As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
Empowering God's beloved children with their God given identity as children of the most high God, to walk in divine righteousness by faith and be the light and salt of this earth!
Bible study notes
For your reflection as you spend time with Jesus
All Things Work Together for my Good
March 17, 2024
Quick notes from todays service:
Have you ever wondered why God allows certain things we call bad, to happen in our lives? Even after we become His children by faith in Christ Jesus?
As we continue to grow in our faith, we become more and more aware of what is good and evil. Because Jesus, THE truth, has set us free to know. This is true knowledge and wisdom.
When we become His children, our Father can now make all things work for our good. (Romans 8:28) Meaning, He will orchestrate every circumstance every aspect of our lives for our advancement and for His kingdom. After all, this life we live on earth, is temporary because we will go on to live all eternity with our Father.
Therefore, we dedicate our current life now on earth for the advancement of our Fathers kingdom, to win souls for Him.
Once we understand and make peace with this truth, we can now live our lives effectively and with a purpose. No longer are we like the children of this world, going on with our days indulging in sin as if its these short 80-100 years to live on earth and thats it!
Nothing can be further from the truth beloved. Our Father is a just loving God, and what He has prepared for us, we can not even fantom.
How do we know, well because, "but as it is written, no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those love him," 1Corinthians 2:9 nrsv
Now lets look at how our Father promises to help us understand all things.
”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.“
John 14:27
Before Jesus departed he said these words to establish us, His children, while we live on this earth. ‘My Shalom i give to you’
What is shalom? In Hebrew this is a very powerful word meaning many things including welfare, health and wellbeing, prosperity and of course peace. This is not according to the worlds idea of peace but out of the person of Jesus.
So if we have his shalom, then why aren’t we operating in it ?
To understand this lets look at our verse, John 14 , a promise and condition to remain in shalom.
'Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid'
We must guard our hearts ourselves!! Jesus can't do it for us. He provided the means for us but it's through our will and choice that we must guard our hearts from the filth and the lies of this world.
What happens when we live our lives without His shalom
Opposite of peace
-lack
-strive
-restlessness
-uncompleted goals
Grace gives us freely by the blood of Jesus from heaven down
Peace is what is needed to keep His grace. Peace will retain and keep His Shalom in us.
Our mission in life should be to come to a place where we dwell in His peace continuously.
Let us meditate continuously on these verses and any others that you love, to anchor ourselves on Christ.
"heart do not be troubled. Jesus is for me who can dare be against me or even speak ill of His beloved child. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This too shall pass because my Father causes all things (the good the bad and the ugly) to work together for my good. For I do not have a spirit of fear but of love and sound mind"
Go into peace means
Go into shalom like a dwelling place, home
Key to divine health is remaining continuously in peace
Root of no peace must be dealt with
-continually receiving and being conscious of fathers love
-cast out all your cares for He cares for you
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
LET GO AND LET GOD...
Let us beloved memorize and declare this daily.
When we let go trying, striving and toiling, most often effortlessly, God is standing by, as you exercise your free will, as you take matters into your hands. However, when we acknowledge His majesty, greatness and power we let go so God will take over and complete and perfect what we never can with our meager efforts.
Quick notes from todays service:
Have you ever wondered why God allows certain things we call bad, to happen in our lives? Even after we become His children by faith in Christ Jesus?
As we continue to grow in our faith, we become more and more aware of what is good and evil. Because Jesus, THE truth, has set us free to know. This is true knowledge and wisdom.
When we become His children, our Father can now make all things work for our good. (Romans 8:28) Meaning, He will orchestrate every circumstance every aspect of our lives for our advancement and for His kingdom. After all, this life we live on earth, is temporary because we will go on to live all eternity with our Father.
Therefore, we dedicate our current life now on earth for the advancement of our Fathers kingdom, to win souls for Him.
Once we understand and make peace with this truth, we can now live our lives effectively and with a purpose. No longer are we like the children of this world, going on with our days indulging in sin as if its these short 80-100 years to live on earth and thats it!
Nothing can be further from the truth beloved. Our Father is a just loving God, and what He has prepared for us, we can not even fantom.
How do we know, well because, "but as it is written, no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those love him," 1Corinthians 2:9 nrsv
Now lets look at how our Father promises to help us understand all things.
”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.“
John 14:27
Before Jesus departed he said these words to establish us, His children, while we live on this earth. ‘My Shalom i give to you’
What is shalom? In Hebrew this is a very powerful word meaning many things including welfare, health and wellbeing, prosperity and of course peace. This is not according to the worlds idea of peace but out of the person of Jesus.
So if we have his shalom, then why aren’t we operating in it ?
To understand this lets look at our verse, John 14 , a promise and condition to remain in shalom.
'Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid'
We must guard our hearts ourselves!! Jesus can't do it for us. He provided the means for us but it's through our will and choice that we must guard our hearts from the filth and the lies of this world.
What happens when we live our lives without His shalom
Opposite of peace
-lack
-strive
-restlessness
-uncompleted goals
Grace gives us freely by the blood of Jesus from heaven down
Peace is what is needed to keep His grace. Peace will retain and keep His Shalom in us.
Our mission in life should be to come to a place where we dwell in His peace continuously.
Let us meditate continuously on these verses and any others that you love, to anchor ourselves on Christ.
"heart do not be troubled. Jesus is for me who can dare be against me or even speak ill of His beloved child. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This too shall pass because my Father causes all things (the good the bad and the ugly) to work together for my good. For I do not have a spirit of fear but of love and sound mind"
Go into peace means
Go into shalom like a dwelling place, home
Key to divine health is remaining continuously in peace
Root of no peace must be dealt with
-continually receiving and being conscious of fathers love
-cast out all your cares for He cares for you
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
LET GO AND LET GOD...
Let us beloved memorize and declare this daily.
When we let go trying, striving and toiling, most often effortlessly, God is standing by, as you exercise your free will, as you take matters into your hands. However, when we acknowledge His majesty, greatness and power we let go so God will take over and complete and perfect what we never can with our meager efforts.
Conquering Addictions
March 10, 2024
Quick notes from todays service:
The cross, is the foundation for lasting breakthroughs and genuine inside-out transformation!
Many people are unable to experience lasting breakthroughs from their fears, addictions, and bondages because they don't yet understand the gospel of grace, in other words, our Lord Jesus. .
Be strong in the grace God extended to you. Be strong in understanding that your sins are forgiven. Be strong in the knowledge that you are justified by faith through grace. Be strong in the revelation that today, you are the righteousness of God in Christ.
When you are strong in the gospel of grace, you will produce a godly, holy, and glorious life! In the same way that you can't touch water and not become wet, you can't "touch" grace and not become holy.
And this holiness is a true holiness that comes from the inside out. It is a holiness that flows from a heart that has been purged from self-condemnation.
We are not talking about superficial outward changes. We are talking about changes that happen in the deepest recesses of our heart, motivations, and thoughts. Real change in a person whose heart is washed by the precious blood of Jesus and touched by His grace brings lasting breakthroughs.
Before the enemy brings forth his lies and filth to you, he must convince you and separate you from the fathers love for you.
You see, he knows he has no power over you, he knows he is a defeated foe (thanks to the victory of our lord Jesus on the cross),he can only manipulate you and convince you to believe a lie.
The first lie is to separate you from theFathers love for you. He will make you believe that you are not the Fathers beloved child. Once he succeeds in doing this next he will bring forth condemnation, guilt, previous sins that God has already cleansed you from and so much more.
Beloved child, do you see the pattern of the enemy? You see its always the same since beginning of time. He uses the same techniques every time to trap Gods children.
You must see your uttermost need to continuously dwell in the secret place, in Christ, for complete protection. After all God is your fortress and your enemy can not touch you when you are dwelling in Him.
So you see beloved, you must continuously choose and dwell in Christ, covered under His blood. Because we posses no power of our own strong enough to withstand the enemy. But in Christ, we are victorious and operate from victory.
Now you know the truth, you have your weapon, now make a conscious decision and chose to remain in Christ. One step out of Christ and we expose ourselves completely for the enemy to come steal, kill and destroy.
But remember this beloved, your protection freedom, forgiveness of sins, and righteousness all came with a price!
Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for you and I once and for all, defeated the enemy and set you on high to have a relationship with our creator, our heavenly Father, our one true King.
This is why Jesus Christ is exalted by the Father and given the highest esteem, because he willing chose to go to the cross, having no sins of His own, and be sacrificed by and for the filth of our sins.
Praise your beautiful name Lord Jesus, King of Kings, Lords of Lords and Prince of Peace.
Quick notes from todays service:
The cross, is the foundation for lasting breakthroughs and genuine inside-out transformation!
Many people are unable to experience lasting breakthroughs from their fears, addictions, and bondages because they don't yet understand the gospel of grace, in other words, our Lord Jesus. .
Be strong in the grace God extended to you. Be strong in understanding that your sins are forgiven. Be strong in the knowledge that you are justified by faith through grace. Be strong in the revelation that today, you are the righteousness of God in Christ.
When you are strong in the gospel of grace, you will produce a godly, holy, and glorious life! In the same way that you can't touch water and not become wet, you can't "touch" grace and not become holy.
And this holiness is a true holiness that comes from the inside out. It is a holiness that flows from a heart that has been purged from self-condemnation.
We are not talking about superficial outward changes. We are talking about changes that happen in the deepest recesses of our heart, motivations, and thoughts. Real change in a person whose heart is washed by the precious blood of Jesus and touched by His grace brings lasting breakthroughs.
Before the enemy brings forth his lies and filth to you, he must convince you and separate you from the fathers love for you.
You see, he knows he has no power over you, he knows he is a defeated foe (thanks to the victory of our lord Jesus on the cross),he can only manipulate you and convince you to believe a lie.
The first lie is to separate you from theFathers love for you. He will make you believe that you are not the Fathers beloved child. Once he succeeds in doing this next he will bring forth condemnation, guilt, previous sins that God has already cleansed you from and so much more.
Beloved child, do you see the pattern of the enemy? You see its always the same since beginning of time. He uses the same techniques every time to trap Gods children.
You must see your uttermost need to continuously dwell in the secret place, in Christ, for complete protection. After all God is your fortress and your enemy can not touch you when you are dwelling in Him.
So you see beloved, you must continuously choose and dwell in Christ, covered under His blood. Because we posses no power of our own strong enough to withstand the enemy. But in Christ, we are victorious and operate from victory.
Now you know the truth, you have your weapon, now make a conscious decision and chose to remain in Christ. One step out of Christ and we expose ourselves completely for the enemy to come steal, kill and destroy.
But remember this beloved, your protection freedom, forgiveness of sins, and righteousness all came with a price!
Our Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for you and I once and for all, defeated the enemy and set you on high to have a relationship with our creator, our heavenly Father, our one true King.
This is why Jesus Christ is exalted by the Father and given the highest esteem, because he willing chose to go to the cross, having no sins of His own, and be sacrificed by and for the filth of our sins.
Praise your beautiful name Lord Jesus, King of Kings, Lords of Lords and Prince of Peace.
Inside Out Transformation
Ephesians 1:17-19
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.“
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
It is one thing to have the Holy Spirit inside you, but it is another thing to let the Holy Spirit inside you flow as the spirit of wisdom and revelation. And as you pray to be led by the spirit of wisdom today, be confident that you will experience the Holy Spirit leading you in Jesus' divine and unmatched wisdom.
When the Holy Spirit leads you in the wisdom of Jesus, there will be no impossible situation, no insolvable problem, and no insurmountable crisis. The wisdom of Jesus in you will help you to successfully navigate all your trials and cause you to prevail over all your challenges!
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.“
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
It is one thing to have the Holy Spirit inside you, but it is another thing to let the Holy Spirit inside you flow as the spirit of wisdom and revelation. And as you pray to be led by the spirit of wisdom today, be confident that you will experience the Holy Spirit leading you in Jesus' divine and unmatched wisdom.
When the Holy Spirit leads you in the wisdom of Jesus, there will be no impossible situation, no insolvable problem, and no insurmountable crisis. The wisdom of Jesus in you will help you to successfully navigate all your trials and cause you to prevail over all your challenges!
How does God see us after we have failed...
1/21/24
How does God see us after we have failed:
Lets look at two examples in bible:
◦PETER- denied knowing Jesus 3 times with cursing n swearing
◦SAMARITAN women by the well who Jesus revealed himself to
Spiritual growth can be measured by how we see Jesus!
After Peter had failed and after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter jumped in the water to go to Jesus when he appeared to the disciples while they were fishing
Because of His love
-Jesus prayed that Peters faith would not fail him
-Peter learned how Jesus loved him despite of his failures.
-He realized nothing can separate him from His love
-It was Jesus love that brought him back to Grace!
How would you react if Jesus appeared to you in private?
-Natural reaction is fear
-only the holy spirit teaches us about grace in order to respond with joy
-once you realize and accept that Jesus knows everything about you and loves you still and bore all your sins on the cross, it makes you run to him as you are to embrace His love for you!
Jesus sees us for who we are loves us still
The world runs away thinking Jesus is here to expose and humiliate them
On the contrary
The samaritan women’s sins were revealed in a loving kind way not to shame her but to help her see her need for the savior, Jesus
-Jesus offers her living water which represents true love and fulfillment
-she had 5 husbands which means she was searching for true love in all the wrong places
-once Jesus shows her His love she runs to tell everyone about him because she is no longer under shame or in hiding
-she has tasted true love which Jesus promised by saying i have water that you can drink from and never be thirsty
Lets examine now what we are conscience if today
-our shortcomings & failures
OR
-His unconditional love and grace
This is demonstrated by His sacrifice on the cross. He willingly went to the cross to die for this love so today we can run to him expecting to receive our Fathers unconditional love through Christ
Its free for us but cost our Father His one and only son our Lord and Savior
Today whatever seems to heavy of a burden remember this:
-what am I conscious about
-My failures or His super abounding grace and provision for me
Apostle Paul confessed his sinful nature even as he grew in his continued to grow in his faith in Christ
He boasted about his weaknesses and flesh but never stopped believing who and what God says he is
He believed in his righteous by faith alone
Our flesh/sins/failures/disappointments should lead us ti Jesus who is more than willing to wash us clean with His blood once and for all.
But as we grow in our spiritual maturity in Christ we realize more and more how dirty we are which should only make us fall in love with Jesus over and over again because He has washed us clean and loves us still and will continue to forever and ever!!!
Lets keep our eyes on Jesus
Our righteousness by faith
Live your life believing who Gods says you are and not what you see and not afraid to be who Gods says you are
Continue to read His word which is a light on to your feet and true wisdom
Closing prayer/blessing 🙏🏻
How does God see us after we have failed:
Lets look at two examples in bible:
◦PETER- denied knowing Jesus 3 times with cursing n swearing
◦SAMARITAN women by the well who Jesus revealed himself to
Spiritual growth can be measured by how we see Jesus!
After Peter had failed and after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter jumped in the water to go to Jesus when he appeared to the disciples while they were fishing
Because of His love
-Jesus prayed that Peters faith would not fail him
-Peter learned how Jesus loved him despite of his failures.
-He realized nothing can separate him from His love
-It was Jesus love that brought him back to Grace!
How would you react if Jesus appeared to you in private?
-Natural reaction is fear
-only the holy spirit teaches us about grace in order to respond with joy
-once you realize and accept that Jesus knows everything about you and loves you still and bore all your sins on the cross, it makes you run to him as you are to embrace His love for you!
Jesus sees us for who we are loves us still
The world runs away thinking Jesus is here to expose and humiliate them
On the contrary
The samaritan women’s sins were revealed in a loving kind way not to shame her but to help her see her need for the savior, Jesus
-Jesus offers her living water which represents true love and fulfillment
-she had 5 husbands which means she was searching for true love in all the wrong places
-once Jesus shows her His love she runs to tell everyone about him because she is no longer under shame or in hiding
-she has tasted true love which Jesus promised by saying i have water that you can drink from and never be thirsty
Lets examine now what we are conscience if today
-our shortcomings & failures
OR
-His unconditional love and grace
This is demonstrated by His sacrifice on the cross. He willingly went to the cross to die for this love so today we can run to him expecting to receive our Fathers unconditional love through Christ
Its free for us but cost our Father His one and only son our Lord and Savior
Today whatever seems to heavy of a burden remember this:
-what am I conscious about
-My failures or His super abounding grace and provision for me
Apostle Paul confessed his sinful nature even as he grew in his continued to grow in his faith in Christ
He boasted about his weaknesses and flesh but never stopped believing who and what God says he is
He believed in his righteous by faith alone
Our flesh/sins/failures/disappointments should lead us ti Jesus who is more than willing to wash us clean with His blood once and for all.
But as we grow in our spiritual maturity in Christ we realize more and more how dirty we are which should only make us fall in love with Jesus over and over again because He has washed us clean and loves us still and will continue to forever and ever!!!
Lets keep our eyes on Jesus
Our righteousness by faith
Live your life believing who Gods says you are and not what you see and not afraid to be who Gods says you are
Continue to read His word which is a light on to your feet and true wisdom
Closing prayer/blessing 🙏🏻
Covenant of Grace and not self effert
Do you feel as though you are trapped on a never-ending treadmill based on your own efforts to try to earn God's forgiveness, God's approval, and God's acceptance? That is Christian religion.
If you are trying to earn your own forgiveness and thinking that God is constantly mad at you, this is not the heart of our Father God.
When Jesus spoke of "the unforced rhythms of grace," He means that there is an ease and enjoyment when you walk in His grace. This is in contrast to the struggle and strain found in self-effort. There is such rest when you know there is nothing you can do to earn His forgiveness.
Give up on your own self-righteousness, which the Bible describes as "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6), and with open arms and an open heart, receive His forgiveness!
The key to getting out of a cycle of sin and defeat is to receive and to stop beating yourself up. Receive and stop punishing yourself because your sins have already been punished on the body of Jesus, our beautiful Lord and Savior. No wonder the gospel is called the good news.
When you understand God's grace and forgiveness, you will understand the difference between obligation and relationship. Under the old covenant of the law, right living is done out of religious obligation. Under the new covenant of grace, every thing we do today is birthed out of an inward motivation that flows directly from a love relationship with Jesus.
Our Father is not a legalist. He doesn't want us to read His Word just because He said so, as a religious obligation. He wants us to experience His love and spend time in His Word because we want to enjoy His sweet presence.
You can read His Word out of legalism and to try to earn God's forgiveness and acceptance, or you can do it out of relationship because you know you have been forgiven. The reality is, when you don't read the Bible, you should not be feeling guilty; you should be feeling hungry.
Jesus invites you to experience "the unforced rhythms of grace." Keep company with Him and you'll learn to live freely and lightly!
If you are trying to earn your own forgiveness and thinking that God is constantly mad at you, this is not the heart of our Father God.
When Jesus spoke of "the unforced rhythms of grace," He means that there is an ease and enjoyment when you walk in His grace. This is in contrast to the struggle and strain found in self-effort. There is such rest when you know there is nothing you can do to earn His forgiveness.
Give up on your own self-righteousness, which the Bible describes as "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6), and with open arms and an open heart, receive His forgiveness!
The key to getting out of a cycle of sin and defeat is to receive and to stop beating yourself up. Receive and stop punishing yourself because your sins have already been punished on the body of Jesus, our beautiful Lord and Savior. No wonder the gospel is called the good news.
When you understand God's grace and forgiveness, you will understand the difference between obligation and relationship. Under the old covenant of the law, right living is done out of religious obligation. Under the new covenant of grace, every thing we do today is birthed out of an inward motivation that flows directly from a love relationship with Jesus.
Our Father is not a legalist. He doesn't want us to read His Word just because He said so, as a religious obligation. He wants us to experience His love and spend time in His Word because we want to enjoy His sweet presence.
You can read His Word out of legalism and to try to earn God's forgiveness and acceptance, or you can do it out of relationship because you know you have been forgiven. The reality is, when you don't read the Bible, you should not be feeling guilty; you should be feeling hungry.
Jesus invites you to experience "the unforced rhythms of grace." Keep company with Him and you'll learn to live freely and lightly!
Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs 4:1-27
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.” Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
“Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.” Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
Keep in Perfect Peace
Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
You need the truth of God's Word to uproot any wrong belief. This is why it's so important to get into His Word and take time to meditate upon verses that reveal God's unwavering and unfailing love for you.
For instance, if you find your mind drifting into anxious thoughts over the smallest things, I encourage you to memorize and quote today's scripture: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isa. 26:3).
Whenever I feel stressed or worried about something, I pull away from life's hustle and bustle and simply meditate on God's promises. Sometimes I like to drive to a quiet park, and as gentle anointed music plays in my car, I feed on and speak His Word, allowing it to permeate my spirit: "God's Word declares, 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.'"
And I tell the Lord, "Yes, Lord, it is You who will keep me in perfect peace. Perfect peace comes from You. I just need to rest in Your grace and keep my mind on You. I don't need to think about what to do about this challenge. As I trust in You and keep my mind stayed on You, You will lead me and guide me. Lord Jesus, my trust is in You and You alone."
What am I doing here? Instead of allowing stress and worry to get to me, I'm training my heart to see how God sees my challenges. The bigger God becomes in my heart, the smaller my challenges become. In fact, many times when I just relax and keep my mind on the Lord, His peace and wisdom begin to flow in me, and the challenge that I was previously so worried about becomes minute and inconsequential in the presence of Almighty God.
Are you faced with an insurmountable circumstance today? Learn to see what God sees by meditating on His Word, and let His peace drive out your anxiety. Let His wisdom direct your paths.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
You need the truth of God's Word to uproot any wrong belief. This is why it's so important to get into His Word and take time to meditate upon verses that reveal God's unwavering and unfailing love for you.
For instance, if you find your mind drifting into anxious thoughts over the smallest things, I encourage you to memorize and quote today's scripture: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isa. 26:3).
Whenever I feel stressed or worried about something, I pull away from life's hustle and bustle and simply meditate on God's promises. Sometimes I like to drive to a quiet park, and as gentle anointed music plays in my car, I feed on and speak His Word, allowing it to permeate my spirit: "God's Word declares, 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.'"
And I tell the Lord, "Yes, Lord, it is You who will keep me in perfect peace. Perfect peace comes from You. I just need to rest in Your grace and keep my mind on You. I don't need to think about what to do about this challenge. As I trust in You and keep my mind stayed on You, You will lead me and guide me. Lord Jesus, my trust is in You and You alone."
What am I doing here? Instead of allowing stress and worry to get to me, I'm training my heart to see how God sees my challenges. The bigger God becomes in my heart, the smaller my challenges become. In fact, many times when I just relax and keep my mind on the Lord, His peace and wisdom begin to flow in me, and the challenge that I was previously so worried about becomes minute and inconsequential in the presence of Almighty God.
Are you faced with an insurmountable circumstance today? Learn to see what God sees by meditating on His Word, and let His peace drive out your anxiety. Let His wisdom direct your paths.
My declaration of Faith
Good morning beloved children of the most high God 🙏🏻 lets pray together (speak out loud please)
I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus
I am highly favored
I am deeply loved
I am greatly blessed
Let’s remember today and every day that our right standing with God comes through faith alone. We receive it by believing and accepting the finished work on the cross!
Whatever challenge you face today remember who’s you are and the unconditional love that saved you! So what and who dares to come against his beloved children! Nothing!!!
In the name of Jesus I bless you. Life i speak into you be healed In Jesus’ name. Blood of Jesus covers you heals you and protects you. You are whole, safe and complete in Christ Jesus!
Now go be awesome today ♥️
I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus
I am highly favored
I am deeply loved
I am greatly blessed
Let’s remember today and every day that our right standing with God comes through faith alone. We receive it by believing and accepting the finished work on the cross!
Whatever challenge you face today remember who’s you are and the unconditional love that saved you! So what and who dares to come against his beloved children! Nothing!!!
In the name of Jesus I bless you. Life i speak into you be healed In Jesus’ name. Blood of Jesus covers you heals you and protects you. You are whole, safe and complete in Christ Jesus!
Now go be awesome today ♥️
Truths from the Book of Acts
Acts 13:39
By Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
To understand the grace of God, it is essential you understand the differences between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace. To help you accelerate your understanding of law and grace, I want to share with you one of my favorite scriptures.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
—John 1:17
The law was given through a servant. Grace and truth came through the Son. The law talks about what man ought to be. Grace reveals Who God is.
In the first miracle of Moses, he turned water into blood, resulting in death. In the first miracle of grace, Jesus turned water into wine, resulting in life and celebration. The letter (the law) kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6).
Under the law, God demands righteousness from sinfully bankrupt man. But under grace, God provides righteousness as a gift. Now, which covenant would you like to be under? The answer is obvious!
The truth is, through the cross at Calvary, all who believe in Jesus and acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior are under the new covenant of grace. Yet today many believers are still living in confusion, and get law and grace all mixed up by holding on to some aspects of the law and some aspects of grace in their Christian beliefs and walk.
Jesus said you cannot put new wine into old wineskins. The new wine will ferment and break the wineskins, and you will lose both (Matt. 9:17). In the same way, you cannot put the new wine of grace into the old wineskin of the law. One will cancel out the other (Rom. 11:6).
Under the law, God said, “I will by no means clear the guilty, but I will visit their sins to the third and fourth generations” (Exod. 34:7). But under grace, God says, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 8:12).
There has been a change! Can you see with absolute high-definition clarity that there has been a radical change and it is all because of Jesus?
Choose to live wholly under the new covenant of grace today, where through Christ’s perfect finished work at the cross, you have God’s righteousness as a gift, and God’s own Spirit of life leading you to victory over areas of defeat.
By Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
To understand the grace of God, it is essential you understand the differences between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace. To help you accelerate your understanding of law and grace, I want to share with you one of my favorite scriptures.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
—John 1:17
The law was given through a servant. Grace and truth came through the Son. The law talks about what man ought to be. Grace reveals Who God is.
In the first miracle of Moses, he turned water into blood, resulting in death. In the first miracle of grace, Jesus turned water into wine, resulting in life and celebration. The letter (the law) kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Cor. 3:6).
Under the law, God demands righteousness from sinfully bankrupt man. But under grace, God provides righteousness as a gift. Now, which covenant would you like to be under? The answer is obvious!
The truth is, through the cross at Calvary, all who believe in Jesus and acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior are under the new covenant of grace. Yet today many believers are still living in confusion, and get law and grace all mixed up by holding on to some aspects of the law and some aspects of grace in their Christian beliefs and walk.
Jesus said you cannot put new wine into old wineskins. The new wine will ferment and break the wineskins, and you will lose both (Matt. 9:17). In the same way, you cannot put the new wine of grace into the old wineskin of the law. One will cancel out the other (Rom. 11:6).
Under the law, God said, “I will by no means clear the guilty, but I will visit their sins to the third and fourth generations” (Exod. 34:7). But under grace, God says, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Heb. 8:12).
There has been a change! Can you see with absolute high-definition clarity that there has been a radical change and it is all because of Jesus?
Choose to live wholly under the new covenant of grace today, where through Christ’s perfect finished work at the cross, you have God’s righteousness as a gift, and God’s own Spirit of life leading you to victory over areas of defeat.
Psalms 91
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalms 91:1
As believers, we have no business feeding on fear. If your mind is entangled with knots of anxiety, perhaps it's time for you to examine your mental diet. What have you, consciously or unconsciously, been meditating on? Are you ingesting and believing everything you see in the news reports, or are you living by what the Lord Jesus has purchased for you at Calvary?
To help you understand God's heart for you regarding fear and your walking in His protection, I want to share with you a powerful key from today's verse, the very first verse of Psalm 91, the prayer of protection.
The Hebrew word for "dwell" is yashab, which means to sit down, to remain, or to settle. Notice that the very first thing that God wants you to do to enjoy His protection is to rest. His protection, peace, love, and other blessings flow in your life when you are in a place of rest.
Let's meditate on what it means to rest or "sit down." The Bible says that we are seated with Christ at God's right hand (Eph. 2:6, Heb. 1:3). The word "seated" is beautiful—it means that you are no longer standing and working.
Under the old covenant, the priest had to offer the morning sacrifice at 9 a.m., and then remain standing for six hours until after the evening sacrifice at 3 p.m. Our Lord Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. and He hung on the cross for six hours until He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices (Heb. 10:11–12).
Because Jesus became the final sacrifice, the work of the priest is done and he no longer has to stand. Because our Lord cried, "It is finished!" at Calvary (John 19:30), we are today seated in Christ.
We can dwell in the secret place of the Most High—a place of peace, safety, and security—and we can live fear-free because the blood of our Lord Jesus has paid for every blessing of protection in Psalm 91!
God loves you, and His strong hands of protection are over your entire life and over every area that concerns you.♥️🙏🏻
Psalms 91:1
As believers, we have no business feeding on fear. If your mind is entangled with knots of anxiety, perhaps it's time for you to examine your mental diet. What have you, consciously or unconsciously, been meditating on? Are you ingesting and believing everything you see in the news reports, or are you living by what the Lord Jesus has purchased for you at Calvary?
To help you understand God's heart for you regarding fear and your walking in His protection, I want to share with you a powerful key from today's verse, the very first verse of Psalm 91, the prayer of protection.
The Hebrew word for "dwell" is yashab, which means to sit down, to remain, or to settle. Notice that the very first thing that God wants you to do to enjoy His protection is to rest. His protection, peace, love, and other blessings flow in your life when you are in a place of rest.
Let's meditate on what it means to rest or "sit down." The Bible says that we are seated with Christ at God's right hand (Eph. 2:6, Heb. 1:3). The word "seated" is beautiful—it means that you are no longer standing and working.
Under the old covenant, the priest had to offer the morning sacrifice at 9 a.m., and then remain standing for six hours until after the evening sacrifice at 3 p.m. Our Lord Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. and He hung on the cross for six hours until He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices (Heb. 10:11–12).
Because Jesus became the final sacrifice, the work of the priest is done and he no longer has to stand. Because our Lord cried, "It is finished!" at Calvary (John 19:30), we are today seated in Christ.
We can dwell in the secret place of the Most High—a place of peace, safety, and security—and we can live fear-free because the blood of our Lord Jesus has paid for every blessing of protection in Psalm 91!
God loves you, and His strong hands of protection are over your entire life and over every area that concerns you.♥️🙏🏻
We now live under the New Covenant of Grace
Hebrews 10:19-22
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
For many years our Father God has been portrayed as an angry God by the devil, and unfortunately, but this depiction of God is an error.
We are now under the new covenant, and no where does the bible say God is angry with believers because of their sins. You would have to go into the Old Testament to look for verses that speak of God's anger at the sins of His people.
Does God not being angry with you mean that there is no place for God's correction in our lives? Is there correction and wise guidance that come by the Word of God in the new covenant of grace?
Absolutely. But as for His anger toward you and your sins, all that has been settled at the cross. When you come into Jesus' sweet presence with all your challenges, failings, and struggles, He is not going to roar at you. He is going to love you into wholeness and set you on a path of freedom from all your fears, guilt, and addictions. Jesus is the end of all our struggles!
Because God's perfect love is the answer to overcoming the struggles in our lives, the devil is doing everything he can to cut us off from this love. He knows that as long as the debt of sin is on our conscience, we will avoid God because we will think that God is mad at us.
The beautiful thing about Jesus is that He not only paid the sin debt of your entire life, He overpaid it. Unlike the high priests of the Old Testament, He didn't offer the blood of bulls and goats to pay for your sins. This High Priest paid for your sins with His own perfect and sinless blood.
God didn't go soft on sin under grace! No way. He offered His only begotten Son, Jesus, who is an absolute overpayment for your sins.
It's as if you owed a debt of a million dollars, but Jesus paid a billion dollars to settle that debt. The truth is, if you knew who Jesus is and the value of the Son of God, you would know that His payment at the cross was worth more than a billion dollars. It's a payment that has wiped out your entire life's sins—past, present, and future—once and for all! No longer is there a chasm of sin separating you and God. It has been bridged by the bloodstained cross.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
For many years our Father God has been portrayed as an angry God by the devil, and unfortunately, but this depiction of God is an error.
We are now under the new covenant, and no where does the bible say God is angry with believers because of their sins. You would have to go into the Old Testament to look for verses that speak of God's anger at the sins of His people.
Does God not being angry with you mean that there is no place for God's correction in our lives? Is there correction and wise guidance that come by the Word of God in the new covenant of grace?
Absolutely. But as for His anger toward you and your sins, all that has been settled at the cross. When you come into Jesus' sweet presence with all your challenges, failings, and struggles, He is not going to roar at you. He is going to love you into wholeness and set you on a path of freedom from all your fears, guilt, and addictions. Jesus is the end of all our struggles!
Because God's perfect love is the answer to overcoming the struggles in our lives, the devil is doing everything he can to cut us off from this love. He knows that as long as the debt of sin is on our conscience, we will avoid God because we will think that God is mad at us.
The beautiful thing about Jesus is that He not only paid the sin debt of your entire life, He overpaid it. Unlike the high priests of the Old Testament, He didn't offer the blood of bulls and goats to pay for your sins. This High Priest paid for your sins with His own perfect and sinless blood.
God didn't go soft on sin under grace! No way. He offered His only begotten Son, Jesus, who is an absolute overpayment for your sins.
It's as if you owed a debt of a million dollars, but Jesus paid a billion dollars to settle that debt. The truth is, if you knew who Jesus is and the value of the Son of God, you would know that His payment at the cross was worth more than a billion dollars. It's a payment that has wiped out your entire life's sins—past, present, and future—once and for all! No longer is there a chasm of sin separating you and God. It has been bridged by the bloodstained cross.
Book of Collassians
Book of Colossians
*describes the fullness of God in Christ
*making each believer complete with no need to add to what Christ has already done
*which can only be achieved through personal relationship with Christ
*believers are now in Christ and possess all that Christ is
-letter by Paul (AD60-61) to gentile believers in Colossae (Turkey)
-addresses false teachings and inspres believers to recognize Christ as enough
Book of Colossians outlined
1- Greetings and Thanksgiving
2- Avoid deception and recognize the leadership of Christ
3- New Life in Christ
4- Practical Instructions on living as a child of God in Christ Jesus
PUTTING ON OUR NEW SELF
impurity kindness
passion humility
evil desire meakness
covetousness patience
anger forgiving one another
wrath loving each other
slander thankfulness
*describes the fullness of God in Christ
*making each believer complete with no need to add to what Christ has already done
*which can only be achieved through personal relationship with Christ
*believers are now in Christ and possess all that Christ is
-letter by Paul (AD60-61) to gentile believers in Colossae (Turkey)
-addresses false teachings and inspres believers to recognize Christ as enough
Book of Colossians outlined
1- Greetings and Thanksgiving
2- Avoid deception and recognize the leadership of Christ
3- New Life in Christ
4- Practical Instructions on living as a child of God in Christ Jesus
PUTTING ON OUR NEW SELF
impurity kindness
passion humility
evil desire meakness
covetousness patience
anger forgiving one another
wrath loving each other
slander thankfulness
THRIVE NOT JUST SURVIVE SERMON NOTES FROM JULY 21, 2024
YOU ARE MEANT TO THRIVE ON EARTH, NOT JUST SURVIVE
Gods will for you is far greater than your desires or expectations
He wants you to live your life above:
-afflictions and reign over all things on earth and in your life
-above sickness
-above poverty
-above family problems
-above fleshly desires that can corrupt you
-above physical illnesses and mental captivities
how does He want us to achieve all this and more?
possess His
-love
-favor
-protection
-promises
-in other words JESUS
Through Gods wisdom - understanding the abundance we have through our Lord Jesus
because when we receive Jesus we receive all that He is:
-life in abundance of-
health
prosperity
wisdom
favor
complete healing
restoration
unity
peace
protection
and countless more
Jesus came and said I have come so that you may have life and life in abundance
Take refuge in all of Gods promises (bible, the word of God) for you though Jesus. Without receiving Jesus we can not receive all of Gods promises
-Because our salvation comes only through Jesus
-we are set right with God through Accepting Jesus blood to wash us of all our sins
-we take simply by just believing
-we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus period!
-Nothing can be added to His perfect work on the cross and through His resurrection
-so stop trying to help God with HIs finished work. The cross was perfect and nothing can be added ever!
So now we must come BOLDLY TO RECEIVE OUR POSSESSIONS our INHERITANCE His CHILDREN'S BREAD
-Our Father causes ALL things to work for our good because every good and perfect gift is from Him. Good gifts are for the world that we live in for now and perfect gifts reserved only for His children.
This means even our temporary problems and troubles are all a stepping stones to taking us to where we can live in abundance with renewed hope mind and body.
Because our trials shape our characters. And without proper Godly characters we cannot posses our possessions and live our Fathers will in our life. Because our Father knows we will most certainly fail without Him. Because we have an enemy that goes around seeking who He can destroy. Dont be found helpless alone. We need Jesus to withstand the enemies temptations and attacks.
Whatever we surrender to Jesus He will restore and make great but we must willingly relinquish control to Him because of our free will we must chose to allow God to intervene in our circumstances God will not even force His blessings on us, why? because He respects are free will.
Why dont we then surrender all and trust God with everything in our lives without worrying and taking matters into our own hands and failing miserably??
BECAUSE WE SIMPLEY DONT KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH TO TRUST HIM
So why is that:
-lack of reading HIS word
-lack of personal relationship with Him.
*If you dont spend time with Jesus how will you know His heart and will for you?
*You cant its impossible and honestly unfair.
*Because then we start to have doubts about His intentions and plans for us and we start to put Him aside and go through life without His amazing help and resources that promises us success and all the wonderful things in life.
the promises of GOD are very clear, lets take these bible promises and meditate on them which means to speak them day and night until your soul memorizes them:
PROVERBS 4:20-22
My son, attend to my words: incline your ear unto my sayings, let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
ISAIAH 41:10-13 NLT
Dont be afraid, for I am with you. Dont be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who apposes you will die and come to nothing. You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, DONT BE AFRAID. I AM HERE TO HELP YOU.
ISAIAH 53:4-5 AMPC
Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
JEREMIAH 17:7-8 NLT
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
MARK 11:22-24 NKJV
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
JOHN 10:10-11 NKJV
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
ROMANS 8:2, 11
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the spirit that dwells in you.
1 PETER 5:7 AMPC
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
1 JOHN 4:17
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
REVELATIONS 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
LORD JESUS, THANK YOU FIR LOVING ME AND DYING FOR ME ON THE CROSS. YOUR PRECIOUS BLOOD WASHES ME CLEAN OF EVERY SIN. YOU ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOR, NOW AND FOREVER. I BELIEVE YOU ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT YOU ARE ALIVE TODAY. BECAUSE OF YOUR FINISHED WORK, I AM NOW A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD AND HEAVEN IS MY HOME. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ETERNAL LIFE AND FILLING MY HEART WITH PEACE AND JOY. AMEN
Gods will for you is far greater than your desires or expectations
He wants you to live your life above:
-afflictions and reign over all things on earth and in your life
-above sickness
-above poverty
-above family problems
-above fleshly desires that can corrupt you
-above physical illnesses and mental captivities
how does He want us to achieve all this and more?
possess His
-love
-favor
-protection
-promises
-in other words JESUS
Through Gods wisdom - understanding the abundance we have through our Lord Jesus
because when we receive Jesus we receive all that He is:
-life in abundance of-
health
prosperity
wisdom
favor
complete healing
restoration
unity
peace
protection
and countless more
Jesus came and said I have come so that you may have life and life in abundance
Take refuge in all of Gods promises (bible, the word of God) for you though Jesus. Without receiving Jesus we can not receive all of Gods promises
-Because our salvation comes only through Jesus
-we are set right with God through Accepting Jesus blood to wash us of all our sins
-we take simply by just believing
-we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus period!
-Nothing can be added to His perfect work on the cross and through His resurrection
-so stop trying to help God with HIs finished work. The cross was perfect and nothing can be added ever!
So now we must come BOLDLY TO RECEIVE OUR POSSESSIONS our INHERITANCE His CHILDREN'S BREAD
-Our Father causes ALL things to work for our good because every good and perfect gift is from Him. Good gifts are for the world that we live in for now and perfect gifts reserved only for His children.
This means even our temporary problems and troubles are all a stepping stones to taking us to where we can live in abundance with renewed hope mind and body.
Because our trials shape our characters. And without proper Godly characters we cannot posses our possessions and live our Fathers will in our life. Because our Father knows we will most certainly fail without Him. Because we have an enemy that goes around seeking who He can destroy. Dont be found helpless alone. We need Jesus to withstand the enemies temptations and attacks.
Whatever we surrender to Jesus He will restore and make great but we must willingly relinquish control to Him because of our free will we must chose to allow God to intervene in our circumstances God will not even force His blessings on us, why? because He respects are free will.
Why dont we then surrender all and trust God with everything in our lives without worrying and taking matters into our own hands and failing miserably??
BECAUSE WE SIMPLEY DONT KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH TO TRUST HIM
So why is that:
-lack of reading HIS word
-lack of personal relationship with Him.
*If you dont spend time with Jesus how will you know His heart and will for you?
*You cant its impossible and honestly unfair.
*Because then we start to have doubts about His intentions and plans for us and we start to put Him aside and go through life without His amazing help and resources that promises us success and all the wonderful things in life.
the promises of GOD are very clear, lets take these bible promises and meditate on them which means to speak them day and night until your soul memorizes them:
PROVERBS 4:20-22
My son, attend to my words: incline your ear unto my sayings, let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
ISAIAH 41:10-13 NLT
Dont be afraid, for I am with you. Dont be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who apposes you will die and come to nothing. You will look in vain for those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, DONT BE AFRAID. I AM HERE TO HELP YOU.
ISAIAH 53:4-5 AMPC
Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.
JEREMIAH 17:7-8 NLT
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
MARK 11:22-24 NKJV
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
JOHN 10:10-11 NKJV
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
JOHN 14:27 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
ROMANS 8:2, 11
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death...But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the spirit that dwells in you.
1 PETER 5:7 AMPC
Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
1 JOHN 4:17
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
REVELATIONS 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
LORD JESUS, THANK YOU FIR LOVING ME AND DYING FOR ME ON THE CROSS. YOUR PRECIOUS BLOOD WASHES ME CLEAN OF EVERY SIN. YOU ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOR, NOW AND FOREVER. I BELIEVE YOU ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND THAT YOU ARE ALIVE TODAY. BECAUSE OF YOUR FINISHED WORK, I AM NOW A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD AND HEAVEN IS MY HOME. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ETERNAL LIFE AND FILLING MY HEART WITH PEACE AND JOY. AMEN
Book of James
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
CHAPTER 1 Trials and Temptations
1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1:19
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
CHAPTER 2 Favoritism Forbidden
2:8-9
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
CHAPTER 3 Taming the Tongue
3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.
3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
3:18
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
CHAPTER 4 Submit Yourselves to God
4:1-3
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4:4
You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4:15
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
CHAPTER 5 Patience in Suffering
5:7
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
5:20
remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
CHAPTER 1 Trials and Temptations
1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1:19
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
CHAPTER 2 Favoritism Forbidden
2:8-9
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
CHAPTER 3 Taming the Tongue
3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.
3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
3:18
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
CHAPTER 4 Submit Yourselves to God
4:1-3
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4:4
You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
4:15
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
CHAPTER 5 Patience in Suffering
5:7
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.
5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
5:20
remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Story of Gideon in Judges 6-8
WHO
Gideon, a fearful and weak man, who became a mighty warrior and delivered Israel from the oppression of Midianites
WHAT
God appears to Gideon, while he's in hiding and thrashing wheat, and gives him signs and commands and uses him to defeat the enemy
WHERE
During the period/book of Judges 6 and 7 (Old Testament- after Jashua, before Ruth) thousand plus years before Christ (B.C.) Israel is in captivity by the Midianites for seven years and are greatly oppressed. God allows this because Israel continued to rebel against God, built altars for heathen gods and worshiped them instead, and continued to do evil in His sight.
General note:
During the period of JUDGES, Israel has no kings. God has turned His back on the nation of Israel because of their great wickedness and breaking of the commandments God, which God gave them because they boasted with pride to God that they can and will keep anything God asks of them. And this is how the law was introduced through Moses.
However; because of Gods great love for them, He raises judges, like Gideon, like Samson, like Deborah and many others, to answer the cries and misery of His people. Unfortunately, every time God would send them a judge, a deliverer, it was short lived (about 40 years or so) because they continue in their evil ways and did terrible evil in Gods' eyes. They followed different Gods, offered child sacrifices and joined in all kinds of detestable acts with one another.
TAKEAWAY
transformed by the presence of God
-God calls the weak the insignificant and broken to confine (bring down) the mighty
-He calls things not as they appear (to our human eyes) but as He sees them (in spirit and in truth)
-The greater our weakness the greater God's power and strength can operate through us. Remember this - more of Him less of me!
-when our eyes are fixed on Jesus (His finished complete work on the cross) we are not anxious or fearful of whats going on around us or in us. Because His perfect peace surrounds us, in His presence all forms of evil and fear must disappear. Light and dark can not co exist. Light is always greater and it will always illuminate darkness. At the sight of light the darkness flees!
-do not look to yourself for strength, for wisdom or anything good because your supply comes from him, Jesus alone. In us dwells no good thing. Now should this discourage us? Never! Allow God's perfect grace to fill you daily and supply you with everything you need to live your daily life. Scripture comes to mind... John 3:30 says "He must become greater; I must become less."
-The purpose of our life today is to point to Jesus, to glorify Jesus and to win souls for Jesus. It's always about Jesus. Remember it's pride in and of ourselves that separates us from God and destroys us.
-Your enemy is more afraid of you than you are of him. Intimidation, condemnation, guilt is the weapon he uses to keep you in fear so you will not exercise your power you have through Christ (only through Christ) to cast him to hell, away from you, so you can live out your life in continuous victory glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ
-In heaven we will reap the rewards of what we do for Christ on earth. Why in heaven, because God says in Mathew 6:19 "Dont store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal."
-Lets take our eyes off of ourselves and direct them upwards to our Lord and savior.
Psalms 121 says, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth...." a wonderful scripture to memorize.
-The battle is the Lord's read and memorize 1 Samuel 17:47. The good fight of faith. You take your place by obedience and let god be God and fight ALL your battles because He loves and cares for you.
verse to memorize:
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
I would like to encourage you to read and learn the entire story of Gideon and the impact he had and why God chose to record his story in the bible forever.
Please read Judges 6 and 7 first then you can read the summary and commentary below. Just so God can reveal the scriptures to you first before you take in another man's commentary. what if He reveals something greater to you?!
Summary of the story of Gideon ( from biblestudytools.com directly)
In this Bible story, from chapter 6 of the book of Judges, Gideon is called upon to save the people of Israel by leading them against the Midianites. In a common theme of apostasy, the people of Israel had done "what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian." The Midianites were capturing any crops produced by the Israelites, giving them grief. When the people of Israel realized the error of their ways and cried out for help to the Lord, a prophet was sent to deliver them as they had been rescued from Egypt.
Enter Gideon, while harvesting wheat and hiding from the Midianites an angel spoke to him and addressed him as a mighty man of courage. The angel told Gideon that God is sending him to "save Israel from the hand of Midian." Although at first Gideon doubts his ability to do so, he is heartened that God will be with him in this mission. The first task he is commanded to fulfill is destroying the Altar of Baal the Israelites have constructed, evidence of their apostasy. And so, during the night, Gideon and ten of his men took down the Altar of Baal making the townspeople very angry and asking for the death of the altar destroyer. Joash, the father of Gideon, then tells them if Baal really is a god he will kill Gideon himself, saving his son.
Seeking reassurance from the Lord, Gideon requests proof of God's promise to save Israel using a fleece. Encouraged by the acts of God, Gideon and his men then travel near the camp of Midian and prepare for battle. It is clear that God wants the Israelites to realize his divine validity, telling Gideon to lessen his army from thousands to just 300 men to defeat the Midianites. Also, Gideon overhears from a dream of one of the Midianites that he is destined to conquer Midian and save the Israelites from oppression.
Gideon commanded his 300 comrades to surround the Midian camp, making it seem the Midianites were greatly outnumbered, then blow their trumpets on every side and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!" When the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the torches surrounding their camp they cried out and fled, a triumphant victory for Gideon and the Israelites.
Gideon the Judge: 1191 - 1144 BC
Introduction:
1. Chronology of Gideon:
a. The 80 years of peace that resulted from Ehud defeating the king of Moab ended in 1204 BC: 1284-1204 BC
b. Although not recorded in the Bible, Pharaoh Merneptah attacks Israel at the end of the 80 years of peace in 1205 BC as recorded in the famous Merneptah Stele.
c. Before Gideon liberated Israel in 1184 BC the area from Gaza to the Jezreel Valley had suffered from annual raids of Midianites and the Amalekites for 7 years: 1191-1184 BC.
d. In central and northern Israel the oppression under Jabin of Hazor was 20 years: 1204-1184 BC.
e. Deborah was Judging Israel during these 20 years of oppression.
f. Gideon only judged a single year in 1184 BC when he defeated Midianites and the Amalekites with his army of 300.
g. In 1184 BC Deborah and Gideon liberated Israel the same year. Deborah liberated Israel north of the Jezreel Valley to Hazor and Gideon liberates Israel south of the Jezreel Valley to Gaza.
i. In 1184 BC, Deborah liberated Israel at Mt. Tabor from Jabin, king of Hazor when Sisera was later killed while sleeping in a tent and Hazor was finally burned.
ii. In 1184 BC, Gideon’s famous army of 300 defeated the Midianites and Amalekites at Mt. Gilead. Whereas Deborah was active during the 20 years of oppression, Gideon was only active one year in 1184 BC.
h. As a result of the concurrent liberations of Deborah and Gideon in 1184 BC, Israel had peace for the next 40 years: 1184-1144 BC.
i. During the 40 years of peace, the mass immigration of the Philistines in 1177 BC trigger the collapse of the Late Bronze Age in the 8th year of Pharaoh Ramesses III.
2. Sequence of events and locations:
a. From Gaza to the Jezreel Valley, Israel was oppressed 7 years by Midianites and Amalekites: 1191-1184 BC.
b. In 1184 BC, an army of 135,000 Midianites/Ishmaelites and Amalekites invade.
c. Gideon visited by angel in his hometown of Ophrah. This is different from the modern town of Ophrah in Israel today because there are no archaeological finds in the modern city. Gideon was called by God in 1184 BC to form an army. Gideon’s sacrifice is miraculously consumed by fire.
d. Gideon tears down Altar of Baal & destroys Asherah.
e. Midianites camp in near Mt. Morah in valley of Jezreel.
f. Army of 32,000 from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun & Naphtali.
g. Miracle of wet and dry fleece at Ophrah. Gideon’s army camps on Mt. Gilead & selects 300 men. Gideon gets 4th sign from God near Midianite camp.
h. 120,000 Midianites kill each other in a psychotic panic. Midianites flee home via Abel-meholah and Zererah.
i. Gideon hurries to Succoth & is refused for food for army. Gideon is also refused by Penuel and vows to return.
j. The remaining 15,000 Midianites camp in Karkor. Gideon travels east of Nobah & Jogbehah & defeats army.
k. Gideon returns in revenge on Succoth and Penuel.
l. Staring in 1184 BC, there was 40 years of peace: 1184-1144 BC. In 1184 BC Deborah defeats Jabin & burns Hazor.
m. Gideon makes idolatrous ephod from Ishmaelite earrings.
n. Gideon dies and is buried in Ophrah.
o. Gideon’s son Abimelech kills all his 70 brothers except one. Abimelech rules Israel in Shechem. Jotham curses Abimelech & Shechem who are defeated.
p. Iron Age begins in 1177 BC with the mass arrival of the Philistines in Judea.
Synchronisms between the Bible, Chronology and Archeology:
A. Merneptah Stele in 1205 BC: Although not recorded in the Bible, the Merneptah Stele documents Egypt’s invasion of Israel in 1205 BC, precisely at the end of the 80 years of Peace under Ehud (1204 BC) and at the begging of the oppression of the Canaanites in Judges 4:3 from 1204-1184 BC. Notice that those who misdate the death of Joshua to 1384 BC (29 years too early), put the Merneptah Stele in 1205 BC directly inside the 40 years of peace under Deborah which started in 1213 BC. The Merneptah stele fits perfectly with high precision in the Judges chronology when you set the date of Joshua correctly at 1356 BC.
B. Deborah burns Hazor in 1184 BC: Deborah burned Hazor in 1184 BC. Deborah’s final liberation act of burning Hazor was at the beginning of the 40 years of peace in 1184 BC. The 20 years of oppression under the Canaanites started in 120 and ended in 1184 BC. Those who misdate the death of Joshua to 1384 BC (29 years too early) make a double mistake in dating Deborah’s burning of Hazor. They misdate Deborah’s burning of Hazor to the beginning of the 20-year Canaanite oppression in 1204 BC rather than the end in 1184 BC. When you add these 20 misdated years to the 29-year error of when Joshua died, it is easy to see how their date for the burning of Hazor by Deborah in 1230 BC is a whopping 46 years too early.
C. Deborah and Gideon concurrent 40 years of peace: A spectacular chronological discovery is that Deborah and Gideon delivered Israel from two different armies 30 km apart the same year. Deborah’s battle at Mt Tabor and Gideon’s army 30 km south at Mt Gilead happened the same year. We have a synchronism between Deborah and Gideon because their respective 40 years of peace of began in 1184 BC and end in 1144 BC. It was during these 40 years of peace that Philistines arrived in Judah in 1177 BC in 8th yr. of Ramesses III. Although Deborah is in Indivisible Chronology Unit #1 and Gideon is in Indivisible Chronology Unit #2 each defeated a different enemy of Israel the same year, using the same tribal armies of Zebulun and Naphtali. Both Deborah and Gideon completed their liberation the same year in 1184 BC. Deborah began to fight the king of Hazor in central Israel at Mt Tabor then the battled moved north to Hazor. Gideon’s famous army of 300 defeated the annual incursion of the Midianites and Amalekites at Mt. Gilead which is 30 km south of Deborah’s battle at Mt. Gilead. When the Midianites fled Transjordan, Gideon pursued them towards Amman and defeated them. This is confirmation that our approach is correct.
D. Philistines trigger the Collapse of the Late Bronze Age in 1177 BC: The LB age ended in 1177 BC, which marked the beginning of the Iron Age. This well documented event is recorded in the wall reliefs of pharaoh Ramesses III when in year 8, there was a mass immigration of the Philistines into Canaan. Deborah witnessed the arrival of the Philistines and the collapse of the LB age in times of peace. During Deborah’s 40 years of peace which ended in 1144 BC in northern Israel, the Philistines were establishing themselves in southern Israel, but did not start oppressing Judah until 1118 BC. Samson battled the Philistines (Judges 13:1) during the entire 40 years they oppressed Judah until he died in 1078 BC. It would not be until the time of David that the Philistines were fully subdued.
Conclusion:
When you get the chronology right, the cartography right and the archaeology right, you get the Bible text right!
reference:https://bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-conquest-timeline-chronology-judges-gideon-ishmaelites-midianites-1191-1144bc.htm
Gideon, a fearful and weak man, who became a mighty warrior and delivered Israel from the oppression of Midianites
WHAT
God appears to Gideon, while he's in hiding and thrashing wheat, and gives him signs and commands and uses him to defeat the enemy
WHERE
During the period/book of Judges 6 and 7 (Old Testament- after Jashua, before Ruth) thousand plus years before Christ (B.C.) Israel is in captivity by the Midianites for seven years and are greatly oppressed. God allows this because Israel continued to rebel against God, built altars for heathen gods and worshiped them instead, and continued to do evil in His sight.
General note:
During the period of JUDGES, Israel has no kings. God has turned His back on the nation of Israel because of their great wickedness and breaking of the commandments God, which God gave them because they boasted with pride to God that they can and will keep anything God asks of them. And this is how the law was introduced through Moses.
However; because of Gods great love for them, He raises judges, like Gideon, like Samson, like Deborah and many others, to answer the cries and misery of His people. Unfortunately, every time God would send them a judge, a deliverer, it was short lived (about 40 years or so) because they continue in their evil ways and did terrible evil in Gods' eyes. They followed different Gods, offered child sacrifices and joined in all kinds of detestable acts with one another.
TAKEAWAY
transformed by the presence of God
-God calls the weak the insignificant and broken to confine (bring down) the mighty
-He calls things not as they appear (to our human eyes) but as He sees them (in spirit and in truth)
-The greater our weakness the greater God's power and strength can operate through us. Remember this - more of Him less of me!
-when our eyes are fixed on Jesus (His finished complete work on the cross) we are not anxious or fearful of whats going on around us or in us. Because His perfect peace surrounds us, in His presence all forms of evil and fear must disappear. Light and dark can not co exist. Light is always greater and it will always illuminate darkness. At the sight of light the darkness flees!
-do not look to yourself for strength, for wisdom or anything good because your supply comes from him, Jesus alone. In us dwells no good thing. Now should this discourage us? Never! Allow God's perfect grace to fill you daily and supply you with everything you need to live your daily life. Scripture comes to mind... John 3:30 says "He must become greater; I must become less."
-The purpose of our life today is to point to Jesus, to glorify Jesus and to win souls for Jesus. It's always about Jesus. Remember it's pride in and of ourselves that separates us from God and destroys us.
-Your enemy is more afraid of you than you are of him. Intimidation, condemnation, guilt is the weapon he uses to keep you in fear so you will not exercise your power you have through Christ (only through Christ) to cast him to hell, away from you, so you can live out your life in continuous victory glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ
-In heaven we will reap the rewards of what we do for Christ on earth. Why in heaven, because God says in Mathew 6:19 "Dont store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal."
-Lets take our eyes off of ourselves and direct them upwards to our Lord and savior.
Psalms 121 says, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth...." a wonderful scripture to memorize.
-The battle is the Lord's read and memorize 1 Samuel 17:47. The good fight of faith. You take your place by obedience and let god be God and fight ALL your battles because He loves and cares for you.
verse to memorize:
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
I would like to encourage you to read and learn the entire story of Gideon and the impact he had and why God chose to record his story in the bible forever.
Please read Judges 6 and 7 first then you can read the summary and commentary below. Just so God can reveal the scriptures to you first before you take in another man's commentary. what if He reveals something greater to you?!
Summary of the story of Gideon ( from biblestudytools.com directly)
In this Bible story, from chapter 6 of the book of Judges, Gideon is called upon to save the people of Israel by leading them against the Midianites. In a common theme of apostasy, the people of Israel had done "what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian." The Midianites were capturing any crops produced by the Israelites, giving them grief. When the people of Israel realized the error of their ways and cried out for help to the Lord, a prophet was sent to deliver them as they had been rescued from Egypt.
Enter Gideon, while harvesting wheat and hiding from the Midianites an angel spoke to him and addressed him as a mighty man of courage. The angel told Gideon that God is sending him to "save Israel from the hand of Midian." Although at first Gideon doubts his ability to do so, he is heartened that God will be with him in this mission. The first task he is commanded to fulfill is destroying the Altar of Baal the Israelites have constructed, evidence of their apostasy. And so, during the night, Gideon and ten of his men took down the Altar of Baal making the townspeople very angry and asking for the death of the altar destroyer. Joash, the father of Gideon, then tells them if Baal really is a god he will kill Gideon himself, saving his son.
Seeking reassurance from the Lord, Gideon requests proof of God's promise to save Israel using a fleece. Encouraged by the acts of God, Gideon and his men then travel near the camp of Midian and prepare for battle. It is clear that God wants the Israelites to realize his divine validity, telling Gideon to lessen his army from thousands to just 300 men to defeat the Midianites. Also, Gideon overhears from a dream of one of the Midianites that he is destined to conquer Midian and save the Israelites from oppression.
Gideon commanded his 300 comrades to surround the Midian camp, making it seem the Midianites were greatly outnumbered, then blow their trumpets on every side and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!" When the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the torches surrounding their camp they cried out and fled, a triumphant victory for Gideon and the Israelites.
Gideon the Judge: 1191 - 1144 BC
Introduction:
1. Chronology of Gideon:
a. The 80 years of peace that resulted from Ehud defeating the king of Moab ended in 1204 BC: 1284-1204 BC
b. Although not recorded in the Bible, Pharaoh Merneptah attacks Israel at the end of the 80 years of peace in 1205 BC as recorded in the famous Merneptah Stele.
c. Before Gideon liberated Israel in 1184 BC the area from Gaza to the Jezreel Valley had suffered from annual raids of Midianites and the Amalekites for 7 years: 1191-1184 BC.
d. In central and northern Israel the oppression under Jabin of Hazor was 20 years: 1204-1184 BC.
e. Deborah was Judging Israel during these 20 years of oppression.
f. Gideon only judged a single year in 1184 BC when he defeated Midianites and the Amalekites with his army of 300.
g. In 1184 BC Deborah and Gideon liberated Israel the same year. Deborah liberated Israel north of the Jezreel Valley to Hazor and Gideon liberates Israel south of the Jezreel Valley to Gaza.
i. In 1184 BC, Deborah liberated Israel at Mt. Tabor from Jabin, king of Hazor when Sisera was later killed while sleeping in a tent and Hazor was finally burned.
ii. In 1184 BC, Gideon’s famous army of 300 defeated the Midianites and Amalekites at Mt. Gilead. Whereas Deborah was active during the 20 years of oppression, Gideon was only active one year in 1184 BC.
h. As a result of the concurrent liberations of Deborah and Gideon in 1184 BC, Israel had peace for the next 40 years: 1184-1144 BC.
i. During the 40 years of peace, the mass immigration of the Philistines in 1177 BC trigger the collapse of the Late Bronze Age in the 8th year of Pharaoh Ramesses III.
2. Sequence of events and locations:
a. From Gaza to the Jezreel Valley, Israel was oppressed 7 years by Midianites and Amalekites: 1191-1184 BC.
b. In 1184 BC, an army of 135,000 Midianites/Ishmaelites and Amalekites invade.
c. Gideon visited by angel in his hometown of Ophrah. This is different from the modern town of Ophrah in Israel today because there are no archaeological finds in the modern city. Gideon was called by God in 1184 BC to form an army. Gideon’s sacrifice is miraculously consumed by fire.
d. Gideon tears down Altar of Baal & destroys Asherah.
e. Midianites camp in near Mt. Morah in valley of Jezreel.
f. Army of 32,000 from Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun & Naphtali.
g. Miracle of wet and dry fleece at Ophrah. Gideon’s army camps on Mt. Gilead & selects 300 men. Gideon gets 4th sign from God near Midianite camp.
h. 120,000 Midianites kill each other in a psychotic panic. Midianites flee home via Abel-meholah and Zererah.
i. Gideon hurries to Succoth & is refused for food for army. Gideon is also refused by Penuel and vows to return.
j. The remaining 15,000 Midianites camp in Karkor. Gideon travels east of Nobah & Jogbehah & defeats army.
k. Gideon returns in revenge on Succoth and Penuel.
l. Staring in 1184 BC, there was 40 years of peace: 1184-1144 BC. In 1184 BC Deborah defeats Jabin & burns Hazor.
m. Gideon makes idolatrous ephod from Ishmaelite earrings.
n. Gideon dies and is buried in Ophrah.
o. Gideon’s son Abimelech kills all his 70 brothers except one. Abimelech rules Israel in Shechem. Jotham curses Abimelech & Shechem who are defeated.
p. Iron Age begins in 1177 BC with the mass arrival of the Philistines in Judea.
Synchronisms between the Bible, Chronology and Archeology:
A. Merneptah Stele in 1205 BC: Although not recorded in the Bible, the Merneptah Stele documents Egypt’s invasion of Israel in 1205 BC, precisely at the end of the 80 years of Peace under Ehud (1204 BC) and at the begging of the oppression of the Canaanites in Judges 4:3 from 1204-1184 BC. Notice that those who misdate the death of Joshua to 1384 BC (29 years too early), put the Merneptah Stele in 1205 BC directly inside the 40 years of peace under Deborah which started in 1213 BC. The Merneptah stele fits perfectly with high precision in the Judges chronology when you set the date of Joshua correctly at 1356 BC.
B. Deborah burns Hazor in 1184 BC: Deborah burned Hazor in 1184 BC. Deborah’s final liberation act of burning Hazor was at the beginning of the 40 years of peace in 1184 BC. The 20 years of oppression under the Canaanites started in 120 and ended in 1184 BC. Those who misdate the death of Joshua to 1384 BC (29 years too early) make a double mistake in dating Deborah’s burning of Hazor. They misdate Deborah’s burning of Hazor to the beginning of the 20-year Canaanite oppression in 1204 BC rather than the end in 1184 BC. When you add these 20 misdated years to the 29-year error of when Joshua died, it is easy to see how their date for the burning of Hazor by Deborah in 1230 BC is a whopping 46 years too early.
C. Deborah and Gideon concurrent 40 years of peace: A spectacular chronological discovery is that Deborah and Gideon delivered Israel from two different armies 30 km apart the same year. Deborah’s battle at Mt Tabor and Gideon’s army 30 km south at Mt Gilead happened the same year. We have a synchronism between Deborah and Gideon because their respective 40 years of peace of began in 1184 BC and end in 1144 BC. It was during these 40 years of peace that Philistines arrived in Judah in 1177 BC in 8th yr. of Ramesses III. Although Deborah is in Indivisible Chronology Unit #1 and Gideon is in Indivisible Chronology Unit #2 each defeated a different enemy of Israel the same year, using the same tribal armies of Zebulun and Naphtali. Both Deborah and Gideon completed their liberation the same year in 1184 BC. Deborah began to fight the king of Hazor in central Israel at Mt Tabor then the battled moved north to Hazor. Gideon’s famous army of 300 defeated the annual incursion of the Midianites and Amalekites at Mt. Gilead which is 30 km south of Deborah’s battle at Mt. Gilead. When the Midianites fled Transjordan, Gideon pursued them towards Amman and defeated them. This is confirmation that our approach is correct.
D. Philistines trigger the Collapse of the Late Bronze Age in 1177 BC: The LB age ended in 1177 BC, which marked the beginning of the Iron Age. This well documented event is recorded in the wall reliefs of pharaoh Ramesses III when in year 8, there was a mass immigration of the Philistines into Canaan. Deborah witnessed the arrival of the Philistines and the collapse of the LB age in times of peace. During Deborah’s 40 years of peace which ended in 1144 BC in northern Israel, the Philistines were establishing themselves in southern Israel, but did not start oppressing Judah until 1118 BC. Samson battled the Philistines (Judges 13:1) during the entire 40 years they oppressed Judah until he died in 1078 BC. It would not be until the time of David that the Philistines were fully subdued.
Conclusion:
When you get the chronology right, the cartography right and the archaeology right, you get the Bible text right!
reference:https://bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-conquest-timeline-chronology-judges-gideon-ishmaelites-midianites-1191-1144bc.htm
John 3:16 Warriors
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