Wednesday, December 26, 2012

LIKE A SHEPHERD

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart (Isa 40:11a).
Sometimes we can see Christ modeled in the most unusual ways. Os Hillman sais, "Gerry, our neighbor, is a shepherd to the neighborhood dogs. Once Buddy, the roving black lab of the neighborhood discovered that Gerry was a wellspring of treats by simply pushing open his broken front door, he began bringing other dogs on his visits. They made themselves welcome in his front foyer. One of them was an older cocker spaniel named Joe Cocker. But unlike Buddy, Joe didn't leave after thirty minutes. He ended up staying for two days! Finally Gerry called the name listed on his dog tag and found out that his owner lived up the road. As Gerry started to walk him home Joe stopped as soon as he reached the hill because he was too weak to climb it. So Gerry picked him up and carried him home. It was not a short walk and Joe was not a small dog. Day after day this routine continued and I was amazed at how much Gerry grew to love that dog. He'd let him stay at his house for days at a time and Joe was content to just hang out with him and loved to sleep on top of his dirty laundry. Then one day Gerry got a call from Joe's owner to let him know that Joe had died. When we called Gerry to see how he was, he choked back the tears as he talked about him". Jesus is often referred to as the good shepherd in the scriptures and his followers are referred to as His sheep He carries close to His heart. There are times in our lives when Jesus knows that we cannot make it up our own hill in life. It may be because we are facing financial ruin, debilitating health or insurmountable grief. But no matter what the reason, we can trust that Jesus is there to carry us. Allow Him to pick you up so you can find rest in His arms and comfort in hearing His heartbeat as he carries you close to his heart.

Monday, December 24, 2012

THE HIGH PLACES

"Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places." - Deuteronomy 33:29

One of the most successful movies of our time has been Star Wars, a futuristic movie where the forces of good battle the forces of evil in a far-off galactic solar system. In order for the forces of good to win their battle, they must enter the airspace of their enemies and find the central power source inside the enemy space station. Their fighter jets must locate this central nervous system and fire a laser missile into its heart in order to destroy the power source. The final scene shows the hero sending a last-minute laser missile into the power source and blowing up the space station and all the evil characters who live on it.
Throughout history, cultures have recognized idols on the high places, on the tops of hills or mountains, as their power sources. God said these high places are an abomination to Him. When God brought the people of Israel into the Promised Land, He instructed them to destroy all the high places. Many times through history, God had to judge Israel for their failure to destroy the high places.
Today, every major cult or evil spirit has its own high place that must be destroyed first before a righteous foundation can be laid. It may not mean you can physically destroy this high place, but you can tear it down through spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer.
High places are anything that is elevated above God and is worshiped. Are there any high places that take the place of God in your life? Are there any high places where you live that must be dealt with through spiritual warfare to allow the Kingdom of God to reign? You must destroy the high places in order for God to reign completely. Ask God to show you the high places so that you can elevate the one true God.

Friday, December 21, 2012

BEFORE YEAR 2012 RUN OUT


Because of you, your family will not know poverty you will go in and out of your house in peace....

Violence and crying
of sorrow shall not be heard in your camp...

Because you are God's Idea and God cannot fail, you shall not
fail this year...
Favour shall overwhelm your
endeavours
You shall not
struggle to be recognized...

Your
gift shall announce you...
You are entitled to
daily fruitfulness...

Every
darkness in your life shall give way to the light of God...

All your lack will give way to
abundance...

The
rejected shall become the selected...

People shall hear your
testimonies and follow you to God...

In
everything you do, you will succeed...

By the time this 2012 ends, you will look

back with joy;
and ahead with great expectations...

You will take charge of your life as you master your time
...

You will discover how to maximize your time and add value to it
...

You will become the
star of your family
and the
hope of your generation...

Because you know where you are going,

the whole world will step aside and follow you...


May you find favour with God and men...

May you grow in wisdom and stature...

May you walk in dominion over every circumstance and situation...


For the remaining part of the year 2012, never forget to:
Act as if it were impossible to fail
..

Because for people like you and me,
the word failure does not exist
...

Your success is non-negotiable...

This will be the greatest year of your life and the beginning of unprecedented success in your life!

Those who laughed at you before shall come to laugh with you...

However bad it has been with you till this point, you shall from henceforth enter into the rest and;


God shall take you to the place of your
greatness and destiny.

You shall have
visions that are clear,
virtues that are right
and
victory that is certain...

You are
blessed beyond curse, raised above terror and established beyond oppression...

You shall not lack
counsel and ideas...

You shall have
eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands...

In place of
breakdown you shall have breakthrough; in confusion, you shall be enlightened; and in weakness, you shall be strengthened...

There shall be for you
beauty in place of ashes, the oil of gladness in place of spirit of heaviness...

Every closed door against your
goodness, greatness and destiny shall open of their own accord...

You shall be
instructed and illuminated within by the Spirit of God...

You shall do the right thing at the right time...

You shall rise above every obstacle and be carried on the wings of eagle...


God will remember you for good...


You shall fulfill and not frustrate destiny...

Christ shall continually dwell in you...

 

Monday, December 17, 2012

THE POWER OF SERVING OTHERS

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:9-11).

There is a Kingdom principle I find few really understand. The principle is this: When you focus on serving others, your need is often met through God's supernatural law of serving.
I've seen this happen so many times. The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle. "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love." (Hos. 10:12). "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2 Cor. 9:6-9)
Whenever God calls me to serve another person with my time and resources, I notice how God measures resources back to me from unrelated sources. Sometimes it comes through an unexpected donation to our ministry or a speaking engagement or a new opportunity. It is uncanny how this happens consistently when I serve others. We are never to view people or organizations as competition. The Bible says that God has already assigned our portion. We need not have to manipulate outcomes.
"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance" (Ps 16:5-6).
We don't serve others to get. However, when you do serve others, there is a Kingdom principle that works on your behalf as fruit of your service. Is there someone you need to serve today?

Friday, December 14, 2012

HEARING GOD'S VOICE

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. - 1 Samuel 3:7

Samuel was born to Hannah, a woman who had a deep commitment to God. She was barren, but she cried out to God for a son. The Lord gave her Samuel, whom she completely gave to the Lord for His service. After weaning him, she took him to the house of the Lord to be reared by the priests. Eli was the priest of Israel, but he was not a godly leader. He had allowed much corruption, including the sins of his sons, in God's house. God was not pleased with Eli and later judged him and his household.
Samuel grew up in the temple serving God. He also grew up seeing the hypocrisy of Eli's household, yet this did not change the young man. God was with him. We learn that even though young Samuel had a belief in God, he had not yet experienced a personal relationship with Him. God called to Samuel three times, but Samuel thought it was Eli, the priest, calling him. Finally, Eli told him to say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam. 3:9b). This is what Samuel did, and God began telling Samuel important things to come.
Many of us grow up in religious environments. We go to church every week. We have a head knowledge of God, but we do not recognize God's voice in our lives. There comes a time when we must recognize God's voice for ourselves. God does not want us to have a religion; He wants us to have a two-way relationship with Him. Samuel was never the same after this encounter. He would know God's voice and would respond to Him in obedience.
Do you know God's voice? Can you recognize it when He speaks? In order to hear God's voice, you must be clean before Him and listen. Listen to God's voice today and follow His plans for you.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS

"Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord" (Lamentations 2:19).
 Recently I was playing Bible Challenge, a Bible trivia game, with some friends. My partner and I got the question "Who is the author of Lamentations?" My partner shouted out "Jeremiah!" I thought it was someone else, but she spoke with such conviction, I went with her answer. It turns out she was right. My friend laughed and said, "You know you're bad off when you're looking for comfort in the book of Lamentations!" She had been walking through three years of medical challenges and felt like she was still no closer to resolve than when she started her journey. At times she has been discouraged to the point of despair and felt totally abandoned by a God she knows loves her. And yet in the midst of all of it she found comfort in Jeremiah's words in Lamentations 3. "He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed He has turned His hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old... Even when I call out or cry for help He shuts out my prayer... I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, "my splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord." I remember my affliction and my wandering... I well remember them and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions NEVER fail. They are new every morning; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.'" (emphasis mine). If you are at the point of despair, do what Jeremiah did and pour out your heart to God. And then call to your mind the fact that GREAT is God's faithfulness. He has not abandoned you and He loves you. Don't allow Satan to deceive you to think anything else. God will be faithful in your life.

Monday, December 10, 2012

THE ROLE OF INTERCESSION

"Coming over to us, he [Agabus] took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' " When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem." - Acts 21:11-12

In my own personal spiritual pilgrimage, God has allowed me to come into relationship with those in the Body of Christ who are called to a greater level of intercessory prayer. God calls each of us to be intercessory prayer warriors, but there are individuals in the Body of Christ who are called to be frontline warriors and who are more skilled in the area of intercession. These individuals often can have a gift of prophecy as part of their intercessory anointing. Such appears to be the case of Agabus in the Book of Acts.
Agabus seems to have received a word from God, and by way of a physical demonstration, tied his belt around Paul to let him know that he would be bound in Jerusalem if he went to this city. Agabus and the others immediately drew a conclusion that he was not to go to Jerusalem. Paul disagreed and proceeded to Jerusalem where he was, in fact, bound and beaten after giving testimony to the people and religious leaders of Jerusalem.
God calls intercessors to the role of seeing. He calls leaders to the role of interpreting actions.
God allows intercessors to see a more complete picture. However, actions are never left for the intercessors to determine. Conversely, leaders need to get the spiritual picture of what they are dealing with. This is why they need gifted intercessors. They must not make the mistake of believing they can see the entire picture without the intercessors. Once they have the intercessors' insights, they must determine the right course of action. This is their role. Conflicts arise when either tries to fulfill both roles.
Paul knew he was to go to Jerusalem, even if it meant being beaten. He did go and was beaten. However, we sense that he made the right decision based on Jesus' comments to him in Acts chapter 23, verse 11: "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.' "
Pray that God will bring intercessors and leaders into your life. He wants you to have a complete picture of the situations you face each day and to know the actions necessary for fulfilling His will for your life.

Friday, December 7, 2012

PERSEVERANCE FOR SUCCESS

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Rom. 5:2-4).
 Perseverance is the key to every great accomplishment because nothing of lasting value has ever been achieved without it. Industrialist Henry Ford is one of the great success stories of American history, but he failed in business five times before he succeeded. A Ford Motor Company employee once asked his boss the secret of success, and Henry Ford replied, "When you start a thing, don't quit until you finish it." The path ahead of you is strewn with obstacles. People will oppose you. There will be financial setbacks, time pressures, illnesses and misfortunes. Some of the biggest obstacles will be inside of you: self-doubt, insecurity, procrastination, and worry. You must give yourself permission to succeed. When we persevere through adversity, we win the approval of our Lord Jesus Christ, who told the suffering church at Ephesus, "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. . . . You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary" (Rev. 2:2-3). That, I'm sure, is the same commendation Joseph received from God when he passed the perseverance test. Perseverance is a refusal to quit. It's falling down 100 times and getting back up 101 times. We need to remember that perseverance is not a matter of forcing doors to open; it's standing in front of the doors as long as it takes before God chooses to open them. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The race doesn't go to the swiftest, but to those who don't give up. We need endurance in order to deal with the stress of adversity. We must maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest. People give up or give out when they feel depleted - when they physically, emotionally and spiritually run out of gas. When going through adversity, watch out for pessimists, blamers and toxic personalities. Beware of people who try to talk you out of your dreams and goals. Spend time with optimists and encouragers. Seek out people of faith. Persevere to the end.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

LEARN FROM GOD'S CREATION

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Rom 1:19-20).
  Have you ever had someone say, "I don't see any evidence of God. How can a person believe in someone you can't see or see any evidence even exists?" The Bible tells us that God is revealed in His creation everyday. Look at the human body and consider the likelihood of how thousands of body parts that must work together. Someone created it to work this well. If it were a manufactured product, it would be in the repair shop all the time because of all the moving parts required to make it work. Consider the wonderful order and balance of nature and how the seas know their boundaries, the beauty of the mountains, and the balance of rain and oxygen needed to balance the ecosystems. Consider God's signature, the rainbow. The 12th century Scottish Christian mystic, Richard of St. Victor said, "The whole of this sensible world is like a book written by the finger of God." Look at nature and wonder at the creative design of the hundreds of thousands of species of animals like the tiger, the elephant, the great whales, and the thousands of species of birds, just to name a few. Consider the planet we live on. "The Earth is a rough sphere about eight thousand miles in diameter, which means that it's about four thousand miles straight down to the center. We're accustomed to thinking of it as a ball of rock, but that's not so: the great majority of the Earth is liquid - molten rock called magma swirling, incredible slowly, beneath our feet. The solid part of the earth that we live on, and in whose hollows the sea sits, is called the crust, and on average it's only a few miles thick - maybe ten miles. That's like a layer a third of a millimeter thick coating a football. We live on that incredibly fragile, thin layer of plates floating on the subterranean sea of magma."* Yes, God has revealed Himself in His creation.

Monday, December 3, 2012

THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION

"I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me." - John 17:23
  A story is told about F.B. Meyer, the great Bible teacher and pastor who lived a century ago. He was pastoring a church and began to notice that attendance was suffering. This continued until he finally asked some members of his congregation one Sunday morning why they thought attendance was down. A member volunteered, "It is because of this new church down the road. The young preacher has everyone talking and many are going to hear him speak." His name was Charles Spurgeon. Meyer, rather than seeking to discourage this, exhorted the entire congregation to join him and go participate in seeing this "move of God" as he described it to his congregation. "If this be happening, then God must be at work." Meyer, even though he was an accomplished preacher and teacher, recognized where God was at work and joined Him in it. [The author heard this on a radio show from Key Life Ministries with Steve Brown, based in Orlando, Florida.] Can you imagine this story taking place in our competitive world today? Competition has penetrated the Church so much that many churches and Christian organizations approach ministry like a sports event. They view their mission as a business that seeks to gain market share among Christians - donors, members, influence - all under the name of God. I am sure God looks down at us and asks, "Whatever happened to John 17:23?" Sometimes we must remind our fellow servants that we are all on the same team! We should be seeking to impact the Kingdom of God, not increase our own market share. When Jesus made this statement about unity in John 17:23, it represented the key to bringing salvation to many. He was saying that when His Body is unified, the non-Christian would be able to see who Jesus really is - the Son of God. Are you contributing to unity in the Body of Christ? Or are you contributing to a spirit of competition? Ask God where you can be an instrument of unity in His Body.