What does it profit us to be angry, jealous, envious, or irritated by our neighbors? It profits us nothing. Did you get that? NOTHING. A BIG FAT NOTHING! So all the energy wasted on those feelings toward your neighbor is just that, WASTED TIME. Now I do not know about you but, I for one do not like to waste time.
That is not to say that I have not wasted alot of time throughout my life on these feelings. I am sure we all have. But if we would stop and ask ourselves each time we start to get into the spirit of anger, jealousy, irritation, etc, what good is this going to do for me? Then we can break ourselves away from those feelings of the flesh. And if we stay in the word, we can replace them with the fruits of the Spirit.
Gal. 5 v 22......But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.....
It is lack of that last one listed there that usually gets us, and then we fall into the feelings of our flesh.
Gal. 5 v 19-21a.....Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.......
Not only do those feelings toward someone waste our time, they also cause us to be sick. When we are feeling like that we are stressing our bodies and minds. If we continue to stay in those feelings, we will eventually die. First we will die in our spirit, because we are filling up our hearts and minds with the feelings of the flesh that we leave no room for the fruits of the Spirit.
I know, I am not ready to die either. So what do we do? We get into His Word daily, we spend quality time with Him each day. We learn from the Lord Jesus how we are to live. Not only to live, but to live with peace, harmony, joy, an abundant life. A life filled with good health, a sound mind, a life of freedom.
Yes, we will still experience difficulties from neighbors and family members now and again, but it is how we deal with those situations when they arise, that will keep us healthy.
One, we do not sit around and brood about something. We do not rehash things over and over in our minds until we work ourselves up into a frenzy. No, we go to the word of God and see what does He have to say about it? How does He tell us to handle the situation?
When a situation arises, there are two choices that will come your way. One the enemy will try to convince you to get even, and will try to recall over and over why you are right and they are wrong. Second, we can decide to not listen to the enemy, to recognize him for who he is, a troublemaker. And instead seek God, and let the Holy Spirit who dwells within us lead us through the word to the right attitude.
Remember we can not control other peoples actions, but we can control our reactions.
John 10 v 10....the thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.....
Matthew 18 v 21-22....Then Peter came to Him and said "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.".....
Just like people say all the time you can not out give God. The same is true with forgiveness. We will never be able to forgive more than what He forgave us.
Prov 17 v 22...A merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.....
Prov. 16 v 24....Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones....
Prov 15 v 1....A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger....
Prov 15 v 4....A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit....
Do you see the pattern here? How our words can affect our lives and our health through our spirit?
Let's make an effort to take time to think before we speak or answer someone. Let's make an effort to always have a forgiving heart toward our neighbors. Let's make an effort to be more like Jesus and be true followers of Christ.
Let's make an effort to
STAY IN THE WORD!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Family
Do you find it hard to witness to your own family members? Well meaning people will always tell you things like, "well, sometimes it is not you that was meant to witness to them." I have to say that might just be a lie from the devil. I can't believe that God would be telling you not to witness. OK, here is what I mean by witnessing. Not preaching, not condemming them, not telling them what they are doing wrong, not talking about how bad they are to everyone else in the family or among your friends.
But loving them where they are and praying for them daily, and confessing them as being saved in your prayer time. You know, calling those things that are not as though they already are??? Why do we find ourselves so on fire for God and wanting to share Him with the outside world, but we let our own family members fall through the cracks?
There are ways of witnessing without ever opening our mouths. In fact that is the best way to witness, by the way we live and by the way we show love toward others. What does the Word say, something like it is easy to love the lovable it is the unrighteous that needs your love. Well something like that. In other words what have we profited, if we save the whole world but let our family members down? Didn't Jesus say, what shepherd would not leave the 99 to find the one sheep and save him from danger?
Oh I know, I have heard it before many times, where people say, I am not wasting any more time on that one. Well, PRAISE GOD, JESUS didn't say that about us. I am so very thankful for the faithful people who continued to pray for me even when I was soooooo unlikeable. There were family members who could have easily written me off and no one could have blamed them the way I acted, but they didn't. Although they might not have spent much one on one time physically with me, I know they spent alot of one on one time praying for me and my salvation. God is faithful, He is no respector of man, He will hear the prayers for the worst of them just as easily as He will for the best of them.
How do you witness to your family members? Do you have someone in your family who needs the Lord in their life? What do you do about that? Now don't go beating yourself up about not spending enough time with them, but please if you are not already doing so, pray diligently for them. Pray with a sincere heart. God didn't say we had to like each other, but He did COMMAND us to LOVE each other. First we have to check our own hearts and make sure that we have no unforgiveness for that person in our hearts. Then we love that person the way Christ loves us. Unconditionally. Then when we pray for them, we can pray out of love and not obligation.
Matthew 5 v 43-46...."You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?....
Now I ask you, have you ever seen it pouring down rain and two people standing side by side and the rain only falls on one of them and not the other? It is the same with God. It is not possible for Him to love you any more than He loves me.
Matthew 18 v 12-14...."What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.....
Remember His grace is undeserved, unearned. We can not gain His grace by our merits of doing good. His forgiveness is for everyone not just you or me. Don't give up on your loved ones, don't listen to the lies of the devil telling you that you are wasting your time, that your job is done. Jesus will be the one to say "it is finished". He has the last word. So lets get in our prayer closets and spend some time praying for our loved ones and maybe even for ourselves to cleanse our own hearts of any unforgiveness that we may be harboring.
Where do we find the strength to keep on keeping on, to keep loving the unloved, to diligently pray for the lost?
STAY IN THE WORD!
But loving them where they are and praying for them daily, and confessing them as being saved in your prayer time. You know, calling those things that are not as though they already are??? Why do we find ourselves so on fire for God and wanting to share Him with the outside world, but we let our own family members fall through the cracks?
There are ways of witnessing without ever opening our mouths. In fact that is the best way to witness, by the way we live and by the way we show love toward others. What does the Word say, something like it is easy to love the lovable it is the unrighteous that needs your love. Well something like that. In other words what have we profited, if we save the whole world but let our family members down? Didn't Jesus say, what shepherd would not leave the 99 to find the one sheep and save him from danger?
Oh I know, I have heard it before many times, where people say, I am not wasting any more time on that one. Well, PRAISE GOD, JESUS didn't say that about us. I am so very thankful for the faithful people who continued to pray for me even when I was soooooo unlikeable. There were family members who could have easily written me off and no one could have blamed them the way I acted, but they didn't. Although they might not have spent much one on one time physically with me, I know they spent alot of one on one time praying for me and my salvation. God is faithful, He is no respector of man, He will hear the prayers for the worst of them just as easily as He will for the best of them.
How do you witness to your family members? Do you have someone in your family who needs the Lord in their life? What do you do about that? Now don't go beating yourself up about not spending enough time with them, but please if you are not already doing so, pray diligently for them. Pray with a sincere heart. God didn't say we had to like each other, but He did COMMAND us to LOVE each other. First we have to check our own hearts and make sure that we have no unforgiveness for that person in our hearts. Then we love that person the way Christ loves us. Unconditionally. Then when we pray for them, we can pray out of love and not obligation.
Matthew 5 v 43-46...."You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?....
Now I ask you, have you ever seen it pouring down rain and two people standing side by side and the rain only falls on one of them and not the other? It is the same with God. It is not possible for Him to love you any more than He loves me.
Matthew 18 v 12-14...."What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.....
Remember His grace is undeserved, unearned. We can not gain His grace by our merits of doing good. His forgiveness is for everyone not just you or me. Don't give up on your loved ones, don't listen to the lies of the devil telling you that you are wasting your time, that your job is done. Jesus will be the one to say "it is finished". He has the last word. So lets get in our prayer closets and spend some time praying for our loved ones and maybe even for ourselves to cleanse our own hearts of any unforgiveness that we may be harboring.
Where do we find the strength to keep on keeping on, to keep loving the unloved, to diligently pray for the lost?
STAY IN THE WORD!
What Does Our Mirror Reflect
It is said in the word that our hearts are a reflection of who we really are, how we really feel, where we store our treasures. It is like a mirror image. That for me is a scary thought since sometimes I do not say or do things that are in a pleasing way to the Lord. In fact probably just the opposite. What? You say the same with you. Sometimes you mess up too. Good, I am glad I am not alone. Truth be told, we have all missed the mark at some time or other in our daily walks.
That is why we can rejoice that our God is a God of Love and not condemnation. He knows we are not capable of being perfect. More importantly He knows our hearts. When we repent and turn to Him and surrender to Him, then and only then can our hearts get in line with His word. The more time we spend in His word, the better shape our hearts will be in, and the better the image is that we reflect.
His word is like furniture polish we use to polish and shine wood. The more we use it the more the wood shines. The more of His word you have in your heart the better you shine. There will be dust try to gather on us now and again, but we get the Word out and saturate our hearts and our minds with His word, so that our reflection is what pleases God.
Prov. 27 v 19....As in water face reflects face, So a man's heart reveals the man......
Prov. 23 v 7a....For as he thinks in his heart, so is he....
Matthew 6 v 21...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also......
PS. 139 v 23-24....Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting......
Romans 10 v 8....But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach)....
When we keep the word in our hearts and speak it daily with our mouths we will be better able to have the reflection of Christ. And isn't that what we want? To be a reflection of Christ Jesus. For our hearts to be a mirror image of our Lord.
The world will try to steal your joy on a daily basis. The world will push you to reflect a different image than that of our Lord. The world can make our mirror image look ugly and uncaring. But we have what it takes to reflect a better image. We have the Word of God to guide us daily. We have only but to open the book and read. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
That is why we can rejoice that our God is a God of Love and not condemnation. He knows we are not capable of being perfect. More importantly He knows our hearts. When we repent and turn to Him and surrender to Him, then and only then can our hearts get in line with His word. The more time we spend in His word, the better shape our hearts will be in, and the better the image is that we reflect.
His word is like furniture polish we use to polish and shine wood. The more we use it the more the wood shines. The more of His word you have in your heart the better you shine. There will be dust try to gather on us now and again, but we get the Word out and saturate our hearts and our minds with His word, so that our reflection is what pleases God.
Prov. 27 v 19....As in water face reflects face, So a man's heart reveals the man......
Prov. 23 v 7a....For as he thinks in his heart, so is he....
Matthew 6 v 21...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also......
PS. 139 v 23-24....Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting......
Romans 10 v 8....But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach)....
When we keep the word in our hearts and speak it daily with our mouths we will be better able to have the reflection of Christ. And isn't that what we want? To be a reflection of Christ Jesus. For our hearts to be a mirror image of our Lord.
The world will try to steal your joy on a daily basis. The world will push you to reflect a different image than that of our Lord. The world can make our mirror image look ugly and uncaring. But we have what it takes to reflect a better image. We have the Word of God to guide us daily. We have only but to open the book and read. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
The Perfect Dance
WOW! Sunday our Pastor said somethng that really stuck with me. He was talking about the Holy Spirit being our guide. He sort of compared it to when you are dancing a waltz with someone, and how you only have one person leading, and the other following.
That is how the Holy Spirit wants to guide us. He wants to be the leader and He will lead you perfectly if you will let Him. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He will not force His moves on you. But in order to create the perfect dance, we have to let Him be the leader. Let Him lead and we follow.
Every now and again we will get our toes stepped on, but that is because we are trying to take over the lead instead of following Him. Sometimes we will look pretty silly because we are out there trying to dance all by ourselves. We will look as though we have no direction.
But if we would just let the Holy Spirit guide us and lead us around the dance floor of life, we will be floating together as a beautiful waltz.
Jesus said He would send us a helper someone to guide us through our lives. He did, He sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. He wants to dance with you through this life. Let Him lead. AMEN!
John 14 v 15-17...."If you love Me, keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever..the Spirit of truth, whom the world can not receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you"........
John 15 v 26...."But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me......
John 16 v 7.....Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.......
PS 25 v 4-5....Show me Your ways O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.....
PS 25 v 9-10....the humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth........
We put our trust in the Lord and believe what He said, the Helper would be our guide that He will lead us in truth. We first have to trust in our dance partner in order to let Him lead.
PS 25 v 1-2....To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me.....
In other words, Holy Spirit, I am trusting You not to drop me when You dip me in our dance.
You may ask what if I do not know how to let Him lead? Then get into His word and get you some free dance lessons.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Thank you Pastor Danny for a beautiful way of explaining the Holy Spirit and how He wants to guide us through our lives.
That is how the Holy Spirit wants to guide us. He wants to be the leader and He will lead you perfectly if you will let Him. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He will not force His moves on you. But in order to create the perfect dance, we have to let Him be the leader. Let Him lead and we follow.
Every now and again we will get our toes stepped on, but that is because we are trying to take over the lead instead of following Him. Sometimes we will look pretty silly because we are out there trying to dance all by ourselves. We will look as though we have no direction.
But if we would just let the Holy Spirit guide us and lead us around the dance floor of life, we will be floating together as a beautiful waltz.
Jesus said He would send us a helper someone to guide us through our lives. He did, He sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. He wants to dance with you through this life. Let Him lead. AMEN!
John 14 v 15-17...."If you love Me, keep My commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever..the Spirit of truth, whom the world can not receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you"........
John 15 v 26...."But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me......
John 16 v 7.....Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.......
PS 25 v 4-5....Show me Your ways O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.....
PS 25 v 9-10....the humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth........
We put our trust in the Lord and believe what He said, the Helper would be our guide that He will lead us in truth. We first have to trust in our dance partner in order to let Him lead.
PS 25 v 1-2....To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me.....
In other words, Holy Spirit, I am trusting You not to drop me when You dip me in our dance.
You may ask what if I do not know how to let Him lead? Then get into His word and get you some free dance lessons.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Thank you Pastor Danny for a beautiful way of explaining the Holy Spirit and how He wants to guide us through our lives.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Watch Over Our Seed
When we sow our flower seeds or vegetable seeds in the ground, we do not just put them there and then never go back. No, we have to water and nourish them so that they can build a good root system to sustain them. We have to make sure we give water when needed sometimes more than others when the heat gets so bad that it will scorch them. Some plants are more delicate than others and need alot of care, and then some develop good roots right off.
It is the same with when we sow a seed into someone's life. When we sow the word of God we can't just walk away and forget about the seed we planted. We have to be faithful to watch over that seed for a while. I don't mean we have to babysit these folks day and night, I mean we need to be faithful to check on them now and again to make sure they are not being scorched and dried up by the enemy. We need to make sure they know where to get there nourishment and water so that they might build a good foundation (a root system). If we just told them about the Lord but never show them how to find His love and their strength in the word, then we have not taken good care of our seed.
I have heard many times in the church that we plant the seed then our part is done. It is now up to that person to do with our seed what they will, we have no more responsiblity to that seed. I have to disagree. As much as the Word of God uses seedtime and harvest as a lesson I believe that is how we are to plant and take care. Never do you plant and forget about it. Now don't get me wrong, if that person does not choose to take care of their own seed then that is their choice. THAT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! God gave us each free will to choose. Whether or not they choose to serve Him or not is up to them. However all Christians know that when you first give your life to the Lord, the enemy is going to come against you. Sometimes we have to stake our plants to hold them up, the same with people sometimes they need a little support as well.
It is not the Pastors job to take care of the seeds we plant. It is our job. You may say, but I do not know what to tell this person about how to take care of their seed. That is what we have the Word for. The Word is our guide to good planting and harvest. Here is the planting chart.
1. Plant the seed with love
2. Water with the Word
3. Love and Nourish with prayer
Sometimes harvest time takes a long while, sometimes harvest comes quickly. Just as different seeds have different germination periods, so do the people you are witnessing to. Some may come to the Lord right off, and some like myself for example may take 20+ years. You say, well I may move away or they may move away. What then? Loving and nourishing your seed comes through prayer for that person. You can always pray for someone even if it is impossible for you to physically be near them. You may plant a seed into some peoples lives and it is in your best interest to not be near that person even if they live down the street. You can still love and nourish them with prayer.
Luke 8 v 11-15...."Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among the thorns are those who, when they heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.......
When we plant our flower beds and gardens we amend our soil so that our seeds get a good start. The way we can amend the heart of the people we are sowing the word of God into, is by sowing always in love. And remember the last part of that passage of scripture. With patience the seed in the good ground bears fruit. What is patience? Patience is LOVE.
When we walk in love and share the gospel with love and without condemnation our seeds will fall onto good ground. We may not see it right off but Love never fails. Remember keep condemnation away from your seeds. Condemnation is like ROUND UP on your plants it will destroy and kill. It is from the enemy not from God.
1 Cor 13 v 8a....Love never fails.....
Romans 8 v 1...there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.....
Gen. 8 v 22...."While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease....
There will be a seedtime and harvest. It is a promise from God. AMEN!
How do we know what words to use when planting a seed. By knowing what the Word says.
STAY IN THE WORD!
It is the same with when we sow a seed into someone's life. When we sow the word of God we can't just walk away and forget about the seed we planted. We have to be faithful to watch over that seed for a while. I don't mean we have to babysit these folks day and night, I mean we need to be faithful to check on them now and again to make sure they are not being scorched and dried up by the enemy. We need to make sure they know where to get there nourishment and water so that they might build a good foundation (a root system). If we just told them about the Lord but never show them how to find His love and their strength in the word, then we have not taken good care of our seed.
I have heard many times in the church that we plant the seed then our part is done. It is now up to that person to do with our seed what they will, we have no more responsiblity to that seed. I have to disagree. As much as the Word of God uses seedtime and harvest as a lesson I believe that is how we are to plant and take care. Never do you plant and forget about it. Now don't get me wrong, if that person does not choose to take care of their own seed then that is their choice. THAT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! God gave us each free will to choose. Whether or not they choose to serve Him or not is up to them. However all Christians know that when you first give your life to the Lord, the enemy is going to come against you. Sometimes we have to stake our plants to hold them up, the same with people sometimes they need a little support as well.
It is not the Pastors job to take care of the seeds we plant. It is our job. You may say, but I do not know what to tell this person about how to take care of their seed. That is what we have the Word for. The Word is our guide to good planting and harvest. Here is the planting chart.
1. Plant the seed with love
2. Water with the Word
3. Love and Nourish with prayer
Sometimes harvest time takes a long while, sometimes harvest comes quickly. Just as different seeds have different germination periods, so do the people you are witnessing to. Some may come to the Lord right off, and some like myself for example may take 20+ years. You say, well I may move away or they may move away. What then? Loving and nourishing your seed comes through prayer for that person. You can always pray for someone even if it is impossible for you to physically be near them. You may plant a seed into some peoples lives and it is in your best interest to not be near that person even if they live down the street. You can still love and nourish them with prayer.
Luke 8 v 11-15...."Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among the thorns are those who, when they heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.......
When we plant our flower beds and gardens we amend our soil so that our seeds get a good start. The way we can amend the heart of the people we are sowing the word of God into, is by sowing always in love. And remember the last part of that passage of scripture. With patience the seed in the good ground bears fruit. What is patience? Patience is LOVE.
When we walk in love and share the gospel with love and without condemnation our seeds will fall onto good ground. We may not see it right off but Love never fails. Remember keep condemnation away from your seeds. Condemnation is like ROUND UP on your plants it will destroy and kill. It is from the enemy not from God.
1 Cor 13 v 8a....Love never fails.....
Romans 8 v 1...there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.....
Gen. 8 v 22...."While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease....
There will be a seedtime and harvest. It is a promise from God. AMEN!
How do we know what words to use when planting a seed. By knowing what the Word says.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, June 6, 2011
All Things Belong to Us in Christ
Jesus tells us in His word that all things He has belongs to us. He didn't say some things, He said ALL things. He is telling His disciples that He will be leaving this world going to be with the Father. He says that He will send us a helper. Our Helper is the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit could not come until Jesus had left. He said that all things that the Father has are His and therefore all things He has He will declare to us through the Spirit.
What does this mean for us? For Christians? It simply means that excellent divine health are ours, freedom for financial woes are ours, favor in all situations are ours, victory over all trials are ours. Let me ask you this. Do you think Jesus has sickness in His body? Do you think Jesus is a poor man? Do you think the devil can beat Jesus at anything? The answer to all of those questions would be a big resounding NO!
Jesus defeated Satan and He took the victory over death, sickness, disease, poverty, or lack in any area. Jesus is the VICTOR not Satan. So if all things He has belongs to us then it is up to us to claim these things for ourselves. AMEN!
John 16 v 13-15....However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.......
Jesus went to the Father on our behalf and declared us as one with Him and the Father.
John 17 v 21-23....that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me......
What it all boils down to, is how do we see ourself in Christ? Do we see ourselves receiving all the promises He gave us in His word? Do we see ourselves receiving the Blessing of the Lord? The Blessing covers it all. There are not many blessings, there is one Blessing of the Lord, and in that Blessing is your health, your riches, your peace of mind, your joy, your salvation, and He says He will add no sorrow with it. WOW! You can have all this with no sorrows according to your faith. AMEN!
PROV 10 v 22....The Blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.....
PS 37 v 3-7....Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him....
Ephes. 1 v 7-12....In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory....
This scripture tells us that we have all things according to His will. His will is always good never bad. If it is bad it is of the enemy. God will only give to His children that which is good. So sickness, poverty, lack, unrest, all these things are from the enemy and do not belong to us who are in HIM. Remember your inheritance is The Blessing of the LORD, and no sorrow with it. Take your inheritance and leave the rest of that junk alone that does not belong to you.
Where do we go to find how we can receive the Blessing of the Lord, how we can be made one with Him and the Father, how we can inherit all He has to give us?
STAY IN THE WORD!
What does this mean for us? For Christians? It simply means that excellent divine health are ours, freedom for financial woes are ours, favor in all situations are ours, victory over all trials are ours. Let me ask you this. Do you think Jesus has sickness in His body? Do you think Jesus is a poor man? Do you think the devil can beat Jesus at anything? The answer to all of those questions would be a big resounding NO!
Jesus defeated Satan and He took the victory over death, sickness, disease, poverty, or lack in any area. Jesus is the VICTOR not Satan. So if all things He has belongs to us then it is up to us to claim these things for ourselves. AMEN!
John 16 v 13-15....However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.......
Jesus went to the Father on our behalf and declared us as one with Him and the Father.
John 17 v 21-23....that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me......
What it all boils down to, is how do we see ourself in Christ? Do we see ourselves receiving all the promises He gave us in His word? Do we see ourselves receiving the Blessing of the Lord? The Blessing covers it all. There are not many blessings, there is one Blessing of the Lord, and in that Blessing is your health, your riches, your peace of mind, your joy, your salvation, and He says He will add no sorrow with it. WOW! You can have all this with no sorrows according to your faith. AMEN!
PROV 10 v 22....The Blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it.....
PS 37 v 3-7....Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him....
Ephes. 1 v 7-12....In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory....
This scripture tells us that we have all things according to His will. His will is always good never bad. If it is bad it is of the enemy. God will only give to His children that which is good. So sickness, poverty, lack, unrest, all these things are from the enemy and do not belong to us who are in HIM. Remember your inheritance is The Blessing of the LORD, and no sorrow with it. Take your inheritance and leave the rest of that junk alone that does not belong to you.
Where do we go to find how we can receive the Blessing of the Lord, how we can be made one with Him and the Father, how we can inherit all He has to give us?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The Big Sift
Do you know what a sift is? It is an instrument used to sift the fine from the coarse so to speak. To separate the good from the bad sometimes. Pastor made a comment at church Sunday about sifting through things with the Word of God to find what's good and what is not. In other words, sometimes the enemy will tell us one thing but when we check it with the Word it is no good. We need to sift those things out and separate the bad from the good so that we can focus on the good. AMEN!
We need to be careful about what we put into our mixing bowls (our minds). Because once we stir it all together, it becomes too difficult to separate the bad that dropped in there. Once it is blended in, it begins to form our thoughts. We want our thoughts to be formed by God not the enemy. AMEN! God told Peter that Satan had asked for him so that he might sift him as wheat. In other words, Satan wants to trouble us with our thoughts so that he might sift out the ones he can manipulate. Remember he can only attack us through our minds, through our thoughts.
Luke 22 v 31-32.....And the LORD said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strenghthen your brethren....
You see Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him. But He was telling him, when you return to Me, make strong your brothers. How was Peter going to make the disciples strong. By sharing the Word of God with them. By sharing what Jesus had taught him. Likewise we need the WORD in us, so that we do not let the enemy attack us and lead us astray. We are made strong through our minds with the Word of God.
We need our Pastors just as the disciples needed Peter. Jesus told Peter to return to shepherd His disciples. The same way God leads our Pastors to disciple us. With the teachings of His WORD.
Paul tells us in Phillipians to meditate on good things. He says to meditate on the things we have saw and heard and learned through his actions. I believe this is just another passage the Lord is using to tell us to imitate Him. He tells us it will go well with us.
Phil 4 v 8-9....Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.....
Let's look at an example of a good report vs. bad report. You eat right, you exercise, you take good care of your body, but yet you go to the doctor for your annual check up and he says, hmmm, it looks like you have high cholesterol. That is a bad report. So now, you go to the Word and see what does God have to say about that. The Word tells us that every name that is named has to bow to the name of Jesus. Cholesterol has a name. It has to bow to the power of the name of JESUS according to your belief. For example Rob and I went for our annual check ups a couple of years ago, and one doctor had told me that I was going to have to take cholesterol medicine if my cholesterol did not go down. I immediately rebuked that report in my mind and said my blood work will be excellent. My mom talks about how she has high cholesterol and how it runs in the family. I rebuke that bad report and say I am of a blood line where the cholesterol is excellent. So before we went to the doctor the next time for our blood work, I said Lord according to your word, we have excellent blood work, and all of our tests today will come back with excellent reports.
When we got our paper work our report from the doctor, the word excellent was used over every area of the reports. Now I ask you how many times do you hear a doctor use the word excellent to describe your health. Let it be according to your faith, your belief. AMEN!
Ephes. 1 v 15-23....Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the LORD JESUS and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which he worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is the body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.......
That is quite a mouthful, but the point is, that Christ was made head over all things, He has power over all things, and if we be in Christ and He be in us then we have the same authority to speak to all things with the same exceeding greatness of his power which works in us through Him that is in us. AMEN!
God raised us up to sit together in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus, so that through our faith, our believing in Him that we would share in those same powers.
Ephes.2 v 6......and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus....
Ephes. 2 v 10....For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.....
We walk in good works, not in sickness and bad health. Sickness and bad health are bad reports from the enemy trying to attack us through our minds.
But as we get into the Word of God and use our big sift to sift through those bad reports and let the good reports outweigh the bad, so that we focus on what is pure and just and of a good report. AMEN! We all need to do some housecleaning in our minds now and again. What is the best way to clean our minds. By renewing them with the Word of God.
STAY IN THE WORD!
We need to be careful about what we put into our mixing bowls (our minds). Because once we stir it all together, it becomes too difficult to separate the bad that dropped in there. Once it is blended in, it begins to form our thoughts. We want our thoughts to be formed by God not the enemy. AMEN! God told Peter that Satan had asked for him so that he might sift him as wheat. In other words, Satan wants to trouble us with our thoughts so that he might sift out the ones he can manipulate. Remember he can only attack us through our minds, through our thoughts.
Luke 22 v 31-32.....And the LORD said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strenghthen your brethren....
You see Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him. But He was telling him, when you return to Me, make strong your brothers. How was Peter going to make the disciples strong. By sharing the Word of God with them. By sharing what Jesus had taught him. Likewise we need the WORD in us, so that we do not let the enemy attack us and lead us astray. We are made strong through our minds with the Word of God.
We need our Pastors just as the disciples needed Peter. Jesus told Peter to return to shepherd His disciples. The same way God leads our Pastors to disciple us. With the teachings of His WORD.
Paul tells us in Phillipians to meditate on good things. He says to meditate on the things we have saw and heard and learned through his actions. I believe this is just another passage the Lord is using to tell us to imitate Him. He tells us it will go well with us.
Phil 4 v 8-9....Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.....
Let's look at an example of a good report vs. bad report. You eat right, you exercise, you take good care of your body, but yet you go to the doctor for your annual check up and he says, hmmm, it looks like you have high cholesterol. That is a bad report. So now, you go to the Word and see what does God have to say about that. The Word tells us that every name that is named has to bow to the name of Jesus. Cholesterol has a name. It has to bow to the power of the name of JESUS according to your belief. For example Rob and I went for our annual check ups a couple of years ago, and one doctor had told me that I was going to have to take cholesterol medicine if my cholesterol did not go down. I immediately rebuked that report in my mind and said my blood work will be excellent. My mom talks about how she has high cholesterol and how it runs in the family. I rebuke that bad report and say I am of a blood line where the cholesterol is excellent. So before we went to the doctor the next time for our blood work, I said Lord according to your word, we have excellent blood work, and all of our tests today will come back with excellent reports.
When we got our paper work our report from the doctor, the word excellent was used over every area of the reports. Now I ask you how many times do you hear a doctor use the word excellent to describe your health. Let it be according to your faith, your belief. AMEN!
Ephes. 1 v 15-23....Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the LORD JESUS and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which he worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is the body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.......
That is quite a mouthful, but the point is, that Christ was made head over all things, He has power over all things, and if we be in Christ and He be in us then we have the same authority to speak to all things with the same exceeding greatness of his power which works in us through Him that is in us. AMEN!
God raised us up to sit together in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus, so that through our faith, our believing in Him that we would share in those same powers.
Ephes.2 v 6......and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus....
Ephes. 2 v 10....For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.....
We walk in good works, not in sickness and bad health. Sickness and bad health are bad reports from the enemy trying to attack us through our minds.
But as we get into the Word of God and use our big sift to sift through those bad reports and let the good reports outweigh the bad, so that we focus on what is pure and just and of a good report. AMEN! We all need to do some housecleaning in our minds now and again. What is the best way to clean our minds. By renewing them with the Word of God.
STAY IN THE WORD!
A Daily Dose
How many readers out there take daily supplements to stay healthy? That's great! We are suppose to take care of our bodies as they are the temple of the Lord. AMEN!
Which supplements do you take? Is it P4202122, P378, P1722, P1624, P1225, E61314151617, PH46789, P413?
These are just some of my favorites that seem to help me to stay healthy.
Oh you are probably more familiar with their common names. Scriptures from the WORD. Let's see that would be Prov 4 v 20-22, Prov 3 v 7-8, Prov 17 v 22, Prov 16 v 24, Prov 12 v 25, Ephes. 6 v 13-17, Phil 4 v 6-9, Phil 4 v 13.
You see our supplements work well to take care of little things, but when it comes to the enemy, we had better be more protected. We better have the word of GOD in us so that we can stand against him. You see your supplements can't defeat the enemy. He can only be defeated by the WORD of GOD. That is why it is so important to spend time in the WORD daily. Some people get sick and can not figure out why they can't get better. They eat right, they exercise, they do all the things their doctor tells them to do. So why can't they get better?
Doctors are great for taking care of some things, but Who is the greatest physician of all? JESUS! What does this great physician tell you to do? He says to keep His words in your heart, tied around your neck, on your forehead, before your eyes, well you get the picture. STAY IN THE WORD!
Let's look at an example in the Word, of how Jesus healed a woman who the doctors could not heal.
Luke 8 v 43-44.....But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
So you see she spent all her money going to different doctors trying to find a cure for her affliction, but it took a special kind of power to heal her, and that power came from her faith in the LORD.
46-48.......But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, " Daughter, be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.".......
Our pastor tells us to read something, even if you can only get a verse in a day. Get something in you. It's true. We have to have the word in us to fight the enemy. You know our bodies are made up of spores, so we are full of holes. We have leaks that can not be plugged up. Pastor also tells us that faith comes by hearing not by heard. In other words we have to continually hear the word of God so that our faith and strength is built up to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Oh he may let you slide a few days, because he wants you at your weakest when he attacks. But we can be assured of this. If we do not have the word of God in us, we do not have the strength it will take to fight him off when he does attack.
You see Jesus has already defeated Satan and all the curses of the world for us. But where Satan attacks us and causes us to receive these curses is through our minds. If you have enough room left in your mind that is not covered with the WORD, then when the enemy tells you something is wrong, you will start to think about that and meditate on the bad report instead of what the WORD says, that you WERE healed by the stripes on HIS back. AMEN!
1 Pet 2 v 24 .....who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed......
IS 53 v 5....But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed........
So I encourage you today, to not only take your daily supplements to fight off the little things, and exercise and eat healthy, but take a DAILY DOSE of the WORD to fight off the bigger attacks that are brought on by the enemy. AMEN!
See what you can find in the list of scriptures above to meditate on so that they might help you with whatever you may be going through. Here is a thought. Your doctor gives you a prescription that reads take three times a day. Are you faithful to do as the prescription says? Then I encourage you to do the same with what the GREAT PHYSICIAN tells you to do. TAKE AS NEEDED. For some of you, you may can get by on once daily, for others you may need to take 2-3 times daily or around the clock. And the good news is, there is no expiration date on THE WORD OF GOD. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Which supplements do you take? Is it P4202122, P378, P1722, P1624, P1225, E61314151617, PH46789, P413?
These are just some of my favorites that seem to help me to stay healthy.
Oh you are probably more familiar with their common names. Scriptures from the WORD. Let's see that would be Prov 4 v 20-22, Prov 3 v 7-8, Prov 17 v 22, Prov 16 v 24, Prov 12 v 25, Ephes. 6 v 13-17, Phil 4 v 6-9, Phil 4 v 13.
You see our supplements work well to take care of little things, but when it comes to the enemy, we had better be more protected. We better have the word of GOD in us so that we can stand against him. You see your supplements can't defeat the enemy. He can only be defeated by the WORD of GOD. That is why it is so important to spend time in the WORD daily. Some people get sick and can not figure out why they can't get better. They eat right, they exercise, they do all the things their doctor tells them to do. So why can't they get better?
Doctors are great for taking care of some things, but Who is the greatest physician of all? JESUS! What does this great physician tell you to do? He says to keep His words in your heart, tied around your neck, on your forehead, before your eyes, well you get the picture. STAY IN THE WORD!
Let's look at an example in the Word, of how Jesus healed a woman who the doctors could not heal.
Luke 8 v 43-44.....But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
So you see she spent all her money going to different doctors trying to find a cure for her affliction, but it took a special kind of power to heal her, and that power came from her faith in the LORD.
46-48.......But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, " Daughter, be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.".......
Our pastor tells us to read something, even if you can only get a verse in a day. Get something in you. It's true. We have to have the word in us to fight the enemy. You know our bodies are made up of spores, so we are full of holes. We have leaks that can not be plugged up. Pastor also tells us that faith comes by hearing not by heard. In other words we have to continually hear the word of God so that our faith and strength is built up to withstand the attacks of the enemy. Oh he may let you slide a few days, because he wants you at your weakest when he attacks. But we can be assured of this. If we do not have the word of God in us, we do not have the strength it will take to fight him off when he does attack.
You see Jesus has already defeated Satan and all the curses of the world for us. But where Satan attacks us and causes us to receive these curses is through our minds. If you have enough room left in your mind that is not covered with the WORD, then when the enemy tells you something is wrong, you will start to think about that and meditate on the bad report instead of what the WORD says, that you WERE healed by the stripes on HIS back. AMEN!
1 Pet 2 v 24 .....who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed......
IS 53 v 5....But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed........
So I encourage you today, to not only take your daily supplements to fight off the little things, and exercise and eat healthy, but take a DAILY DOSE of the WORD to fight off the bigger attacks that are brought on by the enemy. AMEN!
See what you can find in the list of scriptures above to meditate on so that they might help you with whatever you may be going through. Here is a thought. Your doctor gives you a prescription that reads take three times a day. Are you faithful to do as the prescription says? Then I encourage you to do the same with what the GREAT PHYSICIAN tells you to do. TAKE AS NEEDED. For some of you, you may can get by on once daily, for others you may need to take 2-3 times daily or around the clock. And the good news is, there is no expiration date on THE WORD OF GOD. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
NO ONE KNOWS
The WORD tells us that no one will know the time or the day that the LORD is coming back. And although I am soooo ready to meet Jesus, I am not anxious for His return.
Now before you all start thinking that I am not ready to meet Jesus, it is not that. The fact is, there are still so many people out there who have not yet come to know the Lord personally, there are so many who have yet to accept Him as their Savior. I am not ready to lose these loved ones, friends and family members to Satan and his lies. So before we all jump on the band wagon of trying to rush the Lord into coming back to get us, let us all check and make sure all of our friends, loved ones, and family members are ready for His return as well.
My heart is heavy for this person who thought, or I should say who believed so much that he knew the time and date of the Lord's return. Why you say? Because, he must have believed so much in his heart that he was right that he would dare to tell the whole world this. But here is the thing. Why would anyone want to try to pin point God down and say this is when He will come when He has said, NO ONE WILL KNOW. He is not a liar that He should lie. His word is TRUTH. Why would anyone concern themself with wanting to be the one to guess when the LORD is coming? I mean if you are right, no one will care or remember when they are in Heaven with the LORD. There will be no reward or crown waiting to reward you for knowing the exact time. It is not a contest or a game.
Matthew 24 v 36....."But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."....
Matthew 24 v 42...."Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming"....
Matthew 24 v 44...."Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."......
Numbers 23 v 19.... "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"..........
The Lord did not tell us to try and figure this mystery out. No the Lord said take His gospel to the ends of the earth so that all creatures will know of His love and His gift of salvation. We need to be more concerned with getting people ready to meet the LORD when the time does come, instead of trying to be the one to guess at something God has said NO ONE WILL KNOW.
Mark 16 v 15....And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.".........
And then here is another thought. How sad for so many people who believed that this man knew the day and hour, and what did they do with that belief? Were they running around trying to save others, or were they running around trying to take care of unfinished business? It is not the same as us going home to be with the LORD when our time comes. We make preparations for our loved ones that we are leaving behind. But when the LORD comes back for us, hopefully there will not be any loved ones left behind. AMEN!
For all of us Christians, here is food for thought. We do not have to concern ourselves with the day and hour, because we will know instantly without mistake because we will be present with the LORD. What we do have to concern ourselves with, is that we spend what time we have here on earth, sharing the love of Christ Jesus with all we come into contact with. We do our part of bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth starting right here at home. AMEN!
2 Cor 5 v 6-9......So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the LORD. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the LORD. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him......
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.....
So you see, God is not out to condemn us, but to love us. He wants us each and everyone to spend eternity with Him. He says whosoever. We are the whosoevers. He is talking to us. Accept Him today as your personal Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart and make Him LORD over your life here on earth and He will be your LORD throughout all eternity. We can't wait on our friends,or even for our family members, this is a personal decision we have to make for ourselves. The TRUTH is , we will serve one or the other, Satan or JESUS. Choose Life, Choose JESUS!
DON'T WAIT! Do it today. Remember NO ONE KNOWS the day or hour. It could be before I finish typing this message and sending it out. I love you all, but Christ Jesus loves you more. Get into the WORD and you will always find the truth and see His love for you. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Now before you all start thinking that I am not ready to meet Jesus, it is not that. The fact is, there are still so many people out there who have not yet come to know the Lord personally, there are so many who have yet to accept Him as their Savior. I am not ready to lose these loved ones, friends and family members to Satan and his lies. So before we all jump on the band wagon of trying to rush the Lord into coming back to get us, let us all check and make sure all of our friends, loved ones, and family members are ready for His return as well.
My heart is heavy for this person who thought, or I should say who believed so much that he knew the time and date of the Lord's return. Why you say? Because, he must have believed so much in his heart that he was right that he would dare to tell the whole world this. But here is the thing. Why would anyone want to try to pin point God down and say this is when He will come when He has said, NO ONE WILL KNOW. He is not a liar that He should lie. His word is TRUTH. Why would anyone concern themself with wanting to be the one to guess when the LORD is coming? I mean if you are right, no one will care or remember when they are in Heaven with the LORD. There will be no reward or crown waiting to reward you for knowing the exact time. It is not a contest or a game.
Matthew 24 v 36....."But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."....
Matthew 24 v 42...."Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming"....
Matthew 24 v 44...."Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."......
Numbers 23 v 19.... "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"..........
The Lord did not tell us to try and figure this mystery out. No the Lord said take His gospel to the ends of the earth so that all creatures will know of His love and His gift of salvation. We need to be more concerned with getting people ready to meet the LORD when the time does come, instead of trying to be the one to guess at something God has said NO ONE WILL KNOW.
Mark 16 v 15....And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.".........
And then here is another thought. How sad for so many people who believed that this man knew the day and hour, and what did they do with that belief? Were they running around trying to save others, or were they running around trying to take care of unfinished business? It is not the same as us going home to be with the LORD when our time comes. We make preparations for our loved ones that we are leaving behind. But when the LORD comes back for us, hopefully there will not be any loved ones left behind. AMEN!
For all of us Christians, here is food for thought. We do not have to concern ourselves with the day and hour, because we will know instantly without mistake because we will be present with the LORD. What we do have to concern ourselves with, is that we spend what time we have here on earth, sharing the love of Christ Jesus with all we come into contact with. We do our part of bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth starting right here at home. AMEN!
2 Cor 5 v 6-9......So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the LORD. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the LORD. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him......
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.....
So you see, God is not out to condemn us, but to love us. He wants us each and everyone to spend eternity with Him. He says whosoever. We are the whosoevers. He is talking to us. Accept Him today as your personal Savior. Ask Him to come into your heart and make Him LORD over your life here on earth and He will be your LORD throughout all eternity. We can't wait on our friends,or even for our family members, this is a personal decision we have to make for ourselves. The TRUTH is , we will serve one or the other, Satan or JESUS. Choose Life, Choose JESUS!
DON'T WAIT! Do it today. Remember NO ONE KNOWS the day or hour. It could be before I finish typing this message and sending it out. I love you all, but Christ Jesus loves you more. Get into the WORD and you will always find the truth and see His love for you. AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
There Has To Be Pressure
I planted some green beans a while back and they never came up like I thought that they should. So I dug another bed and planted some more, and then added some more seeds to the first bed. I'm thinking I must not have planted them right the first time. I remember thinking, I have never seen it take so long for a bean to sprout, to at least come up out of the dirt and show some signs of life.
I started watering my ground diligently, instead of just now and again when I would think about it. I was diligent about watering everyday, and pulling weeds out. But still no sprouts showing anywhere. Hmmmm! I'm thinking, those must of been bad seeds. Then we had a storm with lots of lightning and wind and rain. The day before nothing was showing any signs of life, and then after the storm my seeds were up out of the ground a good 3-4 inches high the very next day.
There had to be pressure applied to cause that seed to open up and sprout forth. I am glad I did not jump the gun and just till up the whole bed and start over. I'm glad I did not give up on my seeds.
Sometimes we plant seeds in the kingdom of God or in our own lives, and when we do not immediately see the results, we want to just give up. I'm telling you now, don't give up. Don't quit! Your seeds will spring forth and bud. When we sow God's word into good ground it will come to pass.
IS 55 v 10-11....For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it spring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it......
When we give up, it is like the parable in the Word about the seeds being sown in different types of soil. If we quit watering and nurturing and pulling the weeds, the things of the world will take over our harvest.
Mark 4 v 18-19....Now these are the ones sown among the thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful......
Remember sometimes it takes a little more pressure to cause that seed to burst forth.
When I say pressure let me explain so you do not get the wrong idea and think that God is causing pressure on you or that you are to pressure someone into accepting anything. The pressure does not come from God. The pressure however does come from you, but not like you may think.
When we plant our seed, we have to take care of our ground. We can't just walk away and say oh well if it buds good, if not too bad. No, we have to keep pressure on Satan to keep him out of the way for our seed to grow. We are the ones applying the pressure here. We have the authority over Satan. So everytime a weed (doubt) tries to come up and choke out our seed that we have sown, we cast it out through fervent prayer, and then we are putting pressure on Satan to leave it alone. The Word tells us to resist the devil and he has to flee. When we diligently pray over our seeds after they are sown, pressure is being applied. AMEN!
James 5 v 17-18...Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit....
James 4 v 7...Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you...
What seeds have you planted? Have you planted seeds into a loved one's life for their salvation? Have you planted seeds in your own life for prosperity, or for divine health and healing?
First we have to plant good seeds, God's words, then we have to nurture our soil, meditating on His word and praising Him and thanking Him for our harvest from our seeds and believing that the seeds we have sown will come to bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some one hundredfold. Don't just throw the seeds out there and then walk away. Praise the Lord constantly and give Him thanks for your seed and apply pressure on Satan to leave your seed alone, and then trust God do what He says He will do. He will cause that seed to sping forth and bud and accomplish and prosper in that for which He sent it.
Mark 4 v 20....But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.......
In today's economy 10% return sounds doubtful, but PRAISE GOD we are not of this world we are the righteousness of Christ Jesus and heirs to the promise of Abraham and we will see a one hundredfold on our investments (seeds) if we do not grow weary and give up but stand fast on His word and put our trust in Him and not this world. If we keep the pressure on our seed with our prayers and thanksgiving, we will bear fruit. We will see signs of life sprouting forth. AMEN!
Where do we find the strength to apply pressure on Satan?
STAY IN THE WORD!
I started watering my ground diligently, instead of just now and again when I would think about it. I was diligent about watering everyday, and pulling weeds out. But still no sprouts showing anywhere. Hmmmm! I'm thinking, those must of been bad seeds. Then we had a storm with lots of lightning and wind and rain. The day before nothing was showing any signs of life, and then after the storm my seeds were up out of the ground a good 3-4 inches high the very next day.
There had to be pressure applied to cause that seed to open up and sprout forth. I am glad I did not jump the gun and just till up the whole bed and start over. I'm glad I did not give up on my seeds.
Sometimes we plant seeds in the kingdom of God or in our own lives, and when we do not immediately see the results, we want to just give up. I'm telling you now, don't give up. Don't quit! Your seeds will spring forth and bud. When we sow God's word into good ground it will come to pass.
IS 55 v 10-11....For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it spring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it......
When we give up, it is like the parable in the Word about the seeds being sown in different types of soil. If we quit watering and nurturing and pulling the weeds, the things of the world will take over our harvest.
Mark 4 v 18-19....Now these are the ones sown among the thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful......
Remember sometimes it takes a little more pressure to cause that seed to burst forth.
When I say pressure let me explain so you do not get the wrong idea and think that God is causing pressure on you or that you are to pressure someone into accepting anything. The pressure does not come from God. The pressure however does come from you, but not like you may think.
When we plant our seed, we have to take care of our ground. We can't just walk away and say oh well if it buds good, if not too bad. No, we have to keep pressure on Satan to keep him out of the way for our seed to grow. We are the ones applying the pressure here. We have the authority over Satan. So everytime a weed (doubt) tries to come up and choke out our seed that we have sown, we cast it out through fervent prayer, and then we are putting pressure on Satan to leave it alone. The Word tells us to resist the devil and he has to flee. When we diligently pray over our seeds after they are sown, pressure is being applied. AMEN!
James 5 v 17-18...Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit....
James 4 v 7...Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you...
What seeds have you planted? Have you planted seeds into a loved one's life for their salvation? Have you planted seeds in your own life for prosperity, or for divine health and healing?
First we have to plant good seeds, God's words, then we have to nurture our soil, meditating on His word and praising Him and thanking Him for our harvest from our seeds and believing that the seeds we have sown will come to bear fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some one hundredfold. Don't just throw the seeds out there and then walk away. Praise the Lord constantly and give Him thanks for your seed and apply pressure on Satan to leave your seed alone, and then trust God do what He says He will do. He will cause that seed to sping forth and bud and accomplish and prosper in that for which He sent it.
Mark 4 v 20....But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.......
In today's economy 10% return sounds doubtful, but PRAISE GOD we are not of this world we are the righteousness of Christ Jesus and heirs to the promise of Abraham and we will see a one hundredfold on our investments (seeds) if we do not grow weary and give up but stand fast on His word and put our trust in Him and not this world. If we keep the pressure on our seed with our prayers and thanksgiving, we will bear fruit. We will see signs of life sprouting forth. AMEN!
Where do we find the strength to apply pressure on Satan?
STAY IN THE WORD!
What Has God Done For You
Ok, I do not have enough space here to write all of the things God has done for me. My God is so good. He delivered me from a life of destruction. If it had not been for God, I would probably be dead by now. But God my Father had another plan for me. For those who knew me before 1992, you know what I mean. I tried drinking my life away, partying at every chance. Missing out on the most important years of my children's lives. One marriage after another failed. You name it, I was tagged with it, adulterous, liar, baby killer, drunkard, no good for nothing, sorry excuse of a mother.
BUT PRAISE GOD, then came JESUS into my life. Not just into my knowing who He is, but me having a personal relationship with Him. Me understanding just Who He is, and what He did for me. How many of my drinking buddies would lay their life down for me? How many would take a beating until their flesh is torn away from their bodies? How many would hang on a cross and die for me? I can't think of one.
Pastor talked Sunday about Grace. He was talking about the undeserved, unmerited favor from God. I just told you above how I was living. Did it sound like I deserved this forgiveness, this kind of love, this kind of favor? Does it sound like anyone you know? Pastor has said over and over again, we can only tell you our testimony. I can only tell you what Jesus did for me. How He picked me up and turned me around, how He made me into a new person with a renewed mind. With a love from Him that surpasses all understanding. Would you have loved me back then just as I was, or would you have been one of many of my judges? I had very few Christians who loved me right where I was and prayed for me daily, and I had many many Christian judges who condemned me.
It reminds me of the story of the woman who was brought before Jesus to be condemned and stoned for adultery. BUT THEN! JESUS says simply, "Let him who has no sin, cast the first stone". It is interesting here to note that they were in the temple listening as Jesus was teaching them, when the interruption broke out with the scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman before everyone. Why were they not listening to His teachings? Instead they were out trying to find a way to trip Him up and prove Him to be a false teacher.
John 8 v 2-7....Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act." Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."......
Isn't that the way of the world still today? Aren't there plenty of those out there still trying to prove Jesus not to be who He says He is? Who GOD says He is. Instead of accepting this free gift of Grace from Him, there are still those who want more evidence. If you are one of those, I challenge you to look at my life and see proof that He is who He says He is. There are many more stories like mine out there, where people have been transformed into new people with the renewing of their minds through the love of JESUS and GOD'S WORD.
Instead of sitting at home calling all Christians hypocrites, try going to church to hear from God, to hear the WORD preached instead of focusing on judging the others there. First we have to open our hearts so that we can hear who Jesus really is through His Father's Word. I thank God everyday for those who were instrumental in praying for me and inviting me to church so that I could get a good understanding of who God really is and just how much He loves me without condemnation, but with forgiveness that I did not do anything to earn or deserve. Not by works was I saved, but by LOVE. By Grace that my LORD would die for me and for you as well.
Hebrews 8 v 12....."For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."....
Romans 8 v 1....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.....
Ephesians 2 v 8-9....For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.....
Jesus is all about LOVE not condemnation. He wants to love you right where you are without you having to work to prove yourself worthy. He has already forgiven you. You just have to believe and accept His love and forgiveness. Then get into His word and renew your mind. Meditate on His word and let Him bring you peace and joy into your life. A life overflowing with His love. AMEN!
I would not trade my new life with Christ Jesus for anything. As I look back on my life before, I can see clearly now that I was living with the enemy in darkness. The enemy makes sin look and feel like fun or else we would not be attracted to it. But the TRUTH is, that we are blinded by thinking it is fun. When our eyes are opened to the light of Jesus, we can then see where we are being deceived. We can then find true Peace and Joy through Him.
Share your testimony of what God has done for you, how He has turned your life into a full life. How He has healed you, prospered you, delivered you, rescued you, tell how He saved you with His undeserved, unmerited, free gift of GRACE.
STAY IN THE WORD!
BUT PRAISE GOD, then came JESUS into my life. Not just into my knowing who He is, but me having a personal relationship with Him. Me understanding just Who He is, and what He did for me. How many of my drinking buddies would lay their life down for me? How many would take a beating until their flesh is torn away from their bodies? How many would hang on a cross and die for me? I can't think of one.
Pastor talked Sunday about Grace. He was talking about the undeserved, unmerited favor from God. I just told you above how I was living. Did it sound like I deserved this forgiveness, this kind of love, this kind of favor? Does it sound like anyone you know? Pastor has said over and over again, we can only tell you our testimony. I can only tell you what Jesus did for me. How He picked me up and turned me around, how He made me into a new person with a renewed mind. With a love from Him that surpasses all understanding. Would you have loved me back then just as I was, or would you have been one of many of my judges? I had very few Christians who loved me right where I was and prayed for me daily, and I had many many Christian judges who condemned me.
It reminds me of the story of the woman who was brought before Jesus to be condemned and stoned for adultery. BUT THEN! JESUS says simply, "Let him who has no sin, cast the first stone". It is interesting here to note that they were in the temple listening as Jesus was teaching them, when the interruption broke out with the scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman before everyone. Why were they not listening to His teachings? Instead they were out trying to find a way to trip Him up and prove Him to be a false teacher.
John 8 v 2-7....Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act." Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do you say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."......
Isn't that the way of the world still today? Aren't there plenty of those out there still trying to prove Jesus not to be who He says He is? Who GOD says He is. Instead of accepting this free gift of Grace from Him, there are still those who want more evidence. If you are one of those, I challenge you to look at my life and see proof that He is who He says He is. There are many more stories like mine out there, where people have been transformed into new people with the renewing of their minds through the love of JESUS and GOD'S WORD.
Instead of sitting at home calling all Christians hypocrites, try going to church to hear from God, to hear the WORD preached instead of focusing on judging the others there. First we have to open our hearts so that we can hear who Jesus really is through His Father's Word. I thank God everyday for those who were instrumental in praying for me and inviting me to church so that I could get a good understanding of who God really is and just how much He loves me without condemnation, but with forgiveness that I did not do anything to earn or deserve. Not by works was I saved, but by LOVE. By Grace that my LORD would die for me and for you as well.
Hebrews 8 v 12....."For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."....
Romans 8 v 1....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.....
Ephesians 2 v 8-9....For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.....
Jesus is all about LOVE not condemnation. He wants to love you right where you are without you having to work to prove yourself worthy. He has already forgiven you. You just have to believe and accept His love and forgiveness. Then get into His word and renew your mind. Meditate on His word and let Him bring you peace and joy into your life. A life overflowing with His love. AMEN!
I would not trade my new life with Christ Jesus for anything. As I look back on my life before, I can see clearly now that I was living with the enemy in darkness. The enemy makes sin look and feel like fun or else we would not be attracted to it. But the TRUTH is, that we are blinded by thinking it is fun. When our eyes are opened to the light of Jesus, we can then see where we are being deceived. We can then find true Peace and Joy through Him.
Share your testimony of what God has done for you, how He has turned your life into a full life. How He has healed you, prospered you, delivered you, rescued you, tell how He saved you with His undeserved, unmerited, free gift of GRACE.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
WISDOM UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE
The word tells us these things are beneficial to our health, our soul, and our safety. The word says that with these when we lie down we will not be afraid but that our sleep will be sweet. How many of us have trouble sleeping from time to time? Sounds like if we do, we need to be seeking His wisdom, and understanding and knowledge. The word goes on to say that we will not stumble, that we will be sure footed and walk safely in our way, it says that we can have confidence in our foot not being caught by the enemy. AMEN!
Prov 3 v 19-26.....The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.......
The word tells us that when we trust in the Lord and lean on Him, and not look to our own understanding, that He will direct our paths for us. Now how many know, that if the Lord is directing your path, He is not going to lead you the wrong way? There are miracles in the word that we do not always understand. But the Lord says it is not in our understanding but in His. He tells us to not be wise in our own eyes. When our wisdom comes from the Lord, we will have health and strength added to us.
Prov. 3 v 5-8.....Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil, it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones......
The Lord tells us that His ways are not our ways. His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways.
IS 55 v 8-9....."For My thoughts are not your thoughts. nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts".......
So when people question how you can believe you are healed when the world says you are sick, or how you can believe in prosperity when the prices of things skyrocket. You can answer with confidence that you do not trust in the things of the world, but in the Truth of the Word. That the word says your God will supply all your needs. That your confidence is in Him. AMEN!
Phil 4 v 19....And my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.........
Where can we find this confidence, this protection, this wisdom, this understanding and knowledge?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Prov 3 v 19-26.....The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.......
The word tells us that when we trust in the Lord and lean on Him, and not look to our own understanding, that He will direct our paths for us. Now how many know, that if the Lord is directing your path, He is not going to lead you the wrong way? There are miracles in the word that we do not always understand. But the Lord says it is not in our understanding but in His. He tells us to not be wise in our own eyes. When our wisdom comes from the Lord, we will have health and strength added to us.
Prov. 3 v 5-8.....Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil, it will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones......
The Lord tells us that His ways are not our ways. His ways and thoughts are higher than our ways.
IS 55 v 8-9....."For My thoughts are not your thoughts. nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts".......
So when people question how you can believe you are healed when the world says you are sick, or how you can believe in prosperity when the prices of things skyrocket. You can answer with confidence that you do not trust in the things of the world, but in the Truth of the Word. That the word says your God will supply all your needs. That your confidence is in Him. AMEN!
Phil 4 v 19....And my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.........
Where can we find this confidence, this protection, this wisdom, this understanding and knowledge?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Love Walk Exercise
Here is a little exercise for us to practice our love walk. You will need good strong steel toed shoes for this one. While in the School of Ministry back home, we had a class about Love. This was my favorite class although it was also the one that stepped on my toes the most. One of the things we had to do was memorize a passage of scripture out of what I call the Love chapter of the bible. 1 Cor 13. The passage was verses 4-8a. 1 Cor 13 v 4-8.....Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. LOVE NEVER FAILS...... Well, here is proof just because you know something doesn't mean you know anything. This is what I mean. Just because we memorize the scripture but we never put it into action, then we haven't learned anything. Just because someone knows who God is, doesn't mean they know God. Words without action are just markings on a page with no meaning. It is when we put action to the words that they come alive in us. They then move from our head to our hearts. If we only have the words in our head but not in our heart we have nothing worth anything. Here is my exercise, I noticed how I get off the love walk path now and again, and I wanted to get back on the path and stay steady in my love walk, so I have been reading 1 Cor 13 v4-8 daily. I decided to try to commit it to my memory once again, but this time also get it established in my heart, so when something should come up to cause me to want to jump off the path, I could bring up out of my heart, to my thinking what does the word say about walking in love toward your neighbor. Well, I kept getting stuck in the middle. I could remember very easily the first part and the last part, but I was having trouble in the middle. So I decided to seek the Lord and ask Him why am I having so much trouble remembering this middle section? And then one of those AHA moments hit me. That is where I was having trouble in my love walk. (...does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil....). Personally for me, these areas are trouble areas in my love walk. I do tend to look after number one (me) more than maybe I should, I do tend to think the worse of situations at times, and I am easily provoked at times. So here you have it. There it is, all out there for everyone to see. You may think, why are you telling off on yourself? 1 John 1 v 9...If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness...... Prov 15 v 31-33.....The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction depsises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.... I might just be guessing here, and I may be way off, but I am thinking that maybe I am not the only one that needs to practice our love walk. So if anyone out there believes they know someone who needs to practice their love walk, well maybe, you just admitted then that you do as well. Walk in love and then get a foot massage. STAY IN THE WORD!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
AHA MOMENTS
Don't you just love the AHA moments when you get a revelation of what the Word is saying to you? I do. I had one last night while Pastor was teaching us the word. I have heard it before but this time I connected it with myself. That is the AHA moments I am talking about. We can have a revelation of what the Word is saying but we do not always connect the dots back to us. He was talking about how people in third world countries don't always have doctors. So who do they call on when they are sick. Well, if they are believers, they call on God for their healing. Now, I know you have all heard me and others say this before that there are more miracles happening in those places than here in this country. Why? Because they do not have anyone telling them any different. HELLO! There was the AHA moment. If all they have is the Word of God to put their faith in, then that is what they believe. So they do not have any problem receiving what the Word tells them they have. We on the other hand have too many other sources to turn to that may tell us different. My AHA moment was when he said this, something I have heard before, and talked about before. I put myself in that place with no doctors and tried to picture what would I do? Well, when we were in Oregon, in our small little town, I felt like we were without doctors. After working in the Hospital back home,for so many years and getting to know personally so many doctors, I knew who to go to and who to lets just say not to choose. Sometimes a little information is just enough to spoil things. Now, I wasn't sick, nor was Rob. But we do go for our annual checkups and I was trying to figure out who to go to. Well, I picked the wrong one. And some of you know that story. Let's just say she tried to give me bad reports. I could not wait to get out of Oregon (a place Rob and I both fell in love with) just because I thought they could not supply me with medical help should I need it. WOW! Where was my faith? I even made the comment that this place reminded me of a third world country when it came to the medical field. First of all why was I meditating on needing a doctor? Second, where was my faith in believing that I am healed, whole and complete in the LORD? Good grief what would I do if I were in a third world country where they really did not have doctors? Now I said all of this so that you would understand when I tell you this. BE REALLY CAREFUL who you are listening to or hanging out with when you are believing for something that has not yet manifested. They just may talk you out of your healing, or your prosperity, or whatever you are believing for. This is not a message to tell you not to go to doctors. So don't go there with it. This is a message about us staying in the Word and getting the Word in us, so that we know who to listen to, and who not to. AMEN! It is a message about what we are to meditate on and what not to meditate about. This is not just about healing, this is about anything that we are believing for. It may be you are believing something for yourself or someone in your family. Don't let the enemy talk you out of your hope in the LORD and don't let him use others to talk you out of what you are believing for. AMEN! Keep saying and believing what you need and praising Him and thanking Him for it. No matter what the circumstances are saying. The Word of God will prevail. His Word will not come back void. AMEN! Mark 11 v 22-24...So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God". For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them."..... Speak to your mountains! Then meditate on the good things. Don't let someone give you contradictory information to meditate on. Phil. 4 v 8....Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-----meditate on these things........ Watch what we are saying as well. We must speak faith filled words. We must be speaking God's Word over our situations. God's Word has not lost His power to heal, or to change whatever He pleases. His Word is still power. God spoke everything into existence. That is the power of God's Word. And you being a child of God, have the ability to speak His power with His Words. AMEN. Charles Capps said it like this in one of his books.... The Word of God conceived in the heart, formed by the tongue, and spoken out of the mouth is creative power. (From the book, God's creative power gift collection by Charles Capps) A great little book to keep in your possession for a quick reference on any situation. God's Word still works today and always will. There is no expiration date on the Word of God and what He says He will do. AMEN! Oh yeh, my AHA moment. Now I know it doesn't matter where I am, my faith is in the LORD, not in man. AMEN! STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, April 4, 2011
His Words In Your Heart
Which of God's words do you need to keep in your heart? All of them. I know there are alot of words of wisdom in His word. Let's narrow it down like this. What trial are we going through at the moment? Then that is where we look to His Word and find the exact words that we need to be meditating on. For each of us it will be a different situation. We have to look at what season in our life we are going through. Prov. 4 v 20-27....My son, give attention to my words: Incline your ear 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. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil..... His words are telling us to meditate on what His truth says. Don't let someone else tell you differently. If what they tell you does not line up with what He says, then depart from that evil. When He says put away from you a deceitful and perverse mouth, He is not talking about talking ugly (cursing and swearing), no He is talking about saying the wrong things over your situation. When we say we are sick, that is perverse language to Him because He has said we are healed. (IS 53 v 5, 1 Pet 2 v 24, PS 103 v 3-5). When we say we are poor and we are children of God, then that is perverse language because He said, although He was rich, He became poor so that you might become rich, He gives us all things richly to enjoy, He says He makes our way prosperous. (2 Cor 8 v 9, 1 Tim 6 v 17-18, PS 112 v 1-3). When we say we are afraid and weak, that is deceitful words, because He says, He did not give you the spirit of fear, He says He gives us strength and a sound mind and peace. (2 Tim 1 v 7, 2 Cor 12 v 9-10, Phil. 4 v 13, Phil 4 v 6-7). Look in His Word and find these scriptures, read them for yourself and meditate on them, get them settled in your hearts and minds. I encourage you now to ponder the path of your feet. Where are your feet swift to run to when you are encountered with a trial. Do you run to the Word, or do you run to someone who will agree with you and jump on a wagon of sorrow with you? We just finished a class at church and Pastor told us how important it is that he protects the annointing before he preaches. In other words, before he gets ready to bring us the Word God has given him to deliver, he has to make sure that he doesn't let the things of the world enter into his thinking, so that he meditates on God's words and keeps them in the midst of his heart and on the front of his mind. It is the same with us. Before we ever even encounter a trial we need to have God's words in the midst of our hearts and on the fronts of our minds so that we do not let the world deceive us into wrong thinking about ourselves. If we are meditating on His words, then we will keep our feet on the right paths. Sometimes we are reading the Word and then later a situation arises that presents us with a challenge, and then we remember, Oh, that is what God was saying to me today and we are able to overcome the situation. We received a good Word in due season. Prov 25 v 11....A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.... STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Secret To A Successful Life
There is one particular passage of scripture in the Word of God that gives us instructions on how to have a successful life. There are many more but this is one of my favorites. It sort of covers everything. Are you ready to hear it? Ok I'll get to it in a moment. First, let me ask this. What is it that you want out of your life? Do you want more riches, better health, a name for yourself that is to be recognized? Just exactly what is it that you want? Or are you content with what you have? Are you satisfied with your life just as it is? Next question, what is it that you need? Do you need more food, more money, better health, a better relationship? Or are you content with what you've got? Are you satisfied? Those are two different questions even though you may think they sound the same. One is what do you WANT the other is what do you NEED. And then the second part of both questions is just as important, are you CONTENT or are you SATISFIED. 1 Tim 6 v 6-10....Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptaition and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faiith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows...... Now this scripture does not say money is evil. No, it says the LOVE of money. Being financially rich is not evil. It is when we start coveting what we do not have, and when we let those riches take over our lives and we forget who we are. We need to be content with what we have so that we do not covet what others have. You know the saying the grass always looks greener on the other side. That does not mean it is better for you. That grass has probably been fertilized with harmful chemicals that eventually causes destruction or death to you. Looks can be deceiving. Now the word does not tell you to be satisfied so that you stop working to achieve more. No it just simply says to be content with what you have at all times even though you are still working toward a goal. We can be content without having satisfied our goals and desires just yet. Just as we can strive to satisfy those goals and desires without coveting what is not ours. When something is satisfied, it is brought to completion, it is finished. I for one do not want to be satisfied until Jesus comes. But I am happy to be content with what I have and to work toward other goals. Some may say, I have all I need or want. You may say I do not need anything else. That is great, but don't get satisfied, start working on a goal to help others in the kingdom. Find what it is that God would have you do to help in His kingdom. After all Who was it that got you where you are? I heard it put like this once. The word retirement is never found in the bible. You may have satisfied your obligations as for working for the world, but there is no retirement in working for the LORD. AMEN! Jesus didn't say go out into all the world and preach the gospel until you have put in your 25 or 30 years. Mark 16 v 15... And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."..... No we are not all ordained ministers, but we all do minister the gospel everyday with our actions, our words, our conduct. You have heard it said that sometimes you are the only bible a person ever sees. We are to be the word of God in action. Oh yes, we will mess up now and again, but we must be quick to repent when we do and make our actions right according to the word. Being successful doesn't necessarily mean being financially rich. There are some financially rich people who are living in misery everyday. These people do not experience Joy, Peace, Divine Health and the blessing of Abraham on their lives. These are those so called "self made milllionaires." When someone starts claiming to be self made then they are only enjoying temporary riches here on earth. The secret to success is being blessed with riches in every area, not just finances and being content with what you have while still striving toward other goals. And now for the secret to success found in the Word. Please take the time to read and meditate on this passage of scripture, so that you may obtain revelation of what a sucessful life is really all about. Prov 3 v 1-10 ......My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablets of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase; So that your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine...... WOW, here you have it. You are told how to have a long life, a healthy life, a strong body, favor from God and men on you and all you set your hands to (your business, your job, etc.) Then you will have your barns overflowing with all that you can contain. And most importantly you will not be doing it alone and you will have His peace through it all. AMEN! STAY IN THE WORD!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Where Do You Fit In
Sometimes do you wonder where do I fit in to the big scheme of things? Where am I suppose to be in God's big world? Who am I to Him?
We have all wondered that at some time in our lives. You are not alone. But now we have to realize just who we are in Christ. We are joint heirs with Him to the throne. We are God's children and He loves us all the same. He is no respector of man so He will not love you more than me, or me more than you. We are descendants of Abraham and therefore we are in covenant with God to the promises of Abraham.
What does that mean you might ask? Well, for one thing it means you will have no lack. No lack in any area. No lack in your food, no lack in the gasoline you need to put in your car to get you to and fro. No lack in your health. No lack in the strength you need to do the things God calls you to do. I could go on and on. But you get the picture. God says He will provide your every need. He knows what you are going to need before you need it.
Now, where do we fit in? We all fit into God's world, remember He formed us each in our mother's womb. Do you think God would make something for nothing? Why would He do that? No, He has a purpose for each one of us. We heard yesterday at church about our vision as a church. We have a goal for 2011, a vision that we will strive together to meet, and we will meet it before 2011 is over. Why? Because God does not give you a vision and then not see it through.
God gives each of us our own personal visions as well. We struggle sometimes to see what that vision is. I know I do. I am always thinking Lord, what would you have me do for You? What is my purpose? It is like our Pastor said yesterday, sometimes we get under condemnation thinking we can not see our vision, thinking we have to know before the day is over what is my vision. Sometimes we can't see the forest because of the trees. AMEN! We need to back off, stop, get quiet and listen to what God has to say to us. See what He has to show us. And then if you are like me, sometimes He will show us a vision, and we will say, nah, thats not it, I could never do that. Maybe you couldn't, but God can. He is using you to bring His vision about. Now that is where you fit into the big scheme of God's world. Alone, you probably can't do what He might ask you to do, but with Him all things are possible. AMEN!
The next time you are sitting and wondering just who you are to Christ and how you fit into His world, get the word out and begin to look at what the scriptures say about who you are, and what your purpose is. The more we STAY IN THE WORD, the more we know about ourselves and who we are to Him. AMEN!
A scripture Pastor used yesterday to help us with seeing our vision was in Habakkuk. It was marked in my bible so at sometime I had heard this in church or from a speaker before. But, like most of us, I then went about my week and forgot all about it. We need to meditate on scripture when we hear it until we get a revelation of it. Until we say "Oh" now I get it. This week I will be meditating on these scriptures. I do not want to be like the people roaming around in circles in the desert for forty years. I would like to see my vision come to pass in less time than that. AMEN!
Habakkuk 2 v 2-3....Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision. And make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it: Because it will surely come, It will not tarry......
Here is something the Pastor gave us yesterday to help us with our vision.
1.) We pray about it........2) We see it.........3) We write it......4) We say it......5) We act on it.....6) WE HAVE IT!
Remember we have to say what we have before we actually have it. That is faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10 v 17) We need to hear our vision being spoken out. The word tells us to call those things that are not as though they already are. (2 Cor 4 v 18) ( 2 Cor 5 v 7) (Heb 11 v 3 and verse 6) Jesus told Thomas, blessed are those who believe without yet seeing.(John 20 v 29) That is the Faith of Abraham and we are the descendants of Abraham.( Heb. 11 v 1) How do we get to that point of having that kind of faith?
STAY IN THE WORD!
We have all wondered that at some time in our lives. You are not alone. But now we have to realize just who we are in Christ. We are joint heirs with Him to the throne. We are God's children and He loves us all the same. He is no respector of man so He will not love you more than me, or me more than you. We are descendants of Abraham and therefore we are in covenant with God to the promises of Abraham.
What does that mean you might ask? Well, for one thing it means you will have no lack. No lack in any area. No lack in your food, no lack in the gasoline you need to put in your car to get you to and fro. No lack in your health. No lack in the strength you need to do the things God calls you to do. I could go on and on. But you get the picture. God says He will provide your every need. He knows what you are going to need before you need it.
Now, where do we fit in? We all fit into God's world, remember He formed us each in our mother's womb. Do you think God would make something for nothing? Why would He do that? No, He has a purpose for each one of us. We heard yesterday at church about our vision as a church. We have a goal for 2011, a vision that we will strive together to meet, and we will meet it before 2011 is over. Why? Because God does not give you a vision and then not see it through.
God gives each of us our own personal visions as well. We struggle sometimes to see what that vision is. I know I do. I am always thinking Lord, what would you have me do for You? What is my purpose? It is like our Pastor said yesterday, sometimes we get under condemnation thinking we can not see our vision, thinking we have to know before the day is over what is my vision. Sometimes we can't see the forest because of the trees. AMEN! We need to back off, stop, get quiet and listen to what God has to say to us. See what He has to show us. And then if you are like me, sometimes He will show us a vision, and we will say, nah, thats not it, I could never do that. Maybe you couldn't, but God can. He is using you to bring His vision about. Now that is where you fit into the big scheme of God's world. Alone, you probably can't do what He might ask you to do, but with Him all things are possible. AMEN!
The next time you are sitting and wondering just who you are to Christ and how you fit into His world, get the word out and begin to look at what the scriptures say about who you are, and what your purpose is. The more we STAY IN THE WORD, the more we know about ourselves and who we are to Him. AMEN!
A scripture Pastor used yesterday to help us with seeing our vision was in Habakkuk. It was marked in my bible so at sometime I had heard this in church or from a speaker before. But, like most of us, I then went about my week and forgot all about it. We need to meditate on scripture when we hear it until we get a revelation of it. Until we say "Oh" now I get it. This week I will be meditating on these scriptures. I do not want to be like the people roaming around in circles in the desert for forty years. I would like to see my vision come to pass in less time than that. AMEN!
Habakkuk 2 v 2-3....Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision. And make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it: Because it will surely come, It will not tarry......
Here is something the Pastor gave us yesterday to help us with our vision.
1.) We pray about it........2) We see it.........3) We write it......4) We say it......5) We act on it.....6) WE HAVE IT!
Remember we have to say what we have before we actually have it. That is faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10 v 17) We need to hear our vision being spoken out. The word tells us to call those things that are not as though they already are. (2 Cor 4 v 18) ( 2 Cor 5 v 7) (Heb 11 v 3 and verse 6) Jesus told Thomas, blessed are those who believe without yet seeing.(John 20 v 29) That is the Faith of Abraham and we are the descendants of Abraham.( Heb. 11 v 1) How do we get to that point of having that kind of faith?
STAY IN THE WORD!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Who Do You Think Is Watching You
When we are challenged with attacks against us or our health, or when someone on our job irritates us to the point of wanting to scream. Who do you think is watching to see how we will react? We have been taught through out our childhoods, to be on our good behavior, that God is watching us, He sees how we behave.
Well, it is not God who is watching us. Shocked? No, in fact it is the enemy who is watching us to see what we will do. He wants to cause us to react out of anger, or revenge or anything else but love. When we do, he gets bonus points for his side.
You see, God does not have to watch us. He already knows every move we will make before we even make it, or every word before we speak before it is spoken. You see He knows when to turn away as He can not look upon sin. But the enemy on the other hand is sitting there cheering us on when we react to something outside of love.
God is always watching over us, He is always there to catch us when we call upon His name. But, He is not watching to see how we behave. He already knows. He will be there afterwards when we call out to Him. When in truth, we should have called out on His name to start with before we put ourselves into sin.
That is hard to think on sometimes as I know I for one have not always reacted the way I should to situations. Sometimes, I have a tendency to just fly off the handle and say whatever spiteful thing comes to my mind first. This is not something I am proud of, it is just part of my makeup that I need to change by renewing my mind daily with His word.
Who are we hurting when we react out of anger, or hatefuleness. Are we hurting those who are attacking us? Maybe, but they are not the only ones we are hurting. We are hurting all the people everywhere who Christians are trying to help, who they are trying to tell how much God loves them and wants to forgive them, and wants to give them life full of joy and abundance and hope. We are destroying our own witness of the Lord and His grace. We are making null and void what we say we believe. Oh, God's grace will win out, His love will never fail. But we will at times. It is what we do when we do fail that will make a difference. Don't leave things as they are when you mess up. Be quick to apologize and to offer love and ask for forgiveness. It is not easy being humble. Just ask Jesus!
We are being watched by all those who have looked to us to show them how we as Christians are to respond to the wiles of the devil. It breaks God's heart to see us react outside of His love.
I don't know about you, but it breaks my heart to think that I have broken God's heart. AMEN!
Matthew 5 v 44-45a.....But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.......
Yes, we are to behave as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. So that when people see us, they can see God through us.
Matthew 5 v 14 and 16.......You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.... 16....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven....
Ephesians 5 v 8-10....For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the LORD......
Galatians 5 v 16....I say then; walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh....
Galatians 5 v 22-23a....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control....
I believe the main fruit of the Spirit that we should all work on is self control. If we can master this one, then the rest of the fruits will fall into place. AMEN!. Bottom line, is always always walk in love toward your neighbor. And then your Father in heaven will not only be watching over you, but watching you as well and beaming with happiness.
How do we stay in God's presence and react the way He would have us to? By renewing our minds, by...
STAYING IN THE WORD!
Well, it is not God who is watching us. Shocked? No, in fact it is the enemy who is watching us to see what we will do. He wants to cause us to react out of anger, or revenge or anything else but love. When we do, he gets bonus points for his side.
You see, God does not have to watch us. He already knows every move we will make before we even make it, or every word before we speak before it is spoken. You see He knows when to turn away as He can not look upon sin. But the enemy on the other hand is sitting there cheering us on when we react to something outside of love.
God is always watching over us, He is always there to catch us when we call upon His name. But, He is not watching to see how we behave. He already knows. He will be there afterwards when we call out to Him. When in truth, we should have called out on His name to start with before we put ourselves into sin.
That is hard to think on sometimes as I know I for one have not always reacted the way I should to situations. Sometimes, I have a tendency to just fly off the handle and say whatever spiteful thing comes to my mind first. This is not something I am proud of, it is just part of my makeup that I need to change by renewing my mind daily with His word.
Who are we hurting when we react out of anger, or hatefuleness. Are we hurting those who are attacking us? Maybe, but they are not the only ones we are hurting. We are hurting all the people everywhere who Christians are trying to help, who they are trying to tell how much God loves them and wants to forgive them, and wants to give them life full of joy and abundance and hope. We are destroying our own witness of the Lord and His grace. We are making null and void what we say we believe. Oh, God's grace will win out, His love will never fail. But we will at times. It is what we do when we do fail that will make a difference. Don't leave things as they are when you mess up. Be quick to apologize and to offer love and ask for forgiveness. It is not easy being humble. Just ask Jesus!
We are being watched by all those who have looked to us to show them how we as Christians are to respond to the wiles of the devil. It breaks God's heart to see us react outside of His love.
I don't know about you, but it breaks my heart to think that I have broken God's heart. AMEN!
Matthew 5 v 44-45a.....But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.......
Yes, we are to behave as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. So that when people see us, they can see God through us.
Matthew 5 v 14 and 16.......You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.... 16....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven....
Ephesians 5 v 8-10....For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the LORD......
Galatians 5 v 16....I say then; walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh....
Galatians 5 v 22-23a....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control....
I believe the main fruit of the Spirit that we should all work on is self control. If we can master this one, then the rest of the fruits will fall into place. AMEN!. Bottom line, is always always walk in love toward your neighbor. And then your Father in heaven will not only be watching over you, but watching you as well and beaming with happiness.
How do we stay in God's presence and react the way He would have us to? By renewing our minds, by...
STAYING IN THE WORD!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Staying Focused
Focused on what you may ask? Focused on the Word of God. If you do not stay focused on the Word, and your circumstances become bigger than the Word that is in you, then you will succomb to your circumstances. Let me explain.
When you stay in the Word and you get the Word established (settled) into your heart, then no matter what the circumstances are the Word will be bigger. You will hear the Word rising up in your Spirit man, and you will not be able to hear (or see) the circumstances that are trying to rise up against you.
God will win out everytime. No matter what the battle you are facing. You just need to find in His Word where He says that battle has been fought and won already, and take hold of your victory.
Our Pastor said it like this Sunday. The Greatest Victory is on the other side of your worst battle. So just know when you think you are going through the worst possible fight you can imagine, recall what He says in His word about it, and stay focused on the Word and not the battle. And you will come out with the Victory on the other side. AMEN!
So if your battle is dealing with healing in your body, focus on what He says in IS 53, 1 Pet 2 v 24.
IS 53 v 5....But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.....
1 Pet 2 v 24.....Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed....
If your battle is with finances read Proverbs 10, and Galatians 3 v 29, Gen. 17 v 7, and Gen. 15 v 1.
Proverbs 10 v 22...The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it....
Gal. 3 v 29...And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise....
Genesis 17 v 7....And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you......
Genesis 15 v 1...After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward....
If your battle is with others trying to steal your joy. Read 1 Cor 13, Phillipians 4.
1 Cor 13 v 4-8a.....Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy. love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails....
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.....
Above all else remember who you are in Christ Jesus. And stay focused on what He says you have, who He says you are and then give Him your battles and He will see your through to the other side.
Hebrews 13 v 5-6....Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. 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?".....
There is a safe place for us when we rest in Him and meditate on His words. And there is always, always Victory on the other side of our battles when we trust in Him. Read PS 91 and focus on who God says you are to Him. See what He has to say about those who come against you and the battles you are facing. He says they shall not come near you. Focus on that! AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
When you stay in the Word and you get the Word established (settled) into your heart, then no matter what the circumstances are the Word will be bigger. You will hear the Word rising up in your Spirit man, and you will not be able to hear (or see) the circumstances that are trying to rise up against you.
God will win out everytime. No matter what the battle you are facing. You just need to find in His Word where He says that battle has been fought and won already, and take hold of your victory.
Our Pastor said it like this Sunday. The Greatest Victory is on the other side of your worst battle. So just know when you think you are going through the worst possible fight you can imagine, recall what He says in His word about it, and stay focused on the Word and not the battle. And you will come out with the Victory on the other side. AMEN!
So if your battle is dealing with healing in your body, focus on what He says in IS 53, 1 Pet 2 v 24.
IS 53 v 5....But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.....
1 Pet 2 v 24.....Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed....
If your battle is with finances read Proverbs 10, and Galatians 3 v 29, Gen. 17 v 7, and Gen. 15 v 1.
Proverbs 10 v 22...The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it....
Gal. 3 v 29...And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise....
Genesis 17 v 7....And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you......
Genesis 15 v 1...After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward....
If your battle is with others trying to steal your joy. Read 1 Cor 13, Phillipians 4.
1 Cor 13 v 4-8a.....Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy. love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails....
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.....
Above all else remember who you are in Christ Jesus. And stay focused on what He says you have, who He says you are and then give Him your battles and He will see your through to the other side.
Hebrews 13 v 5-6....Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. 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?".....
There is a safe place for us when we rest in Him and meditate on His words. And there is always, always Victory on the other side of our battles when we trust in Him. Read PS 91 and focus on who God says you are to Him. See what He has to say about those who come against you and the battles you are facing. He says they shall not come near you. Focus on that! AMEN!
STAY IN THE WORD!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
YOUR WORD COVERS ME
Are you covered by the Word? Well that depends. Do you have a revelation of what the Word is saying? Or do you just read the Word and it goes in one ear and out the other and you can't even remember what you read or heard once you leave church? Do you have a good understanding of what the Word is saying to you when you read it? Or may I put it like this, Do you have a good understanding of who God is to you and what His promises are to you?
I think first we must get a clear picture of just who God is to us. He is our Father. He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on a cross so that we might live eternally with Him.( read John 3 v 16) Notice I said, might. You see He can't guarantee that we will until we first accept His Son as our personal Savior and Lord. So many people answer with, oh yes, I know God and I know who Jesus is. But there is a difference in knowing something or someone. There is a difference of just having knowledge of something and really knowing something.
For example: I know that my heart beats and blood is transported through my body. However, that is about all I know about it. But now, take a cardiologist, he knows exactly how it works, and when something is amiss, he knows where to look to find out how to fix it. I would not know, what to do, because I have very limited knowledge about my heart.
The same is true with knowing who Jesus is and knowing Him personally. Having a personal relationship with Him. That is why God gave us His Word, so that we can have intimate knowledge of just who Jesus is.
That cardiologist had to read alot of books and do alot of studying to know how to fix your heart. You would not want a cardiologist working on you who had no training, who had just opened the book for the first time and was looking up what to do as he works on you would you?
The same thing with being covered by the Word. When the enemy attacks you with sickness, disease, poverty, heartache. Where do you go in the Word to find instructions on what to do so that you may defeat the enemy? Or do you just accept what is happening to you as part of life?
God has so many promises to you in His Word, that when you get the Word in you, settled in your heart, then you are covered by His Word. These things will not prevail over you, they will not prosper. (read Isaiah 54 v 17) He has you covered in His Word. (Read PS chapter 91.)
Remember in the beginning was the Word.
John 1 v 1-2....In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God......
John 1 v 14......And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth...
John 14 v 6..."Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me......
We have to get the Word established in our hearts. The Word is Jesus. Only then can we have this personal relationship with Him. Remember it is not enough just to know what the Word says. Satan knew the Word very well, and even used it against Jesus to try and trick Him into worshipping him. But, Jesus knew the Word even better, (hello, He is the WORD) and so therefore He turned the Word back on Satan in its true meaning, and was not decieved by him.(read Matthew chapter 4)
So my prayer for each of you today is that you will get the Word established in your hearts, settled in your hearts, so that you are covered by His Word. Don't just know of the Word. Have a relationship with the Word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
I think first we must get a clear picture of just who God is to us. He is our Father. He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die on a cross so that we might live eternally with Him.( read John 3 v 16) Notice I said, might. You see He can't guarantee that we will until we first accept His Son as our personal Savior and Lord. So many people answer with, oh yes, I know God and I know who Jesus is. But there is a difference in knowing something or someone. There is a difference of just having knowledge of something and really knowing something.
For example: I know that my heart beats and blood is transported through my body. However, that is about all I know about it. But now, take a cardiologist, he knows exactly how it works, and when something is amiss, he knows where to look to find out how to fix it. I would not know, what to do, because I have very limited knowledge about my heart.
The same is true with knowing who Jesus is and knowing Him personally. Having a personal relationship with Him. That is why God gave us His Word, so that we can have intimate knowledge of just who Jesus is.
That cardiologist had to read alot of books and do alot of studying to know how to fix your heart. You would not want a cardiologist working on you who had no training, who had just opened the book for the first time and was looking up what to do as he works on you would you?
The same thing with being covered by the Word. When the enemy attacks you with sickness, disease, poverty, heartache. Where do you go in the Word to find instructions on what to do so that you may defeat the enemy? Or do you just accept what is happening to you as part of life?
God has so many promises to you in His Word, that when you get the Word in you, settled in your heart, then you are covered by His Word. These things will not prevail over you, they will not prosper. (read Isaiah 54 v 17) He has you covered in His Word. (Read PS chapter 91.)
Remember in the beginning was the Word.
John 1 v 1-2....In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God......
John 1 v 14......And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth...
John 14 v 6..."Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me......
We have to get the Word established in our hearts. The Word is Jesus. Only then can we have this personal relationship with Him. Remember it is not enough just to know what the Word says. Satan knew the Word very well, and even used it against Jesus to try and trick Him into worshipping him. But, Jesus knew the Word even better, (hello, He is the WORD) and so therefore He turned the Word back on Satan in its true meaning, and was not decieved by him.(read Matthew chapter 4)
So my prayer for each of you today is that you will get the Word established in your hearts, settled in your hearts, so that you are covered by His Word. Don't just know of the Word. Have a relationship with the Word.
STAY IN THE WORD!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)