Devotions - Prayer
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons.
If you ask a Christian how to do battle with the devil, he will probably recite James 4:7: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
But what does James mean by resist and how do we resist Satan’s power?
*When you are alone with God in prayer, you are totally immune to the devil’s devices.
*So run to His throne by faith, call on Him, and stand on the power of Christ’s blood.
Joshua 1:8 This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do.
Jesus is our example here. When He resisted temptation with God’s Word, the devil fled. Why? Because the truth exposed Satan, putting him to shame.
*Hebrews says that all who have trusted in God’s Word “through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions” (Hebrews 11:33).
**We muzzle the powers of hell by standing on God’s Word.
FOR US TO BE VICTORIOUS WE NEED.
1.Our faith is our greatest weapon against the devil. 2cor 5:7
2. Know the word. We fight battles in the kingdom is to know the word. Know more than the devil. The devil works by deception in the word. This is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve. 1cor 2:8, psalm 119:130
3. Realize the power in you. Luke 10:19, John 1:12, 1John 4:4
Revelation 12:11 They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.
Using the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) in your daily battle with the enemy is the only “sure fire” method of winning!
When the attacks come, and they will, pull out your Sword and let the Word of God do it’s work in the lives of those who are trying to harm you.
Thank You Jesus that you are in control and help me put more and more trust in You and not look at all the circumstances going on in this world at this time. Help keep my eyes on you Jesus! Amen
Read MoreLet go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth”Psalm 46:10.
Every day, you have to decide who’s going to be in control of your life — you or God.
That choice is a battle. There are things in your life that you want to control. You want to make your own rules. But stress relief always starts with letting God be God. It always starts with saying, “God, I’m giving up control, because you can control the things that are out of control in my life.”
Psalm 46:10 says, “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth” .
I don’t know what you’re going to face this week. You don’t, either. But I can already tell you what God wants you to do: Let go, and know. Let go of control, and know that God is in control. Let go, and know! This is the first step to serenity in your life.
Whenever we face out-of-control situations, we tend to go to one of two extremes.
- For some of you, the more out-of-control your life gets, the harder you try to control it.
- Some of you do the exact opposite: You just give up! You have a pity party and invite yourself to it.
Both of those reactions to stress are foolish. They don’t work. Instead of being a victim or becoming hyper controlling, you need to pray the prayer of surrender.
The number one reason you’re under stress is because you’re in conflict with God.
You’re trying to control things that only God can control. You can’t control your husband or your kids or your wife, or your parents, or your friends, or your job or your future or your past or any of that stuff. The more you do it, the more you’re trying to play God, and that puts you in opposition to God. Not only are you going to lose that conflict, but you’re also going to be tired.
Millions of people pray the Serenity Prayer, which is based on the Lord’s Prayer, but most have never read the last eight lines to the prayer. read below
That’s where the power is! There is power when you surrender to JESUS the very things you’ve been trying to control.
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that you will make all things right,
If I surrender to your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with you
Forever in the next.
Amen.
— Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
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Proverbs 3:13–15 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
Those words have always been very meaningful for me. In a way, they sum up my life experience trying to find the meaning of life.
And then in His mercy, God miraculously revealed Himself to me.
- He opened up the pages of the Bible to me.
- He gave me the gift of the Holy Spirit to interpret the Scripture and there I found the source of true wisdom.
A wisdom that yields fruit, a wisdom that yields blessing beyond our power to calculate or compute and I want to give my personal testimony to you as you listen to these words.
Truly, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom.”
- She is more profitable than silver, she is more precious than rubies.Nothing you desire can compare with her.
- This is the pearl of great price. The one thing that’s worth more than all of the other things in life.
- It’s the finding of the wisdom of God revealed in Scripture by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you Jesus for Your Word which is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen
Read More Christ overcame the world and our victory in this life is our faith in HIM.
*Our lives are living proof for others to see what our hope lies in.
*In all circumstances our faith testifies of Him who has given so much.
*Christian do not put your hope in things of this world for all earthly things will fail.
Only God can win the victory not us. We have to trust him to bring us through.
1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
“My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
*The context is financial and material. But the principle is total. What we really need (not just want) will be granted.
*And what is need? Need is what we must have to do God’s will. What we must have to magnify our Savior. That is what we will be given as we trust him.
Ephesians 6:7 Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 8 Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.
Life Goals: Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
- Contentment: 1 Timothy 6:6, Philippians 4:11-12, Psalms 37:16, 1 Corinthians 7:20, Isaiah 5:8, Hebrews 13:5.
- Relationships: 2Corinthians 6:14,1 Corinthians 6:18-20, 13:7, Luke 12:21, Romans 5:11, Colossians 1:28, Philippians 1:3-6, Proverbs 15:22, Galatians 5:14, Luke 18:1-8, Joshua 1:8-9, 1 Peter 3:7, Romans 12:2
- Life long learning: Proverbs 18:15, 9:11, 4:10-11, 12:1, Psalms 34:11-16, Hosea 4:6, 6:6, John 17:3, 1 Timothy 4:11, Philippians 3:17, 4:9, Matthew 9:12-13, Hebrews 5:8.
Ecclesiastes 6:9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
Ecclesiastes 7:14 Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.
Proverbs 30:7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Amen
Psalms 70:5 But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.
The WORD OF GOD IS A Daily Need!
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
The gospel isn’t simply a set of truths that non-Christians must believe in order to become saved.
Christians need the gospel because our hearts are always prone to wander; we’re always tempted to run from God.
It takes the power of the gospel to direct us back to our first love.
Consciously going to the gospel ought to be a daily reality and experience for us all. It means preaching the gospel to yourself every day.
We have to allow God to remind us every day through his Word of Christ’s finished work on behalf of sinners in order to stay convinced that the gospel is relevant.
Our born again spirits are always in tune with the Lord and walking in the joy of the Lord.
*Our flesh is often dominated by what it sees and feels.
Sometimes it doesn’t feel like praising the Lord, but the choice rests with our souls. If we choose to praise the Lord, our emotions will follow.
The decision is yours Dt. 30:19 I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.
Today, choose to walk in the joy of the Lord.
Deut. 31:6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
*Take one step at a time and one day at a time to accomplish what is set before you.
*The Lord is with you to empower you to meet every challenge and to overcome adversity.
*This is a time when your hope can become faith, and faith can become fact.
Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR WORD–THE GUIDANCE I REALLY NEED!
AMEN
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income….” – Ecclessiastes 5:10
The void in our heart cannot be filled with anything, only a real relationship with God can fill this Feeling Of Emptiness.
Because we do not know God’s heart to be with us, we try to fill this void with stuff, pretty man or woman, notable career ETC.
Not knowing that once we gain these things we still won’t be fulfilled.
3 myths about money
1. Money brings satisfaction
2. Money brings peace of mind
3. Money solves all your problems
* Realize that God is the owner of all we have.
Only when we know God’s heart will we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness will be gone.
Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches.
Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth.
Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil.
Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go.
*This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult – to give away his wealth and follow Him.
Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block.
For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
If we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. I was there for a period of my life and it was not rewarding—It was EMPTINESS!
*Those around us begin to expect more and more.
*Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle.
*Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire.
*Our emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom.
The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need.
Lord keep us from greed but rather keep us on Your path, desiring You day in and day out to be one like You! Thank You Jesus when we know God’s heart we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness IS gone.
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FOR US TO BE VICTORIOUS WE NEED.
1. Our faith is our greatest weapon against the devil. 2cor 5:7
2. Know the word. We fight battles in the kingdom is to know the word. Know more than the devil. The devil works by deception in the word (read Hosea 4:6). This is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve.
3. Realize the power in you. Luke 10:19, John 1:12, 1John 4:4
4. CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON ALL THAT IS GOOD
Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15).
*Temptation has to be entered into.
We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7).
Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, BUT we must CHOOSE to think on the positive truths of God.
This is where prayer comes in.
In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts that conceive temptation.
Temptation or sin must be conceived (Jas. 1:14-15).
In the physical realm, the easiest way to avoid an unwanted birth is to avoid conception, so it is in the spiritual world.
It is easier to avoid being tempted by being in constant communion with God, than it is to overcome temptation once it has been conceived.
Paul admonishes the Philippians believers to reflect and meditate upon eight positive principles of thinking that will lead to a victorious Christian life.
Phil. 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
*Recognizing God’s hand in even the smallest things will bring peace and keep our hearts and minds following hard after the Lord.
Lord, I confess to You that my thoughts are not always pure. I have allowed the world and outside influences to pollute the mind that should be set on You. Right now, I choose against my old ways of thinking and invite the Holy Spirit to stand guard over my mind and to renew it(Ro. 12:2). I commit to fill my heart and mind with Your truth and give gratitude always and pray much (see 1 Thess. 5:16-18). In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”!
.. the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15b).
Paul describes the role of the church in two dramatic words: the church is the
1. “pillar”
2. The “foundation” of the truth.
The great reason for the existence of the church is to:
*** Introduce Truth back into a world saturated with error and fantasy. WE WILL ALL DIE SOMETIME & THERE IS A HELL-THERE IS A HEAVEN!
The church recovers truth when it is lost. (And boy are we lost).
That is why all Moral Recovery in a nation always begins with the church, with the people of God.
***Their Testimonies of what Jesus has done for them personally!!!(Rev. 12:11).
Any Hope that we in this country will ever recover from this downhill slide into despair lies in the presence of the church(Body of Christ) in our midst.
So the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth.” The Church is not a denomination-It’s all believers in Jesus Christ.
All believers are the household of God and are crucial pillars in representing the truth of God.
Without the Church:
*There is no conduit for truth
*Without truth, there is no hope.
* God has ordained that through the Church; His Bride, He will reveal Himself to the world.
***Let us not lose sight of this, and let us hold fast to Jesus and His Word (John 17:17).
Hebrews 12: 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.
We need God’s anointing in the place called church to help us to conduct ourselves.
Romans 12:5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.(His Church)!
We all need to be part of the fruit-bearing stage. In it, God’s power is manifested in your life like never before.
***God takes ALL our experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life.
*** Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process.
What does God want to achieve through our lives?
*God has a plan that is so incredible we cannot comprehend it.
*It requires only that we love Him and follow Him.
Then we will become fishers of men like the world has never known.
“‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'” Matthew 4:19
Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
” May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.”
God is Able, and God bless America! AMEN
Read MoreThe wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20
Here we see the cause of the wrath of God. The apostle explains that it is the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness that causes God’s wrath.
The tragic aspect of life is caused by the attitudes men have and the subsequent actions that follow.
Notice the order of this — godlessness and then wickedness. It is the godless attitude that produces the wicked actions, and that is why the wrath of God is being revealed constantly from heaven against man.
What is godlessness?
Godlessness isn’t necessarily atheism, the belief that God doesn’t exist. Godlessness is acting as though he doesn’t exist.
*It doesn’t necessarily deny that there is a God, but it never takes any account of him; it doesn’t expect him to be active.
As a result of godlessness, there is unrighteousness or wickedness, selfish and hurtful acts of men toward one another.
*Why do we act selfishly?
*Why do we hurt each other?
*Because we disregard God, and expect there will be no consequences.
*That is Paul’s analysis. By means of these hurtful and selfish acts, the truth is suppressed.
Here we are in a world in which truth from God is breaking out all around us, but we are busy covering it up, hiding it, suppressing it, keeping it from being prominent and dominant in our thinking.
The reason life has turned tragic in so many cases is because the world is deprived of the truth that is necessary for life and liberty and freedom and godliness, and it is hidden by men and suppressed by them.
The nature of the truth that is suppressed is the existence of a God of eternal power and majesty.
How has God made truth plain? The Scripture says that God has revealed himself to man.
*Truth is not a vague, invisible, difficult thing to comprehend; it is clearly seen.
God himself has insured that. How? The Scriptures say, It is seen in that which is made, i.e., creation. From the creation of the world it is visible; i.e., it has been always and everywhere present. There is no one who is left out — all can read this revelation of God if they want to do so.
Thus, says the Scripture, people are without excuse. No one who really wants to find God need miss him.
Father, help me not to suppress the truth, but to bow before you as both my Creator and Redeemer. Help me be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Ro. 2:12) Amen
Read the Scripture: Romans 1:18-23 and Acts 12:23 on how God wants the Glory!
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
When it comes to the Christian life, we will either gain or lose ground. We will either win or lose.
***But we have to be involved in the spiritual battle. Spiritual pacifists will be knocked down, because the Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. (TRUTH VS LIES IS THE BATTLE)
When the devil comes with his spirit of discouragement, he bombards you with one lie after another(All sin begins with a lie). By the time he’s finished, you’re crying, “Oh, God, I’ll never make it!”
Mark 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.”
It is up to us to fight the good fight of faith. So we need to suit up and learn the principles from God’s Word that teach us how to be more than conquerors in Jesus Christ.
1. First, we need to put on the full armor of God as we engage in the spiritual battle.
Ephesians 6:11 tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.
2. Second, we need to be aware of the fact that Satan is NOT the equal of God.
*The devil would like us to think that whatever God can do, he can do, as though they were two sides of the same force.
*Although Satan is a powerful spirit being, he is far from God’s equal.
*You see, God is omnipotent (all-powerful). God is omniscient (all-knowing). God is omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time).
3. Third, we need to realize that the devil will primarily attack us in the realm of the imagination.
*The devil knows that if he can get us to THINK about something, we are only a step away from actually doing it.
*He knows that our minds are “command central.”
* It is here that we reason.
*It is here that we remember.
*It is here that we dream.
4. We need to understand that the devil works with two very close allies: the world and the flesh.
A. “The world” is the world system that is hostile toward God.
* It is living for personal gratification, our own will above all else.
B. Then there is the flesh.
*When the Bible speaks of the flesh, it speaks more of the depraved, fallen human nature in which we are gratifying sensual appetites.
Every time the devil tempted Jesus to sin while in the desert, Jesus used a scripture to silence the devil.
As it also says in Ephesians 6:17, “have as the Sword the word of God which the Spirit gives you”.
We Fight FROM Victory not For Victory: See 1John 4:4
Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (JN 14:6) Amen
Read MoreThis world is not our home. In Christ, we are destined for the Heaven of GOD.
Col. 3:2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hold lightly to the things of this world that are temporary, saints of GOD, and grip tightly the things of GOD that will last forever in His EternalKingdom.
Let your heart and mind be focused on eternal reality instead of allowing your current situation and circumstances to sap your strength and vitality. Yield to this mighty work of redemption.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
You may be wondering, “Lord, why is my job so upsetting to me? Why do I always feel like an outsider? What’s wrong with me?”
There is nothing wrong with you. God is at work!
*He is keeping you sick and tired of this dying world.
*He is saying, “You can’t get too involved in ‘making it’ here because it is all going up in smoke.
***Set your affections on things above— on the new world that is coming.”
You answer, “But what a waste. I’m so full of energy. I have talent, ideas, a sharp mind, a desire to accomplish much. Yet I feel stifled, stymied. It’s so
frustrating.”
I have good news for you: When it all ends and your scoffing friends are cut off—their work melted to nothing, their careers dissolved, their money
burned—your work is just about to begin.
God has everything under control.
You see, heaven is not a retirement center. Rather, our eternal home is a place of great action, full of new horizons and incredible plans.
God is going to fully use ALL your gifts, talents and desires there.
*God is not going to waste a thing He has given you.
*On the contrary, your gifts will be magnified many times over.
God is going to use you for His glory in eternity!
What a relief my heart experiences as I stop looking to others to fill me and find Jesus as my constant, day after day, contentment.
Take time today to go to Him and ask Him to fill up the empty places and refresh the areas of your heart that are dry.
Jesus is The One and only who can fill and complete us.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.”
Lord, help me to recognize You are The One my heart is looking for. Each and every day, teach me to look to You to fill the love gap in my heart. Thank You Jesus for Eternity being with You! Amen
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Most Christians don’t really know God. They know about Him, but they’re not intimately acquainted with His character (Matthew 5:3-12) and His Love (all 66 Books).
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him…” Job 36:26
We must always measure truth by God’s word.
We need to know the word and study the word so we can better recognize when something is off.
*If we recognize that someone is not teaching according to the word of God we should not remain under that teaching.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
How is Jesus “the Truth”
Truth is rooted in the eternal God who’s all powerful and unchangeable. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is Truth” (John 17:17).
*Truth is far more than facts. It’s not just something we act upon. It acts upon us.
*******We can’t change the truth, even though the world tries too—- but the truth can change us.
*The truth of the word sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin natures.
*As Christ the living Word is truth, so his written word is truth.
*Though heaven and earth will pass away, God’s truth never will.
OUR BATTLE IN LIFE IS: “TRUTH VS. LIES”
The heart longs for truth—even the heart that rejects it.
As followers of Christ:
1. We are to walk in the truth (III John 3)
2. Love the truth, and believe the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10, 12).
3. We’re to speak the truth “in love”(Ephesians 4:32).
4. Truth is far more than a moral guide. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).
*He didn’t say He would show the truth or teach the truth or model the truth. *****JESUS IS the truth.
Col. 2:……I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
JESUS is the source of ALL truth, the embodiment of truth and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.
*The Bible is God talking to man. —Prayer is man talking to God.
Anything beyond the teaching of Christ is to far:
2 John 1:9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a personal relationship with both the Father and the Son.
Lord help me to read and obey your word that I may grow in my primary focus being my personal relationship with You, in Jesus name Amen.
Read MoreHow can we know beyond any doubt that Jesus really rose from the dead. It is by faith founded on irrefutable fact/truth!
To help strengthen our confident faith in God and His Word we have the Bible.
As Christians, we must be prepared to demonstrate that Christ’s resurrection was an event that occurred in time and space – that it was, in reality, historical.
2 Peter 1:16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
The importance of this event cannot be minimized:
1. For Jesus Himself proclaimed that His resurrection would prove His power over death, and thus His deity. (John 2:18-22).
2. Not only that, but Christ’s resurrection is the very heart of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
3. The evidence for Christ’s resurrection is so overwhelming that no one can examine it with an open mind desiring to know the truth without becoming convinced of its truth.
Of the many evidences available:
A. None is more compelling than the fact that the resurrected Christ appeared to over five hundred individuals at a single time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
B. Christ appeared to numerous other individuals as well, providing “many convincing proofs” of His resurrection (Acts 1:3).
C. Christ in His resurrection body was even touched on two occasions (Matthew 28:9;
John 20:17), and challenged the disciples (Luke 24:39) and Thomas (John 20:27) to feel His wounds.
If any person would take the time study any cross–examination of the eyewitness testimonies recorded in Scripture–it would result in “an undoubting conviction of their integrity, ability, and truth.”
Always remember that one of the strong evidences of divine inspiration of the Bible (not found in other religious books of either past or present) consists of its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies.
To help strengthen our confident faith in God and His Word we have the Bible.
One of my favorite prophesies that predicted the coming of the Messiah (Jesus) is Isaiah 53 which was written 700 plus years before Jesus Death. How did they know?
Take time to read Matthew 27:32-36 and Luke 23:18-56 to see this prophesy fulfilled.
There is One alone to whom this can refer, Jesus Christ!
Thank you Jesus for your Word which is 100 percent Truth. I believe and have faith because I have personally experienced the joy, peace, and love through the knowledge of Your Holy Spirit inspired Word—The Bible. Thank You! Help me this Easter season to share Your Love with others, that they too will experience the Power in Your Resurrection . Lord, I pray that millions and millions will come to Know You as their personal Savior. Amen
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I believe one crucial ingredient to healing our moral confusion is the recovery of the biblical idea of holiness, which includes private morality but so much more—the very life of God IN us.
Holiness is not just for advanced Christians but stands at the beginning and center of God’s call on our lives: “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev. 11:44; 1 Pet. 1:16 also 1 Thess. 4:3&4).
Holy: “set apart” or “dedicated” to God—to belong to God. “I will be your God, and you will be my people,” says Yahweh (Lev. 26:12; Heb. 8:10).
Thus, prior to any consideration of morality, biblical holiness describes a unique relationship that God has established and desires with his people. (Jn 17:3)
This relationship has moral ramifications, but it precedes moral behavior.
*Being set apart for God.
* Being set apart from the evil acts of sin.
*As God’s people, Living on the side of the Cross we have been cleansed from our sin.
*The sacrifice of Jesus has made us clean in the sight of God.
*We have been made holy through Jesus.
**We can now interact with God because of this great gift.
So we being made holy through Jesus—we need to STOP acting like sinful, unsaved people. Amen!
We are to honor God with our every breath and our every thought.
1 Peter 1:15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. 16 The Scripture says, “Be holy because I am holy.”
The Bible is holy because it is the Very Word of Almighty God, but what does holy mean?
To begin to understand what holy means, we must first consider God.
¨ God is not like us. He is higher (Isaiah 55:8-9).
¨ God does not think like we think
¨ God does not do like we do.
That higher form of thought and action is what holy is.
We could just pass it off and say God is holy because He is God, and I am not holy because I am not God. If we did that (and some of us do), we would be neglecting a very clear command in the Holy Scriptures: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15).
*Holiness is elevating God in our minds and recognizing that He fills the earth and knows our every thought (Psalm 139:2 and Psalms 19).
Holy living can be as simple as asking ourselves what God wants us to do before we do it. Just before we consider losing our temper, passing along some piece of malicious gossip, or possibly saying a cuss word, stopping to think, “Will this honor God?”
To be holy is to recognize that God exists and that He will reward those who look for Him in every facet of life (Hebrews 11:6).
Being holy is a process, and that process, like a journey, begins with the first step.
Guide me Lord Jesus to become all that You have planned for me and may my actions honor YOU! Help me become more Holy for Your Glory and my joy. Amen
Read MoreToday’s opportunities erase yesterday’s failures. –Gene Brown
Around the country are houses for rehabilitation, also called “halfway houses,” where men and women who have fallen on hard times–incarceration, addiction, mental illness–have the opportunity to get a fresh start.
In these homes they learn, some for the first time, the skills that will help them function well as they reenter society–filling out a job application, opening a bank account, shopping for groceries on a budget, and so forth. Every day these men and women face a choice:
- They can look backward, allowing their past to determine their identity,
- or they can imagine a brighter future moving forward for themselves.
- Which ones succeed?
- Which ones realize the destiny God has planned for them?
Those of us facing obstacles of our own have the same choice and challenge every day. Like the Bible character Ruth, we can choose to let go of the past and start the future in a new land (Ruth 1:16).
Ruth was a woman of excellence because she wasn’t held hostage to her past.
We can learn from yesterday, but we aren’t to live in it.
The devil would love for us to stay stuck in the past. He wouldn’t even mind if, dreaming of an unrealistic future, we slacked off on what God has for us today. Each day we have the choice to embrace the future God has prepared for us.
How have you been tempted to allow an experience from the past, or a difficult season in your life, define who you are?
Living in the past or in the future means we’re not really living in the present at all. How can a clear vision of the future impact your living today?
God, I believe Your mercies are new every morning. I release yesterday to You, and I purpose to live today as the kingdom Person You’ve made me to be. Let me exalt You for any success and share with you any disappointments. Guide me to reflect on this glorious day with fond remembrance and look forward to another. Amen.
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