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A Spacious Place!

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  When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. Psalm 118:5, NIV A Spacious Place David enjoyed seasons with good breaks and open doors. But he says that what enlarged his life was when he was hard pressed. It was through the times when his family didn’t believe in him, when King Saul was jealous and trying to kill him, chasing him through the desert for years. He endured many situations that weren’t fair, including his own son trying to take the throne from him. But here’s the key: He used that pressure as fuel for his faith. He didn’t get bitter and give up when his dream looked impossible. He saw it as healthy pressure that was developing him, growing him up, with greater character, proving to God that he was ready to lead the people. You don’t really know who you are until you’re put under pressure. You don’t know your true character until it’s tested in the fire of adversity. Quit letting the pressure from a situation or person defeat you, make y...
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The Transformation: Christ Formed In You!

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  The Transformation: Christ Formed In You Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:14 and Ephesians 1:17 “ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ” (2 Corinthians 13:14, NLT) “ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ” (Ephesians 1:17, NIV) Practicing the concepts of Kingdom of God is an outgrowth of our relationship with Jesus Christ. He progressively transforms our attitudes, thinking, feelings and actions as his Word invades the depths of our being. When we receive Christ, he takes up residence inside us and begins molding us into his likeness. This is not a work we do; it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed that God would give us a Spirit of wisdom and revelation to know these basic truths. Again we see the word “revelation.” We progress in our Christian walk only to the extent that Christ reveals...
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Marvelous Grace!

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  But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. Galatians 1:15–16, NLT Marvelous Grace  In Acts 9, Jesus appeared to Saul of Tarsus, who was the biggest enemy of the early church, having instigated a wave of persecution that scattered the believers. On Saul’s way to Damascus with the authority to put believers in prison, Jesus appeared and spoke to him. That day was his turning point. He became a follower of Christ, and his name was changed to the apostle Paul. He went from being the biggest threat to the biggest asset of the church, writing nearly half the books in the New Testament. He told the Galatians that God in His marvelous grace had chosen him before he was born to proclaim the good news to the Gentiles, which he never dreamed of doing. Paul was saying, “I thought I was doing the right thing, but God stepped in and showed me ...
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The Priority: Christ Formed In You!

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  The Priority: Christ Formed In You Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:5 “ Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ. ” (NKJV) We spend time with the people we love, and we spend time doing the things we love. Such endeavors frequently require patience. This is certainly the case in our relationship with God. The process of getting to know him takes time and patience. A lot of things cry for our attention. However, most of these distractions are temporal; they are in the process of perishing. Kingdom of God thinkers focus on the eternal: “…We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. ” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NKJV) We want to make sure our heart is directed into the love of God—into his values and his purposes. “ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the ...
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Lies and Deception!

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  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1, NIV Lies and Deception The enemy’s scheme of lies and deception goes way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in the perfect garden with everything they needed. They had conversations with God every day. There was no sickness, no strife, no heartache, no worries. There was one tree out of thousands that God told them they must not eat the fruit from. No big deal. But along comes the enemy, who purposed to deceive Eve into focusing on the one thing she didn’t have, while overlooking all the great things she did have. He got her to question what God said, why He said it, and why God was withholding what would make them like Him. Rather than dismissing it, Eve started dwelling on subtle lies and soon gave way to disobeying God, with all its tragic consequences. It’s the same today. The e...
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The Prrspective: Christ Formed In You!

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  The Perspective: Christ Formed In You Scripture: Romans 14:17 “ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ” (NIV) The kingdom of God is inside us. It is the person of Jesus Christ. Attributes include righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Eating and drinking are “external factors”—perishing activities that feed a perishing physical body. They are among the things we can see. The internal workings of the Spirit are eternal, unseen except as they are reflected in our behavior. These attributes are part of the divine character God wants to work out in us. Paul prayed, “ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ” (Romans 15:13, NIV) This “overflowing” is God working in us in response to our placing our trust and faith in him. By the power of the Spirit we can overflow with hope. Our circumstances ar...
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Revelations 2:1-11!

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  May 17 Introduction Revelation 2:1–11: In this chapter, we read letters that were written to the church communities in Ephesus and Smyrna. These messages include words of encouragement and admonition. Today’s Key Verse: Revelation 2:7b GNT “To those who win the victory, I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God.” Read 2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: “This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands.  2  I know what you have done; I know how hard you have worked and how patient you have been. I know that you cannot tolerate evil people and that you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not, and have found out that they are liars.  3  You are patient, you have suffered for my sake, and you have not given up.  4  But this is what I have against you: you do not love me now as you did at first. ...
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