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 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 1
 In Mark 11:22 Jesus says ‘have the faith
of 
God’ Unfortunately most translations say ‘havefaith in God’ there is a vast difference. Your belief in God does not define Him; His faith inyou defines you.God’s belief in you gives your faith substance. The good news reveals God’s faith in man. Itreveals how God succeeded to rescue His image in man. Your faith is the reflection of God’sopinion of you. Your faith reveals the value you place upon God’s faith in you. ‘The life that Inow live in the flesh I live by the faith
of 
the Son of God’ Gal. 2:20. (Greek text, the faith
of 
not faith
in
)
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 2
 One of the saddest scriptures in the Bible is in Hebrews 4:2, ‘…but the word which theyheard did not benefit them, because it did not mix together with faith.’ God will never forceor impose himself on man. A relationship has no virtue outside of mutual consent. The mostfrightening thing about man is the fact that he has the ability to harden his heart and resistthe blessing and purpose of God!Heb.4:1 What a foolish thing it would be for us now if we would fail in a similar fashion toenter into the full consequence of our redemption.4:2 The gospel we have heard today is the same gospel preached in the promise, God hadman’s benefit in mind all along, yet because there was no faith to ignite the word, thepromise did not profit them at all.4:3 Faith secures our access into God's rest (into the result of His completed work) Hear theecho of God’s cry though the ages, "Oh! If only they would enter into my rest."The reason for His rest is founded upon the fact that His work is complete; the fall of humanity did not interrupt the perfection of His work. (Rom.3:3.)4:4 Scripture records the seventh day as the celebration of God’s perfect work, what Godsaw satisfied His scrutiny. (Behold it is very good, and God rested...Gen.1:31, 2:2)4:5 In Psalm 95 the same seventh day principle is repeated, "O, that they would access myrest!"4:6 It is clear then that the opportunity remains to enter into that which Israel failed to accessbecause of their unbelief, even though they were the first to hear the good news of God’sintention to restore mankind to the very same Sabbath that Adam lost.Today when you hear His voice, I pray that the eyes of your understanding will beenlightened to discover the full measure of God’s completed work in Christ in you!
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 3
 
To act right simply because it is ones duty is proper;but a good action which is the result of no law of obligationshines more than any. Thomas Hardy.
In the New Testament, James, the younger brother of Jesus, writes about a dynamicconcept, which he calls ‘the law of perfect liberty’. James 1:17,18,23-25. This lawdramatically challenges the way we think and feel about ourselves. James speaks about the
 
word of truth that reflects the face of man’s birth (genesis) as in a mirror. He calls this word,which proclaims God as our true origin, the law of perfect liberty. To perceive God as our origin and to discover in Christ how perfectly God succeeded to redeem His image in humanform, ignites a new order and quality of spontaneous life.
 
The law of perfect liberty in theGreek
, nomon teleion eleutherias
, means the following:
nomon,
law, order,
teleios,
completeor perfect,
eleutherias,
unrestrained, exempt from obligation or liability, spontaneous.(Inspired by faith and not by willpower)
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 4
 Religion traditionally proclaims and promotes man’s responsibility and obligation to observestrict prescribed codes of conduct. Only within the implicit obedience of these could manwish to score some points. The more we struggled to do the right thing the greater the senseof condemnation and guilt became whenever we failed. To even imagine a life withoutobligation and exempt from liability sounds reckless and irresponsible. Surely this law of spontaneity can be nothing more than wishful thinking. Yet the effect of this law guarantees alife expression of total fulfilment and liberty, complete, perfect and lacking in nothing. James1:4. We all know that the experience in ‘real’ life is often in sharp contrast. We haveaccepted the fact that we are incomplete, imperfect and will always be in lack...Could such a life of total fulfilment be available to your average man on the street, or is thisexclusively reserved for the odd priest or perhaps the Pope or possibly the Dalai Lama?
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 5
 The law of perfect liberty does not rely on man’s ability and disciplined performance to obeyand perform routine regulations and commandments. Like the law of gravity, this law worksspontaneously within a specific ‘magnetic’ field of influence. Living under the law of Moses or any moral law for that matter, depends entirely upon the individual’s willpower and self-discipline to consistently adhere to and obey the requirements of the law. Thus the law of obligation became the basis of man’s experience of condemnation, guilt, and a sense of failure, lack and inferiority. What keeps religion enslaved to this law is fear of punishmentand a hope for reward, whether it is the thought of escaping hell and gaining heaven oneday, or at least the pious feeling of applause and recognition now. Any measure of successachieved produced a ‘holier than thou’ attitude, which could easily become the breedingground for hypocrisy. The need to be noticed and applauded became more important to thePharisees than the good deed in itself. Mathew 6:1-8.
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 6
 Under the law of obligation, doing remains a duty and not a spontaneous lifestyle. So muchof religious zeal and energy involves man’s endeavour and effort to do things that willhopefully qualify him to be accepted by God. But sadly, within the day-to-day experience of most, the sense of distance between the Creator and the creature remains a reality.Ultimately, man remains isolated through feelings of guilt, inferiority and disappointment, and
 
is left with a vague hope that God will feel sorry enough for His pathetic and miserablecreatures to eventually excuse them and still slip them into His heaven one day in the sweetby and by. That is, if there is a God after all. The less spiritual feedback we encounter, themore we become dependent upon programs and structures of religious routine and rituals toat least keep the process going in the absence of God. It does not really matter what webelieve, as long as we just believe, we imagine.
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 7
 God is so much bigger than religion, as much as experiencing Him is bigger than our bestdefinition of Him. Someone once said: ‘A man with an encounter is not at the mercy of aman with an argument.’
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 8
 When one falls in love, one experiences a glimpse of the law of spontaneity: Suddenly youcannot do enough to please your partner; no sacrifice is too great, everything is shared inthe most unselfish manner. You look at the other person with eyes, which are new. Maybeyou even grew up together but never really noticed each other; yet, now you cannot get theperson out of your mind. You are thrilled with delight at the mere thought to be in thecompany and arms of the one you love. Life takes on a brand-new meaning. You findyourself to be more tolerant even with people around you who normally could irritate you anddrive you crazy. Your total attitude and outlook on life is renewed. Life is bliss.They say no one is perfect until you fall in love!THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 9Sadly, though, the goose bumps seem to gradually disappear, and we accept the fact thatmaybe life was never meant to always be such a high-peak experience. We were justbeginning to soar into a new dimension when we came back to earth with a thud. Maybe lifeis only a marathon and struggle where a select few survive to the bitter end?If we can discover and tap into the secret source of inspiration and passion, we can breakout of the routine of failure, disappointment and regret.In Christ God is not teasing us with possibilities beyond our reach, He gives definition to thelife of our design, our true and original value as in a mirror. This is our constant, our rockreference, our foundation that remains the same in any size storm
 THOUGHTS FOR LIFE February 10
 One of the following four things would normally motivate us:
Fear 
of failure or punishment.
of 00

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