Devotions - Prayer
When you focus on serving others, your need is often met through God’s supernatural law of serving.
*God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves.
Authentic hospitality can only flow through a surrendured heart filled with
God’s Agape Love. Bless and surprise someone with the simplicity of random love, kindness and hospitality today! **”Be hospitable to one another without complaint.”1 Peter 4:9
Another version says ” Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay”.
Be devoted to ONE ANOTHER – give yourself to hospitality. Hospitality isn’t what would first come to mind under moments of extreme trial. But it makes absolute sense.
*We need God and we need each other! We need to guard our relationship with God when under pressure and our relationship with others.
Its at such times that a strain can be placed on our relationship with God and others. Love others by overlooking disagreements, avoiding negative talk or gossip, control your tongue under pressure, by being hospitable, live in each other’s worlds – giving and receiving the warmth of friendship. Building the most powerful bonds of strength over the fellowship at the table.
Verse 10 goes on to say: ” God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
Out of this relationship and context SERVE ONE ANOTHER with whatever gift God has given you – speaking, giving, helping. Ministry flows out of relationship. This will guard you against many pressures. Context is extremely important to our ministry.
*Ministry is not simply the delivering of a gift.
** Ministry is the context in which we SERVE that gift.
* The gift is explosive in an environment of love and acceptance.
These bonds will defeat all obstacles and opposition. Love is more powerful than all.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
*These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
*It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship.
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light.
We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. **But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
**This is the way we grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy.
The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle. “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love.” (Hos 10:12). “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:6-9)
“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).
We don’t serve others to GET!
However, when you do serve others, there is a Kingdom principle that works on your behalf as fruit of your service. Is there someone you need to serve this Holiday Season?
Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
* You have to KNOW who you are and WHOSE you belong to.
* Be that someone others can count on. * Be the one who displays Christ. The one who works behind the scenes and dose not need a pat on the back.
* One who Loves enough to risk relationships for the sake of Truth.
* One who displays the character and spirit of Christ in the best of times, the worst of times.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. 14 And do everything with love.
I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. — Galatians 2:20
*These words mean the breaking of my independence with my own hand and surrendering to the supremacy of the Lord Jesus.
*It means breaking the husk of my individual independence of God into oneness with Himself, not for my own ideas, but for Absolute Loyalty to Jesus.
*I must be broken from my self-realization, and immediately that point is reached, the reality of the supernatural identification takes place at once, and the witness of the Spirit of God is unmistakable – “I have been crucified with Christ.” (Now a Bond-Servant of Jesus).
Lord Jesus, I don’t think I know who I am. I KNOW who I am. I am Yours!! Lord You have and are defining me. Continue to shape and mold me. I want to be a Server/giver. A Server/ giver of all things especially YOU. May I be a spiritual life source to those around me. ” May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”. (Romans 15:5-6).
In Jesus name, AMEN.
We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
* “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12
Freedom and Boundaries
“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”?'” – Genesis 3:1.
God is big on giving man freedom and boundaries:
*Freedom to manage what He has entrusted to us.
*Boundaries to protect us from evil.
***The boundaries in the Garden of Eden were not set for the purpose of limiting Adam.
** Man got into trouble when he questioned those boundaries.
God had provided everything he would need for life. He also entrusted man with responsibility to manage and work the Garden. God gave him freedom in that responsibility. God knows we were made to express ourselves creatively through our work.
Each of us must have freedom and boundaries in our life.
When ever you are hired for a job, you must have the freedom to make certain decisions. You must have the authority to manage things within your area of expertise. You must also have limits within your area of responsibility. Life is the SAME in-Marriage, Kids, Family, Friends.
**You need to know where those limits are and stay within them. Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God’s authority.
Jesus understood these boundaries. When He was tempted for 40 days by the devil after being baptized, He was challenged by satan to go outside His freedom and boundaries. (See Matthew 4:1-11.) Satan said that He had the power to turn a stone into bread. Jesus was hungry and easily could have justified using His power to feed Himself. However, Jesus understood He could do nothing outside the boundaries of God’s will for His life.
It was God’s will for Jesus to be tempted and to withstand the temptation. God was showing His Son that “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4b).
You and I are tempted every day to go beyond our God-ordained boundaries. *Whether it is solving financial problems that have arisen through debt, making wrong decisions due to pressure, or manipulating someone in order to achieve our ends, it all represents rebellion toward God.
**Ask God to show you His freedom and boundaries for your life.
***These are meant to enhance your life, not hinder it!!!
* We are who we are– through the thoughts we have.
* Take your thoughts captive – know your Bible.
** Thoughts » habits » circumstance**
* When was the last time you thought about what your thinking about?
* Peace comes by fixing our thoughts
1) You can change your thoughts.
2) Fix your thoughts on what is true, pure and noble.
3) Think about things that are worthy of praise.
* Don’t doubt your purpose here and now!
* Choose a few promises and speak them over your life for 2012.
* God doesn’t do it for us, we have to use our faith and take Action.
* Think big, dream big for 2012
* Bring your thoughts under the obedience of God.
You Are so so Worthy. You are God’s Masterpiece. Let go and let God. Let God have the strongholds that are holding you back from being ALL that God has intended.
*A stronghold is an area where we are held in bondage, any part of our lives where satan has imprisoned us.
* As long as we believe things that are not true, we will remain imprisoned by those strongholds.
*The Word of God is the weapon that sets us free from the strongholds.
***Effective Weapons: preaching, teaching, books, tapes, seminars, small Bible study groups, private studies, prayer, and praise.
***Praise helps us keep our mind on God, His power, and the good things that are happening in our lives.
***Prayer reflects a Relationship with God and shows that we depend on Him.
*Jesus promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20). We can win with our weapons because they are spiritual weapons.
Examples of strongholds are “God doesn’t love me”, “His promises don’t apply to me”, “He could never forgive me for what I did”, “I don’t have to change because God made me that way”, “I don’t have to forgive because what that person did to me was unforgivable”, “God doesn’t work that way anymore”, “I’m un-worthy”, I’m the black Sheep of the family”, and “I can’t share the gospel because…” To mention a few.
The enemy will try anything to separate us from God and keep us from fulfilling our destiny in Him. That is why we need to put our spiritual armor on every day. *We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice. Set up Boundries in your life that allows you the TIME to spend with Jesus-LISTENING
AGAIN: We need to be in His word and spend quiet time listening to His voice.
* We have to be humble and open to correction.
When our strongholds are broken down, we can glorify God more freely and openly. We are set FREE!
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made YOU alive with Christ, for he forgave ALL our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
(Colossians 2:13-15)
We need to be honest with each other in sharing our shortcomings as well as our victories. When we are real and transparent with others, we give them the freedom to “remove their masks” in our presence and for us To Heal!
“It is better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” Proverbs 16:19
Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of ALL good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.
The Lord has never had anyone who was qualified working for Him. It’s by God’s grace that He uses any of us.
**Anyone who claims to be used of God because of his great holiness is either deceived or a deceiver.
*** It’s our faith in the grace of God that allows His Love to flow through us.
Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord. Then, you will be able to discern spiritually. However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions. Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant. Obtain and maintain purity.
**Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Let’s Bring Back Jesus this Christmas!!
“A Vision without Action is only a Delusion”. Moving Forward!
Most people have forgotten what the meaning of Christmas really is. It’s a time to celebrate something very important— the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ— that’s right the “Star” of the show!!! Not santa claus, shopping, material gifts,Parties without Jesus etc.
*If we ALL make room for Jesus this Season with family and friends— who knows what could come from our circumstances!
*We all sin, Christians and non-Christians, but what we do after sinning is what matters.
Psalms 51: 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
* No matter who you are, God can use you.
* No matter what problems you face, God is with you.
*No matter what He promises, God can do.
An Angel spoke to Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” And Mary’s response: ” “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
Lord, I pray today you renew my heart so that I can live in your perfect will and take Time each day to Listen to You. I want a clean heart, free of doubt. Help me to bring Jesus Back to the CENTER of Christmas and every day of my life. *Help me to trust You and put Your Boundries up in All roles of my Life.
I know The key to that is to spend time feeding my hunger…by getting full on Your Perfect Word…Knowing that Your promises are not made by man. In Your time Lord, Your Promises will manifest and come to fruition. Help me Meditate on Your Word daily…all through my day…in my thoughts and my actions… My faith and dependency upon the Lord relies on the intimate time that I share with You Lord. In these times, I must converse…I must talk AND listen! I must hear AND follow…
Thank you for this day to have the opportunity to Glorify You Jesus! Amen
It’s extremely important not to judge a person by what they say or do. God is the only One who truly knows the human heart, so He is the only righteous judge.
* “…for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
When you receive Jesus, you receive abundance of grace and shall reign in life. Are you a master of your problems? Or are your problems the master of you?
We christians don’t know how powerful the grace of God is.
No christian should be weak, regardless of your age. If you’re a christian, your strength shouldn’t be based on your physical strength.
Romans 5:17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
The book of Titus tells us that grace is given to us as power over sin, to
enable us to live sober, holy lives:
“For the grace of God that brings
salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).
*Grace is a free gift Grace is everything for nothing when we don’t deserve anything.
*Grace pays my debt mercy forgives my debt.
***What should my response be to grace?
*Recognize the debt of my sin.
*Demonstrate my new life in Christ.
*Live a godly life.
There has been a marvelous measure of this grace in God’s people since
Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has sent conviction of sin on all nations, teaching
believers of every race and tongue how to forsake ungodliness and worldly
lusts.
The result has been a people who live soberly and righteously in this
present world and who long for the coming of Jesus.
I believe Zechariah 12:10 prophecies that in the very last hour, the Holy
Spirit will fall mightily on God’s people with a spirit of grace that turns
them completely from all worldliness. It will produce in them a cry for purity
of heart!
“Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died”. (Zechariah 12:10).
When the Holy Spirit comes down and exposes sin, those who have been lukewarm or in compromise become convicted.
If we were to separate Adam and Eve’s sin from its context, few of us would convict them of great transgression. All they did was swallow some fruit from a tree with a “do not eat” sign. Today people think nothing of ignoring commands – even biblical ones.
But God has a totally different view of our sins. Each one is followed by negative consequences.
* Adam and Eve’s disobedience led to pain and frustration in two basic areas of fulfillment – relationships and meaningful work.
**The whole earth fell under sin’s curse, and every person born since then has entered the world with a sin nature that alienates each one from the Lord.
That first rebellion plunged humanity into a terrible condition.
* Civilization is now plagued by countless ramifications of the innumerable sins committed by human beings throughout the ages. Is it any wonder the world is in such sad shape?
Sin not only causes suffering; it robs us of God’s best.
The Garden of Eden is closed and locked to sinful mankind.
James 4:17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. *Sin will always take you further than you want to go.
*Keep you longer than you want to stay
*Make you pay more than you want to pay….
* James talks to us here, first, about desiring things of this world. He says that we cannot be friends with the world and God at the same time. He says we need to block out the world and focus on God. He also tells us later on, not to judge others, that God is the only one who can judge. And finally, when we make a decision about our lives we need to consult in prayer to God. For God has a plan for us and if we know what God wants us to do and we don’t do it, its sin in his eyes.
The good news of Christ’s grace and forgiveness is our only real hope in this fallen world.
Though unpleasant, focusing on sin’s consequences is necessary at times to remind us of the greatness of our salvation and to move us to obey God, even in the small things.
Each obedience is huge to Him.
Resist the temptation to make a mountain out of the proverbial molehill or to create an issue out of something not worth your time or effort to consider. You will have unique opportunities to think about your position in the light of spiritual reality and to be able to see the value in not overreacting emotionally to things that represent a challenge to you.
When you are not sure which way to turn, ask the Lord and He will show you the way. Plant your feet on the ground of hope and faith, and do not compromise your position.
*1 Peter 1:20-21 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Lord, I am so grateful that You sent Your Son as a mediator. Thank You that He understands us both and brings us together through His own sacrifice on the cross. Lord help me to listen and hear you when you speak to me. Lord give me the desire and the courage to obey you. Lord I know you have a plan for me and I want to follow your will for me. Forgive me where I fail you and thank you for all that you’ve done to bless my life. Give me courage to step it up for Your Glory. Thank YOU for Your GRACE. Amen
Read MoreGIVE UP ON MEASURING UP!
“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us”. (Romans 8:37)
The Lord has only one standard. His standard, and it’s a Godly standard. If we compare what we’ve done to others, or what our integrity is, we must measure it to Gods standard. We must always strive to reach Christ’s example. Paul says “follow my example, as I follow Christ’s example.”
“False weights and unequal measures— the LORD detests double standards of every kind”. (Proverbs 20:10)
Let’s be brave enough to share our own experiences of being downcast and wounded. Don’t be afraid. God commands us to love, and anytime we love…we become vulnerable.
* “…so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”2 Corinthians 1:4
Biblical Example ON MEASURING UP!
“The people feared the presence of the Lord . . . and they came and worked on
the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:12, 14).
Here in chapter 1 Haggai’s people are unconcerned with God or the things of God. They are wrapped up in Themselves.
*God calls them to repent and put Him first in their lives.
* They choose to heed His call and return to Him.
**How amazing it must have felt to hear the message from the Lord, “I am with you!”. God responded to their obedience. God requires our obedience.
***” Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered”. (Hebrews 5:8).
*Help us Lord to put God first in every area of Our life!!!
*Help us that we will seek to obey not just know God.
After all our hard work, all our
sacrifice and obedience, all our putting God’s interests first, we don’t
measure up!
This is nothing compared to what we once saw. Why struggle, why go
on, when we see so little for all that we’ve done?
A host of God’s people today are “giving up” because they do not think they
will ever “measure up”!
Like the Israelites, they have gone back to God, back to putting Him first, seeking His will, building His house. BUT when they look at their lives, they say,
*I have so little to show for all my struggles!
*I have so little of God’s holiness, so little of His glory in my life.
* Compared to other Christians, I’ll never measure up.
* What’s the use of struggling?
****I’ll never have victory.”
LISTEN to the WORD!
“For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’” (Duet. 20:4).
*God sent His precious and only Son to die on Calvary’s tree for you. God redeemed you.
*More than God bringing you out of a watery grave, He delivered you from eternal damnation into glorious communion with Him forever!
God saved YOU! What more could you possibly want?????
*Are you down in the dumps today?
* Do you feel like the victim of a bad situation?
* Do you feel like God has abandoned you?
*Do You feel you do not measure?
Then write down Deuteronomy 20:4 on a piece of paper and meditate on it until you believe it.(“For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’”).
I am convinced this is why many devoted Christians give up the fight. They Compare themselves to other believers and become discouraged because they feel hopelessly inferior!
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom”.
(Galatians 5:7-8)
*** As we continue to run the race that is set before us, am I fueling myself for the hills that lie ahead? Have I filled my inner man with the spiritual food of God’s word, regular fellowship with His people, and the presence of His Spirit within me?
*Have I refrained from spiritual “junk food” that would provide temporary satisfaction but doesn’t really give me the strength and energy I need?
* Am I really committed to doing this God’s way, or mine?
If you will just stay true to the Lord and not try to measure yourself by
anything except “Your own Love for Jesus”, you can be assured that you are
growing—and God promises to be with you!
The Lord’s discipline is designed for one purpose: for us, his children, to REPENT and to put him FIRST in our lives.
Are you feeling the absence of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Prayerfully consider those areas where you are NOT putting Jesus first, and then adjust your priorities accordingly.
Nowhere in the Bible does God condemn people for longing to be happy.
People are condemned for forsaking God and seeking their happiness elsewhere (Jeremiah 2:13). This is the essence of sin. The Bible actually commands us to delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).
Jesus teaches us to love God more than money because our heart is where our treasure is (Matthew 6:21).
Paul wants us to believe that gaining Christ is worth the loss of everything else (Philippians 3:8) and the author of Hebrews exhorts us to endure suffering, like Jesus, for the joy set before us (Hebrews 12: 1-2). Examine the Scriptures and you’ll see this over and over again.
I will not be confined by my circumstances. Though mountains and giants be before me, God strengthens me. For it is “not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit, says the Lord” that the mountains of my life become plains. I am more than a conqueror through Him (Christ Jesus) who loves us.
Psalms 139:
1 OLORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Lord help me to be more than just someone who knows you, but help me be a person that obeys you. I’ve read your Word and from it I have gained much knowledge about what you desire from me…help me live by and obey what I know. If only I was as good at obeying as I am about knowing. Thank you for being so Patient and Gracious with me. I would have given up on me by now, Your mercy is new every morning. Help me to show you the love you have shown me by a life of obedience and dedication to you. Help me to do the giftings you have given me to glorify You-verses Measuring myself by others giftings. We need the whole Body and help me see my part for Your Glory and my Joy Amen.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10.
(Today read Colossians 2— God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In Jesus lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge-Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking-These worldly rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. )
We are made with a perfect design but we need to walk in it! Each of us been given great gifts that we can use for the great works God has called us to. What are your gifts?
People who seem to “have it all together” are often untouchable, because no one can really identify with them.
Instead of striving to be “flawless”, let’s instead purpose to be REAL and point others to the only One who is Perfect.
“There is only One who is good…”
Matthew 19:17
Our true Identity is defined not by our PAST Actions – BUT by the Savior’s.
*In the past on that Cross–Jesus Purchased US by His Blood and brought us into relationship with God the Father, who Adopted us as His Beloved Children.
*We need to hold our heads high and proclaim the Gospel-the GOOD NEWS!
*The Spirit’s work is always focused on the harvest of souls!
What’s Your testimony of what Jesus has done for You?? People need to hear your story-Plus, I believe YOU need to tell it to Heal. “He(God) comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Cor. 1:4)
2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who Belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
*DO we Trust in what we FEEL or BELIEVE what God SAYS?
*God’s word calls us SAINTS(Ro. 1:7)
*God’s word calls us Disciples (Matt. 28:19)
*God’s word calls us fellow Heirs with Jesus Christ. (Ro. 8:17)
*****God’s Word Says to You and Me:
” All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we ARE united with Christ.
* Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
* God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
* This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
*So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
*He is so rich in kindness and grace that HE purchased OUR Freedom with the blood of his Son and Forgave OUR sins. *He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding”. (Ephesians 1:3-8)
Let’s be Brave and Transparent enough to share our own experiences of being downcast and wounded.
* Don’t be afraid. God commands us to love, and anytime we love…we become vulnerable. It’s Time to Let Go and let God!
*Here Again “…so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:4
Let us Move Forward daily.
Life is very much like this. It is often Lived forward, but Understood backward.
It is not until we are down the road a bit that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale and the spiritual deposits He has made in our life as a result.
When you begin to realize some of this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you Know that God was in control all along.
It didn’t seem like it at the time, but He was there and in control with Your Best interest in mind.
Are you in the midst of a difficult journey that seems almost impossible to continue?
*Be assured that God is providing grace even now to equip you for that journey. There will be a time when you can say, “Wow, look at what God has done because of what I gained through that valley.”
*Trust Him with the outcome of where you find yourself today. Praise Him-Count Your Blessings!
You Are God’s Masterpiece!
Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
*We are made with a perfect design but we need to walk in it! Each of us been given great gifts that we can use for the great works God has called us to. What are your gifts?
“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ”
(1 John 4:10-13)
“This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” (Col. 1:21:22).
Thank You Heavenly Father that regardless what we have done in our past, You are willing to accept us and work out the necessary changes in us for our own good- Through Your great mercy and compassion, Thank you for extending grace to Us. Help us see how special we are to You. Your perfect absolute Truth in Your word says in
James 1:18 that out of all creation we are Your prize possession. The mountains are so majestic and yet we in Gods eyes are more then even these.
“..And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.(Col. 1:27). Thank You Lord for this knowledge and help us fully understand the implications, we can not be the person we were before. WE are now a representative of God on earth, an ambassador of the Creator. Thank You Jesus for my New Identity to be “IN CHRIST”-which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Amen
*Read all of Colossians 1 Today-Ask
“what is Jesus saying to Me”? You will be blessed!
” Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
*Life is about choices and if you chose to live in the will of God you have to walk in thanksgiving.
*Everyone has a choice: Gratitude even in sorrow or struggle or A lack of gratitude while being blessed.
Lord, please show me any hidden areas in my life today that need to be cleansed and healed. Set me free with a clean, pure heart filled to overflowing with your Agape Love.
* “Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.”
Psalm 19:12-13
* “…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” Ephesians 5:2
God desires that we be so convinced of His tender love, so persuaded He is at
work bringing us into HIS best, that we will have continual joy and gladness in
our walk with Him!
Moses warned Israel, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of all things” (Deuteronomy28:47-48).
God is saying to us today, “Be glad and rejoice in what I have already Done
for you!
*It is the will of God that we Serve Him with full of joy and gladness.
If you go around moping, murmuring and complaining, you will forever
be spiritually starved and naked, a prey to your enemies!”
God wants us to so trust in His love for us that we will be testimonies of gladness and good cheer!
*He wants believers who are glad at heart, filled with a gladness that is based on truth.
*His truth produces a wealth of gladness that flows naturally outward from the heart:
*“Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing”. (Psalm 100:2).
*Serving God results in freedom, peace and joy. Serving the enemy results in emptiness and slavery.
* “He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness” (Psalm 105:43).
*“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you
righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).
*“Let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them
rejoice exceedingly” (Psalm 68:3).
You may ask, “How long can I expect to maintain joy in my service to the
Lord?”
Many believe that it lasts only as long as seasons of refreshing come from on high or as long as things go right.
*** No, we are to have joy at all
times!
That is exactly what the Bible says: “Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad ALL our days!” (Psalm 90:14).
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy” (Isaiah 65:18).
We are “the Jerusalem from above”—reborn and living for Him with a spirit of gladness and rejoicing! Trust the Father, believe His Word about Himself, and see His gladness pour forth from your life.
Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction:
1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and
2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.
*God does not waste our afflictions if we allow HIM the freedom to complete the work in us.
*His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing.
*He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them.
*He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).
If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.
Refuse to allow yourself to get weary while standing in faith, in prayer, or in warfare. Seek the Lord and go into His presence where you can be refreshed and renewed. This is no time to get discouraged. Don’t give up! You are at the point of a significant breakthrough if you will just continue to fight through the opposition. Be strong and resolute and be continually Joyful .
**Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Lord, help me to fully appreciate who You are and to trust you when Your love is evident as well as when Your wrath is prevalent. I pray that the work of the Holy Spirit may appear in converting our hearts, and that the beauty of holiness may be seen in our conduct. Give me good times – Give me much joy even in midst of Pain- Show me that you are real in the midst of Troubles– Show me that you haven’t forgotten me for I know Your Love endures Forever! Thank you Jesus for giving us FAITH. Amen
Read MoreOften Christians fall into error in their early Christian days, thinking that if they “Deny Themselves” in some way God is going to be pleased, and their status in His sight will be advanced.
Mark 7:13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
The Word of God has power. However, you could lose the value or the effects that the Word has in your life by focusing on excessive rules and standards that fit your thoughts and ideas- thinking–“Deny Myself” in some way God is going to be pleased, and my status in His sight will be advanced.
“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not Remain in the Teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9)
* We must be careful that we do not take for granted what Christ has done for us and make sure that we Remain Focused on JESUS in ALL Roles in life!!
* If we wander away from the Truth in His Word,( at times it seems our culture has ‘run ahead’ and no longer continues in the teaching of Jesus, but mans teachings) we have cut off our relationship with the Father.
The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them, in the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden (1 Timothy 5:24-25).
*** Fraudulent Faith
Read Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:1-5
“They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3).
** One of the strange marks of religious error I have witnessed and even experienced is that it is so often accompanied by “Ascetic Practices”, that is, “Denial of certain normal, natural human enjoyments”.
***One of them is marriage.
*Marriage Defined- One man and one woman entering a covenant with God in love through marriage.
The marriage share Oneness with commitment, accountability, and safety of Marriage.
A number of groups have historically forbidden marriage to their adherents with the idea that SEX is unclean, and those who indulge in sex are certainly less dedicated than those who refrain.
(Our picking and choosing what is moral or not with the husband and wife in one union relationship).
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: (Hebrews 13:4).
*Sex is not a nasty things made allowable by marriage. It’s a beautiful thing that is designed for marriage. Genesis 2:24 – 25
** Am I honoring my marriage? I need to make sure that in my thoughts, words, and actions I am honoring my wife! It is such a great privilege to be married now I have the opportunity to honor my wife.
*Don’t bring the past soul-ties into Your Godly marriage which God is in charge. *Self-Denial of certain things don’t make past mistakes forgiven (it’s like a works mentality).
**You are forgiven when you Confess them to Jesus!!
* The sin is no longer held against you-the sin is washed away by the blood of Jesus.
*When sex is not spouse focused, it’s purely about self gratification.
*Trust in His word.(He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Psalms 103:12)
Foods come under this heading too. I do not mean to imply at all that there is anything wrong with diets. It is obvious that some people need dieting(ME!). There is nothing wrong with studies on nutrition and proper eating.
Nevertheless, through the course of human history there has been a strange affinity between food restrictions and fads and religious error.
The reason is that at the heart of asceticism is a conviction that. “self-denial” somehow pleases God.
Self-denial can be very earnest, very sincere.
***Often us Christians fall into this error in their early Christian days, thinking that if they Deny Themselves in some way God is going to be pleased, and their status in His sight will be advanced.
For example that is why some Christians love to get up early in the morning for Scripture reading or memorize hundreds of verses of Scripture or pray on their knees for long periods of time.
*These practices, which in themselves are not wrong, nevertheless become wrong because their Motive (that of gaining God’s favor by self-denial) is wrong.
This is a good example of the subtlety by which error begins.
*When a deviation enters a stream of truth, at the first point of deviation, error looks like truth; it is very hard to see it as error. (Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who Suppress the Truth by their wickedness.).
This is what has misled so many people. *They never recognize error until they become engrossed in it.
Down the line they begin to suspect that it is error, but by that time they are already hooked.(Addicted to Sin).
There is a difference between self-denial and denying self. Jesus said,
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That is denying self!
**But that is easily confused with Self-Denial, which says,
“I will give up this thing or that thing. I want to gain a special mark of favor before God, and I want to influence God to do something for me in return.”
***When our motivation ultimately is to achieve something for ourselves by our actions, we are no longer denying self but practicing self-denial.
How subtle the differences are!
** Self-denial is an attempt to “earn favor apart from faith” in the gift of righteousness which makes us wholly acceptable before God right at the very beginning of our Christian life.
***Denying self is a Refusal to heed those silken arguments of the inner ego that appeal to us to show how good we are by giving up something.
I ask myself ” What am I giving up trying to get something in turn from God”??
Your happiness is not something you pursue; it’s something that ensues from efforts that transcend yourself.
The hardest time to focus on your relationships is when you’re frustrated with that person or group.
I know that. I know you’d rather turn inward. But if you do, you’ll narrow your existence. You’ll close yourself in. You’ll shield your pain (to some extent), but you’ll also turn your back on your only hope.
You’ve got to turn and face the darkness in your life. And I don’t mean face it for
a couple of weeks and then give up because “it didn’t work.”
The key to most circumstances is ENDURANCE. If it took you years to get yourself into this mess, it’s going to take more than a couple of weeks to get yourself out of it.
Only after we have “put off” the old man and “put on” the new are we truly set free to praise the Lord with a whole heart.
* “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.”Psalm 33:1
Dear Lord thank you for giving me a wonderful wife, help me to honor Laura in everything. May we have your blessing on our marriage with YOU being number One. May we let Your will be done in work and ministry to give You the Glory.
Lord, thank You for Your concern for Your church body, for what You have envisioned it to be and for what You are ready to make it as men and women willingly obey You, and walk in the power of Your Spirit. Lord, thank You that I can enjoy the things You have created. Teach me the difference between self-denial and denying self in all areas of life, for Your Glory and my joy.
In Jesus Name, Amen
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