Tag: meditation

He is the Lion & the Lamb

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“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.11.6.ESV

“And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.5.5.ESV

“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭17‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/rev.17.14.ESV

THERE IS NO ONE, NO THING LIKE OUR GOD

There will be a day when mercy and judgement kiss. On that glorious day we will know peace at a level that we’ve not ever experienced.

God is the lion of Judah who has and will conquer our enemy for all of eternity;

He is equally the lamb who was slain that redeemed me from the hands of death, the evil one, the sin that taunts me even on today, and my God, that Lion of Judah, that pure spotless Lamb, will rule and reign forever more.

Prayer

“Don’t fret or worry.
Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it,
a sense of God’s wholeness,
everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when
Christ displaces worry at the center
of your life.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/php.4.6-7.MSG

It seems as though telling myself not to fret or worry, seems a bit unrealistic. However, if God says to not do it, then what do I do instead, and how do I put this into practical application?

Theses are the steps, I believe, convert our/my worries into prayers and into conversations with God instead.

  1. Believe God is listening: In order to believe God is listening we must believe that He exists to lead and guide us. “Look at this: look Who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him.” Psalms‬ ‭4‬:‭3‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.”
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77‬:‭1‬ ‭MSG‬‬
  2. Believe God is for us: God loves us. He truly wants what’s best for us. “Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me? God’s my strong champion; I flick off my enemies like flies. Far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; Far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭118‬:‭5‬-‭7MSG‬‬
  3. Believe God sees us: God already knows what we struggle with, what we celebrate and sees us. He is watching, waiting to be invited into, not only our struggles, but our celebrations too. “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can’t take it all in!”
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭MSG‬‬
  4. Believe God is who He says He is: This is probably the most important step. The previous three steps are much more challenging to apply if we don’t simply take God at His word, in His Word. “If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as he does here, testifying concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding his Son.”
    ‭‭1 John‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It’s written, I’ll turn conventional wisdom on its head, I’ll expose so-called experts as crackpots. So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn’t God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered stupid—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.”
    ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “What you say goes, God, and stays, as permanent as the heavens. Your truth never goes out of fashion; it’s as up-to-date as the earth when the sun comes up. Your Word and truth are dependable as ever; that’s what you ordered—you set the earth going. If your revelation hadn’t delighted me so, I would have given up when the hard times came. But I’ll never forget the advice you gave me; you saved my life with those wise words. Save me! I’m all yours. I look high and low for your words of wisdom. The wicked lie in ambush to destroy me, but I’m only concerned with your plans for me. I see the limits to everything human, but the horizons can’t contain your commands!”
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭89‬-‭96‬ ‭MSG‬‬
  5. Believe for Salvation: It is crucial that we believe that Christ died for our eternal salvation. That He came so that we can be with Him for all of eternity. “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”
    ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬
  6. Believe you have Access to the presence of God: The Holy Spirit is the person of God that leads us while we wait for Christ to return. This encounter with God, counters every lie and misleading of this lost world. “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”
    ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬
  7. Believe prayer is talking directly to God. Prayer is our direct line to God in heaven. Our CEO, HR and advocate all wrapped into one. There is no being put on hold or AI generated phone service, He speaks in every language (because He designed us and every language that represents us), He sees you, He hears you and is eager to guide you on the perfect plan and purpose for your life. Below are some verses on prayer: “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.”
    ‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “God can’t stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.”
    ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “God keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.”
    ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭29‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing! Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers.”
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭141‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    “I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms— I’m celebrating your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.”
    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭MSG‬‬

I am truly leaving today’s blog with such encouragement of these collection of verses. I pray that we each have a God-encounter, that we take prayer more serious but also more reachable and accessible than we did before. That today is a day that we celebrate the access we have to God, to His Plan and Purpose for our individual lives and for the corporate good of the Church. That prayer is a first thought to our day not a last resort to life’s problems. Amen!

““Yes, indeed—God is my salvation. I trust, I won’t be afraid. God—yes God!—is my strength and song, best of all, my salvation!””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/isa.12.2.MSG

#prayer #strength #joy #salvation #believe

Are you lost? Do you want to be found?

When I Fall by Katy Nicole

Are you lost? Christians and non-Christians alike hit seasons in their life when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Good news, feelings are not facts, they’re just feelings and this too shall pass. If you’re anything like me that last sentence made you cringe, a little angry or if you’re willing, gave you a different perspective. Which leads me to my next question.

Do you want to be found? Specifically, by God? Most of us put God in a corner, in our most desperate times, in an attempt to fix the problem ourselves. We fail to realize, God, doesn’t care how you got there, He only cares that you want Him in all areas of your life. Even the messy parts, yes, the really messy stuff that you probably even contributed to, rather indirectly or directly. God just wants to be with you. That’s why He created you. You were created for the sole purpose of being in relationship with God. It was His plan before you were ever born.

No matter where you’ve been. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve run, He’s there, waiting to find you. So I’ll ask you again, “Do you want to be found, by Him? Are you aware that you’re lost and need Him?”

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Dear Lord, I am lost and ready to be found by YOU! Like a wandering sheep, I had no idea how bad things would get apart from You. I just want to be in Your presence, in Your care and lead by You. Amen

#salvation #lost #found #fall

Nothing but the rest

“This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil,
addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.””
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/97/jhn.3.19-21.MSG

Nothing but the rest of God’s promises wake us up to how truly evil darkness is. Like the sun that rises every morning pushes back the darkness, so does God’s light; as we allow it to enter in our hearts and push out the sin, often done in the dark.

Once we understand that darkness only exists in the absence of light, it is then, and only then, that we understand that we have the power and authority to let the light in.

My prayer for us today is that we choose to let the light of God’s love, truth and promises open up the floodgates of light, to expose, push back and push out every dark space in our lives so that we can illuminate in God’s light. So that we can be a light that leads others to God’s light. In Jesus name, AMEN!

What steps can you take today to welcome God’s light into your life?

Happy Resurrection Day!

Death could not hold Him down!

Just when the enemy thought he’d won, the stone began to roll, Jesus rose with a good morning stretch, folded His grave clothes, and placed them on the alter. (My paraphrase)

You may feel defeated but thank God feelings are not fact. They are simply an indicator to what’s going on inside your heart and soul. Like the indicator light on the dashboard of a vehicle. The fact is, we win with Jesus. Every time, every day, every circumstance. Not even death could hold Him down, darkness cannot comprehend His light. Defeat is impossible when all things are possible with Jesus.

Today is a great day to resurrect the living God in your heart.

Prayer

Lord, I believe that You were born of a virgin, sent by God the Father, to conquer sin and death for me. You were crucified, and on the third day, You rose from the dead. You ascended onto heaven and are preparing a place for all who believe! I believe! Help me with my doubt as I walk this out! In Jesus name, amen!

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(6) All My Devotion: To Be Strong (Part 1) The Whole Armor of God

The whole armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-11 (Bible in Basic English Version)

Lastly, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His power. Take up God’s instruments of war, so that you may be able to keep your position against all the deceits of the Evil One.

The verses in Ephesians 6:10-11 come after strong instruction to walk away from our sinful desires of the flesh. That is why these verses begin with “lastly…” How many times do we struggle with a sin in our life that we just can’t seem to overcome? We pray, we ask for strength, we ask for wisdom, yes, we ask for a lot of things. One thing has to happen before the heart of repentance can grieve the sin in our lives for good.

WE have to make a conscious decision to turn away from the sin and towards God’s will for our lives. The Word says if we turn…then “lastly, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. WE can then draw strength from Him to HEAR Wisdom speak to us and we can BE FREE!!! Amen. YES! Amen! Next the Word directs our steps to:

1. Take up the instruments of war, (action for us)

2. That we may be able to keep our position against all the deceits of the evil one (in God’s strength and in God’s Power, action for God)

Over the next week we will learn what those instruments of war are, how to get them and how to use them to be strong in restraining from sinful behavior.

Prayer

Lord, we need you. In a world bombarded with the acceptance and even encouragement of the things that go against Your call to righteousness, especially the people that call You Lord. Please help us maintain our position against the coercion of the enemy to stumble into sin. Help us oh God to be a people of righteousness about whom You can say, “Well done my good and faithful servants.” If we are in sin right now Lord, show us that open doorway to turn away and chase after your goodness and your mercy and clothe us in Your robe of righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.