Devotions - Prayer

Romans: 3:17 They( people under the power of sin) don’t know where to find peace.

***Sin crushes the life out of us!!!!

We couldn’t pay the price for our sins but God, being the merciful God he is, has already paid our ransom for sin by sacrificing his only begotten son, Jesus.

Whenever our PEACE is upset over events and circumstances in life, we have moved past emotions into sin.
Sin says that circumstances of life now dictate anxiety, worry, fear, or anger.

John 14:18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

I believe Christ teaches us to grab” Life” by the THROAT:
*not to count the ODDS
*not to Count our WEAKNESSES
*not to Count our PAST
*not to dwell on our SINS
BUT to develop lives that TRUST HIM!
Now that is what the world needs to see and hear from our Characters!!!!!
Verse 26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

PEACE to you Brothers and Sisters!!!   ALL Life is in God’s hands and in this dark time in History People(starting with leaders) need Peace of Heart, Mind and Soul!!!  Let their Character’s be built on the promises of God!!!!! That ALL may HEAR His VOICE!

3 Reasons to trust God so you can have PERFECT PEACE!
1.) Jesus is able
2.) Jesus cares
3.) Jesus saves & delivers

It’s because Jesus is able and He cares is the reason why he saves and delivers us from our problems, demons and worries.
We can’t—We can’t handle all of our problems that’s why we should leave our problems with Jesus because he can handle them all.
*Read Romans 5:1-5.

What more peace can there be than an everlasting, spiritual peace through Jesus Christ?
*In Christ, the lion lays down with the  lamb.
* In Christ, all our spiritual diseases have been healed.
*In Christ there is no more sorrow or no more tears. Isaiah 53:4-5, Psalm 103:2-5

*God does not abandon.
*God does not leave you on your darkest hour, pleading for Him to step into your situation.
* God is not a dead God;
The Body of Christ needs to realize this because it’s time to: Awaken!
* Open your heart and eyes to see all God wants for you is FREEDOM.

The ones who walk in righteousness and purity.  They are the ones who love God with all their heart. They threw away the flesh and let God become their God.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) – “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

REJOICE! Today was YOUR DAY to eat the MEAT of the Word, God has predestined you to find these truths TODAY and He now considers you MATURE in Him if you receive them.
The Word of God defines it’s MEAT as BEING the doctrine of justification, or as the NIV puts it: the teaching of righteousness (right standing with God). This MEAT will make you strong, and Neh. 8:10 declares that the JOY of the Lord is your strength (so therefore, this meaty teaching on how you are justified and considered not guilty of sin makes you HAPPY!).
KNOW that you HAVE BEEN saved, sealed, adopted, sanctified, made holy, and perfected FOREVER!

Dear Lord,  you are my shield and you are my protection. I know and believe
Lord that you will take care of me and I know that I don’t have to look to anyone.
I will not depend on myself,
I will not depend on the arms of flesh, BUT I will put and place all of my hope, all of my trust in You Lord. I will truly walk by faith trusting and believing in only you Father.
Teach me your ways Lord, teach me your laws. Show me how to walk right before you, cause me to live holy. I want to live a life that is completely pleasing in your eye sight Father. I want you to look at me Lord and say “there is my child in whom I am well pleased” I want to be pleasing to you Lord. Help me Jesus. Lord I love you I will live in confidence in you. Thank you for Your Promise this Day: “”Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful”.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen
* Greet each other with Christian love.
Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.  1 Peter 5:14

A LIFE OF PRAYER
The Holy Spirit has come to lead us into a life of prayer.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.(Romans 8:26).

Consider what Paul is saying about the Holy Spirit’s role in our prayer life.
We get so confused about prayer, making it seem so complicated.
Go into any Christian bookstore and you’ll find countless books on the subject, replete with detailed formulas on how to pray.

These many theories can raise all kinds of questions about prayer:
* When does prayer become intercession?
* Is intercession measured by fervency, loudness, or the amount of time I
spend on my knees?
* I’m instructed to pray according to God’s will, but how do I know his
will?
* And how do I go about praying? Do mental prayers count?
* What, exactly, do I pray for?

Such confusion can be so overwhelming that it causes many to avoid praying.

*Never has there been a time when the prayers of God’s people are needed more than now.
*We live in a world gone mad. As global events worsen, conspiring to
rob people of peace, societies everywhere are looking for a source of comfort.
*But they’re not finding it in psychotherapy, in dead religion, in causes, or even in charity.

The Bible has told us, “The world does not know Christ and they will not
receive him. BUT you know him” (see John 14:17).

One of our greatest concerns should be that we maintain a prayer life. When we
neglect prayer, we grieve the Spirit of God.
Yes, it is possible for us to grieve the Holy Spirit. Paul writes as much when he says, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” (Ephesians 4:30).

Indeed, the Spirit shares God’s grief over his people’s unbelief and
prayerlessness. Consider just these few powerful ways the Holy Spirit plays a
role in our prayers:
* Through prayer the Holy Ghost manifests the presence of Christ in us.
* Through prayer the Spirit seals God’s promises in our hearts.
* Through prayer the Comforter speaks hope to us.
* Through prayer the Spirit releases his rivers of comfort, peace and rest in
our souls.

The tremendous spiritual letdown that follows a mountaintop experience of
blessing or victory is common to every follower of Jesus. We call these
experiences “dry spells” but they seem like a deep plunge into spiritual
darkness, an immersion into great testing after we have known a special touch of God.

We can find these dry spells plaguing the lives of godly men and women
throughout the Bible. This low period in the spirit comes mostly to those whom
God intends to use!
Indeed, it is common to everyone he trains to go deeper and further in his ways.

As you look back on your own dry experience, ask yourself if such a period
followed a renewal of the Spirit in your life??
Maybe you had experienced a
fresh awakening, an earnest prayer, asking the Lord, “Touch me, Jesus. I feel
lukewarm. I know my service to you isn’t moving forward as it should. I’m
hungry to have more of you than I have ever known. And I want zeal to do your
work—to pray for the sick, save the lost, bring hope to the hopeless. Renew
me, Lord. I want to be used for your kingdom in greater measure.”

Because you got serious with God, your prayers began to get answers and you
started to hear God’s voice clearly. Intimacy with him was wonderful, your
zeal was increasing, and you sensed his movement in your life so strongly.

Then one day, you woke up and the heavens seemed as brass. You were cast down and didn’t know why. Prayer seemed like agony, and you didn’t hear God’s voice as you once did. Your feelings began to seem dead, your spirit dry and empty. You had to live only by faith.

If this has happened to you, do not panic! And don’t beat yourself
up. I know this kind of plunge personally, from the mountaintop to the lowest pit, seemingly in an instant. Peter speaks of it specifically, advising us not to think some strange thing is happening to us:
“Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

*The Lord allows our dry spells because HE is after something in our lives.
* So rejoice and praise him, even though you may not feel like it!

2 Corinthians 12: 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
*GOOD NEWS! In what areas we are weak, God will make us strong in those areas of our life and faith.
* “I worked harder than any, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians. 15:10)
Lord, I thank you for being my comforter, always being their when my heart is heavy.  Times like this I have to  think on You and begin to  praise and worship You and You bring Comfort to my soul. I thank You Lord for giving me Strength to make it through this day. I thank you Lord for giving me Peace your peace Lord that no matter what happens today you will keep me in perfect peace. I thank you Lord and I look to you, I will keep my Eyes on you, I will keep my Hope in you and I Trust you Lord in ALL things in my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

The Holy Spirit is at work bringing his people into a place of utter
brokenness.
He’s leading US to a revelation of weakness in OUR own flesh
in order to show himself strong.
**WE as God’s  people are coming to the end of ourselves, our stubborn wills crushed, until our mindset becomes only, “Thy will be done.”
** And through it all, WE are becoming wholly dependent on the Lord.

THE GREAT NEWS THROUGH IT ALL!
We WIN! We are WINNERS!
1 John 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.

LET GO and LET GOD! GOD LOVES YOU!  Let others see His Glory shine through you!
You are His Masterpiece(Eph. 2:10) and there’s nothing you can do about that— BUT  LET GO and LET GOD!

As we know all to well-Life seems not Fair here on this earth-But we surrender to the Perfect leading of the Holy Spirit, remain in His Peace and think always of our final outcome which is “ETERNITY WITH GOD” with NO more Pain, Tears, Worry and Suffering.   God is in control!!
Let’s take your thoughts and put them on God’s Goodness and not on your past!
God is bigger than our Past!!!
If this is not true then the cross means nothing and Jesus was beaten and hung and  died for nothing!
We believers  are so Blessed—I have a strong tug in my heart that our current guilt, shame, self pity, etc., which we will not give up to God (Which God has already forgiven each one of us) is going to put thorns in your relationships, your time with God  and your Peace.
Let’s try take our time of worry etc and get off of self and go and serve others in the Body, Trust God’s word and you will see and feel Peace!
* Your personal relationships needs you!

The enemy wants us all tied up with self-worry-pity-

God’s GPS for us– Doctrine

*BIBLE – (acronym) “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”!

* Doctrine- tells us which road to travel. * Reproof-tells us when we are off the road.
* Correction-tells us how to get back on. * Instruction in righteousness-tells us how to stay on God’s road. To stay on course, thrust the compass of God’s Word.
* Authority is in God, and in His written word.
* Only the scriptures are “inspired” Infallibly by God (2 Timothy 3:16). *Preachers, Teachers, Speakers may be inspiring, BUT WE are NOT inspired in this way, as the Actual Hearing of God’s word.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

People are made Strong when preaching, teaching, speaking rivets their “Mind’s Attention” and their “Heart’s Affection” on the “words of God in scripture” in such a way that they can see for themselves:
1. This is what God said!
2. This is what God meant!
*To Know the God of this Word, you have to Know the Word of God.
John 17:3″This is eternal life, that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

The Bible is not a book about yourself…it is a book about God: His character, principles, will, & glory!

* Does Doctrine Matter?
*Doctrine is, quite literally, the teaching of the Body “the Church” – what the church understands to BE the substance of its faith.
*It is no substitute for personal experience.
Evangelical Christians have given clear witness to the necessity of personal faith in Jesus Christ, but that personal faith is based in some specific understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished on the cross.
* After all, we do not call persons to profess faith in faith, but faith in Christ.

There is no Christianity “in general.” Faith in some experience devoid of theological or biblical content- no matter how powerful – is not New Testament Christianity.

**Those who sow disdain and disinterest in biblical doctrine will reap a harvest of rootless and fruitless Christians.

Let’s humbly plant God’s word deep in our hearts. So, instead of dwelling on a temptation in our thoughts and allowing it to morph into sin, we quietly focus our hearts on a TRUTH from scripture such as
*“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 5:14)

Regardless of my doubts and fears, God has a plan. Usually it doesn’t look like mine. The experience’s of life have reminded me that my thoughts are not the same as God’s thoughts. He sees the bigger picture. He knows His plans. They also taught me to fall on my knees and relinquish all my fears to God while trusting in His good and perfect will for ALL my needs.

You see, the only power and control you and I have over any fearful thought is to place it in the hands of God. Doing so keeps us from being taunted day and night by “what if?”
Instead, we can rest in the assurance that God’s thoughts, ways and plans are more marvelous than anything we can imagine ourselves.

Dwelling on scripture empowers, rather than drains us. This switch in our thought pattern can save us from wrong choices, unhealthy relationships and self-inflicted heartbreak.

***Get rid of the bad. Plant God’s good Word in that spot instead. Then stand back — patiently now — and watch beautiful blooms begin to appear.

A window of opportunity has opened if you will rise above complacency and be willing to put forth the necessary effort required to accomplish your desires.
The Lord speaks to us who have become relaxed in our attitudes and standards. Our way out of stagnation is to stir ourselves up to do what has been given us to do with renewed vigor and enthusiasm for the Lord, giving all Glory and Praise to HIM.
Your reward awaits you.

Dear Lord, I admit to You the faded flowers of my heart that I have been carrying around for much too long. Grant me courage to pluck them for good. Replace them with Your word planted seriously in my soul in an intentional manner. Let me drink deep of your bottomless nourishment so that the blooms You choose to grow and display in my life might point others to the Savior. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

What are we holding on to?

The highest form of sacrificial Love is to surrender one’s self. God gave Himself for our sake, and He desires us to do the same for His sake.
“…I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ…”Phillipians 3:8

The Rich Young Ruler: Luke 18
Give up Everything?

Jesus found the rich young man’s idol. It was so consuming to this young man, that he could not even see how he had tied his very Identity to his wealth and cannot picture himself without it.

Three of the four gospels contain an account of the young man who asked Jesus a very important question: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18).
A ruler with great wealth, he considered himself a moral man because he had kept God’s commandments.

However, he was operating under the false assumption that good works bring salvation.
* He seemed to be asking Jesus what else he had to do to secure his place in heaven – besides all the good things he’d already accomplished.

This is what I refer to as the “great deception” – the false belief that eternal life can be earned through our own efforts.
If we give credence to this lie, then we do not understand the problem of our sin and how it separates us from God.

Scripture tells us that we have inherited a sinful nature from the first man Adam (Romans 5:12).
Ever since that time, humanity has been in rebellion against the Lord and under His judgment.
* There is nothing we can do to pay for our sin.
If this were the end of the story, we would be a people without hope for today or the future.

BUT the “good news” is that the heavenly Father recognized our plight and mercifully provided the way to heaven (John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)

When God made us in His image, He created us to live forever. So, though our earthly body will perish, our spirit will never die.
The question about eternal life is important, as we’ll spend eternity either with God in heaven or in an insufferable state, separated permanently from Him (Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,
Vs 41″Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;).

I ask myself: What AM I Chasing?
*Whatever I’m chasing can break the hearts of the people I love and my heart as well.
1-God wants us to chase Him to give us the other things we need.
2-God empowers those who chase after Him.
3-Nothing we chase after can satisfy. ***Only God can satisfy us completely!!
Rest in the Lord and trust in His faithfulness and provision of promises in His Word.
“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”Nahum 1:7

Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord that my sin is forgiven and forgotten,
they are remembered no more, therefore I endeavor to walk righteous and holy before you Lord. I endeavor to speak and do what is right in your eye sight Father. I endeavor to be that living sacrifice, holy and acceptable before you Lord, for it is my reasonable
service. I will live right before you. I will speak right before you. I will seek
your face. I will read and meditate in your word. I will praise and glorify and
honor you dear Lord. I lift up my soul to you today guide my footsteps, set my feet in a right path. Be my shield. Be my protection, I will keep my eyes on you Lord and I will follow you where you lead. I praise and worship you and I honor and adore you and I love you Lord with all my heart. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4

*God’s Will is what happens when we seek Him!

*Only God can meet our needs and desires That will bring us true happiness. God himself placed our unique needs and desires into our hearts.
Spend time with God and continue digging into His word for treasures that are beyond our imagination.

Notice that first word: “Delight yourself.” Psalms 37:4

I heard someone once ask this question of a group of people: “Do you enjoy your religion, or do you endure it?”
I think that to the majority of people religion is something to endure.
It’s a kind of painful duty that they have to go through with,
BUT that’s NOT the way God wants us to experience Him. He doesn’t want us to endure Him; He wants us to ENJOY Him.

** God says, “Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.”
That doesn’t mean simply that God will do for us everything we might wish or think.
*It means that He’ll put in us new desires – godly desires, beneficial desires, the kind of desires that God has Himself.
*And then He’ll satisfy those desires because He’s put them there in our heart in the first place.

* When we find real joy and pleasure and satisfaction in our personal relationship with the Lord. Then out of that comes that blessed PEACE that He will put into our hearts – those desires which He Himself has and which He wants to share with us, desires that are beneficial in their fulfillment.-

On whom does Jesus bestow his peace? You may think, “I’m not worthy of
living in Christ’s peace. I have too many struggles in my life. My faith is
so weak.”

We receive the peace of Christ from the Holy Spirit. This peace comes to us as the Spirit reveals Christ to us. The more of Jesus you want, the more the Spirit will show you of him—and the more of Christ’s actual peace you will have.

The Holy Spirit doesn’t comfort us by manipulating our feelings. His
way of comforting is vastly different and is outlined clearly in Scripture.
No matter what the problem, trial or need, his ministry of comfort is accomplished by bringing truth: “When he [the Holy Spirit] is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

The fact is, our comfort springs from what we KNOW, not what we FEEL!!
Only TRUTH overrules feelings! And the comforting ministry of the Holy Spirit begins with this foundational truth: God is not mad at you. He loves you.

In his own time and his own way, God will make a way when there seems to be no way. Whether you’re well or whether you’re sick… whether the answer comes as we expect it or not.

Yes, Jesus is your sympathetic High Priest! So trust in his love and care for you today.
When Jesus healed a blind man: And all the people, when they say it, gave praise to God (Luke 18:42).
* It was right for them to do so! God himself was performing miracles in their presence.

*But, like us, they sometimes confused things — giving greater glory for Gifts they could see rather than the gifts that are ETERNAL.

*Be encouraged today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Delight yourself in Him — find joy in serving Him and make your heart moldable in His hands. Don’t settle for mediocrity because God knows what’s in YOU, and His plan is to finish the work He began in YOU!

Father God, I humbly come to You today giving You all that I am. Thank You for fulfilling every desire in my heart. Mold me and shape me into Your image. Remove anything from my life that is displeasing to You so that everything I am brings glory to You. Lord, forgive me for the times I’ve kept to myself, believing I have everything necessary to solve my problems. In doing so, I may have missed Your plan for meeting my needs through others. Help me to identify pride and submit it to You. Help me to have a humble and teachable spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Matthew 18: 9 “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

Should We Pluck out Our Eye?

Why does Jesus paint this shocking picture [in Matthew 18:9]? I believe He wants us to take radical steps, to do whatever is necessary to deal with sexual temptation.

Today’s scripture is a good reminder for me to do a little “house” cleaning in my heart.

Now, the hand(see verse 8) and eye are not the causes of sin. A blind man can still lust and a man without a hand can still steal. *BUT the EYE is a means of access for both godly and ungodly input.
* And the HAND is a means of performing righteous or sinful acts.

We must therefore govern what the eye looks at and the hand does.

If we take Jesus seriously, we need to think far more radically about sexual purity.
The Battle is too intense, and the stakes are too high to approach PURITY casually or gradually.(1Thessaloinians 4)

Some men fall into “mental adultery” through lingerie ads, billboards, women joggers in tight pants, women with low cut blouses or short skirts, cheerleaders or dancers, movies, TV shows, and commercials of the beer-and-bikini variety. Some men’s weakness is the Sunday newspaper’s ad inserts or nearly any magazine.

So, STOP looking. And then stop putting yourself in the position to look!

**It’s a SIN to deliberately put ourselves (men and women) in a position where we’ll likely commit sin.
* Whether it’s the lingerie department, the swimming pool, or the workout room at an athletic club, Bar, Business Trip, Certain Meetings – if it trips you up, stay AWAY from it.
*Sound drastic? Compare it to gouging out an eye or cutting off a hand!

Romans 6:18 tells us we are to be slaves of righteousness and put away the man of sin. Not to partake in sin just a little bit. We are told to amputate or radically remove our thoughts or events rather than partake of them slightly. **The things which hold us back from the kingdom of god should be removed!
Prayer reaches where no flesh can reach, prayer is powerful, prayer makes things happen. We must truly stand up and take our rightful places and stand in the gap for those who are not reconciled to the Father, use
the gifts that God has place inside you and be ministers of reconciliation, BUT -BUT-BUT FIRST seek YE first the Kingdom of God and abide in the vine (Jesus).

Nothing else matters to God except we become what He has designed us to be. We are a seed that should be planted in our present. We learn to grow, serve. Don’t be afraid of the process. What is painful is necessary. It’s happening because of who We ARE in CHRIST.

The Lord will reveal strongholds that have kept you from living in victory, but YOU must ASK for that revelation.
YOU must SEEK the Lord for Truth, Understanding and “Complete Freedom”.
God has made a way for us ALL, no matter what the sin.
The blood of Christ was payment received for YOUR liberty in every phase of kingdom life.
Use this time to break away from ALL that has kept you from a deeper Personal Relationship with our Father and life in abundance.
*John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

IF WE claim Christ lives in our hearts. Have WE really taken in his Spirit; and in so doing, taken on his purpose?
(Four stages of purpose: (1)Preparation (2)The planting stage (3)The growth stage(it ends when you get what God wants you to get) (4) The harvest stage).
*Do my daily moments breathe his purpose and plan to bring life?
* Do I surrender every moment to that end of laying down my will and my plans?
*Will I follow his plan to bring life?
* Will I live out actions that create life, and grow love?
*Will I allow the actions of my life to create an attitude of LOVE as an image of Christ in the world I get to walk through each day?

Father I bless your name today. I bring you praise, glory and honor. I thank you
Lord for all your love and kindness, your mercy and your grace. Lord Jesus, I thank you for bringing me back to right standing with the Father. I thank you Lord for the sacrifice you made for my life. I thank you Lord Jesus for taking my place because I know that all that you suffered should have been my lot, it should have been me Lord and I thank you. I thank you Lord for the sacrifice you made for me.
I love you Lord. Lord I ask that you will use me as a vessel to bring others into
right standing with the Father. Use me Lord to touch those that don’t know you, and I pray right now Lord that you will soften their hearts to truly hear your word, feel your love and be excepting of your wonderful gift of salvation. Touch their minds Lord clear their minds of all cloudiness cause the mouth of the enemy to be shut and cause your sweet soft voice to be heard. Open the eyes of their hearts
Lord to see you. I thank you Lord and praise you for the restoration and reconciliation of whole families to yourself. I thank you Lord for salvation to entire cities to entire states, to entire countries I lift them all up before you Lord and shout “Salvation Comes, In Jesus name!” I praise you Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

If we really knew how much God loves us, there would be no reason to fear.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”1 John 4:18

Matthew 6: 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them..

Jesus tells us that worry—about the future of our family, about jobs, about
how we are to survive—is a heathen’s way of life.
*Jesus is talking here about those who have no heavenly Father.
They do not know God as he wants to be known, as a caring, providing, loving Father in heaven.

“Take no thought for tomorrow” ( 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own). In these plain words, Jesus
commands us, “Do not give a thought, do not give a worry, about what might or might not happen tomorrow. You can’t change anything. And you can’t help by worrying. When you do, you’re only doing as the heathen do.”

Then Jesus says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” ( 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.).
* In other words, you are to go on loving Jesus.
*You are to move on, casting all your cares on him.
* You are to go on resting in his faithfulness.
**Your heavenly Father will see to it that you are supplied with all the essential things of life.

I wonder if the angels are baffled by all the worrying and anxiousness of those
who claim to trust in God. To them it must seem so degrading, so insulting to
the Lord, that we worry as if we had no caring Father in heaven.

What perplexing questions the angels must ask among themselves:
*“Have they no Father who is in heaven?
* Do they not believe he loves them? *Did he not tell them he knows all about their needs?
* Do they not believe that he who feeds the birds and the whole animal kingdom will feed and clothe them?
* How can they fret and worry if they know God owns all power, all wealth, and can supply the needs of all creation?
* Would they accuse their heavenly Father of neglect, as if he was not true to his word?”

Joshua 1 says be strong and courageous , (V-7 and 9) but in between those verses is V8 and it’s says to
meditate on the Word day and night! How do we meditate at night when we are sleeping? If we are in His Word during the day, our thoughts will mediate through out the night, even during sleep! You can get a good. nights rest!
Deuteronomy 6 6-7 get the Word into your heart! And pass it on to your children!
Is it possible to talk to God to read His Word every day? You MUST resolve in your mind I WILL do this. If it’s a priority we will do it! Pass on to our children and Grand Children an inheritance of reading, hearing and doing Gods Word!
James 1:22 says be a doer not just a hearer of God’s Word!
It all goes together. Doing it, forgiving, giving, trusting, blessing others,
Praising God in the Storm, resisting temptation, staying away from sin!
We have got to be doing the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. Get our minds off ourselves and what we are fretting and worring about get it on doing something for others!

Sacrifice your time, use your talents for the Lords work, give YOURSELF to the Lords work. So often we aren’t worried about anything but our works, our family, our pain, our bank acct- our, me, my, I .,,,, it’s all about us! Or is it?
God will supply our needs if we lift Him up and praise and worship Him.
Hear- N-obey! And leave the worrying up to God, He may not change your circumstance but He will change you through the circumstance!

**You have a heavenly Father. Trust him!

Take time to look and discern your spiritual atmosphere.  Then, you must war against the darkness by active resistance and bring light to your environment by establishing TRUTH.  In this way you will facilitate victory over all the works of the enemy.
Quiet your flesh and exercise your faith to accomplish this task, knowing that the Lord has given you authority over all the powers of darkness.  Do not be afraid, the Lord has called you to overcome.
Luke 10:19   Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Thank you Lord for your word that you open my eyes, thank you for allowing me to hear your voice, thank you Lord for giving me a mind that wants to know you and a heart that loves you. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for holding
me up and not allowing my foot to slip, thank you Lord for your grace, I thank you and praise you and honor you and love you so much Lord and I bless your holy name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

This 4th needs to be America’ Wake up Call!!! Yes our personal wake up CALL to Take some ACTION to keep and maintain our FREEDOM.

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.
Hosea 4:1 Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;
Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
**Love God first, love people second using the grace and mercy that has been given to us and the obedience will just fall into place because eventually God’s desires become our desires too.

Freedom Is Never Free
*We are blessed to live in a free country.
* Our freedom is no accident.
*** It is God-given.

However, it has been preserved by brave men and women who have sacrificed their very lives and are doing so now-so that WE might remain free!!

With all of my heart I pray that we might continue to enjoy this great freedom — that our children and grandchildren may know and experience the joy and blessedness of the freedom that we have known — “that WE might Stand Fast in the liberty with which Christ hath made us free.”

Consider this 4th of July as we think about our freedom and as we hold dear to our hearts the memory of those who have fought and died for the love of this great land:
**THE COST OF OUR FREEDOM**
Freedom is never free!!!
The freedom that we enjoy as Americans has been purchased at the cost of the lives of our forefathers.

Reminder:  Beginning in Jamestown in 1607, there was structured into the framework of Americanism the story of legions of American patriots who believed in God and followed Jesus Christ with the unswerving conviction that man, created in God’s own image, was to be subservient to no one, God only.

**They loved liberty more than life and were even willing to die rather than be forced to live under the dictatorial and hellish coalition of church and state.

In 1620 the Pilgrims set up the basic principles of Americanism — this was to be a land of liberty, of soul freedom where each and every citizen could worship and serve God according to his own conscience.

In 1776 the issue was clearly drawn between the continued freedom of these Americans or a cruel and depressive dictatorship. On July 4, 1776, the Congress of the 13 states issued their Declaration of Independence from England.

Old Ben Franklin stood up in the company of men who were about to affix their signatures to that document, and he said,
“This is a great risk, for if we sign our names and lose in our cause, then our identity will be known and all will be lost.”
That immortal 56 who stood in old Independence Hall in Philadelphia risked their Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor — everything was put down in that signature.

We well remember the Declaration, along with the Bill of Rights, passed in 1791 are the most precious gifts ever given to a FREE people.
They are the foundation stones upon which our nation was founded.

How about “Our Freedom in Christ”!
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. (Galatians 5:1 MSG)
*I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your OWN religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. (Galatians 5:4 MSG)
*Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:5 MSG)
*For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: FAITH expressed in LOVE. (Galatians 5:6 MSG)
*It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a FREE life. Just make sure that YOU don’t use this freedom as an EXCUSE to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom.
Rather, use your freedom to Serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. (Galatians 5:13 MSG)
*For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. (Galatians 5:14 MSG)
*My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. (Galatians 5:16 MSG)
*For there is a ROOT of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness.
***These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. (Galatians 5:17 MSG)
*Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence? (Galatians 5:18 MSG)
*It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your OWN way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; (Galatians 5:19 MSG)
*This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom. (Galatians 5:21 MSG)
*But what happens when we live God’s way?
*** GOD brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal
commitments, (Galatians 5:22 MSG)

*Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. (Galatians 5:24 MSG)
*Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. (Galatians 5:25 MSG)
*Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. (Galatians 6:1 MSG)
*Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. (Galatians 6:2 MSG)
*Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!— (Galatians 6:7 MSG)harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. (Galatians 6:8 MSG)

Thank you Lord Jesus that YOU ARE the WAY, and the TRUTH, and the LIFE. And letting us all know that ” No one comes to the Father except through me(Jesus)”.  Lord help me Love others the way YOU do. Help me Lord because it is not only difficult but it is impossible at times. Open my heart and eyes to see that–Only by the Spirit of God is this possible. Help me see more clearly that Our responsibility is to maintain an attitude of complete dependence upon the Power of Your Spirit and give YOU ALL Praise and Glory for our Faith, Love, Truth, Peace and our FREEDOM IN YOU JESUS!
Lord we ALL need wake up calls by Your Spirit to move forward in obedience and have some personal ACTION behind Your spoken word to help maintain our Freedom.  Touch me, Jesus. I feel
lukewarm. I know my service to you isn’t moving forward as it should. I’m
hungry to have more of you than I have ever known. And I want zeal to do your
work—pray for our country, to pray for the sick, save the lost, bring hope to the hopeless. Renew me, Lord. I want to be used for your kingdom in greater measure.  Help this Country Turn Back to You Jesus as ABSOLUTE TRUTH! Amen
Other references for obedience vs. sacrifice: 1 Samuel 15:22-23 Psalm 40:6-8 Psalm 51:16-19 Jeremiah 7:21-23 Amos 5:21-24 Micah 6:6-8 Matthew 9:13

“God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” Psalm 53:2

Isaiah 43:10-13 emphasizes that God-HE ALONE IS GOD!

“First things First”
*You can be doing the right thing but at the wrong time-your priorities can be in the wrong place.
*You cannot get anything right in your life until you get God in your life right.
*Stop putting your life, things in your life, people in your life first and PUT GOD FIRST!

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Only God can meet our needs and desires That will bring us true happiness.

*How you start will determine how you finish. Yes, it ALL starts with God!
*Are you a man or woman who is a seeker of God? The Lord delights in seeing those children of His who truly understand the meaning of life and why there is only one thing worth seeking God Himself.

A very precious thing Jesus says to you and me, as a disciple, is this: “You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit . . .” (John 15:16).

But this also implies that Jesus will dis-appoint you and me many times—Meaning, there are some appointments from which Jesus will remove us, and others that he simply will not grant to us.

At these times we must “not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). In Christ, God is pursuing you only with goodness and mercy (Psalm 23:6).
His promise is this: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us ALL, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

When feeling disappointed, follow your emotions to their ROOTS. You will find unbelief that requires to Trust in God’s promises for you.
And, like me, one day you may look back on your disappointment as the BEST thing that never happened to you.

Read and Notice in Isaiah 43:10-13:
*What does God say about Himself.
*How many times is the first-person singular (I, Me,My) used. Why?
*What defines Israel’s Identity.
*What defines our Identity.
You Find:
*Israel’s exclusive LOYALTY to the Lord and their WITNESS to the nations, defines their IDENTITY!
*God’s People are His witnesses to God’s exclusive reality as GOD.
**Jesus likewise declares His apostles his witnesses.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

**God made us His servants because He wants us to know Him (His attributes), to believe Him (His character), and to understand Him (His essence).
That is our purpose – Which is good to know! Especially whenever we get worried that we might not know what our purpose is.

God’s people know the power of his grace, the sweetness of his comforts, the kind care of his providence, and the truth of his promise.
All servants of God (saints) can give such an account of what he has wrought in them, and done for them, as may lead others to know and believe his power, truth, and love.

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is vital today. He indwells and empowers believers to live godly and serve effectively!

Matthew 28: 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 GO therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

*Respecting God and Telling about Him shows that we’re keeping His commandments because He commanded us to do these things. Therefore, when we keep His commandments, we’re showing our love for Him. (2 John)

*So how do we live deeply in Christ? The answer is simple… LOVE!
(1 Corinthians 13:4–)

*’GO and make disciples’.(Matthew 28:19)
The emphasis is the going, the journey. As we live life, as we go about our everyday life. Family, work, school, the supermarket, sports club. As we live our lives as a disciple of Jesus, SHARE Him and make other disciples.
The destination is the goal, but the journey is the prize.

Colossians 3: 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
My purpose and Identity for me was revealed by the Holy Spirit as I read one day  in Colossians 2: 2…understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is CHRIST, 3 in whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Much Became Clear to me that—-“And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.” (JN 17:3)
* I realized(which I used to be) that there are so many out there that simply know “of” or “about” God and Jesus Christ, fewer still even know “of” the Holy Spirit. Yet, “to KNOW”,  is pivotal to our eternal life to really know God AND Jesus Christ Who He sent!
*I see that to really “know” something as it means here means that there is NO DOUBT. Its more than just knowing of something. It is fully understanding, recognizing, and perceiving, it is to be sure of in the absolute way! “TRUTH”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.(JN 14:6)

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to me and to the world through Jesus Christ! Thank You even more for continuously making Yourself known to me through Your Spirit! I love the confidence that I can have of Knowing You because You prove Yourself to me through Your love and faithfulness. Please give me opportunity and the ability to make You known to the world. I ask this all through Jesus Christ and Thank You Lord that you loves us. You invite us to come to ‘know’ YOU as our ‘Saviour’. We are to ‘return’ to YOU and receive the blessings of YOUR salvation. Lord thank you that YOU ‘forgive ALL our sins’. YOU lead us in the way of ‘fruitfulness’.   You give us eternal life –
Thank you Father- You are the Lord, the Holy One, the Creator and King of ALL! Help me Lord to put YOU FIRST in ALL!  Amen

Spending Time in the Word

Joy, peace, and love come not by the absence of trials, but by the presence of God.
“Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy…”Psalm 16:11

We shouldn’t just read the Bible—We should ask questions.
“Lord God, what are You saying to me? Lord God, what are You telling me about Yourself? How do You want me to apply this to my life? Father, what is it I’m supposed to learn?”

This has helped me immeasurably during times of trial and difficulty.
I’ve discovered God’s Word truly is an immovable and steadfast anchor in times of storm. It is solid. I can hold on to it and weather whatever tempest may come my way.

How do you ride out the rough seas in your own life? What do you cling to as you face storms, trials, and difficulties?

Do you complain, asking God why He would allow you to face the pain? Or do you go to His Word, open to what He is teaching you?

I encourage you to seek the Lord prayerfully through your time in Scripture for several reasons.

The first is because the Bible is immensely Comforting. There have been nights when my heart has been so heavy that my only consolation was to get up  and open the Word of God.  Psalm 57:1 would always encourage me: “Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.”

A second reason we should always turn to God’s Word is because His Promises give us Hope. When we need to feel His presence or be assured of His love, Scripture always reminds us we can never lose what the Father has freely given.
Joshua 1:9 declares, “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Third, Scripture is a Compass for our journey—it helps us know what to do when we’re unsure of what path to take.
Psalm 119:105 teaches, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” *We may face very difficult decisions, and the road ahead may appear dark and confusing. But as we follow the Father in obedience and seek Him through His Word, one by one He illuminates the steps we are to take. *And we can be absolutely sure He will never lead us wrong.

Fourth, the Bible shows us how the Lord Works in our lives.
We may feel confused about what God is trying to show us or why He would allow certain challenges to arise.
But by studying the lives of biblical saints, we can understand how He is growing our faith, freeing us from whatever bondage to sin may remain in our hearts, and conforming us to the image of Christ.
Romans 15:4 explains, “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Fifth, through Scripture, we are blessed with God’s viewpoint about our circumstances. Remember, nothing that occurs in your life takes the Lord by surprise or catches Him unaware.
* Your omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent heavenly Father permits the storms in your life for a Purpose.
* As you spend time in Scripture, you are not only Assured of His love and His wisdom, but He Allows you to see your situation from His perspective.

The apostle Paul teaches us, “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him . . . For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:9, 16).

You may be unsure of what the Father plans for your future. But as you spend time with Him through His Word, He will reveal all the awesome things He has planned for you.
Therefore, read Scripture. Meditate on it. Find comfort in its pages, believe its promises, apply it to your life, and trust your heavenly Father. He will certainly keep you anchored and steady no matter what storm you encounter

*God’s preparation for greatness in His Kingdom is often filled with difficulty.

***God is more concerned about developing the inner life of his servant.

*That inner life can only be prepared by removing all self-confidence and replacing it with God-confidence.

*God-confidence is only developed in the furnace of life.

Is the Lord proving His word in your life? *Perhaps He is using circumstances and events to move you into a place of patient waiting as He puts you in the place He desires for you.
* This is the place where the foundations of your soul mature. Let Him prove your faith.

Lord, be my protector forever! I Praise You and thanks for all the mercy and love You’ve continued to give me. Let it not be in vain! Help it all to result in my sanctification and righteousness. Thanks for the sacrifice of Your Son for my sins. I accept, by Your grace, without thinking I can do a thing to earn it. Praise You Praise You Praise You!  Help us all to enter through that narrow gate. Show us the way and enable us all to listen and follow Your direction, however soft and gentle. Correct us in Your love and care for us and rescue us forever!
O Lord you are so good to us!!  We praise and worship You for who You are , what You have done and what Your going to do!!! You are worthy to be praised!! Thank You for Your Word being Absolute Truth!
Lord I lift the State of Minnesota up to You this day. May the elected ones get the budget done to Your liking and the different Jobs, Offices, parks etc re-open for Your Glory. Let All see the Truth and need of the guidance of Your Word!! Help them see Everything they need to know is found in Your Word!!
I love you Jesus my Best Friend my Everything !! Amen

Galations 3: 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are ALL ONE IN  Christ Jesus.

God’s purpose for every one of his children is that we surrender to the reign and rulership of the Holy Spirit:

Let us not make this so hard to receive!

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians5:25).
In other words, “If HE lives in you, let HIM direct you!”

**It is not how much of the Holy Spirit YOU have, it is how much of “YOU” the HOLY SPIRIT HAS!!

All believers have the “SAME Spirit” BUT different spiritual gifts.
There is only ONE Holy Spirit and when people receive Christ they receive the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-13)

*What does the Bible say about:
*Be baptized in the Holy Spirit
(I Corinthians 12: 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have ALL been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. )

*Be anointed bye the Holy Spirit (anointing is for a special task)
be sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.  14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. )

*To pray to receive the Holy Spirit(Acts 2:38  Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)   (Holy Spirit occurs at salvation).
We shall not deny the works of the Holy Spirit.
*When the Holy Spirit works in you, you shall immediately point to JESUS. Again, Peter in Acts 3:19 says “Repent, Your sins will be wiped out and the time of refreshing from the Lord.”
This is the promise of God.

Repentance is the prerequisite of turning to God.

Isaiah 30:15 – In repentance and rest is your Salvation IN quietness and trust is your Strength, but you would have none of it.

Repentance involves action. Turn away from your sins. ie. turn 180 degree toward God. after turning to God, be filled with the word of God and the Holy Spirit.

I want to suggest to you what it means to walk in the Spirit. I have not yet fully
arrived in this glorious walk—but I am gaining ground more each day!

We have heard the expression “walk in the Spirit” all our lives, but what
does it really mean?
I believe the 16th chapter of Acts is one of the best examples of what it means to walk in the Holy Spirit.
See  chapter 16 “Following the Holy Spirit & leaving our plans at the door”
*How often do we consult the Holy Spirit in our plans?
* Are we just doing what we desire, what we have created strategies for?
** Or are WE earnestly Seeking the Guidance of the Scriptures and of the Holy Spirit in every decision we make? ****Because when we follow the guidance of the Spirit, He does AMAZING things.

Many of us,  are approaching a turning point in which there will be a decided departure from what has been our accepted normal.  When we are faced with change, God will give us the grace and guidance to move forward in strength and the power in His  Spirit if WE WILL chose to Trust the Lord.
*At this time we must be willing to let go of what was in order to grasp what is to be.
* Press on to obtain the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus.
*Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians(1:18-19) exhorts believers to experience three important things in their spiritual lives that he experienced personally.
As a good mentor, he desires those he is leading to follow his example.
1.  God wants you to have the “eyes of your heart enlightened” in order to know the hope to which He has called you.
God has called each of us to a future and a hope.
Some do not ever realize the dreams they envision for their lives. Paul prays they will experience this.

2.  God wants you to know there is an” inheritance” for each believer IN Jesus Christ.
There are riches to be had – not financial riches – but spiritual riches that are laid up for every saint.
As you are faithful to His calling in your life, there will be a reward for your faithfulness.

3.   God desires you to tap into the “power” that is available to EVERY believer.
Paul often exhorted believers not to look at his persuasive words, BUT the demonstration of the power of God in his life.
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would remind us of the things He desires us to know.
*There are times in our lives when the Holy Spirit speaks into our spirit words designed to encourage us or give us what we need at the moment.
*That is just one of the roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
**The more you know God’s Word, the more often you’ll recall verses the Holy Spirit will bring to mind for a given situation.
**** Study God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of the things He desires you to know.

Lord we pray that Your Holy Spirit reveal the hope that exists inside of us, help us be encouraged that there is an inheritance awaiting us, and know that we have power that resides in Your Holy Spirit that awaits those who exercise their faith.  Help us Lord, to put ALL our TRUST in You and go out and share our Testimony of Your Love, Truth, Freedom and Transparency you have shown us through the Holy Spirit! Amen

THE LOVE of The  FATHER!
God promises that no matter how bad a situation may look to you…His Love will never fail.
“In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”John 16:33

*Your greatest strength is your trust in God to provide for you in every way—regardless of the circumstances.

*We need to know our God given value so that we don’t sell ourselves short! We are of so much value to God and His purpose.

*We all experience times when we are called to act on faith with no sense of immediate reward. Acting on faith requires trust—trust in God.

GOD planned before the foundation of the world to make a way to be YOUR FATHER! (See Ephesians 1:3-11)

Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

A great blessing becomes ours when we’re made to sit in heavenly places. *What is this blessing?
*It’s the privilege of acceptance:
*“He hath made us accepted in the beloved [Christ]” (Ephesians 1:6). The Greek word for “accepted” means “highly favored”.
That’s different from the English usage,
which can be interpreted to mean “received as adequate.”
This signifies something that can be endured, suggesting an attitude of, “I can live with it.”

That’s not the case with Paul’s use of the word. His use of “accepted” translates as, “God has highly favored us. We are very special to him because we are in our place in Christ.”

Because God accepted Christ’s sacrifice, he now sees only one corporate man:
Christ, and those who are bound to him by faith.

Our flesh has died in God’s eyes. How?

***Jesus did away with our old nature at the Cross. So now, when God looks at US, he sees only Christ. (PURITY-see Romans 5:1, Col. 2:10)

In turn, we need to learn to see ourselves as God does.
*That means NOT focusing solely on our sins and weaknesses, BUT on the
Victory that Christ won for us at the Cross.(Romans 8:1,2,31,35,39,1JN4:4)

The parable of the Prodigal Son provides a powerful illustration of the
acceptance that comes when we’re given a heavenly position in Christ.

You know the story: A young man took his inheritance from his father and squandered it on a sinful life.
Then, once the son became completely bankrupt—morally, emotionally and physically—he thought of his father.
He was convinced he’d lost all favor with him. And he feared that his father was full of wrath and hatred toward him.

The Scripture tells us that this broken young man was full of grief over his
sin and cried out, “I’m unworthy. I’ve sinned against heaven.”
This represents those who come to repentance through godly sorrow.

The Prodigal told himself, “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18).
He was exercising his blessing of access. Are you getting the picture?
**The Prodigal had turned from his sin, he’d left the world behind, and he’d
accessed the open door his father had promised him.
* He was walking in repentance and appropriating access.

So, what happened to the Prodigal Son? “When he was yet a great way off, his
father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed
him” (Luke 15:20). What a beautiful scene.
The sinful son was forgiven,
embraced and loved by his father, with NO wrath or condemnation whatsoever.

*When he received his father’s kiss, he knew he was accepted.(John 1:12. 15:15, 1Cor. 6:19)

There is a constant war going on between our flesh and the Spirit. As Christians, the Spirit seeks to move us under the authority of His domain in order for us to fulfill all that we were created for.
Every person was designed to be under some form of authority.
1 Corinthians 15:27 For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.)

The prince of this world does have his hold on many in our world, even among our brothers and sisters.
The one thing most of us want the greatest is the freedom to make our OWN decisions.
It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when the decision was made to exercise a personal right: freedom to decide, freedom of choice, freedom from hindrances, freedom from pain.

However, Jesus chose to live under the authority of the Father’s desire for His life. He was the ultimate model of a man under authority.

Each day we must determine if we’ll willingly choose to be under the authority of the Father and the direction of the Holy Spirit.
*It is a choice each of us must make.
* It is a choice that actually leads to freedom, not bondage.
**Choosing to live under the authority of our heavenly Father frees us to gain the greatest fulfillment in life!
God’s mission and the purposes HE has for us.

It is the little decisions of daily life that reveal whether we truly live under His authority.

Lord, Thank You that I AM NO MISTAKE.
Thank You that You CHOSE ME  to be Your child and that We were chosen to be holy, not because we were holy.
Thank you Lord for preparing a place for us in heaven and as a part of Your family, we get the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.
Thank you God for the purpose and  plan You have for my life. Help me Lord to listen and see so that I can fulfill the vision that You have for my life.  Thank you for being the Perfect Father, always having my best interest in mind for Your Glory and my joy.  Amen

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” – Matthew 10:16 ”

The Strength of Brokenness
“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.” – 1 Samuel 2:4

There is an oxymoron throughout the Bible. It says that brokenness is strength. How can this be?
How can brokenness be strength?

In order to use men and women to their fullest extent, the Lord has to break His servants so that they might have a NEW kind of strength that is not human in origin.
**It is strength in spirit that is born only through brokenness.

*Paul was broken on the Damascus road.
* Peter was broken after Jesus was taken prisoner.
* Jacob was broken at Peniel.
* David was broken after his sin with Bathsheba.
The list could go on of those the Lord had to break in different ways before they could be used in the Kingdom.

When we are broken, we see the frailty of human strength and come to grips with the reality that we can do nothing in our own strength.

Then, NEW strength emerges that God uses mightily. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Do not fear brokenness, for it may be the missing ingredient to a life that emerges with a NEW kind of strength and experience not known before.

Pray for a broken and contrite heart that God can bless.
Psalms 139: 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

WHat Really is  God’s great concern????
In the midst of this worldwide “shaking of all things,” what is God’s
great concern in all of this?
* Is it on the events of the Middle East? No. The Bible tells us God’s vision is trained on his children:
“Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy” (Psalm33:18).

Our Lord is aware of every move on the earth, by every living thing. And yet
his gaze is focused primarily on the well-being of his children.
*God fixes his eyes on the pains and needs of EACH member of his spiritual body.
*Simply put, whatever hurts us concerns Jesus.

To prove this to us, Jesus said, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are
not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Even in the midst of great world
wars, God’s primary focus isn’t on the tyrants.
God’s  focus is on EVERY circumstance in HIS children’s lives.(What a Heavenly Father we HAVE!)

Christ says in the very next verse: “ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.(Matthew 10:29).
In Christ’s day, sparrows were the meat of the poor and sold two for a penny. Yet, Jesus said, “Not one of these small creatures falls to the ground without your Father knowing it.”

Jesus’ use of the word “fall” in this verse signifies more than the bird’s death.
*The Aramaic meaning is “to light upon the ground.” In other words, “fall” here indicates EVERY little hop a tiny bird makes.

Christ is telling us,
“Your Father’s eye is on the sparrow not just when it dies BUT even when it lights on the ground. As a sparrow learns to fly, it falls from the nest and begins to hop along the ground. And God sees every little struggle it has. He’s concerned over every detail of its life.”

Jesus then adds, “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many
sparrows” (10:31).
Indeed, he says, “The very hairs of your head are numbered” (10:30).
Simply put, the One who made and counted all the stars—who monitored every action of the Roman Empire, who keeps the galaxies in their orbits—has his eye fixed on YOU.
And, Jesus asks, “Are you not
worth much more to him?”
Ephesians 2: 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, SO we can DO the good things he planned for us long ago.

Lord, I pray that I can cling to this reassurance of my Father’s love and learn to let go and be Broken of my strongholds, worries and fears.
Lord, You are so powerful, so in charge and will bless us, care for us and enable us to do good.  Help me to trust You more.  Lord, You have already told me that You will never leave me nor forsake me—I thank You for that  truth.  Help me to go  forth in the power of Your  Spirit—broken But with Your Strength!
Psalm 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…….
Amen

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

How do I deal with memories of childhood rejection?

Here is God’s view of failure: He expects it, He forgives it, and then He uses it to conform us to the image of Christ.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”Luke 19:10
*God accepted Christ’s sacrifice, he now sees only one corporate man: Christ, and those who are bound to him by Faith.

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
How the Truth is revealed to us:
*Creation
*Jesus
*God’s Word
What is this “Truth”?
1.) God is the Creator
2.) God is Holy, Holy, Holy
3.) Man is a sinner and fallen
4.) Judgment is coming
5.) Jesus paid it all, He is our savior
6.) Jesus is our only hope
7.) Follow hard after God
8.) God has revealed Himself

That’s great and let’s not forget John 8:31 which is the condition- ” abide in my word”.
We can only KNOW the TRUTH that brings FREEDOM if WE ABIDE IN HIS WORD!!!
Some people reach a point where they falsely believed the only escape from their hopelessness is suicide.
THIS IS never an option from God’s perspective.
No matter what we face, He is a God of Hope and Restoration—not death or condemnation.

*How can we lay down our lives for God if we’re not really sure He loves us?
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…”Ephesians 2:4-5

While growing up, some young people have been repeatedly told that their life would never amount to anything.
The ugly remarks they heard as a child had made a lasting impact on their lives.
Mentally, people then tell them self that they were a failure.
They believed they would never have the opportunity to experience happiness.
They had fought to keep a job and even fight to hold on to relationships.
Even though they witnessed people around them succeeding in many areas, they assumed the opposite for themselves—that is, until they meet the Savior.
They need to hear the truth:
God loves US unconditionally.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
At first, most find this impossible to believe.
After years of verbal abuse, they could not understand how anyone would like them, let alone love them. BUT God does love Them so Much(John 3:16-17).

What About You?

Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation. You may struggle with some memory that has shattered your sense of self-esteem. You wonder if you can ever truly be free of the negative harassment that follows you every where you go.
The answer is a BIG YES!
You may also wonder how God could care for you. I want to assure you that He does.
The fact is, He loves without hesitation—and with no regard to what you have or have not done in response to the brokenness in your life.

God’s love is NOT based on performance; it is based on the fact that Jesus Christ DIED for YOUR sins.
Because of this, you can live each day free from doubt and worry about your past.

However, unless you have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, you are not experiencing this liberty. Even believers can still be tethered to old defeating thoughts and habits if they have never come to grips with the sorrow of their past. Yet, Jesus came to set us free (John 8:32).

God wants you to know that you do not have to live imprisoned by thoughts of low self-esteem.
God will liberate you from this bondage when you ask Him to open your heart to the truth of His love and acceptance.

The Pathway to Freedom

When you accept Christ as your Savior and confess your need of Him, He will fill your heart with much more than you could ever imagine.
First, you gain an eternal hope. You gain the assurance that will live forever with the God of this universe, who created you, knows all about you, and loves you completely.
Second, when ask Him to cleanse you of your sins, He will do exactly that. He will also give you a newness that this world cannot comprehend.
*Sin may have robbed you of many joys, but it cannot steal the eternal joy Christ places within your heart when you receive His love.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus read from the book of Isaiah, telling those who had gathered in the synagogue, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel [or good news] to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.”
It was the Savior’s word of hope to those who were struggling with fears, doubts, sorrows, and deep emotional scars.
God was saying, “There is a victory in the battle, and the way to experience it is through Me.”

*Jesus came to earth for a specific reason. Many people—especially the Jewish rulers—believed the Messiah’s mission was to free Israel from Roman rule and bondage.
* However, Jesus made it clear that His calling was to “proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
* Jesus also said He did not come to condemn but to save those who longed for a Savior. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17).
***Jesus came to set men and women FREE from the Power of sin.
*Countless people are living in bondage but do not even know it. They are bound by something they cannot identify.
Many sit in church week after week, listening to sermons, singing songs, giving their time and money, reading their Bibles, and praying.
* But deep inside they wonder, is this all there is to life? (This was me years ago)

They cannot shed the guilty feelings of the PAST, so they want to give up the fight.
* Their hearts are chained!!!

Hope for the Hurting

An example from scripture demonstrates the way to freedom. Bartimaeus, a destitute blind man, called out to Jesus. After Christ asked what he desired, the beggar asked for sight.
Instantly, the Savior healed him.

*OUR’S IS the same cry: “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me!” God answered by giving us the ability to learn a new way to approach life. Instead of recalling old memories and replaying thoughtless comments, we began to study Scripture and let the Holy Spirit speak.
We have discovered that God has loved us our entire life. He was there 100 percent of our life and knows everything. (Read psalms 139).

What a transformation: we went from deep bondage to extreme liberty!

The same can be true for you. There has never been a moment when you have been outside of God’s eternal care.
While you may have faced dark valleys, God promises to use each one to draw you closer to Him.
God wants you to experience supreme joy and peace.
The Lord told His disciples, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1).
God wants to remind you that FAITH in Jesus Christ is the only solution for the troubled heart.

Everything we need is in Jesus and He is the only way. Only He holds the keys to our success in life. When we realize that everything we need is in Jesus, then that’s when we learn to lean and depend on him .
John 14: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
*This verse is simple and straight to the point. It leaves no room for misinterpretation or debate. Jesus is the only way to receive deliverance.
*Jesus doesn’t just want to be first in our life He wants to BE OUR life- so let’s cry out to Him and make Him First!

Our mind is the devil’s playground at times, but it is your battleground. In order for you to stay FREE from the enemy’s oppression, you must wage war on the attacks that come against your thoughts. You do this by using TRUTH to combat the lies and fighting fear with FAITH. You have been given the weapons of war that are effective in gaining victory, but YOU must do the work.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
*Come Lord and take over All of my life including my past memories!
In Jesus Name. Amen