Are you kingdom-minded?

                                            

                                  

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                                                       ARE YOU KINGDOM MINDED?

                      "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt 6:10)

                Greetings. In this devotional, that is the question we must ask ourselves---Are we kingdom-minded? The word tells us that we are kings and priests unto God. God has delegated his power unto us to be Kings/Queens over our circumstances and affairs of life. In fact, the word says that we are seated in heavenly places. We are destined to rule.

                In order to comprehend our position in Christ, we must be familiar with his will. First, let's remember that his word is his will. He speaks to us through the word. It amazes me how I hear many Christians saying-- I need a word. They go to church and say--- I need a word. They go to prophet so and so and say--- I need a word. If you have a Bible, God has a word for you. God is speaking to you 24/7. His word is a sure word of prophecy.Now having said that, let's start with the following verse below in order to learn how to become kingdom-minded. This gives us a glimpse of God's will....

 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he  heareth us" (I John 5:14)

                 Many will use this to justify the fact that God did not answer their prayer because it was not according to God's will, but if you read the next verse carefully, it brings it to a different light...

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that

we desired of him. (John 5:15)

           If you read this carefully, pay attention to the words heareth and hear. Now we know that God hears prayers when we pray according to his will. We can all agreed to that, but in verse 15, it says --and if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions....That is expressing confidence. How do you know he heard you? First, we need to know his will. (Col 1:9)  You cannot express confidence if you don't know his will when you pray. 

           It is a shame that we play the game of chance with God. A que sera, sera. The word, clearly, states that we walk by faith and not by sight. We need to realize that even though the circumstances may say the contrary, they will have to bow down to the word of God. Let's use another verse to better understand God's will ( Matt 6:10) It says...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done!  God wants to bring his kingdom down to earth so that his will can be done. Is sickness in the kingdom of God? No. Is poverty in the kingdom of God? No. When we see the blessings of God on earth, we are having a taste of his kingdom. There were instances when Jesus told his disciples to say the kingdom has come unto you when performing the miracles of healing.(Luke 10:9) 

                     Another way to better understand this is through another verse. As we read this, one thing that stands out is that this was written in the Old testament. Lets take a careful look at the following....

 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. (Deut 11:21)

                 In the Old testament, God wanted to give his people days of heaven upon the earth. His covenant included long life and blessings. We, as covenant children, are no different. The word says that we have a covenant based on better promises. Yes, we are going to go through problems and testings, that is a given. The good thing about this is that we can turn our misery into our ministry. We can turn our tests into a testimony. Don't look at your trials and testings as a final end. NO! Look at it as a stepping stone! Your greatest victory lies ahead. God bless. 

                    

The rivers of his pleasure.

How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. (Ps 36:7-8)

                            Recently, the Lord ministered to me in a special way. One morning, I was feeling down and discouraged. I was frustrated having to deal with my shortcomings before the Lord. That day, the Lord through a devotional opened my eyes to Psalms 36:7-8 in a special way. He called my attention to the words---the river of thy pleasures. 

                        Having  pleasure is not bad. There are other aspects of pleasures that are, actually, good for you. The reason people are seeking carnal pleasures is because there is a void in their lives. That void gets filled with worldly pleasures instead of the godly.(II Tim 3:4) Seeing this, I told God to fill me with his pleasures instead of the world, yet I still had some issues that were causing me problems. Agonizing over this, I asked him to fill me with his pleasures again.

                        I will never forget what he told me. He said---"Son, when you spend time renewing your mind and spending time in my presence, I will transform your carnal pleasures into godly pleasures!" Joshua 1:8 says to meditate on the Lord day and night. The word meditate means to murmur in the Hebrew. As we confess who we are in Christ and what is ours, our minds will start to change. 

                      Lately, I have been doing a study on the subject of Grace. Grace is a wonderful thing that God has given us, but did you know that Grace will teach us? (Titus 2:11-12) I applaud the many revelations that God has given us concerning the gifts, healing and financial prosperity but have you noticed that there is little teachings of how to overcome the flesh? Yes, the old man is buried under the waters of baptism but it tries to get resurrected once in a while. We need to kill it and keep it buried. (Col 3:5)

                   Do you want God's desires to be yours? Do you want God's thoughts to be yours? Then, spend some time in the word. Quote God's promises to yourself. I thank God for technology because when I go to bed, I put the Bible on my smart phone and I am at peace with him as I hear his word throughout the evening. So, if you are having issues with your life, it is time for a change. Let's step up to the plate and see what God can do for us. God bless. 

Prayer---Dear Lord, forgive me for all my sins and shortcomings. I want to be more like you. I want to have the mind of Christ. Lord, help me to make time to renew my mind. Help me to develop your thoughts. Help me to change my desires to yours as I renew my mind. I want to drink from the rivers of your pleasures today. Thank you for changing me into the image of Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen!

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More on Grace!

                                         Image courtesy of the path traveler at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

                  And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. (I Sam 17:40)

                              In this morning, I want to share some more thoughts on grace. Why grace? Because what you don't know about the grace of God can hurt you in the long run. Before David fought the Giant, he went near the brook and looked for five smooth stones. We, all know, that he killed the Giant with one well-aimed stone but why five?
                                When you study the Bible, pay attention to small details. They mean a lot. The number five in biblical term is equated to God's grace. When you think about this, it was God's grace that gave David the victory. It will be God's grace when you are going through that will get you to the other side and onto victory. 
                            Another thing to consider in studying grace. David set aside 5 stones. One for Goliath and the four for his family members. (II Sam 21: 19-23) Grace will help plan and prepare you for future battles. We are a blessed people with our new covenant. Think about this---In Deuteronomy 28, the Jews had the blessings of Abraham. I like to call it the "loolipop" principle which says that if you do this, I will do this. In this list was the blessings and cursings. 
         In our new covenant, we have grace. We had grace for salvation and have it for our needs. A case in point is healing. Many dear saints are frustrated. They work hard for the kingdom and come to church every time the doors are opened, yet they are defeated and sick. Beloved, please do not misunderstand me, we need to live a holy life and not give place to the enemy but doing good works will not activate the power of God. 
          Grace is the missing ingredient. An example of this is the prayer of faith. James 5:15 says that it will heal us and forgive us of our sins. What does that means? God will extend grace to us "on credit." In spite of our missing it, he will still heal us when we use faith and grace. The danger to this is that once God reveals your sin, one needs to confess it and repent or a worse thing will come. 
         Did you know that in spite of the Old testament laws God extended grace to his own? Samson was a prime example of this. Many times, he had fallen into sin yet God covered him by his grace. (Judges 15:15, 16:1-3) The flip side of this is that Samson played with that grace and suffered great consequences. 
          So, brethren, let's take advantage of God's grace and receive it from his hand. How? By being humble. (I Peter 5:5) Let's put aside all pride and take full advantage of his grace. God wants us to grow, get healed and receive all that he has for us. 

Prayer--Dear Lord, point out any areas of pride in my life. I want to receive your grace. Help me to use grace to defeat the giants in my life. Help me to use grace to prepare myself for bigger and greater challenges. Help me to understand how to use grace through faith to grow in you. To be God-inside minded. To do the things that pleases you. To receive all that you have promised me through Christ. In Jesus name---Amen! 

                         

Being covenant minded!

Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
                                 (I Samuel 17:36)


                   Are you covenant minded? That is the question that I want to ask you today. If you are born again, whether you know it or not, you have a covenant with God. In the Old testament, a proof of a covenant was circumcision, which was done on the eighth day. (Gen 17:11) When David saw the Giant raging and challenging Israel, he had his mind focused on one thing--covenant! He was covenant minded and had his mind set on victory. 
                    Our covenant with God is baptism in water. When we get baptized in water, we are circumcising our hearts and burying the old man. In other words, we are getting rid of the old sinful nature through the waters of baptism. (Rom 6:4/Col 2:12) It is just like joining a gang, but it is a spiritual gang where the boss is God Almighty-Praise God! Growing up in New York City, I saw a lot of things--Good and bad. 
                   One thing that I will, always, remember is gang initiation. When you join a gang, you have to go through an initiation. Sometimes, it involves getting beat up for a couple of minutes. After you pass the test, you are accepted. So, that means if anyone picks a fight with you, they have to fight the whole gang. Why? Because you are in covenant with that gang!
                    David knew the power of covenant. He saw his God deliver him from the bear and Lion. He had his eyes set on bigger things, bigger goals and bigger rewards. Are you going through? Take some time to rehearse your past victories like David did.                  
                 When trials and testings come to you. Fear not! You have a covenant with God. We tend to get discouraged when problems overwhelms us, but think about it--Problems are stepping stones to a reward. When David defeated the Giant, he got rewarded with riches, the king's daughter and living in the land tax free! That, also, applied to his family, too. (I Sam 17:25) So, when problems start growing as Giants, rejoice in the Lord. You will be blessed and see great rewards come to you. 

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Works vs Salvation!

 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil 2:2)

                          This verse says a lot. Unfortunately, this verse has been very much misunderstood. Many legalists will say that you have to be saved by works because of this verse, but let's look at a couple of important points--

• First, we were created to be his workmanship created unto good works.(Eph 2:10) We do not work to be saved, we work because we are saved.
• Second, we are saved and seated in heavenly places. (Eph 2:6) If we are to work for our salvation, then we are not seated in heavenly places.
• Third, Our Salvation is complete in the spirit, but we have to put our souls (mind, will and emotions) and our flesh (Body) under the rule of the Holy Spirit. This takes work and it is a part of working our salvation in those two areas. Remember, man is a tri-part being and we need to be complete in that area as well. (I Thess 5:23) 
• Salvation is referred in the Greek word "Soteria" and it means perservation, protection, prosperity and healing. Those areas need to be worked out as well with fear and trembling. Why? God judges unbelief and it has serious consequences. (Rev 21:8)

                      So, in this day, determine to work out your salvation in those areas. Take some valuable time in the word and let it come alive in you. Not only will it change you but it will change your circumstances as well. 

The hidden power and benefit of grace--Part II

                         Last time we talked about grace, we saw how it protected Noah. Little is known about this wonderful power of God. We saw it at work in Noah's life. His society was perverse, dangerous and tough, nevertheless, God had mercy on his servant.
                           Today, we are going to see more about the hidden power of grace and what it does. I like to call it hidden because there are some who do not understand its functions. Hard to believe, but there are those who believe that Salvation has to be worked out until the end. Legalistic doctrines have been made about God's gift. I am amazed that some will argue with me and say you can't know that you are saved until you die.I, respectfully, have to differ.
                            The word says that you know that you have eternal life. (I John 5:13) So, if we know that we have eternal life, we are saved---point blank!  Eph 2:8-9 says that Salvation is a gift through grace not of works. Many will say, but what about the verse that says he that endured unto the end shall be saved? (Matt 24:13) Again, Matt 24:13 indicates works and that contradicts the gift of salvation. If you do a careful study of that chapter, that is talking about the Jews. (Matt 24:20)
                             When Jesus comes for his church, the dispensation of grace will cease and God will focus his attention to the Jews and the law. (Eph 3:2/Eph 1:10) Scriptures teaches us that in the last days, the sacrifices will be instituted again.  That is why the dispensation of grace was called a mystery. Jesus spoke very little about it to his disciples and that mystery was revealed to Paul. He spoke consistently about the mystery, which was the Jews and Gentiles becoming one. (Rom 11:25/ Eph 1:10)
                            That is why we need to be careful how we interpret scripture. I believe that God is full of mercy and grace, but nevertheless, we can't let our guard down. Sin has consequences and there is a place where one's salvation can be lost but it is not as easy as one thinks it is. Think about this, Jesus made this clear---what is born of flesh is flesh and what is spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)
                                Here is an example in understanding the benefits of grace--Even though we disappointed our family, they did not cast us out. I did not stop being a Santos because of a shortcoming. True, when I was a minor, I was disciplined and corrected but still remained a part of the family. The same is true in the spirit. God is not waiting for us to mess up and hit us with a club to send us to hell. He gives us grace and mercy. At times, he even corrects us and it is not a pretty sight.
                          When you were part of a Jewish family, there were standards to be followed. If a son caused shame and grief on the family, the father would then tear part of his clothes and call his son dead. The same is with us---If after we mature and stray away, our heart will get hardened. There will, then, come a time when God will see us dead. We don't want to get there. The good news is that God will, always, leave a door open as with the example of the prodigal son. Another clear example of the benefits of grace.
                             So, my friend, take advantage of God's grace while there is still time. If you are wrestling with some issues (and who isn't ?), ask God to have mercy on you. Ask him to work within you a spirit of repentance. Confess that you love righteousness and hate iniquity. As you do so, you will begin to hate what he hates and loves what he loves.That indeed is the hidden power of grace. God bless.
                       

The hidden power and benefit of grace.

                    But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Gen 6:8) 

                    Greetings. In this day, we are studying about the power and benefits of grace. Generally, the majority of Christians understand grace as unmerited favor and it is, but in this study,we will see that it is more than that. The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. What we see happening in our lifetime is just history repeating itself.
              How were the times in which Noah was living? If you read Gen 6:1-8 and Matt 24:37-39, you will get an idea of how rough it was. There were Giants in the land. These Giants were the result of fallen angels having sex with women. If you think Giants were the result of just Bible symbolism or fables, think again.
              History has shown that Giants truly existed. There has been bones found of Giants that were more than 10 feet tall or bigger. They were admired at that time because of their superhuman strength. Think about it...Superman was not the only original superhero! They were, also, known to have a big appetite consuming large amounts of meats. To add to that, they were known to eat humans also. (Numbers 13:32).
            Giants were intimidating and forced people into servitude. So this thing with Homosexuals forcing us to accept their lifestyle is nothing new. This is just history repeating itself. Plus, if you read Gen 6:1-8, you will find that every thought of man was evil continually. 
                   They were into gluttony, getting drunk and giving into marriage. Divorces and homosexual marriages were abounding, so much so, that it grieved God. How did grace apply to Noah? God's grace protected him and his family from the influence of the culture. God's grace, also, protected him from hurt and harm. Somehow in all this, Noah did not stop seeking God and he found grace with him.
So, in this day, continue to seek God's face. As you do so, you will find grace and see it protect you and your family. Grace will, also, show you what is your calling as we will see tomorrow in our next devotional. God bless.