JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Philippians 2:14) “Do everything without complaining"
Chronic complainers are almost impossible to help.
It seems like you can never satisfy them… but they won’t let you stop trying, so you end up feeling trapped.
Once you get a reputation as a chronic complainer, people avoid you like the plague and you end up feeling lonely and unappreciated.
And chances are you’ll never really understand why!
Attitudes don’t just happen…“you choose them”.
Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4)
Joylessness is something many people… even church folks are prone to indulge in, and it’s usually not the kind of problem that gets you tossed out of the choir or removed from the church board.
The psalmist writes, “This is the day the Lord has made… we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24)
Now the reason the psalmist refers to “this day”… is in keeping with the context of his subject in the whole of (Psalm 118)
That subject is in relation to the coming of the Lord and the blessing, the deliverance, the freedom from condemnation, the redemption that He (Christ) brought to humanity.
“That day”... or, “this is the day that the Lord has made”... reminds us that we have another day to live, and I, “we”, get to enjoy it because of the work of the cross… not just because its another day that we get to live.
We need to always recognize as Paul said in (Galatians 2:20) “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”.
That’s why we should “rejoice and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:8)
Now (Psalm 118 verse 24) is often used to encourage people to choose to be happy, joyful… and to not let the cares of this world bring you down.
Every day we live, we live in the shadow of the cross and the blessings of God.
We can and we should rejoice in the redemption, the salvation, the grace of God, that is poured out to humanity from the depth of His great love.
Notice that the writer of (Psalm 118) doesn’t say, “Yesterday was God’s day, how happy I was then.”
Or “tomorrow will be God’s day, I’ll endure until then.”
No, "this is the day"... is a gift from God!
This day is called the "present".
This day is a present from God to you!
So stop complaining about it and see it for what it is!
Another day to live!
Another day to rejoice!
Another day to experience Gods blessing upon your life!
Another day to celebrate being one of Gods kids!
Complaining is often self-centered… it’s about what you like and don’t like.
It is often “self-focused”.
Real joy is a choice... and its found by looking outward not inward.
It comes to those who devote themselves to something greater than their own happiness.
There are decisions you get to make every day like what you eat, the clothes you wear, and the attitude you project.
(Philippians 2:12–18) explains how Christians ought to live, considering all that Christ was willing to do for them.
The writer says… “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed…not only in my presence… but now much more in my absence…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling… for it is God who works in you… to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault” in a warped and crooked generation.
Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.
And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”
The command for us to ''work out'' our salvation is a directive to let the new birth in Christ translate into action on our part.
As a part of this, we as believers and followers of Christ should serve God without griping or complaining.
Paul knows that his service to God has been hard, but he considers it as simply another form of offering.
All Christians are invited to serve in the same selfless way.
Paul was in prison with no hope of release when he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
His circumstances didn’t dictate his joy, his focus did!
And the same goes for you and I.
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1st Thessalonians 5:16-18)
So today choose joy! Choose to be happy!
Besides when you choose to be happy, people will wonder what you are up to… and it gives you another opportunity to share your faith and the great things that God has done for humanity… with them and for others around you.
I like what St Francis of Azzis said.
He said… “I preach the Gospel and if I have to, I use words”.
Jesus said so let your light shine before men (Matthew 5:16)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Believe me folks… people love to be around joyful and happy people.
You want people to like you, then choose to be joy filled… and stop belly aching complaining and grumbling no matter what the issue is!
Good Day!
(Hebrews 10:23) “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful”.
I have to confess that the subject of prayer has been an elusive practice thru out my walk with Christ.
Elusive in the fact that I don’t often take “time out” for prayer.
I have to confess that thru out my life and my relationship with God in the past, much of my prayer life took place “on the run” as it were.
Lately however I have determined to try to take time for prayer.
So at night before we go to sleep I pray for Debbie, I pray for our marriage, I pray for my sons and those that are close to our family and I pray for Gods will to be accomplished in my life.
In that quite time just before my eyes close in blissful sleep… I also try to lift up the various needs of our country, the government, believers that I know that are struggling, and what ever else the Holy Spirit reminds me of.
However, I think my most effective prayer time is each morning… as I write these devotional challenges for all of us to meditate on.
Since I have made these two commitments to write and pray each morning… and pray before I go to sleep… I have to admit that my life seems to have taken on a new spiritual dimension that I can’t honestly say that I experienced prior.
Its not that I think I have arrived or am perfect or better than any one else… Its just that my spiritual perception and awareness of spiritual activity around me seems to be sharper and more clear.
We all want our prayers to be “effective,” so much so that when we focus on the “results” of our prayers, we tend to lose sight of the incredible “privilege” that we have in prayer.
That people like us can speak to the Creator of the universe is itself an amazing thing.
Even more astounding is the fact that He hears us and acts on our behalf!
The first thing we need to understand about effective prayer is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to suffer and die on the cross to even make it possible for us to approach the throne of grace to worship and pray (Hebrews 10:19-25).
Although the Bible offers a great deal of guidance on how we can deepen our communication with the Creator, “effective prayer” has more to do with “the one doing the praying”… than it does with “how” we are to pray.
Indeed, Scripture says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16),
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer” (1st Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15),
(Proverbs 15:8) “the prayer of the upright pleases Him”
The bible says “the passionate prayers of God’s righteous children can accomplish much” (Numbers 11:2)
We need to make sure that our prayers are in line with God’s will.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God… that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1st John 5:14-15)
Praying in accordance with God’s will is essentially praying in accord with what He would want, and we can see God’s revealed will throughout Scripture.
Now we may not completely understand Gods revealed will… and if we do not know what to pray for or how to pray for it, Paul reminds us that as God’s children… we can rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for us,
(Romans 8:27) “the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will”… and since the Spirit of God knows the mind of God, the Spirit’s prayer is always in keeping with “the will” of the Father.
So in a sense… when we pray, it ignites the Holy Spirit to intercede on our behalf to
Additionally, prayer is something believers should do “continually” (1st Thessalonians 5:17)… and I think this is where most of us break down when it comes to our prayer life.
In (Luke 18:1) for example, we are told to pray with persistence and “not give up.”
As I’ve wrote over the last couple of posts, when we present our requests to God, we are to pray with faith (James 1:5)
(Mark 11:22-25) with a spirit of forgiveness toward others
(Philippians 4:6) with thanksgiving
It’s the strength of our faith, not the length of our prayers that pleases Him to whom we pray… so we don’t need to impress God with our eloquence or intelligence.
After all, (Matthew 6:8) tells us God knows what our needs are even before we ask.
Also, we need to be careful that we are not harboring “un-confessed sin” and iniquity in our hearts, as this would certainly be an impediment to effective prayer.
(Isaiah 59:2) “But your iniquities have separated you from your God… your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear”
(Psalm 66:18) “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened”
Fortunately, thankfully (1st John 1:9) says “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
Another barrier to effective communication with God is praying with selfish desires and wrong motives.
(James 4:3) “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”
Rejecting God’s call or ignoring His advice (Proverbs 1:24-28),
Worshiping idols (Jeremiah 11:11-14),
Turning a deaf ear to the cry of the poor (Proverbs 21:13)… these as well serve as additional obstacles to an effective prayer life.
Honest, humble, unselfish, passionate prayer is a way to strengthen our relationship with our Father in heaven.
Notice I used the word relationship!
That’s what this walk with God is all about.
It’s about a relationship with Him!
It’s an ongoing continual relationship with God… the Supreme ruler of heaven and earth… the Almighty… your Heavenly Father.
With out talking to the one you want to have a relationship with, there will be no relationship!
When we pray, when we study and obey His Word and when we seek to please Him, the same God who made the sun stand still upon the prayer of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13)… invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace and pray with confidence that He will extend His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
I think that’s what prayer is all about, not these desperation cries we often throw Heaven ward when we come to the end of our rope.
So lets try to take time on a regular basis to kindle the flames of our relationship with God.
Good Day!
(1st Peter 3:12) “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer”
I said yesterday… “one of the greatest hindrances to a satisfied and fulfilled life… is that of un-forgiveness”.
Over the years I have met many whose lives have literally been on hold and their peace stolen from them… because they refuse to let go of un-forgiveness.
They keep rehashing an offence from the past and as a result, the offence lives daily in their lives instead of dying in the past.
Friend you can do nothing about an offence from the past.
You can’t go back there and you can’t change it.
What’s done is done!
But you can “move forward”… and begin to experience victory for today and continued victory for tomorrow and everyday you have left upon this earth.
And the key to unlocking that victory… is by letting go and letting God have the past with all of its failures disappointments and hurts.
By letting go and forgiving those you have had a negative or bad experience with… when you do that… you release your self from the chains that bind you in every aspect of life.
And I know this to be true because I have experienced the release of those chains in my life… because I refuse to go back into the past, to remember the past and carry the hurts of the past.
I choose to give it to God thru prayer and experience answers to prayer that I never had before I made the choice to let go and forget the past.
Not that I don’t remember certain things, or have recurrent memories… but when they do come back to haunt me, I in turn take them to the cross.
I lay them at the feet of my Savior… my Redeemer… the One whom forgave me of all my offences against Him and I choose to let them go!
Since that resolve and the continued effort to do so, I have found that my relationship with God and with others has taken on a new dimension, a new reality.
And I find it is easier to continue to walk in forgiveness towards others as I realize that God has forgiven me and accepted me… in spite of my failures, inconsistencies, and weaknesses.
Although the Bible offers a great deal of guidance on how we can deepen our relationship with the Creator… effective prayer has more to do with the one doing the praying, than it does with “how” we are to pray.
Indeed, Scripture says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16)
The “eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer” (1st Peter 3:12... Psalm 34:15)
“The prayer of the upright pleases Him” (Proverbs 15:8)
But Jesus taught some very powerful and poignant lessons about “forgiveness” being the key to answered prayer and victory in the believers life.
Not withstanding, His encouragement from (Mark 11:25) “And whenever you stand praying, forgive… if you have anything against anyone… so that your Father who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses”.
As a Christian, as a child of God you and I are not like the rest of the world.
We are different.
In fact the Peter says we are a “peculiar people” called forth to show the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1st Peter 2:9)
One of the most noticeable and peculiar traits of the believer… is that of prayer and humbleness.
And in order to have an effective prayer life, we need to make sure that our prayers are in line with God’s will.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God… that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1st John 5:14-15).
Praying in accordance with God’s will is essentially praying in accord with what He would want, and He specifically wants us to walk in forgiveness with one another.
Bitterness, anger, malice, hurt feelings, are not traits of “humble” people… nor children of the most high God.
And they should not be dictating your success and your future.
In (Luke 18:1), for example, we are told to pray with persistence and “not give up.”
Also, when we present our requests to God, we are to pray with faith (James 1:5)
With thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)
With a spirit of forgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25)
And with a heart that is right with God (James 5:16)
If your holding on to an offense, if your holding onto past hurts and allowing them to dictate your life today… your heart is not right with God.
Un-forgiveness is the culprit that inter-fears with your relationship and inhibits the prayers that you have been sending heaven ward.
It’s the strength of our faith, not the length of our prayers, that pleases Him to whom we pray…
We don’t need to impress God with our eloquence or intelligence.
After all, God knows what our needs are even before we ask (Matthew 6:8)
Also, we should make sure we have no “un-confessed” sin in our hearts when we pray… as this would certainly be an impediment to effective prayer.
(Isaiah 59:2) “But your iniquities have separated you from your God… your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear you”
Fortunately, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9)
Another barrier to effective communication with God is praying with selfish desires and wrong motives.
(James 4:3). “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”
Rejecting God’s call or ignoring His advice (Proverbs 1:24-28), worshiping idols (Jeremiah 11:11-14), or turning a deaf ear to the cry of the poor (Proverbs 21:13) serve as “additional” obstacles to an effective prayer life.
Effective prayer is a way to strengthen our relationship with our Father in Heaven.
When we study and obey His Word and seek to please Him… the same God who made the sun stand still upon the prayer of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13) invites us to come boldly before the throne of grace and pray with confidence that He will extend His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
There is one locked door between you, God, and your unanswered prayers, and forgiveness is the key!
Come on… let it go and enjoy the rest of your life!
You’ve held onto it long enough… and suffered because of it long enough.
It’s time to move forward in victory!
Good day!
(Mark 11:25) “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them.”
We all want our prayers to be “effective”… so much so that sometimes we tend to focus on the “results” of our prayers… and in doing so, we can lose sight of the incredible “privilege” we have in prayer.
Think about it for a minute.
That people like us, can speak to the “Creator of the universe”, is itself an amazing thing.
Even more astounding is the fact that He hears us and acts on our behalf!
The first thing we need to understand about effective prayer is that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to suffer and die on the cross to even make it possible for us to approach the throne of grace to worship and pray.
(Hebrews 10:19-25) “Therefore, brothers… since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus… by the new and living way that He opened for us through the curtain (that is through His flesh)…
And since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some… but encouraging one another and all the more… as you see “The Day” drawing near”.
“The Day” that the writer is referring to… is the soon returning of Jesus to catch His bride away “so that where He is we will be also” (John 14:6)
When someone hurts us, our natural response is to either hurt them back, or hope they will suffer for what they have done to us.
Yet as redeemed children of God, we know this is the wrong response.
No… instead we are to forgive them… yet forgiving someone doesn’t come naturally or easily… it requires “supernatural grace” on our part.
And where do we get that?
Through prayer!
But hear me folks… this is the lesson that we all need to receive and walk in this morning!
Jesus said, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them… so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Some of you out there are mad at God and have become bitter towards God and others… because in your opinion God hasn’t answered your prayers.
But the truth is… your not ready for those prayers to be answered.
The bible says that “all things work together for good to them that love God”.
Your unanswered prayers are not because God does not love you!
No your unanswered prayers are because God is working in your life and using them to work in you!
Yes, I said in you.
The truth is… God uses things like this to change us and work in us and cause us to re-evaluate and examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2nd Corinthians 13:5)
And its these things that cause growth in our spiritual walk, making us more mature in Christ causing us to grow up little by little line upon line.
And one of the major things that hinders our spiritual growth and maturity… is “un-forgiveness” in our lives.
Un-forgiveness can and will block our growth, our maturity, and will cause spiritual blindness and will eventually water “a root of bitterness” that will well up inside you and consume you (Hebrews 12:15)
It will consume your relationship with family, friends and ultimately your relationship with God.
When we recall and remember God’s grace toward you and I and His forgiveness toward us… it leaves us no choice but to extend that same grace toward someone who hurt you.
Someone once said, “Forgiveness is a decision to set a prisoner free and then discovering that the prisoner is you.”
So if you have a desire to grow in God, move forward in your relationship with God, (which should be an all consuming desire for all of us)… then let me encourage you today to start walking in forgiveness to others… no matter who they are or what they have done.
Never forget, people are not perfect (and neither are you)… and they all make mistakes as they struggle to walk out their lives in the midst of struggles, temptations and trials they (and you)…are dealing with in this world.
And as you forgive, get excited…because the Holy Spirit is at work on your behalf and has already done half the job.
To complete the other half, humble yourself and pray… “Father, I turn from every desire I have to avenge this wrong.
You saw the situation before it happened, and in Your infinite wisdom, You allowed it to be so.
Your Word says that “all things work together for [my] good” (Romans 8:28)… so from this moment on, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, I forgive them”.
Now stop dwelling on the situation… stop thinking about the offence… start thinking positive healthy affirming thoughts about the individual or who or what caused the riff or the offence... and start releasing positive energy from your spirit toward the offence.
Start declaring Gods healing Word over the situation.
Friend this is called “a prayer of release.”
And as you continue to walk in that prayer, you will see things change for the better.
And you’re not just releasing your offender… you’re releasing and repositioning yourself to walk in God’s blessing.
That’s why you must forgive them!
You hold the key to releasing your hand-cuffs.
Forgiveness is the key!
Good Day!
(Philippians 3:14) “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.
As long as we live in this age—with its sin and its pain—our contentment in God should always be a “dissatisfied” contentment.
A “dissatisfaction” in that I want to be closer to Christ.
I want to know Him and all that He has for me.
This world truly has nothing to offer me in the way of contentment for the future or for eternity.
The Old song says “this world is not my home I’m just passing thru”.
As children of God we are just passing thru this land.
We are on a journey, and we should never be content with the progress we’ve made.
Paul says it this way in (Philippians 3:12). "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect… but I press on to make it my own… because Christ Jesus has made me his own"
Christ has made us His own!
(2nd Corinthians 1:21–22) says that God himself establishes us, anointed us, "commissioned" us (set us apart for service), sealed us, and gave us His Spirit as a guarantee of His everlasting love and favor for each of us.
God means for us to have a deep contentment and security in Christ.
But that contentment and security is in Christ, not our accomplishments in this world.
As believers we should never be content in the work we have accomplished or in the walk we have with Christ.
An Olympian athlete is never satisfied with the goals they attain in their physical training.
You’ll never hear an Olympian say, “I have done enough or I am the best”.
No! They press on to greater heights and greater goals of physical conquest in the sport they are pursuing.
And so should we as Christians, as children of God, as His ambassadors of Heaven.
We should never be “satisfied” or content living in this world.
Paul does not say, "Because I am secure, I coast." He says, "Because He (God) made me his own, “I press on….”
He longs for perfection.
He longs for fullness.
He is dissatisfied with his present state.
His contentment is a dissatisfied contentment.
He knows that in Christ… he has every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places (Ephesians 3:16-19)
But he also knows that his experience of these blessings is not as full as it could be.
Paul knows that there is more to experience “of the hope of our calling” and the glory of our inheritance and the greatness of the power at work within us (Ephesians 1:18-19)
He knows that there is more strength of the Spirit for the inner man,
There is more to know of the indwelling Christ,
There is more breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love to discover,
And there is more of the fullness of God than he or any of us has experienced. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
Therefore every believer, who is really in love with God… should be a dissatisfied believer.
Every Believer who is really hoping for eternity in Heaven… should be a dissatisfied believer.
Every Christian that is filled with the love of God… should be filled with passion and desire to go forward doing more driven by a passion to be at work in the Kingdom of God.
Not because they are working to attain, but because they are just not satisfied with where they are at in their walk with God.
And therefore every true believer is a person who prays.
Prayer is the heartfelt expression of “holy dissatisfaction”.
The more satisfied you are with yourself, the way you are, and with the world the way it is, the less you will pray.
But the more you desire all the fullness of God,
The more you desire to know the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ,
The more you desire to be strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit according to the riches of God's glory,
The more you desire to know the hope of your calling and the riches of the glory of your inheritance,
And the more you desire to be holy and pure, compassionate and patient kind, tenderhearted, bold and fruitful,
The more you desire to be like Christ!
That will determine the amount of prayer you will involve yourself in.
Little prayer signifies little desire for God.
Now I am not pointing my finger at you this morning.
I am pointing it at myself and where I am at in my walk with God.
I am not satisfied with what I have done or what I am doing…. there is so so much more that can be done.
We are only limited by our imagination and our passion for God.
I woke this morning with an old song on my mind and my heart.
The lyrics go like this;
More of you, More of You.
I’ve had all, but what I need is just more of you.
Of things I’ve had my fill… but yet I hunger, hunger still,
Empty and bare… Lord hear my prayer… for just more of you.
Folks there are so many things I want to be doing for the Kingdom of God.
There is so much more that can be done.
I hope that I can inspire you with the same passion and desire as well.
Good Day!
(Philippians 4:13) “I am ready for anything…through Him Who infuses inner strength into me.”
The Bible says, “Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring” (Proverbs 27:1).
The truth is, when you wake up every morning, you have no idea what will happen to you that day.
You hope for a trouble-free day where your expectations and wishes will be fulfilled… but you know from experience this isn’t always the case, and the truth is that we live in a real world with real problems.
Your enemy the devil is real, and he works in every possible way to bring discouragement, fear, and failure.
Knowing this, the psalmist wrote,
(Psalm 91:9-16)
“If you make the Lord your refuge… no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your home.
For He (God) will order His angels to protect you wherever you go.
The Lord says… ‘I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer.
I will be with them in trouble… I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation’”
No matter what comes your way today and every day… you and I, we must trust that when it arrives, God will give you and I, all of us the grace to handle it while He deals with it.
Remember, Satan loves to attack those who are in line for God’s blessing.
That’s why Paul wrote… “I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me.”
Inner strength is better than outer strength.
Why is that?
As long as you remain strong inwardly, you can handle anything that comes against you outwardly, and keep moving forward.
I’ve talked with several “world war two prisoners of war, whom have testified that what got them thru the grueling trials and torture was keeping their mind focused, thinking strong, not letting discouragement and hopelessness control their mind… they stayed strong inside thinking positive thoughts of faith… despite the trials outside.
So today…be ready for the unexpected.
Be ready to call on Heavens resources at the drop of a hat.
Don’t try to deal with it on your own… recognize “that the battle is the Lords” (2nd Chronicles 20:15)… and all you have to do is stand, and having done all to stand, stand!
(Ephesians 6:10-18) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand…
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Paul knew what it was to be attacked on all sides.
He often despaired of life and was even beaten so badly at times that he was left for dead.
Yet thru it all Paul had an outlook on life that energized him constantly.
Paul wrote his epistles to the Philippians and Colossians while he was in prison... but these letters don’t have the tone you might expect from someone in prison.
Paul spoke more about joy, rejoicing, and thanksgiving, more than he did about afflictions and trials… “Christ is preached,” he said, “and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Colossians 2:5).
It doesn’t make sense that “the peace of God” that Paul experienced in his difficult circumstances... could be a peace that passes all understanding... but it was a reality none the less. (Phillipians 4:7)
In our own trials, we can feel this same peace and “rejoice in the Lord always” (Colossians 1:14).
We can say, as did Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Colossians 1:11)
Paul new how to fight “the good fight of faith”!
He knew how to humble himself and surrender to and to trust God in all things.
He knew how to “walk on faith”.
The question is, “do you”?
Because that same confidence in Christ that Paul had, can be yours today as well.
But you have to stand your ground and fight!
And you do that by surrendering to Gods grace… and infused power as you lean on Him.
Good Day!
We can say, as did Paul, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Colossians 1:11)
Paul new how to fight “the good fight of faith”!
He knew how to humble himself and surrender to and to trust God in all things.
He knew how to “walk on faith”.
The question is, “do you”?
Because that same confidence in Christ that Paul had, can be yours today as well.
But you have to stand your ground and fight!
And you do that by surrendering to Gods grace… and infused power as you lean on Him.
Good Day!
(Romans 12:10) “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”
In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia.
Hundreds of passengers died after being hurled into the icy water below.
News of the disaster got worse when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident.
It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction or even thick fog.
The cause was human stubbornness.
Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence, and both could have steered clear.
But according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other because each was too proud to yield.
By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.
So here is the thought for today.
If you’re a tough-minded, strong-willed, make-it-happen kind of person, think about what you’ve just read.
If by winning the argument you hurt or lose the relationship, what have you gained?
If you save face but lose the relationship, you end up in the loss column.
From the Book of (Romans 12:10)… (Romans 16-17) and (Romans 19:21)… the bible teaches us to “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love… in honor giving preference to one another…be of the same mind toward one another.
Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil.
Have regard for good things in the sight of all men…
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath… for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord… do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”
Listen folks… some times we can have the audacity to think that “my way is the only way”… or that my plans are the only plans, or the best laid plans.
But we need to realize that it is in the wisdom of many counselors that we become “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:31-39)
(Proverbs 11:14) “Where there is no counsel, the people fall… but in the multitude of counselors there is safety”.
(Proverbs 15:22) “Without counsel do a people fall, and deliverance is in a multitude of counselors”.
(Proverbs 24:6) “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established”.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are Christians by our love and concern and unified support of one another (John 13:35)
That’s not the way of the world.
The world says “its my way or the highway”!
God wants you and I… “His children”… to love one another, work together and support one another in whatever capacity we can.
No man or woman is an “island unto him or herself’ when it comes to the Kingdom of God.
If that’s kind of how you have been thinking… then you need to think again.
We need each other and each other’s various gifts, to fully accomplish the work of the Kingdom of God.
Paul refers to that in (Ephesians 4:11-16) “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers… to equip His (Gods) people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God… and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming”.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect, the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ”.
“From Him (Jesus) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”
I need you!
In order for me to fulfill what God has called me to do in this life, I need you!
And you need me… we all need each other!
God has gifted you to do things that I cannot do, and he has gifted me to do things you cannot do.
But when we work together, share together, believe together, support an defend one another… then we can see the battle won and accomplished in ways that we never thought possible on our own.
I have come to know this and experience this over the years… and so I do my best to support other ministries and encourage other pastors and throw my abilities and resources into the plans of others so that the gospel can be preached.
Don’t let your pride or your own importance outweigh the plans of others.
God has a plan and His plan includes you working with others.
Never forget the age old cliché that says “many hands make light work”.
Together we can do this.
Good day!
Listen folks… some times we can have the audacity to think that “my way is the only way”… or that my plans are the only plans, or the best laid plans.
But we need to realize that it is in the wisdom of many counselors that we become “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:31-39)
(Proverbs 11:14) “Where there is no counsel, the people fall… but in the multitude of counselors there is safety”.
(Proverbs 15:22) “Without counsel do a people fall, and deliverance is in a multitude of counselors”.
(Proverbs 24:6) “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established”.
Jesus said that the world would know that we are Christians by our love and concern and unified support of one another (John 13:35)
That’s not the way of the world.
The world says “its my way or the highway”!
God wants you and I… “His children”… to love one another, work together and support one another in whatever capacity we can.
No man or woman is an “island unto him or herself’ when it comes to the Kingdom of God.
If that’s kind of how you have been thinking… then you need to think again.
We need each other and each other’s various gifts, to fully accomplish the work of the Kingdom of God.
Paul refers to that in (Ephesians 4:11-16) “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers… to equip His (Gods) people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God… and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”.
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming”.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect, the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ”.
“From Him (Jesus) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”
I need you!
In order for me to fulfill what God has called me to do in this life, I need you!
And you need me… we all need each other!
God has gifted you to do things that I cannot do, and he has gifted me to do things you cannot do.
But when we work together, share together, believe together, support an defend one another… then we can see the battle won and accomplished in ways that we never thought possible on our own.
I have come to know this and experience this over the years… and so I do my best to support other ministries and encourage other pastors and throw my abilities and resources into the plans of others so that the gospel can be preached.
Don’t let your pride or your own importance outweigh the plans of others.
God has a plan and His plan includes you working with others.
Never forget the age old cliché that says “many hands make light work”.
Together we can do this.
Good day!