MOVE AHEAD OF THE STORM!

3-20-2011. . . .MOVE AHEAD OF THE STORM!

"Finally, the seventh time, his servant told him, "I saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand rising from the sea."  Then Elijah shouted, "Hurry to Ahab and tell him to get into his chariot and get down the mountain, or he'll be stopped by the rain!"  And sure enough, the sky was soon black with clouds, and a heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm. Ahab left hastily for Jezreel, and the Lord gave special strength to Elijah so that he was able to run ahead of Ahab's chariot to the entrance of the city! (1 Kings 18:44-46 TLB)  What starts out small could develop into a raging storm.  Don't get caught gazing at the clouds.  Be proactive and move ahead of the storm!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for insight and foresight.  Help us to always be prepared and in position before the storms of life come.  Amen!

 Ps 55:8. . . . I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."  NIV

ORDAINED TO MAKE IT!

3-30-2011. . . .ORDAINED TO MAKE IT!

"And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.  And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.  But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary." (Matt 14:22-24 KJV)  Walking in divine purpose does not mean we will never face opposition; we will!  Stay the course and weather the storm.  We are ordained to make it through to the other side!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the winds of opposition that blow against us.  Help us stay focused and on course as we pursue your divine purpose.  Amen!

2 Cor 4:8-10. . . .

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.  

TLB

JOY AFTER THE STORM!

3-29-2011. . . .JOY AFTER THE STORM!

"He calms the storm and stills the waves.  What a blessing is that stillness as he brings them safely into harbor!" (Ps 107:29-30 TLB)  The Master of the sea still calms the storm and stills the waves.  Although now we may have tears and fears, joy is coming!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that your are yet the Master of ever storm.  Turn our tears and fears into joy.  Amen!

Ps 30:4-5. . . .Oh, sing to him you saints of his; give thanks to his holy name.  His anger lasts a moment; his favor lasts for life! Weeping may go on all night, but in the morning there is joy. TLB

TRUST THE MASTER!

3-28-2011. . . .TRUST THE MASTER!

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:37-39 KJV)  Seemingly out of nowhere, storms inevitably come into our lives.  Although, the winds and rains of problems and challenges seem beyond human power to control, it is good to know that they are not beyond "The Master's" control.  We need only believe and trust our storms to Him and in an instance, He'll speak a word and all will be well again! 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being the Master of our storms.  In spite of the storms, problems, and challenges, help us forever trust them to you.  Amen!

Ps 107:28-30. . . . Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and he saves them.  He calms the storm and stills the waves.  What a blessing is that stillness as he brings them safely into harbor! TLB

GREAT PRAISE!

3-25-2011. . . .GREAT PRAISE!

"O Lord, I will praise you with all my heart and tell everyone about the marvelous things you do. I will be glad, yes, filled with joy because of you. I will sing your praises, O Lord God above all gods. (Ps 9:1-2 TLB)  Nothing held back, nothing reserved.  My commitment to praising God is total and continual. There is nobody greater than you!  A great God therefore, deserves great praise!  

Prayer: Lord, you deserve my worship and my praise.  I commit my entire life to doing so!  How great thou art! Amen!

Ps 35:28. . . .And I will tell everyone how great and good you are; I will praise you all day long. TLB

MADE TO PRAISE!

3-24-2011. . . .MADE TO PRAISE!

"This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise."  (Isa 43:21 KJV)  It is an honor to have been formed by God and for God; for the expressed purpose of praise!  God therefore, has an expectation of praise by us, and from us.  Expectation unsatisfied however, results in disappointment!  Is God disappointed with us today or, have we met His expectation of praise?  We will never have to ask or worry about this question if we daily take David's approach:  "I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise shall continually be in my mouth!"

Prayer: Lord, you are worthy to be praise!  I will honor you daily by meeting your expectation of praise.  Amen!

Ps 34:1-3. . . .I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. KJV

A LIVING PRAISE!

3-23-2010. . . .A LIVING PRAISE!

"O Lord, I will praise you with all my heart and tell everyone about the marvelous things you do." ( Ps 9:1-2 TLB) Being true to who we really are is one of the greatest testimonies to the world of God's marvelous works!  We become a living praise demonstrating what fearfully and wonderfully made looks like!  Only God could do such marvelous work!

Prayer: Lord, I praise you for making me who I am!  I am unique and there is no other like me!  Help me be true to who you made and daily be a living praise to you!  Amen.

Ps 71:8. . . . All day long I'll praise and honor you, O God, for all that you have done for me. TLB

RELEASE A PRAISE!

3-22-2011. . . .RELEASE A PRAISE!

"Riches and honor come from you alone, and you are the Ruler of all mankind; your hand controls power and might, and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength.  O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name." (1 Chron 29:12-13 TLB)  Release a praise for everyone God has promoted and elevated to positions of authority over us!  At His discretion, these very persons will be used to be a blessing to us.  His name is worthy to be praised!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for promotions and elevations.  Thank you for blessing us through those you promote and have place in authority over us!  Bless them continually as they bless us.  Amen!

Ps 67:5-6. . . . Praise God, O world! May all the peoples of the earth give thanks to you. 6 For the earth has yielded abundant harvests. God, even our own God, will bless us. And peoples from remotest lands will worship him. TLB

HE IS OUR PRAISE!

3-21-2011. . . .HE IS OUR PRAISE!

He is your praise and he is your God, the one who has done mighty miracles you yourselves have seen.  (Deut 10:21 TLB)  Beyond who God is (which is reason enough for praise) is what God has done and continues to do!  Take a quick inventory.  He is responsible for every good thing that has ever happened to us!  Without a doubt, He is our Praise!

Prayer: Lord, You are my praise!  Forever and ever I will acknowledge you as such and give you your just due! 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. 3 Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name. TLB

WE ARE BETTER NOW!

3-18-2011. . . .WE ARE BETTER NOW!

"For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!  And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character."  (2 Peter 1:3-4 TLB) Knowing Jesus has given us this testimony: "We are better now, then we were before."   We may not be all we shall be, but we are certainly not what, nor who we uses to be!  PRAISE GOD!  The good news is, we are getting better and better everyday!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you didn't leave us like you found us!  Your love has transformed us into a new creation being made better and better everyday.  For this we give you thanks!  Amen.

Eph 1:19-21. . . . I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in heaven, far, far above any other king or ruler or dictator or leader. Yes, his honor is far more glorious than that of anyone else either in this world or in the world to come. TLB

INSIDER TRADING!

3-17-2011. . . .INSIDER TRADING!

"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.  (Jude 24-25 KJV)  When the value of a stock falls to or below a certain point, most brokers advise their clients to dump it...sale it off...it has lost its value.  Satan, (the broker) advised God that our value had declined to the point that we had no worth.  God however, keeps on making purchase orders not based on the value of the stock (us) but base on 'Inside Information'.  God knows something about us that no one else does!  Insider Trading!

Prayer: Lord, we are so glad you know us completely!  You see beyond our present state and know are ultimate end!  Thank you for keeping us for that day.  Amen.



Matt 25:21. . . .

 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

KJV

    

PROCESS COMPLETED!

3-16-2011. . . .PROCESS COMPLETED!

"And having chosen us, he called us to come to him; and when we came, he declared us "not guilty," filled us with Christ's goodness, gave us right standing with himself, and promised us his glory." (Rom 8:30 TLB)  Justification - Sanctification - Glorification!  We look forward with joy to having the process completed!

Prayer: Lord, you have provided all we needed.  Help us submit willing to the completing process. Amen! 

Phil 1:6. . . . And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns. 

TLB

PARDON ME PLEASE!

3-15-2011. . . .PARDON ME PLEASE!

"The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God's laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God's abounding grace forgiving us." (Rom 5:20 TLB)  Break the law, suffer the consequences!  That is how cut and dry it could have been, but for God's Grace!  Justice is what we deserved, a pardon is what we received.  It's still that cut and dry!  Let every sinner say, Pardon me please!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your amazing grace that has give us relief and release from the penalty of the law.  We pray that everyone will receive your gracious pardon!  Amen.

Isa 55:7-8. . . . Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy upon them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon! TLB

KINGDOM ACCESS!

3-14-2011. . . .KINGDOM ACCESS!

"He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  (Matt 16:15-19 KJV)  As believers, It's not what we, It's who we know that gives us our advantage and access!  Kingdom access!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for allowing us to know you and for giving us kingdom access.  Amen!

Luke 12:32. . . .Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. KJV

SINGULARLY FOCUSED!

3-11-2011. . . .SINGULARLY FOCUSED!

"But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Ps 1:2-3 KJV)  The life of a true believer is one of success!  In spite of difficulties and challenges, he does not shrink back and wither away, he prospers.  He remains patient and persistent knowing that his efforts will be fruitful at the appointed time.  His contemplation and meditation are singularly focused on the Lord.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for a life of continual success!  Amen.

3 John 2. . . .Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. KJV

FAVOR!

3-10-2011. . . .FAVOR!

"But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" (2 Cor 9:6-8 KJV)  It is totally up to us when it comes to giving!  We can give or choose not to give.  If we choose not to give, we choose also not to receive.  If we give little, we receive little; if we give much, we receive much.  The attitude with which we give is also important, for God loves willing and cheerful givers.  He honors such by releasing to them, FAVOR!

Prayer:Lord, all things come of you and it is of your own that we willingly, cheerfully, and freely give to you and others.  Amen!

2 Cor 9:8-11. . . . And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. KJV

HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?

3-9-2011. . . .HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR YOU?

"If someone slaps you on one cheek, let him slap the other too! If someone demands your coat, give him your shirt besides.  Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't worry about getting them back.  Treat others as you want them to treat you. (Luke 6:29-31 TLB)  How's that working for you?  For many of us if we are honest, not very well.  As much as we would like for this scripture to be analogous, metaphorical, or even hypothetical, it is literal.  Real effort must be put toward achieving the kind of attitude and demeanor that would have us literally turn the other cheek if smacked in the face.  Can't be done, you say?  Look at Jesus' example prior to and during the crucifixion?  I hear you..."Well, I'm not Jesus!"    No, but strive to be like Him!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example you have given us and for showing us how to live.  Despite the difficulties of following your perfect example, Help us achieve success in so doing!  Amen.

Phil 2:5-11. . . .Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men.  And he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal's death on a cross.  Yet it was because of this that God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  TLB

MEASURE OUT-MEASURE IN!

3-8-2011. . . .MEASURE OUT-MEASURE IN!

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal 6:7 KJV)   If asked to compile a list of non-material things we'd like to receive, I am certain that among the things listed would be, love; respect; kindness; friendship; compassion to name just a few.  From that same list however, the question must be asked, how much of each of these have we given or sown into the lives of others?  Let the measure that is sent out be the measure that comes in!  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for all thing.  Make us a reservoir of blessings flowing constantly into the lives of others and returning in like manner into our own.  Amen.

Eccl 11:1-2. . . .Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later.  Divide your gifts among many, for in the days ahead you yourself may need much help.  TLB

NO REASON TO EVER DOUBT GOD!

3-6-2011. . . .NO REASON TO EVER DOUBT GOD!

"As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night." (Gen 8:22 TLB)  God has given us certain unchangeable "Constants" to remind us of His sovereign control.  We can depend on seed time and harvest; the rotation of the seasons and changing off temperatures from cold to hot as long as the earth remains.  Look to the "Constants" and know there is no reason to ever doubt God!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are in control!  The constants you've set around us remind us to never doubt you, and we won't!  Amen. 

Ps 19:1-6. . . . The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship.  Day and night they keep on telling about God.  Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom going to his wedding, or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race!  The sun crosses the heavens from end to end, and nothing can hide from its heat. TLB

THE SOLUTION NOT THE PROBLEM

3-4-11. . . .THE SOLUTION NOT THE PROBLEM!

"In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn." (Phil 2:14-15 TLB)   Complaining and arguing accomplishes nothing so why waste time doing it?  We are to be known as Sons and Daughters of God; not those who argue and complain!  We are the solution not part of the problem.

Prayer: Lord, although it is challenging at times not to complain and even argue with crooked and stubborn people, thank you for giving us grace to get pass it and keep our tongues so as not to bring blame upon ourselves.  Amen!
Matt 5:14-15. . . .You are the world's light-a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.  Don't hide your light!  Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.

TLB

STILL STANDING BUT NOT ALONE!

3-3-2011. . . .STILL STANDING BUT NOT ALONE!

"Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Dan 3:24-25 KJV)  No fire, no matter how hot it is kindled for us and against us, will prevent Jesus, The Son of God from coming to stand at our side!  They that looked once and expected our demise, will most certainly look again with amazement to see, we're 'STILL STANDING', and that, not alone! 

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for always being there no mater what it is we face.  With you we can walk into fire and come through every flood.  You lift up a standard against our enemies and enable us to remain standing.  Amen!

Isa 54:17. . . . No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. KJV

JUST LIKE HIM!

3-2-2011. . . .JUST LIKE HIM!

"Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, right now, and we can't even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is.  And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure." (1 John 3:2-3 TLB)  Our confidence for living a wholesome and healthy life is in the fact that we are God's children.  Daily we are developing and being conformed into the very image of Christ.  Although the conforming process may at times, cause us to look 'Deformed', be assured, the end result will be glorious for we shall be just like Him!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your plans that are being worked out in our lives.  Help and guide us through to  the completion of the conforming process.  Amen!

Rom 8:29-30. . . . For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. KJV

BE WHO YOU ARE!

2-29-2011. . . .BE WHO YOU ARE!
"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matt 4:3 KJV)  Although, the enemy tempts us to do things out of character to prove who we are, like Jesus, we never deviate from the word of God which is the will of God.  We never have to prove to the enemy who we are, but simply, be who we are!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that through you Son Jesus, you have made us your children.  We have nothing to prove to the enemy.  Amen!

1 John 3:1-2. . . . See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children-think of it-and we really are! But since most people don't know God, naturally they don't understand that we are his children. TLB