Devotions - Prayer

Making Jesus your Lord means following the will of GOD over that of YOUR own.
It is not ALL ABOUT ME!

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,
*This is the definition of “love Your neighbor as yourself.”

We’ve all heard of the “Golden Rule” –  which instructs us to treat others as we might want to be treated.

1 Thess. 5:14 Our counsel is that you warn the Freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs.

As a Believer/Leader-All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough.
Our ACTIONS must match our words in order for it to become truth.

****Some  Golden Rules of Living****
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”,

Our goal of our lives should be to fulfill God’s intention—to be a witness who expresses the fullness and completeness of Christ!

* We should hold ourselves, as Christians, to a “Higher Standard”.

*If you make a mess, clean it up.
*If you open it, close it.
*If you turn it on, turn it off.
*If you unlock it, lock it up.
*If you break it, admit it.
*if you use car, bring back with gas.
*If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.
*If you borrow it, return it.
*If you value it, take care of it.
*If you make a mess, clean it up.
*If you move it, put it back.
*if you take or use last one, replace it.
*if you mess the bed, make it.
*If you wash it, put it away.
*If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission.
*If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
*If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.
*If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*If it will brighten someone’s day, say it.
*If it will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself.(Gossip)
*If you make a mess, clean it up.
*If fill garbage, take it to trash.
*If have a Kitchen, cook and EAT food there.
*If dirty, just clean it.
*If you see problem, inform  someone.
*If you have a Question, ask it.

* Making Jesus your Lord means following the will of GOD over that of your own.  Think of OTHERS!  Your ACTIONS speak Louder then words!!
*AND That we hold ourselves, as Christians, to a higher standard.

* We should be uncomfortable in this wilderness/dessert, (the world), for we belong to the kingdom of Heaven!

* Lord, Don’t let me fall into temptation but lead me away from evil to you. *Forgive me, as I work out my forgiveness of others.
* Father strengthen me with your word. Each day, Father, keep your word before my eyes, in my heart, and on my lips.
*Forgive us for our seemingly lack of faithfulness.
*Help me to keep the Golden Rule in action daily. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”,
*In faith, I look towards Your glorious kingdom. Because You are the power on Earth and in Heaven.   Help us Lord to keep Our goal of our lives! To fulfill YOUR intention—to be a witness who expresses the fullness and completeness of Christ!
In Jesus name, Amen.

Jer. 1:5 “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you:

GOD WON’T ALLOW US TO SUCCEED WITHOUT HIM.

I’m sure there’s been a time in your life were you have tried to make things work out right, but no matter what you do it always seems to fail.

Your problem is not that you’re a failure; your problem is simply that you haven’t gone to the right source for help.

Remember, true success is not the ability to accumulate material wealth. It is the ability to TRULY ENJOY LIFE and EVERYTHING GOD PROVIDES IN IT!

“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” – Jeremiah 10:23

Each year I hear a lot about planning. Every January I would hear about:

* Believers establishing their planning for the year.

*Corporations establish plans that cover anywhere from one to five years. *Individuals establish personal life plans. These are all great-BUT (as I came to realize the hard way) is God in the Plan?

There is only one problem that I see with most planning done by well-meaning believers and business people. **** If God is not the “originator” and “director” of the plan, then that plan is doomed for failure at some point in time.(Again here I know this to well from personal experience’s).

God’s word gives us all needed instruction if WE would only follow:

* Psalms 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

*Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Let the Light of life lead us the word of God, Jesus Christ.

**Key to book to find truth of Questions for Plans:

Proverbs!!! The entire book is such a perfect source of Wisdom, Guidance and the outcome of choices we will make or thinking of making. Read Proverbs with any question in mind and you will find many answers to your question.

So often, Christian believers set out to plan something that seems good in their own mind. The merits of what is being planned can look great, and it can even be a worthy endeavor.

However, that is not the point. When Jesus said He came only to do the will of the Father, He could not consider doing anything that was not what the Father wanted, no matter how good or righteous it might appear to be.

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Prov. 16:9).

*God must give us the vision for what He calls us to do.

* After we have the vision, we must ask Him IF He wants us to take action on that vision and WHAT the action steps entail.

Habakkuk. 2: 2 Then the lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

**The Lord wants to direct each step of the planning process. Take time to listen and write down.

*** It is our responsibility to seek Him to find out His mind on the matter.

*Our planning must be established in Him.

Only when we remain so connected to the source can we be assured of putting God’s plan into place.

* Also, getting that plan confirmed through OTHERS will assure that we are not following the deceit of our own heart.

When you begin to plan next time, ask God for His wisdom for establishing the VISION and ACTION steps and check out Proverbs.

You will be surprised how well He can plan!

“I’m letting go GOD- I am yours- take me and do YOUR will with my life.”

* It takes a very strong person to say that they are going to give up there life and not be in control— but that is what we need to do… that is what I need to do.

Jeremiah 10:23 says “Lord, I know that our lives don’t really belong to us we cannot control our own lives”

Jeremiah sums it up right there our LIVES DO NOT BELONG TO US!!!

A quote: Instead of throwing a fit when things don’t go YOUR way, try asking God about HIS way” let Jesus “take the wheel” so to speak!

**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.

Hosea 6:6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

It is when our efforts can do nothing to change your circumstance and we are at the mercy of God when we start to include Him in making our PLANS.

* These are the real training grounds of God. 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 and Plan 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.

Jeremiah 20: 9 But if I say, “Forget it! No more God-Messages from me!” The words are fire in my belly, a burning in my bones. I’m worn out trying to hold it in. I can’t do it any longer!

When We KNOW what we have in God:

*You won’t allow the circumstances of life stress you.

*You realize external factors don’t define you, it’s the internal.

*Your circumstances have nothing to do with his goodness. ” God is good.” Praise Him because he always has a plan.

*It is good for us to wait quietly.

*Stop adding up your problems and start counting your blessing!!!!! *The longer you complain, the longer you restrain your gift.

*Stop categorizing God as TIME.

(Lam 3:23 They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! 24 I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. )

*Never let you circumstances allow you to believe he’s checked out. (Matt 23:20) He is always right there.

*He who believes knows that God will bring you out on HIS time.

Love without God’s Wisdom is not Godly Love at all.

“A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him towards the left.” Ecclesiastes 10:2

Remember GOD WON’T ALLOW US TO SUCCEED WITHOUT HIM-Because to succeed we need to KNOW HIS PLANS!

God, You tell us, You have a purpose and plan for EACH ONE of us. Thank you, that our destiny has been sealed before we were born and help us make the right free will Choices in our lives to live out Your purpose and plan–not our own. Lord, please give strength to be your voice. Give us knowledge to spread your Word and gain souls for your Glory. WE want to serve Your purpose and plans, not our OWN. Lord help us all make the right “Decision of the Day” daily. (To Know you more!)

Thank you Lord for helping me see and understand that YOUR purposes for me predates my time in the womb. I am not an accident. There is a special plan for my life. There is an end I must reach. I will rejoice and be glad. I will go on to fulfill my purpose for Your Glory and my joy.

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased Him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. (Gal. 1:15-16). What a plan!

Psalm 30:2O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

May my plans Start with You because You are the “originator” in the first place and all Your plans have meaning and purpose for Your Glory.

Amen

God’s people for useful service.

Everything I do and everything I pray,

Is all to worship Christ, so when I obey

I’m Desiring God!

“For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” – Malachi 3:2b

The Lord has a specific manner of preparing His people for useful service. God desires to turn His children from rough, hard-edged stones into gems of gold and silver.

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years” (Malachi 3:3-4).

The refiner’s fire can only accomplish its purposes when the HEAT is turned up to extraordinary temperatures. It breaks down the metal in order for it to become moldable and shapeable.

Only when the temperatures reach this level can the work be fully accomplished.

****So it IS in our lives.****

Until the Lord completes His refining process, the offerings we make are not made in righteousness and cannot be acceptable.

Thank God that JESUS is our righteousness and that there is no righteousness apart from Him.

Still, the LORD continues to Purge all that is NOT of His righteousness out of our lives. “YES!!!”

This comes through TRIALS that bring each of us to the end of ourselves in order that He may only reflect that which is Himself.

When God takes you through the refiner’s fire, be encouraged because it is His overriding commitment to turn you from a rough, hard-edged stone to a precious metal.

God will do this through certain events in your workplace, your relationships, and other circumstances in your life. Our job is to AVOID trying to blow out the fire.

Those who seek Jesus, shall find pleasure in him, often when not looked for.

The enemy will do his utmost to dam up your spiritual flow, but if you ask in faith the Lord will remove every hindrance and give you the wisdom necessary to get back in the flow of His Spirit.

Then, you must be sensitive to the Lord’s leading and move with Him in obedience and with a willingness to allow Him to direct your steps. Do not be afraid, for the Lord is with you.

John 14:13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

The Lord Jesus, prepares the sinner’s heart to be his temple, by the ministry of his word and the convictions of his Spirit, and he enters it as the Messenger of peace and consolation.

No hypocrite or formalist can endure his doctrine, or stand before his tribunal.

Christ came to distinguish men, to separate between the precious and the vile.

* He shall sit as a Refiner. Christ, by His gospel, shall purify and reform His church, and by His Spirit working with it, shall regenerate and cleanse souls.

* He will take away the dross found in them.

*He will separate their corruption, which render their faculties worthless and useless.

The believer needs not fear the fiery trial of afflictions and temptations, by which the Savior refines his gold.

* He will take care it is not more intense or longer than is needful for his good; and this trial will end far otherwise than that of the wicked.

* Christ will, by interceding for them, make them accepted.

** Where no fear of God is, no good is to be expected.

** Evil pursues sinners.

*God is unchangeable!

And though the sentence against evil works be not executed speedily, yet it will be executed; the Lord is as much an enemy to SIN as ever.

We may all apply this to ourselves. Because we have to do with a God that changes not, therefore it is that we are not consumed; because his compassions fail not.

*Purify me Lord like Silver and Gold. *Help me to be the vessel You’ve purposed me to be.

* May I not disappoint You because You’ve invested a lot in me.

* Help me to see and yield to every purification process.

Thank You Lord.

“And if you give yourself to the hungry,

and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

then your light will rise in darkness..and

you will be like a watered garden, and

like a spring of water whose waters do

not fail.” Isaiah 58:10-11

For Christ, enduring the mockery of the cross was the essence of his mission. And for a true follower of Christ enduring suffering patiently for the glory of Christ is the essence of obedience.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:11).

David’s trust was in the Lord in Psalms. He said, “…for Thou art with me.” Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God!

David continued, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5a). The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.

Only God’s peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle.

** The source of God’s peace is God Himself!!!

Jesus Christ is still the only hope of peace with God and peace with man. And it means that his followers must be willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death”. (Philippians 3:10).

*If fear has been knocking at your door, begin to face that fear with God’s peace. It is God’s Secret Weapon to destroy fear.

Purify me Lord like Silver and Gold. Help me to be the vessel You’ve purposed me to be. May I not disappoint You because You’ve invested a lot in me. Help me to YIELD to EVERY purification process.

Thank You Lord.

Amen

What we perceive as dark periods in our lives are designed to be treasures from God. They are actually riches stored in secret places if we look to Jesus and spend Time with Him to KNOW HIM.

** Darkness is the time to Listen.
Once you hear Him, God gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart.

“I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” – Isaiah 45:3

It took a long while for me to understand the concept of “treasures of darkness”. I thought,
* How can it be a good thing that I have left a life of relative comfort and have no secure income or means of providing for myself and family?(I Praise God for my wife Laura and her encouragement and Faith in “God will provide”).
* How can the darkness be a treasure? It became a treasure when we realized that we had nothing to worry about.
*We see God always requires total trust in Him alone for our victories in life.
*Laura and I had no need that was not met, and we are getting to know our Heavenly Father through the guidance of His Holy Spirit in ways we never before thought possible. Yes our life style has changed-but for the good.
* Truth is, there is always treasures in the darkness, secret riches.

And Jesus, our Father who loves us allows the dark times to occur to draw us into a more fulfilling relationship with Him for His Purpose and Glory.
*I have learned that in some of these dark times God will give a very precious message for someone else once I’m back into the light.
*When in a dark spot it is not study that brings understanding to me–BUT Obedience to the Lord. God’s truths seem to be sealed until they are opened to us through obedience/Action. We can’t open them through philosophy or thinking.
JN 7: 16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who Chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth;

Thank you Jesus for giving us an abundant life. A life where you are our light in the dark. A life in which you are truly enough.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

What we perceive as dark periods in our lives are designed to be treasures from God. They are actually riches stored in secret places.
*We cannot SEE those times in this light because of the often-accompanying pain or fear that prevents us from Accepting these TIMES as treasures.

Dark periods have a particular purpose from God’s viewpoint: “…so that you may know that I am the Lord…who summons you by name.”

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

You see, unless we are cast into times in which we are completely at God’s mercy for breakthroughs in our lives, we will never experience God’s faithfulness in those areas.
* We will never know how Personal He is, or that He can be Trusted to meet the deepest needs in our lives.
* God wants each of us to know that we are “summoned by name.”
* Every hair of our head is numbered. *He knows every activity we are involved in.
* His love for you and me knows no bounds.
*** He will take every opportunity to demonstrate this to us.
Eph. 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Has God brought you into a place of darkness? Trust Him today to reveal that hidden treasure that can be found in this darkness. Let Him summon you by name.

JN 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength” and in the midst of all the pressure, God blesses His people with peace. Peace does not depend upon external circumstances. It depends on a Personal Relationship to the Lord.
Psalms 107:14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.

***As we learn to love God, He makes
us an open, cleansed vessel so He
can love others through us.

1JN 1: 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

*Walk in the light Saints of God, because He is the light of the world.
*Holy spirit. Show us the things in our life that we must change, and give us strength to do so.
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, CHRIST,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.( Col. 2:2-3)

KEY *Allow Jesus to touch your heart and HEAL the “Wounds of Rejection”, past and present.
* Release and forgive those who have been unkind and step into the fullness of the Lord’s  acceptance of you.  There is so much LIGHT!

Father, I worship you. I come and acknowledge my need. I ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit to come and help me. I choose mercy over judgement. I want to give gifts of forgiveness to those who hurt me and those who don’t deserve it. I want to defeat the enemy and take away his
Legal right to harm me. I release all to you Lord.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

Are there areas in your life causing an internal struggle? Make a decision today to yield to the Holy Spirit and lean on His strength, not your own, and to overcome obstacles of sin and selfishness in your life. Surrender and release those areas to God, knowing He will help you.

Psalm 33:
18 But the eyes of the lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 “May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”

Three times the psalmist uses the word “HOPE” in the verses above. The needs he mentions are deliverance from death and protection from a famine.
His HOPE is that God would be a “shield” for him. He recognizes the painful things that occur out in a broken world and is asking God to protect him from them.
*Has God ever been a shield for you? *Has God ever protected or delivered you from what seemed to be certain pain and suffering?
If so, what would have been His motivation to do so?
Why would He have spent the energy to break into time and space to shield you from what was going to occur?
***The answer to those questions is stated twice in the verses above.
The psalmist implies above that the Lord is a shield to “those who hope in His unfailing love…”.
God loves you! I know that phrase is said and heard more times than it is truly understood, but it is important that we do not take this fact for granted.
It is important that we do not minimize its importance in our lives.

*If God were not in His very character loving, we would have no hope.
*God’s love for us is unfailing. Even though we fail on a daily basis, He doesn’t!
*His love is not contingent upon our love.
*He loves us unilaterally and unconditionally.
* He loves you and me no matter what the circumstances might be.
** This is why we, as a broken people, living in a broken world, can still have hope.
We can hope that God, who loves us unfailingly, will hear our cries and see our need and come to shield and protect us.

Again, we look at the concept of Biblical Hope and find it to be real. It touches real people living in a real world. Today, may we hope in God to be our shield.

The battle is not our own, the battle belongs to the Lord.
*He is our rock and our fortress.
* He is our hope in times of need.
* He is our victory.
So wait for it and put your hope and trust in God. His love endures forever.

1 Peter 1: 21 Through him(Jesus) you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the HEART.

Our inner man wants to do good. The question is will our outer man (flesh) be broken enough that the inner man can perform God’s  will.

If we will only put our trust in God’s “Unfailing Love” the stuff the world throws at us will not harm us.
What we see as a challenge or threatening to our life style has to be looked at through the eyes of God’s Unfailing Love.

****Nothing the world has to offer can compare to is Unfailing Love.
1 Jn.4 :18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

*We need to repent where our thinking is concerned as well. We need to fundamentally change the way we think(RO. 12:1-2). Some might call this a paradigm shift. A change to your whole way of looking at and understanding the world.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

The Bible tells us that we are no longer to see with our eyes, but rather to walk in faith.
That’s a difficult thing to do:
– Who would chose to be blind?
– Who would see what lies right in front of them and not swerve to miss it?

We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need.

What we see with our eyes is not always the true story.
*But none of that matters to God.
His eye is on those who respect Him, not on those who look the biggest or the strongest.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

When we’re going with God size doesn’t matter.
*You’ve only got a few dollars to your name? Jesus fed 5,000 men plus women and children with only two fish!
* Are you on death’s doorstep? Jesus called Lazarus, a guy dead for 4 days back to life!
You’re not strong enough, fast enough, smart enough? Doesn’t matter. GOD IS.

When you’re depending on God, He’s everything you need. Not more muscle. Not more smarts. You don’t need more money in your pocket, you NEED to change your mind about WHO God is and WHAT He’s capable of.
When You’re on God’s side, you’re on the winning side. Always!!!!
Christ sees your value and hidden potential. Do you?

What stands in your way of loving
God today with all your heart, soul
and strength?

“No servant can serve two masters;for either he will hate the one, and
love the other, or else he will hold
to one, and despise the other.”
Luke 16:13

Psalm 33 reminds me that God’s purpose will be fulfilled no matter what — for everything belongs to the Lord. He created this earth and everything and everyone in it.
–He brings to pass ‘His will’ definitively. –We can choose to glorify Him with our lives or stand idly by merely existing ‘in a Christ-needy world’.
Dear Friend, I pray today we remember that no matter what the headlines say – GOD IS!!!!!!
May God open our eyes to clearly see He is working. May we trust Him anew for our lives and may we glorify Him in how we live it.

Hebrews 11:1—Now faith is the substance ( assurance, confidence, and title deed ) to what we have hope ( confident expectation ) for or in what God has said and done. It is the evidence ( proof, conviction, and eyewitness to ) what we cannot see with the natural ability, it sees as real FACT what is not revealed by man.
Faith is substance – it is the Word of God ( Romans 10:17 ).
Faith is conviction – it is the the belief ( Romans 10:8-10 )
Faith is assurance – it the knowing of God and His plan ( Philippians 3:10 )

Dear Lord, sometimes it’s not easy to stay when conflict, disagreements or differences get in the way. Would You give me the power to love people unconditionally and the wisdom to know how to love them well?  Each person I see let me remember, they too are made in your image. Let me see them as you see them Father.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3)In Jesus’ Name, Amen

It is God’s secret weapon to destroy fear.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.” – Psalm 23:4a KJV

In the battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace.
* Cash flow concerns,
* deadlines,
* relationships
* all create stress on us.
Your confidence in the God of peace declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil.
You see the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances.

When Jesus confronted the devil, he did not confront satan with His emotions or in fear.
Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any voice other than God’s.

His peace overwhelmed satan; His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.

There is a place of walking with God where you simply fear no evil. David faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. In this Psalm he stood in the “shadow of death” itself, yet he “feared no evil.” David’s trust was in the Lord. He said, “…for Thou art with me.” Because God is with you, EVERY adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God!
David continued, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Ps. 23:5a).
**The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
*Only God’s peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle.
****The source of God’s peace is God Himself.
If fear has been knocking at your door, begin to face that fear with God’s peace. It is God’s secret weapon to destroy fear.

The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
Pain is good-it shows you where there is a problem.  God’s truth will always show us to the way of Freedom from the pain.
Phil. 4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We all want to experience peace in our life. But how? In this passage, there are 3 simple steps to experience peace in our life:

1. Do not worry about anything. We all have problems, issues and challenges in our life. That’s the reality of life. And those things often make us weary and tired with this life. But we can choose not to worry. How?

2. Pray, tell God what you need. Yes, just pray! Talk to God, tell Him what makes you worry. Tell Him also what’s your need.  Feel un- worthy? You should not! You are redeemed by His blood. God wants you to pour out your heart’s cry to Him. He is a good God. You are His children. He’s not mad at you. He’s madly in love with you!

3. Thank Him. After you tell Him everything, then thank Him for what He’s done for you. Done what you ask? First, He died for you. You were supposed to die or be punished, but you are not. It’s because Jesus took your punishment, Jesus took your guilty conscience. Jesus forgive all your sins, from past, present and future. Jesus remember those no more. That’s what you should thankful for.

Then after that, you will experience His PEACE. Not only that, but that peace will guard our hearts and minds.

I don’t have all the answers, but I believe when we experience God’s peace, He will give us strength and wisdom to face our difficult situation.

Everything I do and everything I pray,
Is all to worship Christ, so when I obey
I’m Desiring God!

1JN 4: 18 There is no FEAR in love. But perfect love drives out FEAR, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

You have had many opportunities through adversity to fall down and stay down.  The Lord calls us to gather our strength and get up.  You are not without help; The Lord says “I am with you to lift you up again if you will refuse to give up”.  Exercise your faith and seek the Lord’s help,  for surely HE will hear your cries and come to your aid.  Trust HIM to lift you up again.
Micah 7:8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.

I am shocked by the present madness of the world. Government leaders are under God’s judicial blindness. You cannot explain the blindness of so many
politicians and leaders. They grope about like the blind leading the blind.
It seems like all restraint is being cast aside and a moral madness has
hardened multitudes.

Today, as you and I grieve over the present madness, do not FEAR but give God praise that you have been saved out of it all.
There is but one holiness: Christ’s! Therefore, no one believer is “holier
than thou.” There are no degrees of holiness, only degrees of maturity in
Christ. You can be a new Christian and still be absolutely holy in Jesus. So
it’s foolish to measure yourself against someone you picture as being
“holy.” We are all measured by one standard: the holiness of Christ. And if
we are IN CHRIST, his holiness is ours in equal measure.  Pray-Pray peace and Blessings.

Lord, bless everyone who reads this devotion, so we all can experience Your peace and victory in our life. Lord we also lift up ALL the Government leaders to you this day. We speak Peace and Blessings over each one of them. Let them see You are the ANSWER!
In Psalm 107:8-9, David writes, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth
the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Does Lord Own All?

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” – Psalm 24:1-2

As Christian  believers, God calls us to view Him as the owner of everything. *We are to be stewards of all that He entrusts to us.
This is one of the hardest of all commandments to follow for the Christian believer because, if we work hard at business, we receive all the benefits of that work.
It appears as though all that we have achieved was through our hand.
* Yet God says that it is by His hand that we are able to make wealth (see Deut. 8).

*We invest in our children, our jobs.
*** But what have you invested in your soul?
*What have you invested in your relationship with Jesus?
*“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17

*Christ sees your value and hidden potential. Do you?

*Invest in God thru tough times and see your return in the end.
*Don’t be like the rich man only remembering himself.

We all have personal experience and know we can invest in material things and still NOT have any peace.
*God is looking for a people willing to invest in Him.
Get rid of the spirit of greed.

*God is the source of that ability. As soon as we become owners and not managers, we fall into trouble with God.
*There’s literally nothing that we need that He cannot provide. Everything we need and that is good for us, He has the capability to give. That’s really comforting.

God’s Love is the light that pierces
the darkness and exposes the truth.
“..but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

Joseph understood that he was a steward of all the resources of Egypt. God promoted him to affect an entire region of the world. Joseph had more power, prestige, and wealth than any 30-year-old who ever lived before him.

The temptation for him in this newfound role in life must have been great.
* Many a man has not been able to handle material success.
*Many of God’s choicest servants began well in their calling and service to God only to fail at the end.
*Consider Hezekiah, the great king who achieved many great things but failed to acknowledge God’s blessing at the end of his reign. His reign was cut short due to pride.
*Gideon’s fate was similar. Success can lead to pride if we are not careful.

“Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity” [Oswald Chambers].

Ask the Lord today if you are living as a steward or an owner.
Put whatever skills and resources you possess on His altar.
**Then you can expect God to do great things through YOU.

“Delight thyself in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.” Psalm 37:4-5
The Lord will provide you with the right desires when you delight (enjoy being in) Him. Desiring anything more than Him can lead to sin.

*God wants the world to see the difference between his people who love him and the rest of the unbelieving world.
*God wants us to be an example of a delivered and victorious people, trusting in his mighty arm to deliver us from all harm and evil.

The reasons for separation from the world (Egypt) today are the same as they were in ancient time. God is once again drawing a line between his people and this wicked age, so that this generation can know there is none like him to deliver in all the earth.
**The wicked of this age must have an even greater manifestation of the Lord’s presence; nothing else will get their attention.
*Nothing else will smite them with conviction for sin. The Holy Spirit has been outpoured, so that ALL flesh could come under the power of Christ’s presence and be convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment!

Hebrews 12:2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed-that exhilarating finish in and with God-he could put up with anything along the way: the cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.(Message Bible)
Father, please help me to depend on you more. You have never let me down, but in my ignorance I always turn to myself for answers first, then when I find none I turn to you. That’s backwards. Enable me through your Holy Spirit to trust you in and for all things, not being dependent on my own strength. Help me to manage what gift You have gifted me with for Your Glory and my Joy!
-Amen

Part 2 of Next Level Leader.

The definition of a Next-Level Leader is this-
A leader that not only elevates their personal leadership to the next level, but also elevates the leadership of their team members, family, peers, and competition to the next level.
They simply challenge and encourage those around them to dream BIG, think BIGGER.

Need a Functional Future:
1. Be useful – be of value or use to someone else. 2 Timothy 2:21,

2 Timothy 4:11. “I will be useful to someone besides myself.”

2. Be operational – be ready for use.
1 Corinthians 3:10. “I will not be conflicted with my call. I’m ready right now.”

3. Be well-designed.
1 Corinthians 12:25. Every part matters. “I will walk in my predestined pattern. I will learn & live the letter. I am the spokesperson for red-letter living!”

4. Be practical – the actual doing or use of something.
*I will no longer dream only.
*I will develop what I saw in my dream.
*I will turn every God given idea into a functional reality.
*I will approach situation with realistic expectations that came from the word of God.
*I will approach every problem with a divine sensibility.
* I am practical.”

5. Be serviceable – be durable instead of attractive.
*I will be of good use.
* I will use the word as the light to my path. God will be pleased with my performance.
*I will be durable,
*I will last.
* I will outlast every trial, its either the trial or me.
*Pain is good-it shows me where there is a problem.  God’s truth will always show us to the way of Freedom from the pain.
*I will be open to multiple spiritual downloads.”
*I Will Choose God’s way.
“I(Saul) was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them” (1 Sam. 15:24b). Saul’s fear and insecurity made him more afraid of the people and what they thought than of God. At the core of Saul’s disobedience was fear of losing control. That fear of losing control led to partial obedience and the loss of his reign as king.

*How many of us are in danger of losing God’s blessing due to partial obedience? *How many of us have such a need to control instead of LEAD people and circumstances that we fail to fully walk in obedience to God’s voice in our lives? Saul provides a great lesson for us as  believers.
*The need to over control things around us can prevent us from receiving all that God has for us.
Ask God if you are being fully obedient to what He has called you to do this day, and avoid being put on the shelf for disobedience.
“To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22b)

6. Be handy – be skillful.
1 Chronicles 28:21. “I will not wait for someone to teach me. I will find knowledge myself but also remain teachable. I will use my natural skill set and spiritual skill set to advance the kingdom. I will marry my call to my craft to advance the kingdom. I will remain ready to serve the kingdom. Just say the word.

7. Be efficient
Be well organized and most competent. Ephesians 4:13. “I will be efficient in my response to Gods assignment. I will respond quickly. I will be fully developed within and without. I will manage my resources and time to Gods will, not mine. I will have maximum productivity and minimum waste.”

8. Be purposeful
Be intentional, on purpose.
2 Corinthians 10:8  So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
I will be focused and deliberate in everything I do. I intend to be fully functional. I intend to not be stuck, to keep my sanity, to not lose my cool. I intend to forgive. I will be successful on purpose. I will do great things and it will not be by accident, but a gift from God for His Glory.

9. Be in Prayer continuously
The moment we think that our act of praying or not praying contributes to God’s being for us, it is self-righteousness.
Christ died for my sins in shorthand for “The only way to have God 100% on my side is to receive and rest in—as a gift—who Christ is and what he has done for me, and not who I am and what I did for him.” That’s the heart of the gospel . . .

*Live your life for what God wants and nobody else!
*Put the Lord first in everything you do and don’t let anyone get in the way of him!
*Don’t doubt yourself look forward to what will happen!
*Know that God will hear your prayers and he will answer your prayers.

Notice he says there is only one message in Acts 20:
V 21: I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

This is our task as Leading people to make the life changing decision to turn from their way to THE WAY – and then having faith in Christ to continue following him.

How to get God’s Attention
Ask God to
Incline our hearts to him, not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36),
and to
Open our eyes to see wonderful things in his Word (Psalm 119:18),
and to
Unite our hearts in the fear of God rather than let them be fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11),
and to
Satisfy us with his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14).

I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law,the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.  D.L. Moody

Lord, thank you for Your 66 books in the Bible. Thank you that Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live YOUR way. Thank You Lord that Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks You have for each one of us.
JN 16: 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
Amen

Next Level Leader part 1 of 2.

We are ALL leaders in some way shape or form (home-kids-elderly parents-work-coaching-

Leadership lessons from  Mary and Martha.

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet LISTENING to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by ALL the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only ONE. Mary has CHOSEN what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

From the world’s point of view, Martha appeared to be more responsible than her sister Mary.
* Martha was a hard-worker.
* She made sure that everything was working properly and in decent order.
**This is the image of a responsible human being, in the eyes of the world.

**However, we see from this passage that Jesus is much more pleased with Mary’s disposition.
* Mary sits and listens.
* She is not concerned with the appearance of the house.
* She is not distracted by her thoughts and surroundings.
** Mary is focused on hearing the words of Jesus Christ.
**Mary  has learned to focus on what is most important and leave lesser things alone.

On the contrary, Martha chooses to work hard and listen later.
** Martha FAILS to realize that listening first will LESSEN the burden and SAVE her the trouble.
By listening to Jesus, she does not have to worry about the order of things, because His plans are FLAWLESS.

* Mary listened and trusted Jesus’ teachings which gave her peace. But, Martha followed her own inclinations which left her anxious and troubled.

If we look at it this way, Mary was at the advantage, though it may have appeared that she wasn’t doing much.

****Less is more when you focus on the RIGHT things.
And Jesus makes it very clear that Mary chose the greater portion that will last.

To become more like Mary!
First Set a goal; then you’ll be able to identify the resources or opportunities required to achieve it.
When these requirements are identified, you can then begin sorting them.
Note: Its important not only to set goals but also to set the right ones.
Here- Martha was the one who invited Jesus over. However, she didn’t have the right objectives in doing so.
*If her goal had been to become a better woman, Jesus’ visit would have been an opportunity to improve her weak areas, rather than an avenue to show off her strong (top chef) points.

Lord help me to become more of a Mary and take the TIME to listen First!

***The Heart of the Gospel
The heart of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). That is shorthand for saying that the only way to be right with God is on the basis of who Christ is and what Christ has done, not who you are and what you have done.
Or another way to say the gospel is this:
*God’s being 100% for you is based on Christ alone, which we receive and enjoy by faith alone.
You can’t get God any more on your side than he is on the basis of Christ alone received by faith alone.

The biblical basis is 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
He takes our sin. We become his righteousness. And that happens not by our doing a few righteous works—

When we love something, we submit
our will and our life to it.
What we love is the ultimate
commitment; it’s what we put first in our lives.
“…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

Are you a Mary or a Martha?
In life, we shouldn’t run around worrying about things that don’t matter.
As Modern Christians, we don’t understand the concept of the Sabbath, in that we don’t know how to be still in silence anymore.
There’s always some form of distractions for us.

Our/my problem is that we are always going-doing-going-doing-going-

Whatever we give our greatest time, our greatest energies, and our greatest resources to is a good indication of where our convictions lie.

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a

Everyone lives a life of conviction. Whatever we give our greatest time, our greatest energies, and our greatest resources to is a good indication of where our convictions lie.
*Some live a life of conviction about sports-work-hobies.
*Some live a life of conviction around pleasure.
* Still others live a life of conviction about very little that matters at all.
**So what does MATTER??

Whenever GOD chooses to do a deep work in a life, a strong conviction is born of the Holy Spirit.
Conversions in the early Church resulted in changed lives that held to a deep, life-transforming conviction regarding what they believed and how they lived out that belief.

Paul explains that the gospel they received came not just in words, but also in power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

**The greater the challenges to our spiritual life, the more likely the attributes of God will stand out -as problems are solved with HIS Guidance.
*Attributes of God: All- knowing, All-Powerful, All- Present,Eternal, Faithful, Forgiving, Good, Holy, Infinite,Loving, Merciful, Patient, Righteous, Self-Existent, SElf-Sufficient, Sovereign, True and unchanging to mention a few.

In order to impact the workplace for Jesus Christ, each of us must be reflecting a faith that is demonstrated through deeply held convictions.
Are you living a life of deep conviction that spurs you on to reflect the power of Christ in your life and the lives of others?
Paul was willing to suffer great persecution for his faith in a living God. *God calls each of us to a life that is supernatural, not simply a good, moral life.
The early Church understood the role the Holy Spirit played in demonstrating this power of the gospel.
**It was this deep work that resulted in living the gospel with great conviction. If you are not living the gospel with great conviction, ask the Holy Spirit to so fill your life today that the power of His Spirit is truly reflected in your life so that you may impact others.
Eph. 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Galatians 3:5: “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?”

The answer is that God supplies the Spirit by hearing with faith. That is, the Spirit moves in our lives and helps us pray and do everything else God calls us to do, not by being coerced by works, but because we are trusting God on the basis of Christ alone for this help.
We don’t work our way into the Spirit.
* We trust God that, because of Christ—because of the blood and righteousness of Christ—the Spirit comes to help us and guide us.
Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,  Father.”

Agape love 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

Paul, Silas, and Timothy were filled with joy when they heard the gospel was spreading because of the faith in Thessalonicia. (1 Thes.)
* The Gospel was spreading because of their ACTIONS.
*The Gospel was spreading because of the way the LIVED there day to day lives. ****Their lives, and actions of faith, had become the Gospel.  AMEN!
* Living out the Gospel everyday and seeing the effects on those around you is definitely “something special”(supernatural).

Embrace the one day at a time simplicity of letting the Gospel play out in your life. Stop worrying about what your “something special” is, and realize that YOU already HAVE it.

Take some time today to think of ways you can let the Gospel be more evident in your day to day activities.

*Do you have a mentor friend who can see the activity of God in your life when you cannot see it? (I am so blessed to have Laura my wife, Bruce, Step-father and mother and many of You).
* We ALL need to have somebody we can trust to help us see the activity of God.
* It is often difficult for us to see what God is really doing because we are so consumed by the circumstances of the moment.
* Ask God today to help open your spiritual eyes that you might see Him in your circumstances.
If you want to grow in your Christian life, ask God to lead you to a man or woman who is far ahead of you spiritually and simply start hanging out with them.
***As you walk alongside them:
* You will begin to catch what they have.
*You will begin appropriating the anointing that is on their lives that will mix perfectly with your unique gifting and talents.

1 Thess. 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by FAITH, your labor prompted by LOVE, and your endurance inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ.
*Labor motivated by love is JOYOUS!
*It is Love in ACTION!

Ezra 7:10Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truths and ways.
Ezra was an effective leader and greatly used of God because he was faithful to God’s Word:
1. He studied the Word (like the Bereans in Acts)
2. He obeyed the Word (doer, not a hearer only, as James instructs)
3. He taught the Word to others

Where am I in God’s program? I can be more faithful and diligent in all areas. I need more consistently to teach the Word to my children, Grandchildren, friends— But I also need to live it out and model obedience to them.
Lord help me always return to faithful sowing and plowing into the fundamentals of my Faith Life – Prayer, Word, Service, Holiness, etc.
Lord help us daily Come back to the Fundamentals of our lives again and ask You Lord for discipline, self-control and faithfulness in the sowing process.
Lord Point out this week another mentor You have for me so I  can Grow more in my relationship with You.
Amen

New ownership
*God will use the very thing that was meant to destroy you and make it a platform for your success.

Isaiah 43:1 But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. 2 When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end – 3 Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! 4 That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you. 5 “So don’t be afraid: I’m with you.(Message Bible)

We all have a desire to belong. To fit in. To just be important to someone.
* God already claimed you.
*God made sure that the ransom has been paid so you can be freed from the burden of sin and a life filled with darkness.
*Jesus died on the cross for your ownership to change.
* God called you by your name. No longer do you walk this earth just another number in the line. You are God’s!
*This make’s you a prince, a princess in His kingdom.
* You can enter His courts with praise on your lips.
*You can walk through the earth knowing that you are loved and wanted. *You can enjoy an intimate relationship with The One who loved you so much that He would rather die than to let you go.

Philippians 2:5-7 —
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
What a simple command: “have this mind.” But nothing is harder for fallen human beings like you and me than to make ourselves nothing.

Jer. 29:11 I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
**God will use the very thing that was meant to destroy you and make it a platform for your success.

*Joseph represents that which is lost – that thing you thing you’ve lost or blown. God resurrects what we think is dead.

*Jacob would tell us to press through the pain because Gods plan for us is so much better than we can hope or imagine.

*Judah would tell us to repent of sin because God’s plan is bigger than we know and can only be experienced when we repent and step into God’s grace.

This world is filled with trouble and hardships…. I look forward with HOPE to a future. A future that I do not know but one that I know God has planned for me so He will have his arm of protection around me.

1Peter 4:8 Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.
We cannot love others until we
have first loved God. He is the only One who can fill us with genuine Love for other people.

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22

Being a father and Grandparent (6 Grandkids), I know how excited I get when I’m with the kids -blessing, protecting, and loving them for who they are. Are they perfect saints doing all that I expect or desire…no!
Do their faults and short comings make me love them any less…no!
Will they always have my love…yes!

Hmm…if my love is forgiving and I’m human, how much more God’s love who is Divine? Jesus died so you and I can have this unconditional love.

*Love covers a multitude of sins. God loves us in spite of US.
Doesn’t this love draw you, comfort you, complete you?
If you don’ t know of His love in this way I challenge you to ask Him to love you so much that you can’t help but love Him back! He’ll blow your mind!

‘And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called YOU to His eternal glory in Christ, will HIMSELF restore, confirm, strengthen and establish YOU.’1 Peter 5:10

It is important to understand that God chooses His pupils primarily on the basis of character,not intellectual attainment, not academic degrees, not social privilege, BUT on the basis of their heart
attitude toward Him. He looks for a man who fears the Lord, who has
reverent respect and fear for the Lord.
Sadly, too many of us spend our lives waiting to go to Heaven instead of living for Heaven – right now.
We realize that our life here on earth is not always what we wished for but then we settle for a dull, just-getting-by life instead of the spiritually rich and abundantly full life Jesus offers.

How do we live that full life with so many trials?
*We stay close to the One who has promised us life; we stay close to Jesus. *We remain in the Word of God and apply His promises to our lives. It doesn’t mean all of our pain will be removed, but it does mean we can live full and free lives.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving life to me through Jesus. Because of You, I have hope and reason to be joyful.
Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another….. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1a

We have the best “Builder” for our lives, God Himself. His plans are” custom planned” for each individual life. Gods materials are top quality. God never makes a mistake in His Building.
The foundation of the life God builds is JESUS CHRIST!!!!!
Col. 3:11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ IS all, and is IN all.

God builds our lives in the image of His Son. Eph. 2:10  For we are God’ MASTERPIECE. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

If so many people are Spirit-filled,
then why don’t our churches
marriages, and families reflect
God’s Way of Agape love? 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

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1a

What does it mean for the Lord to build the house? It almost seems a contradiction when we consider that WE(or I/self) might be the builders in this passage.
*** God wants us to allow Him to build the house. He explains further:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves” (Psalm 127:1-2).

*God is telling us there is a way of working without striving.
* There is a way to conduct business without sweating and toiling for outcome.
**His warning to each of us is to avoid thinking that outcome is based on our sweat and toil.
**** Outcome is based on obedience. That outcome is sometimes more than we deserve. Sometimes it is less than we hoped for.

God’s desire for each of us is to see Him working in our daily work life. He wants us to avoid looking to OUR OWN effort to gain an outcome.

One day Jesus called out to Peter from the shore of the lake and suggested he throw his net on the other side of the boat. It was this simple act of obedience that yielded a tremendous catch that he would not have received unless he obeyed.

We are called to work;
* He is called to bring forth the fruit.
* He is the vine.
**We are the branches. Fruit comes forth naturally from a healthy tree.

Today, ask God to show you when you enter into striving.
Ask Him to show you the difference between loving trust and obedience and striving for outcome.
It can be challenging for us to balance this in our daily work experience.
God wants to help us walk in this freedom and rest.

****Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.

Be still, watch, and discern.  If you will quiet your thoughts and silence your feelings, you will have the ability to recognize and identify your spiritual atmosphere apart from your soul and be able to move through difficulties with ease.
When you allow fear and anxiety to rule, the outcome is always chaos.  But, when you put your trust in the Lord, peace is established.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
Philp. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God Blesses Those Who Serve Him!
Listen to these great promises and receive them!!
*Psalms 23:1 The lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

*I will set you as a house on a hill, for all to see that they may see my goodness poured into you.
Psalm 65:4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.

*If we diligently strive to serve him, he will bless us so much that his love will overflow in to other people’s lives.

*Our heavenly Father wants us to live life abundantly here on earth, not just when we get to heaven. ( Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.)

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is AT work within us,

*If we live like him we will be blessed, His face will shine upon us.
Psalms 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us— 2 so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

God WILL give you more than you can consume, let’s not be a glutton, give it away, bless someone with your abundance, what ever that may be.

God, please help me to use Your gift properly. I pray that my life will be about sharing Jesus. Let it guide me. Let it help me see people as You see people. I pray that I can boldly and eloquently speak about what Jesus has done for us all; to explain what His life, death and resurrection means to everyone.
God Build our lives just as you planned them.  Amen

If you hope to succeed, learn everything you can from your failures.

Everybody fails.
It’s part of the process that leads us to maturity and success. Most successful entrepreneurs have been through a number of failures in life, but they usually don’t think of their failures as defeats.
**** Think of Failures as lessons.*****

My failures have served to help people who are also experiencing failure in their lives. God will always have a redeeming value in our failures if we let Him reveal His life through them.

Matthew 7:1 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults-unless, of course, you want the same treatment.

God doesn’t throw us away because of a failure— God heals us!
We are sometimes left with scars from hurt and failures but when we are healed there is no pain!!
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
*We should never wrestle with something that God told us to release.
Repent of the failure and let it GO!
*You can be damaged and still be blessed!!
*Whatever you focus on will expand and grow in your life!
*How you see a person is how you will treat them. how you see yourself is how you will conduct yourself!!!

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather,serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13
*Freedom is given so I can serve. Okay, Lord, so where do you want to free me so I can serve?
Remember how you see yourself is how you will conduct yourself!!!

If you hope to succeed, learn everything you can from your failures.
James 1: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God is sovereign:
* God wants to use the trials/failures that have come your way to mold you into the person He wants you to be.
* God wants us to know that trials/Failures serve a positive constructive purpose in our lives.
*Trials/failures are meant to define your faith not harm your faith.
* Trials/failures help reveal the depth and genuine-ss of your commitment to God.

*God calls us mighty, even as we are hiding out.
* God calls us powerful, even as our forces dwindle.
* God calls us wealthy, even as we are fretting about finances.
*** God majors in the impossible. He can overpower terrible odds because He’s free to shine His light on our situation.
Luke 6:37 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults-unless, of course, you want the same treatment.
*Stop judging and evaluating yourself, for this is not your role. Above all, stop comparing yourself with other people. This produces feelings of pride or inferiority; sometimes, a mixture of both.
*Our actions speak what is in our heart.

Matthew 7:13 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easy going formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.

Galations 3:10 And that means that anyone who tries to live by his OWN effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure.
*What you might see as the winds of adversity, are really spiritual opportunities to exercise your faith and to overcome.   Rise up and take advantage of every situation to prove the Lord’s existence and power in your life.  You do not belong to yourself; you belong to the  Lord, and He has given authority to those who are His.
The Lord has already gained the victory over Satan’s kingdom so that your victory is assured in all things/even failures.
1 John 5:4  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
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.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
*This scripture gives me hope and encouragement and confirmation. It confirms that what I am doing; giving and living my life for the Lord, and committing myself to him is not in vain. The reward is a great blessing called the crown of life!
Keys to victory in-spite of our failures!
*Never under estimate your enemy/ never under estimate your enemy
*Learn something from every failure.
*Fix what you can fix: trust God with the rest.
*Rely on one another(the Body)
*Stay hidden in Christ, and boldly use your spiritual weapons.
–prayer
–praise
—God’s word
–faith
–perseverance
James 1 Verse 6. It says when you ask for wisdom you must believe and NOT DOUBT. It’s amazing how much we actually doubt without knowing it, not giving God full authority over our lives. When we do finally stop doubting and God is sovereign then things really start to change. God shows what He can do.
VERSE 12. If we come out on top through the trials we will be given the crown of life. Awesome.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
** Lord,this is one of the famous prayers of the Bible and one that transform our lives if we truly repent of our sins and humble ourselves and start walking with You. Thank YOU.
Christ  come first before we do anything. Transfer the old life and attitude into living for Christ. We once served ourselves, now it’s Christ’s turn. No more condemnation means eternal life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen