Tag: Jesus

Daily Promises – August 6 – God has numbered each hair on our head

By Barry Adams

Matthew 10:30 KJV
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

 Promise #218: I have even numbered each hair on your head.

The entire context of this promise can be found in Matthew 10:29-31
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. NIV Bible

In Matthew 10, Jesus is commissioning His disciples to go out into the world to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. Heal the sick, cast out devils and freely give what you freely receive. In the midst of His charge to go, Jesus does talk about the reality that they will encounter opposition to this message. There will even be those who will want to kill them for what they represent. But all the while, Jesus is encouraging them not to be afraid.

He goes on to tell them that though sparrows are insignificant in the eyes of men, Father God always keeps a watchful eye on them. Jesus encourages His disciples that they are worth more than many sparrows, so if God watches over the birds, He will watch over them! The source of much of worry and anxiety is fear. Fear is rooted in a feeling that we are on our own and we have to try and manage life by ourselves.

Jesus encourages us to not fear, but be reminded that we are not on our own, that we have a heavenly Father who loves us and is in control of our lives. He even has taken the time to number each one of the hairs on our heads! What detail! What involvement in our lives! We have nothing to fear when the God of the universe is for us and so intimately involved in our lives.

Knowing the Father’s love for us will not necessarily shield us from heartache, pain and suffering because Jesus did tell us that in the world we will have trouble. However, in the midst of all our struggles, He does promise to cast out all fear from our hearts! May each one of us go deeper into our Father’s love today, knowing that our worth to Him is far more than many sparrows and that He has taken the time to number each one of the hairs on our head.

Daily Promises – August 5 – God has cared for us from the moment we were born

Psalm 71:6 KJV

6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.


Promise #217: I have cared for you from the moment you were born.
In this Psalm David makes that declaration that it was actually God that took him out of his mother’s womb. The Message Bible, this verse says ‘I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth, the day you took me from the cradle;’.  The NIV Bible says ‘From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.’

What an amazing promise! Our God and Father was there on the day you were born! Many people carry around the feeling that their parents didn’t plan their birth, so they feel like they were an accident. This Bible promise says the exact opposite! Not one person who has ever been born has been a mistake! God planned each birth and was in the delivery room to welcome all of us into the world.

If you struggle to feel that you belong in this world, I pray that this promise will go deep into your heart. God knit you together in your mother’s womb and He has cared for you from the moment you were born until today.

And He will never stop caring for you because you are the apple of His eye!
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promises – August 2 – The Kings belong to God

(My Note: The last few weeks have been nerve-wracking, at best. Those of us who depend on Social Security, the military, and any others who were threatened that we might not get our checks tomorrow or later this month, or anyone who may feel any other repercussion of this situation, were tested as to how strong our faith is.

Knowing that God is the King of all the earth, knowing that He allows all of the things to happen around us, and that He will carry us through it is where our only sure Hope lies.

The world truly is shaking around us.   But we know He will carry us through this crisis.

We know He wants no harm to come to us.

He promises that all will work out for our good.

Holding onto Him during this time of potential financial crisis is our real comfort.

We all should feel that we are truly blessed to know, as well as feel, His constant presence.)

Psalm 47:7-9 KJV
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Promise #214: I rule the earth and all the kings belong to Me.God is the King of all the earth. Jesus is proclaimed as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There is no disputing the absolute and complete power of the living God. He is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. While our adversary the devil, has limited power for a short season as the prince of the power of the air, the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it!When everything around us seems to be shaken… Wars, economies, governments, etc., have no fear! God is seated in the heavens and He rules the earth. May we rise up and worship Him today for His goodness and His mercy and His majesty!Hollywood often projects the battle of good versus evil as two equal, opposing forces clashing for victory. The truth is that our God is all powerful and ever present. He is so huge, that the universe cannot contain Him. We are not locked in a battle between good and evil that has an uncertain outcome. We win! Jesus has already declared the victory through His death and resurrection!

While we know that in this world we will have trouble, may each one of us be encouraged today in knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and that our heavenly Dad is the God and Father over all creation (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Discipleship: Looking Back is Double-mindedness

August 2nd, 2011 → 2:00 am @ admin

By Jon Walker

Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62 (TEV)

“The trouble about this third would-be disciple is that at the very moment he expresses his willingness to follow, he ceases to want to follow at all. By making his offer on his own terms, he alters the whole position, for discipleship can tolerate no conditions which might come between Jesus and our obedience to him.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

When we follow Jesus, we cannot stipulate our own terms. Discipleship is not, Bonhoeffer notes, like a career we map out for ourselves: “I’ll do this for Jesus after I get the kids through school and build my retirement fund.” We cannot arrange things to suit ourselves; otherwise, Bonhoeffer says, we end up serving Jesus “in accordance with the standards of a rational ethic.”

This still leaves us in control, deciding our service on what makes sense. We may accomplish good things, but that doesn’t make us disciples of Jesus. Jesus says, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:61-62 TEV).

Looking back is double-mindedness. It makes us unstable and uncertain, and that’s the exact opposite of the focused following Jesus expects of us. It means there are moments in our relationship with Jesus when we say, ‘I’ll get back to you, Jesus, just as soon as I finish with my priorities.’ It is the creature putting the Creator on hold.

Jon Walker is the author of Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ and Growing with Purpose. He has served on staff at Saddleback Church and Purpose Driven Ministries and is currently the managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Devotionals and the Ministry Toolbox. Contact him at questions@gracecreates.com. This article is copyrighted 2011 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

Daily Promises – August 1 – No excuse for not knowing God is real

(Note: As you are aware, I don’t add a lot of notes. The messages I find are generally so self-sufficient, adding to them is not required. However, because of what just happened to me, I wanted to share with you.

I usually read through a complete message, and then decide how to title it. This time, I looked at the picture, immediately thought of Romans 1:20, and made up the title before reading the message.

If there ever was a confirmation that God was in a title, this shows it.

I love it when He let’s me know I’m on the right track in my thinking.

It thrills me.

Our goal is to always been on the same page with Him.

Isn’t God cute?

It’s the little things, huh?)

Psalm 19:1 KJV
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Promise #213: The heavens declare My glory and reveal My handiwork.In Romans 1:20 in the NLT Bible it says…
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (NLT)Nature is continually revealing the character and nature of God. Every tree, every stream, every animal on the face of the planet bears witness to the glory and majesty of the Triune God. There is simply no excuse. Nature proves not only that God exists, but that He is kind and gracious to all that He has made.I love this photo of the northern lights in Canada. What an amazing display of the glory of God! Today’s promise simply states that the heavens declare His glory and the skies show off His handiwork. My prayer for all of us today is that there will be a heightened awareness to the eternal power of God that is clearly displayed in the world around us. The next time you look at a sunrise or sunset, or billowing clouds, or a clear starry night, may the love of God overwhelm you and may you see His glory revealed through all that He has created.
Photo by Carl Dyck

Daily Promises – July 31 – God’s Promises are True

Numbers 23:19 KJV
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:
hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Promise #212: Every promise that I make is true for I do not lie or change My mind.

In today’s promise, Numbers 23:19 clearly tells us that God is not a man, that he should lie. One of the problems that we have relating to God is the ability to trust Him completely. The reason why we struggle to trust him is that we have learned from life’s experiences that people do not always keep their promises.

While I don’t think we intentionally make the same assumptions about God, there is something in the human heart that can sometimes project onto God the same disappointments that we have experienced with people close to us. Because God says that He is the perfect Father, many times we can assume that God will treat us just like our earthly fathers did. If we struggled to trust our parents, then we may struggle to trust God.

But this promise clearly says that God is not like any person on earth. He does not lie or change His mind. Every promise that He makes is completely and absolutely true! The work that God has called us to is to simply believe that He is who He says He is. May faith rise up in our hearts today that cries out ‘Yes and Amen!’ to every promise that God makes! He is true! He is faithful! …And He always keeps His promises.
Photo by Mark Gyde

What is Faith?

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:11 NIV

Faith is trusting what the eye can’t see.

Eyes see the prowling lion. Faith sees Daniel’s angel.

Eyes see storms. Faith sees Noah’s rainbow.

Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.

Your eyes see your guilt. Your faith sees his blood.

Daily Promises – July 29

1 John 3:2 KJV
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:
but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 Promise #210: You are My children now, and you will be just like Jesus when He appears.

When Jesus returns, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. This Scripture tells us that at this point, we don’t know what that will look like. All we know is that when we fix our eyes on Jesus, there will be a final transformation that will take place to conform us into His image completely.

While this promise gives us hope for the future, it also speaks directly into our present situation. The Apostle John encourages us that we are sons of God now! We do not have to wait until we see Jesus face to face to experience the tangible reality of being God’s kids. We are His children now, and one day, we will see all of the human trappings of our flesh consumed in the fire of the presence of Jesus when we see him face to face.

But until then, we have an amazing promise that we are already the children of God right now! May each one of us be able to see with our spiritual eyes today that the promise of God is not only for the future, but for the present.

Photo by Barry Adams

Our Next Door Savior

Anything you did even for the least of my people here, you did also for me.

Matthew 25:40

What is the sign of the saved?

Their scholarship?

Their willingness to go to foreign lands?

Their ability to amass an audience and preach?

Their skillful pens and hope-filled volumes?

No.

The sign of the saved is their love for the least . . .

No fanfare.

No hoopla.

No media coverage.

Just good people doing good things.

For when we do good things to others we do good things to God.

~ Max Lucado

Daily Promises – July 28 – When all around us is shaking

Revelation 3:12 KJV
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

Promise #209: Those who overcome will be made pillars in My temple forever.

The Bible says that life is but a vapor. The span of a person’s life is but a twinkle of the eye in the perspective of all eternity. That is why it is so important for us to have an eternal mindset rather than a temporal one. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, the NIV Bible says … 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

When the pressures of life get too much. When the worries of an uncertain future cloud our thought life. When we are discouraged with the circumstances around us. No matter what situation you find yourself in today, take a moment, and think about eternity.  In today’s Scripture, Jesus Himself, promises that He is going to make us as pillars in the temple of His God forever and write on each one of us a new name!

When all around us begins to shake, be encouraged that God is giving us a kingdom that cannot be shaken. One day, all those who belong to Jesus will stand firm forever in the city of our God, the New Jerusalem!
Photo by Mark Gyde

THE LORD IS SHAKING THE NATIONS PHYSICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, FINANCIALLY: Why, and how should we respond?

Posted: July 27, 2011 by joelcrosenberg in Uncategorized

(Jerusalem, Israel) The nations are being shaken – physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, politically and in so many other ways.

The people of Norway have been shaken this week by seeing sheer evil unleashed against precious, innocent children.

Japan has been shaken this year by the enormous earthquake, the resulting tsunami, and the horrific nuclear meltdown.

The people of Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen have been shaken this year by dramatic and largely unexpected revolutions underway there and throughout the Arab world.

Iran has been shaken by the enormous pro-democracy movement that took to the streets but was then nearly crushed by the tyrannical government in Tehran.

The people of Israel are being shaken by fears that Iran is rapidly closing in on building nuclear weapons and the world is not doing nearly enough to stop them in time.

Greece has been shaken by its unprecedented debt crisis and resultant riots and social unrest.

Americans, too, are being shaken. We face arguably the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Nearly half of all Americans believe we are heading towards another Great Depression. Unemployment is over 9%. Housing foreclosures are sky high. People have lost enormous sums of money due to depressed housing prices and stock market volatility. The federal government is trying to spend our way to prosperity but is making things worse. Our annual federal budget deficit topped $1.3 trillion last year. This year, it looks like the feds will spend more than $1.5 trillion beyond what they are taking in revenue. Our debt is skyrocketing. The U.S. is now on the verge of financial default, and hampered further by political ineptitude in Washington that threatens to comp0und an already precarious situation.

What if these events are not all random? What if the God of the Bible is allowing these to happen to shake us, to wake us, to get our attention, that we might turn to Him and ask Him to have mercy on us and help us?

The Lord said through the ancient Hebrew Prophet Haggai that the nations would be shaken in the future. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations….I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.” (Haggai 2:6, 7, 21, 22)

In the New Testament, the Lord reinforced that theme. “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven’….Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29)

Bible prophecy is clear: the Lord shakes individuals and nations that we might let go of all the flawed political, philosophical, intellectual and religions notions that we cling to that won’t give us true peace, that don’t give us real hope, that can’t bring us any security, that can’t provide forgiveness from our sins much less eternal life for our souls. The God of the Bible wants to shake us loose of such things that we might turn to Him, and to the life He offers through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord isn’t letting us be shaken because He hates us. He’s letting us be shaken precisely because He loves us and wants us to repent and turn to Him and call out to Him, as individuals, as families, and as nations. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

How can I deal with feelings of hopelessness?

 

“The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT

A future and a hope

Jeremiah 29:11 is a favorite verse of many, but it comes in a context that may add even greater meaning.

It appears in the middle of the prophet’s announcement. The people of Israel were going to spend a long exile away from their homeland — 70 years — as God’s discipline. After that, God would return them to the land. In other words, God had a plan for their future.

Our sinfulness often leads to dismal situations and feelings of despair. But we must always remember that hopelessness does not come from God. God is the author of hope. Even the Exile, with its seeming hopelessness, was part of God’s long-range plan for his people. And his plans were good.

If you are facing hopelessness, you may be inheriting the results of some other person’s sinful decisions and actions. Or you may be reaping your own bad rewards. You may not have really discovered the hope that is found in God’s love for you through Jesus Christ. Reject despair and seek out God’s plan — and his hopes — for you.

Adapted from the TouchPoint Bible
(Tyndale House) p 660

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Daily Promises – July 22

Habakkuk 3:19 KJV
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet,
and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Promise : I will strengthen you with feet like a deer so you can reach great heights.
Have you ever watched a deer or a mountain goat walk on the side of a mountain? It is really quite an amazing sight to see. They are so sure-footed that they can walk on ledges so thin that it would seem impossible in the natural.In this promise, Habakkuk says that since the Lord is his strength, God will make his feet as steady as those of a deer so he can walk in high places. I believe that God wants to take us all to greater heights and walk in the sure-footedness that only comes from walking not in our own power or self-effort, but from the strength from Almighty God.

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul says that eye has not seen, nor has ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. There is a great adventure calling each and every one of us to come up higher in the Spirit. May we not allow our fear of heights to prevent us to go today where He is calling. He will equip us with the strength we need to go where He is calling us to go. All we have to be is willing vessels.
Photo by Carl Dyck

Daily Promises – July 21

 

Jeremiah 30:17 KJV
17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds,
saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying,
This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

Promise: I will restore your health and heal all your hurts.
In this fallen orphan world that we live in, sickness is part of every day life. We all know someone who is struggling with some form of infirmity, or we ourselves may be struggling. When Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, He said for us to ask our Father to bring His kingdom to this world. Since there is no sickness in heaven, we can receive comfort in knowing that healing is part of the good news of the gospel.

In today’s promise, God promises to restore health to our bodies and to bring healing to all our wounds. How the fulfillment of that promise applies to us personally is as unique as each one of us is different. God’s ways are not our ways and the fulfillment of this promise is tailored uniquely to our own circumstance.

Personally, I have suffered partial deafness as a result of a childhood ear infection. I can’t count the number of times that I have received prayer for healing. While the healing has not yet manifested itself, I still hold on to the promise that God is faithful and healing is part of the New Covenant bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.

Though there are times when I feel disappointment for not yet receiving my healing, I continue to open up my heart for more prayer. Sometimes that feeling of disappointment can open the door to disillusionment about healing. It is times like this that I need healing of the wounds of my soul. In Jeremiah 30:17, God promises to bring health to our bodies and healing to all the wounds we suffer in our heart.  I pray that whatever your circumstance is today, that faith would rise up in your heart and you would believe God for the healing you need for both your body and your soul.
Photo by Barry Adams

Signs of a Healthy Prayer Life

Have you ever experienced the discouragement of an unanswered prayer? Have you found yourself questioning God, wondering “Why didn’t he answer my prayer?” and “Why is he silent now when I need him the most?” As you sit there, you may realize that prayer sometimes seems like a one-sided event, even though we know God’s there.

How do you respond to his silence? Do you try to “figure” God out—the purpose behind it all—asking “Was it because I sinned?” “Is a better opportunity coming?”or “Have I lost God’s favor?” Answering these questions will most likely leave you disappointed and confused. After all, our Lord’s ways are mysterious.

Instead of resorting to gimmicks stating to “pray this and receive,” it’s time to deepen your understanding of prayer itself.

The Bible shows us:

  • How to pray.
  • Four kinds of prayer (ACTS).
  • Three destable prayer forms.
  • How Jesus prayed.
  • Phrase-by-phrase analysis of the Lord’s Prayer .
  • Denied prayers throughout the Bible.
  • What to do when God seems silent.
  • What to do when waiting for an answer.
  • Over 100 biblical examples of prayer.

8 Signs of a Healthy Prayer Life

  1. Prays frequently and persistently
  2. Asks in faith
  3. Acknowledges God’s will
  4. Depends on the Holy Spirit
  5. Avoids selfish and hypocritical prayers
  6. Accepts when God says no
  7. Knows what to do when God seems silent
  8. Listens for God to answer

 

From Rose Publishing

Daily Promises – July 19

 

Ephesians 6:11 KJV
11 Put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Promise: My armor will help you stand against the plans of the enemy.

In Ephesians 6, Paul the Apostle exhorts the church at Ephesus to put on the full armor of God in order to be able to stand against the tricks of the enemy. It is interesting to note that the armor does not belong to us, but it belongs to God. It is His armor.

He has given us His helmet of salvation to guard our mind and give us peace. He has given us His breastplate of righteousness to protect our heart. He has given us His belt of truth so that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free. He has prepared our feet with shoes of peace so we can proclaim the good news wherever we go. He has given us His shield of faith so that when we lift it up, we quench all of the fiery arrows from the enemy.

And last but not least, He has given us an offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, the very Word of God so we can advance the kingdom. Our God and Father has given us everything we need to live a godly life through Jesus Christ our Lord. We stand in His armor, His power, His protection… not our own. So having done all to stand in the power of God’s might, continue to stand today.
Photo by Barry Adams

Note: I was amazed at the new understanding that this author relates. It is much of a relief to know that God has us covered. We just choose to let Him handle everything. It’s our willingness to put on God’s armor that He is interested in.

Iconic Israeli poet invokes Jesus in latest book

Israel Today – Sunday, June 19, 2011 | Tsvi Sadan

Iconic Israeli poet invokes Jesus in latest book

It is difficult to be certain why Haim Gouri uses New Testament motifs in his latest book of poems, entitled Eyval, named after Mount Ebal (Deut. 11:29).

Gouri is an iconic figure in Israeli culture—the personification of the ideal Israeli. Born in Tel Aviv in 1923, he joined the Palmach militia and was sent to Hungary in 1947 to assist survivors of the Holocaust making their way to Palestine. During the 1948 Israeli War of Independence he served as a deputy company commander in the Palmach’s Negev Brigade.

Although perhaps best known as a poet, Gouri is also a novelist, filmmaker, and journalist.

Eyval is a rebuttal of the prevalent tendency amongst so many Israelis to indulge in condemnation of their mother country. “Since…every leper opens up his mouth to frighten her,” Gouri “writes her glory and splendor, counts like a peddler her glories, [and] grinds Balm of Gilead, healing and remedy for her sorrows and illness” (Poem 59).

And in Poem 86, he quotes Jesus Himself: “Who amongst you has not sinned, let him be the first to throw stones at her.”

In Eyval, Gouri dialogues with the Messiah who endlessly tarries. In Poem 23, he seems to identify the Messiah as Jesus and commands Him as a military commander—much like God commanded Abraham before Him: “Move, move over. Get out by night to your land, to your family, through the stone, through the tiredness, through the silence and the shadow of death. Move, move as in a dream of the night. Remember that you have already been here, with the [crown of] thorns that have already became a familiar literary symbol that never lose their greatness.”

While one can understand this poem in various ways, the reader must face Gouri’s need to command Jesus to return immediately to His land and family.