Tag: loving relationships
Daily Reflections:2015-07-25 -2015-07-28
Men of the Bible.
Elijah
His name means: “Yahweh Is My God”
His work: Elijah was a prophet active in Israel in the middle of the ninth century BC. His primary work was to combat Baal worship and restore the worship of the true God of Israel.
His character: Like Moses, who stood against the false gods of Egypt and the oppression of Pharaoh, Elijah was a prophet who stood against the worship of Baal at great risk to himself. To do so meant defying Ahab and Jezebel, Israel’s royal couple, and trusting God to take care of him when his life was threatened by famine and violence.
His sorrow: Though Elijah was not the only true prophet left in Israel, he appears to have thought he was, perhaps because the rest of the prophets were silent and in hiding. Exhausted after his battle with the false prophets of Baal and his narrow escape from Queen Jezebel, he became so despondent that he prayed God would take his life. Instead, the Lord sent an angel to strengthen him.
His triumph: Elijah was a miracle-working prophet, whose powerful prayer life and whose persistence in speaking God’s word helped preserve the faith of God’s people during a time of religious persecution.
Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 17-19
A Look at the Man
“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” Elijah’s no-nonsense challenge seems all the more powerful, all the more compelling nearly three thousand years later because of the witness of his life.
Persecuted for speaking the truth, hunted by powerful enemies, he was a man with the unenviable task of speaking truth to those who held the truth in contempt. His enemies had not only embraced a lie but were forcing it on others. At times the task seemed too heavy to bear. But just when he thought he could not possibly go on, God supplied whatever he needed—rest, food, strength, hope. Elijah never lacked the grace to remain faithful to God. His dedication was unwavering.
It’s tempting to think of the prophets as superhuman figures, fanatics who relished delivering one thundering pronouncement after another. But preserving the truth in a time of darkness is the costliest of ventures. It would have taken tremendous moral, emotional, and physical strength to stand against the king and queen, their prophets, and all the rank and file who had embraced their false gods. But strength wouldn’t have been enough. Such a task also would have required love—love for God and for the people who had strayed so far from him. Love is what must have kept Elijah on the path God had chosen for him.
Elijah’s strong words still strike a chord today. They remind us to stop wavering between two opinions, to stop hedging our bets and straddling the line when it comes to living out our faith in a world that is so often hostile to faith. They remind us that if the Lord truly is God, then we must follow him. And following him means loving him with all our hearts.
Reflect On: 1 Kings 18:41–46; 19:1–8
Praise God: For hearing our prayers.
Offer Thanks: For the way God has answered your prayers in the past.
Confess: Any tendency to believe your prayers won’t make a difference.
Ask God: To show you how to pray for the things he has promised.
Today’s devotional is drawn from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth. Visit AnnSpangler.com to learn more about Ann’s writing and ministry.
Daily Reflections:2015-06-17
Oh So Wrong..
Daily Reflections:2015-06-16.Are you being tested or tempted with something today?
Water and Sex that was the devotion that my niece sent me last night that proved to be good reading and giving even more wisdom, as I get ready to return to preach, minister etc…
Sitting down, allowing God to deal with you and spiritual issues that can affect you as you climb higher in God’s service is so essential.
In 2004 I was sent a book called Dealing with the Evil Powers of your Father and Mother’s house.
Was an eye opener and gave insight why great men like David and Moses fell…
This morning my Spirit is being made to look at temptation and why many fall.
The classic example of temptation is David ,who was suppose to be at war leading his troops, but stood at home , saw the woman bathing, enquired about her ,sent for her and ended up in a relationship..
From a psychological view point I would question the behaviours of all parties, here.
Why did two married persons, get involved with each other in such a short space of time.
Where was their faithfulness, commitment to their partners ?
What was going on with them and their partners?
Why was David tempted and why did he give in to this temptation..?
Days ago I wrote on this subject and this morning its being laid on my spirit even more..
As Christians we all face temptations of varying magnitude ..
However temptations can come when God is about to move us on to a higher level..
Or it can come when the devil realises that they is an area of our life we are not satisfied in ,of concern ,so he brings some one,something that appears to be what we are looking for at the time..
Other times the devil knows we have an area in our life that we have not submitted to God, he knows its a vulnerable area so he just feed us with what we love, lust after and he leaves it up to us ,to fall or to escape.
Water,Sex, Temptation…
All of us have been tempted to do things we know are wrong and outside of the will of God. We face these temptations and when we fail, we often feel the guilt and shame from the sin that we committed. Even people who are trying to do the right thing will fall into traps that Satan uses to ensnare us. Some Christians feel as if their spiritual life is like a roller coaster where there are spiritual highs and spiritual lows that often come when we fail a test or give into temptation. There are many verses in Scripture that talk about temptation and testing. Many are given in the form of warnings, some verses show how Jesus was tested, and then one verse shows one instance where God invites us to test Him with our giving. I hope you consider not only the selected verses below but also study each passage and the context in Scripture to get the full meaning. May God bless you as you study His word.
Bible Verses about Temptation
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Luke 11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
Luke 22:40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
1 Corinthians 7:2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Are you being tested or tempted with something today?What area of your life you are not happy satisfied with ?
Hand over these areas to God and let him lead and guide you away from and over all that wants to ensnare you !
Shalom…
Sir Guy Fireworks.
2015-06-16.
9.38 am
Daily Reflections:2015-06-16.Are you being tested or tempted with something today?
Water and Sex that was the devotion that my niece sent me last night that proved to be good reading and giving even more wisdom, as I get ready to return to preach, minister etc…
Sitting down,allowing God to deal with you and spiritual issues that can affect you as you climb higher in God’s service is so essential.
In 2004 I was sent a book called Dealing with the Evil Powers of your Father and Mother’s house.
Was an eye opener and gave insight why great men like David and Moses fell…
This morning my Spirit is being made to look at temptation and why many fall.
The classic example of temptation is David ,who was suppose to be at war leading his troops, but stood at home , saw the woman bathing, enquired about her ,sent for her and ended up in a relationship..
From a psychological view point I would question the behaviours of all parties, here.
Why did two married persons, get involved with each other in such a short space of time.
Where was their faithfulness, commitment to their partners ?
What was going on with them and their partners?
Why was David tempted and why did he give in to this temptation..?
Days ago I wrote on this subject and this morning its being laid on my spirit even more..
As Christians we all face temptations of varying magnitude ..
However temptations can come when God is about to move us on to a higher level..
Or it can come when the devil realises that they is an area of our life we are not satisfied in ,of concern ,so he brings some one,something that appears to be what we are looking for at the time..
Other times the devil knows we have an area in our life that we have not submitted to God, he knows its a vulnerable area so he just feed us with what we love, lust after and he leaves it up to us ,to fall or to escape.
Water,Sex, Temptation…
All of us have been tempted to do things we know are wrong and outside of the will of God. We face these temptations and when we fail, we often feel the guilt and shame from the sin that we committed. Even people who are trying to do the right thing will fall into traps that Satan uses to ensnare us. Some Christians feel as if their spiritual life is like a roller coaster where there are spiritual highs and spiritual lows that often come when we fail a test or give into temptation. There are many verses in Scripture that talk about temptation and testing. Many are given in the form of warnings, some verses show how Jesus was tested, and then one verse shows one instance where God invites us to test Him with our giving. I hope you consider not only the selected verses below but also study each passage and the context in Scripture to get the full meaning. May God bless you as you study His word.
Bible Verses about Temptation
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Luke 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Luke 11:4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
Luke 22:40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
1 Corinthians 7:2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Are you being tested or tempted with something today?What area of your life you are not happy satisfied with ?
Hand over these areas to God and let him lead and guide you away from and over all that wants to ensnare you !
Shalom…
Sir Guy Fireworks.
2015-06-16.
9.38 am
Daily Reflections :2015-06-14 .. Who Can God use?
Jesus chose men who were not perfect , who still had areas in their lives to be worked on, but who he could use for his Father’s glory.
Who was Cyrus.. Lets do some research..
Who was Cyrus in the Bible?”
Cyrus is a king mentioned more than 30 times in the Bible and is identified as Cyrus the Great (also Cyrus II or Cyrus the Elder) who reigned over Persia between 539—530 BC. This pagan king is important in Jewish history because it was under his rule that Jews were first allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity.
In one of the most amazing prophecies of the Bible, Isaiah predicts Cyrus’ decree to free the Jews. One hundred fifty years before Cyrus lived, the prophet calls him by name and gives details of Cyrus’ benevolence to the Jews: “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him . . . ‘I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me’” Isaiah 45:1;4 see also 41:2-25; 42:6). Evincing His sovereignty over all nations, God says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please” ( Isaiah 44 :28).
Cyrus’s decree releasing the Jewish people, in fulfillment of prophecy, is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up.”’” Other Old Testament books that mention Cyrus include Ezra and Daniel.
King Cyrus actively assisted the Jews in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem under Ezra and Zerubbabel. Cyrus restored the temple treasures to Jerusalem and allowed building expenses to be paid from the royal treasury (Ezra 1:4-11;6:4-5). Cyrus’s beneficence helped to restart the temple worship practices that had languished during the 70 years of the Jews’ captivity. Some commentators point to Cyrus’s decree to rebuild Jerusalem as the official beginning of Judaism ..
Among the Jews deported from Judah and later placed under the rule of Cyrus include the prophet Daniel. In fact, we are told Daniel served until at least the third year of King Cyrus, approximately 536 BC Daniel (10 :1). That being the case, Daniel likely had some personal involvement in the decree that was made in support of the Jews. The historian Josephus says that Cyrus was informed of the biblical prophecies written about him (Antiquities of the Jews, XI.1.2). The natural person to have shown Cyrus the scrolls was Daniel, a high-ranking official in Persia (Daniel 6:28)
Besides his dealings with the Jews, Cyrus is known for his advancement of human rights, his brilliant military strategy, and his bridging of Eastern and Western cultures. He was a king of tremendous influence and a person God used to help fulfil an important Old Testament prophecy. God’s use of Cyrus as a “shepherd” for His people illustrates the truth of Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.”
Lets look at Isaiah 45 vs 4 and these crucial words..
God is calling this man Cyrus to Greatness ,despite the fact that the man did not know him..
What is God saying to you at this point..
Time for Reflection.. May you be led and guided by the Holy Spirit..
Household Enemies, Wickedness and Witchcraft
Household Enemies, Wickedness and Witchcraft
Enemies, wickedness, and witchcraft in the family started a long time ago as we can see from the story of Joseph in Gen 37. To be victorious in these battles, faith, wisdom, knowledge and understanding are required. It is important to note that these three wicked powers exist in the family: while some are active, others are dormant waiting for someone to stir them up. An obvious way to swing one of these wicked powers into action in the family, especially household enemies is by unnecessary show of wealth. Lack of wisdom and understanding have led some to erroneously think that everybody in their families applaud them when they achieve a breakthrough. A cursory look at the actions of Joseph’s brothers will serve as a warning to those who have failed to recognize the existence of such harmful and opposing forces in their families. The question of how to face these negative forces in the family to achieve victory is pertinent. We need to identify who we are in Christ Jesus by facing such forces with boldness and faith in God.
Household Enemies
The key bible verses for this discussion are Gen 37 and Micah7:5-8. An analysis of Gen 37 shows that one can be hated by his own flesh and blood just for doing nothing. Israel’s unequal love to his children led to disastrous outcomes. Parents and heads of institutions of various sorts who find reasons to love someone more than others should pay close attention to this lesson. Do not forget that others are watching for areas of inequality which invariably will result to the activation of household enmity, wickedness and witchcraft. Dissatisfied members of the family will always grumble and cause trouble. In the case of Israel, the consequences of his action outweighed the reason for it. Am sure he wouldn’t have taken such an action if he had envisaged the outcome. Also, Joseph, not aware that he was already hated by his brothers went ahead to reveal all his dreams to them which caused more hatred. It is worth mentioning that household enemies are not interested in the dreams and visions of any family member. They are betrayers with strong dislike for the progress of any family member who will eventually be ahead of them in the future. They will rather call you a dreamer instead of believing in your dreams. They are full of envy with malicious intentions. Watch out for those you tell your dreams and visions. Household enemies are dream attackers and destiny hijackers. Do not use your mouth to destroy your destiny.
Household enemies are liars and conspirators whose missions are to stop any member of the family from moving forward. They target those qualities or asset that distinguish you from others and try to dispossess you of them. But in all these, God will deliver his people from the hands of these household enemies just like He did for Joseph. We will be victorious when we remain steadfast in the Lord just like Joseph. It might seem we have lost everything but the end is what justifies the means. God is interested in our end. This story also showed the different stages we must overcome in life. To become a hero, you must fight for your destiny. Even in prison, Joseph did not give up. God took him away from the wrong group of people (his brothers) to show him His glory. Your coat of many colors will make you to be separated from the wrong people for you to shine.
Apart from Joseph, David also experienced the same thing in the hands of his brothers who were angry that he asked about Goliath. They were infuriated and ordered him to return to the field where he has been taking care of the sheep. Unknown to his brothers, God has been preparing him for war while in the field. The two cases we have examined here are true reflections of Micah7:5-8 which states that a man’s enemies are the members of his household. It is also imperative to point out that Joseph and David were not distracted by the actions of their household enemies; rather both were focused knowing they have a great future in God. In Gen39:2, Joseph was called a successful man despite the fact he was still a slave in the house of his master. God was with him and no matter his condition, he was considered successful. Jacob was also carrying a coat of blessings when he stepped into his uncle’s business. There is what is called the feet of blessing and the feet of sorrow. Some people bring blessings to you once they step into your house or business while others bring sorrow.
Household Wickedness
Household wickedness directs people to the wrong activities so that they can make regrettable mistakes. They are full of evil imaginations. They are sadists. They do not want to witness any good testimony in the life of any family member. Those who are in pain create pain for others. Also, those who are controlled by anger inflict such anger on others. From Micah 7:5-6, the mouth is very important in destroying people’s destiny. An open mouth is a terror to the owner. We must note that every evil committed by people are seeds which they must surely reap according to Gal 6:7. Your enemies have no cause to rejoice over you. Math 10:36 also supported the teachings of prophet Micah as cited above. In Math 26:19-24, Jesus was talking about Judas who was about to betray him. Judas was a member of Jesus’s ministerial household: one who dipped his hands in the same dish with Jesus. Jesus was delivered to Pilate because of envy emanating from household wickedness Math 27:18. In 1Sam 17:1-7 & 15, David did not give up despite the angry rebuke of his brothers. He was confident. David did not do anything wrong as we can see in verse 29. Evil tongue is a mark of household wickedness and David prayed against that in Psm55:9-23. Evil tongues cause violence and strife. It is important to note that household wickedness cannot do anything to you unless you permit them. Your decisions matter a lot.
Household Witchcraft
God has given us power and dominion over everything he created. People have attached so much importance to witches, but actually, witches are the lowest in the hierarchy of the kingdom of darkness. It might interest you to know that witches are not only those that have wings. There are wingless as well as blind witches. Some spirits which people exhibit in one form or the other are signs of witchcraft. For example, Controlling Spirit is a witchcraft spirit. Evil scheming is also a witchcraft spirit. When there is household witchcraft in the foundation of a man, it haunts every member of that household except the true born-again Christians. A man’s enemies are the members of his household, Micah7:5-6 and Math 10: 36. Note that those you trust today can disappoint you tomorrow. Rise and fall is one of the symptoms of household witchcraft. Foundational household witchcraft tends to renew or put fresh curses on family members. They curse people because of their blessings and talents, but be assured that occult has nothing to do in the life of a child of God. You are already blessed if you are a child of God and cannot be cursed. Note that in Num 23:1-8 & 13, Balak offered everything he could but still could not curse the people of God. As long as you have the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God, you are unmovable. Verse 23 says that there is no enchantment or divination against you as long as God is your Rock.
Finally,suffer not the witches to live, Ex22:18. Note that witches have no mercy for anybody; they are out to frustrate people’s lives, therefore they are to be destroyed as stated in the bible. Let’s take a look at Acts 23:12, where a certain Jews fasted to kill Paul. What can you say about this? Did Paul commit any crime? This is witchcraft spirit to the highest order. Today, anybody or power engaging in a satanic fast to destroy you must catch fire in the name of Jesus.
Daily Reflections:2015-06-13.
God created Adam and chose to give him one woman..
And Satan has been wreaking havoc in marriages and with men and women of God for too long..
Lets face facts, satan job is to kill, steal and destroy….
The christian strategy to withstand the devil is to submit to God , then to be fully rooted in Christ, then to have the mind of Christ, then to be renewed and strengthened by Christ and lastly to constantly walk in light.
As persons seeking to be Christ like,we must take a stance that we will no longer be pulled, lured , ship wrecked or marooned on the banks of sin, by the strong currents of worldliness and tides of conformity that cause many to be washed up on the shores of sin..
We must resist all the devil throws at us, becoming so rooted in Christ that God will help us escape the many snares, traps and pitfalls the evil one has for us as born again believers …..
Too many are messing up.. Too many are giving in to the flesh..Too many opt out to be hypocrites ,being Pharisees and Sadducees …
They refuse to get in the boat with Jesus and become true disciples of Jesus.
There is a judgement day coming for men in the body of Christ…….
Men have to return to the original order that God gave to Adam from the start……
Men can no longer use the church as a hideout point to prey on women and fuel their lust.
Many have been given chances to clean up their acts but there are stiff-necked , hardened in heart, driven by their lust that will eventually bust them.
Shalom
Sir Guy Fireworks.
2015-06-09.
2.14 pm.