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
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
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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