God is not your problem, He is your answer!

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
Hosea 14:9 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE
A wise man understands the ways of the Lord and His wisdom is the wise man’s wisdom, a prudent man knows the ways of the Lord for the Lord is His Shepherd. Why would a wise man want to understand or know the ways of the Lord? Because the JUST shall walk in the ways of the Lord (the just shall live by faith!), not just talk it, but live it every day. Are you one of the ‘Just’? Have you been ‘Justified by Jesus? Then I would think you would want to know of the Lord and have His wisdom in ALL that you do. How does one understand and know the ways of the Lord? Through His Word, through a personal daily relationship with the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ. If you want to understand and know God’s will for your life, you have to read, study, and meditate His Word for yourself daily. You have to have a personal, daily, no constant relationship with Jesus! You have to be filled with His Holy Spirit (the Teacher, the Guide, the Counselor, The Helper) so that He can give you revelation of the Word of God. You have to pray and fast regularly and listen to the voice of God when He speaks to you. You can’t rely on someone else’s reading, speaking, or experiences, you must get in there and find out for yourself, truly experience God, and let God speak to you through His Word and His Spirit. God can’t do anything for you until you release your faith for Him to work through you. God is not your problem like many people think, He is your answer!

MY PRAYER…
Father I pray that You open the eyes of my understanding and flood my heart(my spirit man) with the hope of Your calling for me, that You reveal to me what is that glorious inheritance You have given to Your saints and heirs of salvation. That You reveal in my heart the exceeding greatness of Your power given to us who believe according to the working of Your mighty power. That power that You demonstrated in Christ when You raised Him from the dead and seated Him at Your own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all the principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named (this includes all disease and sickness and poverty and bondages), not only in this world, but also in the world which is to come. Thank You Father, that I have dominion, through Jesus, NOW IN THIS WORLD over all disease and sickness and poverty and bondages. How You, Father, have put all things under Jesus’ feet and have made Him the head over the Church, which is His body, yes WE are HIS body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Father for this reason, seeing the greatness of this plan of Yours, by which I am built together with in Christ, I bow my knees before You and give You all praise and all glory forever and ever.
In the wonderful name of Jesus I pray.
Amen

Will Jesus declare you as His before the Father?

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Nothing, absolutely nothing that you can do will justify you in the sight of God. No works of the “Law”, no being “goody two shoes”, not even caring for the poor and homeless can justify you before God. Not depriving yourself and living poor and destitute, not inflicting self pain and suffering, nothing. Not strapping a heavy wooden cross to your back and traveling around the country side, NOTHING you can do justifies you. You can keep every one of the Ten Commandments, “the Law”, all your life and still not be justified in the eyes of God. There is only one thing that justifies you before God and that is your faith in believing what Jesus Christ has already done for you through His death, burial, and resurrection and making Him the Lord of your life! This being done, Jesus will then stand before the Father on our behalf and proclaim, “Father, Pastor Duane, he’s one of mine!” So that brings up the next question, are you one of the just, are you one of Jesus’ that He will declare before the Father as His? Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life? Do you live by faith or by the ‘works’ of the “Law”, the works of the flesh, and the works of the religious ones (Pharisees and Sadducees were religious ones, they were not the just)? The Bible says: “The just shall live by faith!”

MY PRAYER…
Precious Father, I know that I was not worthy for You to justify. But You loved me so much that You gave Your very best to pay for my sin. You sent Your mercy and Your grace through Your Son Jesus, when You sent Him to take my place, there on the cross. You sent Him to bear my punishment, my sickness, my disease, and my poverty. All these are results of the curse I was under because of the “Law”. I didn’t deserve your grace, I didn’t even ask for it. But You did it anyway and all You asked was I believe in Your Son, believe that He died, was buried, and was raised on the 3rd day for me. You only asked that I believe that You exist and that You are a rewarder of those who diligently seek after You. Father, I love You and I give You all praise and glory forever. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray.
Amen

Are you displaying the fruits of Christian faith?

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you are disqualified.
2 Corinthians 13:5 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
When a person says they are a Christian what they are really saying is that they are in “The Faith” of Christianity. Christianity is “The Faith”. They are saying that Jesus lives and flourishes inside them. They are saying they are Christ like in all they do and say. They are saying they have a day to day personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, that they really know Him! In fact you cannot be a Christian, saved and going to heaven unless you are in faith and abiding in Christ and His Word. For it is by grace through “faith”, that you are saved (Eph 2:8). You are not a Christian just because you go to a church on Sunday morning, or once a week and have a Bible on your bookshelf or coffee table. No, you are a Christian only because you have Christ living inside you, because He is your Lord, because you are fellowshipping with Him daily, and because you are living a Christ like lifestyle everyday. Knowing about Christ Jesus will not make you a Christian, you must personally know Jesus. Christian means Christ-like or Christ-inside! Are you displaying the fruits of that faith? We should be, if we are calling ourselves Christians. Or are you an actor (hypocrite), pretending to be holy and a Christian, going to church on Sunday, but then living like the rest of world the rest of the week. The fruits of your life will show us and the world, and God which you are. You can not hide your fruit, especially from God.

MY PRAYER…
Father, I just want to thank You that You have sent Christ to me as an example of how to live the live of faith. You said in Your Word that the “just” shall live by faith. So if I am just (in right standing with You because of what Jesus did for me) then I need to be living by the faith. Father, let Your Holy Spirit give me the want to, the strength to, and the power I need to live by faith in You and what Jesus has already done for me. Strengthen me day by day as I walk with You. Lead and guide me into the “Christ-like” life style everyday. Show me those things that need to change and be removed from my life. Draw me ever closer to Your side. Help me to become God inside minded and to walk and talk as Christ did always. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen