Devotions - Prayer

WARFARE

By Bob / May 22, 2024

We live in the world, but Christ has overcome the world. While we’re here, we have to deal with some stuff of the world.

Very often we struggle with what goes on in our own minds. We emphasize spiritual warfare, but many of our battles are internal.



If we can win the battle between our ears, the rest of it will be easy.
In spiritual warfare of the mind is the literally the battle ground.
The mind is the control center that establish the direction of our lives. What goes on in our mind determines the course of every other part of our lives.
It effects the decision we make.

Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
* Focus on God; His will to understand the true purpose one has when placed here.
We have  weapons to fight the good fight.

The first weapon available to us is truth. The Christian is given an insight into life and reality that others do not have. We know what is behind the forces at work in our society today, and we ought to know how to go about overcoming them.

Truth is realism. That is why it is so important that we understand the Scriptures, that we refresh our minds with them all the time, for we are constantly bombarded with illusion and error every day, and it is easy to drift back into thinking the way everybody around us thinks.
Love is also a powerful weapon, and in Scripture, the Word of God links truth with love.
Along with truth and love in Scripture is Faith.

Faith is the recognition that God is present in history.

God has not left us alone to stumble on our own way. The Lord Jesus sits in control of all the nations of earth.
Another powerful weapon for the Christian, proceeding from faith, is prayer.

The power of prayer is held before us throughout Scripture.
Lord, help me from here on to begin to use the weapons of truth, love, faith, and prayer for Your Glory. Amen

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PEACE

By Bob / May 21, 2024

Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
The Father is the great Peace Maker.  But, that peace came at a great cost. 
Colossians 1 teaches us that the cost to God of reconciling (making peace) with us was Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross. 

Jesus has enabled anyone who will trust Him for forgiveness and healing and freedom, to be at peace with God.
2 Corinthians 5:20. “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

Only when our hearts are ruled by God’s Love are we given the hope that transcends emotion or circumstance.

  “…we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts…” Romans 5:3-5

Proverbs 1:33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.    

 

One thing that people all over the world today are striving for is security, but here is an offer of total security.

You’ll live in safety; you’ll be at ease, without fear of harm. Not merely will you be physically safe, but you’ll be free from worry and anxiety and care.


What’s the secret?

*The secret is listening to the right voice.
*That’s the voice of divine wisdom speaking through the pages of Scripture, offering that promise of total security and ongoing, uninterrupted emotional stability and peace.

How can you find that?

*You can’t find it in the world’s system, in the world’s provisions.

*The world can offer temporary stability, temporary security, but nothing that’s permanent.

***The only pathway to permanent stability, security, peace of mind is to listen to the voice of divine wisdom speaking through the pages of Scripture and then to do what wisdom enjoys.

 

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

*The peace can only be made with our dependence to God.

 

Thank You Jesus for Your word!    THE BIBLE (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)!  I believe the Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of life, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers.  I Read it to be wise.  Believe it to be safe —-Practice it to be holy.  The Bible gives light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you.  Amen!!!

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KEEP MOVING FORWARD

By Bob / May 19, 2024

“Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” – Exodus 14:15

Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert.
The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh’s pursuing army was the Red Sea.

Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out,
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Ex. 14:11b-12)

 

God sometimes brings each of us to a “Red Sea” in our life.
*It may be a work problem that can’t be solved.
*It may be a marriage that seems to be failing.
*It may be a debilitating disease.

**Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: Keep moving forward.


The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to “Keep moving.”

“But Lord, the Red Sea is before me.” “Keep moving.”
When we live by sight, we act on what we see.   God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here. That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ.

 

This is when our own Red Seas become parted.
*We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don’t first “Keep moving forward.
There is an issue that you must settle in your own mind and heart.  There are just some things that you cannot fix or make different.  You can  only make decisions  about the things that are yours to deal with, and that does  not include other people and their choices.

Psalms 118:8   It is better  to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Amen

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DESTROY DOUBT

By Bob / May 18, 2024

Matthew 17:20 “You do not have enough faith, Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as a small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

 

If we are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn our eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith.

Only then will we be able to overcome the obstacles that may stand in our way.

  • There is great potential in even a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act.
  • We need to trust in God’s power not our own ability to produce results.

 

Acts 1:8 But you(apostles) will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
We can always look around and find plenty of Christians who are not using this power, but 2 Corinthians 10:12 says that comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise.
Most Christians are living so far below what God intended for them that when someone begins to live a normal Christian life (according to God’s standard), then everyone thinks he’s abnormal.
We will be successful when we not only build our faith but destroy our doubts.
One reason we are so prone to doubt is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances.

  • We asked, and nothing happened.
  • But the Lord is not some cosmic bellhop who jumps in response to our requests.
  • He sees past, present, and future and knows the right time for every answer.
  • His invisible hand is already at work on our behalf—arranging situations to accomplish His will, opening hearts, and preparing us to receive what He wants to give.

If we don’t know God’s ways, we will be disappointed in His response.  (see Hosea 4:6)

All too often our prayers are accompanied by expectations of how He will work. When He fails to intervene according to our timetable or anticipated method, we start to doubt.

But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways gives us stability as we wait for His answer.
To overcome doubts, spend time in the Word to learn God’s principles and ways. Then you’ll begin to grasp what He wants to achieve in your life and how He goes about it.

Thank You Jesus for all the answered prayers of the past that I just took for granted. Amen

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SHARING THE GOSPEL

By Bob / May 9, 2024

Who is called to be a minister? According to these verses below, we are all called to be ministers.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I am persuaded that many of our goals and dreams fail simply because we place limitations upon ourselves. This is true for the church as well—Christ’s command to share the gospeL.

Jesus gave us the vision to tell all nations about His salvation, and as His followers, we should make this our aim.

Many Christians, however, are not working to fulfill this “Great Commission”—at least not fervently and purposefully.

Often, what holds us back are the “Boundaries” we place upon ourselves.

 

“Fear is one of the biggest self-erected barriers to success.

*For instance, if evangelizing means traveling overseas, lack of safety might worry us.
*We may also feel concern about how family and friends will react to our decision and whether people will react negatively to our message.

 

Another hindrance might be conditional obediencethat is, a willingness to serve as long as God keeps us in a particular location or has us minister in a country where we don’t have to learn a new language.

 

There are many barriers that can keep us from sharing the gospel. *But when we’re willing to tear those down, we’ll be amazed at what God can accomplish through us.

Are you passionately sharing the gospel?
*If not, identify the obstruction that stands in your way, and pray.

*Refocus by reading the Word and remembering the mission that Jesus gave you.
*God’s love covers the whole world, and He therefore intends that everyone hear the good news.

* We are to share the good news of the Gospel. We are to speak about Christ giving up His life on the cross as redemption of our sins.
*We are to let others know about the grace, love, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without it we would be hopeless. With It we can do all things.
Release yourself from the thoughts, worries, fears and concerns that keep you  earthbound.
For, you must rise above all that keeps you from absolute  faith in the Lord.  We cannot operate in the realm of faith and  be in fear at the same time.
Pay attention to your thoughts and make the  necessary adjustments to demonstrate faith.

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting  down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of  God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
God, I ask You to help me proclaim boldly what You have taught me in Your Word.  I pray for the strength to rest in Jesus to overcome my shortcomings. I need hope that God really will keep working in me and change my heart daily and give You Lord all the Glory. Amen

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HEAVEN FOREVER

By Bob / May 8, 2024

Psalms 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.

-We will live in Heaven forever

Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

-There will be no marriage in Heaven, and we will be like the angels.

John 14:2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

-Jesus prepares a place for us in Heaven, in which there are many rooms.
Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.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.
-Our citizenship is in Heaven where our earthly bodies will be transformed to be glorious like Jesus’

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

-We will never hunger or thirst when in Heaven.

Revelation 7:16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. 17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
-There is a crown of righteousness in store for us in Heaven that God will reward us with.
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
-There will be no death, mourning, crying, or pain in Heaven.
Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 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. (Read throgh verse 27)
-There will be nothing impure in Heaven, and only those whose name is written in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed in

 

Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your Word and the Promises we have after this life here on earth.  Help us share this great news with as many as possible.  Amen

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Reconciling People to God

By Bob / May 5, 2024

Always be on the lookout for anything that takes your “peace” away, and then ask God to reveal what’s going on inside the hidden chambers of your soul.
*  “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5

*You must have peace with God– to have peace of God.
The more sensitive we become to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the better we are able to walk in the world with peace and assurance as true sons of God.

JOHN 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute.
The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.

2 Corinthians 5:18 -19

*May we be quick to forgive and reconcile with those we are at odds with.

The enmity between man and God was SIN.

*God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.
We have received the ministry of reconciliation.
*That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God.
Imputing people’s sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself.

**We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God’s grace (Rom. 5:20).

Our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact – that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ.

 

No matter how far you have wandered, as long as you still draw breathe, it is never too late to go back to God.
*Come, put down your pride and accept the gift of grace and love He has poured out for you and me.

Ephesians 2:16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Lord, help me see each day that-Peace comes from the relationship I have with You!   Lord, help me to stop worrying about others and start worrying about me and my relationship with You.  Amen

 

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A Holy Partnership

By Bob / May 4, 2024

“Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself.”
Ephesians 5:33
To properly define the God‐ordained role of husbands, there’s no better place to turn than Scripture. The apostle Paul instructs: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy. . . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:25–28).

Paul also tells us “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).
Here’s the bottom line of your responsibility as a husband:

  • You are charged with the holy, loving leadership of your wife. There is nothing dictatorial or selfish in this prescription!
  • Your love is to be so strong that it mirrors Christ’s love for the church, so committed that you would unquestioningly die to save her, and so powerful that it is indistinguishable from love of your self.

What a challenge! And what a privilege to join with God and your wife in this holy partnership! For as you fulfill your role as head of the house, you’ll encounter blessings you never imagined.
Ask yourselves . . .

• (husband) What has been my most “shining moment” as your husband?
• (husband) Do you feel my love for you meets this scriptural ideal?
• (wife) How do you feel about the responsibility God gives husbands?
• (wife) How can I encourage you in this role?
“Husbands, in the same way [be submissive] as you live together with your wives . . .” be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble”. 1 Peter 3:7-8

The NLT captures this meaning in their translation:. . . you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. 1 Peter 3:7

Heavenly Father, You have given me an awesome and holy responsibility to love my wife just as Christ loved the church. Help me to follow Christ’s perfect example as I learn to increase my love for my mate. Amen

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A GUIDE TO SOME PEACE AND REST

By Bob / May 3, 2024

God’s Love isn’t given to just a select few. It’s a gift we all receive when we are born again.

“…for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”. 1 John 4:7

Perhaps you are saying, “I want Jesus to be king of my life. I want to do everything He commands me!”

Two of the wonderful blessings that come to all who enthrone Jesus as king of their lives.

1. First, Scripture says if you will submit yourself to Jesus, waiting to receive His counsel and direction, you will partake of His holiness. (SEE:Hebrews 12:9-10).
Paul commands us to come to Jesus, asking Him to give us dominion over all our sins and fears:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans
6:14).

God is saying, “If you want to know abundant life—true, full life—then submit yourself to Me and I will give you life without fear, guilt or condemnation!”

 

2. Second, those who submit to Christ’s lordship will walk in peace—without fear or anxiety.

“That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. . . . Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:74-75, 78-79).
What a wonderful promise!
If we will yield our lives to Him, He will shine His light into our darkness and guide us into peace and rest.
You can tell when a person has enthroned Christ in his heart.
Such a life produces a peace that passes all understanding and you can see that peace in the person’s face and demeanor.

Are you passionately telling others about Christ?
*Loving God involves not just having a personal relationship with Jesus but also sharing Him with others.

*The world around you needs the power of Christ. Let the Holy Spirit guide and enable you to share effectively with those around you.


Thank You for Your Peace Jesus. And help me have more of the Eternal Perspective Daily.  Amen

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FAITH IS THE KEY

By Bob / May 1, 2024

We can lack faith because we don’t understand what it is sometimes.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

I read this someplace and it really hit home for me about Faith.

A drowning boy struggled desperately in the water. His mother, on shore, cried out for a strong young man swimming near her son to save him.

But the young man remained several feet away from the boy.
Strength failing, the boy’s struggles ceased and he began to sink.

With two deft strokes, the young man was at the boy’s side.

After both were on the shore, the mother asked the young man, “Why didn’t you save my boy sooner?”

The young man replied, “I could not save your boy until he gave up his own struggling.  He would have pulled us both down.”

Just as the drowning boy found his best efforts of no avail, and just as the Lord’s disciples found their best efforts insufficient, we often come face-to-face with a problem only to find our best efforts not enough.
What a happy discovery this can be!

Now we call out to God for help.
*Nothing is impossible with God.
*His efforts are always sufficient to satisfy the need.

Instead of struggling along, let us seek the help of our heavenly Father Who is ever by our side to work on our behalf.

When we have ceased our struggling with the overwhelming problems facing us, we find God is there to help us.

We can have the resources through Christ to meet every challenge.

Jesus promises: I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain, “Move from here to there” and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20).

Thank You Lord for giving me Faith in You.
Forgive me for any unbelief in Jesus that I may have, which is a turning away from you in order to seek satisfaction in other things. Thank you Jesus for being the only way, truth and life.  Amen

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Goodness to Others

By Bob / April 30, 2024

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV).

The Bible tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough?

When somebody’s having a tough time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But sometimes what we can’t stand is when they get a promotion. We’re not very good at handling the success of other people. Rather than rejoicing in it, we resent it. In fact, we wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow we think that if we can blow out somebody else’s candle, ours will shine brighter.

There’s plenty of God’s grace to go around. If God wants to pay other people the same amount, so what? I shouldn’t even worry about what he wants to give other people. I should worry about what I’m doing with what I’ve been given.

Let me explain something about envy to you. Envy happens close to you. It happens in your relationship to your peers. You don’t typically envy people who aren’t your peers. You can have some kind of idol worship that says, “I wish I were like that superstar.” But really it’s not as grating as the people closest to you. Those are the people you have the hardest time seeing success in — your family and friends.

Envy is insidious. It devalues others, it destroys relationships, and it makes you miserable. It’s hidden, but it’s destructive. And it causes you to miss out on so much joy.

You’ll enjoy life a whole lot more if you will learn to be happy over the successes of other people.   Speak Blessings over them—Not Curses!

If you’re only happy when things go well for you, you’re going to be miserable most of your life, because things won’t always go well for you or anybody else. But if you learn to be happy at other people’s successes and enjoy other people’s celebrations, you can be happy all the time.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not envy.” Envy is the most unloving thing you can do to somebody else. Love is not envious.

Love celebrates God’s goodness to others.  Read 1 Thess.  5:16-19 for God’s will for you.   Amen

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Reflecting the Light

By Bob / April 29, 2024

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).

The moon is lovely on a clear night only because it reflects the light of the sun. It has no qualities by itself to reflect its beauty.

 

Without the sun shining onto its surface, you and I would never see the moon. It would simply be a dark object in the sky.

 

A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value.
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance.
There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.

 

Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us.

However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23-24).

Jesus contrasted in many parables that those who allow His life to live in them will live in the light amidst darkness. When you invite Jesus Christ to live in your heart it is as though a light is shining upon your life in order to reflect the glory of God’s Son through you.

Jesus calls you to be a vessel to reflect the brilliant light of His love to others.

 

Our workplace is a great place to reflect His glory.

How are your reflective qualities? Ask Him to make your life a continual reflection of His light to others.

 

Only when we come to the “end of ourselves” will we be able to accept God’s unconditional gift of Love.

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
Lord,  because of Your great love for me–help me to be a better brighter light for my family and the workplace.  Let all my actions and words come from You and not me.  Amen

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Coming Out of the Stronghold

By Bob / April 27, 2024

...”Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah”… – 1 Samuel 22:5
David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam.
*David was fleeing Saul.
*Many of life’s down-and-out had come and joined David’s army.
*David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety.

Then, God’s prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah.

When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving forward in the right direction.
Let us not stay in the stronghold but praise our way out.

*God does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement.
*God wants us to move into the land of “praise.” Judah means “praise.
Eccl. 7:13 Consider the work of God: For who can make straight what he has bent? 14 In times of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this: God has made one as well as the other, so that no one can discover what the future holds.

Not only must we keep moving forward, we must move into a new realm.
*Our attitude/mind must move from discouragement to praise.
*It is when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems.

 

1 John 5:3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, 4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.
Revelation 21:7 Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Revelation 12:11 They won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.

Revelation 3:21 To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on his throne.

 

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.  Amen

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The Word is Medicine

By Bob / April 26, 2024

Proverbs 4:20–22-My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.    

For many years I have known those three verses from the fourth chapter of Proverbs as “God’s medicine bottle.God declares that if we will rightly receive His words and His sayings, they will be life to us and health to all our flesh. The marginal translation for the word that is translated “health” is “medicine.” That’s why I say it’s “God’s medicine bottle.”

And God says His medicine will provide us with health in all our flesh. In every area of our physical body it will provide health, but remember, the directions are on the bottle. The medicine only works if you take it according to the directions. There are four directions.

First, attend to God’s word.
Second, incline or bow down your ear and listen to His sayings.
Third, let them not depart from your eyes, keep them before your eyes continually.
And fourth, let them settle and abide in the midst of your heart.

If you take the Word of God according to those fourfold directions, you will find, as I did many years ago, that God’s medicine bottle produces just the results that He claims. It brings life and health to all our flesh.

Lord, thank you for your word and thank you for your 10 commandments which are the boundaries for our living here on earth.  They point out our sin and show us how much we need You.   Lord I pray that all churches and all Christians will  bring back the teachings of the Commandments and come to know these 10 Commandments like the back of their hand.  Amen

 

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MEANING OF LIFE

By Bob / April 25, 2024

When we seek to please “self“, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
 “…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel 33:31
Psalm 77 has tremendous value for anyone who has ever faced life’s serious questions:

*Is there a dependable God?
* Are there absolute values in life?
*Is there meaning to life?
*Is there any purpose to this existence?
Here in Psalm 77 is a man, David who finds his way from the despairing conclusion expressed in verse 10,
“And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. (Psalm 77:10 ) to the triumphant declaration of verse 13:

“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
David does it by meditating on the deeds of the Lord. He thinks long and hard about certain actions of God in history–certain concrete, stubborn facts that cannot be forgotten or explained away, which have been witnessed by thousands and even millions of people, and the results of which have permanently altered the course of history.
It’s interesting that David would remind himself of God’s history of grace and mercy. Before anybody else told him, he reminded himself that God has been Good over and over again.

  • When you are discouraged remember what God has done for you in the past.
    God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
    Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His children.

However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him.
Do not let this happen to you. He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.

Psalm 77 directs us to remember God and mediate on all his wonderful works and his love and guidance for us.
* I will spend more time remembering God, what he has done(GRATITUDE) and his amazing works of leading and guiding me thru all of life.

God, help me to take time to mediate and remember who you are, how much you love me, and your grace and mercy.
Thank You that by Your work You give purpose and turn me from despair to victory. Amen

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