Timing And Location

Genesis 45:10-11 (KJV) And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

Being in the right place at the right time is a phrase that people use when they describe an unexpected "stroke of luck", unexpected blessing, or something good that happened to them when they happen to "connect" with a circumstance that resulted in a positive way. Well, God has planned specific locations for each of us to be to experience and receive certain blessings. Abraham knew it when God told him to go to the land where he would be abundantly blessed. Joseph came to know it after he had been in Egypt a while and a famine came on. God has promised to provide for His people, but it is specific to timing and location. I'm sure Joseph didn't like enduring the hardships he endured when he was sold into slavery to Egypt, but had he not, his whole family would have perished. I'm sure it was not an easy decision for Abraham to leave his father's house and the land where he had lived all his life, and go to a place he did not know. Be encouraged today and know that even though the place where you believe God wants you to be is not somewhere you would have chosen, it is for a reason and it is for a season. Just follow peace and know that the timing and location is specific for the blessing of provision and protection for you and your family.
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Truth Be Known

John 8:31-32 (Amplified Bible) So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

Truth be known, there are many things about ourselves we really don’t want to know. There are many things about us that we hope no one else will ever know. They may or may not be terrible things, but they are things we would prefer would remain hidden. Truth be known, there are many things about Jesus we don’t know. Sadly, there are many things about Him we might be afraid to know. Afraid because of what truth it may reveal to us about ourselves. Truth be known, for one reason or another, many truths about Jesus will remain hidden. What is it that prevents us from seeing His truth in Truth? Is it pride, stubborn disobedience--fear? So much can impair our ability to know the Truth in truth, but by the Truth we can be set free from such impairments. If we hold to His teachings, Jesus tells us, the truth will set us free. There may be things that seem to bind us today, but freedom can be found--truth be known.


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Belief Produces Behavior

John 6:29 (Amplified Bible) Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger].

Do you ever get mad at yourself; thinking of how you didn't get something right? Do you wish you could erase it, like pushing the undo button on your computer?
Well, you are not alone. Seems like that voice of condemnation whispers to all us, how we SHOULD do this or SHOULD do that. I was Praying about some issues I thought I had, and the Lord just softly spoke to me..."I didn't die to make you a better person, I died to forgive you,"
I know that the flesh profits nothing and that it is the Spirit that gives life...so this is true, but such a hard pill for my flesh to swallow...I want to do better, be better...and it was just so refreshing to hear the Lord go on to tell me, " it is not about your behavior, but it is about what you believe." (because belief produces behavior) No matter how we stretch it, the flesh is the flesh and it will never be able to please God. It is good for one thing, to be crucified with Christ. (Gal. 2:20). God is not depending on you to get everything right. Jesus did all that for you. His biggest desire is for you to believe in Him and what He did for you. When you believe it, it changes you. It will change your behavior.
Receiving His forgiveness honors God much more than us getting everything right! My righteousness is as filthy rags.

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Peace Of Mind

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

When you're in a place of decision, or in a place of uncertainty, keep your eyes focused on the Lord. His path is the path of peace. He gives peace that passes all understanding to those who stay in fellowship with Him. When you don't know which way is up, or when to move forward or be still, keep your mind focused on the Lord. Stand on the promises of God. Confess the goodness and the word of the Lord. Keep trusting in Him. When you do that, He promises that His peace will lead you in the way you should go.

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Mere Appearances

John 7:24 (Amplified Bible) Be honest in your judgment and do not decide at a glance (superficially and by appearances); but judge fairly and righteously.

Imagine how much we miss out on because we allow our choices to be influenced by appearance. We may miss out on a relationship with a wonderful, godly person because maybe they seem a little odd. Or maybe we miss out on working a job where God knows we would be happiest, because it doesn't seem to pay what we think it should. Perhaps we miss out on leading a soul to Christ because of the apparent lack of time, money, etc. It is time we stop looking with the eyes of flesh and start looking through the eyes of God. Only then will we experience His will perfected in us, and have the abundant and full life that He wants for us. Only then will we be able to go beyond what seems to be, to what is.

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Nitpicking

Matthew 23:24 (NKJV) Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
Matthew 23:24 (The Message)You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

Mark chapter 14 verses 3-9 tell the story of a woman who broke a jar of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head. The onlookers immediately found fault, saying that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus quickly corrected them, explaining to them the purpose of what the woman had done which they had completely missed. As Christians, our eyes should be always looking beyond reason, beyond first impressions, and beyond ourselves in order to allow Christ to reveal to us His purposes in all things. Yet, so often we see something in church or in another Christian’s life and become indignant. Our eyes become clouded by our judgments of how we believe things should be, and we completely miss what God may be doing right before our eyes.

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Words Of Enrichment

1 Corinthians 1:5 (KJv) That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
When you're seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, one way to stay in right position with God is to speak God's words. Speak words of faith and hope. Speaking words of doubt, fear and unbelief will only take you off course and down the wrong path, leading only to further anguish and frustration. Jesus said if you had faith the size of a mustard seed you would "say". In regards to the necessities of life Jesus said take no thought "saying". In other words, when thoughts of worry, doubt and fear come to your mind, instead of speaking those worrisome thoughts, speak words of faith instead. Paul said righteousness based on faith "speaks", and the spirit of faith believes and therefore "speaks". If you renew your mind to the words of the King, then you will speak kingdom words. Every word starts with a thought and James says what you speak will determine your course. Stay on the right path by speaking the right words.

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Where is your Allegiance

1 Peter 2:9-11 (The Message) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

What is the American Dream? Does it extend its roots as far back as the Declaration of Independence wherein we read about “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?” Is the concept of the American dream something that has transformed over time? And finally—is it a dream we as Christians embrace? Peter would remind us that our residence is not of this world but that we are citizens of another kingdom. As such, our first allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, and our first desire is to be for His Kingdom to advance. Dear Christian brother and sister, look around. How many do you see in pursuit of the American Dream? How many do you see in pursuit of the Kingdom’s Reality? And finally—what do you pursue?

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Dreams and Desires

Psalm 37:3-5 (KJV) Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Everyone has dreams, desires and aspirations. Some believe they can never achieve them. Some wonder how they will ever achieve them, while others chase after them with a wild passion and sometimes find that those dreams and desires somehow manage to constantly elude them and are just out of reach. God wants to bless you with the desires of your heart. However, the fulfillment of those desires are only found in Him and on His path. God will not change His ways or His plan to fit to your agenda. You must put God first place in everything in your life. Put your hope in Him and be in right standing with Him through Jesus Christ. Feed on His word daily and believe that He is faithful. Delight in Him, which means to literally become soft and pliable, allowing Him to change your heart and reveal His plan for your life. Be confident that God can do the impossible in your life. As you do this, His ways begin to become your ways. His thoughts begin to become your thoughts. Soon, your dreams and desires match up with His dreams and desires for your life, and the timing and conditions for those dreams and desires will begin to come to pass. Wait on Him. He will bring it to pass.

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United

1 Corinthians 1:10 (Amplified Bible) But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments.

Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed very hard to come to an agreement so everyone decided to "agree to disagree?" Though such an idea springs from good intentions, have you ever wondered if this is an answer that God commends? What does the Bible say? If we agree to disagree, does that mean that one or both of us are wrong? We will have differences of opinion, but perhaps we are meant to work through those differences and, in unity, seek God for an answer He has for us. In Christ, there is a way through which we can be drawn together in likeness of mind and thought--there is no reason we must settle for anything less.


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Hearing and Doing

James 1:22-24 (NKJV) 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was

We hear sermons, we read the Bible, we study and read our devotionals. However, let's not look at ourselves in the mirror and then immediately forget what we look like. In other words, lets not hear or read something about forgiveness and realize we need to forgive someone, but then not forgive. Or, let's not read "God so loved the world" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" and then not go and show the love of God to those around us. When we read the bible, it not only shows us who we are in Christ, but it also reveals things about us that we need to change. If we realize these things, but not put forth the effort to make the necessary changes, we are only hearing the word and not doing it. Prove yourself to be a "doer" of the word today and not just a "hearer" only. Faith is an action word, and you can do it by faith!

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Wait

Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength

Waiting. No one really likes it. It's not fun when you're sitting in traffic; it's boring when you're waiting at the dentist office; it can be especially tiring when you're waiting on a phone call from someone. Maybe you're ready to move forward on something and someone else is holding you up. The devil does try to frustrate and stop God's plan for your life, but sometimes he tempts us the other way. He wants us to make a rushed decision, or speak up about something too soon, etc., to get us ahead of God. Sometimes God is saying "wait" - there's a trap ahead. God is trying to keep us out of the path of that car down the road that is swerving into the oncoming lane. He is wanting us to wait on making that purchase today, because tomorrow something better is coming along. When you feel pressed in from every side, don't be too quick to make an irrational decision. If you try to move ahead in your own power, you'll be more frustrated, wore out, tired and regretful. Wait on the Lord. Wait for His peace to be the acid test to know when it's time to move ahead. He promises as you wait on Him that He will give you the strength to overcome!

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SET FREE

Galatians 5:1 IN [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off]. 13. For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.

We are set free from the law of Moses - the law of sin, death & condemnation. But we are not freed for the purpose of serving ourselves and chasing after our own lusts and desires. We are set free for the purpose of serving one another in love. In the old covenant, the focus was on keeping laws and commandments. Under the new covenant, the focus is on being led by the Spirit of God. God has gifted each one with special gifts, talents and abilities for the purpose of serving our fellow man and bringing glory to God through that service. If you want to get the most out of life, put God first in your life by repenting of your own ways and ideas, make Jesus Lord and Savior of your life and purpose to be led by the Holy Spirit of God and serve your fellow man with the gifts, talents and abilities that God has created you with. Live the life of freedom that you have in Jesus Christ. In Him you are no longer a slave to sin, but a servant of righteousness because you have been set free!

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Power Of Unity

Genesis 11:6 (Amplified Bible) And the Lord said, Behold, they are one people and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do, and now nothing they have imagined they can do will be impossible for them.

God knows the power of unity. In this story of the tower of Babel, God knew that if He didn't confuse the language of the people, that their unity would further their wicked plans. The bible says that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, everything shall be confirmed. Unity. Jesus said that if two or more agree as touching anything, they can have what they say when they pray. When God told Moses to send out 12 spies into the promised land, the unity of the evil report of the 10 kept the whole group in the wilderness for forty years. However, the good report and unity of Joshua and Caleb preserved a generation that would enter the promised land forty years later. First John 5:7 says that God the father, Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit are all in unity. The power of their unity created the whole universe. Jesus also said that if you mix your faith with your words, nothing will be impossible for you. Unity. The Bible says that one can be defeated and two can defend, but a three strand cord is not easily broken. There is power in unity. Love is the perfect bond of unity. Ephesians 4 says that when we all come together in unity, we will lack nothing. Where there is a lack of unity, there is a lack of all things. Where unity is present, there is nothing lacking.

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Spur One Another On

Hebrews 10:24 (The Message) So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Don't ever underestimate the slightest act of kindness. A simple greeting, a smile or a kind gesture, such as holding a door open for someone can make a difference in someone's day. Maybe it's bringing those donuts into the office on Friday, or holding an elevator door for someone. To someone out there today, you could be the turning point from them having a bad day or a good day. Your encouragement could change their whole outlook. The love, joy and hope that you show is contagious and has more of an effect on people than you realize. So consider the simple things you can do to encourage someone along today.

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Led By The Spirit

Luke 4:1-4 (NKJV) Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’”

Jesus gave us a perfect example of how to be victorious in every situation - be led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is your helper. He is there to show you the way out of every situation. Even in the darkest of times when the devil is trying to hit you with everything he has, the Holy Spirit is there to give you direction, counsel, wisdom, or remind you of a scripture promise that will help you overcome. If life is hitting you hard right now, or if you're not having any trouble at all, either way listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit to lead you down the right path - the path of life and blessing.
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Revelation Knowledge

Ephesians 1:17 (Amplified Bible)
[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

When you sit down with your bible for study time, pray that God will give you revelation knowledge and understanding of His word. Revelation knowledge is when the scriptures become "alive". They become more than just words on a page that you memorize, they become alive and real. Revelation knowledge opens up and unlocks the mysteries of the word of God, making it become alive and real for you. The word of God is as much alive and real today as it was 2000 plus years ago. When you get revelation, it is something you can stand on and build your life on. It is the solid rock of truth, and when you have assurance of the word like that, there is not a devil in hell who can move you off of it, or prevail against you!

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