The Word Of The Lord To Live By

Learning to Apply The Word, purpose in your heart to not just say the words, but to apply it as if your life depends on it!

I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

This verse shows a strong statement of the relationship David has with the Lord. Jesus desires for you to strengthen your relationship with him. Let these words be your words. Not words you just speak but words with action that comes from the heart.

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He Took The Worries

What do we do with these worries? Take your anxieties to the cross–literally. Next time your worried about your health or house or finances or flights, take a mental trip on the hill. Spend a few moments looking again at the pieces of passion.

Run your thumb over the tip of the spear. Balance a spike in the palm of your hand. Read the wooden sign written in your own language. And as you do, touch the velvet dirt, moist with the blood of God. Blood he bled for you. The spear he took for you. The nails he felt for you. The sign you left for you.

He did all this for you. Knowing this, and know all he did for you there, don’t you think he will look out for you here?

Or as Paul wrote, “He did not spare his own son but gave him for us all. So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things” (Romans 8:32).

Do yourself a favor; take your anxious moments to the cross. Leave them there with your band moments, your mad moments, and your anxious moments. And may I suggest one more? Your final moment.

Barring the return of Christ first, you and I will have one. A final moment. A final breath. A final widening of the eyes and beating of the heart. In a split second you’ll leave what you know and enter what you don’t.

That’s what bothers us. Death is the great unknown. We’re always a bit skittish about the unknown.

Sara certainly was. Denalyn and I thought it was a great idea. We would kidnap the girls from school and take them on a weekend trip. We made reservations at a hotel and cleared the trip with their teachers but kept it secret from our girls. When we showed up at Sara’s fourth grade classroom on Friday afternoon, we’d thought she’d be thrilled. She wasn’t. She was afraid. She didn’t want to leave!

As we left, I assured her nothing was wrong. We had come to take her to a fun place. Didn’t work. By the time we got to the car, she was crying. She was confused. She didn’t like the interruption.

Now do we. God promises to come at an unexpected hour and take us from the gray world we know to a golden world we don’t. But since we don’t, we aren’t sure we want to go. We even get upset at the thought of his coming.

For that reason God wants us to do what Sara finally did–trust her father. “Don’t let your hearts be troubled,” he urged. “I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am” (John 3).

By the way, in a short time Sara relaxed and enjoyed the trip. In fact, she didn’t want to come back. You won’t want to either.

Troubled about your final moments? Leave them at the foot of the cross. Leave them there with your bad moment, mad moments, and anxious moments.

About this time someone is thinking, “You know, Max, if I leave all those moments at the cross, I won’t have any moments left but good ones.” Well, what do you know? I guess you wont.

>> Make a list of everything your worrying about.–health, finances, family, job, and so on. Ask God to help you see all of them in light of eternity. Thank him that he’s looking out for you.

From a book by Max Lacudo

Conviction

“Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.”
Ezra 10:1

“And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,”
Luke 15:16-18

“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And he said, Who art Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
Acts 9:4-6

Harvest

Wheat harvest season is coming soon. The anticipation of a rewarding crop is very high with wheat farmers. Easter comes early this year and the other important holy days follow with a crescendo of Pentecost on May 15. Pentecost was like a grand harvest festival of thanksgiving. On that first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came and rested upon all those on the roof top in their prayer meeting. Some believe that on that very day the church was born as a first fruits expression from heaven. They came to be known as Christians. Pray about giving this year with a cheerful heart a first fruits offering from your own harvest. God loves a cheerful giver. He loves you!

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (MSG) “Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.

Watch Your Attitude

Watch your attitude. I know all is not well now but you don’t need to compound the problem by being rude. Because you are down you’re neglecting to read the Scriptures. A helpful action in immersing yourself in the Psalms is discovering the treasures the Psalmist found in laying everything out before Me. Telling all that is happening to someone you trust is good, but it doesn’t compare to telling Me the depths of what you are feeling. I already know it all but openness causes love to flourish between us. I am the one who can comfort. I am also the one who can do something about what you’re experiencing.

Isaiah 30:18 (AMP) “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship!

Where has Compassion Gone

Where has the compassion gone

I woke up this morning listening to the word of God and I begin to think about how we have become a generation of people who use technology for every thing. My mind goes back to when I was young and growing up, I watched my mom keep close to her family and her friends and also her church family. It was important to her to hear the voice of her mother and her siblings and those she held dear to her heart.

When I began to get sick I could not talk to my family and friends like I desired to, I struggling with breathing I longed to hear the voices of the ones I held dear to my heart. In 2006 my mother was given the life changing news that she was set on a course with a illness that shook the very foundation of my soul and my siblings, but what our mother taught us was love is a action word one that it don’t need any reason at all to just love, so me and my sisters got together and we took care of our mother, we loved her so much that it was the hardest thing to think of that our mother was going to leave us, with all she suffered due to this illness she could only think of us, when she received the news all she could say to the situation was my children need me, my grand babies need me. Love never thinks selfishly I am so grateful to my Mother teaching me and my sister the value in loving with a pure love no conditions. When you experience the love of The Lord it will make you want to love right, so as I begin to examine how many times I my self has picked up the phone to talk to people I love and consider them to be important to me, I began to feel a shame of my self. The most heart wrenching thought went through me what if I called one day to late, there is nothing that will take the feeling of regret away if someone you loved has left life and you can only think if I had at least talked to them more.

One of my spiritual mothers died about 4 months back and the most hurting thing was I had found out through Facebook I cried and I also felt like I let her down, before there was social network there was true relationship with intimacy, when we start to rely on phone texting, computer emails, social networking we lose the sense of intimacy which you could pick up the person you loved, and right away love will push you to reach out. We have become cold and untouchable with one another, we are quick to say I am just busy, I thought about you but I just got busy, I meant to call you but something came up, I said not another day was going to go by without me calling so and so. It has gotten so bad that you have relied on social network and cell phone texting to say Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Congrats on Your Engagement, You Got Married, Congrats on The Birthing Of Your baby, you have to go on pages to see your newly born family member, it begins to get old and it feels like you have been replaced by a page and millions of people know before you do and your family, a true friend, Stop and think about what it is that you have allowed the systems of the world is replaces what was God given the compassion and close feeling you had for intimacy and the feeling of another touch from someone you love. God is now being given the last of everything, even time that we should spend with Him is being stolen as well, if we are losing touch with one another we are also losing touch with our Savior, it takes nothing to go on the Internet and copy and paste a scripture or 2 or 3 or more to give the appearance of you spending time in His Word

God is longing for his children to love on Him, to come back to the place where we longed to be in His presence to feel His touch, to sit quietly before Him and to make Him the most important part of your day. We have to exam our hearts and decide what is more important to you, do you love Him more than sitting on the Internet, ripping and running spending time being busy, we have lost our selves in things that was designed to take our focus off God, even in our services we come in after working all week and we try to catch up on what everyone has been doing, but the truth of the matter we should come with the mindset we are gathering to see a move of God, our services have lost the true purpose.

For our God will be lifted, but we come in with stuff on our minds what’s for dinner, gotta go home wash clothes, gotta get the kids prepared for school, I have to go home and work on something for work, we can’t even get our minds off everything to give God the 3 or 4 hrs we are in the House of The Lord and we blame God for things we have control over, it’s Gods desire to move for us, but our hearts have to come into agreement to see a real move in our Sunday Worship Services. Worship starts with us, it starts with our time with God, it’s hard today to get people to come in with one mind and one spirit to pull on God for His presence to fill our Worship Services, we have division in the body, we have clicks in the body, we have sinful life styles in the body, we have the mindset that we only need God when we are in trouble in the body, we take Gods word and don’t know how to effectively apply it, so we try to sound and look deep, people have gotten hooked on titles not building lives.

The true Gospel is not how big your church is or how well we sing or shout outside of all that what is there for the world to want from coming to Christ looking at us as an example of Him. What It is, is that we are spoiled American’s to much to distract us, if we are ever blessed to visit one of the 3rd world countries we will be put to shame for they have so much less, but their drive and hearts are so committed to God they love God so much it shines from their very appearance, they walk miles and miles to hear the Gospel they want God more than life it’s self, if we had to live without the luxuries of being born in a place where we are given the freedom of speech, many of us would not make it, living some where, where you had to rely on the power of Jesus for healing or watch our love ones die off or our babies.

We don’t exercise Faith with modern day medicines but if all you had was your faith how many would know how to use it to get the Word of God to move for you, it’s so much to think about, it’s life changing for if I could bring back every person who died off prematurely I would and I would speak the Word and demand the body to line up with the Word of The Lord. We have to get back in touch with our compassion for God first and family and just people. It’s designed that we lose the desire for closeness with people whether family or friends we need one another to survive, no man is island and no man stands alone. Just start thinking about the day you first starting loving rekindle that true feeling of being touched by love, think about the love of God that drew you, when your lost and need help and you just needed to know your loved a computer or social networking can not touch you like the touch of human hands and their is no greater touch then the touch of a loving Savior, we support gospel artist, stars and we get lost in following people on Facebook, twitter, socialcam, YouTube, every network that has been set up to give us a false sense of closeness but you can support all these people and we can write to them, but ask your self this question they give a little video or message telling us they love and appreciate us for supporting them, but how many really take the time to call you by name in your post.

When your hurting do they care by taking the time to just say they love you, not in general but personal, so you will say how can they it’s to many people to respond to but Jesus can, and if we wanted to reach out we can, your just a number to many of them, stop chasing stars, artist, and touch people that want to touch you back, when you spend your time writing these people you may never meet, love on the ones who love on you, stop making people who want to love you feel looked over and forgotten. Where has the compassion gone?

It has gotten so bad that children have more respect for outsiders more than their own parents. We are living in the last days I am reminded of. Matthew 24 starting at verse 5

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. The compassion is gone because the love has gone to other things, love has left the hearts of people even the heart of the Christian. We must return back to the first time you remember the touch of God’s love.

I wrote this with the idea of my family in my mind and heart, I have been hurt so much and it’s by the grace of God I can still have the desire to love, but I was raised by my mother, that lady loved some people that we thought she should’ve just asked God to burn up. I know it sounds bad but you must understand we watched our mother have heart broken over and over again but it never stop her from loving like Christ commanded. Today I am so blessed my mother taught me and my siblings that, when you love there is no greater reward than to love and please your Heavenly Father. I pray this blesses all who read it and I have many more of my heart.

Conversation Through The Word

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”
Psalm 50:23

“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.”
Proverbs 15:2

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
Proverbs 18:21

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;”
Ephesians 4:22

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:”
Philippians 1:27

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.”
James 3:13

“But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;”
1 Peter 1:15

What The Spirit Is Saying

It is time to take action. You have been putting it off long enough. Plow up the hard ground of your heart. You have received the good seeds of righteousness planted long ago. A harvest of love is coming your way. Wait patiently for it while you take action to make your heart right. You have allowed areas of your heart to become hardened towards Me and My living word within you. A good spring shower of righteousness is all you need. But you must seek after it like a hound dog after a raccoon. Do not stop until you get the good that is stored up for you. It is yours. Go for it.

Hosea 10:12 (NLT) “I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.'” Ras Robinson

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We Are Born With A Purpose

It is an incredible thing for us as human beings to know that we were born to reveal the likeness of God. God says of His people Israel, “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise” (Isaiah 43:21). Although this Scripture is primarily speaking of Israel, it also relates to us as God’s redeemed people. God did not create us to for our own pleasure, but for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11). He created us to show forth His praise and His glory in the earth (Isaiah 43:7).

We go to the New Testament and receive the same message (Ephesians 1:6-7; 13-14). We were created to “show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The NET translation says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues (which is the correct word according to the Greek) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Each day when you wake up, your highest purpose is to reveal God’s virtues (the excellencies of the life of Jesus Christ who lives in you) to your husband, your children, and the world around you. And you thought you had no purpose in life? What higher vision could you have?

And you can extend that vision? Seek to be a FAMILY that is a praise to God in the earth, in your neighborhood, and in your church fellowship. What a great vision!

Jesus Was not Intimidated By Pilate

Pilate said to Jesus, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:10–11)

Pilate’s authority to crucify Jesus did not intimidate Jesus.

Why not?

Not because Pilate was lying. Not because he didn’t have authority to crucify Jesus. He did.

Rather this authority did not intimidate Jesus because it was derivative. Jesus said, “It was given to you from above.” Which means it is really authoritative. Not less. But more.

So how is this not intimidating? Pilate not only has authority to kill Jesus. But he has God-given authority to kill him.

This does not intimidate Jesus because Pilate’s authority over Jesus is subordinate to God’s authority over Pilate. Jesus gets his comfort at this moment not because Pilate’s will is powerless, but because Pilate’s will is guided. Not because Jesus isn’t in the hands of Pilate’s fear, but because Pilate is in the hands of Jesus’s Father.

Which means that our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power. This is the point of Romans 8:25–37. Tribulation and distress and persecution and famine and nakedness and danger and sword cannot separate us from Christ because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35–37).