local Daily Devotions

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The biblical concept of ministry is service rendered to God
or to people . . . The term ministry . . . refers to the work of
both those commissioned to leadership and of the whole body
of believers . . . Ministry in the church has always had as its
goal the edification of individuals with a view toward corporate
maturity in Christ (Eph 4:7-16) . . . The purpose of ministry
extends, of course, even beyond the edification of the church.
It is, as in all Christian life and worship, for the glory of God.

Walter Liefeld, ÔÇ£Ministry,ÔÇØ in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 777-778). The cited definition has been edited.

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Commandments of Love

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

If a church is not preaching love, they are in error. God considered the above two commandments so important that He made them His first two. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. There is none other commandment greater than these, these two commandments is the core of the Christian religion.

To all my brothers and sisters, family and friends, if you are going to a church that the leader does not preach love, he is not teaching what God says, they are in the flesh and is not the leader you need to be under, you need to find another church. Any church that is preaching hatred and racial tension is sinning, they are preaching discord instead of love and unity, and God will not shine upon it or the member that goes along with this poison,. How can a man that calls himself a Rev or Preacher teach anything except love, because that is what the Bible, the Word of God says? God will not accept anything less than the Truth of His Word.


You can tell the wolves in sheep clothing by what they speak and their actions. If it does not line up with the Word of God, it is wrong.

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IDK the whole story, but the guy who writes these told me he lost a million dollar business, IDK details, but he had a lot...and lost a lot, and still loves God.

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No Confidence in the Flesh

"If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more." - Philippians 3:4b

The apostle Paul surely could relate to the business executive. Paul reached the height of his profession only to have it completely stripped and torn from him. What he thought mattered in life became rubbish compared to what God did in his heart as He destroyed what seemed valuable at the time. It took a dramatic event to bring Paul into this revelation. It took a bright light, blindness, and the most fearful experience a human could have - being addressed personally by God, who was questioning why Paul was persecuting His people.

It would not be too long after his conversion that Paul would learn one of the greatest lessons every child of God must learn. That lesson is to avoid putting confidence in the flesh. In our work we are rewarded for achievement. It is a "measurable" life. We work. We see results. We get certain feelings of accomplishment from these activities.

It was not until I was placed in a situation to experience utter failure that I could identify with the words of Paul. I have met other workplace believers as well who achieved great success in their business life only to experience dramatic failure. That personal handshake with failure leads to a realization that:

"Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him..." Philippians 3:7-9).

Sometimes God lets us experience great pain to learn the lessons of greatest importance. Knowing Christ intimately is the most important lesson we will learn. Take stock in what you find your greatest pleasure in today. Avoid placing your confidence in things that are but rubbish so that you might know Him more intimately.

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Good News, He is Risen
By Billy Graham

55 ÔÇ£Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?ÔÇØ
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 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.

Easter is a season of great gladness for those who know Christ. But for those who are without ÔÇ£the light of the knowledge of GodÔÇÖs gloryÔÇØ (2 Corinthians 4:6), there is nothing to rejoice over.

Jesus left us with the great hope and certainty that He is going to return to bring a new Heaven and a new earth where, we are told, there will be no more sorrow, trouble, or death for those who have believed and followed Him. There will be trouble, sorrow, and suffering for those who have neglected or rejected Him.


As Christians, our great task is to obey the command to tell the whole world about Christ crucified, buried, yet risen again. My prayer for you during this season of the year, when we meditate on our SaviorÔÇÖs great sacrifice for us on the Cross, is that you will be filled with great peace and hope, because ÔÇ£He is Risen!ÔÇØ That is the Good News.

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eh, i got bloated & unattractive yesterday, didn't even turn the computer on, so here is yesterdays message....

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Lord is Risen! He is raised indeed!

Lord, I'm so thankful that I serve a risen Savior, and He live within my heart. I'm thankful that someday I will see You, the One who died and lives again. Amen

Lord, how ironically it was that those who were outraged by a supposed violation of the Sabbath, had no qualms about plotting how they might destroy You. Amen

"HAPPY EASTER AND PASSOVER"


The Lord Jesus Christ said, "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:3

When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4

Come, Lord Jesus! Revelation 22:20
Praise God that death could not stop Him and the Grave could not hold Him, He lives Today. Praying that you and your family have a safe and enjoyable dayGlenn

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Give it to God

1 Corinthians 10:13 ÔÇô No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Hebrew 4:16 ÔÇô Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We need to give everything to God, and then we can move from doubt to faith, from confusion to understanding, and from fear to hope. We need to seek God will and then wait for GodÔÇÖs answers, and accepted them.

We need to put our hope in God and experience His presence. In faith, we need to look beyond our present circumstances to God, placing our hope in GodÔÇÖs saving grace and absolute faithfulness. We need to set our heart and our eyes on God. Understand that it is acceptable to acknowledge the difficulty of our situations.

However, we need to focus our attention on God rather then on our circumstances. Remember that the circumstances will change, but God remains the same, Praise God. Put your hope in GodÔÇÖs ability to save you; He is present with you in even the most difficult of times. Choose to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of the way you feel. Trust that He will enable you to overcome.

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Confidence in Numbers


"David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg You, take away the guilt of Your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.'" - 2 Samuel 24:10

It just seems to be human nature. As we grow in wealth and ability, our confidence moves from complete trust in the Lord to trust in our resources. King David decided one day that he needed to know how many fighting men he had in his army. This was a grievous sin in the nation of Israel. God always made it clear to the nation that He, not their army, was their source. It was against the law of God to number the troops. David's general, Joab, knew the serious nature of such an action.

But Joab replied to the king, "May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?" (2 Samuel 24:3)
Joab knew that David was treading in dangerous waters when he brought up the idea to him. But David had it in his mind that this is what he was going to do. And he did. The result: God judged David for this sin by smiting the nation with a plague that resulted in the loss of 70,000 lives.

Recently, I was having lunch with a former stockbroker who lost everything in the 1987 stock crash in the United States. He made an interesting comment. "You cannot know how to fully trust the Lord in the financial area until you really have to. When I lost everything, I was forced to trust Him when I knew I could not pay my next bill unless God provided. This was the time I learned to trust God.

I never had to trust God before I lost my money because I had plenty. We don't willingly enter this level of trust with God."

Ask God today to keep you from trusting in your own resources. Ask Him how to balance trust and blessing from Him this day.

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Withholding Your Natural Gifting


"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Corinthians 2:3-5).

In the work world, we are trained to press through obstacles, no matter the cost. However, perseverance that is not directed by the Holy Spirit is only sweat and toil. We must learn to walk the fine line between these two concepts. On this subject of relying on our human strength, Watchman Nee wrote:

I believe many people are so rich and strong that they give no ground for God to work. I frequently recall the words, "helpless and hopeless." I must tell God, "all that I have is yours, I myself have nothing. Apart from you I am truly helpless and hopeless." We need to have such a dependent attitude toward God that it is as if we cannot inhale or exhale without Him. In this way we shall see that our power as well as our holiness all comes from Him. Oh how God delights in seeing us coming hopeless and helpless to Him. A brother once asked me, "What is the condition for the working of the Spirit?" To which I replied that . . . the Holy Spirit must first bring us to a place where we can do nothing by ourselves.

Of course, God gives us our natural skills and He will use them, although it can be hard at times to tell whether it is God working through us or if it is our natural skill alone making things happen. We need to try to distinguish the difference even as we resist over-analyzing (which can result in paralysis by analysis).

The apostle Paul understood that it was not his ability to deliver eloquent sermons that changed people. It was the power of God working through him. If God's power comes through our work, that brings glory to the Father.

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Your Testimony


"I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony." - John 3:11

Over the last several years I have seen two distinct types of Christian workplace believers. One type enthusiastically teaches their Bible knowledge to others. These people, though they may be genuine in their motive, lack one essential ingredient to being effectively used by God - a testimony. The second type of people I have encountered has a genuine testimony of what God is doing and continues to do in their lives. This was the case in the early Church. Men and women were able to give powerful testimony of events and experiences that could only be explained as a work of God.

God desires to build a testimony in each of us. Each of us is one of God's chosen vessels to reflect His power in and through us. When others see this power reflected, they are impacted because they cannot explain that power. God desires to frame your life with experiences designed to reflect the character and nature of Christ. Sometimes these events can be very devastating, but they are designed to reveal His power in and through us.

Every one of us has a testimony. What would others say your testimony is today? Can others see God's work in your life? Is your testimony one of Bible knowledge only? Are things happening in your life that can only be explained as God? These can be problematic questions for each of us. Ask God to build a testimony of His life in and through you today.

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Trust In the Rock


2 Samuel 22: 1 - 3 (KJV) "And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence."

King David, no Christian can imagine exactly how great satan attacked him. One reason is this, because David was not only King of the Jews, but because David was the blood line from which Jesus, the Messiah would be born. We must understand that satan tempted King David with everything that one could imagine. Even King David with all his power and might, he had only one power by which satan could be stopped and that was PRAYER and FAITH in GOD!

King David's rock, his fortress, his shield was not in his power, but it was in GOD! King David did not trust in his own power as a King, but he trusted in the Power of the King of Kings and the Lord of all Lords. King DavidÔÇÖs foundation was the Rock on which his royal palace was built, but it was built on the Lord JESUS CHRIST!

Are you fighting a battle today with satan? If so, look to Jesus, because He is our deliverer! King David, with all his trials and temptations, trusted in the Rock, we too must trust in the Rock!

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Understanding the Roadblock


"And Joshua said, 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!'" - Joshua 7:7

Have you ever felt like you were doing what God wanted you to do, but your plans were totally frustrated? This was how Joshua felt.

The Lord had been with the people of Israel as they entered the Promised Land. They defeated every enemy because of God's blessing and protection. They had just taken the city of Jericho. The next battle was the city of Ai. They scouted the enemy and determined it would require only 3,000 men to defeat them. They attacked, and soon the reports came back that they were being routed. Joshua could not understand this. He cried out to God asking why this was happening.

The Lord said to Joshua, "Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? Israel has sinned; they have violated My covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction" (Joshua 7:10-12).

Whenever we open ourselves up to sin, we become liable. God removes His protective shield from our lives in order for the sin in our lives to be purged out. He often uses the enemy of our souls to accomplish the task. If you feel you are being thwarted in some way, examine your life to see if there is any sin that is the cause of the problem.

Adversity is not always due to sin, but it can be. Ask Him. He will show you. As with Joshua, God immediately answered this prayer when Joshua asked. He desires for His children to live in a right relationship with Him.

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Let Us Consider


Hebrews 10:23-24 (KJV) "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised); 24 And let us CONSIDER one another to provoke unto love and to good works."

Paul was writing this to the people of God. We know this by what he said in verse 19 of this same chapter. Paul started verse 19 by saying, "Having therefore, Brethren..." The Brethren are the Born Again Saints of God. In verses 23 and 24 Paul is pointing out what the AIM of a child of God should be, or should I say, it is what a child of God should purpose in there heart and life, in their walk, in their talk, in their behavior.

To some readers of this passage of scripture, I believe that Paul was and is instructing the Babes in Christ when he wrote, "Let us CONSIDER." Paul was and is instructing the young Christians that this should be a part of their Christian character. Now to those readers that are off the milk and on the meat I believe Paul is instructing those Christians as to say to them, if this is not a part of your character, if this is not the way you walk, talk, or behave, YOU SHOULD, "Let US CONSIDER." There is something about this word that I think is very important for every Christians to understand FULLY.

The word, CONSIDER, is the root word to a very good word and to a very bad word. Both words that come from the word "Consider" are a part of every heart, Saved or Lost. Those two words are "Considerate and Inconsiderate." The word "Considerate" is a word of love, the word "Inconsiderate" is just the opposite from "Considerate" and it is a word of HATE. Inside every Christian you will find these two words,

or maybe I should say these two characters abide and it is the choice of every individual which one of these two words will be shown in every aspect of their lives. But many times Christians choose to allow the spirit of Inconsideration to POP UP in their lives which reflect a breakdown of their Christian walk. It shows that they are still on milk; it shows that they have a heart of inconsideration.

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Stand for Christ

2 Timothy 1:12 "For the cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
Paul as a Child of God suffered many things for the cause of Christ. Christians today will suffer for supporting Christ as well. Paul was not ashamed of Christ or his stand from the Cause of Christ.

very day in America, our faith is put to the test. It seems that everything Christians stand for is questioned and found by this world to be incorrect. Many view the Christian stand as a stand for hate, that it is a stand that will cause hurt to America. Friends, the Christian stand is the stand for RIGHT, a Stand for Christ. Our salvation is not in our control, but rather in the control of Jesus Christ.

I am not holding on but I am trusting Christ to keep me. My salvation is not what I do, but it is what Jesus DID! "He is able to keep that" is good news for the Child of God. Once we are saved, it does not matter if our minds leave us to where we can't function or remember anything, but the Lord is the keeper of our salvation and we don't have to worry about losing our salvation. God's gift of Salvation is an eternal gift, not something that runs out, or something that we can misplace or lose, it is what God gives to all that believe in him and profess him Lord of their life.

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Perseverance for Success

"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans. 5:2-4).

Perseverance is the key to every great accomplishment because nothing of lasting value has ever been achieved without it. Industrialist Henry Ford is one of the great success stories of American history, but he failed in business five times before he succeeded. A Ford Motor Company employee once asked his boss the secret of success, and Henry Ford replied, "When you start a thing, don't quit until you finish it."

The path ahead of you is strewn with obstacles. People will oppose you. There will be financial setbacks, time pressures, illnesses and misfortunes. Some of the biggest obstacles will be inside of you: self-doubt, insecurity, procrastination, and worry. You must give yourself permission to succeed.

When we persevere through adversity, we win the approval of our Lord Jesus Christ, who told the suffering church at Ephesus, "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. . . . You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary" (Revelation. 2:2-3). That, I'm sure, is the same commendation Joseph received from God when he passed the perseverance test.

Perseverance is a refusal to quit. It's falling down 100 times and getting back up 101 times. We need to remember that perseverance is not a matter of forcing doors to open; it's standing in front of the doors as long as it takes before God chooses to open them.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The race doesn't go to the swiftest, but to those who don't give up. We need endurance in order to deal with the stress of adversity. We must maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and get plenty of rest. People give up or give out when they feel depleted - when they physically, emotionally and spiritually run out of gas.

When going through adversity, watch out for pessimists, blamers and toxic personalities. Beware of people who try to talk you out of your dreams and goals. Spend time with optimists and encouragers. Seek out people of faith.

Persevere to the end.

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Praying the Promises


ÔÇ£By these, He has given us very great and precious promises ...ÔÇØ (2 Peter 1:4)

Sometimes you are in a difficult situation where you really cannot see a clear path through the swamp. Or perhaps the situation is so difficult that you cannot think clearly about it; your emotions get in the way.

These times are very grievous and stressful and that is how we know we are in a testing of our faith (1 Peter 4:12.)

God is testing something that we either do not believe about Him or believed incorrectly. At such a time, we have to reach out for His precious promises (2 Peter 1:4) and bring them back to the present and stand on them to bolster our faith.

As we claim these promises, our faith builds, and we can pass the test.

Some of my favorite promises include:
ÔÇó "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
ÔÇó "And my God will provide all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
ÔÇó Jesus speaking: "Whatever you ask in my name (according to my will, my purposes, my ways and my character) I will do it, that the Son may bring glory to the Father." John 14:13
ÔÇó "If God is for us who is against us?" Romans 8:31b
 "for nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37
ÔÇó God speaking: "I declare the end from the beginning and from long ago what is not yet done saying: My plan will take place and I will do all My will.ÔÇØ Isaiah 46:10
 Jesus speaking: " but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be provided to you." Matthew 6:33
ÔÇó Jesus speaking: "Everything is possible for the one who believes." Mark 9:23
ÔÇó "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.ÔÇØ James 1:5
ÔÇó Jesus speaking: "I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.ÔÇØ John 14:18
ÔÇó Jesus speaking: "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth." John 16:13a
ÔÇó Jesus speaking: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.ÔÇØ John 15:7

These promises should be memorized, so that they are readily available whenever you or I are in a difficult trial; a severe test of our faith. Then we should to pray these promises back to the Father, claiming them personally for ourselves.

These promises should be the basis for prayer. By praying these promises back to the Father, we are proclaiming that we believe them to be true and that we are staking our life on them. It is the most powerful form of prayer and is the most powerful path through the trial.

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The Power of One


"Then the men of Judah said to the Simeonites their brothers, 'Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours'" (Judges 1:3).

After the death of Joshua there arose a wicked king named Adoni-bezek that was creating havoc in the land. He prided himself in defeating his enemies and cutting off the big toes and thumbs of his enemies. He had done this to seventy kings. Now, without Joshua to lead them, the people wondered how they were to defeat this wicked king. Until this time, every King had attempted to defeat Adoni-bezek themselves and had lost.

The Lord told them they were to join forces with the other tribes in order to defeat this wicked king. "When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes" (Judges 1:4-6).

God is calling the Body of Christ together in cities to operate in unity together in order to defeat the wickedness in our cities. However, the key to victory is a willingness for churches, workplace leaders, and intercessors to work together as a unified army.

Jesus said, "May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:23). God calls each of us individually and corporately to represent Christ to the world, but our independence, pride and individualism often prevent us from becoming unified in the purposes of Christ. The marketplace and the Church must come together to bless the city with practical initiatives that benefit the city.

When unity takes place among leadership in the Body of Christ, Jesus responds by allowing the city to respond to Jesus. You will see more fruitful evangelism, favor among city leaders and an impact on the city you never thought possible.

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Warning


Revelation 22: 7 (KJV) ÔÇ£Behold, I come quickly: blessed [is] he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

In Revelation Chapter 22, the Lord issues three warnings that he is coming soon. Yet today people are not getting ready, but even worst, Christians are reacting as if the Warning never were spoken. In this day in which we live, I believe Jesus is coming back and there will be a lot of people that will enter into the Great Tribulation.

It has been said that more people will go to hell out of this Age than at any other time in history. You may be wondering why? It is simple, adults have turned away from God and the younger generation does not know God.

Warning, Jesus is coming very soon!

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Living a Godly Life


1 Timothy 4: 12 "Let no man despise thy youth; BUT be thou an example of the believer, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith (faithfulness), in purity (holiness)."

What kind of GODLY example are you to those that are lost?

Did you know that a large number of Christians are ashamed to let others know whom they serve? Oh now everybody will RAISE their hands when it time to go to Heaven! Oh if you ask, "HOW MANY OF YOU ARE SAVED, RAISE YOUR HANDS!" I will tell you all the hands will fly up toward the ceiling! BUT! How many really live a godly example of a child of God?

In the Book of Proverbs, chapter 6, verse 16, the bible says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:" If you look at verse 17, the very first (1) thing that the Lord HATES is a PROUD LOOK, next (2) is a lying tongue. Followed by (3) "Hands that shed innocent blood, (4) a heart that devises wicked imaginations, (5) feet that be swift in running to mischief, (6) a false witness that speaketh lies, and (7) he THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG THE BRETHREN.

Every child of God should search through this shelf of things that the LORD HATES and make sure that these things are not found in our life.

Now that you have searched your life, if you have found ONE OF THEM, what kind of example do you think you are to ANYBODY?

ANSWER; an ungodly example!

REMEMBER, if you are a Christian and you are living a godly life, your life should be a BIBLE that lost people will read.

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from a different email string:

The key of sharing your relationship with Jesus is to be available. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you, you will find opportunities to "witness" everywhere! When you witness about Jesus, you are telling about who He is and what He has done for you. To remain sedentary is to neglect God's very purpose for our salvation. Please make an impact for Jesus Christ and share The Story.

Join us every Monday at 6:00 PM and be a part of " Making Our Story His Story"

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Christians

Acts 11: 26 "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."

I am interested in the last part of this verse, "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." What interests me is why the people that observed these Disciples of Christ would call them "Christians?" I know for a fact that it was not because the disciples acted 'RELIGIOUS."

It is a fact that the sole reason the people called these disciples "Christians" was because they remembered how Christ behaved, how Christ talked, and how Christ cared for other and their well being more than his own. That my friend is why the people called these disciples "Christians."

Now the question that I have to ask myself and the question you have to ask yourself is how do others view us? Do people around us say, "There is a Christian?" Or, are we seen in the same view as the world, just another "RELIGIOUS" person?

While many Christians are standing up for their faith in other parts of the world and having their heads cut off for it, I wonder if we are that kind of Christian that we are willing to die for our faith. It is very clear that if we are not willing to live a life that resembles Christ, we surely will not die for the cause of Christ.

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Enlarging Your Territory


..."Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory!" - 1 Chronicles 4:10

He is mentioned only once in a brief description in the Old Testament, yet what he says and what his life bespeaks could fill volumes. He was a man whom God saw as worthy of a request that had significant consequences for him and his family. His name was Jabez. Here is how the Scripture describes him:

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).

When you think of territory, you probably think of land or some area in which you have dominion. Jesus often spoke about giving responsibility based on what we do with the little things first. Jabez must have been a very responsible person. God describes him as honorable. Jabez must have understood what it really means to be blessed by God. He was a man who knew what it meant to press into God and ask for God's favor with passion. God saw the heart of this man and gave him his request. His borders were enlarged! He lived a life free from pain. Imagine that!

The only reason God will enlarge a person's territory is that He knows that person will use it responsibly. He will steward what is given in light of God's Kingdom. God truly wants to increase our territory to have greater influence in the world around us. That territory can mean personal influence and/or physical territories.

It is rare to have a life without pain. Pain is often necessary to mold us and shape us. This is the only exception I have seen in Scripture. Jabez must have been quite a man with incredible integrity and purity of heart.

Are you this kind of person? Can God enlarge your territory and entrust you to use it for His purposes? Ask God today to enlarge your territory. Ask Him to make you the kind of man or woman who is worthy of such trust.