Thankful for God's people
Thankful for God¡¯s People Philippians 1:1¨C11
If you had asked Paul which of the New Testament churches was his favorite, he might probably have said: the church at Philippi. God directed the apostle by a vision to go to Macedonia after he tried to enter Bithynia (Acts 16:9). Philippi was a major city in the region. Still, at first, it must have seemed not promising.
Paul began his evangelistic outreach in the synagogue. The Jewish community at Philippi was small; only a handful of women met by a river outside the city gate. But the Lord opened the heart of Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman from Thyatira, and her home became Paul¡¯s base of operations (Acts 16:14¨C15).
Luke does not say how long Paul and Silas stayed in Philippi, but their visit was long enough to be marked by conflict. They were arrested and beaten, with the jailer being the only other convert that Luke mentions in Acts 16. Despite these small beginnings, this church became an unwavering supporter of Paul¡¯s ministry. They shared Paul¡¯s faith and generously shared their finances despite their poverty (see also 2 Cor. 11:9). When Paul speaks of their ¡°partnership,¡± in verse 5, he uses the word koinonia which means ¡°sharing.¡±
The apostle looked at this church as much more than a source of funding. Although he was the first to bring the gospel to them, he did not look down on them. Despite being an apostle, he saw them as peers in their experience of the grace of God through Christ (v. 7). Therefore, Paul prayed for them, giving thanks and asking God to cause their love and knowledge to grow. This letter is part of God¡¯s answer to that prayer.
>> The loving bond the Philippians shared with Paul has blessed the church in all ages. Can you partner with someone in the gospel? You don¡¯t have to possess much to have a great impact.
Pray with Us We have all received Your grace, from the newest believer to the most seasoned. May our shared gratitude unite us in worship, adoration, and joyful obedience to You! We owe all to You.
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5 puzzle links
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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¡°Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again¡ªmy Savior and my God! ¡± ¡ªPsalm 42:5¨C6 Have you ever been working on your computer when things suddenly froze up? You needed a reboot to get everything working again. In our life as Christians, sometimes we need a reboot too. We need a refresh because we¡¯re feeling down. This isn¡¯t strictly a modern phenomenon, by the way. The psalmist wrote, ¡°My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!¡± (Psalm 42:4 NLT). He continued, ¡°Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again¡ªmy Savior and my God!¡± But then the psalmist shifted gears and essentially preached to himself, saying, ¡°Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you¡± (verses 5¨C7 NLT). I¡¯ve found myself doing that. I¡¯ll feel down, so I will quote Scripture to myself, sometimes out loud. Do you need some spiritual refreshment today? Ephesians 5 reminds us to ¡°be filled with the Holy Spirit¡± (verse 18 NLT). In the original language, this is a command. It also implies that it¡¯s continuous. Effectively, God is saying, ¡°I command you each day to be filled with the Holy Spirit.¡± The Holy Spirit brings refreshment into our lives every day. And remember that even when things look bleak, all things ultimately will work together for God¡¯s glory and your good (see Romans 8:28). God is in control of all circumstances that surround the believer. We read in the Book of Job that before Satan could bring hardships into Job¡¯s life, he first had to get permission from God. And the same is true of you. God knows what you can handle. And because He loves you, He¡¯s always keeping His eye on you. Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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When the Impossible Become Possible!
When the Impossible Become Possible! Did you know that God wants to convince you of something? In fact, I believe He has been working your whole life to convince you of this one thing! God wants you to know what is possible! In the third chapter of Exodus, when Moses sees the burning bush and God calls him to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses was 80 years old. He could have asked God, ¡°Do you know how old I am?¡± ¡°Do you know that I killed a man in anger and had to flee for my life?¡± ¡°Do you know that I am tending my father-in-law¡¯s sheep on the backside of the desert?¡± But God had been working Moses¡¯s whole life to convince him that anything is possible. Today, it may be the same for you. You may be thinking that you are too old . . . or too young . . . too uneducated . . . too underqualified . . . too shy . . . too fearful . . . or ¡°too much¡± of one thing or another to be used by God. But I want you to know that God has been working all along to convince you of that very same thing He showed Moses! Anything is possible for God! He is working in your life in incredible ways, and He wants to use you! I want you to put your hand on your heart and say, ¡°I am called by God to do the impossible, because with Him ALL things are possible!¡± I¡¯ve seen that for myself in my own life! God has been hard at work to convince me of what is possible! He has shown me His miraculous power to save and to heal¡ªand He has used me (and continues to use me!) to preach the gospel and to heal the sick around the world! When I first started going to preach in other countries, people thought I was crazy! Women didn¡¯t preach! But since then, we¡¯ve brought the Word of God to lost and hurting people in over 146 countries, and year after year we have seen so many thousands healed and saved! And I am still bringing the Word of God to the nations even today! Even though I celebrated another birthday last month, my God tells me that 92 is not too old to make a difference for the kingdom! In fact, in just a few weeks I will be holding another healing meeting in Pakistan where thousands of people will come to be healed and I will be sharing the Great Healer with them. God is so good! Did you know that God wants to convince you of something? In fact, I believe He has been working your whole life to convince you of this one thing! God wants you to know what is possible! In the third chapter of Exodus, when Moses sees the burning bush and God calls him to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses was 80 years old. He could have asked God, ¡°Do you know how old I am?¡± ¡°Do you know that I killed a man in anger and had to flee for my life?¡± ¡°Do you know that I am tending my father-in-law¡¯s sheep on the backside of the desert?¡± But God had been working Moses¡¯s whole life to convince him that anything is possible. Today, it may be the same for you. You may be thinking that you are too old . . . or too young . . . too uneducated . . . too underqualified . . . too shy . . . too fearful . . . or ¡°too much¡± of one thing or another to be used by God. But I want you to know that God has been working all along to convince you of that very same thing He showed Moses! Anything is possible for God! He is working in your life in incredible ways, and He wants to use you! I want you to put your hand on your heart and say, ¡°I am called by God to do the impossible, because with Him ALL things are possible!¡± I¡¯ve seen that for myself in my own life! God has been hard at work to convince me of what is possible! He has shown me His miraculous power to save and to heal¡ªand He has used me (and continues to use me!) to preach the gospel and to heal the sick around the world! When I first started going to preach in other countries, people thought I was crazy! Women didn¡¯t preach! But since then, we¡¯ve brought the Word of God to lost and hurting people in over 146 countries, and year after year we have seen so many thousands healed and saved! And I am still bringing the Word of God to the nations even today! Even though I celebrated another birthday last month, my God tells me that 92 is not too old to make a difference for the kingdom! In fact, in just a few weeks I will be holding another healing meeting in Pakistan where thousands of people will come to be healed and I will be sharing the Great Healer with them. God is so good! Remember, only God decides what is possible! 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Focus On The Things Above
Focus On The Things Above John 11:44 'And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.' JOHN 11:44 Symbolically, Lazarus is like many Christians. The Bible speaks of us passing from death unto new life when we get born again. But it is also true that in the physical and emotional realm, we bring our 'graveclothes' from our old life with us (i.e. habits, attitudes, etc.), and we need to be 'loosed' to fully enjoy our new life. Our emotions and attitudes follow what we think. When we focus our attention on our problems, they are magnified out of proportion. When we neglect our problems and think on God's provision, the answer is magnified and the problem shrinks. Whatever we think upon is going to dominate us. If we think on depressing things, we'll be depressed. If we think on uplifting things, we'll be uplifted. If we think, 'by His stripes, we are healed', we'll be healed. If we think on sickness, we'll be sick. Godly contentment isn't dependent upon circumstances. That is totally opposite of the way most people think today. No one really desires depression but very few feel any responsibility or authority to maintain positive emotions in the face of negative circumstances. They think emotions follow circumstances. That's not true. Emotions follow the way we think, and we can chose to think on things that are lovely, true, of good report, and so forth regardless of our circumstances. As we think, is how we respond emotionally. Focus your attention on the invisible truths of the spiritual realm that are eternal, instead of the visible things of this physical world that will pass away. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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SHARERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE
SHARERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE
II Peter 1:3-4 AMP ¡°For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has bestowed on us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.¡± We understand from the Word of God and from life experience that mankind has a fallen nature because of sin. But this scripture passage tells us that when we believe in the Lord Jesus we receive everything necessary for life and godliness. He frees us from our old sin nature and we become a new creation. Now we share in His nature. What are the qualities which are ours by sharing the divine nature? There is DILIGENCE (persistence), and FAITH (the gift of faith, not the measure, or degree, of faith given to every man), MORAL EXCELLENCE (goodness), KNOWLEDGE (personal knowledge of the Lord, spiritual insight), SELF-CONTROL (ability to control your emotions and behavior), FAITHFULNESS (trust and loyalty to God), GODLINESS (obedience to God¡¯s will), BROTHERLY AFFECTION (natural family affection toward other believers, kinship), CHRISTIAN LOVE (charity, unselfishly seeking the best for others). (I Peter 1:5-7) These qualities correspond to the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. I Peter 1:9 ¡°For whoever lacks these qualities is blind¡ªshortsighted [closing his spiritual eyes to the truth], having become oblivious to the fact that he was cleansed from his old sins.¡± We never want to be oblivious to the wonderful work the Lord has done in us. Everyone should be able to see the difference in our lives. We are no longer of the world. We are the Kingdom of God. IN HIM WE LIVE 08-12-2023
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Cow-Folk & Friends Sunday Blessings Y¡¯all
? Cow-Folk & FriendsSunday Blessings Y¡¯all If this past week has been rough with problems you¡¯ve had to leave on the table- Problems that you know will be staring you in the face tomorrow- There is no need to let those problems steal the joy today. In fact - Rite now is a real good time to set yourself up for a week of peace and happiness. Rite now friend - GIVE IT TO GOD ! It¡¯s important to stay spiritually grounded and not loose site of where GOD may be taking you with whatever issue that¡¯s weighing you down. Instead-lets put our faith in GOD-who already has His eyes on the big picture of it all. Proverbs 19:21 says, ¡°Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand¡±. Chill Out - take a deep breath and consult The LORD through prayer. Look -He already knows how it¡¯s gonna turn out and He can get you there a lot easier-safer and with a lot less stress than you can on your own. Do things His way-instead of your way ! So today - whether as part of a Church Service or just some quiet place of your choosing- Call up to GOD- give that problem to Him and then it becomes His problem instead of yours- He¡¯s A Big GOD - He Can Handle It and even more ><> He Can Use It as a positive lesson or maybe even a blessing for your life. Walking with GOD doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t have problems ><> it means those problems won¡¯t have you ! Enjoy your day for the LORD and be sure as you go through this next week-others see- hear and feel the love of GOD through you. LETS BE CAREFUL OUT THERE- EVERYBODY GOES BACK HOME SAFE ! GOD Bless !! 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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A Different Approach
I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22
READ 1 Corinthians 9:19¨C23
When Mary Slessor sailed to the African nation of Calabar (now Nigeria) in the late 1800s, she was enthusiastic to continue the missionary work of the late David Livingstone. Her first assignment, teaching school while living among fellow missionaries, left her burdened for a different way to serve. So she did something rare in that region¡ªshe moved in with the people she was serving. Mary learned their language, lived their way, and ate their food. She even took in dozens of children who¡¯d been abandoned. For nearly forty years, she brought hope and the gospel to those who needed both.
The apostle Paul knew the importance of truly meeting the needs of those around us. He mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4¨C5 that there are ¡°different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit,¡± and ¡°different kinds of service, but the same Lord.¡± So he served people in their area of need. For instance, ¡°to the weak [he] became weak¡± (9:22).
One church I¡¯m aware of recently announced the launch of an ¡°all abilities¡± ministry approach complete with a barrier-free facility¡ªmaking worship available for people with disabilities. This is the Paul-like kind of thinking that wins hearts and allows the gospel to flourish in a community.
As we live out our faith before those around us, may God lead us to introduce them to Jesus in new and fresh ways.
By Dave Branon
REFLECT & PRAY What unique way to reach out to others has God placed on your heart? How will you accomplish it?
Dear heavenly Father, please give me wisdom to find the right way to help others.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT The principle Paul puts forth in 1 Corinthians 9:19¨C23¡ªthat of meeting people where they are with the gospel¡ªis illustrated in Paul¡¯s missionary journey practices as seen in the book of Acts. In Thessalonica, he preached in the synagogue on the Sabbath, where ¡°he reasoned with [the Jews] from the Scriptures¡± (Acts 17:2) as he sought to persuade them that Jesus was the Christ (v. 3). Paul also preached to the gentiles, and these non-Jews too ¡°turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God¡± (1 Thessalonians 1:9). In Athens, after preaching to the Jews in the synagogue, the apostle also engaged gentile hearers in the marketplace, citing their philosophers and poets (Acts 17:17¨C22, 28). Paul¡¯s approach may have been different when engaging different groups, but the content of the message was always the same¡ªthe gospel that included Jesus¡¯ resurrection (vv. 29¨C31).
Arthur Jackson
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?Exodus 21
Our society may not have a more intellectually lazy clich¨¦ than ¡°An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.¡± The phrase itself is clever, vividly portraying one eye put out after another in an unending, bloodthirsty, universal quest. But is unrestrained vengeance really how the law teaches us to love our neighbor as ourself?
Not in the least. In fact, unlimited vengeance is exactly what the ¡°eye for an eye¡± laws forbid.
Before these laws, people would retaliate for crimes committed against them however they saw fit, which typically caused a back-and-forth escalation as each party tried to do something worse than what was done to him.
Laws like the ones in Exodus 21:23¨C25 actually placed limitations on the kind of vengeance someone could inflict for a crime committed against him: ¡°But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.¡± The point was that if someone knocked out your tooth, you weren¡¯t allowed to kill him, and if he burnt your hand, you weren¡¯t allowed to cut off his foot. For punishments to be just, they had to be proportionate responses to the crime.
So, this law demands that we avoid plotting revenge against our neighbor who has wronged us in some way. Or, it means we need to think carefully before entering into a lawsuit and asking for a disproportionate amount of compensation for our ¡°damages.¡± Ultimately, this law should lead us to recognize our own limitations in seeking justice for ourselves.
But didn¡¯t Jesus challenge the ¡°eye for an eye¡± law in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:38¨C42? Yes he did, but to understand what Jesus was saying, we need to keep two ideas in mind.
First, Jesus was talking about how we should not retaliate against those who harm us. He was not addressing how governments ought to govern their citizens. Paul clarifies this well, explaining in Romans 13:1¨C6 that God himself put the sword in the hands of civil governments to protect those who do good and to execute God¡¯s own vengeance against wrongdoers.
Second, Jesus wasn¡¯t abolishing the ¡°eye for an eye¡± law; in fact, he was intensifying it. All of his ¡°You have heard it said¡± statements in the Sermon on the Mount were strengthening statements, taking the laws against murder, lust, divorce, false oaths, or loving our neighbors and pushing them to a new degree. With ¡°eye for an eye,¡± Jesus was acknowledging and increasing the limitation on retaliation by telling us to turn our other cheek rather than seeking vengeance.
Which neighbors do you need to love as yourself by abandoning your desires for taking revenge against them?
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Daily in Your Presence - Aug. 13
Day 226
THE LIFE
"I am the. . .
truth and the life."
John 14:6
FROM THE FATHER'S HEART My child, living life to the fullest requires one thing and one thing only. I am the life¡ªI am the One who designed you, formed you, and breathed My Spirit into you, and I sustain you. Apart from Me, there is no life. Because I am in your heart¡ªbecause you have chosen to invite Me there¡ªI can bring you true, abundant life. That's why I came. You won't find it any other place but in Me. Celebrate life, My child!
A GRATEFUL RESPONSE Lord, You are life itself. Apart from You, I have no meaning. Without You, I am like a seed eternally dormant in the ground¡ªnever growing, never bursting forth into full bloom. But with Your life in me, I can blossom eternally. You are my life, Lord.
SIMPLE TRUTH
Where there are no roots, there is no life.
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Hearing Voices Talitha Arnold
But when [Peter] noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ¡°Lord, save me!¡± ¨C Matthew 14:30 (NRSV)
I¡¯ve never tried to walk on water, but the summer I was four, I almost drowned trying to dog paddle. We were visiting a couple who lived by a lake in northern Arizona. Coming from Phoenix, anywhere with trees and water was paradise. After sitting with the adults on the front porch, my siblings and I finally convinced the husband to take us out in his old rowboat.
Dressed in regular clothes (no swimsuit), I discovered that a wooden boat on a sunny day was even hotter than a shaded porch. So I began to whine, ¡°It¡¯s hot, I¡¯m hot, too hot.¡± My siblings first ignored me. My complaints grew louder until they¡¯d had enough. ¡°If you¡¯re so hot,¡± one said, ¡°why don¡¯t you jump in the water and cool off?¡±
So I did. I was doing a fine dog paddle, until I heard my mother cry: ¡°Talitha doesn¡¯t know how to swim!¡± I remembered¡ªI couldn¡¯t swim. I quit paddling and began to sink¡ªuntil the boat¡¯s owner heeded the alarm and fished me out of the water.
Matthew says the wind frightened Peter. I wonder if the disciples¡¯ or his own inner voice also reminded him he couldn¡¯t walk on water. Whatever the source, it drowned out Jesus¡¯ assuring words and he started to sink, until Jesus grabbed him, just as the old man grabbed me, and delivered him up onto the boat.
Sometimes the voice of alarm saves us, as my mother¡¯s did. But sometimes, the voices around us can drown out the one voice we need most to hear. ¡°Have no fear. Come. You can do it.¡±
Prayer
Help us to hear your voice, O God. That¡¯s all. Help us to hear your voice. Amen.
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PROPHECIES FULFILLED The Old Testament contains more than 300 references to the Messiah, covering many details concerning His birth, life, and death. It has been estimated that the odds of Jesus fulfilling even eight of these prophecies (if He were not the Messiah) is 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.
When Peter sees the mob grab Jesus, his adrenaline kicks in. He whisks out his sword and begins to use it. The impulsive fisherman is ready to take on the whole mob, but Jesus stops him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know I can call on My Father, Peter? At any moment, He will send over 12 legions of angels if I ask Him.¡± Peter¡¯s sword pales in comparison. Sheepishly he tucks away the weapon.
Jesus asks Peter another question: ¡°If I call for an angel rescue, how can the Scriptures be fulfilled? The Scriptures that say it has to happen this way.¡± If Peter had been really listening, if he had understood the message about fulfilling prophecy, maybe he wouldn¡¯t have been so confused, bewildered, and scared in the hours that followed.
We have the advantage of hindsight that the disciples didn¡¯t have at that time. We can read the prophecies and understand why things had to happen the way they did in the life of Christ. Through these fulfilled prophecies, we have overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS "And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him." Matthew 26:50
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The Secret of Spiritual Strength Ephesians 6:10¨C23
When I began attending church regularly in the early 1970s, it was customary for people to dress up. Men wore suits and ties, and women wore dresses. Today, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a dress code. Most of the people I see dress casually.
It probably doesn¡¯t matter to God what you wear to church. But He does care how you dress for spiritual battle. In today¡¯s text, Paul finishes his letter to the Ephesians by describing the spiritual resources that enable a Christian to ¡°stand against the devil¡¯s schemes¡± (v. 11). Using the armor and weapons of a Roman soldier as his analogy, Paul shows his readers how to equip themselves for spiritual warfare.
Paul explains that we battle against ¡°powers of this dark world¡± and ¡°spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms¡± (v. 12). The struggle is earthly as well as heavenly. We can see the effects of these spiritual forces in our world, but their ultimate cause is not visible. How can we possibly fight against them?
The spiritual armor that Paul describes in verses13¨C17 focuses on two kinds of weapons. Our defensive weapons include: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, helmet of salvation, readiness which comes from the gospel of peace, and shield of faith. They point to the protection that the righteousness of Christ and the hope of the gospel provide. Our offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
The method of engaging in spiritual warfare that the apostle outlines is simple. Instead of prescribing specific prayers, chants, or elaborate rituals, the apostle asks the Ephesians to ¡°always keep on praying¡± (v. 18). He also asks them to pray for him so that he will fearlessly proclaim the gospel. The best way to protect ourselves spiritually is to know the gospel and be familiar with God¡¯s Word.
>> Do you know a pastor or missionary for whom you can pray? Ask God to help them declare the gospel fearlessly ¡°as they should!¡±
Pray with Us Many of us struggle to focus on You, Lord, and on the needs¡ªour own and others¡¯¡ªwe are bringing before You. Father, please grant us growth in this spiritual discipline.
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THE MOTIVE FOR OBEDIENCE For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3
It is the keeping of the commandments of God that honors and glorifies Him in His chosen. Wherefore every soul to whom God has given reasoning faculties is under obligation to God to search the Word and ascertain all that is enjoined upon us as God's purchased possession. We should seek to understand all that the Word requires of us. . . . We cannot show greater honor to our God, whose we are by creation and redemption, than to give evidence to the beings of heaven, to the worlds unfallen, and to fallen men, that we diligently hearken unto all His commandments, which are the laws that govern His kingdom.
We need to study diligently that we may gain a knowledge of the laws of God. How can we be obedient subjects if we fail to understand the laws that govern the kingdom of God? Then open your Bibles and search for everything that will enlighten you in regard to the precepts of God; and when you discern a Thus saith the Lord, ask not the opinion of men, but whatever the cost to yourself, obey cheerfully. Then the blessing of God will rest upon you....
Often ask prayerfully, 'Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Am I in any way disregarding the divine precepts? Am I in any way placing my influence on the enemy's side? Am I showing a careless disregard of God's commandments? Am I willing to yoke up with Christ, to lift the burdens, and to be a co-laborer with Him? Am I studying out possible excuses for neglecting obedience to a Thus saith the Lord? Am I risking the consequences of neglect to obey the clearly revealed precepts of Jehovah because I am not willing to come out from the world and be separate? Shall the fear of man have a greater influence over me than the fear of God?'
Surrender yourself to God, saying, ''Here, Lord, I give myself away; 'tis all that I can do.' I will not be found in disobedience to Thy law, for that would place me in the enemy's ranks.'
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2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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A Surprising Source of Spiritual Growth
A Surprising Source of Spiritual Growth ¡°For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. ¡± ¡ªIsaiah 43:19 We might be surprised by this, but spiritual refreshment and growth often come from times of spiritual testing. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God said, ¡°I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. . . . Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed¡± (Isaiah 43:19¨C20 NLT). It¡¯s in the wasteland, the hardships, and the difficulties that we often experience God in a way that we don¡¯t experience Him anywhere else. We want to live on the mountaintops, but spiritual fruit doesn¡¯t grow there. It grows in valleys. It grows in times of difficulty. James wrote, ¡°Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing¡± (James 1:2¨C4 NLT). Maybe you¡¯re facing a time of hardship right now. Maybe you¡¯ve just had the bottom drop out in life, and you¡¯re wondering why this is happening. You might be thinking, ¡°I¡¯m a Christian. I¡¯m walking with Jesus, and this hardship has befallen me. What have I done to deserve this?¡± Christians will face trials in life¡ªfor their own good. Jesus said, ¡°Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world¡± (John 16:33 NLT). Notice that Jesus didn¡¯t say you might have trials and sorrows. Rather, He said you will have them. God allows us to go through tests to make sure we really know what we say we know. And He allows hardships in our lives so we will grow up spiritually. Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer. Our faithfulness in simple and expected ways opens the door for God to do the unexpected things in our lives. In today¡¯s verse, Peter and John were on their way to pray at the Temple. They had just spent three years walking with the Incarnate Son of God. Right before their eyes, they had witnessed Jesus raise the dead, calm the wind and waves with a word, walk on water, and turn a sack lunch into a 5000-person buffet. After the crucifixion, their mourning was transformed into joy when He rose victorious from the grave. Yet, they were being faithful in this simple way. They were on their way to the Temple, the very place that sent out guards to arrest Jesus on that fateful night. They knew that they would experience God¡¯s presence in His house. They understood that where two or three gather in His name, He joins them there. They expected to find the fullness of His joy, for burdens to be lifted, for yokes to be destroyed, for lives to be changed. Faithfulness in this one simple way led to an unexpected, supernatural encounter for Peter and John. Something so simple invited God to do the miraculous. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you be faithful to worship together with other believers. May the Lord point out your part in the body of Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, help you to fulfill it. May your faithfulness lead to miraculous encounters with the one true God! 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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John 11:33 'When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.' JOHN 11:33 The Greek word that is translated 'groaned' expresses that Jesus was deeply moved, but not necessarily with sorrow. It was more a groan of anger at Satan who had caused all the grief Jesus was seeing around Him. Jesus came to 'destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil' (Heb. 2:14), and He was grieved to see the pain that His enemy had inflicted on those He loved. This is the type of groaning that the Holy Spirit does for us. It is not just the Holy Spirit sympathizing with us, but it is the Holy Spirit doing battle for us when we don't know how to pray. In this case, it was the Holy Spirit doing battle through Jesus against death and the doubt of those present, that would have kept Lazarus in the grave. Everyone who has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has or will have this happen to them. This groaning of the Holy Spirit is not just grief but a groan of anger and resistance against Satan's devices in our lives. Many times Christians don't discern this because they think it is just them grieved with their situation. But this is the Holy Spirit desiring to get into intercession with us against our problems. Although the groaning is unutterable, you can discern it, and many times people react with audible groans or other outward acts. This has led to religious doctrines and traditions that are unscriptural and offensive to many people. There is nothing wrong with us reacting to the inner working of the Holy Spirit as long as we don't confuse our reactions with the Holy Spirit's actions. This intercession cannot be uttered. Any counterfeits that religion may have produced only serve to illustrate that there has to be a genuine. The genuine groaning in the Spirit is priceless. 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Cow-Folk & Friends Since it¡¯s the weekend
Cow-Folk & Friends Since it¡¯s the weekend- I¡¯ll be brief for a change- I believe that quite possibly one of the most pleasing things we can do for GOD and in-turn for ourselves - is to put other people¡¯s needs ahead of our own. Philippians 2:3-5 instructs us, ¡°Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others, Your attitude should be the same as that of CHRIST JESUS.¡± If you really wanna feel good about yourself-do something that will make others feel good about you. If you really want JESUS to bless you-be a blessing to others. I say this often- but it¡¯s never been truer- The only JESUS some people may ever see- is the JESUS in you and the JESUS in me. What An Opportunity ! GOD Bless !!  ?? 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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Evening Reading
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"And I will remember my covenant."
Genesis 9:15
Mark the form of the promise. God does not say, "And when ye shall look upon the bow, and ye shall remember my covenant, then I will not destroy the earth," but it is gloriously put, not upon our memory, which is fickle and frail, but upon God's memory, which is infinite and immutable. "The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant." Oh! it is not my remembering God, it is God's remembering me which is the ground of my safety; it is not my laying hold of his covenant, but his covenant's laying hold on me. Glory be to God! the whole of the bulwarks of salvation are secured by divine power, and even the minor towers, which we may imagine might have been left to man, are guarded by almighty strength. Even the remembrance of the covenant is not left to our memories, for we might forget, but our Lord cannot forget the saints whom he has graven on the palms of his hands. It is with us as with Israel in Egypt; the blood was upon the lintel and the two side-posts, but the Lord did not say, "When you see the blood I will pass over you," but "When I see the blood I will pass over you." My looking to Jesus brings me joy and peace, but it is God's looking to Jesus which secures my salvation and that of all his elect, since it is impossible for our God to look at Christ, our bleeding Surety, and then to be angry with us for sins already punished in him. No, it is not left with us even to be saved by remembering the covenant. There is no linsey-wolsey here - not a single thread of the creature mars the fabric. It is not of man, neither by man, but of the Lord alone. We should remember the covenant, and we shall do it, through divine grace; but the hinge of our safety does not hang there - it is God's remembering us, not our remembering him; and hence the covenant is an everlasting covenant.
Tags: Psalm 104:16; Genesis 9:15
Charles Spurgeon?
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Momsooky