STILL STANDING!

10-30-2015. . . . STILL STANDING!

"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)  A group of friends were bowling one evening.  They each tried hard to make a strike but as it turned out, there would always be one pin left standing.  Although the pin was shaken and rocked from side to side from the force of the impact, it settled and remained standing.  The enemy and even life in general may at times attempt to bowl us over and strike us out.  Don't fall over.  Be the last pin standing.  We've got plenty to stand for!

PRAYER: Lord, when the storms of life are raging, continue to stand by us and strengthen us to continue standing with and by you.  Amen!

Ps 18:1-3. . . .I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.  KJV

STAY ENCOURAGED!

10-29-2015. . . .STAY ENCOURAGED!

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31 KJV)  Circumstances change and most certainly, people change. God however, remains the same no matter the circumstance, no matter the people.  If God is for us, (and He is for us) who then can be against us and succeed.  Stay encouraged!

PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for being there for us when circumstances and people around us change. Your constant unchanging commitment and faithfulness to us is our vindication!  Amen.

Ps 138:8. . . .

 The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; 

Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; 

Do not forsake the works of Your hands. 

NASU

ONLY BELIEVE!

10-28-2015. . . .ONLY BELIEVE!

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark 9:23 KJV) Belief is the first step in faith. Nothing will happen if we don't believe it can, but when we believe, we open up and access a whole realm of unlimited possibilities. Today, remove all the restraints, cast out all fears and anything that hinders us from accessing the realm of unlimited possibilities. Only Believe!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the ability to believe. With this ability we access your realm of unlimited possibilities for our life. Amen!

Isa 7:9b. . . .If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. KJV

UNTOUCHABLE!

10-27-2015. . . .UNTOUCHABLE!

"Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.   The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull.  All I need to do is cry to him-oh, praise the Lord-and I am saved from all my enemies!"   (Ps 18:1-3 TLB)  No matter how much the enemy relentlessly pursues and attacks us, the Lord himself protects us and keep us safe from all harm.  In spite of weapons formed against us, we remain untouchable. 

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for being our safe place from all hurt, harm and danger.  We love you and look to you for all things!  Amen.

Ps 3:3-8. . . . But Lord, you are my shield, my glory, and my only hope. You alone can lift my head, now bowed in shame.  I cried out to the Lord, and he heard me from his Temple in Jerusalem. Then I lay down and slept in peace and woke up safely, for the Lord was watching over me.  And now, although ten thousand enemies surround me on every side, I am not afraid.  I will cry to him, "Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God!" And he will slap them in the face, insulting them and breaking off their teeth.  For salvation comes from God. What joys he gives to all his people.  TLB

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT!

10-26-2015. . . .WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT!

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."  (Isa 1:19-20 KJV) What would you like to eat; what do you have an appetite for?   God is serving the good of the land 24/7.  No money required.  All we need be is willing and obedient.  Again, what would you like to eat?

PRAYER:  Lord, your desire for us is only good.  Help us to become more willing and obedient it continuously receive it.  Amen!

Ps 84:11. . . . For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory;  No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. NKJV

NOTHING TO CHANCE!

10-23-2015. . . .NOTHING TO CHANCE!

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Prov 3:5-6 KJV)  No one in their right mind would willfully engage in a game of Russian Roulette.  The stakes are too high; the results unpredictable; and one mistake could be deadly!  Failing to trust God and following our own way should be viewed in much the same way!  The stakes are to high; results unpredictable; and one mistake could be deadly!  Leave nothing to chance.  TRUST GOD!

Prayer: Lord, our trust is in you.  The stakes are to high not to!  With you, we expect and have predictable outcomes.  Amen!

Prov 3:5-6. . . . Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. KJV

THE PRAISE OF HEAVEN!

10-22-2015. . . .THE PRAISE OF HEAVEN!

"In a great antiphonal chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is filled with his glory." 4 Such singing it was! It shook the Temple to its foundations, and suddenly the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke." (Isa 6:3-4 TLB)  What a wonderful paradigm of praise; spontaneous, continuous and contagious!  So poignant and powerful that it shook the foundations of the sanctuary.   Question: What's moving and shaking our sanctuaries?

PRAYER: Lord, we join with all the heavenly host in declaring your glory!  You are which was, and is, and is to come!  Forever we praise  your holy name!

Ps 19:1-3. . . .The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.  KJV

BEFORE DURING AND AFTER!

10-21-2015. . . .BEFORE DURING AND AFTER!

"Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job.  Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner. " (1 Peter 4:12-13 MSG)  Our God is unchanging!  He is not just a good God today and then when troubles and trials strike, He's all of a sudden something different. No!  He is the same good God before we go through, while we are going through, and after we've come through.  Trust Him in and through every stage.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for being our unchanging God.  In the mist of turbulent and changing times help us to be equally as unchanging in our trust of you.  Amen!

James 1:17. . . . But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow. TLB

FAITH ACTIONS!

10-20-2015. . . .FAITH ACTIONS!  

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." (Mark 2:5 KJV)  Faith always has a visible manifestation!  One can't simply say "I have faith" and not add actions with it.  Even though the object and or objectives (end results) of our faith may not be seen, the actions of what we believe will!  Faith actions will overcome great obstacles to achieve it's desired end.  How could Jesus not respond to seeing the roof where He was literally torn off by the faith actions of those bearing there friend!!!!  Will He not also respond when He sees our faith actions as well?

Prayer: Lord, thank you in advance for responding when you see the actions of our faith.  Amen!

James 2:26. . . .For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.  KJV

AFTER THIS!

10-16-2015. . . .AFTER THIS!

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.  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)  Two things are certain about whatever we have to go through; it has a "beginning and an Ending" to it!  If we're already in it, then most certainly we will eventually come out of it.  How we come out of it is determined not by what we go through, but how we go through!   For believers, unwavering faith in God's providential care will ultimately result in victory and greater blessings.  Remember, it may be challenging now, but better things are coming 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

10-15-2015. . . .LET IT HAPPEN!

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  (John 15:2 KJV) What may appear to be a time of bareness, is really a time of replenishment! Apples don't grow on trees to simply hang there and look pretty!  The fruit is taken from the tree and used for it's designated purpose.  The removal of the fruit from the tree makes room for more fruit to come.    What was needed to produce the last harvest, may not be needed to produce the next.  The pruning process is necessary!  Let it happen!

Prayer: Lord, prune us as you will in order that we may continuously increase our fruit production.   Amen!

Ps 1:1-3. . . . Oh, the joys of those who do not follow evil men's advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God.  But they delight in doing everything God wants them to, and day and night are always meditating on his laws and thinking about ways to follow him more closely.   They are like trees along a riverbank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.  TLB

COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM!

10-14-2015. . . .COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM!

Prov 6:17-18 continued. . . . ." hands that shed innocent blood,  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief," (KJV )  That which resides in the heart will manifest itself in the behavior of one's hands and the direction of one's feet.  Persons that always seem to wind up in ugly messy situations gravitate towards them because of what lies within their hearts.  God hates it and the rest of us do too!  Come out from among them!

Prayer: Lord, be merciful towards those that practice those things you hate to the end that they repent of their ways and turn to you alone who abundantly pardons.  Amen.

2 Cor 6:14-18. . . .Don't be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness?  And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with one who doesn't believe?   And what union can there be between God's temple and idols?   For you are God's temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, "I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people."   That is why the Lord has said, "Leave them; separate yourselves from them; don't touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you and be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters."  TLB

HEALING AND HEALTH TO ALL!

10-13-2015. . . .HEALING AND HEALTH TO ALL!

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. " (Prov 16:24 KJV) Everyone in need of healing is not in a hospital or confined to a bed.  There are many "walking wounded" all around us!  We have the capacity to bring heath and healing to their soul by simply speaking a kind and pleasant word to them.  Because the walking wounded are not clearly identifiable, lets try speaking kind and pleasant words to everybody; that way no one will be missed, healing and heath will come to all!   

PRAYER: Lord, let everyone that crosses our path receive healing and health through the words we speak to them.  Amen!

Prov 12:18. . . .Some people like to make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise soothe and heal. TLB

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!

10-9-2015. . . .MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  (1 Cor 15:58 NIV) Serving the Lord will not only pay off after while, but it pays dividends now day by day!  Make every day count!

PRAYER: Lord, may the work that we have done and are doing for you daily make a difference and have lasting kingdom impact!  Amen!

John 9:4. . . .I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.  KJV

A LOSING AFFAIR!

10/8/2015. . . .A LOSING AFFAIR!

"And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up."  (Gal 6:9-10 TLB)  One of the easiest things in the world to do is give up, especially when one losses hope and becomes discouraged!  The thing about giving up is, we lose the time and effort it took to get us to that place of decision, as well as, the reward and satisfaction of seeing a thing through to the end!  Keep on doing what is right and don't let your efforts become a losing affair!

PRAYER: Lord, strengthen us in our struggles as we strive to do what is right and complete our life assignments.  Amen!

Heb 10:35-37. . . . Do not let this happy trust in the Lord die away, no matter what happens. Remember your reward!   You need to keep on patiently doing God's will if you want him to do for you all that he has promised. TLB

NO EXPLANATION NEEDED!

10-7-15. . . .NO EXPLANATION NEEDED! 

"Then Satan tempted him to get food by changing stones into loaves of bread.  "It will prove you are the Son of God," he said.  But Jesus told him, "No! For the Scriptures tell us that bread won't feed men's souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need."  (Matt 4:3-4 TLB)  We owe Satan and his representatives no explanation about who we are, but only to be who God says we are!  God made us; it is He and He alone that determines and affirms are identity.

PRAYER: Lord, you alone have determined and defined our identity.  We are who you say we are and there in we abide and walk.  Amen.

Ps 139:13-16. . . . Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion!  You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!  TLB

DON'T GIVE UP!

10-6-2015. . . .DON'T GIVE UP! 

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." ( Heb 10:35-36  KJV)  Never end up on the side of giving up watching the promise pass you by!  Trust God and don't give up!

PRAYER: Lord, if we can trust you for one thing, we can trust you for everything! 

Ps 138: 8. . . . The Lord will work out his plans for my life-for your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever. Don't abandon me-for you made me. TLB

DO YOU WANT TO ESCAPE!

10-2-15. . . .DO YOU WANT TO ESCAPE!

"So be careful. If you are thinking, "Oh, I would never behave like that"-let this be a warning to you.For you too may fall into sin.  But remember this-the wrong desires that come into your life aren't anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation's power so that you can bear up patiently against it." ( 1 Cor 10:12-13 TLB)  If we think we are beyond being tempted to sin, we deceive ourselves and are set up for a certain fall.  When we are tempted, we are drawn away by the very thing we secretly desire in our hearts.  Its a tough situation to be in, but not impossible to escape.  God is faithful!  He makes a way of escape for us!  The question each of us must ask our self when we are tempted is, do I really want to escape?

PRAYER: Lord, help us to be honest with our self and acknowledge the hidden unpleasing desires we have that enables Satan to tempt us.  Thank you for being faithful and providing a way of escape. Help us to want to escape.  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.  So don't be misled, dear brothers. TLB

BE DIFFERENT!

10-1-2015. . . .BE DIFFERENT!

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you."  (Rom 12:1-2 TLB)  Living in this world with all it's heavy influences in every aspect of life, it is difficult not to adopt its ways and behaviors. Nevertheless, we are called to be unique and to be more of an influence in the world than we are influenced by the world.  Strive to maintain your created image and likeness; don't allow the world to distort it.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for creating us in your own image and likeness.  Help us and strengthen us to be more of an influence in the world than we are influenced by the world.  Amen!

1 Peter 2:9. . . .But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: KJV