Practically, how do you still "yield fruit" in a difficult season of life?
Number 2
2. Continue to engage in spiritual battle through prayer
Ephesians 6:12, 18 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places....With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,"
Do you forget about the spiritual realm? I do! Remember what's happening in the unseen realm and the reality of it. It is a reality! Ask God to make you more aware and more sensitive to the battle that is really going on. Prayer is your connection! By pressing on in the spiritual, your life will start to automatically yield fruit.
Psalm 18:39 "For Thou has girded me with strength for the battle; Thou has subdued under me those who rose up against me."
Let me say that we engage in this kind of strength and victory from the Lord through prayer!
2 Timothy 2:3-4 "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier."
Are you entangled in the affairs of life? Is it the cause of a dry or difficult season in your life? You are a soldier of Christ Jesus. Rid yourself of the things that weigh you down! March on!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Number 1
Practically, how do you still "yield fruit" in a difficult season in life? Okay, number 1...
1. Continue to build up the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you."
Be building up the body of believers...the spiritual building...pouring yourself into the lives of others. Remember...you are not alone! Every time you think about or talk to someone...remember they go through hard times! We are all "going through stuff." If we all seek to build each other up and encourage each other...how glorious! Needs will be met.
Hebrews 10:25 "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you are also doing."
1. Continue to build up the Kingdom of God
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you."
Be building up the body of believers...the spiritual building...pouring yourself into the lives of others. Remember...you are not alone! Every time you think about or talk to someone...remember they go through hard times! We are all "going through stuff." If we all seek to build each other up and encourage each other...how glorious! Needs will be met.
Hebrews 10:25 "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you are also doing."
Monday, October 26, 2009
Motive For Pressing Forward
Remember how we talked about the cursing of trusting in man and the blessing of trusting in God? Let's read a definition of those who are trusting in their God. Jeremiah 17:7-8 NASB "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."
Isn't that great? As you trust in the Lord and as your trust is the Lord, you will be firmly planted. Not only that, when a season of drought comes in your life, you will not be anxious and your life will still bear fruit! We are going to look at five ways we can still "yield fruit" in a difficult season. But just for today let's focus on the MOTIVE of why we will still be bearing fruit. A LOVE FOR GOD!
In a difficult season you may find it hard to continue to press forward and obey the Lord, but a love for the Lord will make it possible. John 14:15 says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 15:14 says, "You are My friends, if you do what I command you." Remember when things are hard, that you love the Lord and that you are His friend. Stick close to Him...that your love for Him motivate you to still be fearless and fruit-bearing!
Isn't that great? As you trust in the Lord and as your trust is the Lord, you will be firmly planted. Not only that, when a season of drought comes in your life, you will not be anxious and your life will still bear fruit! We are going to look at five ways we can still "yield fruit" in a difficult season. But just for today let's focus on the MOTIVE of why we will still be bearing fruit. A LOVE FOR GOD!
In a difficult season you may find it hard to continue to press forward and obey the Lord, but a love for the Lord will make it possible. John 14:15 says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 15:14 says, "You are My friends, if you do what I command you." Remember when things are hard, that you love the Lord and that you are His friend. Stick close to Him...that your love for Him motivate you to still be fearless and fruit-bearing!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Billy's Teachings
Hey Ladies! Just want you to know that I have made blog page for all of Billy's teachings. I am still in the process of getting all the teachings on there but there will be more added. You will also be able to click on a link and get a notes guide to fill in as you listen to the teaching. Galatians chapter 1 so far as a fill-in-the-blank notes page to go along with it. Get get enough of the Word!
Here's the link
http://billypenna.blogspot.com
Love you all,
Rach
Here's the link
http://billypenna.blogspot.com
Love you all,
Rach
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Cursed or Blessed?
Jeremiah 17:5 teaches us "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength." So where does the blessing come? Verse 7 says, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord." Not only does the blessing come from trust in the Lord but when the trust is the Lord is the true blessing! Remember, God does not just meet the need He is the need! We simply need Him. We will be digging into a chunk of scriptures in Jeremiah 17 but this is what we're going to start with. Meditate on this....GOD is the need that we are searching for. Let's seek Him and find Him and get to know Him more and more!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Come and Dine
Sorry it's been too long! I love posting things and just have been crazy busy lately. Anyway, this morning I read this devotional and it came as such a fresh word to me. Take a quiet minute to read and chew on this. I pray it is a fresh word for you as well!
Taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening:
"Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine." (John 21:12)
In these words, the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table and the same meat. Sometimes it means to sit side by side and lean our head on the Savior's bosom. "Come and dine" gives us a vision of union with Jesus. Oh, what union this is! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom. "He that dwelleth in me, and I in him" (John 6:56). It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite. If we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus, we are one bread and one cup. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are, like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were closer to Jesus, we would be closer to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. to look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve Him you must "come and dine." We labor under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this precept of the Master. We should feed on the marrow and fatness of the Word that we may accumulate strength therein and urge every power to its full tension in the Master's service. Thus, then, if you desire nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love for His people, and strength from Jesus, "come and dine" with Him by faith.
Amen!!! This is such an important word for God's children. It was so well said!!!!!!!!!!!
Taken from Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening:
"Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine." (John 21:12)
In these words, the believer is invited to a holy nearness to Jesus. "Come and dine," implies the same table and the same meat. Sometimes it means to sit side by side and lean our head on the Savior's bosom. "Come and dine" gives us a vision of union with Jesus. Oh, what union this is! It is a depth which reason cannot fathom. "He that dwelleth in me, and I in him" (John 6:56). It is also an invitation to enjoy fellowship with the saints. Christians may differ on a variety of points, but they have all one spiritual appetite. If we cannot all feel alike, we can all feed alike on the bread of life sent down from heaven. At the table of fellowship with Jesus, we are one bread and one cup. Get nearer to Jesus, and you will find yourself linked more and more in spirit to all who are, like yourself, supported by the same heavenly manna. If we were closer to Jesus, we would be closer to one another. We likewise see in these words the source of strength for every Christian. to look at Christ is to live, but for strength to serve Him you must "come and dine." We labor under much unnecessary weakness on account of neglecting this precept of the Master. We should feed on the marrow and fatness of the Word that we may accumulate strength therein and urge every power to its full tension in the Master's service. Thus, then, if you desire nearness to Jesus, union with Jesus, love for His people, and strength from Jesus, "come and dine" with Him by faith.
Amen!!! This is such an important word for God's children. It was so well said!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Not Doing But Being
Ever wonder what your "purpose" is? Sometimes it is much simpler than we think. The burdens we carry in trying to have purpose and live out purpose can drain and confuse us. Let's meditate on God's main purpose for us. Let this one thing be swimming around your mind today and feel the freedom it brings. Ephesians 1:4 says, "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him." God chose us for the purpose of holiness and blamelessness. Why? What does that mean? It means that God does not want you to just "do" this thing. He wants you to "be" this thing. Colossians 1:21-22 says, "And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-" Again here we find God's purpose of holiness and blamelessness. Why? I think it can be said in one word...GENUINE. God always does as genuine work. If it is not genuine, it is because we are hindering Him. Imagine a REAL and AUTHENTIC life for God. Where the life in the home is not different from the life in the church. Where the desires of the heart are to seek God whether there is a "problem" to bring Him or not. You see, if we let God into the innermost places of our hearts and minds and do a deep work of miraculous change, we can be what Philippians 2:15 is talking about..."that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,"
We need to let God work IN us so that He can work THROUGH us. WE are witnesses. It's who we are. Holiness shines in this world. And holiness is NOT what we do...it's just who we are. Spend some special and intimate time with the Lord. HE will do the work inside you and then through you. Living for Him will be natural. It will be an overflow. God does not desire you to be burnt out and burdened. If you are...ask yourself the question. How's your time with God been?
We need to let God work IN us so that He can work THROUGH us. WE are witnesses. It's who we are. Holiness shines in this world. And holiness is NOT what we do...it's just who we are. Spend some special and intimate time with the Lord. HE will do the work inside you and then through you. Living for Him will be natural. It will be an overflow. God does not desire you to be burnt out and burdened. If you are...ask yourself the question. How's your time with God been?
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