JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Psalm 23:2) ”He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.”
When you find yourself saying, “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up”… you may need to change some of your priorities and adjust your lifestyle.
(Psalm 139:14) says… “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”!
Now knowing that God is no respecter of persons and knowing that we were all fashioned by the hand of the creator… we can assume with confidence that the same statement applies to each of us as well!
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made”!
God designed your body to give you warnings when you’re pushing too hard… like an ache here or a pain there.
Unfortunately many of us ignore these warnings until we become too sick to ignore them any longer.
And because we live in the most medicated generation in history, we take prescriptions, pills, and potions… hoping that’s the answer.
But it’s a short-term cure.
We can’t ignore God’s direction to take time to rest and not pay a price for it.
Nobody had a greater purpose or a more important mission than Jesus and His disciples.
Yet He instructed them to take time out for rest and relaxation.
(Mark 6:31) tells us… “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat… so Jesus said to them ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’”.
This verse highlights Jesus invitation to His disciples to take a break from their busy ministry work and find rest in solitude.
It emphasizes the importance of rest and reflection amidst the chaos of life.
I wonder folks.
How many of you reading this devotion today are as guilty as I am of never taking time to rest, recoup, relax and regenerate.
I remember my dad saying to me “I’ll have lots of time to rest when I am in the grave but for now… there is too much to do… gotta make hay while the sun shines”.
I used to live with the fear that if I take time to rest or relax… people might think less of me… or that I am lazy living off of the generosity of others.
Or I used to think that if I take some time off… I’d lose wages or income that I can’t afford to miss out on.
But folks you can’t keep burning both ends of the candle… cause eventually you will burn out.
We should never be so busy that it negatively affects our health and hurts family relationships.
When you find yourself thinking… “I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up”… then you are already living an “unsustainable life”.
Stop putting off making the changes you need to make.
Don’t wait until something happens, like a health problem or a family problem that forces you to slow down.
Make changes now to live the kind of life God wants you to live.
When you live God’s way, you will discover a new level of peace in your life… “He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures… He leads me beside still and restful waters.” (Psalm 23:2)
Jesus said “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:28)
There is a rest for the people who trust God.
A rest from striving to survive in this life that grants no favours to most… and a rest from the taskmaster of this world called sin!
(Hebrews 4:9-11) tells us “there is a rest for the people who trust God”
Thank God for His grace!
Everyone burdened by sin and striving to earn salvation through works… should heed Christ’s invitation and accept His rest… breaking free from sin… and placing all hope in His death and resurrection.
Also, believers should recognize that Christ’s yoke is easy.
When we follow His humble guidance by obeying His teachings and following Him… seeking him in every aspect of life… He tells us In (Matthew 6:33) “seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you”
What would be added unto us?
Shelter, clothing, food… all the necessities of life that we strive to attain.
(Matthew 11:28) Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul”.
Good Day!
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(Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding…In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”.
God has established a paradigm to help us escape the trap of worry.
It’s a cause-and-effect principle that is real and consistent and as much a part of creation as the laws of gravity.
In a sense its as simple as… “If we will… He will”
There are three direct commands given to the child of God.
They are our responsibility to… “Trust… do not lean… and acknowledge….”
Then God promises to make straight our pathway thru this life with its complicated variables, trials, tests and temptations.
It’s part of a simple declaration of God’s promise,
His part of the covenant He made with humanity… “call on Me and I will answer you” (Jeremiah 33:3)
As we trust Him instead of our own perspectives and opinions, relying on our human worldly wisdom that is manipulated by sin and carnal desire… He promises to “make our paths straight.”
This word picture alludes to the practice of building highways and roads.
When building roads… obstacles have to be removed, valleys, gorges and rough terrain have to be filled… hills have to be leveled, mountains have to be tunneled thru… and pathways have to be cleared.
Figuratively, the phrase means “to facilitate progress” or “to turn plans into reality.”
As we trust God and deepen our personal, experiential knowledge of Him… He will facilitate our progress through life and help us successfully follow the path He has marked out for us
(Psalm 139:16) states “your eyes saw my unformed body… and all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them ever came to be”.
This verse emphasizes Gods intimate knowledge and sovereign care over our lives, highlighting that He is aware of us even before our birth and that He has a plan for each of our days.
It reflects on the themes of Gods omnipotence… His unlimited and very great power.
It reflects as well His omniscience or His ability as God to know everything past present and future… confirming His involvement in our creation and purpose in life.
As I’ve shared many times in the past… “if we will God will”… and He promises that He has a distinct plan for each of our lives.
(Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the plans that I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and give you a future not plans for evil”
Now that we have analyzed the three vital parts of this Proverb, “Trust… do not lean… and acknowledge…” let’s put the verses back together in an extended paraphrase.
“Throw yourself completely upon the Lord… casting all your cares… both present and future needs on Him… who is your intimate Savior and God… and find in Him your security and safety. Do this with all your mind… and emotions… and will”.
In order to make this possible… you must refuse to trust yourself or support yourself with the crutch of human ingenuity.
Instead... study the Lord.
Learn about His character… discover the difference between His plans for you and the world.
Be amazed by His love and concern for you in each one of your circumstances.
Then He…having been granted full control of your life… will smooth out and make straight your paths, removing obstacles along the way.
That’s His promise in this deal of salvation for humanity.
Again…“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding…In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”.
Good Day
(Romans 13:14) “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”.
In a very real sense the Christian life is a “put on.”
In (Romans 13:14) the Apostle Paul instructs believers to… “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires”.
The phrase “put on Christ”… means to figuratively… “clothe oneself with the Lord Jesus Christ”… the purpose being … to reveal the glory of God to the world.
Paul was talking about putting on spiritual clothing.
Those who clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus… are believers who do not focus on gratifying the desires of the sinful nature.
In the preceding verses Paul had encouraged the saints to “wake from sleep” (Romans 13:11-12)… and “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light”.
Paul paints a vivid picture of moving into the new life in Christ… as trading the darkness of night… for the light of day.
As believers… we must not only wake up and throw off or put off our night clothes… but also must get dressed in the appropriate outfit for the new day.
Our “old clothes” were the deeds of darkness… but the proper new daytime attire for the solder of Christ… is God’s armor of light as described in (Ephesians 6:11–18).
The expression “putting on Christ”… occurs again in (Galatians 3:27)
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ… have put on Christ”.
As in (Romans 13:14) “putting on Christ”… speaks of having clothed oneself with a new nature.
A new nature imparted by God… being “born again from above”
(Ephesians 4:24) Believers are taught “to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness”
We put on Christ when our old ways are nailed to the cross… and we wear the grace and forgiveness of Jesus… as a glorious garment for all the world to see.
To the church in Colossae, (Colossians 3:10)… Paul echoes the teaching… “Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him”.
The spiritual garment no Christian should ever be without… is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Putting on Christ… means letting the Lord be our armor… embracing Him over and over… daily trusting Him in faith, thankfulness, and obedience…
Never to be forsaken of Him, and “always being seen in us”… through our holiness and through our gentleness”.
(Romans 8:29) tells us that “putting on Christ”… means to follow Him in discipleship… letting our lives be transformed and conformed to the image of Jesus
Rather than adapting ourselves to the pattern of this world… we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds” and the modification of our behavior… into the model of Christ’s life on earth.
(Romans 12:2) tells us “being transformed by the renewing of our mind”
This transformation… this change requires “putting off the old self and putting on the new” throughout our daily living (Ephesians 4:22–24) and (Colossians 3:12).
To achieve this transformation, (Romans 3:22)… (1st Corinthians 1:30) and (2nd Corinthians 5:21)… tells us… teaches us… that we can rely wholly on “our righteous standing before God”… made possible in Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 2:8) “For by grace ye are saved thru faith and that not of yourselves but it is the gift of God … not of works lest any man should boast about it.
Putting on Christ means abiding in Jesus and living to please Him.
John Wesley described it as… “a strong and beautiful expression… for the most intimate union with Him… and being clothed with all the graces which were in Him”
We are clothed in Christ when we become so closely united with Jesus that others see Him and not us.
We have truly become a reflection of Him.
So yes… Christianity is a put on… and each of us must actively engage in “putting on Christ… the hope of glory”
Good Day!
(Psalm 77:14) “You are the God who performs miracles… you display your power among the peoples”
God is a God of miracles… there is no doubt about that.
If you need a miracle in your life today… you need to get off the couch… get involved… and “do the do’s”… that unlock the power of God for your miracle.
Today we look at three more “do’s” or keys to unlocking your miracle…
#1) Worship the Lord every opportunity that you can!
#2) Make a forgiveness list!
#3) Sharpen your listening skills!
#4) Speak the language of faith!
#5) Don’t Take no for an answer!
#6) Refuse to doubt!
#7) Don’t just sit there… do something!
#8) Plant miracle seeds… the Word of God!
#9) Learn the Art of Waiting!
#10) Expect the Impossible!
Key number eight for unlocking your miracle is found in (Luke 8:11)
Jesus said the seed for a miracle is “The Word of God.”
This verse is part of the teaching of “the Parable of the Sower”… where Jesus explains and teaches that the Word of God is like seed which when planted into the circumstances of our lives… and watered by faith and belief in the miracle working power of God… the panted seed will produce a harvest… some 60 fold some 90 fold and some a hundred fold.
This teaching of the “Seed The Word of God” emphasizes the importance of how individuals (you and I) receive and respond to The Word of God
If you need a harvest today, the big question is, have you planted anything?
To reap a spiritual harvest… you’ve got to plant the Word of God in your heart.
A lot of people try to skip that step.
They try to believe for a miracle without spending enough time in the Word to change their hearts and minds.
They just want to confess it with their mouths and have it instantly appear.
But that won’t happen!
Listen we fight the good fight of faith every day against the enemy of our souls and his corrupt lies concerning Gods intended plan for your life and mine.
It’s what we believe in our heart… and say with our mouths that cause us to receive our miracle.
If you don’t have enough faith yet to believe for the miracle you need, then you can get it.
(Romans 10:17) tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God
And you can build your faith and develop greater faith by ingesting the Word of God into your heart mind and soul… and then by faith plant the seed or the promises of God into the soil of the circumstance you are believing a miracle for…. professing Gods word over the needed miracle.
(Romans 10:17) “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”…so start planting the Word in your heart… until faith for your miracle is born.
Key Number nine to unlocking your miracle… “Learn the art of waiting”
(Hebrews 6:12) “Do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises”.
The difference between receiving a miracle and not receiving often comes down to your willingness to wait your willingness to endure.
Faith and patience are the “power twins”.
Patience keeps your faith strong until you cross the finish line.
Learn the biblical art of waiting!
Develop the kind of patience that knows if you believe… then you received it… you have it!
(Hebrews 11:1) “Now faith is… the substance of things hoped for the evidence there of… not yet seen”
Patience will guard you from your feelings and from watching the clock.
(James 1:4) tells us to “let patience have her perfect work”
Patience comes and holds the door of faith open.
Praise God!
It won’t let the devil slam it shut.
It won’t let anything shut it.
It just keeps calling “things that be not as though they were”.
(Romans 4:17) “Therefore the promise comes by faith… so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring.
Patience keeps acting as though the miracle has already done.
Key number ten to unlocking a miracle is to “expect the impossible”.
Go beyond the belief that a miracle is possible… to expecting that the miracle is on its way, act like its on its way, believe that it is on its way respond like its on its way.
(Mark 9:23) tells us… “All things are possible to him who believes.”
Did you know that “the spirit of expectancy” is key to receiving your miracle?
If you only see the natural realm of the possible… as what is possible for you… that’s not faith!
God works miracles because we believe the impossible!
We could look at one miracle after another and see that truth in
(Hebrews 11:1) “Now faith is… the subject of the things hoped for… the evidence not yet seen.”
God wants you to have “Now Faith’!
What is “Now Faith”?
It’s the belief that your miracles has already happened and its on its way.
In (Mark 5:34), when the woman with the issue of blood receives her healing, Jesus says… “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”
In (Luke 17:19), the leper is healed and made whole.
Why… Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you?”
In (Mark 10:52), blind Bartimaeus received the miracle of his sight restored.
The reason? Jesus said… “Your faith has healed you.”
In every case… the faith of the people is credited with the reception of a miracle.
That’s your part… expecting the impossible… its having Now Faith”!
It opens the door for God’s power and allows a supernatural flow of the blessings of God into your life.
If you need a miracle today… you can put these 10 faith actions to work in your life… and you will see what you’re believing for.
It’s time to get in the game!
As I mentioned at the outside of the series of “Miracles Teachings”… its time to get off the coach and start using these keys… doing the
do’s, and receive your miracle today.
Make God your focus… rather than your circumstances… and receive your miracle…
(James 1:17) “Every good gift comes down from the Father”…
Your miracle is on its way…
Good Day!
(Psalm 77:14) “You are the God who performs miracles… you display your power among the peoples”
God is a God of miracles… there is no doubt about that.
If you need a miracle in your life today… you need to get off the couch… get involved… and “do the do’s”… that unlock the power of God for your miracle.
Today we look at a fifth, sixth, and seventh key to unlocking your
miracle…
#1) Worship the Lord every opportunity that you can!
#2) Make a forgiveness list!
#3) Sharpen your listening skills!
#4) Speak the language of faith!
#5) Don’t Take no for an answer!
#6) Refuse to doubt!
#7) Don’t just sit there… do something!
Key #5 for unlocking your miracle… don’t take no for an answer!
(2nd Corinthians 1:20) tells us… “For all the promises are "Yes in Christ, and so through Him... In Christ... our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God”
When you need a miracle, do not accept a bad report as final?
If you need a miracle in your body and the doctor says, “You’re going to be on medication for life,” are you accepting it… or do you fight it?
It can be tempting to tuck your tail between your legs and walk away wondering why nothing ever works out… why isn’t God giving me a miracle?
But that isn’t what we’ve been told to do!
The next time you hear a no from the world when the Lord has already said “Yes”… stop and consider your response.
Listen folks… (Daniel 11:32) says… “the people that know their God will do exploits”
Jesus said (Mark 9:23) “If you can believe…all things are possible to them that believe”.
The bible says… if you know God… you can do you can do and believe for exploits… miracles… that which the world says impossible.
Be willing and ready to fight for what’s yours in the spirit realm.
You have a right to enjoy the promises of God, but understand that they won’t just fall in your lap.
You need to go after them today.
You need to go after them today.
God’s “Yes”… will always overcome every no… that’s what a miracle is!
But you have to fight for it… you need to do spiritual warfare… you have to believe and you have to stand your ground… yes you have to fight for it!
Don’t let the “Negative Nellies” deter you from believing that the promises of God are for you and are available to you.
Key #6 for receiving your miracle… “Refuse to Doubt”!
“Don’t be afraid… do not doubt… only believe.”
(Mark 5:36) “But Jesus over heard their conversation and then said to Jairus… ‘Do not be afraid only believe’”.
This verse emphasizes faith and reassurance in the face of fear.
It occurs in the context of Jesus responding to news about the death of Jairus’s daughter, and Jesus encouraging him to maintain his faith for the needed miracle.
Once you take a stand against the world’s no… the devil will be right there pulling every trick out of his bag to get you to let go of your faith and grab on to fear and doubt.
He’ll say, “You’re not going to get that miracle.
God doesn’t do miracles anymore… your not worthy… you don’t deserve it… remember how many times you’ve failed God.”
How do you receive a miracle?
Refuse to entertain those doubt-filled thoughts!
Instead, answer him back and say, “thank God I don’t get what I deserve… condemnation and judgement and death… but I do get what Jesus bought for me… life and that more abundantly (John 10:10)
I get the mercy of God!
I am more than a conqueror in Christ and I can get a miracle to day because my Heavenly Father loves me.
I am washed in the blood of Jesus… I am sanctified and redeemed… I am an adopted child of God and I am in Christ”.
That’s why, when Jairus received the news that his daughter had died, Jesus told him… “Don’t be afraid only believe” (Mark 5:36).
He knew that if Jairus stayed out of doubt and unbelief… the way would be clear for God to do a miracle.
That’s a good word for all of us who are positioning ourselves for a miracle.
No matter what the devil says, no matter what circumstances may say… no matter what our natural senses might try to tell us… if we’ll refuse to doubt… refuse to fear… and keep on believing God… our miracle will surely come!
The seventh key for a miracle… Don’t just sit there do something!
The seventh key for a miracle… Don’t just sit there do something!
(James 2:26) “Faith without works is dead.”
As important as it is to resist doubt, faith alone won’t get the whole job done.
You can’t just sit around believing on the inside and do nothing on the outside.
For faith to come alive, you have to take action.
If you’re waiting for a miracle today, don’t just sit there… take action!
When Jesus performed His first miracle… turning water into wine…
(John 2:5) tells us that Jesus and His mother were attending a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the host ran out of wine.
Mary looked to Jesus to do something about it.
She was expecting a miracle when she turned to the servants and said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Mylon Le Fevre… one of Americas first iconic Christian rock artists whom recently passed away...
Mary looked to Jesus to do something about it.
She was expecting a miracle when she turned to the servants and said, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Mylon Le Fevre… one of Americas first iconic Christian rock artists whom recently passed away...
was a witness to this truth.
When he first got saved he had a massive amount of debt and as he started walking with God and growing in the Word… he knew God had told him according to (Romans 13:8)… “Owe no man anything but love”… “get out of debt”.
So he met with a financial counsellor who mapped everything out for him, including how much he would need to put aside each month to get out of debt.
He didn’t eat out or purchase anything (he only bought the food he needed and paid his bills).
Though the financial advisor said it would take five years and eight months… all of Mylon’s debt disappeared in 18 months!
That’s one of the major keys to receiving a miracle.
Whatever the Lord says to you… do it!
When you take action, He will meet you there with supernatural results.
But you have to “do something” in response to His word and His still small voice.
We’ll continue again tomorrow with more “keys to unlock a miracle”.
Good Day!
We’ll continue again tomorrow with more “keys to unlock a miracle”.
Good Day!
(Psalm 77:14) “You are the God who performs miracles… you display your power among the peoples”
God is a God of miracles… there is no doubt about that.
If you need a miracle in your life today… you need to get off the couch… get involved… and “do the do’s”… that unlock the power of God for your miracle.
Today we look at a fourth key to unlock your miracle… “Only speak the language of faith”!
#1) Worship the Lord every opportunity that you can!
#2) Make a forgiveness list!
#3) Sharpen your listening skills!
#4) Speak the Language of faith!
(Mark 11:23) Jesus said “For assuredly I say to you… whoever says to this mountain, ‘be thou removed and be cast into the sea’… and does not doubt in his heart… but believes that those things he says will be done… he will have what ever he says”.
This verse emphasizes the power of faith in God… and with unwavering faith in God one can overcome significant obstacles in life, by speaking words of faith and positive words of life.
Jesus encourages believers to trust in the power of their words… (what so ever he sayeth)… and have faith in Gods ability to fulfill their requests by speaking positive words of faith… not negative words of doubt.
If you need a miracle… or if you want to live in everyday victory… you’ve got to learn to speak “the language of faith”.
The Bible is clear (Proverbs 18:21)… that our words have power to release “life and death” by whatever we say.
To often what we say is negativity… doubt and unbelief… released by the words we speak.
Whatever you’re living in today…whatever you’re circumstances your experiencing today… is likely the result of yesterday’s words.
Stop sinking your own ship with your words!
Until you learn how to speak words of faith… “the language of faith”… and not give life to doubt through your words… its best to say nothing at all concerning the issues of life that plague you.
You need to learn “the vocabulary of silence”.
If you can’t talk the language of faith… then don’t talk at all!
“The power of the tongue” is taught throughout scripture in both literal and metaphorical ways.
Though the tongue is a “small part of the body” (James 3:5)… yet (Proverbs 18:21) says “it has the power of life and death.”
This holds true whether we’re speaking of spiritual, physical, or emotional “life and death.”
We need to keep in mind that the word tongue as used in scripture… is often a reference to spoken words.
From the English language there is a special kind of “figure of speech” called “metonymy”... in which a certain word may stand in for another closely related word.
A common example of “metonymy” is seen in the sentence or phrase... “The White House issued a statement.”
Of course the White House as a building cannot issue statements… however in this instance… “The White House” refers to the President of the United States who lives there and a statement that He makes.
In the same way… when (Proverbs 15:4) states… “A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit, … the tongue as used here… is "metonymy".
Obviously a literal fleshly tongue cannot crush the human spirit… but “the words the tongue produces”… can.
So if you want to receive a miracle of God in your situation… then you will have to be intentional about only speaking “the language of faith”.
Positive, faith filled words are seeds of faith!
Don’t let the words you speak kill the seeds of faith!
On the night Jesus was betrayed… the disciple of Jesus named Peter… was in the midst of the crowd gathered outside… waiting to find out was going on with Jesus and His accusers.
As He was communicating with those in the crowd… suddenly someone said to him “you are one of His”.
How did they know that Jesus was a follower of Christ?
The scriptures says in (Matthew 26:73) “your speech betrays you”.
How many times does our speech betray us concerning what we believe?
(Luke 6:45) Jesus tells us “ A good person produces good things from the treasury of his heart… and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.
What you say (or speak)… flows from what is in your heart… “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.
Ask your self today “what is in your heart”?
Do I truly have faith in God and His power in my life that produces miracles… or is my heart filled with doubt, negativity and unbelief?
What we truly believe lives in the heart of a man…
Since the mouth can only speak out of the abundance of what is in the heart… what we truly are… what we truly believe… will always come out in our words… and as with Peter… “our words betray us.”
All our talk of believing in God… serving God… and having faith in God… is destroyed in just a few moments by an angry outburst, a few choice profanities, an off color joke… a discussion of what we watch on TV… or bragging about an evil deed we have done… “our speech betrays us.”
We must never forget that once we begin speaking… we cannot hide who we are… or what we truly believe.
(Ecclesiastes 5:2 and 10:3) affirms the following scriptural truth… “A fool’s voice is known by his many words”…
Now listen folks… since our speech betrays us… “what we do not say”… is often as important as what we do.
“A fool is counted wise when he holds his peace” (Proverbs 17:27)
Often the best way to keep our words from betraying us is to hold our peace… guard that which we speak from our mouth.
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious (spiritual), and does not bridle his tongue… he deceives his own heart and this one’s religion is useless” (James 1:26).
There are many things we think… that we should never say.
How often does our speech and negative words and conversation undo our faith… destroy our hopes and dreams… hinder our long awaited miracle of God.
Since “the good treasure” of a heart “brings forth what is good”… and the “evil treasure brings forth what is evil”…
Our tongue will always reveal it.
Remember always… “out of the abundance of the heart… a mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
The bible says in (Galatians 6:7) “that which we sow… we reap”.
So what are your words sowing today… faith and belief in God and His miracle for your need… or are you undoing your miracle by sowing doubt and negativity?
That is what true biblical faith is all about.
(Hebrews 11:6) tells us “with out faith it is impossible to please God”
Words of faith… the language of faith… that is how we can release the power of God and receive a miracle!
Learn the language of faith!
More keys on the topic of receiving a miracle tomorrow!
Good Day!
(Psalm 77:14) “You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples”
God is a God of miracles… there is no doubt about that.
From recorded events in history past, to the many testimonies of people throughout history whom have experienced a miracle of God and have testified to that truth… (myself included)… there is more than enough evidence to conclude that miracles do happen.
But as I mentioned in previous blogs concerning this subject… there is a question that baffles the so called wisdom of man… and that is “why and how” is God motivated to pour out His miracle working power in the lives of fallen mankind.
And here is a truth that some find hard to accept… and that is… you are not a spectator… you are an active participant when needing to receive a miracle.
If you need a miracle in your life today… you need to get off the couch… get involved… and “do the do’s” that unlock the power of God for your need.
Over the last couple of days we talked about the “do’s” to receiving a miracle.
Today we look at “the art of listening”
#1) Worship the Lord every opportunity that you can!
#2) Make a forgiveness list!
#3) Sharpen your listening skills!
(Romans 8:14) “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
God wants you to receive your miracle, and He has some special instructions for you.
Can you hear Him?
Unfortunately we live in a world where there is so much noise around us that it is hard to hear the still small voice of God.
If you’re wrapped up in thinking about your troubles or needs, the noise may be loud enough to block out His still, small voice.
We need to take time… be intentional about getting quiet before the Lord.
Sharpen your listening skills and expect to hear from Him.
I once sat under the teaching of a wise old sage whom has seen many miracles in his life… and his advice is this… “If you want to see a miracle… you must first hear from the one who grants them.”
This is the most critical step and one that many people try to skip… and then they wonder why they don’t see a manifestation of God or a miracle of God in their lives.
When you “hear from the Lord”… He will give you an instruction… something He wants you to do to receive your miracle… that is how God has always worked.
(Matthew 12:13) “Then He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand’… and he stretched it out… and it was restored as whole as the other”.
When did the miracle happen exactly?
When the man stretched out his hand.
When Jesus healed the blind man in (John 9:6-7)… the scripture records that Jesus “spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
The He said to the blind man… “Go”… “wash in the Pool of Siloam”.
So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
(John 2:1-11) at the wedding of Cana Jesus mother said to the servants… “Do what ever He tells you to do… then Jesus said “fill the jars with water”.
He then said "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so and the result was that the Master of the banquet… was impressed by the quality of the wine.
(John 5:8) The lame man at the pool of Bethesda… Jesus said to him… “Pick up your mat, and walk… and immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.
Instruction always preceded a miracle.
We need to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit and be obedient to what He tells us.
We need to expect to hear from Him… and then act on what he tells us to do.
Then, do whatever He tells you to do… and you will receive your miracle!
(John 4:47) A man of authority came to Jesus in a desperate attempt to save his son, who is nearly dead.
His request is simple… “come back to Capernaum and heal my child”.
Again the bible stresses that this is a royal official, an individual whom under stood authority and how it works.
In answer to His request for Jesus to heal his son… Jesus said, “Go, your son will live”.
On his way home his servants came to him and told him that his son was recovering, confirming that the healing occurred at the exact same time that Jesus had told him… “Go your son will live”
Knowing something or wishing for something… is different from "having faith" in something.
Asking Jesus to perform a miracle requires desire.
Watching Jesus perform a miracle… only results in knowledge.
"Faith," on the other hand, requires trust and obedience.
The man is not being asked to exhibit blind faith.
He already has reasons to believe that Jesus can heal his son.
If he had no prior knowledge, he never would have come to see Jesus in the first place.
What Jesus is asking for is trust.
If the boy is that close to death, there is no time for the man to make a second trip.
Either he trusts that Jesus can heal his son from here… or he does not.
Walking away without Jesus right by his side will require the man to trust Christ's healing power and His words.
That is what true biblical faith is all about.
Listening, trusting and obeying… there is no other way... that is how we receive a miracle!
By listening for and to the voice of the Master… and being obedient to what He tells you to do!
More keys on this topic of receiving a miracle tomorrow!
Good Day!