Quote from Forum Archives on February 8, 2007, 11:06 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

Several devotional booklets are available for free download in PDF format at
the new site. Just click on the "Free Book Downloads" link.

Join the Burning Bush Prayer Group! Send and receive prayer requests and be
a part of a great ministry. More than 400 wonderful people make up this
group. To join send an email to: BBPG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Be a part of the Burning Bush Community! Share prayer requests,
inspirational material, find help for addictions, and help others. Find out
more at the Burning Bush Community webpage:
www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=37647

The Burning Bush Devotional

Welcome to the 263 new subscribers since January 1, 2007!!

02.08.07

Change Your Life - Part II - Improve Your Life

(Part I was sent 12.30.06 and is posted at the website.)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:1-2.

In order to improve our physical health we not only need to eliminate those
foods which our bad for us but we also need to eat foods that are good for
us. Some of those foods are called antioxidants and the benefits of
antioxidants are well known. To change your physical health for the better
you need to stop the bad foods like Trans fats and add in the good foods
that contain antioxidants like fruits and vegetables.

Spiritually it is much the same we need to stop pouring the grains of sin
into our lives but at the same time we need to add in the spiritual
antioxidants that will protect us from the damaging attacks of the world,
the flesh, and the devil. There are three spiritual antioxidants that need
to be added to the life, to be a part of the life of every Christian if they
want their spiritual life to be changed and improved. What are they? They
are not a super secret and like vegetables and fruits for the body, the
spiritual antioxidants are available at very little cost and in great
quantity. The spiritual antioxidants are Prayer, the Word of God, and the
Church.

This is nothing new and yet only a small minority of those professing to be
Christians actually take advantage of all three of these spiritual
antioxidants. Let's examine each of these spiritual antioxidants that have
the potential of dramatically improving your spiritual life.

First, consider prayer, the Bible says about prayer in 1 John 15:14-15, "Now
this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of
Him." Samuel Chadwick was a great man of God who preached in England
beginning at the age of 21 during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Chadwick
most famous quote is that, "The one concern of the devil is to keep
Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies,
prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at
our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." William Carey, missionary to India,
said, "Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all
personal godliness." How can you talk to the living God without His having
an effect upon your life? Prayer will change, transform and improve your
life.

Second, is the spiritual antioxidant of the Word of God. Jesus says in
Matthew 4:4 quoting the Old Testament, "It is written: 'Man does not live on
bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" In
Ephesians 6:17b we read, ".the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God." And in Hebrews 4:12 we are told, "For the word of God is living and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the
division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart." Allow the Holy Spirit to use His
sword, the Word of God. Read the Word, study the Word, memorize the Word,
meditate upon the Word and your life will be changed, improved, and
transformed.

The third spiritual antioxidant I want us to consider is the church. Make no
mistake about the importance of the church. Christ loved the church. Christ
died for the church. That should put the church in the proper perspective
for you. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are told very plainly, very bluntly, "And
let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day
approaching." If you want to see your life changed, improved, and
transformed, make a commitment to attend every service of the church
regularly and faithfully. I made that commitment almost 30 years ago and I
have never regretted it. I have never regretted the time that I have spent
in church. No, the only thing that I regret is the years that I was not
attending church regularly and faithfully. Dwight L. Moody that great
evangelist of the 19th Century once said, "Church attendance is as vital to
a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man." Change
your life, improve your life, transform your life by attending church
regularly and faithfully.

God has given us the spiritual antioxidants that we need to improve our
lives. We cannot be living sacrifices to God unless we take advantage of the
spiritual antioxidants of Prayer, Bible, and Church. Transform your life;
improve your life by no longer being conformed to the pattern of this world.
Instead, have a regular intake of Prayer, Bible and Church. It will change
your life forever.

Copyright © 2007. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Prayer Requests: Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on
the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and
they will be forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group.

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-subscribe@welovegod.org

Streaming Videos of some of my sermons are posted at:
www.theburningbush.org/fbcswvideo.html

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-subscribe@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-unsubscribe@welovegod.org and then respond to
the confirmation email.