Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

July 20
Monday


SMALL STEP-
GIANT LEAP

READ:
Ephesians 4:17-24
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Be renewed in the spirit
of your mind.
__Ephesians
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In July 1969, I was at Fort Benning, Georgia, training to become a US Army officer. Infantry Officer Candidate School was intense and highly regimented with only rare moments of free time. Surprisingly, on the evening of July 20, we were ordered to our company Day Room seated in front of a flickering television set, and told simply, "This is history."

Amazed, we watched Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong become the first human to set foot on the moon as he said, "That's one small step for Man; one giant leap for mankind Our usual curfew was suspended and we talked late into the night--not only about what we had witnessed but about life, God, and eternity. Our demanding routine had been interrupted, and our attention was shifted to what truly matters.

All of us need to shift our focus on a daily basis. Maintaining a regular time alone with God allows us to step away from our demanding jobs, break the routine, and concentrate on Him through the Bible and prayer. Our thoughts and actions will change as we follow Paul's urging to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Eph. 4:23).

What may seem like a small step can be a giant leap each day in our life of faith in Christ. __David McCasland
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````````````````````A small step is a giant leap```````````````````
```````````````````In growth and faith each day``````````````````
``````````````````If this step is your time with God````````````````
````````````````To read His Word and pray. __Sper```````````````
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Each small step of faith
is a giant step of growth.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 4:17-24*********

17 This I say, therefore, and
testify in the Lord, that you
should no longer walk as
the rest of the Gentiles
walk, in the futility of their
mind, 18 having their
understanding darkened,
being alienated from the
life of God, because of the
ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of
their heart; 19 who, being
past feeling, have given
themselves over to
lewdness, to work all
uncleanness with
greediness.

20 But you have not so
learned Christ, 21 if indeed
you have heard Him and
have been taught by Him,
as the truth is in Jesus:

22 that you put off,
concerning your former
conduct, the old man which
grows corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts, 23 and be
renewed in the spirit of
your mind, 24 and that you
put on the new man which
was created according to
God, in true righteousness
and holiness.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The old man (Eph. 4:22) is the nature we received from Adam that
has been corrupted by sin (Rom. 7:18). In order for the believer to
grow spiritually, he must have his mind renewed by the Word and
the Spirit (Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 2:14-16). We are told to put on the
new man, which reflects the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
The competing desires between old nature and new nature can
be remedied only by dependence on God, i.e., as we "walk in the
Spirit" (Gal. 5:16-17). __DENNIS FISHER