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Be Sure to Pray!

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  Be Sure to Pray! Scripture: Isaiah 37:14–15, NIV “ Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. ” (Isaiah 37:14-15, NIV) I heard someone say that it takes three things to accomplish the purposes of God in this world: prayer, leadership, and money. Often, in our haste to do things or to “do” ministry, we forget to pray for God’s blessing and direction. This is a big mistake. Hezekiah , after receiving a threat to his kingdom from the King of Assyria, took the letter defining the threat, went to the temple, spread it out before the Lord, and prayed about the problem. In response, God moved in a miraculous way and destroyed the enemy. The power to change, the power to overcome obstacles, the power to overcome sin, and the power to defeat the evil one is sourced in Almighty God. We are told to boldly come to the throne of Grace to receive mercy, and to find h...

Declare His Greatness!

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  Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde…do not let mere men prevail against you!” 2 Chronicles 14:11, NLT Declare His Greatness When King Asa and the people of Judah came under attack by an army of one million Ethiopians, their army was outnumbered two to one. But Asa’s battle cry was to come against the enemy in God’s name, declaring the greatness of our God to prevail. “So,” the Scripture says, “the Lord defeated the Ethiopians,” and the people of Judah carried off vast amounts of spoil. They came out better after the battle than they were before. A great battle cry in times of trouble is to remind yourself of who God is. Who can stand against our God? No bad break, no sickness, no addiction, and no negative environment can stop His purpose for your life. You may be outnumbered today, in the natural t...

Feel Insignificant?

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  Feel Insignificant? Scripture: Judges 6:15, NIV “’ Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’”  (Judges 6:15, NIV) It’s easy to feel insignificant or lost in this large, dynamic world. But sometimes, that very insignificance plays a key role in building God’s kingdom. Gideon  was the least in his family, and his clan was the weakest. God had a purpose for this. He wanted the people to realize that  God  was going to be the deliverer, and not the power and strength of the people themselves. Paul  said that he would boast of his weaknesses so the power of Christ could rest on him. Paul also said that God chose the weak things of the world to shame the wise. Jesus  used the two fish and five loaves of a young boy to feed 5,000 people. These examples could indicate that being “weak” makes us the kind of vessel God can use to facilitate the marvelous works he is do...

Job 42:1-17!

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  Introduction Job 42:1–17: Today’s reading concludes the book of Job. The LORD accuses Job’s friends of not telling the whole truth and instructs them to make a special offering to avoid punishment. Job prays for his friends and receives the LORD’s blessings. He has many more children, regains his wealth, and is prosperous again. Today’s Key Verse: Job 42:12a GNT The LORD blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than he had blessed the first. Read 42 Then Job answered the Lord. Job 2  I know, Lord, that you are all-powerful; that you can do everything you want. 3  You ask how I dare question your wisdom when I am so very ignorant. I talked about things I did not understand, about marvels too great for me to know. 4  You told me to listen while you spoke and to try to answer your questions. 5  In the past I knew only what others had told me, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6  So I am ashamed of all I have said and repent in dust and ashe...

Remember!

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  Remember! Scripture: Isaiah 43:26, NKJV “ Put Me in remembrance…. ” (Isaiah 43:26, NKJV) We live in a world of challenges and turmoil. But, as believers, we are rooted and grounded in the person of Jesus Christ, the anchor of our soul. To keep things in perspective, we need to remember what God’s Word says: Remember:  The whole world is under the sway of the evil one. Remember:  Great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. Remember:  Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. Remember:  He must increase, and I must decrease. Remember:  All the promises of God find their fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ. Remember:  Come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in the time of need. Remember:  Prayer and the supply of the Spirit will deliver us, empower us, heal us, and reveal God’s will for us. The  Kingdom  of God  practitioner puts God and his promises in remembrance throughout the ...

Job 40:1-24!

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  Introduction Job 40:1–24: The LORD continues to pose challenging questions to Job, and Job humbly responds. Today’s Key Verse: Job 40:1–2 GNT [The LORD said:] Job, you challenged Almighty God; will you give up now or will you answer? Read 40  1-2  Job, you challenged Almighty God; will you give up now, or will you answer? Job 3-4  I spoke foolishly, Lord. What can I answer? I will not try to say anything else. 5  I have already said more than I should. 6  Then out of the storm the Lord spoke to Job once again. The Lord 7  Now stand up straight and answer my questions. 8  Are you trying to prove that I am unjust— to put me in the wrong and yourself in the right? 9  Are you as strong as I am? Can your voice thunder as loud as mine? 10  If so, stand up in your honor and pride; clothe yourself with majesty and glory. 11  Look at those who are proud; pour out your anger and humble them. 12  Yes, look at them and bring them down; c...

How Wise!

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  How Wise! Scripture: Matthew 2:11, NIV “ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ” (Matthew 2:11, NIV) The wise men were students of their age. They followed the star, found Jesus, bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts. Perhaps these were the first strategic kingdom investors in the church age. What an example for us to follow! As students of our age, our purpose or mission is to be  heavenly minded , but also  earthly sensitive . We know there is a world to come, the real world. Preparation must be made to enter that world if our life is to echo into eternity. The wise men first gave their hearts to the Lord by bowing down and worshiping him. The “star” in our life is Jesus Christ.  Once the Lord has our heart, he has everything else related to us. We see...