Devotions - Prayer
ETERNAL HAPPINESS= NOT WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND ME—IT’S ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN ME
It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known.
*What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
THE BIG IDEA:
God wants to get me THROUGH whatever is grieving my heart. (God sympathizes with my weakness because he was tempted just like me…)
GOD SEES! GOD CARES! GOD HELPS!
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE = rehashing hurts of past.
*RELEASE HURT TO GOD
*STOP FOCUSING ON PAST (Philippians 3:13-14)
*IT’S NOT ABOUT ME (get off SELFISH attitudes/behaviors).
Three options to pain:
1. Repress them
2. Rehearse them
3. Resent (retalliate) them
*RELEASE IT….Romans 12:19-21 (“I will repay……”)
I’ve been abandoned but I can repress my feelings and resent those who’ve hurt me OR I CAN GIVE IT ALL TO GOD! (Romans 1:18)
WE ARE COMFORTED BY:
1. THE WORD
2. THE CHURCH BODY
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
Peter said “Save me Jesus” (walking on water, but started looking at storm and grew afraid).
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Father, I know You want me to share the love I have found in You. Forgive me for the many times I have been too busy to see the needs around me. Break my heart for those who are in pain and feel hopeless. Encourage them through me, Lord. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can give it away. In Jesus name, Amen.
* “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
Read MoreAgape not only lets us be who we really are, but it also frees the ones we love to be fully themselves. All our relationships will be affected when we love like this.
* “Let love be without hypocrisy.” Romans 12:9
*Treat others as you want to be treated.
Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince you that you are flawed or worthless.
The Lord has not and will not condemn you. You are the Lord’s special treasure, chosen for His own purposes.
Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you. Do not believe them.
Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
…with the breastplate of righteousness in place… (Ephesians 6:14b).
Christ is the ground of your righteous standing before God, your acceptance before Him. If you are wearing that “breastplate,” you can rest secure that your heart, your emotions, are securely guarded and adequately protected against attack.
This is perhaps the most frequent ground of attack against Christian faith. *Christians often feel they lack assurance.
*They feel unworthy of God.
*They feel they are a failure in the Christian life and that God is certain to reject them, that He is no longer interested in them.
*They are so aware of their failures and shortcomings.
*Growth has been so slow. The first joy of faith has faded, and they feel God is angry with them or that He is far off somewhere.
*There is a constant sense of guilt and shame. Their conscience is always stabbing them, making them unhappy.
*They feel God blames them.
How do you answer an attack like this?
You are to remember that you have put on the breastplate of righteousness.
* In other words, you do not stand on your own merits. You never did. You never had anything worthwhile in yourself to offer to God.
*You gave all that up when you came to Christ.
*You quit trying to be good enough to please God.
*You came on His merits.
*You came on the ground of His imputed righteousness—that which He gives to you.
*You began your Christian life like that, and there is no change now. You are still standing before God on that basis.
Paul himself used this breastplate of righteousness when he was under pressure to be discouraged and defeated.
“What’s the use? Here I am working my fingers to the bone, making tents and trying to preach the gospel to these people, and look at the blessing God has brought them, but they don’t care. They hurl recriminations back into my face. Why try anymore?” But that is not what he does. Instead, he says,
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not without effect” (1 Corinthians 15: l0a). There he is using the breastplate of righteousness.
“I don’t care,” he says, “what I have been; I don’t defend what I am. I simply say to you, by the grace of God, I am what I am.
What I am is what Christ has made me.
*I’m not standing on my righteousness; I’m standing on His. I am accepted by grace, and my personal situation does not make any difference at all.” So Paul’s heart was kept from discouragement.
*Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences.
*Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
* Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
The enemy has launched another round of reproach in an effort to try to get you to entertain fear of failure, to be overwhelmed with disapproval, and to dump down into hopelessness. But, the devil is a liar. You must be reminded that you are precious to the Lord. His love for you is true and forever. Abide in God’s love and in truth.
1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
Father may these words meet me right where I am and help me right in the conflict in which I am engaged. Lift up my heart by the consciousness that Christ is my righteousness. Lord Jesus help me turn my back in my old ways most especially the ways influenced by the devil. Lord Jesus please send me the Holy Spirit and give me wisdom so that I may discern good from evil; and that I may totally leave my old life and start a new life with You O Lord Jesus Christ. Please Lord be my life. 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. Eph. 2:10
God’s Way of Agape is the only way that leads to life, but are you wiling to walk it?
* “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Matthew 7:14
Will you lay down your life so that God’s Love can be released through you to others?
* “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…” Romans 12:1
“Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.” Psalm 144:1
David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?
The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle.
It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles.
*Practice doesn’t make you battle ready.
*War games won’t prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield.
**The stark reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.
*Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. *Knowledge without experience is mere folly.
* Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith.
*This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ.
* Consider it to be suicidal faith – faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life.
* It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and you are at the mercy of God.
*These are the Real training grounds of God.
I know, it’s true. God has already won the victory for us. Satan is defeated.
*However, until satan’s sentence is executed, he’s trying to take down with him as many as he can!
That’s why we need to be ever prepared for battle.
This chapter of Psalm 144 makes me think about how God was preparing Israel for battle.
* He had already told them that they will be victorious.
* He had already given them the land He promised to them.
*But they still had to fight and take it over. Not on their own strength, but God’s.
I see in these verses that God wanted to make sure that His presence -“the tent of meeting’ was at the center of the camp.
* So when God is at the Center of our lives we are victorious.
* Also he was giving them precise instructions and strategies.
* In the same way is the daily guidance of the Holy Spirit and our willing obedience that guarantees the victory that God wants to pass on to us.
What a great picture and insight on how to fight our present spiritual battles.
Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today.
* It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.
If you can trust Him in these times, you’ll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.
Jesus chose to lay down His Life so God’s Love could be poured forth from Him to us.
* “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His Life for the sheep…No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.” John 10:11, 18
Refuse to listen to the useless chatter of the enemy when he tries to convince
you that you are flawed or worthless. The Lord has not and does not condemn you. You are His special treasure, chosen for His own purposes. Satan is against you because he is against the Lord, and these lies are weapons formed against you. Do not believe them.
*Psalms 139:14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous
are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.
We are in war against the forces of darkness in this age. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of people, but the only one who can win this war, is the man or woman who accepts the victory of the Lord.
If you will take up your weapons and your cross and follow Jesus, you will be given the plan of how you can win your battles. The Word of God is the most powerful natural and supernatural tool we have been give, second only to what Jesus did on the cross.
Lord, give me the spirit of your martyrs, to go to battle ready to give it all up for your glory. Dear Father, I don’t praise you enough for what you’ve done in my life. You’ve given me peace and you’ve provided for me. Thank you. Lord allow everyone else to receive this same peace in You that you’ve given me. Thank you again for all that you’ve done for us. Amen
Adjusting our lives to God is the first thing that has to happen in order to begin experiencing Him in our daily lives.
*Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can’t get a word in “edge-wise.” We’re doing all the talking.
Prayer is not just for our benefit, but for the delight of our God!
*We are not just to intercede for things we need, but to ask for the things God desires.
*Unless these two elements go together, we do not have a foundation upon which to build a prayer life.
Whereas we seek relief and help from the Lord, He desires fellowship with us—intimacy and communion.
*”Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor
yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25).
*”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow. . . .”
(6:33-34).
*”For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (6:8).
God is saying to us: “When you come into My presence, focus your attention on fellowship with Me, on getting to know Me. Don’t let your focus be on material things. I know what your needs are so you don’t even have to ask. I willl take care of them all. Just seek Me. Let us enjoy sweet communion!”
Ephesians 1:18. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
*Paul’s prayer list continues… that Christians will be able to see clearly with our hearts what God’s plan for us is (salvation in Christ Jesus,) that we will see how richly he has blessed us and appreciate how vast his power and strength is to work his will in our live.. through his strength (not ours).
*I should also pray this for my family and for my fellow believers.. that we would all see more clearly what God is really like, how richly He blesses us and how immensely completely powerful He is to accomplish His plan.
…that the eyes or your heart may be enlightened… (Ephesians 1:18a).
“The eyes of the heart” is a strange expression, isn’t it?
* Eyes are the instrument by which we perceive things.
*The mind also has eyes. If you listen to truth in any area, the eyes of your mind are grasping ideas. But the apostle tells us here that not only does the mind have eyes, but the heart as well.
*The heart needs to see things, needs to grasp truth and understand it. And the heart is always used in Scripture as the seat of our emotions.
Remember the episode in Luke 24—that walk to Emmaus when the risen Lord appears to the two disciples? The Lord joins them, but they don’t know who He is. He walks along with them and unfolds to them all the Scriptures concerning the promised Messiah. Afterward, they said to one another,
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (v. 32).
That “burning of the heart” represents the heart’s eyes being opened.
* It is the inflaming of the heart, so that it comes alive and is deeply moved.
* It is this burning of the heart that the apostle desires for these Christians.
When the heart begins to burn with truth, when it takes root in you and you simply must respond to it, that is when you Know with certainty that God is Real, that the Hope of Your Calling is genuine, that the Power of His Presence is available, and that the Riches of His ministry through you is manifest to others as well.
*Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).
Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers.
This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with the Lord.
It isn’t enough simply to teach truth. You never affect the whole person until the eyes of the heart are enlightened.
**When truth is moved from the head down to the heart, it has gripped the emotions.
*Then the will is properly motivated.
*Then the person begins to grow tremendously.
Father, open the eyes of my heart. I see that for that to happen there must be the bending of the knee, the imploring of the Spirit in prayer, so that truth becomes vital and compelling. I know your Word has ALL the answers, all the wonders, all the secrets, all the keys, all the wisdom I need for my life. You got it in your Word, Father. So I simply pray: Show me, God, your wonderful ways in Your Word. Open my eyes so that I can see the beautiful things hidden, the treasures that can not be numbered.
Amen
***Matthew 6:7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again”.
*It’s not empty words but words from the heart!
*****Read The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:5-13
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We all long to hear……”Well done good and faithful servant!”
*”But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:13-14
Deuteronomy 10: 16 Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.
4 Reasons People Resist Change
*Change is hard. As you struggle with people it’s good to have a reminder of the reasons people work so hard to resist change.
Figure out which of these applies to you, and how to overcome it, and you’ll be well on your way to seeing the birth of a transformed person or group.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
1. Self-Interest.
*On a scale of 1-10, how well do you adapt to change?
Change is an unfair imposition on their territory. Silos and walls happen, and people want to control their turf. They need to exert control over their immediate surroundings, and want to feel like they have a say in their own future.
* Like it or not, we human beings are territorial and want some sense of our own power.
*How selfishness perverts your strengths.
*Ephesians 4:25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
2. Misunderstanding or a Lack of Trust.
*What people don’t understand, they will resist.
*Just because you see why people need to change doesn’t mean they will.
*Realize that you have knowledge they don’t have, so make sure you’re helping them understand ALL the issues and options.
Psalms 37: 5 Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. Verse 7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act.
3. Differing Ways of Assessing Things.
*People have opinions, and may see the cost as greater than the benefits.
*Luke 14:28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
The Cost of Following Jesus
*Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
4. People Lack Confidence in the Decision-Making Process.
*Sometimes they don’t believe all the relevant info has been included in the process, or they don’t trust the person in charge of implementing the change. *If they’re not confident that the cost is worth it, they’ll fight against it.
*The key here is to be sure they’re aware or involved in process.
How to Overcome Resistance to Change—–Knowing WHY we are fighting change is half the battle.
*Most people struggle with change, so you need to figure out where they’re uncomfortable.
* When that happens, you can focus on what really matters – becoming the ministry, Business, etc. you were meant to be.
*This is a time when you have to continue to press through stubborn difficulties.
* This is an opportunity to persevere and still stay strong in your faith. It may
seem like breakthrough will never come, but I’m telling you that it will. Don’t give up. Continue to trust the Lord for the answer to your prayers. The Lord sees what you’re going through, and He hears you. Be strong and courageous.
*Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor
His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
*Deuteronomy 30:6 “The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!
*Whatever we do in life, we should plan out our course and “count the cost.” as we Move Forward. This is great advice for the vital things that we do; where we invest our time, thoughts and talents.
*In all things, I will first count the cost before launching off.
2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
Dear God, please help me in all things of importance to count the cost. To evaluate my life’s goals so that I have the confidence that I will be able to finish what I have started.
LORD – help us to genuinely trust and accept what Christ has done. May we live like we are free and not under the bondage of perfection. Yet help us strive for such -knowing we will never hit the mark on this side of heaven … Help us CHANGE to be imitators of You Jesus. Amen
Ephesians 5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
We are God’s arms of Love in this world, but only if we choose to be.
* “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 3:18
If so many people are Spirit-filled, then why don’t our churches, marriages, and families reflect God’s Way of Agape? Where is His Love?”
*…let all be…brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead…”1 Peter 3:8-9
*There are no perfect men, no perfect women. But a relationship based on the Lord’s principles of marriage found in Ephesians 5 is “perfect” by design.
*Choose to bless and not curse or retaliate. Speak words of blessing, and be a blessing everywhere you go.
If you pretend your not a Christian than in Gods eyes your not!
*The true purpose of our Christian walk is to freely lay down our lives so God’s Love can pour through us to others.
* “Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down His Life for his friends.” John 15:13
“I came not to send peace, but a sword.” — Matthew 10:34
*If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God’s order.
* As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom.
When once you see a soul in sight of the conditions of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the problems, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ.
John 3:30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. 31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.
You may often see Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it. Matt. 10:34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
*Never be sympathetic with the soul whose case makes you come to the conclusion that God is hard.
**God is more tender than we can conceive, and every now and again He gives us the chance of being the rugged one that He may be the tender One.
If a man cannot get through to God it is because there is a secret thing he does not intend to give up—He might say: “I will admit I have done wrong, but I no more intend to give up that thing than fly”.
It is impossible to deal sympathetically with a case like that: we have to get right deep down to the ROOT.
*Ones that are struggling may have unresolved hurts.
*People want the blessing of God, but they will not stand the thing that goes straight to the Root.
There must be a sense of need before your message is of any use. Thousands of people are happy without God in this world. If the world was happy and moral till Jesus came, why did He come? ***Because that kind of happiness and peace is on a wrong level;
Jesus Christ came to send a sword through every peace that is NOT based on a Personal Relationship to Himself.
Matthew 10:31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
*God wants us to be humble, sensitive and yielded enough to hear His still small voice prompting us to show His Love to the stranger, the outcast, the wounded and the forgotten.
* “…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40
*God’s Love doesn’t just fall out of heaven, It comes through us! We are the Body of Christ on earth, and His hand outstretched to heal.
* “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us…”2 Corinthians 5:20
Lord I pray that I will learn to put you first in all things; all decisions, actions, everything. Help me to understand what this truly means and how to change my life to match your good and perfect will. Lord, please forgive me for being so weak. Please give me the strength to fully embrace you in private and in public. Continue to guide me on this journey so that I may walk closer in your footsteps, live by your teachings, and spread your word. Amen
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Read More “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away”.
* Doubtful thoughts DO come, BUT we do not sin until we Entertain Them.
*God does not tempt us; He is holy and beyond any sin. We commit sin when we are enticed by our own desires and GIVE IN to temptation– Instead of remembering our Victory in Christ.
*God does not tempt us nor can God be tempted!
WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY! (John 4:4)
*Don’t Be Afraid—Christ in you is bigger than the Satan of this world- “if God is for us, who can be against us?”
*Always Remember– The Lord–What HE Has done for you!!
*When your burden is too heavy to carry, when you feel like you cannot take it anymore just remember Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!
*The Lord has loaded ME with BENEFITS!
***BENEFITS INCLUDE FORGIVENESS, HEALING, REDEEMING ME FROM THE PIT OF DESTRUCTION AND RESTORING ME LIKE BRAND NEW, HE CROWNS US WITH LOVING KINDNESS AND TENDER MERCIES.
*That is when you will know the joy of walking in repentance.
*Fight For Your Cause–Let your cause ignite a passion in you!
Matthew 6:13, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.”
*A temptation can be a difficult situation or a pressure.
*Contrary to popular belief, God is not the source of our temptation.
* James 1:13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
OUR HOPE!
Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, (Pharisees) “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”
*The Pharisees wrapped their sin in respectability. They made themselves appear good by publicly doing good deeds and pointing to the sins of others. **Jesus chose to spend time, not with these proud, self-righteous religious leaders, but with people who sensed their own sin and knew that they were not good enough for God.
* When we are under pressure, it is important to realize that God is not trying to entrap us. Satan is called the tempter (Mt. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:5).
Then why did Jesus instruct us to pray that the Father would not lead us into temptation?
*This was simply a request for guidance so that we could be delivered from evil.
Jesus himself was tempted by Satan (Mt. 4, Lk. 4). He trusted God fully for Provision, Protection, and Purpose. The Father would no more lead us into temptation than He would withhold our daily bread.
*But as stated in James 4:2, “Ye have not because ye ask not.” Both “give us our daily bread” and “lead us not into temptation” are simply requests for what has “Already been Provided” for us.
This part of prayer serves as a reminder to us of God’s promised protection (Ps. 91) and gives us an opportunity to release our faith and appropriate what has already been provided.
“No temptation has seized you but such as is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13 ).
** The victory demonstrated by Jesus is available to us. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57). He has given it to you.
*Believe and receive it.
**REPLACE Temptation and Sin with Kingdom Values. (See Matthew 5:1-10)
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” ((Ecclesiastes 12:1) Remembering God does not mean merely thinking about Him once in awhile. It means to relate to Him, walk with Him, discover Him, learn to know Him while you are young.
Temptation is all around us; it is subtle, it is powerful.
*The appeal of the world and the flesh is constantly with us, turning thousands of people away from the truth of God.
*But it gets worse the older you grow. The pressures to conform are greater as you Move Out into Life and business.
How good it is to know the living God, to know that He controls what comes into your life.
* He expects you to make choices; Scripture always encourages that.
* But rejoice in the wisdom of a Father’s heart and richly enjoy what is handed you day-by-day; that is the secret of life.
Such a one “seldom reflects on the days of his life” because God will keep him occupied “with gladness of heart.”
*Yes, Lord. It is so good to know You and be given the freedom to enjoy all that You provide for me day by day.
Come to the Truth of The Word in all things. Only in Truth can your faith be established and exercised to overcome adversity.
The Lord has given you precious promises of victory and the authority to succeed.
** It is of vital importance that you control your thoughts and emotions as you put your Trust in Jesus.
**Refuse to allow Temptation and Fear to gain any ground in you.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind.
We that are struggling may have unresolved hurts. I encourage you to find healing. Seek counseling; find a local Recovery group; equip yourself with resources on healing and share your secrets with safe people. Remember you’re only as sick as your secrets!
Matthew 5:7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. AMEN AMEN
Our word should be our bond!
*Personal Integrity is needed in us, with that in our heart the Core Values as Christ unique giftedness will be fulfilled.
*Let your vision define your future. Let your Yes be Yes and your No be No -Be reliable and Trustworthy!
“When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.”
*I need to be careful What I promise the Lord and How I carry through.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
“It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.”
Ecclesiastes 5:5
*Pray Constantly….Complaining Is a Sin!
**The best antidote for complaining is Thanksgiving.
“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.”.
Matthew 5: 33-37 (Msg)
A person who has to swear or make a promise to validate his statements is a person whose word is no good. The thrust of Jesus’ teaching here is that we should live in such a manner that no one would ever have to have additional proof that we are telling the truth.
* Our word should be our bond!
We have all heard the story of the young shepherd boy who cried wolf when there was no wolf until finally no one believed him when the wolf really came.
Our lack of integrity in performing our word has the same effect on people today.
Throughout history, we have seen people use oaths to declare when they are really speaking the truth and not lying.
Jesus, however, holds us to a higher standard: your word should be your bond (connection, relation, association, and tie).
When I have time to think about it, I will tell the whole truth. But there have been many times that I have told a “little white lie” at the spur of the moment.
I usually regret it later (sometimes moments later), then I am too embarrassed to admit it. This is an area of further growth for most of us.
I was blessed in Business in the 70’s-80’s to be able to do much Business on a hand shake and their word–knowing a person’s word was Truth. Today, Very few people conduct business anymore with their word and a handshake. Even contracts are not sacred if an individual can not afford a good enough lawyer. BUT this is not the way God intended it.
The Bible says that our real problem with this, is that every one of us is building our Identity on something besides Jesus. Whether it’s to succeed in our chosen field–or get our own selfish way– or to have a certain relationship—or even to get up and walk—we’re saying, “If only I have that, if I get my deepest wish, then everything will be okay without any Values.
God has fulfilled every word He has ever spoken. We ARE created in His image and He planned for us to be the same way.
Even our physical bodies respond adversely when we LIE. That’s why lie detectors work.
*Jeremiah 9:6 They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie, and refuse to know me.” God’s Decree.
*Colossians 3:9 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire.
*Ephesians 4: 25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
*The root problem with lies is a hardness of the heart.
*We want what we want when we want it.
*The hardness darkens our understanding (shady spot). We don’t see Gods will for our life because of this obscurity. (We are lying when we Suppress the Truth. Ro. 1:18)
Today, commit yourself to be a new man or woman of your word. You will not only experience a new respect from others, BUT you will find the JOY of a clear heart and mind. (Peace: Philippians 4:4-9)
God’s commandments are not intended to make us miserable–they’re meant for our own happiness. Satan’s lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God’s motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5).
You can’t control other people–not even your mate. But through obeying the Lord, you can control yourself and have fullness of joy. God’s commands tell us what will produce true happiness for us.
“The circumstances of life, the events of life, and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am” [Dr. Sam Peeples].
Forgiving Father, thank you for forgiving us and loving us. Help us to be humble, honest and loving people who release others into your forgiveness. Father, help me to always tell the truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Revelation 12:11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
*When you tell your personal testimony, you tell everyone that God is good in everything by the way He Changed You!
* As long as you are ashamed of your testimony you will not be able to relate to real people honestly!
Do we need a Foot Washing?
*We are to help people come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
God’s Love is as necessary to human life as the air we breathe or the water we drink.
* “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.”Psalm 42:1
God’s Love eternally embraces the poor, the afflicted, the broken and the unlovely.
* “…the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners…”Isaiah 61:1
We are to take up the towel of God’s mercy and go to that hurting one.
* In the special love of Jesus we are not to judge him, expose him, lecture or find fault.
* Instead we are to commit to being his friend. We are to help him come to
salvation by sharing the correcting, healing, washing, comforting Word of God.
“And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
If you want to be kindhearted—to take up the towel to restore a brother or
sister—you do not need to know the details of how that person got dirty.
*Jesus did not ask His disciples, “How did you get such filthy feet?” He wanted
only to get the dust off of them. His love for them was unconditional.
Likewise, those who walk in the fullness of Jesus Christ must have this
Attitude of love toward those with dirty feet. We are not to ask for details.
Instead, we are to say, “Let me wash your feet.”
Too often Christians want to dive into all the gory details of a situation.
They come to a believer who has dirty feet, saying, “I want to wash your feet.
BUT tell me, what happened? How’d you get so dirty?”
At some point in the story of failure, the curious comforter realizes, “Oh, my,
this is worse than I thought. I can’t get involved in this.” And after a few
more details, he comes to the end of his puny human mercy.
** He judges the person as too evil, beyond help, and he drops his towel and goes his way.
***We cannot wash feet in a judge’s robes. *We have to take off our self-righteous garments before we can do any cleansing.
Paul says we are to be gentle and patient with all people:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Paul is saying, “You must be tenderhearted with everyone, willing to wash their feet. God will have mercy on them and deliver them from their sin.”
In a famous passage in John 13, Jesus took a towel and a basin and washed the feet of His disciples. He told them “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have
washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
The disciples were twelve men beloved of God—precious in His eyes, full of
love for His Son, pure of heart, in full communion with Jesus. Yet they had
dirt on their feet!
Jesus, in essence, was saying to these men, “Your hearts and hands are clean,
but your feet are not. They have become dirty in your daily walk with Me. You do not need your whole body to be washed—only your feet.”
**The dirt Jesus mentions here has nothing to do with natural dirt. It is about SIN—our faults and failures, our giving in to temptations.
I wonder how many of us this past week fell into a temptation or failed God in some way?
It is not that we have turned our
back on the Lord. On the contrary, we love the Savior more passionately than
ever, BUT we fell and now we are grieving—because our feet are dirty.
Scripture tells us: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who
are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself
lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).
The Greek word for trespass here
means “a fall, a sin.” We are to restore every Christian who falls into sin
if there is a repentant heart.
Foot washing, in its deepest meaning, has to do with our Attitude about the
dirt we see on our brother or sister. So I ask you: What do you do when you are
face to face with someone who has fallen into a sin or transgression?
As Jesus served His disciples, He calls us to serve others. He is calling us to see people through the eyes of God and with His love meet their needs.
But how?
(John 13: 3) Jesus was profoundly anchored in the love of the Father. His identity was secure.
We need a radical receiving of His love!
** We need to be Filled with God’s love (our cup overflowing) in order to give others our richness of love.
Jesus was teaching us how important it is to Humble ourselves before one another and also that we are all equal in Gods eyes. He said that we are to love one another unconditionally– this is how we will know the ones who are called and annointed of God. They will be Love.
1 John 2:9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
The Lord is always near to the broken and contrite heart.
* “He gathers the outcasts…He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:2-3
Jesus, You showed true humility by washing the disciples feet. Jesus, Help each one of us to be more humble this day and follow Your example of Truth and Love so others may be set FREE for Your Glory. Amen
Mark 9:41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Grateful heart…may I ever be thankful for my deepening relationship with Him!
God, I want to live with an attitude of gratitude, starting right now! I thank you so much for loving me and for blessing me. Help me see the Positive things in life and to thank You for them.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations”. (Psalm 100:4-5)
Sad? Depressed? Tired? Frustrated.
The LORD JESUS refreshes us in His presence.
The psalmist describes ENTERING INTO HIS PRESENCE with gladness. It takes a deliberate ACTION on our part. We must therefore MOVE FORWARD rather than sit and sulk in the midst of our circumstances.
How important it is for each of us to know the way into God’s presence. How do we enter in His gates? How do we come into His courts?
There’s only one accepted way:
* We enter His gates with thanksgiving; * We enter His courts with praise.
It’s as we come to God with thanksgiving and with praise that we have access.
Sometimes we are tempted to say, “But what do I have to thank God for, what do I have to praise Him for?”
The psalmist gives us three reasons.
1. The Lord is good.
2. His love endures forever.
3. His faithfulness continues through all generations.
These are three reasons why we should always praise and thank God. And notice that none of those reasons ever changes with our situation or our circumstance.
No matter what the circumstance, those three reasons for praising and thanking God always hold good.
Giving thanks begins with understanding the very basic idea that the Lord is good!
*In that goodness he has made us and he guides and directs our steps – He is our shepherd.
So many people today have a wrong picture of God. They see him as judge who is eager to punish anyone for the slightest infraction. God is good – he will punish, but he does not punish now.
God poured out all of his wrath on his Son Jesus who takes our punishment.
That’s why the angels announced at Jesus’ birth there would be peace – not between people but between people and God.
God is good because he has provided a way for us to escape punishment for sin and as a result spend eternity in heaven with Him.
**Jesus declared this task finished as he died on the Cross.
Even in the most difficult circumstances of this life we can praise God for his goodness.
When things are bad we can praise God they are not worse than they are! We can do this knowing of his good and final plan to restore us and creation at the end of time.
Let our worship be focused on God’s goodness and his perfect plan for us.
Psalms 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 2 Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.
God made us—-not the universe, not pixie dust, nothing but God has created what and who each of us are.
*We are redeemed by the death of His son, made worthy in the eyes of our Lord God, through the blood shed on the Cross, made princes and princesses by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ!
*We must be joyful in all we do, knowing that we are free from bondage, darkness and misery!
*We are free to do more then survive, we are empowered to Live!!!
So Cheer it up, enjoy this life, enjoy your freedom!
Exhault in the fact that He loves you unconditionally and requires nothing but acknowledgment of being your Lord and Savior!
Remember that He knew you before you were even born, and that He has a plan to prosper you and NOT to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11)!!!
** Give thanks and praise to the Lord your God in this season and don’t let your failings get the best of you. God has already forgotten about them, so why don’t WE?!
****Now that Cheers me up this Day!
Psalms 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.
Revelation 12: 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their TESTIMONY. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Lord, I get so caught up in daily life, work, and my own problems that I forget to thank You for the great things You have done for me and the wonderful promises You have given me. I forget to reflect on Your goodness and perfection and love. Lord, help me to take time to be thankful. Help me to set aside the trials and distractions around me and instead fill my mind and heart with Your goodness. Thank You, Lord!
God you are so good Lord. This is an area that I want to do more of. Positive thinking, gracious living,, and just being thankful for every opportunity that you have given me. My prayer Lord is that you continue to work on me that I may be a better example to others. Lord I give you all of the honor and all of the praise in Jesus name, Amen.
When we feel the weight of the world resting on our shoulders, we can just go to the Lord. In Him, we will find all the rest and peace we need.
*Jesus promises His peace to all those who come to Him in trusting faith.
Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
I have the tendency to cling to my problems searching for a solution. If I give them to God I will be free of the stress, find peace, and I know that God had the perfect solution.
A true yoke is designed to divide the load between two animals. One of those animals is the leader and the other follows the lead. God might be saying here ” you have been carrying your burdens by your self for a long time, put on my yoke and share your burdens with me.” And indeed God’s way and God’s perspective are always best and ease our lonely burden.(“learn of Me”)
Another part of the Goodness of God as we see here is His REST. He wants us to take the things that weigh us down, bring them to Him, give them to Him, and in return give us the peace to know that He’s in control of those things… thus allowing us to rest. (“learn of Me”)
Christ tells us very plainly: “Do not attempt to take on a walk with Me
until you are at rest in your soul!”
If you do not have this wonderful confidence in what the Word of God says Jesus did for you, His yoke will not be easy or light. On the contrary, you will spend your time striving in the flesh to please God. You will go from hot to cold, living with unnecessary guilt and shame.
*I find myself saying fairly often that God’s not moved by our sense of urgency He’s moved by our Faith in Him & His Word.
God’s not impressed when we strive for things He’s already blessed us with…and finally He’s also insulted by us trying to work so hard for something that’s free. (“learn of Me”)
The body of Christ is exhausted because we are so convinced that getting God to move on our behalf is like a dentist trying to pull a stubborn tooth.
None of us are resting in the Goodness of God because we are trying so hard to earn it.
I believe the key to this verse lies in the words “learn of me.” Jesus is
speaking here of the discipline of learning who He is and what He accomplished on the CROSS.
Jesus is saying, “You must have a knowledge of what I have done for you.
* When we’re striving for His Goodness.. we are working for something that’s available for free.
Then, once your soul is at rest, you can take on My yoke. So, learn of
Me!”
We do not want this kind of discipline. We want to take the easy way! We are
like school children on the playground at recess who do not want to go back into the classroom.
Perhaps today you say, “I’m reading my Bible now and praying a little each day.
I’m trying hard to do better!” This is all good, but I assure you that these
things will not keep you through the coming storm.
*It is not enough to try hard, to make promises to God, to strive to be better. *Nor is it enough to say, “I’m more diligent than before.”
**No, it is all about going after a revelation of what Jesus did for you at the cross!
God’s yoke is that we follow his purpose for our lives, and when we do that, things work out a whole lot better. *When we go our own way in life, we hit one brick wall after another. In a sense, God says, “Put on my purpose, my plan for your life.”
* Jesus did not come to give you a burden but a blessing.
Enter the realm of the Spirit and ask what you will in faith. Do not hesitate or come with doubt or double-mindedness. Come expecting an answer, for Jesus will surely hear and answer your requests according to His purposes. Come to the Lord with purity of heart and exercise your childlike faith.
* James 1:2-8 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Give yourself a break today, and stop working so hard. Instead read Matthew 11:28-30 again.
I’m going to issue a challenge today…take just one thing that’s weighing you down, give it to God (and leave it in His hands by faith trusting Him to take care of that thing that’s weighing you down), and see if you don’t feel a little lighter. (“learn of Me”)
*There’s an old saying that if you don’t enjoy the peace & rest of God…you can return to your misery.
***Matt. 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me….We have all had teachers, from elementary school thru college, and even mentors later in life. But here, we read that the God of this universe, the God who gives us breath to live this day, wants to be our teacher! That’s astounding! That is profound! The question is, will we listen? Are we willing to be taught by Him? Are we in his word on a daily basis so as to learn from Him?
You know you are healed when you can thank God for the pain and suffering of the Past. Then we can Move Forward in Life for God’s purposes not ours!
Something should cry out in all of us: Jesus, Your Word says I can live in
total rest, peace and security. I don’t have to strive in my flesh or be tossed
about by guilt or fear. You have set before me the promise of a life at rest,
but I don’t have that rest. Oh, Lord, I want Your rest with everything that’s
in me. Teach me by Your Spirit—I want to learn of You. Lord teach me to cast all my burdens on You. Let me take up Your cross and find true fulfillment and peace as I continue to Move Forward Trusting in YOU! In Jesus Name, Amen
*You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
…”Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50).
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)
God’s Love is dependent only upon God, who is eternally faithful, trustworthy and reliable.
* “For I, the Lord, do not change…”
Malachi 3:6
May we strive for excellence in all that we do for the Master of the universe.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24).
When was the last time you sat and wrote out a plan and revisited your vision? (Read Habakkuk 2:1-3).
The Enemy focuses us on what we can’t do instead of focusing us on what we CAN do.
Time heals nothing.
** It is what YOU DO with the TIME that matters.
*****You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past! God is so patient with us and keeps His promises. (2 Peter 3:9).
Proverbs 1:33 But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Don’t wait until the time is just right to take the first step toward achieving your goals.
**The time will never be just right. Make the resolution to start where you are now and go for what matters most in your life as you stive to move forward. Where you end up one year from now IS up to YOU!
We have explosive power inside of us. It’s time to revert back to the power inside of you for excitement in your life. (John 15:9-15 Joy is available).
Act like who you are. YOU are the child of a king. You are His Masterpiece! It’s a matter of time to come out of the pits, bushes, or wherever you are and fight. Fight the good fight of faith. We are God’s workmanship. We are his pottery.
Allow Jesus to mold us. We were created for good works so its time to dream big. Be excited about your future. God has plans for you for His Glory! (Jer. 29:11).
2 Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
The meaning of life lies in relationship!!
*First and foremost is our relationship with God,
* and then our relationship with each other.
*We each have these relationships, most likely one more than the other, But let’s get a Balance of the Two for God’s Glory!
* “We love, because He first loved us.”
1 John 4:19
When we come to KNOW the Lord we will begin to see that He wants us to truly love our neighbor just as we love ourselves.
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Here is how the Bible describes God’s Love:
* “God’s Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. God’s love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (Living Bible)
The 4 Love’s we have!
The natural human loves inspired by friendship (phileo), family (storge), or romance (eros), are awesome blessings from our Creator, BUT Agape is the only love essential to human survival. Only God’s Divine Love can give us the Identity and Purpose we need to live life to the fullest.
* “If I have not (God’s) Love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
* What Jesus did do was to tell them the true way to greatness.
**“It is NOT by seeking to be first,” He said.
**It is by a willingness to be last.
** It is not by getting people to serve you; it is by becoming a servant of all.
There are two kinds of ambition. There is the ambition to be approved and applauded by people, and the ambition to be approved and applauded by God.
There are those who want to gain fame and attention and influence and power. The measurement of the ambition to be great before people is always “How many serve me? How much power do I exercise over others? How wide is the extent of my influence?”
* Who of us has not suffered many times from this desire to be known, to be admired, to be considered great?
But Jesus points out that true greatness is never found there. The measure of true greatness is:
***How many do I serve? How many can I help?” This is the mark of greatness in the eyes of God.
Christianity is a radical faith! It is exactly the opposite of the natural instincts of the heart.
Our natural inclinations will get us deeper and deeper into trouble. Though we may achieve a form of greatness in the eyes of people, it will turn into cobwebs and ashes in our hands.
Lord, Teach me the meaning of Your words in the depths of my heart. Help me to strive for that greatness that will shine throughout eternity. Help us Lord this day to see ones in need, be it loneliness, depression, fear, cancer, unforgiveness, guilt or shame and come along side them and show them Your Love. Help us be examples to show that, Christianity does not produce a changed life but an exchanged life. Like Jesus, grow in your wisdom and understanding of who we now are in Christ.
We know we are healed, when we can Thank God for the pains of the Past! Lord, help us share Our Testimony of what You, Jesus have done for US.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new Creation; the old is gone, the New has come!
Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Romans 12:13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Come Holy Spirit Come!!! Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
*When we stay in the past we become stuck and unable to move forward.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
You’ll make progress in some areas of your life but are they the areas that you care most about?
Are they the areas that mean the most to you?
Most of us would love to move forward in certain areas of our life but let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes we are so used to thinking a certain way that we can’t seem to make a first definite step, even though we know deep down in our hearts that it’s the right thing to do.
You can miss your life striving for some day.
*Don’t stop making plans and goals. *Don’t give up dreaming and thinking of what could be.
*These are important and give direction and depth to our futures but while you are dreaming and planning FIND Christ in the Center of it All.
Why Life can be difficult:
I think it is because of the choices we have to make, and this makes for a difficult life if we make the wrong choice.
*If we gave more thought to the choices we make– life would be a lot less difficult. Pray and listen to God’s word before we make choices.
James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
*Train yourself–Begin by making the Choice to practice good habits.
Why Change the tongue First?
* your mouth measures your maturity
* your mouth reveals your heart
* your mouth sets the stage for your failure or your success.
*Our words reflect our character
*Our words have the power to direct and destroy lives
*Our words affect how the world views God.
Life can hit hard. Sometimes you get knocked down when you don’t even see it coming.
Some are cheap shots, some are glancing blows and some can bring you to your knees.
When this happens, it’s not about how hard you get hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, BUT still find the strength to keep moving forward.
* It’s about having the will to continue in spite of the obstacles.
Only God’s Love will wipe away our divisions and our discords. Only His Love will unite us together as One.
* “To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father…”Revelation 1:5-6
In life we go through challenges, circumstances, traumatic events. Although we are immune from the tragedies of the past, we are not immume from the memory of the pain. The scars may have healed completely; there may be no visible trace of the hurt; BUT deep within the recesses of our mind there remains an imprint, a memory, a rememberance of the hurt we have experienced.
Isaiah 43:18 “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new…..”
Irrespective of what you’ve been through, you may have suffered incredible humiliation and rejection. You may have memorials of pain – people, places, things you see that trigger a rememberance of pain.
Thats alright, Let Go and now let God! Let 2012 be so good, so awesome, so magnificent, let it be the year of the rejoicing of your heart. Then you will find it difficult to remember the pain that has followed you your whole life.
*You will experience the goodness of God, His goodness and mercy shall follow you this year!
***You know you are healed, when you can Thank God for the pains of the Past!
**** Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.
Forget Regret: Leave your mistakes and regret in the past.
* They don’t define Your Value, then or now.
*When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward.
We ALL have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. *The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now and heal.
*The only way to get control of your heart is to let Jesus have control of your life.
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. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
*The ultimate purpose of the Bible is to change our lives. It Changes our conviction, conduct, and character. We want to be more like Christ.
David had learned that communicating with the living God is the ONLY sure way of victory.
*His skill was not enough. He had to have God’s blessing.
We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter.
When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.
Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
*We can spend time in prayer and have scripture memorized, but our outward actions must be evidence of our inward transformation.
We must pray according to His Word AND act according to His Word.
Press through present chaos into the peace that is greater than your understanding. Quiet your soul and be done with the anxiety that comes with uncertainty.
Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.
Father, thank You for Your promise to give me a future and a hope! Please give me the strength and wisdom to live according to Your Word, to proclaim the name of Jesus through word and deed. In Jesus Name, Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
Keep the Faith
If you keep doing what you’re doing now, where do you see yourself in one year?
Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Learn this one secret in life and success will find you … keep moving forward.
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,
Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.
*Suffering teaches obedient faith.
Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.
At the end of the day when you are weary from all of the effort and energy you have expended and you are sore and tired from being hit hard so many times, but the dream is not realized, the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your Faith.
**Honor this and cherish it. Faith is what makes you human. It gives you energy and hope. And if you let it, your faith will deliver you to wherever you want to go in life.
Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Help people with the same problems you have – Solving our problems in life isn’t always easy.
Our toughest problems often require the most creative solutions—solutions that are outside our scope of thinking. **But when you help people solve problems that are similar to your own, you’ll find it easier to solve your own problems and Heal.
By solving the same problem from different perspectives, you’ll find the all-inclusive answer that seems to work repeatedly.
Solving these types of problems will become second-nature to you and eventually you’ll be able to solve your own problems, even the toughest ones.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
There is no standing still. You are either moving forward in your life or you are falling behind.
You only have one opportunity to live your life, don’t live it regretting what was, or what is no more.
You have to start seeing the wonderful things that life still has to offer you. Now is the time to allow yourself to expect the best from life.
Psalms 32:8 The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Talk expectantly and positively about yourself and the future. Know that better things are right around the corner for you. Be excited!
Once you implement a positive attitude to your way of thinking you’ll be amazed at the results!
I implore you to let go of the things that are holding you back. Release yourself from your self inflicted bondage, set yourself free. YOU are responsible for your life’s journey.
*Forgive people who have hurt you; let go of the things that have been done to you. Get resentment out of your life! Let it go.
Only then can you bring to yourself fresh hope and move yourself forward to the life you want.
* Don’t keep yourself prisoner to anything or anyone. You have the key to your cell, use it to open the door, step through it, and get back on your journey.
**You do not have the power to change the past.
**** Forgiveness will cut you loose and free you to move forward and create a new future.
Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
To bring about a change in your life, you need to make inner change –changing your thoughts, transferring your focus, concentrating on what you want to bring into your life, rather than what you don’t want, or what you’ve lost.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
When was the last time you sat out wrote out a plan and revisited your vision.
*Enemy focuses us on what we can’t do instead of focusing us on what we CAN do.
*Need to dream big and cut out distractions.
***Don’t let all of your distractions cut out time with God. Choose Him to be First and things Will fall into place.
Walk by faith not by sight. It’s not what it looks like…Moses as the example crossing the Red Sea.
*It’s in the dry places of life when you are elevated.
**Let God in on your plans. When God brings you out he’s looking to bring you into another experience.
Galatians 5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
When God anoints us, it often is accompanied by some severe tests. These tests are designed to prepare us for the calling God has on our life. Should we fail these tests God cannot elevate us to the next level. For a believer, these tests often involve money, relationships, and other issues of the heart.
What if God has chosen you for a specific purpose in His Kingdom? Are you passing the tests He is bringing about in your life?
These tests are designed to bring about greater obedience.
In most instances, it will involve great adversity. The Bible tells us that the King of kings, Jesus- learned obedience through the things that He suffered (see Heb. 5:8).
If this is true, why would it be any different for His children? Be aware of the tests God may be bringing before you in order to prepare YOU for His service.
The Lord has made a way for you to come higher by way of spiritual progression. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, you must let go of everything that has become an anchor and a hindrance.
You must release all things that have become a source of agitation, irritation, or conflict in your soul.
Listen to the Lord’s voice as HE calls to you. Allow His nature to be developed in you that will bear the fruit of His Spirit. Let your light shine in the darkness of difficult and disturbing circumstances, for I am with you, says the Lord.
*Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your perfect plans and your wonderful mercy and grace. Jesus, thank you for your mighty sacrifice and your love to do God’s will. Lord I ask that you help us learn to pray to grow nearer to you. To hear your voice and follow your will. Lord I ask that as we pray, we enter into your throne room and we gather a taste that keeps us yearning for more of you. Lord I ask too that you show us your good and perfect plans. Lord, help us be obedient to you and your will. Father thank you for your love and your unending promises and grace. You are wonderful and mighty. Give me more FAITH this day. I pray these things in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.
Moving Forward In 2012!
Why Moving Forward- (Habakkuk 2:2,3)
*Vision releases people to run. You are made to run under the purpose of God.
*Where there is no vision, there is no hope.
“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 1 Peter 2:10
* I will not waste chances to share about my Savior. I will not waste chances to share of my faith. I will step out and allow myself to be God’s vessel.
DON’T BE AFRAID, THE LORD IS WITH YOU AND FIGHTS FOR YOU!
Move Forward by Faith in the Face of Impossible Odds!
Exodus 14:15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.
*Sometimes when the enemy is at your back and great resistance is at the front, God will command you to move forward!
By doing that you will see His hand move what blocks you out of the way.
So 2012 is a year of renewal of faith in the Lord!
*2012 is YOUR YEAR OF THE WORD OF. GOD! The Word of God on your lips is God talking! The whole year is for you! As you make the Word of God grow in you, you will prevail in every situation through the Word! Though you may face valleys and feel afraid, just know God will hear your calls through prayer and all He may tell you is to keep moving forward!
Watch and be amazed and the power of faith, word and trust in Jehovah. There is No God like Jehovah!!!!
” The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.” …”Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” – Exodus 14:14-15
Moses had brought the whole nation of Israel, approximately 600,000, to a dead end in the desert.
The only thing between Israel and Pharaoh’s pursuing army was the Red Sea.
*This was after ten plagues God had inflicted on Pharaoh to motivate him to free the Israelites. Finally, Pharaoh had freed Moses and the people, and they left Egypt. They thought they were home free. “Freedom at last,” they said. *But God did a strange thing. He directed Moses to take a route that led to the Red Sea, instead of the northern route around the Red Sea.
* God explained that He didn’t want them fighting the enemies they would have encountered on this route. But still, there was the issue of the Red Sea.
They finally arrived at the Red Sea, and the people were wondering where they would go from there.
News hit the camp: Pharaoh had changed his mind. He was coming after them with his army.
Panic set in. The defenseless Israelites cried out,
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Ex. 14:11b-12)
***God sometimes brings each of us to a “Red Sea” in our life.
* It may be a work problem that can’t be solved.
*It may be no job.
*It may be a marriage that seems to be failing.
*It may be an addiction.
*It may be a debilitating disease. **Whatever your Red Sea, God tells us one thing: “Keep moving.”
The Red Sea was before them, yet God was angered at Moses and told him to “Keep moving.”
“But Lord, the Red Sea is before me.” “Keep moving.”
**When we live by sight, we act on what we see. God sets this stage in dramatic fashion. God is into the dramatic. There is no way out without God here.
That is just the way He wants it. No one will get glory except God.
A friend once admonished me when I was in the midst of an extremely difficult time in my life, “You must not withdraw from being proactive in your faith just because of this trial that you are in.
God’s hand is on your life!!
There are too many who are depending on YOU to fulfill the purposes God has in your life.
* Keep Moving Forward! Keep investing yourself in others.
I didn’t feel like it. I was in too much pain. But I did it anyway. God met me at the point of my greatest need once I decided simply to be obedient.
Getting past myself by investing myself in others helped heal the pain.
**There is great healing when we look past our own problems and seek to invest ourselves in others for the sake of Christ.
***This is when our own Red Seas become parted.
** We begin to walk to freedom. But we will never experience the miracle of the Red Sea in our lives if we don’t first “Keep moving.”
What is that area of your life you have been crying for a change. For something new. For something better.
The place the enemy has made you cry God is about to make you laugh.
We cannot MOVE Forward by going backward.
No matter what challenges we face in our walk with God—- going back in sin can NEVER be better.
Backsliding should never be an option on the cards of the believer! KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
*The way of the cross always leads to a resurrection, to a new beginning, on different terms.
*The way of the cross leads to freedom, to being set free from natural catastrophe and disaster, to having your spirit peaceful and at rest, despite what is happening to your body or your person.
**** This is what people really want. How we long for and dream of being free, whole, adequate, able to handle life, able to cope with whatever comes, undisturbed at heart.
***To be fully free, we must have the desire, the ability, and the opportunity to do what will make us happy forever.
*With No regrets.
*And only Jesus, the Son of God who died and rose for us, can make that possible.
Father, I ask that You will help me understand that Jesus is in the hurts, in the disappointments, in the disasters, that He is leading me on, setting me free from that which I’m in bondage too–all my “self-sufficiency” and “self-reliance,” all my desire to be exalted, to be made much of. Father, I am sorry for the opportunities that You have placed in front of me that I have wasted. I plead for more chances and for the strength and courage to not let them pass me by. Help me Move Forward in all areas of my life, becoming more like You daily, till the day You, Jesus Return. I love You! Amen
***Jan. 24 at Christ Church at 7PM will be an informational meeting to kick off our NEW Moving Forward Group. Come for a great night of testimonials of “what God is doing in and through individuals.
**Revelation Bible study starting Jan 26. Go to web address below and go to calendar-scroll down to Thurs. And open “Community Wide Bible Study”.