GOD OPENS DOORS FOR US

Proclamation:

"I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.”  Revelation 3:8 (NIV)

Explanation:
After being allowed to see in a vision things which were to come, the Apostle John was directed by The Lord God to write these words to the leader of the Church in Philadelphia, which were to be shared with the believers there.  He was going to open doors for them which no man can shut, and shut doors which no man can open. (Revelation 3:7)  The Lord God was going to place before them opportunities which no one could take advantage of but them.  They were to become pillars in God's Church. (Revelation 3:12)

Application:
Believers know that God knows all that we say, do, and think. (Proverbs 5:21)  He knew it before it happened. (1 Peter 1:2)  He has a plan for each of us, a unique opportunity for kingdom building service.  The Lord God has a special role for each of us to play within The Church, the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 and 12:27)  We should pray that what we say and do is being obedient to the will of God, and that we are not grieving The Holy Spirit with our behavior. (Ephesians 4:29-30)

DON'T BE LEFT BEHIND DURING THE RAPTURE

Proclamation:

 "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.  That is how it will be at the coming of The Son of Man.  Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  'Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.'" Matthew 24:37-42 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Apostle Matthew recorded these words of Jesus, The Christ, as He described to His disciples the things which will occur when He comes again.  Jesus made it clear that no one knows exactly when that will be except our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 34:36)  However, He stated that people will be suddenly taken up from the earth, and that some people will be left behind.

Application:

When the rapture occurs, everyone will not be taken up to meet The Lord God in the air.  Some people will be left behind.  The Bible clearly states that when Jesus, The Christ, returns, He will be coming back for His Church.  He died for The Church so that He could present it to Himself, cleaned up, without spot or blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)  He said that He was going away to prepare a place for His people. (John 14:2-3)  When He comes back, the dead in Christ will rise and meet Him in the air first, then those of us who believe and are still alive at that time will join them in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  Only the believers will be taken up from the earth, the non-believers will be left behind.  Two people will be walking, or working together, and one of them will be taken up while the other will be left behind. (Matthew 24:40-41)  No one knows when this will happen, The Day of The Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)  We need to be ready for it.  Don't be left behind.  You do not want to be left here on earth after The Church has been taken out of this world.

THE LORD IS WORTHY OF OUR PRAISE

Proclamation:

"Praise The LORD.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!"  Psalms 147:1 (NIV)

Explanation:

While there is no agreement as to the human author of this psalm, it is clear that it was written under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God.  The psalmist told the people of God that it is good to praise The Lord, and it is good to sing praises to Him.  He said that it is good, fitting, and appropriate to praise The Lord.  After making this statement, he goes on to give a number of reasons to justify why they should praise The Lord. (Psalm 147:2-20)

Application:
The Word of God exhorts us to praise The Lord often and continually. (Psalms 34:1 and 145:2)  We should praise Him where ever we are, in church (Psalms 107:42, Psalms 150:1, and Hebrew 2:12), in our homes (Joshua 24:15), alone and among the people. (Psalms 35:18)  We should also praise The Lord in all that we do. (1 Peter 4:11)  We should not have to be told to praise The Lord, we should do it spontaneously on our own.  He created the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth and everything therein. (Genesis 1:14-16 and 24-25)  He crated each of us from the union of two cells. (Psalm 139:13-16)  He heals the brokenhearted and physical wounds.  He makes the clouds to form and supplies the earth with rain.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, and is everywhere all at the same time.  He is worthy of all glory and praise. (2 Samuel 22:4, Psalms 18:3, and Revelation 5:12)  Our God is great and awesome.

ENJOY THIS LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY

Proclamation:

Jesus said "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  John 10:10 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words of Jesus, The Christ, were recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, and to the crowd of Jews who had gathered around Him and His disciples.  The Pharisees were questioning Him after He gave sight to the man who was born blind but He did so on the Sabbath.  After He had told them that they were spiritually blind, He told them that He was the gate for the sheep.  He said that He was the gateway to salvation. (John 10:9)  Then Jesus said that He did not come to kill or destroy, He came that men might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, is the only gateway, door, or entry way to salvation.  He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6)  No man can enter heaven or gain access to God, The Father, except through Him.  He came to earth to give us life, eternal life, not to kill and destroy.  The moment that we accept Christ as our personal savior, He gives us the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9)  The more that we turn our lives over to The Holy Spirit of God, and follow His guidance and direction, the more fully we will enjoy this life. (1 Timothy 6:17)  As believers we will enjoy eternal life later on, and we will enjoy this life more abundantly the more obedient we are to His Word.

ENJOY THE JOY OF THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."  Psalms 16:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  After beginning this psalm with a one line prayer, David goes on to recount how The Lord has blessed him, and then he restates his commitment to The Lord.  Then he states how glad he is that The Lord has kept him, shown him the right path to take, and filled him with joy.

Application:
We can learn a lot from David.  The first thing that we should learn is that a prayer does not have to be lengthy in order to be effective. (Psalms 16:1)  Maybe if we prayed more often, then our prayers would not have to be so long.  The second thing we can learn is to praise The Lord more often for the good things that He has done for us and for others. (Psalms 16:2-3)  We need to be grateful for what we have already been blessed to receive. (Psalms 16:5-6)  Then we need to listen to, and obey the counsel and instruction of The Lord, and we should always keep The Word of God before us. (Psalms 16:7-8)  God has blessed us, and we should be glad. (Psalms 16:9)  He has shown us the right path to take, and His Word is the light unto the right pathway. (Psalms 16:11 and Psalms 119:105)  The joy that He has given to us, cannot be taken from us. (John 17:13)  He is always with us, and in His presence there is complete joy. (Psalms 16:11)  There is no greater joy than the joy we experience in the presence of The Lord.

THE LORD CAN CALM OUR STORMS

Proclamation:

"Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.  Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us!  We're going to drown!'  He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?'  Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"  Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)

Explanation:
In the gospel according to the Apostle Matthew, he records this account, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, regarding The Lord Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves.  Jesus spoke and calmed the storm. (Peace, be still. Mark 4:39)  He questioned His disciples and asked them why were they afraid.  Jesus already knew that they were men of little faith.   They did not yet really understand exactly who He was and is.  

Application:
Today, we act like we do not understand just how powerful The Lord God really is.  Everything on earth is subject to His will.  When Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead, He said that all power in heaven and in earth is given unto Him. (Matthew 28:18)  When we were created, we were given the free will to choose to serve God, or not to serve Him. (Joshua 24:15)  We have the option to believe in Him, or not to believe. (John 3:15, John 3:16, and Acts 10:43)  He will knock on the door of our hearts, but we must open it and invite Him inside. (Revelation 3:20)  If we choose to believe in Him, He can calm the storms in our lives.   He can also give us His peace and protection in the midst of our storms and troublesome situations, and deliverance through them. (Jonah 2:1-10)  Sometimes He will move our mountains and calm our storms, and other times He will give us the strength to endure them.  As He told the Apostle Paul, His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  

DON'T USE THE EXACT SAME WORDS EVERY TIME YOU PRAY

Proclamation:

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."  Matthew 6:7 (NIV)  The King James Version of The Bible for this verse reads: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus which He spoke during His Sermon on The Mount, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, with respect to how believers should pray.  

Application:

Jesus said that we should not pray to be seen by men. (Matthew 6:5)  It is better for us if we pray in private when we pray. (Matthew 6:6)  Jesus said that we are not to use "vain repetitions" when we pray.  We should not say the exact same thing each time we pray.  Prayer is our means of communicating with The Lord God.  We would not take seriously anyone who spoke to us using the exact same words in every conversation.  Then why would we speak to God in that manner?  Our prayers should be respectful and relevant to our situation, circumstance, or need, or the needs of others.  Our prayers should not be merely words which we recite.  Let us not be guilty of saying the same thing to The Lord God every time that we pray.  Let us be sincere, honest, and truthful when we pray.  Let us mean what we say, and let us be careful what we ask for.  The effective fervent prayer of the righteous is productive and fruitful. (James 5:6)  God hears the prayers of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

KNOCKED DOWN BUT NOT DESTROYED

Proclamation:

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

Explanation:
These Holy Spirit of God inspired words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church at Corinth in order to provide them with words of encouragement during difficult times.  Paul told them that even though things were bad for them at that time, they had been knocked down, but they were not knocked out.  He told them that because they had Christ within them, The Lord God who raised Jesus up from the dead, would also raise them up. (2 Corinthians 4:14)

Application:
Today, we need to understand that we have already been assured of the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57 and 1 John 5:4)  Satan and his demons will attack us, and we may fall and stumble back into sin, or we may get knocked down by the storms of life, but we will not stay down. (Psalms 37:24)  The Lord God said that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  We are more than conquerors through Jesus, The Christ. (Romans 8:37)  So, even though we may be hard pressed, we will not be crushed.  We may get knocked down, but we will not be destroyed.  We have The Spirit of The Lord God within us, and we will rise up again.

ONCE WE'RE FORGIVEN THE LORD WON'T REMEMBER OUR SINS

Proclamation:

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'"  Hebrews 10:12-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

The unknown author of the Book of Hebrews was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the scattered people of God after the crucifixion of Jesus, The Christ.  The author clearly stated that Jesus sacrificed Himself once for the sins of all.  Now He is in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being credited with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then The Lord God said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Application:

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  The moment that we believed, we were forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God entered each of us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  We still remember our past sins because the devil reminds us of them as part of his scheme to separate us from the love of God by having us think that we are not worthy.  The Lord has forgiven us, (Hebrews 8:12) and we need to learn to forgive ourselves.  We no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We are not perfect but thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we continue to confess our sins and ask to be forgiven knowing that we are not as good today as we are going to be. For we know that He who began a good work in us will complete it. (Philippians 1:6)

STAND UP AND FACE YOUR GIANTS

Proclamation:

"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of The LORD Almighty, The God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day The LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head..." 1 Samuel 17:45-46 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Prophet Samuel.  In chapter seventeen, Samuel records the account of David as a young man when he faced the giant named Goliath, the Philistine.  The armies of the Philistines and the armies of Israel were prepared for battle. (1 Samuel 17:1-3)  Goliath, the champion of the Philistines was a giant. (1 Samuel 17:4)  He approached the armies of Israel and told them to send out one man to fight him.  He said that if that man defeated him, his people would serve Israel, but if he defeated that man, then Israel would serve the Philistines. (1 Samuel 17:8-10)  David had only come to the camp of the army to bring food to his three brothers, who were in the army, and to inquire about their status for his father. (1 Samuel 17:17-18)  David heard Goliath's disrespectful challenge to the army of Israel and was upset. (1 Samuel 17:26)  David said that he would fight Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:32)  He refused to wear King Saul's armor, (1 Samuel 17:38-39), and he took five smooth stones and his sling as a weapon. (1 Samuel 17:40)  With the help of The Lord God, David defeated Goliath with one stone from his sling, then he cut off Goliath's head with his own sword. (1 Samuel 17:48-51)

Application:
David knew that The Lord God was with him when he fought the lion and the bear, and he knew that He would be with him against Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:34-37)  David faced his giant in the name of The Lord God Almighty, and he did it without fear.  He knew that God would be with him.  David stood up for God and faced the giant.  We also need to stand up for The Lord and His righteousness, even when we stand alone.  God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  We are to be victorious conquerors. (Romans 8:37)  When we stand up for that which is Godly and right, The Lord God will help us. (Psalms 94:16-17)  He will fight our battles for us. (Deuteronomy 28:7, 2 Chronicles 20:15 and 20:17)  We must not only stand up, but we must speak up.  It is not good to keep silent when we should speak up for The Lord. (Psalms 39:2-3)  If we will not speak up for Him, He will not speak up for us. (Matthew 10:33)  However, if our giant is not an enemy but instead is a sinful habit, we still need to stand up and face it.  First we will have to go to The Lord in prayer, confess our sins and weaknesses, and ask for His help in fighting this giant.  There are some things which we cannot do alone.  But with the help of God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)  

VENGEANCE BELONGS TO THE LORD

Proclamation:

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in The LORD will inherit the land."  Psalms 37:8-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

King David wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the people of God.  David was admonishing the believers to refrain from getting angry and to change their behavior and turn away from their wrath.  He said that those things would only lead to evil and sinful behavior.  The Lord God will deal harshly with evil men, and He will bless those who follow Him and walk in His way.

Application:
As hard as it is for us to do this, we need to control our natural human behavior and not give in to our sinful nature.  Some people can really upset us, and annoy us, but we need to refrain from getting angry, and we need to control our wrath.  When we get out of control, we do not behave in a very Christ-like manner.  As believers, we are not to return evil for evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)  We are to turn away from evil, and do that which is good. (Psalms 34:14 and 37:27)  God will take care of those who do wrong, and those who do wrong to us. (Romans 12:19)   We are to turn the other cheek, (Matthew 5:39) and we are to "kill them with kindness", and let God rain down burning coals upon their heads. (Romans 12:17-21)  He may even allow us to see them get what they deserve, (Psalms 37:34) as long as we do not rejoice when we see them suffer. (Proverbs 24:17-18)  We are not to avenge ourselves, we are to leave that to The Lord and the wrath of God.  Vengeance is not ours, it belongs to The Lord. (Romans 12:19)

PURPOSES FOR THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD

Proclamation:

"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)

Explanation:

These words were written in a letter to the believers in The Church at Rome by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Paul told them that The Holy Scriptures were written to teach them, to encourage them, and to give them hope.

Application:
The same is true for us today, The Word of God was written to educate, edify, and enlighten us in addition to being there to comfort, console, and encourage us, and to give us hope for the future.  As Paul told Timothy, The Word of God is good for learning basic fundamental Christian principals, for instruction, and for correction of wrong doing and thinking with respect to being Christ-like and righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)  Often The Word of God must be explained to us, as Jesus had to explain His words (Matthew 13:36 and 15:15) and The Scriptures (Luke 24:45) to His disciples.  An important function of preachers today is to proclaim and explain The Word of God to the people, saved and unsaved, to teach us, correct us, encourage us, and to provide us with hope that is needed for the future so that we can carry on and go forth.  We could also help ourselves with our situations if we would read and study The Word of God more for ourselves. 

BE DOERS OF THE WORD OF GOD

Proclamation:

"Do not merely listen to The Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."  James 1:22 (NIV)  The King James Versions says: "But be ye doers of The Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ.  James wanted his readers to know that it is not enough to hear The Word of God. One must believe it, internalize it, and put it into practice in their life.

Application:
When we know better, then we ought to do better.  If we hear The Word of God, and if we understand what it is saying, then it should change our behavior.  If it goes over our head, or if it goes in one ear and out of the other without making a difference in us, then we may as well not have heard it.  Believers are changed by The Word of God, not made perfect, but different.  We no longer get the same pleasure out of our sins because we know that it is not pleasing to God.  We know that we have been changed because some sins no longer appeal to us.  However, we have some sins that we struggle with, and pray to God for help with, because they are like an addiction to us.  The good news is that the more time that we spend talking to God in prayer, and reading His Holy Word, the less time we spend in sinful activities or having sinful thoughts.  So, when we are tempted to sin, we need to pick up our Bible and read it.  Then we need to try to live like it says that we should live.  We need to be doers of The Word and not just hearers of it.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH JOY AND PEACE

Proclamation:

"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)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in the church in Rome.  Paul was praying for God's blessings upon them.  He wanted them to receive God’s joy, peace, and hope, by the power of The Holy Spirit.

Application:

Just like every other good and perfect gift come from The Lord, (James 1:17) joy is a gift from God.  Jesus said "If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love.  I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (John 15:10-11)  Jesus also said "... and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:22)  As the song says, "... This joy that I have, the world didn't give it, and the world can't take it away."  Only with the help of God can we count everything that happens in this life as joy. (James 1:2)  And, the only real peace is God's perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)  The only way to be blessed with the gifts of joy and peace, is to believe and obey The Word of God, because both of them are gifts from God through The Holy Spirit.

SHOW OTHERS LOVE AND RESPECT

Proclamation:

"Show proper respect to everyone; Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."  1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Peter under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Peter told the believers that they were the chosen people of God, (1 Peter 2:10) and their behavior should reflect that.  They were to live in a Christ-like manner, even though they lived among the pagans. (1 Peter 2:12 and 2:15)  They were to submit to the proper authorities and obey the laws of the land. (1 Peter 2:13-14)  He also told them to show the proper respect to everyone, to love their fellow man, and to obey God.  

Application:
Jesus, The Christ, taught us that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27)  Jesus also taught us that we should love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27, and Luke 6:35)  Under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God, Peter said that we should love and respect everyone.  We are to respect them but not imitate them.  We are to do our best to imitate Christ.  This is only possible because as believers we have The Holy Spirit of God within us and we exhibit the fruit of The Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)   Unfortunately, most people do not behave like this, so we are to be living examples of Christ-like behavior to a non-believing world for them to see Christ in us. (Matthew 5:16)  We are the only "Bible" that some people will ever "read", and our actions will speak louder than our words, especially if the two of them are not consistent and in agreement.  We are to obey the laws of man, except when the conflict with The Word of God, then we are to obey God. (Acts 5:28-29)

PRAY THIS PRAYER FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Proclamation:

"May The LORD answer you when you are in distress; may ... God ... protect you.  May He send you help ... and grant you support.  May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your ... offerings.  May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."  Psalms 20:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This psalm of David was a prayer which was usually sung before a battle.  Those who were facing difficult times wanted God to answer their prayers of distress, to protect them, to help and support them.  They wanted God to remember their past sacrifices and to allow their present plans to succeed.

Application:

This prayer seem appropriate for us today for we want the same things.  We want God to hear us, to protect us, and help us.  We want Him to remember the good that we have done.  We also want Him to grant us the desires of our heart.  We want these things not only for ourselves but also for our loved ones.   Even if our only battle is with the devil and his demons, or with our trials, tribulations, and temptations, prayer is our most powerful weapon and we should use it more often.  We should pray this prayer for ourselves and for our family and friends.

BE MERCIFUL TO ME HEAL ME DELIVER ME

Proclamation:

"O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger or discipline me in Your wrath.  Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.  My soul is in anguish.  How long, O Lord, how long?  Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love."  Psalms 6:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  While in the midst of an apparently stressful bad situation, David assumed that God was punishing him.  He asked God not to punish him while He was angry with him and then he asked God to have mercy on him.

Application:
Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  Whatever happens to us is all part of God's permissive will because He is in control of everything.  Remember, all things work together for good to them that love God. (Romans 8:28)  The spankings that we received as children were for our good, even though they hurt and we did not enjoy them at the time.  Not all of the bad things that happen to us are punishment, sometimes they are just tests of our faith.  Remember what happened to Job. (Job 1:1- 2:10)  Sometimes things happen to us to remind us that God's grace is sufficient to see us through whatever it is.  Remember the thorn which was in Paul's flesh that he prayed and asked God three times to remove. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)  It is always okay to ask God for mercy and help in the midst of our storms and our negative situations.  However, instead of always asking God to remove our mountains and our problems, maybe we should ask Him for the strength to climb and endure them.

ASK AND YOU WILL RECEIVE IT IF YOU BELIEVE IT

Proclamation:

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples, as recorded by the Apostle Mark, on the day after He drove the money changers out of the temple.  Jesus said when you pray and ask for something, you must believe that you have already received it and it will be yours. Then He said when you pray, if you are holding anything against anyone, forgive them.  This was one of the lessons that Jesus taught His disciples during the week prior to His crucifixion.

Application:
When we pray and ask for something that gives God glory, we will receive it if, and only if, we believe it.  We should believe and act as if it is already done.  However, we should not ask for anything while we are harboring an ill will against our brother because of a wrong done to us.  We must first forgive them before we ask for what it is that we want.  The point here is that we should not ask to be blessed while we are mad at someone.  Let’s not allow negative feelings cause us to miss out on a blessing.

WE ARE BLESSED CHOSEN PREDESTINED AND SPECIAL

Proclamation:

"Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will; to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in The One He loves.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment ..." Ephesians 1:3-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul wrote these words in a letter to the believers in Ephesus.  Although he had never met them, he had heard of the demonstrations of their faith.  Paul wrote them to tell them that they were saints of God and very special.  They were blessed, chosen, and predestined by God, according to His will, to receive His glorious grace through Jesus, The Christ.

Application:
As believers in Christ we are also special.  We are blessed in more ways than we can count.  Before the beginning of time, we were chosen by God to be holy and blameless in His sight through the blood of Jesus.  We have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven, and we have been given wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.  Our heavenly Father knew that we would be believers before we were born.  He knows all about us and still loves us. (Acts 15:8)  He has blessed us in the past, He is blessing us now, and He has even more good things are in store for us when the fullness of time has come.

WE ARE ALL CALLED TO SERVE GOD

Proclamation:

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this prayer were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus.  Paul prayed that God would bless them to know Him better, and that they would embrace that which The Lord had set forth for them to do for His glory.

Application:
God has a special purpose for each one of us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  We are not all called to preach the gospel or to teach it.  However we are all called by The Lord God to serve Him in some capacity.  We are not all given the same gifts or abilities, but we all have been blessed with at least one gift that we can use in His service. (1 Corinthians 12:7)  We should all pray for ourselves and for each other that we would recognize our gifts that we have been blessed with, and with the wisdom and understanding to know how we can use our gifts for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

BLESSED WITH MORE THAN WE ASKED FOR

Proclamation:

"God said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.  And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.’" 2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Prophet Ezra is thought to be the human author of First and Second Chronicles.  These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When King David's son Solomon became king, he prayed to God for wisdom and knowledge in order to properly govern God's people.  Because his request pleased God, He gave him what he asked for and blessed him with much more than that including wealth, riches, and honor.  God blessed him to richer and wiser than all of the other kings on earth. (2 Chronicles 9:22)  He was blessed to be the wisest man on earth. (1 Kings 4:29-30)

Application:
Sometimes when our prayers are for the best interest of others, God blesses us with more than we ask for.  God knows the desires of our hearts, and when our desires are in line with His will, He blesses us in more ways than we requested.  Frequently, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.  However, sometimes God blesses us because of our compassion, consideration and concern for others.

SHARE WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU SPEAK

Proclamation:

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions ... The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook." Proverbs 18:2-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live.  Here Solomon teaches the people that a fool is not interested in gaining understanding, all he wants to do is express his own opinion.  Whereas the words of a wise man express his deep and seemingly inexhaustible wisdom and understanding.

Application:
It seems that some people just like to hear themselves talk, even when they have nothing substantial to say.  A conversation with a fool is a waste of time. (Proverbs 14:7 and 26:4)  Know your audience, some people are not interested in the truth or learning anything new.  Some people will engage us in a conversation just to express their preformed opinions and often do not really want to hear a different point of view.  Before we speak, we should make sure that we know what we are talking about.  We should also make sure that what we say is adding something of value to the conversation.  Those who hear us should benefit from our words.  Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are essential for effective communication and for sharing The Word of God.  "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." (Proverbs 4:7)  If you are not sure that you know something, be quiet and listen, and then verify what you have heard.  The Bible records in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) that we should "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  We need to study The Word of God so that we can understand it and correctly explain it to others.  We should know what we are talking about before we speak.  It is never a good idea to simply repeat hearsay or offer an unsubstantiated opinion.

THOSE WHO HONOR GOD WILL RECEIVE HONOR THOSE WHO DON'T WON'T

Proclamation:

"... But now The Lord declares: 'Far be it from Me!  Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained.'" 1 Samuel 2:30 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Prophet Samuel is thought to be the human author of this Book of The Bible which was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Prophet Samuel told Eli, the priest, that his evil sons would soon die on the same day before they reached old age because they dishonored God. (1 Samuel 2:34)  Both of Eli’s sons were wicked and had no regard for The Lord God. (1 Samuel 2:12)  Eli knew that his sons were wicked (1 Samuel 2:22-23) and ye he continued to honor them. (1 Samuel 2:29)  Because of this The Lord God punished Eli and his entire family. (1 Samuel 2:31-32)

 
Application:
The Lord God has promised to bless us because we believe, but some of those blessings are conditional.  If we do not honor God, then we will miss out on some of our blessings.  If we choose to willfully dishonor God, then we will not only lose our blessings but we will also be punished and receive the wrath of God instead of His blessings.  Let us be sure to give God all of the honor that He is due.  We do not want to incur the wrath of God.