Written by TWFYT
Saturday May 30
"You have heard that it was said...But I say to you." Matthew 5:21-22 NKJV
Around the turn of the nineteenth century, a Russian physician named Ivan Pavlov won a Nobel Prize for his experiments with dogs. All of them had one thing in common—they salivated around food. But Pavlov wanted to find out it salvation could be caused by another stimulus, so he conditioned the dogs by ringing a bell before feeding them. Eventually the dinner bell caused salvation, even if the food wasn't served. Pavlov referred to this learned relationship as a conditional reflex. We have all been consciously or subconsciously conditioned our entire lives. Much of our behavior was dictated by those conditioned reflexes. Some conditioned reflexes are a normal and natural as a blush. Others are as destructive as drinking to drown your sorrows. But conscious or subconscious, harmless or harmful, one thing is certain: we are far more conditioned than we realize. And one dimension of our spiritual growth id being reconditioned by the grace of God. Jesus said, "You have hear that it was said...But I say to you." Jesus uses this couplet repeatedly. What was He doing? He was uninstalling Old Testament applications and reinstalling New Testament truths. It was no longer "An eye for an eye." Jesus upgraded it to "Turn to them the other cheek," which required reconditioned reflexes (See Mt 5:38-39 NIV) Sometimes it's much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one. How does this change in our reactions take place? By the Holy Spirit. "We are being changed to be like him [Jesus]. This change...comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2Co 3:18 NCV).
Saturday May 30
"You have heard that it was said...But I say to you." Matthew 5:21-22 NKJV
Around the turn of the nineteenth century, a Russian physician named Ivan Pavlov won a Nobel Prize for his experiments with dogs. All of them had one thing in common—they salivated around food. But Pavlov wanted to find out it salvation could be caused by another stimulus, so he conditioned the dogs by ringing a bell before feeding them. Eventually the dinner bell caused salvation, even if the food wasn't served. Pavlov referred to this learned relationship as a conditional reflex. We have all been consciously or subconsciously conditioned our entire lives. Much of our behavior was dictated by those conditioned reflexes. Some conditioned reflexes are a normal and natural as a blush. Others are as destructive as drinking to drown your sorrows. But conscious or subconscious, harmless or harmful, one thing is certain: we are far more conditioned than we realize. And one dimension of our spiritual growth id being reconditioned by the grace of God. Jesus said, "You have hear that it was said...But I say to you." Jesus uses this couplet repeatedly. What was He doing? He was uninstalling Old Testament applications and reinstalling New Testament truths. It was no longer "An eye for an eye." Jesus upgraded it to "Turn to them the other cheek," which required reconditioned reflexes (See Mt 5:38-39 NIV) Sometimes it's much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one. How does this change in our reactions take place? By the Holy Spirit. "We are being changed to be like him [Jesus]. This change...comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2Co 3:18 NCV).
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2026
January
MAKE PRAYER YOUR FIRST PRIORITYBIBLE READING; THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (1)BIBLE READING; THE KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (2)BIBLE READING; THEY KEY TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH (3)LIVING IN THE PROMISED LANDWHEN YOUR MATE STRUGGLES WITH INSECURITYKEEP PERSEVERING AND REFUSE TO QUITSHOW YOUR APPRECIATIONCOUNT YOUR BLESSINGSTHE "DOWNSIDE" OF IMMORALITYHAVE YOU BEEN WRONGED? FORGIVE"KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON"BE SENSITIVE TO GOD'S PRESENCEA PRAYER FOR GOD-CONFIDENCELIVE FROM "GLORY TO GLORY"ABOUNDING GRACEPREVAILING PRAYERTHE FIRST BEATITUDETHE SECOND BEATITUDETHE THIRD BEATITUDETHE FOURTH BEATITUDETHE FIFTH BEATITUDETHE SIXTH BEATITUDETHE SEVENTH BEATITUDETHE EIGHTH BEATITUDEBE CONTENTYOU ARE A STEWARDDEMONSTRATING GOD'S KINGDOM WHERE YOU LIVEAVOID COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERSHE'S LOOKING FOR LABORERSKNOWING AND ENJOYING YOUR INHERITANCE
February
HOW TO CONQUER YOUR JERICHO (1)HOW TO CONQUER YOUR JERICHO (2)HEALING FOR YOUR MINDHUMBLE YOURSELF, AND TRY TO MAKE IT RIGHTYOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCELIVE ON PURPOSE, FOR A PURPOSEHOW TO "RENEW" YOUR MINDFIGHT FOR YOUR MARRIAGETRUE REPENTANCE BRINGS RESTORATION"I HAVE SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE ME"RESPONSIBILITY AND THE "ABILITY TO RESPOND"MEDITATE AND ASSIMILATECLICK THE SAVE BUTTONBE CONFIDENT OF GOD'S LOVE FOR YOUGOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (1)GOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (2)GOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (3)GOD FORGIVES AND FORGETS (4)PRAYER IS YOUR CONNECTION TO GODHEALING FOR ANXIETYEXPERIENCING GOD'S PEACETHE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF LEADERSHIPSTAY TRUE TO THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORDLEARN TO LISTEN TO GODOVERCOMING ENVYRELY ON GOD, NOT YOURSELFPAID IN FULLTRY FOR RECONCILIATION
March
HAVING A SPIRIT-CONTROLLED TONGUE (1)HAVING A SPIRIT-CONTROLLED TONGUE (2)EMBRACE "THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD"CONFIDANTS, CONSTITUENTS, COMRADESIT CAME TO PASS—NOT STAYLIVE FOR A CAUSE GREATER THAN YOURSELFFREE FROM GUILT AND CONDEMNATIONPRAYER IS YOUR CONNECTION TO GODJUST PLAY YOUR PARTYOU ARE AN AGENT OF RECONCILIATIONLEARN TO LISTEN TO GODWHEN YOU LONG FOR COMPANIONSHIPTHE WHOLE WORLD MUST HEAR GOD'S WORDWILL YOU HEAR CHRIST, OR THE CRISIS?LIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT (1)YOU CAN OUTGROW THE PROBLEMGOD WILL GIVE YOU KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDINGLIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT (2)THE WAY UP IS DOWNTHE WORST FAILURE...IS FAILURE TO TRYARE YOU WASHING YOUR NETS?"OVERNIGHT SUCCES" USUALLY TAKES MANY YEARSYOU HAVE FULL FORGIVENESSKNOW WHO YOU AREHE'S THE GOD OF NEW BEGINNINGSGOD IS "AT WORK IN YOU"OVERCOMING WORKAHOLISMTHE TOUCH OF HIS HANDCHRIST CAN SATISFY YOUR SOULTRY FASTINGGOD IS WORKING IN YOU, WITH YOU, AND THROUGH YOUASK GOD FOR A DREAMTODAY GOD IS "WITH YOU"