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Showing posts from May, 2020

PRAY!

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Sovereign God, empower me with your Holy Spirit and teach me how to share your word. May your word go forth across cultures and in all the languages of the world so that people everywhere may learn of and experience your salvation. Amen.

4 Rs: Plugged in to the Power Source!

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4 Rs: Plugged in to the Power Source “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  (Ephesians 4:30) To grieve the Holy Spirit is to live in direct disobedience to the known will of God. Why is this so important for us to avoid? Relationship The Holy Spirit is the one who has sealed us for the day of redemption. However, we must remember that this sealing is just the  beginning  of a living and vital relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has been poured into our heart to enlighten us about the will of God. The Holy Spirit gives us direction and a sense of mission. This is  Son Power  at work. Revelation The Holy Spirit reveals to us the secrets of the kingdom of God which those who do not know Christ cannot know or understand. He is the one who empowers us to live what Christ taught when he was in the world. He is the one who intervenes for us in our prayer life. When we grieve the Holy Spirit, w...

4Rs.The Judgment Factor

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4 Rs: The Judgment Factor “This is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.” (Romans 2:16) The judgment of God is something we often do not want to think or talk about. But the message of this verse in Romans is that judgment is very real. Our life on earth is temporary. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment”. The apostle John wrote, “The Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge” (John 5:22). Judgement is real. Relationship A right relationship with God through Christ saves us from the wrath of God. “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life” (John 5:24). We have already passed from death to life through God’s provision. Revelation Trust in Jesus Christ alone is what saves ...

Pray

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Lord God, you are all I need. Even when I am weak, I am strong because I trust in your steadfast love and care. I am always secure in your powerful and protective embrace. Amen.

Make Yourself be Still!

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“...But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!...” (2 Chronicles 20:17) Make Yourself be Still The Israelites were surrounded by a huge army and greatly outnumbered. They were so worried and stressed out. Just before they went to battle, they decided to pray. Notice God’s answer. If you will be still and remain at rest, God will turn it to victory. He is with you. He will vindicate you. When you feel overwhelmed and you’re tempted to take everything into your own hands, you have to make yourself be still. The battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord’s. As long as you’re fighting it, God is going to step back and let you do it on your own. But when you put it back in His hands, God will fight your battles. Now do your part and rest. Trust God’s timing. He knows what He is doing. You may ...

4 Rs: Son Power Helps Us Understand the Times!

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4 Rs: Son Power Helps Us Understand the Times “From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.”  (1 Chronicles 12:32) In the Old Testament there were men of great wisdom who knew what they needed to do. We need insight provided by the Holy Spirit to understand the signs of our times. The world around us is confused, but God will give us the wisdom necessary to navigate the difficulties facing us. Relationship Our relationship with the Holy Spirit enables us to have that understanding. Revelation We know that the Holy Spirit not only seals us, but also reveals to us the secrets of God’s kingdom. Then he deals with us as he leads us in the way God’s desires. Reflection We need to look to him to empower us to do the things that he reveals to us. Redemption We must make sure the Holy Spirit is in control of our life moment by moment, asking him to take cont...

Be a People Builder!

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“...Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing...” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Be a People Builder The word encourage means “to urge forward.” Every one of us should have someone we believe in, someone we’re urging forward, someone we’re helping to achieve goals and dreams. How do you encourage someone? You study that person and identify what he or she does well. What excites him? What are her strengths? An encourager sees things in others that they often can’t see in themselves. A simple compliment, a single word of encouragement can give a person the confidence he or she needs to take that step of faith. You have the ability to stir up someone’s dreams by giving them permission to succeed. You can light a fire on the inside that glows joyfully for a lifetime. When you take time to believe in someone, and you speak faith into the heart of another, your words can become the seed God nourishes. You never know the impact a small note or a kind word ...

The Power of the Cross!

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The Power of the Cross “You once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.”  (Ephesians 2:2) In the flesh, everyone is following the course of this world that is being led by the prince of the power of the air, Satan, who works in the sons of disobedience. Without Son Power we end up being led by this spirit that follows the course of this world. The power of the cross enables us to break free from our disobedience. Without Christ washing away our sins by his own blood, we have no salvation. Without the death and resurrection of Jesus, we cannot experience freedom. He restores our relationship with God and gives us access to Son Power for everyday living. The power of the cross helps us to overcome the “joy busters” that attempt to rob us of our peace and contentment in times of instability. When we face unsettling problems, we hold on to the power given to us through Christ’s...

You Are Not a Finished Product!

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“...Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand...” (Isaiah 64:8) You Are Not a Finished Product One of the worst mistakes you can make is to go through life being against yourself. Some people live with a nagging feeling that’s always telling them, “You’re not good enough. You still have that addiction. You’ll never get it right.” They’ve heard that playing in their minds for so long that it’s become normal. You may have some areas in which you still struggle and need to improve—we all do—but being down on yourself is not going to help you do better. Keep your flaws in perspective. God is the Potter, we are the clay. He’s the one who is making and molding you. It may not be happening as fast as you would like, but you don’t control the timetable. Will you trust Him in the process you’re in right now? Will you enjoy where you are while God is in the process of changing you? You’re on the Potter’s wheel. God is still working on yo...

4 Rs: The Kingdom of God!

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4 Rs: The Kingdom of God “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.”  (Mark 4:26–28) Relationship The kingdom of God is established in the believer through Jesus Christ. John tells us, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life” (1 John 5:12). Revelation The Word of God is represented by the seed in the verses from the book of Mark. The seed is planted in the ground, sprouts, and then grows to a full crop. God’s Word is planted in us as we  soak our hearts  in it. It grows in our heart and then displays its fruit in our lives. Reflection We do not fully understand how this happens, but we do know that God causes the growth. Over time we will see God’s Word growing in our lives. Redemption As ...

The Enemy Has Been Defeated!

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“...You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world...” (1 John 4:4) The Enemy Has Been Defeated Some people live worried and afraid because they see the enemy as a powerful force that can control them and keep them defeated. They give him power that he doesn’t have. Our heavenly Father is on the throne. He’s the Judge. He has you in the palms of His hands. Nothing can snatch you away. God is the creator; Satan is a created being, a fallen angel. When Jesus came out of the grave, He took the keys of death and hell away from the enemy. Every force of darkness was broken when Christ rose from the dead. He said, “All power in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Now I give it to you.” You’re more powerful than any force that’s trying to stop you. Don’t be afraid of the enemy. He has already been defeated; he’s afraid of you. We’re in a fixed fight. We know the outcome. God said He always causes you to tri...

Son Power Grows Within Us to Possess Our Entire Life!

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Son Power Grows Within Us to Possess Our Entire Life “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade. ”  (Mark 4:30–32) Those who do not have a relationship with God reject the principles of the kingdom of God. Satan, the god of this present age, the prince of the power of the air, does not want us to think about eternal matters. He only wants us to devote our time, talent, and treasure to the consumable things of this life which will have no value in eternity. However, when  Son Power  takes root in the heart of one who receives Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, that person begins to experience transformation into a new creature. This transformation brings about new ...

Freedom is Not Free

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“...Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends...” (John 15:13) Freedom is Not Free In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to put down “memorial stones” that reminded them of specific victories. Every time they passed by certain stones, they would recall an event, such as when they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Having these memorial stones helped them to keep God’s deeds fresh in their memories. A wise person once said, “Freedom is not free,” and that is certainly true in our nation. Memorial Day is a time when we honor all the brave men and women who have given their lives in service for this country. As we remember them, let’s honor the gift of freedom they have given us by saying thank you with our actions and choosing to love and honor others. Let’s also honor all those who are serving in our armed forces and their families who are sacrificing so much today. Let’s pray for God’s peace, protection, and provision over e...

Sharing in God’s Secrets!

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Sharing in God’s Secrets “ The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. ” (Psalm 25:14) Imagine it! The Lord actually confides in those who fear him. Not only that, but he also shows them his covenant. This means he shows them his favor. What are we willing to do to experience the favor of God? When we become acquainted with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, all kinds of wonderful things happen. We become friends with God, and friends share secrets along life’s way. The same is true in our relationship with God. He reveals many of the mysteries of the kingdom as our relationship develops with him. “ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory ” (1 Corinthians 2:7). The apostle Paul continued by saying, “T hese are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within...

PRAY!

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Powerful and merciful God, teach me to be your servant and to speak your message of truth. Clothe me with righteousness today, that I may be empowered by your Holy Spirit to do your work. Amen.

Think HIMpossible!

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“Jesus looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”  (Matthew 19:26) “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”  (Romans 11:33) We don’t need to live in this world very long to come to the realization that there are circumstances, life events, and needs that far exceed our capacity to adequately deal with them successfully. In fact, at times there is so much facing us that we feel life is impossible. We need help in our everyday living. Thank God for  Son Power ! Many passages in the Bible tell us how great the counsel of God is and how mighty he is in his works. Since he is the God of all things, nothing is too hard for him. To help us in our everyday living, we need to think “Himpossible” rather than that the situations in our lives are impossible. No one can put God in a box. Nothing restrains him in accomplishing his p...

Perishable to Imperishable!

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Perishable to Imperishable “The love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”  (2 Corinthians 5:14–15) The love of Christ compels us! He died for us and rose again to give us right standing with God, not only to provide our way to heaven, but also to save us to do good works while we are still in this world. He has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us, and he is coming back to receive us, so we can be with him. All of this motivates and enables us to take up our assigned places in his earthly kingdom to do his will until he comes to take us home. What does this mean? It means that we are so compelled by his love that we want to make sure his transforming power is at work in us, enabling us to convert the perishable things of this world into the imperishable inheritance of the kingdom. Paul tells us, “Set you...

PRAY!

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Gracious God, fill me with your courage, that I may know your presence with me now and forever. Through Christ, you have made me your friend so that I may live in union with you. Amen.

A Friend Loves at All Times!

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“...A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity...” (Proverbs 17:17) A Friend Loves at All Times You can tell who your real friends are when you fail, when you get off course. Friends stay loyal to the people God puts in their lives. Good people make mistakes and blow it. People who love you can let you down. When your loved ones and friends make mistakes, they don’t need another judge to condemn them or add to their guilt and shame. You can help love them back into wholeness. To be loyal doesn’t mean you condone or approve their actions. You’re simply showing them the mercy you would want shown to you. You’re being a healer, a restorer. You lift people up. Don’t be a fair-weather friend. Be the friend who walks in when others are walking out. Our attitude should be, “You can count on me. I’m committed to loving you for the long haul, through thick and thin.” They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can count on you. A Prayer for Today “Father, than...

The Son Power Dynamic!

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The Son Power Dynamic “Since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!”   (Isaiah 64:4) The  Son Power  dynamic is God at work in us and in our circumstances. The key ingredient is for us to wait and trust in him. We have learned that God’s desire for us is to not trust in ourselves, but to trust in  him  and his plans for us. Consider all the ways that God works on our behalf. Psalm 38:2 tells us, “The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you’”. Psalm 16:7 says, “I will bless the LORD who guides me” . Psalm 32:7 proclaims, “For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory” . Ephesians 1:13–14 declares, “You were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance” . Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the ...

Who’s on Your Side?

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“...By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me...” (Psalm 41:11) Who’s on Your Side? In today’s Scripture when David looked at where he was as the king and thought about all he had gone through to get there—King Saul trying to kill him, people betraying him, armies attacking him—he recognized that God was behind the scenes the whole time, not letting those enemies defeat him. It gave him a boldness for he knew the Lord was on his side. All of us have some of these “by this I know” experiences. When you look back at how you survived that sickness, how you put yourself through college, how you broke that addiction, you realize it was only by the grace of God, and here you are. When you know the Lord is on your side, it gives you a boldness. You don’t fall apart when opposition comes. Your attitude is, “You’re messing with the wrong person. I may look ordinary, but I have a secret: the Most High God is on my side.” A Prayer for Today “Father, thank Y...

The Power to Change Belongs to God!

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The Power to Change Belongs to God How awesome is our God! In Job 26:8-14  we are told, among other things, that he hangs the earth on nothing, and that he  stirs up the sea with his power, and by his Spirit he adorned the heavens. The power and scope of his workings are beyond human comprehension. Even with the revelation of these truths we are told that, “Indeed these are the mere edges of his ways.” We have so much more to see, understand, and experience in our relationship with God. This is why Paul said he can do more than what we can ask, think, or imagine by his incredible and immeasurable power that is at work on the inside of us and in our circumstances. Today, ask yourself: Does my view of God take into account the unlimited attributes of his capacities? Do I believe he can accomplish anything he desires to do in the heart of a willing Christian who trusts in him? Ask God to help you to see him for who he really is: Almighty God!

Rise above the Challenges!

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“...But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint...” (Isaiah 40:31) Rise above the Challenges In today’s Scripture, it compares a believer to an eagle. It’s interesting how an eagle handles challenges such as a crow. When the eagle is out flying, the crow will come up right behind it and pester it, doing things to annoy it. Although the eagle is much bigger, it can’t maneuver as fast. Instead of getting upset and trying to fight with the crow, it simply spreads out its seven-foot wingspan, catches the winds and rises higher and higher. The eagle can fly at heights the crow cannot. We all have some crows in life—people who try to pester you into conflict, situations that tempt you to lose your peace and get upset. The good news is, you’re an eagle. You can go up higher. You can fly where crows can’t fly. But if you stay down at their level, get upset with every crow, ...

Ask God to Shine His Favor on Your Life!

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Ask God to Shine His Favor on Your Life Scripture: Luke 18:41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. In Luke 18:41, Jesus asks the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” He asks the same question for us. What would you like Jesus to do for you today? Would you ask him for something that you know is in accordance with his will, something that will echo into eternity? Or would you ask for some perishable item that has no eternal benefit? The Kingdom of God thinker allows his mind to be transformed through the principles of  SOAK ,  SOW , and  FLOW  so that his life is brought more into conformance with the will of God. This way God can empower and bless his life. His will includes our asking for a spirit of revelation and understanding, having his will become our will, and asking that he will shine with favor on our lives and endeavors for helping in the expansion of his kingdom. Today, ask yourself: Have I made room in my reque...

Balancing Your Books!

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“...I will give them back everything they’ve lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them...” (Jeremiah 33:26) Balancing Your Books In accounting, the term balancing the books means making up for a loss. If an account has a deficit, when you balance the books, you have to first take all the losses, all the deficits, and total them up. Then you know how much you need to add to balance it. When the books are balanced, nobody can tell there’s ever been a loss. In the same way, God has promised that He will balance the books of our lives. We all go through things that put us at a deficit—a rough childhood, the loss of a loved one, something that doesn’t make sense. If nothing changed, we would be out of balance. Life is not always fair, but God is fair. You may go through seasons when you’re out of balance, but God is going to settle your case. He will add up all the losses, the disappointments, and the heartaches, and He will pay you back. A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that Y...

God Takes the Little and Does Big Things

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God Takes the Little and Does Big Things Scripture: John 6 In John 6 we read about the feeding of the 5000 by Jesus. We learn a tremendous Kingdom of God  principle from the small lad in the story who had two small fish and five barley loaves of bread. In verse 9 the disciple Andrew questions how so little could be relevant in feeding a multitude of people. Jesus took what was little or insignificant in the view of the world, and miraculously used it to feed the 5000! What does this say to us? God can take our  time, talent,  and  treasure , even though we think they are small and insignificant, and exponentially multiply them for the advancement of his kingdom in this world. We all want to be “two fish and five loaves people” willing to share so Jesus can do great things through us as we make ourselves available to him. This lad’s life echoes through eternity because he was willing to share what he had as he yielded himself to the purposes of God. Today, ask yoursel...