Well, he did it again, listening to one of my favorite speakers, I had another 'aha' moment. I love 'aha' moments with the word of God. Today's 'aha' moment was when Joseph Prince was teaching on being content in the day with what you have and not worrying about what tomorrow will bring.
Matthew 6 v 31...."Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'....
Matthew 6 v 34..."Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"....
Jesus is telling us not to worry period. He tells us to rest in Him, to trust in Him for all things. His grace is poured out like fresh manna on us daily. Instead of worrying about what we will have tomorrow we need to be resting and enjoying every morsel of manna He has given us today. How can we say we are enjoying the day if we are worrying about what we will have tomorrow?
When God fed the people manna, He told them to take what they needed for that day only and not to take so much that they had left overs. For He wanted them to trust in Him that He would provide each day for them. But they didn't listen and some took more and when morning came, there were worms in their manna.
Exodus 16 v 19-20...and Moses said, "Let no one leave any of it till morning." Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them......
Now don't we all do that sometimes? No matter what the word tells us, no matter what our Pastors teach us, we still want to make sure that we or man is in control of our needs instead of trusting the Lord to provide. We will worry when things look sparse instead of believing what He tells us in His word, that He will supply ALL of our needs. He didn't say some, He said ALL.
Phil. 4 v 19....and my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.......
How much of our need will He supply? ALL! According to what and who? His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Not according to what the economy is telling us. Not according to what our circumstances look like or what man says, but according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
Our God loves us so much that He is not going to let us go without when we put our trust in Him. Sometimes we let our circumstances dictate what we have.
An example Joseph Prince used was that they were buying some land. He told his team to put in their bid on the land but not to worry over it, but to put it in God's hands. If they got the land then it was of God, and if they did not then it wasn't of God to start with.
That is how we trust in Him. Once we let go of our request into God's hands then He will bring it back to us multiplied, not the same but multiplied. But if we worry whether or not we will see increase, or whether or not we get the job we applied for, or whether or not our bid is accepted, then we have not truly trusted in Him, we are storing our manna just in case we need it for the next day. We are putting our faith in ourselves and our works instead of Him.
Phil. 4 v 11-13....Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.......
Now this verse is not telling us we must suffer like some would take it out of context to mean. No it is saying that no matter what we will abound because our trust is in Him and not on ourselves. If we go through a trial, that is just it, we will go through and not stop in the middle of it.
In other words, no matter what, we are content with the fact that our Lord, our God will provide and bring us through. And we will give Him praise and thanksgiving in all things, no matter what because our trust is in Him. AMEN!
Where can we learn to trust like this?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Celebrate The Finished Work
A few years ago I started listening to a guy who shares God's word in such a way that when you have listened to him, you discover just how much God loves you and the work Jesus did on the cross was finished work. His death on the cross completed everything, our healing, our prosperity, our complete and total salvation. Salvation meaning whole complete, nothing missing, nothing lacking, nothing broken.
When we celebrate the Easter season we should be rejoicing in His finished work. He is no longer on the cross. He has risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Hallelujah! The good news is when He left this earth He left us a helper, the Holy Spirit. He said I will be with you always, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
He calls us His beloved. He says we are the righteousness of God. We are joint heirs with Him in the kingdom. We have it all yet sometimes we walk around like we are lacking.
How do we say we accept Him as our Lord and Savior but then we don't accept what the rest of His word tells us? How can we believe He died on the cross for our salvation, so that we might spend eternity with Him and the Father but yet we don't accept what the word salvation means?
God's will is always good, never bad. This Easter season is a good time to realize just how good God is, how much God loves us and just exactly who we are in Christ Jesus.
James 1 v 16-17....Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow of turning......
It is time we realize just what Jesus did when He died on that cross. It is time to quit negating the work on the cross. It is time to acknowledge who we are, what He died for, and quit giving the enemy so much attention. AMEN!
It is time for all Christians to start being who God called us to be. This doesn't mean walking around in judgement or condemnation to any who may not be of the same denomination we are, or even of the same faith.
We were called to take His gospel to the ends of the earth. We were called to be ambassadors for Christ Jesus. He went to the cross for ALL, not just for you and me or our denomination or only for Christians. Here is a question for us all. What were we before we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior?
2 Cor. 5 v 18-21...Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them , and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him......
Mark 13 v 10...and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations....
John 3 v 16-17....For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved....
He went to the cross over 2000 years ago and He finished the work on the cross. He is not waiting for us to finish it for Him. We can not work for or pay for or earn our forgiveness or our salvation in any way except that we accept His finished work on the cross. We have to accept that He paid it all with His death and resurrection.
We can't withhold sharing the gospel with someone because we think they don't look or dress or act exactly the way we feel they should. We can't withhold His good news because we might think they are unworthy of His finished work.
One of the worst things I hated to do when I was young and we had a fish camp was to have to clean the fish I caught. Daddy always said, "you catch them, you clean them."
Well praise God, He says, you fish, and I will clean. Our job is not to try to clean the fish. Our job is to share the good news and let God do His part. AMEN!
Have a Blessed Easter and celebrate the Finshed Work of the Cross.
Let me invite you to attend service with us if you do not have a home church.
LifeWay Church, 7621 Old Mocksville Rd, Salisbury, NC
Service Times 9am and 11am
STAY IN THE WORD!
When we celebrate the Easter season we should be rejoicing in His finished work. He is no longer on the cross. He has risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Hallelujah! The good news is when He left this earth He left us a helper, the Holy Spirit. He said I will be with you always, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
He calls us His beloved. He says we are the righteousness of God. We are joint heirs with Him in the kingdom. We have it all yet sometimes we walk around like we are lacking.
How do we say we accept Him as our Lord and Savior but then we don't accept what the rest of His word tells us? How can we believe He died on the cross for our salvation, so that we might spend eternity with Him and the Father but yet we don't accept what the word salvation means?
God's will is always good, never bad. This Easter season is a good time to realize just how good God is, how much God loves us and just exactly who we are in Christ Jesus.
James 1 v 16-17....Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow of turning......
It is time we realize just what Jesus did when He died on that cross. It is time to quit negating the work on the cross. It is time to acknowledge who we are, what He died for, and quit giving the enemy so much attention. AMEN!
It is time for all Christians to start being who God called us to be. This doesn't mean walking around in judgement or condemnation to any who may not be of the same denomination we are, or even of the same faith.
We were called to take His gospel to the ends of the earth. We were called to be ambassadors for Christ Jesus. He went to the cross for ALL, not just for you and me or our denomination or only for Christians. Here is a question for us all. What were we before we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior?
2 Cor. 5 v 18-21...Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them , and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him......
Mark 13 v 10...and the gospel must first be preached to all the nations....
John 3 v 16-17....For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved....
He went to the cross over 2000 years ago and He finished the work on the cross. He is not waiting for us to finish it for Him. We can not work for or pay for or earn our forgiveness or our salvation in any way except that we accept His finished work on the cross. We have to accept that He paid it all with His death and resurrection.
We can't withhold sharing the gospel with someone because we think they don't look or dress or act exactly the way we feel they should. We can't withhold His good news because we might think they are unworthy of His finished work.
One of the worst things I hated to do when I was young and we had a fish camp was to have to clean the fish I caught. Daddy always said, "you catch them, you clean them."
Well praise God, He says, you fish, and I will clean. Our job is not to try to clean the fish. Our job is to share the good news and let God do His part. AMEN!
Have a Blessed Easter and celebrate the Finshed Work of the Cross.
Let me invite you to attend service with us if you do not have a home church.
LifeWay Church, 7621 Old Mocksville Rd, Salisbury, NC
Service Times 9am and 11am
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Who's Reading You
Have you ever heard the saying 'you are the only bible some people read' or 'you are the only Jesus some might see'? I am sure we have all heard that at sometime in our lives. But today while listening to a Pastor, he showed me a different way of seeing it.
2 Cor. 3 v 3....clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart......
This is how the Pastor put it this morning. We are God's love letters walking about. We read His word which is His love letter to us and then we walk it out as His love letters to the world. The world does not read His word, (His love letter) so the only love letter they are reading is us.
My question is what are people reading when they see me? Am I really walking out God's love letter to us? Are they reading a story full of joy and of hope, one full of love and abundance? Or one of despair and depression, one of lacking, and one of bitterness, and condemnation?
The scripture tells us that we are written not with ink on tablets of stone. In other words we are not to walk in the law, but that we are written of flesh of His heart. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but died on that cross so that the world through Him might be saved. That is the good news we want the world to be reading from us.
John 3 v 17....For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved......
The only way we can walk out God's love letter is to know it, to have it deeply rooted in our hearts. Remember the word tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. How we talk, how we walk, how we react is what people of the world see. Are they seeing God and His love for them?
Matthew 12 v 34b...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.....
We should always be walking in joy, abundance, with no lack in our lives as children of God. We should be rejoicing in all things, giving Him thanks and praise everyday in all things. When things are bad, (and I mean really bad) we should be rejoicing and giving Him thanks and praise. People will look at us as if we are peculiar, but then they will see us stand fast on what the word says. We have to stand on His promise that joy comes in the morning.
Jeremiah 31 v 13b.....For I will turn their mourning into joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow....
Ps 30 v 5b....Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning....
PS 30 v 11-12....You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.....
God created us in His image. His image is not one of despair, depression, sadness, lack. His is one of Joy, Hope, Salvation, Good News, Redemption, Forgiveness, Compassion. But most of all He is LOVE. To describe God is to say He is LOVE.
So when we are walking about as children of God, as His love letters to the world. Let us remember who we are in Christ Jesus. Let us let His light shine through us and God's Agape Love flow through us, so that just like Jesus when He said to the fishermen, "Follow Me", they dropped everything and followed Him, people will want to know what we know. They will want to know more about this wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. They will be like His disciples ready and willing to drop everything to follow Him. They will want that peace, joy, abundance, they will want His promise of Salvation, hope, compassion, forgiveness.
Remember this, as this Easter season is approaching. Jesus is not in the tomb. He arose on the third day and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We should be rejoicing and singing His praises. He has conquered the grave and death. He has nailed the curse of the law to the cross, and now as we walk out His love letter, let His light shine on our faces so that others will read the right message and want to know Him as their Lord and Savior as well.
STAY IN THE WORD!
2 Cor. 3 v 3....clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart......
This is how the Pastor put it this morning. We are God's love letters walking about. We read His word which is His love letter to us and then we walk it out as His love letters to the world. The world does not read His word, (His love letter) so the only love letter they are reading is us.
My question is what are people reading when they see me? Am I really walking out God's love letter to us? Are they reading a story full of joy and of hope, one full of love and abundance? Or one of despair and depression, one of lacking, and one of bitterness, and condemnation?
The scripture tells us that we are written not with ink on tablets of stone. In other words we are not to walk in the law, but that we are written of flesh of His heart. Jesus did not come to condemn the world but died on that cross so that the world through Him might be saved. That is the good news we want the world to be reading from us.
John 3 v 17....For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved......
The only way we can walk out God's love letter is to know it, to have it deeply rooted in our hearts. Remember the word tells us that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. How we talk, how we walk, how we react is what people of the world see. Are they seeing God and His love for them?
Matthew 12 v 34b...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.....
We should always be walking in joy, abundance, with no lack in our lives as children of God. We should be rejoicing in all things, giving Him thanks and praise everyday in all things. When things are bad, (and I mean really bad) we should be rejoicing and giving Him thanks and praise. People will look at us as if we are peculiar, but then they will see us stand fast on what the word says. We have to stand on His promise that joy comes in the morning.
Jeremiah 31 v 13b.....For I will turn their mourning into joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow....
Ps 30 v 5b....Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning....
PS 30 v 11-12....You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.....
God created us in His image. His image is not one of despair, depression, sadness, lack. His is one of Joy, Hope, Salvation, Good News, Redemption, Forgiveness, Compassion. But most of all He is LOVE. To describe God is to say He is LOVE.
So when we are walking about as children of God, as His love letters to the world. Let us remember who we are in Christ Jesus. Let us let His light shine through us and God's Agape Love flow through us, so that just like Jesus when He said to the fishermen, "Follow Me", they dropped everything and followed Him, people will want to know what we know. They will want to know more about this wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. They will be like His disciples ready and willing to drop everything to follow Him. They will want that peace, joy, abundance, they will want His promise of Salvation, hope, compassion, forgiveness.
Remember this, as this Easter season is approaching. Jesus is not in the tomb. He arose on the third day and is seated at the right hand of the Father. We should be rejoicing and singing His praises. He has conquered the grave and death. He has nailed the curse of the law to the cross, and now as we walk out His love letter, let His light shine on our faces so that others will read the right message and want to know Him as their Lord and Savior as well.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Check Your Words At the Door (the door of your heart)
Matt. 12 v 34 b For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.....
What do we have an abundance of in our lives? Do we have more than enough? Are we lacking in health, prosperity, or in our relationships?
What have we been speaking? Has it been good things or are we giving life to evil things?
Do we say things like, I'm poor, I'm broke, I can never catch up, if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all....?
If those words are coming out of your mouth then that is what the abundance is in your heart. We have to replace those words with I am blessed coming and going. I am a highly favored child of God. I have more than enough always. I am in the right place at the right time.....
Are we saying things like, I feel like crud. I always get these headaches. It is that time of year I will have to deal with all these sinus issues. I've got to watch what I eat, my blood sugar might get high, my cholesterol might get high, my blood pressure is always on the high side.....
Replace those words with. ...I am healed by His stripes. I walk in excellent divine health everyday from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. I have victory over every sickness, illness, disease because my Lord has nailed all sicknesses to the cross. Hallelujah.
What is the abundance in your heart that is overflowing through your mouth? What words are you giving life to? God's words, or the enemy's? Be careful who you share things with. Don't let someone else go around speaking evil over you giving life to the enemy's works and words. If you need healing only tell those who you know will be in agreement with you and will not speak of your circumstances over and over giving life to them. They will pray and then let God take over. If you are having a hard time with finances, don't go to those who will get on the band wagon and agree with you that yes times are tough and we just have to struggle to make it. That is a lie of the enemy. Go to God's word and let the Holy Spirit guide you and if need be get a financial person to help you with a plan for a budget. If your relationship is struggling, don't go tell all of your family members and friends who will take your side and blast your partner. Pray that God will bless your relationship and your partner and watch as He turns things around.
Our words bring forth good or evil.
Matthew 12 v 35.....A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things......
What words have you been speaking lately? Have you been walking in divine health or sickness? Have you been prosperous with more than enough or are you lacking, struggling to make ends meet? Are your relationships as they should be or are you struggling to get along?
Proverbs 16 v 24....Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.....
Proverbs 15 v 28....the heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil...
Check your words at the door. The door of your heart. Think before you speak. Choose your words wisely. Choose God's words in the place of your own or the enemy's. The enemy will try to entice you with your circumstances to say what is going on, or how you might be feeling, but don't use his words, use God's words and clean out your heart today by replacing all of those negative words of the enemy's with God's truth, His Word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
What do we have an abundance of in our lives? Do we have more than enough? Are we lacking in health, prosperity, or in our relationships?
What have we been speaking? Has it been good things or are we giving life to evil things?
Do we say things like, I'm poor, I'm broke, I can never catch up, if it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all....?
If those words are coming out of your mouth then that is what the abundance is in your heart. We have to replace those words with I am blessed coming and going. I am a highly favored child of God. I have more than enough always. I am in the right place at the right time.....
Are we saying things like, I feel like crud. I always get these headaches. It is that time of year I will have to deal with all these sinus issues. I've got to watch what I eat, my blood sugar might get high, my cholesterol might get high, my blood pressure is always on the high side.....
Replace those words with. ...I am healed by His stripes. I walk in excellent divine health everyday from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. I have victory over every sickness, illness, disease because my Lord has nailed all sicknesses to the cross. Hallelujah.
What is the abundance in your heart that is overflowing through your mouth? What words are you giving life to? God's words, or the enemy's? Be careful who you share things with. Don't let someone else go around speaking evil over you giving life to the enemy's works and words. If you need healing only tell those who you know will be in agreement with you and will not speak of your circumstances over and over giving life to them. They will pray and then let God take over. If you are having a hard time with finances, don't go to those who will get on the band wagon and agree with you that yes times are tough and we just have to struggle to make it. That is a lie of the enemy. Go to God's word and let the Holy Spirit guide you and if need be get a financial person to help you with a plan for a budget. If your relationship is struggling, don't go tell all of your family members and friends who will take your side and blast your partner. Pray that God will bless your relationship and your partner and watch as He turns things around.
Our words bring forth good or evil.
Matthew 12 v 35.....A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things......
What words have you been speaking lately? Have you been walking in divine health or sickness? Have you been prosperous with more than enough or are you lacking, struggling to make ends meet? Are your relationships as they should be or are you struggling to get along?
Proverbs 16 v 24....Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.....
Proverbs 15 v 28....the heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil...
Check your words at the door. The door of your heart. Think before you speak. Choose your words wisely. Choose God's words in the place of your own or the enemy's. The enemy will try to entice you with your circumstances to say what is going on, or how you might be feeling, but don't use his words, use God's words and clean out your heart today by replacing all of those negative words of the enemy's with God's truth, His Word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Who Are We To Question
Are you like the disciples when trouble comes or circumstances look bleak, do you question Jesus' authority over the situation? Do you question whether or not He can handle whatever it might be?
Well, then don't beat yourself up, the disciples who were walking with Him did the same. Look in Matthew 14 v 16-21 where Jesus told the disciples not to send the people away hungry to feed them. They said we only have five loaves and two fish. So Jesus took what they had gave thanks held it up to God and blessed it and broke it and they fed everyone there about five thousand men besides the women and children and had twelve baskets full left over.
Then Jesus and the disciples move on and they again are faced with feeding the people. Jesus says feed them so that they do not faint on their way home. So the disciples question where are we to get food in the wilderness? How can we satisfy this many people with only seven loaves? Jesus again took their bread held them up to heaven and blessed and borke it and fed the four thousand and had seven baskets full left over. Mark 8 v 1-10.
Ok now you think the disciples are getting it? Now they can see Jesus has fed the multitude twice, not counting the other miracles He was doing along the way. Like healing all those who came to Him along the way for healing.
So they get in the boat and take off, and the disciples had forgotten to take some bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Finally Jesus is like guys do ya'll not get it? Why are you still concerned about not having enough when I have shown you over and over that God will provide?
Mark 8 v 17-21...But Jesus being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"......
When God told Abraham that he would have his own child in his and Sarah's old age, Abraham could've said what? I don't know God, You might have missed the mark on this one. I am pretty old in my body and Sarah is past her child bearing years by a long shot. But, instead, Abraham believing God could do what He said He could do was fully convinced that he would become a father.
Romans 4 v 21....and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about 100 years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able to perform.......
Abraham was favored by God because of his faith he was found righteous in God's eyes. How much more so for us, we as children of God having accepted Jesus have been found righteous in God's eyes?
When God's word says we are healed by Jesus' stripes, we are prosperous because He became poor for our sakes, we will never lack in any area, because Jesus went to the cross and wiped out the curse of the law from us so that we might share in the Blessing of Abraham, then who are we to question?
Let us put our faith in His word and stay focused on His truth, and not on our circumstances. When the hard times come against us, and they will, let us be like Abraham and be fully convinced that God will do what He says He will do in His word. AMEN!
How can we be fully convinced when our circumstances are so clearly trying to drag us down?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Well, then don't beat yourself up, the disciples who were walking with Him did the same. Look in Matthew 14 v 16-21 where Jesus told the disciples not to send the people away hungry to feed them. They said we only have five loaves and two fish. So Jesus took what they had gave thanks held it up to God and blessed it and broke it and they fed everyone there about five thousand men besides the women and children and had twelve baskets full left over.
Then Jesus and the disciples move on and they again are faced with feeding the people. Jesus says feed them so that they do not faint on their way home. So the disciples question where are we to get food in the wilderness? How can we satisfy this many people with only seven loaves? Jesus again took their bread held them up to heaven and blessed and borke it and fed the four thousand and had seven baskets full left over. Mark 8 v 1-10.
Ok now you think the disciples are getting it? Now they can see Jesus has fed the multitude twice, not counting the other miracles He was doing along the way. Like healing all those who came to Him along the way for healing.
So they get in the boat and take off, and the disciples had forgotten to take some bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Finally Jesus is like guys do ya'll not get it? Why are you still concerned about not having enough when I have shown you over and over that God will provide?
Mark 8 v 17-21...But Jesus being aware of it, said to them, "Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." "Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?" And they said, "Seven." So He said to them, "How is it you do not understand?"......
When God told Abraham that he would have his own child in his and Sarah's old age, Abraham could've said what? I don't know God, You might have missed the mark on this one. I am pretty old in my body and Sarah is past her child bearing years by a long shot. But, instead, Abraham believing God could do what He said He could do was fully convinced that he would become a father.
Romans 4 v 21....and not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about 100 years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised, He was also able to perform.......
Abraham was favored by God because of his faith he was found righteous in God's eyes. How much more so for us, we as children of God having accepted Jesus have been found righteous in God's eyes?
When God's word says we are healed by Jesus' stripes, we are prosperous because He became poor for our sakes, we will never lack in any area, because Jesus went to the cross and wiped out the curse of the law from us so that we might share in the Blessing of Abraham, then who are we to question?
Let us put our faith in His word and stay focused on His truth, and not on our circumstances. When the hard times come against us, and they will, let us be like Abraham and be fully convinced that God will do what He says He will do in His word. AMEN!
How can we be fully convinced when our circumstances are so clearly trying to drag us down?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Going Through A Storm
We have all heard how when the storm came and the boat was tossed about the disciples all got nervous, and told Jesus who by the way was in the boat with them, "Lord don't You care that we are about to perish"? They were like, how can You sleep at a time like this, why are You not up worrying and pacing the deck with us, keeping Your eye on the storm?
First of all they were so caught up in their circumstances, and keeping their eyes on that, they forgot WHO they had in the boat with them. All they could see was what was going on at the time.
The same with the episode when Jesus came walking on the water to the boat the disciples were in, and Peter said, Lord if that is You, call me out to You. Jesus said come on out, and Peter walked on the water just like Jesus. BUT, when the wind made a howling noise or maybe it was a streak of lightning, or a clap of thunder, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and turned them to the circumstances surrounding him, and immediately started sinking.
This past 3 weeks has been a type of storm for me. I have had some episodes that lead me to have to have surgery and then the recovery period was not going as planned, and I gotta tell ya, I took my eyes off of the finished work and the truth of the word and started focusing on my pain and circumstances. And then I started sinking. I was just about to go under for the last time when I cried out to Jesus and said why, why, You know I believe that I was healed already, why am I going through this?
Simple answer. Just like Peter I was looking around me at what was going on instead of keeping the truth surrounding me. Finally I told Rob, I need you to get my cd's of the word, I need the spoken word surrounding me, I need this room saturated with the truth so I can get all of these lies out of my head. And not just any word. I need Jesus' gospel, the good news, I need to be reminded of who I am in Christ, I need to remember the finished work on the cross. I need to be told I am His beloved what can man do to me? I need to renew my mind and get it back on the truth and off the lies of the enemy.
Within about 20 minutes I was asleep like a baby for the first time in 6 days and at complete rest, and never woke up with any of those circumstances that were pulling me under again.
When I went into surgery I went in with peace of mind and knowledge of who I was in Christ and no fear. I did not start having problems until I had some pain and then had some things spoken to me, that I started focusing on. That is why it is so important to be careful who you talk to when you are going through a storm.
Yesterday at church Pastor was teaching from Joshua 1. He was talking about the importance of our words. I write about these things all the time, but when the pain hit me, I had a very hard time focusing on anything. When you are having a hard time focusing you don't try to read a book or pay attention to anything except your pain. That is how the enemy gets you into his camp.
I mean yesterdays message was stepping all over my toes. But I was glad to have my toes crushed. We need to know when we are not where we need to be in the word. We need to be reminded of just exactly who we are in Christ Jesus. AMEN!
Joshua 1 v 9....Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go......
Heb. 13 v 5b-6...... For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say; "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"......
First God tells us that He will never leave us, and then Jesus came and told us the same. We do not have to go searching for them, they are with us always. You see He was in the boat with me the whole time, He was in the wilderness the whole time. So like the people wandering through the wilderness for 40 years because they could not see the truth before their eyes because of focusing on the circumstances, I too was wandering around in circles like a lost puppy being led around by my circumstances. UNTIL, I remembered who I was in Christ and then I let the truth, the spoken word wipe out those circumstances.
You see Jesus has already defeated anything that tries to come against us. He has already nailed it to the cross. The only power it has is when we give in to it and let it push us around. But we have authority over pain and all those things, we have authority through the spoken word.
So whatever you are going through today, Remember who you are in Christ Jesus, and go to the word and speak what He says about your situation. If you need healing go to IS 53 v 5, 1 Pet 2 v 24, PS 103 v 1-5, and PS 91 and PS 23.
Remember there is nothing lacking, nothing missing, nothing broken in your salvation. When you received your salvation you received your wholeness in Christ Jesus. Look to Him, keep your eyes on Him He is the finisher of your faith, not your circumstances. AMEN!
Go through the storm, don't stop in the middle of it, keep moving and you will come out on the other side as the VICTOR.
How can you keep moving when you don't feel like you have the strength?
STAY IN THE WORD!
First of all they were so caught up in their circumstances, and keeping their eyes on that, they forgot WHO they had in the boat with them. All they could see was what was going on at the time.
The same with the episode when Jesus came walking on the water to the boat the disciples were in, and Peter said, Lord if that is You, call me out to You. Jesus said come on out, and Peter walked on the water just like Jesus. BUT, when the wind made a howling noise or maybe it was a streak of lightning, or a clap of thunder, Peter took his eyes off Jesus and turned them to the circumstances surrounding him, and immediately started sinking.
This past 3 weeks has been a type of storm for me. I have had some episodes that lead me to have to have surgery and then the recovery period was not going as planned, and I gotta tell ya, I took my eyes off of the finished work and the truth of the word and started focusing on my pain and circumstances. And then I started sinking. I was just about to go under for the last time when I cried out to Jesus and said why, why, You know I believe that I was healed already, why am I going through this?
Simple answer. Just like Peter I was looking around me at what was going on instead of keeping the truth surrounding me. Finally I told Rob, I need you to get my cd's of the word, I need the spoken word surrounding me, I need this room saturated with the truth so I can get all of these lies out of my head. And not just any word. I need Jesus' gospel, the good news, I need to be reminded of who I am in Christ, I need to remember the finished work on the cross. I need to be told I am His beloved what can man do to me? I need to renew my mind and get it back on the truth and off the lies of the enemy.
Within about 20 minutes I was asleep like a baby for the first time in 6 days and at complete rest, and never woke up with any of those circumstances that were pulling me under again.
When I went into surgery I went in with peace of mind and knowledge of who I was in Christ and no fear. I did not start having problems until I had some pain and then had some things spoken to me, that I started focusing on. That is why it is so important to be careful who you talk to when you are going through a storm.
Yesterday at church Pastor was teaching from Joshua 1. He was talking about the importance of our words. I write about these things all the time, but when the pain hit me, I had a very hard time focusing on anything. When you are having a hard time focusing you don't try to read a book or pay attention to anything except your pain. That is how the enemy gets you into his camp.
I mean yesterdays message was stepping all over my toes. But I was glad to have my toes crushed. We need to know when we are not where we need to be in the word. We need to be reminded of just exactly who we are in Christ Jesus. AMEN!
Joshua 1 v 9....Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go......
Heb. 13 v 5b-6...... For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say; "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"......
First God tells us that He will never leave us, and then Jesus came and told us the same. We do not have to go searching for them, they are with us always. You see He was in the boat with me the whole time, He was in the wilderness the whole time. So like the people wandering through the wilderness for 40 years because they could not see the truth before their eyes because of focusing on the circumstances, I too was wandering around in circles like a lost puppy being led around by my circumstances. UNTIL, I remembered who I was in Christ and then I let the truth, the spoken word wipe out those circumstances.
You see Jesus has already defeated anything that tries to come against us. He has already nailed it to the cross. The only power it has is when we give in to it and let it push us around. But we have authority over pain and all those things, we have authority through the spoken word.
So whatever you are going through today, Remember who you are in Christ Jesus, and go to the word and speak what He says about your situation. If you need healing go to IS 53 v 5, 1 Pet 2 v 24, PS 103 v 1-5, and PS 91 and PS 23.
Remember there is nothing lacking, nothing missing, nothing broken in your salvation. When you received your salvation you received your wholeness in Christ Jesus. Look to Him, keep your eyes on Him He is the finisher of your faith, not your circumstances. AMEN!
Go through the storm, don't stop in the middle of it, keep moving and you will come out on the other side as the VICTOR.
How can you keep moving when you don't feel like you have the strength?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
To Pray Or Not To Pray Out Loud
That is the question. Christians are fighting for the right to pray publicly and use Jesus name. I have been reading in the paper lately accounts of Christians voicing their opinions about the ACLU wanting to ban the prayers ending with in Jesus name, before County Board meetings here in our county. They are not wanting to ban prayer altogether, they do not want the prayers being ended with In Jesus name, because all the board members may not be Christians. If we are praying in silence who knows whose name we are ending our prayers in? Hello.....GOD KNOWS. You can't hide what is in your heart from God.
First of all let me make this very clear, I am a Christian and I know the Lord Jesus as my personal savior, not just on Sundays, Wed. or at a special mass for Christmas or Easter. I know Him everyday and spend time with Him everyday in His word. So that no one thinks I am taking sides with the ACLU, let's just make that clear.
However spending quality time in His word daily helps me to see Him clearly and the way He would have us to treat others.
How do we know when something is of the Lord or of man? If there is condemnation involved it is of man. If there is no condemnation it is of the Lord.
Romans. 8 v 1-2...There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...
If we as Christians are causing people to feel condemnation then we are not presenting the gospel Jesus gave us to teach.
God Himself said He sent His Son, so that the world might be saved not condemned. I'm not saying they may not feel conviction to change. I'm saying we do not cause them to feel condemned using Jesus' name.
John 3 v 17...For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.....
We do not have to pray out loud for God to hear us. We can pray out loud but it is not a command from God, He knows our every thought. AMEN! We need to take Him out of the box we try to keep Him in.
Matthew 6 v 5-8....And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 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. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ......
First of all where is your room? Where is the secret place? If you are a Christian it is in you. God resides in you. The secret place of the Lord is resting in His word. Having understanding of His word deep in our hearts.
So instead of fighting to pray out loud in public in our work place, why can we not do as was suggested and take a moment of silence to pray to our Father in secret as He has instructed us to do? And those who are not Christians can pray to whomever they wish as well in silence.
God says all authority is ordained by Him. He didn't say some, He said ALL.
Romans 13 v 1-2.....Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves......
I'm not saying that Christians should compromise their faith in any way that would go against the word of God. I'm just saying God knows what is in our hearts and He hears us when we pray, whether it is out loud or in silence.
For every action there is a reaction and then there is a result. We need to be careful what results we might get.....
Someone told me long ago, not to fight so hard to get prayer back in school. For if we allow Christians to pray publicly in school then we must also allow all other forms of religion to pray their prayers as well. So what would you rather have your child learning at school, prayers of an atheist or Buddhism, or any other form of religion other than Christianity? You will not be there to supervise and to correct whatever beliefs are being taught to your children when this is allowed. So they would be getting fed the wrong teachings according to our Christian faith, all because we had to lean on our own understanding instead of letting God show us in His word what to do. God says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Well, what if the hearing is not the word of God but the word of Buddha? What then is your child's faith being built upon, since they spend the majority of their time in school?
Just like with the ten commandments. We fight very hard to keep them present for everyone to see, yet the word tells us that Jesus died on the cross to fulfill those commandments once and for all. When Moses brought the ten commandments down the people perished because they could not keep the law. The people were not allowed to touch the ark that contained the law or they would die.
The law was how God showed us we needed a Savior. I'm not saying He did away with the ten commandments, I'm saying He fullfilled them. So why would we want to keep them before our eyes instead of His gospel?
When Jesus died on the cross and brought Grace to us, three thousand were saved.
We need to get caught up with the word and know what is written and when it was written before or after the cross. The law was the old covenant and Jesus is our new covenant. Jesus brings us life and tells us to come to Him.
Acts 2 v 41....Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them....
In Acts we go on to see that as long as the apostles were teaching the grace and forgiveness of Christ Jesus, (the cross and Him crucified) there were more and more being saved. That is the love of God.
So I guess I say all of this to remind us to not react out of our flesh when something comes against our faith but to instead respond with the love of Christ. Take a deep breath, get His word out and see what does He (not your church doctrine) tell you to do in your situation. We need to look to Him for the answer and not just react.
It reminds me of a saying that I've often heard, sometimes the best way to show we are a Christian is not with words but with our actions.
I am also reminded of the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus forgave the woman with His unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor. He extended her His grace. And she went away and sinned no more. Why? Not because she saw what was written in the law, but because she saw His love.
He reacted to the situation with LOVE.
Remember Jesus gave us all free will and never meant for us to force His name on anyone.
The best way to learn how to respond and not react is to
STAY IN THE WORD!
First of all let me make this very clear, I am a Christian and I know the Lord Jesus as my personal savior, not just on Sundays, Wed. or at a special mass for Christmas or Easter. I know Him everyday and spend time with Him everyday in His word. So that no one thinks I am taking sides with the ACLU, let's just make that clear.
However spending quality time in His word daily helps me to see Him clearly and the way He would have us to treat others.
How do we know when something is of the Lord or of man? If there is condemnation involved it is of man. If there is no condemnation it is of the Lord.
Romans. 8 v 1-2...There is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...
If we as Christians are causing people to feel condemnation then we are not presenting the gospel Jesus gave us to teach.
God Himself said He sent His Son, so that the world might be saved not condemned. I'm not saying they may not feel conviction to change. I'm saying we do not cause them to feel condemned using Jesus' name.
John 3 v 17...For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.....
We do not have to pray out loud for God to hear us. We can pray out loud but it is not a command from God, He knows our every thought. AMEN! We need to take Him out of the box we try to keep Him in.
Matthew 6 v 5-8....And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 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. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. ......
First of all where is your room? Where is the secret place? If you are a Christian it is in you. God resides in you. The secret place of the Lord is resting in His word. Having understanding of His word deep in our hearts.
So instead of fighting to pray out loud in public in our work place, why can we not do as was suggested and take a moment of silence to pray to our Father in secret as He has instructed us to do? And those who are not Christians can pray to whomever they wish as well in silence.
God says all authority is ordained by Him. He didn't say some, He said ALL.
Romans 13 v 1-2.....Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves......
I'm not saying that Christians should compromise their faith in any way that would go against the word of God. I'm just saying God knows what is in our hearts and He hears us when we pray, whether it is out loud or in silence.
For every action there is a reaction and then there is a result. We need to be careful what results we might get.....
Someone told me long ago, not to fight so hard to get prayer back in school. For if we allow Christians to pray publicly in school then we must also allow all other forms of religion to pray their prayers as well. So what would you rather have your child learning at school, prayers of an atheist or Buddhism, or any other form of religion other than Christianity? You will not be there to supervise and to correct whatever beliefs are being taught to your children when this is allowed. So they would be getting fed the wrong teachings according to our Christian faith, all because we had to lean on our own understanding instead of letting God show us in His word what to do. God says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Well, what if the hearing is not the word of God but the word of Buddha? What then is your child's faith being built upon, since they spend the majority of their time in school?
Just like with the ten commandments. We fight very hard to keep them present for everyone to see, yet the word tells us that Jesus died on the cross to fulfill those commandments once and for all. When Moses brought the ten commandments down the people perished because they could not keep the law. The people were not allowed to touch the ark that contained the law or they would die.
The law was how God showed us we needed a Savior. I'm not saying He did away with the ten commandments, I'm saying He fullfilled them. So why would we want to keep them before our eyes instead of His gospel?
When Jesus died on the cross and brought Grace to us, three thousand were saved.
We need to get caught up with the word and know what is written and when it was written before or after the cross. The law was the old covenant and Jesus is our new covenant. Jesus brings us life and tells us to come to Him.
Acts 2 v 41....Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them....
In Acts we go on to see that as long as the apostles were teaching the grace and forgiveness of Christ Jesus, (the cross and Him crucified) there were more and more being saved. That is the love of God.
So I guess I say all of this to remind us to not react out of our flesh when something comes against our faith but to instead respond with the love of Christ. Take a deep breath, get His word out and see what does He (not your church doctrine) tell you to do in your situation. We need to look to Him for the answer and not just react.
It reminds me of a saying that I've often heard, sometimes the best way to show we are a Christian is not with words but with our actions.
I am also reminded of the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus forgave the woman with His unearned, undeserved, unmerited favor. He extended her His grace. And she went away and sinned no more. Why? Not because she saw what was written in the law, but because she saw His love.
He reacted to the situation with LOVE.
Remember Jesus gave us all free will and never meant for us to force His name on anyone.
The best way to learn how to respond and not react is to
STAY IN THE WORD!
Religious Education
I found this in my bible study today and thought it very interesting.
The religious education of children was the parent's responsiblity (Deut. 11:19, 32:46) No exceptions were made for parents who felt they were too busy to teach. Even when children came of age and married, the parents' responsibility did not end; they also had an important part in educating the grand-children (Deut 4:9). In fact, they often lived in the same house.
The Israelite father was ultimately responsible for the education of the children, but mothers also played a crucial role, especially until a child reached the age of five. During those formative years she was expected to shape the future of her sons and daughters.
Clearly, parents wanted to see the proverb come true: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Prov 22:6)
When a boy became old enough to work with his father, the father became his principal teacher, even though the mother continued to share in the teaching responsibility (Prov 1:8, 9, 6:20) If someone other than the father had to assume the responsibility of teaching a boy, then that person was considered his "father."
How much wisdom we can gain by reading a chapter of Proverbs daily. AMEN!
If we ask first for wisdom each day and then combine with the love of Christ, we can't go wrong.
I for one am so glad I have the Lord to help me to guide my future grandchildren with His word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
The religious education of children was the parent's responsiblity (Deut. 11:19, 32:46) No exceptions were made for parents who felt they were too busy to teach. Even when children came of age and married, the parents' responsibility did not end; they also had an important part in educating the grand-children (Deut 4:9). In fact, they often lived in the same house.
The Israelite father was ultimately responsible for the education of the children, but mothers also played a crucial role, especially until a child reached the age of five. During those formative years she was expected to shape the future of her sons and daughters.
Clearly, parents wanted to see the proverb come true: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Prov 22:6)
When a boy became old enough to work with his father, the father became his principal teacher, even though the mother continued to share in the teaching responsibility (Prov 1:8, 9, 6:20) If someone other than the father had to assume the responsibility of teaching a boy, then that person was considered his "father."
How much wisdom we can gain by reading a chapter of Proverbs daily. AMEN!
If we ask first for wisdom each day and then combine with the love of Christ, we can't go wrong.
I for one am so glad I have the Lord to help me to guide my future grandchildren with His word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Where Is His Power
Where can we find the same power Jesus had while He walked on the earth with us, going about healing all who were oppressed by the enemy?
Ephes. 3 v 20.....Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us........
According to this scripture the power is in us. When Jesus left the earth He left us with His power, the Holy Spirit in us.
Acts 1 v 5....for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.....
Acts 1 v 8...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.....
When we are in need of the power of God in our lives, we have only to look into ourselves. God resides within us as the Holy Spirit. First we must know what His will in our situation is, and only then can we tap into the power that is within us.
Remember, the power of God can only be found where the will of God is known.
Let me put it this way. Say we were going down the road and we had a flat tire. What would be the first thing we would do? Get our spare out of the trunk to fix it. Why? Because we know where the spare is and we know what to do with it. We have knowledge in that situation.
Well, say we are going down the road and our car just stops running. What would we do? First we would have to find out what the problem is with the car, so that we can have it repaired. How do we know where to look? We call a mechanic, someone who has knowledge of the situation. We then trust them to fix it.
The same is true with whatever problems we are facing today. We only have to find in His word what He says His will is about our situation and then trust Him when He says we have the power within us to overcome any situation. We have to realize exactly Who the Holy Spirit is that resides within us. We have to realize that God's will for us is always good.
John 16 v 33..."These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, "I have overcome the world."......
We must have knowledge of His will in the situation so that we can trust in His power to bring us through. Where do we find this knowledge? Romans 10 v 17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 8 v 37...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us......
Recognize the enemy for who he is, sickness, diseases, poverty, malice, strife, weakness of any sort, and then recognize who you are in Christ Jesus. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit residing in you, the same power that worked in Christ Jesus now works in you. You have authority over the enemy. AMEN!
Ephes. 3 v 16-19....that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strenghthened with might (power) through His Spirit in the inner man, (Holy Spirit), that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend (have knowledge of God's will) with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; (your own understanding) that you may be filled with all the fullness of God......
What is God's will for us? Where do we find His Perfect will? Where do we find the answers to these questions, so that we may find the Power of Jesus?
STAY IN THE WORD!
www.godstidbitstome.blogspot.com
Ephes. 3 v 20.....Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us........
According to this scripture the power is in us. When Jesus left the earth He left us with His power, the Holy Spirit in us.
Acts 1 v 5....for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.....
Acts 1 v 8...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.....
When we are in need of the power of God in our lives, we have only to look into ourselves. God resides within us as the Holy Spirit. First we must know what His will in our situation is, and only then can we tap into the power that is within us.
Remember, the power of God can only be found where the will of God is known.
Let me put it this way. Say we were going down the road and we had a flat tire. What would be the first thing we would do? Get our spare out of the trunk to fix it. Why? Because we know where the spare is and we know what to do with it. We have knowledge in that situation.
Well, say we are going down the road and our car just stops running. What would we do? First we would have to find out what the problem is with the car, so that we can have it repaired. How do we know where to look? We call a mechanic, someone who has knowledge of the situation. We then trust them to fix it.
The same is true with whatever problems we are facing today. We only have to find in His word what He says His will is about our situation and then trust Him when He says we have the power within us to overcome any situation. We have to realize exactly Who the Holy Spirit is that resides within us. We have to realize that God's will for us is always good.
John 16 v 33..."These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, "I have overcome the world."......
We must have knowledge of His will in the situation so that we can trust in His power to bring us through. Where do we find this knowledge? Romans 10 v 17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 8 v 37...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us......
Recognize the enemy for who he is, sickness, diseases, poverty, malice, strife, weakness of any sort, and then recognize who you are in Christ Jesus. You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You have the Holy Spirit residing in you, the same power that worked in Christ Jesus now works in you. You have authority over the enemy. AMEN!
Ephes. 3 v 16-19....that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strenghthened with might (power) through His Spirit in the inner man, (Holy Spirit), that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend (have knowledge of God's will) with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; (your own understanding) that you may be filled with all the fullness of God......
What is God's will for us? Where do we find His Perfect will? Where do we find the answers to these questions, so that we may find the Power of Jesus?
STAY IN THE WORD!
www.godstidbitstome.blogspot.com
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
How's God's Forgiveness Works
You have heard me say and others how one scripture in the Bible is misquoted so many times. And that is the scripture about money. You hear people say "Money is the root of all evil", When in fact the scripture says, "The love of money is the root of all evil". You see it is not money that is evil, it is the love of money.
Well, there is another scripture that is taken out of context just as frequently, and I cringe even more when I hear this one. It is found in Mark. I only got a revelation of this myself about 3 years ago, and I am so sorry for every time I used it wrong.
Mark 11 v 25-26....And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.......
Yes this is Jesus speaking, but this is before the cross. Once Jesus died on the cross your sins were forgiven. and it was not by any works of yours. He died for ALL sins for EVERYONE, past present and future. To say that you have to forgive someone so that you can be forgiven would be to cancel out His FINISHED work on the cross. That would be you having to work for or earn your forgiveness. And that is just simply not true.
Forgiveness is Jesus' Grace to us. Free, unmerited, undeserved, unearned GRACE. We can not or will not ever be able to work for it, or earn it in any way through how good we are or how much we forgive anyone.
The reason I cringe when I hear that scripture is because there are so many hurting people out there who have been wronged in horrible ways that it takes time for them to be able to forgive. They need to know that God loves them anyway and that He forgives them even when they can't bring themselves to forgive those who have hurt them. His love will be sufficient for them to overcome their unforgiveness for others. It may just take some time.
Yes Forgvieness gives you a release, a freedom to be able to love more. Unforgiveness is a sin, and it is like a disease that will eat at you until it destroys you. But to tell people that they can not have God's forgiveness something His Son died on the cross for is a lie from the devil. It is another one of those times when the devil is quoting the word to you but taking it out of context like he did with Jesus in the dessert. Just like Jesus you have to rebuke him and tell him that yes the word does say that, but it is also written, that Jesus died on the cross for ALL sins, and He took care of that unforgiveness with His love for all of us not just some of us.
Let me show those who are dealing with unforgiveness how forgiveness will work in your favor. This is the scripture that helped me.
Romans 12 v 19...Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, " says the Lord. .....
This scripture is the Lord telling us to let it go, give it to Him, He wants to free us from this disease of unforgiveness that is eating away at us. Unforgiveness is our form of vengeance. He wants us to be healed of unforgiveness so that we can live. So that we can have that life that He promised us, an abundant life.
When we try to hold on to unforgiveness we are telling the Lord to take a seat that this problem is too big for Him to handle that we are bigger than Him and that we will have to take care of this one ourself. WOW! When a pastor told me that about my unforgiveness, it really hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately apologized to the Lord for thinking that I was more able than Him.
You see God says that vengeance is His. So when we try to hold on to unforgiveness it is like we are taking something that does not belong to us. We are stealing from God in a sense. I am telling you once you get a revelation of this scripture and realize that you are holding on to something that does not belong to you and put it in its rightful place, give it to GOD, you will be set free. You will feel that release, you will see your unforgiveness under the Blood. And everytime it tries to rear its ugly head, just say take it up with God, you are not my problem anymore.
How can we find it in our hearts to forgive those who have wronged us?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Well, there is another scripture that is taken out of context just as frequently, and I cringe even more when I hear this one. It is found in Mark. I only got a revelation of this myself about 3 years ago, and I am so sorry for every time I used it wrong.
Mark 11 v 25-26....And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.......
Yes this is Jesus speaking, but this is before the cross. Once Jesus died on the cross your sins were forgiven. and it was not by any works of yours. He died for ALL sins for EVERYONE, past present and future. To say that you have to forgive someone so that you can be forgiven would be to cancel out His FINISHED work on the cross. That would be you having to work for or earn your forgiveness. And that is just simply not true.
Forgiveness is Jesus' Grace to us. Free, unmerited, undeserved, unearned GRACE. We can not or will not ever be able to work for it, or earn it in any way through how good we are or how much we forgive anyone.
The reason I cringe when I hear that scripture is because there are so many hurting people out there who have been wronged in horrible ways that it takes time for them to be able to forgive. They need to know that God loves them anyway and that He forgives them even when they can't bring themselves to forgive those who have hurt them. His love will be sufficient for them to overcome their unforgiveness for others. It may just take some time.
Yes Forgvieness gives you a release, a freedom to be able to love more. Unforgiveness is a sin, and it is like a disease that will eat at you until it destroys you. But to tell people that they can not have God's forgiveness something His Son died on the cross for is a lie from the devil. It is another one of those times when the devil is quoting the word to you but taking it out of context like he did with Jesus in the dessert. Just like Jesus you have to rebuke him and tell him that yes the word does say that, but it is also written, that Jesus died on the cross for ALL sins, and He took care of that unforgiveness with His love for all of us not just some of us.
Let me show those who are dealing with unforgiveness how forgiveness will work in your favor. This is the scripture that helped me.
Romans 12 v 19...Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, " says the Lord. .....
This scripture is the Lord telling us to let it go, give it to Him, He wants to free us from this disease of unforgiveness that is eating away at us. Unforgiveness is our form of vengeance. He wants us to be healed of unforgiveness so that we can live. So that we can have that life that He promised us, an abundant life.
When we try to hold on to unforgiveness we are telling the Lord to take a seat that this problem is too big for Him to handle that we are bigger than Him and that we will have to take care of this one ourself. WOW! When a pastor told me that about my unforgiveness, it really hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately apologized to the Lord for thinking that I was more able than Him.
You see God says that vengeance is His. So when we try to hold on to unforgiveness it is like we are taking something that does not belong to us. We are stealing from God in a sense. I am telling you once you get a revelation of this scripture and realize that you are holding on to something that does not belong to you and put it in its rightful place, give it to GOD, you will be set free. You will feel that release, you will see your unforgiveness under the Blood. And everytime it tries to rear its ugly head, just say take it up with God, you are not my problem anymore.
How can we find it in our hearts to forgive those who have wronged us?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
We All Forget Sometimes
I was reminded of how easily we forget sometimes, at a recent service, Pastor had titled "Forget Not". He asked a question about which verses he had used at the last service. You see we go to church we listen and we get filled with a message and we are all excited about the message we just heard. Then we go to lunch and usually after lunch or by the end of the day we have forgotten most of what we heard. Come on now all you holier than thous, you know I'm not the only who doesn't always remember the message.
Here is the point, when we hear something that really means something to us, we tell our brains this is important, I want to remember this. But a lot of times if we don't write it down, we forget exactly what it was we wanted to remember. If we don't spend time with something it becomes a faint memory, sometimes lost all together. That is why it is so important that we STAY IN THE WORD.
(A lesson learned while I was a Mary Kay Sales Director.....The faintest ink is better than your memory.....In other words if you do not want to forget, write it down.)
Now I am not a preacher nor do I want to preach Pastor's message but I would like to share some good points that I received from him for my tid-bit readers today.
The scripture below is the one Pastor used during this service. How do I know? I wrote it down.
PS 103 v 2....Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:......
Let's stop right there for a minute. Here David is telling us not to forget all God's benefits toward us. Then he goes on to list some of them. I can gaurantee that all of us have forgotten some of these benefits if not all of them at one time or other in our lives. Let's look at the benefits and you tell me. (Read all of PS 103.)
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Who executes justice for all who are oppressed, Who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, Who did not deal with us according to our sins or punished us according to our iniquities, (why?) (Because Jesus took all that on the cross)
Who removed our sins as far away from us as the East is from the West. Whose mercy is everlasting to everlasting and His righteousness to our childrens children, Whose kingdom rules over all, (the kingdom you are an heir to)....
Okay, now let's ask the question again. How many of us have read that scripture before in our lives? Now, how many of us have forgotten when we felt sick or pain that we WERE healed at the cross? How many of us have forgotten that He said He remembers our sins no more and that He is not angry with us? How many of us have grown tired and forgotten that He says He will renew our youth like the eagle's? How many of us have forgotten that He says He will free the oppressed?
You see how easy it is to forget when we do not meditate on what it is we are wanting to remember? That is why God tells us in His word to keep His word before us. To meditate on His word.
Prov. 4 v 20-22....My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.....
These are the instructions of a father to his son. These are the instructions for wisdom. Let us seek our Heavenly Father's wisdom in all things. God tells us in His word, to forget not.
How do we fight a battle without a weapon sufficient to fight with? Would a fire fighter go into a blazing fire without wearing the proper fire fighter's gear? Our weapon is the Word of God. We do not need any other words, or any other weapons to fight againt the enemy who is telling us we are unworthy, or we are sick, or we are poor. We only need the WORD to fight those battles. How do we keep from forgetting all of His benefits and win our battles?
Pastor also said something like this, 'the power of God can only be claimed where the will of God is known'. .....
We must not forget who He says we are, what He says we can have, and what He says we can do in His name. AMEN! We must not forget what His will for us is.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Visit us at LifeWay Church located at 7621 Old Mocksville Rd where you can experience a New way of Life, Loving God, Loving People, and Serving both........and where you can get Pastor's entire message firsthand and not just off my memory........
Here is the point, when we hear something that really means something to us, we tell our brains this is important, I want to remember this. But a lot of times if we don't write it down, we forget exactly what it was we wanted to remember. If we don't spend time with something it becomes a faint memory, sometimes lost all together. That is why it is so important that we STAY IN THE WORD.
(A lesson learned while I was a Mary Kay Sales Director.....The faintest ink is better than your memory.....In other words if you do not want to forget, write it down.)
Now I am not a preacher nor do I want to preach Pastor's message but I would like to share some good points that I received from him for my tid-bit readers today.
The scripture below is the one Pastor used during this service. How do I know? I wrote it down.
PS 103 v 2....Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:......
Let's stop right there for a minute. Here David is telling us not to forget all God's benefits toward us. Then he goes on to list some of them. I can gaurantee that all of us have forgotten some of these benefits if not all of them at one time or other in our lives. Let's look at the benefits and you tell me. (Read all of PS 103.)
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Who executes justice for all who are oppressed, Who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, Who did not deal with us according to our sins or punished us according to our iniquities, (why?) (Because Jesus took all that on the cross)
Who removed our sins as far away from us as the East is from the West. Whose mercy is everlasting to everlasting and His righteousness to our childrens children, Whose kingdom rules over all, (the kingdom you are an heir to)....
Okay, now let's ask the question again. How many of us have read that scripture before in our lives? Now, how many of us have forgotten when we felt sick or pain that we WERE healed at the cross? How many of us have forgotten that He said He remembers our sins no more and that He is not angry with us? How many of us have grown tired and forgotten that He says He will renew our youth like the eagle's? How many of us have forgotten that He says He will free the oppressed?
You see how easy it is to forget when we do not meditate on what it is we are wanting to remember? That is why God tells us in His word to keep His word before us. To meditate on His word.
Prov. 4 v 20-22....My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.....
These are the instructions of a father to his son. These are the instructions for wisdom. Let us seek our Heavenly Father's wisdom in all things. God tells us in His word, to forget not.
How do we fight a battle without a weapon sufficient to fight with? Would a fire fighter go into a blazing fire without wearing the proper fire fighter's gear? Our weapon is the Word of God. We do not need any other words, or any other weapons to fight againt the enemy who is telling us we are unworthy, or we are sick, or we are poor. We only need the WORD to fight those battles. How do we keep from forgetting all of His benefits and win our battles?
Pastor also said something like this, 'the power of God can only be claimed where the will of God is known'. .....
We must not forget who He says we are, what He says we can have, and what He says we can do in His name. AMEN! We must not forget what His will for us is.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Visit us at LifeWay Church located at 7621 Old Mocksville Rd where you can experience a New way of Life, Loving God, Loving People, and Serving both........and where you can get Pastor's entire message firsthand and not just off my memory........
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Imagine This Scenario
Everywhere we go, there is a presence with us. Are we always aware of this presence? Let's find out.
1st scenario.......all the bills are due and we are scratching our head trying to figure out where the money is going to come from, we keep telling our friends how broke we are and how we can never seem to catch up....
2nd scenario.....we are trying to fight off this annoying cough and sniffles that just will not leave us, we have tried every cough medicine and sinus medicine on the shelves at the drug store, so we call all of our friends or family and ask them what would they take or do......
3rd scenario..... we are applying for a great job but there are so many others applying as well, we call all of our friends and tell them about the job and ask them to keep their fingers crossed that we get the job.....
4th scenario.....our marriage is on the rocks and falling apart, we talk to our friends and we read all the books on how to please our spouse, we go to the marriage counselors, and yet we still are not getting along......
5th scenario....our loved one is in a horrific accident and we are told they will not make it, that it will take a miracle, so we call out to God and ask Him for a miracle......
Now imagine this scenario, the presence that was there jumping up and down saying ask Me, ask Me, in all of these scenarios but we did not ask until we felt like we could not handle it on our own. He was there saying trust Me and let me supply all your need, (Matthew 6 v 31) ( Phillipians 4 v 19) have Faith in My finished work on the cross that you are healed from ALL your diseases, (Isaiah 53 v 5) walk with Me and let Me cover you with My favor in ALL things, (Psalm 5 v 12) seek Me first and let Me give you counsel and wisdom and hear what I have to say about what I have joined together, ( Matthew 6 v 33, James 1 v 5) and feel free to ask Me for anything and it will be given to you (John 14 v 14).
Oh and you don't have to call out, or holler, I AM the presence that is right here with you, I said I would never leave you nor forsake you, (Hebrews 13 v 5). I AM (not was) the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13 v 8). I AM (not was) still working miracles and answering prayers. I AM (not was) on your side, I AM (not was) for you and not against you. I AM (not was) still in love with you just as much as I was the day I died on the cross for you. Nothing can separate you from My love. (Romans 8 v 35-39)
I AM here and ready to help you. All you have to do is ask of Me anything and then believe.
I AM and will always be here to go through every scenario you go through.......
How can we know that He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do?
STAY IN THE WORD!
1st scenario.......all the bills are due and we are scratching our head trying to figure out where the money is going to come from, we keep telling our friends how broke we are and how we can never seem to catch up....
2nd scenario.....we are trying to fight off this annoying cough and sniffles that just will not leave us, we have tried every cough medicine and sinus medicine on the shelves at the drug store, so we call all of our friends or family and ask them what would they take or do......
3rd scenario..... we are applying for a great job but there are so many others applying as well, we call all of our friends and tell them about the job and ask them to keep their fingers crossed that we get the job.....
4th scenario.....our marriage is on the rocks and falling apart, we talk to our friends and we read all the books on how to please our spouse, we go to the marriage counselors, and yet we still are not getting along......
5th scenario....our loved one is in a horrific accident and we are told they will not make it, that it will take a miracle, so we call out to God and ask Him for a miracle......
Now imagine this scenario, the presence that was there jumping up and down saying ask Me, ask Me, in all of these scenarios but we did not ask until we felt like we could not handle it on our own. He was there saying trust Me and let me supply all your need, (Matthew 6 v 31) ( Phillipians 4 v 19) have Faith in My finished work on the cross that you are healed from ALL your diseases, (Isaiah 53 v 5) walk with Me and let Me cover you with My favor in ALL things, (Psalm 5 v 12) seek Me first and let Me give you counsel and wisdom and hear what I have to say about what I have joined together, ( Matthew 6 v 33, James 1 v 5) and feel free to ask Me for anything and it will be given to you (John 14 v 14).
Oh and you don't have to call out, or holler, I AM the presence that is right here with you, I said I would never leave you nor forsake you, (Hebrews 13 v 5). I AM (not was) the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13 v 8). I AM (not was) still working miracles and answering prayers. I AM (not was) on your side, I AM (not was) for you and not against you. I AM (not was) still in love with you just as much as I was the day I died on the cross for you. Nothing can separate you from My love. (Romans 8 v 35-39)
I AM here and ready to help you. All you have to do is ask of Me anything and then believe.
I AM and will always be here to go through every scenario you go through.......
How can we know that He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Egg Money
Has there been a time while at church there was a call for a special offering for a visiting pastor or missionary and you wanted to help by contributing, but you felt like you just did'nt have enough to make a difference? The same with giving your regular tithes and offerings at church or pledging to help build a new building or to give into a mission fund. Sometimes we feel like I've only got two dollars, what good will that do anyone? So we hold on to our two dollars and that two dollars remains just that...... two dollars.
Here is where we miss the mark. That two dollars for us in the natural is just two dollars. But when we let go of that two dollars and give it to God, it becomes more than enough, pressed down, shaken together, an abundance overflowing pouring out.
Luke 6 v 38..."Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."....
Sometimes I feel like because I do not work that I do not have anything to give into His kingdom. Yes, I know I share in my husbands tithe, but sometimes, the Holy Spirit leads me to give into other things like the missions. One day when I was thinking like this, the Holy Spirit said you've got $3 of egg money in your purse, give that. I thought I'm not even going to waste an envelope on $3. what good will that do anyone in the missions. God said you're right, $3 wouldn't be much help to anyone, and then just as I was getting ready to pat myself on the back because I thought God was agreeing with me, He said, but $3 to Me is not just $3. He said I can take your $3 and make it $30, $300, $3000. He said I will make your $3 more than enough, pressed down shaken together, running over.
Matthew 13 v 8...But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.....
Luke 19 v 17...."Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.".....
In the verse above God is telling us that if we are faithful stewards over the little we have, He will multiply, not to only bless us with more than enough, but so that we may be able to meet even more needs. Just a little extra tidbit, you can't outgive God!
We have to get a revelation of what it means to be a faithful giver and tither. My son told me one day something that has always stuck with me. He gave some money to a person on the street who was collecting for missions, and me in my doubting, suspecting old person that I was back then asked, why would you do that, when I knew he didn't have much more than what he had gave the guy? He said "Mom, when I give that money with the right heart into the kingdom of God, the minute it leaves my hand it is no longer mine, but God's. That money is no longer my responsibility." He said, "I can't concern myself with whether or not that person does the right thing with the money, my part is done and BLESSED. I was obedient to the Holy Spirit and gave and now my seed I sowed is blessed." It will become more than enough for what I gave it."
Here are the key ingredients with giving into the kingdom. Be a Happy, Generous, Faithful Giver. In other words, don't give grudgingly, don't give without faith, and don't hold on to what you gave after you have given it. When you let go and deposit your seed into His kingdom, don't look back and wonder and worry over that seed. You have to truly let go of that seed so that God can super-naturally multiply it with His blessing.
2 Cor. 9 v 7-8...So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.....
The questions to us today is, Are we trying to hold on to our egg money with wrong thinking? We need to let go and trust God, that He is faithful to do what He says He will do. And watch our egg money grow and feed His Kingdom. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Here is where we miss the mark. That two dollars for us in the natural is just two dollars. But when we let go of that two dollars and give it to God, it becomes more than enough, pressed down, shaken together, an abundance overflowing pouring out.
Luke 6 v 38..."Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."....
Sometimes I feel like because I do not work that I do not have anything to give into His kingdom. Yes, I know I share in my husbands tithe, but sometimes, the Holy Spirit leads me to give into other things like the missions. One day when I was thinking like this, the Holy Spirit said you've got $3 of egg money in your purse, give that. I thought I'm not even going to waste an envelope on $3. what good will that do anyone in the missions. God said you're right, $3 wouldn't be much help to anyone, and then just as I was getting ready to pat myself on the back because I thought God was agreeing with me, He said, but $3 to Me is not just $3. He said I can take your $3 and make it $30, $300, $3000. He said I will make your $3 more than enough, pressed down shaken together, running over.
Matthew 13 v 8...But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.....
Luke 19 v 17...."Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.".....
In the verse above God is telling us that if we are faithful stewards over the little we have, He will multiply, not to only bless us with more than enough, but so that we may be able to meet even more needs. Just a little extra tidbit, you can't outgive God!
We have to get a revelation of what it means to be a faithful giver and tither. My son told me one day something that has always stuck with me. He gave some money to a person on the street who was collecting for missions, and me in my doubting, suspecting old person that I was back then asked, why would you do that, when I knew he didn't have much more than what he had gave the guy? He said "Mom, when I give that money with the right heart into the kingdom of God, the minute it leaves my hand it is no longer mine, but God's. That money is no longer my responsibility." He said, "I can't concern myself with whether or not that person does the right thing with the money, my part is done and BLESSED. I was obedient to the Holy Spirit and gave and now my seed I sowed is blessed." It will become more than enough for what I gave it."
Here are the key ingredients with giving into the kingdom. Be a Happy, Generous, Faithful Giver. In other words, don't give grudgingly, don't give without faith, and don't hold on to what you gave after you have given it. When you let go and deposit your seed into His kingdom, don't look back and wonder and worry over that seed. You have to truly let go of that seed so that God can super-naturally multiply it with His blessing.
2 Cor. 9 v 7-8...So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.....
The questions to us today is, Are we trying to hold on to our egg money with wrong thinking? We need to let go and trust God, that He is faithful to do what He says He will do. And watch our egg money grow and feed His Kingdom. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Let Go And Move Forward
When the new year starts we seem to always want to make resolutions that we are going to do better, eat better, exercise more, well you get the picture. This year instead of looking at last year as a failure in some of those areas, I have decided to forget and move on.
The word tells us to do this when we come to have a relationship with Jesus. We become new creatures and our past wrongs are just that, past. And the Lord even goes so far as to say they are forgotten.
Hebrews 10 v 16-17...."This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them, " then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."......
Some people say don't teach that way, people will think they have free reign to sin. Well, I do not believe that when a person comes to Christ Jesus that they continue to have a desire to sin. You see the word says first that He will put His laws into our hearts and minds. In other words once you become a Christian you have a desire to know Jesus better and the way you get to know Him better is through His word. When we spend time in His word He is writing them on our minds and in our hearts.
Pastor used some really good scriptures this week that really got me to thinking about the new year and how I want to spend each day. Here is what I got from the teaching this week, and I will be paraphrasing the scriptures so look them up for yourselves to see what they actually say and what you get.
Philippians 3 v 13-14. Forget those things which are behind and press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In other words what I got was get over what has passed and move on, but make your goal to spend more time with Jesus each day. Remember God says "seek Me first and My Kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you". What things did He say will be added? ALL! That means if it is your health, your weight, your finances, your relationship, your job whatever area you want to do excel in this year, then FIRST SEEK HIM.
Heb. 12 v 1-2. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which we are so easily trapped by and let us run the race with endurance looking to Jesus as our finish line and prize. Now don't get into condemnation over this one, thinking that you have to do good to reach Jesus and finish your race. No that is not what this is saying. Like Pastor said Sunday, all weights are not sin. For me a weight that traps me up is Facebook. Pastor also made the comment that someone had said that Facebook is proof positive you had time to read the word and spend with the Lord. WOW! I know that for sure. I can get on there and play scrabble or other games and the next thing you know it has been 2-3 hours. Ok, all you holier than thou ones out there that think I spend way too much time on facebook, let me just ask you, what is your weight? What is keeping you away from spending quality time with the Lord in His word each day? Is it hunting or fishing, or baseball or football or sewing or crafting or reading and watchiing TV or playing other type games? Like I said, weights are not always sin. They are just something that holds you down and keeps you from reaching the goal, grabbing the prize.
1 Cor 9 v 24. Everyone might run in the race but only one wins the prize. Here again don't think just because you didn't win the first prize doesn't mean you didn't win. When we finish our race, when we actually do what we set out to do and complete our goal we have won. We might not have come in first. We might not spend 3 hours a day in the word, but if we would take time to FIRST seek Him and spend time with Him each day, we will have won the greatest prize of all. Quality time with our Lord and Savior. Quality time with the One who laid it all down at the cross for us. Quality time with the one who is not going to throw up our past mistakes to us but the One who will be encouraging us all the way to the finish line. The One who every time a weight tries to trap us or pull us down, He will be there in His word to give us the strength to get up and enjoy the victory that He has already attained for us over 2000 years ago on the cross when He said it is FINISHED.
It is completed.
We can make this new year our best ever. Find a scripture to meditate on daily for the year 2012 and seek Him first each day and let His wisdom guide us through the race of 2012 so that we all finish with the prize. The prize being Jesus. AMEN!
My scripture this year shall be PS 23 v 1...The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.....
This is my meditation, I shall not lack in any area of my life because the Lord says so, and His word is TRUTH.
STAY IN THE WORD!
The word tells us to do this when we come to have a relationship with Jesus. We become new creatures and our past wrongs are just that, past. And the Lord even goes so far as to say they are forgotten.
Hebrews 10 v 16-17...."This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord; I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them, " then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."......
Some people say don't teach that way, people will think they have free reign to sin. Well, I do not believe that when a person comes to Christ Jesus that they continue to have a desire to sin. You see the word says first that He will put His laws into our hearts and minds. In other words once you become a Christian you have a desire to know Jesus better and the way you get to know Him better is through His word. When we spend time in His word He is writing them on our minds and in our hearts.
Pastor used some really good scriptures this week that really got me to thinking about the new year and how I want to spend each day. Here is what I got from the teaching this week, and I will be paraphrasing the scriptures so look them up for yourselves to see what they actually say and what you get.
Philippians 3 v 13-14. Forget those things which are behind and press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In other words what I got was get over what has passed and move on, but make your goal to spend more time with Jesus each day. Remember God says "seek Me first and My Kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you". What things did He say will be added? ALL! That means if it is your health, your weight, your finances, your relationship, your job whatever area you want to do excel in this year, then FIRST SEEK HIM.
Heb. 12 v 1-2. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which we are so easily trapped by and let us run the race with endurance looking to Jesus as our finish line and prize. Now don't get into condemnation over this one, thinking that you have to do good to reach Jesus and finish your race. No that is not what this is saying. Like Pastor said Sunday, all weights are not sin. For me a weight that traps me up is Facebook. Pastor also made the comment that someone had said that Facebook is proof positive you had time to read the word and spend with the Lord. WOW! I know that for sure. I can get on there and play scrabble or other games and the next thing you know it has been 2-3 hours. Ok, all you holier than thou ones out there that think I spend way too much time on facebook, let me just ask you, what is your weight? What is keeping you away from spending quality time with the Lord in His word each day? Is it hunting or fishing, or baseball or football or sewing or crafting or reading and watchiing TV or playing other type games? Like I said, weights are not always sin. They are just something that holds you down and keeps you from reaching the goal, grabbing the prize.
1 Cor 9 v 24. Everyone might run in the race but only one wins the prize. Here again don't think just because you didn't win the first prize doesn't mean you didn't win. When we finish our race, when we actually do what we set out to do and complete our goal we have won. We might not have come in first. We might not spend 3 hours a day in the word, but if we would take time to FIRST seek Him and spend time with Him each day, we will have won the greatest prize of all. Quality time with our Lord and Savior. Quality time with the One who laid it all down at the cross for us. Quality time with the one who is not going to throw up our past mistakes to us but the One who will be encouraging us all the way to the finish line. The One who every time a weight tries to trap us or pull us down, He will be there in His word to give us the strength to get up and enjoy the victory that He has already attained for us over 2000 years ago on the cross when He said it is FINISHED.
It is completed.
We can make this new year our best ever. Find a scripture to meditate on daily for the year 2012 and seek Him first each day and let His wisdom guide us through the race of 2012 so that we all finish with the prize. The prize being Jesus. AMEN!
My scripture this year shall be PS 23 v 1...The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.....
This is my meditation, I shall not lack in any area of my life because the Lord says so, and His word is TRUTH.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A Coffee Break With God
I love the mornings when I have time to get up and settle down with my cup of tea or coffee and get my Bible and start praying for God's guidance and His wisdom as I read His word. It is such a peaceful relaxing time. No worries, no stress overhanging, just one on one time with God.
This is the time that we can take for ourselves, to just rest in Him and lean on Him. This is the time to tell Him all of our troubles, instead of getting on the phone and calling our friends and family to vent, we take this time to tell Him what is bothering us. It is surprising how fast our troubles can get smaller and even dissappear altogether when we take them to Him instead of building them bigger by telling everyone else our problems.
This is the time that God is talking about in PS 91 when He says he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. He wasn't talking about hiding in a closet (unless you need to in order to get by yourself) or going to some mountain top. He is talking about just taking some one on one time with Him and His word.
When I was working, I found that when I took the time to spend with Him first, my job that day went a whole lot easier. When we take the time to saturate ourselves with His word, then the world's junk can not stick to us throughout our workday. It is like covering ourselves with Holy Oil and everything else just slips right off.
When you read PS 91 change the word you to I and me and make it personal. That is how God intended for it to be. Let it read like this.....
PS91....When I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, I shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress; in You I will trust. Surely You shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. You shall cover me with Your feathers, and under Your wings I shall take refuge; Your truth shall be my shield and buckler, I shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but it shall not come near me. Only with my eyes shall I look and see the reward of the wicked. Because I have made You my refuge, even the Most High my dwelling place. No evil shall befall me, nor shall any plague come near my dwelling. For You will give Your angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. In their hands they shall bear me up, lest I dash my foot against a stone. I shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent I shall trample underfoot.
Because I have set my love upon You, therefore, You will deliver me. You will set me on high because I have known Your name. I will call upon You and You will answer me. You will be with me in my times of trouble. You will deliver me and honor me with long life and You will satisfy me and show me Your salvation. AMEN.............
Now after God talks to us like that, how can anything the world has to throw at us stick. That is His Holy Oil annointing you. His Word is your protection, your nourishment, your salvation. His Word is everything you need to survive. His Word is TRUTH.
You might say, I feel so defeated, how can I go on? Open His WORD and let His TRUTH set you free. His WORD is a personal love letter written to you. Read it, believe it, and then let go and let God have the leading role in your life.
STAY IN THE WORD!
This is the time that we can take for ourselves, to just rest in Him and lean on Him. This is the time to tell Him all of our troubles, instead of getting on the phone and calling our friends and family to vent, we take this time to tell Him what is bothering us. It is surprising how fast our troubles can get smaller and even dissappear altogether when we take them to Him instead of building them bigger by telling everyone else our problems.
This is the time that God is talking about in PS 91 when He says he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High. He wasn't talking about hiding in a closet (unless you need to in order to get by yourself) or going to some mountain top. He is talking about just taking some one on one time with Him and His word.
When I was working, I found that when I took the time to spend with Him first, my job that day went a whole lot easier. When we take the time to saturate ourselves with His word, then the world's junk can not stick to us throughout our workday. It is like covering ourselves with Holy Oil and everything else just slips right off.
When you read PS 91 change the word you to I and me and make it personal. That is how God intended for it to be. Let it read like this.....
PS91....When I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, I shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress; in You I will trust. Surely You shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. You shall cover me with Your feathers, and under Your wings I shall take refuge; Your truth shall be my shield and buckler, I shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
A thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand, but it shall not come near me. Only with my eyes shall I look and see the reward of the wicked. Because I have made You my refuge, even the Most High my dwelling place. No evil shall befall me, nor shall any plague come near my dwelling. For You will give Your angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. In their hands they shall bear me up, lest I dash my foot against a stone. I shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent I shall trample underfoot.
Because I have set my love upon You, therefore, You will deliver me. You will set me on high because I have known Your name. I will call upon You and You will answer me. You will be with me in my times of trouble. You will deliver me and honor me with long life and You will satisfy me and show me Your salvation. AMEN.............
Now after God talks to us like that, how can anything the world has to throw at us stick. That is His Holy Oil annointing you. His Word is your protection, your nourishment, your salvation. His Word is everything you need to survive. His Word is TRUTH.
You might say, I feel so defeated, how can I go on? Open His WORD and let His TRUTH set you free. His WORD is a personal love letter written to you. Read it, believe it, and then let go and let God have the leading role in your life.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas Manger
While speaking at my brother-in-loves's church one year at Christmas, I was speaking on the true meaning of Christmas. I was talking about the manger, and my brother-in-love brought up a good point. He said the word manger means a box or trough to eat from. Then he said, do you think that was a sign of our first Holy communion? What a great question.
God gave us His Son and there was no where for Him to lay but in a manger. A feed box for the animals.
Luke 2 v 6-7...So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn......
Manger; a box or trough used for feeding the animals
Then the night Jesus was betrayed, He had the last supper with His disciples. He told us that as often as we eat the bread and wine to remember Him. He said when we partake of this bread and wine we proclaim His death till He comes. He offered Himself up for all of us, not just some, but for all. The last supper, that means there had to be one before. I believe the first was the night He was born.
1 Cor. 11 v 23-25....For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.".....
What is He telling us here? I believe He is telling us that when we receive Holy communion, we receive Him into ourselves. We are claiming everything He died on that cross for. He died for our salvation.
SALVATION, Sozo, It means in the literal Greek, "saved, delivered, healed, protected; to be made whole spirit, soul, body, financially and socially
It means complete, finished, whole, nothing lacking.
The Father first gave us this gift on the birth of Jesus, His only begotten Son, born in a stable and laid in a manger. The first Holy Communion.
This was the gift Jesus gave to us. His life. You will not receive a greater gift than this on Christmas.
What better way to remember Him and celebrate His birthday than to receive the Lord's Supper this Sunday.
Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth Goodwill toward all men. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
God gave us His Son and there was no where for Him to lay but in a manger. A feed box for the animals.
Luke 2 v 6-7...So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn......
Manger; a box or trough used for feeding the animals
Then the night Jesus was betrayed, He had the last supper with His disciples. He told us that as often as we eat the bread and wine to remember Him. He said when we partake of this bread and wine we proclaim His death till He comes. He offered Himself up for all of us, not just some, but for all. The last supper, that means there had to be one before. I believe the first was the night He was born.
1 Cor. 11 v 23-25....For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you; that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "take eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.".....
What is He telling us here? I believe He is telling us that when we receive Holy communion, we receive Him into ourselves. We are claiming everything He died on that cross for. He died for our salvation.
SALVATION, Sozo, It means in the literal Greek, "saved, delivered, healed, protected; to be made whole spirit, soul, body, financially and socially
It means complete, finished, whole, nothing lacking.
The Father first gave us this gift on the birth of Jesus, His only begotten Son, born in a stable and laid in a manger. The first Holy Communion.
This was the gift Jesus gave to us. His life. You will not receive a greater gift than this on Christmas.
What better way to remember Him and celebrate His birthday than to receive the Lord's Supper this Sunday.
Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth Goodwill toward all men. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Stretching A Meal So That None Go Hungry
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where pay day is a long way off and you still gotta feed your kids? You go to the cupboards and they look bare. It looks hopeless. I have to tell the truth, I lived that life for many years, and I gotta say,
I learned alot of ways to make food stretch.
This is a time of year when people seem to think about the homeless and the hungry more so than the rest of the year. I always thought it funny, how people must have thought we only got hungry at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong I always appreciated the help I got from others at this time of year, but I have to say there were days when my stomach was empty during the rest of the year that caused me to wonder why.
When I would start to worry about where the next meal for me to feed my kids was, there would always be enough. You see God is no respector of men, and although I did not have a relationship with Him during these times, He always came through. It seemed as though the potatos I would peel look so few, but then they would seem to grow in the pan. Kind of reminds me of another story about a couple of fish. (Matthew14 v 17-18). And don't even get me started on how many beans we ate. To this day I stilll love pinto beans and whenever I feel blah and feel like I just can't seem to get satisfied, nothing makes me feel better than some beans and tortillas.
Some people would go through times like these and say "I will never eat another bean". Not so with me. I will always appreciate the days those beans literally saved me from starving and remember God always comes through even if I hadn't asked Him for His help.
Just like we can make our food stretch so that we do not go hungry, we can also nourish ourselves on His word. God did tell us that man does not live on bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut. 8 v 3).
You may say, I just do not have enough time to spend learning the word, there is just way too much, I could never learn it all. You would be half right. There is alot of word and the word will never finish teaching us all there is to know. But we can take it one verse at a time. We can find where in the word our help comes from and meditate on that, and once we get that not just into our heads but into our hearts, then we can move on to the next verse or scripture passage that nourishes our needs at that time.
Just like making a pot of beans stretch to feed us until we get more food, we can make a passage of scripture stretch and feed us, for as long as we need to. There is no expiration date on God's word and it will never sour or go bad. And once that passage has led us through we can start feeding on a different passage.
I don't know why the Lord led me to write on this today except that while fixing a pot of chilli and remembering all the ways I use to stretch that chili, I felt like maybe someone would like to know how to make a meal stretch and feed their kids and at the same time remind them to feed on His word as well and they would never go hungry.
Remember those who are less fortunate and donate food to your local food pantrys and shelters all the time, but especially now when they are trying to feed so many. God Bless you for helping to feed His children.
Please find at the bottom of page a recipe for chilli and how to stretch it into many meals.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Chilli
1 pound ground beef, 1 can of diced tomatos, 1 can of black beans or refried beans, chilli spices (like, chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper, salt and black pepper) 1 small onion chopped up.
Brown meat, with onions and spices, add can of beans and tomatos and bring to a low boil. Let simmer and thicken. Freeze and take cut off little at a time to mix with water to make chilli soup.
Now when supper times comes, take a couple of ladels of chilli and mix in a boiler with a little water. You now have chilli soup. Grill some cheese sandwiches and a salad to make a meal. Depending on how many you are feeding you can have enough chilli in the freezer to make soup about 3 -4 times.
Don't forget to have chili for breakfast as well with a boiled egg. I can remember eating this many mornings while pregnant with my oldest son. I couldn't afford bacon or ham so I used the next best thing. Chilli from my freezer. Maybe one day I will share with you all the ways to cook a potato. One of my favorites french fry sandwiches with ketchup.
I learned alot of ways to make food stretch.
This is a time of year when people seem to think about the homeless and the hungry more so than the rest of the year. I always thought it funny, how people must have thought we only got hungry at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong I always appreciated the help I got from others at this time of year, but I have to say there were days when my stomach was empty during the rest of the year that caused me to wonder why.
When I would start to worry about where the next meal for me to feed my kids was, there would always be enough. You see God is no respector of men, and although I did not have a relationship with Him during these times, He always came through. It seemed as though the potatos I would peel look so few, but then they would seem to grow in the pan. Kind of reminds me of another story about a couple of fish. (Matthew14 v 17-18). And don't even get me started on how many beans we ate. To this day I stilll love pinto beans and whenever I feel blah and feel like I just can't seem to get satisfied, nothing makes me feel better than some beans and tortillas.
Some people would go through times like these and say "I will never eat another bean". Not so with me. I will always appreciate the days those beans literally saved me from starving and remember God always comes through even if I hadn't asked Him for His help.
Just like we can make our food stretch so that we do not go hungry, we can also nourish ourselves on His word. God did tell us that man does not live on bread alone but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deut. 8 v 3).
You may say, I just do not have enough time to spend learning the word, there is just way too much, I could never learn it all. You would be half right. There is alot of word and the word will never finish teaching us all there is to know. But we can take it one verse at a time. We can find where in the word our help comes from and meditate on that, and once we get that not just into our heads but into our hearts, then we can move on to the next verse or scripture passage that nourishes our needs at that time.
Just like making a pot of beans stretch to feed us until we get more food, we can make a passage of scripture stretch and feed us, for as long as we need to. There is no expiration date on God's word and it will never sour or go bad. And once that passage has led us through we can start feeding on a different passage.
I don't know why the Lord led me to write on this today except that while fixing a pot of chilli and remembering all the ways I use to stretch that chili, I felt like maybe someone would like to know how to make a meal stretch and feed their kids and at the same time remind them to feed on His word as well and they would never go hungry.
Remember those who are less fortunate and donate food to your local food pantrys and shelters all the time, but especially now when they are trying to feed so many. God Bless you for helping to feed His children.
Please find at the bottom of page a recipe for chilli and how to stretch it into many meals.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Chilli
1 pound ground beef, 1 can of diced tomatos, 1 can of black beans or refried beans, chilli spices (like, chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper, salt and black pepper) 1 small onion chopped up.
Brown meat, with onions and spices, add can of beans and tomatos and bring to a low boil. Let simmer and thicken. Freeze and take cut off little at a time to mix with water to make chilli soup.
Now when supper times comes, take a couple of ladels of chilli and mix in a boiler with a little water. You now have chilli soup. Grill some cheese sandwiches and a salad to make a meal. Depending on how many you are feeding you can have enough chilli in the freezer to make soup about 3 -4 times.
Don't forget to have chili for breakfast as well with a boiled egg. I can remember eating this many mornings while pregnant with my oldest son. I couldn't afford bacon or ham so I used the next best thing. Chilli from my freezer. Maybe one day I will share with you all the ways to cook a potato. One of my favorites french fry sandwiches with ketchup.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
My Gift To Jesus This Season
Have you given any thought to what you might give to the Lord for His birthday? I have to be honest, until I saw a sign at a local church about what gift will you give Christ on Christmas, I hadn't really thought about a gift for Him. Isn't that strange? How many other people would we celebrate their birthdays and give gifts to everyone but the birthday person?
This message is not to bring condemnation to anyone about the way they choose to celebrate Christmas. Let's get rid of that notion right off. No, instead this message is a way of causing us to pause and give some thought to what can I give Christ this year? This is what I came up with.
During the Easter season there are some religions who celebrate lent by giving up something that is a sacrifice in some way, like desserts, or coffee, or eating meat, you get the picture.
Why not for Christmas, say we do something like try to change one thing in our daily routine so that we can give Him a few moments of our time each day.
Remember the song, "Little Drummer Boy". He was a poor little boy who had no material posessions to give. But he did have a special talent, playing the drum. So he played a song for Him. And he didn't just play any ole song. He played his best for Him.
We do not have to have alot of money or a special musical talent. Our Pastor was saying Sunday that Jesus gives us the best present of all, that is being PRESENT with us at all times. He never leaves us. He went on to explain when we do give Jesus some of our time, to give Him our best time. In other words not at the end of the day when we are so tired we can't go another step, or keep our eyes open another minute.
There needs to be a time of day that we can set aside especially on purpose for the Lord each day. A time that we can sit at His feet and worship Him and learn from Him through His word. In other words some quality time.
I think this would be the best present we could give to Jesus on His birthday. Special one on one time with just Him. How many children or parents know that this is what they appreciate most from each other? One on one time, not the material gifts.
Do not let the Christmas season get you down, or stress you out. That was never God's intention. He did not send His Son to the world to bring us stress everytime His birthday came around. He sent Him so that through Him we could know His peace and His grace, and to give us the greatest gift of all, the gift of Salvation, the gift of Eternal Life with Him and the Father.
Luke 2 v 8-14....Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth "peace, "goodwill toward men!"......
You see there is nothing about stress and heartache being brought to you. But instead Peace, Good tidings of Great Joy.
So this Christmas let's pause and take time to give Jesus our best gift of all.
Let's give Him some on purpose quality time each day. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
This message is not to bring condemnation to anyone about the way they choose to celebrate Christmas. Let's get rid of that notion right off. No, instead this message is a way of causing us to pause and give some thought to what can I give Christ this year? This is what I came up with.
During the Easter season there are some religions who celebrate lent by giving up something that is a sacrifice in some way, like desserts, or coffee, or eating meat, you get the picture.
Why not for Christmas, say we do something like try to change one thing in our daily routine so that we can give Him a few moments of our time each day.
Remember the song, "Little Drummer Boy". He was a poor little boy who had no material posessions to give. But he did have a special talent, playing the drum. So he played a song for Him. And he didn't just play any ole song. He played his best for Him.
We do not have to have alot of money or a special musical talent. Our Pastor was saying Sunday that Jesus gives us the best present of all, that is being PRESENT with us at all times. He never leaves us. He went on to explain when we do give Jesus some of our time, to give Him our best time. In other words not at the end of the day when we are so tired we can't go another step, or keep our eyes open another minute.
There needs to be a time of day that we can set aside especially on purpose for the Lord each day. A time that we can sit at His feet and worship Him and learn from Him through His word. In other words some quality time.
I think this would be the best present we could give to Jesus on His birthday. Special one on one time with just Him. How many children or parents know that this is what they appreciate most from each other? One on one time, not the material gifts.
Do not let the Christmas season get you down, or stress you out. That was never God's intention. He did not send His Son to the world to bring us stress everytime His birthday came around. He sent Him so that through Him we could know His peace and His grace, and to give us the greatest gift of all, the gift of Salvation, the gift of Eternal Life with Him and the Father.
Luke 2 v 8-14....Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth "peace, "goodwill toward men!"......
You see there is nothing about stress and heartache being brought to you. But instead Peace, Good tidings of Great Joy.
So this Christmas let's pause and take time to give Jesus our best gift of all.
Let's give Him some on purpose quality time each day. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Dressing In Our Armor (part 2)
Now that we have girded our waists with the Truth, let us move on to the next item of our armor we need to make sure we put on.
Ephesians 6 v 14...Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.....
This piece of the armor protects our heart. The devil will attack us where we are the most vulnerable. How many know that we alot of times wear our heart on our shirtsleeves so to say.
When we expose our feelings, the deepest emotions that are in our heart for all to see, we have uncovered them from the breastplate. We have exposed them to the enemy when we complain or murmur to others about the things that are bothering us.
1 Pet. 5 v 7... casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you....
Instead we should take our concerns to Jesus as He instructed us to do. Leave our hearts protected under the breastplate of His righteousness. He gave us His righteousness, an everlasting righteousness that can not be taken away from us. You see the devil wants you to bring your cares and concerns out in the open so he can attack you, so he can make you feel unworthy, so he can accuse you of not being good enough. RECOGNIZE him for who he is. He is the father of lies.
Romans 5 v 17...for if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.......
This scripture is telling us that if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and accepted His free gift of grace, then along with it came His righteousness that will be with us forever. We can not lose it by what we do or don't do, as it is His righteousness that He leaves with us.
We will reign victoriously over whatever concern we are attacked with, if we leave our hearts protected under the breastplate of His righteousness. The devil wants you to speak about your problems, focus on your problems, meditate on your problems until you make the problem bigger than your faith in the Word.
You see he can only attack us in our minds, so don't hang your laundry out in the open so to say. Take it to the Lord in prayer and receive His peace over whatever your concern might be.
And now this brings us to the next piece of armor. Peace.
Ephesians 6 v 15....and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.....
When you go into battle you want to make sure your feet are well taken care of. Your feet are what is carrying you. If your feet hurt or are injured, you will slow down or stop all together and then the enemy has a chance to catch you.
Jesus says He left us with His peace. A peace we can trust in. A peace that will bring us through whatever we might be facing. A peace that surpasses all understanding.
John 14 v 27...Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid....
Phil. 4 v 6-7....Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.......
What does this scripture say? Let your requests be made known to who??? To your co-workers, to your family members, to your neighbors? No, He says let your requests, (your concerns) be made known to Him. Don't go telling everyone else your problem until you have made it a mountain. Take it to Him in prayer and receive His peace.
You see many people read about this part of the armor as if it is peace they are to take into the world. And while that might be so, it is more important that you first shod your feet with His peace so that you are able to fight your battle first. Remember your feet can't take you anywhere if they are damaged and not protected. AMEN!
Luke 10 v 19...Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.......
There you have it. Jesus gives us the authority to stomp out our concerns whatever they might be. We just have to shod our feet with the gospel of His peace.
Where do we find this armor to dress in daily?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Ephesians 6 v 14...Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.....
This piece of the armor protects our heart. The devil will attack us where we are the most vulnerable. How many know that we alot of times wear our heart on our shirtsleeves so to say.
When we expose our feelings, the deepest emotions that are in our heart for all to see, we have uncovered them from the breastplate. We have exposed them to the enemy when we complain or murmur to others about the things that are bothering us.
1 Pet. 5 v 7... casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you....
Instead we should take our concerns to Jesus as He instructed us to do. Leave our hearts protected under the breastplate of His righteousness. He gave us His righteousness, an everlasting righteousness that can not be taken away from us. You see the devil wants you to bring your cares and concerns out in the open so he can attack you, so he can make you feel unworthy, so he can accuse you of not being good enough. RECOGNIZE him for who he is. He is the father of lies.
Romans 5 v 17...for if by one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.......
This scripture is telling us that if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and accepted His free gift of grace, then along with it came His righteousness that will be with us forever. We can not lose it by what we do or don't do, as it is His righteousness that He leaves with us.
We will reign victoriously over whatever concern we are attacked with, if we leave our hearts protected under the breastplate of His righteousness. The devil wants you to speak about your problems, focus on your problems, meditate on your problems until you make the problem bigger than your faith in the Word.
You see he can only attack us in our minds, so don't hang your laundry out in the open so to say. Take it to the Lord in prayer and receive His peace over whatever your concern might be.
And now this brings us to the next piece of armor. Peace.
Ephesians 6 v 15....and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.....
When you go into battle you want to make sure your feet are well taken care of. Your feet are what is carrying you. If your feet hurt or are injured, you will slow down or stop all together and then the enemy has a chance to catch you.
Jesus says He left us with His peace. A peace we can trust in. A peace that will bring us through whatever we might be facing. A peace that surpasses all understanding.
John 14 v 27...Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid....
Phil. 4 v 6-7....Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.......
What does this scripture say? Let your requests be made known to who??? To your co-workers, to your family members, to your neighbors? No, He says let your requests, (your concerns) be made known to Him. Don't go telling everyone else your problem until you have made it a mountain. Take it to Him in prayer and receive His peace.
You see many people read about this part of the armor as if it is peace they are to take into the world. And while that might be so, it is more important that you first shod your feet with His peace so that you are able to fight your battle first. Remember your feet can't take you anywhere if they are damaged and not protected. AMEN!
Luke 10 v 19...Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.......
There you have it. Jesus gives us the authority to stomp out our concerns whatever they might be. We just have to shod our feet with the gospel of His peace.
Where do we find this armor to dress in daily?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
And The Truth Shall Set You Free
John 8 v 32... "and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."....
While reading one of my favorite speakers' book on Spiritual Warfare, I was set free in the truth. The way he illustrated a scenario set me free. That is why I like to write these tid-bits the way I do, so people can relate and be set free of fears and worries that are from the devil. Not that it is me setting them free but the WORD of GOD. All the praise and honor and glory be given to Him when you are set free.
This is the one that helped me today and I hope will help others as well. In this book 'Spiritual Warfare' written by Joseph Prince, he used a scenario about these three women working together, and two of the women were talking and laughing and every now and again would look over at the third woman and immediately the enemy brought the idea to her that they were talking about her in a negative way.
Oh my goodness, how many times has that happened to me? First of all we might be a little vain, thinking that we are so important that other people would want to talk about us all the time. Second, there might be some insecurity there. Third and usually the truth, it is just a lie from the devil making you think that they are discussing you and trying to get you into strife with your peers.
In his book each chapter is discussing putting on our full armor of God. This chapter was on the belt of Truth.
Ephesians 6 v 14...."Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness....
This is what happened that caused me to leave my last job which was a very good job, and a job that I had prayed about and God had blessed me with, all because I never put on my armor before I went to work each day. I let the spirits of darkness surround me with lies and suspicions, until they drove me off. I used to blame the girls I worked with. I used to say how awful they were and how mean and hateful they were. But then GOD showed me in His word the TRUTH. He showed me it wasn't the girls I worked with causing the trouble, it was me listening to the lies of the enemy and letting the enemy stir me up until I caused the strife. WOW, that was hard to admit, but like the title says, the TRUTH shall set you free. AMEN!
He reminded me that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but with principalities of darkness.
Ephesians 6 v 12...For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spirtual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places....
It turned out in his book that these other two women who were talking about the third one, were actually planning a surprise birthday party for her the next day. A party the other woman almost didn't attend because she believed the lies of the devil and was in offense now toward her friends. But she did go and the truth set her free. She wasted all the time worrying and fretting over something that wasn't there.
Each piece of God's armor is so vital to us, in our everyday lives. When we get into His word and wear His armor each day we can withstand all the powers of darkness that try to come against us. Whether it be sickness, pain, disease, poverty, back biting, gossip, whatever it might be, remember these are spirits of darkness. They have no power, they are not flesh and blood, and you already have the victory over them because of the finished work on the cross. AMEN!
Ephes. 6 v 10-11.....Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil....
Each and every piece of the armor has very significant meaning and is important as it all works together for your protection.
Remember to gird your waist with truth, put on your breastplate of righeousness, shod your feet with the gospel of peace, take up your shield of faith and put on the helmet of salvation and pick up the sword of the Spirit.
This week and following lets study together the whole armor of God and how it is so vital to our everyday lives. I promise you, you will not want to leave home without it again.
Where will we find these truths about the armor?
STAY IN THE WORD!
While reading one of my favorite speakers' book on Spiritual Warfare, I was set free in the truth. The way he illustrated a scenario set me free. That is why I like to write these tid-bits the way I do, so people can relate and be set free of fears and worries that are from the devil. Not that it is me setting them free but the WORD of GOD. All the praise and honor and glory be given to Him when you are set free.
This is the one that helped me today and I hope will help others as well. In this book 'Spiritual Warfare' written by Joseph Prince, he used a scenario about these three women working together, and two of the women were talking and laughing and every now and again would look over at the third woman and immediately the enemy brought the idea to her that they were talking about her in a negative way.
Oh my goodness, how many times has that happened to me? First of all we might be a little vain, thinking that we are so important that other people would want to talk about us all the time. Second, there might be some insecurity there. Third and usually the truth, it is just a lie from the devil making you think that they are discussing you and trying to get you into strife with your peers.
In his book each chapter is discussing putting on our full armor of God. This chapter was on the belt of Truth.
Ephesians 6 v 14...."Stand therefore having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness....
This is what happened that caused me to leave my last job which was a very good job, and a job that I had prayed about and God had blessed me with, all because I never put on my armor before I went to work each day. I let the spirits of darkness surround me with lies and suspicions, until they drove me off. I used to blame the girls I worked with. I used to say how awful they were and how mean and hateful they were. But then GOD showed me in His word the TRUTH. He showed me it wasn't the girls I worked with causing the trouble, it was me listening to the lies of the enemy and letting the enemy stir me up until I caused the strife. WOW, that was hard to admit, but like the title says, the TRUTH shall set you free. AMEN!
He reminded me that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but with principalities of darkness.
Ephesians 6 v 12...For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spirtual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places....
It turned out in his book that these other two women who were talking about the third one, were actually planning a surprise birthday party for her the next day. A party the other woman almost didn't attend because she believed the lies of the devil and was in offense now toward her friends. But she did go and the truth set her free. She wasted all the time worrying and fretting over something that wasn't there.
Each piece of God's armor is so vital to us, in our everyday lives. When we get into His word and wear His armor each day we can withstand all the powers of darkness that try to come against us. Whether it be sickness, pain, disease, poverty, back biting, gossip, whatever it might be, remember these are spirits of darkness. They have no power, they are not flesh and blood, and you already have the victory over them because of the finished work on the cross. AMEN!
Ephes. 6 v 10-11.....Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil....
Each and every piece of the armor has very significant meaning and is important as it all works together for your protection.
Remember to gird your waist with truth, put on your breastplate of righeousness, shod your feet with the gospel of peace, take up your shield of faith and put on the helmet of salvation and pick up the sword of the Spirit.
This week and following lets study together the whole armor of God and how it is so vital to our everyday lives. I promise you, you will not want to leave home without it again.
Where will we find these truths about the armor?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)