Tag: New King James Version

“Your Faith Speaks more than Your Words!”

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What people witness in your life resounds more than the words that are coming out of your mouth.  Evidence of belief; proof of faith is the visual representation that most want.  Many mistake others as not wanting what we have or not wanting the faith, yet they haven’t seen enough of it in action to provoke them to seek after what we say we have.

So, the old phrase still rings true today: “Seeing is believing.”  To a world lost, who have no hope, they look for a ring of hope they can grab onto to prevent them from drowning in the deep abyss of the darkness of this world.  They want a way out.  Many don’t want to sink deeper into despair, deeper into the unknown where there is no light to guide the way.  They want to see what you say you see.  They want to feel what you say you feel.  They want what you say you have but do they see it currently active in you to propel them from wanting it to actually seeking for it?

Your faith speaks louder than your words.  Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “Your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8.  If necessary I believe Paul would have testified on their behalf, he would have spoken up for them to assure others of their faith.  But, their faith was so active, their faith was so alive and in operation that he didn’t feel a need to speak at all.  Their faith did the talking for them.  Their faith is what people noticed, not the words they spoke from their mouths.

A lot of people do a lot of talking these days and sometimes it’s hard to decipher truth from fiction.  Jesus gave us a key that lines right up with what Paul wrote in his letter.  Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” Matthew 7:16.  If one comes upon a tree that has apples growing upon it then they are to assume it is an apple tree.  The same is true with a life of faith.  What they see coming out of you, or as Paul referred to as “gone out” is what matters the most.  You can say that you are an orange tree but if I see apples then I will classify you like an apple tree.  If you say that you have great faith but all I see is the opposite than I will not view you as having great faith.  I will mark you by what I see.

Your faith matters in this world.  More importantly, your faith on display matters to those around you so much that one should not have to speak up or testify for you, all they should be able to do is look at your faith in action and mark you as a person of faith.

“Be a Promise Accepter!”

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“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God by us,” 2 Corinthians 1:20

 It’s back to school time around here. Each school year starts out brand new. New backpacks, new supplies, new clothes; along with new hopes and dreams with the anticipation of promise lingering in the air. This is going to be a wonderful year!

By the end of the first month of school, children and sometimes parents too, start looking forward to days off, delayed openings due to weather and such. The reality of the daily grinding and horse race schedules overshadows the promise that was once felt. Instead of realigning oneself to keep hold of the promise that was once felt in the atmosphere, we begin to gripe and complain. Looking forward to the end of the school year, or at least Christmas break for some relief becomes the new goal.

Often times, we treat the promises of God in the same manner also.

He gives us this wonderful volume (the Bible), filled with sixty-six books. And in each of those sixty-six books therein is packed with “more.” God has “more” for you than this. Line upon line and precept upon precept tells us how much He cares for us, loves us, and wants more for us. The Bible starts way back in the book of Genesis with promise. And, it goes all the way through to the end of Revelation. How does it end? With promise! “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen,” (Rev. 22:20-21). That’s a promise!

Unfortunately, as it is with the school year so it is in life. In the beginning, when the promise is fresh we are ecstatic. Then, as the everyday issues begin to settle in it starts to wear on the assurance that once was, leaving one to do nothing but constantly focusing on the end. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10). He doesn’t desire for “life” to be something tolerated. Rather, He wants it filled. And with that, there is the anticipation of something better.

Promise!

Promises only work when one accepts it. You can quote it all that you like, but unless it is internalized as a hopeful thing in the life of each of us, it does absolutely no good. Many people can read of the promises but they can’t believe in them for themselves. Only seeing with the eyes but never touching. They never experience the greatness that God wants to do. That’s not God’s intention for you. “For all the promises of God in Him are yea.”  That means “YES!” Now, it may be just me but when I see the words “all,” and “promises,” and “God,” and “yes,” I get excited! If you are in Christ, God says yes to every promise that comes with that salvation. Yes!

Won’t you accept it today? Yes!

I don’t have enough space or time here to even begin to list what He has in store for us. And, the half has not been told. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him,” (1 Cor. 2:9). The promises are there in His Word. All you have to do is believe it and receive it!

Be a promise accepter today. Go through the Bible, find verses that speak to you right now, highlight them, and write them down or whatever you do to remember a verse, then, lay hold of it as your personal treasure. Let them be your source of strength when life doesn’t feel as “abundant.” Accept what He said anyhow. Step out in faith, holding on to those precious promises for dear life.

“Prosperity Belongs to God”

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“The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build,”
Nehemiah 2:20

You have felt that burden in your heart or that niggling of the mind.  The pull or the call to step out in faith to take on a new project, yet the enemy has thrown disturbing thoughts your way thinking to frustrate what God is pulling you to do.

Nehemiah felt such a burden from God.  He received word that the people in Jerusalem were in distress and the walls were broken and the gates burned, (Neh. 1:3).  What could he possibly do all the way in Shushan?  The Bible tells us he fasted and prayed and confessed the wrongs of his people before God, (Neh. 1:4).  Then, God gave an opportunity for King Artaxerxes to take notice of his plight and support the project that had burdened his heart.

Arriving in the area of Jerusalem with letters from the king should have made things easy for Nehemiah.  But, the plain and simple truth is there are those who don’t want to see God’s people blessed.  There are those who don’t want to see God’s people prosper and favored.  This is what Nehemiah faced.  Nehemiah 2:10 tells us this of his enemies, “They were deeply disturbed that a man came to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.”

As soon as the work began and they took steps toward the goal of their heart, their enemies laughed at them and despised them and put accusations against them, (Neh. 2:19).  But, Nehemiah’s response was one of total faith and reliance upon God.  He said, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build,” (Neh. 2:20).

Know this, anytime God lays a burden on your heart to do something for Him, there will always be enemies that try to stop the plan of God in you.  Sometimes it could even be just our own doubts and insecurities about our own ability to get the job done.  But, if God called you to it, He will see you through it.  Prosperity belongs to God!  All He has ever asked us to do is to step out in faith and do the work and depend on Him to increase it and cause it to grow.  No human on this earth has any say so about what God is doing in your life!

Be blessed, my friends, as you move where God is leading you!

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“God sees you!”

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If God saw you before you were ever born, then take courage, dear friends, that He sees you today. And, as your days were laid out then, He’s holding your day today.

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
– Psalms‬ ‭139:16‬, NKJV‬‬

“Strength for Heavy Hands”

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No matter who you are.  No matter what your position is in your home, work, or local church.  No matter what call is placed on your life.  If you, or anyone of us, are going to successfully make it through this Christian journey we need support.  We need encouragement from one another.  We need assistance through hard times and struggles.  In the midst of our personal and spiritual battles, we need a helping hand; someone who will be there as our advocate and friend to help us carry the load.  We all need someone whom we can garner strength from in our times of weakness.

There was a time in the Bible when Moses sent Joshua out to battle against the Amalekites.  During this battle, Moses stood atop a hill with the rod of God in his hand.  As long as his hands were raised the battle would turn in their favor, giving them victory against their adversary.  But, the longer the battle ensued the more cumbersome it became for Moses to hold that victory stance.  For every time his hands became weak and he lowered his arms, the enemy would start prevailing against his people.  Upon seeing the heavy hands of Moses, Aaron and Hur came to his aid.  They offered him support.  They sat Moses down on a rock and they held his heavy hands; they came alongside him during the fight to help keep his hands steady (read Exodus 17:8-13).

The Bible tells us, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. . . And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken,” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).   There is strength in togetherness.  There is value in being there for one another.  When someone’s hands are getting too heavy to deal with the things in life, we as a people of God should come alongside them as the boys did for Moses, and help them through the battle.  Then, we are unified as one in the struggle, offering the strength that cannot be easily torn away.

Do you or someone you know need assistance?  Do you know someone who is having a hard time right now?  It might be nothing big, but just the daily ins and outs of life are wearing on you or a friend.  Can you offer encouragement to that one?  If you are the one in a struggle and need help, I encourage you to not try to fight alone.  Find someone who will come alongside you to champion your cause with you.  If you know someone who is struggling, can you be the one that helps strengthen the heavy hands?   What greater way to show the love of Christ in you than to be there for each other?

Bible Verses for Supporting Others:

Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Philippians 2:4 “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“Receive God’s Help!”

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“I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth,” Psalm 121:1-2

“Me, myself and I,” a phrase commonly known to us all.  It usually comes on the heels of an aggravating event or from dealing with the frustration of a letdown because one depended on someone else to do something for them and they didn’t follow through.  Or, how about this one, “If you want something done right you have to do it yourself!”  Another frustrating sentiment spurned by the letdowns of others.

Here we just see them as phrases, just something we blurt out because of the emotions that stir within us when we feel we can’t get that help we need from someone.  The sad part of it all is the reality that this has become the prevailing attitude in the world today.  It is a mindset that has become detached from the cares of humanity; not in a good way.

Many people are wandering adrift in the world.  Day by day they go through their daily routines really believing that they are in this alone.  Wandering and questioning, “From whence comes my help?”  More often than not, that questioning person does not know that there is One who stands at the ready to appeal and work on behalf of those who call out to Him.  Not realizing this great truth causes them look to their own selves once again, reaffirming that self-sufficient attitude of “Me, myself and I.”

I believe God likes goal-setters.  I believe God loves to see His people be filled with the zeal of being a real go-getter.  I say that because God has never, ever promoted laziness.  God has equipped mankind with a mind to think and gifts to operate in, and He wants to see the fulfilling of all of that to come to pass.  But, and here’s where the warning bells go off, when one tries to operate independently of God with an “I don’t need Him” attitude, buddy, that’s when we got a problem!

“Can I get some help around here?”  Oh, if that isn’t a familiar cry to us all.  When life feels at loose ends and everything just seems to be unraveling before us we often wonder where can we get help from?  The writer of this psalm found his help by lifting his eyes up.  The human eye tells one where to focus.  As I sit here on my couch writing this I keep peeping out of the window.  In line of my view are a bunch of beautiful trees that are gently swaying with the occasional breeze. Every time I look out at them I feel a certain little measure of restfulness and peace. Because this is what my eyes see it relaxes me.

How much more for the one who chooses to focus on that Sovereign, Omnipotent Presence and truly realize He’s there?  Not only is He there but He is ready to be our help.  “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles,” Psalm 34:17.  Deliverance is there.  Help is here.  God loves a “can do” attitude, but not a “can do it without Him” attitude.  Especially, since He loves us so much as to be the offering for our much needed help.  I have to receive of His help daily.  Zeal, and even talent, will only get you so far.  I can’t be so high and mighty to think that I can do even the basic things without His help.  So, today I want to receive God’s help.  What about you?

“Don’t Change the Recipe!”

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Text Free Image by Nina Garman from Pixabay

I remember the night of my big cooking flub.  Usually, I am a pretty good cook.  But, this night was a major fail and the contents in the pot were really gross.  The smell of the food and the thought of it had me gagging for hours.  But it didn’t start out this way.

My oldest daughter told me about a delicious recipe she came across and tried in her own home.  The recipe was quick, easy, delicious, and very satisfying to her family.  Knowing the dish she described had recently become one of my husband’s favorite dishes, I decided to give it a try.

One problem.  I don’t like the dish at all.  I was cooking something that I would never eat due to the taste of it 😛 .

This posed a problem because when it came time to “test taste” the recipe, of course, no surprise here, I didn’t like the taste of it.  Now, since I didn’t like the taste of it I began adding extra “stuff” to the recipe.  I mean, I added a lot of extra stuff to it until it became so gross . . .

Let’s just put it this way, my youngest daughter who was 12 at the time and loves this dish also, spit it out and said, “Mommy, I’m sorry I don’t like it 🙂 .”  Bless her heart.  I told her it was okay that she didn’t like it and made her something else to eat.  My husband came in the house, looked in the pot, and said no thank you.

I don’t blame them.  I’m the one that changed the recipe.  I’m the one that messed dinner up.  It was fine in its original form until I muddled it with my add-ins.

This had me thinking of how often we don’t like something in God’s Word and try to finagle or change it to suit our needs or circumstances.  We may not like to be told to love our enemies or pray for those who despitefully use us.  We may not like to do this or that, and so we seek to change His recipe or find some way around why don’t have to do what is written to do.

The Bible warns us, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book,” (Revelation 22:18-19).  The recipe of GOD’S WORD CANNOT BE CHANGED!

Now, we can often change food recipes with great success.  I have done it many times before.  It just didn’t work this time 🙂 .  But we will never have great success in trying to change God’s Word.  It will never work!  God doesn’t need our add-ins. His Word is just fine in its original form.

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“God and His Children Today!”

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God is in the midst of His people today; He is where they are!
God is in the saving business today!
God is rejoicing over His people with joy today!
God is loving on His people today!
And, His joy over His children is making Him sing!

God is mighty!
If you are His there is no reason to fear today!

God Has a Better Plan | The Place of Your Own Blessings

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How often in our lives do we spend extra time and energies wasted by digging around in the wrong stuff?  With seemingly very little direction many wander from one avenue of life to another.  It’s time for God’s people to settle in a place of their own.  God has a blessing in store for His people, but they have to dig where He is leading them.  They have to find their own well where God can enlarge their territory.

Due to a famine in the land, God instructed Isaac to not go to Egypt but to stay where He tells him (Gen. 26:2); “in this land,” (Gen. 26:3) where the blessings were promised through Abraham.  But, the blessings of the Lord upon him caused the people to not want him in that particular region of the land any longer (Gen. 26:12-16).

Issac knew the disappointment of searching for something in life and not have it to pan out the way he envisioned. After the people of the nation wanted him to depart from them he went back to the old wells his father previously dug and tried to set up shop there.  He even ventured into trying to dig new wells, but no matter what he did he was met with quarrelsome people who didn’t want him there and they made no bones about it.  They fought and disagreed over property rights until the pressure mounted for Isaac that he moved away from that particular area, although he was still in the land God instructed him.

Venturing to remove himself from the people and their contentious attitudes, Isaac finally came to a place where he was able to dig a well without digging for problems.  He was finally in a place where he could enjoy the blessings of the Lord with peace and prosperity.

Through it all, God had a better plan for him.  God will sometimes prohibit us from settling in the familiar (he wanted to dwell at Abraham’s old wells) because He has a new place for you to go to unearth your own blessings, to dig your own wells, to dream your own dreams, to renew a covenant relationship with you personally.  Only when we become invested in God on our own will we be able to see God work in our lives as He did for those who came before us. It wasn’t enough for Isaac to lean on what his father Abraham previously accomplished.  God had a better plan for Isaac and Isaac had to learn to trust God and have faith on his own.  He was still under the same covenant as Abraham who was promised to inherit the land, but God was going to bless Isaac in His own way in that land.

Why go through all of this trouble, you may ask?  Because, as hinted at before, one’s faith has to be in God for themselves.  We will never know what God can do for us and through us if we never allow ourselves to experience a time of dependency on Him.  It is alright for Isaac to hold on to the blessings God promised to Abraham (because those blessings were still very valid for him), but he also needed to know God in an individual, relational way to be a carrier of this covenant.  He needed to know it is not what his father previously dug that will give him a place in the land, but it is the God who his father served and had faith in, He is the one that will make room for him there, thereby upholding what He previously promised to his father.  The promise may have been initiated on Abraham’s faith, but Isaac had to recognize the sovereignty of God’s hand and plan in it all as well, and that in the end, anything he had or accomplished will be because of the LORD who gave him his own blessing under that same covenant promise.  And, when God blesses, He makes it fruitful and abounding.  He will give room for expansion and growth.

Sometimes when we venture out into new territory and we hit up against fighting and disagreements, it could be because God doesn’t want us to settle in that particular area.  We may be still in the land that was promised, but some areas are not going to foster our growth the way God wants us to grow.  Some places of familiarity will actually hinder our spiritual progress rather than nurture it.  In some places, there may be people or situations God doesn’t want us to be around because they just always look to start trouble.  Isaac only found peace and knew he had come to the point of his own place of being blessed when he realized it was God who led him there and opened up the opportunity for space there.  “And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, ‘For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land,'” (Gen. 26:22; NKJV).

All contentions we face and all disagreements we face aren’t bad.  They can actually be a propelling place to get us moving and stop settling where God doesn’t see us growing.  If God has a better plan for you, He will put you in a place where you can stretch out beyond your wildest dreams; where you can go beyond what you previously thought you could.  He will put you in a place where you can dig your own wells, unearth your own blessings, and prosper in Him.  He told Isaac, ‘”I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you.  I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well,’ (Gen. 26:24-26; NKJV).  After God spoke to him he knew he was where God wanted him to be; he knew he had arrived at the place of his own blessings.

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