God Has Given Us Different Gifts

Romans 12:6-8

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teach, on teaching; Or he that exhort, on exhortation: he that give, let him do it with simplicity; he that rule, with diligence; he that shew mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

Notice that when it comes to the gift of leadership, diligence is the measure.

Today we may want to emphasize networking, or the ability to sway people toward a goal, but the Scripture puts value in consistency.

Talent is not enough to lead well. It takes the daily application of leadership to be effective for God's purposes.

It is the daily grind that forms the leader to used by the Master; this is as true today as it was back then.

1.YOUR GIFT AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT

Romans 12:6a

A. We have different gifts

B. Whatever our gift, we must use it

2.  SOME REPRESENTATIVE GIFTS

Romans 12:6b-8

3. Prophecy = the gift of inspired utterance

A. THE PROPHET IS THE MOUTH PIECE FOR GOD

B. PROPHECY MAY HAVE A FUTURE (foretell) OR A PRESENT ORIENTATION (forthtell)

C. PROPHECIES COULD BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE

D. TODAY NO NORMATIVE TRUTH, BUT A MESSAGE TO SPECIFIC SITUATIONS

In proportion to “the” faith

2 Peter 1:19

4. PROPHETS EXERCISE CONTROL OVER THEIR GIFT

1 Corinthians 14:30-33

5.  Deaconing = Practical service to others

A. “SERVICE” IN GENERAL

B. CARE OF PRACTICAL MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH

6. Teaching = The ability to expound the Word of God

A. EXPLAINING WHAT GOD HAS REVEALED

B. INVOLVES ILLUMINATING MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

C. AS AN OFFICE: PASTOR–TEACHER

7. Exhortation = The ability to encourage in the Lord

A.THE OPPOSITE OF JOB’S “MISERABLE COMFORTERS”

B. APPEALS TO THE WILL

C. BRINGS COMFORT

8. Giving = The ability to know how and when to give of your possessions

A. NOT HAVING MIXED MOTIVES

B. IN A SIMPLICITY THAT IS NOT SELF–SEEKING

With simplicity / generosity

9. Leading = The ability to be a pace–setter for a group or other individuals

A. MEANS “TO STAND BEFORE”

B.  MAY HAVE THE SENSE OF GIVING AID

With diligence

10. Showing Mercy = Helping those in distress

With cheerfulness

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

Pray with Intense Power

God Bless You !!
Acts 12:5
Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

Acts 12 records the story of a crisis situation in the early church. James had been put to death by King Herod. Peter had been arrested and was clearly next. So what did the church do? They prayed. But they didn't pray just any old prayer. They prayed with passion. We read that "constant prayer was offered to God for him [Peter] by the church." I love that.

The phrase "constant prayer" could be translated "earnest prayer" or "stretched outwardly." It is reaching for something. Have you ever dropped an item that was just beyond your reach, and you were straining to get it? That is how the church was praying. Theirs was not a casual, yawning, Lord-help-Peter kind of prayer. This was a storm-the-gates-of-heaven kind of prayer. They were not backing down. And guess what? Their prayers were heard.

When a Gentile woman begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, He told her, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs" (Matthew 15:26).

She could have stormed away, but instead she answered, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (verse 27). Jesus was not pushing her away; He was drawing her in. He knew her faith was great. And because of her persistence, her daughter was healed the same day.

Sometimes when the answer to our prayer doesn't come right away, we assume that God is saying no. Maybe. But maybe He wants us to keep praying—with persistence.

This is the kind of prayer that prevails with God, the prayer into which we put our whole soul, reaching out toward God in agonizing desire. Much of our prayer has no power in it because we put so little heart into it.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.'

He said to them, 'When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation." ' (Luke 11:1–4)

John the Baptist taught his disciples how to pray and our Lord's disciples also wanted to know how to pray. So Jesus said to them: 'When you pray, say this…' and he taught them what we refer to as the Lord's Prayer.

Before I was born again I used to say prayers: they came purely from my mind and not from my spirit. But when I was born again I started to pray. When a born-again Christian prays it comes from their spirit as the Holy Spirit leads. All true prayer is inspired by the Spirit of God.

Today is National Prayer Day. Let our prayers be heard. This nation need a revival to bring USA back to God. And we must also pray for other countries. God bless you all in Christ...

Pray Without Ceasing

 1 Thessalonians 5:17
We must never forget that prayer is not only for petition, but also for protection and for preparation. Prayer not only gives us what we want; it prepares us for and protects us... from what we don't want.

 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was in anguish as He contemplated the horrors of the cross. All He wanted the disciples to do was to be present and praying. Being God, He knew what was ahead. He knew every detail. And so He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).

All Jesus asked for was some companionship. He didn't need a sermon; He needed some friends. But His friends were sleeping. And this was a direct result of the sin of self-confidence.
The same can be true of us. We pray when we think we need to pray. When a crisis hits, when we get bad news from the doctor, when we are laid off, when we are having problems with our marriage or problems with our children, what do we do? We pray. And that is good. It's what we should do.

But what about when things are going well? When the bills are paid, when the job is looking good, when there is no bad news from any front, do you pray then? Is it because you think you don't need to? Is it because of self-confidence?

Failure to pray actually can be a sin. Sin isn't just breaking a commandment, though it includes that. There is also the sin of omission. James 4:17 tells us, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is.

Are you committed with conviction in prayer? So tell me: What is your prayer life like? Do we pray only when you want something from God or On occassion when thing arises in your life. Do you set apart time in your day for God in prayer? 1 Samuel 12 Israel had demanded a king from Samuel, who had rule over them as one of the judges of Israel. They wanted to be like the other nations. Samuel told them that in so doing they had rejected God as their king. Nevertheless, God was going to give them their king. He says, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” In saying this he is saying clearly that it is a sin for us not to pray.

I'm going to show you a few reasons why prayerlessness is a sin!

1. Prayerlessness is negligence of a divine privilege purchased at a great price (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-20). When Jesus went to the cross, suffered and died, the veil of the temple was ripped into. This signified there would never again be anything keeping man out of God’s presence when we come to Him through Jesus. Not to spend time with God in prayer is to neglect this divine privilege. When we consistently spend time with the Father in prayer we are taking advantage of this great privilege of entering God’s presence (Romans 5:2). Let’s utilize this precious privilege purchased for us on Calvary.

2. Prayerlessness opens the door for other sins (Luke 22:40; Matthew 6:13). Jesus commanded us to pray that we would not be tempted. Not to pray leaves us wide open to temptation and failure. We all experience times of temptation. Regular times, alone with God in prayer, minimizes temptation and failure. I wonder if things would have been different if the disciples would had been praying instead of sleeping (Luke 22:30-46)

3. Prayerlessness proves God isn’t first in our life (Matthew 6:22, 24, 33; 1 John 5:21; James 4:2-5). God demands to be number one in our life. Failure to spend regular times with Him in prayer reveals He isn’t first in our life. However, if we are praying regularly, this proves we are at least attempting to put Him first in our lives. Let’s commit ourselves to spending daily time with God in Prayer.

Saints as a strong Christian believer in Christ myself, I'm convicted and sold out for Jesus with devotion and I am dedication in my prayer life. Every living moment I have to consume myself in prayer, it does matter where I am. God is first. again I ask you. Where do you stand in your Prayer life? I love you all and God bless in the name above all names Jesus! Amen...

Proclaim the Gospel

Romans 10:14–15
"And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' "



 
From the original Greek, we could translate the final question in Romans 10:14 as, "How shall they hear without one preaching?" The Phillips translation puts it this way, "How can they hear unless someone proclaims Him?" Therefore, we see the emphasis is not on a preacher, but on preaching.

We may think the work of evangelism is only for those who are called to be evangelists. Granted, there are people in the church whom God has raised up to be evangelists, and certainly evangelism is not limited to those who preach to hundreds or thousands at a time. I have seen many individual believers who obviously have this gift.

While it is true that some are called to be evangelists, it is also true that every Christian is called to evangelize. Many times, however, we avoid sharing our faith, deciding instead to just live it out, be a good witness, and leave the preaching to others.

Yet in 1 Corinthians 1:21, it says, "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe."

This does not mean that we need to scream and yell and wave a Bible to get the point across. What it does mean is that we are to recognize the primary way God has chosen to reach the lost is through the proclamation of the gospel–by people. God has chosen the agency of His proclaimed Word to bring people to salvation.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Acts 1:2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Ask God for the Right Words

Ephesians 6:19

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

When we pray for someone to come to Christ, we can be assured that we are praying according to the will of God. As 1 Peter 3:9 tells us, "[God] does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent."

The apostle Paul specifically asked for prayer as he preached the gospel. He wrote to the believers in Ephesus:

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. (Ephesians 6:18–19)

People will sometimes ask how they can pray for me as a crusade is approaching. My response is the same as Paul's. I take what I do very seriously. And even though I write my messages out word for word, there are times when I get up to speak and some thought will come to me that I had not considered previously. It is not in my written notes, but I will share it anyway. Then people will come to me later and say, "It is when you said that one thing that I decided I wanted to become a Christian."

Think back on the day that you became a believer. If it was through preaching, you will probably remember one specific thing that was said. You probably don't remember point number four or five or that you really enjoyed certain verses. You just heard that one thing, and something took hold in your heart. So I pray for those right words as I get up to speak. And we all need to pray for those right words from God.

Without prayer, all the armor in the world would be of no use. Praying always: General pryers and specific petition in the Spirit are to be made for all believers and all occasion. Perseverance and patience in prayer are essential.

Apostle Paul was not ashamed to ask other believers to pray that he would have the courage to proclaim the gospel. Even as a prisoner, Paul still wanted to be a faithful witness of the Lord..

Prayer empower you to put on the Whole Armor of God that protect and gave you the ability to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The shield of Faith.

I Am The Good Shepherd

John 10:11
Jesus identifies Himself as the "good shepherd" in verse 11 and says that "all who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers" in verse 8. The mission of these thieves and robbers who came before Jesus is explained in verse 10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."

False teachers come in all types and varieties. Some false teachers are of a different faith, while some are atheists without faith. Still others hide under the banner of Christianity, but are nevertheless false teachers.

In this passage, they were the Jewish religious leaders of the day who were leading God's people astray.

One thing false teachers have in common is that they deny that Jesus is the one and only way to eternal life. But Jesus Himself makes it clear that He alone is the way to eternal life when He says, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved" (verse 9).

The Bible says that Satan is the father of lies (see John 8:44), and is the one who is ultimately behind all false teaching. He is the one who wants to steal, kill, and destroy you!

But thank God that, with Jesus as our Good Shepherd, Satan will not be able to accomplish his goal in our lives. As Jesus says in verse 28, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."

Verse 11 says "The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." Jesus sacrificed His life for us on the cross, and paid the penalty for our sins. He died so you and I would not have to.

Psalm 23 tells us more about our Good Shepherd. In this Psalm we see that the Good Shepherd . . .

A Psalm of David.
1The Lord is my shepherd;
Ps. 78:52Ps 80:1(Is. 40:11)Ezek. 34:1112(John 10:111 Pet. 2:25Rev. 7:1617)

(Ps. 34:9Phil. 4:19)
I shall not want.

Ps. 65:11–13Ezek. 34:14
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

(Rev. 7:17)
He leads me beside the still waters. 3He restores my soul;

Ps. 5:8Ps 31:3Prov. 8:20
He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of #
Job 3:5Job 10:2122Job 24:17Ps. 44:19 the shadow of death,

(Ps. 3:6|NoBook| 27:1)
I will fear no evil;

Ps. 16:8(Is. 43:2)
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Ps. 104:15

You anoint my head with oil;
Ps. 92:10Luke 7:46

My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever Amen

Provides rest. The sheep are able to lie down restfully because they know their Shepherd meets their needs and keeps them from anxiety.

Provides guidance. He leads them beside peaceful streams and along right paths. We, by nature, are wanderers, but as followers of God we now have Someone to follow!

Provides safety. In the valleys of life, our Good Shepherd is with us and protects us, so we can fear no evil.

Provides for our needs. No matter what, God will give us what we need—not necessarily what we want.

Guides us safely home to heaven. As Christians, we not only have abundant life now, but we also "will dwell in the house of the LORD forever" (Psalm 23:6).

Satan's goal for your life is to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has come to give life abundantly.

He Leads Me Beside Still Waters

Psalm 23:1-2

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He make me to lie down in green pastures: he lead me beside the still waters.

 

The imagery of God's leadership contains green pastures and quiet waters. Even if those pastures are located in the shadow of the valley of death, true leadership can give peace even in overwhelming circumstances.

Psalms 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
Or "pastures of tender grass"; this is one part of the shepherd's work, and which is performed by Christ, Ezekiel 34:14, John 10:9 ; by these "green pastures" may be meant the covenant of grace, its blessings and promises, where there is delicious feeding; likewise the fulness of grace in Christ, from whence grace for grace is received; also the flesh and blood, righteousness and sacrifice, of Christ, which faith is led unto and lives upon, and is refreshed and invigorated by; to which may be added the doctrines of the Gospel, with which Christ's under-shepherds feed his lambs and sheep, there being in them milk for babes and meat for strong men; and likewise the ordinances of the Gospel, the goodness and fatness of the Lord's house, the feast of fat things, and breasts of consolation: here Christ's sheep are made to "lie down", denoting their satiety and fulness; they having in these green pastures what is satisfying and replenishing; as also their rest and safety, these being sure dwellings and quiet resting places, even in the noon of temptation and persecution; see Song of Solomon 1:7;

He lead me beside the still waters,
or "waters of rest and quietness"; not to rapid torrents, which by reason of the noise they make, and the swiftness of their motion, the sheep are frightened, and not able to drink of them; but to still waters, pure and clear, and motionless, or that go softly, like the waters of Shiloh, ( Isaiah 8:6 ) ; and the "leading" to them is in a gentle way, easily, as they are able to bear it; so Jacob led his flock, ( Genesis 33:14 ) ; and Christ leads his, ( Isaiah 40:11 ) ; by these "still waters" may be designed the everlasting love of God, which is like a river, the streams whereof make glad the hearts of his people; these are the waters of the sanctuary, which rise to the ankles, knees, and loins, and are as a broad river to swim in; the pure river of water of life Christ leads his sheep to, and gives them to drink freely of: also communion with God, which the saints pant after, as the hart pants after the water brooks, and Christ gives access unto; moreover he himself is the fountain of gardens, and well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon; and the graces of his Spirit are also as rivers of living water, all which he makes his people partakers of; to which may be added, that the Scriptures, and the truths of the Gospel, are like still, quiet, and refreshing waters to them, and are the waters to which those that are athirst are invited to come, ( Isaiah 55:1 ) ; and in the immortal state Christ will still be a shepherd, and will feed his people, and lead them to fountains of living water, where they shall solace themselves for ever, and shall know no more sorrow and sighing, ( Revelation 7:17 ) .

Because our God is our Shepherd—and He is the most powerful, wise, balanced, loving, and caring Being ever—we are never going to want, that is, lack for proper management. It does not mean that we will never lack things. David himself lacked things. There were times when David did not have a home to hang his hat in, and he had to run from cave to cave to escape Saul. There were times when he was hungry and thirsty and times when he thought his life was hanging in the balance, but he always understood that what was being worked out in his life was part of the will of God.

He knew God's attention was focused on him, and he was receiving the management that he needed in his life at that time. He understood that all the events of his life were pointed toward the goal of his being in the Kingdom of God.

The Lord is my Shepherd." Could we not also say that this psalm applies to the Lamb of God, as if written from His standpoint? The Lord was His Shepherd too. Jesus said He went through what He did for all righteousness—for God's name's sake, for His glory! Consider Christ's work, His life reminds us of His death

A True Disciple in Christ

 Luke 14:27
"Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

We have all heard the expression, "You need to get a life!"

Well, Jesus would put it another way. He would in effect say, "You need to lose your life if you want to find it!"
I wrote a little bit about discipleship in the past concerning devotions and mentioned that a disciple must love God more than anyone or anything else. Here is the second requirement of being disciple:

The disciple must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus.

Elsewhere in Luke's Gospel, He says, "If anyone desires to come after Me [that is, if anyone would be His disciple], let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (Luke 9:23–24).
Jesus “Call” here is to follow Him in the way of rejection or suffering. A disciple will be rejected by those in the world,.who does not honor Christ, therefore a disciple must be ready to face and accept such rejection.

                                                                              

 I know that can sound pretty unappealing. You imagine yourself living in this miserable, sacrificial, unhappy conditioned world. But the fact of the matter is that nothing could be further from the truth. Note that Jesus says, "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it!"
Think of it as "God's trade-in plan."

There are people today who say they are trying to find themselves. (By the way, I can't stand that expression.) One makes that statement usually before doing something really selfish, like walking out on a marriage. They might say, "You are no longer meeting my needs. I am unhappy, so I am going to leave you because I need to find myself!"

Could anything be more cliché, and wrong?

In essence, Jesus says, "You want to find yourself? Then lose yourself."

Do you want to find life, purpose, and personal happiness? Then say, "Lord, here is my life, my plans, my aspirations, my dreams, as well as my weaknesses, shortcomings, and sins. I believe that Your plans are better than mine in the long run."
But what does it mean to "take up our cross and follow Him?" This is explained in Luke 13:33: "Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." Literally, this means: "You must surrender your claim to, or say goodbye to."

That does not mean that to live as a disciple of Jesus one has to take a vow of poverty and give every possession away. Jesus meant that we are to surrender our claim to our possessions. In other words, we are not to be possessed by possessions.

It's fine to have clothes, a car, a house, and a career. It's fine to have friends, hobbies, and interests, or even having a little fun in your life as a Christian. But the true disciple should not be obsessed with these things. The only obsession a disciple should have is for Jesus Christ. He must be the most important pursuit in our lives. He must be more important than our career or our personal happiness.

The fact is we will find the personal happiness we want not by seeking it, but by seeking Him. Why don't you do that today? Have a Happy Wednesday and be blessed in your walk with Christ. There is so much to be learned. Let God teach you and show you the way..... God loves you and so do I ..

A Humble Savior

 

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 

 

If you were God, would you ever be tempted to do a miracle f...or yourself? I would. If I had been Jesus, instead of walking long distances, I would have just said, "I am now going to be there," and there I would be.

Also, I wouldn't have eaten the food of Jesus' day. After all, God has foreknowledge. He knows the future. Therefore, He knew that Cheesecake Factory eventually would exist. He knew that all of the cool food that we eat today would someday come into being. So I would have sent the disciples out fishing while I had my meal from Cheesecake Factory.

But Jesus never did anything like that. Even when He was starving to death during His temptation in the wilderness, He would not turn a rock into bread after the devil suggested that He should. He answered, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God' " (Luke 4:4).

Jesus was always thinking of others. So what does it say about Him when He uttered the words from the cross, "I thirst" (John 19:28)? This was the Creator of the universe saying, "I thirst." Do you think Jesus could have solved His own problem? Do you think He could have spoken water into existence? Yes. Jesus could have had Niagara Falls appear before Him if He so desired. But instead He said, "I thirst."

This reminds us that although Jesus Christ was fully God, He also was fully man. Never for a moment did He give up His deity, though He did not always exercise His miraculous abilities at will. He shrouded His glory. He still always was God. That is why His death, and His death alone, was sufficient to meet the righteous demands of the Father.

A Forgotten Hero

Acts 9:17
So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled wi...th the Holy Spirit."

According to Acts 9:10, Ananias lived in the city of Damascus. In Paul's speech in Acts 22, he describes Ananias as "a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews" that dwelt in Damascus (Acts 22:12).

A discovery every Christian eventually makes is who their real friends are. That is a discovery Saul of Tarsus made when he first became a follower of Christ. He had no real friends, but what he did have was a brother in Christ named Ananias. And in time, he would discover a whole new family.

"Ananias has been called one of the forgotten heroes of the faith. Indeed he is. There are countless numbers of them serving Christ behind the scenes the world over."

You see, with such men as Ananias doing their part, Saul could now do his. Acts 9:20–21 tells us, "And immediately [Saul] began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is indeed the Son of God!' All who heard him were amazed. . . ."

They couldn't believe that Saul of Tarsus was not only a believer, but now a preacher. And Saul quickly found out who his true friends and enemies were: "After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him" (verse 23).

God had been preparing Saul. Saul was ready for this job assignment. He was raised in a Roman city. He understood the thinking of the Roman mind. He was steeped in Greek culture, yet he was raised in a strict Jewish home. He was a powerful thinker and communicator. And now he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Ananias had never preached any sermons that we know of. We don't know of any miracles that were performed through his hands. He never wrote an epistle. But he reached a man who did all of those things and much more. And if we had more Ananiases, we would have more Pauls. God bless you all Saints for representing our Almighty "Father" in your daily walk and spreading the Gospel as we are commended by God. With Love !!!

 

Making Christ Your First Love

 John 4:34
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.

 

 

As John 12 begins, Jesus returns to Bethany for dinner with Mary, Martha, their res...urrected brother Lazarus, and others. Suddenly, Mary does something very dramatic in verse 3: "Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair."

This was no small act. Verse 5 tells us the perfume was worth a year's wages! Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus in less than a week, seems to have a very godly response to this act, saying, "That perfume . . . should have been sold and the money given to the poor" (verse 5 NLT).

Jesus replies to Judas in verses 7–8 by saying, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

This reminds us that God sees things differently than we do. It's worth noting that every time we read of Mary in Scripture, she is sitting at Jesus' feet. Perhaps this is why she had such deep spiritual insight.

Mary seemed to grasp a truth that was largely missed by the others: Jesus had to die. Not only did she have a unique understanding of who He was, but she also gave Him a wonderful gift—the most precious thing she owned.
Mary was moved to do something unusual, outstanding, and even extravagant to demonstrate her total devotion to Christ. She recognized that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to be betrayed and crucified. Although He had said so very bluntly on previous occasions, the disciples had simply missed it.

How is it that Mary had this incredible spiritual perception? Perhaps it was because of her willingness to set aside everything to be close to Him, to stop what she was doing, choose what was better, and simply sit at His feet.

You may be thinking, "But I don't know what it means to 'sit at His feet.'" If you, like Mary, want to be a spiritually insightful person, then you must learn to be a spiritually listening person. For example, you need to draw near to God in prayer asking Him to speak to you. You need to read the Bible believing it is the very Word of God. You need to listen to the sermon at church, expecting God to speak through it. For Mary, spending time at Jesus' feet changed her perspective, and she wanted to do something for Him. She wanted to show her love in a tangible way. And when you have truly been sitting at His feet, you will want to serve Him too.

Concerning devotional in Discipleship:
To this sense of discipleship which He defined as true discipleship (John. 8:31), the Lord attached very exacting conditions because without them the goal of a disciple—becoming like his teacher (Luke. 6:40), transformed into His image (Rom. 12:1-2)—could and would never occur. These, however, are not to be considered conditions of salvation. Rather, they are a summons to deeper levels of faith and commitment. Discipleship then, as illustrated in the life of Peter, denotes a new direction and a journey, not a state or an arrival. As spelled out in the epistles, discipleship is the process of experiential sanctification whereby the believer, in following and growing in the Lord, is transformed into the mature image of Christ by the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:12f).

But just what did the Lord mean by “he cannot be My disciple” in Luke 14:26 and 27? Does He mean he won’t allow such a person to serve or follow him? Or does he mean such a person doesn’t have the ability to make the right choices because, unlike salvation which is totally free, discipleship is costly? In this regard, one might compare the purpose of John’s gospel with that of the other gospels. In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) the emphasis is on the costliness of following the Lord as a disciple. In John’s gospel, the emphasis is on the freeness of the gospel by believing in Christ.

Another key question is what is meant by the term commitment? Ultimately, as Luke 14 and Romans 12:1 suggest, it means dying to self and allowing the Lord to take complete charge; it means by faith surrendering the right to run one’s life to the control and will of God. To put it another way, commitment means the dedication of one’s life to the revealed will of God; it means the desire and willingness to choose for the Lord and His values regardless of the cost. In essence then, it is a single-minded devotion which entails loving the Lord with all one’s heart. It means putting Him first and thereby seeking first the kingdom of God, the reign and rule of God in one’s life.

Where am I in the matter of commitment or devotion to the Lord? What is there in my life that hinders my availability to the Lord, i.e., what kinds of things affect this in my life? This would include things like one’s drives and goals, treasures or values, fears, longings, one’s level of understanding, unbelief or lack of faith, etc. What about our private time alone seeking to know the Lord more intimately? Following are some key verses that might help us here (Matt. 6:30; 1 Kings 18:21; cf. 1 Pet. 1:13f with 1 John 2:17; Rev. 3:10; Jam. 4:7-10; Jer. 2:13; Phil. 3:9f).

Our capacity to serve the Lord is directly related to our trust and commitment to Him and God’s values and priorities. But single-minded devotion is also an evidence of maturity and insight to what is truly meaningful and has eternal ramifications in life. Commitment, then, or total devotion to the Savior is also an evidence of a maturing faith that has come to grips with the reality of eternal treasures (cf. 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Matt. 6:19-21, 30-34; 1 Pet. 1:17-18). Have total devotion in Christ your first Love.

Availability of Our Prayers

Psalms 88:2
let my prayers come before you. Even the mist of despair, Heman confesses his faith in God saving goodness – O Lord, God of my salvation.

 

 

"As a result of the reality of God's omnipresence, we are assured that no matter where we are, no matter what your situation and circumstances. God will hear our prayers—even from the belly of a fish and to the ends of the earth.

"Prayer is an open door which none can shut, "Devils may surround you on all sides," he continued, "but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy's hand."

Is there anywhere we can go where God is not present? Not according to the Bible. Psalm 139:7 asks, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?"[1] In Jeremiah 23:23-24 we read, "'Am I only a God nearby,' declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the LORD. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the LORD (NIV)."

Prayer and God's Omnipresence
The fact that God is everywhere is known as omnipresence, meaning that He is present everywhere throughout His creation. This does not mean that God is creation, a worldview known as pantheism, but that God is ever-present in His creation. C.S. Lewis likened this relationship between God and His creation to that of a painter to a painting: "A painter is not a picture, and he does not die if his picture is destroyed.

You may say, 'He's put a lot of himself into it,' but you only mean that all its beauty and interest has come out of his head. His skill is not in the picture in the same way that it is in his head, or even in his hands."

As a result of the reality of God's omnipresence, we are assured that no matter where we are, God will hear our prayers—even from the belly of a fish: "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God" (Jonah 2:1 NIV). While not the most comfortable place to pray, we know that God heard the prayers of the prophet, even while Jonah was in the ocean depths.

But do we really believe that prayer is always available? If so, we must act on this truth. Nothing, then, can keep a believer from coming before God in prayer, except our own choices: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NIV). Prayer will always connect us to God.
 

Prayer Has No Barriers In short, prayer has no barriers. Governments cannot stop it, our location cannot stop it and enemies in the spiritual realm cannot stop it.

As noted earlier, "Prayer is an open door which none can shut." But there is one way to shut it and that is when we choose disbelief over belief. Our own anxieties can stop the power of prayer, if we allow them to stifle the truth that prayer is always available to us. God is always ready to listen, no matter what our circumstances, but we must speak to Him in prayer.

In reference to the power of evangelism, the Apostle Paul wrote, "'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (Romans 10:13-15 NIV). Similarly, when we pray to God we will be heard. But how can God hear unless we pray? How can our prayers be received unless they are sent? How beautiful are the prayers of those who seek the Lord, despite their circumstances.

Prayer is always available to us, but far too often we turn to God in prayer as a last resort, not a first response.

 God Wants to Hear Our Prayers.

Is God too busy to hear our prayers? Is He occupied with weightier matters than our lives and troubles? Unlike the worldview of deism, which claims that God created and wound up the universe like a watchmaker winds a watch, leaving it to run on its own, God really cares not only about the larger scheme of the universe, but also for each person. He is not a deaf god like the god of deism, but a caring and active God. He transcends His creation, but is immanent—or active—in it. No prayer is too small for God to hear. Neither is any prayer too large for God to handle.
As Christ said, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26 NIV) The answer to the question asked by Jesus is that we are indeed "more valuable than they," for we are created in God's image (Genesis 1:26), "we are God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10), and He loves us.

An important step in receiving the blessings of prayer is to humbly and sincerely offer our prayers to God. Fortunately, we can do this anywhere and anytime, because prayer is always available to us. But we must take the initiative. If we do so, God is eager to hear us, comfort us, strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His "righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10)." Have you bound and committed yourself with devotional prayer for Gods favor on your life? “If You Need God. Now Is The Time”

1 MINUTE FOR GOD

 2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

1 MINUTE FOR GOD
During the next 60 seconds, stop whatever your doing, and tak...e this opportunity (Literally it is only 1 minute) All you have to do is the following: You simply say “The Lords Prayer” for the person that sent this message.

 Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven, Give is this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil, for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.

Next, you need to share this message to everyone you know. In a while more people will have prayed for you and you would have obtained a lot of people praying for others. Pray reaching out to the world. Next, stop and think and appreciate Gods power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.


Please do not be ashamed to follow these instructions. Jesus said, If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before the Father and the Angels in heaven. Therefore if your not ashamed send this message. “Only If Your Believer” - “ YES” - I love my God. He is my foundation of life and my Savior. He keep me going Day and Night. Without Him I am no one. But with Him, I can do everything. Christ is my strength.


Luke 21:1-4 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Philippians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.


This is a simple test of your faith. If you love God and you are not ashamed of all the great things that He has done for you. Praise God for your commitment and devotion to Him and the love you have for others.See More

 

Wages of Sin and Greed

 Luke 12:15

 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Jesus refuse to enter into a disputes over money, which is clearly dividing family. Such disputes over money destroy relationships, so Jesus tells a parable that explain the danger of focusing on wealth. This parable shows the selfishness of a man as a result of his fortune. His plans is to store his abundance resources for himself, as though the assets were his alone and should be hoarded. This focus on himself is what Jesus is condemning. This rich man clearly can not take his wealth with him when he dies, he no longer own the value of this resources after death. All earthly wealth is temporary and ultimately worthless in God kingdom.

This holiday season show some love and share what you have with the unfortunates, it will mean a big difference to someone life.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 11 Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)

Notice that it is through Christ Jesus that we get this law of the Spirit of life. In the previous chapter of Romans we see that mankind has a dilemma – man keeps breaking the laws of God. This came as a result of the sin that was released upon the earth through Adam. But God had a plan. He came as a man to live a perfect life, then wrongly die a horrible death. But the life of Jesus broke the power of death upon mankind, therefore it is through Christ Jesus that we are freed from sin and death. Condemnation is for those who are guilty, but Jesus brings us pardon! We are set free.

No condemnation - This does not mean that sin in believers is not to be condemned as much as any where, for the contrary is everywhere taught in the Scriptures; but it means,

(1) That the gospel does not pronounce condemnation like the law. Its function is to pardon; the function of the law is to condemn. The one never afford deliverance, but always condemns; the object of the other is to be free from condemnation, and to set the soul at liberty.

There’s no final condemnation under the gospel. The function, design, and tendency of the gospel is to free the condemning sentence of law. This is its first and it glorious announcement, that it frees the lost and ruined people from a most fearful and terrible condemnation..

We should not live according to the sinful nature for it leads to death but we should live according to the spirit which leads to life. Those who led by the spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14

Example metaphor: A rich man ask Jesus if he can take a suitcase to heaven? Jesus replied saying why not! The man dies and he reach the gate of heaven with his suitcase. He was met by Peter. Peter ask him why a suitcase? The man replied I just brought a few things. Peter replied ok! The rich man open his suitcase and realized that the content in his suitcase was asphalt. He was disturb by this because he packed gold bars. This goes to show you your riches mean nothing in heaven.... 

Calling Fulfilled

Acts 6:8
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

 Stephen was full of wisdom, and full of the Holy Spirit, and full of faith and power. He had the gifts, the bo...ldness, and the brilliance to be a powerful witness, yet even his witness would be rejected by the religious leaders. Hearts opened only by God, not by our gifts, boldness and brilliance.

 Stephen, one of the unsung heroes of the church, was a young man with so much promise in his life. Because of his faithfulness, he was selected to be a deacon in the early church

 Many probably thought that Stephen had a great ministry ahead of him, because he was only a young man. But because of his preaching, he was called before the Jewish Sanhedrin to give an account. Now the Sanhedrin was sort of like the Supreme Court of that day. Its members were very powerful men. They did not like Stephens preaching about Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and they called him to account for it.

 Now if Stephen had been careful, he could have gone home for dinner that night. But instead, this young man saw the possibilities of reaching the Sanhedrin with the gospel. The Bible says that his face shined like that of an angel (see Acts 6:15), and he began to preach to them. But as Stephen preached they became so outraged, they decided to execute him. So they stoned him to death. And even as his young life was being drained from him, he cried out, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin" (Acts 7:60).

 I believe it was the testimony of Stephen that brought Saul of Tarsus (later Paul), under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. For right on the heels of Stephens martyrdom, Saul went out to hunt down Christians.

 Here is what we need to remember: We don't know how long our life will last. We all have a task to complete, a calling to fulfill. And the length of our lives is not determined by genes or statistics, but by God. So our objective should be to stay on course and do what God has set before us.

 The book of Acts shown Stephen as the first martyr and during the time the infant church faces opposition from the Jews and Gentiles alike. But with every successive wave of persecution, the church grew more and more. In hardship and trails, Christians depended increasingly on the Lord strength and guidance. In so doing they demonstrated faith to others.

 By this being the first martyr of Christian faith, but he certainly was not the last. Although falsely accused of blasphemy Moses and God, his unfairly treatment and violence death would serve as a example to persecute believers throughout the centuries who would face similar trails for upholding the name of Jesus Christ.

 Christians have died for their witness to the truth of the gospel. They set their eyes on Jesus instead of this world. They did not values the approval of the people over the approval of the Savior. Therefore refuse to disown Jesus. For their courage to stand up for the truth. Jesus promise to acknowledge them before His Father in heaven (Matthew 20:32,33)

 

 

Don't Get Caught Up In Sleep

Romans 13:11

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Believer's are pictured as being asleep or inactive. Salvation here refers to as to the future, when believer's will be saved from the presence of sin. This Salvation speaks of imminent return of Christ.
Every now and then someone comes along and says they know the day of Christ's return. But don't ever believe that. The Bible says, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mark 13:32).

However, we can know the times and the seasons, the Bible says. But no one can know the exact day or time when Jesus Christ will come back for His people.

But here is the question we might be thinking about: Will He come soon? And will He come in our lifetime?

No one can say with absolute certainty. But there are signs that would say it is getting close. They are on the front pages of our newspapers, on our news websites, and on our favorite television and radio news programs. We will read headlines along the lines of, "Iran Threatens to Annihilate Israel," "China Builds up Military," " School Shootings," and "Thousands Feared Dead in Earthquake." These are signs of the times, because they are things that Jesus said would happen in greater frequency prior to His return.

If I were to go outside and notice that it was dark and cloudy and could even see the rain falling in a nearby city, if I saw that a weather system was moving our direction, would you think of me as a genius if I said it may rain soon? Of course not. It is obvious that it will be raining soon. It doesn't take an act of great intelligence to predict that.
Four things are here taught, as a Christian's directory for his day's work. When to awake; Now; and to awake out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth, and negligence; out of the sleep of spiritual death, and out of the sleep of spiritual deadness. Considering the time; a busy time; a perilous time. Also the salvation nigh at hand. Let us mind our way, and mend our pace, we are nearer our journey's end. Also to make ourselves ready.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand; therefore it is time to dress ourselves. Observe what we must put off; clothes worn in the night. Cast off the sinful works of darkness. Observe what we must put on; how we should dress our souls. Put on the armour of light. A Christian must reckon himself undressed, if unarmed. The graces of the Spirit are this armour, to secure the soul from Satan's temptations, and the assaults of this present evil world. Put on Christ; that includes all. Put on righteousness of Christ, for justification. Put on the Spirit and grace of Christ, for sanctification. The Lord Jesus Christ must be put on as Lord to rule you as Jesus to save you; and in both, as Christ anointed and appointed by the Father to this ruling, saving work. And how to walk. When we are up and ready, we are not to sit still, but to appear abroad; let us walk. Christianity teaches us how to walk so as to please God, who ever sees us. Walk honestly as in the day; avoiding the works of darkness.

Where there are riot and drunkenness, there usually are chambering and wantonness, and strife and envy. Solomon puts these all together, Proverbs 23:29-35. See what provision to make. Our great care must be to provide for our souls: but must we take no care about our bodies? Yes; but two things are forbidden. Perplexing ourselves with anxious, encumbering care; and indulging ourselves in irregular desires. Natural wants are to be answered, but evil appetites must be checked and denied. To ask meat for our necessities, is our duty, we are taught to pray for daily bread; but to ask meat for our lusts, is provoking God, Psalm 78:1

In the same way, signs of the times are all around us, telling us the return of Christ is close. Knowing this should affect the way we live. So let's wake up. Let's be ready for His return.