Happy Thursday!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Friday eve. I'm doing well, looking forward to the weekend. My grandmother is in the hospital please pray for her. She has an Aneurysm, and the doctors are trying to decide how to treat it, they're saying she may be too weak to operate, but that is the only option. I need you to join together with me in prayer, that she will come out of this healed. Thank you for your support.
Today's scriptures are about the compassion of God. The love of God is nurturing, kind, sweet, strong, and full. He accepts us for who we are in Christ. Jesus is living proof of His Grace, love and mercy. We're given a certain set of commandments to live by. We have the Ten Commandments that were written by Moses, found in the book of Exodus, in the Old Testament, which we still need to obey today. However, in the New Testament, these things are summed up in Gal 5:19-21: Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. When Jesus died on that Cross, those of us who has accepted Him as our Lord and Savior have been delivered from all penalties of sin, and will inherit the Kingdom of God. He is gracious enough to wipe our slate clean, because of the blood of Jesus. We know that because of our flesh, it's very hard to walk on the path of Righteousness without falling. God knows that as well, because He came to earth in Human form, in order to experience what we experience. He loves us so much that He wanted to get in tune with us. He understands our frailty and therefore has a lot of patience with us. No matter what we do, He'll always forgive us. He’ll never turn His back on His children, and is always waiting with open arms to receive us. Just as the father in the story of the prodigal son. He knows each of us individually, and because we're made righteous through Jesus Christ, we have the Spirit of Love instilled in us. All we need to do is keep the communication open with Him. We should reverence Him enough to come to Him with all of our needs and concerns, and even share our Joys through praise. I always use the parent/child analogies because He is our Heavenly Father. In most cases if something happens to a child, i.e. they're being picked on at school, they got in trouble with a teacher, or maybe something really bad happens like they're raped or molested by someone close to them, they won't share these incidents with anyone, not even their parents. When these incidents are brought to the parents attention, the first thing they'll ask is, "Why didn't you come to me and tell me?" The child will keep these things secret mostly out of feelings of shame, guilt, or fear, and most of the times they start to act out. We've seen it numerous times before on the News, in movies, or some of us have experienced it first hand. The child doesn't doubt the fact that their parents love them, and would do anything in the world to keep them safe, they only see the shame of what's happened to them, and often times blame themselves. I know this is a dreadful example, but this is how the enemy will make us feel regarding sin. God is a loving Father who only wants what's best for us. He wants us to have a healthy, happy life, filled with the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5). He knows that sin happens, and that's why He gave His son as atonement for our sins. No matter what the sin, from being jealous to murder, we're instantly forgiven when we come to Him humbled and ready to repent. He will never deny us when we cry out to Him; He always answers our prayers. He'll be there to strengthen and lift us up, and will never turn His back on us. Once we're forgiven we're forgiven, it's never brought up again. We have a number of scriptures to confirm that today. Don't let sin separate you from your loving Heavenly Father again. Go to Him right now and confess that you're a sinner, ask Him for forgiveness, and try not to sin again. We have inherited the right to do that anytime, for anything, when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. If you don't know Him, then I suggest you immediately say that prayer, because tomorrow isn't promised to you. My favorite verse today is: As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454994&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047999
I love you
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY FRIDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Hump day. I'm doing well, a little tired, but I will survive. I was just thinking about all of the thunderstorms we've been having in the DC area, and remember how much rain I experienced while in Portland, OR. However, no matter how much it rained, there was never any thunder and lightening that I could remember. A friend and fellow student pointed that out to me, she's from Florida, so you know she’s experienced all types of storms. I'm praying for the family of the two little boys that were struck by lightening in Maryland last week, while playing baseball. One of the little boys died, the last I heard the other was in critical condition. It’s supposed to storm the rest of the week, so stay in if you can. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about our resurrection in Christ. Start to think about your life before you were saved, or shortly after. Have you noticed any change in your attitude, actions, or way of life? Have you noticed your Holy Spirit is becoming more vocal, and you're starting to feel ashamed or embarrassed about making the same old mistakes? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you're starting to grow in your Faith walk. Before we were saved we were of the world, and ruled by the darkness. Some of us, depending on the way were raised and, our surroundings weren’t very nice people, inside and/or out. Once we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we began our resurrection. It's written: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We die to our flesh, and are born again of the Spirit (1 Peter 1:22-25). We gradually grow in our Faith walk, and in most cases still live the life we used to live in the flesh, at the beginning. We're expected to make mistakes, as part of our growth process. God only gives us what we could handle, and makes sure that we have all that we need. When we do fall, just as a caring Father, He's there to pick us up. He gives us the nurturing guidance to keep us in His will. It's written in 1 Corinthians 3:1: And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. Paul wrote this to let the Corinthians know that he understood where they were in their walk. He also went on to explain to them that He is not solely responsible for their growth. He said he's just the minister, all he could do is plant the seed, and someone else could water it, but God is responsible for the increase (vs. 7). When we're in the "babe" stage God feeds us with milk, because we're not able to digest solid food just yet. For example, if we ask for a million dollars, and are still so irresponsible that we can’t manage $100, do you think He’ll bless us with it? Of course He wouldn’t, because He knows that we could ultimately do damage to ourselves. Just as we won't give our 12-year-old child permission to drive a car, because they’re not mature enough to handle that type of responsibility, and are liable to kill themselves and/or others. If you're a Christian, then you should be able to look at your life just 5 years ago and see a difference in your maturity level. If you haven't, then there's something that is stunting your growth. We all grow at different paces, according to the will of God; so don't try to compare you with anyone else. Compare your old self with your new self. Personally, God has grown me up tremendously, when I started to seek Him. I've been saved ever since I could remember, however, I couldn't really see a difference in my growth until about 5 years ago, when I surrendered to Him. A part of that growth is maturity, but most of it is Spiritual. I know people my age and older that's still being bottle-fed, but I also know that they're exactly where God wants them to be, and so am I. If you are one of those people that feel like you aren't growing in your Faith walk, then at some point you're going to get tired and seek Him, and He'll welcome you with open arms, just as the story of the "Prodigal" or “Lost son" in Luke 15:11-32 (part of the opening verse). The young son asked the father for his inheritance so he could go out and experience life, and the father split up all of his money and possessions between his two sons. The young son when out and blew all of his money, and the older son saved his money and stayed home with the father to work. The young son came back home after working as a servant for a while, and the Father welcomed Him back home with open arms, and even gave him a big party. The older son was very upset about that, and didn't understand why he wasn't celebrated that way. The father told him, don't be angry just be happy that your bother is home and safe. Jesus said in verse 10: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” God knows your heart, and He knows where you are and where you came from. He loves you enough to give you all of the nourishment you need to grow, so don't allow the enemy to keep you down. You are a child of God, regardless of where you are in your Faith walk. He understands every stage you'll go through, as well as the stage you’re in, and He loves you either way. Jesus was sacrificed to bring you Home, so if you feel like the prodigal son, then come Home, He's waiting on you to humble yourself, ask for forgiveness, and accept Jesus as your Savior. Seek Him, and He'll do the rest. My favorite verse today is: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (John 4:10)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454993&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047989
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful Hump day. I'm doing well, a little tired, but I will survive. I was just thinking about all of the thunderstorms we've been having in the DC area, and remember how much rain I experienced while in Portland, OR. However, no matter how much it rained, there was never any thunder and lightening that I could remember. A friend and fellow student pointed that out to me, she's from Florida, so you know she’s experienced all types of storms. I'm praying for the family of the two little boys that were struck by lightening in Maryland last week, while playing baseball. One of the little boys died, the last I heard the other was in critical condition. It’s supposed to storm the rest of the week, so stay in if you can. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about our resurrection in Christ. Start to think about your life before you were saved, or shortly after. Have you noticed any change in your attitude, actions, or way of life? Have you noticed your Holy Spirit is becoming more vocal, and you're starting to feel ashamed or embarrassed about making the same old mistakes? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you're starting to grow in your Faith walk. Before we were saved we were of the world, and ruled by the darkness. Some of us, depending on the way were raised and, our surroundings weren’t very nice people, inside and/or out. Once we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we began our resurrection. It's written: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We die to our flesh, and are born again of the Spirit (1 Peter 1:22-25). We gradually grow in our Faith walk, and in most cases still live the life we used to live in the flesh, at the beginning. We're expected to make mistakes, as part of our growth process. God only gives us what we could handle, and makes sure that we have all that we need. When we do fall, just as a caring Father, He's there to pick us up. He gives us the nurturing guidance to keep us in His will. It's written in 1 Corinthians 3:1: And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. Paul wrote this to let the Corinthians know that he understood where they were in their walk. He also went on to explain to them that He is not solely responsible for their growth. He said he's just the minister, all he could do is plant the seed, and someone else could water it, but God is responsible for the increase (vs. 7). When we're in the "babe" stage God feeds us with milk, because we're not able to digest solid food just yet. For example, if we ask for a million dollars, and are still so irresponsible that we can’t manage $100, do you think He’ll bless us with it? Of course He wouldn’t, because He knows that we could ultimately do damage to ourselves. Just as we won't give our 12-year-old child permission to drive a car, because they’re not mature enough to handle that type of responsibility, and are liable to kill themselves and/or others. If you're a Christian, then you should be able to look at your life just 5 years ago and see a difference in your maturity level. If you haven't, then there's something that is stunting your growth. We all grow at different paces, according to the will of God; so don't try to compare you with anyone else. Compare your old self with your new self. Personally, God has grown me up tremendously, when I started to seek Him. I've been saved ever since I could remember, however, I couldn't really see a difference in my growth until about 5 years ago, when I surrendered to Him. A part of that growth is maturity, but most of it is Spiritual. I know people my age and older that's still being bottle-fed, but I also know that they're exactly where God wants them to be, and so am I. If you are one of those people that feel like you aren't growing in your Faith walk, then at some point you're going to get tired and seek Him, and He'll welcome you with open arms, just as the story of the "Prodigal" or “Lost son" in Luke 15:11-32 (part of the opening verse). The young son asked the father for his inheritance so he could go out and experience life, and the father split up all of his money and possessions between his two sons. The young son when out and blew all of his money, and the older son saved his money and stayed home with the father to work. The young son came back home after working as a servant for a while, and the Father welcomed Him back home with open arms, and even gave him a big party. The older son was very upset about that, and didn't understand why he wasn't celebrated that way. The father told him, don't be angry just be happy that your bother is home and safe. Jesus said in verse 10: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” God knows your heart, and He knows where you are and where you came from. He loves you enough to give you all of the nourishment you need to grow, so don't allow the enemy to keep you down. You are a child of God, regardless of where you are in your Faith walk. He understands every stage you'll go through, as well as the stage you’re in, and He loves you either way. Jesus was sacrificed to bring you Home, so if you feel like the prodigal son, then come Home, He's waiting on you to humble yourself, ask for forgiveness, and accept Jesus as your Savior. Seek Him, and He'll do the rest. My favorite verse today is: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (John 4:10)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454993&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047989
I love you!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying your day. I'm doing well, feeling much better God is good. I got some rest, and woke up to a beautiful morning. I'm already looking forward to the weekend, and we're not even halfway through the week. I'm getting acclimated to my workouts at the gym, and learning how to get in and out. At one time, I was in there for 2 hours every night. I received an update about Pastor Laura, she's doing well, and responding to the treatment, thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray her quick recovery. Also pray for my Grandmother, she has her appetite back, and has come up with some elaborate menus over the next few weekends. I'm more than happy to cook for her, because she's willing to try new things. She’s a very picky eater, so for her to like everything that I've cooked for her so far, says a lot. Please pray for continued strength and recovery. Thanks for your prayers, have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about the Word of God. The Word is given to us in a few different ways. The most tangible way is the Holy Bible, which was divinely written by God through man. The bible is given to us as a handbook on life, as well as an autobiography from God. It teaches us His ways, through numerous stories written over thousands of years. It tells the story of how the Earth was created. We learned that Man was created from dirt, and that God breathed the breath of life into us. He's the great I AM, and a great Creator, Protector, Provider, and Friend, who promise to Love us forever. We could see His soft side through the forgiveness and mercy He we read about. We also learn His hard side, through the destruction of earth, and the punishment He's given to people who disobey Him. The bible is composed of several books that start at Genesis, where we learn the story of how we started, and it ends with the book of Revelations, where we learn how we'll end (and live again, reunited with Jesus in Heaven). God speaks to us through this book, and every time we pick it up to read it, we're lead by our Spirit, to stories that are meant to give us wisdom to be applied to our everyday lives. Whenever we read, we should always open our hearts, and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to the spiritual fruit God is attempting to teach us. We could sometimes read the same verse of Scripture, and get a different meaning each time. It also helps us build our Faith in Him, because we're able to learn His character. We learn His likes and dislikes, and His commandments. We learn how to please and love Him, and began to understand His love for us. The bible is filled with wonderful promises that give us hope in our own lives. God doesn't lie, and He never changes, so although this book was written thousands of years ago, it doesn’t change either. We could still relate to most of the stories written, and apply the principles to our modern day life. Jesus was the word of God, brought to life. He was also a great teacher and innovator. He made it possible for each of us to hear the word of God. Before Christ, the word came from Prophets like Samuel and Daniel. God also spoke to people like Noah and Abraham, because He had specific jobs for them to do. Through the blood of Jesus a covenant was made, that allowed us to be Righteous enough to have a perfect relationship with God. We could now converse with Him, not only making our petitions known, but also listening intently for answers. He speaks to us in a small still voice, that we must be wise enough to hear. We could also learn how to listen to Him through the word, because we learn about His character. We learn the things He would and wouldn't do, and this allows us to discern between His and the enemy voices. His Word also gives us ammunition to fight against the attacks of the enemy, because we stand on His promises to get through life. It's written that His word is like a double-edged sword, because knowledge holds us accountable for our actions. You ever heard the saying, "God watches over fools and babes"? He gives us a little more leeway when we don't know any better, but when we blatantly sin against Him, having the wisdom to know better, then we're going to be punished to the fullest extent. All God wants is our love, trust, and fellowship. He's willing to take care of our every need, want, and desire, but we have to believe that He will. I've asked this numerous times, how could you trust someone you don't know? His word is the only way to get to know Him, and to learn how to follow His will for our life. Getting to know Him comes with the fruits of the Spirit, Joy, peace, happiness, love, etc. There are many versions of the bible, but they all end up saying the same thing. Seek His word, and you will find a treasure beyond anything you could imagine. Don't forget it also comes through studying the bible, prophets [and the people around us], and by the Holy Spirit. It will not mean anything to you, if you don't have Jesus in your heart, so that's the first step to Spiritual freedom, try Him out. There are numerous stories about Jesus, read the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to start. I promise once you receive Word, you too will become a vessel to share the Word of God with others. My favorite verse today is: The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454992&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047985
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying your day. I'm doing well, feeling much better God is good. I got some rest, and woke up to a beautiful morning. I'm already looking forward to the weekend, and we're not even halfway through the week. I'm getting acclimated to my workouts at the gym, and learning how to get in and out. At one time, I was in there for 2 hours every night. I received an update about Pastor Laura, she's doing well, and responding to the treatment, thank you for your prayers, please continue to pray her quick recovery. Also pray for my Grandmother, she has her appetite back, and has come up with some elaborate menus over the next few weekends. I'm more than happy to cook for her, because she's willing to try new things. She’s a very picky eater, so for her to like everything that I've cooked for her so far, says a lot. Please pray for continued strength and recovery. Thanks for your prayers, have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about the Word of God. The Word is given to us in a few different ways. The most tangible way is the Holy Bible, which was divinely written by God through man. The bible is given to us as a handbook on life, as well as an autobiography from God. It teaches us His ways, through numerous stories written over thousands of years. It tells the story of how the Earth was created. We learned that Man was created from dirt, and that God breathed the breath of life into us. He's the great I AM, and a great Creator, Protector, Provider, and Friend, who promise to Love us forever. We could see His soft side through the forgiveness and mercy He we read about. We also learn His hard side, through the destruction of earth, and the punishment He's given to people who disobey Him. The bible is composed of several books that start at Genesis, where we learn the story of how we started, and it ends with the book of Revelations, where we learn how we'll end (and live again, reunited with Jesus in Heaven). God speaks to us through this book, and every time we pick it up to read it, we're lead by our Spirit, to stories that are meant to give us wisdom to be applied to our everyday lives. Whenever we read, we should always open our hearts, and ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to the spiritual fruit God is attempting to teach us. We could sometimes read the same verse of Scripture, and get a different meaning each time. It also helps us build our Faith in Him, because we're able to learn His character. We learn His likes and dislikes, and His commandments. We learn how to please and love Him, and began to understand His love for us. The bible is filled with wonderful promises that give us hope in our own lives. God doesn't lie, and He never changes, so although this book was written thousands of years ago, it doesn’t change either. We could still relate to most of the stories written, and apply the principles to our modern day life. Jesus was the word of God, brought to life. He was also a great teacher and innovator. He made it possible for each of us to hear the word of God. Before Christ, the word came from Prophets like Samuel and Daniel. God also spoke to people like Noah and Abraham, because He had specific jobs for them to do. Through the blood of Jesus a covenant was made, that allowed us to be Righteous enough to have a perfect relationship with God. We could now converse with Him, not only making our petitions known, but also listening intently for answers. He speaks to us in a small still voice, that we must be wise enough to hear. We could also learn how to listen to Him through the word, because we learn about His character. We learn the things He would and wouldn't do, and this allows us to discern between His and the enemy voices. His Word also gives us ammunition to fight against the attacks of the enemy, because we stand on His promises to get through life. It's written that His word is like a double-edged sword, because knowledge holds us accountable for our actions. You ever heard the saying, "God watches over fools and babes"? He gives us a little more leeway when we don't know any better, but when we blatantly sin against Him, having the wisdom to know better, then we're going to be punished to the fullest extent. All God wants is our love, trust, and fellowship. He's willing to take care of our every need, want, and desire, but we have to believe that He will. I've asked this numerous times, how could you trust someone you don't know? His word is the only way to get to know Him, and to learn how to follow His will for our life. Getting to know Him comes with the fruits of the Spirit, Joy, peace, happiness, love, etc. There are many versions of the bible, but they all end up saying the same thing. Seek His word, and you will find a treasure beyond anything you could imagine. Don't forget it also comes through studying the bible, prophets [and the people around us], and by the Holy Spirit. It will not mean anything to you, if you don't have Jesus in your heart, so that's the first step to Spiritual freedom, try Him out. There are numerous stories about Jesus, read the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to start. I promise once you receive Word, you too will become a vessel to share the Word of God with others. My favorite verse today is: The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454992&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047985
I love you!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY MONDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek (for most). I'm doing well, had a very busy weekend. I enjoyed catching up with friends we had a good time. It was a small group of about 10 of us, and I catered it. The food was awesome, and I made a record attempt to do everything in 5 hours, all by myself. That wasn't going to happen, and it left me with about 3 feet of dirty dishes to come home and clean, and about 50 Spring Rolls to finish rolling tonight. I came across this information about the Morning After H.I.V. treatment on Twitter today, has anyone heard about this? http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/10/science/morning-after-treatment-for-hiv.html I think this is very important information to look into. I don't watch television, the only News I get is through random online articles, so I might be really late, but so many of our brothers and sisters are dying from this disease I wanted to share this information. Please be safe, the best way to avoid becoming infected is abstinence. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about our communication with God through prayer, supplication, and perseverance. These three words are very important in our relation with God. Prayer is our conversations with Him throughout the day. Supplication is when we humbly ask for the things we want and desire, in the Name of Jesus. Perseverance is when we expect, and patiently wait on an answer. Communication with God is very important to maintaining a relationship with Him, and growing in our Faith Walk. He knows our every want, need, and desire, without us even asking. However, part of this “free will” I keep talking about means He will rarely step in and change our situation unless we ask. Jesus lives inside of us, and we have inherited all of His power, by His name. Faith is the key to answered prayers; God won’t answer our prayers if we don't believe with our whole hearts that He will. Our righteousness is one of the stipulations to answered prayers, and another is Faith in the Name of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 15:27 says, The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. All of us who are born again, by the Blood of Jesus, are automatically made Righteous, so we have the right to Ask, Seek, and Knock whenever we need to. When we're born again, we begin a transformation into perfection. God is molding us into the Righteous people He's created us to be. We're brought out of darkness into His marvelous light, and we can no longer blend with darkness. When we first become saved we're settled in our old ways, because we're still babes in our Faith Walk. The more we grow this becomes true for us: The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil (Proverbs 15:28). Our hearts won't let us be wicked and evil, it isn't possible, because we have the Holy Spirit indwelled in us, and we've taken on the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is way God answers our every prayer, and makes sure that everything works together for our good. Jesus taught us about the power of Faith, and He also lead by example. We have stories of how Jesus went off on His own and prayed for hours. As well as stories of how His disciples performed many miracles by faith, and in His Name. God purposely use people to touch the lives of others. I am a living example, because He has grown me up tremendously, in a very short period of time. I know in my heart that anything I ask of Him will be provided. It's not always exactly what I want, or when I want it, however, it's always right on time. There are times when the enemy deters me, and try to make me think that I don't deserve God's love, peace, and blessings, but he is a liar, and doesn't deserve my attention. I've learned how to turn my attention from the world, and other people's ideas of "blessings", to understanding, accepting, and praising Him for my own. Take your title as a Christian seriously, and don't allow the world to define who or what you are. Being a Christian just means you're trying to be Righteous like Christ. It means that you recognize that the only way to the Father is through the Son Jesus Christ. You have the same authority as Jesus, by His Name. When you pray, pray with confidence, patience, and gratitude, in knowing that your prayers have already been answered. HALLELUJAH! God loves you, but do you love Him enough to believe in Him? I'm going to leave you with this: For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matt. 7:8-11) Get to know this Wonderful, Gracious, Loving, Sweet, Tender, and Kind God, through a short prayer accepting Jesus as your Savior. He's waiting on you! My favorite verse today is: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454991&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197 http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047979
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the beginning of another workweek (for most). I'm doing well, had a very busy weekend. I enjoyed catching up with friends we had a good time. It was a small group of about 10 of us, and I catered it. The food was awesome, and I made a record attempt to do everything in 5 hours, all by myself. That wasn't going to happen, and it left me with about 3 feet of dirty dishes to come home and clean, and about 50 Spring Rolls to finish rolling tonight. I came across this information about the Morning After H.I.V. treatment on Twitter today, has anyone heard about this? http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/10/science/morning-after-treatment-for-hiv.html I think this is very important information to look into. I don't watch television, the only News I get is through random online articles, so I might be really late, but so many of our brothers and sisters are dying from this disease I wanted to share this information. Please be safe, the best way to avoid becoming infected is abstinence. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about our communication with God through prayer, supplication, and perseverance. These three words are very important in our relation with God. Prayer is our conversations with Him throughout the day. Supplication is when we humbly ask for the things we want and desire, in the Name of Jesus. Perseverance is when we expect, and patiently wait on an answer. Communication with God is very important to maintaining a relationship with Him, and growing in our Faith Walk. He knows our every want, need, and desire, without us even asking. However, part of this “free will” I keep talking about means He will rarely step in and change our situation unless we ask. Jesus lives inside of us, and we have inherited all of His power, by His name. Faith is the key to answered prayers; God won’t answer our prayers if we don't believe with our whole hearts that He will. Our righteousness is one of the stipulations to answered prayers, and another is Faith in the Name of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 15:27 says, The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. All of us who are born again, by the Blood of Jesus, are automatically made Righteous, so we have the right to Ask, Seek, and Knock whenever we need to. When we're born again, we begin a transformation into perfection. God is molding us into the Righteous people He's created us to be. We're brought out of darkness into His marvelous light, and we can no longer blend with darkness. When we first become saved we're settled in our old ways, because we're still babes in our Faith Walk. The more we grow this becomes true for us: The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil (Proverbs 15:28). Our hearts won't let us be wicked and evil, it isn't possible, because we have the Holy Spirit indwelled in us, and we've taken on the Spirit of Jesus Christ. This is way God answers our every prayer, and makes sure that everything works together for our good. Jesus taught us about the power of Faith, and He also lead by example. We have stories of how Jesus went off on His own and prayed for hours. As well as stories of how His disciples performed many miracles by faith, and in His Name. God purposely use people to touch the lives of others. I am a living example, because He has grown me up tremendously, in a very short period of time. I know in my heart that anything I ask of Him will be provided. It's not always exactly what I want, or when I want it, however, it's always right on time. There are times when the enemy deters me, and try to make me think that I don't deserve God's love, peace, and blessings, but he is a liar, and doesn't deserve my attention. I've learned how to turn my attention from the world, and other people's ideas of "blessings", to understanding, accepting, and praising Him for my own. Take your title as a Christian seriously, and don't allow the world to define who or what you are. Being a Christian just means you're trying to be Righteous like Christ. It means that you recognize that the only way to the Father is through the Son Jesus Christ. You have the same authority as Jesus, by His Name. When you pray, pray with confidence, patience, and gratitude, in knowing that your prayers have already been answered. HALLELUJAH! God loves you, but do you love Him enough to believe in Him? I'm going to leave you with this: For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matt. 7:8-11) Get to know this Wonderful, Gracious, Loving, Sweet, Tender, and Kind God, through a short prayer accepting Jesus as your Savior. He's waiting on you! My favorite verse today is: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454991&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197 http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047979
I love you!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY FRIDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying the end of another workweek (for most). I'm doing well, a little tired and worn out by the rain. I enjoyed the basketball banquet last night, it was interesting, but the food was really good. The Dubliner Restaurant is in the lobby of a hotel in northwest DC. I have my “mini class reunion” tomorrow I'm so excited! I haven't seen some of these people in over 13 years, so it's going to be really fun. I apologize for not sending the devotional yesterday, but I didn't have time to do it. I'd like to wish my cousin Lamont a happy birthday. I pray you have a wonderful weekend, and whatever you do, do it for the Lord.
Today's scriptures are about avoiding boasting and pride. One of my favorite verses of scripture is, " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) This verse has gotten me through some tough times, because it helps me realize where my strength comes from, and understand that I’m not alone in this fight called life. God has a way of putting us in situations where we have to depend solely no Him, and when we humble ourselves, we'll be delivered and/or strengthened. How many times have you prayed for something and received it, and given yourself the credit for it? We do it all the time, and that's a dangerous thing. We judge people, and totally forget to evaluate ourselves. We sometimes look down on others because of their situation or circumstance, completely forgetting that it's only by the grace of God that we're not in their situation. Pride is like a double-edged sword, because it could cause us to take on the wrong attitude. Pride is like a pebble that if dropped in the ocean, it could possibly cause a small wave or a tsunami. There's a difference between being proud of your accomplishments and growth, while giving God all of the honor and the glory, and just walking around with your nose turned up, with a super man (or woman) complex. What we must realize is without Christ we are nothing. God gives us all things, and it's by His grace that we even wake up in the morning, and it's important for us to understand that. He has created us for His purpose, and He takes time to grow us up, and mold us into righteous human beings. He expects us to share our testimonies with others, in hopes that it would touch someone’s life. In the flesh we are not worthy of the many wonderful blessings that He gives us everyday. However, through the blood of Christ, we've become worthy, and we must be sure to recognize His place in that. Mark 7:20-23 says: ...“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” These are the things we should be careful to avoid, and the best way to do that is through humbleness, meekness, and always giving God the honor and praise. When we start taking the praise and worship we put ourselves in the place of a god, and that plants and inferior spirit in us, and make us feel impervious. For example, in the food industry the Executive Chefs run big kitchens, and they have Sous Chefs, a large staff of cooks, and stewards, which makes their jobs much easier. The Executive Chef gets all of the praise, and granted they are running the operation, but he/she couldn't do it without the people around them. In some cases this will make them too proud, and they might start to treat the staff wrong, and overwork the Sous Chefs. Eventually they fall because of pride, and this is why a lot of restaurants or businesses fall, a failure to recognize, thank, and praise their help. This is an analogy of our lives, because we're in control of what we do on some levels, we have free will, we decide to choose right or wrong. God gives us a number of components to ensure we're taken care of, such as Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and a legion of Angels for protection. It's because of Him (them) that we're even breathing. Do you understand how many car accidents He's helped us avoid, or bad situations He's removed us from? Do you know how important it is when you're minutes away from having a car accident and you avoid it, to say “thank you Lord for saving me”, instead of saying, "I sure am a good driver". Or, when you receive a promotion at work, to say, "Thank you Lord for the strength you've given me to accomplish this", instead of saying, "I sure worked hard for this and I deserve it"? Having the right attitude in life strengthens our relationship with God, hence allowing us to fall right into His will, which equals, peace, joy, and happiness. Proverbs 29:23 sums up what I'm trying to say: A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Pleasing God is much more important than impressing man, so be careful not to brag, boast, or forget to acknowledge Him in your blessings. Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to me, He's my ever-present help in my time of need. Every good thing that has come out of my life comes from God, and without Him I am nothing. I believe that in my heart, and because of it He's opened lots of doors for me, and the people around me that I'm a vessel to. Thank you Father for your love, mercy, and grace, I love you, in Jesus' Name, Amen. If you don't know Jesus for yourself, I suggest you get to know Him, and watch your life transform for the better. I say all the time that wealth, prestige, and pride will not get you into heaven, and surely won't guarantee your peace and happiness on earth, only Jesus could give you that. My favorite verse today is: By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454988&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047963
I love you!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful hump day. I'm doing well, excited about the outcome of the cooking demonstration with the kids this morning, grades Pre-K-1st grade. I love working with children, it's such a joy! This further confirms the fact that I need to teach. I think I'll enroll in school in fall, to get my teaching certificate/degree. I'm going to pray on it. The kids made fruit kebobs, chocolate chip cookies, and snails (with breadsticks and cheese). I'm looking forward to doing it again. Tomorrow is the Basketball banquet, I get to dress up, and I’m very excited. Today's my friend Nettie's birthday, Happy Birthday Nettie, and to all the people who are enjoying birthdays in June. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Today's scriptures are about soberly awaiting Jesus' return. We're temporarily on this earth, and we're warned to "Take Heed" that Jesus will return to take the righteous home, and we must eagerly await Him. We often take too much time worrying about the menial things of this life. You have people that are obsessed with making sure everything is in order. They keep themselves on tight budgets, or need an immaculately clean home. There are others that are reckless; they do whatever it takes to make a dollar, or to please the flesh and the people around them. We have some who are overworked and stressed out, to build intangible wealth. We've got to understand that life is way more than the physical, money, prestige, or the outer appearance. We have a lot of work to do for the Kingdom, and we must live everyday pleasing to God. At any moment the horns will sound, and Jesus will descend from heaven and start the rapture. Think about what you’ll be doing? Will you be caught in the act of sin, or will you be serving God? We're meant to enjoy life, have fun, and love hard, but there is an order to the way we do things. Do you praise God everyday? How many times do you mention Him in your daily conversations? Do you make it a point to tell someone about Jesus daily? Do you think you're a role model? In other words, do you think you're the type of person people could look up too? Nobody's perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be, however He does give us the tools to become Righteous. The most important tool is the blood of Jesus, which is an automatic cleanser of our sinful souls. Jesus is glue that holds us together, and mends our brokenness. The next most important tool is the Holy Bible, which gives us step-by-step instructions to life. He also gives us leaders, preachers, priest, pastors, and teachers, which are fed the word through the Holy Spirit. Then there are people like you and me, "The body of Christ". Just because we haven't been called to some type of leadership role, doesn't mean that we're not equipped with what it takes to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and help save souls. We mustn't sleep on the enemy, because his sole purpose is to separate us from fellowship with God. That's why we're urged everyday to seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and Keep our eyes stayed on the Lord. Life is an everyday journey, and it requires us to be alert and obedient. It requires us to learn new things, meet new people, and love with an open heart. This is the reason why we cannot see the future, because every step we take is an opportunity to gain and share wisdom. Jesus doesn’t even know when He's coming back, only God has that information, because everything has been preordained. He's so open, loving, and forgiving, that He knows we won't get anything done if we know what's coming. It's almost like telling a child you have a surprise for them, and you'll give it to them later. In that waiting period, that child is going to be the best child ever. Homework and choirs will be done on time, and you'll be showered with kisses and hugs; they're on their best behavior leading up to the revelation of that surprise, because they know you love them enough to give them something special. That's how I see our relationship with God; we have to go through some things before we received the ultimate reward. He doesn't tell us what the reward will be in most cases, but we know it's going to be Awesome! We know that everyday we're walking in Righteousness, God will fill us with the peace, Joy, and happiness, no matter what's going on around us. As well as reward us with our wants and desires. Jesus is in our hearts, and He knows us, so I'll leave you with Matthew 7:20-23: Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ I love you too much to leave you in the dark, please make your relationship right with God right now. Ask Jesus to come into your heart as your Savior, confessing and repenting of your sins, because you never know what the next hour will hold. My favorite verse today is: The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454986&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047949
I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying another beautiful hump day. I'm doing well, excited about the outcome of the cooking demonstration with the kids this morning, grades Pre-K-1st grade. I love working with children, it's such a joy! This further confirms the fact that I need to teach. I think I'll enroll in school in fall, to get my teaching certificate/degree. I'm going to pray on it. The kids made fruit kebobs, chocolate chip cookies, and snails (with breadsticks and cheese). I'm looking forward to doing it again. Tomorrow is the Basketball banquet, I get to dress up, and I’m very excited. Today's my friend Nettie's birthday, Happy Birthday Nettie, and to all the people who are enjoying birthdays in June. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Today's scriptures are about soberly awaiting Jesus' return. We're temporarily on this earth, and we're warned to "Take Heed" that Jesus will return to take the righteous home, and we must eagerly await Him. We often take too much time worrying about the menial things of this life. You have people that are obsessed with making sure everything is in order. They keep themselves on tight budgets, or need an immaculately clean home. There are others that are reckless; they do whatever it takes to make a dollar, or to please the flesh and the people around them. We have some who are overworked and stressed out, to build intangible wealth. We've got to understand that life is way more than the physical, money, prestige, or the outer appearance. We have a lot of work to do for the Kingdom, and we must live everyday pleasing to God. At any moment the horns will sound, and Jesus will descend from heaven and start the rapture. Think about what you’ll be doing? Will you be caught in the act of sin, or will you be serving God? We're meant to enjoy life, have fun, and love hard, but there is an order to the way we do things. Do you praise God everyday? How many times do you mention Him in your daily conversations? Do you make it a point to tell someone about Jesus daily? Do you think you're a role model? In other words, do you think you're the type of person people could look up too? Nobody's perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be, however He does give us the tools to become Righteous. The most important tool is the blood of Jesus, which is an automatic cleanser of our sinful souls. Jesus is glue that holds us together, and mends our brokenness. The next most important tool is the Holy Bible, which gives us step-by-step instructions to life. He also gives us leaders, preachers, priest, pastors, and teachers, which are fed the word through the Holy Spirit. Then there are people like you and me, "The body of Christ". Just because we haven't been called to some type of leadership role, doesn't mean that we're not equipped with what it takes to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and help save souls. We mustn't sleep on the enemy, because his sole purpose is to separate us from fellowship with God. That's why we're urged everyday to seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and Keep our eyes stayed on the Lord. Life is an everyday journey, and it requires us to be alert and obedient. It requires us to learn new things, meet new people, and love with an open heart. This is the reason why we cannot see the future, because every step we take is an opportunity to gain and share wisdom. Jesus doesn’t even know when He's coming back, only God has that information, because everything has been preordained. He's so open, loving, and forgiving, that He knows we won't get anything done if we know what's coming. It's almost like telling a child you have a surprise for them, and you'll give it to them later. In that waiting period, that child is going to be the best child ever. Homework and choirs will be done on time, and you'll be showered with kisses and hugs; they're on their best behavior leading up to the revelation of that surprise, because they know you love them enough to give them something special. That's how I see our relationship with God; we have to go through some things before we received the ultimate reward. He doesn't tell us what the reward will be in most cases, but we know it's going to be Awesome! We know that everyday we're walking in Righteousness, God will fill us with the peace, Joy, and happiness, no matter what's going on around us. As well as reward us with our wants and desires. Jesus is in our hearts, and He knows us, so I'll leave you with Matthew 7:20-23: Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ I love you too much to leave you in the dark, please make your relationship right with God right now. Ask Jesus to come into your heart as your Savior, confessing and repenting of your sins, because you never know what the next hour will hold. My favorite verse today is: The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454986&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=5200573&ct=7047949
I love you!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Daily Devotional Day & Night
HAPPY TUESDAY!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying your day. I'm doing well, a little sleepy, but that's how it usually is during the week. I'm grateful that I made it into work this morning, and am looking forward to another busy week. Tomorrow I get to go do a cooking demonstration at my little cousin's school, that's going to be fun. We're going to make some fruit kebobs, and bake some play snails, and chocolate chip cookies. My brother has his basketball banquet on Thursday, hopefully that’ll be fun. Right now, I'm having trouble holding my head up, 4 hours of sleep just isn't enough, I see people do it all the time, but I value my sleep too much. I'm working on it; God knows what's best. Please pray for my Pastor Laura Swett, she was taken to the hospital this morning and diagnosed with pneumonia. She’s supposed to be discharged by this evening, so please pray for her. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about girding our loins. I read this expression all the time in the bible, and never really knew what it meant. Reading through all of today's scriptures, I'm learning that it's all about staying prepared to work for God. Gird is defined: To prepare (oneself) for action. The loin is the region of the hips, groin, and lower abdomen (a very strong part of the body, sometimes known as the reproductive organ). When it is written to gird up your loins, it’s advising us to always have our mind and body in a position to react and produce. I always say that "I'll rest when I'm dead", in a joking manner, because that's a very popular saying. I’m learning today that this saying is somewhat true. The work of a Christian is never complete, because there are many lost souls, and God uses us to do His work. We're "servants of the Lord", which means that we should be constantly in motion strengthening the kingdom of God through service. When I read the book of Acts, I was astounded by the lives of Jesus' disciples. Even after He was resurrected, they kept working as hard, or even harder than did when they walked side by side with Him. We're to take on the attitude of a servant or a Disciple, because our time is limited and precious here on earth. We have all of eternity to rest in the House of the Lord, however the amount of good works we do here on earth will determine position in Heaven. If you look at the life of a prominent leader, especially in the Church, you’ll notice they wear many hats. They're constantly being pulled different ways, and they always take on their duties with joy and sentiment, because that’s what God called them to do. He’s constantly telling me to go here, do this, read that, study this, work on that, and the list goes on. I used to think that I was just being a busybody, but I'm learning that this is the work of a servant of the Lord. We have to completely rest on the Sabbath, but the other 6 days of the week are to be spent doing His work. There's so much we could do to help each other, and to build up ourselves. Whether it's a phone call to tell someone you love them, or a visit to a sick and shut in. Sometimes it may be going to help a friend move, or giving money to help someone out of a jam. All of these selfless acts, allows God to be shown through us. It's so important for us to stay connected with Him, so we could hear His voice clearly, as well on rely on His strength to get us through. When we read stories about the main bible characters like Paul, Job, Moses, John the Baptist, Samuel, or Peter, we'll find that these men were constantly moving. They were traveling across countries, freeing slaves, preaching the word, and helping people in need. Noah had to build a ship with is bear hands, that was large enough to fit his family, and two of every animal on the earth. He never complained because He knew the work of the Lord had to be done, and His reward would come. Most of us want to be influential at some point in our lives, we want wealth, prestige, and a better life for our family, and are willing to work hard to accomplish these goals. However, there are some people that don't know hard work, and think that success is going to knock on their door in the form of a lottery ticket, or through someone else’s hard work. It is written in Proverbs 13:4: The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. When God calls us to work, He'll make sure we have all the tools to complete that job to perfection, and not what we see as perfect, but to His perfection. We must trust Him, and seek out His will, because just by our handbook to life [the bible] alone, we see examples of hard working men and women, who went on to accomplish great things for God. In the worlds eyes an excruciating death nailed to a cross, or being stoned to death isn't very glamorous, and doesn't seem like a reward, however, these men currently live in Eternal bliss, and are treated as kings in Heaven, and will continually be rewarded forever. Have peace in knowing the Jesus is in you, and its time to get busy. Some of you may feel like your life is at a total standstill, and that God hasn't moved you to do anything "great". What is greatness? It is completing God's will for our lives and strengthening the kingdom of Heaven, sometimes that starts with working on us. It's making someone smile, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. It's raising responsible and loving children, and leading a righteous life. Just be ye also ready, you are a key player, maybe God has you sitting on the bench so you’ll be completely rested and ready when your job is assigned, but rest assured that He does use you in many different ways. If you don't know who Jesus is, I urge you to get to know Him today. He's our example of how to live a life for others, but without Him we could do nothing, but with Him we could do all things! My Favorite verse today is: Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454985&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/site/pp.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4943197
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I love you!
I pray all is well with everyone, and you're enjoying your day. I'm doing well, a little sleepy, but that's how it usually is during the week. I'm grateful that I made it into work this morning, and am looking forward to another busy week. Tomorrow I get to go do a cooking demonstration at my little cousin's school, that's going to be fun. We're going to make some fruit kebobs, and bake some play snails, and chocolate chip cookies. My brother has his basketball banquet on Thursday, hopefully that’ll be fun. Right now, I'm having trouble holding my head up, 4 hours of sleep just isn't enough, I see people do it all the time, but I value my sleep too much. I'm working on it; God knows what's best. Please pray for my Pastor Laura Swett, she was taken to the hospital this morning and diagnosed with pneumonia. She’s supposed to be discharged by this evening, so please pray for her. Have a wonderful day!
Today's scriptures are about girding our loins. I read this expression all the time in the bible, and never really knew what it meant. Reading through all of today's scriptures, I'm learning that it's all about staying prepared to work for God. Gird is defined: To prepare (oneself) for action. The loin is the region of the hips, groin, and lower abdomen (a very strong part of the body, sometimes known as the reproductive organ). When it is written to gird up your loins, it’s advising us to always have our mind and body in a position to react and produce. I always say that "I'll rest when I'm dead", in a joking manner, because that's a very popular saying. I’m learning today that this saying is somewhat true. The work of a Christian is never complete, because there are many lost souls, and God uses us to do His work. We're "servants of the Lord", which means that we should be constantly in motion strengthening the kingdom of God through service. When I read the book of Acts, I was astounded by the lives of Jesus' disciples. Even after He was resurrected, they kept working as hard, or even harder than did when they walked side by side with Him. We're to take on the attitude of a servant or a Disciple, because our time is limited and precious here on earth. We have all of eternity to rest in the House of the Lord, however the amount of good works we do here on earth will determine position in Heaven. If you look at the life of a prominent leader, especially in the Church, you’ll notice they wear many hats. They're constantly being pulled different ways, and they always take on their duties with joy and sentiment, because that’s what God called them to do. He’s constantly telling me to go here, do this, read that, study this, work on that, and the list goes on. I used to think that I was just being a busybody, but I'm learning that this is the work of a servant of the Lord. We have to completely rest on the Sabbath, but the other 6 days of the week are to be spent doing His work. There's so much we could do to help each other, and to build up ourselves. Whether it's a phone call to tell someone you love them, or a visit to a sick and shut in. Sometimes it may be going to help a friend move, or giving money to help someone out of a jam. All of these selfless acts, allows God to be shown through us. It's so important for us to stay connected with Him, so we could hear His voice clearly, as well on rely on His strength to get us through. When we read stories about the main bible characters like Paul, Job, Moses, John the Baptist, Samuel, or Peter, we'll find that these men were constantly moving. They were traveling across countries, freeing slaves, preaching the word, and helping people in need. Noah had to build a ship with is bear hands, that was large enough to fit his family, and two of every animal on the earth. He never complained because He knew the work of the Lord had to be done, and His reward would come. Most of us want to be influential at some point in our lives, we want wealth, prestige, and a better life for our family, and are willing to work hard to accomplish these goals. However, there are some people that don't know hard work, and think that success is going to knock on their door in the form of a lottery ticket, or through someone else’s hard work. It is written in Proverbs 13:4: The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. When God calls us to work, He'll make sure we have all the tools to complete that job to perfection, and not what we see as perfect, but to His perfection. We must trust Him, and seek out His will, because just by our handbook to life [the bible] alone, we see examples of hard working men and women, who went on to accomplish great things for God. In the worlds eyes an excruciating death nailed to a cross, or being stoned to death isn't very glamorous, and doesn't seem like a reward, however, these men currently live in Eternal bliss, and are treated as kings in Heaven, and will continually be rewarded forever. Have peace in knowing the Jesus is in you, and its time to get busy. Some of you may feel like your life is at a total standstill, and that God hasn't moved you to do anything "great". What is greatness? It is completing God's will for our lives and strengthening the kingdom of Heaven, sometimes that starts with working on us. It's making someone smile, and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. It's raising responsible and loving children, and leading a righteous life. Just be ye also ready, you are a key player, maybe God has you sitting on the bench so you’ll be completely rested and ready when your job is assigned, but rest assured that He does use you in many different ways. If you don't know who Jesus is, I urge you to get to know Him today. He's our example of how to live a life for others, but without Him we could do nothing, but with Him we could do all things! My Favorite verse today is: Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2454985&dtype=Scripture
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I love you!
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