Mood:  celebratory

"All who listen to My instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won't collapse, for it is built on rock. But those who hear My instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash"  (Matthew 7:24 - 27).

What a wonderful promise for supernatural living to know that no matter what happens - the greatest tragedies, adversities or losses - your house will stand. You will not only survive, but mature, grow and become more like Jesus.

As you listen to and follow His instructions, you will observe that He has been speaking to the multitudes in what is frequently referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. Review chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew. List all the things that He commands us to do, and then by faith claim those instructions in your life. For there is nothing that God ever commands that He will not enable us to do if we seek His help.

Remember, too, His promise recorded in Matthew 22:37 - 40, that all of the commandments in the sermon on the Mount are fulfilled when we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and when we love our neighbor as ourselves. So the instructions that He is giving are not difficult, for He who gives the command will enable us to build on a sure foundation of solid rock.

Note, however, the admonishment for those who ignore His instructions! For those foolish people who build their houses on sand, collapse of those houses is the certain consequence. One need only look around to see evidence of the fulfillment of God's warning in the lives of numerous loved ones, neighbors and friends. God loves us, and He wants to bless us, but He cannot if we ignore Him.

Are you following the instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, I encourage you to begin today, with the assurance that He will bless you, your family and all who are dear to you.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 9:10 AM CST

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Mood:  lyrical

Recently we have spent a good bit of time studying meditation. Now, you may be thinking, So what? How will meditating have a positive effect on my life? Consistent meditation has a number of benefits for the believer. Greater intimacy with the Lord is a key advantage of renewed devotion to seeking His will. But on the eve of a brand - new year, we want to emphasize one particular benefit: a changed perspective.

When we focus on knowing God - on spending time with Him and getting to know the way He thinks - something happens in our hearts and minds. Over time, we discover that our point of view begins to shift. We think about ourselves less and less. Instead, we place greater priority on God's goodness and the concerns of others. Our prayers tend to become God - focused rather than self - focused. And, they reveal a much more intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.

As the new year begins, our prayer is that you will seek to develop spiritual eyes. As the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter one, we pray "the eyes of your heart may be enlightened" so you will perceive more clearly the riches found only in Christ. But how do you get these "enlightened eyes"? They develop as a natural result of your time with the Lord - through your solitude, silence, and surrender.

Do you need to recommit to know God better? Meditate regularly on His Word, and claim 2007 as your year of greatest spiritual growth yet.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 6:18 AM CST

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Mood:  chatty

Previously we explored three essentials of effective meditation. Today, let's round out the list by adding three more. Here are essentials four through six:

Silence is a key to meditation that many of us struggle with. How often do you sit down to pray and then do all the talking yourself? In Isaiah 30:15, the prophet reminds us that "in quietness and trust is your strength." However, we're not often quiet in prayer, are we? Sometimes we go on and on with our petitions and never actually give the Lord an opportunity to respond. How can we ever truly know His heart unless we stop and listen to Him in silence?

The fifth essential to meditating is self - control. This simply means admitting that you need to deal with some things in your life. God is continually refining us and shaping us into the men and women He wants us to be. As we surrender more and more to His will, we will have to bring these areas of our lives under His control.

The sixth, and final, essential is submission. Believers must submit to God. All of the prayer and meditation in the world will not make a difference in your life if you have a rebellious spirit. He desires to know you, use you, and mold you according to His best plan for you. This cannot happen if you do not intentionally submit to His work in your life.

Meditation can be hard work. But as with exercise, the rewards are well worth the effort. Ask the Holy Spirit's help, and make a commitment to start meditating today.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 8:49 AM CST

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Mood:  a-ok

"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" ( 1 Samuel 17:36,37).

David's going to kill the Philistine. There's no doubt in his mind, but his confidence comes from a strange source in the light of our modern times. Athletes of today, heroes to millions, go at it a bit differently, don't they?

Imagine David the golfer...

"It's about the training, you know, and I've trained against lions and bears for years. I'm ready both mentally and physically to take it to the next level, and I've got good equipment backing me. My coach has really had me working on my swing, and I'm at the point now where I'm confident that the rock will go where I'm aiming it."

Imagine David the team player, standing in front of a microphone and speaking to the press just before the big game. Maybe he's wearing a hat with the sling manufacturer's logo on it. He's got that nervous but direct look that athletes always have just before or after the big win.

"Well, they're a great bunch of guys and we've been training hard for this day. It's not just about me, it's about the whole army behind me, and it's been a wonderful experience just being on this team. I think we can take it all the way."

"David," one reporter asks, "what's your strategy today? How do you plan to win against such a powerful enemy?"

"Well, Chuck, you have to remember that it's not just about me. It's about teamwork, and it's about equipment, and it's about heart. I've got the Israelites behind me, and this new carbon fiber sling has really been working out for me against the lions and the bears. I'm just going to go in there today and I'm going to try my best, me and all my guys. It's all you can really do, you know?"

"One more question..."

"Sorry fellas, I'm out of time. I have to head out there and get into the game. Thanks for all your support. I just want to thank my fans and I hope I can make them proud today."

We have a funny way of showing humility these days. We've become great at playing the humble card while still acknowledging that yes, we are fantastic. Personally, I'd be like the golfer. All smiles and false modesty, trying hard not to jinx myself by declaring myself a winner before the match even starts.

Now imagine David the professional wrestler.

"I'm coming to get you, Goliath! Lions and bears are just the appetizer, and you're the main course! My sling is ready and you're going down, you hear me? Down! That title is mine! You think you're all that, you think you can come in here and tell my brothers what's up? Well, I'll tell you what's up! The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and you're going to fall so hard you'll knock the dust off the Great Pyramid!"

Not even close, right? Or is he?

Like the professional wrestler, David knows he's going to win because he has the script. God wants the Philistine dead, so dead the Philistine will be. He and the wrestler are both vessels for the will of the man upstairs; David's man upstairs just happens to be God Almighty, while the wrestler's man upstairs is the almighty ratings machine.

Unlike the wrestler, though, David freely acknowledges where his talents come from and he acknowledges that the Lord has been there for every single victory. This next fight will be no different; victory is assured.

If it was a simple matter of talent with a sling, David would be the golfer, relying on the quality of his equipment and the depth of his training. If the men of the army behind him weren't quaking in their armor, he'd be the team player, rallying his men and warming them up for the big fight. Neither is an assured victory.

The only assured victory is a rigged match, and this match was essentially rigged from the start. David's talent with the sling was given to him by God, and it was honed through the years leading up to this fight. At the right moment, God handed David the script and told him that this was how things were going to go down. David was to win the title in God's name, as well as winning the hearts of God's people. After all, he already had the heart of God; the rest was inevitable.

~Dear Father,

What is my Goliath? I've never lived in Your love so confidently that I would take on anything with no regard for the possibility of failure. If I see my Goliath tomorrow, will I be ready to defeat him? Is my Goliath in my life right now? Father, I just want to walk with You, to do right by You. Let's not overemphasize Goliath; David is the real story here, and I want so much to have his confidence in You.

Nik Nilsson

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 12:40 PM CST

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When I see Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, I see the nails in His hands, I see the spike in His feet, I see the spear in His side, I see the crown of thorns upon His brow, and I remember that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16) to take my place on the cross. In these days of uncertainty and confusion, these are gifts that go beyond our power to understand. And yet they are the gifts of God that became ours because we have received Jesus Christ as our Savior.

This gift of salvation can be yours. We’re the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. For a free booklet about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, call us toll-free at 1-866-JESUS-CARES or visit billygraham.org.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 8:39 AM CST

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Mood:  happy

Before Creation, God ordained Jesus' coming to earth, His death on the cross, and our redemption. He also planned work for each of us to do, which is for our good and His glory. (Ephesians 2:10) To accomplish His plans, God equips us with different spiritual gifts. He also provides the Holy Spirit to help us understand and follow His moral and personal will for us.

First, let's examine His moral will, which applies to all of us. Through the Scriptures, He gives us clear requirements for living a God - honoring life. These include proper sexual behavior (1 Thessalonians 4:3), a thankful attitude (1 Thessalonians 5:18), a forgiving mindset (Ephesians 4:32), a servant's heart (Galatians 5:13), and involvement in a local church. (Hebrews 10:25) We need to pay attention to the commands and warnings of Scripture in order to know and obey the Lord's moral will.

Second, God has designed a personal will for every one of us that begins at birth. Our personality, abilities, vocation, marital status, and even lifespan are built into His plan. He sees each individual as having great value and willingly invests Himself in His children's lives through the indwelling Holy Spirit. He calls us to fulfill His personal will and commits Himself to working for our very best.

God's plan isn't derailed by difficult circumstances or even by our sinful behavior. He is sovereign and weaves all factors together to accomplish what He has ordained. (Romans 8:28) God wants to direct our path each step of the way. (Proverbs 3:5 - 6) Are you seeking His guidance on a daily basis?

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 8:44 PM CST

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Mood:  amorous

Who hasn't questioned God in the middle of one of life's storms? The disciples did. "The disciples woke [Jesus] up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?'" (Mark 4:38) We've all asked that at one time or another. "God, don't You care?"  We know that He does, but sometimes it seems as though He's distant as we're battered by raging storms.

{Story} One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can't dear. I have to sleep in Daddy's room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" - Source unknown

We know that God loves us more deeply than we can ever know. It's not a question of whether we will be confronted with storms or not, but rather how we must face adversity: As people with hope and faith in an all - powerful God. Jesus never promised that we'd have an easy life, but He did promise that he would be with us "always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

King David prayed this way in thanks to God in spite of all of his troubles:

The Lord is my light and my salvation

so why should I be afraid?

The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,

so why should I tremble?

The one thing I ask of the Lord

the thing I seek most is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in his Temple.

For he will conceal me there when troubles come;

He will hide me in his sanctuary.

He will place me out of reach on a high rock. (Psalm 27:1,4,5)

If we believe that God is the one "who is, who always was, and who is still to come - the Almighty One."  (Revelation 1:8) ultimately what do we have to fear? We may not be all - knowing like God is, but because of Jesus' death on the cross for our salvation, we can be assured that no matter what storms we temporarily face, that our place with God in eternity is assured.

-Darren Hewer

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 9:38 PM CST

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