Devotions - Prayer
“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.
Read More
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
For so many years, I had the ability to move from success to disappointment in a heartbeat. I’d built my identity on the shaky foundation of my circumstances and abilities.
Only the enemy wants us to find our identity in what we do, because he knows when the lights dim and the “success” is gone, so is our value.
God, however, has another identity for us, one that’s unchanging and independent of our actions. It’s as His chosen and beloved child. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
When I first learned this truth about my identity, it took a long time to accept. Romans 5:6-8 tells me the truth: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” .
God’s acceptance of us, and hence our identity, is NOT defined by our actions.
So we will never be a “failure” when our performance doesn’t match our expectations.
When we reassign the source of our value and worth to its rightful place,
• We will be free from the fear of failure or the opinions of others.
• We will be free from the labels we place on ourselves.
• And free from the shifting sands of our self-worth.
The only thing that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks about us. And that is unchanging. We can rest knowing we are safe and secure in God’s unconditional love.
And once we really believe this truth, our identity will be unshakable.
And once we really believe this truth, our identity will be unshakable.
Colossians 2:6-7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
Heavenly Father, thank You for embracing me as Your beloved son/daughter. Knowing You will never turn away from me, nor forsake me, fills my heart with joy. I want to love You and serve You more each day, free from the lies that hold back my potential in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.:
Spiritual Warfare Verses: John 12:31, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 1 John 4:4, Ephesians 6:1-16, Philippians 3:10 and 1 John 5:4.
Psalm 139:14-16, Ephesians 2:10.
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
Once we have confessed and repented of our sins, we must relinquish them to God. He will not violate our free will by taking them from us, so we must CHOOSE to hand them over.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
*We are forgiven by grace, from the first time we confessed our sin. God will never bring it up again.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
*Quit feeling guilty for the things you have confessed to God.
*Quit doing things that you know you will feel guilty about later.
*Root yourself in God’s word.
Get off the performance treadmill and rest in His grace.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
The hardest person to forgive sometimes is ourselves.
Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
It is especially hard for high achievers to forgive themselves.
*We think we are above such failure. (Pride)
However, the Bible says we all sin and it is impossible to remedy that sin by ourselves.
Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives?” (1 John 1:8,10).
The question is not whether we will sin, the question is what we will do when we do sin.
There is only one thing for us to do. Go to the cross.
Jesus paid for that sin by dying on the cross.
Picture yourself writing your sin on a white piece of paper, then pinning it to the cross.
Now, leave it there. The cross is for sinners. We all make mistakes!! Self Pity is of the devil.
When Jesus looks at you, He no longer sees your sin. He cannot see the sin because He can only see the cross.
When you come to Jesus with your sin, there is nothing more you can do besides confessing and renouncing your sin.
*Sometimes it may require restitution with others. However, once you confess your sin and ask forgiveness, it is no longer on the ledger of debts.
Why not choose to walk free. The cell has been opened.
Father, I want to walk in your grace. I want to take off the yoke of guilt and put on the yoke of grace today. Lord, help me to eliminate the negative self-talk in my life. Help me to focus my mind on the positive things. Help read my Bible every day and memorize it and meditate on it. And as I read it, (the Bible has over 8000 promises for US) remind me again and again how much you love me. Amen
Read MoreLaying Down Our Life for the Bride
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman
Thursday, November 05 2015
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father” (John 10:17,18).
Jesus was called to lay down His life for His bride, the Church. Men are called to emulate this same “laying down” our lives for our wives – our earthly brides. Men are to be a physical representation of what Christ has done for each of us. As we men do this, we experience the love of the Father. Wives will experience the love of the Father as husbands do this. Most of us men fight this process due to our own insecurities, independence, pride and ego. However, it is the very laying down our lives that allows us to connect to the Father just as Jesus connected to His Father.
It is in the sacrificial, free will act that this occurs. This activates in the woman a response of love that allows the man to experience a deep love that is rooted in the Father but channeled from the wife, the one we lay our lives down for. Jesus did not feel something was being taken from Him because He chose to give it willingly. Conversely, if husbands lay down willingly their lives, they will not feel something is being taken. It is when husbands defend, negotiate and withdraw from the needs of a woman that it negates this process. When we think we are being used or manipulated against our will, we believe others are trying to control us and we resist. Jesus did not do this. He gave willingly. Men must realize they are the initiators called to lay down their lives for their wives. Women respond to this sacrificial act by giving their heart and physical love to their husbands. Both husband and wife experience the love of the Father when this happens.
Giving up our lives for our wives feels like just that – giving up our life. We give up rights, privileges, and desires. We focus only on them. When we become dead, God loves us by giving us the desires of our heart. We give up life, in order to gain it. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
This is what it means when Jesus laid down His life for His bride. This is what it means when Paul said: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-28).
This principle is key to impacting the marketplace for Jesus Christ. The family has been greatly wounded by a failure to understand this principle. This has also led men and women to become slaves instead of sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. Today, if you are a husband, commit yourself to laying down your life for your bride.
Amen
Read MoreAre you a disciple? Just because you are a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a disciple.
Every disciple is a believer, but not every believer is a disciple.
Jesus gave us the definition of a disciple in Luke 14. Three times in this passage, He said that if we do not do these things, we cannot be His disciples.
1. First, Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (verse 26).
A statement like that is shocking, but let’s understand what Jesus was saying. He obviously was not telling us to hate in the traditional sense. Rather, Jesus was saying that your love for God should be so strong, so intense, that all other loves would be like hatred in comparison.
2. Second, Jesus said, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (verse 27).
If you want to live life to its fullest, then you must deny yourself and put Christ first.
You take your goals, desires, dreams, and aspirations, and you present them to God. And ultimately you will discover that God’s plans for you are always the best.
3. Last, Jesus said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it? . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (verses 28, 33).
You must count the cost to follow Jesus. Yes, it costs to follow Jesus. But it costs more not to follow Him.
Jesus called us to go and make disciples (see Matthew 28:19). But it takes one to make one.
Matthew 28: 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Amen
Read MoreThis is a word about affliction and the purpose of affliction.
• Why affliction comes in our lives.
• How we should respond to affliction.
After all, there’s nobody who won’t encounter affliction(suffering, burden, problem, pain, hardship, trouble, misery) at some time or another in his life. Listen to what the psalmist says about affliction and what he learned from it:
Psalm 119:67, 71, 75—Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. I know, O Lord, that your laws are righteous and in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
You see, the psalmist didn’t view affliction as a disaster. He saw it as a kind of corrective medicine. It was something that he needed to adjust his life. He says, “Before I was afflicted I went astray and I paid for it, but now,” he said, “I obey Your word. I’ve learned my lesson. It pays to obey.”
And then he says at the end, “O Lord . . . in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” You didn’t do it because You were cruel or because You were angry with me. You did it to straighten me out, to bring me back from my own evil way into Your way, to find the way of peace.
Are you in the midst of affliction? Don’t fight. Don’t argue with God. Ask Him the reason. God is afflicting you in His faithfulness. He has a reason. He’s trying to turn you back from something, to bring you out of the wrong and bring you into the right – a life of obedience to His statutes.
If you have any affliction or know someone in it: Take time to read the verses below on what the Bible says about affliction. You will be blessed.
Bible Verses: John 9:1-3, John 11:3-4, John 21:18-19, Psalm 34:19, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Deuteronomy 4:30-31, Hosea 5:14-15, Job 36:8-9, Psalm 32:5, Proverbs 17:3, Deuteronomy 8:2, 1 Peter 1:7, Revelation 2:10, (2 Corinthians 12:7-Acts 12:23), James 1:3, (1 Peter 2:20-Hebrews 10:26), John 15:2, Hebrews 12:10-11, Philippians 1:12, 2 Timothy 2:9-10, 2 Timothy 4:16-17
HEBREWS 5:8 AND HOSEA 4:6
Lord, thank you for the Bible, your truth to freedom of affliction. Amen
Read MoreMan has revolted against God. We are all “sinners.”
Psalms 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
**Let’s Ask God through the day to cleanse us of sin.
*If you are recovering from a serous sin’ it’s hard to imagine teaching others or being spiritually helpful to others, yet that is what God desires and plans for us.
Not too soon—mind you, and not without the oversight of mature believers, but eventually God’s intention is for us to get back in the game.
*Everything-even our sin-can be used by God to help others and heal ourselves. (Romans 8:28 is a great read)
Psalms 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
*It is amazing how God looks beyond our mistakes and failures and find something worthwhile in us.
Yes God punished David for his mistakes but still, He looked beyond all that and found a right spirit, a repentant spirit and a man who was sincerely after His heart.
Perfection may be a tall order for us, but a heart after the heart of God is what moves God. A broken, contrite and honest heart is what he asks for. I’m convinced a lot of us take pride in our doctrine when what the Lord desires from us is just our affection. “To Know Him is to have Eternal life”(JN 17:3).
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
*Steps To Personal Deliverance–Lifestyle evangelism.
1. Admit that you have a problem.
2. Confess with a repentant heart.
3. Ask God for forgiveness.
4. Turn away from your past life.
5. Obey the Holy Spirit by hearing and reading Scriptures.
1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
*We might deceive ourselves about our own sin by rationalizing or minimizing the wrong.
*We might blame other people or circumstances instead of accepting responsibility.
*No matter how we deceive ourselves, it is important to understand the dangers of deceit.
The most important danger of delusion is what it does to our relationship with God.
If we deny our sin, we are calling God a liar. We are blocking our own path to walking with him
Is there sins in our life that we’ve been denying? Ask God to help you admit the wrong, take responsibility for it, and turn to him for forgiveness. He will help you and me overcome.
Lord help me be a doer of your word–not a bench warmer. Teach me more and more of what Your love(agape) means and looks like for my neighbor as well as my marriage, my kids, my grandkids, my friends and myself. God, You are love and You are the only solid foundation upon which human love can be built. Help Love be a LIFESTYLE!. Amen
Read More“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT, second edition).
The kind of love that really makes a difference in this world requires a big effort on your part, but you’ll enjoy huge rewards.
Sometimes you just don’t feel like you have any more love to give. Maybe you’re in a people-intensive job, such as teacher, salesman, or waitress, and you come home and think, “I just can’t face another need, another problem, or another heartache.” So you just shut down.
Or you need to show love to a particular person who is demanding, selfish, and never returns your love. And you just think to yourself, “I’m done. No more.”
While that’s perfectly natural and perfectly human, it’s not the standard of love God calls us to in the Bible. The Bible says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT, second edition). Love never gives up.
How can you have that kind of patient love for another person? You get refueled.
To give the kind of patient love that God wants you to give, you have to refuel your love tank. Look around at society, and you’ll see it’s littered with debris from relationships that have crashed and burned because people didn’t refuel their love.
How do you refuel your love tank? You start by letting God love you. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV).
When you’re worn out, tired, and can’t imagine showing love to anyone else, remember that God loved you so much that he sent his Son to die for you. Read John 3:16-17
Now that’s real fuel. That’s what keeps you going when you want to quit.
Thank You Jesus for the Love you have given us all. May we show Your love to all we meet by our actions as well as our words. Amen
Read MoreIt’s not easy to be the parent. It seems less and less popular to tell kids no.
I needed to know what Proverbs 22:6 teaches,
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
As parents, we need to set Biblical Boundaries.
*Teach them what the 10 Commandments mean and how they relate to boundaries. If we follow the Commandments by staying within it’s boundaries–our lives will go well. Going Outside the Commandments we will have major problems.
*Teach our kids the difference between realistic and unrealistic expectations. Not cater to their every whim.
*Draw lines between what’s appropriate and inappropriate for language, entertainment, internet, cell phones, games and the length of a hemline.
**Model manners. And what it looks like to seek a life of godliness, not just religious activity.
*Teach them the importance of Purity–Holiness (See 1 Thess. 4)
*Teach them the Character of Jesus (Matthew 5:1-12)
Glory knows I’ve been so imperfect with all this.
But holding the line on being the parent, even when done imperfectly, is good. And will be worth it.
Even in those seasons where you feel as if they’re doing everything the opposite of what you’ve taught them. All that parenting is in them. And the fruit of that will emerge one day.
Yes, be the parent. Teach biblical truths. Stand strong in saying no even when it’s not the popular choice.
*Recognize that a desire to please often prevents us from saying no.
*Remember, there are only 2 clear responses. Yes. No. Any other answer is an excuse to avoid commitment, or a wall to hide behind.
*You have a right to say no! Sometimes no is necessary to maintain respect.
*Keep your answer short. There is no need to justify your answer. Lengthy responses may result in your putting the same answer of for a future date and can even compromise your credibility.
That’s what our kids need so desperately.
And be encouraged, friend … you’re doing better than you think you are.
The Key is to TEACH our children the how and why to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Teach them the Eternal Perspective vs the temporal one here on this earth. Eternity is a long long time and my prayer is that each family member will know that they are going to Heaven. That is my life’s desire-People KNOWING JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR!
Dear Lord, You know better than all of us that parenting is hard. Help me to see each day as a teaching opportunity to raise up a child and/or grandchild who loves You and sees that they need a Persoanl Relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read More“On the cross, Jesus broke the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
Through Jesus our Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
Jesus has won the battle and we stand firm in Him — ‘It is finished!’”
WE DO FIGHT FROM VICTORY——–NOT FOR VICTORY!!!
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
*What we are experiencing is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, with man’s eternal destiny at stake.
Jesus warns that without him we are but helpless victims under the control of Satan, the strong man.
* But the good news is that through His cross and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Through Jesus our savior and Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
* JESUS “the Overcomer” has won the battle — “It is finished!”
Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Faith-Prayer. These are the weapons of our warfare.
They are not of the flesh, they are not of the world; but they are mighty. They have divine power to the eliminating of strongholds, pulling down high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
They all work together. You can hardly isolate the one from the other; they are all necessary.
It is important, though, for our own personal benefit that we be aware that the children of the Wicked One are placed among the true believers.
Our best defense is to preach the Word of God without watering it down. See 1 Corinthians 4:6
*False brethren will not endure sound doctrine.
*They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart. Stick to the Word!
* Remember today that things start with a thought and it’s what you do with that thought that determines the outcome of the situation. Amen
Read More
Jesus died so that we might live, therefore it is absolutely essential we receive (by faith) God’s forgiveness for whatever sins we may have committed.
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” Hebrews 12:15
Is your focus on gaining more knowledge or growing in intimacy and power with Jesus? He desires to know you intimately.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life – that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
KNOWING WHO WE ARE—Our Identity
Read MT. 4:1-11
Matthew 4:3, ” The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.””
Two of Satan’s three temptations began with the words, “If you be the Son of God.”
Jesus was God, but he did have a human body that had to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Lk. 2:52).
It took faith for the physical mind of Jesus to believe the witness of the Spirit within Him that he was the Messiah. Satan was attacking the most basic of His beliefs.
*This must have been a temptation to Jesus or Satan would not have used it.
Satan is very subtle in his temptations. It may have looked like he was trying to get Jesus to perform a miracle, but he was actually trying to make Jesus waiver in His faith of who He was. He tried to get Jesus to draw on the supernatural power of God to confirm it to the devil and Himself.
Unlike Jesus, we sometimes fall for this trick of the devil. We may say that we are arguing for some truth of the gospel, but many times we are hoping to convince ourselves.
Someone who really knows who they are and what they believe, doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
Isaiah 30:15 says, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Let the Lord build your confidence in who you are in Christ.
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”.
*The Word is the Light to our Path
MT. 4: 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.
Lord God, You are good. I trust You are doing beautiful things in my life even when I can’t see them. Please help me trust when I don’t see Your eternal picture clearly and hold on tightly to You until a new season of clarity. Thank you Lord for the word of God which is the weapon for all believers. Thank you too for the thousands of promises in Your word to encourage me and give me hope till the day You return. Amen.
Read MoreAnd now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him”(Colossians 2:6 ).
The Bible often compares life to a walk, because life is a journey; we’re not sitting still. Throughout the New Testament, we are told to walk in wisdom, love, light, and obedience. We’re told to walk as Jesus walked. We’re also told to walk alongside other people.
Here are three reasons we need to walk with other people:
- It’s safer. Have you ever walked alone at night through a dark alley or down a lonely country road? It’s a little scary. But if you have another person with you, you feel safer.
- It’s supportive. Life is not a 50-yard dash; it’s a marathon. Walking with other people gives you the energy to keep on going until the end.
- It’s smarter. You learn more by walking with others than by walking alone. If you’re walking alone in the wrong direction, you may never realize it. But if you have a friend beside you, one of you is likely to recognize you’ve veered off the path and need to find the right direction.
We also learn some important lessons when we walk alongside other people. We learn how to get along and cooperate with others.
We also learn how to love. Genesis 2:18 tells us, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (NIV). God hates loneliness, and community is God’s answer to loneliness. When we walk alongside other people, we find a community where we learn how to love.
Walking alongside other people also teaches us hospitality. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.”What’s your grumble? What’s your excuse for not opening your home to friends?
Maybe you’ve said, “My home is dirty!”—Well, clean it up!
Or perhaps your excuse is, “My home isn’t big enough.”
Can you put three people in it? Jesus says, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).
Everybody has a longing for belonging, because God made us for relationships. When we walk alongside other Christians in community, we find that longing satisfied.
Lord, Thank you for the Body of Christ. Help me plug more and more into your family. Amen.
Read More
“Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke12:48, ESV).
Most Christians are powerless. To some readers, this statement will sound bold and to others it will sound obvious.
Consider what “normal” Christianity in the typical believer looks like today.
This person is a bit self-seeking and a little materialistic, and most
of his daily choices are about improving his life. ( that was and is me at times)
That includes his spiritual pursuits, from his church groups to the pod casts he downloads, to the seminars he attends.
There is nothing wrong with any of these things. Our Lord wants our lives to be blessed, but for some Christians these are nothing more than worldly pursuits.
****They are about self-improvement, not the kingdom of God, and they can drain a believer of true gospel power.
God calls the sin of unbelief “going back to Egypt.” “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help . . . but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1).
“Woe to the rebellious children . . . that take counsel, but not of me . . . that walk to go down into Egypt” (Isaiah 30:1-2).
Isaiah was dumbfounded when he saw many of Israel’s leaders mount their horses and gallop to Egypt to try to get counsel on national policy and security.
These were the same men who told the prophet they had no time to seek the Lord or consult with Him.
But God didn’t take their actions lightly. He called it all rebellion and pronounced woe upon them!
Today, nothing has changed. Multitudes of Christians crisscross the country attending seminars and conventions with a “go to Egypt” mentality. They are networking, strategizing, borrowing worldly methods, getting flesh-inspired counsel. In short, they are looking for any new thing that might excite them. Read Amos 5: 21-27
But the praying servant who trusts God wholly knows he has no time for Egyptian concepts. The place he runs is to his secret closet—where he gets his counsel on his knees!
God who promises that vengeance is His, and He will repay—then taking matters into our own hands shows a lack of faith in God and His integrity.
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (from Dt. 32:35-36; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30). Striving to vindicate self actually shows a lack of faith in God keeping this promise. It also indicates spiritual “nearsightedness” which is only looking at the present moment instead of seeing things in view of eternity.
Thank You Jesus that You are the counsel I need on a daily basses. Thank You for Your Holy Inspired word that can lead us all. Give us the hunger and Time to read and meditate daily on Your Word-to Know You and Your guidance and then put what we learn into action! Amen
Read MoreAs Christians, the Bible tells us we are to give an answer to every man who asks us:
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense/answer to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).
That phrase “give an answer/defense” is from the Greek word apologia, from which we get our English word apologetics–It means a legal defense, as in a court of law.
But we are to keep in mind that as we make our case in the courtroom of public opinion with those we are speaking with, we are not there as prosecuting attorneys, but as witnesses.
**And witnesses simply testify to what they have seen.
In 2 Timothy 2:24–25 we are reminded that “a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition.”
Chapters 1 through 6 of the book of Acts describe one of the most glorious works of God in history.
It is an amazing sequence of action-filled events: powerful preaching, mass conversions, miraculous healings.
All were the fulfillment of a divine promise foretold by Jesus.
Before Jesus resurrection, Christ instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the “promise of the Father.”
“I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, ESV).
We should want the Holy Spirit to fill our sanctuaries, to bring joy and comfort to God’s people.
***But when God’s glory comes, it will not be for our benefit alone.
Jesus did not say, “When you receive power from on high, you shall be My churchgoers, My Bible studiers, My prayer meeting attenders.”
Jesus said, “You will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth.”
God’s power is meant to go beyond the walls of the church to the very farthest reaches of the world. That is what we see unfolding in the book of Acts.
*When Peter got up to preach to the crowd that had gathered, three
thousand were saved.
*Later, as Peter and John testified throughout Jerusalem, signs and wonders followed in miraculous healings and deliverances.
Yet that was only the beginning! If the work of the Spirit had stopped in Acts 6, all the power of God would have remained in the hands of twelve apostles.
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Instead, a big shift took place. God said, “My Spirit will no longer
move through just a select few. I am going to empower every man, woman and child who calls on My name.”
AMEN
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