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Tuesday 30 November 2010

NO SWEETER NAME

Acts 4:12

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Recently I sang a song with the words “no sweeter name than the name of Jesus.” Sometimes the words of a song really speak to my life in a very truthful way.

Is there truly no one else that I consider to be sweeter than Jesus?

Does my relationship with Him demonstrate that He is more important than my friends, family, job and career?

When I am alone in a secret place, do my actions shout that there is no sweeter name than the name of Jesus. God considers the name to be so sweet that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.

How do you feel about the name of JESUS?

Monday 29 November 2010

GOD'S WORD

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Is God’s word a lamp for you or are there things you read that cause you to feel like you are in the dark?

If you have difficulty understanding why certain things are in the Bible, please consider speaking with your Pastor, church leader or a knowledgeable Christian about your questions. It is very important to continue reading the Bible daily rather than putting it on a shelf because there are things that you do not understand. If your Bible is hard to comprehend, because of the way it is written, go to a local bookstore and invest in different translations to make you reading and study alot easier. But also always remember to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your understanding and open your eyes to understand the Bible for yourself. Whatever it takes to stay in God’s word daily; do it.

Sunday 28 November 2010

TOTAL SURRENDER

1Thessalonians 5:23-24

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Will you trust God with your entire life today? God will keep your spirit, soul and body blameless if you will totally surrender and seek after His ways. Total surrender is something that we do on a daily basis, it is not a one-time event. The Lord has instructed us to seek Him first in our lives. Once we commit to trust God daily, He will be faithful and help keep us blameless and pure.

Saturday 27 November 2010

FOUNDATIONS

Luke 6:49

“But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."

A foundation underneath a house is usually made of thick concrete with steel bars embedded into it, along with wire mesh woven throughout it. Have you ever seen pictures of huge floods where houses were covered with water, yet they still had not moved from where they were built? Those houses had heavy solid foundations that kept them strong in the storm.

How is your spiritual foundation?

Are you learning more about God's word daily and putting God's principles in practice in your life?

Do you have questions and doubts about God's word?

Be encourage and press into the Bible and read it daily. If you have questions, find someone you can trust who can answer them for you. If you don't build your life upon God's word, you sure won't be strong enough to endure the storms of life.

Friday 26 November 2010

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

To rejoice in the Lord means to be delighted, joyful or glad in the Lord. It is an expression that comes from the heart and is the result of knowing God in a personal way. Sometimes in our lives it may seem as though there are a lot of things to rejoice about; while at other times the burdens of life can weigh heavy upon us. Regardless of what the circumstances are in our lives, Jesus instructed us to rejoice. Our names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20 says, "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."  This is one thing we can always rejoice about no matter what we are going through.

Thursday 25 November 2010

PREACHING WITH POWER

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.


Through this scripture we see that sharing the gospel is also accompanied with power, the Holy Spirit and conviction. My desire is to see God move upon people in this way. I believe in my heart; that if we ask God to reveal Himself in this way to people we interact with, that He will. We all need to have full experiences with the Lord that go far beyond just another sermon about the Bible. Experiences that are filled with power, Holy Spirit and conviction. May God reveal Himself to you in a powerful way today!

Wednesday 24 November 2010

SHINE LIKE A STAR

Philippians 2:14-15
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.


This is a command of how we are to live our lives as Christians. In order not to complain or argue, it will require that we take control of our thoughts as well as the words that come out of our mouths. Decide to shine like a star today; demonstrate self control in your conversations with others. If you do not have something good to say that will bring about a positive change in your life or others, perhaps it will be best if it is not said. Choose to edify yourself and others with your thoughts and words.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

MAKE A LIST

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.


Here is an idea to help us all increase in our prayer lives and make a difference in the lives of others. Make a list of the people who you are connected with every week, friends, family, church family, teachers and people you may work with. Now take time to pray for each person for the things in their lives that you know about. Make your prayers specific, for instance, if there is a friend who is struggling in Math class, pray that God open their understanding with that subject. Rather than just praying generally like, “Lord bless them.” Try doing this everyday for a week, and believe for God to work in their lives.

Monday 22 November 2010

GOD CAN BE TRUSTED

Psalms 25: 4-5

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.


The TRUTH is, God is alive and working in our lives! He will lead and guide us when we put our trust completely in Him. The key is trusting Him daily by living a life connected toHim all day long. The Bible teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God and to seek the Lord with all of our hearts. In today’s scripture verse, David says, “my hope is in you all day long.” If you are having difficulty trusting God with your life, ask Him to teach you how to trust Him more. Read your bible every day and seek after God in a greater way than you have ever done before. The Bible says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13!

Sunday 21 November 2010

DREAMS

Proverbs 14:23

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Have you ever had an idea to do something that is important to you. In order to make that idea turn into reality you will have to initiate some action steps. If you just keep talking about it and thinking about it, but take no action steps; nothing ever becomes of the idea. You may begin by assembling people to help with the necessary actions steps, whereby creating something that did not exist before. What types of ideas do you have? Write down one thing that you would really like to do. Then write down a few ways to make the idea happen. Next, start working on the ways you have listed to make your idea a reality. May God bless you in your righteous adventures.

Saturday 20 November 2010

HOPE FOR CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE STRAYED

1 John 3:9

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.




This verse is one that I hold onto when I am praying for anyone who at some point followed God but now has chosen to live their lives without following God’s ways. The verse says that God’s seed remains in him. I believe in faith that God promises that, the seed of His word that was planted in their heart at some earlier time will cause them not to be able to continue to live in sin. In confidence, I just know, they will eventually come back to living their lives according to God’s way.

Friday 19 November 2010

LET GO OF THE SIN

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

God doesn't want us to hold onto, and struggle with sin in our lives. He wants us to live obediently to His word. Yes when we stumble, He teaches us to repent from our sins ( confess and turn from the sin); as we do He instantly forgives us. He offers us purity through His forgiveness. Nothing we can do on our own can or will purify us even if we try hard enough. God is the only way!

He wants us to be in the right relationship with Him, we do this by continually asking for forgiveness when we sin. We should never think we are not worthy of being forgiven because we may struggle at times with the same type of sin. As we repent and ask, God gives us the ability to resist that sin the next time. We get stronger and stronger to resist the temptation in the future.

Thursday 18 November 2010

LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE

Proverbs 3:3-4

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.


Jesus commanded us to love one another as He has loved us. We have also been instructed to love the Lord with all of our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is the number one requirement by God when we are interacting with others. God is love! Bind Him around your neck today and have a day filled with loving God and others.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD

John 14:1
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God


Don't worry about tomorrow or be concerned about the future. God is with you. We must be patient and trust in God to lead and direct us. We can do the very best we can to plan our lives. As we do, we pray and trust God to order our steps, bless and care for us. Do not let your hearts be troubled, the Lord is with you.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

GOD IS FULL OF LOVE

James 5:11
".....The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."


Psalms 86:15
But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.



Psalms 145:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.


“God is slow to anger and rich in love.” When we have struggles and stray from the path that the Lord would desire us to walk on, He is slow to anger. It is His love that helps us return to His ways. The Bible says that God is for us (Romans 8:31) not against us. Verse 39 says that nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the Love of God. He is not angry towards us today if we have strayed from the truth. He wants to cleanse us and bring us back into a right relationship with Him.

Monday 15 November 2010

STAY CONNECTED TO GOD

John 15:4(NLT)

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.


How can we remain in God? One way would be by staying connected to other believers who really love the Lord. Also when we are talking to the Lord and listening to Him, we are staying connected to Him. Reading His word is a way of remaining in Him. When we are in the car we go where the car goes because we are “in” the car. When we remain in Christ we do the things that He likes to do.

Sunday 14 November 2010

HOW BIG IS GOD?

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 40:12(New Living Translation)
Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?..."


The Lord is so big that He can measure all of the heavens above in the span of His fingers. Our solar system, the earth, moon, sun and a few planets, is contained inside of a galaxy called the Milky Way. Within the Milky Way it is estimated that there are 200 to 400 billion stars. We are just one of the unknown amounts of galaxies that could contain billions of stars in each. God measures it all between His fingers. Think on that for a while, you will realize that our God is a REALLY BIG GOD!

Saturday 13 November 2010

PRAISING THE LORD

Psalms 113: 3

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

When the sun is rising on one end of the earth, it is setting on the other, this is a continual process. Just like the rising and the setting of the sun, praising the Lord needs to be a continual process in our lives. We can do this in many ways; I generally start my day with prayer as soon as I awake. The rest of the day I stay connected to the Lord by listening to Christian music and just keeping my thoughts focused on Him in everything I am doing. I try to include God in all areas of my life. If I sense that there is an area of my life where God just does not seem to fit, for example, the movies I watch or music that plays on the radio, or friendships that do not bring me closer to God, then it is up to me to change these areas. For it is my desire to praise the Lord in and through all that I do, from the rising of the sun until it sets.

Friday 12 November 2010

THE HEAVENS

Psalms 113:5-6

Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?


If God is big enough to stoop down to look at the heavens and the earth, then He must be big enough to handle all of our problems.

Thursday 11 November 2010

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.

John 10: 28-30
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

When we give our lives to God, nothing can separate us from His love and we can never be snatched from His hand.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

MY HEART IS STEADFAST

Psalms 108: 1
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.


Having a steadfast heart means we are trying to stay connected to God in all our ways. It takes determination to keep talking to God in every situation, good or bad. Someone with a steadfast heart will repent and turn away from sin quickly. God uses the ones whose hearts  are loyal and dedicated to Him.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

I Give Myself Away by William McDowell

DO YOU KNOW JESUS?

Do you know Jesus Christ? Many have heard of Jesus and know a little about Him. Many sing songs about His birth at Christmas and know that Easter commemorates His resurrection. Some think of Him as a teacher or perhaps the founder of a major world religion. But, do you know Him personally? Do you know that Jesus died and rose again, not to start a spiritual movement, but because He loves you and wanted to provide a way for you to know Him?

The Bible tells the story of God's love for people. In the beginning, God created us to reflect His image and to have a relationship with Him (Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them). We were created good but sin entered the world and we essentially chose to try life on our own without God, instead of living our lives for God as we were designed.

God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins and bring us into a relationship with Him. Jesus' resurrection is proof that we are now accepted and made right by Jesus. We can know the promise of eternal life and experience the joy of knowing God here on earth!

If you would like to have a relationship with God, the Bible tells us that we begin by acknowledging that we have sinned and that there is nothing we can do to earn our way into God's love. Romans 3:23-26, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

We believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. Romans 10:9, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" and allow Him to guide our lives. Where we once wanted to control our own futures, we now allow Jesus into our hearts to be our Lord. Knowing God's peace, perspective, and purpose for your life begins with a personal relationship with Christ.

Bless you all!

GOD'S HEART

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.



God’s desire is for us to care for the lonely. Jesus taught that he would leave the 99 to go and get the lonely one who has


gone astray. Can you think of others who may be lonely besides widows and orphans? We have a lot of homeless people in

my borough. Many of the homeless men and woman I have talked to are very lonely. Nursing homes are filled with widows and

people who have been forgotten. Divorce creates loneliness; as well as the death of a loved one. When I reflect on my own

life the most painful emotional times, have been when I felt lonely. God has given us his promise that he will never leave us

and he has also given the Holy Spirit to comfort us. Consider being a friend to the lonely today.

Monday 8 November 2010

NO MIDDLE ROAD

James 4:4

".....Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth


The Lord desires that we would belong to Him completely. All He needs is a willing person to say “Lord , I want to live a life for you, help me.” As we make this sincere choice we turn away from the things of the world and do our best to walk with God. There is no middle road the path is narrow not broad, you are either hot or cold, a friend or an enemy. It is the heart that the Lord sees. Examine your life today, does God have your whole heart?

Sunday 7 November 2010

BLESSED AND SATISFIED

Matthew 5:6(Amplified)

Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied!


There is a way of living for God that brings His blessings of spiritual prosperity. To hunger and thirst for Jesus is hungering and thirsting for righteousness. He is the one who makes us righteous and puts us in right standing with God. Seeking God's way and trying to be obedient to His guidelines, is also hungering and thirsting for righteousness. To do what is righteous, means to not do what we know to be wrong. Making right choices based on our God's word will bring the Lords blessings. The only way to understand Christian faith and beliefs is to pursue knowing them, that’s the type of desire that Jesus is talking about.

Saturday 6 November 2010

VICTORY

2 Chronicles 20:21-22

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.


We can have the victory over the troubles in our lives if we fight the battle God’s way. When we sing and praise the Lord we are releasing a spiritual weapon on our behalf to fight the enemy for us. Notice that when they began to sing and praise, that is when God began to bring the victory. This is not just a story, it is a major truth in God's kingdom. Sing and praise the Lord today and expect victory over what ever you may be struggling with in life.

Friday 5 November 2010

HEALING

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.


Jesus Christ experienced every pain humanly possible during the suffering He endured on the way to the cross and while on the cross. He was taking upon Himself all of our infirmities so that we could be free from them and by His wounds be healed. You will find many accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John where Jesus healed people. The Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is still the healer!

Thursday 4 November 2010

EXPRESSIONS

Psalm 47:1-2

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!


When we fall in love with the Lord our expressions towards Him will naturally flow outward from within us. We will clap, shout and proclaim His greatness without being ashamed. When you truly understand who God is and how great He is, this outward expression will become a witness to the love of God that is in your heart. God is great and there is non other that surpasses Him.

Wednesday 3 November 2010

JUSTIFIED

1 Corinthians 6:11

But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


Here is a truth to remember. The word JUSTIFIED can be understood as meaning Just-If-I'd never done it. That’s how God sees us when we repent from our sins and seek His forgiveness. Our sins are washed totally away from Gods remembrance, as if it never happened.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

A WHISPER

Luke 10:22-23

“No one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." Then he( Jesus) turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.”


When I read, “when Jesus turned and said to his disciples privately”, I seem to hear Jesus whispering in a very loving tone to me “you are special.” So are you my dear sister and brother and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Monday 1 November 2010

SONGS

Ephesians 5:19

".....Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,"


Music is a universal language; everyone understands the sound of music. Today, within a 15 minute period, I have noticed two songs that are recurring in my heart. They are centered around my relationship with Christ. The powerful thing about music in your heart is that the Holy Spirits’ radio is on all the time, we just have to stay tuned in. Sometimes the song in our spirit perfectly fits with the situation we are in at that moment. I made a decision a 13 months ago to guard my heart from worldly music and to fill my heart with Godly music. This helps me to have praise continually on my lips, lifting up my Lord.