Always open?

(08.16.21– The Power To Be Good –2 Timothy 1:7)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Sometimes, do you fall prey to believing you don't have the power to withstand sin becoming a prisoner of a mindset that tells you you will never be free?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

I own a fair number of power tools including saws, drills, staplers and other assorted devices. Recently while working on building a deck here at Beech Springs I noticed that my trusty old power drill just didn't seem to do the job as well as it had in the past. Sometimes it would sputter and quit right in the middle of trying to put a deck screw into the deck. Sometimes it would lose speed even though I had the trigger pressed to the maximum. As it turned out, the power cord had begun to pull away from the handle. Over time, with the insulation no longer there to protect it, the wire had started to crack causing a small power leak before the current ever got to the drill. A little electrical tape fixed that and it wasn't long before power was restored. Power was escaping that drill and, for a time, I was clueless as to why. Sometimes it's like that in our spiritual lives as well. We seem burned out, without the power to withstand temptation, and we don't have a clue why.

Here's a story: The famous escape artist, Harry Houdini once boasted that he could escape from any jail cell in the country. Frequently, he demonstrated his ability, but, on one occasion, something went terribly wrong. He climbed into a large, iron box. When the heavy door clanged shut, He pulled out a piece of thin metal concealed in his belt and started to pick the lock as he had done some many times before. For thirty minutes, he worked on the lock, but couldn't get it open. An hour passed, he was bathed in sweat, but he still couldn't pick the lock. Two hours went by, and he finally collapsed in frustration against the door he could not open. But, when he fell against the door, it swung open. It had never been locked! In his mind it was locked, and that’s all it took to keep him "locked" in and frustrated. (Source Unknown)

The Bible tells us that: "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). Sometimes, like Houdini's "locked" iron box, we fall prey to believing we don't have the power to withstand sin becoming prisoners of a mindset that tells us: "Jesus could do it but I'm not Jesus." If you find yourself saying that, there is one thing for certain: you have a power leak. Stop and check for the simple answer of what might be causing it. The power of Christ to free you from sin is not locked away, difficult to find or use. It became yours when you first believed; it will never go away. It's a free gift and it isn't locked away. Do you have a power leak; feeling powerless to overcome a fear or addiction? Remember, the power to overcome sin is a gift, not something you need to open. Jesus unwrapped it on Easter morning and has given it to you as a free gift. All you need to do is lean on it and be ready to walk on through.

We pray. Heavenly Father, often we fall prey to believing we don't have the power to withstand sin becoming prisoners of a mindset that tells us: "Jesus could do it but I'm not Jesus." When we find ourselves saying that, help us to stop and check for the simple answer of what might be causing our powerlessness:\ The power of Christ to free you from sin. It is not locked away, difficult to find or use, and it will never go away. It's a free gift. Lord when we have a power leak; feeling powerless to overcome a fear or addiction, remind us that the power to overcome sin is a gift, not something we need to open. Jesus unwrapped it on Easter morning and has given it to us as a free gift. All we need to do is lean on Him and be ready to walk on through. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.

Always open?

(08.16.21– The Power To Be Good –2 Timothy 1:7)

My friend, may I ask you a question? Sometimes, do you fall prey to believing you don't have the power to withstand sin becoming a prisoner of a mindset that tells you you will never be free?

My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.

I'm M. Clifford Brunner.

I own a fair number of power tools including saws, drills, staplers and other assorted devices. Recently while working on building a deck here at Beech Springs I noticed that my trusty old power drill just didn't seem to do the job as well as it had in the past. Sometimes it would sputter and quit right in the middle of trying to put a deck screw into the deck. Sometimes it would lose speed even though I had the trigger pressed to the maximum. As it turned out, the power cord had begun to pull away from the handle. Over time, with the insulation no longer there to protect it, the wire had started to crack causing a small power leak before the current ever got to the drill. A little electrical tape fixed that and it wasn't long before power was restored. Power was escaping that drill and, for a time, I was clueless as to why. Sometimes it's like that in our spiritual lives as well. We seem burned out, without the power to withstand temptation, and we don't have a clue why.

Here's a story: The famous escape artist, Harry Houdini once boasted that he could escape from any jail cell in the country. Frequently, he demonstrated his ability, but, on one occasion, something went terribly wrong. He climbed into a large, iron box. When the heavy door clanged shut, He pulled out a piece of thin metal concealed in his belt and started to pick the lock as he had done some many times before. For thirty minutes, he worked on the lock, but couldn't get it open. An hour passed, he was bathed in sweat, but he still couldn't pick the lock. Two hours went by, and he finally collapsed in frustration against the door he could not open. But, when he fell against the door, it swung open. It had never been locked! In his mind it was locked, and that’s all it took to keep him "locked" in and frustrated. (Source Unknown)

The Bible tells us that: "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). Sometimes, like Houdini's "locked" iron box, we fall prey to believing we don't have the power to withstand sin becoming prisoners of a mindset that tells us: "Jesus could do it but I'm not Jesus." If you find yourself saying that, there is one thing for certain: you have a power leak. Stop and check for the simple answer of what might be causing it. The power of Christ to free you from sin is not locked away, difficult to find or use. It became yours when you first believed; it will never go away. It's a free gift and it isn't locked away. Do you have a power leak; feeling powerless to overcome a fear or addiction? Remember, the power to overcome sin is a gift, not something you need to open. Jesus unwrapped it on Easter morning and has given it to you as a free gift. All you need to do is lean on it and be ready to walk on through.

We pray. Heavenly Father, often we fall prey to believing we don't have the power to withstand sin becoming prisoners of a mindset that tells us: "Jesus could do it but I'm not Jesus." When we find ourselves saying that, help us to stop and check for the simple answer of what might be causing our powerlessness:\ The power of Christ to free you from sin. It is not locked away, difficult to find or use, and it will never go away. It's a free gift. Lord when we have a power leak; feeling powerless to overcome a fear or addiction, remind us that the power to overcome sin is a gift, not something we need to open. Jesus unwrapped it on Easter morning and has given it to us as a free gift. All we need to do is lean on Him and be ready to walk on through. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.

If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”

<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.