Devotions - Prayer
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13 (NIV)
Hurt and being alone can be found in most of our lives, but what joy there is when a friend steps in with a gentle smile and a few simple words of encouragement and suddenly you’re not alone.
Things one can say to a friend. Romans 12:12-13, in a section titled “Love.”
1. “You’re wonderful.”
(Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope …”)
The world is quick to tell us all the ways we fall short. We are hyperaware of our faults and frailties.
So, what a precious gift to remind a friend of specific ways they are a wonderful friend, a wonderful Jesus person, a wonderful wife/husband, a wonderful co-worker, a wonderful person.
2. “Me too.”
(Romans 12:12, “… patient in affliction …”)
What a blessing to remind a friend we all have afflictions, hurts, faults and tender places. We all get sick both emotionally and physically.
The patient friend freely gives grace because they so desperately needs it themself. “Me too” acknowledges I’m no better than you, but together we are stronger. It’s such a loving and disarming admission that we’re all in this together.
3. “I’ll pray.”
(Romans 12:12, “… faithful in prayer.”)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tell a friend you will absolutely be faithful in praying for them?
4. “I’ll share.”
(Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need …”)
When we notice a need in a friend’s life, might we be willing to step in and be part of the solution?
We may not be the full cure, but we may of helped build a foundation of restoration and give this person the assurance God was working on their behalf.
5. “Come over.”
(Romans 12:13, “Practice hospitality.”)
Welcoming a friend inside the sacred space of our home is such a needed gesture. There’s just something about relationships that are less misunderstood when we get eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice and talk. Really talk.
I’ve found as we purposefully ease the loneliness ache in others, we will see it is beautifully eased in us.
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of friendship. Please show me who I can encourage today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read MoreOne of the ways God’s goodness is revealed is through His mercy. We may describe mercy as “the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures.”
• Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness.
• Mercy is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him.
God’s mercy to the believer is revealed by His taking away the misery of sin’s consequences through the New Covenant of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mercy is not something merited or earned, but as the Apostle Paul states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us.”
Our Heavenly Father is the author, originator, and source of all mercy.
Psalm 102:11–13 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
There’s a picture of a man in deep loneliness, despair. He feels his life is fading away like the evening shadows and there’s so little time left for him. He says, “I’m withering away like grass.” Have you ever felt like that? And what do you do if you ever feel like that?
Do what that man did. He looked away from himself, his own situation, he lifted up his eyes to the Lord and he saw the Lord by faith, on His throne, and he realized that the Lord doesn’t change with our situations and circumstances.
The Lord is always on His throne. He’s always in total control.
And then he realizes that there’s going to come a time of compassion and mercy. He says, “It’s time to show favor to Zion; the appointed time has come.” I believe we are living in that time when God is determined :
• To show mercy to His people,
• To restore His people.
So let’s look away from our problems, our distresses, our anxieties. Let’s look, like the psalmist, up to the throne of God, see God there on His throne and realize He’s ready to show mercy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 ) Born Again to a Living Hope! Amen
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
“Because you have rejected knowledgeI also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Knowledge is power! Your knowledge of God [His word] will spur you on through the fiercest of storms. Because you know that God is always with you,-you can walk through on this earth with the widest smile anyone has every seen.
**Because you KNOW that you’re more than a conqueror, that God never leaves you, that you can do all things through Christ, that He who is in you is greater [than all].
God loves you–You are His Masterpiece!
Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Have we allowed our prideful thoughts, wounded emotions and self-centered desires to quench God’s Love in our hearts and separate us from each other?
John 17: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
Jesus defines eternal life as KNOWING God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son.
This intimacy with God is what salvation is all about.
-Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of sins and stops there is missing out.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Salvation was intended to be presented as the way to come back into harmony with God.
Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Instead, salvation has often been presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and later the judgment of hell.
John 3:15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
We Belivers KNOW that—Only an intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that. We need to tell them.
*KNOW, that the Lord has been with you and protected you; even carried you in times when you were not able.
Lord, help me have an Eternal Perspective and:
” Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”(1 Thess. 5:16-18). Amen
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Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. (John 3:3)
A new birth is absolutely essential to enter the kingdom. John uses a very interesting word here that is translated anew, or again. It is the Greek word, anothen, which means again or to do something a second time. It often points to a radical new beginning which comes from above.
• It signifies God must do this.
• It is speaking of something radical, a new beginning.
• It is a second birth, but it comes from above.
• It is God that does it, not man; and it results in a new creation, a new beginning.
This idea appears many times in the New Testament.
• Paul speaks of babes in Christ, (1 Corinthians 3:1).
• Peter says, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow, (1 Peter 2:2).
• Again Peter says we are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, (1 Peter 1:23).
• And he speaks of being born to a living hope, (1 Peter 1:3).
• Paul speaks not only of being new creatures in Christ but of a new creation; of passing from death unto life, of a new, radical start.
Jesus makes clear that this is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. If you do not come this way you cannot enter. There is no way you can even see the kingdom of God without this.
To be in the kingdom of God, of course, is to belong to God; it is to be a part of his rule, his reign, his domain. Paul speaks of being transferred from the kingdom of darkness, ruled by the god of this world, into the kingdom of the Son of his love, (Colossians 1:13). Thus, Jesus was referring to a transfer of citizenship, a radical departure from what we once were.
Jesus sensed in Nicodemus (John 3) a deep hunger, an emptiness. Here was a man who was doing his level best to obey what he thought God wanted, yet he had an empty and unsatisfied heart that led him to seek out Jesus by night, at the risk of the displeasure of his peers, to talk with him about the kingdom of God.
Sensing this our Lord immediately puts him on the right track, saying to him, in effect, You are wasting your time if you think you can enter the kingdom of God the way you are. You cannot do it. You must be born again.
Father, thank you for the miracle of new birth which comes only from above. It is only through your great power and love that such a thing could happen to me. Amen (See Ephesians 2:1-10 too)
God Speaks through Circumstances
by Os Hillman
“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Eccl 11:5).
God will often use circumstances in our lives to direct us in making and confirming decisions. I have often discovered this to be the case – but only after a situation has occurred. I later look back and see how God worked in the situation.
Years ago, I launched a magazine designed for Christians in the workplace and I was having lunch with a Christian leader named Larry who headed a ministry that helps men and women apply biblical principles to managing money.
During our lunch, I explained to Larry that I had noticed that there were many grassroots workplace ministries cropping up all over the country. I asked Larry if he was familiar with some of the groups since he had taught a course and wrote a book on operating a business on biblical principles. But he said he was not. He then asked, “It would be nice to know what all these groups are doing so we don’t duplicate efforts. Do you think you could invite some of these groups for a roundtable discussion?” I told him I would and I proceeded to invite four main workplace ministries that I had worked with in the past.
Then something unexpected began to happen. I began to get requests from ministries all around the country that had heard about the gathering and they were asking if they could attend the roundtable. By the time the event actually took place, 54 people showed up representing 45 organizations from around the country! Unfortunately, Larry had a last minute conflict and was not able to attend, and he informed me that I would have to host the meeting myself. That was the birth of Marketplace Leaders, the ministry I now lead full time. I often joke that God tricked me into starting this ministry because He knows I never would have done that on my own at that time.
God often confirms His direction through circumstances. Be on alert that when God sets up situations that are out of your control – He may be giving you direction through these circumstances.
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1 Corinthians 4:6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.
*Going beyond what is written – This means to me that we have tendencies to place ourselves in a position where WE ACT in an independent way, believing that it lines up with the word of God, or exceeds it.
*This is the kind of attitude that causes us to become boastful, and in a way that we feel like we know all, and can’t be taught anything.
*Keep your eye out for pride! Pride can infect our spiritual lives and divide His Church.
Paul is preaching this because of the “cliques” created within the church, because of the leaders essentially making themselves idols.
This kind of things happens in our times too, where leaders glorify themselves through what kind of gatherings they have, how much offering they receive, how spiritual they are, how connected they are to God and how many people attend and what they did for them etc.
After being so “self-inflated” we can even succumb to a state of arrogance, casting out all humility to right ourselves before the Lord…
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Any true spiritual leader is a representative of Christ and has nothing to offer that God hasn’t given him or her.
*Don’t let your loyalty to human leaders cause strife, slander, or broken relationships.
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests;
*God desires relationship not religious exercises! He wants us to know His heart, His ways, His love for us and He wants us to return that love.
It’s a heart thing…why do I do what I do to serve Him? If its not out of love for Him, the fruit of my love relationship with Him, then it has little value in His eyes.
Read Amos 5:21-24 in the Message Bible for what God values! I had me wake up anyway!
Lord, expand my understanding of who You are. I don’t want to simply know about You; I want to know You intimately and personally in my experience and serventhood to YOU! Help me to relax, let You lead me, and follow You because I want to – not because I am supposed to. Help me to know YOU more and help me not to go beyond what is written. Amen
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How Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
*If we think the Bible teaches universal salvation, we may arrive at a false sense of assurance by reasoning as follows: Everybody is saved. I am a body. Therefore, I am saved.
*Or, if we think salvation is gained by our own good works and we are further deluded into believing that we possess good works, we will have a false assurance of salvation.
Romans 3:30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.
To have sound assurance, we must understand that our salvation rests on the merit of Christ alone, which is appropriated to us when we embrace Him by genuine faith.
Romans 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
If we understand that, the remaining question is, “Do I have the genuine faith necessary for salvation?”
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
James 1:14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
The Cross of Christ has given me Salvation. Not only from sin, but EVERY Bondage.
*Fear, anxiety, doubt, unbelief, failure, broken hearted, sickness, addiction.
*EVERY BONDAGE.
*No chains can hold me. Christ Jesus my Lord has set the once captive free– Through Faith in Him.
The second requirement involves a sober analysis of our own lives. We must examine ourselves to see whether the fruit of regeneration is apparent in our lives.
*Do we have a real affection for the biblical Christ?
Only the regenerate person possesses real love for the real Jesus.
Have you ever changed your mind, stopped defending yourself and trying to blame everything on others, and said, “No, Lord, no one else is to blame, only I. This is the way I am—and I need help? I Repent!”
That is where God will meet us. He always meets humans at that point, washes away guilt, cleanses, forgives. That is where you will find forgiveness of sins. If you have never repented before, I urge you to do so now. God will meet you right there.
In the quiet of your own heart, where God alone hears, you can say to Him, “Lord, I repent. Lord, send me the Holy Spirit through Jesus.” And He will.
Lord, thank You that You promise to meet me in this place of repentance. I come to You now on that basis. Amen
Read More“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness”. (Rom. 6:17-18).
Becoming a new person in Christ is part of a life-long journey that begins at conversion.
Before coming to Christ, we were living (in a metaphorical sense) in Egypt, in the land of bondage.
Just as the people of Israel toiled as slaves in Egypt, WE were slaves to sin and worldly ambition. (Addicted to Sin)
Before we came to Christ, we sweated and toiled to build our career and acquire material possessions.
*Work was our idol.
*Greed was our taskmaster.
We may have had all the trappings of power in the business world – We didn’t run our career; our career ran us!!!! (Been there).
Jesus once said, “No servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13).
Jesus was saying that those who spend their lives seeking only worldly gain are idolaters.
*No one can serve two masters.
*No one can worship both the true God and a false god (anything taking 1st place in our hearts other then God Himself).
We cannot experience the grace that God gives to His children because we are too busy striving for riches and power.
The only way we can be free is to turn away from worldly stuff and allow the One true God to transform us into a different person that will bring Him Glory.
Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Ask yourself today:
Who or What really is #1 in my heart and my time and actions?
2 Chronicles 7:14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.
Thank You Jesus for hearing my prayer of repentance this day. Amen
Read MoreJesus taught that our perspective in life, the way we view the world, affects every detail of our lives. Therefore it is of utmost importance. How we view God and how we think God views us will be of great importance..
Two areas to look at with the contrasts of views (eternal vs. temporal)
We live our lives on the basis of our belief system. BUT where do we get our beliefs from?
People act on what they BELIEVE to be true even if their beliefs are not true.
TEMPORAL VIEW: (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)
Here everything is relative. There are no absolutes. Because our human perspective is based on knowledge and experience, it is limited and incomplete.
ETERNAL VIEW: (1 Corinthians 2:6-9)
An eternal perspective enables us to live in light of God’s truth rather than what we perceive to be true through our limited knowledge.
Living according to God’s wisdom will appear to be foolishness to the world but is based on the true measure of reality: God’s eternal Truth. John 14:6 Psalm 119:160
It is easy to believe the wisdom of men and thus pursue VALUES with our own interests and comfort as the goal. However, what satisfies and gratifies us now is not necessarily in our best interest in light of eternity.
Left to ourselves, we’re stubborn, prideful, sinful, and utterly hopeless.
But praise God that Jesus Christ has done the work I couldn’t— taking away my sins, and given me eternal life when I certainly didn’t deserve it!
• Any chance you had of getting to heaven on your own was destroyed by sin.
• But Christ destroyed the power of sin on the cross to give you & me eternal life if we’ll only trust in Him.
• Put your faith in Christ, not yourself, for eternal life. It’s His work alone that can save you!
The true perspective is that, if we are Christians, we do not belong to this world. Our true home is in heaven. If this is our view, then we will not want to have anything to do with the world’s values. We are just passing through this life!
How to Develop an Eternal Perspective. (Eph. 5:18, Col. 3:16)
This involves both taking in the truth and acting on it.
DON’T TRUST IN YOUR OWN WORKS TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN. TRUST IN CHRIST’S WORK ALONE FOR ETERNAL LIFE!
Thank you Jesus for loving us so much you took our sins away at the cross and now through You we have Victory over this world. Amen
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“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.””Psalm 35:1–3
That was a prayer of David in a time of deep distress, a time when he felt himself surrounded by enemies pressing in against him and he saw no way to keep them out.
So He cried out to the Lord and said, “Lord, take Your stand against my enemies. Take up Your mighty spiritual weapons and block the way against them.”
The great conclusive answer to that prayer of David came through David’s greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ, about a thousand years later.
On the cross, Jesus did just that.
- He blocked the way against all the enemies of our soul.
- He stopped the way.
- He put an end to Satan’s claims.
- He set a limit to Satan’s territory.
- He created a boundary that Satan cannot pass over.
Remember this: the cross is God’s great stop sign.
The devil may be moving in against us at full speed, but when we put up the cross, he slams on his brakes and comes to a screeching halt because he cannot pass the cross. That’s where Jesus stopped the way against all our enemies. Now that is victory! SEE 1 JOHN 4:4
Eph. 6:11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
2 Corinthians 10:3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
God will come to my rescue against my enemies. But David also spoke to God about praying for his enemies.
*I will put faith in God regarding the evil powers of this world. I know that HE will protect me and my family.
*I will also pray for my enemies.
Lord thank you for this glorious day of your protection. Thank you for your unfailing love and your mercy never seize. Again thank you and we love you. We bring back all the honor and glory through the beautiful name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Read MoreBe humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (Philippians 2:3b ).
Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different ways, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality.
The problem with pride is it’s self-deceiving. Everybody else can see it in us but us. When you have a problem with pride, you don’t see it in your life.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin”. I love this verse in the Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”
- Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride.
- Humility builds relationships.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble”.
How are you and I going to grow in humility?
It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control our thoughts and hearts and attitudes and reactions. He’s got to be a part of this. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” .
How do you become a new person? How do you start to think in a different way?
The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with.
- If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier.
- If you spend time with people in addictions, you get addicted.
- If you spend time with people that have gratitude, you have gratitude.
- If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.
- If you spend time with selfish people, you become selfish.
- If you spend time with people who do not respect others, you will not respect others.
If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.
“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves … You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3b, 5-6.
No one has done anything more humble than Jesus, coming from Heaven to Earth to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us.
When you spend time with him, it makes you more humble, and that builds your relationships.
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Join us tonight for communityfestmn.com from 5 to 8 for prayer, healing free food and music!
A stronghold is a fortress of thoughts that controls and influences our attitudes.
Some of the things God brings up from our hidden chambers have been lifelong strongholds of the enemy. They may appear as “giants” when we seek to break free of them, but God is already the Victor! You will see His salvation if you faint not.
“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.'” Exodus 14:13
Remember:*EACH person is given something to do that SHOWS who God is! This gifting God has given each one of us is an OUTLET for the OVERFLOW of GOD’S LOVE in our lives for others.
Coming Out of the Stronghold
“Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah“… – 1 Samuel 22:5
David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life’s down-and-out had come and joined David’s army.
David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety.
Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah.
When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving in the right direction.
God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of “praise.” Judah means “praise.”
Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise.
*It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems.
The way is open for you to come boldly before the Lord’s throne of grace.
Do not be afraid or hesitate. Come and let Him speak to your heart, for you need wisdom and direction for the days ahead.
Listen for the Lord’s still small voice, and you will hear. “I will guide your steps, and lead you to victory.”
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
God help me to put my trust in You today. To trust in my relationship with You and my knowledge of Your love, justice and righteousness. Amen
Read More1 John 2:2 And he(Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
*Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
*Jesus Christ, is our advocate who pleads our case before God when we sin. He is the ONLY atonement that satisfies God. So NO WORKS OF THE FLESH can atone for our sins.
What Does “Propitiation” Mean? Propitiation is a big word that means satisfaction.
Because God is a holy God, His anger and justice burns against sin. And He has sworn that sin will be punished.
There must be a satisfactory payment for sin.
*But God said, “If I punish man for his sin, man will die and go to hell.
*On the other hand, if I don’t punish man for his sin, My justice will never be satisfied.”
The solution?
*God said that He would become our substitute.
*He would take the sin of mankind upon Himself in agony and blood—a righteous judgment and substitute for sin.
His wrath burned out on the cross when His only Son died as man’s propitiation for sin. And this is love.
1 John 4:10 This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.
Rejoice and be glad for the Lord has wonderful plans for you fulfilling His eternal purpose through you!
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Dear Jesus, I will never know what you suffered and felt, and for that I am grateful. My heart hurts when I do try to wrap my brain around what was truly done to you. Yet, I know that the pain was temporary, as massive as it was. And I love you SO much for taking the pain of my sins so that I can have the promise of eternal life. I ask that you walk with me through this life, helping me to avoid sin. Sin leads to damnation, and the pain you suffered was the pain of our collective damnation! If I think that my sins would lead to my eternal suffering, I know that I never want myself or my loved ones to face that forever. I want to live with you forever! Amen.
John 17:3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
* Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ’s love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.
The Cross has been forgotten in many Christian homes and churches, simply because we have chosen to place our human happiness above God’s Will.
“For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Take Up His Cross Daily
Can you recall Jesus’ radical philosophy: “Be a servant, give to others”?
The basis of that statement is tucked away in Luke 9:23.
Following Christ is a costly, unselfish decision. He says: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
When you look closely at Jesus’ statement, a couple of things seem important.
*First, those who desire to follow Him closely must come to terms with self-denial.
*And second, this decision to give ourselves to others (taking up our cross) has to be a daily matter.
Some questions we must ask and answer ourselves are:
*Am I serious about being a follower of Jesus Christ?
*Do I think of others to such an extent that self-denial is becoming the rule rather than the exception in my life?
*Is my walk with Him a daily thing?
*A thorough self-examination is one of the requisites for following closely. Paul tells us to abound in generosity, be givers, be people who excel in unselfishness. That’s costly stuff, terribly expensive. Can we pay the price?
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
When I believe the Good News of the cross the power of God becomes a reality in my life.
Lord I thank you for your indwelling presence in my life made possible by the work of Christ on the cross. Amen
Read MoreEven when we blow it badly and fail to remain an open, cleansed vessel for the Lord, He doesn’t stop loving us.
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord…When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
” Then he(Jesus) said to them(disciples), “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”” (Mt 26:38).
*Jesus shares his burden with his disciples. He cared about his disciples and valued His relationship with them. Relationships are important to Jesus. Even as a leader, He shows His humility.
*In times of sorrow and despair Jesus prays.
Even Jesus, who has a perfect relationship with God, still needs to pray..how much more do we need to pray to remain in the Fathers will?
*When we pray we align our will to His. It’s accepting God’s call….not changing God but me.
*Can we tell God that it’s ok to do things His way? Do we trust Him enough? Can we submit? And obey? (Read Psalms 139:23-24)
*Obeying God is a decision WE make.
Hebrews 5: 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.
Often the place of our greatest pain becomes the place of our greatest triumph.
Gethsemane was the place of Jesus’ greatest trial.
Three times He asked the Father to let this trial pass. It was not to be.
*The Father sent His Son to the cross to pay a debt owed by humanity.
*It was a personal battle to persevere.
The Word of God makes it clear that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13); “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20); and “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). No one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept salvation (Ti. 2:11).
“We Fight FROM Victory—Not FOR Victory!
John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Thank You Lord that You are always there for us, watching over us, protecting us, and giving us strength. No matter what we’re facing today, Thank You that I can just turn to You. Help me Believe and Know that Jesus will pull us through anything because He will without question. (Col. 2:2-3). Amen
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