HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

Definition

Honor: high respect, as for worth, merit, or rank: to be held in honor.

Take a moment to look at the way you are treating your parents. This means in thoughts and deeds. Not just how you act towards them when you are around them, but also examine your thoughts, how it is you think and feel about your parents in your heart. Examine yourself closely and see if there are any changes that need to be made to line your life up with this scripture. If changes in attitude are needed, then ask God to help and begin to make those changes today. Reality for many of you is that you have parents that do not treat you very well; nonetheless, you are still called by God to respect your parents. By respecting your parents even when you do not feel they deserve your respect, allows God to work on your behalf because you have been obedient to his word. This is very difficult; however God can help you, just ask him!

BE TENDERHEARTED

Ephesians 4:31-32
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

God is forgiving and tenderhearted toward us. We are commanded to love one another as Christ has loved us. Christ has not held our faults against us or condemned us. Therefore, we should treat others in the same way. If you struggle with rage, anger or other negative types of behavior, God is able to help. You can change these behaviors; start by renewing your mind by reading God’s word daily and asking God to transform you mind and make you like Jesus. God is able to do more than we could ever think or imagine, he is God. Put your trust in his ability today.

BEING A WITNESS FOR GOD

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."


Have you received Gods power yet?
When the Holy Spirit comes upon people’s lives, they become witnesses for God. The Holy Spirit reveals who Jesus is and convicts the world of sin. He does this through us by giving us a special ability to share the Love of God with others. There is a power that touches people through us, which reveals the reality of God to them. It is not something that they can explain nor can we, it is the power of the Holy Spirit.

SELF CONTROL

Proverbs 10:19

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Sometimes when we get frustrated with situations that involve others, we have a tendency to say hurtful things, before we really think about what we are saying. At times it is difficult for us to be careful with our words, this is we need God’s help. One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. God can help us control our tongues; we need to trust God to help us in this area. Other times it is just best to keep our mouths shut get my point, shush!

 

WHEN GOD IS REAL TO US

Psalms 13:1-2
How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Psalm 13:5-6
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.


When we have had a real encounter with the Lord, we are able to respond as David does in this psalm. Even though he feels as though God has forgotten him, and he has sorrow in his heart, he still puts his trust in the Lord. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is still good, no matter what comes our way; we put our trust in Him.

SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS

Acts 4:13

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Something special happens to us when we spend time with Jesus. Something so special that people around us can tell we have been with Him. The best way I have found to spend quality time with the Lord is through prayer. I often have very real encounters with God as I just get quiet and focus on Him.The Holy Spirit touches me with his joy and peace; worship begins to explode in my spirit. After my prayer time is over, and I am filled with the Lord’s joy I then take the presence of the Lord with me wherever I go. That is how people recognize that I have spent time with Jesus.

TASTE AND SEE

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.


To taste and see that the Lord is good is an invitation to sit at a huge banquet table filled with delicious flavors. God has a yummy delight that replaces every troubling flavor in our lives. He gives us a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. There is the oil of joy for morning that is promised. He gives beautiful white robs of forgiveness in exchange for filthy rags of sin. There's peace for the troubled heart and hope for the hopeless. The invitation is for us to come and taste, it is our choice to sit at Gods table, He will not force us to taste of his goodness.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

1 Chronicles 28:20

And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God - my God - will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.


When we have discovered what Gods direction is for our lives, we can continue forward with

confidence knowing that the Lord will help us carry out his plan.

GOD GIVES PLANS

1Chronicles 28:19(NKJV)
“All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”


This passage is taken from the story of when King David was telling his son Solomon about the plans, for building a temple, that God had given David. The bible has a lot to say about God having plans for our lives. The place of discovery of what God’s plans are begins with seeking him first in our lives. David said the Lord gave him the plan when God’s hand was upon him. This means that David was in the presence of the Lord close enough to God for his hand to be upon him. Through out the entire bible God is continually speaking to his chosen followers. He is still the same today as he was then.

He still gives plans and direction for our lives. We are to draw near to God and then he will draw near to us.
Consider making a commitment today to spend the next 30 days drawing near to the Lord. Find a quiet place everyday to be alone with God, a place where you can be still and free from distractions

PRAISE

Psalm 84:4
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.

When we live a life connected to God, there is one thing that is certain; Praise will continually be in our hearts. There was a time in my life when I was not living for God and there was no life given song in my spirit. When I recommitted my life to the Lord, I noticed a joyful song in my heart again. Exuberant praise was upon my lips and new life in my spirit that cannot be explained. It was joy unspeakable and full of glory (1Peter 1:8). I now choose everyday to dwell with God and seek to praise Him everyday. If you have not had a song of praise in your heart lately, ask the Lord to draw you nearer to Him, as you do so, a song will soon be in your heart.

STONE THAT MAKES MEN STUMBLE AND ROCKS THAT MAKE THEM FALL

Romans 9:33
As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall,and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

One of my close friends has been a great mentor to me by teaching me spiritual truths. One day as I was telling him about a family member that was on a wrong path moving away from God. My friend gave me a demonstration of how Jesus is the stone that makes men fall. He began to walk away from me as if he was rebelling against God then he stumbled and fell to the ground. He was forced at that point to stop moving and he turned and looked to find what it was that had caused him to stumble while he was moving away from God.

What things have been put in your path to make you stumble?
Take a look around you and see if you have been moving away from God or towards God?
Keep your eyes on Jesus.

GOD IS FOR YOU NOT AGAINST YOU

Revelations 12:10-11
For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.

Our enemy is constantly accusing us of doing wrong before God. We overcome the accusations  and punishment that should be upon us, because of our sinful ways, by what Jesus has done. The devil wants to keep us down and discouraged, but Jesus came to give us forgiveness, hope, joy and life through His blood that was poured out for our sins. God is for us not against us, that is the word of our testimony. God’s plans are to prosper us and to give us a hope and a future. The devil comes to steal our joy, peace, patience and love, but we overcome his schemes by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and the love that God has towards us. Confess out loud today that God is for you not against you.

BITTER ROOT GROWS UP

Hebrews 12:15
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.

A few years ago I was on a road trip with some new recruits I was mentoring and two them were having difficulty getting along. As one of the new recruits was explaining to several team leaders about many of the events that had happened during the week, I began to recognise several destructive things at work. There was a tree forming, from the bitter root that was filled with anger, gossip, lies, deception and misconceptions. What started out to be a disagreement between two young adults was now affecting many people. As each of them told their stories to friends at home and within the team in the office, there appeared to be opposing teams of people building. The bitter root was causing trouble and affecting many people's lives.

Although feelings of anger and rejection are very real and hard to deal with at times, we must choose to do the right things in these types of situations. Most importantly, we must zip our lips and NOT GOSSIP about others. What he said, she said, you and we said; needs to be kept under control and expressed to trusting adults, teachers, pastors, or youth leaders.

What other things would be important to do in these situations?

Also, what does the Bible say about love and what are the fruits of the Spirit and of the sinful nature?

Look up 1 Corinthians 13 and also Galatians 5:16-22 to answer these questions.

LOVE KEEPS NO RECORDS OF WRONG

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.

I am so glad that God doesn't keep a record of wrongs after I ask Him for forgiveness and truly turn away from the sin that I have committed. He wants me to overcome struggles that I have and He is helping me in many ways to do so.


But what about us?

Do we keep an account of the “wrongs” someone does to us?

Are we constantly judging people by the way they “use to” behave, or are we truly giving those in our lives an opportunity to demonstrate to us that they have changed?

Keeping no record of wrongs is a very difficult thing to do, nonetheless that is what God has done for us, and He expects us to do the same with others. Do not confuse keeping a record of wrongs with being able to trust someone; here is where you need discernment. Trust once broken, must be earned back, and this is using wisdom. Allowing someone to earn that trust back is “not keeping account of wrongs”. Who in your life deserves the opportunity to earn your trust back and have you wipe away the record of their wrongdoings that you are keeping?

Ask God to show you who those people are, and ask Him for His grace to forgive them and work on rebuilding the trust in your relationships. We have been forgiven much by God, pray and ask God to show you how to love by forgiving others as well.

LIVE A HOLY LIFE

1 Thessalonians 4:7
"For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness."

Colossians 3:8
"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

Colossians 3:12
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering"

1 Thessalonians 4:4
"That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour"

The bible instructs us to live a holy life. To live a holy life means we try to do the things that are pleasing to God and live according to the standards He sets forth in the Bible. We know that we can only be made perfectly holy through God's forgiveness. For we all fall short of the Glory of God, however, God is quick to forgive us when we repent and keep trying to do the right things in our lives. As the scriptures indicate; it is our responsibility to “rid ourselves” of ungodly behaviors and to “cloth ourselves” with godly ones. We do our best to live as God instructs and try not to get discouraged when we make mistakes. There is no condemnation from God because He loves us, He knows the beginning from the end, and he knows our strengths and our weaknesses. The key word is working!

We are not alone in our attempts to live holy lives. As we begin to apply the principles from the Bible to our lives, God meets us with His grace (ability) and helps change us into His image. The Bible says “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 God is working with us because He loves us and has promised that He will never leave us.

HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD

Colossians 3:3-4
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The scripture says, “We are hidden with Christ in God.” Imagine being inside of a huge hollow ball of comforting light and Christ is seated next to you. All that you are aware of is His love and presence with you. No one can see you because you are hidden in God (the ball of light) with Christ. Our scripture also says that when Christ appears then you will appear with him. But, please take note that you will not be seen before Christ is revealed. Why? Because you have died to your old prideful ways of wanting to receive the credit (or, “attention”) and you now live to see Christ revealed through yourlife.

In this verse I see the Lord showing us the correct way to be used in ministry. Being an effective minister for the Lord requires that we become nothing (we die to our selves) and Jesus becomes everything. We are just a vessel for God to use and the goal is for people to see Jesus rather than focus on us. In other words, God gets the glory. My pastor says it this way. When you effectively minister and someone gives you a compliment that is like receiving roses. We are to politely say, "thank you," take the roses and then give them to God.

GODS' HEART

Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."


Matthew 9:36 -38
When he ( Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field."

As we abide in God, and He in us, we begin to develop more of God’s nature. God has a compassionate nature. Compassion is defined as, loving sympathy or empathy. Begin to pray that God will open your spiritual eyes to see people the way He sees people, and to fill your heart with compassion for the lost. The scripture says that Jesus will make us fishers of men. Ask the Lord of the harvest today to make you a fisher of men. He will do it! Prayer is involved in harvesting souls. Jesus said ask. Spend some extra time in prayer today and begin to study about winning souls. Ask the Lord to send you into the fields.

PRAISE

Psalm 84:4
Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.


When we live a life connected to God, there is one thing that is certain; praise will continually be in our hearts. there was a time in my life when I was not living for God and there was no life giving song in my spirit. When I recommitted my life to the Lord, I noticed a joyful song in my heart again. Exuberant praise was upon my lips and new life in my spirit that cannot be explained. It was joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). I now choose everyday to dwell with God and seek to praise Him everyday. If you have not had a song of praise in your heart lately, ask the Lord to help you draw nearer to Him, as you do so, a song of praise will soon be in your heart.

TASTE AND SEE THE LORD IS GOOD

Psalms 34:8

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

To taste and see that the Lord is good is an invitation to sit at a huge banquet table filled with delicious flavors. God has a yummy delight that replaces every troubling flavor in our lives. He gives us a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness. There is the oil of joy for morning that is promised. He gives beautiful white robs of forgiveness in exchange for filthy rags of sin. There's peace for the troubled heart and hope for the hopeless. The invitation is for us to come and taste, it is our choice to sit at Gods table, He will not force us to taste of His goodness.

THE PLACE WHERE GOD IS FOUND

Jeremiah 29:12-14
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD.


Many people ask where is God?

Even king David was constantly seeking Him as Psalms 63:1 says "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” I believe with all of my heart, that the place where God is found is in our seeking. Some of the most intimate times that I have ever encountered with God, when I knew that I was face to face with Him, were during times of seeking Him in prayer in total surrender.

A good friend of mine often tells me of how she seeks the Lord, is as she goes on her daily walks. Often times, the Lord just drops things in her heart while walking. When I purpose to read the Bible I do it with an expectation that God will meet me in the seeking process and grant me a deeper understanding by His divine interaction with me. I also seek Him during times of singing or worship. Setting aside quality time to seek after God will bring us to the place where God is found.

THE THE LORD UPHOLDS US WITH HIS HAND

Psalm 37:23-24
If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Clearly in these passages we see that the Lord has a grip on our lives with His hand. Take your hands and firmly join them together. Imagine for a moment that one of them belongs to the Lord. Now the scripture say that no one can snatch us from His hand and it is His hand that upholds us so that we will not fall. I don't know about you, but when I did this hand locking illustration, there was a very comforting realisation that God has a firm hold on me. His word is true, so trust Him with your life today. He loves you and He has a firm grip on you.

Here is another neat way to demonstrate God's word as it relates to the scriptures. If you ever have the privilege of leading someone to the Lord use the same illustration of locking hands. Instead of grabbing your own hands hold the persons hand that just surrendered their life to the Lord. Tell them that the Bible says that no one can snatch them from God's hand and that nothing can separate them from His love.

YOU ARE NOT STUCK

Luke 23:52-53
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

Genesis 37:28
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.


In the scriptures the first one tells of when Jesus was taken down from the cross. The second is from the Bible story where Joseph’s brothers threw him in a pit and left him to die. In both of these scriptures someone is stuck. Jesus is stuck on a cross and Joseph is stuck in a pit. Here's an interesting thought, God had someone arranged to get them out of their situations where they were bound and had no freedom. There is a story in Acts 12 where Peter is bound in prison and an angel comes to rescue him and get him out.

If you are feeling like there are certain areas of your life where you are bound or stuck, put your trust in God and rest in knowing that He has a plan to set you free. God is preparing a moment in time where He will arrange for you to be free from the chains you are bound by or the pit that you may be trapped in. Trust the Lord, He loves us so much, He is working His plan to get you out of the situation that you may be now stuck in.

PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


When we develop a personal relationship with Jesus it becomes easy to communicate with Him through prayer. As we begin to commune with, or speak to Jesus, throughout every day, we will be guided by Him. As we begin our journey communicating with Jesus, His foot steps become easier to follow. When we spend time praying and listening we start hearing with our spiritual ears. Praying without ceasing is possible because Jesus said that He would never leave us. If Jesus is always with us, then we can continually interact with Him through prayer.

FORGIVENESS

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.


The Lord has commanded us to Love one another. Although people may hurt us, and at times we my feel rejected by them, we have been instructed to forgive 70 x 7 times. If someone is continually hurtful to you, your responsibility is to forgive them. Take the opportunity talk to them about how their behavior is hurting you. If they continue to treat you poorly, seek guidance from your pastor or other adult who you trust.

GOD'S LOVE

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.


God loves us so much that He has promised that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Receive his love today!

THE LORD IS A HIDING PLACE

Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah

I remember being a child and playing hide and seek. I was safe until someone found me; then I would run like crazy to get to the base. When I think of God as a hiding place, I am confident that when He chooses to totally hide me from trouble, it will not find me.

The Bible says that we will experience trials, tests, and trouble in this life but have you ever thought about the things that God has protected you from?

Can you think of times when God has protected you, a friend or family member from trouble?

I am sure that there are many times where the Lord has surrounded us with His protection that we are not even aware of. Today's scripture ends with the word Selah which means pause and think about that. Take a moment and meditate on the scripture.

LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN

Matthew 18:2-4

He (Jesus) called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Think for a moment what it means to become like little children in our relationship with God. Children spend countless hours being fed, clothed, taught, sheltered, protected and cared for by their parents.Wrapped in parents’ arms, children are carried when they are weak, protected when they are scared and kept warm when it is cold. As babies, they are constantly in the arms of the parent and dependent upon them for every thing. When they become toddlers, they run to a Paapa or Maama’s arms when they get hurt, desperately seeking relief from the pain. Children in the arms of a loving Paapa or Maama trust them with every area of their lives.

Have you been spending time in the arms of your heavenly Paapa allowing him to read you bible stories and show you special pictures in his book? Have you been rocked to sleep lately in the arms of your heavenly Paapa, as he sings over you beautiful songs like He's Got The Whole World In His hands? When was the last time that you just snuggled up to God in prayer and talked to him about everything that is happening in your life?

Spend some quality time in the arms of your heavenly Paapa today, just you and him talking, singing, dancing, learning or just doing whatever. Everyday, God desires that we would come to him like little children because we are his children.

WHAT WE FEED GROWS AND WHAT WE STARVE DIES

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

This is a simple statement that I recently heard my Pastor use during a sermon, “what we feed grows and what we starve dies.” As soon as I heard it, I thought of my relationship with God and the importance of continually feeding my spirit man. What are some other areas of our lives where this principle may have significant meaning?

I was just thinking of how the Bible says to not let the sun go down on our anger. Meaning that we should strive to resolve arguments quickly. If we don't, a small spark of anger has the potential of becoming a huge raging fire that may affect many. Have you been feeding your spirit with the best spiritual food?

Think about your life honestly, do you spend more time feeding your life with the things of God or the things of the world?

The Bible says that we are to seek the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. Everyday is a new day for a new start with God. His mercies are new every morning. Spend your time thinking of things that are lovely, excellent and worthy of your time. If you need to repent and turn away from feeding your life with the wrong things, now is a great time to do so. God loves you and will help you with your new commitment.

BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM

Matthew 7:16,17
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.


Have you ever picked fruit like; apples, oranges, or grapes? I saw something different this morning that I've not seen in this passage before. We are trees of fruit for people to pick. The more fruit we bear, the more bountiful the feast that others will enjoy, when they are in our presence. We are trees filled with love, joy, peace, patients, compassion, kindness, and self control. Spend some extra time in prayer and check your fruit tree today.

IF SOMEONE LEADS

ACTS 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.


IF SOMEONE LEADS
If someone leads, I assure that others will follow
Do it today and don't wait for tomorrow.
Could our actions today, change someone’s destiny,
What if we offered more to a stranger, than just time on our knees.
We must tell them, is what I am hearing,
We must tell them that the end is nearing.
We must tell them that they are lost without Jesus,
We must tell them that it is His blood that frees us.
Yes, if someone will lead, some Christians will follow,
We will see multitudes come to Christ, today and tomorrow.
If someone leads

To be a great leader we must be passionate followers of Christ. See if you can discover what you will be doing today in the above scripture, if you follow Christ.

VISION

James 2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.


If a vision for the Lord's kingdom is not becoming a reality then that vision is dead. Consider taking a step today towards putting into action something that God has entrusted you with. One small step each day becomes much work accomplished over time. Spend time in prayer. Often times, this is where God
directs and gives grace to accomplish great things in His name. Jesus chose His disciples after praying all night.