PRaP
1/3/08
“Have
You Made Your New Years Restitution?”
What
is this guy talking about? Doesn’t
he mean “Resolution”? Nope I
mean “Restitution”. The law of
restitution is the law of gains-based recovery. It is to be contrasted with the
law of compensation, which is the law of loss-based recovery.
If
you set a New Years Resolution the likelihood of you actually following through
was well 1 in a million. I know
there are some of you over achievers out there that nailed it but the majority
failed in the first quarter. Now
rather than making a new resolution it is now restitution because of the failure
of the previous year.
The
number one new years restitution is getting in shape and losing weight.
We set these unrealistic goals for ourselves and setup to fail in three
months. Well it is time to stop the madness and quit making New Years
Restitution and make some realistic “Resolutions”. Now in contrast to Biblical knowledge a resolution is a fast
from something and when we fast it is because we are seeking spiritual wisdom on
something. Well those of us that
have a few pounds to lose would be seeking wisdom in how not to eat so much or
how to safely exercise without hurting our bodies further. Thing is we have to do it in small chunks and then build up
from those. Set small easy to
attain goals for the first three months of the year and then gradually add a
little more and you will find that you will not be making restitution for a
failure in 2009.
There
are 14 scriptures in the NIV that are related to “restitution” in which all
are in the Old Testament, and NONE for “resolution”.
Now there’s something to think about.
If you look up “fast” or “fasting” there are 47 results which
some will be just the word fast as in moving fast but the majority of them are
on the fasting we are looking for. Here
are the scriptures for today taken from Matthew 6:
16"When
you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their
faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received
their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on
your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be
obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
19"Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and
where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22"The
eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full
of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is
that darkness!
24"No
one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he
will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and
Money.
25"Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about
your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the
body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds
of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do
not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Key
Verse:
Matthew
6:16
[ Fasting ] "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for
they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth,
they have received their reward in full.
Matthew
6:15-17 (in
Context) Matthew
6 (Whole
Chapter)
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PEACE
and AGAPE LOVE, Pastor, Dad, DJ Dude
From
The Desk Of:
Pastor
Stephen Eldridge
christian_connection_ministry_me@yahoo.com
c2C
http://www.c2cministry.org
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