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August 30, 2006

Word for Today............If you can believe

Scripture:   Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  St. John 11:40

 

IF WE CAN JUST BELIEVE!!!!!

Every time we venture out in the life of faith, we find something in our common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts our faith.  Common sense is not faith and faith is not common sense.  Jesus had a love for Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha but Lazarus had become sick and the sisters sent for Jesus to come and heal him.  However, Jesus didn't stop what he was doing and run immediately to their rescue.  The bible says that he stayed yet 2 more days, not to mention when he did decide to come it was a 2 DAY JOURNEY.  How many times have we needed Jesus right away and it seemed he wouldn't show up?  HE IS ON THE WAY, but He is waiting so He can get some glory from your situation.  When Jesus came to town he told them that if they believed they would see God's glory in the situation.  But it was almost impossible for the sisters (Mary & Martha) to grasp this if Lazarus was already dead how can there be ANY glory in it.  Can you trust Jesus where your common sense can not?  Can we venture out and stand on the word of God when the facts of our common-sense life shouts - "IT'S A LIE?"  On the mountain it is easy to say - Yes, I believe God can do it, but what about when you have to come down into the valley and meet with facts of the situation that laugh at our entire mountain experiences. 

Faith MUST be tested and tried.  The bibles says that the trying of our faith worketh patience and to let patience have her perfect work, that we may be complete and entire without anything lacking.(paraphrased)  So what is your faith up against right now?  The test will either prove that your faith was right, or it will try to destroy or mock it.  The bible also says, "The just shall live by faith THEIR faith." 

The final idea here is: we have to TRUST God, not our circumstances.  Believe on Him and we will have the kind of faith that the 3 Hebrew boys had which is to say, if he doesn't do it it isn't because he can't.  Faith knows that Jesus will not allow us to go under, but will always reach out to us and bid us to come to Him even when we are in a death valley experience.

 

 

Have a Blessed Day!

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August 23, 2006

Word for Today..........And the glory of God filled the house

Scripture:  Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
II Chronicles 7:1
 
 

...and the glory of God filled the house.

 
The fire of God that was a testament to Moses, Gideon, and David and of course Elijah came down to the earth from heaven.  Let’s look at the fire of God for a minute.  The fire of God came down, not because of the offerings or the sacrifices, but because Solomon dared to pray. Solomon had just dedicated the newly built temple to God and offered to God burnt offerings and sacrifices to show God that he wanted His presence to be with them just as it had been with David.  After Solomon prayed the fire took away or consumed the “offerings and the sacrifices”.    There is a process to getting the glory of God to fill your house.  I am not talking about a four-walled house, but your life on a daily basis.  The glory of God can’t come until the sacrifices are consumed or turned to ashes.  We are a living sacrifice, according to Romans 12:1, and we are to be presented so that we can be consumed.  In other words our flesh MUST be consumed by God’s fire in order to experience His glory.  So many times we ask God for His glory and manifested power, but we haven’t presented the sacrifice or prayed.  The fire of God is sent to burn up our sinfulness, so that His presence can be revealed and made known.  His presence can’t dwell where there is sin. 
 
We have a part in bringing the glory into the house.  But it doesn’t start with a song or even our tears, but it starts with laying our bodies, minds and souls on the altar of God to be consumed and then we HAVE to pray and ask for His presence and approval.  We can’t assume that God is just going to show up just because we have an offering or sacrifice, we have to ask Him to come and be ready for His arrival. 
 

Let’s begin by offering up our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God and praying that God’s glory would fill our temples.   He wants to meet with you, but have you prepared for the meeting?

 
Have a Blessed Day!

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August 21, 2006

Word for Today...........BUT!!!!!

Scripture:  We are troubled on every side, yet not distress; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.  II Cor 4:8-9

BUT…

 
The word “but or yet” means on the contrary.  It is an adverb that when used in a sentence cancels the proceeding idea.  The apostle Paul had many difficulties and hardships that he faced during his life.  There were times that if he had looked thru his natural eyesight, he would have been discourage or walked away from God altogether.  The bible says that we can’t help that offenses come, BUT…  Let’s deal with the BUT of every bad thing in our lives.
 
 
We have to be encouraged in what we are doing for God because even though we have trouble, we may become perplexed and we certainly will be persecuted.  We have to be reminded that there is a “BUT” in the middle of our situations.  God always provides a way of escape for us.   The word “but” changes the course of the situation, so no matter the trouble, we ARE NOT distressed.  No matter the perplexity, we ARE NOT in despair.  No matter the persecution, we are not forsaken.  We may be cast down, BUT we ARE NOT destroyed.  The bible declares that the devil comes to steal, kill and to destroy us, but Jesus said that He came that we might have life and life more abundantly.  So the devil may come to take our life, but there is STILL no weapon that is formed against us that God will allow to prosper.  We have life in Christ Jesus.  So the devil can try all he wants, God has provided a BUT in my problems and my circumstances.
 
 
 

Have A Blessed Day!

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August 16, 2006

Word for Today.........Does He know Me?

Scripture:          To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.  John 10:3
 
 

He calls His own sheep by name.... 

We have often heard and read the scripture about the sheep and their shepherd.  We deal with the fact that the sheep know the shepherds voice and the voice of a stranger they will not follow.  That is true; however, let’s deal with the other side of the relationship of the shepherd and the sheep.  Here the bible says that the shepherd calls his sheep by NAME.  In a day and time that we live in, we have all types of religions and doctrines.  Many people are claiming to be of Christ and to know Him, but today I want to ask does HE know you.  There is nothing worse than a one-sided relationship.  Yet many times that is what we have today in regards to our “relationship” with God.  We say we know Him and serve Him, but we don’t take time for him or give ourselves to Him.  When we are in true relationship with God, not only do we know Him and strive to please Him in our daily lives but also we look forward to being with Him.  Christ is the good shepherd, who leads into green pastures and he has a place for us in His presence.  The bible says that in His presence is FULLNESS of joy.  Now who wouldn’t want to be filled with joy, especially with all the turmoil we are facing today?   It is time that we allow God to really get to know us and we need to get to know Him.  He wants to spend time with you in prayer, fasting, praise, worship and in everything that we do. 

And I know some critic is saying, but God does know us.  And that is true in one sense, but is He CALLING your name. 

There is a song that a friend of my family wrote that says, “I love your word, I love your spirit and your voice…calling my name out loud.” 

 

Listen for the voice.  Is it the shepherd calling your name?

 
 
Have a Blessed Day!

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August 09, 2006

Word for Today..........It is Well

Scripture:   Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with thy child? And she answered, It is well.  II Kings 4:26

 

IT IS WELL............

 

The Shummanite woman had GREAT faith.  She had been promised a child and God gave her what He had promised, however, the devil had attacked her promise and her son died in her arms.  But instead of becoming angry at God and beginning to doubt what God had already done, she laid the boy on the bed that the man of God had slept in.  She then went to see the man of God, the one who God had used to send the promise.  God had used Elisha to speak a blessing of promise to the woman.  She had money and prestige, but didn't have a son.  Elisha told the woman that she would have a son and nine months later she had a son.  Now just because the promise came doesn't mean that the devil won't try to attack and intimidate your promise.  Elisha sent his servant Gehazi to see what was wrong with the woman and instead of her telling her problems to Gehazi, she just told him that it was well.  Many of us have been given promises and some of those promises have come to pass.  However, the devil is an agitator, and wants us to doubt God.  The worst thing that we can do against God, while serving Him is to doubt Him.  We have to speak those things that be not, as though they were.  We can't let the devil tell us or dictate our future concerning our promises.  Even if your promise hasn't manifested, just began to speak that it is well.  The word "Well" in Hebrew means "SHALOM" or in other word PEACE.  WHEW!!!!!!  There is peace in your problem and situation, no matter what situation the devil has brought, God's word and promises will stand.  The woman didn't say that God had allowed her son to die, but that IT WAS WELL!   She didn't care that he was at home dead.  Everything that concerned her was at peace and when God gives you peace the devil can take it away.  There is a song that we used to sing that said, "This joy/peace that I have the world didn't give it to me, the world didn't give and the world can't take it away."  God has a level of peace not as the world gives to us, but His peace surpasses our own understanding.  The world's system says that you have peace as long as everything is peaceable, but when problems come there is no more peace.  But God's system is not like man's system.  If we keep our mind on Him and not on our problems, He said that he would KEEP us in PERFECT peace.  We will remain in peace even when things AREN'T PEACEFUL.

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

 

 

 

Posted by donna at 11:30 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

August 03, 2006

Word for Today.................It is what it is. Or is it?

Scripture:   But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. I Sam 16:7
 
It is what it is.  Or is it?
 
There is a saying that I used to hear that says, “First impressions are lasting impressions.”  Now this saying may be true, but first impressions aren’t always TRUE impressions.  I’m amazed at how first impression very SELDOM tell us much of the substance about a person. 
 
I am glad that God isn't like man, because if Samuel had decided to choose a king for Israel by his first impressions, he would have NEVER chosen David.  David’s brothers had paraded in front of Samuel and they LOOKED good.  They were strong good-looking men of war.  They had the muscles and the brains to do the job.  They were the type of people you WANTED to know and be seen with.  Although David didn’t have those outward qualities, he did have God’s favor and anointing.  And I would rather have the God’s favor and anointing than have the “look”.   David’s own father even overlooked him.  Jesse hadn’t even considered David to be the next king.  I am sure Jesse thought David couldn’t be the next king; he’s a shepherd.  How could a shepherd be a king?  Does that sound familiar?   It sounds a lot like what Jesus endured while preaching in his hometown.  Many of the people in His hometown knew him only as the carpenter’s son and could only see him outwardly as the “carpenter’s son”.   However, He wasn’t a carpenter’s son, but the King of kings and Lord of lord.   
 
What is important to God and what is important to man are completely different.  We have to think like God and consider the inward man and not concentrate on the outward man.  Look deeper!!!  Don’t be a surface dweller!
 
Have a Blessed Day!

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