Devotions - Prayer
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
GOD DELIGHTS IN MERCY
” But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!).”( Ephesians 2:4-5)
Psalm 103:17 But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children 18 of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!
*God’s commandments are not intended to make us miserable–they’re meant for our own happiness. Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God’s motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5).
*Let us remember the good things God has done and how much He loves us.
Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.
22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.
* Despite of your hardships and slips ups– you are still here. The reason you are still here is because God Is ABLE.
* No matter what lies ahead it will be well because God is still able.
***God is still able:
1. To keep us from falling.
He is able to keep you from falling right Now. God will keep you if you want to be kept. You got to fight for your faith.
2. To present us faultless.
We will be presenting faultless because we been redeemed. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can bring us this. It never loses its power. Hold on and hang on.
3. To keep us faithful.
*The same God with you every month is still Able. Who was with you through rough times is still Able. Hang in there, he’s still able.
None of us deserve the mercy of the Lord. Not one of us walking the earth deserve His mercy- BUT because He loves us so much, The Father shows us mercy. What is mercy?
*Mercy is compassion, kindness, favor!
Even when some of us went our own way and committed unspeakable sins the Lord had mercy on us.
*Today if you are reading this devotion it is because of the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon those that fear Him, upon those that reverence are in awe of Him.
The Lord’s mercy never ends. That’s what everlasting means it goes on and on.
We should be Living Grateful and Thankful Lives unto God the Father, even some of us who are not walking with God as we should be.
We must, be grateful that He allows us to open our eyes and see another day, another day to turn our hearts to Him completely.
“11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. “(Hebrews 12:11).
God is talking about disciplining His own heart here, as well as ours. His are
not joyous to Him, but grievous and painful. Yet when God moves in to judge, He hovers over His children as He disciplines (chastens) them.
**God looks for even the slightest
sign of sorrow or repentance and He lets up at the first inkling of one.
**God longs to say, “Enough—no more. It pains Me too much to punish you.”
We must come to grips with this matter of God’s pain. When others are
trying to hurt you, you have to bring your thoughts into captivity, and say,
“Oh, Lord, let me pray for my enemies, for those who are trying to wound me.”
God loves the most wicked, vile sinner on the street and if He loves that
person, how much more does He love the Christian who hurts you and has made himself your enemy?
Perhaps you have an idea by now of how far we are from the heart of God. We have so much yet to learn of His heart.
No, God does not delight in judgment. He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, nor in His disciplining of His children. On the contrary, it pains Him awfully.
Let me tell you what the Lord delights in:
” Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!” (Micah7:18-19).
Thank God for His great compassion, available to all. He delights in mercy!
Pay attention to the rhythm of life as you endeavor to move in the flow of the Lord’s Spirit. If you try to make things happen instead of waiting for opportunities to come to you, you will get out of the flow and become unfruitful. Trust the Lord to put you in proper position to complete your assignments in the perfect order of your responsibilities and giftings. Be bold; be strong, for the Lord is with you.
** Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
* Our lives are short and will be forgotten. Only God and His love is everlasting.
*God loves mercy. It is His specialty according to His Word. I am so grateful for His mercy and grace.
God, thank you for having mercy on us and loving us. Thank you for giving us life and for creating us. Help me to use my short time on earth to honor You and share You with others. Keep me focused and not tempted by distractions.
Father, thank You that when You came into my life, You granted me wisdom from above. Teach me to listen and live by the wisdom You give through Your Word. “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”
(2 Thess. 2:16-17)
Amen
Gen. 19:16 When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful.
Do not be impatient, God will give you the time you need to achieve the plan He designed for you.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
There is an appropriate time for everything, the unpleasant as well as pleasant experiences.
* This is not merely a description of what happens in life; it is a description of what God sends. Many of us are familiar with the Four Spiritual Laws, the first of which is,
* “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”
That is the plan that is set forth here. All along, the Searcher is saying that God desires to bring JOY into human experience.
Many people think Ecclesiastes is a book of gloom and pessimism because of the findings based on the writer’s limited view of those things.
The key to reading Ecclesiastes is this term “under the sun.” The futility of life ‘under the sun’ forces us to consider things beyond life on earth.
**“under the sun,” the visible things of life. But that is not the message of the book.
God intends us to have JOY, and His program to bring it about includes all these opposites.
If you look carefully, you will see that these eight opening verses in Ecclesiastes 3, gather around three major divisions that correspond, amazingly enough, to the divisions of our humanity: body, soul, and spirit.
The first four pairs deal with the body:
**“a time to be born and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Notice how this applies to the physical life.
* None of us asked to be born; it was something done to us, apart from us. *None of us asks to die; it is something God determines.
So this is the way we should view this list of opposites, as a list of what God thinks we ought to have.
It begins by pairing birth and death as the Boundaries of life.
“under the sun.”Then the Searcher moves into the realm of the soul with its functions of thinking, feeling, and choosing—the social areas—and all the interrelationships of life that flow from that.
Ecclesiastes 3: 4 tells us there is
“a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” All these things follow closely, and they are all appropriate.
“No one is going to escape the hurts and sorrows of life” is what he is saying here. God chose them for us!!!
In a fallen world it is right that there will be times of hurt, of sorrow and weeping.
The last six of these opposites relate to the spirit, to the inner decisions, the deep commitments. There is
*“a time to search [for work, marriage, new friends] and a time to give up” (Ecclesiastes 3:6).
There comes a time in life when we should curtail certain friendships or change our jobs, for instance, and lose what we had in the past. It is proper and appropriate that these times should come.
*If you keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same results. *Insanity is doing the Same thing and expecting different things to happen!
*Change is inevitable, Misery is an option.
If you wanna make some Enemies, try to Change…Some people fear change.
** But God hasn’t given us the Spirit of fear but Power, Joy, Peace, & a Sound mind.
Refusal to change is called stubbornedness.
Truth Never changes. You can’t grow without it.
All of this is God’s wonderful plan for you to Move Forward in your life. The problem, of course, is that it is not our plan for our life.
If we were given the “right to plan” our lives— we would have no unpleasantness at all. But that would ruin us!!!!
*** God knows that people who are protected from everything almost invariably end up being impossible to live with; they are selfish, cruel, vicious, shallow, and unprincipled.
God sends these things in order that we might be TAUGHT!
There is a time for everything, the Searcher says!
The dryness in a Christian’s life comes when we substitute other things for the living water that only Jesus can give. *Anytime a Christian begins to thirst again, it is not a reflection on the living water that Jesus gives, but rather an indication that we have been drinking from some other source.
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.
*So on the good days I rejoice and on the bad days I rejoice. And I trust in His unfailing, never changing
Hand. I will get through and grow through this. I just keep my eyes on Him! Don’t live on extremes!!!
*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.
“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
*- When you accept Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, a whole new world of previously unexperienced joy opens up to you!
God knew that life on planet earth was not going to be perfect but that we would experience heartache, sorrow and disappointment during our days here.
To combat those days of excruciating pain, God gave us the gift of joy to lift us above the circumstances of earth-bound living!
*Joy is a taste of heaven that is delivered to those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
* Joy is the ability to experience in our humanity the blessings that the Lord enjoys in His divinity.
When you make a willful decision to partner with Jesus and to submit to His Lordship and authority, you are making a decision to receive joy into your life. When you choose to give your life to Jesus Christ, joy chooses you!
Gods 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 him where we belong!
Thank you Lord for this amazing reminder in Your Word today.
Father, thank You for all the experiences of life that You have planned for me, so that I might be conformed to the image of Your Son JESUS. Amen
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1)
*Total Commitment is the conduit for God’s biggest and best blessings.
*In securities are acts of bondage.
*Excuses are things that fog our Dreams.
Haggai 1:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?
There is a crisis of grand proportions in the spiritual house of God today. The moral fiber of our world has eroded. Greed, idolatry, addictions and pleasure are the gods of our day. And it is no different in the Body of Christ.
The prophet Haggai wrote about a people who had lost concern for the need to build God’s house because they were so focused on their OWN worldly needs.
It is a dangerous place to get with God. When our world begins to focus around increasing our pleasure, building bigger and better homes, and failing to make what is important to God important in our own lives, this should be a warning to each of us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will CONTROL his own body and live in holiness and honor 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.
*We must be people of God who live in complete holiness and honor to God in ALL areas of our lives. Even in our bodies.
SELF-CONTROL–Be in control; know what you stand for and WHO you serve!! The apostle assumes that ***Believers are able to control their passions.
**The unbelievers follow whatever passions they crave,
**But Believers are characterized by their self-control.
-Have self-control in order to receive the prize in the end.
-There is no temptation that you can’t overcome with self-control since God always provides a way out.
-Have self-control over your mind and think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
-Have self-control over your body and avoid sexual immorality.
-The Holy Spirit in us doesn’t make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-control.
-God’s grace, which offers salvation to all, also teaches us to have self-control and live upright, godly lives.
-Jesus is coming again, so be self-controlled and sober so you can pray to God.
-Have self-control by being alert and sober since the devil looks for anyone he can succeed in tempting.
-Have self-control by offering your body to God and not conforming to the world in order to have your mind renewed and have God’s will be done in your life.
ARE WE DEVOTED TO JESUS?
Our need to love is every bit as strong as our need to be loved.
* “And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less?
2 Corinthians 12:15
Devotion to Jesus means “Trusting Him Alone” to meet every need of your body, soul and spirit. It means giving up looking to any other person or source to
meet those needs.
Many single people say, “I’m sick of being lonely. I need a mate. If only God would give me someone!”
No, a mate would never be able to meet such a need. In fact, a mate could
possibly make you twice as miserable because you would have not only your own headaches but his (or hers) as well!
Until Jesus is Your FOCUS, until you see
Him as your only True Satisfaction, you will sink deeper and deeper into
despair. (For hope read Psalms 42).
At one point, Jesus wanted to prove to His disciples that He was on top of any
situation, so He called Peter to get out of the boat and walk on the water to
meet Him. Peter obeyed—and as long as he remained focused on Jesus, he was above everything, actually walking on water!
* But when the disciple began to
focus on his surroundings, he started to sink (see Matthew 14:28-31).
The lesson here is elementary. Yet, I ask you: What do you do when you get that
sinking feeling? Do you call out to a friend for help or go back to an addiction?- Or do you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and cry out, “Lord, save me”?
The bride of Christ will be comprised of those who have given up trying to find
help, comfort or satisfaction from anything on this earth.
**They have learned to depend wholly on the One they love to fully satisfy their Every hunger and thirst.
Do you have this kind of walk with Jesus?
*I urge you to keep your eyes focused on your Bridegroom.
*** Expect His return at any moment and do not look to anyone or anything else to fulfill you.
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.
Rejoice and be grateful for the challenges that prove that you still have what it takes to face difficulties and overcome. It takes discipline and hard work, but you are well able to do what the Lord has set before you.
This is a time when you can come face to face with fear and presumption and walk away knowing the truth.
Renew your confidence and trust, and be convinced that you can do all things through the Lord and His anointing. Move Forward and Do Not be afraid!
Mark 10:27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”
*The truth is, God has given each one of us gifts, talents and abilities. He has a great plan for you and has equipped you to do great things for His Kingdom. BUT until you see Yourself the way JESUS sees you and trust Him to enable you to use your gifts, you won’t live up to your God-given potential.
If you’re struggling with low self-esteem, a poor self-image and lacking confidence, I want you to know that God created you with amazing potential. And when you trust God and Believe you can do whatever He says you can do, you will fulfill His destiny for your life.
Remember, “all things are possible with God.” When you put your confidence in Him, you will be free to live up to your potential.
Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
God, help me to see myself through Your eyes, with the gifts and talents You’ve given me. I believe that You made me with great potential because You are a great God. Today, I put my confidence in You and believe that all things are possible with You!
*When my strength is gone, show me Your grace.
*When the enemies come to tempt, let Your strength within me overcome the pressure without.
*I ask for grace to overcome my addictions to sin.
*Keep me continually in Your love
As much as I keep my outlook new and ordered, teach me to keep my inner man refreshed by your word.
*Make me the kind of person You want me to be.
*Let the love of Christ enrich my very soul.
Give me Self-Control in All areas of my Life and give You all the Glory!
This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
***Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Do not despise the small jobs-for they are stepping stones to a greater purpose in God’s plan for your life and for God’s preparation for your ultimate destiny.
Some of these jobs are necessary for the message He is forming in YOU!
We often make plans in our lives without consulting God. Before making any plans, seek God to see if it’s his will.
* Is God Himself your source of sustenance and enjoyment?
**God is more than enough. We don’t need anything but Him. We fill our life with so much junk, but need to remember that He is all we need.
**I need to evaluate my life and see what junk I’m adding to mine that I’m trying to fill a void that should already be filled with God.
“LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance” (Ps 16:5-6).
* David reaffirms that the Lord Himself is his inheritance, not the heathen gods, and that it is the Lord who sustains him at all times.
*We should seek to live our lives in such a way that we win Christ’s approval and obtain Him as our inheritance.
*Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
* There is no greater reward and inheritance in life than the Lord Himself. Let us press in, to win this matchless Christ!
Most of us will have many jobs over our lifetime.
With each of our jobs, God is building something in us that will be used for His purposes now and in the future.
Oswald Chambers says “In the beginning we do not train for God, we train for work, for our own aims; but as we go on with God we lose all our own aims and are trained into God’s purpose. Unless practical work is appointed by God, it will prove a curse.”
*Jesus was prepared for His ultimate calling by working with His father in his carpentry shop until He was thirty years old.
*Joseph was prepared to be head of a nation by serving prison time and being a slave in Potiphar’s house.
*Moses was prepared to lead a nation out of slavery by serving in Pharoah’s house and later working forty years as a shepherd.
Do not despise the small jobs-for they are stepping stones to a greater purpose in God’s plan for your life and for God’s preparation for your ultimate destiny.
Some of these jobs are necessary for the message He is forming in you.
Pray that God accomplishes His intended outcome in you through the work you are doing today.
We can minister for the Lord by doing some of the menial tasks that many consider to be unimportant.
*Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in His name would not go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42).
Many people are waiting for the important jobs to come along where they can make a big impact or receive a lot of recognition, while they pass by many lesser opportunities every day. **But in the kingdom of God, we won’t be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things (Luke 16:10).
Today, ask the Lord to show you ways you can minister to others by serving them.
I remember this day that Jesus never chose an apostle from among the religious system. Every one of his twelve disciples were men that He chose from the secular world.
It wasn’t because God didn’t have faith in those who were religious.
It’s just that most of those who were part of the religious system didn’t have any faith in God.
One of the most common mistakes religious people make is to put faith in themselves. They think God will use them because of their great holiness or special abilities. (See 1 Cor. 1:27-28).
People who recognize their own inabilities are of necessity more dependent on God. That is the way God wants it. (See Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12).
The Lord is constantly searching for someone who recognizes they are nothing so He can do something through them (2 Ch. 16:9).
*Don’t Give Up!!
*Words of Encouragement from the Lord. God knows His plans for us.
*Romans 11:29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.
*Today, if you’re feeling like you’ve blown it, if you feel like you are too old, too far gone or too off track, know that nothing you’ve done, no mistake that you’ve made — or ever will make — is a surprise to God.
God has already got it figured out. He’s arranged a comeback for every setback! He has grace for every weakness. He has mercy for every failure.
Receive it today and Move Forward with boldness into the destiny He has for you!
Father, thank You for the gifts and talents You’ve given me. Thank You for keeping me on track and ordering my steps. I repent today for any disobedience that has caused me to get off course. Keep me close to You always as I set my love on You.
Psalm 16:5-6, 11– Prayer: 5 You, LORD, are all I have, and You give me all I need; my future is in Your hands. -No matter the my loss or my gain, You Lord are there with me. You are my greatest gift, because You became my closest friend and counselor. My future is bright because You guide me in my present and lead me to my destination.
*verse 6 How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are! -The gifts of love,patience,kindness,peace, and forgiveness are all so great because they show Your Spirit is apart of me.
*verse11 You will show me the path that leads to life; Your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever. -The way shown by You is only to lead to You. I have joy in knowing I belong to You. I am filled with true eternal happiness knowing I am being led by You to a place were I will dwell with You forever and I shall forever be in Your Grace. Amen. 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
Is Death final?
John 11:25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
The most important question we must ask of ourselves and others is:
What do we believe about JESUS?
Do you believe that HE is the:
1. Resurrection & The Life?
2. That JESUS is our LORD & SAVIOR?
Choose to believe that no matter how bad you have been or how bad it seems, if YOU Believe, and live a life pleasing to him, you can have Life instead of death.
And your new life in Christ(read Eph. 2:1-10) will testify of Jesus and many will come to Jesus because of YOUR TESTIMONY.(see Rev. 12:11).
Remember, after Lazarus was raised, people came to Mary and believed that Jesus was the son of God.
And when YOU show the New life of Christ in YOU and victory of New Life from dead works, it can cause many to believe as well.
Receiving Jesus guarantees eternal life in Heaven:
*Rom.6:23b The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
*Jn.11:26 Whosoever…believeth in Me shall never die.
*Jn.14:2-3 In My Father’s house are many mansions.
*Jesus returned to Heaven to prepare an Eternal Home for me and you.
*This World is not my home. JESUS PAID for my place in Heaven.
*1Pet.1:3,4 Incorruptible inheritance reserved in Heaven for you.
*2 Cor 1:22. Our inheritance cannot be taken away.
*1Jn.5:11 God hath given to us eternal life…in His Son.
*John 17:3 to know Jesus is to have Eternal Life.
2 Cor 1:3. God is our comfort and we can comfort others and use that affliction to help others.
*God allows my suffering so he can speak into the lives of those who are not believers.
1 Peter 3:15. Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope you have.
We are more than conquerors!
Do we understand the future that is coming?
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life.
***1 Corinthians 15:51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!
*The day Jesus Christ was conceived was the very beginning of the end of death.
** God put that miracle seed in Mary to be LIFE for this world and to take back the grip that death had over the world. Those that believe in Jesus Christ boasts that death has been destroyed lowered to inactivity deemed incapable of ravishing as it once did.
Experiencing God’s Love is the only thing that will give us hope for the future, even when we can’t understand the way in which He leads us.
* “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me…”Psalm 23:4
When were winning in Jesus Christ death is swallowed up in victory.
* We have been set free from the law of sin for old things have passed away.
So when you are feeling down when a love one is sick, things are at there worst, problems arising- Remember that’s similar of death and with God on our side we will always be VICTORIOUS because he sent his Son Jesus to defeat all that is bound by darkness.
*Heaven is a real place. Revelation 21:14
*Heaven is a relational place. Revelation 21:3, 22:2
*Heaven is a right place. (perfect place)
Revelation 21:4
*Heaven is a rewarding place.
Revelation 22:12
*The Good News is that Jesus lived the life worthy of Heaven and gives ME forgiveness for MY failure to live that perfect life.
* “Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children”. (Revelation 21:5-7).
Isaiah 43:1 But now, OJacob, listen to the LORD who created you. OIsrael, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
*Revelation 3:5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
* Victorious are those who commit to living their lives as Christ did.
* I praise God for knowing that my name is written in the Book of Life. Just because I’ve accepted Christ into my heart and my name is written in the Book of Life, does not mean that I can sit back and coast. I must remain faithful to God and my spiritual life continue to grow.
*I want my faith to continue to grow in Christ and depend on Christ daily.
Dear Father, Thank You that this World is not my home. Thank You that we need NOT fear earthly death. JESUS PAID for my place in Heaven. Thank you for my salvation and for my name being written in the Book of Life. Lord please do not allow me to get comfortable in this world. Help me to always continue to grow and to always be on mission for you. Thank you for all that you do for me. Thank You for the gift of knowing in my heart and through Your Perfect Word that I will be spending Eternity with You in Heaven! Amen
Read More“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
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.
God is very picky about motives behind our actions.
*Your greatest moment begins with the greatest decision.
Though God loves us while we’re yet sinners, His Love relentlessly guides us toward wholeness in HIM.
” I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. 20 I will be faithful to you and make you mine, and you will finally know me as the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20
***We see in these verses a compassionate and merciful God lovingly restoring His relationship with His people. This relationship is in the Image of a loving marriage full of righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness. He restores His covenant with Israel and they respond, “You are my God.”
**This is a great illustration of how God pursues us.
*Instead of allowing us to face the consequence of our sin, death, God took Action and sent us a Savior!!!
* All we have to do is acknowledge Him and say, “You are my God.”(Verse 23)
***The Proper Foundation***
1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.
“If the Lord does not build a house,
then those who build it work in vain.
If the Lord does not guard a city,
then the watchman stands guard in vain.”. Psalm 127:1
*We might work hard in this life, but that’s not what’s going to determine success!
** The important thing is that God must be “With US” in our projects.
***If God is not a part of your life, all your work is in vain.
Seek God, recognize him in everything you do; give Him ALL Glory and Praise; then you’ll see His Blessing.
Imagine spending years building an expensive home with the finest materials and craftsmanship. It is a work of art, and the project is almost complete. As the day arrives to move in, a building inspector arrives and hands you a notice that condemns your beautiful home because it doesn’t meet code.
Many Christian believers who invest years in their occupation will one day stand before the Lord and realize THEY were building the house, NOT the Lord.
God is very picky about motives behind the actions.
* Before we act, we must ask why?
*Why are we doing what we are doing? *Has God called us to this task?
* Or is the real motive purely financial? Or control? Or prestige? Or power?
* We must build with calculation!
*We must build with an end in view. *What we build with will be revealed on the Day of the Lord.
“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
“See Christ clearly and love Christ deeply.”
*The substructure doesn’t change, the substructure is Christ.
* The Superstructure, that is built on top of the Substructure, has room to change as long as it keeps to its Foundation.
**Build carefully today and reap bountifully tomorrow.
David learned this principle by the end of his life. Throughout his life he had learned that God always tested him to find out what was in his Heart, and what his Motive was in his Actions.
David instructed his son to “…acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chron. 28:9a)
*When YOU possess something, you are held accountable for it. If you let go of it–relinquish it to God–then HE is responsible for it!
* This applies to everything–your life, your kids, your family, your house, your work, your business etc.
The dryness in a Christian’s life comes when we substitute other things for the living water that only Jesus can give. Anytime a Christian begins to “Thirst Again”, it is not a reflection on the living water that Jesus gives, but rather an indication that we have been drinking from some other source.
“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).
…”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50).
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)
*You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
*When we are tested with life’s trials and “going through the fire” our foundation is laid bare. Will we forget Jesus or cling to Him as our foundation?
Time to lay out a decision to be made?
*How can I glorify God in my goals and resolutions?
*What kind of “return” will you get with your investments.
*For everything we build, Christ must be the foundation.
*We will be rewarded according to the works that we have done on earth. (Matthew 10:40).
Friends, we have choices. We can choose to be of the world or of Christ. If we choose to be of Christ we must be fully His, for God wants all or nothing.
Thank You God for sending us Your Son.
Jesus Christ is the only sure foundation that will last for eternity. Help me daily to build on the SURE foundation. JESUS!
Help us also to build upon the work of those who have gone before us.
Jesus is the best foundation. He will never give way or let us down.
It is not the messenger (church) that’s most important; it’s the Message (The Bible). Let my faith grow with the Truths of the Bible and the Message of Jesus as foundation, my Lord. Amen.
Revelation 3:20 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you.
*I want to hear His voice. I want to understand His plan for me. Let me be still and hear His voice!
Standing in the Gap… we can pray for the people who are affected by the every day occurrences in life. For example: situations you HEAR about on the radio (floods, tornadoes, etc.), things you SEE on the street (people in need, people in fights, lonely people, children who are lacking proper care and instruction, homeless, etc), car accidents you pass on the freeway, ambulances that blare own the street, things you TALK about with family and friends. . . the things that disturb you and the people who challenge your patience . . . you get the idea. Pray right then . . . at the very moment you realize the need.
*God is looking for people to see a hole in society & step into the gap on His behalf.
*God is looking for people to stand up for Him.
*God is looking for partnerships in reaching out for His people on earth.
*May we strive for excellence in all that we do for the Master of the universe.
***Oh God give us Your heart for people so we can see their need and intercede!
1 Corinthians 3:7 It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).
I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. – Ezekiel 22:30
The people of Israel fell into sin when they worshiped the golden calf. It would not be the last time God’s people would fall into idol worship.
** They had forgotten the great things God had done for them.
** This angered God so much that He was going to destroy the whole nation.
*Only one thing changed God’s mind in the matter — Moses. Psalm 106:23 says, “…had not Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them.”
Moses was a man willing to stand in the gap, sacrificially, for those who were not deserving of such sacrifice. This sacrificial love by Moses is called for among His people today.
*Jude 23 Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven.
The prophet Ezekiel described another situation in which God’s people fell into sin. God was ready to destroy the nation when He spoke to Ezekiel, asking him if there is a man willing to stand in the gap so that God would not have to destroy His people.
*Judah was a man who stood in the gap on behalf of his younger brother Benjamin.
* Joseph held his brother Simeon hostage as insurance that the other brothers would bring Benjamin to Egypt. Judah had a long history of a me-focused life, but in this instance he came forward to stand in the gap for his younger brother. He responded to the anguish of his father, Jacob, by personally guaranteeing the safe return of both Simeon and Benjamin. Judah’s sacrifice was rewarded (see Gen. 42-43).
Just as Christ did, we are to be those who will stand in the gap on behalf of others who are not aware of their own vulnerable condition.
It is a proactive sacrificial position.
Who is God calling you to stand in the gap for? Perhaps it is a mate, family member; perhaps it is a coworker who has not come to know the Savior; perhaps it is a wayward child!!
Are you willing to become the sacrificial offering to God to change His plans of judgment because of your willingness to stand in their place? Pray-talk to Jesus!
*This is a hard teaching. This is what Jesus did for each of us. When we stand in the place of another, God moves because of our willingness to stand on their behalf.
** If we don’t, His plans will go forward because He is a righteous and holy God who will honor His own word, even if it means destruction.
Are you willing to stand in the breach of the wall for someone today? Perhaps you are the only person who will stand on someone’s behalf
We all long to hear Jesus say “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
When we hear those words, it’s because of our intimate relationship and time spent with Him…. more so than what we DID for Him!
* “And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”Jeremiah 24:7
Be reminded that the Lord has given you authority and power over all the works of darkness. The Lord has called you to rise up and defend your kingdom position against every attack of the enemy. Do not hesitate to do all that is necessary to bring destruction to the destroyer. The Lord has opened the way for you to move to a more productive level of spiritual warfare and victory. Go forth by the Holy Spirit to do battle.
*Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
*One desire – to see the Devil defeated not people.
*Minimize your losses, draw the line against the Devil. Don’t complain about past things move forward!
*The Devil knows the power of God’s word spoken to you and comes to test that Word.
*Don’t meditate on ungodly words spoken over you and circumstances surrounding you.
*You do not battle against circumstances, sickness, and people, but FOR faith in God’s Word spoken to you.
The Devil does not question God speaking a Word to you, but he tries to convince you it’s not true.
*Do not provide an opportunity or door for the enemy to gain a foothold.
Though the apostles had been given much authority and power to partner with Jesus in accomplishing the supernatural, they were not to lose sight of what truly mattered.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5)
What is truly important is that people experience Salvation!!!!
We cannot be so distracted with the ‘work’ of our ministry that we lose sight of this. All the knowledge, spiritual authority, experiences and power do not mean anything if people miss the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus.
Of all the things I can accomplish– being a part of someone’s ‘day of salvation’ is by far the most important!
God requires our obedience, we are forever in his presence when we obey.
(See Colossians 3:22).
Jesus, may I always remember what You value most. Help me to always remember that Salvation and someone gaining Eternity with You is by far the most important thing! Thank You Jesus for Your Perfect Love for Us. Thank you Jesus for standing in the Gap between humanity and God. Thank you Jesus for loving me even though I put you in second place at times. Thank you Jesus for embracing me with your arms of redeeming grace. Amen
Read MoreThe moment we invite God to take control of our lives, God comes into our hearts. And God Himself is Love.
* “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”1 John 4:16
*Worth is defined by value.
*Value is defined by the price someone will pay for something.
YOU Are so so worthy to God!(PS 139).
God gave it ALL for YOU! (JN 3:16).
God so valued YOU that he gave everything. You are worth the blood of Jesus. Believe in who you are in Christ.
But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8.
God’s supernatural Love is not affected by the other person’s response, nor is it dependent upon circumstances.
*He makes everything beautiful in His time….and set Eternity in our hearts~
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“…and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
People call you blessed not because of something you do, but because of something God chooses to do in you. When HE regards your humble state, you are blessed.
Luke 1:46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. 50 He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
Here, Mary makes a very clear distinction between her soul magnifying the Lord and her spirit rejoicing.
**Our soul is the part of us that is considered to be our personality. It is our intellect, emotions and will.
** Our spirit is the part that gets changed at salvation and it is always operating in “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” ( Gal. 5:22-23).
Moving forward requires change!!!
*We all have something about us that needs to be shifted.
God is committed to transforming and changing us. You cannot move forward until you change what needs to be changed.
It requires self examination and making changes.
If God is not challenging you to change then something is missing.
1. Change your thinking – pro 23:7. Your thinking drives the person that you are. 2. Change your attitude. Psalm 51:10 nasty means uncooperative… attitude. Create in me a clean heart. Ezk 36:26 – make me a person of compassion.
3. Change in your behaviour. 2 Cor 5:17 – God transforms you… He is so powerful He makes you a new creation. *There’s NO sin that is beyond the power of Christ to change. You who live in Christ He will make YOU a new creation. God has changed my behaviour.
God desires for you to move forward. But you are going to have to find out what you need to change to move forward. Don’t know what? Ask God, your spouse, parents or best friend.
*If you want to go where you want to go, you have to go where you have never been.
*In order for us to move forward, we have to do things we have never done.
The decision is yours !
Dt. 30:19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Today, choose to walk in the joy of the Lord
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
Today treat every one in a way that they know you see past their sin and allow God to reach into peoples hearts.
God help me not to be so quick to judge and to see people the way you see them. God, You have shown me what love is like, by loving me first. Help me to follow the example of Jesus and live out all the facets of love in my day-to-day life. Thank You for Loving me. Amen
Read MoreThe Bible clearly states that God has given us everything we need to succeed in our Christian lives. In order to be forgiven from a life of sin we need to believe and have faith in, Jesus Christ.
*It takes Faith to move forward and overcome the challenges.”He who is in you is greater than the he who is in the world”. (1JN 4:4).
Jesus sacrificed his life on a cross for us, so we could be cleansed of all our sins and have a relationship with him and God, his Father for ALL Eternity.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
So, if God has given us everything, what do WE need to do?
2 Peter 1:5-11 gives us clear, step-by-step instructions.
First, we must have FAITH.
The definition of faith is found in Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
It is impossible to “believe” if you don’t have faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is full of examples of “Faith in Action”.
If we stop at faith we will have no success.
The very next book in the bible, James, tells us exactly that; faith without deeds is dead. So, if you continue reading
2 Peter 1:5-7, you will see there is a list of attributes we need to add to our faith.
*Verse 8 is very important. First, it tells us these aren’t added just once and we’re set for life. We must “posses these qualities in increasing measure.” *Second, it lets us know if we “Follow these Instructions”, it will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of the Lord.
The next verse( 2 Peter 1:9) warns about what happens if we don’t have these qualities increasing in our lives… “we become nearsighted and blind, and “Forget” that we were saved, or cleansed from our sins”.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).
Not wanting to end on a negative note, Peter goes on to say there is a way to make sure verse 9 never happens(don’t get nearsighted and blind, and forget that we were saved).
“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10, 11 )
When I was new and immature in my faith – my Christian walk was full of failure. I felt like all I did was try, fall, repent… over and over again.
** The truth is, I wasn’t trying to change. I wanted to stay the way I was, and God wanted me to become more like Christ every day.
*I don’t know why I fought it for so long. I used the excuse “Jesus loves me just the way I am.”
*That is a true statement, but Jesus also loves me too much to leave me there! *Don’t be afraid to surrender everything to God’s will because His way is so much better than our way! “So, no more excuses”– I would tell myself.
I am amazed when I think about the lengths God has gone for us to have a personal relationship with Him!
*God is so perfect, and we are so imperfect; He is love, and we are self-centered. We want Results this second and God is patient and has Our Best interest in mind because He sees and knows the Future—not Us!
** God knew He had to give us everything in order for us to succeed. He even put a measure of faith within every heart. The only thing He left up to us was our Free Will.
*We have the right to pursue Him with all our heart, or to pursue Him half-heartedly and lose sight along the way. **We even have the right to reject His loving offer, choosing a path that leads to eternal pain and self-destruction, which breaks the heart of our Creator.
So, when I say God has given us everything to succeed, I am not saying we have no choice in the matter. On the contrary. To live a healthy, productive Christian life it takes commitment and determination.
** Once we make our choice to pursue Him(All In), God is right there with us, to help along the way!
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
Praise be to God who has given us the victory in Jesus Christ to overcome temptation and serve the Lord…Whom will you serve if you refuse to serve the Lord???
May God give you victory over sin and power to celebrate your freedom in Him…Jesus loves you!!!
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.
*It takes Faith to move forward and overcome the challenges.”He who is in you is greater than the he who is in the world”.
Father, again today, I declare that as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD. Father I ask you to remind me to consciously make this choice every day.
I pray for my heart and soul. I pray that I will focus only on You. You are my God. You are the Most High God. You are the only True God. I love You Lord! Amen
If 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 MoreReceiving Only From God
Sometimes we think it’s all about us. It has to be all about God in order for us to fulfill what is in His heart and mind for His overall plan for His Kingdom. God doesn’t need us, but He has chosen to use us.
God has an agenda for planet earth. He has chosen you and me as the primary instrument for accomplishing His plan. Are you willing to be his faithful priest and king to do what is in His heart and mind? Why not say “yes” to His agenda.
Regardless of circumstances or appearances, God is in control. John the Baptist explains that whatever someone has they have it because it is given to them from heaven. If we all understood and accepted this, life would be more peaceful.
If we stop and ponder on each area of our life, we will see far more blessings than challenges.
* So,what do you dwell on?
*What do you think and talk about? *What has God given you?
*Do you believe that all that you have – God has given?
To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” – John 3:27″
When John’s disciples came to him and asked if he was the Messiah, he responded that he was not and that one could only be what God had given him to be. He was a forerunner to the Messiah, and he was fulfilling a call God had given him.
*We cannot acquire and become anything that God has Not given us.
* God gave John that anointing.
We must ask whether we are trying to be or trying to acquire anything God has NOT given us.
When we seek to acquire anything that God has NOT given us, we can expect God to respond to us like any good father would to a child.
*He will remove that which the child is not supposed to have.
David understood this principle. When he was preparing to furnish the temple, he told God in his prayer, “Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand”.
(1 Chron. 29:14b)
Yet when He(Jesus) heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. (John 11:6).
*Delays in our life are not always easy to handle or to reconcile in our minds. *Often, when God does not answer our prayers in the time that we feel He should, we appoint all sorts of characteristics to God’s nature that imply He does not care.
Such was the case with Lazarus’ sisters when Lazarus became ill and died. Jesus was a close friend to Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. (Mary, you may recall, was the woman who came and poured perfume on Jesus’ feet.)
When Jesus arrived two days later, Martha shamed Him by saying, “If You had come he would not have died.”
*She implied that He didn’t care enough to come when sent for. It was a matter of priorities for Jesus, not lack of love.
God often has to delay His work in us in order to accomplish something for His Purposes that can be achieved only in the delay.
Jesus had to let Lazarus die in order for the miracle that was about to take place to have its full effect. If Jesus had simply healed a sick man, the impact of the miracle would not have been as newsworthy as resurrecting a man who had been dead for four days.
This is Jesus’ greatest “public relations act” of His whole ministry. What many do not realize is that the KEY to the whole story is in the next chapter.
Many people, because they had heard that He had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet Him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!” (John 12:18-19)
If Jesus had not raised Lazarus from the dead, there would have been no crowds to cheer the Lord when He came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
God often sets the stage so that His glory is revealed through the events that HE orchestrates.
*God did this with Moses and Pharaoh, allowing delay after delay for release of the Israelites from Egypt.
*God did this with Abraham and Sarah for the promised child, Isaac. God granted Sarah a baby past the age of childbearing in order to demonstrate His power.
God did this in my own life. He delayed the fulfillment of what I believed He called me to do for several years. But the delays provided the necessary preparation and greater glory that God was to receive.
Friends in Christ, don’t take the delays lightly. Do not faint as God places you in what seems to be a holding pattern. ***God is at work. God knows the purposes for His delays. Don’t give up, for they are for His greater glory; so we need to remain faithful.
Jesus said that we can speak to Our mountains and tell them to “be removed and cast into the sea”, and if we have faith in God, it will be done. *Entering and remaining in God’s promises for my life requires that I place my faith and trust in God, recognizing and remembering His power in my past and embracing His grace for my future.
By worshiping Him, my heart will be established in faith and His power will be unleashed to confuse the powers of darkness, opening the way for me to inherit, or gain, new ground in and for the Lord.
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1 Cor 3:7
*We are to study the Word of God with diligence, meditating on the Word both day and night. This is how we become successful in God’s sight. (Joshua 1:8). The Bible says that my people perish from lack of knowledge. ( Hosea 4:6 ). So, we need to eat this word and let it be fruitful. And that fruit should result in application and service(ACTION).
This is how we can rightly divide the Word of truth because it will show in our Actions, in our Growth, in our Sanctification process.
*Jesus was not just a giver–Jesus was THE GIFT! May the “gift nature” of Jesus overwhelm us all today!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.
*Jesus calls Himself “the gift of God.” The spiritual world has given the natural world a gift. Jesus has already been called the Son of man, Son of God, King of Israel, Teacher sent from God, Lamb of God, Light, Christ, Messiah, Logos and Truth.
*God showed us His love by giving us His one and only son that we might live through Him.
LORD – help us count our blessings, especially during the hardest of times. Please let us see what you Jesus, have given us -” Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”. James 1:17. Amen
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