MIRACLE PRODUCING FAITH!

9-30-2011. . . .MIRACLE PRODUCING FAITH!

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.  And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:51-11:1 KJV) Never underestimate the power of faith!  Faith energizes the power of God on our behalf and produces miracles!

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for powerful miracle producing faith!  Amen!

Heb 11:1. . . .What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. TLB

THE LAST WORD!

9-29-2011. . . .THE LAST WORD!

"Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.  And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.  And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (John 11:41-44 KJV)  It is never to late for the Lord to speak life into a dead situation!   Trust Him who is the way - the truth - and the life; let His be the last word!

PRAYER: Lord, your are the way, truth, and life!  Therefore, no dead situation is beyond your ability to speak life into it!  Our trust is in you who has the last word!  Amen.

John 11:25-26. . . .Jesus told her, "I am the one who raises the dead and gives them life again. Anyone who believes in me, even though he dies like anyone else, shall live again. TLB

SIMPLY, GOD POSSIBLE!

9-28-2011. . . .SIMPLY, GOD POSSIBLE!

"And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full."  (Matt 14:19-20 KJV)  There are some things that are just simply, 'God Possible.'  Ours is not to try and conceive it, ours is to place our all in His capable hands and leave it.   A miracle will result.

PRAYER: Lord, we trust and place our all in your capable hands and expect the unexpected.  Amen!

Mark 10:27. . . . And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.  KJV

PERSONAL PARTICIPATION!

9-27-2011. . . .PERSONAL PARTICIPATION!

"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.  And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.  Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.  And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.  And they bare it. (John 2:5-8 KJV) There will be no miracle without our personal participation.  The Lord will do His part and we must do ours.

PRAYER: Lord, you are a miracle worker.  Whatever you ask us to do, we will do it!  Thank you for working a miracle for us.  Amen!

Acts 2:22. . . . "O men of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing tremendous miracles through him, as you well know. TLB

BELIEVE!

9-26-2011. . . .BELIEVE!

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. (Mark 9:23 KJV)  Lord is never in doubt about His ability and power.  The challenge is with us believing that there is no problem equal to His power and no needed equivalent to His inexhaustible supply!  BELIEVE!

PRAYER: Lord, all things are possible with you and for we who believe.  Help our unbelief!  Amen.

James 1:5-7. . . . If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  KJV

UNENDING JOY!

9-23-2011. . . .UNENDING JOY!

"When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?  Those things result in death!  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:20-23 NIV)  SIN, is a momentary enticement whose joy evaporates once in its clutches.  It's pleasure on the front end is not worth the condemnation and separation (death) experienced on the back end.  Sin's pay standard is much to low!   Obedience to God however, has great benefits and results in unending joy! (eternal life)

Prayer: Lord, thank you for saving us from the power of sin!  Although it may continue to entice, help us to remember the pay standard is much to low.  Amen!

Heb 11:24-27. . . . It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to share ill-treatment with God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him. TLB

CLING TO IT!

9-22-2011. . . .CLING TO IT!

"Fight on for God. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you and that you have confessed with such a ringing confession before many witnesses." (1 Tim 6:12 TLB)  Fight the good fight of faith and keep a strong hold on eternal life!  Not as if we can loose it, but so by clinging to it, we are propelled forward into its doors! 

Prayer: Lord, as we fight the good fight of faith, thank you for giving us eternal life to cling to.  Amen!

Rom 6:22-23. . . .But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. TLB

ETERNALLY SECURE!

9-21-2011. . . .ETERNALLY SECURE!

"My sheep recognize my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one shall snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else, so no one can kidnap them from me." (John 10:27-30 TLB)  We are eternally secure in Jesus Christ and therefore, free to live our lives in righteousness and holiness without fear!  We are the righteousness of God and were made holy.  Although, the enemy day and night does not cease to accuse us before God, we remain eternally secure!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our Lord and Shepherd.  We heed your voice and follow only you.  In you we remain eternally secure.  Amen!

Titus 1:1-3. . . .I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know God's truth-the kind of truth that changes lives-so that they can have eternal life, which God promised them before the world began-and he cannot lie.  And now in his own good time he has revealed this Good News and permits me to tell it to everyone. TLB

NO COMPARISON!

9-20-2011. . . .NO COMPARISON! 

"And Jesus replied,  "Let me assure you that no one has ever given up anything-home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or property-for love of me and to tell others the Good News, who won't be given back, a hundred times over, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land-with persecutions!  "All these will be his here on earth, and in the world to come he shall have eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30 TLB) There is much to gain and look forward to in this world as we walk out our salvation.  Nothing gained in this world however, can compare to what awaits us in the world to come!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for every blessing received in this world and the greater blessings awaiting us in the world to come.  Amen!

1 Cor 2:9-10. . . .That is what is meant by the Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. 10 But we know about these things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us, and his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God's deepest secrets. TLB

LIFE WITHOUT END!

9-19-2011. . . .LIFE WITHOUT END!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 KJV)  EVER - LASTING - LIFE!  Life that will not end!  Since we have it, we should busy ourselves now to live it!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for eternal life!  Help us prepare now to live it.  Amen!

John 17:3. . . .As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. KJV

OUR GREATEST THANKS!

9-16-2011. . . .OUR GREATEST THANKS!

"And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy-the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?" (Rom 12:1-2 TLB)  God has done His part in providing salvation to us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus the Christ.  Our greatest thank you to Him is a holy life!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of salvation!   Help us demonstrate our gratitude by presenting to you a holy life.  Amen!

 Rom 6:22-23. . . . But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  TLB

A DEMONSTRATION!

9-15-2011. . . .A DEMONSTRATION!

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV)  Every believer is Chosen, Royal and Holy!  Not that we should think more highly of ourselves then we should, but we owe the world a demonstration!  So, humbly, but yet proudly, make a DEMONSTRATION daily!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for calling us out of darkness and into the wonderful light of your presence.  We will humbly and gladly make a demonstration to the world!

1 Peter 1:14-16. . . . As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."   NIV

ADHERE TO THE CALL!

9-14-2011. . . .ADHERE TO THE CALL!

"For God has not called us to be dirty-minded and full of lust but to be holy and clean.  If anyone refuses to live by these rules, he is not disobeying the rules of men but of God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. (1 Thess 4:7-8 TLB)  Stinking think is not one of God's rules!  Adhere to the call!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for calling us to a higher standard and living.  Help us to always adhere to your call.  Amen!

Heb 12:14-17. . . .Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;  Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.   For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.  KJV

MAKE A DECISION!

9-13-2011. . . .MAKE A DECISION!

"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."  (Heb 12:14-15 NIV)  Being living holy a is not something that occurs automatically; it requires effort.  We must make a decision to to live and be holy.   Our decision will then affect our behavior.  If our expectation is to see the Lord, we must make a decision!

Prayer: Lord, our decision has been made to pursue peace and to be and live holy.  Thank you for you love, mercy, and patience with us.  Amen!

Heb 12:14-15. . . . Try to stay out of all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord. TLB

BE HOLY!

9-12-2011. . . .BE HOLY!

"Obey God because you are his children; don't slip back into your old ways-doing evil because you knew no better.  But be holy now in everything you do, just as the Lord is holy, who invited you to be his child.  He himself has said, "You must be holy, for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16 TLB)  God is Holy!  We were made in His image and after His own likeness, therefore, we are holy!  God does not ask or expect us to 'become' holy, He expects us to 'Be' what He knows we already are; HOLY!  The problem is not with us being holy, (we already are) the problem is with us acting holy!  When are actions don't match our image, we make God look bad in the eyes of the world.  We must strive daily to ensure that our actions match His image!

Prayer: Lord, you are holy!  You have created us in your image and likeness.  May our actions match your image.  Amen!

Eph 1:3-4. . . .Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:   According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  KJV

PUT UP OR SHUT UP!

9-9-2011. . . .PUT UP OR SHUT UP!

"Work brings profit; talk brings poverty!" (Prov 14:23 TLB)  What one says one will do means little.  Only what what does counts!  Put up or shut up!

Prayer: Lord, help us to be doers and not talkers!  Amen!

Prov 21:25. . . .The lazy man longs for many things, but his hands refuse to work. He is greedy to get, while the godly love to give! TLB

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

9-8-2011. . . .KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

"For God is not unfair. How can he forget your hard work for him, or forget the way you used to show your love for him-and still do-by helping his children?  And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward."  (Heb 6:10-11 TLB)  How encouraging it is to know that our labor, especially that which is done for the kingdom, does not go unnoticed nor unrewarded!  Keep up the good work!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for blessing the work of our hands.  Help us to continue working with sincere hearts to please you in all we do for the kingdom and mankind.  Amen!

Col 3:22-24. . . . Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.  KJV

LABOR NOT IN VAIN!

9-7-2011. . . .LABOR NOT IN VAIN!

"Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Ps 127:1 KJV)  Is God involved with our work?  Whatever our occupation, is God involved?  God gets involved with our work in one of two ways.  1) He gets involved because the work is ordained by Him and He has connected us to it.   2) Though they be secular, we choose to involve God in the work (occupations) we have chosen.  In either case, without God's involvement, we labor in vain.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our careers.  Whether you chose them for us or we chose them ourselves, please be involved so that our labor will not be in vain.  Amen!

Eccl 2:24. . . . So I decided that there was nothing better for a man to do than to enjoy his food and drink and his job. Then I realized that even this pleasure is from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy apart from him? For God gives those who please him wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away from him and gives it to those who please him. TLB

HONEST LABOR!

9-6-2011. . . .HONEST LABOR!

"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase".  (Prov 13:11KJV)  We value much more what we gain through our own honest labor.  We can claim it truly as our own.  Everything else is fickle and fleeting. . . .here today, gone in the same time!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for always blessing our good honest labor.  Keep our minds from being swayed toward easy gain.  Amen!

Prov 13:11. . . .Wealth from gambling quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.  TLB

LABOR DAYS!

9-5-2011. . . .LABOR DAYS!

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor 15:58  KJV)  Our labor for men has only temporary value, but that which is done for the Lord has lasting and eternal value!  Therefore, the investment of our time, talents and treasures should be focused on the eternal rather than the temporal. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the celebration of Labor Day!  May the majority of our time, talent and treasure be invested in things that have eternal worth.  Amen!

Matt 6:19-21. . . .Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  KJV

9-2-2011. . . .THE CHOICE HAS BEEN MADE!

"Don't you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal). The one to whom you offer yourself-he will take you and be your master, and you will be his slave.  Thank God that though you once chose to be slaves of sin, now you have obeyed with all your heart the teaching to which God has committed you.  And now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness. (Rom 6:16-18 TLB)  The choice has been made!  Righteousness is our master to obey!

Prayer: Lord, thank for making us free to choose our own master.  You are our choice.  Amen!

Rom 6:21-23. . . .But now you are free from the power of sin and are slaves of God, and his benefits to you include holiness and everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. TLB

A GOOD TEACHER!

9-1-2011. . . .A GOOD TEACHER!

"And even though Jesus was God's Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey when obeying meant suffering."  (Heb 5:8-9 TLB)  Obedience is not always convenient or comfortable, but it is a good teacher!

Prayer: Lord, although obedience to you may sometimes require suffering and sacrifice, help us to learn our lessons well.  Amen!

Philem 21. . . . Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. KJV