The Spiritual Man

Love One Another.

It is written that love is the greatest of all gifts, and truly it is. Love is powerful, and there is power in love. Love brings joy to the soul, encouragement to the brokenhearted, and hope to the hopeless. Love conquers all things, overcomes all things, and endures all things. For love, this love that I speak of. It comes from God, poured forth like a mighty river flowing from the very heart of God himself.

Blessings, in the love of Christ.
In His Glorious Name Ministries Online

The Lord is King

To God Be The Glory!

To God be the glory.
Let us glorify the Lord in our worship.
Let us live for the glory of God.
Let the Holy Spirit lead you on the pathway to God’s glory.
This is the outline of a post you can read here.

God Is Calling For True Obedience.

Amos 5:6-6:14
‘Seek the Lord and live’. ‘Seek good, not evil...’(5:6,14). Those who truly seek the Lord are to live a godly life. God sees right through hypocritical religion. He is not pleased with it: ‘I hate your show and pretence - your hypocrisy of ‘honouring’ Me with your religious feasts and solemn assemblies... Away with your hymns of praise - they are mere noise to My ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is’(21,23). God is looking for true obedience: ‘a mighty flood of justice - a torrent of doing good’- ‘Let justice flow like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream’(24). God speaks to us about our sins - ‘Many and great are your sins. I know them so well’- so that we might learn to ‘hate evil’ and ‘love good’(5:12,15).

Amos 7:1-9:15
‘That’s enough, prophet! Go back to Judah and do your preaching there... Don’t prophesy here at Bethel any more’(7:12-13). Amos was a faithful preacher of God’s Word - but his hearers wanted to get rid of him! This was the beginning of a time of great darkness: ‘The days are coming when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the Word of the Lord, but they will not find it’(8:11-12). There were dark times ahead - but God was looking beyond them to a brighter future: ‘I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel’(9:14). ‘Restore us again, O God of our salvation...’(Psalm 85:4-7).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

God Is Calling For Our Attention!

Amos 1:1-2:16
‘The Lord roars’. ‘The Lord thunders’(1:2). God’s Word comes to us from above - ‘The Lord will roar from on high’. He speaks to us from heaven - ‘He will thunder from His holy dwelling’. We dare not ignore the Word of the Lord. His Word comes to us as a Word of warning - ‘He will shout against all who live on the earth’- and a Word of judgment - ‘He will bring judgment on all mankind’. God is calling for our attention: ‘Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth’. God speaks to us about His ‘fierce anger’. He calls us to turn from our sin. Let us return to the Lord and hear His Word of salvation: ‘I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 25:30-32,37; 31:34).

Amos 3:1-5:5
‘You only have I chosen... therefore I will punish you for all your sins’(3:2). Along with the privilege of being ‘chosen’ to belong to the Lord comes the responsibility of living as the servants of the Lord. God’s Word is not to be taken lightly - ‘The lion has roared - who will not fear?’(3:8). God speaks to us very directly about the way we are living - ‘You have not returned to Me’(4:6,8-11). We must take Him seriously: ‘Prepare to meet your God’(4:12). God calls us to ‘seek Him and live’: ‘Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake His way and the evil man his thoughts, Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon’(5:4; Isaiah 55:6-7).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Trust The Lord ...

Trust the Lord.

Love the Lord.

Obey the Lord.

Worship the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord.

Serve the Lord.

This is an outline of a post you can read here. 

Do You Feel Useless? You Can Become Useful.

Philemon 1-25
‘He was useless... now he has become useful’(11). This is the story of Onesimus (the name means ‘useful’). A runaway ‘slave’, he became ‘a beloved brother... in the Lord’(16). It appears that Onesimus had stolen from his master, Philemon (18-19). He landed up in prison - and there, he was converted! This is what Paul is telling us when he speaks of ‘Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment’(10). Why did God allow Paul, His faithful servant, to land up in prison - for the sake of the Gospel? Part of the reason was Onesimus. God wanted Paul to meet Onesimus. Paul was to lead Onesimus to Christ. Sometimes, our difficult circumstances may feel like a prison sentence. You want to get out, but you can’t - until God has fulfilled His purpose: the ‘useless’ becomes ‘useful’- in the service of God.

God Wants To Bless Us. How Much Do We Want To Be Blessed By Him?

Ezra 8:1-36
The return of God’s people to Jerusalem was not simply a geographical return - moving from one place to another. It was a spiritual return. They were returning to the Lord. They were seeking His blessing (21). Without God’s blessing, we are nothing. We may have happy memories of better days, recalling ‘the good old days’. We may look back to times of blessing, remembering how the hand of the Lord was upon us. If this is all we have, we have nothing. We are no longer in the place of blessing. We need to return to the Lord. The times of blessing can come again. God gives us His promise: ‘The hand of our God is for good upon all that seek Him’(22). God wants to bless us. How much do we want to be blessed by Him? If the times of blessing are to return to us, we must ‘return to the Lord’(Isaiah 55:6-13).

Ezra 9:1-10:44
The return of God’s blessing begins with a real confession of sin - ‘our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens’(9:6). If God chooses to bless us, it is not because we deserve to be blessed by Him. It is because He loves us and wants more than anything else to pour out His blessing upon us. Despite all of our sin, God’s Word encourages us to believe that the Lord may yet ‘grant us a little reviving’. Pray that God will ‘grant us some reviving to set up the House of our God’(9:8-9). This was Ezra’s prayer. It was the prayer of ‘a very great assembly of men, women and children’(10:1). If prayer for revival is real, it will be much more than pulpit prayer. There will be much prayer, arising from the hearts of many people: ‘If My people pray... I will heal their land’(2 Chronicles 7:14).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

When Your Head Goes Down, The Lord Will Lift You Up.

Ezra 4:1-5:17
God’s work does not always move forward smoothly. We face determined opposition. Where there is opportunity, there will be opposition (1 Corinthians 16:9). The servants of Satan rise up to oppose the servants of the Lord. This is what happens here. The Lord’s enemies had some success: ‘the work on the House of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill’. This was, however, only a temporary setback. God gave new strength to His servants. He sent His ‘prophets, Haggai and Zechariah’. They brought His Word to the people. Strengthened by their ministry of God’s Word, ‘Zerubbabel... arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem’ (4:24-5:2). God’s work was back on track. His people were moving forward - again. When your head goes down, let the Lord come to you. He will lift you up!

Ezra 6:1-7:28
God’s work makes good progress when God’s people receive strength from God’s Word. Haggai and Zechariah were faithful in preaching God’s Word to the people. Their preaching ministry was very important. It was just what the builders needed. It inspired them to keep working. God’s House was rebuilt and God’s people rejoiced (6:14-16). The rebuilding of God’s House was followed by the ministry of God’s servant, Ezra. ‘The hand of the Lord was upon Ezra’(7:6,28). His ministry was blessed by the Lord. In Ezra’s ministry of the Word, there are three vital elements - studying, doing and teaching (7:10). Ezra did not only study and teach God’s Word. He did God’s Word. Obedience lies at the heart of true ministry. This is the kind of ministry that God blesses - an obedient ministry.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

The Blessing Comes Down As The Worship Goes Up.

Ezra 1:1-2:35
To ‘all’ of us, God gives His call. We are to ‘rebuild the House of the Lord’. To ‘all’ of us, He gives His strength: ‘Then... all those whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the House of the Lord’(1:3,5). If the work of God is to be done, every one must play their part. No one must opt out. No one must say, ‘There’s nothing for me to do’. There’s always something to do. There’s something for every one. God has so much work for us to do. We must not fail Him. He is calling you to serve Him. He will give you the strength that you need. Open your heart to Him. Surrender your life to Him. ‘Every person in every nation, in each succeeding generation, has the right to hear the news that Christ can save... Father, I am willing to dedicate to Thee, life and talent, time and money. Here am I, send me’.

Ezra 2:36-3:13
At the heart of God’s work, there is worship - ‘praising and giving thanks to the Lord’. This is our first priority. We must not forget the Lord. We must remember that ‘He is good’. We must remember that ‘His steadfast love endures for ever’(3:11). Nothing can take the place of worship. This is where serving the Lord begins. It begins with worship. Without worship, we cannot serve the Lord. He must be at the centre of everything we do. This is what serving the Lord means - keeping Him at the centre of everything you do. We look for ‘more love’, ‘more power’, more of God’s blessing in our lives. We must give ourselves - more fully and more truly - to Him: ‘I will worship You with all of my heart... with all of my mind... with all of my strength’(Songs of Fellowship, 392). The blessing will come down as the worship goes up!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

How Are We To Live? - We Live By The Grace Of God.

Titus 1:1-2:10 

How are we to live? We are not to be ‘empty talkers’, people who ‘profess to know God’ and ‘deny Him by their deeds’(1:10,16). We must give no one the opportunity to ‘speak evil of God’s Word’. We must be ‘a model of good deeds’, showing ‘the beauty of the teachings about God our Saviour in everything we do’(2:5,7,10). When we live in a Christlike way, ‘those who oppose’ Christ and His Gospel will be ‘put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us’(2:8). This is how we are to live. How do we live? This is a question for all of us. It is a question which will make us feel uncomfortable. We don’t find it easy to look closely at the way we live our lives. We won’t get away with glossing over things. God calls us to pray, ‘Search me, O God... Cleanse me from every sin...’(Psalm 139:23-24; Mission Praise, 587). 

Titus 2:11-3:15 

We read in 2:11,13 of Christ’s coming in grace- ‘the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people’- and His coming in glory- ‘we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ’. From grace to glory - This is the journey from Christ’s first coming to His Second Coming. It is also the journey of our life of faith. We begin with the forgiveness of our sins. our final destination is glory, heavenly and eternal glory, the glory of God. We live by the grace of God. We look forward to the glory of God. God wants us to live as ‘a people of His own who are zealous for good deeds’(2:14). If we are to be ‘zealous for good deeds’, we must first be zealous for Jesus Christ. Do good - but never forget, ‘Hesaved us - not because of deeds done by us...’(3:8,4-6).

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Blessings in Christ 

Christ in all the Scriptures 

http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

God's Love For Us Is Much Greater Than Our Love For Him.

Hosea 10:1-12:9
God’s love for us is much greater than our love for Him. So often, we are like ‘Israel’- ‘they did not fear the Lord’. Our love for God grows weak. His love for us remains strong. He refuses to give up on us. We wander away from the Lord. He calls us back to Himself - ‘It is time to seek the Lord’; ‘You must return to your God’(10:3,12; 11:1,8; 12:6). When we return to the Lord, He leads us in the way of His ‘love’. He teaches us to ‘walk in the Spirit’. He produces in us ‘the fruit of the Spirit’(10:1; 11:3-4; Galatians 5:16-18,22-25). God will help us to grow strong in our love for Him - ‘the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We must ‘not quench the Spirit’. We must ‘not grieve the Holy Spirit of God’(Romans 8:26; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30).

Hosea 12:10-14:9
The Lord loves us. He invites us to come to ‘know’ Him as our ‘Saviour’. We are to ‘return’ to Him and receive the blessings of His salvation. He ‘forgives all our sins’. He leads us in the way of ‘fruitfulness’. He gives us eternal life - ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death ...’(13:4,14; 14:1-2,4,8). The call to receive salvation from the Lord is a call to choose which way we will live. We must choose to be ‘righteous’ rather than ‘rebellious’. We are to acknowledge that ‘the ways of the Lord are right’. We are to choose the way of ‘the righteous’ who ‘walk in the Lord’s ways’. We are to reject the way of ‘the rebellious’ who ‘stumble over the Lord’s ways’. Let us walk in the light of the Lord’(14:9; Isaiah 2:5).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

We Have Forgotten God. He Never Forgets Us.

Hosea 5:15-7:16
We are to leave the old way of sinful disobedience and follow the new way of faith and obedience: ‘Come, let us return to the Lord... Let us press on to know the Lord’. As we return to the Lord, pressing on to know Him, His blessing returns to us. He leads us in the way of fruitfulness: ‘He will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth’(6:1,3). We must not be like those who react to God’s Word with ‘pride’: ‘They do not return to the Lord their God’. God longs to ‘redeem’ them, yet they ‘rebel against’ Him: ‘They do not turn to the Most High God’(7:10,13,16). Our ‘love’ for God is not to be ‘like the early dew that disappears’. Let us ‘acknowledge our guilt and seek His face’. Let us love Him with a ‘steadfast love’(5:15; 6:4,6).

Hosea 8:1-9:17
‘Israel’ had ‘forgotten’ and ‘forsaken’ the Lord (8:14). We have not remembered the Lord. We have turned away from Him. We have forgotten Him. We have been ‘unfaithful’ to Him. This is the sad story of our life - a story of forgetting and forsaking the Lord. God is very different from us. He has not forgotten us. He has not forsaken us. He has ‘remembered’ us. He has been ‘faithful’ to us. He has shown us His ‘salvation’(Psalm 98:3). How do we know that God remembers us? How do we know that God is faithful to us? - ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’; ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’(1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 5:8). ‘If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot be false to Himself’(2 Timothy 2:13).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

What Kind Of People Are We Becoming?

Hosea 1:1-3:5
‘Hosea’ means ‘salvation’. Married to ‘an adulterous wife’, Hosea spoke with great compassion to ‘the land’ which was ‘guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord’(1:2). He brought God’s Word of love to the people: ‘I will show My love to the one I called, “Not My loved one”’. He spoke to them of the life-changing power of God’s love: ‘I will say to those called, “Not My people”, and they will say, “You are My God”’(2:23). He brought a Word of hope to God’s people: ‘The Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God... They will come trembling to the Lord and to His blessings in the last days’(3:5). His words of hope point us to our Saviour, Jesus Christ - ‘In these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son’(Hebrews 1:2).

Hosea 4:1-5:14
We read here of Israel’s rebellion against God: ‘A spirit of prostitution leads them astray. They are unfaithful to their God... A spirit of prostitution is in their heart. They do not acknowledge the Lord’(4:12; 5:4). God is not pleased with them. He speaks His Word of ‘judgment against’ them (5:1). We must look closely at our lives. What kind of people are we becoming? Are we becoming ‘slaves of sin’? God is calling us to be changed by His love and power: ‘Now that you have been set free from sin, and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap is holiness, and the result is eternal life’(Romans 6:16,22). Let His love show you that He has not abandoned you because of your sin. Let His power assure you that He can make you ‘a new person’(2 Corinthians 5:17).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Strengthened By The Lord ...

Strengthened by the Lord, we are led in the way of victory.
Strengthened by the Lord, we rejoice in Him.
Strengthened by the Lord, we trust in His unchanging love.
Strengthened by the Lord, we pray, “Send a revival. Start the work in me.”
Strengthened by the Lord, we pray for the advance of the Gospel in all the earth.
Strengthened by the Lord, we give thanks for Jesus Christ, crucified for us.

This is an outline of a post from my "Christ in all the Scriptures" blog. You can read the full post
here.

Christian Bloggers Wanted

Your invited to become a part of the ministry network around the world. Visit In His Glorious Name Ministries Online, look around and leave us a comment so we can contact you. We are always looking for dedicated blog authors that have the desire to share the love of Christ with others.

Great Scripture Studies

Read them here.

I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me.

Philippians 3:12-4:23
‘Christ Jesus has made me His own’(3:12). In Paul`s words, we hear an echo of Jesus` words, ‘You did not choose Me... I chose you’(John 15:16). Christ has claimed us for Himself. He has laid claim to every part of our life. We are to ‘rejoice in the Lord always’(4). We are to bring ‘everything’ to Him in prayer (6). We are to be ‘content in all circumstances’(4:11-12). We are to face every challenge with confidence in His strength - ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’(4:13). We are to trust Him to ‘supply’ our ‘every need’(4:19). In every situation, we can come to the Lord, trusting in His promise: ‘the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’(7). Whatever is happening, take it to the Lord in prayer and let Him give you His peace.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

God Is At Work In You.

Philippians 2:12-3:11
God’s command- ‘Work out your own salvation’- must never be separated from His promise - ‘God is at work in you’(12-13). We do not save ourselves - We ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. We are saved by the Lord - We ‘glory in Christ Jesus’(3). We are to ‘shine as lights in the world’, directing attention away from ourselves to Him who is ‘the Light of the world’- our Lord Jesus Christ (15; John 8:12). We have this testimony: “I have ‘no righteousness of my own’. ‘Through faith in Christ’, I have received ‘this rtighteousness from God’”(9). We are living in difficult times. This is ‘a crooked and perverse generation’(15). We are called to ‘hold fast the Word of life’(16). It will not be easy. We will face many difficulties. We must take encouragement from this: ‘God is at work in you’(13).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Kept By The Power Of God

Philippians 1:1-2:11
Do you feel like you can`t go on? Do you feel like giving up? Here`s God`s Word of encouragement for you: ‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ’(1:6). God finishes what He starts - ‘He didn`t bring us this far to leave us. He didn`t teach us to swim to let us drown. He didn`t build His home in us to move away. He didn`t lift us up to let us down’. In all the changes of life, we must remember this: God is faithful. His love is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. We don`t keep going because we are strong. We are ‘kept by the power of God’(1 Peter 1:5). In ‘humility’ let us live ‘to the glory and praise of God’(2:3; 1:11). ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’(2:11) - He will give you the strength to keep going when you feel like giving up.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Wait On The Lord And Renew Your Strength.

Habakkuk 2:15-3:19
We are to ‘be silent before God. We are to ‘stand in awe’ of Him. In His holy presence, we become deeply conscious of our sin which separates us from Him: ‘Your eyes are too pure to look on evil’. Confessing our sin to God, we pray that ‘in wrath’ He will ‘remember mercy’. We pray that He will ‘renew’ us with His blessing. God answers our prayer. He sends His ‘glory’ into our lives. He fills our hearts with His ‘praise’: ‘I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Lord God is my Strength. He makes my feet like the feet of the deer. He enables me to go on the heights’. ‘Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles...’(2:20; 3:2; 1:13; 3:18-19; Isaiah 40:31).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Waiting Patiently For God's Answer

Habakkuk 1:1-2:14
‘How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen?’(1:2). There are times when it seems that God is not listening to us. What are we to do when we feel like this? Are we to give up on God? Are we to stop praying? No! We must wait patiently for the Lord’s answer - ‘I will look to see what He will say to me’. We must not forget His promise: ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord’(2:1; Lamentations 3:25-26). ‘The vision awaits its time... If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay’. Let us ‘live by faith’, awaiting the Day when ‘the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’(2:3-4,14).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Blogging For Christ

Your invited to become a part of the ministry network around the world. Visit In His Glorious Name Ministries Online, look around and leave us a comment so we can contact you. We are always looking for dedicated blog authors that have the desire to share the love of Christ with others.

Receiving Strength From The Lord

At the place called Peniel, Jacob ‘saw God face to face’ (Genesis 32:30). We see ‘the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Jacob wrestled with God and became an overcomer (Genesis 32:28). Christ wrestled with the powers of evil, and has won a mighty victory for us.

When He cried out from the Cross, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30), this was not an admission of defeat. It was the declaration of victory - the victory has been won, the victory is complete. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

For Jacob, crossing the Jabbok involved a spiritual ‘crossing over’. Jacob became Israel, a new man (Genesis 32:28).

After he had been ‘touched’ by God, Jacob was ‘limping’ (Genesis 32:31-32). This was a reminder of his own weakness.

His true strength was in the Lord. Wait on the Lord, and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).

Thought For The Day - "The Way Of The Lord ... "

The way of the Lord leads to blessing. The way of self leads to judgment.

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This thought is taken from

Isaiah 23:1-18

'Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account!' (13). To the nation which turns to Him, the Lord speaks His promise of blessing - 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ...' (Psalm 33:12). To the nation which turns away from Him, God speaks His warning of judgment - 'For lack of guidance a nation falls' (Proverbs 11:14). We must choose. Will we choose to listen to the Lord, to submit our lives to Him, to follow the guidance He has given to us in His Word? Or, will we ignore Him and go our own way? The way of the Lord leads to blessing - 'Righteousness exalts a nation'. The way of self leads to judgment - 'sin is a disgrace to any people' (Proverbs 14:34). What will it be? - 'Look at the Babylonians...!' or 'They will see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven' (Matthew 5:16).

Thought For The Day - "God Wants To Bless Us ... "

God wants to bless us. Let's pray, "Lord, I want You to be my salvation and my strength"

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This thought is taken from

Isaiah 29:17-30:17

'In returning and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, "No!"' (15-16). God wants to bless us. He wants to be our 'salvation'. He wants to be our 'strength'. How does God bless us? How does He become our 'salvation'? How does He become our 'strength'? We must want His blessing. We must want His 'salvation'. We must want His 'strength'. We must return to Him and rest in Him. We must quietly listen to His Word, putting our trust in Him. There is no 'salvation' without 'returning and rest'. There is no 'strength' without 'quietness and trust'. God does not force Himself upon us. We can say, 'No! I will have none of it'. God wants to bless you. Will you say, 'Yes, Lord! I want You to be my 'salvation'. I want You to be my 'strength'?

If

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Prayers From South America

This map shows just a few of the visitors from around the world that visit our prayer ministry site. Thank you to all who have visited the many ministry sites within our network.
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God Is Calling Us To Be Faithful To Him.

Nahum 1:1-2:9
‘Fulfil your vows’ (1:15). God is calling us to be faithful to Him. We are to be faithful in worship. We are to be faithful in reading His Word. We are to be faithful in prayer. We are to be faithful in giving. We are to be faithful in witness. Our faith is to be real. Our faith is to make a difference. It’s to change the way we live. It’s not to be a case of ‘faith without works’. That kind of ‘faith’ is ‘dead’ (James 2:17). Our whole life is to be a life of faith. It is to be a life of ‘love’. We are to live ‘for the glory of God’ (Romans 14:23; 1 Corinthians 16:14; 10:31). ‘Fill Thou our life, O Lord our God, in every part with praise... Not for the lip of praise alone, nor even the praising heart we ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part’ (Church Hymnary, 457).
Nahum 2:10-3:19
To those who refuse to live in obedience to Him, God speaks His Word of judgment: ‘I am against you’ (2:13; 3:5). Those who refuse to listen to God’s Word of salvation - ‘The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him’ - will hear a very different Word from the Lord. It will be a Word of judgment. God’s Word will come like ‘an overwhelming flood’: ‘He will pursue His foes into darkness’ (1:7-8). None of us needs to face this ‘overwhelming flood’ and hear the words, ‘I am against you’. Each of us can come to Christ and hear His Word of ‘overwhelming victory’: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?... Nothing wiIl be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:31,37-39).

Blessings Come From Above

All good gifts come from above. It is the Father's good pleasure to give gifts to His children. Even Jesus came from above, who is the gift of God. For God so loved, that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world.

Learning From Joel: Call On The Name Of The Lord And Be Saved.

Joel 1:1-2:17 - ‘Joel’ means ‘the Lord is God’. The Lord is our God. He is ‘gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love...’. Let us ‘return to the Lord our God’. Let us ‘return to Him with all our heart’. Let us look to Him for His ‘blessing’ (2:12-14). Alongside God’s promise of blessing for those who return to Him, there is His Word of warning for those who take no notice of Him and pay no attention to His Word: ‘The Day of the Lord is near. It will come like destruction from the Almighty... Let all who live in the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand - a Day of darkness and gloom...’(1:15; 2:1-2). God wants to bless us. Let us ‘cry out’ to Him for His blessing: ‘To You, O Lord, I call’ (1:14,19).

Joel 2:19-3:21 - Each of us is ‘in the valley of decision’. We must make sure that we are prepared for ‘the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord’. God has given us His promise: ‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved’ (2:31-32; 3:14). The Lord promises great blessing to those who call upon Him. He ‘will pour out His Spirit’upon us. He will do ‘great things’ for us. He will be our ‘Refuge’ and ‘Stronghold’. He will fill us with ‘joy and gladness’. He will fill our hearts with ‘praise’ (2:20-21,23,26,28-29; 3:16). Make sure that you ‘call on the Name of the Lord’. Make sure that you do not miss out on the great blessings the Lord gives to those who call on His Name. Make your decision now - ‘I will call on the Name of the Lord’ (1 Kings 18:24).

How Are We To Live As People Who Are Saved, Holy And Different?

We may look around us and say to ourselves, “It cannot be done. There is too much sin in our world.” We look inside ourselves and we say, “It cannot be done. There is too much sin in ourselves.”
In Hebrews 11, we read about many people who trusted the Lord. Their faith was real. It changed their lives. They lived in difficult times. They encountered many problems. Many times, they were tempted to give up. They didn’t give up. They kept on going. They were heroes of the faith.
As you read about these heroes of the faith, let God’s Word challenge you. Bring your own weak faith to Him and ask Him to give you a stronger faith. Say to the Lord, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’(Mark 9:24).
We learn from so many different people. We read about their faith. We are inspired by their faith. We do not, however, make too much of them. We must always be ‘looking to Jesus’(2).
We must learn the lesson of the transfiguration. We look at Moses. We look at Elijah. We learn from them. There comes a point where they - together with all God’s faithful people - must step aside, leaving us to look up and see ‘Jesus only’(Mark 9:2-8).
When we look to Him, He will change us. He saves us. He makes us holy. He will make us different.

Christ Calls Us To Be Different.

When Christ was here on earth, he met plenty of religious people. He wasn’t impressed by their religion. They liked to think that they were different from other people. They were different – but not in a way that pleased the Lord. He looked at them and He said, “Hypocrites!” (Luke 12:56). They drew attention to themselves – but they did not direct attention to the Lord. Everything revolved around themselves. The Lord didn’t get a look in. Christ calls us to be different – different from the “hypocrites”. How are we to be different? How does Christ make the difference in our lives? We look at the “hypocrites”. What do we see? There was something missing. They had a big problem. Their hearts were closed to the Spirit of grace (Luke 12:57-59). If they were going to be changed, they needed to open their hearts to the Spirit of grace. If we are going to be changed, we must open our hearts to the Spirit of grace. We must learn to pray, “Spirit of the living of God, fall afresh on me … break me, melt me, mould me, fill me …” Real change does not come from within ourselves. It comes from above, from “the Spirit of the living God”. We do not say, “I’m going to make myself better.” We come to the Lord and we pray, “break me, melt me, mould me, fill me”. Real change is not our own doing. We do not change ourselves. It is the Lord’s doing. It is the work of “the Spirit of the living God”. He sees what we really are. He sees beneath the surface. He sees where there needs to be change. He creates in us a desire for change, real change. We talk about the need for change – but we don’t let it get too personal. He presses upon us the call for personal revival. He prompts us to pray: “O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee. Send a revival. Start the work in me.”

Christ Calls Us To Be Holy.

In Isaiah 5:3, we find words that are full of sadness: “he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit”. These words are followed by a question that is full of challenge: “When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?” (Isaiah 5:4).
This is the call to holiness. God’s people are called to be “holy” (Isaiah 4:3). Holiness is not an optional extra. It’s not something we can take or leave. We cannot say, “Yes, I want to be saved but I don’t want to be holy.”
When salvation is real, there will be a real desire for holiness. God does not forgive our sins only to say, “Just go on living the way you did before I forgave your sins”. He forgives us our sins and He changes us, leading us into a new way of living – His way.
Holiness is not popular in today’s world. The world speaks of God’s people with contempt – “these holy people need to learn to live in the real world.”
When God calls His people ‘holy’, He speaks in a very different way. He speaks with affection. He looks upon us with love. We are special to Him. We are precious in His eyes. God loves us and He calls us to be holy. We are to live as those who have been set apart for God.
We are not to live for this world only. There is something else, something greater than this so-called “real world.” There is a world that is unseen and eternal, heavenly and glorious. This is our higher calling, our call to holiness. Let us “look to the things that are unseen and eternal.” Let us “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:18; Philippians 3:14).

Christ Calls Us To Be Saved.

In Psalm 80:3, we have a prayer for salvation: “Restore us, O God, make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”
When we come to God with our prayer for salvation, we do not come to a ‘god’ who is unable to hear our prayer. We do not come to a ‘god’ from whom we can expect no answer. We come to “God Almighty” – the “Lord God Almighty” (Psalm 80:7, 19). We come with of salvation – “What must I do to be saved?” God gives us His answer – “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).
What does the Lord say to those who look to Christ for salvation? He says this: “The Lord will bless you and watch over you. The Lord will smile on you and be kind to you. The Lord will look on you with favour and give you peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26).
What are we to say to the Lord who blesses us so much? – We worship Him. We say, “Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing that heaven has to offer” (Ephesians 1:3).
This is where real change begins. It begins with the prayer for salvation. It begins when we open our hearts to “the Spirit of the living God”. It begins when we pray, “Restore us, O God, make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved”.

Trusting, Loving And Serving Christ, Our Victorious Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:46-16:24
In Christ, there is ‘victory’ - glorious, eternal, heavenly victory (54-57).
Every day, we face a battle. It is a battle for faith, love and service.
(a) We are called to trust the Lord: ‘Stand firm in your faith’ (13). We are to have faith. It is to be a growing faith, a faith which is growing stronger.
(b) We are called to love the Lord. This is to be the most important thing in our life: ‘love for the Lord’ (21). Christ’s question comes to us: ‘Do you love Me?’ (John 21:15-17). Is our love for Him growing stronger or getting weaker?
(c) We are called to serve the Lord: ‘Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord’ (58). Let’s get rid of the lazy, ‘can’t be bothered’ attitude. We shall be victorious through ‘the grace of the Lord Jesus’ (23).

Let's Live As Resurrection People!

1 Corinthians 15:1-45
Here, we learn of Christ’s resurrection: the fact - ‘Christ has been raised from the dead’ - and the meaning - ‘the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep’ (20).
* We look back to His resurrection. We ‘remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead’ (2 Timothy 2:8).
* We look forward to our own resurrection. We will be ‘raised’ - ‘imperishable… in glory… in power… a spiritual body’ (42-44).
Looking back to His resurrection and looking forward to our own resurrection, we are to live, here and now, in ‘the power of His resurrection’ (Philippians 3:10).
* We believe the fact of the resurrection.
* We live in the power of the resurrection.
* We rejoice in the hope of the resurrection.
With ‘resurrection’ faith in the ‘resurrection’ God, let us live the ‘resurrection’ life as a ‘resurrection’ people!

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Blessings in Christ.

Less About The Preacher And More About The Lord!

1 Corinthians 14:13-40
‘Be eager to prophesy’ (39).
Preaching God’s Word to the people is important. It is not everything. It is to be accompanied by prayer and praise.
Many come to hear ‘the preacher.’ Few gather to pray that the whole service of worship will be filled with the presence of the Lord.
Some come to hear a ‘sermon.’ They show little real enthusiasm for worshipping the Lord. They want ‘the Word.’ There is no real heart for worship, witness, and work.
The preacher’s public performance becomes more important than the prayerful praise of God’s people.
‘All things’ are ‘done decently and in order’ yet the atmosphere is forbidding. The Spirit of God is not moving freely among the people of God (39-40).
Let there be less talking about the preacher and more concern with giving all the praise and glory to the Lord.

A Revival Of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-14:12
Paul’s teaching seems so unrealistic.
Life isn’t like this, people aren’t like this, the Church isn’t like this - and we’re all the poorer for it!
We speak about revival. We hope for it. We pray for it. What we need most of all is a revival of love.
This is not a return to ‘the good old days’. This is for here and now. We can make a great deal of a ‘revival’ which took place a good many years ago. It is in today’s world that we are called to show love.
Differences of opinion become deeply-held prejudices. It’s all going on in the Name of Christ! Our reverence for yesterday’s religious leaders will mean nothing - if there is no love.
Some things should have been ‘dead and buried’ a long time ago.
Keep the negative thinking going and we’ll be speaking to ourselves. Nobody will be listening (14:4,8)!

No Condemnation

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Let Christ's Love Flow Among Us.

1 Corinthians 12:1-31
Paul speaks about ‘gifts of the Spirit.’
They are ‘given for the common good’ (4-7). We’re not ‘to show off’: ‘Look at me. The Church can’t do without me.’
When we draw attention to ourselves rather than Christ, we are not living ‘by the Spirit of God.’
He moves us to say, with our whole heart, ‘Jesus is Lord’ (3).
We live in fellowship with one another: ‘the body does not consist of one member but of many’ (14). ‘I’m happy - as long as I’m getting my own way’: We can do without this kind of attitude!
What about ‘the common good’? Sometimes, things don’t go according to my plan. Perhaps, my plan needs revising - to take account of ‘the common good.’
When self raises its ugly head - ‘It’s my way or no way at all’ - let’s not forget the ‘still more excellent way’ (3).
It is the way of love - Christ’s love!

Celebrating The Lord's Supper In Joyful Obedience

1 Corinthians 11:1-34
We celebrate the Lord’s Supper (23-26).
We take note of what Paul says about the way we are to come to the Lord’s Table (27-29).
What’s this all about? Is it about the whole thing looking good - impressive?
Paul gives us something to think about in verse 22 - ‘Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the Church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?’
In Paul’s questions, we hear an echo of the Old Testament prophets (Isaiah 1:12-20; Amos 5:21-24).
We rejoice in John 3:16 - ‘God so loved the world…’.
Let’s not forget 1 John 3:16-18 - ‘let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.’
Jesus says, ‘…first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift’ (Matthew 5:23-24).
Don’t just think about it. Act on it (James1:22-25; 2:14-17)!

Out Of Our Old Life, Into Christ's New Life

1 Corinthians 10:1-33
‘Participation in the blood of Christ… participation in the body of Christ’ (16): There is nothing more important than this.
We are not to be spectators, standing on the side lines, watching what’s going on without ever getting involved. We are to be participants, getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ, growing in our love for Him, strengthening our faith in Him, bringing more glory to Him. We eat bread. We drink wine.
We remember Jesus Christ, ‘the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us’. We do not only remember this great event from the past. We participate in Christ here and now. He has brought us out of our old life - ‘I have been crucified with Christ’ - and into His new life - ‘It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me’ (Galatians 2:20).
Participate ‘in Christ’ - not only in ‘the Church’!

Without Faith

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What A Great Saviour Jesus Is!

1 Corinthians 9:1- 27

‘If I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting’ (16).

Paul preached the Gospel. His whole desire was to bring men and women to the Saviour (22). He did not want to draw attention to himself. He didn’t preach so that his hearers would say, ‘What a good preacher Paul is!’ He wanted his hearers to say, 'What a great Saviour Jesus is!'

He did not want to be ‘an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ’ (12). Paul was not a ‘performer’, trying to increase his own popularity.

Paul described his ministry like this: ‘I do it all for the sake of the Gospel’ (23).

Keep your eyes on Jesus. This is very important. Don’t get so preoccupied with ‘a good preacher’ that you lose sight of the great Saviour!

There is no room for ‘superstars’: ‘Humble yourselves before the Lord’ - ‘The Name of Jesus is the Name above every name’ (James 4:10; Philippians 2:9-10).