RISE AND SHINE BY INNER-GIZING YOUR SOUL AND SENSES (1 JOHN
LEARN TO inner-GIZE YOUR Heart, will, imaginations, and passions
LEARN TO inner-GIZE YOUR Heart, will, imaginations, and passions
LEARN TO inner-GIZE YOUR Heart, will, imaginations, and passions
LEARN TO inner-gize YOUR five SENSES
LEARN TO inner-GIZE YOUR Heart, will, imaginations, and passions
LEARN TO inner-GIZE YOUR Heart, will, imaginations, and passions
INNER-GIZE YOUR SOUL
INNER-GIZE YOUR SOUL'S HEART
Your heart condition will determine how you respond to God’s truth (Proverbs 4:23). If your heart is not lined up with God, your emotions and actions will reflect that. If your heart is in the right place, your emotions and actions will be focused on God and open to His will. What is the condition of your heart? Luke 8:4-15 states four so
Your heart condition will determine how you respond to God’s truth (Proverbs 4:23). If your heart is not lined up with God, your emotions and actions will reflect that. If your heart is in the right place, your emotions and actions will be focused on God and open to His will. What is the condition of your heart? Luke 8:4-15 states four soils of the heart—four different ways in which people can respond.
The Trampled Path. Ask yourself, “What truth am I refusing to believe?” Some seed was thrown on the trampled path. Which of God’s Truths in your life is being trampled on? Are you unreceptive or indifferent to God’s Truth? Do you reject or ignore His truth and let the “birds” take it away?
Ask God to reveal to you His Truths that you are you refusing to believe or deliberately circumventing. Confess your sin to God and repent from justifying it. Inner-gize your soul’s heart by believing God and being saved.
Rocky Ground. Ask yourself, “What truth do I no longer believe?” When you disregard drinking from God’s Word, you will wither away like the seed thrown on rocky ground. Jesus calls us to drink from the living water that He offers you, and you will never be thirsty again (John 4:14). What promises of God did you once cling close to that you now rarely think of? Ask God to help you fall back in love with Jesus. Remember, God allows seasons in your life to keep you dependent on Him, and to encourage others with. Inner-gize your soul’s heart by listing God’s promises to encourage yourself in your walk with Him.
Thorny Field. Ask yourself, “What truth is being overshadowed by lies?” What “thorns” are currently choking you? A secret sin? An addiction? Distractions on social media? These are devices of the enemy that allow sin to grow in our hearts and choke out God’s truth. Refuse to let God’s Word become overshadowed by the pleasures or concerns of the world. Your response to these distractions should be to turn away from them and turn to Jesus. When you choose to focus on God’s Truths and promises, sin and lies will fade away. Inner-gize your soul’s heart by not letting life’s worries, riches and pleasures choke you. Choose to grow into a mature Christian, and honor God in all you do.
Good Soil. Ask yourself, “What truth is bearing fruit in my life right now?” Regardless of whether times are good or bad, seeds planted in good soil recognize the Spirit is at work no matter the circumstances. God is shaping you to be more like Christ in spite of yourself. When your heart is receptive to God’s Truth, fruit will grow and be produced in abundance (Luke 8:15). Where is the Spirit working in your life? What fruit do you see? If there is no fruit, examine your faith and consider whether your “soil” has accepted the “seed” of the gospel. Examining your heart daily is the key. Inner-gize your soul’s heart by asking God to reveal to you what He wants you to change, and acknowledge you need His power to change it (Philippians 2:13). Then, produce a large crop for all to see!
Following your heart without discernment or wisdom from God, could quickly have you end up in a place God does not call you to be. It is important to seek God and not follow your own heart. Believe His Word that says in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”
INNER-GIZE YOUR SOUL'S WILL
When God is trying to get you from one point to another, sometimes misunderstandings happen and knowing God’s will is not always clear. When you choose your will over His will, you create chaos in your emotions and may very well find yourself riding an emotional rollercoaster.
Here are some practical steps you can implement to know and do
When God is trying to get you from one point to another, sometimes misunderstandings happen and knowing God’s will is not always clear. When you choose your will over His will, you create chaos in your emotions and may very well find yourself riding an emotional rollercoaster.
Here are some practical steps you can implement to know and do God's will.
1. Surrender your personal desires and listen for the voice of God. In seeking God's will, you must get yourself out of the way and listen for God’s voice. Don’t get blinded by your pre-made decisions, your own biases, or even other voices that try to sway you. Your desire to follow God needs to outweigh your desire for a certain outcome.
2. Reading and Meditating on God's Word. God reveals Himself through Scripture on all aspects of life - finances, relationships, work, family, and more. By reading and meditating on His Word, this gives you a great foundation for coming to an understanding of His will. Your thoughts should line up with God’s thoughts. God's Word is Truth and relevant. Hebrews 5:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 5:12). The Holy Spirit will never lead you to do anything contrary to Scripture.
3. Prayer- God wants us to come to him in prayer. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” The process of praying can be a key part of understanding God's will for your life. Sometimes God communicates His will to us through an interaction with another person, or maybe a circumstance, or even a certain scripture you might read. But communication is two-ways. You have to do your part in communicating with Him. That's prayer.
4. Godly Counsel. It's always good to seek the counsel of other Godly people. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” They can offer up a different viewpoint, a scripture you hadn’t thought of, or maybe share a life experience that relates to you. Godly friends can also be praying for you as you seek God’s will.
5. Take Action. If you've humbled yourself, sought direction in Scripture, prayed about it, and sought Godly counsel, you can be confident in making a decision and taking action. Your path to God’s will might not always be quick and direct. But it’s always for our good and for His glory. When you’re faithfully obedient to want to know and do His will, you can confidently take action knowing he’ll always be with you. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
Following God's will is not always easy, but if you are obedient to Jesus’s commands and employ these practices, you can be confident to see God’s faithfulness in seeking to know and doing His will. Accept His Word that says in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death." You can Inner-gize your soul’s will by seeking Him first in all you do. This will keep your emotions in check so that you can wisely choose His will for your life.
INNER-GIZE YOUR SOUL'S IMAGINATION
Imaginations inevitably will cause your hands to carry out deeds being imagined. Sometimes it is a challenge to keep your thoughts pure and not let them run wild. But, praise God, He gives weapons of warfare to fight them off – the Word of God and the power of His Holy Spirit. Trust His Word that says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, " We demolish
Imaginations inevitably will cause your hands to carry out deeds being imagined. Sometimes it is a challenge to keep your thoughts pure and not let them run wild. But, praise God, He gives weapons of warfare to fight them off – the Word of God and the power of His Holy Spirit. Trust His Word that says in 2 Corinthians 10:5, " We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Here are a few ways to stimulate your imagination toward the things of God.
o Confessing God’s Word is a great way to stimulate your imagination. We know that the Word is incorruptible seed. Confessing the Word of God is alive and active and engages body, soul and spirit in creative imagination.
o Asking yourself questions is always a good way to provoke your imagination. The possibilities are endless. Ask yourself things like: What would my life be like if I truly believed I could _________? How different would my life be if I practiced more of _________? What action do I need to take toward fulfilling God’s will in my life? __________.
o Writing a letterto a person who you are praying for and imagining the outcome when God has answered your prayer. Save it to share with them when God has answered your prayer for their situation. Tell them how grateful you are for God’s changing power in their life.
Our limitless God places no limits on our imaginations! Inner-gize your soul’s imaginations and start putting into actions the desires God has put in your heart.
INNER-GIZE YOUR SOUL'S PASSIONS
How often it is said to pursue your passions by making a list of things you love, or take a test on your strengths. Accepting your passions as something you have strong feelings or enthusiasm for is common. But when feelings trump your passion to please God, you can soon find yourself emotionally unbalanced in life. This is where temptati
How often it is said to pursue your passions by making a list of things you love, or take a test on your strengths. Accepting your passions as something you have strong feelings or enthusiasm for is common. But when feelings trump your passion to please God, you can soon find yourself emotionally unbalanced in life. This is where temptations enter the picture. You might think you can conquer temptations with self-control; otherwise known as willpower. But Jesus said in Matthew 5:29-30, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” In other words, you would do better to remove the sources of or the means to temptation. Do you struggle with urges and passions deep in your heart that sometimes seem impossible to avoid? Jesus relied on the Word of God when He withstood persistent temptation in the wilderness. He quoted God’s Word and Satan relented in the face of such truth. Here are some tips to keep your passions at bay:· Rehearse Scripture. Filling your heart with God’s Word can help you say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions (Titus 2:12).· Meditate on God’s Word- When you don’t just rehearse it, but meditate on God’s Word, it will be “a lamp to your feet and a light to your path” (Psalm 119:105). Inner-gize your soul’s passions as you navigate away from temptation and toward righteousness with God’s Word. Remove excuses. Commit to discipline. Be accountable. Doing these will motivate you toward self-control and the fulfillment of godly desires and passions in your life. Always bear in mind, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23).
INNER-GIZE YOUR FIVE SENSES (SEE JOHN 1:1)
Sight: EyeS
See things to the glory of God! How is your vision? How is your spiritual vision? Can you see past your circumstances and see the hope God has for you? What about things you see on the internet, on TV, on YouTube, on books. If what you are seeing is not light, then you’re bringing darkness into your soul. Remember what Jesus said: The eye
See things to the glory of God! How is your vision? How is your spiritual vision? Can you see past your circumstances and see the hope God has for you? What about things you see on the internet, on TV, on YouTube, on books. If what you are seeing is not light, then you’re bringing darkness into your soul. Remember what Jesus said: The eyes are the lamp of the body. When you get light into your body, you get more of Jesus into your heart! Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Let’s look at how God wants you to use your senses for His glory!
Smell: Nose
Smell things to the glory of God! What kind of smell are you exhaling around, spiritually speaking? Do you have a good smell, a good testimony when you are around others? Are you exhaling abundant life or stale hypocrisy? Be careful! You can start to exhale a bad smell because of what is inside you. Jesus told the Pharisees they were ful
Smell things to the glory of God! What kind of smell are you exhaling around, spiritually speaking? Do you have a good smell, a good testimony when you are around others? Are you exhaling abundant life or stale hypocrisy? Be careful! You can start to exhale a bad smell because of what is inside you. Jesus told the Pharisees they were full of everything unclean (Matthew 23:27). We are the sweet fragrance of Christ which goes up to God. We need to breathe life, and exhale Jesus to other people.
Touch: Hands
Touch: Hands
Touch others to the glory of God! God gave you holy hands to bless people. To show love. To lift and praise Him. Your hands could be so busy receiving God’s blessings that you don’t have the room to hold onto grudges. Show your faith by touching Jesus, touching people’s lives, and blessing God’s church. You are the hands and feet of Jesu
Touch others to the glory of God! God gave you holy hands to bless people. To show love. To lift and praise Him. Your hands could be so busy receiving God’s blessings that you don’t have the room to hold onto grudges. Show your faith by touching Jesus, touching people’s lives, and blessing God’s church. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. So, show His love to others! Mark 12:31 says, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
TASTE: TONGUE
What about you?
TASTE: TONGUE
Eat things to the glory of God! How is your taste? Spiritually speaking, you are the salt of the earth, you know? Salt had two purposes in the first century Middle East. The first was adding flavor to food and the second was for keeping food. Are you salting those around you? And, what about your tongue? James 3:9 says, “With the tongue w
Eat things to the glory of God! How is your taste? Spiritually speaking, you are the salt of the earth, you know? Salt had two purposes in the first century Middle East. The first was adding flavor to food and the second was for keeping food. Are you salting those around you? And, what about your tongue? James 3:9 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.” Are you praising Jesus or cursing others? When you taste more of Jesus you will be a good taste to the world. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Hearing: Ears
What about you?
TASTE: TONGUE
Listen to the glory of God!
Listen closely for the voice of Jesus. In the book of Luke, a blind beggar receives his sight because he heard the voice of Jesus and cried out to Him that he might see. Jesus gave him his sight. (Luke 18:35-43). That blind man engaged all his senses and heard Jesus coming, he touched Jesus with his faith, he
Listen to the glory of God!
Listen closely for the voice of Jesus. In the book of Luke, a blind beggar receives his sight because he heard the voice of Jesus and cried out to Him that he might see. Jesus gave him his sight. (Luke 18:35-43). That blind man engaged all his senses and heard Jesus coming, he touched Jesus with his faith, he tasted Jesus’ grace when Jesus gave him sight, and he began to be a good fragrance of Christ to the world.
What about you?
What about you?
What about you?
Are you engaging all your senses to the glory of God? Do you use your ears to listen for the voice of Jesus? Or do you listen to the voices of fear, negative thoughts, and trouble? Are you extending "good words" for others to hear? Are you touching Jesus with your faith and touching others as Jesus did? Are you tasting Jesus’ grace and gi
Are you engaging all your senses to the glory of God? Do you use your ears to listen for the voice of Jesus? Or do you listen to the voices of fear, negative thoughts, and trouble? Are you extending "good words" for others to hear? Are you touching Jesus with your faith and touching others as Jesus did? Are you tasting Jesus’ grace and giving grace to others? Are you seeing people with the eyes of Jesus. Are you being a sweet fragrance of Christ to the world?
Choose to use your five senses for God’s glory. Inner-gize your senses by putting your eyes on Jesus and seeing His glory, being a sweet fragrance to the world, being Jesus’ hands and Jesus’ feet touching others, speaking life and hearing God’s voice, and tasting the goodness of God.
Matthew 6:33 that says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."