Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. (Luke 11:1-4)
O.K. Why is the Dead Sea called the Dead Sea?
Right. It's dead. Nothing lives in it. Now, why doesn't anything live in it?
Well, it's so salty everything dies. But why is it so salty?
I'm told it is so salty because all the water goes into the Dead Sea but nothing comes out the other end. The Dead Sea doesn't give anything back, it only takes.
God gives forgiveness and invites us to be a people of forgiveness. When we do not give back forgiveness as we have received forgiveness, then we die, at least a little, at least inside where God is trying to make us alive in his love.
God, You are the Forgiver of the faithful and the foolish. We are amazed at Your mercy and forgiveness as expressed in Jesus Christ. Let us live this day as those who have been forgiven and given the opportunity to forgive others!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
La Bonne Semence
Inscrivez vous a La Bonne Semence : http://www.labonnesemence.com/
19 Samedi janvier
Approchez-vous de Dieu, et il s'approchera de vous.
Jacques 4. 8
Moi, je me suis adonné à la prière.
Psaume 109. 4
Des haltes bienfaisantes
Un guide accompagnait un groupe d'ethnologues dans une région désertique d'Afrique. La nature, dont l'homme n'avait pas terni la grandeur, leur découvrait des paysages d'une rare beauté. Afin de n'en rien manquer, le guide leur imposait de fréquentes haltes qui suscitaient un émerveillement renouvelé à chaque étape.
Sans doute ferions-nous bien, nous aussi, dans la vie trépidante que nous menons, de réserver des haltes, non seulement pour admirer la création, mais également pour louer le Créateur. Des psaumes nous invitent à méditer, et à nous souvenir de ses oeuvres merveilleuses (Psaume 105. 2, 5). Parmi celles-ci, il y a le don merveilleux que Dieu nous a fait dans la personne de son Fils Jésus Christ, le pardon des péchés par son sacrifice, la vie éternelle donnée à celui qui croit, l'accès ouvert pour permettre à l'homme de s'approcher de Dieu et d'avoir d'heureuses communications avec lui. Le croyant a une pleine liberté pour entrer dans la présence de Dieu “par le sang de Jésus”. “Approchons-nous avec un cœur vrai” (Hébreux 10. 19, 22).
Ne pensons pas que ces haltes soient inutiles. Il vaut la peine de passer du temps avec lui. En lisant la Bible, nous écoutons Dieu nous parler. C'est la «bonne part» que Marie avait choisie (Luc 10. 42).
Par la prière, pour l'adorer ou pour lui apporter nos besoins, nous avons communion avec Dieu. «Persévérez dans la prière, veillant en elle avec des actions de grâces» (Colossiens 4. 2).
19 Samedi janvier
Approchez-vous de Dieu, et il s'approchera de vous.
Jacques 4. 8
Moi, je me suis adonné à la prière.
Psaume 109. 4
Des haltes bienfaisantes
Un guide accompagnait un groupe d'ethnologues dans une région désertique d'Afrique. La nature, dont l'homme n'avait pas terni la grandeur, leur découvrait des paysages d'une rare beauté. Afin de n'en rien manquer, le guide leur imposait de fréquentes haltes qui suscitaient un émerveillement renouvelé à chaque étape.
Sans doute ferions-nous bien, nous aussi, dans la vie trépidante que nous menons, de réserver des haltes, non seulement pour admirer la création, mais également pour louer le Créateur. Des psaumes nous invitent à méditer, et à nous souvenir de ses oeuvres merveilleuses (Psaume 105. 2, 5). Parmi celles-ci, il y a le don merveilleux que Dieu nous a fait dans la personne de son Fils Jésus Christ, le pardon des péchés par son sacrifice, la vie éternelle donnée à celui qui croit, l'accès ouvert pour permettre à l'homme de s'approcher de Dieu et d'avoir d'heureuses communications avec lui. Le croyant a une pleine liberté pour entrer dans la présence de Dieu “par le sang de Jésus”. “Approchons-nous avec un cœur vrai” (Hébreux 10. 19, 22).
Ne pensons pas que ces haltes soient inutiles. Il vaut la peine de passer du temps avec lui. En lisant la Bible, nous écoutons Dieu nous parler. C'est la «bonne part» que Marie avait choisie (Luc 10. 42).
Par la prière, pour l'adorer ou pour lui apporter nos besoins, nous avons communion avec Dieu. «Persévérez dans la prière, veillant en elle avec des actions de grâces» (Colossiens 4. 2).
Friday, January 18, 2008
Holy, Living Sacrifices
In Exodus 12:5, God commanded each household in Israel to take an unblemished lamb and slaughter it on the Passover. The blood of the Lamb was to be put on the doorposts of their homes so that God would pass over them and not strike down their firstborn as He did to the Egyptians. This was a clear foreshadowing of Christ who would shed His innocent blood for us as the perfect Lamb of God. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:19 that we have not been bought with perishable things such as silver and gold “but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” Our holy standing before God come judgment day is going to be because we have received Christ as the One Who alone could forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). It is His blood which can set us free, and nothing else, because only He was the unblemished and spotless Lamb of God.
But the imagery of unblemished sacrifices doesn’t end here. Jesus refers to those who believe in Him as His sheep (John 10:27), and Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” There is a sense in which our lives are to resemble the unblemished lamb of the Passover and the holy, unblemished Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Just as Christ was holy and laid down His life, so, too, are we to grow in holiness and lay down our lives for others. We, the sheep of God, are to be holy sacrifices while we are yet living. This we can do each day as we present our bodies, hearts, and minds as clean and holy to God.
Paul speaks of dying daily (1 Corinthians 15:31, Galatians 2:20) and Jesus says that we must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Each day, we must offer ourselves to God spiritually, reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). We are alive because Christ has given us new life. We are holy because Christ has made us righteous in His perfect blood. Yet we are also to be sacrifices, living daily in practical holiness as we let God accomplish His good and perfect will in and through us. Paul summarized this mindset in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 5:24 echoes this theme saying, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” A holy, living sacrifice lets Christ have His way and daily reckons himself dead to sin and free to let Christ live out His will in and through him. Being a sacrifice implies a willingness to die. We may never have to physically die for being a Christian, but daily we do need to die to the flesh as we remember by faith that we have been bought with the blood of the perfect Lamb Who is working to perfect us also. When we yield to God, we can see just how alive we really are.
May God in His mercy fashion us into those whose lives are pleasing to Him, and may we by faith let Him transform us from the ways of the world to the unblemished state of our Lord, the Lamb of God.
But the imagery of unblemished sacrifices doesn’t end here. Jesus refers to those who believe in Him as His sheep (John 10:27), and Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” There is a sense in which our lives are to resemble the unblemished lamb of the Passover and the holy, unblemished Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Just as Christ was holy and laid down His life, so, too, are we to grow in holiness and lay down our lives for others. We, the sheep of God, are to be holy sacrifices while we are yet living. This we can do each day as we present our bodies, hearts, and minds as clean and holy to God.
Paul speaks of dying daily (1 Corinthians 15:31, Galatians 2:20) and Jesus says that we must take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23). Each day, we must offer ourselves to God spiritually, reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Romans 6:11). We are alive because Christ has given us new life. We are holy because Christ has made us righteous in His perfect blood. Yet we are also to be sacrifices, living daily in practical holiness as we let God accomplish His good and perfect will in and through us. Paul summarized this mindset in Galatians 2:20 when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 5:24 echoes this theme saying, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” A holy, living sacrifice lets Christ have His way and daily reckons himself dead to sin and free to let Christ live out His will in and through him. Being a sacrifice implies a willingness to die. We may never have to physically die for being a Christian, but daily we do need to die to the flesh as we remember by faith that we have been bought with the blood of the perfect Lamb Who is working to perfect us also. When we yield to God, we can see just how alive we really are.
May God in His mercy fashion us into those whose lives are pleasing to Him, and may we by faith let Him transform us from the ways of the world to the unblemished state of our Lord, the Lamb of God.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
How to Know God is Leading You
"Abraham...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." Hebrews 11:8 NIV
God guides us by closing one door then opening another. Abraham didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was - and that's enough to create movement in the right direction. Knowing you can't stay where you are is often the starting point of God's guidance. And it usually begins with an inward stirring and restlessness in your soul. Seasons have beginnings and endings. When a season is over, you sense it's time to move!
"They headed north [to]...Bithynia, but again the Spirit...said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there" (Acts 16:7-10 TLB).
Notice, when God kept Paul from going into Asia, Paul didn't stay there praying and asking "why?" - he just kept moving. For Paul, trying something and it not working out was no big deal. He believed that his gift to God was his willing heart and his mobility, and that God's gift to him was that He would always guide him to where he needed to be. What God prevents, denies, or keeps us away from, is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us.
Every door that didn't open, every opportunity you didn't get, every call that didn't come, is as much God's guidance as those that did. Think about it!
God guides us by closing one door then opening another. Abraham didn't know where he was going, but he knew he couldn't stay where he was - and that's enough to create movement in the right direction. Knowing you can't stay where you are is often the starting point of God's guidance. And it usually begins with an inward stirring and restlessness in your soul. Seasons have beginnings and endings. When a season is over, you sense it's time to move!
"They headed north [to]...Bithynia, but again the Spirit...said no. So instead they went on through Mysia province to the city of Troas. That night Paul had a vision. In his dream he saw a man over in Macedonia, Greece, pleading with him, 'Come over here and help us.' Well, that settled it. We would go to Macedonia, for we could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there" (Acts 16:7-10 TLB).
Notice, when God kept Paul from going into Asia, Paul didn't stay there praying and asking "why?" - he just kept moving. For Paul, trying something and it not working out was no big deal. He believed that his gift to God was his willing heart and his mobility, and that God's gift to him was that He would always guide him to where he needed to be. What God prevents, denies, or keeps us away from, is as much divine guidance as what He permits and opens up to us.
Every door that didn't open, every opportunity you didn't get, every call that didn't come, is as much God's guidance as those that did. Think about it!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
God Is Doing A New Thing
It is a new day and God wants to do something new in your life! If you are a Believer, you have a right to receive the manifestation of every word God has spoken over your life. As you lay hold of it by faith, it will come to pass. It is easy to become discouraged when you don’t see things happening quickly enough, but as you seek His face through praise, prayer and worship, He will begin to reveal more of who He is to you. The more you know about Him, the more confident you will become in His ability to do exactly what He said He would do.
You may have been going through some troubling circumstance or struggling with a certain situation for some time now. But the good news is that your days of strugg ling are over! If you want to experience the power of God in your life, it is critical that you find out what God promises in His Word. He doesn’t want you to stay in your current situation; He wants to take you to new levels of glory every day! All it takes is your unwavering belief in what He says in His Word.
Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it?” God is a God of new beginnings. That’s right! He is multifaceted and always wants to show you an aspect of Himself that you have never seen before. In addition, He wants to do some new things in your life. He wants you to see and experience abundance like you’ve never before experienced it.
Expectation is key to receiving the new things God desires to do in your life. Whether it is healing, deliverance, financial breakthrough or restoration of a relationship, God will come through for you if you expect Him to. He is a loving Father Who wants to bless you.
As you expect to see the goodness of God manifest in your life, you must lay hold of it by faith. Nothing in the Kingdom of God works without it. Habakkuk 2:4 says, “…but the just shall live by his faith.” In addition, you must be sure that you are walking in love—first toward God, and second toward others. These two commandments are the keys to activating your faith and confidence in God.
Finally, your words—specifically the Word of God that you confess—will connect you to a new reality of living, one that is characterized by God’s glory overtaking you. If you’re not saying anything, you’re not creating anything! You have to use your God-given authority in order to begin experiencing something new.
Your “new thing” may be debt freedom or buying a new home. Whatever it is, find scriptures on those areas and begin meditating on them. Get them in your heart until they become so real to you that you can’t see things any other way than through God’s eyes. Having the blueprint of a new reality and way of life in your heart and mind through consistent meditation will fuel your faith. Then when you speak the Word with boldness, it will come to pass. But first, your heart must be established in the truths that are contained in it.
I want you to begin thinking differently about your life. It’s time to get rid of the old attitudes, habits and lifestyle that you have been living and holding onto and usher in the new! By standing on God’s Word, walking in faith and love and using your authority, you can literally change your reality. God is ready to reveal His glory to you in a new way; the question is, are you ready to receive it?
You may have been going through some troubling circumstance or struggling with a certain situation for some time now. But the good news is that your days of strugg ling are over! If you want to experience the power of God in your life, it is critical that you find out what God promises in His Word. He doesn’t want you to stay in your current situation; He wants to take you to new levels of glory every day! All it takes is your unwavering belief in what He says in His Word.
Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it?” God is a God of new beginnings. That’s right! He is multifaceted and always wants to show you an aspect of Himself that you have never seen before. In addition, He wants to do some new things in your life. He wants you to see and experience abundance like you’ve never before experienced it.
Expectation is key to receiving the new things God desires to do in your life. Whether it is healing, deliverance, financial breakthrough or restoration of a relationship, God will come through for you if you expect Him to. He is a loving Father Who wants to bless you.
As you expect to see the goodness of God manifest in your life, you must lay hold of it by faith. Nothing in the Kingdom of God works without it. Habakkuk 2:4 says, “…but the just shall live by his faith.” In addition, you must be sure that you are walking in love—first toward God, and second toward others. These two commandments are the keys to activating your faith and confidence in God.
Finally, your words—specifically the Word of God that you confess—will connect you to a new reality of living, one that is characterized by God’s glory overtaking you. If you’re not saying anything, you’re not creating anything! You have to use your God-given authority in order to begin experiencing something new.
Your “new thing” may be debt freedom or buying a new home. Whatever it is, find scriptures on those areas and begin meditating on them. Get them in your heart until they become so real to you that you can’t see things any other way than through God’s eyes. Having the blueprint of a new reality and way of life in your heart and mind through consistent meditation will fuel your faith. Then when you speak the Word with boldness, it will come to pass. But first, your heart must be established in the truths that are contained in it.
I want you to begin thinking differently about your life. It’s time to get rid of the old attitudes, habits and lifestyle that you have been living and holding onto and usher in the new! By standing on God’s Word, walking in faith and love and using your authority, you can literally change your reality. God is ready to reveal His glory to you in a new way; the question is, are you ready to receive it?
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
All Things New
One of the greatest needs in our lives is the need for restoration. To restore means, “to bring something back into existence or effect again; to bring back to a former or original condition; to put back in a former place or position; to reinstate; to return.” We talk about restoring relationships, renovating antique furniture, reinstating a political leader and returning something that was stolen or lost. These all demonstrate the idea of restoration. The essential meaning of salvation is restoration. To be saved means that we have experienced the miraculous restoring power of God to make all things new in our lives spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, and relationally.
From Genesis to Revelation, we see the God of restoration. We hear God’s message to the nation of Judah: “I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City” (Isa 1:26).
The Psalmist prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” (Ps 51:12). God promises, “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jer 30:17a). Paul the Apostle declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new” (2 Cor 5:17).
When the Apostle John received the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos concerning the restoration of all things and the beauty of the new heaven and the new earth, he says, “And he that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev 21:5). As you surrender your failures, problems and challenges to your Heavenly Father in faithful prayer, He will make all things new for you.
From Genesis to Revelation, we see the God of restoration. We hear God’s message to the nation of Judah: “I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City” (Isa 1:26).
The Psalmist prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” (Ps 51:12). God promises, “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jer 30:17a). Paul the Apostle declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new” (2 Cor 5:17).
When the Apostle John received the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos concerning the restoration of all things and the beauty of the new heaven and the new earth, he says, “And he that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’” (Rev 21:5). As you surrender your failures, problems and challenges to your Heavenly Father in faithful prayer, He will make all things new for you.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
You're Never Too Old
Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. Joshua 14:14 (KJV)
It's never too late to overcome any problem in your life. God has tremendous blessings for all those that follow Him. That includes the young, the old, and the in-between.
Some people grow old and set in their ways, but not all. There are some that can out run a young man. There are some that are more innovative than you think. I met a 93 year old man once when I was 17, starting out in the ministry. He was fitter than I was. He looked better than I did. He was more physically fit than I was. The man had chiseled features. To top it off he was anointed. He walked across South America preaching the gospel. I asked him how did you do it. He said, "I spend time with God seriously every da y." He was moving on with God.
That is the way Joshua and Caleb were. In the book of Joshua, we see that Joshua is the new leader. He and Caleb are now very old and it's time to go into the promised land. I can imagine Caleb is walking along with Joshua, and seeing a huge mountain, and saying, "That's the one I'm taking," even in his old age. Joshua turns to him and says, that's a huge mountain. Can you take this mountain? And Caleb says, "I am well able to overcome it."
I don't care how old you are or how big your mountain is. If you enter into the rest of God, you will find victory. The mountain may look forbidding but you can say what Caleb said: "I'm well able to overcome the mountain. I'm well able to get over the top of the mountain. I'm well able to speak to the mountain and tell it to move in Jesus' name."
The ones with the evil report died without ever seeing the promised land. Joshua and Caleb entered into the promised land. They had the rest of God. I don't care how big your mountain is. God is bigger.
They used to say in the church that I came from, "He's so high, you can't go over Him. He's so low you can't go under Him. He's so wide you can't go around Him." That's the God you serve. But He's looking for you to do what's required to enter into His rest just as Jesus did.
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:8-16
It's never too late to overcome any problem in your life. God has tremendous blessings for all those that follow Him. That includes the young, the old, and the in-between.
Some people grow old and set in their ways, but not all. There are some that can out run a young man. There are some that are more innovative than you think. I met a 93 year old man once when I was 17, starting out in the ministry. He was fitter than I was. He looked better than I did. He was more physically fit than I was. The man had chiseled features. To top it off he was anointed. He walked across South America preaching the gospel. I asked him how did you do it. He said, "I spend time with God seriously every da y." He was moving on with God.
That is the way Joshua and Caleb were. In the book of Joshua, we see that Joshua is the new leader. He and Caleb are now very old and it's time to go into the promised land. I can imagine Caleb is walking along with Joshua, and seeing a huge mountain, and saying, "That's the one I'm taking," even in his old age. Joshua turns to him and says, that's a huge mountain. Can you take this mountain? And Caleb says, "I am well able to overcome it."
I don't care how old you are or how big your mountain is. If you enter into the rest of God, you will find victory. The mountain may look forbidding but you can say what Caleb said: "I'm well able to overcome the mountain. I'm well able to get over the top of the mountain. I'm well able to speak to the mountain and tell it to move in Jesus' name."
The ones with the evil report died without ever seeing the promised land. Joshua and Caleb entered into the promised land. They had the rest of God. I don't care how big your mountain is. God is bigger.
They used to say in the church that I came from, "He's so high, you can't go over Him. He's so low you can't go under Him. He's so wide you can't go around Him." That's the God you serve. But He's looking for you to do what's required to enter into His rest just as Jesus did.
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:8-16
Friday, January 4, 2008
It's Never Too Late! Look unto Jesus...
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:2
How do you make the transition into God's perfect will for your life? Let's examine God's strategy in the following examples:
In 1978, a man named Bernie Marcus got fired from his job at Handy Dan, a hardware store in Newark, New Jersey. Instead of getting depressed, he and a friend started their own hardware store called Home Depot. Today, Home Depot has over 1,400 stores, and had sales of over $40 billion dollars. Bernie's life seemed to be in rut after being fired, but God had another plan.
Colonel Harland Sanders was sixty years old, homeless and living in his car with a recipe for fried chicken and a vision. There were many other restaurants that served fried chicken, but Colonel Sanders focused his efforts on serving families in a quicker manner. Kentucky Fried Chicken became one of the largest quick service restaurants in the world. Colonel Sanders could have given up on life, but he never gave up on his vision.
Moses was eighty years old when God called him to lead the Israelites; after having spent forty years tending sheep for his father-in-law, Jethro. It was those forty years that God prepared Moses for his greatest assignment.
These three men should have been branded as failures. But notice God already had already given them things (experience, a recipe, a staff) they could use to change the world. Their job was to simply recognize what they had and seek to help people. People who have lived significant lives never waited for money, people, security or ease to deliver them. They pressed through hard transitional times until their breakthrough came.
So, if you feel that you have fallen behind God's will for your life, it's not too late. There is yet a new chapter to be written, a new race to run and a success to attain that you've yet to imagine. Don't give up; allow God to transition you. If you are patient and pray for those around you, you will arrive at your destination right on time.
How do you make the transition into God's perfect will for your life? Let's examine God's strategy in the following examples:
In 1978, a man named Bernie Marcus got fired from his job at Handy Dan, a hardware store in Newark, New Jersey. Instead of getting depressed, he and a friend started their own hardware store called Home Depot. Today, Home Depot has over 1,400 stores, and had sales of over $40 billion dollars. Bernie's life seemed to be in rut after being fired, but God had another plan.
Colonel Harland Sanders was sixty years old, homeless and living in his car with a recipe for fried chicken and a vision. There were many other restaurants that served fried chicken, but Colonel Sanders focused his efforts on serving families in a quicker manner. Kentucky Fried Chicken became one of the largest quick service restaurants in the world. Colonel Sanders could have given up on life, but he never gave up on his vision.
Moses was eighty years old when God called him to lead the Israelites; after having spent forty years tending sheep for his father-in-law, Jethro. It was those forty years that God prepared Moses for his greatest assignment.
These three men should have been branded as failures. But notice God already had already given them things (experience, a recipe, a staff) they could use to change the world. Their job was to simply recognize what they had and seek to help people. People who have lived significant lives never waited for money, people, security or ease to deliver them. They pressed through hard transitional times until their breakthrough came.
So, if you feel that you have fallen behind God's will for your life, it's not too late. There is yet a new chapter to be written, a new race to run and a success to attain that you've yet to imagine. Don't give up; allow God to transition you. If you are patient and pray for those around you, you will arrive at your destination right on time.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
God Will Turn it Around
And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10
God can turn any situation around regardless of how grave, how despicable, or how hurtful it may be. Do you have something happening in your life that you need God to turn around? If so, you are a prime candidate for restoration. Job had some terrible things happen to him, but God turned it around.
It was about nine months from the time Satan attacked Job until things started to turn. Most will agree that when you're in the middle of tests and trails, it seems like ninety years. However, when restoration comes, your captivity begins to turn. How did Job's captivity turn? The Lord turned Job's captivity when he prayed for somebody else.
Here lies the first lesson to learn about restoration. If you want som ething good to happen to you, then you have to do something good for somebody else. That will always be God's principle. You might as well drill that in your head: if you have a problem, find somebody else with a problem and help them. Anytime you give, it comes back to you. That's a law of the kingdom and it works.
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord turned his captivity and restored everything back to Job, plus some. The word "restore" means to return what has been taken or lost, a renewal, recovery, restitution, revival, re-establish, healing, and a replacement. Those words describe restoration.
Now this shows you how powerless Satan is: the moment you pray for somebody else, not only are you inviting God into their affairs, but you're also inviting God into your affairs. And when God is invited into your affairs, He will restore, plus give you more.
God will restore to you double. The Lord blessed Job in the latter end of his life more th an what he had lost. You may not be in your latter end right now, but you can call those things that be not as though they were. Restoration comes by faith.
Notice what Job lost: his family, his health, and his money, but God restored double. I mean, the second family was better than the first, he had more money than before, and he was healthier than before. God gave him 140 more years, so Job died being full of years.
Remember, God will not do anything on the earth unless somebody invites Him. So invite God into your affairs and God will turn it around. He will restore BIG TIME!
Scripture Reference: Psalm 126:1-6
God can turn any situation around regardless of how grave, how despicable, or how hurtful it may be. Do you have something happening in your life that you need God to turn around? If so, you are a prime candidate for restoration. Job had some terrible things happen to him, but God turned it around.
It was about nine months from the time Satan attacked Job until things started to turn. Most will agree that when you're in the middle of tests and trails, it seems like ninety years. However, when restoration comes, your captivity begins to turn. How did Job's captivity turn? The Lord turned Job's captivity when he prayed for somebody else.
Here lies the first lesson to learn about restoration. If you want som ething good to happen to you, then you have to do something good for somebody else. That will always be God's principle. You might as well drill that in your head: if you have a problem, find somebody else with a problem and help them. Anytime you give, it comes back to you. That's a law of the kingdom and it works.
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord turned his captivity and restored everything back to Job, plus some. The word "restore" means to return what has been taken or lost, a renewal, recovery, restitution, revival, re-establish, healing, and a replacement. Those words describe restoration.
Now this shows you how powerless Satan is: the moment you pray for somebody else, not only are you inviting God into their affairs, but you're also inviting God into your affairs. And when God is invited into your affairs, He will restore, plus give you more.
God will restore to you double. The Lord blessed Job in the latter end of his life more th an what he had lost. You may not be in your latter end right now, but you can call those things that be not as though they were. Restoration comes by faith.
Notice what Job lost: his family, his health, and his money, but God restored double. I mean, the second family was better than the first, he had more money than before, and he was healthier than before. God gave him 140 more years, so Job died being full of years.
Remember, God will not do anything on the earth unless somebody invites Him. So invite God into your affairs and God will turn it around. He will restore BIG TIME!
Scripture Reference: Psalm 126:1-6
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Use It or Lose It ( Parable of the TALENT )
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. Matthew 25: 27-28 (KJV)
Did you know that the Lord is an investor and He sows by putting talents, which is money, in your hands? Therefore, He expects you to produce with what He gives you. It's not where you start that matters, but where you end up.
Now, you may not be a five-talent guy; you may only be a two or one talent guy. But just keep multiplying the one or two talents God has given you and eventually you will have what the five-talent guy has.
Let's examine the last servant in this parable. Evidently, he didn't see this as an investment because he said to His Lord, "Here is your original investment." You see, his attitude was, "You ought to be happy with that."
But in verse 27, the Lord calls him a wicked and lazy servant. He tells this servant, "...you should have at least put it in the bank if you weren't going to do anything with it. At least I would have received interest on my own money."
Now pay attention to what the Lord does: He takes the one talent and gives it to the guy who has ten talents. Well, why didn't He give it to the five-talent guy? Because God is a smart investor, that's why. He gave it to the man with the most ability. For unto everyone that has shall be given and he shall have abundance.
So whatever God gives you, minister unto the Lord with it and you're going to have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he has. Simply put, you have to use it or lose it.
Now, you need to understand that a parable usually explains what the kingdom of heaven is like. Therefore, God must consider this a serious subject. So wherever you are in your life-big, small, or in between, God expects you to minister unto Him. Don't waste your time getting upset because somebody starts out in a better position than you. Remember, God is also holding them accountable for what they have.
When you minister unto God with that which was His in the first place, He will bless you. He will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so big that you will not have room enough to receive it all.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:21,23; Luke 8:18
Did you know that the Lord is an investor and He sows by putting talents, which is money, in your hands? Therefore, He expects you to produce with what He gives you. It's not where you start that matters, but where you end up.
Now, you may not be a five-talent guy; you may only be a two or one talent guy. But just keep multiplying the one or two talents God has given you and eventually you will have what the five-talent guy has.
Let's examine the last servant in this parable. Evidently, he didn't see this as an investment because he said to His Lord, "Here is your original investment." You see, his attitude was, "You ought to be happy with that."
But in verse 27, the Lord calls him a wicked and lazy servant. He tells this servant, "...you should have at least put it in the bank if you weren't going to do anything with it. At least I would have received interest on my own money."
Now pay attention to what the Lord does: He takes the one talent and gives it to the guy who has ten talents. Well, why didn't He give it to the five-talent guy? Because God is a smart investor, that's why. He gave it to the man with the most ability. For unto everyone that has shall be given and he shall have abundance.
So whatever God gives you, minister unto the Lord with it and you're going to have abundance. But from him that hath not shall be taken away that which he has. Simply put, you have to use it or lose it.
Now, you need to understand that a parable usually explains what the kingdom of heaven is like. Therefore, God must consider this a serious subject. So wherever you are in your life-big, small, or in between, God expects you to minister unto Him. Don't waste your time getting upset because somebody starts out in a better position than you. Remember, God is also holding them accountable for what they have.
When you minister unto God with that which was His in the first place, He will bless you. He will open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing so big that you will not have room enough to receive it all.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:21,23; Luke 8:18
Just say " AMEN "
To all my Dear Friends
JUST SAY " AMEN"
Because you will see the invisible, you will do the impossible...
Because you will touch the intangible you will achieve the incredible....
Because you will hear the inaudible , you will have the unimaginable....
Because of you, your family will not know
poverty you will go in and out of your house in peace....
Violence and crying of sorrow shall not be heard in your camp...
Because you are God's Idea and God cannot fail, you shall not fail this year...
Favor shall overwhelm your endeavors
You shall not struggle to be recognized...
Your gift shall announce you...
You are entitled to daily fruitfulness...
Every darkness in your life shall give way to the light of God...
All your lack will give way to abundance...
The rejected shall become the selected...
People shall hear your testimonies and follow you to God...
In everything you do, you will succeed. ..
By the time this 2008 ends, you will look
back with joy; and ahead with great expectations ...
You will take charge of your life as you master your time ...
You will discover how to maximize your time and add value to it...
You will become the star of your family
and the hope of your generation...
Because you know where you are going,
the whole world will step aside and follow you...
May you find favor with God and men...
May you grow in wisdom and stature...
May you walk in dominion over every circumstance and situation...
Throughout the year 2008 , never forget to:
Act as if it were impossible to fail ..
Because for people like you and me,
the word failure does not exist...
Your success is non-negotiable ...
This will be the greatest year of your life and the beginning of unprecedented success in your life!
Those who laughed at you before shall come to laugh with you...
However bad it has been with you till this point, you shall from henceforth enter into the rest and;
God shall take you to the place of your
greatness and destiny.
You shall have visions that are clear ,
virtues that are right and victory that is certain...
You are blessed beyond curse, raised above terror and established beyond oppression...
You shall not lack counsel and ideas...
You shall have eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands...
In place of breakdown you shall have
breakthrough; In confusion, you shall be enlightened; and in weakness, you shall be strengthened...
There shall be for you beauty in place of ashes, the oil of gladness in place of spirit of heaviness...
Every closed door against your goodness, greatness and destiny shall open of their own accord...
You shall be instructed and illuminated within by the Spirit of God...
HI FOLKS
YOU NEED TO SAY AMEN BECAUSE
You shall do the right thing at the right time...
You shall rise above every obstacle and be carried on the wings of eagle...
God will remember you for good...
You shall fulfill and not frustrate destiny...
Christ shall continually dwell in you...
AND MAY YOU FIND THE HEART TO SEND THIS PRAYER TO THOSE YOU HOLD DEAR.....
I am sending it to you because I care about you!.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Kindest regards and the best for 2008!!
JUST SAY " AMEN"
Because you will see the invisible, you will do the impossible...
Because you will touch the intangible you will achieve the incredible....
Because you will hear the inaudible , you will have the unimaginable....
Because of you, your family will not know
poverty you will go in and out of your house in peace....
Violence and crying of sorrow shall not be heard in your camp...
Because you are God's Idea and God cannot fail, you shall not fail this year...
Favor shall overwhelm your endeavors
You shall not struggle to be recognized...
Your gift shall announce you...
You are entitled to daily fruitfulness...
Every darkness in your life shall give way to the light of God...
All your lack will give way to abundance...
The rejected shall become the selected...
People shall hear your testimonies and follow you to God...
In everything you do, you will succeed. ..
By the time this 2008 ends, you will look
back with joy; and ahead with great expectations ...
You will take charge of your life as you master your time ...
You will discover how to maximize your time and add value to it...
You will become the star of your family
and the hope of your generation...
Because you know where you are going,
the whole world will step aside and follow you...
May you find favor with God and men...
May you grow in wisdom and stature...
May you walk in dominion over every circumstance and situation...
Throughout the year 2008 , never forget to:
Act as if it were impossible to fail ..
Because for people like you and me,
the word failure does not exist...
Your success is non-negotiable ...
This will be the greatest year of your life and the beginning of unprecedented success in your life!
Those who laughed at you before shall come to laugh with you...
However bad it has been with you till this point, you shall from henceforth enter into the rest and;
God shall take you to the place of your
greatness and destiny.
You shall have visions that are clear ,
virtues that are right and victory that is certain...
You are blessed beyond curse, raised above terror and established beyond oppression...
You shall not lack counsel and ideas...
You shall have eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands...
In place of breakdown you shall have
breakthrough; In confusion, you shall be enlightened; and in weakness, you shall be strengthened...
There shall be for you beauty in place of ashes, the oil of gladness in place of spirit of heaviness...
Every closed door against your goodness, greatness and destiny shall open of their own accord...
You shall be instructed and illuminated within by the Spirit of God...
HI FOLKS
YOU NEED TO SAY AMEN BECAUSE
You shall do the right thing at the right time...
You shall rise above every obstacle and be carried on the wings of eagle...
God will remember you for good...
You shall fulfill and not frustrate destiny...
Christ shall continually dwell in you...
AND MAY YOU FIND THE HEART TO SEND THIS PRAYER TO THOSE YOU HOLD DEAR.....
I am sending it to you because I care about you!.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Kindest regards and the best for 2008!!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Seed
In the Far East the emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children , he decided to do something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The children were shocked, but the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor."
One boy, named Ling, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown..
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Ling's pot.
He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty
pot.
But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.
Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people.
Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. He thought, "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he Is the one who will be the new emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you
plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles. So be careful what you plant, now; it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better for you or for the ones who will come after you. Someday you will enjoy the fruits or you will pay for the choices you make.
Two thousand years ago someone else told the same story with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". If you know who said this, nothing else needs to be said.
The children were shocked, but the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor."
One boy, named Ling, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it, carefully. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown..
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Ling's pot.
He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty
pot.
But his mother asked him to be honest about what happened.
Ling felt sick at his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other children laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people.
Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. He thought, "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds that would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he Is the one who will be the new emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant goodness, you will reap friends. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory. If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, you will reap success. If you
plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation. If you plant faith, you will reap miracles. So be careful what you plant, now; it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better for you or for the ones who will come after you. Someday you will enjoy the fruits or you will pay for the choices you make.
Two thousand years ago someone else told the same story with fewer words, "What you sow, so shall you reap". If you know who said this, nothing else needs to be said.
Same Old, Same Old...
"Let's... Be what we were made to be." Romans 12:6 (TM)
The worst kind of life is a life without purpose, stuck in the same old routine.
Tony Evans writes: "Every day you get out of the same old bed and go to the same old bathroom to look at the same old face in the same old mirror. You go to the same old closet to choose from the same old clothes, then sit down at the same old breakfast table to eat the same old breakfast.
Then you go to that same old garage and get into that same old car to head down that same old road to that same old job. There you work all day for that same old pay, next to those same old people, supervised by that same old manager.
Then you get back into that same old car and head back down that same old road to that same old house. Once you are home you sit down in that same old chair to watch that same old television. At the end of the day you go to that same old bed and sleep that same old way, so you can get up the next morning and start that same old routine all over again."
God didn't create you, and He most certainly didn't redeem you, to live a purposeless existence. That should be good news, because that means even if you're searching to find your life's purpose - there's something out there worth the search!
The things around us are not all there is. God has a customized plan just for you. Seek it, find it, live it to the fullest!
The worst kind of life is a life without purpose, stuck in the same old routine.
Tony Evans writes: "Every day you get out of the same old bed and go to the same old bathroom to look at the same old face in the same old mirror. You go to the same old closet to choose from the same old clothes, then sit down at the same old breakfast table to eat the same old breakfast.
Then you go to that same old garage and get into that same old car to head down that same old road to that same old job. There you work all day for that same old pay, next to those same old people, supervised by that same old manager.
Then you get back into that same old car and head back down that same old road to that same old house. Once you are home you sit down in that same old chair to watch that same old television. At the end of the day you go to that same old bed and sleep that same old way, so you can get up the next morning and start that same old routine all over again."
God didn't create you, and He most certainly didn't redeem you, to live a purposeless existence. That should be good news, because that means even if you're searching to find your life's purpose - there's something out there worth the search!
The things around us are not all there is. God has a customized plan just for you. Seek it, find it, live it to the fullest!
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