"And He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while'" (Mark 6:31). Have you gotten to a quiet place with the Lord lately? Just you and Him? "And they all ate and were satisfied" (Mark 6:42). Have you eaten of His Word until you were satisfied? If you've been down and discouraged or feel like you are far from victory, the FIRST thing to ask yourself is...have you spent time with Jesus? Real time. Time in His presence where His Word jumps off the page and into your heart?
If you feel far away from the Lord right now, remember... "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (Psalm 86:5). Call upon the Lord...be refreshed in the REALITY of His presence! The more we live day by day apart from experiencing His presence, the more we live weak and hungry lives. We all are going to find a way to meet our souls needs somehow...let's not turn to idols but to the true and living God!
If there is one MAIN THING the enemy goes after...it's your time spent with the Lord. Remember that...
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Right Kind of Fear
Proverbs 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is instruction for wisdom, and before honor comes humility."
Proverbs 16:6b "And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil."
Psalm 85:9 "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
What does it mean to "fear the LORD"?
In the original Hebrew the word for fear is "yir'ah" -it is a word that means "moral reverance"
The word study in the back of my Bible defines it as this...
"A feminine noun meaning fear. The word usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God's good intentions (Exodus 20:20). It will motivate and delight even the Messiah (Isaiah 11:2,3). This fear is produced by God's Word (Psalm 119:38; Proverbs 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). It is even identified with wisdom (Job 28:28; Proverbs 15:33). The fear of the Lord may be lost by despair of one's own situation (Job 6:14) or envy of a sinner's (Proverbs 23:17). This fear restrains people from sin (Genesis 20:11; Exodus 20:20; Nehemiah 5:9); gives confidence (Job 4:6; Proverbs 14:26); helps rulers and causes judges to act justly (2 Samuel 23:3; 2 Chronicles 19:9; Nehemiah 5:15); results in good sleep (Proverbs 19:23); with humility, leads to riches, honour and life (Proverbs 22:4). The word also refers to the fear of briers and thorns (Isaiah 7:25); and the fear of Israel that would fall on other nations (Deuteronomy 2:25)." -taken from "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Key Word Study Bible"
I love it! All the wonderful benefits from fearing the Lord. The Holy Spirit has been pressing this on my heart the last few days. God has shown me specific areas where I am not fearing Him. What areas of your heart are hard and in your rebellious flesh you don't care to fear God? Ask Him to show you and put a little fear in you. The truth will set you free. Let's be on a pursuit after God's own heart!
Proverbs 16:6b "And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil."
Psalm 85:9 "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land."
What does it mean to "fear the LORD"?
In the original Hebrew the word for fear is "yir'ah" -it is a word that means "moral reverance"
The word study in the back of my Bible defines it as this...
"A feminine noun meaning fear. The word usually refers to the fear of God and is viewed as a positive quality. This fear acknowledges God's good intentions (Exodus 20:20). It will motivate and delight even the Messiah (Isaiah 11:2,3). This fear is produced by God's Word (Psalm 119:38; Proverbs 2:5) and makes a person receptive to wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). It is even identified with wisdom (Job 28:28; Proverbs 15:33). The fear of the Lord may be lost by despair of one's own situation (Job 6:14) or envy of a sinner's (Proverbs 23:17). This fear restrains people from sin (Genesis 20:11; Exodus 20:20; Nehemiah 5:9); gives confidence (Job 4:6; Proverbs 14:26); helps rulers and causes judges to act justly (2 Samuel 23:3; 2 Chronicles 19:9; Nehemiah 5:15); results in good sleep (Proverbs 19:23); with humility, leads to riches, honour and life (Proverbs 22:4). The word also refers to the fear of briers and thorns (Isaiah 7:25); and the fear of Israel that would fall on other nations (Deuteronomy 2:25)." -taken from "The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Key Word Study Bible"
I love it! All the wonderful benefits from fearing the Lord. The Holy Spirit has been pressing this on my heart the last few days. God has shown me specific areas where I am not fearing Him. What areas of your heart are hard and in your rebellious flesh you don't care to fear God? Ask Him to show you and put a little fear in you. The truth will set you free. Let's be on a pursuit after God's own heart!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Your Reaction to Temptation
The first video for the Book Club will be posted on Tuesday...just to give you all a little more time who are in the process of getting the book. If you get it later then we started, no big deal...just go back and watch the previous videos to catch up! Again we will only be going through one chapter a week.
This morning this scripture stuck out to me. Be greatly encouraged by it!
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
What is the thing you turn to in your flesh when pressures arise? Does the enemy have a "temptation button" in your life that he can push to guarantee a trip up? Do not be alarmed as if this was only happening to you. We all are tempted and battle specific faults and failures. But please do not settle there. Recognize an area of temptation where the enemy always has victory. Search out the scriptures concerning it and cry out to God. He will break down the stronghold. Be persistent and persevere. Train your mind to turn to the scriptures instead of your fleshly reaction. I have a feeling the enemy will reconsider tempting you in that way when your every reaction is prayer and the Word. I know he doesn't want you to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This morning this scripture stuck out to me. Be greatly encouraged by it!
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."
What is the thing you turn to in your flesh when pressures arise? Does the enemy have a "temptation button" in your life that he can push to guarantee a trip up? Do not be alarmed as if this was only happening to you. We all are tempted and battle specific faults and failures. But please do not settle there. Recognize an area of temptation where the enemy always has victory. Search out the scriptures concerning it and cry out to God. He will break down the stronghold. Be persistent and persevere. Train your mind to turn to the scriptures instead of your fleshly reaction. I have a feeling the enemy will reconsider tempting you in that way when your every reaction is prayer and the Word. I know he doesn't want you to do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
He Remembers No More
Hello Hello!
I hope you have ordered your book for the book club if you are planning on joining up because we will be starting next week! Here's a little devo taken from today's reading in Charles Spurgeon's Chequebook of the Bank of Faith
He Remembers No More
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)
I hope you have ordered your book for the book club if you are planning on joining up because we will be starting next week! Here's a little devo taken from today's reading in Charles Spurgeon's Chequebook of the Bank of Faith
He Remembers No More
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)
When we know the Lord, we receive the forgiveness of sins. We know Him as the God of grace, passing by our transgressions. What a joyful discovery is this!
But how divinely is this promise worded: the Lord promises no more to remember our sins! Can God forget? He says He will, and He means what He says. He will regard us as though we had never sinned. The great atonement so effectually removed all sin that it is to the mind of God no more in existence. The believer is now in Christ Jesus, as accepted as Adam in his innocence; yea, more so, for he wears a divine righteousness, and that of Adam was but human.
The great Lord will not remember our sins so as to punish them, or so as to love us one atom the less because of them. As a debt when paid ceases to be a debt, even so doth the Lord make a complete obliteration of the iniquity of His people.
When we are mourning over our transgressions and shortcomings, and this is our duty as long as we live, let us at the same time rejoice that they will never be mentioned against us. This makes us hate sin. God's free pardon makes us anxious never again to grieve Him by disobedience.
But how divinely is this promise worded: the Lord promises no more to remember our sins! Can God forget? He says He will, and He means what He says. He will regard us as though we had never sinned. The great atonement so effectually removed all sin that it is to the mind of God no more in existence. The believer is now in Christ Jesus, as accepted as Adam in his innocence; yea, more so, for he wears a divine righteousness, and that of Adam was but human.
The great Lord will not remember our sins so as to punish them, or so as to love us one atom the less because of them. As a debt when paid ceases to be a debt, even so doth the Lord make a complete obliteration of the iniquity of His people.
When we are mourning over our transgressions and shortcomings, and this is our duty as long as we live, let us at the same time rejoice that they will never be mentioned against us. This makes us hate sin. God's free pardon makes us anxious never again to grieve Him by disobedience.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Book Club Introduction
Okay so we'll add a little Magnify Him Ministries Book Club to the blog! Get ready for a good read!
PLEASING GOD by Kay Smith
Click here to purchase the book
Click here to purchase the journal
PLEASING GOD by Kay Smith
Click here to purchase the book
Click here to purchase the journal
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A Miracle is Bound to Happen
Not cleaver enough? Don't worry about it! I remember going out witnessing in South Florida on the beach with friends late one night a few years ago. We would always run into endless debates about God's existence with so many people. I recall trying to convince a man how God wasn't "in" the rocks and the trees. Hahaha! Anyway, I left that night and God impressed on my heart..."Rachel, you didn't share with him the gospel." Oh yea! Duh! That's what I was supposed to be doing right?
Okay so this is the verse I'm getting to. It's 1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void." Sounds good to me! After I realized how I neglected to communicate the exact message I had purposed to go share, I then made it my goal to not get into an endless debate without sharing the Good News. So, the next day a conversation came up and this individual began to share his "personal beliefs" about God and...guess what? I did it! Hahaha! I shared the GOSPEL. (I don't know if you are aware, but the message of Jesus loving us so much that He took all our sin upon Himself and went through an excruciating crucifixtion to unite us to the Father will make anyone's spine tingle and cause the hair on their arm to stand...whether they receive Christ or not).
In that moment I think the temperature in the room changed. All the "personal opinions" of God ceased for the moment and the direction of the conversation made a U-turn. This person then became contemplative of a love they hadn't quite grasped and a truth that
Was it me? No...it was the gospel. Just the gospel! Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." The power of God...
Isn't it great how what is the most powerful thing about God, in my opinion, is His love? What a great God. Want to see the power of God in your life? Share the gospel. If you need to, share it with yourself first. Read it out loud if you have to. A miracle is bound to happen. Never heard the gospel? Let me share it with you...
Okay so this is the verse I'm getting to. It's 1 Corinthians 1:17 "For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, that the cross of Christ should not be made void." Sounds good to me! After I realized how I neglected to communicate the exact message I had purposed to go share, I then made it my goal to not get into an endless debate without sharing the Good News. So, the next day a conversation came up and this individual began to share his "personal beliefs" about God and...guess what? I did it! Hahaha! I shared the GOSPEL. (I don't know if you are aware, but the message of Jesus loving us so much that He took all our sin upon Himself and went through an excruciating crucifixtion to unite us to the Father will make anyone's spine tingle and cause the hair on their arm to stand...whether they receive Christ or not).
In that moment I think the temperature in the room changed. All the "personal opinions" of God ceased for the moment and the direction of the conversation made a U-turn. This person then became contemplative of a love they hadn't quite grasped and a truth that
Was it me? No...it was the gospel. Just the gospel! Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." The power of God...
Isn't it great how what is the most powerful thing about God, in my opinion, is His love? What a great God. Want to see the power of God in your life? Share the gospel. If you need to, share it with yourself first. Read it out loud if you have to. A miracle is bound to happen. Never heard the gospel? Let me share it with you...
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