Experiencing God Devotions!

[Nice & Wavy]

Will be doing this on a (changed to 3x a week cause its really good)

Be blessed!

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Open Doors and Adversaries

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:9)

Open doors of service may also let in adversaries. Paul had many of both. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians from Ephesus, he was trying to determine where to go next. He chose to remain longer in Ephesus because of the open doors of service God granted him. Knowing that God had opened the doors of ministry, Paul was not going to leave, regardless of how many enemies he faced. We might assume that Paul would reach the opposite conclusion. In light of the opposition he faced, he could have concluded that it was best to serve in less hostile regions. Instead, Paul based his decisions on God’s activity rather than on what people were doing.

As you respond to God’s invitations, don’t be caught by surprise when adversaries try to thwart what you are doing. If you concentrate on your opponents, you will be sidetracked from God’s activity. Don’t base your decisions on what people are doing. They cannot prevent you from carrying out God’s will (Rom. 8:31). Many times the most rewarding spiritual work is done in the crucible of persecution and opposition. While Paul was in Ephesus, a riot broke out in reaction to his ministry. The city theater resounded with an angry mob who shouted for two hours in support of their god, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” (Acts 19:23–41). Despite this fierce rejection of the gospel, Ephesus became one of the chief cities from which the gospel spread throughout Asia.

It takes spiritual discernment to see beyond human activity to God’s will. As you seek places of service, look beyond what people are saying to find what God is doing.

 

[Iwanthealthyhair67]

^^looking forward to it..

 

[Shimmie]

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:9)

I love this scripture. As I read it, my heart just flowed into peace.

Thank you Precious Wavy...

 

[Laela]

This is timely and coincides with Mary Welchel's broadcasts this week on "open doors". If you get a chance to see it at Workingchristianwoman.com
I look foward to your devotionals as well... God is a good God and He never fails us!

 

[Nice & Wavy]

A Ministry of Reconciliation

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The world abounds with people whose sin has alienated them from God. Christ’s sacrificial work has restored Christians to a love relationship with the heavenly Father. As Christians, we are appointed as ministers of reconciliation. Once Christ dwells within us, we become His ambassadors, and we entreat others to be reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5:20). We are God’s messengers of peace, urging others to return to God (Matt. 5:9).

Sin breaks our relationship with God; it severs relationships with others as well. Broken relationships are the epidemic of our day. Sin alienates family members, separates friends, divides churches, and destroys marriages. Sin creates mistrust, jealousy, hatred, and greed, all of which devastate relationships. Only Christ has the remedy for the disastrous effect of sin on human relationships. As His ambassadors, we are to take the message of reconciliation to a broken, divided world. We urge reconciliation first with God, and then with each other.

How tragic when God’s messengers of peace harbor enmity toward each other. It is a travesty to carry a message of love and yet be filled with hatred. If there is someone whom you refuse to forgive, your message of reconciliation is hypocrisy. The evidence that you are a disciple of Jesus is that you love your fellow Christian (John 13:35). In each of your relationships, make certain that your actions share the love and forgiveness that reflect what you received from God. Then you will not only speak the message of reconciliation, but you will live it as well.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

^^looking forward to it..

Amen!

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:9)

I love this scripture. As I read it, my heart just flowed into peace.

Thank you Precious Wavy...

You are welcome, sis

This is timely and coincides with Mary Welchel's broadcasts this week on "open doors". If you get a chance to see it at Workingchristianwoman.com

I look foward to your devotionals as well... God is a good God and He never fails us!

Amen...thank you, sis!

 

[Nice & Wavy]

What Matters Most!
Gaspar Anastasi

“People don’t care how much you know… until they know how much you care!” I believe that these words of wisdom are so true. We often hear people’s frustration because the important people in their life don’t listen or receive instruction from them. It can be parents with their children, teachers and their students, or sometimes it’s the boss and his employees. Whatever the situation; the bottom line is that people won’t take our advice if they don’t feel genuinely loved or cared for by us.

If we think about it, how do WE ourselves often react when others correct or teach us? We walk away feeling like they were trying to show us how much smarter they are. Or we sense that they’re looking down on us, judging or controlling us and trying to make us feel that they’re the better person. If that is our perception, we won’t believe they truly care and we won’t listen to them.

Now, in all fairness, many times that’s just not the case. The other person may really care and want to help us, but because of the disconnection between us, it seems like they don’t really care about us or our circumstances. We end up shutting out their words from the very beginning of their conversation.

Since people are only interested in what we know if they believe we genuinely care about them, here are some things to show them that you care:

1. Start your conversation with a question about their life and circumstance instead of immediately giving them all your wisdom and advice. Find out what’s on their heart and what they are going through. Be a good listener before unloading the wealth of your opinion! We must earn the right to speak into a person’s life before we can be effective.

2. Don’t just listen; be a good listener. Make eye contact, responding with caring facial expressions and concerned looks, because your body language reflects your care and concern for their well-being. In fact, many times your body language speaks louder than your words and if they contradict each other, the other person will immediately pick up on that.

3. Avoid distractions and interruptions such as texting, phone calls, doodling, etc. during your communication time. These things send a wrong message and will literally cause the person to shut down to whatever you have to say before you even say it. Prepare to avoid these distractions ahead of time by turning your phone off and putting it out of sight. Let everyone know you’re unavailable during your time with that person. Avoid sitting next to a window that looks on a busy area, so you and the other person can stay focused on your discussion.

4. Put aside enough time so they won’t feel rushed, or they’ll immediately shut down to what you have to say. It takes time to be a good listener and also be able to express your thoughts. However, there should be a time limit, so be truthful and up front about how much time you have available. You can always agree to another meeting with them to show that you really care and are willing to see their issue through to its conclusion.

It takes time, energy and commitment to genuinely care for someone else, whether it’s a child, a spouse or a friend. Remember, what matters most is that we really care about one another. And ….. this matters most to God! Ephesians 4:32a, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,….”

 

[Nice & Wavy]

The Judgment Seat

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

There are many motivations in the Christian’s life. One is our awareness that one day we will give an account of our lives to Christ, as He sits in judgment upon humanity. It is much more comforting to believe that Christians will be ushered into heaven with no questions asked about our faithfulness upon earth, but that is not what Scripture says will happen.

Paul cautioned that in the final day of judgment every Christian will give an account for his or her actions. This expectation terrified Paul and motivated him to strive to please God in everything he did (2 Cor. 5:9–11). Paul knew that although he might ignore the Spirit’s quiet voice during His life on earth, a time of accounting would come when he would have to explain why he had rejected God’s instructions. Paul never carelessly assumed that, because of all he had done for God’s kingdom, God would overlook his sin. Instead, he understood that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

God does not force His will upon us. He will ask us to answer for the way we responded to Him. Christians have been pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus. We are not condemned. But because God is absolutely just, we will be called on to give an account of our actions. The Christian life gives a tremendous freedom, but it also brings a pervasive sense of our accountability to God and to others. We can learn from Paul that accountability is healthy; it gives us a powerful motivation to please God.

 

[Laela]

Thank you for this....

God does not force His will upon us. He will ask us to answer for the way we responded to Him. Christians have been pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus. We are not condemned. But because God is absolutely just, we will be called on to give an account of our actions. The Christian life gives a tremendous freedom, but it also brings a pervasive sense of our accountability to God and to others. We can learn from Paul that accountability is healthy; it gives us a powerful motivation to please God.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

Thank you for this....

You are more than welcome, Laela.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

Not Lost in the Crowd

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." Luke 19:5

In our large world it’s easy to feel that we are nothing more than an insignificant speck in the midst of a multitude. Our world tends to depersonalize us, seeking to make us like everyone else, but God loves us in specific ways that are particular to us.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to fulfill His assignment on the cross. The multitudes thronged around Him in such numbers that the diminutive Zacchaeus could not see Jesus unless he climbed a tree. Zacchaeus would have been satisfied simply to catch a glimpse of the great Teacher. But Jesus stopped, turned, and looked directly at him! In that moment, Zacchaeus was oblivious to the crowd around him. Thus began a special time with Jesus that radically changed his life.

Jesus will relate to you in ways that are unique to you. He knows your past; He knows what you will face in the future. Because He knows everything about you, His word to you will perfectly fit the circumstances of your life. You may be in a group of Christians who are listening to God’s Word, and you may hear things from Him that no one else hears. Don’t become frustrated with others if they are not as excited about a truth from God as you are. Don’t be impatient with them if they are not implementing God’s word in their exactly as you are. God will personalize His word to you. He will relate to each of your friends in a way that specifically meets their needs as well.

 

[MrsHaseeb]

Can't wait to read through this. I miss a lot of good threads on my phone.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

Can't wait to read through this. I miss a lot of good threads on my phone.

Amen, sis!

 

[Nice & Wavy]

Returning to Your Failure

But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." (Luke 5:5)

No one knows how to help you in your times of failure as Jesus does! He will not overlook your shortcoming or simply encourage you to do better the next time. He will give you victory in the midst of your failure.

Peter had fished all night without success. His was not just a meager catch; he had caught nothing, even though he was a skilled fisherman. Jesus could have said, “Peter, don’t worry about your empty net. You’ll soon be in a different business anyway.” Instead, Jesus told him to launch out into the deep and to cast out his nets for a catch. How humbling it must have been for Peter! Here was a carpenter telling this outspoken fisherman how to fish!

Jesus often gets your undivided attention when you fail. He sometimes takes you back to your place of defeat in order to build something good into your life. You may assume He must not want you to continue because you failed so miserably in your attempt. Perhaps your problem was that you relied on your own strength instead of the Master’s. Maybe you failed in a relationship. Jesus will not allow you to abandon it; He will help you learn from your failure and experience the difference He can make when He guides your relationships. When you try in God’s strength you may discover that success is indeed within your grasp. If you have recently experienced failure, you may be on the brink of receiving a profound revelation from God

 

[Nice & Wavy]

God Remembers

Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, "Thus says the LORD: I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown." (Jeremiah 2:2)

Even when our hearts grow cold toward God and our devotion to Him weakens, His love remains steadfast. We may forget God, but He remembers us.

God was concerned because the people of Judah had allowed their hearts to drift far from Him. In a powerful moment, God shared His heart with His people, recalling what it was like when they first began loving Him. He remembered how they had loved Him, as a new bride loves her husband, with excitement and enthusiasm for the future. He recalled the kindness they had expressed as they willingly followed Him wherever He led them. God reminded them of the love they had once had for Him, so that the memory might rekindle feelings of devotion and their hearts might return to Him.

If you do not guard your heart, you will grow cold in your love for Christ. A time may come when He approaches you and reminds you what your relationship was once like. Do you recollect the joy that permeated your life when you first became a Christian? Do you recall the youthful commitments you made to Him, pledging to do anything He told you to do? Do you remember the thrill you experienced each time you came to understand a new dimension of His nature? Spiritual memory is important. You may not realize how far you have drifted from God until you contrast the love you are expressing to Him now with that of earlier days.

God has not changed. He is the same Person you gave your heart to when you became a Christian (Mal. 3:6–7). If your love for God is not as intense as it once was, return to Him. He will restore the intimate fellowship you once shared with Him.

 

[Nice & Wavy]

"At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision." Daniel 9:23

“For you are beloved.” Could there be any words from God more welcome than these? Daniel was in exile in Babylon as a result of his nation’s utter defeat by the Babylonians. He desperately wanted to make sense of his circumstances. So he did what he had done so many times before: he prayed. God immediately dispatched the angel Gabriel. Gabriel revealed that God had sent him to Daniel at the beginning of his supplications. God did not even wait for Daniel to finish his prayer. Why? Because God loved Daniel greatly. What a marvelous testimony! There had been times when Daniel’s love for God had been put to the test. Now, when Daniel was in need, God was quick to respond in love to him.

God wants to answer the prayers of those whose hearts are completely His (2 Chron. 16:9). God can accurately orient you to the events of your day. Media, public opinion, and political leaders cannot tell you the truth of your circumstances. Only God can. God loves you and will speak to you in His time. His answer may come immediately as it did in Daniel’s case, or it may be delayed, but it will come (Dan. 10:13). If it seems as though everything is crumbling around you, and you wonder why you do not see God’s activity, take comfort in knowing that you are loved in heaven.

If you are genuinely seeking God’s answers, you can go to your Father confidently with your questions. He will respond to you in love (Luke 11:5-13).

 

[Nice & Wavy]

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Acts 9:26-27

Only God knows the potential of each believer. We can project what we think God might do in someone’s life, but we have no way of knowing. We see only outward appearances and behavior, whereas God looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).

The apostles were skeptical of some who professed to be Christians. No one seemed more unlikely to become a dedicated follower of Jesus than Saul of Tarsus. He had been one of Christianity’s greatest enemies, even overseeing the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:58-60). When Paul suddenly expressed an interest in knowing the leaders of the Christian movement, it was natural for the apostles to suspect devious motives and to doubt his conversion. Nevertheless, despite the apostles’ reluctance, Barnabas assumed the best in Paul and risked his own life to be Paul’s advocate.

You may identify with Paul. Perhaps you were an improbable candidate to be a committed Christian. It may be that God placed a Christian friend beside you to help you develop your faith. Thank the Father for those He has sent to you who believed in what God could do in you, even when others doubted.

Perhaps you stand with the apostles. There may be some around you in whom you have little confidence, though they claim to be Christians. Be assured that if God could turn the proud and murderous Saul into one of the greatest saints in history, He is equally capable of redeeming those around you. Don’t give up on your fellow believers. Look to see where God is working in their lives, then join Him. It is a great privilege to be like Barnabas and to invest in the life of a fellow Christian. This is the purpose of discipleship