Devotions - Prayer
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,“That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” (Romans 3:3–4)
By John Piper
Our concern with truth is an inevitable expression of our concern with God. If God exists, then he is the measure of all things, and what he thinks about all things is the measure of what we should think.
Not to care about truth is not to care about God. To love God passionately is to love truth passionately. Being God-centered in life means being truth-driven in ministry. What is not true is not of God.
Ponder these four sets of texts on God and truth:
1) God Is the Truth
Romans 3:3–4 (God the Father): “What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.”
John 14:6 (God the Son): Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
John 15:26 (God the Spirit): “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness of me.”
2) Not Loving the Truth Is Eternally Ruinous
2 Thessalonians 2:8–12: “They will perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.”
3) Christian Living Is Based on Knowledge of the Truth
1 Corinthians 6:15–17: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her?”
4) The Body of Christ Is Built with Truth in Love
Colossians 1:28: “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ.”
May God make us passionate for him and for truth.
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 MoreBy John Piper
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)
How shall we fight for joy?
- Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift.
- Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly.
- Resolve to attack all known sin in your life.
- Learn the secret of gutsy guilt — how to fight like a justified sinner.
- Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who he is.
- Meditate on the Word of God day and night.
- Pray earnestly and continually for open heart-eyes and an inclination for God.
- Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself.
- Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight.
- Be patient in the night of God’s seeming absence.
- Get the rest, exercise, and proper diet that your body was designed by God to have.
- Make a proper use of God’s revelation in nature.
- Read great books about God and biographies of great saints.
- Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others (witness and mercy).
- Get a global vision for the cause of Christ and pour yourself out for the unreached.
Lord may we all experience more and more of Your Joy in our lives and families. Help us spend some time giving back to others the joy you have given us. Amen
Read MoreDoes our heavenly Father favor certain of his children?
When it comes to salvation and his wonderful promises, God treats ALL alike but He also puts his special favor on those who respond wholeheartedly to his calling and yield their lives to him entirely!
God is all knowing, therefore He knows the good and the bad, those who seek him an those who don’t. If you truly seek him with your heart and through your actions then he will have a place for you in heaven!
Our heavenly Father puts a special garment on those who completely give him their heart:
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10).
* True saving faith’s object is Jesus alone
* True saving faith results in a changed life.
W are to be looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith! When Satan comes and points at some weakness in our heart, WE have every right to answer, “My God already knows it all and he still loves me! He has given me everything I need to attain victory and keep it.”
(See 1JN 4:4 for Fighting From Victory)
The Lord leads each of His children along a path that is uniquely tailor made for him or her. Comparing is not only wrong; it is also meaningless.
**Don’t look for affirmation in the wrong places; your own evaluations, or those of other people.
*The only source of real affirmation is the Lord’s unconditional Love.
JESUS died for your sins, so that He might clothe you in His garments of salvation. This is how the Lord sees you: radiant in HIS robe of righteousness.
When the Lord disciplines you, it’s never in anger or disgust; it is to prepare you for face-to-Face fellowship with HIM throughout all eternity.
Romans 8: 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
* Paul provides us with a very descriptive manifestation of all that is for those who are in Christ Jesus;
Romans 8:
1. No condemnation! (vs. 1)
2. Live in the Spirit (vs. 9)
3. Life because of righteousness (vs. 10)
4. Are children of God (vs. 14 & 15)
5. Have hope (vs. 23-25)
6. Experience God’s good working (vs. 28)
7, Are called, justified, and glorified (vs. 30
8. Are more than conquerors! (vs. 31 &37)
9. Will never be separated from the love of God! (vs. 35)
This is an amazing Chapter full of the promise that God gives us- His children.
YES WE ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE. Amen Thank You Jesus!
Read MoreIf we’re only loving in order to change the other person or the circumstances, our motivation is totally wrong.
That’s conditional human love, and not God’s Love at all.
*If selfishness is motivating us, the fruit of our actions will be rotten.
“Love…does not seek its own…” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
It’s something quite amazing to know that no matter where I am, where I go or what I do, God is there... I don’t have to run, and there’s no place to hide… He sees and knows ALL!
* Don’t hide. Come to Him. He is calling unto you. Come to your Father and talk to Him, He’ll understand. He knows everything. He controls everything even if He seems silent sometimes. He’s watching with compassion… waiting for you to come to Him.
Psalm 139:7–10. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths[or in Sheol, or in hell], you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.”
God’s presence is His Spirit.
*God told the prophet Jeremiah that He fills all things, that He fills the heaven and He fills the earth.
It’s not the visible, manifest form of God that fills the heaven or the earth, but it’s that invisible, imperceptible presence of God the Holy Spirit which permeates the entire universe.
*No matter where we go, that invisible hand is stretched out to hold us.
*No matter how far we may sink down or how high we may rise, we cannot go below the level of God’s presence or ascend above it.
God’s presence is always with us.
*He hears every word we speak;
*He knows every thought.
*He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (everywhere), and omniscient (all knowing). He is everywhere, in everything.
And through it all, He keeps us and loves us as His own. What a blessing!
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalms 139:23-24). Amen
Read MoreSo now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life union with Jesus the anointed. Romans 8:1
We each have moments when we start feeling overwhelmed by condemnation. Thoughts run through our heads like, “I wish I hadn’t done that,” or, “I could have done that better.”
You know, sometimes, after you’ve gone through the process of prayer, repentance, forgiveness, release, and so on, you have to choose to just shake it off.
If satan can’t keep you from repenting, he’ll try to trap you with a worldly sorrow that is non-productive; it paralyzes you with feeling terrible about yourself and a sense that you’ll never be anything significant.
But this is not God’s desire for you. Godly sorrow leads to repentance, and repentance leads to redemption.
When something like this happens, there are steps we can and should take – we forgive ourselves, we forgive others, we make things right if we need to. But then there comes a point where we simply have to shake it off. We can’t walk around dragging garbage and baggage.
We have one Justifier; we have a Redeemer. If we wallow in the mess we were caught in or a past situation, then we hinder the Redeemer’s anointing from activating in our lives. When we release it, God silences the accusing voice of condemnation, just as our opening verse says. “There remains no accusing voice”.
A little further in the Romans 8 passage, we read these amazing words: “You have received the spirit of full acceptance, enfolding you into the family of God, and you will never feel orphaned; for as He rises up within us, our spirits join in saying the words of tender affection, ‘Beloved Father.’ For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as He whispers into our inner most being.”
God wants to root out the orphan spirit in you and in the entire Body of Christ. He wants you to recognize that you are not a victim and that you don’t need to get caught in the trap of victimizing yourself. You are called to be whole, and you are unconditionally loved.
Father, I thank You that today we will feel totally accepted. Help us to reach a place where we feel accepted by You and by others. Thank You for uprooting the orphan spirit from our hearts. I thank You for this movement of the Holy Spirit bringing renewed passion for God as we recognize that we can feel close to Him, that we are 100% accepted. Help us remember that we are never alone and that God has never left us. We decree that we are not orphans; we belong to our heavenly Father. Amen.
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Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;I have all that I need.
If you need a prescription for peace, I encourage you to let your thoughts dwell on God’s promises and rest in His presence as you pray.
Ask Him to help you release your worry. Praise Him for the good things He’s done, and talk to Him about the problems you’re struggling with.
Seek God’s will for every area of your life and commit to trust Him enough to make changes as He nudges you.
True peace comes when we trust God and seek rest in Him, not when life is conflict-free.
****A daily dose of God’s presence and promises is the best prescription for peace.
Philippians 4:6-7.
“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.”
As the words of these verses wash through my soul, I realize I’ve been depending on people to diagnose my problems instead of seeking a remedy from God.
I had overlooked the only One who had a prescription that could heal — Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6: 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
ENEMIES OF GODLINESS
Enemy #1 Selfishness:-Don’t only look to satisfy your own sinful nature, this harvests death. Live to please the spirit, this harvests life in the spirit.(See 1 Peter 3:18)
Enemy #2 Pride: Be Humble.
(SeeProverbs 16:18)
Enemy #3 Insecurity:-It prevents intimacy and promotes fear. -We are afraid that or weaknesses will be revealed. We are also afraid of rejection of being ourselves so we try to be something and someone we are not.
-The antidote of rejection is the acceptance of Almighty God.
Enemy #4 Resentment: -Hurt people hurt people.
(Philippians 2:4)
Dear Lord, I am stressed. I know I need a change in my life, and I am ready for the prescription for peace that only You can offer. Fill me today with a dose of serenity that I cannot find anywhere else but in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read MoreBe joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13 (NIV)
Hurt and being alone can be found in most of our lives, but what joy there is when a friend steps in with a gentle smile and a few simple words of encouragement and suddenly you’re not alone.
Things one can say to a friend. Romans 12:12-13, in a section titled “Love.”
1. “You’re wonderful.”
(Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope …”)
The world is quick to tell us all the ways we fall short. We are hyperaware of our faults and frailties.
So, what a precious gift to remind a friend of specific ways they are a wonderful friend, a wonderful Jesus person, a wonderful wife/husband, a wonderful co-worker, a wonderful person.
2. “Me too.”
(Romans 12:12, “… patient in affliction …”)
What a blessing to remind a friend we all have afflictions, hurts, faults and tender places. We all get sick both emotionally and physically.
The patient friend freely gives grace because they so desperately needs it themself. “Me too” acknowledges I’m no better than you, but together we are stronger. It’s such a loving and disarming admission that we’re all in this together.
3. “I’ll pray.”
(Romans 12:12, “… faithful in prayer.”)
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tell a friend you will absolutely be faithful in praying for them?
4. “I’ll share.”
(Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need …”)
When we notice a need in a friend’s life, might we be willing to step in and be part of the solution?
We may not be the full cure, but we may of helped build a foundation of restoration and give this person the assurance God was working on their behalf.
5. “Come over.”
(Romans 12:13, “Practice hospitality.”)
Welcoming a friend inside the sacred space of our home is such a needed gesture. There’s just something about relationships that are less misunderstood when we get eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice and talk. Really talk.
I’ve found as we purposefully ease the loneliness ache in others, we will see it is beautifully eased in us.
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of friendship. Please show me who I can encourage today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read More“Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19).
At times we may have been discouraged to the point of despair and felt totally abandoned by a God we know that loves us.
And yet in the midst of all of our despair we can find comfort in Jeremiah’s words in Lamentations 3. ( I challenge you to read each day for a week and see what the Lord has to say to you about “who can I trust and why).
“He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed He has turned His hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old… Even when I call out or cry for help He shuts out my prayer… I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “my splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and my wandering… I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassion NEVER fails. They are new every morning; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'” (emphasis mine).
If you are at the point of despair, do what Jeremiah did and pour out your heart to God. And then call to your mind the fact that GREAT is God’s faithfulness.
- God has not abandoned you and He loves you.
- Don’t allow Satan to deceive you to think anything else. God will be faithful in your life.
But Job is an example for us of how we must break through our natural view of life so that we begin to see things in a different light. This book of Job is here to teach us that God sometimes has to translate theology into painful experience before we really begin to grasp what He is trying to say to us.
Father, thank You that You have sent Your Son, who has endured more suffering than I. Grant me the strength to endure whatever You allow into my life. Amen
“If you … know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11 NIV)
God is the source of everything. Everything you see in the world and everything you can’t see in the world and in the universe, God made. He’s the source of every good thing in the universe.
As you depend on God as your source for everything, there are four truths you need to remember.
First, everything is a gift from God. Nothing you have, have you earned. It’s all a gift of God’s grace. If God didn’t want to give it, you wouldn’t have it. Read James 1:17.
Second, there’s nothing you need that God can’t provide. You don’t know what you’re going to need the rest of this year. But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it. Read: Philippians 4:19.
Third, God wants to give you everything you need. Read Matthew 7:11. God wants to meet your need.
And, here’s the fourth thing: He’s waiting on you. James 4:2 says,“. . . You do not have because you do not ask God.”
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (Romans 12:3)
In the context of this verse, Paul is concerned that people were thinking of themselves “more highly than [they] ought to think.” His final remedy for this pride is to say that not only are spiritual gifts a work of God’s free grace in our lives, but so also is the very faith with which we use those gifts.
This means that every possible ground of boasting is taken away. How can we boast if even the qualification for receiving gifts is also a gift?
This truth has a profound impact on how we pray. Jesus gives us the example in Luke 22:31–32. Before Peter denies him three times Jesus says to him, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
Jesus prays for Peter’s faith to be sustained even through sin, because he knows that God is the one who sustains faith. So we should pray for ourselves and for others this way.
Let us pray daily: “O Lord, thank you for my faith. Sustain it. Strengthen it. Deepen it. Don’t let it fail. Make it the power of my life, so that in everything I do you get the glory as the great Giver. Amen.”
Read More
Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
If you need a prescription for peace, I encourage you to let your thoughts dwell on God’s promises and rest in His presence as you pray.
Ask Him to help you release your worry. Praise Him for the good things He’s done, and talk to Him about the problems you’re struggling with.
Seek God’s will for every area of your life and commit to trust Him enough to make changes as He nudges you.
True peace comes when we trust God and seek rest in Him, not when life is conflict-free.
****A daily dose of God’s presence and promises from His Word is the best prescription for peace.
Philippians 4:6-7.
“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.”
As the words of these verses wash through my soul, I realize I’ve been depending on people to diagnose my problems instead of seeking a remedy from God.
I had overlooked the only One who had a prescription that could heal — Jesus Christ.
Pray about all the stuff you worry about. If it’s big enough to worry about, then it’s big enough to pray about.
Galatians 6: 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Dear Lord, I am stressed. I know I need a change in my life, and I am ready for the prescription for peace that only You can offer. Fill me today with a dose of serenity that I cannot find anywhere else but in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Phil. 4:4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
EXPERIENCE VICTORY THIS DAY!
Faith and Blessing go hand in hand, partnering in God’s plan for you.
*Faith always leads and blessing always follows.
We must be willing to obey God’s Will and do exactly what He asks us to do, no matter what we think or how we feel.
“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” Luke 5:5
The Lord is telling us that we cannot experience victory unless we go out further than we have never gone before.
*If we continually stay at the shallow side, we will continue to experience mediocrity, which is not God’s will for us.
We must take the first step and continue to walk on water, during this walking we will experience adversity and trials of many kinds, but we still must push until we reach our deep, where we will receive the Lord’s blessing.
*Have you ever felt tempted to look at your accomplishments with pride as if you were the reason for your success?
*Have you ever thought your prosperity was due to your ingenuity?
*Has your material success been a testimony to others that God is the ruler of all aspects of your life, even the material side?
Joseph’s greatest test was not his temptation to be bitter against his brothers.
*It wasn’t the sexual temptation that came inside Potiphar’s house.
*It wasn’t even the discouragement of years of imprisonment for being wrongfully accused.
**It was the temptation of prosperity and ownership. Once he was elevated, he was given choices that he never had before. It was totally up to him as to which choice he would make.
Stewardship reveals what we believe about God and ourselves.
Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall.
Keep pressing even though your efforts are met with opposition. The end result will be worth all of your energy to break through. Refuse to get discouraged or decide to just give up. The Lord is with you to bring you through to victory. Be strong and courageous.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Heavenly Father teach me that I must go out into the deep with you, where I will experience you than like never before. .Amen
Christianity is not a religion it’s a relationship with Christ.
John 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
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Our God is so great that every star is counted and named. And yet He cares about us personally. He cares about the little things and the broken hearted among us. What an awesome God to be able to worship.
“[God] determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:4–5
Here the Scripture gives us a beautiful picture of the measureless wisdom, knowledge and power of the Lord.
*No human astronomer would dare to calculate the number of stars in the universe.
We know that it runs into millions and billions, but God knows the number of the stars and He calls each by name.
God’s understanding reaches out to the farthest corners of the universe and He knows exactly what’s going on with each star.
God controls its movements.
Astronomers can compute mathematically where each star was thousands of years ago or where it will be thousands of years from now because the stars are so absolutely accurate and reliable in their movements.
But don’t let us attribute that to some unseen, mechanical force.
The force, the wisdom, the power behind the movements of the stars is the force and the wisdom of our God. His understanding is infinite.
We marvel today at the achievements of computers, but let me tell you that God is greater than all the computers put together.
There’s nothing going on anywhere in the universe that He doesn’t know about, that He doesn’t control.
**He’s the Creator, He’s the Controller of the entire universe, and He’s our God.
As we learn to love God, He makes us an open, cleansed vessel so He can love others through us.
God has knowledge of all things at all times.
Isaiah 40:28 Have you never heard? Have you never understood?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
God sees us as we really are. He knows our thoughts, motives, and desires. God Knows.
God is in control so what’s happening to me is happening for my good.
*Our God is a God of Love.
*He knows what’s best for us.
*It doesn’t matter what you are going through, “God Knows”.
If you give God a chance he can deliver you. God Knows.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee.” Psalm 51:10,13 AMEN
Most Christians don’t really know God. They know about Him, but they’re not intimately acquainted with His character (Matthew 5:3-12) and His Love (all 66 Books).
“Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him…” Job 36:26
We must always measure truth by God’s word.
We need to know the word and study the word so we can better recognize when something is off.
*If we recognize that someone is not teaching according to the word of God we should not remain under that teaching.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
How is Jesus “the Truth”
Truth is rooted in the eternal God who’s all powerful and unchangeable. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is Truth” (John 17:17).
*Truth is far more than facts. It’s not just something we act upon. It acts upon us.
*******We can’t change the truth, even though the world tries too—- but the truth can change us.
*The truth of the word sanctifies (sets us apart) from the falsehoods woven into our sin natures.
*As Christ the living Word is truth, so his written word is truth.
*Though heaven and earth will pass away, God’s truth never will.
OUR BATTLE IN LIFE IS: “TRUTH VS. LIES”
The heart longs for truth—even the heart that rejects it.
As followers of Christ:
1. We are to walk in the truth (III John 3)
2. Love the truth, and believe the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10, 12).
3. We’re to speak the truth “in love”(Ephesians 4:32).
4. Truth is far more than a moral guide. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).
*He didn’t say He would show the truth or teach the truth or model the truth. *****JESUS IS the truth.
Col. 2:……I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
JESUS is the source of ALL truth, the embodiment of truth and therefore the reference point for evaluating all truth-claims.
*The Bible is God talking to man. —Prayer is man talking to God.
Anything beyond the teaching of Christ is to far:
2 John 1:9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a personal relationship with both the Father and the Son.
Lord help me to read and obey your word that I may grow in my primary focus being my personal relationship with You, in Jesus name Amen.
Read MoreWhen the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God. – Exodus 31:18
Throughout the Bible, the word testimony is used in many ways. Testimony comes from the Hebrew word eduwth, which means “witness.”
The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, written and inscribed personally by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai. These became known as the testimony. The ark was a divinely inspired structure that was to be used as a witness to the people of Israel and the whole world of God’s power and majesty.
These divinely created tablets were a witness of God’s activity on earth with man.
Throughout the Bible, God looked to create testimonies with His people.
-At the Red Sea, He created a testimony through Moses.
-God created a testimony through Joshua when He parted the Jordan River and allowed the people with the Ark to cross on dry land.
-When Lazarus lay dead for days, Jesus came and created a testimony of His ability to raise the dead.
Jesus is still looking for those who are willing to have a testimony created through their lives. One of the major characteristics of a God-ordained testimony is for something to happen that cannot be explained in the natural.
In other words, if you can make it happen through your abilities, it is not a testimony about God, but about you.
God wants to create a testimony in every aspect of your life – your family, your work, your church, and in your community. He is waiting to put His finger on your next endeavor to reveal His power through your life.
Look carefully at the events where God might want to create a testimony out of an impossible situation.
He delights in using His children for this purpose because it brings Him glory.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11 – Acts 21:11-12 Amen
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