For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1 ESV)

I have never made a New Years resolution.

This year i think that memorizing and living this verse is going to be what my goal will be.

Even after I accepted the Spirit of Christ I continued to hold on to the yoke of slavery.

I am so dumb some times. The LORD has saved me and I no longer have to listen to the guilt trips that satan lays against my heart! I have the grace of Christ, by his blood I am found guiltless! I am set free from these bonds.

Why do i want to live by the law even after i have accepted grace? I should live free in grace and the love of Christ.

LORD teach me to be a man that lives free this new year!

Teach me to be a man that pursues grace!

LORD,
Slay my flesh and resurrect my heart,
It is to you alone I live
and to you alone I will do my part!
Let my face show Your grace.

Amen

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
(Galatians 5:7-10 ESV)

Have you ever stumbled when running?

Have you ever been given wrong improper advice?

Have you ever taken your own advice?

I have.

LORD please give me wisdom! To get up from stumbling.

LORD I need to be restored by your grace.

Tomorrow I am going with my grandfather and cousin to middle Tennessee to solve some sort of dispute.

I pray that we are God's grace as we go. LORD don't let us distract from the truth as we go. I pray that your truth is the means of our trip.

The last day of the year is tomorrow.

Thank you for restoring me before the new year my LORD!

Amen

Physically Binding

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

(Proverbs 3:3-4 ESV)

Have you ever thought about how hard it is to love some people?

They might have an annoying habit, or be constantly complaining about pointless things.

Today I was finding myself becoming deeply frustrated with some one I have to spend allot of time with.

I love this person, or i profess to them I do. But there are times I become so very annoyed none of my actions show this person love!

I do not want to be patient with the person, I don't want to be joyful or listen to him. I end up just COPING with the person instead of loving him.

Have you ever felt this way?

I know I have and not only with this one person! Their have been multiple people I have trouble loving!

Paul wrote this,


Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

I think my heart broke every single one of the standards for love to this one person today. I may not have expressed it verbally but my demeanor sure did show it!

I am so very thankful for my Messiah who has loved me so steadfastly!

LORD help me to write these standards of love on my heart, so I will not sin against you!

So that I will be an example in my demeanor, and attitude.

I want so badly to find favor in your sight alone.

Thank you for your love,

Amen

Reformation of my mind

I pray tonight that Christ will reform my mind to His grace. 

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

(Galatians 3:10-11 ESV)

I am declared righteous by faith in Christ! 

LORD you have saved my from myself! 

The demands of the law are over powering to my heart!

I know I can't be perfect even to my own standards! 

I am justified by faith in Christ alone. 

LORD, if I rely on you wholly then you will do a mighty work for Your name in me!

I can do not one thing correctly in my own plans, God has shown me this multiple times in my own mistakes I have made. 

I have trusted God and He has provided all my needs,

It is difficult in my daily life. I have moved to a new city, and i honestly don't like it much. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt this is what God has for me right now though. This is what brings me joy, the knowledge that I can still learn from my redeemer no matter my physical placement! 

I know that many of my family and friends are some place else, but God has brought new healing and opportunity for this time I have here. 

Because I am not held by the law and by faith know I can trust the LORD then and only then is my heart at ease!

Certainly suffering brings me closer to Christ, and the closer I am to Him the more comfort I have with were He has me at this time. 

I don't think He will have me here for long,

Why He has me here I plan on serving faithfully in word and action despite my hearts ways.

I don't live under the judgement of the law but under the grace of Christ! This makes me happy and at ease! :)

Amen 

Looking back on the day.

This day feels like a failure.

I hate days like this.

I did work on several tasks i needed to do, but in the end I have nothing to show for it.

I interacted with several family members today, I hope I showed them God's love.

It was cloudy but God did bring me sunlight through His grace and by reading His word.

I pray that God will bless the work of my day for His glory. I can only hope in Him on a day were everything else I have done has felt pointless at the time.

Thank you for being my dearest friend my LORD, my father and savior.

Amen

O why are You so foolish! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

(Galatians 3:1-9)

I edited Galatians out of the first statement because I felt that this was written to me tonight.

LORD I am sorry for attempting to rectify my sins by my own actions and not by faith.

Bless me with the man Abraham, for I believe as he did without seeing.

Why have I forgotten what Your Spirit has already done in my life so quickly?

I will walk by faith and not by works, the works will fall away but Your Spirit abides forever!

Thank you LORD for working in me.

Amen

I don't regret being taught or for not knowing.

I regret knowing and not taking action.

I was able to meet my cousin's new little baby this morning, she was adorable.

LORD teach me to be a man of example with what you have taught me.

Destroy these demons that plague me with temptations,
Destroy their disgusting hope in my failure!

You are my victory, LORD You are my means!

My hope is in You and by your blood I have hope!

The angel of death passes over, and those demons flee.

I will walk in Your precepts because I love them and I love You.

Thank you for building character into my life this winter my LORD.

Amen