September 30, 2016

Prayer:

      Luke 11:1 
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Jesus’ disciples observed that Jesus prayed and prayed often. They also observed that He received answers to His prayers. They finally asked Jesus to teach them to pray also. Jesus response to them is what has been labeled “The Lord’s Prayer”. There is so much we can learn from this passage. We will take it one phrase at a time. One more general thought as we begin is that as we pray we must understand that we only see what is immediately around us, while God sees the BIG picture, the WHOLE picture, the FUTURE picture. We think we know best when actually it is GOD who knows BEST! Let’s open our hearts to learn and become more effective in our praying!

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September 29, 2016

Prayer:

      Luke 11:1 
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

It has been said that as we pray, prayer changes us. That is true. But prayer is more than that. It is the vehicle God has chosen to bring heaven’s answers into our lives and the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, we have a warped idea that God should just zap His answers and His will into our lives and our loved ones lives. That is not what we find in scripture. God has given all of us a free will and He does NOT VIOLATE our free will. Prayer is an awesome sacred privilege! We do not HAVE to pray we GET to pray!

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September 28, 2016

     
Prayer

     
      Luke 11:1 
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

We are going to start a series of devotional thoughts on the topic of Prayer. I know we often cringe when we read that. J Prayer, however, is a PRIVILEGE we get to do and NOT a DUTY that we need to PERFORM. That thought right there can change our praying forever! Jesus did not say “unless you pray a certain amount of time each day you are out of my favor” Rather, He invited us into His Father’s throne room and gave us this amazing privilege to have the same access to God His Father as He does! If that does not blow you away, I don’t know what will! When we perceive prayer as an awesome privilege instead of a dreadful obligation it is life-changing! Prayer is not only a privilege but a full-blown benefit!

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September 27, 2016

The Promises of God:

"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" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Another promise of God's mercy - we are bombarded with messages that God is NOT merciful by a media that does not KNOW GOD! Manasseh was a King of Israel that reigned for a very long time and did enormous amount of wickedness but when he heard God's judgment pronounced he humbled his heart and God heard him and held off the judgment until after his lifetime! What amazing MERCY! Remember HIS mercy is towards you today and HIS MERCY endures forever!!!

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September 26, 2016

The Promises of God:

"The LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him" (2 Chronicles 30:9).

What a comfort that God is merciful - along with all the other things He is - we would be in big trouble without His abundant MERCY! If you find yourself in need of His mercy today - go to Him - He is waiting for you!

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September 25, 2016

The Promises of God:

"And there shall be no more curse" (Revelation 22:3).

"The LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended" (Isaiah 60:20).

"Treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:20).

"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4).

The promise of heave is REAL - we're on our way home - there are a lot of things we DO know about heaven. It is easy in the daily day to day grind to forget that we are on our way HOME! This world is not our home - we just camping out here for a short time! Hallelujah!

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September 24, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him"
 (1 Corinthians 2:9).

There's MORE immeasurably MORE! The question is do we want it?

"We can only see a little of the ocean

Just a few miles distant from the rocky shore

But out there - far beyond our eyes' horizon

There's more - immeasurably more."

"We can only see a little of God's loving

A few rich treasures from His mighty store

But out there - far beyond our eyes' horizon

There's more - immeasurably more."

~~Springs in the Valley

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September 23, 2016

The Promises of God:

"We shall be saved by his life. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:10, 17).

We shall REIGN IN LIFE by one, JESUS CHRIST - now we usually think of reigning as happening in heaven - but here we are promised that we will reign in this life! Is that where we are living today? We bear HIS name today! Jesus said "all power is given to you" we have the power of attorney - let's make sure we're living like it!

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September 22, 2016

The Promises of God

"If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1Thessalonians 4:14-17).

The promise of HIS coming back for us! It could be today! Surely His return is near - let us live soberly - not like those of this world who have not hope with dread and fear - but with JOYFUL expectancy that today might be the day HE comes to take us home!  

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September 21, 2016

The Promises of God;

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" (1Corinthians 15:21, 42-44, 49, 51-54).

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).

"He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you" (2Corinthians 4:14).

The worst enemy we will ever has been DEFEATED! DEATH! Because HE lives we too shall LIVE! That's our goal - we say it all wrong - we are going home to LIVE! We are not awaiting the END but the BEGINNING! Hallelujah!

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September 20, 2016

The Promises of God:

"If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11).

Now here's a promise I need every day! Through the Holy Spirit we have every resource for daily living necessary and beyond! Most mornings "quickening" sounds good to me and is something I desperately need - although a cup of coffee seems to help - this "quickening" goes way beyond that! Feeling sluggish or wiped out? Here's the solution - get a fresh infilling the Holy Spirit!

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September 19, 2016

The Promises of God:

"This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:39, 40, 54).

These are Jesus own words! "Hath eternal life" - that means it is ours NOW - TODAY! Let's continue feasting on HIS provision of shed blood and broken flesh - that our inner man may be fat and flourishing - ! :-)

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September 18, 2016

The Promises of God:

"The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28, 29).

We are looking forward to that RESURRECTION OF LIFE! We have a future and a hope! It's not just idle tales - by believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have been released from the judgment of damnation for our sins! HALLELUJAH!

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September 17, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

The promise here is of HEAVEN - eternal life - "I go to prepare a place for you" - so many people have the question - "when I die - will I go to heaven? - Jesus told the thief on the cross TODAY! We can bank on HIS promise!

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September 16, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).

JUST AS IF WE NEVER SINNED! It is so easy to say - but do we really believe it in our gut? When God looks at us HE does not remember our sins - HE sees us with Christ's righteousness and we stand before HIM actually "just as if we never sinned"!!! Whew! Put that in your pipe and smoke it for a while! :-)

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September 15, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

Are we less afraid of going through the valleys of life than we used to be? That's the test to show us if we are learning to TRUST God and learning to KNOW HIM. After you've been through something you thought would kill you and you find you're still alive and God is still with you - it should increase our confidence that no matter what may be happening all around us - GOD IS WITH US!

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September 14, 2016

The Promises of God:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).

Nothing is capable of separating from HIS love! NOTHING! God loves us when we are doing terribly and when we are doing great - there is no difference in HIS love towards us - we are the ones who change! So no matter where we find ourselves today - HE LOVES US EXTRAVAGANTLY! May this thought leave you feeling hugged by heaven today!

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September 13, 2016

 The Promises of God:

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:2, 3).

Here we have the promise of a home being prepared for us in heaven - it is so easy for us to forget that we are not HOME yet! Let's lift up our gaze today and remember "we're on our way HOME!"

#spreadtheword #thewordworks #livetheword #promisesofGod

September 12, 2016

The Promises of God:

"I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" (John 16:22).

This is the promise of Jesus to His disciples before He was crucified - once Jesus ascended into Heaven and poured out His Spirit on the disciples HE knew that their JOY would be FULL - and no one could take that joy away from them! The joy that comes from the abiding Holy Spirit cannot be explained - cannot be equaled - cannot be taken away! It is our INHERITANCE! Make sure you're living in your inheritance!

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September 11, 2016

The Promises of God:

Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:15, 16).

What a promise - walking in the LIGHT OF HIS COUNTENANCE! Notice it is as we walk with "JOYFUL SOUND" coming out of us that the LIGHT of His countenance is our portion! What kind of sounds are we making - sighing and whining? or thanking and praising and rejoicing? Choose JOY! It's OUR choice!

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September 10, 2016

The Promises of God:

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5, 6).

Shall DOUBTLESS - it is a SURE thing - a PROMISE - reaping follows sowing!!!! And reaping causes us to REJOICE! If we've been sowing - then HARVEST DAY IS COMING!

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September 9, 2016

The Promises of God:

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous" (Psalm 118:15).

The voice of rejoicing --- is that our voice? We have so much to rejoice about - but sometimes like the Israelites of old when we listen to our voice - it is whining or complaining - let's make sure that we are - REJOICING in the God of our salvation and all HE has purchased for us!

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September 8, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart" (Isaiah 65:14).

Have you been singing lately - if so what have you been singing? :-) Sometimes it's the latest TV commercial jingle or some line from a tune we heard while shopping - let's make sure we are singing the songs of ZION - singing lifts our spirits opens our hearts to heaven. Let's sing MINDFULLY!

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September 7, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace" (Isaiah 55:12).

Here is a promise we can cash in on daily! Each time we go in or out! PEACE! Like everything else we need to cash in on what is rightfully ours - the bank does not just throw money your way because it's in your account you still need to either write the check or go to the ATM etc. - Well, God is not going to just throw His promises at us either - we need to write the check or go to HIS ATM and claim them! :-)

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September 6, 2016

The Promises of God:

"The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

There is no substitute for this kind of JOY! Joy that comes from knowing in whom we have believed - joy that comes from knowing we are redeemed - joy that bubbles up uncontrollably from knowing that we are on our way to our Heavenly home!

We may be cast down and struggling in many areas but this kind of JOY does not depend on the happenings in our lives!  

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September 5, 2016

The Promises of God:

"He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Comfort to those that mourn.... He was a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" ... what a comfort in our times of sorrow -

No matter what the sorrow - there is comfort for our hearts through the precious Holy Spirit - it's our part to open our hearts and allow the Comforter in!

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September 4, 2016

The Promises of God:

"He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Wow what a comprehensive promise! Jesus HIMSELF said this is what HE came to do for us. We all fit this verse somewhere and need the deliverance promised! He wants us to be fat and flourishing well-watered trees! Bearing FRUIT even to old age! -- 50 - 60 - 70 ...... etc. :-)

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September 3, 2016

The Promises of God:

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you" (John 14:27).

Notice the "not as the world giveth" ... Although Job said "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away - it was NOT the Lord that took away Jobs stuff - it was the devil! Here we have the inference that God is not an Indian giver - when HE gives us HIS peace it is permanent - forever - done deal! Hallelujah!

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September 2, 2016

The Promises of God:

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18).

I will not leave you orphans it was it translates to! Jesus was on His way back to HIS Father and HOME. But was not just going off to have a good time and forget about those He was leaving behind! He was going to send them the most empowering all inclusive - complete resource they could possible have! HIS OWN SPIRIT to INDWELL them! THINK ON IT!

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September 1, 2016

The Promises of God:

"The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

A promise to claim whenever our peace is in jeopardy! This one's a KEEPER! :-) How often our peace is disturbed or just gets up and leaves us all in pieces! Another verse tells us to "ALLOW" the peace of God to rule in our hearts" - its' always OUR choice!

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