Author: Dr Glen

Unchanging

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (NKJV)

Depending on the location where a person is living, they will experience a change in the weather according to the season. This change of weather gives some individuals an opportunity to enjoy different activities outdoors. Sometimes a change can be for the good, and sometimes a change can be bad. 

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” (NKJV) 

Christians serve the one God who is unchanging. The same grace, peace, mercy and long-suffering that God has given His people all down thru history, is still available today. That is because God is unchanging.

Psalm 102:27 “But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.” (NKJV)

God is eternal, and His people can count on him to always do what he says He will do. The past, the present, and the future are all equally known to Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (NKJV)

Every gift that comes from God is good, perfect and unchanging. God’s gifts will always be adequate, complete, lacking nothing and beneficial to those that are receiving. There is no variation of God’s gifts.   

Hebrews 7:24 “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” (NKJV)

Believers can have the certainty of Jesus not changing and being the high priest forever. Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever.

Hebrews 1:10-12 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. ¹¹ They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment;¹² Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”(NKJV)

O God, in the world today, things are constantly changing. Thank you for being the one and only God that remains unchanging, in Jesus name…Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Self discipline part three

Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (NKJV)

Temptation is something that entices, attracts or appeals strongly too, that implies a promise of obtaining a greater good by following a way of disobedience.

No one is exempt from being tempted and at one time or another, a person will experience temptation. If a person yields to temptation, they can experience negative consequences to not having good self-discipline.

Galatians 5:16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”  Vs.17 “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”(NKJV)

A person that is walking in the Spirit will get the strength from the Spirit to exercise good self-discipline, and not yield to temptation.

A good method that can be used to identify temptation is to think (part one “your thoughts and way of thinking”) about the consequences that will be experienced after acting, or yielding to temptation that is before someone.

Matt 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(NKJV)

The flesh usually gives “right now gratification” and will not show the later consequences. This “battle” between the Spirit and the flesh can happen on a daily basis, therefore has to be fought daily. The Holy Spirit is always willing to help the believer with fighting this battle.

1 Corinthians 15:31 “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. (NKJV)

And winning these battles daily, can give a person the victory of winning the war.

Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (NKJV)

The believer can be more than conquerors over temptation because of the love that Jesus has for us.

1 John 4:4 “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit that lives within the believer, gives strength to overcome worldly temptations.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us all that we need to remain victorious over temptation…Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Self-Discipline

Part two

“Habits”

Romans 7:15 “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (NKJV)

A habit is a routine of a person’s behavior that is repeated on a regular basis. Habits occur subconsciously, and are done without having to give thought to or think about.

There are basically two kinds of habits; good habits and bad habits. Because habits can become second nature and compulsory, a person may feel uncomfortable when they don’t do it.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV)

Habits can be taught. Parents teach their children to look both ways before crossing the street or washing their hands regularly, especially before eating. Once the habit has been taught, the child will do it without thinking.

Adults can teach other adults habits also. Personal trainers try to teach good eating and exercise habits to encourage a healthy life style, along with managing their weight.

The apostle Paul wrote “for what I am doing I don’t understand”. A large percentage of our daily behaviors are done out of habit. Old habits can be hard to change or break, and new habits can be hard to form because of behavioral patterns that are repeated without thinking.

A person’s habits will play an important part in someone’s life when they have the desire for good self-discipline.

In last week’s post on self-discipline, the topic was “Your thoughts and way of thinking”. If a habit is going to be stopped or changed, that person is going to have to change their way of thinking.

One may ask the question “What would I have to do to change my way of thinking so that it will help me with stopping a bad habit, and starting a good habit?”

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV)

When a person realizes that the behavior they want to change is a habit, makes the connection with Jesus for the strength that will be given, that person will be able to use self-discipline to control their habits.

Lord Jesus, give us the strength to apply the needed self-discipline to stop bad habits and start good habits, in Jesus name…Amen!

Next weeks post

Part three of the series Self-discipline

Temptation

Continuing in His service…Rev

Self-Discipline

Part one

Your thoughts and way of thinking

Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)

One of the first organs to develop before birth is the brain, and it is the brain that controls the body’s functions.

A person’s behavior is reflective of their thinking or the thoughts they are having. When a person is thinking positive, and is having positive thoughts, that person will display a positive behavior. A person that is thinking negative, or having negative thoughts will display a negative behavior.  

As I began my research on this topic of self-discipline in the Webster’s Universal College Dictionary, I noticed that right under the definition of “self-discipline” was the definition of “self-doubt”.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart so is he” (NKJV) 

If a person is going to have positive self-discipline, then that person is going to have to continue thinking positive.

James 1:7,8 “For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. Vs. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (KJV)    

Having “toggling thoughts” (going back and forth with positive or negative thoughts) can delay a person’s progress in obtaining positive self discipline. Doubting yourself can cause thoughts like “can I really do this?”

A person might ask how do I cope with going from having positive thoughts, to having negative thoughts in my thinking.

Fear or doubt may be the source of having negative thoughts when a person is trying to focus on having positive thoughts.

2nd Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV)

An excuse can be why it didn’t happen…A reason can be why it did happen. Fear can be a cause of doubt and doubt can be a cause of fear. Many times when a person is putting forth an effort to have good self-discipline, fear or doubt can appear in their thinking.

Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (NKJV)

Setting unreasonable goals, can contribute to someone not reaching the goal that has been set. A person has to be careful not to allow pride or haughtiness to influence one’s self-discipline.

Lord Jesus, I look to You for strength to help with my way of thinking and my thoughts, in Jesus name… Amen!

Next week’s post

Part two of the series Self-discipline

“Habits”

Continuing in His service…Rev