Devotions - Prayer

FEELINGS OF EMPTINESS

By Bob / January 3, 2024

“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income….” – Ecclessiastes 5:10

The void in our heart cannot be filled with anything, only a real relationship with God can fill this Feeling Of Emptiness.

Because we do not know God’s heart to be with us, we try to fill this void with stuff, pretty man or woman, notable career ETC.
Not knowing that once we gain these things we still won’t be fulfilled.

3 myths about money
1. Money brings satisfaction
2. Money brings peace of mind
3. Money solves all your problems

* Realize that God is the owner of all we have.

Only when we know God’s heart will we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness will be gone.

Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches.

Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth.


Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil.


Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go.
*This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult – to give away his wealth and follow Him.
Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block.

For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).

“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
If we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. I was there for a period of my life and it was not rewarding—It was EMPTINESS!
*Those around us begin to expect more and more.
*Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle.

*Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire.
*Our  emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom.

The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need.

Lord keep us from greed but rather keep us on Your path, desiring You day in and day out to be one like You! Thank You Jesus when we know God’s heart  we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness IS gone.

 

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Is Doubt Draining Your Hope?

By Bob / December 4, 2022

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,  so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11–12)

*I see a call to endurance– to run the race (it’s a marathon) that has been set before us.

*To seek and strive for a closer and deeper relationship with our Savior and never be happy standing still.

*Spiritual sluggishness is a manifestation of unbelief.
*Spiritual sluggishness is a sign that there’s something about God that we doubt and it’s draining our hope, which means it’s draining our energy and drive.
**We’re not giving it all we have because –we doubt it’s worth the effort.

Spiritual sluggishness is not to be tolerated; it’s to be fought.  (Hebrews 3:19).

 
Spiritual sluggishness is a weight that needs to be laid aside (Hebrews 12:2). So how do you do that?

1. Identify the doubt.
*Sluggishness has a cause. What is sapping your faith?

2. Repent. Unbelief is a sin.

*Seek to actively turn from it.

3. Target that unbelief with Biblical truth.
*Stop whatever else you may be doing for devotional reading and focus on and pray through texts that deal directly with this issue.
*Lay aside your other book reading and read things that address this doubt.

4. Don’t go it alone.
*Humble yourself and share your struggle with trusted counselors God has given you.
**Humility is not being humble when God does a miracle through you. It is when even before you do it and through it that it is all God none of you.
*Our great Coach often speaks through assistant coaches (Hebrews 3:13).

 

Spiritual sluggishness is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). We all experience it. In the slog of our long faith-race and the adversity we encounter from the world, our flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2–3), there are times the reward gets obscured by confusion and discouragements.

” Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Jesus I ask in your name that you will keep me mindful of the opportunities to love others in my life. Open my mind and guide me to chances to follow those who have deep relationships with You. Grant me faith when things seem hopeless, and give me the endurance to run the race you have set before me. I desire to be spiritually sharp, and have a deep meaningful relationship with You. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

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SPIRITUAL WARFARE

By Bob / September 9, 2022

“On the cross, Jesus broke the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.

Through Jesus our Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!

Jesus has won the battle and we stand firm in Him — ‘It is finished!’”

WE DO FIGHT FROM VICTORY——–NOT FOR VICTORY!!!
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.


*What we are experiencing is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, with man’s eternal destiny at stake.
Jesus warns that without him we are but helpless victims under the control of Satan, the strong man.
* But the good news is that through His cross and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Through Jesus our savior and Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
* JESUS “the Overcomer” has won the battle — “It is finished!”

Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Faith-Prayer. These are the weapons of our warfare.

They are not of the flesh, they are not of the world; but they are mighty. They have divine power to the eliminating of strongholds, pulling down high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
They all work together. You can hardly isolate the one from the other; they are all necessary.
It is important, though, for our own personal benefit that we be aware that the children of the Wicked One are placed among the true believers.

Our best defense is to preach the Word of God without watering it down. See 1 Corinthians 4:6
*False brethren will not endure sound doctrine.
*They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart. Stick to the Word!
* Remember today that things start with a thought and it’s what you do with that thought that determines the outcome of the situation.   Amen

 

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EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE

By Bob / September 2, 2022

ETERNAL HAPPINESS= NOT WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND ME—IT’S ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN ME

 

It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known.
*What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

THE BIG IDEA:

God wants to get me THROUGH whatever is grieving my heart. (God sympathizes with my weakness because he was tempted just like me…)
GOD SEES!  GOD CARES!  GOD HELPS!

EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE = rehashing hurts of past.

*RELEASE HURT TO GOD
*STOP FOCUSING ON PAST (Philippians 3:13-14)

*IT’S NOT ABOUT ME (get off SELFISH attitudes/behaviors).

Three options to pain:
1. Repress them
2. Rehearse them
3. Resent (retalliate) them
*RELEASE IT….Romans 12:19-21 (“I will repay……”)

I’ve been abandoned but I can repress my feelings and resent those who’ve hurt me OR I CAN GIVE IT ALL TO GOD!  (Romans 1:18)

WE ARE COMFORTED BY:
1. THE WORD
2. THE CHURCH BODY
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT

Peter said “Save me Jesus” (walking on water, but started looking at storm and grew afraid).

Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Father, I know You want me to share the love I have found in You. Forgive me for the many times I have been too busy to see the needs around me. Break my heart for those who are in pain and feel hopeless. Encourage them through me, Lord. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can give it away. In Jesus name, Amen.

*  “And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”. Jeremiah 24:7

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God Gave Them Over

By Bob / September 1, 2022

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts, to sexual impurity, for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Romans 1:24   (read Read the Scripture: Romans 1:18-32)

The wickedness at work among human beings follows a process which is identified in this passage by the three time repeated phrase, “God gave them over.”

This phrase identifies what is going on in our culture.

The first mark of wickedness in a godless society is widespread sexual immorality — the degrading, or the dishonoring, of the body.
Because men run after other gods and refuse the testimony of their own hearts and do not glorify or thank the true God, God removes his restraints from society so that what is done in secret is allowed to break out into openness and acceptability.
That is the mark of the wrath of God at work.
The first sign of wickedness in a civilization is that sexual immorality becomes widely accepted.

You may ask, “Why is it that sex always seems to be singled out as the sign of God’s judgment”?

Romans passage above begins with sexual impurity and proceeds to sexual perversity.
But, the final result is not sexual sins, but sins of the spirit.

We  all have witnessed how our current society has switched the labels that believers call sin to make sin seem less sinful.
• We call lying, exaggeration.
• We call fornication, safe sex.
• We call murder, a right to choose.
• We call drunkenness, illness.
• We call jealousy, ambition.
• We call pride, self-esteem.
• We call humility, weakness.
• We call money happiness.
• We call entertainment relaxing

 

People really want a sense of total fulfillment, a oneness, an identity.

  • Only God can give that fulfillment.
  • Only God can satisfy that deep sense of longing for complete identity and unity with another person.

That is why the highest description of the relationship with God possible to a believer is found in the words of Jesus in John 14-15, “You in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).

 

When people think that they are going to find that fulfillment in sex, God says to them,
“Look, it won’t work. But you won’t believe that until you try it out.”

So he removes the restraints and allows immoral sexual practices to become widely accepted, understanding that men indulging in these things will finally find themselves just as dissatisfied, empty and hopeless as they were when they started.

 

Thus they will learn that worshiping God is the only way by which people find fulfillment. 

Worship is the submission of all of my nature (conscience, mind, imagination, heart & will) to God.

Father, thank you that You have not forsaken this world, and that the message of Truth and Light is still as available as ever.   Help us all see, hear and know that YOU are the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life.  Let us all Worship you! Amen

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WHY THIS SUFFERING LORD?

By Bob / April 22, 2012

Those who trust in the Lord will walk in the light of His Love.
* “They looked unto Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”. Psalm 34:5

*Where there is compassion, a miracle will come!

We need to be willing to walk God’s Way of Agape, even if our circumstances never change.
* “Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines…Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk 3:17-18

God has made available to us the riches of this Bible — His Word — which reveals to us the riches of His kingdom and of our eternal life in Christ.

God longs for us to know Him, and has revealed Himself in His Son. He has redeemed us through the blood His resurrected Son shed on the Cross, and has called us into a Spiritual relationship with Him.

Into our soul and our life He pours all the riches of heaven — “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,” as Luke 6:38 tells us. But we must get to know Him as He reaches out to us through the pages of Scripture, led by His Holy Spirit. We cannot imagine a greater adventure!

Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10).

Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God’s Word.

The High Call of Suffering

2 Corinthians 1:2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

*We cannot understand our suffering or His silence to our passionate pleas.
*We endure loss, loneliness, rejection, financial hardship, grief–all sorts of painful things and wonder why we have to be the one enduring this trial.
*We entreat the Lord for healing and it doesn’t come.
*We request prayers from family and friends and there is still no respite from the Pain we are experiencing.

“Why, Lord, why must I go through this wretched time? Why, Lord? Why? I don’t understand.”

Then, quite unexpectedly, some hurting person–possibly someone you’ve never met before–enveloped in despair and fear and confusion comes into your life and you find yourself saying, “Oh, come sit down and let me talk to you.
* I understand! I’ve been through that very same thing. Let me tell you what happened and HOW the Lord brought comfort and strength and understanding to me”. 

II Corinthians 1: 3-4 (above) has just become a part of our life and we suddenly grasp that through this suffering, Jesus has prepared us to minister to someone else. He is allowing us to share His unfathomable love with others. And they will listen. Why? Because we’ve been there. We understand. We have Wisdom.

*How special you are to God as He patiently, lovingly teaches you, knowing that someone who is hurting just as you have been hurting will be crossing your path before too long.
Somehow the Lord will bring that person into your life and you will be able to answer the questions they ask from the darkness of their desperation and suffering.

That sense of Pain and sorrow that you have experienced is about to give way to fresh excitement and new adventure.  You will experience yet another shift where doors will open in the Spirit to provide new opportunities for development in both the natural and spiritual realms. 
Don’t be afraid to let go of what has been in order to Move Forward to what is ahead. 
Feeling Pain and sorrow is more often than not a precursor to change.
Be prepared to hear from the Lord through His Word and start anew Moving Forward, for the Lord’s Glory.

Exodus 40:36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.

Glory is found in the Bible 402 times! Glory means to bring light to. All glory comes from God but it also belongs back to God.

Main Point: Gods glory, His presence and power, will guide us throughout life!
* Remember that Gods glory now resides in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19
* Realize that God’s glory is our Power.  2 Peter 1:3-4
* Recognize that God’s glory gives us constant Direction. Proverbs 16:9
Proverbs 3:5-6

*I will run to my God FIRST when I am in need of comfort and I will use that to comfort those around me.

Galations 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”

*All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become truth.

*Do we long for God’s glory to fill our tabernacles?  For Him to dwell with us? For Him to speak to us directly, to guide us in such a tangible way?

Believers in Jesus Christ , washed by the blood and being the temple of the Holy Ghost have to wait on God for divine guidance in every aspect of our lives. Simply because God knows what is best for us!

Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. (Colossians 3:10, 12 MSG)
**Aren’t you thankful it’s been completed—The plan of salvation? So we can be right at home with our God! I am!
*It’s been done!
*It IS finished!
Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences. 

Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
As you read this do you wonder, “Is God at work in my circumstance? Is Jesus really triumphant — in me? Can He really save me from this situation? I just don’t see a way forward.”

I tell you, God is on the move in your life at this very moment. The stone is being rolled away. Light is breaking forth and your Hope stands there in the doorway:    Jesus! He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness and His victory is yours by faith.

Lord, help me to see that my times of Pain-Sorrow and Trouble are used for good- they will glorify You if I choose to let them. Help me to Move Forward and put my Faith and Hope in You.  Help me to praise You IN every situation not necessarily FOR every situation.  God will give us the glory in the New Jerusalem where we will be filled with GLORY forever! Amen and amen! Glory to HIS name!

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WHERE IS MY FOCUS?

By Bob / April 20, 2012

God’s Love always remembers and seeks out the brokenhearted.
*  “…to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning…”
Isaiah 61:2-3

Psalm 106:13  Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel! 14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland. 15 So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.

That’s a description of Israel in their relationship with God during the forty years in the wilderness.
God had performed mighty miracles on their behalf.
*He’d redeemed them out ofEgypt.

*He’d made provision for them in all their desert wandering.
**But Israel had a short memory.
* They soon forgot what He’d done for them.
*They didn’t wait for His counsel.
*They didn’t wait to see what God wanted to do next, but they were guilty of greed and lust.
*They asked for meat and it says God sent them their request.

The record shows that He sent them an abundance of quails that fell all around their camp and they were actually knee-deep in quails. 
*But note that final commentary which is so tragic: God “gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”
*Their bodies were filled, their souls were empty.
*Let us beware that we do not make the same mistake that we forget God’s goodness, that we do not wait for His counsel and that we ask to satisfy our lusts, and we even receive – but our souls become hungry and bare.
* Let’s wait for God’s counsel. Let’s not force our will upon God.
Sometimes we can do that and God will yield, but it’s to our own great hurt. 

Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires.

Narrow your focus, refuse to allow your attention to be scattered in all directions.  And, do not allow your focus to be on your trouble or current dilemma.
This is a time to look squarely into the Lord’s face, deliver your prayer with earnest faith, and trust Him to answer.  Release yourself from all anxiety and worry.
* John 6:20 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”

Help me Lord to learn from Your word the sins of Your people so that I will not sin against You. Continue to remind me what You have done  to deliver me in the valley when I get back on the mountain so that I don’t suffer spiritual decline.  Lord, I Know now through experiences and Your Word–that Sometimes the wisest move I can make is to wait a little bit longer in each situation to understand Your Wise counsel.  Thank You for Your patience with me!  Help me Lord to keep by Total Focus on You and You alone.  Amen

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YOU ARE WORTHY

By Bob / April 15, 2012

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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THE BATTLE!

By Bob / April 10, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ANY HANG UPS IN LIFE?

By Bob / April 8, 2012

We all long to hear…...”Well done good and faithful servant!”
*”But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Luke 14:13-14

“Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is
broken, and we are escaped” (Psalm 124:7).
The NLT Version: ” We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!”

Imagine a little bird trapped in the fowler’s net. Lying helpless, its little
heart throbs with terror and its wings beat wildly against the net—to no
avail. The more it struggles, the more battered and bruised it becomes.
*Frightened, the bird begins to cry and screech but escape is impossible. It is
completely at the mercy of the fowler.

*That little bird is you and me—snared by the net of sin!
*The fowler is the devil, the wicked one. He laid his trap and caught you in it.

Now, consider that trapped little bird(me). How he could possibly get free by his
own strength and power?
*If he fights to break through the net, he will become even more entangled. He may even break a wing or bleed to death. He can’t deliver himself.

Isn’t this a picture of us when we’re trapped in sin? (Addicted to a sin).
We make all kinds of promises to God. We struggle and cry, trying to break free from our bondage.
*But we have lost our freedom and remain trapped!

Think of that little trapped bird again. That night, the fowler(devil) goes to bed
dreaming of this special little bird he’s been after(us). He can hardly sleep and
is anxious to go out the next day and see if he caught it.

As the fowler comes near the trap, he sees it has been sprung and he gets
excited. He expects to see a worn-out, bleeding, frightened, half-dead little
bird in the net but, lo and behold, when he examines the trap, he sees the net
is torn, broken.
The bird has soared!

We find the little bird perched on a limb in a tree high on God’s mountain.
*He’s free, and his wounds are healing—all because the Lord came and ripped
open the net!

*God assures us that ultimately he will triumph over the darkness in our land.
Luke 124:8 Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

That little bird is saying to itself, “If it had not been for the Lord—if He
had not rushed to my side—I would have been swallowed up and devoured.

But God broke the snare and plucked me out of the trap!”

The snare is broken—and we have escaped!

Many of us children of God, are projecting out and trying to imagine what will happen in the days ahead. 

*This is a waste of time and presumption, for we never know what tomorrow will bring or how things will play out. 
*We know in part but we cannot experience or live in the future, and the impatience that comes as a result will take us out of the spiritual flow. 
*We must stay present with the Lord.  He will give us wisdom and direct our steps as we trust in Him here and now.

*Matthew 6:34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus died for our sins so that we would not have to pay for them (Rom. 6:23). Jesus took our sicknesses and diseases so that we could walk in health (Mt. 8:17; 1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus became poor so that we, through His poverty, might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9). If God be for us, then no one can successfully be against us.

The Lord has made every provision for you to walk in all He has provided for you today. Don’t put it off a minute longer.

Many of us are caught up in the prophecies, the healings, the signs and wonders, the do’s and don’ts of Scripture…but where is God’s Love? 
* “…you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one…”  Luke 10:42       
*When we sit at the feet of Jesus, it shows that we are dependent on him for our every need.
*Compassion is more than having pity on someone it’s being part of the solution.
*Compassion is not about how someone feels it’s about how God feels through you.
*It’s not about ME at all. Mary figured that out & spent her time at the Master’s feet…

 

God allowed a situation in my life and it has been a very humbling experience, again.

I make a choice this day that I will be like Mary.   Martha was so busy doing she forgot her first love.
Martha was being distracted from her soul’s needs by other things. The other things in this case are not bad things. Sometimes, even good things can FILL up our lives to the point where we neglect our souls. God has not blessed us with our families, friends, jobs, abilities and other gifts to give us an excuse to abandon a close walk with Him. Without Him we can do nothing (JOHN 15:5).

DO NOT LET SO MANY THINGS WORRY YOU!!!

“But the Lord answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things.” (LUKE 10:41).

*Anxiety is a killer. Many of the physical and mental ills of our present day are stress related. And Martha is certainly a stressed out lady at this point in time.
*Where faith grows, anxiety lessens! This is one of the chief lessons Jesus taught earlier in His ministry during what we call the Sermon on the Mount; “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’… But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (MATTHEW 6:31-33).

RENEW YOUR
MIND WITH TRUTH. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Ro. 12:2)
We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.

Father, you know where my heart is right now. Help me deal with these feelings, and help me to be patient and rest in You and Listen.
Jesus I know in my soul that You see the whole picture, not just the little piece I am stuck in at the moment.  Why is it so easy for me to forget that YOU ARE WITH me in all this?
Jesus, forgive me for giving into discouragement and lack in faith at times. I know and believe that- Without YOU I can do nothing.  Help me to keep relying on You, and to Break Free! Victory comes only from You!  Thank You for going to the Cross for my sins!!  Remind me daily of the True Meaning of EASTER!
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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WHY LORD? WHY? part 2

By Bob / April 3, 2012

This devotion (part 2) is Dedicated to my Best Friends that have lost a dear Nephew in his 20’s and to all the rest of us that have lost a young person in our lives. 

 The greatest “WHY” in the Bible was uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross when He said “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46
*Because Jesus gave himself on the Cross, we can trust Him to have answers to ALL our other “WHY’S”.

We left off yesterday with this Question.

Where will you go when it’s your time to die?

In the passage, Jesus said to Mary and Martha in John 11: 25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. Do you believe this?”

Jesus didn’t merely say that there is a resurrection. Jesus claimed that HE IS the resurrection. The fact that He would rise from the dead was the guarantee that others would too. We often think that this is the land of the living, and that when we die we go the land of the dead.

The opposite is really true – this is the land of the dying, when our life here is over, we are transferred into the land of the living – either to a place of eternal joy or to a place of eternal torment. There are really only two possible destinations.

There’s only one requirement for entrance into resurrection life — it’s not a matter of trying to be good or even going to church — the only requirement is that you personally believe that Jesus exchanged his life for yours by absorbing your sins on a cross and that He rose again so that at the moment of your death you will rise too. (Ponder this. It’s Easter this weekend-He Has Risen!)

“To KNOW Jesus is to have eternal Life!  (John 17:3)

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
*It states that Jesus took the form of a human, meaning He is fully human and fully God, and defeated sin and took our place.  Which is why we have no worry of hell or God’s wrath because Jesus paid it all.

* When trouble comes, remember that, God has not forgotten about you!
*When trouble comes, remember that, God still loves you!

*Feelings of insecurities: Helplessness-Isolation-Fear of the future-Pessimism.
Help us Lord to:   Let GO & Let God!!

God uses all things (even illness) for His glory.  (Romans 8:28)

But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. (Galatians 4: 14)
*Paul was struck with an illness that is undescribed in Scripture. We can guess that they would have prayed for his healing, but he was not healed. God used that illness for Paul to preach to the Galatians.
*As joint heir with Christ, I want to live in freedom. I want to be able to stand firm in Christ and not be burdened by the yoke of slavery (sin).  I want to live my life by the fruit of the spirit –Knowing I will face temptation on every side.
I know that God loves me and that my flesh is not always obedient. BUT GRACE!

Jude 24 Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. 25 All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.
*When we get to Heaven and stand in His glorious presence, it will be joy unspeakable.

Isaiah :55:6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.
*Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. “For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”. (Matthew 26:41)
*Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. (Colossians 4:2)
*Never stop praying. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Look up, says the Lord.  Again, I say, look up!  You have been looking too close to yourself and your own concerns so that you have not discerned what the Lord is doing.
You must see and know what the Lord is doing as well as what the enemy’s plans are against you.  This is a time when the Lord will again bring you to new heights spiritually so that you can see and discern with greater clarity.  He also is releasing an anointing that will increase your ingenuity, the power of your creative imagination.  Position yourself to make the most of this next move.
Psalms 5:3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
* Paul says the battle is not against flesh and blood; it lies deeper than that.

*The basic problem is that this is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan and that people themselves are the battlefield.
* The battle is visible not only in the wars, revolutions, and crime waves that fill our newspapers, but it is also seen in the inner tensions and fears of individual lives, in the neurotic problems, all addictions to sin,  and mental illnesses that afflict us today, in family fights and church struggles. It is even visible in nature, where all of life competes in a ruthless, deadly struggle to survive.

The whole race has fallen under the control of satanic forces, which Paul calls, “the world rulers of this present darkness” (6:12).

*We are not set free to live unto ourselves. We are set free in order to battle.
*That is the call that comes to all Christians.
*We are not set free in order to enjoy ourselves.
*We are set free to do battle, to engage in the fight, to overcome in our own lives, and to become the Channels by which Others are Set Free.


How do you do this? Paul’s answer is in one phrase:
Put on the whole armor of God.” Full provision has been made that you might win in this battle. This is the amazing thing we must learn.
God has made full provision for us to fight these forces that hold the world in their grip.
Remember: We Fight From Victory not For Victory!  (1 John 4:4).

We need to be Praying(talking to Jesus) through our circumstance which means simply this:
*The strength, power and encouragement we receive from the Lord while shut in with Him must see us through the trials ahead.
* The Victory you get in the secret closet, with the Lord, has to give us Victory on the battlefield.  (Life)
*What exactly do you get from our time of prayer if not something that can see Us through the battle?
* “Praying through” means waiting for the total completion of your prayer. *Many of us Christians see only half-answered prayers because we do not allow what we received from the Lord in prayer and Word to carry us through our current trial.
Let us Never Forget, prayer is not finished—it is not “completed prayer”—until it sees us through to the other side of our trial.
*We have not “prayed it through “until we have “lived it through” our trials by the strength we received in God’s presence.
Under the control of satanic forces human beings are uncomfortable and unhappy but also completely unable to escape by any wisdom or power of their own.
*But the good news is that some have been set free through the coming of that “stronger one,” Jesus Himself, who came, as John tells us, “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8b).
Through Jesus- deliverance is obtained. Through the amazing mystery of the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Us who individually receive and acknowledge this (totally God’s Grace and Gift) are set free to live in the freedom and liberty of the children of God.  Praise God for the ones that make it.

But through the years of personal experience and the years of listening to others; the Battle is a daily-hourly Struggle and we really don’t totally HEAL until we Grieve properly and then start giving away to Others in NEED– the Knowledge, Truth, Love and Discernment we experienced through it all.  This is Called “Our Testimony” of what Jesus has Done for “ME”!
*Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him(satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
*Jesus has broken Satan’s power over us.
It is not enough to only seek God when we face our troubles. The victory for you and me WAS WON when Jesus took our place on the Cross.

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

Father, tear away the delusive veils by which I have allowed myself to be rendered powerless in this great battle.  Help me to understand that I would have no possibility of fighting were it not for the delivering work of the Lord Jesus, who has come to bind the power of darkness.
Lord, You are worthy of a mind that meditates on You daily; a heart that loves You steadfastly, and a will that follows Yours. When You call, help me respond according to who I know You to be: Faithful.
I would truly be nothing and nowhere without you Lord. Thank you for restoration. Thank you for restoring and renewing me. Thank you for rest and peace and love and joy and comfort.  I will position myself Lord so that you can work through me to bring yourself glory honor and praise.
Thank You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 End of part 2 see part 3 tomorrow

 

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PITFALLS OF LIFE!

By Bob / April 1, 2012

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

  Dealing with the Pride of Life 

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

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

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

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

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

Have you had to endure some similar experiences?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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WHO BENEFITS FORM PRAYER?

By Bob / March 30, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Then the person begins to grow tremendously.

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

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STORMS OF LIFE!

By Bob / March 19, 2012

IN A STORM TODAY? Storms will come throughout our life time. Some will be trivial and barely even move us, then the hurricane ones come in different categories or sizes if you wish to call them that way.

These storms, though none of us likes them, reveals where we really stand with the Lord.

Yes I agree, that I wish I could do without them, because they really show where we stand, but that is not the case so I have to accept them knowing that what they reveal will only help me.

I can’t even describe how reading this chapter 107 of Psalms makes me feel. *God loves us so much that even when we turn our backs on Him and disrespect Him, all we have to do is just turn to Him and cry out for His help, and He is with us, no questions asked.

Are you facing trouble in your business or career?

*As you read the following verses, be reminded that career people and businessmen here are likened to seamen in ships.
The great waters signify the big world of competition, an ocean of activity.

” Some went off to sea in ships, plying the trade routes of the world.  They, too, observed the LORD’s power in action, his impressive works on the deepest seas.  He spoke, and the winds rose, stirring up the waves.  Their ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged again to the depths; the sailors cringed in terror.  They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.” (Psalm 107:23-27).

***These people are God’s beloved saints.
*They are in awe of His greatness and power, but a storm breaks out that is beyond their control. It is not judgment for sin, yet suddenly waves are swamping them, swallowing up their boat.
They are staggered by problems on all sides, and it looks as if their ship is going down.
***Suddenly they are confused and perplexed: “Their soul is melted because of trouble” (verse 26).

*Many career people have told me, “It looks bad. I don’t know what happened, but suddenly I’m in a mess.” They were able to solve their own problems in the past, and to escape one crisis after another.
*With this trial, however, there seems to be no way of escape. They are mentally and physically exhausted.

How easily we forget that our loving heavenly Father is our partner in our
work, regardless of our career or calling.
*Indeed, nothing happens to us without His involvement. He has power over all our difficulties and He has a reason and purpose behind them all.

*What can you do when your business partner has no advice and consultants cannot help you?
*Where do you turn when your spouse, your pastor, your best friend has
nothing to say to you?
* I am not an expert,  but I can point you to the seamen in Psalm 107:
**”“LORD, help!”
they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves.  What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!”
(Psalm 107:28-30).

Acts 27:18-19 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day we threw the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands.

The beginning of peace in our lonely hearts is to get the light on in each room of our lives.  The light of God will drive out the fear, the loneliness, the unsettledness, the uncertainty, the void the misery that tries to overwhelm our lives.

God never promised us a smooth ride, but He did promise us that He would never leave us or forsake us.(Heb. 13:5) 
1.) Take Heed to Godly Council
• You don’t see the end from the beginning
2.) Measure depth of the situation
3.) Don’t jump ship
• God promises a safe landing
• Just because your sinking doesn’t mean your sunk
4.) Let go of your cargo

*Joshua 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
*Revelation 21: 7 Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Thank You Jesus for the Victory. Thank You for the Peace that is there during our Storms in Life, knowing You are always there with us. Help us to call out to You inALL circumstances!  Amen

Read Psalm 91 to find Rest, Refuge, Safety, and be Rescued and Protected!

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I WANT MY FREEDOM BACK!

By Bob / March 16, 2012

 We aren’t called to be Christians just so we can be happy and content. We are called to be living channels of God’s Love upon this earth.
* “…constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3

How do you get out of the trap of Temptation and Sin? To whom do you cry out, “I want my freedom back”?

Whenever we move from playing Christianity to having a genuine encounter with the living Christ, we are confronted with our Own Humanity and Sin compared to the unmerited Love and Power of Jesus Christ that is personally directed to us.
*It should bring us to our knees. It is an awesome experience to transition from Religion to Relationship.
*Life is never the same when you have a personal encounter with our Savior.

Picture yourself as a bird in the fowler’s trap. Stand still. Don’t flap your
wings; don’t struggle. There is a secret of deliverance for you, and it is not
complicated:
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Psalm 124: 7 We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free! 8 Our help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

What a wonderful promise! Your escape to Freedom is in the name of Jesus, in
His incredible, glorious, all-powerful name!!!!
All you have to know is that Jesus is on your side. He is not mad at you for
falling into the trap. Jesus is not against you. No, never! 
JESUS hears your cry because not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowing about it!

There have been many times in my life when I feel as if the enemy is gleefully enjoying an open season on me and God isn’t blocking anything.
*I have talked to many others that have felt this same way at times and have asked me questions like ‘where was God when my son was killed’; ‘where was God when my daughter was violated by someone who should have been protecting her’; ‘where was God when my spouse decided I was not worth loving anymore’; ‘where was God when the Twin Towers were attacked’; ‘where was God when…’

We see events from our own limited perspective of only the here and now, focusing on what did happen and getting Lost in the magnitude of Despair.
*God sees the whole picture, what did happen and what could have happened.

*It’s not about the glass being half empty or half full, BUT being able to look past the overwhelming emotions and find God– Knowing He is in Control!

When trials and tragedy come it often feels like God has forgotten us or is being cruel by putting us through more than we can handle. This Psalm 124 is a reminder that if God hadn’t been watching over us the trial or tragedy would have destroyed us.
*Instead, we come through to the other side Stronger and More Equipped to face the next step.

Here is what the bird of freedom sings to himself:  ” This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.  For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. 15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. ” (Psalm 91:2-3, 14-15).

*Rest assured, that God will deliver you. No matter what your failure, your hardship, your trap, He is on your side.

*Stand still and see His salvation. Even if you are weak, you can cry out to Him because He promises to come and tear the net away!

He has come to bring you out of your despair, to break the snare that binds you and set you FREE.  “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the
fowlers” (Psalm 124:7).

God is the Author of all our deliverances, and he must have the glory.
*The enemies lay snares for God’s people, to bring them into sin and trouble, and to hold them there. *Sometimes they seem to prevail; but in the Lord let us put our trust, and we shall not be put to confusion.
*The believer will ascribe all the honor of his salvation, to the power, mercy, and truth of God, and look back with wonder and thanksgiving on the way in which the Lord has led him.
*Let us rejoice that our help for the time to come is in Him who made heaven and earth!

The strength of your life and health is not only found in joy but in dealing
with things as they come.

* Diligence is the operative word here.  Quiet and steady perseverance will benefit you greatly and keep you moving forward. 
**This is no time to get stuck in circumstances that seem to be overwhelming.  When something seems to be beyond your ability to deal with, trust the Lord for the help that you need. 
*The Lord will give you direction, wisdom and strength in all things.
*Psalm 120:1-2  I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

We can call on His name in our times of need. He created everything and is the only One who can meet our needs.
** When I am in trouble, frustrated, or discouraged, I need to turn to Him first. He is the only one who can meet all my needs.
* I am often tempted to put my hope in a pile of different things and people other then God. I will remember why my hope is in God today.  “I’m FREE!”

Father, you know where my heart is right now. Help me deal with these feelings, and help me to be patient and wait on You for the answers, not man.  Your Word and Truth is Perfect for the soul and I put my Trust in You. God, thank You for creating me. Thank You for loving me enough to listen to me and help me through my troubles.  Protect me today, use me today.  Thank You for Victory in YOU and YOU ALONE!  Amen

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