BLESSINGS BY THE BUSHEL :
And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you. – Mark 4:24
How many blessings are you going to receive from the Word of God? It depends on how many you expect to receive. When God measures them out to you, He'll be using your measuring stick, not His own. He always works that way.
Two people can hear God's Word about healing, for example. One will measure it with faith. "Praise God, by His stripes I was healed!" he'll say. "I believe that with all my heart, and I'm going to keep on believing it until I receive my healing."
The other will measure it with skepticism. "I don't care what Bible verses he comes up with," he'll say. "I just don't trust that preacher. I'll give this healing stuff a try, but I doubt very much if anything's going to come of it."
Both of those people will get exactly what they expect. God will measure to them just as they measured the Word. One will get healed...the other won't.
I must warn you though, sometimes measuring the Word with faith is hard. Years ago, when Gloria first read the scripture, "Owe no man anything," it was tempting for her to measure it as a curse, not a blessing. We were living in a terrible little house at the time, and she wanted a new one more than just about anything.
How were we ever going to buy a decent house without borrowing? It didn't seem possible. So, to her, it was as if that scripture had said, "Gloria, you can't have a new house."
But she refused to measure it that way. She grabbed the devil by the throat and said, "Look here now, you're not going to cheat me out of my house." Then she started believing that somehow God could provide her with a house debt free. Sure enough, He did.
If you want to receive blessings by the bushel load, start going to the Word with a bushel basket. Put a big measure of faith in the hand of God. He'll fill it to overflowing and give it right back to you!
THE HEART MATTERS :
John 7:22 "Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man."
The covenant of circumcision was given to Abram in Gen. 17:9-14. In v. 14, the Lord said that any man who did not carry this sign of the covenant in his flesh was to be killed. This placed a great importance on the act of circumcision. Paul says in Rom. 4:3-13, that Abraham had already been justified by faith before he was circumcised. It was Abram's faith that saved him at least 13 years before the Lord commanded Abram to be circumcised. The Jews had focused on the outward act of obedience instead of the inward act of faith that caused Abraham to be obedient. This was the source of the contention between Jesus and the religious leaders too. They were emphasizing all the outward acts that the Lord had commanded and were totally disregarding the motives of the heart. Jesus was saying that if an individual would cleanse his heart, then his actions would inevitably change too.
The truth of salvation by faith had been lost in Judaism, and even though many of the Jews had come to put faith in Jesus as their Savior, they were trying to mix faith and the keeping of the commandments together as a requirement for salvation.
The condition of a person's flesh is not the important thing. It doesn't matter if that flesh is circumcised or holy. It is the condition of the spirit that matters with God. Today the act of circumcision is not the issue, but acts of holiness are still deemed by many as essential for receiving salvation. This same legalistic thinking lives on today in the doctrine of water baptism, church membership, and other acts of holiness which some preach are necessary for salvation. Faith alone in the love of God, as expressed through Jesus, is the only thing that God demands for justification. Religious rites mean nothing. The only thing that counts is becoming a new creation.
COOL THOUGHTS FOR HOTHEADS (1) :
'...A hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.' Proverbs 29:22 NLT
Righteous indignation is the capacity to get aroused when it matters. When you see people mistreated and don't feel concerned, you're either in denial or lacking compassion. God designed anger to move us to action. The Bible says, '...God is angry with the wicked every day' (Psalm 7:11 NKJV); it motivates His actions against man's wickedness. When Jesus saw His Father's house being desecrated His anger drove Him to make a whip, overthrow the money tables and chase out the loan sharks. His '...passion for God's house [consumed Him].' (John 2:17 NLT) He couldn't remain passive or be part of compromise. The world needs people who'll take action when the weak and vulnerable are 'used and abused'. Hot temper, however, isn't the fruit of godly motivation. It's driven by our lower nature. Like Balaam who got angry when he was challenged by the truth, our pride gets hurt (Numbers 22:29). Or like Cain, who was jealous because his brother's gift was accepted and his wasn't, we get resentful when someone else seems blessed more than us (Genesis 4:3-7). Like Haman, who was enraged that Mordecai wouldn't bow before him, we selfishly desire to have our way (Esther 3:1-6). Like King Saul, who was envious over David's popularity, we get jealous when someone else has accomplished more than us (1 Samuel 18:8). Like King Ahab, who was confronted with the truth he'd rather not hear, we refuse to face our sinful ways and failures (1 Kings 22:15-27). The Bible cautions us: 'If you are angry, be sure it is not a sinful anger...don't give the devil that sort of foothold.' (Ephesians 4:26-27 PHPS)
GET YOUR FEET WET :
So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! - Exodus 14:22, NLT
When Joshua and the Israelites needed to get across the Jordan River, God said He would open it up, but they had to get their feet wet before the waters parted. They could have sat back and thought, “As soon as God opens it, then we’ll walk toward it. It doesn’t make sense to go now. The river is still flowing. Everything is normal. Nothing is unusual.” No, they took a step of faith and started walking toward the water. I can imagine when water got up to their ankles they thought, “What are we doing walking into a river? We could drown.” Water got up to their knees and thoughts said, “You’d better turn around. You’re making a mistake.” Water up to their waist. They just kept walking. What is that? Bold obedience. About that time, the river supernaturally parted. They walked into their promised land.
In the same way, if you’re going to make it to your promised land, it’s going to take this bold obedience. You’re not always going to understand what God is doing. God is not always logical. Faith is not in your head; faith is in your heart. You’ve got to turn your mind off and listen to what God is saying in your heart. Take a step of faith. Get your feet wet and move forward into the blessing and victory He has in store for you!
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145: 15-16)
Good morning dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. May the heavenly blessings fall upon me with the morning rain! Let my desert life be nourished by the streams of Life on this new day. Everything is on its revival for the heavenly nourishment's abound in the earth. May God satisfy my soul with Your unfailing love and fill my empty heart with Your wisdom and bless everything I touch prosper!
Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!
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