Success without God....

Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here."

 -Exodus 33:15

 

It is possible to experience success and yet be void of God’s presence. If success is what is important to you, you may be tempted to choose accomplishments over your relationship with God.

 

God offered to send an angel with the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land to ensure their success in every venture. No army could withstand them. No city wall could stop them. The wealth of the land lay before them. Everything they had ever dreamed of appeared to be theirs for the taking. The only thing missing would be the presence of God. God said they were an obstinate people, and He would not go with them when their hearts were far from Him.

The Israelites’ experience reveals that victory and great accomplishments are not necessarily a sign of God’s presence.  

 

Moses wisely concluded that success, no matter how great, is not a substitute for fellowship with God. Moses knew how quickly worldly achievements could disappear. His security came from his relationship with God. Success in the world’s eyes is not a sign of God’s blessing. It may, in fact, indicate that you have chosen a substitute for intimate fellowship with God. Would you be satisfied to have success, power, and wealth, but not a relationship with God? Do you value God’s presence in your life more than the greatest achievements you could experience in the world?

God Bless you all!!!

Faith or Miracle....

A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." - Matthew 16:4

 

Asking God for a miracle may indicate a lack of faith. Some feel that they demonstrate great faith by continually asking God for miracles.

 

They assume that in every situation God wants to do the spectacular. They presume, for example, that God wants to heal anyone who is sick or provide a miraculous escape from every difficulty they face. Jesus condemned those who insisted that He perform miracles, because He knew their hearts. He recognized that they could not believe Him without constantly undergirding their faith with signs. Their faith was not strong enough to survive without a regular supply of the miraculous. Jesus condemned this lack of faith and left them.

 

 

There are times when we prefer the miracle over the miracle worker. God calls this idolatry, and He discouraged it by refusing to provide miracles on demand (Jer. 2:11-13). Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not to ask for a miracle.

 

One of the most amazing statements of faith in the Old Testament came from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace because of their obedience to God. They expressed true faith when they assured king Nebuchadnezzar: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Dan. 3:17-18). They were confident in God’s ability to deliver them, but they trusted Him so completely that they did not ask to be spared.

 

Does your faith need miracles to sustain it? Or do you trust God so totally that you can say, “But if not, I will still trust the Lord!?”

Wow God......

Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me…He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but He who works for the honor of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him.” (John 7:16 & 18)

“I am not seeking glory for myself…” (John 8:50a)

It’s mind-boggling to consider the humility of Jesus. Although God Himself, Jesus didn’t seek His own glory. He didn’t follow His own plan. He didn’t speak His own words.He didn’t teach His own ideas. Jesus did only what the Father commanded and sought to bring glory to God alone.

Jesus showed us how to live a humble life. As creatures made by God, our greatest purpose is to glorify Him. Ponder what it means to be God’s creation.

I like to knit and often receive compliments on the sweaters I’ve made. Imagine how ridiculous someone would look speaking to my sweater: “I love how you’ve woven yourself into such an intricate design! You must have worked hard to become so soft. And your color, how did you achieve such a rich hue?” The sweater has done nothing worthy of praise, it is simply my creation.

So it is with us. God created us. He made us wise or diligent or artistic or funny. Any praise we receive should go to Him. Humility instructs us to acknowledge that anything good in us came from God.

Humility teaches us to say, “Wow, God!”

· Wow, God, You’ve made me more generous this year than last year.

· Wow, God, You enabled me to hold my tongue when I was criticized.

· Wow, God, You’ve produced patience and hope in my family during trying times.

Holy Father, I want to be humble like Jesus, to claim nothing for myself, but instead give You all the glory. Amen

Involve God in your daily endeavour....

We can never put God in a box! 

What I mean is we cannot limit God’s possibilities and methodologies.

Yes, He won’t contradict His Word. Nor does He work outside of His Word. But He does act beyond human expectation and planning!

Consider these: Peter was trying hard to fish for a living. But Jesus transformed him into a mega fisherman of souls (Luke 5:1-11; Acts 2:14-41). Saul went persecuting Christians but came back as an ardent advocate of Christ (Acts 9:1-31; Acts 15:1-4, 12).

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have. When you allow God to get involved, He does beyond your wildest expectations! 

This is what prophet Isaiah exclaims, “…You did awesome things that we did not expect…” (Isaiah 64:3). 

When the earth was formless and empty, the Bible says the Spirit of the Lord did something awesome. He hovered over that chaos! What was He doing? He was repairing the problem. And God created beauty and vitality out of that ruin (Genesis 1, 2).

When you create space for the Spirit of God in every endeavor of your day-to-day life, He breathes His freshness and momentum into it! What was judged to be dead and gone suddenly become alive and relevant.

It may be your spirituality, family, health, business, relationships, job or ministry – God is ready to execute a radical turn around! As you permit and co-operate with the Holy Spirit, it happens. And it will probably surprise you because He works beyond your expectations!

Bless Me Lord....

This is for You....

“Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing: ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” - Numbers 6:22-27
You probably recognize these verses as a Doxology that is given at the end of a worship service. It was really given to Moses from God Himself so he could bless the children of Israel. I pray the same for you today:

May you have the assurance that God will bless you and protect you. May you sense the smile of God deep in your heart, and experience His graciousness to you. May the very favor of God Almighty fill you with strength. May knowing how He loves you and wants to bless you give you all the peace you will need to get you through this day. Know this, God Himself loves you so much and is the one who will bless you this day!
AMEN
Father, who am I that You would bless me? And yet, You have said that it is Your desire to do so. So, Lord bless me today. Bless me till my heart overflows with the realization that I am Yours and You are mine! Thank you, dear Father.

AMEN

TAX FREE....

A Tax Assessor came one day to a Christian to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay.

The following conversation took place:

“What property do you possess?” asked the assessor.

“I am a very wealthy man,” replied the Christian.

“List your possessions, please,” the assessor instructed.

The Christian said:

“I have everlasting life, John 3:16

 I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2, 

 I have peace that passes all understanding, Philippians 4:7

 I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8

 I have divine love which never fails, 1 Corinthians 13:8

 I have a faithful wife, Proverbs 31:10

 I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus 20:12

 I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24

 I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8

 I have a crown of life, James 1:12″

The Tax assessor closed his book, and said, “Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation.”

So, here are some suggestions to help you become blessed with the riches of God. Try the above suggestions in order to become a blessing to your Heavenly Father as well as those around you, known as your neighbors.

And, remember, as long as He is meeting your needs and you have the promise of eternity in Heaven, You Are Blessed! I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax free “wealth.” God Bless You!

Sow Generously In Your Own Life....

"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6

 

You are called to be intentional about your Christianity. You must be determined to experience the fullness of God in every area of your Christian life and never to settle for a shallow, lackadaisical relationship with almighty God. God will bless you according to how you respond to His invitations. If He finds in you a generous heart that willingly and freely gives what it has to others, then God responds toward you in like manner.

 

When the apostle Paul encouraged the believers in Corinth to help the Christians in Jerusalem, he promised them that if they would sow generously, they would reap a generous return from God.

 

This truth holds life-changing potential for us.

If we invest everything we have in our relationship with God, we will experience the full dimensions of being children of God. If our desire is to know God more intimately, and if we spend ample time studying His word, God will generously enrich our relationship with Him. If we discipline ourselves to remain in prayer even when praying is difficult, He will reward us with a deeper, more powerful prayer life. If we reconcile any broken relationships and prepare our hearts before worship, and if we participate fully and reverently in every part of worship, God promises that we will meet Him and our lives will be changed.

 

Why is it that some Christians grow rapidly in their Christian faith and others remain unchanged year after year? Our Christian maturity is deeply affected by what we sow. Let us choose to sow generously in everything we do in our Christian lives. The harvest we reap will be Christlikeness.

 

God Bless !!!

Does God Listen to us?

You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God—and he listens. He listens to the painful plea of the elderly in the rest home. He listens to the gruff confession of the death-row inmate. When the alcoholic begs for mercy, when the spouse seeks guidance, when the businessman steps off the street into the chapel, God listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord.

“The smoke from the incense went up from the angel’s hand to God.” Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

Then, the angel “filled the incense pan with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth” (Rev. 8:5). One call and Heaven’s fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God’s power in heaven, and “God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.”

You are the someone of God’s kingdom. You have access to God’s furnace. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don’t need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears.
And when Jesus hears, thunder falls.
And when thunder falls, the world is changed.
All because someone prayed.

The Fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

An examination of the fruits of the Spirit can be intimidating. Working all nine of these traits into your life seems impossible, and indeed it is. But the moment you became a Christian, the Holy Spirit began a divine work to produce Christ’s character in you. Regardless of who you are, the Spirit works from the same model, Jesus Christ. The Spirit looks to Christ in order to find the blueprint for your character. The Spirit will immediately begin helping you experience and practice the same love that Jesus had when He laid down His life for His friends. The same joy He experienced will now fill you. The identical peace that guarded the heart of Jesus, even as He was being beaten and mocked, will be the peace that the Spirit works to instill in you. The patience Jesus had for His most unteachable disciple will be the patience that the Spirit now develops in you. The kindness Jesus showed toward children and sinners will soften your heart toward others. There will be a goodness about you that is only explainable by the presence of the Spirit of God. The Spirit will build the same faithfulness into you that led Jesus to be entirely obedient to His Father. The Spirit will teach you self-control so that you will have strength to do what is right and to resist temptation.

All of this is as natural as the growth of fruit on a tree. You do not have to orchestrate it on your own. It automatically begins the moment you become a believer. How quickly it happens depends upon how completely you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit’s activity.

Abba Father God....

The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

God wants you to call Him “Abba”. Abba means “Daddy”. In Galatians 4:6 we read, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Since you have the very Spirit of God residing within you, you can call out to Him in prayer by saying, “Abba, Father, Daddy”.

Like little children running to their daddy, God is waiting for you to run to His loving arms.

Psalm 91:14-15 says, “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”The Lord says, when you acknowledge and call upon His name, He will answer. He will be with you in the midst of your trouble and deliver you with honor. God is waiting for you to cry out to Him because He personally cares about you. He is your unfailing, trustworthy, reliable Daddy in the sky.

Sadly, you might have developed a distorted view of your heavenly Father, depending upon your relationship with your earthly father. If your father abandoned, failed, abused, or degraded your worth, know that God loves you unconditionally. He values and sees you as the “apple of His eye”. God does not want you to hold a distorted view of Him. He desires that your perception of Him is proper, honorable, and grows as your relationship with Him grows.

To further your intimacy with God, become acquainted with His names. Here are a few you can draw upon when seeking Him in prayer.

JEHOVAH-JIREH: The Lord My Provider

JEHOVAH-RAPHA: The Lord My Healer

EL SHADDAI: The All-Sufficient One, God Almighty

EI ROI: The God Who Sees Me

JEHOVAH-ROHI: The Lord My Shepherd

JEHOVAH-NISSI: The Lord My Banner (God on the battlefield)

JEHOVAH-SHALOM: The Lord My Peace

IMMANUEL: God With Us

Names of Jesus: Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, The Way, The Truth, The Life, Bright Morning Star, Bread of Life, Lord of lords, The Son of God, The Light of the world

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Mathew 11:28) God is waiting for you to run to Him, like a little child, so He can give you a hug of comfort, encouragement, blessing, favor and so much more. Do not be afraid to draw close to your heavenly Daddy. There is no greater love than the love He has waiting for you. Today, may you call upon Him, “Abba, Father, Daddy”.

God help me to see You as You really are a loving Father who always has my best interests at heart. Help me to be quick to run to You. Amen.

Invite God in Everything you do....

For apart from me, you can do nothing — John 15:5 (NLT)  

• Invite God to be a part of everything you do

• Invite Him to join you on a daily basis - work, home, tasks

• Invite Him into holiday celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries

• Invite Him into your prayer life

• Invite Him into your worries

• Invite Him to help you gain control over your emotions 

• Invite Him to be at the center of your marriage

Give In....Give Up & Give Cheerfully!

Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (NIV)

 

“I feel like I am shopping at my own garage sale!” I murmured to myself. Sifting through closets, I discovered long buried treasures. (Rather, treasures long forgotten.) “Were they treasures if I didn’t even remember them?” I pondered.  

Moving day hovered over my head. In two weeks, I needed these “treasures” boxed and ready to move into a smaller home. The question begged to be answered, “What in the world am I going to do with all this stuff?” 

As I mulled over the problem in my head, I thought of the rich young ruler in the Gospel of Mark. I remembered the Scripture, “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘ One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:17-22) Hmmm, how do I compare to that young man? What would Christ have me do with “my stuff?” I wondered. 

Give In! Give in to God’s thoughts on material possessions. Although, our culture tells us accumulating things makes us a more valuable person, scripture tells us to, “Sell your possessions, and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.” (Luke 12:33) Author A.W. Tozer writes, “Never own anything. I do not mean that you cannot have things. I mean that you ought to get delivered from the sense of possessing them. This sense of possessing is what hinders us…understand that it is His…If it is God’s you no longer need to worry about it.” 
Christ wants us to “seek our treasure in heaven.” We need to give in to Jesus and seek him. Allow him to become the treasure in our life.  

Give Up! Jesus bids us to give up the credit when we help others. Listen to what he said, “Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven . . . But when you give to someone, don't tell your left hand what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4 NLT)

Give up the credit for a good deed whenever possible. Attempt to give help anonymously without anyone knowing. Remember, your Father knows!

Give Cheerfully! The final principle is to give and do it cheerfully. God asks us to give out of cheerful hearts. The Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 9:7 advises, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsions, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 

We live with material abundance. We need to give because we are blessed. Besides, the Bible tells us, “When we give to the hungry, the thirsty, those in need of clothing, to anyone in need; we are really giving to Jesus.” (Paraphrased Matthew 25:35-40) Do we need any more prodding than that?

As I finished boxing my treasures to “give in, give up, and give cheerfully” I recalled the Proverbs 31 woman. I believe she knew the three giveaway principles. “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.” (Proverbs 31:20)

What is Jesus asking you to give in “The Great Giveaway” of life?

Lord, help me to remember that you love a cheerful giver. Help me to loose the strings of sentimental attachment to things that are not important. Give me a discerning heart on what I should give away and to whom.

Things Husband longs to hear....

Ten Things Your Husband Longs to Hear....

  • Great job 

  • I'm so proud of you 

  • If I had to do it all over again, I'd marry you

  • I missed you today 

  • I've been thinking about you all day 

  • I'm so lucky to have married a man like you 

  • What can I do for you today? 

  • You are so strong 

  • Thank you for working so hard for our family 

  • The best part of my day is when you come home

Don't Give up....Running with Endurance.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”  

My husband, Tod, recently ran his first marathon. Seeing as how I can’t run around the block without having to go to the bathroom, I was very proud of my beloved and quite impressed with his accomplishment. 

His preparation for the race was grueling and organized. He first read a book on marathon running and mapped out his five-month training plan using an Excel spreadsheet. Every week he increased his running distance till he was ready for the big day.  

I’m happy to say that my husband finished the race within minutes of his expected time. To say that after all that planning and training the race was easy, would be giving the wrong impression. At mile 23, when the mean race planners (at least that’s what Tod called them) took the route up a hill, my husband felt like quitting. It took every ounce of commitment and energy to finish that race. But finish he did.

The Christian life is like a marathon. It, too, can be grueling at times. We think we’ve trained enough, but when our hearts are broken, or our bodies and emotions drained, we can feel like quitting. 

When we just can’t forgive one more person, we might want to sit down on the sidelines, saying “This is too much – I can’t go on.”

When Christians feel like giving up, they might quit going to church regularly, their Bible sits closed, their prayer life wavers, and even fellowship with other believers can lessen.

God knows how difficult life is. He knows what our personal race route looks like. He knows where we have hills that seem too difficult to climb. Knowing we will face difficulties, how can we run this life with endurance when it gets tough?

One of the best ways to persevere is to decide in advance that you won’t quit when things get tough.

My husband determined that he would finish the race before he ever left the starting line. Quitting wasn’t an option – even when his legs were aching, his lungs were burning and he was surprised by a hill.

When you decide in advance that you will stay true to your faith and your commitments, you can face the difficult days and the times when God seems distant. When you choose in advance to trust God, even when you can’t explain your circumstances, your faith grows. It is awesome when you come through a challenge and can look back and see how God worked through it all.

Set your eyes on Heaven and trust God’s goodness, and when you face your personal hill, you’ll see it as a stairway to greater intimacy with God, instead of a reason to quit the race. --Growthtrac.

Heavenly Father, I praise you for your faithfulness and goodness. Forgive the times I have given up when things got tough. Thank you for giving me new chances every day to grow closer to you. I ask for a renewed conviction to run the race you have set before me with endurance. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Empowered by the Invisible ....

Ephesians 5:18 “Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.” (NIV)

Millions of God’s people go through life powerless because they are not living under the influence of the Spirit. They drudge through every day in their own ability, because they are not willing to let go of self. They work their guts out, fight off temptations with zeal, and volunteer for church activities. They do what’s right, but feel powerless. Our own abilities can’t give us supernatural worship times. Our own abilities fall short in comparison to what happens when we trust God and watch as his divine strength fuels us.

Are you worshipping from the depth of your soul in your private time? Is it consistent? Go to a quiet place each day and be quiet before Him. Don’t chatter your prayer request, just be still and adore the quietness with Him. He is there – waiting for you. Wait for Him and praise Him. Acknowledge who He is and then talk with Him, emptying your self before him. His power will fill your heart and life. Being empowered is an act of daily surrendering to Him. Each day starts fresh and new, He forgives us when we ask and loves us unconditionally, filling us with Himself. Teach these truths to your children, to your neighbors to your co-workers, to everyone you know, because there are a lot of powerless people walking around. 

In Ephesians 5:18 Paul commands us to be filled with the Spirit. 

Ephesians 3:16 tells us when we are filled with the Spirit we are strengthened. 

Mark 13:11 tells us our mouths will be filled with the right things to say when we are filled with the Spirit.

John 16:13 tells us when we are filled with the Spirit He guides you in truth.

I Thessalonians 5:19 warns us not to quench the Spirit. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit is often referred to as fire. Billy Graham writes, “When we quench the Spirit, we put the fire out. This does not mean we expel Him, but that we extinguish the love and power of the Spirit as he seeks to carry out His divine purpose through us. A fire goes out when the fuel supply is withdrawn. When we do not stir up our souls, when we fail to pray, witness, or read the Word of God, the fire of the Holy Spirit is banked. The second way to put out a fire is to extinguish it, by throwing water on it or smothering it. When we criticize, act unkindly, belittle the work of others, we smother the fire and put it out. “ 

Are you experiencing the fullness of the Spirit? Are you spending time alone with Him? Have you grieved Him in some way? If you have, confess those sins to Him and repent. Begin again to walk with Him and worship Him.


Lord, Take possession of my life totally and completely. Empty me of self-desires, of self-love, self-will and self- ambition and place me in your complete disposal. Amen 






Application steps: 

1.Seek Christ through prayer and bible study and 
you will find Him

2.Live by faith and not by sight. Step out in 
faith in one area of life today.

3.Glorify Christ in the way you live. Examine your life 
for areas of disobedience. Deal with that sin.

4.Be obedient. What has God been asking you to do that 
you refuse to do? Surrender to Him today. 

5.Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Ask the Spirit of 
God to convict of sin and give you a clean heart.



Reflection points:

Do I find my prayer time spent solely asking God for my own needs?

Am I worshipping God in my alone time?

Is there a sin that is separating me from being empowered?

Am I living a life of obedience or do my habits grieve the Holy Spirit?


Power verses: 

1 Chronicles 28:9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. (NIV)

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. (NIV)

Psalm 26:2-3 Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. (NIV) -Growthtrace.

How you respond to your Spouse....?

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce 
this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness — Galatians 5:22 (NLT)

Take an honest look, how you respond to your spouse?
Are you...

• Showing love?
• Bringing joy to my marriage?
• Creating peace or discontent?
• Patient?
• Showing kindness?
• A reflection of goodness?
• Faithful in all areas of my marriage?

10 Things to Pray for....

10 Things to Pray for

1. Yourself 
2. Your Marriage 
3. Safety 
4. Health 
5. Stress 
6. Temptations 
7. Work
8. Fears
9. Dreams 
10. Faith 

Speak out your Prayer loud.....

“With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.” (Psalm 109:30, ESV)

How often do you speak out loud to God? The ancient world believed that until a thought was spoken, it did not come into existence. In the beginning God spoke creation into existence. In His miracles, Jesus often spoke out loud to cast out demons, call people back to life and to heal. The Gospel writers didn’t tell us that He silently prayed with his lips moving as he laid hands on the sick. He commanded with His voice. He even prayed out loud on the Cross.

Scripture describes God’s voice as being like thunder. It shatters the silence and demands attention. We also talk of His still, quiet voice inside of us – the prompting of the Holy Spirit. That is the phenomenon of words being more real than thoughts in our own brains. It is as if someone is whispering to our very souls. It has substance. It exists.

Speaking your prayers out loud might seem strange at first, but there is power in it. Praying to God audibly does two things:

1. It brings what we are saying to the forefront of our mind and gives the words importance. Our minds are less likely to wander down bunny trails.

2. It is a way to acknowledge a force outside of our own brains. We are calling out to our Lord and engaging in conversation. That makes Him even more real to us.

Sure, God knows our innermost thoughts. Yes, He can “read our minds”. And there are times when devoted silent prayer is appropriate. But letting your prayers come out of your mouth adds a new dimension to them, like putting on 3D glasses to watch a movie. When two or three are gathered to pray out loud in agreement, I believe the evil one himself cowers and slithers away.

Try it. Thank God audibly when something happens – good or bad. Acknowledge His presence in the situation by speaking your thoughts.

“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken’” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak…” (2 Corinthians 4:13)

Pray out loud your deepest desires to Him, getting them out of your brain and onto your tongue, even if you have to do that under the rush of water in the shower.

“O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” (Psalm 130:2, NAS)

Pray out loud with your friends. Let the words come from your mouth into the room.

“May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:4)

Ask God to give you the right words to speak on His behalf and proclaim His glory.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…” (Ephesians 6:19)

Praise Him audibly and let your words soar.

“Open my lips and my mouth shall declare Your praise.”(Psalm 51:15)

                                                                                                        -PTC

Fear stops us from Trusting God....

“But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. ‘What have you done to me?’ he said. ‘Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?’” --Genesis 12:17-18

In two instances, Abraham (Abram) asked Sarah(Sarai) to say she was his sister, not his wife. The first time was in Egypt. The Bible says that “there was a famine in the land and Abram went to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.” (Genesis 12:10) However, Abraham feared that he would be killed if people knew that the beautiful Sarah was his wife. (Genesis 12:13) So he asked her to pose as his sister instead.

When they got to Egypt people did notice how beautiful Sarah was and Pharaoh took her into his household. God was not very happy about the whole situation and punished Pharaoh and his household with serious diseases. Pharaoh was forced to let Abraham and Sarah go.

You would think that Abraham would remember this experience and trust GOD with his life from that day forward. But he did not. Out of fear, Abraham lied again to Abimelech king of Gerar. (Genesis 20:1-2) God warned Abimelech about Sarah in a dream (Genesis 20:3) and Abimelech asked Abraham to leave with his wife and offered him his land. (Genesis 20:14)

Like many of us, Abraham had to deal with fear: fear of rejection and even death in these two cases. Which fear is holding you back? Has it led you to compromise your Christian faith? I must admit that I have compromised my faith out of fear but I know it is never too late to return to God. When we experience fear we can’t rely on ourselves, our means or even our friends. Only God is able to deliver us from the fearful situation or circumstance we face. He did it with Abraham and He will do the same for you.

Let us trust God. He will be there to protect us from any situation we might face...

Father, When I am afraid and quick to run away, remind me of Your great love for me. Amen

We are justified by our Faith in Jesus Christ....

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” --1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Sometimes I fail to take time to just stop and be still with the Lord, meditating on just what it means that I was sanctified, justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. It is truly amazing to know that Almighty, holy God set me apart for Himself, which is what it means to be sanctified. I am separated from those who do not know Him.

Why have I been set apart? Not because of anything that I have done or could ever do, but because of the finished work of Jesus on Calvary’s cross. When Jesus gave His life up for me, He had faith that His sacrifice would pay the penalty, for my sins – past, present, and future! Because someone told me about His amazing atoning sacrifice for me and I believed through the God-given gift of faith, I have been justified.

I have had my sins washed away by the blood of Jesus! To be justified means that it is the same as if I had never sinned. To be justified means that I am just, no longer guilty of the wrongs that I have committed. I am innocent before the throne of God! In His eyes, it is as if I had never sinned!

Praise be to God in Christ Jesus our Lord! My AbbaFather loved me so much that He allowed His only Son to suffer an excruciating death for me, for you, for all of humanity, that we might believe and be washed clean in His blood and saved from the eternal death! When I accept Jesus’ gift of perfect atonement for me by faith, I am granted eternal life, a life that is meant to be lived with abundant love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and, self-control. I cannot help but think of Psalm 27:1:

“The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Amplified Bible)

I do get lost in a sea of fear from time to time.Instead of running to my Refuge and Stronghold, I forget the power that is available to me in Jesus. I begin to grumble, like the Israelites murmuring against God and Moses in the desert. Nothing seems right, and I cannot find peace in my heart, for I start setting expectations on others that they cannot possibly meet.

I have start to pick out the splinter in my neighbor’s eye while ignoring the log in my own. (Matthew 7:3) Without accessing the power of the Holy Spirit on a regular basis, I fall prey to my own negative attitudes and mind-sets, and I notice I am procrastinating on work projects, becoming fearful of failure and the judgments of others. Why? Because I am expecting them to do to me what I am doing to them! It is so evident that I cannot live this life without Jesus and the power of His indwelling Spirit!

But praise be to God, Jesus is my Deliverer:

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (Romans 7:21-25, NLT) 

So the moment I realize what I am doing, I can turn in the opposite direction, repent of my sin and run into the arms of my Rescuer. I can confess my sin to Him, confident that Jesus will forgive me and cast my sin as far from me as the east is from the west.

“ If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. (1 John 1:8-9, Amplified Bible)

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we are continuously washed clean by the blood of Jesus? We do not have to live in denial or shame when we step out of the will of our loving heavenly Lord; we can simply turn back to Him. He always receives us with open arms, having never stopped cleansing us from our unrighteousness. What an awesome truth. We stand righteous before the Lord our God without condemnation!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2)

So let our prayer be united as one in faith with the author of the Book of Hebrews:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Q: Are you struggling today with sin, guilt, shame, or condemnation? Turn your eyes to Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who loves you with an everlasting love. Cast your cares unto Jesus, for He cares tenderly about you.

Priorities in Christian family....

God

    |

Spouse

    |

Children 

    |        

Ministry

                                                             

✿ God obviously comes first: 

Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” All of one’s heart, soul, and strength is to be committed to loving God, making Him the first priority.

✿ Souse:

Married Man: A married man is to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).
Married Woman: Wives are to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22).

✿ Children:

Parents are to raise godly children who will be the next generation of those who love the Lord with all their hearts (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4)

✿ Ministry:

If you love your ministry more than your spouse, it is likely you could lose your spouse. Husbands, love your wives more than your ministry.
He has commanded that we love our wives and strive to protect our marriages, even from something as noble as our ministry call.

Our Intimacy with God....

Dr. Stanley's 30 Life Principles 1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives. 2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. 3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm. 4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work. 5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. 6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow. 7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us. 8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time. 9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. 10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will. 11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him. 12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God. 13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God. 14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. 16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes. 17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees. 18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances. 19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose. 20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice. 21. Obedience always brings blessing. 22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit. 23. You can never out give God. 24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. 25. God blesses us so that we might bless others. 26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God. 27. Prayer is life’s greatest time saver. 28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith. 29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops. 30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.