Undo your future---Part 2

    Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

                      

      Greetings. In our last devotional, we saw the importance of words. Words are important and they determine our future. Many of you reading this are where you are become of words. Words are powerful and how you use it can determine your future.

          Jesus said my words are spirit and life. The word, also, says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. So, it stands to reason that if Jesus words are spirit and life, then are your words the same? Remember, words are spirits and what you say can release it for good or harm. 

             Such was the case for the Jews. In their haste to kill Jesus, they were led by their emotions and would speak words. Those words would affect them and their seed. They

took upon them the responsibility of being accountable for the death of Jesus. (Matt 27:25) 

        The blood that saves would become a curse to them. Those words would release the spirits of death and destruction. The good news is that God was not finished with his people. Centuries later, He would give Ezekiel, the prophet, a vision. A vision that would take him to the future and see a valley of dry bones. I, personally, believe that this was in Germany during World War II. The Jews would see persecutiion arise in Germany. Adolph Hitler and the Nazis would gather the Jews in a concentration camp.

            There he would take them to the gas chambers, put their carcasses in the oven. Once burned, they would scrap off their remains and leave them in a remote valley. God told Ezekiel to prophesy and he did. God released words. God released spirits and undid a curse. The Jews were going to be blessed and be a mighty nation. Words have power, my friend.

               So, determine to do a check up on what have you been speaking about. Also, take it a step futher. What have others been speaking about you, especially behind your back? We have to be careful who we associate ourselves with. Not everybody has our best interest.

           The good news is that you can undo those words, even those spoken behind your back. Isa 54:17 says that every tongue that rises against you in judgement, you shall condemn. That includes  those spirits released by words through your so-called "friends." Words that have been spoken behind your back can be judged and put to naught. In other words, you can bind those spirits and put them under your foot.

           So, exercise your authority in Christ. If you need to change relationships or even your church, do so. You, your future and loved ones can be at stake. More to come about this on Monday. Have a good weekend and God bless.

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Going the extra mile!

                                                 Image courtesy of [image creator name] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." (Phil 1:23-24)

                        Are you willing to go the extra mile for the Lord? We go the extra mile for friends, family and even in our jobs, but are you willing to go the extra mile for Jesus? The Apostle Paul had to make a decision. While he was in prison suffering for Jesus, he was faced with a choice. A choice that had major implications and would impact future generations. 
                       The Apostle Paul wanted to go home and be with the Lord. He, probably, spent his days daydreaming about heaven. Imagine being chained in a dungeon and having rats as his companions. Imagine spending cold or hot nights in that dungeon. You could understand why he had a desire to depart. 
             In the midst of his circumstances, he decided to sacrifice his own desire to be in heaven and remain on earth for a while longer. Why? Not because of himself, but because of the love he had for his fellow brethren. Thank God, he chose the latter because we would not have had the rest of the epistles. Did you know that you can extend your life by faith? You don't have to settle for que sera, sera.
             Imagine the power to tell death---Not now, I have a job to fulfill. Yes, the Apostle Paul could have rested on his laurels. He could have said--I did what I needed to do, but no, he chose to go the extra mile! Why? The love of God constrained him to do it. Friends, that is why it is important that you understand the importance of fulfilling your calling. Each one of us has a calling. In fact, some of you may be willing to go the extra mile when you find out what you are called for. 
      Take the ministry of helps. The ministry of helps is one in which you clean the church, mop the floors and, at times, work in the kitchen serving food. It is not a job in which you are noticed, but God sees what you are doing. I have, personally, seen the brethren spend long hours into the night, making sure the church needs are met. These people are special. They are the ones who, after a church concert, are cleaning up and making sure things are in order.
        If you are faithful in the little things, the Lord will promote you. Philip was a deacon who was later promoted to evangelist. (1) The Lord used Philip in a great way and he'll do the same with you, if you are willing to go the extra mile. Are you willing to go the extra mile and spend more time in prayer for your Pastor? Are you willing to put a muzzle in your mouth and stop criticizing the Pastor? Pastors are human and make mistakes. It is so easy to criticize the Pastor, but try doing his/her job for a week or so and you will see that its hard work!
            So, friend, ask God to show you how you can go the extra mile. Let the love of Christ build up in you so that going the extra mile won't be a burden but be a joy. Remember as you give of yourself and your time, your labor of love won't be in vain. Who knows? Your actions could impact history and future generations to come. God bless. 

Prayer---Father, Thank you for speaking to me. Forgive me if I have been selfish. Help me to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. Help me to grow in grace and perfect my love walk. Show me what is my calling and place in the body, so I can better serve you. In doing so, help me to go the extra mile and glorify you. In Jesus Name---AMEN! 

Scriptures: (1) Acts 6:5, Acts 8
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Is Tomorrow promised to us?

                                         My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. (Prov 3:1-2)


                                Death! It is a reality. Should the Lord tarry his coming, all of us are going to die. The question is when? Nobody likes to talk about death, but we face it every day. The death of a friend or loved one. The death of a well known personality. People are dying every day around the world, but one thing I want to address and that is about the statement---Tomorrow is not promised to us.
                          Allow me to burst your bubble and, at the same time, bring you some good news---Tomorrow can be promised to you! If you look at the above verses (Prov 3:1-2), you will find that following God's ways will lead to long life and that was under the Old covenant! The word says that we have a new covenant with new and better promises (1). So, friend, If you are a Christian and walk in the ways of the Lord, tomorrow can be promised to you!
                        Did you know that you can die before your time? That is a fact. Let's look at the verse below...
                       " Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Ecc 7:17) 
            From what I read in this verse, you can die before your time. Why? Be cause wickedness and foolishness will cut years from your life. Brethren, God wants us to have a long life and serve him. In fact, living long will satisfy the Lord.(2) The other question is why do people die young? First, a lack of knowledge(3). What you don't know can kill you. Second, if you are not a Christian, tomorrow is not promised to you. You do not have a covenant with God. God is not obligated to give you long life. Third, the word says we walk by faith and not by sight.(4). The fact that a Christian dies young does not negate the word. His promises still stands. 
                   A good example to this is II Peter 3:9. God is not willing that people die and perish in their sins, but everyday people die and go to hell. The sad fact is that they don't have to. Receiving Jesus is the key(5), but God respects the human will. The same holds true for all of his promises. We have to receive the word and then act on it. Faith without works is dead.(6)
                    We have got to stop looking at God's ways as just a bingo game. People say that when your number is up, that's it! Well, allow me to disagree. When you have a calling to fulfill--You should not die before fulfilling your calling. All of us in the body have a calling to fulfill and that is a fact. Look at the verse below----

"  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18) 

                  It is a sad fact that the majority of good, spirit-filled Christians do not know their calling. It is even sadder that a large group of them, actually, die without knowing their calling. God's wants us to know his will for our lives. Ask God to reveal his calling to your life and how to fulfill it. Pray the prayer of Ephesians over yourself everyday and I assure you---You will find your calling and place in the Lord! 
               So in this morning, know that you have a calling to fulfill. Know that until you fulfill your calling, tomorrow is indeed promised to you! I want to challenge you in this day---If you are not a Christian and you are reading this, you can enjoy life to the fullest! Write a new page in your life and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Pray the prayer in this link and step into the most exciting adventure of your life! (http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2012/05/sinners-prayer.html) Make Jesus the Lord of your life today while there is still time--God bless! 

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for speaking to me in this day. Thank you that you want to show me your calling for my life. Lord, show me what is my calling and my inheritance in the saints. Help me to fulfill my calling and forgive me for speaking foolish things. I bind every foolish word that I have spoken and render it void and useless. I declare in this day that my tomorrow is promised and I will fulfill your calling and purposes for my life. In Jesus name---Amen! 

Scriptures--
(1) Heb 8:6
(2) Ps 91:16
(3) Hosea 4:6
(4) I Cor 5:7
(5) John 1:12
(6) James 2:20


            
               

What are you doing with your keys?

                 

                  "...behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys                                  of hell and of death."  (Rev 1:18)


                 As I was studying Revelations 1:18, the Holy Spirit led me to do a study on keys. In this time and age, everybody has a key. A key to a house or a car, but in biblical times, a key was symbolic to authority. Jesus has the keys, which symbolizes authority The good news is that he shares those keys with us---The bride of Christ! The word of God says that we are joint heirs with Jesus. A joint heir is compared to a wife.
           We, need to understand the meaning of covenant. When you get married, you are entering into a covenant. Society has cheapened the concept of marriage to an all time low. As a consequence of this, it has lost the true meaning of it. A marriage is when you learn to share all things with that special person, including your innermost secrets and possessions.
                  Jesus shares his secrets with his church. We are the church! When the husband has the keys to the house or car, he shares it with his wife. Jesus has the keys! The keys to life, the keys to healing,as well as the keys to hell and death! The word of God says that he has given us authority to thread on serpents and scorpions. (Luke 10:19) We can use the keys that he has given us to pray for our loved ones salvation.
           Keys can be used to bind or loose from bondage. When you were bond in biblical times, you were in chains. Praise God, he has loosed us and set us free from sin, the world and death! To add the icing to the cake, he gave us the keys. John 10:9 says that he is the door and we enter in. Those keys that were given to us, opens the door to salvation! 
          Friends, Salvation is,not,just being free from hell, but it is more than that. The Greek work "Soteria" defines it as healing, preservation  protection and financial provision. How do we use those keys? Our keys are in our tongues. The book of Proverbs defines the tongue as life and death. These keys that can, either, open doors of blessings or curses in our lives and others. So, in this day, let us learn to use, wisely, the keys that our Lord has instructed to our care. 



Scripture reading: James 3

Prayer: "Heavenly, Father, Thank you for speaking to me through your word. Help me to use my tongue wisely. I commit before you, Lord, with the help of the Holy Spirit to control my tongue. Help me to think before I speak. Lord, I speak death to sickness, poverty, the works of the flesh and lack. I speak favor, strength, peace and wisdom in my life. Thank you, Lord, for teaching me on how to use my keys today, in Jesus name. Amen" 

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What are you speaking today?

         

   " Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Prov 18:21)


               Greetings. In this day, we all have to make decisions in life. There are some decisions in which we need God's help. Sometimes, our emotions and bias could cause us to make wrong choices. Case in point were the Religious leaders who crucified Jesus. They had a bone to pick. 
               Sure, they knew all about prophecy and about the Lord, but, they had allow mixture to creep in. Plus, they enjoyed the power with the Roman government and with the people. They had it made until Jesus came on the scene and rocked the boat. Outsmarting them at every turn, Jesus relied on the wisdom from above.
                 He, even, called them to the carpet. Calling them hypocrites and generations of vipers. Contrary to popular belief, Jesus used to gather a multitude of people when he talked. He operated in signs and wonders, while the religious leaders preached a gospel with no substance. Instead of humbling themselves, repenting and agreeing with Jesus, they chose to harden their hearts. 
                They focused on their hurts and anger. Their emotions caused them to lose all reason and say something that would hurt them and their descendants. Let's look at the following verse----
               " Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." (Matt 27:25)
                 What a tragedy. A tragedy because these words would bring about a curse. In about 76 AD, Jerusalem got destroyed! The Romans killed many Jews, including the religious leaders. Time has shown that after many years, the Jews have been persecuted and killed. Why? Because of words spoken years ago. A precious thing like the blood became a curse to them.
                  So, brethren, let's think before we speak. We need to ask ourselves--ARE WE SPEAKING LIFE OR DEATH! Remember that God's word says that the wholesome tongue is a tree of life. In future studies, we will study on how to use the tongue to speak blessings to our lives. God bless! 

                      

Are you ready to die?

 

     

          " And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs  were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised [to life];  And coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Amplified--Matt 27:50-53)

                     I know that my title will draw some attention, but again I ask the question----Are you ready to die? Death is not a pleasant subject. Nobody likes to talk about it. We tend to put it in the back of our minds, but death is a reality.

 o talk about death in the spiritual sense. A deatIf you are saved, you have an anointing inside of you, which can get to its  maximum level when you die to self. Elisha the prophet had such a strong anointing that even after his death, his bones brought life to a dead man. (II Kings 13:20-21)  I deal with requests for prayer as a Minister of the Word. Many are worried and stressed out, but, if they knew that they have the precious promises of God, life would be so different. God knows the end from the beginning and he calls us more than conquerors.

               In fact, we need to kill the old man and take him back to memory lane. To the time when we were baptized in water and buried him there.  Brethren, that is why baptism in water is so important. That is the place where you made a covenant with God. The word of God says to put on Christ, and that includes arming yourself with his armor. (Romans 13:14, Eph 6:10-18)Water Baptism is the place where you buried the old man and took off his clothes. If the old man has resurrected again, take off his clothes and kill him. Take him back to memory lane. Remind him that he is buried in the waters of baptism; take off his clothes and put on Christ.

      People pay big money for memories. In the 90's on late night tv, you would see commercials on songs of the '60's and '70's taking you to that first love...to those high school days; how much more should we do it with Jesus? He is our first love! He is our everything. Understanding the importance of death in Christ and the potential for anointing should help us to strive to the point of excellence. Today, unleash the power inside of you by partaking of his death! Great surprises and wonders will be yours for a lifetime.

Prayer--Dear Lord, help me to die to self. In this day, I say Let thy will be done. I want to hear what you plan for me today. If I have gotten lukewarm, stir up the fire within me. Make me red-hot for you. Thank you, Lord for hearing my prayers. In Jesus name, amen. 

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