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

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

God is Counting on You!

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”


One of the last instructions that the disciples received from Jesus is recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 (see above Scripture). There words are more than a Command; they are the charge of responsibility being given to the disciples. When Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples inherited the task of advancing the Kingdom that Jesus established. Not only did our Lord depend upon them to carry out this Command, but He trusted them to be faithful with the assignment He’d given them.

Contrary to the thinking of some Christians, our union with God is not one dimensional. Many believers only think of God’s Role and never contemplate our responsibilities in maintaining our relationship with the Father. But just like we are depending upon God, He’s also depending upon us. Believers must be committed and take seriously our responsibility to advance God’s Kingdom each day.

The Command in Matthew 28:19-20 was not just for the disciples, but it extended generationally even to the 21st century church. Today’s exhortation is to contemplate this question: “Can God depend upon me?”

Let’s Pray: “Father, help us to be faithful in our assignment that You’ve given us. We pray that You’ll be able to depend upon us today and always, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

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

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 is 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

Monday, December 27, 2010

Our Everything

“The Lord is…” (Various passages of Scriptures)

Can you remember the days of running all over the place to pick up the things you needed? There was a day when we had to go to various locations to enjoy conveniences and purchase different products:

-Music could only be purchased at a music store;

-To purchase clothes, you had to go to the clothing store;

-Goodyear, Firestone, and Michelin were the primary vendors for tires;

-Groceries could be purchased at the grocery store;

-To get our oil changed, we had to go to the mechanic’s shop or the garage;

-If you wanted your nails done, you had to go to the nail shop;

-And women wanting their hair done had to go to the beauty shop.



Sam Walton’s “superstore concept” revolutionized the commercial market by making shopping convenient for the consumer. Today, we can go to one place and acquire all the aforementioned things.

But years before there was a superstore (or even a market for that matter), the Lord was (and continues to be to some) A One-Stop Shop for His creation. The word “Lord” translates Jehovah and it is the Old Covenant’s Personal Name of God. It was used more than 4,000 times in the Old Testament. Our God proved His All-Inclusive Nature in The Compound Names of Jehovah:

—Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Gen. 22:14)
—Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace"(Judg. 6:24)
—Jehovah-Rophe, "the Lord who heals" (Ex. 15:26)
—Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer. 33:16)
—Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezek. 48:35)
—"Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Ex. 17:15)
—Jehovah-M'Kaddesh, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Lev. 20:8)



I don’t know what you need today, but I know where you can go to find it. Everything you need is in The Lord.

Let’s Pray:
“Father, thank You for being An All Sufficient God. Help us to realize that everything we need is in You, in Jesus’ Name, amen.”

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
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 is 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.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

THE LONG WAY!!!!!!


Genesis 41:41-43: 41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

There are two doors that can be accessed to enter and exit the building at the barbershop that I patronize. I usually park next to the door where my barber is located and then walk directly into his chair at my appointment time. In the past, I’ve used this door to both enter and exit the establishment without any problems. But an interesting thing happened this past Tuesday as I was leaving. Although I entered the building through the door, when it was time for me to leave, the door was locked! Although my vehicle was less than ten feet away, I had to go the long way around in order to get to it.



Many of us have been shown what God is going to do in our lives; however, it appears as if it’s taking “an eternity” to manifest! Although Joseph’s life was adventurous, it took much longer than he expected to receive what God had promised. At the tender age of 17, God showed him (in dreams) that he’d reign one day over his family. But those dreams didn’t come into fruition until around age 30. Those thirteen years were ones of challenges, conflicts, and confrontations. However, the roller-coaster ride resulted in Joseph being elevated to second-in-charge in all the land of Egypt! The blessing was well worth the pain, the heartaches and the struggles he had to endure and overcome.



Many of you reading this devotional have pondered the questions “Why is it taking so long to get what God has promised?” “Why am I having to take, “The Long Way” to get to my wealthy place? My assignment this morning is to deliver this message: “God’s going to make it worth the wait.”



Let’s Pray:
“Father, thank You for the route You’ve chosen to take us in getting us to our wealthy place. We ask that You’ll give us the tenacity, fortitude, and diligence to ‘hang it there.’ Help us to ‘trust You when we can’t trace You.’ Give us strength for the ‘long haul,’ 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

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 I will not be distracted, disorganized, or in disarray,

but I will be diligent to what God has called me to do



I confess that there shall not be any lack in my life

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.