God’s Love

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‘s Love

God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Romans 5:5, NIV

Did you know that you are God’s special loved one? Why would He love you so? Maybe it’s because when you abide in Christ you are so saturated in Jesus that when God looks at you, He sees His own precious Son and envelopes you in His love for Jesus’ sake!

As you and I develop and grow in this love relationship with God, abiding with Him through meaningful prayer and Bible reading, getting to know Him on a deeper level as we live out what we say we believe, He fills us with Himself. And “God is love” (1 John 4:16, NKJV). As you and I are filled with God, we will be filled with His love, not only for Himself, but for others – which includes our spouses or the incompatible people with whom we are struggling. God has promised to pour out “His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.”

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!

Related articles

• As we abide in Christ Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Abide in Christ Jesus (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Be filled with the Holy Spirit. (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• How to walk in the miraculous (writenwodexpress.com)
• Sunday Sermon: What Story Are You Telling? (jimkane.wordpress.com)
• The Trinity: Equal Deity (jellybeanyee.wordpress.com)
• Be still and know I am God (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• God is Love (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Remember the Lord Thy God (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• See God’s Perfect Will (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• The law of the Spirit that brings life made me free from the law that brings sin and death (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• God is good (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Jesus is with You (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Seeing Doubt For What It Is (bummyla.wordpress.com)

 

The Lord Your God Will Bless Your Work And Fill Your Barns With Corn. He Will Bless You In The Land That He Is Giving You

Image via Wikipedia

The Lord Your God Will Bless Your Work And Fill Your Barns With Corn. He Will Bless You In The Land That He Is Giving You

Blessed All Round!

Read: Genesis 39:1-6

From the story of Joseph recorded in today’s Bible reading, we learn this truth: God’s presence changes the location of the one who has it. It moves you up and it moves you forward. If God is truly with you, you cannot remain on the same spot for long. If making progress is quite difficult for you, it could be a pointer to the absence of God’s presence. If God’s is with you, He will relocate you from the bottom to the top, from sorrow and depression into joy and hope, and from lack into abundance. May the presence of God promote you in Jesus Christ Name! Amen!

Another truth we learn from this story is that God’s presence can positively affect every area of your life. In Genesis 39:3, everything Joseph did prospered. God’s presence in your life can positively affect you spiritually, physically, mentally, financially, socially and ministry-wise. This implies that the one who has God with him will observe that he or she is making progress in every area of life. 3 John 2  will be a reality in the life of such an individual. Yes, it is possible to be blessed all round! Usually, most believers notice God’s blessing in certain areas while some other areas are left out. The true mark of God’s tangible presence in your life is that every situation in your life responds positively to His Will. Using this standard, can you truly say that God is with you? When people observe the presence of God in a man, they will like to draw close to him. People like to associate with rich, influential and successful people. Although Joseph entered Potiphar’s house as a slave, yet his master later became proud to be associated with him. Today! The presence of God upon your life will cause men and women, friends and foes to take pleasure in associating with you, in Jesus Christ Name!  Amen!

Prayer:

Oh LORD! If truly You are with me, let me move forward in every area of my life, in Jesus Christ Name I pray! Amen!

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

Related articles

• When you follow Christ, it is what you seek you will get (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• The Secret Things Belong Unto The Lord Our God (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Sons of God (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• You’ve been blessed to be a blessing (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Paradise Lost! But Thank You Jesus (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Let The Fire Fall, RCCG March 2012 Special Holy Ghost Service By Pastor E A Adeboye (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• A Word From The Word “Fearing the LORD Can Lengthen Our Life” (haroldcameron.wordpress.com)
• The Quiet Place – Side Journey (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
• In God’s presence (gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com)
• Setting Our Sights On Heaven by Paul D. Wolfe (haroldcameron.wordpress.com)

 

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it

Image via Wikipedia

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it

READ: Proverbs 6:6-11

How long will you slumber, O sluggard? —Proverbs 6:9

While studying the book of Proverbs in my small-group Bible study, our leader suggested that we change the description of a lazy person from a sluggard to a slacker (6:6,9). Ah, now he was speaking my lingo. I immediately started thinking of all the people I consider to be slackers.

Like the men and women who fail to teach and discipline their children. Or that guy who refuses to help around the house. Or those teenagers who neglect their studies and play Internet games day and night.

If we’re honest, we’re all susceptible to this. What about being a “prayer slacker” (1 Thess. 5:17-18), or a “Bible-reading slacker” (Ps. 119:103; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), or a “non-exercising-of-our-spiritual-gift slacker” (Rom. 12:4-8), or a “non-witnessing slacker”? (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8).

If we are not doing what we know God wants us to do, we are certainly spiritual slackers. In fact, when we refuse to obey God, we are sinning.

Listen to these challenging and convicting words from the book of James: “It is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (4:17 NLT). Let’s not be spiritual slackers. —Cindy Hess Kasper

When we know what God wants us to do,

But then we refuse to obey,

We’re ignoring the voice of the Lord,

And sinfully choosing our way. —Sper

We may make excuses for not obeying God, but He still calls it disobedience

Related articles

• God will use what you put at His disposal to allow things to come into your life (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• Africa! Ready or not here I come! (hopeforfaith.wordpress.com)

 

Walking with God

Image via Wikipedia

Walking with God

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

Psalm 143:8, NKJV

Every morning that I’m home, weather permitting, I walk with two friends for two and a half miles. We have to abide by two basic rules when we walk, or we can’t walk together. The first rule is that we must walk at the same pace. The second rule is that we must walk in the same direction. The same two rules apply when walking with God.

To walk at this pace means that we are living our lives in step-by-step obedience to His Word. To walk in the same direction means that we surrender the direction of our lives to Him. The only way we can know His pace and direction is to prayerfully read His Word.

What adjustments do you need to make so you can walk with God? Adjustments in your daily and weekly schedule? Adjustments in your attitude and ambition? Adjustments in your personal habits of prayer and Bible reading? Make sure you are not too busy for daily prayer and Bible reading or you will get out of step and lose your sense of direction.

Related articles

• God Will Not Walk Out On You (pttyann2.wordpress.com)
• God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. – Psalm 46:1 (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• To Walk With God (lbbfchurch.wordpress.com)
• Faithfulness & the next 40 days. (andtheworldturned.wordpress.com)
• IS YOUR WALK WITH GOD ONE OF ABSOLUTE FAITH? (Romans 12:1-3 MSG) (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
• walk with God (time2revive.wordpress.com)
• Keys to God’s Blessings (jrmbulakan.wordpress.com)
• A Two Minute Walk With God (commonsenseprovidence.com)
• Putting our Prayers into Motion (insideministry.wordpress.com)

 

overcoming spiritual dryness

Image via Wikipedia

Sin is another reason we feel dry and distant from God. The nation of Judah struggled with both of these problems. They were too busy, and they began to worship pagan gods – knowing all along that the Lord had told them, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Deuteronomy 5:7) Yet they ignored His command and suffered for it.

Yielding to sin and being too busy to worship God quickly leads to a divided mind and heart. If we continue along this track, we will begin to spend more and more time doing other things and less time in prayer with the One who loves us the most and died for our sins. Before we know it, we will feel tired, drained of energy, and just plain worn out. This is when Satan’s forces begin to tempt us with sin.

Even in a world of turmoil, God wants to spend time with you. Relationship is at the core of His very being, and He desires your fellowship. How long has it been since someone has told you that he or she wants to be with you – just to talk and listen to what you have to say? God wants to do this for you.

Like our nation today, the nation of Judah was in desperate need of a revival. However, in order for this to happen, the people must express their need for God and, most of all, their desire to know Him in a personal way.

Do you feel spiritually dry? Maybe you have tried unsuccessfully to revive yourself through a home Bible study or an occasional visit to church. Or perhaps you go to church every Sunday, yet you feel dry inside. If this is the case, know that you can experience a personal revival the moment you confess your need to the Lord. His care for you is unconditional. The instant you do this, He will turn on heaven’s shower of refreshment and breathe new life into your heart and soul.

Today’s Scripture Reading
Ezekiel 37:3

Related articles

• How angels fight our battles for us (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• God wants us to defeat our foes (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• My Christmas (ptl2010.com)
• Record your thoughts, learn to take notes during sermon (bummyla.wordpress.com)
• What the Bible Teaches About Faithful Fathers (verticalviewer.wordpress.com)
• I Felt Like These Two Guys Way Too Often on the OV Facebook page… (genuinewitty.wordpress.com)
• NETANYAHU TO START BIBLE STUDY IN HIS HOME: Pray that all Israelis follow his lead and begin reading the Word, like in the days of King Josiah (flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com)
• “It is written….” (media4lifeministries.com)
• Tuesday, August 23: Prayer – Battle in “The Secret Place” (zippersandrivets.wordpress.com)
• The Self Fulfilling Prophecy of Satan and God (frankpaulgambino.com)
• The Power of Worship by Blogger Clay Ritter (religionnewswilmington.wordpress.com)
• Monday, December 19, 2011 @ Deuteronomy 29-31 (phyllisbenigas.wordpress.com)
• What is Revival? Two Options (pjcockrell.wordpress.com)
• Church Health: Have You Grown Into Something Else? (outsidecampers.com)