"BORN AFTER MIDNIGHT"

"Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter,
"Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the
Hebrew women that she may nurse the child
for you?"
                                                      Exodus 2:7


Dark times often require desperate measures,
don't they? As difficult as circumstances may
be, however, they do provide a opportunity to
exercise faith in God's deliverance and to do
what pleases Him. Jochebed's attempt to save
Moses shows that she chose the way of faith.
Let's take a look at what happened as a result
of her bold choice to trust God.
   How convenient for the princess. Practically
the instant her maid drew the basket from the
Nile, a Hebrew servant girl came out of
nowhere to help provide someone to breast-
feed the baby. Pharaoh daughter told Miriam,

    "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the
     Child's mother. (V.8).

Can you imagine Jochebed's joy when she saw
Miriam smile as the girl ran to tell her good
new? What a blessing from God! And
sometimes, God blesses us beyond what we
ever imagine.

    Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Take
     this child away and nurse him for me and
     I will give you your wages." So the woman
     took the child and nursed him (v.9).

Jochebed not only received her child back,
But now she would receive pay for rearing
him he was at least two or even three years
old. The money in her hand certainly paled
in comparison to the baby in her arms, but
what a wonderful confirmation from God.
She stepped out in faith, asking only for the
life of her child, and He in turn responded
with more than she ever imagined.
    Not all of us born midnight, but at some
point, we all pass through dark, moonless
night n our spiritual walks. Sometimes this
happen in the context of relationships;
a difficult friend, an ugly divorce, an abusive
relative. Sometimes our circumstances attempt
to smother our faith: poverty, poor health, or
Constant moving from home to home.
     Whatever the situation, we have a decision
to make when those times come. We can either
despair, descending into bitterness and anger,
or we can respond in the spirit, which will lead
us to greater faith and effectiveness for God.
Jochebed could have fallen into a depression
over losing her son. She could have become
angry, fought the system, and despised her
 situation. Instead, she responded in faith, and
she and Moses became powerful tools in God
hand.
    Has a dark midnight enveloped your life
What decision will you make? Have depression
anger already begun to take root in your heart?
How can you pull those weeds from your life?

"FOR A WHILE"

"I consider that our present suffering are not
  worth comparing with the glory that will be
revealed in us.
                                                   Romans 8:18


 Suffering is a fact  of life. It strike young and
old, rich and poor. It's root cause is sin. We all
suffer from sickness and disease because we
live in a sinful world. Who could describe all
the forms of physical, mental and spiritual
suffering as they exists in our world today?
    Thank God that in his suffering Servant he
given us an answer to suffering. Our substitute
suffered it all. He suffered trial, temptation,
poverty, pain, sorrow, rejection and death. He
was indeed a man who was familiar with
suffering. Jesus suffered so that we would not
have to suffer the eternal torment of hell.
     That accomplished fact directly affect our
view, as God's people, on suffering. By faith
in Christ we know that God is our living
Father. In our Father's hand suffering is a tool
by which he would draw us closer to himself,
train us or give us an opportunity to witness to
his undeserved love.
   Many of us have experienced passing through
a period of suffering. We learned from that
experience that man!s life truly does not consist
in the amount of things he possesses. God's
Promises became even more valuable, and in
that way he drew us closer to himself.
    We all experience the suffering which our
Father sends into our lives as discipline.
Scripture says, "God disciplines us for our
good, that we may share in His Holiness. No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but
painful. Later on, however, it produced a
harvest of righteousness and peace for those
who have been trained by it."
    Sometimes God permits suffering to come
Upon us so that by faithful patience and
endurance we might witness to others.
Seldom do we think of suffering as
opportunity, but often that's what it is.
    In the middle of suffering we can at times
lose perspective. Our word about life for
 today puts all suffering into perspective.
When all is said and done, it isn't worth
Comparing with the heavenly glory and
joy that awaits us. Because it is done, it is
finished! Glory to God!

sharing in God's nature.

"He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through that you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world causes by evil desires."

2 Perer 1:4

Just as the great and precious promise of the
Old Testament was the seed of the woman,
the Messiah, so the great promise if the New
Testament is the Holy Spirit. Those who
receive the promises of the Gospel are
renewed in the spirit of their mind, after the
image of God in knowledge, righteousness,
and holiness. Their heart are set for God and
His service, and they have a heavenly
disposition in their soul.
 This is what it means to participate in the
divine nature. Through the Lord Jesus we
have a share index God' nature a portion of who He is.
  When I was  young in the faith, I though having "a share in God's nature" meant coping the Lord's lifestyle, mimicking His Mannarisms, striving to follow Him as closely as I could God is over there, though, I am here, and I close the gap between us. Little did I realize that with
Holy Spirit residing in may heart, there was no gap. I could actually participate In the divine nature and be intimately One with the Lord.

"Defense and Testimony"

"They ought to have been here before you to
object if they had anything against me. Or else
let those who are here themselves say if they
Found any wrongdoing in me while I stood
before the council"                    Acts 24:19-20


Paul has answered two of the Jews' accusation.
He now turns to the third: "He even tried to
profane the temple'"(24:6a).!. Paul begin by
telling Felix that he was away from Judea for
many years indeed, except for his belief visit
at the conclusion of his second missionary
journey (18:22). he was absent from the
province for nearly a decade. But when he did
return from his journeys in Gentile lands, it
Was not to stir dimension or to intentionally
profane the temple. Rather, he came bearing
gifts to the Jewish believers from their
Gentile brothers. Ironically, it was Jews from
those Gentile lands in Asia who found him
in the temple, but he was "neither with a mob
nor with tumult," and he was undergoing and
had nearly completed the rituals, of
purification (21:27). In short, Paul asserts that
 he has.  Done nothing that. Warrants trial
before the Jews, much less the Roman
governor.
      Paul brings out the fact that his case
 started with in accusation by the Asian
Jews, not the Jews of Jerusalem. That being
the case, the Asians should be present before
Felix to make  their changes. On the hand,
those who are present  the high priest and
elders did not witness the scene  in the
temple. They are qualified to testify only
concerning those things Paul said in his
Appearance before the Sanhedrin, and the
only possible  statement with which they
can take issue had to do with his hope of a
resurrection of the dead. "Paul states that
when he was before the Sanhedrin he
uttered only one critical sentence, and it
pertained not to the political concerns of
Of the Romans but to the theological
concern of Jews and Christians,"
Dr., Simon Kistemsker writes. "This
means that the point of conflict between
Ananias and Paul in a theological issue
that ought to be discussed in Jewish
 ecclesiastical court." With just a few
words, Paul has skillfully undermined
 the credibility  of his accusers and show
that his case does not concern the
Roman Empire.
     It is worth noting that even as Paul
defends himself, he functions as a witness
for Christ by mentioning the resurrection
Of the dead, the hope of eternal life that
is precious to all believers. He speaks
of it before Sanhedrin (23:6) and
Governor Felix (24:15,21). "This doctrine
is fundamental to the Christian faith and
fearlessly [Paul] proclaim it everywhere,"
Kistemaker writes.
      You may never testify about your faith
In a court of the Law. You may not have
Paul's or stick skills. No matter. You must
live and speak of your God day by day.
Never hesitate to bring up spiritual things.
You will face ridicule and anger. But your
testimony may be used in ways you
cannot imagine. Simple speak and trust
God for the results.

"YES and AMEN"

"The Step of a good man are ordered by the Lord"
                                                            Psalm 37:23

       In his book for children,  The Chance World,
Henry Drummond describe a place in which
nothing is predictable. The sun may rise, or it not.
The sun might suddenly appear at any hour, or
the moon might rise instead of the sun. When
children are born in Drummond's fantasy world,
they might have one head or a dozen heads, and
their head or heads may not be positioned
between their shoulder.
       If one jumps into the air in the 'chance
world,"It is impossible to predict whether the
person will ever come down again. That he
came down yesterday is no guarantee he will
come back the next time. Gravity and all the
other natural law Change from hour to hour.
        Having blown the fog of misperceptions
away, Jesus now awakens our dull minds with
a couple of sharp reproofs.
First, we fail to analyze the present time in
which we live.
       And He was also saying to the multitudes,
"When you see a cloud rising in the west,
 immediately you say, 'A shower is coming.'
and do it turns outs. And when you see s south
wind blowing, you say, it will be a hot day,'
and it turns that way.
       The Scripture promise us that the Lord
changes not. He is the same yesterday, today
and forever. (See Hebrews 13:8). Furthermore,
 His natural laws do not change unless He
authorized their change for good of His people.
 His commandments do not change. His
promises to us are sure promises. We can know
with certainty, "The steps if a good man are
ordered by the Lord.
        The Lord may have some surprise for you
 today they are part of His on going creation in
your life. But His surprises are always custom-
design for you on the rock-solid foundation of
His love. It is always His desire that you
experience the highest and the best in your life.
You can count on Him! your step of a
good man are ordered by the Lord.
Given Him thank and say yes and Amen!

"OUR HEART"

"For where your treasure is, there will your
  heart be also.        
                                                   Luke 12:34


The secret lies in Our Hearts
Jesus concludes His lesson in vertical living
 with a principle that points to the heart of
the matter.
Where is your heart? Is your love buried in a
bank vault? Is your joy printed on a business
ledger? Is your life wrapped around your
house and all the things in it? Or is your hope
sin heaven with Christ? Whenever you're
stockpiling your treasure, that's where your
heart will be.
What Must Change to make Vertical Living
Occur? Why Did Jesus offer this instruction
Jesus' parable of the rich fool taught us that
life is not about possession. Contrary to the
popular bumper sticker, those who die with
the most toys aren't winner. They're fools
for spending all they have to accumulate
things death only strips away. They go
Through life wearing spiritual blinders,
always thinking horizontally, never lifting
their eyes to see things God's perspective.
Thankfully, in Luke 12: 22-34, Jesus teaches
us how to have that  vertical view so that our
energies can be spent on what really matters
in life.
How can we Live Vertical Lifestyle
Turning from the crowd (vv13-15), Jesus
now addresses His disciples (v.22a)-making
a subtle but important point. Jesus leave us
Clue. Only Disciple of Christ is capable of
living a vertical lifestyle. Why? Because it
takes a heart open to the Spirit's ways at the
cost of getting our own way. Disciple devote
Themselves to growing in and being
conformed  to Christ image. And as they
mature, they learn to think and see and live
like Him. (See 1 Cor. 2:6-16).
What Must Change to Make Vertical Living
Occur?
Life doesn't consist of our possession. It
Consist of seeking God!s Kingdom, of filling
out purses with celestial gold,of becoming
rich toward God. So how do we in read our
heavenly treasure? First we have to change
how think before things happen. We must say
to ourselves, I want God's wil, not mine. Then
we'll see the situation in each day differently.
We'll be able  to find opportunities to display
Christ's character and the qualities  of His
kingdom.
Also, we must change how we react after
thing happens.?Most of us, by nature react
horizontally. We panic I the storm. We worry,
We fear. We cling to possession tightly.
Instead, let's train ourselves to react vertically.
No crash on Wall Street can depreciate the
Values  of our heavenly assets. They're stored
for us in God's vaults, ready to pay us rich
 dividends the moment we step into glory.

"consequences and Sin'

"Therefore, since we have been justified through
Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ.                      
                                                           Romans 5:1


DOES IT REALLY MATTER any more what
you do, as long what is happening in our world
    "I deserve what I took," we rationalize.
"Everybody is doing it!" We content Moralist
say, "This is the way it has always been, so
why should  it be any different today?"
      This was the issue that Paul  confronted
When he wrote to the church at Rome. Back
Then, women were treated like chattel.
Homosexual was rampant. Yat even in that
culture these was a lime and when that lime
was crossed, individuals felt guilt. Seneca is
Quoted saying, "we have all sinned, some
more, some less."
      Imagine that we all have to jump over a
chasm 25 feet across. Some can jump 3 feet,
while others, 20. But the one who can jump 20
feet cannot boast to the others because he
still wasn't able to jump  fully across. We
Have all fallen short.
      The apostle Pail, in Roman 3:23 says that
"All have sinned," and then adds in
Romans 3:10 that "there is none righteous,
no not one!" But Paul has good need news as
well as bad Hedsys,  "But God demonstrates
his own love for us in this: while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
      The result, says Pail is peace with God.
Here's how he  put it. @@Therefore, since
we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained
access by faith into this grace in which we now
stand (Ronans 5:1-2).
       Many have never confronted the innocence
that was lost long ago when as an act of the
will we turned our backs on Hod and wandered
into the world. What humankind  lost,  Jesus
Restored, and peace is part of the
restored, and peace is part of the restoration
Package.

" navigating The Storm"

"He commanded and raises the stormy wind

  and He brings them out of theirs distress." Psalm 107: 25-28

The ancient people of the nation of Axum

(located on the Red Sea in modern Ethiopia)

discovered that the stormy winds of the 

monsoon season could be harnessed by sail

for speed navigation. Rather than dreading

the high winds and rain, they learned how to

navigate their way through the storm.

   Psalm 107 provides a wonderful word 

picture of how God allows storm to come

our way, and then provide help for us to

navigate through them. "He commanded
and raised the storm wind...and He brings
them out of their distresses" (107: 25-28).

   Trusting God for guidance in trouble
times biblical theme. (Hebrews. 1:1) lists
many who used their problems as a
opportunity to exercise faith and to
experience God grace, provision and
deliverance: "who, who through faith

subdued kingdoms.work righteousness 

obtained promises, stopped the mouth
of lions. Quenched the violence of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword, and out
of weaknesses were made strong"
(vv33-34). Stormy circumstances are
inevitable. Although our first reaction
may be to run From the problem, we
can instead ask God to teach us how to
trust  Him to navigate us through the
storm Here is a song.

              Who gave the rain

1.   who gave the rain

      He had commanded the cloud above

      to opened the door of heaven for us

      He's the king of the flood

      This revelation is given to us

Chorus: who gave the rain 3x 

Bridge: Both the former and the latter

              It is the season

2.   Who gave the rain

       He had commanded the storm
       Peace be still
       you are the Lord,
       the savior of the world

       Let's us break up
       our fallow ground 

       Till He come

       He comes and rain

    

   

"Literal Interpretation"

. . . in which are some things hard to understand,

Which untaught  and unstable people twist to their

own destruction, as they do also the rest of the 

scriptures.                                           2 Peter 3:16b

In verse 14-18 read: As we seek the meaning of 

biblical texts, we should be looking for the literal 

meaning. The idea of literal interpretation has a 

bad name today; at least  in some circles, it is 

associated with uneducated, backwards, anti-

intellectual Christians. But literal interpretation

is simply the term for a process that comes out of 

the Reformation and is closely linked to the

 grammatico historical interpretation school.

     Martin Luther did not invent literal interpre-

tation but he spoke of seeking the sensus 
literalis, the literal sense of the text. By that he
meant that we should seek the plain meaning of
the passage. In other words, we should interpret
the Bible according to its liters (Latin for "letter"),
 paying closely attention to its letters and  words.
Simply put, we arrive at the plain meaning of the
text by interpreting it according to standard rules
of grammar and syntax. In this sense, interpreting 

the Bible is no different from interpreting any 

other book.

     Luther emphasized this approach for a reason. 

In the Middke ages, a mystical approach to 

scripture arose. It was thought that the Bible 

contained many hidden, esoteric meanings, and 

interpreters had to crack the mystical code to get 

to the meaning of the text. For instance, a
 passage  noting that Paul went up to Jerusalem
might have  been interpreted to mean something
about going to heaven. Obviously, such an
approach set interpreters free to find all sort of
"Insight" the Bible was not trying to convey.
Luther was calling for a return to sobriety in the
use of the  Bible.

      The need us no less urgent today. Like their 

medieval forebears, modern Christians sometimes

use the Bible as a magical book, opening it and 

taking the first verse that meets theirs eye for 

guidance. The verse they find may have nothing 

to do with their situation, but it is perilously easy

to read a meaning into the text. Of course, God

can and does use Scripture in unusual ways to 

dramatically affect lives a classic example is that 

of Saint Augustine. Hearing children chanting

"Take up and read ," he opened the New 

Testament at "random" and read
Romans 13:13-14. But in his case, God used the
plain meaning of the passage to address his
licentious  lifestyles and lead him to repentance.
    The text intentions applied to him. And so he
was able to take it correctly as message from God
 to him Scripture is given for our guidance, but
only in its a plain sense. We must guard against
reading into it a meaning it does not convey. The
fact that the Bible is not always easy to
understand makes it simple to twist its meaning,
Guard against fanciful interpretations and always
weight your conclusions about a passage against
all of scripture.

"In Him"

"For there is one God and one mediator between
  God and men, the man Jesus Christ."
                                                   1 Timonthy 2 : 5


The ancient postcard to Philimon has a present
day Postmark, with our name on the forwarding
address. Let's look of the ways it applies to us.
Every Christian was once a fugitive. Enslaved
to sin through Adam's fall, we ran from God,
following our own paths instead of His. As
Isaiah wrote, "All of us like sheep have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own ways"
 (Isa. 53:6).
    Our guilt was great and our penalty was
severe. Like Onesimus, we lived in fear of
being found out. Guilt Tormented our souls,
and no matter where we ran, the grim
sentence of death hung over our heads. Grace
allow us the right of appeal. Pleading our case
was our Advocate Jesus Christ, who stood
before the Judge and mediated  on our behalf
(1 Tim.2:5). Christ said, "Charge to my account!
"With His blood, He paid the debt we owe the
Father for our sin (Col. 2:13-14). We are set
free!
    As a result, our Master has accepted us back
and Adopted us into His family. Arms opened
wide, The Father welcome us into His loving
embrace.
   Here is a song that Holy Spirit said write.

1.          The earth is for the Lord
              The fullness is in this world
              And those who dwells therein
              The heaven are yours,
              This earth is also yours
              and the world and the fullness
              thereof

Chorus: Oh Jesus Full of grace
               I'm save by His grace
                In Him

Bridge:  Jesus only Your name
               That we are save
                You come for the lost
                In your name that we
                Are save

2.            When the fullness of time
                Has come
                God send forth His only Son
                To save this world who dwells
                 therein
                He was born of a woman
                Born under the law
                To redeem and called me
                to be His son

"His Grace bring us Good Things"

"Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"

Roman 5:1

ISN'T GRACE RISK?
Sermon about salvation by grace alone often
open a can of theological worms that wriggle
their way into our minds. Isn't the gospel of 
peace risky? We ask ourselves as we squirm
in our pews. Certainly it is. Martin Lloyd-Jones,
pastor of England's Noted this risk in his
commentary on Romans. It is true that where sin abounded grace has much more abounded, well then, 'shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound yet further?
   First of all let me make a comment, to me a
very Important and vital comment. The true
preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace
alone always leads to the possibility of this
charge being brought against it. There is no
better text as to whether a man is really
preaching the New Testament gospel of
salvation than this, that some people might
misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean
that it really amounts of this, that because
you are saved by grace alone it does not
matter at all what you do, you can go on
sinning as much as you like because it will
rebound all the more to the glory if grace. That
is a very good test of gospel preaching. If my
preaching and presentation of the Gospel
salvation does not expose it to that
misunderstanding then it is not the gospel. 

 If a pastor preached legalism a message of
salvation base on the merits of one's works no
one will ever bring that charge against. But if
he preaches grace salvation by faith alone then
that is risky homietical business. In order for
anyone to stand before a just and holy God,
that person must be righteous. Hence the need
for justication.
  Therefore having been justify by faith,
     we have peace with God through our
       Lord Jesus Christ
Justification is s theological word we often take for Granted without taking the time to define. It refer to the sovereign act of God whereby He declares righteous the believing sinner while he or she is still in a state of sin. It doesn't mean that the believing sinner stop sinning or that the believing sinner is made righteous, in the sense sod being perfected. It means the person is declared righteous. It is a judicial pronouncement made on the basis of Christ's righteousness and His substitutionary death on the cross.To believe by grace and live by grace include the reality of risk. Most people
find this uncomfortable. Most want some
moral report card that objectively measure
their progress work provide that. But if works
are not the basis of our relationship with God,
then the reality of our faith is internal. It can
be seen and judged. Only by God.
   To be sure, there are those who abuse this
doctrine, saying they have truly believe when
they have not. And some live on the edge,
flirting with the world and squandering their
spiritual inheritance in prodigal indulgence.
But abuse is part of the risk that grace has
Chose to take.
The fear of its abuse is what causes many
ministers to refrain from emphasizing grace.
As a result, they emphasize works, provide
performance lists for people to live up to,
leave no room for gray areas, and cultivate
Judgmental attitudes toward those whimsy
not agree with them.
     Hear this, you? Such constructing yokes
are often an attempt to keep parishioners
 (worker) in line. But the line is not one
marked by scripture. It is a legalistic line
drawn more from the personal  preferences
of the pastor or from the congregation itself.
      That is not the yoke the Lord Jesus offers
(Matt. 11:28-30). He said, "You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make us free..
If therefore the Son shall make you free, you
shall be free indeed" (John 8:32,36).
All newfound freedom comes to us by grace.
God gives  us grace to believe a faith that is not deserved; and He gives us grace to live----
 a lifestyle that is not
dictated.

"THE FLIPSIDE OF YOUR STRENGTH"

"Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus
 Christ, the Father of compassion and the God
of all comfort, who comfort us in our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble with
the comfort we ourselves have receive from
God."                                    2 Corinthians 1:3-4


Before we can give to others, we first have to
receive it ourselves see our heading verse, the
question is Grace: It's Really Accepting.

Grace not only gives with joyful generosity,
but it receives with grateful humility. When a
person truly experiences a grace awakening,
there is not only a desire to encourage, affirm,
and support others, there is also an accepting
attitude that allows others to reciprocate.
    As easy and simple as this may sound, it is
neither. It cut across the grain of our natural
tendency to be independent and invulnerable.
We want to be people who pull ourselves up
by our own bootstraps rather than people
who have to reach out for an extended hand
to be helped to our feet.
   For I found out, or many of us, the grace
of giving naturally; It's the receiving end of
grace that we have difficulty with. If this
describe you," this is for you.
The Flip Side of Several Strengths
   Self-reliant people often have a strong
commitment to character. But those who
believe so firmly in the pursuit of character
often forget that such pursuits can sometimes
have a downside. Four  problems come readily
to mind.
First: with a commitment to excellence there
can come an attitude of intolerance. There is
nothing wrong with fighting mediocrity, but
the casualities often become the very people
within our ranks who are fighting by our sides.
When we make perfection out standard instead
of accepting another's best we become unrealistic
in our expectations, forgetting the propensity
in all of us humans to err.
Second: With a lifestyle of discipline there can
come impatience and the tendency to judge, is
that you? Those who have discipline themselves
against overheating because your Quick to judge
a person to whom you know and you call it not
your friend. Then who is my friend? Ahh! I see?
Third: With a broad education and a love for
culture and arts, there can be a flip side  of
exclusive sophistication. If opera, for example,
is your thing, you probably recoil whenever you
hear the twangs of a country western song. As
aesthetically and emotionally satisfying as the
cultural world may be an air of sophistication
and exclusivity often accompanies it.
Fourth: With an emphasis on independence and
high production, there often the presence of pride.
If you are independent worker, an independent
thinker, or have become independent wealthy,
chance are good that you have a great deal of
pride. There's nothing  wrong with standing on
your own two feet, thinking for yourself,
or working hard, but it can lead to an attitude of feeling like
you don't need anyone else it resisting when someone
reaches out to you.

"The Power of The Word"

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in
their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of
the apostle, Men and brethren, what shall we  do?"
                                                                 Acts 2:37


Paul admonished Timothy to preach the word.
The Word has power to convict of sin. Read
Acts 2:37 Men's word fall as so many burnt
embers on the hearts of men. They do not bring
convictions. But something almost mystical is
seem about God's Word. For when it is given,
men are convicted of sin. God say in
Romans3:23: "For all haver sinned, and come
short of the glory of God." In Roman 6:23 He
says; "For the wages of sin is death." These
words prick the heart of men. We're to say it is
in my own words, or as something coming
from me, men would not be convicted.
Power of Regeneration
The Word has power to regenerate the soul.
 The word is the seed; sown in the heart, it
produces life, "Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which live the and abideth
forever" 1Peter 1:23 "Of his own will begat
he us with the word Of truth, that we should
be kind of firstfruits of his creation (Jas.1:18).
Therefore, in dealing with soul, I give him
the Word, or sow it in the heart. As the heart
closes around the word by faith, God the
spirit quickens it and gives the fruit. Man's
part is simple. He merely needs to sow the
Word in the power of the Holy Spirit, but
God's part is the mystery. "I have planted,
Apollos watered; but God gave the increase"
(1Cor.3:6). Therefore, when I quote John 1:12
to a soul and he, by simple faith, accept it ,
God grants him the power to become a son
of God. "But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the Sons of
God."
Jesus said to the woman at well that she
Should drink the water that He would give
her,? And it would spring up a well into
everlasting life. "But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life" (John 4;14).! Thus the Word,
given to a soul to a gives to a soul, when
Receive by faith  produces the miracle  of
regeneration.
All of this is by the power of the Holy Spirit,
who uses the Word. "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the
washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost" (Tit.3:5).

"Stand with God Promises"

"Put me in remembrance let us plead together;
    declare thou, that thou Mayest be justified.
                                                  ISAIAH 43:26


"Put me in remembrance. . . "What does God
mean by that? It means that we are to remind
God of His promises about prayer.
  When you pray, stand before  the throne of
God and remind Him of His promises. Lay
your case legally before Him, and plead it as
a lawyer. A lawyer is continually bringing up
law and precedent. You bring up God's Word.
Bring up His covenant promises.
   The margin of my King James reference
Bible shows "set forth thy cause" as another
meaning of "declare thou" in this verse. God
is asking you to bring His Word; to put Him
in remembrance, and to plead your covenant
rights. This is a challenge from God to lay the
matter before God. Be definite in your request.
Find Scriptures that definitely promise you
those things you need. When come to God
According to His Word, His Word does not
fail. Yes I believe in this promises. The Lord
Show me this and write it in a song Title,
"Remember me my Lord"
Accept the challenge of the covenant-
Keeping God! Put God in remembrance
of His promises plead your case,



          

"EDGE OF AUTHORITY"

"And they awake him, and say unto him,
Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and Rebuked the wind, and
said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the
wind ceased, and there was a great calm."  
                                            Mark 4:38-39

A great storm a tornado arose one spring
down in Texas. Most people had gone into
their storm  cellars. We didn't  have one.
I was bedfast  and almost totally paralyze
anyway. I became fearful. If the tornado
were to strike my corner room first,

because the wind was coming from that
direction.The house would cave in right
where I was!

   In desperation, and without thinking
whether or not I could do it, I said,
"Dear Lord, I'm your child. when those
disciple were about to sink, they
awakened You and said, 'Carest thou not
that we perish?' And Thou did care. You
awoke and rebuked  the wind. I know
You don't want me to perish, but I can't
get out of here. I'm here on this bed, and
this wall is about to blow in on top of me.
So I Now rebuked this storm in Jesus
Name!"

   As fast as you'd snap your. Finger The
storm stopped. It grew calm. I rejoiced.
 I didn't know then the Great truth about
the believer's authority. I had Gotten to the
edge of it and had exercised it without
really knowing what I had done. But God
wants us to get the revelation of the truth

of His Word so we can understand what
belong to us and use it in our lives.

"AN ETERNAL COVENANT"

Then the Lord said to Cain," why are you
angry? Why is your face downcast? If you
do what is right, will you not be accept?
But if you do not do what is right, sin
crouching at your door; it desires to have
you, but you must master it"
                                             Genesis 4:5-7


I HAVE ALWAYS been fascinated with the
story of Cain and Abel, the first two sons
of Adam and Eve. They may have been
twins. The Bible says that Eve conceived
once and delivered twice.
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she
conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have
acquire a man from the Lord," Then she
bore again, this time his brother Abel
( Gen. 4: 1-2).
They may have looked alike, but they chose
two different occupations.
   Now Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but
Cain was a tiller of the ground (Gen. 4-2)
After what their parent had experienced, it
was only natural that the children were
taught the principle of presenting gifts to
the Lord.
   And in the process of time it came to pass
that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of
the ground to the Lotd. Abel also brought of
the firstborn of his flock and of their fat
(Gen. 4:3-4)
Scripture records that "the Lord respected
Abel and his offering, (Gen. 4:4-5).
What was the difference? Why did God
accept one offering and reject the others?
The answer is found in Hebrew 11:4.
    By faith Abel  offered to God a more
excellent sacrifice than Cain, through
which he obtained witness that he was
righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and
through it he being dead still speaks.
It was "by faith" that Abel offered a blood
sacrifice to the Lord. We know that "faith
comes by hearing" (Rom.10:17$, so it's
reasonable to assume the two sons knew
the power of the blood because their
parents shared their experience in the
garden.
  How did Abel know to offer a blood
sacrifice? I believe Adam and Eve told
their sons what God expected. I believe
God gave a revelation of the blood
covenant to the first man and woman
when He sacrifice animals to atone for
their sin and clothed them with skins that
may have been wet with blood
(Gen.3:21). It was a sign of the
redemption and deliverance that was
to come. No doubt Eve wondered,
"Which one of my sons will bruise the
serpent's head? (Gen3:15)
 Both sons knew that God demanded a
Blood covenant. That is why Gid ask
will you not be accept" (Gen. 4:6-7,NIV).
Cain knew what was right, but he didn't
do it. Instead he offered a gift of vege-
tation, and Hod refused it.
    Abel, however, was obedient to Lord.
By faith he offered an animal sacrifice
the "first fruits" of his flock. The substitute
Blood wass by Abel from a heart of love
and trust. He was teaching out to be in
Covenant with the Lord.
Cain offered a gift, but it was not what
God required. There is a great difference
Between presenting what the Lord demands
and merely giving a present.

"How Jesus Handled Compliment and Crowds"

"And it came about while He said these things,
one of the women in the crowed raised her
 voice, and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb
that bore You, and the breast at which You
nursed." But He said, "On the contrary, blessed
are those who hear the word of God, and
observe it."
                                                    Luke 11:27-28


Success can be the answer to our prayer, but it
can also snap our spiritual moorings, pull us
away from God, and eventually sink our
ministries. Yet, if we follow Christ's example,
these hazards don't have to happen. Let's look,
then, at Luke 11 and see how Jesus handled
two aspect of success that put any leader at risk:
An Analysis of Jesus with His Large group 
of Followers
Having vanquished a demon and "by Beelzebul"
(Luke 11: 15), Jesus certainly had a rapt crowed
to teach God's truth. One woman in particular,
Impacted by His wisdom and depth of character,
couldn't contain her enthusiasm. Praise burst out
of her heart, drowning out His voice and the
very teaching she loved. What's a teacher to do?
   Leadership is hazardous work. Unexpected
criticism falls from nowhere. Self-doubt and
discouragement trigger emotional cave-ins. And
Pride, the most  dangerous peril, sucks us under
before we even realize we've been standing in
its quicksand.
   Author Eugene Peterson lets us know what
happens when we stumble into that third pitfall,
Pride.
We who regularly speak in the name of God to
the people around us easily slip into speaking
in godlike tones and assuming a godlike posture.
The moment we do that even slight any deference
to us or defiance of us can lead us into taking on
a God-identity. We are, after all, speaking God's
word. When people praise us, there is something
God-honoring in what they say. When people 
reject us, there is something God-defying in the 
way they act. In either case our vocational 
identification with God's cause and God's work
make us vulnerable to mistaken god-identities.
Anyone who has achieved a position of spiritual
influence whether pastor or layperson, whether
at home or in the church, whether at work or in
the community is at risk. Gaining a following
May have its blessing, but it surely has its
liabilities as well.
How He Handle a Compliment let us read
(Luke 11:27-28).
So the woman spoke out of place, but can we
fault her? It takes courage to say what's on our
hearts to someone we admire. She meant well,
and Jesus didn't fault her either. Instead, He
broadened her misdirected praise into an
instructive principle: The truly blessed are
those who hear His words and choose of their
own accord to obey them.
    Jesus' gentle honesty teaches us to receive
compliments carefully and humbly. A simple
"thank you" is usually appropriate. But, when
ever possible, we should try to expand the
compliment to include others. Humble leaders
know that many people deserve the credit,
 not just themselves.
   Also, remember what Jesus said earlier: "woe
to you when all men speak well of you" all
applause and no criticism isn't necessarily a
good thing. If we're speaking God's truth,
 we're bound to offend some people.
Remembering that criticism is inevitable
keeps our feet on the ground and our souls
attuned to the Spirit.

"Mapping your circumstances"

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers,
against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly places."    
                                               Ephesians 6:12


I began wearing reading glasses at the age
of 40 far sighted I meant. This all sort of
lenses help us get a better look at our beautiful
world. Microscopic cameras invite doctors to
peer into the inner workings of our bodies,
while gigantic telescopes let astronomers keep
an eye on vast, unreachable galaxies. We're
sure come a long way since Benjamin Franklin's
 first pair of bifocals! Yet no matter how
advanced our technology becomes, no lens will
ever bring into focus the invisible world of spirits.
    If only we could peek beyond the haze of our
earthly atmosphere into realm of angels. What
incredible sight we would see! Legions of mighty
beings moving across the sky, skirmishes
between the forces of light and darkness, a never-
ending battle taking place right before  us. We
may never get a glimpse of this spiritual conflict,
yet the battle does exist. Paul says that in
(Eph. 6:12).
   You've probably sensed the struggle thought
you may not have realized it at the time. For
instance, have you ever tried to understand
biblical truth and felt blocked? Or been unable
to get certain self-destructive thoughts off your
mind? Or shameful images keep playing over
on over on your mental screen? These are
spiritual battled, and they rage all around us
 Constantly Unrelentingly. Viciously.
   While on earth, Jesus drew our demonic foes
into the open so we could get a good look at
their hideous nature. Then, from His example,
we'll map out our battle strategies for our own
fight with the Enemy. In a battle, it is imperative
to identify our enemy. If you Are not aware of the
point of your attack, you are vulnerable. Paul had
many enemies. Some resented him, others hated
him, and others wanted to kill him. Some,Who
were supposedly on his side, Sought to harm him
and his ministry (Acts 9:23; 2 Tim 4:14).
     Be alert to the spiritual warfare around you.
It is real and potentially destructive to you and
those you care about. Knowing your real foe will
protect you from bitterness and unforgiveness.
Your hope lies in the reality that "He who is in
you is greater than he who is in the world ."
Give to Jesus He's who has already defeated
your enemy.
 

"Facing the Adversary Today"

"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given
among men, by which we must saved ."
                                                              Acts 4:12


Jesus doesn't explain this to frighten us but to
prepare us. The simple truth is this: without
Christ, we have no hope. But with Him, we can
win the invisible war. Three vital strategies for
victory come to the forefront as we reflect on
this passage.
  First, to understand Satan's strategy, we need
information we need the word of  God. The
Bible is our guide handbook. Decoding our
Enemy's scheme to help us plot his defeat. So
before scrambling through a library or bookstore
to do reconnaissance on Spiritual warfare, first
go to the Book.
  Second, withstand Enemy attacks we need
protection we need the armor of God Paul lists
our equipment as truth, righteousness, the gospel,
Faith, salvation, the Lord prayer (see
 Eph.6:13-18). By doing this armor and
wielding these scriptural weapons, we can
Effectively defend ourselves against the
Devil's deadliest arrows.
   Third, to be protected from demonic
infiltration, we need salvation we need the
Gift of God. Do you long for spiritual relief?
Have you ever received the gift of forgiveness
Christ bought for you on the Cross? Jesus is your
only hope of freedom from Satan's power and the
Hold of sin. As Scriptural tells us (Acts 4:12).

"Your Spirit will Agree With Mine"

"God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms
who we really are. We know who he is, and we
know who we are: Father and children.

Roman 8:16(KJV) 

  I communicate through My Spirit. I know that's hard to understand. But My Spirit is communicating something majorly important to you right now. My Spirit is telling you who I am. He's telling you who you are and whose you are: I am your Father You are My child. It's so important for you to know and believe this.
Check it out for yourself. If you turn down all the other noises in your life the TV, CD player, and your computer video games and get alone with Me, you'll know what My Spirit is saying "Your Father loves you! Trust and believe."  It is impossible to perceive all that became ours
when we were born again. There is no way we
can understand all that heaven is like. How could we ever comprehend all that is ours as fellow heirs Christ? The knowledge that we will share Christ's inheritance with Him absolute astounds us! Left to our own, we could not begin to understand all we received once we became children of the King. The Holy Spirit convince us that we are indeed children of God and helps us understand the riches of our inheritance.
   Perhaps you did not have a loving father. The
Spirit's role is to teach you and me how to
respond to a Father who relates to you only in
perfect love and how to live like a child of the
King. Perhaps you grew up in poverty. The Spirit will show you the inexhaustible riches available to you as a child of God. If you were simply declared an heir then left on your own, you could not begin to use your inheritance. But the Father has given you His Spirit to serve as your Guide and Teacher. The Holy Spirit
will lead you to the magnificent promise and
resources that became available when God
adopted you into His Family. Take time to
mediate on the wonderful promises of God that are available to you Lets the Holy Spirit convince you of the reality that you are indeed, a child of God and fellow heir of Christ.

"My OFFER STILL STAND"

"Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
no one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?
                                    --Isaiah 43:13

There is an important difference between
doing something for people and doing
Something for God. God always deserve
our best effort. People will disappoint us,
neglect us, and mistreat us, some will
constantly ask for what we an give while
Offering nothing in return. From our
human perspective, these people deserve
our minimal effort at best. What then
should motivate us to serve people, except
our love for God? God deserve our love,
and He demand that we love other in the
same way He does.
Don't you hate it when people promise
something good, and then they change
their mind? "Oh, I would have bought
that for you, but they raised the price."
"I know I said I'd be there, but something
important came up." I'm not like that. If
say I'll be there, I'll be there.
When I do something no one can  undo it.
I have chosen you to be part of My family,
and that offer is always open. I will never
withdraw it. I want to spend as much time
with you as I can. I am never too busy for
you---ever! I love you, and I always want
to be with you. That will never change.
(Isaiah 43:13),

"MEMORIZING"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways m ways,' declares the Lord. "As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
Ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts.'"                   --Isaiah 55:8-9


There's hardly a Christian who doesn't wish his
thought life were more pure. After all, the first
and greatest commandment is love Lord with all
our . . . mind Memorizing God's Word is the best
way to rebuild your thoughts. Committing portion
of Scripture to memory is like thinking God's
thoughts after Him. When we think that way, our
mind can't help but be elevated.
   Also, memorizing large  portion of Scripture
gives us insight into understanding the very
thought structure of our Lord. Through memo-
riding, we can appreciate the way God thinks!
And that, more than anything else, will heighten
your thoughts life to a pure level.
   There is a story told of a family living on the
edge of a desert who were amazed to see that
flowers had sprouted in the salty sand behind
their home. No one could figure out how this
happened, since they had tried for months to
grow vegetables and flowers. The mystery
was solved when someone realized the mother
had been throwing her dishwater out the back
door every day. After many months and many
disowns of water the salt was washed out of
the sand. That's why flowers were able to
grow.
    As we soak our mind with Scripture, old and
impure thoughts will be washed away. New
thoughts--God's thoughts--will find a home in
our mind
I want to think Your thoughts, Lord, and fill 
my mind with your ideas. Help me to elevate 
my thinking toward Your level as You lead me
deeper into Your Word. And show me today
what thoughts of Yours that You would have 
me memorize.@

" You are Precious One"

"Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast
been honorable, and I have love thee.
                                                          Isaiah 43:4


   A young women named Jane volunteers at a
church agency that served the poor and
homeless of her city. One day Jane met George,
 who had come in to get some help. Winter was
 coming and he needs a jacket and some shoes
to help keep him warm.
    He took a seat in the chapel, because the
waiting room was crowded and noisy. When he
indicated he wanted a Bible, Jane went to get
one for him while he waited his turn in the
clothing room. When she returned wth a Bible,
she sat down to talk with him for awhile.
     George looked like he as in his 50's or early
60s. His thin hair was beginning to gray. Deep
lines marked his face. His hands were stiff and
he had lost part of one finger. It was 1:30 in the
afternoon, and he smelled slightly of alcohol. He
was a short, slight man, and he spoke softly. He
had come into the agency alone, and Jane
wondered if he had any family or anyone who
knew or cared that he existed.
    Jane wrote George's name in the front of his
 Bible along with the date. Then she showed him
the study passages.
     As they talked, the though occurred to Jane:
George is one of God's very  precious creatures.
She wondered if George knew. She wondered how
 long it had been since someone had told him.
What if he had never been told he was precious to
God and to all God's other children as well?
    George had very little influence or stature, but
God spoke to Jane through him that day, "My
children need to know they are precious to Me.
Please tell them that."
Since then she has made that message a part of
every encounter she has at the church agency.
    Ask the Lord how you might share the message,
"You are precious to God." With other today
through your words and actions.
In Psalm 90:12 : So teach us to number out days,
That we may present to thee a heart of wisdom.
If we live wisely, we can approach old age with a
song instead of a sigh.
      O satisfy us in the morning with thy
      Lovingkindness,
       That we may sing for joy and be glad
       All our days.
So the principle we derive from Psalm 90 is this:
Since everyday is a gift from God, live each one
enthusiastically for Him.

"NEW-WINE Truth for the Twentieth Century"

(Hezekiah) remove the high places and broke down
the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He
also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses
had made, for until those days the sons of Israel
burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.
                                                         ---2Kings 18:4

   Two significant aplications jump out of the
 parable and hurdle the centuries.
First: our God is a God of freshness and change.
yeth He Himself doesn't change (Heb.13:8 His
character is fixed, but His action is fluid--like a
river flowing from the rock. Winding
circuitously, the works of God wash freshly over
 both Testaments.
   The Old Testament speaks of a new song a new
heart . .a new spirit. . . a new covenant. The new
Testament speak of a new birth. . a new creature.
a new commandment. . a new heaven and a new
earth. The Bible's last reference to new is found
in Revelation 21:5, where the Lord says that He's
"making all thing new."
    But traditionalism tends to resist the new and
retreat to the old. Remember the bronze serpent
God told Moses to hold up in the wilderness? It
Provided healing for those who were dying from
snakebites (see Num.21:8-9). For years Until at
last, God broke their tradition. Read the devotion
verse.
Second:significant fact emerging from Like 5 is
this: new wineskins are essential, not optional.
Most people are maintainers, not innovators.
 That's why traditionalism appeals to majority.
 But in each age, new things are wrought by
God. And if we're going to accommodate the new,
fresh working of God, then new wine skins are
essential.
   Is your wine still fresh, or are you living on
experiences from generation ago? Are you tapping
into new, bubbling, sparkling wine? Or has your
faith grown flat and tasteless lost its effervescence?
    And how about the wineskin? Are you still
flexible, or has traditionalism given your life a
rigid, brittle texture? How open are you to change?
How willing are you to risk? How quickly will you
strike out in response to a new direction from God?
    As we have seen, our God is aGod of new and
fresh. Which means that we, too, are to be people
of newness and flexibility. As Paul commands in
Ephesians 5:1: "Therefore be imitators of God, as
beloved children." We mustn't turn our lipss, then,
from the new wine of excellence to remain at the
old wine of tradition of mediocrit
    By the time Christ appeared on the scene, the
religious leaders had so tightly woven their customs
into the fabric of scripture that it was often difficult
to extricate the truth of God from the tangle of
human tradition.
But Christ cut through that tangle like a machete
hacking through a jungle: God isn't interested in
Clean hands; He's interested in clean hearts
 ( Mark 7:15). He isn't impressed with lip service
(V6); He's impressed with obedience (cv.9-13).
   How about you? When you go to church, are
you more concerned with the condition of your
cashmere blazer than the condition of your heart?
Are you more careful not to smear your lipstick
than someone's reputation through gossip?
Remember, God isn't concerned with outward
apoearances He's concerned with the heart
(1Sam.16:7).

"LEARN TO BE A LOVE RECEIVER"

"I tried keeping rules and working my head
 off to please God, and it didn't work. So I quit
being a "law man" so that I could be God's man."
                                                ----Galatians 2: 19


This statement seems straightforward enough,
but unfortunately some people take it too far.
Paul's practical instruction to us living display
 a distinct pattern. Every time he puts forward
a set of application he always anticipates the
question, why should we do this? "Because that
is what love does!" Paul always stays grounded
in the Great Commandment spoken by Jesus:
  '''Hear, Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord;
and you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
mind, and with all your strength.' The second
is this 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than
these (Mark 12:29b-31).
Unless you obey every law down to the last
letter, you can't say that you've kept the law.
And no one can keep every letter of every law.
So no one can make it as a law keeper. You
can't get in good with Me by working hard
enough either.
So if can't earn your way into My heart by being
good enough or working hard enough, what can
you do? You can only be mind by accepting
and embracing My love. I've made it so simple
that it makes some people mad. They'd rather do
Something for Me than receive what I've done for
them. They'd rather give Me something than
receive the gift I have for them. The truth remain
You can only be God's man or woman when you
learn to be a love receiver.

" A First Century Meal"

"And the slave said, 'Master, what you
commanded has been done, and still there
is room.' And the master said to the slave,
'Go out into the highways and along the
The hedges, and compel them to come in,
 that my house may be filled. For I tell you,
 none of those men who were invited shall
 taste of my dinner."
Luke 14:22-24


The Master's voice reverberates with the
urgency of a ringing bell. Go! Cry out to
everyone you see no matter who they are.
compel them to accept the invitation.
Christ is still crying out to the world to
receive His offer of salvation and follow
Him to the kingdom banquet. Many
people make excuses, but plenty come--
enough to fill God's house with
everlasting joy.
Lesson Learned from a First-Century 
Meal
As the curtain closes on the scene at
Pharisee's house, we're left with the
somber realization that none of those
present will eat at God's table unless
they choke down their pride and
receive Christ's invitation. Did any of
them do that? We're not told, but we
assume they went on, inrepentant, with
theirs dinner party.
 So that we won't leave the party
unchanged, let's take with us four truths
 from these four scenes.
    First, legalism blinds us and makes
us shortsighted. It blind us to anyone
who doesn't follow our list of acceptable
behavior. It makes us shortsighted to the
needs of our world.
   Second, pride backfires and makes us
selfish. We start playing the childish
 game of who's-better-than whom, and
we end up losing.
   Third, compassion blesses us and
makes us sensitive. It help us overlook
the color of people's skin or the size of
a person's wallet. We begin seeing others
through Jesus' eyes.
   Fourth, salvation beckons us and
makes us select.With Christ, there is no
middle ground. He makes us choose
between the things of this world and the
blessing of God's kingdom.
God's celestial party is already being
prepared. Will we be ready when the
dinner bell rings?

"Sovereign Lord"

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immorality, then the saying that is written will come true:death has been swallowed up in victory." 

1 Corinthians 15:54

Suffering gets us ready for resurrection.
Broken necks broken homes, and broken heart
 crush our hope that earthly things can satisfy.
 Only the promise of immorality can truly
move our eyes from this world. The Glorious
day when "death will be swallowed up in
victory" become our passion as we realize,
once and for all, that earth can never meet our
deepest longings.
   Suffering also prepared us to meet God when
 we get to heaven. Suppose you never knew pain.No stained reputation. No bruised feelings. No sore back, twisted ankle, or decayed molars.
   How could you appreciate the scarred hands
with which Christ will greet you? What if
no one had ever offended you deeply? How
could you adequately express your gratitude
when you approach the Man of Sorrows, who
was acquainted with grief?
   When you meet Jesus face-to-face, your
hardships to purchase the promise of your
resurrection. And  your loyalty to Him in your
suffering will give you something concrete to
offer in return. For what other proof could you
 bring of your love if this life left you totally
 unscarred?
     I praise you, Sovereign Lord, that You use 
suffering to prepare us for heaven. Help me to
live today with the promise of the resurrection 
before me, giving me a reason to thank You in 
the midst of my pain. Keep me from 
complaining and grumbling. For on the day
that I stand before Jesus, I want to offer Him 
proof of my love and faithfulness.

"What a cheerful giver look like"

"Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution
for Me; from every man whose heart moves
him you shall raise My contribution."
                                                 --Exodus: 25:2


Still wondering what a cheerful giver looks like?
If so, you need look no further than the pages
of scripture.
    The Ancient Israelite having freed the Hebrew
from Egyptian bondage, God now wanted to
dwell among His people. So He gave Moses
instructions for building a tabernacle, where the
Presence of the Lord would dwell. But where
would the building materials come from in the
wilderness? From the people's possessions.
    To God, this was more than just a building
project. It was a statement about His holiness,
His love for His people, and His desire for them
to draw close to Him. For He wanted more than
their jewels, linens, and gold--He wanted their
hearts So He told Moses,
     'Tell the son of Israel to raise a contribution
for Me; from every man whose heart moves
him you shall raise My contribution."
Exod.25:2;Bsee also 35:5-9).
How did they respond?
     Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel
departed from Moses' presence. And everyone
whose heart stirred him and everyone spirit moved
him came and brought the Lord's contribution for
the work of the tent of meeting and for all its
service and for holy garment. . .The Israelite, all
the men and women, whose heart moved them to
bring material for all the work, which the Lord
had commanded through Moses to be done,
brought a freewill offering to the Lord (35:20-21,
29; see also cv.32-28).
That's cheerful giving! You can almost see the
Israelite picking through their jewelry and
shaking out their fine linen. You can hear the
Jingling and clanking of the trunk lets as they're
handed to Moses. You can almost smell the
fragrance of spice rising from the camp as jars
of it were collected for worship. All this activity
represented giving that grew out of a love for
God and a longing for His presence.
      They gave so much, in fact, that Moses had
to tell them to stop (Exod. 36:5-7). They had
collected more than enough to build the
tabernacle.

THE CORRIDOR STREET LINE: "To Usward"

THE CORRIDOR STREET LINE: "To Usward": "Many O LORD my God are thy wonderful work  which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward. . . .                     ...

"To Usward"

"Many O LORD my God are thy wonderful work
 which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are
to us-ward. . . .
                                                       ---PSALM 40:5


   Did you notice this phrase in Eohessians 1:19, ". . .
the exceeding greatness of power to usward who
believe. . . ?
   All the demonstration of the glory  of God shown in
the manifestation of His Omnipotence pointed to
man ---"to usward."
  The cross of Christ ---with what is revealed of
obedience to God, atonement for sin  and crushing
defeat for the enemies of divine authority- shown
us a representative of Man.
   Christ was our Representative, our substitute ---
overcoming for mankind and preparing a throne
and a heavenly ministry for those who should
overcome through Him.
   The source of our authority is therefore found in the
resurrection and seating of Christ by God. In the Book
of Ephesians, we learn that God wants the Church to
gain revelation knowledge of all that this means to us.


Confession: I am believer I am receiving the spirit of 
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God. The
eyes of my understanding are being enlighten that I
may know what is the  exceeding greatness of God's 
power to usward who believe!

"fake fruit. . . Real fruit"

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
 joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness,
Faithfulness, gentle and self - control."
                               ---Galatians 5: 22-23



It's impossible to manufacture the fruit of
the Spirit Such as love and peace, gentleness,
and kindness. You can paint a veneer of joy
and put up a facade Of self-control, but
invariably you will be found out. You can
only decievel yourself and others for so long
With false love and plastic peace.
     Fake fruit comes from self-effort. It's like
 growing Grapes the wrong, way around. First
you find a cluster Of white Concord and fasten
 them to the branches of a vine. From there, you
tie roots to the trunk and dig a hole, setting the
entire thing into the ground. There you have it,
 manufactured fruit (and  incidentally, fruit that
will rot quickly). What you have have done is
put first the fruit; second, the branches; third,
the root; and fourth, the soil.
     God grows genuine fruit in the opposite order.
First He plants the seed of His Word in the soil
of our heart. The Spirit quickens us and causes
the Word to take root in our soul. Next as we
grow in the Lord, the vine and branches mature
until sweet and satisfying fruit clusters in
abundance.
      Genuine fruit comes from abiding in the vine.
"No branches can bear fruit by itself; it must
remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me" (John 15:4).

"AT THY WORD"

"Go therefore and make disciple of all
 the nation Baptising them in the of
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit"
                                   Matthew 28:18


Jesus instructed those who wanted to be His Disciple to leave their homes and their comfort and follow Him. He made clear that to follow Him  mean He set the direction and they were to follow. And when Jesus called the Apostles, He walked by them and simply said, "Follow Me." Inspite  of success they are Peter  just pulled in his greatest catch of fish of his entire  career, when Jesus invited him to leave everything (Luke 5:1-11). In verse 5 say, and Simon answer said unto Him, master we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing; nevertheless. At thy word I will let down the net. Means there is always  an invitation for us to do His work in the Ministry; even Philip was enjoying astounding success  as an evangelist when the Holy Spirit  instructed Him to go to the desert (Act8:25-40). Success where we are can be our greatest hindrance to going where Jesus want us to be. He may lead you across the street to share the Gospel with your neighbor or to the other side of the world. Whenever He leads be prepare to go. As the Holy Spirit for instruction.
1. Following Him is day-by-day, one-step-at-a-time experience. When you stay close to Him, He will give you just enough light to see where  you must place your next step.
2. Following Him is rather scary until you understand He is more powerful than anything that will ever confront you. You are going to face the storm in life whether or not you follow Christ. The only thing that will make a difference is whether or not He is in the boat with you. Matthew 8 tells us that Jesus rebuked the storm and peace came to the troubled waters-and troubled apostles.
3. Following Him  is challenging. He told the apostle that they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Anyone who carries his cross has no agenda apart from that of the One he follows. If that isn't challenging, nothing is.
4. Following Him is rewarding. "I will make you fishers of men," He promised to those who had walked away from their nets. When you fish for men, you receive a trophy of grace, a testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ still changes the lives if those who will follow Him.