When you think about suffering, what comes to mind? Do you envision bedraggled children with distended stomachs, a hospital patient hooked up to life-sustaining medical equipment, or a courageous veteran dealing with the aftermath of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Adversity seems to be a common denominator to human existence, but what does the Bible have to say about suffering?

Jesus spoke to His disciples about suffering. One of the most well-known verses reads, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 ESV). The Greek word for cross in this verse is staurós. It refers to the crossbeam which the lowest criminals carried as they trudged toward their execution. The cross symbolized degradation and indescribable pain as well as sacrifice.

While the invitation to eternal life is free, it comes at a price–certain suffering.

(MULTILINE)

THE FAMILY CHURCH MESSAGE NOTES
Title: Closing Open Doors: Live Like You Have a Promise
Subtitle: Closing The Doors on Inward Tattoos and The Old Man
Scripture: Matthew 12:43-45 (AMPC)
Speaker: Pastor Ted Winsley
Date: January 24, 2024

Introduction

We learned that Open doors keep us living in the making it almost impossible to believe and receive the promises that God has already made available. We learned that our past creates inward tattoos that keep doors open to the enemy creating a future that is worse than our past

Tonight, we will continue to “Live like we have a promise,” and learn to close every open door!

Inward tattoos – are the emotional impressed on our souls from the traumas of life that us, and make it difficult to believe for a better future because your has tattooed you!

(Demonstration with the door)

Read Matthew 12:43-45 (AMPC) 43 But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any.44Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated.45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation.

The truth is our destiny and God’s promise for our lives is far greater than our past

Colossians 3:8-10 & 12,13 (KJV) 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 

  • It is possible to be but still live like the man,
  • Until we close the door, we cannot anything new to !

10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

  • We close doors by our minds in the (epigonis- ) of Him, not your past!

….12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye

  • Doors don’t close unless something comes and something comes on to take its !

Read Ephesians 4:22-25 (AMPC) 22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; 23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], 24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

Closing doors means new: , experience’s, thoughts, that override old and inward tattoos !

  • When doors begin to close the Holy Spirit is able to show you that He has   /tattooed you with the image of God empowering you to live like !!

Ephesians 4:30-32 (AMPC) 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). 31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). 32 And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

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