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Showing posts from January, 2022

Restoration!

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  Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. Isaiah 61:7 Restoration  You may be in a challenging time that has left you feeling beat up, worn and tired. It feels as though something’s been taken out of you that can’t be replaced. You’ve lost the spring in your step. Get ready, for God is about to breathe new life into your spirit. He’s going to renew your strength and renew your youth like an eagle’s. What that challenge took out, God is about to put back in—health, vitality, freshness, passion. He’s going to bring new opportunities, good breaks, the right people, and favor that catapults you ahead. He’s not going to just bring you out. He’s going to bring you out with double. When you come into double, nobody will know that business partner cheated you, nobody will know you had an unfair childhood, nobody will know you went through that illness. You’re going to be so blessed,

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 with

PRAY!

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Gracious God, you are always near, ready to help in times of distress and drive out my fears. I trust in your promises, knowing you will surround me with your steadfast love and care. Amen.

Be a Winning Team Player!

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  Be a Winning Team Player “ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ” (1 Corinthians 2:6) Fans of the winning team become really pumped up, yelling and waving their arms. Those of us who practice  Kingdom  of God are not only fans of the winning team, but we are also players on the team—and it is always exciting to be on the winning team! The Bible explains to us God’s plan for the ages and generally how it is going to end. He also reveals how we can be significant players on his winning team. Not only that, he gives us the opportunity to invest our time, talent, and treasure in this huge salvaging operation to save humankind. He even promises an immeasurable return on the the investments made on his behalf. The crazy “wisdom of this age” and the “rulers of this age” are coming to nothing. For this we are truly grateful, since they are really messing things up! They are on the l

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.

Countering a Culture of Instant Gratification!

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  Countering a Culture of Instant Gratification “Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!’ (That is why he was also called Edom.) Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.’ ‘Look, I am about to die, Esau said. ‘What good is the birthright to me?’ But Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.” (Genesis 25:29-34) In this passage of Scripture, we see a man foolishly give up his birthright; he exchanges all the benefits and the favor of his father for a pot of stew just because he is hungry. His temporary hunger causes him to mistakenly give up a permanent blessing for something transient. How foolish! Esau did not take time to think of the devastating consequences of his careless action.

Change Coats!

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  …to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… Isaiah 61:3 Change Coats The Scripture says to put on a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. A garment is like a coat. Before you can put on a coat of praise, you have to take off a coat of heaviness. Sometimes we wonder why we don’t have any joy, why we’re not passionate. We’re wearing the wrong coat. “Nothing good is in my future. I never get any breaks.” That coat of discouragement doesn’t look good on you, that coat of self-pity is out of style, and that coat of bitterness over who left you or what you didn’t get doesn’t fit you anymore. Now do your part and take off that coat of offense and put on a coat of praise. “Father, thank You that Your plans for me are for good. Thank You that what You started in my life You will finish.” If you’re going to rise to the next level, you have to adjust your attitude. You can’t have a defeated mentality and live a victoriou

How Do You Face the Reality of Eternity?

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  How Do You Face the Reality of Eternity? “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life ” (John 3:16). “ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them ” (John 3:35–36). Many people make the mistake of developing perceptions and convictions based only on what they see and observe. Although they may be sincere in their beliefs, when they base their convictions solely on the observable, they are likely to make wrong choices that can ultimately lead to destruction. It is vitally important to see all that pertains to life from God’s perspective. Each of us must face the reality of ETERNITY. We may try to ignore it, minimize it, or refuse to listen to anything about it. However, such actions will not remove the reality of its existence. “… but it has now been revea

The Highest and Best Use of Your Money!

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The Highest and Best Use of Your Money “Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home." Luke 16:9  The best use of your money is using it to get people into heaven. Luke 16:9 is a verse that most people don’t understand. Jesus says,  “Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home”  (NLT). Jesus is saying that, just like the shrewd manager who made friends he could later count on, you need to use some of your money to make eternal friends that will welcome you into heaven. He’s not saying you can buy your way into heaven—you can’t. Jesus has already paid the price on the cross. He’s not saying you can purchase your salvation—you can’t. Salvation is a free gift by grace. Jesus is telling you to use your money to build friendships that are going to go on and on for eternity. When you use your mo

How to Become a Friend of God!

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  How to Become a Friend of God “ The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. ” (Psalm 25:14) What a majestic promise! God will confide in those who fear or respect him in the proper way. Because of our relationship with him, we are placed in a position where he can, subject to his sovereign will, bless and favor us. There is no better friend a person can have than Almighty God! The secret of this relationship is to abide in Christ. “ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me ” (John 15:4). In John 14:23, Jesus tells us that he and the Father will make their home with us if we love and obey his commandments. “ Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ’” When we cultivate relationships with people, we get to know them and they get to know us. Our

Roll Away the Stone!

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  “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” John 11:22 Roll Away the Stone In John 11, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was very sick. They thought He would come immediately and heal Lazarus. But days passed, and Lazarus died. When Jesus showed up, Martha was upset. She said, “Jesus, if You had been here sooner, my brother would not have died.” Martha could have walked away in anger and bitterness, which would be the end of the story. But she added, “I know even now God will give You whatever You ask.” She was saying, “It seems impossible, but I know You have the final say.” They went to the tomb, the place where Martha stopped believing, and rolled away the stone, and Jesus gave them a resurrection. Perhaps you’ve given up on a promise or a dream or a relationship and rolled a stone in front of it. Start believing again right where you gave up. Get your passion back. It may have been dead, but that wasn’t the final word. God has the

Are You Focused on the Son?

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  Are You Focused on the Son? “ I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. ” (Psalm 16:8) When you drive a vehicle, you keep your eyes focused on the road. Pilots of aircraft keep their eyes focused on their instrument panels, particularly in inclement weather. Focus is such a critical factor as we navigate through life. If we focus on the wrong values, we will crash. But, like the Psalmist, when we keep our eyes on the Lord, we will not be shaken. For the practitioner of Kingdom of God,  Christ  is the goal of life—pleasing him, doing his will, being transformed into his likeness, and ultimately, being with him in heaven in a glorified state. “ Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure ” (Psalm 16:5, NIV). Have you ever held a penny close to your eye and tried to gaze heavenward? The penny blocks out the sun. In the same manner, when we get consumed with the minutia of life, our vision gets blocked. God wants us to keep

Take Courage!

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  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 Take Courage  There are times when we feel overwhelmed by a loss, by a sickness, or by being treated unfairly by someone, and we say, “I can’t take the stress, the worry, the demands. It’s too much to handle.” But God wouldn’t be a just God if He didn’t design you with exactly what you need. The apostle Paul says that God will never let you face more pressure than you can handle. He will make a way of escape so you can bear it. Now you can choose in your mind to give up and think, “I can’t do this,” or you can choose to “not faint in your mind” (Hebrews 12:3). Your inner design is strong enough, now get your mind strong enough. Quit telling yourself, “It’s too big. It’s been this way too long. I can’t take it anymore.” You are well able. No weapon formed against you will prosper. That difficulty

Skate Toward the Puck!

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  Skate Toward the Puck “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. ” (2 Corinthians 5:10) ” For the successful athlete, it is important to anticipate your opponent’s next move. Timing is critical; a split second can give a major advantage for scoring a goal. Failure to anticipate can mean the difference between victory and defeat. We can apply Gretzky’s advice to our spiritual life. Sooner or later, our “time bubble” will pop and we will face eternity. It is inevitable, regardless of what the world says. “ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment ” (Hebrews 9:27). It behooves us to anticipate this reality and skate accordingly. Fortunately, believers have a guaranteed salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus said,  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has cros

The Greatness of His Goodness!

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  Oh, how great is your goodness to those who publicly declare that you will rescue them. For you have stored up great blessings for those who trust and reverence you. Psalm 31:19 The Greatness of His Goodness When you look back over your life, you can see the goodness of God. There were the times when He made a way when you didn’t see a way. You were at the right place at the right time. Your health didn’t look good, but somehow it turned around. You made mistakes that should have held you back, but God in His mercy covered you. He brought you out, and now you’re blessed and fulfilling your purpose. You didn’t get to where you are by yourself. It was the hand of God. He’s been working behind the scenes in your life, pushing back forces of darkness. What has God done in your life? Are you recognizing it, are you living amazed, filled with gratitude? Take time every day to acknowledge how great His goodness has been in your life. If you’re going to continue to go further, you need to re