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Expectant Prayers ®

Jennifer Jo Weiss

Filters

THE BLOG PARTY CONTINUES

I have been enjoying the blog party and I hope you all are too!  One thing I would like to mention is that all of the blogs I visited were outstanding!  My only complaint is that I found it hard to leave comments on several of them.  That's a complaint I share with my own blog, but many folks leave comments or prayer requests in my sidebar, which is just as great.   I am not computer savvy as some and at times it frustrates me (like trying to figure out where to leave comments).  I think I only ended up leaving one comment in about 30 blogs or so that I visited!   So, here's my plug for the day.... GO and visit the A/G Blog ring today.  You don't have to join in order to visit the blogs!  Even if you don't have your own blog, you will be blessed to simply connect with others through reading their blogs.  I have to say that many of my favorites were the pastors/ churches/ pastors wives blogs.   Its amazing how the internet has opened up so many avenues to "shine your light for Jesus."    So, when you're finished reading this, hit the A/G icon at the top of this page (in the purple header above marked "Assembly of God Blogs") and make some new friends today.



Filters

We have a lot of fish here in the Big Weiss house.  In fact, this week our son Moses  spent some of his own chore money on MORE fish for his tank; around $20 of hard earned money!

Fish can be an expensive hobby depending on what type of tank you have and if your fish tend to live a long time or not.  We don't have too much trouble with fish dying around here.  My beef is having the CLEAN the tank.  Our tanks have external filters that you have to change from time to time and definitely keep cleaned out on a regular basis, otherwise your tank will not stay clean and your water will not be clear- not to mention it will fill with toxins and could eventually kill your fish. 

On the box it says:  Ultra-activated carbon bio-bags absorbs odors and discoloration, dense dual-sided mesh catches debris and fish waste.  Sounds lovely- all gumdrops and roses, doesn't it?

Let me walk you through what its like to clean those filters.  When you remove the filters, immediately the waft of stinky, putrid fish smell overcomes you.  Gross.  You just want to gag.  Then you realize you should have cleaned them earlier because they are so full of "stuff".  You don't even want your hands touching them.  Then you take them to the sink- (as quickly as you can) so you can rinse them out.  Sometimes you can rinse them with water and they can be used again.  When you do rinse them, you can literally see the waste washing away and down the drain.  Other times they are so bad you end up changing them altogether. 

So, why all this talk about filters today?

Because.  I want us to realize that: 1.)  WE are filters unto the world today  2.) we must be careful about what WE are using as filters in our spiritual walk.


WE ARE FILTERS:
As filters for God, we are called upon to bring His pure, unadulterated Word into the world and to be used by His Spirit, even though WE are not pure vessels.    His Word declares that our righteousness (our ability to be pure and in constant right standing with God) is but filthy rags to Him.  

Just imagine how we look to God.  We're like those dirty fish filters in need of a good cleaning.  We need to be washed with the water of His Word and bathed in His spirit in order to keep ourselves rid of the junk that so easily pollute us.  Paul admonishes us to examine/cleanse ourselves daily to see if there be any wicked way in us.  If there is, don't leave it there.  If you do, you won't just damage yourself, but the entire tank (church).  God needs a clean vessel to flow through.  When you're all clogged up, God's Spirit cannot easily flow through you.    Most of what others know about Christ is what they see in YOU.  Do you want them to see pure "water" or that which is discolored, full of debris and waste?

Secondly, we must realize that we use "filters" every day in our own lives to tell us if something is of the Lord or not.  A friend of mine reminded me last week that there are several things that shape our way of thinking during the week; TV, radio, books, magazines.   You could say that "you are what you eat".  If you are continually feeding things to your spirit that are not good, they will eventually come out.  The Word tells us out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  What's in there will eventually come out.  Many times more than not, what is truly in our hearts comes out in times of testing... it "proves" what we are really made of.   Catch the key:
Whatever you are using to shape your thoughts is eventually what will be used as your filter! 
This being said, what should the rule be for faith and conduct in our lives as Christians?  The Bible.    The Bible should be used as THE filter for all things we hear (as far as spiritual teachings go).  We should examine all things in the light of Scripture to see whether or not things we ingest are from the Lord or not.

Too many people use "substitutes" for the Bible; other spiritual books, opinions of others (including people who claim to be Christian/ prophets/ etc.), mass media resources, even themselves.  I have taught for years how we view things, even judge things out of the grid of our own character.   This is so true, but I want you to look beyond that and consider... what has shaped your character?   Has the Word shaped your character?  Have you been transformed by the power of the cross?  Is the Holy Spirit shaping you, guiding you, giving you direction and discernment? 

In these last days, we are to guard our lives and our doctrines closely.  Jesus' teaching about how the days would be in the end times are clear in Matthew chapter 24 - and He began that teaching with the sentence "Watch out that no one deceives you."   That should give us all a big indication how important it is to watch.

Let me encourage you friends!  Use the filter, the Bible, that God gave to us and use it often!




"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)



"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."  2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)


"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."  Matthew 4:4 (NIV)


"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  John 1:1 (KJV)


"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."  1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)









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