About

He IS My Confidence Proverbs 14:26 TPT- Confidence and strength flood the hearts of the lovers of God who live in awe of him, and their devotion provides their children with a place of shelter and security. God provides us with a sense of confidence and security when we anchor our hopes in Him. But if we lose sight of where our help comes from, we can set ourselves up for a downfall. Prov. 16:18 NKJV - Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. TPT- Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure. The higher you lift up yourself in pride, the harder you’ll fall in disgrace. Confidence is a good thing! But overconfidence can become a trap and a stumbling block. The great golfer Arnold Palmer recalled a lesson about overconfidence: “It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, "Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus. On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trop, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters. You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again. I haven't in the 30 years since.” Half of all drownings happen to adults and kids who can swim. 1 Cor. 10:1-13 10 TPT- My dear fellow believers, you need to understand that all of our Jewish ancestors who walked through a wilderness long ago were under the glory cloud and passed through the waters of the sea on both sides. 2 They were all baptized into the cloud of glory, into the fellowship of Moses, and into the sea. 3 They all ate the same heavenly manna 4 and drank water from the same spiritual rock that traveled with them—and that Rock was Christ himself. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their dead bodies were scattered around the wilderness. 6 Now, all these things serve as types and pictures for us—lessons that teach us not to fail in the same way by callously craving worthless things 7 and practicing idolatry, as some of them did. For it is written: The people settled into their unrestrained revelry, with feasting and drinking, then they rose up and became wildly out of control! 8 Neither should we commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, which caused the death of twenty-three thousand on a single day. 9 Nor should we ever provoke the Lord, as some of them did by putting him to outrageous tests that resulted in their death from snakebites day after day. 10 And we must not embrace their ways by complaining—grumbling with discontent, as many of them did, and were killed by the destroyer! 11 All the tests they endured on their way through the wilderness are a symbolic picture, an example that provides us with a warning so that we can learn through what they experienced. For we live in a time when the purpose of all the ages past is now completing its goal within us. 12 So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. The Way of Escape: 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously. One Old Testament example of one who became overconfident and proud was Uzziah, king of Judah. Uzziah was only 16 years old when he was anointed as king over Judah. The Scripture says, “He did right in the sight of the Lord…” He sought the Lord and listened the voice of the prophet Zechariah who had understanding of through the vision of God; and AS LONG AS HE SOUGHT THE LORD, GOD PROSPERED HIM. (2 Chron. 26:5) God helped him to eliminate all his enemies and to become a brilliant builder and architect, farmer, and military tactician. Verse 15b…his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong. 16 But WHEN HE BECAME STRONG HIS HEART WAS SO PROUD THAT HE ACTED CORRUPTLY…for he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense before the altar of the Lord (wasn’t his place to do so! Only the priests were allowed to burn the holy incense on the altar of incense). Azariah the priest and eighty other priests went in after Uzziah and they opposed him. Uzziah became enraged against the priests, but while he was in a state of rage, leprosy broke out on his forehead and then he was in a hurry to get out of the temple. Uzziah spent the rest of his days as a leper, cut off from the house of the Lord and from his people. What a sad ending for such a brilliant start. PRIDE! Destructive! Samson was another example who lost sight of where his strength came from until he allowed himself to be seduced and lured into a deep sleep by Delilah. He had played the game with her too many times. But this time it caught up with him. When he was aroused by her when the Philistines came in, he jumped up and said- Judges 16:20 NASB- “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM. My dear friend, Tim Daniel who went home to be with the Lord about 7 years ago, wrote a song entitled, “Utterly Dependent” and the main emphasis of the song is that we are utterly dependent on the grace of God! The age-old problem of spiritual pride raises its ugly head from time to time and has to dealt with. It’s something that I as a leader don’t normally have to do, because it is not me that pride raises its head against. It is GOD who is being resisted! Peter wrote in his first letter to leaders and those who were growing up under those leaders. 1 Pet. 5:1- 5 TPT- Now, I encourage you as an elder, an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ, and one who shares in the glory that is about to be unveiled. I urge my fellow elders among you 2 to be compassionate shepherds who tenderly care for God’s flock and who feed them well, for you have the responsibility to guide, protect, and oversee. Consider it a joyous pleasure[b]and not merely a religious duty. Lead from the heart under God’s leadership—not as a way to gain finances dishonestly but as a way to eagerly and cheerfully serve. 3 Don’t be controlling tyrants but lead others by your beautiful examples to the flock. 4 And when the Shepherd-King appears, you will win the victor’s crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, the younger ones should willingly support the leadership of the elders. In every relationship, each of you must wrap around yourself the apron of a humble servant. Because: God resists you when you are proud but multiplies grace and favor when you are humble. Humility and Faith 6 If you bow low in God’s awesome presence, He will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands. Paul, in instructing Timothy about setting up churches gave the following instruction: 1 Tim 3:1-3 TPT- If any of you aspires to be an overseer (bishop, elder) in the church; you have set your heart toward a noble ambition, for the word is true! 2 Yet, an elder needs to be one who is without blame before others. He (they) should be one whose heart is for his (Their) wife (spouse) alone and not another woman. He should be recognized as one who is sensible, and well-behaved, and living a disciplined life. He should be a “spiritual shepherd” who has the gift of teaching and is known for his hospitality. 3 He cannot be a drunkard, or someone who lashes out at others, or argumentative, or someone who simply craves more money, but instead, recognized by his gentleness. 4 His heart should be set on guiding his household with wisdom and dignity; bringing up his children to worship with devotion and purity. 5 For if he’s unable to properly lead his own household well, how could he properly lead God’s household? 6 He should not be a new disciple who would be vulnerable to living in the clouds of conceit and fall into pride, making him easy prey for Satan. 7 He should be respected by those who are unbelievers, having a beautiful testimony among them so that he will not fall into the traps of Satan and be disgraced. Many young and talented potential powerhouses for God have launched out in ministry ahead of God before they have learned some very important lessons: humility, servitude, honor, submission to authority... Over-confident in their abilities, talents, and “knowledge” they go out to take on the world only to get beaten up by the enemy and become discouraged and lose heart. 1 Cor. 8:1b NKJV …. we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. God resists the proud, but GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE… That is those that realize that it’s by grace and grace alone that we are anything at all. Apostle Paul: 1 Cor. 15:1b “…by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” Our confidence must be in Him alone and the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us! Phil 1:6, Col 1:27, John 15:5 NASB- I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [a]bears much fruit, for apart from Me yo