Unseparable Love

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ.....For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principality nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 8:35a, 38-39, NKJV]

Watch a love relationship grow, you would notice how those that hold on firm through adverse times are those whose love stands the test of time, so it is with our relationship with God.

Past the lists of do's and donts and the rules and regulations lie a relationship with God that has its roots in an intimate knowledge of Gods love for us and the understanding of His worth and faithfulness, that's the kind of relationship the passage today talks about. One that is not fazed by what stays or what goes, one that is not shaken by what did or did not happen, one that is fueled by the understanding of God's faithfulness in this grand scheme called our lives.

Let us seek to know Him in this manner and pray as Paul did for the Ephesians, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, that we being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Prayer: Father, I desire to know You more and more, deeper and deeper with each passing day, to move from the superficial relationship that happens only on Sundays, or whenever I can muster the time. I want to know You as I am known and I ask that through the revelation of Your Holy Spirit, You draw me into Your secret place, where I can commune with You at a deeper level. Amen

One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - Dec. 31 2010 - Psalms 113-114 (OT), Mark 14 (NT).

Deceived

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
[Proverbs 14:12, NIV]

In 2 Kings 6:20-23, the Syrian army were heading to Dothan to arrest Elisha, however when their eyes were opened, they found themselves in Samaria, as helpless as captives in the midst of their enemies. These one's carried out their activities outside the will of God, seeking to bring their own desire to pass, but in protecting His own and preserving His glory, God led them blindly away from their destination, to their place of destruction.

Often times we take off on a route to satisfy our goals and ambitions following our leading and wisdom. We do not let God go ahead of us to work things out and show us where to go. What happens eventually is that we spend so much energy, time and resources only to get to the end of the road and find it is closed. We become hurt, disappointed and broken, feeling like a failure.

This is not the desire of God for His own. He wants to give us good gifts and prosper our efforts, but only if we give Him the chance. One year is rounding up to a close, and another will begin. This is a time of taking stock of the past and projecting future plans. Remember to put God first by seeking His face fervently in prayer, dwelling in His Word and learning to wait for His leading. Our father who answers prayers will meet us and guide us, moving the Heavens and the Earth to do His good will and pleasure in our lives.

Prayer: Dear Father, help me to submit my strong will and desires to you. Please help me to submit my efforts to you, that you guide my way instead. I seek to have your peace and prosperity, not following the path that leads to death. Oh God, please help me I pray in Jesus name.

One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - Dec. 30 2010 - Psalms 111-112 (OT), Mark 13 (NT).

Getting Rewards For Your Effort

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

[1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV]

Whenever there is work, there is corresponding reward for it. We work in our offices for certain reward. We open and run our own businesses for reward too. The reward for every work varies from money to self satisfaction. Even people who do volunteer work get reward for their effort; the joy and satisfaction of joining a noble cause that brings hope to other lives. Likewise, God has put in place several rewards for all who do His work, and the work we do for the Lord is to preach the gospel to the lost and win souls for Christ.

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises to be with us always as we go to share the good news. This is a sure reward of having the presence of the Most High with you at all times, seeing you through life’s daily troubles. In Psalm 126:6, we are told that those who go out in tears sowing seed for the Lord, will return with boundless joy carrying sheaves with them. As reward, God has provided abundant joy for those who share the Good News.

In Isaiah 52:7, greater reward is revealed. ‘How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” ‘ With a beautiful feet, you can be assured that doors will open before you as you approach without effort.

Work without reward brings grudge and wasted efforts, but God has blessed us with bountiful rewards for His service, which we can’t outline in any one write-up. As we go about doing the service of our Father, these rewards will be ours in Jesus’ name.

Prayer: Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness of rewarding my effort with your blessings. I show you my gratitude with thanksgivings, and pray for your strength upon my life to continue to do your work tirelessly. As many as hear your Word, dear Holy Spirit bring to the knowledge of you I pray in Jesus’ name.

One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - Dec. 28 2010 - Psalms 109-110 (OT), Mark 12 (NT).

Before You Quit

"Now pick up the other arrows, ... Strike the ground." The king struck the ground three times and then quit. The Holy Man became angry with him: "Why didn't you hit the ground five or six times? Then you would beat Aram until he was finished. As it is, you'll defeat him three times only."

[2 Kings 13:18-19, MSG]

Jehoash, king of Israel, thought he had done well when he struck the ground three times and quit. To him, it seemed to be an extraordinary act of his faith, but the prophet Elisha was disappointed because he had stopped halfway.

Yes, he did receive something; in fact, he received what he had believed God for. Yet Jehoash did not receive everything that the Lord wanted to bestow on him. He missed much of the meaning of the promise, and the fullness of the blessing. He did receive more than any human could have offered, but he did not receive God's best.

We know that God is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think [Ep 3:20-21], yet there is the following limitation: “according to His power that is at work within us.” He will only do as much for us as we will allow Him to do in us. The same power that saved us, washed us with His blood, filled us with the power of His Holy Spirit, and protected us through numerous temptations will work for us to meet every emergency, every crisis, every circumstance, and every adversary.

You may have been praying for a long time concerning a promise or you may have been standing on the promises of God for a while now. If His promise has not yet come to pass, it is not the time to stop trusting Him. Ask your Loving Father if there is more you should do as you await His promise. Ask Him to search your heart and show you if there is anything that will prevent you from receiving His promise in full. Allow Him to work in you.

 

Prayer: My Loving Father, I thank You for always desire the best for me. You remain my God who is able to do immeasurably above all that I could ask or think. Father, as I await the fullness of the physical manifestation of your promises (you may mention anything you are believing God for), I pray that I do not become complacent nor will I give in to the temptation to quit. I pray that You show me if there is any area of my life where you require more from me. Thank You Father, for I know You hear and answer prayers. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Sharing The Good News

Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace [2 Kings 7:9, NIV]

Good news prompts a person to tell it to others. It begs to be shared with as many as care to listen. By nature, good news advertizes itself even when unspoken by the attitude of the bearer; one of excitement, joy and overwhelming satisfaction.

The lepers in our text today stumbled across food in a time of severe famine. They were overwhelmed and overjoyed, they instinctively gathered some to themselves but immediately recognized that they couldn’t contain this good news alone. They ran off to share it with others, thereby sharing their joy with a multitude of other hungry people.

The birth of Christ has introduced great news to our lives, He has brought us salvation that makes us right before God, He has given us victory over oppressions of the Devil and hell, He has given us hope to spend eternity with God. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. This is great news. Let us imitate the lepers of old, not keeping this news to ourselves. Let’s share the news with others who are still held in captivity of their old ways, and are headed in the wrong direction ignorantly. Let’s share the good news of Christ’s salvation with all others, thereby spreading the joy, liberty, happiness and delight.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank you immensely for the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ you’ve given me that sets me free. Thank you for my peace, righteousness and hope. Thank you for my life and the lives of my loved ones. I commit myself dear Lord to tell your goodness to all I encounter, and pray for the courage and boldness to speak your words without fear. I trust you Holy Spirit to convict men to give their lives to you in Jesus name.

One-Year Daily Bible Reading Plan - Dec. 26 2010 - Psalms 105-106 (OT), Mark 10 (NT).