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March 20, 2013

7 Steps For Good Habits

I am not sure who originally authored the steps below. I cannot remember from whom I picked it up and I think I have altered them. I have used the ideas for several years, so by some “preacher standards” – they are mine now! The wisdom is too good not to share.

Here are seven practical steps to start, establish, and maintain good habits.

Step One: Desire

You must start with a strong desire. You must be internally motivated. External motivations don’t last. If you start only half-heartedly, you will never make it to the success point. “The desire of the righteous turns out well, but the hope of the wicked leads to wrath.” (Proverbs 11:23 HCSB)

Step Two: Decide

Begin right now! Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. You don’t slide into a new habit. “One of these days” never arrives. You must have a starting point. “And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called ‘today’.” (Hebrews 3:13b CEV) It’s easier to break a bad habit today than it will be tomorrow!

Step Three: Declaration

Announce your intentions publicly. Make a covenant or resolution. The power of a vow is awesome. “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him.” (Deuteronomy 23:21a NLT) It is particularly powerful if you put your commitment in writing.

Step Four: Determination

It has been observed that Pancreatitis affects over 80000 Americans annually and African Americans aged between 35-64 years discount viagra continue reading to find out more have 10 times more chances of suffering from this problem. It also helps to enhance important site cheapest generic tadalafil the cognitive functioning of the brain. buy generic cialis These soft forms of the sildenafil tablet have the unique specifications. Along with intake of this herbal supplement, you should read the effectiveness of the herbs in addressing the root cause and improving the health. cialis on line Never allow an exception until the new habit is securely rooted in your life. Each lapse will be fatal. A single slip unwinds many turns at first. Continuity and success at the start is essential. Never be swayed by “just this once”. The act of yielding weakens the will and reinforces your lack of self-control. It takes 3 weeks to become comfortable with a new habit and it takes another 3 to 4 weeks (doing it daily) for it to become a part of your life.

Remember, the enemy does not want you to develop habits that help you grow spiritually and make you like Christ. “They [Folks opposing Nehemiah] were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.” (Nehemiah 6:9 NLT) Satan will do all he can to tempt you, cause you to slip, or discourage you.

Step Five: Just Do It!

Whenever you feel the slightest urge or prompting to practice this new habit – DO IT THEN! Don’t wait. Seize every opportunity to reinforce your habit. Those feelings will not last, so whenever you feel inclined to perform your new habit, do so! Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (Luke 9:62 MSG)

Step Six: Double Up

Get a partner who will support you and encourage you. Choose wisely. “Don’t be fooled: Bad friends will ruin good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33 ERV) Find someone who is willing to hold you accountable and check up on you especially in the early days before the habit is firmly rooted in your life.

Step Seven: Depend on God

Rely on God’s power to help you establish the habit. “And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with Him.” (Colossians 2:6 LIVING) Pray! Yield to the Holy Spirit. Draw from God’s gracious strength. Keep going. You are walking into a good habit.

March 19, 2013

Jesus Wept For Jerusalem

Are you seeking spiritual awakening and Christian renewal in your community? What would it take to see a move of God initiated and sustained in the Tennessee Valley area?

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44 NASB)

Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. He knew the absence of peace that was coming to that city of peace. He lamented their failure to recognize the fulfillment of promise, the season of salvation, the turning-point of visitation.

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I am praying for an outpouring of heaven that so impacts the Tennessee Valley region that it becomes hard to go to hell from Huntsville, Alabama. How about you? Are you ready to do what it takes for revival and awakening?

March 19, 2013

Simple advice for overcoming addiction or hidden sin

The Lord wants to unlock the chain of addiction binding your life. The steps below are easy to read, but will take lots of effort. This isn’t an exhaustive list but these seven steps will get you going down the right path.

#1 Honestly evaluate yourself.

Ask the Holy Spirit to shine His spotlight of conviction upon any area of your life needing freedom. Holy Spirit is good at His job; He will convict you if necessary.

#2 Admit it.

Accept personal liability. Repent! Confess your sin, repent and receive God’s forgiveness. Don’t continually beat yourself up and live with condemning guilt-feelings. Godly sorrow prompts repentance, not shame or condemnation. Godly sorrow involves your emotions but is so much more than grief or tears.

#3 Call it by name.

Don’t rationalize your sin. Face it frankly. You don’t get out of the spiral of degradation by “wishing” it away or by redefining sin. Sin kills. Even “small” sin wrecks havoc. Don’t whitewash your issue.

#4 Take drastic measures.

Radically alter your lifestyle. Get rid of the stuff. “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:14 NASB) You don’t have to have internet access, cable tv, printed material, alcohol to “cook” with, your grandpa’s pipe – if it has a hold on you, cut it out! Don’t keep a secret stash as a backup plan in cause you backslide. Get rid of what you can’t handle.

#5 Get help.

Don’t try to walk it out alone. You haven’t conquered it yet by yourself, so quit thinking you can. Admit your struggle. Find a good accountability partner. Yes, you need to confess your sin to God and receive His forgiveness, but to overcome addiction or hidden sin you need to take the NEXT STEP of confessing to real live human being.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16 NIV) Notice the connection in James 5:16 with confession and prayer. Prayer is a vital resource. Talk to God for yourself and have others pray for you!

Find someone spiritual mature with wisdom and good common sense. Some of you need to seek out a Godly Christian counselor because your addiction is just a symptom of a deeper issue.

Brethren, if any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also. (Galatians 6:1 AMP)

#6 Replace the sin with something righteous.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21 NASB) Do you remember the effort, time, and finances you put into your addiction? Well, put that effort, times, and finances into living your life in freedom. Make a willful choice and determination to avoid sin.

#7 Change the way you think.

Get more insight into this step from my March 15, 2013 post RENEW YOUR MIND. Pray and read the Word of God. You can’t just white-knuckle it through temptation; you need the supernatural resources including God’s Word.

Read the Bible DAILY. “[The Scriptures] shall be his constant companion. He must read from it everyday of his life so that he will learn to respect the Lord his God by obeying all of his commands.” (Deuteronomy 17:19 Living)
Memorize Scripture that applies to your situation. “Guard my words as your most precious possession. Write them down, and also keep them deep within your heart.” (Proverbs 7:2-3 Living)
Meditate upon God’s Word. “(Those) who are always meditating on His Laws … are like trees along a river bank bearing fruit … they never wither and whatever they do prospers.” (Psalm 1:2-3 Living)

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Why all this stress on behaviour? Because, as I think you have realised, the present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God’s salvation nearer. The night is nearly over, the day has almost dawned. Let us therefore fling away the things that men do in the dark, let us arm ourselves for the fight of the day! Let us live cleanly, as in the daylight, not in the “delights” of getting drunk or playing with sex, nor yet in quarrelling or jealousies. Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling. (Romans 13:11-14 PHILLIPS)

March 17, 2013

You Will Win!

Early this morning as I seeking the Lord, I felt strongly impressed to declare, “You will win!” I pray you will receive this message from the Father’s heart for you today. Please, grab hold of His strength. You will win.

You were born to be a winner. You haven’t been set you up for defeat; God has set you up for success. He prepared in advance for your victory. He wants you to triumph every time! God won’t abandon you. Don’t settle for defeat; God is not finished yet. Defeat is not God’s option for you. You will win.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

The obstacle in front of you has NOT taken God by surprise. God is NOT nervously pondering what might happen next. God is NOT looking at the problem ahead of you and concerned about whether or not He has the power to do something. God is NOT scratching His head wondering, “That’s a surprise! What I am going to do to work this one out?” God is NOT wringing His hands worrying, “What is the devil going to do now?”

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

You can also buy discount prescription antibiotics http://www.devensec.com/development/Filming_Guidelines_2014_updates_final_clean.pdf tadalafil soft and many other prescription drugs. They also viagra without side effects http://www.devensec.com/minutes-archive.html love to smoke hookah on the special occasions to make it more enjoyable. So do refer to the manual or follow the instructions which are http://www.devensec.com/news/MRPC_Final%20_Report_7-12-16.pdf cheapest cialis india given by physicians, since an overdose may cause more harm than good. Then he decided to get another medical consult and exam, so he came to the male branch of our hospital. cialis on line The battle in front of you is simply a challenge to master. Don’t turn and run away, even from persistent problems. Joshua marched confidently around Jericho, understanding God was on his side. Your Jericho – your seemingly unsolvable obstacle – is no match for God’s strength. As you live by His game plan for life – the Bible – and remain sensitive to the leading of His Spirit, God will escort you into your future. He is your shield and protector, your bodyguard and defense. You will win.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37 NIV)

Through the cross, provision is offered for you to be more than a conqueror in every situation in your life. The enemy cannot win because the Victor lives in you. Jesus Christ paid the price for your freedom. He gives you a share in His victory that has already been achieved. Tap into His strength. It is time for you walk confidently. Success is ahead for you. God desires that you accomplish what you set your hand to do. You will overcome through Christ. You will win.

“For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” (1 John 5:4 NLT)

Go forward in faith. Your faith in God enables you to bear hardship, to exercise self-discipline, to hurdle every stumbling block, and to persevere to the end. You cannot lose. You will overcome every snag, every struggle, every stumbling block. Victory is yours! You will overcome in His strength. Listen to God’s message, “You will win!”

March 16, 2013

Tithing Releases Blessing

A “tithe” is giving the first tenth of your income. An “offering” is anything you give in addition to your tithe. Based on those definitions, you aren’t giving an offering until after you have reached the ten percent minimum.

I give my tithe to the awesome local congregation of which I am a member – Valley Fellowship Church. My tithe is changing lives for God’s glory. I am thankful so many VFC members understand the importance of putting God first in financial decisions.

“Honor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NASB)

The tithe is the FIRST part of what I earn – not the leftovers. Patti and I live out this principle by writing the check for giving our tithe before we pay the rest of our bills. We also give offerings in addition to our tithe. We give above the tithe to change lives, to support missionaries and mission efforts, to sponsor building improvements at Valley, to care for widows, orphans, and poor, and to other Christ-honoring projects. We give in expectant faith, knowing that God wants to bless us. Regularly, we use the back of the offering envelope to write down the things for which we are believing God. We have learned that as we seek God first, the things we need seek us out.

One way in which Patti and I stretch our faith is to give NOW at the level we want to be the tithe the following year. The Holy Spirit just might inspire you to try that – give at a higher rate and watch what happens. Year after year, God has meet our needs. I am so thankful for the blessings connected with tithing. Patti, Rozy, Kimberlyn, and I have been amazingly – HAIR-RAISINGLY – blessed by God!

Tithing is a minimum and shouldn’t limit your giving, but should open the door to a genuine stewardship lifestyle. An offering is an unlimited amount given as a free-will love gift unto the Lord. Tithe remains the tithe, 10%, but offerings are unlimited giving.

You will never be able to out-give your loving Heavenly Father. You need to practice both forms of giving:

Tithe – always releases God’s blessing; will never hurt you!
Offerings – giving over and above the tithe; plants good seed for an abundant harvest.

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“I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. (Malachi 3:10-12 NLT)

Do what God wants you to do, and He will take care of the rest. Your part is to tithe; God’s part is to bless! Malachi 3:10-12 lists numerous blessings. Meditate the multifaceted blessings resulting from your tithing!

#1 The Lord opens the windows of heaven (the blessing of His provision and His presence).

#2 The Lord pours out personalized, custom-made blessing upon you.

#3 The Lord enlarges the blessing beyond your capacity to receive. It spills out on others.

#4 The Lord blesses your work – gives you success in whatever your hands find to do.

#5 The Lord protects the fruit of your life (including your children).

#6 The Lord makes your life a testimony to the world of God’s incredible goodness.

#7 You confidently stand in the assurance of the Lord’s continued blessings.

If you have never tithed before, why not take God at His Word and test His promise for ninety days? Commit to give at the 10% level and watch the blessings that result from tithing.

“Once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 23:23 NLT)

If you are currently tithing, are you utilizing God’s prosperity for His purposes? Are you seeking the Lord for how much to raise your level of giving? Don’t settle for the tithe minimum; give offerings to allow lives to be changed. God wants you to be generous and wants you to help fund the expansion of His kingdom on earth.

March 15, 2013

RENEW YOUR MIND

Two thought systems incompatibly collide, clashing within your mind. Earth-grounded-fleshly and Heavenly-Kingdom-centered are the options. Which will dominate your thoughts? You have the power to choose what you think. You are the rancher for your own mind so get those wayward thoughts herded back in the right direction.

I am proud daddy today. Yesterday, my daughter Rozy spoke to the incoming president of ORU, Dr. Billy Wilson (during his listening tour of the university). Rozy was asked to represent the ORU School of Education, and she shared from her heart about the mission of the school and the call upon her heart to be a transformed educator that will transform the lives of others. Great job, Girl! I am certain you did awesome! If I had pictures, I would certainly post them. None yet, so this recent pic of Rozy playing a game will work for now. Simons aren’t competitive; we just like to win!

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT)

“Transformed” is a powerful word – like the change of caterpillar to butterfly or from tadpole to bullfrog – God’s Word is speaking of a radical, complete change from one form to another. Paul uses that same idea in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (HCSB), “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Allow the metamorphosis God wants within you. Don’t adopt the standards of this world, but allow Christ life to be formed within you. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within.” (Romans 12:2 PHILLIPS) Don’t let the media that floods your thoughts on a daily basis push you into thinking like a person without a personal Lord and Savior.

Here are seven practical guidelines for allowing TRANSFORMATION in your mind.

#1 Fix and focus your thoughts on God.

“So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe.” (Hebrews 3:1 MSG)
“Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” (Colossians 3:2 MSG)

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#2 Speak a determined “yes” to the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in your thought life.

“Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them – living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored. But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about.” (Romans 8:5-9 MSG)

#3 Submit your thoughts to God.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” (Psalm 139:23 NLT)
“Lord, try me and test me; look closely into my heart and mind.” (Psalm 26:2 NCV)

#4 Ask God to reveal His thoughts.

“Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” (Isaiah 55:6-8 MSG)
“That’s why we have this Scripture text: No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it-What God has arranged for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16 MSG)

#5 Take control of what you think.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV)
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” (Philippians 4:8 MSG)

#6 Read and meditate on God’s Word.

“Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” (Joshua 1:8 NLT)
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.” (Psalm 119:15 NLT)

#7 Be quick to obey and to act on God’s Word.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22 NLT)
“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner on solid rock…Make daily choices to change our wrong thinking and mindsets.” (Matthew 7:24 MSG)

Thinking and meditating upon God’s Word has a powerful impact on your thought life. If you apply God’s Word to your life, you will be transformed!

March 14, 2013

Whole Man

God created us in His very own image planning for humankind to live on earth and to fellowship with Him. He designed the human body to live in health and wholeness. God’s perfect plan was not that we suffer in physical, mental or spiritual weakness and sickness. Sin – the original sin of Adam & Eve and the sin of every human born since – marred God’s intention, but Scripture reveals God’s loving desire for us to be whole.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you even as your soul is getting along well.” (3 John 2 NIV)

This verse highlights the “whole man” philosophy I heard often as a student at Oral Roberts University. God is interested in the healing, wellness, and salvation of the whole person – spirit, mind and body. John prayed that his friend would enjoy good health as well as the wholeness of his spirit. John’s concern for Gaius provides biblical warrant for desiring total welfare of our Christian friends!

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV) (“more abundantly” KJV)

The intent of satan is to kill and steal and destroy in any way he can. In an attempt to hurt God, satan hurts the people that the Lord made and redeemed for at such a high price. Jesus was intent upon destroying the works of satan (1 John 3:8). Jesus gives life in abundance and that includes abundant health.

God’s intent is that we live and prosper in total health as He originally created us to live. The Lord has good plans in mind for His children. Ultimately, relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to receiving God’s ability to be whole in our spirit, mind and body. Through Christ, He gives us new life for the spirit, mind and body.

March 13, 2013

If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?

Life is more meaningful when shared.

Patti is my very best friend. She knows me best and still loves me. Praise the Lord! I also get to labor alongside of friends at Valley Fellowship Church. “Fellowship” is so much more than just the middle name of our congregation. I get to lead a great church. I love my church family!

Do you have a friend who sticks by you even after getting to know you really well? A good friend will tell you your faults and foolishness when prosperity rolls, and assist you with a hand and heart when adversity strikes. A wise person fortifies his or her life with Godly friendships. Make friends before you need them!

Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT)

A healthy friendship has great benefits including (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12):

Success
Encouragement
Defense
Strength

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Here are four keys to help you become the friend other people want!

#1 A friend is trustworthy.

“No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.” (Proverbs 11:13 GNT)
“In the heat of an argument, don’t betray confidences; Word is sure to get around, and no one will trust you.” (Proverbs 25:9-10 MSG)

#2 A friend shares joys and sorrows and doesn’t desert in times of trouble.

“Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.” (Proverbs 17:17 MSG)
“Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.” (Proverbs 18:24 NRSV)

#3 A friend communicates directly and honestly.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (Proverbs 17:17 NLT)
“If you and your neighbor have a difference of opinion, settle it between yourselves and do not reveal any secrets.” (Proverbs 25:9 GNT)
“You can trust what your friend says, even when it hurts. But your enemies want to hurt you, even when they act nice.” (Proverbs 27:6 ERV)
“The sweet smell of perfume and oils is pleasant, and so is good advice from a friend.” (Proverbs 27:9 NCV)

#4 A friend sticks up for you even when you’re not there and guards your reputation.

“You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong.” (Proverbs 17:9 CEV)
“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15 NIV)

A faithful friend will think of you when all others are thinking of themselves and will see you through when others see you as through. If you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yours?

March 12, 2013

Seek the Peace and Prosperity of the City Where You Live

Obedience to God’s directives ensures God-promised hope and future.

As Judah spiraled into sin, popular opinion assumed the fall of Jerusalem impossible. False prophets gave false hope, but God’s true prophet Jeremiah declared, “Those prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They have been prophesying false visions, idolatries, worthless magic, and their own wishful thinking.” (Jeremiah 14:14 NCV) Jeremiah’s audience ignored his true message.

The Jewish people didn’t think God would judge them, but they were wrong. Near the end of the 7th Century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar and his brutal Babylonian army besieged and destroyed Jerusalem. The army carried away thousands of Judah’s best and brightest as slaves and deported many thousand more into exile in Babylon.

God loved His people too much to allow them to continue in their wicked ways. He loved them too much to abandon them. He loved them so much that He allowed the cruelty of the Babylon to discipline His people. He loved them so much that even at the moment of chastisement He had good plans in mind for His people.

Because of sin, God sent His people into captivity. They were refugees forced to start over from nothing. Removed from their Judean homes, they were banished to Babylon – a different climate, a different language, a different culture. The exiled people must have felt like life would never return to normal. But God wasn’t done with them; He promised a hope and future.

As the exiled Jews struggled to support themselves in strange new surroundings, prophetic lies began to surface. Jeremiah once again proclaimed God’s unadulterated message (chapter 29). The Lord censured the false prophets, “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them” (Jeremiah 29:8-9 NIV). Apparently, some were trying to foster resistance and rebellion to the Babylonian regime, but God had other plans for His people. Jeremiah’s letter provided welcome comfort and clear advice for the remnant eking out existence in exile.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7 NIV)

God told them to settle down, build houses, plant gardens, invest their lives, and create a growing presence in their new locale. Gardens provided food and provided a source of income which allowed the exiles to serve others, not just take from others. God wanted His people to marry and have kids, even in the midst of difficult times. “Increase; don’t decrease” was His command. Pray for the city in which God had placed them. Their prosperity was dependent upon the city’s prosperity.

The event also aims for educating public about the issue that is causing the viagra no prescription cheap sexless marriage. A female’s anatomy to sensual zones is different than men. online viagra have a peek at this page The quality of erections is a cheapest viagra Go Here matter of proud in men of all age, especially in young men. What is a Vasectomy? A vasectomy is a procedure that blocks sperm from buy viagra online combining along semen. Jeremiah 29:7 offers four prayer targets (Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope):

Pray for the economy of the city.
Pray for the safety of the city.
Pray for the politics of the city.
Pray for the people of the city.

No doubt the Jews in Babylon were surprised to hear Jeremiah echo the vocabulary of Psalm 122. Psalm 122 had been used for hundreds of years to inspire prayer for the prosperity of Jerusalem.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity. (Psalm 122:6-9 NIV)

Now, they are commanded to use the same prayer for Babylon.

More revolutionary still was the advice to seek the welfare (s?a?lo?m) of the Babylonian regime, to pray for its welfare and not its downfall. Jeremiah by these words cast the people completely adrift from all those things on which they depended and which they regarded as essential to their own well-being, a nation-state, kingship, an army, national borders, the temple. Without all these Yahweh could give the nation new perspectives and a new understanding of their calling. For the present the action lay in Babylon. Such advice would not have been easy to accept for people who had been carried off from their homeland by those for whom Jeremiah was asking them to pray. (The Book of Jeremiah, 1980, Jeremiah 29:1-32)

“This is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29: 10-11 NIV)

Could the directives God gave to the exiled Israelis help you to walk into your hope and future?

March 11, 2013

Do Something Awesome

Every time I visit Tulsa, Oklahoma, I am inspired by the audacity of a Pentecostal preacher who believed God to establish a world-class university. Oral Roberts keep this motto on his desk: “Make No Little Plans Here”! Last weekend, my daughter Kimberlyn went with a group of students to visit Oral Roberts University. Yes, Patti and I would like for her to go to ORU; we met there! No, we are not forcing her to go, but she is feeling like God wants her to continue her education at ORU. I was happy when Kimberlyn said, “Dad, they are putting that statement all over the place.”

Here are four suggestions to help you accomplish something great for God’s Kingdom!

#1 PLAN PURPOSEFULLY

Forethought is important. Jesus says, “Don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 NLT)

Even when God specifically spoke, “You are NOT the one to build me a house (1 Chronicles 17:4-12),” David planned for a gorgeous temple (1 Chronicles 22:2-19). David gathered materials, selected skilled laborers, and saved enormous quantities of gold and silver. He opened the door for Solomon to walk through successfully.

#2 PREPARE PRAYERFULLY

Today’s prayers release tomorrow’s miracles. Prayers can’t be answered until they are prayed. “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6b NIV)

“Planning and prayer should be intimately related. Through prayer, our plans are expanded with God’s wisdom, ennobled by God’s holiness, and empowered through God’s providence. Planning that honors the Lord needs to be based on a prayerful recognition of God’s grace, sovereignty, and resources.” (What Does the Bible Say About, p. 301)

Karl Albrecht suggests replacing the word “planning” with the word “futuring” because you can only really plan when “you have certainty about the situation in which the actions will take place and nearly full control of the factors that ensure success in achieving your outcome.” (The Northbound Train, 1994, p.60-63) Only the Lord knows what tomorrow holds, so do your “futuring” with lots of prayer.

#3 PROCEED POSITIVELY

Attitude affects outcomes. Learn from the example of ancient Israel (1 Corinthians 10:6). Don’t grumble or you just might miss your Promised Land!

“Positive thinking must be linked to positive behavior for success to be the outcome. Positive behavior is diligent, honest, truthful, loving, kind, generous, persistent, and joyful. You can think you are wonderful—even righteously so—but if you fail to work, or to do what the Lord has put before you to do, you will never succeed.” (Success God’s Way, 2000, Charles Stanley)

#4 PURSUE PERSISTENTLY

Keep your feet on the ground but keep them moving forward.

“Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16 HCSB)
“Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 MSG)
“Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Colossians 1:10b-12a NIV)

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