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Showing posts from April, 2019

His Name is the Key!

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"But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11) His Name is the Key Something supernatural happens on the inside of you when you call on the name of the Lord. First of all, the Bible tells us that God actually makes His home in your heart by the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but when you call on His name, you are calling on everything He represents—life, peace, strength, hope, joy, healing, deliverance, forgiveness and so much more! It’s like receiving the key to a mansion filled with treasures—and it’s all yours! You can see that key in your hand; you can tell other people about it; you can know that you have access anytime you want, but you still have to take a step and use the key to open the door before you can partake of the blessings inside. And you probably wouldn’t just peak in the door or visit once a week; no, move right in! Mak

Our Greatest Reward is Knowing God!

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Our Greatest Reward is Knowing God. “….Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”  Genesis 15vs1. Having access to, and knowing God through Jesus Christ is the greatest possible blessing we can have. The Lord told Abram that in the above scripture, and it is true for us today. In today’s world, many people will do almost anything to access what they perceive to be power, thinking people in those positions can do something for them. We learn from the scripture that  power belongs to God . He is the one who opens doors for us and gives us opportunities, blessing us with whatever benefits he wants to share with us. Knowing the King is more important than anything else a person can have. This is one of the reasons Jesus tells us to labor for the food that leads to eternal life, and not for the food that perishes. Moses wanted God to show him his ways so that he could know him, and thus find grace or favor in God’s sight. Why? Moses knew that

A Light for Your Path!

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"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105) A Light for Your Path When we type an address into our navigation system, “Route Overview” gives us the details of our trip—where we’re going, how long it’s going to take, and every turn to make. We can relax, knowing all the details. God has a route overview for your life. He knows your final destination and the best way to get you there. But God doesn’t show you the details. The Scripture says His Word is a lamp to our feet. A lamp implies you have enough light to see the path in front of you. He’s not giving you the light that shows your life road for the next fifty years. He leads you one step at a time. If you trust Him and take that step into the unknown, not knowing how it’s going to work out, He’ll show you another step. Step-by-step, He’ll lead you into your destiny. Our question is, will you be bold and take the next step that God gives you with the light you have? The unknow

Have You Captured the Vision?

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Have You Captured the Vision? “Then the Lord… said, ‘Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.’”  (Habakkuk 2:2) Can you think of a more worthwhile cause to join than one ordained by God? The last command of Jesus Christ was for his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. He gives us the privilege to join in the greatest movement in the history of the world: to help save mankind from the coming destruction and judgment of God. Each generation has the responsibility to reach the peoples of their time with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For me this means to capture the vision, to run with the mission, to help fulfill the Great Commission! Only the Word of God and the souls of people are going to last forever. Everything else will be destroyed. What does this say to us as to how we should invest our time, talent, and treasure while we are in this world? Today, ask yourself: Have I captured the vision God has for me?

Have You Experienced the Third Conversion?

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Have You Experienced the Third Conversion? Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 “Lord, Lord, I give…” Giving is at the core of the Christian life. In this account, a tax collector, Zacchaeus, took extraordinary measures to see Jesus. He took advantage of the one opportunity in his life when he could possibly meet him. He ran ahead of the crowd, climbed a tree in order to see Jesus, and when Jesus called him, he responded by coming down and meeting him. He did not care what the crowd thought. When he heard the voice of Jesus penetrating through the noise of the crowd, he listened and obeyed. For Zacchaeus, the encounter was LIFE CHANGING!  Not only was his spirit and soul converted, but also his “purse” or pocketbook was converted.  Zacchaeus reflected the change that occurs in the life of a person who truly accepts and trusts in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He gave with an “I want to give attitude,” not grudgingly or under compulsion. He became a changed man. The encounte

PRAY!

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Lord Jesus, our Great Shepherd, you call forth leaders to guide your church. Empower your leaders today, that they may be like faithful shepherds, watching over your people and leading them home. Grant them wisdom and strength for their work, and bless their homes and families. Amen.

Accessing God’s Counsel!

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Accessing God's Counsel. “ You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. ” (Jeremiah 32:19) Son Power  enables us to tap into the great counsel, power, and work of God when our lives are in harmony with his will. How many times have you heard from someone that “Christianity just doesn’t work for me.” This type of attitude is self-centered and contrary to the will of God. Our relationship with God is not about the three amigos of  Me, Myself, and I . God is interested in  his glory and the fulfillment of  his  will and purposes. He wants to see Christ being formed in us. He wants us transformed into the likeness of Jesus! This can only happen when we have a right relationship with Christ, so that his life and will can be worked out in us. God sees everything. His eyes are open to all the ways of every person in the world. We all mu

He Increases Strength!

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"He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]." (Isaiah 40:29) He Increases Strength Whatever you need today, know that God is your source and supply. You may feel tired and weary from a long spiritual or emotional battle. God promises that He increases our strength and causes it to multiply. One of the ways God fills us with His strength is by giving us His joy. When we have joy, we have strength to overcome. Joy is a supernatural empowerment that is deposited on the inside of you. As you meditate on the goodness and faithfulness of our God, you won’t be able to help but feel His joy. Like rivers of living water, joy will flow forth from you, refreshing and strengthening you so that you have the power to overcome every obstacle you may be facing. If you feel faint or weary, remember, there’s a harvest of blessing in store for you. Let faith rise in your heart as you med

God’s Power and Work!

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God’s Power and Work “ Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it? ” (Isaiah 43:13) This “power verse” paints a picture of how  Son Power  is the ultimate power. No one can deliver anything out of the hand of God. He is all-powerful. All things are subject to him. God makes it very clear that when he works, or declares that something is to be done, it will be done! He asks a redundant question, “Who will reverse it?” Obviously, no one can reverse the work of God. When he chooses to bless, blessings will come. When he chooses to have his judgment fall on an individual or a nation, no can do anything about it. This truth provides an incentive for us to want to be recipients of Son Power. We want God to do imperishable works in us and through us. We want him to grant us the power, capacity, and opportunity to accomplish great things for him. His plan and purpose is marching on, and we want to be

God of the Suddenlies!

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"I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass." (Isaiah 48:3) God of the Suddenlies You may have been dealing with the same problem for ten years. Your situation may look as though it’s never going to change, but in a split second, God can totally resolve it. "Suddenly." You won't expect it. It's out of the ordinary, and it's not small. No matter how long it’s been, no matter what you’re facing, you’ve got to believe that God is full of surprises. One touch of His favor and He can move the wrong people out of your life and move the right people into your life. One touch of God’s favor and He can take you from having barely enough to having more than enough. You may not see how it’s all going to work out, but you don’t have to figure it all out. God is saying, “You need to get ready. You haven’t seen My explosive blessings. You haven’t seen the surpassing g

Son Power Prepares Us for God’s Work!

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Son Power Prepares Us for God’s Work “ If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”  (2 Timothy 2:21) Son Power  must be at work on the inside of us as well as on outside if we are to be used by God to accomplish his will. Jesus tells us, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23). We show Jesus that we love him by obeying his commandments. The Father and Son’s visitation to us is conditioned on our being obedient believers. The question each of us must ask ourselves is this: Do we  want  to be a vessel that Christ can use? Ephesians 4:30–32 tells us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassi

Dwell in Safety and Trust!

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"In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety and confident trust." (Psalm 4:8) Dwell in Safety and Trust God has promised to be your Protector, your Defender, your Strength, your Shelter and so much more! Even when the storms of life come against you, as long as you are dwelling in Him, you dwell in safety and trust—nothing can take away your peace and joy. What does it mean to dwell in Him? One of the definitions of the word “dwell” means to keep your attention directed toward something. The more you keep your attention directed toward God, the more you will know Him and the more confidence you will have in Him. When you focus your heart and mind on the Word of God and declare His promises over your life, you are dwelling in Him. When you lift your voice in worship and give Him glory and honor, you are dwelling in Him. When you spend time meditating on Him and connecting to Him through praye

Perishable vs. Imperishable!

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Perishable vs. Imperishable “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days.”   (Luke 4:1–2) Without  Son Power , we are helpless to counter the deceitfulness of Satan. Notice in the above verses that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit.” Son Power gives us the wisdom we need to counter the various temptations of the evil one. The entire story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is found in Luke 1:1–13.  Jesus was filled with the Spirit  and  led into the wilderness by the Spirit. He was tempted by Satan when he was at a point of human weakness. It was only through the power of the Holy Spirit that he was able to overcome Satan’s temptations. Satan tempted Jesus in areas of physical comfort, material blessings, and the allure of power and fame. With each attempt to tempt him, Jesus countered with the use of the Word of God. Like Jesus, we need to be filled

A Mark of Honor!

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"It is an honor for a man to cease from strife…" (Proverbs 20:3) A Mark of Honor If we realized the destructive force that strife is, we would be more careful to not allow it into our relationships. It can creep into relationships by starting small, maybe through a comment or a wrong look from someone, and can then escalate into something much bigger. When we let our guard down and say things that are disrespectful, hurtful or demeaning, we’re not just damaging our relationship, we’re inviting the destructive spirit of strife into that relationship. But when you choose to cease from strife and overlook an offense, you are acting honorably and honoring God. How do you avoid strife? The Bible tells us that love covers over many offenses. Love stops strife. It means that you give people the benefit of the doubt. You consider what they may be going through instead of focusing on how they reacted to you. Maybe someone was short with you at the office, but they

The Source of Son Power!

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The Source of Son Power. “ In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will live forever. ” (Hebrews 1:10–12) These verses were written about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is the one who laid the foundation of the earth! Jesus made the heavens with his hands! Jesus is the one who is always the same and will live forever! The earth and heavens we are able to see will be folded up someday and discarded like old clothing, but Jesus will live forever. From a human perspective, I do not know if we can even begin to comprehend the magnitude of these verses. We are talking about power far beyond any human imagination. We are talking about  Son Power . The same Son Power that is at work in the heart of the submissive believer. This i

It Has A Great Reward!

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"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded." (Hebrews 10:35) It Has A Great Reward Have you been praying and believing for something that seems like it’s taking a lot longer to see the answer than you thought? Many times, people can miss God’s best simply because they give up before they see their “due season” come. Don’t let that be you! Be encouraged today, your answer is closer than you think. If it seems like things are getting more difficult, remember, when the intensity heats up, that means you are closer to your victory. It always seems darkest just before the dawn arrives. You serve a faithful God, and He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. Don’t cast away your confidence today, because your reward is coming. And just like a new mother forgets about her labor pain when she is finally holding her newborn, you’ll forget about your struggle when you are holding on to your promise. While you are waiting, keep an attitude of

Your World is Passing Away Before Your Very Eyes!

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Your World Is Passing Away Before Your Very eyes. “For the form of this world is passing away.”  (1 Corinthians 7:31) Time is passing quickly. This has become a stark reality for me. The company I used to work for is now gone, having been purchased by another company. My formal work career has passed away. The house we lived in for years has been sold and is now gone. When I look in the mirror in the morning, the evidence is increasing that even my body is passing away. When you think about it, we are only “renting” or leasing our bodies for a period of time. We are going to have to turn them in at some point. The question facing those of us who realize the importance of the brevity of life is,  how should I be spending the time I have left in this world? Jesus tells us not to labor for the food that perishes, but for that which leads to eternal life. This makes me think about how I leverage what is perishing into the imperishable? How do I leverage the mortal into

PRAY!

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Jesus Christ, today we celebrate the good news of your resurrection! You amaze us with your mystery, wonder and grace. Give me faith and wisdom, that I may understand and experience your abundant love. Alleluia! You are risen! You are risen indeed! Amen.

Divine Power!

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Divine Power. “ Then he said to me, ‘This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’ ” (Zechariah 4:6) Son Power   is the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the believer.  Son Power works in our life as we continue to receive the revelation and understanding of the Holy Spirit. He is the divine power of God, the Lord Jesus Christ himself prompting us and empowering us to do his will. Son Power is sourced in God alone.  Many passages in the Bible confirm that the sufficiency for living the Christian life is provided to us by God. It is not by self-power, self-effort, or self-reliance that we accomplish anything of everlasting value. Trusting in self to live the Christian life will always lead to failure. In John 6:63, Jesus said, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life”  The Spirit of God is the k

PRAY!

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Holy Jesus, you faced death on a cross to share God’s love, forgiveness, and salvation with all people. Grant me the courage to live in faith and bring your peace and justice to the world. Amen.

Christ is the Power of God!

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Christ is the Power of God. “ But to those called by God to salvation … Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.    This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.… God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. ” (1 Corinthians 1:24–25, 27–29) All of life is sourced in God. He holds our very breath in his hand. He directs all of our ways. He gives us our abilities, opportunities, and whatever resources we need to live a life in conformance with his will. All that we have comes from God. The Bible makes it very clear, “no one can ever boast in the presence of Go

It Is Finished!

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"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (Philippians 1:6) It Is Finished At that moment when Jesus spoke the words on the cross, “It is finished,” it certainly looked like the end. It looked as though it was over. But maybe that wasn’t just a statement of fact; it was a statement of faith. He was saying to His Father, “I’ve done My part. I’ve fulfilled My destiny. Now, I have total trust and confidence that You are going to finish what You started through Me.” Even though it looked like the end, in reality, it was only the beginning. When it looks dark in your life, when things aren’t going your way, dare to make that declaration of faith just like Jesus, “It is finished.” What you’re really saying is, “God, I know You are going to finish what You’ve begun in my life. You are going to turn things around. I know that You are giving me the breaks th

Born Of the Spirit!

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Born Of the Spirit. “ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit. ” (John 3:8) These are the words of Jesus. The working of the Holy Spirit is like the wind; we cannot see it or control it, but we see its effects. God can do anything he wants. He cannot be put in a box. When we are born of the Spirit of God, he opens our spiritual eyes so we can see and understand his Word, but we do not always have a clear picture as to how this is accomplished. We are born by the Spirit, not by the will of man. God has chosen us to go and bear fruit for the expansion of his kingdom in order to bring glory to himself. Oh, how we want the Spirit to move greatly in our life so we can be productive in the kingdom of the Lord! We want to be like the seed that produces a huge crop, as in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:23: “But the seed falling on good

This is the Day!

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"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24) This is the Day Every day that we are given is a precious gift from Almighty God. We should wake up every morning with a grateful attitude, full of faith and expectancy for what the Lord has in store. Sure, you may be facing some challenges in your life, or maybe things aren't going the way you planned. But remember, each new day is a chance to stand strong in the midst of adversity and see the faithfulness of God. Every new day is an opportunity to praise and thank Him, to magnify your God instead of magnifying your problems. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! Be glad that God has promised to never leave you or forsake you. Be glad that God has given you a sound, healthy mind. Rejoice that He is making a way where there seems to be no way! Focus on the gift of each and every day and rejoice in what God has done in your life! A P

Our Battle Is the Spirit’s Battle

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Our Battle is the Spirit Battle. “ This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ” (2 Chronicles 20:15) When we allow the Holy Spirit to take control of how we think, feel, and act, the battles we face become the Lord’s responsibility as we trust in him. The odds may seem to be insurmountable at times, but the One who laid the foundation of the earth and created the heavens is certainly able to overcome any possible problems we have. Our vision of God is often way too small. He is always able to remove the mountains and obstacles in our lives. In 2 Chronicles 20, the people listened to the Jahaziel, positioned themselves as instructed, and trusted in the Lord, praising him as they went forth into battle. By the time they met the enemy, the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir had not only destroyed the enemy, they also turned on one another and destroyed each other. It is the Spirit who

Refuse To Worry!

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"And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life?" (Matthew 6:27) Refuse To Worry! God doesn't want you to live worried and anxious about anything. He knows that worry is counterproductive. It steals your peace and joy and affects every area of your life, even your sleep! Have you heard the saying, "Don't worry yourself sick?" Yes, worrying will actually make you physically ill. You won't ever gain anything by worrying, in fact it causes you to lose precious moments that you can never live again. The good news is, God has promised to bring you victory over worry. When you make the choice to put an end to worry, God will give you His peace. Decide today to put an end to worry in your life. Don't feed worry by focusing on bad news all the time. Sure, we should be informed, but we should be most informed of the truth of the Word of God. Choose today to feed your faith and fill your heart and mind with God's prom