WORSHIP FROM YOUR HEART :
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head - Mark 14:3-6
The spikenard was a fragrant plant, and its roots were used in Jesus' day to make an aromatic, costly perfume and ointment. The plant, itself, grows in the Himalaya mountains at an elevation of 11,000 to 17,000 feet. For centuries, it was used by Hindus as a medicine and perfume and was an actively traded commodity. Its great cost stemmed from that it had to be transported over 6,000 miles to reach Palestine, and depending on quality, it sold for as much as 400 denarii per pound (or $750 an ounce, is the modern purchasing equivalent). That made it more valuable than gold. This ointment was worth at least two and one-half times more than the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying the Lord, which is why Judas was so upset. This perfume was worth two and one-half times what Judas thought Jesus was worth.
Judas didn't care about the poor. He wanted to have the money that the perfume could have been sold for in his bag (he was the treasurer for Jesus) so he could steal it. This is a very serious crime that Jesus no doubt knew about, but scripture never mentions Him confronting Judas.
Judas' reaction to this act of pure worship is typical of the reaction toward worship of many people today. Judas and some of the other disciples, thought this was a waste. That was only because they didn't value Jesus as highly as Mary did. Mary had seen Jesus raise her brother from the dead and her heart was overflowing with love and worship. The disciples were looking on the outward things while Jesus was looking at Mary's heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Those who cannot see beyond the physical realm will be offended at others' displays of worship. True worship comes from the heart.
HOLD ON TO YOUR PEACE
… NOTHING CAN TAKE IT FROM U UNLESS U GIVE IT AWAY !!!
We all have times when people or circumstances come against us ─ times when we feel cheated, mistreated, wronged or taken advantage of. Maybe you’re facing a difficulty today and you’re not exactly sure how to handle it. If we look to the Word of God, we see that Jesus set a powerful example for us to follow. He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords in human form! He carried all the power in heaven and earth inside of Him. Yet, when He was about to go to the cross, when the people were mocking Him, ridiculing Him, persecuting Him and lying about Him, He didn’t try to defend Himself. He didn’t try to set the record straight. Do you know what He did? He just rested in the place of peace. He rested in who He was. He stood strong knowing that God, His Father, would deliver Him, and He would have victory in the end.
When things aren't going right or you feel like you’re being treated unfairly, you can do what Jesus did and stand strong in the place of peace. You can find security knowing that you are a child of the Most High God, and He promises to deliver you. Remember this: Jesus said, "Peace be with you." He also said, "My peace I leave with you."
God has given us peace. Hold on to that peace because nothing can take it from you unless you give it away. Don’t let offense creep in and steal peace. Offense is a liar. It will steal from you and drag you down. It will erode your self-esteem and rob you of everything that Jesus has already done for you. Instead, find confidence in knowing who you are in Jesus Christ. Because He died, you can live in power. Because of what He went through, you get all the rewards—you get the peace, the power, the strength and the anointing to overcome every obstacle you will ever face.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let you heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27, NASB)
PERSEVERANCE GETS RESULTS :
I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. – Luke 11:8
If, as God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:4, it's His will for all men to be saved, why aren't we seeing more of the masses of lost people born again every day? Have you ever wondered that?
I have...and as I've sought the Lord about it, I've come to realize that, for the most part, it's because those of us who are already saved don't pray persistently for those who aren't. Instead of persevering--staying before the Father, praying for them to receive the bread of salvation--like the man in Luke 11:8 did for his friend, when we don't see immediate results, we simply give up and go home.
What we don't realize is this: Perseverance is the key to success in intercession!
Why? It's certainly not because you have to change God's mind. He never changes. His mind's made up. He wants all men saved. The reason you have to persevere in intercession is to put pressure on the demonic forces that are trying to keep God's will from being accomplished. Those forces must be broken down through prayer so that strongholds are destroyed and spiritual blinders are removed from the spiritual eyes of the people you're praying for.
You see, God will not go against the will of people. But He will move through your intercession to reveal Himself. Through your persistent prayers, He will bring them to the knowledge of their need for Him. Then they'll reach out for Him and spiritual rebirth can take place!
If you're sitting around waiting on God to save Aunt Mary or Uncle Jim or your best friend...stop sitting around! Get busy interceding for them. Persevere in prayer. Pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:16-23 for them, refusing to give up until they're safely inside God's kingdom.
Jesus has already laid down His life so that they can be saved. The question is, will you?
I AM NOT FORGOTTEN
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. —Psalm 33:20
Waiting is hard at any time; but when days, weeks, or even months pass and our prayers seem to go unanswered, it’s easy to feel God has forgotten us. Perhaps we can struggle through the day with its distractions, but at night it’s doubly difficult to deal with our anxious thoughts. Worries loom large, and the dark hours seem endless. Utter weariness makes it look impossible to face the new day.
The psalmist grew weary as he waited (Ps. 13:1). He felt abandoned—as if his enemies were gaining the upper hand (v.2). When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation or to answer often-repeated prayers, it’s easy to get discouraged.
Satan whispers that God has forgotten us, and that things will never change. We may be tempted to give in to despair. Why bother to read the Bible or to pray? Why make the effort to worship with fellow believers in Christ? But we need our spiritual lifelines most when we’re waiting. They help to hold us steady in the flow of God’s love and to become sensitive to His Spirit.
The psalmist had a remedy. He focused on all that he knew of God’s love, reminding himself of past blessings and deliberately praising God, who would not forget him. So can we.
Lover of my soul, who draws close in the darkest and longest night, please
keep me trusting You, talking to You, and leaning on Your promises.
God is worth waiting for; His time is always best.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.” (Psalm 30: 11-12)
Dear Lord God, I praise You. I worship You. The law of the Lord is perfect; reviving my soul. Loving God, I sing You hymns of praise with my lips of pureness on this beautiful morning for You have comforted my heart after a long darkness night.May God renew my strength and anoint me with oil of joy and bless me every success in all areas of my life from today till eternity!
Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!
NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
http://youtu.be/qth2CNaXPbU
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
Gordon Williams http://gordwilliams.com/
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head - Mark 14:3-6
The spikenard was a fragrant plant, and its roots were used in Jesus' day to make an aromatic, costly perfume and ointment. The plant, itself, grows in the Himalaya mountains at an elevation of 11,000 to 17,000 feet. For centuries, it was used by Hindus as a medicine and perfume and was an actively traded commodity. Its great cost stemmed from that it had to be transported over 6,000 miles to reach Palestine, and depending on quality, it sold for as much as 400 denarii per pound (or $750 an ounce, is the modern purchasing equivalent). That made it more valuable than gold. This ointment was worth at least two and one-half times more than the thirty pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying the Lord, which is why Judas was so upset. This perfume was worth two and one-half times what Judas thought Jesus was worth.
Judas didn't care about the poor. He wanted to have the money that the perfume could have been sold for in his bag (he was the treasurer for Jesus) so he could steal it. This is a very serious crime that Jesus no doubt knew about, but scripture never mentions Him confronting Judas.
Judas' reaction to this act of pure worship is typical of the reaction toward worship of many people today. Judas and some of the other disciples, thought this was a waste. That was only because they didn't value Jesus as highly as Mary did. Mary had seen Jesus raise her brother from the dead and her heart was overflowing with love and worship. The disciples were looking on the outward things while Jesus was looking at Mary's heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Those who cannot see beyond the physical realm will be offended at others' displays of worship. True worship comes from the heart.
HOLD ON TO YOUR PEACE
… NOTHING CAN TAKE IT FROM U UNLESS U GIVE IT AWAY !!!
We all have times when people or circumstances come against us ─ times when we feel cheated, mistreated, wronged or taken advantage of. Maybe you’re facing a difficulty today and you’re not exactly sure how to handle it. If we look to the Word of God, we see that Jesus set a powerful example for us to follow. He was the King of kings and the Lord of lords in human form! He carried all the power in heaven and earth inside of Him. Yet, when He was about to go to the cross, when the people were mocking Him, ridiculing Him, persecuting Him and lying about Him, He didn’t try to defend Himself. He didn’t try to set the record straight. Do you know what He did? He just rested in the place of peace. He rested in who He was. He stood strong knowing that God, His Father, would deliver Him, and He would have victory in the end.
When things aren't going right or you feel like you’re being treated unfairly, you can do what Jesus did and stand strong in the place of peace. You can find security knowing that you are a child of the Most High God, and He promises to deliver you. Remember this: Jesus said, "Peace be with you." He also said, "My peace I leave with you."
God has given us peace. Hold on to that peace because nothing can take it from you unless you give it away. Don’t let offense creep in and steal peace. Offense is a liar. It will steal from you and drag you down. It will erode your self-esteem and rob you of everything that Jesus has already done for you. Instead, find confidence in knowing who you are in Jesus Christ. Because He died, you can live in power. Because of what He went through, you get all the rewards—you get the peace, the power, the strength and the anointing to overcome every obstacle you will ever face.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let you heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (John 14:27, NASB)
PERSEVERANCE GETS RESULTS :
I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. – Luke 11:8
If, as God tells us in 1 Timothy 2:4, it's His will for all men to be saved, why aren't we seeing more of the masses of lost people born again every day? Have you ever wondered that?
I have...and as I've sought the Lord about it, I've come to realize that, for the most part, it's because those of us who are already saved don't pray persistently for those who aren't. Instead of persevering--staying before the Father, praying for them to receive the bread of salvation--like the man in Luke 11:8 did for his friend, when we don't see immediate results, we simply give up and go home.
What we don't realize is this: Perseverance is the key to success in intercession!
Why? It's certainly not because you have to change God's mind. He never changes. His mind's made up. He wants all men saved. The reason you have to persevere in intercession is to put pressure on the demonic forces that are trying to keep God's will from being accomplished. Those forces must be broken down through prayer so that strongholds are destroyed and spiritual blinders are removed from the spiritual eyes of the people you're praying for.
You see, God will not go against the will of people. But He will move through your intercession to reveal Himself. Through your persistent prayers, He will bring them to the knowledge of their need for Him. Then they'll reach out for Him and spiritual rebirth can take place!
If you're sitting around waiting on God to save Aunt Mary or Uncle Jim or your best friend...stop sitting around! Get busy interceding for them. Persevere in prayer. Pray the prayer in Ephesians 1:16-23 for them, refusing to give up until they're safely inside God's kingdom.
Jesus has already laid down His life so that they can be saved. The question is, will you?
I AM NOT FORGOTTEN
Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. —Psalm 33:20
Waiting is hard at any time; but when days, weeks, or even months pass and our prayers seem to go unanswered, it’s easy to feel God has forgotten us. Perhaps we can struggle through the day with its distractions, but at night it’s doubly difficult to deal with our anxious thoughts. Worries loom large, and the dark hours seem endless. Utter weariness makes it look impossible to face the new day.
The psalmist grew weary as he waited (Ps. 13:1). He felt abandoned—as if his enemies were gaining the upper hand (v.2). When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation or to answer often-repeated prayers, it’s easy to get discouraged.
Satan whispers that God has forgotten us, and that things will never change. We may be tempted to give in to despair. Why bother to read the Bible or to pray? Why make the effort to worship with fellow believers in Christ? But we need our spiritual lifelines most when we’re waiting. They help to hold us steady in the flow of God’s love and to become sensitive to His Spirit.
The psalmist had a remedy. He focused on all that he knew of God’s love, reminding himself of past blessings and deliberately praising God, who would not forget him. So can we.
Lover of my soul, who draws close in the darkest and longest night, please
keep me trusting You, talking to You, and leaning on Your promises.
God is worth waiting for; His time is always best.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY :
“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. LORD my God, I will praise you forever.” (Psalm 30: 11-12)
Dear Lord God, I praise You. I worship You. The law of the Lord is perfect; reviving my soul. Loving God, I sing You hymns of praise with my lips of pureness on this beautiful morning for You have comforted my heart after a long darkness night.May God renew my strength and anoint me with oil of joy and bless me every success in all areas of my life from today till eternity!
Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name. Amen !!!
NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
http://youtu.be/qth2CNaXPbU
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
http://walthope.wordpress.com
Gordon Williams http://gordwilliams.com/
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