Building Your Spirit

Go: The World Needs You

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 02:39:02 PDT

Matthew 28:19

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost

Main Concerns

If your chief concern is about your own life, your job, your clothes, your children’s good clothes, healthy bodies, a good education, good marriage and a good job, then your concerns are no different from the lost in the world.

What is the basic purpose of our living as Christians? Is it to accumulate wealth? Fame? Popularity? To fulfil the desires of the flesh and the mind? And to somehow survive and, in the end, to die and hopefully go to heaven? No. The purpose of your life as believers must be to obey Jesus when he said , GO! What does ``Go’’ means? Go is a command. Go means you can’t sit down. Go means someone needs you. Go means you are chosen, sanctified and anointed to do the doing. Go means someone is perishing without you going. Go is an urgent call. Go means the sit back, relax and enjoy attitude is over!

The world is perishing without you going. They need you; they need your voice, teachings, directions, counsel, advice, rebuke, guidance etc. Why stay silent? When was the last time you shared your faith with an unbeliever? The answer is quite obvious like most Christians, it’s probably been a long long time ago- if ever. You can argue that you’re not an evangelist, but Jesus calls every Christian to spread the Gospel. Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and how can they hear when the message is not preached? When you’re not going? By us ignoring the call to go, we are being selfish and disobedient servants.

Why aren’t we going? There are various reasons why we are not answering the call: Below are a few;-

Entertainment and Comfort

Don’t we all love our warm homes and comfort zones? We all do, that’s human nature.

The world now is swimming in entertainment, thanks to technology. The world has become a global village with the advent of the internet and advance in technology. Among the entertainment gadgets we have at homes are the TV’s, DVD/Cd players, hifi’s, iPods, iPads, phones, computers, home theatres, hard-drive recorders , HD screens, play stations, mobile accessories etc etc. The comfort in our homes are just too much. There is so much fun at home. We can’t let go of these pleasures and step out into the cold to share our faith. We love the sit back, relax and enjoy attitude. We love the over 250 entertainment channels, latest songs, and movie hits at the box office, and who is topping what? The world is always waiting for the fastest car, train, computer, phones etc. and will be waiting forever...What do we talk about these days as Christians? Entertainment and politics. 2 Timothy 3:4 says in the last days men will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Fear

Little faith produces great fear (Matthew 8:26). Fear always results from ignorance concerning the word of God. Many in the world are scared of their future; they easily imagine a future which is not, at best, insecure. Many fear social breakdown, poverty, technological tyranny, environmental catastrophe, war, despair etc. and we Christians have also been caught up in these phobias. Many Christians are very pessimistic than anytime, we are scared of persecutions, social rejection (being a pariah) and death. As Christians we need to have understanding, in fact, we are called the people of understanding, and should redeemed the times and not walk as blind people who can’t understand (Daniel 12:10). Fear is a sign of the end-times (Luke 18:8).Fear is a sign of weak faith. The Just shall live by faith, , (Romans 1:17),shall be bold like a lion and not being fearful and losing confidence in the face of adversity.

Pride

This is having too high an opinion of oneself, sense of dignity and self-respect.

Knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowledge can easily make one boastful, arrogant and full of pride. In the last days knowledge will abound (Daniel 12:4 and Habakkuk 2:14). Therefore Pride will be in abundance as a sign of the end times. As Christians we shouldn’t be caught up in this inclusive web of pride. Anytime we are not walking in faith, we are walking in pride because our desires won’t be upright (Hab 2:4). We ought to use our Knowledge as Christians to serve the world, and not to shun it.

Worldliness and Sin

Whatever that is done not in faith is sin ( Romans 14:23).

Worldliness and sin are our enemies. The Christian should always be wary of the flesh, the world and Satan. These things continually war against us (Galatians 5:17), and it’s very important we fight spiritually against these. A friend of the world is an enemy to God (James 4:4, 1 Peter 2:11). Worldliness and sin makes us heavy (Hebrews 12:1) and diminishes the relationship between us and our heavenly Father. When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8) and anoint us to do His will. These days we don’t call sin by its true name, we refer to them as being, `cool’, acceptable and other names. Paul commands us to live by being examples to the world (Ephesians 4:9,). As Christians we ought to let our light shine before men because we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:18).

Ignorance

Ignorance is deadly. Hosea 4:6 says for lack of knowledge my people perish. Christians perish because of the ignorance concerning the word of God. It is only the truth that we know that will set us free as Christians. God commands us to study to show ourselves approved ( 2 Timothy 2:15).Without proper study of the word of God, we become ignorant concerning important matters of life and will be cheated by the devil. Matthew 4:4 says that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We need every word of God as believers. Job declares that he has esteemed the word of God more than his daily bread (Job 23:12) and David says in Psalm 19:10 that the word of God is precious than gold, than even much pure gold, they are sweeter than honey, than the honey from the comb. What is the word of God to you as a Christian? Jesus was always asking them, ``have you never read in the scriptures?”-Matthew 21:42. The Lord was concerned about the ignorance of the word at that generation, how about this generation too? God desires for us to study as Christians. It is only through proper study that we can come to the full knowledge of Christ and recognise our true identity (Galatians 3:29) in Christ and take our possessions under the sun.

Rise Up

O rise up sleeping giant, rise up quickly and take up your shield of faith again, as soldiers for Christ. The world is not waiting for anybody, the world is waiting for you to manifest. The whole of creation waits for the earnest expectation of the children of God (Romans 8:19). Go now the world needs you, Go the master is sending you, Go He has empowered you, Go ,signs and wonders will follow you! Do not be afraid, just Go, because He is with you till the end of the age.

Prayer

Heavenly Father thank you for your word, evangelism was your heartbeat. Please help us to successfully represent Christians through the way we live our lives daily. Help us to overcome all fears and shortcomings as Christians by your Holy Spirit. Lead us into all truth by your Spirit of truth, and refine us by your word of truth. Unleash your mighty power through us; you are the one who is in us to will and to perform. Empower us to share the gospel with the world and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Unto you who is able to keep us blameless before your appearing again, be the glory, honour and power forever and ever, amen!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom

Enim

The Power of Your Confession

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:01:57 PDT

Proverbs 18:21-The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Your words

This has tremendous power over your life. If you are acutely aware of it, you can change your life instantly. However, most people don’t know or aren’t aware of it, and therefore make things harder on themselves. So what is this powerful tool?

It’s your words! Just the words that comes out of your mouth.

Therefore watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character for they become your destiny!

Creative Power of your words

Yes , the words you speak out of your mouth have amazing power. Why? Because your ears hear what you say and since your mind can never believe you could say anything false, it believes whatever you say to be true. Whatever you believe will materialize in your world. Everything is possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23).

Secondly, the words you speak come directly from your heart and are spirit and have the potential to manifest itself in your life. All successful people are well aware of this. They know that you can actually create the results you want by speaking them over and over before they happen. Jesus told his disciples in John 6:63 that his words are spirit and are life. Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. You will always be judged by your words, even in the court of laws and in our secular settings. So your words can either justify or condemn you (Matthew 12:36-37).

Guard Your Heart

What’s your heart? Your heart biblically isn’t the biological organ in your body that circulates blood. Instead, it is the central part of who you truly are, the core of you. Your heart comprises of your soul(sense of touch, smell, sight, hear, taste and the mind) and the conscience of your spirit. Your heart is very sticky and is important what information you store there, because it sticks for life.

Words are the voice of the heart

Your heart is the store house of your words. It’s the bank. It is therefore important you keep your heart with all diligence because out of it comes the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). Out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will always speak (Matthew 12:34). What you store in your heart is very important. One needs to be careful about what information, one is hearing and feeding on. This is because what you hear or see, gives you faith positively or negatively. Faith comes by hearing over and over again (Romans 10:17). A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings out good things whiles an evil man out the evil treasure brings out evil things (Matthew 12:35).If you want to know people just listen to them long enough and you will get to know them. Because their words will always betray the state of their heart. No good man will speak evil things from a good heart and the reverse is also true.

Your Confession

You can only rise to the level of your confession. You only become what you confess daily (Proverbs 23:7).The spies of Moses’ time saw themselves as grasshoppers compared to their foes (Numbers 13:26-33). It took Caleb of the tribe of Judah and son of Jephunneh to restore their negative mindset. The confession of the believer does several things. First it reveals the heart spiritually. Our words give us away, to whether or not we are in faith or in fear. In order to change our vocabulary, we need to start hearing God’s Word, which will renew our mind, and store the truth in our hearts. As a result, it will become second nature for us to speak God’s Word. What is instinctive for us to do and say is based on what we have stored in our hearts.

Secondly, it fixes the landmarks of our life. We can never receive beyond what we say. If we say we can’t, then we can’t and won’t get anything. But if we say we can, then we can. The reason the majority of Christians are weak even though they are earnest, is that they never dare to make confessions of who they are in Jesus. How do we do this? First, we must realize how God looks at us, and confess it! We should boldly confess what the Word declares we are in Christ Jesus. As we do this, our faith will increase. The reason faith is held in bondage is that we have never dared to confess what God says we are. Faith, then, grows with our confession of God’s Word. There is no faith without confession! Confession is an act of releasing; putting into force our faith- it’s faith’s way of expressing itself. Our faith will rise no higher than our confession of God’s Word. You need to declare a thing, and it shall be established ( Job 22:28).

Positive Confession

If you want to be Rich, speak about yourself as already being Rich. Speak about how you’re just getting started. Speak about all of the wonderful things that will be happening in your life. Make a conscious effort to speak positively about situations even if you don’t believe them to be true. Your mind will begin to believe them. You’ll actually feel better about the situation itself. Think of the worst thing going on in your life right now. Now begin to speak about it positively. If you’re sick, talk about how much better you feel all the sudden. If you have money problems, talk about how you’re getting your finances in order and the problems will pass away. If you have marriage problems, talk about how you’ll be a better spouse and how much your marriage is about to improve and magically, the problems will begin to fix themselves. Be careful of negative confession, because it works too. A good friend of mine told me about his wife. Ever since she was 20 years old, she said she would die of cancer one day. She died of cancer at age 37.

Release The Power Now

God created the universe through the Word of His power. All things are sustained and have their being because of the spoken Word of Jesus. God’s Word that is conceived in our heart, then formed by the tongue, and spoken out of our own mouth, becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God within us. The spoken Word of God is creative power. Words are truly magic. Make sure that you think long and hard before you speak. It can literally change the direction of your life.

Prayer

Dear Lord, you created the world by the word of your power, and you have given us the same measure of faith as believers. It is my prayer that you will help us to understand the power behind our words and use them positively to affect our lives, in Jesus’ name , Amen!! Now dear friends, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified (Acts 20:32). May God bless you and keep you, may he cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his ears unto thy prayer and give you peace!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom

Enim

The Glory of God

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:17:37 PDT

Psalm 57:5

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;let your glory be over all the earth.

The Glory of God

The glory of God is the express greatness of his splendour, beauty, excellence, majesty, magnificence and honour. It also refers to the dignity, praise and worship. Jesus Christ is the brightness of his glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3).

Therefore glorifying God means to acknowledge His greatness, and give Him honour by praising and worshiping Him, primarily because He, and He alone, deserves to be praised, honoured and worshipped. God’s glory is the essence of His nature, and we give glory to Him by recognising that essence.

Depth of His Glory
The glory of God is as high as the heavens and deeper than hell. It is longer than the earth and broader than the seas (Job 11:8-9). The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of his hand (Psalm 19:1). God alone is adorned with glory and splendour, clothed with honour and majesty ( Job 40:10).There is none like Him, the only wise God, the King eternal, immortal ,invincible, to Him be glory and honour forever and ever (1 timothy 1:17).

Importance of the Glory of God to Man
The glory of God gives man purpose. It is the only reason for our existence.
Isaiah 43:7 says God created us for His glory. Therefore it can be said that man glorifies God, because through man, God’s glory can be seen. We are earthly vessels that contain His glory (2 Corinthians 4:7). If you want to live longer, give God the glory due Him. Live by praising God everyday of your life like David. David pleaded with God for a longer life, by saying that, ``how can I praise your works in the grave”, because he knew that no praises came from the grave (Ps 6:5). Praise God, praise His holy name, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made, praise Him because His works are wonderful (Ps 139:14).

Praise Worthy Attributes of God

Immutability- God doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.
Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 13:8.

Incarnation Ability- God is a spirit (John 4:24), and has the ability to incarnate. God became a man called Jesus Christ full of grace and truth.
John 1:14.

Omniscient-His understanding is infinite. God knows everything.
Psalm 147:5

Omnipresent- God is everywhere. He fills the heavens and the earth.
Jeremiah 23:23-24, Proverbs 15:3 , 2 Chronicles 16:9

Immortality- God is immortal, He has no beginning and no end. He lives eternally.
1 timothy 1:17, Romans 1:22-23.

Omnipotent- God is all powerful and there is nothing impossible for Him.
Luke 1:37 ,Psalm 21:13, Isaiah 40:26 .

Invincibility- God is invincible. No man can see God. No man has seen God.
1 timothy 1:17, John 1:18.

Conclusion
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Ecc 12:13.

Prayer
Purpose in your heart that you will give God the glory every minute of your life. Live a life of gratitude and give thanks for everything (1 Thess 5:18). Praise the Name of God, because He has done wondrous things in our lives. Let everything that has breath praise his holy name (Ps 150:6).Hallelujah, Hallelujah, to him be the Glory, Power and Might forever and ever, Amen and Amen!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom
Enim

Motivation For Change :This Will Change Your Life

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:34:18 PDT

Quick and Easy Tips to Help You Change and Achieve

You can achieve everything you have ever wanted to have, experience or become. The power has and always will be within you, but nothing will happen until you get motivated to make something happen. The following tips and ideas will help you to get and stay motivated to change your life and achieve your desires.

1.Let Go of the Past

Before you can create a better future, you must let go of the pains in your past. Failing once does not mean you will fail forever. Learn from your history, but don’t let it stand as an obstacle between you and your dreams. Isaiah 43:18-"Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past".

2.Remember Success

Just as important as learning from and overcoming past failure is recalling past success. It doesn’t matter who you are, you have succeeded at something at sometime in your past. Don’t gloss over these moments. Use them to remind you that you can in fact achieve your goals.

3.Accept the Possibilities

It’s possible. The dreams you hold in your heart but pushed to the back of your mind are within your reach. Accept the fact that you can create a better life. This will serve as the springboard of belief you need to succeed.

Luke 1:37-"For with God nothing shall be impossible".
Mark 9:23-Everything is possible for him who believes.

4.Dream the Big Dream

In order for dreams and desires to inspire you to action and achievement, they need to be big. If you don’t get excited about what you have planned for the future, you will never find the inspiration you need to change your life. Powerful dreams can move the soul, and when you dream the big dream, you will be driven to make the compelling picture a tangible reality.

5. Small steps to Great Success

While the nature of your dreams needs to inspire, you must also recognize the fact that it takes only small steps to create amazing changes. The dream will lead the way, but it won’t come in one giant leap. Small steps, carried out each day, will bring you to the destinations you seek. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.

Zechariah 4:10 says, "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord desires to see the work begin"...

6. Impossible to Fail

People are more than capable of creating compelling dreams, but the fear of failure often clouds the path. To avoid pitfalls, imagine that it is impossible to fail. What dreams and desires would you pursue if you were guaranteed success? 1 John 4:4-"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world".

7. Write in a Journal

A million thoughts may rush through your mind each day, but if you do nothing to capture them, they often disappear as quickly as they came. Take time to write in a journal each week. This will not only help you overcome obstacles you are facing in your life but also help you discover what you really want.

8. Fast Forward

Think ahead. Imagine living your ideal life in ten years. What would you be doing? With whom would you be doing it? What would your life look like on a daily basis? Use the picture of a future life to create goals and desires in the present.

2 Corinthians 4:18-"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal".

9. The Moment

Remember a time when everything seemed to be going just right? When nothing could get you down? When you thought to yourself, “This moment, right now, is what life is all about”. We all have moments in life when we feel we are at our best, but most people don’t utilize them. Use the special moments in your life to bring to light goals and desires that are sure to fulfil your needs. Learning from and building on these times will help you create magic moments on a daily basis for the rest of your life.

10. Get specific

In order for you to create lasting change in your life, you have to be super specific about what you want. Vague ideas just won’t cut it. The more specific you make your desires, the easier it will be to act on them. Cloudy hopes create obstacles. You have to know exactly what you want, down to the smallest detail.

11.Write It Down

Write down everything you want to have, experience, and become. The simple act of writing your desires down on a sheet of paper will bring them one step closer to reality. Saying something is one thing, but when you actually see the words written down...it’s an exhilarating moment. Just try it and see!

Habakkuk 2:2-And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may be able to read it easily and quickly as he hastens by.

12.Share the Excitement

Don’t keep your plans for a better future to yourself-share the excitement with those who will not see it as bragging or your ego taking over. This will make the dream more tangible, and include others in the picture who will ask about your progress and keep you heading in the right direction.

13.Educate Yourself

The more you know, the more you’ll grow.

Information is the greatest resource you have as you work toward creating a better life. Facts help to increase your confidence, break down fear, and inspire you to action. Learn all there is to know about what you want and you will never be without the drive and energy you need to make it happen.

2 Timothy 2:15-Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

14. What’s In It for Me?

As you begin taking steps towards the things you desire, you will meet with many obstacles along the way that have the potential to knock you off course forever. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, answer the question: What’s in it for me? Knowing exactly why you are reaching for more will serve as a constant source of energy and excitement to keep you going strong in the face of short-term setbacks.

15. Search for Success Stories

The stories of individuals overcoming all odds and achieving their dreams surrounds you. The bible contains a lot of these success stories. Many books and the media in general also has such secular success stories. Seek out and make these stories a part of your life. You are not alone in your search for happiness. Knowing that others have succeeded in the past can be enough to motivate you to succeed in the future.

16. The Smallest Piece ( Step by Step)

Can you make a phone call? How about typing a single word or sending an email? If you can do these simple tasks, you have what it takes to create massive and lasting change. Every goal you have can be broken down into extremely small pieces that are easily within your ability. Break down your goal into its smallest parts and you will have the confidence you need to proceed.

17. Essentials of Change

It doesn’t matter what you want, someone at sometime throughout history has desired and achieved the same thing. Not only does this prove that your dreams are possible but also that you have what it takes to make them happen. People have done so much with so little, proving that the essential requirements of creating change are within you.

1 John 5:4-For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

18. Take Ownership

Before positive changes can take place, you must take responsibility for your position in life. Position yourself for a better life by taking positive action. If you play the role of a victim, giving up control and ownership of your life, you will never enjoy the amazing opportunities that life offers to us all. You are who you think you are. Get out there. Almost anywhere. Let opportunity hit you.

Proverbs 23:7- As a man thinks in his heart so is he (You are who you think you are).

19. Motivate Yourself

Learn to be a self motivator. Surround yourself by things and people who provide you with motivation. Take the obstacles in life as challenges and learn from them. Most often people mirror their environments. The friends and family members you associate with play a major role in your life- both positively and negatively. Ask yourself if the people in your life are helping you become the person you want to be or are standing in the way of progress. Let go of negative friends and people.

Proverbs 27:17-Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

20a. Believe in Yourself (self-confidence)

Have you ever seen someone not buying a car because they failed to learn how to drive? Billions of people fail to live the life they have always wished to live. They fail to realize their ambitions and give up on their big dreams as soon as they encounter the first obstacle. One of the strongest reasons for this attitude is people have failed to believe in themselves. Believing in yourself is being sure that you are going to do what you put your mind to, even if others were against you. Big dreams always meet strong opposition!

20b. Understanding Your Value

Never ever underestimate yourself. You should know that God is inside of you. You have an atomic bomb or dynamite inside of you. You should know that you have enormous potential which is still untapped and when exploited correctly you can achieve great things in life. Locate your inner energy and let the giant in you out. Most of us are under performers as none of us work in accordance with that we are truly capable of. Never undermine yourself and your true potential.

Genesis 1:26-"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

21. Discernment or Understanding

Your dream needs discernment. This includes knowing when to begin, when the time for fulfilment is near and what to do. Without discernment, potentially rewarding and fulfilling goals may silently slip away until they become only distant memories. When to begin working towards your dreams? When to achieve them? When to cease the opportunity for your dream? Discernment is paramount. It will give you the intuition needed to decide when the time is right. Have you heard the phrase “My time has come or this is the time or moment”? Know your time!

1 Chronicles 12:32-And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

22a. Measure Your Progress (Ask)

As you begin putting the pieces of your desire in place, be sure to measure your progress along the way. Doing so will help you get motivated to achieve the goal as you see real improvement taking place. You will also be able to recognize troubling areas that need more attention or successful methods that could be spread to other aspects of the goal. People won’t tell you what you’re doing wrong. Your prospects won’t tell you, sometimes your best friends or spouse won’t tell you. So what do you do to improve your goal? Ask!Ask!Ask!

Luke 9:18-And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who do people say that I am?

22b. Tools of the Trade

To accomplish the task above, charts and checklists are the way to go. Charts are the perfect tool to measure incremental goals such as a savings or investment plan. If your desire is more sequential in nature, simply list the steps in a checklist along with their deadlines to keep you right on track from start to finish.

23. Action: Your Way to Change

No matter how bad you want it to happen, change will never result from thinking alone. You must take action. The right action will result in the right reaction. The world is swimming in dreamers and wishers, but only those who act on their desires achieve truly remarkable results.

24. The First Step

A single step in right direction is all it takes to put in motion great things. Every written masterpiece begins with a single word on a page. Every long journey begins with a single step. The things you desire most will be no different.

25a.Do It Now

People have a gift for rationalization and procrastination. Take away these dangers with an attitude of `now or never’. How would you do things differently if you were certain that today was your last chance to change your life? The obituary pages are filled with planners who waited. Act like a shark. Keep moving.

25b.Today

Today is the certainty in your world. Make the best of it.

26. Value Your Time

You should remember one thing. You are a human being and you are only here on earth for a limited period of time. Learn to value and exploit your time in the right manner and to your advantage. Don’t let any person or situation waste your time. Get on a plan and outline your goals and where you need to be in life. Discover where your time goes each day and how you can better utilize each minute and hour.

27. Organize Your Space

A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. Taking a few hours to clean up your common work areas, bedroom or living space will go a long way in helping you maintain clarity and focus while working towards your goal.

The Law of Correspondence states that “As within, so without”. That is your outer world tends to be a reflection of your inner world like a mirror. What you see in the world around you will be consistent over time with the world inside you. This is why it is necessary to change the world around you by first organizing your space. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind. It is easy to spot a confused person from their environment. Cleanliness leads to Godliness!

28.Take a Walk Often

As simple as it sounds, taking a walk around the block is sometimes all it takes to clear your mind and regain the energy you need to make changes in your life. It’s quick, easy and effective.

29. Get Active

An inspired mind is of little use if you lack the physical vitality to execute your plans. Get active and get moving. Whether this means a daily exercise program or simply riding your bike to work. Think of as many ways as possible to be active in your daily life.

30. Maintain a Healthy Diet

Just as important as an active lifestyle is a healthy diet. You can’t expect to have the energy and drive necessary to live an extraordinary life if you continue to fill your body with unhealthy foods. What you put in your body has an enormous impact on your motivation to improve.

31. Get Enough Rest

Your body cannot perform at its peak levels if you don’t give it the time it requires for rest and repair. Four hours of sleep each night will eventually catch up with you. Get the rest you need and you’ll have no problem working with passion toward your desires.

32. Choose to Think About What You Want

With everything you have to think about each day, the things you desire won’t always get the time they deserve. You have to choose to think what you want to change your life, or your dreams will very likely be left behind.

33. Watch Inspiring Movies

Movies are made to move us. When you feel that your willpower is lacking, watch a movie that you find inspiring. This is a quick and easy way to regain your drive and you’ll have a great time doing it.

34. Collect Your Favourite Quotations

The written word can be just as powerful as movies. When you come across a quotation that motivates you to achieve your goals, don’t let it go! Write them down, save them on your computer, or do whatever works for you to keep them close at hand.

35. Place Reminders in the Home or Office

Place powerful reminders around your home or office about the goals and desires you are working to achieve. With the hectic pace of life in today’s society it’s easy to forget about the truly important things. Placing pictures in your home of the car you are dreaming about or the home you wish to build are effective tools to keep you going strong.

36. The Process of Improvement

Always remember, improvement is a process. It takes time and effort to change your life, and any hope for instant tangible results will only lead to disappointment. However, intangible changes such as improvements in your attitude, confidence, happiness, and joy can occur in an instant. Don’t sweat the small things in life. Always remind yourself that you are improving in every day.

37. Learn from Your Mistakes

When things don’t work out exactly as you had planned (this will happen) don’t waste the opportunity to learn something. A short-term failure is a good thing—It teaches you how `not’ to do something, which will bring you closer and closer to the solution you seek.

38. Constant Curiosity

Be curious. The world can be a truly amazing place when you take the time to look around and learn about it. Read, converse, observe, listen, and discover the miracles that surround you. Constant curiosity is the habit that is sure to get you excited about your world, your life and your future.

39. Spend Time With Children

Spending time with kids is a great way to let go of your worries and reconnect with your more innocent past. As adults, we have learned to hide our true emotions and keep a reserved attitude. Children have a great lesson to teach us—have fun and enjoy life. Maintain your youthful ways as you continue to grow older.

40. Focus on others

There is no better way to improve your life than to help others do the same. To give is to get, and when it comes to spreading happiness and joy to others, it has never been truer. As your focus turns from yourself to those in need you will find that your own problems seem less important and may even disappear altogether.

41. Volunteer Your time

An effective method to help others is volunteering. Your time is the most precious resource you have, and giving it to someone else is a truly rewarding experience. Contact your local churches, community center or public schools for volunteering opportunities. Join volunteering groups, they can be helpful to your well being. Don't isolate yourself , get out there and help somebody too get up on their feet.

42. The Ups and Downs

You will not always be motivated to succeed. We all have our ups and downs, and expecting anything different will create frustration and anger. We all get upset, encounter setbacks, and have bad days, but here’s the secret: you can visit, but just don’t live there.It's part of life. Shake it off and keep moving on!

43.Your Contribution

What are you going to contribute to the world after you have gone? Living an extraordinary life requires thinking beyond yourself and giving back to the world in some way.

What will your gift to the world be?

44.Be Grateful for What You Have

Take time out of each day to be grateful for the things you have in your life. Simply being alive and well is an amazing gift—anything more is just icing on the cake. Always thank God for the little things in your life. Appreciate what you have and you will discover a renewed passion to achieve the desires you have yet to experience.

45. Vacations Are Worth Their Weight In Gold

Vacations can be more than a needed break. They can be a great tool for increasing your motivation. When you detach or let go of your day to day problems and give it to God, it brings you closer to your goal and cause many good things to rush in. You don't have to do it all. Not in this universe. Delivery is included. But the big trick is letting go, which is why vacations are so incredibly valuable.

Cast all your burdens on him for He cares(1 Peter 5:7), and He will give you rest ( Matthew 11:28).

46. Divine Timing

It doesn't matter what you want, you can have it. A new car, a home in the country, a slim trim and healthy body... it can all be yours for the asking. The only thing is that you don't get control over when you get it. That's up to God. Let's assume you've diligently written down your requests, and then you detached, but you don't get everything immediately.

So why don't you get everything you asked for NOW! You want it yesterday, right? What is the hold up!

The hold -up is you're probably not ready.

Never give up on your desire, but do give up planning for it to happen on your schedule. Detach
and let Diving Timing take over. We know that we have to grow and change and become the person that can handle the desires we seek. Trust God to know the correct time for that to happen.

There is a time for everything under the sun (Ecc 3:1), and in his own time He made all things beautiful.

47. Starting in the Right Direction

You may not realize it, but you’ve already taken a massive step toward success. Simply reading these words demonstrates your desire to enhance the quality of your life. Now that you’ve taken the first step, keep it going day after day, month after month, year after year.

48a.Get Excited!

You are on your way to getting everything you have ever wanted! Now is the time to get excited and inspired about what your future holds. Imagine living your ideal life-now make it happen!

48b. When Should You Begin?

It’s decision time. You can continue to dream about the things you want or you can do something about them. You can let routine run the show or you can make a change. You can put off your happiness until another day or you can begin doing the things you know you are capable of doing. The choice is yours.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of `someday’. Someday I’ll do it, but right now I have so much to take care of. The truth is, you will always have things to take care of, people to see, and places to go. You have to make time for a better life because it won’t fall into your lap. Perhaps you’ve even said you’ll start making changes: ...tomorrow, next week, next year, when the kids get out of school, when the kids go back to school, when there is more time, when things settle down, when the moment is right etc. Start Now! Because today is the only certainty!!

49.Believe In God

Ask God for guidance and help in achieving your goal, and you will feel that you are backed up by a power which is superior to anyone who rejects what you are doing and to the unexpected difficulties you will most definitely face on your road to accomplishing your goal.

Proverbs 3:5-Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding.

50. What Do You Really Want?

I can tell you for a fact that everything you want is within your reach. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are from, how many times you have failed or what you where taught growing up—what matters is what are you going to do about it N-O-W?

Live your dreams every day and remember everything is possible for him who believes (Mark 9:23)

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom.
Enim

Put It On

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:22:57 PDT

Ephesians 6:10-13-“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand”.

As soon as, we desire to live for God, spiritual forces of darkness will oppose us through “spiritual warfare”, all the way. God provides us with the whole armor of God for protection and survival. It is our sole duty to put on the whole armor of God just like we put on our clothes everyday. It enables us to reach our maximum endurance on the "spiritual battlefield" without becoming a casualty. We'll need to both wear the armor of God and know how to use it if we hope to be victorious in our fight against the forces of darkness.

The armor of God is composed of the following: The Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, Breastplate of Righteousness, Belt of Truth, Battle Shoes, Sword of the Spirit and Praying in the Spirit.

Shield of Faith

The first piece of armor we take up is the shield of faith. The shield of faith quenches or extinguishes all of the fiery darts from the enemy. What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 provides further insight on the meaning of faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

What will happen when one has no faith?

Hebrews 11:6 –“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. Without faith one is dead, because absence of faith is just a decision to die. Faith in God is vital for one to win life’s battle.

Putting these definitions together in practical terms, faith in God is:

• Trusting in God's word as truth

• Trusting that God will provide for our needs

• Trusting that God will protect us from the evil one

• Believing that God is with us and lives in us, even though we may not see him

• Believing that Christ's sacrifice paid the penalty for our sin, reconciling us to God

• Believing that through faith we have Christ's authority over evil powers.

When we believe in something, our belief gives it power to manifest in our lives. Jesus said, "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23 NIV). Do you believe that? We must take care that we are believing God's word and not the devil's lies. If we believe the devil's lies, we're putting faith into them and opening a door for the devil to influence us. This is "negative faith," and we give it power through our own belief in the lies. Our faith must be based on the truth of the word of God. Any other source is not reliable nor trustworthy.

Actions to put up an effective shield: There are several things we can do to ensure that the proper operation of our shield of faith. They hinge upon the principle that we believe God and therefore speak what we believe (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). Our spoken words of faith set the shield into place.

• Reaffirm your faith in God each day, as you extend the shield of faith over

yourself and your family.

• Maintain daily intake of God's word in your quiet time.

• Use God's word to destroy the incoming lies (John 8:31-32) behind the temptations you face

• Ask God to strengthen and perfect your faith in any area that it is weak.

Helmet of Salvation

"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17

The helmet is a part of the armor. A well-designed helmet will protect the head. In our head is our mind. The mind is the control center which regulates our decisions in life. Romans 12:2 directs us to renew our mind-set daily in order to test and approve of God’s perfect, good and pleasing will for our lives. A renewed mind in Christ is our helmet of salvation. We need to have the mind of Christ (1 cor 2:16) in order to overcome the schemes of the enemy. The mind of Christ is attained by believing whatever the word of God says about us (we become believers).Psalm 140:7 "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of the battle".

Breastplate of Righteousness
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place" Ephesians 6:14

One key area the soldier's breastplate protect, is the heart. While the heart is the only key organ responsible for sending blood through our circulatory system to keep us alive, our spiritual lives die if our hearts are not right with God! We need to guard our heart with all diligence, because it is the well-spring of life-Proverbs 4:23. And we can only do that by believing the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ upon our lives. As Christians we ought to believe with our hearts that Jesus Christ is our Lord and saviour and that God raised him from the dead to save us from sin and eternal punishment!
2Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who know no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him".

Romans 10:9-10:That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

The Belt of Truth
"Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth..." Ephesians 6:14.

As they geared up, a Roman Solider first put on the girdle or belt. The belt was the one item to which other items were attached. The girdle protected the mid to lower abdominal area. Soldiers in Paul's day wore belts to secure their clothing and hold weapons. The belt of truth has similar but expanded functions for spiritual warfare that includes: Sanctification, Guidance, Discernment and Battle readiness.

We are sanctified by the truth, the truth gives us guidance and brings understanding through revelation and discernment. And finally, the belt of truth enables us to move quickly and confidently without tripping into lies or losing our weapons.
Psalm 51:6 "Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom."

Battle Shoes

"And your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace"-Ephesians 6:15

A foot wear provides the following:

• Protection

• Support

• Traction

• Performance

• Comfort

The spiritual footwear that comes from the "Gospel of Peace" gives us the firm footed stability, promptness and readiness we'll need to face our agile adversaries.

Psalm 40:2 "He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm".

The Sword of the Spirit
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:17 NKJV

Rhema is the Greek word used in the Sword of the Spirit passage (Ephesians 6:17 ).
“Rhema” is the spoken word of God. Strong's concordance says that rhema is "that which is or has been uttered by the living voice." Rhema carries a spiritual connotation that differentiate Rhema from the logos ( The general scriptures).

Rhema "speaks" directly to the situation we are dealing with.

Therefore the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus quoted Matthew 4:4 which says, “Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God". So many of us shout at the Devil and believe that our volume is proportional to the distance Satan will flee from us! However, Jesus quoted His Father's words and spoke them with authority. Consequently, each Word-thrust was like a sword-blow to Satan's head! God has given us the authority to use His words because we are all ambassadors of Christ (Ephesians 6:20)! Hebrews 4:12 reveals that " The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Prayer in the Spirit
"Ephesians 6:18 (NIV):And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints".
Prayer in the Spirit is an important, ongoing activity of spiritual warfare.
Jude mentioned it in his epistle.

Jude 1:20- But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.

There are two participants involved with prayer in the Spirit – the Holy Spirit and us. Our part is to pray “always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” and “to be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Once we’ve prayed, the Spirit intercedes for us and pleads in our behalf according to God’s will. Paul described how the Spirit intercedes in Romans 8:26-27:

“So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know w
hat prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utte
rance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit ( what His intent is), because the spirit intercedes and pleads before God in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God's will".

Daily Confessions:

Weapon 1:"Lord God, I believe that you are God and that there is no other God but you. I believe that you are Lord of heaven and earth and the creator of all things. I trust in you for my provision, protection and life today. I take up the shield of faith today and believe that it quenches every fiery dart of the enemy."

Weapon 2: "I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ."

Weapon 3: "I put on the breastplate of righteousness. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. I am clothed with God's righteousness, which protects my heart from the enemy. All footholds that the devil had in me have been washed away by
the blood of Jesus. I am no longer clothed with filthy garments, but rather with rich robes of righteousness (Zechariah 3). The righteousness of God covers me and protects me from the enemy."

Weapon 4: "I put on the Belt of Truth. I believe that God's word is truth and I fill my mind with God's word. I have the Holy Spirit living in me, who will guide me in truth. The truth enables me to discern the devil's lies and avoid being taken captive to do his will. Heavenly Father, please remind me of your word today and guide me in truth by the Holy Spirit. Please help me hear, know and obey your voice in every situation. Please strengthen my ability to retain and recall your word as it applies to the situations I face. Thank you, Heavenly Father. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Weapon 5: "I shod my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. I have peace with God through my faith in Jesus and have access to God. I have his resources at my disposal for the battles I may face today. Father, please guide my footsteps and secure me on your path of righteousness today. Thank you, Father!"

Whole Armor: "Heavenly Father, I praise and worship you because you are God. I am honoured to be your servant and I take my stand today against the devil and his schemes against me, my family and my ministry. Father, as I take up each piece of the armor, please secure it in place on me. I take up the shield of faith and extend it over myself. It extinguishes all the fiery darts of the evil one.

I put on the helmet of salvation, which protects my mind from the enemy's attacks. I have the mind of Christ." I put on the breastplate of righteousness, which covers my body with the righteousness of God. In Christ, every foothold of evil has been washed away and I am clothed in righteousness!

I gird my loins with the belt of truth. Your word, O God, is truth. Father, sanctify me according to your word and remind me through the Holy Spirit of the truth that destroys the lies of sin. I shod my feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. I have peace with God through the blood of Jesus. I have favour with God and with man. I walk in my inheritance as an adopted son of God and have authority over evil in Jesus' name.

I will use the Sword of the Spirit by speaking the Word of God as it applies to whatever situation I may face today. Father, please remind me of your Word via
the Holy Spirit. I will continue to pray in the Spirit throughout the day, and intercede for all Christians as the Holy Spirit prompts me. I believe that the Holy Spirit is interceding on my behalf according to my prayers.

Thank you, Father, for the whole armor of God. Please surround me with your
hedge of protection as I move forward on the spiritual battlefield today. I praise
and worship you now and forever, Amen."

Bible Study:
Romans 13:14 says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts".

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me".

Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield".

Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him”.

Psalm 3:3 "But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head".

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.".

John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

Psalm 51:6 "Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom."

Jeremiah 31:33 "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall my people."

John 8:31-32 "If you abide by My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".

2Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who know no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him".

Romans 5:19 "For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinner, even so through the obedience of the One, the many will be made righteous".

Romans 10:9,10 "That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation".

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me".

John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world".

Psalm 31:8 "And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet on a large place.

Psalm 40:2 "He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm".

Hebrews 5:9 :And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation."

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

Psalm 140:7 "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of the battle".

1Thessalonians 5:9 "For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ".

John 1:14 "And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart".

Psalm 149:6 "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand".

Revelation 1:16 "In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword".

Beloved, put on the full Armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil in this generation and age!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom
Enim

Run To Win

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:59:02 PDT

Hebrews 12:1-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.

Life is a long tenuous race, full of hindrances ,bumps, uncertainties with a lot of witnesses. The only thing that can guarantee a successful race of life is to focus on the price one receives at the end of the race. Hebrew 12:2-3 is a great encouragement 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart". These verses remind us to focus our attention on the author and perfecter of our faith: Jesus Christ and how He overcame the numerous hindrances and obstacles that were set before him.

Run Free Of Weights

Any runner knows that he or she must minimize weight which serves as a resistance to finishing a successful race. Extra pounds whether in body weight or clothes, impede speed and performance and must be eliminated as soon as possible. Therefore the key to reaching your dreams requires running "light". As we saw in the scripture above which says "Let us lay aside every weight and sin which easily ensnares us".

Sin A Spider Web

Sin is the very obstacle that prevents or obstructs us from reaching our dreams in life as successful Christians in life. Sin has prevented many from reaching their dream lands. Sin is like a spider web, and it easily entangles us in our life. The Key to overcoming this sneaky mountain of sin is to submit to the word of God at all times in our lives. We need to repent any time we recognize sin in our lives and get back on the track . We shouldn't give up anytime we fail, because it's a long tenuous race. 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness. I particularly like James 4:7 which encourages us to submit to God, and after that resist the devil and he will flee from us. That's a powerful weapon against sin and every device of the enemy against us. We need to submit to God first by complete obedience to the word of God and after that prayerfully resist the devil and he will flee.

Life's weights

Life's stress can lead to weight gain and an obstacle to a great finish of the race. Weights can be very deceiving because of the well-motives we have about them. For example excessive busyness is a common weight that is often rooted in the inability to say no or set boundaries. Emotional baggage such as regret and self-reproach for past failures and disappointments, victim-mentality will also weigh you down.Other common symptoms of weights include excessive amount of time spent on activities such as hobbies, work, socializing, watching television, shopping etc. All these are healthy in moderation but overindulgence and imbalance will keep you from reaching your goals. Detach yourself from self -destructive habits.

Run with Endurance

You need to strive on daily in life. You need to push yourself to keep going regardless of the circumstances surrounding you. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Refuse to give in to feelings of fatigue and discouragement. Be tenaciously determined to finish the race. There is a feeling of euphoria that normally comes from having completed a long distance race succefully. Every runner starts well with joy and enthusiasm, but not all finish confident enough. The difference between the starters and the winners is perseverance or endurance. You need to be determined and persistent to finish the race, if you fail in this initial push of persistence, trust me you won't get any where. If you think you will fail, you will , and if you think you will win, definitely you will certainly win. Build your endurance and staying power to keep you in the race.

Run with Focus

Focus will keep you in the right direction. Nothing will keep a runner off-track or slow more than turning back to look at the runner coming behind him/her or glancing at the crowd to see how they are reacting to your performance. Comparing yourself with others or seeking their accolades will hinder you from running with effectiveness. Running with focus means not sweating the small stuffs. It means keeping your eyes on the big picture, and not becoming discouraged by setbacks. Above all running to win means remaining focus on the reason we run-To honour Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Keep fixing your eyes on Jesus. I like this bible verse so much, John 16:33-"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." This life is full of troubles, but take heart it is well, because Jesus has overcome the world for us! how refreshing!!

Bible Study:

Hebrews 12:1-3:-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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 John 1:9:-If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

James 4:7:-Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

John 16:33:-I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world

Prayer

Make a list of all the things you need to lay aside, and prayerfully lift each area to God. If you have sinned, ask God for forgiveness, forgive yourself too, admit you've made a mistake and start again. If you are carrying a negative emotional baggage let go of it prayerfully. If you're wasting time in any area of your life, make a quality decision to make changes and hold yourself accountable. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ enable you to run the race of life without any weight and web of sin.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Shalom
Enim

Hand Of God

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:35:18 PDT

Ex 8:19-The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God".

The hand of God is so powerful and does wonders. It is armed with strength and might and brings total salvation of the body, soul and spirit. The mighty hand of God is noted for creating only original things with no copies. Everything created by God is unique and irrepoducible. Have you ever wondered why scientist are still scratching their heads to create life?Why Evolutionist still has no proof to back their claim of "Bing-Bang and long evolution tales and myth? Why the universe and nature is carefully ordered and there is no chaos? Just take a moment and think about the sky and the stars, the seas,the rain, the mountain, unique faces of people, animals, even the hair on your head and how its all ordered etc.. the simple reason behind all these is that ,they are all a direct product of the Hand of God. There is a clever awesome God behind all these creation. He is the master architect, the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:4 shows that every house is built by someone and God is the builder of everything!

The magicians of Egypt during Moses time try duplicating every miracle performed by Moses, until its get to a point they couldn't any more, they were burnt out and run out of ideas. That was the moment they realized that this is not any ordirary miracle, its devine and backed by some tremendous amount of power. They immediately confessed that, " This is the finger of God", which means this is awesome and has no copy. They gave praise to God before Pharaoh. Give God the praise because you are wonderful and fearfully made right from your mother's womb by the hand of God and not by some crazy evolution theory. David praised the Lord in Psalm 139:14:

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well".

Everyting made by man is perishable, reproducible and can be improved upon. Ecc 7:13 :

Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

It was by the Almighty's hand that the foundation of the earth and the heavens were made. Isaiah 48: 13 decalares that :

"My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,

and my right hand spread out the heavens;

when I summon them,

they all stand up together".

Note the testimony of Isaiah 45:12: "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." God did not have to use intermediate processes or pre-existing materials. Everything was "commanded" into existence and "I, even my hands," made all of it, including man. Creation was direct-a direct product of God's mighty hands.

Isaiah 63:5 says, "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me".

Isaiah 62:8 "says the Lord has sworn by his right hand, and by his arm of strength."

Isaiah 59:1" says the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save."

Exodus 6:6 declares,"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

Bible Study: Meditate on these verses and see how powerful the hand of God is in a believers life:

Duet.5:15, 7:19, 11:2;26:8 Ps.44:3; Jer. 32:21; Ez. 20:33,1 Peter 3:22, Phil 2:5-8,Mt 28:18,Eph 3:11, Rom 8:34.

Prayer:

Ps. 80:17 " Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, upon the Son of man whom you made strong for yourself." Pray for the Hand of God to be upon you all the days of your life! Again Praise God that you are fearfully and wonderfully made: Ps 139:14.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless

Enim

Walk By The Spirit

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:54:33 PDT

Galatians 5:16--So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Walking by the Spirit is a walk in victory and progress. There is life, revelation, increase, anointing, direction, positiveness and elevation when we walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is a walk of faith, because without faith it is impossible for one to please God. On the contrary walking in the flesh is a walk without faith and it produces weakness, lack of direction, negativity and death.

Apart from the Spirit we are mere flesh and Paul said in Romans 7:18, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is , in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out. Apart from the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, none of our inclinations or desires is holy or good, "for the mind of the flesh is hostile to God's law and does not submit to it because it cannot"( Romans 8:7).Clearly our natural mind is an enemy of God.

Therefore, "walking by the Spirit" is something the Holy Spirit enables us to do by producing in us strong desires that accord with God's will. This is what God said he would do in Ezekiel 36:26-27:

"A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you . . . I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes".

As Spurgeon puts it that -“We are not justified by the manner of our walk, but by our being in Christ Jesus,”

The most important question to ask ourselves is, “Am I in Christ?” If the answer is yes, then “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The individual who is “in Christ Jesus” does not walk after the flesh, but after and in step with the Holy Spirit. He walks according to the guidance of the Spirit.

To be “filled with the Spirit” is to be under the control of the Spirit. Every believer has the Holy Spirit. Our main responsibility is to be yielded to Him. God does not take away the flesh when we become born again. It is still there striving and warring against the spirit, and it will be there until the Christian is taken up into heaven to be with God. Apostle Paul tells us the person who is “in Christ Jesus” commits himself to the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit. He gives us guidance, encouragement, correction, and leads us in the paths of righteousness so that we become more like Christ.

Another important question for the believer is, Am I walking according to the flesh? Or, Am I walking in the Spirit? Our response determines what we produce in our daily lives.

How do you know the difference? “For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are living according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit”.

Is my life conduct under the control of the Spirit? If so, I will produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life (Galatians 5:22-23). It will be the opposite of the works of the flesh (vrs. 19-21).How is your walk? Your walk is determined by your thinking. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he -Proverbs 23:7.” If we set your mind on the things of the flesh and allows it to be dominated by fleshly thoughts, then we will produce the works of the flesh. Let therefore, your mind be under the control of the Holy Spirit and you will produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Kenneth Wuest translates Romans 8:5 as, “For those who are habitually dominated by the sinful nature put their minds on the things of the sinful nature, but those who are habitually dominated by the Spirit put their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Does the Holy Spirit or the flesh habitually dominate your mind? You will know by what your life is producing. Set your mind on the flesh and you will produce flesh. Let it be under the power and control of the Holy Spirit and you become like Jesus Christ in your behavior.

The only way to avoid walking in the flesh is to change our mind set . This can be done by “Being transformed by the renewing of the mind” (Romans 12:2). Edgar Goodspeed translated Romans 8:5b, “People who are controlled by the spiritual think of what is spiritual.” When we set our minds on the Spirit we produce spiritual things that are pleasing to God. Kenneth Taylor paraphrased this verse, “Those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God.”

The Amplified Bible reads, “For those who are according to the flesh and controlled by its unholy desires, set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh. But those who are according to the Spirit and [controlled by the desires] of the Spirit, set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the (Holy) Spirit.”

Where do you choose to let your thoughts dwell? You are what you think. Will you not choose to bow your mind to the control of Spirit of God? Let Him control your thinking. Let the desire of your heart be to depend not upon yourself, but on Christ alone. That is the work of the Holy Spirit within you. We have everything we need to live the Christian life in Him and what He chooses to provide. Our inner resource is God Himself—the Hoy Spirit. Let Him control your mind, your heart, and your actions will be pleasing to God.

Importance of Walking In The Spirit

A. Control - So as alcohol controls the life of the drunkard, Pro. 23:29-35,so should the Spirit of God control the life of the believer. (In their walk, their talk, their thoughts, their attitudes, their actions, etc.)

B. Completeness - The word "filled" means "to be full to the top; lacking nothing; nothing short of complete." If there is room for any other thing in our hearts, then we are not filled with the Spirit. His will should be our will. His thoughts should be our thoughts. His desires should be our desires. The Holy Spirit is to be in absolute domination of our lives.

C. Consistency - This is an "active tense." This means that it is to be a constant state of being. Very literally, we are to "go on being filled with the Spirit." Sadly, this kind of consistent living in missing from many Christians walk with God.

D. Compliance - This verb is also in the "passive voice". This means that this filling is something that is done to us. It is not something we can work up on our own, but we are to be vessels that God can fill and use for His glory. That means that we are to be clean, ready and open to the filling of the Spirit of God.

E. Command - It is also worthy of noting that this verb is in the "imperative mood". This makes it a command. Paul is not offering us an option for living, but is laying down the command of God for our lives. When all these things are taken together, it seems clear to me that it is the Lord's will for every believer to be filled with the Spirit at all times. When we aren't, then it seems obvious that we are walking in rebellion and sin before the Lord, James 4:17. Why is this so serious of a matter? Because when we are not walking in the Spirit as we should be, we will not be able to hear His voice when He speaks and God will not be able to use us as He desires to. Selah !

Bible Study:

Ephesians 5:18-21 (New International Version):Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Philippians 2:13 (New International Version) :For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Luke 11:11-13 (New International Version)-"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Prayer

"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"--Luke 11:11-13. Therefore ask in prayer everyday that our heavenly father will fill you with the Holy Spirit early in the morning before the day begins.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless

Enim

Gentleness

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:56:32 PDT

PHILLIPIANS 4:5--Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Gentleness — Meekness

The eight quality which constitutes the fruit of the Spirit is "Gentleness" ( Meekness in the KJV).The greek word is Prautes ( Prah-ot'-ace). It is a difficult word to define because there is no english word that corresponds to the greek. While meekness is a good attempt to translate the word, there is a misconception about the meaning of meekness itself. It is often used to suggest a form of cowardice and weakness but there is no such idea in the greek word "Prautes".Gentleness creates the proper environment for growth and maturity. It's easy to see the difference between children who have been raised in a stressful, mean, emotionally distant and unstable home and those whose parents were patient, kind, protective, and nurturing. Gentleness is one of the qualities which makes the difference. It creates a soft surface for learning how to deal with life's hard knocks. If the spirit of gentleness rules in the home, then anxiety is minimized. Children are not terrified of their parents. Communication is kept warm and inviting. Gentleness keeps childish secrets from collecting in dark closets and then resurfacing in the form of rebellion, anger, and resentment in future years. When gentleness is in the soil, other virtues seem to take root and grow with amazing success. Good fruit results from Gentleness.

The main purpose of this post is to define the proper meaning of "gentleness"(meekness) as used in Gal 5:23 and Philipians 4:5, and to consider the place it plays in the lives of christians.

Defining Prautes ( Gentleness/Meekness)

A. Prautes as defined by the Ancient Greeks:

1. To describe persons or things which have in them a certain soothing quality E.g, Having a humble and kind demeanor which calms another's anger.

2. To describe gentleness of conduct, especially on the part of people who had it in their power to act otherwise: A king forgiving a servant who failed a particular task. The king has the authority and power to render punishment, but chooses instead to show kindness and forgiveness. Such a king would be praised for his gentle and meek behavior.

3.To describe the ability to take unkind remarks with good nature (a) eg. As when embroiled in controversy.
(b) Being able to discuss things without losing one's temper because of unkind and unfair personal remarks.

4. Most often, to describe the character in which strength and gentleness are perfectly combined. eg A horse obedient to the reins or a watchdog friendly to the family owning him.

5.Aristotle had this to say about "Prautes":
"The ability to bear reproaches and slight with moderation, and not to embark on revenge quickly, and not to be easily provoked to anger, but to be free from bitterness and contentiousness, having tranquility and stability in the spirit."(On Virtues and Vices). This does not imply that there is never a place for anger in the gentle man. In deed, the man who displays "Prautes" is angry " on the right grounds, and against the right persons, and in the right manner, and at the right moment, and for the right length of time" (Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics). "He will err on the side of forgiveness rather than on the side of anger" (Barclay).

6.When we treat all men with perfect courtesy, that we can rebuke without rancor, that we can argue without intolerance, that we can face the truth without resentment, that we can be angry and sin not, that we can be gentle and yet not weak" ( Barclay).

Gentleness By George Washington
On one occasion, he was fox hunting with a group of friends. One of the fields through which they were passing was bordered by a stone wall. As his horse jumped the wall it knocked off a stone. Washington immediately stopped, got down from his horse, and replaced the stone. One of his friends said, “You are too big a man to bother with that.” He replied gently, “No, I am just the right size.”

Prautes As Used by Moses and Jesus.
The example of Moses--Numbers 12:3
a.Even though as God's chosen servant he could have rebuked Aaron and Miriam, he humbly kept silent eg Numbers 12:1-8.
b. His silence was not from personal weakness because one can consider---
(a)His reaction to the golden calf- Ex 32:19-20,25-28.
(b)His pleading with God-Ex 32:30-32. In deed Moses was no spineless coward, rather his meekness was the result of a humble opinion of himself!

2.The example of Jesus--Mt 11:28-30.
(a) Notice His meekness at His trail--Mt 27:12-14; Isaiah 53:7
But it was not due to lack of strength...
(1) His powerful strength had already been demonstrated in denouncing the pharisees (Mt 23:13) and in purgin the temple (Jn 2:14-17). His meekness at the trail was evidence of strength, not weakness!

(b) Jesus showed true gentleness both in the midst of conflict and in the midst of popularity. His healings and miracles often brought the crowds to a high pitch of enthusiasm. But He refused to let them make Him the kind of king they wanted. He reminded them of the passage in

Isaiah 42:1–4, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”

Jesus knew who He was, but He was gentle and humble — quite a contrast to the lying teachers who today exalt themselves by noisy demonstrations and who too often begin to think of themselves as above the requirements of holiness and justice.Jesus’ awareness of His power enabled Him to be gentle to those in need. The broken reed He would not crush but would fully restore. The flickering wick of a lamp He would not put out but would cause it to burn brightly again. His gentleness works. It brings forth righteousness, and it will bring forth justice in the earth, He gently takes the sinner and makes him whole.

Jesus' disciples learned Meekness
James and John were called "the Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17). The Gospel of Luke shows this was an appropriate nickname for the pair. Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Jerusalem, and on the way they sought lodging in a Samaritan city. The Bible tell us of long-standing enmity between the Samaritan and the Jewish people. Samaritans refused to allow Jews to enter their city (Luke 9:51-53).

Because they feel snubbed, James and John say wanted to call down fire from heaven to burn them but Jesus was put off by their attitudes, and His unequivocal response comes through in the statement that "He turned and rebuked them."Jesus lets James and John know that their attitude is not right because the "Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them" (Luke 9:54-56).In the biblical accounts of Elijah and the Sons of Thunder, Christians can learn an important lesson-that we are to be predominantly gentle people, just as our Savior, Jesus Christ, was gentle. In Jesus' many statements about Himself, one of the most memorable is found in Matthew 11:28-30. Here He plainly states that He is "gentle and lowly in heart."

How can we be gentle:1- Think before you react or respond. People react too quickly to situations without taking time to think about how reactions and responses affect others.

2- React in a calm manner. Sometimes actions appear threatening to others. Fold your arms or keep your arms at your sides and avoid appearing threatening. Also, talk quietly in a normal speaking voice. Screaming only escalates a situation.

3-Learn to empathize with others. If you can learn to imagine what it's like to walk in another's shoes, you can better understand that person and respond to them in a gentle way.

4-Respond with kindness. Avoid negativity, and think about ways to make a situation better. Don't worry about being right; instead focus on what you can to do to help others, and, in turn, they will help you.Being gentle is something you must work at, and it does not come easy. Some of the strongest people I have known have been very gentle, and through their actions they have shown others how to be kind. Gentleness is reflected in how you treat others. Try to respond to others in a gentle and loving way.

Must Knows:
I. God desires us to be gentle and loving (That is the will of God!)
     A. GENTLENESS?
           1. It's the way we feel and act towards others
           2. Humility and Humbleness before God
           3. Putting others before ourselves
           4. Imitating the Meekness/Gentleness of Christ. ( 1 cor 11:1)

     B. GENTLENESS, WHAT DOES IT ACCOMPLISH?
          1. Makes people "feel loved by you"
          2. Makes people "see Jesus in you".

II. GOD DESIRES US TO HAVE A GENTLE CHRIST LIKE PERSONALITY
     (That is the will of God!)
      A. A Gentle spirit of.... Kindness and love
            1. Godly love not worldly lust
                 a. Not inward and selfish
                 b. Outward toward others
            2. The more love we give, the more love we have
      B. A Gentle spirit of.... Humbleness and Humility (not prideful and proud or
            boastful)
      C. A Gentle spirit of.....Being well focused on things of God, not worldly, envious
           or jealoused.
      D. A Gentle spirit of.....Forgiveness and being quick to over look the sins of others.

Bible Study : Meditate on these verses:

Matthew 11:28–30 (NKJV):Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Numbers 12:3 :Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

Isaiah 42:1–4, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.

James 1:21
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 3:13
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

Gal 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

2 Timothy 2:24-25
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Col 3:12-13 :Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Prayer:

Pray that you will cultivate that fruit of the Spirit which gives all the glory to God and shows a gentleness that is powerful and demonstrates the high, holy, faithful love of God.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

A Strong Tower

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:06:00 PDT

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.

Are you in distress? Are you in pain? Are you confused? Are you in debt? Are you depressed? Are you in great danger? Are you in need?---All you need to do is to call on the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run into it and they are safe. Romans 10:13 says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. That's soothing and comforting to know. Just calling on the name of the Lord is the solution. It brings salvation, total salvation of the body, soul and spirit.

The name 'JESUS' is a name above all names in Heaven, on earth and under the earth. At the mention of the name Jesus all knees bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the father (Philipians 2:10-11) .That's how powerful the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is. What are we waiting for, why don't we start calling on the name of the Lord now! The Knees of distress, pain, confusion, depression, danger ,anger etc all bow at the mention of JESUS CHRIST!! Wow!!

I want us to look at the meaning of a strong tower as used in Proverbs 18:10: The name of the Lord is a Strong Tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe.

What is a Strong Tower? A tower is not a modern day skyscraper or any tall building. A Strong tower is a place of safe refuge. It fights more enemies in its range, it causes more damage to the enemies, and can take more damage than the normal watch tower. A strong tower has large areas to sleep large amounts of men, and can hold and store a large amount of food. Its huge and heavily fortified. They are built of thick stone blocks and they are tough.

Now the spiritual similarities: Strong towers have thick stone blocks and are enormous. Our God is a rock, He is our fortress, Our stronghold. In fact in Psalm 61:3, David says of the Lord been his refuge and strong tower against the foe. How true. Our God is so huge. In Jeremiah 23:24 our Lord declares He fills the Heavens and the Earth. That's how big our God is. He fills it ALL. No situation is too Big for him. Luke 1:37 says ' For with God all things are possible'.

A strong tower is also a place of abundance. There is a great storage of food and provision. Our Lord is a provider. He says cast all your burdens on Me because I care. Psalm 23 says the, 'The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want'! Matthew 6:31-33 says' Do not worry saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear? for the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom and righteousness , and all these things will be given to you as well'. Jehovah Jireh is His name, the Lord our provider in times of great need. The Lord will supply all your needs according to His great riches.

No more aching brows, no more swollen limbs, no more dim eyes, no more fainting hearts. The old man shall be no more a bundle of infirmities, nor the sick man a mass of agony all we need to do is to call on the name of Lord Jesus Christ Now!!Call On Him, say Lord Jesus Christ Help Me!! He will show up strongly!!

Bible Study: Jesus is our Strong tower, in him is our security, salvation and provision. Meditate on these verses below:

(a) I Am Who I Am:

Exodus 3:14- God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

John 8:58-I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!

(b) God Fills Heaven And Earth:

Jeremiah 23:24 - Can anyone hide in secret places

so that I cannot see him?"declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?"declares the LORD.

(d) All things are possible with God

Luke 1:37- For nothing is impossible with God.

(e) Everyone who calls on the Lord will be Saved
Romans 10:13-For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

(f) Every Knee Bows
Philipians 2:10-11-That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Power Of Agreement

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:08:53 PDT

Matthew 18:19 (New International Version)

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.

Agreements have changed the world and continues to change the world in many ways. People continue to seek agreements in many ways concerning peace, happiness, wealth, success, energy, power, creativity etc. Nothing successful ever happens without the power of agreement. Without agreement, families would not exist, businesses would go under, goals would not be accomplished, people would live isolated lives.Yes, without the power of agreement people would never reach their full potential causing them to be ordinary at best and failures at minimum. There is power when two people become one on something.Iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. There is power in agreement.

David sang in Psalm 133, about how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life for evermore. God is a God of agreement and respects agreement.

In the beginning of creation we see that, the holy trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), always moves in harmony and unity. This was the agreement : Gen 1:26-Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. He fashioned man to have dominion over all the earth through the power of agreement.

So the truth remains undiluted today, that if two shall agree on earth about anything and ask in Jesus 's name, it will be done for them by our Father in heaven. The power comes from two individuals agreeing on something through prayer in Jesus name. Unity is power.

Bible Study:

The Power Of Agreement . . .

What Is The Prayer Of Agreement?This is when two or more people come together and agree with one another concerning the Word of God, that the thing you're asking for will be done. There is great power as you will see when you use your faith and come into an agreement of prayer with God, His Word, and with other Christians. Remember also that disagreement brings a loss of power and that being double-minded will cause you not to receive anything from the Lord - James 1:5-8.

Power of Agreement:

Will Bring Victory:
Read Exodus 17:12
Here in this verse, Israel defeated Amalek while Moses held up the rod of God in his hand. When Moses held up his hand, Israel overcame and when his hand went down, Amalek overcame. Moses needed help holding up his hands because they became so heavy. To help, Aaron and Hur supported his hands and caused them to be steady to defeat Amalek. Here Moses needed help as we all do sometimes.

Will Bring 10 Fold Increase In Power
Read Deuteronomy 32:30
This verse is speaking of increasing the power of prayer 10 fold if you agree with someone where it says "one chase a 1000, and two put 10,000 to flight."

Helps You Make The Right Decisions
Read Acts 1:24
This verse shows them praying together and asking the Lord to show them who He has chosen. You can count on God to help you make the right decisions too.

Brings The Holy Ghost
Read Acts 2:1-2
Here on the Day of Pentecost, they were all praying with one accord which caused the Holy Ghost to come sounding as a rushing mighty wind. The power of agreement ushers in the Holy Ghost.

Brings Jesus
Read Matthew 18:19-20
In these verses we have Jesus telling us that if two or three of us agree on Earth in prayer, and we are gathered together in His name, there He will be in the midst of us.

Brings Miracles
Read Acts 3:1-9
In this story, Peter and John were going into the temple together to pray when they met a lame man at the gate. Peter told him to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ and immediately he received his strength and was healed. Your prayers of agreement can bring miracles into your lives also, just as they did for Peter and John.

Brings Great Power
Read Acts 4:31-33
Here is an account of the Apostles praying together for boldness. After their prayers, the place was shaken and filled with the Holy Spirit. They were of one heart and one soul.

Brings Abundance
Read Acts 4:34-37
This continues from "Brings Great Power" directly above. After the Apostles prayed for boldness, and gave witness to the resurrection of Jesus, land and house owners sold their possessions and brought the proceeds to the Apostles and they then distributed to everyone who had need.

Brings Freedom
Read Acts 12:5-11
These verses tell of Peter when he was in prison. The church prayed to God for him constantly. Peter was bound by chains with guards and soldiers next to him. One night an angel of the Lord came and he released the chains from Peters hands and set him free. These prayers of agreement gave Peter his freedom.

Brings Deliverance
Read Acts 16:25-26
Here Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Suddenly a great earthquake shook the prison and all the doors opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

Read Romans 15:30-31
Here Paul is asking for prayers that he may be delivered from those in Judea.

Read 2nd Corinthians 1:8-11
Here is another account of Paul in Asia where the help of others praying together delivered him from a sentence of death.

To Escape From Temptation
Read Matthew 26:36-41
In this story, even the Lord needed someone to pray with him. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and took his disciples to pray with him. He found them asleep but then told them to watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.

Action: Matthew 18:20 -For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.This week just agree with someone on something you want to see in your life, believe and pray together in oneness of mind and our father in heaven will make it happen in Jesus Name, Amen!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Easter And What It Means To You

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:53:13 PDT

Revelation 3:20 (NIV): Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

A Second Chance

God always wants the best for us,
But in Eden we sinned; we really blew it.
We disobeyed God’s direct decree;

We separated from Him, and we knew it.

You’d think we’d learn to behave ourselves,

But through all time, we just kept doing it;
Piling wrong on top of wrong,
Our punishment—we kept accruing it.Jesus came and changed all that;
He paid the price for all our sins;
When we repent and believe in Him,
We change, and a better life begins.Easter stands for a second chance
For us to choose to put things right;
If we repent, and really believe,
Our record is polished clean and bright.When Jesus rose from the dead back then,
He guaranteed our eternal life,
Reunited with God in heaven,
Free from tears and fears and strife.Easter ensures paradise
For all of us, for you and me;
We’re reconciled to our Lord and King
For now and all eternity.

Easter JoyJesus came to earth,
To show us how to live,
How to put others first,
How to love and how to give.Then He set about His work,
That God sent Him to do;
He took our punishment on Himself;
He made us clean and new.He could have saved Himself,
Calling angels from above,
But He chose to pay our price for sin;
He paid it out of love.Our Lord died on Good Friday,
But the cross did not destroy
His resurrection on Easter morn
That fills our hearts with joy.Now we know our earthly death,
Like His, is just a rest.
We'll be forever with Him
In heaven, where life is best.So we live our lives for Jesus,
Think of Him in all we do.
Thank you Savior; Thank you Lord.
Help us love like you!

Easter Holiday

Easter holiday, is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ! Jesus Christ, The Son of God, bled and died for us in a sacrifice.

This Spring day's celebrated, generally in the month of April. All of the bright and pretty colors, of the Easter outfits with frills.
Women and children will wear their Easter bonnets. In the Spring, you'll hear the various musical sonnets.
April will bring many rain showers. That'll bring us various beautiful flowers.
One special flower for this day is the Easter Lily. It's color is white, and yet snowy & milky.
The birds will sing their songs of praise. As we begin to feel the warmth of the sun's rays.
As we say "Goodbye" to the winter's gloom, The flowers and trees have already begun to bloom.
All of life's beauty, The Lord created, for us all to share. Spring breezes begin to flow, sending fragrances through the air.
The winter's thawing will let the rivers, lakes, and streams rise and flow. The beauty of the Earth will make us all feel aglow!
Farmers and gardeners will start to hoe. And then they'll begin to sow.
On Sundays, we'll hear the various church bells ring. Let's be grateful for the LORD, let's rejoice and sing.
If it wasn't for the Lord, we wouldn't have anything!

Easter Means Eternal LifeA perfect God demands a perfect justice;
He cannot let us get away with sin.
We used God’s gift of our free will to trespass,
So heaven’s gates were closed; we couldn’t get in.Our sin required our blood, a sacrifice,
To atone for all the wrongs that we had done.
"But I love them!" cried our Father, filled with sorrow;
"I’ll send my only Son to be the one."Good Friday marks the slaying of our Jesus,
The unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice.
He took our guilt and blame upon Himself,
So we could be with Him in paradise.On Easter morning, he came back from death;
He vanished from the tomb, the empty grave.
His resurrection means eternal life
For us, the ones he came to earth to save.This summarizes all the Easter story
And because of it, we’ll be with Him in glory.

His LoveGod sent His Son to take the punishment
For all the thoughtless, sinful things we do;
Jesus gave his life because He loves us;
His love is boundless, sweet, forever true.On Easter morn He showed He is our Savior;
His resurrection proves He is our Lord.
That is why we tell you, "Happy Easter!"
He secured our heavenly reward!

Without EasterWithout Easter,
there would be no hope of heaven.
Without the hope of heaven,
there would be no repentance,
no personal transformation,
no attempt to follow biblical principles.
Without Easter,
the world would be in chaos
and darkness.
Jesus’ death and resurrection
means we can be reborn,
to live better, to do better,
to shine light into the shadows.
Hallelujah!
Happy, Happy Easter. Celebrate Our SaviorOn Easter morn, we celebrate our Savior;
Whatever people seek in Him, they find.
In history, there has never been another
So holy, sacrificial, good and kind.His resurrection makes us all immortal;
In heaven, we’ll be together with our King.
Eternally we’ll share in all His blessings;
Happy Easter! Jesus Christ is everything!

To All Who Love HimO God of the Universe,
you shed your glory, your majesty,
your omnipotence
to become human, as Jesus Christ--
to get close to us, to connect with us,
to be our role model and guide for living.
O God of the Universe,
you became the human Jesus Christ,
to know us, to feel all we feel,
to show us how much you love us
by taking within yourself all our sins.
O God of the Universe,
you felt not just one person's pain
but the pain of all of us,
to wash us clean and bond with us,
your creation, your children.
O God of the Universe,
you proved your trancendent holy power
by rising from the dead,
a sign that all of us who believe in You
will also rise to be with You eternally.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ
is the "Happy" in "Happy Easter."
Happy Easter to all those who love Him. If Not For EasterIf not for Easter,
the chaos of this world
would be all there is
and all there ever would be.
If not for Easter,
the unfairness of life
would drive us to despair.
But God sent His Son
to give eternal life
filled with peace, happiness
and unimaginable blessings
to those who choose Him.
All we have to do is choose Him.
Happy, Happy Easter!

The Easter StoryJesus came to compensate
For all the wrongs we do.
He came to earth to die for us,
So we’d be born anew."This bitter cup, let it pass from me,"
He cried, in a plaintive voice;
"Yet not My will, but Thine be done;"
He said, in His faithful choice.The Judas kiss would seal his fate;
He faced a hostile crowd;
The governor, Pilate, saw through it all;
Jesus’ guilt he disavowed."I wash my hands of all of this,"
Said Pilate, "Let Him be."
But the crowd yelled "Crucify him now,
And set Barabbas free!"Pilate yielded to their wish;
And Jesus was led away.
The soldiers beat him, and mocked Him, too,
Yet He continued to obey.A crown of thorns lay on His head,
As His sentence was carried out;
His hands and feet were pierced with nails,
But He did not scream or shout."Father, forgive them for this crime;
They know not what they do."
He said this despite His torment, because,
He was thinking of me and you."It is finished," he sighed in His anguish and pain,
As His body gave up to death.
The curtain tore, and darkness fell,
After He took His last breath.The best of the story is the very last part;
It’s why on Easter we’re filled with pleasure:
Death could not our Savior hold;
His power is beyond all measure.He rose from the grave, and was seen all around;
Ever since, He’s inspired devotion,
And we’ll be with Him for eternity,
When we get our heavenly promotion.That’s why Easter is a major event:
He suffered and died in our place.
He rose and forgave us and loves us still,
Our Savior of matchless grace.

Christian Easter SongIsn't it fun when Christian Easter poems can be sung as well as read? This Christian Easter poem for a child goes to the tune of the familiar "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know." I hope you enjoy this Christian Easter poem that can be used in musical programs.

Jesus Loves Me; Easter Tells Me So

Jesus loves me, this I know;
The Easter story tells me so.

He died for me to bear my sin;

He opened heaven to let me in.Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Easter tells me so.Jesus loved me when He died,
Loved me enough to be crucified.
But His death didn't last very long,
Because His power is so strong.Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Easter tells me so.Jesus' came back from the dead
I know because the Bible said.
Jesus is my Lord and King;
Love and praise to Him I bring.Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Easter tells me so.When I die, I'll rise up, too.
We'll all be in heaven, me and you.
We'll see Jesus face to face.
Up in heaven, that happy place.Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Easter tells me so.The Easter story brings much joy
To us all, each girl and boy.
Jesus is my Savior now;
Heaven and earth to Him must bow.Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Yes Jesus loves me;
Easter tells me so. What Easter Means to MeEaster morning, God be praised,
Allelujah!
Jesus Christ from death was raised.
Allelujah.On Good Friday, Jesus died;
Allelujah!
All for us, He was crucified.
Allelujah.Jesus bore the pain for me,
Allelujah!
From my sin, to set me free.
Allelujah.Death could not confine our Lord,
Allelujah!
And to life He was restored.
Allelujah.Easter morn we consecrate,
Allelujah!
His resurrection to celebrate.
Allelujah.Jesus’ love means when we die,
Allelujah!
We’ll live in heaven with Him on high.
Allelujah.Our Savior loves us awesomely;
Allelujah!
That’s what Easter means to me.
Allelujah.

Comments From Reader: What does Easter really mean to you?? Please post up by clicking on the comment link below.

God Bless and Happy Easter
Enim

The Harvest

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:30:07 PDT

Matthew 9:37 -Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few".

The period during harvest is not the time for sleeping. It is time for work. (Proverbs 10:5) says, "He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son". There is a big farm, ripe for harvesting, for all of us to work in, and the question is," Are you ready to harvest the produce?" Just think of a large farm that is ripe for harvesting and without enough workers. what do you think will happen to the produce in the farm?

Jesus's heart was full of compassion when He saw the multitudes without a sheperd.

Matthew 9:35-Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few".

Today’s dying world can be compared to a large plantation ripe for harvest, but without workers. Every second somebody somewhere dies without getting the chance to hear the good news about Jesus Christ. This ungodly world is passing away swiftly along with everything in it, but those who believe in Jesus Christ will abide forever. Heaven is real, and so is Hell. Without heaven there will be no hell and only those who have washed their robes in the blood of the lamb will enter the gates of heaven.

Charles H Spurgeon on the way to heaven : Revelation 7:13-14

“All those in heaven were sinners, for they all needed to wash their robes. No superfluity would have been written down in the bible; but had the robes been perfectly white, there had been no necessity to cleanse them, certainly not to cleanse them in Jesus’ blood. They were sinners, then, those glorious ones were sinners like ourselves. Look up at them now! Observe their ravishing beauty! See how faultless they are! And then, remember what they were. Oh, ye trembling sinners, whose bruised hearts dare not indulge a hope of divine favour, those fair ones were once like you, and you are today what they were once. They were all sharpen in iniquity, as you were; they were everyone of them of woman born, and therefore, conceived in sin. They were all placed in circumstances which allured them to sin: they had their temptations… and they lived in the midst of an ungodly generation, even as you do. What is more, they all sinned, for mere temptations would not have soiled their robes, but actual sin defiled them. There were thoughts of sin, there were words of sin, there were acts of sin in all of them. They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Not one of them became white through his tears of repentance, not one through the shedding of the blood of bulls or of goats. They all wanted a vicarious sacrifice( i.e., one in their place) and for none of them was any sacrifice effectual, except the death of Jesus Christ the Lord. They washed their robes nowhere but in the blood of the Lamb. O sinner, that blood of the Lamb is available now. The fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, is not closed, nor is its efficacy diminished. Every child of Adam now in heaven came there through the blood of the great substitute. This was the key that opened heaven’s door- the blood, the blood of the Lamb, without exceptions. If I were in thy case, O sinner, God helping me, I would trust in the blood as they did, and enter heaven as they have done.

Let us understand that no amount of sin of which we may have been guilty ought to lead us to despair of pardon, salvation and ultimate entrance into heaven, if we also wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb. Those who are in heaven have washed their robes white by faith in Jesus, and so may we. By an act of faith cast yourselves upon God in Christ Jesus. If you do so, you shall take your place among the white robed bands when this life ends’.

Dear reader, you need to tell someone about the Saviour Jesus Christ today and save their soul from eternal hell. Be part of the workers in the plantation today.

Jesus’Command;Our Prayer: Matthew 9:36- Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." We are to pray every day to God requesting for more workers to be added unto the harvest field.

Matthew 28:18-20- Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

All we need to do, is to GO!! Tell someone GO and make disciples today!!

Bible Study: Salvation ( Soul Winning Methods)
You can use the Roman Road: It is code-named the Roman road because all the verses are from the book of Romans.

1.Romans 3:23- For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ( To show that all men are sinners)

2.Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (To Show Spiritual separation from God)

3.Romans 5:8- But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ( To show God's love for man while we were yet sinners)

4.Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (To show how to accept Jesus and receive eternal life).

Other Methods like The Four Spirituals and Personal Testimony Laws will be updated soon…

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Bondage

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:32:47 PST

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...John 8:31

Anyone without the truth is in bondage and great darkness. Ignorance is deadly and deception is destructive, but doubt kills faith and these are the roots of bondage. The Devils plays on deception, ignorance and feeds us with doubt to keep us in bondage and great darkness forever. He blinds the mind of many so that they can't know the truth and keep them as perpetual slaves of Sin. Everyone who sin remains a slave of sin. Satan is always negating the word of God in our minds. A good example is what happened in the garden of Eden before the fall of man, when God commanded man not to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Gen 2:16-17,"And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

After the word of God, came the deception of the enemy, " Gen 3:1-4, Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Ignorance about the word of God, gives room for deception, deception creates doubt, and doubt cancels our faith in God, which ultimately leads to disobedience and sin, keeping us in bondage and finally death because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Sin stays in the temple of God, which is your spirit man. Sin puts the spirit man in bondage and kills him.

Ignorance>Deception>Doubts> Sin> Bondage of the Spirit!!
(The sign (>) means leads to)

As we saw above, the "You will not surely die" is the deception of the devil ,twisting the word of God directly opposite,which says "You will surely die when you eat of it". Adam and Eve were ignorant concerning the word of God, and that has changed the future of mankind.

This ungodly world is in great bondage. Sin is the root of all bondage which comes from the Devil, through ignorance, deception and doubt. Bondage comes in various forms: Addictions, Anger, Anxiety, Doubts, Depression, Stress, Emptiness, Grief, Hopelessness , Loneliness, Aloneliness, Sickness, Demon possession, Fear, Suicidal etc, etc.Many people fall into this family of Bondage because of ignorance concerning the truth. But thank God for his word which says "And you will know the truth and the truth you know, will set you free and free".

It is only the truth you know that will set you free from every form of bondage. So what is truth then? The truth is knowing your identity in Christ, what He has made you into by virtue of his death, burial and resurrection.The truth is who you are in christ. Gal 3:13-14,"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit".The curse of the Law is the depression, anger, grief, sickness, fear, addictions, doubts, stress, anxiety, emptiness, loneliness etc. but we have been redeemed from them already. Christ became the bondage that we do not suffer them anymore. Thats the truth. He became a curse that we might escape corruption from the grave. You have been redeemed! Amen! and given a promise of the Spirit. Thats an extra bonus. Thank God for His Spirit of Truth which lives and moves in us.

A person who is free on the inside though being bound on the outside won't be bound for long, before the freedom on the inside starts showing on the outside. Freedom always works from inside out. When the Son of man set you free from the inside, you shall be free indeed. Freedom starts with your spirit through your soul and finally transforms your body, not the other way round. Your spirit man needs to be free first, in order to experience total freedom.

Bible Study:

Overcoming Bondage: Meditate and pray on these verses daily until they become part of your spirit,soul &body;John 8:36, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 4:4, 2 cor 3:17, Luke 4:18-19, 1 Peter 2:24, Math 8:17,Lev 25:10, 1 John 1:9 etc.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1John 5:4

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

1John 4:4

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

2 Cor 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

1 Peter 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Matthew 8:17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Lev 25:10
Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.

Dear believer, please understand that by standing on these verses through prayer and meditation you will be set free by the Spirit of God through his word, because wherever the Spirit of God is there is freedom, the Spirit Himself will establish liberty forever in your spirit, soul and body!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

The Dream Of The Enemies

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:58:11 PST

2 Cor 10:4

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.

Immediately Gideon obeyed the voice of God and took his servant Purah, most probably one of the ten who helped him destroy the altar of Baal, and sneaked down to the enemy camp.

"And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host".

We must understand that there are two kinds of dreams: natural and supernatural. Regarding the natural dream, one need not be converted or believe in God to have one. It is part of human nature and common to any person. It is a collection of ideas and jumbled images that usually make no sense, which come up during one's sleep.

The supernatural dreams are those with spiritual meaning. The Lord uses supernatural dream to communicate the future, aiming to benefit and perfect His work as a whole. During sleep, He would put images of future events in the minds of certain people.

The evil spirits also did and still do the same to their victims. They usually bring images of events that they will arrange to happen in the near future. It is the case, for example, of people who suffer from demon-possession and have dreams of accidents. To gain the confidence of those they possess, the spirits themselves cause those fatal accidents.

The Bible is the fountain that has opened our spiritual eyes to an insightful vision of God's will; He has enlightened our understanding to have dreams that can be achieved, not fantasies. Whenever a person is caught by surprise in a tragic dream, the best thing to do is to immediately ask the Lord to deliver him from that evil.

In order for the Lord to encourage Gideon and at the same time discourage the allied enemies, the Lord planted a dream in the middle of the enemy camp. Encouraged by the interpretation of the dream, Gideon shook off his distress, fear and doubt, and worshipped the Lord. His adoration expressed the firmest conviction of victory.

It was necessary to hear a confession of defeat from the mouth of the enemy in order for Gideon to finally give a sigh of relief. Following that, he returned to his camp and encouraged his men with the same faith he received. Next he said to the 300 chosen men, " Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I blow the trumpet.... then you also blow the trumpet... and say, ' The sword of the Lord and of Gideon'. This meant unity of purpose, faith and determination.

As the war cry sounded from the trumpets, the light of the torches blazed when the jars were shatterd.The angel of the Lord multiplied the cry of war many times over. The result was the total destruction of the enemies. God Himself caused the enemies to kill each other due to the great uproar provoked by the noise. The war was no longer the Israelites' war, it was God's war.

2 Corinthians 10:4

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. And always remember that it is only fervent effective prayer that will reveal the dream of the enemies!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

A Sign By Fire

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:55:40 PST

Judges 6:17-Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

A request for a sign from God is a sign of doubt. It is like a contract signed by two parties, co-signed by witnesses and , on top of everything else, certified by the registrars-all a sign that the parties distrust each other.

Neither the appearance of the Angel of the Lord nor his conversation with Him convinced Gideon that the human-like figure was One sent by God.On the other hand, we cannot condemn him for this weakness-after all, he lacked the anointing of the Holy Spirit and was under extreme oppression from his enemies. Added to this was the idolatry that prevailed even inside his own house...His father was a follower of Baal and Asherah. In any event, his request was not taken as an insult by God, considering the positive reply it received. But under what conditions did the sign take place?

"Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You. And He said, 'I will wait until you come back" (Judges 6:18).

Gideon wanted more, much more than words! He wanted to have the most absolute assurance of the Divine Authority in that Person with whom he was talking, and one way of confirming this was by presenting his offering. If that Person really had come from God, then his offering would serve as fuel for the fire of God!

Fire is the result of the combustion, the simultaneous creation of heat and light. It is often used in the Bible as a symbol of the presence of God, as His presence burns the impure and enlightens the paths of the pure. Fire is a sign of God’s physical presence before men. In the covenant made with Abraham, God passed between the parts of the animals in the form of a blazing touch; the fire that came down upon Sodom and Gomorrah; the fire in God’s appearance to Moses, through the burning bush; the fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu; the fire in the consecration of the Temple; the fire that came down from heaven to consume the offering of the prophet Elijah etc.

Gideon knew that only the true God would manifest Himself through the fire. Hence why he pleaded with the Angel of the Lord for Him not to go away until he brought his offering. In spite of the economic situation in Israel in those days, Gideon still prepared a young goat and unleavened bread. This was a type of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus: in the animal, the blood, and in the unleavened bread, the body of God.

When the Bible mentions unleavened bread it is speaking of bread without yeast. This means purity in the offering, since the purpose of yeast is to increase volume and appearance of the Bread. In the law of offerings the use of yeast was prohibited. God demands purity in the offerings, that they be free of yeast, free from hypocrisy.

Gideon came back with his offerings prepared and presented them to the Lord. The goat had been cooked and placed in a basket with the unleavened bread, and the broth was in a pot, which he presented to the Lord. But the Lord told him to put the meat and the bread on a rock and to pour the broth on it.

The rock symbolised the Altar of burnt sacrifice, the Capstone, the Lord Jesus….Putting out the end of His rod, the Angel touched the offering and fire rose out of the rock, from the altar- not from heaven, and consumed the offering!In other words, when we present an offering of sacrifice to God on the altar, fire rises out as a sign that confirms God’s acceptance of our offering. The offering represents the person’s entire life. That’s why it is called offering of sacrifice, because it represents the giver’s own life. The fire of God rises out of the altar and goes straight into the heart of the giver! This fire or sign of God, is the absolute assurance, the supernatural faith, the conviction that the Lord accepts the offering and confirms the fulfilment of His promise to the giver.

If the offering is impure, if it contains yeast, the fire of the altar does not consume it because God does not accept impure offerings, and the giver comes down from the altar with no sign from God. This means that his offering was in vain.

May your offering of sacrifice from hence forth (Romans 12:1-Therefore I urge you brothers in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- This is your spiritual act of worship) be accepted by God with a sign of fire that comes from above (John 20:22)!!! And remember that until some sweet aroma leaves the earth, nothing will descend from Heaven!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Gideon's Lack Of Self-esteem

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:29:53 PST

"But Lord, Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."....Judges 6:15

At first, in his talk with the Angel, Gideon was positive and determined when he manifested his revolt against the situation of his people. But soon after he was chosen to save Israel, he drew back. It seems the weight of responsibility brought him to his senses, and he began to use his physical limitations as an excuse:

"O my Lord, how can I save Israel? I have no army, no weapons, no money, nothing! My family's financial situation is very bad. We are the poorest in the tribe of Manesseh, and I am the least in my father's house! Who am I?

In spite of his noble ancestry, as Manasseh was the first born of Joseph, Jacob’s son, Gideon’s family was still the poorest. The fact that Joseph had been the second most powerful man in Egypt did not mean anything to Gideon’s family because he was living in Canaan and not in Egypt.

As if this were not enough, he was the least in his father’s house, not in physical height, but in importance. In summary Gideon was the least of the least. In every family there are those who stand out and those who go unnoticed. Gideon was simply the last…

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence”….1 Corinthians 1:27-29”

Gideon’s modest and humble character, despite being strong and determined on the inside, is a marking characteristic in the profile of God’s chosen ones. That was the reason why the Lord told him:

Since I am with you…go ahead! You shall strike the multitude of the Midianites as if they were only one man! This promise was enough to encourage him but not to the point of leading him to take immediate action, since he asked for a sign from God.

It is very important to emphasise that Gideon showed revolt and indignation before the Lord for the situation in his country. He had the full assurance that his people’s predicament was not the will of God, but because of his insignificant standing, it was difficult for him to believe one hundred percent in his appointment. That is why he asked for signs….would you have asked for signs if you were in Gideon’s shoes??

This is what happens to most Christians! They believe God does today what He did in the past; they believe in the wonders God has done in the lives of others who give their testimonies, but still entertain doubts in their minds. Not doubts about the power of God, of course, but doubts that He has chosen them also!

They say:

-No, this is not for me…

-I do not deserve this…

-My fate is to suffer

-My destiny ( my defeat) has already been written in the stars…

-This is a test…

-This is my cross…

-This is my hard luck…

Let me say this again, Christian’s greatest problem is the thoughts of inferiority or prejudice they have about themselves. With negative words and thoughts, they have built barriers of steel around themselves…and the more they confess these kinds of thoughts, the harder it becomes to break free…because they have developed prejudices and negative ideas against themselves mentally, and as they think so they become. For this reason they arrive at foolish conclusions, thinking that God is good and great only for others. Scholars call this lack of self-esteem. This way of thinking impedes the action of the Holy Spirit within the person!

In the thoughts of God we find this teaching:

“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap”….Ecclesiastes 11.4.

Gideon also manifested the same lack of self-esteem shown by Moses and Jeremiah. When Moses was called, his reply to God was:

“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?... Exodus 3:11.

“But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’… Exodus 4:1.

“O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow tongue”…Exodus 4:10.

“O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send”…Exodus 4:13.

Before this flood of excuses, “the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses”.

This is how Jeremiah answered his call:

“Ah Lord God! Behold I cannot speak, for I am a youth”…Jeremiah 1:6.

And God’s immediate reaction was:

“Do not say, ‘I am a youth’, for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak”….Jeremiah 1:7.

Let go of low self-esteem and negativity today in your life!!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Gideon's Strength

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:07:38 PST

"The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"...Judges 6:14

Gideon's strength obviously was not on the outside but deep in his innermost being. Because he knew that the God of Abraham existed, he was determined to reject the situation imposed by his enemies.

The greatest problem of people is not so much their difficult situation itself, but what they think about it. If someone is suffering from a certain problem and does not believe there is a way out, how can he possibly fight it?

Now we understand why the Lord Jesus asked the blind man: "What do you want Me to do for you"(Mark 10:51).The Lord knew very well what the blind man needed, even because it was obvious, but the Lord wanted the confession of his faith! In other words, he has to manifest his faith for his problem to be solved. Of course! If the blind man had not believed in his healing he would never have called out to the Lord Jesus. For a person to be freed from his problems, he must first believe that it is possible. This belief is his strength!

This was Gideon's strength! An inner energy capable of leading him to the fight and the achievement of victory.All the Angel said to Gideon was just one word: GO! In fact, it was the same word the Lord Jesus said to the blind man: GO!

The fuel that powers an engine is petrol, gas, diesel, oxygen, alcohol, or electricity. The fuel of life is oxygen, but the fuel that leads a person to victory is the faith that comes from God. Whoever wants to conquer the benefits of faith must follow its impulses and take action.

A man or woman of God must fill up their 'tank' with this fuel. But if they do not 'start' the engine, that is, if they do not act their faith, then it is no use being filled with fuel or filled with the Holy Spirit.

Supernatural faith is the energy of God inside of us, but He cannot force us to act! We ourselves must act by our own initiative!The Angel of God chose Gideon from among millions of his people because his 'tank' was full. And yet, he was not aware of his own power. He did not realise the power he had inside of him. Why? Because his spiritual eyes were closed.

Whilst he paid attention to the information given to him by his physical eyes, he could only see difficulties, misery, hunger,fear, humiliation, the power of the enemies, the weakness of Israel, etc. But a voice shouted inside of him: "No! This situation cannot go on! My God is the same as that of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Israel! If He delivered them in the past, He must deliver us today!".

In other words, when his physical eyes drew his attention to the situation around him, his spiritual eyes complained and disturbed him internally...There was an internal conflict. On the one hand, the voice of feelings aroused by his physical vision and , on the other hand, the voice of faith stimulated by the knowledge of the Living God.

When the Angel appeared to him, He simply kindled the flame of his strength, saying: What are you waiting for?Go...and save Israel! Am I not sending you? Go quickly!Go at once! Go right now!

You have probably already noticed that faith is closely associated with action! Faith is action. It is doing something! Go in your faith today and win every battle that is becoming a mountain before you !! Go!!Go now!!Go quickly!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

February 2010 Daily Devotions

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:43:47 PST

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple…More to be desired are they than gold,Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”(Psalm 19:7,10).

There is a blessing that comes to those who set aside time every day to dig deep into God's Word—the Bible. As you spend time feeding on His Word, your faith is built up,and you receive vision, wisdom and direction for your day. My prayer is that these daily devotionals will help you get connected with God and His Word every day. You are about to embark on an exciting adventure with Jesus!

FEBRUARY DAILY DEVOTIONS

DAY TITLE KEY SCRIPTURES

01   The Meaning of Life      (Ecclesiastes 12:1-14)

02   Keys to Understanding   Revelation (Revelation 1:1-3)

03 King Jesus and His Kingdom (Revelation 1:4-6)

04 Jesus is Coming Back – And Soon   (Revelation 1:7-10)

05 Don’t Be a Fool    (Psalm 14:1; Luke 12:16-21)

06 What is Water Baptism?    (Mt. 28:19-20; Ac. 2:38-41)

07 Doctor Jesus & His Hospital for Sinners   (Mark 2:15-17)

08 Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness (Heb. 10:24-25; John 13:34-35)

09 Have an Attitude of Gratitude   (1 Thess. 5:18; James 1:17)

10 I am Crucified with Christ   (Gal . 2:20; Mark 8:34-38)

11 Don’t Worry, Be Happy   (1 Peter 5:7; Matt. 6:25-34)

12 One Thing – Sitting at His Feet (Psalm 27:4; Luke 10:38-42)

13 Let Us Pray   (Hebrews 4:14-16; James 5:16)

14 A Love Letter from Your Father (Ephesians 3:17-19)

15 I’m a Child of the King (Ephesians 1:3-6; 2:4,10)

16 Living by the Book (James 1:21-25; 2 Tim. 3:16)

17 Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:1)

18 Watch Out for the Devil’s Attacks   (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Corinthians 2:11)

19 Sweet Fe llowship (Who’s Got YOUR Back?) (1 John 1:7)

20 You’re God’s FAVOURIT E (Proverbs 16:15; Romans 8:15-16)

21 His Angels are Watching Over You   (Psalm 91:9-11; Hebrews 1:14)

22 O Happy Day – A New Song in My Heart (1 Tim. 1:15; John 3:16)

23 We are the Fatherless (Psalm 68:4-6; Luke 18:17)

24 No More Junk Mail or Buried Treasure (1 John 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:2-3)

25 Nothing is Too Difficult for the Lord (Jer. 32:17; 2 Cor. 4:8-9, Luke 1:37)

26 Judging by Appearance? (1 Sam. 16:7; Jam. 2:1-4)

27 Have You Fallen And You Can’t Get Up? (Rev. 2:4-5; 3:15-16;19-20)

28 Just Go Home (Luke 15:20; 1 John 1:9)

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Joseph's Faith

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:18:54 PST

Gen 50:24-25: Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."

Joseph was a man of faith throughout his entire life.The dreams he had as a child shaped his future.Joseph overcame the world and ruled the world through his faith. Joseph is the fruit of Genesis. He was a man who lived in a fallen world. He lived as a slave on the bottom of society--with no friends, no family and was imprisoned for his faith in God. He was forgotten, but ended up saving generations by his unwavering faith in God.He believed God's mighty power and he never doubted God's unfailing love towards him.He knew that For with God all things are possible (Luke 1:37).God was with Joseph in his father's house; He was with Joseph in the house of Potiphar; He was with Joseph in the dungeon; and He was with Joseph when he ruled all Egypt. Joseph never forgot that God was with him. With this kind of faith, and with the help of almighty God, Joseph could overcome the world and every obstacle.

By faith, he could rule over and subdue his environs--he even ruled the mighty world power, Egypt. He became Pharaoh's shepherd and spiritual father. And God used him to preserve a remnant of God's people alive on the earth. God used Joseph to bring the people of Israel to a place where they could grow into a great nation. Joseph was not the covenant son--Judah was. But God used Joseph to change Judah into a man of faith and love. That unfaithful man became a very faithful man. Joseph is not the covenant son, but his life points to Jesus more clearly. His faith in God's sovereignty is like Jesus' faith. His participation in God's redemptive love to bring men to repentance is like that of Jesus. His life of suffering reminds us of Jesus and his life of victory also reminds us of Jesus (John 16:33). Indeed, he bears the image of Jesus more closely than many others in the Bible.

By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones( Heb 11:22), "Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."After 400 years later Moses remembered Joseph's request, and when the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they took the bones of Joseph with them. (Ex 13:19) Thus Joseph planted in the hearts of the Israelites a sure hope, and firm and confident faith in God who keeps his promises over several generations.May his Holy name be praised! Even Moses couldnt get to the promised Land but Joseph's bones did,what a faith!, "And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants"-Joshua 24:32.

Faith in the Unseen God will always give you a visible inheritance among the saints! May your faith stand firm and unshakable like that of Joseph,in these end times, and remember our faith in God overcomes the world!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Seeing By Faith

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:52:46 PST

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal--2 corinthians 4:18

Being Sure And Certain (Qualities of Faith)

Faith has eyes and visualizes, faith has a voice and speaks better things, faith walks the impossible road,Faith overcomes and conquers, faith is patient and perseveres, faith rejoices at the final picture,faith focuses at the glory that await us at our desitination, faith pleases God, faith is fundamental and the building block for every believer, faith is always tested for excellence,faith grows when nurtured by the word of God, faith lives on and never dies.Jesus is the object of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to 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 therefore to Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Seeing By Faith

The process of seeing by faith is called visualization or vision development. This involves building a clear mental picture. There are various forms of vision such as open visions, dreams, thoughts and imaginations etc. A vison can be God given or a personal one.A vision is just a vivid mental picture. Proverbs 29:18 states that where there is no vision the people perish. Faith is having a vision or clear mental picture which more than convinces you and makes you certain of its possibility in the physical realm. Therefore the phrase; the just shall live by faith also means the just shall live by some compelling mental pictures.Faith can be compared to a plan of a building on paper.

Seeing From A Distance

Hebrews 11:13-- All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. From this verse above we can say that faith is seeing and welcoming a thing from a distance and confessing that which is seen into reality.

Laws of Visualization

1.THE LAW OF CORRESPONDENCE :It states that “As within, so without”. That is your outer world tends to be a reflection of your inner world like a mirror. What you see in the world around you will be consistent over time with the world inside you.This is why it is necessary to change the world around you a with powerful image within your spirit and not the vice versa.Romans 12:2-And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God

2.LAW OF CONCENTRATION: It states that “whatever you dwell upon grows in your reality.Proverbs 23:7— For as he thinks in his heart , so is he. You will surely become what you think most of the time.As Christians we need to focus our minds on our visions most of the time.We should stop thinking about what we dislike in our lives entirely and try to switch our minds off everytime we find ourselves thinking about those negative things. We should also stop worrying, because worrying is just rehearsing those negative mental pictures and bringing those fears into reality. We need to see positive mental pictures all the time and become one with them. In fact we need to live our lives in those still mental pictures.Those two laws in combination explain much of faith.

The Vision Process

1.Vividness: The more vividly you can see something that you want in your mind's eye or your spirit, the more rapidly it will materialize in your reality.

2.Intensity: This refers to the amount of emotion you accompany your mental images with. Emotions is central to all accomplishments.

3.Frequency: This refers to to how often you play those mental images of your desired outcome on the screen of your mind. Playing it over and over again will bring it closer to reality.

4.Duration: This refers to how long you hold the mental picture or image in your mind at one time. The longer you can hold that picture, combined with emotions and vividness in your mind, the more rapidly it will be a reality. Thats why we need to think about our goals and visions as christians all the time. We need to focus on where we are going and meditate on them.

Jesus Our Example Of Faith

Jesus was always thinking about the Glory after the cross all the time. Jesus had joy in the worst suffering ever, and the only way to have this peace and joy is by faith in Jesus, which is faith in the unseen.He is not visible, but we have the record of what He did and taught and felt when He was in the flesh, and He is the same now in the unseen state as He was then. He cares and He will save us out of this world of suffering into a world of eternal peace and joy. If we believe in Him we can have a taste of that joy and peace in the midst of suffering. Faith then is the sure mental picture, which is the victory that overcomes the world. Those who realize their need to live by faith must read, meditate upon, and study much the word of God. The word of God provides for us daily mental pictures to fuel our faith. What picture do you see for yourself, family, career, marriage,God's will for your life,the Church etc etc???. Two cannot walk together except they agree; except they become one with the picture.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.--1 Corinthians 2:9-10.

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Passion Is Power

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:16:08 PST

Romans 12:11
Do not hold back in what you do. Let the Spirit burn in you. Work hard for the Lord.

What is Passion? Passion is a gift of the spirit . It endows each of us with the power to live and communicate with unbridled enthusiasm. Passion is most evident when the mind, body and spirit work together to create, develop and articulate or make manifest our feelings, ideas and most sacred values.

Passion can inspire clarity and insight about the right path for you. The more passionate you feel about something, the more meaningful and important it will become. Passion blots out fear and resistance.Passion enables us to overcome obstacles (both real and imagined) and to see the world as a place of infinite potential. The passionate spirit looks at every occurrence and discovers the golden kernels of what can be, what should be and what will be.

Passion keeps you firmly in the present moment. When you immerse yourself in what you're doing at the moment, there is little chance of you worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. This allows you to devote more of your focus to your current activities, which will allow you to better enjoy them, as well as intensify the results you get from them.

Passion directs a stronger intensity of energy toward your desired outcome. If you do something halfheartedly, you might receive watered-down results, but doing it with passion virtually guarantees that your results will be excellent.

Passion is an investment in more opportunities to feel passionate!Remember that the more you focus on something you really enjoy you will begin to attract more things to really enjoy. It also works the same for joy, peace, love, and gratitude.

Passion can inspire quicker results in any endeavor. Whether you're focused on increasing in your love for the Lord, career or creating a work of art, you'll be putting forth a strong intensity of emotion so your results will usually appear much more quickly than they would otherwise.

Many men and women run from personal and professional passion because they're afraid of being burnt out, they're afraid of taking the risks that come with living life to its fullest. Trusts and confidences that were betrayed.Past relationships that ended in searing pain. Risks that lead to open rebuke. Grand visions that suffocated beneath the heavy pillows of nays sayers, soulless logic and overzealous egos. The real deal is lacking the courage to express our convictions and zeal for life. It should be a crime to bottle up the passion you once felt for your youthful dream. In fact, it is unforgivable if we refuse to say what needs to be said, not writing that letter, not making that call, not singing what was meant to be sung or forcing ourselves to no longer feel what was intended to be felt, not following up on that vision etc.etc.

Remember Passion shapes our existence, fuels the fires of inspiration and makes the heart and mind open to changes all around us. It is food for the soul, a spark that reilluminates our purpose and mission for being here. Passion is yours to experience and revel in. And even if it causes you to scrape your knees or fall into that raging river called life, passion is your birthright. It is within you. It is yours to discover and master.

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive" and in whatever you are doing, Do It With Passion!!!. May the grace of God enable us to be on fire and with passion!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Newness And Renewal

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:06:00 PST

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it....Isaiah 55:10-11

Newness

2010--Its A New Year, A New Day, A New Hour, A New Minute and the beginning of Greatness and Freshness.With the turning of the clock from December 31st to January 1st means the old is gone, and the new has come. It’s a great time to forget those things that are behind, and reach ahead to all of the wonderful things that lie ahead. Thank God for His unfailing love He has shown towards us in bringing us to yet another New Year, may His Holy Name Be Praised Forever and Ever. Before you started doing anything God is already doing something. God is always at work. God's grace always preceeds our faith. God is always first. God is already in 2010 and knows your end from the beginning.The end of everything is important than the beginning and its vital that we put our trust in the God of our End, the immortal God, the Everlasting God. May the dawn of this new day fill our mouths with praises and thanksgiving. May today and the days ahead be full of gratitude and appreciation for the things you haven't even seen with your eyes yet, but has seen it with the eye of faith.Today is the day to call on the Lord.Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Renewal

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do anew thing, now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19).There’s something refreshing about a new year. I believe that God wants to do a new thing in all of our lives as we head into this New Year.The above Scripture, spoken by the prophet Isaiah, is a prophetic picture for us as we head into this new year. God is saying, “Forget the past. I am going to do a new thing in your midst!” And I love the visual picture that the Lord gives to us through the prophet: “I will make rivers in the desert.” In other words, even though your life may feel like a dry, barren wasteland, even though you may feel cracked, dry and brittle, God wants to pour out rivers of living water into our lives.

Isaiah 44:3 says, “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.” Are you tired of the usual? Do you want a new and fresh start in this New Year? Then let’s forget the past. If you have messed up, then simply confess that sin to Jesus and receive His free forgiveness. Then let’s start this year with a clean slate. Isaiah 1:18-19 says: “Come now, and let us reason together,"Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat thegood of the land.”

Here are some suggestions for some goals that you can set for the New Year, to start your own new beginnings!

GOALS FOR NEW BEGINNINGS:
1. Pray – work on developing your personal relationship with Jesus.
2. Read your Bible regularly - discover God's wonderful plan for your life.
3. Serve in your local church - ask your pastor how you can get involved
4. Witness – tell other people the good news about Jesus.
5. Pray for the sick – never pass up an opportunity to pray for someone.
6. Get involved in missions – giving financially, praying, or actually going there.
7. Do acts of random kindness - always look for ways to bless other people.
8. Break a bad habit or stop a habitual sin - get help you if you need it.
9. Forgive someone who has hurt or offended you.
10. Work on relationships with others! (2 greatest commands = love God & people)

11.Try cleaning out your personal spaces - closets, cabinets, desks,drawers, garage, basement and gardens. Get rid of old or never worn clothes, household items, toys. If you haven't used something or worn it in a while, let it go. You don't need it anymore.Dont forget to delete old emails.If you're like me there are hundreds of old emails and messages that need to go. Make room for new information and words of encouragement.

12.Are there people in your life that you may need to let go? Could there be friends and acquaintances that you have held on to that you suspect are not for your highest good? We have all experienced this and while it can be painful we usually see the truth of our decisions in time. We need to be surrounded with positive, affirming "like minded" people who encourage the changes and progress we are making. Release the negative, destructive ones so you can spend less of your energy trying to make those people "fit" into your new life and attitude.

A Year Of Prayer

Pray that you would experience new beginnings in this new year! Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my 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. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

The Blessings of Jehovah

May the Blessings of Elohim overtake you in this Year.May the Lord Bless you and Keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to You. May the Lord turn his face towards you and give you Peace. May He clothe you with a garment of Praise , May He anoint you with an oil of Joy and cause Gladness and Happiness to burst forth in you , May He hasten your dreams into Reality in 2010. Peace Be Unto You.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

January 2010 Faith Building Devotions

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:41:12 PST

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of theLord is sure, making wise the simple…More to be desired are they than gold,Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”(Psalm 19:7,10).

How do you get started? First of all, find a quiet place where you can get alone for a good 5-10 minutes without being distracted or interrupted. Start off your devotional time by talking to God – praying, and asking that He would speak to you through the Scriptures on these pages. Pray that God would give you a spirit of wisdom, and a revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17-18). Then slowly read through the devotional for the day, thinking about the Scriptures as you’re reading them. Some of them will be challenges with action steps for you to do. Others are words of encouragement to strengthen you in your relationship with God, and your knowledge of His wonderful love for you.

Once you’re finished the devotional, finish off your time with God in prayer, thanking Him for His love, and asking Him how He wants you to apply the Word you have just read. Then go about your day, ready to be a blessing to all of those you encounter throughout the day:

JANUARY 2010:

Day: Titles: Key Scripture:

1 New Beginnings (Isa 43:18-19)

2 I Was Glad (Ps 122:1 ; 27:4)

3 Passion for His Presence (Ps.42:1; Rev. 3:20)

4            Are You Weary?        (Matt. 11:28-30; John 16:33)

5           It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over  (Micah 7:7-8; Isa 40:31)

6           Feed on the Word        (Matt. 4:4; Ro. 10:17)

7          Will You Forgive?          (Prov. 10:12; 1 Cor. 13:4-7)

8         True Worship       (Rom. 12:1; John 4:23)

9         Practical Tips for Bible Study         (2 Timothy 3:16)

10      The Most Famous Verse    (John 3:16; 14:6)

11      Abundant Life of Joy      (John 10:10; 1 Pe 5:7)

12     A Time to Die   (Ecc. 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:51-58)

13      Lord, Teach us to Pray  (Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:6)

14     It’s Time to Grow Up   (1 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

15     God’s Wonderful Kindness (Eph. 1:3-7; James 1:17)

16     The Beginning of Wisdom   (Prov. 1:1-7; James 1:25)

17     Look What the Lord Has Done  (Mark 5:19; Acts 10:38)

18    Prayer, Worship & the Psalms    (James 5:13)

19     God’s Got a Tattoo of You     (Isa 49:16; Ps. 103:13)

20    Two Are Better Than One  (Ecc.4:9-12; Gen. 2:18)

21    Do You Love Jesus? (John 15:12-14; John 14:15)

22    Are You Ready for Heaven?   (Rev. 4:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:1-11)

23   Don’t Forget His Benefits   (Ps. 103; 2 Peter 1:3-5)

24    Choose Joy      (Phil. 4:4; Prov. 17:22)

25     Why I Listen to Christian Music  (Col. 3:16; Phil. 4:8)

26    How God Anointed Jesus (Acts 10:38; Matt. 11:5; 4:24)

27    Extreme for Jesus    (Mark 8:34-38; Gal. 2:20)

28    Do Not Be Afraid   (Ps 91 & Mark 13:7)

29   Resisting Temptation (Ps 119:9-11; Mark 14:38)

30   The Generation Who Seeks God (Ps 24:1-6; Psalm 14:5)

31   Boldness   (Acts 4:13; Acts 3:1-10)

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless
Enim

Merry Christmas

sarsah4@hotmail.com (Enim) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:44:39 PST

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

God promised redemption for mankind, and He provided for this in such an incredible way! Put your trust in Him because He is Able to do what he has promised.

For God so loved the world that

he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life

God first loved us, so lets also show love towards others this Christmas.

Lets make this Christmas count by showing love to the lost, homeless, disabled,poor,enemy and the World. May His Peace which surpases all understanding be Unto U this Christmas!!

Have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world, just remember you're not forgotten and Jesus Knows your name! Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year 2010, wishing you God's Blessings and Protection. May He keep you safe from harm,May He anoint you with oil of Joy and give you a Garment of Praise, May He cause his face to shine upon you,May He incline His ears towards your prayers, May He set you free from every bondage, May He Bless you and give you a Fat inheritance among the saints, may he expand your tent in 2010 and may Jesus be your portion and unlimited land of supply in 2010.

Once again Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Enim