TRUST

BUT SHE TRUSTED GOD

Ruth in the Old Testament was possibly at the lowest point in her life just before she met Boaz. All the natural factors were against her. She was a poor widow and a Moabitess—a Gentile in the Jewish nation of Israel.
But she trusted God for favor when she went looking for a field to glean in. She said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor” (Ruth 2:2).

Noticed what Ruth was conscious of? Favor! She wasn’t conscious of her natural circumstances that were against her. And because of that, her situation was turned around completely.

The Bible tells us that she happened to come to the part of the field that belonged to Boaz. And to cut the long story short, Boaz saw Ruth, fell in love with her and married her.

Beloved, when you approach your situation today, be conscious of the Lord’s favor that is all over you! His favor will cause you to be at the right place at the right time, and say the right things at the right time, turning the negative situations in your life around and giving you good success!
 

 

 

COURAGE

THE REWARD IS SET IN PLACE :

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” – (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV)

Have you ever thought about the fact that a reward is put into place before anyone ever claims it? Right now, there are rewards for certain fugitives on the loose. That money is already in a fund just waiting for someone to step up and claim it. All a person has to do is find the fugitive, and the money will be released.

In the same way, God has a reward that has already been set in place for you and me, too. It’s just waiting to be released. But, there are conditions to that reward as well. God says, “If you will just seek Me, I will give you the reward. If you will just make an effort to please Me, if you will just get up in the morning and thank Me, if you will just read the scripture, I’ll pour out My blessing.” You may not understand it all, but God says, “That’s okay. I will give you the reward because your heart is in the right place, and you are making the effort.”

Today, there is nothing more important that seeking God in all your ways. When you go about your day, keep Him on your mind. Talk to Him and ask for His direction. Seek Him because you will find Him and find peace, abundance, joy and victory all the days of your life

LIVING AND RESTING IN HIS GRACE

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. – Proverbs 3:5–6, AMP

Depending on the Lord’s grace and resting in His finished work does not mean doing nothing. Just look at Apostle Paul, who lived by God’s grace. He saw first-hand how a revelation of God’s grace turned him into the effective and hardworking apostle that he was (1 Corinthians 15:10).

How do we rest in the Lord and still find ourselves effectively doing what we need to do? It’s simple—just do what you ought to do, but do it trusting in the Lord’s favor, not in your smarts or careful planning. Whatever you need to do today, do it with an inward rest, without worrying or fretting, knowing that He loves you, is in charge and is for you.

For example, let’s say that you’ve got a job interview coming up. First, commit the matter to the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom and favor. Then, prepare for the interview—read up on the company. On the day of the interview, dress appropriately and go for it, all the while having an inward rest as you trust the Lord for His wisdom and favor. As you do what’s needed, He will guide you and empower you to do what’s really needful and right. He’ll also give you favor with your interviewers.

Beloved, rest in His grace today and let the Lord lead you to good success!

COURAGE WITH COLD FEET

‘Benaiah…went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.’ 2 Samuel 23:20 NIV

Benaiah was one of King David’s ‘mighty men’. His résumé reads: ‘Benaiah…was a valiant fighter… He…went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.’ That’s what is called ‘courage with cold feet’. The greatest courage of all is showing courage in the face of fear. Someone said, ‘Courage is just fear that has said its prayers.’ When you know you have heard clearly from God, you are filled with faith in that moment. It puts steel in your spine. But then, as you move out in faith, you encounter the lions of fear. ‘What if this doesn’t work? What if I fail? What will people say?’ Suddenly you’re having an attack of the ‘what ifs’.

Mark Twain said, ‘Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.’ You have to decide whether you’re going to become a warrior-or a worrier. There’s no middle ground. When you’re faced with a health crisis, a family crisis or a financial crisis, you either choose to stand on God’s Word and fight, or give in to worry. This side of Heaven we will never fully understand why bad things happen to good people. But we know that God is good-all the time!

So when bad things happen, you will either give in to fear and allow it to destroy your peace and well-being, or you will become a warrior armed with God’s Word and rise up against it. When fear threatens to engulf your mind, stand up with the Psalmist and say, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’ (Psalm 56:3 NKJV)

DON’T BE JUDGMENT-FOCUSED :

…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them… – 2 Corinthians 5:19

On which two ancient cities did God rain brimstone and fire? If your answer is Sodom and Gomorrah, you are right. But if you think that God was all eager to destroy the two cities, you are wrong!

God wasn’t willing at all. He was not on a sin hunt. He was on a righteousness hunt so that He could spare the cities. (Genesis 18:23–32) And I believe that if Abraham had asked God, “What if You can find just one righteous man?” God’s answer would have been the same: “I will not destroy the place for the sake of one righteous man.”

Today, the righteousness of one Man — Jesus — has come. Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us!

Therefore, no judgment will fall on you today because it fell on Jesus 2,000 years ago at Calvary. And if God was gracious enough to remove Lot and his family before the judgment fell (Genesis 19:12–22), how much more will He do for you who are no longer under judgment!

And because God does not judge you, don’t be like Lot’s wife, who became a pillar of salt when she turned around to look at the brimstone and fire. (Genesis 19:24–26) She wanted to see God’s judgment, even though the angels had warned, “Don’t look back, lest you be destroyed.” (Genesis 19:17)

So don’t be judgment-focused and look back at the sins you have committed. God is not against you. He is for you and on your side. He remembers that He has already judged and punished your sins in the body of His Son. And because He is faithful to His Son and to what His Son has done, He will never judge or punish you. Any trouble that you might have today is not from Him. But He will show you a way of escape because He is on your side. He loves you and has your best interests at heart.

Beloved, God is not out to get you. He is out to bless you. And He wants you blessed more than you can ever ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)

Thought For The Day :
Don’t be judgment-focused because God is not against you. He is for you and on your side.

A VITAL NECESSITY :

“Set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God…” – (1 Chronicles 22:19 AMP)

What things do you consider a vital necessity in your life? In other words, what can’t you live without? Most people would immediately think of food, water and shelter; but in reality, we can’t really live unless our minds and hearts are set on seeking the Lord. Sure, you can exist without seeking Him, but you are called to more than just mere existence. You are called to live…to thrive…to enjoy your life abundantly! The good news is that you have complete control over what you set your mind and heart on. You decide what you think about.

I encourage you today; set your mind and heart on seeking the Lord! Write down your favorite scriptures and commit them to memory. Whenever you can, think about those verses. Meditate on God and His infinite love. Make a habit of seeking Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

When you require the Lord as a vital necessity, you will truly enjoy living the abundant life He has in store for you!

THERE IS A FRIEND

The Lord  is a Friend, Redeemer and Deliverer
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

“The children of Israel were oppressed, Along with the children of Judah;  All who took them captive have held them fast;  They have refused to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; The LORD of hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their case, That He may give rest to the land, And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. Jeremiah 5-“34

Jesus Christ is the  friend who loves at all times, who sticks closer than a brother and is born for adversity. He Himself having suffered, being tempted, is able to aid those who are tempted. He who was  made like His brethren, is the  merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. He is the strength and high tower for His people. He is their shield and great reward and wisdom. He is all that they need.

There is no God besides Him and there is no other Rock like Him. He is the Redeemer of His people and the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Himself. He is the Lord their God, who teaches them to profit and who leads them  by the way they should go. He is the one who says:

Thus says the LORD:  “In an acceptable time I have heard You,  And in the day of salvation I have helped You;  I will preserve You and give You  As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth,  To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;  That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’  To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’  “They shall feed along the roads,  And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.  They shall neither hunger nor thirst,  Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;

For He who has mercy on them will lead them,  Even by the springs of water He will guide them.  I will make each of My mountains a road,  And My highways shall be elevated.  Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west,  And these from the land of Sinim.”  Sing, O heavens!  Be joyful, O earth!  And break out in singing, O mountains!  For the LORD has comforted His people,  And will have mercy on His afflicted. Isaiah 49:8-17

He is the one who has saved, healed, preserved, and delivered His true ones. So that they may restore the earth, to cause them to  inherit the desolate heritages. To cause them to set His people free. His poor and afflicted people who say:

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.”  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget,  Yet I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;  Your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste;  Your destroyers and those who laid you waste  Shall go away from you. Isaiah 49:8-17

God will never leave, fail nor forsake His people. They might by their own choices and actions leave Him but He will never, never leave them. He is always for and with and not against them. As a matter of fact He the strong and might one made an irrevocable promise:

When the enemy comes in like a flood,  The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.  “The Redeemer will come to Zion,  And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,”  Says the LORD. Isaiah 59:19-20

He still is the God who spoke to Moses and said to him:

“I am the LORD. “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. “I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. “And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

“Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. ‘I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ‘And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’ ” So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage. Exodus 6;2-9

This is what God wants to do for each one of His children. To establish His covenant with them. To bring them out under the burdens of the world. To rescue them from their bondage. To redeem them with an outstretched arm and great judgments. To take them as His people and to be their God. To bring them into the promised land of plenty and abundance so that they might know that He is the Lord. All His people have to do is to ask Him to do it for them.

For He is still the one the LORD their  God who goes with them  to fight for them against their  enemies, to save them and to give them victory. His word is always true for His true ones:

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,  Who rides the heavens to help you,  And in His excellency on the clouds.  The eternal God is your refuge,  And underneath are the everlasting arms;  He will thrust out the enemy from before you,  And will say, ‘Destroy!’  Then Israel shall dwell in safety,  The fountain of Jacob alone,  In a land of grain and new wine;  His heavens shall also drop dew. Happy are you, O Israel!  Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,  The shield of your help  And the sword of your majesty!  Your enemies shall submit to you,  And you shall tread down their high places.” Deuteronomy 33:26-29

For the Lord who had delivered David  from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul wants to do the same for all of His children so that they may say:

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation,  My stronghold and my refuge;  My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.  ‘When the waves of death surrounded me,  The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.  The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;  The snares of death confronted me.  In my distress I called upon the LORD,  And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple,  And my cry entered His ears. “Then the earth shook and trembled;  The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,  Because He was angry. 2 Samuel 22:2-8

But that is not all for God not only wants to be the shield, horn of their salvation, their stronghold and refuge but He wants to be their deliverer about whom David said:,

“The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.  He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered, At the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of His nostrils. “He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; For they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. Deuteronomy 22:14-20

God will do these things for those who a righteous, who hands are clean, merciful and pure,  are blameless before Him and keep themselves from their iniquity. For His word states:

“The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness;  According to the cleanness of my hands  He has recompensed me.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.  For all His judgments were before me;  And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.  I was also blameless before Him,  And I kept myself from my iniquity.  Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in His eyes.  “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;  With the pure You will show Yourself pure;  And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.  You will save the humble people;  But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down. Deuteronomy 22:14-28

Those who are haughty, deceiving, conniving, arrogant, proud, unrighteous, impure and not blameless will not find deliverance in the day of their calamity. For they have failed to understand the words of Jesus who stated:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  Matthew 7:21-27

The path God has for His true ones is a sure and steady path. It is full of victories, miracles and blessings. He will move rapidly on their  behalf. He will change history just for them. He will move every mountain out and cast it in the sea just for them because they  are so precious to Him. They are not to  be afraid or concerned in the least little bit. For God will come through for them.

The enemy will not have them and the storms of life will not destroy them. They can  watch and see His deliverance for them. He has it in the palm of His  hands and He will not stop until it is completed. His word is true:

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,  And my Lord has forgotten me.”  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Surely they may forget,  Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;  Your walls are continually before Me.  Your sons shall make haste;  Your destroyers and those who laid you waste  Shall go away from you.  Lift up your eyes, look around and see;  All these gather together and come to you.  As I live,” says the LORD,  “You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament,  And bind them on you as a bride does.  “For your waste and desolate places, And the land of your destruction, Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;  And those who swallowed you up  will be far away. Isaiah 49:14-19

He is the Great Creator.

There is no other like Him.
The earth is full of the Creator’s spoken Words.
Not one Word will go void.
Not one syllable will go unanswered.
Not one letter will be left without another.
The Power in His Words will go on forever.

All man needs is in those precious words.
But man must step up to the plate and Work at learning them.
He must study, rehearse and digest them.
Then He will be full of the Beauty of the Lord.
Then He will be Full of His Person and Power.
The Choice is a daily one—Warrior or wimp.

The enemy will never stop his vigilance.
He is busy intimidating and belittling each person.
He is mocking and laughing and saying he knows better.
He is sure of his way and questions God’s Word is faithful.
He pretends friendship and mixes a little truth with his lies.
He tells you God can’t change circumstance and doesn’t love you.
If this trick doesn’t work then he tells you your better than everyone else.
Either way he has you.

Be careful my friend, the enemy is sly.
He is devious and persuasive.
You can depend on him to lie to you.
If you feel too small or too important then you know you have a problem.
Just surrender it to the Lord and He will take care of it.
Your power lies in a person.
His name is–Jesus Christ.

Your strength lies in trusting the promises in the Word.
Your courage lies in knowing what you have been called to do.
Your wisdom lies in listening to His Voice in your inner man.
Your freedom lies in the liberty that knowing the truth can bring.
Your position lies in recognizing you are merely a humble servant.
And your health lies in a deep relationship only With the LORD!

So surrender,
Study,
Walk,
Talk,
Exercise!

 

BETRAYERS

With every passing year, what Jesus said, “This will be a time for you to bear testimony.  Settle it therefore in your own minds not to meditate before hand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up (betrayed) even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you hey will put you to death; you will be hated by all for my names’ sake.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  By your endurance you will gain your life” (Lk. 21: 13 – 19).  Let the Lord deal with your betrayers  Turn them over to Jesus because Paul quoting God wrote, “Beloved never avenge yourself, but  leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Lev. 19: 18; Heb. 10: 30).  Jesus will deal with them.  But, you must also remember that you are a member of a greater family, Jesus’ family, the family of God.  We have all had problems with natural family members as well as so-called Christian family members.  But, the more you serve Jesus, the more you will be attacked and betrayed.

THE LAST WORD

PEOPLE PERISH

Proverb 29:18 says,”Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

The poorest person reading this today is not someone without money, it’s somebody without a vision. Let me say this. If you want to do something for God, you must have a vision.

You can go to Bible seminary, speak Greek and Hebrew, and have the ability to translate the Bible from its original languages. You can teach, preach, witness, sing, and strive in the ministry. But if you don’t have a vision, you won’t get anywhere.

You may say, “Well, I haven’t done so bad.” But the truth of the matter is, whatever you accomplished in your own strength doesn’t even compare to what you can accomplish when you have a vision of what God wants you to do.

THE END OF YOUR DROUGHT :

You, O God, sent a plentiful rain… – Psalm 68:9, NKJV

Every person goes through times of drought, or dry seasons, when we don’t see the changes we hoped for. We’ve got big dreams, we’re standing on God’s promises, but things stay the same. It’s dry and barren. Maybe you are blessed in one area and in a drought in another. It’s easy to think, “This is the way it’s always going to be. I’ll always have this struggle.” No, in 2014 that drought is coming to an end. Any area of brokenness, dryness, loneliness, every empty place, if you will stay in faith, God is going to rain down favor, healing, and restoration.

We declare that this year, you are going to see an abundance of rain! Every drought is only temporary. That dry season is not going to last forever. Struggle and lack is not your destiny. It’s temporary. Rain is headed your way! Declare it by faith, “Father, thank You that the drought is ending and the rain is coming; and in 2014, I will see an abundance of Your goodness in my life!

MAKE HIS WORD THE LAST WORD :

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. – Revelation 1:8

Jesus is the beginning and the ending. He is the Almighty. When He told us that in the Book of Revelation, He wasn’t just giving us a general piece of information about Himself. He was giving us a powerful truth we can apply now, today!

Let me show you how. He said He is the beginning. So no matter what challenge or situation you may be facing right now, you need to start with Him. John 1:1 says Jesus is the Word. That means, if you’re going to start with Jesus, you’re going to start with the Word. Don’t do anything until you find out what the Word has to say about it.

Then, stay on the Word. As Colossians 1:23 says, “Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard.”

Continue in the faith. The only way the devil can defeat you is to pressure you into throwing away the Word. Everything he does, every challenge he brings you is intended to make you doubt the Word of God. So don’t let go of the Word, no matter what may happen. Settle it with God in prayer and stay with it forever. It is written!

Then end with the Word. Jesus said He was the first and the last. That means the word of your doctor is not the last word. Even the word of your pastor is not the last word. The Word of Jesus is the last Word!

Remember this: You are now what the Word says you are. You can do what the Word says you can do. And you can have what the Word says you can have. Begin to believe that. Begin to say it out loud in faith.

Now shout the victory. Yes, now! You don’t have to wait to see the outcome to celebrate. You have Jesus’ Word on the matter, so you know beyond any doubt that your breakthrough is coming. Once you’ve settled yourself on Him, you can be assured that He will have the last word!

PRECIOUS IN GOD’S EYES

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. —Psalm 116:15

In response to the news that a mutual friend of ours had died, a wise brother who knew the Lord sent me these words, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Ps. 116:15). Our friend’s vibrant faith in Jesus Christ was the dominant characteristic of his life, and we knew he was home with God in heaven. His family had that assurance as well, but I had been focused only on their sorrow. And it’s appropriate to consider others during their grief and loss.

But the verse from Psalms turned my thoughts to how the Lord saw the passing of our friend. Something “precious” is something of great value. Yet, there is a larger meaning here. There is something in the death of a saint that transcends our grief over their absence.

“Precious (important and no light matter) in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (His loving ones)” (The Amplified Bible). Another paraphrase says, “His loved ones are very precious to him and he does not lightly let them die” (The Living Bible). God is not flippant toward death. The marvel of His grace and power is that, as believers, our loss of life on earth also brings great gain.

Today we have only a glimpse. One day we’ll understand it in the fullness of His light.

So when my last breath
Shall rend the veil in twain
By death I shall escape from death
And life eternal gain.

Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death.

A NEW THING

GET GOD’S OPINION! 

‘Don’t let anyone look down on you because…’ 1 Timothy 4:12NIV

Try as you may, you will never fulfil a dream that is not your own. Stop and think about your personal history. How have your plans, goals and desires been influenced by others? Is it possible your dreams are the result of who your parents think you are? Who think you are? Who you wish you were? Or are they the result of who you really are and what God meant you to be? You will live the life for which God created you, only after you figure this out. When a dream is right for you and you are right for a dream, the two cannot be separated from each other. TS Eliot said, ‘Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure it is what you want.’ Paul told Timothy, ‘Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.’ Evidently certain people in the early church thought Timothy was too young and inexperienced to be in leadership. But Paul thought differently; and so did God. Cecil G. Osborne writes, ‘The young child has no clear picture of himself. He sees himself only in the mirror of his parents’ evaluation of himself… A child who’s told repeatedly that he is a bad boy, or is lazy, or no good, or stupid, or shy, or clumsy will tend to act out this picture which the parent or some other authority figure has given him.’ Let God, and God alone, tell you who you are and what you should do. Get His opinion, for in the end it’s the only one that counts!

Death and life are in the power of the tongue… – Proverbs 18:21

CALL FORTH WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE

When God saw darkness covering the waters, He said, “Let there be light,” and light existed. When Jesus saw a man’s withered hand, He said, “Stretch out your hand.” The man stretched it out and found it made whole.

Beloved, speak the good that you want to see, and not the bad that you may see in your circumstances. Instead of seeing yourself jobless, see yourself with a great job and call it forth. Say, “Because I’m God’s beloved, He will provide me with a fantastic job.” Then, start sending out those résumés!

Perhaps you want to get married. Instead of seeing yourself single for the rest of your life, see yourself having a wonderful marriage and call it forth. Say, “Because God favors me, I can’t wait to meet my life partner!” Then, trust the Lord to lead and position you to meet the right person!

Speak good over yourself because you know that God is for you, and step into the good plans that He has for you!

GOD IS FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU :

ROMANS 8:31- What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Are you faced with challenges in your life right now? Are you having marital problems and financial woes? Maybe your child is going astray or an old illness has returned. What then will you say to all these things?

Do you know what God wants you to say? He wants you to say, “If God is for me, who can be against me?”

If you knew that the President or the Prime Minister was for you, you might believe that everything will be okay. But you have an even better backing! The Bible tells us that God, the Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is for you! What problem can fasten its grip on you when the Almighty God is for you? Can the devil come successfully against you with God on your side?

If God is for you today, if God is for you right now, you don’t have to moan, “If only I had this…If only I didn’t say that…” And you don’t have to worry about the future: “What if this happens…What if we don’t have enough…” My friend, regretting the past and worrying about the future won’t change anything. Look to your heavenly Father, instead. Because He is for you at this present moment, you can be confident that He will help you and provide for you.

Beloved, God sent His Son to die for you. And Jesus gave you a blood-bought right to an abundant life full of meaning and purpose! He gave you a blood-bought right to walk in divine health all the days of your life! He gave you a blood-bought right to His supply even when the economy goes down!

You have all these things not because you deserve them, but because Jesus shed His blood and gave you the right to have them. All these blessings are yours today because God is for you! And if God is for you, who can be against you!

OUR DAILY BREAD — GREAT EXPECTATIONS

According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified. —Philippians 1:20

I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, “The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.”

In our best moments, it’s easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us. But life has a way of breaking those expectations. What then?

Stuck in jail and beset by fellow believers in Rome who didn’t like him (Phil. 1:15-16), Paul remained surprisingly upbeat. As he saw it, God had given him a new mission field. While under house arrest, he witnessed to the guards about Christ, which sent the gospel into Caesar’s house. And even though those opposing him were preaching the gospel from wrong motives, Christ was being preached, so Paul rejoiced (v.18).

Paul never expected to be in a great place or to be well liked. His only expectation was that “Christ will be magnified” through him (v.20). He wasn’t disappointed.

If our expectation is to make Christ visible to those around us regardless of where we are or who we are with, we will find those expectations met and even exceeded. Christ will be magnified.

Lord, forgive me for making my life all about what I expect and not about glorifying You regardless of my circumstances. May Your love, mercy, and justice be magnified through me today.

Make it your only expectation to magnify Christ wherever you are and whoever you are with.

HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR LOVE BREAK TODAY?

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. – John 15:9

In your workplace, you probably take coffee breaks, lunch breaks, tea breaks and definitely toilet breaks. Why not do the same in your spiritual life — take time out for breaks, especially love breaks?

What is a love break? It is the time you take to enjoy and feed on the love of Jesus for you. At any time during the day, wherever you are, find a quiet spot and feed on the love of Jesus. Just sit down and talk to Him. Say to Him, “Thank You, Jesus, for loving me. Nothing is going to happen to me that You don’t already know about. Jesus, when I could not save myself, You died for me. You gave up Your life for me. What else will You not do for me!”

Such love breaks are typified in the Old Testament by Aaron the high priest and his sons eating the breast of the animal sacrificed. (Leviticus 7:31) The breast of the animal speaks of the love of Jesus. Today, you are a priest to God. (Revelation 1:6) So spend time feeding on the love of Jesus for you, and see yourself nourished, strengthened and sustained by His love. Jesus is our High Priest today. This means that His food is in loving us. He enjoys loving us and is also “nourished” by His love for us.

But do not forget that the breast was roasted by fire (Leviticus 7:35), which speaks of God’s judgment on Jesus as He hung on the cross because He was carrying our sins. So as you feed on Jesus’ love for you, see Him loving you at the cross. When things around you are not going well, do not allow the devil to say to you, “If God loves you, how come these things are happening to you?” My friend, interpret God’s love for you based on the cross, not on your present circumstances.

During the day, when you are hard at work, when busyness sets in, when problems pile up or when discouragement comes, just stop everything and take a love break with Jesus! Let Jesus love you. Let yourself enjoy being loved by Him. Lean on His bosom, abide in His love and be nourished by His love for you!

Thought For The Day :

Be nourished by God’s love for you today!

FORGET THE PAST, SEE JESUS DO A NEW THING!

…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13–14

Despite having repented and getting saved, Apostle Paul could have dwelled on his serious past mistake of persecuting the early church. He could have chosen to live a life of regret and thus fail to fulfill God’s call on his life. But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to forget the past, “reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”

My friend, don’t live in the past. Whether it’s a failed marriage, a huge mistake you made, or a hurtful remark from someone, leave them all in the past and move forward. By all means, learn from your mistake. But look to Christ as your success, wisdom, comfort and strength, and see Him do anew thing in your life by His unmerited favor.

See Him giving you stronger and blessed relationships through His wisdom and grace. See Him giving you a better job with better benefits. See Him restoring your health sevenfold. Consider not “the things of old,” but consider or meditate on His better promises (Hebrews 8:6). That’s how you move forward into His good success!

KNOWING GOD’S PLAN

John 1:23, “He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”

John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success.

Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God’s plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it.

God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist. To succeed in life, you must find God’s plan for your life and then devote yourself to fulfilling that plan.

It is not enough to simply “do your own thing” and then ask God’s blessing upon it. Once you know you are doing God’s will, you never have to ask for God’s blessing. God’s will is already blessed.

The Lord created you with a purpose in mind. Your talents and abilities were given you to fulfill His purpose. Although you may find limited success using these talents for your own uses, you will never find your true potential until they are directed by and for the Lord.

The good news is that God wants to reveal His perfect plan for your life to you more than you want to know it. You can rest assured that if you ask for knowledge of His plan for your life, you will receive (Mt. 7:7). He will show you His good, acceptable and perfect will (Rom. 12:1-2).

OUR DAILY BREAD — BETTER THAN PLANNED

Giving thanks always for all things. —Ephesians 5:20

Interruptions are nothing new. Rarely does a day go by as planned.
Life is filled with inconveniences. Our plans are constantly thwarted by forces beyond our control. The list is long and ever-changing: Sickness. Conflict. Traffic jams. Forgetfulness. Appliance malfunctions. Rudeness. Laziness. Impatience. Incompetence.

What we cannot see, however, is the other side of inconvenience. We think it has no purpose other than to discourage us, make life more difficult, and thwart our plans. However, inconvenience could be God’s way of protecting us from some unseen danger, or it could be an opportunity to demonstrate God’s grace and forgiveness. It might be the start of something even better than we had planned. Or it could be a test to see how we respond to adversity. Whatever it is, even though we may not know God’s reason, we can be assured of His motive—to make us more like Jesus and to further His kingdom on earth.

To say that God’s followers throughout history have been “inconvenienced” would be an understatement. But God had a purpose. Knowing this, we can thank Him, being confident that He is giving us an opportunity to redeem the time (Eph.5:16,20). —Julie Ackerman Link

Lord, so often it’s the little things in life that get to me, and there seem to be so many of them. Whenever I’m tempted to lose my temper, blame
someone, or just give up, help me see You.

What happens to us is not nearly as important as what God does in us and through us.

SEE THE FAVOR OF GOD MULTIPLIED IN YOUR LIFE :

2 PETER 1:2 – Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

If you would like to walk in a greater measure of God’s favor, 2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favor of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you. Peace is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. Its definition includes wholeness, health, safety and provision. So when you walk in divine favor and peace, you will walk in blessings in every area of your life!

But how do the undeserved favor and shalom of God increase in your life?

It is not by your laboring or toiling to earn it. The Bible says that it comes as your knowledge of Jesus and His finished work increases. It comes as you learn more about and believe that through Jesus’ one sacrifice at the cross, God removed all your sins, gave you His righteousness as a gift and put you in Christ to enjoy everything Jesus has. God’s favor is multiplied in your life when you simply believe that the favor of God that is on Christ is also on you because of what Jesus’ work at the cross has accomplished.

Today, you don’t have to struggle for favor. Just release it by speaking forth God’s Word in faith. On your way to work, say, “God’s favor surrounds me as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) As you continue to speak God’s favor over your life out of a revelation of Jesus’ finished work, you will see more of it being released.

When I first entered the workforce, I began to declare the favor of God in my job. Every time I was given a new assignment, I proclaimed that the divine favor of God was on me. The company began to prosper and I was blessed financially. By the time I left the company to serve God full-time, my income had increased so that I was in the top 15 per cent of earners in my age group in Singapore.

Today, in your workplace or at home, begin to declare the favor of God by faith. Expect to receive preferential treatment wherever you are. Say, “I am surrounded with the favor of God because of Jesus’ finished work. I have favor before God and man!” And see God’s favor work for you!

LIKE FIRE IN YOUR BONES :

…But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. – Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV

In scripture, God gave a promise to Jeremiah that he would become a great prophet and speak to the nations. But Jeremiah was young and afraid. He didn’t see how it could happen. He started telling God all the reasons why it wouldn’t work out. He said, “God, when I get up to speak, people mock me and make fun of me. I’m young. I’m tired. I’m intimidated.” Just when you think he is going to talk himself out of it, he says in Jeremiah 20:9, “Your Word in my heart is like a fire shut up in my bones.” He was saying, “God, I may not see how it can happen. All the odds are against me, but this promise You put in me will not go away. It’s like a fire. It’s alive. I can’t get away from it.”

You may be at a place right not where you could easily give up on what God has placed in your heart. But like Jeremiah, there is a fire shut up in your bones. What God promised you will not die. You can try to ignore it. You can try to talk yourself out of it. Your mind may tell you that it’s never going to happen, but deep down you feel a stirring, a burning, a restlessness. That’s the promise God put in you. He loves you too much to let you be average. He is going to push you into greatness. Get ready because the gifts, the talents, the skills, the ideas, the untapped potential is about to come forth!

THE LORD YOUR REFUGE WILL DELIVER YOU :

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. – Psalm 91:3

Today, we hear of new strains of viruses which were unheard of only a generation ago. The world has yet to find cures for them and many people are afraid of being struck down by these viruses.

But as believers, we are not of the world, though we are in the world. (John 17:15–16) So our protection is not of the world, but of the Lord. And when we say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust,” (Psalm 91:2) then what follows is not “maybe”, but surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

A couple in our church can testify that surely the Lord delivered and protected their two young children during a Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreak, which claimed a few lives in Singapore not long ago.

When their four-year-old daughter started vomiting and running a fever, the mother brought her to their family doctor, who found ulcers in her mouth and small red dots on her hands and feet — symptoms of the HFMD. Naturally, the doctor prescribed medication for her.

Back home, however, the little girl continued to vomit throughout the day, throwing up everything including the medication. Her fever persisted. Not able to do anything for their daughter, the parents prayed, proclaiming Jesus as their healer, and partook of the Holy Communion many times with both their children.

That night, their daughter’s fever broke and the vomiting subsided. They continued making the Lord their refuge and fortress. Within two days, their daughter was completely delivered from the disease. And all this while, their six-year-old son was completely protected from the infectious disease.

Beloved, you don’t need to be afraid of deadly diseases which may have claimed the lives of others. You don’t have to be fearful that you or your child may become victims of these super bugs. When the Lord is your refuge and fortress, surely He shall deliver you and your family from the snare of the fowler, such as the avian flu, and from all perilous pestilences!

Thought For The Day :
Our protection is not of the world, but of the Lord, who delivers us from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

 

Go and Do Likewise!

 

“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37

“Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ Matthew 25:45

Man judges by words and appearances but God judges by  heart as well as deeds and actions. It is not enough to live a clean pure life before God, it must include being touched with the infirmity of the hurt, dying and lonely. If  people  were told of an injustice and could not find it in their  heart to right it they did not care for the wounded, dying man left at the side of road. Therefore, they did not care for the least or for Jesus Christ.

Apostle John who was in the Spirit on the Lord’ s day was instructed to write prophetic words to the seven churches in Asia minor.

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘ These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ‘ Revelation 3:1-6

The Church in Sardis failed to heed the words that although it had a name that it was alive but in reality it was dead. It did not examine itself nor change its ways and its works were not perfect before God. Its candle stick was removed as it did no overcome and names were blotted out from the book of life for not hear what the Spirit, not a man, said to the churches. Sincerity and hard work is not a guarantee of anything in the sight of God.

Obedience to His words both spoken and written and a listening ear is what God requires from each of His children. Many of His children need to be healed and delivered from many things so that they can hear and do the will of God and not their own will.  God’s word records a very good example of this in the importance of hearing the words of the master over doing certain works:

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Mind you some people hear and hear the word of God and it does them absolutely no good. They already know the answer but do not want to do the word of God. Failing to understand that it’s doers of the word and not hearer only are blessed. The word of God tells us of a certain lawyer who stood up and tested Jesus and asked Him

“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, ” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” Luke 10:26-28

The lawyer knew what they answer was to inheriting eternal life and it was not mouthing off words as he had done. It was doing what God’s word commanded to love God totally and completely and his neighbor as himself.  But the Lawyer, like many pharisaical ones who are always learning and never coming to the truth, wanted to justify himself and  said to Jesus:

“And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. “Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. “So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. “On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:31-37

The Church of Jesus Christ today in America for all its oracle preaching and teaching needs to hear the words of Jesus to love God and their neighbor as themselves and to “go and do like wise.” Things which men try to avoid by playing church, being religious, going to bible studies and doing many other things except what God has commanded them to do. Sincerity, presumption and ignorance is no excuse with God and do not change the word of Jesus who said:

“And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:47-48

The great weakness and failure of Fundamental Evangelicalism in America has been its lack of genuine social concern and works for the poor and needy and paying doing God lips service from hearts that are far away from Him.  They have  accepted and embraced things God  would never condone or accept, from homosexuality to robbing the sheep. Paul would have turned in his grave at seeing all of this.

They have failed to understand and see that God is consuming fire and all the stubble and hay will be burnt up. They have become like the brother of the prodigal son who was so caught up in his works that he did not see nor appreciate all the things that his Father had provided that were his benefits as a son. God’s word records:

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. “So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ “But he was angry and would not go in.

Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. “So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”  Luke 15:25-32

The son was angry and would not participate in what his loving father was doing and had given to the prodigal son who had returned home. He had not understood the words of the father who said “’Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” He had been serving his father religiously over the years and had not benefited nor enjoyed what was always his. There are many of God’s children who are needlessly in poverty, sickness, depression, failure and defeat because they have not availed themselves  of the power and riches that are in the person of the Holy Spirit.

For the Holy Spirit can do in moments what years of hard work and perspiration can not accomplish. He can bring about real change in people lives, in churches and in nations. But often He is regulated to the corner of some room rather than being given the position that is rightfully His in the lives of His people and in the church of Jesus Christ by those who say that they love the Lord and belong to Christ.  Jesus said some things that are true about them this day:

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, “and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Mark 4:18-19

“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” Luke 11:52

Strangers, sinners and others are discovering the person of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit while the children of the kingdom are being left out. Others are discovering how much God cares about seeking and doing true justice, righteousness and truth and especially for the least.  While the so called children of the kingdom have not heard nor understood the words of Jesus who said:

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:17

“And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 8:11-12

The proof is in the pudding. Men are full of their own half-understandings. We see the evidence of their false beliefs everywhere. The church is impotent, cold, powerless, weak, sick and fractured. Christians behave in a worldly, secular fashion that has nothing to do with God  and His true desires for them.

Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours in America. Many prominent religious ones are  pretending to be God’s  and are deceiving and deterring the sheep from doing what’s right and of greatest faith. They are only impostors and deceivers who do not care for the sheep but only for their own hidden agenda and selfish and greedy gain.

Many are not financially accountable and do not doing things honestly in the sight of God and men. The secular media is full of horror stories about so called men of God such as Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart,  Henry Lyons and the Straders who lack integrity, righteousness and truth. Men who do not care about the sheep but only their own interests.

For the fact of the matter is that when someone is fully controlled by pure motives and the person of the Holy Spirit then they are doing God’s perfect will for their life and those around them. Because they will not accept the evil they will see around them and do something to change it. They will have the wisdom and discernment to do it right and the courage to face the consequences as Apostle Paul did on his many journeys.

He faced imprisonment, stoning, curses, shipwreck, nakedness and many other perils. Why? Because he knew the real Jesus Christ, understood the importance of truth and put action to his convictions. He was not afraid of the face of man or the consequences for his actions. He loved God in the truest sense of the words and did not compromise his values because he might be inconvenienced. He loved the truth and lived it. He sought to teach men the truth and took the consequences when they rejected it and him. He was a true Christian soldier.

Jesus did the same knowing it meant our salvation. He suffered the curses of men and horror of the Cross so many of us could be saved, healed and changed into spiritual beings. Jesus did nothing we have not been given power to do. We can do and be just like Jesus. Our problem is we like the old ways of the world and our comforts and we don’t want to change in our old habits because it requires effort on our part. The greatest barrier man faces in entering the Kingdom of God is his own comforts and learned behavior. We have to give up our comfort zone and follow Him. Then we can grow into the spiritual image of Jesus Christ that we were meant to be. Then we will listen to the King’s command and go and do likewise.

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 2 Kings 7;2

‘I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. ‘And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. Deuteronomy 18:18-19

    God, not man has appointed in the church of Jesus Christ, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Things which men in their foolishness have denied and have paid the resulting consequences of their choices, decisions and actions. In sickness, premature death’s, poverty, failure, lack, frustrations, dismay, defeat and a wilderness sojourn instead of the promised land.

Those who fail to discern or hear the voice of God from God’s true prophets who speak in His name the Words that God commands them to say will pay dearly for their folly. God Himself will require it of them and He will exact an exact toll for their disobedience and rebellion.

The word of God gives us an excellent example of this in the life of Prophet Elisha. A man who was anointed by Elijah to destroy the enemies of God. For God’s word records:

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. “Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. “It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant. 1 Kings 19:13-21

The task of God’s true anointed ones has never changed and that is to destroy the enemies of God including false prophets, and pastors and preachers who have become prostitutes, pimps and perverts. Who worship the god of Baal  of prominence, fortune and fame more than God and do no care about His sheep. But there are other enemies that have to be dealt with by God’s true anointed ones also including false teachings, poverty, lack, disobedience, rebellion, unbelief, sickness, stubbornness, immorality and lack of integrity, honesty and financial accountability. These are all enemies of God and His people and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in the lives of His people, especially in the house of God.

God’s word records that Jesus as a true prophet drove out money changers from His father’s House:

They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’  Hosanna in the highest!”  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”  So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”  Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Matthew 21:7-13

Unfortunately for the sheep the house of God in America has become a refuge and a bastion of operation for money changers and wolves in sheep’s clothing and that is wrong, evil and wicked. True spiritual progress does not end in the kind of behavior we have seen in the North American church. We have seen large numbers of Christian leaders easily led into adultery, greed and dishonorable behavior affecting both them and their congregations. Their character flaws are many and varied but the result is the same—defamation, dishonor and destruction.

Many seek to say everyone should follow them not recognizing how far they have strayed from the truth. The slightest bent placed upon the truth turns it into a lie very easily. It doesn’t need much to suddenly do nothing of what the Word really says we should be doing. Even when it appears we are doing it right it may not be because it is not done in the right spirit with the right motivations.

Now the enemies of God had surrounded and besieged God’s people so that they were starving and in dire straight. But God’s prophet Elijah stated:

“Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ “So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 2 Kings 7:1-2

Rejection of words spoken by God true prophets brings its own unpleasant reward. For God is God and His word will be fulfilled  as He as the power to do it. But rebellious, proud and arrogant ones and especially traitors in His ranks will be dealt with by God with methods of God’s own choosing. God’s word records something which hedonistic perverted corrupt faith teachers in America enjoy for it talks about money but not about seeking and doing true justice, righteousness and truth. Things which they hate to do and to preach:

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?  “If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.

For the LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses-the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact-their tents, their horses, and their donkeys-and they fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.  Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.”

So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound-only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact.” And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside.  So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ” 2 Kings 7:3-12

God will and works miracles as He is the God of the impossible. Yet men have not changed down through the years, they are foolish, stubborn, slow to believe and very poor at hearing especially the voice of God. Mind you the four leprous men had not choice and divine providence forced them to go out and see the miracle of God’s deliverance and provision. God’s word records”

And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.”

Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.” And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 2 Kings 7:13-16

God loves to spoil His people with the plunder of the enemy more than the people are able to believe it. His word has not changed:

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,  which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:17-23

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

God  has deep desire to bless all of His people which is His Church and  His body. They can depend upon Him to do it  in due season as they  wait on Him and walk in him. But this is not the case with God for those who do not listen to His voice as spoken by His prophets. Those who rejected the words spoken by God’s true prophets shall find themselves rejected, not prospering and in places they never expected to be such as the Lions den. For God’s word records:

Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.” Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died. 2 King 7:17-20

Man pays the price for his foolish and unwise actions and deeds even in the current time of life. Something that  many religious ones can not seem to believe even though it is true. Length of service with God does not count. In a moment of anger Moses struck the rock and yelled at God’s people. As a result He never went into the Promised Land. Even though he was one of the greatest men of God, very meek and a very close friend of God. Something that religious ones need to consider even this day. For Paul as a prophet and Apostle wrote:

“For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.  “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

“Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel.  “Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.  “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:27-35

According  to the grace and revelation of God revealed by the Spirit and not by man,  Apostle Paul became  a minister to preach among the gentiles  the unsearchable riches of Christ. He discerned that savage wolves would come among God’s people speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves.

But Paul, himself, coveted no one’s silver or gold and with his own hands provided for his necessities and for those who were with him.  As a result in humility and love, not in pride and arrogance, He wrote to the Gentiles as a Jew, a prophet, an apostle, a stranger and an outsider and stated:

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- If indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,  by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),  which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:  that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,  and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:1-11

To minister to others by the effective working of God’s power is a gift of God and not a vocation chosen by man. Being a pastor or a preacher  is more than a job. It is more than a paycheck. It is an obligation to be open to God  and obey His Word both written and spoken. Something that many have failed to understand. Because they chose not to listen and hear not God’s  voice as He  spoke to them through His prophets. They were too proud to receive the reprimand and truth. They chose not to recognize God’s prophets  because they were sure it was not God behind their  words. They were speaking their own judgments and lies. So ignorance it not bliss even if you are a prominent religious one. For God’s word is true:

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,  And His ears are open to their cry.  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,  To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,  And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,  And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous,  But the LORD delivers him out of them all.  He guards all his bones;  Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.  The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. Psalm 34: 15-22

LOOK UNTO JESUS

OUR DAILY BREAD — THE WONDER OF THE CROSS

[Look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. —Hebrews 12:2

While visiting Australia, I had the opportunity on a particularly clear night to see the Southern Cross. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, this constellation is one of the most distinctive. Mariners and navigators began relying on it as early as the 15th century for direction and navigation through the seas. Although relatively small, it is visible throughout most of the year. The Southern Cross was so vivid on that dark night that even I could pick it out of the bundle of stars. It was truly a magnificent sight!

The Scriptures tell us of an even more magnificent cross—the cross of Christ. When we look at the stars, we see the handiwork of the Creator; but when we look at the cross, we see the Creator dying for His creation. Hebrews 12:2 calls us to “[look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The wonder of Calvary’s cross is that while we were still in our sins, our Savior died for us (Rom. 5:8). Those who place their trust in Christ are now reconciled to God, and He navigates them through life (2 Cor. 1:8-10).

Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is the greatest of all wonders! —Bill Crowder

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Christ’s cross provides the only safe crossing into eternity.

I KNOW WHO I AM :

I am God’s child (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)
I am bought with a price(1 Cor.6:19-20)
I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph.1:1)
I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)
I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)
I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)
I am free forever from condemnation (Rom. 8: 1-2)
I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant(Phil.3:20)
I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)
I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor.5:17-21)
I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)
I cannot be separated from the love of God(Rom.8:35-39)
I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)
I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)
I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)
I am God’s temple (1 Cor. 3: 16).
I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am God’s co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).
I am God’s workmanship (Eph.2:10)
I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1: 5)
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14).
I have been adopted as God’s child (Eph 1:5)
I belong to God Do you know who you are!? “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

TALK YOURSELF INTO IT:

You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways. – Job 22:28, NASB

In Genesis 17, when Sarah first heard the news that she was going to have a baby, the scripture says it was so far out she began to laugh. She was in her 90’s, so it seemed impossible from every angle. I can hear her saying, “Abraham, a baby? Are you kidding? I’ve gone through the change of life. That defies the laws of nature.” She was saying, “I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t have what it takes,” belittling herself, discounting herself. She was burying the promise deep within her.

Friend, when you think about it, it’s just as easy to talk yourself into something as it is to talk yourself out of it. Instead of thinking of all the reasons why you can’t get well, why you can’t accomplish a dream, why your marriage is not going to last and talking yourself out of it, start talking yourself into it! “I can do all things through Christ. God is making a way even though I don’t see a way. I’m anointed, equipped, talented, more than a conqueror.”

The more you speak God’s Word, the more you believe it. When you believe God’s Word, it comes to pass in your life. Start today by declaring His promises. Feed your faith and move forward into the victory and blessing He has in store for you!

SEE THE LORD AND HIS ARMY ON YOUR SIDE

So he [Elisha] answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” – 2 Kings 6:16

Imagine waking up one morning, going to the window and being greeted by the sight of a massive army. Hundreds of well-armed soldiers with their horses and chariots have surrounded you, and they’re there to take you down!

What would you do?

In the Old Testament, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, was consumed by such a frightening vision one early morning. Naturally, he panicked…until the Lord opened his spiritual eyes to see that the Lord’s army was present with them—in far larger numbers than their physically visible enemies!

My friend, never see yourself alone in your struggles or challenges. Don’t go by what you can only see, feel or hear with your natural senses. See with eyes of faith how the Lord and His angels, horses and chariots of fire are right with you to protect, provide for and deliver you! And if God is for you, how can you not emerge successful from every trial?

BY JESUS’ STRIPES YOU ARE HEALED :

ISAIAH 53:5 – …The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

You know, one of the biggest outcries against Mel Gibson’s movie,The Passion Of The Christ, was that it was too violent, especially the part where Jesus was scourged.

Let me tell you this: It was not violent enough! The Bible says that at the cross, Jesus’ visage was marred beyond that of any man. (Isaiah 52:14) In the movie, even after all the beatings, the actor James Caviezel, who played Jesus, still looked quite handsome.

But the reality is that when Jesus hung on the cross, He had “no form or comeliness…there is no beauty that we should desire Him”. (Isaiah 53:2) He was beaten to a pulp until His face looked like jelly hanging out!

In the movie, when they scourged Him, only a small portion of His bones was exposed, so it was still quite tidy. But the messianic psalms say, “The plowers plowed on my back; they made their furrows long” (Psalm 129:3), and “I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me”. (Psalm 22:17) All His bones were exposed!

My friend, He was thinking of you when the soldiers tied Him to the scourging post. As they raised their whips, He said, “Let it all come on Me!”

But what came on Him was not just the whip stripping the flesh off His bare back, but your sicknesses and diseases. Each time He was whipped, every form of sickness and disease, including arthritis, cancer, diabetes, bird flu and dengue fever, came upon Him. “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Today, healing is your right because Jesus has paid the price for your healing. So if the devil says, “You cannot be healed,” just declare, “Jesus has paid for my healing. Disease has no right to be in my body. I am healed in Jesus’ name!”

Every curse of sickness that was supposed to fall on you fell on Jesus instead. He bore every one of those stripes, so that you can walk in divine health all the days of your life. The price has been paid so that you can rise up and get out of your bed of affliction!