Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
"Look what the Lord has done!!!"
The Lord has...
The Lord has delivered me & given me victory...
1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
The Lord has stood by me and has strengthen me, when others have forsook me...
2 Timothy 4:16-17 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me...the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me...
Acts 23:11 ...the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul...
The Lord has saved me...
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Titus 3:4-6 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The Lord has given me favour...
Genesis 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
1 Samuel 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The Lord has given me Grace & Mercy...
Genesis 19:19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life...
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace...
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Lamentations 3:22-24 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The Lord has given to you, so ye give to others...
1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
As we have had the Lord give us gifts, let us minister those gifts to others. The world really does need to see Jesus in us...
There is so much more the Lord has done. What has He done for you...
Let’s pass them onto others...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
“Got Passion”
Today there are so many distractions that many have lost there love & passion for Jesus.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
This women in the next scriptures had such passion, love, and a heart of graditude that she did what others looked at as being wrong. She loved Jesus so much for the forgiveness she received that she did not care about what others thought about her. She worshipped him anyway!!
Luke 7:37-45 ... a woman in the city, which was a sinner, ... brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet...weeping...washed his feet with tears...wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Her passion looked past what others thought. Her passion looked past her own pride. He passion took her to a place where she was not welcome to go.
...Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, ...saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
Jesus answering...Simon... There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
...Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
You see the others around her looked down on her for what see did. Not Jesus! Her passion led her to Jesus. He had forgiven her much and that resulted in much love and much passion.
What has taken your passion for Jesus? Has the trials and hardships of live drained you of the love you felt for God when you first got saved? Where is your passion? Do you put more into your job, your friends, your family, your play, than your time with God? Is all of your energy taken up by the things of this world?
Do we take for granted the things we have received since we believed? We have received forgiveness for our sins as this women. It says she loved much, have we loved much? Have we forgotten where He has brought us from? Do we put Him first?
Friday, September 3, 2010
"God Pride?"
Pride is excessive belief in one's own abilities, that interferes with the individual's recognition of the grace of God. It has been called the sin from which all others arise.
"the love of one's own excellence"
Sin Of Pride - Preoccupation With Self
The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self. It is thus very fitting that the middle letter in the word is "i." Pride is all about "me, myself, and I." So even as the word "pride" is centered upon an "i," the sin itself is also centered upon "I."
Two well know examples:
1) Lucifer's fall, For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'
Satan's enmity against God began with "I". And so it is with us. If you are preoccupied with yourself, you are suffering from the sin of pride.
Ezekiel 28:17
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty...
We all like our own opinions, but that can cause pride to be puffed up with in us. We even fight to get our opinion heard or agreed with.
Why do we argue? I know... I know... I am right...
pride can led to offense
2) "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."4
Pharisee = Jimmy Swaggart’s notes, a fundamentalist, who claimed to believe all the bible
Publican = Jimmy Swaggart’s notes a tax collector, referred to by Israel as a traitor & there by beyond salvation.
Pharisee - I am not like other men, I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.
How do we look at others.
Other thoughts about pride:
- 2 Kings 14:10
Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
2 Kings 14:9-11 (in Context) 2 Kings 14 (Whole Chapter) - 2 Chronicles 25:19
Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
Meddle - Interfere in or busy oneself unduly with something that is not one’s concern, to touch or handle something without permission.
These men in 2 Kings and 2 Chron. we lifted up in pride.
Pride also causes you to hold on to your hurt
You do not have permission to hold on to your hurt...
We hold on to our pains. We look at others and say our pain is worse.
You have no right to hold on to something that the word of God says to let go of.
But he hurt me... But I was... This happened to me...
Why are you giving your pain more glory than God!!
Women beware the women's lib movement can cause you to not receive what God has for you. I have my rights... I know what I am doing... I am just as good as him... I,I,I...
A lot of divorces can be stopped if the spouses would humble themselves and say they are sorry... or not always have to be right...
Pride can led to deception. (I know the bible...)
We must look to Jesus who humbled himself and died on the Cross for us. We must forgive and not let our hearts be puffed up in Pride.
Pride can cause you not to seek God: Psalms 10:4
| The wicked 7563 in [his] pride 1346 doth persecute 1814 the poor |
Not just the physically poor, prideful people attack people they consider week. Pride causes one believer to believe that they need to be doing what the other believer in front of them is doing, ( they also believe they can do it better)
Be content where you are... God has a plan and purpose for you right where you are. He has called you for a specific task and He has you right where He wants you to be. He will lift you up in due time. If you will just hold fast to God, trust Him and follow him, He will bring you to the place He has for you...
Pride will cause you to stop having faith in what Christ has done for you at Calvary, because you are self sufficient, independent.
Lay aside your ways, your thoughts,... Only way to do that is...
Remember the process of sanctification, believe in the finished work of Christ, then the Holy Spirit will work in your life and then the outflow of that will be right living, right thinking,...
Today is a new day, start here, then tomorrow also is a new day, start here,... and again... do not let yesterdays hurts come over to today’s living.
Look to Christ, Look to what He has done for you at Calvary, let the power of the Holy Spirit work in you and let what God has always wanted for you to come into your life.
Pride can cause a person not to get saved...
Are you putting. “I” on the throne?
Pride is at the very top of the list of things God hates. "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-19).
David Wilkerson:
Christians also recognize pride in others because they may appear to be stuck up, self-centered, ambitious and high-minded. But few Christians would consider themselves proud.
Pride is independence - humility is dependence. Pride is an unwillingness to wait for God to act in His own time and in His own way. Pride rushes in to take matters into its own hands. One of the greatest temptations true Christians face is getting ahead of God. It is acting without a clear mandate from God. It is taking things into our own hands when it appears that God is not working fast enough. It is impatience.
The Cross Represents the death of all my own plans, all my own ideas, my own desires, my own hopes and dreams. It is most of all the absolute death of my own will. This is true humility. Humility is associated only with the Cross. "He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death at the cross. (Philippians 2:7-8). He had told His disciples, "My meat, My fulfillment in life, is to do the will of Him who sent me (John 4:34). He said "I can of mine own self do nothing: As I hear, I judge..." (John 5:30). In other words, I refuse to take matters into my own hands. I wait to hear every direction from my Father!, He who is the Light, absolute intelligence, knowing all things, humbles Himself, makes Himself totally dependent upon the Father in all things. I can't do it on My own" Jesus said.
John wrote, "As He is, so are we in this world ... (1 John 4:17). There is not a true Christian but who can say, "I really want to do His perfect will." But here is where we miss it, we set our hearts on something that we want, something that looks good that sounds logical, but is not God's will. We will fast and pray and intercede for it! Cry a river of tears! Claim it! Bind demons hindering possession of it! Quote Bible! Get others to agree with us! One of the biggest traps to Christians is a good idea which is not God's mind, a good strategy which is not His, a well-conceived plan that is not His. The question is - can your desire survive the Cross? Can you walk away from it and die to it? Can you honestly say, "Lord, maybe it's not the devil stopping me, but You! If it's not Your will it could destroy me. I give it up to the Cross! To death! Do it Your way, Lord."
It is when you go down into the grave of death to all self, all ambition, all self-will, that you hear His voice. Jesus said, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God... All that are in the graves shall hear His voice" (John 5:25,28), This is why thousands of Christians today are getting into trouble hearing still small voices. There is confusion, things are not coming out right, because there has been no dying to self-will. Yes, I believe God does speak to His children. You can hear His true, holy, unmistakable voice, but only after crucifixion of self-will and self-desire. Jesus heard clearly from the Father. So did Paul, Peter, John and Stephen; but only because they were dead to this world. They were consumed with doing His will only.
Examine your heart. Do not be lifted up in Pride. Humble yourself!!!!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
"The Trial of Your Faith"
1 Peter 1:6-7
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Greatly rejoice: Jimmy Swaggart’s notes refers to the time when this earthly sojourn will be finished, the Trump of God sounds, & “we shall be changed” (1 Corn. 15:51-54)
Now: in this life, just now, this moment, now at this time, at this very time, this moment...
Season: little, small, few, of time/short, of degree or intensity briefly (will pass)
Heaviness: to make sorrowful, to affect with sadness, cause grief, the throw into sorrow. to grieve, offend, to make one uneasy, cause him a uneasy,
It is necessary, there is a need of, it behooves, is right & proper necessity, lying in the nature of the case, Necessity brought on by circumstances or by the conduct of others towards us. Necessity in reference to what is required to attain some end.
Though now for a season (this to will pass) A season has a beginning & and end. We know it is coming ( Think it not strange (1 Peter 4:12-13), we are not ignorant (2 Corinthians 2:11), we are not alone (1 Thessalonians 2:14 ...for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen...), seasons come & go..(Ecclesiastes 3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...)
Trial - an experiment, attempt, trial, proving, the trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy...
Manifold -all sort of adversities are temptations, or trials of faith, patience, & constancy...
Just as the Law was to show us we need a Savior, so is the trying of our faith to show us we need Jesus.
They show our weakness, our shortcomings, & the areas that we have not surrendered or yielded.
The Cross of Christ must be our only focus & when it is not the trying of our faith will show it.
In our weakness He died for us... In our sin, He died for us...
Only as we place our faith in the Cross can the Holy Spirit bring us though our trials victorious.
IF NEED BE: the “if” will be when we take our eyes off of the Cross
If need be: need/ to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son...)
Sometimes it is needed... We don’t always understand why or how long... But God has a reason why He allows all things
Seasons: many types of seasons, many trials, many temptations.
That the trial of your faith (is your faith genuine?) All faith is tested(Is your faith really on and in the Cross or not? Is it on or in self? or Others? (They show our weakness, it separates the impurities..
Think is not strange
(Don’t dwell on.. Don’t meditate on... don’t even think about it... Don’t ponder, wonder... Don’t think you are the only one... Don’t be surprised & be moved from your faith...
Jesus was led to the wilderness by the Spirit.
Luke 4:1-2 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil...
God will drive us to a place to where what we have been given will be tested.
God has given us the power from the Holy Spirit to come through the wilderness. It is not in our own strength. In Christ Jesus there is no test, trial, or opposition you can’t go through.
You may be in a wilderness, BUT NOT FOR YOUR DESTRUCTION...
Don’t be afraid of the test... Remember... “IT CAME TO PASS...”
Also remember this is an OPEN BOOK test...
Reasons for testing: to show us what is in us, to show us that in us is no good thing (it is only through Him), to show us the need for a Savior, to show us our weakness, to conform us to the image of Christ...
You do not have the ability or strength to get yourself through the wilderness. You must place your faith in what Jesus did and that gives us the help of the Holy Spirit to come through it victorious. It is not about you!! It is about Him, about who He is, about what He wants to do in you...
Don’t be like Peter
Matthew 26:33-35 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
First see the “I”. I will never, I will not...
Don’t make yourself your own Savior!
Matthew 26:74-75 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
The issue is not to just prove to us that we are weak, our battle is not to be strong in our own strength, but to stay in the plan outlaid by God, “Christ and Him Crucified”. He paid the price, 1 John 3:8 ...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
He did not bring us this far to just let us go now. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...
What you are going through is not for your destruction... He will, He will, He will bring you through.
Hebrews 13:5 (Amplified Bible)
...for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
GOD SAID . . . .
If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I’m a Healer? If you never went through difficulties, How would you know that I’m a Deliverer? If you never had a trial,
How could you call yourself an overcomer? If you never felt sadness, How would you know that I’m a Comforter? If you never made a mistake, How would you know that I’m forgiving? If you knew all, How would you know that I will answer your questions? If you never were in trouble, How would you know that I will come to your rescue? If you never were broken, Then how would you know that I can make you whole? If you never had a problem, How would you know that I can solve them? If you never had any suffering, Then how would you know what Jesus went through? If you never went through the fire, Then how would you become pure? If I gave you all things, How would you appreciate them? If I never corrected you, How would you know that I love you? If you had all power, Then how would you learn to depend on Me? If your life was perfect, Then what would you need Me for?
WE NEED A SAVIOR!!! WE NEED JESUS!!! ONLY JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED!!!
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