The Midnight Cry Revival Lesson 4 Revelation's Answer for Society's by Pastor Dr. Sam Amfo, Jr.

The Midnight Cry Revival Lesson 3 Revelation's Source of Spiritual Power by Pastor Dr. Sam Amfo, Jr.

The Midnight Cry Revival Lesson 2 Revelation's Biggest Surprise by Pastor Dr. Sam Amfo, Jr.

Braggin’ Rights by Joe Stowell

“Rejoice in the Lord!” Philippians 3:1 When Paul advised the Philippians that they should “rejoice in the Lord” he wasn’t telling them to be 24/7 “happy in Jesus” smile machines. I don’t know about you, but people who walk around with a forced “Praise Jesus” smile bother me! I want to throw the Book at them and say, “Jesus wept! What do you think about that?” For sure, Jesus provides deep inner peace and courage in the midst of troubling times. But it’s just a little discouraging to be around some Christians who put on a happy face and deny the reality of the pain and hurt that life inevitably dishes out. So I’m glad that Paul wasn’t asking us to join the forces of these Pollyanna deniers of life as it really is. What he was saying is that we need to stop rejoicing in ourselves and start living to rejoice in the Lord, which is a far more challenging issue given the fact that we instinctively like to rejoice in who we are and what we have done. What I find fascinating—and somewhat convicting—is that Paul was addressing Christians who were rejoicing in themselves because they thought they were better than most other Christians. They were keepers of the Levitical law. These Judaizers obviously hadn’t read Hebrews, where we are told that Jesus fulfilled all the law, putting an end to the need for jumping through all the Levitical hoops. Nevertheless, they were really proud of themselves for their back-slapping good lives. Which is a really good word for all of us rule-keepers who tend to become proud of how spit-polished we are compared to others. Beware: the better you are, the worse you may become! So, to drive his point home, Paul made a list of his bragging rights. They may not seem all that cool to you, but in his day they were worthy of lots of applause. In fact, there wasn’t a Judaizer who could out-class Paul. Then, after listing his accomplishments, he made a surprising statement. He said that all that stuff was like “dung” (Philippians 3:8 The Message) compared to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus! Paul knew that you can’t be taken with yourself and with Jesus at the same time. So he chose Jesus as the one to rejoice in, while his list of “bragging rights” went up in smoke. Paul knew that the focus of his attention would either be himself or Jesus and that you can’t have it both ways. He chose Jesus. So let’s get started on being a lot more enthused with Jesus than we are with ourselves. Make a list of the things that make you feel too cool about yourself—including your religious accomplishments—and rip it up! Start living to rejoice in Jesus, whose unfailing love, mercy, and grace poured out on your life is far better than anything you could even begin to bring to the table. When I was growing up, my dad had a little plaque on his desk that said, “Not I but Christ!” I think my Dad was on to something! YOUR JOURNEY… What types of things make you feel proud? Your accomplishments? Your possessions? Your experiences? Do you think you need to be a 24/7 “smile machine” for Jesus? How does Paul’s perspective in Philippians 3:1-21 help you? Does it change your understanding of what it means to rejoice in Jesus and His accomplishments rather than your own? Read what God has to say about our bragging rights in Jeremiah 9:24. Is there something about Him that you can boast about today? Ask the Lord to rip up the pride of your heart and replace it with a greater appreciation for His accomplishments in your life! Categories: Attitudes, Character, Choices, Christian life, Decisions, Humility, Joy, Pride, Thinking, Wisdom Tags: choices, decisions, Humility, Joy, Pride, thinking, wisdom

The Debate

So our pastor told everybody that there was not a scripture where they worship on the first day of the week. The only scripture they gave on the first day of the week was when they collected the offering (1 Corinthians 16:1). He claimed that he was going to give someone a thousand dollars if they could prove him wrong. I gave him the scripture Acts 20:7. Both him and an elder claimed that when they broke bread it was them having supper instead of the Lord's supper. Also, that they never worship even though Paul was preaching. Update-I also gave him Isaiah 66:23 which states that they worship on the New Moon. He claims that the New Moon was also the Sabbath even though it stated in that same verse Sabbath separated from the New Moon. I don't know why people especially pastors won't admit when they are wrong. This is not the first pastor that I confronted that wanted to argue around the facts instead of acknowledging them and they wonder why there is chaos in the world.

Loving And Knowing by Julie Ackerman Link

In a novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, one of the characters, speaking of New York’s Empire State Building, said, “I know this building because I love this building.” That statement caused me to think about the relationship between love and knowledge. Whenever we love something, we want to know everything about it. When we love a place, we want to explore every inch of it. When we love a person, we want to know every detail of his or her life. We want to know what he likes, how she spends her time, where he grew up, who her friends are, what he believes. The list is endless. But some of us want to be loved without allowing ourselves to be known. We’re afraid that we won’t be loved if we are truly known. We don’t have to worry about that with God. His love is far superior to ours: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Furthermore, He makes Himself known to us. Through creation, Scripture, and Christ, God reveals His character and His love. Because God loves us in spite of our imperfections, we can safely confess our faults to Him. With God, we need not fear being known. That’s why to know God is to love Him. Be still and know that He is God For pathways steep and rough, Not what He brings, but what He is Will always be enough. —Anon. There is no greater joy than to know that God loves us.

Get a Haircut by Joe Stowell

“These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” Matthew 15:8 There we were, sitting in the middle of a statewide meeting for ministry leaders when the pastor of a large church leaned over and said to me, “You know, Joe, your hair is too long for you to be able to sing in my choir!” Actually there were probably better reasons that I couldn’t sing in his church choir, but I just smiled and said, “Oh really?” The guy, who in so many words had told me to “get a haircut,” was a household name in our denomination, was nationally sought after as a preacher, and was what every aspiring minister hoped he could become. So, given how strict he was, you can imagine how shocked I was to later hear that he abandoned his church and family to move in with a woman he had been counseling. I want to be careful not to sound holier-than-thou, but there is an important lesson here. If we are not careful, we can conform to a bunch of rules that keep us looking good on the outside while ignoring the condition of our hearts. It’s like buying good-looking peaches only to find out that when you cut them open they are bad on the inside. Jesus confronted this “we’re-OK-because-we-keep-our-rules” attitude when the Pharisees pointed out that the disciples were not washing their hands before they ate. It’s not like the Pharisees were worried about any kind of sanitary issue. No, they had their tunics in a twist because the disciples were breaking a tradition, that is, not following their rules. I’m sure you could have heard a pin drop when Jesus stopped them cold by saying to these keepers of man-made rules, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’” (Matthew 15:7-8). What a gut-wrenching indictment! So in light of Jesus’ strong words on this point, how do we know when our hearts are far from God? One of the ways we know is when we see our Christianity in terms of the externals. Authentic Christianity is not about the right haircut, being at church every time the doors are opened, serving as an elder or using all of the “Christianese” lingo known to man. You can be all cleaned up on the outside while pride, jealousy, greed, and a dozen other internal demons happily feast on your heart. Let’s remember that “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Jesus longs to have a real heart-to-heart connection with us that expresses our love to Him in heartfelt acts of devotion instead of just living a life of dutifully keeping all the rules. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:3, “If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” My pastor friend found that he ended up with nothing when his heart was far from God—no ministry, no family, no devoted relationship with God. Fortunately, he repented and ended up reconciling with his wife. He would be the first to tell you that a true love for Christ cannot be replaced by a squeaky clean record of conduct according to “the rules.” When we let the rules rule, our faith is reduced to something like grocery shopping—it’s just another thing on our list of things to do. So the choice is yours. Your life can be all about the burdensome duties of your Christianity or about the blessings of a heart that is devoted to Jesus. And, by the way, if your heart belongs to Jesus, the rules will take care of themselves! YOUR JOURNEY… Pray and ask God to give you His perspective on the man-made rules in your life. Does He want you to follow them as a sign of respect to people in authority, for the safety of others, for your own safety? Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. List five or six of God’s rules in one column and five or six man-made rules in the other column. How are God’s rules different from man-made rules? When you interact with people, are you more concerned with what’s on the outside or what’s inside? How does this compare with God’s perspective? Categories: Character, Christian life, Christlikeness, Criticism, Hypocrisy, Judging, Legalism, Lifestyle Issues, Relating To God, Relating To Others, Relationships, Submission Tags: Christlikeness, criticism, Hypocrisy, Judging, Legalism, submission

The Campaign by Anne Cetas

Each year young people in our community participate in a “Be Nice” campaign spearheaded by a mental health organization. In one of the events in 2012, 6,000 students spelled out the words BE NICE with their bodies on their schools’ sports fields. One principal said, “We want students to come to school and learn without the distraction of fear or sadness or uneasiness around their peers. We are working hard to make sure students are lifting each other up, rather than tearing each other down.” Paul desired that the people in the church at Rome would have an even higher standard of love. Both the strong and weak in the faith were judging and showing contempt for each other (Rom. 14:1-12). They despised one another as they argued about what foods were permissible to eat (vv.2-3) and what holidays they should observe (vv.5-6). Paul challenged them: “Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another” (v.19). He reminded them that their hearts should be concerned with pleasing others, not pleasing themselves. He said, “Even Christ did not please Himself” (15:3); He served. Join the campaign that loves others despite our differences—you’ll bring praise to God (v.7). Dear Lord, I want to be a person who is kind and loving to others. Please help me to use words that will build others up and bring praise and glory to Your name. Kindness is simply love flowing out in little gentlenesses.

The Midnight Cry Revival Day 1-Midnight Cry by Pastor Dr. Sam Amfo, Jr.

Bible Made Simple: Daily Action Plan for the Armor of God

Bible Made Simple: Daily Action Plan for the Armor of God

Bible Made Simple: The Purpose of Marriage

Bible Made Simple: The Purpose of Marriage

What Do You Think of Jesus? by Joe Stowell

“Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15 When Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?”—He wasn’t having an identity crisis nor was He feeling insecure about His reputation. He passed out the quiz to see whether or not the disciples had come to grips with who He really was, or, if they too, like the rest of the crowds, had misperceived His true identity. It’s a good quiz to take, because if you and I don’t perceive Jesus as He really is, we just may get our Christianity twisted and headed in the wrong direction. So ask yourself, “Who do I think Jesus is?” There are lots of ways to look at the question: theologically, historically, culturally, redemptively, spiritually, or experientially. But for starters, let’s ask in terms of how you perceive Him as a person when He comes to mind. This is not a throwaway issue! How you envision Him has a lot to do with whether or not you’ll want to follow Him. And following Him is at the very heart of a fulfilling relationship with Him. If you grew up in Sunday school world, you saw a lot of Sunday school papers with pictures of Jesus in a neatly pressed white robe, nice sandals, and a well-trimmed beard. It was easy to draw the conclusion that Jesus is a kind, softhearted, merciful, and deferring kind of guy. And, thankfully, He is all those things. But if that’s all He is to you, He won’t seem very compelling. You might think, “Nice guy, but I’m not sure I’d want to go on a fishing trip with Him!” Yet a brief look at who found Him to be compelling will correct our often distorted view of Jesus. Rough fishermen like James, John, Peter, and Andrew dropped their nets to follow Him. These were guys who would have had fading tattoos on their bulging biceps, and rugged, sea-worn faces. Simon the Zealot, a member of the underground resistance force, was committed to give his life if necessary to overthrow the oppressive regime of Rome. He traded in his Uzis and fatigues to join the Jesus revolution. And Matthew, the ruthless tax collector, found Jesus a far more compelling option for life than continuing to get rich at other peoples’ expense. Women felt safe with Him and adoringly followed and supported Him. So, take it from those who knew Him best. They gave up everything and followed Him to a whole new way of life. A life where the power of love is courageous enough to forgive; where the joy of generosity trumps the withering grip of greed; where others’ needs and interests capture the attention of our hearts; where cross-bearing is an honor; where the poor, marginalized, and oppressed find refuge and significance. So, what do you think of Jesus? Seeing Him as He really is will make you ready to drop “whatever” in order to follow Him. And, come to think of it, I’d love to go fishing with Him! I might just end up being quite different in a lot of good ways if I spent more time with Him! Your Journey… What has been your impression of Jesus? Have you seen Him as so compelling that you are willing to drop anything that gets in the way of following Him? Would you forgive for Him? Give your money to the poor and needy for Him? Stop gossiping for Him? Live for eternity for Him? Work well at the office for Him even though your boss is weird and unreasonable? Categories: Basics Of Faith, birth, Humanity, Jesus Christ, Life Example, Role Of, Savior Tags: birth, Humanity, Life Example, role of, Savior

From Tradition to Truth by Gloria Copeland

FROM FAITH TO FAITH -- DAILY DEVOTIONALSEARCH October 18, 2013 From Tradition to Truth Gloria Copeland Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. – Psalm 103:2-5 Is there actually a divine purpose behind the bad things that happen in your life? Could it be that the sicknesses and calamities you experience are somehow a part of God's plan for you? Before you can ever begin to experience the healing, delivering power of God, you've got to know the answer to those questions. You have to settle them once and for all. If you even suspect that God is the source of your misfortunes, you won't be able to believe Him for deliverance from them. Your faith will be crippled because you'll think that by escaping those things, you'll be opposing His will. In order to receive all the benefits God desires to give you, you must be absolutely sure that He is a good God. You must be certain that His will for you is health, not sickness; prosperity, not poverty; happiness, not sorrow-- 100 percent of the time! Psalm 103 alone is enough to prove that's true. But if it's not enough to convince you, there are many others too. One of the best known verses is Psalm 136:1 that says, "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." If religious traditions have robbed you of the goodness of God, if it's taught you He brings trouble into your life so He can teach you something, start today washing those traditions away with the truth. Get out your Bible and let God Himself tell you through His own Word that He is the God that heals you (Exod. 15:26). Dig into the Scriptures and discover for yourself that He is a God of mercy (Ps. 86:5), loving-kindness (Jer. 9:24), and compassion (Ps. 145:8). Put your doubts to rest and open your heart to receive the truth about your heavenly Father. It's the only thing that can truly set you free. Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:1-28 © 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.

The End? Joe Stowell

Everything in this world eventually comes to an end, which at times can be disheartening. It’s the feeling you get when you read a book that’s so good you don’t want it to end. Or when you watch a movie that you wish would go on a little while longer. But all things—good and bad—do come to “The End.” In fact, life ultimately does come to the end—sometimes sooner than we expect. All of us who have stood by the casket of a loved one know the painful emptiness of a heart that wishes it wasn’t over yet. Thankfully, Jesus steps into the fray of terminal disappointments, and, through His death and resurrection, He interjects hope for us. In Him “the end” is a prelude to a death-free eternity, and words like “it’s over” are replaced by a joy-filled “forever.” Since our bodies are not an eternal reality, Paul assures us that “we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51) and reminds us that because of Christ’s conquering work we can confidently say, “O Death, . . . where is your victory?” (v.55). So let not your heart be troubled. Our sorrow is real, but we can be filled with gratitude because God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.57). Lord, keep our eyes and hearts fixed not on the temporary joys or disappointments but on the victorious realities of eternity. Thank You for Your death and resurrection that guarantee our forever future. In Christ, the end is only the beginning.

The Heart of a King by Kenneth Copeland

FROM FAITH TO FAITH -- DAILY DEVOTIONALSEARCH October 15, 2013 The Heart of the King Kenneth Copeland The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. – Proverbs 21:1 Think about that for a moment! God has reserved the right to override the will of a nation's leader, if need be, to see that His people are governed according to His will. What's more, God will hear the prayer of any government leader. Even if he's the worst reprobate in the whole world. He heard the prayer of old King Nebuchadnezzar. Believe me, that means He'll listen to any leader! You see, Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon. He was an ungodly ruler of an ungodly nation. However, he'd taken captives from the land of Judah. He had some of God's people under his authority. So, God began to deal with him. Again and again, God warned him, "Nebuchadnezzar, you're going to lose your mind if you don't straighten up." And, sure enough, he went just as crazy as could be. He stayed that way for years too. Then one day he cried out to God and God heard him. Despite his status as a heathen king of a heathen nation, God intervened repeatedly in Nebuchadnezzar's life and heard him when he finally cried out for help. Why? Because he had God's people under his rule! That same principle still holds true today. If we'll open the way through prayer, God will deal with our leaders! If we will humble ourselves in unity and pray, God can change the injustice and corruption that exist in our country, or any country for that matter. He'll change the hearts of everyone from the White House on down to make sure His children are governed justly. Make it a point to pray for our leaders today! Scripture Reading: Daniel 4:1-37 © 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.

Souljournaler: God Haters: Darkened Hearts & Reprobate Minds

Souljournaler: God Haters: Darkened Hearts & Reprobate Minds: I can already hear the accusations of "paranoid Bible-thumper", "intolerance" and "ignorant" and maybe even ...

From Religion to Reality by Kenneth Copeland

FROM FAITH TO FAITH -- DAILY DEVOTIONALSEARCH October 13, 2013 From Religion to Reality Kenneth Copeland For [God] hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. – 2 Corinthians 5:21 When you were born again, you weren't half-reborn, you weren't made half-righteous or a quarter righteous. You were made the righteousness of God in Christ! You were made a "joint-heir with Him." According to Strong's Concordance that word joint-heir refers to a personal equality based on an equality of possession. Jesus went to the Cross to give you what He already possessed. He rose again so you could be recreated in His image. You are the victory of Almighty God! You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. You are everything to the Father that Jesus is. John 17:23 actually says that God loves you as much as He loves Jesus. Once you dare to accept that fact, your life will forever be changed. You'll no longer be satisfied to just sit around whining and wishing things were different. You'll want to step up to the position of authority that Jesus has given you, to take your rightful place beside Him and learn to operate the way He does. As His people, we are everything to God that Jesus is. If you'll receive that message, if you'll dare to believe it, if you'll dare to put it into action, it will radically alter your life. It will take you from religion to reality! Scripture Reading: John 17:16-26 © 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.

Making Hell Happy by Joe Stowell

“I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 I was guest preaching at a church when a woman who had waited in line to talk to me told me that she was thinking about leaving the church because the pastor had joined a country club. And apparently, someone had spotted him there on a Sunday morning. “Why wasn’t he in church?” she indignantly asked me as though I should have the answer. I happened to know the pastor well—and I knew that he was on vacation at the time, so my educated guess was that he had attended a service the night before. I mentioned this and also told her that regardless of anything else, her church was doing an amazing job of impacting the community for Christ, so she should rejoice in the big picture and stay on board. The timing was interesting. I had just finished preaching on avoiding the distractions that get us off the main task of being united in taking the redemptive power of Jesus into our world. And while I don’t want to get into a food fight with anyone who thinks that pastors shouldn’t join country clubs, I must admit that I am a little short-fused with how quickly we go after each other when it’s the gates of hell that we should be assaulting. In Christ’s day, He faced groups who were all tangled up in major distractions. There were those who thought that political overthrow would bring in the kingdom of God. These “zealots,” as they were called, would have gladly spilled their blood in the streets to overthrow the oppressive regime of Rome. They remind me of a lot of American Christians who believe that if only we can get our nation to be Christian again through political overthrow we will be in good shape. What a major distraction! The only way that we are going to win America, or any other country for that matter, is to win people to the saving work of Jesus one person at a time. Our mission is not to save a nation but to save those living in the nation. Don’t forget that when Simon the Zealot met Jesus, he changed agendas and became one of the 12. He joined the right revolution (Mark 3:18)! Then there were the Essenes who believed that they should withdraw from the world (they definitely wouldn’t have joined a country club!), because they felt that the only way to remain safe and pure was to cloister in closed communities until the Messiah came. This way they could be certain that no defiling influence would tarnish their lives. They carried it to such an extreme that they refused to have anyone who was lame, blind, or in any way physically handicapped in their groups. What a difference from Jesus’ mission to engage this world with the love of His rescuing power! He crashed the gates of hell by spending time with sinners. And while it irritated a lot of religious folk, He was undaunted in His resolve to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Some may even be at the country club—hmm. In spite of Jesus’ example, there are still a few people around today who think that separating from the world and its sinners will make us ready for Jesus’ return. They are gate lockers, not gate crashers! It seems to me that Satan doesn’t really care about whether or not we call ourselves Christians. All he needs to do is to distract us by getting us to throw rocks at each other or to somehow adjust the mission away from crashing the gates of hell. I’m sure he’s happy not having to worry about who is busting down his gates to set the captives free. So let’s not give hell something to be happy about! YOUR JOURNEY… Are you like the Zealots or the Essenes? Write down a few things you could do to more fully engage your world for Christ. Pray and ask the Lord to give you a heart that is willing to connect with people on His behalf. Incorporate 2 Peter 1:5-8 in your prayer. Are you throwing rocks at fellow Christians over relatively insignificant things? Repent, and join the Jesus revolution! Categories: Basics Of Faith, Criticism, Future Prophecy, Hell, Judging, Love For, Peacemakers, Relating To Others, Relationships, Spirit World, Spiritual Warfare Tags: criticism, Hell, Judging, Love For, Peacemakers, spiritual warfare

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God Provides, But How? by Julie Ackerman Link

Outside my office window, the squirrels are in a race against winter to bury their acorns in a safe, accessible place. Their commotion amuses me. An entire herd of deer can go through our back yard and not make a sound, but one squirrel sounds like an invasion. The two creatures are different in another way as well. Deer do not prepare for winter. When the snow comes they eat whatever they can find along the way (including ornamental shrubs in our yard). But squirrels would starve if they followed that example. They would be unable to find suitable food. The deer and the squirrel represent ways that God cares for us. He enables us to work and save for the future, and He meets our need when resources are scarce. As the wisdom literature teaches, God gives us seasons of plenty so that we can prepare for seasons of need (Prov. 12:11). And as Psalm 23 says, the Lord leads us through perilous places to pleasant pastures. Another way that God provides is by instructing those with plenty to share with those in need (Deut. 24:19). So when it comes to provision, the message of the Bible is this: Work while we can, save what we can, share what we can, and trust God to meet our needs. Thank You, Lord, for the promise that You will meet our needs. Help us not to fear or doubt. We’re grateful that You’re watching over us and that our cries for help reach Your ear. Our needs will never exhaust God’s supply.

A New Career by Joe Stowell

"Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." Matthew 4:22 For some guys, the annual fishing trip is the highlight of their calendar. They stay in cozy cabins and spend long days fishing just for the fun of it. You can be sure it wasn’t that way for the disciples. They weren’t on vacation when they met Jesus. Fishing was their career. Our careers often demand much of our time and attention. But Jesus has an interesting way of interrupting our business-as-usual agenda. In fact, He invites us to join His business. Notice the sequence of His statement to the fishermen: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). We are tempted to think that we should make something of our lives and at the same time follow Jesus. Wrong! He calls us first to follow Him, and then He makes something of our lives. He leads us to prioritize so that we see the needs of people and their eternity as the goal of all our endeavors. And while God may not require you to give up your career, following Him will guarantee that you will never see your career in the same way again. Where you “fish” is not important. But if you follow, you must fish. What are you waiting for? Drop your nets, follow Him, and let Him make something of your life. “Take up your cross,” the Savior said, “If you would My disciple be; Take up your cross with willing heart And humbly follow after Me.” —Everest Drop your nets and follow Jesus. Categories: discipleship, Guidance, Leading, Relating To God, Relationships Tags: discipleship, Guidance, Leading, relating to God

A Dangerous Challenge by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

While millions watched on television, Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a 1,800-foot wire that was only 5 inches in diameter. He took all the precautions he could. But adding to the drama and danger of both the height and the rushing water below, a thick mist obscured Nik’s sight, wind threatened his balance, and spray from the falls challenged his footing. Amid—and perhaps because of—these perils, he said that he “prayed a lot” and praised God. The Israelites also praised God in the middle of a dangerous challenge. Theirs involved a large group of warriors who had gathered to fight them (2 Chron. 20:2). After humbly asking God for help, King Jehoshaphat appointed a choir to march out into battle in front of the Israelite army. The worshipers sang: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (v.21). When they began to sing, the Lord caused the enemy forces to attack and destroy each other. Praising God in the midst of a challenge may mean overriding our natural instincts. We tend toward self-protection, strategizing, and worry. However, worshiping can guard our hearts against troubling thoughts and self-reliance. It reminds us of the lesson the Israelites learned: “The battle is not [ours], but God’s” (v.15). Lord, I praise You, for Your mercy is everlasting. Help me to remember that every battle in this life is Yours. The outcome belongs to You because You are sovereign. No matter what is in front of us, God is always behind us.

Outer Court by Rod Parsley

The Outer Court Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalms 100:4 The outer court of the Tabernacle is the easiest level to access-it is designed to minister to the needs of your flesh in relationship with God. Located outdoors, the outer court represents a level of prayer in which you thank Him for the things you can see and touch... such as your health, your family and your daily bread. Scripture says you are to enter the gates of the Tabernacle with thanksgiving in your heart: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name" (Psalms 100:4). Praising Him is the first step toward entering the presence of God. Where is your relationship with God today? It may not be easy to just wake up and start praising the Lord, but that is what you need to do every moment of every day. Take the time right now to express your gratitude to the Lord. Write it down. It doesn't matter how long it is-what matters is that you express your heart before the Lord. If you are going to see God's glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead you into His throne room. Further Reading Philippians 4:6-8 Psalms 100 Psalms 103 God Bless,

God Is a Good God by Gloria Copeland

PURSUIT OF HIS PRESENCE -- DAILY DEVOTIONALSEARCH October 4, 2013 God Is a Good God Gloria Copeland Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. – James 1:17 The simple message that God is good often worries traditional, religious people. It bothers them when faith preachers say that God wants His people healed, prosperous and blessed in every way. I realize that sounds strange, but it has always been true. Years ago, when Oral Roberts first began preaching, a fellow minister complained, “I wish he wouldn’t preach that God is a good God,” he said. “People will get the wrong idea!” That minister was afraid, like so many are today, that people will hear that message and start expecting too much. They think gullible people will get the idea that God wants us all to live like kings. Personally, I’m not afraid of that, because that’s what the Bible teaches. When I say the Bible teaches it, I’m not talking about a few isolated scriptures. God’s will and plan to bless His people can be seen from Genesis to Revelation. If you’ll read the Book, you’ll see that man has never had to shout up at heaven and say, “Hey God, I want to be blessed so let’s make a deal. I’ll do these certain things—and You give me good things in return. How about it?” No, that’s a scene you’ll never see in the Bible because God always beats man to the punch. Blessing was originally His idea! That’s because He is good! He is totally innocent and pure, untouched by evil. So everything He creates is the same way. God created the earth and every good thing in it as a gift for man. And when it was finished, “the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Genesis 2:8). I want you to know, man had it made in the Garden. He had close communion with God Himself. Man’s every need and desire was abundantly supplied. He had perfect food, an ideal temperature, beautiful surroundings and even a perfect wife! And Eve had a perfect husband. If you want to see how blessed God wants us to be, just look at the Garden. That was His perfect will for man. That’s how He wanted us to live. All man had to do to remain in that blessed environment was believe and obey the Word of God. God never changes. He has always operated just like He did in the Garden. He wants us to live in continual blessing. And all we have to do is believe Him and obey His Word. Don’t listen to the devil like Adam and Eve did. Tell him to get out of your garden! Then live in the land of blessing, worshiping your God, who is a good God! Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:7-25 © 1999 Kenneth Copeland Ministries All rights reserved.

Immeasurably More by Julie Ackerman Link

“It’s not going to happen, Aunt Julie. You might as well erase that thought from your mind.” “I know it’s unlikely,” I said. “But it’s not impossible.” For several years, my niece and I have had variations of that conversation regarding a situation in our family. The rest of the sentence, which I said only occasionally, was this: “I know it can happen because I hear stories all the time about how God makes impossible things happen.” The part of the sentence I said only to myself was this: “But they happen only in other people’s families.” Recently my pastor has been preaching from the book of Ephesians. At the end of every service we say this benediction: “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21 niv). This was the year God chose to do “immeasurably more” in my family. He replaced indifference with love. How did He do it? Beats me. But I saw it happen. And why should I be surprised? If Satan can turn love into indifference, certainly God can change indifference back into love. Lord, thank You for doing immeasurably more in our lives than we could ever imagine. I am so thankful that You are able and often do make impossible situations possible. God’s power to restore is stronger than Satan’s power to destroy.

Self-Focused Living by Joe Stowell

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11 Learning more about myself is not always a pleasant experience. Introspection often compounds my insecurities and doubts. Trips into my inner self can expose memories of past failures and resurrect fears of the future. That’s why spending time getting to know Jesus is of such great value. In fact, living to know Jesus is the key to understanding and making peace with ourselves. Are you trying to discover your self-worth? You have it in Him—He died for you! Are you plagued by failure and guilt? He does what no one else will or can do for you—He forgives and forgets, kills the fattened calf as heaven rejoices (Luke 15:22-24), and clothes you with the best robes of His righteousness. Are you searching for significance? Search no more—you are His child. There is no greater significance than that. Are you trying to figure out your life and wondering if there is any purpose for you on this earth? The mystery is unraveled in Him as He leads you to live for His glory and to reflect the reality of His character. Let’s face it, you’ll never finally or fully make it on your own. Self is forever inadequate to satisfy your soul, and it is inept to solve the restless searching of your heart. Until we learn that lesson, we will continue to discover that the trouble with self-focused living is that it is never resolved. Just when you think you know all about yourself, you’ll do something that surprises and disappoints you. Like the hamster that spends most of its time running in its wheel, self-absorbed people rarely get to resolution. Life must be about more than getting to know ourselves. In fact, if you’re determined to spend a great deal of time preoccupied with yourself, life is bound to bore you to tears. None of us are special enough to enthrall ourselves with ourselves for the rest of our lives. So, welcome to the joy of living to know Jesus! YOUR JOURNEY… In what ways have you been focusing too much on yourself? What leads to unhealthy introspection? How can you learn to fix your eyes on Jesus instead of on yourself? Categories: Basics Of Faith, Character, Christian life, Christlikeness, Cost Of, Priorities, Salvation, Self Images Tags: Christlikeness, cost of, Priorities, self-images

Daily Devotion: Let Go of Little Worries by Edward Grinnan

Daily Devotion: Let Go of Little Worries Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:27 I didn’t realize what I had done until I was getting dressed at the gym before work and looked down at my feet: one blue sock, one black. It is a peril of the season now that the sun is rising later. I get dressed in the dark so as not to disturb my late-sleeping spouse Julee. There’s our dog Millie to be walked, and a cycling class at the gym across town I need to get to fast if I have any hopes of snagging an open bike. All this rushing around in the dark and now it had finally happened: I’d had a wardrobe malfunction. I supposed I could run home and retrieve a matching pair... but, no, there was that early meeting I scheduled. Well then, I could stop at some store and buy a pair of socks, a drugstore or something because legitimate clothing stores don’t open until ten o’clock and by then, I was sure, my day would be destroyed. What if one of the participants at this meeting noticed? I would lose all credibility. Who wants to do business with a man who can’t put on the same color socks? By now I was walking in the general direction of my office, still uncertain of my course of action. I looked around me. A multitude of pedestrians were making their way to their jobs in almost an equally multitudinous array of clothing. People wear the craziest stuff to work these days, proud to demonstrate their personal style, to show a little bit of who they are by how they dress. What was I so worried about? Maybe I thought this minor variation in hue revealed some inner chaos or lack of consistency. Maybe I thought I had to be perfect. I went about my day with my different colored socks and not a soul noticed. After a while, neither did I. Lord, I can get so hung up on the small stuff that I let it ruin a day that is yet another perfect gift from You. Help me stay focused on the beauty and purpose of life and let the little stuff go. By Edward Grinnan This article is excerpted from Daily Guideposts 2013.

God's Blueprint by Rod Parsley

God's Blueprint Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." Exodus 33:18 God gave Moses a blueprint to create a place where His glory could dwell in the very center of the Israelites' camp-and God's people could come into His presence and live. It was called the Tabernacle. It featured three major areas: An outer court, inner court and the holy of holies-where everyone could enter into God's presence at various levels of worship. (God loves to work in threes: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man is made of body, soul and spirit.) Today, God's people are looking for God to set them free by His power. The church knows a lot about getting promises, but very little-if anything-about getting presence, which releases His power into your life on a daily basis. What you need is more of His presence! "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalms 91:1). God is calling us to dwell in that high place: the secret place of habitation in God. Relationship makes the difference. The way we dwell in the secret place is through continuous thanksgiving, praise and worship that lead us into constant communion with Him. Further Reading Exodus 33:12-23 Exodus 34:1-9 28-35 Exodus 35-36:1-7 God Bless,

Hubble, Zoos, And Singing Children by Dave Branon

What do the Hubble Space Telescope, a zoo, and singing children have in common? According to the teaching of Psalm 148, we could conclude that they all point to God’s magnificent creation. The idea that God created our world is often questioned, so perhaps it’s a good time for a reminder of the praise we and all creation should heap on our heavenly Father for His magnificent handiwork. Hubble can help us with that through its eye-popping pictures of our universe. Every one of those brilliant photos points to stars that focus attention on God’s creative majesty. “Praise Him, all you stars of light!” says verse 3. A visit to a zoo points us to the great diversity of wildlife God created. We look at verses 7 and 10 and say thank you to God for sea creatures, wild animals, insects, and birds. And a few minutes of watching little children singing uninhibited praises to God symbolizes the truth that all people of earth should lift their voices in honor of our Creator (vv.11-13). Stars, animals, and children: “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted” (v.13). Let’s join in saying thanks for His creation. “Praise the Lord!” Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near; Join me in glad adoration! —Neander Creation displays God’s power.

Bless the Lord by Gloria Copeland

FROM FAITH TO FAITH -- DAILY DEVOTIONALSEARCH October 1, 2013 Bless the Lord Gloria Copeland By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. – Hebrews 13:15 Great things happen when you continually confess the mercy of God. Faith rises up on the inside of you. The reality that God loves you begins to sing through your spirit. What's more, it brings honor to your Father when you believe His Word and magnify His love and mercy. You honor Him when you speak of His goodness and loving-kindness, when you talk about Him as your Father of love Who does only good. It blesses Him when you praise Him as the great God of the universe who is eager to bless and Who even gave His own Son because He so loved the world. David was a man after God's own heart. He knew how to praise his God. Until you have the Word dwelling in you richly so that you can speak psalms and praises out of your own spirit, use the praises of David to magnify God. Speak them or sing them out loud to the Father. Put His words continually on your lips. You will soon begin to experience the thrill and the joy of realizing that God is indeed "rich in mercy" because of His great love with which He loved us. Your faith will rise to new heights and your Father will be blessed! And you will be blessed. Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:1-18 © 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved. God helped me to find my phone(9/24/13) and my wallet that I lost on 9/10/13. The wallet was found and everything was in tact including the cash. Praise God. There are some Christians in the world. Instead of getting mad. Thank God for the wallet being found and return with everything in tact. If you still don't get everything in tact, everything will be return to you double for the trouble. Just be thankful you bless somebody with cash (even though it was technically stolen) if that's what they received. Learn that from Kenneth Copeland.