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1295 PARADISE HILL ROAD, CLARKSVILLE, TN 931.645.8785, United States
"WHERE PRAYER AND PRAISE TAKE YOU INTO HIS PRESENCE"

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

THE POWER OF THE FLESH

Romans 7:18:  “For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…” 


Pastor Craig Groschel confessed a real-life encounter that proves the power of the flesh—even in the lives
of Spirit-filled believers.   While looking for a parking space on a busy
shopping day, an ideal spot came available that was close to the mall
entrance.   He made “eyelock” on the spot and was pulling up to
park his vehicle when a small sports car driving down the wrong lane whipped
into the empty space.   Although he was a pastor with his family riding with
him, he snapped.   He backed up his oversized SUV towards the sports car and
revved his engine.  He then put the vehicle in drive, floored it, and sped towards
the man’s bumper!  A few minutes before impact, he slammed on brakes,
screeching to a halt inches away from the other car’s vehicle.  Finally,
he stared hatefully in the driver’s direction.  When they went inside,
the gentleman found him and apologized, “Man, I’m sorry I took your
spot.”  He continued, “It looks like you have a problem with
anger.  Did you know Jesus loves you?”   He then proceeded to witness to
Pastor Groschel the salvation of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul made this confession to the church at Rome:  “For I know that
in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing…”  (Romans
7:18)  We must get the revelation that there is a part of us that’s not
saved, never will be saved, and has the potential to act even more ungodly than
Pastor Groschel’s aforementioned incident.

  The fact that Paul said, “…I discipline my body and make it my slave…” (I
Corinthians 9:27) means that he realized the power of his flesh and his
responsibility to keep it under subjection.  We too must be aware of our areas
of weakness and put up barriers lest we fall prey to the sin that exists
“within our members.” (Romans 7)    

The exhortation today is to, “Walk in the Spirit and not yield to the cravings of the
flesh.”  (Galatians 5:16)

Let’s Pray: 
“Father,
help us to keep our flesh under subjection.  We pray that we’ll
“walk in the Spirit” and not yield to the cravings in our flesh, in
Jesus’ Name, amen.” 


Daily Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10

Daily Confession:
Father,
I thank You for making me the head and
not the tail
Above only and not beneath
The lender and not the borrower
The conqueror and not the conquered
 
I thank You for giving me all things
that pertain unto life and godliness
And for delivering my life from death
and destruction
So that I shall live and not die to
declare your works
 
I thank You that no sickness shall live
in my body today
For by Your Stripes I’m healed
I confess that I will not be stressed,
oppressed, or depressed
Because You’re keeping me in
perfect peace as my mind is stayed on Thee
 
I confess that there shall be no lack in
my life today
For my God shall supply all my needs
according to His Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus
 
Thank You that all things are working
together for my good
And that You always cause me to triumph
 
This is the day that you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
In Jesus, Name, amen.
Questions of the Day:
Galatians 5:16-17
 How is the
believer supposed to walk?
What is the
benefit of walking this way (vs. 16)? 
What is the
spiritual battle listed in verse 17?
 

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

OUR MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY

 

James 4:14: For what is your life? It is even a
vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

 
If you’re like most people I know, the following words
proceeded out your mouth at least once as a child:  “I can’t wait
until I get grown!”  In those days, it seemed as if time passed at a
snail’s pace.  But now that I’m in my early forties, it appears as
if my days (and years) go by “lightning fast!” The older I get, the
more I value every day The Lord allows me to see. 
 
When we consider that we’ll live someplace eternally,
our earthly existence is like a vapor.  And we must contemplate how and with
whom we spend our time on earth.  Let’s evaluate our lives to ensure that
we’re not wasting our priceless commodity of time on things (and people)
that add no value to our lives. 
 
The exhortation today is to thank God for the precious
commodity of life. 
 
Let’s Pray:    “Father, thank You
for life.  We pray that You’ll give us the wisdom to evaluate and
prioritize our lives.  Don’t let us waste time doing useless things, in
Jesus’ Name, amen.” 
 
Daily
Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10
 
Daily Confession:
 
Father,
I thank You for making me the head and not the tail
Above only and not beneath
The lender and not the borrower
The conqueror and not the conquered
 
I thank You for giving me all things that pertain unto life
and godliness
And for delivering my life from death and destruction
So that I shall live and not die to declare your works
 
I thank You that no sickness shall live in my body today
For by Your Stripes I’m healed
I confess that I will not be stressed, oppressed, or
depressed
Because You’re keeping me in perfect peace as my mind
is stayed on Thee
 
I confess that there shall be no lack in my life today
For my God shall supply all my needs according to His Riches
in Glory by Christ Jesus
 
Thank You that all things are working together for my good
And that You always cause me to triumph
 
This is the day that you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
 
In Jesus, Name, amen.
                                        
Questions of the Day:
Challenge
 
Find out as many Scriptures as you can that go with the
daily confession
 

Monday, September 27, 2010

THERE MUST BE A DIFFERENCE


Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven.



George Barna, a well-respected Christian researcher, reported the following statistics
about Christians and Christianity: 
-48% non-Christians said they gave in the last month compared to 47% of Christians
that did
-36% of non-Christians read their horoscopes; that same amount of believers (36%)
read theirs
-29% of Christians give their time to nonprofit causes; 27% non-Christians volunteer
theirs

While you may not think these statistics aren’t a big deal, they prove this one
simple truth:   “In many instances the disparity between believers and
non-believers is slim to none!”  If we are going to be effective in winning souls to Christ, if we’re going to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” there must be a
difference in how we live our lives and how the world does.  And while
nobody’s perfect, Christians should strive to be like Jesus in our
actions and attitudes each and every day.  

The Words of our Lord to the hearers in Matthew 5:16 are as follows:  “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 
Always remember that the world doesn’t need to “hear a sermon” as much as they need to see
one on display.

Let’s Pray:  “Father, help us to be like
and to represent You in our actions as well as our attitudes, in Jesus’
Name we pray, amen.” 

Daily Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10


DailyConfession:

Father, I thank You for making me the head and not the tail
Above only and not beneath
Thelender and not the borrower
Theconqueror and not the conquered
I thank You for giving me all things that pertain unto life and godliness
And for delivering my life from death and destruction
So that I shall live and not die to declare your works
 
I thank You that no sickness shall live in my body today
For By Your Stripes I'm healed
I confess that I will not be stressed, oppressed, or depressed
Because You're keeping me in perfect peace as my mind is stayed on Thee
I confess that there shall not be any lack in my life today
For my God shall supply all my needs according to His Riches in Glory by Christ
Jesus Thank You that all things are working together for my good
And that You always cause me to triumph
This is the day that you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
In Jesus, Name, amen.
 

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Greatest Leader


Matthew 16:18- “…on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”



I asked one of my spiritual sons to name three of the greatest leaders of all time. I qualified the question by giving him the one word definition of the word leadership—influence. When he communicated his choices, to his surprise I told him that I thought that Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones were great leaders because of the influence (though negative) they had on others. But my choice as The Greatest Leader of all time is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.



Jesus’ initial followers were a diverse group—from a tax collector to fishermen to a physician. But His Leadership Ability changed their lives. Although Mohandas (Mohatma) Ghandi is accredited with being the father of non-violence, the leadership model originated with our Lord and Savior. I teach and preach that one of the greatest factors in successful leadership is the leader’s succession plan. I believe that the true measure of a leader’s success is not measured by how well the organization functions when he or she is around, but by the performance of the outfit in the leader’s absence. Over two-thousand years ago, Jesus established the church then left and went back to glory. Throughout history the church has overcome all types of opposition. Although she is often the brunt of many a joke, to her credit, the church is still standing. Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18)



Do your part in passing on Christ to the next generation. In doing so, not only will you crown Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but you’ll also confirm the fact that He is the Greatest Leader of all time.



Let’s Pray:

“Father, not only do we honor Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but we recognize Him as being The Greatest Leader of all time. Teach us The Awesome Traits of His Leadership, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”



Daily Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10



Daily Confession:

Father, I thank You for making me the head and not the tail
Above only and not beneath
The lender and not the borrower
The conqueror and not the conquered
I thank You for giving me all things that pertain unto life and godliness
And for delivering my life from death and destruction
So that I shall live and not die to declare your works
I thank You that no sickness shall live in my body today
For by Your Stripes I'm healed
I confess that I will not be stressed, oppressed, or depressed
Because You're keeping me in perfect peace as my mind is stayed on Thee
I confess that there shall not be any lack in my life today
For my God shall supply all my needs according to His Riches in Glory by Christ Jesus
Thank You that all things are working together for my good
And that You always cause me to triumph
This is the day that you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
In Jesus, Name, amen.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Right Foundation


Matthew 7:24 "Therefore
whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise
man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall,
for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these sayings
of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house
on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

At the end of Matthew 7, Jesus
tells a parable of two houses.  These houses could very well have been
identical.  The same contractor probably used the same materials and workers in putting up the structures.  But during the storm, one of the houses fell while the other one stood.  Why?  Because there was a difference in the foundations.   The house built upon sand collapsed while the one built upon the rock survived. 


Many people (to include some
Christians) fall apart during the trials and storms of life because they put
too much emphasis on the external and not enough on the internal.  As
believers, we must always ensure that we focus on strengthening our
relationships with God and not be distracted by things of lesser importance. 
The old church sang, “…On Christ The Solid Rock I stand, all other
ground is sinking sand…”

The exhortation today is to
ensure that we’re building upon The Right Foundation. 

Let’s Pray:  
“Father,
help us to prioritize You before and above everything else, in Jesus’
Name, amen.”

Daily
Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10
 


Daily
Confession:

Father,
I thank You for making me the head and not the tailAbove
only and not beneath The lender and not the borrower
The conqueror and not the conquered I
thank You for giving me all things that pertain unto life and godliness
And for delivering my life from death and destruction
So that I shall live and not die to declare your works
 
I thank You that no sickness shall live in my body today
For by Your Stripes I'm healed
I confess that I will not be stressed, oppressed, or depressed
Because You're keeping me in perfect peace as my mind is stayed on Thee
 
I confess that there shall not be any lack in my life today
Formy God shall supply all my needs according to His Riches in Glory by Christ
Jesus Thank You that all things are working together for my good And
that You always cause me to triumph
 
This is the day that you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
In Jesus, Name, amen.
 
Questions of the Day   
 
How
did the gentleman approach Jesus in verses 14-15?
What
was wrong with his son?
How
did he try to harm himself? 
What
did Jesus say to the disciples?
What
did Jesus do in verse 18?
What was the boy’s end state?

Monday, September 20, 2010

IT'S MUCH BETTER AHEAD


Psalm 30:5- “…Weeping may endure for a
night, But joy comes in the morning.”

 
Today is Monday, September 20th, 2010. For some, this year has been one where you’ve had your fair share of heartache. Although the writer of Ecclesiastes proclaimed a time and season for everything, the season that many reading this devotional is experiencing is an extended season of pain. The trials of life have left more than a few fatigued from fighting life’s battles. But despite your challenges, I want to encourage you, beloved, to be optimistic about the final three months of the year.  
 
During our pilgrimage through life, things can sometimes
appear bleak and even dismal.  When we have to navigate through these seasons, we must encourage ourselves to keep believing that things will get better. 

Hard times don’t “come to stay,” they “come to
pass.”  The words of the psalmist often encourage me: 
“…Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the
morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
 
The exhortation today is to keep pushing, pressing, and
persevering…Things are much better ahead.  
 
Let’s Pray:
“Father, give us the
fortitude to believe that things are better ahead, in Jesus’ Name.” 
 

Daily Prayer:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil
that I may not cause pain!”

The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Display Your Christianity

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 17 Repay no one evil for evil… 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.



Earlier this week, I received an interesting call from another pastor. When the man of God opened the conversation with the words, “I have a concern about one of your members,” I wasn’t prepared for the dialogue that followed. A disgruntled parishioner had disrupted his church’s adult Sunday school class with slanderous comments towards me. The pastor told me that his remarks were so offensive that he literally had to take him outside of the church to speak with him! The pastor informed me that he’d become angry because I didn’t help him in a particular area of need. The irony of the situation is that I’d assisted this gentleman on numerous occasions, but when I drew the line in the sand, he’d become upset.


I must admit that when I heard the news, I was more than mad; I was livid! Both my pulse and my blood pressure shot up, my palms started sweating, legs started shaking, and my mind was thinking thoughts that were not of God! How could he put me on blast like that to another congregation of believers who don’t even know me? As my flesh was, “having its way,” The Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Pray for him.” Now, I must admit that my initial thought was, “God, you must be kidding!” But as The Spirit of God continued to convict me, I yielded to His Leading and began to pray for my persecutor.


One of the pills that we must swallow in following Christ is the fact that His Ways of doing things are totally contrary to the yearnings of our flesh. But if we’re going to be Christ-like, then we’re going to have to bring our flesh into alignment with God’s Word. Jesus gives the following instructions on dealing with our enemies:


“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Repay no one evil for evil…Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14, 17, 19-21, ESV)

The exhortation today is to always remember that your Christianity is best displayed in unfavorable situations.

Let’s Pray:
“Father, help us to obey Your Word and Your Spirit at all costs, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

Daily Prayer:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Never Say Never




Luke 22:33 “But Peter said to him, ‘Lord, I'm ready to go to prison with you and to die with you.’ 34 Jesus replied, ‘Peter, I can guarantee that the rooster won't crow tonight until you say three times that you don't know me.’” (God’s Word Translation)


I heard a comment in a group discussion some time ago that I shall never forget. I recall hearing an individual commenting on someone failing to carry out his or her Christian responsibility in a particular situation. In an objective manner, the person was sharing our Biblical duty of how the situation should have been handled but was misappropriated. The comment that I’ll never forget was made by someone who responded to the person talking. The reply was: “That’s true, but we really don’t know how we would have responded if we were in their shoes.”



How easy is it to look at others who are going through situations and criticize them for making the mistake(s)! Christians are not to “side with” or justify sin; however, we are responsible for helping to restore others who have fallen (Galatians 6:1). Instead of helping one another up, far too many believers kick each other while we’re down. There are those who “major” in making themselves look good at the demise of others. But we must be ever so careful not to say what we will or will not do!



While Peter really believed he’d never deny Jesus, he folded under pressure during the hour of persecution, causing him to weep bitterly (Luke 22:33-34; Luke 22:54-62). Being The Ultimate Example, Jesus restored Peter and personally requested him (Peter) after He’d gotten up from the grave (Mark 16:1-7). The exhortation today is to examine ourselves and to hold one another accountable at judging others who may have fallen.



Let’s Pray:
“Father, we ask that we not judge others who may have fallen, but help us to pray for and help to restore them. Let us hold others accountable without being judgmental and definitely without judging, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”



Daily Prayer:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”
The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10

Thursday, September 2, 2010

A GREAT PRIVILEGE




John 14:6: Jesus told him, “I am
The way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”



A friend of mine tried out for a professional basketball team but unfortunately, he didn’t make the squad. He was just as good as some of the others that made the team, but he just didn’t make the cut. While cleaning out his locker, one of his coaches found out they had a mutual friend. The coach told him that had he mentioned the gentleman’s name, he would have made the team! Simply mentioning someone’s name was his rights-of-passage into professional basketball.



There is a Name that gives the believer access to the throne of God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Because of His Name, we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) The Bible says that “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death” (Philippians 2:8), and because He did, “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name…” (Philippians 2:9)



If you are a believer, you should be thankful for your “Access Code” to the throne of God…The Name of Jesus!



Let’s Pray:

“Father, thank You for The Great Privilege of being able to use The Greatest Name on earth, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”



Daily Prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”

The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

THE ULTIMATE BURDEN

II Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”



A couple of weeks ago, I watched a special HBO Sports film entitled, “Joe Louis—America’s Hero…Betrayed.” The film depicted Louis as America’s 1st true crossover athlete. Although he lived during a time of overt racism and segregation, he was highly admired and respected by blacks and whites alike. The film reported his importance during a crucial time in America’s history. From the Great Depression through the early 1950’s, Joe Louis was an American hero and the premier sports icon in the United States and as well as other parts of the world. Unlike today’s athletics, a great weight rested on the shoulders of athletes because of the serious social ramifications of the day. His championship fight with Germany’s Max Schmeling in 1938 was much greater than a boxing match—it was a showdown between America’s democracy and Germany’s Nazism. A tremendous responsibility rested on the shoulders of the two athletes as each man literally represented his country, its government and its people.



While these men shouldered a great load, the burden carried by Jesus is almost unimaginable. Since man’s fall in The Garden, an entire creation was in need of a Savior to redeem humanity back to God. Though the Old and New Testament patriarchs were great men and women of God, no one was qualified to die for our sins. But Jesus willingly accepted the responsibility to carry our sins to Calvary’s Cross and be resurrected from the grave just to save us. Paul informs us that “…he (The Father) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)


Feel like you’re carrying a great load? Tell Jesus about it—He understands.


Let’s Pray:
“Father, thank You for sending Jesus just to die for our sins. We pray that we’ll always remember and appreciate His Sacrifice on Calvary just for us. Remind us that we can come to You when faced with times of difficulty in dealing with the problems and responsibilities of life, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”



Daily Prayer:
“Oh, that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!”

The Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:10