Devotions - Prayer
Mark 4:7 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
18 The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Don’t allow the things of the world to steal the Word of God from You. There is so much that surrounds us it is so easy to fall into wanting and desiring the things of this world—-everyone wants a nice home, nice cars, nice clothes, everyone wants more money so that they can get more and more and more and more, (again I tell you, there is nothing wrong with wanting to have nice things, it’s when we allow the desire to have these things to take precedence over God the Father is when it becomes wrong).
When these things are allowed to become more important than seeking the Father then we have made them to become idols in our lives.
*It’s not just the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches that choke the word of God out of us: it is the lust of other things as well.
Because of the finished work on the cross, we have Jesus within us—which we need to keep the word from being choked.
When our prayer goes unanswered, or we get the answer we do not want we like little children throw temper tantrums and say “God does not answer my prayers” or “God does not care”.
Do not allow the things of this world to steal the treasure that God has given to you.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
***Do not believe the lies the enemy whispers do not allow him to choke the Word from you.
*Pray asking the Lord every day to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness, to wash in His blood, ask Him to keep our mind right and help us to resist the devil. Amen
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God Has A Greater Plan for Me—Since this is true — since nothing happens outside God’s will and plan(Read Ecclesiastes 7:14) — then my daily challenges are under his sovereign control, too.
*God knows about my tantrums, Sickness, and the everyday-stress of getting through each day.
*He is not surprised—All the events of our lives that feel out of our control are actually in God’s control.
Lamentations 3:37–38 says, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?”
*God is in control of every circumstance and every event of our lives, and he uses them, often in some mysterious way, to change us more into the likeness of Christ.
When my days are long and everything seems to go wrong, I know it has all happened for a reason. (Romans 8:28–29).
This is what God is about. He is not in the business of making my life comfortable and free of any stress. He has something greater planned for me: my holiness.
In the midst of the chaos, I see Jesus and how much I need the gospel each and every moment.
The God of grace who saved me from sin is the God of grace who will help me have patience.
Every challenging situation becomes an opportunity for me to trust him — to obey, to learn, to grow, to rely more on his grace.
So when the air condition breaks and I get a flat tire, instead of despair there is hope. Life doesn’t feel out of control if we know “Who is in control”.
We can trust and rest in God’s sovereignty, knowing that he is using our every stress for our transformation and his glory.
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-1
Lord, help me Focus on encouraging love in one another, not pointing out their faults. Let love cover my mistakes because Jesus forgives all mistakes and sins– that is why Jesus died for us. Thank You Jesus! Amen
Read MoreWe must realize that the battleground for this invisible war that we’re in is actually between our ears – in our minds.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)
This is why God wants us to be prepared for the spiritual attacks that come our way.
He wants to equip and prepare us in the strength of his power to stand against the enemy’s schemes and defeat him in the specific battles in our life.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (Eph 6:14-15)
Notice that to protect ourselves from the evil:
We must do something. We must take action and stand. We’re commanded to consciously and vigorously make a decisive act to stand our ground firmly against the enemy’s assaults.
This means becoming aware of the devil’s schemes and putting on the full armor of God.
The armor of God is a metaphor to help us understand the general thinking of how we’re to prepare ourselves for spiritual battle. READ EPHESIANS 6 FOR TOTAL ARMOR. BELOW IS 2 OF 6 PIECES OF ARMOR.
First, we need to put on the belt of truth.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
In response, our strategy is to protect our minds from Satan’s lies by knowing and believing what God’s word says is true of us: We’re accepted and deeply loved, bought with a price, part of God’s family, and sealed with the Spirit.
Putting on the belt of truth also means we’re honest with ourselves and with God. We’re open to correction when the Spirit of God speaks to us. We don’t hide or shift blame. We own our stuff.
Second, we need to put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Satan’s second tactic is condemnation. This is not the kind of condemnation we feel when we knowingly do something wrong and feel guilty. This is the kind of guilt that shames.
Satan condemns us by saying things like, “You’re a terrible person!” “God will never use you!” “If anyone knew what you did and found out who you really are!” “You call yourself a Christian!”
By putting on the breastplate of righteousness we can protect our heart against the enemy’s condemnation. What does this look like? It’s the practical application of God’s truth for our lives.
We’re already righteous before God because of Christ. But we need to apply this truth by living it out. This means living uprightly in our lifestyle and character.
When we’re living outside of God’s will, we open ourselves up to demonic attack.
So if God shows us a specific area of our lives that we need to get right, then we need to do what He says.
Jesus thank you for the cross that we Have Victory. Thank You for your Word that we can be ready to stand firm against the attacks of the evil one. Thank you-Thank you-AMEN
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The phrase “lust of the eyes” is found in 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”
What is this “lust of the eyes”? Simply put, the lust of the eyes is the desire to possess what we see or to have those things which have visual appeal.
This coveting of money, possessions, or other physical things is not from God, but from the world around us. John emphasizes that these physical things do not last; they will pass away. In contrast, the child of God is guaranteed eternity.
The Ten Commandments addressed the lust of the eyes in its prohibition against coveting.
Exodus 20:17 commands, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” Coveting can include a desire to have people, possessions, or status.
Satan uses the lust of the eyes as one avenue of temptation. Part of the reason Eve listened to the serpent in the Garden was that she looked at the forbidden fruit and saw that it was “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). Satan used a visual image to help entrap her.
Satan tried a similar tactic on Jesus. One of his temptations in the wilderness was an attempt to make Jesus covet earthly power. Satan used a visual: he “showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor” (Matthew 4:8). He then promised to give them to Jesus—for a price. Of course, Jesus did not succumb to the lust of the eyes, and Satan was defeated (verses 10 and 11).
We must follow Jesus’ example and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, resist the lust of the eyes.
All that glitters is not gold, and the child of God knows that fame, fortune, and finery quickly fade (Proverbs 23:5). Our focus is not the newest product or latest fashion. Our goal is not to keep up with the Joneses.
Instead, our goal is “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Our eyes are set on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
Our view is to eternity NOT the temporal pleasures here.
Again: The phrase “lust of the eyes” is found in 1 John 2:15-17. But our goal is “to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). Our eyes are set on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Our view is to eternity! Amen
Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
The Bible is 100 percent Truth, so faithful to life. It doesn’t give us a rosy, false picture of what life is like.
It shows us both the dark and the light, the evil and the good, the hard and the enjoyable, the bitter and the sweet.
And the Bible says that, in effect, if we want to reap we are going to have to sow.
That’s a law of life; it’s a law of the universe.
It says that sowing will be done with tears, but reaping will come with joy.
That’s faith, you see. You’ve got to go out with your seed even in tears, to scatter the seed and be willing to wait, and to wait upon God and let Him bring forth the harvest which He’s promised.
But the promise is so beautiful, “He that goes out weeping carrying seed to sow will return with songs of joy carrying sheaves with him.”
Let this be a message to you and me. If we are feeling discouraged, if we are feeling that somehow things aren’t going the way we want them to, that we are working and seeing so few and such indeterminate results, just be prepared to weep.
But go on sowing, because God has promised that if you sow the good seed, even weeping, there will come a day when you’ll carry back your arms full of sheaves with songs of joy.
Don’t be afraid to sow even in tears, you’ll reap with songs of joy.
The Bible has the best remedy for us to help overcome the dark days.
Psalm 92:1-2 tells us that: “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…”
**Do you need to see some “good” right now because you’re going through a challenging time?
**Or do you also struggle to notice the simple blessings in the midst of your hectic days?
Psalms 61:2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. “
Today, let’s begin to look for the blessings(gratitude)He’s given us and praise Him for them.
Dear Lord, please turn our “bad” days into praise. Help us notice Your blessings all around us. Open our eyes to Your promises–In the Bible. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Read MoreOnly God searches the heart, so only He knows the real motives behind our choices.
** “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts…”. Luke 16:15
When we make wrong, emotional choices, our hearts become “covered over” and the fountain of living water gets blocked. When God’s Love is no longer motivating our actions, our self-life takes control.
“Their heart is covered with fat…” Psalm 119:70
MATTHEW 26:41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
*The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience.
*Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer.
***Yet, failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds, causes much confusion. “Character”
This change has to take place in our born-again spirit first.
Why is that?
If we were over-weight before we got saved, we will be over-weight after we get saved, unless we go on a weight loss program. Your body doesn’t instantly change and neither does your soul or mind.
It is your spirit that is instantly changed at salvation. It is perfect (Heb. 12:23). It cannot sin (1 Jn. 3:9). Everything that is true of Jesus is true of our born-again spirit.
*Your spiritual salvation is complete.
*At salvation, you receive the same spirit that you will have throughout all eternity.
It will not have to be changed or cleansed again. It is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) and therefore, is sanctified and perfected forever (Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:23).
For the remainder of our Christian life, we must not try to obtain faith, joy or love from God, but rather Release what we already have in our spirits (Gal. 5:22-23) into our soul and body.
Failure to understand this has caused some people to despair when they don’t see sufficient change in their life after coming to the Lord for salvation.
It must be understood that the change is internal in our spirit and the outward change will take place as we renew our minds through God’s Word.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Lord, I know that through you all things are possible and I want to do what is pleasing to you, so I ask that you transform my mind by the renewing of your word in this regard, that I might live holy and acceptable in your sight for Your Glory and my joy! Amen
Today’s opportunities erase yesterday’s failures. –Gene Brown
Around the country are houses for rehabilitation, also called “halfway houses,” where men and women who have fallen on hard times–incarceration, addiction, mental illness–have the opportunity to get a fresh start.
In these homes they learn, some for the first time, the skills that will help them function well as they reenter society–filling out a job application, opening a bank account, shopping for groceries on a budget, and so forth. Every day these men and women face a choice:
- They can look backward, allowing their past to determine their identity,
- or they can imagine a brighter future moving forward for themselves.
- Which ones succeed?
- Which ones realize the destiny God has planned for them?
Those of us facing obstacles of our own have the same choice and challenge every day. Like the Bible character Ruth, we can choose to let go of the past and start the future in a new land (Ruth 1:16).
Ruth was a woman of excellence because she wasn’t held hostage to her past.
We can learn from yesterday, but we aren’t to live in it.
The devil would love for us to stay stuck in the past. He wouldn’t even mind if, dreaming of an unrealistic future, we slacked off on what God has for us today. Each day we have the choice to embrace the future God has prepared for us.
How have you been tempted to allow an experience from the past, or a difficult season in your life, define who you are?
Living in the past or in the future means we’re not really living in the present at all. How can a clear vision of the future impact your living today?
God, I believe Your mercies are new every morning. I release yesterday to You, and I purpose to live today as the kingdom Person You’ve made me to be. Let me exalt You for any success and share with you any disappointments. Guide me to reflect on this glorious day with fond remembrance and look forward to another. Amen.
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“For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake…. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” – 2 Corinthians 4:11-12
Death is the great mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
*Death gives life.
*Jesus’ death on the cross gave life.
*The death of a vision brings new vision.
*The death of a seed gives new life.
*It is the central focus of God’s requirement for experiencing Him–death.
When Jesus extended us an invitation to experience salvation and a relationship with Him, it came with a great cost, our very lives.
Yet what we don’t realize is that until we relinquish our total lives, we really aren’t living at all.
Without this death we will continue to strive, manipulate, and fret over every detail of life.
It is when we finally say, “Yes, Lord, I am Yours completely,” that we experience real freedom for the first time.
This is the only time when Christ is fully seen in and through our lives.
The First Truth to Master Life says:
” I confess my spiritual and moral bankruptcy and agree with Jesus’ words: “without me you can do nothing.”
Result: I am fully accepted and welcomed into God’s Family.
I am “Accepted.”
*When this happens, I am fully accepted into God’s family. Upon receiving Jesus and His work on the cross, of bearing my sin and His victory over death through His resurrection—I have the gift of eternal life.
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John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
In order to fully understand what eternal life is, it is helpful to understand what it is not.
Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell.
Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell.
John 3:36 and 5:24 show that eternal life is a present tense possession of the believer.
Here, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ.
the word “know” is speaking of intimacy instead of mere intellectual knowledge.
Therefore, eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son.
According to John 3:16, this intimacy with God is what salvation is all about.
*Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation: intimacy with the Father is.
*Of course, Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for our sins because unforgiven sins block us from intimacy with God.
KEY IS: Most non-believers are so occupied with their “hell on earth” that they don’t really think or care about their eternal future.
*They are fed up with religion and are looking for something that will fill the emptiness inside.
Only intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that.
We need to have an Eternal Perspective
Basically, having an eternal perspective means that as we make decisions or take actions, we consider how they will impact us and others in eternity.
Lord, Help me to KNOW You more and more each day and share Your love with others. Amen
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The First Truth in the 8 Truths to Master Life.
1. I confess my spiritual and moral bankruptcy and agree with Jesus’ words: “without me you can do nothing.”
Result: I am fully accepted and welcomed into God’s Family.
I am “Accepted.”
*When this happens, I am fully accepted into God’s family. Upon receiving Jesus and His work on the cross, of bearing my sin and His victory over death through His resurrection—I have the gift of eternal life.
Isaiah 55:1. “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free!”
*Salvation is a gift from God. Gods thoughts and ways are far above our ways , when you accept his invitation. His invitation is for everyone “he that hath ears let him hear”.
Salvation is free a gift from God.
You said, “Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.” My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:4-6).
Notice the difference: “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” The inner eye of the heart sees the nature of God. And the result? Job says, “I despise myself.” That is repentance.
Job has never been in this place before. He is learning at last the hardest lesson of life, what God seeks to teach us all: the problem is never in others or in God; the problem is in us.
And it is a problem that only God can handle.
It looks as though God has humiliated Job and brought this poor, broken-hearted man down into the dust almost cruelly.
Yet it is not cruelty, it is love—because, at this point, when Job has finally given up trying to defend and justify himself, God begins to heal and pour into this man’s life blessings he never dreamed of.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, the men and women who are bankrupt in themselves, who stop counting on what they have to make it. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God will begin to heal a life that repents before Him, and He will fill it with blessing and honor and glory and power.
None of the prideful things to which we cling will be worth the smallest portion of the glory and joy we have discovered in coming into a relationship with God Himself.
Thank You, Father, for this penetrating look at my own heart. How proud I have been, how filled with self-justification with complaints before You. Teach me to put my hand upon my mouth and admit to You that the problem lies so often with me so that You will heal and restore me. Amen
Psalms 139:
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Ruth Bell Graham once said, “A great marriage is the union of two forgivers.”
When you forgive your spouse, you are ultimately saying to them, “I choose to give up the right to punish you for how you have hurt me.”
When we forgive another person, it doesn’t mean we forget. And it doesn’t brush it away and pretend that it didn’t happen.
Forgiveness says, “I refuse to dwell on my anger and hurt.” It is an essential step to healing and restoring oneness.
Christ’s death on the cross—His forgiveness—restored our relationship to God. Trust that God can use your forgiveness to restore your relationship and change you both for the better.
Here are 4 steps that will help you express and experience forgiveness:
- Do it privately: Go to God in prayer and say, “God, I forgive _________ for hurting me. I choose to give up the right to punish __________.”
- Do it publicly and specifically: Go to the person and be specific, “I forgive you for ________.”
- Do it graciously: Keep the bigger goal in mind, which is restoring your relationship and rebuilding trust. That means giving up your right to punish!
- Do it generously: Acknowledge your own failings to maintain balance; not one of us is perfect! And once you’ve forgiven, refuse to bring up the matter again in a hurtful way.
Forgiveness gives us the opportunity to re-establish our relationship and make things right with our spouse or a family member.
It removes the issue that creates isolation in a relationship and empowers us to grow in oneness.
10 Keys to Forgiveness:(Emmett I. Aldrich)
1) Let Go of the Anger
2) Don’t be Stubborn
3) Stop Thinking of yourself as a Victim
4) Focus on the Future
5) Re-Learn to Trust
6) Be Reasonable in your expectations of Others
7) Expect that it will take time to Forgive
8) Examine your Heart
9) Let Forgiveness become an Everyday Practice
10) Ask God for Guidance
Lord, Help me see and experience forgiveness in my life, knowing You are the God of restoration. Help me be patient, knowing Your timing is Perfect!
Help us dear God to put aside resentment, hurt, hostility and bitterness so that we may have reconciliation with those who have offended us, and whom we have offended. Amen
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Christ is actively working within you to shape your character and empower your obedience.
John 15:26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
We need to leave our failures behind and he keep moving forward.
Two wonderful absolutes.
1. The first absolute: GOD REALLY LOVES ME.
*God is not in the business of condemning His children, failures or not. He is a loving Father, wanting only to lift us out of our weaknesses.
*Sometimes we recognize His great love only when we hit bottom. You will have won a great victory if you can be convinced God loves you even in your wounded, crippled condition.
*Our strength is renewed by His everlasting love.
*Just rest in that wonderful love. Don’t panic. Deliverance will come.
2. The second absolute: IT IS MY FAITH THAT PLEASES HIM THE MOST!
“Without faith, it is impossible to please him” (Hebrews 11:6).
*God counts our trust as righteousness. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. (Romans 4:3).
I may not understand why He sometimes seems to take a long time to intervene, but I know He will keep His word to me.
*God is not in the business of condemning His children, failures or not. He is a loving Father, wanting only to lift us out of our weaknesses.(Read Romans 8).
*Sometimes we recognize His great love only when we hit bottom. You will have won a great victory if you can be convinced God loves you even in your wounded, crippled condition.
*Our strength is renewed by His everlasting love.
*Just rest in that wonderful love. Don’t panic. Deliverance will come.
*When Adam sinned, he tried to hide from God.
*When Jonah refused to preach to Nineveh, his fear drove him into the ocean to flee from the presence of the Lord.
*When Peter denied Christ, he was afraid to face Him.
God has shown us a truth: Something much worse than failure is the fear that goes with it.
**Adam, Jonah and Peter ran away from God not because they had lost their love for Him, but because they were afraid He was too angry with them to understand.
Satan uses such fear to make people think there is no use trying.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Jesus, Help me see your Character in people as well as myself—-Knowing we all are Your Masterpieces. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Read More“God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him”(Romans 8:29 MSG).
You are wonderfully complex (Psalm 139:14). To fulfill God’s purpose for you, you have to look at every dimension of your life and understand the factors that influence your identity.
The Bible says we are created in the image of God. No other animal was created in the image of God! Dogs have instinct but don’t know the difference between right and wrong. Elephants have no moral compass. But you get to choose to do right or wrong.
The freedom to choose is man’s greatest blessing and also his greatest curse, because we make stupid choices all the time that harm us and everyone around us.
The wild card can change the suit and number of the other cards you are dealt.
- You didn’t choose your chemistry, but you can choose what you do with your body.
- You didn’t choose your connections, but you can make new relationships and mend or nurture the ones you already have.
- You can choose how you respond to your circumstances, and you can choose to stop believing the harmful things people say to you.
Your identity is shaped by your choices. What choices will you make today that will positively affect the rest of your life?
Lord, thank you for your Holy Spirit and your word to teach me all the promises you have for me. Help me more each day to see “how You see me”, not what the world says. Amen
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When we seek to please “self”, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
“…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel 33:31
The apostle Paul says, “I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death [handed over to death]: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9).
Simply put, when godly saints full of the Christ-life are led into death situations, it’s never a private matter.
Scripture says we are on display to three different intelligences: angels, devils and humankind.
At times you may feel all alone in your struggle, but you are not involved in some secret battle taking place in a dark corner.
On the contrary, three realms are watching you with great interest.
Devils are watching you, angels are watching you, and people are watching you. And they are all wondering, “How is this servant of God going to respond to his trial?”
*What are such spectacle-trials all about?
*Why must we go through these deaths?
*What is in us that God is after?
*Our heavenly Father knows that certain unredeemed areas in our lives hinder the full manifestation of Christ’s life in us.
*God knows our stumbling blocks, our fears, our ambitions, our lusts—everything that blocks a full shining forth of Jesus.
So God allows us to be put into “death situations” to rid our hearts of these hindrances.
It happens because your loving Father is handing you over to death. He’s telling you, “Your fear of man hinders the precious flow of the Christ-life in you, thus it cannot produce life in others.
This fear in you must end. You have to die to it!”
Your cry to Him may be, “Lord, get me out of this!” But God responds, “No I’m going to let death do its work. I have arranged all of this so the life of Jesus might be manifest in you!”
Colossians 2:2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.
We must protect our spiritual integrity and be willing to reject whatever takes us off course or diverts us from the path that the Lord has put us on. Anything apart from the Lord’s purposes will only lead you away from your walk in the Spirit. Be careful and be discerning.
Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
*Sometimes God’s instruction won’t make sense but it will yield a remarkable and rewarding result..
*You are designed to go through life with God and not alone..
COME LORD JESUS AND LEAD THE WAY! THANK YOU FOR THE CROSS. AMEN
Read MoreWhenever it is that the Word of GOD comes with correction, showing us our errors, it’s often because the Lord expects conformity to His standards and not our own.
When the warning comes we shouldn’t stiffen the neck, but be smart & line up.
**First comes the warning, then comes the judgment. Wondering now where it is the nations stand…
In this generation so many sins are being considered acceptable because no one wants to be the Amos.
We must realize that what is wrong is wrong, and stand up for what’s right, no matter what society says.
It is sooo easy to look over our own hearts and point fingers at our country, but yet we can’t even recognize the deep sin we are engaged in.
Living comfortable, secure lifestyles cripples our ability to serve God.
God will judge the sin of pride.
* God does not go back on his promises.
* Pride says I do not need God. It’s all about me.
****When you look in the mirror in the morning, do you see a self- centered person or a Christ- centered person?
Read: Amos 7:10-18
Observations:
1. Amos calls down judgment on the people living at ease in Jerusalem and Judaea.
2. Amos prophesied on Gods people.
3. They loved in territorial ignorance.
• Why? Why is Amos referring to these cities?
• Because all of them were successful but yet they were nothing without God.
We don’t mind people who correct others as long as they are not correcting us.
*Simple people like Amos are called to do God’s work – he was just a small town shepherd.
Help us be REAL, O Lord! You desire Truth in the innermost parts. Restore us O Lord! LORD – make us like Amos. One small minor prophet book in the Bible positioned to teach us big things – amen