Devotions - Prayer

WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO?

By Bob / April 24, 2012

 God’s Love has two distinct sides to it. One is a long-suffering, merciful love, and the other a firm and disciplinary love.
* “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines…” Hebrews 12:6

*Are you being God led or do you keep going and going?
*Who is driving your bus?
*Are we giving God our all?
*Are we really being faithful to God?

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Most Christians don’t listen to God. They go to Him only to talk!
* Yet the Scriptures reveal that any person who was ever used of God learned to remain in His presence until hearing from Him through His Word.

Scripture makes it clear that the Lord wants to talk to every one of us:
“Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21).

*Reading this passage meant so much to me! God is telling us to get rid of our frustrations and get with Him. We ought to rely on Him because He knows the end result and what will happens for us in our lives.

I read of a little girl suffering from leukemia who was struggling with the
thought of dying. One morning when her mother came into her room, the girl was all aglow and happy. “What has happened to you?” her mother asked.

The little girl answered, “An angel came to me and said I was going on a trip.
God came and took my hand and walked with me through a beautiful garden. He told me, ‘You’re coming here tomorrow to be with Me.'”

*God spoke to that little child and took all the pain and fear from her heart.
*When she left to be with Him the next day, she had total peace.

When you are intimate with Jesus, do you receive direction from Him? Does He tell you what to do and when and how to do it?
Some Christians don’t believe God does this but Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice . . . and they follow me”
(John 10:27).

In your trial, get alone with Jesus and cry, “Lord, You’re the only One who can
help me. Only You know the way through this trial, so I’m going to stay here till You tell me what to do.”

This is the kind of praying that is pleasing to God. It means stopping
everything, all activity. Only then will you hear Him speak clearly to your
heart:  “You must make things right with this person” Or, “Just stand still
till next week. Don’t get in a hurry. Sit in My presence and trust Me.” He will
give you clear directions.

Hebrew 5: 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

Whenever God brings you through a time of great adversity, you can expect to come out of that experience with great possessions, if you have been faithful through the trial.
* This is a universal truth. Wisdom comes from obedience, not knowledge.

When we have been tested and proven, the reality of our faith results in possessions from God that we would never receive if we had not gone through those trials.

*God kept the people ofIsrael enslaved 400 years, but when the time came to free them from the bondage of slavery, they came out with great possessions.

*These physical possessions symbolize the spiritual possessions we receive when we come out of being enslaved to those things that have hindered us all our lives.
* These possessions are to be shared with others so that they also can know how they might become free.  (2 Corinthians 1:4-5)

What has God freed you from that allows you to share your possessions with others?
Share what God has done in your life with someone you know. It may be the possession they need most in their life. (Your Testimony Revelation 12:11)

God has big plans and he knows what’s coming. Why is it hard to follow Jesus when we don’t know what’s coming next? Cause those later steps could be really scary an if you saw it now you wouldn’t be ready.
Like in Hebrews 12: 1-3 “Fix your eyes on Jesus.” God will give us direction as we take the next step.
If we are going his way we won’t mess it up. He isn’t waiting for you to mess up, he is rooting for you.
* So what’s God’s will for your life?

I don’t know but we do know that he will show you compassion and he is ready to help you, root for you, and whether you go left or right he will say this is the way walk it!
*What does God want for you? Take the next step! And after that take the next step!
Proverbs 5:22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
*We are one decision away from death. We must exercise self control and keep the Faith and Move Forward and take the next step, then the next etc.

*How amazing it is to have the Holy Spirit guiding our every step….. whether to the left or to the right!  

If we are mindful to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit…….. our steps will be ordered!
My dearest Lord, thank you for letting me know you are here… don’t hide from me , don’t hide your will and your revelation, please…  Father.
Show me your face, show me your way.. I can’t live without your words…
Show me the path that you want me to take..cut any rope holding me up. Praise you Lord, I should be patient to wait.  I pray in Jesus name, Amen!

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REPENTANCE NEEDED?

By Bob / April 17, 2012

If we are not loving with God’s Love, we are spiritually dead.
“If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.”. 1 John 3:14

All Christians have God’s Love within them, but not all Christians are willing to set themselves aside and become a free-flowing stream of Divine Love.
*  “I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” Revelation 21:6

The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I am convinced that repentance is not
just for sinners, but also for believers.

It is not simply a one-time thing, but something God’s people are called to do until Jesus returns.

Every Christian who maintains a repentant attitude brings upon his life God’s special attention.
Indeed, repentance opens up something to us that nothing else can.
* If we walk before the Lord with a repentant heart, we will be inundated with incredible blessings!

A repentant heart is soft, tender and pliable, is and easily molded by the Holy
Spirit. It responds to and acts upon godly reproof.

The number-one characteristic of a repentant heart is a readiness to
acknowledge GUILT.
* It is a willingness to accept blame for wrongdoing, to say,
“I am the one, Lord. I have sinned!”

If there is no admitting to sin, there can be no repentance:
“For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. ” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

“God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, and shouts in our pains.”  -C.S. Lewis

If you are not willing to acknowledge you are never wrong, you are saying you don’t need to repent.

Before Pilate released Jesus into the hands of murderous priests and elders, he wanted the world to know it wasn’t his fault. He called for a basin of water,
dipped his hands into it and declared himself innocent of Christ’s blood before
the angry mob:

“When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was
made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it” (Matthew 27:24).

The phrase, “See ye to it” here means, “Make sure you all know my hands are
clean. I have done nothing wrong and I am clean from all guilt.”

Pilate’s hands were not clean, of course; he was about to hand over the Son of
God to murderers. This kind of thinking shuts a person off from any possibility
of repentance.
* Had a prophet approached Pilate the next day, preaching, “Repent
or perish!” the ruler would have been aghast. “Who, me?” he would have asked.
“I’ve done nothing wrong. How can I repent when I haven’t sinned?”

John writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us. . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a
liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10).
 
Repentance: 3 movements
1) Change of Mind:
* Pause and reflect on your life Ps 145:8-9. Be slow to anger. Have compassion in all like what our God is like. God is a God of love.
2) Change of Heart:
* Do not just deny any wrongdoing. Repentance requires humility and contribution. Accept responsibility. Integrity.
3) Change of Life:
* Changed minds and hearts lead to change in our life.

Repentance is costly.
‘Costly Grace’ it calls us to discipleship to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly to God because it cost Him the life of His Son.

Biblical discipleship must affect the way we live our lives– So that we do not repeat our sin or wrongdoing.

Repentance:
1. Dictionary meaning: to regret, resolve not to continue wrongdoing. 
2. OT: Turning away from sin to righteousness, from idolatry to true true worship from sin to moral behaviour.
3. NT: Change of mind and change of behaviour.

U-turn is a good vision of what Repentance looks like:
Biblically the word repent has to do with making a deliberate decision from sin, idolatry or moral wrongdoing.
*When we do wrong and God shows us our sin it leads us to repentance through Jesus.
* I will be thankful for the Godly sorrow that I encounter because it does lead to salvation.
Father, thank you for correcting my character even when it hurts.  Lord help me see and  be truly sorrow for my mistakes and not blame other people or circumstance…… And I ask You Jesus for forgiveness… This way, by faith, I know I will change my life….It may hurt but it leads to healing! 
Psalms 139:23 Search me, OGod, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Amen

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HAVE A FIRE BURNING?

By Bob / April 16, 2012

 

Have you been through fire in your life?

*If God allows you to go through anything in your life, there is a reason.

*God has a purpose and a plan.

 

Fire, as defined in Malachi 3:2. When God allows you to go through something, he’s working in your life.
If we genuinely want to be all that God wants us to be, we have to allow Him to take the impurities out of our lives. We have to be grateful for the fire.

Knowing the result and purpose of the refining process empowers us to “count it all joy” and to keep pressing on with hope and in expectancy!

“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes.” – Malachi 3:2.

Soap cleanses the outside, FIRE cleanses the inside. And the Spirit of God does both!
*When you sin, repent!
* In-depth repentance brings in-depth cleansing. Don’t feel bad about feeling bad, feel good about it. Be glad your conscience is still sensitive and responsive to God.
*What you never want to hear God say is what He said about Ephraim: ‘Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone’ .

The fact that God is convicting you of sin is proof of His love for you.
*God can forgive your sin but He cannot overlook it.
*Unconfessed sin disrupts your fellowship with Him.
*Forgiveness is about more than just escaping the penalty of sin, it’s about restoring your fellowship with God.

You say, ‘Won’t God get tired of me sinning and repenting?’
*
If Jesus told Peter to forgive his brother ‘seventy times seven’ would He do less for you?
The Bible says: ‘”Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool’.
When you sin and try to hide from God you only prolong your misery.
*So the moment you become aware of your sin, confess it, then leave His presence confident that He has forgiven you.
You’re not a loser, you’re a learner.

Alexander Pope said: ‘A man should never be ashamed to own he has been wrong, which is but saying in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.’

As difficult and painful as it may be to go through at the time, it remains truth that whenever Father sets to work on refining us, it is always for our own good.

In His unfailing love and mercy He carefully and attentively refines us that we may remain in right relationship with Him and be able to draw ever nearer to Him (continually presenting ourselves to our Father as living sacrifices).

Oh how He loves us!  Oh He loves us!


The Lord has a specific manner of preparing His people for useful service
.

*God desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold and silver.

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years” (Malachi 3:3-4).

The refiner’s fire can only accomplish its purposes when the heat is turned up to extraordinary temperatures.
*It breaks down the metal in order for it to become moldable and shapeable. Only when the temperatures reach this level can the work be fully accomplished.
So it is in our lives.

Until the Lord completes His refining process, the offerings we make are not made in righteousness and cannot be acceptable.
Thank God that Jesus is our righteousness and that there is no righteousness apart from Him.
*Still, the Lord continues to purge all that is not of His righteousness out of our lives.
This comes through trials that bring each of us to the end of ourselves in order that He may only reflect that which is Himself.

When God takes you through the refiner’s fire, be encouraged because it is His overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal.
*God will do this through certain events in your relationships, and other circumstances in your life.
*Our job is to avoid trying to blow out the fire.

With God, it’s a simple choice. You can let Him clean HEARTS now, or clean HOUSE later. 

Let us each be encouraged: though weeping may endure for a night, JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING, FOR HE MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME…

*This is a time when you have to continue to press through stubborn difficulties.
* This is an opportunity to persevere and still stay strong in your faith.  It may
seem like breakthrough will never come, but I’m telling you that it will.  Don’t give up.  Continue to trust the Lord for the answer to your prayers.  The Lord sees what you’re going through, and He hears you.  Be strong and courageous.
Isaiah 59:1  Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor
His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

 You have entered a season of blessing in which the doors will open for opportunities to advance spiritually and naturally.  You will be surprised and delighted as you progress through this extraordinary time in fires. 

It is a time of revelation and resolution as things that have seemed to be beyond your ability to grasp will now be within your reach and will create a sense of freedom that you have longed for. 
Draw near to the Lord, for He will give light, discernment, and truth where things have seemed to be murky.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Let us each be encouraged: though weeping may endure for a night, JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING, FOR HE MAKES ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME… Thank You Jesus for Loving US SO SO much!  Lord as I have come through the fires, I look back and praise You for them.  I Praise You for all that You have brought me through, for every impurity You took out of my life and for every blessing I have.  Lord, Thank you for being in control!  Amen

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YOU ARE WORTHY

By Bob / April 15, 2012

Agape not only lets us be who we really are, but it also frees the ones we love to be fully themselves. All our relationships will be affected when we love like this.
*  “Let love be without hypocrisy.”  Romans 12:9
*Treat others as you want to be treated.
 
Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince you that you are flawed or worthless.
The Lord has not and will not condemn you.  You are the Lord’s special treasure, chosen for His own purposes. 
Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you.  Do not believe them.
Psalms 139:14  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.


…with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14b).

  Christ is the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before Him. If you are wearing that  “breastplate,” you can rest secure that your heart, your emotions, are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack.
This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. *Christians often feel they lack assurance.
*They feel unworthy of God.
*They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that He is no longer interested in them.
*They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings.
*Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that He is far off somewhere.
*There is a constant sense of guilt and shame. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy.
*They feel God blames them.
How do you answer an attack like this?

You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness.
* In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God.
*You gave all that up when you came to Christ.
*You quit trying to be good enough to please God.
*You came on His merits.
*You came on the ground of His imputed righteousness—that which He gives to you.
*You began your Christian life like that, and there is no change now. You are still standing before God on that basis.

Paul himself used this breastplate of righteousness when he was under pressure to be discouraged and defeated.
“What’s the use? Here I am working my fingers to the bone, making tents and trying to preach the gospel to these people, and look at the blessing God has brought them, but they don’t care. They hurl recriminations back into my face. Why try anymore?” But that is not what he does. Instead, he says,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15: l0a). There he is using the breastplate of righteousness.

“I don’t care,” he says, “what I have been; I don’t defend what I am. I simply say to you, by the grace of God, I am what I am.
What I am is what Christ has made me.

*I’m not standing on my righteousness; I’m standing on His. I am accepted by grace, and my personal situation does not make any difference at all.” So Paul’s heart was kept from discouragement.

*Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences. 

 *Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
* Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The enemy has launched another round of reproach in an effort to try to get you to entertain fear of failure, to be overwhelmed with disapproval, and to dump down into hopelessness.  But, the devil is a liar.  You must be reminded that you are  precious to the Lord.  His love for you is true and forever.  Abide in God’s love and in truth. 
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater  than our heart, and knows all things.

Father may these words meet me right where I am and help me right in the conflict in which I am engaged. Lift up my heart by the consciousness that Christ is my righteousness. Lord Jesus help me turn my back in my old ways most especially the ways influenced by the devil. Lord Jesus please send me the Holy Spirit and give me wisdom so that I may discern good from evil; and that I may totally leave my old life and start a new life with You O Lord Jesus Christ. Please Lord be my life. Amen.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph. 2:10

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THE BATTLE!

By Bob / April 10, 2012

 God’s Way of Agape is the only way that leads to life, but are you wiling to walk it?
* “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:14

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

“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” Psalm 144:1

David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?

The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle.
It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles.
*Practice doesn’t make you battle ready.

*War games won’t prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield.
**The stark reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.
*Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. *Knowledge without experience is mere folly.
* Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith.
*This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ.
* Consider it to be suicidal faith – faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life.
* It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God.
*These are the Real training grounds of God.

I  know, it’s true. God has already won the victory for us. Satan is defeated.

*However, until satan’s sentence is executed, he’s trying to take down with him as many as he can!
That’s why we need to be ever prepared for battle.

This chapter of  Psalm 144 makes me think about how God was preparing Israel for battle.
* He had already told them that they will be victorious.
*  He had already given them the land He promised to them.
*But they still had to fight and take it over. Not on their own strength, but God’s.
I see in these verses that God wanted to make sure that His presence -“the tent of meeting’ was at the center of the camp.
* So when God is at the Center of our lives we are victorious.
* Also he was giving them precise instructions and strategies.
* In the same way is the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit and our willing obedience that guarantees the victory that God wants to pass on to us.

What a great picture and insight on how to fight our present spiritual battles.

Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today.
* It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.

If you can trust Him in these times, you’ll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

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

Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince
you that you are flawed or worthless.  The Lord has not and does not condemn you.  You are His special treasure, chosen for His own purposes.  Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you.  Do not believe them.
*Psalms 139:14  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous
are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.

We are in war against the forces of darkness in this age. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of people, but the only one who can win this war, is the man or woman who accepts the victory of the Lord.

If you will take up your weapons and your cross and follow Jesus, you will be given the plan of how you can win your battles. The Word of God is the most powerful natural and supernatural tool we have been give, second only to what Jesus did on the cross.

Lord, give me the spirit of your martyrs, to go to battle ready to give it all up for your glory.  Dear Father, I don’t praise you enough for what you’ve done in my life. You’ve given me peace and you’ve provided for me. Thank you. Lord allow everyone else to receive this same peace in You that you’ve given me. Thank you again for all that you’ve done for us.  Amen

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HAPPY EASTER

By Bob / April 7, 2012

“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?  He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! (Luke 245-6).

HE IS RISEN—-HE IS RISEN—–HE IS RISEN!

Believing the Truth – John 20:1-18

Nothing more is required for our salvation other than the price Christ already paid.
*Our sin-debt is paid in full, and the empty tomb is our receipt.

The Life of Christ IS the Death of FEAR!

Matthew 28:5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.

The true purpose of our Christian walk is to freely lay down our lives so God’s Love can pour through us to others.
* “Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down His Life for his friends.” John 15:13 

Have we allowed our prideful thoughts, wounded emotions and self-centered desires to quench God’s Love in our hearts and separate us from each other?
*”The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.” 1 John 2:9

   
Can you imagine what our marriage, families, churches, and communities would be like if more of us were walking in God’s unconditional Love?
* “…they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”Acts 2:46-47

*Why are you crying? What is it that has caused you pain or sorrow?

*Who are you looking for? What will make you whole? What will fix the problem?

*When Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden by the tomb, she supposed that He was the gardener.
Her heart was heavy and she cried out, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him” (John 20:15).

Some of us don’t know what to do with the “Truth of the Resurrection”!
* For Easter, we sing certain hymns and we have traditions that we do in the service and in meals at home.

But the broader concept of the Resurrection, this is harder to grasp.
*1Corinthians 15:13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.

**Without the Resurrection, Jesus is merely a dead and moral martyr who provided great teaching.

John 11:25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.

**Recovering the Resurrection.
This begins with remembering what Jesus said.
In the first occurrence after the crucifixion and resurrection, the angels first say to the disciples at the empty tomb, “Remember what Jesus said” and the disciples remembered.
*So often, we forget what the Bible teaches about the resurrection, about the power and meaning of it.
* Our wonder will grow cold without His Word!
*We also need to repent for forgetting His Word!
*We need to remember that his death and resurrection “Solved the Problem of Sin and Death”!!!!
*Jesus death and resurrection empowers everything that Jesus said.

*What do we do in the midst of our wonder?

*We need to remember that WE are made FOR Jesus, and not the other way around.

*Maybe the important thing that we need to do is to not “do”, but to LIVE in wonder.

*This will lead to the outward expression of how we respond.

Sometime we just need to be still and allow ourselves to be filled by God’s Holy Spirit Inspired Word.

This resurrection wonder will lead to transformed lives, where each Sunday service and each day we live revolves around the Hope of a Risen Savior.

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’
(which is to say, Teacher)” (John 20: 16). Jesus knows the names of those who love Him—and He called Mary by her name.

Jesus then told her, “Do not cling to Me” (John 20: 17). Jesus knew Mary was not going to let go of Him. Her heart was crying, “I lost You once, but I’m never going to lose You again!”

It must have taken a lot of courage for Mary to heed Jesus’ words to her.
You see, He told her He was going to be gone for awhile and she should go to the others and “. . . say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father’” (verse 17).

Mary quickly returned to the disciples who had returned home after seeing that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

These simple fishermen were gathered together in one room, perhaps cleaning their old fishing gear. They were not theologians but they had been trained for three years at the Master’s feet.

It was Mary, however, who had the revelation! These men had to sit and listen to a woman who had heard from Jesus. Can you imagine the scene?

“What did He say? What did He look like?” Mary answered simply, “All I know is, I saw Him. And He told me to come here and tell you something!”

I love to hear devoted men and women of God say the words Mary said: “I’ve
heard from Him and I have something to say!”
Like Mary Magdalene, we should all have a heart so given to the Lord that He gives us His mind and says, “Go tell the brethren!”

Acts 22:15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.

*Our testimony is simply a personal account of the work that God began in our lives, put to words to share with others.
*Testimonies proclaim God’s faithfulness, power, and glory to all who hear.
* God does wonderful and miraculous things in our lives, which are meant to be shared.
* Your testimony will bring God glory and encourage someone, which may lead them to a relationship with Christ.
*Don’t hide your light under a basket.

Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.

*The only thing that can change the hearts of those around us, is the Holy Spirit.
So when we share our testimony, we share the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, presenting an opportunity for the Spirit to move in someone else’s life.

*Your Personal Testimony of what Jesus has done for YOU has power!

God’s Love expressed through us is the only thing that will bring our spouses, children, relatives and friends to Christ.
*  “…may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men…”Colossians 3:12

Come to the truth of the Lord’s Word in all things.  Only in truth can your faith be established and exercised to overcome adversity.  The Lord has given you precious promises of Victory and the authority to succeed.  It is of vital importance that you control your thoughts and emotions as you put your trust in the Lord.  Refuse to allow fear to gain any ground in you.
*2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Bless the Lord by blessing someone less fortunate today through Your……Time, Talent & Treasures.
* “And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness…and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:10-11

Jesus Has Risen! Jesus has Risen Indeed! I pray the world will see the true meaning of Easter and read Isaiah 53 and ask “How could  this be predicted 700 years before this all took place?”  And know that the Word of God is 100 percent True and Trustworthy and we all have The Faith and Hope of spending Eternity with our Heavenly Father.
Thank You JESUS! You have RISEN Indeed!  Amen

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GOOD FRIDAY!

By Bob / April 5, 2012

Empowered through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Read Isaiah 53--This is such a beautiful prophetic passage all about Jesus. It shows just how much Jesus loved us.  This is a perfect description of Christ’s life and his death on the Cross. To think it was written over 700 years before Jesus was born.

” But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

 
      God Completely Saved Us:
*God has completely saved me, and yet, has not violated His Holiness. Jesus did this by becoming a substitute for me and willingly accepting on himself the punishment for my sins. (See Ephesians 2:8-9).
Ironically, it is easier for the prodigal son to receive the Fathers love and complete forgiveness than it is for the self-righteous (“obedient”) son.

*Freedom is found in Christ alone. (Titus 2:14)

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God”. (Romans 5:9)
*The blood of Jesus is the sin cleansing detergent that gives believers their justification.
*Justification is the act of being judged Guiltless and no longer abiding in sin.

*When God declares someone has been justified He removes that person from the need to be judged for their sin.

*They have been removed from the wrath of God because God the Father now sees in that believer a reflection of His Son, Jesus the Christ.
* When God looks at the believer He sees Jesus!

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)
*The blood of Jesus it’s the only true Unity in Christ.

Leviticus 17:11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.

 2 Corinthians 10:4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

Why does the blood Have power to Empower?
1) The blood of Jesus is Perfect
2) The blood of Jesus is Pure
3) The blood of Jesus is perpetual
4) The blood of Jesus is Powerful
5) The blood of Jesus is Permanent
6) The blood of Jesus is Precious
 6 ways the blood of Jesus releases power into your life.
1) The blood of Jesus has the power to free us from every stronghold of the enemy.
2) The blood of Jesus had the power to protect us from the onslaught of Satan. 
3) The blood of Jesus has the power to give us absolute VICTORY.
4) The blood of Jesus has the power to give us a complete breakthrough. 
5) The blood of Jesus has the power to release all of the benefits and promises in our lives for enjoyment. 
6) The blood of Jesus has the power to make us WINNERS on the face of the earth.

Revelation 12:11And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
*  Basis of our power and authority over all the enemy: “the blood of the lamb”

* The word of our testimony. Practical application of our belief in “the blood of the lamb”. God promised his people that when he saw the blood he would deliver. God will keep his part of the covenant (deal). Our responsibility is to “sprinkle the blood.” (share/feed/expose the blood)

* All aspects of the self-life must be reckoned (unto death) if Satan is to be defeated. The redeemed saint who is cleansed from sin must become a selfless saint in order to become a victorious warrior.

The blood of Jesus purchased salvation that will endure for eternity! The acceptance of His blood brings the promise of eternal friendship and dwelling with God – both now- and in the world to come.
However, salvation through the blood of Jesus has an even greater purpose than just the assurance of the believer’s eternal destiny.

The work of the blood of Jesus, when coupled with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, removes the corrupt influences of sin and drives believers forth to “serve the living God.”

 In Jesus, REDEMPTION ALWAYS REQUIRES ACTION TOWARD ACCOMPLISHING THE WORK AND PLAN OF GOD. Redemption is NEVER stationary!

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23)

We are cleansed from sin (the unconverted nature) by the blood of Jesus; when a believer commits individual sins those are confessed to Jesus who intercedes on behalf of all believers.

*Not only did Christ die to save me, but He brought me closer to God. That is the best gift that I could have ever received and could never receive from any person. (Ephesians 2:1-10).

1 John 5:18  We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them.
*No one can pluck you out of God’s hand. No one. Not now, not later, not when we are even trying to wiggle out on our own.

*It is not what comes into my life that makes or breaks me, but how I handle what comes into my life.

Jesus Christ, son of God carried his cross without complaining, despite the fact that He is the King of kings, because He loves us and He wanted to save us from our sins.
*In this life we carry our own cross too, it is just a matter of handling it, accepting it and Believing that Jesus our savior “Will Control Everything” for us.
* Jesus WILL help us ease the suffering, frustration, disappointment and heartaches that we may face as we walk thru this life.

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for walking with me as I carry my cross. I love you Jesus!
Thank You Jesus, for caring and dying for a sinner like me and letting me See and Know and Trust I am Your Masterpiece.  Amen

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WHY LORD? WHY? part 3

By Bob / April 4, 2012

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

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

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

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

A. REPENTANCE unlocks Gods GRACE and MERCY!

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
*
God’s grace can change anyone.
*Grace is the core of it all. God’s grace covers our sin.
Luke15:23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
Luke 15:10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

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

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

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

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

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

Paul least of God’s people:

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

Paul least of apostles:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Bob / April 1, 2012

Without God’s Love flowing from our hearts, good works and sacrificial giving are of no benefit.
  “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love [Agape], it profiteth me nothing.”            1 Corinthians 13:3

  Dealing with the Pride of Life 

1 John 2:16  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
In this Verse we see some specific references to “Pitfalls” we should be avoiding in our lives:
1. “the lust of the flesh”. 
2.  “The lust of the eyes”. 
3.  “The boastful pride of life”.
4.  With the added warning that such tendencies are “not from the Father, but…from the world.”

In fact, we see the “boastful pride of life” running rampant in society—in people’s insistence upon “doing their own thing” in their own strength.

I Did It My Way” seems to be the theme song of choice for so many.

*One of the greatest indictments of this kind of behavior in the Old Testament is God’s chilling statement to His people in Jeremiah 2:13: “For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

**What a grave error: deliberately rejecting God’s provision (something which actually works) in favor of a contrivance made by our own devices (something which doesn’t work)!
 
Over the years, I have been convicted about so many areas of my life in which I have engaged in the fool’s errand of refusing God’s ways to build things my way instead.
*That has resulted in the necessity to ask the Lord for help in correcting the errors, cleaning up the messes and unsnarling the tangles caused by my own misguided humanistic efforts.

Have you had to endure some similar experiences?

His Strength, Not Ours—If the Lord truly intends to use us, it is absolutely necessary for us to learn and relearn the very basic lesson of operating in His strength rather than in our own.
   
  Everybody should want to be like God.

Do you know what the essence of the temptation was? (This is very important.)
* The desire to be independent of God.  That’s the essence of sin.
* As long as you are desiring in your heart to be independent of God, you are in a dangerous position.
Nothing in this universe has any right to be independent of the Creator.
**The way that they thought they could get independence was by knowledge.
*The way we take or receive an anxious thought is by speaking it. Doubtful thoughts will come, but we do not sin until we entertain them.

It is imperative that we watch the words we say.
*Begin to speak words in faith that line up with God’s Word, then Positive Results will follow.
*If we speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the Negative things that these words produce.
*There are no such things as “idle” words which will not work for or against us.
*Death or life is in the power of every word we speak (Prov. 18:21).

*Please understand: the desire to know wasn’t wrong.
**But the desire to be independent of God was the essence of their problem.

Obadiah 1: 3 You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully.

I know many Christians who have not dealt with this root desire to be independent of God.
** This is the pride of life: “I can manage my life without God.  If I’m in a real emergency, I’ll pray; but generally speaking I can handle the situation.”
*That was my thoughts in the past-But God hit me hard with this verse in
Galatians 6: 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

For some people, the Holy Spirit is like an emergency vehicle. When there’s nothing else they can do, they pray. That’s not the way we were designed to live.
We were designed to live in hour by hour and moment by moment dependence on the Spirit of God.

    Dear Lord, I confess my tendency to operate in my own strength. I ask Your forgiveness for the many times when my first response to a problem or a crisis in my life, instead of relying upon You, has been to turn to my own resources. Lord, I acknowledge before You that my strength is totally inadequate for anything I have to face.
Standing in Your presence now, Lord, I turn actively from my own strength, and I express my utter reliance upon You and Your power. Any action I take, I will take in Your empowerment and not my own. Thank You for opening my eyes to the folly of operating under my own steam. Kneeling before Your throne, I call this tendency what it is: the sin of independence from You. And I call upon You to set me free from that tendency, in order that from this day forward, I may walk in complete reliance upon You and Your strength operating through me.  Amen

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WHO BENEFITS FORM PRAYER?

By Bob / March 30, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Then the person begins to grow tremendously.

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

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THE GLORY OF GOD!

By Bob / March 29, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Jesus died for our sins.

*Keep the message of the gospel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Bob / March 25, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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UNITY! ARE WE ONE?

By Bob / March 24, 2012

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

Have we allowed our prideful thoughts, wounded emotions and self-centered desires to quench God’s Love in our hearts and separate us from each other?
* “If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness.” 1 John 2:9

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wonderful! We’re all One!

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

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

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

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ARE WE TEACHING OTHERS?

By Bob / March 21, 2012

Bless the Lord by blessing someone less fortunate today through Your……Time, Talent & Treasures
* “And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness…and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:10-11

Hebrews 5:12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

4 assumptions of discipleship that many Believers make:
Life change happens at salvation. It continues to occur over time. It is achieved largely by an act of will. It is accomplished alone. -If these assumptions were true, then we would all act in a mature, Christian manner. If not- we need to RETHINK.

#1. Life change BEGINS at salvation.

*When a person has become a Christian, they are not automatically a spiritual giant. There is a process that leads up to discipleship that starts with salvation.
*Salvation is just the start of our journey; it’s the beginning of the race.

*Do you win races at the starting line? No, of course not. It’s ridiculous to think that, so why do we think salvation is the completed step if being a Christian?

#2. Life change takes MORE than time.

*We are in the mindset that if you’ve been a Christian for 10 years, you should be more changed and mature than a Christian of 9 years.
* Hebrews 5:12 states that we should be teachers if God’s word. Yet we are still “being fed milk.”

#3. Life change is about TRAINING, not trying.
*You can have the will to do anything in the world, but that will alone won’t accomplish it.
* If you had never worked out before and wanted to bench press 300 pounds, just having the will to do it won’t help you lift out at all.

#4. Life change is a TEAM effort.
* You cannot survive without the fellowship of other striving Christians.

*Jesus compares us to sheep multiple times in the Bible. One of the reasons is because sheep are herd animals. They cannot survive on their own. There is strength in numbers, even with us as Christians.
These 4 ideas are great to meditate on and grasp as Bodies of Believers. If we understand these, we understand the process of discipleship.

WE MUST SPRING INTO ACTION

*The knowledge of God and Christ is active in our hearts to produce grace and peace.
*We must study to receive the knowledge He has placed here for us, so we can walk in His perfect will.

*No matter where you go you must go to make a difference.
*Kingdom Mindset will allow you to persevere.
*The King in you will give you peace.
*Make the Word of God a part of you because without the word; one is lifeless.
*There is No prayer without the word.

2 Peter 1:2  May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.  (All of 2 Peter 1 is great read here)
*Growing in Christ does not mean just knowing more of His word. That is part of it. But we have to be growing in love. If we’re not, we need to examine our lives (or better yet have someone who knows you do an evaluation) to see if we are truly growing in love and grace towards others.

God’s Character of a New Man.

“The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us.
*The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ.
*They are the by-products of Christ’s control-we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without his help.
*If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to His.

**We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him.
** As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law-to love God and our neighbors.
Which of these qualities do you want the Spirit to produce in you?”

Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.
*When God’s Holy Spirit is active in our lives He produces fresh fruit that tastes good to those around us. When we try to do things on our own, without His Holy Spirit, it can begin to taste gross.
*Let us rely upon, seek, and walk in His Holy Spirit today! May your fruit always be fresh!!!!

Proverbs 24:12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
*We must LIVE the word of God and act on it.
*Don’t let Pride stop you from asking for advice.

It is easy to use the I didn’t know excuse and fool yourself.
*Move Forward and take some ACTION and  always take responsibility for your actions and understand that God knows your heart and soul and the real intentions behind your actions.

Heavenly Father thank you for all of the guidance and your Word to keep me on the path to life.  God, please give me boldness to take action when You ask me to. Forgive me for my selfishness. Help me to be more giving with my time and money. Give me direction so that I know where to invest those for Your Kingdom work.  Amen

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  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.” Matthew 28:18-20.

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SHARING WITH OTHERS

By Bob / March 20, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Moving Forward, www.movingforwardinitiativesllc.com

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