Thursday, January 29, 2009

How long will this attack last?

"Having done all...stand." Ephesians 6:13 NKJV

The size of the prize determines the severity of the fight. The enemy knows your vulnerabilities and he'll push you to your limits. When he does, remember: "Blessed is the man who endures...when he has been approved, he will receive the crown" (Jas 1:12 NKJV).

We recently had a brand new baby added to our house!! No, not a child, a baby bird. It is the product of our daughter Cassidy's 3 years of asking, begging and persistence. (Sweetly, may I add.) "Approved" means victory qualifies you for greater things. "Endures" means your staying power is being tested. She got the victory because of her persistence, despite the impossible (me) odds.

So, "having done all...stand." You say, "How long will this attack last?" The Prince of Darkness hindered Daniel's prayers for twenty-one days (See Da 10:13). Goliath defied the armies of Israel forty days and nights (See 1Sa 17).

Your enemy is relentless; you must be, too. When it comes to prayer, your persistence overcomes his resistance. "You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Heb 10:36 NKJV).

David didn't get into trouble with Bathsheba until he left the battlefield. It's the safest place to be. So stay there, keep fighting and God will come to your aid. When Joshua needed extra time to defeat his enemies, the sun stood still. God was saying, "As long as the sun doesn't go down you won't go down either, for the same power that's holding it up is holding you up." Isn't that great?

Jesus healed people in different ways. Some He spoke to, others He touched. One day He told ten lepers to go and show themselves to the priest. And the Bible says: "As they went, they were cleansed" (Lk 17:14). They were probably wondering, "When will it happen? How will it happen?" Faith doesn't demand details, it just keeps moving obediently forward, believing God for the right result!

Keep persisting. Our enemy will relent and God won't. Praise God!! See ya Sunday for part 2 of, "Play Your Position":Believe the Headlines!!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Need more strength? Wait on God!

I've always thought of waiting as a painful event. Like, wait to open the presents or wait until everyone gets here before we eat. It means exercising some patience and willpower. Yet, God gives us a different view of waiting and something that comes other than pain while we wait. Isaiah 40:31 declares,"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

God usually doesn't tell us how He will answer our prayers, or even when. But He does promise those who wait on Him one thing - strength. The word "wait" in this Scripture pictures a Hebrew word used in the making of rope. Every rope starts out as a thread, and every strand added just increases its strength. So each time you wait on the Lord you add another thread to the rope; you get a little stronger, a little more able to cope. Do you feel like you're just hanging on by a thread today? Spend more time in God's presence and God's Word, and watch your thread turn into a rope. But waiting is not always passive, sometimes it's active, like waiting on a customer, seeing that his or her needs are met. In this case, waiting is not so much a position as it is a focus.

The Bible says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee" (Isa 26:3). Whether it's sitting prayerfully in His presence or actively carrying out His will, you have God's assurance that your strength will be renewed.

If you're at the end of your rope today, grab hold of these three promises: (1) "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" (Ps 27:14 NKJV). (2) "Wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him" (Ps 62:5 NKJV). (3) "As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters...so our eyes look to the Lord our God" (Ps 123:2 NKJV).

Do you need more strength? Wait on God! Be Blessed while you wait. Only 331 more days until we can open our presents!!!!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Happiness Keys

"If you know these things." John 13:17 AMP

One of the blessings the framers of the constitution tried to ensure that we could all have is, the pursuit of happiness. We sure do pursue it in interesting and crazy ways. Something profound hit me about this promise. It's only the pursuit that is promised!! The picture of a dog chasing his tail rushes to my mind. I believe they knew that it would be impossible for men to bring about happiness. It seems to me, it is a promise that must lead to God. In that light, I thought I would share a few things that I hope will help us live in happiness.

If you want God's best, don't just think about how to invest your money, think about how to invest your life. Jesus said, "If you know these things...happy...are you if you...[do them]." Living this way means:

(1) Making time for friends and loved ones. "Let no one seek his own, but each...the other's well-being" (1Co 10:24 NKJV). George Eliot wrote: "Oh, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

(2) Giving thanks. If you can't be grateful for what God has given you, look around you and be grateful for what He's protected you from. The enemy doesn't have to steal anything from you, just make you take it for granted. "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another" (Jn 1:16 NIV). The excitement of a new car or a salary increase soon passes, but anytime you stop to count your blessings you start feeling better.

(3) Practicing contentment. A gardener who'd tried everything to get rid of dandelions wrote to the Department of Agriculture for help. "What can I try next?" he asked. "Try getting used to them!" came the reply. In life, you get what you focus on! That's why Paul writes, "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Php 4:8 NLT).

In a famous authors words, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Be Blessed and Happy.....

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Cutting off ears

"Keep your tongue from evil." Psalm 34:13

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He just stood there, even though He could have called twelve legions of angels to His defense. Then the mob came, laid hands on Him and arrested Him. Peter, ready to defend Jesus, drew his sword and cut off the High Priest's servant's ear.
Impulsive, quick-on-the-draw Peter was thinking, "We don't have to take this!" But Jesus said, "No, that's not how you handle things!" Then, "he touched the man's ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51).

Peter was talking when he needed to be listening, and doing things when he didn't need to be doing them. He needed to learn how to wait on God, to exercise humility and discernment. God had great plans for Peter, but if he wanted to reach people for Christ he couldn't do it by taking out his sword and chopping off ears when he felt angry. There's a lesson here.


Our abrasive words can cut off people's ability to hear. We can't just fly off the handle whenever we feel like it. We must be sensitive to God: If He tells us, "Say nothing," we must stand there quietly, even if it means letting someone think they're right even when we know they're not. We must say, "Yes, Lord," and accept that He doesn't owe us an explanation. How many times do we prevent somebody's spiritual growth, or God's blessings from coming into our own lives, because we don't control what we say?

Perhaps you think that compared to adultery or stealing this is no big deal? Think again: "He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin"
(Proverbs 13:3).

In other words, be slooooooooow to speak. This is in Southern talk, of course. Have a great day and see ya on Sunday. We start a new series on being in position for a God encounter.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Go back to where you met Him

"Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.'" John 21:3 NKJV

When Peter decided to go fishing that night, he may have been making a decision to get away from everything and go back to where he first met the Lord. That's a good move! When you get discouraged you'll either go back to the One who can save, keep and satisfy, or you'll go back to whatever was going on in your life before you met Him. That's not a good move! Peter fished all that night and caught nothing. There's a lesson there for you.

God said to the church in Revelation: "You have persevered...and have labored for My name's sake and...not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works" (Rev 2:3-5 NKJV).

Has your love for God grown cold? If so, you need to go back to where you first met Him, to seek Him again like you did before you'd heard so much and seen so much, before the pressures of life had worn you down.

"But I'm busy doing the work of the Lord," you say. Busyness and barrenness go hand in hand together. It's possible to look like a saint in the courts of Babylon, yet be a backslider in the courts of Zion. Three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?" Finally Peter said, "Lord, You know all things; You know [the extent to which] I love You" (Jn 21:17 NKJV).

Oswald Chambers said, "Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus, is service to Him." Think about it.

God Bless You!!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cindy Zevollo forwarded this to me from Intecessors for America (ifapray.org) and I thought you would enjoy reading and praying it. God Bless You.

30 WAYS TO PRAY FOR PEOPLE IN AUTHORITY

By Gary Bergel

The life of every citizen is impacted by an estimated 500,000 or more individuals who wield significant influence each day. Consider the vast multitude of elected officials, appointed judges, lawyers, police officers, bureaucrats, officials, military officers, media elite, news anchors, publishers and educators, talk show hosts, business executives and managers, theologians, ministers, rabbis, priests, chaplains, elders, pastors, deacons, lay workers, para-church ministry heads, educators, professors, teachers, medical practitioners and hospital administrators, scientists, researchers, inventors and engineers, artists and designers, athletes, actors and entertainment figures. How might we pray for these individuals?

1. That they be God fearing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each decision and act. (Prov 9:10)
2. That they be granted wisdom, knowledge and understanding. (Js 1:5)
3. That they be presented with the gospel and loving Christian witness. (Rom 10:14)
4. That they be drawn, if unsaved, to a saving encounter with Christ; if born-again, that they be strengthened and encouraged in their faith. (1Tim 2:4; Eph 1:17-23)
5. That they recognize their own inadequacy and pray and seek the will of God.
(Prov 3:5-8; Lk 11:9-13)
6. That they be convicted of sin transgression and iniquity. (Ps 51:17; Jn 8:9)
7. That they heed their conscience, confess their sins and repent. (Prov 28:13; Js 4:8)
8. That they read the Bible and attend prayer meetings and Bible studies.
(Ps 114:11; Col 3:2)
9. That they value and regard the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Christ.
(Ps 19:7-11; Jn 8:31,32)
10. That they respect and honor their own parents, if living. (Eph 6:2,3)
11. That they respect authority and practice accountability (Rom 13:1-7)
12. That they be given godly counsel and God fearing advisors. (Prov 24:6)
13. That they be honest and faithful to spouses and children. (Mal 2:15,16)
14. That they be practicing members of local congregations. (Heb 10:25)
15. That they desire purity and avoid debauchery, pornography, perversion and drunkenness. (1 Cor 6:9-20; Ti 2:12)
16. That they be timely, reliable and dependable. (Mt 21:28-31)
17. That they be honest in financial, tax and ethical matters (1 Cor 6:10; 1 Tim 6:6-10)
18. That they seek pastoral care and counsel when needed. (Heb 13:7)
19. That they seek out and nurture godly friendships. (Ps 1:1-3)
20. That they have thankful ad teachable spirits. (Rom 1:21)
21. That they be generous and have compassionate hearts for the poor and needy
(Ps 112:9; Lk. 10:33-37)
22. That they redeem their time and know priorities. (Eph 5:15-17)
23. That they desire honesty, integrity and loyalty (Ps 26; Prov. 11:3)
24. That they have courage to resist manipulation, bribery, pressure and the fear of man. (Prov. 29:25; 2 Tim 1:7)
25. That they be shielded from occultism, New Age cults, false religions and secret societies. (Is 1:29; 2:6)
26. That they be presented with biblical world views and principles. (Eph 3:10)
27. That they endeavor to restore the sanctity of life, families, divine order and morality in our nation Eph. 5:22-6:1)
28. That they would work to reverse the trends of humanism, socialism and statism in our nation. (1 Chr. 12:32; Is 59:15)
29. That they desire humility and meekness and be willing to serve and cooperate.
(Jn 13:124; Ti 3:1:2)
30. That they be prepared to give account to Almighty God. (Heb 9:27)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

How To Receive God's Word!

"All that the Lord has said will we do." Exodus 24:7 NKJV

How can you make God's Word more personal and effective in your life? By receiving it as a practical, not a theoretical Word. The Bible is not God's attempt to offer illuminating insights, interesting theories or good advice for our consideration. No, it's an authoritative, indisputable statement of eternal truth for us to live by. It's intended for real-world application.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock" (Mt 7:24 NKJV). The obedient builder's rock-solid foundation withstood the storm's violence. Conversely, "Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them," Jesus says, is a fool, and the storms will erode his foundation (v. 26-27).

Now, Jesus didn't condemn this man for building an inadequate structure, or failing to hear, understand and believe His words, but for failing to act on them. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says...the man who looks intently into the perfect law...not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does" (Jas 1:22-25 NIV).

If we think reading, knowing, and even believing God's Word fulfills our obligation to it, we're self-deceived. Because it's God's Word, His intention for it must be fulfilled. That requires not just believing, but behaving the Word. James didn't say, "he will be blessed in what he believes," but "he will be blessed in what he does!"

When Moses read God's Word to the Israelites, they said, "All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient." Let's endeavor to be doers of God's word, for in the doing, blessing will assuredly follow.

I hate to steal someone else catch phrase but it's just what fits. JUST DO IT!!! Amen.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Start your day with God

"In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3 NIV

We think everything rests on our shoulders, but it doesn't! It's God's world, not ours. At the beginning of each day God reminds us that He has His way, that He controls outcomes, and that He cares about every detail of our lives.

The way we get up in the morning sets the tone for our entire day, so try this: first thing tomorrow, get alone with God for a few minutes. Don't try to make it last an hour, just start with five minutes. Go over your plans for the day. If you have a calendar, look over it with Jesus. As you're going through it you'll have some concerns. Just hand them over to Him. Maybe you'll notice a meeting or a particular problem you're worried about. Ask Him for wisdom. If He doesn't give you an immediate answer, realize that it's because He wants you to trust Him. He has something better in mind, something that you haven't thought of yet.

So many of us start our day anxious, hurried, fearful, or rushed. But we don't have to. We're going to start our day anyway; why not start it with Jesus? Do we have any better offers? We're going to have a first thought anyhow, a first word, so why not let it belong to God, before Whom all our anxieties flee? We can do this. We really can. We can start our day with God.

Take a moment and meditate on this Scripture: "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days (Ps 90:14 NIV).