During a trip to Peru, I visited one of the many caves
found throughout that mountainous country. Our guide told us that this
particular cave had already been explored to a depth of 9 miles--and it
went even deeper. We saw fascinating bats, nocturnal birds, and
interesting rock formations. Before long, however, the darkness of the
cave became unnerving--almost suffocating. I was greatly relieved when
we returned to the surface and the light of day.
That experience
was a stark reminder of how oppressive darkness can be and how much we
need light. We live in a world made dark by sin--a world that has turned
against its Creator. And we need the Light.
Jesus, who came to
restore all of creation--including humanity--to its intended place
referred to Himself as that "light" (John 8:12). "I have come as a light
into the world," He said, "that whoever believes in Me should not abide
in darkness" (12:46).
In Him, we not only have the light of
salvation but the only light by which we can find our way--His
way--through our world's spiritual darkness.
~ Bill Crowder ~
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Act on the Light
Devotional Passage: John 12:31-36 Saint James Assembly of Faith
While ye have light, believe in the Light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. John 12:36
Last winter we had a terrible ice storm in Texas, and we lost power. Without light to guide our steps and actions, we walked through our home with less certainty. Our arms reached out, trying to find a way in the darkness. Walking in the dark made us more appreciative of the freedom that comes with walking in the light.
When Jesus was teaching the people about His impending death, He told them to walk while they had the light with them. He knew that the time was coming when He would no longer be with them. The person who walks without knowing God is stumbling in the darkness. When we, as children of God, stumble through life, it is because we are forsaking the light that we possess.
As God’s children, we can walk with greater confidence and awareness. We have the light! Unlike those who stumble in darkness, not knowing Him, we are free to step with certainty. As believers, we take action knowing that it is the Light of the World who illuminates our path.
Father, let me walk with confidence today, knowing that You are the One guiding my steps.
Work for the Right Purpose
Devotional Passage: Colossians 3:23-25 Saint James Assembly of Faith
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as the the Lord, and not unto men. Colossians 3:23
The daily duties of the White House are carried out by a staff unrelated to a political party. The pastry chef does not do better or worse work based on who will attend a particular event. He crafts each menu with care, because he understands the larger purpose of his work is to present the best of American delicacies to White House guests. The foundation for his work is not politics or pastries, but purpose.
Paul wrote to teach about submission in different contexts of life. Those who are under authority are to honor those placed over them. We do our work “heartily,” because it is not ultimately men to whom we submit ourselves, but to God.
Just as the White House pastry chef performs his work for a higher purpose, our work goes beyond the desire of pleasing people and even beyond the duty of the task itself. Each task becomes an act of worship, offered joyfully unto the Lord. When we are faithful in our tasks toward people, it may benefit others and receive accolades, but more importantly, we honor the Lord with our work.
Father, let me remember today that You are the One for whom all of my work is done.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Is life good right now? Can you show the world how you still rely on God?
Ecclesiastes 7:14
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
When Life is Good
It is so easy to forget God when things
are going well, isn’t it? In fact, David actually prayed that it was
good that his soul was afflicted so that he wouldn’t forget his God and
remember all of His goodness (Psalm 119:71). The tendency for me–and I
would guess for you–is that when things are going well, we focus less on
our reliance upon God than when things are not going so well for us.
God actually shows His faithfulness when He afflicts us (Psalm 119:75)
and when things are good. God reminded Israel that He humbled them when
they were hungry in the wilderness (Deut. 8:3) but also warned them to
be careful that when they were full and satisfied and had produce and
wealth, their hearts might become filled with pride and they would
forget their reliance on Him (Deut. 8:12-14).
Remembering God
The greatest risk of a fall is right
after or during a great success. The history of the kings of Israel
shows that when they became strong and prosperous, they drifted away
from God. When we start to think we’re self-sufficient, we take our eyes
off of God, perhaps looking at our own checkbooks. I speak from
experience. I know many others who had learned this lesson the hard way.
When the kings of Israel were blessed, they would often start looking
at themselves differently. When David numbered the troops, God was angry
because David was looking at his forces as something that he did and
not God. He looked at it as his own work and may have stopped looking to
God and relying upon Him and Him alone (1 Chron. 21:1-7).
Being Thankful
I think one of the greatest sins of this
nation, and at times one that I am guilty of, is a lack of thankfulness
for God’s manifold blessings. It is just so easy to take God’s
blessings for granted, and the sin of ingratitude (un-thankfulness) is
one that sometimes causes God to withdraw some of His blessings. Why not
bless God’s name and give Him thanks for being so kind to us? The
temptation for all of us is that when things are going well, we are
unthankful and we take God for granted. That is one of the sins that
marks the beginning of the end times where Paul warns Timothy in his
last letter that in the latter times, people will become lovers of self
and of their money, boastful, scoffing at God, disobedient and
disrespectful to their parents (regardless of their parent’s age),
unholy, and, finally, unthankful (2 Tim. 3:2). Paul lists these grievous
sins alongside ingratitude. This means that God must take this sin as
seriously as the others. Self-sufficiency can lead to self-reliance, and
self-reliance does little to make us still be reliant upon God.
A Closing Prayer
Oh Blessed Father, giver of all good
things, please forgive me for the times in which I forget to thank You.
When things are good, please help me to remember to still rely on You
and show the world that I still and will always need You, and in
Christ’s blessed name I pray.
Amen
You Have A Double-Portion Inheritance
Isaiah 61:6–7, NIV Saint James Assembly of Faith
And you will be called priests of the Lord...You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion…they will inherit a double portion in their land...
You are called “priests of the Lord” because Jesus has cleansed
you with His blood and made you kings and priests to God. (Revelation
1:5–6) And as priests of the Lord, God says to you, “You will feed on
the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.” And you will
“inherit a double portion in their land”.
This promise came true for a church member who received his double portion while working for one of the top American companies in Singapore. Within a short time, he received two pay increments. And within just two years, he received an unexpected promotion to a senior position in the company. It was unexpected because the norm to qualify for such a promotion in the company was four years.
He was also named the recipient of a privileged stock award worth a five-figure sum, the net value of which was likely to double, judging by the then prevailing bullish stock market. He acknowledged that it was certainly God’s favor because past awardees were a very small number of top management personnel who had made significant contributions to the company. And only an even smaller per cent of their worldwide employees had ever received this prestigious award. He was only the second recipient, besides his boss, in the Singapore office to receive it.
This church member literally inherited a double portion because he put his trust in the Lord and in His Word.
Beloved, believe God when He says that His people will receive a double portion. This double portion includes blessings of favor, fruitfulness, success and health. In fact, the people around you will look at you and your descendants, and acknowledge that you are a people that the Lord has blessed!
This promise came true for a church member who received his double portion while working for one of the top American companies in Singapore. Within a short time, he received two pay increments. And within just two years, he received an unexpected promotion to a senior position in the company. It was unexpected because the norm to qualify for such a promotion in the company was four years.
He was also named the recipient of a privileged stock award worth a five-figure sum, the net value of which was likely to double, judging by the then prevailing bullish stock market. He acknowledged that it was certainly God’s favor because past awardees were a very small number of top management personnel who had made significant contributions to the company. And only an even smaller per cent of their worldwide employees had ever received this prestigious award. He was only the second recipient, besides his boss, in the Singapore office to receive it.
This church member literally inherited a double portion because he put his trust in the Lord and in His Word.
Beloved, believe God when He says that His people will receive a double portion. This double portion includes blessings of favor, fruitfulness, success and health. In fact, the people around you will look at you and your descendants, and acknowledge that you are a people that the Lord has blessed!
Thought For The Day
As priests of the Lord, you have a double-portion inheritance.Only Christ’s Atonement Satisfies God
1 John 2:1–2 Saint James Assembly of Faith
…if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins…
Today, Jews still observe Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.
As the name suggests, it is a day set aside to make atonement for one’s
sins. But for Christians, this beautiful feast points to Jesus and what
He did for us on the cross. Because of His sacrifice, all our sins have
already been perfectly atoned for. That is why, should we sin, we know
that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins.
Now, it does not say that if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father. It says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him.
What about repentance then?
The word “repentance” is metanoia in the Greek, which means to change one’s mind. For example, you used to believe that Jesus was just a good man. Then one day, you repented and believed that He is the Son of the living God, who died for your sins and rose again on the third day, and you gladly took Him as your Savior.
Bible repentance is not this idea of hitting or punishing yourself to atone for your sins. Don’t turn it into a human work, like the man who went to a priest to confess his sins. When they were done, the priest asked the man, “By the way, what do you do for a living?” The man replied, “I’m a contortionist,” and proceeded to give a demonstration. Another man came along wanting to confess his sins. When he saw the contortionist all twisted up on the ground, he said, “If this is repentance, forget it!” and ran off!
My friend, there is no need to climb the Himalayas or whip your back bloody to atone for your sins. No amount of self-punishment or crying can atone for them. Your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Only His finished work satisfies God. So change your mind and simply believe that Jesus alone is the propitiation for your sins!
Now, it does not say that if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father. It says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him.
What about repentance then?
The word “repentance” is metanoia in the Greek, which means to change one’s mind. For example, you used to believe that Jesus was just a good man. Then one day, you repented and believed that He is the Son of the living God, who died for your sins and rose again on the third day, and you gladly took Him as your Savior.
Bible repentance is not this idea of hitting or punishing yourself to atone for your sins. Don’t turn it into a human work, like the man who went to a priest to confess his sins. When they were done, the priest asked the man, “By the way, what do you do for a living?” The man replied, “I’m a contortionist,” and proceeded to give a demonstration. Another man came along wanting to confess his sins. When he saw the contortionist all twisted up on the ground, he said, “If this is repentance, forget it!” and ran off!
My friend, there is no need to climb the Himalayas or whip your back bloody to atone for your sins. No amount of self-punishment or crying can atone for them. Your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Only His finished work satisfies God. So change your mind and simply believe that Jesus alone is the propitiation for your sins!
Thought For The Day
No amount of self-punishment can atone for your sins. Just rest in the truth that Jesus alone is the propitiation for your sins!Thursday, September 22, 2016
Is life hard right now? Can you still show the world how great your God is?
Psalm 95:3
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
No Growth Without Resistance
I remember reading about many godly
saints who suffered so much yet still showed the world how great God was
by enduring their suffering so well. Peter writes that whoever it is
that suffers according to God’s will should commit their souls to Him (1
Pet. 4:19). Trials that can be used to strengthen some can knock down
others. A fact of nature is that trees grow at their most rapid rate
during times of strong winds. Their resistance to the wind makes them
stronger and more able to endure when the really severe windstorms hit,
so the winds actually help strengthen the trees. If there was no wind
and it was always calm, the trees would die due to a lack of stimulated
growth in resisting the wind. Without wind, there would be no
pollination and many types of trees would become extinct.
God Is Greater Than Our Suffering
Suffering is not always bad. I know that
sounds surprising to say, but our suffering produces perseverance and
endurance, like with the trees I mentioned in the previous paragraph
(Rom. 5:3). The very fact that Jesus suffered makes Him more sympathetic
to our own suffering (Heb. 2:18). That’s why He is the perfect High
Priest for us (Heb. 2:17). This is partly how we can share in the divine
nature of Christ (2 Pet. 1:4). Christ was completely familiar with
suffering and sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), but His suffering was God’s way to
bring many sons and daughters into glory (Heb. 2:10). If Christ hadn’t
suffered, we’d have to suffer for all eternity. Contrary to the way we
normally think, we should have to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29).
Suffering Well
When the Black Plague hit much of Europe
in the 1300s, there was something different about the way Christians
dealt with death than the non-believers did. They were more joyous at
the hundreds of thousands of funerals that took place. Those who were
not Christian saw how the believers came to the aid of those who were
sick with what is sometimes called the Black Death. They witnessed how
Christians died and how unbelievers died, one with hope and the other
without hope; by this, they were drawn to faith in Christ. At that time
life was exceedingly hard and hopeless for those who didn’t have faith
in God. The way in which the thousands of saints died in peace, having
hope in God, they showed the world how great their God is. How about you
when you suffer? Can you still show the world how great your God is by
suffering well, knowing that in the age to come, nothing will be able to
be compared with the glory that’s coming (Rom. 8:18)?
A Closing Prayer
Great Father, please help me to learn
how to suffer well and give other Christians who suffer the hope that is
found only in You, the encouragement they need. Please help me to learn
to use my sufferings well to show the world just how great You are,
God, and why my hope is not in this present world but in the world to
come when Your Great Son returns. In His name I pray.
Amen
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
LIVE BY FAITH
I have been crucified with Christ; 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 gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
When a seed is dropped into the ground and covered, it lies dormant for a season. No one can see it; no one can tell anything is happening. But during this time the process of germination takes place. The casing is dying; the heart of grain is sprouting.
In the spiritual realm it is no different. The apostle Paul tells the Galatians: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3:5 KJV).
Mortify is a term related to mortuary, a place where we find nothing but dead and dysfunctional bodies.
What is Paul saying? Stop your Ademic nature from being the dominant force in your life. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in you, putting to death the flesh so that new life may sprout from you.
The storehouse of Heaven is full. You will never exhaust its inventory of glory. If we aren't walking in such a way to access it, however, these glorious realities will never occur in our lives.
Many Christians never access the windows of Heaven because they are still living in the outer court and have never broken through to the third dimension, the holy of holies. Many live in defeat and carnality because they have remained on the same level where they first boarded the ark of salvation.
God chose little ol’ David to fight a giant. Why do you think He doesn’t want big things for you?
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Big God or Little God?
I understand that Jeremiah 29:11 was
written to Israel, but I believe it has application for the believer.
Doesn’t God have plans for us, too? Don’t you think that God has
something big for every one of us? Yes, God is in the small things and
doesn’t despise even the little things (Zech. 4:10). If He is in the
small things, surely He’s in the big things, too, whatever they might
be. Let me ask you: What is big to God? I sometimes limit God’s bigness
by praying too small. Is that you sometimes? If we pray with belief,
then nothing is too big for God (Mark 11:24), given the fact that what
we pray for is within the will of God and not solely our own will.
Confidence in Prayer
Jesus promises us if we ask, seek, and
knock, God will answer and whatever we pray for will be opened up for us
(Matt. 7:7-8), again, of course, if it is within His express will.
That’s why I think that we must always pray for things that are God’s
will, for nothing outside the will of God is best for us anyway. There
is nothing that we can ask for that is within God’s will that He will
not give us (John 16:23), if only we would ask, but we must not ask for
the wrong things and for the wrong reasons, like consuming it for our
own pleasure or passions (James 4:3). I tell you, we can have confidence
that if what we’re praying for is His will, we can ask for anything and
know He hears us (1 John 5:14).
What’s Your Goliath?
Do you have a Goliath in your life right
now? Is it a financial need? It is a relationship problem? Is it
prodigal children or grandchildren? Since God chose the young teenage
boy David to fight a giant, why wouldn’t He want to do big things for
you, too? There is nothing in Scripture that ever indicates that
anything is too big for God. If God is for us, then who or what could
ever be against us (Rom. 8:31)? Paul wrote this as a rhetorical question
with the obvious answer: There is nothing or no one that can be against
us if God is for us.
A Closing Prayer
Great Creator God, You have made the
heavens and all that is within them, and I know that nothing is too hard
for You. The only thing that limits You from doing big things in my
life is my own belief system and my limiting You. Please forgive me for
my lack of faith in You, and in Jesus’ most holy name I pray.
Amen
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
We are not guaranteed tomorrow. What are you doing with today?
James 4:14
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
No Guarantees
We have no way of knowing when we will
pass from this life to the next because we all have an appointment with
death and then judgment (Heb. 9:27). So why not make every single day
count? We are told to redeem the days and make the best use of our time
(Eph. 5:16). I have gotten into the habit of saying “I will see you
Sunday or Wednesday, if the Lord wills” because I cannot guarantee that I
will do such and such the next week, not to mention tonight or
tomorrow. I must submit to God, trust His will, and know that He is
sovereign over my life and not me. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan or
purpose to do things, but I ultimately know that God alone knows the
future, and He always knows what’s best for me.
The Best-Laid Plans
We sometimes like to think that we are
doing what we want and plan our own future, but the Word of God says
that it is the Lord Who ultimately establishes our steps (Prov. 16:9).
If we think along these lines, we can be more prepared when something
different comes along and not be caught by surprise. That person you
have been wanting to witness to might not even be here tomorrow, so we
must tell others that today is their day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2)
because tomorrow may never come, and we might not pass this way again
and get a second chance to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
No Boasting About Tomorrow
Proverbs 27:1 tells us that we are not
supposed to boast or brag about tomorrow because we cannot be sure “what
a day may bring.” I can only do what I can do today, while it is still
today, and live as much as I can in obedience to God. Pastor Charles
Stanley often says, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.” I
think that’s very wise advice. We can only control our obedience and
allow God to work out our future for what is best for us because He can
even use bad things that happen to us for our ultimate good (Rom. 8:28).
God will make our footing sure if our ways please or delight Him (Psalm
37:23). I like to think that I am directing my own steps in life, but
can anyone really understand their own way outside of the will of God
(Prov. 19:21)?
A Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me to trust
You with tomorrow and to make the most of today because I don’t know
the future like You do. I ask your patience when I run ahead of Your
will, and please gently bring me back into Your will. In Christ’s
precious name I pray.
Amen
Bible Quiz: Up from the Grave He Arose!
1. Pilate set a watch over the tomb at the request of __________
2. Why did Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James come to the tomb when the Sabbath was past? _________________
3. Who moved the stone? _________________________
4. Who came with Zebedee's wife and the mother of James and John to the tomb? ______________________________
5. Who told Mary that Jesus was not in the tomb, but He had risen? ______________________________
6. "Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is _____; he is _____ here: behold the place where they laid him."
7. With what two emotions did the women leave the empty tomb (Matthew 28:8)? ______________________________
8. To whom did Jesus first appear after His resurrection (Mark 16:9)? ________________________________________
9. As the women went to tell Jesus' disciples that Jesus had risen, who did they meet on the way? _______________________
10. What was the disciples' response when they were told Jesus had risen (Mark 16:11)? _____________________________
11. Why did the guards report the disciples had stolen the body? __________________________________________________
12. Jesus had promised to meet His disciples where? _______________
13. Which disciple would not believe unless he could see the nail marks? ____________________
14. Who did Jesus reprimand (upbraid) for not believing in the resurrection after others had seen Him? __________________
15. Jesus said, "_______power is given unto me in heaven and in ________."
16. "Go ye into _____the world, and preach the ________ to every creature."
17. "Go ye therefore, and ______ all nations, ______ them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."
18. "Teaching them to observe ______things whatsoever I have commanded you."
19. At the end of Mark, where is Jesus sitting? _______________
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Don’t Let Your Past Rob You
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Are you living a life of regrets thinking, “If only…”? “If only
I had that college education…If only I had married the right girl…If
only I had taken up the other job…If only I had not made that stupid
mistake…”
Is your past robbing you of the joy of today? Then forget your past!
You might say, “But Pastor Prince, you do not know what I have done in the past!”
Consider Paul. If the devil had anything to bring against Paul, it would be reminders of how he had persecuted the early church and caused the deaths of many, including Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
Paul had done horrendous things that were hard for him to forget. But he had such a revelation of God’s awesome forgiveness that he could say, “forgetting those things which are behind…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
Beloved, God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has completely forgiven you and declared, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)
Like Paul, you can forget your past, the wrongs you have done and the hurts you have caused others or been through yourself. God can take the tears of yesterday and transform them into the miracles of tomorrow. He can restore to you in all abundance what you have lost. He can cause all things, even the painful events of your past, to work together for your good. (Romans 8:28)
God’s Word says, “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8) His glory will cover your past. Wherever you go, His glory covers your past. It is no longer the same past that you know of because His glory has descended on it. Your past is past. It has been wiped out. It is gone! So don’t let your past rob you of today’s joy any longer!
Philippians 3:13–14
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Is your past robbing you of the joy of today? Then forget your past!
You might say, “But Pastor Prince, you do not know what I have done in the past!”
Consider Paul. If the devil had anything to bring against Paul, it would be reminders of how he had persecuted the early church and caused the deaths of many, including Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
Paul had done horrendous things that were hard for him to forget. But he had such a revelation of God’s awesome forgiveness that he could say, “forgetting those things which are behind…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.
Beloved, God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has completely forgiven you and declared, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)
Like Paul, you can forget your past, the wrongs you have done and the hurts you have caused others or been through yourself. God can take the tears of yesterday and transform them into the miracles of tomorrow. He can restore to you in all abundance what you have lost. He can cause all things, even the painful events of your past, to work together for your good. (Romans 8:28)
God’s Word says, “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8) His glory will cover your past. Wherever you go, His glory covers your past. It is no longer the same past that you know of because His glory has descended on it. Your past is past. It has been wiped out. It is gone! So don’t let your past rob you of today’s joy any longer!
So You Want to Be a Good Parent
1. Shower them with love. Children are always changing. But an atmosphere of love makes the change easier. Paul wrote, "Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged" (Colossians 3:21). The more hugs, kisses, and tenderness they receive the better. This is not just the rule for mothers, but for dads, too.
2. Remember you
are their teacher. God commanded Israel to "teach . . . diligently"
God's will to children (Deuteronomy 6:7). It is much easier to punish
children when they do wrong than to teach them, but your role as a
parent is to teach. Do not expect others to teach your children what God
expects you to teach.
3. Don't be afraid to discipline. Discipline is hard work. It's tough to punish your precious little boy or girl. But God said, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Proverbs 13:24). "Promptly" means that the parent does not procrastinate, but takes the necessary action. Some things should be observed during discipline:
(A) do not injure the child
(B) do it in love, not anger, and
(C) apply it promptly, fairly, and consistently.
The word discipline comes from a Latin root that means "instruction." Solomon said, "Chasten your son while there is hope" (Proverbs 19:18). This means don't wait too long to start. Your children's future depends on your being a good, fair, loving disciplinarian.
4. Show them the way. Children learn from what they see. Make your life what you want your son's or daughter's to be like. Children imitate parents. Do you want them imitating your lifestyle, service to the Lord, and work habits? They will. Set the proper example for them.
Saint James Assembly of Faith
3. Don't be afraid to discipline. Discipline is hard work. It's tough to punish your precious little boy or girl. But God said, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly" (Proverbs 13:24). "Promptly" means that the parent does not procrastinate, but takes the necessary action. Some things should be observed during discipline:
(A) do not injure the child
(B) do it in love, not anger, and
(C) apply it promptly, fairly, and consistently.
The word discipline comes from a Latin root that means "instruction." Solomon said, "Chasten your son while there is hope" (Proverbs 19:18). This means don't wait too long to start. Your children's future depends on your being a good, fair, loving disciplinarian.
4. Show them the way. Children learn from what they see. Make your life what you want your son's or daughter's to be like. Children imitate parents. Do you want them imitating your lifestyle, service to the Lord, and work habits? They will. Set the proper example for them.
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Monday, September 19, 2016
Does God always owe you an explanation? Don’t you believe everything works out to God’s plan?
Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?
Moses’ Who Am I?
When God told Moses to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, Moses said, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh and to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:11)? Did God really owe Moses an explanation? Did Moses believe that God would work everything out according to His plan? Apparently not, but I cannot judge Moses, for I would have likely said the very same thing. Moses even questioned his own speaking ability (Ex. 6:12), as have I. But as I’ve heard said before, God doesn’t call the equipped,;He equips the called. God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. If He only called the equipped, then I would have never been called into the pastoral ministry, believe me, because I “kicked against the goads,” or resisted it, for a long time. I should have trusted God to be able to equip me. Apparently, I didn’t trust myself or God.
Gideon’s Who Am I?
Gideon was a lot like Moses at the time that God called him. Gideon was basically hiding in an old winepress threshing wheat because Israel’s enemies had been ransacking their crops year after year. When God called Gideon “oh mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:12), he must have looked over his shoulder and thought, “Who me?” Gideon asked for a fleece test, once to have dew upon the fleece but not on the ground and then next time dew on the ground but not on the fleece (Judges 6:39-40). It was as if Gideon was asking God to prove Himself that He was going to do what He said He would do. Gideon may not have trusted God enough to work things out according to His plan. Instead of judging Gideon and saying “how can he be like that,” I should say “how am I like Gideon.”
David’s Who Am I?
When David was made king over all of Israel, he made a huge shift from being a simple shepherd boy to being king over all the sheep in Israel. Even so, he still thought of himself as insignificant, as he told God, “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far” (2 Sam. 7:18)? Paul considered himself the least of all saints (Eph. 3:8) and even the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15), even though he was the greatest missionary the church may have ever known. Some consider him, arguably, the greatest of the apostles, though he said he was the least of the apostles (1 Cor. 15:9). Who are we to argue with God and demand an explanation from Him (Rom. 9:20-21)? What right has the clay to ask for a reason from the Potter (Jer. 18:6)? I ask you, and I ask myself, “Does God always owe you and me an explanation? Don’t you and I believe everything works out to God’s plan?” All I know is I need to work on this.
A Closing Prayer
Righteous, heavenly Father, please help me to trust You and Your plans and not to question where You send me and when You ask me to do something. Please give me the grace to accept what You say and trust that You can always work out Your plans without my help, and in Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Quench The Enemy's Fiery Darts
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
I believe that when you pray in the Spirit, that is, in tongues, a shield goes up all around you—a watery shield. But why do I call it a “watery” shield? Let me share with you what the Lord showed me.
Once, I was meditating on Ephesians 6:16—“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one”. At first, I thought of a Roman soldier’s wooden shield. But three words kept repeating themselves in my mind: “quench” and “fiery darts”. Then, the Lord said, “Son, if it is a wooden shield, the fiery darts will burn it up.” He showed me a watery shield instead, one which was able to quench the fiery darts.
You may ask, “Where did the water come from?”
Remember that Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) The next verse says, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit...” (John 7:39)
Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit, which He likened to rivers of living water flowing out of us. So when we pray in the Spirit, rivers of living water will flow, quenching the devil’s fiery darts thrown at us!
This happened one day when I was having supper with a church member. Now, I don’t often pray in tongues when I say grace over my food. But that night, I felt prompted by the Spirit to do so. So I prayed in tongues as I laid my hands on my packet of nasi lemak (coconut-flavored rice).
Soon, we were tucking into our food and talking when suddenly, I bit on something hard. I spat it out quickly and realized that it was a nail! Then, I realized that this was the reason the Lord wanted me to pray in tongues. Though the devil was trying to “nail” me, he failed!
My friend, put up the watery shield that God has given you. Pray in the Spirit and quench the enemy’s fiery darts!
How's Your Hearing?
Here are the possibilities of how we might hear Jesus:
Some Hear Jesus Gladly. Mark wrote, "And the common people heard Him gladly" (Mark 12:37). Those who hear Him gladly, respond immediately, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41).
Some Hear Jesus Continually. "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter" (Acts 17:32). There are today those who hear Jesus, but insteadof obeying Him, they simply want to hear Him over and over again. They are never fully convinced or they simply allow other things to distract them.
Some Hear Jesus Argumentatively. The scribes and the Pharisees listened to Jesus because they were "seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him" (Luke 11:54). Some hear Jesus with preconceptions and misconceptions. They argue, refuse to accept, and hold to traditions.
How do we hear Jesus? Do we argue with Scripture when it is preached?
Let's be people who hear Jesus gladly!
-Chance Hicks, Jacksonville, Alabama
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Sunday, September 18, 2016
You were created for God. Do you sometimes act as if God was created for you?
Isaiah 43:6b-7
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.
Created for God’s Glory
If the heavens declare God’s glory
(Psalm 19:1), surely we should do the same, right? Whoever was created
was created for a purpose, too. For God and by God, everything was
created to bring Him glory (Rom. 11:36), so that necessarily means us
since we, too, were part of His creation. God created you for His glory
but He created you for Himself, too! I ask myself, since God created
everything for His glory and I was no accident but created for Him, too,
why do I sometimes act like He was created for me? What I mean by that
is why do I sometimes treat God as my “cosmic genie” who is supposed to
answer all my wishes (in prayer) and is supposed to make me happy, no
matter what. That is my nature. What about you? Am I alone in this? I
realize that God was not a created being–I was–but sometimes in the way
that I pray to Him or talk to Him, that’s the way it comes out. God,
forgive me for such presumptuousness.
My Created God
I am His. He is not really mine, at
least in the sense that I was created for Him to glorify Him and not for
Him to satisfy my needs. Paul told the Greeks in Athens that it is in
God that “we live and move and have our being” because “we are indeed his offspring”
(Acts 17:28). My heart is an idol factory, and before I was saved, I
had created a god in my own image and my own likeness, but that was not
the One, True God. That was a god of my own imagination. I had created a
god that was not real. Until the Spirit of God opened my eyes, I hadn’t
really seen Who God was. I later came to realize, through God’s Spirit,
that I was created for Him and His purpose, not the other way around.
Some false cults have made their own gods, and, sadly, many are
deceived. They teach about a Jesus but not the real Jesus, and unless
you have the real Jesus, you don’t have the real Savior. Do you know
what I mean?
Created in God’s Image
God created mankind in His own image and
after His own likeness (Gen. 1:27), not the other way around. To be in
His image and in His own likeness for the believer is to seek to be in
the image of Christ and to be like Him. By this, others can be drawn to
Him and seek to know Him. That’s why He is to be praised, because He is
their Creator, too (Psalm 148:5). Just as He commands the earth to go
where it is to go (Psalm 147:15) and to stay in its proper place (Psalm
33:9), so we too should go where He commands us to go (Matt. 28:19-20;
Acts 1:8) and abide where He tells us to abide (John 15:4).
A Closing Prayer
Father, forgive me for creating my own
god, which is really no god at all but one of my own making. Help me to
never take Your greatness for granted. You created me for Your own
glory, and I fail miserably at that so often. Thank You for Your
patience with me, and I pray for Your Son’s name to be glorified. In His
great name I pray.
Amen
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY
Sunday, September 18
Ephesians 2:8
8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
Like Father, Like Son
Romans 8:16
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Everything produces after its kind. Dogs give birth to puppies,
cats give birth to kittens and tigers give birth to tiger cubs. In the
same manner, when you are born again, you are born of God. You are a
child of the Most High God. He is your Father and He doesn’t see you in
the flesh. He sees you in the Spirit. And His Spirit bears witness with
your spirit that you are His child.
So when the devil comes to you and says, “Well, your father died of cancer, his father died of cancer and you are going to die of cancer too, just like your father,” just know in your heart that you are like your Father—your Father in heaven! Declare, “I am a child of the Most High God. He doesn’t have cancer, so neither do I!”
My friend, when you are born of God, you are born to win. Because your Daddy God is a winner, you are one too! When you wake up in the morning, say, “I am a winner because God is a winner!”
When you say that you cannot afford to buy something that you need, you have forgotten which family you now belong to. You have been born again into a very rich family—your Father owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills! (Psalm 50:10) You have a Daddy God in heaven who is well able to supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) Even if there are areas of lack in your life now, don’t worry. Just ask God for the supply because your heavenly Father loves you and wants to supply your needs.
When someone talks to you about a problem and asks, “What are we going to do about it?” you should say, “Don’t worry. Let’s talk to Daddy God about it. It is not a problem for Him, so it will not be a problem for us.”
Beloved, even when all around you is going under, your Daddy God is still the same heavenly Father who kept Noah’s world afloat, his loved ones safe and sound, and his possessions intact. Your world will never go under because you are God’s beloved child!
So when the devil comes to you and says, “Well, your father died of cancer, his father died of cancer and you are going to die of cancer too, just like your father,” just know in your heart that you are like your Father—your Father in heaven! Declare, “I am a child of the Most High God. He doesn’t have cancer, so neither do I!”
My friend, when you are born of God, you are born to win. Because your Daddy God is a winner, you are one too! When you wake up in the morning, say, “I am a winner because God is a winner!”
When you say that you cannot afford to buy something that you need, you have forgotten which family you now belong to. You have been born again into a very rich family—your Father owns every beast in the forest and the cattle on a thousand hills! (Psalm 50:10) You have a Daddy God in heaven who is well able to supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19) Even if there are areas of lack in your life now, don’t worry. Just ask God for the supply because your heavenly Father loves you and wants to supply your needs.
When someone talks to you about a problem and asks, “What are we going to do about it?” you should say, “Don’t worry. Let’s talk to Daddy God about it. It is not a problem for Him, so it will not be a problem for us.”
Beloved, even when all around you is going under, your Daddy God is still the same heavenly Father who kept Noah’s world afloat, his loved ones safe and sound, and his possessions intact. Your world will never go under because you are God’s beloved child!
Thought For The Day
Because you are born of God, you are born to win.Saturday, September 17, 2016
You Are Perfect In God’s Eyes
Hebrews 10:12, 14, KJV
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God... For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
God sees you with no flaw, spot or imperfection, so honor His
Word and the finished work of His Son by saying, “Amen!” Don’t doubt
your perfection in Christ.
To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.
The Bible tells us, “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in God’s eyes!
Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect!
So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.
When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely.
“Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”
My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)
To see yourself as far from being perfect is not modesty, but a failure to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.
The Bible tells us, “For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. Did you get that? You have not only been sanctified, that is, made holy, but by the same offering of His body, you have been perfected. You are both holy and perfect in God’s eyes!
Your sins have been purged perfectly. Today, Jesus is seated at His Father’s right hand not because He is the Son of God (although that is true), but because His work of purging your sins is completely finished and perfect!
So instead of being conscious of your sins, which is to have an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22), you can have a perfect conscience, a conscience that is free from the guilt and condemnation of sins.
When you find yourself conscious of your sins, just say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your wonderful work at the cross. It is a perfect work that has removed all my sins completely.
“Holy Spirit, thank You for convicting me of righteousness, not my own, but God’s righteousness given to me as a gift. Keep on convicting me in the days to come, reminding me especially when I fail that I am still the righteousness of God in Christ.”
My friend, God sees you perfect without any spot of sin. He sees you covered in the beautiful white robes of His own righteousness. He treats you like a righteous man because that is what He has made you. So expect good things to happen to you because blessings are on the head of the righteous! (Proverbs 10:6)
Thought For The Day
To see yourself as far from being perfect is to fail to understand the perfect sacrifice that Jesus has made for you.You have an unanswered prayer? What if God wants you to wait a little longer?
Luke 18:1
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Never Give Up
Jesus gave the Parable of the Persistent
Widow in Luke chapter 18 and was trying to teach those who were
listening to not ever give up but be persistent in praying, not because
God doesn’t hear but that He may want us to wait. Maybe He just wants to
see how earnestly we seek the need, how serious we are in knocking on
heaven’s door, or maybe he just wants to teach us persistence.
Persistence does pay off. One lady who was swimming across the English
Channel years ago swam for hours and hours in a heavy fog but finally
could not go any further, even though her coach kept insisting she’s
almost made it. When the woman got into the boat, it was only a couple
minutes later that she saw the shore. She had been only about half a
mile away, and if she had known that, she said she would have kept
going. The same principle applies to prayer. Don’t give up–the answer
could be just ahead. God may want us to wait a bit longer, and if He
does, He must have good reason.
Patient in Prayer
I remember a mother some years ago who
told me to pray for her son, who was in prison. I asked how long she had
been praying for him, and she said 17 years! Wow, I thought, and I am
ready to give up praying for some things in a couple of days, to my
shame. This godly and wise mother didn’t pray for her son to get out of
prison. Rather, she prayed that he might be saved. Year after year,
nothing changed, but this mother never gave up. Talk about being patient
in prayer! After 17 years of praying, her son finally wrote his mother
and told her that he went to a Bible study class, and after studying
John chapter six, he put his trust in Christ. Some of the verses that
convinced him were the fact that Jesus would never turn anyone who came
to Him away (John 6:37), that everyone who looks to the Son of God will
receive eternal life (John 6:40), and that not one who puts their trust
in Him will be lost (John 6:39). Was the man saved by a godly mother
praying, the Spirit of God opening His mind to the Word of God, or both?
I suspect it was both, but this godly mother was patient in prayer and
never gave up, and her son finally trusted in Christ. That’s all that
mattered to her.
When “Not Now” Is Best
Sometimes God wants us to wait for Him
and His timing. Some of the best answers to prayer were delayed and
brought an even greater blessing later. I remember some people being
thankful for unanswered prayer or for prayers that were delayed because
they found out later that it would not have turned out for their good. I
am glad God can look down the corridors of time and know exactly when
the time is best to answer our prayers. We don’t always know what’s best
for us, let alone what we are seeking in prayer. Everyone has had
unanswered prayers and delayed prayers. My question to you is this: What
if God wants you to wait a little longer? Would you trust Him if He
made you wait?
A Closing Prayer
Lord God my Father, please forgive me
for the times when I was impatient in praying for something and it was
not immediately answered. I look back on my life and now see how foolish
my prayer requests were. So thank You for the unanswered and delayed
prayers. Help me be more trusting in You and Your great wisdom. When I
must wait, I can always trust You to know what is best for me and when.
In Jesus’ name I thank you and pray.
Amen
Why do you expect to be treated better in this world than I was?
John 15:18
If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Hating the Message
It is so easy to take the heat of the
hate of unbelievers who attack those who share the Gospel. This
discouraged me for many years until I heard one wise mentor of mine say
“they hate the message more than the messenger.” That is so true. So I
learned not to take the hate personally because they hated the message
more than me. They hated Jesus during His earthly ministry, so why
shouldn’t they hate me, too? They don’t want to hear about God because
most unbelievers cling to their sin and love it, just as I did for so
long. Jesus didn’t just warn us but assured us that we will be hated,
not for our sake but for His sake (Matt. 10:22). So never take rejection
of the Gospel you share with others personally. The world’s going to
hate Christians like you and me because we are not part of the world
(John 15:19).
Blessed for Being Cursed
Believe it or not, you are blessed when
you are cursed–when they hate you, exclude you, and even revile
you–because you are being treated this way for Christ’s sake (Luke
6:22). Imagine that! You are being blessed by being cursed. And some
have actually cussed me out with profanity and said they were going to
put a curse on me. But guess what–I was just blessed by that. I have
been spit on; had doors slammed in my face; have been called an
arrogant, narrow-minded bigot; and even had a cat chase me once, but I
realized that I was just blessed by God for that.
The Spirit of Glory
I love what Peter wrote, that if you’re
insulted for the sake of Christ, you have the Spirit of the Glory of God
resting upon you (1 Pet. 4:14). Don’t you want that? I am not saying to
go out and intentionally seek to be insulted or persecuted, but when
you tell others that their sins have separated them from a holy God
(Isaiah 59:1-2), they’re not likely to invite you over for dinner–let’s
be realistic. Jesus said that anyone who chooses to not believe in Him
has the wrath of God on them (John 3:36b) and is condemned (John 3:18).
Therefore, we must be willing to tell the Gospel truth, even if it
brings down the wrath of others upon us. So be it! Isn’t the greatest
and kindest act of love we can ever do is to warn others of the coming
wrath of God (Luke 3:7) unless they repent and believe? Why would we
expect to be treated any differently by those in this world than the way
Jesus was treated?
A Closing Prayer
God, give me the ability to know that it
is not really me they hate but the message of Christ. I know I must be
faithful in warning others about their need to repent and believe, just
as Jesus did (Mark 1:15). So please help me to remember that since they
hated Jesus, they will hate me, too, and to understand that I receive a
blessing because of this. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Fence Your Heart, Not Just Your Behavior
Hear David's words, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you
teach me wisdom in the inmost place." David is recognizing a new
awareness. He is acknowledging a new sightedness. He understands what
God is working on.
You and I will only ever be holy by God's definition if we put the moral fences where God puts them.
We tend to put the fences at the boundary of behavior. For example,
rather than telling our children the importance of a respectful heart
and the issues of heart that cause us to not respect others as we
should, we instruct our children to use titles of respect when they're
relating to others. Now there's nothing wrong with this as far as it
goes. The problem is that enforcing certain behaviors won't create a
spirit of respectfulness. A child, who's mad at his teacher for an
assignment she's given may say, "Whatever you say Mrs. Smith!" in a tone
that's anything but respectful. The teacher immediately knows that the
child has used a title of respect to tell her that he doesn't respect
her at all, but to tell her that in a way that won't get him into
trouble!
This is where Christ's teaching, from the "Sermon on the Mount," is so
helpful. Christ draws the fences in much closer. He calls for us to
fence our hearts because he knows that it's only when we fence the heart
that we'll willingly and successfully stay inside God-appointed
behavioral fences. So he says, "You have heard that it was said, "You
shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in
his heart." (Matthew 5:27)
Consider the importance of what Christ does here. He isn't adding to
the Seventh Commandment. No, he's interpreting it for us. He's telling
us what the intention and extent of the command has always been. The
commandments all address fundamental issues of the heart, or as David
says, "the inmost place." The commandments not only depict God's claim
over our behavior, but more fundamentally God's ownership over our
hearts. But there's something else of importance here. God knows what
lust lusts for. Lust doesn't lust for more lust. Lust lusts for the
physical experience of the thing that's the object of the lust. A heart
controlled by sexual lust won't be satisfied with better and more
graphic fantasies. No, a lustful heart craves the actual experience and
will only be satisfied when it's actually experienced the thing for
which it lusts. This is why it never works to put the fences at the
boundary of behavior. Even if I've placed clear fences there, I'll cut
through them or climb over them if I haven't first fenced my heart.
Now again David speaks for all of us and his words are so echoed by
Christ that it almost appears as if Christ was thinking of David and Bathsheba when he spoke these words.
Have you fenced your heart? Have you tried to stay inside of behavioral
boundaries only to have climbed over them again and again? Go and read
the wisdom of the "Sermon on the Mount" (found in Matthew 5:1)
and ask God to "teach you wisdom in the inmost place." By God's grace,
determine to fight the battle of thought and desire, knowing full well
that it's only when you win this battle that you can be successful in
the battle of behavior. And rest assured that when you fight this battle
you aren't fighting alone, but your Lord wages war on your behalf."
You trust God to keep the universe going, but can you trust Him to take care of your current problem?
Proverbs 16:20
Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Trust the Rock
Jesus once said that whoever hears His
words and obeys them will be like one who builds their house on the
rock, and when the rains and the winds come, it will not be moved
because the foundation is built on the rock (Matt. 7:24-25). But whoever
hears His words and doesn’t do what He says is like the one who builds
his house on sand, and when the storms come, the house falls, and how
great that fall will be (Matt. 7:26-27). Jesus’ point is that it’s not
enough to hear–we must obey. The one who built on the rock is not
guaranteed that it won’t be hit with storms. Both will be hit by storms,
but one will stand and the other will fall. The only difference is
whether or not the homeowner will listen to Jesus’ words. Hear and obey
and you will weather the storm; hear and ignore and great will be the
fall.
Trust the Word
The wise words of Solomon tell us that
whoever gives heed to the word–and I believe that word is the Word of
God–will be blessed, just as those who trust in the Lord (Prov. 16:20).
Trust in the Word is the same as trust in God because you cannot
separate the Word of God from the God of the Word. If we trust His Word,
which comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17) and reading the Word, we will be
blessed. It is a simple matter of cause and effect. If I read the
instructions for putting on a parachute, I’d have a lot more trust in
how to put it on and use it and be blessed by not free-falling when I
jumped out of the plane, but if I ignored the words of the instructions,
I couldn’t trust the parachute and would surely be headed for a fall
and a great fall at that.
Trust in God
To me, trust is belief. We have a chair
in our church that I often use as an example of faith and trust. I can
see the chair and believe it exists, but until I sit on it, I do not yet
trust or have faith in it. Only when I sit in it do I not only believe
in the chair, but I put my trust in it that it will hold me up and have
faith that I won’t come crashing down. Since Jesus is said to uphold the
universe by the word of His power, can you not also trust him to take
care of your current problem? If He can uphold all things by His power,
what is your problem that is too much for Him?
A Closing Prayer
Great God, You alone are the One Person I
can trust in a world where precious little else can be trusted. Even
when things seem to be falling apart around me, You are supreme and
sovereign over all things. Therefore, I can fully trust Your Word (the
Bible), I can fully trust Your blessing when I obey Your Word, and I can
trust in You by resting upon You. I know I can trust You, God, Who
keeps the universe going, and I can trust You to take care of my current
problems, no matter what they are. To You, everything is small, even
the heavens, which are measured with Your finger (Isaiah 40:12), and I
say to You with confidence that I can trust a God like You. In Jesus’
name I pray.
Amen
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY
Thursday, September 15
1 John 5:13-14
13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so
that you may know that you have eternal life.
14
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us.
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
VERSE OF THE DAY
Wednesday, September 14
Jude 1:21
21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Read Jude 1
Taming YOUR Tongue
Words are the vehicle through which we communicate our thoughts; the tongue is the driver. As such, it takes us to our destiny. Moving in spiritual maturity requires that we learn to speak the right words in the right season and for the right reason.
As the Holy Spirit sensitizes us to the negative uses of the tongue, we will begin to resist the temptation to drive down the wrong verbal path. If you find you are constantly at war with your tongue, I invite you to stop your harmful expressions. I guarantee you that at the end of this fast, you will become spiritually empowered as you transform your tongue into a wellspring of life. {Deborah Smith Pegues}
Join us on our Facebook page for this 30 day series on taming your tongue. Who hasn't sometimes struggled with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?
Saint James Assembly of Faith
As the Holy Spirit sensitizes us to the negative uses of the tongue, we will begin to resist the temptation to drive down the wrong verbal path. If you find you are constantly at war with your tongue, I invite you to stop your harmful expressions. I guarantee you that at the end of this fast, you will become spiritually empowered as you transform your tongue into a wellspring of life. {Deborah Smith Pegues}
Join us on our Facebook page for this 30 day series on taming your tongue. Who hasn't sometimes struggled with saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Set Apart by the Father Read John 10:22-42
"Why do you call it blasphemy when I say, "I am the Son of God?'
After all, the Father set Me apart and sent Me into the world" (John
10:36).
Some countries concluded that sport was of crucial importance to their national image. In order to develop the best sportsmen and -women, to reach the highest standards they target athletes at an early age. Then they send them to academies to be trained by the best coaches. Such potential stars are "set apart" and prepared for great things.
God did something similar - especially in the Bible. He chose, and set apart, certain people to be His chosen instruments; He would use them to achieve His goal of bringing hope, healing and wholeness to all of humanity. This "setting apart" is called "sanctification" (to make holy). Jesus knew that God the Father set Him apart and sanctified Him as Savior and to be His Son. Jesus was not set apart from the world. He was set apart in the world, to be God's special envoy for the world.
He has always been God's representative for you. His ministry is for the whole world, but He also has a special ministry to you. You are His follower and friend and He is with you through whatever problems or victories you may have. He is the person that God set apart to be there for you; to help you as you wrestle with faith; in your suffering and successes. Because He lived in the world of labor, strife and pain Himself, it is possible for Him to instruct you to stay on the right path.
I have a great need for Christ, I have a great Christ for my need.
~ Charles H. Spurgeon ~
Saint James Assembly of Faith
Some countries concluded that sport was of crucial importance to their national image. In order to develop the best sportsmen and -women, to reach the highest standards they target athletes at an early age. Then they send them to academies to be trained by the best coaches. Such potential stars are "set apart" and prepared for great things.
God did something similar - especially in the Bible. He chose, and set apart, certain people to be His chosen instruments; He would use them to achieve His goal of bringing hope, healing and wholeness to all of humanity. This "setting apart" is called "sanctification" (to make holy). Jesus knew that God the Father set Him apart and sanctified Him as Savior and to be His Son. Jesus was not set apart from the world. He was set apart in the world, to be God's special envoy for the world.
He has always been God's representative for you. His ministry is for the whole world, but He also has a special ministry to you. You are His follower and friend and He is with you through whatever problems or victories you may have. He is the person that God set apart to be there for you; to help you as you wrestle with faith; in your suffering and successes. Because He lived in the world of labor, strife and pain Himself, it is possible for Him to instruct you to stay on the right path.
I have a great need for Christ, I have a great Christ for my need.
~ Charles H. Spurgeon ~
Saint James Assembly of Faith
What are you holding onto today that you need to let go to God?
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Give It to God
Have you heard the expression “let go and let God”? Well, that is partially true. If we keep holding onto things too tightly, we cannot have open hands that can receive, so its better to let go of it today and give it to God. Isaiah gives us some great advice to stop remembering the former things in our life or thinking about all the old things we used to do or are still doing but to give it up to God (Isaiah 43:18-19). We can’t put our hand to the plow and then take it back again (Luke 9:62). Remember Lot’s wife? She looked back, and that did not end well for her (Gen. 19:26). What are you holding onto today that you need to let go of and give to God?Holding Onto Something?
Let me admit something to you. When I was very young, a friend of mine took my car without permission and totaled it. He never paid me back for that. I could have had him thrown in jail, but I didn’t. He promised to pay me back if I didn’t turn him in, but he never did. I was so mad. For many, many years I kept holding onto this grudge, and even after I was saved, it kept coming up time after time. Since God has forgiven me so much more, how could I place the same value over something that doesn’t really matter after all? People are always more important than things. For one thing, this friend of mine is not saved. I have tried to tell him about Christ, but he keeps shutting me down. I finally went up to him and asked him if he remembered the car of mine that he stole, and he just gave me a blank look. I think he did, but I told him, “I forgive you.” Again, he was speechless. I told him that God has forgiven me so much more than anyone could ever do to me in a lifetime. But again, just a blank stare was all I got. That’s okay. I would have loved to have an apology, but I forgave him anyway. I just had to let go of this and give it to God. Now I pray for my friend to be saved. That is the most important thing, not that car of mine so many years ago.What Is It You’re Holding?
Maybe you have something that is hard to let go of. What is it? Is it an old grudge? Is it something that you can’t forgive and forget? Is it an old flame who broke your heart many years ago and you’re still angry at them? Is it your money that you can’t be generous with? Maybe it’s your favorite football team that you still devote way too much time to and causes you to miss church some days. I don’t know what that is for you, but you do! What are you holding onto today that you, like I, need to let God have it? Maybe today’s the day to finally release your grip, empty your hands, and give it up to God.A Closing Prayer
Amen
BIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY
Tuesday, September 13
2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”
Triplets
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).The
atmosphere is your surroundings. You may find yourself in a very
hostile atmosphere where the fruit and works of the flesh are being
manifested. As you yield to the Holy Spirit, however, He will throw a
wet blanket on the unkind thing that you wanted to say. The Holy Spirit
will build a fire of His own that will bring warmth to a cold
atmosphere, hope to a despairing atmosphere, joy to a saddening
atmosphere, and love to a bitter, revengeful atmosphere. This is why the
first three triplets--love, joy, and peace--are atmosphere-changing fruit.
The second three triplets--long-suffering, gentleness, goodness--are attitude-changing fruit. Even though we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, each of us has the potential to have an attitude. God sometimes lets us go through difficult situations to let us see what's really inside us. When we see our own helplessness, weakness, and despair, it causes us to cry out, "God, I need You!"
You have a strength that defies human logic. You have an ability to stand that you cannot attribute to anyone but God. You have a peace that even the apostle Paul couldn't understand, so he called it the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Phil. 4:7 KJV). We call this third triplet--faith, meekness, and self-control--attribute-changing fruit because these qualities cannot be attributed to you but only to the Holy Spirit.
Within you lies the ability to become whatever you choose to be. Saint James Assembly of Faith
CONSIDERATIONS:1. The first three triplets--love, joy, and peace--are atmosphere-changing fruit. Describe how the first three triplets can change the atmosphere in your life.
2. The second three triplets-- long-suffering, gentleness, and goodness--are attitude-changing fruit. Do you need an attitude adjustment? In what ways?
3. The third three triplets--faith, meekness, and self-control--are attribute-changing fruit, because these qualities cannot be attributed to you but only to the Holy Spirit. Are these three attributes working within you? Why or why not?
4. You have a strength within you that defies human logic. Are you accessing that strength when troubles arise, or are you stumbling under the weight?
5. "Within you lies the ability to become whatever you choose to be." Do you believe this statement? Write what you want to become. Take steps toward achieving that goal.
The second three triplets--long-suffering, gentleness, goodness--are attitude-changing fruit. Even though we are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, each of us has the potential to have an attitude. God sometimes lets us go through difficult situations to let us see what's really inside us. When we see our own helplessness, weakness, and despair, it causes us to cry out, "God, I need You!"
You have a strength that defies human logic. You have an ability to stand that you cannot attribute to anyone but God. You have a peace that even the apostle Paul couldn't understand, so he called it the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Phil. 4:7 KJV). We call this third triplet--faith, meekness, and self-control--attribute-changing fruit because these qualities cannot be attributed to you but only to the Holy Spirit.
Within you lies the ability to become whatever you choose to be. Saint James Assembly of Faith
CONSIDERATIONS:1. The first three triplets--love, joy, and peace--are atmosphere-changing fruit. Describe how the first three triplets can change the atmosphere in your life.
2. The second three triplets-- long-suffering, gentleness, and goodness--are attitude-changing fruit. Do you need an attitude adjustment? In what ways?
3. The third three triplets--faith, meekness, and self-control--are attribute-changing fruit, because these qualities cannot be attributed to you but only to the Holy Spirit. Are these three attributes working within you? Why or why not?
4. You have a strength within you that defies human logic. Are you accessing that strength when troubles arise, or are you stumbling under the weight?
5. "Within you lies the ability to become whatever you choose to be." Do you believe this statement? Write what you want to become. Take steps toward achieving that goal.
A Brand New Body At The Blast Of A Trumpet!
1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
All over the world, Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish
New Year. Occurring usually in the month of September, this feast is
celebrated with the blowing of trumpets—the shofar or ram’s horn. That
is why it is also called the Feast of Trumpets.
The Jews observe seven feasts: The Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled literally by Jesus. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), the bread of life (John 6:35) and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20) And when Pentecost had fully come after His ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1–4)
So the next feast that we are waiting for Jesus to fulfill literally is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is this feast significant to us? Because when Jesus fulfills it, it means that we are going up to meet Him in the clouds!
I am talking about the rapture of the church. When the trumpet sounds, “in the twinkling of an eye”, we who are alive will be changed. We will put on new bodies that will be like Jesus’! Those who are dead in Christ will rise and also receive new bodies. They will go up first followed by us who are alive, and we will all meet the Lord in the air. (1 Corinthians 15:51–55)
This means that there is a possibility that you might not see death! The Bible says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) It is one thing to happen to be alive, but quite another to remain alive.
I believe that there is a generation of Christians who know the resurrection power of the Lord. They know how to walk in their inheritance and put off sickness and death until the coming of the Lord. My friend, may you be counted as one of them as you take the Lord Jesus and His finished work as your victory over sickness and death!
The Jews observe seven feasts: The Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. The first four have been fulfilled literally by Jesus. He was the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), the bread of life (John 6:35) and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20) And when Pentecost had fully come after His ascension, He sent us the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1–4)
So the next feast that we are waiting for Jesus to fulfill literally is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is this feast significant to us? Because when Jesus fulfills it, it means that we are going up to meet Him in the clouds!
I am talking about the rapture of the church. When the trumpet sounds, “in the twinkling of an eye”, we who are alive will be changed. We will put on new bodies that will be like Jesus’! Those who are dead in Christ will rise and also receive new bodies. They will go up first followed by us who are alive, and we will all meet the Lord in the air. (1 Corinthians 15:51–55)
This means that there is a possibility that you might not see death! The Bible says, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) It is one thing to happen to be alive, but quite another to remain alive.
I believe that there is a generation of Christians who know the resurrection power of the Lord. They know how to walk in their inheritance and put off sickness and death until the coming of the Lord. My friend, may you be counted as one of them as you take the Lord Jesus and His finished work as your victory over sickness and death!
Thought For The Day
When the trumpet sounds, we who are alive will put on new bodies like Jesus!
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