OBEY FIRST #4 MAKE FREEDOM YOUR FIRST FOCUS by Rabbi Brian Bileci -1-28-24

“SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these THINGS will be given to you too.” - Matthew 6:33 (VOICE)You CROWN the YEAR with a fruitful harvest; the paths are worn down by carts OVERFLOWING with UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH.” - Psalm 65:11 (VOICE)HOW TO MAKE FREEDOM & UNSTOPPABLE GROWTH YOUR FOCUS IN 2024:1. ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACKI ACKNOWLEDGED my SIN to You, and my INIQUITY I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions...You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and INIQUITY of my SIN. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! - Psalm 32:5 (AMPC)A. ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM•  INIQUITY - Root to the Bad Fruit•  SIN - Branches of the Tree•  TRANSGRESSION - Bad Fruit from the RootFor I ACKNOWLEDGE my TRANSGRESSION, and my SIN is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I SINNED, and done this evil in Your sight...Psalm 51:3 (NKJV)B. ACCEPT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY•  Admit it! •  Quit it!•  Forgive it!•  Forget it!C. ACT RESPONSIBLY TO CHANGE THE PATTERN“The Problem is not the Problem, the Problem is the Pattern!”14 ... How long will you hold on to your EVIL THOUGHTS?...19 I’m SUFFERING! I’m really SUFFERING! I’m hurting badly. My heart is SUFFERING so much!... - Jeremiah 4:14,19a (NIRV)“Recognize and ACKNOWLEDGE your TOXIC EMOTIONS. These feelings must be dealt with rather than being repressed. You feel the way you feel. Don’t make excuses. Identify the sources of your feelings. When possible, avoid negative people and seek out positive ones.” ~ Bryan Golden... 22 I am OPPRESSED and NEEDY. I can feel the PAIN in my HEART…25 I have become the VICTIM of my enemies’ INSULTS... - Psalm 109:21-22,25-26 (GW)“The first step in overcoming obstacles is to recognize and ACKNOWLEDGE them. Be honest with yourself about the SPECIFIC BARRIERS that are HOLDING YOU BACK.” 2. FORGET & RELEASE THE PAST AND FREE UP YOUR FUTURE   18 Forget what happened in the PAST, and do not dwell on events from long ago. 19 I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? - Isaiah 43:18-19 (NOG)1 In the PAST you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God. 2 Yes, in the PAST you lived the way the world lives…3 In the PAST all of us lived like them, trying to please our SINFUL selves and doing all the things our bodies and minds wanted... - Ephesians 2:1-2a,3a (NCV)Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I FORGET what is in the PAST and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. - Philippians 3:13 (ERV)11 For I know the PLANS I have for you,” declares the Lord, “PLANS to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a FUTURE...- Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)3. FOCUS ON LIVING FREE AND WALK IN THE BENEFITS OF FREEDOM EVERY DAY16 But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord’s Spirit is, there is FREEDOM. 18 As all of us reflect the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, we are becoming more like Him with ever-increasing glory by the Lord’s Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ISV)16 I say then: WALK in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh...25 If we LIVE in the Spirit, let us also WALK in the Spirit. - Galatians 5:16,25 (NKJV)The Messiah has set us FREE so that we may enjoy the benefits of FREEDOM...stop putting yourselves under the yoke of SLAVERY again. - Galatians 5:1 (ISV)