No Distractions, Please


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

No Distractions, Please

 

Mark 4:16, “And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;”

 

MARK 4:13-20

The second type of person Jesus describes is one who does receive the Word, even with great joy, but his commitment to the Word is shallow. Just as a plant must establish a strong root system to sustain its growth, so we must become rooted and grounded in God‘s Word. Too much attention on visible growth will cause us to become impatient and not take the time to become firmly established in the truths of God’s Word. This will always result in fruitlessness.

A seed planted in shallow earth will germinate and grow faster than a seed planted in deep soil. The seed in deep soil will put all of its energy towards the roots first while the seed in shallow soil has no choice but to put its effort into the growth of the plant above the ground. The plant in shallow soil will look like it is far ahead of the other seed for a while, but that will not last. It soon withers and dies, while the seed with roots grows and brings forth fruit.

Notice that afflictions, persecutions, and tribulations are instruments of the devil and are used to stop God’s Word from bearing fruit in our lives. They are not good things that God brings our way to improve us. They are instruments of Satan. These things are designed to take our attention off of God’s Word, thereby stopping the Word from taking root in us. It’s like the runner who spends all of his time in the grandstands arguing with the hecklers over the way he’s running the race. He may win an argument, but he will lose the race. We must not let anything distract us from meditating on God’s Word day and night, for only then will we make our way prosperous and have good success (Josh. 1:8). By consistently putting God’s Word in first place in every area of your life, you will let that Word become so rooted in you that nothing can get it out.

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!

The Power Of God’s Word


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

The Power Of God’s Word

Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

LUKE 8:11-15

It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known. What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language. Six hundred years ago there was no English translation of the whole Bible. Thanks to the efforts of John Wycliffe (1384) and William Tyndale (1523), today we are able to read and understand the writings of the apostles for ourselves. Men gave their lives to bring us God’s Word. We should take advantage of this wonderful privilege.

The piece of armour known as the “sword of the Spirit” is the only piece of armour that has the ability to cut, wound, and hurt our enemy, the devil. It’s not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee, but it is the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in an appropriate situation. It’s similar to what is spoken when Jesus said in John 6:63, that “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).

Why is the Word so effective? It’s because it is the WORD of God. It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God. God’s Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan himself.

It is the Holy Spirit that wields this Word as it is spoken in faith. Speaking God’s Word in faith brings the Holy Spirit into action. In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted of the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God, that Jesus used to defeat the enemy in the time of His temptation. Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God’s Word as He repeatedly stated the phrase, “It is written.” Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God’s Word by placing it in his heart, so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory. It’s yours!

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!

Keep Saying the Word; Confession


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

Keep Saying the Word; Confession


And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that
she had, and was nothing better but rather grew worse, When she had
heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
For she said,If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole

Mark 25-28

Satan will try to make you think you have believed a lie and will never
get your harvest, but you must keep saying the Word.

This woman had great reason in her natural state to believe she would
never be healed. She had had an issue of blood for twelve years, and
she had been to so many physicians that she didn’t have any money left.
The woman heard about a man who was a healer and believed that He could
heal her. She said, “The moment I touch his clothes, I’ll be healed.”
She didn’t just say it once. She kept saying it until a couple of
things happened: she had faith, and her faith stayed strong.

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!

Keeping God’s Words


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

Keeping God‘s Words

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let
them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine
heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to
all their flesh

Proverbs 4:20-22
Notice the order in this passage. The psalmist says, “Attend to my
words, incline thine ear unto my sayings, and let them not depart from
thine eyes.” When you do those three things—attend, incline, and let
them not depart from your eyes—you receive revelation. But, if you do
the fourth thing-keep them in the midst of thy heart-you keep
revelation.

He gives you this fourth admonition before He talks about the Word of God being life to you. Why? Although you have a revelation to start the
process, you also need a revelation to end the process. So God says,
“Keep my words planted in the middle of your heart. Don’t let the devil
come and uproot the Word out of your heart.”

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!

The Word Of God Is The Most Powerful Force Ever Released


Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Word Of God Is The Most Powerful Force Ever Released

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,)
before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and
calleth those things which be not as though they were

Romans 4:17

The most powerful thing in the universe is not some chemical, atomic, nuclear, or hydrogen weapon of mass destruction. No, the most powerful
force ever released in the history of the universe is the Word of God!
God’s Word stands forever, and it is the prime creative force of the
God who calls things into being. God’s Word creates! God’s Word lives!

I am thankful that satan wasn’t a student of prophecy. Satan didn’t
understand what was happening during the thirty-three years Jesus was
on the earth. God gave the devil fair warning in Genesis 3:15, but he
just didn’t get it. Had the princes of this world truly understood
God’s Word, they never would have crucified the Lord of Glory.

When satan and his human allies killed Jesus, they became the victims
of God’s master strategy. Satan thought he had Jesus where He wanted
him when the final battle began in the Garden of Gethsemane, but they
didn’t know that they were about to be stripped of the keys of death,
hell and the grave! When all was said and done, Jesus was the one to
whom all power had been given! Hallelujah!

Prayer for Today

Father,
You are all-powerful! You are almighty! Thank you for your Spirit who
lives and reigns in me to help me live victorious over all the evil
strategies satan places in my way. In Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

Think on These Things

Isaiah 9:7
Matthew 28:18,19

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!

Bringing About God’s Will


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)

Bringing About God‘s Will

Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of
the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David.

Luke 1:30-32

This is how the Word brought forth the ministry of Jesus, and this is
how God’s Word can bring forth God’s will in your life. This is God’s
plan for you too. He is still looking for men and women who are willing
to speak His Word into the earth, who are willing to let Him relate to
the world of man through their bodies and see His will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.

As a redeemed child of God, as a king and priest of the Most High and
as a new creature of God’s Kingdom, clothed in flesh, your body is your
badge of authority in the earth; Christ‘s blood is your badge of
authority in the heavens; God’s Word is your sword of authority in both
realms.

In His great love, God allows us to see in Christ what can be
accomplished when the Word walks among us. The Word laid hands on the
sick! The Word cast out devils. The Word caused the blind to see! The
Word washed away our sins! The Word rose from the dead!

Prayer for Today

Dear Heavenly Father,
I lift my hands in praise and thanksgiving for Your gift of Your Word,
made flesh in Your son Jesus Christ. Thank You for giving Him all authority in
heaven and earth and through His blood giving me authority over sin and
the devil. In Jesus Christ name! Amen!

Think on These Things

Isaiah 41:10
Philippians 2:9-11

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!

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path


4 days of Evangelism Training in Southern Cali...

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)

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path

Follow the Light

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105, NIV

In what area of your life do you need illumination? Discouragement about the future and the direction we have chosen, depression over the lack of fulfillment in our lives, or disillusionment by our previous attempts to find meaning for life through organized religions can all plunge us into the darkness. Do you ever wonder,

“What is the meaning to my life?”

“Why is genuine happiness so elusive?”

“Why do I feel guilty?”

“Why do I feel afraid?”

“Is there a God?”

“Is there life after death?”

God’s written Word and the answers we find there turn our darkness into light. God’s Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” So . . . follow the light!

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!

God the Living Word


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)

God the Living Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1, NIV

John’s Gospel begins with the astounding statement that “In the beginning was the Word.” The Greek translation for “word” is logos, which means the outward expression of all that God is. Plato once said that he hoped one day there would come a “logos” from God that would make everything clear. John said He has come! “And the Word was with God . . .” as another separate, Supreme Being. “And the Word was God.” Although the Word is another separate Person from God the Father, He is no less in power, position, or personality. Because He is God the Creator! “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. . . . The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NIV)

The “One and Only Son who came from the Father” is the logos of God through Whom God created everything, and His name is JESUS!

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!

God still speaks


Latter-day Saints believe in the resurrected J...

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God still speaks

……but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my Word. Isaiah 66:2b

One clear fact from the scriptures is that God speaks. Psalm 62:11 say: “God has spoken; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.

There is power in every Word of God. It is therefore very important that you hear what God is saying to the church (Revelation 2:7). When the Lord speaks, it is sometimes quiet especially when He speaks through the still small voice. At such times, if you are not quiet and sensitive, you may miss what He is trying to say. This is why Exodus 15:26 says you must diligently hearken to all He has to say. It is common for people to listen to the sweet and interesting passages of the Bible but skip the aspects that are hard to receive. A wise fellow will listen to all and observe everything.

Every year, the Lord gives us prophecies and warnings. Many people ignore the warnings until they see what prayer could have prevented, happening in their midst. When the Lord speaks of some unpleasant occurrences, it is to inform us before hand so that we are not caught unawares. If He says war is coming, it is either you run or get ready. I would prefer the fellow who would criticise and warn me so that I do not get into trouble to the fellow who will assure me all is well, but I get into an unknown trap. Those who rebuke you or show you those your short comings are your true friends. The one who says there is no one like you will be there to repeat that when you have died out of carelessness. It is truth that sets free. Until you access the truth, you will remain in bondage. What do you want to hear? Do you crave for patronising messages or do you want to hear the truth?

The type of message people want to hear influences where they worship. Are you where you are because of what you want to hear or because of what God wants you to hear?

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

Doing The Word Of God


English: Moses Pleading with Israel, as in Deu...

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Doing The Word Of God

And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses

Exodus 12:35

The key to getting the power is in this verse: doing according to the

Word. The Israelites had received the Word of the Lord, but the Word

they received from the Lord came through a man. Lightning has to strike

some people before they will do what they have to do. They will sit

down with the pastor and he will tell them, from the Word, what they

need to do, yet they won’t do it because they didn’t get spiritual

goosebumps. Then they ask, “Where’s the power, God?” Well, they didn’t

do what God said.

The Israelites had not talked to God personally. They just trusted that

God knew what He was doing when He put Moses over them. So when Moses

said that this was what God wanted them to do, they did it. They were

obedient. Obedience allows you to be God’s  magnet. The magnetic

field makes the object a magnet. Your magnetic field is the anointing

of the Almighty God. It is the blessing, grace, and God’s ability that

causes blessings to come your way.