WHAT'S YOUR LIMIT?

11-30-2010. . . . WHAT'S YOUR LIMIT?

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.   And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.  (Matt 21:21-22 KJV)  Never under estimate the power of Faith!  The impossible is suddenly possible!  The immovable, moves!  The possible is only limited by our faith!  What's your Limit?

Prayer: Lord, you have given to each of us the measure of faith.  With it, may there be on limits to the possible.  Amen!

Matt 21:21-22. . . . Then Jesus told them, "Truly, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this Mount of Olives, 'Move over into the ocean,' and it will.  You can get anything-anything you ask for in prayer-if you believe."  TLB

NEED FAITH!

11-29-2010. . . .NEED FAITH!

"And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.   Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you."  (Matt 9:28-29 KJV)  If the miraculous is to happen for us as it did the blind man, it will be because our your faith!  Faith actives the power of God on our behalf.  Need a miracle.....Need faith!

Prayer: Lord, we believe you can do all things.  By faith we believe and receive.  Amen! 

Heb 11:6. . . . But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  KJV

THANKFUL!

11-26-2010. . . .THANKFUL!

"No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thess 5:17-18 TLB)  Whatever happens to us, for us, even against us, we know that God is at work always for our good.  Bad things will happen to good people and good things will happen to the same.  In both instances, our disposition remains the same; THANKFUL!

Prayer: Lord, in everything and for all things, we remain thankful.  Amen!

1 Thess 5:16-18. . . . Be joyful always;  pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. NIV

DIVINE IMPERATIVES!

11-25-2010. . . .DIVINE IMPERATIVES! 

"MAKE a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.   SERVE the LORD with gladness: COME before his presence with singing.  KNOW ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  ENTER into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: BE thankful unto him, and BLESS his name.  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." ( Ps 100 KJV)  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!  A great way of expressing our thanks to God today and everyday is to carry out the divine imperatives found in this psalm.   MAKE - SERVE - COME -KNOW - ENTER - BE - BLESS!   If motivation is needed, verse 5 should suffice!

Prayer: Lord, all that you command, this we will gladly do and more.  Thank you for who you are and all you've done.  Amen!

Ps 34:1-3. . . . I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of his glories and grace.  I will boast of all his kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart.   Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name. TLB

FOREVER AND EVER!

11-24-2010. . . .FOREVER AND EVER!

"Then he turned my sorrow into joy!   He took away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy so that I might sing glad praises to the Lord instead of lying in silence in the grave.  O Lord my God, I will keep on thanking you forever!" (Ps 30:10-12 TLB)  When someone gives us something or does something for us, it is proper and fitting to say 'Thank You'!   When we consider all the amazing things God has done for us, and the amazing ways in which He's done it, saying thank you once is just not enough.  Like the psalmist, we are compelled to keep on telling Him thanks forever and ever!

Prayer: Lord, you are so awesome and we cannot thank you enough for all you done for us.  Nevertheless, we will exhaust all our efforts trying.  Amen!

Ps 140:13. . . . Surely the godly are thanking you, for they shall live in your presence. TLB

THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW!

11-23-2010. . . .THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW!

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord and pray to him," they sang.  "Tell the peoples of the world about his mighty doings.  Sing to him; yes, sing his praises and tell of his marvelous works." (1 Chron 16:8-9 TLB)  As we give thanks to the Lord this week, make a special effort to publish abroad the wonderful things He has done!  CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the like are not going to do it!  It's up to us to let the world know!  Indeed, the world needs to know!

Prayer: Lord, we give you thanks for your wonderful works and mighty acts!  While we don't have ten thousand tongues, with the one we have, we will let the whole world know!  Amen.

Isa 12:4-5. . . . In that wonderful day you will say, "Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the world about his wondrous love. How mighty he is!" 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world.  TLB

HE IS GOOD!

11-22-2010. . . .HE IS GOOD!

"Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."   (Ps 106:1 KJV)  One need not think very hard or long to discover a reason to give God thanks.  No one can deny the obvious; HE IS GOOD!  Those who don't know should accept the invitation of Psalms 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is Good!"  Once you do, you too will give thanks for that very reason! 

Prayer: Lord, we give you thanks today and everyday because you are Good!  Amen.

Ps 34:8. . . . O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. KJV

11-19-2010. . . .EASY COME EASY GO!

"Then Job stood up and tore his robe in grief and fell down upon the ground before God.  "I came naked from my mother's womb," he said, "and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." In all of this Job did not sin or revile God."  (Job 1:20-2:1 TLB)  A great deal of emphasis in life is placed on the acquisition of things.  While there is nothing wrong with acquiring and having things, we must never get so attached to then that we forget God, the real source from which they came.  It is He that gives us power to get wealth!   As quickly as we may acquire things, we can loose them just as quickly!  Easy come Easy Go!  In either state, honor God and bless His name!

Prayer: All things come from you oh God.  While we are thankful for all things, we never elevate them to the position of idol! Amen!

Deut 8:18-19. . . . But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.  And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.  KJV

BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE!

11-18-2010. . . .BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE!

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." (Job 1:1-2  NIV) For every action there is a reaction; for every cause there is an affect!  It stands to reason then, when things happen or go wrong in our lives, our first impulse is to wonder what we did or maybe, did not do to cause it!   Perhaps it's neither!  Consider this possibility; it is simply because of who we are!  We have matured spiritually and live in such a way that God trust us in adversity!   God doesn't trust Satan with us, (which is why he limits what Satan can do), but He trust us with the Satan!   Job did nothing to cause his dilemmas, but God said to Satan, "have you considered my servant Job."     How awesome it is to think that God trust us enough to suggest to Satan, consider us!  He knows we won't fail; He knows we won't give up - give out - give in - or give over!    Like Job, we will wait until our change comes, and come, it will!!!!  Stay encouraged trustworthy ones!

Prayer: Lord, sometimes our way seems so hard and our struggles so intense.  You however, know the paths we take.  Hold us in the hollow of Your hand as we continue to demonstrate our trustworthiness.  Amen!

Job 23:11-12. . . . "I have stayed in God's paths, following his steps. I have not turned aside.  I have not refused his commandments but have enjoyed them more than my daily food. TLB

AFTER THIS!

11-17-2010. . . .AFTER THIS!

12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.  16 After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. (Job 42:12 &16 KJV)  No matter what we have to go through, there are two things that are for certain; there is a beginning and an ending to it!  It's really not a matter then, 'what we go through,' but 'how we go through!'  Unwavering faith in God's providential care will ultimately result in victory and greater blessings.  Remember, it may be challenging now, but AFTER THIS!!!!!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and providential care that always results for us in victory and blessings! Through the intensity of our dilemmas, help us always remember this and not weaver.  Amen! 

Job 23:10-12. . . . But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.   My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.   Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.  KJV

HE WILL BLESS US FOR IT!

11-16-2010. . . .HE WILL BLESS US FOR IT!

So Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer on their behalf.   Then, when Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his wealth and happiness! In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!  (Job 42:9-11 TLB)  Never underestimate the influence of friends.  Although they are friends and their intentions well meaning, even the closest of them may offer advice that is not so sound.   In such times we must have grace enough to cover them as we maintain our cause and stance before the Lord.  He will bless us for it!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for friends.  Help us to always have grace enough to cover them as we like Job, maintain our cause and stance before you.  Amen!

Job 1:20-22. . . . Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.   In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.  KJV

JUST COME CLEAN!

11-15-2010. . . .JUST COME CLEAN!

Then Job replied to God:  "I know that you can do anything and that no one can stop you.  You ask who it is who has so foolishly denied your providence.   It is I. I was talking about things I knew nothing about and did not understand, things far too wonderful for me.  "[You said,] 'Listen and I will speak!   Let me put the questions to you!   See if you can answer them!'  "[But now I say,] 'I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you, and I loathe myself and repent in dust and ashes.' (Job 42:1-6 TLB)   What do you do when you've 'bucked up' to God and He calls you on the proverbial carpet for it?  There is nothing to do or say; simply, as Job did, come clean!  Our finite minds and limited understanding may cause us to question God and His ways.  He remains faithful and unchanged.  He could take another approach, but in love he doesn't.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your patience with us in times where we mouth off unwisely!  Although, you call us on the carpet, You do it in love!  Thank you.  Amen. 

Heb 12:5-6. . . . And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his child? He said, "My son, don't be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don't be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong.  For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child." TLB

CHOOSE A SIDE!

11-12-2010. . . .CHOOSE A SIDE!

"But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory.  And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left." (Matt 25:31-33 TLB)   Ultimately, all people and all nations will stand before the King.  He alone knows and will identify all who belong to Him.  The judgment then will be His alone.  The choice now however, is ours.  Choose a side. . . .Sheep or Goats!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the opportunity to chose our side now before you judge then.  We gladly choose you today and always!  Amen.

2 Peter 3:9-10. . . . He isn't really being slow about his promised return, even though it sometimes seems that way. But he is waiting, for the good reason that he is not willing that any should perish, and he is giving more time for sinners to repent.  The day of the Lord is surely coming, as unexpectedly as a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the heavenly bodies will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be burned up. TLB

WHO SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND!

11-11-2010. . . .WHO SHALL BE ABLE TO STAND!

"For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God's own children. And if even we who are Christians must be judged, what terrible fate awaits those who have never believed in the Lord?  If the righteous are barely saved, what chance will the godless have?  So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you. (1 Peter 4:17-19 TLB)  Take a look around!  The things that are happening and the people being exposed, even prominent Priest, Bishops and Pastors in both Catholic and Protestant churches is not a coincidence.  It is judgment!  As shocking and appalling as some of the revelations have been and will be, if its like that in the church, think of how it's going to be when it (judgment) expands from the church into the streets.   As the old song says, "Who shall be able to stand!"  Trust yourself to God now and be saved!

Prayer: Lord, you are the righteous judge and your judgments are just and true.  May we live in such a way that your all discerning eyes have nothing to expose concerning us!  Amen.

Ps 139:23-140:1. . . . Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  TLB

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

11-10-2010. . . .WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW!

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." (Heb 9:27-28 NIV)  As surely as we live we shall all surely die.  Are you ready for what comes next?  Judgment!!!  There will be nothing we will be able to do then but be judged on what we are doing now.  WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

PRAYER: Lord, we look forward to one day standing before you without fear, knowing we have live in such a way that fear is not necessary.  Amen!

Jude 24-25. . . .Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.  KJV

SWEEP AROUND OUR OWN FRONT DOOR!

11-9-2010. . . .SWEEP AROUND OUR OWN FRONT DOOR!

"You have no right to criticize your brother or look down on him. Remember, each of us will stand personally before the Judgment Seat of God.  For it is written, "As I live," says the Lord, "every knee shall bow to me and every tongue confess to God."   Yes, each of us will give an account of himself to God.  So don't criticize each other anymore. Try instead to live in such a way that you will never make your brother stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong. (Rom 14:10-13TLB)  The time it takes to criticize and scrutinize others would be better spent ensuring that our own behavior, actions, and choices are not impacting others negatively.  Seeing that we all must give an accounting to God for our own deeds, it's best we sweep around our own front door!!!!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for eyes to see.  Help us use our sight to see the flaws in ourselves and work to correct them.  Amen!

Ps 50:16-22. . . . But God says to evil men: Recite my laws no longer and stop claiming my promises,  for you have refused my discipline, disregarding my laws.  You see a thief and help him, and spend your time with evil and immoral men.  You curse and lie, and vile language streams from your mouths.  You slander your own brother.  I remained silent-you thought I didn't care-but now your time of punishment has come, and I list all the above charges against you.  This is the last chance for all of you who have forgotten God, before I tear you apart-and no one can help you then. TLB

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY!

11-8-2011. . . .WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SAY!

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Cor 5:9-10 NIV)  While our salvation will not be at stake when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ, we will have to give an account of all our deeds as they are laid bare before our eyes and more importantly, His!   Just take a moment and think about all the things you wouldn't want to share with your best friend, family members, husband or wife.  While they may never know, Christ knows and will require an explanation!  What are we going to say?  What can we say?   With the time we have left to live, I think it best we do our best to eliminate everything from our lives that we don't want to have to explain later.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for being a loving and forgiving God.  Your mercy endures forever!  Amen.

Lam 3:22-23. . . .It is only the Lord's mercies that have kept us from complete destruction.  Great is his faithfulness; his loving-kindness begins afresh each day. TLB



GOD SAYS YES!

11-5-2010. . . .GOD SAYS YES!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." (1 Chron 4:10 KJV)  God says yes when our request are in line with His will and desires for us.   God wants us to have more than what we have right now; therefore, we should want only what God wants for us!  Then, when we make request of Him, GOD SAYS YES!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for hearing and answering our prayers!  Thank you for granting our petitions that are in line with your will and denying those that are not.  Help us not to pout in times of denial, but to yield to your will.  Amen!

 1 John 5:14-15. . . . And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.  KJV

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!

11-4-2010. . . .MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."  (1 Chron 4:10 KJV)  God has no problem with keeping evil from us.   In fact, evil is rendered powerless against the power of God!  The challenge is, keeping US from evil!!!!  Jabez didn't pray for God to keep evil from him, but to keep him from evil.  The apostle Paul states, "When I would do good, evil is present with me."  To do evil is a choice!  Though it is present with us, we don't have to choose to partner with it!  The choice is ours!  Make the right choice!

Prayer: Lord, our desire is to always please you.  Admittedly however, there are times when our choices are not pleasing to you.  When it comes to doing evil, help us to always make the right choice.  Amen!

 James 1:13-16. . . .And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it.  Temptation is the pull of man's own evil thoughts and wishes.  These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. 16 So don't be misled, dear brothers.  TLB

HIS HAND IS UPON US!

11-3-2010. . . .HIS HAND IS UPON US!

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."  (1 Chron 4:10 KJV)  From the very beginning, God's hand has been upon us.  Every other thing created, came into existence by and through God's spoken word.  When it came time to create man, God placed His hands on us and formed us from the dust of the ground; breathed into us the breath of life and we became living souls!  It all started with His hand upon us!  If it is to continue successfully, it will be because His hand is upon us!  Ultimately, when life comes to an end (and it most certainly will) we will be able to go to sleep (die) in peace as long as God's hand stays upon us!

Prayer: Lord, your hand has been upon us from the start.  Keep your hand on us now and forever more!  Amen!

 Ps 139:7-10. . . . Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.  If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.  KJV

ARE YOU READY FOR MORE!

11-2-2010. . . .ARE YOU READY FOR MORE!

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.  (1 Chron 4:10 KJV)  Are you ready for more?   Not more things or more stuff, but increased capacity to receive more of Him.  As He enlarges and expands our internal coast, correspondingly, our external coast will enlarge and expand as well!  Again, 'Are you ready for more?'

Prayer: Lord, give us more of thee!  Stretch and enlarge our internal coast while empowering us to handle our expanding external coast!  Amen.

 Matt 5:6. . . .Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  NIV

NOT SELFISH, SELF-FOCUSED!

11-1-20-2010. . . . NOT SELFISH, SELF-FOCUSED!

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.  (1 Chron 4:10 KJV)   We are instructed in the Word to pray always and that our prayers should not be selfish prayers.  Not withstanding that, the reality of the matter is, there are times when the focus of our prayers turns from others to ourselves.  Not in a selfish way, but a self-focused way!  Such is the prayer of Jabez!  Lord, bless (barak) me indeed!  Adore....show favor to....lifT up in praise!   When the world and  vicissitudes of life beat us down, we can turn to God in a self-focused way, and He will lift us up!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for blessing us indeed!  Amen!

Ps 61:1-2. . . .Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.   From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  KJV