Isaiah 52: 7
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Are you a bearer of good news? Let me explain to you how easy it can be to proclaim peace. All you need to do is realign your thoughts, examine the things that are important to you and compare them to God's plan. Unsure of God's plan for your life? Pick up a Bible! Know that God could care less about most of the things we stress about. We were all placed here to deliver a message, spread the good news, proclaim peace and bring good tidings by preaching the gospel of Jesus. If you're having a bad day and trying to find new ways to lift your spirit, try talking about Jesus. When the story is retold, when you hear of his goodness - that He died for us to be free - there is no way you can remain sad, mad or depressed. Proclaim the salvation of this Earth by acknowleding that OUR GOD REIGNS, and watch the blessing come down!
Amen
Isaiah 55:12
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
This morning my nana (my mother's mom) died. She lived a full life, bore 9 children, raised 8 of her own teenagers, and shared in the life of 6 adults of her womb. She had too many grandchildren to count and so far only 4 great-grand sons with one little girl on the way. Her life was full and even though my family is still only dealing with her passing, we were all blesed to have had so much time with her.
Isaiah 55:12 is a great passage to meditate on during this time. It reminds me to find joy despite the physical pain. Our emotional and spiritual lives are so much more than just our physical relationships and experiences. To wake up to bad news and go out in joy is a strong indication that God is the center of your life. Meditating on his desire for your life is just one way to encourage yourself. Others include counting your blessings, giving to those in need and contemplating on the everyday miracles. When we push ourselves to go out in joy, God confirms his commitment by leading us in peace (remember the covenant we spoke about)!
If you're wondering whether you've experienced peace as a result of your joy check out the second part of this verse. Not only is our perspective renewed but our external environments change. The bible says the mountains will burst into song and the trees will clap their hands! Amen. Stabilize your peace to enjoy a joyous outcome.
More and more I've come to know that practicing and excersicing our peace produces increased levels of peace. It's like physical exercise! The more you work a muscle the stronger it gets. Three sets and 20 repeitions of bicep curls a day will strengthen your arms. Take this same formula and apply it to your peace. The more you build the harder it will be to disturb. Practice peac to gain peace. Go out in joy and God will lead you, throught the day, to peaceful outcomes.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
This morning my nana (my mother's mom) died. She lived a full life, bore 9 children, raised 8 of her own teenagers, and shared in the life of 6 adults of her womb. She had too many grandchildren to count and so far only 4 great-grand sons with one little girl on the way. Her life was full and even though my family is still only dealing with her passing, we were all blesed to have had so much time with her.
Isaiah 55:12 is a great passage to meditate on during this time. It reminds me to find joy despite the physical pain. Our emotional and spiritual lives are so much more than just our physical relationships and experiences. To wake up to bad news and go out in joy is a strong indication that God is the center of your life. Meditating on his desire for your life is just one way to encourage yourself. Others include counting your blessings, giving to those in need and contemplating on the everyday miracles. When we push ourselves to go out in joy, God confirms his commitment by leading us in peace (remember the covenant we spoke about)!
If you're wondering whether you've experienced peace as a result of your joy check out the second part of this verse. Not only is our perspective renewed but our external environments change. The bible says the mountains will burst into song and the trees will clap their hands! Amen. Stabilize your peace to enjoy a joyous outcome.
More and more I've come to know that practicing and excersicing our peace produces increased levels of peace. It's like physical exercise! The more you work a muscle the stronger it gets. Three sets and 20 repeitions of bicep curls a day will strengthen your arms. Take this same formula and apply it to your peace. The more you build the harder it will be to disturb. Practice peac to gain peace. Go out in joy and God will lead you, throught the day, to peaceful outcomes.
Be a Truth Bearer
There is a separation taking place between those who claim to be Christians and those who really live according to the Word of God. With the world becoming increasingly dark and depraved, it is critical that those who truly represent Jesus Christ allow their light to shine in an unprecedented way. We must be bearers of truth at all times and in every arena in which we find ourselves. God has called us to share the Gospel with the world; it is the Great Commission.
Sharing Jesus with people is not an option when you are born again, but a commission. The world needs to hear the truth about Jesus and what He came to do for mankind. There are many different belief systems and religions, but none of them offer redemption from sins and the opportunity to have a new spiritual nature. Only through accepting Jesus Christ are these things made available to us. Without Jesus, man has no hope for redemption or cleansing of sin. Only through faith in Him are we made righteous and given the right to stand before the Father without a sense of guilt or condemnation.
How important is it to share the Gospel with others? It is essential, according to the Word. Jesus Himself, in Mark 16:15, gave very straightforward instructions to His disciples, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” As followers of Christ, we are also His disciples, which means this commission applies to us as well. We are to share the Gospel with people at every opportunity.
Ezekiel, Chapter 33 describes the person who witness to the truth as a “watchman” who is actually looking out for the souls of other people. When we know the spiritual condition of our friends and loved ones who are not born again, or when we come in contact with someone who does not know Jesus, as those who do carry the knowledge of the truth within us, we must do all we can to let people know they are in need of a Savior. Ezekiel 33:7-9 (NIV) says, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.”
Even though this is an Old Testament passage, it also applies to the necessity of us evangelizing the lost today. What a cruel act of selfishness to have understanding about the need for redemption through Jesus Christ and not share it with others who are spiritually perishing. Many times, people are scared to tell others about Jesus for fear of being looked at a certain way, but the Word says we cannot be ashamed of the Gospel for it alone has the power to bring salvation.
God has given each of us a specific sphere of influence where we have been called to share the truth of the Gospel. Our unsaved family members and friends should definitely hear about Jesus from us, regardless of whether they accept Him or not. Our job is not to cause people to receive the Lord—that’s God’s job. Our job is to make sure that everyone who has contact with us hears the truth.
Besides telling others about the Lord, one of the most significant ways we can be truth-bearers is to live an uncompromising lifestyle for God. People observe the way we carry ourselves as Christians, and they also take note of any hypocrisy or behavior that contradicts the Word of God. If we want to be excellent witnesses of what Christ has done in our lives, we must make the Word of God our final authority and align our thinking and behavior up with the Bible’s standard. Being a doer of the Word preaches a sermon that is undeniably truthful.
Take a moment to make a list of people who are close to you that do not know Christ. Pray and ask the Lord to show you how you can effectively minister to them if you have not done so already. Pray for those who are unsaved and ask that God would send laborers to cross paths with them to share the Gospel in a special way that they would listen to and understand. Be a bearer of truth and light wherever you go so that when your time comes to go before the Lord you will hear Him say, “My good and faithful servant—well done.”
— Creflo A. Dollarhttp://www.worldchangers.org/monthly-BeaTruthBearer.aspx
There is a separation taking place between those who claim to be Christians and those who really live according to the Word of God. With the world becoming increasingly dark and depraved, it is critical that those who truly represent Jesus Christ allow their light to shine in an unprecedented way. We must be bearers of truth at all times and in every arena in which we find ourselves. God has called us to share the Gospel with the world; it is the Great Commission.
Sharing Jesus with people is not an option when you are born again, but a commission. The world needs to hear the truth about Jesus and what He came to do for mankind. There are many different belief systems and religions, but none of them offer redemption from sins and the opportunity to have a new spiritual nature. Only through accepting Jesus Christ are these things made available to us. Without Jesus, man has no hope for redemption or cleansing of sin. Only through faith in Him are we made righteous and given the right to stand before the Father without a sense of guilt or condemnation.
How important is it to share the Gospel with others? It is essential, according to the Word. Jesus Himself, in Mark 16:15, gave very straightforward instructions to His disciples, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” As followers of Christ, we are also His disciples, which means this commission applies to us as well. We are to share the Gospel with people at every opportunity.
Ezekiel, Chapter 33 describes the person who witness to the truth as a “watchman” who is actually looking out for the souls of other people. When we know the spiritual condition of our friends and loved ones who are not born again, or when we come in contact with someone who does not know Jesus, as those who do carry the knowledge of the truth within us, we must do all we can to let people know they are in need of a Savior. Ezekiel 33:7-9 (NIV) says, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.”
Even though this is an Old Testament passage, it also applies to the necessity of us evangelizing the lost today. What a cruel act of selfishness to have understanding about the need for redemption through Jesus Christ and not share it with others who are spiritually perishing. Many times, people are scared to tell others about Jesus for fear of being looked at a certain way, but the Word says we cannot be ashamed of the Gospel for it alone has the power to bring salvation.
God has given each of us a specific sphere of influence where we have been called to share the truth of the Gospel. Our unsaved family members and friends should definitely hear about Jesus from us, regardless of whether they accept Him or not. Our job is not to cause people to receive the Lord—that’s God’s job. Our job is to make sure that everyone who has contact with us hears the truth.
Besides telling others about the Lord, one of the most significant ways we can be truth-bearers is to live an uncompromising lifestyle for God. People observe the way we carry ourselves as Christians, and they also take note of any hypocrisy or behavior that contradicts the Word of God. If we want to be excellent witnesses of what Christ has done in our lives, we must make the Word of God our final authority and align our thinking and behavior up with the Bible’s standard. Being a doer of the Word preaches a sermon that is undeniably truthful.
Take a moment to make a list of people who are close to you that do not know Christ. Pray and ask the Lord to show you how you can effectively minister to them if you have not done so already. Pray for those who are unsaved and ask that God would send laborers to cross paths with them to share the Gospel in a special way that they would listen to and understand. Be a bearer of truth and light wherever you go so that when your time comes to go before the Lord you will hear Him say, “My good and faithful servant—well done.”
— Creflo A. Dollarhttp://www.worldchangers.org/monthly-BeaTruthBearer.aspx
Day 20: Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
What more can I say to convince any of us that God, our father, will not leave or forsake us? We are in relationship with God. He is our father and will listen to and provide for us without it being warranted. His covenant is an agreement between us and Him - where he promises to provide. You have to know the power of a promise from God. He cannot tell a lie! So if God says something, it is so forever more. Not only will his love never fail us but he promises to maintain our peace - to never remove it from our make up. Yesterday I mentioned peace being born into us like one of our organs such as a kidney or lung. The same way God won't come down one day and remove our lungs while we sleep, he assures us that he will never come down and remove his promise of peace. If God promised us peace why are we depressed, stressed and disappointed? Once you meditate and know this scripture to be true in your life, for yourself there is nothing that can stop you - no obstacle too big to be defeated by God's unfailing love for you or the presence of His eternal peace!
AMEN.
Tomorrow's reading: Isaiah 55:12
Day 19
Isaiah 48:18
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
When I read the first few words of this passage I think of the title of Zora Neal Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. While here, God discusses what the benefits would have been had his children been obedient, we have a cheat sheet - a real live question and answer manual to help us along the way. If we pay attention to God's commandments we will have peace like the waves of the sea. The waves of the sea ride the shore consistently, which leads me to believe we will have steady peace that washes away the doubt. If ever there seems to be an air of doubt or confusion - LOOK UP! Pay attention to God and His commandments and your peace will flow through fluidly like the waters of the sea.
Next passage Isaiah 54:10
Isaiah 48:18
Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments then your peace would have been like a river and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
When I read the first few words of this passage I think of the title of Zora Neal Hurston's novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. While here, God discusses what the benefits would have been had his children been obedient, we have a cheat sheet - a real live question and answer manual to help us along the way. If we pay attention to God's commandments we will have peace like the waves of the sea. The waves of the sea ride the shore consistently, which leads me to believe we will have steady peace that washes away the doubt. If ever there seems to be an air of doubt or confusion - LOOK UP! Pay attention to God and His commandments and your peace will flow through fluidly like the waters of the sea.
Next passage Isaiah 54:10
I know I'm behind but we're pushing on nevertheless...
Day 18
Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
When I speak about change and growth, I usually mention this blog and my journey of peace realization. I tell people that I've come to know that my peace is a birthright, given to me like a rib that cannot be taken by anyone without my willingness to give it to them. While this is true, Isaiah 32:17 goes on to show that we can experience the fullness of our peace when we practice living in a way that is edifying to it's illumination. In other words, our good works will prove to bring forth fruits of peace, quietness and confidence. Beyond knowing that we own our peace, that no one can take it from us or distrupts its stillness - we have to know how to increase our overflow. This is done by being good shepherds over our lives, choosing to do the right thing and making integrity-based decisions that create calm instead of havoc.
Next reading Isaiah 48:18
Day 18
Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of righteousness will be peace. The effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
When I speak about change and growth, I usually mention this blog and my journey of peace realization. I tell people that I've come to know that my peace is a birthright, given to me like a rib that cannot be taken by anyone without my willingness to give it to them. While this is true, Isaiah 32:17 goes on to show that we can experience the fullness of our peace when we practice living in a way that is edifying to it's illumination. In other words, our good works will prove to bring forth fruits of peace, quietness and confidence. Beyond knowing that we own our peace, that no one can take it from us or distrupts its stillness - we have to know how to increase our overflow. This is done by being good shepherds over our lives, choosing to do the right thing and making integrity-based decisions that create calm instead of havoc.
Next reading Isaiah 48:18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)