Bruises to Blessings
John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
This post is not for everybody, its only for thoose of you who would be called peculiar.
If you are one of those believers who just doesn't seem to fit into the world.
If you stand out in a crowd and no matter what the topic of discussion starts out as it ends up as a disscussion about Jesus.
If you can't think of anything else you would rather do than talk about the word.
If you have a web site talking about Jesus.
If you have your notes from at least the last five sermons you heard.
If you own and use several versions of the bible.
I'm talking to you today.
Everyone else can go read the drudge report.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Its time to tell the truth.
I know a lot of you are in the world and the world doesn't like it.
Everytime a salty believer steps into the flow anywhere in this world he will face trouble. The enemy is giving you trouble because your faith is troubling him. You see the enemy has tried everything he can to break you and your faith.
He used your friends to gain your confidence and try to convince you that no one could be trusted.
He has used members of your family to try and convince you that because of what you come from you could only be what you are and nothing more.
The enemy has sent people in your life to say they loved you so that your guard could be lowered enough so that they could turn your heart toward thier flesh and away from the lord.
The enemy has told you that you were strange and that the only way you were going to make it was for you to change your behavior and fit in with the world.
The devil is a liar!!!!!!
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
He wants to murder this world and the only way he can do it is to remove the salt that preserves the rotting flesh of this earth.
Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth:
He can't touch you.
Job1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.
He can use your family and friends
Job 19:14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
Job 19:19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
He may touch your possessions but if he takes anything away God will restore double to you.
Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
He wants you to believe that he's running things. He wants you to look at the world and see his children and fear them. But thats what we see by looking at the world. But if you are a believer you know its not what you see its what you heard. God did not draw the world into exsistance he spoke it. God did not create you to be like everyone else.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
He chose you to be his sons...
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Noah was peculiar. He built a giant boat on dry land miles away from the sea and put two of every animal in the world on board.
I am sure people had issue with that.
David was peculiar. He faced the biggest badest giant in the world with nothing but a sling shot and his faith.
I am sure people had issue with that.
Peter was peculiar. He jumped out of the boat to walk on water because someone said come.
I am sure people had issue with that.
Jesus was peculiar. He laid down his life as payment for the sins of the world.
People still have issues with that.
God is not going to lead you to follow the world. He said you were a peculiar people. That means you don't fit in.
Remember Jesus didn't fit in and he said so.
John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
Jesus didn't spend his spare time watching Weezy videos or reality tv shows he was about his fathers buisness. If you are about your fathers buisness he may ask you to do something that the people of the world don't understand. Hes not going to call you to do as the sons of the enemy do. We have to walk in the fact that we are his chosen.
We have to be like Peter and step out on Faith.
We have to be like David and face our Giants.
We have to be like Noah and weather the storm.
It takes a peculiar believer ....With a peculiar relationship..... to a peculiar savior..... who has a peculiar love... for you just as you are...
and gave you ...
a peculiar word because he knew that you had the peculiar faith to believe upon it.
so lets be peculiar for Jesus
and go from Bruises to Blessings in a peculiar fashion
Monday, May 12, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Recognizing Christ
Recognizing Christ
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
The enemy will always call us to self. The serpent called Eve to self in telling her that if she ate from the tree she would be like God. Satan tried to call Jesus to self by offering him the kingdoms of the world. John resisted the devil by quoting the words of Isaiah.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John had a word to stand on.
John had been sent by God for a purpose and he was equipped with Isaiah 40:3 as a word of knowledge and he had a prophetic sign to identify the Messiah given to him by God. John was focused on what he was sent to do. He preached repentance and prepared the people for the coming kingdom.
John 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
When we as believers are focused on the purpose to which we are sent and not on ourselves we have no problem recognizing Jesus. It is only when one is bound in self that we can't see or even bother to look for Jesus.
I urge you to take yourself regularly to the cross.
Everyday we need to lay down our problems and seek the kingdom and the kingdom purpose in our lives. We need to lay down our own agendas and pick up the cross. We need to embrace the fact that God loved us enough to give his only begotten son and take that same love and show it to the lost and dying world on a daily basis. We need to tell the world about Jesus but we also need to show the world Jesus in the way we conduct our lives.
The enemy calls us to self and the Lord Jesus calls us to selflessness in the name of the kingdom.
When we embrace the selflessness of the cross.
Thats when we truly recognize Jesus.
Christianthoughts
John 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet And he answered, No. 22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
The enemy will always call us to self. The serpent called Eve to self in telling her that if she ate from the tree she would be like God. Satan tried to call Jesus to self by offering him the kingdoms of the world. John resisted the devil by quoting the words of Isaiah.
Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John had a word to stand on.
John had been sent by God for a purpose and he was equipped with Isaiah 40:3 as a word of knowledge and he had a prophetic sign to identify the Messiah given to him by God. John was focused on what he was sent to do. He preached repentance and prepared the people for the coming kingdom.
John 1:24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
When we as believers are focused on the purpose to which we are sent and not on ourselves we have no problem recognizing Jesus. It is only when one is bound in self that we can't see or even bother to look for Jesus.
I urge you to take yourself regularly to the cross.
Everyday we need to lay down our problems and seek the kingdom and the kingdom purpose in our lives. We need to lay down our own agendas and pick up the cross. We need to embrace the fact that God loved us enough to give his only begotten son and take that same love and show it to the lost and dying world on a daily basis. We need to tell the world about Jesus but we also need to show the world Jesus in the way we conduct our lives.
The enemy calls us to self and the Lord Jesus calls us to selflessness in the name of the kingdom.
When we embrace the selflessness of the cross.
Thats when we truly recognize Jesus.
Christianthoughts
Friday, May 2, 2008
Everything I need to know about life i learned from Noahs ark
I read this on the wall of someones office today
EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM NOAHS ARK
1. Dont miss the boat
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
4. Stay fit. When you are 600 years old someone might ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics. Just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safetys sake travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board.
9. When youre stressed float for awhile.
10. Remember the ark was built by amateurs; The Titanic by professionals
11. No matter the storm when you are with God there's a rainbow waiting.
EVERYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM NOAHS ARK
1. Dont miss the boat
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
4. Stay fit. When you are 600 years old someone might ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics. Just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safetys sake travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board.
9. When youre stressed float for awhile.
10. Remember the ark was built by amateurs; The Titanic by professionals
11. No matter the storm when you are with God there's a rainbow waiting.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Walking on Word
Matthew 14:25-32
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Peter was a man of great faith. While the other disciples were caught up in a state of fear he dared to step out on faith. But like so many of us he paid too much attention to what he saw and not enough to what he heard. He saw the rough waters and he was afraid. He forgot that the son of God had said come.
Matt 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink,
I think the bulk of Christianity has forgotten the call of God. We as a church must not be persuaded by what it looks like. If we are to win a lost and dying world we must have the faith of Peter and step out on the word. When the Lord says come it shouldn’t matter if the day is stormy or calm. We must walk on our faith in his word alone.
As long as Peter was focused on that word he walked upon the water. But like all of us he lost his focus and began to sink. There will be days when we will sink. But the good news is that when we loose our focus we can call on Jesus and he will stretch forth his hand and bring us to safety.
Matt 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Jesus is there to guide us through these troubled times and he is there to guide us through every trial. We have his word to walk on and even if we loose our focus we have the name of Jesus to keep us. Not only will he hold us up above today’s troubled waters he will see us safely to the storms end.
Matt 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Its not what you see its what you heard. It may look like the storm is going to overtake you. It may look like the world is going to pull you down in the midst of your Christian walk.
But keep walking
Stay focused
2 Sam 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
Its not what it looks like its what God says it is
25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Peter was a man of great faith. While the other disciples were caught up in a state of fear he dared to step out on faith. But like so many of us he paid too much attention to what he saw and not enough to what he heard. He saw the rough waters and he was afraid. He forgot that the son of God had said come.
Matt 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink,
I think the bulk of Christianity has forgotten the call of God. We as a church must not be persuaded by what it looks like. If we are to win a lost and dying world we must have the faith of Peter and step out on the word. When the Lord says come it shouldn’t matter if the day is stormy or calm. We must walk on our faith in his word alone.
As long as Peter was focused on that word he walked upon the water. But like all of us he lost his focus and began to sink. There will be days when we will sink. But the good news is that when we loose our focus we can call on Jesus and he will stretch forth his hand and bring us to safety.
Matt 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Jesus is there to guide us through these troubled times and he is there to guide us through every trial. We have his word to walk on and even if we loose our focus we have the name of Jesus to keep us. Not only will he hold us up above today’s troubled waters he will see us safely to the storms end.
Matt 14:32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Its not what you see its what you heard. It may look like the storm is going to overtake you. It may look like the world is going to pull you down in the midst of your Christian walk.
But keep walking
Stay focused
2 Sam 7:28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: 29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.
Its not what it looks like its what God says it is
Sunday, February 24, 2008
God Still Performs Miracles
God still performs Miracles
Exodus 7:8-11
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
The enemy will always try to duplicate and disprove the miracles in your life. Thier is a virtual war against revealing the miracle working holy ghost power that is moving in our every day lives. God is not just sitting back waiting till judgement day he is changing lives and people everyday.
The sick still get healed.
The blind still get thier sight.
The holy ghost still comforts the broken hearted and still guides the Lost.
God is the same God he was yesterday.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
We must stay alert because the enemy will try to mislead us. I look at the world around me and see nothing but miracles. I see God moving throught the lives of people. I see churches feeding the hungry and caring for the sick. I hear the prophetic voice crying out for a revival and I see the masses of the people turning back to God.
God is still making miracles happen
All you have to do is ask
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Exodus 7:8-11
8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
The enemy will always try to duplicate and disprove the miracles in your life. Thier is a virtual war against revealing the miracle working holy ghost power that is moving in our every day lives. God is not just sitting back waiting till judgement day he is changing lives and people everyday.
The sick still get healed.
The blind still get thier sight.
The holy ghost still comforts the broken hearted and still guides the Lost.
God is the same God he was yesterday.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
We must stay alert because the enemy will try to mislead us. I look at the world around me and see nothing but miracles. I see God moving throught the lives of people. I see churches feeding the hungry and caring for the sick. I hear the prophetic voice crying out for a revival and I see the masses of the people turning back to God.
God is still making miracles happen
All you have to do is ask
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Welcome
I will be posting my daily devotionals and thoughts on my life and the world in general here
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