Awareness

"For in Him we live and move and have our being..."
                 Acts 17:28


In this portion of Scripture the Apostle Paul is speaking to the philosophers of Athens, who were very religious and loved debating about the latest philosophies of the day. They loved knowledge, new ideas and new gods. In their seeking to promote their own knowledge they had missed the reality of the Living God. Paul said in the verse before that He (Jehovah God) is not far from each person.
Jesus is not difficult to find, He is nearer than the air we breath, for He created the very air we breath. It takes a sincere seeking of the heart and stillness of the mind to sense His reality. He is near for, "In Him we live and move and have our being..." In this time of year lets remember that He is not far, but near and seeks to be loved.

prayer:
Lord Jesus we praise You, we thank You for coming to earth so long ago and we thank You for dying on the cross to pay the price for our sins. Thank you for the joy of this time of year, may You be Lord. In Your name, amen.

Prayer

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
                                                                                     Philippians 4:6


I think we need to be reminded again and again how important it is as Believers to continually be in contact with our Heavenly Father. To be in continued fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit. 


God desires that we live a stress free life. 
That doesn't mean we will not experience stress or trials, as a matter of fact the Bible guarantees trials and tribulations, but they do not have to rule our hearts and minds. 


The key to living a stress free life is to continually be in fellowship with the Lord through prayer, live a life yielded to the Holy Spirit. Then as it says in the following verse: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."


May we cultivate an attitude of prayer, daily. Knowing, that our Heavenly Father is interested in our lives.


prayer:
Lord Jesus I pray that we will present all our petitions to You, knowing that You are in control and care about every detail of our lives. Draw us by Your Spirit each and every moment to be in continued fellowship with You. Amen. 

Royal Wedding

On Friday we witnessed a Royal Wedding between Prince William and Ms Catherine Middleton. It was televised live and it's estimated that 2.4 billion people watched. 2 billion via television and 400 million via the internet (http://www.mns.co.uk/012117706.html).
With an event this significant and that catered so much attention I couldn't help but sense that there is some spiritual significance in what we witnessed. I would like to share a few of those thoughts with you.

1. In the eyes of billions of people the sanctity of the marriage institution between one woman and one man was exalted.
In the light of such an attack on the the traditional view of marriage in our day, traditional marriage was held in honor.

2. The "wedding day" was honored.
Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." As Christians our number one goal is to make oursleves ready for the "day" when we will meet our Savior face to face and forever be with our Bridegroom.

3. Everyone wanted to see the brides gown.
In Revelation 3:4,5; 6:11; 7:9 It talks about the Saints being clothed in white raiment, which is the righteousness of the Saints. As Believers we will and are clothed in the bright white raiment of the righteousness of Christ, not our righteousness but Christs righteousness in us. It is only His righteousness that makes us acceptable to Him.

It is so important that we are clothed with the righteousness of God which is in Christ Jesus.
I think it's safe to say that in the light such a global event with such spiritual significance we can say that, "He is coming soon."

"And the Spirit and 'the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come."   Rev. 22:17

God bless
Philip

The Blood Avails

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness... So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him."
                                                    Hebrews 9:22,28

I think it is easy to forget the immense sacrifice that Jesus paid at the Calvary's Cross, and to forget that it was a very bloody scene. I think Satan would like nothing more than that a bloodless Gospel be preached. As this verse says, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness..."

Christ's blood was sinless and perfect seeing how He was conceived of the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb. With His sinless sacrifice it brought life to all who will accept Him. It brought the cleansing of sin from ones heart the purifying of ones conscious and the freedom from sin and Satan's dominion.
There is no demon to powerful than the blood of Jesus.

Today lets thank our wonderful Lord for shedding His blood for our sins.

prayer:
Thank you Lord Jesus for the price you paid, for bearing all my sin and shame. I thank You that you came willingly to this earth to take my place and died for my sins. I thank You for shedding your blood, may I be immersed in Your blood today. I praise You Lord. Amen

Contrite and Humble Spirit

"For thus saith the high and loftly One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
                                                 Isaiah 57:15


Its interesting to note that God dwells in the high and holy place with the one who is contrite and humble in spirit.
I think most of the time contrition and humility is looked down upon as something that is low and weak. But we clearly see in this verse that God loves and invites only those who are of humble and contrite heart to dwell with Him in the high and holy place. The place where His Presence is.

For example the Scripture says that Moses was the meekest (humble) man on earth at his time and yet God used Him to deliver 2 million people from the grasp of a cruel dictator. Jesus said come and learn of Me for I am meek and lowly in heart.

As Christians we are to have a humble and contrite heart, this is what God loves and desires.
May we be yielded and contrite in heart today knowing that God is our source, He is our refuge, He is our all in all.

prayer:
Lord Jesus I thank You that You said come and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls. Lord I pray that I will walk in humility and meekness knowing that it is only by your grace and love that I can live for You. Give me strength today in Jesus Name. Amen

Living in the Spirit

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
                                                                                   Romans 8:12-15

I believe the hardest thing for a Believer is to live in the Spirit. To daily live in harmony with the Holy Spirit, where He is central to our lives. It's difficult because everything in this worlds system is opposed to our walking in the Spirit.

The church where I attend just finished an incredible event where non-stop worship was offered to the Lord for 50 hours. The hours that I attended were wonderful, you immediately sensed the Presence of God just walking into the sanctuary and it was easy to enter into the worship.

But that time is over and many of us are back to our jobs and daily routines and God desires that we live daily yielded to the Holy Spirit, not our sinful desires and bents, but to put those to death by yielding to the Holy Spirit every second of every day.

Prayer:
Father I thank you that Your Word is sharper than a two-edged sword dividing soul and spirit. I pray for a renewed fire to live according to Your will and desires and not my own, may I stay yielded to Your Spirit. I praise Your Name. In Jesus Name, amen.

*Please leave a comment if this blog is a blessing to your life.
Philip  

Everlasting Word

"The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely (all) the people are like grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."
                                                                         Isaiah 40:7-8


It is encouraging to know that God's Word stands forever. Even in tough times God's Word is still true, when people are compromising and saying that there is no absolute truth, God's Word stands true. On moral issues the Word of God does not change, His Word is still the same.

Recently, one of the students that I work with in an after school program accidentally left a plant in school that her teacher had given her to take home. On the following Monday I found it withered and wilted. It had not received sunlight nor water for 3 days and  had died. In such a short period it was gone.

Isn't it wonderful to know that the Bible, is relevant and powerful and alive and will not change. God's Word is everlasting, and stands alone. Amen.

prayer:
Father I thank You for Your Word that is powerful, alive and sharper than any two edged sword. I pray for a renewed hunger for Your Word, let It be my only desire and hunger. I praise You Lord. Amen.





  

Kindness

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

                                                       Matthew 5:43-48 

If there was someone who had a "right" to fight back and treat others harshly it would have been the Lord. Unjustly arrested, unjustly tried, lied against, unjustly condemned and unjustly crucified. Yet, he prayed for those who persecuted Him.

No where in Scripture do we as New Testament Believers have the "right" to mistreat others, even though (as we believe) they might deserve it. Even God causes His sun to shine and His rain to fall on the evil and the good. If we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is, it is to love all; even our enemies and those we dislike the most.

Today lets be kind and considerate to those around us, in Christ-like humility. 

prayer:

Father, thank you for your Word. I pray that I will be kind and considerate to others and love them, even though I may not like them. May I love others as You love them, I praise You. In Jesus name, amen.  

Set Apart

"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
                                                                    1Thessalonians 5:23

As Believers we are all called to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

The other day I was watching a spot on TBN about the Christian players on both teams of this past Sunday's Super Bowl. One player was being interviewed and he mentioned how there are many on the team who call themselves Christians but don't walk the "walk". In other words they claim the name of Jesus but their daily lives fall short of living by His principles.

This is what the Apostle Paul is expressing in this verse. That it is God's desire that we are sanctified through and through; that our spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless until we meet the Lord face to face. God desires purity in our motives, our actions, our thoughts, our desires, in everything that we do, that we are allowing the Lord to set us apart for Him in all areas of our entire being. That we will be consecrated wholly to Him.

Today lets allow the Holy Spirit to work His mighty convicting and cleansing touch in our lives.

prayer:
Lord Jesus help me be set apart entirely for You. That You would sanctify and cleanse every area of my life, that I would not just name your Name over my life, but I would daily walk pleasing to You. Thank You Lord. Amen. 

He is our Peace

"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen"
                           Romans 16:20

In times of difficulties and trials its comforting to know that God is a God of peace. The Scripture says that His peace surpasses all our understanding. That it will keep our hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
We do not need to be pulling our hair out and stressing over things, in Christ we can have peace that will keep us secure. Sometimes its easy to get caught up in the natural stresses that come with life, but God's Word promises that we don't need to fret and stress like the world because He is our peace and He desires that we rest in His peace.

Know today, He is your peace that surpasses all natural understanding.

prayer:
Lord Jesus I thank you that You are my peace, when things are not going the way I think they should You promised to be with me in the midst of the storm. Thank You that You are in control, give us peace in our circumstances. I praise You, Amen.

Bless the Lord

"BEHOLD, BLESS the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who serve by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth."
                                                                     Psalm 134 (NAS)

In this Psalm King David is exhorting all those who were assigned to sing and minister to the Lord in the Tabernacle. You could say they were "professional" singers and worshipers, it was their job to continually praise the Lord and exalt Him 24 hours a day. What an incredible job and experience this must have been.

As New Testament Believers we too are exhorted from this Psalm to continually bless the Lord, at all times and in all circumstances. We are kings and priests to the Lord, and it is marvelous to know that we can bless the Lord at anytime. We do not need to be in church or with other Believers, we are exhorted to bless the Lord at all times.

Today, let us set aside some time to worship and bless Jesus and exalt Him; because He is worthy.

prayer:
Lord Jesus, I bless Your name today. You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, You made the heavens, the earth and everything in it. I praise You that You are King of all. Thank you for life, and all the blessings You have given me, may I never forget each one. I praise You Lord. Amen. 

The Fruit of Our Lips

"A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence."

                                                      Proverbs 13:2

I believe the Holy Spirit is clearly saying that our lives become the product of our words.

I think this is the reason why we find so many Psalms that say, "Praise the Lord, bless the Lord, sing unto the Lord..." we literally feed our souls by the words that come out of our mouths. We eat and nourish our spiritual man (inner man) by the fruit of our lips. 

That is why it is so important to Praise the Lord and audibly bless Him, because we are strengthening and building ourselves up.
In addition, as we spend time in prayer, through our words we are changed into the likeness of God. We receive the greatests benefits from prayer because we become changed and made into His image.

Today lets see the necessity of blessing the Lord and praising Him with our words, as we will reap the benefits. 

prayer:

Lord Jesus help us to see the importance of our words and the power that is in them. Let our mouths exalt You and magnify You at all times, because we are changed when we do. I Praise Your Name, In Jesus Name. Amen.

High and Lifted Up

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple."
Isaiah 6:1


It's impacting to see how Isaiah described His vision of the Lord. He saw the Lord sitting on His throne, which is "high and lifted up". This description clearly gives the significance that God is exalted above everything. He is in control, looking down. He is above all and what is happening below does not affect who He is or change Him.


I believe this description is so great because it allows me to see the Lord as being in control, and if He is then I do not need to be anxious or worry about circumstances; because my faith is in the Lord and not on what is happening around me.


Today lets see the Lord "High and Lifted Up" and His train filling the temple.


prayer:
Thank you Father that You are in control and nothing takes you by surprise. Let me see You as You are, exalted above everything else. I praise You, in Jesus name. Amen.

Whole-Hearted

"They who are willfully contrary in heart are extremely disgusting and shamefully vile in the eyes of the Lord, but such as are blameless and wholehearted in their ways are his delight!"

Proverbs 11:20 (Amp)

The King James version says "upright" in heart. The Amplified says "blameless and wholehearted".

God desires that we are whole hearted in living for him. There are many times when I have become half-hearted in my walk with the Lord, and the Lord desires that I put my whole heart into serving Him.

Lots of times I find it easy to become distracted by many things, and usually they are not "sinful" things; but little by little as they take root in my heart I find myself being half-hearted in my devotion to the Lord.

Let's give ourselves whole-heartedly to serving and living for the Lord.

prayer:

Lord Jesus may I be whole hearted in serving You. Not letting anything or anyone take the place of my devotion to You. I love you Lord, in Jesus Name. Amen.

New Year

Happy New Year!

This New Year's eve I spent at home. I was going to a service online, but for some reason the video was not streaming. So it happened that I would spend time in prayer till the new year rolled in. My mom was with me and we felt to take communion as the time came close.

During our time of prayer the Lord was very real and present. I was meditating on what Scriptures would be right for this occasion and it came to mind Matthew 9:16-17, where Jesus says that no man can sow a new piece of cloth onto an old garment and no one puts new wine into old bottles because the bottles will break and the wine will spill out. I realized that this past year had its ups and downs for me. There have been failures and victories, but as I move into the new year I need to put the failures behind and look to the future. What happened in the past, happened in the past and its no use going over them again and again. The Lord desires to do a new work in our lives, but we cannot go into the new year wondering about the past.

Greater things are to come in 2011, much greater things than the past year.

Thank you Lord that You desire for us to look forward and not backward. Let Your presence come and fill this new year as we seek You. In Jesus name. Amen