Scripture.  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which would afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  Galatians 4:23-25  KJV

Here we find a description of faith and the law.  It tells us the Law came first after sin entered.  God established the Ten Commandments for the Jewish people to abide by.

When it was proved to them that they could not obey the ten simple commandments, but they had to make their own laws to prop up God's Law, He sent His Son to fulfill the Law.  Only Jesus fulfilled every commandment, and He came that all people might be reconciled to God.  God says so and He does not lie.

God speaks of the Law as being like a schoolmaster.  That was man's elementary schooling and man flunked!

God foresaw this and had a Plan from the outset of our fall from perfection.

God knows the depth, width and breadth of evil and is able to see far beyond our limited view.  He will never be outsmarted by evil.  Evil will never overcome God.  God cannot be brought down.

Now all that is required is to have Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God who came to Save us from eternal life separated from the Goodness of God.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the blood shed for me to have faith.  You paid the price.  What greater Love!  Give to me words that can express who You are and what You have done for me, to others.  Amen.

Friend, when God considers your mind, will He find it narrow and confining?

Be honest.

If your heart is cold or hard, your thinking will be narrow and confined.

If your heart is enlarged towards others and all that God has provided for us, then your thinking can be enlarged also.

The place to start is with the heart.

Forgiveness is key. The past must be let go, daily until it no longer plays a part in our thinking.

Think about God, how giving He is, how He loves us - sending His Only Son to suffer; shed blood as a Sacrifice for our sin. What kind of Love is this?

We must ask ourselves, "Why?"

He must have a Plan for each of us!

He must Love us with a Holy Love; pure and unadulterated.

Therefore it is wise for us to control the mind. Don't allow it full roaming power to destroy your soul or spirit. He has given us the power over our mind, to control it and the Bible tells us we must do this continually, in order to grow into mature believers.

Speak forcefully to it to show you mean business. Begin today to clean it up, and do not allow with the Spirit's help and guidance, any more demonic, negative, unacceptable thinking to take hold in your mind.

Look out on the world with a happy and loving heart, be a willing soul and allow God's Spirit to make a Way for you where before there seemed to be no way.

The past is the past and you are "here" now!

Take that first step joyfully, into the future knowing that He loves you. He died so you could!

Friend, don't worry about having all the glory for what you have achieved or are doing like the world does.

The world is constantly giving themselves awards and heaping glory on themselves and being jealous and envious when another gets the award or glory they think should have been theirs.

There is only One who deserves any Glory and that is God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

All Good comes from the Trinity of God. 

Evil has a form of goodness but it has been distorted and is clearly visible when it causes people to lash out in pride about results of awards and accolades.

To crave honor and glory from the world is to seek glory for yourself and not for the Lord.

Our lives should honor and glorify Him and this should make us happy.

He asks us to strive for this - to seek Glory for Him. To live lives dedicated to glorifying Him and His Works.

Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In the afterlife, we have a reward according to how we lived our life on the earth that directly correlates to our thoughts, daily living, how we treated others, what our beliefs were - everything about our total soul and spirit while alive in the flesh.

Learn this lesson now and go forth with a new view of life.

Friend, Jesus asks us to align our thoughts with His.

As we journey through our day we are pushed and pulled this way and that by the tides of the world and we can become unstable in our thinking when we allow our own righteousness to be the foundation that we build our faith on.

Our foundation of belief must be centered firmly on the Son of God, Jesus.

Allow Him to be the One we go to immediately we see that dead end we have stumbled upon; or the fork in the road - which way to go?

Listen to the Holy Spirit; be open to His guiding hand and the rod and staff of the Lord.

Go to your Bible and read what He has to say.

Speak to Him at any time. He is listening and will set in motion those things that need to be when you give Him the reins. Allow Him to lead.

To be in His Will is to be in the center of all things Good.

Choose only His Will for you. Rebuff the evil one. 

In this way you will be reining your thoughts into alignment with the Son's and you willl be in the Will of God - where he wants you to be. Where your soul will be safe and will grow and find peace and solace and Truth. 

Friend, the Lord Jesus asks that we have a glad heart.

We can be glad (grateful and joyful) because He loves us, and He forgives us.

Once we accept this fact our heart can let go of all the anger, revenge and hate. It has no need for those things anymore.

You are loved by the One who died for you to have an eternal life filled with His Presence which is Love and Light and Truth.

He also owns all the Power - All Powerful.

He decides what evil is allowed and what the final punishment is for evil, and when it will receive said punishment.

Now is the time to think about these things if you friend, have not yet given your allegiance to the King of Kings.

Now is the acceptable time the Bible says. Right now as you read these words.

Are you on board the great train that is leaving the station right now?

Run, get on board!  Tell Him, "Yes, I believe. Help me, Jesus!"

Rejoice in His Mercy. He died for you to have it. New every morning and all through the day, it's yours.

He knows you will stumble, but just keep your eyes fixed on Him in all you do and think and say and you will be forever in His hands, under His Lordship and care.

Have a glad heart, friend and know you are loved!

Friend, faith is so easy when we remember that Jesus is Lord. The Word of God says that He is the Word and that He is Jesus.

The Scriptures tell us Who our Lord is.

Who gave us the Word of God, the Scriptures? It was Jesus from the beginning. He is God.

He says Who He Is in the Holy Bible and friend, when you read and study His Word, you will get to know who Jesus is, and over time you will find that He is Who He says He is.

People will talk and say what they want when you begin to believe and have faith, but pay it no heed because the knowledge you gain is a Gift from God.

Grow in Him each day. Find out about the Promises for believers. They are scattered like pebbles throughout the Bible. Your eyes will open to the Truth of them. Know they are for you!

Allow yourself this great comfort and be quieted in your mind and spirit. Absorb all He has for you as a thirsty drinker.

The Lord is Who He says He is and He will do all He says He will do! Another great mantra!

The Lord bless you!

Meditation                                                                                     

Scripture.  I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  Revelation 3:18-19

These words were spoken to the disciple John directly by Jesus.  They travel from that time to our present as wise counsel to all people.

When we present our soul as a living sacrifice to God for renewal, it is likened to gold being tried in the fire.  As it liquefies, anything that is not gold rises to the surface for removal so that the gold will be pure when it is poured  into molds for cooling.

Surrendering to Christ and repenting of our sins is a form of melting the soul and making it pliable in the hands of our Creator.

He sees the believer's soul as "gold".  To Him, we are worth spending the time with to rebuke and chasten in order for us to become more pure.

He wants to burn the dross off our lives and give us back a pure gold heart and mind.

If we are willing, He is willing.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You that You have created me and given me life.  I surrender all to You and repent of all sin and ask You to renew my mind and spirit and mold me into the person You desire. Amen.