Feeling stuck?

Ephesians 2: 7 AMP “[and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness towards us in Christ Jesus [ by providing for our redemption].”

Have you ever been in a situation where you are out of a job, your car breaks down, the washing machine packs up and your vacuum cleaner also breaks.  To make matters even more interesting the Refridgerator also give you some problems.  It doesn’t seem like a lot and I know someone will come with the thing about “Karma” but the fact of the matter is the utensils are old and would have given in any way.

If you read Ephesian chapter 2 verse 7 to 10 you will have a different point of view “Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.”

I just love the part where it shows us we are exactly where God wants us, this very minute.  Yes we are facing a couple of obstacles and they do frustrate us but the fact of the matter is, it’s just for a short time and once we deal with it, it will pass.

I also like the fact that we are preparing for the ages to come and that God will show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.  What a wonderful thought and hope we have in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I want to take this time and remind You of Your promise to me in Jeremiah Chapter 29 verse 10-11 “This is GOD’s Word on the subject:  “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home.  I know what I’m doing.  I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”  I don’t know that I have seventy years LORD so I am asking for a shortened version in my own life.  Please, LORD, nothing is impossible for YOU.

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“God-Wrestler” are you a “Jacob?”

Genesis 32: 25 NOG “When the man saw that he could not win against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that it was dislocated as they wrestled.”

Can you imagine wrestling with God?  I think it was something amazing to experience.  Jacob seemed to be a strong man and he was very determined not to give up. 

I wonder what God thinks of us when we step into His wrestling ring.  As you place your foot on that mat and grab hold of God.  Are you willing to wrestle with God for something you need in your life this very minute?  Do you think it’s just not the right thing to do?

If you continue reading Genesis chapter 32 you will see that in the end “the man said, “But no longer, your name is no longer Jacob.  From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.”  Oh my goodness, Jacob persevered and won.

We have many battles and we should choose them and not step into every fight we encounter.  The war is still to come and while we are still preparing for that great day we need to say focused.

Every time something happens in your life and you seem to be struggling and just cannot move forward, wouldn’t you say this is “wrestling with God?”

Think about it, sometimes everything is a struggle, you just cannot find the right job.  You just cannot say the right thing, then there is a fight.  You just cannot do the right thing then you are in trouble.  You just seem to be struggling with your finances and you seem to be struggling with life as a matter of fact.  Think about it are you in God’s arena right now? Is this your WWE smack down?

Prayer

What a privilege it is to come into Your presence today Abba Father.  If we have been selected to come into your arena right now we pray for the necessary wisdom and insight that You want us to learn.  Our struggles seem so hard and difficult at times and we don’t always seem to understand everything but today, we pray help us understand what You want us to learn.  Teach us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

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#Repentance - #Teshuva(T'shuva)

Isaiah 9: 13 AMP “Yet the people do not turn back [in repentance] to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts [as their most essential need].”

Isaiah is speaking to the people and telling them what is wrong in their lives.  Israel is heading in the wrong direction and the LORD is warning them through Isaiah.  As we meditate and focus on God’s word today, are you heading in the right direction?  The path you took; is it still the right one?  Are you so busy now that you just don’t seem to find the time to spend with God?

Looking at the word Teshuva it means “to turn back.” We need to turn away from evil and turn back to God.  Sometimes we make a decision to do a specific thing and by taking that decision we start moving into another direction.  Perhaps you met this man or woman and you believe they are the right person for you.  As you grow in the relationship you find they love partying and drinking and smoking, which you absolutely don’t do.  In the mean time, you start compromising your beliefs and value systems in adjusting to this person.  Before long you are frustrated and feel miserable continually.  Nothing is working out, the person is still “happy-go-lucky” but you are not so happy.  My question is this, are you still on the right path? 

Do you feel that you need to “Teshuva” right now?  I believe there is no time like the present and if you decide to make the decision and turn back to God things will change.  Always for the better.

Prayer

Heavenly Father we hear Your personal message to us through Joel chapter 2 verse 12 “But there’s also this, it’s not too late – GOD’s personal Message! – “Come back to me and really mean it!  Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!”  Lord, humbly we stand to pray please forgive us, we repent of our wrongdoing and turn back to You, in the Holy Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

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Listen to God's word and obey it!

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 AMP “Hear, O Israel!  The LORD is our God, the LORD is one [the only God]!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being].  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be [written] in your heart and mind.  You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.  And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand(forearm), and they shall be used as bands (frontals, frontlets) on your horsehead.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I read somewhere that the Jewish believers have been taught to pray the “Shema” since long before the Lord Jesus Christ.  This prayer is taken directly from Deuteronomy chapter 6 the LORD God commanded the Israelites to obey God’s word.  The Hebrew word “Shema” literally means “hear” and “obey.” 

When the Lord Jesus was teaching He would also use the same word “he who has ears, let him hear,” here He was telling His followers to listen to His words and obey them.

As you go through your day, do you take the time to meditate and focus on anything you have read out of the Word of God (Bible)?  Or do you only pay attention to the Word on Sunday and when you leave the serve it slipped your mind as you cannot remember what the sermon was about.

As you go through your busy day, you are talking to people, your family and friends and you are so busy.  Do you take a 5-minute break and think of the LORD?  Do you speak to God while you are walking to your next meeting?  Is God real to you? 

We forget that we are here for only a short time and we should be preparing for our eternal life.  We should obey and hear God when He is speaking to us, the thing is how tuned in are we to God?

When you are sick in the hospital and the Doctors tell you they don’t have a cure who do you call?  You call the Pastor or your Priest.  You start to pray and you cry before the LORD.  Those are the times you realize “I need God, I don’t want to die.”

Prayer

In humbleness LORD GOD we pray forgive us for not always hearing and obeying You.  We seem so caught up in this world with all our responsibilities.  We forget that You are in control and that we need to sit at Your feet as You watch over us.  Teaching us what we need to learn.  Lord forgive us we aren’t always faithful.  Lord thank You, for Your, mercy and grace that are new every day.  In the Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen

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You are covered by day and by night

Exodus 13: 21 AMP “The [presence of the] LORD was going before them by day in a pillar (column) of the cloud to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they would travel by day and by night.”

Reading the Hebrew words and their means for some the words today I want to tell you about the word “Ananei HaKavod which means the Cloud of Glory.”  I was so impressed by the meaning I really wanted to share my thinking.  It is said that the Jewish Rabbis called this cloud the “Ananei HaKavod.”  They teach that in this cloud God provides for His people and that God keeps them safe.  Now that is inside the cloud.  I also realized that without the cloud the people would have been fearful but the knew God was with them during their travels because of the cloud, they saw His presence with them.  God sustained them during their travel through the desert for 40 years.

Life can come at you from all angles and you might just be facing a trial right now.  In my own life, I am also going through situations, things that I just cannot control and I do not have any control over them.  It isn’t fun and I do get frustrated but today as I sit here thinking about the Cloud of Glory I feel confident that I too may approach the LORD and ask Him to cover me.

I believe that God is still the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  I believe that He will keep me and that He will sustain my life.  I may feel that I am in the desert right now, but I also believe that His cloud is covering me by day and the Fire column at night.  I believe that I am covered day and night.  So are you.

Prayer

I stand here in absolute awe of You LORD God Almighty.  My life is in Your hands and I believe that Your Cloud of Glory is covering me this very minute.  I cannot go anywhere without You.  You are with me now and always.  In awe and adoration I praise and worship You for the knowledge and I thank You, Lord, that You are with me.  Each and every day in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Amen 

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I stand in Awe of God

2 Corinthians 13: 5AMP “Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers.  Examine yourselves [not me]!  Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?”

The Apostel Paul is reminding each and every one of us to test and evaluate ourselves to see whether we are in the faith and if we are living our lives as committed believers.  As I sit here and think about my own personal walk with the Lord I believe that I am a committed believer.  I fear the Lord my God with all my being.  I believe that I respect and have reverence for the LORD my God and I worship God on and off.  I read that the word fear is translated “yirah” in Hebrew.  This means “awe” which also refers to “respect, reverence, and worship.”

I am constantly examining my own personal relationship with the LORD.  I believe this is an ongoing process some days I feel that I am on top of the World other days I don’t.  I believe that the LORD JESUS Christ is living within me, and I do want to be clothed with the LORD Jesus Christ.

Of all the people I love and know I think I am the weird one, I am constantly worried that I might fail the test and be considered as counterfeit.  It is my heart's desire to be a true Child of God.

As you consider your own life and test and evaluate yourself today I want to remind you that we should all stand in fear ‘Awe’ of the Lord Jesus.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I have been considering my own life and I do want to stay true to You each and every day of my life.  Lord as I evaluate my life before You today, I pray that YOU Holy Spirit will check my heart and my motives.  LORD that I will be cleansed and that I am able to stand in Yirah before YOU Lord.  I want to worship YOU and praise YOU.  In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Amen

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Are you being pushed away or pulled in?

Galatians 4: 19 NKJV “Until Christ is formed in you.”

Being born again is one thing and renewing your mind is another thing, it is a process that is taking time.  Once the concept of becoming a newborn Christian has taken place there will be a process that is going to take place in changing you to becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus.

The only way you are able to become more and more like the Lord Jesus is during your intimate time you spend with the Lord.  You are building a relationship with God and the only way to do that is through studying God’s Word – The Bible and your quiet time with the Lord.  This needs to be done on a daily basis.

As young Christians, you start forming an alliance with the Lord.  You become more and more like the Lord and you are able to recall many scriptures.  Now God is changing you from the inside and you are being Holy.

Just as you think you almost got this down to a T, you start to find that things happen which constantly are pushing you in all directions.  You find people are irritated with you, you find that your appliances start breaking one after another.  Things just seem to be so difficult, the pushing and pulling into all directions makes you feel like you might be an elastic. 

Don’t lose heart, you are being molded and you are being formed as the Lord intended.  Yes sometimes it is painful and you don’t like being pulled around.  The pruning is difficult and you don’t always understand why.

Prayer

Lord, we don’t always understand how to deal with the pushing and pulling in our lives, it is difficult and time seems to stand still in these trials.  Lord help us to adapt and help us to become pliable and accept the changes that You are making in our lives.  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen

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