Grace To Help

Comment

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on October 4, 2010 at 5:58am

Feel God's Presence Every Day
Prayer > Feel God's Presence Every Day

Feel God's Presence Every Day
by Norman Vincent Peale



In every moment of every day God is by your side, ready to help, guide, and protect you. Seek Him, and you will find Him.

Whatever your circumstances be sure that God watches over you. Because He loves you, and since God Himself is love, you can be confident that you are never out of His sight, nor His loving concern.

How can you make yourself believe this? First, repeat it to yourself. Repetition is a powerful method of persuading the mind to accept a truth. Epictetus called it the most classical of all studies. It brings about acceptance.

Thank God constantly for watching over you and protecting you. After every journey, thank Him for His protecting care. In every difficult situation, thank Him for seeing you through.

Visualize your loved ones as always being protected by the everlasting arms, and supported by the great hand of God. In this way, you will be sending out protecting and guiding thoughts that God will use for their protection. Help God to protect your loved ones and yourself.

A final technique is to commit to memory many of the following Bible passages that deal with the protective love of God. Every day, repeat them to yourself, meditating upon them with gratitude.

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. (Psalm145:18)

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. (Psalm 56:11)

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. (I Peter 5:6,7)

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalm 139:9,10)

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on October 4, 2010 at 5:37am

Looking Up When You’re Feeling Down
Inspiration > Bible > Looking Up When You’re Feeling Down

Looking Up When You’re Feeling Down

Pain and disappointment can endanger your mental, spiritual and even your physical well-being. It’s only human for even the most righteous persons to be discouraged when they are overwhelmed. The Psalmist cried out in anguish, “My tears have been my food day and night” (Psalms 42:3).

When life knocks you down, or pulls you back from your hopes and dreams, remember these three things:

1. No matter what happens, it can be used for good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

2. You can learn from the most discouraging experiences. “The Sovereign LORD…wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4).

3. God is with you—always and forever, in the midst of every challenge. “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Regardless of what happens, never give up. Cling to faith and believe the best is yet to be. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on October 3, 2010 at 5:58pm

Question: "Who am I in Christ?"

Answer: According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There are two Greek words which are translated “new” in the Bible. The first, neos, refers to something that has just been made, but there are already many others in existence just like it. The word translated “new” in this verse is the word kainos, which means “something just made which is unlike anything else in existence.” In Christ, we are made an entirely new creation, just as God created the heavens and the earth originally—He made them out of nothing, and so He does with us. He does not merely clean up our old selves; He makes an entirely new self. When we are in Christ, we are “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4 KJV). God Himself, in the person of His Holy Spirit, takes up residence in our hearts. We are in Christ and He is in us.

In Christ, we are regenerated, renewed, and born again, and this new creation is spiritually minded, whereas the old nature is carnally minded. The new nature fellowships with God, obeys His will, and is devoted to His service. These are actions the old nature is incapable of doing or even desiring to do. The old nature is dead to the things of the spirit and cannot revive itself. It is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and can only be made alive by a supernatural awakening, which happens when we come to Christ and are indwelt by Him. Christ gives us a completely new and holy nature and an incorruptible life. Our old life, previously dead to God because of sin, is buried, and we are raised “to walk in newness of life” with Him (Romans 6:4).

If we belong to Christ, we are united to Him and no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:5-6); we are made alive with Him (Ephesians 2:5); we are conformed to His image (Romans 8:29); we are free from condemnation and walking not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1); and we are part of the body of Christ with other believers (Romans 12:5). The believer now possesses a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19) and has been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:3).

We might wonder why we so often do not live in the manner described, even though we have given our lives to Christ and are sure of our salvation. This is because our new natures are residing in our old fleshly bodies, and these two are at war with one another. The old nature is dead, but the new nature still has to battle the old “tent” in which it dwells. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer now sees them in a new perspective and they no longer control him as they once did. In Christ, we can now choose to resist sin, whereas the old nature could not. Now we have the choice to either feed the new nature through the Word, prayer, and obedience, or to feed the flesh by neglecting those things.

When we are in Christ, “we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:37) and can rejoice in our Savior, who makes all things possible (Philippians 4:13). In Christ we are loved, forgiven, and secure. In Christ we are adopted, justified, redeemed, reconciled, and chosen. In Christ we are victorious, filled with joy and peace, and granted true meaning in life. What a wonderful Savior is Christ! THANK YOU JESUS FOR OUR NEWNESS IN YOU, MAY YOU ALWAYS KEEP US IN THE CENTER OF OUR HOLY FATHER WILL.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 25, 2010 at 4:54pm

What are YOU Waiting For?

What are you waiting for in your life? A new job, financial security, healing, a baby, a restored marriage? It seems that no matter where we are in our lives, we are waiting for something in the future. Our lives are never stagnant; if we are moving forward, there is always something to expect or wait for around the next bend in the road of our lives.

There are many stories of "waiting" in the Bible. In some stories, the waiting seemed to last forever, while others only waited a few intense moments. The key to waiting is not the length of time but how we handle the wait. The Bible teaches us that we should "wait on the Lord." We must look with confidence and expectation toward the future, trusting that God will fulfill our waiting in good and proper time.

There are three actions that will help you wait on the Lord patiently and with faith, knowing and believing that He will help:

1. Trust - If we doubt God's willingness to hear and answer our prayer, we may begin to feel bitter when we think God has heard our prayer but is silent. Scripture teaches us that God is unchangeable, which means He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and we can always rely on Him to provide the best possible path for our lives! God said that He will never leave us or forsake us. If He seems silent now, it is because He has another plan, different timing or a way to answer our prayer that has not been revealed to us yet. We must trust in His plan.

2. Resist - We must resist the temptation to take matters into our own hands. Patience is powerful. Having patience is essential in many circumstances and the Holy Spirit is here to fill us with this patience when we feel we cannot wait another minute on God. The safest place we can rest is in God's Will. When we rest here, resisting temptation is easy.

3. Pray - How many times have you given a prayer request to God and felt He was deaf? During these times, you need to keep on praying, but pray the right way. God always answers our prayers, but it may not be the way we want Him or expect Him to. It may be a yes, a no or something better. When we don't immediately get the answer we want, we have a tendency to repeat the same prayer over and over until we either lose our voice or simply give up. After we have given our need to the Lord, we must turn our request into a "Thank you," and an attitude of expectancy, and say, "Not my will, but Yours, Lord." When we thank the Lord in advance for answering our prayers, it is an active display of our faith that demonstrates to God our confident expectation that His awesome power will provide for us.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 24, 2010 at 8:56am

SOMETHING I CAME ACROSS AND WANT TO SHARE
If you’re like me, daily Bible reading is one of those important things that you know you need to be doing. How else can we get to know our heavenly Father? Here are some reasons we need to be “in the Word” every day:

To live: “People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God.” (Matt. 4:4).
For understanding: “As your words are taught, they give light; even the simple can understand them.” (Psa. 119:130).
To know the truth: Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
To be prepared/equipped: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
To grow: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).
To increase your faith: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
For salvation: “The Holy Scriptures … are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15).
For comfort and hope: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
For enjoyment: “Thy Words were found, and I did eat Them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy Name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jer. 15:16).
Because He said to: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Col. 3:16). PLEASE CHEW ON THIS AND PASS IT ON IN LOVE, LOVE YOU ALCEDES

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 24, 2010 at 5:43am

Secrets to the Good Life

He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 1 Peter 3:10,11

Do you want to enjoy life and experience God’s goodness? This verse tells you how:

• Curb your tongue from speaking evil about anyone. Simply never say anything to hurt anyone.

• Refrain from double talk, from shrewd remarks that are designed to advance your interests at someone else’s disadvantage.

• Turn your back upon evil and, in every way possible, do good. Help people and bring blessings into their lives.

• Seek peace on earth and in your own heart; live so that peacefulness may flow from you to others.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 21, 2010 at 6:52pm

Day 21:
Defeat Temptation

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

The way to overcome temptation is clear: Sincerely want God’s help; earnestly ask for it; believe you have it; act as God wants you to act. This will ma
ke you happy and give you confidence for the next temptation.LOVE YOU THROUGH THE LOVE OF JESUS OUR BIG BROTHER AND HIGH PRIEST

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 19, 2010 at 5:12am

Question: "Does everyone have a "God-shaped hole"?"

Answer: The “God-shaped hole” concept states that every person has a void in his soul/spirit/life that can only be filled by God. The “God-shaped hole” is the innate longing of the human heart for something outside itself, something transcendent, something “other.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 refers to God's placing of "eternity in man’s heart." God made humanity for His eternal purpose, and only God can fulfill our desire for eternity. All religion is based on the innate desire to “connect” with God. This desire can only be fulfilled by God, and therefore can be likened to a “God-shaped hole.”

The problem, though, is that humanity ignores this hole or attempts to fill it with things other than God. Jeremiah 17:9 describes the condition of our hearts: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Solomon reiterates the same concept: “The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live…” (Ecclesiastes 9:3). The New Testament concurs: “The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so” (Romans 8:7). Romans 1:18-22 describes humanity ignoring what can be known about God, including presumably the “God-shaped hole,” and instead worshipping anything and everything other than God.

Sadly, too many spend their lives looking for something other than God to fill their longing for meaning—business, family, sports, etc. But in pursuing these things that are not eternal, they remain unfulfilled and wonder why their lives never seem satisfactory. There is no doubt that many people pursuing things other than God achieve a measure of “happiness” for a time. But when we consider Solomon, who had all the riches, success, esteem, and power in the world—in short, all that men seek after in this life—we see that none of it fulfilled the longing for eternity. He declared it all “vanity,” meaning that he sought after these things in vain because they did not satisfy. In the end he said, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Just as a square peg cannot fill a round hole, neither can the “God-shaped hole” inside each of us be filled by anyone or anything other than God. Only through a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ can the “God-shaped hole” be filled and the desire for eternity fulfilled.

Comment by Pastor Bob B on September 3, 2010 at 6:56am

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on September 2, 2010 at 1:56pm

Today's Word with Joel and Victoria

follow us on twitter facebook


And God Said…

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light"
(Genesis 1:3, NIV)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria

When God commanded light to come forth, it came—at 186,000 miles per second! Friend, when God commands something, you can be sure that it's going to happen.

Just like He commanded the worlds to be formed, God has commanded that you be blessed. He has commanded that you prosper and increase. He has commanded that you be above only and not beneath. As a believer and follower of Jesus, you are called to be the head and not the tail. If you will get into agreement with God and not let other people or your own thoughts talk you out of it, then you will see this commanded blessing take you further than you ever thought possible.

Today, set your heart and mind on His goodness. Believe that He is ready to take you places that you've never dreamed. Receive His promises because He is faithful. If God said it, He will do it! Get ready because He is pouring out His blessing on every area of your life!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness. Thank You for the power in Your Word to change my world. I choose to get into agreement with You and declare that Your will be done in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• …
• 34
• Next ›
• Page