Reeva,

This is another good one for me to ponder . . ..

Thanks.

--
Carol
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Reeva Parry" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 4:06 PM
Subject: The Grace To Keep Going


> The Grace to Keep Going
>
> Romans 16:17-20
>
> I can't take it." "I give up." "I quit." These are powerful words which,
> when we act on them, deeply impact others' lives as well as our own. Let's
> look
> at three key reasons which cause us to express these sentiments.
>
> Satan and his fallen angels' influence is one reason that we walk away 
> from
> the Lord's plan. Through their involvement in our goings-on, we can be
> tempted
> to stop waiting on God for solutions and instead seek a way out now. 
> Running
> ahead of God is the same as declaring that His promises do not hold true.
> This is something the Devil wants. Discouragement is another of his
> tactics - he tries to redirect our focus away from hope in Jesus Christ 
> and
> onto our
> negative emotions. His aim is to make us feel helpless and hopeless. His
> strategy also includes getting believers to copy the methods of the
> unbelieving
> world and ignore any future consequences of quitting.
>
> A second reason we stop following God's plan is the influence of our
> culture. Ungodly people are always ready to give believers advice. We need
> divine wisdom
> to set ourselves apart from their thinking and yet stay close enough to be
> able to share God's viewpoint and message of hope with them.
>
> Our own "natural self" - also known as "the flesh" - is the third reason 
> we
> might want to bypass God's way. Sacrifice isn't comfortable; our natural
> tendency
> is to do what feels good and benefits us or those we love.
>
> God declares that His grace is sufficient to keep us going through every
> situation. That means we need never give up. How does this apply to your
> life today?
>
>
> -- 
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