A New Year of Change by Filoiann Wiedenhoff

New Year of Change


With every new year I ponder on the prior year and remember the good and the bad but most importantly I examine whether or not I have grown spiritually or have I stayed stagnant in my walk with God or worse digressed. I do this every year to remind myself that no matter how long I have been a born again Christian, I still have much to learn and new growth waiting to spring up in me if I would just allow God to continue to water and nurture my life with His living water.

I’m not saying I am not blessed where God has me. I just believe that God’s ultimate goal for our lives is to be transformed into His image as His salt and light to the world and when I examine my heart soberly before God I see the areas in my life He desires to change and give me victory in, so that I can experience the fullness of God and the abundant life He has for me.

The word “Change” has been coming up a lot lately especially for 2009 and I believe that word is for me. Do you think that word may also be for you? One day I was in the midst of prayer and I was praying my usual, “God help me in this particular area” prayer when I felt the Holy Spirit remind me of this scripture;

“And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." NKJV Matthew 9:28-29.

When I remembered this passage, I immediately responded as the blind men did and said, “Of course I do God!” but for good reason I sensed God was asking me a hypothetical question and after some thought I realized, that in certain areas I have abundant faith, but in the areas that I struggle with, it is as if I have no faith at all. Yes faith that God can certainly heal or change others but for me, Nah…I will just have to struggle with this the rest of my life.

God impressed on my heart that He wanted me to change the way I viewed His power in my life. At our last women’s retreat I shared a devotional from Reverend Charles Spurgeon who wrote with beautiful transparency. He wrote how easy it was for Him to believe God could move mountains for others but for himself in certain areas he did not always think it possible. He was confessing how easy it is to have faith for others to be healed but for ourselves we think it impossible. I was encouraged to know that I was not alone and confessed that was how I viewed my struggles. Yes, for everyone else it is not impossible for God but for me, not so possible.

Can you relate? Do you have certain areas in your life you want God to give you victory in but you just don’t think it’s going to happen? I believe God wants to change our hearts and point of view to a faith that believes and receives that He can… especially for us.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV- Heb 11:6

That same night I asked God to help me in my unbelief and made a conscience decision that I was going to believe God was able in this area and the very next morning my heart was definitely changed. From a heart that was feeling defeated to a heart that believed God could do this in my life. I just needed to believe and as I took active steps by faith I began to see a transformation take place and I am still seeing it as I keep moving forward in His direction.

I understand now that in order to experience victory in my life in these areas I first needed to change the way I viewed God in light of His power in my life and also I needed a change of heart from unbelief to believing by faith He was able.

Did you know the Hebrew definition for “repentance” is having a change of mind, a fundamental and thorough change in the hearts of men and women from sin towards God? As we take a deeper look at the word “change” in regards to repentance we will also find that change is only the beginning or shall I say the starting point of a new direction. Real and true change comes when we confess our sin, stop walking in that sin, turn and go towards God and walk in His direction.

The interesting thing about change is once you walk along the path in a new direction it now becomes a new destination and for us who walk in Christ are walking in new life. “Therefore If anyone is in Christ, is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” NKJV - 2 Corinthians 5:17. There is no condemnation, God in turns forgives us of the past and then gives us new life in Him.

I would like to challenge you by asking you to take a moment to examine your heart and your life soberly and see if there is anything you believe God would like to change in you, grow you or give you victory in. Also, if you need to repent by all means repent from your unbelief and ask God to help you believe. God is a forgiving God and is able to do above and beyond what you can imagine or think and is faithful to do it!

God loves you and has a plan for your life and would like nothing more than to see you fulfill His plan for you according to His will through Him. It reminds me of the worship song, “Change my heart O God”,

Change my heart O God
Make it ever new
Change my heart O God
May I be like You
You are the Potter
I am the clay
Mold me and make me
This is what I pray


May the Lord bless you with a change of heart that glorifies Him and makes you anew and afresh in Him.

Filoiann Wiedenhoff is a pastor’s wife, woman’s biblical counselor, bible teacher, writer and columnist. You can visit her website at www.filoiannwiedenhoff.com.

The Resurrection of Christ Brings us New Life!

Ah Easter, one of my favorite holidays of the year. We love Easter because it is not only one of the most spiritual holidays but a time for reflection and family to come together. It is a remembrance of Jesus rising from the dead, known as His Resurrection.

Most of us who have grown up in church have been taught the resurrection and the significance of why he rose from the dead, but what most people may fail to recognize in this very important event was His main purpose for doing it.

In our modern day vernacular we understand the main significance of Easter as Christ the Messiah resurrecting from the dead to not only prove that He was the Son of God who is not dead but alive, but also to give to us who believe new life in His name.

Although we learn this and hear this every year at Easter Service, we forget or are unaware to take it further into our own personal lives that as He was given new life we also have been given new life through Him.

Romans 6:3-5: "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." NKJV

The main purpose that I was mentioning earlier is how we as His believers are to appropriate His resurrection into our own daily lives by receiving His new life into our hearts as new creations by faith, and as it says here in Romans 6:5, "we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." In other words, our transformation comes through living out His new life in us.

2 Corinthians 5:17: "If any man be in Christ He is a new creation, the old has passed away behold all things become new." NKJV

Galatians 2:20: " I am crucified with Christ. I no longer live but Christ lives in me, the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." NKJV

If you have received Jesus Christ into your heart, my question to you is: Do you believe that you are a new creation in Christ, that you have a new life in Christ through the Holy Spirit? That your old nature has passed away or been put to death with Christ on the cross? That you yourself have been resurrected from the dead and now live in this new life?

These concepts may be hard to swallow, and I understand that you may have never thought of Christ's resurrection in this light before; but this is exactly what God's Word says and also why Christ rose from the dead, to give His new life to you through the Holy Spirit.

This understanding can only be received by grace through faith. It is not a concept you can rationalize into your life or earn it into your life by works; it has to be received by faith because it is a supernatural gift that can only come from God.

Romans 8:10-11: "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." NKJV

My prayer for you this Easter is that you would receive from Jesus His new life in you by faith. That you are a new creation in Christ, the old has passed away and the new has come and therefore live as new creations and dearly loved children of God that will walk according to His Spirit and glorify His name.

Romans 8:15: "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, and by him we cry, "Abba, Father." NKJV

Happy Easter from my family to yours!

Helpful Tips on Having a Quiet Time

Spending quiet time means to set aside time alone with God. Whether it is 10 minutes or 30 minutes doesn’t matter, what matters is that you make the time and be consistent in doing it everyday. Making the time is important because it sets a foundation for your walk and relationship with God.

I put together some tips that I personally use and hope that you will be blessed. You can change it; adapt it to your own quiet time or whatever you wish to do. This is simply a guide to give you some direction if you are new to Christianity or just needing some added tips to your own quiet time.

Here they are as follows:

Prepare: Spending quiet time will take some preparation on your part. You will need to answer some important questions; What time is best for you to have your quiet time? What place is best for you to read and pray that is private? What resources will you need for your quiet time? Take some time to think and plan out making time with God and you will most likely be more consistent doing it.

Plan Ahead: A suggestion would be to plan ahead of time what you will need for your quiet time. To get either a basket or box that will fit your bible, pen or pencil, note pad or journal, daily devotional, bible dictionary, Webster’s dictionary or bible commentary. These are all suggestions but bible pen and paper are a definite must.

Pray: I encourage you to pray through out the day but for your quiet time it is good to pray specific. Pray for God to speak to you in your time with Him and your time in His Word and believe by faith He will answer you.

Passage & Scripture Reading: Whether it is a daily devotional, reading a chapter in the bible or a scripture reference book. Whatever the Lord is putting on your heart to read, is good as long as you have a scripture or passage in God’s word.

• Read the particular passage.
  
• Read the particular passage in context. Which means, to read the entire chapter to fully understand why the passage is there and what it means?
  
• See if there are any specific words that speak to you in that passage, like love, faith, or doubt, etc… make note of that as possibly your theme for the day and passage.
  
• Feel free to look up definitions of those words to add some depth.
  
• Look up cross-references and possible summary of passage if possible.

Journal: Write down the passage or scripture that speaks to you, what it means and what it is speaking to you personally and your own personal thoughts.

Ponder the Lesson: Take a moment to ponder the passage you are reading and what God is speaking to you about in that particular lesson and then ask God to help you receive it in your heart and mind and give you full understanding of it’s meaning.

Personal Application: Find out what this particular lesson is speaking to you personally and how you can apply it to your life today. Journal that also.

Personal Prayer: Pray and ask God to help you not only receive the personal message God has given you but also the power to apply it to your life today by faith.

Praise Him: Praise God for His faithfulness and thank God for all that He is and all He does and has done in your life and the life of others.

Prayer Time: If time permits or you are led to pray and intercede, take a moment and ask God to put people or situations on your heart to pray for and He is faithful to answer that prayer.

Don’t forget to close in prayer.

When the Lord gives me a message or lesson for the day, I ponder and meditate on that lesson, message or particular scripture throughout the day so that it will be written on my heart and mind and hopefully memorized by the end of the day and am able to apply it.

I hope these tips will help give you a jump start to do your own quiet time and deepen your relationship with Christ even more. Blessings!

___________________________________

Inspirational Devotional

"Seek Him First"

Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you."

In life we are tempted to seek after many things, with so many distractions and interruptions that can take us away from the things that really matter. What does Jesus say here in Matthew 6:33? To seek first the kingdom of God. The word "seek" in the Hebrew means "to search for as in searching for silver or gold".

The bible says that where our treasure is our heart will be also. What is your treasure today? Are you spending time with God? If not I want to encourage you to remember Christ as your first love and return to Him and go back to doing the things you did at first. Anything that we put before God is considered an idol and apart from Him we can do nothing.

What does Jesus say will happen if we seek the Kingdom of God first? That all these things will be added or given to us. I encourage you to make a decision today to do as Mary did; she chose to sit at the Lord's feet rather than be "busy" for God, and Jesus said that Mary made the better choice and it will never be taken away from her. When we choose to seek Him first ,He gives us more than we can imagine or think in return which is Christ Himself and what more could we possibly want?

Personal Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is so easy for me to be busy. Please help me to slow down, sit at your feet and spend time with you that I can make you my number one priority and return to you as my first love. Please forgive me if I have strayed and refresh my heart and make me new again. Thank you Jesus for loving me and hearing my prayers. Amen