Keys to Freedom

Keys to Freedom TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Have you ever been locked out of your car or house? It can be very frustrating, not to mention inconvenient. Not having your keys can keep you stuck and unproductive. It steals your time and can steal your peace and joy if you let it. On a spiritual level, we need keys to access what God has for us — eternal life, peace, freedom and blessing. But, we don’t have to stand on the outside of blessing, living in frustration. Jesus holds the keys, and He has opened the way for us to walk from death to life. We don’t have to live in defeat, mediocrity, sickness, sin or any kind of bondage any longer. He has given us the keys to abundant life! Today, if you feel stuck, locked out or defeated, remember, Jesus is the one who holds the keys to your freedom. All you have to do is call on His name and He will answer. He promises to hear you and deliver you. Receive His salvation, receive hope, and receive the freedom and victory He came to give. A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, today I come boldly to You. Thank You for giving me life through Your Son, Jesus. I surrender every area of my heart to You and ask that You make me whole and complete. Set me free and show me the keys to every blessing You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Short Term Thinking Keeps You from Seeing Clearly

BY RICK WARREN — JUNE 30, 2014

“His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’” (Mark 8:16-17 NCV)

You’re going to miss what God is doing in your life if you remain focused on the here-and-now and not what God wants to do in your life long term. When you’re thinking about comfort rather than character, when you’re thinking about your happiness and not your holiness, when you’re thinking about enjoying now instead of preparing for eternity, you’re caught up in short-term thinking, and it will keep you from seeing life clearly.

This is what happened with the disciples. Jesus was trying to teach them a lesson about pride by using yeast as a metaphor. The Bible says in Mark 8:16-17, “His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’” (NCV)

Jesus was trying to teach the disciples a lesson about life, and they thought he was talking about lunch! He was talking about the need for maturity, and they were talking about their next meal. That’s short-term thinking.

Short-term thinking keeps us from seeing how God is working in our lives. It’s one of the great weaknesses of American culture. It’s hard to think long-term today because everything in our society teaches you to do the opposite. We rob the future to enjoy today. We’re setting up years and years of unpayable debt to future generations so we can do what we want now.

Whenever you’re thinking short-term, you can’t see what God’s doing in your life. You can’t see his long-range plans for your character when you’re just thinking about your own comfort.

Talk It Over

• What are the small ways you can keep a long-term, eternal mindset throughout your day?
• What would long-term thinking look like in your family? Your career? Your spiritual walk?
• Where do you see God working in your life?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3o3DiMVdOI