate.  He will stand guard over our hearts, and will protect us from danger so we can rest.

Day Two

Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it?  (Luke 14:28 MSG)

One of the hardest battles a horse trainer will wage is teaching a horse to load into a trailer.   When the trainer approaches the horse with a training plan in mind, she must be ready to spend as much time and energy necessary to complete the task.  The trainer must not be on a time schedule or tired when she starts this work.  If the trainer becomes impatient and tries to rush the horse into the trailer, the horse will become more resistant, and a bad experience might occur. Patience and energy are paramount.

When you decide to spend time with God in prayer and studying His word, patience and energy are paramount here as well.  If you are tired or on a time schedule, you will be easily distracted from the important work you are doing will suffer.  You cannot be looking at the clock while studying the Bible, and you don’t want to spend the time constantly thinking about how you need to spend the rest of your day.

To tackle this task, consider studying and praying at a time of day when you are least likely to be distracted.  Make sure that it is also a time when you have the energy to devote to God.   Then give God all your attention. You will not regret making time for Him in this way!

Day Three

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV)

Because of his anatomy, the horse’s stomach is constantly producing acid.  He must eat all day long in order to keep from developing ulcers and other digestive issues.  This is why it is suggested to split a horse’s daily food intake into several small portions rather than one large one.

God has designed us spiritually in a similar manner.  We need to take in nourishment from Him several times per day in order to keep the “acid” in our lives from making us upset.  Reading the word, spending time in prayer, praising His name, and listening to Godly teachings are ways to get that nourishment.

Spending twenty minutes of devotional time in the morning is wonderful, but if that’s all the nourishment we get, then by evening the “acid” of worry and stress in our lives will upset our witness, our progress, and our walk.  We have to keep ruminating on the word all day long in order to keep our spiritual digestive system on track so that we can grow.

Day Four

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.  (1 Corinthians 9:22 NIV)

A good trainer can ride any kind of horse.  She can ride with an ‘aggressive leg’ when the horse is lazy.  She can have a gentle hand for the horse that is sensitive.  She can sit like a sack of potatoes on a horse that is nervous.   She has the energy to endure the fresh horse.   She can instill confidence in the horse that is unsure.

As followers of Jesus, we are to become all things to all people.  The good trainer above didn’t change who she was, just how she rode.  We are not supposed to change who we are.  A horse can tell who is honest and who is lying just as easily as a person you’re trying to witness to.

Be who you are.  But when your friend is hurting – don’t pretend you know the answers. Instead listen and remember that you have hurt before too.  When your friend is broken, remember that you’ve been broken before.  When your friend is sad, be a shoulder for her to cry on.  When your friend is in trouble, be a help to him.  Whatever your friend needs, help them.

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Thank you for reading!

To find more thoughts on scripture like these,

See the other books by this author:

THE PRODIGAL LIFE: COMING ALL THE WAY HOME TO GOD

101 NOTES OF THANKSGIVING

40 DEVOTIONS FOR HORSE LOVERS

Or follow Pauline Creeden’s blog

http://fatfreefaith.blogspot.com

Table of Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements and Note from the Author:

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

EXCERPTS

other books by this author:

Table of Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements and Note from the Author:

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

EXCERPTS

other books by this author: