Them’s fightin’ words

Them’s fightin’ words

2 Sam. 5:6-7

King David and his men went to Jerusalem [to take back the control of the City of God] against the Jebusites, [opposer of God’s people] who [in sarcastic mockery] said to David,

YOU SHALL NOT ENTER HERE, [openly provoked; confident of their own strength and ability]

FOR THE BLIND AND THE LAME SHALL PREVENT YOU; [‘our weakest effort is sufficient enough to be able to stop you – you don’t have what it takes to break us down’]

they thought; [continually planting doubt in the mind of the people]

DAVID CANNOT COME IN HERE. [openly and often boasted their brazen insults]

Nevertheless, [in spite of this] David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.

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Pray the Word:

Lord, it’s about time we were energized by THEM FIGHTIN’ WORDS from Satan in our thoughts saying,  ‘my weakest effort is sufficient enough to be able to stop you – you don’t have what it takes to break me down’. In the name of Jesus, and with the Lord of Host at our side, we stand strong and courageous against the pride and audacity of any opposition whose intention is to stop Your power working through us for Your Kingdom.

It’s all elementary!

It’s all elementary!

2 Cor. 11:3

But I fear, [afraid there is danger]

lest by any means, [by many unsuspected, deceitful and cunning methods]

as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, [deceived her by seducing her pure mind]

so your minds should be corrupted [mind perverted and  heart alienated]

from the SIMPLICITY [elementary = basic, simple, straight forward, uncomplicated and plain truths] THAT IS IN CHRIST.

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Pray the Word:

Lord, let us not complicate the Gospel of Christ by losing our ability to keep the SIMPLICITY of mind and heart of childlike freedom that sees things as basic, simple, straight forward, uncomplicated and plain. IT REALLY IS ALL ELEMENTARY!

WHAT WE BELIEVE

WHAT WE BELIEVE

Is. 53:1

WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT? [who is paying attention to God’s information and instructions they’re hearing over the noise of their flesh, the world, and Satan?]

and TO WHOM IS THE ARM OF THE LORD REVEALED?  [the manifested presence and power of God is released to those who believe God’s information and instructions]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we’re surrounded with making endless decisions and once we have went through the process of coming to a conclusion about something, we then begin to move in that direction creating decisions which we live with for the rest of our lives. For this reason, we’re serious about WHAT OUR BELIEF SYSTEM is based on – it being formed over a period of time since birth, being constantly updated and influenced by our education, social opinions, life experiences, words  .  .  and, the God-factor of Your ever-present Holy Spirit to guide us. We want to shut out the noise of our flesh, the world, and Satan and BELIEVE YOUR REPORT so that Your manifested presence and power is revealed to us in every single decision!

SHAKE OFF THE SNAKES

SHAKE OFF THE SNAKES

Acts 28:3-6

Paul was at a time of extreme crisis – while on a ship to Rome to stand trial before Caesar (where he would eventually die as a martyr), was caught up in a terrible storm with the ship being ripped apart. He had saved himself and 276 other lives, but they were stranded on an island that they had washed up on. While there, as he was gathering wood for a fire and was putting it in the flames, a poisonous snake came out of the wood and bit him - hanging onto his hand. All the other people sat there watching Paul, waiting for him to swell up, fall down and die.

vs.5

Then [Paul simply] SHOOK OFF THE SNAKE into the fire, and felt no harm.

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we seem to think that our faithful service to the You is some kind of a shield against the deadly SNAKES that have the power to attach themselves to our lives causing trouble and derail our faith. We often feel as though You are holding out on us, or have turned a deaf ear to us, and that we surely deserve better treatment than we’re receiving. But, we’re determined to SHAKE OFF THE SNAKES - even as the critical and cynical crowd might look for nothing good to come of our situation – we’ll do like Paul did and stand firm in our faith and trust in You and Your promise for the help we need  .  .  . we will SHAKE OFF THE SNAKES!

IN THIS PLACE . . ?

IN THIS PLACE  .  .  ?

Gen. 28:16

And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, [free of ignorance, prejudice, and past beliefs]

and he said, [expressing with great surprise]

Surely the Lord is IN THIS PLACE; [had experienced God’s presence where he didn’t think God had been or would be]

and I knew it not. [unaware of the difficult to understand fact concerning the goodness and reality of God’s presence]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, help us with the difficulty we have in our awareness to understand that there’s no boundaries or limitations to where and when Your presence reveals Itself –  we’ve discovered that it’s not a matter of who we’re with or where we are, but it is a matter of that personal, intimate, conscious relationship that we have with You that makes us aware of Your presence.

♫ Singing over you

♫ Singing over you

Zeph. 3:17

The Lord your God in the midst of you, [standing near you]

is mighty, [proven to be strong, having the position of great influence and power]

He will save, [set you free from sin, self and Satan]

He will rejoice over you with joy; [celebrating with extreme gladness at your deliverance]

He will rest in His love [in silent satisfaction He will make no mention of past sins, or even recall them];

HE WILL JOY OVER YOU WITH SINGING. [God proclaims awesome things over our lives when He SINGS OVER US]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we no doubt underestimate the joy You have in us - too often, we think You are more annoyed or irritated with us than anything. We don't often think of You SINGING OVER US. But Your Word is telling us that we give You so much joy and delight  - You break into a song - singing words of faith and blessings on our lives. We will not allow the loudness of our negative thoughts or self-doubt to drown out the clear and emphatic sound of Your Voice SINGING OVER US! ♫ ♫ ♫

Beyond the routine checklist √

Beyond the routine checklist √

Eph. 3:19

And TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, [through experiencing the unconditional love to us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us AND continues to love us as we bungle through this life]

which far SURPASSES MERE KNOWLEDGE [beyond mere awareness of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles]

that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [wholly filled and flooded with the love of God]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, how might our lives look if we were so FLOODED WITH YOUR LOVE that we could let go of the pain of our past, not get tripped up by the troubles of today, or consumed by the worries of tomorrow? We need to go BEYOND THE MERE KNOWLEDGE of our ROUTINE CHRISTAIN MUST-DO CHECKLIST:
√ pray
√ read the Bible
√ go to church
√ be nice
√ don’t hold grudges

For these alone will not fill our soul with that LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU which will transform every area of our life and will have a greater and more positive impact on those around us - This what we desire most!

Hell goes into a panic!

Hell goes into a panic!

Gen. 15:7-11

God had made a glorious covenant promise with Abraham and, to seal it, God instructed him to take a female heifer and a female goat and cut them in two; a turtledove and a pigeon and lay them on the ground, head to head. Abraham did as he was instructed, and as these creatures of his sacrifice lay bleeding, vultures began to descend on the carcasses.

vs.11

And when THE FOWLS CAME DOWN upon the carcasses, [VULTURES - birds of prey]

Abram DROVE THEM AWAY. [as he stood by his sacrifice waiting for the manifestation of God, Who had ordered him to prepare for the confirmation of His covenant promise – he had to  CHASE AWAY THE VULTURES, that they would not corrupt and eat away what had been set apart for God]
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Pray the Word:

Lord, when Satan sees our firm resolve to go all the way with You as we lay down our lives for the promises You have given to us -  there is only one way for him to react - all of HELL GOES INTO A PANIC! So, Satan, LIKE THE VULTURE, who lies in wait for the chance to exploit us when we’re the most vulnerable goes into a jealous rage to corrupt us by throwing out accusations that cause doubt and fear; and he eats away at us through condemnation that brings a sense of rejection - all which leads to self-destruction. In the name of Jesus! we stand firm in our faith and chase away the VULTURES.

When He does show up . . .

When He does show up  .  .  .

Ps. 50:3

OUR GOD SHALL COME, [the God you have put your faith and trust in WILL SHOW UP!]

and [WHEN HE SHOWS UP] He shall not keep silence: [His Voice will firmly articulate His judgment loud and clear]

a fire shall devour before Him, [the demonstration of overwhelming justice in action]

and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. [those on the receiving end of His judgment will shake and tremble]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, when we’ve been falsely accused and ‘done in’ by others, we wonder why no Voice has been heard and no sentence pronounced on our accusers. Is it because of Your mercy You wait in silence for a period of time to give all a space to repent [change their mind and do the right thing]?  But  .  .  when the time comes WHEN YOU DO SHOW UP! - You will no longer be silent as to the conduct and character of people, but will pronounce a sentence, fixing their destiny according to their character. We wait on You as we all stand in need of Your mercy!

What do You want from me?!#?!?

What do You want from me?!#?!?

Ps. 50:14a

OFFER TO GOD [willingly give up]

the SACRIFICE [give up that which involves a considerable amount of effort, work, or determination]

of THANKSGIVING. [as a result of having received goodness]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, in the times we’ve found ourselves up against a wall and we’ve prayed, ‘Lord, what do You want from me?!#?!? ___  More hymn singing? More prayer? More attendance at church? More reading my Bible?  More putting a fake smile on my face pretending that my troubles don’t bother me?’ .   .  .  and, then, You remind us again that the SACRIFICE OF A  THANKFUL HEART IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES is what You want – So, even though there are aspects of it that we can’t possibly enjoy; much less understand  .  .  we willingly give up to You our SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING for the goodness we’ve received in our trials that has opened up to us our shortcomings, has led us to a deeper relationship with You and has given meaning to the eternal purpose of it all.

It’s EITHER . . OR

It’s EITHER  .  .  OR

Matt. 6:24

NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: [impossible to try to be a slave to two owners of distinct and opposite character and interests]

for EITHER he will hate [love less] the one, and love [supremely] the other;

OR else he will hold to the one, [line up face to face with it and give it his heart] and despise the other. [not pay attention to it and disregard it]

You cannot serve [be a slave to] God [esteeming Him as highly valued and honored and worthy of your trust and confidence]

and [be a slave to] mammon [esteeming tangible and material things so highly valued and honored that they are what you trust and have confidence in].

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we tend to define the ‘blessings’ and ‘successes’ in our lives in material terms; even using that definition as a measuring-stick to gauge just how much You love us. Forgive us of that attitude as we continue to learn how to strike the balance between securing our material needs and setting our hearts on them  -  seeing it is so easy to put our trust and confidence in them and make them our God instead of You!

What’s in your hand?

What’s in your hand?

Ex. 4:1-2

And Moses answered, BUT, [showing lack of confidence]

behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you. [‘I’m not good enough!’]

And the Lord said to him, WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND?

And he said, A ROD.

[to Moses it was a dry, dead stick that he had been carrying around for forty years representing what he felt identified him, and, ultimately, controlled him  – his past, his hurts, his accomplishments, his inadequacies, his livelihood, his problems, his attitude, his limitations, etc.]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we’re looking at the STICK IN OUR HAND of the things that we think identify us and realize that it can hinder or help us - it can either be a burden or a blessing depending upon what we do with it. So, we give the STICK IN OUR HAND up to You, with no ‘BUTs’  - only asking You to give life to our dead, dry stick, and release its potential for blessing in our lives that we might have the power needed to defeat our enemy, accomplish our purposes and glorify You. What we HOLD IN OUR HAND does not have to hold us!

Don’t leave!

Don’t leave!

Jeremiah 14:9b

.  .  LEAVE US NOT.

[Don't leave us! – don’t withdraw Your goodness, support or presence from us]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, what and where would we be, IF EVER YOU LEFT US FOR A SINGLE HOUR? What would become of us?  .  .  .  We would fall at once into the hands of sin, of Satan, and of the world. We would be abandoned to our own evil hearts—to unbelief, faithlessness, and to all the offensive characteristics of our sinful nature—to fill up the measure of our injustices and immorality, until we sank under Your wrath to rise no more! Since we know that You have promised to ‘NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US’ .  .  . Thank You, Lord!!!  .  .  We are determined to NEVER LEAVE YOU!

Seeing . . . is believing

Seeing .  .  .  is believing

Matt. 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, [act and react to situations like a ‘Christian’]

THAT THEY MAY SEE your good works, [others will observe and perceive that your motives are not simply to be seen or to call attention to yourself but to exemplify the saving grace of God]

and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [give due honor to Jesus Christ]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we live in a dark and hurting world where we see others facing trials, misfortunes, pain, and agony on a regular basis. And, these people are looking for hope. They are looking for something in which to put their trust.  .  .  So, Satan doesn’t care so much if we’re a ‘Christian’ as long as we don’t act like one. If he can get us to live by his signals of action and reaction, he can damage and disarm us every time and dishonor the name of Christ in the process. Give us grace and peace today to let others SEE  .  .  . AND BELIEVE!

Me - a wretch?

Me - a wretch?

Rom. 5:8

But God commendeth his love toward us, [clearly proved His love for us]

in that, while we were still sinners, [a WRETCH = sinful and depraved by birth and by our own commissions; in desperate need of a Savior]

Christ died for us. [took our place and became our ‘sin’ by dying  on the cross that we could have forgiveness and save us from eternity in hell]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we can sing the old hymn by heart:  ♫Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME . . .” ♫ .  .  . Hold on!!  ME – A WRETCH? .  .  No matter how good we think we are, it’s not until we know that we are like condemned criminals before You that we can begin to understand how amazing Your grace really is. When we can honestly say that Your  grace SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME, we can begin to stand in amazement at the greatness of Your grace. In fact, Your grace is only a ♫sweet sound♫ when you know how deep it had to go to clean you up!

Martha, Martha!

Martha, Martha!

Lk. 10:40-42

But Martha was cumbered about with much serving, [burdened and stressed out by the business at hand, leaving no time to focus on Jesus]

and she came up to Him and said, Lord, is it nothing to You [don’t You think it’s wrong] that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me [order her to unite her skill and strength with mine, that the present business can be done quicker and we can both sit at Your feet]

But the Lord replied to her by saying, MARTHA, MARTHA, you are anxious and troubled about many things; [that are relating to ordinary practical life rather than spiritual matters]

But one thing is needful: [to hear what Jesus has to say]

Mary has chosen the good part [focusing on fellowship with Jesus], which shall not be taken away from her. [no man or devil can deprive her of the wisdom received from Jesus]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, frankly, we’re more like MARTHA who was busy FOR God – instead of like Mary, who was busy WITH God  .  .  we do have a tendency to confuse the two!  .  .  Certainly, You aren’t criticizing a life full of energy and busyness, but You are warning us that fussy fretfulness over the ‘business at hand’ in this life, usually ends in worry and fault-finding with little being accomplished. Give us wisdom in our frustration to know how and when to set aside the lesser duty of necessary busyness and be able to focus on the ‘one thing needed’ -  fellowship with You.

Fatal Flaws

Fatal Flaws

Heb. 11:13a

THESE ALL [the ‘Hall of Faith’ people just mentioned]

DIED [by the end of their life]

IN THE FAITH, [having learned how to be controlled and sustained by their faith and not by their fears]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, it’s remarkable to  understand that all of these ‘Hall of Faith’ people had FATAL FLAWS they dealt with in their lives  .  .  .   at the top of the list -  wrong decisions driven by fear. Thank You for Your patience with us as we learn to be controlled and sustained by our faith in Your presence, promises and power -  and not by our fears .  .   rejoicing that  OUR FLAWS DON’T HAVE TO BE FATAL!

Keep our ear to the ground

Keep our ear to the ground

Is. 42:2

HE WILL NOT CRY OR SHOUT ALOUD [raise His voice that He may be heard or assert Himself in a boisterous way]

OR CAUSE HIS VOICE TO BE HEARD IN THE STREET. [not with showiness by boasting of Himself, His doctrines, and miracles, but behaving with great humility and meekness; without pomp and noise]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, help us in our patience as we wait to hear from You! We keep listening for the clap of thunder and looking for the burst of lightening, with a neon message flashing across the sky -----  but, we’ll find Your answers and guidance to us when we KEEP OUR EAR TO THE GROUND and listen quietly for the sound of Your footsteps that we can know the way and follow with confidence.

Seen an angel lately?

Seen an angel lately?

Lk. 22:41-43

And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, [the usual manner of prayer at that time was to pray in a standing position - that He knelt down proves the violence of His struggle]

Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [this present burden and distress] from Me;

yet not My will, but Yours be done. [after struggling with God in prayer, He brought his human nature into submissive compliance with the Father's will]

And THERE APPEARED TO HIM AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, [in response to His prayers, the Father did not take the cup from Him; but He strengthened Him to be able to face what He had face]

strengthening Him in spirit. [ a divine refreshing of body, mind and soul to receive strength to continue successfully to the end in His struggle]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, as Jesus’ distress was so great and He literally fell down ‘on His knees’ agonizing with You over it, AN ANGEL APPEARED and MINISTERED TO HIM and STRENGTHENED HIM!  .  .  .  Have we not gone into prayer disheartened and overwhelmed, but while we were praying we’ve felt our spirits caught up, changed, and strengthened  .  .   and we came out calm, at rest, and at peace? Was this  not AN ANGEL APPEARING to us? HAVE WE ENTERTAINED ANGELS UNAWARE? Wow! ! ! !

Lost at sea

Lost at sea

Gen. 8:1

AND GOD REMEMBERED NOAH [did not lose track of him or forget His promise to him]

and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark; [all were virtually imprisoned in the ark for months, pitching about alone on an endless sea; where nothing broke the skyline]

and GOD MADE A WIND BLOW OVER THE LAND, [a gentle, hot, drying wind so as to produce a strong and sudden evaporation of the water]

and the waters quieted down and subsided. [a  noticeable change]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we will rest boldly in the reality that the Flood did not end on a note of hopelessness. And, likewise, it will not end in despair when we find ourselves seemingly cut loose from all known securities, adrift in a sea of situations where we easily think ourselves as forgotten, and question ‘where is God now?’ You will not leave us to be LOST AT SEA!

Has He lost the recipe?

Has He lost the recipe?

Ps. 78:24

And He rained down [the skies poured out]

upon them MANNA TO EAT [food prepared and distributed of God]

and gave them the corn of heaven. [the abundance of heaven's grain doesn’t rely on the earth’s condition]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, are we to think that You have LOST THE RECIPE for that bread that rained down from heaven and dropped to the earth at the feet of Your people to feed them in the worst of desolate desert conditions?  .  .  .  we think not!!!!  .  .   Therefore, we can confidently trust that in this time of our country’s economic desolate condition that has put many in their personal  desolate desert condition needing ‘bread’ – You will provide!

Only a worm can’t fall down

Only a worm can’t fall down

Jude 1:24

Now to Him Who is able to KEEP YOU FROM FALLING  [guard you from slipping into sin, falling into temptation, and/or stumbling into errors or mistakes]

and to present you faultless [not responsible]

before the presence of His glory [as redeemed and sanctified - made worthy by grace to dwell there forever]

in exceeding joy, [triumphant exultation with unspeakable, ecstatic delight that we are redeemed – made faultless; and are rescued from sorrow, sin, and death, and that heaven is to be our eternal home!]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, it’s been said that a WORM IS ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT CAN’T FALL DOWN. We don’t intend to be bullied by Satan to crawl around on our bellies through this life; scared we’re going to fall if we stand up and walk tall. it’s never our intention to stumble or FALL DOWN, but, we admit we’ve had our times – so, we know quite well that we don’t have the skill or the power within ourselves, and that nothing, short of Christ, can KEEP US FROM FALLING as it is His purpose to save and keep us now, and to present us to God, the Father, without a scratch! Who now can form an adequate idea of the happiness of that hour?

Put on some clothes . . please!

Put on some clothes   .  .  please!

Col. 3:12

PUT ON THEREFORE, [clothe yourselves accordingly]

as the elect of God, [God's own chosen representatives]

[who are] holy and beloved. [have been freed from the defilement of sin through Jesus Christ and are adored by God Himself]

[PUT ON behavior marked by:]

MERCY [tenderhearted compassion],

KINDNESS [tender, sincere, and abundant mercy put into action],

HUMBLENESS OF MIND [attributing all we have, and are, to the grace of God],

MEEKNESS [self-control by submitting to the will of God], and

LONG-SUFFERING [patience which is tireless having the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

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Pray the Word:

Lord, in our inner life and attitude we may not be COMPLETELY NAKED  .  .  but, maybe, we need to take a look at WHAT WE’RE REALLY WEARING – unforgiveness, thoughtlessness, pride, lack of self-control, and/or impatience. Since we are Your chosen representatives, we want to DRESS OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY. We determine in our hearts, and ask for the power from Your Holy spirit, to CLOTHE OURSELVES with compassion, kindness, humility, self-control and patience.

Word of honor

Word of honor

Num. 23:19

GOD IS NOT A MAN THAT HE SHOULD LIE, [the unchangeable Creator is higher than His changeable creation who can easily say something that is not true in a conscious effort to deceive or give a false impression]

NEITHER IS HE THE SON OF MAN, THAT HE SHOULD REPENT. [change His mind concerning what He has promised]

HAS HE SAID AND SHALL HE NOT DO IT?

Or HAS HE SPOKEN AND SHALL HE NOT MAKE IT GOOD?

[whether it be with regard to things temporal, spiritual, or eternal; we have His WORD OF HONOR]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, what reassurance would it be if we thought we prayed to a god that, like the chameleon, changed color every moment? We have Your WORD OF HONOR that what You have said – You will do! Likewise, we intend to keep OUR WORD to You as live out this day in Christ-like integrity. You have OUR WORD OF HONOR on that!

Whose ZEAL are you working with?

Whose ZEAL are you working with?

Is. 9:7

Of the increase of His government [the rule of the Messiah’s Kingdom by the Gospel spread worldwide]

and of His peace [salvation by the Gospel] there shall be no end, [without limits!]

upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, [Messiah descended from the lineage of King David as prophesied]

to order it [raise up, establish and confirm His Kingdom]

with justice and with righteousness from the latter time forth, even forevermore.

The ZEAL OF THE LORD OF HOSTS will perform this. [nothing less than the controlled, passionate, intense dedication and commitment of God could accomplished this]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we’re intensely passionate about seeing Your Kingdom work accomplished - but operating in OUR OWN ZEAL (of not easily controlled passions, which are either winsomely effective - at best; or deceptively manipulative -at worst) doesn’t get the job done. Help us to abandon OUR ZEAL and give over to YOUR ZEAL (that’s controlled passion) so that we can see Your Kingdom work accomplished through us.

Understanding LIFE

Understanding LIFE

Ps. 36:9

For with You is the FOUNTAIN OF LIFE; [LIFE - natural, mental, and spiritual comes from God - who created, sustains, restores, purifies, and perfects it]

IN YOUR LIGHT [understanding LIFE from God’s Word]

DO WE SEE LIGHT.  [understand LIFE]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, none of us has ability - though too often we think we do - to provide intellectual or spiritual knowledge to ourselves so that we can fully UNDERSTAND what LIFE is all about. So, our ultimate contentment in this LIFE and in the LIFE TO COME must come through the avenue of UNDERSTANDING LIFE through Your Word.

This isn’t good . . .

This isn’t good  .  .  .

Prov. 19:2

The person without knowledge IS NOT GOOD, [impulsive, hasty, acts without thinking]

and to be overhasty [in a hurry to proceed before you know what you should do]

is to sin. [hasty decisions can result in taking you away from God’s presence and purpose]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we’re all living in the fast lane of life and it pushes us with the need to make decisions fast! – THIS ISN”T GOOD  .  .  .  and it usually leads to huge blunders. We really want to make right decisions, not based solely on logic or emotion or time element; but based on adequate knowledge from Your Word and Your Spirit.

Know your position

Know your position

2 Chron. 20:17

You shall not need to fight in this battle; [on your own]

SET YOURSELVES and STAND STILL, [#1 – take your position as if ready to engage in battle; hold your ground, and not give way in the least]

and see the salvation of the Lord Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. [#2 – look for and believe in your deliverance]

Fear not nor be dismayed. [#3– understand your enemy fights against God and not against you, therefore God will fight for you in your battle]

Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. [#4 – you’re going to participate in the battle but God knows your enemy’s strategy and He communicates this information to you for your advantage]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, we would think that we didn’t even need to show up for the battle if You are going to be there. But, we see that to stand still and wait on You doesn’t mean to ‘do nothing’; i.e.; ‘just pray - God will do the rest’. You have commanded our participation in the battle, which is to hold steady our position and work in partnership with You. Guaranteed win!

I will remember

I will remember

Ps. 77:11

I WILL REMEMBER [earnestly recall] the works of the Lord;

Surely [without a doubt, unquestionably]

I WILL REMEMBER [earnestly recall] the wonders of old. [that which God performed for our fathers]

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Pray the Word:

Lord, most of our prayers begin with reminding You about US - ‘Look what’s happening to me! Look how I am affected! Look how I am afflicted! Look how I cry and nothing happens!’.  Apparently, the place to begin remembrances is not with ourselves, or with our circumstances, but with You - REMEMBERING Your mercy and love, REMEMBERING Your presence we’ve experienced, and REMEMBERING Your works we’ve witnessed. This puts our sad remembrances in perspective and, now, they seem to not have the significance they once did.