Tag Archives: New King James Version

Only God Has The Power To Lift The Pressure From Within You

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Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ

Only God has the power to lift the pressure from within you

 

 

 

 

God Lifts the Pressure

 

 

 

 

The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11, NKJV

Do you feel overwhelmed and smothered by pressure?  Are you desperate for “breathing room”?  Do you try to escape the stress through . . .

an extended vacation,

therapeutic counselling,

alcohol,

drugs,

entertainment, or

a romantic liaison . . .

only to find when you stop to assess your condition you are no better than you were before, because the pressure is from within?

Only God has the power to lift the pressure from within you.  Your circumstances may remain the same, but He has the power to give you breathing room.  He can give your spirit peace and rest, even as He gives your life a new dimension.  Just ask Him.

Blessings

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Only God Has The Power To Lift The Pressure From Within You

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Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ

Only God has the power to lift the pressure from within you

 

 

 

 

God Lifts the Pressure

 

 

 

 

The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:11, NKJV

Do you feel overwhelmed and smothered by pressure?  Are you desperate for “breathing room”?  Do you try to escape the stress through . . .

an extended vacation,

therapeutic counselling,

alcohol,

drugs,

entertainment, or

a romantic liaison . . .

only to find when you stop to assess your condition you are no better than you were before, because the pressure is from within?

Only God has the power to lift the pressure from within you.  Your circumstances may remain the same, but He has the power to give you breathing room.  He can give your spirit peace and rest, even as He gives your life a new dimension.  Just ask Him.

 

 

 

Blessings

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Change is coming

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Forgiveness lesson from flowers

Change is coming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:10

“But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away with.”
NKJV

Most all of us hate change. We like our routines and desire to walk through life not having to change it up too often. Maybe this is because we like to feel we are in control and anything we are not ready for frightens us. Well friend, there is something coming that I pray you are ready for. This change will affect you, me and everyone on the face of our planet. It’s something far more powerful than a war or natural disaster, in fact, it’s not a something at all – it’s a someone.

Revelation 21:4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” NKJV

In the blink of an eye, every follower of Christ on earth will be made new. The old will pass and the new will come. We will see our Lord face to face and our lives will never be the same. Yes, this change is the greatest change of all, but we must be ready or we’ll miss it. You see, we do not know the day or hour of this change, but we do know how we can prepare. God’s Word is clear. We have a choice here on earth to follow Him and find forgiveness of sin and hope of heaven or reject Him and find judgment. If you have never asked God to forgive you of your sins and trusted in Jesus as your Saviour, then today is the day. There are many promises in the Bible, but tomorrow is not one of them. Pray to Him today and you’ll be ready for the day when everything changes for eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Lesson: One day everything will change – everything.

Dear God,
I know that I have done wrong things. I pray that You would forgive me of my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and that He was raised from the dead. Today, I trust in Him and ask that You fill me with Your Spirit so that I can share this wonderful news with a lost and hurting world. In Jesus Christ  Name, Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Look of Jesus

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The capture of Christ (detail)

The capture of Christ (detail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Look of Jesus

 

While [Peter] was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. . . . So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Luke 22:60-62, NKJV

The night Jesus was betrayed, a man stepped up to Peter in the courtyard of the temple compound and challenged him: “Didn’t I see you with [Jesus] in the olive grove?” (John 18:26, NIV). All the tension and anger of the past hours exploded in Peter and tumbled out in a stream of curses as he insisted, “I don’t know the man!” Yet as he spoke, he heard the unmistakable sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. At that very moment, a commotion in the breezeway got everyone’s attention. With the denial still burning his lips, Peter looked into the eyes of Jesus!

The look of Jesus was like a flaming fire, burning away Peter’s hypocrisy and sin. Then as the entourage around Jesus roughly pushed and shoved Him forward, the moment passed. Peter, shaken to the core of his being, went out into the night, where he “wept bitterly,” sobbing out his confession to God.

Three days later, Peter knew his sin had been forgiven when he met the risen Christ. Do you have the uneasy feeling that Jesus is “looking” at you? Is your heart burning with shame and guilt? Don’t shed tears, shed your pride and come to Him for cleansing and restoration.

Blessings

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Bloom wherever God plants you

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Bloom wherever God plants you.

 

 

 

 

Acts 21:30

“And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.”
NKJV

Although the door never really opened to the Jewish people, Paul continuously ministered to them. There was, however, an open door for Paul to minister to the Gentiles. Sometimes in ministry, you may want to do one thing but God wants you to do something else. Maybe you have a heart for a particular country, region or a specific people group, but God wants you to ‘bloom right where you are planted’. Perhaps God has given you a heart to pray for missions in an area but hasn’t asked you to do it yourself. Paul supported the church at Jerusalem, but he was never really part of the church there. Look for open doors where you are. If there is an opportunity to join a ministry team in church, go for it! Maybe your heart is in Children’s Ministry or Youth Ministry, but the open door is in another area of ministry.

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'” Matt 25:21 NKJV

Friend, go for the open door. Perhaps later, God will open the other door. It’s quite possible you are being tested whether you will be faithful in the small things.

 

 

Life Lesson: Bloom wherever God plants you.

Dear Father,
Thank You for giving me gifts that I can use to serve You and others. Please forgive me for times when I have not used them to serve. I ask You to show me the open door, even if it is not what I want, and give me the faith to go through it. I pray this in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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When faced with a problem, seek God first before relying on your own wisdom or strength

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When faced with a problem, seek God first before relying on your own wisdom or strength.

 

 

 

 

 

The Greatest Resources

 

 

 

 

Nahum 2:1

“He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.”
NKJV

Tests and trials are a part of life and often push us to our limits in many ways. During these times, what do you turn to? Do you first run to others seeking those who feel the same way you do? Do you find yourself to be anxious because you are constantly looking down the road of life waiting for the next attack? Maybe you run to your money or addiction to seek answers or comfort. Whatever the case may be, the truth is, when we do not run to God first, we will not last long.

As followers of Christ, we have the greatest resource of wisdom and power available to anyone. He is our Father God and He desires to help us in times of need. We may be able to hobble along on our own wisdom and strength for a time, but when we trust in the Lord’s strength and His infinite wisdom we will never grow weary. Friend, today you will encounter difficult situations. Don’t be surprised by them but simply use them as an excuse to draw closer to God. Need wisdom? Ask the Father. Desire strength? Find it in Jesus.

 

 

 

Life Lesson: When faced with a problem, seek God first before relying on your own wisdom or strength.

Dear God,
Thank You for the Your generous love for me. I am so grateful that I can run to You in times of need and You will hear my cry. Father I ask for Your strength and wisdom today. No matter where I find myself I ask that You would guide my steps and use me for Your purposes. In Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God

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4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern California provided by LivingWaters Ministry. Obeying the great commission of Jesus Christ. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone” Mark 16:15 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God.

Isaiah 61:10, NKJV

 

United in Praise

Who is praising Jesus because you are? If your praise – and mine – is interrupted by . . .

our circumstances or our complaints,

our selfishness or our suffering,

our desires or our depression,

our indifference or our insistence,

or by anything at all . . .

the light will grow dim in our lives as we sink into the mire of self, and instead of causing others to praise Him, we will drag them down into the darkness with us.

So would you praise Him? And keep on praising Him! Praise Him for __________. You fill in the blank with an attribute of Christ.

Blessings

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

 

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Free Gift Of God

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Cover of "The Gift of Forgiveness"

Free Gift Of God

 

 

 

 

Acts 21:21

 

 

“but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.”
NKJV

What are some of the traditions you hold that keep others from Jesus? In the verse above, you see the Jewish and Gentile conflict within the church and the traditions that the Jews wanted the Gentile church to follow. Although they rejoiced that God was at work among the Gentiles, they slipped in the word ‘but’ revealing their ‘religiosity’. They were concerned for the traditions set within the church.

It is important as you walk in relationship with others to speak leaving out the ‘buts’. Often, you’ll hear that word come up as you talk to others. We all are in danger of saying it. Have you ever said.

“I like the way you did this ‘but’.”
“It’s a great church ‘but’.”
“I would show love to that other person ‘but’.”

Many times you can find yourself saying something and then filling in reasons why you don’t approve of something. Tragically, it’s the same thing that has put walls between the unbelieving world and personal relationships with Jesus Christ. On one occasion, I remember a guy who stopped by the parking lot of our church asking if it was okay for him to enter the church dressed as he was. The church down the road told him that he couldn’t come in unless he dressed more respectfully. This man was simply wearing a t-shirt and pair of jeans. It was okay to come to church ‘but’ he wasn’t dressed nicely enough to be welcomed in. When God forgives us, there are no ‘buts’. It is a free gift. When you are called to extend forgiveness to others, the Lord wants you to forgive them in the same way.

Maybe you are carrying around a number of reasons why you don’t want to show God’s love to someone else. If this is you, turn to the Lord right where you are and ask Him to help you purely embrace and show the gift of forgiveness to others as He has shown you.

 

 

Life Lesson: We do not earn forgiveness it is given to us, it is a gift.

Dear Father
Thank You for the free gift of Your forgiveness that You’ve shown to me by dying for my sins. Please give me the strength to extend the same gift of love and forgiveness to others. Keep me from putting up walls that hinder others in having a real relationship with You. In Jesus Christ  Name, Amen!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Listening carefully to what God says

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Listening carefully to what God says

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. . . . I love Your law.

Psalm 119:162-163, NKJV

When have you totally misunderstood God’s Word?

When He said, “Love one another,”

did you think He meant to tolerate sin? (1 John 4:7)

When He said, “in all things God works for the good,”

did you think that every story has a happy ending?

(Rom. 8:28)

When He said, “I will surely bless you,” did you think that He

would make you healthy, wealthy, happy, and problem free? (Heb. 6:14)

Isn’t it amazing how we can misinterpret what He says? Listening carefully to what God says is important, because if we misunderstand what He is saying, we set ourselves up for disappointment, discouragement, and disillusionment.

So . . . would you be quiet and listen with your eyes on the pages of your Bible? Listen for His still, small voice to whisper to your heart through His Word.

Blessings,

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves

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The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.

 

Micah 3:1

And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to know justice?”
NKJV

Today’s society is fast paced and full of busyness. But what are we busy doing? Is it trying to live life with a mission to better ourselves? Any of us who have tried to live this kind of life know that we are never satisfied even when we achieve our goals. Friend, if we have a relationship with Jesus, is it not for us to know justice? If we claim to be a follower of Jesus, we have a responsibility to live a Godly life everywhere we go. God has showed us that life is not about us, it’s about knowing Him, loving Him and loving others. If anyone should know that, it is the body of Christ–those who have been forgiven of their sins. Now that God has blessed us with His forgiveness, He desires that we share His love with others. The world needs us to be an example of living the Bible so that they too are drawn to Christ. They need answers, and for us to say we are “Christians” and live our life in pursuit of personal gain would only be a contradiction to who we say we follow.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.” NKJV

Friend, let’s stand before God often and ask Him to reveal things in our life that are not pleasing to Him. As we do that, the world will not have any stones to throw. They will be drawn to Jesus and living their life for Him just like we should.

 

Life Lesson: The world is looking for answers, not for hypocrites.

Dear Father:
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Help me to live a disciple’s life wherever I go. Please remove those things that are not pleasing to You so others are not confused. Thank You Lord, for using me to change lives for eternity just like you changed mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me

Acts 28:23-24

“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.”
NKJV

Interesting… Paul used what part of the Bible? He used the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul used the Old Testament to show that Jesus was the Messiah; Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew. It’s amazing to me how many churches, pastors, and Christians are willing to throw aside the Hebrew Scriptures calling them outdated or not relevant for today. We see Jesus all through the Old Testament! He’s in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and all the way through the Psalms and into the prophets. Friend, you cannot throw out the Hebrew Scriptures without saying that Jesus is no longer relevant. Some would try to say that there are other paths to God. It is true that all paths do lead to God, but there’s only one path that leads to heaven. Everyone will stand before God, but without Jesus, you will be eternally separated from heaven and God at that meeting.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” NKJV

Jesus did not say, “I am one of many ways.” Friend, God has provided THE way for forgiveness and restoration to Him and that way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected from the grave for our sins.

Jesus is the way to God’s forgiveness. He’s the only way.

Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” NKJV

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” NKJV

 

Life Lesson: Jesus and the Bible teach us that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Dear Father,
Thank You for providing the means for my salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins so that I can be saved. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Please give me the courage to be a witness for You here on earth. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Never ending Love

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No Greater Love

Never ending Love

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 13:8

“Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”
NKJV

Have you ever thought about love in the light of eternity? One day all that we know here on earth will be changed. When Christ appears in all His glory, heaven will come to earth and our lives, homes, bodies and relationships will change forever. Yet, there is one thing that will never change. That thing is love. When we see Christ face to face, we will no longer need faith. As we glimpse the realities of heaven all around us, we will no longer cling to hope of a better day. But love will never disappear. The love that created the world and gave life to humanity will still sustain the saints in heaven. The love that walked out of heaven and went to the cross is the same love that prepared a place for us for all eternity. And, the same love that strengthens us in this life is the same love that welcomes us into the next. This love never fails, never wavers and never grows weary. This love is the love of God.

1 John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” NKJV

Because this love will always remain, let us begin loving even now. We will spend eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so why not love them now? As we love each other with the love given to us through Christ, the world will see it and desire the same. When they do, we can point them to the never-ending source of love, Jesus.

 

Life Lesson: Love releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and in our churches.

Dear God,
Thank You for the love You have shown me. Help me to love others in the same way You have loved me. Use me today to share the love of God with someone I see. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Bound in God’s Will

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Bound in God‘s Will

 

They laid their hands on Him and took Him.

Mark 14:46, NKJV

The soldiers and officials who had come to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus seized Him roughly, punching and manhandling Him as they bound Him. They bound the hands of the Son of God! The hands of the Creator! Hands that had lifted in authority and calmed the storm at sea. Hands that had gathered little children on His knee.

Have you ever felt bound . . .

in a marriage where the love has run out?

in a small home with small children?

in a physical body wracked with pain?

Are you struggling with your bindings? Do you find that the more you fight against them, the more pain you inflict on yourself, so that you are miserable in your confinement? Sometimes binding is in the will of God. Jesus was in the centre of His Father’s will, yet He was bound. He did not resist the tight cords or complain about His confinement. He simply submitted, not to the soldiers, but to His Father’s will. Would you do the same?

Blessings

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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We inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word

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Resurrection of Christ

We inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word

 

2 Chronicles 21:6

“And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.”
NKJV

Our lives are full of decisions. From small ones, like what we have for dinner, to large ones like who we marry. No matter their size, they all impact our life somehow. In 2 Chronicles 21, Jehoram begins his rule of Judah by killing off his family and leading the nation into sin. This was not a decision that happened in a moment but probably was a result of a close relationship with a family known for their evil deeds. In essence, his bad decision to marry into Ahab’s family led to even worse decisions later.

All of us have big decisions to make, but none are more important than what we decide about Jesus. If you do not have a relationship with Christ, then you have to decide whether you will trust in Him for your forgiveness. If you have already been born-again, then you must decide if you are going to obey His commands. These decisions will impact our lives for a long time to come, even into eternity. So how do we make sure we are making wise decisions? We can read God’s Word. When we read the Bible and apply what it says, we’ll find ourselves making godly decisions that will impact our life and the lives of those all around us.

Life Lesson: We miss out on blessings and on the flip side, we inherit troubles when we disregard God and His Word.

Dear Father,
Thank You for Your Word and the guidance it provides. Help me to make wise choices no matter the size. Keep me focused on You so that I can impact this world for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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We Are Helpless Without God

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Helpless Without God

“I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

John 5:30, NKJV

Have you wondered, in agony, why God is doing what He’s doing? Why He has delayed answering your prayer? Have you reacted to the delay by trying to help Him out and speed things up? Have you turned to . . . a doctor, a lawyer, a counsellor, a friend, pop psychology, a neighbour’s sympathetic ear, or a popular TV talk show? Have you resorted to threats

or bargaining or manipulation until you’re totally exhausted? Have you come to the absolute end of your rope?

One reason God may be delaying His answer to your prayer and postponing His intervention in your situation is to bring you to the end of your own resources. Sometimes God waits in order to allow us time to exhaust every other avenue of help until we finally realize without any doubt or reservation that we are totally helpless without Him.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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The Pain of Betrayal

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Pain of Betrayal

Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Luke 22:48, NKJV

Judas was one of Jesus’ very closest friends. He had been handpicked to be a disciple. He had been given the special responsibility of being treasurer for the entire band of disciples – a responsibility he had enjoyed as it gave him access to personal petty cash as well as prestige in the eyes of others. Yet it was this disciple who betrayed his Lord and Friend with a kiss! And although Jesus clearly knew the betrayal was coming, it was still a knifelike stab to His heart.

Have you ever been betrayed . . .

By a spouse who has taken a secret lover?

By a sibling who has stolen your inheritance?

By a co-worker who has taken the credit for a job you did?

If you have experienced betrayal, then you understand something of the stabbing pain Judas inflicted at the very outset of Jesus’ uphill struggle to the Cross and would resolve never to betray another.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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At peace with God

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The capture of Christ (detail)

The capture of Christ (detail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

At peace with God

 

Acts 12:6

“And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison.”
NKJV

How often do you allow the troubles of life to steal your peace? Do you replay events over and over in your mind wishing you had done something differently, and sometimes even allow bad events to set the tone for the rest of your day? I am reminded of a story about a man who while on his way to work had a flat tire. When he finally got to work, his secretary asked him how he was doing. Through clenched teeth he said, “Terrible! I had a flat tire.” He walked into his office, slammed the door, threw the chair back from his desk, and picked up a phone to speak harshly to an employee. At lunch, the waiter at the restaurant asked him how he was doing and he responded, “Terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” Later that evening when he got home his wife asked him how his day went and he said, “It was terrible! I had a flat tire this morning!” That one event shaped his entire day and not only that, his bad attitude affected everyone he came across.

In Acts chapter 12, we see James had been killed by Herod and Peter was imprisoned. Although Peter was probably about to be executed, he was sleeping! Now as far as ‘bad days’ go, I’d rank his pretty high on the list, yet Peter is comfortable and peaceful enough to sleep. Peter was at peace in the Lord as we should be. No matter what the circumstance.

Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

No matter what trial or tribulation you are facing, know that there will be a day when you will be free from it. It may not be until you are with the Lord in Heaven, but you will be free from it. Be at peace, Christian! You have an awesome promise to look forward to…

Rev 21:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” NKJV

Life Lesson: Through Jesus, you may have peace.

Dear Father,
Thank You for sending Your only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank You for the promise that one day, You will wipe the tears from my eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow or crying. Thank You that I can have peace through Jesus, no matter what trial or difficulties I am experiencing. Please forgive me for the times when I have surrendered my peace to a situation or problem and help me to live for You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

 

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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For how long will we continue to betray our God

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BETRAYAL!

BETRAYAL! (Photo credit: Craig Walkowicz)

Betrayal

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46, NKJV

Within moments of betraying Jesus, Judas hated himself for what he had done. Jesus’ third religious trial was interrupted briefly by a commotion at the doorway as Judas burst onto the scene. With a face that was surely contorted by the wretchedness of conviction, he flung thirty pieces of silver across the temple floor. As the room suddenly grew silent, the clattering coins must have reverberated in the stillness as they skidded and skipped across the marble surface. Thirty pieces of silver! The price that had been paid him by the chief priests for his betrayal! Thirty pieces of silver! The price of a wounded slave! (see Ex. 21:32) Judas sold his Lord for the price of something that, in his culture, was good for nothing!

You and I betray Jesus when we call ourselves Christians yet give our hearts to money, or material things, or selfish pursuits, or anyone or anything other than Him. We betray Him when we spend more time on the Internet than in prayer. We betray Him when we spend more time reading the morning newspaper than reading the Bible. Would you confess and repent of your sin of betrayal, ask God to cleanse you, and commit to living a life of love and loyalty to Jesus?

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God is faithful

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God Is Faithful!

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23, NKJV

Three hundred and seventy-one days after the Flood began, “God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives'” (Gen. 8:15, NIV). We can almost hear the “Hallelujah Chorus” playing in the background! What a day of rejoicing that must have been! God had been faithful to see him through!

God has not changed. If He was faithful to watch over Noah and all those within the ark, bringing them safely through the storm, He will do the same for you. Just as He was faithful to preserve Joseph through thirteen years of slavery in Potiphar‘s house and Pharaoh‘s prison, just as He was faithful to preserve the little baby Moses floating on the Nile . . . God will be faithful to you. Why? Because God is faithful! He cannot be less than Himself! Keep your focus on God’s faithfulness and on God’s greatness!

Blessings

May Our God The Almighty prosper Nigeria and Israel and defend us from all our enemies in Jesus Christ Name, Amen!

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