The Power Of Corporate Prayer #2

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him … Suddenly an angel of The Lord appeared … and woke him up … “follow me," the angel told him … Peter followed him out of the prison ... passed the first and second guards and  … suddenly the angel left him.  Then Peter came to himself and … he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.”  Acts 12:5-12 (NIV)

Luke, the physician, wrote this New Testament history book to document the events surrounding the development of the early church.  Here he records the power of corporate prayer.  The church was praying for Peter after his arrest, knowing that King Herod had planned to kill him as he had killed the Apostle James.

Prayer is powerful tool of the Christian army.  There is power in individual and corporate prayer.  The Bible states that where two or three are gathered together in His name, that God will be in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)  If two or three can touch and agree on something to ask in prayer, it shall be done. (Matthew 18:19)  If we, the members of the church, can get together, join hands, and earnestly pray and ask God for the same thing, we can change things.  We have the power, through God in prayer, we just need to use it for His glory.

Man Plans But God Prevails

"Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.  Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is The Lord's purpose that prevails."  Proverbs 19:20-21 (NIV)

This proverb is a moral statement or illustration of Solomon which makes the point that integrity is better than wealth and wisdom is gained by listening to wise council.  Man's plans should always consider God's purpose.  Human preparation is always subject to God's will. (Proverbs 16:1)

Most of us want what we want, and we go after it.  Our poorly thought out plans do not take into account the advice of others or the previous instruction of our teachers.  Our plans, spoken or silent, do not consider the will of God.  We should listen to wise council and pray, before we plan and act.  Plans that leave God out probably will not succeed.  The best plans of man are those which demonstrate our love for our fellow man and those which give God glory.  If our plans are for our own benefit, pleasure, or personal gain, then they are based upon worldly pursuits.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you."  (Matthew 6:33)  We were all put here for a purpose, let's pray and make sure that our plans and actions are to accomplish God's purpose for our lives.

The Word Of God Judges Our Hearts

"For The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  Hebrews 4:12-14 (NIV)

Here the author of the book of Hebrews describes The Word of God and explains what it can do.  The author also makes it clear that all that God is aware of all that we think, say, and do.  God knows everything and one day we must give an account for everything, including our thoughts and attitudes.

The people who have heard The Word of God and did not believe it, will not enter into His kingdom. (Hebrews 4:2-3)  "While The Word of God is comforting and nourishing to those who believe, it is a tool of judgement and execution for those who have not committed themselves to Jesus Christ." (John MacArthur)  Faithless disobedience to God's Word will not go unpunished.  The same is true for pretenders who go through the motions of religious rituals but have not given their lives to Christ.  It is not enough to say that we believe, our walk and our talk should reflect our belief and faith.  "Our actions speak louder than our words."  God is not fooled, He even knows our motives and our intentions.  We need God to cleanse our minds and hearts, and to create a right spirit within us. (Psalms 51:1-15)

We Have Guardian Angels

"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"  Hebrews 1:14 (NIV)

The unknown author of the book of Hebrews states that in heaven the angels worship God. (Hebrews 1:6)  But they do not always stay in heaven, sometimes angels are sent to earth to minister to the believers.

We have all heard the term "guardian angel" but we may have some misunderstanding as to exactly what they do.  First of all, Bible scholars disagree on whether we each have one (Finis Jennings Dake & Thomas Nelson) or several (Matthew Henry & John MacArthur) guardian angels.  However, they all agree that the angels do not stay with us, they are sent by God for a particular purpose or mission to serve and minister to the believers on an as needed basis. (Psalms 91:11)  Angels are spirits, without bodies, yet they can assume bodies and appear in them when God pleases.  Sometimes it is possible that we have entertained angels without being aware of it. (Hebrews 13:2)  Be careful how you treat other children of God, they have guardian angels too. (Matthew 18:10)  As the song goes, "All day and all night, the angels keep watching over ..." us.  God sends angels to care for us, as we need it, because He loves us and we believe in Him.  Believers always have God's help when they need it.

DO WE REALLY DELIGHT IN THE WORD OF GOD?

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of The Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:1-2 (NIV)


The psalmist first describes the people that believers should avoid: the wicked, sinners, and mockers. Then he describes what the believer should delight in The Word of God, and states how often he should meditate on it.

Do we really delight in The Word of God? When we read His Word do we take great pleasure in it, does it bring us joy, does it make us happy, and does it give us a sense of satisfaction? How often do we read The Word of God? Here the psalmist suggests that the man who reads The Word of God twice each day, morning and night, is blessed. We need God’s help in delighting in His Holy Word. We have not because we ask not. (James 4:2) We should pray to God and ask that He would create in us receptive hearts and minds so that we might receive His Word with gladness, joy, and delight. We were all charged to share The Word of God with others. It is much easier to share with others something that we ourselves enjoy and are really enthusiastic about.

We Must Believe And Have Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
The unknown author of the book of Hebrews tells the scattered believers in Christ about having faith, sighting as examples Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. His point is that without having faith it is impossible to please God. They must believe in God, believe that He is real, and believe that He will bless those who sincerely seek Him.
The author’s point is just as relevant today as it was then, without faith it is impossible to please God. Just going through some ritualistic religious activities, in church or elsewhere, does not mean that God will be pleased. The Pharisees practiced a number of religious activities, but Jesus called them hypocrites and said that their worship was in vain. (Matthew 15:6-9) If we do not sincerely believe in Him, then our attempts at worship is just a waste of time. He blesses those who believe and have faith in Him, and who sincerely seek a closer walk with Him.

Reading And Studying The Bible Is Good For Us

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."  Romans 15:4 (NIV)

Here the Apostle Paul states that all of the divinely inspired previous writings were written for the benefit of man.  By reading the scriptures man would learn how to endure, and be encouraged to continue to endure with the hope of better things to come.

The Bible is not just a book, or just a collection of books or stories.  The Bible is the divinely inspired written Word of God.  It can be used for divine guidance and instruction, the development of sound doctrine, and the reproof of wrong behavior or belief.  (2 Timothy 3:16)  The Bible teaches us what God expects us to do.  It also gives us a means to test what we hear so that we can recognize false prophets and false doctrine.   The Bible also inspires and encourages us to persevere in bad times and to keep the faith in light of the good things yet to come because the victory is already ours. 

May We Have God's Peace And Joy

"May The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of The Holy Spirit."  Romans 15:13 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wanted God to bless each of the Christians in Rome abundantly with His joy and peace according to their faith. 

I pray that God will bless each of us with His joy and His peace and may we abound in hope when we hope for great things from God for each other.

Stand And See The Deliverance Of The Lord

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance The Lord will bring you today ... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.' "  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)

In this second book of Moses, after he has led the Israelites our of Egypt, they are now trapped with the Red Sea in front of them, the Pharaoh and his army behind them, and mountains on both sides.  They are afraid that they will be killed there, and Moses tells them "Do not be afraid.  Stand firm ... The Lord will fight for you ..."

As believers, we are children of God.  He will protect us, and fight our battles for us.  We have enemies that only He can protect us from.  All we have to do is stand on His Word and do as He says.  Our faith may be tested, but He will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8)  No matter what the problem, we just need to keep the faith and stand on His Word.  As the song says:
"What do you do,
when you've done all you can,
and it seems like you can't make it through,
you just stand ...
after you've done all you,
you just stand."

God Made A Promise To Us

"Then Noah built an altar to The Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it.  The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: 'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.  And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done' ... Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him:  'I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ... Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.'  And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you ...  and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come ... I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth ...  Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life ... So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth."  Genesis 8:20-9:17 (NIV)

This first book of Moses reveals that after the great flood, and after the waters receeded, God made a covenant with Noah, and all of his descendents after him, that He would not destroy mankind and every living thing on the earth by water.  The rainbow in the sky is a sign of that covenant.

Not only are we descendents of Adam and Eve, we are descendents of Noah so God's promise was also made with us.  The rainbow is the sign that God will not destroy the earth and every living thing therein again by water.  That does not mean that the world will never be destroyed again, just that the next time it will not be by water.  In his vision which revealed future things to come, the Apostle John said: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." (Revelation 21:1)  The prophet Isaiah saw in a vision and predicted that God would create a new heaven and a new earth.  (Isaiah 65:17 & 66:22)  The Bible does not address exactly how the present earth will "pass away," but there are many Bible scholars who believe that the world will be destroyed by fire the next time.  However, don't worry, all of the believers, past, present, and future, will be saved and become the occupants of the new earth.  Besides, the rapture will occur beforehand so we won't be here when the world is destroyed the next time, by fire or whatever.  Let the rainbow in the sky remind us that God destroyed the world once, and He will destroy it again.  Noah, a righteous man who walked with God, and his family were spared the first time.  Let us make sure that we are spared the next time.

Being Obedient To God's Commands

"The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become ... The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.  So The Lord said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth; men and animals' ... But Noah found favor in the eyes of The Lord ... Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God ... So God said to Noah, 'I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.  So make yourself an ark of cypress wood ... This is how you are to build it ... I am going to bring flood waters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens ... But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark; you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.  You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you ... You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.'  Noah did everything just as God commanded him."  Genesis 6:5-8:21 (NIV)  The great flood followed this.

In this first book of Moses history is recorded regarding the events which led up to the great flood.  God told Noah, who was a righteous man, that He was going to destroy all of mankind and all of the  animals.  However, Noah and his family would be spared along with two of every kind of animal.  God told Noah to build an ark and He told him exactly how to build it.  Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

Noah had never built an ark before, or anything like it, but he did what God had commanded him to do.  Because he was obedient, he and his family were spared when the great flood eliminated all of the rest of mankind.  We do not know what the future holds in store for us, but if we walk with and follow God, all things will work out for our benefit. (Romans 8:28)  We may also be blessed and spared from some very bad situation if we are obedient to God's commands. 

Be Careful What You Look At

"The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness."  Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that ones eyes are the lamp and light to the body.  If ones eyes are good and look at good, then the whole body is filled with light.  However, if the eyes are bad and look at that which is bad, then the whole body is full of darkness.

Physically, the eyes allow light to enter the body if they are functioning properly.  If they do not function properly and do not allow light to enter, then we live in darkness.  Spiritually, that which we look at and see enters our mind through our eyes.  If what we see is good, then good thoughts are produced.  However, if what we see is bad, evil, or sinful, then that is what we think about.  Philosophically, our eyes are the windows to our soul and we are what we think. (Proverbs 23:7)  So, be careful what you look at, look at good things, read The Good Book (the Bible), think good thoughts, and do good.

Want To Be Abundantly Blessed?

"A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished."  Proverbs 28:20 (NIV)

This saying is from Solomon, the wisest man to ever live.  He said the man who is faithful to God will be abundantly blessed.  He also said that the man who is primarily concerned with getting worldly riches will be punished.

If we are faithful to God and in our walk with Him, we will not only be blessed, but we will be abundantly blessed.  If we first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the other things will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33)   He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  And those who diligently seek Him will gain His favor. (Proverbs 11:27)  However, we should also be aware that if we seek worldly riches instead of seeking God, even if we get rich, we will be cursed.  So, if we want to be abundantly blessed, we should faithfully seek and follow Christ.

Come Near To God And He Will Come Near To You

"Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  James 4:8 (NIV)

James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote this letter to the scattered believers during the time of their persecution, to encourage them to continue to seek Christ.  He told them to pursue an intimate and personal relationship with God in spite of their persecution.  Basically, he said that God will be with those who follow Him.  They needed to clean up their hearts, thoughts, minds, and actions and do His will, and not return to their worldly ways.

If we make an active effort to get closer to God, He will be pleased and we will be blessed.  We need to cleanse and purify our thoughts, deeds, and spoken words to become more Christ-like.  Reading and studying the Bible will help our minds, but we need to pray and apply that Bible knowledge to our daily lives.  How we act towards God is a conscious choice.  We must be sincere in our efforts to follow Him and to obey His Word.  We must pray, and seek Him with a clean heart and a right spirit, and that only He can create within us.  (Psalms 51:10)

The Lord Is Our Strength In Times Of Trouble

"Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.  But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.  The salvation of the righteous comes from The Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble.  The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him."  Psalms 37:37-40 (NIV)

This psalm of David was written to encourage the righteous not to fret over, worry about, envy, or imitate the apparently prosperous evil doer for the end of their days is coming.  The Lord will help, save, protect, and deliver the righteous in time of trouble while the wicked will be destroyed.

The faithful believer will be rewarded and the sinful worldly non-believer will be punished and utterly destroyed.  The wicked may prosper for a while, but in the end they will be cut off.  The message to the righteous is to wait on The Lord and keep following His way.  By doing so, God will grant us peace even in the middle of a storm.  God is our strength in times of trouble because we trust in Him.  Our future is much brighter if we follow Him, not them.

Make Sure That You Have A Firm Foundation

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."  Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

The Sermon on the Mount was a very powerful sermon, it contained many parables, principals, and lessons.  In these verses, Jesus makes it clear that he who hears and does what He says will have a solid foundation and will survive life's storms, and those who don't, won't.

It is not enough just to hear, or read, The Word of God, we must also put it into practice and live it.  Our living by His Word is what gives us a strong foundation, like the wise man.  Choosing not to live by His Word is to invite disaster into one's life, like the foolish man.  There will be storms and difficult times in all of our lives, but those of us who follow His way, He will guide and protect through the storms and bad times.  Those who choose not to live His way are on their own and headed for disaster.  The storms are coming and we each have to make the choice for ourselves, live with Him or without Him.

The Long Narrow Less Travelled Road

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the people that there are two ways to live ones live.  One way is to follow the narrow path, which is to live by faith, God's way, and follow His teachings.  This way leads to salvation, heaven, and eternal life.  The second way is to follow the well travelled wide path, the worldly non-Christian ways, which lead to destruction and eternity in hell.

Either we follow His way and take the narrow, less traveled way, or we take the worldly wide path and follow the crowd.  In life's journey, each of us will come to a fork in the road and we must make a choice.  We either choose to follow Him or we don't.  There are consequences to either choice.  However, I would rather take my chances with Him in this live and the next one.  I would not want to live my life without Christ, so I am going to walk the narrow road and enter the small gate.  The question is: Which road are you going to take?

Everyone Is Not Who They Appear To Be

"Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them."  Matthew 7:15-16 (NIV)

Near the end of the now famous sermon on the mount, Jesus warns the people to beware of false prophets who come as wolves in sheep's clothing.

Not all "leaders" or "friends" are really who they present themselves to be.  They actually want to deceive, mislead, and take advantage of us.  Check out their "fruit" and pray before getting involved with people.  You can tell the type of tree by the fruit it bears.

All Who Hear You Won't Believe You But Don't Believe Them

"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize The Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  This is how we recognize The Spirit of Truth and the spirit of falsehood."  1 John 4:1-6 (NIV)

In his old age, the Apostle John wanted to advise the Christians not be believe every person or spirit that they hear.  He gave them a way to test what they hear, to see if it is of God or not.  He also told them that not everyone will want to hear what they have to say because they are children of God.

We are in this world but not of it.  The God who is within us has overcome the world and He is greater than the spirit who is over this world.  We have to understand that everyone that we talk to is not going to want to hear what we have to say.  Talking about Jesus, The Christ, will turn some people off and it will upset others.  Some will want to argue, but don't engage them.  Just let them know that you disagree and "shake the dust off your shoes and keep on stepping" as a testimony against them. (Luke 9:5 & Matthew 10:14)  Our job is to tell the world about Christ, The Holy Spirit does the conviction, convincing, and converting.

According To His Riches

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

After thanking the Philippians for the gifts that they had given him, the Apostle Paul told them that God would bless them and supply all of their needs because of their generosity shown towards him.

God is rich, everything on earth belongs to Him because He made all of it.  He is able to supply all of our needs.  He decides just how much He wants to share with whom.  However, this is a conditional blessing.  God is clearly pleased with those who help His people.  When a man of God or a child of God prays and asks Him to bless someone who has been good to them, you can believe that prayer will be answered.  "Give and it shall be given unto you ..."  (Luke 6:38)  "He that blesses others shall himself be blessed."  (Proverbs 11:25)

Only God Can Change A Life

"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against The Lord's disciples.  He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'  'Who are you, Lord?'  Saul asked.  'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,'  He replied ... The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.  So they led him by the hand into Damascus.  For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.  In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision ... Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul ... Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength ... At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is The Son of God.  All those who heard him were astonished and asked, 'Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?' "  Acts 9:1-22 (NIV)
  Luke, the physician and travelling companion of the Apostle Paul, here records the conversion of Saul, which was Paul's given name.  Paul went from prosecutor to preacher after his encounter with The Lord on the road to Damascus.   This Bible story should teach us several things.  One, only God can truly change someone's life and heart.  Two, those people who used to run with us will notice the change in us, but they will not understand it, and they will not be changed.  Three, God must change us before He can use us, and we must go through something as part of it.  Four, we don't know how God plans to use someone so don't judge them by their past.  Five, it does not matter what kind of sinner we were beforehand, God can turn our life around and use us to be a blessing to others.  Jesus said that Saul was praying (verse 11), and maybe that is what we should do so that God will us us as He sees fit to do His will.

With God All Things Are Possible

"A man in the crowd answered, 'Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground.  He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid.  I asked Your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.'  'O unbelieving generation,' Jesus replied ... Bring the boy to Me.'   So they brought him.  When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.  He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.  Jesus asked the boy's father, 'How long has he been like this?'  'From childhood,' he answered.  'It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.  But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us.'  ' 'If you can'?' said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.'  Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief !'  When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. You deaf and mute spirit,' He said, 'I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.'  The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.  The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, 'He's dead.'  But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.  After Jesus had gone indoors, His disciples asked Him privately, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'  He replied, 'This kind can come out only by prayer.' "  Mark 9:17-29 (NIV)

Jesus made it clear that some things require prayer but all things are possible to those who believe.

We need to understand the same thing today.  There is power in prayer and all things are possible if we only believe.  Things which are impossible for man are easily done by God.  We just need to have faith and believe that what we pray for can be done and will be done.

The Steps Of A Good Man Are Ordered By The Lord

"If The Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for The Lord upholds him with His hand."  Psalms 37:23-24 (NIV)

In this psalm David states that even a strong good man must be guided and supported by The Lord.  And even if he stumbles, he will be upheld by the hand of God.  The righteous will do the right thing and God will bless them for it.

A righteous man is directed by The Lord.  God is pleased when we follow His Word.  Although we may stumble, sin, or suffer material loss, we will recover from our temporary setbacks, because we are in God's hand.  Our daily prayer ought to be, "Please, Lord, order my steps in Your Word."

Repeat The Golden Rule To Ourselves

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Near the end of His now well known sermon on the mount, Jesus taught the people this lesson, which we now refer to as the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you."

The golden rule may be stated a number of different ways, but simply stated it means for us to treat people like we would like to be treated.  This simple Christian principal is easy to do if we have the love of Christ within us.  If we would repeat this principal to ourselves before we speak or do something for or to someone, we would probably demonstrate a Christ-like behavior.

Walking The Walk

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him;  Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."  1 John 2:3-6 (NIV)

Although the particular audience was not identified, this general epistle written by the Apostle John, was a call to return to the fundamentals of their faith.  His concern was with their obedience to God's commands.

It is easy to claim to be a Christian, especially today when there are no serious consequences beyond the effect on one's popularity.  The challenge is to live like a Christian, not just saying that we are one.  Avoiding or resisting the sinful temptations that we used to give in to.   Holding our tongue instead of saying something hurtful.  Demonstrating love for our fellow man when we are being shown something other than that.  Sharing with others when we do not have very much ourselves.  Being kind to someone even when we know that it is being mistaken for weakness.  Telling the truth even when it makes us look bad when telling a lie would make us appear much better than actually we are.  Speaking like our pastor is present when we are talking with our non-Christian friends.  Taking the time, before we act or speak, to ask ourselves: "What would Christ do or say in this situation?"  None of us is perfect, and we will never be, but we need to do a better job of walkng the Christian walk and not just talking the talk.

We Reap What We Sow

"Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please The Spirit, from The Spirit will reap eternal life."  Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)

In giving guidance to the Galatian Christians, the Apostle Paul told them that whatever they sow, that is what they will reap.  If all they do is sin, then their sins will destroy them.  Only those who's efforts are to please The Holy Spirit will enjoy the benefits of eternal life.

The choices and the lifestyle that we lead will determine how we will spend eternity.  As we sow, so shall we also reap.  When we continue to follow our sinful desires, what are we saying to God?  How can we truly love Him and continually disobey Him?  It is time for some serious reflection and alteration of our behavior.  Don't just read the Bible, live it and do what it teaches.

The Days Of Our Lives

"All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.  The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away ... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom ... Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble."  Psalms 90:9-15 (NIV)

This psalm is the only one that was written by Moses.  It is a prayer which primarily focuses on the wrath of God, and here he makes reference to the brevity of man's life because of God's wrath.  He prays that God will help them to appreciate the time that they are alive that they may learn from them.  Then he asks God to grant them as many days of happiness equal to the days they have endured suffering wandering in the wilderness.

Today, life is short, especially when compared to the life spand of seven, eight, and nine hundred years lived by the men in Adam's family.  (Genesis chapter 5)  Additionally, most of the of our lives we spend suffering from one thing or another.  Anyway, the prayer is still appropriate, we need God's help in order to appreciate the days of our lives and to learn from them.  As for his second request, God has already blessed us with this.  We have more good days than we do bad days, we just do not always appreciate the good days or we take them for granted.  So as the gospel song goes "... when I look around, and I think things over;  all of my good days outweigh my bad days, I won't complain ... The Lord has been so good to me ... I just want to say 'Thank you, Lord', I won't complain."

Didn't Get The Position Or Promotion You Wanted?

"No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man.  But it is God who judges; He brings one down, He exalts another."  Psalms 75:6-7 (NIV)

The Psalmist makes the point that God is the judge.  It is He that can exalt a man or put him down.

A lot of us complain because we did not get the position or promotion that we feel that we deserved.  We fail to realize that God is in charge, that is who we are working for, and He is the one who judges us.  He decides who He wants to promote or demote.   Maybe we need to please Him more and "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Our Words Can Condemn Us

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.  But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Matthew 12:35-37 (NIV)

Speaking directly to the Pharisees, and probably indirectly to the surrounding multitude, Jesus The Christ said good things come out of good men and bad things come out of bad men.  On judgement day, all men will have to give an account for every spoken word, and by their words they will be justified or condemned.

We need to be very careful about what we say.  Our words are very powerful, not only for their effect on others but also for their future effect on us on judgement day.  Good people say good things to other people.  If what we are about to say is not going to help someone, educate them, correct them (in a loving manner), or direct them to Christ, then we probably ought to be quiet.

We Need Protection And Help

"Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,  and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of The Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in The Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

Paul told the people that they needed God's protection and help because they were fighting against powers and evil spiritual forces that are much more powerful than they are.  Only with the full armor of God and prayer will they be protected.

The devil and his demons are powerful and we cannot stand against them without God's help.  We need God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and The Word of God in order to survive.  And we need to pray and ask for God's help for ourselves and for others as we deal with our struggles as we stand for Him.  We cannot make it without Him.

Walk Worthy Love One Another

"As a prisoner for The Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of The Spirit through the bond of peace."  Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus to let their behavior reflect that they were followers of Christ.  He told them to be humble, to be patient with one another, and to live in love with all of God's people.

We should not only "talk the talk" but we should also "walk the walk."  Our actions and speech should be consistent with our Christian beliefs.  We are to demonstrate love one to another.  I do not mean lustful "love"or romantic "love" (eros); or the "love" of family (storge); or the "love" of a friend (philia).  I mean the kind of "love" that God shows towards us (agape), that unchanging, self-giving, sacrificial love that sets Christians apart from the rest of the world.  Let us pray for His help to love one another as Christ loves us.