Books
Wait Quietly for the Lord to Save You
by Linda Sedrick Pearson
Lamentations 3:22-26 We are still alive because the LORD’S faithful love never ends. Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! I say to myself, “The LORD is my God, and I trust him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who look for him. It is good to wait quietly for the LORD to save them.
Did you ever think about how you were still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends? He shows you his love in a new way every morning. Each morning is different in how God loves you. He comes at you with his love in a different angle every morning. How awesome and wonderful is that!
I can say that I do trust God. He is my God and I trust him with everything I am or ever will be. I wait patiently for God to decide I have finished my race. Some day he will call me home. I hope he will say to me, “Welcome home, my daughter, my good and faithful servant.” There are no other words that will sound as sweet as that.
I am at peace in my spirit, soul, and mind for the first time in my life. I thank God for that. I am ready, Lord, for whatever you have in store for me. I am ready to stand up as your servant and confess that you are my God. I know that some will close their ears and refuse to hear. Others will turn and walk away. I will not be discouraged and I will not stop writing or speaking the words you give me. Lord, I am your’s so do with me what you will. I wait quietly for you to save me out of this world.
How about you? Are you quietly waiting for the Lord to save you? Have you ever accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not take the new way of love God is showing you today and accept him right now?
Love and Fear
by Linda Sedrick Pearson
2 Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (Easy Reader Version, ERV)
2 Timothy 1:6-7 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (King James Version, KJV)
Stir up the gift of God that is in you. What is that gift? That gift is love. Why did Jesus Christ come in the flesh to die for our sins? Because of love. No one will ever love you like God loves you. So stir up that love inside of you. Realize that God loves you. Hold it close, stir it up, fan the flames of that love.
God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear. If you are walking around afraid of things, maybe you need to take another look at the spirit that is in you. It could be that instead of the Spirit of God, it is a spirit of satan. When fear comes, look inside of yourself to see exactly what spirit is causing it. Find the root of the problem and it boot it out through prayer, confession, and most of all love of God. Use the sound mind and power that God gave you – use it to pull up that root of fear that is within you. Cast it out of you, reject it. Clease yourself by confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came in the flesh, was born of a virgin, died on the cross for every sin of every person, was resurrected and now sits on the right hand of God the Father. Confess these things out loud when fear comes and soon that fear must flee away from you. There is power in the name of Jesus and in your confession of all these things that Jesus Christ did. Be set free! God loves you!
Spiritual Warfare – Discernment
by Linda Sedrick Pearson
1. Investigate the facts.
Make sure a statement is true before you accept it as truth. Be willing to fight your own feelings and preferences to find the honesty of the facts. They must line up with the truth of God’s Word even if that goes against what you feel or thought you knew.
2. Make sure it lines up with God’s Word.
A statement or action must line up with God’s Word without you taking away from or adding to the scriptures in order to make it fit. This is the only way to get the real truth. If it does not fit 100% with God’s Word, then it is either a complete lie or falsehood or at least a partial lie. It doesn’t matter what you think or feel about a truth. If it is the truth, it is what God gives us about it and we must accept it as truth.
3. If it is a true fact, accept it even if it doesn’t “feel good” by the world’s standards.
The world tries to convince us that if something “feels good” then it is okay. When God works on us through His Word, it doesn’t always “feel good” at the time. We have to confront our own sins, confess them, ask God’s forgiveness, and receive His forgiveness. We have to deal with anger, disappointments, rejections, and many other “feel bad” things before we can accept God’s whole truth. The key is to deal with these things. Stand up for the truth no matter what.
4. Be careful of what you stand in argument with.
Make sure everything lines up biblically with God’s program of salvation and eternal living. If it has any other purpose, reject it and do not be in agreement with it. Don’t be led astray by something that half true.
5. Train yourself to be spiritually discerning.
You can train yourself through Bible study, prayer, meditating on God’s Word, and by being alert at all times. This does not mean to be suspicious of everything and everyone. It means to test the spirits, think about it, pray about it, look for scriptures to back it up, ask God’s help and advice on how to deal with anything or anyone you are not sure about. Train yourself to be discerning.
6. Be prepared to take a stand even if everyone else is in agreement with a situation.
There are many instances in the Bible when one or two persons had to stand against a crowd because the crowd was wrong. The crowd thought they were right. The one or two persons knew the crowd was wrong and they were right. Right is right no matter what someone else thinks or feels. It is the truth – stand on the truth even if you face rejection. God will NOT reject you.
7. Resist deceptions of Satan and build up your discerning spirit.
Satan will do anything he can to deceive you, including giving you just enough of God’s Word – with his twist on the end of it. This is when you need to go back to number one above and investigate the facts. Is it all true? Is it 50% true? Is none of it true? Discern the truth. Open your spiritual eyes and wake up your spiritual mind. Pay attention to the details. That is the Godly way of handling things. Spiritual discerning is having the right wisdom to know the truth.
Envy and Strife or Good Will Preaching
Philippians 1:15-16 “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will.” (KJV)
Some preach Christ with envy and strife. Some preach with good will.
One preaches Christ with selfish ambition, not sincerely, expecting to add to my chains (or troubles and trials). Philippians 1:17 “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.”
The other preaches with love, knowing that I am appointed to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:18-19 “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Either way, whether preached by a pretender or by one true preacher of Christ, Christ is preached. Rejoice because Christ is preached. Because these will all cause salvation through prayer and supply the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
(By Linda Sedrick Pearson)
Fighting Against Self
Romans 7:15-17
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
I always like it whenever I find places in the Bible where those people had the same problems that I do. It means they were human just like we are. They had the same battles, the same shortcomings, as the rest of us. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it gives me a little peace about myself.
I am always doing things that I really never meant to do – I go against my own spiritual warnings and do it anyway. I fight against my flesh everyday, every hour, every minute. Sometimes I get tired of fighting against myself and just give in. Not that I want to sin, it’s just that I sometimes get tired and give in.
That’s what Paul was telling us in these verses – that he was battling constantly with himself. He never meant to sin, but he was always doing things he knew were not right. He was human – just like us. He was a great preacher and teacher, but he was also human and made mistakes.
I thank God for putting that in His word, the Bible, so that I could find it, read it, and learn from it. He is telling me that even though there will be times when my flesh will win battles over my spirit, I am still His child. I am not to give up and quit trying – I am to continue forward and forgive myself. I am to ask God to forgive me and move on. I am to continue to battle and fight with myself while stepping on forward toward God and the salvation of Jesus Christ.
If you are going through the same thing, don’t give up. I know you get tired and sometimes wonder why you should keep trying. You have to continue on your path to salvation – keep stepping forward toward the kingdom of God. God knows you will fail at times – forgive yourself, pray for God to forgive you (confess your sin to God), then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again moving toward Jesus Christ. If you do that, you will succeed in your battles!
Bible Study for Sep 9 2009
by Linda Sedrick Pearson
Rev 22:16-19
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
God tells us that it is our job to put the word out there for people and to do our best to testify for him. It is up to the people to accept or reject the word and Jesus Christ. We cannot force them to accept him and should never try to do that. The word is powerful. Put the word out there. God’s word will never come back void (meaning your teachings and testimonies are never in vain). At the very least you have done what God has instructed all Christian to do – testify and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have to be careful that we don’t add or subtract from God’s word. Do not tell people that the Bible says something unless you know for a fact that is what it says. Jesus tells us in Revelation that “if any man shall add unto these things [meaning God's word], God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy God shall” remove that person’s name from the book of life, out of the new Jerusalem, and from the things (promises) which are written in this book (the Bible).
That shows us how serious God is about his word and his protection of it. Remember, your job is not to rewrite or edit the Bible. Your job is to put it out there as God gave it to us and let the people do their part to accept or reject it.
