Isaiah 9:7 "His government and its peace, will never end.He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen"
As we look at our world today, we realize that part of the promise of Isaiah 9:6–7 has not yet been fulfilled. The Son has been given to us. The Child has been born. But He has not yet taken the government upon His shoulders. We do not yet have peace with judgment and justice. But the good news is that there will come a day when Christ will return. He will establish His kingdom on this earth. And it will be the righteous rule of God himself.
Before Jesus could take the government upon His shoulder, He had to take the cross upon His shoulder. Before He could wear the crown of glory as King of Kings, He had to wear the shameful crown of thorns and give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. The first time, a star marked His arrival. But the next time He comes, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, all of the stars will fall from the sky, and He himself will light it.
Christ came to this earth. God came near to us so we can come near to Him—to give our life purpose and meaning, to forgive us of your sins, and to give us the hope of heaven beyond the grave. Christmas is not about tinsel or shopping or presents. Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. Rather, Christmas is about the gift that was given on the tree when Christ died there for our sins and gave us the gift of eternal life.
Christmas is the time when we gather with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.I am excited to see what the Lord will do in this coming year, as we draw closer to the day when Christ returns.
Communion is an act of remembrance. In Luke 22:19 Jesus says “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”when we partake in communion we are remembering the ultimate sacrfice that Christ made by dying on the cross for our sins.
Take time today to remember Christ's sacrifce. It is because of his death and resurrection we hvae new life, so never forget the ultimate sacrifice that christ made on our behalf. Our future has been forever changed, if you feel comfotable, partake in communon, do as Jesus commanded and remember him as you partake in the holy sacrament.
Luke 22:7-19
" Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” So they said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare?” And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready.” So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
God is a mighty God, nothing is impossible with him, He can move mountains, make the Sun stand still and heal the sick. in Joshua chapter 4 we read how God completed the mighty talk of bringing the Israelite s into the promised land. God led the Israelites out of slavery and into freedom just as he had promised. Because of the magnitude of what he did, God did not want the Israelites to ever forget what he had done for them. God wanted the Israelites to forever remember the miracle he performed.for them and what a mighty and powerful God he is.
Joshua 4:1-24 "And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’” Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.
Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho. On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before. Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
Think back for a moment, God has done some amazing things in your life. He may of performed a miracle of healing or delivered you from the bondage of an addiction and into your own promised land. Take time today to the mighty things God has done for you . Praise him and commit to him that you will never forget the amazing things he has done for you, remember we have all been set free from the Bondage of SIN - that's something we can all be thankful for.
Ever looked at your life and wondered if God was there? Ever felt like giving up because obeying God seemed harder than you thought? You are not alone! I’ve experienced the same. There is encouragement for you today. Know that God is faithful!
1 Corinthians 1:9 tells us
"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord"
Never did I imagine the past 3 years of my life being a faith walk (literally). Let me paint the picture: In 2006, I finished High School asked the Lord what do you want me to do next, didn't feel ALevels and University was the way I should be going. So I did a gap year with Ignite working as an administrator.
This was a great experience for me as it came to the end of my time with them they asked me if I was interested in being involved with their Schools team, this sounded exciting and I really wanted to be involved, so I prayed and asked the Lord what I should do. God begins revealing His purpose for my life and I felt the school team was the direction he was calling me, I had no idea how I was going to pay the finances without the support of family and friends but the Lord said "I will Provide"!
A few weeks before the Finanaces were due in I receive some money - GOD PROVIDED! I was shocked, thought I was dreaming, but it was real! the Lord had use someone to send me the money so I was able to do the schools team :)
I didn’t understand much of what God was doing nor allowing in my life but knew this was the turning point in my life ,Life as I knew it would never be the same, God was faithful with provision
I had bumps along the way and faced moments of fear, tears and weariness. Even moments of despair, depression and even doubt while at my lowest. But even then, God was faithful to do just what He said He would do. I struggled knowing people were not supporting me in this journey but God was with me through it all.
I don’t share this snippet of my life to discourage you, but to encourage and empower you! Whatever it is you are facing, know that God is faithful! You may not understand all that is happening in your life and why God, being the sovereign God that He is, didn’t stop a particular situation from happening – but through the ups and downs learn to trust Him!
The word of God says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly” (Psalm 37:23). Sometimes God directs our paths to grounds that will literally shake our world, but know that those same grounds will help prepare you for your destiny and purpose.
If there’s one thing that has helped me during this process, that would be prayer and calling out things as though they were (faith). I know this is easily said than done – especially when prayer doesn’t appear to work at times, but pray! I’ve witness the hand of God move as a result of prayer. Confess those things God has promised you and hold fast to the profession of your faith without wavering; for He is faithful Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful"
Be encouraged and know that if God called you to it, He WILL get you THROUGH IT! My life is literally a testimony of this. God is faithful and will not abandon that which He loves –YOU!
It has become one of the biggest misconceptions, “Christians are perfect” – never needing encouragement or inspiration. Truth be told, being a Christian does not prevent you from ever struggling nor feeling down, defeated or discouraged.
Life is a journey and at times it’s hard, frustrating and lonely. As a Christian, spiritual encouragement is needed but we also need daily words of encouragement for our daily walk with Christ
Oftentimes, when we’ve sinned or done something that was not of God, we tend to dwell on those sins and as a result feel as though we’ve failed God. However, according to the Bible, God did not send his son Jesus to die on the cross to condemn you, but rather to save you.
As believers and followers of Christ, we must learn the importance of forgiveness. Through Jesus teachings, it’s made clear to forgive those who have offended you. Have you forgiven? Are you still carrying hurt? Are you holding a grudge against someone?
As much as I enjoy providing inspirational messages, you must understand that God is the only one who can change the situation that you’re in around. He is the only one who can work ALL things, even the bad, to your good.
For Strength
Sometimes we'll look at "disasters" in our lives and think God abandon us, but little do you know...God is setting you up for a major blessing! Don't look at where you are...look at where you're heading!
God has given you the strength, resources and means to accomplish just what He's told you to do. The only thing you have to do is be obedient and leave the when, where and how's to Him.
In our OWN strength we are LIMITED....But in God's strength the limitations are removed and the impossible is made possible!
Sometimes the situations you're faced with will make you want to give up. However, what God brings you to...He will bring you through.
Surrendering your burdens to God oftentimes is NOT easy...However, it's something that we need to exercise more of. You're NOT built to carry burdens...cast them upon the Lord.
When you feel inadequate you just speak, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4
You don't need to have the know how when you walk with the one that knows how. Consult with Jesus, He’ll show you the way!
If you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to experience the true vine. Religion didn’t bring me to God, the love and compassion of Christ did. God does desires a relationship with you; an authentic personal relationship with you Accept Jesus Christ in your life today!
Prayer does not need to be a flowery speech; its how we talk to God. We pray when we want to communicate thanksgiving or a need to our Heavenly Father. He is the source of our strength and every one of our prayers is heard by Him. He not only listens and answers our prayers; He also tells us how to pray. We see the model for prayer as given by Jesus in Matthew 6. I list the model below amongst these ten powerful prayers for strength.
Strength in What Jesus Teaches and Does
Jesus Teaches Us to Pray; Physical and Spiritual Strength
Matthew 6:9-13 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Jesus Acknowledges God’s Strength in Raising Lazarus
John 11:41-42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said " Father I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said thison account of the people standing around,that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus Needed Strength; He Petitioned The Father
John 12:27-28 " Now is my soul troubles. And what shall I say' Father save me from this hour’? Butfor this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”Thena voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
Jesus Prays For All Men; the Strength of Selfless Love
Jesus Prays for Himself
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should[a] give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me,[b] that they may be one as We are.12 While I was with them in the world,[c] I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept;[d] and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez, called upon the God of Israel, saying "Og that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
Nehemiah’s Prayer; Strength For a Big Project
Nehemiah 1:5-11 …“
O LORD God of heaven,the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants,confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. EvenI and my father’s house have sinned.We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rulesthat you commanded your servant Moses.Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful,I will scatter you among the peoples,but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them,though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring themto the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.O Lord,let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Jonah’s Prayer from the Belly of a Fish
Jonah 2:2-7 …“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried,and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple. ‘The waters closed in over meto take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit,O LORD my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”
