Devotions - Prayer
The “new willpower” we receive when we’re born again is the key to our Christian walk. We can now choose to either live God’s Life…or our own.
“So choose life in order that you may live…by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20
“He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do.” Hebrews 3:2 (MSG)
The author of the book of Hebrews wrote.
These believers were in danger of losing their focus on Christ as their deliverer. People had begun putting their trust in prophets, angels, and even Moses. So in Hebrews 3, the people are reminded that Jesus is the only one worthy of trust and is where our faith should be centered.
The writer of Hebrews wanted Christians to stop putting themselves, other people, or material items, at the center of their attention, and instead draw their gaze back to Jesus.
Just like the people of that time, we can quickly get distracted, become busy, and inadvertently make our obligations and celebrations the focus of our attention.
We gradually become self-centered instead of Jesus-centered.
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’“ (Mark:9:23-24).
*Unbelief in Jesus (NOT believing in Jesus) is a turning away from Jesus in order to seek satisfaction in other things.
And BELIEF in Jesus is coming to Jesus for the satisfaction of our needs and our longings.
It’s one thing to believe in Jesus. It’s another to make Him the center of our lives.
When we make that important choice and remember to focus on Him and be thankful in all things, our hearts and lives stay in balance.
This Thanksgiving (and every day), let’s praise God and commit to making Him our focal point—“our centerpiece”.
When we choose to make Jesus the emphasis of our holidays and our lives, we are blessed with the most beautiful centerpiece of all.
See Colossians 2:2-3 and 1 Thess. 5:16-19 in your Holidays.
Lord, I never intended to put You on a shelf and allow life’s distractions to alter my attention on You. Give me the spiritual desire to stay intently focused on You during this holiday and into the new year. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read MoreIn everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
One of the things that made people such dynamic Christians is the fact that they chose to see life from God’s perspective.
In the worst of situations, they find new insights to praise and thank God.
The Bible tells us that we are to give thanks in everything, the good things AND the bad things. In Psalm 50:23, God says, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.”
In the hard times, thanksgiving is difficult. It is definitely a sacrifice to thank God in our troubles, but it is so very necessary.
Thanksgiving honors God, and when you and I honor God, He honors us (1 Samuel 2:30).
How is your thanksgiving factor? Are you facing tough times? Have you been griping and complaining about the things in your life that are hard, lonely and frustrating? Jesus is there:
- He knows about it,
- He is over it, and
- He cares for you.
Without question, Jesus has a purpose in every trial and tribulation.
Start today to live a life of thanksgiving. If you will do it, your attitude will change, the people around you will be blessed, and Jesus Christ will be glorified and honored.
Thank You Jesus, Help me share this joy of thanksgiving this Holiday with all I encounter. Amen
Give THANKS ALWAYS! Ecclesiastes 7:14 “Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.”
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Only God’s Love can disarm the emotional bombs of generational hatred and vengeance that keep igniting all over the world.
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions.” Proverbs 10:12
“That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies…” Joshua 7:12
*It matters not how strong you are.
* It matters not whether you have the greatest resources and talent.
*It matters not if you have the best plans and procedures.
*It will all fail if you have a break in your armor.
This is the message God told Joshua when he attempted to go against a small army at Ai, which was the Israelites’ second battle in the Promised Land.
Sometimes we try to figure out why we are not successful in an endeavor.
*We look at all aspects of our performance to see what went wrong.
Sin makes our armor vulnerable to attack from Satan, who then gains permission from God to attack us in the area where we have failed to uphold righteousness(moral orderliness).
*If we break down in moral purity, satan comes in and establishes a stronghold.
*If we give place to bitterness and unforgiveness, we will break fellowship with God and others.
*If we become money-focused, we will fall into greed and deception.
****It is a vicious cycle.
Examine your armor today (Ephesians 6:10-20).
Verse 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
- Watch your thoughts; they become words.
- Watch your words; they become actions.
- Watch your actions; they become habits.
- Watch your habits; they become character.
- Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
#3 from the 8 truths to master life.
I sincerely ask the Holy Spirit to show me what I need to do and empower me to follow through in obedience.
Result: I am released from my need to control everything.
I am “Free.”
*The reason for this is that I now trust God, Who knows all, and He has promised those who are meek, that they will inherit the earth. Faith in God has freed one from the burden of trying to push, manipulate or force, in order to get one’s way.
Read–Jeremiah 9:23,24.
Lord help me to develop the same Character you have which is found in Matthew 5:3-12. Give me discernment this day to understand the Beatitudes a lot more this week. Amen
Read More The Will of God for me is: 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality.
“Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you (1 Thessalonians 4:8).
*This is a command that we should abstain from fornication (any sexual relationship outside of marriage).
That could be homosexuality, an emotional affair, cheating on a spouse, sex before marriage, or any sexual act performed by or with a person to whom you are not married.
In other words, if you are not married (marriage between a man and a woman only) to that person, then you do not have any form of sexual relationship with them!
Watching or looking at pornography is included in fornication because the Bible says if you have done this in your heart (or mind) then it is just as sinful as doing it in the flesh.
Let the light of God’s truth shine in you to expose the darkest recesses of your being.
There are still things hidden that must be revealed for the purpose of setting us completely free.
Righteousness(moral orderliness) must be restored before your own light can shine unhindered by the darkness of carnal living. Set your heart on purity.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
****Set your personal boundaries.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.
Through the atonement of Jesus, we have been delivered from sickness, poverty and demonic control, as well as sin, in this present life. To the degree we believe that, we will begin to experience the physical benefits of our salvation in the “rough now and now,” not just in the “sweet by and by.”
Our salvation is not just “pie in the sky,” but it is victory in this present life.
John 17:3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
* The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while fleeing from God Himself. We are, by nature, fugitives.
*We need to get to –KNOW HIM.!
Lord, help me draw more of You and set some personal boundaries. Help me to keep the Eternal Perspective in my heart mind and soul to overcome these temptations of the world. Help me make the Right Choices for Your Glory and my Joy! Amen
We fight From Victory—Not For Victory. (see 1JN 4:4)
Read MoreGod deserves better than “part time love” from us.
We have to remember we face three enemies: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. But we believers have Victory through Jesus!
Matthew 26:33 “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.”
Just like Peter, we are often more confident of ourselves than God is.
Many Christians are devastated when they fail in some area that they thought they had long since grown past.
We need to realize that as long as we are in this mortal body, we cannot fall asleep at our battle station against the works of the flesh.
If we do, our flesh is just as capable of sin as anyone else’s.
If we fall, it should concern us but not surprise us. We should simply realize with Paul, that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing,” get back into the spirit through confession and forgiveness, and go on with Jesus.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him.
Peter wasn’t qualified, and even at our best, neither are we. If we realize that we are nothing and have nothing, then we are prime candidates to be used by God.
Peter went on to become probably the best known of the twelve apostles. The Lord used him mightily.
But He didn’t want him, or us, to forget that it was Christ in Peter and not Peter himself who was great.
This also illustrates the extent of our Father’s love and forgiveness.
If God not only forgave Peter for his sin, but also reinstated and advanced him, then surely we have not pushed God’s grace beyond its limit. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.
God doesn’t see us as a failure – just a learner.
God can redeem the worst “failure” and work it together for good (Rom 8:28). We need to think like God.
Refuse to get upset. Maintain peace, stay calm and have faith.
This is all about learning to trust the Lord in the midst of chaos.
Stay the course and see His handiwork.
Psalms 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Lord, as I pray the Lord’s prayer this day with meaning, fill me with your Spirit and renew my mind, heart and soul. Amen (Matthew 6:9-13)
Read MoreRead the Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:8-11 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly (1 Timothy 1:8).
The Law is both good and useful in the Christian life.
*The Law is good and useful, but it has to be used rightly.
*The Law is good, of course, because God Himself gave it.
*The striking thing about the Law is that those Ten Commandments are the only part of the Bible God Himself physically wrote with His own hand.
*Moses did not write them.
*They were written by the hand of God on tablets of stone and delivered by angels to Moses on Mount Sinai.
In fact, God wrote the Law twice. After the first tablets were broken, Moses returned to the mountain, and God wrote the Law again.
That in itself ought to indicate that the Law is important and not to be done away with.
Furthermore, as you study those Ten Commandments, you discover that they:
* Reflect the character and holiness of God.
*They are an expression of the life of God, both in its outward behavior and its inward attitudes.
That is why the Law never will change.
*The Law represents God’s righteous demands for human behavior anywhere on earth.
*It is even written into the hearts of people who have never heard of the Ten Commandments.
That is why most human laws–laws we make for the control of our behavior in city, state, and national government–are based upon, and reflect, the Ten Commandments.
So the Law is not going to be done away with. Paul says it is holy, just, and good.
Further, the Law is useful. Even for us Christians, the Law has a place in our lives, Paul says, “if one uses it properly.” Not everything about the Law carries over into the Christian life, but there is an appropriate use of the Law in the Christian life. Our Lord Himself indicated that in the Sermon on the Mount:(Matthew 5:17-19).
Those words ought to make very clear what Paul insists on here in 1 Timothy that the Law is not eliminated.
The Law will always be there because it is holy, just, and good; it reflects the character of God.
So it does have a part in our Christian experience.
Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community
Exodus 20:1-17
Lord, thank You for Your Law, which reflects Your character. Teach me to use Your Law properly, in a way that is consistent with the gospel.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Bless the Lord by blessing someone less fortunate today through Your……Time, Talent & Treasures
“And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness…and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:10-11
*God wants to do mighty things through us.
*God wants to express His love to the world through us.
*So if we are clinging to one thing that gets in the way of His accomplishing that—some willfulness, some refusal to trust Him for everything—He points it out to us.
Sometimes God wants us to add something to our lives before He brings His best.
This may involve something we have not done, so He wants us to ask, “Have I been slow to respond to something God has asked me to do?”
“You will do even greater works, once I send you My Spirit. He will empower you. Greater things are yet to come!” (see Acts 1:1-8).
Indeed, greater things came–at that time the disciples would go beyond Israel and the Middle East, into Europe and India and Africa, “preaching the good news of Christ” to the nations, all within their generation.
*The Lord has things to teach and to show us that we could not have received until now. These will be times to remember and to cherish even though they seem to be beyond our ability to fully deal with presently. It’s not our power that will bring Us through; it is Jesus’ Power!
Zechariah 4:6b “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the LORD of hosts.
May we go, empowered by Your Spirit, to make disciples of all nations. Use us to bring many to You Jesus! Thank you for Your word to keep fear and discouragement out. Thank You Jesus for the Victory Amen
*Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
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God’s Word is the only way to access what’s happening in your spirit. You can’t go by how you feel or even your experiences. Experiences can grab your attention or touch you, but only the Word of God can truly reveal what’s going on in your spirit. There is a spiritual you, and in the spirit, you are perfect.
1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul prayed, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly;and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” There are many verses that say this, but this one puts it all in one. It’s really clear that you have a spirit, soul, and body-not just a body and a soul, but three parts to you.
On the inside of every Christian, there is a completely brand-new person that most don’t have a revelation of. Even if they’ve heard of their inner man, functionally they don’t live according to it.
They live and face their problems based on their physical ability and what they feel. If you control your thinking with what is true in the spirit, it’ll control your feelings. All you’ll experience is life and peace. Romans 8:6 says,
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
God began speaking these truths to me through His Word, and I started relating to Him based on faith in what the Bible says. It has changed my life. I’m telling you, there are so many Christians looking for some type of experience or some external thing that’s going to change their lives! But it’s the Word that’s the foundation for everything.
The Word of God is what will change your life. The reason you may be living under the thumb of the devil is because you don’t know who you are or what you have.
The Bible has more than 7,000 promises from God to you—promises of success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, wisdom and more. Why does God make these promises? Because he wants you to learn to trust Him. Find a promise in God’s Word for you this day. Amen
Read Hosea 4:6, John 1:12, Col. 1;14 , 1 John 4:4 &5;18, Ephesians 2:10, Phil 4:13 and Psalms 139
Read MoreGod’s Love gives us eyes to see Christ’s victory shining far above the earthly clouds of heartbreak and suffering.
“But being full of the Holy Spirit, he [Stephen] gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God…”Acts 7:55
Luke 12:48 ” But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”
This verse is one of the clearest references in scripture about varying degrees of God’s judgment according to the knowledge of the person who committed the sin.
The whole chapter of Leviticus 4 is written to deal with sins committed in ignorance.
Jesus said in John 9:41, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”
Also, Romans 5:13 says, “sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
Paul said, in 1 Timothy 1:13, that he obtained mercy because he had sinned “ignorantly in unbelief.”
The sin he was speaking of was blasphemy, which Jesus taught was unforgivable if done against the Holy Ghost.
Therefore, we see that ignorance in Paul’s case entitled him to a second chance.
If he would have continued to blaspheme after he saw the truth, he would surely have paid the price. see Hebrews 10:26
This is not to say that a person who doesn’t have a complete revelation of God’s will is innocent regardless of his actions.
Leviticus 5:17 makes it clear that an individual is still guilty even if he sins through ignorance.
Romans 1:18-20 reveals that there is an intuitive knowledge of God within every person to the degree that they even understand the Godhead. This same chapter goes on to explain that people have rejected and changed this truth, but that God did give it and they are without excuse.
No one will be able to stand before God on judgment day and say, “God is not fair.”
He has given every person who has ever lived, regardless of how remote or isolated they may have been, the opportunity to know Him.
Your response to your circumstances will determine whether you will be victorious or victimized. Be strong and courageous. Let Jesus lead you to victory. see 1 John 4:4
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
1John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Thank You Jesus for paying the price at the cross for us all. Help us give thanks daily for our Victory we have through You! Amen
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Scripture touches all areas of our life, including this battle with how we use technology. Our Time!
In his letter to the Romans, Paul speaks about his own battle with sin.
*He expressed a frustration to which we can all relate, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15).
*We are all sinners. “There is no one righteous, not one” (Romans 3:10).
As long as we live in this world, we ALL will battle against our sinful nature. But Paul points us to the source of our help, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24–25).
Many of us may realize the pull that technology has on us and feel the weight of our guilt because of the wasted time each day.
But like Paul says, Jesus is our rescuer.
*Jesus came to redeem us from each and every sin, including the squandering away our time(busy-ness) on the iPhone, facebook etc etc. (See John 17:3)
*His perfect life has become ours.
*His sacrificial death paid our debt in full.
Every time we fail and stumble in this battle against sin, we need to return to the gospel over and over again to let the Holy Spirit speak to us. It is a Choice we have to make. Each time we put the Bible down it is our first step to backsliding in our sin.
**How else are we going to renew our mind if not by the Word of Scripture? Where else do we find Truth?
The cross stands there for us, not as a one-time source for forgiveness and assurance of eternal salvation, but also as a source of grace for each moment of our days.
And as we turn from our sin in repentance, we can respond in thanksgiving to our gracious God because though we are more sinful than we ever thought, we are also more loved and more forgiven than we will ever know.
You know it and I know it, there are more important things in our life than what our computers and phones and online platforms have to offer.
As we seek to redeem our time for eternity, we must rest in the grace of Christ and cling to this promise: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
Lord Jesus, help me to Balance the time You have given me on earth to Glorify You and not myself. Thank You for Your perfect Grace to save a sinner as myself. Amen
Read MoreAll our Father wants, is that we trust Him with all aspects of our life. Put Him at the centre, not the sidelines or the reserve bench.
According to the Bible, unless we are pursuing our happiness we cannot even come to God:
* “for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
God blatantly entices us to seek happiness, joy, pleasure (whatever you want to call it) in Him with verses like this:
* “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4),
* “in his presence is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
We’re supposed to want pleasure!!
*Why does God want us to want pleasure?
* Because it is a crucial indicator.
***Pleasure is the meter in your heart that measures how valuable, how precious someone or something is to you.
** Pleasure is the measure of your treasure.
*Your treasure is what you love.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart [what you love] will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
Pleasure is the whistleblower of your heart.
More than anything else it exposes what you really love.
*If something sinful gives you pleasure, it’s not a pleasure problem. It’s a treasure problem!!!!!
Your pleasure mechanism is likely functioning just fine. It’s what you love that’s out of whack.
That’s what SIN is at the root— treasuring evil.
Which makes the fight of faith in the Christian life a fight for delight.
* It’s a fight to believe God’s promises of happiness over the false promises of happiness we hear from the world, our fallen flesh, and the devil.
And yes, it often involves denying ourselves pleasure, but only denying ourselves a lesser, viler pleasure in order to have a much higher pleasure (Luke 9:23-25).
(Matthew 22:37). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21)
Jesus Christ knew all about the human tendency to feel inadequate. That is why He assured His followers they would receive a Helper – the Holy Spirit – who would come to abide in them forever.
The Spirit enables, energizes, and equips believers to serve the Lord.
* One of the ways He aids us is by providing spiritual gifts, which are special capabilities given to believers.
The Lord has a plan for every believer. To ensure that we can meet the Lord’s expectations:
* He first builds natural talents into us.
At salvation, He adds a spiritual gift.
*Then God opens doors of opportunity and the Holy Spirit manifests His power so that we can carry out the work set before us.
I love you Lord and I just want my life to bring you glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
Read MorePsalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.”
The most powerful truths are revealed in the darkest times. In fact, pain intensifies our need for God and can be counted as a blessing.
God knows. God hears. God will breathe life into the right choices that we make.
How we respond to pits and pain is our choice.
- We can surrender to the darkness and create an identity that feels at home in a pit or we can embrace the pain and learn from it.
- We can settle for a life defined by pain or we can harness the power of our pain and use it for good.
- We can try to ignore the pain and hope it all goes away or we can face it and let God heal the broken places.
Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
You’re never going to become a friend of God in your spare time. You have to make knowing God your number one priority in life. read John 17:3.
Are you doing that? Are you seeking God with all your heart every day?
Remember: You are as close to God as you choose to be. You’re going to become a friend of God when you want to become a friend of God.
You can’t blame anybody else. You can’t blame your wife, your husband, your parents, or your kids. You are as close to God as you want to be. And if you feel far from God, guess who moved?
You didn’t make him the number one priority of your life.
Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure.
I’ve noticed that you can tell what’s important to people by what they brag about.
- If their kids are most important, they brag about their kids.
- If their job is the most important thing in their life, they brag about their job.
- If travel and having experiences is most important, that’s what they talk about.
- If partying or buying new clothes is what you talk about most, guess what you value most?
- If playing videos is what you spend time on, guess what you value most?
- If talking about hobbies or sports all the time, guess what you value most?
- You brag about what you value most. see Jeremiah 9:23,
Why? Because that’s what life is all about. Knowing God is what matters most.
The God of the Universe loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. God shows no favoritism! Rom. 2:11.
Getting close to God will give you peace and perspective. Now that’s Good News! Amen
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Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
*God has a plan for everyone, but we just have to remember to let him lead us in the right direction and not let our judgment cloud His.
We should all live as ambassadors of Christ, and through our works glorify The Lord our GOD. Live by example.
God has a plan for you and only He alone can fulfill His purpose for you.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever – do not abandon the works of your hands.
It’s good to know that God has a purpose for each one of us.
The Scripture there does not say that the Lord will fulfill my purpose; it says the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. There’s a great difference.
*I may have one purpose; God may have another.
*God does not guarantee that He will fulfill my purpose, but He does promise that He will fulfill His purpose.
And then the psalmist goes on to say, “Your love, O LORD [and that means ‘your covenant-keeping faithfulness’], endures forever.”
When God commits Himself to us to fulfill His purpose in our lives, that is a commitment for time and for eternity.
***And then, maybe out of a situation of desperation, the psalmist says, “Do not abandon the works of your hands.”
We have a strong assurance as we read these words: “You made me; don’t abandon me.”
This is for each one of us. God made us; He will not abandon us.
God has a purpose; He’s going to fulfill it. Maybe it won’t be your purpose, but it will be His purpose.That purpose will stand sure and unshakable no matter what you go through.
John 15:8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
What is that Fruit? The Fruit of the Spirit. 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:
*Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Lord, Help me see that my purpose is to glorify You through holy living and service. Amen
John 6:29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Will you allow God to use your failures to bind you even closer to Him?
“…for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:14
When we truly see ourselves as God sees us, we can not help but to act in love to others.
God doesn’t see us for who we are by what we do or have done.
Instead, he sees us for what Jesus has done for us.
Therefore, my friends, Gods sees us as perfection.
*He still is our Father and does what he needs to do to rid the sin from our flesh, but our spirit is perfect.
I guess it may be looked at as God looking at an old rusty truck. We may think of our selves as ready for the scrap heap, but God sees a completely restored work of art!
The problem is that we allow the evil one to lie to us, and we believe that lie.
*It comes in many different forms and in many different ways, but the end result is that the thief wants to put us down, to destroy us.
However, when we listen to God, we hear a completely different message.
*How do we hear that message?
- By turning to God and rejecting the devil and all his schemes.
- We read our Bible and pray.
- We hang around people who proclaim and live the gospel.
- When we do all this, when we are really listening to God’s message, we will be consumed with love.
- And, when we are consumed with love, we can’t help but love others.
- God’s love will overwhelm us and drive us to loving, and helping, others.
- We will share the love of God and eagerly share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- It’s a beautiful thing, living out God’s love. I am reminded by Ephesians 2:10, that we are God’s Masterpiece! Thank you Jesus! Amen
Pray that God will allow you to walk as Jesus did. Experience His power and love in your life today so that others will see the hope that lies in you.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)
When life gets overwhelming, do you ever wonder if God notices all you have going on? Does He see how hard you’re working and trying to take care of everyone and everything?
Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her'” (Luke 10: 41-42).
In that moment, Jesus showed Martha just how much He cared.
*Not just about how hard she was working, but about the rest He knew she needed.
*Instead of giving her what she demanded, Jesus showed Martha what she needed and the choice she could make to receive it.
Jesus helped Martha see that Mary hadn’t abandoned her to do the work by herself.
*Instead, Mary chose to walk away from distractions and preparations so she could take hold of something that couldn’t be taken away from her.
It was the one thing that would last even after Jesus was gone: time with Him resting in His presence, listening from His perspective, and listening to His promises.
1 Peter 5:7 says to “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
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.
Christ is actively working within you and me to shape our character and empower our obedience.
Jesus lives to intercede for those who believe in Him (Hebrews 7:25). He makes requests on our behalf and brings our prayers before the Father.
Then, we see in 1 John 2:1–2 that Jesus is our Advocate when we sin. Positioned between us and holy God, Christ declares our righteous standing because of His sacrifice and our faith in Him.
What’s more, Christ is preparing a place for us in heaven (John 14:1–3). He is also arranging all the events necessary for His return.
We are His body—His eyes, ears, voice, feet, and hands—pointing others to Him
Jesus, help me seek You as much as I serve You and others. I want to balance my life and my workload with You, knowing with confidence that You care about me and are good at taking care of me! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
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