Epiphani
Happy Sunday, Garden Fam ๐ธ
I pray you are doing WELL!
Todayโs message is just a reminder that we must be mindful of the words we speak about or over someone while they are still in bondage or not [yet] saved.
There are people that will be a part of the Jesusโ sheepfold, or who already are, but are on a journey of sanctification and/or deliverance. No matter how much sin, ignorance, or spiritual blindness someone may be walking in today, thereโs no limit to what Jesus can do! We must be mindful not to cast final judgment upon others, or throw away hope that their reality will change. Jesus says there are sheep who are not yet in the sheepfold but will beโฆ Therefore, we must be mindful not to speak idle, harmful words in a season where we canโt yet see what God desires to do in their lives.
Yes, we must operate in wisdom about who we are in close relationship with, who we take advice from, etc., but we donโt want to later be judged for idle words against one of Godโs chosen just because we met them before they were saved, before they were delivered, or before they were sanctified.
I publicly repent if I have ever done so, and I encourage all to repent as well!
God desires that none should perish, but that all will be brought to repentance. As such, we should desire the same & our words should reflect that (or we shouldnโt be speaking at all). So in other works, speak life or zip it!
Love you ๐
Scriptures
John 10:16 NLT
โI have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.โ
Matthew 12:36-37 NLT
โAnd I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.โโ
2 Peter 3:9 NLT
โThe Lord isnโt really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.โ
Watch the Video
Turning away from sin, the world, and your own ways TO God through Jesus Christ in sincerity โ positions you to become all that God originally ordained for you to be and to have all that He originally had stored up for you.
The Lord is inviting you to change your mind, change your life, and start anew today! The best part is that itโs free and you donโt have to do it alone ๐๐พ
Watch today's video to learn more about what it means to repent and change your mind!
Love you bunches ๐
Scriptures Mentioned & Referenced
Romans 12:2
Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 4:1-3
John 3:16
Romans 10:9-10
Romans 8:30-31
Video Notes
Repentance is a decision & a commitment, not a feeling.
The commitment of repentance happens in an instant. You confess your sins and confess belief in Jesus and the finished work of the Cross โ that Jesus is Godโs Son and that He died and rose again for your sins to be forgiven.
Overall, repentance includes a commitment to doing things Godโs way, usually before you even know what Godโs ways are, and trusting the Holy Spirit to guide your life to the good, the pleasing, and the perfect will of God.
Then, the transformation begins & the transformation takes time.
Repentance Puts You In Position
True repentance positions you to become all that God originally ordained for you to be and to have all that He originally had stored up for you
Our repentance must result from a true desire to follow and serve God through surrendering to Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit.
Once you have sincerely turned back to God by accepting and making a commitment to follow Jesus, you should know that you are in right standing with God and are in position to receive the promises of God, carry out the plans of God, and live out the calling He has on your life.
Note: the right standing happens immediately, but again, coming into the promises, plans, and calling will be a journey.
Repentance Opens the Door for Grace
The power of repentance is that once you turn to God through accepting His Son, Jesus, grace is made available to you.
Ephesians 2:8-10 says, โGod saved you by His grace when you believed. And you canโt take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are Godโs masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.โ
Our faith was the only qualifier.
If your good works couldnโt qualify you, then neither could your dead works disqualify you for this free gift made available to all.
Know that with assurance!
& now that youโve received this free gift, walk in it. Donโt go on living like youโre still a slave to sin or the world. Donโt go on living as if youโre disqualified. Walk worthy of the call of God on your life, โfor you have been called by God.โ
A Call to Repentance
Humanity as a whole was in line to receive Godโs judgment and wrath. Sin had separated us from Him, but God in His graciousness made a way for us to be reconciled back to Him by sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for us, taking on the curse for all of our sins, past, present, and future. Then, He rose again on the third day, taking victory over death, hell, and the grave.
He did all of that for us to be able to be made right with God again.
The only โpriceโ we must pay to receive this free gift is our faith.
Romans 10:9-10 says that, โIf you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.โ
The Prayer of Salvation (Read it aloud)
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins
And for rising again on the third day.
I confess that I am a sinner and that I need you in my life.
I repent today and make a commitment to follow you.
I accept you as my Savior.
And I declare today that You are Lord of my life
Take me over and make me over.
My life belongs to you.
In Jesusโ name,
Amen
As my spiritual leader would say, โWelcome or welcome back to the family of Godโ ๐
I am rejoicing for you and Iโd like to believe that heaven is, too!
The Power of Repentance
Romans 8:30-21 ๐๐พ โAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.โ
The power of repentance is that this is now your reality. Walk in it, sis ๐๐พ
Yโall, we have made it to the end of our Deliverance Series and this week, weโre wrapping it up with guarding our hearts!
The Bible consistently talks about the importance of our hearts and how much the content of our hearts matters to God, because โman looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.โ (1 Samuel 16:7)
Guarding our hearts helps us to maintain freedom in Jesus byโฆ
Protecting our devotion to God and the purity of our relationship with Him,
Allowing the Holy Spirit to produce fresh, thriving fruit within us vs. bitter, rotten fruit, and
Ensuring that what flows from us aligns with what has flowed into us, which should be the things of God.
Watch todayโs video and grab the notes below for some practical steps for keeping your heart with all diligence.
I pray that this series has blessed and enriched your walk with Jesus. The series may be ending, but the journey of obtaining & maintaining freedom continues.
May God bless you as you go forth!
I love you bunches!
Have a healthy & wholesome weekend, sisters ๐
Scriptures
Proverbs 4:23
Matthew 12:34b
Matthew 12:35
Matthew 6:21
Mark 12:30
Video Notes
Practical Steps for Guarding your Heart
Guard your ear and eye gates
Fill up on things of the Spirit on a regular basis
Cultivate space to walk by the Spirit
Resist Offense
No matter how โjustifiedโ it may be / seem
Choose not to take things personally
Avoid or avert situations that you see are trying to pull you into an โoffenseโ trap
If you do find yourself offended, bust out of it ASAP โ Forgive & let it go!
Resist Temptation