EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY

By Awesome Deeds

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer,  To You all flesh will come.  Iniquities prevail against me;  As for our transgressions,  You will provide atonement for them.  Blessed is the man You choose,  And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts.  We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,  Of Your holy temple. By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas;  Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power;   You who still the noise of the seas,  The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. Psalm 65:1-7

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 who is a God of power will answer His trusting ones with awesome deeds in righteousness and do exceedingly abundantly above all that they ask ,pray or think. They have His word on it, the word of a God who doesn’t lie. The word of a God who can do all things but fail His trusting ones. The word of a God who created heaven and earth and sustains it. The Word of a God who    miraculously  parted the Red Sea so that His people could safely go to the other side, and drowned their enemies in the same sea. The word of a God who inhabits the praises of His people The word of a God who delivered Daniel from the den of lions, and made his enemies to be a nonexistent thing by the same lions. The word of a God who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead and cast out devils. The word of a God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead to sit at His right hand! The word of a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever! The word of God who will create a new heaven and a new earth!

Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!  The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.  In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:14-17

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ‘ ” Zechariah 4:6-7

We fail to get the victory over all things in life because we fail to look unto Jesus in all things who is not only the source of our total supply and everything that we need but our Friend, Savior, Mighty one, our God and the undefeated one. No one and not anything can stand against Him and the power of His name. Everything must bow at the persistent use of the name of Jesus be it sickness, disease, poverty or lack! Jesus Christ is our Victor, Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider and everything that we need. Hence those who love Him are doers of the word of God not hearers only. God’s word is unchanging:

“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.  Matthew 10:7-8

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another John 13:34-35

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  “These things I command you, that you love one another John 15:16-17

Let all bitterness and indignation {and} wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful {and} helpful {and} kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 Amplified Bible

THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him {and} follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. Ephesians 5:1-2 Amplified Bible

Jesus Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God. He came not only to restore us to God but to restore us all that we had lost in the Garden of Eden including being heirs of the kingdom and sons of God  He came to give us  life so that His life  also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  He came to restore to us the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” (Joel 2:25). Yes, God loves to restore what has been devoured in our lives. That’s His specialty. In the process of restoration God brings the object of restoration back in a better way than was its former state and He increases it and multiplies it. He always likes to add more just like He did for Job. When God restored Job, He gave unto Job—double (Job 42:10). That’s just the nature of God. God’s word is unchanging:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” Romans 5:1–5.

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord-that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. James 5:10-11

When the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy, God has set forever in eternity that we must get back sevenfold. And God will restore us in a better way than we were at first and then He will increase and multiply what was stolen. That’s our God because God is good. And for anyone that gives up houses, lands, brothers, sisters, possessions in this life time for the sake of the gospel, God will restore back one hundredfold now! (Mark 10:29, 30). The Lord does abundantly above what we can ask. He does abundantly above what we can think (Eph. 3:20).  When we stand in faith and believe that God is hugely enthusiastic about wanting to bring restoration into our lives, we truly honor Him.

Our Father in heaven is good and He is the Great Restorer. We should have high hopes about that and believe it, no matter what happens. Believe that God not only wants to restore what has been robbed and plundered in our life and in other people’s lives, but He also wants to add blessings to that which is restored. “Blessings are on the head of the righteous…” (Proverbs 10:6). That’s our head!

Yes, in the world we will have tribulation but we can be of good cheer for Jesus overcame the world. Yes, If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Yes,  the Lord has promised to take care of His trusting ones according to His riches and glory! He owns everything! We are moving into a time of restoration for His people and an outpouring of great financial blessings. God’s trusting ones can stand fast and believe that the Lord is prospering them and restoring them, no matter what the world economy looks like, for God’s word is unchanging:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:11-14

Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.  The LORD will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil,  And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations.  “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land,  With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea;  His stench will come up,  And his foul odor will rise,  Because he has done monstrous things.”

Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the LORD has done marvelous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field;  For the open pastures are springing up,  And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion,  And rejoice in the LORD your God;  For He has given you the former rain faithfully,  And He will cause the rain to come down for you- The former rain,  And the latter rain in the first month.  The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,  The crawling locust, The consuming locust,  And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,  And praise the name of the LORD your God,   Who has dealt wondrously with you;  And My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:18-26

The Lord desires to bless our lives with His choicest and rich blessings and help us to be a blessing to others, too. He wants to take control of our lives and help us to glorify Him. He who blessed and gave Abraham unlimited riches will do the same to His trusting ones for He is no respecter of persons and shows partiality to no one.  His word is unchanging:

“Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn,  And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.  Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you;  For I called him alone,  And blessed him and increased him.” For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places;  He will make her wilderness like Eden,  And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:1-3

EXTRACT FROM Be Not Ignorant
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CHRISTIAN

  MARKED BY HIS NAME

The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. —Acts 11:26

In July 1860, the world’s first nursing school opened at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Today that school is part of the King’s College, where nursing students are called Nightingales. The school—like modern nursing itself—was established by Florence Nightingale, who revolutionized nursing during the Crimean War. When prospective nurses complete their training, they take the “Nightingale Pledge,” a reflection of her ongoing impact on nursing.

Many people, like Florence Nightingale, have had a significant impact on our world. But no one has had a greater effect than Jesus, whose birth, death, and resurrection have been transforming lives for 2,000 years.

Around the world, Christ’s name marks those who are His followers, going back to the earliest days of the church. “When [Barnabas] had found [Saul], he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

Those who bear Christ’s name identify with Him because we have been changed by His love and grace. We declare to the world that He has made an eternal difference in our lives and we long for that in the hearts of others too.

Father, give me the grace and wisdom to honor You. May my life be so marked by the person of Christ that His great name—and salvation—will be embraced by others as well.

Followers of Christ—Christians—are marked by His name.

PETITION NOT REPETITION :

Mark 8:24-25, “And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”

It was unusual for Jesus to inquire about the results of His ministry as He did in verse 23. It was even more unusual that Jesus laid hands on this man a second time. This is the only example in the New Testament where Jesus had to minister to any need more than once to affect a total healing.

Many people request things from God and then look at their circumstances to see if God answered their prayer. That is walking by sight and not by faith. If they can’t “see” God’s answer, then they pray again asking for the same thing. This is not the way Jesus taught us to pray and receive. We can be certain that Jesus didn’t lay hands on this man a second time because He thought His Father hadn’t heard Him the first the time. Since the man received partial sight, it is evident that God’s healing power was at work in him. Jesus was not petitioning His Father again for healing.

Through His spirit, Jesus knew that unbelief was hindering a perfect manifestation of God’s power in this man, and He simply gave him another “dose” of the anointing power of God. Satan may hinder, but cannot overcome someone who continues resisting him. Believe that you received when you prayed and continue to apply the power of God. Press in such a degree that you can confront anything that is contrary to what you have asked and overcome it. Perseverance in prayer is the key to overcoming Satan – not God

HE IS THE HEALER …

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

It doesn’t matter what is “broken” in your life today, God’s nature is to bring you complete healing. Do you need healing in your body? Your mind? Heart? Finances? Relationships? God is your healer. Notice what the Psalmist says in this verse: He binds up their wounds. In the natural, if you have a broken arm, it doesn’t just heal overnight. The doctor makes a cast to hold it in place and protect it. He binds up your wound. In the spiritual realm, God does the same thing. He wraps Himself around your brokenness and protects the wounded area until it is strong enough to function properly again. The Bible also says that He is a restorer. That means that when He does a work of healing in our lives, He makes us better than we were before.

If you’re going through the healing process today, know this: it may take longer than you planned, but God is binding up your wound. He is protecting you and healing you. He will bring you out better and stronger than you were before. He will take you to a place of complete healing so that you can live the life of victory He has in store for you.

GETTING FILLED WITH ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD

Ephesians 3:19 – … to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We would all like to experience more health, abundance and success in our lives. God, being God, has all of these things, won’t you agree? So to be full of God is to be full of health, abundance and success. But how does one become full of God?
In the past, I was told that to be “filled with all the fullness of God”, I had to fast a certain number of days, pray a certain number of hours and speak in tongues incessantly! I am not belittling fasting, praying or speaking in tongues, but to be filled with all the fullness of God is not about what you do. It is not even about your love for Christ. It is actually about knowing the love of Christ! No one ever told me that if I knew how much God loves me and focused on His love for me, I would be full of Him.

When God made you, He designed you to run at optimal level when you are filled with His love, like a car that runs at its best when it is filled with the right kind of petrol or gasoline. When you realize how much God loves you and you feed on His love for you, you will be supernaturally filled with the fullness of God.

And to be full of God is to be full of everything God is to you and has for you. To be full of God is to come to a place of life, health, peace, abundance—total wellness.

Also, when you are conscious of how much God loves you and you become filled with the fullness of God, what follows is the next verse—God doing exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think, according to the power that works in you. (Ephesians 3:20) You will experience the tremendous blessings of God exploding in your life! You will become a blessing magnet!

So as God’s beloved, continue to be nourished by His love for you, and experience more health, abundance and success in your life!

Thought For The Day :

Being filled with the fullness of God is not about what you do, but about knowing how much God loves you.

LIFE OF GOD …

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

The Greek word translated “life” here is “zoe” and it means life in the absolute sense or life as God has it. Everyone who is breathing has life in the sense of physical existence, but only those who receive Jesus can experience life as God intended it to be. Jesus came to not only save us from the torment of eternal hell, but also to give us this “zoe” or God-kind of life in abundance. The life of God is not awaiting us in heaven, but is presently possessed by every born-again person in his spirit. We can release this “zoe” life and enjoy it now by losing our natural life and finding this supernatural life. The way we lose our life is to deny any thoughts, emotions, or actions that are contrary to the Word of God, which is life (“zoe” in Jn. 6:63). When we line our thoughts, emotions, and actions up with the instructions of God’s Word, then we will find this “zoe” life manifest in our bodies and souls as well.

The Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). The Bible is simply a physical representation of Jesus and spiritual truth. It is inspired of God and therefore, totally accurate and reliable, and yet, until we receive the spirit that these words express, the Bible will not profit us (Heb. 4:2).

If we want to know what spiritual truth is, we must believe the Bible, for it is spirit and life. If we want to be led by the Spirit, then we must follow God’s Word. If we want to hear from the Spirit of God, then we must listen to what God says in His Word. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the Word (Jesus – Jn. 1:1) are one (1 Jn. 5:7).

BUILDING TRUST AND INTIMACY IN COMMUNICATION (1)

… say the right thing at the right time!’ Proverbs 15:23 NLT

According to ground–breaking neurological research, you can ‘train’ yourself to speak and listen in a way that stimulates sympathy and trust in the brain of the person you’re talking to. Think how valuable that is in communication!

Here are some proven principles to help you do it:

(1) Breathe deeply and stretch before speaking. When you’re handling a stressful situation, remaining calm is essential. Stress generates uptightness, uptightness leads to anger, and anger shuts down your ability to get your point across. So take a few moments to breathe deeply, while counting slowly to five. It’s also been established that things like stretching your neck muscles and yawning change your brain in ways that measurably improve your communication skills. We are ‘wonderfully made’. (Psalm 139:14 KJV)

(2) Think encouraging thoughts. ‘…As he thinks in his heart, so is he…’ (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV) Any negative thought you harbour can interfere with the parts of your brain used in language processing, listening, and speech, which can lead to defensiveness and distrust. Neurological studies found that thinking positive thoughts about the other person, or yourself, or the topic at hand, can help you to achieve success in your personal and business relationships.

(3) Seal it with a smile. Your face reveals your feelings. ‘…Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.’ (Genesis 31:2 NIV) Research shows that pleasing memories and thoughts of people you love create facial expressions that convey kindness, compassion and interest, stimulating trust and openness in others.

BUILDING TRUST AND INTIMACY IN COMMUNICATION (2)

Pleasant words are…healing…’ Proverbs 16:24 NAS

For effective communication:

(1) Make use of the ‘eye–gate’. Eye contact stimulates the brain’s social–network circuits, decreasing the stress hormone and increasing the sympathy hormone. Intentionally looking at the other person enables you to quickly respond to the seven basic facial expressions—anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, contempt and happiness. These are keys; use them.

(2) Express appreciation. The first words you speak set the tone for the entire interaction. A single compliment can create trust. Loyola University researchers found that when people in conversation are in basic agreement, interactions between them are experienced as mutually satisfying. Alternatively, disagreement immediately creates defensiveness in the listener. So begin each conversation with a compliment, and end it with a phrase that conveys genuine appreciation. Research demonstrates that remarks made at the end of an interaction are especially effective because they linger in the hearer’s mind. ‘Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul (emotions) and healing to the bones.’ (Proverbs 16:24 NAS)

(3) Keep it brief. Our conscious minds retain only a tiny bit of information, which is ‘booted out’ of our memory as new information is uploaded. So it’s better to speak a sentence or two at a time, then take a breath. ‘…let your words be few.’ (Ecclesiastes 5:2 NAS) If you think a lengthy conversation is needed, let your listener know in advance. This prepares them to focus, and ignore the intrusiveness of their own inner self–talk.

DURING DIFFICULT DAYS

Deuteronomy 4: 30-31 (KJV) When thou are in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shal be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Sometimes the traffic jams, and sometimes the dog gobbles the homework. But when we find ourselves mired in the minor frustrations of life, we must catch ourselves, take a deep breath, and lift our thoughts upward. Although we are here on earth struggling to rise above the distractions of the day, we need never struggle alone. God is here eternally and faithfully, with infinite patience and love, and if we reach out to Him, He will restore perspective and peace to our souls.

If you find yourself in difficult circumstances remember that God is merciful and faithful. If you become discouraged with the direction of your day, or your life, lift your thoughts and prayers to Him. He will comfort you and guide you through your difficulties and beyond them.

SYMPTOMS OF A HARD HEART …

Mark 8:17, “And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?”

Just a few days before this instance, hardened hearts caused Jesus’ disciples to be amazed when they saw Jesus walk on the water to them. Here, Jesus’ statements reveal some of the characteristics of someone with a hardened heart.

First, a hard heart keeps us from perceiving spiritual truths. This is why everyone in a church service hears exactly the same message yet, some will receive while others won’t. It’s not the Word that is the variable, but rather the condition of thehearts. A hard heart stops spiritual perception.

Second, a hardened heart stops us from understanding spiritual truth. When a person doesn’t understand God’s Word, Satan finds no resistance when he comes to steal it away.

Third, a hard heart keeps us from remembering. This isn’t to say that we can’t recall facts or scriptures. As related in Mark 8:19-20, the disciples remembered the facts of the two miraculous feedings, but they had forgotten any spiritual lessons they might have learned. Likewise, some people can quote scripture or remember what the sermon was about, but they can’t perceive the spiritual life in the message or retain what they did perceive.

A hardened heart blinds us to any spiritual perception and keeps us thinking only in the natural realm. Small faith and a hardened heart are the same. Hebrews 3:12-13 parallels an evil heart of unbelief to a hardened heart. It takes great faith to keep our heart sensitive to God. Seek Him with your whole heart today.

OVERFLOW WITH THANKFULNESS …

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6–7, NIV

Are you overflowing with thankfulness? Is your thankfulness spilling out on to the people around you? Don’t just think your thanks, show it! Don’t let the kindness of others go unnoticed. Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted the people who are closest to us, but those are the people we should thank the most. Your family, your friends, the ones who love and support you are the ones who should feel your thankfulness the most.

And notice this verse says to live in Christ and be built up in Him. When you build yourself up by studying the Word and praying in the Spirit, then the second part of the verse will just come naturally — you will be strengthened in your faith, and your heart will be filled with thankfulness.

Take a step of faith today and begin to show your thankfulness to those around you. Let it overflow! Sow seeds of gratitude and blessing so you can reap an abundant harvest of blessing in return!

Remember all that God is & all that God has is available to believers who pray.

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