Devotions - Prayer

God won’t overlook any act of loving kindness.
* “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.”Hebrews 6:10

As we all have experienced Christmas can be crazy!!!!

Read Luke 2:1-20
Luke helps us rediscover what Christmas is about!!!!
***Christmas is about Christ!!!
*We can forget this in the hustle of this time of year.
*There was no room for Jesus that night (is there room in you for Jesus)
*We need to make an effort to always make room for Christ everyday in our lives.

You are entering a season when you will be able to gain new perspective and perhaps see a theme as the details begin to come together in a comprehensive overview.  It would be a mistake to give the temporary details of your life more significance or power than they deserve.  In the long run what really matters is your spiritual relationship with the Lord, and not the natural things that distract you from that which is really important.  Maintain a positive outlook as you continue to progress in spiritual reality.
** 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.

****Christmas is about Peace!!!!
*Attitudes seem to be improved during Christmas seasons.
*The peace Jesus brings is inside of us, in spite of or circumstances not because of them.
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

*****Christmas is about Hope!!!!
*Where do you put your hope, job, career, people, family, money? The only place where our hope should be put is in Jesus. Everything else will let you down.
Psalm 33:22 Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
*The battle is not our own, the battle belongs to the Lord.
He is our rock and our fortress. He is our hope in times of need. He is our victory. So wait for it and put your hope and trust in God. His love endures forever.

Original Sin entered the world through the disobedience of Adam(Genesis 3:6) and all mankind afterward was born with sin  and the knowledge of good and evil.
Romans 5:15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

What a Perfect Gift we Have been Given!!!

Isaiah 9:6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

Isaiah uses a long list of names to predict the birth of Christ.
*****Each of Jesus’ name have both a human element and a divine element.
*Wonderful Counselor: means counselor who does the miraculous.
*Mighty God: means God warrior.
*The announcement of the birth of Jesus is in actuality a declaration of war against the spiritual enemy.
* Everlasting Father: (the seed of eternity)
*Prince of Peace: means prince of happiness.
He gives us to be power to use the same names that Jesus’ used.
*How the words are shows how all the names are interrelated and we can see the Power of God in the cross.

If we will only put our trust in God’s “Unfailing Love” the stuff the world throws at us will not harm us. What we see as a challenge or threatening to our life style has to be looked at through the eyes of God’s Unfailing Love. Nothing the world has to offer can compare to is Unfailing Love.

Father in heaven, Life is meaningless only if we allow it to be. Each of us has the power to give life meaning,   to make OUR Time and our Bodies and Your Words into instruments of Love and Hope.  You are my Wonderful Counselor. I submit ALL my ways to You. I trust that You have a good plan for me. Thank You for giving me wisdom and direction for every area of my life through Your Holy Spirit inspired  Word, the Bible, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
*Again and again the Bible leads me to think about joy. Read Psalm 33 this day if need a boast in joy.  Merry Christmas!

The more like Christ you become, the more you exalt Christ and not yourself.

Is there someone you can share God’s Love with today as a result of your faith, and in spite of your feelings?
*  “And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”
Luke 6:32

Let’s Bring Jesus Back for our Children!! How we do this will determine future generations of Christmas celebrations.     *We Are Christmas  to Our Little Children Because What We DO on Christmas is an Acted out Statement of OUR Faith.
To our children, we are Christmas. We are their memories. We are the story. We are acting out both the surprised shepherds in the fields with their problems and squabbles and regular lives, and also the heavenly host that came to them singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.”

*Please Bring Jesus Back! If we don’t do it—–who will?
*****Christmas IS The Birth of Christ!

Behold, a virgin shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Isaiah 7:14)

Jesus Birth in History.    “The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35.)
*Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it.
*Jesus did not evolve out of history; He came into history from the outside. *Jesus is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate, God coming into human flesh, coming into it from outside.
*Jesus life is the Highest and the Holiest entering in at the Lowliest door. Our Lord’s birth was an advent.

*When Jesus came to earth, He came in order to penetrate the very kingdom of darkness with light.
*Jesus came to bring healing to sickness, replace sadness with joy, and fill meaninglessness with purpose.
*Jesus  came to change things for the better for a world that had no hope outside of God.
*Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of God on earth.
*So why has God allowed us to receive  new birth and remain on earth? It is so that we might bring the Kingdom of God into our world-our families, our workplace, and our communities.
God wants you to bring the Kingdom of God into the territory He has given you so that His will can be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Your domain is your workplace, family, and community.   Ask God to show you how He wants to penetrate the darkness of your domain with His light. Then you will see and experience all the features of this gift that has been given to you.

His Birth in Me.  “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.” (Gal. 4:19.)
*Just as Our Lord came into human history from outside, so He must come into me from outside.
* Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter into the realm of the Kingdom of God unless I am born from above by a birth totally unlike natural birth.
“Ye must be born again.” (JN 3:3) This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me.
Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me.

We must ask God to search our hearts. What will He find when He looks into our hearts? Will He find rebellion? Will He find obedience? Will He find unforgiveness?
*God wants us to leave the place of rebellion and punishment.
*God wants us to return to the place of obedience and blessing. ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart!… See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!’(Psalm 139:23-24).

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter & Counselor!!!
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”Jude 1:20-21
** We have to build ourselves up in God.
* How do you do that? Read the word of God.
*God created us for Himself but we sold ourselves into slavery to the devil.
*If we’re only loving in order to change the other person or the circumstances, our motivation is totally wrong.
That’s conditional human love, and not God’s Love at all.
If selfishness is motivating us, the fruit of our actions will be rotten.
*  “Love…does not seek its own…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5

God is wonderfully free; He is not impressed by our bigness; He does nothing in order to attract attention to our accomplishments; He does everything to magnify His glorious freedom and mercy.

*God chose a stable so no innkeeper could boast, “He chose the comfort of my inn!”
* God chose a manger so that no wood worker could boast, “He chose the craftsmanship of my bed!”
* He chose Bethlehem so no one could boast, “The greatness of our city constrained the divine choice!”
* And he chose you and me, freely and unconditionally, to stop the mouth of all human boasting. This is the point of
Romans 11 and this is the point of
Micah 5.

The deepest meaning of the littleness and insignificance of Bethlehem is that God does not bestow the blessings of the Messiah–the blessings of salvation–on the basis of our greatness or our merit or our achievement.
He does not elect cities or people because of their prominence or grandeur or distinction.

*When HE chooses HE chooses freely, in order to magnify the glory of HIS own mercy, not the glory of our distinctions. So let us say with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest!” Not glory to us. We get the joy. He gets the glory.

This Christmas, Jesus, come to the manger of my heart. Invade my soul like Bethlehem, bringing peace to every part. Dwell within and around me, as I unwrap Your presence each day.
Keep me close to You, Lord. It’s in Your wonderful Name I pray. Amen
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
Have a Merry Merry Christmas

God is not a Genie in a bottle that is obligated to fulfill OUR every command. We have given up ALL of OUR rights when we entered into a personal relationship with Him!!!! A Bond Servant of Jesus!

Phil. 2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
*Jesus came to the Center of our chaos world in order to set it ALL right. He took on broken humanity in order to Infect us with Healing, Hope and Restoration.  Now that is Love!

The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ.
*God created us for Himself but we sold ourselves into slavery to the devil.
*If we’re only loving in order to change the other person or the circumstances, our motivation is totally wrong. That’s conditional human love, and not God’s Love at all. If selfishness is motivating us, the fruit of our actions will be rotten.
*  “Love…does not seek its own…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Jesus purpose for coming into the world was twofold. First, He came to “redeem them that were under the law.” He did this by perfectly 1. keeping the law, fulfilling it, and 2. paying its curse (Mt. 5:17; Gal. 3:13).
*Christ delivered us from the entire system of the law. The Greek word for redeem means “to buy OUT OF the slave market.” Thank you Jesus!

* Christ gave us the status of sonship with all its privileges. Not only were we redeemed from the bondage of the law, but we were redeemed unto sonship.
**Many people stop short, only realizing what they were delivered from, not what they inherit.
Sure, we need to rejoice that we are redeemed, but we also need to Move Forward, and realize the full benefits of our inheritance.
*God created us for Himself but we sold ourselves into slavery to the devil.
*GOOD NEWS– God bought us back through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. (CROSS).
**No amount of effort, human works, or man’s own righteousness could bring the divine favor that we needed. It was the Actual Life of God (Lev. 17:11) that purchased our redemption.

AM I A Bond-slave Of Jesus?
I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. — Galatians 2:20
*These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus.
*It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for Absolute Loyalty to Jesus.
*I must be broken from my self-realization, and immediately that point is reached, the reality of the supernatural identification takes place at once, and the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable – “I have been crucified with Christ.” (Now a Bond-Servant of Jesus).

Luke 14:33  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
*Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
*To be a disciple is to be a devoted love-slave of the Lord Jesus.
**No man on earth has this passionate love to the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has imparted it to him.
* We may admire Him, we may respect Him and reverence Him, but we cannot love Him.
***The only Lover of the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and He sheds abroad the very love of God in our hearts.
**Whenever the Holy Spirit sees a chance of glorifying Jesus, He will take your heart, your nerves, your whole personality, and simply make you blaze and glow with devotion to Jesus Christ.

* Do I feel that sense of indebtedness to Christ in regard to every unsaved soul?
*Every bit of my life that is of value I owe to the Redemption of Jesus Christ.  * We can only do it as the Spirit of God works in us  this sense of indebtedness.

I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the barbarians. — Romans 1:14
**Opportunity + Ability = Responsibility
*Paul’s mission directive is his commitment to spread the Gospel of Jesus and to present it among the Gentiles and Jews alike.
**Paul saw it as an obligation (a binding contract independent of God’s promise of eternal life).
*When we see to it to fulfill our obligations we are responsible; able to give a response from the position given to us.

I am not to be a superior person amongst men, but a bondslave of the Lord Jesus. “Ye are not your own.” Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ. He says – I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the Gospel of Jesus. I am free to be an absolute slave only.
* That is the characteristic of the life when once this point of spiritual honor is realized.

** Quit praying about yourself and be spent for others as the bondslave of Jesus. That is the meaning of being made broken bread and poured out wine in reality.

* A man will always be a slave for obeying— unless behind his obedience there is a recognition of a Holy God!

**The bondslave is the highest spiritual destination in the kingdom of heaven. The apostles called themselves bondslaves. Their identities were as bondslaves of Jesus Christ.
These passages  taken from NKJV.

Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,separated to the gospel of God.
*Paul is a servant of God. More than that he is a slave to God.
*Paul is called by God not just to belong to Christ but to be an apostle( set apart for the gospel).

James 1:1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,..
* James, brother of Jesus and leader of church in Jerusalem.  KEY here:  James calls himself a servant of Christ, rather than his brother or his role as leader of the Jerusalem church.

**WORK was an important part of our relationship to God and to be done with excellence for his glory!
**Colossians 4:1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven…
*Taking Christ to My Work!!!
*Greek word for WORK “Doulos” – “I have to work” slave, employee.

***Guidelines for employees.
Eph. 6:5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
*Accounabilty is for us given by God so we can go through life living FOR Him. *Without accountability we would not know were we are wrong.
Accountability gives us strength because when we are Held Responsible for our wrongs we can then Teach others the same.
Ignorance, pride and self centeredness keeps us from realizing when we are wrong.

2 Cor. 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake.
*You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves.
** We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Phil. 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
*We have the relationship with God backwards today.  Our relationship to God has to be about Jesus and His glory.

1 Timothy 6:1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, SO That the NAME of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed.
*People of the gospel serve the God of the gospel, with an unchanging hope.
*Those working.. Should show respect for their employers so that they will not bring shame to God’s name!

Lord help me to be Your Bond Servant and help me “Return to the basics” of my walk with Jesus Christ as stated in Your Holy Spirit inspired Word—the BIBLE! Help me Lord:
* Make a choice to serve God in order to be a testimony it will change the world your living in. (Hebrews 3:5).
*1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
*Titus 2:9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back,
*Col. 3:22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Hebrews 5: 8 though He was a Son, yet He(Jesus) learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Thank You Jesus for Loving me, a sinner that wants to be totally sold out to Your Will and Purpose–for Your Glory–not my own selfishness.
In Jesus Name, Amen

* Everything we have comes from the Lord.

As you abide in Jesus “The Vine” today,
May you flourish in His garden with an abundance of the fruit of His Agape Love.
*  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain. John 15:16

If you think you’re too ordinary to be used of God, listen closely: God is
not going to do His last-days work through big-name evangelists or pastors. They alone will not be able to handle the great moving of His Spirit!

God said through Moses: “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3).
* What strikes me in this verse is that it is a reminder that we need to live His standards because in ALL circumstances He is taking care of us.
How easy is it for us to fail to recognize this when we’re on the side of the fence where life is good. No health problems, family doing well, can pay bills, car runs.
*We fail to notice that God is providing all things for us. It may be simple things–like our bills being paid, we have clean water to drink, we have heat in our shelter or our car is running–we just do not take the time to notice the simple things He provides us.
*Bread stands for all natural, material things necessary for this life—food,
shelter, clothes, labor, wages.
*Bread represents livelihood—those things we need that are not evil in themselves. Many Christians, however, live only for the things of this life—they live on bread alone!

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
But first He said we were to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done”
(v. 10). We are to focus first on God’s interests—praying for His will to
be done!

What have you been thinking about more than anything else these past six
months? What has consumed most of your time and prayers? Has it been mostly bread issues—personal needs?

If you focus only on bread, then you have no life! You are living in a
wilderness, just as the children of Israel did. They rose daily and began
crying for bread—their personal needs—every day for forty years!
** That is boredom—drudgery! God never intended for His children to
live like that. Instead, He told Israel through Moses, “You should be living
by every word that proceeds out of My mouth! Yes, I told you I would give you
bread, but don’t stop there. Move on! I have told you there is a land flowing
with milk and honey, with rivers, trees, forests, green pastures—and I want
that place for you!”(Deuteronomy 27).

God is raising up a people who are focused on His will.
They are tired of living in a wilderness of mere survival. All they want is to
know and do God’s will.

The gospel isn’t simply a set of truths that non-Christians must believe in order to become saved. It’s a reality that Christians must daily embrace in order to experience being saved.
* The gospel not only saves us from the penalty of sin (justification), but it also saves us from the power of sin (sanctification) day after day.
* Our daily sin requires God’s daily grace—the grace that comes to us through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
**We are ALL SINNERS—–Not Mistakers!

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.”Jesus”  Consciously going to the Bible  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 Holy Spirit inspired Word of Christ’s finished work on behalf of sinners in order to STAY convinced that the gospel is relevant.

The only reason God will Enlarge a person’s territory is that He knows that person will use it Responsibly.
** He will steward what is given in light of God’s Kingdom. God truly wants to increase our territory to have greater influence in the world around us. That territory can mean personal influence and/or physical territories.

As we walk through this wilderness of the valley of the shadow of death, God will put various tests and trials before us to remove the dross of sin from us. The manna that He feeds me during this wilderness, is His WORD.
In His word I find all that I need for my daily walk and to live my life pleasing to Him.
*But I also receive manna from prayer, worship and from other brothers and sister of the body of Christ. All of this is to remind me that it is through the Word of God that I receive life.
*God’s word will discipline me to make me pure in mind, thought, word, deed, intent, attitude and imagination. The discipline of the word of God will teach me, strength, courage, endurance, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, love, joy and peace.

**Bread that comes from the grains of this world only satisfies the temporary hunger of the body, but gives nothing else to elevate my sin and hopelessness.
** Only the gift of salvation through the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, can feed and satisfy my hunger for hope and relive me of the burden of my sin.
**Only through Jesus Christ, can I receive the mercy, grace, forgiveness, love, joy and peace of the Father. The Bread of Life is the only way to truly be feed and satisfied.

*So the manna has a purpose beyond the physical sustenance.
It is to teach us that we live by God’s words. God’s word provides. His word sustains. His word protects. His word guides. His word is the way to live.

*We must live a lifestyle that declares the one that we serve!!!!!  “JESUS”.

Heavenly Father I thank you for Your word that teaches, leads, guides and disciplines me. Thank You for the revelation of Your word and the truth that it teaches me in this, the present of today.  I thank you Lord for your love and your kindness. I thank You for your goodness and your mercy that follows me all the days of my life.
Thank you Father God for being my provider, you Lord are my God and You provide more than enough for me.  I bless your great and awesome and powerful name.  Thank you Father that no weapon formed against me shall prosper, thank you for defending
me and keeping me safe. Thank you Lord for everything, you Lord are everything.
I can do nothing without you Lord. My soul loves You, thank You for loving
me. I will lift You up and magnify your great name I will exalt You Lord above all.  Cause the eyes of my heart to be open and to understand your word, write your word on the table of
my heart. Fill my heart with your word Lord. I will speak your word. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Lord be acceptable in your sight, you Lord are my strength and you Lord are my redeemer.   I thank you Lord for redeeming me from a life of destruction, I thank you Lord for bringing me out of darkness and allowing me to walk in your great and wonderful light. I thank you Lord for the privilege to pray thank you for your gift of prayer.
In Jesus name I pray. Amen

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right”.(2 Timothy 3:16)

Loyalty is God’s Love in action.
* “A friend loves at all times.”
(Proverbs 17:17).
“Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14).

The greatest sign that you and I are maturing in our walk with God is when we can discern the difference between “good things” and “God-things.”

As Jesus leads and guides you this Holiday Season, ask Him to show you someone who needs an extra special blessing that you can fulfill, by sharing your testimony of what Jesus has done for YOU!
*  “And do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:12

The resurrection of Jesus puts Christianity in a class all by itself. Many people have come and gone professing some revelation from God or new way of approaching God.
But only Jesus has conquered death. This makes Him unique and elevates Him above the level of any other man who has ever walked on the earth.
*The resurrection of Jesus is the ultimate proof of the accuracy of His doctrine.

Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 17, that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith is vain and we are yet in our sins.

Why is the resurrection so important? ***The resurrection of Jesus makes Christianity different from religion because:  **we are dealing with a real, live person, not just principles.
* Christianity is fellowship with a real person who is Alive. Thank You Jesus!

Also, forgiveness of sins is not obtained by a doctrine, but by Christ Himself. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, He can not give salvation to us.
However, He did rise from the dead and now He lives forever to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25).

It is Christ living in us that gives us power to live a victorious life. If there was no resurrection, there would be no power.

Because Jesus conquered death, the fear and sting of death have been removed for us. This produces great comfort for those who believe.

The words that we speak from the written Word of God are empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).

Why is the Word so effective? Because it is the WORD of God. It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God. God’s Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan. That’s why it is so effective.
John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God.

In Luke, chapter four, when Jesus was tempted of the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God that Jesus used to defeat the enemy at His temptation.

Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God’s Word as He repeatedly stated the phrase, “It is written.”
Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God’s Word by placing it in his heart so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory.

Preach the Word, be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2).

This word is not addressed to preachers only. It includes all the people of God, for Paul does not merely mean to preach; the word is really “announce,  proclaim, set it forth, deliver the truth, make it known.”

*God’s Word is NOT something you ARGUE about; you Declare it because God Himself has said it.
* This can be done over a cup of coffee, in an office, or in a car while you are driving to work. It is something that can come up any place, any time. Where human hearts are open, seeking, longing, and hurting, there is the place, there is the opportunity to “preach the word.”
“Proclaim the good news,” Paul says. It is “not news of what we have to do for God”. That distortion has been widely peddled across the world and in this country, and it has resulted in a phony Christianity.
**The gospel is the story of what God has already done for us. (Cross).  That is what ministers to the aching heart.
** The gospel is the news that God loves us, pities us, and sees us in our hurt, our agony, our failure, and our weakness.
**The gospel is that He sees us in our strutting boldness and pride, and still He loves us. And He has already done something about it–through the death and resurrection of Jesus. In that amazing series of events that came through Jesus’ appearing on earth, He broke the stranglehold of evil upon human hearts–He found a way to set aside His own just sentence of death.

Through those who open their hearts to the Savior, He has found a way not only to die for us but to come and live in us and start the process of renewing us, remaking us, and restoring us to our lost inheritance.
*That is the word we are to proclaim. *That is to be done by every Christian in every conceivable circumstance of life.

Lord help me to “Preach the Word”, Especially this Holiday season. Help me Proclaim the good news of Jesus Birth!! Help us ALL be a part of bringing the TRUE Meaning of Christmas back to our KIDS and families.  Grant to me that I will commit myself afresh to be a purveyor of the Truth, preacher of the Word, and Herald of the Good News that is IN Jesus Christ!!  Amen
***God’s Word is NOT something you ARGUE about; you Declare it because God Himself has said it.

*Colossians 2:9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
*2 Corinthians 1:20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.
*Ephesians 2:10 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.
*1 Corinthians 12:27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.
Verse: 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

We must not only be “hearers” of God’s Word, but “doers” also. When God brings someone to mind, be sure to follow through with whatever He tells you to do for that person.
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead…”James 2:17

Because Jesus conquered death, the fear and sting of death have been removed for us. This produces great comfort for those who believe.

So, faith in the present ministry of Jesus is essential to true Christianity, and would be impossible if Jesus was not alive. Without Jesus being alive, Christianity would be just another dead religion.

Compassion is the evidence of God’s Love.
***”But  a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion…and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he…took care of him.” Luke 10:33-34

“Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear” (Psalm 10:17).

In this verse David outlines a simple, three-step plan for knowing the Lord’s
mind and will for your life:

* Petition Him (pray)
* Prepare your heart to hear His voice
* He will cause you to know—the Holy Spirit will speak to you

Very soon, God is going to pour out of His glorious cup the greatest measure of His Spirit the world has ever seen. Great Holy Spirit conviction will come upon your neighbors, coworkers and unsaved family members.

People everywhere are going to be hurting and they will turn from their old traditions to seek out those who walk with God and lift up Jesus and His Word.
* They will be desperate to find someone whose heart has been prepared!

God is going to use hundreds of thousands of ordinary servants for His end-time work of people-to-people ministry.
Matthew 24: 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

So I ask you: Are you preparing your heart right now for His work to be done, both in you and through you?

Confess to God today: “Oh, Lord, I want my life to count! I know that right
now I am living on bread alone—in a wilderness of despair. But I want to
live!”

Dive into His Word. Learn to seek Him daily. There is revolutionary power in
the preparation of your heart! It is through this preparation that meaning and fullness will come into your life. Your feelings and personality will change and power will be released in you to move forward!

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief….

When God sees you are ready, He will bring you great opportunities to do His
work. You will not even have to leave your house. God will bring the needs
right to your door!

The mighty God we serve is preparing His people at this very hour for a mighty
work.

“The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a
man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His
enemies” (Isaiah 42:13).

Prepare your heart to meet Him! Become a ready servant, equipped and prepared for His great last-day outpouring, and His glory will come alive in you in this final hour!

Jesus guides us in many different ways. Sometimes he makes the next step clear as day. Other times, like Peter discovered in John 21:1-14, it feels like we’re left to muddle through, only to find that Jesus was leading through our muddling.
Verse 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.
*Peter didn’t know what else to do.

When we’re not sure what to do!!
**First, waiting on Jesus is a common experience for disciples.
* Sometimes we wait for direction. *Sometimes we’re stuck in a very hard place waiting for release.
* Sometimes we wait to understand his purposes.
* Sometimes we wait for his provision. **Jesus’ timing and purposes are not always clear to us, though they are always Best for us.
**So Jesus wants our faith resting on the Rock of his Word and not on the sand of circumstance.

*Second, when we’re not sure what to do next, as Elizabeth Elliott says, “do the next thing.” I’m sure the disciples had prayed for guidance during those days but no clear instructions had come. Fishing just seemed like a good idea. As it turned out, it was exactly what the Lord wanted them to do.
Jesus was leading them, just differently. As they did the next thing Jesus met them and directed them.

*Third, Jesus is in complete control. Peter and his friends were experienced fishermen. They did their best, yet caught nothing. But that morning they discovered (again) that Jesus was sovereign over their decisions, the boat, the sea, the fish, and time.

*Fourth, Jesus’ is always serving us, even when we can’t see it.
*Jesus serves us in every conceivable way: from the payment of our sins, to our call, to the fish we catch, to a breakfast on the beach, to our eternal home.
Jesus loves to work for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).

In following Jesus there are seasons of bewildering intensity and seasons of bewildering waiting. He does not want us to panic during either. He is in control of both. When you don’t understand his ways, trust his Word.

And when you’re not sure what to do next, do the next thing.

When we look at people who “appear” to be spiritual (or “appear” not to be spiritual), we must take care not to judge them. God never calls us to judge, but only to examine the fruit of someone’s life.
****”You will know them by their fruits…A good tree cannot produce bad fruit; nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” Matthew 7:16-18.

Isaiah 40: 31 But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.
*God will never give you more than what you can handle. When you’re running low on fuel (Be it strength, hope, faith, etc) He will relight your fire and keep you going and growing.

*Don’t give up on God cause he didn’t give up on you.
*Never give up…always look up to Jesus!
*You are forever free.
” Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you”.  (Galations 5:1).

Lord Jesus, I ask for more to be able to give You More Glory and Love. Give me more Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
More + Love
More + Joy
More + Peace
More + Long-suffering
More + Kindness
More + Goodness
More + Faithfulness
More + Gentleness
More + Self-control
ALL In THE NAME of Jesus!!! AMEN

Obey the Word of God and you will be walking in the Spirit of God for the Word is Spirit and Truth.

Matthew 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
*You have to believe in the “Power of the Word” and resist the power of the flesh.
*Wash your mind with the power of the word. Renew Your Mind. (Romans 12:2).

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere……”
*  This verse really Defines our Purpose- “Telling people about JESUS”.

*God has poured out the Holy Spirit on us when we asked Him into our hearts and through the Holy Spirit God is calling us to witness/disciple to others.

The way you walk in the Spirit  is through living by, conducting your Actions according to, and following the leading of the Word of God as given to you by the Holy Spirit.
*The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree “Perfectly” because the Holy Spirit IS the one who inspired the written Word of God.

*Denying the flesh will not result in walking in the Spirit.
*Walking in the Spirit will result in denying the flesh.
** As a whole, false religions teach that as we overcome our flesh, there is a noticeable increase in the presence and power of God in our lives. That was what the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and the legalistic Jews of Paul’s day taught.
BUT– Just the opposite is true.
As we experience more of the presence and power of the Spirit of God, then the Influence of the flesh is diminished.
**Victory must come in this order. We don’t walk in the Spirit as a result of overcoming the flesh, rather overcoming the flesh is the result of walking in the Spirit.

It’s similar to how you fill a dark room with light. You don’t shovel out the darkness and then light appears. No! You simply turn on the light and the darkness flees.
Much of religion preaches to stop sinning (get rid of the darkness) and then the Holy Spirit will come and empower you (the light will come). That’s not the way it works according to the word.
* MAN or SELF can no more get rid of the power of the flesh on his own than he can get rid of the power of darkness without light.
” 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”.  1John 1:5-6.
*God hates sin and is holy. The reason there are bad things allowed is because He gave US choice. The possibility of sin is created by OUR free choice. God gets the most glory when you choose to glorify and follow God. God is sovereign.
*** We have to Receive the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives by Grace and then the union with the Holy Spirit breaks the power of the flesh.
***** The key to breaking the dominion of the flesh is to appropriate the power of the Spirit through faith, while the flesh is still causing us problems.

Recognize that your experiences will be marked by great expectations and great resistance.  The great expectations come from your faith to receive the promises the Lord has made to you in His word.
The great resistance is a result of more pressure from the enemy.  The choices you make at this time to both believe and to fight will determine the nature of your spiritual environment.  Be diligent to walk in the Spirit.(We fight from Victory not for Victory. 1JN 4:4).
Galatians 5:16.  I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
*Do you struggle with an independent spirit? When you refuse to depend on God, in essence, you’re saying, “Okay, God, I appreciate that You’re around, but watch me do this.”
Depending on God for everything may be difficult, but it’s the key to the Victory we need every single day of our lives.
*Choose to stop living independently, (pride) and rely on the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5:32 We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him.”

*We can not live in sin and also live for God.
We can not receive power from the Holy Spirit while we are living in sin, because we can not receive the Spirit unless we are obedient to Him.
*”A person can not serve two masters, he will either hate the one and love the other, or love the one and hate the other.”
**We must choose God as our Master, receive His Holy Spirit, and live in obedience to Him. This is the path of righteousness.

*Do you make decisions based on the potential outcome or by the direction of the Holy Spirit in your life?
* Do you overly evaluate the pros and cons without consideration to what the Holy Spirit might be saying deep inside? *We are all prone to make decisions based on reasoning alone.
* Ask God to give you a willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit and to obey His promptings.
Hebrews 5:8  Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

***Obey the Word of God and you will walking in the Spirit of God for the Word is Spirit and Truth.

Lord, I am struggling to obey You as I should. At Times I am frustrated and afraid- due to lack of finances, lack of results and at times tired and want to quit. Please continue to fill me hourly with Your Spirit and enable me to do what I cannot do on my own. Lord help me keep working toward Your will and purpose for my life of telling people about Jesus and His Love.   Father, forgive me for not constantly being on watch for temptations.  Forgive me for not praying to you regularly. But- Lord I thank you for the guidance and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. God I realize that I can’t do this alone. I need your help so that I can recognize Satan’s temptation and need Your help to avoid sins-Because victory is Mine Because of your great Love for me on that Cross. Help me to pray without Ceasing and give me the willingness and ability to hear the Holy Spirit through your word and to obey ALL Your promptings to lift the Body up and give encouragement to all for Your Glory.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

The best way to know if you’re grown in faith is to ask yourself if you look more like Jesus.

Only after we have “put off” the old man and “put on” the new are we truly set free to praise the Lord with a whole heart.
* “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.”Psalm 33:1
*You can rejoice this morning because the Word of God that you meditate and ponder on is “right and true.” You do not have to doubt or question the truths and the wisdom that come from His Word. In the midst of living lives in this chaotic and confusing world, God’s Word comes through like a beacon in a storm. Rejoice and praise God today because of His Word.
*Because we have been made pure through Jesus, our response should be to praise Him.
THE BRIDE
What would a man think if his bride-to-be invited him to her house, sat him in
the living room and then went her way? While he waits, she works in the
kitchen, dusts the furniture, mops the floors—and never says a word to him!

Jesus endures the same pain any man would feel if his beloved continually
praised him, saying “I love you” over and over, yet showed him little or no
attention! WE Need a personal Relationship with Jesus!

The sweetheart may claim, “Well, he’s always on my mind.” I have heard
people say that about Jesus: “He’s on my mind all day, in everything I
do.”
BUT you can have Him on your mind all day and still neglect Him!
**When a bride-to-be does this, her so-called love is a lie! She may tell her fiancé she truly loves him, but her Actions tell him she does not.

The Lord asks, “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet
My people have forgotten Me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).
* David also said Israel kept forgetting the Lord: “They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt”. (Psalm 106:21).

The Lord mentioned His pain in Scripture for the whole world to see! He said openly, “My people neglect Me for days on end!”
Why would the Lord tell the world about such neglect? Shouldn’t lovers’ differences be kept quiet?
No—He wants us to know how hurt He is! He tells the whole world because He is so heartbroken by our behavior!

Imagine that you are an engaged young woman going to church with your
husband-to-be. You grasp his hand and tell everyone, “We’re going to be
married. I love him—he is absolutely wonderful!” But as soon as you are out
the door, you just clam up and do not say a word to him! What is he supposed to think?

I would not want a bride who extols my virtues– says loving things about me in
public, tells me how precious I am, and then later gets cold and avoids
spending time with me. That is not true affection!
If you do not have quality time with Jesus every day—if you do not
spend time in prayer with Him, or seeking His Word—you do not love Him and you are breaking His heart!

Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord.  Then, you will be able to discern spiritually.  However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions.  Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant.  Obtain and maintain purity.
*Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

FAITH NEEDS ACTION!
*We haven’t learned the Word of God until we lived the Word of God.
*One of the primary purpose’s of the Holy Spirit is for us to be witnesses of the Good News of Jesus.

Teaching and learning in the scriptures, are much more than academic.
* It involves being guided by God’s principles in relationship to others, as well as knowing and responding to God. *It calls for the learner to put the Word of God into practice, not just hear it (Jas. 1:22).
* It involves hearing a word from the outside and putting it on the inside, so that it may be expressed in our every action.  If we obey the scripture and prove ourselves to be doers of the word rather than only listeners, we will truly show forth the love of Christ. People that merely listen hear about God’s judgement and wish…
* Proverbs 2 tells us to incline our ear unto wisdom, apply our heart to understanding, cry after knowledge, lift up our voice for understanding, seek her as silver, search for her like hidden treasures, and then we will understand and find the knowledge of God (Prov. 2:1-7).
God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and He admonishes us to meditate on His Word day and night that we may observe to do all that is written therein.
*Extreme love: acknowledges God’s wisdom. You must know and do! ACTION!   One reason why many believers have no clearer understanding of God’s word is, they close their eyes to TRUTH which they do not wish to practice.(Philippians 3:8)
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Lord, thank You for one of the greatest freedoms You have given all of us is the freedom to be ourselves. Help us NOT to  focus on trying to be like everyone else and focus on what YOU have planned for us to be!  Knowing You Lord through Your Word for who You are is a powerful and freeing feeling. Increase Daily Lord my  personal relationship with Christ that everything will fall into place for Your Glory and my Joy! Amen

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (Philippians 3:10).

WE are the BRIDE of CHRIST!

Paul describes the bride of Christ as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”
(Ephesians 5:27).

JESUS WANTS THE BEST FOR HIS BRIDE-THE CHURCH BODY!

How it must break the Lord’s heart when we question His ability and desire to do the best for us!
The Bible for example, tells us clearly how the Lord took wonderful, care of Ruth. Ruth pledged her love to Jehovah God and told Naomi, her mother-in-law: “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16).

God loved Ruth and opened up every door for her. She was poor and had to glean in the fields, but Scripture says, “She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz . . .” (Ruth 2:3).
When Ruth Went Out into the fields, God provided for her.
If you are waiting for God to provide, consider this: He may be waiting for you to take the First step to demonstrate just how important your need is.
Ruth task was tough, tiring, & perhaps not a custom to that type of work, but she did it faithfully.
*What is your attitude when the task you have been given is not up to your true potential?
**The task at hand may be all you can do,
** or it may be the work God wants you to do.
**Or, as in Ruth’s case, it may be a test of your character that can open doors of opportunity.
Not only did Ruth take the initiative to work, she worked hard.
There are times when hard work with little rest is our only option.
* Boaz noticed Ruth’s hard work. Had she considered herself too proud or embarrassed to work that particular job, she would have missed the opportunity of meeting Boaz, changing her life, & becoming the ancestor of a king and Messiah.
Boaz gladly welcomed Ruth, because she was hard working, loving, kind & brave.
These qualities gained her a good reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas of her life.
Where ever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the same. **Your reputation is formed by the people who watch you at work, in town, at home, in church.
** A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in no matter what group of people our surroundings you are in.

Boaz saw Ruth in the fields and
immediately discerned, “She’s different, really different.” His heart was
captured!

What a love story and what incredible circumstances brought it all about. Ruth
married this godly man, and if the Lord would do that for Ruth, Will He not do
right by His own bride, in EVERY circumstance?

We have Someone who is richer and mightier than Boaz. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He knows all and can do all and He loves His bride!
***Yes, the Lord works Everything in your life for YOUR absolute Best. And He takes great pleasure in doing so.

Even in suffering and trials, every lover of Jesus gets His full attention!
*Yet, sadly, we often do not Rest in that. *We doubt He is on the job at all
times, working out all things to our good.(Ro. 8:28).

Paul describes the bride of Christ as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”
(Ephesians 5:27). “Wrinkle” here means “fold,” as on one’s face—a wrinkled brow.
This speaks of worry, fretting, and Paul is saying that Jesus’ bride will have no “worry lines” on her face.
*The bride of Christ Rests in Jesus love.
*The Bride of Christ is confident-Jesus knows where she is, how she feels, what she is going through, and what is best for her.
* Jesus love gives her peace and calm. *She knows He will not allow anything that will cut her off from Him or hurt her.
* Jesus is going to preserve her because He said, “She’s mine!”

The light of revelation is shining as a beacon of understanding to reveal your own heart.  You can’t do anything about what you cannot see.  But, when the light comes you will be able to see your thoughts, emotions, desires and will more completely and make adjustments where necessary.  The Lord is calling you to Himself to be the Bride without spot or wrinkle, and this is a time of preparation.

“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 world 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.

*We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corin.  5:20-21

The best way to know if you’re grown in faith is to ask yourself if you look more like Jesus.
See to it that you are not harboring any offenses or bitterness in your heart so that there are no divisions among you.
Division will hinder your walk with the Lord and keep you stuck in the flesh instead of walking in the Spirit.
You need to be free, but you cannot attain that liberty until you truly forgive and release others.
Don’t let another day go by allowing this judgment to stand.
1 Corinthians 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Lord, thank You for Your Church the Bride of Christ. Help us ALL to go out and Boldly proclaim the Love You have for ALL people. Let others see Jesus in an through us as the Body of Christ. Let the divisions be no more!  Let us Lift up Jesus in Unity for Your Glory and our Joy. Amen

Jesus said Come, follow Me!

We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
*  “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12

Vision, no matter how clear, tends to rust over time. We need to hear it again and again.

‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'” Matthew 4:19

There is one basic difference between a man who fishes for fish and man who fishes for men. When you fish for men you never throw anyone back. Men who are caught for Jesus do not go back to swim in the cesspool of this world. Once you have been caught by God you are set free to swim forever in the crystal clear water of life!

Our calling has three distinct stages, which we can see in the lives of many called before us, to become mature fishers of men who greatly impact God’s Kingdom.
* First, there is the gestation period. This is the development stage of our lives. It may involve years of normal work experiences. You may be a Christian during this time, or you may be following after worldly success as a non-Christian.
*Paul spent years in religious and political training, persecuting believers most of his early life.
* Moses spent years in the court of Pharaoh and 40 years tending flocks in the desert.
*Jesus spent 30 years living at home and working in His father’s carpentry business.
However, all these years were part of their preparation.
***For you, the gestation period was_______________

*Second is the Crisis Stage.
Sooner or later, God calls you into relationship with Him.
For many, like Paul, it comes through dramatic encounters like being knocked off a horse, blinded and spoken to personally by God.
*Some people are more difficult than others to reach and so require this level of crisis.
*This is a time when God requires major changes so that you follow Him fully. It can be a time in which God harnesses years of experience for a new life purpose.
* Paul’s earthly experiences would be used in his calling to the religious and political leaders of his day.
*For Moses, the burning bush experience would begin his journey in which he would discover his ultimate calling after years of preparation.
* For Peter, it was his denial of Jesus three times that allowed him to face his shallow commitment to Christ.
** For Jesus, it was the garden of Gethsemane.
**These were the benchmark turning points for men who made an impact on their world.
***For you, the Crisis Stage was_______________

**Third is the Fruit-Bearing Stage.
In it, God’s power is manifested in your life like never before.
God takes all your experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life.
*Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process. *For Abraham, it resulted in becoming the father of many nations.
* For Paul, it resulted in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.
* And for Peter, it meant becoming the leader of the Church.
*For Jesus, it was salvation for the entire world.
***For you, the fruit-bearing stage was_______________

What does God want to achieve through your life?
God has a plan that is so incredible you cannot comprehend it. It requires only that you love Him and follow Him. Then you will become fishers of men like the world has never known.

2 Timothy 2: 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
The Lord is enlightening the eyes of your understanding so that you can see beyond your circumstances and temporary issues to view and understand your calling more fully.  This light will bring perspective so that you don’t obsess about that which will come to pass.  Set your eyes and your faith on the things that matter long-term, and don’t worry.
**Ephesians 1:18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

Lord, You know where we are, You know what to say and You know how to make it ALL work out for Your Purpose and Your Glory.  Help me use the giftings you have given me to help  Seek & save the lost and Count the cost.
God spark the enthusiasm in my life-help me see today from your perspective. Amen
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 28:19-20).
‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'”