Devotions - Prayer
Do You Know What You Want??
Do you Know What God Wants??
Life is meaningless only if we allow it to be.
Each of us has the power to give life meaning, to make our time and our bodies and Gods words into instruments of love and hope.
The Word of God only profits us if we believe it (Heb. 4:2). The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
*God’s promises + faith = personal benefits.
*#1—Life without GOD is nothing.
*God must be Central in EVERYTHING we do! Otherwise Life is Meaningless. Read Ecclesiastes 1.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
You’ll make progress in some areas of your life but are they the areas that you Care most about?
Are they the areas that Mean the most to you?
Most of us would love to move forward in certain areas of our life but let’s face it, sometimes it’s Very hard.
Sometimes we are so used to thinking a certain way that we can’t seem to make a first definite step, even though we know deep down in our hearts that it’s the right thing to do.
Truly, …God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty… (1 Cor. 1:27-28).
**If you feel foolish or weak, then you qualify. Let the Lord use you today.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
*The promises of God are powerful and awesome to grasp. Receiving Jesus guarantees eternal life in Heaven:
1) God provides your relationship by grace.
2) God provides your growth by grace.
*Focus on what you can do –not what you can’t do.
* Learn how to dream big and cut out distractions.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
*Do not stop dreaming your dreams!
*Do not underestimate your ability!
*Do not let the devil detour your destiny!
*There is a time for everything!
*Realize your power, potential, and promise.
***Potential is untapped ability that hasn’t been activated or used yet.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:
Know What You Want
This isn’t about the how, only the
what.
In order to move forward in life,
you need a firm foundation to step from.
Hebrews 11:10 For he(Abraham) was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
* Understanding what and where God wants you to go in life will provide your vision and spirit – your foundation.
*We’ve got to get our eyes on Jesus again! (Heb 11:6, 10, 13-16)
**Faith IS the Foundation of our life!
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
*Faith is being, living, speaking, acting the word of GOD.
The how will figure itself out when you know you want to keep moving forward.
TRUST: There are no accidents without value.
* When you get hit hard and land on your back, look for the reasons and for the value in this.
Psalms 33:21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.
*** Open your heart and trust this happened for a reason.
* Perhaps it was to test your determination or to alert you to the fact you were on the wrong path.
* Either way, Trust the Experience is happening for a reason and be open to making adjustments in order to keep moving forward.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,
Want it More:
How badly do you want it? How badly do you really want to achieve what YOU are working so hard to accomplish?
When you get hit hard, you have an opportunity to answer this question.
*It’s one thing to say you want to do something, or to be something.
*BUT to walk through the pain; to get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead, is a test of your determination and resolve.
* When you find yourself getting Back on your feet, you HAVE indeed answered this question and there’s no doubt you will keep moving forward.
Man’s knowledge is based on observation. It cannot give perfect instruction about the future. God’s knowledge can.(Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.).
**Knowledge and Understanding or Meaningless information…..
*Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can know things to come (Jn. 16:13).
*Through Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit, God wants to speak to you on a One-to-one basis every day.
*God wants to lead you step-by-step to the good things He has in store for you.
When dealing with God, revelation knowledge is essential. The Lord’s ways are not always our ways (Isa. 55:8).
*A fear of trusting the intuitive knowledge that God gives us will cause us to miss many blessings of God.
*An unteachable spirit is an unwillingness to change.
We need to ask for and expect to receive revelation knowledge from the Lord. God desires to impart it more than we desire to receive it.
“Great blessings await those who will NOT depend solely on their own understanding (Prov. 3:5).
We are God’s workmanship. We are his pottery. Allow Him to mold us. We were created for good works so its time to dream big. Be excited about your future—You are God’s Masterpiece!
*Why do you think God chose you?
*Don’t ever try to be somebody else, you are different, special and nobody can do You better than You.
1Corinthians 12:4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person.
*If you want to understand God, treasure His Word.
*If you want to understand Jesus, treasure His Word.
*If you want to understand Holy Spirit, treasure His Word.
*If you want to understand Kingdom and Kingdom principles, treasure His Word.
*If you want to understand christianity, treasure His Word.
I will put my trust in you, oh Lord! You are Lord, you are love. We are absolutely loved and accepted. Would you continue to remind me of this? Would you give me a bigger picture of your love? Please help me to Trust You in EVERY Circumstance. Lord, I will trust in You and not try to fix things on my own– Knowing that You have a Plan and a Reason for all things for Your Glory.
God, I recognize the need for Balance and boundaries in my life. As I read Your Word, show me how to apply Your healthy boundaries and move forward in my life giftings today. Amen
***MOVING FORWARD IN YOUR LIFE:
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”.
*If you want to understand God, treasure His Word.
Keep the Faith
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,
Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.
*Suffering teaches obedient faith.
Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
At the end of the day when you are weary from all of the effort and energy you have expended and you are sore and tired from being hit hard so many times, but the dream is not realized, the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your Faith.
**Honor this and cherish it. Faith is what makes you human. It gives you energy and hope. And if you let it, your faith will deliver you to wherever you want to go in life.
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Help people with the same problems you have – Solving our problems in life isn’t always easy.
Our toughest problems often require the most creative solutions—solutions that are outside our scope of thinking. **But when you help people solve problems that are similar to your own, you’ll find it easier to solve your own problems and Heal.
By solving the same problem from different perspectives, you’ll find the all-inclusive answer that seems to work repeatedly.
Solving these types of problems will become second-nature to you and eventually you’ll be able to solve your own problems, even the toughest ones.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
There is no standing still. You are either moving forward in your life or you are falling behind.
You only have one opportunity to live your life, don’t live it regretting what was, or what is no more.
You have to start seeing the wonderful things that life still has to offer you. Now is the time to allow yourself to expect the best from life.
Psalms 32:8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Talk expectantly and positively about yourself and the future. Know that better things are right around the corner for you. Be excited!
Once you implement a positive attitude to your way of thinking you’ll be amazed at the results!
I implore you to let go of the things that are holding you back. Release yourself from your self inflicted bondage, set yourself free. YOU are responsible for your life’s journey.
*Forgive people who have hurt you; let go of the things that have been done to you. Get resentment out of your life! Let it go.
Only then can you bring to yourself fresh hope and move yourself forward to the life you want.
* Don’t keep yourself prisoner to anything or anyone. You have the key to your cell, use it to open the door, step through it, and get back on your journey.
**You do not have the power to change the past.
**** Forgiveness will cut you loose and free you to move forward and create a new future.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
To bring about a change in your life, you need to make inner change –changing your thoughts, transferring your focus, concentrating on what you want to bring into your life, rather than what you don’t want, or what you’ve lost.
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.
When was the last time you sat out wrote out a plan and revisited your vision.
*Enemy focuses us on what we can’t do instead of focusing us on what we CAN do.
*Need to dream big and cut out distractions.
***Don’t let all of your distractions cut out time with God. Choose Him to be First and things Will fall into place.
Walk by faith not by sight. It’s not what it looks like…Moses as the example crossing the Red Sea.
*It’s in the dry places of life when you are elevated.
**Let God in on your plans. When God brings you out he’s looking to bring you into another experience.
Galatians 5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
When God anoints us, it often is accompanied by some severe tests. These tests are designed to prepare us for the calling God has on our life. Should we fail these tests God cannot elevate us to the next level. For a believer, these tests often involve money, relationships, and other issues of the heart.
What if God has chosen you for a specific purpose in His Kingdom? Are you passing the tests He is bringing about in your life?
These tests are designed to bring about greater obedience.
In most instances, it will involve great adversity. The Bible tells us that the King of kings, Jesus- learned obedience through the things that He suffered (see Heb. 5:8).
If this is true, why would it be any different for His children? Be aware of the tests God may be bringing before you in order to prepare YOU for His service.
The Lord has made a way for you to come higher by way of spiritual progression. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you must let go of everything that has become an anchor and a hindrance.
You must release all things that have become a source of agitation, irritation, or conflict in your soul.
Listen to the Lord’s voice as HE calls to you. Allow His nature to be developed in you that will bear the fruit of His Spirit. Let your light shine in the darkness of difficult and disturbing circumstances, for I am with you, says the Lord.
*Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your perfect plans and your wonderful mercy and grace. Jesus, thank you for your mighty sacrifice and your love to do God’s will. Lord I ask that you help us learn to pray to grow nearer to you. To hear your voice and follow your will. Lord I ask that as we pray, we enter into your throne room and we gather a taste that keeps us yearning for more of you. Lord I ask too that you show us your good and perfect plans. Lord, help us be obedient to you and your will. Father thank you for your love and your unending promises and grace. You are wonderful and mighty. Give me more FAITH this day. I pray these things in Jesus’ mighty name, 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”.
The meaning of life lies in relationship.
Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
*No amount of activity for God will ever take the place of a heart that is right with Him.
I share Hosea 6:6 in a few translations, only because I wanted to see what they
said (besides the KJV above),
* the Contemporary English version: “I’d rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices” and
* The Message version: “I’m after love that lasts, not more religion. I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings.”
What does the Lord want? Relationship!
*God wants our love and our devotion.
*God wants us to be pure and true to Him.
*God wants us to want Him like He wants us.
*God is seeking those that will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
**God wants a lasting relationship, not actions pretending to love. I feel like this kinda goes with 1 Corinthians 13 that with out love, all we have and all we do is nothing.
Hosea 4:6 You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me!
Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests.
*Luke 4:4 We cannot live without Gods word.
*Psalms 119:105 the word of God shows us the right path. A light in a dark place. *John 17:17 Gods word is truth.
We by nature are self-seeking, we want what we want for ourselves, for our families those in our immediate circle.
(I am not saying that there is anything wrong with wanting the best for yourself and your family), but we have
to look outside the box we live in sometime and see the hurt and the pain of others and be willing to reach out and touch them with the love of the Father, believe it or not this is the will of God.
*Psalms 119:165 the Word of God brings peace.
Faith, Hope and Love. The greatest of these is God’s Agape Love!
* “Let love be your highest goal.”
1 Corinthians 14:1
* Draw near to God and He will Draw near to you.
The meaning of life lies in relationship!!
*First and foremost is our relationship with God,
* and then our relationship with each other.
*We may each have these relationships or 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.”
* We are to cry when they cry, laugh when they laugh, rejoice when they rejoice.
* When we really settle in our hearts that we are going to do everything in our power to get to know the Lord things really begin to happen in our lives, great things wonderful, miraculous things.
*Don’t let yourself think that everything has to be just right.
*Don’t allow your mind to tell you that as soon as I get this or that right then
I can really dig in and start praying like I should or start reading my bible like
I should or set aside time to really be in the presence of the Lord like I should.
If you wait for “the right time” or if you wait for “when I get things right” you
never will. Why do I say that?
* I say that because our enemy will see to it that you will always have something to be trying to “get right”.
It truly is time to seek the Lord while He may be found and really get
to know Him and know Him well.
“Lord, I despise myself.”(Job 42:4-6)
It looks as though God has humiliated Job and brought this poor, broken-hearted man down into the dust almost cruelly.
Yet it is not cruelty, it is love—because, at this point, when Job has finally given up trying to defend and justify himself, God begins to heal and pour into this man’s life blessings he never dreamed of.
This is the story of the whole of Scripture, isn’t it? Everywhere the Scriptures seek to tell us this.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,(Matthew 5) the men and women who are bankrupt in themselves, who stop counting on what they have to make it.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God will begin to heal a life that repents before Him, and He will fill it with blessing and honor and glory and power.
None of the prideful things to which we cling will be worth the smallest portion of the glory and joy we have discovered in coming into a Relationship with God Himself. (To Know Him is Eternal Life…. JN. 17:3)
The Lord doesn’t choose the way man chooses. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).
The whole Bible is summed up by the word “love”.
*”But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
(1 Timothy 1:5)
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 the Lord’s precepts.
* Psalms 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
*David understood that we have faults that we don’t even know about. This section of this Psalm shows that when asking for forgiveness, we should pray for those things that are hidden in our hearts.
Thank You, Father, for this penetrating look at my own heart. How proud I have been, how filled with self-justification with complaints before You. Teach me to put my hand upon my mouth and admit to You that the problem lies so often with me so that You will heal and restore me. Father help me to put You first, again. Even ahead of the things I do for You….especially ahead of that. Help me to make time for those moments where You and I can connect. I need that more than I know. I need You more than I know. Thank You LORD for this reminder/warning. For Your Glory and my Joy. 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”.
Moving Forward In 2012!
Why Moving Forward- (Habakkuk 2:2,3)
*Vision releases people to run. You are made to run under the purpose of God.
*Where there is no vision, there is no hope.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10
* I will not waste chances to share about my Savior. I will not waste chances to share of my faith. I will step out and allow myself to be God’s vessel.
DON’T BE AFRAID, THE LORD IS WITH YOU AND FIGHTS FOR YOU!
Move Forward by Faith in the Face of Impossible Odds!
Exodus 14:15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
*Sometimes when the enemy is at your back and great resistance is at the front, God will command you to move forward!
By doing that you will see His hand move what blocks you out of the way.
So 2012 is a year of renewal of faith in the Lord!
*2012 is YOUR YEAR OF THE WORD OF. GOD! The Word of God on your lips is God talking! The whole year is for you! As you make the Word of God grow in you, you will prevail in every situation through the Word! Though you may face valleys and feel afraid, just know God will hear your calls through prayer and all He may tell you is to keep moving forward!
Watch and be amazed and the power of faith, word and trust in Jehovah. There is No God like Jehovah!!!!
” The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.” …”Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” – Exodus 14:14-15
Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert.
The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh’s pursuing army was the Red Sea.
*This was after ten plagues God had inflicted on Pharaoh to motivate him to free the Israelites. Finally, Pharaoh had freed Moses and the people, and they left Egypt. They thought they were home free. “Freedom at last,” they said. *But God did a strange thing. He directed Moses to take a route that led to the Red Sea, instead of the northern route around the Red Sea.
* God explained that He didn’t want them fighting the enemies they would have encountered on this route. But still, there was the issue of the Red Sea.
They finally arrived at the Red Sea, and the people were wondering where they would go from there.
News hit the camp: Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was coming after them with his army.
Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out,
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Ex. 14:11b-12)
***God sometimes brings each of us to a “Red Sea” in our life.
* It may be a work problem that can’t be solved.
*It may be no job.
*It may be a marriage that seems to be failing.
*It may be an addiction.
*It may be a debilitating disease. **Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: “Keep moving.”
The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to “Keep moving.”
“But Lord, the Red Sea is before me.” “Keep moving.”
**When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here.
That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
A friend once admonished me when I was in the midst of an extremely difficult time in my life, “You must not withdraw from being proactive in your faith just because of this trial that you are in.
God’s hand is on your life!!
There are too many who are depending on YOU to fulfill the purposes God has in your life.
* Keep Moving Forward! Keep investing yourself in others.
I didn’t feel like it. I was in too much pain. But I did it anyway. God met me at the point of my greatest need once I decided simply to be obedient.
Getting past myself by investing myself in others helped heal the pain.
**There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ.
***This is when our own Red Seas become parted.
** We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don’t first “Keep moving.”
What is that area of your life you have been crying for a change. For something new. For something better.
The place the enemy has made you cry God is about to make you laugh.
We cannot MOVE Forward by going backward.
No matter what challenges we face in our walk with God—- going back in sin can NEVER be better.
Backsliding should never be an option on the cards of the believer! KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
*The way of the cross always leads to a resurrection, to a new beginning, on different terms.
*The way of the cross leads to freedom, to being set free from natural catastrophe and disaster, to having your spirit peaceful and at rest, despite what is happening to your body or your person.
**** This is what people really want. How we long for and dream of being free, whole, adequate, able to handle life, able to cope with whatever comes, undisturbed at heart.
***To be fully free, we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make us happy forever.
*With No regrets.
*And only Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for us, can make that possible.
Father, I ask that You will help me understand that Jesus is in the hurts, in the disappointments, in the disasters, that He is leading me on, setting me free from that which I’m in bondage too–all my “self-sufficiency” and “self-reliance,” all my desire to be exalted, to be made much of. Father, I am sorry for the opportunities that You have placed in front of me that I have wasted. I plead for more chances and for the strength and courage to not let them pass me by. Help me Move Forward in all areas of my life, becoming more like You daily, till the day You, Jesus Return. I love You! 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”.
No matter what happens in our life God is right there with us. Faithful as he always will be, no matter where life takes you he is there holding on to you, to see you through His plan.
Never be afraid but rejoice in the fact that you have a Father in Heaven that cares for you that much to make things ok.
Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5).
I have observed people who have endured suffering and proven God to be faithful are strong, mellow and patient. *They have the gentleness of Christ.
*I love to be around such people! They encourage my spirit!
You will come through your trial and be of great help to others if you will
trust God through it! You will see it happen on your job, in your family, in
your church.
People will be attracted to you because they know what you have gone through and they have seen you Gain the Victory through the power of God alone!
Suffering Can Break Hold of Sin and Temptation!!!!!
1 Peter 4:1 So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin,
* Jesus’ attitude delivered him through his suffering. He endured it as he submitted to the will of his Father in heaven. He gave us the model to be “done with sin.”
It doesn’t mean I’ll never sin again, but if I adopt His attitude I won’t live for my flesh, but for the will of God like Jesus did.
James 1:2 My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials,
*At first sight suffering may appear to have the opposite effect, bringing impatience and fretful mess. But God thereby brings unsuspected evil to the surface in order gently to skim it away…It is one of the means of keeping him (the Christian) dissatisfied with this world and sustaining his hearing for his true home in Heaven…the true value of suffering can be grasped only by suffering.
* A spectator can be widely astray in his assesment of the situation. He may sometimes be tempted to apologize for the pain God allows, only to find himself shamed by the suffferer’s inner peace and deep thankfulness.”
* What this means is that if we want the contentment and spirituality of someone like the apostle Paul [Philippains 4:10-13] then we need to be willing to lay it all on the line like he did [2 Corinithians 12:15].
There are few rewards that are offered to the halfhearted.
** Solomon recognized that there is a danger in life becoming too easy (Proverbs 30:8)
*** The writer of Psalm 119 said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Thy word.” [Pslam 119:67].
It looks as if the suffering had been very helpful for this man to break the hold sin had on him.
Peter notes, “He who has suffed in the flesh has ceased from sin.” (1 Peter 4:1)
**** Many passages emphasize the same point that suffering for the cause of Christ can have an incredibly purifying affect on the believer: (Romans 5:3-5; 1 Peter 1:6-8; James 1:2-4).
A sad note is that many believers who suffer never learn anything from it. As a result, they never know God as their comforter or counselor.
To hear them talk, you would think God
was hard, spiteful, uncaring. They ask, “Why me?” Then they doubt God’s
love and begin to turn away from Him.
They moan, groan and murmur, and all
their joy fades. Soon they grow bitter and hard.
The apostle Paul, even in the worst hour of his sufferings, Blessed the name of
the Lord. He knew the Father was full of mercy and the Source of all his
comfort. He did not question God or become bitter; in fact, he praised Him in
the midst of it all!
The best teachers in any church are not the ones in the pulpit. Rather, they
are sitting in the pews right next to you
—people who have suffered and yet
still worship the Lord. The language of those who learn through suffering is
praise!
Power to Move Forward!!
(Hebrews 12:1-17)
Hebrews 12:7 Endure your suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?
* Surrounded by Witnesses We all need encouragement. God is cheering us on by the stories in the Bible. If they made it through, we can too. Heb. 12:3 – consider what HE went through lest you get discouraged *keep moving forward.
* We Get Whippings (Heb. 12:5-11) Do not despise chastening of the Lord HE disciplines you because HE loves you.
*If God doesn’t whip you, you cannot move forward. Otherwise, you will never learn from your errors in judgment & actions.
*If you endure chastening, God deals with you as HIS son.
God is trying to turn you around and get you on the right path. V10 – chastened for our profit to you bring you to Holiness.
* God wants us to live Holy– HE is calling us to Holiness V11 – It is painful, but leads to righteousness Discipline trains us… God Disciplines us because HE loves us.
(verse 12-14) God empowers us to live a worship filled lifestyle. Which helps us move forward.
1John 4:10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 Peter 5: 6 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand 7 by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.
Thank You God that You love us and want the best for us. You will chastise or correct us, from time to time. It’s not always pleasant, but I know there’s a need for it. You treat us the way parents treat their children. Correcting them so that they know the way to go. You may use different methods, but the object is the same: to make sure we don’t continue to go in a direction that is harmful to us. Thank You Jesus!
Lord today please arm me with Jesus’ attitude to fill my heart and mind. I want to be done with sin and done with satisfying my flesh. Whatever time left I have on this earth, please fill it with tough minded obedience to you. Let the attitude of the God-Man fill me today! Amen
“Do not be angry and frustrated!
Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!”
(Psalms 37:8).
James 4:1-10 James addresses the “Root Issue” of all frustration here.
*” Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you”? (James 4:1).
“What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?”. (James 4:5).
*When reading James this AM-it hit me that– The same Spirit at work in me is the same Spirit at work in you.
*“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18 NIV)
*Did you catch that? The same Spirit at work in me is the same Spirit at work in you. There is only One Spirit. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit throughout the body of believers to accomplish HIS purpose for HIS glory.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling,”(Eph. 4:4).
*Is there another believer with whom you have trouble getting along? Remember, the same Spirit at work in you is the same Spirit at work in him or her.
The Holy Spirit has been sent to be our teacher, but we have to show up at class and expect to receive (Jn. 14:26). He’ll even show us things to come (Jn. 16:13).
“When the disciples saw Him(Jesus) walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.” Matthew 14:26
Have you ever had some unexpected event happen in your life that caused great fear?
*Sudden calamities can result in great fear unless we know WHO is behind the event.
*Such was the case for the disciples when they were out in their boat at night. Suddenly, they saw a figure walking on the water and assumed it was a ghost. They feared for their very lives. But as the figure got closer and closer, they could see that it was Jesus. **Their Fear turned to joy because now they knew whom they were confronting.
This seemingly life-threatening event turned into one of the great miracles of the Bible.
*Peter was invited to walk on the water — and he did just that.
Many times we have events in our lives that appear to be ghosts. For me, it was a period in my life when I experienced family loss, loss of my finances, and my business’s — all in a matter of a few months.
These were the ghosts that instilled fear and great turmoil in my life. Feelings of unworthiness, shame and guilt. But after 10 years in a desert experience, God revealed His true purposes for these events.
*God turned them from being a place of fear, to a place of miracles.
*He led me to a totally new calling in my life, and He demonstrated to me that He was behind the storm that led to these new discoveries. God never left me—He was Leading me into a deeper Relationship with Him.
* The events were real. The emotions I went through were real. I had to hold fast to the reality that Nothing can touch us without passing through God’s sifter.
***Through all this I now have the Faith and Trust that what God allows, is only that which is necessary to touch us. And if it does, it has a Purpose. But we may not know it for a while.
Are there some “ghosts” in your midst? Look beyond the appearance and let God turn your ghosts into a miracle!!!
God said to Moses, “I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:1b-2).
God has a reason for everything He does.
These delays were designed to bring greater Glory( a display of God’s perfection–Jesus IS the Glory of God) and were to be a lasting legacy of God’s miracle-working power for generations to come.
When the people were freed, God again hardened Pharaoh’s heart to go after them. This action of God to harden Pharaoh’s heart was to set the stage for an even greater miracle — the parting of the Red Sea.
*The people were angry with Moses for bringing them to the desert “to die.” But God said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on” (Ex. 14:15b).
There was only one place to go by this time — the Red Sea.
As we know, God parted the Red Sea, and another greater miracle took place.
Moses learned several lessons that each of us must learn.
* God’s Promises are True, but His timing is not the same as ours.
* God always wants Greater Glory than what we might be willing to give Him. * * God puts obstacles and adversity into our lives in order to build perseverance and faith.
Why has God put the mountain in your life at this time?
***To demonstrate His power through your life. To show His glory!!!! Jesus!
When we become Christians, our identity changes forever as we become identified as “Children of God”.
*Our value no longer depends on things like athletic skill, beauty, brains, or the opinions of others, because it is rooted in Christ.
*When we understand His work on the cross and accept His love, we can weather challenges to our identity on earth.
* Our “True identity” is as a perfectly loved and accepted child of the living God!
*Allow God to direct your mind, your life, your heart, your all.
*God wants to move US from wanting for my pleasure to wanting for His glory.
* God is committed to your development.
*Don’t be ashamed of the hole God dug you out of. Talk about where you came from and save a soul. “Your Testimony”
” Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Romans 5:1).
Verse that explains our Antidote to frustration:
“You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”.(1JN 4:4).
Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.
Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you – yes, I help you – yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!
Your Love for each of us is SO amazing God and I thank You for showing me it in Your word trough the Holy Spirit. Thank you for choosing to give us knowledge but also for giving us free will to fully accept and love You as our Heavenly Father giving us that Peace.
Lord, today I claim the victory I have in you. I have faith that I am victorious because You live in me. 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”.
Wisdom is the knowledge of the nature of things, the reasons behind what happens.
How many of us can honestly say we are living the life of “spiritual abundance” God promises in His word?
* “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”John 10:10
God created man with the need to be loved and to love. But these needs can only be fully satisfied through Divine Love (Agape) received and expressed.
* “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:9
Agape is the only unconditional love that exists.
* “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…”Isaiah 49:15-16
But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living (Job 28:12-13).
What is this wisdom Job is talking about?
“Why does God treat Job this way?” But we have information that Job does not have. He has no knowledge of Satan’s challenge to God regarding him, and so his questioning is even deeper than ours. But we often feel this way ourselves.
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”
In the past year some of my friends have learned that they had a cancer that was threatening their lives. One has also had a child go to be with the Lord to cancer. Some have lost their business, homes, work during these times of sickness. My heart goes out to these friends and I know their Spirit is strong. But my heart cries out, “Why? Why do these kinds of things happen?” Sounds like Job.
***Life presents these riddles to us. And when we wonder why these things happen, WISDOM is the answer.
*** Wisdom is the knowledge of the nature of things, the reasons behind what happens.
Someone has described wisdom as the right use of knowledge.
*It is how to use situations in such a way that things work out right.
That is what we lack. We can do all kinds of things with knowledge, but we do not do the right things with it.
**Col. 2:3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Example: That is why knowledge of nuclear physics ends up with atom bombs that destroy and become malicious instruments of warfare.
**Humans lack wisdom. They have lots of knowledge, but they have no wisdom on how to use it.
This is what Job in his long hours of torment is searching for: What is the reason behind these things?
Job says humans do not know the way to wisdom. It is not found in the land of the living. (Job 28:12-13).
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
I say unto you, truly, truly, that this is the day of recovery, so rise up with hope renewed. Gain access into the Lord’s goodness. For, surely He will restore that which has been stolen. The process of restoration has come as a part of Jesus ministry.
John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
Jesus has come to set HIS people free, and Jesus continues in the process by restoring them from time to time when it is necessary. Receive today the power of restoration and let the spirit of the living God now invade your spiritual space; let it over take you; let it embrace you. Let the Spirit of God draw you close to the heart of Jesus. Regain this moment, the power of your first love; the power of His presence and your position in God’s kingdom. Regain your position of victory for surely it is yours.
*1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
*Rev. 21:7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
*Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.
*Psalms 62:1. I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
You are in a time of recovering that which has been taken by the enemy. If you will be alert and be willing to follow the Lord’s leading, He will restore all that is necessary for your spiritual well-being. However, there are still things that are better left alone, and He will give you the proper discernment to know the difference. Come to Me in faith with your request, says the Lord, and I will open what no man can shut, and I will shut what no man can open.
*Revelation 3:8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Lord, I am humbled because I lack wisdom. Thank You for Your Word and All the Wisdom there for us to be able to come to You Jesus, with any sickness, circumstance and lay it down at the foot of the Cross and Trust You knowing You have our best interest at hand for Your Glory.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God… and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
” But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
Amen
Psalms 118:15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
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”.
Read MoreTo be fully free! To be fully free we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make us happy forever.
*No regrets.
**And only Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for us, can make that possible.
1 Thessalonians 3: 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith,
*Paul and Timothy want to see the Thessalonians so badly that Paul sends Timothy to check on them and encourage them.
*The thing I see still lacking in my own life is still a deeper daily passion for those lost souls around me and the total obedience to fulfill my purpose in “the Great Commission” from God.(Matthew 28:19-20).
Paul prays so fervently for the sanctification of the church! He wants them to overflow with love—like he does — I want to overflow with more of that love so I am able then, to give love away to others! It’s the overflow we can give.
After sanctification(to be set apart from Sin and made holy), it is difficult to state what our purpose in life is, because:
*God has moved us into His purpose through the Holy Spirit.
*God is using YOU now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of OUR salvation.
I have found out the hard way–If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you barricade God from using you.
Found that: As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. We need to Be emptied of our self and then allowing God to fill us up in His special way!
This can only be accomplished by giving up ALL of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world not for yourself.
Psalms 57: 2. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
*God does not expect us to do it all on our own but to trust that it is Him that fulfills His purpose for us.
*Our understanding of our ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.
*I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me.
*God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him.
*I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block.
** When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance.
*God can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses.
*God simply asks me to have Absolute Faith in Him and His Goodness.
***”Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”(Oswald)
Being a Christ follower means preserving the decaying culture.
*God has called us to be the Salt of the Earth!(Matthew 5:13). We are the salt of the earth! We should be filled with the flavor of Christ. If we become flavorless or our light goes out, what good are we? What is our purpose?
The Lord has given every believer Faith. (Rom. 12:3).
*Faith was given to us at salvation through hearing the Word of God:
Eph. 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.;
Rom. 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
**Faith is a fruit of the Holy Spirit:
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.
*** However, WE must Choose to exercise it.
*Our faith is linked to our knowledge (2 Pet. 1:1-4).
Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
The problem occurs when we don’t allow our faith to work because we don’t keep our minds stayed on God’s Word. Mark 4:19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Keeping our minds stayed on God’s Word Will release our Faith and thereby release the “Power of God” in our lives.
1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Lord help me to have absolute faith in You and Your goodness. Lord keep revealing to me–that the purpose of my life belongs to You, not me. Forgive me for all my Self-pity. Help me Lord to make it my aim, to strengthen and encourage others in their faith. Make my love increase and overflow for others. Lord strengthen my heart so that I will be blameless and holy in the presence of God and Father when my Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Thank You for the Secrets to happiness:
Empty of my selfish desire and be Filled with Your holiness! Father…thank You for loving me enough to give me guidelines…Your word! Help me to understand it and for the Word to grow in me a love for Jesus and dependence on Jesus. Father, Help me come to the place of realising my Need for You each day and to live dependent on You and not trying to live this life with my own power and effort. In Jesus Name, Amen
God’s plan IS perfect and best for His glory!
Genesis 22:21 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Take now thy son . — Genesis 22:2
*God’s command is – Take now, not presently.
* I need to fully and faithfully move forward and follow the Lord right through the afflictions to come, knowing God’s plan IS Perfect and Best for His glory.
Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
*It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once.
*If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later, it must be done now.
And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning and went unto the place of which God had told him” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham!
* When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood.
*Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood”,(Gal. 1:16) i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God.
These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be.
*Always guard against Self-Chosen Service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service.
**If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace;
** if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.
*** If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom, as to say “I will only go to there, But no farther”.
God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed or protested, But he went steadily went through with obedience and faith.
If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to Blame God or pass Judgment on God.
You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better.
*1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
*Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (1 Peter 4:12-13).
*** God is working in each of us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and man’s purpose become one!
Make sure this year, especially, this day, give the right response.
Some of us will never receive the blessing God has in store for us until we are WILLING to give THE RIGHT RESPONSE!
Some of us wonder why do I keep going through the same thing over and over again!? Perhaps it may be the response we always give to the Lord???
Now, most often the request is very very difficult!!! now we may not like it, but that response is YES LORD! Practice it!!! YES LORD!!!
**God sometimes doesn’t open the other door until we walk through the first door.
*Unless we are willing to respond to God properly….we may never witness the change God has for our life!!!
God needs you and me in 2012 to be willing to properly respond to Him. The proper response is YES LORD!
He wants us to take the things that mean the most to us, our lives, our time, our treasure and offer it to HIM!!! For some of us, our money or hobbies or work is our Isaac!
* God wants to know if we are willing to sacrifice it for him!?
*When we are willing to sacrifice ALL that is precious to us, God will be at His best!
*To let go of our most prized possession; God clearly makes that easier for us when we bring it to him rather than letting it go on own before we worship him.
*Sometimes I struggle to approach God due to my Sin and idolatry, and I feel shameful trying to worship Him with all these guilty conscience.
Once again, God will reveal that I need to come to Him as who I am and allow God to direct the actions I must take. **That’s worship. Faith does not come from my beliefs or actions but true faith, which is the source from God’s grace, works within us when we “Completely Empty Ourselves” to receive God’s authority.
I pray that our faith will be determined by God’s faithfulness alone.
Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
*God sets it up so that His Son is the center of the process of knowing and doing what is right, making Himself the centerpiece of righteousness, Not us. **Wondering what is the right thing to do in your situation?
** Go to the creator for the Right thing to do! Read His Word the answer is there. (Try Read All of Proverbs with your question in mind and Listen).
***What we don’t realize, just as we are making our way up one side of the mountain, there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain!
We won’t run short if we would simply give God the right answer!!
Walk in faith! God WILL take good care of YOU!
1 Peter 4:19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Lord, help me to first of all trust you with the faith of Abraham then help me to be a husband, dad and grandpa who can be trusted as much as Abraham was by Isaac! What trust he had Lord! Thank You Jesus for your word of Truth. Help me in my trials to have faith and obedience to You, knowing there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain for me as I surrender to your will- for your Glory and my Joy. Continue to peel away the addictions of sin from me. Thank You God, that You are working in each of us to reach Your highest goals until Your purpose and man’s purpose become one! “…To Know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth”. Jn 17:3. In Jesus Name, Amen
God desires an intimate relationship with you.
“ You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. ” (Exodus 34:14).
A Relationship with God comes before any relationship with man! So for God to be jealous shows us and teaches us that He never intended for us to get caught up in man just because He sent them to us.
*We must watch very carefully who we are putting in front of God because if not– man will become our IDOL!
Yes, it is possible for us to provoke Him to jealousy: “Do we provoke the
Lord to jealousy?” (1 Corinthians 10:22). Paul is asking: “You have testified that you love Him. You’ve even taken His name. Yet, has someone or something else stolen your heart?”
You can say you love Jesus; you can go to church every time the doors are open. But do you seek Him when your time is your own?
*Preachers search their Bibles for sermons.
* Sunday school teachers study it for
lessons.
**But why do we not turn to it for recreational reading, to be refreshed
by our Lord?
**Why don’t we open the Bible to learn of Him, to love Him?
The Bible is Jesus—God’s own Word! It is the full revelation of His heart;
Everything about Him is unmasked in the Scripture. (2 Tim. 3:16).
John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
I would think that if we truly love
Him, if we expect to spend eternity as His bride, then we would want to learn
everything possible about Him!
Our Lord yearns after us, wanting our time and attention. Yet He sees us
spending all our time on other people and other things and that makes Him
jealous!
The day is coming when His jealousy will “burn” against those who
turn to vain idols (Deuteronomy 29:20). It will burst into flames of judgment!
** One of the worst things that can happen to us, as this account makes clear, is to become caught up in a popular movement.
*False forces arise out of it. That is the whole thrust of this section.
*Mis-emphases easily spring into being—and wrongful attitudes arise readily in a popular movement.
*Popularity, therefore, ought to be watched carefully. And when a movement is popular, as Christianity is popular in many places today, we must be careful that we are listening to the voice and the Spirit of God. The book of Jude covers this well. ( These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. Jude 16).
Some qualifications and marks of the latter-day outpouring of the Spirit:
* A focus on the final harvest of souls.
* A spirit of grace leading to repentance and godliness.
* A spirit of supplication resulting in surrender and an urgency to pray in
the Spirit.
* A yearning for Jesus, and mourning, a brokenness and weeping with godly
sorrow for sin. Only after such dealings of the Spirit will the true blessing
of joy come!
**I will depend on Jesus, for everything!
Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
*God created us for Himself but we sold ourselves into slavery to the devil.
*If we’re only loving in order to change the other person or the circumstances, our motivation is totally wrong. That’s conditional human love, and not God’s Love at all. If selfishness is motivating us, the fruit of our actions will be rotten.
* “Love…does not seek its own…”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
God is jealous for His glory. He cannot share it with false gods. He clearly promised blessings for keeping the covenant and curses for breaking the covenant.
*Serving other gods was the most heinous offense against God and grounds for breaking the covenant. *Despite God sending prophets to warn the people of their transgressions, they always turned to idol worship until the exile of Judah.
** We ALL need to remove idols from our lives. What’s an idol?
Idol– whatever takes priority over our relationship with God.
** These idols may take the form of family, work, volunteering, recreation/sports, tv, cell phones, I-pad, gaming, and even ministry.
**If we don’t set our priorities straight, God will do it for us.
When the final day comes, I know we all want Jesus to take your hand and whisper, “At last we’re together! You have desired Me so. You have given Me the best of your life, your time, your attention. Come, now—let us be one!”
How will you stand before Him on that day? Everything of this world is going to
burn. But what about your intimacy with Him? Will you be able to stand before
Him knowing you shut out the world and cried out that you wanted to know Him?
John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
Listen to Jesus in Verse 4″ I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.”
“Then I prayed to the God of heaven…” Nehemiah 2:4b
* Let’s allow the power of prayer to revive our spirit and restore our physical and mental vigor. By following Nehemiah’s example we will have the energy needed to defeat the enemy and thrive in the midst of our day to day challenges.
* Seek security by recognizing God as the Source of security.
*”Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”.(JN 14:6)
Father, thank You for the Truth as it is in Jesus. Lord, through the power of prayer, today’s challenge can be tomorrow’s victory. Forgive me when I make prayer my last resort instead of my first choice. Help me remember the truths You have taught me today. Thank You for prayer and the power I receive when I turn to You. Increase my Personal Relationship with You Jesus.
” 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. 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.” (Jude 24-25). Thank you for loving us so much God that you see us as faultless even when I stumble. Remind me that I can’t become perfect but I can continue to make choices that become more like Christ. God, thank you for salvation and for your Son. Thank You for Your Victory over sin and idols at the Cross. Please help me to serve You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
God’s Love is the only solid foundation upon which human love can be built. If “feelings” have diminished or died within a relationship, only Agape can rekindle the flame.
* “…the things impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27
Is there someone you can share God’s Love with today as a result of your faith, and in spite of your feelings?
* “And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”
Luke 6:32
Satan diverts many people by getting them preoccupied with what others are doing for the Lord. Comparing ourselves with others, whether we come out better or worse, is unwise (2 Cor. 10:12).
We need to be so single-minded following the Lord, that we don’t look to the right or to the left to see what others are doing.
It doesn’t matter if we are doing as much to serve the Lord as someone else.
The question is, are we doing ALL that the Lord wants us to do?
* We have to move forward and set priorities and focus on them in and out of season.
I encourage everyone to take the closing days of the year to plan how you are going to read the Bible in the new year. Don’t leave it to chance. One of the main reasons we don’t read God’s word is that we don’t plan to. Take a step of faith and daily put time on your schedule for your Savior, King, Lord, friend, King, Counselor….
“A Vision without Action is a Delusion”
God’s love is electric, and when we allow Him to love through us, we become “supercharged” with the radiance of His Life. We heal as we help others out wit our testimony.
* “And it came about when…he was coming down from the mountain… Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.”Exodus 34:29
Paul’s identity was not based upon himself, but upon the person of Jesus Christ. Each and every day we must remind ourselves: It’s not I…but Christ.
** “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:20
“Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.”.1 Corinthians 7:17a
1 Thessalonians 5:24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
*** You’ll be strengthened by your dependence on Him—whether trials or a flood of blessing comes.
*It’s actually when life gets rough and rugged that the sweetness of God’s faithfulness makes itself real in your heart. As you walk through those storms in complete reliance on His strength, your trust in His character becomes part of who you are and strengthens from within.
Compassion for self and others is the evidence of God’s Love.
***”But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion…and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he…took care of him.” Luke 10:33-34
Each of us is called to relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
* We are called BY Him, TO Him, and FOR Him.
*Once we enter that relationship with Christ, we are called into the physical expression of that relationship.
*This is where our vocations are manifested as a result, not as an end in themselves.
Additionally, there are examples of special callings in the Bible in which individuals have a direct communication from God to do a specific task for Him. Moses, Paul, Peter, and many others had direct communication about what God was calling them to do.
Not everyone receives this “special” calling. This is not to say God is not personal with each of us. Some have had extraordinary supernatural encounters with God that led to their calling being specific to a task ordered by God.
***ALL of us have been called to follow Christ and live our lives in Obedience to Him. Trust the words of Scripture. They are Truth and Alive today for you and me.
* Many of us have a sense to go in one direction or another based on our life experiences and giftedness. This, too, is God’s calling.
*Calling goes beyond our work and includes our Relationships to others: our spouse, our children, our neighbors — and our co-workers. We must remember this in order that our “work calling” does not become elevated at the expense of the other important aspects of our lives. This is an accurate approach to the gospel in which God made ALL of LIFE equally important.
Therefore, the next time someone says, “I was called into the ministry” or “I am in full-time Christian work,” stop him or her and tell him or her WE ARE ALL in full-time Christian work. There is no secular and religious in the economy of God.
I have a dear friend who often says, “I am a servant of the living God masquerading as a cop.” So, too, are we first a servant of the living God.
Fruit is something we can easily see. The evidence of Godly fruit is not found in word, deed, talent, success or accomplishment, but rather in the humble qualities of:
* “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” Galatians 5:22-23
When we think of the works that Jesus did, we think of love, compassion, mercy, giving of ourselves, caring, selflessness, healing and teaching.
* Jesus did these things on a daily basis, with people He came in contact with as a normal part of His day, and usually in ways that were not exceptional or highly dramatic.
I believe we all have different callings and different interests, BUT each of us as followers of Christ can be daily living in the love of God and doing the works that Jesus did, through faith.
Paul wrote to the Philippians, “In
lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Philippians
2:3b). Paul doesn’t say not to esteem yourself, your vision or your life
mission. But he does say others also have vision, purpose and a mission. If you will esteem them, you will not just be helping them but also strengthening them in their calling—and perhaps affecting many lives.
Think about the power of Paul’s statement. Imagine what might happen if every Christian radically obeyed this truth. We would all have deep, world-impacting interests in others—and none of us would be immersed in our individual goals. We in Unity would be moving forward for God’s Glory.
The whole body of Christ would be so other-centered we would empower one another in our many varied callings.
If each of us is looking only to interests of our own making, our testimony
will be limited at best. BUT if we all are looking in love to build up others,
every God-ordained mission will have more than ample support to be
accomplished.
John 17:20 I’m praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. 21 The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind-Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
**Right here, in this verse, Jesus prayed for YOU.
*He prayed for all those who would believe in him through the apostles message. That is you and me 2000 years later. And what does he pray for, that we would be ONE. That there would be UNITY among his followers. Because then the world would believe God sent Jesus. Do we have any more important task than this?
Thank You Jesus for each one of our giftings to bring Unity to the Body for Your Glory and our Joy! Lord direct and speak to everyone to take the closing days of the year to move forward and plan how we are going to read the Bible each day in the new year and take time to Listen to Your Voice speaking through Holy Scripture. And once we hear–we put into Action for the good of the entire Body for Your Glory.
Amen
Any leader who is not secure in God will be insecure in their leadership actions.
Even though surrounded by great corruption, we must daily choose to walk in faith, hope, and love.
*”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report…think on these things.”
Philippians 4:8
If you could see the extent of destruction that is set in motion when you speak against one another, you would learn to hold your tongue. However, this is not a matter of words but of the condition of your heart and your willingness to say things about someone else that you would not want spoken about yourself.
You will be held accountable for every word that you speak, so be careful what you say.
*Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi” (Matt 2:16-17).
Any leader who is not secure in God will be insecure in their leadership actions.
King Herod was such a leader. He Feared the Loss of Power and had to control every aspect of the people he was ruling.
When Herod heard about Jesus’ coming birth, his Insecurity became out of control and led to making life-threatening decisions for those in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
***Such an Insecure Leader has deep-seated Control issues rooted in the fear of loss of power, money and prestige. *This also led to Lying to protect his kingdom.
When the wise men told Herod about the coming Messiah, Herod told them he wanted to know when He was born in order to worship him. He had no such plans. He wanted to kill him.
Herod told the wise men to report back to him when the child was born. The wise men were divinely warned not to return to Jerusalem and report back to Herod. When Herod discovered this, he became furious and issued the edict to kill every child under two years old in Bethlehem and the surrounding districts.
***Whenever a leader has deep-seated control issues rooted in fear, their actions surface repeatedly when placed under stress.
* Arguments, manipulation of others, and confrontation with subordinates usually follows.
***However, a leader who has yielded his LIFE and his WORK to God can relinquish outcomes to the Lord and let God change things that may go astray.
** A secure leader realizes God is the source of His power and leadership and he does not need to fear others who may demonstrate leadership qualities. ***Instead, they are able to affirm them for the sake of the organization.
Pray that God makes you a leader who is secure in your position given by God.
Today for example–Competition has penetrated the Church so much that many churches and Christian organizations approach ministry like a sports event. They view their mission as a business that seeks to gain market share among Christians – donors, members, influence – all under the name of God. I am sure God looks down at us and asks, “Whatever happened to John 17:23?” Sometimes we must remind our fellow servants that we are all on the “Same Team”! We should be seeking to impact the Kingdom of God, not increase our own market share.
When Jesus made this statement about unity in John 17:23, it represented the key to bringing salvation to many. He was saying that when His Body is unified, the non-Christian would be able to see who Jesus really is – the Son of God.
Are you contributing to unity in the Body of Christ? Or are you contributing to a spirit of competition?
Ask God where you can be an instrument of unity in His Body.
God’s kind of love is not envious or jealous because it doesn’t seek it’s own, but seeks the welfare of others. Envy is an indication of self-centeredness.
The Apostle Paul had some opponents who were just like many people who sow strife today. They are against everything and critical of the way those in authority(Leaders) handle things.
They make big statements about what they would do if they were the leader, but it’s all talk. They haven’t proven themselves successful in managing even the smallest things, yet they want to be put in charge of big things, just based on their talk.
This is not the system of advancement that Jesus advocates (Mt. 25:21; Lk. 16:11-12; 19:17).
The Scripture speaks in numerous passages about “our light and momentary troubles that are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
When that day breaks, the one thing for which we will be infinitely thankful, the one thing above all others that will thrill us and cheer us and cause us to glory, is the fact that out of all the created universe, WE were chosen to be the ones who bore the name of God in the hour of danger and affliction, problem and trial.
There is no higher honor than that.
This is a time to re-evaluate. There are things that are best left behind and other things that should be restored. There are still other things that need more care and attention then you have previously given. Your circumstances will dictate what you need to take a look at and what requires your interest. This process might take some time, so don’t be hasty in your judgments or choices. Be moved by the Holy Spirit inspired word, the Bible. Let the Spirit speak to you and your decisions will be sound.
*Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
Our Father, help me with my leadership skills to do your Will and not man’s. I do count it indeed a mighty privilege to bear reproach for Your name’s sake. I know that the day is coming when that will be my chief joy. Thank you Jesus for choosing us simple ones to Share Your Truth to a hurting world which so desperately needs YOU! Thank you Jesus for loving us so so much that you bore the Cross for each and every person no matter what their past may be. Thank you Jesus for Your Patience with me. All Glory and Honor to You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreWhen you focus on serving others, your need is often met through God’s supernatural law of serving.
*God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves.
Authentic hospitality can only flow through a surrendured heart filled with
God’s Agape Love. Bless and surprise someone with the simplicity of random love, kindness and hospitality today! **”Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”1 Peter 4:9
Another version says ” Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay”.
Be devoted to ONE ANOTHER – give yourself to hospitality. Hospitality isn’t what would first come to mind under moments of extreme trial. But it makes absolute sense.
*We need God and we need each other! We need to guard our relationship with God when under pressure and our relationship with others.
Its at such times that a strain can be placed on our relationship with God and others. Love others by overlooking disagreements, avoiding negative talk or gossip, control your tongue under pressure, by being hospitable, live in each other’s worlds – giving and receiving the warmth of friendship. Building the most powerful bonds of strength over the fellowship at the table.
Verse 10 goes on to say: ” God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
Out of this relationship and context SERVE ONE ANOTHER with whatever gift God has given you – speaking, giving, helping. Ministry flows out of relationship. This will guard you against many pressures. Context is extremely important to our ministry.
*Ministry is not simply the delivering of a gift.
** Ministry is the context in which we SERVE that gift.
* The gift is explosive in an environment of love and acceptance.
These bonds will defeat all obstacles and opposition. Love is more powerful than all.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
*These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
*It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship.
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light.
We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. **But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
**This is the way we grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy.
The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle. “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love.” (Hos 10:12). “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:6-9)
“LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” (Ps 16:5-6).
We don’t serve others to GET!
However, when you do serve others, there is a Kingdom principle that works on your behalf as fruit of your service. Is there someone you need to serve this Holiday Season?
Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
* You have to KNOW who you are and WHOSE you belong to.
* Be that someone others can count on. * Be the one who displays Christ. The one who works behind the scenes and dose not need a pat on the back.
* One who Loves enough to risk relationships for the sake of Truth.
* One who displays the character and spirit of Christ in the best of times, the worst of times.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. — Galatians 2:20
*These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus.
*It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for Absolute Loyalty to Jesus.
*I must be broken from my self-realization, and immediately that point is reached, the reality of the supernatural identification takes place at once, and the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable – “I have been crucified with Christ.” (Now a Bond-Servant of Jesus).
Lord Jesus, I don’t think I know who I am. I KNOW who I am. I am Yours!! Lord You have and are defining me. Continue to shape and mold me. I want to be a Server/giver. A Server/ giver of all things especially YOU. May I be a spiritual life source to those around me. ” May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Romans 15:5-6).
In Jesus name, AMEN.
We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
* “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12
Freedom and Boundaries
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?'” – Genesis 3:1.
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries:
*Freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us.
*Boundaries to protect us from evil.
***The boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of limiting Adam.
** Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our life.
When ever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. Life is the SAME in-Marriage, Kids, Family, Friends.
**You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God’s authority.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God’s will for His life.
It was God’s will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the temptation. God was showing His Son that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. *Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God.
**Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life.
***These are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it!!!
* We are who we are– through the thoughts we have.
* Take your thoughts captive – know your Bible.
** Thoughts » habits » circumstance**
* When was the last time you thought about what your thinking about?
* Peace comes by fixing our thoughts
1) You can change your thoughts.
2) Fix your thoughts on what is true, pure and noble.
3) Think about things that are worthy of praise.
* Don’t doubt your purpose here and now!
* Choose a few promises and speak them over your life for 2012.
* God doesn’t do it for us, we have to use our faith and take Action.
* Think big, dream big for 2012
* Bring your thoughts under the obedience of God.
You Are so so Worthy. You are God’s Masterpiece. Let go and let God. Let God have the strongholds that are holding you back from being ALL that God has intended.
*A stronghold is an area where we are held in bondage, any part of our lives where satan has imprisoned us.
* As long as we believe things that are not true, we will remain imprisoned by those strongholds.
*The Word of God is the weapon that sets us free from the strongholds.
***Effective Weapons: preaching, teaching, books, tapes, seminars, small Bible study groups, private studies, prayer, and praise.
***Praise helps us keep our mind on God, His power, and the good things that are happening in our lives.
***Prayer reflects a Relationship with God and shows that we depend on Him.
*Jesus promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20). We can win with our weapons because they are spiritual weapons.
Examples of strongholds are “God doesn’t love me”, “His promises don’t apply to me”, “He could never forgive me for what I did”, “I don’t have to change because God made me that way”, “I don’t have to forgive because what that person did to me was unforgivable”, “God doesn’t work that way anymore”, “I’m un-worthy”, I’m the black Sheep of the family”, and “I can’t share the gospel because…” To mention a few.
The enemy will try anything to separate us from God and keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Him. That is why we need to put our spiritual armor on every day. *We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice. Set up Boundries in your life that allows you the TIME to spend with Jesus-LISTENING
AGAIN: We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice.
* We have to be humble and open to correction.
When our strongholds are broken down, we can glorify God more freely and openly. We are set FREE!
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made YOU alive with Christ, for he forgave ALL our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
(Colossians 2:13-15)
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories. When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence and for us To Heal!
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of ALL good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him. It’s by God’s grace that He uses any of us.
**Anyone who claims to be used of God because of his great holiness is either deceived or a deceiver.
*** It’s our faith in the grace of God that allows His Love to flow through us.
Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord. Then, you will be able to discern spiritually. However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions. Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant. Obtain and maintain purity.
**Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Let’s Bring Back Jesus this Christmas!!
“A Vision without Action is only a Delusion”. Moving Forward!
Most people have forgotten what the meaning of Christmas really is. It’s a time to celebrate something very important— the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ— that’s right the “Star” of the show!!! Not santa claus, shopping, material gifts,Parties without Jesus etc.
*If we ALL make room for Jesus this Season with family and friends— who knows what could come from our circumstances!
*We all sin, Christians and non-Christians, but what we do after sinning is what matters.
Psalms 51: 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
* No matter who you are, God can use you.
* No matter what problems you face, God is with you.
*No matter what He promises, God can do.
An Angel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary’s response: ” “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Lord, I pray today you renew my heart so that I can live in your perfect will and take Time each day to Listen to You. I want a clean heart, free of doubt. Help me to bring Jesus Back to the CENTER of Christmas and every day of my life. *Help me to trust You and put Your Boundries up in All roles of my Life.
I know The key to that is to spend time feeding my hunger…by getting full on Your Perfect Word…Knowing that Your promises are not made by man. In Your time Lord, Your Promises will manifest and come to fruition. Help me Meditate on Your Word daily…all through my day…in my thoughts and my actions… My faith and dependency upon the Lord relies on the intimate time that I share with You Lord. In these times, I must converse…I must talk AND listen! I must hear AND follow…
Thank you for this day to have the opportunity to Glorify You Jesus! Amen
* Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self.
Hebrews 5:8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
When life tumbles in, leaving us mystified, are we allowing God to plant Hope, Love, Freedom and Faith in our minds and hearts? Do we humbly recognize his inscrutable wisdom?
If we are faithful to do our part, God will always be faithful to do His!
* “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”James 4:8
But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering; He speaks to them in their affliction. – Job 36:15
*God’s ways are not our ways.
* His preparation of His warriors seems cruel and hurtful at times.
*God’s ways are much higher than ours. **Trust the God of the universe that He CAN orchestrate the events of your life when they seem the darkest.
What shall I say? Father, save me, from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. — John 12:27-29
My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is Not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may Preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow.
*** Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but OUT of the hour.
*Lord I ask that you help us learn to pray to grow nearer to you. To hear your voice and follow your will. Lord I ask too that you show us your good and perfect plans. Father thank you for your love and your unending promises and grace.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to receive ourselves in its fires.
* If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. *Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrow ought not to be.
**Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
*Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better.
* Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self.
* If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, he has no time for you. *If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another (Job 19:25-27a).
This is one of the great words of faith in the Old Testament,of the resurrection of the body found in the Word of God.
Slowly, through the anguish and gloom of this man’s heart, born out of the passion and the pathos that he feels, comes the dawning realization that God is working out a great and mighty Purpose, and that one of these days God Himself (Job has never failed to see God’s great majesty and power) shall be visibly present before people.
*God is working out a purpose!!!
“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Ps 13:1-2).
When David wrote his psalms he was honest about what he was feeling. However, David never stayed in the place of despair. He often ended his psalms like this one.
*** “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me” (Ps 13:5-6).
David chooses to focus on what God HAS DONE for him, not what He has not done.
*David’s situation did not change from verse 1 to verse 5, but his Perspective and Attitude changed. He was wrestling with God’s timing, plan, attention…but ultimately David trusts in God’s love and remembers God’s favor and faithfulness to him.
*If you are waiting for a breakthrough with God, be honest with Him about your hopes, concerns and dreams.Pray!
* However, also affirm your Faith and Trust in Him to accomplish HIS Purposes through your life.
In times of despair, it is harder to hold on than to give up. BUt if we give up on the LORD, we give in to a life of DESPAIR.
God forgive me for NOT consistently praising Your name. You are great and worthy to be praised for all that You have done and will do.
Thank You, Lord, that You have sent Jesus to be my Redeemer, and I can trust that You are working out Your purposes even through my current sufferings. Help me to accept what You have in store for me and move forward as the sphere in which I am to live to the glory of God.
Father, thank You for the encouragement I receive from Your Perfect Word in the Bible through the Holy Spirit. Help me to take heart in what trials and sufferings I may be going through and know that You will bring me through.
I thank you God for always being so great to me. Even in my times of heartache and suffering you were there to lean on. I will Never forget how kind You have been to me and how great You are today. To God be the Glory. Forever and Ever. Amen
1 Peter 2: 20…But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
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