Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Reflection

As believers in Christ, we should not be ashamed of the Gospel because it is this very Gospel that has snatched us from the pit of hell. This wonderful news is open to anyone who will believe upon Jesus as Christ and Lord. Rejoice in this good news! Take heart in the wonderful mercies of the Lord! Be not ashamed for the sake of your life-giving faith! Proclaim the lovingkindness of the Lord unto all the nations with boldness that we who believe might fruitfully multiply the kingdom of heaven! Persevere in His strength, making disciples of all the world that others might share in the Gospel-joy that we, ourselves, have been granted to embrace!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

2 Corinthians 1:7 And our hope

2 Corinthians 1:7
And our hope of you [is] stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall ye be] also of the consolation.
Reflection

Christ reigns even now on His heavenly throne, yet the earth is filled with evil men. The adopted brothers and sisters of Christ reign even now by His side, yet their lives are of suffering. How can this be? It is the mystery of the cross of Christ Jesus! Through our weakness, we are strong. Through death, we have life. Through suffering, we are become the victors. And through persecution, we are blessed. Therefore, Christ tells us, rejoice in such troubles till the heavenly consummation, for great will be our apparent reward in that day. So do not fret, O believer, but trust that your suffering will produce hope. Hope in Christ. Hope in Heaven.

Monday, July 29, 2013

1 John 1:5 This then is the message

1 John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Reflection

Here lies the believer's assurance that the light of God will permeate even this dark world. Even more, God is that very light! The believer ought hold this truth tightly: despite the most tumultuous circumstance, not all is dark, lost, or evil!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Israel Houghton Moving Forward

O love the LORD,

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. (Psalms 31:23)
His strength is beyond imagining and with it He promises to preserve His children ever in their faith! None may snatch you from His hand, O child of the Lamb, for He is adamant: you are His and His alone! Love Him, therefore, and follow Him all your days!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

"Joy, Prayer, the Spirit's Fire" —

"Joy, Prayer, the Spirit's Fire" — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23
Dear Father, holy God,

Help me always to be joyful and to pray continually, giving thanks to you in all circumstances, since this is your will for me in Christ Jesus.

May I never put out the Spirit's fire in myself. May I never be contemptuous of the prophetic word and the interpretation of it. But let me test everything I hear. Help me hold on to what is good, and to avoid everything that is evil.

May you yourself, Father, make every part of me holy.

In the name of your Holy Son, Jesus, who gave us the Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Jesus, I Love Calling Your Name

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD

Psalm 149:4
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Reflection

My Prayer: Thank You, O God that You delight in us, Your people. Thank You for Your reign of love. Thank You for taking pleasure in Your people, for giving us hearts to serve, for prospering us by Your Spirit, for communing with us by Your means of grace, and for communicating to us Your favour and good pleasure. Thank You for preparing us for Your future glory!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Isaiah 41:17 [When] the poor

Isaiah 41:17
[When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Reflection

Ever is the Lord gracious and ever does He shower mercy unfettered upon the objects of His affection. Because we know that God loves us, we may take pleasure in the great knowledge that He will surely stand by us in our hour of need. Ever is the Lord the provider of our necessities and ever will He quench our thirst with the welcome vials of living water—even the life of Christ.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Pastor Rance Allen-Hear My Voice( Bishop GE Patterson Favorite Song)

Pastor Rance Allen-Hear My Voice( Bishop GE Patterson Favorite Song)

Peace Be Still - Gospel Legends Volume 3 soloists Paul Porter, Carolyn ...

Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord,

Psalm 86:5
For thou, Lord, [art] good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Reflection

The Lord is full of mercy and willing to forgive us! He never rejects us when we ask for His forgiveness. This outpouring of mercy and love should make us desire to follow Him more faithfully.

My Prayer: Jesus, I do not deserve Your love or mercy, but I praise and thank You for them both! Thank You for hearing us when we call to You.

Monday, July 22, 2013

"God's Will: Perfect Love" —

"God's Will: Perfect Love" — 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Dear Father, perfecter of our love,

Don't ever let us disregard you or your Holy Spirit, which you give us. Give us perfect love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let this teaching of yours fill our minds. Let this love among us grow more and more, every day and in every way.

May we aspire to live quietly, to mind our own affairs, and to work with our hands or our minds, so that we may be dependent on no one and command the respect of those outside your family. May that respect lead them to listen, to heed, and also to become your children.

In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen.

The LORD will not suffer

The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. (Proverbs 10:3)
Take confidence in this, dear believer: in the very suffering of the righteous lies the mystery of gospel victory. Sure enough, Christ's church is sore oppressed upon this earth. Just as even He was—for a servant is not greater than his master. By His righteous suffering, our eternal victory was bought and by our suffering for righteousness's sake, we glory in that same victory! Though in our days upon this earth, we may indeed perish from starvation, that is not an end which we should fear. We ought look forward to the heavenly consummation of our lives—when at long last we will be truly free from famishment. When at long last we will no longer hold to the promises of unshakable victory by faith alone, but will apprehend such by unfettered sight! O come Lord Jesus, come!

Sunday, July 21, 2013

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Reflection

Though we yearn greatly for the return of our King, there are still souls to be won. We can take heart in the love of our Father that all of Christ's sheep will be gathered before that final trump. None of our yet-saved brothers will perish. And this is the purpose for which Christ delays his coming.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Psalm 73:22-24 So foolish [was] I,

Psalm 73:22-24
So foolish [was] I, and ignorant: I was [as] a beast before thee. Nevertheless I [am] continually with thee: thou hast holden [me] by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me [to] glory.
Reflection

As Christians, we still sin and act foolishly, but God continues to be with us and guide us onto the right path. After our life is through, He takes us to heaven to live eternally with Him! O, what great grace we have been given!

Friday, July 19, 2013

And if ye [be] Christ's,

And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)
Whether we are Jew or Gentile, enslaved or free, male or female, so long as we are Christians then we are of Abraham's seed which God so long ago promised. So long as we find our identity in Christ, the True Seed of promise, we are the spiritual descendents of Abraham.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD

Psalm 100:5
For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.
Reflection

Never need the child of God fear the failure of the heavenly promise for the Lord is unto everlasting. He is. And was. And ever will be. And He is faithful! Faithful to the fulfilment of every good thing! Faithful to His eternal promise of the redemption, justification, sanctification, and glorification of His chosen people! Take heart and enjoy well the Sabbath rest bought us by Christ!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

[He is] near that justifieth

[He is] near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who [is] mine adversary? let him come near to me. (Isaiah 50:8)
Who can stand before the might of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? None. Who can thwart the plans of the very Creator of the Heavens? None. And who could steal a single child from the hand of the conquering Lamb Himself? Why none at all! There is no foe so great or force so terrifying as to hold any sway over the Son of God! Take comfort in the strength of His arm and know to a certainty that if He is for you, then, truly, none can be against you (cf. Romans 8:31).

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Untitled list (playlist)

Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered

Matthew 21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Reflection

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! With the Lord of all sovereignty behind us, we can be confident that He will ever enable us to accomplish His will.

My Prayer: Help me, Lord, to grow in faith! I thank You for granting us Your power to trust ever more deeply in You!

Monday, July 15, 2013

John 15:18-20 If the world hate you

John 15:18-20
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Reflection

The believer in Christ should not shrink from suffering or persecution, but should take heart in the fact that his suffering is counted as due to Christ. For of course, the redeemed children will be the object of scorn and derision! The world despised and hated the most loving, caring, hospitable, and merciful man to ever walk the earth; if they should hate Him so, how can we not expect them to hate those who follow that man—Christ Jesus!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

But God hath chosen

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27)
It is simply breathtaking to contemplate the remarkable grace of God! Amazingly, He chose men of all trades, men of low stature, men from all walks of lifeHe chose you! He desired those dead in their sins to be resurrected and re-created to declare His infinite glory! What a privilege! What an incredible honor to preach the good news to a dark world! May we rejoice greatly and give praise to His glorious name!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious

Psalm 139:17-18
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! [If] I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Reflection

The Lord is constantly thinking about you, His child! His thoughts are always for your good (Jeremiah 29:11). He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)! How great is the sum of your thoughts towards God? How much time do you spend thinking about Him? Remember your Father's love for you! Recall your identity as His own child! Rejoice in Him and take heart in whom you have been made to be: one of the everlasting sons of God!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Galatians 1:3-4 Grace [be] to you and peace

Galatians 1:3-4
Grace [be] to you and peace from God the Father, and [from] our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Reflection

God desired to provide a way of reconciliation for us. This could only be done through His Son Jesus. Out of His love for us and obedience to His Father, Jesus died and paid the penalty for our sins. So rejoice you believers! Rejoice in the road to heaven paved with the grace and mercy of the heavenly throne!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Amos 9:13-15 Behold, the days come,

Amos 9:13-15
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
Reflection

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to His people! Rejoice in the loving mercy of his hand! His kingdom shall be established and none shall prevail against it. Sing His praise for the overflowing bounty of His realm: the grapes are plenty, the harvest is ripe, and "Peace!" is the cry of its inhabitants. Praise Him with a shout and look to the coming of His Son who will usher forth all good things! Hallelujah

Sunday, July 7, 2013

The fear of man

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25)
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). Trust God. He is infinitely able to provide your needs. Entrust your path to His mighty hands. He shall always protect you from the snares of the enemy. By His strength you are made much more than conquerors! Fear not, for He is infinitely better than your fears!