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Tarfoot · 27-10-24, 18:20

An Invitation on the Mountain

"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him." (Matthew 5:1. ESV).

This crowd that followed Jesus up to the mountaintop was estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000 people. The previous verses describe what kind of people followed him: "They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." (Matthew 4:24-25).

Jesus traveled up the mountain with a crowd gathered around him. Those who followed him were paralyzed, diseased and sick. Many were suffering from great pain, and others were demon-possessed. It was a crazy and diverse crowd. People came from Judea and Samaria, Galilee, Syria, across the Jordan River, and beyond the Dead Sea. These were foreigners, many of whom did not mix well together.

Instead of Jesus directing them with a certain religious agenda, he taught them: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3-10).

Many times, we read Jesus's beatitude teachings as commands to follow, but I think they are the opposite of that. Jesus is not telling the crowd these things so that they can be blessed. Instead, he is saying, Come, you who are broken, overwhelmed, and lonely, and those of you who feel overwhelmed and crushed by the world. I brought you to this beautiful mountaintop because I welcome you into my kingdom.

Friend, in the kingdom of God, Jesus says, "In the condition you are in, hurting and wounded, I am calling you blessed. You are my son. You are my daughter."

Tarfoot · 29-10-24, 22:28

Shut the Door

"So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord." - 2 Kings 4:33

In 2 Kings 4, we find a testimony of the power of prayer and reliance on God regarding Elisha and the Shunammite woman. After her son, a miraculous gift from God, suddenly died, she hurried to Elisha for help. When Elisha got to the house, he entered the room where the child's body was laid. We see in 2 Kings 4:33 that Elisha "went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord." We find in this verse the importance of private, dedicated prayer. Let's recognize a vital lesson from Elisha: he didn't rush into action; he did what we are all called to do: first, seek the Lord and His help. Friends, our takeaway from these verses should be a greater dependence on God and His ability than our own feeble strength.

Elisha's actions demonstrate beautifully that breakthroughs often start in quiet moments. When we close the door and enter that quiet space with God, we eliminate distractions to focus on Him, build a personal relationship with Him, and allow the Lord to work in our lives. Beloved, let me testify that carving out these moments of solitude with the Lord can be challenging in our busy lives, but they are worth it, even if you must adjust your sleep schedule to accomplish them.

Like Elisha, we should turn to God before confronting any difficulties. While writing this post, I encountered a difficult situation that troubled me before I went into that quiet space, asking God to work and meet my request. My friends, I was not surprised when God resolved the situation. I continue to praise Him and the resolution He brought about. It was a blessing and a reminder to continually call on Him and trust Him in every moment of every day. Whether we are facing personal challenges, praying for others, or seeking guidance, let's remember prayer remains our most powerful tool. Today, I encourage you to set aside time to be still with God and share the matters in your heart with Him. May we remember that God can do much more than we could ever hope or imagine.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us and the price You paid for our peace. Lord, thank You for our relationship with You through prayer and the peace and power that comes through it. Lord, we are grateful for the opportunity to share the desires and concerns in our hearts. Lord Jesus, thank You for hearing as we pray. Heavenly Father, we ask for Your forgiveness for the way we often neglect to come to You first. Lord, as we confess our shortcomings, we thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, help us to be faithful in our daily relationship with You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Tarfoot · 01-11-24, 01:37

Redeemed by the Blood

I haven't yet attained it. My flesh still resists the Spirit, but my Savior's blood redeems me, and I will sing and shout praises to my God.

Does this sound like what you pray each morning? Probably not. Most likely, you start your day by finding ways to continue striving. You bite the bullet, promising God you will never return to your old ways.

When you win an occasional victory, you feel good about it. You congratulate yourself, knowing that you will achieve victory by putting your heart and mind into it. You tend to feel so proud about what you have done that you judge others who aren't victorious.

When I was younger, whenever I needed a victory over something, I would tell myself, I am going to do this if it kills me. A month would pass, and I would think, Those covetous thoughts are gone now. I am free! However, it always proved to be only a partial victory. That is when discouragement would set in. I would blame God and cry, Oh, God, I have begged you to deliver me, but you haven't. This thing is still in me.

The fact was, I was so busy striving in my flesh to be righteous that I lost my understanding of true righteousness, the only righteousness the Father accepts. Only Jesus Christ stands righteous before God, and when we stand before the Father, he accepts us only through Christ and his righteousness and victory.

What must I do you ask. Well, first, do not listen to the devil's lies. Second, get up on your spiritual feet and start giving praise to the Lord. Declare boldly, By faith in the blood of Jesus, I receive the righteousness of Christ. He has made me fit and qualified to worship and serve my Lord.

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14, NKJV). Redemption means being set free. We have been set free by Jesus's precious blood. We have the right to stand against every accusation and say, I'm not buying that, devil. You have accused me for the last time. My Bible says I am redeemed because I believe in what Jesus did for me at the cross. I confess my sins to him, and I am redeemed. I am free!

Tarfoot · 04-11-24, 04:01

Assurance in Turbulent Times

"These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."(John 15:17-18, ESV).

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples at the Last Supper, hours before he was taken away and crucified. He made two things clear to them. First, they were to love one another. To do this was an absolute necessity because of the second thing; they would be hated by the world.

Why would the world hate Jesus's followers? He explained, "I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19). Christ distinguished between the world's way of doing things and his way. As his followers, we are to be different from the world. We are to love, serve and forgive; and we can be sure this will offend a darkened world.

The most blatant type of hatred we experience is demonic. I experienced this most intensely when one of my sons was in the grip of drug addiction. I knew that Satan was out to destroy his life. At one point, my son's car flipped over on the highway. I've never felt the devil's hatred as deeply as when I heard this news. Thankfully, my son was okay.

A second level of hatred comes from Satan's representatives on earth in the form of persecution. I saw this type of hatred on trips to the Middle East, where refugees have been traumatized by seeing their relatives killed.

There is also a societal hatred toward followers of Christ that is spreading in Western nations. A few years ago, Christians were labeled intolerant if they believed in the Bible's teachings. Now the label is worse: Bible believers are labeled bigots and haters.

Jesus's command to love each other becomes that much more urgent in a global environment of hatred. However, he promised us, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." (John 15:26).

He assures us, "The world will grow worse in its hatred of you. You'll be rejected, persecuted and despised. Don't worry or be afraid, though. In the midst of it all, the Helper will bring you my peace. He will enable you to walk with all boldness, joy and confidence."

Tarfoot · 05-11-24, 21:50

The Call to Repentance and Prayer

On this election day in America, may we heed the call of the prophet Joel to repent as followers of Christ and to seek the Lord and call out to Him to heal our land. Thanks in advance for reading this post, and I pray the Holy Spirit uses it to encourage you to seek Him.

"Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. To you, O Lord, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness." - Joel 1:15-20

In Joel 1, we find a warning about the "day of the Lord" and a time of retribution and punishment. The prophet Joel depicts a wasteland where the once flourishing land laments the loss of its harvest and resources. The portrait these verses leave us with is a vivid illustration of the consequences that follow when we walk away from God. The weeping is not only about physical loss but also about spiritual destruction.

Life can be messy, but its messier when we choose to live apart from God. As a follower of Jesus and a Pastor who is committed to sharing the Gospel, I know that sin destroys everything holding us together -- our joy and peace -- leaving the door open for loneliness to enter our lives.

The call we have from Joel is urgent. Friends, I know no greater hour of urgency than today for us, the people of God, to repent of our sins and return to the Lord with a sincere heart. Repentance opens the door to restoration, allowing God to heal our brokenness.

Today, I urge you to invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart, help you to repent, and allow Him to begin a new work in your life.

First, examine your heart: You know, we are often quick to question the motives of others but, friend, we do not know their hearts. I urge you to ask the Lord to reveal anything in your life that needs to be confessed to Him and that as you confess those sins, you repent. You can say, "Lord, what are the sins in my life hindering my relationship with You?" I urge you to be still and allow the Holy Spirit to work as He reveals the sin and then confess that to Him.

Second, pray for forgiveness. As you examine your heart and the Lord reveals things for which you need forgiveness, write them down, confess them to God, and tell Him of your desire to return to Him. The Lord is faithful to forgive, so I urge you to confess your sins and receive all that God has for you. (If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I will share how you can do that in the latter part of this post.)

Third, seek restoration: You can seek restoration by asking the Lord to help you identify one action you can take this week to demonstrate your commitment to Him. Your action might include:

Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word.
Reaching out to someone you've hurt.
Serving in your community.

I urge you to only take the actions where the Holy Spirit has prompted you in seeking restoration, whether with God or someone else, and not to act on your own.

Fourth, pray for others: I urge you to pray for your restoration and those around you. You can begin by asking the Lord to soften hearts, draw people back to Him, and seek His help so they do not wander from the path of life.

Pray with me:
Lord Jesus, I admit that I need You in my life. Lord, I repent of my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Heavenly Father, give me the strength to return to You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Lord, I ask that my life exemplify Your love, mercy, and grace as I seek to restore my relationship with You and pray for others. In Jesus name, amen.

Tarfoot · 07-11-24, 22:02

Submitted to the Righteousness of God

One thing that consistently robs us of our joy and peace with God is our endless striving to please him in our flesh. Paul addressed this striving in Romans, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3, NKJV).

When we strive outside of Christ, we are trying to establish our own righteousness. It is our flesh at work, leading us astray. We try to please the Lord in our human power, but it will never be enough. Any victories will be short-lived, and the next time we are tempted, we will fall even further.

When Satan comes to you and whispers, "What about that sin you indulged in just yesterday? You are guilty! You can answer, No, I've already asked forgiveness for that. I've asked God to keep me from doing it again. It's all under the blood."

You may still experience temptation, but Jesus has made a way of escape. His word says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

If the accuser reminds you that there are still unsettled matters in your life and war still rages within you, let scripture encourage your heart: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in his sight." (Colossians 1:21-22).

Beloved, through Christ, you can find peace and reconciliation with God. The Bible says that even when you were alienated by your awful, evil works, even when you were in the pits of lust, even when you were one of God's worst enemies, God loved you. He sought you out and reconciled you to himself. He has brought you from the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom of light, and you are made to be at peace with him. He loves you!

Tarfoot · 12-11-24, 19:48

Clothed in Humility

"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility" (1 Peter 5:5, ESV). In seven straightforward words, Peter envisioned what may bring a transformative makeover to the church of Jesus Christ.

Peter's simple command asks, "What if every member of Christ's body walked in complete humility? How attractive and healing would the gospel be to a lost and hurting world? What glory would God receive if the church's predominant trait was humility?"

Some Christians picture humility as letting themselves be run over by others. Some see it as dressing in robes and sandals like Saint Francis and forsaking the world. Others think humility is about not offending people, but that's just man-pleasing rather than God-honoring. None of these images goes to the heart of what humility is.

I believe Peter's call for humility suggests how the church could prophetically reveal God's servant nature to the world. Humility isn't a self-directed trait. By design, humility is relational, and its effect is powerful.

The apostle Paul taught, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:5-7).

What Paul said about humility is profoundly countercultural. The world despises and mocks humility, yet Peter says God exalts those who walk in it. This doesn't mean that operating in humility is easy. Actually, it is impossible to walk in humility apart from Spirit-given grace.

According to Peter, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). Our humility is Spirit-empowered, while at the same time, God resists our pride. If we operate in our flesh-driven effort, God will stop blessing us in order to lovingly deal with our pride. He doesn't do this solely for the sake of correcting us; he also does it because he seeks to reveal his nature through us.

God's mighty hand is in charge of our advancement in life, and he brings about any exalting as we obey his call to humility. Trusting in him is the first step in clothing ourselves in humility. When we do this, we see his work in our lives as never before. As his church, we will awe the world with service worthy of our Savior.

Tarfoot · 15-11-24, 23:53

The Most Effective Work

"Trust in him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8, NKJV).

You must consider your daily appointments with God more sacred and important than your appointments with any other people, no matter who they are.

How embarrassing it must be for heaven to see the way we Christians fail to highly regard the majesty of our God, the King of Glory. We are often flippant in the way we keep him waiting. We will suddenly cancel plans to meet with him in his courts at the drop of a hat, all for the most trifling thing.

Can you imagine someone keeping the Creator of the universe waiting while he lingers to view his favorite TV program? Yet that is what many of us do. Even worse, we often do not bother to show up in God's presence at all. It is not that we forget our appointment with him, but we willfully refuse to appear before him.

Isaiah lamented, "He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him" (Isaiah 53:3).
When I allow interruptions to come between me and my appointments with the Lord, I am hiding my face from him and not appreciating him as I should. The truth is that it is impossible to waste time when you are seeking God in prayer. Furthermore, outside the secret closet, the praying man or woman accomplishes more in less time, with less hurry, effort and sweat.

The most effective work for God we will ever do is on our knees. While unpraying men and women run helter-skelter, to and fro, attempting great things, the praying Christian is hard at work moving kingdoms, shattering strongholds, doing great things, and becoming a giant with God in the process.

Tarfoot · 17-11-24, 01:43

Let Him Be Your Victory

God is good. He is watching out for you and protecting you. There is not one thing in your life, not one habit, one sin or one emotional difficulty you face that Jesus does not have power over.

When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and saw the terrible, broken-down condition of the city, he led the Jewish people living there into a spiritual breakthrough and a time of rebuilding (see the book of Nehemiah).

I can say to you today, just as Nehemiah said to his people, that if you trust Jesus and turn your whole heart, energy and life over to him, Satan and your enemies will be crushed and completely defeated. No enemy that is deeply lodged against you will be protected. Those enemies are going to be removed and made to flee.

Old habits, fears, and addictions approach and afflict us, and sometimes we turn back to them. God is saying to us, "Fix your eyes on me! If you will let me be your victory, you will see the last of that." Listen to what God is saying!

If we let him be our victory, we will see the last of our enemy. Oh, the enemy will still buffet us, just as he did Jesus when he approached him with temptations in the wilderness. If you keep Jesus on the wall of your heart, the wall of your life, though, he will root out all those emotional difficulties.

You may be living in fear of habitual patterns of sin, the things you might return to. You know that you are cleansed from them, but because they are so close, you feel that you may be drawn back at any moment to their bondage, and you are afraid.

I am here today to call you to a place of security and safety in Christ Jesus. Trust him with all your heart. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57, ESV).

Tarfoot · 26-11-24, 01:01

Deliverance from Idolatry

"And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God" (Ezekiel 14:10-11, NKJV).

God is telling us in tender terms, "I am going to do whatever it takes to get you away from your polluted idols. I will not let you fall into deception and destruction. I am going to woo you back to myself; but if that doesn't work, I will have to bring punishment."

"And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it" (Ezekiel 14:23). The Lord is saying, "You will know that my strong dealings with you are for a reason. I simply will not let you go."

Do you have a stumbling block of iniquity in your heart? Are you deceived by a bondage that could destroy you? If so and if you find yourself under conviction from this message, there is hope for you.

It does not matter what your idol is: covetousness, sexual sin, pornography, alcohol, drugs, bitterness or unforgiveness. Ask God to open your eyes to your sin and seek him for a revelation about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to instill the fear of God in you and to soften your heart to his convicting voice. You must hate your sin and be determined to make no peace with it.

Cry out to him now, "Lord, don't leave me blind. If there is any delusion or deception in me, expose it. I don't want to believe any more lies. I only want to hear your voice and have your power and authority rule over my life." There is deliverance for you if you truly want it. One day soon, you will realize you are no longer a slave, but a child of God set free by the truth.

Tarfoot · 28-11-24, 15:58

Strength and Deliverance

Bondage to sin is your battle with the flesh. Under the New Covenant, God will allow situations to show you how wholly dependent you are on him to deliver you through faith.

God will never lead you into temptation, but he will allow you to come to your wits' end. If you have a besetting sin, Satan will come against you continually with his lies: "You're too weak! You're never going to make it."

You hear the rattling of chains as Satan tries to bind you to your habit once more, and you wonder, "Lord, how will I ever get up from this? I've gone down so low."

What can you do? You know you cannot outrun the enemy and are no match for him in a fight, so you cower before him, trembling in fear.

You may say, "I'll just return to my old ways. At least I'll be spared from all this spiritual warfare. It's too much for me!" However, you know you cannot go back to your old master. If you turn back now and desert Christ, it will cost you your life.

Many Christians become caught in the hellish cycle of sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing. They run to friends, counselors and anyone who will listen to them as they cry and pray. Such believers will do everything except stand still and trust the Lord to bring their deliverance.

The Old Testament gives us example after example of how we have no power in our flesh to fight spiritual battles. Our old man is utterly weak and powerless, but we have a new man inside us. This new man understands there is no human way out and that God has to do all the fighting. We resist the devil not in our strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is revealed in us by faith alone.

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV).

Tarfoot · 30-11-24, 15:56

God's Grace Poured Out

Studies reveals that young people increasingly feel isolated, fearful and rejected. However, this crisis isn't just about youth; multitudes of adults live in silent despair. Our trials can be overwhelming without someone to walk with us and help us bear our suffering.

The apostle Paul knew what it meant to suffer alone in a soul-crushing situation. He was shackled and imprisoned several times, often in horrific and inhumane conditions. At one point, Paul asked Timothy to bring him a cloak to keep him warm. I suspect that Paul was fraught with desperate need every day he spent in prison.

As awful as his situation was, his inner trials were even harder. His letter to the Philippians contains revelations of how alone he felt. Still, we know this man of great faith wasn't easily dissuaded from his hope in Christ.

Paul wrote, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1:3-5, ESV).

The word for "thank" here has the same root as the word "eucharist" and is the same word we use for communion, the bread and wine that represent Christ's body and blood. The first part, "eu," means "well" as in "deeply" or "fully." The second part, "charis," means "grace." So, when Paul wrote, "I thank," he was saying, "I express my gratitude for how much I have been given."

How was Paul able to be thankful amid his excruciating trials? Simply put, his mindset wasn't based on circumstances but on the life-giving grace God gave him. He testified that such grace welled up in him as he thought of God's people.

In every trial, God reserves for us an infilling of grace that gives us access to deep joy. This grace is meant to be poured out on our suffering so that we may endure it. Very often, the vessels of such grace are the members of Christ's body who pour out his fragrant, gracious beauty on one another in times of need.

Lord, may those who suffer among us behold the fullness of your good news through the comfort of your people joyfully delivering gifts. Show us the great need in your body so we may pour out your grace to each other. Amen.

Tarfoot · 02-12-24, 21:11

Take All of Me, Jesus!

In the 1800s, a young woman wrote an anointed song after visiting a couple and their eight children. All the family members attended church, but during her five days with them, she sensed a coldness in their hearts toward the things of God. They seemed to lack spiritual fervor, and there was no reverence for him.

Deeply burdened, the young lady prayed fervently for her hosts while she was with them, believing God would deal with their hearts. She also spoke the truth in love and boldly warned them. Before she left, a revival had broken out in that house of ten people. They wept for hours as they rejoiced at what the Holy Spirit was accomplishing in their lives.

The composer of the song, Frances Havergal, said, "I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration. These little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with. Ever, only, all for Thee!"

CONSECRATION HYMN

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Would you ask God for a renewal to fill you afresh with the power of the Holy Spirit? I invite you to pray, "Take all of me, Jesus. I want my life to be fully consecrated to you!"

Tarfoot · 06-12-24, 04:09

Sowing Peace in the Valley

As we undergo trials, we often have trouble holding onto our peace. This is the first stage in how God shepherds us through difficult times.

Peace is like any other fruit of the Spirit; it involves maturation. Just as your wisdom matures, so does your peace. God is adding to it continually through all your experiences, the way any fruit is grown. Think about how a seed gets sown for a flowering plant. As it sprouts, the winds blow against it and rains flood it, yet God has fashioned it to withstand and grow through those regular pressures. He will sustain that plant, and eventually, it will bear amazing fruit.

I take comfort in the words of the psalmist who assures every heart that's open to the shepherd's faithful leading, "Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace" (Psalm 37:37, ESV). A faithful Christian may be shaken and seem blown around by troubles, but God's future for that servant is peace.

If you don't feel peace, just wait. It will grow. The promise of peace comes from God himself, and Jesus has already paid the price for it. Your tests and tribulations are building a future where you'll not only walk in continual peace but bear its fruit, performing works of righteousness that will stand into eternity.

Submit to God's leading, and trust in his creative work in you. It's all part of the purpose he has in mind for your life. "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?" (Jeremiah 12:5). We're created to run a race with his sustaining peace in our hearts.

We live in a time and place that preaches "prosperity, prosperity, prosperity," but valleys come to us all. As God's people, we know there is great purpose in our trials. That's where the Lord's merciful creativity happens. The valley is where we face the problem of peace, remember the price of peace and walk in his promise of peace.

There is no greener pasture than the heart that's able to sow the peaceful fruit of righteousness. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6).

Tarfoot · 09-12-24, 23:40

Directed by the Spirit

When the Spirit fell upon his disciples, they became fearless. As they went forth to the temple to witness, the Holy Ghost made their words cutting and convicting, like swords piercing the heart. They preached the gospel with power and authority because they had the Holy Ghost fire within them.

Under this anointed preaching, some five thousand people were saved in just a short time. Even priests were converted. Further outpourings happened in nearby villages, distant cities, and even among Gentiles.

The best part of this unbelievable scene is that the church got all of its direction from the Holy Ghost. Nothing happened until the disciples shut themselves in with the Lord, fasted and prayed. When they did this, the Spirit began directing their every move.

Something else happened that was very important. The disciples were to take the gospel to every nation and every people, yet Jewish tradition forbade them even to touch the clothes of a Gentile. How were they supposed to bring the good news to people with whom they weren't even allowed to associate? It seemed to be an impossible command because even the Jewish converts held to these prejudices.

The widespread proclamation of the gospel began only when the Holy Ghost took over. The Spirit visited Peter on a rooftop during his daily prayer time. Again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15, NKJV). God told Peter, "Don't dare call unclean what I have sanctified and made clean. Now, go downstairs because some Gentiles are knocking on your door. I want you to go with them and preach to them about Jesus."

The Holy Spirit had solved the prejudice problem overnight. He opened up the Gentile world to the gospel simply by speaking to his followers. It was all clearly directed from heaven.

The powerful first-century believers received all their marching orders from the Holy Ghost, "being sent out by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:4). They never made a move until they got alone with God, fasted and prayed. It was then that the Holy Ghost answered them by giving clear directions.

Tarfoot · 11-12-24, 22:02

The Harvest of the Spirit

"Therefore he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith" (Galatians 3:5, NKJV).

Paul says that God measures out the Holy Ghost to us, and he does so not according to our works but according to our faith in him.

Jesus is the only person who ever had the Holy Spirit without measure. Yet many men and women throughout history have been given a great measure of the Spirit. Such believers have always known they do not have to strive to weep over a lost, broken world because the Holy Ghost does the weeping in them.

Our part is to pray. "Holy Ghost, you know everyone in my circle of influence who is under conviction because you are the one who convicts them. You see every tear that falls in the quiet of the night, and you know everyone who is desperate and crying for help. I am your instrument. Fill me with your burden and lead me to those you have prepared."

God wants to empower us for one reason: to get us into the streets, filled with his word and led by his Spirit. He wants us to be able to speak a piercing, convicting word that has the unmistakable fire of the Spirit.

Does something stir in your soul over the lost? Are you burdened for those in your circle of influence, or do you focus endlessly on your own needs? If you don't know Christ's heart and have his burden, you can never expect to be used by him.

For many Christians, the work of eternity may not be in a faraway land but will center on family, friends and coworkers. The requirements, however, are just the same. To reach the lost, we must ask the Lord to move on them with conviction and to prepare our hearts with a timely word.

Fast, pray and then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those he has convicted and prepared to hear his word. Then trust in his guidance and power to do the miraculous!

Tarfoot · 15-12-24, 22:33

A Fire for Our Generation!

"If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:9, ESV).

Jeremiah prophesied to a terror-stricken nation. The cry in Israel was "Fear on every side!" (see Jeremiah 6:25, 20:10, 49:29). While people were gripped with terror, the prophet was grieved and troubled by what he saw happening in the land. Immorality was rampant, and God's people were in a horrible spiritual decline.

If Jeremiah were alive in America today, I believe he would see the same thing happening in our land. He would tell us that we're facing just what his generation faced: a moral collapse, a tidal wave of unprecedented sexual perversion and a society rapidly rejecting God.

There is something even more troubling than this. Tragically, Christ's church has been ineffective in turning the tide. God's people are too prayerless and thus powerless at the very moment we should be calling on God with effective fervency. We've grown spiritually anemic, distracted by entertainment and a pursuit of fleshly cravings.

A famous quote, attributed to either C. H. Spurgeon or Archibald Brown, prophesied all of this more than a century ago: "A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats." That time is now. The hour has come for repentance of the heart, revival in the church and a spiritual awakening in our nation.

Oh, that God would give us Jeremiah's fire for our generation! Oh, that men and women of God would regain their zeal for the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Oh, that leaders would return to preaching the uncompromising Word of God and calling for repentance, holiness and passion for him.

It is time to pray. It is time for each of us to appeal to heaven for a revival in the church and an awakening in the nation. Jeremiah says it is God's Word to us to trust and believe him to move on a generation. I implore you to begin praying now for all pastors and church leaders to be faithful, on-fire messengers of his Word for the sake of our nation.

Tarfoot · 17-12-24, 15:48

God's Protective Power

Isaiah uses the image of birds to illustrate God's protective power over his people. "Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, he will also deliver it; passing over, he will preserve it." (Isaiah 31:5, NKJV). The Hebrew meaning of this verse is "As the hen birds flutter over their young, so shall Jehovah, God of hosts, spread out his wings over Jerusalem."

God told Israel, "If you want to be protected from the onslaught of the enemy, then hide under my wings. I will secure you, covering you like a mother hen covers her chicks. You no longer have to live in fear of your enemies."

Are you in great warfare right now? Are you facing an enemy that is too powerful for you? If so, how do you expect to remain pure, faithful and Christlike while others around you are falling? How will you gain victory over your lusts and temptations when Satan comes against you like a roaring lion?

God asks simply that you lay down your sword and trust him to take up his sword on your behalf. He wants you to come to the point where you say, "Lord, I know the battle is not mine anymore. I have failed so many times. Now, I come to you in simple faith. Help me, God."

The Lord is urging you to cling to him in the midst of your battle. Your victory is all a matter of faith in his power and willingness to deliver you. When the enemy has overwhelmed you, come to him and pour out your soul. Seek the Lord with all your heart, and he will go to battle for you.

The battle is never ours. It is always the Lord's!

"He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge; his truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day." (Psalm 91:4-5).

Tarfoot · 19-12-24, 19:18

The Birth of Hope

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." - Micah 5:2

Let's take a moment to explore Micah 5:2, a profound prophecy about God's redemption plan. In this verse, we see that God chose a tiny village called Bethlehem to be the Messiah's birthplace. God's decision offers encouragement and hope to His followers because it shows He uses humble and often overlooked vessels to fulfill His great purposes.

From this perspective, Israel was oppressed and uncertain about its position in Micah's time. The prophecy of a ruler coming from a small village like Bethlehem brought hope to a weary nation. We learn that this ruler, later identified as Jesus Christ, was more than a ruler; He would also be a shepherd who would lead His people with love and justice.

May we be reminded and encouraged that throughout Scripture, God values the small and humble. Friends, just as Bethlehem was small, we may sometimes feel insignificant in the grand scheme of life. However, we should be encouraged that God can use anyone, regardless of background or status. I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on your life and how God might call you into a role or purpose that seems beyond your current circumstances.

We can also take to heart that we have hope in Christ and that no matter our circumstances, God has a plan. As Israel held onto the promise of the ruler, we can hold onto the promises found in Scripture. What are some of God's promises you can meditate on today that bring peace, hope, and encouragement to you? Write these Scriptures down and place them in strategic areas in your home, car, and office. Then, you can read and pray over them until they become hidden in your heart as the Holy Spirit propels you to new heights in your relationship with Christ.

We can anticipate the celebration of Christ's coming, just as this passage points to Jesus's birth. But more than that, this prophecy calls us to look forward to His second coming. Take a moment to examine what you are doing to prepare your heart and life for Jesus' return. As you prepare your heart spiritually, pray for boldness to fulfill the Great Commission, expressing love and grace as an ambassador of Jesus Christ.

Finally, as a follower of Jesus, remember you are to be salt and light. Beloved, Bethlehem was made to be the birthplace of Hope for the world, and we are called to be an example of hope to others. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you daily opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with others wherever you go.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the promises of Scripture and am so grateful for the promise of hope found in Micah 5:2. Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing Bethlehem as the birthplace of our Savior. Lord, may we recognize that You can work through our lives at any moment, no matter how small or insignificant it may feel. I ask You today to give me the boldness to share with others the love and hope found in a relationship with You. Lord, as I commit to being about Your business in sharing the good news of Jesus and loving others as You love, go before me, opening doors to multiple divine appointments for sharing Your story. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Tarfoot · 21-12-24, 19:35

Hear, O Lord
Mark Renfroe

I'm not much of a cook, but I do know this: The ingredients of a recipe aren't all that's important in making a delicious meal. You can have all the right ingredients, but if you don't follow the directions, you'll wind up with something other than what you wanted. While I never want to reduce prayer to a formula, God gives us a wonderful pattern for how to pray in times of trouble with Psalm 27.

This psalm gives us insight into David's prayer for deliverance when fleeing from Absalom. Can you imagine what was going on in David's heart? Not only was he trying to preserve his life and those closest to him, but he was also dealing with the pain of betrayal. While the king of Israel had a complicated relationship with his son, he wouldn't have previously placed him in the enemy column. All of that had changed. Absalom not only wanted the throne; he wanted the king's head.

Considering David's circumstances, one might expect his first words to God to be "Help!" While he did eventually reach that point, he began his prayer by focusing on God's character. He recounted God's character and attributes. He reminded himself that God was his light, salvation, stronghold, shelter, and deliverer. Based on God's character, he made statements of faith, saying, "He will hide me. He will shield me. He will lift my head above my enemies. So, I will sing and make sacrifices." He acknowledged that he would come out of this situation victorious, but it wouldn't be because of his strength or military prowess. It would be because of his unwavering faith in God's deliverance.

Did David just assume this salvation? No. He brought his situation before God, but not until he had focused his heart and mind on God instead of his circumstances. He proclaimed, "Hear, O Lord!" He acknowledged his utter need. He knew his only hope was God and turned to him for help. Even today, his prayer still has a tone of desperation. "Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence" (Psalm 27:12, ESV).

When you find yourself in great need, turn to God. Focus on him. Trust in him. Don't forget to take your needs to him. Following this pattern not only honors God, but it will also help protect your heart and mind from fear.

Tarfoot · 23-12-24, 15:33

SAVIOR, NOW WITH CONTRITE HEARTS

Music: Martha, John B. Hammer, 1871

Savior, now with contrite hearts
We approach Thy throne of love;
Asking pardon for our sins,
Peace and comfort from above.
Thou didst suffer on the cross
To atone for sinners guilt;
May we never, Lord, forget
That for us Thy blood was spilt.

Now to Thee ourselves we bring,
Cleanse us, Lord, we humbly pray;
Undeserving though we be,
Draw us closer every day.
Thou our refuge art, and strength!
Keep, O keep us safe from harm,
Shield us through the coming night
By Thine everlasting arm.

Tarfoot · 23-12-24, 23:57

God's Favor

Does God give favor, bless abundantly and lavish his grace on hungry, waiting hearts? The answer is yes, and we find this illustrated in the first chapter of Luke.

An angel appeared to Mary to announce the amazing events about to take place in her life. "....The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be." (Luke 1:26-29, ESV).

Bible scholars think Mary was very young, probably a teenager. Imagine how strange this encounter had to be for her. She was a simple girl from an obscure village and family, and an angel stood before her: "The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.'" (Luke 1:30-31).

Mary seemed uncertain about what she was hearing, which is understandable. Living in a male-dominated culture, she had little influence and probably few expectations for her life. She would have all the privileges of being a good wife and mother but nothing beyond that.

A lot of us are like Mary. We would like to see our circumstances transformed. We want to see our sick relative healed. We long for our troubled child to find purpose in Christ or for our tense marriage to be restored to its former joy. Like Mary, we think, "Lord, my life doesn't reflect your favor at all. I need you to bring your light into it." How would we feel if we heard a voice from heaven telling us, "You have God's favor."

Be encouraged! God is looking to favor you, especially if you will cry out like Mary: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (Luke 1:46-47).

Tarfoot · 26-12-24, 21:14

The Cure for a Hard Heart

"He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Proverbs 29:1, NKJV).

The Hebrew word for reproved in this verse refers to corrective teaching. Without remedy means "without a cure, without any possibility of deliverance." This verse first tells us that the hardness of the heart comes as a result of rejecting repeated warnings and pushing aside all truth.

Secondly, it tells us that such hardness becomes impossible to cure over time. So who are the people who most often hear these warnings? They are supposedly Christians, those who sit in God's house each week listening to sermons of reproof.

What exactly is a hard heart? It is a heart determined to resist obeying God's Word, impossible to stir, and immune to the convictions and warnings of the Holy Spirit.

The tragic truth is that despite hearing fiery messages sent from heaven, multitudes of Christians do not practice what they hear. They refuse to allow God's entry into certain areas of their lives, and hardness begins to set in as they continue to listen without heeding.

However, there are many sinners whose hardness of heart has been cured. At first, they cursed Christ and shook an angry fist in God's face, yet their hearts melted when they heard the gospel and felt the pure, loving reproof of the Holy Spirit. They repented and turned to Jesus.

The life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's son illustrates this. He had been reared in probably the most atheistic household in America, and he later worked for his mother, crusading against God and religion. When he heard the gospel, he got gloriously saved and became a minister, preaching Christ instead of cursing him. This man's hardness was curable because when he sat under sermons of reproof, he accepted them.

In my experience, the hardest, incurable hearts are often cured within earshot of Holy Spirit-anointed preaching. Such hearts do not melt in cold, dead, formal churches where the gospel has been corrupted for generations. No, it is always found where a pure word is preached from the pulpit and where repentance begins in the pews.

Tarfoot · 01-01-25, 23:44

Taking God at His Word

"And the Lord said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave'" (Genesis 18:20, NKJV).

We all love to hear about God's mercy, grace and long-suffering, but we do not want to face the fact that someday God will come against everything that is of Sodom.

God revealed his nature to Moses this way: "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin'" (Exodus 34:6-7a, NKJV).

In the very next phrase, God added, "By no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7b). The Lord was saying, "I will not wink at sin. Yes, I am merciful and long-suffering, but the time is coming when my patience with your sin will end. That is when Sodom will burn."

Two angels came to Lot and warned him, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city" (Genesis 19:15).

Apparently, Lot did not take this warning seriously because he slept in the next morning, and the angels had to rouse him. His sons-in-law must have thought, "If he really believed the warning, he would be on his way out of here. He doesn't believe it, so why should we?"

This should be a lesson to us all. We need to live as if Christ is about to return so that others will listen to our witness.

I believe in what are called "divine ultimatums," times when the Holy Spirit knows your sin is about to bring you to ruin. The Lord comes to you and says, "I am the God of grace, and I want to deliver you out of this. Now, turn from your sin. Obey my Word!"

These ultimatums are found throughout the Bible. It does not matter how much you pray or fast or how faithful you are in doing God's work; if you do not believe God will deal seriously with your sin, you are deceived!

Tarfoot · 07-01-25, 22:34

Embrace the Silence

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." - Isaiah 53:7

Today, noise fills our world day and night. Peaceful, quiet spaces where we can pause and enjoy a restful moment are rare. Isaiah 53:7 captures our attention with profound wisdom, truly reflecting the essence of humility, surrender, and the power of silence amidst adversity.

Isaiah 53 has been called the "Suffering Servant" passage. It is a prophetic description of the coming Messiah and His sacrifice for humanity. Many biblical scholars believe Isaiah 53 was written during a period of turmoil for the people of Israel, either during or after their exile in Babylon. In Isaiah, we find a message that offers hope and a glimpse of God's redemptive plan.

The lamb imagery should awaken us as followers of Christ. In Jewish culture, lambs were used in sacrifices, symbolizing innocence and purity. Isaiah emphasizes that Christ's suffering was voluntary by using the image of a lamb led to slaughter. He willingly endured pain and humiliation, without protest, as the greatest act of love and obedience to God's will.

Let's look at how Isaiah 53:7 offers us rich insights into embracing silence and living for God and His Glory.

First, the Power of Silence: Our instinctive reaction is to respond when accused or disagreed with, feeling that the louder and more physical we get, the stronger and more in control we appear. However, I have grown to believe through numerous life experiences that there is greater strength and power in calmness and silence. We can all learn a lesson from Jesus; through this, He shows that sometimes being quiet is our most powerful weapon during disagreements or misunderstandings with families, friends, or even neighbors.

Second, Trusting God's Plan and Purpose: Jesus understood His purpose and trusted God with His life, even in the face of suffering. We will undoubtedly encounter circumstances beyond our control. In these moments, we need to rest in God's peace as we trust Him, recognizing that He is at work.

Third, Embrace Humility: Jesus modeled humility. As we accept our identity in Christ, we embrace humility because we now recognize that our worth is not in a position or title. Embracing humility helps us not become defensive when there are accusations or disagreements.

Fourth, Exemplify the love of Christ: The Lord suffering in silence on our behalf should inspire us to carry that same love to everyone we meet. Friends, we can strive to serve one another even when it requires sacrifice and/or inconvenience. As we show God's love, we start to fulfill His Great Commandment to a world that is desperate for love.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, help us guard our mouths and embrace silence when facing trials so we can hear from You, maintain our trust in You, and demonstrate humility so that the love of Jesus in our hearts will be a shining light amid trials and circumstances over which we have no control. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Tarfoot · 10-01-25, 20:30

God's Holy Mountain

Lot would have died in Sodom had God not taken matters into his own hands. The Lord literally grabbed Lot and his family and pulled them out of the city. "And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city" (Genesis 19:16, NKJV).

As Lot lingered on the brink of destruction, with no strength or will to deliver himself, God hand-led this confused, deluded, sin-bound man to safety. What a glorious picture of grace. God is willing to act for us when we have nothing to give. Scripture says, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). The literal meaning for without strength here is "without an ability or will."

The Lord had one more directive for Lot: "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed" (Genesis 19:17). The mountain here represents God?s presence, a place alone with him. We see this image repeated throughout scripture. On a mountain, Moses was touched by God's glory; Christ was transfigured before his disciples; and Jesus sought his Father in prayer. All these things happened on a mountain.

When God delivers you by faith in his promises, run straight to the mountain of his holiness! "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God, in his holy mountain" (Psalm 48:1). "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3).

Beloved, look to the mountain and move on to fullness in God.

Tarfoot · 11-01-25, 19:11

How We Find Victory

Every morning when you rise up, what is commanding you, "You will serve me." If there is anything other than Jesus Christ issuing that order, it doesn't have preeminence over God. It doesn't have the right or the power to dominate your life any longer.

Dismay comes when we look at the size of our opposition and then we look at the mediocrity of our own ability to fight with it. We lose sight of God when we start looking at ourselves and our own strengths and resources. Because of that, a deep-seated fear settles in our hearts.

What voice greets you every morning? What voice taunts you and defies your ability to bring it into submission to Christ? Is it alcohol, drugs, depression, lust? Whatever it is, it rises up and says, "You will serve me. You don't have it in you to fight against me. You've failed before. You will yield to my voice, and what I tell you to do, you will do."

Now listen to this: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NKJV).

What phenomenal power! How do we access this power? Well, Paul went on to write, "'and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled" (2 Corinthians 10:6). What is this particular obedience? I think you'll be surprised to see what it is, at least in part.

There's a point where you and I have to get some gravel in our gut and rise up to say, "I would rather die in the valley than let this voice mock the living God, let this voice mock the promises of God, the people of God, the purpose God has for my life. I was intended for more than this. God didn't intend for me to tremble every morning at the voice of darkness."

There is a point where each of us must stand up and say, "No. I will not serve you. I will serve the Lord." That is obedience. That is the beginning of God's victory and power in us.

Tarfoot · 13-01-25, 04:18

Looking to Jesus

I have been burdened for those presently going through trials, struggles or turmoil of soul. I want you to know that God sees you exactly where you are, and he has not forgotten you. In fact, he has been walking beside you through your situation. He wants you to be aware of his great love for you, and he wants this knowledge to dispel any fear gripping your heart.

We do not need to be afraid to face the valleys in our lives, for God is with us. In the midst of these situations, he asks us to do only one thing: look to him. He is our rock, our strong tower and our salvation. It is only in him that we can hope. All other things will fail, but he is sure for all eternity.

So while you face your trial, know that Jesus is your answer. We will have difficulties in this life, but our great hope is in the completed work of Christ on the cross. He has taken all sin, sickness and sorrow upon himself. He bears it all for us so that we may live a life of victory and hope.

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). This ultimate act of love was made for you in your situation; the Lord wants to show his love and power in your life.

Tarfoot · 14-01-25, 21:36

A Call to Action

"I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love." - Isaiah 63:7

Isaiah 63:7 is a call to action for us as followers of Jesus. It calls us to testify to the Lord's love and goodness. The Lord's goodness is not to be hidden or kept silent; it is a truth to be proclaimed with humility and boldness.

As believers, we witness the Lord's goodness. Every answered prayer and act of mercy, grace, and deliverance we have received serve as a testimony to share with others. This call from Isaiah is not a passive suggestion but an active mandate to declare His deeds with passion and purpose.

People all around us are crying out for help, and they need to hear about a God who heals, provides, restores, and redeems. Let me ask you: do you hear the cries of strangers, your neighbors, and family members? Beloved, we are to take Isaiah's words to heart and take action: Share your testimony with someone. Breathe life into situations where there seems to be no hope. May your voice declare the majesty and glory of God, drawing hearts back to Him.

We are in a season of encouragement and renewal for Christ's followers and an awakening for those who have not yet accepted Him. As we speak and declare the kindness of the Lord, may the Holy Spirit produce spiritual fruit to transform lives, families, communities, the United States, and any other nation that will humble itself and seek the face of God. Let's move forward in this season with a commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus, showing kindness, and demonstrating His love to a world that needs Him.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your love, kindness, mercy, and grace. Lord, as we witness and receive these blessings from You, help us humbly declare them to a world that needs to know You as Savior and Lord. Let us testify of Your blessings by sharing and demonstrating Your love, kindness, mercy, and grace to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Tarfoot · 16-01-25, 16:28

Jesus, Our Jubilee

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV).

We are familiar with this passage as a proclamation of Christ's victory over death and sin. However, Isaiah is using the language of Jubilee here. He is saying, "Let the trumpets blast announcing the cheerful, joyous year of liberty that our Savior has given us!"

This passage also refers to the scene of Christ's ascension into glory. The heavenly Father, after beholding the awful sufferings of his blessed Son, prepared for Jesus a glorious entrance into heaven.

Indeed, as Christ made his ascension, he was escorted by a host of angels and multitudes of chariots: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. You have ascended on high" (Psalm 68:17-18).

Our finite minds cannot begin to conceive of this glorious event. As Christ approached the eternal city of God, riding on his white horse, he was escorted by this huge procession. As he entered the gates, the trumpets of God began to sound: "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." (Psalm 47:5).

This was the joyful sound of the trumpets blaring, announcing the believers year of Jubilee! The sound proclaimed to all humankind, "I have made provision for you to walk out of prison, to be restored to your family, and to have everything you need for a fulfilled life. You are free to live without fear of any enemy. Enter now into my joy!"

Tarfoot · 17-01-25, 21:59

Your failure is no match for God's sovereignty

Perhaps this has happened to you (although I sincerely hope not) . . .

I was in the restroom washing my hands a few years ago, and a woman walked in. She froze in embarrassment then apologized to me for being in the wrong restroom. I told her, "Don't worry about it, and went on to dry my hands. But when I exited the restroom, I noticed that the sign on the wall said "Women."

We all make mistakes.

Sometimes these mistakes are minor mishaps, like going into the wrong restroom. But other times, they are major blunders: A poor investment that threatens our financial security. An affair that ruins our marriage. A lost opportunity that leads to sleepless nights and the weight of regret.

We wonder, Do I have to spend the rest of my life suffering the consequences for my mistakes? Have I messed up God's plan for my life?

Here's a comforting truth: Your failure is no match for God's sovereignty.

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign-He rules over His creation. And if God is in control of everything that happens in the universe, then He is in control of everything that happens in your life as well.

Your sinful choices, your lapses in judgment, and your squandered opportunities do not loosen God's grip on the direction of your life.

Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's steps are ordained by the Lord." Every step you take is part of God's plan.

What if we make a wrong choice? Does our sin alter God's plan?

Not at all! In Ephesians 1:11, Paul wrote that God "works all things after the counsel of His will." Notice the word "will" is singular. God has one perfect plan, and it is big enough to include Satan's rebellion, Adam and Eve's sin in the garden of Eden, and even the torture and murder of His own Son. God has one plan, and He has the power to accomplish that plan.

Remember the story of Job. He lost his kids, his health, and his livelihood in a short period of time. Job's friends tried to tell him, "God had a perfect plan, but you messed it up." Job didn't buy into that. He said to God, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).

God is going to accomplish His purpose, and no one-including you and me-is powerful enough to stop Him.

Does that mean we're robots who have no say over the direction of our lives? No, God's power doesn't exempt us from our responsibility. The Bible talks repeatedly about the importance of making wise choices. And we experience consequences for making wrong choices.

I can't fully comprehend how God's sovereignty and our responsibility work together. But I can say this with certainty: God's sovereignty offers you peace from your past, and your responsibility offers you hope for your future.

Despite your mistakes, you can make choices right now that will alter your life and your eternity. Friend, it doesn't matter what you've done in the past-your failures can be transformed for your good and for God's glory.

I pray you'll experience God's peace and hope as you move forward in His plan for you!

Tarfoot · 19-01-25, 03:25

Who Seeks to Kill Christ
Joshua West

There is such a false religious idea today that we can accept Jesus but reject certain parts of the Bible. If you reject part of the Word, you reject Christ in total. If you reject any part of the promises, the warnings, the prophesies in Scripture, you are also rejecting the person who fulfilled them. It's all, or it's nothing. Either we bow down to God, or we try to silence and even kill his Word.

When we deny Christ, we don't have some grand or lofty intention to further the kingdom of darkness. We don't necessarily try to be at odds with God; we just want to be lord of our own life. We want to be in control of our own life. We just want to be happy. We just want what we want...which in turn does forward the kingdom of darkness. We do the devil's bidding unaware.

King Herod, as we see in Matthew 2:1-18, is a picture of everyone who rejects the lordship of Christ for their own ends. They desire to undermine and distort the Word of God in order to retain the throne of their own lives.

They are like the tenants who were leased a vineyard by a master who traveled away into another country. "When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ...Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'" (Matthew 21:34-35, 37-38, ESV).

This is the ridiculous idea that we have, that if we shut out and ignore the Word the God, that somehow we won't be responsible for it. This is far from true.

Many people today do not think of themselves as enemies of the cross. Maybe even you are one of them. However, if you are not for the cross, if you are not being transformed by Christ, if you are not propagating the truth about Jesus, you are an enemy of the cross.

Bow your heart and soul before Christ. Submit yourself to him and to his instructions through the Bible. Find salvation in your surrender to Jesus.

Tarfoot · 21-01-25, 00:01

Jesus Speaks

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets." (Hebrews 1:1, ESV).

God speaks. How marvelous it must have been to hear a mighty prophet of God thunder truth from heaven. How awesome to have the voice of an angel speak words of hope or direction in a time of need. How overwhelming to see the words of God written on tablets of stone. Every single one of these words are the very words of God, inspired and infallible.

However, God has spoken something new and better. Jesus has become the ultimate heavenly spokesperson, gathering many bands of light and shining them into one pure beam.

There is a greater and better way of God speaking to us, from the man Christ Jesus, fully God and yet human. The Son of God came to us, spoke to us and still speaks to us.

When the Word is preached and a sinner is saved, the Holy Spirit has made the words of Jesus come alive. There is much to be fulfilled in prophecy, and it will be so by the word of his power. We cannot diminish the need to understand that Jesus speaks, yet Hebrews 1:2 does not say Jesus speaks; it says, past tense, "he has spoken" and by his spoken word, "granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him" (2 Peter 1:3).

We must be careful not to run after prophetic or angelic words; we are to run after the words of Jesus. He has spoken, and his words are our first and utmost source of life. Hebrews 12:24 summarizes this by saying that Jesus "speaks a better word." At least thirty times in Hebrews, we have God speaking of the Son, about the Son or through the Son.

How glorious that we have a mediator in Christ Jesus who speaks to us through his word and the Spirit today! Not only does Jesus speak a better word, but Jesus, as the one who speaks it, also gives the word its greater glory and authority.

Tarfoot · 21-01-25, 23:41

God Restores

"For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches." - Nahum 2:2

Nahum 2:2 is a powerful testimony of God's restoration. Commentary writers help us understand that this verse is part of a prophetic message against Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian empire. Nineveh was notorious for its cruelty and idolatry. The commentators point out that in this verse, the prophet Nahum declares that God will restore the glory of Israel, which the Assyrians had destroyed.

The verse promises hope amid the destruction. It follows a period of suffering and oppression by the Assyrians. The prophecy, as declared by the prophet Nahum, was fulfilled in 612 B.C. when the Assyrian empire fell.

The lesson here is of God's promise to restore, no matter how devastating the circumstances may seem. Additionally, we are reminded of the fallen world we inhabit today due to what transpired in the Garden with Adam and Eve. The enemy, Satan, deceived them, leading to their exile from the Garden. The consequences of that fall remain: we live in a broken and fallen world. As we read of the fall of Israel to Nineveh (much like Adam and Eve's fall from grace with God), we can be grateful because God immediately established a plan to restore them. This restoration would occur through the work of Jesus on the cross. It is a process of restoration that is still ongoing to this day.

Perhaps you have not experienced hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes, or blizzards, during which you lost everything and needed restoration of personal goods. Friends, amidst all the devastation we are witnessing today, let me remind you that you were born into a fallen and sinful world. To find true restoration, we must repent of our sins and commit to following Jesus so that the Holy Spirit's work can restore and transform our lives.

If we grasp this truth and rest in God's promise, we will understand the urgency of spiritual transformation and renewal in our lives and the lives of others.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, thank you for Your promise to restore and redeem. Lord, as we experience seasons of brokenness and hardship, we praise You for the promise of brighter days. Lord, thank You that we can be honest and transparent with You during these seasons of brokenness. Lord, we thank You for being unshakable amid our suffering and for the truth of Psalm 34:18, which states that you are near the brokenhearted. Thank You for this beautiful reminder that restoration is on its way. Amen.

Tarfoot · 23-01-25, 00:52

A Rod of Iron

The apostle Paul writes of Christ's ascension into heaven: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15, NKJV).

That's right! Staggering behind our Lord's triumphant procession was the prince of darkness himself, bound in chains. Behind the defeated devil, underneath the wheels of the heavenly hosts, were all the powers of darkness, bound and vanquished. They were being put to an open shame before all those who had died in faith.

"He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'- as I also have received from my Father." (Revelation 2:27).

Jesus entered the gates carrying in his hand a scepter of righteousness, his "rod of iron" with which he rules all nations. After his triumphant entrance, he took his rightful place on the throne in full possession of all power, authority and dominion.

What a glorious picture! Satan is not in control. Communism is not in control. Atheism is not in control. No, the enemies of Christ exist only by his permission. Right now, they only continue to fill up their cups of iniquity. Jesus is in control of all things, and one day, when he is ready, "he will break them with a rod of iron; you [he] shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:9).

Beloved, our understanding of Christ's victory over Satan and the dominion of sin cannot be a vague or confused theology. We must know and understand that Satan is totally defeated. He cannot hold us prisoner, and Christ has freed us by his blood from every bondage.

Today, he sits on his throne with all power and authority, offering us peace, joy and freedom. "Blessed are all those who put their trust in him." (Psalm 2:12).

Tarfoot · 25-01-25, 14:59

The Opposite of Fear Isn't Courage

Most people would say that courage or bravery is the opposite of fear. Certainly, these are two positive traits, and they definitely relate to fear, but when our hearts are drifting toward fear, the answer isn't to try to muster courage. If you know the Bible, your mind might have gone to Joshua 1:9 as a counter to this previous assertion.

This verse gives us a peek into God's conversation with Joshua, Israel's new political, military, and spiritual leader. God said, "Have I not commanded you" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (ESV).

You might be thinking, isn't this a command to be courageous? Yes, it is, but the last clause brings great clarity to how we ought to think about this command. Another way of stating it is, "Because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go, be strong, and don't be discouraged." God's command to be courageous is based on his promise of presence, not Joshua's personality, ability to work up an emotion, or a human ability to wrangle in his fear.

If the opposite of fear isn't courage, what is it? It's love. God's promise of his presence isn't simply linked to his omnipresence. This promise is personal, and his care of us springs from his love. The Apostle John put it best when he said, "Perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18, NIV). This isn't our love for God. Our love will never be perfect. This is God's love for us. His love is perfect, and in that reality, we find confidence that can result in personal courage.

What's the link between love and courage? I like to think of it this way: Psalm 147 speaks of God's love and power. I love my children and desire to help them whenever they have a significant need; but no matter how much I love them, I'm limited by my lack of resources. Likewise, our world is full of people who have significant power but aren't good, so they exercise their power for selfish purposes.

When you're prone to fear, remember that the God of the universe, who is perfect in love and power, is not only on your side but also by your side. Lean into his perfect love and discover God's antidote to fear.

Tarfoot · 28-01-25, 01:44

Christ Ascended to Intercede

"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation." (Hebrews 9:11, NKJV).

Just as the high priest ascended the stairs to the holy place on the day of atonement, our high priest ascended into the heavenly tabernacle. Jesus ascended not merely to enjoy the glory he deserves but to do a work on our behalf.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus?s work in heaven is all for us: "Therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them [us]." (Hebrews 7:25).

What exactly does it mean that "He always lives to make intercession for us?" I believe Jesus intercedes for us in three ways.

First, some of us imagine Jesus standing before the Father, pleading with him to show us mercy when we fail, but that is not the case. Christ's intercession for us has to do with Satan's accusations against us. You see, the devil comes to God's throne to accuse us of every failure and transgression. He cries, "I want justice, and if you are a just God, you will damn and destroy this person. He deserves it."

Jesus steps in. He does not have to persuade the Father of anything. Rather, he simply declares the victory of his cross. He turns to Satan and says, "Didn't you hear the trumpet sound? You have no claim over this child of mine. Keep your hands off my property!"

Second, Christ's intercession for us means he makes certain that we obtain and enjoy all the benefits provided by Jubilee. Just as the Levites enforced the law that provided every man with his just blessings, Jesus today enforces the privileges of Jubilee for us. He makes sure we know we are legally free.

Third, Jesus intercedes in our own hearts, reconciling us with the Father. He continually answers our doubts and fears and reminds us that we are forgiven. We can trust in God's faithfulness to provide us with all the power and strength we need. Christ does it all for us.

Tarfoot · 28-01-25, 23:58

Don't Blame Me

"Thus says the Lord: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?" - Jeremiah 2:5

First, let's admit that the blame game is real. We hear it daily when someone blames or finds fault in another person. The truth is that not one of us is without blame. Yet, we still look for perfection, and when flaws are discovered, we often want to begin separating ourselves from or badmouthing that person. For some, the blame game extends even to God, and therefore, separation occurs as people walk away from Him for one reason or another, thus opening the door to idols so they can try to get what they want.

Before we proceed, let's examine this verse's historical context. The book of Jeremiah is set in a crucial period in Judah's history, mainly from the late 7th century B.C. to the early 6th century B.C. It was a time of moral decay, political instability, and looming judgment as the Babylonian Empire was on the rise. Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of multiple kings, such as Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah.

As we read Jeremiah, it is important to understand that the Israelites had a covenant relationship with God. They understood that regarding God's promises, blessings are tied to obedience, and consequences are tied to disobedience. God rescued them from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. And yet, they were found to be unfaithful. Time and again, they strayed from Him and served and worshiped other gods, breaking the first commandment to have no other gods but Him, as written in Exodus 20:3.

These worthless idols refer to all the false gods and practices that the Israelites picked up from the surrounding nations. This may have included the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other fertility and agricultural gods. This idolatry brought about not only spiritual ruin but also social injustice and moral decay in the community.

In this verse, God responds, asking what fault the people found in Him, as He has been faithful and good to them. The rhetorical question highlights their illogical behavior of turning away from the one true God to lifeless idols. The phrase "they became worthless themselves" suggests that turning away from God leads to spiritual emptiness and a loss of purpose.

Throughout the book of Jeremiah, God explicitly warns His people and calls for repentance. He wants them to return to Himself, acknowledging their sins and how futile their idolatry is. Jeremiah's prophecies not only warn of impending judgment but also invite restoration. May we heed the warnings and place all our hope and trust in the Lord.

Jeremiah 2:5 summarizes God's relationship with His people and how easily they would depart from it for a false god. It shows a spiritual crisis in Israel's history and, thus, a call to repentance and faithfulness. This verse is a telling indictment of idolatry and a call to remain steadfast in our covenant relationship with God.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, as we see how You questioned the Israelites, may we also examine our hearts and determine what idols we place above our relationship with You. Lord, as we examine our hearts and the Holy Spirit reveals those idols, may we be quick to confess and repent for placing them in our lives.

As we examine our hearts, may we no longer participate in a blame game to position ourselves above others. May we find that our purpose and value in life are determined by our identity in You, not some position or title we hold. Lord Jesus, as this verse calls us to repent, may we do so with a humble heart, recognizing that You are standing with arms open wide to welcome us home.

Lord, as You reveal our sin and unfaithfulness and show us the truth, may we also come to the place to pray for others out of fellowship with You, knowing that our responsibility is to pray as the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to them and brings them back into fellowship with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Tarfoot · 30-01-25, 18:40

Being in Christ

Christians today live in a time of great light. The Holy Spirit has revealed to us the meaning of Jesus's powerful work on the cross and the incredible blessings of his sacrifice. However, there was a time known as the "dark ages" when Christ's wonderful work was obscured from the world.

Most sermons during these dark ages focused on damnation and God's wrath. The popes and priests preached a gospel of works, and the people performed a variety of deeds to try to find peace with God. They traveled for miles to bow to shrines, knelt in worship before stone icons, repeated long prayers, and clutched prayer beads. All these things only increased their bondage and brought deeper darkness to their souls.

People knew nothing of the benefits and blessings available through Christ's victory at Calvary. Even today, with all the teaching available on the subject, most Christians still do not understand many important aspects of Christ's work for us and what it means to be "in Christ."

Being in Christ is the only foundation upon which true holiness and righteousness can be built. Without this foundation, we will rely on our flesh to try to produce a form of holiness in ourselves, yet true holiness is obtained only through knowing the riches of God in Christ Jesus.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:11-12, NKJV).

Only God's grace can teach us the kind of theology that leads to holiness, and no works can ever produce that.

Tarfoot · 02-02-25, 18:47

Back to Your First Love

I believe this warning to the Ephesian church is intended for every Christian living in these last days. "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." (Revelation 2:4, NKJV).

Simply put, the Lord is telling us, "It's not enough for you to be a caring, giving, diligent servant who grieves over sin and preaches truth. It's not enough for you to uphold moral standards, endure suffering for my sake, or even be burned at the stake for your faith. This is all part of taking up my cross."

You can do all these things in Christ's name, but if your affection for him does not increase in the process of doing them, if he is not becoming more and more the one great delight of your heart, then you have left your first love. If your affection for him is no longer a matter of great concern to you, he has something against you.

Consider David's words: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you." (Psalm 73:25). These are strong words, yet David was not saying that he did not have human love. Rather, the love he had exclusively in his heart was for the Lord. He desired him above all others.

David also wrote, "O God, you are my God; early will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1). "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" (Psalm 42:1-2).

David was saying that he thirsted deeply for the Lord, the way a deer thirsts after it has been chased. A deer will go past the point of exhaustion to find the water it seeks.

Jesus told the Ephesian Christians, "You no longer seek me as the deer seeks. I am no longer the chief object of your desire. You may be willing to do things for me, but I am not at the center of your heart anymore."

Beloved, go back to your first love today. Ask Jesus for grace and strength to begin again to guard your affection for him.

Tarfoot · 03-02-25, 20:23

Exclusive Love

In John's amazing vision, as recorded in the first three chapters of Revelation, he saw Jesus walking in the midst of the seven New Testament churches of Asia. Christ's eyes were aflame, and he was wearing priestly clothes. It was clear that he had come to judge these churches in righteousness.

Peter wrote, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God." (1 Peter 4:17, NKJV).

As Jesus appeared among the seven churches, he began to judge them according to both the good and bad he beheld. These judgments appear in both red-letter chapters in Revelation 2 and 3, meaning every word came directly from Jesus's lips.

These seven churches were actual congregations in real localities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Laodicea and so on. However, John heard God's voice speaking not only to these particular churches but to the universal church or to every believer who looks for Jesus's soon return.

Jesus began his judgments by listing the many good things about the churches that blessed him, and he complimented each church on these things. However, he also saw several things that grieved him deeply and issued a warning to each church.

His first message was to the Christians at Ephesus, a church founded on the godly teaching of the apostle Paul. Jesus's judgment of the Ephesians was that they "have left their first love" (Revelation 2:4).

When Jesus used the words "first love," he was not speaking of the immature love we experience when we are first saved. Rather, he was talking about exclusive love. "I once occupied first place in your heart but now you have lost the exclusivity of your love for me. You have allowed other things to take my place."

Jesus pointed out in these seven churches many sins: adultery, covetousness, lukewarmness, false teachings, Jezebels in authority, dead worship and spiritual blindness. The first sin he names, though, is the one that grieves him most: a loss of affection for him.

Tarfoot · 08-02-25, 19:26

Made New!

Have you been set free? You probably think, "Of course! I've been washed, redeemed, and made holy by Jesus and live for him."

Here's a follow-up question. Does your everyday life reflect the glorious freedom you have just described? Would your friends, your spouse and your children say you've been set free? Or are you like multitudes of Christians who feel they are on a spiritual seesaw? Is your walk with Christ continually up and down, seemingly spiritual one moment and carnal the next?

We accept by faith the great truths about Jesus's work for us: salvation, redemption, sanctification and deliverance. Yet, for many of us, these spiritual truths exist in another world. We sing and rejoice at church each week over what Jesus has done for us, but is his gift of freedom a reality in our daily lives?

At times, we all struggle to remain pure in our thoughts and actions. Maybe this week you said something unkind to your spouse, and you have been stewing, "What's wrong with me? Why can't I be a blessing in my marriage?" Whenever we fail in our walk with God, we wonder, "Has God really set me free?" Perhaps, at times, you even question your salvation. Friend, that isn't freedom.

So what does it mean to really be set free in Christ? The first evidence of this comes from Jesus, who says, "Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:27, 33, ESV).

Christ offers the same words to all of us who fret about our spiritual lives: Do not be anxious! It does not matter how broken down you feel about your walk with him. He declares, "You are a new creation." (see 2 Corinthians 5:17).

The moment you choose to follow Jesus, he makes you new, and that never changes. Even when you think you have strayed too far, Jesus says the opposite. "Don't be anxious. I have provided everything for you to have fellowship with me."

Tarfoot · 10-02-25, 20:36

Walk in the Spirit

Most of us would admit that we rarely feel God's grace at work in us. That's why we are prone to doubt that his presence abides in us. Paul addresses this dilemma for us in Galatians when he writes, "I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16, ESV).

It sounds simple enough, but we tend to take Paul's counsel here as a hard command to obey. We grit our teeth and say, "I will walk in the Spirit today." Once we stumble, we think we are not "being spiritual," so we try even harder. Suddenly, we are under the law again because we have turned to our fleshly ability rather than trusting that we are already in the Spirit.

Paul says, "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:18). In other words, the Spirit of God abides in you, giving you access at all times to his grace, which empowers you. When Paul says, "Walk in the Spirit," he means, "Walk under grace, not the law."

Paul then shows us the result of walking in the Spirit: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23). These things do not come about because of what we do. They are the fruit of God's righteousness, the result of his work in us.

Sometimes, you may not feel very loving, but love is in you because God put it there. You may not feel joy and peace, but God has implanted both deep within you. His Spirit is at work in you every hour of every day, to his great glory and your deep blessing.

In one of the most amazing passages in Scripture, Paul gives us God's response to the human condition. "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord? There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 7:25, 8:1-2). Friend, find blessing and freedom through walking in the Spirit.

Tarfoot · 12-02-25, 03:03

Spending Time with Jesus

If you can go about your daily life facing all sorts of interruptions and demands yet not spend ten minutes in God's presence, your love is dying. If you love someone exclusively above all others, you will make that person feel he is the most important being on earth. Everything else will pale in comparison to him.

Isn't this how you first loved your spouse when you were dating? If she called while you were busy, you dropped everything to talk to her. If anyone intruded on your time alone together, you resented it. Everything else took second place in your efforts to develop the love between you.

Many Christians today go for weeks, even months, without spending quality time with Jesus. How can they love Jesus with a whole heart when they neglect him for days on end?

In Song of Solomon, the bride could not sleep because her beloved "had turned away and was gone," then she arose in the middle of the night, saying, "I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer" (Song of Solomon 5:6, NKJV). So the woman quickly ran into the streets, looking everywhere for her lover, crying out, "Have you seen my beloved?"

Why was this such a serious matter to her? Because, as she said, "This is my beloved, and this is my friend" (Song of Solomon 5:16). "If you find my beloved, that you tell him I am lovesick!" (Song of Solomon 5:8).She could not be without her beloved.

How does Jesus feel when he spreads the table and anxiously awaits our company, yet we never show up? What kind of rejection must he feel when we continually put others before him? The Bible calls us his bride, his beloved and his one great love. We were created for fellowship with him!

Tarfoot · 14-02-25, 18:36

Facing eternity with confidence and peace

During times of grief, you've probably wondered, and you've almost certainly been asked, as I have, by family and friends who feel uncertain or worried:

"Will I see my loved ones again someday?"

Even though Christians talk all the time about heaven, secretly we wonder, When I close my eyes for the last time, is there really life beyond the grave, or will I slip into an eternity of nothingness?

If you or a loved one is unsure about what awaits us after death, I want to offer some comfort. While we can't prove there is life after death, three pieces of evidence point to something beyond this life on earth.

1.The transcendence of the mind. You've probably heard about people who died or nearly died, saw a glimpse of heaven, and wrote a best-selling book about it. Though I'm skeptical of many of these experiences, it is possible that our consciousness can extend beyond the cessation of heart and brain activity.

In the same way, all our physical actions are initiated by something that exists beyond the physical. We can't see or measure the human will, but it's real. Why should we think our will or consciousness ends with physical death?

2.The dissonance between body and spirit. Have you ever blushed at a dirty joke? One reason crude humor makes us squirm may be that we are spiritual people who are uncomfortable with our physical bodies.

Or consider the ways we try to deny the reality of death, even though it's a natural physical process. In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon explained the reason we're uncomfortable with death: "[God] has also set eternity in their heart." We are more than just physical beings; we are spiritual beings.

3.The empty tomb of Jesus Christ. Jesus's followers were willing to die for their belief in the resurrection of Jesus. His enemies could have stopped Christianity at its inception simply by producing the corpse of Jesus to disprove the resurrection. But in two thousand years, Jesus's dead body has not been discovered-because He is alive!

The evidence suggests there is life beyond the grave. So what does that mean for you and me?

One of the misconceptions people have about life after death is that there's not much they can do about it right now. Whatever happens to their bodies and spirits is just going to happen, they think.

Nothing could be further from the truth! What you believe about the hereafter affects how you live in the here and now.

If you believe what the Bible says about life after death . . .

You will make life's most important decision: to trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and usher you safely into the next life (Romans 6:23).

You will spend your time and resources serving God, knowing He will reward you in eternity for your faithfulness (2 Corinthians 5:10).

You can have confidence that you'll be reunited with loved ones who have trusted in Christ as Savior (1 Thessalonians 4:13,14).

I hope these truths offer you comfort today. Also, I encourage you to share the hope of Christ with your friends and loved ones who are grieving a loss, are worried about the future, or have questions about heaven so they, too, can have confidence about their eternal future.

Tarfoot · 15-02-25, 21:55

The Light of Repentance

King David committed adultery and then arranged for a faithful soldier to be murdered so he could lay claim to the man's young wife. He brought shame on Israel and on his heavenly Father's name. He hid his horrible darkness for a whole year and came to the brink of total ruin.

Even after all this, God called David "a man after my own heart" (Acts 13:22, NKJV). How could this be? The secret is that just before David was about to fall, he humbled himself and repented. "For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin" (Psalm 38:18). "Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight-That you may be found just when you speak, and blameless when you judge" (Psalm 51:4).

The most famous, though, is, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me." (Psalm 51:10-11).

Beloved, are you troubled and grieved by your besetting sin? Do you feel you are on the brink of falling under the heavy load of it all? If so, then you are on your way to healing and deliverance. When David repented, he could finally glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin...You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance" (Psalm 32:5,7).

For you to get back your joy, confess and forsake your sin, and the Lord will pardon and deliver you. He is ready to kiss your neck, clothe you in a robe of righteousness, and spread before you a great feast. Then you will be able to testify with David, "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!" (Psalm 32:10-11).

Tarfoot · 17-02-25, 04:11

God Delights in His Son

God spoke to Isaiah about a particular servant who delights his heart: "Behold! My servant whom I uphold, my elect one in whom my soul delights! I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:1, NKJV).

Who is this one whom God sustains and upholds, guarding his every step? Who is his chosen, his elect, the one in whom he so delights?

We find the answer in Matthew's gospel. "When he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'" (Matthew 3:16-17).

The Hebrew word for "I am well pleased" is "delight." God was saying, "My soul delights in my Son, Jesus Christ!"

Throughout the Old Testament, untold numbers of sheep and cattle were offered to the Lord as sacrifices. Rivers of animals' blood flowed for centuries, yet the Bible says none of these sacrifices brought the Lord any pleasure. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins? In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure" (Hebrews 10:4,6). In the next verse, we read these wonderful words from Jesus: "Behold, I have come? To do your will, O God." (Hebrews 10:7).

Christ came to earth to do what no animal sacrifice could do. God had prepared a physical body for Jesus here on earth, a body that would provide the final, perfect sacrifice. "Therefore, when he came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me.'" (Hebrews 10:5).

Beloved, God humbled himself for our sake. Encasing himself in a human womb, he took on our nature. He gave up the riches of heaven to become poor, giving his life to ransom us.

Tarfoot · 19-02-25, 17:25

Greater Things Are Yet to Come

God wants to do mighty things and express his love to the world through us. So, if we cling to one thing that gets in the way of that like willfulness or a refusal to trust him for everything, he points it out to us.

Sometimes, God wants us to add something to our lives before he brings his best. This may involve something we have not done, so he wants us to ask, "Have I been slow to respond to something God has asked me to do?"

We find an example of this in the book of Acts when the disciples added a new member to replace Judas. While in the Upper Room, they drew lots and chose Matthias. It seemed like such a small thing. These same men had seen Jesus work wonders, open blind eyes, cast out demons and even raise a man from the dead. They had seen God's kingdom advanced on earth as never before in history.

When Christ ascended to heaven, he gave them this incredible word: "You will do even greater works, once I send you my Spirit. He will empower you. Greater things are yet to come!" (see Acts 1:1-8).

Indeed, these same disciples would go beyond Israel and the Middle East into Europe, India, and Africa, preaching the good news of Christ to the nations all within their generation. What made it so important to add another disciple? They did it for one simple reason: Peter sensed it was something God wanted them to do.

"In those days Peter stood up among the brothers' and said, 'Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas... For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry'" (Acts 1:15-17, ESV). Peter was referring to Psalm 109:8, "May another take his place of leadership" (NIV).

Friend, there is a great lesson here for Christ's church today. Never overlook a nagging issue of the heart, no matter how small. God puts his finger on these matters for a reason: to reveal our heart's response to him. For indeed, greater things are yet to come!

Tarfoot · 23-02-25, 01:30

Focused Faith

Jesus prayed to the Father, "And all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them...And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it, that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them." (John 17:10, 26, NKJV).

Jesus makes it very clear that when we are one with him, we enjoy the very same love of the Father that he enjoys. God delights in us as much as he does in his own Son.

The Bible also tells us God is our Father, just as he is Christ's Father. Jesus testified: "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." (John 20:17).

So, how hard are you striving to please God? Do you go through seasons in which you feel you are delighting him? Do you have "low" seasons when you feel you are displeasing him?

Beloved, you have to put facts ahead of your feelings. The truth is that God's pleasure in you has nothing to do with your strivings, intensity, good intentions or actions. No, it all has to do with your faith.

I believe God wants us to have what I call a "focused faith" that says, "All your faith may be focused on the principle that if you wish to stand holy before God, you must come to him in Christ."

The writer of Hebrews warns against having "an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12). This is an issue of faith. When we move away from the foundational doctrine of being accepted by God through Christ, we are turning back to the law, the flesh and to spiritual bondage.

"For we who have believed do enter that rest... For he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his" (Hebrews 4:3,10).

Scripture makes it clear that the evidence of faith is rest.

The only way to bring your striving, sweating, troubled souls into peace is to convince yourself that you are in Christ and are accepted by God. He delights in you, regardless of whether you are up or down. No matter how you feel, you should know your position in Christ. You are seated with him in heavenly places!

Tarfoot · 25-02-25, 20:04

Do You Doubt God's Love?

Let me give it to you straight. There is no beating around the bush and no soft-pedaling. The sin that makes God cry is being committed daily, not by pagan workers of iniquity but by multitudes of Christians. It is the sin of doubting God's love for his children.

Do you think it makes God sound too human and vulnerable to say he cries? Ask yourself how a God of love could not cry when his own people doubted his very nature.

Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, and according to the book of John, he wept when those closest to him doubted his love and concern. That was God incarnate at the tomb of Lazarus, crying over friends who failed to recognize who he was.

Time and time again, Christ's dearest associates doubted his love for them. Think of the disciples in a storm-tossed boat that was taking on water. Jesus was in the stern of the boat, sound asleep. Fearing for their lives, his followers shook him awake and accused him of outright unconcern. "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" (Mark 4:38, NKJV).

How their accusation must have grieved the Lord. That was God Almighty in their boat! How could he not care? However, doubt always takes over whenever men take their eyes off the Lord and concentrate instead on their circumstances. Jesus was astounded and said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40).

Christians today grieve the Lord in this matter even more. Our unbelief is a greater affront to him than the unbelief of Mary, Martha, and all the disciples; our sin is committed against greater light. We stand on a higher mountain and see more than they could ever see. We have a completed Bible with a full and detailed record of God's trustworthiness. We have the written testimonies of almost twenty centuries of Christians, generation after generation of godly fathers who have passed down to us unshakable proofs of God's love. We have countless personal experiences that testify to God's tender love and affection for us.

Beloved, let us look for his exceeding mercy and love, admit the sinfulness of our unbelief, and recognize who he is!

27-10-24, 18:20	#1501
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You An Invitation on the Mountain "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him." (Matthew 5:1. ESV). This crowd that followed Jesus up to the mountaintop was estimated to be 5,000 to 10,000 people. The previous verses describe what kind of people followed him: "They brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan." (Matthew 4:24-25). Jesus traveled up the mountain with a crowd gathered around him. Those who followed him were paralyzed, diseased and sick. Many were suffering from great pain, and others were demon-possessed. It was a crazy and diverse crowd. People came from Judea and Samaria, Galilee, Syria, across the Jordan River, and beyond the Dead Sea. These were foreigners, many of whom did not mix well together. Instead of Jesus directing them with a certain religious agenda, he taught them: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3-10). Many times, we read Jesus's beatitude teachings as commands to follow, but I think they are the opposite of that. Jesus is not telling the crowd these things so that they can be blessed. Instead, he is saying, Come, you who are broken, overwhelmed, and lonely, and those of you who feel overwhelmed and crushed by the world. I brought you to this beautiful mountaintop because I welcome you into my kingdom. Friend, in the kingdom of God, Jesus says, "In the condition you are in, hurting and wounded, I am calling you blessed. You are my son. You are my daughter." __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

29-10-24, 22:28	#1502
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Shut the Door "So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord." - 2 Kings 4:33 In 2 Kings 4, we find a testimony of the power of prayer and reliance on God regarding Elisha and the Shunammite woman. After her son, a miraculous gift from God, suddenly died, she hurried to Elisha for help. When Elisha got to the house, he entered the room where the child's body was laid. We see in 2 Kings 4:33 that Elisha "went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord." We find in this verse the importance of private, dedicated prayer. Let's recognize a vital lesson from Elisha: he didn't rush into action; he did what we are all called to do: first, seek the Lord and His help. Friends, our takeaway from these verses should be a greater dependence on God and His ability than our own feeble strength. Elisha's actions demonstrate beautifully that breakthroughs often start in quiet moments. When we close the door and enter that quiet space with God, we eliminate distractions to focus on Him, build a personal relationship with Him, and allow the Lord to work in our lives. Beloved, let me testify that carving out these moments of solitude with the Lord can be challenging in our busy lives, but they are worth it, even if you must adjust your sleep schedule to accomplish them. Like Elisha, we should turn to God before confronting any difficulties. While writing this post, I encountered a difficult situation that troubled me before I went into that quiet space, asking God to work and meet my request. My friends, I was not surprised when God resolved the situation. I continue to praise Him and the resolution He brought about. It was a blessing and a reminder to continually call on Him and trust Him in every moment of every day. Whether we are facing personal challenges, praying for others, or seeking guidance, let's remember prayer remains our most powerful tool. Today, I encourage you to set aside time to be still with God and share the matters in your heart with Him. May we remember that God can do much more than we could ever hope or imagine. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love for us and the price You paid for our peace. Lord, thank You for our relationship with You through prayer and the peace and power that comes through it. Lord, we are grateful for the opportunity to share the desires and concerns in our hearts. Lord Jesus, thank You for hearing as we pray. Heavenly Father, we ask for Your forgiveness for the way we often neglect to come to You first. Lord, as we confess our shortcomings, we thank You for Your faithfulness. Lord, help us to be faithful in our daily relationship with You. In Jesus' name, amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

01-11-24, 01:37	#1503
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Redeemed by the Blood I haven't yet attained it. My flesh still resists the Spirit, but my Savior's blood redeems me, and I will sing and shout praises to my God. Does this sound like what you pray each morning? Probably not. Most likely, you start your day by finding ways to continue striving. You bite the bullet, promising God you will never return to your old ways. When you win an occasional victory, you feel good about it. You congratulate yourself, knowing that you will achieve victory by putting your heart and mind into it. You tend to feel so proud about what you have done that you judge others who aren't victorious. When I was younger, whenever I needed a victory over something, I would tell myself, I am going to do this if it kills me. A month would pass, and I would think, Those covetous thoughts are gone now. I am free! However, it always proved to be only a partial victory. That is when discouragement would set in. I would blame God and cry, Oh, God, I have begged you to deliver me, but you haven't. This thing is still in me. The fact was, I was so busy striving in my flesh to be righteous that I lost my understanding of true righteousness, the only righteousness the Father accepts. Only Jesus Christ stands righteous before God, and when we stand before the Father, he accepts us only through Christ and his righteousness and victory. What must I do you ask. Well, first, do not listen to the devil's lies. Second, get up on your spiritual feet and start giving praise to the Lord. Declare boldly, By faith in the blood of Jesus, I receive the righteousness of Christ. He has made me fit and qualified to worship and serve my Lord. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14, NKJV). Redemption means being set free. We have been set free by Jesus's precious blood. We have the right to stand against every accusation and say, I'm not buying that, devil. You have accused me for the last time. My Bible says I am redeemed because I believe in what Jesus did for me at the cross. I confess my sins to him, and I am redeemed. I am free! __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

04-11-24, 04:01	#1504
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Assurance in Turbulent Times "These things I command you, so that you will love one another. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."(John 15:17-18, ESV). Jesus spoke these words to his disciples at the Last Supper, hours before he was taken away and crucified. He made two things clear to them. First, they were to love one another. To do this was an absolute necessity because of the second thing; they would be hated by the world. Why would the world hate Jesus's followers? He explained, "I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John 15:19). Christ distinguished between the world's way of doing things and his way. As his followers, we are to be different from the world. We are to love, serve and forgive; and we can be sure this will offend a darkened world. The most blatant type of hatred we experience is demonic. I experienced this most intensely when one of my sons was in the grip of drug addiction. I knew that Satan was out to destroy his life. At one point, my son's car flipped over on the highway. I've never felt the devil's hatred as deeply as when I heard this news. Thankfully, my son was okay. A second level of hatred comes from Satan's representatives on earth in the form of persecution. I saw this type of hatred on trips to the Middle East, where refugees have been traumatized by seeing their relatives killed. There is also a societal hatred toward followers of Christ that is spreading in Western nations. A few years ago, Christians were labeled intolerant if they believed in the Bible's teachings. Now the label is worse: Bible believers are labeled bigots and haters. Jesus's command to love each other becomes that much more urgent in a global environment of hatred. However, he promised us, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me." (John 15:26). He assures us, "The world will grow worse in its hatred of you. You'll be rejected, persecuted and despised. Don't worry or be afraid, though. In the midst of it all, the Helper will bring you my peace. He will enable you to walk with all boldness, joy and confidence." __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

05-11-24, 21:50	#1505
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You The Call to Repentance and Prayer On this election day in America, may we heed the call of the prophet Joel to repent as followers of Christ and to seek the Lord and call out to Him to heal our land. Thanks in advance for reading this post, and I pray the Holy Spirit uses it to encourage you to seek Him. "Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer. To you, O Lord, I call. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flame has burned all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness." - Joel 1:15-20 In Joel 1, we find a warning about the "day of the Lord" and a time of retribution and punishment. The prophet Joel depicts a wasteland where the once flourishing land laments the loss of its harvest and resources. The portrait these verses leave us with is a vivid illustration of the consequences that follow when we walk away from God. The weeping is not only about physical loss but also about spiritual destruction. Life can be messy, but its messier when we choose to live apart from God. As a follower of Jesus and a Pastor who is committed to sharing the Gospel, I know that sin destroys everything holding us together -- our joy and peace -- leaving the door open for loneliness to enter our lives. The call we have from Joel is urgent. Friends, I know no greater hour of urgency than today for us, the people of God, to repent of our sins and return to the Lord with a sincere heart. Repentance opens the door to restoration, allowing God to heal our brokenness. Today, I urge you to invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart, help you to repent, and allow Him to begin a new work in your life. First, examine your heart: You know, we are often quick to question the motives of others but, friend, we do not know their hearts. I urge you to ask the Lord to reveal anything in your life that needs to be confessed to Him and that as you confess those sins, you repent. You can say, "Lord, what are the sins in my life hindering my relationship with You?" I urge you to be still and allow the Holy Spirit to work as He reveals the sin and then confess that to Him. Second, pray for forgiveness. As you examine your heart and the Lord reveals things for which you need forgiveness, write them down, confess them to God, and tell Him of your desire to return to Him. The Lord is faithful to forgive, so I urge you to confess your sins and receive all that God has for you. (If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I will share how you can do that in the latter part of this post.) Third, seek restoration: You can seek restoration by asking the Lord to help you identify one action you can take this week to demonstrate your commitment to Him. Your action might include: Spending time with God in prayer and reading His Word. Reaching out to someone you've hurt. Serving in your community. I urge you to only take the actions where the Holy Spirit has prompted you in seeking restoration, whether with God or someone else, and not to act on your own. Fourth, pray for others: I urge you to pray for your restoration and those around you. You can begin by asking the Lord to soften hearts, draw people back to Him, and seek His help so they do not wander from the path of life. Pray with me: Lord Jesus, I admit that I need You in my life. Lord, I repent of my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. Heavenly Father, give me the strength to return to You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Lord, I ask that my life exemplify Your love, mercy, and grace as I seek to restore my relationship with You and pray for others. In Jesus name, amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

07-11-24, 22:02	#1506
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Submitted to the Righteousness of God One thing that consistently robs us of our joy and peace with God is our endless striving to please him in our flesh. Paul addressed this striving in Romans, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3, NKJV). When we strive outside of Christ, we are trying to establish our own righteousness. It is our flesh at work, leading us astray. We try to please the Lord in our human power, but it will never be enough. Any victories will be short-lived, and the next time we are tempted, we will fall even further. When Satan comes to you and whispers, "What about that sin you indulged in just yesterday? You are guilty! You can answer, No, I've already asked forgiveness for that. I've asked God to keep me from doing it again. It's all under the blood." You may still experience temptation, but Jesus has made a way of escape. His word says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13). If the accuser reminds you that there are still unsettled matters in your life and war still rages within you, let scripture encourage your heart: "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in his sight." (Colossians 1:21-22). Beloved, through Christ, you can find peace and reconciliation with God. The Bible says that even when you were alienated by your awful, evil works, even when you were in the pits of lust, even when you were one of God's worst enemies, God loved you. He sought you out and reconciled you to himself. He has brought you from the kingdom of darkness into his kingdom of light, and you are made to be at peace with him. He loves you! __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

12-11-24, 19:48	#1507
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Clothed in Humility "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility" (1 Peter 5:5, ESV). In seven straightforward words, Peter envisioned what may bring a transformative makeover to the church of Jesus Christ. Peter's simple command asks, "What if every member of Christ's body walked in complete humility? How attractive and healing would the gospel be to a lost and hurting world? What glory would God receive if the church's predominant trait was humility?" Some Christians picture humility as letting themselves be run over by others. Some see it as dressing in robes and sandals like Saint Francis and forsaking the world. Others think humility is about not offending people, but that's just man-pleasing rather than God-honoring. None of these images goes to the heart of what humility is. I believe Peter's call for humility suggests how the church could prophetically reveal God's servant nature to the world. Humility isn't a self-directed trait. By design, humility is relational, and its effect is powerful. The apostle Paul taught, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:5-7). What Paul said about humility is profoundly countercultural. The world despises and mocks humility, yet Peter says God exalts those who walk in it. This doesn't mean that operating in humility is easy. Actually, it is impossible to walk in humility apart from Spirit-given grace. According to Peter, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5). Our humility is Spirit-empowered, while at the same time, God resists our pride. If we operate in our flesh-driven effort, God will stop blessing us in order to lovingly deal with our pride. He doesn't do this solely for the sake of correcting us; he also does it because he seeks to reveal his nature through us. God's mighty hand is in charge of our advancement in life, and he brings about any exalting as we obey his call to humility. Trusting in him is the first step in clothing ourselves in humility. When we do this, we see his work in our lives as never before. As his church, we will awe the world with service worthy of our Savior. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

15-11-24, 23:53	#1508
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You The Most Effective Work "Trust in him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8, NKJV). You must consider your daily appointments with God more sacred and important than your appointments with any other people, no matter who they are. How embarrassing it must be for heaven to see the way we Christians fail to highly regard the majesty of our God, the King of Glory. We are often flippant in the way we keep him waiting. We will suddenly cancel plans to meet with him in his courts at the drop of a hat, all for the most trifling thing. Can you imagine someone keeping the Creator of the universe waiting while he lingers to view his favorite TV program? Yet that is what many of us do. Even worse, we often do not bother to show up in God's presence at all. It is not that we forget our appointment with him, but we willfully refuse to appear before him. Isaiah lamented, "He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him" (Isaiah 53:3). When I allow interruptions to come between me and my appointments with the Lord, I am hiding my face from him and not appreciating him as I should. The truth is that it is impossible to waste time when you are seeking God in prayer. Furthermore, outside the secret closet, the praying man or woman accomplishes more in less time, with less hurry, effort and sweat. The most effective work for God we will ever do is on our knees. While unpraying men and women run helter-skelter, to and fro, attempting great things, the praying Christian is hard at work moving kingdoms, shattering strongholds, doing great things, and becoming a giant with God in the process. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

17-11-24, 01:43	#1509
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Let Him Be Your Victory God is good. He is watching out for you and protecting you. There is not one thing in your life, not one habit, one sin or one emotional difficulty you face that Jesus does not have power over. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and saw the terrible, broken-down condition of the city, he led the Jewish people living there into a spiritual breakthrough and a time of rebuilding (see the book of Nehemiah). I can say to you today, just as Nehemiah said to his people, that if you trust Jesus and turn your whole heart, energy and life over to him, Satan and your enemies will be crushed and completely defeated. No enemy that is deeply lodged against you will be protected. Those enemies are going to be removed and made to flee. Old habits, fears, and addictions approach and afflict us, and sometimes we turn back to them. God is saying to us, "Fix your eyes on me! If you will let me be your victory, you will see the last of that." Listen to what God is saying! If we let him be our victory, we will see the last of our enemy. Oh, the enemy will still buffet us, just as he did Jesus when he approached him with temptations in the wilderness. If you keep Jesus on the wall of your heart, the wall of your life, though, he will root out all those emotional difficulties. You may be living in fear of habitual patterns of sin, the things you might return to. You know that you are cleansed from them, but because they are so close, you feel that you may be drawn back at any moment to their bondage, and you are afraid. I am here today to call you to a place of security and safety in Christ Jesus. Trust him with all your heart. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57, ESV). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

26-11-24, 01:01	#1510
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Deliverance from Idolatry "And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired, that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God" (Ezekiel 14:10-11, NKJV). God is telling us in tender terms, "I am going to do whatever it takes to get you away from your polluted idols. I will not let you fall into deception and destruction. I am going to woo you back to myself; but if that doesn't work, I will have to bring punishment." "And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it" (Ezekiel 14:23). The Lord is saying, "You will know that my strong dealings with you are for a reason. I simply will not let you go." Do you have a stumbling block of iniquity in your heart? Are you deceived by a bondage that could destroy you? If so and if you find yourself under conviction from this message, there is hope for you. It does not matter what your idol is: covetousness, sexual sin, pornography, alcohol, drugs, bitterness or unforgiveness. Ask God to open your eyes to your sin and seek him for a revelation about it. Ask the Holy Spirit to instill the fear of God in you and to soften your heart to his convicting voice. You must hate your sin and be determined to make no peace with it. Cry out to him now, "Lord, don't leave me blind. If there is any delusion or deception in me, expose it. I don't want to believe any more lies. I only want to hear your voice and have your power and authority rule over my life." There is deliverance for you if you truly want it. One day soon, you will realize you are no longer a slave, but a child of God set free by the truth. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

28-11-24, 15:58	#1511
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Strength and Deliverance Bondage to sin is your battle with the flesh. Under the New Covenant, God will allow situations to show you how wholly dependent you are on him to deliver you through faith. God will never lead you into temptation, but he will allow you to come to your wits' end. If you have a besetting sin, Satan will come against you continually with his lies: "You're too weak! You're never going to make it." You hear the rattling of chains as Satan tries to bind you to your habit once more, and you wonder, "Lord, how will I ever get up from this? I've gone down so low." What can you do? You know you cannot outrun the enemy and are no match for him in a fight, so you cower before him, trembling in fear. You may say, "I'll just return to my old ways. At least I'll be spared from all this spiritual warfare. It's too much for me!" However, you know you cannot go back to your old master. If you turn back now and desert Christ, it will cost you your life. Many Christians become caught in the hellish cycle of sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing. They run to friends, counselors and anyone who will listen to them as they cry and pray. Such believers will do everything except stand still and trust the Lord to bring their deliverance. The Old Testament gives us example after example of how we have no power in our flesh to fight spiritual battles. Our old man is utterly weak and powerless, but we have a new man inside us. This new man understands there is no human way out and that God has to do all the fighting. We resist the devil not in our strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is revealed in us by faith alone. "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

30-11-24, 15:56	#1512
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You God's Grace Poured Out Studies reveals that young people increasingly feel isolated, fearful and rejected. However, this crisis isn't just about youth; multitudes of adults live in silent despair. Our trials can be overwhelming without someone to walk with us and help us bear our suffering. The apostle Paul knew what it meant to suffer alone in a soul-crushing situation. He was shackled and imprisoned several times, often in horrific and inhumane conditions. At one point, Paul asked Timothy to bring him a cloak to keep him warm. I suspect that Paul was fraught with desperate need every day he spent in prison. As awful as his situation was, his inner trials were even harder. His letter to the Philippians contains revelations of how alone he felt. Still, we know this man of great faith wasn't easily dissuaded from his hope in Christ. Paul wrote, "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now" (Philippians 1:3-5, ESV). The word for "thank" here has the same root as the word "eucharist" and is the same word we use for communion, the bread and wine that represent Christ's body and blood. The first part, "eu," means "well" as in "deeply" or "fully." The second part, "charis," means "grace." So, when Paul wrote, "I thank," he was saying, "I express my gratitude for how much I have been given." How was Paul able to be thankful amid his excruciating trials? Simply put, his mindset wasn't based on circumstances but on the life-giving grace God gave him. He testified that such grace welled up in him as he thought of God's people. In every trial, God reserves for us an infilling of grace that gives us access to deep joy. This grace is meant to be poured out on our suffering so that we may endure it. Very often, the vessels of such grace are the members of Christ's body who pour out his fragrant, gracious beauty on one another in times of need. Lord, may those who suffer among us behold the fullness of your good news through the comfort of your people joyfully delivering gifts. Show us the great need in your body so we may pour out your grace to each other. Amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

02-12-24, 21:11	#1513
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Take All of Me, Jesus! In the 1800s, a young woman wrote an anointed song after visiting a couple and their eight children. All the family members attended church, but during her five days with them, she sensed a coldness in their hearts toward the things of God. They seemed to lack spiritual fervor, and there was no reverence for him. Deeply burdened, the young lady prayed fervently for her hosts while she was with them, believing God would deal with their hearts. She also spoke the truth in love and boldly warned them. Before she left, a revival had broken out in that house of ten people. They wept for hours as they rejoiced at what the Holy Spirit was accomplishing in their lives. The composer of the song, Frances Havergal, said, "I was too happy to sleep, and passed most of the night in praise and renewal of my own consecration. These little couplets formed themselves, and chimed in my heart one after another till they finished with. Ever, only, all for Thee!" CONSECRATION HYMN Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee. Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King. Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee. Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose. Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne. Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee. Would you ask God for a renewal to fill you afresh with the power of the Holy Spirit? I invite you to pray, "Take all of me, Jesus. I want my life to be fully consecrated to you!" __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

06-12-24, 04:09	#1514
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Sowing Peace in the Valley As we undergo trials, we often have trouble holding onto our peace. This is the first stage in how God shepherds us through difficult times. Peace is like any other fruit of the Spirit; it involves maturation. Just as your wisdom matures, so does your peace. God is adding to it continually through all your experiences, the way any fruit is grown. Think about how a seed gets sown for a flowering plant. As it sprouts, the winds blow against it and rains flood it, yet God has fashioned it to withstand and grow through those regular pressures. He will sustain that plant, and eventually, it will bear amazing fruit. I take comfort in the words of the psalmist who assures every heart that's open to the shepherd's faithful leading, "Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace" (Psalm 37:37, ESV). A faithful Christian may be shaken and seem blown around by troubles, but God's future for that servant is peace. If you don't feel peace, just wait. It will grow. The promise of peace comes from God himself, and Jesus has already paid the price for it. Your tests and tribulations are building a future where you'll not only walk in continual peace but bear its fruit, performing works of righteousness that will stand into eternity. Submit to God's leading, and trust in his creative work in you. It's all part of the purpose he has in mind for your life. "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?" (Jeremiah 12:5). We're created to run a race with his sustaining peace in our hearts. We live in a time and place that preaches "prosperity, prosperity, prosperity," but valleys come to us all. As God's people, we know there is great purpose in our trials. That's where the Lord's merciful creativity happens. The valley is where we face the problem of peace, remember the price of peace and walk in his promise of peace. There is no greener pasture than the heart that's able to sow the peaceful fruit of righteousness. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

09-12-24, 23:40	#1515
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Directed by the Spirit When the Spirit fell upon his disciples, they became fearless. As they went forth to the temple to witness, the Holy Ghost made their words cutting and convicting, like swords piercing the heart. They preached the gospel with power and authority because they had the Holy Ghost fire within them. Under this anointed preaching, some five thousand people were saved in just a short time. Even priests were converted. Further outpourings happened in nearby villages, distant cities, and even among Gentiles. The best part of this unbelievable scene is that the church got all of its direction from the Holy Ghost. Nothing happened until the disciples shut themselves in with the Lord, fasted and prayed. When they did this, the Spirit began directing their every move. Something else happened that was very important. The disciples were to take the gospel to every nation and every people, yet Jewish tradition forbade them even to touch the clothes of a Gentile. How were they supposed to bring the good news to people with whom they weren't even allowed to associate? It seemed to be an impossible command because even the Jewish converts held to these prejudices. The widespread proclamation of the gospel began only when the Holy Ghost took over. The Spirit visited Peter on a rooftop during his daily prayer time. Again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy" (Acts 10:15, NKJV). God told Peter, "Don't dare call unclean what I have sanctified and made clean. Now, go downstairs because some Gentiles are knocking on your door. I want you to go with them and preach to them about Jesus." The Holy Spirit had solved the prejudice problem overnight. He opened up the Gentile world to the gospel simply by speaking to his followers. It was all clearly directed from heaven. The powerful first-century believers received all their marching orders from the Holy Ghost, "being sent out by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:4). They never made a move until they got alone with God, fasted and prayed. It was then that the Holy Ghost answered them by giving clear directions. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

11-12-24, 22:02	#1516
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You The Harvest of the Spirit "Therefore he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith" (Galatians 3:5, NKJV). Paul says that God measures out the Holy Ghost to us, and he does so not according to our works but according to our faith in him. Jesus is the only person who ever had the Holy Spirit without measure. Yet many men and women throughout history have been given a great measure of the Spirit. Such believers have always known they do not have to strive to weep over a lost, broken world because the Holy Ghost does the weeping in them. Our part is to pray. "Holy Ghost, you know everyone in my circle of influence who is under conviction because you are the one who convicts them. You see every tear that falls in the quiet of the night, and you know everyone who is desperate and crying for help. I am your instrument. Fill me with your burden and lead me to those you have prepared." God wants to empower us for one reason: to get us into the streets, filled with his word and led by his Spirit. He wants us to be able to speak a piercing, convicting word that has the unmistakable fire of the Spirit. Does something stir in your soul over the lost? Are you burdened for those in your circle of influence, or do you focus endlessly on your own needs? If you don't know Christ's heart and have his burden, you can never expect to be used by him. For many Christians, the work of eternity may not be in a faraway land but will center on family, friends and coworkers. The requirements, however, are just the same. To reach the lost, we must ask the Lord to move on them with conviction and to prepare our hearts with a timely word. Fast, pray and then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to those he has convicted and prepared to hear his word. Then trust in his guidance and power to do the miraculous! __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

15-12-24, 22:33	#1517
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You A Fire for Our Generation! "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:9, ESV). Jeremiah prophesied to a terror-stricken nation. The cry in Israel was "Fear on every side!" (see Jeremiah 6:25, 20:10, 49:29). While people were gripped with terror, the prophet was grieved and troubled by what he saw happening in the land. Immorality was rampant, and God's people were in a horrible spiritual decline. If Jeremiah were alive in America today, I believe he would see the same thing happening in our land. He would tell us that we're facing just what his generation faced: a moral collapse, a tidal wave of unprecedented sexual perversion and a society rapidly rejecting God. There is something even more troubling than this. Tragically, Christ's church has been ineffective in turning the tide. God's people are too prayerless and thus powerless at the very moment we should be calling on God with effective fervency. We've grown spiritually anemic, distracted by entertainment and a pursuit of fleshly cravings. A famous quote, attributed to either C. H. Spurgeon or Archibald Brown, prophesied all of this more than a century ago: "A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats." That time is now. The hour has come for repentance of the heart, revival in the church and a spiritual awakening in our nation. Oh, that God would give us Jeremiah's fire for our generation! Oh, that men and women of God would regain their zeal for the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Oh, that leaders would return to preaching the uncompromising Word of God and calling for repentance, holiness and passion for him. It is time to pray. It is time for each of us to appeal to heaven for a revival in the church and an awakening in the nation. Jeremiah says it is God's Word to us to trust and believe him to move on a generation. I implore you to begin praying now for all pastors and church leaders to be faithful, on-fire messengers of his Word for the sake of our nation. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

17-12-24, 15:48	#1518
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You God's Protective Power Isaiah uses the image of birds to illustrate God's protective power over his people. "Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, he will also deliver it; passing over, he will preserve it." (Isaiah 31:5, NKJV). The Hebrew meaning of this verse is "As the hen birds flutter over their young, so shall Jehovah, God of hosts, spread out his wings over Jerusalem." God told Israel, "If you want to be protected from the onslaught of the enemy, then hide under my wings. I will secure you, covering you like a mother hen covers her chicks. You no longer have to live in fear of your enemies." Are you in great warfare right now? Are you facing an enemy that is too powerful for you? If so, how do you expect to remain pure, faithful and Christlike while others around you are falling? How will you gain victory over your lusts and temptations when Satan comes against you like a roaring lion? God asks simply that you lay down your sword and trust him to take up his sword on your behalf. He wants you to come to the point where you say, "Lord, I know the battle is not mine anymore. I have failed so many times. Now, I come to you in simple faith. Help me, God." The Lord is urging you to cling to him in the midst of your battle. Your victory is all a matter of faith in his power and willingness to deliver you. When the enemy has overwhelmed you, come to him and pour out your soul. Seek the Lord with all your heart, and he will go to battle for you. The battle is never ours. It is always the Lord's! "He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge; his truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day." (Psalm 91:4-5). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Last edited by Tarfoot; 19-12-24 at 19:11.

19-12-24, 19:18	#1519
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You The Birth of Hope "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days." - Micah 5:2 Let's take a moment to explore Micah 5:2, a profound prophecy about God's redemption plan. In this verse, we see that God chose a tiny village called Bethlehem to be the Messiah's birthplace. God's decision offers encouragement and hope to His followers because it shows He uses humble and often overlooked vessels to fulfill His great purposes. From this perspective, Israel was oppressed and uncertain about its position in Micah's time. The prophecy of a ruler coming from a small village like Bethlehem brought hope to a weary nation. We learn that this ruler, later identified as Jesus Christ, was more than a ruler; He would also be a shepherd who would lead His people with love and justice. May we be reminded and encouraged that throughout Scripture, God values the small and humble. Friends, just as Bethlehem was small, we may sometimes feel insignificant in the grand scheme of life. However, we should be encouraged that God can use anyone, regardless of background or status. I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on your life and how God might call you into a role or purpose that seems beyond your current circumstances. We can also take to heart that we have hope in Christ and that no matter our circumstances, God has a plan. As Israel held onto the promise of the ruler, we can hold onto the promises found in Scripture. What are some of God's promises you can meditate on today that bring peace, hope, and encouragement to you? Write these Scriptures down and place them in strategic areas in your home, car, and office. Then, you can read and pray over them until they become hidden in your heart as the Holy Spirit propels you to new heights in your relationship with Christ. We can anticipate the celebration of Christ's coming, just as this passage points to Jesus's birth. But more than that, this prophecy calls us to look forward to His second coming. Take a moment to examine what you are doing to prepare your heart and life for Jesus' return. As you prepare your heart spiritually, pray for boldness to fulfill the Great Commission, expressing love and grace as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Finally, as a follower of Jesus, remember you are to be salt and light. Beloved, Bethlehem was made to be the birthplace of Hope for the world, and we are called to be an example of hope to others. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you daily opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with others wherever you go. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, I thank You for all the promises of Scripture and am so grateful for the promise of hope found in Micah 5:2. Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing Bethlehem as the birthplace of our Savior. Lord, may we recognize that You can work through our lives at any moment, no matter how small or insignificant it may feel. I ask You today to give me the boldness to share with others the love and hope found in a relationship with You. Lord, as I commit to being about Your business in sharing the good news of Jesus and loving others as You love, go before me, opening doors to multiple divine appointments for sharing Your story. In Jesus' name, Amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

21-12-24, 19:35	#1520
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Hear, O Lord Mark Renfroe I'm not much of a cook, but I do know this: The ingredients of a recipe aren't all that's important in making a delicious meal. You can have all the right ingredients, but if you don't follow the directions, you'll wind up with something other than what you wanted. While I never want to reduce prayer to a formula, God gives us a wonderful pattern for how to pray in times of trouble with Psalm 27. This psalm gives us insight into David's prayer for deliverance when fleeing from Absalom. Can you imagine what was going on in David's heart? Not only was he trying to preserve his life and those closest to him, but he was also dealing with the pain of betrayal. While the king of Israel had a complicated relationship with his son, he wouldn't have previously placed him in the enemy column. All of that had changed. Absalom not only wanted the throne; he wanted the king's head. Considering David's circumstances, one might expect his first words to God to be "Help!" While he did eventually reach that point, he began his prayer by focusing on God's character. He recounted God's character and attributes. He reminded himself that God was his light, salvation, stronghold, shelter, and deliverer. Based on God's character, he made statements of faith, saying, "He will hide me. He will shield me. He will lift my head above my enemies. So, I will sing and make sacrifices." He acknowledged that he would come out of this situation victorious, but it wouldn't be because of his strength or military prowess. It would be because of his unwavering faith in God's deliverance. Did David just assume this salvation? No. He brought his situation before God, but not until he had focused his heart and mind on God instead of his circumstances. He proclaimed, "Hear, O Lord!" He acknowledged his utter need. He knew his only hope was God and turned to him for help. Even today, his prayer still has a tone of desperation. "Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence" (Psalm 27:12, ESV). When you find yourself in great need, turn to God. Focus on him. Trust in him. Don't forget to take your needs to him. Following this pattern not only honors God, but it will also help protect your heart and mind from fear. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

23-12-24, 15:33	#1521
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You SAVIOR, NOW WITH CONTRITE HEARTS Music: Martha, John B. Hammer, 1871 Savior, now with contrite hearts We approach Thy throne of love; Asking pardon for our sins, Peace and comfort from above. Thou didst suffer on the cross To atone for sinners guilt; May we never, Lord, forget That for us Thy blood was spilt. Now to Thee ourselves we bring, Cleanse us, Lord, we humbly pray; Undeserving though we be, Draw us closer every day. Thou our refuge art, and strength! Keep, O keep us safe from harm, Shield us through the coming night By Thine everlasting arm. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

23-12-24, 23:57	#1522
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You God's Favor Does God give favor, bless abundantly and lavish his grace on hungry, waiting hearts? The answer is yes, and we find this illustrated in the first chapter of Luke. An angel appeared to Mary to announce the amazing events about to take place in her life. "....The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be." (Luke 1:26-29, ESV). Bible scholars think Mary was very young, probably a teenager. Imagine how strange this encounter had to be for her. She was a simple girl from an obscure village and family, and an angel stood before her: "The angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.'" (Luke 1:30-31). Mary seemed uncertain about what she was hearing, which is understandable. Living in a male-dominated culture, she had little influence and probably few expectations for her life. She would have all the privileges of being a good wife and mother but nothing beyond that. A lot of us are like Mary. We would like to see our circumstances transformed. We want to see our sick relative healed. We long for our troubled child to find purpose in Christ or for our tense marriage to be restored to its former joy. Like Mary, we think, "Lord, my life doesn't reflect your favor at all. I need you to bring your light into it." How would we feel if we heard a voice from heaven telling us, "You have God's favor." Be encouraged! God is looking to favor you, especially if you will cry out like Mary: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." (Luke 1:46-47). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Last edited by Tarfoot; 24-12-24 at 00:04.

26-12-24, 21:14	#1523
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You The Cure for a Hard Heart "He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." (Proverbs 29:1, NKJV). The Hebrew word for reproved in this verse refers to corrective teaching. Without remedy means "without a cure, without any possibility of deliverance." This verse first tells us that the hardness of the heart comes as a result of rejecting repeated warnings and pushing aside all truth. Secondly, it tells us that such hardness becomes impossible to cure over time. So who are the people who most often hear these warnings? They are supposedly Christians, those who sit in God's house each week listening to sermons of reproof. What exactly is a hard heart? It is a heart determined to resist obeying God's Word, impossible to stir, and immune to the convictions and warnings of the Holy Spirit. The tragic truth is that despite hearing fiery messages sent from heaven, multitudes of Christians do not practice what they hear. They refuse to allow God's entry into certain areas of their lives, and hardness begins to set in as they continue to listen without heeding. However, there are many sinners whose hardness of heart has been cured. At first, they cursed Christ and shook an angry fist in God's face, yet their hearts melted when they heard the gospel and felt the pure, loving reproof of the Holy Spirit. They repented and turned to Jesus. The life of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's son illustrates this. He had been reared in probably the most atheistic household in America, and he later worked for his mother, crusading against God and religion. When he heard the gospel, he got gloriously saved and became a minister, preaching Christ instead of cursing him. This man's hardness was curable because when he sat under sermons of reproof, he accepted them. In my experience, the hardest, incurable hearts are often cured within earshot of Holy Spirit-anointed preaching. Such hearts do not melt in cold, dead, formal churches where the gospel has been corrupted for generations. No, it is always found where a pure word is preached from the pulpit and where repentance begins in the pews. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

01-01-25, 23:44	#1524
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Taking God at His Word "And the Lord said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave'" (Genesis 18:20, NKJV). We all love to hear about God's mercy, grace and long-suffering, but we do not want to face the fact that someday God will come against everything that is of Sodom. God revealed his nature to Moses this way: "The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin'" (Exodus 34:6-7a, NKJV). In the very next phrase, God added, "By no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7b). The Lord was saying, "I will not wink at sin. Yes, I am merciful and long-suffering, but the time is coming when my patience with your sin will end. That is when Sodom will burn." Two angels came to Lot and warned him, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city" (Genesis 19:15). Apparently, Lot did not take this warning seriously because he slept in the next morning, and the angels had to rouse him. His sons-in-law must have thought, "If he really believed the warning, he would be on his way out of here. He doesn't believe it, so why should we?" This should be a lesson to us all. We need to live as if Christ is about to return so that others will listen to our witness. I believe in what are called "divine ultimatums," times when the Holy Spirit knows your sin is about to bring you to ruin. The Lord comes to you and says, "I am the God of grace, and I want to deliver you out of this. Now, turn from your sin. Obey my Word!" These ultimatums are found throughout the Bible. It does not matter how much you pray or fast or how faithful you are in doing God's work; if you do not believe God will deal seriously with your sin, you are deceived! __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

07-01-25, 22:34	#1525
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Embrace the Silence "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth." - Isaiah 53:7 Today, noise fills our world day and night. Peaceful, quiet spaces where we can pause and enjoy a restful moment are rare. Isaiah 53:7 captures our attention with profound wisdom, truly reflecting the essence of humility, surrender, and the power of silence amidst adversity. Isaiah 53 has been called the "Suffering Servant" passage. It is a prophetic description of the coming Messiah and His sacrifice for humanity. Many biblical scholars believe Isaiah 53 was written during a period of turmoil for the people of Israel, either during or after their exile in Babylon. In Isaiah, we find a message that offers hope and a glimpse of God's redemptive plan. The lamb imagery should awaken us as followers of Christ. In Jewish culture, lambs were used in sacrifices, symbolizing innocence and purity. Isaiah emphasizes that Christ's suffering was voluntary by using the image of a lamb led to slaughter. He willingly endured pain and humiliation, without protest, as the greatest act of love and obedience to God's will. Let's look at how Isaiah 53:7 offers us rich insights into embracing silence and living for God and His Glory. First, the Power of Silence: Our instinctive reaction is to respond when accused or disagreed with, feeling that the louder and more physical we get, the stronger and more in control we appear. However, I have grown to believe through numerous life experiences that there is greater strength and power in calmness and silence. We can all learn a lesson from Jesus; through this, He shows that sometimes being quiet is our most powerful weapon during disagreements or misunderstandings with families, friends, or even neighbors. Second, Trusting God's Plan and Purpose: Jesus understood His purpose and trusted God with His life, even in the face of suffering. We will undoubtedly encounter circumstances beyond our control. In these moments, we need to rest in God's peace as we trust Him, recognizing that He is at work. Third, Embrace Humility: Jesus modeled humility. As we accept our identity in Christ, we embrace humility because we now recognize that our worth is not in a position or title. Embracing humility helps us not become defensive when there are accusations or disagreements. Fourth, Exemplify the love of Christ: The Lord suffering in silence on our behalf should inspire us to carry that same love to everyone we meet. Friends, we can strive to serve one another even when it requires sacrifice and/or inconvenience. As we show God's love, we start to fulfill His Great Commandment to a world that is desperate for love. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, help us guard our mouths and embrace silence when facing trials so we can hear from You, maintain our trust in You, and demonstrate humility so that the love of Jesus in our hearts will be a shining light amid trials and circumstances over which we have no control. In Jesus' name, Amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

10-01-25, 20:30	#1526
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You God's Holy Mountain Lot would have died in Sodom had God not taken matters into his own hands. The Lord literally grabbed Lot and his family and pulled them out of the city. "And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city" (Genesis 19:16, NKJV). As Lot lingered on the brink of destruction, with no strength or will to deliver himself, God hand-led this confused, deluded, sin-bound man to safety. What a glorious picture of grace. God is willing to act for us when we have nothing to give. Scripture says, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). The literal meaning for without strength here is "without an ability or will." The Lord had one more directive for Lot: "Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed" (Genesis 19:17). The mountain here represents God?s presence, a place alone with him. We see this image repeated throughout scripture. On a mountain, Moses was touched by God's glory; Christ was transfigured before his disciples; and Jesus sought his Father in prayer. All these things happened on a mountain. When God delivers you by faith in his promises, run straight to the mountain of his holiness! "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God, in his holy mountain" (Psalm 48:1). "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we shall walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3). Beloved, look to the mountain and move on to fullness in God. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

11-01-25, 19:11	#1527
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You How We Find Victory Every morning when you rise up, what is commanding you, "You will serve me." If there is anything other than Jesus Christ issuing that order, it doesn't have preeminence over God. It doesn't have the right or the power to dominate your life any longer. Dismay comes when we look at the size of our opposition and then we look at the mediocrity of our own ability to fight with it. We lose sight of God when we start looking at ourselves and our own strengths and resources. Because of that, a deep-seated fear settles in our hearts. What voice greets you every morning? What voice taunts you and defies your ability to bring it into submission to Christ? Is it alcohol, drugs, depression, lust? Whatever it is, it rises up and says, "You will serve me. You don't have it in you to fight against me. You've failed before. You will yield to my voice, and what I tell you to do, you will do." Now listen to this: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, NKJV). What phenomenal power! How do we access this power? Well, Paul went on to write, "'and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled" (2 Corinthians 10:6). What is this particular obedience? I think you'll be surprised to see what it is, at least in part. There's a point where you and I have to get some gravel in our gut and rise up to say, "I would rather die in the valley than let this voice mock the living God, let this voice mock the promises of God, the people of God, the purpose God has for my life. I was intended for more than this. God didn't intend for me to tremble every morning at the voice of darkness." There is a point where each of us must stand up and say, "No. I will not serve you. I will serve the Lord." That is obedience. That is the beginning of God's victory and power in us. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

13-01-25, 04:18	#1528
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Looking to Jesus I have been burdened for those presently going through trials, struggles or turmoil of soul. I want you to know that God sees you exactly where you are, and he has not forgotten you. In fact, he has been walking beside you through your situation. He wants you to be aware of his great love for you, and he wants this knowledge to dispel any fear gripping your heart. We do not need to be afraid to face the valleys in our lives, for God is with us. In the midst of these situations, he asks us to do only one thing: look to him. He is our rock, our strong tower and our salvation. It is only in him that we can hope. All other things will fail, but he is sure for all eternity. So while you face your trial, know that Jesus is your answer. We will have difficulties in this life, but our great hope is in the completed work of Christ on the cross. He has taken all sin, sickness and sorrow upon himself. He bears it all for us so that we may live a life of victory and hope. "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2, ESV). This ultimate act of love was made for you in your situation; the Lord wants to show his love and power in your life. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

14-01-25, 21:36	#1529
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You A Call to Action "I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that he has granted them according to his compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love." - Isaiah 63:7 Isaiah 63:7 is a call to action for us as followers of Jesus. It calls us to testify to the Lord's love and goodness. The Lord's goodness is not to be hidden or kept silent; it is a truth to be proclaimed with humility and boldness. As believers, we witness the Lord's goodness. Every answered prayer and act of mercy, grace, and deliverance we have received serve as a testimony to share with others. This call from Isaiah is not a passive suggestion but an active mandate to declare His deeds with passion and purpose. People all around us are crying out for help, and they need to hear about a God who heals, provides, restores, and redeems. Let me ask you: do you hear the cries of strangers, your neighbors, and family members? Beloved, we are to take Isaiah's words to heart and take action: Share your testimony with someone. Breathe life into situations where there seems to be no hope. May your voice declare the majesty and glory of God, drawing hearts back to Him. We are in a season of encouragement and renewal for Christ's followers and an awakening for those who have not yet accepted Him. As we speak and declare the kindness of the Lord, may the Holy Spirit produce spiritual fruit to transform lives, families, communities, the United States, and any other nation that will humble itself and seek the face of God. Let's move forward in this season with a commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus, showing kindness, and demonstrating His love to a world that needs Him. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your love, kindness, mercy, and grace. Lord, as we witness and receive these blessings from You, help us humbly declare them to a world that needs to know You as Savior and Lord. Let us testify of Your blessings by sharing and demonstrating Your love, kindness, mercy, and grace to others. In Jesus' name, Amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

16-01-25, 16:28	#1530
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Jesus, Our Jubilee "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV). We are familiar with this passage as a proclamation of Christ's victory over death and sin. However, Isaiah is using the language of Jubilee here. He is saying, "Let the trumpets blast announcing the cheerful, joyous year of liberty that our Savior has given us!" This passage also refers to the scene of Christ's ascension into glory. The heavenly Father, after beholding the awful sufferings of his blessed Son, prepared for Jesus a glorious entrance into heaven. Indeed, as Christ made his ascension, he was escorted by a host of angels and multitudes of chariots: "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. You have ascended on high" (Psalm 68:17-18). Our finite minds cannot begin to conceive of this glorious event. As Christ approached the eternal city of God, riding on his white horse, he was escorted by this huge procession. As he entered the gates, the trumpets of God began to sound: "God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet." (Psalm 47:5). This was the joyful sound of the trumpets blaring, announcing the believers year of Jubilee! The sound proclaimed to all humankind, "I have made provision for you to walk out of prison, to be restored to your family, and to have everything you need for a fulfilled life. You are free to live without fear of any enemy. Enter now into my joy!" __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Last edited by Tarfoot; 16-01-25 at 16:51.

17-01-25, 21:59	#1531
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Your failure is no match for God's sovereignty Perhaps this has happened to you (although I sincerely hope not) . . . I was in the restroom washing my hands a few years ago, and a woman walked in. She froze in embarrassment then apologized to me for being in the wrong restroom. I told her, "Don't worry about it, and went on to dry my hands. But when I exited the restroom, I noticed that the sign on the wall said "Women." We all make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are minor mishaps, like going into the wrong restroom. But other times, they are major blunders: A poor investment that threatens our financial security. An affair that ruins our marriage. A lost opportunity that leads to sleepless nights and the weight of regret. We wonder, Do I have to spend the rest of my life suffering the consequences for my mistakes? Have I messed up God's plan for my life? Here's a comforting truth: Your failure is no match for God's sovereignty. The Bible teaches that God is sovereign-He rules over His creation. And if God is in control of everything that happens in the universe, then He is in control of everything that happens in your life as well. Your sinful choices, your lapses in judgment, and your squandered opportunities do not loosen God's grip on the direction of your life. Proverbs 20:24 says, "Man's steps are ordained by the Lord." Every step you take is part of God's plan. What if we make a wrong choice? Does our sin alter God's plan? Not at all! In Ephesians 1:11, Paul wrote that God "works all things after the counsel of His will." Notice the word "will" is singular. God has one perfect plan, and it is big enough to include Satan's rebellion, Adam and Eve's sin in the garden of Eden, and even the torture and murder of His own Son. God has one plan, and He has the power to accomplish that plan. Remember the story of Job. He lost his kids, his health, and his livelihood in a short period of time. Job's friends tried to tell him, "God had a perfect plan, but you messed it up." Job didn't buy into that. He said to God, "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). God is going to accomplish His purpose, and no one-including you and me-is powerful enough to stop Him. Does that mean we're robots who have no say over the direction of our lives? No, God's power doesn't exempt us from our responsibility. The Bible talks repeatedly about the importance of making wise choices. And we experience consequences for making wrong choices. I can't fully comprehend how God's sovereignty and our responsibility work together. But I can say this with certainty: God's sovereignty offers you peace from your past, and your responsibility offers you hope for your future. Despite your mistakes, you can make choices right now that will alter your life and your eternity. Friend, it doesn't matter what you've done in the past-your failures can be transformed for your good and for God's glory. I pray you'll experience God's peace and hope as you move forward in His plan for you! __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Last edited by Tarfoot; 17-01-25 at 22:08.

19-01-25, 03:25	#1532
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Who Seeks to Kill Christ Joshua West There is such a false religious idea today that we can accept Jesus but reject certain parts of the Bible. If you reject part of the Word, you reject Christ in total. If you reject any part of the promises, the warnings, the prophesies in Scripture, you are also rejecting the person who fulfilled them. It's all, or it's nothing. Either we bow down to God, or we try to silence and even kill his Word. When we deny Christ, we don't have some grand or lofty intention to further the kingdom of darkness. We don't necessarily try to be at odds with God; we just want to be lord of our own life. We want to be in control of our own life. We just want to be happy. We just want what we want...which in turn does forward the kingdom of darkness. We do the devil's bidding unaware. King Herod, as we see in Matthew 2:1-18, is a picture of everyone who rejects the lordship of Christ for their own ends. They desire to undermine and distort the Word of God in order to retain the throne of their own lives. They are like the tenants who were leased a vineyard by a master who traveled away into another country. "When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ...Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.'" (Matthew 21:34-35, 37-38, ESV). This is the ridiculous idea that we have, that if we shut out and ignore the Word the God, that somehow we won't be responsible for it. This is far from true. Many people today do not think of themselves as enemies of the cross. Maybe even you are one of them. However, if you are not for the cross, if you are not being transformed by Christ, if you are not propagating the truth about Jesus, you are an enemy of the cross. Bow your heart and soul before Christ. Submit yourself to him and to his instructions through the Bible. Find salvation in your surrender to Jesus. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Last edited by Tarfoot; 19-01-25 at 03:32.

21-01-25, 00:01	#1533
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You Jesus Speaks "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets." (Hebrews 1:1, ESV). God speaks. How marvelous it must have been to hear a mighty prophet of God thunder truth from heaven. How awesome to have the voice of an angel speak words of hope or direction in a time of need. How overwhelming to see the words of God written on tablets of stone. Every single one of these words are the very words of God, inspired and infallible. However, God has spoken something new and better. Jesus has become the ultimate heavenly spokesperson, gathering many bands of light and shining them into one pure beam. There is a greater and better way of God speaking to us, from the man Christ Jesus, fully God and yet human. The Son of God came to us, spoke to us and still speaks to us. When the Word is preached and a sinner is saved, the Holy Spirit has made the words of Jesus come alive. There is much to be fulfilled in prophecy, and it will be so by the word of his power. We cannot diminish the need to understand that Jesus speaks, yet Hebrews 1:2 does not say Jesus speaks; it says, past tense, "he has spoken" and by his spoken word, "granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him" (2 Peter 1:3). We must be careful not to run after prophetic or angelic words; we are to run after the words of Jesus. He has spoken, and his words are our first and utmost source of life. Hebrews 12:24 summarizes this by saying that Jesus "speaks a better word." At least thirty times in Hebrews, we have God speaking of the Son, about the Son or through the Son. How glorious that we have a mediator in Christ Jesus who speaks to us through his word and the Spirit today! Not only does Jesus speak a better word, but Jesus, as the one who speaks it, also gives the word its greater glory and authority. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

21-01-25, 23:41	#1534
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You God Restores "For the Lord is restoring the majesty of Jacob as the majesty of Israel, for plunderers have plundered them and ruined their branches." - Nahum 2:2 Nahum 2:2 is a powerful testimony of God's restoration. Commentary writers help us understand that this verse is part of a prophetic message against Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian empire. Nineveh was notorious for its cruelty and idolatry. The commentators point out that in this verse, the prophet Nahum declares that God will restore the glory of Israel, which the Assyrians had destroyed. The verse promises hope amid the destruction. It follows a period of suffering and oppression by the Assyrians. The prophecy, as declared by the prophet Nahum, was fulfilled in 612 B.C. when the Assyrian empire fell. The lesson here is of God's promise to restore, no matter how devastating the circumstances may seem. Additionally, we are reminded of the fallen world we inhabit today due to what transpired in the Garden with Adam and Eve. The enemy, Satan, deceived them, leading to their exile from the Garden. The consequences of that fall remain: we live in a broken and fallen world. As we read of the fall of Israel to Nineveh (much like Adam and Eve's fall from grace with God), we can be grateful because God immediately established a plan to restore them. This restoration would occur through the work of Jesus on the cross. It is a process of restoration that is still ongoing to this day. Perhaps you have not experienced hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes, or blizzards, during which you lost everything and needed restoration of personal goods. Friends, amidst all the devastation we are witnessing today, let me remind you that you were born into a fallen and sinful world. To find true restoration, we must repent of our sins and commit to following Jesus so that the Holy Spirit's work can restore and transform our lives. If we grasp this truth and rest in God's promise, we will understand the urgency of spiritual transformation and renewal in our lives and the lives of others. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your promise to restore and redeem. Lord, as we experience seasons of brokenness and hardship, we praise You for the promise of brighter days. Lord, thank You that we can be honest and transparent with You during these seasons of brokenness. Lord, we thank You for being unshakable amid our suffering and for the truth of Psalm 34:18, which states that you are near the brokenhearted. Thank You for this beautiful reminder that restoration is on its way. Amen. __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4

23-01-25, 00:52	#1535
Tarfoot Honoured Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: US Posts: 2,142 Thanks: 547 Thanked 1,124 Times in 1,009 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5	Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You A Rod of Iron The apostle Paul writes of Christ's ascension into heaven: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15, NKJV). That's right! Staggering behind our Lord's triumphant procession was the prince of darkness himself, bound in chains. Behind the defeated devil, underneath the wheels of the heavenly hosts, were all the powers of darkness, bound and vanquished. They were being put to an open shame before all those who had died in faith. "He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'- as I also have received from my Father." (Revelation 2:27). Jesus entered the gates carrying in his hand a scepter of righteousness, his "rod of iron" with which he rules all nations. After his triumphant entrance, he took his rightful place on the throne in full possession of all power, authority and dominion. What a glorious picture! Satan is not in control. Communism is not in control. Atheism is not in control. No, the enemies of Christ exist only by his permission. Right now, they only continue to fill up their cups of iniquity. Jesus is in control of all things, and one day, when he is ready, "he will break them with a rod of iron; you [he] shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:9). Beloved, our understanding of Christ's victory over Satan and the dominion of sin cannot be a vague or confused theology. We must know and understand that Satan is totally defeated. He cannot hold us prisoner, and Christ has freed us by his blood from every bondage. Today, he sits on his throne with all power and authority, offering us peace, joy and freedom. "Blessed are all those who put their trust in him." (Psalm 2:12). __________________ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4