Devotions - Prayer
1 Thess. 4: 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.
*One must understand that sex is good under the covenant of marriage.
Live holy lives not impure lives. To Reject living holy– means rejecting God.
*God gave us his Holy Spirit and the power through His Spirit so believers can live holy lives.
2 Timothy 2:22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
*You once lived a life you don’t want to go back too. You accepted Jesus, the Lord almighty, as your Savior. Don’t go back too your old ways. (see Eph. 2;1-10)
MOVE FORWARD–— Jesus put your sin to death and you are to keep your sin at death.
Our purity will determine the extent to which God will use us and demonstrate His power in us.
Those who truly love God will seek to obey him, which is really what purity is.
Holiness is not the absence of sin, but the presence of God in your life.
*If we are slaves to sin, we will never be free. Jesus’ standard is the one to live up to.
John 8:31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
We must proclaim God’s holiness on earth, just as it is proclaimed in heaven.
*The Enemy Will Cause You To Believe That Holiness Is Too Restrictive.. That Doing Things His Way Will Be More Fun.
•Holiness is a way of you saying “God I love you”
•Holiness is not the absence of sin, but the presence of God in your life.
***Holiness Is A Choice, Your Choice
•True holiness is not marked by what we don’t do, but by what we do.
•If we do not have a balanced look at holiness, we will end up with a lot of baggage.
Col. 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” (John Piper)
Father, I choose right now to reject an impure life and ask by faith that the Holy Spirit would take control of my life so I would honor you as holy before all men. Thank You for all your gifts. In Jesus name – Amen
It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and to be overwhelmed by the problems we face.
“One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'” – Acts 19:15
Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness?
Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder any believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God.
However, “greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4b ). WE FIGHT FROM VICTORY NOT FOR VICTORY!
• If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment from the enemy.
• God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into the soil of God.
• These times reveal God’s power to keep us and walk us through the temptations.
• Our message becomes fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name.
• We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ’s church. When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from Jesus and back to sin.
• Although we are assured of victory we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord’s side.
Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master.
When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn’t like this.
Put on the whole Armor of God which is supernatural power to defeat satan . God Has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and giving us His armor to surround us. (Read Ephesians 6:10-20).
May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us Lord to submit to Your leadership and humble service to one another to build unity in the Body. Amen
“The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26).
When it comes to the Christian life, we will either gain or lose ground. We will either win or lose.
***But we have to be involved in the spiritual battle. Spiritual pacifists will be knocked down, because the Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground. (TRUTH VS LIES IS THE BATTLE)
When the devil comes with his spirit of discouragement, he bombards you with one lie after another(All sin begins with a lie). By the time he’s finished, you’re crying, “Oh, God, I’ll never make it!”
Mark 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.”
It is up to us to fight the good fight of faith. So we need to suit up and learn the principles from God’s Word that teach us how to be more than conquerors in Jesus Christ.
1. First, we need to put on the full armor of God as we engage in the spiritual battle.
Ephesians 6:11 tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.
2. Second, we need to be aware of the fact that Satan is NOT the equal of God.
*The devil would like us to think that whatever God can do, he can do, as though they were two sides of the same force.
*Although Satan is a powerful spirit being, he is far from God’s equal.
*You see, God is omnipotent (all-powerful). God is omniscient (all-knowing). God is omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time).
3. Third, we need to realize that the devil will primarily attack us in the realm of the imagination.
*The devil knows that if he can get us to THINK about something, we are only a step away from actually doing it.
*He knows that our minds are “command central.”
* It is here that we reason.
*It is here that we remember.
*It is here that we dream.
4. We need to understand that the devil works with two very close allies: the world and the flesh.
A. “The world” is the world system that is hostile toward God.
* It is living for personal gratification, our own will above all else.
B. Then there is the flesh.
*When the Bible speaks of the flesh, it speaks more of the depraved, fallen human nature in which we are gratifying sensual appetites.
Every time the devil tempted Jesus to sin while in the desert, Jesus used a scripture to silence the devil.
As it also says in Ephesians 6:17, “have as the Sword the word of God which the Spirit gives you”.
We Fight FROM Victory not For Victory: See 1John 4:4
Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (JN 14:6) Amen
Read MoreFOR US TO BE VICTORIOUS WE NEED.
1. Our faith is our greatest weapon against the devil. 2cor 5:7
2. Know the word. We fight battles in the kingdom is to know the word. Know more than the devil. The devil works by deception in the word (read Hosea 4:6). This is what led to the fall of Adam and Eve.
3. Realize the power in you. Luke 10:19, John 1:12, 1John 4:4
4. CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON ALL THAT IS GOOD
Mark 14:38 “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.”
Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15).
*Temptation has to be entered into.
We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7).
Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, BUT we must CHOOSE to think on the positive truths of God.
This is where prayer comes in.
In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts that conceive temptation.
Temptation or sin must be conceived (Jas. 1:14-15).
In the physical realm, the easiest way to avoid an unwanted birth is to avoid conception, so it is in the spiritual world.
It is easier to avoid being tempted by being in constant communion with God, than it is to overcome temptation once it has been conceived.
Paul admonishes the Philippians believers to reflect and meditate upon eight positive principles of thinking that will lead to a victorious Christian life.
Phil. 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
*Recognizing God’s hand in even the smallest things will bring peace and keep our hearts and minds following hard after the Lord.
Lord, I confess to You that my thoughts are not always pure. I have allowed the world and outside influences to pollute the mind that should be set on You. Right now, I choose against my old ways of thinking and invite the Holy Spirit to stand guard over my mind and to renew it(Ro. 12:2). I commit to fill my heart and mind with Your truth and give gratitude always and pray much (see 1 Thess. 5:16-18). In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income….” – Ecclessiastes 5:10
The void in our heart cannot be filled with anything, only a real relationship with God can fill this Feeling Of Emptiness.
Because we do not know God’s heart to be with us, we try to fill this void with stuff, pretty man or woman, notable career ETC.
Not knowing that once we gain these things we still won’t be fulfilled.
3 myths about money
1. Money brings satisfaction
2. Money brings peace of mind
3. Money solves all your problems
* Realize that God is the owner of all we have.
Only when we know God’s heart will we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness will be gone.
Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches.
Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth.
Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil.
Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go.
*This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult – to give away his wealth and follow Him.
Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block.
For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).
“The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
If we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. I was there for a period of my life and it was not rewarding—It was EMPTINESS!
*Those around us begin to expect more and more.
*Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle.
*Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire.
*Our emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom.
The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need.
Lord keep us from greed but rather keep us on Your path, desiring You day in and day out to be one like You! Thank You Jesus when we know God’s heart we feel everlasting peace and joy and the Feeling Of Emptiness IS gone.
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Psalms 70:5 But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.
The WORD OF GOD IS A Daily Need!
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
The gospel isn’t simply a set of truths that non-Christians must believe in order to become saved.
Christians need the gospel because our hearts are always prone to wander; we’re always tempted to run from God.
It takes the power of the gospel to direct us back to our first love.
Consciously going to the gospel ought to be a daily reality and experience for us all. It means preaching the gospel to yourself every day.
We have to allow God to remind us every day through his Word of Christ’s finished work on behalf of sinners in order to stay convinced that the gospel is relevant.
Our born again spirits are always in tune with the Lord and walking in the joy of the Lord.
*Our flesh is often dominated by what it sees and feels.
Sometimes it doesn’t feel like praising the Lord, but the choice rests with our souls. If we choose to praise the Lord, our emotions will follow.
The decision is yours Dt. 30:19 I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God’s blessing and God’s curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.
Today, choose to walk in the joy of the Lord.
Deut. 31:6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
*Take one step at a time and one day at a time to accomplish what is set before you.
*The Lord is with you to empower you to meet every challenge and to overcome adversity.
*This is a time when your hope can become faith, and faith can become fact.
Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR WORD–THE GUIDANCE I REALLY NEED!
AMEN
It’s not easy to be the parent. It seems less and less popular to tell kids no.
I needed to know what Proverbs 22:6 teaches,
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
As parents, we need to set Biblical Boundaries.
*Teach them what the 10 Commandments mean and how they relate to boundaries. If we follow the Commandments by staying within it’s boundaries–our lives will go well. Going Outside the Commandments we will have major problems.
*Teach our kids the difference between realistic and unrealistic expectations. Not cater to their every whim.
*Draw lines between what’s appropriate and inappropriate for language, entertainment, internet, cell phones, games and the length of a hemline.
**Model manners. And what it looks like to seek a life of godliness, not just religious activity.
*Teach them the importance of Purity–Holiness (See 1 Thess. 4)
*Teach them the Character of Jesus (Matthew 5:1-12)
Glory knows I’ve been so imperfect with all this.
But holding the line on being the parent, even when done imperfectly, is good. And will be worth it.
Even in those seasons where you feel as if they’re doing everything the opposite of what you’ve taught them. All that parenting is in them. And the fruit of that will emerge one day.
Yes, be the parent. Teach biblical truths. Stand strong in saying no even when it’s not the popular choice.
*Recognize that a desire to please often prevents us from saying no.
*Remember, there are only 2 clear responses. Yes. No. Any other answer is an excuse to avoid commitment, or a wall to hide behind.
*You have a right to say no! Sometimes no is necessary to maintain respect.
*Keep your answer short. There is no need to justify your answer. Lengthy responses may result in your putting the same answer of for a future date and can even compromise your credibility.
That’s what our kids need so desperately.
And be encouraged, friend … you’re doing better than you think you are.
The Key is to TEACH our children the how and why to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Teach them the Eternal Perspective vs the temporal one here on this earth. Eternity is a long long time and my prayer is that each family member will know that they are going to Heaven. That is my life’s desire-People KNOWING JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR!
Dear Lord, You know better than all of us that parenting is hard. Help me to see each day as a teaching opportunity to raise up a child and/or grandchild who loves You and sees that they need a Persoanl Relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read More“On the cross, Jesus broke the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
Through Jesus our Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
Jesus has won the battle and we stand firm in Him — ‘It is finished!’”
WE DO FIGHT FROM VICTORY——–NOT FOR VICTORY!!!
1 John 4:4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
*What we are experiencing is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan, with man’s eternal destiny at stake.
Jesus warns that without him we are but helpless victims under the control of Satan, the strong man.
* But the good news is that through His cross and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power and bondage of Satan over human lives.
*Through Jesus our savior and Lord, we now live in freedom and liberty as children of God!
* JESUS “the Overcomer” has won the battle — “It is finished!”
Truth, Love, Righteousness, and Faith-Prayer. These are the weapons of our warfare.
They are not of the flesh, they are not of the world; but they are mighty. They have divine power to the eliminating of strongholds, pulling down high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
They all work together. You can hardly isolate the one from the other; they are all necessary.
It is important, though, for our own personal benefit that we be aware that the children of the Wicked One are placed among the true believers.
Our best defense is to preach the Word of God without watering it down. See 1 Corinthians 4:6
*False brethren will not endure sound doctrine.
*They leave when the Word, which is sharper than any two-edged sword, begins to expose the thoughts and intents of the heart. Stick to the Word!
* Remember today that things start with a thought and it’s what you do with that thought that determines the outcome of the situation. Amen
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Jesus died so that we might live, therefore it is absolutely essential we receive (by faith) God’s forgiveness for whatever sins we may have committed.
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” Hebrews 12:15
Is your focus on gaining more knowledge or growing in intimacy and power with Jesus? He desires to know you intimately.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life – that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
KNOWING WHO WE ARE—Our Identity
Read MT. 4:1-11
Matthew 4:3, ” The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.””
Two of Satan’s three temptations began with the words, “If you be the Son of God.”
Jesus was God, but he did have a human body that had to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Lk. 2:52).
It took faith for the physical mind of Jesus to believe the witness of the Spirit within Him that he was the Messiah. Satan was attacking the most basic of His beliefs.
*This must have been a temptation to Jesus or Satan would not have used it.
Satan is very subtle in his temptations. It may have looked like he was trying to get Jesus to perform a miracle, but he was actually trying to make Jesus waiver in His faith of who He was. He tried to get Jesus to draw on the supernatural power of God to confirm it to the devil and Himself.
Unlike Jesus, we sometimes fall for this trick of the devil. We may say that we are arguing for some truth of the gospel, but many times we are hoping to convince ourselves.
Someone who really knows who they are and what they believe, doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
Isaiah 30:15 says, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Let the Lord build your confidence in who you are in Christ.
Every time the devil tempted Jesus to sin while in the desert, Jesus used a scripture to silence the devil. As it also says in Ephesians 6:17, “have as the Sword the word of God which the Spirit gives you”.
*The Word is the Light to our Path
MT. 4: 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.
Lord God, You are good. I trust You are doing beautiful things in my life even when I can’t see them. Please help me trust when I don’t see Your eternal picture clearly and hold on tightly to You until a new season of clarity. Thank you Lord for the word of God which is the weapon for all believers. Thank you too for the thousands of promises in Your word to encourage me and give me hope till the day You return. Amen.
Read More “Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required” (Luke12:48, ESV).
Most Christians are powerless. To some readers, this statement will sound bold and to others it will sound obvious.
Consider what “normal” Christianity in the typical believer looks like today.
This person is a bit self-seeking and a little materialistic, and most
of his daily choices are about improving his life. ( that was and is me at times)
That includes his spiritual pursuits, from his church groups to the pod casts he downloads, to the seminars he attends.
There is nothing wrong with any of these things. Our Lord wants our lives to be blessed, but for some Christians these are nothing more than worldly pursuits.
****They are about self-improvement, not the kingdom of God, and they can drain a believer of true gospel power.
God calls the sin of unbelief “going back to Egypt.” “Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help . . . but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!” (Isaiah 31:1).
“Woe to the rebellious children . . . that take counsel, but not of me . . . that walk to go down into Egypt” (Isaiah 30:1-2).
Isaiah was dumbfounded when he saw many of Israel’s leaders mount their horses and gallop to Egypt to try to get counsel on national policy and security.
These were the same men who told the prophet they had no time to seek the Lord or consult with Him.
But God didn’t take their actions lightly. He called it all rebellion and pronounced woe upon them!
Today, nothing has changed. Multitudes of Christians crisscross the country attending seminars and conventions with a “go to Egypt” mentality. They are networking, strategizing, borrowing worldly methods, getting flesh-inspired counsel. In short, they are looking for any new thing that might excite them. Read Amos 5: 21-27
But the praying servant who trusts God wholly knows he has no time for Egyptian concepts. The place he runs is to his secret closet—where he gets his counsel on his knees!
God who promises that vengeance is His, and He will repay—then taking matters into our own hands shows a lack of faith in God and His integrity.
“Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (from Dt. 32:35-36; Rom. 12:19; Heb. 10:30). Striving to vindicate self actually shows a lack of faith in God keeping this promise. It also indicates spiritual “nearsightedness” which is only looking at the present moment instead of seeing things in view of eternity.
Thank You Jesus that You are the counsel I need on a daily basses. Thank You for Your Holy Inspired word that can lead us all. Give us the hunger and Time to read and meditate daily on Your Word-to Know You and Your guidance and then put what we learn into action! Amen
Read MoreETERNAL HAPPINESS= NOT WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND ME—IT’S ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN ME
It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known.
*What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
THE BIG IDEA:
God wants to get me THROUGH whatever is grieving my heart. (God sympathizes with my weakness because he was tempted just like me…)
GOD SEES! GOD CARES! GOD HELPS!
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE = rehashing hurts of past.
*RELEASE HURT TO GOD
*STOP FOCUSING ON PAST (Philippians 3:13-14)
*IT’S NOT ABOUT ME (get off SELFISH attitudes/behaviors).
Three options to pain:
1. Repress them
2. Rehearse them
3. Resent (retalliate) them
*RELEASE IT….Romans 12:19-21 (“I will repay……”)
I’ve been abandoned but I can repress my feelings and resent those who’ve hurt me OR I CAN GIVE IT ALL TO GOD! (Romans 1:18)
WE ARE COMFORTED BY:
1. THE WORD
2. THE CHURCH BODY
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
Peter said “Save me Jesus” (walking on water, but started looking at storm and grew afraid).
Psalms 18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Father, I know You want me to share the love I have found in You. Forgive me for the many times I have been too busy to see the needs around me. Break my heart for those who are in pain and feel hopeless. Encourage them through me, Lord. Fill my heart with Your love so that I can give it away. In Jesus name, Amen.
* “And I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”. Jeremiah 24:7
Read MoreTherefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts, to sexual impurity, for the degrading of their bodies with one another. Romans 1:24 (read Read the Scripture: Romans 1:18-32)
The wickedness at work among human beings follows a process which is identified in this passage by the three time repeated phrase, “God gave them over.”
This phrase identifies what is going on in our culture.
The first mark of wickedness in a godless society is widespread sexual immorality — the degrading, or the dishonoring, of the body.
Because men run after other gods and refuse the testimony of their own hearts and do not glorify or thank the true God, God removes his restraints from society so that what is done in secret is allowed to break out into openness and acceptability.
That is the mark of the wrath of God at work.
The first sign of wickedness in a civilization is that sexual immorality becomes widely accepted.
You may ask, “Why is it that sex always seems to be singled out as the sign of God’s judgment”?
Romans passage above begins with sexual impurity and proceeds to sexual perversity.
But, the final result is not sexual sins, but sins of the spirit.
We all have witnessed how our current society has switched the labels that believers call sin to make sin seem less sinful.
• We call lying, exaggeration.
• We call fornication, safe sex.
• We call murder, a right to choose.
• We call drunkenness, illness.
• We call jealousy, ambition.
• We call pride, self-esteem.
• We call humility, weakness.
• We call money happiness.
• We call entertainment relaxing
People really want a sense of total fulfillment, a oneness, an identity.
- Only God can give that fulfillment.
- Only God can satisfy that deep sense of longing for complete identity and unity with another person.
That is why the highest description of the relationship with God possible to a believer is found in the words of Jesus in John 14-15, “You in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).
When people think that they are going to find that fulfillment in sex, God says to them,
“Look, it won’t work. But you won’t believe that until you try it out.”
So he removes the restraints and allows immoral sexual practices to become widely accepted, understanding that men indulging in these things will finally find themselves just as dissatisfied, empty and hopeless as they were when they started.
Thus they will learn that worshiping God is the only way by which people find fulfillment.
Worship is the submission of all of my nature (conscience, mind, imagination, heart & will) to God.
Father, thank you that You have not forsaken this world, and that the message of Truth and Light is still as available as ever. Help us all see, hear and know that YOU are the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life. Let us all Worship you! Amen
Read More If we are not loving with God’s Love, we are spiritually dead.
“He that loveth not…abideth in death.”1 John 3:14
The Bible without the Spirit leads to a dead, institutional Christianity. The Spirit without the Bible leads to groundless devotion. We need both the Spirit and the Word to effectively Adventure through the Bible.
God has made available to us the riches of this Bible — His Word — which reveals to us the riches of His kingdom and of our eternal life in Christ.
God longs for us to know Him, and has revealed Himself in His Son. He has redeemed us through the blood His resurrected Son shed on the Cross, and has called us into a Spiritual relationship with Him.
Into our soul and our life He pours all the riches of heaven — “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,” as Luke 6:38 tells us. But we must get to know Him as He reaches out to us through the pages of Scripture, led by His Holy Spirit. We cannot imagine a greater adventure!
A Few Results of the Resurrection!!!
* A savior who can never die again.
“For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again.” Romans 6:9.
*Repentance.
“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel.” Acts 5:31.
*New birth.
“By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3.
*Forgiveness of sin.
“If Christ has not been raised, your hope is futile and you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17.
*The Holy Spirit.
“This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.” Acts 2:32–33.
* No condemnation for the believers.
” So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.
“Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God.” Romans 8:34.
*The Lord’s personal fellowship and protection.
“Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28:20.
*Proof of coming judgment.
“God has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31.
*Salvation from the future wrath of God.
“We wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 5:10.
*Our own resurrection from the dead.
“We know that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.” 2 Corinthians 4:14; Romans 6:4; 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:20
Re-establish your spiritual focus. I am alive, says the Lord, and My kingdom is already established. It is finished. It is real, and the way has been provided
for you to be one with Me in the invisible realm of the Spirit. Come and commune with Me in the secret place. Rise above your worldly concerns and let us have sweet fellowship together. Don’t delay. Come now that your joy may be full.
John 15:9-11 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Jesus tells us that when we are living in Him and following His commands we will have great joy.
* Christians should be the happiest people on earth, we have Christ and all His promises and on our very worst day we get to meet Him face to face.
God thank you for Your resurrection, Our own resurrection from the dead and Your promises and love— give me strength to find joy in all things, in Jesus name, Amen
Read More All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become Truth.
* “Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Matthew 23:28
2 Corinthians 1:4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
* Whether we are suffering by the hands of another or simply as a consequence to our own bad choices – if we turn to the Lord for comfort and view our sufferings as loving discipline from the master potter who is simply using the circumstances of our life to soften our heart so that HE can mold our character- then we will learn how to praise him even in the storms of life and attain the peace of God that surpasses all worldly understanding.
Thus with this peace and joy in our hearts we will then be used by God to come alongside of others who are experiencing hardship and share with them our testimony and point them home to Jesus so that they too can experience the comfort we have received from God.
*Anxieties keep us from hearing God …like a wall between his voice and our ears.
The word of God is all you need for every circumstance in your life, you need to listen to it and take Action.
Man (Mankind, Man or woman) shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
In the passage Mark 4:1-20 you will find what happens when a Christian hears the word of God.
* You will see who bears fruit (who applies the word of God in every situation and wins), and who does not bear fruit (who just reads and forgets about whose word he/she is reading and forgets that it is powerful to guide that person through anything).
*Don’t be like the person who just looks at the mirror and forgets what the mirror has shown him/her. Be a person who studies the word of God (2 Timothy2:15).
*If you seek God diligently He will help you produce thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold. Let us have a form of relationship with God that actually produces testimony so that others can see that our God is actually involved with our daily lives and praise God.
*Let us Not deny the power and authority of the word of God. God’s word is the lamp unto our feet and a light to our paths.
Seeking God diligently everyday, staying silent in His presence, singing to Him, studying His word and praying the word back to God is a great way to build a relationship with God and actually get results.
Many Christians don’t get results or don’t understand God because they don’t spend enough TIME with Him and His word (Mark 4:1-20). God welcomes you. Test and see that the Lord is Good!
Today. Millions of church people are trying to live holy lives, but they do not have a true faith in Jesus as their Savior.
If they were to stand before God and He was to ask them – “what they had done to deserve salvation”, they would immediately start recounting all their acts of holiness such as church attendance, giving receipts, etc.
Regardless of how good our actions are compared to others, they always come short of the perfect standard of God.
The only response to this kind of question that would grant us entrance to heaven is to say, “my only claim to salvation is faith in Jesus as my Savior.”
Let JESUS be the object of your faith today. He is all you need
All too often, as Christians endure the trials of life, this is the message
they believe. They see no hope beyond their difficult situation. All they can see is a stone permanently rolled into place separating them from hope.
* Yet they are seeing things from this side of the stone. If only they knew what God is doing for them on the other side of the stone.
Maybe life has presented you with a hard, impassable situation. As you read this do you wonder, “Is God at work in my circumstance? Is Jesus really triumphant — in me? Can He really save me from this situation? I just don’t see a way forward.”
I tell you, God is on the move in your life at this very moment. The stone isbeing rolled away. Light is breaking forth and your Hope stands there in thedoorway: Jesus! He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness and Hisvictory is yours by faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
*Refuse to give up. Your walk in the Spirit will prepare and cause
you to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil.
* Let us keep sharing our burdens and keep encouraging and lifting others up–giving all praise and Glory to our Heavenly Father!
Lord, show me today if I have had convictions for things that are meaningless and not important. And help me to make convictions for things that matter most and give You the Glory! Help me share your perfect Love with others. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read MoreThose who trust in the Lord will walk in the light of His Love.
* “They looked unto Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”. Psalm 34:5
*Where there is compassion, a miracle will come!
We need to be willing to walk God’s Way of Agape, even if our circumstances never change.
* “Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines…Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
Habakkuk 3:17-18
God has made available to us the riches of this Bible — His Word — which reveals to us the riches of His kingdom and of our eternal life in Christ.
God longs for us to know Him, and has revealed Himself in His Son. He has redeemed us through the blood His resurrected Son shed on the Cross, and has called us into a Spiritual relationship with Him.
Into our soul and our life He pours all the riches of heaven — “good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,” as Luke 6:38 tells us. But we must get to know Him as He reaches out to us through the pages of Scripture, led by His Holy Spirit. We cannot imagine a greater adventure!
Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10).
Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God’s Word.
The High Call of Suffering
2 Corinthians 1:2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.
*We cannot understand our suffering or His silence to our passionate pleas.
*We endure loss, loneliness, rejection, financial hardship, grief–all sorts of painful things and wonder why we have to be the one enduring this trial.
*We entreat the Lord for healing and it doesn’t come.
*We request prayers from family and friends and there is still no respite from the Pain we are experiencing.
“Why, Lord, why must I go through this wretched time? Why, Lord? Why? I don’t understand.”
Then, quite unexpectedly, some hurting person–possibly someone you’ve never met before–enveloped in despair and fear and confusion comes into your life and you find yourself saying, “Oh, come sit down and let me talk to you.
* I understand! I’ve been through that very same thing. Let me tell you what happened and HOW the Lord brought comfort and strength and understanding to me”.
II Corinthians 1: 3-4 (above) has just become a part of our life and we suddenly grasp that through this suffering, Jesus has prepared us to minister to someone else. He is allowing us to share His unfathomable love with others. And they will listen. Why? Because we’ve been there. We understand. We have Wisdom.
*How special you are to God as He patiently, lovingly teaches you, knowing that someone who is hurting just as you have been hurting will be crossing your path before too long.
Somehow the Lord will bring that person into your life and you will be able to answer the questions they ask from the darkness of their desperation and suffering.
That sense of Pain and sorrow that you have experienced is about to give way to fresh excitement and new adventure. You will experience yet another shift where doors will open in the Spirit to provide new opportunities for development in both the natural and spiritual realms.
Don’t be afraid to let go of what has been in order to Move Forward to what is ahead.
Feeling Pain and sorrow is more often than not a precursor to change.
Be prepared to hear from the Lord through His Word and start anew Moving Forward, for the Lord’s Glory.
Exodus 40:36 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys.
Glory is found in the Bible 402 times! Glory means to bring light to. All glory comes from God but it also belongs back to God.
Main Point: Gods glory, His presence and power, will guide us throughout life!
* Remember that Gods glory now resides in us. 1 Corinthians 6:19
* Realize that God’s glory is our Power. 2 Peter 1:3-4
* Recognize that God’s glory gives us constant Direction. Proverbs 16:9
Proverbs 3:5-6
*I will run to my God FIRST when I am in need of comfort and I will use that to comfort those around me.
Galations 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
*All our flowery words about Jesus are not enough. Our actions must match our words in order for it to become truth.
*Do we long for God’s glory to fill our tabernacles? For Him to dwell with us? For Him to speak to us directly, to guide us in such a tangible way?
Believers in Jesus Christ , washed by the blood and being the temple of the Holy Ghost have to wait on God for divine guidance in every aspect of our lives. Simply because God knows what is best for us!
Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. (Colossians 3:10, 12 MSG)
**Aren’t you thankful it’s been completed—The plan of salvation? So we can be right at home with our God! I am!
*It’s been done!
*It IS finished!
Take time to evaluate where you’ve been and to remember the things that you learned through your experiences.
Do not give in to the temptations that come for you to be a victim of the difficulties you have endured, but rather use those lessons as a platform and a launching pad into greater wisdom and spiritual effectiveness.
Those things have made you stronger and have the potential to increase your faith if you maintain a proper perspective.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
As you read this do you wonder, “Is God at work in my circumstance? Is Jesus really triumphant — in me? Can He really save me from this situation? I just don’t see a way forward.”
I tell you, God is on the move in your life at this very moment. The stone is being rolled away. Light is breaking forth and your Hope stands there in the doorway: Jesus! He has triumphed over all the powers of darkness and His victory is yours by faith.
Lord, help me to see that my times of Pain-Sorrow and Trouble are used for good- they will glorify You if I choose to let them. Help me to Move Forward and put my Faith and Hope in You. Help me to praise You IN every situation not necessarily FOR every situation. God will give us the glory in the New Jerusalem where we will be filled with GLORY forever! Amen and amen! Glory to HIS name!
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