Devotions - Prayer
Wisdom is the knowledge of the nature of things, the reasons behind what happens.
How many of us can honestly say we are living the life of “spiritual abundance” God promises in His word?
* “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.”John 10:10
God created man with the need to be loved and to love. But these needs can only be fully satisfied through Divine Love (Agape) received and expressed.
* “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:9
Agape is the only unconditional love that exists.
* “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…”Isaiah 49:15-16
But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living (Job 28:12-13).
What is this wisdom Job is talking about?
“Why does God treat Job this way?” But we have information that Job does not have. He has no knowledge of Satan’s challenge to God regarding him, and so his questioning is even deeper than ours. But we often feel this way ourselves.
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”
In the past year some of my friends have learned that they had a cancer that was threatening their lives. One has also had a child go to be with the Lord to cancer. Some have lost their business, homes, work during these times of sickness. My heart goes out to these friends and I know their Spirit is strong. But my heart cries out, “Why? Why do these kinds of things happen?” Sounds like Job.
***Life presents these riddles to us. And when we wonder why these things happen, WISDOM is the answer.
*** Wisdom is the knowledge of the nature of things, the reasons behind what happens.
Someone has described wisdom as the right use of knowledge.
*It is how to use situations in such a way that things work out right.
That is what we lack. We can do all kinds of things with knowledge, but we do not do the right things with it.
**Col. 2:3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Example: That is why knowledge of nuclear physics ends up with atom bombs that destroy and become malicious instruments of warfare.
**Humans lack wisdom. They have lots of knowledge, but they have no wisdom on how to use it.
This is what Job in his long hours of torment is searching for: What is the reason behind these things?
Job says humans do not know the way to wisdom. It is not found in the land of the living. (Job 28:12-13).
Romans 8:37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
I say unto you, truly, truly, that this is the day of recovery, so rise up with hope renewed. Gain access into the Lord’s goodness. For, surely He will restore that which has been stolen. The process of restoration has come as a part of Jesus ministry.
John 14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
Jesus has come to set HIS people free, and Jesus continues in the process by restoring them from time to time when it is necessary. Receive today the power of restoration and let the spirit of the living God now invade your spiritual space; let it over take you; let it embrace you. Let the Spirit of God draw you close to the heart of Jesus. Regain this moment, the power of your first love; the power of His presence and your position in God’s kingdom. Regain your position of victory for surely it is yours.
*1 John 5:4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
*Rev. 21:7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
*Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.
*Psalms 62:1. I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.
You are in a time of recovering that which has been taken by the enemy. If you will be alert and be willing to follow the Lord’s leading, He will restore all that is necessary for your spiritual well-being. However, there are still things that are better left alone, and He will give you the proper discernment to know the difference. Come to Me in faith with your request, says the Lord, and I will open what no man can shut, and I will shut what no man can open.
*Revelation 3:8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Lord, I am humbled because I lack wisdom. Thank You for Your Word and All the Wisdom there for us to be able to come to You Jesus, with any sickness, circumstance and lay it down at the foot of the Cross and Trust You knowing You have our best interest at hand for Your Glory.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God… and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
” But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).
Amen
Psalms 118:15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!
Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
Read MoreGod’s plan IS perfect and best for His glory!
Genesis 22:21 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”
2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
Take now thy son . — Genesis 22:2
*God’s command is – Take now, not presently.
* I need to fully and faithfully move forward and follow the Lord right through the afflictions to come, knowing God’s plan IS Perfect and Best for His glory.
Romans 8:18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
*It is extraordinary how we debate! We know a thing is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it at once.
*If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later, it must be done now.
And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“And Abraham rose up early in the morning and went unto the place of which God had told him” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham!
* When God spoke, he did not confer with flesh and blood.
*Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood”,(Gal. 1:16) i.e., your own sympathies, your own insight, anything that is not based on your personal relationship to God.
These are the things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be.
*Always guard against Self-Chosen Service for God; self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service.
**If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace;
** if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.
*** If the providential order of God for you is a hard time of difficulty, go through with it, but never choose the scene of your martyrdom, as to say “I will only go to there, But no farther”.
God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed or protested, But he went steadily went through with obedience and faith.
If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to Blame God or pass Judgment on God.
You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better.
*1 Peter 1:6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.
*Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. (1 Peter 4:12-13).
*** God is working in each of us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and man’s purpose become one!
Make sure this year, especially, this day, give the right response.
Some of us will never receive the blessing God has in store for us until we are WILLING to give THE RIGHT RESPONSE!
Some of us wonder why do I keep going through the same thing over and over again!? Perhaps it may be the response we always give to the Lord???
Now, most often the request is very very difficult!!! now we may not like it, but that response is YES LORD! Practice it!!! YES LORD!!!
**God sometimes doesn’t open the other door until we walk through the first door.
*Unless we are willing to respond to God properly….we may never witness the change God has for our life!!!
God needs you and me in 2012 to be willing to properly respond to Him. The proper response is YES LORD!
He wants us to take the things that mean the most to us, our lives, our time, our treasure and offer it to HIM!!! For some of us, our money or hobbies or work is our Isaac!
* God wants to know if we are willing to sacrifice it for him!?
*When we are willing to sacrifice ALL that is precious to us, God will be at His best!
*To let go of our most prized possession; God clearly makes that easier for us when we bring it to him rather than letting it go on own before we worship him.
*Sometimes I struggle to approach God due to my Sin and idolatry, and I feel shameful trying to worship Him with all these guilty conscience.
Once again, God will reveal that I need to come to Him as who I am and allow God to direct the actions I must take. **That’s worship. Faith does not come from my beliefs or actions but true faith, which is the source from God’s grace, works within us when we “Completely Empty Ourselves” to receive God’s authority.
I pray that our faith will be determined by God’s faithfulness alone.
Romans 1:17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
*God sets it up so that His Son is the center of the process of knowing and doing what is right, making Himself the centerpiece of righteousness, Not us. **Wondering what is the right thing to do in your situation?
** Go to the creator for the Right thing to do! Read His Word the answer is there. (Try Read All of Proverbs with your question in mind and Listen).
***What we don’t realize, just as we are making our way up one side of the mountain, there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain!
We won’t run short if we would simply give God the right answer!!
Walk in faith! God WILL take good care of YOU!
1 Peter 4:19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
Lord, help me to first of all trust you with the faith of Abraham then help me to be a husband, dad and grandpa who can be trusted as much as Abraham was by Isaac! What trust he had Lord! Thank You Jesus for your word of Truth. Help me in my trials to have faith and obedience to You, knowing there’s a lamb climbing on the other side of the mountain for me as I surrender to your will- for your Glory and my Joy. Continue to peel away the addictions of sin from me. Thank You God, that You are working in each of us to reach Your highest goals until Your purpose and man’s purpose become one! “…To Know YOU, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth”. Jn 17:3. In Jesus Name, Amen
*God never said that following Him would be easy. He never said that we wouldn’t have rough times.
*God said that He would deliver us when we call upon His name. He hears our cries and will be there for us.
*We can stand on His promise ro hear our cries and deliver us.
He pursues us out of His faithfulness and divine love. God is not a quitter nor a loser, He wants you to KNOW Him because He loves you.
*Jesus Christ died for YOU and to this day is pursuing you and He Won’t Stop. *Christ is a Winner and the proof is His resurrection and He is not quitter, because He did not give up on us, even in the darkest hour when for the first time He lost touch with the Father; He suffered and died for our sins so we can have relationship with Him. That my friends shows how much He loves us and is the reason why He is always watching us.
*God doesn’t want harm to come our way, He wants us to prosper in His Love and Wisdom.
God loves you and I hope if you do not have a genuine relationship with Him that you will start one with Him.
*The only way you will have a relationship with the Father is through Jesus Christ ( John 14:6).
My friend you are never alone and I promise you He will never leave you or forsake you because He loves you. Seek Him and you will find (Matthew 7:7-8) because He has been waiting for you, like a Father and His prodigal son (Luke 15:11-31).
*The past is over. Get off those chains that hold you to your past so you can walk to your promised land.
You know what to do, knowledge has been given to you, ideas, opportunities; but all you do is considering? Looking at your past? Your “history” is something the world looks at to evaluate your potential.
* God does not operate like that. He says that your past is over, forgotten, you are freed from its effects if you believe, just a little tiny bit of faith will do.
James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.
The battle has been fierce and the demands on your life have been great, even weighing you down at times. But, the Lord wants you to lift up your eyes. Look to the heights and remember that He is your help in times of trouble. The Lord wants you to take flight in the Spirit and rise above the things that have kept you earthbound. Put your complete hope and trust in Jesus. Jesus will cause your heart to sing again.
Psalm 121:1-8 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
When Jesus speaks of some who “do not forsake all” (Luke 14:33), He is speaking
of those who turn from Him and cling to idols.
** An idol is anything that becomes
the sole focus of our devotion—anything that possesses our time, attention,
money, love, interest.
Multitudes of God’s people spend their time endlessly loitering—idly spending time with friends or lolling in front of a TV, computer, cell phone, Ipad. We waste so many precious hours and neglect our Lord and Savior!
How many hours a week do you shut the world out and draw close to Him?
How jealous the Lord must be over all our other loves, all the things that eat
up our personal time and attention with Jesus.
God’s Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless, we turn to God’s Word and we WILL find that there is ‘HOPE’!!!
Now the Lord stands before us, asking: “Do you love Me more than these?”. (John 21:15).
* What we DO(our Action) is our response.
Our response to the normal, ordinary demands of life and the power to cope with those demands must come from our reliance upon Him at work within us.
This is the secret: All power to live the Christian life comes not from us, doing our dead-level best to serve God, but from Him, granted to us moment by moment as the demand is made upon us.
Titus 3: 5 he(Jesus) saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
* Power is given to those who follow,listen and who obey. The Father is at work in the Son; the Son is at work in us. As we learn this, then we are given power to meet the demands and the needs that are waiting for us in the ministry yet to come.
Thank You, Father, that the same power is available to me today, making me ready to be your instrument in any and every situation in which demand is laid upon me. Help me to Not be a quitter. Let 2012 be the year that we ALL put You Jesus FIRST. Heal us Lord for Your Glory and for Your Kingdom work. Amen. 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.
* What Jesus wants for us(John 17:1-26): Protection, Unity, Joy, Holiness, Truth, Being sent, God’s indwelling presence, Seeing the Father’s glory, God’s love IN me.
Mind-blasting (!). This is what Jesus wants for you and me. And how small are MY ambitions for me?
Mark 9:23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Read More“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
It’s extremely important not to judge a person by what they say or do. God is the only One who truly knows the human heart, so He is the only righteous judge.
* “…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
Paul’s IDENTITY was not based upon himself, BUT upon the person of Jesus Christ.
Each and every day we must remind ourselves: It’s not I…but Christ!!!!
** “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:20
*So as believers in today’s society I ask you what are we really seeking in Life?
Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God?
*** God’s kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ in our lives.
*Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
** This is praying for a day when God will bring heaven to earth and will bring His rule on this planet.
*God still has a plan for planet Earth. He will rule and reign here, and as believers, we will rule and reign with Him.
But when we pray, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven,” we are also praying for the rule and reign of the kingdom of God in OUR lives.
*** This is when Jesus is in Charge!!!!
***Don’t worry about the little things in life–Put God First!
*Has God been first in your life this past year? Have you given him the first part of your thoughts, energy, and time?
On one occasion Jesus said, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), where He was speaking of himself. When you are under His lordship, and when He is in control of your life, that IS the kingdom of God.
***It is not rules and regulations, but “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
*Have you, as a Christian, surrendered your life to Christ? Are You All in?
*Have you said, “Lord, I want Your will more than I want my own will. I am willing to surrender to You now”? **Because you cannot pray, “Your kingdom come” until you first pray, “My kingdom go.” Have you done that yet?
* Need help in where to invest yourself? God promised that if we do anything- first it is to ask him, seek His abundant wisdom.
A lack of faith can bring a lot of anxiety into our lives. So instead of worrying, we should put God and His will first in our lives.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
The kingdom of God that comes through the Son, is the greatest gift, ever given to man. And that gift is the impartial and unbiased justification freedom from the guilt of sin.
*Justification – the act of God whereby humankind is made or accounted just, or FREE from guilt or the penalty of sin.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
This Impartial and unbiased justification came to ALL mankind through the birth of the Baby Jesus.
*This birth, the coming of the Son was to ALL people.
*Everyone has equal opportunity to receive the impartial and unbiased justification of the Kingdom of God.
Let us all receive this gift with great joy. Because this baby will bring the love, joy and peace of the impartial and unbiased justification of the kingdom of God.
Do you realize that if you’re trying to live your life without God, you are at war with him? You are at war with God, and you need a Peace Treaty. You need Reconciliation because your relationship with God has been broken. Jesus Christ came to be that bridge, to be the reconciler between God and man.
When you trust Jesus, he makes it all go away. He says, “I’m going to completely wipe out everything you’ve ever done wrong. You’re completely forgiven. Come on home!”
The Bible says, “Now that we have been put right with God through faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 TEV).You need to make peace with God. Have you done that? If you haven’t, you’d better, because one day you will have to face him.
” And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Colossians 3:15-16
In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Read More“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. (Luke 2:…10)
The Birth of Jesus.
Luke 2:1-20
It’s a familiar story. A young Hebrew teenager is told by an angel that she has been chosen by God to bear a very special child.
Her fiancé threatens to cancel the wedding.
The same angel interrupts his plan. She visits her relative Elizabeth, who is much older and also pregnant.
She returns to Nazareth to wait for her child’s birth, only to be required to make the ninety-mile journey to Bethlehem close to her due date.
With no room in the inn, she gives birth in a manger and uses an animal feeding trough as a bassinet.
*A strange story? Yes.
*A story full of surprises? Yes.
*A story that affects us today? Another yes!
This little baby – JESUS – was a gift to all humankind. Our Healer. Our Savior. Our Lord.
**No story is more beautiful, more astounding, more life-changing. The little baby born in a stable was God’s Son!!!
The birth of Jesus on Christmas is the fulfillment of a prophecy that God promised throughout scripture.
*The Miracle:
1. Born of a virgin named Mary, Jesus was fully God and fully human.
2. God becoming flesh. Matthew 1:22-23. It’s amazing to know that the God of the universe came to us in the form of baby born in a manger (Luke 2:5-7).
*The Meaning:
1. Peace on Earth – John 14:27. If you want peace, you need to receive God’s greatest gift.
*The peace Jesus brings is inside of us, in spite of or circumstances not because of them. Christmas is about Hope
Where do you put your hope, job, career, people, family, money? The only place where our hope should be put is in Jesus. Everything else will let you down.
2 God’s Favor – “…goodwill towards men on whom his favor rests.” All have sinned and fallen short of God’s Glory. But his greatest gift is SALVATION through his Son, Jesus.
*The Message:
***Receiving IT – Unless we receive “GOD’S GREATEST GIFT”, it does us no good!
Although Jesus was fully human, He never sinned. His death on the cross, as a perfect sacrifice, bought OUR freedom so WE could become the sons and daughters of God the Father.
** As followers of Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory (Romans 8:15-17).
“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke 2:11
*The angels used 3 words to describe the New Born that will bring Great Joy to ALL people!!
*The Savior: Roman term that referred to an emperor who delivered his people from oppression and harm.
*The Messiah: Reference to O. T. Promises of a God. A given Leader and deliverer, translated “Anointed One”.
*The Lord: Title meaning “master” or “ruler” used of God from the very beginning of Hebrew Bible (150 times in Genesis alone).
If you know the Lord Jesus, YOU HAVE the greatest gift God can give to a person. Out of the richness of your life you will find yourself gladly sharing from all that you have with those who have less, that there may be the ringing out of joy and thanksgiving in a season like this.
***What are you giving Jesus this year for his birthday?
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:14
THANK YOU GOD, FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFT OF YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST.
AMEN
Merry CHRISTmas everyone!
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
* “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12
Freedom and Boundaries
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?'” – Genesis 3:1.
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries:
*Freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us.
*Boundaries to protect us from evil.
***The boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of limiting Adam.
** Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our life.
When ever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. Life is the SAME in-Marriage, Kids, Family, Friends.
**You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God’s authority.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God’s will for His life.
It was God’s will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the temptation. God was showing His Son that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. *Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God.
**Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life.
***These are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it!!!
* We are who we are– through the thoughts we have.
* Take your thoughts captive – know your Bible.
** Thoughts » habits » circumstance**
* When was the last time you thought about what your thinking about?
* Peace comes by fixing our thoughts
1) You can change your thoughts.
2) Fix your thoughts on what is true, pure and noble.
3) Think about things that are worthy of praise.
* Don’t doubt your purpose here and now!
* Choose a few promises and speak them over your life for 2012.
* God doesn’t do it for us, we have to use our faith and take Action.
* Think big, dream big for 2012
* Bring your thoughts under the obedience of God.
You Are so so Worthy. You are God’s Masterpiece. Let go and let God. Let God have the strongholds that are holding you back from being ALL that God has intended.
*A stronghold is an area where we are held in bondage, any part of our lives where satan has imprisoned us.
* As long as we believe things that are not true, we will remain imprisoned by those strongholds.
*The Word of God is the weapon that sets us free from the strongholds.
***Effective Weapons: preaching, teaching, books, tapes, seminars, small Bible study groups, private studies, prayer, and praise.
***Praise helps us keep our mind on God, His power, and the good things that are happening in our lives.
***Prayer reflects a Relationship with God and shows that we depend on Him.
*Jesus promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20). We can win with our weapons because they are spiritual weapons.
Examples of strongholds are “God doesn’t love me”, “His promises don’t apply to me”, “He could never forgive me for what I did”, “I don’t have to change because God made me that way”, “I don’t have to forgive because what that person did to me was unforgivable”, “God doesn’t work that way anymore”, “I’m un-worthy”, I’m the black Sheep of the family”, and “I can’t share the gospel because…” To mention a few.
The enemy will try anything to separate us from God and keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Him. That is why we need to put our spiritual armor on every day. *We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice. Set up Boundries in your life that allows you the TIME to spend with Jesus-LISTENING
AGAIN: We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice.
* We have to be humble and open to correction.
When our strongholds are broken down, we can glorify God more freely and openly. We are set FREE!
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made YOU alive with Christ, for he forgave ALL our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
(Colossians 2:13-15)
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories. When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence and for us To Heal!
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of ALL good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him. It’s by God’s grace that He uses any of us.
**Anyone who claims to be used of God because of his great holiness is either deceived or a deceiver.
*** It’s our faith in the grace of God that allows His Love to flow through us.
Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord. Then, you will be able to discern spiritually. However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions. Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant. Obtain and maintain purity.
**Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Let’s Bring Back Jesus this Christmas!!
“A Vision without Action is only a Delusion”. Moving Forward!
Most people have forgotten what the meaning of Christmas really is. It’s a time to celebrate something very important— the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ— that’s right the “Star” of the show!!! Not santa claus, shopping, material gifts,Parties without Jesus etc.
*If we ALL make room for Jesus this Season with family and friends— who knows what could come from our circumstances!
*We all sin, Christians and non-Christians, but what we do after sinning is what matters.
Psalms 51: 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
* No matter who you are, God can use you.
* No matter what problems you face, God is with you.
*No matter what He promises, God can do.
An Angel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary’s response: ” “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Lord, I pray today you renew my heart so that I can live in your perfect will and take Time each day to Listen to You. I want a clean heart, free of doubt. Help me to bring Jesus Back to the CENTER of Christmas and every day of my life. *Help me to trust You and put Your Boundries up in All roles of my Life.
I know The key to that is to spend time feeding my hunger…by getting full on Your Perfect Word…Knowing that Your promises are not made by man. In Your time Lord, Your Promises will manifest and come to fruition. Help me Meditate on Your Word daily…all through my day…in my thoughts and my actions… My faith and dependency upon the Lord relies on the intimate time that I share with You Lord. In these times, I must converse…I must talk AND listen! I must hear AND follow…
Thank you for this day to have the opportunity to Glorify You Jesus! Amen
How can I have Eternal Life?
* 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. (John 17:3)
*Jesus is the greatest gift we could ever receive.
*God is passionate about relationships. *Right relationships means nothing is broken-everything is right. *Righteousness is right relationship.
*If you don’t do one thing this Christmas you need to take the TIME to truly praise God for the offering of His Son. Not just a prayer before opening presents but a true sacrifice to the Living God for the birth of His son, His death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
*Christmas the celebration of Jesus Birth becomes of special significance when you see it through the lens of Calvary. *Those who were met with angels were called to be witnesses for Jesus.
*The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of men could become Children of God. WE ARE HIS Children!
Each of us faces the same dilemma. We have a sin debt that we owe to God but no way to pay for it.
We are addicted to sin and None of our solutions – living a moral life, being religious, or doing more good deeds – can take care of our problem.
**GOD Himself has provided the solution – one that both satisfies His justice and grants us mercy.
*GOD sent His Son, Jesus to pay the penalty we owed.
*Jesus was qualified to be our substitute because He never sinned (2 Corinthians 5:21).
*Jesus willingly took our place on the cross and experienced the full measure of the Lord’s wrath against OUR sinfulness.
*In dying for us, Christ secured our salvation by paying the debt for ALL our past, present, and future sins.
*When we trust in Jesus and surrender our life to Him, He becomes our personal Savior and Lord.
The great tragedy is that many have heard the gospel and rejected it.
* Some are like the rich ruler who placed his trust in material possessions and turned his back on the Truth.
* Others have refused to even Listen.
* Another group is convinced they are heaven-bound, based on erroneous confidence in their Own Good Deeds.
***Only those who have entered into a Personal Relationship with Jesus through faith in Him will be welcomed into heaven.
If you’re still wondering, How can I have eternal life? There is only one answer: “through faith in Jesus Christ- Knowing Jesus”!!!
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
We have an Enemy who actively seeks to blind people to the truth.
(2 Corinthians 4:3)
* Pray that many who are separated from the Lord will trust in the Savior and gain everlasting life.
* Pray that this Christmas the True Meaning will be revealed to millions around the world.
*Let’s Bring Jesus Back this Christmas: to our homes, families, friends, work!!
Let’s Make Jesus #1!!
**” 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”. (John 17:3)
If we are faithful to do our part, God will always be faithful to do His!
The more we read, meditate on, and absorb His word, the deeper our longing for Him grows as the Holy Spirit speaks to us.
Then we will begin to seek more of Him and desire to get to know Him more.
* We learn that He wants us to know Him intimately and that we can hear His voice. Then we can walk fully in His plans and will. Then we can give Him glory the best that we can.
John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
*It is the Holy Bible that the believer should make a lifetime commitment to study for the perfecting of their spiritual growth.
Moses was a friend of God, and he met God face to face. “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Ex. 33:11a).
So often, we view others for what they can do for us, instead of who they are.
God wants us to seek Him for our every need. However, there is a higher calling for every believer. That is to seek God’s face, and to see Him for His LOVE and Tenderness toward us as His children. *He can provide for our physical needs, BUT when we see Him face to face, we are changed.
* We no longer see Him as one to be feared as much as one to know intimately.
* We no longer view Him for what He can give to us, but for what He already has given for us.
**When we see Jesus face to face, we are no longer slaves, but friends. We do not fear Him as a slave fears his master. We have entered a new kind of relationship-a relationship that has mutual respect and care.
**Today, Jesus is calling you to seek His face, not just His hand. When you seek His face, you will know His provision and His mercy in all aspects of life.
** Seek His face today and become a friend of God.
The more like Christ you become, the more you exalt Christ and not yourself.
*What God did on the first Christmas and what he does in forgiving and changing people today he did and does in utterly free, sovereign mercy, so that ALL his people will end of their lives with the words like 1 Timothy 1:17: “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
I thank you Lord for your care and love for all my loved ones and all of the Devotional readers these past two years . I thank you for each and every one of them Lord. I thank you for your shield on their lives. I thank you for your goodness and your mercy toward them. I thank you Lord for your provision for them and I thank you Lord for health and healing in their lives. I thank you Father for being so good to each one of them. I thank you Lord for comforting the broken hearted and I thank you Lord for providing for the jobless. I thank you Lord for open doors and opportunities.
I thank you Father God for everything that you are doing in each of their lives. *What I thank you most of all for Lord is I thank you Lord that you are drawing
each and every one of us closer to you “to Know You”. I thank you Lord that you are opening our eyes and our ears, that you Lord are making yourself KNOWN to us and we are basking in Your presence. I thank you for each dear soul today, Save whole families Lord, and bring restoration, healing and renewal in great measure this Season to ALL– for Your Glory and our Joy. Bless your great name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
The way to strength is to discover
“the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
The apostle Paul was one of the most mature Christians who ever lived, yet he wasn’t ashamed of his human frailties.
Paul knew God loved him no matter what, and He understood that confessing his weakness was essential to walking in God’s Strength.
** “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses…for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories.
**When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence.
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).
The first thing you have to do when things start falling apart, Paul says, is to be strong yourself in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; that is a fundamental principle of helping anybody.
*You can only pass on to others what you yourself have received.
* Head knowledge is of no value. If you merely pass on a knowledge of the truth—TEACHING people the various doctrines of Christianity—you have done nothing to help them at all.
* Unless they can see that that TRUTH has Changed You and Made You different.
*That you speak out of the experience of having been Altered by the TRUTH you believe, you will never do anything to help someone else stand in the hour of danger.
***If you want to strengthen others, Paul’s advice is to start with Yourself.
That which strengthens is grace. A peculiar thing about grace is it is never available to strong people.
That is what makes grace difficult for us to get hold of it sometimes.
We are continually assaulted today with a barrage of propaganda teaching us that the way to be strong is to develop some quality about ourselves, some hidden power, some reserve of personality, some right that we need to demand.
** But if you believe the Bible, these teachings are the way to be weak—and that is what proves to be the case.
God’s grace alone is strong enough to handle the pressures of a fallen world, but the only way you can lay hold of the grace of God is to acknowledge that you are so weak you do not have anything else that will hold you.
Many today are unable to be strong and don’t stand in the day of pressure, although they give great testimony about how they are going to follow Christ and stand for Him.
In the moment of pressure, however, they go down almost instantly. They have bought the lie of the world that if they just make up their mind, that if by their will or their effort they display their tremendous natural gifts, or if they develop some power to ride over the rights of others, they can stand.
** But Paul’s word is that the way to strength is to discover
****“the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
*Grace is a free gift Grace is everything for nothing when we don’t deserve anything.
*Grace pays my debt mercy forgives my debt.
***What should my response be to grace?
*Recognize the debt of my sin.
*Demonstrate my new life in Christ.
*Live a godly life.
Recognize your own weakness and then accept God’s promise to work with you and through you in your weakness to make it strong.
That is how it works.
Christians should continually be learning to say,
“I can’t live up to this demand. I can’t do this thing that is asked of me. But He can; therefore I can.”
Take the action based upon the expectation that God is in you, and He will enable you to do what you otherwise cannot do.
That is authentic Christianity. It is supernatural. Natural strength is its greatest enemy. When we learn that, we can be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
You live in times of great evil and adversity. Your only place of escape is in the Lord. You must come and hide yourself in Truth and Righteousness so that the enemy cannot touch you and nothing can dissuade you from His purposes and your life in Him. This is a deliberate commitment and takes effort to maintain, but Jesus will give you the help and strength you need. Don’t get caught up in the issues of life and worldly concerns; keep eternal focus.
* Psalms 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
Lord, I confess my weakness. I ask that You fill me with your strength to face the things You have put before me each and every Hour. In ALL things help me to point to you Jesus. Let my identity be in You! Amen
Read MoreDeeds of real love are those God inspires within our hearts. They are not performed from a sense of duty, but rather spring forth as the natural result of loving God.
* “…because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
Romans 5:5
“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by or like a watch in the night”. Psalm 90:2,4
That’s the difference between time and eternity, the mountains were born, the earth and the world were brought forth, that’s a past tense.
But when the psalmist turns to God he says, “From everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Not, “You were God,” but “You are God.”
With God there is never a past tense, never a future tense. God doesn’t indwell time; He indwells eternity.
Eternity is not just a very long period of time;
*It’s a different mode of being.
* It’s something from another world.
* It’s higher than time.
With God it’s always, you are. His name is, “I AM.” And from the serenity and the heights of eternity He beholds time.
Isaiah 43:13 “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”
The psalmist says that “a thousand years with God are just like a day that’s gone by or a watch in the night.” The night, in biblical times, was divided into four watches of three hours each, so a thousand years with God is just like three hours that have passed in our experience.
That’s what it is to be related to God. *It’s to have a relationship that extends out of time into eternity, that’s not subject to the changes and fluctuations of time, that’s anchored in the very being of God Himself.
A thousand years are nothing to God’s eternity: between a minute and a million of years there is some proportion; between time and eternity there is None. All the events of a thousand years, whether past or to come, are more present to the Eternal Mind, than what was done in the last hour is to us. AWESOME GOD WE HAVE!
Do not put your emotions before your purpose. If it did not work out, there is a greater purpose God has for you. In some cases the dream is still underway but our timing is not God’s timing. The bible says;
2 Peter 3: 8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
*Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated. They simply quit.
Release yourself from the bondage of fear and worry. When your faith is in the Lord, He will carry you in the flow of His Spirit. But, you must not hang on to the things of the world or put your trust in natural things. Your faith is substantive and vital to your success in any endeavor, and you must put it to work by actual belief and not just hope. I Believe the Lord is looking for a people who have a strong and working faith whose actions demonstrate His kingdom.
*Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Look forward, finally, and hope for the coming of the Lord. Your best things are yet to come. The second coming of Christ will soon be here. The time of temptation will soon be past and gone. The judgment and reward of the saints shall soon make amends for everything. ***Rest in the hope of that day. Work, watch, and look forward–one thing, at any rate, that day will make abundantly clear. It will show that there was never an hour in our lives in which we had our hearts too thoroughly focused on Christ.
God I am sorry for my weakness and I thank You for being patient with me. Help me to catch on faster in those areas I need to change. Thank You for being Patient with me. Amen
Read More“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
****HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is essential to the Christian life because it’s an expression, whether in thought, word, or deed, of our satisfaction IN Who God IS and what God has done for us in Jesus (Colossians 2:9–10; Ephesians 5:1–2).
*Thanksgiving is essential because it flows from the understanding that the Lord’s steadfast love endures forever and that his faithfulness is to all generations (Psalm 100:5).
*****Lord help us Point to Jesus this Thanksgiving and Give Thanks!!!!
The world, Satan, and our own sinful hearts are oriented away from thanksgiving.
* The best way to help someone is to point them to Jesus.
* Remind them who Jesus is and what HE has done.
*Remind Them that Jesus has taken care of their greatest problem, which is our own sin, and that HE is sovereign over everything else we could ever face.
And may God give us grace, that our speech, prayers, and life would overflow to God in thanksgiving for his goodness and countless mercies in Christ.
Miracle of Thanksgiving
by Ron Walters
November always brings out the historian in me—undoubtedly a result of those Thanksgiving theatricals at my elementary school. The class would dress as Pilgrims; my broad brimmed hat stabilized by a pair of crumpled ears. The routines were more funny than factual but they plowed a furrow of America’s history deep into my mind. And with each November I find myself retracing America’s past and always arriving at the same conclusion: ****America is a miracle, an answer to countless prayers and thankful hearts.
There’s no other way to explain it.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t credit this nation’s greatness solely to the Pilgrim’s—a name given them by William Bradford, quoting from Hebrews 11.13—even though their prayers, which will always be identified with that original
Thanksgiving, certainly played a part.
What makes that first Thanksgiving so memorable is as much about the when as it was the what.
Whereas it’s true they had enjoyed a bountiful harvest that year, the Pilgrims purposely planned their Thanksgiving of 1621 during an exceedingly disastrous year. It was then that they gave thanks to God.
Pull up a chair and grab your almanac. And once you’ve found that famous Thanksgiving day, see if you notice the change of fortunes for our nation, and the beginning of the miracle:
* 1609—Approximately 300 colonists arrived in Jamestown. That winter, because their food supplies were exhausted, 80% of the people died from starvation and disease.
* 1620—102 Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower and three months later landed at Plymouth. Within the first year, half of them perished.
* 1621—The Pilgrims dedicated three days for a Thanksgiving Feast to give God glory.
* 1689—During the next 74 years, four North American wars raged between England and France. The final conflict—the French and Indian War—caused Britain to tighten its grip on the colonies, a major miscalculation that eventually led to the American Revolution.
* 1776—America declared independence from England. It was David revisiting Goliath. And, without historical precedent, America won its independence, the world’s first colony to break away from a parent country.
It had to be a miracle. Even George Washington thought so: “It will not be believed that such a force as Great Britain, after eight years of military employment, could be so baffled in their plans…by men oftentimes half-starved, almost always sick, without pay, and experiencing every distress which the human nature is capable of enduring.”Yet, soon after the war, 400 armed war veterans circled the make-shift congressional building demanding their unpaid back wages. Held hostage, Congress was forced to approve a payment plan—but had no funds to make the plan work.
To make matters worse, the thirteen states turned on each other. States they were, but united they weren’t.
New Jersey instituted its own customs services.
New York negotiated its own foreign treaties.
Nine of the thirteen states maintained their own private navies.
Seven states printed their own currency—good only within their borders.
Many passed tariff laws against the other states.
And yet somehow these colonies, this people, this collection of war-worn Americans became one nation. A nation ruled by the laws of democracy to safeguard the rights of its citizens; the right to worship as we please, the right to speak boldly about the things of God…It was a miracle. It is a grand land. And, there’s much to be thankful for.
HAPPY THANKS-LIVING!!!
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 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.
Verse 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Amen
*The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God.
*God is also our strength to endure the pain and hurt that we are experiencing.
*Get some rest! – Rest in Him not the things around you.
*Recognize God in your life and meet with Him through Scripture and Prayer.
+How does God call you?
+How does God speak to you?
+How does God feed you?
“Be Still, and Know”
Psalm 46:6, 9-10 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; [God] lifts his voice, the earth
melts…. [God] makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters
the spear, he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be
exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
There’s a scene of tremendous uproar. Nations are in uproar. Kingdoms are falling. How
true that is today but, in the midst of it, God’s voice comes forth. *God speaks.
* God intervenes.
*God lifts His voice; the earth melts.
*God intervenes against the forces of iniquity and evil.
***And then He speaks a word to His people in the midst of all the confusion and
turmoil and uproar.
***God says this: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
As we all can see and feel—We are in a situation not far from that today.
Nations are in an uproar, kingdoms are toppling, war is threatening on every hand, but in
the midst of it God speaks to His people and says,
*“Be still, be quiet, don’t be upset, don’t get restless, don’t get nervous. Be still and
know that I am God. I’m still in control!!!!
* God’s purposes are going to work out. He says “I’m going to be exalted over all
nations. I am going to be exalted in the earth.”
Let me give you that advice today. Be still and HEAR the voice of God.
He created all, holds all, knows all, loves all. What could I possibly. do or say to make it
better. NOTHING! I Praise Your name FATHER.
To close things out, the writer speaks God’s admonishment, “Be still”. *Sometimes the
battle has worn you down.
* Sometimes you look up and there is nothing left.
**No matter how hard you try, you can’t press forward. By all accounts, it seems as if the
enemy has finally won.
*You try to pray, but the words don’t flow forward with any fluency.
*You turn to friends, but you find them complaining too.
*You turn to mother, but mother is incapable of producing any relief.
**At this moment of despair, GOD steps in and simply says, “BE STILL, I’ve got it from
here.
Although we are promised trials and persecution, we know that Abba is still in control.
Jesus has been given all authority under heaven and earth. Trials are temporary.
We can rely and trust in Abba. Although we may not understand why trials happen, we
know that ALL is for His glory.
There are many distractions in the world, many so easily take our focus away from God
and on to ourselves, or to our circumstances.
**We must keep our eyes only on God, the One who saves, delivers, shows us mercy and
grace.
*No other person, no other god, no other thing, can do this.
As we go about our day, let us remove those distractions, lay them at His feet and trust
His will.
1. God is able
2. God is all power
3. God is a healer
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!!!!
Refuse to give in to the frustration that has come as a result of dealing with hindrances.
Instead, set yourself to seek the Lord for wisdom and clarity, for HE will give you the
grace to accomplish what He has set before you. This is certainly not a time when you
should get discouraged and give up. You are on the brink of breakthrough. Keep
pushing. Keep trusting. Keep the faith! *Isaiah 58:8 Then your light shall break forth
like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go
before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Lord, I will be still and know You are God…You are my Counselor, Father. Speak to my
heart, spirit, and mind…Lead me, Guide me, Show me…thank You, Jesus…Let me praise
Your Glorious Name!
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