Abundant life constitutes more than fortune and fame. Rather, "Abundant Life" means that you have God's Favor, His grace, His forgiveness and His cover every moment that He is given priority. To prove that the Father is not part of a life that He is not Head of, Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, and He also wept. With that, "our hearts should be crying too" knowing that we are still engaging in behavior that causes Him great sorrow. However, its not to late to try again, repent again, mean it again, and ask for strength to resist and bring an end to all practiced wicked ways.
Collectively, spiritual gifts such as GRACE from God pave the way for believers to live fruitful, rich lives. It is important for every Christian to understand that without GRACE there is nothing that we can do on our own to secure eternal life! All have sinned and will continue to sin at one time or another. The question is "will we continue to practice sin." The key word is "PRACTICE." There are several definitions of "practice," however, the following two definitions leave no room for confusion.
Practice: 1. perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.
2. carry out or perform (a particular activity, method, or custom) habitually or regularly.
We know who we are? Other people do to. Living abundantly and living loosely don't play well together because one permits and allows people to disobey the Lord, break laws, rules and hearts, and make excuses for doing so. Living loosely also sets the bar so low that anybody can climb over, regardless of deficient degrees of spiritual or moral values. God on the other hand has high expectations! While it is impossible to satisfy God's demands 100% of the time, we can certainly intentionally practice obeying His commands every chance we get. That's all He asks!
Father, come into my life with might; show me the wonder in things that I already have and don't know that I have. Teach me how to debase myself so that you can lift me up to heights that I never imagined were possible. I know that I am not perfect, blameless or worthy of Your Love, forgiveness, and favor, but thank You Jesus for blessing me with all of these things and more. In closing, Lord thank you, "for not treating me as my sins deserve." Amen!
Collectively, spiritual gifts such as GRACE from God pave the way for believers to live fruitful, rich lives. It is important for every Christian to understand that without GRACE there is nothing that we can do on our own to secure eternal life! All have sinned and will continue to sin at one time or another. The question is "will we continue to practice sin." The key word is "PRACTICE." There are several definitions of "practice," however, the following two definitions leave no room for confusion.
Practice: 1. perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.
2. carry out or perform (a particular activity, method, or custom) habitually or regularly.
We know who we are? Other people do to. Living abundantly and living loosely don't play well together because one permits and allows people to disobey the Lord, break laws, rules and hearts, and make excuses for doing so. Living loosely also sets the bar so low that anybody can climb over, regardless of deficient degrees of spiritual or moral values. God on the other hand has high expectations! While it is impossible to satisfy God's demands 100% of the time, we can certainly intentionally practice obeying His commands every chance we get. That's all He asks!
Father, come into my life with might; show me the wonder in things that I already have and don't know that I have. Teach me how to debase myself so that you can lift me up to heights that I never imagined were possible. I know that I am not perfect, blameless or worthy of Your Love, forgiveness, and favor, but thank You Jesus for blessing me with all of these things and more. In closing, Lord thank you, "for not treating me as my sins deserve." Amen!