I have been gone for a good wile, and though all of my time away wasn't all bad I reached a dry place. So many of us are so high and mighty we act like we don't get dry sometimes, like we don't reach dry places. I am not saying that God stops talking to you (which He will and can do) I am saying just get to a place where you feel like the well has run DRY. Notice I said YOU FEEL LIKE.
Matthew 11:27-28 says:
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
So we come and we labor and then we expect the rest right? What we fail to realize is it says take my Yoke( To be joined or associated; to be intimately connected; to consort closely; to mate.) upon you and learn for Me. Now there are many definitions of the word "Yoke" but this one best fit. How many of us are joined and stay joined. How many of us are intimately connected to Christ? It goes on to say "for I am gentle and lowly in heart" Is that you , because that is surely not me. Lowly is humble and I know that is an area where God needs to work on me. So the rest is promised when we have joined with Christ in an intimate relationship and when we humble ourselves. God can no work in us if we think of ourselves higher than we ought to.
2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Are you of His people, do you really believe you belong to God. Some of us say " I am a child of the most high God," but do you really believe it. Do you walk it, talk it, and live it? Some say it's too hard I just can't and maybe you can't on your own but Philippians 4:13 says- I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You have to believe on Christ and in His power and in Him crucified. So I ask do you really believe or are we just talking? Pray ask God to give you strength through Chirst not of your own.
We must decrease, we must die unto ourselves so that Christ may increase in us. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10says- 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. That is saying when we are feeling weak like we just need to give up and throw in the towel. We are strong in Him. That's when He steps in when we need to stand and having done all stand.
Once we have truly surrendered all given it all to Christ not taken it back but given it to Him who can handle it. Once we humble ourselves and realize we can do nothing in and of ourselves but only through Him will we find rest for our souls. I leave you with this:
John 7:37-38
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
My Favorite Passage
I Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
I love this scripture because so many people always talk about how they want to know what true love is. They always talk about how much love hurts disappoints, beats you down and belittles you. My answer is always that's not love and not what God Intended love to be. The Bible clearly tells us what love truly is and not it's not all roses and yes we may go through some things but we go through them in love.
So my suggest be kind be honest and be a blessing to someone else. Let's stop trying to out dress, out talk and out do one another and just learn how to truly love one another. No it's not always easy but remember my favorite part bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love NEVER FAILS. Know that I love you with the love of God and I pray we all come to know true LOVE.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
I love this scripture because so many people always talk about how they want to know what true love is. They always talk about how much love hurts disappoints, beats you down and belittles you. My answer is always that's not love and not what God Intended love to be. The Bible clearly tells us what love truly is and not it's not all roses and yes we may go through some things but we go through them in love.
So my suggest be kind be honest and be a blessing to someone else. Let's stop trying to out dress, out talk and out do one another and just learn how to truly love one another. No it's not always easy but remember my favorite part bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love NEVER FAILS. Know that I love you with the love of God and I pray we all come to know true LOVE.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The water.............
John 4:14
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Have you ever sat back and thought about the significance of water in your life? What would happen to our bodies without water? What would happen to the Earth without water? Water cover 70% of the Earth that's more than half of the Earth. Our bodies are made up of water as well, the content of water depends on our ages and they are roughly; Babies: 78%, One year of age: 65%, Adult Men: 60%, Adult Women: 55%. As you can see even our bodies are made up mostly of water. Water is very important to us and it is safe to say without it we would die.
What about the waters talked about in the word of God. We know in Genesis God created the waters and He also destroyed the Earth with water. However the water that I am talking about are the "rivers of living waters". The Bible talks about these waters a few time. It also says that John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Can you imagine never thirsting again? Now Jesus is talking about more than a physical thirst He speaks of a spiritual thirst. He is the River of living waters and if we drink of Him we will never thirst again.
Have you ever been so thirsty that as you began to drink you could feel the water travel through your body and even feel it swish in your belly. Well imagine drinking of the living water. Being full of the word drinking of the living water, consuming Jesus do you even understand what that could do in your life. Are you thirsty today? I implore you, I challenge you to drink of the water that Jesus wants to give us.
John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Could you imagine "rivers of living waters flowing from your heart? That means that everyone coming across your path you are offering them a drink. You are offering them a drink that will quench their thirst like no other drink has ever done. Could you just imagine what you would exude if from your heart flowed rivers of living waters/ The word says that flowing from our hearts are the issues of life, but if we believe in Jesus there are no issue flowing from our hearts because we have given them to Jesus.
Psalm 1:3
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
A tree planted by LIVING waters that shall not wither and will always prosper. That tree is you. Have you ever noticed that the most beautiful trees live on the water fronts. they have the greenest leaves they grow the tallest and they seem to live forever why is that.
Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Those trees live so long because they have strong deep roots. The water has strengthened them and made the much stronger then the land side trees because they never thirst. This is how God wants us to be like trees planted by living waters. he wants us to not only bear fruit in our season but to continuously bear fruit. his word says we will not cease from yielding fruit. Meaning we will bear fruit until the day we die.
If you thirst drink of the water provided by Jesus. Let it be your desire to never thirst again. my prayer is that we become Tress planted by living waters. Those trees are not easily moved or shaken and can not be chopped down easily. make it your prayer and desire to drink of the water of the word of God and never thirst again.
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Have you ever sat back and thought about the significance of water in your life? What would happen to our bodies without water? What would happen to the Earth without water? Water cover 70% of the Earth that's more than half of the Earth. Our bodies are made up of water as well, the content of water depends on our ages and they are roughly; Babies: 78%, One year of age: 65%, Adult Men: 60%, Adult Women: 55%. As you can see even our bodies are made up mostly of water. Water is very important to us and it is safe to say without it we would die.
What about the waters talked about in the word of God. We know in Genesis God created the waters and He also destroyed the Earth with water. However the water that I am talking about are the "rivers of living waters". The Bible talks about these waters a few time. It also says that John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Can you imagine never thirsting again? Now Jesus is talking about more than a physical thirst He speaks of a spiritual thirst. He is the River of living waters and if we drink of Him we will never thirst again.
Have you ever been so thirsty that as you began to drink you could feel the water travel through your body and even feel it swish in your belly. Well imagine drinking of the living water. Being full of the word drinking of the living water, consuming Jesus do you even understand what that could do in your life. Are you thirsty today? I implore you, I challenge you to drink of the water that Jesus wants to give us.
John 7:38
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Could you imagine "rivers of living waters flowing from your heart? That means that everyone coming across your path you are offering them a drink. You are offering them a drink that will quench their thirst like no other drink has ever done. Could you just imagine what you would exude if from your heart flowed rivers of living waters/ The word says that flowing from our hearts are the issues of life, but if we believe in Jesus there are no issue flowing from our hearts because we have given them to Jesus.
Psalm 1:3
He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
A tree planted by LIVING waters that shall not wither and will always prosper. That tree is you. Have you ever noticed that the most beautiful trees live on the water fronts. they have the greenest leaves they grow the tallest and they seem to live forever why is that.
Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Those trees live so long because they have strong deep roots. The water has strengthened them and made the much stronger then the land side trees because they never thirst. This is how God wants us to be like trees planted by living waters. he wants us to not only bear fruit in our season but to continuously bear fruit. his word says we will not cease from yielding fruit. Meaning we will bear fruit until the day we die.
If you thirst drink of the water provided by Jesus. Let it be your desire to never thirst again. my prayer is that we become Tress planted by living waters. Those trees are not easily moved or shaken and can not be chopped down easily. make it your prayer and desire to drink of the water of the word of God and never thirst again.
Lastly I want to leave you with this, think about what water does for you when you are stressed. When you ache, when you are frustrated I know for me a hot bath or shower always renews me. it refreshes me and it make me feel alive all over again. Imagine if the water you bathed in was the water that Jesus speaks of. So the next time you are soaking away your troubles in the water. Use the water of the word to feed your spirit so that your period of relaxation is not just for the moment but so that you are relaxing you physical body and quenching the thirst in your spirit.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tired of being tested
I have a song in my spirit and before I get started I just wanted to share the words with you.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord most high
Amen that was just in my spirit
A Heavenly Inheritance 1 Peter 1:1-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
This passage was in my heart today because I have truly been going through some things. I am trying to go through then with joy because it seems for every blessing and for every right thing that happens here comes a ton of trials. God's has a plan and in everything He does or allows to happen He is trying to work out something in us. God is trying to make us His best, He is trying to make us all that we can be for His plans and purposes.
You know sometimes as "people" we say things like I am only human, how much more can I take. In that same breath we say I know God is not going to put more on me than I can bear. So why is it that when we go through we question it and we question God. God's word said we should be tried as gold in the fire. Don't get me wrong God values us a whole lot more than Gold but we have to think about Gold itself. Gold is the only metal that is pliable, it is the only metal that can be bent molded and shaped. Gold is the softest medal there is. Gold is just like what God wants our hearts to be like,
Now think about how God wants to mold and shape us. His word says in Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. God shapes and molds us into who He would have us to be. Another amazing thing about gold is it's atomic number is 79. Though 79 does not have a true Biblical meaning the numbers 7 and 9 does.
I am going to show you this the way God showed it to me. The number 7 is the number of completion for man. The Number 9 approval, entire and solid. The number is the symbol that is used in reference to the (cube). This number is also used when describing the Trinity or the Godhead (divine perfection). This number has also been associated with spirit and life. Divine perfection is perfection in God. By our trials we are being tested as pure gold 7 and 9 to be made complete as men and ultimately being made divinely perfect in God. No being tested is not easy but just try and think about the end result.
I leave you with this the NLT translation I thought it was beautiful and I pray it blesses you as it has blessed me. I pray it bring clearer understanding of why you are being tested, and the promise God has for you if you remain faithful to Him.
1 Peter 1:3-7 (New Living Translation)
The Hope of Eternal Life
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be the name of the Lord most high
Amen that was just in my spirit
A Heavenly Inheritance 1 Peter 1:1-7
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
This passage was in my heart today because I have truly been going through some things. I am trying to go through then with joy because it seems for every blessing and for every right thing that happens here comes a ton of trials. God's has a plan and in everything He does or allows to happen He is trying to work out something in us. God is trying to make us His best, He is trying to make us all that we can be for His plans and purposes.
You know sometimes as "people" we say things like I am only human, how much more can I take. In that same breath we say I know God is not going to put more on me than I can bear. So why is it that when we go through we question it and we question God. God's word said we should be tried as gold in the fire. Don't get me wrong God values us a whole lot more than Gold but we have to think about Gold itself. Gold is the only metal that is pliable, it is the only metal that can be bent molded and shaped. Gold is the softest medal there is. Gold is just like what God wants our hearts to be like,
Now think about how God wants to mold and shape us. His word says in Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. God shapes and molds us into who He would have us to be. Another amazing thing about gold is it's atomic number is 79. Though 79 does not have a true Biblical meaning the numbers 7 and 9 does.
I am going to show you this the way God showed it to me. The number 7 is the number of completion for man. The Number 9 approval, entire and solid. The number is the symbol that is used in reference to the (cube). This number is also used when describing the Trinity or the Godhead (divine perfection). This number has also been associated with spirit and life. Divine perfection is perfection in God. By our trials we are being tested as pure gold 7 and 9 to be made complete as men and ultimately being made divinely perfect in God. No being tested is not easy but just try and think about the end result.
I leave you with this the NLT translation I thought it was beautiful and I pray it blesses you as it has blessed me. I pray it bring clearer understanding of why you are being tested, and the promise God has for you if you remain faithful to Him.
1 Peter 1:3-7 (New Living Translation)
The Hope of Eternal Life
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6 So be truly glad.[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Count it all Joy ............. But how????
James 1: 2-8
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Even though the world tells us to be joyful and to bless the Lord at all times how easy is that really? We are supposed to have the Spirit of God so we should be able to live according to Matthew 11: 28-30 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
If we are to learn from Jesus then why is it that the things He found so easy to do are virtually impossible for us to do. No matter what the situation Jesus still counted it all joy. Even when He was on the cross He still blessed the Lord. He was faithful to the very end. Some of us don't even realize He gave His life it wasn't taken. Jesus came in the form of flesh so just like us He had free will but He was so submissive, so obedient that He died for what He believed in. How many of us are that passionate about the Gospel (Selah)
For us it is so hard to count it all joy, it seems like when one things happens everything begins to fall apart. Is there a reason for this God promised us rest right? Verse 28 says it if we labor and are heavy laden He will give us rest. The part we fail to zero in on is where He says take MY yoke upon you and learn of me. See our burdens are so heavy because even though we think we walk after the spirit we are in truth walking after the flesh. Now I know some of you are think I know I walk after the spirit, but how quickly we forget.
Think about the last time you had a bad week, not a bad day but week maybe even month. Everything that could go wrong did, and even though you got some major things accomplished you can't see the forest for the trees. You just feel defeated "man if I woulda did this, I shoulda did that, I can't do this." News flash you can't go back and do anything over, but what you can do is go back and right them wrongs. We will make mistakes and thank God for grace but always remember James said we fall into diverse situations. Christians fall into sin we DO NOT sin intentionally again we fall into sin. What does the word have to say about that fall?
The word tells us to count it all joy. Now there are some of us who will try and be sarcastic oh I just lost my car Thank You Jesus and not mean it but truly count it all joy. This means God is trying to work something out in you this mean God has found you faithful enough to know that He can put you through some things and you won't turn your back on Him. So saints of the most high God COUNT IT ALL JOY.....Shout unto the Lord with a voice of triumph because God says you are more than a conqueror.........
So today I leave you with this
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Even though the world tells us to be joyful and to bless the Lord at all times how easy is that really? We are supposed to have the Spirit of God so we should be able to live according to Matthew 11: 28-30 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
If we are to learn from Jesus then why is it that the things He found so easy to do are virtually impossible for us to do. No matter what the situation Jesus still counted it all joy. Even when He was on the cross He still blessed the Lord. He was faithful to the very end. Some of us don't even realize He gave His life it wasn't taken. Jesus came in the form of flesh so just like us He had free will but He was so submissive, so obedient that He died for what He believed in. How many of us are that passionate about the Gospel (Selah)
For us it is so hard to count it all joy, it seems like when one things happens everything begins to fall apart. Is there a reason for this God promised us rest right? Verse 28 says it if we labor and are heavy laden He will give us rest. The part we fail to zero in on is where He says take MY yoke upon you and learn of me. See our burdens are so heavy because even though we think we walk after the spirit we are in truth walking after the flesh. Now I know some of you are think I know I walk after the spirit, but how quickly we forget.
Think about the last time you had a bad week, not a bad day but week maybe even month. Everything that could go wrong did, and even though you got some major things accomplished you can't see the forest for the trees. You just feel defeated "man if I woulda did this, I shoulda did that, I can't do this." News flash you can't go back and do anything over, but what you can do is go back and right them wrongs. We will make mistakes and thank God for grace but always remember James said we fall into diverse situations. Christians fall into sin we DO NOT sin intentionally again we fall into sin. What does the word have to say about that fall?
The word tells us to count it all joy. Now there are some of us who will try and be sarcastic oh I just lost my car Thank You Jesus and not mean it but truly count it all joy. This means God is trying to work something out in you this mean God has found you faithful enough to know that He can put you through some things and you won't turn your back on Him. So saints of the most high God COUNT IT ALL JOY.....Shout unto the Lord with a voice of triumph because God says you are more than a conqueror.........
So today I leave you with this
Romans 8:36-39
36 As it is written:
“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Be blessed saints, I pray this word fall on good ground and produces fruit in your life. May the grace of our Lord the communion of the Holy Spirit and the love of God be with you all.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
How quickly we forget..........
Isaiah 59:19
So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
How many times have you woken up on Sunday morning with a praise just in your spirit. You get the family ready and the things that would normally get on your nerves don't even bother you. You get to church and begin to pray and you feel your burdens lifting. Praise and worship begins and you enter into the Holies of Holy like never before. You truly encounter God on this day you have truly had an experience with Him and no sooner than you walk out of the door something happens. You get a call from a family member that upsets you, you get into a fender bender on the way home, the kids come home and just wreak havoc and all that you just received is snatched away. You have totally forgotten the burden God has lifted because you picked them back up. You forgot what He delivered you from because that one persons name was mentioned that just makes your skin crawl. Every thing took a downward spiral as soon as you left the church. Why does this happen?
This happens because we all receive the word of God on different ground. Now you may say I always receive God's word on good ground. Well His word tells us how to measure on what level we have received His word. As it says in Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
See even though we believe that we have received God's word on good ground what kind of crops are we yielding. If the word can be snatched away from us, if the past can just come up and make us forget all that God has delivered us from then where are we truly. The Bible repeatedly tell us to rejoice in the Lord by our rejoicing in times of despair we overcome what the enemy is trying to do in our lives. The word says in Isaiah that we must raise up a standard against him. The word never said that the enemy wouldn't come, the word tells us how to deal with him.
The devil knows you and he knows you well you were his before you came to Christ being born into sin, He knows what it's going to take to knock you back down and make you forget what God had just done for you only moments ago but God says Rejoice.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!For praise from the upright is beautiful. Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. So saints of the most high when we rejoice let's not let it only be on Sunday. Let's not let it only be while the praise and worship is going up. I leave you with this Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.
How many times have you woken up on Sunday morning with a praise just in your spirit. You get the family ready and the things that would normally get on your nerves don't even bother you. You get to church and begin to pray and you feel your burdens lifting. Praise and worship begins and you enter into the Holies of Holy like never before. You truly encounter God on this day you have truly had an experience with Him and no sooner than you walk out of the door something happens. You get a call from a family member that upsets you, you get into a fender bender on the way home, the kids come home and just wreak havoc and all that you just received is snatched away. You have totally forgotten the burden God has lifted because you picked them back up. You forgot what He delivered you from because that one persons name was mentioned that just makes your skin crawl. Every thing took a downward spiral as soon as you left the church. Why does this happen?
This happens because we all receive the word of God on different ground. Now you may say I always receive God's word on good ground. Well His word tells us how to measure on what level we have received His word. As it says in Matthew 13
The Parable of the Sower
1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
See even though we believe that we have received God's word on good ground what kind of crops are we yielding. If the word can be snatched away from us, if the past can just come up and make us forget all that God has delivered us from then where are we truly. The Bible repeatedly tell us to rejoice in the Lord by our rejoicing in times of despair we overcome what the enemy is trying to do in our lives. The word says in Isaiah that we must raise up a standard against him. The word never said that the enemy wouldn't come, the word tells us how to deal with him.
The devil knows you and he knows you well you were his before you came to Christ being born into sin, He knows what it's going to take to knock you back down and make you forget what God had just done for you only moments ago but God says Rejoice.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!For praise from the upright is beautiful. Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. So saints of the most high when we rejoice let's not let it only be on Sunday. Let's not let it only be while the praise and worship is going up. I leave you with this Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
A Question Answered.....
Today while on facebook a friend of mine posed the question, Why should I strive for righteousness when one's needs can be met and receive blessings while in sin? So I pose this question to myself tonight. It was a good discussion and I enjoyed commenting and seeing what everyone had to say about it. Now her reasoning for posing the question was she has a lot of friends who don't serve God, go to church and pay tithes etc. and they are happy, healthy and their needs are being met. Their bills are paid and they have everything they need.
There are 2 approaches I would like to take with this. The first is what a blessing and the second are we just satisfied with having just our needs met.
According to dictionary.com the definition of a blessing is :
noun
1. the act or words of a person who blesses.
2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.
3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person: The son was denied his father's blessing.
5. praise; devotion; worship, esp. grace said before a meal: The children took turns reciting the blessing.
6. approval or good wishes: The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.
Not one of these definitions says that a blessing is having your needs met or bills paid, a blessing would be more than having your needs met. Proverbs 10:22 says The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Then came the question what is rich. When most people think about riches they think about money, jewels, gold and the like. However that is wealth and not rich. Some of the most wealthy people are the most unhappy. Sure they can pay all their bills, they can travel and even pay for the best of medicines to cure any illness. The dictionary defines rich as having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy: a rich man; a rich nation. That is how the world defines rich but how does God define rich? One of the Bible Dictionaries defines rich as Full of valuable achievements or works. So it doesn't always mean money or things of monetary value. If a blessing is a gift, praise devotion worship than how could any of these add any sorrow to our lives. Let's say tomorrow you get a call and you are offered a job make at 6 figure salary a high 6 figure salary. In order to take this job you would have to move to another country. You would be on call 7 days a week 24 hours a day would this job be a blessing for you? Would this job add any sorrow to your life as you know it right now? Is this something that you obtained on your own or was it truly sent by God. I know a blessing when I see one I will tell you about me for instance. About 3 years ago I started getting very bad headaches they would totally dilapidated me. I would throw up and I could not function. I ended up having to leave work to go out on disability and I was so upset because I had only been at that job for about 4 or 5 months and I loved it. I later lost the job because of instead of my health getting better it only got worse. I later found out that I had a aneurysm that could not be removed. I was diagnosed with a few other illnesses and have been out of work since. Does this sound like a blessing surely not I had lost everything my job, my life I could no longer do the things I was used to doing because of my health. How could I possibly see a blessing in this. I later found out that I had to have 2 brain surgeries. Me thinking in my own mind I was so prepared for them to cut my head open. When the time came I was surprised to find out that they were going in through my groin less invasive, no physical therapy needed or anything. Now for most they wouldn't constitute that as a blessing but for me it truly was. See the other surgery they were going to do was much more risky and had a whole lot more recovery time than what I had. I have been through some highs and lows with my health but in this God has given me a house where I can pay my bills and still have money left over. God has given me all the furnishings for the house free of charge. God has given me a supportive man who stood by me through all of this and married me after my health had gotten worse instead of better. God has given me everything that I need pertaining to life and Godliness. Now how can I say God gave me anything, because to this day that same job that I worked on for 4 months still pays me. Everything that He has given me hasn't caused me any trouble and it has truly been a benefit in my life. No I can't afford to go on a yearly vacation I may not even be able to buy the things that I always want but I am happy truly happy and there is not a price you can put on true happiness. When I decide o go against His word to go against His will that is when things begin to fall apart because I know better. Hebrew 6:4-6 says 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away,[b] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. So they would have to have tasted from the Lord and seen He was good to truly be a sinner. Gods word says in Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Saying that God blesses sinners you must first believe in God's principles and standards. You must affiliate yourself with God in some come of way. As my Pastor always says when you know better you do better. When you deliberately go against the word of God you are then a sinner. So back to the question at hand you should strive for righteousness because you know God you know what He's done for you and where He has brought you from. You know what your consequence is if you choose to go back to living in sin. Having our needs met is OK but are we living the life that Jesus died for us to live. John 10:9-11 (New King James Version)says 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Your job is not to sell God but to spread the good news of His word. I pray that this has helped you and enlightened you God did us grace but He didn't give it for His children to stay there..... May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, The love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
There are 2 approaches I would like to take with this. The first is what a blessing and the second are we just satisfied with having just our needs met.
According to dictionary.com the definition of a blessing is :
noun
1. the act or words of a person who blesses.
2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.
3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person: The son was denied his father's blessing.
5. praise; devotion; worship, esp. grace said before a meal: The children took turns reciting the blessing.
6. approval or good wishes: The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.
Not one of these definitions says that a blessing is having your needs met or bills paid, a blessing would be more than having your needs met. Proverbs 10:22 says The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Then came the question what is rich. When most people think about riches they think about money, jewels, gold and the like. However that is wealth and not rich. Some of the most wealthy people are the most unhappy. Sure they can pay all their bills, they can travel and even pay for the best of medicines to cure any illness. The dictionary defines rich as having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy: a rich man; a rich nation. That is how the world defines rich but how does God define rich? One of the Bible Dictionaries defines rich as Full of valuable achievements or works. So it doesn't always mean money or things of monetary value. If a blessing is a gift, praise devotion worship than how could any of these add any sorrow to our lives. Let's say tomorrow you get a call and you are offered a job make at 6 figure salary a high 6 figure salary. In order to take this job you would have to move to another country. You would be on call 7 days a week 24 hours a day would this job be a blessing for you? Would this job add any sorrow to your life as you know it right now? Is this something that you obtained on your own or was it truly sent by God. I know a blessing when I see one I will tell you about me for instance. About 3 years ago I started getting very bad headaches they would totally dilapidated me. I would throw up and I could not function. I ended up having to leave work to go out on disability and I was so upset because I had only been at that job for about 4 or 5 months and I loved it. I later lost the job because of instead of my health getting better it only got worse. I later found out that I had a aneurysm that could not be removed. I was diagnosed with a few other illnesses and have been out of work since. Does this sound like a blessing surely not I had lost everything my job, my life I could no longer do the things I was used to doing because of my health. How could I possibly see a blessing in this. I later found out that I had to have 2 brain surgeries. Me thinking in my own mind I was so prepared for them to cut my head open. When the time came I was surprised to find out that they were going in through my groin less invasive, no physical therapy needed or anything. Now for most they wouldn't constitute that as a blessing but for me it truly was. See the other surgery they were going to do was much more risky and had a whole lot more recovery time than what I had. I have been through some highs and lows with my health but in this God has given me a house where I can pay my bills and still have money left over. God has given me all the furnishings for the house free of charge. God has given me a supportive man who stood by me through all of this and married me after my health had gotten worse instead of better. God has given me everything that I need pertaining to life and Godliness. Now how can I say God gave me anything, because to this day that same job that I worked on for 4 months still pays me. Everything that He has given me hasn't caused me any trouble and it has truly been a benefit in my life. No I can't afford to go on a yearly vacation I may not even be able to buy the things that I always want but I am happy truly happy and there is not a price you can put on true happiness. When I decide o go against His word to go against His will that is when things begin to fall apart because I know better. Hebrew 6:4-6 says 4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away,[b] to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. So they would have to have tasted from the Lord and seen He was good to truly be a sinner. Gods word says in Proverbs 10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Saying that God blesses sinners you must first believe in God's principles and standards. You must affiliate yourself with God in some come of way. As my Pastor always says when you know better you do better. When you deliberately go against the word of God you are then a sinner. So back to the question at hand you should strive for righteousness because you know God you know what He's done for you and where He has brought you from. You know what your consequence is if you choose to go back to living in sin. Having our needs met is OK but are we living the life that Jesus died for us to live. John 10:9-11 (New King James Version)says 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. Your job is not to sell God but to spread the good news of His word. I pray that this has helped you and enlightened you God did us grace but He didn't give it for His children to stay there..... May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, The love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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