October 16

Standing Firm - Belt of Truth Day Sixteen by SGLY Ministry

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV.

The Belt is a very important piece of the Armor because it holds all the other pieces of the Armor in place, therefore it’s name is very appropriate because truth upholds everything in our lives and gives us a firm foundation on which to stand.

When we come against the enemy’s lies we can stand firm with the Belt of Truth buckled around us.
Satan is a liar and he has been since time began. Jesus said in John 8:44 that “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Therefore, his attacks against us are always based on deceit in some form. He likes to twist the truth and make believers doubt God’s word, but the truth will defeat him and push him away every time, so we need to always be wearing the Belt of Truth daily so we can, as Paul says, rightly divide the word of truth.

Prayer: Dear God, I thank You daily for this Armor You have provided for me to wear. I know each piece is very important and that I need to remember to always suit up every day for the enemy never relents and he will always be lurking around trying to deceive me. I am thankful I have the Belt of Truth which will uphold the truth of Your word against satan’s lies, for with it on I will be able to stand strong in faith and not be led into doubt or untruth in any form. Thank You God for Your Armor! Amen.

Today: Keep your focus on truth. Stay watchful, use discernment in what you see, hear and read. Be aware that you may have to stand firm and declare the truth of God’s word against the enemy’s lies, so be prepared. Know the truth so you can rightly divide it from error. Know your enemy so you can stand firm against him. Wear the Armor. Pray in the Spirit.

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Renewing My Mind

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

If we wish to be transformed into the image of God’s dear son, we must come away from the confusion of this world that surrounds us and be silent in His presence. When we pull away from all that pulls us and spend time in God’s presence listening to His voice, being strengthened by His Word, we are renewing our minds. Our lives seem to be under constant stress these days. The world is pulling us in so many directions, it is only by spending quiet time in reflection and prayer that we can gain our bearings. It is then that we will see clearly the direction that the Lord wishes us to go. Even Jesus needed to spend time with His Father. How often in Scripture it tells us that Jesus stopped serving and left the crowds to go and spend time with His Father! He knew he needed to be renewed, to talk to Him and to listen to His voice, just as we do. Being alone with God will always have the result of transforming and renewing. We will be able to go back into the world with new energy: His energy, and serve Him in ways we never could have imagined.

Father, help me to remember the importance of spending time with you each day. Help me to make “renewing my mind” a priority. Father, thank you for your patience with me when I fail to spend time with you and thank you for reminding me that you are there waiting for me. Transform me into the image of your dear Son as I spend time with you each day. Amen Quiet Waters

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A Step of Faith

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. —Proverbs 16:9

There are times in life when you must take a step in order to find out, one way or the other, what you should do. Some doors will never open unless you move toward them. At other times you may take a step and find that God will not open the door. If you trust Him for guidance and the door opens easily, you can trust that He is leading you to enter into the opportunity before you.

Sometimes the only way to discover God’s will is to practice “stepping out and finding out.” If you have prayed about a situation and still don’t know what you should do, take a step of faith. We can stand before an automatic door at a supermarket and look at it all day, but it won’t open until we step forward to trigger the mechanism.

Trust God, take a step, and see if the door opens!

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer.

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John 16:20 '.... your grief will turn to joy.'

- The Lord can turn any situation around.
- He can take grief and turn it into joy.
- He can take your misery and turn it into your ministry.
- He can take your stumbling block and make it a stepping stone.

PRAYER: Lord, I give You the issues that I am battling with, knowing that You can turn it around for my good. Amen.

Kind Regards
Pastor Andrew & Vanessa Roebert

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Facing Life’s Worries With Truth by Max Lucado

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:37?39 (NIV)

Everyone has assumptions about life.

Many are useful and constructive. We know the sun will rise and set each day. We assume storms will pass, and food is available.

Some assumptions, however, are toxic. Even worse, they are contrary to the truth. Unhealthy assumptions include false thoughts like these:

I’m unworthy. I don’t deserve to have good things happen to me.
People abandon me.
When people come to know the real me, they leave.
It’s all my fault. I’m to blame for every bad thing that happens to me.
No one has my back, which makes me vulnerable.
Something bad is going to happen.
The world feels dangerous.

Many false beliefs were formed in the early years of our lives when we did not have the ability to challenge them. So their roots run deep, and such false assumptions create an anxiety-ridden life.

God’s solution? Truth. Face worries with truth. Take “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b, NIV). One way to do this is to correct faulty thinking with accurate thoughts:

I matter to God. He made me, knows me and has a plan for my life.
I am worthy of love. I’m not perfect, but I have abilities and God-given gifts.
I’m not responsible for all the bad things. I’ve made mistakes, but I am learning and growing, and, most of all, I am forgiven by God.

I’m protected. It is a dangerous world, but I serve a mighty God who knows and loves me.

Listen to yourself. Monitor your beliefs about yourself, about God and about the world. Don’t allow false assumptions to take up any space in your mind. Immediately treat them with truth.

I’m either my own worst critic or greatest cheerleader. Either I tear myself down or build myself up. The words I say can usher in fear or faith. I’ve learned to ask: Are you against you? Or are you for you?

The truth is, God is for you. He has cast His vote. In His opinion you’re worth the death of His Son. You are valuable, purposeful and important. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1b, NIV).

If God is for you, shouldn’t you be for you? I’ve learned it doesn’t make sense to be against myself if God isn’t. Calling myself dumb, ugly or poor … saying there is no solution, hope or promise in life. If I decide I have no talents, friends or future … these words have power.

Saying something often enough can become my version of the truth! Those offhand negative remarks aren’t harmless; they are toxic. They actually agree with the devil. They give him a foothold. “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4, NIV).

Hold fast to the promises of Scripture and speak truth. The apostle Paul modeled this for us in today’s key verse: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:37-39).

Be for you! God is.

Lord, deconstruct the lies I believe about myself, about the world and about You. Replace those lies with the truth of Your love and care. Help me get out of the way. Please re-create my perspective so that truth reigns and guides my beliefs, decisions and actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY: Luke 12:24-26, “Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (NIV)

REFLECT AND RESPOND: What is one lie about yourself that you have believed lately? Where do you think this thought comes from? What practical step can you take this week to diminish its place in your life, mind and heart?

Personalize today’s key verse of Romans 8:37-39. Insert the sources of anxiety that come your way.

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Bible Verses

1 Samuel 16:7 ‘The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

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Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

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Romans 10:12-13 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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2 Corinthians 5:17 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

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Matthew 28:19-20 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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2 Peter 1:3 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

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1 Corinthians 1:7-9 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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2 Corinthians 5:20-21 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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2 Samuel 7:22 ““How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.”

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Prayers

Prayer for the Morning

The night has passed, the sun shines its light upon us, and the day lies open before me. As I rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence fill me with love for you and my fellow man, holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Abide with me, I pray, now and forever. Amen.

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As I travel through the rest of my day, may the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit I may abound in hope. Amen.

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Father, I desire to be completely abandoned unto You. It’s so wonderous to be captivated in your bonds of love, yet completely free from sin’s entanglements, free from doubt and fear, free from worry and grief. You are my God, and I will praise you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

John 8:36 Psalm 19:13 Galatians 5:1

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Lord God, thou knowest what I am and where I belong. Have mercy upon me and strengthen me, that I may not through weakness stay in the darkness. Lead me out into the light; and may I find my way and be contented with it. Amen.

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Lord God, may all that we see and discover lead us to grow in wonder and appreciation. Amen.

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I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way – with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:4–5, NIV

Lord our God, we thank you that you are so near to us that we may feel and know we are your children, your children who are in your hands with all that belongs to our earthly life, all our needs and temptations, all our efforts and pain. We come together to thank you, and our thanksgiving wins a victory over everything that makes life difficult for us. In this thanksgiving the harshness, crookedness, and injustice on earth cannot harm us. Protect us with your light, which gives us wisdom for all situations and which lifts us above everything that is base and meaningless and must pass away. Amen.

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Dear Father, please remind me that I am never too old to set a goal or to chase a dream.