April 7, 2021 Issue, Page 7 of 10

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April 7, 2021 7 Elk City Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center 301 Garrett St, Elk City 580-225-2811 SPIRITUAL CONDITIONING ALWAYS AVAILABLE Bigstockphoto/McIninch 716 W 3rd St, Elk City 580-225-3442 T A hell fire of the or a motorist’s hydrant is aand skill dedicated inconvenience technology permanent to one purpose…the fixture; if a parking ana canine in it’s assurance operating space is the room is convenience thatobjective. the patientIts will be restored availability to health. is crucial There is when flames tearone condition, through however, a home or that building, all the skill of threatening theand lives surgical team property. Incannot Isaiah control 43.20 our - the Lordcondition promises, of theprovide “I patient’s spirit. water in It has the been and desert proven that in streams thosethepatients with a wasteland….” hopeful, positive, God is available toand us atfaithful all times.attitude havehouse Visit your a significantly of worship greater each chance of survival and recovery. We can learn week, whether or not there’s an emergency, make Him a permanent a faithful attitude by studying fixture God’slife. in your Word. A practice of positive spiritual conditioning at your house of worship each week could save your life. Daily Scripture Daily Readings Bible Reading Hosea Matthew Hosea Matthew Hosea Mathew Hosea Acts Hosea Acts Hosea Acts Hosea Acts 2:2-23 17:1-27 3:1-4:10 20:1-19 4:11-5:15 20:20-34 6:1-7:2 3:1-26 7:3-16 4:1-22 8:1-14 4:23-37 9:1-16 5:1-16 Scriptures Selected by the American Bible Society z Daily Devotional at DailyBible.AmericanBible.org Scriptures Selected by the American Bible Society z Daily Devotional at DailyBible.AmericanBible.org ©2021 Keister-Williams Newspaper Services, P.O. Box 8187, Charlottesville, VA 22906, www.kwnews.com ©2020 Keister-Williams Newspaper Services, P.O. Box 8187, Charlottesville, VA 22906, www.kwnews.com When willpower isn’t enough our lives with sheer willpower. The Greek word for this We say, “I’ll make up my mind process is (metynoia) and to eat less . . . exercise more… literally means “to change the swear less . . . quit being mind”; to adopt God’s way of disorganized…stop feeling thinking about God, ourselves, anxious…” sin, other people, life, our 417-737-477 Changing our life course future—and everything else. It Pastor: Gary Griffin certainly does require making specific choices with our will. has been awkwardly rendered God isn’t going to do that part repentance in most English for us. However, willpower translations, which has led to 580-472-3472 alone produces only short- a lot of sobbing at the altars Pastor: Wes Via term results. It creates unre- of the churches of America, Dixie Yoder mitting internal stress because but very little change. Chang- the spiritual root cause has ing the mind does take effort. A client came in with a not been recognized. Salva- However, because the choice to common problem. She said, tion is the first step, and noth- ing can be successfully changed bring our thinking into agree- “Dr. Dixie, I’ve always been until that internal setting is ment with God is energized able to accomplish anything I decide to do. But lately, I am changed. with God’s power, our effort emotionally and physically The attempt to change combined with the power Scott Rodgers, Rev. exhausted, and have panic direction without the inter- of God produces permanent 10:30 attacks. I can’t make decisions nal change is unnatural and change rather than chronic about anything, let alone ac- exhausting, so we eventually fatigue and constant anxiety. complish something that takes give up and revert to our old We all occasionally give in physical energy. What’s worried, apathetic, defeated to temptation to be anxious, wrong with me?” habits. Our life direction can- not change because nothing but if we find ourselves con- Imagine you are driving a powerful boat on a lake, with has changed on the inside. We tinually exhausted and worried the auto-pilot set to go west. If cannot, for example, continue about our daily life, we need to 421 N. Booth Ave. you want to reverse and head to hold the “steering wheel” in check; east, you have two possible a hopeful direction when our 1. Am I convinced of my ways to change the boat’s “autopilot” is set on hopeless- salvation and secure in my direction. The first is to turn ness. relationship with God? the steering wheel, physically The second step is an es- 2. Do I draw on God’s forcing the boat to travel in sential choice, but cannot be strength in me for daily living? a direction opposite to the accomplished without salva- 3. Am I spending ample one fixed by the autopilot’s tion. It is to change course programming. By sheer muscle in our thinking or “renew the time daily renewing my power you can overcome the mind”. This brings the change mind—through consistent autopilot, but the resistance on in our “autopilot” into the practice, pulling my mind into Iglesia Evangelica Cristo Es La Peña your arms is unremitting. Your will—the part of us that de- agreement with God? 600 W. Main, Elk City muscles will soon tire of the termines the direction we take It’s not a complicated Pastor: Jose Reyes stress and you’ll have to let go each day. The Bible says, “…DO 580-799-2964 process, but is difficult because of the steering wheel. Because NOT LET your behavior be like it requires saying “NO” to there has been no change in the unsaved world. Instead, our flesh and breaking deeply the autopilot setting, the boat be changed and made new in ingrained habits. To do so is to will instantly head back west, your thinking so that in your the way it was internally pro- life experience you may have choose life. To refuse is death. grammed to travel. actual knowledge of the good, Send questions and com- This is exactly what hap- pleasing and complete purpose ments to: pens when we try to change of God. (Romans 12:2). [email protected] 1st Month Free! 1224 S. Eastern Ave, Elk City, OK 1/2 mile S. of Walmart 580-374-1360 Sears Hometown Stores Christ Ministries 2821 W 3rd St, Elk City • 580-225-2131 310 N Washington, Weatherford 804 W. 6th St, Elk City 580-772-7327 580-243-9708 580-799-2440 210 Regional Drive. 580-225-3003