Saturday, January 16, 2010

TRADITION FREE!


"Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition."
(Matthew 15:6)


". . . The phrase ‘one last shaking' means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered." (Hebrews 12:27 – The Message)



Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I have declared my independence from meaningless forms, routines and traditions in my life that are contrary to my present reality, and that make the word of God ineffective for me. I am moving past archaic and passé ways of thinking about God or life or myself. The limiting, antiquated ideas and philosophies that I have accumulated over the years are being exposed for the irrelevant relics that they are. I am free to think a new way!


Today I will not believe something just because someone told me to believe it. I will have the confidence to think for myself, and the courage to expose a lie that I have accepted when I recognize that it is, indeed, a lie. I will be able to maintain my love and respect for someone important to me, without feeling obligated to believe everything they say.


Today I will consider the word of God as the final authority on every subject.







Today I will honor the Lordship of Jesus as the highest priority in my life.









Today I will cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in my inner man.






Today I will reject, resist and renounce all forms of the man-made religion that exalts itself against God's true Kingdom. I will pull down strongholds in my mind that were imparted to me from the religious system that are contrary to the knowledge of God. Religion is the enemy, and I will have no part of it and its silly fables, false doctrines, and pointless works of the flesh.


Today I will enjoy the good traditions from my family, my childhood, my country, my heritage. I will benefit from sage advice – the wisdom of the ages – and from lessons learned by life experience. I will restore the old landmarks, and will be a link to the next generation by passing down what is noble and worth keeping. But I will also know how to discern the difference between healthy, foundational traditions, and the ones that are holding me in the past. In that context, today, I will be tradition-free, and today I will live in the now!


Father, help me to break free of all unnecessary tradition today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike Williams said...

This is absolutely awesome!! Thank you for this prayer!

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, Mike...it's today's entry in my devotional book 'A Year In The Now'...

Anonymous said...

Amalia Amaki said...

images are also so powerful, as usual

River said...

I AM

I Am Not Black
I Am Not White
I Am The Water That Brings Eternal Life

I Am Not Greek
I Am Not Jew
I Am The River That Flows Through You

I Am Not Male
I Am Not Female
I Am The Rain That Showers Away Pain

I Am Not Young
I Am Not Old
I Am The Spring That Takes Care Of Everything

I AM

4-18-2008

He Is Not Tradition
He Is Not A History Lesson
He IS

word ver. prestep
We tend to step/speak of Him before we hear what He really is saying to us.

The Poem I Am Came To Me When I Questioned Him About Who He Was.

P. Avery said...

Today's time of ministry in the middle of praise and worship, breaking free from the tradition, was perfect. That time was very holy and it even seemed as if the praise was different "after" people freed their minds and hearts. It HAS to be that minds were more open to hear the Word.

~"I" must become "we", then becoming an "I" again.~
Deep.

~Moses' fleeing enemies versus David inviting his to sit at the table and see what God's gonna do.~
That needs some selah time.

Bishop, your gift for using simple phrases, like the two above, to boil down difficult concepts is like a garden variety rock: deceptively simple until it is deftly placed in the God-designed walkway that leads to the garden of the Tree-of-Life.

Today was a beautiful day at CITN.

Anonymous said...

Denise Smith said...

Beautiful! You always protect the "balance," Bishop..I respect that.

Karl said...

Amen bishop...breaking free.

River...nice poem...let it run.

P. Avery..."God-designed walkway to the tree of Life"...cool image.

Breaking free today!


Bishop, your words of how you were at school in the eyes of others connects with me in regards to how to see and understand my son better...as a talker, visionary, dreamer, something to say kind of son, and I will seek the way "he" should go. Thanks.

From your message; I am part of God's dream.
You can't take my dream away because you didn't give it to me.

You are God's dream come true.

I have to do it the way that is right for me.
The dream God puts in your heart is bigger than you.

Love- Karl