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Judges 14:4 NLT His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.
How often do we not realize what the Lord is doing and the opportunities He’s making based on our decisions and experiences?
We may think the decision(s) we made ruined our lives, our relationships, or our careers, but God already accounted for that and He’s orchestrated a plan for this to work out in our favor. Even in our children’s lives, like Samson, they may not make the wise choice, but we don’t need to stress. God has already taken their decisions and worked it out for a favorable outcome.
Praise God He takes our decisions and the decisions of those we love and works it out for good.
#the #goodness #grace #and #favor #of #God
Acts 16:13-14 NLT On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
Believers are instructed to preach the gospel to everyone (Mark 16:15). After preaching the gospel, we may feel like it’s our responsibility to get them saved. We may feel defeated if a person leaves us without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. As we can see in Acts, the Lord opens a person’s heart to receive. Our responsibility is to preach the gospel, but God opens the heart.
Don’t get discouraged if someone rejects the gospel or leaves the same. First of all, that’s their choice and we can’t go against another person’s will. Secondly, the gospel we preached could just be a seed. They may recall what we said and the prayer we prayed and accept Jesus 10 years later.
So, preach in the stores, at your job, in the streets, and at the mall. Don’t burden yourself with their salvation. Just preach and allow God to open their hearts.
#share #good #news #about #Jesus
Psalm 68:5 AMPC A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation.
Some of us have had parents who were less than great. They may have put other relationships before us, abused us, disowned us, or they were never there.
These issues can have a long-term effect on us. It can make us distrusting, angry, easily depressed, unwise in our decisions, etc.
God understands these issues, and He’s accepted the responsibility to fill in the parental gap when our parents let us down. Whatever we need Him to be, His word guarantees He’ll be that.
He’ll only be a parent to us if we let Him. He’s not going to force His way in our lives. He’ll fill in the missing pieces from our lives, and He’ll love us like no other.
Allow yourself to heal and experience unconditional love by allowing God to be your parent.
#Best #Father #God #unconditionallove #receive #it #through #Jesus
Judges 14:16-17 NLT So Samson’s wife came to him in tears and said, “You don’t love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even given the answer to my father or mother,” he replied. “Why should I tell you?” So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men.
Manipulation is a serious thing. It attempts to put pressure on the other person hoping they can change their minds. From young children saying, “Let me play with it or else I’m not going to be your friend,” to older adults saying, “If you marry them, I’m not ever speaking to you again.”
Manipulation has ruined friendships, families, and careers. It’s not right and it’s demonic.
If someone makes a decision that we don’t like, we shouldn’t manipulate them to change their minds. We should accept it and move on or pray that they make wise choices. Some people don’t know they’re manipulators. If you want to check if you’ve manipulated a situation, ask the Holy Spirit and He’ll reveal that to you.
On the other side, if we make a decision that someone else doesn’t like, we need to pray and ask God if what they’re saying is beneficial. If it is, then make the Spirit-led adjustments. Either way, we shouldn’t bow to the manipulation of others.
Some people are good at manipulating others. If we’re unaware of people’s manipulation tactics, ask the Holy Spirit for His help. He’ll show us when we’re being manipulated and how we should handle it.
Let’s not manipulate others and let’s to the Holy Spirit to avoid being manipulated.
Acts 2:44-47 NLT And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
When we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, there are some characteristics we should be displaying as a believer.
In verse 45, it says they sold their possessions and shared the money with those in need. This lets us know we shouldn’t be selfish as believers. We must be willing to give to anyone as the Holy Spirit leads.
Verse 46 says they worshipped together at the Temple. This contradicts the mindset of a lot of believers today who feel like they can just watch church online or not to go to church because they feel like it’s a scam. It’s not about how we feel. It’s about worshipping God together as one. Find a local church to join and worship our Lord with other believers.
Verse 47 states that believers consistently praised God. Whether things are going our way or not, it’s important for us to praise God consistently.
As a result of believers displaying all these characteristics, more people were saved. If we display these characteristics, unbelievers around us can be saved. Let’s put these characteristics on display.
#consistent #praise #worship #together #generous #giver #belike #Jesus #Believers
Acts of the Apostles 2:42 NLT All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
After accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, believing He died for our sins, there are some characteristics we must display. We shouldn’t remain the same once we get born-again. Acts 2:42-47 gives us guidance on those characteristics.
First, it states they devoted themselves to the teaching of God’s word. This lets us know we need to hear God’s word consistently. With the technology we have now, we’re able to hear God’s word every day.
Secondly, they fellowshipped with one another. We shouldn’t want to be isolated from other believers. We should be sharing our battles, our victories, and our God-given strategies to overcome.
Next, they partook of the Lord’s Supper. None of this would be possible without Jesus. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper reminds us of the sacrifice He made. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 instructs us to do this to remember Him. Also, we don’t need to wait until our church has communion to do this. We can take a cracker and some juice anywhere and partake of the Lord’s Supper ourselves.
Then, they devoted themselves to prayer. Prayer keeps us in constant communication with God. We tell him our issues, our needs, and desires. He gives us encouragement, ideas, instructions, and plans.
Praise God for showing us how to be a believer.
#listen #to #study #Word #of #God #pray #communicate #fellowship #with #believers
A lot of us have heard through John 3:16 that our belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins gives us eternal life. If you haven’t, now you know. Eternal life doesn’t mean living forever. John 17:3 defines eternal life.
John 17:2-3 NLT For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
God’s word says eternal life is to know God and Jesus. This knowing is not limited to having knowledge of their existence. This knowing means to have intimate fellowship and relationship with them. This knowing means loving them with our whole heart (Matt. 22:37). It’s means putting them and their agenda first (Matt. 6:33). It means trusting them, spending time with them, and following God’s instructions through His Spirit who is inside every born-again believer (Prov. 3:5-6; Gal. 5:16). Eternal life is getting to know God through His word.
Jesus died so that everyone can have eternal life. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to know the Almighty God, who is our Father.
John 3:16 NLT “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Inspired by Andrew Wommack
#abundant #life #in #Christ #walk #free #through #the #Holy #Spirit #fellowship #with #God #Jesus #didit
This is probably one of the most controversial topics in the body of Christ.
On one side, there are believers who think women should be silent in the church based on Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
1 Corinthians 14:34-35 Women should be silent during the church meetings. It is not proper for them to speak. They should be submissive, just as the law says. If they have any questions, they should ask their husbands at home, for it is improper for women to speak in church meetings.
1 Timothy 2:11-12 Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.
On the other side, there are believers who think women can minister the gospel. They use several scriptures showing women ministering the gospel.
-God made Deborah a prophet over men and women (Judges 4-5).
-Huldah was a prophet (2 Kings 22:14).
-The Samaritan woman at the well spreads the gospel (John 4:39).
-Mary Magdalene was the first to spread the gospel after the resurrection of Jesus (Mark 16:9-10).
-Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, assisted her husband in educating a male preacher about the gospel (Acts 18:26).
-Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, telling others the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:3).
Then, there are believers who fall somewhere in between. They believe women can minister the gospel, but not in the presence of a man or in a church setting.
So, what’s right? Can women minister the gospel? Based on scripture, in context, they can.
For those who point to 1 Corinthians 14 as evidence for women not ministering, we must look at what was going on in the church at Corinth. The church was chaotic and out of order. People were prophesying, speaking in tongues, and speaking out loud at the same time. Paul was establishing order specifically in Corith.
We know Paul didn’t have a problem with women speaking because he comments on the appearance of women when they pray or prophesy in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6. If women shouldn’t speak at all, Paul shouldn’t have mentioned anything about their appearance when they publicly pray or prophesy.
1 Timothy 2:11-12 was Paul’s letter to Timothy about the church at Ephesus. It states women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.
Like the church at Corinth, this was for a specific instance. In the same chapter, he talks about the praying posture. Most, if not all of us, aren’t raising our hands every time we pray and no one says anything, but some want to magnify women not teaching men. That’s hypocritical.
If we’re to take this literally, that means all women college professors, supervisors, accountants, and mothers of adult men are wrong for teaching men. Oh, you think Paul is talking teaching in church settings? Well, that can’t be right because Priscilla educated a male preacher without being condemned and Paul literally had women with him ministering the gospel in Philippians 4:3.
God calls men and women to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Christ, there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:28).
Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
This is God’s word to us. God wouldn’t ask us to do something that was impossible. If He instructs us to think a certain way, surely we can do it.
God’s word instructs us to fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. All the other garbage that enters our minds can be replaced with these things.
We can’t control what enters our minds, but we can control what stays in our minds.
Controlling our thoughts controls our lives. Our lives will go the direction of our thoughts. If our thoughts are depressing, fearful, and negative, that’s where our lives will go if it’s not there already. We can’t expect a prosperous life with negative thoughts. However, when we consistently think on good, excellent, and praiseworthy things, our lives will match our thoughts.
If we find ourselves thinking negatively, don’t stay there. Replace those thoughts with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
#replace #negative #with #positive #good #pure #lovely #admirable #true #excellent #thoughts
Hebrews 10:20-22 NLT By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Because of the blood of Jesus, we can boldly enter the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19). We don’t need a priest or someone else to intercede for us. We can boldly approach God on our own.
The blood also cleanses our conscience of guilt. We ALL miss the mark. Some of us miss it more than others. Because God is holy and awesome, a guilty conscience makes us feel unworthy to be in His presence. It makes us feel ashamed to ask Him for something. That guilty feeling of deliberately dishonoring God and letting Him down has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
Our conscience being cleansed is received by faith. There’s nothing we can sense or feel that confirms we’ve been forgiven. We must believe that Jesus’s blood cleansed us of all our past, present, and future sins. So, let that guilty feeling go and boldly approach Him as if you’ve done nothing wrong.
Praise God for the blood of Jesus. Without it, we all would be lost.
#Thank #God #for #Jesus
Hebrews 10:19 NLT And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.
We can enter the presence of God because of the blood of Jesus. It’s not our good works, righteous behavior, or being sinless that gives us access to God. It’s the blood.
Sometimes, people feel unworthy to approach God themselves. They feel like God wouldn’t hear or answer their prayer because of their sin. So, they have a priest or someone they felt who lives a holy life to intercede for them. This is sin consciousness.
Every single one of us (priest included) misses the mark and falls short of God’s glorious standards (Rom. 3:23). We may be acting better than someone else, but God isn’t comparing us to someone else. He has a standard, and if we break one law, we’re guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10). The ONLY way we can approach God is through the blood of Jesus. His sacrifice gives us 100% access and acceptance with God.
Don’t let satanic thoughts or anyone else tell you that you can’t be in the presence of God because of this or that. It’s the blood of Jesus alone that gives us access to God.
#full #access #to #God #through #Jesus #Christ
2 Corinthians 1:19 NLT For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says.
In Christ, when it comes to God’s promises, it’s always Yes. Through Christ, God will do exactly what He said in His word. His promises aren’t based on our performance or behavior. It will always be yes.
Now, our unbelief can stop His Yes from coming to pass. God wants to freely give and give, but if we doubt His ability or think we weren’t good enough to receive God’s promises, they won’t manifest. That’s not on God. That’s on us.
Whatever need or desire you have, come to God expecting to receive. He’s already approved it. Now let your faith in His Yes receive it.
#freely #give #us #life #more #abundantly
John 8:12-14 NLT Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me.
Jesus knew who He was. He said He’s the light of the world. The Pharisees’ lack of validation didn’t shake Jesus’s confidence or belief about Himself.
There may be some Pharisees in our own lives that attempt to discredit the truth about us. They may say we’re ugly, unworthy, unlovable, unintelligent, and more. We must know the truth about ourselves. The truth is what God says about us in His word (John 17:17). Anything else is a lie.
Once we know the truth, like Jesus, we can boldly make claims about ourselves. We can say we’re loved by God regardless of how we perform (Rom. 8:31-39). We can say we’re blessed despite what circumstances look like (Gal. 3:14). We can say we’re healed regardless of the pain (1 Pet. 2:24). Don’t look for validation. Just declare who God says you are.
#loved #favored #healed #blessed #enough #redeemed #valuable #strong #beautiful
Judges 6:14-16 NLT Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
Like Gideon, some of us have so many excuses as to why we can’t do what God called us to do. We’ll use excuses like not having enough money, not being married, not having the education and experience, or our age. None of that matters when God calls us to do something.
The answer to all of our excuses is God being with us. When we know God is with us, we’ll overcome every obstacle we’ll face. He’ll supply the finances, He’ll cause us to have favor with people, and He’ll open a door we didn’t even know existed.
Don’t let your excuses be bigger than God. If God called us to do it, surely He’ll see it through.
#trust #God #just #believe #faith #can #move #mountains
Jeremiah 6:16 NLT This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’
It’s been said that God’s ways are old-fashioned and for a different time. Things like the sanctity of marriage, disciplining children, no sex before marriage, and simply being a blessing are said to be for a different generation. Since so many people feel like God’s ways are not for them, they go by however they feel or whatever society says is acceptable.
When people do whatever they feel, they’re deceived into thinking they’re living in freedom. Little do they know, they’re giving Satan access to their lives (Ephesians 4:22-27). Relationships are toxic, depression is high, children are killing each other, and there’s no discipline for their flesh.
Meanwhile, the old way, God’s way, is still available. It’s not only available, but it promises rest for our souls (mind, will, imagination, emotions, and intellect). God’s way also makes us wise, joyful, and insightful (Psalm 19:7-11).
At the end of the day, like the scripture says, it’s a crossroad. It’s a decision we have to make. Will we follow our own path, which leads to chaos or choose the old way, which leads to life and peace?
#life #peace #joy #soundmind #found #in #God #led #by #Holy #Spirit #be #like #Jesus #saves #redeems #sets #free #restores
Acts 26:20 AMPC But made known openly first of all to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works and live lives consistent with and worthy of their repentance.
A lot of people gave their lives to Christ recently for Resurrection Sunday. They said a prayer of faith, believed in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, and some were baptized.
That’s excellent. However, after we repent, we need to live a life consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ. We need to love, forgive, give, be a blessing, use our authority to heal and deliver, and flee from sin. It doesn’t mean we’ll live a perfect life, but with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can make our lives a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). This means we’re denying our flesh the right to control our lives. By making Jesus Lord, we’re letting the Holy Spirit govern our decisions.
Don’t just say the prayer of faith and live how you want to live. Honor His sacrifice by doing good works and living a life consistent with and worthy of our repentance.
#live #for #walk #with #God #led #by #Holy #Spirit #Jesus #saves #redeems #sets #free #restores
2 Corinthians 1:9 NLT In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.
Whenever we face a troubling situation, it’s important to rely on God and not ourselves.
Our natural tendency is to figure out how to get out of this terrible predicament solely. We may search the internet to see what “experts” have to say. We may ask someone who has gone through a similar situation. We may use our logic to figure it out. All of this sounds wise, but if it didn’t come from God, it’s self effort.
When an unfortunate event happens, first ignore your flesh because it’s going to be screaming, DO SOMETHING!!! Next, calmly ask God what to do. Listen to His voice and do exactly that. It may seem illogical, but do it anyway. After that, see what else He has to say. Do this until the situation changes. It may take some time to see a change, but don’t try to speed it up by doing something yourself. If we miss the mark by trying to fix it in our flesh, let His grace abound (Romans 5:20).
If the great Paul had to learn this lesson, we do too. Rely on God and not ourselves.
#rely #on #Christ #trust #God #first #consult #Holy #Spirit
Proverbs 3:26 NLT for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
God is our security. He protects us from all sides. As our security, His job is to ensure that we don’t get caught in traps. This means we need to be listening to what He’s saying as we go through life. If He tells us to go left, we should go left. If He tells us to not take the job, we shouldn’t take the job. If He tells us to start exercising, we should start exercising. To avoid traps we can’t see, whatever our security tells us to do, we should do it. This doesn’t mean we’re exempt from trouble, but we minimize its impact on our lives.
God is our security. We should know we’re safe with Him. And since He’s always with us, we should feel safe all the time wherever we go. We were never meant to be our own security. Our job is to rely on Him. Unless He tells you, stop putting a gun in every room of the house. Let Him protect you and your family. Stop checking the stock market every hour. Let Him secure your finances. Stop being nervous when you leave the house. He’s our protection.
We don’t have to worry about a thing. Just rely on our security and we can live an enjoyable care-free life.
#free #protected #safe #loved #in #Christ
Revelation 5:12 NLT And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
Jesus is the Lamb. He sacrificed His life totally for us. He didn’t have to do it, but because of His love, He took on all of our punishment. Everything that was meant for us, He took it instead.
For that, we say, worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered. Because of His ultimate sacrifice, He’s entitled to power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing. This is not only meant for Him. We have access to these things, too. God made us joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17). Since we’re joint heirs with Christ, this is available for every born-again believer.
These seven things we have access to, through Christ, are all we need to be successful in every way. Our success is His glory. Every time we succeed in any situation, God is glorified.
Praise God for giving us all the tools we need to overcome and be successful. It’s through Christ and for God’s glory.
#tools #for #success #found #in #Christ #alone #Jesus #is #Savior #Lord #redeemer #supplier #everything
Psalms 105:4 NLT Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
Seeking God is a priority when we really need an answer to which job to take, how to manage our finances, if we should get surgery, or who to marry. We’ll fast and pray for those types of answers, but what about when things are going well?
When things are going well, we have a tendency to push God to the back. If we have a good job, we’re financially good, we’re healthy, and our family is prospering. The tendency is to minimize God.
As we can see, God’s word instructs us to continually seek Him. This means when we need answers and when life is going in a positive direction.
With God, there’s always something to do. Feed the poor, mentor the youth, work on ourselves, or be a blessing to someone else. Just because life is going great doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek God. In every situation under every circumstance, seek the Lord.
#seek #God #and #you #will #find #Him
Psalms 2:12 NIV Kiss His Son, or He will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
In the old covenant, God’s word prophetically spoke to all of us. It’s instructing us to kiss or pay homage to or submit to God’s Son. Who is God’s Son? Jesus.
The consequence of not submitting to Jesus is destruction. It’s not God destroying us. We destroy ourselves by not accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9).
One decision will cause us to experience the wrath of God or His everlasting love. Please submit to God by making Jesus Christ Lord and Savior.
#Jesus #Way #Truth #Light
1 Chronicles 16:11 NLT Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
It’s great that we wake up early in the morning or carve out some time at night to spend time with God. It beats not spending time with Him at all. But if that’s the only time we spend with Him, we’re missing out on His wisdom, help, strength, and advice throughout the day.
God wants us to communicate with Him all throughout the day. He’s happy with our 30 minutes to an hour in the morning or night, but think about all the fellowship we’re missing out on by limiting Him to a specific time. Think of it this way, how strong would our relationship be with our spouse if we only spoke to them once a day? Not very strong.
So, wake up in the morning, spend time in His word, and talk to Him. Next, receive advice on what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, and what route we should go to work. At work, let Him lead you on what to do first and how to handle that customer or supervisor. Ask for guidance during the afternoon when you’re managing your family and preparing dinner. Finally, converse with Him at night and receive His love, forgiveness, and correction.
Luke 18:1 NLT One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
#commune #walk #with #God #relationship
Graced To Do God's Will 