Devotions - Prayer
ARE YOU AFRAID
Deut. 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
This scripture is so powerful. The Lord himself goes before me. Wow!
We are not in this alone. He will never leave me nor forsake me! Wow!
No matter what-God is with me for the long haul.
Do not be afraid or discouraged. Again I say Wow!
We are living in VERY uncertain times, BUT God promises he will go before us, he will never leave us and most importantly do not be afraid or discouraged.
Take heart Christ is returning soon. We have hope!!!!!!!!
Over the past two years there has been this freedom in Christ that I have felt unlike anything else in my life!
I appreciate the opportunity to be able:
* to read the Word of God anytime,
* to pray for my family and friends and even those who do not like me.
I will never take for granted again the reality that we have here- which is a freedom we can have in Christ when we surrender all of ourselves to Him.
I’ve learned that when you exposure yourself to God it’s like you allow Him to peel the layers away from your life like an onion. You start to stink- you become raw- you begin to see where the roots in your life are planted.
It’s OK for all of this to happen.
When we remove the walls in our lives that have been put up to prevent us from becoming authentic Christians it is a painful process… BUT there is nothing sweeter than the freedom you feel during the process and afterwards!
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Do you frequently feel lonely, abandoned, left out or neglected?
Have you tried to hide Your emotions and pain with a painted-on smile while deep inside you hurt so much?
BUT God knows your heart – He knows your personal struggles, your temptations in this busy fast competitive world.
For me I had no peace until I surrendered ALL to Him, then I begin to experience a renewing of my mind and freedom from the issues that kept me in bondage.
It was the freedom IN Christ that keeps me from being afraid or scared any longer. I do not have to lie awake at night wondering the same questions over and over in my head.
I know that God is in control and I can face every situation with more confidence.
With every painful emotion that you allow God to take control of comes a renewing of your mind and restoration of your soul.
To help you understand, the freedom you feel in Christ to do all things through Him is as large and wide as His unconditional love for us!!
Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Our lives are so short. Scripture says its like a vapor, a blooming flower… here and gone. I want to use the short time that I have:
* to tell my children/grandchildren how much I love them.
* To tell Laura how much I appreciate her and cherish her.
*To tell the Body of believers how blessed I am to be partaking in this journey with them.
* To tell my friends how much I love them. To tell them all to have courage. To not fear. To take strength in the knowledge of their Lord.
Lord-Thank you for the ability you’ve given us to encourage others. You put a song on our heart Lord and you help us to sing that song. Give us vision and strength for the future, but along the way remind us and help us to inspire and encourage those you have placed us around. Thank you for your heart for all of us. That you will never leave or forsake us.
Isaiah 52:12 For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Deut. 1:30 The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.
Deut 1: 42 “But the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’
Our own plans seldom avail to good purpose; while courage in the exercise of faith, and in the path of duty, enables the believer:
* to follow the Lord fully,
* to disregard all that opposes,
* to triumph over all opposition,
* to take firm hold upon the promised blessings.
Embrace the changes, both naturally and spiritually, that will take you on the next leg of your journey.
God loves YOU and You are His Masterpiece.!
Thank You Jesus for Your Perfect Love for me!
Amen
Do we need a Foot Washing?
*We are to help people come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
God’s Love is as necessary to human life as the air we breathe or the water we drink.
* “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.”Psalm 42:1
God’s Love eternally embraces the poor, the afflicted, the broken and the unlovely.
* “…the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners…”Isaiah 61:1
We are to take up the towel of God’s mercy and go to that hurting one.
* In the special love of Jesus we are not to judge him, expose him, lecture or find fault.
* Instead we are to commit to being his friend. We are to help him come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
“And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
If you want to be kindhearted—to take up the towel to restore a brother or
sister—you do not need to know the details of how that person got dirty.
*Jesus did not ask His disciples, “How did you get such filthy feet?” He wanted
only to get the dust off of them. His love for them was unconditional.
Likewise, those who walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ must have this
Attitude of love toward those with dirty feet. We are not to ask for details.
Instead, we are to say, “Let me wash your feet.”
Too often Christians want to dive into all the gory details of a situation.
They come to a believer who has dirty feet, saying, “I want to wash your feet.
BUT tell me, what happened? How’d you get so dirty?”
At some point in the story of failure, the curious comforter realizes, “Oh, my,
this is worse than I thought. I can’t get involved in this.” And after a few
more details, he comes to the end of his puny human mercy.
** He judges the person as too evil, beyond help, and he drops his towel and goes his way.
***We cannot wash feet in a judge’s robes. *We have to take off our self-righteous garments before we can do any cleansing.
Paul says we are to be gentle and patient with all people:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Paul is saying, “You must be tenderhearted with everyone, willing to wash their feet. God will have mercy on them and deliver them from their sin.”
In a famous passage in John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of His disciples. He told them “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
The disciples were twelve men beloved of God—precious in His eyes, full of
love for His Son, pure of heart, in full communion with Jesus. Yet they had
dirt on their feet!
Jesus, in essence, was saying to these men, “Your hearts and hands are clean,
but your feet are not. They have become dirty in your daily walk with Me. You do not need your whole body to be washed—only your feet.”
**The dirt Jesus mentions here has nothing to do with natural dirt. It is about SIN—our faults and failures, our giving in to temptations.
I wonder how many of us this past week fell into a temptation or failed God in some way?
It is not that we have turned our
back on the Lord. On the contrary, we love the Savior more passionately than
ever, BUT we fell and now we are grieving—because our feet are dirty.
Scripture tells us: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who
are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
The Greek word for trespass here
means “a fall, a sin.” We are to restore every Christian who falls into sin
if there is a repentant heart.
Foot washing, in its deepest meaning, has to do with our Attitude about the
dirt we see on our brother or sister. So I ask you: What do you do when you are
face to face with someone who has fallen into a sin or transgression?
As Jesus served His disciples, He calls us to serve others. He is calling us to see people through the eyes of God and with His love meet their needs.
But how?
(John 13: 3) Jesus was profoundly anchored in the love of the Father. His identity was secure.
We need a radical receiving of His love!
** We need to be Filled with God’s love (our cup overflowing) in order to give others our richness of love.
Jesus was teaching us how important it is to Humble ourselves before one another and also that we are all equal in Gods eyes. He said that we are to love one another unconditionally– this is how we will know the ones who are called and annointed of God. They will be Love.
1 John 2:9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
Jesus, You showed true humility by washing the disciples feet. Jesus, Help each one of us to be more humble this day and follow Your example of Truth and Love so others may be set FREE for Your Glory. Amen
Mark 9:41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
To Bless God simply means to bow in reverence. We can’t bless the Lord with stuff.. but we can bless him with US.
Life is all a beautiful continual of lessons and blessings. No bad, horrible days and events are any reason for regret.
God’s plan is perfect! And his lessons are full of love and nothing else.
His lessons and teaching not only prepare us for the joyous life he wants for us– they also continue to strengthen our faith bringing US closer to JESUS where we belong!
* In our Weakness is the stage that God demonstrates His strength.
” Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1–5
David, here, is speaking to his own soul. In effect, he’s saying to his soul, “Don’t be sluggish, don’t be unthankful, don’t be unresponsive. Bless the Lord for all His benefits,” and then he lists in succession six specific benefits.
*Number one, the Lord forgiveth all thine iniquities. Regardless if I hurt him, displease him, or ignore him, he forgives all my sins.
* Number two, He healeth all thy diseases. All the scars on my skin and the sickness within my body, and even the sickness mentally and emotionally, he’ll patch right up for me.
* Number three, He redeemeth thy life from destruction. From the traps I have fell into, he’s reached out his hand.
*Number four, He crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
He’s been my only true friend with an undying affection for me.
*Number five, He satisfieth thy mouth with good things. I may not seem to have much to flaunt, but what I do have has certainly been an awesome blessing, even the things I never even asked for. I’m grateful.
*Number six, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Much of all these benefits He’s blessing me with is really all for my spiritual well being. So that it’s “renewed like the eagle’s”.
Surely if we understand these six unchanging benefits and mercies of the Lord, then we need to do as David did to his own soul.
* It Must Be Personal–We need to say to our soul, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name.”
*If we don’t do that, it’s surely evidence that we’re forgetting His benefits.
* We can’t give god measured praise. We’ve got to give him our all. He wants it all.
*One good way never to forget those benefits is to stir up our soul and bless the Lord at all times.
*By serving God and following his commandments, we shall receive his mercy and amazing grace.
** Enjoyment does not reside in increased possessions; it is a gift that God must give. If He withholds it, no amount of effort is going to extract enjoyment from things. That is a difficult lesson for some to learn. Enjoyment is a gift of God.
**Gratitude only comes when we feel we do not deserve something, but we get it anyway.
This book of wisdom exhorts us to receive everything with a grateful heart, realizing that we do not have it coming; it is a gift of God.
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.
*Even if it is painful for the moment, there is a wise Father who has chosen it for you, and it will yield to you great and rich benefits. You can be grateful for the pain as well as the pleasure; that is the lesson of this book.
* Whatever you have in life, remember it was given to you by God.
* Count your blessings and name them one by one! The good times are FROM GOD, so when good times are here enjoy them as best as you can. They are gifts from God, don’t waste them.
* At least everyday say thank you to the Lord.
* God is a miracle worker!!
* Goodness and mercies shall follow me all the days of my life!
All through the Scriptures we are told that the proper relationship of a believer to God, and that which pleases Him, is to give thanks for everything:
*“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
The loving forgiveness of our Heavenly Father is like no other:
* He takes our sins and cast them into the sea. He Gives us yet another chance .
*God is also a God of redemption… He paid the price for sins we haven’t even committed yet.
**How can We Not Bless a God who has done these things for US.
**Even if I wanted to just go on, I HAVE to praise Him. I HAVE to bless Him. There is no other way. Bless the Lord O MY soul!
Galatians 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
*All of these benefits came at the expense of Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross.
*The finish work of the cross allows us to have these benefits that we don’t deserve. FREE GIFT!
******THIS IS GRACE!!!!!!
Lord. I have tasted the frustration of living for things that in the end do not fill me with joy but deprive me of it. Teach me to live gratefully, even when life is painful, knowing that You are still in charge and working and working out Your purpose in my life for Your Glory.
Thank you Lord Jesus for blessing me! Amen
*Storms will come throughout our life time.
*These storms, though none of us likes them, reveals where we really stand with the Lord.
*Storms are to test our standing in the Lord, accept them!
*Yes, I could not said it any better than what James did! Storms shows where we stand in our faith and then helps us grow more and more like Jesus! (James 1: 2-4).
Mark 4:37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.
*Well as you see, we have a problem here or as the old cliche states “Houston we have a problem.”
*Some of us work very hard to hide & suppress the storms in our lives.
The Bible says: “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” Romans 1:18
* Try to internalize the storms. They come despite our best attempts.
*Some give into the storm and then our life, faith and relationships are BATTERED.
**** DONT IGNORE THE PRE-STORM WARNING SIGNS! Acts 27
The whole chapter of Acts 27 is filled with bad things happening-the outlook on the whole situation is a shipwreck. *What is a spiritual shipwreck in my life? Negativity. Loneliness. Speaking & thinking negatively about others and self.
*God knows about our turbulence. He knows everything even the secret storms.
*We have to let God be God in our lives.
God has always been there throughout the storm. I believe God has the power to overcome the storm.
Acts 27 Vs 4 – winds were against us
Vs 7 – the wind did not allow us to go
Vs 9 – dangerous
Vs 11 – injury and loss predicted by Paul
*This is obvious in how we are doing in some relationships .
*We choose to ignore the signs. Ignore our friends.
1 Thess. 5:14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
Vs 18 – violently storm tossed.
We give way to the tempest. To be just driven along.
A life resigned –we may say. ” I can’t change. They are not going to change. It doesn’t work. It is what it is. The things that I’ve done. Things done to me. This is my life. This will always be my life.”
Vs 20- despair. “all hope was gone”.
Given up on your marriage.
Given up on besetting sin.
Given up on reconciling a relationship.
This is a frightening place to be when all hope is gone!!
When despair hits we say–“Leave me alone to self medicate and put on my mask. I don’t even know whom I am anymore.”
In despair we need to Move Forward in Wisdom which refers to Actions that are controlled by the revelation of God.
In Romans 12:2 Paul says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world [do not run after all the attractive, illusive dreams shouted at you constantly by the world], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Think Christianly about life! Look at what you are going through, not from the standpoint of what seems right but upon what IS Right(Truth) according to the Word of God. Here is True Wisdom:
*“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Acts 27 vs 12 can be the place where GRACE INVADES.
Finally we are ready to listen to the voices we have been ignoring so long.
Sometimes we need desperate times before we are ready to let grace invade. But Know Victory has been won for us!
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
GOD WILL NOT WALK OUT ON YOU!
Psalm 107 has been called “the Old Testament love feast.” One of the most
encouraging passages in all of God’s Word, it is for those needing
forgiveness, deliverance or restoration.
The final verse promises us an
understanding of who God truly is:
“ Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the LORD.” (Psalm
107:43).
” Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies. For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died.” (Psalm 107:1-5).
* Storms cause us to realize that Jesus enters our storms. His peace invades our storms. He takes our place In the greatest storms.
** God has provided a solution. “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” (Psalm 107:6-7).
Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! God has done so much for us, and we have so much to thank him. He wants us to tell everyone all that he has done.
Psalm 107 speaks of sharing your joy. It says we should give thanks to the Lord. It is an entreat for us to offer thanksgiving to Him for His goodness and His mercy. It initiates a recollection of how good and merciful He has been to us.
*Its second verse offers us a simple how-to on sharing our joy. It says those who have been redeemed showed say so. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” No one else can say it like us. No one else can express like we can. We know He’s done a miracle on our behalf and has saved us from the clutches of the enemy and an eternity in darkness.
*Now we have joy. We have a newfound joy. Are you really excited about what God has done for you? Can you recall what an effort He made to redeem you? If so, say so. If it is real to you, say it and share it. Only those who truly know can say so.
*Because of the Son of God and the sacrifice He made for our sins, we are Redeemed this day..
*Redeemed- Understand it (we were once all held captive of something).
” And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony……” Revelation 12:11
*Know and believe what Jesus did for you on the cross.
*Be prepared to tell your story of what Jesus has done for YOU.
Friend,”Stay with the ship.” God promises to never leave us, never to forsake us, no matter how ugly the waves of life get, Stay with your faith anchored IN Christ who knows right where you are.
Day-break is coming, God will allow the sun to shine again, no matter how bad things may be, Stay with the ship, even if its on a broken plank, God will use it to get each of us safely to the shore.
How wonderful to know that we are loved – all the time – by our Father. I am in awe of all the miracles I have personally experienced – the first being saved by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I tell everyone about the power, grace, and mercy there for us if we just open to this powerful Love.
Thank you Jesus for showing me the way and directing me through the storms of life and through those storms I now have Testimonies of Your Perfect Love to Glorify You. The Lord’s Goodness and Mercy is like the Energizer Bunny…….It Keeps Going, and Going, and Going, and Going………..
Lord, You provide me with the wisdom that frees, though many reject it because it does not always make sense by the world’s standards. Renew our minds each day by the wisdom found in Your Word, through Your Spirit.
Thank you Jesus for Your Grace and saving a sinner like me. Amen!
*FEAR is the enemy of Faith for it festers in unbelief and doubt.
*Fear comes through lack of faith in the power of God.
*Fear exists to oppose faith and God’s power.
*Fear torments us to rob us of joy.
*Fear stops us from Moving Forward!.
What does the Word of God say?
*2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
*Numbers 14:9 Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the LORD is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
***”When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you… Do not fear, for I am with you…”
Isaiah 43:2, 5
Perfect Love casts out all fear!
JESUS is Perfect Agape Love!
*Do not be afraid of what may be coming in the near future! Embrace what God HAS for you and never forget where he brought you from! For he will always be with you. From start till finish! Until his work is accomplished he will stand by you!!!!!!
When we really understand how much He loves us, we will no longer fear the circumstances He allows in our lives.
*”The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”
(Psalm 27:1)
*God didn’t give us a spirit of fear! Though the enemy constantly tries to plant that into of minds and hearts. In even the worst of circumstances we should not fear anything.
BUT to trust in God that God will see us through all our struggles.
* We must learn to hand that fear over and not let fear manifest in our hearts.
* We must learn to not let worldly things consume us to the point we lose focus.
*The blood of Jesus has saved us. All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed!!
*No matter what God will not forsake you! He will not leave you to fight the battle alone.
Fear is set in by insecurities that we form in our own minds. Something that we feel God will not help us get through.
BUt God will!!! Nothing is greater then God! Nothing can tear from the blood of Jesus that saves us as long as we stay focused! And trust that we will be taken care of!!
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* “Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.” Deut.10:16
*God wants us to obey his commands. David said obedience is better than sacrifice.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
This is the Question to ask Ourselves:
* Have You merely invited Jesus into your home as a guest. Or have You given Jesus the keys to Your home [heart] and You are Jesus servant??
So often many of us enter a relationship with God that brings us salvation. This is the gospel of salvation.
**But what God really desires for us is to experience the gospel of the Kingdom.
*God wants us to experience His power and presence every day of our lives and to see His hand at work IN us.
1 Corinthians 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. “Action”
Luke 17:21 The Kingdom is within you.
The question is “Do I have the power to yield to God’s Spirit prompting me to love like Christ in any situation, no matter how hard?”
* This only happens when we give Him the key to our life; Jesus must be more than an honored guest.
Where are you today? Has your life with God been more like an honored-guest relationship, or does He have the key to your life?
How do you please God? In many places in Scripture we are told that without faith it is impossible to please God. It is faith that pleases Him, belief that He is there and that everything in life comes from His hand.
Underscore in your minds the word all. Pain, sorrow, bereavement, disappointment, as well as gladness, happiness, and joy—all these things are gifts of God.
When we see life in those terms, any and every element of life can have its measure of joy—even sorrow, pain, and grief. These things were given to us to enjoy.
This is also the message of Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
It is also the message of: Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We at Times need to Change our Focus:
A) You cant depend on past success to sustain you.
B) You cant allow your past failures to possess and paralyze you.
We should Clarify our Focus – discover what God wants for you by:
A) Seeing yourself as God sees you.
B) Seeing your possibilities as God sees them.
Commit Yourself To God’s Plan and Move Forward with Trust and Hope!
Romans 12: 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Father, all things come from Your hands. I thank You that You sent Your Son that I might have Your joy within me. Help me to Let Jesus teach me!
Earthy circumstances are able to steal are happiness from us but nothing can take the joy of you loving Christ and Christ loving you!. The next time a trial is headed my way I will count the reasons to be joyous and look to God to protect me from the inadequate feelings of fear and of life with out Him. Joy truly is the test that determines whether or not we have set our course by remaining in the presence of God.
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7
Amen
We will become paralyzed with fear, negative thoughts without Faith in God, which gives His enabling power to trust and believe boldly on Him.
Isaiah 43:1…. “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”
” Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see”.
(Hebrews 11:1).
***Faith requires commitment!!!
*Faith enables you to have peace in a trial (Matt 8:23)
*Our faith can help others in need (Matt 9:1-2)
*Faith moves us from self-reliance to God-dependent (Matt 9:18)
*Faith may require action (Matt 9:20)
*A lack of Faith can limit what God wil do (Matt 13:53)
*Faith looks to the future based on the promises of God (Heb 11:1-2)
*Faith has to be tied to God’s word.
*Faith looks at things from God’s point if view.
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”. Romans 10:17
*The word of Christ is the Gospel; Good News!
*We are called to be ministers of the Gospel, not ministers of the law.
(Matthew 28: 18-20)
When we first came to Faith IN Christ, *We trusted that our sins were forgiven.
*We believed we were accepted, that we could lay down all guilt and fear and
say, “I am saved by faith alone in what Jesus did for me at the cross.”
But Then, as we proceeded in our walk with Jesus, we committed Fresh Acts of
disobedience.
*We were crushed by our sins and quickly lost our vision of the Cross.
1 Timothy 1:19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
*We tried to work out our own righteousness, to win back God’s favor by trying harder, but life then became a nightmarish merry-go-round of sin and
confession, sin and confession.
We sometimes act as if trying harder on our own can save us. We think if we
could just reform this flesh of ours, God would be pleased.
Soon we are constantly working on our old man, to shape him up for a victorious Christian walk.
*Some Christians may say, “I paid a high price for the victory I’ve achieved.
* I went through a lot of pain and suffering.
*I fasted, prayed, and successfully put down all my lusts and sinful desires.
*Is my struggle to obey worth nothing to God?
*Does He consider all my righteousness, all my hard work, as filthy rags?”
Yes!! It is all the flesh and none of it will stand before Him.
*** There is only One righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus
Christ!
“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God”
(Romans 10:3).
The only way to get into God’s good grace is to “Admit the Truth”:
“There is no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My righteousness is in Christ alone.”
Paul says of the gift of righteousness:
“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
We are accepted in God’s eyes only by faith in Christ and His work: “He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).
Do you see how important it is to abide in Jesus, to come to Him quickly
whenever you fail? You must learn to run to Him, crying, “Jesus, I have failed
You! I cannot work this out. No matter what I do, I can never be recognized
before the Father, except as I come to Him in You!”
****7 Actions of Faith:
1) Faith Remembers
2) Faith Gives
3) Faith Seeks God
4) Faith Prepares
5) Faith Obeys
6) Faith Perseveres
7) Faith looks to heaven
James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
*True faith produces fruit, is active and alive for all to see as our witness of God’s love and mercy to the world. *Head knowledge on the other hand, is not faith at all and as it increases (without accompanying works) so does the level of conflict in one’s mind and heart.
**God’s word is not meant to be stored and stockpiled in our minds. It is designed and intended to be taken into our spirits through revelation and given OUT in Truth and Love to those in need.
Joshua 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
Only God’s Love can give us the strength to persevere through the painful trials present in every human life.
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me…”Philippians 4:13
Luke 7:50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
*God forgives sins if you seek Him with all your heart. And with much love!
*The love of God and Jesus is unconditional.
* Faith is a gift of God. When grace is released to you it imparts faith. To impart faith to another, release grace.
No matter what the sin is or how long we have lived in sins bondage, when we come to Jesus asking forgiveness, the greatest words from God are..” your faith has saved you, go in peace”
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 28-10).
Father God, please forgive us for our sins, for we all have sinned against You, and You alone. Take my Fears and lack of faith from me. Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes to honest but brutal Truth that we need to remember to honor you through all that happens in our lives. Increase my Faith Daily Lord. Help me see that Faith is Your Gift and It’s not about what we do for Jesus BUT what Jesus has done for us!!!
Thank You JESUS! Amen
Psalms 51:7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, OGod. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Only when our hearts are ruled by God’s Love are we given the hope that transcends emotion or circumstance.
*”…we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts…”
Romans 5:3-5
*We must absolutely know that Christ has made the ultimate sacrifice that no one could ever make. It is a showing of how good God’s love is because He knew that we couldn’t do anything within ourselves and the only true way to come to the Father is through Jesus.
*Thank you God that tribulations eventually lead to Hope. We must Place your Hope in the Only place it can truly be found; God.
Psalm 102 – Suffering Hope!
*David got down quite a bit, as we see in the psalms regularly. But he always cried out to God when he did…
*This psalm is great comfort for those in distress and that are currently suffering or depressed.
This Psalms provides many truths that we can build our faith on!
1) Our lives are limited and our days are numbered.
*We must focus not on our plans, but those plans of God!
*We should be thinking how we can spread the Truths that we have been shown to the unbelievers so that they may enjoy the gift of eternal life and not perish.
2) The psalmist foreshadows Christ’s return in the rebuilding of Zion and that the world will worship the One true King!
*This should be something we eagerly wait for!
3) God is unchanging! He is the same as yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
*We can Trust Him and place our Hope in Him!
**We will ALL endure suffering and pain in this lifetime, but those moments are Opportunities for Your Faith to grow the most! These moments help us realize our dependence on God!
*God uses times of suffering to get us to focus on Him and let us know that He is capable of handling ALL of our issues!
*We have a mighty God that will return in the form of Jesus and we must continue to pray daily that we will honor the Lord and live the lives that He planned for us!
I encourage you to read Psalm 102 and trust that God is indeed your Deliverer in all troubles! See the Hope!
**Psalms 102 is a picture of a man in deep dejection, loneliness, despair.
*He feels his life is withering away like the evening shadows and there’s so little time left for him. He says, “I’m withering away like grass.” Psalms 102:11.
Have you ever felt like that? And what do you do if you ever feel like that?
*Do what that man did. He looked away from himself, his own situation, he lifted up his eyes to the Lord and he saw the Lord by faith, on His throne, and he realized that the Lord “doesn’t change” with OUR situations and circumstances.
The Lord is always on His throne. He never leaves it or takes a break; He’s always in “Total Control”.
*Psalms 102:12 But you, OLORD, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
*And then he realizes that there’s going to come a time of compassion and mercy.
He says in verse 13, “It’s time to show favor to Zion; the appointed time has come.”
Psalms 102:1 LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea!
*Once we understand what Jesus did for us. Depression and the rest cant stand!
***Joy, Peace, Happiness is a natural outflow when you have revelation(Something revealed that was not known) of what Jesus did for you.
**Titus 2:14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
**Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
**Matthew 6: 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
In our trials, it’s easy to focus on our circumstances and lose the big picture. *We need to “Look Up” and not around.
Although the trials seem huge at the time, they are temporary. Keep Moving Forward and Looking Up to Jesus!
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.
So let’s look away from our problems, our distresses, our anxieties. Let’s look, like the psalmist, up to the throne of God, see God there on His throne and realize He’s ready to show mercy.
Jesus knows our frame. He remembers that we are but dust (Ps. 103:14). It is not a sin to doubt, but it becomes sin if we harbor those doubts. We should bring our doubts to the Lord. Let’s allow Him to deal with them.
The Lord’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). To see His miraculous power in our lives, we must do “whatsoever” He tells us to do regardless of how foolish it may seem.
“The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25). Today, whatsoever He says unto you, do it!
Prayer is an acknowledgement of our need for God!
*The issue isn’t how much time we spend with God in prayer but Seeking Him and Knowing that He’s there 24/7!
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1 Cor 3:7
God, thank you for loving me enough to call my name before the creation of the world, thank you for guiding my life in sovereign fashion, and thank you for holding on to me even when I don’t hold on to you. Lord- I need to put You first. Everything else on earth will wear out and fade away. You will be the same forever. Look down upon us, Lord Jesus; and bring us into the glorious liberty of thy children, that we may bless and praise thy name and give You ALL the Glory. May we always look “UP” first! Thank You Jesus. Amen.
*‘I will sing of Your love… I will walk with integrity of heart…’(101:1-2).
“You will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light” (Matthew 11:29-30).
I know of only one way to enter into this rest that Jesus is talking about. If
understood and appropriated, this truth will usher you into the most glorious
Peace possible on this side of heaven and end ALL feelings of insecurity.
This foundational truth upon which all others are built is the doctrine of
“Justification by Faith”.
*It is the one doctrine you must understand if you hope to enter into the rest that Jesus offers.
I can only touch on the highlights of the magnificent truth of being justified
by faith. Yet I believe God desires to lead His church further into this divine
truth—to give us a foundational strength that will hold us in the days to
come.
Sadly, when you mention the subject of doctrine, many Christians turn up their
noses. They say, “I don’t want to hear all that deep, heavy stuff. Just
give me Jesus!”
**Yet what they really mean is, “I don’t want to discipline myself or spend the Time to Learn what Jesus did at the cross.”
Too many Christians become emotionally involved with the cross but never really study it.
I have heard many preachers deliver emotional appeals about Jesus and
the cross—about His beatings, the crown of thorns on His head, the spikes
driven into His hands.
The preaching of the cross is about much more than that,however.
It is about the “Victory of the Cross” and what Jesus did for ALL of humankind.
For those who desire to “learn of Him,” who want to understand Jesus’
wonderful work at Calvary, let’ look at this concept of justification by faith a little.
Two things are involved in our justification by the cross of Jesus Christ:
1. First, we have Pardon for ALL our sins. **When Jesus went to the cross, His blood pardoned us from all guilt.
2. Second, we are Accepted by God as righteous in Christ, through faith.
* This means God accepts us on the merits of what Jesus DID on the cross and not because of our works or any good deeds.
*Because of the Cross, God considered everything about Our old flesh-man done away with!!
Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”(Romans 6:1) and he continued quickly, “Certainly not!”
I believe Paul was saying,
*Why would any Christian, having been set free from such death, go back and resurrect the corpse?
*Why go back to a life of sin when God wants to take away all guilt and condemnation and give you security and peace?
Now, because of the Cross, you can serve the Lord with joy and gladness and obey Him in a new obligation called LOVE.
*“Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies”
(Romans 8:33).
Obedience in the Christian life is being in the Zone(like you hear about sports figures when doing well). When we live a life of Obedience, we begin to experience the Reality of God like never before.
* Wisdom grows in our life.
* Meaning and purpose are accelerated.
*In the early Church, the Hebrews gained wisdom through Obedience. *Later, the Greeks were characterized as gaining wisdom through Reason and Analysis.
**Today, we live in a very Greek-influenced Church. Many Christians determine if they will obey based on whether the Outcome will be beneficial to Them.
Imagine if the early Church had adopted this philosophy!
* No walls would have fallen down at Jericho.
*No Red Sea would have parted.
*No one would have been healed.
*No coins would have been found in the mouth of a fish.
*Reason and analysis would not have led to making the obedient decision.
Trust and obey. Leave the outcome to God.
“So,” you ask, “are we simply to take by faith the righteousness of Jesus?”
Yes, absolutely! That is what the Christian walk is all about—Resting by
Faith in What Jesus accomplished!
Our old man is dead, and the new Man is Jesus. (Eph. 2:1-10).
When we put our faith in Him,
God fully accepts us. He considers us righteous, hidden in the bosom of His
dear Son. So whenever you sin or fail, run quickly to your Lawyer, your
Advocate. Confess your failures to Him, and rest in His righteousness.
You may ask, “Don’t good works have any place in this doctrine?” Of course they do, but on this condition:
** Good works cannot save you, justify you or make you righteous or acceptable to God.
***The ONLY thing that saves you is your faith in what Jesus did!
**What did Jesus do? He saved you, pardoned you and accepted you in the
beloved—sins, failures and all.
God sees YOU now only in Jesus Christ and that is why we must come to our Savior every time we fall. The blood that forgave and cleansed us the first time we came to Jesus is the same blood continues to keep us until He returns.
Along with this security comes a higher obligation of doing all our works in
His strength and power rather than trying to do them on our own. “If by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).
The only way to get into God’s good grace is to admit the truth: “There is
no good thing in my flesh, nothing in my good works to merit my salvation. I
cannot become righteous through anything I do in my own strength. My
righteousness is in Christ alone.” Paul says of the gift of righteousness:
“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17).
The Lord gave His Word to the Jews but they didn’t believe it. Hebrews 4:2 says, “…the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it].”
We have been given God’s words too, in the Bible. If we will speak God’s Word in Faith, we will get the same results that Jesus did here.
Today, don’t limit God to barely meeting your needs. If you have enough, then believe for extra so that you can bless someone else. “Let God be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants” (Ps. 35:27).
Yield to the Lord’s work in you to bring you into order. When you walk in the Spirit and live in the Spirit, you will come under the rule of divine order, which will produce a great spiritual harvest in your life. Be aware, however, that worldly distractions and other interests will compete with life in the Spirit. You will need to put your priorities in order and maintain kingdom perspective, or you will be drawn away from what is eternally important. Stay connected!
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit
Lord, I believe! Thank You for the good news that Jesus Christ is not dead but alive and that He lives within my heart and has the power to break the chains of sin and the bondage of evil in my life.
Help me to be filled with your love this day and give it away to others in building up others with truthful encouraging words from You Jesus. Thank You Jesus for what You have done in my life. Let me now tell others of what You have done for me (my testimony-Romans 12:11).
Thank You Jesus for the Gift of Rest and Peace I have IN YOU this day!!! Lord, with Easter Coming, help us see Your work on the Cross this year in a Deeper Discerning way and then share with others the True Meaning for Your Glory. Amen
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* ” So cut away the thick calluses from your heart and stop being so willfully hardheaded.” Deuteronomy 10:16
**YOU ARE JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD!
Picture yourself standing before God’s throne with no excuse, no alibi.
* Satan, your legal adversary, is reading off the list of charges, with times, places, every shameful detail. He makes accusations of pride, prayerlessness,
covetousness, unfaithfulness, and your heart smites you because you have to
admit, “Yes, that’s me. I did it all.”
It looks hopeless for you. You know God’s eyes are too holy to look upon sin,
and His justice demands that you pay for your crimes against His holiness. You
are helpless.
BUT suddenly, here comes JESUS, your Lawyer, your Advocate. He stretches forth His nail-scarred hands and you know something is about to happen.
**JESUS smiles and whispers, “Don’t be afraid; none of these charges will stand. You’re going to walk out of this courtroom free and fully pardoned. When I’m finished, your accuser won’t have ONE charge left against you!”
**Best of all, JESUS, your Lawyer tells you He has adopted you as His brother. Then He tells you He is the Son of the Judge so you now belong to the Judge’s family, as well!
But there is still the matter of justice. What about the charges against you?
You listen in absolute wonder as your Advocate pleads your case:
*”Judge, You know that I fulfilled the law, living a sinless life.
*And then I took this person’s place, taking on all the punishment for his crimes.
* Through these nail-scarred hands and My pierced side, blood came forth to blot out ALL of his transgressions.
* All these charges were put on My back and I, JESUS paid the penalty for every one of them.”
Your Advocate then looks at your accuser and says, “Satan, you have no grounds to accuse My child. Each of his sins was placed on Me and I have fully pardoned them ALL.
He is not guilty because his faith in the victory of My sacrifice gives him full pardon. You have no case!”
“NOT GUILTY”!-Yes-“NOT GUILTY”!
As the devil slinks out of God’s court, you can hear the Lord cry out: “Who
shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans
8:33).
*The Lord chose you and will keep you.
* When you turn your heart over to Jesus– He says, “Your debt, created by your sin is paid in full and you need not make any more payments on it! Final Verdict– Not Guilty—Go in Peace”!
We have mistakenly given Satan too much credit. He does not have a limitless number of temptations that he can pull on us.
As 1 Jn. 2:16 says, there are three areas where the devil tempts us:
(1) the lust of the flesh,
(2) the lust of the eyes,
(3) the pride of life.
Jesus’ three temptations correspond to these.
By ascribing to Satan limitless temptations and abilities, we have built up our adversary to be bigger than he is. The truth is, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (I Cor. 10:13).
Satan would like you to think that he is tougher than he really is. One of his greatest weapons is Intimidation, BUT he has been defeated. His teeth have been pulled— Now he can only roar as a lion seeking to devour uninformed souls who don’t know their authority in Christ (1 Pet. 5:8).
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”. (Gal. 6:9)
You will find yourself glancing back at past things for a moment before moving forward. However, there will be a temptation to relive old rejections and places of isolation and loneliness. **Refuse to allow these memories to cause you to get stuck in oppression or condemnation.
**The past has no power unless you remember so clearly that you put yourself in the same situation again.
*But, the purpose of looking back is to see how far you’ve come and how much you have overcome.
* Rejoice in this opportunity to take stock before taking the next step moving forward. You are an overcomer!
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Since Jesus was the Word of God (Jn. 1:1), anything he would have spoken would have been the Word.
Jesus could have said “scat” and the devil would have had to go, yet He quoted the written Word of God three times. (Matthew 4:1-11).
This gives us great assurance that the written Word of God is sufficient for us. Jesus, in the face of the greatest temptations that Satan had to offer, did not need to say anything that was not already recorded in scripture.
It is likely that when Jesus returns to this earth and destroys His enemies, He will just speak the Word that has already been given in scripture. No wonder Satan tries to keep us from studying and knowing God’s Word.
* Even our good works will hurt us if they keep us from really knowing the scriptures.
God has given us this mighty weapon of His Word! When we speak the Word in faith, hell shakes. Satan and his minions have already experienced what the Word can do. They know its power. We need to know it, too.
1John 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
Knowing God loves us is the only thing that will give us true identity and security in this life.
* “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…” Psalm 73:25
Lord, Thank You for allowing me to dwell In Your Strength, and Your Power, and Your Might. Because your strength is in me I am blessed! (Psalm 84:5). Because YOUR strength in me, I can do all things! Because I have put on Your whole Armour (Faith, Truth, Peace, Righteousness, Salvation, Spirit, The Word), I am able to stand against the attacks of Satan. (Ephesians 6:11-17). For Greater are You that is in me that he that is in the world.
Lord, As I travel on this journey of life, You sometimes send me up mountains and through the valley of weeping. But You also provide comfort while passing through the valley of weeping by making it a well and providing rain as nourishment to restore my soul.(Psalm 84:6) You provide me direction and protection. You show me your goodness. You give me grace,mercy and glory. You promise not to withhold one good thing from me as long as I abide in you, obey you and trust you. (Psalm 84:11-12). These trials along the journey only take me from strength to strength and one day my journey will end at your throne! Praise Your Name! (Psalm 84:7)
AMEN
Grateful heart…may I ever be thankful for my deepening relationship with Him!
God, I want to live with an attitude of gratitude, starting right now! I thank you so much for loving me and for blessing me. Help me see the Positive things in life and to thank You for them.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations”. (Psalm 100:4-5)
Sad? Depressed? Tired? Frustrated.
The LORD JESUS refreshes us in His presence.
The psalmist describes ENTERING INTO HIS PRESENCE with gladness. It takes a deliberate ACTION on our part. We must therefore MOVE FORWARD rather than sit and sulk in the midst of our circumstances.
How important it is for each of us to know the way into God’s presence. How do we enter in His gates? How do we come into His courts?
There’s only one accepted way:
* We enter His gates with thanksgiving; * We enter His courts with praise.
It’s as we come to God with thanksgiving and with praise that we have access.
Sometimes we are tempted to say, “But what do I have to thank God for, what do I have to praise Him for?”
The psalmist gives us three reasons.
1. The Lord is good.
2. His love endures forever.
3. His faithfulness continues through all generations.
These are three reasons why we should always praise and thank God. And notice that none of those reasons ever changes with our situation or our circumstance.
No matter what the circumstance, those three reasons for praising and thanking God always hold good.
Giving thanks begins with understanding the very basic idea that the Lord is good!
*In that goodness he has made us and he guides and directs our steps – He is our shepherd.
So many people today have a wrong picture of God. They see him as judge who is eager to punish anyone for the slightest infraction. God is good – he will punish, but he does not punish now.
God poured out all of his wrath on his Son Jesus who takes our punishment.
That’s why the angels announced at Jesus’ birth there would be peace – not between people but between people and God.
God is good because he has provided a way for us to escape punishment for sin and as a result spend eternity in heaven with Him.
**Jesus declared this task finished as he died on the Cross.
Even in the most difficult circumstances of this life we can praise God for his goodness.
When things are bad we can praise God they are not worse than they are! We can do this knowing of his good and final plan to restore us and creation at the end of time.
Let our worship be focused on God’s goodness and his perfect plan for us.
Psalms 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
God made us—-not the universe, not pixie dust, nothing but God has created what and who each of us are.
*We are redeemed by the death of His son, made worthy in the eyes of our Lord God, through the blood shed on the Cross, made princes and princesses by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ!
*We must be joyful in all we do, knowing that we are free from bondage, darkness and misery!
*We are free to do more then survive, we are empowered to Live!!!
So Cheer it up, enjoy this life, enjoy your freedom!
Exhault in the fact that He loves you unconditionally and requires nothing but acknowledgment of being your Lord and Savior!
Remember that He knew you before you were even born, and that He has a plan to prosper you and NOT to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11)!!!
** Give thanks and praise to the Lord your God in this season and don’t let your failings get the best of you. God has already forgotten about them, so why don’t WE?!
****Now that Cheers me up this Day!
Psalms 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
Revelation 12: 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their TESTIMONY. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Lord, I get so caught up in daily life, work, and my own problems that I forget to thank You for the great things You have done for me and the wonderful promises You have given me. I forget to reflect on Your goodness and perfection and love. Lord, help me to take time to be thankful. Help me to set aside the trials and distractions around me and instead fill my mind and heart with Your goodness. Thank You, Lord!
God you are so good Lord. This is an area that I want to do more of. Positive thinking, gracious living,, and just being thankful for every opportunity that you have given me. My prayer Lord is that you continue to work on me that I may be a better example to others. Lord I give you all of the honor and all of the praise in Jesus name, Amen.
Let’s Never Walk away from the opportunity to follow Jesus!!!!
You are the only one who can unlock the door of your heart and allow God’s Love to enter in.
* “Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more.”
Deuteronomy 10:16.
*Circumcision-Cleansing-
*It looks like God is the sculptor. But it also looks like we are the sculptors!
*Deuteronomy 10:16- Circumcise your own hearts!
*Deuteronomy 30:6- God does the cutting!
*A massive issue in light of Israel trying to figure out their identity as they are moving into God’s promises and into the land. As the plot unfolds, God IS the architect on what life should look like.
*God wants a people set apart (a distinctive of circumcision), God wants a people who are Clean (a result of circumcision).
*God will work in and through us as we work out our own Salvation.
God’s Love for us is the same yesterday, today and forever.
* “…you who have been borne by Me from birth, and have been carried from the womb; even to your old age, I shall be the same, and even to your graying years…I shall carry you…”Isaiah 46:3-4
When we allow Jesus to be lord of ALL—when we cast ALL our cares upon Him,
fully trusting in His Word and resting in His love—our appearance should
undergo a deep change.
A quiet calm should begin to radiate from our countenance.
Scripture gives us many examples of this: When Hannah laid down her burden,
“. . . her face was no longer sad” (1 Samuel 1:18).
When Stephen stood before hostile, angry men in the Sanhedrin, [they] “. . .
saw his face as the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). Stephen stood among unbelievers with the shine of Jesus Christ and the difference was clear to all!
I am convinced that we have a duty to let our countenance speak of God’s
faithfulness in our lives. But the problem is, our facial features and body
language often say just the opposite!
Many believers’ faces say, “My God
has failed me! He doesn’t care for me anymore. I have to carry all my burdens
and problems alone because God doesn’t come through for me!”
***You may not consciously say such things to yourself but they will show on your face.
God’s Word say’s that what you are going through is not new. Someone else has been exactly where you are:
***“My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted. . . . I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. . . . I am so
troubled that I cannot speak. . . . Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He
be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed? . .
. And I said, ‘This is my anguish’” (Psalm 77:2-10).
Yet the psalmist eventually comes out of his trouble with his happy countenance
restored. Why? It is because, he says, “I cried out to God with my voice . . .
in the day of my trouble I sought the Lord” (Psalm 77:1-2).
**Lift up your eyes and look beyond the visible to the realities of God.
**Live in the full dimensions of life, as God intended life to be.
**Life can never be explained entirely in terms of the natural. We are left impoverished and despairing if all we have to depend on is our natural resources, natural power.
But God is rich in grace, rich in power, rich in inward strength and sympathy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
We don’t have anything to offer God that He doesn’t already have. God wants YOU and me. And by asking us to give of our time and money or desires, He is really asking us to give Ourselves.
Many people have walked away from God sad, like the rich young ruler because all they could think about was what they would have to “Give Up”.
Mark 10:21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
ALL, yes ALL of our achievements and possessions are nothing compared to what God offers us in exchange.
*Stick with God. Don’t just walk away!
*Wouldn’t it be a shame to live your life for Jesus only to be told before His Throne that YOU disqualified Yourself because You held on to something so tight that it interfered with You having a genuine relationship with Jesus?
We a need to do an inventory of those things we count “too important” to let go of and that be the thing that keeps us out of eternity with Jesus.
Let’s Never Walk away from the opportunity to follow Jesus.
Lord, thank you for reminding me what it means to be a Christian – someone who has given Total Control over his/her life to Jesus, the Lord and King of the Universe(All In). Forgive me for thinking that it is okay to live another day without coming before you in the morning to acknowledge your Lordship by totally surrendering to you and depending on your power to carry out another day’s task. Lord, forgive me for thinking that I can obey you on my own. Help me not to be fooled like the rich young ruler who thought he could earn God’s favor by obeying your commands on his own strength. Lord help me each day to take the step of faith and Respond to Your gentle call. Help me to Desire to know You More and to seek You ALL the days of my life. Amen
Read MoreIf we continue to strive for excellence and integrity in our own lives, then we can only be setting a positive example for those around us.
*God wants our heart–not vain, empty ritual. He wants us to have an authentic Relationship with Him.
*The Primary purpose of Jesus’ coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, BUT to Give US Eternal Life which is a quality of Life, the life of God imparted to those who believe on Jesus Christ.
*Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultimate purpose of reconciling man to God. (See John 3:16).
*Eternal Life is not imparted knowledge, but the reality of God in our lives through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
*We may know all about Him with our minds, and yet miss the personal knowledge of His presence in our LIVES.
* God wants us to place HIM at the
centre of all we do and all we are!
***”The gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
Acts 19:32 Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In fact, most of them didn’t even know why they were there.
*Here is a great example of human nature. A small disturbance breaks out and quickly becomes a riot. Much of the city is in an uproar and this verse tells us they don’t even know what’s going on.
How often do people jump on a political band wagon or even take sides in the church without even knowing what the issue is?
They simply follow the crowd, mindlessly doing whatever seems easy, cool, popular, profitable.
* How many innocent lives have suffered?
*How many wrong decisions have been made?
“Half-hearted commitments can end in disaster”.
I’ve seen it happen over the
years, in areas of life ranging from sports to marriage, from friendships to
business.
* All of us, at one time or another, have probably been hurt by others who
have made half-hearted commitments.
Why is it important to walk in wholehearted, simple commitment to Jesus?
*Because the things we DO as Christians can easily become the focus of our faith.
*It is all too easy to end up committed to a Christian program or denomination rather than being Committed to Christ.
Listen to Amos. 5: 21 from the Message Bible—- “I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. 22 I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. 23 I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
*Programs and churches can let people down.
**Jesus never does!!!!!
Waiting on JESUS gives me the quiet confidence of His Presence upholding me moment by moment.
” But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint”. (Isaiah 40:31)
*When an Eagle watches a storm approaching, he waits until it strikes. Then he faces it, spreads his wings, and rises upward through it.
* As storms hit your and my life, our wing power takes us through the storm and lifts us above it.
*This strength comes from waiting upon the Lord. The word “wait” means here “habitually Trusting”.
It’s all too easy to commit to following the Rules of Christianity rather
than being committed to Christ.
* Following rules can become sterile and confining.
**Following Jesus is about “Relationship” not rules.
**Following Jesus brings Truth, Love, Freedom and life!!!
It doesn’t matter how many people you’ve led to the Lord, how many Scriptures you’ve memorized or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not fully convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.
* “Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:14-15
I’m not saying that you should neglect your commitments to your church, but
what I am saying is that your Commitment to Christ should be the Drive for your life-long commitment to God!
*** When you become wholeheartedly committed to Christ, all other
commitments you’ve made, become Enhanced and Noticeable.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,…..
The number one thing that sets Christianity apart from religion is We have Jesus Himself living in our hearts. Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.
Knowing God loves us is the only thing that will give us true identity and security in this life.
** “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…”Psalm 73:25
Father God, thank you so much for Your faithfulness. You never disown me, I am yours always. Father you know my heart and I pray that my heart will desire You more than anything. Thank you for being my shelter and my strength because I am so very weak. You use me when I am at my most useless. Thank You, Jesus for being the One Who understands and sympathizes with us in every Circumstance we experience. Thank you for allowing me to be Yours. Thank You for Your Full Commitment to each one of us. “To Know You IS ETERNAL LIFE”. (JN 17:3). Amen.
Read MoreNEED A FACE LIFT?
*What to do about the blues?
*The POWER OF GOD is available Today!
” He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength”. Isaiah 40:29
*The very presence of Christ in your heart has a direct impact on your face!
David boldly declared, “For I shall yet praise Him, the help [health] of my
countenance” (Psalm 42:11).
*And he repeats the same statement in Psalm 43:5.
In the original Hebrew, the proper rendering of both these verses is, “God is the salvation of my face!”
I believe David is saying something important here. You see, your Face is a
billboard that advertises what’s going on in your heart.
*All the joy or turmoil that’s inside you is reflected in your countenance.
****When I speak of countenance, I am talking about facial expression, body language, tone of voice.
*Where do we go when we are depressed or discouraged, we come to God because we have nowhere else to go.
People do not quench the inner thirst of the Heart. Only God can do this.
God allows circumstances to come that create a longing in our Hearts for HIM!
God has great confidence in you to place you where you are this season in life. We get God’s Best when we leave the choices in life with Jesus—He does know the Future.
*This psalm(42:11) reminds us to put our faith in God, even when we aren’t “feeling it.” Regardless of where we are at in our walk, God is the same yesterday as he is today.
Let our Faith not be dictated by mood or merely emotion, but a consistent high level of inspired faith that goes beyond bad days.
*May we let God give us a NEW SONG of PRAISE today whatever our circumstances may be! (PS. 40:3)
I thank God for His great salvation—for redeeming our soul, our spirit, even
our body. But many of us need to get our faces saved! We need a Holy Ghost
face-lift—because our faces are giving the wrong message to the world!
Why such a change of countenance? “A man’s wisdom makes his face shine, and
the sternness of his face is changed”. (Ecclesiastes 8:1).
I take “wisdom” in this verse to mean Jesus Christ. Indeed, the very
presence of Christ in your heart has a direct impact on your face! It affects
your walk, your talk, the very tone of your voice.
God often causes delays in our lives that we cannot understand. Sometimes it seems our obedience is not getting rewarded. Jesus said He learned obedience through the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). Imagine that – Jesus having to learn obedience. What does that say for you and me?
Sometimes God’s delays are simply because He wants more glory in the situation, more recognition, more Christ-likeness in you and me through greater patience and obedience. Faint not, for the promise may yet come.
Encourage yourself. Rise up and establish yourself in faith that the Lord will bring you through every situation that has the potential of bringing you down in discouragement. Ask, and He will give you wisdom and show you what must be done. Jesus will strengthen you in your weakest moment. Jesus is with you, and Jesus will not forsake you. Put your entire trust in Jesus to rescue you from even the most dire of situations and lift you up to new heights. Do not be afraid!
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Lord, I want to want you more than anyone and anything else. Draw me to you and show me that you are all I need. Today Lord, I look to You and keep my focus off the storms and the distractions so that You may receive the praise and the glory and that I may walk in confidence and faith believing and knowing that today will be a great one, because it is in Your hands for Your Glory! Help me Lord not to stop at the blessings and experiences, so I don’t miss You Jesus the BLESSER. Lord, with You at the wheel, I know I can finish YOUR course for me with joy. “There is NONE upon earth that I desire but THEE”.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Amen
God’s Love is faithful to the absolute. He will never leave you or forsake you.
* “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE:
Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
God’s Love is one-sided. God doesn’t say, “I’ll love you if you’ll love Me”. Instead He promises, “I’ll love you no matter what”!
* “…neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
What a statement! If we just believed this, how different our lives would be!
From birth we are trained to know our limitations. You can’t have this. Don’t touch that. Don’t put things in your mouth. You can’t touch the fire. On and on the list goes.
As we grow up, it’s actually a sign of maturity to recognize our limitations and learn to live within them. There are limits to everything. It’s a fact of life.
**BUT God has no limits. When we enter into the realm of the supernatural, we have to take off all the limits. We have to Renew our minds(Ro. 12:1-3) with the Truth that God is not like us. God can do anything!!!
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
*The power that God is using to work in and through us is the same power that was used to raise Christ from the dead! It’s not that we need more of Gods power to accomplish His will, we simply need to be surrendered and yielded to the power that’s already there.
We have an awesome God whose power is so great that we can’t even comprehend it. He created the universe and it didn’t even tax His ability. Yet many times we find ourselves wondering if our situation is too hard for the Lord. We can’t see how even God can pull us through.
*Philippians 1 :29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
*When we go through hardship, we always feel that it’s been inflicted on us. We won’t think it’s been granted to us.
*Think of it as—We are building bridges from earth to heaven. There will be difficulties and challenges. Are we going to face it or run away from it?
1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
*We have to arm ourselves to suffer. So that we can sail through the difficult times.
The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jer. 32:27) The answer is a resounding NO! The only thing that limits God is our unbelief.
Deuteronomy 7:1-26:
*Very powerful! This scripture shows us how powerful God is, shows that he brought victory to our lives.. God chose you and I cause we were literally nothing..God made us something, something victorious, a child of the mighty God that is from ever lasting to ever lasting! Praise God!
Today, let’s honor God by believing that nothing is too difficult for Him.
Romans 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
*Jesus faced the greatest Goliath of all, our sin and failure.
*The Cross tells us that God is Faithful even in our failure.
*God has made us to be conquers. More then that He has made us to love and worship Him. God wants us to trust in Him and love others like He loves us.
God chose You—–His Masterpiece!
Nothing in this world or under the world can separate us from the love of God.
*Faith gives us the assurance we can’t see.
*He never stops loving you. He is absolutely committed to you.
God I praise you for the love…your perfect love you have for us….it truly casts out all fear….I will accept God’s unconditional love for me even though I have done stupid things in the past in which I think that I shouldn’t deserve His love. Yes Lord-Thank You for loving me unconditionally. Nothing can separate me from You. I have tripped up many times and yet You still love me. That is amazing and I thank You for Your Grace. Lord, may I not always take the path of least resistance, may I take the path that brings you the most glory. If suffering comes because of my obedience, may I count it a privilege. Father, thank You that You are for me and not against me, that in You I have a future and a hope! I long to bring glory and honor to Your name, Jesus, and You said that when I bear much fruit then I would do so. Lord, teach me and help me enter in to all that You have for me, and let my life be an encouragement to those who need Hope for a brighter day. I recognize that it is only by faith in Your great name that I can ever fulfill Your destiny for my life. I will trust in You Lord! Amen.
Read More*God can and will Reverse, Restore, Revive and Renew.
Don’t give up on the God who’s never given up on you! Life is hard– God is still God— Don’t give up!
*Out of struggle comes strength; out of strength comes discipline; out of discipline comes integrity; out of integrity comes inheritance.
*Know that your heavenly Father is looking down the road for you.
Job 42:1 “Then Job replied to the LORD: ‘I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.’
verse 5 …My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning…
*As convinced as Job was, we must realize that God spoke and it came into being. God is the creator and we, the created.
*Therefore God has the final say in all things especially those things which we have no understanding of.
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Sometimes I don’t fully trust God has prepared good things. For me, for family, for friends, for others.
*I’m not sure He can redeem the pain, recover what’s lost, heal all that’s broken. Can He truly fit the pieces of this past year into a hopeful future?
Right now, circumstances suggest otherwise. And if I rely on what circumstances currently imply, I’m apt to believe the answer is no, the Lord is not able.
*BUT circumstances tell Tales that are prone to change in a moment.
And the truth of the matter is: God never changes. His power to give a future and hope never change. His Word never changes. So when life weaves stories of doubt and hopelessness in God’s authority over circumstances, I reread accounts of His faithfulness and redemption. I refer back to the Truth…
Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the lord’s purpose that prevails.
All the while Job’s family, home, crops and health demolished…God was preparing to give him double of what was killed, stolen, lost and damaged.
The time Joseph was a slave and prisoner…God was planning for him to be second in command over Egypt.
When Ruth was a homeless, barren widow…God was creating a home in Boaz’s heart for her to be a wife, and mother, and great, great, great-grandmother to His Son.
As Lazarus was bound in grave clothes…God was forming the breath that’d give him new life.
The moment David laid down in adultery…God was laying the groundwork for him to rise up in repentance.
Every time Saul crucified Christians…God saw Paul preaching the crucified Christ.
With each strike that Sarai beat Hagar with…God saw Sarah beating her jealousy, pride and doubt with the birth of Isaac.
When Esther was an orphaned girl shaking in fear for her life…God made a way for His daughter to shake a kingdom and save His people.
As Rahab welcomed men into the shelter of her bed…God saw her sheltering the spies on her roof.
When Peter lost faith and denied Christ…God saw him bringing many to faith as he proclaimed Christ.
As Moses killed an Egyptian with his hands…God saw him chiseling the Ten Commandments with those same hands.
At the time Mary saw Jesus die…God saw Jesus resurrected and seated on His heavenly throne!
No matter what the dire, dreary circumstances, God turned each into a hopeful future.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Our key verses in Job 42 assures us, none of His plans can be thwarted. Despite what is happening in life, these stories of redemption and hope speak the truth.
And Job 42:12 reminds us that the blessings Job lists in Chapter 29 are just table scraps compared to the riches and blessings God lays on Job in his latter years.
*You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
I submit, not for blessings sake alone, but for the sake of the knowledge of God, when God walks with you through trials and struggles so that you might KNOW Jesus better than you ever could have imagined. Repent for what you thought you knew of God and were wrong about, and then rejoice in what you now know about God.
Can’t wait for Heaven when no veil remains, and I can finally say with Job, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you! And the blessings of eternity will far surpass anything I call riches here in this life.
*God can and will Reverse, Restore, Revive and Renew.
*God sees beyond the present troubles and is sparking a fire to light up the future with Hope.
As we begin this New Year, let’s be on the lookout for His plans to come to pass. And trust Him that He can take any circumstance and use it for our good and His glory.
*Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
What was Jobs final destiny?
* Job was walking out his destiny– Job didn’t stop at the roadblocks.
Dear Lord, I’m so grateful You not only see my future, but You’ve planned it. Thank You for Your faithfulness last year. And for recording these stories of lives You turned dreary pasts into hopeful futures. I ask that You do the same for all our circumstances this New Year please-for Your Glory and our joy . In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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