Devotions - Prayer

WHY LORD? WHY? part 3

By Bob / April 4, 2012

This devotion, part 3 is Dedicated to my Best Friends that have lost a dear Nephew in his 20’s and to all the rest of us that have lost a young person in our lives. 

When you loose a loved one–We don’t come with any glib answers. Let’s face it. This is tough stuff. We’re stunned. We’re hurting. We don’t understand.  BUT!   What JOY I have BECAUSE OF JESUS! 

A new body for my new spirit is promised because I BELIEVE!                  Eternal life with JESUS is my destiny!
Oh Lord, I will tell YOUR STORY everywhere I go to everyone I meet! For heaven rejoices even the more for the one who receives YOU!

1 Timothy 1.
*Our past failures should remind us that we are all sinful (v.13-14)

A. REPENTANCE unlocks Gods GRACE and MERCY!

B. Mercy is Not getting what you DO deserve (v.13)

C. Grace is getting what you DON’T deserve. (v.14)

*Our current struggle with sin should keep us HUMBLE (v.15)

* Jesus redeems our past to make us an EXAMPLE (v.16)

* Jesus should get glory for anything we do that is ADMIRABLE (v.17)

I am a sinner who has sinned against God first and others second.

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.
*
God’s grace can change anyone.
*Grace is the core of it all. God’s grace covers our sin.
Luke15:23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
Luke 15:10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

*God’s love is unconditional! God wants his children to come home.
*God is eager to show us his love, we must be willing to except his love and live in a way that honors him. Come home to you Father and Creator!
* God’s Grace can never be anything but a gift not conditional. A gift that came at a great cost.
*Paul found grace on the road to Damascus.
*Have you found grace?
** God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgment.

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

John 6:37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.

Saul to Paul:
1. 1 Tim. 1:16- worst of sinners
2. Eph. 3:8- least of God’s people
3. 1 Cor. 15:9- least of apostles

Paul worst of sinners:
1 Timothy 1: 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
*In this we are united . That Jesus came For us that need Him
*Because of what He has done for me, who am I to be judgmental? Unkind? Unloving? 
*Because He has shown me mercy, even at my worst, I will serve him. He has called me out by name and has given me freedom.  Jesus came to save the lost…even a sinner like me.
* I will remember that I am in the same camp with Paul as being a huge sinner that has been saved through God’s Grace patience and love.

Paul least of God’s people:

Ephesians 3:8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
*I will lead knowing that it is God’s plan for me.
*In the Word of God there are rich mines of truth that we may spend our whole lifetime in exploring, and yet we shall find that we have only begun to view their precious stores…. There are unsearchable riches for us. It will take us all eternity to comprehend the riches of the glory of God and of Jesus Christ ….Christ has said: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). Have you exhausted the fountain?

Paul least of apostles:

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I (Paul)  am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.
*Humility was the secret to Paul’s greatness. When we are humble we work harder. We realize that we don’t deserve what we have. A humble person will work any Job and do it well. Seeing every moment as a gift, an opportunity, he allows the grace he has received to fuel him to greatness. Here we see life after a man is spiritually awakened to his condition as an opportunity to catch up and win a race.   A race perhaps against his sinful nature, where he surpasses the things that could have haunted him. As he vigorously labors in a new course instead of ruminating about his past he uses every opportunity to make things new, leaving the looming shadows
of the past behind.

If Paul who accomplished so much for the furthering of Christ’s Kingdom had a profile like this, what’s our excuse?

Also consider Moses had a temper, Noah got drunk, Gideon was a coward, Rahab a prostitute…

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

1 Corinthians 15:22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

The Spirit, however will live forever if we live as God would have us live and are faithful to His teachings. The physical death is not the end; it is the beginning of a joyously life without end.

2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

God, I am reminded this week that you are super patient with me and that I do not deserve your mercy or grace. I pray that I am able to extend that same grace and mercy to others.  Father thank you for loving me and for sending your Son Jesus Christ to come and save a sinner like me.  Thank you for your mercy and love.  May I show your light in this dark world so others may also come to know your Love.  Loving  and Trusting You, Jesus- always!Amen.
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WHY LORD? WHY? part 2

By Bob / April 3, 2012

This devotion (part 2) is Dedicated to my Best Friends that have lost a dear Nephew in his 20’s and to all the rest of us that have lost a young person in our lives. 

 The greatest “WHY” in the Bible was uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross when He said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46
*Because Jesus gave himself on the Cross, we can trust Him to have answers to ALL our other “WHY’S”.

We left off yesterday with this Question.

Where will you go when it’s your time to die?

In the passage, Jesus said to Mary and Martha in John 11: 25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. Do you believe this?”

Jesus didn’t merely say that there is a resurrection. Jesus claimed that HE IS the resurrection. The fact that He would rise from the dead was the guarantee that others would too. We often think that this is the land of the living, and that when we die we go the land of the dead.

The opposite is really true – this is the land of the dying, when our life here is over, we are transferred into the land of the living – either to a place of eternal joy or to a place of eternal torment. There are really only two possible destinations.

There’s only one requirement for entrance into resurrection life — it’s not a matter of trying to be good or even going to church — the only requirement is that you personally believe that Jesus exchanged his life for yours by absorbing your sins on a cross and that He rose again so that at the moment of your death you will rise too. (Ponder this. It’s Easter this weekend-He Has Risen!)

“To KNOW Jesus is to have eternal Life!  (John 17:3)

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
*It states that Jesus took the form of a human, meaning He is fully human and fully God, and defeated sin and took our place.  Which is why we have no worry of hell or God’s wrath because Jesus paid it all.

* When trouble comes, remember that, God has not forgotten about you!
*When trouble comes, remember that, God still loves you!

*Feelings of insecurities: Helplessness-Isolation-Fear of the future-Pessimism.
Help us Lord to:   Let GO & Let God!!

God uses all things (even illness) for His glory.  (Romans 8:28)

But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. (Galatians 4: 14)
*Paul was struck with an illness that is undescribed in Scripture. We can guess that they would have prayed for his healing, but he was not healed. God used that illness for Paul to preach to the Galatians.
*As joint heir with Christ, I want to live in freedom. I want to be able to stand firm in Christ and not be burdened by the yoke of slavery (sin).  I want to live my life by the fruit of the spirit –Knowing I will face temptation on every side.
I know that God loves me and that my flesh is not always obedient. BUT GRACE!

Jude 24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
*When we get to Heaven and stand in His glorious presence, it will be joy unspeakable.

Isaiah :55:6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
*Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. “For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”. (Matthew 26:41)
*Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (Colossians 4:2)
*Never stop praying. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Look up, says the Lord.  Again, I say, look up!  You have been looking too close to yourself and your own concerns so that you have not discerned what the Lord is doing.
You must see and know what the Lord is doing as well as what the enemy’s plans are against you.  This is a time when the Lord will again bring you to new heights spiritually so that you can see and discern with greater clarity.  He also is releasing an anointing that will increase your ingenuity, the power of your creative imagination.  Position yourself to make the most of this next move.
Psalms 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
* Paul says the battle is not against flesh and blood; it lies deeper than that.

*The basic problem is that this is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan and that people themselves are the battlefield.
* The battle is visible not only in the wars, revolutions, and crime waves that fill our newspapers, but it is also seen in the inner tensions and fears of individual lives, in the neurotic problems, all addictions to sin,  and mental illnesses that afflict us today, in family fights and church struggles. It is even visible in nature, where all of life competes in a ruthless, deadly struggle to survive.

The whole race has fallen under the control of satanic forces, which Paul calls, “the world rulers of this present darkness” (6:12).

*We are not set free to live unto ourselves. We are set free in order to battle.
*That is the call that comes to all Christians.
*We are not set free in order to enjoy ourselves.
*We are set free to do battle, to engage in the fight, to overcome in our own lives, and to become the Channels by which Others are Set Free.


How do you do this? Paul’s answer is in one phrase:
Put on the whole armor of God.” Full provision has been made that you might win in this battle. This is the amazing thing we must learn.
God has made full provision for us to fight these forces that hold the world in their grip.
Remember: We Fight From Victory not For Victory!  (1 John 4:4).

We need to be Praying(talking to Jesus) through our circumstance which means simply this:
*The strength, power and encouragement we receive from the Lord while shut in with Him must see us through the trials ahead.
* The Victory you get in the secret closet, with the Lord, has to give us Victory on the battlefield.  (Life)
*What exactly do you get from our time of prayer if not something that can see Us through the battle?
* “Praying through” means waiting for the total completion of your prayer. *Many of us Christians see only half-answered prayers because we do not allow what we received from the Lord in prayer and Word to carry us through our current trial.
Let us Never Forget, prayer is not finished—it is not “completed prayer”—until it sees us through to the other side of our trial.
*We have not “prayed it through “until we have “lived it through” our trials by the strength we received in God’s presence.
Under the control of satanic forces human beings are uncomfortable and unhappy but also completely unable to escape by any wisdom or power of their own.
*But the good news is that some have been set free through the coming of that “stronger one,” Jesus Himself, who came, as John tells us, “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8b).
Through Jesus- deliverance is obtained. Through the amazing mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Us who individually receive and acknowledge this (totally God’s Grace and Gift) are set free to live in the freedom and liberty of the children of God.  Praise God for the ones that make it.

But through the years of personal experience and the years of listening to others; the Battle is a daily-hourly Struggle and we really don’t totally HEAL until we Grieve properly and then start giving away to Others in NEED– the Knowledge, Truth, Love and Discernment we experienced through it all.  This is Called “Our Testimony” of what Jesus has Done for “ME”!
*Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him(satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
*Jesus has broken Satan’s power over us.
It is not enough to only seek God when we face our troubles. The victory for you and me WAS WON when Jesus took our place on the Cross.

2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Father, tear away the delusive veils by which I have allowed myself to be rendered powerless in this great battle.  Help me to understand that I would have no possibility of fighting were it not for the delivering work of the Lord Jesus, who has come to bind the power of darkness.
Lord, You are worthy of a mind that meditates on You daily; a heart that loves You steadfastly, and a will that follows Yours. When You call, help me respond according to who I know You to be: Faithful.
I would truly be nothing and nowhere without you Lord. Thank you for restoration. Thank you for restoring and renewing me. Thank you for rest and peace and love and joy and comfort.  I will position myself Lord so that you can work through me to bring yourself glory honor and praise.
Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 End of part 2 see part 3 tomorrow

 

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WHY LORD? WHY?

By Bob / April 2, 2012

 This 3 part devotion is Dedicated to my Best Friends that have lost a dear Nephew in his 20’s and to all the rest of us that have lost a young person in their lives. 

When you loose a loved one–We don’t come with any glib answers. Let’s face it. This is tough stuff. We’re stunned. We’re hurting. We don’t understand.

Some of US are searching for answers. I have learned that it’s OK to ask those questions. It’s natural and good to wonder why death happens.

Grief is never an easy burden to bear – and never more so when it comes to us in what we can only regard as an untimely fashion. It causes to arise within us many questions – questions about ourselves and what we might or might not have done to make things different – questions about the one we loved and just what it was that he/she experienced during all their days – and questions about God and God’s goodness.

1 Corinthians 15:22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.

Grief and loss will affect our overall health naturally. But prevention can lead to depression or excessive addictive behavior. Denying ourselves proper grieving will also interfere with our daily life. Changing the routines that allow us to live such as being a parent, a friend, co-worker etc.

Crying is a normal and natural part of grieving. It has also been found, however, that crying and talking about the loss is not the only healthy response and, if forced or excessive, can be harmful.

 
Can we prevent Grief? “NO” Grief should not be prevented because it is a healthy response to loss. Instead, it should be respected. Those who are grieving should have support to help them through the process. If we try and prevent grief we can develop serious health issues. Genuine laughter is one of the healthiest ways to treat a grieving person.

The grief that we experience over the loss of a loved one is understandable, but we should rejoice that they will be resurrected on the Day of Judgment, and ascend to heaven just as Jesus did.

The physical bodies that we have are temporal. Just as our time on earth is limited, the physical life will end.

The Spirit, however will live forever if we live as God would have us live and are faithful to His teachings. The physical death is not the end; it is the beginning of a joyously life without end.
Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
2 Corinthians 4:14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

When in such grief  – carrying a burden that not only seems to be, but in fact is, overwhelming.  Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, knew such grief when he walked among us, he understood and took upon Himself our pain and our sorrow, our sin and our guilt, our fear and our anger, and – in the end Jesus died our death.

But then something special happened – something that Jesus believed would happen, hoped would happen, trusted would happen. Jesus rose to life again – a new and glorious life – a life which he said, before he died – that he would share with all who came to Him. It was with such a faith in God and what God would accomplish through Him, that Jesus said to His disciples before His death and His Resurrection:                                                            “Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

*We, in our grief, in our pain, in our anger, in our doubt, in our confusion, come to ask God to take our burden from us and give us in it’s place the burden Christ spoke of.

We come in the hope that the shadow of death might be turned into the light of a new day. We come to ask God to be merciful to us and grant us new life. New life here – and the new life Jesus spoke of in the heavenly places above. Our HomeLand is in Heaven.

Our compassionate Lord never fails those of us who are grieving.  I truly do not know how any would get through these circumstances without Faith and without Friends and Family lifting them up in Prayer and their unconditional Love!

Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Verse 4  The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’S perfections and meditating in his Temple.
* When Christ is our life regardless of the circumstances we have a consistent Savior who will ALWAYS be there for us.

Philippians 3:21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.   *Hope in Heaven results in Holy Living!!!

*The greatest “WHY” in the Bible was uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross when He said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46
*Because Jesus gave himself on the Cross, we can trust Him to have answers to ALL our other “WHY’S”.

 

2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

God’s steadfast character and everlasting Name are calling to listen carefully.                                                                                               * A call to our mind—to which thoughts respond.                                                                 * A call to our heart—to which emotions respond.                                                                     * A call to our will—to which actions respond.
* Our Great Physician makes better our physical and emotional needs. (Exodus 15:26). We respond I will ungrasp my heart for You to Heal me Lord!!!!!

*When troubles call, we respond by putting our faith, hope, and love in Jesus. And around every corner and with every birth, and death, and life lived in between, we continue to call on the Only Name of the One who is faithful.   JESUS!

One thing we do know:  The death of a believer Does Not seem as tragic to God as it does to us.
To us it is separation and sorrow. To God it is:
1. A promotion.
2. A release from the Burdens of earth.
3. Early Furlough from the Battle Zone.
4. Relocation to a better climate.
5. Instant transport to the Celestial City.
6. To depart and be with Christ, which is far better then Human mind can think.
7. To be absent from the body BUT Present with the Lord!
8. The place Jesus prepared.
*John 14: 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

A person doesn’t cease to exist at death; he simply leaves his earthly body.
*Our Loved one has beaten us to heaven and is more alive than ever, for God is not a God of the dead, but of the Living. We don’t understand all of God’s purposes, But we know HE doesALL things well, and we must simply leave it there, In His LOVE!

Revelation 21:4 He (God) will wipe every tear form their eyes, and there will be NO more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  ALL these things are Gone Forever.”

 

I’ve learned long ago that it’s really senseless to either accuse God or to try to defend Him in these situations. But neither is it sinful to question God. Some of us are wondering why God would allow this to happen. It’s OK for us to ask these kinds of questions.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:2 reminds us that there is a Time to be born and a Time to die. While we don’t understand  the why’s, we do know it is always God’s  perfect timing. 

 

In the shortest verse in the entire Bible-surrounded by family and friends, Jesus is deeply moved and asks where the body of Lazarus is. When he views Lazarus, he could have said something extremely profound. Instead, John 11:35 tells us what Jesus did “he wept.”

Here is Jesus of Nazareth, the world’s most complete, most perfect man, attending the funeral of a friend and openly weeping, without embarrassment, without apology. In fact, those watching him said, “See how much he loved him!”

If you feel like crying over your loss, don’t hold back. If it was OK for Jesus to cry, it’s OK for you and me to cry. God feels our pain — he wants you to let it out — and to let Him in on your feelings.

*Jesus wants to help you work through everything you’re feeling.

*Jesus wants to be a part of your life.

*God knows what it’s like to hurt. One day He lost a family member too, His one and only son JESUS.

I have a question for you today. Where will you go when it’s your time to die?

‘May the LORD bless you and protect you.  May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’  Amen
(Numbers6:24-26)

End of part one-see tomorrow for part 2.

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HUMAN PRIDE!

By Bob / March 31, 2012

 Isaiah 2:11 Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the LORD will be exalted on that day of judgment.
*Everything that is lifted up shall be brought low. Nothing can compare to the glory of God.

How are we to get ready for the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ?
*God calls us to keep on worshiping Him.
*We are to encourage one another to keep on walking with God. ‘Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching’. (Hebrews 10:25).

 Let our pride be humbled and let the Lord be exalted as we await Christ’s Return in ‘faith’, looking to Him alone for our ‘salvation’    (1 Peter 1:7-9).

2 Samuel 24:1-25. “The spirit of pride”
David wanted to ‘know the number of the people’ (verse2). Why? He wanted to feel important – ‘the big man’.

*David was not giving the glory to the Lord. He was taking it for himself.
* Did God give up on David – ‘a hopeless case, too full of himself and his own importance’?
Of course not!  The Lord, whose ‘mercy is great’, drew David back to Himself. David confessed his sin – ‘I have sinned greatly… I have done very foolishly… I have sinned and I have done wickedly’ (2 Samuel 24:10, 17).

David was accepted by the Lord – ‘The Lord your God accepts you’. He was brought from pride to praise (2 Samuel 24:23, 25).
This is what God has done for us. We are ‘accepted in the Beloved’- ‘to the praise of His glorious grace’ (Ephesians 1:6).

“But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, LORD, for doing this foolish thing.”” – 2 Samuel 24:10
*We are to boast only in the Lord not in ourselves. He is jealous for His glory. So should we.

It just seems to be human nature. As we grow in wealth and ability, our confidence moves from complete trust in the Lord to trust in our resources.

Ask God today to keep you from trusting in your own resources. Ask Him how to balance trust and blessing from Him this day.

MATTHEW 6:24, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jesus is speaking of spiritual vision. If we keep our attention (eye) single upon Jesus, the Word, then all that we will be filled with is the light of His Word (Jn. 1:1-14; Ps. 119:105).
* The key to victory is this singleness of purpose (Phil. 3:13). The strength of the laser lies in the fact that all of the light is concentrated on one single point.

*Likewise, the strength of the Christian lies in how single his or her vision is upon Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” (Heb. 12:1-3)

You may have God and riches, but you can only serve one of them.
In Matthew 6:24, the Lord amplifies this by saying that we cannot serve two masters. Why is this so? Because we do not have the capability of faithfully serving both of them.
*You will cleave to one more than the other.
*You cannot serve both with all of your heart.
*We just don’t have the capacity to do our best in two areas at the same time.

*God wants singleness of vision, singleness of purpose. He wants us to serve Him with all of our heart.

Put God to the test today. Put Him first in every area of your life and see if He won’t provide all the other things for you.

The Lord speaks to those places where you have been scattered to bring them into alignment.
You have done your best to make all of the pieces fit, but you haven’t had all
of the pieces you need.  The things that have been missing will come to you and be put in order.  What you need now is patience, wisdom, and direction.
Keep your hope and faith alive.
*Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

1 John 2:16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
*We need to remember that the things of this world are temporary... So what’s the point in focusing all our efforts & desires into being temporarily defined by our possessions when our identity in Christ is eternal?

Lord help us to be Content and Humble in every situation. Guide us by your Grace and Holy Spirit, to live our lives to the fullest of what is required in your name Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us not be hearers only but doers as well.  Lord let us be a great example on how to be Merciful, Grateful and Thankful in everything that we do.
Soften our hearts and guide us in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be better than what we ought to be.
Lord let us be more content, (1John 2:15-17) And not love the world or the things in the world. For all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the father but is of the world.
The world is passing away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of GOD abides forever. Amen and Amen

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WHO BENEFITS FORM PRAYER?

By Bob / March 30, 2012

 Adjusting our lives to God is the first thing that has to happen in order to begin experiencing Him in our daily lives.
*Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can’t get a word in “edge-wise.” We’re doing all the talking.

Prayer is not just for our benefit, but for the delight of our God!
*We are not just to intercede for things we need, but to ask for the things God desires.
*Unless these two elements go together, we do not have a foundation upon which to build a prayer life.
Whereas we seek relief and help from the Lord, He desires fellowship with us—intimacy and communion.

*”Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor
yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25).
*”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow. . . .”
(6:33-34).
*”For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (6:8).

God is saying to us: “When you come into My presence, focus your attention on fellowship with Me, on getting to know Me. Don’t let your focus be on material things. I know what your needs are so you don’t even have to ask. I willl take care of them all.  Just seek Me. Let us enjoy sweet communion!”
 
Ephesians 1:18. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

*Paul’s prayer list continues… that Christians will be able to see clearly with our hearts what God’s plan for us is (salvation in Christ Jesus,) that we will see how richly he has blessed us and appreciate how vast his power and strength is to work his will in our live.. through his strength (not ours).

*I should also pray this for my family and for my fellow believers.. that we would all see more clearly what God is really like, how richly He blesses us and how immensely completely powerful He is to accomplish His plan.

…that the eyes or your heart may be enlightened… (Ephesians 1:18a).

  “The eyes of the heart” is a strange expression, isn’t it?
* Eyes are the instrument by which we perceive things.
*The mind also has eyes. If you listen to truth in any area, the eyes of your mind are grasping ideas. But the apostle tells us here that not only does the mind have eyes, but the heart as well.
*The heart needs to see things, needs to grasp truth and understand it. And the heart is always used in Scripture as the seat of our emotions.

Remember the episode in Luke 24—that walk to Emmaus when the risen Lord appears to the two disciples? The Lord joins them, but they don’t know who He is. He walks along with them and unfolds to them all the Scriptures concerning the promised Messiah. Afterward, they said to one another,

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (v. 32).

That “burning of the heart” represents the heart’s eyes being opened.
* It is the inflaming of the heart, so that it comes alive and is deeply moved.
* It is this burning of the heart that the apostle desires for these Christians.

When the heart begins to burn with truth, when it takes root in you and you simply must respond to it, that is when you Know with certainty that God is Real, that the Hope of Your Calling is genuine, that the Power of His Presence is available, and that the Riches of His ministry through you is manifest to others as well.

*Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).

Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers.
This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with the Lord.

It isn’t enough simply to teach truth. You never affect the whole person until the eyes of the heart are enlightened.

**When truth is moved from the head down to the heart, it has gripped the emotions.
*Then the will is properly motivated.

*Then the person begins to grow tremendously.

Father, open the eyes of my heart. I see that for that to happen there must be the bending of the knee, the imploring of the Spirit in prayer, so that truth becomes vital and compelling. I know your Word has ALL the answers, all the wonders, all the secrets, all the keys, all the wisdom I need for my life. You got it in your Word, Father. So I simply pray: Show me, God, your wonderful ways in Your Word. Open my eyes so that I can see the beautiful things hidden, the treasures that can not be numbered.
Amen
***Matthew 6:7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again”.
*It’s not empty words but words from the heart!
*****Read The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:5-13

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THE GLORY OF GOD!

By Bob / March 29, 2012

Jesus chose to lay down His Life so God’s Love could be poured forth from Him to us.
* “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His Life for the sheep…No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.” John 10:11, 18

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GLORY OF GOD!
*Glory: The manifestation of God’s Presence in the believer.(Splendor, brightness, excellence, pre-eminence).

*The Glory of God
is beyond definition. 
One human way to try define it is: “The Glory of God, as encompassing ALL of the Attributes of God” (His Characteristics, Holiness, Love, Grace, …..).
John 17:4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
*Person Goal : wouldn’t we all like to work towards that stage in our lives where we can go to the Lord’s throne fearlessly, confidently and boldly declare that we aspired and succeeded in bringing Glory to the Lord on this earth by the humble and holy followers we chose to be, through making a change in our lives and the lives of others with the grace of our living God.

Luke 2:9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
*The only way other people are going to experience the reality of our Christianity is by our love.
*Not everyone sees our devotion to God, but the Love we Show Others is the visible evidence of our faith.

                                          A Pastor Job Description
Colossians 2:1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.  5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 
***This seems to be an echo of Jesus’ ministry where he wanted to show the love of the Father.

“But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
1 John 3:17

“And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert [shelter] from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:6).
*The glory of God’s presence will be our shelter from the heat.

*The Hebrew word for heat means “drought, desolation, barrenness” and here it is used as a type of God’s judgment on an evil society.

In Revelation 16, the fourth angel of judgment is given power “. . . to scorch
men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God” (Revelation 16:8-9).

*The Spirit of God is real, He is alive and has all of the authority and power.

*God has the power to bless you, bless your house, bless your marriage.

*Jesus died for our sins.

*Keep the message of the gospel.

*He so loved me, God gave his only son so I would not parish.

*The glory of God is our defense, our covering—”. . . a place of refuge . . .from storm and from rain”— and we will rest in the cool shadow of Jesus’ wings.
*
Already we are seeing the rain of Holy Spirit outpourings as well as
God’s judgments.
*The storm clouds are gathering but, thank God, there will be a
covering over His holy remnant church.

You may say, “I have no glory church I can attend. All I can find are man-centered churches. Where is my covering from the heat and storm?”

*Your dwelling place is the glory of God in your own heart.
* If Jesus is present in you, manifesting Himself to you, then you are covered in full.
* If you turn your heart and eyes toward Him, allowing His Word to reprove, convict and correct you, He will reveal Himself to you. He has promised it!

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21).

God says, “I will be there with you. It doesn’t matter how bad it gets, I will
see you through. I will never leave you nor forsake you!”
 
Revelation
21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.

2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.
*To receive wisdom, we must allow God to remove our “veils“. These are the things we hide behind and use to try to give ourselves a sense of security or value apart from God. They include controlling behavior, pride, perfectionism, and a desire to glorify our kids or ourselves.

What are your “veils”?
  Have you arranged your life so you have become too comfortable with these blind spots? Has your parenting suffered as a result? It takes courage to ask the Holy Spirit to lift the veil that covers areas we need to change.
But to experience new life and Christ-like growth, we must be willing to let God remove the veils and let our sinful habits die.
*Allow God to remove your “veils” and invite Him to contend with your heart.

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit who comforts us always.
” For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.(Colossians 1:26).
May those who see the gospel of Jesus Christ as a mystery today have their minds and hearts opened to experience the presence and saving power of Christ! 

Lord , a special Thank you for my wife and soul-mate, Laura this day, her Birthday!  Bless her and show her more of Your love!  Thank you for the years we have had together in sharing Your Love and Truth with others. It is such a blessing to be blessed to grow together IN You-JESUS!  Amen
*If your not experiencing a growing life and awe in Christ, go pray and pray and weep to God until Jesus Christ is the greatest thing you have heard, and know, and ever will know!  YOU ARE HIS MASTERPIECE!  (Eph. 2:10)
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WE ARE OVER COMERS!

By Bob / March 28, 2012

 Will you lay down your life so that God’s Love can be released through you to others?
* “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…” Romans 12:1

Don’t forget about the things that happened in the light when your in the dark..

We Are Over comers through Christ!

2 Timothy 2:1 Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.
*We are to be strong in the grace of God because being strong is simply resting, learning how to trust in the work of Jesus Christ. When we try, we fail. When we trust, Jesus succeeds.
Verse 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
**We are called to disciple others. We are called to pass on that which was imparted to us. We must seek out those who are coming behind us and Teach them how to live and how to Teach others.
Verse 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
*Christ never promised roses on the battlefields. We are involved in an intense spiritual warfare, and we ALL at times get weary. When it seems Satan has hit us with every weapon, we need to draw strength from Paul’s words: If we endure, we shall also reign with Him (2 Timothy 2:12).
Verse 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.
*You Will endure hardships, not might BUT WILL!  *In the rocking boat the disciples asked, “Lord, do you care?” He cares more than we will ever know in this life.
***Be steadfast and immovable!   But God is our strength!

What would you want God to change in your life right now?

Hosea 10:12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ 13 “But you have cultivated wickedness and harvested a thriving crop of sins. You have eaten the fruit of lies— …
*The bigger our want the greater our desire; the hotter our passion, the deeper our discontent, the harder we will work; the longer we pray the more we will accomplish.
*Hebrews 11:5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.
***God will bless us where otherwise we do not see ourselves as blessable.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4a 

Healthy family functions (the Body) come from this place of being One!
Yes, they can both work on their personal careers and stuff– but as long as it is coming from a “Unified Goal”.
*Everyone needs to be focused on their own task remembering the “Big Picture” of the organization’s Vision-Mission-Goals. 
*On the other side when members are ONLY focused on “Their Own” development/task and not seeing the Big Picture they are pulling things into their own side tearing things apart and Unity goes out!

 Remember when Jesus explains what kind of kingdom has no future?

Luke 11:17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

First step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances.

When Jesus confronted the devil, he did not confront satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any voice other than God’s.
His peace overwhelmed satan; His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.

David’s trust was in the Lord. He said, “…for Thou art with me.” Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in Victory as you maintain your faith in God!
David continued, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5a).
**The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
*** Only God’s peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle. The source of God’s peace is God Himself!!
If fear has been knocking at your door, begin to face that fear with God’s peace. It is God’s secret weapon to destroy fear.

Luke 6:7, “And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him.”

The scribes became an independent company of interpreters of the law and leaders of the people. Even they, themselves, sought to evade certain of their own precepts (Mt. 23:2-4). They clashed with Christ for He taught with authority and condemned the external formalism that they fostered (Mt. 7:28-29). They persecuted Peter and John (Acts 4:3-7) and had a part in Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 6:12). However, although the majority opposed Christ, some did believe (Mt. 21:15).

Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes by dealing with “issues of the heart”.
They appeared to be holy outwardly, but their hearts were far from God. It is important for us to keep our hearts tender and receptive to His Word, and give ourselves to Him in worship.
Think about the good things he has done for you today and be thankful.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21).

* In saying this, the apostle is dealing with the basic remedy for all the conflicts in our day.
*If we have any desire at all to be part of a solution to the issues surrounding us today, we must do so out of an understanding of what God has revealed about the heart of the problem.
*We must go back to the cause of all human strife. Root ISSUES!
*** I insist on my rights, and others insist on their rights, and so we become obstacles to each other.
*But Paul changes the whole pattern for Christians by introducing two radical factors that alter the whole situation.

First, the Christian must never forget that in every relationship of life, another person is present:
*It is not merely a problem of what I want versus what you want. In every relationship, the apostle reminds us, a third Person is present—the Lord Jesus Christ.
*That brings us to the second matter. When I am at odds with another person, to see that Christ is there too is to make me aware immediately of what He has taught me.
*It is only when I forget myself and devote myself to another’s fulfillment that I will find my own heart running over with grace and satisfaction.

This is one of the fundamental mysteries of life, and it is confirmed to us every day.
*Those who try desperately to satisfy themselves are the ones who end up hollow inside!!!
Our Lord put it this way:
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew
16:25).

It becomes, then, a question of priority. You cannot have your rights by insisting upon them.
You can have them only when you seek to give others their rights.

Even as our troubles increase the Lord will always help us. Even if there is a thousand people against He will still stand on our side and lift us up. Psalms 3.

Thank you Heavenly Father for looking after me. I am always going to remember that you are bigger then any person or problem.  Father; I thank You for Your Word that searches me and cuts deep and lays bare and hides nothing. I know that in this sweet surgery of the Holy Spirit there is healing, forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration.
Amen

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DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD

By Bob / March 26, 2012

 All Christians have God’s Love within them, but not all Christians are willing to set themselves aside and become a free-flowing stream of Divine Love.
*  “And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” Revelation 21:6
*God tells us indefinitely that he is in control over everything.
*As I reach the end of my time here on earth I Pray I will also be able to say “Everything is finished.” And I will be able to proclaim that, because with the Holy Spirit and Jesus living in me the Will of God for my life will be completely accomplished!
* Things are not as they always will be. There is a bright future and hope because God is in the process of renewing all things.

** Everything begins and ends with God.  He is the beginning and the end. That is the hope that I have. No matter what the world may look like now, no matter the political, social or moral climate, this is not it.
*God is making all things new. All things will begin and end with Him. He will wipe away and do away with every destructive and selfish thought, desire, intention and act.

At times that I find myself frustrated at how things are, I must remember and renew my hope in God’s full, right and Holy plan.

“Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery.  They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High.  That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them.” (Psalm 107:10-12).

They were bound in affliction because they rebelled against God and rejected His counsel (see verse 11).
*Believers, could this be US?  We have sat under godly preaching and the Holy Spirit has convicted us, but still we are miserable and continue to sin.

When a person willfully disobey’s the Word of God, his tendency is to hide and cower in fear.
*He may feel that it is all over, thinking, “God can’t use me.”
*When you are in that condition, the devil will whisper to you, “There is no
deliverance for you. You’re one of those people who never change. God has had
it with you—your sin has caused Him to hide His face.”

Satan will pound you with Scriptures, misquoting them all. When you sit in
church, you will hear only judgment, not God’s mercy—because you are under
such guilt, condemnation and fear.

I am not referring to people who hide from God because they love their sin.
Rather, I am talking about Christians who have taken a fall but still have a
sorrow and a hatred for their sin. Something inside them cries, “I have hurt God.”

To this Christian, God’s Word promises: ” “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.  Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.  For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.  Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. ” (Psalm 107:13-17).

God never has—and never will—hide His face from a crying child of His.
*No matter how far you have fallen or how many promises you have made to God—and broken—God will always hear your cry for help and bring you back into close fellowship with Him.
*Each time, they (I) cried out, He (the Lord) saved them. We take one step toward God the Father, Abba, and He runs to us (Prodigal Son).                       How loved am I!
*God’s love is there before any response is given. there is something overwhelming about unconditional love.

*We are powerless in the face of unconditional love. No bargaining chips.

*We can run but does not change the fact that God loves us.
*When we have made a mess of things with our lives, God already loves you. Jesus already died for me.
*No matter where you are in your life, Gods love is real, its unchanging.
You can’t do something to make God not love you.

God’s Way of Agape is the only way that leads to life, but are you wiling to walk it?
* “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:14
*God can take the darkness and mess I’ve made and use it, but not until I cry out and let it go. I must take the first step.
*I love that even when we rebel and resist everything the Lord has– He allows us to live with the consequences then saves us in hopes of bringing us back. He is so merciful.

I thank you Lord for your mercy that endures forever. I thank you for I am redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I am bought with a price and I am buried with Christ and I know that if I am buried, that same power that raised Jesus Christ will also raise me up when he returns and that is something to shout about!  Lord I praise your Holy and Righteous name. You are worthy to receive glory and honor, dominion and power. Praise your Holy Name. I thank you for being God-Your word says from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.  Lord, I ask that you help me to always remember you in good times and in bad. Continue to draw me close so that I can proclaim your love in song, word, and deed. I praise you my God and my King. Amen

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LIVING IN THE LIGHT?

By Bob / March 25, 2012

Darkness is the absence of light like apathy is the absence of action.

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).
* Paul exhorts us to walk in the light of the Lord, to avoid works of darkness.
* We should let the light of Christ shine in our lives, transforming us to produce fruit that is good and right and true.
* Ephesians 5 Refers to how we should be set apart, to live differently than the rest of the world.

You cannot expose something and indulge in it at the same time. It is utterly inconsistent.
The church of Jesus Christ is directed by the Holy Spirit to be a source of correct information on all matters.
Paul says the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
I do not hesitate to say today that it is only the church (body of believers by example) that can teach the world the true nature of sex.

*Therefore, we cannot accept statements from the world in these matters without checking them against the Truth of Scripture.

*But the job of Christians is to speak up in these areas. They should challenge these false ideas. They are to tear away the mask from these wrong concepts and reveal the truth. If we needed any justification at all for a message like this, here it is: The apostle says,
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” to the light, make them visible.

*He does not mean to denounce them. The world is utterly unimpressed by people who go around denouncing.

*What the church ought to do is to show the truth helpfully about these things, tear away the lies, and let the world see that what God has intended for sex is wholesome, beautiful, wonderful, and properly protected by the bonds of marriage.
*Marriage is good and should be a decision if you decide to be sexually active.

*To be Married or to be single is a choice we must make on our own, no one should make the decision for us but whatever is our decision we must follow it fully.
*We can’t be married and act single or vice versa. (Read 1 Corinthians 7 -This Scripture teaches us a lot about marriage.).

Ephesians 5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Young people, in common with much of our society, they want to rebel against something. May I suggest something? Rebel against the rebellion! Tear away the veils from these delusions that grip people today, making them hope that they will find something beautiful and healthy and wonderful in the exploitation of sex.
*They will not find it at all. Help them to see that. Tear away these veils.

* But wake yourself up first!
* Alert your minds and hearts!
* Realize that in the Word of God you have the TRUTH as it really is.
*Christ will give you light. Then tell somebody about it.
*Help people to see that this is part of God’s great yearning heart of redemptive love that is ever seeking to draw people away from that which destroys and ruins and creates unhappiness and misery, back into wholeness and fullness and joyfulness and the living of life as God intended people to live. Expose these things.

“…Everything exposed by the light becomes visible” (Eph. 5: 13). Anything that tears away the masquerade and exposes the facts is light.

*Darkness can appear for a season like light. Be careful, and discerning of the times and situations. Do not be fooled or deceived!

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.

We need to walk in the light and away from darkness.
Ephesians 5:3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 
* Behaviour– reflect upon ourselves why we are doing something.  If we don’t abstain ourselves from darkness, it will corrupt our mind.
* Focus – one way to abstain from sin and darkness is to obey God and His word.
* Relationship – belong to light. if we don’t follow the light and belong to it, then we are not Christians.
* The mind – Always thinking of the Truth.
*Obedience is the main key to remain in God and away from darkness.

*1 Thessalonians 4:3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor.
*”But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness”.(Romans 1:18)
*Don’t conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (through salvation). Then, you will be able to discover what God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will is. (Romans 12:2).
* God’s will is to unite all of us in heaven and earth under Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:7-10)
-God’s will is for us to be joyful always, in constant contact with Him in prayer, and thankful in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
* It is God’s will that we stay sanctified, avoid sexual immorality, and control our bodies in a holy and honorable way.(Eph. 5)
* God’s will is for us to silence those against us by doing what is good.
**Don’t throw away your confidence, because you need to persevere and, after doing God’s will, be rewarded.(Hebrews 10:35)
* Those who suffer in accordance with God’s will should remain faithful and continue to do good.(1 Peter 4:19) 
**Don’t love anything of this world and it’s desires, because it will all pass away. But, those who do the will of God (believing in His Son, Jesus Christ) will live forever!!! (1 John 2:15).

Father, may I walk as a shining light in a dark place. Thank you for the privilege of it in this day of darkness.  Dear Father, help us to walk as children of light, to understand what is pleasing to you and to do it because your light is shining on us. Amen.
” This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.  So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts”.  (1 John 1:5-10)

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UNITY! ARE WE ONE?

By Bob / March 24, 2012

 Christians are called to unity because we have one God and one faith. Should we not be one people?

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?
* “If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.” 1 John 2:9

What did Jesus do to you when He cleansed you?
*He wiped away all your guilt and made you clean and whole.
* He put joy in your soul and filled you with such love for Him that you would follow Him anywhere and do anything for Him.
***That is the secret of unity– When you take up the towel of mercy for a
hurting, fallen brother, you encourage him by embracing him in his hurt. By
washing that person’s feet, you construct a firm foundation for true unity and glorious fellowship.
*You are made one by your common experience.

This message is for me as much as for anyone else. I have just recently come
into this convicting knowledge of what foot washing is truly about. And by
God’s grace, I will take up the towel of mercy along with others and seek out
those hurting ones whose feet need cleansing.

Jesus said, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also
ought to wash one another’s feet. . . . If ye know these things, happy are ye
if ye do them” (John 13:14, 17).

Now that we “know these things,” as Jesus said, we can do them. I ask you: Are you willing and ready to take up your towel in love?

There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called… (Ephesians 4:4).

**Therefore, the way to create unity is simply to bring people to Christ, and the unity of the Spirit will be produced in them by the Spirit.

As we apply this great truth there are certain things that are evident:

First, we cannot classify Christians by organizations.
*We cannot say that all those who belong to this Denomination, for instance, are Christians, but all those who are THIS Denomination, are not.

*God’s Spirit forever over-leaps human boundaries. The unity of the Spirit will be found in people in many different groups.
*We will find Christians everywhere, and it becomes our responsibility to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace with Christians wherever we find them.

A second conclusion suggests that those who have entered into this unity of the Spirit cannot possibly join in an evangelistic endeavor with those who deny this fundamental unity. Why not?

*Because our actions are determined by our beliefs.
*These are such fundamental beliefs that they set the direction of our life.

*Where one person accepts these and has experienced them and someone else does not, you have two fundamentally separate directions.
*It is impossible for one person to ride two horses going in opposite directions.

There comes a third practical application of this.
The efforts of Christians are not to be directed toward creating unity BUT toward maintaining peace in the body. That is the way Paul puts it:
**“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4: 3).
* It is important that Christians not be quarreling, bickering, and struggling against one another.
* A church that is like that is a totally ineffective body in its community.
* It is important that when Christians meet together they recognize that they are called to understand one another, to forbear one another, to pray for one another, to forgive one another, to be kind, tenderhearted, not holding grudges, not being unforgiving, bitter, resentful, and hateful toward each other.

*This is where the Spirit aims when He comes into our midst, at the healing of long-standing grudges, deep-seated resentments, and bitter hostilities that are harbored against one another.
*We must fulfill what the apostle tells us to do, to maintain the unity of the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:1.  Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
*Being a Christian isn’t about making a weekly trip to church. We need to move forward and develop the character of God so others can actually see Jesus working in a practical way.

Ephesians is all about unity in diversity. At the core of this short letter is a simple statement of God’s intent —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (Ephesians 1:10).
But unity doesn’t come easily. It requires reconciliation to achieve it, and submission to sustain it. The first is God’s work, the second, ours.
*First, Paul revels in the glorious mystery of reconciliation of God with His creation – making us His children.
*He goes on to joyously describes the reconciliation of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ – the people of Israel, and the rest – making us all His people.
*He then describes the importance of right relationships in the church- making us His family.
*And finally, Paul shows how all this is sustained – through the spiritual armour with which God so marvellously clothes us, and the mighty power of prayer!

Wonderful! We’re all One!

Your plans, ideas, and religious ideals are about to be challenged.  There are things you thought you knew or understood, but you will find out that some of your concepts were rough constructions.  Now, you will get to see those thoughts come under the scrutiny of experience.  When this process is complete, you will see and know
the point of error and come to truth.  In so doing, our spiritual and experiential
foundation will be more solid.
*1 Corinthians 3:11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Father, may Your Spirit search my heart about my attitude toward others. Thank You that it is not my calling to produce a union of Christians but rather to discover that unity produced only by the Holy Spirit. Amen

Check out the new web page, www.movingforwardwithhope.com and for Moving Forward,
www.movingforwardinitiativesllc.com

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FEARING GOD!

By Bob / March 23, 2012

Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor (Proverbs 15:33).

*Everything is from God!

Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him (Psalm 33:8).

* Those who look to the Lord are radiant! Psalm 34:5
* Let God’s Agape Love and Light radiate from within you today!
* “..for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness…But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love…”
1 Thessalonians 5:5-8

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty man (Ecclesiastes 12:13b).

  This verse reveals the secret of wholeness. To “fear God and keep his commandments” is to learn to be and to discover the secret of being a whole person. Who does not want that?
*We all want to be whole persons—not broken, fragmented, easily upset, erratic, going off in all directions at once, but stable, controlled, balanced, whole people.
Here is the secret of it.

Everything hangs upon that word FEAR.
FEAR is a difficult word for us to comprehend.
Most of us think of it in terms of abject terror, of running from God, of seeing Him as a threat, but that is Never the Biblical meaning of the word.

I have put it in the form of an acrostic to make it easier for us to remember what the elements of fearing God include.

First,
F stands for faith in His existence.
* You cannot come to God unless you know He is there.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
*There is where fear begins: faith that God exists. The whole of the created universe is shouting that at us. All the inner responses of our heart are confirming it.
The Word of God declares it. History confirms it. There is a world of evidence that God is there.

Then
E: experience of His grace.
*You never can properly fear God until you have learned what kind of a God He is.
*He is a God of mercy, of grace, of forgiveness. Until you have stood before Him and felt your guilt, acknowledged it, known you were wrong and corrupt, and heard Him say in your inner heart,
**“Neither do I condemn you… Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11), *You will never be able to properly fear God. One element of fear is the experience of the wonder of forgiveness, that God forgives and sends you out with a whole new purpose and a new resource available.

That leads to the third element.
A: awe at the majesty, the wisdom, and the wonder of God.
* What a Being He is! What a marvelous mind that can comprehend all the billions of pieces of information in this universe and hold them continually before Him, that can hear every voice and relate to every person who has ever lived! What a marvelous God! Awe at the sense of His majesty, His comprehensiveness, His unfailing wisdom and power, is part of fearing God.

The last letter,
R, stands for resolve. Resolve to do what He says, to “keep His commandments,” as the Searcher puts it here. There are only two commandments; Jesus Himself said that. All the law and the writings can be reduced to two simple things:
1. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). That is in response to His love already shown to you; love Him because He first loved you.
2.  “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s it. As Micah put it,
*“What does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Thank You, Lord for this great book, which has taught me many things, foremost of which is to Fear You and keep Your commandments.  Thank You for helping me understand FEAR:
* Faith in Your existence,
* Experience of Your grace,
* Awe at the majesty of God.
* Resolve to “keep Your commands,”          Amen

Check out the new web page, www.movingforwardwithhope.com

 Moving Forward,  www.movingforwardinitiativesllc.com

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SHARING WITH OTHERS

By Bob / March 20, 2012

 We are God’s arms of Love in this world, but only if we choose to be.
* “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:18
   
If so many people are Spirit-filled, then why don’t our churches, marriages, and families reflect God’s Way of Agape? Where is His Love?”
*…let all be…brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead…”1 Peter 3:8-9

*There are no perfect men, no perfect women. But a relationship based on the Lord’s principles of marriage found in Ephesians 5 is “perfect” by design.
*Choose to bless and not curse or retaliate. Speak words of blessing, and be a blessing everywhere you go.
   
If you pretend your not a Christian than in Gods eyes your not!
*The true purpose of our Christian walk is to freely lay down our lives so God’s Love can pour through us to others.
* “Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down His Life for his friends.” John 15:13 

“I came not to send peace, but a sword.” — Matthew 10:34

*If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God’s order.
* As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom.
When once you see a soul in sight of the conditions of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the problems, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ.

John 3:30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. 31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.

You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it.  Matt. 10:34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.  38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

*Never be sympathetic with the soul whose case makes you come to the conclusion that God is hard.
**God is more tender than we can conceive, and every now and again He gives us the chance of being the rugged one that He may be the tender One.

If a man cannot get through to God it is because there is a secret thing he does not intend to give up—He might say: “I will admit I have done wrong, but I no more intend to give up that thing than fly”.

It is impossible to deal sympathetically with a case like that: we have to get right deep down to the ROOT.
*Ones that are struggling may have unresolved hurts. 

*People want the blessing of God, but they will not stand the thing that goes straight to the Root.

There must be a sense of need before your message is of any use. Thousands of people are happy without God in this world. If the world was happy and moral till Jesus came, why did He come? ***Because that kind of happiness and peace is on a wrong level;

Jesus Christ came to send a sword through every peace that is NOT based on a Personal Relationship to Himself.

Matthew 10:31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

*God wants us to be humble, sensitive and yielded enough to hear His still small voice prompting us to show His Love to the stranger, the outcast, the wounded and the forgotten.
* “…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”  Matthew 25:40

*God’s Love doesn’t just fall out of heaven, It comes through us! We are the Body of Christ on earth, and His hand outstretched to heal.
* “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us…”2 Corinthians 5:20
 
Lord I pray that I will learn to put you first in all things; all decisions, actions, everything. Help me to understand what this truly means and how to change my life to match your good and perfect will. Lord, please forgive me for being so weak. Please give me the strength to fully embrace you in private and in public. Continue to guide me on this journey so that I may walk closer in your footsteps, live by your teachings, and spread your word. Amen
*Check out the new web page, www.movingforwardwithhope.com

*Moving Forward, www.movingforwardinitiativesllc.com

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STORMS OF LIFE!

By Bob / March 19, 2012

IN A STORM TODAY? Storms will come throughout our life time. Some will be trivial and barely even move us, then the hurricane ones come in different categories or sizes if you wish to call them that way.

These storms, though none of us likes them, reveals where we really stand with the Lord.

Yes I agree, that I wish I could do without them, because they really show where we stand, but that is not the case so I have to accept them knowing that what they reveal will only help me.

I can’t even describe how reading this chapter 107 of Psalms makes me feel. *God loves us so much that even when we turn our backs on Him and disrespect Him, all we have to do is just turn to Him and cry out for His help, and He is with us, no questions asked.

Are you facing trouble in your business or career?

*As you read the following verses, be reminded that career people and businessmen here are likened to seamen in ships.
The great waters signify the big world of competition, an ocean of activity.

” Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.  They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas.  He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.  Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.  They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107:23-27).

***These people are God’s beloved saints.
*They are in awe of His greatness and power, but a storm breaks out that is beyond their control. It is not judgment for sin, yet suddenly waves are swamping them, swallowing up their boat.
They are staggered by problems on all sides, and it looks as if their ship is going down.
***Suddenly they are confused and perplexed: “Their soul is melted because of trouble” (verse 26).

*Many career people have told me, “It looks bad. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly I’m in a mess.” They were able to solve their own problems in the past, and to escape one crisis after another.
*With this trial, however, there seems to be no way of escape. They are mentally and physically exhausted.

How easily we forget that our loving heavenly Father is our partner in our
work, regardless of our career or calling.
*Indeed, nothing happens to us without His involvement. He has power over all our difficulties and He has a reason and purpose behind them all.

*What can you do when your business partner has no advice and consultants cannot help you?
*Where do you turn when your spouse, your pastor, your best friend has
nothing to say to you?
* I am not an expert,  but I can point you to the seamen in Psalm 107:
**”“LORD, help!”
they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.  What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!”
(Psalm 107:28-30).

Acts 27:18-19 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

The beginning of peace in our lonely hearts is to get the light on in each room of our lives.  The light of God will drive out the fear, the loneliness, the unsettledness, the uncertainty, the void the misery that tries to overwhelm our lives.

God never promised us a smooth ride, but He did promise us that He would never leave us or forsake us.(Heb. 13:5) 
1.) Take Heed to Godly Council
• You don’t see the end from the beginning
2.) Measure depth of the situation
3.) Don’t jump ship
• God promises a safe landing
• Just because your sinking doesn’t mean your sunk
4.) Let go of your cargo

*Joshua 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
*Revelation 21: 7 Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Thank You Jesus for the Victory. Thank You for the Peace that is there during our Storms in Life, knowing You are always there with us. Help us to call out to You inALL circumstances!  Amen

Read Psalm 91 to find Rest, Refuge, Safety, and be Rescued and Protected!

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HOW AND WHEN DO I PRAY?

By Bob / March 18, 2012

 Talking to God is considered Prayer.
* So take time out of everyday AND all through out the day to talk toYour Father in Heaven.

“Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 
4 ways that prayer will help you:
1. It will help you not fall into temptation.
2. It will keep you humble.
3. It will help you have Determination, Strength, Willpower, and Character.

4. It will help you discover Gods Will/Purpose for your life.

If I asked you the purpose for which God made you, what might you say?
*You might give a lot of answers that required some action on your part.
**However, the simplest answer to that question relates to one primary thing: FELLOWSHIP! 
 The most important thing God desires from us today is to have a deep and intimate fellowship with each of us.

The apostle Paul said he wanted to know Christ, and by knowing Christ he could experience the power of His resurrection.

*”I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection….” – Philippians 3:10

**So often it is much easier to be busy with the urgent (or even Christian) activity than spending quiet moments before the Lord. Think about it–Jesus is with us 24/7. What would it take to give Him a few minutes of Every awaken hour we have? 

Now to me, that would be a True Healthy Relationship rather than taking Only a 15 minute time in AM or PM(which is great)—BUT –to Know and Acknowledge Him and Communicate in and about ALLthings–ALLDAY!  This would be FELLOWSHIP!  Amen

Sometimes, before we realize it, days have passed since our last quiet time with Jesus.  This is the First step to backsliding!

Ephesians 6:18  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Jesus understood how important quiet moments were with the Father. “After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone” (Mt. 14:23).
The more mature I become in my relationship with the Lord, the more precious this time becomes to me.
* It is a time I look forward to almost daily.
* It offers me a time to reflect, to share my concerns with my Lord, and to hear Him speak.
** In the last few years I have begun to communicate in prayer during my work, during activities, mowing the lawn, driving etc. which accomplish two things: Fellowship and Prayer.  It has changed my prayer life. It has taken loneliness out. It has taken temptations and worldly thinking out, it has……It has….. because Jesus Lives IN me 24/7!
*I have come to understand that Jesus views us as His friend and He wants to spend time with us- 24/7.

*We are depriving Him of His time when we put Him aside for the urgent or just wait till our quit time at home. 
*An interesting thing happens when we make prayer a priority: Urgent things seem to wane as we focus on Him. He makes all these other things fall into place.
* ” This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. ” (Psalm 91:2-3, 14-15).

*Are you taking the time to get to know Him today?

Psalms 34: 6  In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles.

We need a Vision as Joel:
*The Ability to see beyond the natural realm. This Produces Passion.
* If you want to see your Visions come true put a PLAN to it.

Four Components of Vision                                                                                           1. Think Big—Jeremiah
*Our Vision is limited by our thinking.  We have to see God Big.
*Knowing God through the Word>   (Book of John).
*Once you know God through His Word, you’ll know how Big He is.
* Knowing God through Prayer. (Ephesians)- Having Conversations with God. *Knowing God through Praise and Worship, Tithing and Giving– (Psalm)
*Knowing Him through Troubles. (Philippians) God can solve your troubles.

2. Ask Big

You would not intimidate God by asking big.  All for His Glory!.

3. Risk Big
If you’re not careful in life you’ll get so complacent.
*Aim for Perfection and you’ll always do great.
* Need to learn how to step out in faith and dream Big.

4. Speak to your vision (Proverbs).
*”Your Vision is only as Big as you think It”
*Speak to the dry bones in your life. “Dry Bones Live Again”
*If you speak faith to your vision it will come to life.

**Vision needs to outlive you, let your vision go from generation to generation it’s one of the most powerful things in your life.
* John 14:13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.
*James 4:3  3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
*Ask with the right motive. *God wants us to spend time with Him.

Prayer is essential for life! This Relationship with Jesus, gives us purpose, provision, joy and peace.

Lord Jesus I invite You in and pray You will be in my thoughts hourly and that You show me Your will every hour so that I may fulfill things according to Your word for Your Glory and my Joy of continuous  Fellowship with You. Amen
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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I WANT MY FREEDOM BACK!

By Bob / March 16, 2012

 We aren’t called to be Christians just so we can be happy and content. We are called to be living channels of God’s Love upon this earth.
* “…constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3

How do you get out of the trap of Temptation and Sin? To whom do you cry out, “I want my freedom back”?

Whenever we move from playing Christianity to having a genuine encounter with the living Christ, we are confronted with our Own Humanity and Sin compared to the unmerited Love and Power of Jesus Christ that is personally directed to us.
*It should bring us to our knees. It is an awesome experience to transition from Religion to Relationship.
*Life is never the same when you have a personal encounter with our Savior.

Picture yourself as a bird in the fowler’s trap. Stand still. Don’t flap your
wings; don’t struggle. There is a secret of deliverance for you, and it is not
complicated:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Psalm 124: 7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! 8 Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

What a wonderful promise! Your escape to Freedom is in the name of Jesus, in
His incredible, glorious, all-powerful name!!!!
All you have to know is that Jesus is on your side. He is not mad at you for
falling into the trap. Jesus is not against you. No, never! 
JESUS hears your cry because not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowing about it!

There have been many times in my life when I feel as if the enemy is gleefully enjoying an open season on me and God isn’t blocking anything.
*I have talked to many others that have felt this same way at times and have asked me questions like ‘where was God when my son was killed’; ‘where was God when my daughter was violated by someone who should have been protecting her’; ‘where was God when my spouse decided I was not worth loving anymore’; ‘where was God when the Twin Towers were attacked’; ‘where was God when…’

We see events from our own limited perspective of only the here and now, focusing on what did happen and getting Lost in the magnitude of Despair.
*God sees the whole picture, what did happen and what could have happened.

*It’s not about the glass being half empty or half full, BUT being able to look past the overwhelming emotions and find God– Knowing He is in Control!

When trials and tragedy come it often feels like God has forgotten us or is being cruel by putting us through more than we can handle. This Psalm 124 is a reminder that if God hadn’t been watching over us the trial or tragedy would have destroyed us.
*Instead, we come through to the other side Stronger and More Equipped to face the next step.

Here is what the bird of freedom sings to himself:  ” This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. ” (Psalm 91:2-3, 14-15).

*Rest assured, that God will deliver you. No matter what your failure, your hardship, your trap, He is on your side.

*Stand still and see His salvation. Even if you are weak, you can cry out to Him because He promises to come and tear the net away!

He has come to bring you out of your despair, to break the snare that binds you and set you FREE.  “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the
fowlers” (Psalm 124:7).

God is the Author of all our deliverances, and he must have the glory.
*The enemies lay snares for God’s people, to bring them into sin and trouble, and to hold them there. *Sometimes they seem to prevail; but in the Lord let us put our trust, and we shall not be put to confusion.
*The believer will ascribe all the honor of his salvation, to the power, mercy, and truth of God, and look back with wonder and thanksgiving on the way in which the Lord has led him.
*Let us rejoice that our help for the time to come is in Him who made heaven and earth!

The strength of your life and health is not only found in joy but in dealing
with things as they come.

* Diligence is the operative word here.  Quiet and steady perseverance will benefit you greatly and keep you moving forward. 
**This is no time to get stuck in circumstances that seem to be overwhelming.  When something seems to be beyond your ability to deal with, trust the Lord for the help that you need. 
*The Lord will give you direction, wisdom and strength in all things.
*Psalm 120:1-2  I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

We can call on His name in our times of need. He created everything and is the only One who can meet our needs.
** When I am in trouble, frustrated, or discouraged, I need to turn to Him first. He is the only one who can meet all my needs.
* I am often tempted to put my hope in a pile of different things and people other then God. I will remember why my hope is in God today.  “I’m FREE!”

Father, you know where my heart is right now. Help me deal with these feelings, and help me to be patient and wait on You for the answers, not man.  Your Word and Truth is Perfect for the soul and I put my Trust in You. God, thank You for creating me. Thank You for loving me enough to listen to me and help me through my troubles.  Protect me today, use me today.  Thank You for Victory in YOU and YOU ALONE!  Amen

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