Dear Friends,
The 2014 Bible Reading Plan starts TOMORROW! Being that Jan. 1st is a Wed. the reading for the first Wed. is Genesis 12-16. You may want to read Genesis 1-11 to get ready. We hope to have a link to the entire plan on the VCC website soon for you to refer to it. We really enjoyed last year's plan and completed the entire New Testament. This year we feel ready to stretch ourselves and read the entire Bible in a year! What a great goal to have and we look forward to hearing from all of you and about the amazing blessings you will obtain in your life by putting God's Word first place. It is our answer to everything in our lives and when we truly know that we will give it its proper place in our daily routine. If we only consumed food once a week our physical beings would be very sickly and weak. Thus it is the same with feeding our spirits with the Word. It is LIFE & HEALTH to all our flesh!
Bible Reading Plan:
Week 1
Jan.1- Genesis 12-16
Jan. 2-Genesis 17-19
Jan. 3- Genesis 20-23
Jan. 4- Genesis 24-25
Week 2
Jan. 5- Genesis 26-28
Jan. 6- Genesis 29-30
Jan. 7- Genesis 31-33
Jan. 8- Genesis 34-36
Jan. 9- Genesis 37-39
Jan. 10- Genesis 40-42
Jan. 11- Genesis 43-45
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
December 16, 2013 ~ Hebrews 12 ~
Hebrews 12:2,3 "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him, who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart."
This is such a great passage to be reminded of whenever we are going through a trial. It exhorts us to consider Jesus. What are we supposed to consider about Him? Here He was a perfect example of how to conduct ourselves when faced with a circumstance in our lives. It says that Jesus, Himself, came through the cross for the JOY that was set before Him. In other words, He had to endure the cross by faith! Jesus was not exempt from walking by faith because He is the Son of God. In fact, He walked out His faith as a perfect example for us to follow.
Jesus had to have faith to endure the cross and believe in what He had never seen. What God did for Jesus when He went down to hell, He had never seen done before. He had to believe and have joy that God would perform His Word for Him. He had to look clear through the obstacle of the cross to the promise of His bride who was waiting on the other side! That's us, friends!
We also need to remember that this verse encourages us in the fact that Jesus is the perfecter of our faith! Praise God, we don't have to have perfect faith, we just need to use the measure we have and it promises that Jesus will come alongside and add His faith to ours causing it to be the perfect measure we are needing!
No matter what you may be facing today, get good at looking past what's right in front of you and focusing on the joy that God has set on the other side of that opposition for you! Keep speaking His Word, in faith, resisting the temptation to speak about what you're facing. Your victory is right around the corner!
This is such a great passage to be reminded of whenever we are going through a trial. It exhorts us to consider Jesus. What are we supposed to consider about Him? Here He was a perfect example of how to conduct ourselves when faced with a circumstance in our lives. It says that Jesus, Himself, came through the cross for the JOY that was set before Him. In other words, He had to endure the cross by faith! Jesus was not exempt from walking by faith because He is the Son of God. In fact, He walked out His faith as a perfect example for us to follow.
Jesus had to have faith to endure the cross and believe in what He had never seen. What God did for Jesus when He went down to hell, He had never seen done before. He had to believe and have joy that God would perform His Word for Him. He had to look clear through the obstacle of the cross to the promise of His bride who was waiting on the other side! That's us, friends!
We also need to remember that this verse encourages us in the fact that Jesus is the perfecter of our faith! Praise God, we don't have to have perfect faith, we just need to use the measure we have and it promises that Jesus will come alongside and add His faith to ours causing it to be the perfect measure we are needing!
No matter what you may be facing today, get good at looking past what's right in front of you and focusing on the joy that God has set on the other side of that opposition for you! Keep speaking His Word, in faith, resisting the temptation to speak about what you're facing. Your victory is right around the corner!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
November 8, 2013 ~ Acts 13 ~
Acts 13 "Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabus, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manean who had been brought up with Herod the tetrach, and Saul.
And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them."Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus."
It's very interesting that it was while the prophets and teachers were gathered together and after they had fasted, that while they ministered unto the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me, Barnabus and Saul.' We can take our leading from the habits of the early church. They must have been in need of some direction if they had been fasting, because fasting is an act of the person wanting to put everything else aside and therefore make themselves more sensitive to the voice of God within.
It was also during a time that the Word says 'they ministered unto the Lord'. What does it mean to 'minister unto the Lord'? It means to purpose to spend time loving Him, exalting Him, bringing Him glory through worship and praise. The attitude of our heart during that time is not about receiving from Him, but about bringing adoration and praise to Him for Who He is and for all He has done. It must please Him so much that He would chose that time for Him to speak to us. What a wonderful Father, that while we minister unto Him, in His heart of hearts He is always a GIVER and desires to give unto us direction for our lives.
If we are needing direction, we never have to walk around blindly, hoping that we make the right decision about things which pertain to our lives. Remember that we have the Greater One on the inside! The Holy Spirit is our Teacher and He will teach us all things (Jn.14:26, 1 Jn. 2:20). Purpose to spend some time ministering to the Lord today. It will bring Him glory and put us in the proper position to receive all He wants us to know.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
October 15, 2013 ~ Mark 11 ~
Mark 11:20-24 "And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. And being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered."
And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."
Jesus is teaching the disciples the power of faith. The God kind of faith. We know that faith is what we believe. But Jesus is teaching that there needs to be an active side to our faith. That we can operate in the same kind of faith as God in the same way God operates it, by speaking.
We know that faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10:17, but it does not operate by hearing, it operates by speaking. To believe, we put it in our hearts. But to get it operating, we need to put it in our mouths. When we hear the Word, we believe, but when we speak the Word, we receive. Believing doesn't take action. It's the saying that takes action.
In this passage, Jesus uses the word believe, only once, but repeats the word say three times. This means He was definitely emphasizing the saying or the action of our faith. Jesus wasn't asking them to believe that something is manifested before it's manifested. He was asking them to believe they received before it's manifested.
When Jesus spoke to the fig tree, He believed with His heart and He spoke with His mouth. At that instant, it began to wither underground where the roots were. It took time to see the outward manifestation of His command come to pass. So it is often with our own lives and things we are believing to have changed. When we base our faith (or beliefs) on promises that are in the Word of God, we know that we have a firm foundation and are believing correctly. But it's not until we begin to speak it out with our mouths that we put action to our faith and God is then given permission to work on our behalf.
Just because you cannot see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. We need to believe that it's already ours while it is still in its invisible form. Faith always deals with the invisible. It never deals with that which is seen. Once an answer is seen or manifested, faith is no longer required for that. God is so good that He has authorized us to know that when we believe and say, we can have confidence that it will come to pass and therefore we can just rest. He knows that our hearts have the ability to believe that which is invisible is ours. Our minds can't do that, but our hearts can.
No matter what adversity you are facing today, the Word is always your victory. Find scriptures that promise you deliverance from that adversity. As you hear the Word concerning that promise, you will believe it. Once you believe with your heart, begin to say it with your mouth. Thank God that He is working in your life and rest, knowing your answer is on the way.
And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you."
Jesus is teaching the disciples the power of faith. The God kind of faith. We know that faith is what we believe. But Jesus is teaching that there needs to be an active side to our faith. That we can operate in the same kind of faith as God in the same way God operates it, by speaking.
We know that faith comes by hearing, Rom. 10:17, but it does not operate by hearing, it operates by speaking. To believe, we put it in our hearts. But to get it operating, we need to put it in our mouths. When we hear the Word, we believe, but when we speak the Word, we receive. Believing doesn't take action. It's the saying that takes action.
In this passage, Jesus uses the word believe, only once, but repeats the word say three times. This means He was definitely emphasizing the saying or the action of our faith. Jesus wasn't asking them to believe that something is manifested before it's manifested. He was asking them to believe they received before it's manifested.
When Jesus spoke to the fig tree, He believed with His heart and He spoke with His mouth. At that instant, it began to wither underground where the roots were. It took time to see the outward manifestation of His command come to pass. So it is often with our own lives and things we are believing to have changed. When we base our faith (or beliefs) on promises that are in the Word of God, we know that we have a firm foundation and are believing correctly. But it's not until we begin to speak it out with our mouths that we put action to our faith and God is then given permission to work on our behalf.
Just because you cannot see it, doesn't mean it isn't there. We need to believe that it's already ours while it is still in its invisible form. Faith always deals with the invisible. It never deals with that which is seen. Once an answer is seen or manifested, faith is no longer required for that. God is so good that He has authorized us to know that when we believe and say, we can have confidence that it will come to pass and therefore we can just rest. He knows that our hearts have the ability to believe that which is invisible is ours. Our minds can't do that, but our hearts can.
No matter what adversity you are facing today, the Word is always your victory. Find scriptures that promise you deliverance from that adversity. As you hear the Word concerning that promise, you will believe it. Once you believe with your heart, begin to say it with your mouth. Thank God that He is working in your life and rest, knowing your answer is on the way.
Friday, October 11, 2013
October 7, 2013 ~ Mark 5 ~
Deut 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; NKJV
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; NKJV
Did
you you ever stop to think that much of what we have spiritually is
from the choices we make? We choose to believe in God and become
born again. We choose to believe God's Word and walk by faith. We choose
to walk in love, obey God etc. So if we are in control and our choices
determine our spiritual life, why is it that when we talk about the plan of
God for our life or whether God is going to answer our prayers, many people
say "well, it's up to God". We talk as if God is so mysterious that no one
can figure anything out spiritually.
The
Bible says to choose life or death, blessing or cursing. Much of what
we receive from God is determined by what we choose. We have the
choice to receive from God; we have the choice to believe God's Word.
We will receive from Him based on the choices that we make.
Mark 5:25-34
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." NKJV
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction." NKJV
This is a great example of
someone who made the choice to receive her healing. She could have
stayed home in bed and said "I do not feel good; I do not want to go
outside". But she made up her mind and chose to grab hold of Jesus and
receive her healing. We are faced with choices every day; choose to go
God's way. Determine in your heart that you are going to seek after God
and allow His power and His Word to work in your life. You will be glad
you did.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
July 3, 2013 ~ 1 John 5 ~
1 John 5:4 "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith." Wow, that's talking about you and me! We are born of God so that means that WE ARE OVERCOMERS!!! Praise God! It goes on to say that the victory that has overcome the world is our faith. That means our victory is waiting on something...OUR FAITH!
Many have said, "If God knows my needs, why doesn't He just do something about them? Matthew 6:32 & 7:11 tells us that the Father already knows all about our needs, but when we ask Him that activates our faith and releases God to move on our behalf and meet our need. Him knowing is not enough for us to receive. He needs our permission. We need to do our part and that is asking.
1 John 5:14,15 "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ASK anything, according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ASK, we know that we have the requests which we have ASKED from Him." Wow! That is good news, friends! It says when we ask (which is showing our faith, because without faith it's impossible to please God) according to His will (or we could say His Word, because His Word is His will) then we can be confident that we have it!
Faith is simply a belief. Many have no problem believing, but the key is believing that we received when we prayed. In Mark 11:23,24 God is not asking us to believe that something is manifested before it's manifested, He's asking us to just believe we received before it's manifested. God has already authorized all that we have need of in the spirit realm. In the spirit realm is our supply. There's healing in the spirit realm. There's provision in the spirit realm. When we believe we receive we are laying hold of what we need and we keep saying (thanking Him for it) until it shows up in the natural realm! Our answer always exists in two forms; the invisible form and the visible form. We need to believe we receive while it's still in the invisible form. Faith deals with the invisible. Faith never deals with what is seen. Once an answer is seen, faith for that is no longer required.
We do not always receive instantly. God knows that there is a time difference between the spirit realm and the natural realm. That's why He gave us 1 John 5:14,15! He made it so that when we ask in line with His Word, He hears us. And we can have confidence and rest because His hearing=our having! Our hearts have the ability to believe that which is invisible is ours. Our minds can't do that, but our hearts can. If you were in need of money and your earthly father was a billionaire and if you asked him for the money and he said the check was in the mail and you kept on worrying wouldn't that seem a little silly? Unbelievers and Christians without renewed minds cannot rest until they see it. They worry and fret because they don't know how to rest until they have it. God doesn't want us to live that way. He wants us to rest, knowing that He heard us and things are moving on our behalf and will soon be visible! What a loving Father He is. Use your faith by asking for what you have need of today and let God work on your behalf. He gets great pleasure in helping His children.
Many have said, "If God knows my needs, why doesn't He just do something about them? Matthew 6:32 & 7:11 tells us that the Father already knows all about our needs, but when we ask Him that activates our faith and releases God to move on our behalf and meet our need. Him knowing is not enough for us to receive. He needs our permission. We need to do our part and that is asking.
1 John 5:14,15 "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ASK anything, according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ASK, we know that we have the requests which we have ASKED from Him." Wow! That is good news, friends! It says when we ask (which is showing our faith, because without faith it's impossible to please God) according to His will (or we could say His Word, because His Word is His will) then we can be confident that we have it!
Faith is simply a belief. Many have no problem believing, but the key is believing that we received when we prayed. In Mark 11:23,24 God is not asking us to believe that something is manifested before it's manifested, He's asking us to just believe we received before it's manifested. God has already authorized all that we have need of in the spirit realm. In the spirit realm is our supply. There's healing in the spirit realm. There's provision in the spirit realm. When we believe we receive we are laying hold of what we need and we keep saying (thanking Him for it) until it shows up in the natural realm! Our answer always exists in two forms; the invisible form and the visible form. We need to believe we receive while it's still in the invisible form. Faith deals with the invisible. Faith never deals with what is seen. Once an answer is seen, faith for that is no longer required.
We do not always receive instantly. God knows that there is a time difference between the spirit realm and the natural realm. That's why He gave us 1 John 5:14,15! He made it so that when we ask in line with His Word, He hears us. And we can have confidence and rest because His hearing=our having! Our hearts have the ability to believe that which is invisible is ours. Our minds can't do that, but our hearts can. If you were in need of money and your earthly father was a billionaire and if you asked him for the money and he said the check was in the mail and you kept on worrying wouldn't that seem a little silly? Unbelievers and Christians without renewed minds cannot rest until they see it. They worry and fret because they don't know how to rest until they have it. God doesn't want us to live that way. He wants us to rest, knowing that He heard us and things are moving on our behalf and will soon be visible! What a loving Father He is. Use your faith by asking for what you have need of today and let God work on your behalf. He gets great pleasure in helping His children.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
June 13, 2013 ~ 1 Timothy 4 ~
In his letter to Timothy, the young pastor at Ephesus, Paul admonishes him to continue in all he has been taught. That many are going to fall away from the faith and pay attention to evil doctrines. There will be many false teachers that others will gravitate to and that he will need to point these things out to them and in doing so, even if they are not received well, Timothy will be a good servant.
He encourages Timothy to be continually nourished on the words of faith and the sound doctrine he has been following. In this purposeful discipline godliness is attained and it is profitable for this life and the one to come. It's not enough to hear the Word once or twice. We must continually feed ourselves on the principles of faith we have been taught.
Paul also admonishes Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift that was imparted to him. That he is going to have to take pains with these things and be absorbed in them. To pay close attention to that which he is teaching and if he perseveres it will ensure the blessing not only for himself but the hearers also.
What does it mean to us to take pains? To be absorbed? It means we, like Timothy, are going to have to give ourselves wholly to it! To not neglect giving our attention daily to the Word and prayer and to be ever aware of the gifts the Lord has placed within us. It's going to take some effort on our part to stir up the gift within us. That's why it's called the sacrifice of praise. Our flesh doesn't always feel like doing godly things. But we do it by faith. We sometimes start out in the flesh and end up in the Spirit! It takes some perseverance to push through things that try to hold us back. But it is SO worth it! And like Paul said, it will not only benefit us, but all those around us. When we are so filled up with God it will effect our missions field...in our homes, in our neighborhood, in our families, on the job, and in our specific ministry roles.
He encourages Timothy to be continually nourished on the words of faith and the sound doctrine he has been following. In this purposeful discipline godliness is attained and it is profitable for this life and the one to come. It's not enough to hear the Word once or twice. We must continually feed ourselves on the principles of faith we have been taught.
Paul also admonishes Timothy not to neglect the spiritual gift that was imparted to him. That he is going to have to take pains with these things and be absorbed in them. To pay close attention to that which he is teaching and if he perseveres it will ensure the blessing not only for himself but the hearers also.
What does it mean to us to take pains? To be absorbed? It means we, like Timothy, are going to have to give ourselves wholly to it! To not neglect giving our attention daily to the Word and prayer and to be ever aware of the gifts the Lord has placed within us. It's going to take some effort on our part to stir up the gift within us. That's why it's called the sacrifice of praise. Our flesh doesn't always feel like doing godly things. But we do it by faith. We sometimes start out in the flesh and end up in the Spirit! It takes some perseverance to push through things that try to hold us back. But it is SO worth it! And like Paul said, it will not only benefit us, but all those around us. When we are so filled up with God it will effect our missions field...in our homes, in our neighborhood, in our families, on the job, and in our specific ministry roles.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
May 20, 2013 ~ 1 Corinthians 16 ~
This is the last part of the first letter Paul writes to the church of Corinth. He tells them that he hopes to come to them in person after he passes through Macedonia and stay with them for some time, but shall remain right now in Ephesus until Pentecost because Verse 9 says, "for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries."
What did Paul mean that he couldn't come yet because there were many adversaries? He was teaching them that opposition will come. When a door is opened to you, adversaries may come to interrupt your entrance and change the effect you can make on the other side of that door. The enemy is not going to let you have an effect without putting up a fight. When you come into some light about something, he will try to steal that seed from you.
Paul is warning us so that we can be aware. Because if we are aware of it, then we won't retreat or back down when we feel that pressure against us. You might feel on your body or in your mind the effects of the adversaries, but don't be overly impressed. Our spirit man need not be shaken. We are never to be moved by what we feel or see, but only by what we believe!!!
If we're going to have an effect, we're going to have an adversary. But we need to always remind ourselves of that from our seated position! He is a defeated adversary!!! And we are far above it! He's going to out up a fight. The Bible tells us had he known, he would have never crucified Christ. The Lord knows all the adversary's plans and the crucifixion that was meant to be Jesus' demise became redemption's launching pad! When the devil intends to cause demise in your life use it as a spring board and build right over it!!!
What did Paul mean that he couldn't come yet because there were many adversaries? He was teaching them that opposition will come. When a door is opened to you, adversaries may come to interrupt your entrance and change the effect you can make on the other side of that door. The enemy is not going to let you have an effect without putting up a fight. When you come into some light about something, he will try to steal that seed from you.
Paul is warning us so that we can be aware. Because if we are aware of it, then we won't retreat or back down when we feel that pressure against us. You might feel on your body or in your mind the effects of the adversaries, but don't be overly impressed. Our spirit man need not be shaken. We are never to be moved by what we feel or see, but only by what we believe!!!
If we're going to have an effect, we're going to have an adversary. But we need to always remind ourselves of that from our seated position! He is a defeated adversary!!! And we are far above it! He's going to out up a fight. The Bible tells us had he known, he would have never crucified Christ. The Lord knows all the adversary's plans and the crucifixion that was meant to be Jesus' demise became redemption's launching pad! When the devil intends to cause demise in your life use it as a spring board and build right over it!!!
Monday, May 13, 2013
May 13th ~ 1 Corinthians 11 ~
In this passage, the Apostle Paul admonishes the people of the church at Corinth to be imitators of him as he is of Christ. He praised them for holding to the traditions which he taught them but also gave them some much needed correction. Correction from the Lord is always intended to bring people into a place of greater blessing. Doing things God's way always pays off.
Most of this chapter Paul gives instruction on the act of taking communion. When the congregation would meet together, they were consuming the communion bread and wine as a snack because they were hungry. Verse 22 Paul says, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?"
He proceeds to remind them about the Lord's supper and what Jesus said about it. That as often as they ate the bread and drank the cup, they would be proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. By eating the bread and drinking the wine flippantly, they were acting in an unworthy manner and bringing judgement upon themselves. Verse 31 says, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep." In other words, many in their church were weak, sick and slept, which means they died prematurely. Paul was trying to help them to understand that we always need to walk by faith to please God. There is so much power available through the taking of Holy Communion and the body of Christ is missing out because they aren't rightly dividing the Word of God.
When we are partaking of communion, we are proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes again. How do we receive any of God's promises to us? We always have to BELIEVE and RECEIVE and we receive by confession. It's not enough to believe that Jesus died on the cross, we also have to receive it and make confession of it. That is FAITH and faith is our part. Then the power of God can transform us and that is HIS part. The very act of communion is a public proclamation of what Jesus did! That His body received ALL sickness and disease and we can be free of it.
Next time you partake of communion, either at church or in your home, do so with the understanding that you are indeed making a faith statement and that the power of God is present to meet any needs you have. Believe that power is working mightily in you, just like Jesus said it would and continue to confess until it is made manifest in your situation.
Most of this chapter Paul gives instruction on the act of taking communion. When the congregation would meet together, they were consuming the communion bread and wine as a snack because they were hungry. Verse 22 Paul says, "What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?"
He proceeds to remind them about the Lord's supper and what Jesus said about it. That as often as they ate the bread and drank the cup, they would be proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes. By eating the bread and drinking the wine flippantly, they were acting in an unworthy manner and bringing judgement upon themselves. Verse 31 says, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep." In other words, many in their church were weak, sick and slept, which means they died prematurely. Paul was trying to help them to understand that we always need to walk by faith to please God. There is so much power available through the taking of Holy Communion and the body of Christ is missing out because they aren't rightly dividing the Word of God.
When we are partaking of communion, we are proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes again. How do we receive any of God's promises to us? We always have to BELIEVE and RECEIVE and we receive by confession. It's not enough to believe that Jesus died on the cross, we also have to receive it and make confession of it. That is FAITH and faith is our part. Then the power of God can transform us and that is HIS part. The very act of communion is a public proclamation of what Jesus did! That His body received ALL sickness and disease and we can be free of it.
Next time you partake of communion, either at church or in your home, do so with the understanding that you are indeed making a faith statement and that the power of God is present to meet any needs you have. Believe that power is working mightily in you, just like Jesus said it would and continue to confess until it is made manifest in your situation.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
March 12th ~ Ephesians 6 ~
There will most definitely be things in this life, that we will encounter, that will try to come against us. We are not of this world, but we do live in it. We always need to prepare for what's to come. Verse 10,11 of chapter 6 of Ephesians tells us to "Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of HIS might" and to "Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." Wonder why it says the full armor? Because putting on only a portion of what God has instructed us to do will leave us vulnerable to the flaming missiles of the enemy!
The Lord explains in great details exactly what each piece of armor is, and where and how we use it. Then the Lord explains that once we put on the full armor of God and having done everything as He has instructed, then we can STAND FIRM! The battle is not ours, but we do need to stand. It takes courage and faith to stand in the midst of a battle whether one is required to fight or not. It's not the most comfortable place to be.
That's when verse 18 comes into effect. If we have done everything the way the Lord has instructed us. And we are wearing all the armor He has blessed us with. Then we only need to do what it says in verse 18... "With all prayer and petition, pray at all times, in the Spirit and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance..." This literally means with "all kinds" of prayer. Therefore, praying with our understanding, as far as we know to do, then allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. And how can we possibly "pray at ALL times"? This means no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can have communion with the Holy Spirit. It does not even have to be audible. We can communicate with the Holy Spirit with our spirit man and have an attitude of prayer. Praying in other tongues not only gets things accomplished because the Holy Spirit is praying perfect prayers through us, but the Word tells us that we are "strengthening ourselves in our inner man"! That's how amazing our Father God is! His instructions are always filled with multi-purpose blessings. As we go about our day acknowledging that He is there, He can then help us to persevere!
The Lord explains in great details exactly what each piece of armor is, and where and how we use it. Then the Lord explains that once we put on the full armor of God and having done everything as He has instructed, then we can STAND FIRM! The battle is not ours, but we do need to stand. It takes courage and faith to stand in the midst of a battle whether one is required to fight or not. It's not the most comfortable place to be.
That's when verse 18 comes into effect. If we have done everything the way the Lord has instructed us. And we are wearing all the armor He has blessed us with. Then we only need to do what it says in verse 18... "With all prayer and petition, pray at all times, in the Spirit and with this in view, be on alert with all perseverance..." This literally means with "all kinds" of prayer. Therefore, praying with our understanding, as far as we know to do, then allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. And how can we possibly "pray at ALL times"? This means no matter where we are or what we are doing, we can have communion with the Holy Spirit. It does not even have to be audible. We can communicate with the Holy Spirit with our spirit man and have an attitude of prayer. Praying in other tongues not only gets things accomplished because the Holy Spirit is praying perfect prayers through us, but the Word tells us that we are "strengthening ourselves in our inner man"! That's how amazing our Father God is! His instructions are always filled with multi-purpose blessings. As we go about our day acknowledging that He is there, He can then help us to persevere!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
February 26th ~ Romans 12
Verses 1,2 "I URGE you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your (reasonable) service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
That word urge is in all capitals in my Bible's text. It must be something that Paul feels very strongly about. He is urging us to listen and follow an instruction that is going to be vital to our success in this life. We are urged not to be conformed to this world. What does that mean? It means don't allow the world around you to squeeze you into its mold. We are called to be set apart. To stand out. Not to blend in. The very way we believe and react to things in life is going to be VERY different from how the rest of the world does.
We are called to not be conformed, but to be transformed. How can we be transformed? By the renewing of our minds. Renew= renovation, to replace tradition with revelation. Renovate in the natural sense means to rip out what doesn't belong and to replace it with something new and fresh. When we are renovating a house completely, we rip everything down to the studs and start to rebuild with new, higher quality materials. We build on a solid foundation and create something beautiful that will last the test of time and life.
In other words, the only way we can be successful and have our faith work in our lives is to change the way we think. We have become new creatures and everything old has been done away with. Sometimes we try to still do things the old way we've always done them. We have a newly created heart and spirit and yet our minds are still the same. So we need to constantly look to the Word to see how our minds should be thinking about the situations we are facing. The old us, may have seen the problems of debt, sickness and broken relationships in our lives and faced them with wringing hands and worrying so much we couldn't sleep. The new creature in us is formed in the image of God Himself and therefore needs to think in line with HIS thinking! So now when faced with adverse circumstances we look to His strength and His Words which tell us who we are in Christ. That we are MORE than conquerors! That Christ lives in us and brings ALL His resources with Him. So anytime we have a problem, we can face it in the power of the crucified, risen, triumphant, Lord, Who lives within us!
That word urge is in all capitals in my Bible's text. It must be something that Paul feels very strongly about. He is urging us to listen and follow an instruction that is going to be vital to our success in this life. We are urged not to be conformed to this world. What does that mean? It means don't allow the world around you to squeeze you into its mold. We are called to be set apart. To stand out. Not to blend in. The very way we believe and react to things in life is going to be VERY different from how the rest of the world does.
We are called to not be conformed, but to be transformed. How can we be transformed? By the renewing of our minds. Renew= renovation, to replace tradition with revelation. Renovate in the natural sense means to rip out what doesn't belong and to replace it with something new and fresh. When we are renovating a house completely, we rip everything down to the studs and start to rebuild with new, higher quality materials. We build on a solid foundation and create something beautiful that will last the test of time and life.
In other words, the only way we can be successful and have our faith work in our lives is to change the way we think. We have become new creatures and everything old has been done away with. Sometimes we try to still do things the old way we've always done them. We have a newly created heart and spirit and yet our minds are still the same. So we need to constantly look to the Word to see how our minds should be thinking about the situations we are facing. The old us, may have seen the problems of debt, sickness and broken relationships in our lives and faced them with wringing hands and worrying so much we couldn't sleep. The new creature in us is formed in the image of God Himself and therefore needs to think in line with HIS thinking! So now when faced with adverse circumstances we look to His strength and His Words which tell us who we are in Christ. That we are MORE than conquerors! That Christ lives in us and brings ALL His resources with Him. So anytime we have a problem, we can face it in the power of the crucified, risen, triumphant, Lord, Who lives within us!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
February 20th ~ Romans 8
Being that this chapter is one of my favorites in the entire Bible, it is difficult to pick just one thing to expound upon! As we read through this passage, don't leave here without a sense of how VERY BLESSED we are! We learn that we are not only delivered from the power of the flesh and all that wars against it, but we have been made sons and daughters by the Spirit! That the Spirit helps all our weaknesses, that God has set us up for VICTORY and that NOTHING can separate us from His GREAT LOVE!
That is GOOD NEWS, friends! Firstly, that the Spirit Himself has made His abode in us and there can be NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are of the flesh cannot please God, but we are no longer of the flesh, because the Spirit of God now dwells in us! Verse 11 says that if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will ALSO give life to or quicken your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in YOU! Wow! If you are dealing with symptoms in your body, I encourage you to camp out on that verse until you are fully persuaded! The Spirit Who raised Jesus, Who had every disease known to man placed upon Him, Who took all of it with each lash of the whip, for you and me, then went to hell and battled for three days with the enemy and overcame him, then the Spirit caused healing power to flow through His body and raised Him after 3 days in the grave...yup, that same Spirit is making that same power available to us today!
Verse 26 says that it is the Spirit Who helps our weaknesses, for very often we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words! Have you ever prayed about something as much as you knew how, but just didn't know what else to say? When we switch over to that wonderful gift of praying in other tongues, that's when the Holy Spirit can hook up with our spirits and pray perfect prayers. How awesome is that? We have a helper Who wants our prayer life to be successful and intercedes for us!
Paul wraps up this passage with some of the most encouraging words...verse 31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And verses 34-39 speaks of many, many things we may have to endure during our time on earth, but through all these things we overwhelming conquer through Him Who loved us. No matter what you are facing in your life today, Christ has made you an overcomer. There is nothing you can't face with Jesus by your side. No matter who comes in and out of your life, or what comes your way, NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God!
That is GOOD NEWS, friends! Firstly, that the Spirit Himself has made His abode in us and there can be NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are of the flesh cannot please God, but we are no longer of the flesh, because the Spirit of God now dwells in us! Verse 11 says that if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will ALSO give life to or quicken your mortal bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in YOU! Wow! If you are dealing with symptoms in your body, I encourage you to camp out on that verse until you are fully persuaded! The Spirit Who raised Jesus, Who had every disease known to man placed upon Him, Who took all of it with each lash of the whip, for you and me, then went to hell and battled for three days with the enemy and overcame him, then the Spirit caused healing power to flow through His body and raised Him after 3 days in the grave...yup, that same Spirit is making that same power available to us today!
Verse 26 says that it is the Spirit Who helps our weaknesses, for very often we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words! Have you ever prayed about something as much as you knew how, but just didn't know what else to say? When we switch over to that wonderful gift of praying in other tongues, that's when the Holy Spirit can hook up with our spirits and pray perfect prayers. How awesome is that? We have a helper Who wants our prayer life to be successful and intercedes for us!
Paul wraps up this passage with some of the most encouraging words...verse 31b "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And verses 34-39 speaks of many, many things we may have to endure during our time on earth, but through all these things we overwhelming conquer through Him Who loved us. No matter what you are facing in your life today, Christ has made you an overcomer. There is nothing you can't face with Jesus by your side. No matter who comes in and out of your life, or what comes your way, NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God!
Friday, February 15, 2013
February 14th ~ Romans 4
What an amazing passage of scripture is Romans chapter 4! So many great nuggets in this one. We learn that it was Abraham's act of believing God's promise (or we could say faith) which reckoned righteousness (or right-standing with God) unto himself. It was not according to any works, that he could then boast in himself. Our righteousness is based upon us believing that Jesus took our sin and shame, was punished with a death on the cross because of it and rose again victorious over it!
It is only by faith through grace that we, too, are justified (verse 16). When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, God was calling those things which be not as though they were! He was now referring to him as "father of many nations". Verse 17 says, "even God, Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Abram did something with what God told him. He starting referring to himself as Abraham! This was his faith in action! Verse 18 says, "In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become the father of many nations. Verse 19..."Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was near a hundred years of age, and the deadness of Sarah's womb."
Wow! SO Abraham was human just like you and me! He contemplated his own body. What does that mean? It means he faced facts. You might have to face facts today yourself. You might have to face that debt head on or that negative medical report that shows some 'facts' about the current condition of your body. It also said that in doing so, he did not allow himself to become weak in faith! Verse 20 says, "YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in faith (what he was believing...God's promise to him), but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Verse 21, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform! Verse 22, Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness."
We are made in the likeness and image of Almighty God! Therefore, we, too, are to call things into existence! Our main obstacle is the very same as Abraham's...being fully persuaded. What did Abraham do in the natural to become fully persuaded? Go back and read it again. 1. He contemplated or faced facts. 2. He gave respect to the promise of God. In other words we could say he went back to the Word that he heard and gave it first place. No matter how he "felt" about the circumstances he was facing, he CHOSE to only speak the Word. 3. He grew stronger in faith. We know that faith only comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) and by continually planting seeds (the Word) deep into our hearts. 4. He gave glory to God. This is how we water the seeds we have planted. We give thanks to God that the answer is on the way. That He is moving on our behalf. That He is our Strong Tower, our Deliverer, our Mighty God, All-powerful, Magnificent, our Healer, our Counselor, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Provider, EVERYTHING we need Him to be! When we give Him glory, it's not just to bless Him, but rather it increases our faith in His Never Ceasing Love and ability toward us! Then we will have those things which He promised to us, just like Abraham.
It is only by faith through grace that we, too, are justified (verse 16). When God changed Abram's name to Abraham, God was calling those things which be not as though they were! He was now referring to him as "father of many nations". Verse 17 says, "even God, Who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist." Abram did something with what God told him. He starting referring to himself as Abraham! This was his faith in action! Verse 18 says, "In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become the father of many nations. Verse 19..."Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was near a hundred years of age, and the deadness of Sarah's womb."
Wow! SO Abraham was human just like you and me! He contemplated his own body. What does that mean? It means he faced facts. You might have to face facts today yourself. You might have to face that debt head on or that negative medical report that shows some 'facts' about the current condition of your body. It also said that in doing so, he did not allow himself to become weak in faith! Verse 20 says, "YET, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in faith (what he was believing...God's promise to him), but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God. Verse 21, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform! Verse 22, Therefore it was also reckoned to him as righteousness."
We are made in the likeness and image of Almighty God! Therefore, we, too, are to call things into existence! Our main obstacle is the very same as Abraham's...being fully persuaded. What did Abraham do in the natural to become fully persuaded? Go back and read it again. 1. He contemplated or faced facts. 2. He gave respect to the promise of God. In other words we could say he went back to the Word that he heard and gave it first place. No matter how he "felt" about the circumstances he was facing, he CHOSE to only speak the Word. 3. He grew stronger in faith. We know that faith only comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17) and by continually planting seeds (the Word) deep into our hearts. 4. He gave glory to God. This is how we water the seeds we have planted. We give thanks to God that the answer is on the way. That He is moving on our behalf. That He is our Strong Tower, our Deliverer, our Mighty God, All-powerful, Magnificent, our Healer, our Counselor, our Advocate, our High Priest, our Provider, EVERYTHING we need Him to be! When we give Him glory, it's not just to bless Him, but rather it increases our faith in His Never Ceasing Love and ability toward us! Then we will have those things which He promised to us, just like Abraham.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
January 15th ~Matthew 10
Jesus calls His twelve apostles to serve with Him during His ministry and to provide leadership for the church after His ascension. Twelve were probably selected because their number corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel.
The terms apostle and disciple are often used interchangeably in referring to these men. But a disciple is a learner or follower, while an apostle refers to one who is sent with a special message or commission. The Twelve were definitely apostles; when Jesus called them He had a specific mission in mind for them-- to carry on His work after He ended His earthly ministry.
We know that we are ALL disciples of Christ. We are followers who are learning and growing in His Word and are representatives of Him as His body on the earth. Before He sent them out, it says in verse 1, that Jesus summoned His disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. This happened while they were yet disciples and not yet sent out with their mission as apostles! That means that while we, too are disciples the same authority has been given unto us and is to be used by us! Praise God! That is Good News, friends!
While we may not have received a commission from the Lord to go to a far off land to preach and heal the sick, we are ALL called to walk in the authority Christ provided for us and to help those closest to us to receive freedom from bondage and sickness! God is ever searching for those He can find who are willing to be vessels for Him to use. We are His hands on the earth, to reach out and let Him meet needs through us. And we must never forget, that while we are here on the earth, we are still a part of His body. As He is "seated in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named..." (Eph. 1:20, 21) therefore we, too, are seated in that place!
The terms apostle and disciple are often used interchangeably in referring to these men. But a disciple is a learner or follower, while an apostle refers to one who is sent with a special message or commission. The Twelve were definitely apostles; when Jesus called them He had a specific mission in mind for them-- to carry on His work after He ended His earthly ministry.
We know that we are ALL disciples of Christ. We are followers who are learning and growing in His Word and are representatives of Him as His body on the earth. Before He sent them out, it says in verse 1, that Jesus summoned His disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. This happened while they were yet disciples and not yet sent out with their mission as apostles! That means that while we, too are disciples the same authority has been given unto us and is to be used by us! Praise God! That is Good News, friends!
While we may not have received a commission from the Lord to go to a far off land to preach and heal the sick, we are ALL called to walk in the authority Christ provided for us and to help those closest to us to receive freedom from bondage and sickness! God is ever searching for those He can find who are willing to be vessels for Him to use. We are His hands on the earth, to reach out and let Him meet needs through us. And we must never forget, that while we are here on the earth, we are still a part of His body. As He is "seated in heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named..." (Eph. 1:20, 21) therefore we, too, are seated in that place!
Monday, January 7, 2013
January 7th~Matthew 4
After Jesus was baptized by John He was led by the Spirit to the wilderness and was tempted by the devil. I have always loved reading this account. It shows that Jesus was completely human, like you or me, having to deal with the enemy tempting Him. But the most wonderful part of this excerpt is that it teaches us how to be just as successful as Jesus when dealing with the enemy!
First of all it said that Jesus fasted for forty days. When one is fasting, you become naturally hungry, but more spiritually attuned. Jesus had a lot of time alone, separated unto His Father to commune with Him and become strong in His inner man. The devil tried to be crafty and tempt Him with scripture, yet he did not comprehend that Jesus WAS the WORD. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! How did Jesus defeat the enemy? By simply quoting the ALL-POWERFUL Word of God right back at him. How can we defeat the enemy? The very same way! When we spend time depositing the Word into our hearts and when we come up against diverse trials it should be the first thing that comes to mind and should come out of our mouths! I once heard it said, when the strong man is robbing your house, that is not the time to go to your weight bench and get strong enough to take him down. We must feed on the Word and exercise our faith muscles daily. Then we will be ready for anything. After all, we are only called to stand our ground. The battle belongs to the Lord and He already OVERCAME. We are called MORE than conquerors!
What are your thoughts about Matthew Chapter 4? Share with us here by leaving a comment :)
Friday, January 4, 2013
January 4th~Matthew 3
Matthew is the gospel written by a Jew, to Jews, about a Jew. Matthew is the writer, his countrymen are the readers and his subject is Jesus Christ. Matthew presents Jesus as Israel's promised messianic King. The phrase "the kingdom of heaven" appears twenty-eight times in Matthew but nowhere else in the New Testament. To show that Jesus fulfills the qualifications for the Messiah, Matthew uses more Old Testament quotations (almost 130) than any other book.
As a Jewish tax collector, Matthew writes to a Jewish audience to convince them that the King of the Jews has come. Everything about this King is unique: His miraculous birth and carefully prophesied birthplace, His flight into Egypt, His announcement by John, His battle with Satan in the wilderness, all support the only possible conclusion- Jesus is the culmination of the promises delivered by the prophets over a period of a thousand years. God's redemptive plan is alive and well!
Chapter 3 gives us the account of John the Baptist working hard to prepare people's hearts for "the kingdom of heaven". Jesus arrives from Galilee at the Jordan river coming to be baptized by John. After coming up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and behold a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased."
What an incredible sign for all those witnessing! And a title is given that is unmistakable. Jesus' sonship did not begin on that day. He was already in Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ was the Son of God before He assumed a human body. But God wishes to express the sonship of Jesus. That He was begotten of God in a sense that no one else is. It is a title that shows equality. The Son of God is no less than God. Now Jesus is prepared to go forth and reveal all which is His Father, through Himself, His Son.
As a Jewish tax collector, Matthew writes to a Jewish audience to convince them that the King of the Jews has come. Everything about this King is unique: His miraculous birth and carefully prophesied birthplace, His flight into Egypt, His announcement by John, His battle with Satan in the wilderness, all support the only possible conclusion- Jesus is the culmination of the promises delivered by the prophets over a period of a thousand years. God's redemptive plan is alive and well!
Chapter 3 gives us the account of John the Baptist working hard to prepare people's hearts for "the kingdom of heaven". Jesus arrives from Galilee at the Jordan river coming to be baptized by John. After coming up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and behold a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased."
What an incredible sign for all those witnessing! And a title is given that is unmistakable. Jesus' sonship did not begin on that day. He was already in Spirit because God is Spirit and Christ was the Son of God before He assumed a human body. But God wishes to express the sonship of Jesus. That He was begotten of God in a sense that no one else is. It is a title that shows equality. The Son of God is no less than God. Now Jesus is prepared to go forth and reveal all which is His Father, through Himself, His Son.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
We believe, as we endeavor to dig deep into the New Testament this year, we will be transformed by the Word of God! May the Word dwell in us and abide in us, richly, so we may attain all that Jesus so lovingly provided for us and walk in VICTORY in 2013!
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