Abiding TV

A man’s wisdom gives him patience.
—Proverbs 19:11 NIV

People often ask me, “How can I learn contentment and stability?” One way, straight out of the Bible, is patience.

God wants us to use wisdom, and wisdom encourages patience. Wisdom silently tells us to wait a little while, until the emotions settle down, before you do or say something. Then check to see if you really believe it’s the right thing to do. Emotions urge us toward haste, telling us we must do something and do it right now! But godly wisdom tells us to be patient and wait until we have a clear picture of what we are to do and when we are to do it. I like to say it like this: Let emotions subside and then decide. We need to be able to step back from our situations and see them from God’s perspective. Then we need to make decisions based on what we know rather than what we feel.

Power Thought: I have the wisdom to develop patience and emotional stability.

"By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence."
2 Peter 1:3 NLT

TODAY'S WORD:
Whether you realize it or not, God has already given you everything you need to live the life He’s called you to. You don’t need to feel stressed out, worried or afraid. You don’t have to wonder if you’re “good enough” to receive from God because God’s blessing has nothing to do with your performance. He has already blessed you and given you everything you need by His divine power!

The world’s system tells us to strive, toil and scrape to get what we want. Our culture puts limits on people because of their natural abilities, resources, background or circumstances. But with God, there are no limits! By His divine power, you are equipped, well able and strong. You are covered by His grace and mercy, and you are empowered to do all He has called you to do!

The next time you start thinking “I can’t…” or “I don’t have what it takes…,” attack those negative thoughts with the truth by declaring, “I have what it takes; I am well able; and I am equipped by His divine power at work in me!”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, thank You for Your power which is at work in me. Thank You for equipping me and calling me according to Your good purpose. Give me Your strength and peace today. I keep my mind stayed on You in Jesus’ name. Amen."

1 Peter 2:15—For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

I Commit And Trust All My Works To God As I Submit With The Same Mindset As Christ Jesus!
I submit myself reverently and completely to God, offering my life as a living sacrifice to Him.  I submit to and endure His discipline as it enables me to share in His holiness.  In obedience to God’s Word, I submit myself to every human institution and authority for His sake.  I honor and respect my parents, for this is pleasing to God.

I will learn Your Word in silence with all submission.  As I submit to God and resist Satan, he must flee from me.  I will trust in Your mercy and my heart will rejoice in Your salvation as I submit to You and Your loving kindness.

I obey and submit to my spiritual leaders and do my part to help them do their job with gladness.  I am subject to those in authority over me in my workplace.  I do my best with all my heart, out of reverence for the Lord and as a sincere expression of my devotion to Him.

In all my ways, with kindly affection, I give precedence and show honor to others.

I have the same attitude, purpose and humble mind in me that is in Christ Jesus.  He is my example in humility.  I am respectful, selfcontrolled and trustworthy in all things.  All the words of my mouth are righteous, pure and pleasing to God.

Source:  Man of God 18 Days of Promise

Psalms 3

Do you want to know who God is and what He cares about most in your life? You may have stored up lots of intellectual information about the Bible, and that is important, but it’s not the main issue. You may serve the Lord, which is also necessary. And you may give generously to the church—another significant aspect of Christian life. But what matters most is the depth of your personal relationship with the Lord. Knowledge, service, and tithes can never replace intimacy with God.

The psalmist-king understood this truth, and it strengthened him in times of trouble. When his son Absalom tried to take over the throne, David fled to the wilderness, where he wrote these words: “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me ... I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about” (Ps. 3:3, Ps. 3:6). He knew that even in raging adversity, he could count on God’s unfailing love and protection.

Throughout David’s psalms, we repeatedly see his unwavering dependence on the Lord. It was that passion—not his brute strength, charisma, or ability to command an army—that made him a great man. And even though he had a number of failures, the Bible describes him as a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22).

It’s not enough to read the Bible, volunteer your services, and give money to kingdom work. God wants to know you personally. While tangible expressions of our devotion are important, they should be the result of a mature relationship with God. When we seek Him first, the rest will follow.

Bible in One Year: 1 Corinthians 14-16

Romans 4:7–8
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Some people think that if they were more “right” with God, then He would hear their prayers. For example, they sometimes believe that if they had not quarreled with their wives or had those bad thoughts earlier in the day, then God would answer their prayers.

God is not like that. He wants you to know beyond any doubt that you can always come to His throne of grace with boldness and have every confidence that you will receive His mercy and grace. (Hebrews 4:16) You see, because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you are already right with God. You don’t need to do anything to make yourself more right with God.

In fact, by faith in Jesus, you have received the righteousness of God Himself! (2 Corinthians 5:21) And no matter how many mistakes you make, you will never lose that righteousness because in the first place, God gave it to you apart from your works. (Romans 4:5–6) In other words, God did not impute righteousness to you because you were good, but because you believed in Jesus.

Because of what Jesus has done for you at the cross, all your sins—past, present and future—are forgiven. God will by no means ever remember your sins or count them against you! (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17)

My friend, because Jesus has been punished for your sins, today, God is not counting your sins against you. This means that your sins won’t stop Him from hearing and responding to your prayers. So you can always run into His presence knowing that you can boldly stand in and enjoy His presence and His love.

When you know this truth, it is going to set you free in your relationship with God. You can talk to Him without fear or any sense of condemnation. You can practice His presence and trust that He always hears you. Should something happen at home or at work, you don’t always have to call for your church leaders—you pray and God hears you!

Beloved, you are righteous in Christ and God hears your prayers—all because of Jesus!

Thought For The Day
Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross, you are already right with God. So when you pray, God hears you!

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6).


Success in life and in any endeavour isn’t in anything that one’s physical might or strength produces or can produce; true success is in the Spirit and by the Spirit. It’s not about something you’re doing or not doing; it’s about your relationship with the Holy Spirit; that’s what makes the difference, and that’s the most important factor for your success. The Bible says, "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy" (Romans 9:16).

Life is spiritual. Until and unless you walk in the realm which God has brought you into, and function at that level, life will be for you a hard journey. You’ll be making efforts in vain. But if you’re in a passionate, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, He’ll breathe on everything you do and see to its success.

The man who’s in fellowship with the Holy Spirit, yielded to Him for guidance and inspiration is the one described for us in Psalm 1:3: "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." The Holy Spirit is your guarantee for a life of absolute, unending success. He’s the One that glorifies your life and brings you into favours and promotions, and opens doors of blessings for you that no man can shut. He’s all you need.

Let the glory of Christ, resplendent in your spirit and exuding from you, be the attraction in your life. Abide in Him. He’s everything you need. Remember the words of Jesus, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7).

Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, who causes me to do and walk in your perfect will. I experience, even now, the supply and ministry of the Spirit to be effective in the ministry of the Gospel, communicating your divine presence to my world, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: Ecclesiastes 9:11; John 15:4-8

: 1 John 2:15-3:1-10 E zekiel 45-46

: R evelation 5:1-14 Joel 1

“If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:21-22 NKJV).

Simply put, Jesus was telling His disciples there are no limits with God. They could have whatever they asked—if only they believed.

The only thing that limits what God can do in your life is your belief system. Think about this: your life right now is a result of what you’ve believed over the past weeks, months, and years. Therefore, if you want to change your life, you must first change what you believe.

The way to tap into the limitless miracle power of God is by simply having faith, refusing to doubt, and believing the Word of God. When Jesus said, “Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive,” He was telling His disciples to think outside the box and believe God for the impossible. The only requirement for their receiving was their believing.

When you are believing God for the impossible, your natural mind will come up with many reasons why it can’t happen. Your natural mind will tell you why it won’t work. Your natural mind will block the supernatural by limiting you to the probable, the logical, and the rational. But if God’s Word promises it will happen, then it can and will happen—when you choose to believe.

Belief in God and His Word opens the door to the supernatural. It moves you into the limitless ability and goodness of God. So, beginning today, create a new life for yourself and be all you were created to be. Live your dream by first doing what Jesus told you to do—believe!

Confession: I choose to open the door to the supernatural today. I remove any limits I have established by my wrong thinking, and choose instead to believe what God’s says in His Word. I now receive God’s limitless ability and goodness, and declare I will be all He created me to be.

Author: Jerry Savelle

Beloved. You are My Dear Child to whom I have given the dew of heaven. You will NEVER be subject to My wrath. This is reserved for the devil and his minions. You are IN Me, Dear One. You are safe here. You have obtained salvation through My Son. You are the planting of the Lord. My favor upon you is like dew upon the grass. I pour out My favor upon you until it overflows.

Like showers on the grass, My favor clings to you, it delays not nor waits for the children of men. Out of the very atmosphere of heaven, Living Waters flow from My Throne of Grace. You walk among the peoples, dripping with My favor. Until the moon is no more shall My righteous ones flourish, for I have come to you like the rain, like showers that water the earth. Press in, Beloved. My going forth is as certain as the Dawn.

I will come to You like the rain, like a spring rain watering the earth. My supply is never ending, My Grace is always sufficient for you. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Do not fear, Beloved. Tears may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Your roots are deep in Me and My dew shall last all through the night until the Day dawns.

....Proverbs 19:12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but His favor is as dew upon the grass.

...Genesis 27:28 Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine.

...Micah 5:7 Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers on the grass, which delay not for a man nor wait for the children of man.
.
...Psalm 72:5Let them fear You while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May He come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. 7In His days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.

...Hosea 6:3 So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

...1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead--Jesus our Deliverer from the coming wrath.

...Job 29:19 My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch.

...1 Thessalonians 5:9For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

...2 Peter 1:19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

“There is sin in their homes, and they are polluted to the depths of their souls. But I will call upon the Lord to save me—and he will.”
—Psalm 55:15,16 (TLB)

The broken home has become the number one social problem of America, and could ultimately lead to the destruction of our civilization. Since the basic unit of any society is the home, when the home begins to break, the society is on the way to disintegration. It is a threat to the American way of life. It does not make screaming headlines; but, like termites, it is eating away at the heart and core of the American structure.

It is high time that our so-called experts on marriage, the family, and the home turn to the Bible. We have read newspaper columns and listened to counselors on the radio; psychiatrists have had a land-office business. In it all, the One who performed the first marriage in the Garden of Eden and instituted the union between man and wife has been left out.

Prayer for the day
I pray, Lord, for the homes in this beloved country. Without Your love and wisdom guiding us, our society will crumble.

“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).

God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you show God that you believe his promises. You believe he’s going to keep his word.

Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”

Some of you may feel bewildered right now. You’re bewildered about your marriage: “I’m praying for it to get better, but it’s not getting any better.” You’re bewildered about your career: “Do I go up, down, change jobs?” You’re bewildered about relationships. You may feel powerless and hopeless and like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own. You’re bewildered.

Don’t be discouraged! Don’t give up! Look up. Turn to prayer. I have had many, many requests in my life that I’ve prayed to God that have never been answered. I can think of one prayer that I have prayed almost every day for 24 years, and it hasn’t been answered. I don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer that prayer, and I don’t understand it. But I have decided this: Whether or not God ever answers that prayer, I am going to die believing his promises. Because God is a good God, and he knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand it.

When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple very important truths. First, God is in control, and you’re not. He knows better what you need than you do. There is no mountain too tall that he can’t move it. There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it. There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it. God is in control, and he has a plan.

The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience — if not in this world then in eternity.

“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).

Talk It Over

What promises of God can you claim while you wait for him to answer your prayer?
How has God shown his faithfulness to you in the past?
What do you expect God to do in your life? How do your expectations reflect his greatness?

But faith...worketh by love.

Galatians 5:6

I used to wonder why we believers didn't see more of the power of God operating among us than we do. With what we know about faith and the Word, it seemed to me signs and wonders and miracles should be happening all the time.

So, one day I asked, "Lord, why isn't the power of God turned up to a higher volume in the Church?"

Do you know what He said? He told me we weren't walking in enough love yet.

God wants us to have power. But first, He has to be sure we'll use that power in love. He wants to know that we won't take it and mix it with judgment and criticism and blast people out of the water.

Kenneth, He said, I can't afford to back your words with supernatural power in a church service on Sunday morning and then have you get on the freeway that night and lash out at someone because he pulled over into your lane. You'd blow him off the highway. I can't leave the power of Almighty God at a high volume in the mouth of an unmerciful fool.

Then He reminded me of a time I took my son, John, hunting. He was just a little guy at the time, barely big enough to keep his gun from knocking him on his back every time he'd pull the trigger. I was teaching him how to shoot, and he was coming along pretty well.

That day we were walking along out at Gloria's grandparents' farm and John spotted one of the biggest tarantula spiders I'd ever seen. It was clinging to the wall of the barn. When John saw that spider, he took aim. He was going to blow that bug away.

If I hadn't stopped him, he would have too. And it wouldn't have dawned on him until it was all over that he was going to blow a hole in the barn at the same time. From my grown-up perspective, I could see that would be foolishness. He couldn't. He was looking through the eyes of a child.

Do you want God to put a shotgun of spiritual power in your hand, so you can blow the works of the devil to kingdom come? Then focus on love. Pursue it. Practice it. Study it. Grow up in it. Then you'll see the power of God operating through you.

Scripture Reading:
Romans 13:8-14

Every day we each have to make choices. Some of them may be easy and some hard, but in the end, the choice we make may very well define who we are.

Just as we each have the choice to live of our own free will over living by God's will. Which ever you decide, will determine who you are and who you will be. Your thoughts, your words, your actions are what God hears, sees and knows.

And that will determine how He judges you and repays you, when that time comes. Do not take lightly the choices you make, for they may very well determine where and how you spend eternity.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
—Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

That sounds good, doesn’t it? I’ve had enough “heavy stuff” in my life, and I want to enjoy freedom. When you are overloaded with the cares of life you need some help. Your mind needs rest from worrying, your emotions need rest from being upset, and your will needs a rest from stubbornness and rebellion. So you need to be humble enough to call out to God and say, “I need help!” Your beginning doesn’t have to dictate your ending. Get God involved in every area of your life and allow Him to lead you into “real rest.”

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV

TODAY'S WORD:
One of the most amazing transformations in the Bible happened when Saul—former persecutor of Christians—encountered God on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9). After his encounter, he was so radically changed from the inside out that even his name was changed to Paul. He began preaching the gospel, and eventually, went on to write much of the New Testament.

When you have a supernatural encounter with Almighty God, something is going to happen. Something is going to be transformed inside of you and radiate out into every part of your being, affecting every part of your life!

Today, I want to encourage you to prepare your heart to expect God’s supernatural touch in your life. Open the eyes of your heart to Him. I pray that you experience God in such a way that every bondage is broken off of your life, and you are forever changed by a supernatural encounter with Him!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
"Father, right now I invite You to transform me into Your image. Search my heart and mind and remove anything that is displeasing to You. Show me Your glory. Reveal Yourself to me as I keep my heart and mind focused on You in Jesus’ name. Amen."

Isaiah 41:10—Fear thou not; for I am with thee:  be not dismayed; for I am thy God:  I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Satan Comes To Steal, Kill And Destroy But Christ Came That I Might Have And Enjoy Abundant Life
I am the righteousness of Christ.  No evil can harm me, for God has given me authority to overcome the power of the enemy.  I will not fear because God is with me.  He holds me with His victorious right hand of righteousness and justice.  As a servant of God, I have inherited peace, righteousness, security and triumph over the opposition.  No weapon formed against me shall prosper.  I overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony.

The devil roams around like a lion roaring in fierce hunger, seeking to seize and devour me, but I withstand the enemy and remain firm in my faith.  With God, I gain the victory.

There is no trial or temptation that comes to me that I cannot bear.  God is faithful to His Word and His compassionate nature.  He will not allow me to be tempted beyond my strength to resist or my power to endure.

The weapons of my warfare are not physical—of flesh and blood.  Rather, they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds.  When the enemy comes against me, I cry out to God, Who is my shelter and my refuge, a strong tower against my adversary.  You are always near to me, a very present help in trouble.

I count it all joy when trials and tribulations come my way, for the testing of my faith will produce patience.  I will stand the test and will be approved.  Thanks be to God, Who makes me a conqueror and give me victory in Christ Jesus.

Source:  Man of God 18 Days of Promise

Ecclesiastes 2:1-23

Not only was King Solomon the wisest man who ever lived (1 Kings 3:12); he was also blessed with wealth beyond imagination and the privilege of building God’s temple. So we might expect him to know deep contentment.

In searching for that profound fulfillment, Solomon devoted himself to exploring all kinds of things. Ecclesiastes tells us that he indulged in the pleasures of the world, even dabbling in pursuits he recognized as folly to see if there was anything worthwhile in them. But the satisfaction Solomon sought evaded him, and he concluded that self-indulgence was without value.

To feel content, the king tried another avenue: personal achievement. He undertook great projects, such as building houses for himself, improving the environment with gardens and parks, and carrying out an extensive irrigation project (Eccl. 2:4-6). The king had everything he could ever need to enjoy life, but in the end, he concluded it was all without meaning.

The story has a familiar ring, doesn’t it? Our world has many highly educated and successful people, but there is also much dissatisfaction. Our culture pursues pleasure and does not accept limits on its passions. Sadly, such lack of restraint has ruined countless lives.

Solomon possessed the wisdom and resources to accomplish whatever he decided to do. Yet the goals that he pursued brought no lasting contentment. He concluded that the best course was to obey God (Eccl. 12:13). True enjoyment comes only when we align ourselves with His will. Any other way is meaningless.

Bible in One Year: 1 Corinthians 11-13

Deuteronomy 28:4
“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

Would you want to buy a chair that Jesus made? I would, even if it cost US$1,000 because it would be of superb quality. Whatever Jesus did, He did it with perfect excellence.

And because Christ is in you, the things which you produce will be of exceptional quality too. That includes your children, who will be champions. Deuteronomy 28:4 says, “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks”.

God was using terms that the Israelites understood since they were farmers and shepherds. Today, “your ground” is the place of your work. This means that “the produce” of your work shall be of excellent quality.

That is not all. God promises that quantity will always follow quality because Deuteronomy 28:11 says that the Lord will “grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body,” which means that you will have plenty of children, “in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground,” which means that your business will flourish and you will be a leading producer in the area of your specialty.

My friend, your excellence and plenty do not come by your efforts. They come by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who paid for you to have divine provision—“though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich”. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Jesus was made destitute of all material things at the cross. He had nothing! As He hung on the cross, He watched the Roman soldiers gamble for His robe. His last possession on earth was gambled away. He became poor, so that you could be blessed with the excellent and the plenty!

Thought For The Day
Jesus was made destitute of all material things at the cross, so that you could be blessed with the excellent and the plenty!

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).

Do you know there’s something about us, the new creation, that the angels can’t get over? The angels are glorious and wonderful beings. They’re excellent in glory and mighty in power, but they’re amazed at what God has done with us, in us, and for us, because as glorious as they are, God doesn’t live in them, and as "unworthy" as we were, He gave us a new life and made us His living tabernacles. That remains a mystery to the angels; they don’t understand it. And guess what? God chose us to explain it to them.

The Church is to make the manifold wisdom of God known to them. That’s why each time we preach about Jesus, and about the Holy Ghost, the angels love to listen. They enjoy it; they want to know more about the salvation that Jesus brought to man, because it’s something that they only know from the scriptures. They don’t have an actual experience of it. They don’t know what it’s like; so, they hear it from us. That’s what the Apostle Paul alludes to in our opening verse when he says, "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians 3:10).

It is, indeed, a great privilege and honour for us as the Church of Jesus Christ to explain God’s wisdom and mysteries to the angels. Now, if that’s part of our responsibility, it means we have to know the Word. We have to live in the Word and live out the Word. In other words, you have to be the expression of the Word of God; and that’s real Christianity. It’s the expression of God’s Word; the revelation of His righteousness and His personality. We’re His epistles.

2 Corinthians 3:2 says, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men…." The epistle of Christ is the Word of Christ. The Word of Christ is the Word of God. So, we’re the epistles of Christ in flesh, which means we’re the Word of God in flesh, just like Jesus. True Christianity is the outworking of the Word in me and in you. Hallelujah!

Prayer

Dear Father, I thank you for your Word is my life and it makes my heart rejoice. Your commandment is pure, enlightening the soul. Your Word is more to be desired than fine gold, and it’s sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. As I meditate and yield to your Word, my life is transformed from glory to glory, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

further study: 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Peter 1:12

: 1 John 1-2:1-14 E zekiel 43-44

Beloved. Hear the Lion of Judah roaring over you. He who is a Lamb is a Lion. I am that I am. The end of a matter is better than its beginning. This I have declared to be truth. I will not leave anything "undone" before I come. When I make a promise, it is as good as gold.

All of My promises are Yes and Amen through the Blood of the Lamb. I have declared,"It is finished." And it is so, My Child. I know you and I have seen your patience. Despite many tears and through much pain, you have not given up. You have held fast to the profession of your faith without wavering. Even when the enemy sought to devour you, still you held fast to that which was good. I am faithful over your house, Beloved.

My lovingkindnesses indeed never cease. My compassions fail not, they are new every morning. I am your portion. Your hope in Me shall NEVER, no NEVER disappoint. The prideful shall continue to scoff until the end, Dear One. But your Glory days are ahead, My Bride. The true Lion has risen up and is roaring "Victory in Jesus!" I have declared the end from the beginning. You shall see My Glory manifest in your life. I shall uphold you by the word of MY POWER. Fear not, Beloved. The God of Glory is thundering!

...Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
...Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised.

...John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

...Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

...Psalm 29:3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. 4The voice of the LORD is powerful,The voice of the LORD is majestic.
...1 Thessalonians 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.

...Hebrews 3:6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.

...Lamentations 3:22The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him.

...Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

...Romans 5:5 Such hope [in God’s promises] never disappoints us, because God’s love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15:7

That word abide is so important. When Jesus told us to obey His commandments and keep His Word, He wasn't just telling us to follow a bunch of religious rules and regulations.

He was telling us to allow His Word—which is a living thing!—to make its home within us. He was telling us to spend time with it, to meditate on it, to fill our minds and our mouths with it, and to let it guide our every action.

The Apostle Paul put it this way, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Colossians 3:16). Most believers don't have any idea what that means. That's one of the reasons they're so short on power.

Oral Roberts once said that when the Word is really abiding in you, when it's alive and producing like it should, you can hear it. You know what it's like when you get a song on your mind and you just keep hearing it over and over inside you? Well, when you start abiding in the Word, you're probably going to hear it in much that same way.

Many times, I've been in desperate situations, wondering what I was going to do when suddenly I'd hear a scripture down on the inside of me. Suddenly, I'd know exactly what the answer to my situation was. I'd be delivered by the Word of God that was dwelling in me.

So, invite the Holy Spirit to go to work on your behalf. Just keep telling Him, "Whatever You bring to my remembrance from the Word is exactly what I'm going to act on. I'm going to be obedient to every command of Jesus that You bring to mind."

Make a quality decision to abide in the Word. You'll soon discover that the Word is abiding in you.

Scripture Reading:
Colossians 3:1-16

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings . . .
—Philippians 3:10

W.C. Burns of India wrote, “Oh to have a martyr’s heart, if not a martyr’s crown.” Popularity and adulation are far more dangerous for the Christian than persecution. It is easy, when all goes smoothly, to lose our sense of balance and our perspective. The important thing is to walk with Christ, to live for Christ, and to have one consuming passion—to please Him. Then, whatever happens, we know that He has permitted it in order to teach us some priceless lesson and to perfect us for His service. He will enrich our circumstances, be they pleasant or disagreeable, by the fact of His presence with us.

Prayer for the day
Lord, my soul wants to love and know You far more deeply. Forgive the times I have set my eyes on things that keep me from You.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (Psalm 37:7a NLT, second edition).

What does God want you to do while you’re waiting on an answer to your prayer?

Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (NLT, second edition). God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer.

Have you noticed that we don’t mind waiting as long as we can grumble while we wait? We don’t mind waiting in the DMV line as long as we can gripe and complain about how lousy and unorganized the government is.

But God says, “Be still.”

Like little 2-year-olds, we get the spiritual wiggles while we’re waiting for God to answer a prayer. We get nervous and restless. We want to jump up and do something. But God says, “Wait patiently. Be still. Watch me act. Don’t get restless, don’t get nervous, and don’t try to take matters into your own hands.”

And, don’t ever make Abraham’s mistake in the Old Testament of trying to be the answer to your own prayer. It will cause all kinds of problems! One day God told Abraham that he was going to make him the father of a great nation. There were only two problems: Abraham was 99 years old, and he was childless. Abraham looked at his own body and said, “No way, José!” And he looked at his wife Sarah, who was infertile, and said, “Double no way! It ain’t gonna happen.”

So Abraham took matters into his own hands and had a baby with his wife’s maid, Hagar. Abraham said, “Here’s my answer to prayer! I’ve got a son at 99. His name is Ishmael.” God said, “No, no. You missed the point. That’s not my answer to prayer. That’s your answer to prayer. I’ve got a miracle boy who’s coming, and Sarah’s going to be the mom. You’re going to name him Isaac.” Isaac means “laughter.” When Sarah was told that she was going to be pregnant, the Bible says she laughed because she didn’t believe God.

But God had the last laugh. Isaac was born, and it started an intense rivalry between him and Ishmael that we’re still paying for today. The tense relationship between Jews and Arabs all began because Abraham tried to answer his own prayer request.

Whenever you try to answer your own prayer, you’re asking for trouble. Instead, wait patiently, and watch God act.

Talk It Over

What can you do to help you focus on God while you’re patiently waiting?
What are your tendencies when you are waiting on God to act? What do you do after you request something of him in prayer?
How have you grown spiritually during a time when you had to wait on God?

Memorise: 
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalms 32:1

Read: John 8:10-11 (KJV)
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.


Bible in one year: 
Exodus 9:1-10:20,
Psalms 112

Message:
The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery is typical of the mercy of God and it was in direct contradiction with the judgement of the old era which did not give remedy to the spiritual problem of the people. Open Heaven Wednesday 30 November 2016:- Mercy or Judgement? Psalms 130:3-4 says:

“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”

This passage is a pointer to the fact that mercy is the preferred alternative to judgment. No matter how perfect you may think you are, you do not need to be asked whether you want to give consideration to judgment when there is room for mercy. However, mercy does not come on a platter of gold. The number one thing you must do to obtain mercy is to repent. Proverbs 28:13 says:

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Another factor that can earn you mercy in the place of judgment is your love for God. This love you have for God will prevent you from continuing in sin against Him. Exodus 20:5-6 says:

“….for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto them third and fourth generation of the that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ corroborates what His Father says in the scripture above when He demands love and practical demonstration of it from his followers. He said in John 14:21:

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, land will manifest myself to him.”

Beloved, if indeed, you prefer mercy to judgment, you will choose to love God. [Open Heavens Devotional 2016] To love God requires keeping His commandments. Finally, if you want mercy in the place of judgment, you need to humble yourself before God, acknowledging the fact that you are nothing without Him.

Prayer Point
Father, please show me mercy in the place of judgment. Help me to love you with all my heart.

Open Heavens Daily written by Pastor E.A Adeboye

As we go through each day we need to always remember to put our trust in God, to surrender to his will. We were created by our Father in Heaven for a purpose.

He breathed life into each of us so that we may live and become all he created us to be. Unfortunately, today's society, today's world is destroying all that he created and in doing so, many are losing their way.

Each and every one of us need to live our lives as God intended and when needed, step out in Faith.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption . . .
—Ephesians 4:30

I take a verse such as Ephesians 4:30 very seriously—I certainly do not want to “grieve the Holy Spirit” and I know you don’t either. But how do we avoid doing it?

Reading the verses surrounding verse 30 makes it clear that one thing that grieves the Holy Spirit is when people mistreat one another. Consider that:

In verse 29 we are encouraged to edify others with the words or our mouth.
Verse 31 exhorts us not to be bitter, angry, or contentious and to beware of slander, spite, and ill will.
In verse 32 we are told to be kind to one another, forgiving readily and freely.
When we realize it grieves the Holy Spirit when we are sharp or hateful with someone, or when we stay angry with someone, we will look to change.

I encourage you to ask God to help you see others the way He sees them. Ask Him to give you the kindness and patience you need to deal gently and lovingly with the people in your life, especially those who are unkind or difficult to be around. God will be pleased when He sees you have a heart attitude that wants to love and bless others.