Devotions - Prayer
God has made available to us the riches of this Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) — His Word — which reveals to us the riches of His kingdom and of our eternal life in Christ.
God longs for us to know Him, and has revealed Himself in His Son. He has redeemed us through the blood His resurrected Son shed on the Cross, and has called us into a Spiritual relationship with Him.
Into our soul and our life He pours all the riches of heaven — “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,” as Luke 6:38 tells us. But we must get to know Him as He reaches out to us through the pages of Scripture, led by His Holy Spirit. We cannot imagine a greater adventure!
Love without God’s Wisdom is not Godly Love at all.
* “A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him towards the left.” Ecclesiastes 10:2
“Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all kinds of food; and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.”(Psalm 107:17-20)
There’s a picture of people in desperate need. They’ve become so sick they’ve lost all appetite. Their physical frame has dwindled away and they are just there waiting to die. And then it says, “They cried out to the LORD in their trouble.”
*My comment on that is that some people, including myself leave it awfully late to pray at times!
*But God heard even that last desperate cry. It says “He saved them out of their distresses.
“God sent His WORD and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
How did God answer that desperate cry for help?
*It’s so important to see that the primary answer of God to our need is through His Word, the Scripture.
*God sent His word and through His word- He did three things:
* He saved!
* He healed!
* He delivered!
Those are the three provisions of God’s mercy:
*He saves from sin.
*He heals from sickness.
*He delivers from the power of Satan. And remember, it’s through His Word.
The Word is the way in which God primarily answers our prayers and comes into our lives.
If you are in desperate need and call out to God for help, then expect help to come through His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
WARNING – 2 Timothy 4:3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
*Our best defense is to Preach & Teach the Word of God without watering it down.
*False brethren will not endure sound doctrine. They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart. Stick to the Word!
Thank You Jesus, That, “The Bible” IS the Word of God – It is Truth! Teach me what is right and True daily, and keep me from following man’s teachings, for Your Glory. Amen
Read MoreI think we’re asking the wrong question, because the Bible uses that word to describe a group of people, not a gathering or event. So we really should be asking,
Who IS THE CHURCH? not what.
A Pastor wrote- “The church is the regenerate people of God saved by the power of God for the purposes of God in this world.”
Acts 4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.
*This means we don’t stop being the church when we walk out of the building on Sunday morning.
*Instead, everything we do, we do as the blood-bought church of God, for the fame of Jesus, everywhere.
God’s Word brings life. God’s Word brings protection and guidance.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A CHURCH?
We can love one another by sharing each others burdens. We have a lot of talkers in the Body of Christ, but what we need are more believers to take action and be willing to listen and pray. (see Galatians 2:20, Eph. 3:14-21)
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16
You do not have to go to Bible school or have an ordination paper hanging on your wall in order to be part of God’s royal priesthood.
Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus has been raised up as a priest unto the Lord.
1 Peter 2: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Have you searched your heart about being a priest to your family?
Your work?
Doing God’s work God’s way: Exodus 31:1-11, Proverbs 5:7, Galatians 1:15-16, 2 Timothy 1:8-9, Hosea 4:6, 1 Corinthians 4:6 for a few
Dear Lord, thank You for this reminder from Your Word. You are amazingly lavish in Your love for me, and You have given me so much. All I have is Yours. Please help me to excel in the grace and worship of giving. Open my eyes to opportunities to bless others for Your glory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
(Ephesians 2:10, 4:10-16, 5:29-30, Romans 8:9-11)
Read MoreWe 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
One of the great tragedies of the Christian life is that if we fail to enter into a relationship with God that is born of the Holy Spirit, we are left with a religion, not a relationship.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Many a person today lives with an intellectual belief in God, but without a relationship that is based on two-way communication.
It is easy to fall prey to a relationship to God that never experiences His real presence; rather, it is based on knowledge only.
*This is a tragic place to be. I was there for a season-it is not joyful.
If this is where you have been in your Christian experience, ask God today to make Himself real to you.
Ask Him to show you His personal nature and love. He desires to do this.
Read Matthew 5: 3-12 the Character of Jesus which He wants us to be like. Jesus draws to himself people who realize how weak they are and how powerless they are.
Those whom He has called know His voice. He will show Himself to those who are His.
“He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him” (Jn. 14:21b)
Jesus didn’t call people to a new religion. He was calling people to a relationship with himself, and a new lifestyle with Him.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Lord: I wish to follow. Help me to follow You; learn from You; practice Your teachings. This transformation isn’t easy, so I plead for Your power at work in me to change me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read More
“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12
God desires for us to know what He has freely given to us.
One of the responsibilities of the Holy Spirit is to reveal His plans and purposes to us. They may be hidden for a time, but if we seek Him with our whole heart, we can know what He has given to us.
Once we understand what God has given to us, we can walk freely in our calling. However, if we strive to walk in a role that He never gave us, it will result in frustration and failure.
God wants to reveal His plan to us by His Spirit. This requires a willingness to seek and accept what He gives us. It may be different from what we thought. It may require adjustments to follow His path for our lives.
Ask God to reveal what He has freely given to you. Pray that you receive and embrace only those things He has reserved for you to receive and to accomplish in your life.
Then you can be assured of a life full of meaning and purpose, and you can look forward to hearing those all-important words someday, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
FOLLOW THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Lord is going to reward us based on how well we did, not on how much we did.
Those who are not governed by the Holy Spirit in their actions will see all their good works burned up on the day we stand before the Lord and He tries our works.
Those who acted only under the guidance of the Holy Spirit will find that their works will endure the test and they will receive a reward.
Many people choose to do good things thinking that God will be pleased. It is our positive response to God’s direction (faith) that pleases God (Heb. 11:6). We were created with a purpose and every individual has a God-given plan for his life. Unless our actions are in agreement with God’s plan for our life, they will not abide the test of God’s fire.
Thank you Jesus for the gifts you have given us. Help me to discern on how best to use them to Glorify You and not me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read MoreRead–Romans 5:6-11
What do you think about when you see a depiction of Christ on the cross?
Most of us are overwhelmed by the physical and emotional suffering that He endured—the scourging, beating, thorns, nails, mocking, and shame. We are horrified at the cruelty of the Romans and the hard hearts of the Jewish rulers.
But during the crucifixion, far more was happening than the eye could see. God was carrying out His plan to rescue mankind, providing everything we need for salvation:
- Redemption. Jesus paid the full price of the debt we owed for transgression: death. His payment set us free from bondage to sin.
- Forgiveness. God could now release us from the punishment we deserved.
- Propitiation. Christ’s payment satisfied
the Father by fulfilling His demand for justice while letting Him forgive us.
- Justification. On the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice, the Lord now declares believers not guilty.
Although we will still sin in this earthly life, our standing before God is one of righteousness. This is a legal declaration that can never be reversed.
- Reconciliation. The sin barrier that separated us from the Father was removed by Christ’s death on our behalf. We’re now God’s children—we have open access to Him and fellowship with Him.
The crucifixion was the only way to rescue lost humanity. If there had been any other way, the cross would have been a ugly display of divine cruelty. But because so much was at stake, it can truly be called the greatest act of love by both the Father and the Son.
Thank You Jesus for the Cross which won total Victory over Satan. Help me to come to know You more and more Jesus so that Your love will fill me to overflowing and then give that same love to others in need. Amen
Read More
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)
I don’t know what pain you’re in this season. I certainly don’t know what caused the pain. But I know that God understands it.
God is not some distant force. Nor is he callous. The Bible teaches that God enters into our pain. And he doesn’t just care about your pain; he feels it, too. He shares your pain. The Bible says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed”(Psalm 34:18).
I can know this even though I don’t know anything about your pain. Why? Because I know God. And I know the Trinity — Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each part of the Trinity is active in your life as you experience pain.
First, your heavenly Father shares your pain.
God understands and shares your pain because he wired you. He’s the one who gave you the ability to experience pleasure and pain. The Bible says it like this: “He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do” (Psalm 33:15).
He understands emotions because God is an emotional God. The only reason you have emotions is because you’re made in God’s image. If God didn’t have emotions, you wouldn’t have emotions.
Second, Jesus understands your pain.
Jesus understands your pain because he’s been there. He’s suffered, too. He’s been betrayed, abandoned, and fatigued — just like you. He came to Earth and lived a fully human life. He experienced everything we experience in human form. The Bible says of Jesus, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do” (Hebrews 4:15a).
Third, the Holy Spirit prays for you as you experience pain.
The Bible says, “The moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayers out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans” (Romans 8:26 MSG).
The Bible says when you’re in pain, the Holy Spirit makes prayers for you out of wordless sighs and aching groans. He understands your pain. He knows what you’re feeling. And he turns those feelings into prayers.
If you’re hurting, you don’t have to go through it alone.
• God understands your pain because he created your emotions.
• Jesus knows your pain from firsthand experience.
• Holy Spirit is praying for you.
Studies show that expressing emotions greatly reduces the body’s stress. With that in mind I believe we all need to be in some kind of Christian group to share and experience good safe relationships.
Lord, thank you for the groups I am currently in. Amen
Read More“But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today” (Deut. 8:18).
“The greater our success, the greater the risk of us thinking too highly of ourselves.”
“Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity there are a hundred that will stand adversity.”
Oswald Chambers wrote, “Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity.”
• Each of us must view success as a gift from God.
• We must learn to see all of our successes as a gift from God, not our own achievement.
The Lord is the source of all success, all elevation, all blessing.
If you have a good mind and a healthy body, if you live in a land of opportunity, if you have a good education, if you’ve had a few breaks go your way, then you have much to be grateful for – and no cause for arrogance.
You didn’t achieve success; you received it as a gift.
I have learned it is better to learn humility voluntarily, than involuntarily!
True Meaning of Workplace Success
5 Truths for our Work being our Worship
1. Belief in the reality of God who has spoken, making the word of God the basis of our understanding and action.
2. Therefore, operate by faith in the Word of God, knowing life in the workplace is just as spiritual as the time we spend in worship.
3. The result is, having confidence in God’s calling and His gifting’s, that makes work worth while and fulfilling.
4. So, God is glorified in the workplace.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by faithfulness to Christ, following him in obedience.
Nothing that happens on earth can ever change the Word of God.
“Heaven and earth will disappear, but My Words will never disappear”. Mark 13:31
5 Myths When Missing God as our Pilot
1. Belief in self – it is all about me!
2. Therefore, we operate from one’s limited perspective.
3. The result is, self-confidence with arrogance leading you.
4. So, the workplace centers on man’s achievements alone.
5. Resulting in, success being measured by pride in material wealth.
Paul tells us: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you” (Rom. 12:3).
Read MoreEccl. 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.
Distractions prevent us from giving our undivided attention to the messenger.
So too, God has His way of taking us aside to get our undivided attention.
*For Moses, it was 40 years in the desert; for Joseph, it was 13 years in Egypt; for David, it was many years of fleeing from King Saul.
God knows the stubborn human heart. He knows that if He is to accomplish His deepest work, He must take us into the desert in order to give us the privilege to be used in His Kingdom.
In the desert God changes us and removes things that hinder us.
He forces us to draw deep upon His grace.
The desert is only a season in our life.
When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, Jesus will bring us out.
He has given us a mission to fulfill that can only be fulfilled after we have spent adequate time in preparation in the desert.
Fear not the desert, for it is here you will hear God’s voice like never before.
*It is here you become His bride.
*It is here you will have the idols of your life removed.
*It is here you begin to experience the reality of a living God like never before.
Someone once said, “God uses enlarged trials to produce enlarged saints so He can put them in enlarged places!”
He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me (2 Samuel 22:20).
May you soar in the spirit like an eagle today as you dwell on God’s goodness bountiful benefits in your life!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits…Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:2-5 Amen
Read More
Psalm 51:6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Those words are addressed by the psalmist David to the Lord Himself.
What is it that God really looks for in our lives?
First and foremost, it is not the external practices of religion – not necessarily churchgoing or other religious acts.
*God looks much deeper than those. (Amos 5:
*God looks right down into the innermost depths of our hearts and our lives.
Elsewhere, the Bible tells us that God does not see as man sees because man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
So David says, “Surely you desire truth in the inner parts.”
What does God want? What is truth in the inner parts?
God wants to see if we are sincere, open, and transparent in our relationship with Him.
*Do we say the same thing with our mouths that we are thinking in our minds?
If we come to that place, then we can say, like the psalmist, “You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”
There is a secret place in our innermost being where we can begin to hear the voice of God and learn from Him and He teaches us wisdom there.
If you listen and pay attention, you will know that the Lord is showing you ways to improve your circumstances that will ultimately result in a better quality of life.
The Lord is revealing things that need to be changed and can be changed that will be very beneficial to you.
However, this benefit will not come if you do not do what is necessary.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Lord I humble myself this day and pray to hear Your voice for Your perfect direction in my life and giving me wisdom while giving You all the Glory! Amen
The book of Proverbs is the Wisdom book. Read a chapter a day for a couple of months and see what the Lord has to say to you.
Read MoreIf you ask a friend or family member who you are? How would they describe you? Or better yet how would you describe yourself?
What defines you?
Matt. 6:21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Today(Praise God) I am no longer confused about who I am. We are God’s children, and our citizenship is in heaven. I am grateful to have found my true identity—my identity IN Christ.
Christians IN CHRIST are people who:
*follow Christ (Matthew 4:19)
*Receive Christ (John 1:12);
*Believe in or trust Christ (John 3:16)*Stay joined to Christ (John 15:5);
*Know Christ (John 17:3);
*Love Christ (Ephesians 6:24);
*Obey Christ (Hebrews 5:9);
*Glory in or take pride in Christ (Philippians 3:3).
*Have Christ (1 John 5:12).
“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12, 13).
As children born of God, Jesus shares with us:
*His friendship—”I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15);
*His love—”As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9);
*His joy—”I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11);
*His glory—”I have given them the glory that you [Father] gave me” (John 17:22);
*His risen life—”Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God…When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1);
*His inheritance—”If we are children, then we are HEIRS—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share his sufferings IN order that we may also share IN his glory”(Romans 8:17);
*His—”To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne” (Revelation 3:21).
What GREAT WORD’S of TRUTH and HOPE- TO KNOW OUR TRUE IDENTITY IS IN JESUS Christ
He lives within each one of us.
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.
Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Read More“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12 NIV).
If you were to ask people if they are going to Heaven or Hell, you’ll likely hear them say, “I hope I’ll go to Heaven.”
But hope just isn’t good enough. I pray that’s not your answer. Your eternal destiny is too important not to know for sure.
Only a fool would be unprepared for what we all know is inevitable: death. The most recent statistics show that mortality rates in the world are 100 percent!
You’re not guaranteed another minute on this planet, much less another hour. Don’t put off the most important choice you’ll ever make.
The Bible says in 1 John 5:11-12,“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (NIV).
That’s about as clear as you can get.
- If you have Jesus, you have life.
- If you don’t have Jesus, you do not have life.
- You have a choice.
You won’t go to Heaven because of someone else’s faith. You’ll never go to Hell because of someone else’s choice.
It’s your choice! You decide where you’ll spend eternity.
This is why Christmas and Easter are so important. If Jesus hadn’t come at Christmas and if he hadn’t died and come back to life on Easter, we’d be hopeless. Nothing we do would matter. You wouldn’t have this choice.
The cross is the answer to our deepest problem — our separation from God.
The Bible says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross”(Colossians 2:13-14).
God nailed everything that separated you from himself to the cross. But God won’t force you to make the most important decision of your life. It’s in your hands.
It’s time to choose.
Lord, Help me to KNOW you more each and every day, because to know You is to have eternal life (JN 17:3). Amen
Read MoreBoundaries are based on truth and we each need to know our limits in each area of our life.
Setting boundaries is an essential skill in life, especially for people like us in recovery who are addicted to a sin (which we all have in one form or another: worry, over eating, gossip, anxiety, chemical dependency, etc. etc).
Addicts for example, often grow up in dysfunctional homes, where boundaries were either too rigid (leading to suppressed emotions or distant relationships) or too enmeshed (depriving them of a sense of personal identity).
Later in life, their interpersonal relationships may continue to be defined by old roles and patterns, increasing the risk of depression, anxiety and addictive or compulsive behaviors.
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
John 8:31-32: Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
*Does our life look like someone who’s on the same page with Christ?
*Do we tend to believe our negative feelings more than the positive truth of God’s Word?
Four Components for Successful Boundaries: YOU GET WHAT YOU WORK FOR!
1. Vision: Do you know what you want as an outcome? Define your specific expectations in writing.
2. Communication: Do you thoroughly communicate and address the specific expectations, your purpose and results and if broken the consequences?
3. Application: Do you follow through with the message, consequences (good or bad).
4. Action: Develop your plan, determine how to hold yourself accountable to your plan.
Ephesians 6:14 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.”
Why are boundaries important?
They keep you safe from being manipulated, abused or taken advantage of, while also protecting other people from harm you may consciously or unconsciously inflict.
They prevent both parties in a relationship from blurring the lines between self and others.
With healthy boundaries in place, you can begin to tune in to your inner voice(Holy Spirit) and trust those thoughts and feelings, and then communicate those to other people.
Romans 2:8 “But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.”
*If we strive for God, we will receive mercy.
*If we seek eternal life, we will find it.
*BUT if we seek the world, we will be left in the world.
Lord, help us all to seek You and set good and healthy personal boundaries in our lives to be able to create more of Your Character in us for others to see and follow. Help us to see and know more and more of Your Truths. Amen
Read More
We mustn’t say, “I will choose to love this person if it kills me,” but rather “I will set myself aside and allow God to love this person through me.”
“But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…”Matthew 5:44
A pure and contrite heart is being formed within us as we continue to walk out our eternal sanctification.
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12
A negative thought first crossing our mind is not sin. But if we choose to bury that thought in our hearts or turn it into a negative action, sin is the result. We need to take that thought captive and immediately relinquish it to God.
“…we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” II Corinthians 10:5
Painful memories grow strangely dim when we allow the Holy Spirit to light the candle of God’s Love within our hearts.
“…but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
Paul chose to look at life from a heavenly perspective. That’s why he could write:
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body (2 Cor. 4:8-10).
Paul had experienced a level of opposition and suffering that you and I can scarcely imagine. People said they would do things but did not follow through. He could not depend on certain people. Yet he was not crushed, and he refused to give in to despair. He viewed his life as a continual process of dying. His goal was to live in such a way that the life of Jesus would be revealed in his response to adversity.
Beware of placing too much expectation on others. Realize that people will let you down from time to time, but do not let that impact your faith. Trust God to work even through these disappointments.
The Bible is clear that humans do not achieve greatness without having their sinful will broken. This process is designed to create a nature change in each of us, not just a habit change. The Bible calls it circumcision. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal.
JN 17: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Thank You Jesus for the gift of eternal life. Help me always see the Eternal Perspective in all my circumstances to bring You Glory and me Hope. Amen
Read More*Have you ever wrestled with the events of life, feeling that God has deserted you?
* Have you been honest with God?
*He is the kind of Father who is willing to have those difficult conversations.
*He won’t always change things, but His purposes will be accomplished and peace will come if you trust.
*Trust Him this day with those things that are most difficult.
” Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).
Bondage to sin — that is, your battle with the flesh.
Under the New Covenant, God will allow situations to show you how wholly dependent you are on Him to deliver you through faith.
God will never lead you into temptation but He will allow you to come to your wits’ end. If you have a secretive sin, Satan will come against you continually with his lies: “You’re too weak! You’re never going to make it.”
You hear the rattling of chains as Satan tries to bind you to your habit once more and you wonder, “Lord, how will I ever get up from this? I’ve gone down so low!”
What can you do? You know you can’t outrun the enemy and you are no match for him in a fight, so you cower before him, trembling in fear.
You may say to yourself, “I’ll just go back to my old ways. At least I’ll be spared from all this spiritual warfare. It’s too much for me!” But you know you can’t go back to your old master. If you turn back now and desert Christ, it will cost you your life.
Many Christians become caught in the hellish cycle of sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing. They run to friends, counselors, anyone who will listen to them as they cry and pray.
Such believers will do everything except stand still and trust the Lord to bring their deliverance.
We need to understand the battle: know your mission and learn to apply God’s weapons and strategies to your battle. (Read Ephesians 6 for The Armor and Romans 12:2 the Renewing of the mind).
Lift me up dear God, help me see more, show me more light, and allow it to shine through me. Amen
Read More“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.
Both freedom and boundaries are always under the umbrella of God’s authority and our authorities at work.
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. (Start with the 10 Commandments—these are great boundaries set to keep us free—But if we go outside the 10 Commandments we will eventually get stung)
Look how far you have come! The difficulties that you have endured and overcome have instructed you and driven you to find Jesus in a more meaningful and concrete way.
Thank You Jesus for the difficulties I have gone through in my life, to get me to Know and Trust You more. Forgive me of my sins Jesus. Thank You for hearing me and for calling me (a sinner)—Your “Masterpiece” (Eph. 2:10) Thank You for the Freedom to manage what You have entrusted to me and Your Boundaries(10 Commandments) to protect me from evil. Amen
Read More