Devotions - Prayer

Whenever we feel lost, alone, or even abandoned, God is with us. As we look around at our churches, our schools, our families and our friends, we see that many of us are dying from lack of love. “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12 Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 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. John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

*Whenever we feel lost, alone, or even abandoned, God is with us. We may not always feel His presence or see His works, but He is always leaving us breadcrumbs back to Himself.

* Things we always need to keep in front of us in our minds.

1. God is good.

*Matthew 7:7″Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

2. God is all powerful.

*Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Col. 1:16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

3. God is all-knowing.

*Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. We can hide nothing from God. Everything is crystal clear in his sight, thoughts, attitudes & beliefs. Why we think we can fool God is beyond comprehension. We can’t hide from Him.

4. God is holy.

Ex. 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.'” The name God discloses to Moses here rings throughout the pages of Scripture, as well as the pages of time. No beginning, no end, the Self-Existent One. The one true God, beside Him there is no other.

5. God is Eternal.

Psalms 102:12 But you, lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. 27But you remain the same, and your years will never end. 6. Bad things happen. God is fair and Just. Proverbs 8:13 To fear the lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

*** God does not punish his children- He prepares them! -Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

*** Crucifixion leads to resurrection. 2 Corinthians 6:18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

*What is distinctive about the people of God is that God lives IN us and among us powerfully. It may be such a basic thing that it is easily missed. It’s a basic characteristic of God’s people, but how amazingly shocking is it?! God lives among His people. As Paul wrote, WE are A temple of the living God! Isaiah 58:9 Then you will call, and the lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…..

*Are not these words exactly what Jesus commands?! God gives us our instructions here in Isaiah. Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the shut in, and help those in need. These are powerful marching orders…..This is what We are to do to model Jesus. God help me to do your Will, to see the need, and to love your people more than myself. Amen Isaiah 43:4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;..

*If only one prayer of mine was answered, it would be that this scripture would go from my head and completely consumes my heart. How I wish I could see myself more as God sees me. Colossians 2:10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Psalms 40:17 But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay. Thank you Lord for rescuing me. My enemies surround me, but if I cry out and trust in You, I have nothing to fear! Ask God to give you a vision for how you can be salt to your world today. Jesus desires to replace all of our hearts with His heart. He wants us to be like Him. Why? Because He is alive and lives in us. Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, I pray for us to have that same confidence, for the Holy Spirit to bring faith to move beyond loneliness, fear and doubt when things are bad in our lives. When the enemy seems to be surrounding us — may we believe in our God’s protection and His salvation for He is ALIVE, He is our mighty Fortress and strong Deliverer. God will either deliver us or be our support as we through our troubles and loneliness. In His care, we are never helpless never alone! Thank you Lord!

*Our identity must be built solely upon God’s Love for us, and not on what we do for Him. 2 JN 1: 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. Dear God, guard my mind from the pull of this world. Help me to be consistently and personally involved in reading Your word and understanding the life I have in Jesus Christ. Guide my every thought that it may not be affected by the vanity, pride, politics, intellectual-arrogant-temporary- subjective wisdom of this broken world. Keep me away from the man-made lists that are formed to get your attention. Help me to see your substance alone as I strive to live according to Your Word. Psalms 37:24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the lord upholds him with his hand. 2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In Jesus Name, THANK. YOU. Amen

No Manna Stores
by Os

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.
In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow My instructions.” – Exodus 16:4

When God took the nation of Israel through the desert, there was one thing the people simply could not do outside of God alone:

* They could not provide for themselves.
* They could not plant.
* They could not harvest.
* They could not manufacture.
It was a place and time where nothing but complete dependence was the
rule.
God gave manna ONE day at a time. The manna spoiled the day after,

* so they could never store it.
*They could not go to the manna store to get more.
*They couldn’t start a manna business to capitalize on all the free manna.

I can tell you from personal experience that when God takes you to the desert, there is nothing you can do to change it until He wants to change it, so do not strive against God in the desert place.

Has God taken you into the desert?
Is He forcing you to depend wholly on His provision?
Pray that you will learn the lessons God desires you to learn in the desert place.

He will bring you out when He has accomplished all He wants to build in your life.
Remember that it is A season; you will not be there forever. He understands that no one can stay in a desolate place forever.  End Os

Yes what a God we Serve!

For myself in the past, in deep troubles I  constructed an image of God that was  based on my  feelings and circumstances rather than on who God really is.  In doing so, if like me in past, we  constrain God to characteristics and proportions that make sense to us … personality traits that we’re familiar with. Essentially, we completely limit the very essence of who God is!

Consider this cause / effect relationship:

If you see God as an overzealous policeman, you’ll always walk on eggshells.

If you see God as an angry judge, you’ll always struggle with guilt.

If you believe God is just like us, you’ll be casual about your sin.

If you see God as distant and uninvolved, you’ll never pursue an intimate relationship with Him.

Just a reminder to us all that what we think about God shapes our whole relationship with Him. In addition, what we  believe God thinks about US determines how close
you will grow toward him.

We all know, but if you are like me need to be reminded that WE were  created for closeness, love and friendship with our Creator.  Are we experiencing that during these challenging times?
Zephaniah 3:17For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

1 JN 4:10 This is real love-not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

2 Thessalonians 2:16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,  17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Laura and I will continue to pray for your family and Business during these tough economic times of change and opportunity.   You people are such an encouragement to us-showing us to persevere also with all the hurt and pain out there and not to give up on the souls that keep running from the Lord. We are so proud and honored to say we are on the same team and “knowing” that  what ever happens here on this earth,  we KNOW we are on the “winning team” and will spend Eternity together with no more pain or suffering. (JN 17:3 And this is the way to have eternal life-to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth). SO teammates- let’s together agree daily:
*”For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
* So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time
we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.Galatians 6: 9
*….Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the BATTLE is not yours, BUT God’s.
2 Chron. 20:15
AMEN

Forgiveness Ensures Freedom “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” – Hebrews 12:15 In business and life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain. The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won’t take up bitterness as a response to life’s pain. He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness. 2 Thess. 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God’s grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it. Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. God does not live in bitterness. He lives in GRACE. He has provided grace for every person to walk in. 2 Cor. 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. One day I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace? Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. BUT God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came FREEDOM – a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain. This is the real place where Christ’s power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace. Are you in need of grace today? It is there for the receiving. It will take courage to accept it and walk in it. This will be your step to freedom. Let us discern now the condition of our spiritual environment. Has it been defiled by the negative words spoken from a heart of frustration? Rise up now and exercise your senses to discern both good and evil, and choose to only retain that which is good. Ask for the wind of the Lord’s Spirit to blow through your circumstances to purify and clear your atmosphere of all pollution. Let it be! Seek Forgiveness and receive Freedom. Mark 7:20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” These are all things WE battle, but our All-Powerful God can perform the greatest miracle of all and change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. God can reveal to us who the real “me” is. The person He designed me to be and, God gives us the power to overcome these things that pollute us. We have the mind of Christ and I am claiming that today in the Name of Jesus Christ my Savior!! Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. *Saving grace – nothing we say or do can ever cause us to lose our relationship with God *Growing grace – empowers us to bare fruit and to be more like Jesus *Sustaining grace – Know Gods grace is timely. Expect Gods grace to strengthen us. * God allows trials that we cannot handle in our own strength to display His strength through us. *You can’t finish strong without His sustaining grace. When God becomes a strength of your life, no one or nothing can pluck you out your grace. *God wants you to finish and finish well. *He wants us to be successful. We all need to Gods sustaining grace when you are tempted, tired and in trouble. Gods sustaining grace will keep you from falling and being trapped in your troubles. As we know the devil comes to steal, kill and defeat. When you become a believer, saved by grace, you are NO longer the devils property. He will want you back. God never promised that the road would be easy, but God DID promise that He’d never leave you. Just stand and know that God will be right there. Trust Gods grace to mature us. Hebrews 4:16 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. Jesus experienced life. He sympathizes with our weakness. He understands all the temptations we face. However, Jesus did not fall. He withstood temptation. He ascended into heaven. He now interceeds for us. Because Jesus endured, we endure. We confidently approach his throne. We receive mercy. We find grace. 1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Phil 4: 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Do not fear or think of yourself as unworthy—of course you are! We all are. Only God is truly Worthy.

Isaiah :60: 1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, But the lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

Arise, arm yourself, there is a battle for our souls, we must not forget this. The battle is fought in both realms, of Spirit and Matter. Often, they both collide (they coexist), leaving casualties on both sides.
But we can prepare ourselves, we can arm ourselves.
SHINE! That is our weapon, the Light of the world. We were created in and with the Light, already we are more powerful than darkness, that is, if we shine.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
*It is all God’s divine initiative! All along God had a plan and a timetable. He has been preparing US (the Body) for such a time as this.
Even as the world is slowly decaying the Body is slowly but surely maturing. It’s time to take part and flow with the Spirit.

Do not fear or think of yourself as unworthy—of course you are! We all are. Only God is truly Worthy.
***It is for His glory that we are being prepared. He made no mistake in choosing YOU, just as He made no mistake in dying for your sins.

* God chose to put His Spirit within you. Personal unworthiness is not a valid excuse.
* Your destiny is God’s decision. Beware lest your sense of unworthiness become a smoke screen for unbelief!

Eph. 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork,(masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The darkness, chaos, or emptiness that may still exist in your life is not any more of a deterrent to the Almighty than the terrible, pre-creation void that awaited Him in the beginning.
Certainly, your individual beginning from darkness to light shall NOT be too difficult for God!

Even now, the Holy Spirit is descending, hovering, and brooding over you. To your “new creation self” the voice of the Lord commands,
“Arise! Shine! Shake yourself from the depression in which circumstances have kept you! You are standing at the threshold of God’s glory!”
Eph. 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

Let the light of Christ shine.

*‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come… the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1, 19-20).
* Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the world’. When we ‘follow Him’, we ‘will not walk in darkness’. We ‘will have the light of life’ (John 8:12).
*We are living in difficult times. We are surrounded by much darkness. We must NOT be discouraged – ‘the lamp of God has not yet gone out’ (1 Samuel 3:3). *When the darkness threatens to overcome the Light, we MUST take encouragement from God’s Word – ‘The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5).
*When the darkness seems to be everywhere, put your trust in the Lord – The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?’- and let ‘His Word’ be ‘a lamp to your feet and a light to your path’ (Psalms 27:1; 119:105).

**Let the words of Scripture lead to thoughts of the Saviour.
* Read the words – ‘His Name’ shall ‘endure for ever’ (Psalm 72:17) – and think of Christ.
*His Name is ‘the Name above all other names’. He is ‘the King of kings and Lord of lords’ (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 19:16).

“Arise,shine; for thy light is come…”
LIGHT is all it takes to intimidate and eliminate darkness! “..thy light is come” means we’ve ALL been given EACH our unique ability to overcome darkness; and “..shine” means to reflect His illumination,showcase His blessings, demonstrate His power etc. Every ‘SHINING’ begins with ‘RISING’!
In these days of uncertainty,chaos and crisis,God is challenging us His children to take our STAND and SHINE!
Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the world’. When we ‘follow Him’, we ‘will not walk in darkness’. We ‘will have the light of life’(John 8:12).

Darkness must flee when light is present, God is everywhere present and no where absent. Therefore light is everywhere present except man’s heart:
Mans heart is a dark, cold and lonely place; A place that God’s presence does not access or inhibit UNLESS  the door is opened and He is invited in(your Choice), then light and life inhibits the once dark heart of man and he becomes ALIVE.
Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Jesus is the light of life and the world. Have you opened your hearts door and allowed him to be the light of your life.
*We say: COME LORD JESUS. COME, bring more light daily —only you are Worthy!
God chose to put His Spirit within you. Personal unworthiness is not a valid excuse.
* Your destiny is God’s decision. Beware lest your sense of unworthiness become a smoke screen for unbelief!

We say: Blow wind of God blow.  Blow upon that small coal within our heart  and bring the fire alive.  Once again set (us) your people ablaze to a fire of fullness with your glory.  In the mighty name of Jesus let it all happen.
Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him ALL things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
“What we believe defines us and determines how we approach everyday life”
Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
*‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come… the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1, 19-20).
YOU HAVE MUCH WORTH TO YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER. God chose to put His Spirit within YOU.  You are His Masterpiece!!
Amen

Our loving God is a forgiving God.

“The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression…”   Numbers 14:18

Knowing God loves YOU is the ONLY
thing that will give you TRUE identity
and security in this life.
Let me say that one more time!!!!
Knowing God loves us is the ONLY
thing that will give us TRUE identity
and security in THIS life.

“Whom have I in heaven but Thee?And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…”  Psalm 73:25

Agape love (true love, Gods love) is the most precious and eternal EVIDANCE of our Christian faith.
When we choose the Way of Agape,
we are actually choosing life.
“Forever the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, TO love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul, in order that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. “Love NEVER fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease, if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” 1 Corinthians 13:6-8

It doesn’t matter how many people
you’ve led to the Lord, how many
Scriptures you’ve memorized, how many personal experiences you may of head or how many Bible studies you’ve taught; if you’re not FULLY convinced God loves you…there’s something missing.

Ephesians 4: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the TRUTH IN LOVE, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

I think this is true of many people. We spend years chasing things in this world that we think will make us FEEL loved. But everything this world offers is temporary. Everything.  Only two things will last for eternity with the Lord-people and the Word.

The kind of love our souls crave is lasting, eternal. And only God can fill up our hearts with that kind of love.

Psalms 119:88 In your unfailing love preserve my life, that I may obey the statutes of your mouth. 89 Your word, lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
The sad thing about chasing love outside the will of God— is it invites so much into our lives which is the exact opposite of love.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 is a picture of God’s perfect love. It is patient. It is kind. It does not envy… it is not self-seeking… it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth… it always protects… it always perseveres. Love never fails.

This is not a description of what is inherently ours when we fall in love with another person.
**It is a description of God’s love. And guess what?  It is a description of God’s love for YOU.

This kind of love CAN be ours as we become MORE  Christ-like and decide/choose  to give this kind of love.
*This love is never focused inwardly.
*This love is never about what I’m going to get from another person.
It is deciding/Choosing  this is the kind of love I will give away.

FALSE attempts at love will make us impatient, unkind, envious, self-seeking, resistant to the truth, reckless and temporary.

I am challenged by this. Because our souls were designed for God’s fulfilling love, if we aren’t staying closely connected to Him every day through His WORD, our hearts will start to feel empty. Restless. Unfulfilled.

I ask: Can we go a day without breathing?  Answer is no we can not IF we want/choose to LIVE.  Same with the Word of God being alive and active through the power of the Holy Spirit–if we want to LIVE we will be in the God-breathed Scripture daily.
The Bible is all for me, but not all the Bible is about me.

Romans 10:17   Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Let us never get to the place where we think we are beyond being tempted in this way of not listening to the Holy Spirit in the Word daily.  If we are all completely honest, we are only a few bad decisions away from a big  mess.
While I have complete hope in God’s ability to restore my mess, the consequences of my chase for love will be severe on many levels.

The kind of love our souls crave will never be found in the things of this world.
Lasting and perfectly satisfying love will only be found when we stop chasing and start LIVING OUT(action) the TRUTHS of God in and through His Word.
1 Love is the point of life.
2 False ideas of love have devastating effects.
3 There are different types of love.
A) Eros ( sinful nature, desire)
B) Storge (An affectionate love, emotional attachment)
C) Philia ( Friendship love)
D) Agope (true love, Gods love)
4 Gods love is more than a feeling.
5 True love must be given away..
1 John 3:14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

Take a personal inventory of all that distracts us from time with our Lord, spouse, children and Friends.  In every family this looks different, but it’s important to take an honest look at our own schedules and to adjust so that we can come alongside all in love as we walk through this tricky thing called life and be able to teach and experience love with them all.

If you will diligently and urgently seek the Lord’s face with all your heart instead of only looking for the Lord to manifest outwardly, HE will release you into a place of freedom and rest.
This inward connection:
* is where faith is born;
* it is the place where prayer is answered.
Come and commune with the Lord in the secret place, which is even hidden from all trouble and stress.  Come into His rest  and let the Lord establish you in peace and joy.

Matthew 6:6  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

1 JN 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.

God I ask that you expose the darkest areas of my life in the deepest areas of my soul. May Your Light reveal them and bring them forth so that I may confess my sin and be clean and in pure fellowship with You. I want Your light to shine through me and be a light unto my path. Lead me in the paths that I take and may I, a broken vessel, be used by You to shine in this dark and broken world. Lead me where You want me to go.
Col. 3: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. FORGIVE as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Amen

God is Holy. God is a King. He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords.

God wants us to be humble, sensitive
and yielded enough to hear His still
small voice prompting us to show His
Love to the stranger, the outcast, the
wounded and the forgotten.
“…Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers
of Mine, even the least of them, you
did it to Me.   Matthew 25:40

The true purpose of our Christian
walk is to freely lay down our lives
so God’s Love can pour through us
to others.
“Greater love has no one than this; that one lay down His Life for his friends.” John 15:13

Psalm 22:3 Yet thou art holy, O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of
Israel.

What a beautiful revelation that is – when we realize that the throne
that God sits upon is the praises of His people.

God is Holy. God is a King. He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords. We do not make Him a King by praising Him, but we offer Him the throne, which is His due.

You see, Jesus said: “When two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst.” His presence in our midst is guaranteed. It depends upon His faithfulness, not our response. But when He comes in our midst – as the King of kings and the Lord of
lords – it’s very right and appropriate that we respond to Him as a King.
As a King, He merits a throne; nothing else becomes Him.
And it is our privilege to offer Him the throne. When we praise Him, when we exalt Him, when we sing praises and glorify His name and extol His majesty, then we are acknowledging His Kingship and we are responding in a way that is appropriate. We are offering Him a throne to sit upon – the throne of our praises.

Oh, let’s be careful that we respond to the Lord by giving Him His throne.
Here’s what is present when we kneel to pray in Jesus’ name:
1. God the Father on his throne sovereign over the universe, with a welcoming, countenance focused on us.

2. God the Son in his high priestly role, standing as advocate before the throne as a Lamb that was slain with perfect righteousness and with all God’s promises purchased fully in his hand interceding for us.

3. God the Spirit within us, having already inclined us to pray, poised to guide our prayers, put to death our sins, awaken our faith, illumine God’s word, and produce his fruit.

4. The word of God open before us, inspired by God, alive with penetrating power for conviction of sin and indomitable hope, revealing the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to our souls, shaping and guiding our prayers after God’s will.

5. Our sin forgiven, but humbling us to need and love our merciful saving God.

6. God’s grace like a great rainbow of hope arcing from the throne to our soul.

7. Our will captured by these realities, moving words (or only groans) up out of our mind (or only heart) to God with praise and thanks and confession and requests

So often we look elsewhere for meaning to our lives. We look to money, fame, or even alcohol to be the head of our lives. God is the head! God gives us all! He loves is so unconditionally and wants to be our father. He is the one we can call daddy.

Revelation 3: 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Keep our eyes on Jesus!
Trials will always come. Remember that we are working for our Lord Jesus and evangelizing for Him alone.
We will glorify Him and win souls for Him. Don’t be distracted. This life will pass in a twinkling of an eye but God’s glory is forever.
There is a door which we must open – ‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I will come in…’(Rev 3:20). Christ is waiting for you to open the door of your heart to Him. He waits with great patience. He keeps on knocking. He waits to hear your prayer: ‘Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today. Come in to stay’.

This must be your own prayer. No one else can pray this prayer for you. Open your heart to the Lord, and remember where your prayer really came from: ‘The Lord opened my heart…’(Acts 16:14). Open your heart to the Lord. He will open new doors: ‘a great door for effective work has opened to me’(1 Corinthians 16:19).

Phil.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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.
Wow… peace that exceeds anything we can understand! That’s what I need. That’s what the world needs! May we bring that peace, that shalom, to a broken world in need of the life-changing message of Jesus!
Are we “ALL IN”?

May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.
Num 6:24-26

Amen

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” – Hebrews 12:15

In business and life the opportunity to harbor bitterness for a wrong suffered is great. We are given plenty of opportunities to grow bitter from relationships that bring hurt and pain.

The writer of the Hebrews passage above admonishes us not to miss the grace of God so that we won’t take up bitterness as a response to life’s pain.

He cautions us against this because he knows that a bitter root grows and grows until it eventually defiles many others through a wake of bitterness.

2 Thess. 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

If bitterness is allowed to take root, we become imprisoned to it. God’s grace will no longer have as great an effect in our lives. We become ineffective, insensitive, and spiritually dead. We can even become physically ill from it.

Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

God does not live in bitterness. He lives in GRACE. He has provided grace for every person to walk in.

2 Cor. 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
One day I was challenged to deal with an individual who hurt me terribly. I was faced with a decision. Would I choose bitterness, or would I choose grace? Oh, how my natural tendency was to choose bitterness. BUT God provided the courage to choose grace. With that grace came FREEDOM – a freedom to love and even accept the person who was the source of such pain.

This is the real place where Christ’s power is most revealed. We cannot live without His supernatural grace. Are you in need of grace today? It is there for the receiving. It will take courage to accept it and walk in it. This will be your step to freedom.

Let us discern now the condition of our spiritual environment.   Has it been defiled by the negative words spoken from a heart of frustration?  Rise up now and exercise your senses to discern both good and evil, and choose to only retain that which is good.  Ask for the wind of the Lord’s Spirit to blow through your circumstances to purify and clear your atmosphere of all pollution.  Let it be! Seek Forgiveness and receive Freedom.
Mark 7:20   And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
These are all things WE battle, but our All-Powerful God can perform the greatest miracle of all and change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh.
God can reveal to us who the real “me” is. The person He designed me to be and, God gives us the power to overcome these things that pollute us. We have the mind of Christ and I am claiming that today in the Name of Jesus Christ my Savior!!

Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
*Saving grace – nothing we say or do can ever cause us to lose our relationship with God

*Growing grace – empowers us to bare fruit and to be more like Jesus

*Sustaining grace –  Know Gods grace is timely. Expect Gods grace to strengthen us.
* God allows trials that we cannot handle in our own strength to display His strength through us.
*You can’t finish strong without His sustaining grace. When God becomes a strength of your life, no one or nothing can pluck you out your grace.
*God wants you to finish and finish well. *He wants us to be successful.
We all need to Gods sustaining grace when you are tempted, tired and in trouble. Gods sustaining grace will keep you from falling and being trapped in your troubles.
As we know the devil comes to steal, kill and defeat. When you become a believer, saved by grace, you are NO longer the devils property. He will want you back. God never promised that the road would be easy, but God DID promise that He’d never leave you.

Just stand and know that God will be right there.
Trust Gods grace to mature us.

Hebrews 4:16 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.
Jesus experienced life. He sympathizes with our weakness. He understands all the temptations we face.

However, Jesus did not fall. He withstood temptation. He ascended into heaven. He now interceeds for us.

Because Jesus endured, we endure. We confidently approach his throne. We receive mercy. We find grace.

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever.
Phil 4: 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Amen.

Godly Rewards

Malachi 3: 13 God says, “You have spoken hard, rude words to me.
“You ask, ‘When did we ever do that?’ 14 “When you said, ‘It doesn’t pay to serve God. What do we ever get out of it? When we did what he said and went around with long faces, serious about God-of-the-Angel-Armies, what difference did it make? 15 Those who take life into their own hands are the lucky ones. They break all the rules and get ahead anyway. They push God to the limit and get by with it.’” 16 Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God’s name. 17 God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, “They’re mine, all mine. They’ll get special treatment when I go into action. I treat them with the same consideration and kindness that parents give the child who honors them. (Message)

Does it pay to serve Christ?
What is my reaction when I do gain anything (seemingly) from serving Christ?

Malachi 3:14-15 BACKGROUND: Israel was still under Persian rule, they were economically poor, and were still awaiting a Savior.
Often we are so consumed with our tangible needs that we forget that God is convicting sin in our life that has replaced our first affection for Christ.

There are two types of delay for reward in our lives, sometimes its short (in this life) and sometimes we won’t see the reward until the next life.

Have you ever felt that serving God had little reward and the ungodly seemed actually to be more blessed than you?

This is what the people of God felt. God heard their cry and responded through the prophet Malachi to explain God’s view on this matter.

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.
“They will be Mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I take up My treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Malachi 3:16-18).

Notice that after the people complained about this, they began to talk to each other, and the Lord listened and heard. God had been taking note of those who were serving Him and honoring Him. There is a day coming in which God will honor His “treasured possessions.” We will see that there is a distinction between the righteous and the wicked on that day when “the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall” (Mal. 4:2). What a beautiful picture of what we will feel like on that day.

God rewards faithful obedience. It often requires patience, suffering, and perseverance. Be of good cheer; He will reward you if you faint not.

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
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.

Patience means to be consistently constant or to be same way all the time … NO matter the situation and/or circumstance!
You see, FAITH opens the doors of God’s promise in our lives, PATIENCE keeps the doors open until the promise is fulfilled!
“Lacking nothing” … that phrase in James above,  alone should convince us that patience is not merely a consolation prize. It’s a first-class ticket, a first-grade power that will put the promise of God within our reach.
It’s a force that will make a winner out of all of us …

Revelation 22:12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Living for Jesus means responding to and living out the Gospel. It means living a redeemed life on this earth and understanding that our reward isn’t anywhere on the planet. Oh, there’s plenty to enjoy in God’s creation, but if those things do not compel us to worship, they can easily change into idols.
‘God wants everyone to be saved’. He wants everyone to ‘come to the knowledge of the truth’, to ‘come to repentance’.

Do you hear Jesus calling?
When something in your life or thoughts makes you anxious, come to Me and talk about it. Bring Me your prayer and petition with thanksgiving, saying: Thank You, Jesus, for this opportunity to trust You more.” Though the lessons of trust that I send to you come wrapped in difficulties, the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Well-developed trust will bring you many blessings, not the least of which is My Peace. I have promised to keep you in perfect Peace to the extent that you trust in Me. The world has it backwards, teaching that peace is a result of having enough money, possessions, insurance, and security systems. My Peace, however, is such an all-encompassing gift that it is independent of all circumstances. Though you lose everything else, if you gain My Peace you are rich indeed.
Yes, Do you hear Jesus calling?
Isaiah 26: 3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4 Trust in the lord forever, for the lord, the lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

Phil. 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Thank You, Jesus, for this opportunity to trust You more!!!!
We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not in Gods will. Where the Spirit of God is there is peace.
God is the only One who can satisfy
our need to love and be loved,
whether we are married (happily
of unhappily), divorced, widowed
or single.
“Because Thy loving kindness is better than life…”  Psalm 63:3
Amen

Deut. 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

This scripture is so powerful. The Lord himself goes before me. Wow!
We are not in this alone. He will never leave me nor forsake me! Wow!
No matter what-God is with me for the long haul.
Do not be afraid or discouraged. Again I say Wow!
We are living in VERY  uncertain times, BUT God promises he will go before us, he will never leave us and most importantly do not be afraid or discouraged.
Take heart Christ is returning soon. We have hope!!!!!!!!
Over the past two years there has been this freedom in Christ that I have felt unlike anything else in my life!
I appreciate the opportunity to be able:
* to read the Word of God anytime,
* to pray for my family and friends and even those who do not like me.

I will never take for granted again the reality that we have here- which is a freedom we can have in Christ when we surrender all of ourselves to Him.

I’ve learned that when you exposure yourself to God it’s like you allow Him to peel the layers away from your life like an onion. You start to stink- you become raw- you begin to see where the roots in your life are planted.
It’s OK for all of this to happen.
When we remove the walls in our lives that have been put up to prevent us from becoming authentic Christians it is a painful process… BUT there is nothing sweeter than the freedom you feel during the process and afterwards!
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Do you  frequently feel lonely, abandoned, left out or neglected?

Have you tried to hide Your emotions and pain with a painted-on smile while deep inside you hurt so much?
BUT God knows your heart –  He knows your personal struggles, your temptations in this busy fast competitive world.

For me I had no peace until I  surrendered  ALL to Him, then I begin to experience a renewing of my mind and freedom from the issues that kept me in bondage.
It was the freedom IN Christ that keeps me from being afraid or scared any longer. I do not have to lie awake at night wondering the same questions over and over in my head.
I know that God is in control and I can face every situation with more confidence.
With every painful emotion that you allow God to take control of comes a renewing of your mind and restoration of your soul.
To help you understand, the freedom you feel in Christ to do all things through Him is as large and wide as His unconditional love for us!!

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Our lives are so short. Scripture says its like a vapor, a blooming flower… here and gone. I want to use the short time that I have:
* to tell my children/grandchildren  how much I love them.
* To tell Laura how much I appreciate her and cherish her.
*To tell the Body of believers how blessed I am to be partaking in this journey with them.
* To tell my friends how much I love them. To tell them all to have courage. To not fear. To take strength in the knowledge of their Lord.

Lord-Thank you for the ability you’ve given us to encourage others. You put a song on our heart Lord and you help us to sing that song. Give us vision and strength for the future, but along the way remind us and help us to inspire and encourage those you have placed us  around. Thank you for your heart for all of us. That you will never leave or forsake us.
Isaiah 52:12 For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Deut. 1:30 The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt.

Deut 1: 42 “But the Lord told me to tell you, ‘Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies.’

Our own plans seldom avail to good purpose; while courage in the exercise of faith, and in the path of duty, enables the believer:
* to follow the Lord fully,
* to disregard all that opposes,
* to triumph over all opposition,
* to take firm hold upon the promised blessings.
Embrace the changes, both naturally and spiritually, that will take you on the next leg of your journey.
God loves YOU and You are His Masterpiece.
Amen

Who do you choose?

Joshua 24:15 “But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Choose today – and everyday – who you will serve. Will it be God, or money, or popularity, or television, or drugs, or sex, or food?
We have many gods in many shapes and sizes, but they do not look like the gods the ancient Hebrews faced. However, WE must still face them and make a decision. I want to serve God, my father, the maker and ruler of the universe.

God does not force us to serve Him. He gives us a choice because He loves us and because He loves us He will lovingly allow us to choose.  The one thing He will not allow is for us to ride the fence(we must choose God or Satan, Life or death). But, be very careful how you choose; choices are long lasting and life changing.
That applies to every choice we make in this life but unfortunately, we really don’t think about our choices or their consequences. When it really comes down to choosing…..God is the only choice.
**Our relationship with God should not be based on any man, BUT on the Lord alone, and that we will serve God no matter what anyone else says or does. We must check all programs, teachings
and book writings with the word of God to make sure it lines up with what God has written.
Some say the Bible “contains the word of God.” No. The Bible IS the Word of God.
ALL TRUTH is God’s truth; but the Bible is the recorded truth of God like no other book and like no Private revelation anyone might receive.

The idea that the Bible is the Word of God is from Jesus. Jesus constituted the Christian faith as one of Biblical authority.
That means that Bible/Scripture IS the AUTHORITY for Christian belief and practice.

Genesis 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh (Forget), saying, “God made me forget all my hardships and my parental home.”
52 He named his second son Ephraim (Double Prosperity), saying, “God has prospered me in the land of my sorrow.”
Joseph named his second son Ephraim. Ephraim was given to him after he had been delivered from his suffering of 13 years. Joseph said that he named him this because God had made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. Ephraim means “twice fruitful.”
Naming his firstborn Manasseh (Forget), like he did would remind him for the rest of his life “to forget”.

*God can help us forget all the horrible wounds of our past, guilt, shame  as we let God work through our service now.

Joseph was fruitful in two instances.  He was fruitful during his time of adversity and in his prosperity.
When God brings us into a time of suffering, it can be a fruitful time.
It’s rare for us to see the fruit during the suffering period. But know that the roots are going deep into the spiritual soil of our soul because of our pressing in to God during our time of suffering.
This is producing a work in our character that cannot be seen until it finishes the process. Such was the case for Joseph.

It was not until several years after such a time of suffering that I began to see the fruit of the trials that the Lord allowed me to experience.
*How grateful I am to understand some of the “why” that has led to a new life in Him that I would never have had without this period of trials and suffering. These are what produces Character.

If you find yourself in a time of suffering, now is the time to press into God.
Choose to let your roots grow deeper. Whenever there is a famine, tree roots are forced to drive deeper into the soil to find water. These times are designed to create such a deep-rooted FAITH that our natures will be changed forever.

We must not look at circumstances, trials and suffering and argue with Jesus when His instruction seems to contradict what we have seen or experienced already.
We must obey the Lord.

When we obey the Lord we might just see Jesus use us for His glory and bless our obedience.

Hebrews 5: 8 Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do.

Most of us have had recent spiritual attacks which send us reeling and caused us to feel off balance and unsteady.  But, the Lord tells us  that you will gain the victory over the enemy and the Lord will bring restoration, healing and renewal to your body, soul and spirit.  Allow these circumstances, trials, sufferings  to strengthen rather than weaken your faith.
These are perilous times, but when your trust is only in the Lord, you are unshakeable.

Psalm 107:23-30   Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble.  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses.  He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.

This may remind us of the terrors and distress of conscience many of us experience, and of those deep scenes of trouble which many pass through, in our Christian course. Yet, in answer to their cries, the Lord turns their storm into a calm, and causes their trials to end in gladness.

Psalms 107:1-43: There are some things that are worth repeating! The story of God’s amazing grace is worth repeating over and over again – ‘Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress’(6,13,19,28).
* The call to praise the Lord is also something we need to hear again and again – ‘Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men’(8,15,21,31). *Let us ‘consider the great love of the Lord’. Let us ‘give thanks to the Lord’(43,1).
**‘The great love of God is revealed IN the Son, who came to this earth to redeem every one. That love, like a stream flowing clear to the sea, makes clean every heart that from sin would be FREE… It’s yours, it is ours, O how lavishly given! The pearl of great price, and the treasure of heaven!
1 JN 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Remember we fight FROM Victory-not for victory.
1JN 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.

Dear Lord, may we be ever mindful there are others looking to us for an example of how to shape our lives according to Your ways.  Teach us to look beyond all of the suffering and choose to  be thankful in all circumstances, fill our heart with thanksgiving instead of bitterness, strengthen our faith in You so we may praise You even before we see the changes around us, for You always turn OUR HEART FIRST and give us a whole new perspective so that we may choose to live our short life here on this earth to serve You and  glorify Your name.
JN 16:22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and NO one will take away your joy.
We are Children of God and we ARE complete IN CHRIST!!! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

“Everyone will be salted with fire.” Mark 9:49

Jesus used parables to communicate principles of the Kingdom of God. He said each believer’s life should have the same impact on his or her world as salt has on food. Salt gives food flavor and brings out the best, while at the same time it serves as a preservative.

What allows a Christian to become salty? Fire. God knows that each believer needs a degree of testing by fire in order for Christ’s fragrance to be manifested.
We cannot become salty without this deeper work of the Holy Spirit’s fire in our lives.
* Fire purifies all that is not of Christ.
* Fire takes away all the impurities that prevent His nature from being revealed in us.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may RESULT in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Are you a salty Christian? If not, pray a prayer that the immature are unwilling to pray. PRAY that God makes you a salty Christian. It will result in praise and glory at the throne of God. End Oz

“Everyone will be salted with fire.” Mark 9:49
The Lord was precise.  He said “everyone.” The Lord was particular “salted by fire.” We all have a choice to make DAILY. Are we going to be on fire and ablaze with what we do for Him?  Or, will we simply settle for being burnt out?
The world is looking for authentic people they can taste.    Let’s show our friends, family, and colleagues what living is all about. Living starts with dying. Surrending everything to the Lord is the foundation for good seasoning.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 YOU ARE the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to ALL in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
AMEN

God’s word lasts Forever!

Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

The Bible is quoted throughout modern history in literature and song. However it is so much more than history or moral stories. It is the LIVING word of God!

The Old Testament is about the Law and the sinfulness of sin. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the OT and the plan of redemption.
The scriptures are perfect given to us by God by using fallible man to communicate his infallible word.
Matthew 4:” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”

Psalms 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

This passage is two-fold. It reminds me that in order for me to grow in my walk with God, in order for me grow spiritually, I need to stay rooted in the word of God. It’s important to come together with a community of believers but it’s not enough.
Just as a tree needs water to grow…just as it needs water to strengthen it’s roots, so I need the Word of God.
* Being rooted will prepare me for what the enemy will try to bring against me.
*Being rooted reminds me of the promises God has for me.
* Being rooted allows me to make a difference in someone’s life.

Psalms 119: 88 Because of your constant love be good to me, so that I may obey your laws. 89 Your word, O LORD, will last forever; it IS eternal in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness endures through all the ages; you have set the earth in place, and it remains. 91 All things remain to this day because of your command, because they are all your servants. 93 I will NEVER neglect your instructions, because by them you have kept me alive. 94 I am yours—save me!

God does not change; he is eternal. We cannot completely comprehend him, and we can only see what He reveals to us through His word and His Spirit. However, His grace, mercy, and love to those who seek him are consistent throughout scripture. This whole passage is about the eternal nature of God, His faithfulness, and the psalmist seeking Him and His laws.

God is here all the time and His love endures forever. I only need to continue to seek Him through his word and his spirit which he has given me and He will guide me.

The psalmist says that:
1. God’s word is eternal.
2. God’s word “it stands firm in the heavens.”.
This is an interesting thought in our age of redefining the word of God.
For over a century we have dealt with theologians and pastors who feel that God’s word must be redefined to meet cultural needs and expectations.

Basically, what they are saying is that God’s word is not valid or meaningful until I (the interpreter) give it its value and meaning.

The problem I have is that this is the very opposite of being eternally firm.
* If God’s word needs me to tell it what it really means, then it is no different than the computer that is outdated already the day I buy it.
* If God’s word is going to mean something different tomorrow because of someone’s new interpretation, then it is not eternally true. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
* If God’s word is not eternally true, then there are no eternal/absolute truths.  The truth and validity of every thought must wait for me/you to tell it what it means.  At this point, all truth becomes subjective and relative.
This is exactly where our society and church is challenged today!
The psalmist says that God’s truths are eternal.  They are unchanging principles that govern our existence.
* Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life.”  (John 14:6)  *Jesus is not a truth waiting to be defined by us.
* JESUS IS absolute unchanging TRUTH that we need to seek out and discover.  * Jesus is an eternal treasure worthy of being searched for and found.
***  It is upon this unchanging truth of Jesus, and His word, that we stake our faith and our hope.
Know this for sure!  In this uncertain and changing world, God and His word are certain and unchanging.  They are eternal and true!
MARK 13:31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no
means pass away.”
The Word of God is infinite. It will never be untrue no matter where we are at in life.  Some people focus on the questions and forget about the already existing supporting evidence. But it all comes down to this one fact, Heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus’ words, the Word of God, will not pass away. If God will sustain His word through history and difficult times, He’ll certainly give you the strength to make it through your difficult times.

Matthew 4:4 But Jesus answered, “The scripture says, ‘Human beings cannot live on bread alone, but need every word that God speaks.’”
I love the fact that even Jesus himself relied on the Father. We must let go of our pride and rely on him as well. No job is to big for GOD. The Word is our Bread. So I think this verse also gets at the idea that we should be incredibly adamant about staying in scripture.

It says in Ephesians 6:17 to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. So obviously the Word of God is a powerful weapon for us to use against the attacks of Satan (funny how Jesus also uses the word of God to counter Satan’s attacks:) But to use the word as a weapon, first you must know it. You must read it .
The Devil tempted Jesus to worship him. However, Jesus demonstrated the key to overcoming Satan’s challenge in His life.
This is the same key that God wants us to use when the Devil challenges us. *Three times Jesus responded to the Devil, “it is written.”
The kingdom key to beating Satan’s challenge is to stand strong in the word of God to defeat him.
Jesus was victorious over the same temptations to which Israel had succumbed in the wilderness, when they forced a test upon God in a time of need. It was the spoken word of God that enabled Jesus to resist Satan’s enticement to sin.
God wants us to stand in His word and to speak it with power when we are tempted.
*It is the word of God that provides the blow of destruction to the Devil’s enticement to sin in our lives.

1 Peter 1: 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.
Gods word remains true because it’s exactly that, his word. It stays absolute and resolute because of him.

ISAIAH 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God
stands forever.”
*A belief is something you hold on too.  *A Convictions is something that holds on to you.

1 PETER 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but
incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
JOHN 17:17 “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Nothing is more sure or more grounded than God’s word:
*It is a foundation that will always stand the test of time,
*It is faithful, established by God himself, and will abide for all eternity. Jesus says in Matthew 24:35, “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
So you can trust the word of God to be not only faithful, but always around to be there for you when YOU need wisdom and strength to face life in this world.
The issue is settled in Heaven. Now YOU should settle it: God’s word is true. God said what He meant and meant what He said.

I the LORD do not change. Malachi 3:6

He never changes. Why, then, do we, His followers, condone an unmarried couple’s living together? Why do we say that only love matters, not the gender of the lovers? Why do we divorce at a higher rate than the rest of Americans? Why do we end the lives of our unborn children? Why do we, children of God, lack compassion for the poor? Why are we so ready to go to war – personally, religiously, politically?

***We treat God’s Word with irreverence. We do not believe that it is eternal. We do not believe that He never changes, or, if we do, we believe that someone must have made a mistake or inserted his own opinions into His “word.”

We must return to a place where God’s word is revered as the greatest revelation of Him in our possession. It is not a document prepared by men to coerce their agenda on others, but a revelation of God’s holiness, justice, love, grace, and mercy given to the human race.

Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,
and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.
Psalm 119: 127-128

I’d like to challenge you and myself  to pray through Psalm 119. This Psalm is an acrostic poem (each section correlates to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet) with 22 sections. Take one section a day. Read a verse, then pray that verse to God in your own words. If you do this from your heart, I believe you will begin to love God’s Word more than you ever have.

Lord, I love you and seek you with all my heart. I choose to turn from everything that distracts me and deceives me. Give me wisdom to see when I am getting off track. Guide my path today and every day. Amen

Experiencing God’s Love is the only thing that will give us hope for the future, even when we can’t understand the way in which He leads us.
Psalm 23:4″ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me…”

Matthew 25:37-40:
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

We are told in the OT and NT that we serve God when we serve the oppressed. We can see His face in the face of the poor, helpless, and hurting. We only need but open our eyes!

Only God’s Love can give us the strength to persevere through the painful trials present in every human life.
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me…”
Philippians 4:13

Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
*Thank you God for your Word(when W is cap in Bible means Jesus).(JN 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.)
*Thank you God for your eternal, perfect, all truthful word we have available to us in the Bible. Help us see through the Holy Spirit Your Love for each one of us through your word this day. Help us see Your words come to life more and more as we rely on the Holy Spirit as we read, pray and meditate on Your word given to us.  AMEN

Great passages to check out:
Romans 1:16, Rev. 1:3, 2 Pet. 1:19,23
Prov. 6:23,  1 Pet. 2:2. Deut. 11:18
Josh. 1:8, James 1:21-25
2 Timothy 3:15-17, Isaiah 8:20
John 5:39, Amos 3:7, Acts 20:32
Matthew 4:4, Hebrews 4:12
Psalm 19:7-8, Romans 10:17
2 Timothy 2:15

“Why should I believe in Jesus Christ?”

. . . The reason Jesus is essential to believe in is because there is a holy God who is infinitely just and infinitely loving. And in his justice he is angry at us because we  have sinned against him.
We have rejected him, we haven’t trusted him, we haven’t loved him as we ought, we have broken his commandments.
All we have to do is list out, “Thou shall not steal, thou shall not lie, thou shall not lust or covet and shall love him only above all things, and we’ve broken those and so wrath rests upon us.

Jesus  is the son of God sent into the world as the atonement, the sacrifice that bears our sins and that provides our righteousness.
So that if there were no Christ we would only have guilt and judgment and condemnation and Hell from God.

But because Christ came and God sent him, in his love we can look away from ourselves. This is what faith means: we look away from ourselves, we cast ourselves on Christ for his mercy and we TRUST his death on the cross to be our punishment.

And we TRUST his righteousness to be imputed to us so that now in Christ, that is in relation to Christ, by faith, God looks upon us as having fulfilled his whole law, as having ALL of our sins forgiven, and being acceptable in the beloved Jesus Christ.
So that now we HAVE  eternal joy, eternal glory.

So the practical answer, “Why believe in Jesus” is because it’s the only way:
* to escape Hell,
*to know God,
* to have everlasting joy in the presence of God.
**And we believe it because it’s true.

Psalms 17:15 As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I will be
satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake.
What beautiful words, what a beautiful expectation – the expectation
of every true believer, one that extends beyond the end of time and
out into eternity.
David acknowledges that those who reject God do so to get their reward in this life.
The chasing of pleasure is all about the now. And David says to let them have it. *Let them be full on the things they chase.
* Let their gluttony for evil pleasure be so abundant that their close ones can enjoy it.
* Let them have it.
* Let them chase the pleasure. Let them.
But David wants none of it. his only desire is to see the face of God. From the moment he wakes, if he could only see the likeness of God everyday, he would be satisfied.

I just rejoice in that phrase, “I will be satisfied”in Psalms 17:15.  I don’t believe there’s anything else that can fully satisfy the human heart but God Himself.
At this time in this life we have
contact with God.
We know Him, we serve Him, we do His will.
But there are gaps in the revelation, there’s a veil in between, we are still creatures of flesh.
Our ideas and our concepts are so limited and inadequate to apprehend God, but there’s going to be a day
when we awake in His righteousness, not in our own, clothed with His
righteousness, faultless to stand before His throne, to see Him face to face. And then we will be satisfied.
*Nothing else can take the place of that. That’s the end of all living. It all ends in God Himself.

Experiencing God’s Love is the only thing that will give us HOPE for the future, even when we can’t understand the way in which He leads us.
Psalm 23:4″ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I fear no evil; for Thou
art with me…”

Matthew 25:37-40:
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
*We are told in the OT and NT that we serve God when we serve the oppressed. We can see His face in the face of the poor, helpless, and hurting. We only need but open our eyes!

From experience I can see how God makes us fruitful in the very things that afflicted us. In the land of your affliction, in your battle, is the place where God will make you fruitful.
Consider, even now, the area of greatest affliction in your life. In that area, God will make you fruitful in such a way that your heart will be fully satisfied, and God’s heart fully glorified. God has not promised to keep us from valleys and sufferings, but to make us fruitful in them.

Hebrews 5:8 Although He(Jesus) was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

Jesus, my Shepherd, open my eyes- may I truly know You such that Your mere presence takes away all my fear. May I feel deep within my heart Your love for me so that Your means of guiding and protecting me are comforting, no matter the pain or inconvenience. May I love You completely, oblivious to the threat around me, knowing that You care for me and will not let me fall in that valley of death. May others see my behavior in dire circumstances and know that You are the cause of my courage and comfort. In Your name. Amen.

Do You Know Who You Are?
“Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart” (Ps 36:10).

Someone once said and now I see it for myself, that for me:  “Success is when those who know you the best are those who love you the most.”

When we really understand how much He loves us, we will no longer fear the circumstances He allows in our lives.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1

Hab. 2:1 What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst. I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says,
how he’ll answer my complaint.
Full of Self, but Soul-Empty 2 And then God answered: “Write this.
Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. 3 This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie.

Don’t give up, and don’t lose faith.  Gods plan in your life will take place in His timing.  You were created for that purpose, as long as your after His heart….you won’t miss it!
Proverbs 16:1 We may make our plans, but God has the last word.
Verse 2 You may think everything you do is right, but the LORD judges your motives.
The Apostle Paul said, “Pray that I may proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly as I should.”

The prophet Habakkuk said, “Write down the revelation and make it plain.”

REAL transparency in communication takes place when those we associate with us know who we are after WE discover who WE really are.

See if you can identify what category you might fall among these four:

1. Transparent Life
The transparent life is the life we should desire.  I know who I am and others know me. There is nothing hidden. I have come to know who I am as an individual and basically people get what they see in me.

2. Bull-In-The-China Shop
This person is blinded to the things that others recognize about him. The solution to becoming a transparent person is to get feedback from those around us about the blind spots in our personality. We must ask for the feedback and be willing to respond to their input.

3. Aloof/Hidden Secrets
This person lives in a secret world. They don’t allow others to know about themselves. They know themselves but are fearful of letting others know. Those around them do not know them either. What do others really know about you? Have you allowed yourself to get close enough to others to share who you really are INSIDE?

4. Hidden Potential
This is a combination of Bull-In-A-China Shop and Aloof/Hidden Secrets. It is the saddest of all conditions.
These people don’t know themselves and others don’t know them either. This means both parties have to invest the energy to communicate and get feedback from one another.

How about you? Why not take a step to find out who you really are in the eyes of others. It could change your life.
Having a transparent life is the life we should desire.  I know who I am and others know me. To me his is true fellowship. There is nothing hidden, the past is the past and we move forward on what we can now do, keeping our eyes on Jesus.   I have come to know who I am as an individual(God’s masterpiece) and who I am in Christ.

Steps to help.

1. Get Spiritual-
Now I didn’t say get religious or churchy!
* It’s time to really speak to the curses, spirits and things in your life that mean you no good.
* It’s time to cast them down and out! You’ve got to connect with God on a greater level and it starts with you connecting more with yourself.
Genesis 1:26 tells us that we were made in his image and his likeness. So if you want to know more about God, you’ve got to know who you are!
Knowing the more of YOU forces you to know the more of God.

2. Get real-
Christians have this balance issue real bad! You can’t be all spiritual and no real! No more than you can be all frosting with no cake! Some of us Christians are all sugar and spice and everything nice but we aren’t real(Transparent)!
And folks can see right through your “Praise-the-Lords” and your “I’m-blessed-and-highly-

EACH person is given something to do that SHOWS who God is! This gifting  God has given each one of us is an OUTLET for the OVERFLOW of GOD’S LOVE in our lives for others.

1 Corintians 12: 4 God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. 5 God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. 6 God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. 7 Each person is given something to do that SHOWS who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! 8 The variety is wonderful:
Verse11 All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.(Message)

You’ve likely heard leaders in various ministries at your church pleading for men and women to get involved. Mission trips. Small groups, Youth groups, Bible studies. Building maintenance. Fatherless children who need a mentor. Is service like that really such a big deal?
Yes! It’s a big deal to God, because you are a big deal to him! He’s placed you – in your physical body – within another “body”, his Church.
***YOU need an outlet for the overflow of HIS LOVE in your life!
The apostle Paul writes (1 Corinthians 12:27): “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it”.

It’s also a big deal because God’s heart is always full of LOVE for those both in his body and outside it. But our mouths are often filled with excuses, reasons for not participating in our Lord’s mission:
• What can I bring to the table?
• I don’t have those gifts.
Moses also balked. He said (Exodus 4:10), “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord put a quick end to his excuses (4:12):”Go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

The Lord addressed Jeremiah’s insecurities and empowered him for his mission, as well:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:5

We may try to excuse ourselves, but our God will not excuse himself from actively participating in our lives. Christ keeps on calling us to take an active part in what he is doing in his body, the Church.
Christ  empowers us and fills our hearts with compassion for those around us (1 Corinthians 12:26).
In mercy, he forgives our failures, teaching us to FORGIVE those who hurt us. And he provides opportunity after opportunity to get INVOLVED in caring for others so that no one will miss the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15).

*The gifts and abilities we have are from God, to be used where He has arranged us to be for the cause of the Kingdom.
It is a beautiful thing when this happens – God is glorified and people are blessed. It is not so beautiful when:
1. People try to steal His glory and take credit,
2. Or when we try to do things for which we are not gifted,
3.  Or when we don’t live and work in UNITY with other parts of the body.

Habakkuk 2:2 The LORD gave me this answer: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.  3 Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed.

For me, It’s time to get back to the basics and listen to the Lord and hear what He is saying and write them down and set some goal with what HE has given me.
First: A goal is looking into the future and aiming in a certain direction. Attack it with your faith and submit it all to God.
*Faith is believing with out seeing. Don’t just have hope. Have faith.

1)A goal gives us direction:
It gives us vision and direction. Keep your eyes on the target and fight to get it done.

2)Goals give you purpose:
Have purpose for everything you do. Take everything as a challenge and conquer it. What good is life if there is no purpose. People who are goal oriented all have success right behind them.
3)With goals you must have a plan:
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
You have to have a plan. Don’t be naive. Without a plan nothing will be accomplished.
4) Set dates:
If you don’t set dates and challenge yourself, it’ll become a “some day” thing.
5)The goals must be realistic:
Don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t ask to be a millionaire by tomorrow morning. Unrealistic goals will discourage you. Believe God for everything, but do everything you have to do. ACTION
6)Identify your enemies:
You have enemies trying to keep your from accomplishing your goals. Enemies don’t necessarily have to be people. It could be shopping, eating, or money. Set your “road blocks”  aside so you can get to your destination. Stay away from it or set it aside for a certain period of time. We fail when we give into the enemy.
7)Identify somebody who can get you where you need to be:
It could be a person, book, or website with more knowledge and wisdom than you.
8)The vision or goal must me written and put where it can be seen everyday:
9)Use your faith:
*You have the word of God.
* You have Jesus.
* You have the Holy Spirit.
* You have God.
Get scriptures to stand on to help get past all the blocks and distractions. Even when your ready to quit, read them.
10)Commit yourself to your goals:
Lift up your goals to God. Pray over your goals. If you apply yourself, commit yourself, always keep your eyes on the finish line, and don’t stop you WILL get there.
Nothing can be done over night. You have to work on it. Be disciplined.
Don’t give up, and don’t lose faith.

Gods plan in your life will take place in His timing.  You were created for that purpose, as long as your after His heart….you won’t miss it!

The Lord is  shining a light on the parts of our life that still need complete sanctification and victory.  These are the areas that cause us the most trouble and keep us from breakthrough.  Be sensitive to the work of His Spirit to bring conviction and correction, for this is a holy work and worthy of our undivided attention.  This is a good work that will bring spiritual wholeness and stability.  If we will yield in total submission, we will be delighted with the outcome the Lord has planned.
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER STARTER: Lord, you’re constantly active and involved in my life. Show me how to get involved in the lives of others…help me see and know my giftings You have given me for the Body and for your Glory. Help me to write down the goals YOU want me to do and give me the Power and Strength to carry your plans out to completion.
IS. 30:21 If you wander off the road to the right or the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, “Here is the road. Follow it.”
AMEN