Daily Devotionals!

YIELDING TO THE DOMINION OF THE WORD!

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32).

It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what has happened to you; if you’d let the Word have the dominion in your life, you’ll walk in absolute victory in all circumstances. In yielding to the dominion of the Word, there’re certain fundamentals to note; these are knowledge, meditation, and faith proclamations. First and foremost, you must know the Word, and let it guide your thoughts, words and actions. In Hosea 4:6, God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… He wasn’t talking about their lack of general knowledge, but the knowledge of the Word. Only your knowledge of the Word can guarantee your success, progress and prosperity. That’s why He wants you to study. Refuse to be ignorant; give yourself to the Word. John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Secondly, you must meditate on the Word; keep it in your heart and in your mouth. Through meditation, the Word mingles with your spirit, producing in you the message it carries. Joshua 1:8 says, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,and then thou shalt have good success.” Through meditation, you bring yourself under the influence and power of the Word; you’re transformed, and your spirit is energized for victory.

Lastly, be bold to make your faith proclamations. Believing what God says and confessing the same will change your life. When sickness or fear tries to attack you, respond by affirming what God has already said concerning you in His Word. Declare aloud, “I have the life of God in me! I’m more than a conqueror; I’m a victor in Christ Jesus! No weapon fashioned against me shall prosper, because I dwell in Christ!” This is how you subject yourself to the dominion of God’s Word, to ensure its power is manifested in your life.

PRAYER.
Dear Father, I thank you for the glorious life you’ve given me in Christ! My life is the revelation of your grace , power , love, and righteousness . Your Word is working in me mightily producing fruits of the divine life . I live in Health , supernatural abundance , perpetual victory, and joy in Jesus Name.
Amen.

Shalom!

THE DOMINION OF CHRIST!

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).

The Lord Jesus Christ has the dominion over all things, including men, angels, and demons; things in heaven, on earth and under the earth are subject to Jesus, and must obey His voice. As His representatives and ambassadors here on earth, He has in turn given us dominion over all things. He exercises His authority today through us—His Church—which is His body.

Ephesians 1:21, talking about the resurrected Christ, tells us that He’s seated in the heavenly realms, “Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age {and} in this world, but also in the age {and} the world which are to come” (AMPC).

Here, the word “rule,” means two things: first, it means the authority that governs, and secondly, it means the decrees by which they govern. It refers to rulership and its rules. So, it makes no difference what rule has been made, Jesus is far above all rule. Notice that He’s set, not just above, or near above, but FAR above all rule. Hallelujah!

And then Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Church really hasn’t used the Name of Jesus as it ought to. That Name opens every door. In His Name, you have power to cast out devils, tame the forces of nature, and mobilise angels to minister for you.

Christ has brought us into a life of extraordinary dominion. We’re not victims, but victors in this world. The Bible says, “…as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). We function in His stead. He gave us the right, the power of attorney to act in His place! Whatever you declare in His Name, He makes it happen. Stop crying and begging God to do something about your case. Use the Name of Jesus! Exercise dominion over the circumstances of your life today, and always be victorious.

PRAYER.
Precious Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me the power of attorney to act in your stead. I take full advantage of the authority you’ve given me to put a stop to every evil work around me, declaring and insisting that your will alone prevails in my life and circumstances.
Amen.

Blessings and Shalom!

Created To Dominate!

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.” – Psalm 8:6 (NKJV)

Today’s Thought!

Psalms 8:6 says, “all things are under his feet.” Yet, have you ever felt that you may not have experienced dominion in every area of your life? When believers do not take advantage of the authority given to them by God, life tends to dominate them instead of them dominating in life. For instance, money in its purest form is a neutral entity. How many people have allowed money to become a driving force in their lives?

What dominates your thought life? Ask God to help you view life from His perspective. He has given you authority, through Christ, to command and walk in all of the promises He has provided for you. God desires for you to reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).

Connect to God!

Let your words be in alignment with the Word of God. God created us to have dominion over the earth. There is power in the very words that you speak. Speak the Word of God only!

Let the weak say I’m STRONG! Let poor say I’m RICH! Let the sick say I’m HEALED!

Declare that this is your year of DOMINION & DIVINE ENLARGEMENT!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Be Fruitful & Multiply.

To Be Fruitful, Get Connected!

“I am the true Vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. You are already clean because of the word which I have given you [the teachings which I have discussed with you]. Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples.” ‭JOHN‬ ‭15:1-8‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Right before Jesus goes to the cross, he gives his last minute instructions to his followers: “Live in me and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me" (John 15:4 GW).

Jesus says that being spiritually connected is like being attached to a vine. You’re not going to have any fruitfulness or productivity in your life if you’re out there on your own. You’ve got to stay connected. In plants, a disconnected branch can’t bear fruit. You not only don’t have the support, you not only start to whither and die, but you don’t have any productivity in your life if you’re not spiritually connected.

What kind of fruit should you produce when you are connected to the Body of Christ? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22-23a NIV).
I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be more loving. I’d like to be more joyful. I’d like to be more at peace, no matter what happens to the economy. I’d like to be more kind to people who are mean to me. I’d like to be a good person. I want to be faithful, not unfaithful. I want to keep my promises. I’d like to be gentle with people who are not very gentle. And I’d like to have more self-control. That’s called the fruit of the Spirit, and it's the evidence that you are spiritually connected. If you are not seeing yourself grow in all these things, guess what? It means you’re not spiritually connected. He’s saying this is so important, not only do you need the support like in a building, and not only do you need the life blood like being in a body, he’s saying you’re not going to have any fruitfulness or any productivity in your life if you’re out there on your own. You’ve got to stay connected.

Have a Blessed & Fruitful Day!

REPAIR THE ALTAR!

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 1st John 2:1

Read: 1st Kings 18:29-34, Esther 4-7, Ecclesiastes 10:8-20

When the Bible says that we are the temple of God in 1st Corinthians 6:19, it implies so many things with respect to the features of the temple. One of the features of the temple of God is the altar. The altar is very significant in worship, in the sense that it symbolises the throne of God.

The altar is where God abides and does whatever pleases Him. It is the place where He issues out decrees and orders the events that must take place in the universe. It is therefore interesting to realise that we are living temples and carriers of the throne where God exhibits His majesty.

No wonder the Holy Spirit in 1st Peter 2:5 said: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Elijah repaired the altar of God before offering sacrifice on it. There are a good number of lessons we can learn from this passage. For instance, there is the possibility of the altar of God being broken down. When a man, particularly a child of God sins, he or she breaks down the altar of God, since we are the temple of God.

The person needs to repair the broken altar before he or she can make progress spiritually and physically. From the example of Elijah, you can see that it is possible for a broken altar to be repaired. Elijah repaired the broken altar before he offered his sacrifice on it.

The result was answer to his prayers that came by fire. People of God must know that sin is alien to walking with God and so we must have zero-tolerance for sin. In case a child of God slips into sin, what should he or she do? The fellow must not stay in that fallen state and mourn his spiritual calamity. He or she must arise and repair the broken altar like Elijah did on behalf of the people of Israel.

There are many altars in the life of a child of God that the devil may want to destroy. These include the altar of PRAISE, the altar of PRAYER, the altar of FAITH, to mention just a few. By the time you finish repairing the ALTAR, your insufficiency becomes history. When you repair the altar, your weakness becomes strength. As you repair the altar of your faith today, the impossible will become possible for you (Matthew 17:20).

As you repair the broken altar of God in your life today, may the Lord turn your lack to abundance in Jesus’ Name.

Action Point:
Take an inventory of your life and see where the altar of God has been broken down. Repair it by way of repentance, make restitution and cry to God for complete restoration.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Make Room for Jesus This Christmas!

He’s the Reason for the Season.

We all need to just relax a little bit and remember what this season is about: it is the time when we celebrate Jesus' birth. In the midst of our activities and preparations to celebrate Christmas, how often do we forget about the honored guest? We string our lights. We trim our trees. We talk about Christmas. We hear recorded songs mentioning the birth of Jesus. But how many people actually take time for Him? We run around the malls and buy things for everyone we know and even some people we wish we didn't know. But we can forget to make room in our schedules for Jesus.

Make Room for Jesus!

The fact there was no room for Jesus at the inn that first Christmas was indicative of the treatment that He would receive throughout His entire earthly ministry. One telling passage is found for us in John's Gospel where it says, "And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives" (John 7:53–8:1). Everyone went home for the night, but Jesus went to sleep out in the open air on the Mount of Olives.

There was never room for Jesus. And today, there is just no room for Him in so many situations. Is there room for Jesus in your life right now? This Christmas, as we prepare to start a new year with new opportunities, will you make room in your life for Him?

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Four Essentials To Finishing Well!

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6–8)

Paul was confident he had endured to the end and had finished well. Sadly, however, just a few sentences later he had to write of one of his coworkers: “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10).

Here were two men who had ministered together — Paul and Demas — mentor and mentoree. One endured and finished the race and looked forward to the crown of righteousness. The other man peeled off, deserted his mentor, and was never heard from again. We don’t know what finally happened to Demas. We don’t know whether he ever repented or not, but the Scripture ends with the fact that “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me.” In Philemon 24 Paul calls Demas a fellow worker along with Mark and Aristarchus and Luke. Demas was apparently a promising young man with a promising future; yet as far as we know he did not make it to the end.

This is a sobering thought because many readers of this Devotional are young, committed followers of Jesus Christ. In God’s gracious providence you have many years ahead of you, and you expect to finish the race, to stand firm, to endure to the end. But there was a time when Demas also thought that way. He didn’t initially join Paul’s team with the intention that he would later desert Paul when the going got tough. No, he undoubtedly expected to also stand firm and finish well.

This is a sobering thought even for those of us who are older because, as the famous baseball player Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” So we cannot presume that even at our age we will finish well. We never finish until the day we die. And so all of us, young or old, need to heed the warning that comes to us from the example of Demas.

Four Essential Elements for Finishing Well!
Although a number of things could be said, I have come to the conclusion that there are four fundamental actions we can take to help us finish well. There may be other issues that are important, but I believe these four are fundamental. They are:

May God bless you as you finish 2017 STRONG!

Shalom!

COVENANT-KEEPING GOD

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

“Covenant” is such an important concept to the life of every Christian. Everything about God points to the covenant He has enacted with us. Even His word to us is delineated into the understanding of the Old and New Covenants.

When establishing a valid point about the nature of God, David said : “…He will ever be mindful of His covenant.” (Psalm 111:5). Each time you access God based on His covenant, He will always respond because He is ever mindful of it. From today, quit relating to God as you will an earthly father and relate with Him as a covenant keeper.

Understanding the Covenants is very important because everything you will ever be depends on how much of the covenants you understand (Eph 2:12). You cannot walk in a covenant you do not understand. That is why it is important you realise that the covenant isn’t just printed information to be read casually but rather, imprinted revelation to be studied seriously.

Your understanding of God’s covenant makes you go for it. Until you understand the covenant, you will be unable to access all that has been willed to you in it. It is possible one dies a pauper though wealth has been willed to him. Thus, understanding the covenant is vital.

Gen 6:18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” Once you understand the covenant, you must seek to explain it to everyone around you because until it is revealed to them, they can never benefit from it (Deut 29:29). If the covenant as it relates to divine health (Rom 8:11) hasn’t been revealed to you, you may live all your life in sickness and disease though it is not God’s design for you.

CONFESSION: Today, the covenant is revealed to me. I walk in God’s covenants of health, wealth, joy, peace and goodness.

PRAYER: All through the rest of this year and beyond, I experience God as a covenant-keeping God. Nothing happens to me except it has been filtered through the covenant of God in Jesus’ name.

Blessings and Shalom!

Guard Your Heart!

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

What does it mean to guard your heart and how do you do it?

We are told to exercise, eat well and manage our stress. These are all important measures to care for our physical heart as we are regularly reminded by members of the medical profession. What does our Creator tell us about caring for our heart? For that, we’ll need to look into the Bible, his guidebook for living life? Guarding your heart means to forgive others who may have hurt you…. to let go of any anger, bitterness and resentment toward another that you may have and to release their hurtful behavior or words they may have spoken to you to God. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 It means being mindful of what you think about. Our minds and heart are intricately connected. What we think about affects our inner spirit and heart. The Bible tells us to think about things that are pure and right and heavenly. When we do this, it creates a healthy environment for the rest of the body. In almost magical ways, these good thoughts sink deep into our being and have an impact on our nervous system and endocrine system. The hormones that are released in our bodies when we think good thoughts are heart-healthy, as opposed to the harmful hormones that are released when we are thinking negative thoughts. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 Guarding our heart also means watching what we take into our minds. What we read and see over and over again will eventually make it’s way into our spiritual and emotional heart. Reading the Bible on a regular basis will help to get God’s truths into our inner being. This is healthy. My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Proverbs 4:20-22 Decide to have a cheerful heart. By attending to your thoughts, forgiving others and daily reading the Bible and meditating on God’s truths, you can more easily have a cheerful mindset. This is health-promoting.
A cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22
I encourage you to be intentional in making these spiritual exercises part of your daily life. As they become habits, your heart will be healthier. God promises it.

Questions to Reflect On

Shalom!

A Strong Finish!

As we begin the final lap of 2017, may the words of our devotion be an encouragement to you. When runners in ancient Greece would compete, there was a reward of laurel leaves waiting for the winners. They were running for the reward—going for the gold, so to speak. As Christians, we are running a race as well. And we should run in such a way as to win. As we run, Hebrews tells us, "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. . . ." (Hebrews 12:1–2) Looking to Jesus keeps us going in the Christian life. There are things that will discourage us, things that will get us down. It was Corrie ten Boom who said, "Look without and be distressed. Look within and be depressed. Look at Jesus and be at rest."

If we can keep our eyes on the Lord, we can run this race well. However, in the race of life our competition is not with each other. We are not to try and outdo other Christians. Our competition, if you will, is the world, the flesh, and the devil (see James 4:4; 1 Peter 2:11; 5:8). We want to run to win. We want to play by the rules. And we want to keep our eyes on Jesus, who gives us the right motive for running. The apostle Paul talked about finishing what God had given him to do (see Acts 20:24). And that is the key: finishing the race. It won't do any good if we are in first place for nine-tenths of the race and fall at the end. We need to think about how we will finish the race that we have begun.

May the lord grace us with the anointing to finish STRONG!

Blessings and Shalom!

Building Altars Opening Gates for His Glory!

This week I have been meditating on Pentecost and specifically on the Upper Room. In this place, Christ's disciples, along with other faithful followers, gathered in obedience to Christ's words to "tarry in Jerusalem until . . " As these 120 faithful ones gathered they "with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer." (Acts 1:12-14) As living stones, they built an altar to the Lord. They were surrendered to the will of the Lord, offering themselves as a "living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Romans 12:1) In that posture of humility, devotion, and obedience (and without a doubt a measure of desperation), they became an altar, establishing a gate of heaven - a portal for the atmosphere of Heaven to break into the earth.

Then. . heaven broke into earth - Acts 2:1-4

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

God, once again, answered with Fire from Heaven. He sent forth Holy Spirit, appearing as tongues of fire, and the followers of Christ gathered in an upper room, suddenly became carriers of His glory - His very presence. Now, they were empowered to be and do all He had spoken of while He walked on the earth. God is calling us to build altars of worship, not with stones and mortar, but altars of worship established by absolute surrender and devotion to the Lord, Who is the Only One Who is Worthy! He is calling us to gather as living stones fit together by His design to offer sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Christ (See I Peter 2:4-5). He is looking for places built for His glory to become gates of His Kingdom rule to flow through in the earth. Altars to the Lord are to be established as places prepared for the fire of His glory and power. Altars of the Lord are to open the portals of heaven and as we worship and minister unto the Lord, the gate opens wider and the influence of the atmosphere of the Kingdom of Heaven increases and the awakening that has been released in the earth grows stronger and stronger. In preparation for the next season, let the altars of the Lord be prepared to receive fresh fire from the Lord, and may the portal of the Lord be opened to bring greater measures of Christ's Kingdom on earth even as it is in Heaven in Jesus' mighty name!

Blessings and Shalom!

Building Altars Opening Gates for His Glory!

The LORD appeared to Abram and said, " To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.

He (Jacob) built an altar there, and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled from his brother. (Genesis 35:7)

So with the stones he (Elijah) built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. . . You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God . . .When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God." (from 1 Kings 18:32-39)

Throughout Scriptures we see the building of altars to establish places of worship and consecration before the Lord. These altars were built in response to a revelation or encounter with the Lord, and also in faith-filled anticipation and hopeful expectation of establishing a place where the Lord's abiding, manifest presence permeated and brought the rule of the Lord into the earth. Altars represent places where earth welcomes and opens to the Lord, and the eternal realm of the Kingdom of God flows into the earth. The gate (or portal) established opens for the reality of the atmosphere of Heaven to impact the atmosphere of earth. The measure of influence increases according to the consecration of those who submit to the rule of the One who is worshiped. Note, this is true also in the dimension of demonically established altars where false gods and tyrannical demonic principalities are established. This explains why areas where occult or pagan worship is strong the atmosphere is hardened and resistant to the Gospel of the Kingdom. Who is worshiped at the altars of a territory sets the atmosphere. The battle in every territory is over worship. The battle is over what kind of altar will be established -- the altar of the Lord or altars to the enemy and his minions. This is true in the hearts of individuals, families, communities, people groups, and nations.

May Jehovah grant us victory as we worship HIM at the altars of our homes and our church!

Blessings and Shalom!

Count Your Blessings!

Scripture Reading — Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

“And don’t forget to thank Him”

The words of the song Count Your Blessings, Name Them One by One are tremendous:

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

What a wonderful reminder to take the time to think about what God is doing for us. Too often we focus just on the horrid things – the evil, the hurricanes, the floods and devastation and famine. But take time every day to verbalize or write all you are thankful for. You may want to use this outline. Doing so will revitalize your soul.

Begin With Thanksgiving: Psalm 100:4 tells us, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”
Thank Him for His patience and forgiveness.
Thank Him for the privilege of coming into His presence.
Thank Him for what He has done in and through your life in the last year.

List What He Has Done; Take time to list what God has done for you. Be specific. Think through every area of your life.
Become Still Before the Lord. (Psalm 46:10)
Consider who God is. (Psalm 103)
Praise Him for His attributes. (Psalm 145)
Rejoice in your fellowship with Him and that He delights in you. (Proverbs 15:8)

Read passages of scripture and pray them back to God. (Psalms 146-150)

Sing to the Lord.
Lord I thank You for the beauty of the seasons. I thank You for health and strength. I thank You for people to love and people who love me. I love You God and thank for loving me first. Amen.

Blessings and Shalom!

How To Be Thankful In Tough Times!

Scripture Reading — Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Thank God in all things. Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love, but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities; it makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They’re never satisfied; it’s never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

This involves a deliberate, conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things: focus on the positive and on God’s Word. Why? Because the root cause of stress is the way you choose to think. When we no longer worry, when we pray about everything, when we give thanks, when we focus on the right things, the apostle Paul tells us the result is, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NLT). What a guarantee! He is guaranteeing peace of mind.

Question: What tough times have you been facing lately, and how can these steps help you to refocus your thoughts and energy?

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Thanksgiving: The Power of a Thankful Heart!

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

It is not always easy to give thanks, but this is the very thing we must do in order to see God's will accomplished in our lives. This is how we move into higher realms of faith for ourselves, for our church, for our city, and for our nation. Thanksgiving has great power to bring joy and break the power of the enemy. Whenever you give thanks to God, despite the most difficult circumstances, the enemy loses a big battle in your life. When you give thanks in the midst of difficulty, you bring pleasure to God's heart. He is looking for Christians who live in a realm of praise and thanksgiving where the enemy no longer has an ability to hold or manipulate that person. Satan is defeated when we have a thankful heart because thankfulness during difficulty is a sacrifice pleasing to God. Are you thankful? Are you thankful for your present circumstances? Are you thankful for your salvation, your family, your church, your friendships, and your job? Thankfulness is a key to your life. It is the key that turns your situation around because it changes you, your outlook, and your attitude. There is power in a thankful heart.

In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Blessings & Shalom!

Submission Involves Service!

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:21

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

There’s more to being a Christ follower than talking about Jesus or rejoicing in being “saved.” Too often we emphasize our per­sonal, “vertical” relationship with Jesus without thinking how that should affect our “horizontal” relationships with others, where life can be very complicated. Ephe­sians has some close-to-home application here, teaching that the reason for submitting to one another is “out of reverence for Christ.” Explaining Jesus’ command that we “love one another,” John Calvin stated, “Where love reigns, there is mutual servitude,” adding that this applies even to kings and rulers. They must serve their people, as must pastors and politicians. So must husbands and wives. Applying Jesus’ example to the marriage relationship, Paul mentions the “profound mystery” of Christ and his church. Jesus is the head of the church, and yet he sacrificed himself for it. He’s the model of service and submission for both the husband and the wife. It’s a love relationship of serving and sacrificing for one another. Loving and submitting means subordinating our “rights” and emphasizing how we can serve and build up one another. Our commitment to Christ leads to acts of surrendering self and submitting “out of reverence for Christ.” Doing so will attract new believers. Have you tried it?

Lord, you submitted your will to your Father’s. Help us to submit ours to you and to find ways of expressing love and respect in all our relationships. In your name, Amen.

Blessings & Shalom!

It’s Starts With The Family!

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:12

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."

Few things in life can bring us as much pleasure or pain as our families. When things are working well in the family, it's great. When things are not going so well, it's tough. Parents have tension with children. Children have tension with parents. Husbands have tension with wives. Wives have tension with husbands. Then there are the in-laws. Families are complex. But God established the family. In the Ten Commandments, before a word is said about how we treat one another, God starts with the family: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you" (Exodus 20:12). In Genesis we have God bringing Adam and Eve together. He started with the family. He created the family. And He—and He alone—defines the family. God loves the family. There is only one picture that God gives to a lost world to show His love for the church and the church's love for Him. That is marriage. He says, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25), and "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (verse 22). Effectively, here is what God is saying: "Look at this Christian couple right here. See the way that husband loves his wife? That is how I love this church, My people. See how that wife loves her husband? That is how My church loves Me." Because of that, when a Christian family starts to unravel and when Christian people get divorced, that is devastating in many ways to the testimony of believers in a given community. It has been said that a family can survive without a nation, but a nation cannot survive without the family.

Fight for the family, and God will fight for the family.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Healing Family Hurts!

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Have you got some hurdles to overcome in your family relationships? You know—some things that need to change and improve at your house? All of us can at one time or another admit to family problems, causing family pain. I have just one word to offer you as you seek help and healing for your family: love. Love is relational dynamite that obliterates all obstacles in its path. Talking won’t do that for you. Pressuring won’t; prodding, insisting, demanding, getting selfish—these all will only tear your life and family apart. But 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails.”

Love never fails to what? Let me point out three things that it will handle for you:

Love never fails to rejoice in the truth. Love doesn’t sit back in some happy delusion that everything will be okay. Love doesn’t deny problems, but works to see them changed. Love is an action before it’s a feeling.

Love gives God an opportunity to work. It’s a tool in His hands to work through you in helping your family.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Guidelines for Healthy Relationships!

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:1-21

God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” — Exodus 20:1 Just a few months after delivering his people Israel from slavery in Egypt, God gave them his commands from the smoking, trembling summit of Mount Sinai (see Exodus 19). And these commands are the standard for humankind: they drive us to ask for forgiveness, and they teach us how to live. Bible teachers often point out that the Ten Commandments, written by God on two tables of stone, can be divided into two parts: the first part concerning our relationship with God (vv. 3-11), and the second part concerning our relationships with others (vv. 12-17). Many teachers also point out that Jesus summarized the law in two parts along these lines: Love God and Love your neighbor (see Matthew 22:37-40). Today the commands of the two tables are still important for keeping our relationships with God and humanity healthy. We cannot expect to live a fulfilling life if we ignore God, worship money, use God’s name as a curse, work 24/7, disrespect our parents, hurt others, live promiscuously, steal, lie, or desire what rightfully belongs to others. If we don’t care about these basic guidelines for life,or even just some of them our relationships will suffer. Have you asked God to help you follow his way today?

Lord, we know your law is our light and our guide for life. Give us strength to live wisely and to walk in the way of Christ’s love, which you laid out so clearly for us here. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Our Identity in Christ!

We are justified and declared innocent

We are entitled to a clean conscience

Your sins are no longer a part of you

That is your Identity. Have a fantastic weekend.

Blessings and Shalom!

Who we REALLY are - Our Identity in Christ!

This is one elementary subject that most Christians still don't fully understand, and it is a powerful key to spiritual breakthrough for countless believers around the globe today! Don't believe you're just an old forgiven sinner just because someone tells you so. Look these things up in the Word of God for yourself and know the truth. For Jesus said clearly that if we CONTINUE in His WORD, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free!

John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The opposite of truth is deception or false beliefs... and will cause you to live in bondage unnecessarily. This subject is no exception. If you see yourself as a failure, you will not be able to boldly exercise your authority in Christ because you will feel unworthy (even after the Blood of Christ has made you worthy). If you claim to be unworthy after the Blood of Christ has made you worthy, then you are denying the work of Christ in your life! I want you to say to yourself, "I am worthy, because JESUS' blood has made me worthy!" .You are loved by God the Father! You are loved by God, not because of what you've done, but because of who you are. The Bible tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He longed to have a relationship with you even before you became His child!

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This one may be hard to get your mind around, but it is true. God loves us with the same love that He had towards Jesus Himself! Look at this passage in scripture: John 17:23, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Jesus said that the greatest love a man can show for his friends, is when he lays down his life for them. Jesus laid down His life for us - that is how valuable and dear we are to Him! John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." As a matter of fact, if we don't realize the love of God, we cannot be filled with the fullness of God. We will lack His fullness in our lives until we come to know of His deep love for us: Ephesians 3:17-19, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Seated With Christ!

Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 1:3 and 2:6 NKJV)

Although we are residents of Earth throughout the years of our natural lifetime, from our spiritual position in Christ we are with Him in the heavenly places. What this means is, God will meet all of our needs now, while we are alive on Earth, just as if we were already in heaven. From a biblical standpoint, everything that Jesus has is available to us, for the Bible says, “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV). Knowing this truth will enable you to never again view yourself from a position of trying to get something from God. He’s already given you everything you will ever need; your responsibility is to simply receive it.

First, be diligent to imagine yourself seated in heavenly places, unaffected by Adam’s curse: no poverty, no lack, no sickness, and no pain or depression; just an abundance of every good thing.

Second, begin to see yourself with the abundance that you actually have in heavenly paces. When you do, this abundance will start to manifest in the physical realm. As you consistently perceive yourself as living in heavenly places, your natural circumstances will begin to change, coming into line with God’s Word that declares all of your need is supplied by His riches in Christ Jesus!

Confession: I am seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. In Him my every need is met, and I have an abundance to give to those in need. I receive all of the blessings that God has for me.

Blessings and Shalom!

BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR POSITION IN CHRIST!

John 15:5 - I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

In this verse, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” He did not say, “I am the vine, try to be the branches.” In other words, He wants us to realize that we are already the branches. We do not have to struggle to become the branches. As His branches, we only have to abide or remain in Christ our vine. How do we do that? We do that by simply being conscious every day of our position in Christ. Because we have received Christ, we are in Christ and are accepted in the Beloved. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:6) God accepts us because we are in the Beloved and He is in us. And that is how God sees us today when we come into His presence. What the devil wants to do then is to get you to focus on your condition instead of your position in Christ. The condition you are facing could be financial lack or deteriorating health. The devil wants you to focus on your condition and forget your position—that you are the righteousness of God in Christ and that you are seated with Him in heavenly places at the Father’s right hand. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:6) He wants you to forget that you are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17) The devil knows that once you focus on your position in Christ, it will give you the power to change your condition and circumstances. John 15:5 says that you will bear “much fruit”. This means that when you pray against any lack, abundant supply will flow. When you pray for healing, sickness will leave. My friend, none of these things can happen by your own doing, but by His life which flows through you. Just as sap flowing through the branches of a vine will cause them to bring forth fruit, His life flowing through you will bring forth a bountiful harvest of provision, healing and miracles. You only need to remain conscious of who you are in Christ!

Thought For The Day

Remain conscious of who you are in Christ and you will bear much fruit.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

The Power of Prayer!

2 Chronicles 20:1-15

From Scripture, we see the importance and effectiveness of praying with spiritual authority. Elijah, for example, boldly challenged the prophets of Baal because he knew the Lord would hear and answer. And King Jehoshaphat sought God for direction and strength—and called upon the nation to do the same.

Their examples teach what is required for prayer to be powerful:

Dependance on God. The petitions of both men showed deep reliance upon the Lord. Knowing that victory over Israel’s enemies was beyond their own abilities, they asked God to intervene.

A focus on His plan. Elijah did things God’s way against tremendous odds and at great personal risk (1 Kings 19:1-2). Jehoshaphat called for the nation to fast as he sought to discover the Lord’s plan. Because they looked to God for a strategy, they both had a clear goal that led them through the difficulties they faced.

Purity of motive. Both leaders had God-centered intentions and a goal of furthering His purposes. They weren’t trying to gain anything for themselves.

Confidence in God’s faithfulness. Neither man hesitated to ask publicly for divine help. Elijah told the plan to the 450 enemy prophets, and Jehoshaphat called upon all of Israel to join him in intercession.

If your prayers seem to be having little impact, ask yourself, Have I been relying upon my own strength to resolve matters? Is there a selfish basis for my request? Am I lacking confidence in God (James 1:5-7)? If so, turn to the Lord, confess, and seek to follow the example of Elijah and Jehoshaphat.

May the revelation of God’s word cause you to experience the power of prayer.

Blessings and Shalom!

The Power of Simple Prayer!

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray . . . ” (Luke 11:1–2, ESV).

From the time humans were created, prayer has been part of our experience. God designed us with the ability to communicate. Not only do we talk to each other, but we also have a natural compulsion to talk to the One who made us. And just as every aspect of humanity is tainted by sin, communication with our Creator is broken too. Jesus addressed several ways prayer can become twisted, one of which is empty repetition—something our ancestors had a reputation for doing. Pagan Gentiles practiced polytheism, so they had a lot of deities to juggle. For them, praying involved coping with the demands of all these gods. Prayers became rote incantations designed to keep the gods happy and distracted. But as their gods weren’t real and their idols were powerless, it follows that the phrases said to them were meaningless, no matter how high the petitioners stacked them up. Jesus was clearly unimpressed by repetition in prayer. His descriptions of how people “heap up empty phrases” and use “many words” vividly depicts people mindlessly, frantically trying to reach a god by using multiple echoes. They think, This god will be pleased if I say it one more time. If I persist, this god will hear me. A clear illustration of the contrast between impotent, repetitive prayer vs. a simple prayer of faith is found in 1 Kings 18:17–40, when the prophet Elijah went head-to-head with pagan priests in a prayer contest. Each side was to call down fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice. Outnumbered 400 to 1, Elijah basically said, “The God who answers with fire is the real God. The other one is an impostor. This pits your god Baal vs. my God Yahweh; may the true God win.” Then Elijah prompted, “You go first.” So the priests “called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying ‘O Baal, answer us!’ ”(18:26). Such frantic repetition—today we’d call it a mantra: “O Baal, answer us!” repeated over and over. During the lunch break, Elijah “mocked them, saying, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened’ ”(18:27). So they cried louder—literally “raved on” to Baal hour after hour—but there was no answer, only silence (18:29). After a full day of this circus, it was time to get real. Elijah prepared his sacrifice, even drenching it with water. Then he simply and calmly prayed one time, inviting God Almighty to do His thing. “Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench”(18:38). God won the contest decisively. As Elijah’s story illustrates, answers to prayer don’t come from some sort of obnoxious yammering, like a child wearing down a parent. Lose that idea. The issue isn’t limiting us to mention something to God only once—we can talk to Him as often as something is on our hearts and minds. The issue is the misconception that incessant repetition will force God’s hand. It won’t.

God is pleased with simple, trusting prayer. Can He hear us? Yes. Is He listening? Yes. We may have the same issues to talk to Him about many times, even over the span of years. But we repeat them out of trust and to release our anxiety to Him, not because we think repetition gains His attention or favor. Our requests are but a small part of the broader and deeper conversation we have with our heavenly Father.

Blessings and Shalom!

The Power Of Prayer!

And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" - Genesis 32:26

Never underestimate the power of prayer. When you are praying according to God's will, your prayer is unstoppable. And how do we know what God's will is? By careful study of Scripture. Jesus made this promise: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). We gravitate immediately toward the latter part of that verse: Ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. We love that, as though God were some sort of genie. But that isn't the case. We tend to forget about the first part of this verse: If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . . If we are walking in fellowship with God and studying the Word of God, then we will start praying according to the will of God. And then we will start seeing our prayers answered. 1 John 5:14–15 says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." Therefore, we should never give up or back down. We need to keep praying. That is why Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). In the original language there is an ascending intensity to the terms. It is like starting off with some politeness. Then you get more aggressive. And then you are not letting go, like Jacob, who wrestled with the Lord and refused to let go until He blessed him.

Don't give up. Keep praying! Something is moving! Something is shaking! We serve a God who answers prayer!!!

Blessings and Shalom!

Ten Reasons to Embrace The Season You are in!

Your season may turn into a time of growth if you are willing to dig in right where God has you.

Your season could give your faith deeper roots.

Your season might be preparing you for what’s next.

Your season might surprise you!

Your season may give you a front row seat to God’s grace power in what feels imperfect.

Your season may have something to not only to teach you, but also to teach someone else.

Your season may bring life-giving memories later on.

Your season may fly by when you begin to see it as a gift.

Your season may teach you an essential life skill: how to embrace change.

Your season may help you come alive!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted. — ECCLESIASTES 3:1-2

Blessings and Shalom!

Embracing Your New Season!

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1

The beauty in the way God designed the four seasons is that, though each one is distinct, they all work together to bring life and growth. Spring is a period of freshness and new life. Summer sees growth and productivity. Autumn is a time for harvesting the rewards of past labors. Winter is the season of dormancy and closure. Each season has its own unique beauty and makes a significant contribution to life.

Just as God planned seasons in nature, He planned seasons in life as well. Life has its springtime, when we begin new things and look excitedly toward the future. Summer comes and we work diligently in the heat of the day at all that God has assigned to us. With autumn comes the fruition of things begun at an earlier time in our lives. Winter brings an end to a particular period in our lives. Sometimes winter brings hardship, but we remain hopeful, for another spring is just around the corner!

In God’s perfect design for our lives, He has planned for times of fruitfulness and activity. He will also build in times of quiet and rest. There will be times when He asks us to remain faithful doing the same work day after day. But there will also be periods of excitement and new beginnings. By God’s grace, we will enjoy seasons of harvesting the fruit of our faithfulness. By God’s grace we will also overcome the cold winters of heartache and grief, for without winter there would be no spring. Just as it is with the seasons of nature, these seasons in our lives work together to bring about God’s perfect will for each one of us.

He makes all things beautiful in his time!

Blessings and Shalom!

How to Increase Your Faith!

What are some practical steps you can take to increase your level of faith today?

We all want our relationships to be characterized by the persistence and self-sacrifice. But we can never do that on our own. The kind of love we long to show others is only found in a growing relationship with God. Without God's power in our lives, our love will run out. You don't build that kind of relationship with God - one that will help you love others when you want to give up - by accident. You do it through habits. Here are three habits that'll help you grow in your relationship with God.

READ THE BIBLE. Romans 10:17 explains, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” That is, you must feed your faith a steady diet of God’s Word.

EXERCISE YOUR FAITH. A bodybuilder doesn’t begin by lifting 500 pounds the first day. Rather, he exercises daily, gradually increasing his strength. Regularly exercising faith can bring about similar growth spiritually.

EMBRACE TRIALS. First Peter 1:3-9 reveals the difficult truth that adversity, when addressed in God’s power, creates greater faith. Just as a fire purifies precious metals, hardship strips away all but the pure core of faith.

EXAMINE THE TESTIMONIES OF OTHERS. A testimony is an individual’s own account of the Lord’s activity in his life. No one can ever deny, refute, or downplay someone else’s testimony. When you hear of God’s mighty deeds in another person’s life, your own faith grows.

PRAY. You get to know someone by talking to him. That’s what prayer is: your personal communication with God. But don’t just talk; be sure to spend time listening. God wants to speak to you.

PRACTICE OBEDIENCE. You will never grow in your faith if you consistently disobey what God tells you to do. Perfect faith is a by-product of obedience. Put yourself in a position to see God’s best for your life, and your faith will soar.

Faith does not increase by accident. Growth takes time, dedication, and intentionality. Ask the Lord to help you exercise your faith today.

Blessings and Shalom!

THE POWER OF YOUR TESTIMONY.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death (Revelation 12:11).

Testifying to the power of God, the integrity and wonders of His Word, and power of the Spirit in your life is so important. Not only will it cause you to experience more blessings, it’ll keep the devil, his demons, and their wicked schemes under your feet. When God does something for you, with you, or through you, tell it. Be glad to share your testimonies. Never consider anything the Lord does for you to be too small to talk about. Why is this so important? Apart from your testimonies glorifying God, and inspiring faith in others, it also causes consternation in Satan’s camp. Not every demon knows you, because they don’t know everything. They may know you as a believer, but they don’t know what you have inside you. They really can’t tell what you think or know. They don’t know if you’re full of fear or full of faith; so, they’re going to test you, to find out. But when they hear your testimonies; the things that your faith has produced, they take notice and flee from you. So, if for example you show up in a new environment, the first thing you should do is to start testifying. Declare your exploits of faith openly. Tell others about it, and in the process, the demons close by will hear and transmit the message to their cohorts to stay away from you, because they can see that you know who you are. Immediately, they’ll become full of fear and very careful of you because they’re very proud figures and they don’t like to be disgraced. They know if they try to mess around you, you’ll cast them out. But if you don’t testify, they may not know what God has done with your life. Then they’ll start hanging around you, throwing little darts at you from time to time, just to test and distract you. But the Bible says we’re not ignorant of the devices of the enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11); paralyse him with your testimonies. There’s power in your testimony to completely neutralize the adversary and safeguard you against all his devices. The Bible says, “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Resist him with the word of your testimony.

Prayer:

Thank you Father, for the opportunity to be blessed by your Word living in me, and by its power and dominion. I testify of your goodness and the victories you’ve wrought through me! I testify of the power of your infallible Word that has brought me into a place of strength, power, rest, and dominion. I testify of the miracles of salvation that you’ve wrought through me, and the deliverance, healings, and prosperity I’ve witnessed and experienced in my personal life. Hallelujah!

Blessings and Shalom be upon you in Jesus Name!

Celebrating God’s Faithfulness!

“O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.” (Isaiah 25:1 NIV).

READ: Psalms 89:1-11

Faithfulness is a fundamental character of God. It is the nature of God to keep to His words. He never disappoints any man. It is based on this nature that makes His words potent. It never returns to Him void. It will never fall to the ground. Whatever He says is so. His word can never be broken. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He remains loyal to His word. He never fails. He is just God. Welcome to a new season. This is a season where we will all keep celebrating God’s faithfulness. If we take time to reflect on the past few years, the obvious faithfulness of God is overwhelming. He has been so good to us. Even the gift of life is an indication that He is and has been watching over us. We cannot but thank Him enough for His love towards us. Who we are today is a product of God’s faithfulness. All we will do this new season is celebrate the goodness and faithfulness of God. His plans for us never fail. They come to pass because He is a faithful God. Maybe last season did not turn out as you planned it; in the midst of all of the disappointments and challenges, I still believe God never compromised Himself. He is faithfulness personified. That is His nature. This New Season is better than last season. The best of our years are here. The glory of the latter shall definitely be greater than that of the former. We shall surely celebrate God’s faithfulness. He will show Himself strong on our behalf. I know that every word He gives will surely come to pass. All you will do in this season is celebrate God’s faithfulness, nothing less. This is a glorious season for you. Live celebrating.

Prayer:

Thank You Lord for Your faithfulness towards us. Thank You for our past, present and future. This new season shall be great for IHC. We will celebrate Your faithfulness in our life with joy and gladness, in Jesus name. Amen.

Blessings & Shalom!

Three Habits To Help You Grow Spiritually!

But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. Psalm 59:16 (NLT)

We all want our relationships to be characterized by the persistence and self-sacrifice. But we can never do that on our own. The kind of love we long to show others is only found in a growing relationship with God. Without God's power in our lives, our love will run out. You don't build that kind of relationship with God - one that will help you love others when you want to give up - by accident. You do it through habits. Here are three habits that'll help you grow in your relationship with God.

A daily quiet time
Let God talk to you through the Bible and through prayer.. Nothing will help your life more. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, "This is the reason we never lose heart. Our body does suffer wear and tear but every day the inward man receives fresh strength." (Phillips) Outwardly our body suffers wear and tear. But spiritually we can be renewed every day by spending time alone with God. It's not hard. Read through a chapter of the Bible, mediate on it, and talk with God about what's going on in your life.

Small group
The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..." (NIV) You need to spend time with other believers. Be a part of IHC LifeGroup and other ministry opportunities. You need the prayer support and encouragement of other believers. A Christian without a small group is an orphan.

Worship through song
Psalms 59:16 says, "I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love." (NLT) Singing builds you up. The singing time at church isn't just the warm-up act. It's just as important as the message. Don't miss it this weekend. Also, put some worship music on your radio or phone and don't be afraid to sing along. It'll recharge your soul and give you the God-given strength to love others.

Looking forward to a great weekend of fellowship!

Blessings & Shalom!

What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ!

One of Jesus’ most vivid and powerful illustrations for the believer’s relationship with him is the vine and branches. Just as branches can only bear fruit if they abide in the vine, so the only way believers can glorify the Father through fruitful lives is by abiding in Jesus. The teaching is found in John 15, where Jesus prepares his disciples for his imminent death and departure, by instructing them about their calling and mission as his disciples, and emphasizing their absolute dependence on him. As Jesus says in verse 5, I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Unpacking the metaphor - This picture is a rich metaphor that needs unpacking.

The vine is Jesus, while we (believers, disciples) are the branches. The Father, Jesus says, is the vinedresser (v. 1) – that is the gardener who tends the branches. He prunes the fruitful branches so they will bear more fruit (v. 2), and takes away the unfruitful branches, throwing them into the fire (v. 2, 6). The unfruitful branches appear to be nominal disciples: people who outwardly follow Jesus for a time, but fail to bear fruit. Think, for example, of Judas Iscariot. The fruit we are called to bear probably includes both the fruit of transformed character (similar to “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23) and fruitfulness in evangelism as we bear witness to Jesus and his work.

What does it mean to abide?
That much seems to be clear. But what does it mean for us to abide in Jesus as branches in the vine? I believe three things are implied: connection, dependence, and continuance. Don’t think of these as three successive steps, but as three interwoven aspects of abiding.

Connection
Abiding in Jesus first of all means having a life-giving connection to him. A branch is connected to the vine, and a vine to the branch. This is what theologians frequently describe as “union with Christ.” Notice that this connection, this union, is mutual. We abide in him and he abides in us (v. 4). If there is no connection, there is no life, no fruit.

Dependence
But abiding also implies dependence. This aspect of abiding, unlike connection, is not reciprocal. The branch is dependent on the vine, but the vine is not dependent on the branch. The branch derives its life and power from the vine. Without the vine, the branch is useless, lifeless, powerless. Sap flows from the vine to the branch, supplying it with water, minerals, and nutrients that make it grow. And believers receive the “sap” of Christ’s grace through our life-giving connection to him. We are completely dependent upon Jesus for everything that counts as spiritual fruit (v. 4). Apart from him, we can do nothing (v. 5).

Continuance
Abiding also involves continuance. In fact, “abide” (Greek, meno) means to remain, or stay, or continue. For example, in John 1:38-39, two of the disciples who first encountered Jesus asked him “Where are you staying?” They wanted to know where Jesus made his residence. The word “staying” is the same word translated “abide” in John 15. To abide is to reside. To abide is to continue, to stay, to remain.

This shows us that another aspect of abiding in Jesus is remaining in Jesus. This simply means that we go on trusting, that we keep on depending, that we never stop believing. To abide in Jesus is to persevere in Jesus and his teaching. This is what Jesus is talking about in John 8:31-32, when he says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
In summary, to abide in the vine means to be united to Jesus (connection), to rely on Jesus (dependence), and to remain in Jesus (continuance).

Who is this for?
That leads to another question:

Who is this for?
In one sense, Jesus description of abiding seems to be an all or nothing deal. If someone abides in him, his love, and his word, this proves that they are his disciples. To not abide in him (and his love and word) is to show that one is not a disciple at all. So, to be a believer is to abide. But on the other hand, “abide” is a command (v. 4). Jesus tells us to abide in him and to abide in his love (v. 9). It’s something we have to do. So, is abiding in Jesus something that is true of all believers? There are certain streams of Christian teaching that have made this unnecessarily complicated. They have suggested that abiding in Christ is something additional, something special, that we gain through a crisis experience that ushers into a higher, deeper, or victorious life, sometimes even called the “abiding” life. And it is then suggested that Christians can be broken down into two groups: the “haves” and “have not’s.” The ordinary Christians who believe in Jesus but don’t abide and the extraordinary Christians who believe and also abide. But I think it’s simpler and closer to the text to say that abiding, like faith itself, is a reality true of all Christians but also an experience that we grow into by degrees. It’s not that some Christians abide and some don’t. If you believe in Jesus, you are in him. You are united to him. You are connected to the life-giving branch. But no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you can experience the reality of this connection to Jesus more and more. You can become more fruitful. There are degrees of fruitfulness. The passage not only speaks of bearing fruit, but of bearing “more fruit” (v. 2) and “much fruit” (v. 8). You can enjoy Jesus more. That’s why Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (v. 11). He not only wants us to have joy, he wants us to have full joy. And you can be more like Jesus. You can experience the sweetness, power, and joy of your connection to him in greater degrees, as you grow in ongoing daily dependence on him. In theological terms, all believers have union with Christ, but all believers can also know communion with him in greater (or lesser) degrees.

How do you abide?
That leads to a final question: how do you abide? If abiding in Jesus involves ongoing daily dependence on him, what does that look like? Jesus himself tells us. We abide in Jesus by letting his words abide in us (v. 7) and by abiding in his love (v. 9-10). To put it simply, abiding in Jesus doesn’t require advancing beyond the gospel to something else. It doesn’t demand a crisis decision or a mystical experience. It just means keeping the words of Jesus in our hearts and minds, so that they are renewing and reviving us, shaping and sanctifying us, filling and forming us. And it means keeping ourselves in his infinite, enduring, sin-bearing, heart-conquering, life-giving love.

Blessings and Peace be With You.

What Can Happen When You Abide!

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —John 8:31-32

When Jesus talked about abiding, He tied three significant outcomes to the process. Abiding is what real disciples do. Abiding leads disciples to know the truth. And, abiding leads to freedom. It's clearly worth our while to understand what He meant by abide. You may not remember the last time you used abide in a conversation. You have probably never told your kids, “If you abide in my house, you live by my rules!” And you may not say to your spouse as you celebrate your wedding anniversary, “I’m glad we’ve abided together all these years.” But lack of common usage makes it all the more important to understand why abide is the key in Jesus’ statement in John 8:31-32. The word can be translated “to live within,” “to dwell,” or “to take up residence.” Jesus was saying in essence, If you live in My Word and your life is a genuine reflection of what I say, you are truly My disciples. To abide in His Word as disciples means our thoughts and conversations are permeated with Scripture. We are living in God’s Word so much that it fills us up, guides our thoughts, and overflows from our lips. If we’re not abiding in Jesus’ words, if we’re not basing everything we believe on the Word of God, we can’t expect to know the truth or experience the freedom that comes from knowing His thoughts. But if we are abiding disciples, the truth saturates our hearts and minds—because His Word is truth. The more we know it, the more we are sensitized to what is true. We perceive when ideas and teachings are true because they agree with the Bible, and when concepts don’t agree with God’s Word, we know they are false. The ultimate result of abiding in Jesus’ Word is freedom. His first-century hearers were all bent out of shape, because they thought He was offending their heritage. But Jesus made it clear that abiding in Him and His Word meant freedom from sin. As David attested, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). The truth we find in God's Word steers us and clears us from sin, keeping us free to serve Him. To be an authentic disciple of Jesus, you must abide in His Word. He wants you to know His truth, as He dwells in you and you in Him. The more you immerse yourself in Scripture, the more you will find yourself abiding in Christ and discovering the freedom He bought for your life. Abiding in the truth will set you free indeed.

Reflect

Beyond reading this devotional, what other ways will you be abiding in Christ today?

Pray

Lord, I realize abiding with You is a two-way street—You in me and I in You. Your Son said, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). I long for that kind of connection with You to be increasingly real in my life. Thank You for awakening my desire for You. Continue to show me how abiding in Your Word is crucial to Your work in me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Power Over Discouragement!

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:11–13, esv).

There were six Marys in the New Testament. The one in this passage was not Jesus’ mother. It wasn’t the Mary who sat at His feet (Luke 10:39) or the prostitute who experienced His mercy and grace (John 8). Wailing in front of Jesus’ empty tomb was Mary Magdelene. Aside from a mention of His rescuing her from seven demons (Luke 8:1–2), we know little about this Mary. But it isn’t difficult to imagine how important Jesus had become to Mary Magdelene. Through Jesus Christ her demonic torture was ended and her life was restored—and her love for Him was immense. Trying to cope with her Savior’s death left her deeply discouraged. Rising in her grief to visit His tomb and finding it empty pushed Mary to the brink of despair.

Your discouragement matters to God. Take it to Him

That is the danger of discouragement, because if it continues unattended it can lead to the far more dangerous condition called despair. Lacking courage in life or a particular circumstance; a loss of confidence about the future—discouragement isn’t just a bad day or two. But beware, the progression from discouragement to despair can happen quickly, with devastating consequences. Think of all the places Mary could have gone that morning with her discouragement. She could have gotten lost in her work or consumed with her family. She could have just stayed in bed. I am not getting up. I can’t face anyone today. Any of those choices would have been understandable. Instead, Mary rose at dawn and went to the last place she had seen Jesus. Sometimes the most profound things in God’s Word are the simplest things: Mary was discouraged, so she went to find Jesus. “She turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ ” (vv. 14–15a). Even more amazing, and just as instructive, Jesus was there. Newly resurrected, no doubt He had a fairly lengthy to-do list over the next forty days. But first He paused to care for His discouraged friend. “Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic,‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher)” (vv. 15b–16). Jesus’ presence gave Mary power over her discouragement. And when you take your discouragements to Him, He will do the same for you. But doesn’t God already know I’m discouraged? Absolutely. He knows all about it. And He wants you to know that He knows. How?

Pray: Get alone, kneel down, and pray out loud with a list. Unburden your heart before the Lord.

Journal: Write down what you’re praying about, or write out your prayers. And watch your journal become a chronicle of God’s faithfulness.

Get in your Bible: If you’re discouraged, you probably have not been spending a lot of time in God’s Word. Immerse yourself in His Book.

Worship: The Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people (see Psalm 22:3). Draw near to Him in worship and let Him be the lifter of your head.

Fellowship :A godly friend is God’s provision—share what you’re walking through with someone who loves Him. Being alone is what a discouraged person may want the most and need the least.

Often what we desperately need is right in front of us, yet in our distress we fail to reach for it. Your discouragement matters to God. Take it to Him. Allow Jesus to reveal Himself to you as He did to Mary—tenderly, lovingly, patiently—and to give you His power over discouragement.

Discouraged today? Go directly to Jesus—He is risen and waiting for you right now!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Wait On The Lord!

I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. - Psalm 40:1

With so many instantaneous forms of communication today, our impatience with hearing a reply from others is sometimes laughable. Someone I know sent an e-mail to his wife and then called her by cell phone because he couldn’t wait for a reply! Sometimes we feel that God has let us down because He does not provide an immediate answer to a prayer. Often our attitude becomes, “Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails!” (Ps. 143:7). But waiting for the Lord can transform us into a people of growing faith. King David spent many years waiting to be crowned king and fleeing from Saul’s wrath. David wrote, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart” (Ps. 27:14). And in another psalm he encourages us with these words, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He . . . set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps” (40:1-2). David grew into “a man after [God’s] own heart” by waiting on the Lord (Acts 13:22; see 1 Sam. 13:14). When we become frustrated with God’s apparent delay in answering our prayer, it is good to remember that He is interested in developing faith and perseverance in our character (James 1:2-4). Wait on the Lord!

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. —Walford

God stretches our patience to enlarge our soul. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ... Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Blessings, Shalom!

Waiting on God Patiently!

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him, Those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the land.”Psalms 37:7,9

“In patience possess your souls.” “Ye have need of patience.” “Let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire."

Such words of the Holy Spirit show us what an important element in the Christian life and character patience is. And nowhere is there a better place for cultivating or displaying it than in waiting on God. There we discover how impatient we are, and what our impatience means. We confess at times that we are impatient with men, and circumstances that hinder us, or with ourselves and our slow progress in the Christian life. If we truly set ourselves to wait upon God, we shall find that it is with Him we are impatient, because He does not at once, or as soon as we could wish, do our bidding. It is in waiting upon God that our eyes are opened to believe in His wise and sovereign will, and to see that the sooner and the more completely we yield absolutely to it, the more surely His blessing can come to us. “It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Rom 9:16. We have as little power to increase or strengthen our spiritual life, as we had to originate it. We “were born not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of the will of God.” Even so, our willing and running, our desire and effort, avail nought; all is “of God that sheweth mercy”. All the exercises of the spiritual life, our reading and praying, our willing and doing, have their very great value. But they can go no farther than this, that they point the way and prepare us in humility to look to and to depend alone upon God Himself, and in patience to wait His good time and mercy. The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal. They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land; the promised land and its blessing. The heirs must wait; they can afford to wait. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” The margin gives for “Rest in the Lord”, “Be silent to the Lord”, or as Revised Version of the Bible says, “Be still before the Lord”. It is resting in the Lord, in His will, His promise, His faithfulness, and His love, that makes patience easy. And the resting in Him is nothing but being silent unto Him, still before Him. Having our thoughts and wishes, our fears and hopes, hushed into calm and quiet in that great peace of God which passeth all understanding. That peace keeps the heart and mind when we are anxious for anything, because we have made our request known to Him. The rest, the silence, the stillness, and the patient waiting, all find their strength and joy in God Himself. The needs be, and the reasonableness, and the blessedness of patience will be opened up to the waiting soul. Our patience will be seen to be the counterpart of God’s patience. He longs far more to bless us fully than we can desire it. But, as the husbandman has long patience till the fruit be ripe, so God bows Himself to our slowness and bears long with us.

Let us remember this, and wait patiently: of each promise and every answer to prayer the word is true:

“I the Lord will hasten it in its time.” Isa 60:22.

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

Yes, for HIM. Seek not only the help, the gift, thou needest seek: HIMSELF; wait for HIM. Give God His glory by resting in Him, by trusting him fully, by waiting patiently for Him. This patience honours Him greatly; it leaves Him, as God on the throne, to do His work; it yields self wholly into His hands. It lets God be God. If thy waiting be for some special request, wait patiently. If thy waiting be more the exercise of the spiritual life seeking to know and have more of God, wait patiently. Whether it be in the shorter specific periods of waiting, or as the continuous habit of the souls. Rest in the Lord, be still before the Lord, and wait patiently. “They that wait on the Lord shall inherit the land.”

“My soul, wait thou only upon God!”

Blessings, Shalom!

What is the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)

Today’s big question: what is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit?

In today’s passage, Paul closed his letter to the Corinthians by writing “the fellowship of Holy Spirit be with you all.” We can have fellowship with the Spirit because of the grace of Jesus Christ and love of God. Fellowship of the Spirit is more than a simple friendly relationship. In order to fully understand what Paul meant by the fellowship of the Spirit, we should look at other passages with the same word. The Greek word for “fellowship” is koinonia¸ which can also mean communion, and the same Greek word is used in the epistle to the Philippians: Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:1–2) The Spirit dwelling within believers is a part of this concept, as all believers have the same Spirit dwelling within them. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:4–6 that “there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” Believers are “baptized into one body” (i.e., the church of which Christ is the head) by the one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Just as believers have one Spirit, we should also have one mind working toward the one goal—“striving together for the faith of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27). The fellowship of the Holy Spirit unifies believers, since we all have the one Spirit dwelling within us. Paul concluded his epistle with an exhortation of unity through the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, just as Christ loved us, we should also walk in love (Ephesians 5:2)—not only love for Christ but for others as well. Loving others just as Christ loved us will help us be of one mind (2 Corinthians 13:11). Love and fellowship of the Spirit go hand in hand, and participating in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit with fellow believers is a reason to rejoice.

May the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and forevermore. Amen.

Blessings, Shalom!

The Blessings of Brokenness!

Scripture certainly speaks to this often. Consider just five such verses, all from the Old Testament:

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners.

Brokenness is crucial if we want to see God move in our lives and be mightily used by him. A. W. Tozer once put it this way: “All great Christians have been wounded souls.” This is certainly true, although it must be pointed out that not every wounded soul allows God to work in them to become great for God. When we go through times of brokenness and hardship we do not automatically become more Christlike. It all depends on how we respond to these trials and difficulties. We can become either bitter or better. We can see them as either obstacles or opportunities. We can use them as either stumbling blocks or stepping stones. So Tozer is quite right: basically all the great saints who have been used mightily by God have been broken people, wounded people, and humbled people. But we need to let God do his work in us during these times. Many other mighty men and women of God have spoken about brokenness and how crucial it is for the Christian life. Let me quote from just a few of them:

“The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.” Samuel Chadwick

“Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.” Bishop Fulton Sheen

“God is not looking for brilliant men, is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of talented men in sending His Gospel out in the world. God is looking for the broken men who have judged themselves in the light of the Cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to the end of themselves, whose confidence is not in themselves, but in God!” H.A. Ironside

May God use our brokenness as a platform to restore the wounded.

Blessings, Shalom!

Brokenness!

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:17, ESV).

Before a horse can be useful to its owner, it has to be broken. An unbroken stallion is proud and strong. It will paw and snort and let no one ride it. But then a bit goes in its mouth, a saddle goes on its back, and someone climbs up and hangs on. The stallion immediately starts to buck, because it doesn’t want to be broken—but eventually it stops fighting and surrenders to the will of its master. Sometimes we have that same stubborn, rebellious, self-sufficient spirit within us, and God often breaks those attitudes because they keep us from experiencing true intimacy with Him.

“GOD'S LOVE IS NOT A PAMPERING LOVE; IT'S A PERFECTING LOVE.”

Have you ever been broken? Brokenness is empty-handedness before God. It makes no demands. It is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. It says not only “God, I need You,” but “God, You are all I need.”

What are some of the things God breaks? Here are some of the big ones:

Stubbornness. “I am going to do this my way.” If you are one of God’s children, that attitude is on its way out. You can fight with Him for a long time if you want, but your stubbornness will eventually be broken.

Pride. “I know better; I am better.” God hates pride in the hearts of His children. He hates it in my heart; He hates it in yours. People who have been greatly used by God have come to grips with the need to dispense with all pride and to humble themselves.

Willfulness. “You can’t make me! You can’t tell me! I’ll do what I want, when I want.” That’s willfulness, and it is also on its way out. God will use whatever He has to use to remove it from your heart and life.

Independence.. “I can make it without You.” Nothing will inhibit your intimacy with the Father like an attitude of self-sufficiency. Recognize your weakness and rely on His strength.

God will use broken health, careers, dreams, relationships, promises, and hearts to rid our lives of the things that hinder intimacy with Him. Some say a loving God wouldn’t allow pain, but God’s love is not a pampering love; it’s a perfecting love. God is producing something in us—the likeness of His Son—and He is going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. You might want to get off the program, but any other path will lead you to a place you don’t want to be. You will never experience true intimacy with God until you are able to come before Him in genuine humility, utterly desperate for Him. You need to be broken.

Reflect

Describe a time in your life when you’ve experienced true brokenness before the Lord. What brought it about, and what resulted from it?

What are some areas of your life you need to loosen your grip on and surrender to God now?

Pray

Lord, I confess that I am naturally proud, stubborn, willful, and prone to believe I’m self-sufficient. I confess that I resist the thought of being broken, but I believe that, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Please help me to let go and allow You to have Your way in my life. Thank You that the more I surrender to You, the more intimacy I can have with You. God, you are all I need. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Blessings, Shalom!

The Blessing of Brokenness!

"And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day. And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as He wrestled with him. And He said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. And He said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.... And He blessed him there." Genesis 32:24-29 We're going to look at an episode in the life of the patriarch, Jacob. At the time of our story, Jacob was a fugitive and had been running. He'd been in the school of hard knocks for twenty years. He believed in God, but he was out of fellowship with Him. However, we see that God did not love Jacob for what he was, but for what He could make out of him.

Alone with God!

Now, God finally had Jacob where He wanted him, alone. It took a while because Jacob didn't want to be alone. You know when people are running from God, they don't want to be alone. They don't want to face themselves, and they don't want to face God. But verse twenty-four tells us that finally Jacob was alone, and he had a confrontation with God. I believe with all my heart that the Man Jacob wrestled with was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ. He was face to face with Jesus, and they were in a wrestling match. Now, it wasn't Jacob wrestling with the Lord, it was the Lord wrestling with Jacob. The Lord started it, and it could have been over very quickly, but the Lord wanted Jacob to prevail. He didn't want to overcome him. The Lord was trying to do something with this man that He loved so much.

Broken by God!

Finally, when they had wrestled all night, the angel touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh and crippled him. Now, when a wrestler's legs are gone, he can't do anything. This is the strongest muscle for a wrestler. Jacob was crippled; his final weapon was gone. If all his plans and strength had failed, at least he could have run; but now, he couldn't even run. God brought him to the place of utter, absolute, complete brokenness and dependence.

Blessed by God!

The Angel said to this crippled man, "Let me go." Ironically, the word "Jacob" means "that which grabs, that which holds." Jacob was still grasping, but this time, for the first time in his life, he got a hold of the Lord. He said, "Oh God, I need You. God, I will not let you go except You bless me." God had been waiting to hear those words for so long, and at that moment, something wonderful took place. The angel asked Jacob for his name. God knew it, but He wanted Jacob to confess his name which further meant "liar, cheater, crook, fraud, schemer, and deceiver." Then, God gave him a new name, Israel, which means, "a prince of God." He became a prince with God because he finally came to the end of himself. You see, God wanted to bless Jacob, not hurt him. God crippled him that he might crown him. God broke him that he might bless him. Do you know why many of us are not yet truly blessed? We have not yet been truly broken. Men throw broken things away, but God never uses anything until he first breaks it. You'll never show me anybody who has been or will be mightily used of God who has not been broken. There is no blessedness without brokenness.

Leaning on God.

The rest of his life, Jacob had to use a crutch. This wasn't just something that could be fixed and put back. He had to have a staff to lean on. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:21: "By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff." Here he was 147 years old and still leaning. Jacob had finally learned to lean. He realized that he was stronger leaning than he was standing on his own two feet. He worshipped leaning, and that's the only way you'll ever worship.

There is no Blessedness Without Brokenness, Shalom!

The Blessing of Brokenness!

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24 (NASB)

No one enjoys the pain of brokenness. Normally it calls for a letting go of something near and dear to us. I have learned that brokenness leads to an unexpected good. It’s for this reason that God breaks us. Not to cause us undue pain. Not because He doesn’t love us. Instead … God breaks us to bless us. He chips away anything that keeps us from finding our true life in Him. God targets an area of our life that we’re unwilling to submit to Him. Perhaps it’s an unhealthy relationship we won’t release. It could be laziness that’s stunting our spiritual growth. Or even a bad habit that’s standing in the way of experiencing the fullness of God. Whatever the cause, our tendency is to hold tightly to these things because we believe it’s what we want. We’re convinced they please us by providing the joy, pleasure and fulfillment we seek. But God knows the truth. Only He can truly satisfy our deepest longings. All else is counterfeit to His provision. Therefore, God selects the tools it takes to break our self-sufficiency and cause us turn to Him. When we give up our independence, we gain a new perspective of God’s plan and purpose for our lives. A great picture of this process is found in our key verse. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Unless the kernel is buried and dies, it will produce nothing. It will remain a lone, solitary stalk of corn. Imagine passing a field that only hosted one blade of corn. You might ask, “Where’s the rest of this farmer’s harvest?” However, if the kernel dies, it will produce a great harvest. Consider the life of Jesus. On earth, He was like a single stalk of corn. Yet, through His death, burial and resurrection, His life continually produces a harvest of souls. In a similar way, as long as I live a selfish life fixed on my own wants and desires, I will produce little. On the other hand, if I die to myself and live according to God’s plan, I will yield a productive life that’s beneficial to God and others. It sounds difficult, I know, but the unexpected good of brokenness is that it revives the life of Christ in me. I become less and He becomes more. That’s a good thing! The more we become like Him, the more we become like the true selves God intended. The more love and patience I have in my heart, the more joyful and content I am with others. Think of it this way. For the wheat to reproduce itself, it had to die. For Christ to reproduce Himself in others, He had to die. If I desire Christ’s life to be reproduced in me, I, too, must die to the lure of the world and my own selfishness. Then, I will experience the fullness of God I desire and reproduce disciples of the same kind. Jesus put it this way: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25, NIV). Sometimes God has to break me to bless me. As challenging as that can be, I’m thankful. Because honestly, I want the life God wants to give me instead of settling for the counterfeit.

God, help me die to the desires of this world and my selfishness that I might find the life You created for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Shalom!

Servants Are Faithful In The Small Things!

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” (Luke 16:10 NLT)
Servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever they do, servants “do it with all their heart” (Colossians 3:23).

The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done? You will never arrive at the state in life where you’re too important to help with menial tasks. God will never exempt you from the mundane. It’s a vital part of your character curriculum. The Bible says, “If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody” (Galatians 6:3 NLT). It is in these small services that we grow like Christ. Jesus specialized in menial tasks that everyone else tried to avoid: washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath him, because he came to serve. It wasn’t in spite of his greatness that he did these things but because of it, and he expects us to follow his example (John 13:15). Small tasks often show a big heart. Your servant’s heart is revealed in little acts that others don’t think of doing, as when Paul gathered brushwood for a fire to warm everyone after a shipwreck (Acts 28:3). He was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he did what everyone needed. No task is beneath you when you have a servant’s heart. Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. Don’t look for great tasks to do for God. Just do the not-so-great stuff, and God will assign you whatever he wants you to do. There will always be more people willing to do “great” things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants. Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need. Either way, you develop a servant’s heart when you’re willing to do anything needed.

Reflect

What do you think it means to be a "servant leader"?

Are you prepared to do menial tasks to serve people even when your efforts may never be noticed by anyone?

What good is it to do things for people who will never find out?

May God bless you as you continue to serve others. Shalom!

Developing a Servant’s Heart!

If you are truly striving to serve God you must develop a servant’s heart. I think as a Christian we all want to be faithful servants. Remember what it says in Matthew 25:23. “Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master.”

How do we develop a servant’s heart? Here are four ways to develop a servant’s heart.

“Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy day of Thy power.” Psalm 110:3 They will give of their time, resources, praise, money, expertise, etc. And notice the verse says – freely. You know it says in 2 Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver.” When the Spirit is moving in a person’s life – that person will have a volunteer spirit. On the day of Pentecost you know what happened? Look at Acts 2:44-45 “And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” They voluntarily gave all that they had – for the glory of God.

It is not enough just to want to be a servant – you must be determined to be a servant, you must be determined to help. Look at 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 “Now, brethren, we wish to make know to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality, For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints.” This church had an awesome determination to help. Nothing was going to keep this church from helping. Even in their own poverty they were determined to help.

You know what I have found – there are 4 types of givers:

=> People who give because they can.

=> People who are able to give but don’t.

=> People who are unable to give but can’t.

=> People who are unable to give but do anyway.

If you want to develop a servant’s heart you must be determined to help.

Everyone is following something. Friends advice, pursuit of money, others opinions. “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7 To imitate is to follow. The first question to ask is: “Where are they going?” In other words - Is this person leading me to the right destination? Is there leading in keeping with the Word of God?

If the answer is yes then: the three principles of following need to be implemented.

=> Trust – (if they go left – you go left.)

=> Obedience – (I don’t want to – you are not following)

=> Risk – (If they go fast – you go fast.)

“Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not out of grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17. Desire to develop a SERVANT'S Heart. Remember, if you want to be great in God's Kingdom, you must be a servant of all.

Have a Blessed Weekend, Shalom!

Have a Servant's Heart!

Matthew 24:46 - Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

We are called to be servants, are we not? Well, what does a servant do? He (or she) carries out the will of his master. A servant doesn't tell his master what to do -- he performs whatever tasks the master requests of him. A servant doesn't choose what days or times it's most convenient to serve his master. A servant's function is simply to follow and obey his master’s instructions. A servant does not develop a vision for the master either. The master is the one with the vision -- and he wants his servants to be ready and available to carry out that vision and bring it to fruition.

How can we experience fulfillment in our lives? Simply by serving our Master -- our Heavenly Father. The world encourages us to seek counterfeit fulfillment -- power success -- prosperity. The more of these things we gain, the more our flesh wants more. It is our sinful human nature. We will never find true fulfillment when we seek these things. We must become servants if we want to experience true fulfillment. We need to become lowly, meek and humble. As God's servants we should have no other agenda, except to do His will. When we become faithful to do His will, then He will fulfill the aspirations He desires for us in our lives… and even those things we desire! As God's faithful servant -- we share in His success, we have direct access to His power and wealth and are able to walk in His authority! Let’s get our hearts in servant mode and watch how God brings about all the things we need and want.

May God bless you as you continue to develop a SERVANT'S heart.

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

We Serve God By Serving Others!

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Mark 10:43 (MSG)

"It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant’s heart."

The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you’ve arrived. In our me-first culture, acting like a servant is not a popular concept. Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you. This is so contrary to the world’s idea of greatness that we have a hard time understanding it, much less practicing it. The disciples argued about who deserved the most prominent position, and 2,000 years later, people still jockey for position and prominence. Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant. We would rather be generals than privates. Even Christians want to be “servant-leaders,” not just plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That’s what he called himself. While knowing your shape is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is even more important. Remember, God shaped you for service, not for self-centeredness. Without a servant’s heart, you will be tempted to misuse your shape for personal gain. You will also be tempted to use it as an excuse to exempt yourself from meeting some needs. God often tests our hearts by asking us to serve in ways we’re not shaped. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, “I don’t have the gift of mercy or service.” While you may not be gifted for a particular task, you may be called to do it if no one who is gifted at it is around. Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you’re needed at the moment. Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant’s heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character. It is possible to serve in church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. You must have a servant’s heart.

How can you know if you have the heart of a servant? Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16 CEV).

We Serve God By Serving Others!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

By Covenant, Not Contract!

"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David” (Isaiah 55:3 NASB).

A covenant is like a turbo promise. When God declared His covenant with His people, He was reminding them of His everlasting hesed—His covenant love, His mercy and kindness. It is the Old Testament equivalent of grace. We have a covenant relationship with God, a relationship not contingent upon our conduct, because that’s what He decided. He is the covenant-making-and-keeping God. He is not a contract God, and the difference has eternal significance. If God was a contract God, when you act incorrectly or live sinfully the contract would be broken. But a covenant is a relationship that’s not dependent on performance. In this case, all the responsibility lies with the one participant who can keep the covenant—God Himself.

“WHILE FAILURES MAY HURT FELLOWSHIP, THEY DON’T DESTROY COVENANT RELATIONSHIP.”

Imagine you have an appointment with a dentist and decide not to keep it. When the dentist finds out, he won’t give you another thought and will just go on to the next patient. Or if you make a deal to sell your house, but suddenly your buyer walks away, the relationship is over. That’s how contracts work. A covenant is not a contract. When the Bible reveals God as a covenant God, it means He has entered into a relationship that cannot be changed by your behavior. If you’re saved by faith in His Son Jesus, God says in essence, I’m making a covenant commitment to you. I’m entering into a relationship with you that you can’t mess up in any way. And through the prophet Isaiah, He tells us what that looks like: “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.” Remember King David? His whole life was a testimony to God’s mercy—spared as a shepherd boy from being devoured by a lion, mauled by a bear, taken apart by a giant. As the successor to Israel’s throne, crazy King Saul chased David across the country trying to kill him. Again and again, God protected David's life in fulfillment of the covenant He had made (1 Samuel 24). David is the poster boy for a covenant relationship with God. Not even adultery and murder could put God’s covenant love to an end (Psalm 51). Get this: while failures may hurt fellowship, they don’t destroy covenant relationship. God has declared His unchanging partnership with you, His child, through a covenant. You are in relationship with One who is like no other, anywhere, anytime! Because of His covenant love—which Lamentations 3:23 promises is new every morning—God will forgive you in His mercy and satisfy you with His kindness. He lives in you and brings an absolute delight that you will never find apart from Him.

Even though you may stumble in many ways (James 3:2), “Fear not.” Our God is the ultimate covenant keeper.

Have a Lovely Day, Shalom!

Your Belief Unleashes The Power of God!

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” (Matthew 19:26 NIV)

Everything is possible with God. How can we accomplish what God has called us to do in this city? The answer is we have a big God. People may say, “Who do you think you are?” Wrong question. The question is, “Who do we think God is?” My God can do anything. Jesus said, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29). God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to do amazing things in your life. He wants you to be a world changer. But he’s waiting for you to trust him. You need to stop saying, “I can’t.” “I can’t make this marriage work.” “I can’t do what God wants me to do.” I can't get that property." I can't reach that goal." That’s a lie! All things are possible with God. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of — infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (TLB). That’s why I push you through these devotionals, because I know you have enormous potential — far beyond what you ever imagined. God wants to use you, and according to your faith it will be done to you. You know what the opposition to your faith is? It’s not other people. It’s not critics. It’s not even the devil. It’s your own unbelief. You are the biggest problem in your own life. Why don’t you believe God more? Why don’t you trust him more? It’s your choice. There are a lot of things you don’t have control over, but you can choose to believe God.

Do you want God to do BIG things in your life? Then start believing.

May you live to see the fulfillment of your vision and dreams.

Blessings and Shalom!

HOW GOD’S WORD CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Have you ever wondered why you should read God’s word? Or have you ever heard someone say that God’s word changed their life? Did you ever wonder what that meant? How could reading written words on a page change someone’s life? It can be really easy to not put much importance in God’s word and reading the Bible. However, God’s word is an awesome tool that does have the power to shape and change our attitudes, actions and desires. Let’s take a look at what God has to say about His word.

Ephesians 6:7 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This verse shows us how powerful God’s words really are. They are referred to as a sword. That shows us that His words have power. God’s words can literally change our heart, thoughts, and actions if we allow them access into our lives.

Matthew 4:4 – “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” This verse really paints a picture of the importance of God’s word. We shouldn’t just rely on the bread or food we eat each day, but we should also be living by putting God’s words into our hearts. God’s words are life to us.

So if God’s words are powerful and they have the ability to change our life, how do we get them into us? Think about it like food. Food is something that you make time for everyday. You usually eat roughly three times a day. You eat in the morning, you eat at noon and you eat at night. So there’s a set time each day that you eat. If you go to school, or work, there’s probably a time when you are assigned to have lunch. So you know each day at 12:15, you should be heading to the cafeteria or a restaurant to get some food. It might not be the most delicious food, but its food nonetheless.

The same is true with God’s words. There should be a set time each day that you take to spend time in God’s word. It may be at night before bed. It could be in the early morning before you take a shower, Find a time that you can be consistent about getting into God’s word. King David in the Bible took time to spend with God. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. – Psalms 63:1 David spent time in the early morning with God. He had a set time that he spent with God. Getting into God’s word works best when you have a set time each day that you spend in God’s word. When you make the choice to spend time each day in God’s word, you’ll find that your thoughts, actions, and desires line up with God’s. God’s word really does have the power to change your life!

May The Word of God Change Your Life!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Are You Living In Faith or Fear?

So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:29-30

We place our faith in countless people and things. We believe our legs will support us, so we get out of bed. We believe our brakes will enable our car to stop, so we drive. We believe our boss will pay us, so we show up for the job. When we have faith in something, our behavior is affected. We act out of faith. The opposite of faith is fear. We can choose one or the other. Imagine a world in which our cars’ brakes only worked half the time. We would be terrified at every intersection. God is infinitely more reliable than the finest car on the market, but we don’t treat Him that way. Our faith seems to extend just beyond our ability even though God is able to do infinitely more than we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We hope for good when God promises the best. Matthew 8 is full of the fulfillment of God’s promises in peoples’ lives. If we really have faith that God works in these ways, it radically changes the way we live our lives. We are willing to address sin we’ve brushed under the rug because Jesus forgives and heals. We will step out and risk something for God because we know He’ll provide for us (Philippians 1:6). Faith like this eliminates fear because our faith is in a certainty: Jesus. When we are afraid to address an area of sin in our life and be obedient to God’s call, it is because we doubt the truth of God’s promises. Our faith is limited by our need to believe we are better equipped than God to manage our issues. Fear of condemnation and failure overtake us. God offers freedom from fear through faith in Him.

Reflect

“And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),” - ‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭1:18‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Have a Blessed Weekend, Shalom!

No Place For Fear!

So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:29-30

Peter was willing to put it all on the line. He and the other disciples had been straining against the waves and wind all night long when Jesus appeared to them, walking on the water. Wanting to prove his courage to Jesus, he made an amazing statement: "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water" (Matthew 14:28). These were rough seas, and Peter was willing to literally step onto them because He was looking at Jesus. That gave him confidence and courage. It went well for awhile until Peter started to sink. And why did he sink? Because he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on other things. The Bible tells us, "When he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid" (verse 30). Circumstances can be frightening. When your boss calls you in and tells you the company has to downsize and they are letting you go, when the doctor calls you with the test results that are not good, when you open that letter from an attorney that says you are being sued, it can scare you. It can devastate you. And it can cause you to take your eyes off Jesus. Where fear reigns, faith is driven away. But where faith reigns, fear has no place. Faith and fear don't mix. As you bring in faith, fear will walk out the back door. But if you invite fear as a resident in your life, then you will drive faith away. Peter had faith. He had his eyes on Jesus. He was doing the impossible. But then he started to sink, because he took his eyes off Jesus. In his case, he looked at the wind. In our case, it might be something else. But when we forget God, we will start to sink.

“[look away from all that will distract you and] focus your eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of your faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity]

Have FAITH in God, Shalom!

Turning Fear into Faith!

Isaiah 41:10, 11 NKJV “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish.

Faith 101 tells us that God is faithful. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that anyone that comes or calls on God must believe that He rewards those that believe in Him, and diligently seek Him. You either believe it or not, God will do what He says! God gives you the assurance to ‘fear not’! This is a covenant assurance. We know that fear depletes faith, so when God promises us his protection, there is no need to fear. As a Christian this becomes an empowerment for you to march on as a child of God. Believe God and turn dismay, depression, and anger into an anointing to the glory of God. If you are weak spiritually or physically, receive your strength now. Your help is with the Lord, tell Him to help you. You might ask, Why are all these things happening to me? The answer is simple: you are a believer! Know it today that, ” … all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:28, 31 NIV) Fear is not of God. Any fear that limits God’s ability is designed to destroy your future. Many times, Satan, the head of all evil, uses people close to us to impart us with fear. Their words, actions, threats, oppressions, attitudes and behaviors makes us afraid. The truth is that only we can allow someone into our lives. If this statement is true, only you can shut someone out of your life. Make sure that this is done with love. This means, you have to do everything possible to correct them. If your relationship with a person costs you your happiness, it is time to let it go. The only thing you need to fear is God. This is the ‘beginning of wisdom’ but the fear of man brings a snare. Is there anything that scares you to death? A person in your life, a thing you are expecting, an investment you made, a relationship, friend or enemy? Be strong. These are all like a chaff before the wind. Make sure that you do your part, to do good and let God be God. To turn fear into faith is your ability to turn your situation to God whole-heartedly, and allow Him ( by being patient, following His instructions, serving Him and trusting Him), to take it over. Remember that our God is the God of peace, health, victory, provision, love, increase, protection and promotion. If you remain faithful to Him, He will be faithful to you. Remember again that “your faithfulness must spring up from the earth, for God’s righteousness to look down from heaven” (Psalm 85:11) Turn your fears into faith. Speak it aloud, tell it to someone, and believe it. God bless you.

Scripture of the day: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” ~ Exodus 14:14

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

The Antidote For Fear!

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6, ESV).

We can all relate to experiencing fear in one form or another. It’s a primal emotion, instinctive to our human nature, just like grief or anger. You don’t ever coach yourself, “I think I need to feel afraid.” You don’t have to plan it—fear just happens.

We fear losing people. Will my husband always love me? Will this treasured friendship last? Will my kids walk with the Lord or go their own way?

We fear losing possessions. I’m barely able to make ends meet—will I be able to keep my house? Will I have enough for groceries this week? Will I be able to help my kids pay for college?

We fear losing our position. Will I always have this opportunity? If I’m in over my head, will I be found out?

We fear physical pain. How will I endure this chronic pain? What if I never heal?

Even more, we fear emotional pain. My friend has pulled away. My kids don’t care. My spouse is drifting away. I’m not happy with myself.

We fear failure. I could have, I should have, I would have, I didn’t, I’m not, I failed.

Fear contradicts faith. While fear says, “If this happens, I won’t be okay,” faith says, “Come what may, I’ll be okay because of God.”

The Lord seldom seems further away than when your heart is filled with fear. When you rely completely on your own resources, then realize they aren’t nearly enough to sustain you, fear can flood your heart. But fear has no place in the life of a Christian. A fearful, anxious response is never from God. Romans 8:15 reminds us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.” Out with fear and in with faith.

How? The antidote for fear is the promise of God’s presence. God is with you. “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me’” (Hebrews 13:5–6)? Let the calm, strong assurance of this precious promise settle into your soul: God is always with you; therefore, you have nothing to fear.

This promise has sustained Christians through the ages. Even on his deathbed, John Wesley, the famous revivalist preacher, clung to God’s presence. The loved ones surrounding Wesley as he left this life attested that he articulated what was most precious to him: “The best of all is, God is with us.” These were Wesley’s final words, welling up from the deepest part of his soul. Raising his arms in victory, he repeated again, “The best of all is, God is with us.” Wesley experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise of His presence: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

The One who knows the end from the beginning, who knit you together and is intimately acquainted with all your ways (Psalm 139:3,13), has made some promises. When fear creeps in, cling to this: God is with you. You have nothing to fear.

Reflect

Pray

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Heavenly Minded!

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2 ESV)

If you have ever had young children in your life, you quickly realize how much they live in the present. They have a difficult time realizing the future consequences of their actions. They will draw on the wall knowing that once you walk into the room you will not be happy with it. You can threaten to take away a special privilege happening the next day and they will still disobey when you walk out of the room.

As followers of Jesus, we are not much different than young children who live in the tangible present and forget the spiritual realm. The Apostle Paul reminds the church in Colossae of this. He tells them that as followers of Jesus, we should not focus on the present circumstances, but on the things above, spiritual things. This is not easy, but can have an immediate impact on the here and now on this earth. Paul lets us know how this changes us:

We hope that these would encourage you to take a moment to consider if you are viewing your life through an earthly lens, or heavenly lens. There is plenty of room for all of us to work on focusing on Jesus and his work, instead of ours here on the earth.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2 ESV)

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

PEACE THROUGH CHRIST!

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 ESV)

We all want peace. We want peace in the world, and sometimes we fight for it. We want peace in our countries, so we vote for the person we think will do the best. We want peace with our friends, so we do what we can to not offend them. We want peace in our family, so we work hard to provide for their needs. Lastly, we want peace in ourselves, so we compare ourselves to others and say we are much happier with what we have. People spend their whole lives working for peace. Unfortunately, true peace is not something that can be achieved, it can only be received. True peace can only come from God (John 14:27). This peace doesn’t affect our surroundings, it affects our inner souls. Paul says that it will go deep into our hearts and minds. It isn’t something that can be explained in a self help book or with a few simple steps, it is only something that can be received from God. Ironically he brought us peace through an act that was not peaceful at all, the death of His son (Romans 5:9). As a follower of Jesus, we should be the ones looked to when others need peace. Not because our surroundings are peaceful, but because our hearts and minds are at peace with God through the death of Christ on the cross. We no longer fear death, hunger, or not having enough possessions. We know that our treasure is in heaven and we will one day reign with the one true Peace Maker.

Reflect

May The Peace of God be With You!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Experiencing The Peace of God!

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:5-7

Notice the two areas of peaceful protection we can expect from our Heavenly Father: our hearts and our minds. God will guard those two parts of us, eighteen inches apart, which seem to conspire against us. If our hearts are troubled, it won’t be long before our minds will be in turmoil. If our thoughts are headed in the wrong direction, our hearts will soon follow. But God’s peace, the assurance of His control, can guard both heart and mind no matter what we are facing. Right now, there are Christians going through unbelievable things with God’s peace. Their assurance in the face of evil and pain is a testimony that brings glory to God, for it is clear to those watching that something which surpasses all understanding is going on. These Christians are getting supernatural help! Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they are in the furnace, but they are still walking around. Almost 700 years before Paul wrote to the Philippians, Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were living out this passage in the face of great opposition. They were rejoicing in the Lord always, letting their reasonableness be known to everyone, recognizing the Lord was at hand, and experiencing the peace that far surpassed King Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding. That is, until he saw how God showed up in the furnace! Think of those young Jewish men standing near a roaring furnace, knowing they were about to be fed to the flames (see Daniel 3:8–30). They weren’t sure they wouldn’t die. Their peace came from being sure that no matter what happened, God would deliver them. No doubt you long for that calm confidence in your heart. But do you believe that no matter what you are going through, God is in control and working all things for your good? Peace is easy to understand when everything is going well, but not so easy when circumstances get hard. God’s peace is always available, and He wants you to rest in it—especially in seasons of darkness and difficulty. The peace that surpasses all understanding is one of the best gifts God has to give! Remember, you don’t get to choose your furnaces. But you can choose to live rejoicing in the Lord. You can choose to get along with others and practice anxiety-free days as you turn everything over to God with thanksgiving. Even if you don’t fully understand how to go through challenges with a calm, quiet confidence, this will not prohibit God’s ability to give you the gift of peace. And that peace is a powerful way to draw others to the God who has graciously given it.

Reflect

May The a Peace of God That Surpasses All Understanding Guard Your Heart and Mind in Christ Jesus!

Have a Blessed Day, Shalom!

Enter into His Rest!

Hebrews 4:9-11 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

In Israel, Shabbat (the Sabbath) is an extraordinary day. People spend much effort to get everything perfectly prepared for this special season that lasts from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. In Israel Friday morning is the time that everyone is rushing around doing errands before everything closes. The shook (outdoor market) is packed, the buses are full, everyone is doing last minute shopping, cleaning, cooking and preparing for sundown, when all will be closed, the streets will be empty, the shops will be shut down and there is nothing to do for the next 24 hours but rest.

There is a Shabbat for the people of God and we must be diligent to enter into it. We do not labor to be justified, for our justification is only in Yeshua (Jesus) and in Him all the work for our salvation has already been accomplished. But it does take some labor to enter in. We must spend time preparing ourselves in worship and prayer and meditation on His word! But praise God! He has given us the ability to enter into His Shabbat rest, peace, joy and all the fullness of His blessings every day of the week if we will only prepare ourselves to receive it!

Let's prepare to enter into His perfect peace today.

Shabbat,Shalom!

Living Life on Purpose!

10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is fulfilling the law. 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.13 Let us walk properly as in daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. —Romans 13:10-14

Is life really that meaningless? Are we here simply to pass time and take up space? No way! God has much more in mind for each of His children. In Romans 13:10-14, the apostle Paul gives three admonitions that move us in the right direction.

First, we must WAKE UP. Look at verse 11. Have you ever slept through your alarm in the morning and awakened too late for work or school? Well, in a spiritual sense, this is the exact situation that Paul is calling us to avoid. Our ultimate salvation—that moment when we meet Christ, either at His return or in our death—is drawing closer, moment by moment. And yet, many believers are “sleeping in,” so to speak. Are you in this group? Are you taking a long nap when you should be taking hold of the Lord? If so, I exhort you to WAKE UP.

Second, Paul tells us to CLEAN UP. Look at verses 12-13. Christ is returning soon to forever rid this world of sin, but we should live as though that day were already here. How? By stripping off the “deeds of darkness”—improper pursuit of fulfillment, sexual sin, and relational sin are mentioned here—and instead, suiting up for battle in the armor of God’s light (see Ephesians 6:10-17). Are you taking off your dirty, smelly clothes each day and replacing them with a fresh, new battle uniform? Or are you still soiled and impure before the Lord? God is instructing you to CLEAN UP.

Third, in verse 14 we are called to GROW UP. Sadly, many of us need this reminder spiritually. We must not even consider how we can satisfy our sinful cravings—in other words, we must make no allowances for failure. He must be in charge of every aspect of our lives. Does this describe you? Are you deliberately and consciously avoiding every opportunity for your flesh to fail? Are you growing in submission to Christ’s authority over your life? God wants you to GROW UP.

Let’s get serious about spiritual maturity! Don’t settle for less than God’s very best in your life. Don’t just pass time and take up space. It’s time to WAKE UP, CLEAN UP, and GROW UP for the glory of God.

Reflect:

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I do want to be serious about my relationship with You. Forgive me when I don’t really even think about the decisions I am making. Thank You for Your Words to WAKE UP, CLEAN UP and GROW UP. Help me Lord to live a life on purpose! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

The Eyes of The Lord!

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. — Psalm 34:15–17

Over and over, the Bible talks about the “eyes of the Lord” on us. What does that mean? And what difference does it make?

What a great challenge; what a great promise. I hope that when God sees you and me, He says Get more blessing over to that child; He loves My Son! And help her; she’s following My way.

May We Find Grace in The Eyes of The Lord!!!

Enjoying The Presence of God and His Strength!

It seems to me that one of the most important Spiritual Exercises that we can engage in is to Spend Time in God’s Presence. When I am aware that I am connected to God, I have peace, hope and the spiritual strength that I need for whatever the day may bring. For me, to be in God’s presence usually begins with intention. I make a decision deep in my spirit to become connected to God. I remind myself of his special qualities and of his faithfulness. I often remember the scripture “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” Luke 4:8 This is a promise that God gives us in his word. And, maybe most of all, as I read scripture I am reminded of his nature and goodness and love. When I take time for an extended devotional and linger in the Bible I hear God speak to me softly through his Holy Spirit. He reminds me of his truths. During these difficult times of financial stresses and other associated challenges, many people are looking for the inner strength needed to make it through the day, or the week. The best Source of strength I can think of is the strength that comes from being in the presence of God. I hope that you are able to experience his presence regularly.

Scriptures Related to Spending Time in God’s Presence!

Questions to Reflect On

How are you intentional in being in God’s presense? Do you have a favorite location you go to in your home or outside your house or in your neighborhood to sit quietly?

Do you have a favorite devotional that you read that connects you to God?

Do you have any special music that you listen to that helps you to quiet your soul and opens your heart in a bigger way to the Lord?

PSALM‬ ‭16:11‬ ‭AMP “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”

Have a Blessed Day as You Enjoy His Presence!

Living in The Overflow!

My Cup Runneth Over!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5

Have you ever poured coffee, juice, water, or some other beverage into a cup to where the cup overflowed? Whenever the contents of a cup overflows, the excess beverage runs all over the surface it is on. For most of us, this would be considered a messy situation. If it is in the presence of others, it would be considered embarrassing. However, this morning we want to consider how the overflowing of our spiritual cup is something we ought to cherish.

Whenever you are feeling forgotten, use these verses to remind you of the promise of God’s faithfulness.

Reflect !

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Living In The Overflow!

The Overflow of a Consecrated Life!

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” - (Mark 12:30).

Our greatest privilege is to hunger after God and seek Him with all our heart. There is nothing else more fulfilling than living wholeheartedly for Him in this life, but so few live lives that provoke us to this kind of radical lifestyle. Even many in the unconverted world are looking for people who have such a passion that no sacrifice will stop them in their pursuit.

One example just a few year ago is the 64-year-old long-distance swimmer, Diana Nyad, who broke the record with a 53-hour, 110 mile Cuba-to-Florida swim. This was her 5th attempt and her life-long dream of 35 years. Against all odds, including jellyfish, age, distance and sharks, she came on shore welcomed by crowds snapping photos, with the simple message, "We should never give up. You are never too old to chase your dreams." Diane was passionate, radical, and determined. It was on national news. A newspaper article said that this was an inspiration to Baby Boomers everywhere! If one person can inspire multitudes through passion in swimming, shouldn't we as Christians influence many who are lost by our wholehearted consecration to God?

But in order to do this, each one of us needs the heart revelation that God loves us wholeheartedly. We need our heart to be awakened to this incredible truth. God is not asking us to do something that He himself does not do. He loves us first. Our wholehearted God is wholehearted towards each one of us. He gives us grace to receive His love and to give it back to Him. The revelation of this incredible love of God is the very launching point for a consecrated life of total and wholehearted abandonment.

Consecration to God is something we see little of in a world that is looking for excitement, quick fixes, and glamor. Where are those that can say? “I want God and nothing else in this world. I want to go as far as it is possible for a human to go in seeking after God and living abandoned to Him. My heart pants after God (Psalm 42). I want to provoke others to jealousy by my choices day-by-day and hour-by-hour to live for God and Him alone.”

May You Experience The Overflow of a Consecrated Life!

Living In The Overflow!

Overflowing Blessings!

John 10:10 NASB “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

How much does God want to bless us? Some seem to have a limited idea, as if God only wanted us to bless us in small ways. They live as if there are limits to what is possible. But the Bible gives us a completely different perspective. Jesus said He came that we might have life and have it “abundantly.” In his translation, Charles B. Williams indicates that this literally means having life “till it OVERFLOWS.” This is a picture of blessings without limits! Think about this: God wants you to have overflowing blessings! The question is, what are your expectations? What do you really believe about the Gospel? Have you placed limits on what God can do for you? Are you dominated by doubt or hindered by fear? Fortunately, you don’t have to wonder what God would say about these matters. His Word gives you the specific answers! Just think about these truths, and declare them in your life.

Jesus came “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). This means you already have power over every form of spiritual opposition. You can live in total victory! If you ask in faith, anything will be possible for you: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20). He has given you His power and authority (Luke 9:1). In your life, don’t place limits on God. Remember Jesus’ words: “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). Believe God’s promises, and expect His overwhelming blessings to flow into your life.

Reflect:

Dear Lord Jesus, I declare that Your promises are true for me. Thank You for giving me new life. Thank You for favor. Thank You for overflowing blessings! In Your name. Amen.

May You Experience Overflowing Blessings Today!

Living In The Overflow!

Does Your Cup Overflow?

Psalm 23:5-6 - 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

David’s great psalm about the Shepherd is also a testimony from a sheep. Every phrase of this ancient song is filled with meaning for our lives today. But sometimes we need a little background to understand David’s expressions. What is he talking about when he says, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows”? Anointing the head with oil was a picture of the way a shepherd tended his sheep at the end of the day, gently rubbing oil into their cuts and scrapes. But it also referred to a ceremony of honor that was bestowed upon a special guest. Hosts would bring out soothing aromatic oil and pour it over their visitors to bring refreshment after a long, dusty journey. David is describing how abundantly the Lord provided for him. He is saying, in essence, I’m well fed and safe. I’m waiting on God. I have also been refreshed and renewed with a comforting anointment. All that, and my cup overflows. This is a phenomenal picture of how God gives us everything we need and more: My cup runs over. Not only does He place before us His endless resources, He also makes sure that as we “drink from the cup,” as we actually depend on and use what He provides, He continues to supply. When life challenges your resources or tests your faith, you may tend to wonder how much you have available. But if you look around and your answer is, “More than I need,” your cup runs over. You have abundant provision from the Lord. God gives you everything you need to face what you are facing—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. The picture is, I don’t even have to ever think, wonder, or worry about having enough, because God keeps my cup full to overflowing. God longs to have that comforting and providing relationship with you each day. Shepherding isn’t just for Sunday, it’s 24/7. Just like the shepherd carefully checks his flock to tend to their wounds and scrapes, God will pour out His oil of healing and blessing as you come before Him. Bringing your heartaches and pain to God each day is your privilege as His sheep. Let our Shepherd care tenderly for your needs and fill your cup with joy, by His Word and His Spirit as you seek Him.

Reflect:

Prayer

Lord, I realize how easy it is for me to live my days and never pause for a moment to receive Your blessings. I don’t readily seek Your healing and comforting oil, and I often fail to hold out the cup of my life for You to keep filling. Forgive my foolish, sheep-like independence and draw me close, where You can do for me what I really need. Thank You for Your persistent shepherding in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

May You Experience The Overflow of The Holy Spirit!

Meditation on God's Faithfulness!

One of my very favorite things about God is that He is faithful. Whenever He makes a promise He keeps it. We see this theme over and over again throughout the Bible and each new story is just as amazing as the last. Do you remember the story of Daniel in the Lions Den? God was faithful to Daniel whenever He closed the lion’s mouths. What about the time whenever God kept Moses safe as he floated down the Nile River in a basket?

God was faithful then and He is faithful now. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve prayed and God has given me what I needed. Not always what I wanted…but He has always given me what I needed. What promise has God kept to you?

15 BIBLE VERSES ON GOD’S FAITHFULNESS!

Whenever you are feeling forgotten, use these verses to remind you of the promise of God’s faithfulness.

What promise stands out to you the most? How has God shown faithfulness to you? Let us know.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

God is FAITHFUL!

“O Lord, God of Israel,” they cried out, “why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!” Judges 21:3

God is faithful. I don’t say that lightly or without thought. I say that because it is true, and I have discovered that it is true no matter what is happening in my life.

With confidence, I add these words to the end of the worst statements in the world: My child is sick and I don’t know what to do . . . but God is faithful; I lost my job and I don’t know how I will pay my bills . . . but God is faithful; my husband left me and my heart is torn in two . . . but God is faithful.

I don’t mean that He will wave a magic wand and everything will fall into place; far from it. What it means is the darkest times in our lives we will learn to keep turning our faith towards Him for He is faithful. Faithful to be with us, faithful to watch over us, faithful to work in us to make us the men and women we are called to be.

Think of your own life. Stop for a moment and reflect on any situation where it seemed as if you were on your own, that it was hopeless, that you were forgotten. Remember how you could never have anticipated God showing up, but He did, with flying colors, even if it seemed like He left you dangling there for just a little too long for comfort!

I don’t know what the circumstances in your life are right now, or how fast you feel you’re falling, or whether you’re frozen on the bar, afraid to let go and grab God’s hands. What I can tell you is that He is there, right now and He won’t let you go. He will catch you in midair. The net of his faithful love will cushion you when you free-fall.

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms 121:4

He is always FAITHFUL!

Have a Blessed Day!

God Never Changes!

One of the most important things about God is that He never changes. God is a perfect example of dependability. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalms 90:2

People Change—God Does Not!

One of the most important things about God is that He never changes. Every part of His character is as true today as it was at the beginning of time. In Malachi 3:6, God says “I the Lord do not change...” Because of this, we can describe all of God’s attributes as eternal. For example, His eternal love, His eternal justice and His eternal holiness. People aren’t like this. Only God is.

Creation is Finite; the Creator is Infinite!

Our universe is finite. That means it will only be here for a little while and it hasn’t been here forever. It will end. The creation will have an end as well. Hebrews 1:12 says, “Like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” Only God, the Creator, is infinite. That means God has existed and will continue to exist forever.

God Can’t Grow Up—or Grow Old!

Newborn babies are mostly helpless. When they grow, they can eventually do everything an adult can do. When we’re old this growth reverses. Many times, we becomes less and less capable to do things. God is not like this! Numbers 23:19 tells us “God is not human...” He will never lose His ability to do anything. In fact, if God could change, he wouldn’t be God at all. Hebrews 13:8 tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

What This Means to Us:

We don’t have to wonder if God will be nice today and mean tomorrow. In a world where everything and everyone changes, we can depend on God’s FAITHFULNESS!

Reflect:

Hebrews 13:8 says God is the same yesterday, today and forever...

Does that mean He can help you in your times of trouble?

How has He rescued you or changed you recently?

How have you grown in your faith in God, and how did that come about?

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Have a Blessed Day!

How Do You Know That God Is Faithful?

The moon is a faithful witness in the sky!

““It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the heavens is ever faithful.” Selah.” ‭‭PSALM‬ ‭89:37‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Let us explore one aspect of God’s character today: faithfulness. One Word is not enough to describe God. God is many, many things, and faithful is just one of them. As sinful, fallen people, we may doubt His faithfulness, or not fully trust it at times. We run across hard times like the loss of a job, a broken marriage, delayed vision/dream or financial struggle and we question things. However, God is always faithful. When we come to understand that, we are able to feel more and more blessed by it!

Here are three ways we can better understand how God is always faithful:

“It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is faithful.” (Psalm 89:37) God has placed a constant reminder of His faithfulness in the sky. It may seem strange to think of the moon as a reminder of faithfulness, but remember that God created this good world for us to live in and enjoy. Did you know that the moon stabilizes the rotation of the earth? All of our being depends on God’s intricate design! It is over time that we begin to realize that He can be trusted to be who He says He is. His faithfulness can be known through His creation. Imagine all the detail that went into making our world! Continue to look at the moon as an example of who God is, how He loves us, and the way He has made the world for us to live in.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye on you.” (Psalm 32:8) Once we begin to trust God’s faithfulness and know that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do, we begin to realize that He also has a very detailed and intimate interest in each of us. Not only does God give us creation for us to enjoy, but He is also aware of every detail in our lives, and we can trust His faithfulness with details. He watches over us, teaches us, guides us, and cares for us as only He can. Our lives are as important to Him as His creation, and we can trust in His faithfulness!

“He found him in a desert land and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. The Lord alone guided him…” (Deuteronomy 32:10-11) These verses refer to how God led Israel through the desert and provided for them. Provisions are another example of how God always works on our behalf, even in ways we don’t realize! He works in the visible and invisible world. He knows how fragile we are, and is aware that we can’t make it on our own. We are surrounded by His faithfulness, and we would not exist without Him.

Take a moment and thank God for His FAITHFULNESS!

Have a Blessed Day!

Great is God's Faithfulness!

“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!” Psalm 108:1

Faithfulness is defined as:

“constant; true to one’s word or promise”. This defines Our God! “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2

A Firm Foundation!

“Who but our God is a solid rock?” (Psalm 18:31). God has not changed. In a world where everything is rapidly and constantly changing, God is like a solid, unchanging rock that we can stand on. God’s word is true and we can count on it because it is based in His faithful character. “The grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) God does not make mistakes or change his mind. He is not swayed by public opinion. God is a firm foundation.

An Unfailing Love!

“If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for he cannot deny who He is!” (2 Timothy 2:13) God’s love for us is unfailing because of His faithful character. “Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.” (Psalm 36:5)

An Anchor in the Storm!

Clouds come and go, swept along by the wind. But the Bible says we must look beyond the clouds and see how consistent the stars, sun and moon are. We know the sun will rise in the east every morning and set in the west every evening. In the same way we can count on God to be true to His promises. When the storm clouds crowd in and doubts flood our minds, we must cling to the firm truth that God is Faithful! It will be an anchor to hold us steady through the rough seas of this life. “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 6:18-19).

Pray this week:

That God would open your eyes to be able to recognize how FAITHFUL He has been to you.

Have a Blessed Day!

The Power Of ExpectationPart III.

“For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” – Jeremiah 29:10-11

They were in the land of captivity in Babylon. They were going through untold hardship, frustration and pains that are only peculiar to slaves but God had a plan of peace contained in His good Word for them. His plan was fixed; His thoughts were definite, His expectation was established and settled. No matter what the situation looks like surrounding a believer, the thoughts of God for the believer is forever good. His expectation is definite; to see the believer out of any undesirable situation and translated into His good plans. His expectation for His people is to visit them in the land of their captivity (Babylon) after seventy years.

However, the key to God’s visitation is a function of man’s strict adherence to the demands of that visitation as contained in the scriptures. The Bible says:

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” – Jeremiah 29:12-14

The first demand is that the people must call upon God; the second is to seek Him and the third is to search for Him with all their heart. In the real sense of the matter, every believer will define his or her time of visitation through response to scriptural demands. If we want Him to answer, we must call; if we want to find Him, we must seek for Him with all our heart. We call God in prayer; especially praying kingdom advancement prayers. We seek for Him with our hearts in kingdom service; especially kingdom advancement engagements. This is what lines up our expectation with God’s expectation. When your expectation aligns with His expectation; no force in hell can stop the delivery of your expectation. Any contrary force fighting against your expectation is doomed to fail because God is involved. When God stretches forth His hand, no one can turn it back (Isaiah 14:27).

What are you Expecting this weekend? Have you been barren for so long? Your Isaac is on the way. Has your business been unable to attract contracts or to give you profit? The Lord will make you fruitful. That dry business will begin to give you good yields from today. That struggling marriage will be healed. The wayward child will come home. Your dreams will be realized. In Jesus Name! Amen!

Looking forward to a great weekend. “Surely there is a future [and a reward], And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.” Proverbs 23:18 AMP.

Scriptures for meditation: Jeremiah 29:1-32

Blessings and Shalom!
Pastor Philip Mwonga

The Power Of Expectation! Part II.

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” – Psalm 62:5

Expectation is powerful when directed to God only. When it ceases to be God alone; it is not God at all. From the above scriptures, expectation is waiting upon God only. Those who wait upon God and other people or things will always end up disappointed but those who wait upon God ALONE will always have their expectations delivered. Waiting upon God will always secure His mercy. The Bible says:

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” – Psalm 123:2

A waiter is not a passive do-nothing but a desiring-all-things individual. A waiter is someone whose duty is to serve customers. If expectation in our context is defined as waiting on God; every expectant believer is a waiter! He or she is waiting on God. Therefore, every expectant believer is duty bound to serve his or her Customer (God)! No wonder the Bible says:

“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,” – Deuteronomy 10:12

Expectation is not waiting and wishing. It is actually waiting upon God and serving Him and the interest of His kingdom. If we expect God to do something; we must do something by serving Him and the interests of His kingdom. If we do nothing and claim to be expecting, we are not really expecting (in the biblical context); we are merely wishing. Expectation is so powerful when understood from the biblical perspective. It is so powerful that God vowed that it shall never be cut off. It is meant to deliver results; it is meant to produce tangible rewards as desired. Those who expect blessed bread, blessed water, sickness-free living, fruitful endeavors and long life will fully subscribe to the demands of kingdom service (Exodus 23:25-26). God’s standard remains constant in all ages and generations. Stop wishing that virtues of God flow to you while you do nothing to add value to His kingdom. Start serving Him and the interest of His kingdom while expecting Him to fulfill His word in your life! Waiting and wishing makes fainters; waiting and wishing makes failures. It is serving and expecting that makes a success story. This may not make natural sense but it makes results! God cannot fail! You will not fail!

Scriptures for meditation: Exodus 23:25-26, Isaiah 40:30-31

Blessings and Shalom!
Pastor Philip Mwonga

The Power Of Expectation!

Expectation is believing that something will happen. It defines and demands what we want to see happen. Expectation is so relevant in our walk with God because it influences our attitude, behavior and actions. While hope is a wish for something to happen, expectation defines what we want to see happen and moves us in the direction of paying the price to see things happen. Expectation is a higher level of hope. It is hope with responsibility. While expectation is not the same thing as faith, it is very close to faith. Faith is dead without hope; faith is unproductive without expectation. Faith is the substance of hope (Hebrews 11:1). Expectation creates a conducive atmosphere for faith to deliver its results. Dr. David Oyedepo says; “what you are not expecting, you are not permitted to experience”. Our experience with God is faith determined (Matthew 9:29). Faith thrives in an environment where expectation is flourishing. I once heard someone make a statement that “hope for the best and expect the worst”. What a funny statement! This is clearly out of scriptures. Anything out of scriptures is definitely out of order. If a believer builds his or her life around this philosophy, the believer has positioned himself or herself to continually experience “the worst”. Expectation is so powerful that the Bible says:

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” – Proverbs 23:17-18

There is nothing around a sinner that is good enough for a believer’s envy; wealth, fame, social status, political power or any worldly thing. The end is fixed, so also is the delivery of a believer’s expectation. Hope is always in the future without any fixed timeline. Expectation is fixed; it is definite, it has a timeline. This is what gets God working on the behalf of man.

Hope is good but it can be helpless; it can be deferred (Proverbs 13:12). As a believer, what are you expecting? God said He is committed to bring it to pass but your expectation is defined by your response and your response is what moves God to respond.

What are you expecting from God in this year Conference?

Scriptures for meditation: Proverbs 10:24, Hebrews 11:1

Blessings and Shalom!
Pastor Philip Mwonga

Freedom in Christ!

Throughout this day, Americans everywhere will celebrate freedom, as well they should. It’s one of the defining principles of their nation. Yet one might ask, Of those celebrating freedom, how many are truly experiencing it? Certainly, many men and women are living what has been called the “American dream”: They enjoy well-paying careers, wonderful homes, and interesting hobbies. But meanwhile, their “pursuit of happiness” has yet to be satisfied. The reason is that lots of people remain prisoners internally, despite their apparent success. They are bound to anxiety and depression, or a fear of losing what they’ve worked hard to possess. However liberating circumstances may seem externally, we eventually learn that freedom must be realized within. But how?

The answer is Jesus Christ. Isaiah 61:1 prophesied a key aspect of Jesus’ ministry, which continues to this day: He has come to heal the brokenhearted and set captives free. When we trust Him as Savior, the chains holding us back from joy are broken. We are liberated from lies that have been programmed in our minds from an early age, and we begin to see things from God’s point of view. Then we discover that our needs, desires, and overall well-being rest securely in the arms of a loving heavenly Father.

Are you feeling the weight of anxiety or anger? Look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). And remember the promise of 2 Corinthians 6:2: “Now is the day of salvation” (NIV). The day you TRUST in Christ is the day He delivers you from fear and bondage.

Have a Blessed Fourth of July Celebration!!!

Power Of Faith-Filled Words

If we want to start seeing the power of God manifest in our lives, we will have to start paying attention to what we say. Words have power - more than any of us realize, but we often speak them as though they are meaningless. Because of that, most believers at one time or another have been hung by their tongue.

Matthew 12:36-37 says, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

“Every idle word” simply means nonproductive. These are words that you speak but don’t believe. For example, you might say, “I’m dying to see my children.” You really don’t mean you’re dying, but you say it anyway to emphasize the importance of the relationship. Every time you say things that you don’t really mean, it begins to numb your heart. Unconsciously, each idle word is making it just a little bit harder to believe what you say will actually come to pass when you mean it and it really counts. Jesus certainly understood the power of words, and He used them to change the natural things around him.

Mark 11:13-14 and 20-24 say, “And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it…. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

I can almost hear the inflections in Peter’s voice when he said, “The fig tree You cursed is withered away.” I am sure it communicated surprise and disbelief. And when Jesus replied to Peter, it probably was not in a monotone voice. It was more like, “PETER! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” Jesus was amazed at his unbelief. He was saying, “It shouldn’t shock you to see this tree withered. Have faith in God.” Then He went on to explain that this wasn’t limited to a fig tree. He used a mountain as an example, but I believe it could apply to anything. He was making the point that if we say it with our mouths and believe it in our hearts, we can have what we say. He also made it very clear who qualified to use words in this way: He said, “whosoever shall say.” Are you a whosoever? Because if you are and if you’re breathing, then you’re qualified, and your words can affect the natural as well as the spiritual world. Jesus used the word “say” or “saith” three times in verse 23. He was making it clear that words have power. But He also said to have faith in God. The words that have power are words that are filled with faith. And it’s important to understand that the faith they’re filled with is not your human faith.

Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

I’m aware that the NIV says “faith in the son of God.” But when you study this out, it becomes very clear that it is talking about the very faith of God that He placed in you when you were born again. In fact, you can’t even be born again by your own faith. Romans 10:17 say that faith comes by the Word, and 1 Peter 1:23 says you are born again by the Word of God. If you can’t even believe for salvation with our human faith, how could we possible use it for other things like healing or prosperity? It’s super important that you understand this. If you don’t know this, you will always be looking to others to pray for you. You’ll always think that they have more faith than you do, and because of that, God will act on your behalf when they pray. That’s wrong, and it’s the reason many Christians are looking to man instead of God for their answers.

Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (underline mine).

Think of it like using a ladle to dish up soup. If you used the same ladle every time—and God did—every person will get the same amount of soup. It’s the measure of soup. You have the measure of faith. No born-again believer has more faith than any other; some just do a better job of appropriating what they have been given.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” And verse 3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

This scripture is not symbolic; God actually created everything with words. He spoke creation into existence, and the substance of His faith manifested into what we can now see. The Word of God has unlimited power. Each word is like a little capsule filled with faith waiting for us believers to release it in our hearts and speak it with our mouths. Everything we see was created by words, and it is the very Word of God that holds the universe together (Heb. 1:3). Therefore, everything we see will respond to faith-filled words. They have to respond because words are the parent force.

Proverbs 23:7 says that as you think in your heart, so are you, and Luke 6:45 says that what you speak comes from the abundance of your heart. In other words, the way that you think controls the way that you talk. And if you understand that your words have power, then you understand why you can be hung by your tongue.

The only reason every one of us isn’t dead from the many idle words we have spoken is because we haven’t believed every word with our hearts. Thank God that our words have to be mixed with faith and that we have to believe them from our hearts. But this should help us see a powerful truth. If we believe we are going to be sick or if we believe that we will always be poor, and then confess that with our mouths, we will get what we believe. On the other hand, what happens when we take the faith-filled words of God and plant them in our hearts where they can take root and grow? Everything changes—no longer are we just saying “I believe that I’m healed” or “I am prosperous,” but we believe it and the faith of God is then released through those words.

Proverbs 18:21 reads, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

It not only says life but death as well. It’s sad to say, but most of the words being communicated today are negative words—words that do not bring about abundant life but cause more problems.

Let Us "Choose" To Speak Faith-Filled Words!

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Speak Faith Filled Words!!!

“But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.” ‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].” ‭‭MARK‬ ‭11:23‬ ‭AMP‬‬

What you say about yourself or your situation is an expression of faith or doubt. Words actually carry faith or doubt, depending on the content; they are an expression of conviction (positive or negative). Our opening Scripture tells us that words can either move mountains or keep them static. Jesus speaking in Mark 11:23 reiterates the power of faith-filled words by stressing the need to fill our words with faith that they might move mountains. He said that whosoever would say to any mountain in front of him to move and be cast into the sea, and would not doubt in his heart (which means that he is speaking faith-filled words), he would have whatever he says. Note the condition that the Lord Jesus gave for moving mountains: Speaking faith-filled words that are void of heart-seated doubts. In Romans 10:17, the Word tells us that faith comes by hearing God’s Word. It therefore follows that when God’s Word overwhelms the heart, faith fills it. Again in Luke 6:45, the Word tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. When faith fills the heart, the mouth will give expression to it by speaking faith-filled words. This is how to speak faith-filled words. A heart established in the Word of God is stabilized and rooted in faith, because faith has its origin and substance in the Word of God. Beloved, make sure to meditate in the Word daily that your heart might be established in faith. This is the procedure: Faith in the heart feeds on the Word of God and your words draw on your faith. As your heart is impregnated with God’s Word, faith oozes out of your mouth to cause what you say or command to happen.

(Confession): I declare that my heart comes in sync with the Word of God as I meditate on it. I speak faith-filled words and my words come to pass in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

Cont:The Power Of Words!

We’ve all heard the phrase “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” In my mind, that statement couldn’t be further from the truth.

Words are powerful. We’ve all, no doubt, been wounded at some point by careless, unkind or mean statements. Their effect on our lives, even years later, is undeniable. No matter how much we deny it, it still makes us cringe to remember the taunts of the second-grade bully on the playground and makes us want to crawl under a rock to think of that rumor spreading through the high school hallways. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21 says. The impact our words have on others cannot be overstated. One small comment or remark can make the difference between building a relationship up or tearing it down. We have the power to either encourage or destroy others with our speech. The Bible speaks extensively about the power of words – especially positive ones – and warns about the dangers of careless ones. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” says Proverbs 15:1. "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones,” Proverbs 16:24 adds. Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” And Matthew 12:36-37 says: “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” A kind, positive or encouraging word at the right time can truly be life-changing. Your words hold the power to breathe an attitude of death or life into others – which will you choose?

Choose to speak LIFE!

Have a Blessed Day!

The Power Of Words!

Scripture Reading — Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

Nelson Mandela, who opposed the South African apartheid regime and was imprisoned for almost 3 decades, knew the power of words. He is often quoted today, but while in prison his words could not be quoted for fear of repercussion. A decade after his release he said: “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”

King Solomon, author of most of the Old Testament book of Proverbs, wrote often about the power of words. He said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). Words have the potential to produce positive or negative consequences (v. 20). They have the power to give life through encouragement and honesty or to crush and kill through lies and gossip. How can we be assured of producing good words that have a positive outcome? The only way is by diligently guarding our hearts: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (4:23 NIV). Jesus can transform our hearts so that our words can truly be their best—honest, calm, appropriate, and suitable for the situation.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Have a Blessed Day!

Benefits of Walking in the Light

Scripture Reading — 1 John 1:1-2:2

If we walk in the light … we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus … purifies us from all sin.1 John 1:7

When I go walking in the morning, there are important benefits: it is good for my heart and bones. Similarly there are important benefits of walking with God. John lists two: “we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus … purifies us from all sin.” The great commandment is to love God and our neighbor. These are the two dimensions of our relationships: a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with each other. When we walk in the darkness, both relationships are affected: we no longer have a healthy relationship with God or with those around us. Our relationship with God is broken in a way like Adam and Eve’s fellowship with God became ruined when they sinned. The consequences of that are still present today. And our relationship with others is broken in a way like Adam and Eve’s fellowship broke down. The consequences of that damage remain in our relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. A broken relationship with God affects all our other relationships. But when we walk in the light, the grace that heals our relationship with God also brings healing to our other relationships. Having been forgiven, we learn to practice forgiveness—even with those we consider our enemies. Grace restores and renews us completely!

Prayer & Meditation

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Continuation: How To Walk With God!

When we hear of Hollywood couples who get together and then divorce rather quickly, we have to wonder what people are looking for in marriage. Do they understand that it's a commitment? Do they understand that feelings will come and go, and that you must get on with the very real business of loving a person and all that it means? The same can be said of a relationship with God. There are times when you feel great joy, passion, and excitement about being a Christian. And there are times when you don't feel it. But that doesn't mean you say, "Well, that's it. I'm not going to follow Christ anymore." The Bible doesn't say, "The just shall live by feelings." Rather, it says, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17 NKJV). Feelings change, but WALKING with God takes faith. It takes commitment. And it takes consistency. We have been looking at scriptures of a man who walked with God for many years. His name was Enoch, I want to look at some secrets from his life that we can apply in our lives as well. In the whole of the Bible, only five passages refer to Enoch, two of which are genealogies. Although we don't find a lot written about Enoch, what we do have is significant. Genesis tells us, "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:21–24 NKJV). Enoch lived during a unique time in human history, just before God's judgment of the world by the flood. Against this very dark backdrop was a man who walked with God and was spared death. Enoch is a prototype of the last-days believer, showing us how to live as we await the Lord's return. So what set Enoch apart? How was he able to live a godly life in an ungodly world, in a time that was characterized by sexual perversion and uncontrolled violence? (As it is today). We find three important principles at work in Enoch's life that we can apply in our own lives today.

Principle one: Enoch walked with God. The analogy of walking and the Christian life is used throughout Scripture. But what does it mean to walk with God? It is not merely living by rules and regulations or making daily resolutions that we quickly break. It is much more than that. The prophet Amos revealed an important truth about what it means to walk with God when he asked, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3 NKJV). The word he used for "together" gives the idea of two people moving in rhythm together, as in riding a tandem bicycle. But it is not about getting God into rhythm with us; it is getting ourselves into rhythm with Him. That is what it means to walk with God.

Principle two: Enoch was well-pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:5 says, "He had this testimony, that he pleased God" (NKJV). Sometimes we have the mistaken notion that God is very hard to please. Yet God knows our weaknesses and frailties better than anyone, and He is not as hard to please as we might think. So how do we please God? God is pleased when, in spite of the fact that we are in the right, we patiently endure when misunderstood (see 1 Peter 2:19–20). When you do what is right and patiently endure suffering for it, that is called meekness, and it pleases God. God is also pleased when children obey their parents (see Colossians 3:20); when we worship Him and help others (see Hebrews 13:15–16); and when we give financially to the work of the kingdom (see Philippians 4:17–18).

Principle three: Enoch was a witness for God. Enoch walked with God, he was well-pleasing to God, and lastly, he was a witness for God. As Enoch walked with God and pleased Him, he had a testimony and a witness. Every Christian has a testimony. People are watching us. They are observing us. And we should give a lot of thought to that. Before we can effectively witness for God, we must first walk with Him.

Because Enoch walked with God, he saw this world for what it was. Do you? Get into the rhythm with God!

Austin Miles wrote the lyrics of the song "In the garden"

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on roses
And the voice I hear falling
On my ear the son of God discloses

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

Have a Glorious Day!

Let's take a Walk. . . WITH GOD!

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. — 1 John 2:6

The word "walking" speaks of regularity, of moving at a certain pace. The Bible tells us in Genesis 5 about Enoch, who walked with God. But what does it mean to "walk with God?" Is it just a religious cliché? The prophet Amos asked, "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3). The idea is to be walking in pace with someone, in harmony with another.

Walking with my Wife. Sometimes when I walk with my wife, I will walk a little faster than she does. I will walk ahead. I'll stop. Then she will catch up with me. So I'll try to walk more slowly, but the next thing I know, I'm walking fast again. When it comes to walking with God, some of us want to run ahead of Him. Some of us lag behind. We need to move in harmony with Him. We need to stay close to Him and make a continual commitment to do so. Referring to our daily relationship with God's Holy Spirit, the New Testament says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25 NIV).

Keep in Step with the Spirit. But what does this mean in practice? How do we do this? What does it look like to keep in step with the Spirit? It means we take time for the things of God. It means when we get up in the morning, we take time to read the Bible. If we neglect the Word of God, it will show in our lives. Abiding in Jesus also means that we spend time in prayer and in fellowship with God's people.

Make Time! Make time for the things of God. Don't wait for time to simply materialize; deliberately carve out room in your schedule. If it means an hour less of sleep, fine. If it means skipping a meal, okay. If it means missing a television program, so be it. Do what you need to do, because making time for the things of God is essential to spiritual growth, to abiding with God, and to bearing spiritual fruit. And it is a walk—the best of all walks—walking with God will bring indescribable richness to your daily life!

Enjoy your walk with the Lord!

How To Walk With God!

Enoch's walk with the Lord was so close that Scripture tells us, “God took him” (Gen. 5:24).

This implies Enoch didn’t die but was taken directly into the presence of God. What a wonderful testimony! As we seek to follow God with this same passion, let’s review some specific steps to help us keep up in our walk with the Lord.

RECONCILIATION. This concept carries the sense of God moving toward us. We can be joyful because the responsibility is all His. Through the cross of His Son Jesus Christ, God has already made His move in our direction. Scripture says, “Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18). When we trust in Christ, we immediately take part in that reconciliation.

TRUSTING GOD. We must have faith, not only that God is concerned with our walk, but that He has, through Jesus Christ, provided all we need to walk intimately with Him anytime.

AGREEMENT. To appreciate the closeness God longs to have with us, we must agree with what Scripture teaches about His Son, His Word, the church, and our problem with sin.

FELLOWSHIP. Just as human relationships fall apart without regular contact, our intimacy with God weakens when we don’t spend time with Him.

Walking with God is not an impossible mission, but it does require careful attention to the details of our Christian lives. When we set our course for God, He’ll always be there to direct our paths (Prov. 3:5-6).

Enjoy your walk with God. Trust Him, He will direct your path.

Have a Blessed Day!

Faith & Spirit | Guarding Our Spiritual Gates: Eyes, Ears & Mouth!

The book of Nehemiah in the Bible aids us in understanding the great metaphors for living a spiritual life.Representing our hearts where the Lord speaks to us, is the Temple and the city of Jerusalem represents the minds that are to be stayed on Christ. The book of Nehemiah also speaks of the walls of the city which represents our relationship with Christ and how it should be protected at all costs and finally there are the city gates which represent our eyes, ears, and mouth gates. In understanding how to operate our eyes, ears, and mouth gates, one can correlate Nehemiah’s building of the city walls and the installation of the city gates to how we as Christians should protect the gates in which are gateways to our spiritual life. Eye gates: the Bible says in Luke 11:34 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light." Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Eyes are the windows to the soul. ”According to the Bible, that is very true. It is very important to evaluate what we watch. Things that we see, if not careful, can manifest in our hearts and minds and eventually turn into actions. “Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 Ear Gates: Just the same as eye gates what you hear and meditate on will manifest into actions. It is important that we surround ourselves with people who are Kingdom minded and Kingdom focused. Music especially can uplift or tear down someone spiritually. Studies have shown that music affect our moods, for instance listening to happy music brings about a positive mood, while listening to sad music can make us feel even worse than we did before we pressed play. A great example of this in the Bible is in 1 Samuel 16 where a brave, young and talent future king, David played melodies of joy and praise to God. He was a musical genius and along with many other gifts, he was anointed by God in music. King Saul was in torment, for the Lord had given him an evil spirit for his disobedience to the Lord. Day and night the king could not rest until David played the harp for him. In meditating on the beautiful, joyful music, it soothed the King Saul’s restless mind allowing him to sleep. What we hear and listen too strongly affect our minds whether immediate or later on, or whether consciously or subconsciously. There are all sorts of things we hear that shape our thoughts, decision and actions. Even when taking advice and listening to people, it is normal for us to listen to people tell us what we want to hear to help us justify what we know in our hearts is not right. So be careful. Mouth Gate: "Say what you'll have, and have what you'll say" is a quote that is so true. What you verbally put in the atmosphere can indeed manifest and happen. So just like we must guard our eyes and ear gates from things that we see and hear, we should also guard our mouths from speaking things that are harmful not only towards others, but towards ourselves. Matthew 15:17-19 states, "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?18"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." So it's important to think before you speak, because many who listen to you may be subjected to what is in your heart. If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. Even if it's about yourself.

Have you been carefully guarding your spiritual gates? Ponder on this short scripture:

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have a Blessed Friday! Looking forward to a glorious weekend!

The Power of God's Word!

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. - 1 Timothy 4:16

It amazes me that God has ordained verbal proclamation as a primary way to bring people into the kingdom of God. I really don't know why, but that is exactly what He has done. Some people will substitute Christian radio or Christian television for going to church. And sometimes there are extenuating circumstances in which people can't get out. But nothing takes the place of getting together with God's people and studying the Bible together. Christian programming can be good, but it is not a replacement for getting together with God's people. Something supernatural, something wonderful happens when the Word of God is proclaimed and when you hear it in person with fellow Christians. There is a freshness and an immediacy to it. The early church believed in preaching, because God established preaching. Remember, Jesus Christ was a preacher of the Word. We read that when He began His ministry, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand' " (Matthew 4:17). Preaching is God's primary way of reaching lost people. As the apostle Paul wrote, "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21). Notice Paul didn't say "foolish preaching," but "the foolishness of the message preached." God has ordained preaching and teaching in the church, and that is what the early church focused on.

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16.

Have a blessed Day!

Life Hangs on the Word of God!

He said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 32:46-47

The word of God is not a trifle; it is a matter of life and death. If you treat the Scriptures as a trifle or as empty words, you forfeit life. Even our physical life depends on God’s word, because by his word we were created (Psalm 33:6; Hebrews 11:3), and “He upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). Our spiritual life begins by the word of God: “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth” (James 1:18). “You have been born again . . . through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Not only do we begin to live by God’s word, but we also go on living by God’s word: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). Our physical life is created and upheld by the word of God, and our spiritual life is quickened and sustained by the word of God. How many stories could be gathered to bear witness to the life-giving power of the word of God! Indeed, the Bible is “no empty word for you” — it is your life! The foundation of all joy is life. Nothing is more fundamental than sheer existence — our creation and our preservation. All this is owing to the word of God’s power. By that same power, he has spoken in Scripture for the creation and sustenance of our spiritual life. Therefore, the Bible is no empty word, but is your very life — the kindling of your joy!

The Word of God is not Empty, The Word of God is Life!

God’s Word: You Can’t Live Without It!

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NIV)

The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the Son of God. To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with his Word. The Bible says, “Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us” 2 Timothy 3:17 MSG). God’s Word is unlike any other word. It is alive. Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63 NASB). When God speaks, things change. Everything around you — all of creation — exists because “God said it.” He spoke it all into existence. God’s Word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the Devil, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances, imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, infuses hope, releases power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being, and guarantees our future forever! We cannot live without the Word of God! Never take it for granted. You should consider it as essential to your life as food. Job said, “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12 NIV). God’s Word is the spiritual nourishment you must have to fulfill your purpose.

Reflect:

God's word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalms 119:105

Continue:

What Does It Mean To Be Seated With Christ in the Heavenly Places?

When a person has repented and placed their trust in Christ, they have finished all that they need to do. Any good works we do are a result of being saved not a way that we were saved for it is written, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-7). When we trusted in Christ we were “made alive together with Christ.” In contrast to being in Adam where we were all dead, now in Christ we have all been made alive (1 Cor 15:22). Now we are told that we are seated “with him in the heavenly places” meaning that, like Christ, our works are done. We are not saved by works but saved for works but our works had nothing to do with our being saved. That’s why we are as good as in heaven already and we are essentially already seated there with Christ because God sees things that are not yet as though they already are because in His mind, they are!

Conclusion:

If you have repented and trusted in Christ, then you are now, as I write this, SEATED with Christ, and “you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19) and you are SEATED with fellow believers.

How great is that!?

Can we even fathom the idea that we are now, in God’s mind, seated with Jesus Christ in heaven? Can we rest in that knowledge? If we rest in that, we can rest from trying to add works to our salvation because Jesus accomplished what we could not. He died so that we might live. That’s what it means to be already seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Now you and I must seek out those who are still lost. We must find others to seat next to us who are already seated with Christ. For to do so will bring more glory to God and God is always pleased with us when we seek to glorify Him.

Let's seek out those who are still lost. Invite someone to church this weekend to seat next to us as they are seated with Christ.

What Does It Mean To Be Seated With Christ in the Heavenly Places?

Paul says that we are already seated with Christ in the heavenly places. What does he mean by this since we are still on earth? The Book of Ephesians is one of the most joyous books ever written by Paul. Why do I say that? It’s because this shows that God’s saving grace and His infinite love was displayed before we even existed. In Ephesians 1:3-6 Paul writes “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” I cannot even imagine what the knowledge of our being predestined to salvation feels like. We were chosen before the earth even existed. There was an election in heaven but the only One that voted was God and it was by an overwhelming majority of 1 – 0 that we were elected. It was “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph 1:11). It was God’s will that we would be saved, it was His purpose to give us eternal life and it was all “according to the counsel of his will” that we were to be adopted by Him. Was this “counsel of his will” among the Three Persons of the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit? It would seem so. That’s why Ephesians is one of my favorite books. It was “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Knowing human nature and knowing my own nature, believe me, I would have boasted or bragged that I saved myself if this were true but the fact is that it’s a gift of God and “not a result of [my] works” and thank God for that because none of us could ever be saved by our works, which are at best like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Christ’s Work is Finished! On the cross Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19:30). When Jesus said that “it is finished” it comes from the Greek word “teleō” which means to “bring to an end, it is accomplished, to complete,” or “to finish” and the Greek construct of this sentence essentially means “paid in full.” It is an accounting term that was used to say “paid in full.” That is why Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). His redemptive work was done, once and for all (Heb 10:10). Our “High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Heb 10:12). In the temple there was no seat because the priests work was never done and so he could never sit down and rest in the fact that he was finished for good (Heb 10:11). Since we are not saved by works we too can rest in the redemptive work of Christ. That’s why Jesus is now seated and get ready for this, there is a seat there for us too to sit in right now if you have already repented and trusted in this High Priest.

Take your Seat and Have a Blessed Day!

The Love of God!

Keep yourselves in the love of God . . . Jude 21

The Bible is a revelation of the fact that God is love. Many people misunderstand the attribute of God’s nature which is love. “God is love” does not mean that everything is sweet, beautiful, and happy, and that God’s love could not possibly allow punishment for sin. When we preach justice, it is justice tempered with love. When we preach righteousness, it is righteousness founded on love. When we preach atonement, it is atonement planned by love, provided by love, given by love, finished by love, necessitated because of love. When we preach the resurrection of Christ, we are preaching the miracle of love. When we preach the return of Christ, we are preaching the fulfillment of love. No matter what sin you have committed, or how terrible, dirty, or shameful it may be, God loves you. This love of God is immeasurable, unmistakable, and unending!

Prayer & Meditation for the day:

May the LOVE of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore. AMEN!

The Love of God!

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8b NIV)

The Bible says God is love. It doesn’t say God has love; it says God is love. Love is his nature. God is love. God created the entire universe. He created this planet; he created the human race; then, he created you because he loves you. God created you as an object of his love. He made you so he could love you and so you could love him. God’s love for you is the reason your heart is beating right now; it’s the reason you’re breathing. God’s good news is that he loves you on your good days as much as he loves you on your bad days. He loves you when you can feel his love, and he loves you when you can’t seem to feel his love. He loves you whether or not you think you deserve his love. There is nothing you can do that will make God stop loving you. You could try, but you simply can’t do it, because his love for you is based on his character and not on anything you do or say or feel. God loves you so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, into this world, “so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT, second edition). Jesus stretched his arms out as wide as the cross, saying, “I love you this much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I’ll die for you so that I won’t have to live without you.” God’s love surpasses all human knowledge, and it is difficult for any of us to grasp the width and length and height and depth of his love for each one of us (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Reflect:

What can you do to show God that you love him?

May the revelation of the Love of God be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit.

In Conclusion:

Walking in The Favor of God!

12 Benefits of Walking in The Favor of God!

Favor "preferentializes" you. It will make influential people agree with your godly plans and allow you to serve God. Even though Daniel and his Jewish friends were taken into captivity in Babylon, their excellence stood out. Their caretaker was willing to risk his life to let them follow their convictions. For three weeks they ate nothing but vegetables and water. The four youths were able to avoid spiritual defilement and turned out to be the healthiest of all the slaves.

Favor promotes Church growth and influence. The FOG will increase the size of the Body of Christ. That's how it was for the early Church. Acts 2:47 says its members were "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

Divine favor draws unbelievers to Christians as well as to Christ. And it does the same with vision, resources, opportunities, cooperation, and impact - all so that the Lord's Kingdom will grow!

May the FAVOR of God be upon our church, our families, our businesses and all that He has called us to do.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Continuation:Walking in The Favor of God!

12 Benefits of Walking in The Favor of God!

Favor positions you to have your needs met and be blessed. It will put you in a place where you will lack for nothing and be exalted. Remember the story of Ruth, the Moabite? She followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to her Jewish homeland though she knew nobody there. God gave her favor with a wealthy businessman named Boaz. Not only did he see that she was safe and well fed, he married her and their offspring were in the lineage of King David and Jesus.

Favor posts you on a great platform. It will bring you before huge audiences or important people and give you influence with decision makers. It did for David. Long before he was named king, God gave him favor with the king of Israel. This unknown shepherd boy became Saul's favorite musician. Eventually he became his armor-bearer and greatest warrior and gained the notice of the entire country.

May Favor pacify your enemies, place the wealth of the wicked at your disposal, position you to have your needs met and be blessed, post you on a great platform to bring you before huge audiences or important people, to give you influence with decision makers.

Walking in The Favor of God!

Are you walking in the Favor Of God (FOG)? If so, then you know the feeling of being overwhelmed and encompassed by His love, guidance and beneficence. But God's blessings, whether material or spiritual, are not intended just to help you with your own life. They are designed to help you help others and extend the kingdom of God here on earth.

How?

Let's look at 12 benefits of walking in the FOG.

Favor protects you. It will keep you safe and shielded from the effects of evil. Even when bad things happen to you, God will use them for your good and His glory. Look at the life of Joseph. He went from the pit to Potiphar's house, from imprisonment to interpreting dreams in the Pharaoh's palace. God spared his life so that he could be named as Egypt's prime minister and save his family and the world from death from famine.

Favor puts you in victory over your enemies. It will help you conquer and triumph over your foes. Because of divine favor, Queen Esther was able to foil a wicked conspiracy to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. She saw Haman, the king's evil advisor, hanged on the same gallows built to murder her cousin, Mordecai.

May Gods Favor be your potion in Jesus Name!

Gods Power and The Holy Spirit!

Paul writes about the Holy Spirit’s power in a prayer to the Ephesians:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-20

God’s power is available to us because of his Holy Spirit in us. This is not ‘our’ power, but it’s the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. There is a difference. Many people who do not really know God nor fully understand the scriptures, try to live out of their own strength and power. Verse 20 in the scripture above clearly states that it is the Holy Spirit’s power that is at work in us that enables us to live differently – to make changes in our lives.

The Holy Spirit’s Power

“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. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms…” Ephesians 1:17-20

In these verses above, Paul reminds us that it’s through the “eyes of our heart” that we are able to understand how God works in our lives because of our belief and acceptance of Jesus Christ in our heart. When God begins to live in us in the form of the Holy Spirit, he gives us a new heart – a regenerated heart. With this heart, we are able to renew our minds to his truths found in scripture. (Romans 12:2) As we set our hearts on these truths and believe them, and we yield to God, the power of the Holy Spirit lives more fully through us. And as Paul writes, this power is the same mighty power that raised Jesus from his grave and sent him to be with his Father in heaven. God wants each of us to experience this power so that we can realize the fullness of his love and live a kind of life that glorifies him. If this is your motivation – to glorify God with your life by the power of his Spirit – then God will answer your cries for more of his power as you yield to his Spirit inside you.

Questions to Reflect On:

Just yield to the Holy Spirit. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could ever ask or think.

May the presence of the Holy Spirit continue to abide with you. Amen!

The Power Of The Holy Spirit!

Scripture Reading — GALATIANS 5:22-25

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is vital to the Christian life. Read about the fruit of the Spirit in today’s passage, and ask, Can I be such a good person on my own? We need divine intervention to live as God expects. That’s why He gives each believer a Helper, whose job is to produce Christlike character in us. The heavenly Father knows that His children need assistance to comply with His commands. Even Jesus Christ’s most faithful followers were, on their own, helpless to obey—for instance, Peter, who pledged to be loyal until death, denied even knowing Christ (Matt. 26:69-75). Before returning to heaven, Jesus ordered the disciples to put their missionary work on hold until the Holy Spirit arrived (Luke 24:49). Only with the Spirit’s aid could Peter the coward become Peter the rock and preach a challenging sermon that convicted many (Acts 2; see also Matt. 16:18). The Holy Spirit enters a believer’s life at the moment of salvation and immediately sets about the work of producing spiritual fruit. This is the outward expression of a transformed heart. When we yield to God’s nurturing hand, our actions and attitudes become more loving, more joyful, more kind, more gentle ... (See Gal. 5:22-23.) He reaps a harvest of service from our life—good works that grow our own faith and expand His kingdom. Allowing the Holy Spirit to bring forth Christlike character is not passive. Our part is to meditate upon God’s Word so we can learn about His character and apply His principles. Then, instead of satisfying our flesh, we must make wise decisions each day that allow the Spirit to develop godliness in our lives.

May The Power Of The Holy Spirit Continue to Rest upon You. Amen!

How Can We Feel God's Presence?

Scripture Reading — John 14:15-21

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ..." John 14:16 —

Jesus' disciples were upset. For three years they had been with Jesus. They had walked with him and talked with him. And now he was about to leave. How could they possibly go on without him? How could they face the challenges of life without his daily presence? In his farewell address the Lord Jesus put the disciples' minds at ease. He told them that his returning to the Father was for their good (John 16:7). He promised to send the Holy Spirit, who would live in them and teach them about living for God. And through the Spirit they'd be able to enjoy God's presence always. Through the Holy Spirit you and I can experience God's presence every moment of the day. All we have to do is ask. As Jesus says in Luke 11:13, "If you ... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The most important prayer we can pray each day is to ask for the all-powerful presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we have the Holy Spirit guiding us each day, we will not only experience God's presence in our own lives, but we'll also be able to show God's presence to others as we live God's way, displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Prayer

Lord God, please fill us with your Holy Spirit and help us to show in our lives the fruit of the Spirit. We ask all this for Jesus' sake and in his name. Amen.

May The Presence of The Holy Spirit be With You Now and Always.

Dwelling in Gods Presence!

“And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭25:11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Hagar had once found deliverance there, and Ishmael had drunk from the water so graciously revealed by the God who lives and sees the sons of men; but that was a merely casual visit, such as unbelievers pay to the Lord in times of need, when it suits them. They cry to Him in trouble but forsake Him in prosperity. Isaac DWELT there and made the well of the living and all-seeing God his constant source of supply. The usual tenor of a man's life, the dwelling of his soul, is the true test of his state. Perhaps the providential visitation experienced by Hagar struck Isaac's mind and led him to revere the place. Its mystical name endeared it to him; his frequent musings at its brim at evening made him familiar with the well. Meeting Rebecca there had made his spirit feel at home near the spot; but best of all, the fact that there he enjoyed fellowship with the living God had made him select that hallowed ground for his dwelling. Let us learn to live in the presence of the living God; let us ask the Holy Spirit that this day, and every other day, we may sense, "God, You see me." May the Lord be as a well to us, delightful, comforting, unfailing, springing up unto eternal life. The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of the Creator never fails; happy is he who dwells at the well and as a result has abundant and constant supplies at hand. The Lord has been a sure helper to others: His name is Shaddai, God All-sufficient. Our hearts have often had most delightful communion with Him; through Him our soul has found her glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus; and in Him this day we live and move and have our being. Let us, then, dwell in closest fellowship with Him. Glorious Lord, constrain us, that we may never leave You but dwell by the well of the living God.

May Jehovah El-Shaddai the All-Sufficient one satisfy your soul as you dwell in His Presence.

Have a Blessed Weekend.

God Is With You!

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you” (Isaiah 43:2–5, ESV).

God is present. He is with His children and especially near during trials. These verses from Isaiah refer to water and fire, which are images of hardship. Waters is a general term, while rivers is a specific term. Fire is general, while flame is specific. The language distinguishes between our collective trials and my individual hardship. Sometimes we all suffer together; sometimes we feel very alone in our pain. But the take-away from these verses is that you are never alone. God is with you in your specific trials—not just throughout a year or a month or a day but in an hour, in a minute, in a second! At the precise moment of hardship, God is present.

“AT THE PRECISE MOMENT OF HARDSHIP, GOD IS PRESENT.”

According to Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Not only is He near to us, but He also specifically measures our trials. He says, “When you walk through fire” (a picture of definite hardship) “you shall not be burned.” In other words, it might get really hot, and you might feel a certain amount of pain and discomfort, but God has His hand on the thermostat. He’s watching you in the fire; in fact, He’s right there with you in it. It’s the same picture in the water. God says, “When you pass through the waters . . . and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.” Consider this: What are you thinking about when you’re going through a river? When you’re neck-deep in water, you’re not worried about getting wet. You’re already wet. More likely you’re thinking, How deep is the water? How long can I touch the bottom? When your feet float up off the bottom, you might wonder, How long can I tread? But God tells us, in effect, “I’m watching the water level. I’m checking the intensity of the trial.” You can trust Him. God is present and knows exactly what you’re facing, both the depth and the heat. Your greatest fear may be that you can’t endure the trial. But as a result of God’s presence, you are strengthened—and He promises that what you face will not overwhelm you. After all, He is “the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” And He is always with you.

Reflect:

Pray:

Lord, remind me that trials are clues to Your presence. Help me to look for and at You, rather than focusing on my hardships with fear. Help me to accept that hardships are part of Your itinerary for me and come as no surprise to You. I know I can’t learn to trust unless I first pass through situations where I have to trust. So please continue to train me in Your perfect way, Father, and thank You that You are always with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Enjoying the Presence of God and His Strength!

It seems to me that one of the most important Spiritual Exercises that we can engage in is to Spend Time in God’s Presence. When I am aware that I am connected to God, I have peace, hope and the spiritual strength that I need for whatever the day brings me. For me, to be in God’s presence usually begins with intention. I make a decision deep in my spirit to become connected to God. I remind myself of his special qualities and of his faithfulness. I often remember the scripture “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” Luke 4:8 This is a promise that God gives us in his Word. I frequently listen to music. Sometimes I turn on my iPad or tune in to a Christian radio station or pull up a website that plays soft Christian music so that it plays in the background. This is soothing to my soul and is a reminder of the loving nature of God. When I listen to this type of music I am inspired by the melodies. And, maybe most of all, as I read scripture I am reminded of his nature and goodness and love. When I take time for an extended devotional and linger in the Bible I hear God speak to me softly through his Holy Spirit. He reminds me of his truths. During difficult times of financial stresses and other associated challenges, many people are looking for the inner strength needed to make it through the day, or the week. The best Source of strength I can think of is the strength that comes from being in the presence of God. I hope that you are able to experience his presence regularly.

Scriptures Related to Spending Time in God’s Presence

Questions to Reflect On:

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Enjoy the presence of God and have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Cont: Cultivating The Culture of Honor!

Honor is very important foundational element of a Kingdom Church.

Example: Youth culture; drug culture; churches have a culture too.

Most people today live in a culture void of honor. An Upside Down Culture.

Characteristics of a self-absorbed culture

Isa. 3:1-5 NIV See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water, the hero and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsman and clever enchanter. “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.” People will oppress each other— man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the nobody against the honored. 3:12 Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

The first is that youth is worshiped in an idolatrous form

Their lack of honor was the reason for a short supply of Kingdom Power.

May God Bless You as you cultivate the culture of HONOR.

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Cont: AFFIRMATION!

Building and Cultivating a Culture of Honor!

We live in a culture of cynicism and suspicion. We tear down others to bring them down to our level. We delight in the morsels of negative gossip about celebrities, politicians, and sports stars. Our desire for these juicy tidbits about others' failure and flaws is insatiable. So we train ourselves to look for the negative in others. To look at the goodness in others with cynical suspicion, assuming there is also some dark and depraved other side to their personalities we haven't discovered yet. We're going to have to start with affirmation.! We carry these suspicions with us into God's family, the church. We have been trained to be suspicious and look for flaws, so it is not hard for us to find them. Because we are all a work in progress. Meaning in a church family there is someone with flaws and inconsistencies... just like us. However, there is another truth we must not forget. Our church families are full of precious people who long to be more than we are now. We want help in being transformed into the character and compassion of Jesus that the Holy Spirit is working in us to become. (2 Corinthians 3:18). What we need is an environment that encourages us toward that goal, not one that drags us back to our flaws, inconsistencies and failures. We long for a culture of honor to help us grow, live, and flourish. The place to begin is where God began with Jesus: affirmation — affirmation of relationship, love, and pleasure. If you don't believe this is important, go look at the beginning of Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church — the poster church for congregational disaster. Now notice how Paul speaks of them: I am writing to God's church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:2-4 NLT). Paul isn't buttering them to bring the hammer down on them later. Paul is genuinely affirming who they are, what God is doing with them, and how precious they are to him. All this is given to a church that was as big a mess as we could ever discover. Affirmation is what we need before we receive correction and before we face the attacks of the evil one! When we go to all of Paul's letters, but one, we find this same kind of affirmation. The one that's lacking the affirmation at the beginning? Galatians — the church caught up in "devouring one another" (Galatians 5:15). Why are they devouring each other? Because they were devoid of grace and had forgotten that affirmation is essential to building a culture that honors each other and God! So if we are going to build a culture of honor in our families, workplaces, organizations, churches, and communities, we're going to have to start with AFFIRMATION.

May God grant us the Grace to Build and Cultivate a Culture of Honor.

Have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Building a Culture of Honor:

Affirmation!

People were everywhere. They had crowded in to hear the voice of God thunder out from the wild man in the wilderness who spoke God's truth with clarity unheard since the times of Elijah and Elisha. As his voice traveled down the lush twists and turns of the Jordan River, his message breathed into flame the ember of something holy and expectant in the hearts of men and women from all over Galilee, Judea, and Decapolis. Soldiers, tax collectors, prostitutes came, were convicted in their hearts of their sin, and were plunged beneath the water to begin life with a fresh commitment to God. Moms and dads, shopkeepers and leatherworkers, fisherman and zealots, people whose hopes were crushed and people whose hopes were on fire looking for the Messiah all came to hear God's challenging message of repentance and to be baptized by John. Suddenly, everything stopped. At this moment, it seemed as if everything stood still and heaven's spotlight focused on this moment and place. Jesus stepped forward to be baptized. Mud squished between his toes as he stepped down into the river and all of heaven watched breathlessly as the Savior came to honor the Father and identify with the people he came to save. "I can't do this," John the Baptizer told Jesus. "I am not worthy to do this. I need to be baptized by you, not me to baptize you!" "It must be so to fulfill the righteous plan of God, my Father," Jesus told his cousin. So John placed his hand behind the neck of Jesus and placed his other hand on the chest of his cousin and plunged him under the waters of the Jordan. In a moment of apocalyptic grace, John raised Jesus up from the waters and the heavens were torn open. The Father's voice from heaven thundered approval as the Holy Spirit, in the form like a dove, came and rested upon Jesus. The Bible describes the moment like this: When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased" (Luke 3:21-22 NIV). This event is pivotal on many levels. Jesus' baptism is the signal of the beginning of his ministry as well as his coronation as King of Israel and Son of God. The long wait for the Messiah to show himself is over.

Notice how the Father affirms the Son! God does this for Jesus in three ways:

1. The Father affirms his relationship with the Son: "You are my son!"
2. The Father affirms his love for the Son: "Whom I love!" (Literally God calls Jesus his "Beloved Son"!)
3. The Father affirms his pleasure with the Son: "With you I am well pleased!"

The mystery of Jesus' identity is hard to cram into our human brains. Jesus is fully God and fully human. Jesus is divine and mortal. All at the same time in the same person. Sometimes, we let the divinity of Jesus hide the humanity of God's Son. So we must not miss the powerful example that God gives us to show us what we all need most from those we love. Jesus leaves his baptism to go face temptation for forty days in the desert as the Son prepares himself for the work of God that lies ahead of him. And what are the first words out of the mouth of the evil one, the father of lies? "If you are the Son of God..." (Luke 4:3). Think about this a moment. Let the truth of this wash over you. "If you are the Son of God..." are the very first words out of the mouth of the deceiver. Do you really think it is an accident, simply a happy coincidence, what the Father had just told the Son? "You are my Son. My beloved. With you I am well pleased." Jesus goes to face his time of testing in the desert with the affirmation of the Father's claim of relationship ("You are my Son.") ringing in his ears and embedded in his heart. Jesus will do battle with the evil one and resist the temptations not just because he knows the Scriptures better than Satan, but also because he knows the Father loves him and is pleased with him.

So here is the point for us.

If God prepared his Son to face his battles with the devil by affirming his relationship with Jesus, his love for Jesus, and his pleasure in Jesus, don't we need to do the same for each other in God's family? As we look at building a culture of honor in our families, our church and our community, affirmation is the place to begin. How do I know this is the place we must begin? Because this is where God begins with Jesus in his ministry. Jesus began his move toward ministry with obedience to the Father, submission to the mission ahead, and identification with the people he would serve. He did this by being baptized. God immediately responded with the dramatic affirmation of the Son — the heavens were torn open and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove.

If God began there with the Son, we must begin there with each other.

Have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

A Culture of HONOR!

The Bible says that there are several different groups we should honor. I’m going to focus only on the three that I believe are most important for you to become all God wants you to be.

1. Honor Your Parents!

2. First, we’re supposed to honor our parents. The Bible is incredibly clear on this one. It’s so important, God actually included it in his top ten in Exodus 20:12: Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. So often, the opposite happens. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen teenagers (and even children) speak disrespectfully to their parents. It seems like some kids even go out of their way to dishonor their parents, trashing them online or even to their faces. And our culture seems to celebrate this behavior, often playing it as comedy. And this verse doesn’t apply just to children. God doesn’t give an upper age limit on honoring our parents. We don’t do it just when we’re little kids. We continue doing it when we’re in our twenties, our thirties, our forties, our fifties. If you have children yourself, a good way to demonstrate honor to your parents is to speak well of them in front of their grandchildren. Maybe your parents didn’t live honorable lives. Maybe your dad ran off with another woman. Maybe your mom struggled with substance abuse. Whatever their circumstances, it really doesn’t matter. It’s respect that people have to earn; honor is a gift that you give freely. Find ways you can honor them, not just because they deserve it but because it’s the right thing to do.

3. Honor Those in Authority!

4. The next group that the Bible says we ought to show honor to includes those who are in authority over us. Romans 13:1-7 explains that God, in his sovereignty, has placed people in positions of leadership. In this context, verse 7 says that you should give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Notice that this verse makes a distinction between respect and honor. We’re supposed to show honor not only to powerful people in government but to all of those who are in authority over us. If you play sports, show honor to your coach. If you’re a student, honor your teachers. If you have a mentor, show them honor. Honor your boss. Even if you believe deep down that you’re smarter than your boss, you still need to show that person honor. Maybe you’d like to be the boss someday. Before you can learn to be over, you have to learn to be under. Practice being under by showing honor to those people whom God has put over you. If you’re a married woman, but you don’t particularly like your husband — maybe he’s not the leader that you want him to be — honor him. If you treat him as ordinary and common, he won’t feel empowered to lead your family. But if you honor him, give him the opportunity to rise to the occasion, to become honorable. Treat him like he’s the man you want him to be; with grace and honor, help him envision himself as a better man.

5. Honor Your Church Leaders!

6. The third group God calls us to honor is pastors and church leaders. The Bible tells us that we are to show honor to those who are spiritually instructing and discipling us: The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. — 1 Timothy 5:17 Giving honor where it is due has tremendous power. When you show honor to those who lead you spiritually, I guarantee you that they will take very seriously the role that God has placed them in. Since most of us have been raised in a dishonoring culture, how can we grow in honor? The English Standard Version of the Bible translates Romans 12:10 like this: Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. So it’s really that simple. Take that verse to heart, and not only show honor to other people but try to outdo one another in showing honor. What does that mean? That means that you go out of your way to demonstrate honor to them. Whether they deserve it or not (and honestly, many won’t), you give it out freely. Treat honor like it’s the most renewable resource on the planet. If there are people who take care of your children during the week while you work, show them honor. Find out their names. Learn their birthdays. Bring them gift cards and handwritten thank-you notes. When a person serves you, whether at a business or a restaurant, make a point to be overly courteous to them. Tell them that you appreciate what they do. Offer them some encouragement and a smile. Tip generously. Ask them if there’s anything you can pray for them for. If they give you something to pray about, then pray for them. At church, single out the people who serve you. Thank them. Show them honor. Write a note to those who minister to your kids. Bring a gift to your small group leader and the host family. Email the worship leader to say thanks for helping you grow closer to God through worship. Outdo one another in showing honor. Lean in. Listen closely. Outdo each other. Lift them up. Encourage them. Esteem them highly. Tell them you value them, and then demonstrate it by your actions. You might just be surprised to see them grow into what you speak to them in faith. Giving honor where it is due has tremendous power.

Giving honor where it is due has tremendous power.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

A Covenant Between God and Man!

Genesis 15 ; Isaiah 53:3-11 ; Matthew 26:26-29 ; Hebrews 7:22-28 ; Hebrews 9:12-15 ; Jeremiah 31:31-34

In Biblical culture, covenants were sealed and ratified by the fatal cutting of an animal life and shedding of blood. Both parties involved in the covenant would then customarily “pass through,” walk through, the stream of blood and say “be it done to me as has been done to these animals if I should break this covenant.” Our best example of the Biblical picture of covenant is found in Genesis 15, when God instituted His covenant with Abraham. An astounding thing from the example in Genesis 15 is Abraham did nothing but go to sleep. God is the one who, as the light and fire, passed through the blood and took the full weight of the agreement on Himself. God has been, and always will be, faithful to fully execute all of His promises, even when we are everything but faithful. As remarkable as that is, it gets even better! Scripture says in Hebrews 10:4 that the blood of bulls and goats was not enough to take away our sins, so in the new covenant Jesus was cut, pierced, for our sins. Wait! What?! God has always been faithful. We as His creations are the ones who have sinned and turned away from Him and disobeyed His laws time and time again. And yet, God took the punishment of the broken covenant upon Himself even though we are the ones who break it over and over. The perfect blood of Jesus was poured out to cover our sins. Once again, God took the full weight of the covenant upon Himself. However, in order for us to receive the promises associated with God’s new covenant in Jesus we must first “pass through” the sacrificial blood of Jesus. We no longer need to walk through a stream of blood as they did thousands of years ago. Now, we REPENT of our sins, turn to God, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and ask Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jesus’ death bought our covenant life and freedom. How beautiful is God’s covenant!

Reflect:

May The Blessings of The New Covenant be your potion in Jesus name!

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Covenant Relationships!

"A Covenant Between Friends"

Scripture is clear that one of the most outstanding things about Christians should be their relationships. John 13:35 in the Amplified says “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.” The way we relate to others should be so lavishly loving and distinctly different than the way the rest of the world relates, that it automatically identifies us as disciples of Jesus. However, love for one another does not appear to be the predominant reputation of many Christians in our culture today. Love and covenant do not appear to bind us anymore. In generations gone by, people would make life-altering deals by a word and a handshake. Now, even a legally-binding contract is often not enough to keep a deal or relationship together. Our culture, even in the church, has too often been to look for the easy way out, a loophole in the agreement, or an excuse to not live up to the terms of an agreement. Our word is far too often no longer our bond. God does relationships differently. Regardless of the type of relationship, God does relationships based on COVENANTS not contracts, emotions, or preferences. For many, even the word covenant seems antiquated. The word covenant actually means to cut. Contracts are written, agreements are signed, but covenants are cut. So what in the world does cutting have to do with relationships? To say a relationship is based on covenant communicates how we operate in that relationship. When we see a relationship as a covenant, it means we would rather be “cut”, than for us to cut and run when things become difficult or do not go our way. However, many relationships today are based on shaky, shallow ground that encourages people to cut and run when things get difficult, rather than allowing our disagreements to cut away at our own sinfulness.

Read and Reflect:

As we meditate on this words, may God grant us revelation of COVENANT Relationships.

Blessings & Shalom!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Covenant, Not Contract!

"Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David” (Isaiah 55:3 nasb).

covenant is like a turbo promise. When God declared His covenant with His people, He was reminding them of His everlasting covenant love, His mercy and kindness. It is the Old Testament equivalent of grace. We have a covenant relationship with God, a relationship not contingent upon our conduct, because that’s what He decided. He is the covenant-making-and-keeping God. He is not a contract God, and the difference has eternal significance. If God was a contract God, when you act incorrectly or live sinfully the contract would be broken. But a covenant is a relationship that’s not dependent on performance. In this case, all the responsibility lies with the one participant who can keep the covenant—God Himself. “While failures may hurt fellowship, they don’t destroy covenant relationship.” Imagine you have an appointment with a dentist and decide not to keep it. When the dentist finds out, he won’t give you another thought and will just go on to the next patient. Or if you make a deal to sell your house, but suddenly your buyer walks away, the relationship is over. That’s how contracts work. A covenant is not a contract. When the Bible reveals God as a covenant God, it means He has entered into a relationship that cannot be changed by your behavior. If you’re saved by faith in His Son Jesus, God says in essence, I’m making a covenant commitment to you. I’m entering into a relationship with you that you can’t mess up in any way. And through the prophet Isaiah, He tells us what that looks like: “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.” Remember King David? His whole life was a testimony to God’s mercy—spared as a shepherd boy from being devoured by a lion, mauled by a bear, taken apart by a giant. As the successor to Israel’s throne, crazy King Saul chased David across the country trying to kill him. Again and again, God protected David's life in fulfillment of the covenant He had made (1 Samuel 24). David is the poster boy for a covenant relationship with God. Not even adultery and murder could put God’s covenant love to an end (Psalm 51). Get this: while failures may hurt fellowship, they don’t destroy covenant relationship. God has declared His unchanging partnership with you, His child, through a covenant. You are in relationship with One who is like no other, anywhere, anytime! Because of His covenant love—which Lamentations 3:23 promises is new every morning—God will forgive you in His mercy and satisfy you with His kindness. He lives in you and brings an absolute delight that you will never find apart from Him. Even though you may stumble in many ways (James 3:2), “Fear not.” Our God is the ultimate covenant keeper.

Reflect:

Pray:

Have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

BUILDING COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS!

What matters most in life is not what ladders we climb, churches we build, or possessions we accumulate. What matters most is relationship, more specifically, our COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS. A covenant relationship is one that you can accept or reject, but you can’t change it. Covenant relationships with God-given friendships are a vital part of every leader’s life. Covenant relationships take time, commitment, and godly character; they don’t just happen. True covenant relationships begin with a specific decision and continue as certain principles of integrity are respected and continually activated. God is adamant about covenant relationships. One example from the Bible of a covenant relationship is the one between David and Jonathan. 1 Samuel 20:1-42.

Every believer and leader should understand and glean from four clear principles exemplified in David and Jonathan’s relationship.

Being “knit” together is like being chained to one another. In nearly every language, friendship is considered to be the union of souls bound together by the band of love. Covenant relationships produce a sameness – as though one soul were in two bodies. To be knit together, the strands of God-centered belief need to be tied in place. There must be a mutual personal commitment to the relationship that includes a mutual respect, resulting in building the other person and not tearing down.

The purpose of a covenant is to guarantee that the relationship will remain healthy and will last. The covenant itself is a series of words that are spoken to define the nature of the relationship and the principles of commitment to it. When covenant is the foundation for relationships, the possibility of maintaining permanence and stability is greatly enhanced.

The generous soul gives not only what is valuable and suitable to the relationship, but also asks what is honorable. A “generous soul” attitude causes both people to pour out affirmation, encouragement, and words of greatness. It quickly promotes the other person over self. All relationships grow when the “generous soul” attitude is present.

Every relationship will have its times of testing, stretching, problems, and disruption. Outside pressures can be expected; however, we must handle these pressures wisely and successfully if we are to maintain true covenant relationships. We need to consistently protect the relationship by being faithful at all times with our words, attitudes, and actions.

Your leadership and your life will be much more fulfilling and fruitful when you have covenant relationships.

Have a Blessed Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

How to Receive the Grace of God!

"For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17 NLT, second edition)

In yesterday’s devotional we looked at the 10 great benefits of God’s grace in our lives. As you read those benefits, you may have wondered how you can receive that grace in your life. It would be tragic to discover all God wants to do in your life through his grace yet never accept it in your life. So how do you receive the grace of God in your life? The Bible gives an easy, three-word answer for how you can receive the grace of God: by trusting Christ. The Bible says in John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (NLT, second edition). God’s grace is entirely wrapped up in a person: Jesus. You can’t get it through religion or ritual. You can’t get it by following the rules. You get it through Jesus. God’s grace is free. You simply need to accept it. But let me be very clear: God’s grace is not cheap. It cost Jesus his life. Grace is the most expensive commodity there is. Jesus died on the cross to pay for it.

Jesus’ death on the cross accomplished three things in our lives:

Reflect:

May The Grace of God Continue to abound in your life.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Ten Ways We Rely on God’s Grace!

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:13 NLT)

As Christians, we tend to think about grace when it’s connected to our salvation. But grace is about much more than just how we come to Christ. Our entire Christian walk must be fueled by the grace of God. We can do nothing in him or for him that doesn’t ultimately come from his grace. The Bible says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT, second edition).

In fact, grace brings 10 great benefits to our lives:

God’s grace is real and powerful in our lives. You might look at all these benefits and wonder, “How do I receive God’s grace?” God’s grace is FREE. You simply need to accept it.

May The GRACE of God be with you.

Have a Blessed Weekend!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Grace, Mercy and Peace!

Today's Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-2(NIV)

To Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Bless the Lord, . . . who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. —Psalm 103:1,4

The words grace and peace are found in all of Paul’s greetings in his New Testament letters to the churches. And in his letters to Timothy and Titus, he also includes mercy: “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Tim. 1:2). Let’s examine each of these words. Grace is what our holy God gives that we, as sinful people, don’t deserve. In Acts 17:25, we learn that “He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” His gifts include our very next breath. Even in our darkest hour, strength is given by God so that we can endure. Mercy is what God withholds that we do deserve. In Lamentations 3:22, we read, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed.” Even when we’re wayward, God gives time and help for us to turn back to Him. Peace is what God brings to His people. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). Even in the worst of times, we have inner tranquillity because our God is in control. We can be encouraged that throughout our lives the Lord will give us the grace, mercy, and peace we need to live for Him.

Reflect & Meditate:

I Declare The Immeasurable, the Inexhaustible and the Inexpressible Grace, Mercy and Peace of God Over Your Life in Jesus Name....Amen

Have a Glorious Day!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Experiencing The PEACE of God!

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:5-7

Notice the two areas of peaceful protection we can expect from our Heavenly Father: our hearts and our minds. God will guard those two parts of us, eighteen inches apart, which seem to conspire against us. If our hearts are troubled, it won’t be long before our minds will be in turmoil. If our thoughts are headed in the wrong direction, our hearts will soon follow. But God’s peace, the assurance of His control, can guard both heart and mind no matter what we are facing. Right now, there are Christians going through unbelievable things with God’s peace. Their assurance in the face of evil and pain is a testimony that brings glory to God, for it is clear to those watching that something which surpasses all understanding is going on. These Christians are getting supernatural help! Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they are in the furnace, but they are still walking around. Almost 700 years before Paul wrote to the Philippians, Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were living out this passage in the face of great opposition. They were rejoicing in the Lord always, letting their reasonableness be known to everyone, recognizing the Lord was at hand, and experiencing the peace that far surpassed King Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding. That is, until he saw how God showed up in the furnace! Think of those young Jewish men standing near a roaring furnace, knowing they were about to be fed to the flames (see Daniel 3:8–30). They weren’t sure they wouldn’t die. Their peace came from being sure that no matter what happened, God would deliver them. No doubt you long for that calm confidence in your heart. But do you believe that no matter what you are going through, God is in control and working all things for your good? Peace is easy to understand when everything is going well, but not so easy when circumstances get hard. God’s peace is always available, and He wants you to rest in it—especially in seasons of darkness and difficulty. The peace that surpasses all understanding is one of the best gifts God has to give! Remember, you don’t get to choose your furnaces. But you can choose to live rejoicing in the Lord. You can choose to get along with others and practice anxiety-free days as you turn everything over to God with thanksgiving. Even if you don’t fully understand how to go through challenges with a calm, quiet confidence, this will not prohibit God’s ability to give you the gift of peace. And that peace is a powerful way to draw others to the God who has graciously given it.

Reflect:

Pray:

May The PEACE of God be with you.

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Stay Focused!

Today's Scripture: HEBREWS‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].” ‭‭ Life is not a 50-yard dash; it is a marathon. I want you to make it to the finish line. The only way to do that is to focus on Jesus, not your circumstances. As Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” To endure the unendurable you must see the invisible – Jesus. In dog obedience training, they put a dog at one end of a room and its master at the other end of the room, with a plate of food in the middle. And then the master calls the dog. If the dog eyes the food, he’s a goner; he’ll go straight for it. So they teach the dog to focus his eyes on the master. If the dog keeps his eyes on the master, he won’t be tempted. Instead of heading for the food, he’ll head straight to the master. You need to keep your eyes on your master or you’ll get distracted. Get your mind off your circumstances and your problems and focus on God’s goodness to you in your past, his closeness to you in your present and his power to help you in your future. Do what Jonah did as he sat in the belly of the great fish: “When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord” (Jonah 2:7 LB). If you find yourself at a point where you’ve lost hope and you think you’re never going to get a job, or you’re never going to get married, or you’re never going to have a baby, or you’re never going to get over your illness, or you're never going to finish your education, turn your thoughts to the Lord and focus on him. “Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” ‭‭HEBREWS‬ ‭12:3‬ ‭AMP‬‬.

Have a Blessed Monday, Shalom!

The Road to Emmaus

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked & discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up & walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him.” (Luke 24:13-16) How could it be that these two disciples, having been with Jesus during the years of his public ministry, did not recognize Him after he had risen from the dead? What kept them from recognizing Him? It could have been that their grief-stricken state overwhelmed them. Perhaps they were preoccupied with unanswered questions. Yet, Jesus walked beside them. As they spoke, He opened the meaning of all the Scriptures to them. Still, their eyes were not opened to who He was until suppertime that evening. The simple gesture when He broke bread to eat with them – a gesture known to them, brought them the needed recognition. The One who had been broken for them in all ways, helped them to see with new eyes that He was their risen Lord. Christ gently companioned these two disciples on that road to Emmaus. Daily, He is such a companion to us. Yet, our eyes can become blinded by our challenges or we can get sidetracked when we focus on what we cannot understand. We often falter when it comes to turning quickly to the One beside us who does understand it all. I love this Emmaus story. It helps us remember Christ’s patience when walking beside us during the times we feel overwhelmed. He knows when to open our eyes. Does that mean we'll have all the answers we seek? No. Yet, we have known peace in having him close or in recalling Scriptures that encourage us. At times we have known understanding. Christ endured brokenness so that we can now walk with him. This reality truly gets our eyes opened. All else can fall into place, or not, as we walk on the road that leads Home.

Prayer: Lord, as I walk with you "Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth that you have for me.” Amen.

May ALL fall into place as you walk on the road that leads Home.

Have a Blessed Weekend, Shalom!

The Power of Prayer!

Today's Scripture: (Matthew 7:7-11)

Jesus knew the importance of prayer and practiced it regularly. He often slipped away from the crowds to commune with God. Then He would receive the guidance and strength necessary to carry on His Father's work. In teaching about the power of prayer, Jesus promised us that God will always answer. He used three words to help us pray effectively: Ask—We are to come to God with our requests. In doing so, we are acknowledging both our need and God's ability to meet it. Jesus assures us that every request will be granted in accordance with our Father's best for us and others. Seek—Sometimes the Lord asks us to get involved in the situation about which we are praying. For example, we may be petitioning for Him to help us find a new job. He wants us not only to seek His wisdom and guidance but also to take practical steps to discover what's available. When we obey His directions, God promises to provide the answer. Knock—In carrying out the Father's plan, we'll encounter obstacles along the way. For us to overcome them, sustained and persistent praying may be required. Knocking implies a level of force being applied so that a door will open. Once God presents the solution, we need no longer ask. When He opens up a path, we should walk on it. Prayer accomplishes much (James 5:16). It engages the Lord in people's personal lives as well as in the affairs of government. It is the way we experience oneness with our Father and receive the essentials needed to carry out His work. “be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” ‭‭1 THESSALONIANS‬ ‭5:17-18‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Have a Blessed Day!

Spiritual Warfare!

Just how powerful is praise and worship?

When we worship God we can receive a word of prophesy as worship takes us behind the veil, or we can receive revelation from God about a situation or problem we've been having. The Bible tells us that when the Kings of Israel, Judea and Edom went to war against Moab they found themselves in a situation as they were in the wilderness or dessert for seven days and didn’t have any water. Of course they started to worry and the King of Israel started to think of death. However, Jehoshaphat, who was a servant of God immediately thought about getting the help of God so he asked if there were any prophets of God they could consult and he learnt about Elijah. Before Elijah could receive a Word from God he asked for a minstrel or harpist to play and while the harpist played the hand of the Lord came on Elijah and he prophesied unto them of the Lord’s deliverance. (2 Kings 3: 15-19). Because worship takes us behind the veil, the Lord will speak to us or reveal to us his will about a particular situation or give you REVELATION about a scripture or problem you are facing.

One of the first thing the enemy does when we are facing difficulties or going through trials, is to play with your mind as our mind is where the battle is either won or lost. That is why the Bible says that the weapons God has given us are not of this world, they are not carnal, weak or powerless but they are powerful spiritual weapons given to us by God to “…demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”– 2 Corinthians 10:5

The Bible tell us that when King Saul was tormented by an evil spirit (1 Samuel 16:14) – that is what happens when the Spirit of God leaves you, the door is open for the spirit of depression and torment- they sent for David who was an anointed worshipper and when he played the harp under the anointing Saul received his deliverance (1 Samuel 16:23). I want you to understand that there are spirits of depression, stress, spirit of heaviness and so forth that will attack a Child of God, but we can be delivered from the oppression of the enemy through our worship. The enemy seeks to bring you under his yoke and if he gets the opportunity he will use any weapon available to oppress you at your job, home, your rest and your peace of mind. As we wear the garment of praise we receive deliverance from the spirit of heaviness, doubt, fear, unbelief and we are filled with strength, faith, boldness and power. We do not have to live defeated, but we can live a victorious life. Praise and worship is one of the most powerful weapon God has given us against the enemy. When we worship God even demons tremble and yokes began to be broken. That's why the Lord's Prayer starts with worship and ends with worship! Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be thy name. (Worship). For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever, AMEN.(Worship)

Have a Victorious Day in the Lord!

Pastor Philip Mwonga

Spiritual Warfare.

Understanding the Breakthrough Power of Worship!

I can’t remember how many times I have felt like God was a million miles away and then, in an instant, I recognized that He was closer than the air I breathe. The Bible says in Psalm 22:3 that He actually lives and dwells in our praises. This is the mystery and the miracle of the breakthrough power and presence of God when we worship! When we worship, we affirm the truth of God’s Word, and it is being rooted deep in our hearts. Worship is how we allow God to fight our battles for us. You may be familiar with the story of Jehoshaphat. Second Chronicles 20:22 says, “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (NIV). What a strange battle plan–but the result was that the Lord won the battle for them! There is something inherent in the act of worship that enables us to encounter the power of God like nothing else. It is not effective to simply tell someone to stop worrying; stop being proud; stop being self-consumed, distracted, insecure, bound and materialistic. But it is effective to tell them to start worshiping. When we make that decision to fix our eyes on Jesus, we quickly realize that God has already begun to release the grip these tendencies can have on our lives. Worship is a declaration of our weakness and God’s strength. I challenge you in your next point of need to make that hard choice to be a worshiper and let the breakthrough God fight your battle for you. When we worship, the invisible God is at work doing invisible and powerful things. We get realigned, refreshed and refueled; we find unspeakable joy and indescribable peace. We discover the breakthrough strength of God, which enables us to walk in the truth, live in His presence and see Him fight our battles for us. It is how we can put the beauty of the Gospel on display, receive His many blessings and at the same time be a blessing to the world.

Have a Victorious Day in the Lord!

Spiritual Warfare.

Worship and Warfare:

Today's Scripture: (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT)

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. Thoughts for Today! Nearly everyone is aware of the military conflicts taking place around the world. We hear about them on the nightly news . . . see reports on the Internet . . . read journalistic reports in newspapers and magazines. We may even know of someone serving in the military. However, there is another kind of warfare. A kind that affects everyone but that not as many people are aware of. Spiritual warfare. Consider this … The New Testament was written against a background of spiritual warfare. The early Christians knew their walk with Christ was a walk through a battlefield. Paul says things like "be a good soldier" and "fight the fight of faith." The Bible refers to the devil as our adversary. Today's Scripture describes spiritual warfare. It involves spiritual issues like human reasoning versus trusting God's wisdom and false arguments versus the truth in God's Word. It involves dealing with the temptations and discouragement the devil bombards us with. This Scripture passage also clarifies the weapons that will give us victory. Not our own clever ideas. Not the bombers and guns and other weapons of military conflict. We can only be victorious when we depend fully on God and use his mighty weapons. This week we will look at one of his most powerful weapons: WORSHIP! Prayer: Father, help me be more aware of the spiritual conflicts in my life and in the lives of those I care about. Teach me to trust you and your power rather than trying to fight those conflicts on my own. In Jesus' name . . .

Have a Victorious Day in the Lord.

Every Step to Calvary Was LOVE.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us. (1 John 3:16) The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. “When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.” Therefore, to feel the love of Christ in the laying down of his life, it helps to see how utterly intentional it was. Look at what Jesus said just after that violent moment when Peter tried to cleave the skull of the servant, but only cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:52–54) It is one thing to say that the details of Jesus’s death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled. That is what Jesus said he was doing in Matthew 26:54. “I could escape this misery, but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” In other words, I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place for my people to be saved. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the word of God. It is my choice — every step of the way — to love my people to the uttermost. And I want them to feel this. And be utterly secure and free and radically different from the world. Every Calvary Step Was Love. LOVE Chose You & I.

Have a Glorious Passover Weekend.

Have You Felt Forsaken by God?

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) We can hear the anguish in Christ’s cry from the cross. I have felt that kind of despair in my own life. Though God will never literally forsake me, I have felt forsaken, abandoned, betrayed by those I loved. I have questioned where God was in my pain. And I have wondered what good could ever come from my suffering. Because of the cross, we who have felt that pain, who live with unanswered questions and sleepless nights, can unreservedly rejoice at Easter. Out of the worst evil imaginable, the sinless Son of God on the cross, God brought about the greatest good ever known. Feeling Forsaken Easter is a stunning reminder of Genesis 50:20, that what man means for evil, God means for good "Out of the worst evil imaginable, God brought about the greatest good ever known.” Easter Sunday reminds me that God’s perspective is infinitely greater than mine. Much of what is really happening is unseen. While it may look otherwise in the moment, Satan will never be victorious and evil cannot win. God always has the last word. What Satan means for evil, God means for good. Always. So if you feel forsaken and have no idea where to turn or what to do, trust that God is using that very struggle. If life looks like a hopeless mess and every day is a fight to survive, trust that God will one day gloriously prevail. And when he has, when you are on the other side, trust that God will have done an incomparable work in your soul. Then you will have learned how to rely, truly rely, on God who brings beauty from ashes. Your life and walk with him will be more beautiful than you ever imagined. And somehow, through your pain, you will be transformed. And when you are, when you see how God has changed you, you will never want to go back to the way you were before. You will understand that nothing can thwart God’s plans for you. What now appears to be evil will result in your eternal joy. And the staggering triumph of Easter will fall afresh on you.

Have a Blessed day.

The Power Of Passover!

Second to saving the world at Calvary, I think that the Passover miracle is God’s favourite. He talks about it often in scripture, and made Passover month the beginning of the whole year (Exodus 12:2). He even defines himself by the event: At the beginning of the ten commandments he introduces himself like this: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery”. He used to call himself “The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob”, or “I AM” up to this point… But “The One who brought you out of Egypt” is what he calls himself repeatedly from the Exodus onwards, literally hundreds of times. God is passionate about the whole Passover saga, and the more we dig into the story, the more we discover that it’s full of rich beauty, meaning and power… The Passover miracle is recalled with wonder throughout many of the Psalms, and although many Jewish people see Sinai as the defining moment of the Old Testament, I would venture to say that God sees the Passover as the cornerstone of the story of Israel. As will be explained below, it is the moment in history when the Jewish race became the Jewish faith. Plus, it is a huge neon sign pointing to the coming release which would be bought with the blood of another spotless lamb – our saviour Jesus. The God of Freedom! I love the fact that our God is all about freedom; he freely gave everyone freedom to choose at every stage in the Passover story described in the book of Exodus. Even though he famously hardened Pharaoh’s heart, it was after some serious choices on Pharaoh’s part to harden his own heart first[1]. God just consolidated his free choice. He also gave freedom to his people, Israel, about whether to go along with the plan or not. They were not rescued from the Angel of Death by force – he gave an “opt in” clause: to have death pass over your house, you must sacrifice a lamb and daub its blood on your doorframe. This was an act of faith. It was an active response to a command of God, which had a promise… and all who believed it was true and acted accordingly were saved. That means that those who escaped from Egypt had freely chosen to obey God and follow him by faith – not just because of their ancestry. This is the moment that the people of Israel became a faith community. As we mentioned, the ten commandments are introduced by God’s reminder that he loves to set slaves free, and the very first command when he subsequently lays down the rest of the Torah is this: “These are the laws you are to set before them: If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.” (Exodus 21:1-2). What a strange subject with which to start a new code of government, spiritual life and ethics! But God is determined that his people should not be in slavery – they should be free. This is the message of Passover. That is what the exodus was all about. God is serious about making his people free.

Shalom!

The Power Of The Cross!

Romans 1:16-17 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." The scene of the cross is a paradox. It demonstrates the power of God in what appears to be the weakest moment of His Son’s life. With hands and feet nailed to rough wood, Jesus looked totally helpless. Adding to that impression was the fact that He remained there while the crowd jeered, “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). Strength is not always revealed in a dramatic display; at times, it’s demonstrated in determined endurance. What power held Jesus on that cross, when with one spoken word He could have been free? It was divine love that kept Him there. With mankind’s eternal destiny at stake, Christ hung on the cross until our salvation was secured. But the power of the cross didn’t end when Jesus finally finished His suffering, gave up His spirit, and died. His death thrust open the door of salvation to all people—those who walk through it by faith are forgiven for every sin and ensured a place in heaven. Yet even after salvation, the power of the cross continues in believers’ lives. Millions of people have been transformed as a result of the Savior’s victory over sin and death. He sets us free from sinful habits and addictions, empowering us to live victoriously in His righteousness. Have you let the cross do its work in your life? The Lord does not force its benefits on anyone. Rather, He offers them freely to all who will believe in Him and walk in His ways. With each step of faith that we take, the mighty work of God in us increases.

Have a Blessed Day!