Posts Tagged ‘Comforter’

THE PROMISE

Posted: December 1, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.'”

– Jeremiah 29:11-14 NIV

The significance of this promise and proclamation written in the book of Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of God by the prophet Jeremiah is the timing of when the message was preached. God explained to Moses way back in the book of Exodus that the rebellious acts of the children of Israel would bring certain calamity when they entered the Promised Land and the result of their rebellion would be being driven out of the very place God promised He would give to them.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11-14 is proclaimed to the Israelites while they are in the very place God said they would be for rebelling against Him while they lived in the place of promise He brought them to when He led them out of bondage from Egypt. It is a message of comfort, encouragement and hope and it is as relevant today as it was proclaimed back then. It is also a reminder of how great, powerful and faithful God is to care for those He loves, even when we fall short, turn away and go our own way. God promises to restore, deliver and bless those who turn their hearts towards Him, no matter how long its been since they’ve followed sincerely, or how great the distance in their intimacy with Him.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The proclamation of this promise also challenges the believer to turn to God and trust Him believing in His great promise of deliverance and restoration! In the face of injustice, misfortune and grief God wants us to capture His promise believing He is holy, faithful and trustworthy to bring us out of a place of darkness, despair and defeat into the miraculous wonder of His light, love and abundance! Take hold of God’s promise to deliver and restore so you can transcend your circumstances and live victoriously regardless of your circumstances!

May God bless you and help you to capture His promises in your heart so you may come to Him, call upon His name and watch Him perform the miraculous work of deliverance and restoration in and through you to experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

POWER & AUTHORITY

Posted: October 13, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12 NIV

The King James Version of the Bible says that the word of God is quick and powerful. The blessed man in Psalm 1 encountered a life that was prosperous and productive because he delighted in God’s word and meditated on it day and night. He was like a tree planted by the streams of water which yielded its fruit in season and his leaves never withered and whatever he did, he prospered at it.

The word of God is able to bring us from a place of lack and barrenness to a place of abundance and prosperity. The word of God can rescue us from a place of anxiety and distress and restore us to a place of peace, preserving our well-being, even in the midst of duress. The word of God can provide healing, deliverance, restoration, renewal and bring forth life from death. The word of God is His expressed plan, purpose and promise to the believer of what they should expect from Him, according to His word, in order to experience fulfillment in a faith relationship with Him as we walk by faith.

The word of God is an invitation for the reader to encounter an interactive relationship with its Author and experience the authority and power it provides as the reader engages the Author in allowing Him to work in and through them to bring about what is written in His word. The blessed man in Psalm 1 can attribute his prosperity and production to the action and disposition (attitude) of delighting in God’s law and meditating on it. The Apostle Paul (see Inspired to Share His Grace) declared that it was God’s energy (His word and His Spirit) that worked wonderfully within him as he labored to share God’s grace and truth with others. There is an encounter God desires us to have we can only experience with Him through His word.

May God bless you and help you to live by the authority and power of His word, as you spend time with Him in His word, so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

INSPIRED TO SHARE HIS GRACE

Posted: October 12, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

– Colossians 1:29 NIV

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with how good God has been to you that you could not keep it to yourself, or so inspired by His truth that you were moved to share it with as many as possible as often as possible? This is what I think about when I reflect upon what is written by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:29. Within these 16 words I sense the passion, exhilaration and enthusiasm that comes from being enamored with the grace and truth of Jesus Christ and the motivation to share it with as many as possible so that others may be ignited as Paul is with God and His word.

The previous verse reads like this: “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” – Colossians 1:28 NIV Paul reveals his passion and sense of mission in proclaiming the grace and truth of Jesus Christ to others and describes it as an energy that produces power within him to follow through in fulfilling what he is moved to do by the same grace and truth he seeks to share with others.

The prophet Jeremiah described it as a fire shut up in his bones that compelled him to proclaim what stirred within him, even if he resolved not to speak. The New Testament book of Hebrews declares that the word of God as living and active and is capable of working deep within the individual (joint and marrow to soul and spirit). This indicates that the word of God is able to address both our physical, and spiritual/psychological, and deep internal mental/emotional concerns. So when the Apostle Paul expresses with passion the struggle with all of God’s energy that works wonderfully within him, I see him declaring how he senses and feels the word of God ministering to his physical and spiritual needs as he sincerely seeks to share his grace and truth with others.

May God bless you and help you to experience the energy of His grace and truth working within you, that inspires you to share His grace and truth with others, as you experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

THE AUTHOR OF MY PROSPERITY

Posted: September 15, 2012 in Art, Books, Christianity, Education, Encouragement, Faith, Family, History, Hope, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, News, Parenting, Photography, Politics, Quotes, Success, Travel, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither. Whatever he does prospers.”

– Psalm 1:3 NIV

Careful inspection of Psalm 1 reveals there is a lifestyle that results in productive living and the outcome of that lifestyle is prosperity. Verse 1 of Psalm 1 illustrates the depiction of a blessed man being one who is mindful about the company he keeps. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” – Psalm 1:1 NIV I don’t believe this verse is just referring to the proximity of my association with the types of people mentioned in this verse, as much as it is highlighting the necessity of not adopting such mindsets that would inhibit my ability to be a blessed man. If I’m never in the company of sinners how can I lead them to Christ?

Walk, stand, sit. What is my daily posture as it relates to God’s word and the application of its principles? A blessed man relies upon the truth of scripture as the basis, foundation and means of experiencing the type of lifestyle God has ordained for those who seek sincerely to be living sacrifices for Jesus. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2 NIV The principle of prosperity, from the perspective of the Scripture, is inclusive of an intimate personal relationship where the sincere seeker is invested in God’s word and the application of its truth. It is illustrated in Psalm 1 as a man who delights in God’s law and meditates on it (i.e, thinks about it, reflects upon it, opens his mind to understanding greater revelation and illumination of what is written, sincerely desires to understand and accept God’s word as the authoritative doctrine on living a spiritual life).

In the gospel of John, Jesus reiterates this truth revealed in Psalm 1 by explaining to His disciples the necessity of the word of God in being productive. “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” – John 15:7 NIV If I walk in the way God has chosen for me to take, standing firmly upon His word as the foundation for living the life He has ordained for me as His child and consistently sit at His feet as one who sincerely seeks to learn from the Master ( a posture of humility) then, as the blessed man is described as one who is like a tree planted by the rivers of water and his leaves never wither, I should encounter prosperity in every aspect of my life (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, financial, relational, and professional).

May God bless you and help you to walk in His ways, stand firm in your faith and sit at His feet to grow in His grace and truth so you may experience the fullness of life Christ came for us to have.

HIS INTIMATE IMMINENCE

Posted: February 25, 2012 in Books, Christianity, Education, Family, History, Life, Parenting, Quotes, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Joshua 1:5

When you hear, ‘God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes,’ what comes to your mind? My understanding of this from the perspective of scripture provides me reassuarnce and helps me to grow in assurance and confidence God will do for me what He has done for others, including those whose lives are illustrated before me in scripture. Meaning, do you believe what God said to Joshua applies to you? God used the illustration of His faith relationship with Moses, whom Joshua served under as a military leader, to reinforce to Joshua the need to be confident in Him as God to do for Joshua what He did for Moses.

This same principle was also illustrated in the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. The bible indicates that while Joseph suffered the injustice of being sold into slavery, betrayed by his brothers, and thrown into prison unjustly because of false accusations, the LORD was with Joseph. In fact, it was indicated in scripture that Joseph was successful in everything he did during that time period because the LORD was with Him. God promised that same success to Joshua in the first chapter of the book of Joshua (see Joshua 1:8). Despite any misfortune, injustice or loss you may have encountered, even as a Christian, do you believe the LORD is with you and will give you success?

I believe success is inevitable for those who seek the LORD. I also believe success is relative, so one man’s success does not diminish the measure of success another man has accomplished. Faith in Christ is teaching me to consider the actions I must take daily to position myself to progress towards success that allows me to experience happiness rather  than waiting for something to happen that only leaves me feeling disappointed, discouraged and unhappy more often longer. ‘Therefore, because the LORD is with me as He was with Moses and Joshua I will…. ‘ What will you allow yourself to begin to believe and take action to see God help you experience true success and happiness in because He is with you?

May God help you and bless you as you take action to progress towards success and happiness in being engaged with Him in faith and life.

DISTRESSED, IN DEBT & DISCONTENT

Posted: February 25, 2012 in Books, Christianity, Education, Family, History, Life, Parenting, Quotes, Uncategorized
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” 

– Psalm 4:1

There is a passage of scripture found in the bible that states that when Jesus looked upon the multitude of people He saw them as helpless and harassed and had compassion on them. In the Old Testament book of 1st Samuel there are a group of people being described as distressed, in debt and discontent. What this does for me when I read and reflect upon this sincerely is fill me with peace, comfort and encouragement. It reinforces to me that God sees me in my circumstances and understands how I am feeling and how I’m being impacted by them. And it also reassures me that God is moved with compassion towards me because of what I am going through.

I believe this, because in the book of Exodus He told Moses to tell His people that He sees them in their circumstances in slavery in Egypt, He has heard them, He is concerned about them and He will come to them and deliver them and bless them when He brings them out! When I take the time to sincerely reflect back upon my life and recall the many times I’ve felt helpless and harassed by life’s circumstances I am filled with awe, gratitude and thanksgiving for God’s deeds towards me that fulfilled His promise to be with me, help me and bless me.

“I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” – Exodus 3:7a From His look of compassion towards us God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save the helpless and harassed and to anyone who believed in His Son, He gave them salvation and the gift of eternal life. Now everyday for the believer in Christ is an opportunity to experience the fulfillment of God’s salvation, through faith in Christ, to save them from the reality of the external troubles and the internal misery of suffering Jesus said we would encounter in this world.

May God strengthen you to relinquish to Him what burdens your soul and torments you to experience the rest, release and relief He promises to give to everyone who comes to Him.