THE SPIRIT’S REST AND REFRESHING :
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”...
Isaiah 28:11–12
To counter stress, many people resort to tobacco, alcohol or tranquilizers. These things, besides having harmful side effects, are costly and often lead to addictions.
God has something better for us. It is powerful, costs us nothing and has no harmful side effects. He calls it “the rest” and “the refreshing”. What is He referring to?
Speaking in tongues—“For with stammering lips and another tongue…”
One of our church members was on medication for nine long years for a host of problems: severe depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, chronic sinusitis, gastritis and panic attacks. Every day, he had to take up to 30 tablets to keep these conditions under control.
He suffered from such bad sinusitis that he had to visit the hospital regularly to drain the mucus. He could not sleep much—at most three hours—even with sleeping pills. And because of his panic attacks, he could not go to work and seldom left his house. His wife had to look after him and their three kids. The side effects of the long-term medication also caused his physique to balloon.
One day, he felt God prompting him to pray in tongues as often as he could. He obeyed. The moment he started to pray in tongues, even though it was just a few syllables, he felt a rest, a peace. This encouraged him to pray in tongues more. And the more he prayed in tongues, the more rest and peace he felt.
His sinuses began to clear up and he was healed of gastritis. Slowly, the fears and panic attacks left him too. He also started to have quality sleep without the sleeping pills! The Lord even taught him how he was to eat—two meals a day, but to eat whatever he wanted. Today, he is back to his normal weight!
Through praying in tongues regularly, God delivered this man from a host of long-term illnesses. My friend, this is the rest and the refreshing which God has promised us. So start praying in tongues regularly, and let His rest and peace saturate your entire being!
Thought For The Day
Pray in tongues regularly and let God’s rest and peace saturate your entire being.
JESUS PAID THE PRICE :
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. - Mark 10:45
Jesus told His disciples many times of His death but this is the first time He indicated the reason for His death. Now it is clear that His death would be a "ransom", defined in the Greek as a means of loosing by paying a price.
The words "ransom" and "redeem" were used interchangeably in scripture.
Not only would Jesus pay the price for sin but also His death would be substitutionary. In 1 Timothy 2:6, the word "ransom" is taken from the Greek word "antilutron" which means "a redemption-price." The Greek word "anti" means "in place of." In other words, the ransom avails for all who will accept it (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 10:13).
The price paid for our redemption is the life of Jesus, that is, Jesus' blood (Col. 1:14). This redemption, according to Hebrews 9:12, is eternal and is intended to purify us from all iniquity (Ti. 2:14), and bring us to serve the living God (Heb.9:14).
This can be illustrated by the way we use trading stamps. First, the stamps have to be purchased, then they are redeemed for the desired product. The purchase is essential but so is the redemption. No one really wants the stamps. They want what the stamps can be redeemed for. The purchase for our total salvation has already been made with the blood of Jesus, but our bodies have not been redeemed yet. That is to say that we have not received yet, all the benefits of this transaction in our physical bodies. This will take place at the second coming of the Lord when we receive our new glorified bodies.
Our spirits are the only part of us that have experienced total redemption.
Thank God for the redemption He has provided for you today.
VOLUNTEERS, NOT CONSCRIPTS :
'Whatever we do, it is...because Christ's love controls us now.' 2 Corinthians 5:14 TLB
Paul writes, 'Whatever we do, it is certainly not for our own profit, but because Christ's love controls us now.' God is looking for volunteers, not conscripts. Conscripts are motivated by law; volunteers are motivated by love. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, enlistment centres all over America were jammed with boys too young to fight, men who had retired, and even the blind. One elderly man said to a recruitment officer, 'I'd consider it my greatest privilege to die defending this country.' Why do men and women do this? Duty? Yes, but something even greater - devotion! Their hearts have been captured by a cause. Facing the loss of his freedom, his ministry and possibly his life, Martin Luther told the ecclesiastical powers of his day, 'I will not recant. My conscience is captive to the Word of God!' No one should ever have to beg and pressure you to teach a Sunday school class, work with young people, give to the cause of Christ, visit the sick, lonely and needy, or serve others. You should be begging for the privilege! Paul said, 'What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.' (Philippians 3:7-8 KJV) Commitment to Christ is like signing your name on a blank cheque and saying, 'Lord, You fill in the amount.' You're not doing God a favour by serving Him; He's honouring you by allowing you to serve Him. Today, measure what you would do for the Lord - by what you actually do
SPIRITUAL NAVIGATION
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. —Psalm 119:105
Dava Sobel’s award-winning book Longitude describes a dilemma faced by early sailors. They could readily determine their latitude north or south of the equator by the length of the day or height of the sun. Calculating east/west longitude, however, remained complex and unreliable until English clockmaker John Harrison invented the marine chronometer. This was “a clock that would carry the true time from the home port . . . to any remote corner of the world,” thus enabling sailors to determine longitude.
As we navigate the seas of life, we also have a reliable source of spiritual direction—the Bible. The psalmist wrote, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). Rather than occasionally glancing at God’s Word, he spoke of pondering the Lord’s directions throughout each day: “Your testimonies are my meditation” (v.99). This was coupled with a commitment to obey the Author: “I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments” (v.106).
Like the mariners of old, we need a constant guide to help us find our way and stay on course. That’s what happens when we seek the Lord day by day with an open heart and a willing spirit that says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
We need God’s guidance from above,
His daily leading and His love;
As we trust Him for direction,
To our course He’ll give correction.
With God as your navigator, you’re headed in the right direction.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP :
The steps of a [good] man are directed and established of the Lord, when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. – Psalm 37:23
God's will is to lead you on a day-by-day basis. He's given His Spirit to guide you every day.
Most believers don't know that. They expect God to reveal His complete will for their lives in one big revelation. Don't make that mistake. Don't just sit around waiting for God to show you whether or not He wants you to go to Africa for the rest of your life.
Let Him begin to lead you in little things first, to tell you what you need to do about this situation or that one. He'll show you what you need to change. And, as He does, you'll change one thing at a time.
The truth is, you probably already know one thing God wants you to do. You might not know why He wants you to do it. You may not know where it's leading, but you've heard His voice in your heart.
If you want to keep on hearing Him, you'll have to set aside your own ambitions and desires. Spend time in prayer and in the Word. Tune your ear to the voice of His Spirit.
Learn to trust Him. Remember that He's smarter than you are and be willing to do what He says whether you can understand it with your mind or not. Obey even His smallest instructions. If you do, He'll eventually change your whole life...one little step at a time.
SUBMISSION RELEASES GOD’S FAVOR
Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand…” - 1 Samuel 17:17–18
You are probably familiar with the story of David and Goliath. But do you remember how this shepherd boy ended up on the battlefield to begin with?
David was there to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers who were in the army. And yet, David found himself standing on the battlefield as Israel’s representative against the haughty Goliath. From delivering bread and cheese, he was now called upon to deliver the entire nation of Israel.
David was at the right place at the right time because he humbled himself and submitted to his father’s instructions to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers.
Beloved, this is something you need to understand. Submission to God-appointed leadership will always cause God’s favor to flow in your life, and you will find yourself, like David, at the right place at the right time, empowered by God to do the right thing!
BREAK THE YOKE OF AVERAGE :
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20–21, NKJV
God never created you to be ordinary. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. God wants you to do something big. He wants you to go further than anyone in your family. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. That yoke of average that’s been around your neck is coming off. God is about to thrust you to a new level of destiny. It’s going to be exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ever imagine! This is a new day, and you’re going to see the yoke-destroying, burden-removing power of our God like never before!
If you will receive this into your spirit and not talk yourself out of it, it will ignite your faith and become a reality. Let it go beyond being an encouragement and grab hold of it in your spirit. Believe, “This is for me. This is my destiny. Something new is being birthed. Yokes are coming off of me. Chains are being broken. I am stepping in to the fullness of my destiny!”
Have a Blessed Day. God's Grace be with you and yours !!!
TODAY MEDITATE ON: 2 KINGS 4:6–7
Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
WISDOM TO CONTAIN GOD’S PROVISION
When it comes to provision, God’s word is chockfull of wisdom and encouragement. It not only gives you pictures of God’s inexhaustible supply, but it also provides wisdom in managing what comes into your hands.
In the story found in 2 Kings 4:2–7, Elisha told a poor widow to get as many empty vessels as she could, and pour her last jar of oil into the vessels. She did as told and miraculously, the oil kept flowing. It stopped only when she ran out of vessels. Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay her debt and live on the surplus.
I want you to see two important things here. Firstly, the supply stopped only when the demand on God’s supply stopped. I want to encourage you to never stop looking to Jesus for your supply.
Secondly, if you are in debt, your first priority is to settle your debt. Notice that Elisha told the widow, “Sell the oil and pay your debt.” And when you have cleared your debt, learn to live within your means. Beloved, the more you meditate on and heed the practical wisdom in God’s Word, the more you will be able to contain His provision.
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, to whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”...
Isaiah 28:11–12
To counter stress, many people resort to tobacco, alcohol or tranquilizers. These things, besides having harmful side effects, are costly and often lead to addictions.
God has something better for us. It is powerful, costs us nothing and has no harmful side effects. He calls it “the rest” and “the refreshing”. What is He referring to?
Speaking in tongues—“For with stammering lips and another tongue…”
One of our church members was on medication for nine long years for a host of problems: severe depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, chronic sinusitis, gastritis and panic attacks. Every day, he had to take up to 30 tablets to keep these conditions under control.
He suffered from such bad sinusitis that he had to visit the hospital regularly to drain the mucus. He could not sleep much—at most three hours—even with sleeping pills. And because of his panic attacks, he could not go to work and seldom left his house. His wife had to look after him and their three kids. The side effects of the long-term medication also caused his physique to balloon.
One day, he felt God prompting him to pray in tongues as often as he could. He obeyed. The moment he started to pray in tongues, even though it was just a few syllables, he felt a rest, a peace. This encouraged him to pray in tongues more. And the more he prayed in tongues, the more rest and peace he felt.
His sinuses began to clear up and he was healed of gastritis. Slowly, the fears and panic attacks left him too. He also started to have quality sleep without the sleeping pills! The Lord even taught him how he was to eat—two meals a day, but to eat whatever he wanted. Today, he is back to his normal weight!
Through praying in tongues regularly, God delivered this man from a host of long-term illnesses. My friend, this is the rest and the refreshing which God has promised us. So start praying in tongues regularly, and let His rest and peace saturate your entire being!
Thought For The Day
Pray in tongues regularly and let God’s rest and peace saturate your entire being.
JESUS PAID THE PRICE :
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. - Mark 10:45
Jesus told His disciples many times of His death but this is the first time He indicated the reason for His death. Now it is clear that His death would be a "ransom", defined in the Greek as a means of loosing by paying a price.
The words "ransom" and "redeem" were used interchangeably in scripture.
Not only would Jesus pay the price for sin but also His death would be substitutionary. In 1 Timothy 2:6, the word "ransom" is taken from the Greek word "antilutron" which means "a redemption-price." The Greek word "anti" means "in place of." In other words, the ransom avails for all who will accept it (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 10:13).
The price paid for our redemption is the life of Jesus, that is, Jesus' blood (Col. 1:14). This redemption, according to Hebrews 9:12, is eternal and is intended to purify us from all iniquity (Ti. 2:14), and bring us to serve the living God (Heb.9:14).
This can be illustrated by the way we use trading stamps. First, the stamps have to be purchased, then they are redeemed for the desired product. The purchase is essential but so is the redemption. No one really wants the stamps. They want what the stamps can be redeemed for. The purchase for our total salvation has already been made with the blood of Jesus, but our bodies have not been redeemed yet. That is to say that we have not received yet, all the benefits of this transaction in our physical bodies. This will take place at the second coming of the Lord when we receive our new glorified bodies.
Our spirits are the only part of us that have experienced total redemption.
Thank God for the redemption He has provided for you today.
VOLUNTEERS, NOT CONSCRIPTS :
'Whatever we do, it is...because Christ's love controls us now.' 2 Corinthians 5:14 TLB
Paul writes, 'Whatever we do, it is certainly not for our own profit, but because Christ's love controls us now.' God is looking for volunteers, not conscripts. Conscripts are motivated by law; volunteers are motivated by love. After the attack on Pearl Harbour, enlistment centres all over America were jammed with boys too young to fight, men who had retired, and even the blind. One elderly man said to a recruitment officer, 'I'd consider it my greatest privilege to die defending this country.' Why do men and women do this? Duty? Yes, but something even greater - devotion! Their hearts have been captured by a cause. Facing the loss of his freedom, his ministry and possibly his life, Martin Luther told the ecclesiastical powers of his day, 'I will not recant. My conscience is captive to the Word of God!' No one should ever have to beg and pressure you to teach a Sunday school class, work with young people, give to the cause of Christ, visit the sick, lonely and needy, or serve others. You should be begging for the privilege! Paul said, 'What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.' (Philippians 3:7-8 KJV) Commitment to Christ is like signing your name on a blank cheque and saying, 'Lord, You fill in the amount.' You're not doing God a favour by serving Him; He's honouring you by allowing you to serve Him. Today, measure what you would do for the Lord - by what you actually do
SPIRITUAL NAVIGATION
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. —Psalm 119:105
Dava Sobel’s award-winning book Longitude describes a dilemma faced by early sailors. They could readily determine their latitude north or south of the equator by the length of the day or height of the sun. Calculating east/west longitude, however, remained complex and unreliable until English clockmaker John Harrison invented the marine chronometer. This was “a clock that would carry the true time from the home port . . . to any remote corner of the world,” thus enabling sailors to determine longitude.
As we navigate the seas of life, we also have a reliable source of spiritual direction—the Bible. The psalmist wrote, “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). Rather than occasionally glancing at God’s Word, he spoke of pondering the Lord’s directions throughout each day: “Your testimonies are my meditation” (v.99). This was coupled with a commitment to obey the Author: “I have sworn and confirmed that I will keep Your righteous judgments” (v.106).
Like the mariners of old, we need a constant guide to help us find our way and stay on course. That’s what happens when we seek the Lord day by day with an open heart and a willing spirit that says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
We need God’s guidance from above,
His daily leading and His love;
As we trust Him for direction,
To our course He’ll give correction.
With God as your navigator, you’re headed in the right direction.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP :
The steps of a [good] man are directed and established of the Lord, when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. – Psalm 37:23
God's will is to lead you on a day-by-day basis. He's given His Spirit to guide you every day.
Most believers don't know that. They expect God to reveal His complete will for their lives in one big revelation. Don't make that mistake. Don't just sit around waiting for God to show you whether or not He wants you to go to Africa for the rest of your life.
Let Him begin to lead you in little things first, to tell you what you need to do about this situation or that one. He'll show you what you need to change. And, as He does, you'll change one thing at a time.
The truth is, you probably already know one thing God wants you to do. You might not know why He wants you to do it. You may not know where it's leading, but you've heard His voice in your heart.
If you want to keep on hearing Him, you'll have to set aside your own ambitions and desires. Spend time in prayer and in the Word. Tune your ear to the voice of His Spirit.
Learn to trust Him. Remember that He's smarter than you are and be willing to do what He says whether you can understand it with your mind or not. Obey even His smallest instructions. If you do, He'll eventually change your whole life...one little step at a time.
SUBMISSION RELEASES GOD’S FAVOR
Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand…” - 1 Samuel 17:17–18
You are probably familiar with the story of David and Goliath. But do you remember how this shepherd boy ended up on the battlefield to begin with?
David was there to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers who were in the army. And yet, David found himself standing on the battlefield as Israel’s representative against the haughty Goliath. From delivering bread and cheese, he was now called upon to deliver the entire nation of Israel.
David was at the right place at the right time because he humbled himself and submitted to his father’s instructions to deliver bread and cheese to his brothers.
Beloved, this is something you need to understand. Submission to God-appointed leadership will always cause God’s favor to flow in your life, and you will find yourself, like David, at the right place at the right time, empowered by God to do the right thing!
BREAK THE YOKE OF AVERAGE :
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20–21, NKJV
God never created you to be ordinary. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. God wants you to do something big. He wants you to go further than anyone in your family. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. That yoke of average that’s been around your neck is coming off. God is about to thrust you to a new level of destiny. It’s going to be exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ever imagine! This is a new day, and you’re going to see the yoke-destroying, burden-removing power of our God like never before!
If you will receive this into your spirit and not talk yourself out of it, it will ignite your faith and become a reality. Let it go beyond being an encouragement and grab hold of it in your spirit. Believe, “This is for me. This is my destiny. Something new is being birthed. Yokes are coming off of me. Chains are being broken. I am stepping in to the fullness of my destiny!”
Have a Blessed Day. God's Grace be with you and yours !!!
TODAY MEDITATE ON: 2 KINGS 4:6–7
Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
WISDOM TO CONTAIN GOD’S PROVISION
When it comes to provision, God’s word is chockfull of wisdom and encouragement. It not only gives you pictures of God’s inexhaustible supply, but it also provides wisdom in managing what comes into your hands.
In the story found in 2 Kings 4:2–7, Elisha told a poor widow to get as many empty vessels as she could, and pour her last jar of oil into the vessels. She did as told and miraculously, the oil kept flowing. It stopped only when she ran out of vessels. Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay her debt and live on the surplus.
I want you to see two important things here. Firstly, the supply stopped only when the demand on God’s supply stopped. I want to encourage you to never stop looking to Jesus for your supply.
Secondly, if you are in debt, your first priority is to settle your debt. Notice that Elisha told the widow, “Sell the oil and pay your debt.” And when you have cleared your debt, learn to live within your means. Beloved, the more you meditate on and heed the practical wisdom in God’s Word, the more you will be able to contain His provision.
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