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

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Expect Great Things from Our Great God




Mark 11:24: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”



Whether you know it or not, our view of God can often be seen in the size of our petitions. Many of our requests to God are prayed in ways that minimize His Power. Alexander the Great was once asked for a big request which he granted instantly. The men around him who heard the request and Alexander's response asked him why he granted the request so quickly. Alexander said he did so because the request honored him.




Because we serve a “Big God,” The Lord wants us to believe Him for big things. However, our faith must rise to the point where we expect mighty things from our Mighty God. Mark 11:24 reads, “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Jesus taught the disciples that their faith, not the size of their petition, was the catalyst that brought miracles in their lives. We serve a Great God—believe Him for great things!


Let’s Pray:
Father, we pray that You’ll help us to believe You for great things. We ask that we not minimize Your Power or Your Ability to move in our behalf, 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, March 30, 2011

Follow His Voice

John 10:14: “My sheep hear my voice…”


I am so grateful to The Lord that He gave me great parents in the persons of Lue Henry and Veola Lockett. I’m blessed because my parents have always loved me, affirmed me, and spoken into my life. My mother taught me how to pray and she instructed me on the importance of God’s Word. Dad drilled me on the importance of integrity by saying things like, “your word is your bond.” They took me to church instead of sending me by someone else. But as great as they are, I’ve suffered many things because I disregarded their advice. One of my greatest regrets in life is the seasons when I had to learn life lessons “the hard way” instead of simply heeding the voice(s) of my parents.

How many times has The Holy Spirit convicted us to do something and we disobeyed? Because God’s Spirit indwells us, believers are able to recognize our Master’s Voice. Jesus declared, “My sheep hear my voice…” (John 10:14) But hearing our Master’s Voice isn’t the problem for Christians—obeying His Voice is the issue. Though there are times when we miss the mark (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 53:6), walking in disobedience to God should not be a repetitive practice in our lives. We must strive to get to the place where we trust The Voice of God unconditionally, knowing for certain that He’ll never lead us wrong.

Let’s agree that we’ll get better at following the leading of our Master.

Let’s Pray:
“Father, help us to obey Your Voice with full assurance and confidence, 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.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A Rescinded Report (devotional from 3/28/2011)

Isaiah 53:1-““Who has believed our report?..”


Most days I have to make myself watch the news because of the depressing mood I feel after doing so. There are times when I feel like, “if it were not for bad news, we’d hear no news at all.” The media fills the airways with reports such as: scandals amongst professional athletes, a shaky economy, destruction, wars (and rumors of wars), murders, natural catastrophes—from tsunamis to storms (to include hurricanes, tornadoes, and snowstorms) to forest fires…It’s no wonder that Smith Wigglesworth, one of the “fathers of the faith,” didn’t read the newspaper or even allow one in his home!



One of the enemy’s greatest tactics is to bombard us with negative information in an attempt to get us to believe his report. The kingdom of darkness deals with facts; while the Kingdom of God is grounded in truth. (John 17:17) It could be factual that your life is in disarray, but the truth is that God will “keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You (The Lord)” (Isaiah 26:3) You could have evidence that your finances are flaky, but if you’ve been faithful to God in tithes and offerings, the truth is your “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) There could be a situation that appears too great for anyone to work out, but the truth is that our God is “…able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20)



The question this morning is the same one Isaiah posed thousands of years ago, “Who has believed our report?..” Believe that God is able to rescind the enemy’s report and turn your situation around…today!



Let’s Pray:
“Father, we pray for faith to believe Your Report, regardless of what our eyes see, how we feel, or what’s been reported before. Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, help us to hear the right words today regarding our situations, 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.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Keep The Focus

Matthew 14:30: “…And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”


It’s very easy to get caught up in the hoopla that goes on around us. There’s always a rumor circulating, a lie being told, or gossip that’s so juicy that it tends to pulls us into it!
I’m concerned that some have forgotten and others never learned the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. If we’re going to survive and be productive during these unstable and uncertain times, Jesus Christ must be our focus!

Because Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was able to get out the boat in the midst of the storm and walk on water. However, when he began to look at the winds and the waves around him, he began to sink. There are many things that are going on in both the Body of Christ and in the world in which we live. Today’s exhortation is to not get distracted by things that really don’t matter; keep your eyes focused on Jesus!

Let’s Pray:
“Father, in Jesus’ Name, we pray that we’ll keep our eyes focused on You and You alone. Don’t let us get distracted by the winds and waves of life, 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 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 I will not be disorganized, distracted, or in disarray
But I will be focused on what God has called me to do
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.

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, March 9, 2011

The Importance of Holiness!

I Peter 1:16-“…it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy.”


Advances in technology have affected every area of society—to include the music industry. Once upon a time, vendors carried a wide selection of CDs. There was a day when music was separated in stores by genre. But because the industry has changed its packaging and distribution methods, many stores merge their CDs together into one section. Customers often have difficulty finding their favorite artists and genres of music on CD because all of them are “mixed in” together.



Holiness is a term that we don’t hear often in the 21st century church. When I was a child, we used the word holiness to signify those who were part of a congregation of Pentecostal believers that we referred to as, “the sanctified church.” But as I grew older, I found out that holiness wasn’t a denomination but a lifestyle. A simple definition of holiness means, “to be set apart for holy use.” Believers must always remember the importance of living our lives in a manner that’s different from the world. Jesus said that we are to, “let our lives so shine among men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) God’s Word through the penmanship of Peter is to “Be ye holy for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:16)



Let’s do our best to live our lives in a manner that glorifies God by being different from the world.



Let’s Pray: “Father, help us to conduct ourselves in a manner that represents and glorifies You, 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.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Are You Convinced?

I Kings 18:22 Then Elijah said to the people, "I alone am left a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. 23 "Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it.

24 "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people said, "That is a good idea."


The prophet Elijah was so convinced that his God was greater than Baal until he challenged his competition to a showdown. Although he was outnumbered by 449 men, his confidence in God was the motivation that coerced him to make such an awesome challenge. God proved that Elijah served the True and Living God with a great display of power. After Baal failed to answer the cry (and ceremonial activity) of his prophets, Elijah dug a trench around the altar, prepared his sacrifice, and asked Baal’s prophets to pour twelve pitchers of water on top of it (I Kings 18:30-35). When he called on the Name of our God, not only did He consume the sacrifice, but the wood, stones, and dust also (I Kings 18:38). The Fire was so powerful until it licked up the water that was in the trench! What a Mighty God we serve!



2 Corinthians 5:20 clearly states that our assignment as believers is to represent our King, Jesus Christ, as His ambassadors in the earth. Not only are we called to worship Him in assemblies with other believers, but we’ve also been given the Great Commission to take the gospel to the world. The product that we market, receiving Jesus as Lord, is invaluable and cannot be purchased with money, gold, silver, or any other earthly resource. Amazingly, the price was paid over 2,000 years ago when Christ died on Calvary’s Cross.
The problem isn’t our Product, but our conviction. If we’re going to be effective, we must be passionate about offering our Invaluable Christ to a dying humanity. How convinced are you that have The Only Solution for the world’s problems?



Many Christians don’t take their assignments as ambassadors seriously. Don’t be one of them! Begin today by sharing Jesus with someone else. We don’t have to be as confrontational as Elijah (or even my brother in that regard) to be effective Christians. We should, however, prayerfully and strategically offer Christ to others one person at a time. If they’re saved but don’t attend church regularly, invite them to attend your worship service this Sunday. After all, if you’re a Christian, you have a Proven, Priceless Product.



Let’s Pray: “Father, thank You for the awesome privilege of being a Christian. We ask that You will help us represent You by being the ambassadors You’ve called us to be. Teach us, Holy Spirit, how to emulate You and the Kingdom of God on earth today, 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.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Choose to Think Positively

Being saved doesn't qualify us for an exemption from frustration. But regardless how challenging the situation, we must choose to think positively. The opportunity to fail this test was afforded me just yesterday. I had the awesome privilege of preaching my pastor's silver anniversary during an afternoon service. After church ended, my pastor asked me to do something he's never done—stay over and eat dinner with him! Usually, he packs my family plates if food is served and puts us on the road. But because the occasion was special to him, he asked that we dine with him.



Dinner was served in pastor's personal banquet hall in rural Mississippi. After we consumed our meal, we loaded the vehicle anticipating a hasty departure. But as we were leaving, our vehicle got stuck in the Mississippi mud! Negative thoughts immediately bombarded my mind: "Why did you have to come out here in the first place?" "You could have been way down the road by now, but you're stuck here and Lord knows when you'll get home." Instead of dwelling on negativity and allowing it to control my mood and emotions, I decided to be positive about the situation. I encouraged our driver and told him that it wasn't his fault. I enjoyed the company of the brothers who'd come out to assist. In no time, we were out of the mud and on our way home.


I believe that faith is, as much as anything else, an optimistic attitude about life—regardless of the situation. Although the Apostle Paul lived a life of hardship, he chose to think positively. The following passages came through the penmanship of this great apostle: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)



As we begin another work week, make the decision to have a great week by thinking positively regardless of the opposition you're faced with.



Let’s Pray: “Father, help us to think positively today and always, 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.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

SUDDENLY!

Acts 16:26: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.”



One of the things that happens this time of year is the rapid change in temperature. Yesterday afternoon, my covenant brother and sister went to lunch at a local restaurant. When we came back outside the facility, the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees with an accompanying bone-chilling wind. The three of us were amazed how quickly the winds had shifted which causes such a drastic change in temperature.



In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, thrown into a prison’s inner cell, and shackled. (Acts 16:22-24) But when they called upon the Name of the Lord, the Bible says that God answered by causing the earth to shake “suddenly.” (Acts 16:26) God’s unconventional deliverance was so convincing that it provoked others in the prison to give their lives to the Lord. (Acts 16:27-35) My desire and prayer for you is that God will bring answers and manifestations to the things you’ve been praying about…suddenly!



Let’s Pray:
where You’ll manifest Your Promises in our lives… suddenly, in Jesus’ Name, amen“Father, I pray that this will be a week .”



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