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In our zeal to do our best, strive for success, or unattainable worldly perfection, we can end up a big mess!
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We have to really assess our thoughts, motives, and actions and stop having what I think of as a "God Complex"...thinking we can do it all.
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Christ is our strength but we need to remember that His strength is unlimited and ours isn't!
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Seriously, do you really think you can do everything on your own without the help of God and others? Well, YOU CAN'T!
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It's really by His design that you can't do it all because you need to be dependent on Him and in part, others He's placed in your life.
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He wants us to be a blessing and not a basket case!
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He wants our best, not for us to be burned out! (Not that He won't minister to us if where at that place of course...but burnout should be avoidable.)
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He wants sacrificial service and giving and not stressed out obligatory service or giving.
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If you are in Christ, stop pursuing the unattainable perfection because He is The Author and Perfecter of your faith...not the other way around.
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Christ wants your faithful, sacrificial, and best service but that doesn't mean burnout or break down...so STOP IT!
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Stop believing burnout is just normal...because it's not normal nor is it healthy.
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Speaking from experience...you won't be useful to Him or anyone else, including yourself if you are in that state or continually heading down that path.
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As we live the life He's given us, let's pray for one another in Jesus name that we will focus on pursuing Him alone as we live and work for His pleasure for for His kingdom and glory!
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#HeIsYourStength #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Head over to www.ashepherdsheart.org and sign up for my free A Shepherd's Heart periodic communications where you'll receive subscriber only content, early notification, and access to new resources I create, and more!
_
As a thank you for signing up, you'll receive a free gift which currently is a Spiritual Gift Assessment resource via e-Mail once your free subscription is confirmed.
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Note: Keep in mind that this or any other assessment are only tools to help you as you seek to discover God's gifts. The best way to discover the Spiritual Gifts God has given you is to seek The Lord through His Word, Prayer and by doing...being doers of The Word. Why? Because as you serve Him and The Body of Christ, He will help you discover your gifts through His Holy Spirit's help.
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I look forward to the privilege of continuing to serving you through the period communications and resources you'll receive as a subscriber!
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Your Brother and Servant,
Randolph Koch
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#heretoserve #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
What comes to your mind when you think about God?
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Do you think of Him as a loving Father or not? Or, as ridiculous as it may sound, do you think of Him as your cosmic "vending machine" that is only there to give you what you want?
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Do you think of Him as a callus and unapproachable God? Do you think of Him as the world does or is your view of Him grounded in the truth of His Word?
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How you view God, His Son, His Holy Spirit and His Word and what and how you think about Him says a lot about you and your faith.
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How you represent Him and how you daily relate to and interact with Him says a lot about you.
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God wants to be known and He wants you to know Him more!
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He's not asking for perfection but He also wants you to represent Him well through His wisdom, strength and The Holy Spirit's leading. He's revealed Himself through creation and through His Word, The Bible.
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Your view of Him, your thoughts about Him and your identity is defined by and should be grounded in Him through His Word so you should think rightly about Him.
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May you make it your biggest life goal to study and invest in getting to know Him more because by doing so…you will travel far along the path of becoming firmly rooted and established in Him! May your mind be filled with love, awe, admiration and reverence as you live out your faith.
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#faith #identity #truth
#wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #Jesus #HolySpirit #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
There's that old adage we've all heard that says, "Stick and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me"....
While we can see the intent of this saying is that words don't have power over us or can't hurt us like a bone breaking...we all know it's really not true because words stay with us longer than it takes a bone to mend.
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Our words are powerful and if we recall...just through the power of God's Words...He spoke light into the darkness!
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He instructs us that we can speak words of life or death.
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We use our words as weapons sometimes. Like the flaming arrows of the enemy and sadly, these weapons connect making impact to those we come across in our lives or if we are on the receiving end...they connect with us.
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The words wound us and others and they stay with us for a lot longer than we care to admit.
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These words tear down instead of build up. Instead of choosing to speak words of life we speak words of death.
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Let me encourage you and I to choose our words wisely. To speak life and not death. Choose to not use our words as weapons but breathe life to those on the receiving end.
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I pray that God will help us do this daily for His kingdom, glory and our good!
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Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21 ESV
As we seek to conform to and be transformed by Christ instead of this world, we have to make sure we keep our eyes focused on Him and keep our priorities straight.
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In our pursuit for success, money, and more we can never allow ourselves to grow depend on those temporal things, rather, we are to be completely dependent on Christ alone.
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We cannot serve and love money or things and love and serve Jesus at the same time. If we are, it's time we re-calibrate our priorities aligning them to God's Word.
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For further encouragement, please read Matthew 6:21, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9, Psalm 23:1-2, Psalm 62:5-12, and Psalm 127:1.
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#love #loveGod #money #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
I pray that the door to freedom has been opened and the shackles of sin that once bound you have been removed thanks to God's gift of salvation! May you celebrate the One who opened the doors of your prison cell Who entered this world, His first Advent/coming as a baby. Merry Christmas! Praise God for His free gift of salvation! He came to set you free! Celebrate Christmas with a renewed hope and joy with this knowledge!
#ashepherdsheart #Christmas #merrychristmas #advent #prisonersetfree #hope #faith #joy #peace #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspire #hesharesthetruth #quote #quotes #encouragement #encourage #pixlr #DietrichBonhoeffer
When the Lord saved you, you gave Him your whole heart and not just a part of it.
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As time goes by, we can begin to allow sin and other things encroach on our lives and as a result, we can hold back all or a portion of our hearts and lives. This can and will lead to destruction if we continue down that path!
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Today, ask yourself if you are holding back a part of your heart, soul, and mind? Or, is your heart undivided toward Him?
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God wants you and I to have an undivided heart and He deserves all of us heart, mind and soul and not just a part of us!
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Maybe you've walked with a divided heart for a while? Let me encourage to repent of your divided heart and ways and return again to Him with ALL of your heart fully devoted to Him.
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Conversely, maybe you've never had a divided heart toward Him? This is wonderful, however, let me encourage you to make sure to safeguard your heart and life against anything that would cause you to to begin to have a divided heart!
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Let's pray for each other that we'd have an undivided heart toward the Lord all the days of our lives!
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#undivided #heart #mind #soul #strength #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #christfollower #christian #Christianity #ashepherdsheart
It's very evident that we can can veer off track sometimes with our thinking. Or, that we can develop what I refer to as "stinking thinking". The evidence of this abounds in our workplaces, churches, on TV, the Internet, and many other places.
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We can get so far into our own thoughts sometimes, (as we can think in the vacuum of just our mind), or buy into popular opinion, or be lured into half truths, or be lured into blatant lies or accepting rumors or gossip, or isolate ourselves from God, His Word and His People.
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We can also be like the world and reject God's Word all together. Why? Because we don't want to live by His life giving Holy standards because we'd rather compromise so we're popular, or because we like our sins, and momentary pleasures much more than Truth of God's Word. We also can reject godly counsel from other believer's.
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If we take God and His Word out of the equation in our decision making, thinking process, or when we hear something that doesn't seem quite right, we're in trouble. This leads to compromise as we see this many times when people decide to reject God and His Word and take a path that will lead to further sin, more compromise, and certain destruction.
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As followers of Christ we need to line up every thought, teaching, action, viewpoint (including politically), and opinion no matter how popular, against the straight edge of God's Word and if we don't...we'll be blind to how stinking our thinking can or has become.
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Don't trade the straight edge of Scripture with the crooked edges of everything else. Take everything back to God's Word as He is The Standard Setter! Let His Word correct and adjust your thinking in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Just in case you forgot or you forget sometimes...YOU MATTER!
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Don't ever forget it and don't ever listen to anyone who says otherwise and don't ever allow yourself to think otherwise!!!
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You Matter Period...and anything else is a pack of lies!!!!
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #Christian #Christianity #christfollower #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
In the book of Job, God states this about Job: “that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.”(Job 1:8)
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Then the evil one responds with, “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (John 1:10)
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Even the evil one knows that God is Job’s and our protection and no matter how satan might roam around looking to try and devour us (See 1 Peter 5:8), we are under God’s protection!
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Just like the barrier of thorn bushes people used especially in ancient times to protect themselves and their livestock from predators, God is our “hedge of protection / hedge of thorns" against the schemes of the enemy.
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Furthermore, God has also given us the protection of His full armor that we need to put on and wear daily. (See Ephesians 6:10-20)
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Be encouraged today that God is your protector!
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My prayer for you in Jesus mighty name, is that His Hedge of Protection and His Full Armor will be upon and around you and your household as you live for and serve Him all the days of your life as He alone is your protector, refuge, deliverer, and provider!
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Read Psalm 91 for further encouragement of God’s protection of you.
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#hedgeofprotection #hedge #Godisyourprotrction #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
We all know that Christmas and other times can be a blue or hard times...Especially for those who have experienced loss.
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Let me try to encourage you that God is with you and will never leave you or forsake you! He is Emmanuel!
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While we all have real feelings and emotions, Jesus Christ is with you always and His Holy Spirit ministers to you moment by moment... Just call out to The Lord!
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Also, this is not meant to be cliché or anything when I say that, you don't have to have a completely "blue Christmas" when you know Christ personally.
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I'm praying for you friend and if you need help...reach out to someone...don't go it alone! There's absolutely nothing wrong to reach out for help starting with the Lord and then others. Turn to His Word and pray hard too!
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Contact your pastor, family, or friends or contact one of the following numbers:
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Depression Hotline: 1-888-640-5174
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God is with you! He is Emmanuel!
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
One week with no prayer makes one weak.
Make prayer a priority!
#prayer #purpose #prayerchangesus #praywithoutceasing #Bible #Godsword #scripture #wisdom #truth #life #hope #faith #quote #quotes #ashepherdsheart #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspire #instafollow #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower
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kauffmangail: Amen!
Happy New Year 2019!
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I pray that you and I seek Him with everything that is within us!
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Let's strive to live life on purpose together for His Kingdom and glory!
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#HappyNewYear #NewYear #2019 #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Christmas is a time of celebration as well as contemplation. We celebrate and contemplate the wonder of God's eternal plan being fulfilled by The Eternal One.
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As we celebrate His birth may continue to be in awe and wonder that The Eternal One, Jesus Christ came down to earth so that we might have life! He is our ultimate gift!
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As followers of Christ may we worship and thank God for forgiveness through Jesus Who gave it all for you and I...as a free gift to be received resulting in forgiveness through, salvation in, and eternity with Him!
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May we also in turn give of our time and resources to help others and may we model forgiveness toward others as much as possible as we've been forgiven much.
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Merry Christmas!
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#christmas #advent #hope #faith #joy #peace #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Note From A Friend (Me): You Need To Leave Your Past Behind!
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Friend...there's nothing there for you anymore!
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God has given you a new life and He always has something better in store for you to replace the old stuff that you no longer need...including the old you!
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You are no longer who you once were because you are in Christ! You have been redeemed and you are a new creation! You've been "upgraded" thanks to Christ.
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So, stop trying to be like the Israelites of old who wanted to go back to Egypt where they were enslaved! Your past can enslave you if you dwell or seek to return there!
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As I've shared before...your history is now completely HIStory! So, walk with Him, trust Him, listen to Him, be obedient to Him, and live in the new life He's given you!
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Your old life can no longer enslave you! He has set you free so live in His Freedom!
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Please read John 8:36, Ephesians 2:1-10, 2 Corinthians 5:17 for encouraging reminders from His Word.
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #Soul #strength #Christian #Christianity #christfollower #encourage #encouragement #ashepherdsheart
Head over to www.ashepherdsheart.org and sign up for my free A Shepherd's Heart periodic communications where you'll receive subscriber only content, early notification, and access to new resources I create, and more!
_
As a thank you for signing up, you'll receive a free gift which currently is a Spiritual Gift Assessment resource via e-Mail once your free subscription is confirmed.
_
Note: Keep in mind that this or any other assessment are only tools to help you as you seek to discover God's gifts. The best way to discover the Spiritual Gifts God has given you is to seek The Lord through His Word, Prayer and by doing...being doers of The Word. Why? Because as you serve Him and The Body of Christ, He will help you discover your gifts through His Holy Spirit's help.
_
I look forward to the privilege of continuing to serving you through the period communications and resources you'll receive as a subscriber!
_
Your Brother and Servant,
Randolph Koch
_
#heretoserve #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."
James 5:16 ESV
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Confession and prayer are two powerful gifts and tools God has given us.
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Confession gives us the opportunity to own and turn away from our sins... releasing them to the One Who died for us. We are not supposed to hold onto them and of course we're to strive not sin in the first place. There is freedom in confession, confessing to one another and ultimately to the Lord.
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Communion is another great time to confess your sins allowing The Holy Spirit to spot light any sin in your life before you remember the sacrifice of the Lord through The Lord's supper.
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Prayer is the mechanism for confession and it also gives us the opportunity to talk with the one Who gave us life. It's an opportunity to praise Him, cast your cares upon Him, share the desire of your heart, intercede for others and so much more!
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Take prayer and confession seriously friend because God wants you to and He gave these things to you because they are for your good...and by the way He wants to hear from you!
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Remember these gifts as you remember The Lord and as you remember others and encourage others to do the same.
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Need prayer? Feel free to send your prayer requests to prayer@ashepherdsheart.org. I'd love to pray for you!
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#confess #confession #pray #prayer #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #Christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
As you may have seen yesterday, I'm giving away a free Christmas Resource Bundle for anyone who heads over to www.ashepherdsheart.org and signs up for the free periodic A Shepherd's Heart communications.
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With this, I'm really not good at keeping presents a secret very long because I love to give presents! :) So, here's a glimpse of two of gifts you will receive in the bundle: (See the pics here)
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1 - A basic guide to celebrating Advent in two different formats that I created as a gift for you.
While many don't celebrate Advent anymore as part of the Christmas season, I still find it enjoyable as an individual or in the local church setting as it simply focuses our attention on Jesus and preparing our hearts to celebrate His birthday / first coming - Advent!
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2- A 7 day Christmas Devotional also created by me as a gift for you.
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If you'd like to receive your own copy please visit the website to sign up and you'll receive a confirmation e-Mail with the download link included.
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Merry Christmas!
#christmas #gift #advent #hope #faith #joy #peace #Christian#Christianity #Jesus #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
Freedom in Christ is a tremendous blessing but it's not something that we should ever take for granted or misuse.
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True freedom is found in and through salvation in Christ...
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True freedom is found as He transforms us day-by-day into a more useful vessel to live and serve for His Kingdom and Glory...
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True and abiding in and living in accordance to The Word of God...
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As a result of this and more, freedom should result in a deeper love of and service to The Lord and those He's placed in your lives in and out of The Body of Christ.
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Freedom in Christ was never meant to live out in only a self serving way.
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Let me remind you that If you find yourself or other believers living however they want including stepping into sin, while having the attitude that "it's OK, Jesus will forgive me"...we/you have a problem! If we have this attitude, true repentance is in order right now!
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Jesus didn't take up the cross for us giving us salvation so we can be saved and then act and live like we are not saved!
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What a waste of His gift to live on in a sinful life and act like we are not new creations in Christ whom He has transformed from death to life!
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Let's remember and may it keep us sober knowing that our freedom cost God The Father and Jesus The Son everything so... don't ever live like this! Take His finished work on the cross and sin seriously!
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May we always use our freedom in Christ for His kingdom and glory and for the good of other people whom He's called us to serve and not just for our own self service or sometimes wrong desires.
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#purpose #freedom #truth #wisdom #life #joy #Jesus #HolySpirit #Godsword #scripture #Bible #heart #mind #soul #strength #encouragement #encourage #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Hello Friends!
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Tomorrow is launch day via the YouVersion Bible App and Website! 11/26/18!
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Will you please be a part of my launch team?
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If so, #1 please join me in praying 🙏 for a successful launch - that people will be encouraged by the scriptures they read via the devotionals and #2 please spread the word to your family and friends about these devotionals!
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Thank you!
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#christmas #advent #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #free #devotional #ashepherdsheart
God can and does far beyond what we can dream or imagine and it's incredible that He wants to work in and through imperfect people like you and I to accomplish many things!
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As we seek, serve, and love Him with everything within us...don't be surprised at the amazing things He may choose to do in and through you and I for His Kingdom and Glory.
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Lets pray that our lives would be so focused on Him that we'll clearly hear and follow the voice of The Holy Spirit and live and work for God's purpose, will, and plan...which includes being used to serve others and lead / point them to Him.
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As we stand in awe of His greatness and His mighty deeds, may we be willing, available, and able to do whatever He chooses to do through us!
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Jesus came to this earth humbling Himself as a man in order to serve and save mankind... ultimately sacrificing His life so that we might have life through receiving His free gift of salvation.
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He also said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30) and He came to bear our burdens if we'll only give it to Him...this includes our sins and our many other burdens.
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In turn, He called us to bear one another's burdens and during Christmas time it's a great time to do just that! (Galatians 6:2) -
The reality is that no matter matter what holiday or season it is...there's always someone with a need. Someone in need of encouragement. Someone in need of physical, spiritual or emotional help and it seems that Christmastime tends to add to the list of burdens somehow even though it's supposed to be the "Most wonderful time of the year"...which it is in part but the needs are plentiful.
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May we pause, ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, and may we look around us to see all the needs that exist then...do something with our time, talents, gifts and resources to bless others and lighten their burdens.
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God will use you like no one else to serve others right where you are!
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So, may you and I lighten the load of others today as God uses us to be His hands and feet for His kingdom, glory and our good and the benefit of others. God lighten someone's burdens today!
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#burden #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #loveoneanother #love #peace #Christmas #encouragement #encourage #inspirational #inspire #inspiration #christian #Christianity #christfollower #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
Christmas is a great reminder of God's perfect timing.
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The truth is, God sent Jesus into the world according to His perfect timing.
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Furthermore, God is purposeful with everything He does. We can rest assured that He cares about us and is always at work to care for us in His perfect timing according to His purpose, will, and plan...just as Jesus entered this world.
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The scriptures are full of reminders of God's perfect timing and provision. We can always rely on the trustworthiness of God's Word and way!
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As you celebrate Christ’s birth, may you celebrate His perfect timing as well knowing that He's always at work on your behalf and He'll answer in His perfect timing.
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Merry Christmas!
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#christmas #advent #hope #faith #joy #peace #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Proverbs 30:5 ESV
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 ESV
Allow God and His Word to be your strength. Don't forsake His Word,rather, abide in it and allow His wisdom to saturate your life!
#Godsword #scripture #Bible #wisdom #ashepherdsheart #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspire #hesharesthetruth #quote #quotes #ashepherdsheart
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sherry2287: Nice click.
ashepherdsheart: Blessings @sherry2287
“I would maintain that thanks are
the highest form of thought,
and that gratitude is happiness
doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton
Happy Thanksgiving!
#thanksgiving
#thankfulness
#gratitude
#ashepherdsheart #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspire #hesharesthetruth
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May we never forget the deep truths of Christmas and beyond the manger!
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Jesus came from heaven to earth, lived a sinless life, was crucified on the cruel cross for mankind, rose from the dead winning victory over death and now is seated in heaven!
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What a joy it is for those who know Him personally and celebrate all of these truths and more!
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May we celebrate Jesus from a joyful heart!
Merry Christmas!
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#christmas #advent #hope #faith #joy #peace #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
-Jeremiah 33:3 ESV
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I tend to communicate more than the average person because of my personality, how I'm wired, the work I do, and of course ministry communications. 😂 So, I probably talk more than 34,000 words a day on average. 😂
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Or, Just consider how much we communicate even through social media? Do we devote any time communicating with The One Who gave us life?
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For all of us, no matter how we line up with the statistics, it's a good assessment for us to consider how often do we actually devote to communicating with God on a daily basis?
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He tells us in many places to call upon Him or come to Him and I pray that we will devote time throughout each day to call upon The Lord! He wants to hear from you and I as He loves us and is truly the only one who is there for us!
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Call upon Him!
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#calluponTheLord #Prayer #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
When it comes to planning...we sometimes head off to try and make our plans work as rapidly as possible regardless of actually planning things out.
We think we have to get somewhere fast (maybe because it's prevalent in the culture) but in reality it will go better if we start off the right way first! We are honestly direction-less sometimes because of our zeal to get things done. We also want things now...so we may head a direction sometimes and then ask the Lord to bless our plans later when we should first start with seeking His wisdom regarding "our plans."
It's like the old children's story "The Tortoise and the Hare" ...slow and steady wins the race...and more specifically, God's timing, will, plan and direction insures that the right plans are achieved.
Again, things will go faster for us if we include God in the plans in the first place.
So many people are heading the wrong direction very fast especially in this fast paced world and that should not be indicative of us who know the truth because if you're In Christ you are without excuse...you need to seek Him first if you want your plans firmly established and to succeed.
Don't try to get ahead of the Lord my friend!
Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) - Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Let's pray for one another that we'll give our plans over to Him / include Him in our plans!
#wisdom #direction #faith #plan #plans #planning #hope #truth #wisdom #life #Godsword #scripture #Bible #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #encouragement #encourage #ashepherdsheart
We're a product of Grace...God's grace. Even those who reject God, they are a product of Grace and they just don't recognized it, yet.
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If you're in Christ, as I've shared before, you have the privilege of experiencing His undeserved favor (Grace) each day.
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God breathed life into you and each day you rise up to go about your day...it's because He's blessed you with another day.
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I want you to stop what you're doing for 30 seconds. Take a breath. Then, remember what a gift from God life is.
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Read Genesis 2:7 and Acts 17:28a and other scriptures for further encouragement.
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#grace #Godsgraceisgreater #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
A Prayer for Moms. A Prayer While Waiting. Please go to ashepherdsheart.org linked in the bio above and see the prayer when you're able.
During the month of May I'll be posting a prayer through a Psalm once a week via my site.
Thank you for all you do! God bless you!
#momsrock #moms #encouragement #wisdom #truth #life #hope #faith #joy #peace #psalms #scripture #bible #Godsword #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #inspirational #inspire #ashepherdsheart #mom
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eliss_wonderland: @ashepherdsheart I hope it's not just for Moms! ✌️😉
dish_up: Cute 😊
ashepherdsheart: @eliss_wonderland I'm sure everyone can glean something from it but since mother's day falls in May in the US, I wanted to encourage moms. :)
Rest well tonight! Jesus is on your side!
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#sleep #rest #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
As follower's of Christ we need and should be seeking God's direction for His will for our lives.
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Sometimes though, even when we receive clear direction, we may not progress forward.
This could be because of fear or things like "analysis paralysis" where instead of taking action, we stay analyzing things and try to make sure everything is "perfect" before proceeding when we should be moving forward in faith.
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Now to be clear, being wise and planning isn't a bad thing but analysis paralysis is something else as it delays progress.
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Yes, there are clearly times that He calls us to pause, rest, regroup, retool, etc before moving forward but when it's "go time"...I hope we go and like the prophet Isaiah and say, "Here I am, send me!" Then actually go and do what He's called you and I to do.
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God can point us to, place us on, and guide us down the right track but, we are responsible to take one step of faith after another to walk in faith down that track.
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If we don't we very well may proverbially get run over by people, fear, missed opportunities or more...because we didn't move.
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God is faithful to lead us so we need to do our part and follow Him and go where He is leading us.
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So my friend...step out in faith today, stay on track and keep progressing as God leads you down the track ahead!
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#Dontjuststandtheredosomething #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
Happy Friday!
We cannot earn our salvation however, as believers we exercise our faith with the work He's prepared for us to do. We step out in faith and instead of sitting idle and waiting for something to happen, many times He hands us a "shovel". :) Don't be afraid to step out and do what it is He is calling you to do in faith! (Read Ephesians 2:8-10 & James 2:14-26)
Many blessings in Christ,
rlk
#faith #hope #trust #wisdom #life #love #truth #Christian #Christianity #ChristFollower#scripture #bible #walkbyfaith #quote #quotes #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #inspire #hesharesthetruth #ashepherdsheart #FF #instafollow
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myblogforjesus: Amen! Love this! Haha
ashepherdsheart: Lol. :) Many blessings @myblogforjesus! 😀
mavericksevenmedia: Awesome post
faithinspires_: Pretty sweet
While we celebrate Christmas once a year, many often don't live for The One Who came to bring them His free gift of salvation the rest of the year.
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As followers of Christ we're not to emulate this in any way and as we celebrate during this wonderful time of Christmas...may we remember build our relationship with Him and take His Word and actively live it out!
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Christmas is all about Christ...His Advent / Arrival and why He came! He came to save you and I which includes new life in Him!
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The message of Christ's birth, life, death, resurrection, and everything in His Word are not one time messages to be celebrated only once a year during Christmas or Easter / Resurrection Sunday!
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The Hope He came to bring reaches far beyond the holiday season and is meant to be proclaimed and lived out all year through!
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May we live out His Word all the days of our lives!
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#christmas #advent #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
In Christ we have the ultimate hope.
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No matter what you're facing. No matter how dark, hopeless or dismal things seem at times...let Hope Arise!
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Wait upon The Lord with great expectancy.
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His Hope does not disappoint!
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Let His Hope Arise...and let all doubt, anxiety, darkness or any other negative thing...Tremble!
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Let us pray in Jesus name for each other that we will be full of His Hope no matter what this life hurls our way!
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#hope #faith #truth #wisdom #life #Jesus #HolySpirit #Godsword #scripture #Bible #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #ashepherdsheart
Hello!
It's Christmas time and incorporating Advent into your celebration can be a fantastic way to help focus our hearts, worship, and celebration on the birth of Christ...The reason we celebrate CHRISTmas in the first place!
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Head over to
ashepherdsheart.org and download your FREE copy of my "Celebrating Advent" Guide via the post titled "Free Resource From A Shepherd's Heart For Celebrating Advent!" which I posted today. www.ashepherdsheart.org/2018/11/free-resource-from-shephe...
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Have a great Christmas and Advent celebration as you celebrate the birth of Christ!
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Because He is The reason for the season,
Your Brother and Servant in Christ,
Randolph Koch
-Founder and Servant-Shepherd of A Shepherd's Heart
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#christmas #advent #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart
Prayer is a precious gift and vital tool God has given us. The fact that we can freely talk to The One Who gave us life is amazing and we should never take Him or the gift of prayer for granted.
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We need to remember and be encouraged that God is a loving Father Who knows what's best for us and when He instructs us to pray believing in faith and to approach Him with confidence, He really means it.
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So, can we really pray about everything in faith as the scripture tells us? Of course, but we have to trust God's will and pray according to His will just as Jesus modeled for us in The Lord's Prayer. (See Matthew 6:1-15)
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Unfortunately, what I've witness over the years is that some have taken this as an invitation to believe and or teach that He's going to give us everything we want just for the asking. Or, equally flawed are those who "demand" that He give them what they want?! Don't believe me? Look at some of the programs on some of the "Christian Networks", the internet. radio, or even people know to see and hear this! Same with social media or other apps...it's there too.
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REALITY CHECK: God does not obey our supposed command!
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No matter what, we have to have Faith that He always knows what's best for us and He hears and will answer our prayers according to His Will.
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We have to rest in His answer and never try to "coerce" God into giving us what "we want"...as He again, knows what is best and when He says NO...I hope someday we'll look back and say, Thank you God for not answering that specific prayer the way I wanted You too!
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Here are some scriptures for your edification: Matthew 6:1-15, Hebrews 4:16, Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22, James 1:5-8
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Keep you eyes open for a more complete post on www.ashepherdsheart.org for further thoughts on this topic.
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#faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #Jesus #HolySpirit #Godsword #scripture #Bible #encouragement #encourage #christfollower #christian #Christianity #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart
I have something special that I've created for Christmas which is exclusively for those who are subscribed to my free A Shepherd's Heart communications.
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I'm excited to share this with you too and if you go sign up now through the weekend before Christmas, you can receive it as well!
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You'll receive the normal free gift that's automatically sent upon subscription confirmation, and then I'll be sending this special gift personally to you via a separate e-Mail soon there after!
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Head on over to www.ashepherdsheart.org and sign up with your name and e-Mail and then keep an eye out for this free gift to arrive in your inbox for your Christmas gift from this simple shepherd's heart to you!
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Merry Christmas!
He is THE reason for the season,
Randolph Koch
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#christmas #advent #free #gift #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #encouragement #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #GodsWord #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart