Amazing time during the morning devotion. Look at the photo and see if you can find what only God could do.
Only God…
Tag Archives: Bible Study
Want to do Ministry? Do the Dishes.
Oh my, I think the first time I heard that was from Joyce Meyer many years ago. At the time I thought “That’s weird.” It’s taken me a few years, but she or whoever said it first was right. If you want to serve in the ministry getting your dishes under control is a first step. If you can right now look at your kitchen and cannot see your sink or your counter tops. Stop what you are doing and go tackle that kitchen.
You know you can fellowship with God by turning on your favorite praise music, finally listen to that audio tape or podcast. Or just start singing praise songs and pray while you are doing the dishes.
If you’re overwhelmed with your house and you just stare and really don’t know what to do. Here is a website that will thrust your ministry into being. www.flylady.net By gaining control of your home you can and will have time to do Bible Studies, have a Bible Study at your house, or volunteer at your Church. The list of possibilities is infinite. So if you have been praying for help because you are just overwhelmed with your current situation. Find time and remove chaos with FlyLady. Then enjoy all the extra time you have to spend in fellowship with God and being about His business.
Hey what are you still doing here? If you need me I’m going to be shining my sink.
An2g
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Is what you believe the truth from the Word or a wives’ tale?
But refuse profane and old wives’ fables,
and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7 KJV)
Today’s reading in 1 Timothy really made me take a look at what is going on in the world of Christianity.
“Miracles have passed away.” and ” That doesn’t mean physical healing.” are two of the more common wives’ fables passed down through the ages.
I used to be told as a child that Thunder was when God was dumping a wheelbarrow full of potatoes after the harvest. Or God was tapping his foot to the music or “God just said no!” and sent lightening to get our attention. But now I think it’s the Apostle Paul banging his head against the wall.
Can you imagine being beat, shipwrecked, bit by a snake, imprisoned, etc. to only have people preach the exact “OPPOSITE” of what you spent your entire earthly ministry preaching as long, and as far as you could?
If you believe that God is dead, miracles don’t happen, and the Bible is just a book filled with good moral stories, then you’ve been listening to “wives’ fables.
Don’t worry, at one time Paul was the same way. He believed all the lies of his teachers and was actually arranging for Christians to be killed for their false teachings. If you remember he was knocked off his high horse and brought to the ground for persecuting Jesus. It was a few days before what was blinding him was removed by prayer.
If you want to remove your own blinders from knowing the true nature of God then these two prayers are excellent.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(Ephesians 1:17-23 KJV)
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21 KJV)
Don’t live a life of misery expecting God to “get you” for all you do wrong. Pray those prayers above over yourself and your loved ones. Expect God to reveal His true nature to you when you read the Bible. Don’t just skim over the words and read them so fast you have no idea what you just read. Take time to think about what you read and ask God for help.
I stumbled onto Bible.is free in the app store. It helps make the Bible come alive when you listen to someone else read it and follow along. Bible.is has quite a few dramatic versions which I prefer. I like hearing different voices act out the scriptures rather than reading in monotone.
Spend time in the Word, in prayer and get to know God so you can refuse profane myths and old wives’ tales you might hear being substituted for the Word of God.
Website for Bible.is (Clicking this link opens new window/tab)
Website for Bible.is (Clicking this link does not open a new window/tab)
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Image Courtesy of Janaka Dharmasena at freedigitalphotos.net
It’s all about the Grace.
I really enjoy Spring. Warmer weather and trees start to bloom.
This week is quite a stormy week in our area and it’s always good to have some kind of plan for when something unexpected might happen. We don’t wait until the siren goes off to get prepared. When the electricity is out things change rapidly. Gas pumps and ATM machines do not work. The internet doesn’t work and it’s only a matter of time before the cell phone battery loses it charge.
We are kind of the same way. If we don’t charge our spiritual batteries by reading the word we can lose our charge too.
Things do not work as well when our “electricity” is out. We need to stay plugged in to God through his word, good faith filled teaching on the Word, and fellowshipping with other people who are plugged into the Word rather than the world.
One of my favorite teachers on grace is on the Believer’s Voice of Victory this week. Many years ago when I just started to hear of the word “Grace” I was getting frustrated because nobody seemed to know what it meant. It had to be more than something we say before we eat and the “‘oh well…his grace is sufficient.” Kind of cop out for not having any faith.
I love how God works. A friend of mine and I were at the Rhema Campmeeting that year and the minister was Keith Butler. I was not too familiar with Rhema or any of the students, teachers etc. Come to find out that was quite a campmeeting. Mark Hankins was also teaching sessions, and then there was a special guest that showed up during one of the evening meetings that Kenneth E. Hagin preached. Let’s just say the “special guest” stole the meeting. It was an amazing meeting.
Besides the “special guest” showing up one evening, I laughed like I have never laughed in church listening to Mark Hankins teach. Then there was the icing on the cake. Keith Butler spoke on Grace. This was my first time to hear an entire session devoted to grace and what it was. No disrespect to any of the other teachers but God knew I wanted to learn about Grace so for me. Those sessions about Grace and the “special guest” were like God reaching down from Heaven and saying. “Hey, you’ll love this.” This is the guy who can teach you about Grace.
I wish I could tell you more about the “special guest” but it was just something you literally had to be there and see or “not see” for yourself.
If you get a chance to watch Believers Voice of Victory please do so and download the new study guides so you won’t miss anything while Bishop Keith A Butler is on the show. Check out the new study guides on the KCM website at Media downloads
Thanks so much to Believers Voice of Victory and Kenneth Copeland ministries. They have had an amazing line up this year for guest teachers and getting the word out about the different ministries out there to help everyone live a better Christian life.
For more information about Bishop Keith A Butler and Video on Demand visit their website at Keith Butler Ministries (clicking on link will open new window) And subscribe to their podcast “Live your Faith” on ITunes.
Plug into God’s grace and just watch how your life will change. The difference is like turning a light switch on in a dark room.
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February 26 Daily Scripture reading Numbers 18-20 and Mark 6:33-56
All links will open a new window.
Link to download the Read the Bible in a Year 365 Daily Bible Chapter Readings. Reading plan
Link to Bible Gateway. Choose the audio Bible Version and chapter to enhance your daily reading. You learn so much more by listening and reading along. Let the Bible come alive this year for you. My favorites are the dramatized versions. Audio Bibles
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#ReadTheBible, #DailyDevotion, #ImproveYourLife,
Keeping your Frogs for one more night.
Exo 8:8-10 And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Pray to Jehovah that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people. And I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to Jehovah. And Moses said to Pharaoh, Glory over me! When shall I pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, so that they may remain in the river only? And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, It shall be according to your word, so that you may know that there is none like Jehovah our God.
Mat 17:15-21 Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and grievously vexed; for oftentimes he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him here to Me. And Jesus rebuked the demon, and he departed out of him. And the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus apart, and said, Why could we not cast him out? And Jesus said to them, Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
“I’ll start tomorrow.” Have you ever heard that phrase? Seems like we have an entire generation of I’ll start tomorrow, I’ll pay for it tomorrow, and I’ll do that tomorrow. Pharaoh wasn’t much different. His magicians could reproduce similar feats to Moses and Aaron so he wasn’t all that convinced that there was a God behind the release of the Hebrews. Apparently he thought the Hebrews were being idle and murmuring about a few days of vacation. It wasn’t until the frogs became really annoying before Pharaoh asks Moses to pray and make it stop. Moses prays and God stops the frogs. The frogs all die and are piled into heaps and the land stinks of dead frogs. But, since things are not so bad after the frogs are dead, he decides to go back on his word and refuses to let the Hebrews go.
How does a heart harden? Inexperience with God. Pharaoh has no experience with God and most if not all the stories of Joseph and how God saved Egypt are all forgotten. When Moses and Aaron appear they get no more respect than Cheech and Chong would get when approaching previous Presidents. Pharaoh is remotely impressed with the competition between his magicians and Moses. However, the frogs get his attention. Then after they are gone it’s not that bad and since he’s not a believer yet, he ignores the reality of God and shoves His request aside.
Take soda pop for example, it tastes great, might give you a zip if it has caffeine in it and adds a little something to the meal or snack. That same wonderful tasting “adds life” chemical concoction also dehydrates the body, causes issues with the spine, gives off symptoms similar to MS and the list goes on. All of the acid in it does make a great toilet bowl cleaner, however. Once people start drinking pop they find it extremely difficult to stop until the frogs start popping up everywhere. Aches and pains that won’t go away, back popping, dry hair and skin, and an overall feeling of tired etc. Then they see something on Facebook or the news about the bad things associated with soda pop. They start connecting the dots and think about getting rid of that frog tomorrow. “I’ll stop drinking pop tomorrow, I don’t feel that bad.” Like Pharaoh it’s not until we go down the path of destruction a little further and we lose our “firstborn” do we become believers in letting something go.
The disciples were also having a little problem with getting rid of something. A man brings his lunatic son to have the devils cast out. They couldn’t do it. Jesus annoyed with them and their unbelief tells them a little story. If they just had a TINY, TINY bit of faith similar to the size of a mustard seed it would have worked. But since they were not up on their game he teaches them about prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting helps them remove their unbelief and changes their character so God can work through them. We don’t pray and fast to get God to move. We pray and fast so we can see and receive for our life what he has already done through his son Jesus.
Well things are not that bad. I’ll start praying tomorrow. I’m having trouble hearing from God so I’ll fast tomorrow. I could really use a “word” from God so I’ll start reading the Bible tomorrow. All of you seeking a “word” for you today. There is a book called the Bible it has pages and pages filled with words just for you and what you are going through right now. You don’t have to keep your frogs another minute. Stop whatever you are doing and pray for God to show you his word for your situation. Google it. Generally a “what does the Bible say about….?”can quickly generate a location of a few scriptures for you to look up that can change your life in the next few moments. Then study the word to find out “Your” scriptures. These will be the ones that are just special to you when you read them. You’ll know when you find them. Something on the inside just breathes a sigh of relief and you literally “feel” it. You’ll know.
How bad do things have to get? Do you need a swarm of flies too or are the frogs enough for you? Losing something is at the end of the rebellion of Pharaoh. Do you want to lose a relationship, a toe (diabetes), overall health (smoking, processed foods), marriage (pornography, flirting), the list is endless in today’s world.
Let’s listen to Jesus shall we? Get up on your game in this life. Have a regular time of prayer, reading the word, and fellowshipping with God. Then when we need something extra, we separate ourselves from the everyday by blocking off some alone time to rejuvenate and to tell our bodies NO, for a while. You can start today don’t wait until tomorrow. Tonight Kiss your frogs goodnight and goodbye forever.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, show us where we are being like Pharaoh, what are we keeping in our lives that we need to let go? Please reveal it to us before we lose something. Alert us with sirens on the inside if we are ingesting something harmful to us. If we are putting off changing things until they get worse, wake us up. Help us to be sensitive to that small quiet voice of peace. Help us to turn off the world for a moment so we can hear you. Inspire us to meet with you and regularly practice your principles and learn your ways. That way when we are called to play a position “In the game,” we are ready and able to do your will with unwavering confidence. In Jesus name, Amen (so be it.)
Daily Scripture Reading: Exodus 7-8, Matthew 17
From out of your Mess, is there a Messiah?
2015 Reading through the Bible Devotion. Day 12
From out of your Mess, is there a Messiah?
Gen 29:22-25 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Have you ever felt you were at the wrong place at the wrong time and the circumstances were out of your control? Take Leah for example, she had no intention of marrying Jacob. Jacob had no intention to marry her and was in love with Rachel. Laban however, had other plans. He switched Leah for Rachel and since Jacob was drunk he had no idea who he was with until morning. What is surprising here is how angry Jacob was. Wasn’t he there at Laban’s in the first place because he switched himself for Esau and stole his blessing?
Laban tells Jacob that the firstborn is married first and then gives Jacob Rachel also. Wow, I would imagine that Leah like a normal girl would have hoped that her marriage would be to someone who loves her and wants to be with her. What happens is exactly the opposite. He never wanted to be with her and didn’t love her. Now how is that for a beginning to a hopeless relationship? Jacob agrees to fulfill her ceremonial week in order to get what he really want’s from Leah’s family, which is Rachel.
Leah is now stuck. She is in a hopeless marriage with a man that never had any intention of falling in love with her. What he wanted from her family is Rachel not her. God opens Leah’s womb and she winds up having 6 boys and 1 girl. She also has two other sons from her handmaid Zilpah. After Leah conceives and gives birth to her fourth son, in spite of all that she is going through she decides that “Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah.”
Deciding to praise the Lord in the midst of her circumstance speaks very highly of Leah. Leah served God and relied on him to fulfill her dreams. It was obvious that Jacob was going to do the least amount of charity for Leah since he really loved Rachel and never intended on marrying Leah in the first place. Can’t really blame him, what do you do in that situation? Divorce was not an option and it wasn’t Leah’s fault she was forced into a situation she never wanted either. You just do what you gotta do to survive.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus is now calling his 12 Apostles and getting ready to send them out. He gives them specific directions. They are not to go to the Gentiles; they are to go minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Through Leah’s son Judah, (The son she named after praising the Lord) down the generational lines comes Jesus. Out of her mess would later on come a Messiah that would send his 12 Apostles to the lost sheep of the 12 tribes of Israel. He gave them power against unclean spirits, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
There is an old praise chorus that says “It’s amazing what praising can do, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. I don’t worry when things go wrong. Jesus turns them into a song. It’s amazing what praises can do, Hallelujah.” (Not sure who wrote this song)
Let’s just say for Leah, deciding to praise in her mess did later turn out to have amazing results for all of us. We all are at times thrown into situations that we didn’t expect or can control. Deciding to Praise the Lord in the middle of our Mess just might bring us a way of salvation from numerous circumstances too.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, help us to look to you and Jesus for our salvation in situations that we never intended to be in. Give us the strength to Praise you in the middle of our mess. Let us look to you instead of at our situation. Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. In Jesus name, Amen (so be it.)
Daily Scripture Reading: Genesis 29-30, Matthew 10: 1-23
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Stripping Strife from our Life
Gen 13:8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Stripping Strife from our Life.
Let there be no strife between us for we are brethren. Abram and Lot are living in the land south of Egypt and between Bethel and Hai. Both of them together have too much for that area to support. Those responsible for the herds of cattle are fussing and fighting over the water, places to graze the cattle and numerous other issues. At this point, Abram makes a decision and gives Lot an opportunity.
“If you go to the Left I’ll go to the right, if you go to the right I’ll go to the left.” Lot looks out at the land and chooses the plain of Jordan for in his eyes the land was well watered everywhere. Basically he chose the best and left the rest. Before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah it was a lovely place. Later in the story we see God tell Abram of his plan for him and gives him some directions and promises. All the land is for him and his seed forever plus his seed will be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Abram made the right decision to remove strife at all costs.
Jesus said in Matt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Making peace and removing strife is very important. Many businesses, churches, communities, homes, the news, and the list goes on of places that are plagued with strife. It isn’t seen as the destructive force it is. We all know or have seen how a person under the influence of strife and an instigator of negativity can tarnish the workplace, church, home or a nation as we have seen of late. Abram and Jesus both knew the importance of peace and to remove strife.
We may not be able to change the world, but how about our area of influence. I have a friend that is an author and she is a genuine gift. The only thing I’ve ever heard said about her is “You know she is the nicest person I know. She hasn’t let her success go to her head and I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say a bad word about anyone and she absolutely loves the Lord.” Yep…she’s known as a child of God. She works very hard at keeping the peace and she’s been very successful and blessed. To know her she is a peaceful person and has a soft presence. It’s really odd…you would never know the success she has had or the trials she has faced. She is just a normal every day kind of godly person living life at its best with God in the center and peace at her side. You know those people that have been through so much and survived by the grace of God that they just can’t help but be happy? They are choosing a life of gratitude instead of having an attitude.
Let’s Pray: Dear God, help us to be mindful of our words and actions. Let us be peacemakers among our friends and family. Where there is strife, give us direction on how to bring peace. Help us be a light in our area of influence and give us wisdom on how to strip strife from our life. In Jesus name, Amen (so be it.)
Daily Scripture Reading: Genesis 12- 14, Matthew 5: 1-26
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Image courtesy of pakorn at FreeDigitalphotos.net
an2g@2015
It’s up! You do NOT want to miss this message! #TakeYourSeat
“Take your Seat” with John Gray was an awesome message. I hope you were able to view the video online from Lakewood when it was still available.
If you’ve been struggling with anything this message is for you. John Gray is a recent addition to the Lakewood Home.
His ministry fits uniquely well along with the Legacy of Lakewood Church. Listen to it and enjoy. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself encouraged and motivated to take on the things that have been hindering you from Taking your seat. “Take Your Seat” is one of the best messages I’ve heard this year. Reminds me of the days of “How Strong is your Want to” one of my favorite series from the Lakewood library.
Also be sure not to miss the previous Wednesday’s service with Lisa Comes. Tremendous teaching and the message John Gray refers to throughout his service. Download and Print out the resources from “Developing a Powerful Prayer Life part II” at http://www.lisacomes.com in the Resources section under Downloads.
John Gray starts speaking at 38:48. in the Wednesday night worship service.
Be encouraged and get ready to “Take Your Seat” in the life God has provided for you.
***********This video is no longer available on the online archive at Lakewood.. You might check John Gray’s website to see if the title “Take Your Seat” is available.*******
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Does your schedule resemble a game of pinball more than an hourly schedule?
Pro 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
During my morning devotion time. This scripture made me have an “aha” moment. I often wonder if God doesn’t go “Yes!!! She got it! and has that kind of feeling that a parent of a Basketball player who just made a 3 point basket gets.
It’s true…. life has been wild lately for me and it always amazes that during the that quiet time in the morning how much peace comes from just reading the word, worshiping and fellowshipping with God brings. This is the busiest time of the year for me and my schedule is more like a game of pinball than an hourly schedule. If it wasn’t for my PODA (Parade of Daily Activities) sheet. I don’t know that I would get anything done.
But this morning was different. Today’s daily Proverb sparked something in me. I had great peace and things that would normally make me grit my teeth, made me laugh. Starting your day off fellowshipping with God really does make a difference.
So whenever your day starts depending on your work schedule, start it off with God. You will not believe the difference it makes.
(c) An2G2014
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