Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords in 2010

"And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.'"

Revelation 19:16

-- In 2010 may we set apart the Lord in our hearts to trust Him at all times. There will be difficult times this new year, but know that Jesus is reigning. He is reigning supreme over all that will be going on. He is still the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and He is in control.

As 2010 comes in may we know that Jesus is Lord and may we worship Him at all times. No matter the circumstances God is still in control. Amen.

I pray you all have a year that is filled with the blessings of God. That His presence will be real to you and you will grow to know Him more this new year.

On January 24 I will be leaving for India to minister for 10 wks. Please pray as I go.

May God richly bless you in 2010!

In His service,
Philip

Citizens of Heaven

"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;"
Philippians 3:20

-- In the preceding verses the apostle Paul talks about those who are, "the enemies of the cross". He says their god is their appetite and they, "set their minds on earthly things." Then, He says, "for our citizenship is in heaven." The apostle Paul is saying, that we as true Believers ought to set our minds on heaven and not on temporal things.

Many times we lose sight of the eternal and we become consumed with the "now". God does not desire this and it hinders us spiritually. May we know that we are part of a different Kingdom, we are citizens of heaven.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I praise You for who You are and what You've done. I thank You that I am a citizen of heaven and my home is in heaven. I thank You that You are my King and I am part of Your kingdom. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Releasing the blessings of God

"You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything is full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:15-19

-- Our gifts, our offerings are a fragrant aroma to God; an acceptable sacrifice. When we give we are not giving to a person, we are giving to God, and our giving produces fruit in our account. We have a debit and credit account in heaven. When we give, deposits are made in our account! This is what the Bible says. In addition, our giving releases God to bless us and supply our needs. There is something about giving from our resources that enables God to give in return. I believe it is faith, because when we give to God we are letting go of our possessions and putting our faith in Him. We are saying, "You Lord, are number one in my life, nothing is more important to me than You.". This attitude moves God and allows Him, in return, to bless us.

My dad has said that a true Christian is one whose wallet has been converted. If our wallet has not been given over to God, there is still a part of us that is not fully yielded to God.

May we learn to be givers today. Amen!

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I pray that You will help me to be a giver. That I will trust you enough to hand my finances over to You. I trust You with them. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service
Philip

*Please pray as I prepare to go to India the end of January to plant house churches.

He will complete it

"And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."
Philippians 1:6

-- What is that "good work" that Paul talks about? The work of creating us into the image of Christ.
It is the Lord who touches our lives and brings us to Him. He begins His divine work in us.
Then what must we do? We must submit, as the clay submits to the potter.

We must yield and surrender every day to the Lord and allow Him to complete His work in us. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I surrender to You today. I yield my life to You, all my desires and dreams. I pray that You will have Your complete way in me. I love You Jesus. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The bond of love

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the dreadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
Ephesians 3:17-19

-- We are rooted and grounded, made firm, in our knowledge of God by experiencing His love. The love that God displayed toward us by sending His only Son to die at Calvary is amazing and incredible.

Jesus chose to come to this earth and walk as a man, experiencing the joys and heartaches and difficulties of life and then give His life. Oh what love. May we be strong and firm understanding His love toward us today. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You for dying on the cross for me and giving Your life. I thank You for Your love that is so strong for me. I pray that I will know how much You love me everyday. I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

2 Peter 1:5-8

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

-- As Believers we are to continually grow in the Lord. It is not God's will that we stumble and fluctuate in our walk with Him. We are exhorted to add these qualities to our faith and to keep adding them. We are to be productive and and effective in our walk with the Lord.

May we be diligent today to add to our faith these qualities and keep the Lord first in our lives.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank for Your Word that exhorts us and challenges us. May we be strong and diligent to add to our faith these qualities. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The Lord hears your prayers

"Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
2Kings 20:4-6

-- The Lord says to Isaiah that He has heard the prayer and seen the tears of Hezekiah and He is going to answer him. As Believers we can also be encouraged by this passage knowing that the Lord hears our prayers and sees our tears. We can know that if we pray according to the Lord's will He will hear us and answer us.

Know today that God hears your prayers and he sees what you are going through. He will answer you.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You that You hear my prayers and You see what goes on in my life I pray for Your blessing to be on me today. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Matthew 4:23

"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people."

-- Jesus is the manifestation of who God is. If you look at Jesus you see God. Jesus taught the people and proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom God and healed every sickness among them. He revealed the heart of God.

God is still healing and delivering today. May we enter into the blessings that the Lord has to offer and not fall short of living in complete victory and joy. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You that You are still healing and delivering today. I thank You that I can live in the Kingdom of God. I pray that I will be strong and trust in You at all times. I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Psalm 121

"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber, indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber not sleep. The Lord watches over you - the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

--This is such an incredible Psalm. It is filled with amazing principles. If we seek and look to the hills (the hills around Jerusalem, sacred Mt. Moriah, where the Lord was crucified) the Lord is ready to help. He will sustain our lives, He does not get tired, He watches out for us and protects us. He keeps us from evil and guards our lives.

May we rest today, knowing that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the same God who watches and sustains us. Amen.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You for the principles and promises found in it. I look to You now, I pray that I will trust You in everything. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

How Precious is the Word of God

"and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2Timothy 3:15-17

-- The Word of God is our final authority. The Scriptures are God's words to us, His thoughts, His laws and His ways to us. We learn who God is, what He is like and What He desires. We find direction, comfort, correction, and strength in the Scriptures. May we have a renewed hunger for the Word of God today.

As strong as we are in the Word of God is as strong as we will be as a Christian. May we give ourselves to reading the Word on a consistent basis.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I thank You again for Your Word that is so powerful and life giving. I pray for a renewed hunger and thirst for Your Word. I pray that You will open my eyes to see great things from Your Word. I praise You. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

In His Service,
Philip

Revelations 5:11-14

"Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang; 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!' Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' The four living creatures said, 'Amen' and the elders fell down and worshiped."

-- What a glorious scene! Thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand angels worshiping and exalting the Lord. He was slain, but now He is risen. He is worthy of all power and riches and wisdom. Hallelujah!

If we could only get a glimpse of Him in all His glory we too would fall down like the elders and worship.

May we know today that He is exalted above all and nothing is too difficult for Him. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I praise You because You are exalted above everything and You are worthy of all praise. I worship You with my heart and I pray that You will fill me with Your Spirit and open my eyes to see a glimpse of Your glory. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Thankful Heart

-- In Hebrews 3 it talks about the Israelites and their inability to believe God, which kept most of them from entering the Promised Land. Their unbelief was really just ungratefulness. God delivered them from Egypt, but as soon as trouble struck they began to complain and desire to go back to Egypt. Their complaining and ungratefulness caused many of them to miss what God desired to give them.

God loves a thankful heart it shows that we trust Him and love Him. We were saved because we were thankful. We believed and said, "Lord I thank You for dying on the Cross, I thank You that You were raised from the dead, come and live in my heart." We receive the promises of God through a thankful heart and we grow closer to the Lord as we appreciate Him more and more.

On this Thanksgiving Day may we be thankful for all our blessings, there is so much we are blessed with and it is well worth our time to stop and think about those blessings. Amen.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I thank You so much for all that You have blessed me with. I thank You for sending Your Son to earth to provide salvation for me. I thank You for being my heavenly Father and opening the way to You. I love You and I praise You. In Jesus name. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Happy Thanksgiving!
eat some turkey

Psalm 99:1-3

"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name he is holy."

-- Isn't is comforting to know that the Lord reigns over the nations. This verse says that He is seated. What a picture of perfect rest, He is not worried or surprised. He is seated on His throne far above all.
He is worthy of our praise and adoration.

May we be at peace knowing that the Lord is in control and nothing that is happening is taking Him by surprise.

prayer:
Father I thank You for Your Word that is so powerful. I thank You that You are in control. I pray that You will give me peace to know that all is well. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

1 Peter 4:8

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

-- The love that is mentioned in this verse is the love that comes from a relationship with the Lord. Many times when people hurt us or reject us its difficult to love them, but the Lord will help us to love them if we ask Him.

Jesus loved us when we didn't deserve it, may we love and honor others at all times.

prayer:
Dear Jesus I thank You for Your love that is so amazing and deep. I pray that I will have that kind of love for others. Give me the grace to love and cherish others when its difficult. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Alpha & Omega

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 1:7-8

-- How comforting are these words. The Lord is coming again and everyone will see Him. He is the Beginning and the End, everything consists by Him. He is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Almighty and He will always reign supreme. Amen.

May we be comforted today and rejoice that he Lord is in control, no matter the circumstances He still has all authority. We can be at rest knowing that He is all we need.

prayer:
Dear Lord I thank You for Your Word. I thank You that it is alive and powerful. I pray that I will rest and be at peace in my circumstances knowing that You are in control. I yield my life to You now. I love you. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

God loves everyone

"who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time."
1Timothy 2:4-6

--The Lord desires that all people are saved, men, women, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, neighbors, everyone. There is no one whom the Lord does not love. God's love is so immense that He opened the way for all to come to Him. May we be conscience of this and let it motivate us to lead people to the Lord.

May we be burdened to share our faith with others as much as possible, because there is no one whom the Lord does not love.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I pray for a compassion to reach others with Your Word. I pray for my co-workers and neighbors and family members, that they will come to know You. I pray that You will save them and bless them. Allow me to have an opportunity to speak to them. I love You Lord, I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

First Place

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)-[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be)."

1John 5:21 amp

-- The Amplified Bible so eloquently explains this verse. John is exhorting the Believers he is writing to, telling them to keep God first place in their hearts. I believe that many times as Christians we allow something or someone to creep into our hearts and very subtly take the place that only the Lord deserves. It could be our job, a friend, a family member and the Lord becomes second place in our hearts.

May we strive to keep Him first in our hearts. He is the One who is most deserving, He gave His life for us and provided salvation and access to God. He is all in all, He is the Creator of the universe, He deserves our undivided devotion. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I praise You for all that You've done for me. I thank You for saving my soul. I pray that You will forgive me for the times that I allow other things to take Your place in my heart. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Matthew 14:34-36

"When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed."

-- The men of Gennesaret knew of Jesus, they had heard of the mighty things He was doing and they believed in Him. Those who were sick acted on their faith touching Him and they were healed. The Lord is willingly and ready to make the things in our lives whole. All we need to do is reach out with our faith and touch Him today. He is all powerful.

May we reach out with our faith today and touch the Lord, His strength is available right now.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I praise You today, I thank You that You are all powerful and willing to move in my situation. I pray that You will take control over my life and make it whole today. I love and I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

God is thinking about me

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me. O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You."

Psalm 139:17-18

-- It is marvelous to know that God is thinking about us.
David, in these verses so vividly tells how God's thoughts are toward him, and that they are more numerous than the sand.
As Believers we know that these verses are for us too. We are on God's mind, He thinks about us and cares about everything that goes on in our lives. When we sleep and get up He is still there. He will not leave us, this is His promise.

May it bring joy and comfort today to know that God is present in our lives, even though we may not see Him or feel Him, at times, but He is there. Amen.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I thank You that You are right here with me; even during the difficult times. I praise You and I ask that You will give me the strength to trust You in everything. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

God loves Persistence

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
Luke 11:9-13

-- The Lord loves persistence. I believe because it shows Him that we really mean business. God does not like half-heartiness or lukewarmness. When we are persistent in prayer and in our Christian walk, it pleases Him and moves His hand on our behalf. The anointing of the Holy Spirit does not belong to the weak-willed and lackadaisical. It belongs to those who are fervent and passionate for God.

May we be passionate today in serving the Lord, persistent in prayer, fellowship and communion with Him. Amen.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I pray that I will be passionate for You. Persistent in all that I do. That I may please You and not disappoint You. I ask for fresh fire today in me to serve You. I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

1 Corinthians 6:11

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

-- It is wonderful to know that the Blood of Jesus is powerful enough to wash the tracks of sin from our hearts. We were not only saved and set apart when we asked Jesus to come into our hearts, but the Holy Spirit also washed us and made us clean; we were made brand new.

May we never forget where we've come from. May we always be thankful for our salvation and the price that was paid. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You for shedding Your blood on the cross. I pray that I will never forget the price You paid for my salvation. I thank You for cleansing me and making me brand new. I praise You. Amen

In His service,
Philip

Blessings from God

"Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee."
Psalm 128:1-2

-- When we serve the Lord it brings blessings to our lives. Serving the Lord wholeheartedly in all that we do will bring peace, joy and contentment. This doesn't mean we will not have difficult times, it means that the favor and hand of God will be upon us.

May we live with a reverent fear of the Lord and serve Him daily.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I thank You for Your promises. I thank You that You are almighty, God of all. I pray that I will have a heart that fears You and that it will be my delight to serve You in everything I do. I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Isaiah 1:18

"'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.'"

-- In these verses we see the Lord's desire for Israel to be righteous. He beckons them to come to Him and be cleansed from their sins. He is the one desiring them, desiring their relationship, their fellowship. The Lord delights in our fellowship with Him, but many times our sins and shortcomings cause a seperation in that fellowship and we feel so unworthy to come to Him.

May we come to the Lord today and ask for cleansing, He is willing and ready to cleanse us and make us pure.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You for your cleansing blood. I ask that You will wash me now from any sin and purify my heart. Make me clean so that I can be right with You. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The sound of our voice

"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret place of the steep pathway, let me see your form, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your form is lovely."
Song of Solomon 2:14

-- These verses can be equated to our relationship with the Lord. It is wonderful to know that the Lord loves to hear the sound of our voice. Jeremiah 33:11 says we are to, "bring the sacrifice of praise." This sacrifice comes from our lips - our voices. God loves to hear us praise Him. It doesn't matter what circumstances we are in, we must praise the Lord.

May we offer Him the sacrifice of praise today. Inspite of your situation, exalt Him, bless Him, lift Him up. He is worthy of it all.

prayer:
Dear Lord, we praise You today. We exalt You and bless You. You are holy and righteous, You are the Alpha and Omega and we adore You today. We love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Draw us Lord!

"Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee."

Song of Solomon 1:4

-- Let this be our prayer today. She says to the King, "Draw me, and we will run after You." In the times when we are weak and weary from the journey we need the Lord to stir us and light the fire in our hearts again.

May we allow the Lord to draw us to Him today. May we let Him stir our hearts afresh. There is nothing that compares with the Lord and being in fellowship with Him.

prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray that You will draw me today. Draw my heart and light the fire again. I love You and praise You today. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The Peace of Jesus

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
John 14:27

-- Isn't it wonderful to know that Jesus gives peace. He gives us peace, not as the world, which can only give peace when things are going good, but Jesus gives peace inspite of the circumstances in our lives. He only says that we are not to be afraid. He is in control.

May you receive the peace that Jesus gives today. May you have peace in Him today.

prayer:
Dear Jesus I thank You for the peace that You give. I thank You that it is real and tangible. It doesn't matter what circumstances I am in right now I rest in the peace that only You can give. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Strength from God

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the end of the earth does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of the understanding. He gives power tho the faint and weary , and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Isaiah 40:28-31 Amp

-- It is the Lord who causes us to mount up on eagles wings. He gives strength, we might get weary and tired, but He never does. He is the source, all we have to do is seek Him, wait on Him in prayer, love Him, and worship Him. He will renew us and build us up.

May we quiet oursleves today and simply turn our hearts to Him. Then He will come and give strength.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I praise You for Your Son Jesus. That in Him is everything I need. I ask for strength now, I love You and I praise You. I thank You for Your strength that You are imparting into me. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Only Believe

"Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
John 20:29

-- In these verses, Thomas said that he would not believe the Lord had been raised from the dead unless he could physically see and touch Him. Jesus, so graciously, honored Thomas request and appeared to Him, but the Lord makes an incredible statement commending those who have believed and will believe eventhough they have not seen Him physically.

The Lord's greatest joy is to be believed. He loves faith, and it is our faith that moves Him. Thomas believed because he saw and touched, but how blessed are we when we believe inspite of not seeing Him. Amen.

May we believe and not doubt all that He has said in His precious Word.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You for Your everlasting Word. I pray that You will make it alive for me and speak to me through it. I will believe and trust in You. I praise You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Our Living Hope

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you."
1Peter 3-4

-- We were born into a Living Hope. This hope that we have in the Lord Jesus is real and vibrant. We also know that we have an inheritance awaiting that is also real and alive, it is not myth or fantasy, but truth and reality. It is waiting for us and will be revealed.

Let us rest in this assurance, knowing that our hope is not in this present world or circumstances, but in the Lord and the glories that await. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I praise You for Your Holy Word. I thank You that I can trust You in all things. I pray that You will comfort me now with a heart of expectancy for what is in store for me. I praise You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The Sacrifices of God

"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."


Psalms 51:16-17


-- In this Psalm David cries out in repentance to God for his sin with Bathsheba. He acknowledges that God does not take pleasure in burnt offerings or animal sacrifices, but in a contrite heart and a broken spirit. Humility and contrition before God is not a sign of weakness, it is what He desires, He is pleased with those whose hearts are soft and tender.

May we develop hearts that are yielded to the Lord.


prayer:
Dear Lord, I ask that my heart will be soft and pliable to You and Your Word. You delight in a broken heart and a contrite spirit. I pray that I will be continually yielded to You. I love You Lord. Amen.


In His service,
Philip

Psalm 1:1-3

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."

-- In these verses we see the keys to living a successful Christian life. The keys are: staying separate from the ways of wickedness and delighting in the Word of God. May we be strong in the Lord and keep our hearts free from pollution and may we develop a love for the Word of God. This is living a life that is blessed and prosperous.

In His service,
Philip

Imature Christian vs Mature Christian

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what is says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."
Hebrews 1:22-25

-- How important it is for us as Believers to obey the Word of God. We are no different from an unsaved person if we read our Bibles and don't obey what is says. One who listens to the Word and puts it into practice will spiritually mature rapidly.

We will be blessed in all we do if we obey and abide in the Word of God. May yield today and be strong in His Word.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I pray that You will help me obey Your Word. That I will not take it for granted, but I will honor what You have said and live by it. I know that there is no other way, but Your way. I praise You, in Jesus name. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Offering a Sacrifice of Praise

"Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name."
Hebrews 13:15

-- How do we offer up to God a sacrifice that He is pleased with? Clearly, the Scripture says through what comes out of our lips. You see, out of our heart we speak, what is in our hearts will come out of our mouths. When we praise the Lord and worship Him with our lips it is a sacrifice from our hearts that He is pleased with.

May we consciously be thankful to the Lord in all circumstances. We may not feel thankful, but let us learn to worship Him and praise Him in all circumstances.

prayer:
Dear Jesus I thank You for Your Word, that is so powerful. I pray that You will help me to be thankful and praise You in spite of my circumstances. I thank You right now for Your goodness and mercy. I praise You, Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Contenment is great

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'"

-- As Christians we should learn to be content. May we allow the Lord to be our satisfaction everyday, seeking to please Him. May we be content with our lives knowing that pleasing the Lord is our main focus and joy.

He promised that to be with us at all times. His Presence is our contentment. Amen.

prayer:
Dear Jesus I thank You that You are with me all the time. I pray that I will learn to be content, because that is what You desire. I praise You and love You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Matthew 24:14

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

-- The Gospel is being preached to the nations. God is moving amongst the unreached peoples of the world. I have seen it first hand in Tanzania. The Lord is getting ready to return soon, may we begin to cry out for those who have never heard the Gospel.

May we pray that God will send forth laborers, and may we be part of reaching those who have never heard. Allow God to place a burden on your hearts today for lost souls.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I thank You for what You are doing around the world. I pray for workers to be sent into the harvest field. I ask that You will give me a burden for souls and give me opportunities to reach people. I love You Lord, in Jesus name. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

The Eternal Kingdom of God

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"

Hebrews 12:28

-- The Kingdom of God lasts forever. This world is passing away, but how good it is to know that as Believers we are part of a lasting Kingdom. Who's King is eternal and glorious, Jesus Christ. This Kingdom cannot be shaken or torn down, it is secure.

May we be comforted today to know that our future is secure, for we are part of an everlasting Kingdom.

In His service,
Philip

Psalm 27:1

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

-- Whom shall we fear as Believers? Only God. The Amplified Bible describes the fear of the God as the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord. We are not to yield our worship to anyone or anything else only to the Lord. We are not to be afraid of anyone. We are to honor and respect people, but not fear them.

May we be comforted today to know that God is our help and He gives us strength for for everything that we need.

prayer:

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You that You are my strength and refuge. I pray that You will give me the strength to trust in You at all times. Fill me with Your strength today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

In His service,

Philip

Nourished in the Word 1Peter 2:1-2

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

-- As Believers we can never stop growing in the Word of God. It is vital to our Christian walk to continually be increasing in the Word of God. When John Wesley was in college he was part of a club and as a group they lived by several questions each day. One of the questions was, "Did the Word of God live in me today?" As Children of God we can never afford to slack our time in the Word.

May we be healthy spiritually by consistently feeding on the Word of God.

prayer:

Dear heavenly Father I thank You for Your Word. I thank You that it is alive and powerful, I pray that You will give me strength to be consistent in reading and meditating on Your Word. Speak to me daily through it I ask. In Jesus name, Amen.

In His service,

Philip

Coming Boldly before the Throne of God

"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."

-- Jesus is our High Priest, He gave Himself as our sacrifice and opened the way for us to come to God. Now we can come to God with confidence and assurance, knowing that He hears us and receives us, because of the blood of Jesus.

Let us come before the throne of God today with faith and boldness knowing that we are clean and accepted by God.

prayer:
Lord Jesus I thank You for the sacrifice You gave on the cross. I thank You that You opened the way for me to come before God. I pray that You will help me be confident in knowing that I can come to God boldly. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

Matthew 5:17-18

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

-- It is comforting to know that the Word of God and the commandments of God stand forever. God's Word stands alone, no one can change it or make it void, His promises are forever and His Word unchanging.

May we be confident today and know that what God has said in His word is eternal.

prayer:
Dear heavenly Father I thank You that Your Word lasts forever and that I can be confident in it. I praise You for Your promises to me in Your Word and I ask that I may be strong to trust in all that You have said. I love You, in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

James 4:7

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."


-- When one submits to the Lord it brings incredible blessing to their life. Submitting to God is not something we should fear, submitting to God may make us feel uncomfortable and it may shake us at times, but in the end it brings freedom and blessing.


May we learn to yield and submit to the Lord everyday.


prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I pray that You will give me the strength to yield to You everyday. That I may learn to submit and give You everything. I love You Lord. Amen.


In His service,
Philip

10-12-09 2Timothy 2:1

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

-- Mercy has been defined as: unmerited favor. Grace can be defined as: unmerited strength. God's grace is wonderful, it is His strength being poured out in our lives. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to be strong in the grace of Christ. May we be strong and partake of the grace that is in Jesus today.

As Jesus was able to live in this world, so He also provides strength for us to live. Receive His grace today. Amen.

prayer:
Lord I thank You for Your grace that is so wonderful. I ask that You impart Your grace to me today as I go about my day. I thank You and I love You. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-11-09 Colossians 1:9-11

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."

-- The Apostle Paul in these verses, prays that the Believers might be filled with the knowledge of the will of God, so that they can walk worthy of the Lord.

As 21st century Christians we are also exhorted in these verses to walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in all. May we too be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and His specific will for our lives.

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I pray that You will fill my heart with Your knowledge. That I may know what is Your specific will for my life so that I can please You in everything I do. I praise Jesus. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-10-09 Philippians 3:7-10

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, through righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being confirmed to His death."

-- What the Apostle Paul once saw as important to him he now viewed as worthless compared to Christ.

The greatest accomplishment in a Christian's life is to know Jesus on a deeper level. There is no greater thing than to know our Saviour intimately. Today, He calls out to you and me, "Will you give everything to spend time with Me, getting to know Me.

May we yield all to know Him more and more.

prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You for saving me and changing my life, but I pray that You will help me to seek Your face more and more. That I can know You in a more intimate way. That I will give up what hinders me from getting close to You. I love You Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-9-09 Proverbs 9:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

-- Joseph knew the fear of the Lord, because he stayed pure and trustworthy in the midst of incredible circumstances. May we cultivate a heart that fears the Lord. One that honors, reverences and worships Him.

A heart like this is critical in our Christian walk. May we honor God in all that we do.

prayer:
Dear Lord I pray that You will help me cultivate a heart that honors and reverences You. That I will be strong and not compromising in any area of my life. That I will love You beyond anything else. I thank You Jesus. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-8-09 Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

-- We are exhorted in these verses to look to Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of our faith. We are to look unto Him as our example, in the same way that He endured the cross by looking to the future joy of providing salvation to all and being with His Father; so we must endure the Christian walk looking to the future reward.

The reward of being eternally with Him. The reward of a blessed eternity, living and abiding in the very presence of Jesus. May this be our joy as we press on in our Christian walk. Amen

prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus I thank You that You set an example for me. You endured the cross, looking to the joy of the future reward. I pray that You will give me the strength to look to You and press forward as good soldier in You. I love you Lord. Amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-7-09 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

-- May we look to Jesus as our source. He is the source of our lives.

In these verses we are reminded of the Lord's body and blood that were given for for us. For our healing and salvation. Not only do we remember the Lord through taking communion, but we can have fellowship with Him daily. May we endeavor to be in fellowship with Him every moment of every day, remembering His sacrifice for us.

prayer:
Dear Lord I ask You to give me a heart that desires to be with You daily. Not only on Sunday but always connected and in communion with You. You are the source of my life may I never forget that. I love You Lord. Amen

In His service,
Philip

10-6-09 Philippians 4:6-8

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

-- How comforting it is to know that we can come before God at any time in prayer. We are commanded not to be worried about anything, but to come to the Lord, with thankful hearts, and present our requests before Him.

May we rejoice and come before God today with our petitions knowing that He hears us, and may we allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts. We do this by being thankful.

prayer:
Lord I ask you today to rule in my heart, that I will come before You with a thankful heart and a submitted heart. I pray that You will give me the grace to be strong in You and allow Your peace to rule in my heart. I love you Lord. Amen

In His service,
Philip

10-5-09 Jeremiah 18:3-4

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels, and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

-- May we rejoice knowing that we are in the Potter's hand. God is working in our lives, molding us and shaping us into the vessels that He desires.

May we yield to Him everyday as He perfects us, it may seem painful at the present, but in the end it will be well worth the process. - Amen

prayer:
Dear Jesus help me to submit to You as you work in my life. I know that You love me and desire the best for me so I surrender all over again toYou today. I love You Lord, amen.

In His service,
Philip

10-4-09 Hebrews 4:14-16

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

-- Praise God that we have a High Priest who understands us. Jesus knows what we are going through, He is not distant and unattached from our lives.

He is our High Priest, and may we come to Him with confidence knowing that He hears and answers our prayers.

In His service,
Philip

10-3-09 Hebrews 6:19

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

-- The hope we have as a Christian - the glories of the world to come, to know where and Who is our destination is an anchor to our souls. We can live every day with assurance that if we patiently endure we have such a great Hope awaiting us.

May we be strong, knowing that we shall receive an inheritance that will never fade away.

In his service,
Philip

10-2-09 Hebrews 3:12-14

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the confidence we had at first."

-- May we be exhorted today to hold fast the faith that we've received from the Lord. Let us not waiver in times if difficulty but be strong in Him. - Amen.

He is our strength and fortress and we can trust Him.

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2

In His service,
Philip

10-1-09 Hebrews 1:1-2

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe."

-- Isn't it wonderful to know that God speaks. Many times we are waiting for a voice from heaven to speak to us when God has already spoken.

May we take the promises that Jesus spoke and know that God is speaking today to us.

In His service,
Philip

9-30-09 Psalm 18:20-22

"The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees."

-- The Lord does reward His children.
May we seek to live before God in righteousness and holiness for it brings incredible blessing to our lives.

In His service,
Philip

9-29-09 2Timothy 2:19

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

-- It is comforting to to know that He knows me. In the midst of trials and difficult circumstances we must have the confidence that we are on His mind. We are not alone, but we have a heavenly Father who is near to us.

May we take joy in these comforting words.

PC

9-28-09 2Timothy 1:11-12

"Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

-- The apostle Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel. Why? Very simply because he had a personal relationship with Jesus. He knew Jesus personally. He confidently says that he knows the One in whom he has believed.

May we take the time to get to know the Lord so we too could say as Paul did, I know Him.

PC

9-27-09 1Timothy 2:4-6

"Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time."

-- God desires that everyone is saved. He gave His Son for a ransom for all. May we realize that there is no one whom God does not love.

PC

The Love of God

Yesterday, I listened to the testimony of a young Muslim girl who became a Christian. She shared how becoming a Christian put her life in danger with her parents and she had to flee from them. She said that a friend invited her to church and being there she was amazed as the people sang songs to Jesus and worshiped Him. Then the pastor preached and at the end he invited all who wanted to know Jesus to come forward to the altar. The Muslim girl said she wanted to go but was afraid and uncertain of what was going on, but she went anyway and as she was kneeling at the altar the love that she felt was incredible. All she could feel was the pure love of Jesus and how wonderful it was.

It is His love that draws us to Him. We as human beings are so undeserving of His love, but it is His love for us that covers all our sins and failures. His undying love never fails.

Song of Songs 2:4
"He has brought me to his banquet hall, and his banner over me is love."

May we yield to His love and not reject it, He reaches out to you and me today.

PC

9-26-09 Ephesians 3: 13-14

"But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,"

-- Thank God that through Jesus Christ we are adopted into the family of God. We who are Gentiles God broke down the wall of separation now we can enter into His family.

PC

9-25-09 Psalm 31:1-3

"In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Your righteousness deliver me. Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me."

--When we put our trust in the Lord He will not fail us, He will not forsake us.
Because it means His reputation He promises this.

May we trust in the Lord with all our hearts today.

PC

9-24-09 Psalm 8

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of you enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

--O Lord, how glorious is your Name in all the earth.
What are men and women that we are on Your mind.

Truly we as human beings are blessed, because we are not alone. God is there and for those of us who know Him He is our Father. -- How awesome.

PC