Devotions - Prayer
The most difficult question of the Christian life is: “If God really loves me, how can He let ‘this’ happen to me?” “This” for some of us might be a divorce, the death of a child, or a loved who gets cancer.
How we face adversity in this life tells us a lot about whom we love and trust.
Sometimes God allows our life, relationships, and health to not just go from bad to worse, but from bad to impossible. It’s during these most difficult times that we may know that God loves us, but deep down in our hearts we may struggle with really trusting Him.
Sometimes, our perception of God’s slowness of lack of response to our pain or to our prayers is that He doesn’t care or He has abandoned us.
In John 11, the Apostle John tells us a story that shows how we’re to trust God in the midst of impossibly difficult situations in our life. In the story, Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead.
In the beginning of the story, Jesus gets word from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus is very sick.
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” (John 11:4-7)
We discover that it’s because “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” that He decided to stay where He was at for two more days! The sisters probably began to wonder… “What’s going on? I thought Jesus loved us! He’s the Son of God, so why isn’t he coming to help?”
When our life doesn’t go according to plan, or our circumstances go from bad to worse, it’s natural to begin to wonder about what God is doing. This is true especially during those dark moments when we cry out to Him and He doesn’t fix our problem in the way or in the timing that we expect.
Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to “fix” their problem – to come quickly and heal Lazarus. But Jesus had other plans: to raise Lazarus from the dead and demonstrate God’s greater power and glory.
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” But Martha thought He was talking about the final resurrection of the dead.
Then Jesus said these startling words to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (v. 21, 23-26)
Jesus’ answer to us, as it was to Mary and Martha, is not to just fix our problems in our way and in our timing. Jesus often has a different – and better – agenda.
His answer to our life’s most difficult problems comes to us as first as a person: He offers us His presence. He asks that we trust in Him and in His timing, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Lord help me to truly experience more each day what it means to have a personal, intimate relationship with YOU the living God. Amen
Psalm 40:6–8 Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not desired; my ears Thou hast opened; burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God.”
When the psalmist speaks there about burnt offering and meal offering and sin offering and so on, he’s speaking about the externals of religion and he’s saying, in essence, “That isn’t what God is really after. We may give all the externals and yet miss the real point.”
He says, “My ears Thou hast opened.”
We need to be able to hear God speaking to us personally.
It’s the voice of God that we need to hear and for that our ears need to be opened.
When we hear the voice of God, it reveals the will of God.
The psalmist says, “In the scroll of the book it is written of me, I delight to do Thy will.”
I believe that’s true for every person that turns to God.
There’s something written there in the scroll of the book which is God’s will in each of our individual lives.
And when God opens our ears and we turn to Him and surrender our lives to Him, we’ll make the amazing and glorious discovery that God has got a special plan for each one of us – something that’s written in God’s eternal book. Something that’s in the scroll for each one of us individually.
God never makes one person a carbon copy of another.
God has a specific, individual plan for each one of His children.
If He can but open our ears and we turn to Him and yield to Him, He’ll reveal it to us.
Read Psalms 139 this day to see how special you really are!
Lord, open my ears that I may hear Your perfect loving will for my life. Direct me daily and keep me on the path of everlasting life. Amen
Read MoreBy John Piper
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)
Here are two great incentives from Jesus to become a World Christian and to dedicate yourself to the cause of Frontier Missions.
Every impossibility with men is possible with God (Mark 10:27). The conversion of hardened sinners will be the work of God and will accord with his sovereign plan. We need not fear or fret over our weakness. The battle is the Lord’s, and he will give the victory.
Christ promises to work for us and to be for us so much that when our missionary life is over, we will not be able to say we’ve sacrificed anything (Mark 10:29–30).
When we follow his missionary prescription, we discover that even the painful side effects work to improve our condition. Our spiritual health, our joy, improves a hundredfold. And when we die, we do not die. We gain eternal life.
- I do not appeal to you to screw up your courage and sacrifice for Christ.
- I appeal to you to renounce all you have to obtain life that satisfies your deepest longings.
- I appeal to you to count all things as rubbish for the surpassing value of standing in service of the King of kings.
- I appeal to you to take off your store bought rags and put on the garments of God’s ambassadors.
I promise you persecutions and privations — but “remember the joy”! “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
On January 8, 1956, five Auca Indians of Ecuador killed Jim Elliot and his four missionary companions as they were trying to bring the gospel to the Auca tribe of sixty people.
Four young wives lost husbands and nine children lost their fathers. Elisabeth Elliot wrote that the world called it a nightmare of tragedy. Then she added, “The world did not recognize the truth of the second clause in Jim Elliot’s credo: ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’”
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 – Acts 21:11-12
Paul understood his personal mission, which should be the personal mission of every believer in Jesus Christ. It is the one summary statement that best describes the purpose of our existence on earth and the goal of our Christian experience. It can be reduced to three important characteristics.
- To know Christ.
- To know and experience His power.
- To identify with His sufferings.
All that flows from these three objectives becomes a by-product.
- Salvation is a by-product.
- Miracles are a by-product.
- Christ likeness is a by-product.
Paul’s focus was on relationship. He understood that the deeper the relationship, the more power he would experience. He also understood that as he grew in this relationship, there would be suffering.
Whenever the Kingdom of Light confronts the kingdom of darkness, there is a battle, and this often results in casualties.
Christ confronted these earthly kingdoms and suffered for it. Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
If we are living at this level of obedience, we, too, will face similar battles; it simply comes with the territory.
Matthew 5:11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
- Does this sound like your personal mission statement?
- Is your focus in life centered on knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection?
- If not, press into Him today in order to begin experiencing Christ more intimately.
Lord thank you for persecution because it takes our eyes of earthly rewards, it strips away superficial belief, it strengthens the faith of us who endure and our attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow. What a testimony it can be to bring YOU the Glory! Amen
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BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
We can have joy, even in hardship. Joy does not come from outward circumstances but from inward strength. As Christians we must not rely on what we have or what we experience to give us joy but on Christ within us;.
Developing our character begins with God’s work in us. But Growth also requires self-discipline, obedience to God’s Word, and concentration on our part. Christ gives us power to lay aside our personal needs and concerns. We dare not be self-centered. When we give up self-interest, we can serve with joy, love and kindness.
JOY is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives—that he will be there no matter what!
• Joy is Suffering 1:1-30
• Joy in Serving 2:1-30
• Joy in Believing 3:-4:1
• Joy in Giving 4:2-23
Read the ENTIRE Book of Philippians and Look For Balance!
1. All Jesus has done for you.
2. What you can do for Jesus.
3. See how all is based on Jesus Christ
4. We agree to have the mind set of Christ or to say–THINK LIKE GOD THINKS!
Read Philippians verses below and what do they all have in common?
1:6-7
2:2&5
3:15
4:2
4:10
HOW DOES GOD THINK?
* What does Luke 17:3 say is needed before forgiveness?
* READ MATTHEW 16:22-28 WHAT DOES IT SAY?
* HOW TO THINK LIKE GOD THINKS! Get Jesus character from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.
Lord, Thank You for your Word which is Truth and following it, I can get some balance and purpose for my life. Amen
Read MoreBusiness as Ministry
by Os Hillman
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24
The Bible is very clear that the purpose for our work life is to reflect Christ in and through our lives. It is an attitude that says our work is to have an overriding “ministry” objective to it. Our work is our worship to God. These two words even originate from the same Hebrew word, avodah.
Robert Laidlaw was born in Scotland in 1885 but grew up in New Zealand. Born to Christian parents, he committed his life fully to the Lord when he was 17. Laidlaw began working in a hardware merchant company as a traveling sales representative when he was 19. Later he had the idea for a mail-order catalogue business that sold everything imaginable including underwear, groceries, cosmetics, and farm equipment, all at bargain-basement prices. His concept proved successful and his business later merged with the Farmer’s Union Trading Company. He became general manager and held that position for 50 years.
But this is not the most significant thing that can be said about Robert Laidlaw. He understood that his work life was a tool to affect others for Jesus Christ. He began giving ten percent of his income early in his business life. Later, however, he entered this into his journal: “September 1919, age twenty-five. I have decided to change my earlier graduated scale, and start now giving half (fifty percent) of all my earnings.” This he continued for the next 60 years. [John Woodbridge, ed., More Than Conquerors (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 351.]
The result of that commitment was countless numbers affected for Jesus Christ through the resources he gave to mission groups and other worthy Christian causes. He was personally involved in ministry. He wrote a small book that gave a thoughtful answer to basic questions about life and faith. It was titled “The Reason Why.” Many hundreds of thousands came to faith in Christ because of this 46-page booklet. He publicly spoke to many of his faith in Christ and became very involved in the Soldier’s and Airmen’s Association when World War II broke out. Robert Laidlaw understood what it meant to view business with an overriding ministry objective.
Does the Lord have complete control of your life? If so, you will be able to see your work life as an extension of His life in you. Let the Lord live in and through your work life today.
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Salvation is our greatest need:
*Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.
*Romans 5:11 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
Peace can only come when we relate to God on the basis of faith in what He did for us, instead of what we do for Him.
A person who is thinking that he must perform up to some standard to be accepted by God will have no peace.
That puts the burden of salvation on our shoulders, and we can’t bear that load.
*We were incapable of living holy enough to please God before we were saved, and we are incapable of living holy enough to please God now that we are saved (Heb. 11:6).
We were saved by faith, and we have to continue to walk with God by faith (Col. 2:6).
It’s traditionally acceptable to think about baby Jesus in the manger. And, of course, it’s all part of the beautiful Christmas story. But also, let’s remember that Jesus came with a purpose, to destroy the works of the enemy. Friend, whatever it is that you are going through; know this…Jesus came to empower you to be an overcomer!
Yes, it’s true that He came to provide salvation. But, it’s so much more! Salvation is derived from the Greek word sozo, which means more than being “saved”; salvation is a word that fully translates as protection, prosperity, healing, and (I like to say) everything that Heaven has to offer! When Jesus died on the Cross, we reaped the full benefits of sozo!
Jesus came as a Champion over every stronghold, every setback, and every mountain that attempts to stand before you! You have been promised victory according to the “counsel” of your Mighty God! The enemy will attempt to speak lies that will bind you to the shame of your past. See 1 John 4:4
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27a
Lord, thank You for picking me up when I fall down. I know that my struggles mean that You are helping me overcome my negative mindsets and bringing me more and more in line with Your way of thinking. The Peace of God Transcends all obstacles. I love you Lord! Amen.
Read More“Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands — more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” (Luke 6:38 )
To reap a great harvest, you must plant generously in faith.
To plant generously in faith, you need to remember two promises of Jesus.
Luke 6:38 says, “Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands — more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you”.
The way you give to others is the way God will give to you. You need to start being generous in planting seeds in this life to harvest in the next.
Then in Mark 10:29-30 Jesus gives a guarantee about anything you give up for his sake. He says, “There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time … and in the age to come eternal life” (ESV).
God says that anything that you give up of value for his sake, anything you sacrifice for his Kingdom will be returned a hundredfold.
You know how much a hundredfold is? That’s 10,000 percent interest. Do you know any stockbroker that will guarantee that? Only God and his Son can do that. They’ve been doing business with people like you and me for 2,000 years.
Jesus also in the verse above, emphasized persecution to make sure that people do not selfishly follow him only for the rewards.
These are the promises of God. You can believe them or not. But if you don’t believe God’s promises, I have to ask you this: Why do you believe Jesus will save you and take you to Heaven? That’s the same Jesus. Why do some people trust God with their eternal salvation, but they don’t trust God with their finances?
It only makes sense to trust him for both and to plant generously in faith so that you can reap a harvest.
Read MoreWe live in the world, but Christ has overcome the world. While we’re here, we have to deal with some stuff of the world.
Very often we struggle with what goes on in our own minds. We emphasize spiritual warfare, but many of our battles are internal.
If we can win the battle between our ears, the rest of it will be easy.
In spiritual warfare of the mind is the literally the battle ground.
The mind is the control center that establish the direction of our lives. What goes on in our mind determines the course of every other part of our lives.
It effects the decision we make.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
* Focus on God; His will to understand the true purpose one has when placed here.
We have weapons to fight the good fight.
The first weapon available to us is truth. The Christian is given an insight into life and reality that others do not have. We know what is behind the forces at work in our society today, and we ought to know how to go about overcoming them.
Truth is realism. That is why it is so important that we understand the Scriptures, that we refresh our minds with them all the time, for we are constantly bombarded with illusion and error every day, and it is easy to drift back into thinking the way everybody around us thinks.
Love is also a powerful weapon, and in Scripture, the Word of God links truth with love.
Along with truth and love in Scripture is Faith.
Faith is the recognition that God is present in history.
God has not left us alone to stumble on our own way. The Lord Jesus sits in control of all the nations of earth.
Another powerful weapon for the Christian, proceeding from faith, is prayer.
The power of prayer is held before us throughout Scripture.
Lord, help me from here on to begin to use the weapons of truth, love, faith, and prayer for Your Glory. Amen
Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
The Father is the great Peace Maker. But, that peace came at a great cost.
Colossians 1 teaches us that the cost to God of reconciling (making peace) with us was Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross.
Jesus has enabled anyone who will trust Him for forgiveness and healing and freedom, to be at peace with God.
2 Corinthians 5:20. “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Only when our hearts are ruled by God’s Love are we given the hope that transcends emotion or circumstance.
“…we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts…” Romans 5:3-5
Proverbs 1:33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.
One thing that people all over the world today are striving for is security, but here is an offer of total security.
You’ll live in safety; you’ll be at ease, without fear of harm. Not merely will you be physically safe, but you’ll be free from worry and anxiety and care.
What’s the secret?
*The secret is listening to the right voice.
*That’s the voice of divine wisdom speaking through the pages of Scripture, offering that promise of total security and ongoing, uninterrupted emotional stability and peace.
How can you find that?
*You can’t find it in the world’s system, in the world’s provisions.
*The world can offer temporary stability, temporary security, but nothing that’s permanent.
***The only pathway to permanent stability, security, peace of mind is to listen to the voice of divine wisdom speaking through the pages of Scripture and then to do what wisdom enjoys.
John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
*The peace can only be made with our dependence to God.
Thank You Jesus for Your word! THE BIBLE (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)! I believe the Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of life, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. I Read it to be wise. Believe it to be safe —-Practice it to be holy. The Bible gives light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. Amen!!!
Read More“Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” – Exodus 14:15
Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert.
The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh’s pursuing army was the Red Sea.
Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out,
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Ex. 14:11b-12)
God sometimes brings each of us to a “Red Sea” in our life.
*It may be a work problem that can’t be solved.
*It may be a marriage that seems to be failing.
*It may be a debilitating disease.
**Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: Keep moving forward.
The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to “Keep moving.”
“But Lord, the Red Sea is before me.” “Keep moving.”
When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here. That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ.
This is when our own Red Seas become parted.
*We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don’t first “Keep moving forward.
There is an issue that you must settle in your own mind and heart. There are just some things that you cannot fix or make different. You can only make decisions about the things that are yours to deal with, and that does not include other people and their choices.
Psalms 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Amen
Matthew 17:20 “You do not have enough faith, Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as a small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
If we are facing a problem that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn our eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith.
Only then will we be able to overcome the obstacles that may stand in our way.
- There is great potential in even a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act.
- We need to trust in God’s power not our own ability to produce results.
Acts 1:8 But you(apostles) will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
We can always look around and find plenty of Christians who are not using this power, but 2 Corinthians 10:12 says that comparing ourselves among ourselves is not wise.
Most Christians are living so far below what God intended for them that when someone begins to live a normal Christian life (according to God’s standard), then everyone thinks he’s abnormal.
We will be successful when we not only build our faith but destroy our doubts.
One reason we are so prone to doubt is that we fail to see God at work in our circumstances.
- We asked, and nothing happened.
- But the Lord is not some cosmic bellhop who jumps in response to our requests.
- He sees past, present, and future and knows the right time for every answer.
- His invisible hand is already at work on our behalf—arranging situations to accomplish His will, opening hearts, and preparing us to receive what He wants to give.
If we don’t know God’s ways, we will be disappointed in His response. (see Hosea 4:6)
All too often our prayers are accompanied by expectations of how He will work. When He fails to intervene according to our timetable or anticipated method, we start to doubt.
But placing our faith in the Lord and trusting in His good and perfect ways gives us stability as we wait for His answer.
To overcome doubts, spend time in the Word to learn God’s principles and ways. Then you’ll begin to grasp what He wants to achieve in your life and how He goes about it.
Thank You Jesus for all the answered prayers of the past that I just took for granted. Amen
Read MoreWho is called to be a minister? According to these verses below, we are all called to be ministers.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
I am persuaded that many of our goals and dreams fail simply because we place limitations upon ourselves. This is true for the church as well—Christ’s command to share the gospeL.
Jesus gave us the vision to tell all nations about His salvation, and as His followers, we should make this our aim.
Many Christians, however, are not working to fulfill this “Great Commission”—at least not fervently and purposefully.
Often, what holds us back are the “Boundaries” we place upon ourselves.
“Fear“ is one of the biggest self-erected barriers to success.
*For instance, if evangelizing means traveling overseas, lack of safety might worry us.
*We may also feel concern about how family and friends will react to our decision and whether people will react negatively to our message.
Another hindrance might be conditional obedience—that is, a willingness to serve as long as God keeps us in a particular location or has us minister in a country where we don’t have to learn a new language.
There are many barriers that can keep us from sharing the gospel. *But when we’re willing to tear those down, we’ll be amazed at what God can accomplish through us.
Are you passionately sharing the gospel?
*If not, identify the obstruction that stands in your way, and pray.
*Refocus by reading the Word and remembering the mission that Jesus gave you.
*God’s love covers the whole world, and He therefore intends that everyone hear the good news.
* We are to share the good news of the Gospel. We are to speak about Christ giving up His life on the cross as redemption of our sins.
*We are to let others know about the grace, love, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Without it we would be hopeless. With It we can do all things.
Release yourself from the thoughts, worries, fears and concerns that keep you earthbound.
For, you must rise above all that keeps you from absolute faith in the Lord. We cannot operate in the realm of faith and be in fear at the same time.
Pay attention to your thoughts and make the necessary adjustments to demonstrate faith.
2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
God, I ask You to help me proclaim boldly what You have taught me in Your Word. I pray for the strength to rest in Jesus to overcome my shortcomings. I need hope that God really will keep working in me and change my heart daily and give You Lord all the Glory. Amen
Psalms 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
-We will live in Heaven forever
Matthew 22:29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.
-There will be no marriage in Heaven, and we will be like the angels.
John 14:2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
-Jesus prepares a place for us in Heaven, in which there are many rooms.
Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
-Our citizenship is in Heaven where our earthly bodies will be transformed to be glorious like Jesus’
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
-We will never hunger or thirst when in Heaven.
Revelation 7:16 They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. 17 For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
-There is a crown of righteousness in store for us in Heaven that God will reward us with.
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
-There will be no death, mourning, crying, or pain in Heaven.
Revelation 21:22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. (Read throgh verse 27)
-There will be nothing impure in Heaven, and only those whose name is written in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed in
Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your Word and the Promises we have after this life here on earth. Help us share this great news with as many as possible. Amen
Read MoreAlways be on the lookout for anything that takes your “peace” away, and then ask God to reveal what’s going on inside the hidden chambers of your soul.
* “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5
*You must have peace with God– to have peace of God.
The more sensitive we become to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the better we are able to walk in the world with peace and assurance as true sons of God.
JOHN 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute.
The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.
2 Corinthians 5:18 -19
*May we be quick to forgive and reconcile with those we are at odds with.
The enmity between man and God was SIN.
*God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.
We have received the ministry of reconciliation.
*That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God.
Imputing people’s sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself.
**We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God’s grace (Rom. 5:20).
Our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact – that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ.
No matter how far you have wandered, as long as you still draw breathe, it is never too late to go back to God.
*Come, put down your pride and accept the gift of grace and love He has poured out for you and me.
Ephesians 2:16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Lord, help me see each day that-Peace comes from the relationship I have with You! Lord, help me to stop worrying about others and start worrying about me and my relationship with You. Amen
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