Devotions - Prayer
Psalm 68:6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
To be lonely is a very sad condition; yet in today’s world there are millions and millions of lonely people.
Even though the population of the earth is increasing rapidly and even though so many people live in large cities, those large cities and this highly populated earth of ours are filled with lonely people.
• You see, it’s possible to be lonely in the midst of a crowd.
• It’s possible to be lonely in a big city.
• I know, because I’ve met so many people like that.
Now loneliness is not God’s plan for man’s life.
Right at the beginning of human history God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” So for the first man he planned a mate. That’s God’s attitude.
• He wants to take us out of our loneliness.
• He wants to set us in the family of God.
• He wants to give us human friends and human fellowship.
• That’s His plan. God sets the lonely in families.
But there’s one kind of person that God cannot help out of loneliness: the rebellious live in a dry sun-scorched land.
So if you’re lonely just bear in mind that God cannot help you until:
• you lay down your rebelliousness,
• till you renounce your pride and your self-will and independence
• and turn to God for His mercy
• and then He’ll have mercy on you and He will set you in His family.
Step one of the 8 Truths to Master life:
1. I confess my spiritual and moral bankruptcy and agree with Jesus’ words: “without me you can do nothing.”
Result: I am fully accepted and welcomed into God’s Family.
I am “Accepted.”
*When this happens, I am fully accepted into God’s family. Upon receiving Jesus and His work on the cross, of bearing my sin and His victory over death through His resurrection—I have the gift of eternal life.
Isaiah 55:1. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!”
Luke 5: 31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.
Romans 3:18-26, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Lord, thank you for the Body of Christ the Church which has helped be get rid of my loneliness. We all need relationships and I pray that if we are not in a small group we will reach out and get into one for Your Glory and our joy. Amen
Read MoreLet us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, ‘We have sinned and rebelled’”Lamentations 3:40-42a.
The path to a fresh start and a clear conscience begins with repentance. First, review every area of your life, and then repent of every sin.
What does it mean to repent? It means three things:
- First, you take responsibility for your sin.
- Second, you turn away from those things.
- And third, you turn toward God and his grace.
Repentance does not mean rationalizing your sin. You don’t say, “It was no big deal.” It was a big deal, or you wouldn’t have remembered it. You don’t say, “It happened so long ago” or “It was just a stage I went through” or “Everybody does it.” It doesn’t matter! You cannot rationalize sin, minimize it, excuse it, or blame others. That is not true repentance.
Pay attention to this: The greatest holdup to the healing of your hang-up is you.
You’re not waiting on God; you’re not waiting on anybody else. God wants to heal the hang-up in your life, but the greatest holdup to your hang-up is you.
The Bible says in 1 John 1:8, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us”(NIV).
Would you like to get rid of the self-defeating habits in your life?
- You will stop defeating yourself when you stop deceiving yourself.
- It all starts with gut-level honesty and recognizing that something is wrong, no matter how much you want to rationalize it and excuse it.
- You need to admit it, confess it, and get it out of your life.
E’s of Decision Making”…Glorifying God in the Gray Areas…(got this from a Bible Study friend, not sure of author)
Edification…Will this activity produce a spiritual benefit?
Enslavement…Will this activity lead to spiritual bondage?
Exposure…Will this activity expose my mind or body to defilement?
Esteem…Will this benefit others, or cause them to stumble?
Evangelism…Will this activity further the cause of the Gospel?
Ethics…Will this activity violate my conscious?
Exaltation…Will this activity bring glory to God?
Armed with these basic principles every believer can navigate the gray areas with integrity. Amen
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Philippians 2:5 states our ideal position:
“Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus”.
Our one motive should be to follow Him and become more like Him. That’s the motive that should supersede and reign over any others. How do we practically live that out?
I think the clue is in the following verses.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:6-7).
Our focus has to be on becoming nothing. Nothing is not our status or worth. We are always holy and dearly loved children of the King.
Nothing is to be our chosen position as a servant.
How does this look in everyday life? Jesus is our perfect example. He is everything: the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He is so incredibly powerful and important that Colossians 1:16 says “all things were created by him and for him” .
Despite His exalted position, Jesus showed the purity of His motives toward us by giving up all He had.
As I’ve thought about how to imitate Jesus in my motives, I ask myself two questions when making choices:
• Does this put me or others first?
• Is this a choice to be more or to be nothing? Am I Bankrupt to self?
These two questions expose any twisted motives and bring me back to my chosen position of nothing. Day by day, my motives are refined. I keep thinking of the Eternal Perspective vs here on earth. It’s a painful process sometimes, but it’s a good process that ultimately produces pure motives with divine outcomes.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5) provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.
*Jesus teaching is of Transformation of the INNER Person.
*Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
Lord God, You are the only One with uncontaminated motives. I confess mine are often mixed with pride, emotion, or personal opinion. Please purify my heart. Forgive me and help me move forward with a pure heart. Amen
Read MoreWhenever it is that the Word of GOD comes with correction, showing us our errors, it’s often because the Lord expects conformity to His standards and not our own.
When the warning comes we shouldn’t stiffen the neck, but be smart & line up.
**First comes the warning, then comes the judgment. Wondering now where it is the nations stand…
In this generation so many sins are being considered acceptable because no one wants to be the Amos.
We must realize that what is wrong is wrong, and stand up for what’s right, no matter what society says.
It is sooo easy to look over our own hearts and point fingers at our country, but yet we can’t even recognize the deep sin we are engaged in.
Living comfortable, secure lifestyles cripples our ability to serve God.
God will judge the sin of pride.
* God does not go back on his promises.
* Pride says I do not need God. It’s all about me.
****When you look in the mirror in the morning, do you see a self- centered person or a Christ- centered person?
Read: Amos 7:10-18
Observations:
1. Amos calls down judgment on the people living at ease in Jerusalem and Judaea.
2. Amos prophesied on Gods people.
3. They loved in territorial ignorance.
• Why? Why is Amos referring to these cities?
• Because all of them were successful but yet they were nothing without God.
We don’t mind people who correct others as long as they are not correcting us.
*Simple people like Amos are called to do God’s work – he was just a small town shepherd.
Help us be REAL, O Lord! You desire Truth in the innermost parts. Restore us O Lord! LORD – make us like Amos. One small minor prophet book in the Bible positioned to teach us big things – amen
“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him”(Romans 8:29 MSG).
You are wonderfully complex (Psalm 139:14). To fulfill God’s purpose for you, you have to look at every dimension of your life and understand the factors that influence your identity.
The Bible says we are created in the image of God. No other animal was created in the image of God! Dogs have instinct but don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Elephants have no moral compass. But you get to choose to do right or wrong.
The freedom to choose is man’s greatest blessing and also his greatest curse, because we make stupid choices all the time that harm us and everyone around us.
The wild card can change the suit and number of the other cards you are dealt.
- You didn’t choose your chemistry, but you can choose what you do with your body.
- You didn’t choose your connections, but you can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones you already have.
- You can choose how you respond to your circumstances, and you can choose to stop believing the harmful things people say to you.
Your identity is shaped by your choices. What choices will you make today that will positively affect the rest of your life?
Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit and your word to teach me all the promises you have for me. Help me more each day to see “how You see me”, not what the world says. Amen
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The First Truth in the 8 Truths to Master Life.
1. I confess my spiritual and moral bankruptcy and agree with Jesus’ words: “without me you can do nothing.”
Result: I am fully accepted and welcomed into God’s Family.
I am “Accepted.”
*When this happens, I am fully accepted into God’s family. Upon receiving Jesus and His work on the cross, of bearing my sin and His victory over death through His resurrection—I have the gift of eternal life.
Isaiah 55:1. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!”
*Salvation is a gift from God. Gods thoughts and ways are far above our ways , when you accept his invitation. His invitation is for everyone “he that hath ears let him hear”.
Salvation is free a gift from God.
You said, “Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:4-6).
Notice the difference: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” The inner eye of the heart sees the nature of God. And the result? Job says, “I despise myself.” That is repentance.
Job has never been in this place before. He is learning at last the hardest lesson of life, what God seeks to teach us all: the problem is never in others or in God; the problem is in us.
And it is a problem that only God can handle.
It looks as though God has humiliated Job and brought this poor, broken-hearted man down into the dust almost cruelly.
Yet it is not cruelty, it is love—because, at this point, when Job has finally given up trying to defend and justify himself, God begins to heal and pour into this man’s life blessings he never dreamed of.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the men and women who are bankrupt in themselves, who stop counting on what they have to make it. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God will begin to heal a life that repents before Him, and He will fill it with blessing and honor and glory and power.
None of the prideful things to which we cling will be worth the smallest portion of the glory and joy we have discovered in coming into a relationship with God Himself.
Thank You, Father, for this penetrating look at my own heart. How proud I have been, how filled with self-justification with complaints before You. Teach me to put my hand upon my mouth and admit to You that the problem lies so often with me so that You will heal and restore me. Amen
John 1:23, John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'”
John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success.
Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it.
God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist.
To succeed in life, you must find God’s plan for your life and then devote yourself to fulfilling that plan.
It is not enough to simply “do your own thing” and then ask God’s blessing upon it. Once you know you are doing God’s will, you never have to ask for God’s blessing. God’s will is already blessed.
The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. Your talents and abilities were given you to fulfill His purpose. Although you may find limited success using these talents for your own uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed by and for the Lord.
The good news is that God wants to reveal His perfect plan for your life to you more than you want to know it. You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive (Mt. 7:7).
He will show you His good, acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2)
When we understand God’s love for us and His plan for us, then we can begin to realize the doors that He wants to open for us.
*But we’ll only realize these things when we’re constantly talking with Him, listening to His voice through His Written Word, and growing deeper in our relationship with Him.
God, remind me to bring my problems to You. I’m tired of living in my own strength. I need Your guidance and Your direction. As I seek You daily, I will put my trust in You. Amen
Read More“For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” – Malachi 3:2b
The Lord has a specific manner of preparing His people for useful service.
*God desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold and silver.
“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years” (Malachi 3:3-4).
The refiner’s fire can only accomplish its purposes when the heat is turned up to extraordinary temperatures. It breaks down the metal in order for it to become moldable and shapeable.
*Only when the temperatures reach this level can the work be fully accomplished.
***So it is in our lives.
Why does God allow impossible situations in our lives? And how to deal with it?
When you pass through the fire it will not burn you.
Problems come because of the anointing of the Lord and it is attracted to you. If you find your self in problems it’s because God is preparing for something great.
Until the Lord completes His refining process, the offerings we make are not made in righteousness and cannot be acceptable.
Thank God that Jesus is our righteousness and that there is no righteousness apart from Him.
Still, the Lord continues to purge all that is not of His righteousness out of our lives.
*This comes through trials that bring each of us to the end of ourselves in order that He may only reflect that which is Himself.
When God takes you through the refiner’s fire, be encouraged because it is His overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal.
He will do this through certain events in your relationships, and other circumstances in your life. Our job is to avoid trying to blow out the fire.
2 Chro 20:15 says the battle is not ours but the Lords, vs 17 says you will not need to fight in the battle but stand firm, hold your position and see the Lords salvation work, do not be afraid nor dismayed the Lord will be with you. Vs 20 says believe in the Lord your God and you will be established.
Lord, Continue to refine me each and everyday. Help me to never be comfortable or stagnant! Amen
See Psalms 139:23-24 for an additional prayer
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This is such an important question that it deserves a careful answer.
The Bible clearly teaches that the moment a person turns from his sin and trusts in Jesus to be forgiven of his sin, he is saved (Acts 2:37-41).
*He has passed from spiritual death to spiritual life (John 5:24) and been declared not guilty in God’s court of law (Rom 3:21-26).
*From God’s perspective his salvation is an objective reality that cannot be changed (Rom 8:28-30).
The apostle John wrote his first letter to address this very question:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).
So when we read through John’s letter, we see that he answers this question from several different angles.
The starting point is the person and work of Jesus Christ. He describes Christ as our advocate (1 John 2:1), meaning that he pleads our case before the Father when Satan accuses us. Through his sacrificial death on the cross for our sins Jesus has satisfied God’s righteous wrath against us (1 John 1:7; 2:2; 4:10). By confessing that we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh to save us from our sins we can be confident that we have eternal life (1 John 4:2, 13-15; 5:13).
Therefore “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).
John does not stop there, however. He builds on the foundation of ongoing trust in the person and work of Christ by reminding us about the testimony of the Holy Spirit living inside of believers (1 John 3:24).
The Spirit reminds us of the truth of who Jesus is and what he has done for us (1 John 4:2, 6).
Those who are children of God show their true identity by pursuing a pattern of turning away from sin and towards a life of righteousness (1 John 3:4-10). And when we inevitably fall short of perfect obedience, we have the promise that God is faithful to forgive and cleanse us (1 John 1:9).
So our salvation depends solely on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
*As we continue to trust in him we will experience the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives to make us more like Jesus.
God is already the Victor! (1JN 4:4)
Thank You Jesus. Help me be become more and more like You! Amen!
Psalm 4:6–7 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.
*How true that is of our situation today. Many are asking. “Who can show us any good?”
David the psalmist then goes on, “Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O LORD.”
*Real goodness has only one source. It comes from the Lord, and when He lifts up the light of His face upon us, that light dispels our darkness, our anxieties, our worries, our fears. We are filled with joy.
David says, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.”
There’s a kind of pleasure and satisfaction and happiness that we get from material abundance, but there’s something different that comes only from the light of God’s countenance upon our lives.
True joy that excels anything that we can get from mere material prosperity or security or satisfaction. So remember, it’s the light of God’s countenance that will make your life meaningful and secure.
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
Let the light of God’s truth shine in you to expose the darkest recesses of your being. (Read 1JN 1:5-12)
*Righteousness(moral orderliness) must be restored before your own light can shine unhindered by the darkness of carnal living. Set your heart on purity.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4: 3 God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality.
“Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you (1 Thessalonians 4:8).
*Only God’s Divine Love can give us the identity and purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
Thank You Jesus for Your Perfect Love! Amen
Read MoreGo Therefore and Make Disciples
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Along with telling His disciples to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 16:15), Jesus Christ commissioned them to make disciples from all nations.
A disciple is a learner, a follower of Jesus Christ. These disciples are not made by coercion or enticement, but must be called by God (John 6:44) and must of their own free will respond to this call.
Those who respond will follow Peter’s teaching in Acts 2:38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
It is the job of the Church of God to teach “all things” Christ has commanded—the entire message of the Bible inspired by God. This is a daunting task and a lifelong commitment.
Acts 11:26 tells us, “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
The word “Christian” means “a follower of Christ.” The word “disciple” in this same verse means “student” or “pupil.”
- A Christian is not merely someone who professes to believe in Jesus; rather he or she is a follower of and a student of Jesus Christ.
- Being a Christian is an ongoing lifelong process of following the example of Jesus Christ.
- A person who claims to be a Christian should demonstrate his or her belief by living the way Christ lived—doing what Christ did—and avoiding what Christ avoided.
- Christianity is a way of life. The disciples of Christ will follow Him and work at patterning their lives after His life.
There is a lot more to being a Christian than first meets the eye. To follow Christ, we must study His life and see what He did and how He lived. The apostle Paul instructed Christians to “imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, emphasis added throughout). We are to imitate or live our daily lives following Jesus’ example. Being a Christian goes far beyond just using the title “Christian” or having an emotional experience of “giving your heart to the Lord.”
A Christian is working to overcome sins and is busy working at becoming more like Jesus Christ, and trying to become “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
It is a lifelong effort, not just merely a one-time emotional decision or experience. And it is a commitment that has eternal rewards—to inherit the Kingdom of God with our elder Brother Jesus Christ forever! Amen
Read More1 Thess. 4: 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
*One must understand that sex is good under the covenant of marriage.
Live holy lives not impure lives. To Reject living holy– means rejecting God.
*God gave us his Holy Spirit and the power through His Spirit so believers can live holy lives.
I need to remember always to allow the Holy Spirit to have control over my life and reject the impurity of sin especially impure thoughts.
For the root of impure thoughts comes from the heart and influence my actions.
2 Timothy 2:22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
*You once lived a life you don’t want to go back too. You accepted Jesus, the Lord almighty, as your Savior. Don’t go back too your old ways.
Our purity will determine the extent to which God will use us and demonstrate His power in us.
Those who truly love God will seek to obey him, which is really what purity is.
Holiness is not the absence of sin, but the presence of God in your life.
Impurity has both long term and short term effects, especially if we continue to let it linger in our lives, and God isn’t happy with that.
2 Timothy 2:22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
*If we are slaves to sin, we will never be free. Jesus’ standard is the one to live up to.
We must proclaim God’s holiness on earth, just as it is proclaimed in heaven.
*Holiness Is A Choice, Your Choice
We live in an environment that is driven by sex, money and power!! That’s a problem
Ephesians 5:3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
* Lust produces bad sex, because it denies Relationship.
*Lust turns the other person into an object, a thing, a non-person.
***Jesus condemned lust because it cheapened sex; it made sex less that it was created to be.
God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
Father, Grant me power to reject impurity and not just in actions, but thoughts too. I choose right now to reject an impure life and ask by faith that the Holy Spirit would take control of my life so I would honor you as holy before all men. Thank You for all your gifts. In Jesus name – Amen
Read MoreDefine your boundaries
Acts 17:26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
God created all things and then decided their life expectancy as well as determining their boundaries.
God knew where the land existed and then where the next mass of land started.
*God knew the boundaries of the nations because he defined and determined them.
*God also knows the boundaries of his people.
*God knows how much to push us and when to pull back.
Christians today push their boundaries and then end up hurting themselves and those around them because they don’t know where those boundaries are at.
It’s important to know where your boundaries are at for every thing.
***Relationship boundaries, financial, career, free time, exercise, health, educational, and the list goes on and on.
This doesn’t down play hard work, but each person has boundaries and when those are not defined and they are unknowingly crossed, there are brutal consequences.
*God determined boundaries for our sake.
*God created the Sabbath as a boundary to take for the sake of rest.
*God called marriage between one man And one woman…that’s a boundary.
Boundaries are determined by God.
Lord, show me the boundaries that you have set for my life. I desire to run free in the boundaries that you have determined for me. I never want to leave your embrace and move outside of your will. Amen
What can we learn from Jesus
Know who you are (John 8:12) — Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined himself. There was no doubt in his mind as to who he was. Trying to be someone you’re not causes stress!
Know who you want to please (John 5:30) — Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate him. No one can pressure you without your permission. You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t!
Set clear goals (John 8:14) — Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Preparation prevents pressure but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.
Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44) — Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from his primary goal.
Don’t try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14) — Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. We get tense when we feel it all depends on us.
Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35) — No matter how busy Jesus got, he found time to get alone and pray. A daily quiet time is a great stress decompression chamber.
Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31) — Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.
As a Christian, I come under the truth of the Word and the necessity of prayer.
“Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God who’s gracious Word can make you into what He wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.”Acts 20:32
5 Truths for our Work being our Worship
1. Belief in the reality of God who has spoken, making the word of God the basis of our understanding and action.
2. Therefore, operate by faith in the Word of God, knowing life in the workplace is just as spiritual as the time we spend in worship.
3. The result is, having confidence in God’s calling and His gifting’s, that makes work worth while and fulfilling.
4. So, God is glorified in the workplace.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by faithfulness to Christ, following him in obedience.
Nothing that happens on earth can ever change the Word of God.
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but My Words will never disappear”. Mark 13:31
5 Myths When Missing God as our Pilot
1. Belief in self – it is all about me!
2. Therefore, we operate from one’s limited perspective.
3. The result is, self-confidence with arrogance leading you.
4. So, the workplace centers on man’s achievements alone.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by pride in material wealth.
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
THE FEAR OF THE LORD . .
* Causes us to depart from evil, Prov. 3:7.
* Causes us to hate evil, Prov. 8:13.
* Prolongs our days, Prov. 10:27.
* Gives inspired confidence, Prov. 14:26.
* Affords great contentment, Prov. 15:16.
* Keeps the heart, Prov. 23:17.
* Strengthens us against unstable companions, Prov. 24:21.
Lord, Help me measure my success by letting my success be measured by faithfulness to Christ, following YOU in obedience. Thank You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreEXPERIENCE VICTORY THIS DAY!
Faith and Blessing go hand in hand, partnering in God’s plan for you.
*Faith always leads and blessing always follows.
We must be willing to obey God’s Will and do exactly what He asks us to do, no matter what we think or how we feel.
“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” Luke 5:5
The Lord is telling us that we cannot experience victory unless we go out further than we have never gone before.
*If we continually stay at the shallow side, we will continue to experience mediocrity, which is not God’s will for us.
We must take the first step and continue to walk on water, during this walking we will experience adversity and trials of many kinds, but we still must push until we reach our deep, where we will receive the Lord’s blessing.
*Have you ever felt tempted to look at your accomplishments with pride as if you were the reason for your success?
*Have you ever thought your prosperity was due to your ingenuity?
*Has your material success been a testimony to others that God is the ruler of all aspects of your life, even the material side?
Joseph’s greatest test was not his temptation to be bitter against his brothers.
*It wasn’t the sexual temptation that came inside Potiphar’s house.
*It wasn’t even the discouragement of years of imprisonment for being wrongfully accused.
**It was the temptation of prosperity and ownership. Once he was elevated, he was given choices that he never had before. It was totally up to him as to which choice he would make.
Stewardship reveals what we believe about God and ourselves.
Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall.
Keep pressing even though your efforts are met with opposition. The end result will be worth all of your energy to break through. Refuse to get discouraged or decide to just give up. The Lord is with you to bring you through to victory. Be strong and courageous.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Heavenly Father teach me that I must go out into the deep with you, where I will experience you than like never before. .Amen
Christianity is not a religion it’s a relationship with Christ.
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.
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