PRAYER FOR AFGHANISTAN SITUATION AND MORE

Heavenly Father, on this most glorious day, we thank You for Your Faithful promises, grace, compassion, mercy and love which wakes up each morning and gives us our next breath.

Thank You, oh God, for bringing us to the start of a new week.

Thank You for the Hope of Eternal Life, which is guaranteed to all who have repented, believed the gospel and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, Your Only Begotten Son.

Thank You for the calling on our lives to serve You and the Kingdom, and the fact that You have equipped us to do so even in our lowly estate.

Thank You for the Holy Spirit Who seals us until the Day of Redemption, and Who teaches, guides and directs into the paths of all truth.

Lord on this day, we remember all who have given all in the service of the King - Jesus. From Stephen the first Martyr, who spoke Truth to corruption in the Book of Acts, to Tyndale who brought the Bible to the English speaking world to so many others who are too numerous to mention. Lord, we remember the sacrifice of the Burnhams in the Philippines over twenty years ago and Your great servants Jim Elliott and Nate Saint who gave it all that may be saved in Ecuador.

So, most Gracious God, today and this week, we pray into Your Mighty Hands, the fate of our wonderful missionaries who are trapped in Afghanistan and have almost no way out. They may be abandoned by the world but they are foremost in Your Eyes.

Lord, many have been left behind as a disastrous 20 year war has officially ended. However oh most gracious God in heaven, the pain and suffering for so many is just beginning.

We pray for the grieving families of lost US military personnel- all thirteen families who lost their dear, young loved ones so tragically last week. Comfort them in their affliction, shock and sadness.

We pray for the many who were horribly injured in that incident in the Kabul airfield, and the other hunters of soldiers who witnessed the attack. Many will come back with post traumatic stress syndrome - PTSD.

We pray, oh Lord, that many will turn to you, will stick your face and the comfort and love and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We pray that they will get the correct treatment that they need, and that the local church will be the source of support and love and mercy and compassion for these returning soldiers in their communities and bases around the United States.

We pray for the people of Afghanistan, who suffered terribly for 20 years and now will suffer even more, due to lack of freedom and humanity by those from the powers of darkness, who have taken over their government. God bless them, make Your Face to shine upon him and, Give them Your peace that passes all understanding in Jesus Name.

We pray, Heavenly Father, for those who have caused this disaster by wrong and even short term selfish decisions that caused people to get hurt.

We pray that they will seek Your forgiveness and do better from now on.

We pray, as well, with those who are suffering from Covid disease, young and old who are close to death due to this problem, and the pandemic. Lord, please send a Mighty Rushing wind and your cleansing fire…..please clean out the potential from the disease to harm people and to keep multiplying itself to make so many others so very ill.

Father on this day we pray to you, Almighty God for fresh wind, a fresh fire, that will unfold in Your people. We pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will run right through us and emboldened us, We pray that we may be under the power of Your love, by the grace You have given us, love so many others to Christ, especially in these last dark and scary days.

May You continue to give us the opportunity, the will , and the means to reach out to so many others, in prayer, word and deed….and May it be all for Your glory in the Mighty Name of Jesus, amen and amen!

PRAYER FOR A NEW MONTH, HOPE, HEALING

Holy God in Heaven, Master and Ruler of all things, we come before You at the start of a new month, seeking more of Your powerful, yet kind and gracious Hand, in everything we see, say and do. Father, and most Glorious God, we also seek Your intervention in certain places, countries and continents where sickness and worse have followed in the wake of the worse human pandemic in modern history.

We pray for discernment, wise decisions and rational choices to be made by people who are in charge of all medical decisions and that medicine, along with health professionals will be the main decision-makers in treating this virus, even months after the world thought it was defeated.

 

We pray for our young people, in the month of August, Holy God, who may or may not be going back to K-12 schools, who suffered so much emotional and spiritual harm during more than a year of lockdowns so much so that we are now in a mental health crisis. Lord, many of these children are now over a year behind where they should be in their education. We pray for their parents who tried their level best for their kids and even the education establishment which sometimes put obstacles in their way. We know the Lord Jesus said “suffer little children to come unto me, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven”.

 

Lord, intervene on behalf of Your children, for the sake of the soon-coming Kingdom.

 

We pray for those who are preparing to go on to college or return to their classes, that education and not indoctrination will be the main thing.

We pray for all campus ministries both in Colleges like Cru and others and in High Schools – the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  Father, so many of our young people – those called Generation Z, have expressed hopelessness and no Faith, as we, Your servants, have sometimes failed in our mission to bring them up in the way that they should go….and those who have absolutely no Faith, are increasing daily. Father, we pray that not just those great traditional campus ministries, but that these young people will divine appointments with many in the working outside world who are Yours: whether it be a waitress at the diner, the cashier at the gas station or the custodian at school who prays daily for these kinds.

Make all kinds of divine appointments for these young people oh God. Bring many in their paths who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are not ashamed of the gospel but have a burning and urgent desire to see the trend flip for our young people, insomuch as they will go from Hopeless to Hopeful.

 

Father, as we pray for all these things, let us never falter, fall back, fall out or fall down in our daily walk with You. Stir our hearts, minds and spirits that we may thirst and hunger for you.  As a deer pants for the water. May our soul long for You, O God. Help us to pour out our hearts before You, that we may remain a transparent book whose pages ring out for the Glory of God in all that we do, hallelujah!

 

Help us to consider those who are less fortunate than we are, no matter how little or much we have. We know You save and rescue such a one, in the day of adversity.  Keep and preserve us. Help us to persevere and stay on the straight and narrow. Keep us from stumbling. Guard our hearts. Protect our minds. Fill us daily with Your Joy, regardless of circumstances and then, may we reflect the love, hope, peace, joy and contentment, which can only be found in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is in His Name we pray, amen.

 

BLESSEDNESS: BEATITUDE 1 - HUMBLE SPIRIT, RICH HERITAGE

When the Son of God - JESUS - walked the earth, He thundered radical thought and Truth wherever He went. His ministry may have lasted only three (3) years, but He has impacted not only the last 2000 years since, but the Eternal Destination (heaven or hell) of both believers and unbelievers.

The Beatitudes are some of the most popular of Words, which He repeated across Judea, Samaria and wherever He taught. The Book of John reports this "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they *were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself *would not contain the books that *would be written." (John 21:25).

The Gospels and thus, the entire Bible, contains only a portion of 

Matthew 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Beatitudes

1. When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

At first glance, "POOR IN SPIRIT" does NOT sound like very exciting or what you and I would expect a Christian to be. After all, Jesus promised us "life abundantly". The Lord says in Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB) " For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope". (Some other translations say "plans to prosper you"). 

The statement "poor in spirit" is a head-scratcher until we find out what Jesus really means! To sum it up in two words, "poor in spirit" equals a very real "spiritual poverty".

This spiritual poverty is one which EVERY true follower of Jesus Christ should recognize in the inner person. One who is truly converted and knows where he or she came from, then was bought into the Eternal Realm by the Spirit of Jesus, experiences riches untold which eye cannot see, nor ear cannot hear. When our spiritual eyes are open at Salvation, we recognize the same which spurred the former slave trader John Newton to write Amazing Grace.

It is our spiritual poverty which causes us to realize who truly worthless we were, and may still be.

It is our spiritual poverty which causes us to sing about the Savior Who “saved a wretch like me”.

It is our spiritual poverty which does or SHOULD drive us to our knees, daily or as much as possible in gratitude.

It is our spiritual poverty which says like John the Baptist (John 3:30) – I must decrease that He might increase.

This is the “poor” of which the Lord speaketh. The temporal conditions on earth, in this life, mean nothing. A financially poor man will go to the same eternal separation from God as a rich or middle class person, who rejects Jesus Christ.

But the rich, middle-class or poor individual who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord of all in his/her life and internally humbles daily, is destined for the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom is obviously visible when we pass from this Life. But in essence, when we are saved, we are immediately transferred into the Eternal Kingdom immediately, even while struggling with life, here on earth!

The Kingdom of Heaven for the Christian who is alive today is the sudden knowledge of the  Holy in our lives. We instinctively know Who saved us, while absolutely becoming aware of the change in our lives. Our Salvation is positional and we, immediately, become seated in the Heavenlies with God our Father, from Eternity Past to Eternity Future.

Jesus Himself, gave a tiny glimpse of what the Kingdom looks like, in essence, in this passage. Let us then meditate on it, and pray for more and more revelation as we continue to grow in Godly wisdom:

Matthew 13:31-52 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

33 He spoke another parable to them, “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three  pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:  “I will open My mouth in parables;

I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

The Tares Explained

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 

40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Hidden Treasure

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

A Costly Pearl

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 “Have you understood all these things?” They *said to Him, “Yes.” 52 And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

READ AND MEDITATE ON THESE WORDS IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

SEVEN FAMOUS BIBLE VERSES #7: LOOK UP - GRACE & LOVE ARE FREE

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"....John 3:16

You see it in the end zones of football games, from the NFL to the CFL (Canadian Football League) to College and definitely Friday Night Lights at high schools across America. I have seen it at basketball games, music concerts and even secular downtown parades on hand-made signs anywhere. Everyone uses it across Western Civilization. They even quote it in King James English. While "Judge not less ye be judged" is used is a negative defense mechanism, John 3:16 is proclaimed worldwide as the main proof of our Loving God, even by those who don't believe in Him.

This is not criticism because John 3:16 can stand by itself, if the person proclaiming or hearing it spoken, understands even 10% of the full counsel of God as found in the Scriptures. But it is necessary, as in ALL of the Word of God, to grasp context, content and comprehension.

CONTEXT:

John 3:13-18 says: 13 No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

CONTENT: 

- Before the Resurrection (which is when the hope of Eternal Life was realized), no one but God, could get to the Throne of Heaven except God Himself, with His Angelic beings. Old Testament saints who slept with their fathers, were in paradise, until Resurrection Sunday. Jesus is the Advocate and Intermediary, in that, He had to come down from off the Throne (as confirmed in Philippians 2:5-11) and if you read this passage from Philippians 2, we will know what all that really means. Without this amazing selfless act of love and grace, we would all be lost forever.

- The example of Moses "lifting up the serpent in the wilderness" was given to us by Christ so we could escape the sting of the second and final death. To go back to the Exodus, the Israelites were getting attacked, bitten and killed by snakes, as a direct warning from God. Moses prayed and God told him to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Moses was then to tell the people who were attacked by the sting of the serpent to simply LOOK at the bronze pole and believe and be saved. Jesus is telling us that if we too look up to Him, His Sacrifice, death, burial and Resurrection - all signified by the Cross - we too shall live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven - and be saved!

This is the main thing to be grasped in this passage. We have no choice but to look to the modern day bronze pole of Moses, now called "The Cross". Like the pole, the Cross defeated the serpent. Like the bronze pole, the Cross defeated death. Like the bronze pole, the Cross brought God directly to us - if we would just open our hearts to Him.

COMPREHENSION:

We see the main content is the Cross (John 3:13-15). We see God coming down from Heaven to show the way there to anyone who believes. What we pick up from the verses now, after John 3:16 is the Rationale of the Almighty, found here in John 3:17-18. We really do need to catch this or those who don't, won't or could care less, would fall in the category Jesus warned about in John 3:18...and as the Bible says "it is a fearsome thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God". Only the unredeemed face this scenario 100% of the time.

To wit, we see:

- God loved the world (John 3:16)....His general Grace, love and mercy is for all. Even those who reject and continue to reject Him. Still He loves. What people say and do to and about God daily condemns them daily, yet He lets us live. What a mighty loving God! His Grace is free. His Mercy is free. His Love is free.

- Because He loved, He gave. When God gives, He does not hold back. He gave the most precious only Begotten (which literally means "One of a Kind") Son, the Lord Jesus as part of His plan to redeem all mankind, from sin which destroys forever. He loves us even now, no matter how much we mess up all of that which He gives us to be stewards.

- The offer was/is and will always be there (with an expiration date) that if we confess with our mouth (Godly sorrow leadeth to repentance) and believe with our Hearts that Jesus IS LORD - we too can be part of this Great Plan of Redemption, conceived in Love. We WILL be saved!

- The "Whoever...or Whosoever" believes is the most crucial thing here. There are only two options: reject and perish via eternal separation from the God Whom the majority has and will reject or believe, have Faith and be welcome to the paradise prepared for ALL those who love God, and are called by His Name! It comes down to this.

THE CHOICE:

So what do we do with this knowledge of the most famous and popular verse in the known world? Is it just a happy "saying" for carefree events and then go about our business, with not a care in the world? What God is telling us this - we had better care! Just as people make plans for their older age, buy life insurance or save for retirement, it is very scary to see the majority of people all around us, who care not about the most important thing in the world - their eternal souls. While there is still time, there remains the free gift which avoids us harsh and final judgment where there is no cover for our sins. While there is still time, we can really grab John 3:16, pull it into our heart and run with it, until it becomes a part of us. The latter is the only way we can avoid being eternally separated from the Loving God, Who gave His One of a Kind Son - King Jesus.

(Graphic Credit- PINTEREST)

NEW LIFE - A MONTH OF VERSES: JANUARY 14, 2017

VERSE: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known" 1 Corinthians 13:12

FORMULA: If the Divine Equation somewhat incomprehensible now, then wait until Glory for the "WOW"!

ACTION: Faith is complete trust with our spiritual hearts, which have been reborn by the Spirit of God. Heaven is so much more, don't let the shadow of this world cloud the Incredible picture, which lies ahead...just above the Horizon!

PRAYER: Great Father in Heaven, Creator and the Power behind ALL things, we are so grateful that this corrupt world is not ALL that there is, Lord. We are so eternally, and we mean eternally, thankful - humbled - blown away and stunned that You would even give us a representation of what lies ahead for us. And it is not just a glimpse of the Divine Majestic Kingdom of God, but it is a personal confirmed reservation You have booked for us who have believed, obeyed, repented and trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of our lives. Thank You, dear God! We look forward to that Day, Face (Yours) to face (ours) when we see you in living color, as real as the sun rising in the east every day. For this truth, this very truth, we are amazed  and pray, in Jesus' Mighty Name amen.

(Clip Art Credit Here)

ZACHARIAS' SONG: JOHN THE BAPTIST IS BORN, PART 2

REPENTANCE: THE WAY OF THE FORERUNNER!

Continuing on a sidebar in the Christmas story which is not as well known as the birth of Jesus, we key in today on this stunning incident. What lessons we can learn from this entire event surrounding the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias? 

If you have read and reread the entire chapter of Luke 1 (here), the picture given of Zacharias is that of a solid man of God, faithful and accepting of what God had given to him in life. His wife, Elizabeth, was barren, descended from the priestly line of Aaron (Moses' brother) and also content with her lot in life. 

Then God's Angel Gabriel showed up. God showed up. When God shows up - things happened. When God shows up big time, as He did here, and we don't believe what He says, there could be a small price to pay! The higher our standing with God, the higher the cost of disobedience, unbelief or the smallest doubt. The Lord disciplines those whom He loves...and some of us, He must love a lot! 

So the first and major thing we need to glean from the passage is:- when God literally sends His heavenly messenger, and He comes with a DIRECT WORD - BELIEVE and OBEY.

This is amazing account of God's Mercy, Grace, Love and Outreach to reconcile mankind to Him in 13 short verses! So much Truth inhabit these verses, that it is incumbent on us to just camp there a while.

Then let's look at the following portions of Zacharias' song (from Luke 1:68-79)

68  “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,

For He has visited and redeemed His people,

69   And has raised up a horn of salvation for us

In the house of His servant David,

70   As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,

Who have been since the world began,

71  That we should be saved from our enemies

And from the hand of all who hate us,

72   To perform the mercy promised to our fathers

And to remember His holy covenant,

73  The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

74  To grant us that we,

Being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

Might serve Him without fear,

75  In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

76  “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;

For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

77  To give knowledge of salvation to His people

By the remission of their sins,

78  Through the tender mercy of our God,

With which the Dayspring from on high has visited[a] us;

79  To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,

To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Verse 68: God's plan to save ALL mankind, began when He called an Iraqi named Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans to cross over from his homeland by the Euphrates River and begin the plan. Abraham became the first Hebrew, which means "crossed over", and thus, the first Jew. The plan to rescue mankind from the curse of Adam's sin had begun.

Verse 69: Zacharias the Priest has just prophesied the Messiah - Jesus - before Gabriel has even appeared to Mary!

Verses 70-73: He said that THIS Messiah would fulfill the promise made to and THROUGH the Prophets for the Arrival of He Who saves (the literal meaning of the Name Jesus). It is He Who will rescue many from the enemy and those who despise God's people. 

Then Zacharias speaks about who his son, John, will be and what the true mission of the forerunner is going to be.

Verses 76-79: John the Baptist will become the last "Old Testament" Prophet as he is coming to prepare the way ....with Repentance! This is John's strength and what our take away should be. 

The Way of the forerunner is Repentance. This is the doctrine we should be teaching, preaching and practicing. As Forerunners ourselves, in the tradition of the son of Zacharias, let us then prepare the Message of the Good News of the Arrival of the Savior - not just at Christmas time - but at ALL times. Repentance is the way to Kingdom Living, as John the Baptist, so powerfully started during his ministry on earth.

(Photo Credit Here)

PRAY FOR.....HUMILITY

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble His way (Psalm 25:9).
If there is one thing God hates, it is pride. In fact, it was pride which led to the downfall of the once great worship leader of heaven - Lucifer, who declared himself to be greater than God. (Read here to see how vile Lucifer's pride was). The opposite of pride is humility - real humility, not the false which which causes the religious to stand in the market place like the pharisees did. They looked the part, appeared to be holy and acted like they were fasting, but their hearts were full of religious pride and sin before God.

Humility which causes God to give grace (while He resists and rebukes the proud) is not just a freedom from arrogance and pride, but a genuine, conscious and intentional attitude which regards others as worthy of your service and mine. It is the kind of meekness like Jesus, Whose meekness could never be confused with weakness. He was, after all, the Son of God. We are, after all, if we are born again, sons and daughters of God. Our meekness and submission to the Will of God (love God first and love others) is BASED on this positional truth!

To be clearer, our firm and sealed position as joint heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven is what affords us the privilege and opportunity to be like our Lord, and to be completely grateful for our salvation by walking this thing called Life out as, Micah 6:8 instructs us! God says this, which applies to our point: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8).

In this verse, we see the following:
- God has shown us what is good (our salvation and sealing via the Holy Spirit until the Day of Redemption or when we die and go to Him).
- Because of this fact, He requires something in return of all Christians: 
  1. Be fair with everyone in our dealings and to not take advantage of ANYONE.
  2. Love people and be compassionate towards them, as God is to us.
  3. Live a Christian life of surrender to Christ daily, in true humility.

This is an equation which gives life while summing up the Christian Journey. Most believers are somewhere along the scale of humility when converted from darkness to light. However, too many in the west use our wealthy churches and its ministries - from the vast and exciting world of Christian media and to parachurch ministry - use their position in Christ to not so much enrich themselves but as to become very turf-oriented, forgetting from whence cometh their gifting. So let us resolve to pray, no matter what our status in the Journey with Jesus, for humility and surrender as we begin each day, so that we may receive guidance, direction and blessing with a humble heart and soul. Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, I thank You that You gave Your Son as a ransom for many, that sinners - vile and unworthy though we are - could and would be saved if we believe the Gospel, repented of those sins and accept the finished work on the Cross for our salvation.  Help us to be more like Him oh Lord. To be like the Humble, suffering Savior Who gave Himself and served and loved and put others before Him, knowing all along that He was God, the Ancient of Days.

Help us to understand how blessed and fortunate we are as Your children, that we don't need to call down fire and judgment and hell from heaven on bad people, even though we may feel like it, but to remember at those times that we should be grateful that our names are written in Your Book of Eternal Life! Help us to put aside ALL encumbrances which clog our communication lines with you and could cause us to stumble that we may remain humble, like Your Servant Moses, whom You called the "most humble man ever on the earth". Lord, we love, adore, worship and magnify You and Your Name above all others and that includes, most certainly, ourselves. Help us to remember WHO You are so we can remember Whose we are and our lives will reflect this gratitude and truth, in the Mighty and Strong Name of Jesus, we pray, amen and amen and amen!!!

OTHER VERSES TO MEDITATE UPON TO GROW IN HUMILITY:

Matthew 18:1-4 “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

First Peter 5:5-6 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” 

THE PARADIGM OF THE NEW

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert". (Isaiah 43:18-19)
The promises of God are yes and amen and true and will never fade away.  Jesus Christ, the Creator of ALL things, is the same yesterday, today and always. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is the Image of the Invisible God, the First Born of All Creation...begotten but not created. He considered equality with God not a thing to be grasped but humbled Himself to be born as a baby to a corrupt and filthy generation. Before His brief time on earth, He brought Isaiah up to the Throne Room who immediately realized his unworthiness. Still even though we - you and I - are like Isaiah and a people of unclean lips in a foul society run by evil men and women, He uses us. 

Jesus Christ sends out the call "Who will go for Us?" Who indeed?! Not one of us, on our best days are worthy to shine the brass sandals on His Holy Feet, yet He stands at the right Hand of God when one of us is martyred for His Name (Stephen in Acts 7 ). Who will go for the Lord? We will. He has no one else. We are His people. We who are called by His Name are His elect. He was born for us. He was born to reconcile us to God. He was born to make things new! He said so in His Word.

The Apostle Paul, who was taught by the Savior, whose followers he killed and jailed previously, said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation...behold all things are now new". The amazing thing about becoming a new Creation in Christ is that it can happen in deep depressing depths of winter to the bright days of summer or the beautiful blossoming Spring.

The Savior bids us go back to His promise in the lead verse above from Isaiah 43:18-19 to forget the past and not dwell on our sins and past transgressions, iniquities and sins against Holy God, but focus on what He is doing - as the God for all Seasons. What Abba Father, through the Son is saying is the "new thing springs forth", is God taking our dead in the water flesh and souls we were. which were absolutely and completely useless, unproductive, fruitless and of no use, even to other people - and making a NEW Creature out of us! In essence He has taken us to a new height which we could never attain on our own, or even knew we wanted! 

Then knowing that God is doing this new work of rejuvenation in our lives, He is asking us "do you not perceive it...can't you see it, acknowledge it, understand it or know it"?! It is a rhetorical question! He knows that after this rejuvenation, like then one when the Spring snows turn to green grass and blossoms, the lights He put there will eventually come on. 

This is all His Work.  This is our Great God making a way in the former dry, dead barren wilderness of our lives! Things we never noticed before - creation, evidence of the Flood and young earth, God's Hand in the affairs of mankind or even the signs of the evil times - we start noticing. This is because He has made  "a way in the wilderness" to lead us to the fertile ground. 

This fertile ground is His Kingdom, which knoweth no end! This Kingdom is an oasis, thus sayeth the Lord!  He made a new thing and did something which no sudden rare wadi or rainstorm in the desert can do - He put rivers in the dry deserts of our lives. Our great God says of rivers and streams in the desert that those whom He has chose, the man or woman who walk in His Ways, learn and live His Word and Worship Him will be "like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season" (Psalm 1:3a). This is the paradigm of those whom God has renewed, if we are willing, submitted, committed and most of all - forgiven.

THIRTY ONE DAYS OF PRAYER AND THE WORD:JANUARY 1-31, 2015 THEME: "ABIDE"

DAY FOURTEEN:
VERSES:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.(Psalm 91, KJV)

PRAYER:

Dear Father Yahweh.

Thank you for giving us the promise of Psalm 91. Please be with us that we may abide in Your secret place and not stray from the narrow path that leads to eternal life and salvation through Your Son Yeshua. We understand that ONLY in abiding in You that we will have protection and promise given in Psalm 91.

Though these times are very dark and wicked they are a reminder that the return of Your Holy Son Yeshua is near. We need your protection Lord God. The enemy is upon us and we need to be living and walking and doing all for Your Kingdom. We pray for a great revival during these last days that more will turn to you.

I pray protection over our families and everyone of your children. Judgment is upon the wicked of this world and this nation oh God. Please bless your children, keep us safe, and help us lead many to You through Your Son, Yeshua. We acknowledge and proclaim that Yeshua is the ONLY way to You Father God. We thank you for sending Your only son as a sacrifice for our sins that we may have eternal life if we acknowledge Him as our savior and become born again. Please let us strive to be like Yeshua and let more of our worldly ways fall aside, that we may be overcomers for the Kingdom of Heaven. We pray this in Jesus Holy Name. Amen.

FROM GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: KRISTEN MARIE

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