Devotions - Prayer
Psalms 66:16 Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
*God often uses our testimonies as a link to someone else’s life.
Acts 22:15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.
*Our testimony is simply a personal account of the work that God began in our lives, put to words to share with others.
*Testimonies proclaim God’s faithfulness, power, and glory to all who hear. God does wonderful and miraculous things in our lives, which are meant to be shared. Your testimony will bring God glory and encourage someone, which may lead them to a relationship with Christ. Don’t hide your light under a basket.
*The only thing that can change the hearts of those around us, is the Holy Spirit. So when we share our testimony, we share the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, presenting an opportunity for the Spirit to move in someone else’s life.
*Your Personal Testimony of what Jesus has done for YOU has power!
Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
*When you tell your testimony, you tell everyone that God is good in everything.
* As long as you are ashamed of your testimony you will not be able to relate to real people.
God’s Love eternally embraces the poor, the afflicted, the broken and the unlovely.
* “…the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners…”Isaiah 61:1
We all long to hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
When we hear those words, it’s because of our intimate relationship and time spent with Him… more so than what we DID for Him! ( Psalm 107:1-5).
* “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
**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
Jesus is “The Lamb of God” and
“The Light of the World”.
*Ask Him to lead and light your path today as you follow in His footsteps.
* “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom…” Isaiah 40:11
Revelation 12: 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
*You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
*The devils biggest trick is to make you think Your in control not Jesus. God forgave us, so we have no right to judge.
*One reason Jesus allows us to be hurt and suffer- is so we can have Kindness, Compassion and Forgiveness to others and be able to help and encourage, saying I know what your going through you can make it.
Eph. 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.” – John 3:11
*The converts in the early Church changed the world they lived in because of what they saw and heard.
*It was the “Power of the Gospel” that changed lives, not what they learned from mere teaching.
*This power drew people to Christ. Things happened that could not be explained as anything other than the activity of God.
*Is that the kind of faith you are experiencing in your life?
**Many of us live a wholesome, moral life, but those we associate with do not see this activity as anything that cannot also be achieved by themselves. That is why many are not drawn to our lives. God’s power is not evident.
Jesus was the ultimate disciple maker. He states both his mission and his vision.
Mission is the purpose and Vision is how they will accomplish that. He made disciples and disciple makers. Everyone should be on a mission but not everyone is intended to be a missionary. Shouldn’t you be working on your purpose with everyone you know?
Be vigilant: so that this world does not consume us. (See Luke 10:1-7).
We are God’s own children…accepted, complete, forgiven, chosen, beloved and free. What an incredible identity He has given us! Let us Share our Hope!
* “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are.”1 John 3:1
With just a little push, you can more easily access victory in your circumstances than at other times. This is a time when your spiritual atmosphere is charged with favor and blessings. Take advantage of this time to move forward to achieve your goals as you Trust JESUS to bring you through. Let go of all past failures that continue to undermine your confidence and boldness. This is a new day.
Psalms 47:1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
*Know and believe what Jesus did for you on the cross.
*Be prepared to tell your story of what Jesus has done for you. You are His Masterpiece!
2 Timothy 1:8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.
*As we proclaim to be Christians, people should see us living with confidence. It’s not a Sunday show, it’s a lifestyle.
John 1: 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.
*To be the light of the world, is to have the knowledge of God. The more the revelation,the more the light that you shine.
*The whole world is seeking to know Him. And God is trusting US to shine this light thru our Love for Him and our fellow human’s.
*Christ is the true Light that we bear in us of God. So let us arise and shine!
Lord, Thank You for all You have done for me. Help me now to take Your Goodness to others with these testimonies for Your Glory. Father, I pray that I can show others your love through my actions 24/7. Amen
1 John 5: 9 Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.
Do we need a Foot Washing?
*We are to help people come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
God’s Love is as necessary to human life as the air we breathe or the water we drink.
* “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.”Psalm 42:1
God’s Love eternally embraces the poor, the afflicted, the broken and the unlovely.
* “…the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners…”Isaiah 61:1
We are to take up the towel of God’s mercy and go to that hurting one.
* In the special love of Jesus we are not to judge him, expose him, lecture or find fault.
* Instead we are to commit to being his friend. We are to help him come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
“And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
If you want to be kindhearted—to take up the towel to restore a brother or
sister—you do not need to know the details of how that person got dirty.
*Jesus did not ask His disciples, “How did you get such filthy feet?” He wanted
only to get the dust off of them. His love for them was unconditional.
Likewise, those who walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ must have this
Attitude of love toward those with dirty feet. We are not to ask for details.
Instead, we are to say, “Let me wash your feet.”
Too often Christians want to dive into all the gory details of a situation.
They come to a believer who has dirty feet, saying, “I want to wash your feet.
BUT tell me, what happened? How’d you get so dirty?”
At some point in the story of failure, the curious comforter realizes, “Oh, my,
this is worse than I thought. I can’t get involved in this.” And after a few
more details, he comes to the end of his puny human mercy.
** He judges the person as too evil, beyond help, and he drops his towel and goes his way.
***We cannot wash feet in a judge’s robes. *We have to take off our self-righteous garments before we can do any cleansing.
Paul says we are to be gentle and patient with all people:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Paul is saying, “You must be tenderhearted with everyone, willing to wash their feet. God will have mercy on them and deliver them from their sin.”
In a famous passage in John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of His disciples. He told them “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
The disciples were twelve men beloved of God—precious in His eyes, full of
love for His Son, pure of heart, in full communion with Jesus. Yet they had
dirt on their feet!
Jesus, in essence, was saying to these men, “Your hearts and hands are clean,
but your feet are not. They have become dirty in your daily walk with Me. You do not need your whole body to be washed—only your feet.”
**The dirt Jesus mentions here has nothing to do with natural dirt. It is about SIN—our faults and failures, our giving in to temptations.
I wonder how many of us this past week fell into a temptation or failed God in some way?
It is not that we have turned our
back on the Lord. On the contrary, we love the Savior more passionately than
ever, BUT we fell and now we are grieving—because our feet are dirty.
Scripture tells us: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who
are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
The Greek word for trespass here
means “a fall, a sin.” We are to restore every Christian who falls into sin
if there is a repentant heart.
Foot washing, in its deepest meaning, has to do with our Attitude about the
dirt we see on our brother or sister. So I ask you: What do you do when you are
face to face with someone who has fallen into a sin or transgression?
As Jesus served His disciples, He calls us to serve others. He is calling us to see people through the eyes of God and with His love meet their needs.
But how?
(John 13: 3) Jesus was profoundly anchored in the love of the Father. His identity was secure.
We need a radical receiving of His love!
** We need to be Filled with God’s love (our cup overflowing) in order to give others our richness of love.
Jesus was teaching us how important it is to Humble ourselves before one another and also that we are all equal in Gods eyes. He said that we are to love one another unconditionally– this is how we will know the ones who are called and annointed of God. They will be Love.
1 John 2:9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
Jesus, You showed true humility by washing the disciples feet. Jesus, Help each one of us to be more humble this day and follow Your example of Truth and Love so others may be set FREE for Your Glory. Amen
Mark 9:41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1)
*Total Commitment is the conduit for God’s biggest and best blessings.
*In securities are acts of bondage.
*Excuses are things that fog our Dreams.
Haggai 1:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?
There is a crisis of grand proportions in the spiritual house of God today. The moral fiber of our world has eroded. Greed, idolatry, addictions and pleasure are the gods of our day. And it is no different in the Body of Christ.
The prophet Haggai wrote about a people who had lost concern for the need to build God’s house because they were so focused on their OWN worldly needs.
It is a dangerous place to get with God. When our world begins to focus around increasing our pleasure, building bigger and better homes, and failing to make what is important to God important in our own lives, this should be a warning to each of us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will CONTROL his own body and live in holiness and honor 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.
*We must be people of God who live in complete holiness and honor to God in ALL areas of our lives. Even in our bodies.
SELF-CONTROL–Be in control; know what you stand for and WHO you serve!! The apostle assumes that ***Believers are able to control their passions.
**The unbelievers follow whatever passions they crave,
**But Believers are characterized by their self-control.
-Have self-control in order to receive the prize in the end.
-There is no temptation that you can’t overcome with self-control since God always provides a way out.
-Have self-control over your mind and think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
-Have self-control over your body and avoid sexual immorality.
-The Holy Spirit in us doesn’t make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-control.
-God’s grace, which offers salvation to all, also teaches us to have self-control and live upright, godly lives.
-Jesus is coming again, so be self-controlled and sober so you can pray to God.
-Have self-control by being alert and sober since the devil looks for anyone he can succeed in tempting.
-Have self-control by offering your body to God and not conforming to the world in order to have your mind renewed and have God’s will be done in your life.
ARE WE DEVOTED TO JESUS?
Our need to love is every bit as strong as our need to be loved.
* “And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less?
2 Corinthians 12:15
Devotion to Jesus means “Trusting Him Alone” to meet every need of your body, soul and spirit. It means giving up looking to any other person or source to
meet those needs.
Many single people say, “I’m sick of being lonely. I need a mate. If only God would give me someone!”
No, a mate would never be able to meet such a need. In fact, a mate could
possibly make you twice as miserable because you would have not only your own headaches but his (or hers) as well!
Until Jesus is Your FOCUS, until you see
Him as your only True Satisfaction, you will sink deeper and deeper into
despair. (For hope read Psalms 42).
At one point, Jesus wanted to prove to His disciples that He was on top of any
situation, so He called Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water to
meet Him. Peter obeyed—and as long as he remained focused on Jesus, he was above everything, actually walking on water!
* But when the disciple began to
focus on his surroundings, he started to sink (see Matthew 14:28-31).
The lesson here is elementary. Yet, I ask you: What do you do when you get that
sinking feeling? Do you call out to a friend for help or go back to an addiction?- Or do you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and cry out, “Lord, save me”?
The bride of Christ will be comprised of those who have given up trying to find
help, comfort or satisfaction from anything on this earth.
**They have learned to depend wholly on the One they love to fully satisfy their Every hunger and thirst.
Do you have this kind of walk with Jesus?
*I urge you to keep your eyes focused on your Bridegroom.
*** Expect His return at any moment and do not look to anyone or anything else to fulfill you.
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.
Rejoice and be grateful for the challenges that prove that you still have what it takes to face difficulties and overcome. It takes discipline and hard work, but you are well able to do what the Lord has set before you.
This is a time when you can come face to face with fear and presumption and walk away knowing the truth.
Renew your confidence and trust, and be convinced that you can do all things through the Lord and His anointing. Move Forward and Do Not be afraid!
Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
*The truth is, God has given each one of us gifts, talents and abilities. He has a great plan for you and has equipped you to do great things for His Kingdom. BUT until you see Yourself the way JESUS sees you and trust Him to enable you to use your gifts, you won’t live up to your God-given potential.
If you’re struggling with low self-esteem, a poor self-image and lacking confidence, I want you to know that God created you with amazing potential. And when you trust God and Believe you can do whatever He says you can do, you will fulfill His destiny for your life.
Remember, “all things are possible with God.” When you put your confidence in Him, you will be free to live up to your potential.
Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
God, help me to see myself through Your eyes, with the gifts and talents You’ve given me. I believe that You made me with great potential because You are a great God. Today, I put my confidence in You and believe that all things are possible with You!
*When my strength is gone, show me Your grace.
*When the enemies come to tempt, let Your strength within me overcome the pressure without.
*I ask for grace to overcome my addictions to sin.
*Keep me continually in Your love
As much as I keep my outlook new and ordered, teach me to keep my inner man refreshed by your word.
*Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
*Let the love of Christ enrich my very soul.
Give me Self-Control in All areas of my Life and give You all the Glory!
This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
***Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
*FEAR is the enemy of Faith for it festers in unbelief and doubt.
*Fear comes through lack of faith in the power of God.
*Fear exists to oppose faith and God’s power.
*Fear torments us to rob us of joy.
*Fear stops us from Moving Forward!.
What does the Word of God say?
*2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
*Numbers 14:9 Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
***”When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you… Do not fear, for I am with you…”
Isaiah 43:2, 5
Perfect Love casts out all fear!
JESUS is Perfect Agape Love!
*Do not be afraid of what may be coming in the near future! Embrace what God HAS for you and never forget where he brought you from! For he will always be with you. From start till finish! Until his work is accomplished he will stand by you!!!!!!
When we really understand how much He loves us, we will no longer fear the circumstances He allows in our lives.
*”The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”
(Psalm 27:1)
*God didn’t give us a spirit of fear! Though the enemy constantly tries to plant that into of minds and hearts. In even the worst of circumstances we should not fear anything.
BUT to trust in God that God will see us through all our struggles.
* We must learn to hand that fear over and not let fear manifest in our hearts.
* We must learn to not let worldly things consume us to the point we lose focus.
*The blood of Jesus has saved us. All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed!!
*No matter what God will not forsake you! He will not leave you to fight the battle alone.
Fear is set in by insecurities that we form in our own minds. Something that we feel God will not help us get through.
BUt God will!!! Nothing is greater then God! Nothing can tear from the blood of Jesus that saves us as long as we stay focused! And trust that we will be taken care of!!
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* “Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.” Deut.10:16
*God wants us to obey his commands. David said obedience is better than sacrifice.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
This is the Question to ask Ourselves:
* Have You merely invited Jesus into your home as a guest. Or have You given Jesus the keys to Your home [heart] and You are Jesus servant??
So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation.
**But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom.
*God wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work IN us.
1 Corinthians 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. “Action”
Luke 17:21 The Kingdom is within you.
The question is “Do I have the power to yield to God’s Spirit prompting me to love like Christ in any situation, no matter how hard?”
* This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; Jesus must be more than an honored guest.
Where are you today? Has your life with God been more like an honored-guest relationship, or does He have the key to your life?
How do you please God? In many places in Scripture we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. It is faith that pleases Him, belief that He is there and that everything in life comes from His hand.
Underscore in your minds the word all. Pain, sorrow, bereavement, disappointment, as well as gladness, happiness, and joy—all these things are gifts of God.
When we see life in those terms, any and every element of life can have its measure of joy—even sorrow, pain, and grief. These things were given to us to enjoy.
This is also the message of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
It is also the message of: Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We at Times need to Change our Focus:
A) You cant depend on past success to sustain you.
B) You cant allow your past failures to possess and paralyze you.
We should Clarify our Focus – discover what God wants for you by:
A) Seeing yourself as God sees you.
B) Seeing your possibilities as God sees them.
Commit Yourself To God’s Plan and Move Forward with Trust and Hope!
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.
Father, all things come from Your hands. I thank You that You sent Your Son that I might have Your joy within me. Help me to Let Jesus teach me!
Earthy circumstances are able to steal are happiness from us but nothing can take the joy of you loving Christ and Christ loving you!. The next time a trial is headed my way I will count the reasons to be joyous and look to God to protect me from the inadequate feelings of fear and of life with out Him. Joy truly is the test that determines whether or not we have set our course by remaining in the presence of God.
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
Amen
We will become paralyzed with fear, negative thoughts without Faith in God, which gives His enabling power to trust and believe boldly on Him.
Isaiah 43:1…. “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”
” Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see”.
(Hebrews 11:1).
***Faith requires commitment!!!
*Faith enables you to have peace in a trial (Matt 8:23)
*Our faith can help others in need (Matt 9:1-2)
*Faith moves us from self-reliance to God-dependent (Matt 9:18)
*Faith may require action (Matt 9:20)
*A lack of Faith can limit what God wil do (Matt 13:53)
*Faith looks to the future based on the promises of God (Heb 11:1-2)
*Faith has to be tied to God’s word.
*Faith looks at things from God’s point if view.
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. Romans 10:17
*The word of Christ is the Gospel; Good News!
*We are called to be ministers of the Gospel, not ministers of the law.
(Matthew 28: 18-20)
When we first came to Faith IN Christ, *We trusted that our sins were forgiven.
*We believed we were accepted, that we could lay down all guilt and fear and
say, “I am saved by faith alone in what Jesus did for me at the cross.”
But Then, as we proceeded in our walk with Jesus, we committed Fresh Acts of
disobedience.
*We were crushed by our sins and quickly lost our vision of the Cross.
1 Timothy 1:19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
*We tried to work out our own righteousness, to win back God’s favor by trying harder, but life then became a nightmarish merry-go-round of sin and
confession, sin and confession.
We sometimes act as if trying harder on our own can save us. We think if we
could just reform this flesh of ours, God would be pleased.
Soon we are constantly working on our old man, to shape him up for a victorious Christian walk.
*Some Christians may say, “I paid a high price for the victory I’ve achieved.
* I went through a lot of pain and suffering.
*I fasted, prayed, and successfully put down all my lusts and sinful desires.
*Is my struggle to obey worth nothing to God?
*Does He consider all my righteousness, all my hard work, as filthy rags?”
Yes!! It is all the flesh and none of it will stand before Him.
*** There is only One righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus
Christ!
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God”
(Romans 10:3).
The only way to get into God’s good grace is to “Admit the Truth”:
“There is no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My righteousness is in Christ alone.”
Paul says of the gift of righteousness:
“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
We are accepted in God’s eyes only by faith in Christ and His work: “He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).
Do you see how important it is to abide in Jesus, to come to Him quickly
whenever you fail? You must learn to run to Him, crying, “Jesus, I have failed
You! I cannot work this out. No matter what I do, I can never be recognized
before the Father, except as I come to Him in You!”
****7 Actions of Faith:
1) Faith Remembers
2) Faith Gives
3) Faith Seeks God
4) Faith Prepares
5) Faith Obeys
6) Faith Perseveres
7) Faith looks to heaven
James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
*True faith produces fruit, is active and alive for all to see as our witness of God’s love and mercy to the world. *Head knowledge on the other hand, is not faith at all and as it increases (without accompanying works) so does the level of conflict in one’s mind and heart.
**God’s word is not meant to be stored and stockpiled in our minds. It is designed and intended to be taken into our spirits through revelation and given OUT in Truth and Love to those in need.
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.
Only God’s Love can give us the strength to persevere through the painful trials present in every human life.
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me…”Philippians 4:13
Luke 7:50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
*God forgives sins if you seek Him with all your heart. And with much love!
*The love of God and Jesus is unconditional.
* Faith is a gift of God. When grace is released to you it imparts faith. To impart faith to another, release grace.
No matter what the sin is or how long we have lived in sins bondage, when we come to Jesus asking forgiveness, the greatest words from God are..” your faith has saved you, go in peace”
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 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.”
Ephesians 28-10).
Father God, please forgive us for our sins, for we all have sinned against You, and You alone. Take my Fears and lack of faith from me. Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes to honest but brutal Truth that we need to remember to honor you through all that happens in our lives. Increase my Faith Daily Lord. Help me see that Faith is Your Gift and It’s not about what we do for Jesus BUT what Jesus has done for us!!!
Thank You JESUS! Amen
Psalms 51:7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, OGod. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
“You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
I know of only one way to enter into this rest that Jesus is talking about. If
understood and appropriated, this truth will usher you into the most glorious
Peace possible on this side of heaven and end ALL feelings of insecurity.
This foundational truth upon which all others are built is the doctrine of
“Justification by Faith”.
*It is the one doctrine you must understand if you hope to enter into the rest that Jesus offers.
I can only touch on the highlights of the magnificent truth of being justified
by faith. Yet I believe God desires to lead His church further into this divine
truth—to give us a foundational strength that will hold us in the days to
come.
Sadly, when you mention the subject of doctrine, many Christians turn up their
noses. They say, “I don’t want to hear all that deep, heavy stuff. Just
give me Jesus!”
**Yet what they really mean is, “I don’t want to discipline myself or spend the Time to Learn what Jesus did at the cross.”
Too many Christians become emotionally involved with the cross but never really study it.
I have heard many preachers deliver emotional appeals about Jesus and
the cross—about His beatings, the crown of thorns on His head, the spikes
driven into His hands.
The preaching of the cross is about much more than that,however.
It is about the “Victory of the Cross” and what Jesus did for ALL of humankind.
For those who desire to “learn of Him,” who want to understand Jesus’
wonderful work at Calvary, let’ look at this concept of justification by faith a little.
Two things are involved in our justification by the cross of Jesus Christ:
1. First, we have Pardon for ALL our sins. **When Jesus went to the cross, His blood pardoned us from all guilt.
2. Second, we are Accepted by God as righteous in Christ, through faith.
* This means God accepts us on the merits of what Jesus DID on the cross and not because of our works or any good deeds.
*Because of the Cross, God considered everything about Our old flesh-man done away with!!
Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”(Romans 6:1) and he continued quickly, “Certainly not!”
I believe Paul was saying,
*Why would any Christian, having been set free from such death, go back and resurrect the corpse?
*Why go back to a life of sin when God wants to take away all guilt and condemnation and give you security and peace?
Now, because of the Cross, you can serve the Lord with joy and gladness and obey Him in a new obligation called LOVE.
*“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies”
(Romans 8:33).
Obedience in the Christian life is being in the Zone(like you hear about sports figures when doing well). When we live a life of Obedience, we begin to experience the Reality of God like never before.
* Wisdom grows in our life.
* Meaning and purpose are accelerated.
*In the early Church, the Hebrews gained wisdom through Obedience. *Later, the Greeks were characterized as gaining wisdom through Reason and Analysis.
**Today, we live in a very Greek-influenced Church. Many Christians determine if they will obey based on whether the Outcome will be beneficial to Them.
Imagine if the early Church had adopted this philosophy!
* No walls would have fallen down at Jericho.
*No Red Sea would have parted.
*No one would have been healed.
*No coins would have been found in the mouth of a fish.
*Reason and analysis would not have led to making the obedient decision.
Trust and obey. Leave the outcome to God.
“So,” you ask, “are we simply to take by faith the righteousness of Jesus?”
Yes, absolutely! That is what the Christian walk is all about—Resting by
Faith in What Jesus accomplished!
Our old man is dead, and the new Man is Jesus. (Eph. 2:1-10).
When we put our faith in Him,
God fully accepts us. He considers us righteous, hidden in the bosom of His
dear Son. So whenever you sin or fail, run quickly to your Lawyer, your
Advocate. Confess your failures to Him, and rest in His righteousness.
You may ask, “Don’t good works have any place in this doctrine?” Of course they do, but on this condition:
** Good works cannot save you, justify you or make you righteous or acceptable to God.
***The ONLY thing that saves you is your faith in what Jesus did!
**What did Jesus do? He saved you, pardoned you and accepted you in the
beloved—sins, failures and all.
God sees YOU now only in Jesus Christ and that is why we must come to our Savior every time we fall. The blood that forgave and cleansed us the first time we came to Jesus is the same blood continues to keep us until He returns.
Along with this security comes a higher obligation of doing all our works in
His strength and power rather than trying to do them on our own. “If by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).
The only way to get into God’s good grace is to admit the truth: “There is
no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I
cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My
righteousness is in Christ alone.” Paul says of the gift of righteousness:
“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
The Lord gave His Word to the Jews but they didn’t believe it. Hebrews 4:2 says, “…the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].”
We have been given God’s words too, in the Bible. If we will speak God’s Word in Faith, we will get the same results that Jesus did here.
Today, don’t limit God to barely meeting your needs. If you have enough, then believe for extra so that you can bless someone else. “Let God be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants” (Ps. 35:27).
Yield to the Lord’s work in you to bring you into order. When you walk in the Spirit and live in the Spirit, you will come under the rule of divine order, which will produce a great spiritual harvest in your life. Be aware, however, that worldly distractions and other interests will compete with life in the Spirit. You will need to put your priorities in order and maintain kingdom perspective, or you will be drawn away from what is eternally important. Stay connected!
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
Lord, I believe! Thank You for the good news that Jesus Christ is not dead but alive and that He lives within my heart and has the power to break the chains of sin and the bondage of evil in my life.
Help me to be filled with your love this day and give it away to others in building up others with truthful encouraging words from You Jesus. Thank You Jesus for what You have done in my life. Let me now tell others of what You have done for me (my testimony-Romans 12:11).
Thank You Jesus for the Gift of Rest and Peace I have IN YOU this day!!! Lord, with Easter Coming, help us see Your work on the Cross this year in a Deeper Discerning way and then share with others the True Meaning for Your Glory. Amen
God is very picky about motives behind our actions.
*Your greatest moment begins with the greatest decision.
Though God loves us while we’re yet sinners, His Love relentlessly guides us toward wholeness in HIM.
” I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. 20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20
***We see in these verses a compassionate and merciful God lovingly restoring His relationship with His people. This relationship is in the Image of a loving marriage full of righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness. He restores His covenant with Israel and they respond, “You are my God.”
**This is a great illustration of how God pursues us.
*Instead of allowing us to face the consequence of our sin, death, God took Action and sent us a Savior!!!
* All we have to do is acknowledge Him and say, “You are my God.”(Verse 23)
***The Proper Foundation***
1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.
“If the Lord does not build a house,
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city,
then the watchman stands guard in vain.”. Psalm 127:1
*We might work hard in this life, but that’s not what’s going to determine success!
** The important thing is that God must be “With US” in our projects.
***If God is not a part of your life, all your work is in vain.
Seek God, recognize him in everything you do; give Him ALL Glory and Praise; then you’ll see His Blessing.
Imagine spending years building an expensive home with the finest materials and craftsmanship. It is a work of art, and the project is almost complete. As the day arrives to move in, a building inspector arrives and hands you a notice that condemns your beautiful home because it doesn’t meet code.
Many Christian believers who invest years in their occupation will one day stand before the Lord and realize THEY were building the house, NOT the Lord.
God is very picky about motives behind the actions.
* Before we act, we must ask why?
*Why are we doing what we are doing? *Has God called us to this task?
* Or is the real motive purely financial? Or control? Or prestige? Or power?
* We must build with calculation!
*We must build with an end in view. *What we build with will be revealed on the Day of the Lord.
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
“See Christ clearly and love Christ deeply.”
*The substructure doesn’t change, the substructure is Christ.
* The Superstructure, that is built on top of the Substructure, has room to change as long as it keeps to its Foundation.
**Build carefully today and reap bountifully tomorrow.
David learned this principle by the end of his life. Throughout his life he had learned that God always tested him to find out what was in his Heart, and what his Motive was in his Actions.
David instructed his son to “…acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chron. 28:9a)
*When YOU possess something, you are held accountable for it. If you let go of it–relinquish it to God–then HE is responsible for it!
* This applies to everything–your life, your kids, your family, your house, your work, your business etc.
The dryness in a Christian’s life comes when we substitute other things for the living water that only Jesus can give. Anytime a Christian begins to “Thirst Again”, it is not a reflection on the living water that Jesus gives, but rather an indication that we have been drinking from some other source.
“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
…”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50).
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)
*You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
*When we are tested with life’s trials and “going through the fire” our foundation is laid bare. Will we forget Jesus or cling to Him as our foundation?
Time to lay out a decision to be made?
*How can I glorify God in my goals and resolutions?
*What kind of “return” will you get with your investments.
*For everything we build, Christ must be the foundation.
*We will be rewarded according to the works that we have done on earth. (Matthew 10:40).
Friends, we have choices. We can choose to be of the world or of Christ. If we choose to be of Christ we must be fully His, for God wants all or nothing.
Thank You God for sending us Your Son.
Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation that will last for eternity. Help me daily to build on the SURE foundation. JESUS!
Help us also to build upon the work of those who have gone before us.
Jesus is the best foundation. He will never give way or let us down.
It is not the messenger (church) that’s most important; it’s the Message (The Bible). Let my faith grow with the Truths of the Bible and the Message of Jesus as foundation, my Lord. Amen.
Revelation 3:20 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you.
*I want to hear His voice. I want to understand His plan for me. Let me be still and hear His voice!
Standing in the Gap… we can pray for the people who are affected by the every day occurrences in life. For example: situations you HEAR about on the radio (floods, tornadoes, etc.), things you SEE on the street (people in need, people in fights, lonely people, children who are lacking proper care and instruction, homeless, etc), car accidents you pass on the freeway, ambulances that blare own the street, things you TALK about with family and friends. . . the things that disturb you and the people who challenge your patience . . . you get the idea. Pray right then . . . at the very moment you realize the need.
*God is looking for people to see a hole in society & step into the gap on His behalf.
*God is looking for people to stand up for Him.
*God is looking for partnerships in reaching out for His people on earth.
*May we strive for excellence in all that we do for the Master of the universe.
***Oh God give us Your heart for people so we can see their need and intercede!
1 Corinthians 3:7 It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.
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).
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. – Ezekiel 22:30
The people of Israel fell into sin when they worshiped the golden calf. It would not be the last time God’s people would fall into idol worship.
** They had forgotten the great things God had done for them.
** This angered God so much that He was going to destroy the whole nation.
*Only one thing changed God’s mind in the matter — Moses. Psalm 106:23 says, “…had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them.”
Moses was a man willing to stand in the gap, sacrificially, for those who were not deserving of such sacrifice. This sacrificial love by Moses is called for among His people today.
*Jude 23 Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.
The prophet Ezekiel described another situation in which God’s people fell into sin. God was ready to destroy the nation when He spoke to Ezekiel, asking him if there is a man willing to stand in the gap so that God would not have to destroy His people.
*Judah was a man who stood in the gap on behalf of his younger brother Benjamin.
* Joseph held his brother Simeon hostage as insurance that the other brothers would bring Benjamin to Egypt. Judah had a long history of a me-focused life, but in this instance he came forward to stand in the gap for his younger brother. He responded to the anguish of his father, Jacob, by personally guaranteeing the safe return of both Simeon and Benjamin. Judah’s sacrifice was rewarded (see Gen. 42-43).
Just as Christ did, we are to be those who will stand in the gap on behalf of others who are not aware of their own vulnerable condition.
It is a proactive sacrificial position.
Who is God calling you to stand in the gap for? Perhaps it is a mate, family member; perhaps it is a coworker who has not come to know the Savior; perhaps it is a wayward child!!
Are you willing to become the sacrificial offering to God to change His plans of judgment because of your willingness to stand in their place? Pray-talk to Jesus!
*This is a hard teaching. This is what Jesus did for each of us. When we stand in the place of another, God moves because of our willingness to stand on their behalf.
** If we don’t, His plans will go forward because He is a righteous and holy God who will honor His own word, even if it means destruction.
Are you willing to stand in the breach of the wall for someone today? Perhaps you are the only person who will stand on someone’s behalf
We all long to hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
When we hear those words, it’s because of our intimate relationship and time spent with Him…. more so than what we DID for Him!
* “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
Be reminded that the Lord has given you authority and power over all the works of darkness. The Lord has called you to rise up and defend your kingdom position against every attack of the enemy. Do not hesitate to do all that is necessary to bring destruction to the destroyer. The Lord has opened the way for you to move to a more productive level of spiritual warfare and victory. Go forth by the Holy Spirit to do battle.
*Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
*One desire – to see the Devil defeated not people.
*Minimize your losses, draw the line against the Devil. Don’t complain about past things move forward!
*The Devil knows the power of God’s word spoken to you and comes to test that Word.
*Don’t meditate on ungodly words spoken over you and circumstances surrounding you.
*You do not battle against circumstances, sickness, and people, but FOR faith in God’s Word spoken to you.
The Devil does not question God speaking a Word to you, but he tries to convince you it’s not true.
*Do not provide an opportunity or door for the enemy to gain a foothold.
Though the apostles had been given much authority and power to partner with Jesus in accomplishing the supernatural, they were not to lose sight of what truly mattered.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)
What is truly important is that people experience Salvation!!!!
We cannot be so distracted with the ‘work’ of our ministry that we lose sight of this. All the knowledge, spiritual authority, experiences and power do not mean anything if people miss the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus.
Of all the things I can accomplish– being a part of someone’s ‘day of salvation’ is by far the most important!
God requires our obedience, we are forever in his presence when we obey.
(See Colossians 3:22).
Jesus, may I always remember what You value most. Help me to always remember that Salvation and someone gaining Eternity with You is by far the most important thing! Thank You Jesus for Your Perfect Love for Us. Thank you Jesus for standing in the Gap between humanity and God. Thank you Jesus for loving me even though I put you in second place at times. Thank you Jesus for embracing me with your arms of redeeming grace. Amen
Read MoreLet’s Never Walk away from the opportunity to follow Jesus!!!!
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* “Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.”
Deuteronomy 10:16.
*Circumcision-Cleansing-
*It looks like God is the sculptor. But it also looks like we are the sculptors!
*Deuteronomy 10:16- Circumcise your own hearts!
*Deuteronomy 30:6- God does the cutting!
*A massive issue in light of Israel trying to figure out their identity as they are moving into God’s promises and into the land. As the plot unfolds, God IS the architect on what life should look like.
*God wants a people set apart (a distinctive of circumcision), God wants a people who are Clean (a result of circumcision).
*God will work in and through us as we work out our own Salvation.
God’s Love for us is the same yesterday, today and forever.
* “…you who have been borne by Me from birth, and have been carried from the womb; even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years…I shall carry you…”Isaiah 46:3-4
When we allow Jesus to be lord of ALL—when we cast ALL our cares upon Him,
fully trusting in His Word and resting in His love—our appearance should
undergo a deep change.
A quiet calm should begin to radiate from our countenance.
Scripture gives us many examples of this: When Hannah laid down her burden,
“. . . her face was no longer sad” (1 Samuel 1:18).
When Stephen stood before hostile, angry men in the Sanhedrin, [they] “. . .
saw his face as the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). Stephen stood among unbelievers with the shine of Jesus Christ and the difference was clear to all!
I am convinced that we have a duty to let our countenance speak of God’s
faithfulness in our lives. But the problem is, our facial features and body
language often say just the opposite!
Many believers’ faces say, “My God
has failed me! He doesn’t care for me anymore. I have to carry all my burdens
and problems alone because God doesn’t come through for me!”
***You may not consciously say such things to yourself but they will show on your face.
God’s Word say’s that what you are going through is not new. Someone else has been exactly where you are:
***“My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. . . . I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. . . . I am so
troubled that I cannot speak. . . . Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He
be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed? . .
. And I said, ‘This is my anguish’” (Psalm 77:2-10).
Yet the psalmist eventually comes out of his trouble with his happy countenance
restored. Why? It is because, he says, “I cried out to God with my voice . . .
in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord” (Psalm 77:1-2).
**Lift up your eyes and look beyond the visible to the realities of God.
**Live in the full dimensions of life, as God intended life to be.
**Life can never be explained entirely in terms of the natural. We are left impoverished and despairing if all we have to depend on is our natural resources, natural power.
But God is rich in grace, rich in power, rich in inward strength and sympathy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
We don’t have anything to offer God that He doesn’t already have. God wants YOU and me. And by asking us to give of our time and money or desires, He is really asking us to give Ourselves.
Many people have walked away from God sad, like the rich young ruler because all they could think about was what they would have to “Give Up”.
Mark 10:21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
ALL, yes ALL of our achievements and possessions are nothing compared to what God offers us in exchange.
*Stick with God. Don’t just walk away!
*Wouldn’t it be a shame to live your life for Jesus only to be told before His Throne that YOU disqualified Yourself because You held on to something so tight that it interfered with You having a genuine relationship with Jesus?
We a need to do an inventory of those things we count “too important” to let go of and that be the thing that keeps us out of eternity with Jesus.
Let’s Never Walk away from the opportunity to follow Jesus.
Lord, thank you for reminding me what it means to be a Christian – someone who has given Total Control over his/her life to Jesus, the Lord and King of the Universe(All In). Forgive me for thinking that it is okay to live another day without coming before you in the morning to acknowledge your Lordship by totally surrendering to you and depending on your power to carry out another day’s task. Lord, forgive me for thinking that I can obey you on my own. Help me not to be fooled like the rich young ruler who thought he could earn God’s favor by obeying your commands on his own strength. Lord help me each day to take the step of faith and Respond to Your gentle call. Help me to Desire to know You More and to seek You ALL the days of my life. Amen
Read MoreNEED A FACE LIFT?
*What to do about the blues?
*The POWER OF GOD is available Today!
” He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength”. Isaiah 40:29
*The very presence of Christ in your heart has a direct impact on your face!
David boldly declared, “For I shall yet praise Him, the help [health] of my
countenance” (Psalm 42:11).
*And he repeats the same statement in Psalm 43:5.
In the original Hebrew, the proper rendering of both these verses is, “God is the salvation of my face!”
I believe David is saying something important here. You see, your Face is a
billboard that advertises what’s going on in your heart.
*All the joy or turmoil that’s inside you is reflected in your countenance.
****When I speak of countenance, I am talking about facial expression, body language, tone of voice.
*Where do we go when we are depressed or discouraged, we come to God because we have nowhere else to go.
People do not quench the inner thirst of the Heart. Only God can do this.
God allows circumstances to come that create a longing in our Hearts for HIM!
God has great confidence in you to place you where you are this season in life. We get God’s Best when we leave the choices in life with Jesus—He does know the Future.
*This psalm(42:11) reminds us to put our faith in God, even when we aren’t “feeling it.” Regardless of where we are at in our walk, God is the same yesterday as he is today.
Let our Faith not be dictated by mood or merely emotion, but a consistent high level of inspired faith that goes beyond bad days.
*May we let God give us a NEW SONG of PRAISE today whatever our circumstances may be! (PS. 40:3)
I thank God for His great salvation—for redeeming our soul, our spirit, even
our body. But many of us need to get our faces saved! We need a Holy Ghost
face-lift—because our faces are giving the wrong message to the world!
Why such a change of countenance? “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and
the sternness of his face is changed”. (Ecclesiastes 8:1).
I take “wisdom” in this verse to mean Jesus Christ. Indeed, the very
presence of Christ in your heart has a direct impact on your face! It affects
your walk, your talk, the very tone of your voice.
God often causes delays in our lives that we cannot understand. Sometimes it seems our obedience is not getting rewarded. Jesus said He learned obedience through the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). Imagine that – Jesus having to learn obedience. What does that say for you and me?
Sometimes God’s delays are simply because He wants more glory in the situation, more recognition, more Christ-likeness in you and me through greater patience and obedience. Faint not, for the promise may yet come.
Encourage yourself. Rise up and establish yourself in faith that the Lord will bring you through every situation that has the potential of bringing you down in discouragement. Ask, and He will give you wisdom and show you what must be done. Jesus will strengthen you in your weakest moment. Jesus is with you, and Jesus will not forsake you. Put your entire trust in Jesus to rescue you from even the most dire of situations and lift you up to new heights. Do not be afraid!
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Lord, I want to want you more than anyone and anything else. Draw me to you and show me that you are all I need. Today Lord, I look to You and keep my focus off the storms and the distractions so that You may receive the praise and the glory and that I may walk in confidence and faith believing and knowing that today will be a great one, because it is in Your hands for Your Glory! Help me Lord not to stop at the blessings and experiences, so I don’t miss You Jesus the BLESSER. Lord, with You at the wheel, I know I can finish YOUR course for me with joy. “There is NONE upon earth that I desire but THEE”.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Amen
God’s Love is faithful to the absolute. He will never leave you or forsake you.
* “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE:
Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
God’s Love is one-sided. God doesn’t say, “I’ll love you if you’ll love Me”. Instead He promises, “I’ll love you no matter what”!
* “…neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
What a statement! If we just believed this, how different our lives would be!
From birth we are trained to know our limitations. You can’t have this. Don’t touch that. Don’t put things in your mouth. You can’t touch the fire. On and on the list goes.
As we grow up, it’s actually a sign of maturity to recognize our limitations and learn to live within them. There are limits to everything. It’s a fact of life.
**BUT God has no limits. When we enter into the realm of the supernatural, we have to take off all the limits. We have to Renew our minds(Ro. 12:1-3) with the Truth that God is not like us. God can do anything!!!
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
*The power that God is using to work in and through us is the same power that was used to raise Christ from the dead! It’s not that we need more of Gods power to accomplish His will, we simply need to be surrendered and yielded to the power that’s already there.
We have an awesome God whose power is so great that we can’t even comprehend it. He created the universe and it didn’t even tax His ability. Yet many times we find ourselves wondering if our situation is too hard for the Lord. We can’t see how even God can pull us through.
*Philippians 1 :29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
*When we go through hardship, we always feel that it’s been inflicted on us. We won’t think it’s been granted to us.
*Think of it as—We are building bridges from earth to heaven. There will be difficulties and challenges. Are we going to face it or run away from it?
1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
*We have to arm ourselves to suffer. So that we can sail through the difficult times.
The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27) The answer is a resounding NO! The only thing that limits God is our unbelief.
Deuteronomy 7:1-26:
*Very powerful! This scripture shows us how powerful God is, shows that he brought victory to our lives.. God chose you and I cause we were literally nothing..God made us something, something victorious, a child of the mighty God that is from ever lasting to ever lasting! Praise God!
Today, let’s honor God by believing that nothing is too difficult for Him.
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
*Jesus faced the greatest Goliath of all, our sin and failure.
*The Cross tells us that God is Faithful even in our failure.
*God has made us to be conquers. More then that He has made us to love and worship Him. God wants us to trust in Him and love others like He loves us.
God chose You—–His Masterpiece!
Nothing in this world or under the world can separate us from the love of God.
*Faith gives us the assurance we can’t see.
*He never stops loving you. He is absolutely committed to you.
God I praise you for the love…your perfect love you have for us….it truly casts out all fear….I will accept God’s unconditional love for me even though I have done stupid things in the past in which I think that I shouldn’t deserve His love. Yes Lord-Thank You for loving me unconditionally. Nothing can separate me from You. I have tripped up many times and yet You still love me. That is amazing and I thank You for Your Grace. Lord, may I not always take the path of least resistance, may I take the path that brings you the most glory. If suffering comes because of my obedience, may I count it a privilege. Father, thank You that You are for me and not against me, that in You I have a future and a hope! I long to bring glory and honor to Your name, Jesus, and You said that when I bear much fruit then I would do so. Lord, teach me and help me enter in to all that You have for me, and let my life be an encouragement to those who need Hope for a brighter day. I recognize that it is only by faith in Your great name that I can ever fulfill Your destiny for my life. I will trust in You Lord! Amen.
Read MoreHalf-hearted commitments can end in disaster.
2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.
Half-hearted commitments can end in disaster. I’ve seen it happen over the years, in areas of life ranging from sports to marriage, from friendships to business.
* All of us, at one time or another, have probably been hurt by others who have made half-hearted commitments.
Why is it important to walk in wholehearted, simple commitment to Jesus?
*Because the things we DO as Christians can easily become the focus of our faith.
*It is all too easy to end up committed to a Christian program or denomination rather than being committed to Christ. *Programs and churches can let people down.
**Jesus never does!!!!!
It’s all too easy to commit to following the Rules of Christianity rather than being committed to Christ.
* Following rules can become sterile and confining.
**Following Jesus is about Relationship not rules.
**Following Jesus brings freedom and life!!!
I’m not saying that you should neglect your commitments to your church, but what I am saying is that your commitment to Christ should be the drive for your life-long commitment to God!
*** When you become wholeheartedly committed to Christ, all other commitments you’ve made, become Enhanced and Noticeable.
*Revelation 3:16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
*** BE COMMITTED!
“it is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. he makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. he trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. you give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.” psalm 18:32-35
What is your current status?
*HOT – you are growing— your faith is growing your love for one another increases.
*COLD – you do not know God, no personal relationship.
*LUKEWARM – you are drifting-backsliding.
“So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1
***What barrier is keeping you and me from experiencing everything God has for Us? Yes it is the Sin in our life!
*We need to change our tolerant attitude towards sin and stop making excuses for our sin and stop comparing our sin to others sin.
*We need to find out what disciplines best help us experience God?
1. Accept the BIBLE as your manual for living.
2. Make prayer a part of our everyday life.
“then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ” Ephesians 4:14-15
3. We need to go to the root, not the top:
*Put spiritual discipline in our life.
*Make prayer a part, talk to God -saying God I want to do this and failing does not make you a hypocrite, quit using that as an excuse, a barrier
*God is perfect, not me.
*Eliminate barriers in your life that prevent you from having a relationship with GOD.
BE 100 Percent SATISFIED WITH JESUS!
*It is not enough for Jesus to win your heart.
*Jesus has to be the satisfaction of
your heart!
**Yet, there are many believers who have never been satisfied with Jesus.
They’re always up or down according to their circumstances.
That is not a suitable bride for this bridegroom. No, a certain beauty must
adorn His bride in order to attract Him: “So the King will greatly desire your
beauty” (Psalm 45:11). But what is this beauty?
*This beauty is beheld in God’s eyes; it is what Jesus sees in us that attracts Him.
The Holy Spirit says to the bride of Christ, “If you will lay aside everything,
forget all others and adorn yourself for Him alone, then He will desire your
beauty!”
This means no job, no person, no relationship can come between you!
I heard a godly wife say, “The more godly my husband becomes, the more
attractive he is to me.” Indeed, that is what a godly marriage is all about.
***And, likewise, the more you give yourself in entire devotion to the Lord, the more attractive and beautiful you become to Him.
“So the King will greatly desire your beauty . . .” (Psalm 45:11). What an
incredible thought:
Jesus will not be able to stay away from you! In fact, the Hebrew meaning of beauty here signifies a strong yearning and desire.
* In other words, Jesus will draw close to you—overflowing with desire for you!
I have been to many weddings in my lifetime. And there was never a groom who didn’t smile with delight at his bride, thinking, “She’s all mine!” Now that is the beauty I’m talking about. Our Bridegroom rejoices, saying of His
bride, “I’m the apple of her eye. She’d rather spend time with Me than with
anyone else. And that makes her beautiful to Me!”
Indeed, the bride of Christ has an inner beauty that makes her outwardly
beautiful. She is “. . . all glorious within. . .” (Psalm 45:13) because she is
devoted to her Bridegroom. He knows beyond any shadow of a doubt, “She is all Mine—devoted only to Me! She worships Me and is submissive(help in building a person up to be all God intended that person to be) to Me. I am the only One in her life, the sole focus of her attention. She makes time for Me, is overjoyed in My presence, and desires to be with Me continually.” What
beautiful devotion.
The Holy Spirit is the part of the Godhead that empowers us for service.
God is not asking us to live for Him. He is asking us to let Him live through us (Gal. 2:20).
The Christian life is not a changed life but an exchanged life. (Eph. 2:1-10).
This can only be accomplished when the Holy Spirit is leading and empowering us.
Lord help me daily to get on the alter as a sacrifice to You.
Lord true surrender is hard and at the times I don’t want to surrender– please give me strength to give it ALL to YOU.
I want to be “ALL IN” and committed daily. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Our Identity in Christ!
Who am I? If someone were to come up to me and ask me this, I would probably answer by giving the person my name. Pressed further, I would probably tell the person my occupation, or where I’m from, or that I’m a husband and father. Much of our identity is built on such factors.
But when John the Baptist is asked who he is, he responds by speaking of his PURPOSE.
*John says that he is the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the path of the Lord.
* John’s identity is based on his calling from God, to be a missionary and evangelist and to lead people to Christ.
We are all called to that same purpose; there are no passive Christians, we are ALL called to be His disciples and followers, to proclaim the good news of Jesus and to declare His holiness to all we meet. THAT is our true identity!!!
Philippians 2:4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
John 1:23, “He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”
*John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success.
*John knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it.
God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist.
*It is not enough to simply “do your own thing” and then ask God’s blessing upon it. Once you know you are doing God’s will, you never have to ask for God’s blessing.
The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. Your talents and abilities were given you to fulfill His purpose. Although you may find limited success using these talents for your own uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed by and for the Lord.
The good news is that God wants to reveal His perfect plan for your life to you more than you want to know it. You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive.
Mt. 7:7“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you..
When we understand Gods love for us & His plan for us then we can begin to realize the doors that He wants open for us. But we will only realize these things when we are constantly communicating & listening to Him.
Don’t stress out trying to make things happen on your own (as I try so many times, & fail). Give it all to God as you pray. Let’s pray & seek Him with all out hearts.
God will show you His good, acceptable and perfect will. Don’t be afraid-let nothing hold you Back. Let God have you live as He has planned for you. Let GO and LET God! “FAITH”
Rom. 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 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.
*We can make a difference in our own lives and others by allowing Jesus to give us a renewed mind, so that we act in His will and not ours.
The lesson here is to learn daily and complete dependence on God. Use your gifts and abilities through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him daily for direction and wisdom. His ways won’t always line up with conventional wisdom.
When we open our minds to God’s will and make a Choice to stop going along in our Routines and Habits of the world, thinking WE know what’s Best and get out of our earthly thinking and comfort Zone- we open up the pathway for real transformation of our mind and our life and start to engage in others and get off of SELF.
Putting on the word of God and being renewed by the spirit are what makes a person beautiful, not simply the outer beauty as the world focus on. True outer beauty comes from being beautiful on the Inside first, knowing who you are IN Christ.
This new life in Christ will be good! He wants us to have his absolute best in our life. We will be content when we are living out our purpose– God’s plan for our life!
*God has equipped us with the Holy Spirit.
*We have been equipped with the abundant life..we can have life to the fullest…we have been equipped to be a part of something that is alive…the Body of Christ.
*We have been equipped to go do what we have been called to do.
*To build up the Body of Christ…he has given each of us something that when used in harmony with each other, great things happen within the Body of Christ.
I can be very gifted or spiritually minded, but if I don’t have love, I am nothing. We have been gifted for God’s glory. These gifts are not for us alone –But for others in the Body. WE ALL HAVE A GIFT to be used to Build UP and encourage the Body. (Eph. 4:11-13).
*Be kind and serve each other in love. *Be open and serve with an open heart.
Let us all search and find our Identity as John did: John’s identity, which is based on his calling from God, to be a missionary and evangelist and to lead people to Christ. “Great Commission”.(Matt. 28:19-20).
Lord, I pray that when next someone asks me who I am, that I would have the boldness and honesty to declare that I am a follower of Jesus Christ, who was saved by grace. Lord, be with me and not let negative thoughts come inside me- so help me God. Lord, thank you that you have a plan and a purpose for each one of us. Thank you for revealing your plan when we open our mind, accept you in our hearts, and turn from the superficial customs of this world and the lifestyle people live while in it. Lord, Let me choose my thoughts wisely and focus them on you today. As I focus on you and your amazing love for me and blessings in my life, transform me and renew my mind, knowing that a renewed mind includes helping others. Show me your plan for my life. Keep me in your will and purpose because I know it is divine! Thank you Lord Amen
Read More“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God”.(Matthew 5:23-24).
*”Christians are to be reconciled, whatever it takes…
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
*Wise speech needs to be careful, humble, gentle, timely and truthful (get rid of half truths)
* A pure heart overflows into pure truthful speech.
Avoiding Conflict!!!
Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (2 Sam 14:23-24).
Wow. This is a sad time. David’s own son, Absalom, rises up in conspiracy against him.
Many people hate conflict to the point they will Never confront a wrong.
*Taking this path will only lead to later hardship. Such was the case for Absalom and his father King David.
Amnon, also a son of David, raped his sister Tamar. When this happened, David was furious but he did not punish Amnon for his actions.
Absalom saw this as a terrible injustice for his sister. So, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon at the right time. He patiently waited for two years before he set up a situation to have him killed.
David was heartbroken over the death of Amnon and held Absalom responsible. At the same time, David still desired to have a relationship with Absalom, but because he failed to address the situation with Amnon when it happened, it led to more serious consequences in the family(Absalom was NOT repremanded for his actions, nor his choices.)
* Absalom was banished for three years because of David’s anger towards him which allowed seeds of resentment to grown in his heart.
*Absalom then conspired to overthrow David’s kingdom.
It is imperative to confront problems WHEN they arise no matter how uncomfortable it might be.
* David didn’t go all the way in reconciliation and it hurt him. We need to Learn from history and go the extra mile in reconciliation attempts.
We are called to speak the truth in love.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph 4:15-16).
*Failure to confront in love allows the enemy to sow greater seeds of conflict.
****BUT Hard Truth can forsake truth. Love without God’s leading can betray truth. What a delicate Balance between truth and love.
It’s clear from this story and others that David had a problem with forgiveness. It was easier for him to kill someone who brought him bad news than forgive them of their wrong. He didn’t want to see Absalom face to face because he couldn’t bring himself to forgive him for three years. That lack of forgiveness planted the seeds that later led to disaster. It’s a lesson for all of us as we can easily fall into temptation to the same pride that ignores our own sinfulness and pushes us to pass judgment on those who sin against us. As James so eloquently reminds us, we have no business passing judgment on others when we ourselves can barely get through a day without sinning.
Is there someone in your life that you need to confront in love? Make plans now to get with this person and work through the issues that divide you and have True forgiveness in your heart.
* Let’s let the Holy Spirit search our heart over situations in our life where there is unfinished conflict and seek to go the extra — to finish it up.
Biblical Ways to Love in Truth:
*Listen without interrupting.Proverbs 18
*Speak without accusing. James 1:19
*Give without sparing. Proverbs 21:26
*Pray without ceasing. Colossians 1:9
*Answer without arguing. Proverbs 17:1
*Share without pretending. Eph. 4:15
*Enjoy without complaint. Philip. 2:14
*Trust without wavering. Corin. 13:7
*Forgive without punishing. Col. 3:13
*Promise without forgetting. Prov. 13:13
Refuse to allow presumption to cloud your discernment. You should never act, react, respond, or take your next step based on what YOU assume is truth. If you are uncertain about an issue or circumstance, take the time to investigate and discover the facts. Just because your conclusion seems reasonable does not make it true. And, presumption will plunge you into the darkness of deception. Stay in the Light and Truth, and maintain confidence in the word as you follow Jesus precepts.
Psalms 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous/deliberate sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
*Most people: Remember the things that ought to be forgotten and forget the things that ought to be remembered.
*Empty the trash. Stop thinking about it.
*Jesus died to set you free. Accept it.
“All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him”. 2 Samuel 14:14
*You only need one funeral in your life, *NOTHING deserves a daily funeral.
*Look at your past as spilt water on the ground. Just a damp spot.
*Remind yourself the BEST is yet to come!
*You’ve been moved out and have stepped into the biggest blessing of your life! Just wave good bye, because you are who God says you are-HIS MASTERPIECE! (Eph. 2:10).
**Isn’t it wonderful experiencing Gods love!!!!
*Let us pray for a pure heart, let us be Spirit directed toward Holiness as He is Holy.
Father help me to always be mindful of the difference between trusting in Your love and Your promises and presuming I have some special insight or preferred standing. God, put those relationships I have with some conflict in my mind and please don’t let them go. Help me to push through and finish my part. Don’t let me let things go unfinished. Thank You for Your Truth, Your Love Your Hope and Your Freedom. Jesus You are the Way, The Truth and the Life, help me to Love as You Love have loved me for Your Glory. Amen
*You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
…”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50).
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)
God’s Love is dependent only upon God, who is eternally faithful, trustworthy and reliable.
* “For I, the Lord, do not change…”
Malachi 3:6
May we strive for excellence in all that we do for the Master of the universe.
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).
When was the last time you sat and wrote out a plan and revisited your vision? (Read Habakkuk 2:1-3).
The Enemy focuses us on what we can’t do instead of focusing us on what we CAN do.
Time heals nothing.
** It is what YOU DO with the TIME that matters.
*****You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past! God is so patient with us and keeps His promises. (2 Peter 3:9).
Proverbs 1:33 But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
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.
Don’t wait until the time is just right to take the first step toward achieving your goals.
**The time will never be just right. Make the resolution to start where you are now and go for what matters most in your life as you stive to move forward. Where you end up one year from now IS up to YOU!
We have explosive power inside of us. It’s time to revert back to the power inside of you for excitement in your life. (John 15:9-15 Joy is available).
Act like who you are. YOU are the child of a king. You are His Masterpiece! It’s a matter of time to come out of the pits, bushes, or wherever you are and fight. Fight the good fight of faith. We are God’s workmanship. We are his pottery.
Allow Jesus to mold us. We were created for good works so its time to dream big. Be excited about your future. God has plans for you for His Glory! (Jer. 29:11).
2 Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
The meaning of life lies in relationship!!
*First and foremost is our relationship with God,
* and then our relationship with each other.
*We each have these relationships, most likely one more than the other, But let’s get a Balance of the Two for God’s Glory!
* “We love, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
When we come to KNOW the Lord we will begin to see that He wants us to truly love our neighbor just as we love ourselves.
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Here is how the Bible describes God’s Love:
* “God’s Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. God’s love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (Living Bible)
The 4 Love’s we have!
The natural human loves inspired by friendship (phileo), family (storge), or romance (eros), are awesome blessings from our Creator, BUT Agape is the only love essential to human survival. Only God’s Divine Love can give us the Identity and Purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
* “If I have not (God’s) Love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
* What Jesus did do was to tell them the true way to greatness.
**“It is NOT by seeking to be first,” He said.
**It is by a willingness to be last.
** It is not by getting people to serve you; it is by becoming a servant of all.
There are two kinds of ambition. There is the ambition to be approved and applauded by people, and the ambition to be approved and applauded by God.
There are those who want to gain fame and attention and influence and power. The measurement of the ambition to be great before people is always “How many serve me? How much power do I exercise over others? How wide is the extent of my influence?”
* Who of us has not suffered many times from this desire to be known, to be admired, to be considered great?
But Jesus points out that true greatness is never found there. The measure of true greatness is:
***How many do I serve? How many can I help?” This is the mark of greatness in the eyes of God.
Christianity is a radical faith! It is exactly the opposite of the natural instincts of the heart.
Our natural inclinations will get us deeper and deeper into trouble. Though we may achieve a form of greatness in the eyes of people, it will turn into cobwebs and ashes in our hands.
Lord, Teach me the meaning of Your words in the depths of my heart. Help me to strive for that greatness that will shine throughout eternity. Help us Lord this day to see ones in need, be it loneliness, depression, fear, cancer, unforgiveness, guilt or shame and come along side them and show them Your Love. Help us be examples to show that, Christianity does not produce a changed life but an exchanged life. Like Jesus, grow in your wisdom and understanding of who we now are in Christ.
We know we are healed, when we can Thank God for the pains of the Past! Lord, help us share Our Testimony of what You, Jesus have done for US.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new Creation; the old is gone, the New has come!
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Romans 12:13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Come Holy Spirit Come!!! Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.