Judges 18:9 Holman Christian Standard Bible (Background scriptures Judges 18)
“They answered, “Come on, let’s go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why wait? Don’t hesitate to go and invade and take possession of the land!”
The men of Israel saw what God had promised them. They could see their blessing. The fact that they could see their blessing encouraged them to pursue it. What do you see? All you need to do is see what God has for you and then go get it. They said in verse 7 “There was nothing lacking in the land and had no oppressive ruler.” The blessings of the Lord maketh rich and adds no sorrow.
Why wait? If you know God have given you the land (you know what it is), why wait to go get it. The longer you wait, the less you want it. We should have moved on what God was showing us a long time ago. Let me ask you point blank, have you seen the blessing God has for you? I know you might not have seen it physically, but do you have a vision for it? A vision is a mental perception of a preferred future. What have God shown you that will not go away? You see it at night, you see it in the morning, you see it at work, what is it? I have one more question for you, why are you waiting? Move, move, move!
The men were telling their tribe members they seem inactive and lazy. Inactivity is a dream killer; you must pursue your dreams. The devil wants us to be slothful and inactive so our dreams can disappear. Laziness is a sin! It is one of the most effective tools the enemy uses against us today. If he can get you to move slowly on what God have given you, he can kill your dream.
Don’t let this happen. I encourage you to do a word study on the words slothful and diligent in the KJV translation of the bible. Then read the relevant scriptures in different translations, it will bless your soul as you allow the Holy Spirit to talk to you concerning the scriptures.
B-Blessed.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Lord give me a praying spirit
Lord give me a praying spirit
One of the greatest controversies in the church today is the doctrine of speaking or praying in tongues. Go to fifty churches this year and bring up the issue of speaking in tongues and you will probably get fifty different reactions. Why is it that something that is so clearly taught in scripture is so controversial? Maybe it’s because the devil knows the power that is available through praying in tongues. God never gave the church any gift that He didn’t want her to use.
Praying in tongues is important to the church and to the individual. The church not only needs a praying pastor, but also praying members. The old saying goes “If pray you will stay”. Prayer is as important to your spiritual man as food is to your natural man. Prayer works! It’s important to realize you don’t always know what to pray about. We are born with a limited mind. No one can ever know everything they need to pray about. This is why praying in the spirit is so important.
In Acts 2 this is the first time anyone spoke in tongues. It was the beginning of the church and speaking in tongues was on the scene! That’s a fact that cannot be overlooked. In 1 Cor. 14 Paul talked about the benefits of speaking in tongues. He said that the person that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies or builds himself up. Think of a battery that needs to be recharged and it’s the same way with your spirit. Praying in tongues builds you up spiritually. You need to be strong spiritually to win the spiritual battles you are face with everyday. So work what the Lord gave you!
B-BLESSED AND B-PRAYERFUL.
One of the greatest controversies in the church today is the doctrine of speaking or praying in tongues. Go to fifty churches this year and bring up the issue of speaking in tongues and you will probably get fifty different reactions. Why is it that something that is so clearly taught in scripture is so controversial? Maybe it’s because the devil knows the power that is available through praying in tongues. God never gave the church any gift that He didn’t want her to use.
Praying in tongues is important to the church and to the individual. The church not only needs a praying pastor, but also praying members. The old saying goes “If pray you will stay”. Prayer is as important to your spiritual man as food is to your natural man. Prayer works! It’s important to realize you don’t always know what to pray about. We are born with a limited mind. No one can ever know everything they need to pray about. This is why praying in the spirit is so important.
In Acts 2 this is the first time anyone spoke in tongues. It was the beginning of the church and speaking in tongues was on the scene! That’s a fact that cannot be overlooked. In 1 Cor. 14 Paul talked about the benefits of speaking in tongues. He said that the person that speaks in an unknown tongue edifies or builds himself up. Think of a battery that needs to be recharged and it’s the same way with your spirit. Praying in tongues builds you up spiritually. You need to be strong spiritually to win the spiritual battles you are face with everyday. So work what the Lord gave you!
B-BLESSED AND B-PRAYERFUL.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Living For the Family To Be Blessed
Living For the Family To Be Blessed
“Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20:7 New King James Version
You can judge a persons character by the things he or she have done in the past. If I say “I wouldn’t put it pass him because of what he has done in the pass” I am speaking of that person’s character. We know people by their actions, if they have done it before we know they will do it. That’s not to say that’s what they are going to do, but we do know they have done it and are capable of doing it again.
The back drop of this scripture is where Abraham went to the city of Gerar with his wife Sarah and told the king she was his sister because he feared they would kill him so they could have his wife. After the king took Sarah for himself, God spoke to him in a dream and warned him that if he touched Sarah, he was a dead man. The interesting thing I want you to see in this verse is the latter part where God told him not only will he die but all who belong to him. God was going to kill his entire family because of what he did! The family had nothing to do with what the KING WAS ABOUT TO DO, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF HIS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.
You and I have to remember what we do or don’t do when it comes to obeying God’s word will have an effect on our families. It seem a bit extreme for the Lord to kill the man whole family because of something he did but I believe God is just letting us know how serious He was about protecting Sarah, Abraham’s wife. He is serious about the blessings He has for us and wants us to live right so that these blessings can not only overtake us but our entire households.
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful!
“Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20:7 New King James Version
You can judge a persons character by the things he or she have done in the past. If I say “I wouldn’t put it pass him because of what he has done in the pass” I am speaking of that person’s character. We know people by their actions, if they have done it before we know they will do it. That’s not to say that’s what they are going to do, but we do know they have done it and are capable of doing it again.
The back drop of this scripture is where Abraham went to the city of Gerar with his wife Sarah and told the king she was his sister because he feared they would kill him so they could have his wife. After the king took Sarah for himself, God spoke to him in a dream and warned him that if he touched Sarah, he was a dead man. The interesting thing I want you to see in this verse is the latter part where God told him not only will he die but all who belong to him. God was going to kill his entire family because of what he did! The family had nothing to do with what the KING WAS ABOUT TO DO, BUT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF HIS DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.
You and I have to remember what we do or don’t do when it comes to obeying God’s word will have an effect on our families. It seem a bit extreme for the Lord to kill the man whole family because of something he did but I believe God is just letting us know how serious He was about protecting Sarah, Abraham’s wife. He is serious about the blessings He has for us and wants us to live right so that these blessings can not only overtake us but our entire households.
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful!
Monday, August 30, 2010
From Death to Dinner
From Death to Dinner
In John 11:43-44 Jesus, who was God in the flesh, spoke the word and raised Lazarus from the dead. He had been dead for four days, and according to his sister he was stinking by now. One word from God changed all of that.
Over in John 12:1- 2 this same man Lazarus is one of those who sat at the dinner table with Jesus. He went from dead to dinner! Sitting at the table eating with the man who raised him from the dead, he was among the dead, but God!
I believe this is a picture of our future supper with our risen Lord. But even now we can draw parallels of how we were dead in our sins; lost in a dark world and then we heard a word from the Lord. When we heard that word it brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It changed our lives for the better. Just like Lazarus came alive we came alive when we heard the word from God.
The word of God can bring people literally from physical death and spiritual death. If you are reading this and is not saved, you are dead spiritually. But don’t despair, the same God that spoke life into Lazarus, can speak life into you. Romans 10:9 say “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved”. It’s just that simple. You can go from dead to dinner in a matter of seconds. Everyday you can enjoy feeding off His word and fellowshipping with Him in prayer. B-Blessed and Prayerful!!!
In John 11:43-44 Jesus, who was God in the flesh, spoke the word and raised Lazarus from the dead. He had been dead for four days, and according to his sister he was stinking by now. One word from God changed all of that.
Over in John 12:1- 2 this same man Lazarus is one of those who sat at the dinner table with Jesus. He went from dead to dinner! Sitting at the table eating with the man who raised him from the dead, he was among the dead, but God!
I believe this is a picture of our future supper with our risen Lord. But even now we can draw parallels of how we were dead in our sins; lost in a dark world and then we heard a word from the Lord. When we heard that word it brought us out of darkness into His marvelous light. It changed our lives for the better. Just like Lazarus came alive we came alive when we heard the word from God.
The word of God can bring people literally from physical death and spiritual death. If you are reading this and is not saved, you are dead spiritually. But don’t despair, the same God that spoke life into Lazarus, can speak life into you. Romans 10:9 say “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved”. It’s just that simple. You can go from dead to dinner in a matter of seconds. Everyday you can enjoy feeding off His word and fellowshipping with Him in prayer. B-Blessed and Prayerful!!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
What’s So Amazing About Grace?
What’s So Amazing About Grace?
God’s grace is God’s unmerited or unearned favor in and upon your life. In the book of Genesis 6:8, the first occurrence of the word grace in the bible, God spared mankind because one man found favor in His eyes. The life Noah lived before God was so significant and holy until it caused God to change His mind about destroying His creation.
Mankind was spared because God decided to show mercy and kindness, which is what the Hebrew word for grace means. When we say the favor of God is on our lives we are saying God is showing mercy and kindness toward us.
This grace is so amazing because it can’t be earned. God does it because of His love for us. Jesus died as a result of God’s love for the world, not as a result of man’s good deeds. You can’t live good enough to earn God’s favor. When Noah found grace (favor) in God’s eyes it was God’s choice. All we can do is try to live a righteous life like Jesus and walk with God. The rest is in the hands of God.
When Jesus died on the cross it was what the theologians call the substitution death. We were the one’s that was supposed to die. It’s just like our modern day death penalty. We were sitting in the gas chamber and Jesus walked in and said I will die for YOU!! All he want us to do is live for Him. We are saved by grace and not by any good deed we have done, WHAT AN AMAZING GRACE!!!
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful
God’s grace is God’s unmerited or unearned favor in and upon your life. In the book of Genesis 6:8, the first occurrence of the word grace in the bible, God spared mankind because one man found favor in His eyes. The life Noah lived before God was so significant and holy until it caused God to change His mind about destroying His creation.
Mankind was spared because God decided to show mercy and kindness, which is what the Hebrew word for grace means. When we say the favor of God is on our lives we are saying God is showing mercy and kindness toward us.
This grace is so amazing because it can’t be earned. God does it because of His love for us. Jesus died as a result of God’s love for the world, not as a result of man’s good deeds. You can’t live good enough to earn God’s favor. When Noah found grace (favor) in God’s eyes it was God’s choice. All we can do is try to live a righteous life like Jesus and walk with God. The rest is in the hands of God.
When Jesus died on the cross it was what the theologians call the substitution death. We were the one’s that was supposed to die. It’s just like our modern day death penalty. We were sitting in the gas chamber and Jesus walked in and said I will die for YOU!! All he want us to do is live for Him. We are saved by grace and not by any good deed we have done, WHAT AN AMAZING GRACE!!!
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
THE SIGN OF AN AMAZING MINISTRY
THE SIGN OF AN AMAZING MINISTRY
“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law…… The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” Mark 1:21-22, 27 NIV.
Jesus was no ordinary preacher! John the baptizer even confesses to the people there was one coming after him that was more powerful than him. His power came from His authority.
When Jesus taught the people they heard something different, not from a different scripture, they were accustomed to hearing the scriptures every Sabbath, but they heard it taught with authority. He taught them in such a way that they knew they were hearing from God. When He taught there was no wondering if He knew what He was talking about. In whatever ministry God have called you to, and I believe God have called ALL of us to do something, you should seek His will and speak it with authority.
When you speak about your life you speak with authority, or with a conviction that you have a right to say what you are saying. You know you! Jesus knew the Father and He knew the Father’s will. That is the key to speaking with authority for the Lord, knowing His will. You know you have heard from the Lord when you hear His will for your life.
Seek God’s will for your life and then speak it into existence with authority!!!!
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful
“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law…… The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” Mark 1:21-22, 27 NIV.
Jesus was no ordinary preacher! John the baptizer even confesses to the people there was one coming after him that was more powerful than him. His power came from His authority.
When Jesus taught the people they heard something different, not from a different scripture, they were accustomed to hearing the scriptures every Sabbath, but they heard it taught with authority. He taught them in such a way that they knew they were hearing from God. When He taught there was no wondering if He knew what He was talking about. In whatever ministry God have called you to, and I believe God have called ALL of us to do something, you should seek His will and speak it with authority.
When you speak about your life you speak with authority, or with a conviction that you have a right to say what you are saying. You know you! Jesus knew the Father and He knew the Father’s will. That is the key to speaking with authority for the Lord, knowing His will. You know you have heard from the Lord when you hear His will for your life.
Seek God’s will for your life and then speak it into existence with authority!!!!
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Power for Purpose
Power for Purpose
“Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years. There was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat an unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:1-5 (New American Standard Bible).
Every man, woman, boy, or girl that is born is born for a purpose and with a purpose. Nobody is here just to be here. If you exist today, God has a plan and purpose for your life. The pen was not created without a purpose, the chair was not created without a purpose, and neither was you created without a purpose.
The children of Israel were in bondage to the Philistines because of their disobedience to the Lord. But because of His great mercy, He is sending them a deliverer. Samson was born to deliver Israel from the rule of the Philistines. This was the sole purpose of his existence.
If you go to the cemetery and look at the headstones, you will see the year that person was born on the left side and the year that person died on the right side. In between the two dates there will be a dash. That dash is what I call purpose. Within that dash is the purpose for which they were born. Some fulfilled that purpose, some didn’t.
If you are going to accomplish your purpose, you will need power, not human power, or natural power, but God’s power. God gives you His power to accomplish His purpose.
The word power means the ability to do something. God will give you the ability to accomplish the purpose for which you were born. He doesn’t give you His ability to do your own thing, or to accomplish your own agenda. If outside of His will for your life, He will have nothing to do with it. You may succeed, but it will be in your own strength, which is a work of the flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (See Rom. 8:8)
Samson had the power or ability to defeat the Philistines, God gave him that power, because that was the purpose for which he was born. How do I know my purpose for being born? I’m glad you asked.
If I purchase a DVD player I will receive an instruction manual along with my DVD player. If there is a button on the DVD player that I am not sure of its purpose, I will need to consult the manufacturer of the DVD player. They made it and they know the purpose of it.
God created you (see Gen. 2:7), and if you want to know your purpose you must consult the Creator. Ask the Lord what He would have you to do with your life. Once you find out your purpose, then you can begin to operate in your power!
Remember God will not anoint you to do what He has not called you to do.
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful!
“Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, so that the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years. There was a certain man of Zorah of the family of the Danites, whose name Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, nor eat an unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Judges 13:1-5 (New American Standard Bible).
Every man, woman, boy, or girl that is born is born for a purpose and with a purpose. Nobody is here just to be here. If you exist today, God has a plan and purpose for your life. The pen was not created without a purpose, the chair was not created without a purpose, and neither was you created without a purpose.
The children of Israel were in bondage to the Philistines because of their disobedience to the Lord. But because of His great mercy, He is sending them a deliverer. Samson was born to deliver Israel from the rule of the Philistines. This was the sole purpose of his existence.
If you go to the cemetery and look at the headstones, you will see the year that person was born on the left side and the year that person died on the right side. In between the two dates there will be a dash. That dash is what I call purpose. Within that dash is the purpose for which they were born. Some fulfilled that purpose, some didn’t.
If you are going to accomplish your purpose, you will need power, not human power, or natural power, but God’s power. God gives you His power to accomplish His purpose.
The word power means the ability to do something. God will give you the ability to accomplish the purpose for which you were born. He doesn’t give you His ability to do your own thing, or to accomplish your own agenda. If outside of His will for your life, He will have nothing to do with it. You may succeed, but it will be in your own strength, which is a work of the flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (See Rom. 8:8)
Samson had the power or ability to defeat the Philistines, God gave him that power, because that was the purpose for which he was born. How do I know my purpose for being born? I’m glad you asked.
If I purchase a DVD player I will receive an instruction manual along with my DVD player. If there is a button on the DVD player that I am not sure of its purpose, I will need to consult the manufacturer of the DVD player. They made it and they know the purpose of it.
God created you (see Gen. 2:7), and if you want to know your purpose you must consult the Creator. Ask the Lord what He would have you to do with your life. Once you find out your purpose, then you can begin to operate in your power!
Remember God will not anoint you to do what He has not called you to do.
B-Blessed and B-Prayerful!
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