PEEK-A-B00 - -GOD SEES YOU!

5-28-2010. . . .PEEK-A-B00 - -GOD SEES YOU!

“For the Lord is watching his children, listening to their prayers; but the Lord's face is hard against those who do evil. (1 Peter 3:12 TLB)   As a faithful and loving parent to their child, so the Lord is watching His children and listening to our every prayer! A song writer wrote, ‘His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.’     He not only watches His children, but His eye is also on the evil doers!!!!     Peek-a-Boo. . . .God sees you!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always watching over your children and hearing our prayers. Thank you also for keep your eyes on the evil doers. I know you will reward both accordingly. Amen!’

Ps 34:15-17. . . .For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him. But the Lord has made up his mind to wipe out even the memory of evil men from the earth. TLB

CATCH IT AND HOLD IT!

5-27-2010. . . .CATCH IT AND HOLD IT!

“Turn away from evil and do good. Try to live in peace even if you must run after it to catch and hold it!” (1 Peter 3:11-12TLB)   Evil that is blatantly evil is not difficult to turn away from. However, evil appearing to be good on the front end, not so much! What was that the Apostle Paul said, “the good I would, I do not and the evil I would not, that I do!) What seems good on the front end is nothing more that a robber of your peace in disguise! Don’t let your peace get away! Catch it and hold it!!!! Never let go of it, no matter how good the evil may appear to be.

Prayer: Lord, even as Jabez prayed, keep evil from me and help me to pursue peace at all times. Amen!

Heb 12:14. . . . Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: KJV

WATCH YOUR MOUTH - ENJOY GOOD DAYS!

5-27-2010. . . .WATCH YOUR MOUTH - ENJOY GOOD DAYS!

“For,"Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” (1 Peter 3:10 NIV)  While we cannot control the tongues of others, we most certainly can control our own, if we just would!!!!     What we say can determine the outcome of our day and more importantly, someone else’s day.    Ask yourself, did I cause someone to have a bad day as a result of something I said?    Watch your mouth….Enjoy good says!

Prayer: Lord, you did not make any bad days! Help us follow your example and not make any either! Amen.

1 Peter 3:10-11. . . . If you want a happy, good life, keep control of your tongue, and guard your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. TLB

GOD WILL BLESS US FOR IT!

5-25-2010. . . .GOD WILL BLESS US FOR IT!

"Don't repay evil for evil.  Don't snap back at those who say unkind things about you.   Instead, pray for God's help for them, for we are to be kind to others, and God will bless us for it."  (1 Peter 3:9 TLB)  Retaliation is a natural reaction when we feel we are being attacked or mistreated.  In these instances it can be a challenge to go against one's nature.  However, we must remember that we have a new nature and our response out of our new nature will enable us to render kindness in the face of evil, and to hold our tongue in face of verbal assault.  The assurance is that 'God will bless us for it!'

Prayer: Lord, thank you that your way is always best for us.  In the face of unkind acts and verbal assaults, help us to respond correctly out of our new nature and not out of our old one.  Amen.

Matt 5:11-12. . . . Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:  KJV

A CONTAGIOUS MOVEMENT!

5-24-2010. . . .A CONTAGIOUS MOVEMENT!

“And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds.” (1 Peter 3:8 TLB)  If the world is to be a better place, and what’s more, if we are to be a better people, we would do well to implement this advise. Starting in our own families, our churches; and then spreading it abroad throughout our neighborhoods, cities and all around the world! What a contagious movement!

Prayer: Lord, help us start a contagious movement of love and compassion that transforms not only our person lives, but the entire world. Amen!

1 Peter 3:8. . . . Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. NIV

HOLD ON AND GO ON!

5-21-2010. . . .HOLD ON AND GO ON!

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Heb 10:39 NIV) We’ve come to far to trun back now!!!!! There is nothing the enemy can do to turn us around! While others may go back and as a result, are destroyed, that will never be our end. He did not bring us there for to leave us and He wouldn’t lift us up to let us down! So, hold and go on until the end!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for salvation. We will never turn back! We will run on and receive the price of the high calling in Jesus Christ! Amen.

Phil 3:14-15. . . .I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. KJV

KEEP TRUSTING HIM IN EVERYTHING!

5-20-2010. . . .KEEP TRUSTING HIM IN EVERYTHING!

"And those whose faith has made them good in God's sight must live by faith, trusting him in everything. Otherwise, if they shrink back, God will have no pleasure in them."  (Heb 10:38 TLB)  The same faith the brought you is the same faith that will carry you and in fact, keep you.  If faith pleases God then the lack thereof displeases Him!  Why risk His displeasure?   Keep trusting Him in everything!

Prayer: Lord, my trust is in you!  At times it is very difficult and we are tempted to trust in things or people and even ourselves.  Strengthen us that we waiver not and that our faith remains steadfast in you at all times. Amen!

Ps 20:7. . . . Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. NIV

EXPECT HIM!

5-19-2010. . . .EXPECT HIM!

“For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”( Heb 10:37 KJV) ‘He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always on time.'   As sure as night follows day, the Lord Jesus shall soon return!   Nothing can stop Him are prevent Him.  His coming is certain!   Expect Him to show up in your situations - - expect Him to show up in your times of trouble - - expect Him to show up in your times of need and ultimately, expect Him to show up in the clouds!

Prayer: Lord, we expect You anytime and every time. Even so Lord Jesus, come! Amen

Rev 22:20. . . .He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. NIV

RECOGNIZE THE PROCESS!

5-18-2010. . . .RECOGNIZE THE PROCESS!


“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Heb 10:36 KJV)   Patience comes through experiencing and enduring situations and circumstances that require us to be Patient! Tribulation worketh Patience! (Romans 5:3) Recognize the process and find yourself in mist of Patience’s evolution!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the process through which patience evolves! Strengthen us in and through the process. Amen.

James 1:3-4. . . .Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. KJV

DON’T LOSE IT OR THROW IT AWAY!

5-15-2010. . . .DON’T LOSE IT OR THROW IT AWAY!

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.” (Heb 10:35 KJV) In the face of adversity, difficulty, troubles and distress, it is easy to allow negativity to slip in and with it, a sense of helplessness and hopelessness! Confidence (A tendency always to expect a favorable outcome!) has the promise of great reward! Don’t lose it or throw it away!

Prayer: Lord, our hope, faith and trust is in you. Thank you that our confidence will always be greatly rewarded. Amen!

2 Chron 20:12. . . . O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. KJV

GLORY REVEALED!

5-14-2010. . . .GLORY REVEALED!

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18 KJV)  While these words were not intended to elevate our present sufferings, they do serve as a powerful incentive to persevere through them. Know today that our pain has purpose and a prescribed time that will not last. Soon, the ‘present sufferings’ will become a part of our past and will not exist in our future! That’s Glory revealed!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for working your glory out through us! May it have full manifestation! Amen.

Rom 8:18-20 . . . . I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. NIV

CHOSEN

5-13-2010. . . .CHOSEN!

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Rom 8:15-16 KJV)   The difference between a child born to parents naturally and a child obtained through adoption is, CHOICE! The adoptive parents choose to have a child and they choose the child they want! Adopted children are blessed to have been chosen by parents that really want them! God really want us! Therefore, he chose (adopted) us  to be His very own sons and daughter. We therefore, have the right and privilege to call Him Father!  Be encouraged today! We are CHOSEN!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving us and adopting us as your very own sons and daughters! Without fear we will trust and rely on you as our Father! Amen.

Rom 8:17. . . . And since we are his children, we will share his treasures-for all God gives to his Son Jesus is now ours too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. TLB

TRUST HIS LOVE FOR YOU!

5-12-2010. . . . TRUST HIS LOVE FOR YOU!

“Who then can ever keep Christ's love from us? When we have trouble or calamity, when we are hunted down or destroyed, is it because he doesn't love us anymore? And if we are hungry or penniless or in danger or threatened with death, has God deserted us?” (Rom 8:35 TLB)   Bad things not only happen to bad people, they happen to good people as well! Life is just that way! While circumstances in life may change, the love Christ has for us does not change. He loves us before every circumstance - - In every circumstance - - and through every circumstance! No need to doubt or accuse Him falsely, trust Him and trust His love for you! It will prepare you for it - - keep you in it - - and deliver you from it!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love! Although circumstances in life tempt us to waver and doubt, help us always remember you never change and your love for us remains the same. Amen!

Eph 3:14-18. . . . When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God-some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth- that out of his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you the mighty inner strengthening of his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself. TLB

WATCH THE BLESSINGS MANIFEST!

5-11-2010. . . .WATCH THE BLESSINGS MANIFEST!

“And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course, what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with God's own will.” (Rom 8:27-28 TLB)  God’s will is being worked out daily in our lives because the Holy Spirit intercedes constantly on our behalf in agreement with His will. Often our desires get off track and prayer request go unfulfilled because they are not aligned with His will. Remember what God has for us it is for us! Get in agreement with His will and watch His blessings manifest!

Prayer: Lord, thy will be done. Amen!

Rom 8:27. . . .And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. NIV

IN ALL THINGS!

5-10-2010. . . .IN ALL THINGS!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8:28 NIV)   In the face of trouble, tragedy, calamity and chaos, the KJV rendering of this verse (…All things work together for good…) seems ambiguous and contradictory. The truth of the matter is many things are actually not working for our good, but are designed to take us out, disturb our faith and disrupt our destiny. The NIV rendering of this verse makes it poignantly clear that its not ‘the things’ that are working for our good, but ‘GOD WORKING IN ALL THINGS’ for our good! No matter how difficult or challenging the circumstance, we can remain encouraged and our faith strong knowing that God is working IN ALL THINGS!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for working in all things for our good! In our times of distress and discouragement; trouble and tragedy, help us to trust you and remember this fact. Amen!

Ps 34:19-20. . . . A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. NIV

BETTER FOR IT IN THE END!

5-7-2010. . . .BETTER FOR IT IN THE END!

“Don't refuse to accept criticism; get all the help you can.” (Prov 23:12 TLB)  While swallowing an unpleasant tasting medicine is undesirable, we do it, because we know it will benefit us in the end. The same is true of criticism. It may be unpleasant and undesirable to receive, but if we accept it graciously, seriously consider it’s observations, and apply it’s useful recommendations, we will be better for it in the end!

Prayer: Lord, give us a mind, a heart, eyes and ears to quickly receive criticism. Although it is often hard and undesirable to receive, help us focus more on the benefit in the end. Amen.

Prov 23:12. . . .Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. KJV

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

5-6-2010. . . .ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

“Most people will tell you what loyal friends they are, but are they telling the truth?” (Prov 20:6 TLB)   It’s been said, “A Mouth will say anything.” Most of us have lived long enough to have learned that there is truth in those words. True friends are not revealed by what they say but rather, by what they do. What’s the old adage, ‘Actions speak louder than words.’

Prayer: Lord, thank you that your word is always true. Help us Lord, to accurately reflect your image by having our word be the same. Amen!

Prov 20:6. . . . Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? KJV

OPT FOR A SECOND CHANCE!

5-5-2010. . . .OPT FOR A SECOND CHANCE!

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance. Blessed is the man who reveres God, but the man who doesn't care is headed for serious trouble. (Prov 28:13-14 TLB)  No one is exempt from making mistakes. Intentionally or unintentionally, even the most careful of us is prone to make a mistake. The biggest mistakes of all are failing to acknowledge them, turning away from them, and learning from our mistakes. Serious trouble is in this person’s future!  Opt rather, for a second chance!

Prayer: Lord, let me never become so arrogant or ignorant enough to think I can’t or don’t make mistakes! When I make one, help me quickly acknowledge it and then turn from it. Thank you for be the God of another chance! Amen.

Prov 28:13-14 . . . .He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. NI V)

STAY SHARP!

5-4-2010. . . .STAY SHARP!

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17 NIV)  Daily we come in contact with many people. What impact are they having on our lives and perhaps more importantly, what impact are we having on the lives of others? The sharpening process is not always comfortable, but is always necessary. Stay sharp and challenge others around you to be sharp!

Prayer: Lord, continue to make me sharp in order that I may have a positive and sharpening impact on the lives of others. Amen!

Prov 27:19. . . . As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. (NIV)

INCREASE THE NUMBERS!

5-3-2010. . . .INCREASE THE NUMBERS!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (Prov 17:17 NIV)   A friend’s love prevails through all circumstances. In the toughest of times, the bond is likened to that of a brother. Value these kind of friends for they are few! Be this kind of friend and increase the numbers!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for loving and loyal friends. Help me to be this quality of a friend. Amen!

Prov 27:9. . . . Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel. NIV