TURNING CHAOS INTO CHARACTER

Text:  Daniel 6:1-6

Chapter One – Daniel refused to eat the king’s rich food and went on what’s called a “Daniel diet”.

Chapter Two – King Nebuchadnezzar saw a vision of a multi-metallic statue representing Gentile kingdoms.

Chapter Five – Closes with the Babylonian Empire falling to the armies of Cyrus, King of Persia, and Cyrus gave control of the Babylonian Kingdom to Darius the Mede (holder of the scepter).

Now it was up to Darius to formulate a new government.  He divided the Kingdom into 120 provinces and appointed a prince to rule over each province.  He also chose Daniel and two other administrators to rule over the princes and watch out for the king’s interest.  Daniel soon proved he was more capable than all the other administrators and princes.  Because of his great ability, the King made plans to place him over the entire empire.

Has anybody ever been hassled at work by others because of a promotion?  Daniel was!  Has anybody ever been hassled by co-workers about being a Christian?  Daniel gives us a great example of how we ought to live and behave and turn chaos into character.  Daniel’s character caught the attention of the King!

BELIEVE!

TEXT:  MARK 9:23

Jesus said unto him, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth”.
Jesus’ statement must not be taken as an unqualified promise.  The “all things” does not mean everything we can think of.

The prayer of faith must be based upon the will of God, and it never asks for anything foolish or wrong.  James 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss (out of order; improper; in a wrong way), that ye may consume it upon your lusts.  (As in selfish desires or that which is evil or is wicked.)

The belief or faith required here must be received as a gift of God and is implanted in the heart of the believer who lives faithfully according to “His will”!  Matthew 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:  for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

THE SAVING OF THE SOUL!

TEXT:  St. John 10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father:  and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

Hebrews 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition:  but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

 

Webster defines “life” as the form of existence that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms, or inanimate matter, in the ability to carry on metabolism, respond to stimuli, reproduce and grow.  The synonyms for “life”:

·       as a noun - vitality, vigor, energy, viability, virility, strength, existence, being, living, animation, vital force, respiration, breath (of life), vivification, and resurgence; 

·       as a verb - be alive, walk the earth, give birth, put life into, and revive; 

·       as an adjective - existing, in the flesh, in the land of the living, alive and kicking, germinal, invigorating, generative, and exhilarating.

 

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO LOOK AT LIFE:

Holy Boldness!

Text:  Ephesians 3:12

 

God made each of us in a unique way.  We are each very different from each other in personalities, height, weight, hair/skin color, dialect, interests, etc.  Some of us appear to be more bold in nature than others.  Some appear to be able to take control over a situation and handle it more easily than others.  Some are nurturers.  Some work best with their hands, such as with crafts or construction.  Some seem to know just what to say at any given moment.

 We are unique and different from each other in our DNA or our inner structures.  A structure is "anything that is composed of parts arranged together in some way".  Well God has certainly arranged our inner structures in ways that only He can and for His purpose.  The one thing on the inside of us that is the same for all of us Sons of God is the Almighty God who dwells within us!

I want to share with you an example from God of the uniqueness of geese and their bold nature.  I was on the way to work one morning, and I reached a location near a pond.  There are often geese nearby, and this day was no exception.  As I approached the pond, there was a mother goose and her gosling just reaching the opposite side of the road.  As I drove past those geese, God gave me the words "bold";  "having boldness".  My thought was this:  God, you are so right!  These geese have incredible boldness when it comes to crossing the roads where cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles travel.  Geese are so bold that they don't stop to look for traffic coming - they simply waddle into the road and continue until they reach their destination.  Now that's pretty bold!

A few days later, God confirmed this to me again on the way home from work near this same location.  Up ahead, I could see that traffic coming toward me had stopped.  Once I reached that point, I saw 4 geese crossing the road while the traffic waited.  That is boldness!

Now I am not suggesting that we all cross streets without even looking for oncoming traffic!  But I

am suggesting that the geese exemplify a type of boldness that we should have as Sons of God - one

that will give us confidence to step out in faith and proclaim the kingdom message.  I'm talking

about "Holy Boldness", which is what I have entitled this  message.  Holy Boldness!

EMBRACE YOUR TRUE IDENTITY

TEXT:  MATTHEW 3:13-17

Matthew portrays Christ as our “Promised Messiah”!  It links us up with the old testament.

EMBRACE - means to accept; to take in or include as a part; to be equal or equivalent.

IDENTITY – who someone is; the name of person/thing.

If I asked you to show me an ID, you would reach in your wallet and pull out a card with your picture, name, and address.

If the question was asked, “Who are you?”, what would you say?  “I’m a nurse, freshman, football player, dancer, etc.".

Well, you have based your identity on what you do. 

If that’s the case, then who are you when you quit doing it?  Basing your identity on your performance, appearance, your abilities or anything else sounds good, but its false identity!

God wants us to know our true identity!  In order to allow the power of God to reign freely in our lives  and flow through us, spilling out into ministry, we must accept certain spiritual truths!

JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD!

TEXT:  ST. JOHN 1:2-14

John begins his gospel by calling Jesus “The Word”, the logos.  In using this designation for Christ, John presents Him as the personal Word of God and indicates that in these last days, God has spoken to us in His Son.  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Scripture declares that Jesus Christ is:

Ø  the manifold wisdom of God - “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11).

Ø  the perfect revelation of the nature and person of God - “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).  Just as a person’s words reveal his or her heart and mind, Christ as “the Word” reveals the heart and mind of God!  This Gospel was penned by the aged Apostle in 85 A.D.  It was the last of the 4 gospels to be written.  The first three Gospels are called Synoptic Gospels, which means “to see together”.   This means that the first three Gospels contained many of the same stories and teachings that were told from a different angle.  Yet at the same time each was fully inspired by the Lord.

There was a difference in John's Gospel.  John shows us a side of Jesus the other writers did not touch on.  John gives us twenty one chapters which unfold and present a new facet of His divine character.  He gives us three main characteristics of Jesus Christ as “the Word”:  1) The Word’s relation to the Father, 2) The Word’s relation to the world, and 3) The Word’s relation to humanity.

THE JUDGMENT OF GOD!

TEXT:  ST. JOHN 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world:  now shall the prince of this world be cast out”.

Judgment is from the root word kri’sis, meaning, a decision for or against; a tribunal (a decision making body); justice (spec. divine law):  accusation; condemnation; damnation).   It denotes the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating.  It comes from kri’ma, which is a passing of judgment upon a person or thing: a decision (the function or effect for or against); it also comes from kri’no, meaning to distinguish ie to decide mentally or judicially; to try; condemn; punish: - judge, determine, go to law, call in question, esteem, avenge, conclude, damn, decree, ordain, sentence to.

NOW is an adverb, meaning, at the present time; immediately!

This verse lets us know that the judgment happened at the time Jesus said it, and what sealed it was when He got up out of that borrowed tomb!  Jesus has already defeated the devil, but it’s only by our faith that we totally overcome!

The Oil of Gladness

TEXT:  PSALM 45:7

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:  therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".   (Hebrews 1:9)

Psalms is known as the Book of Praise:   It was the national hymnbook of Israel.  It shows Jesus as “Our All in All”!  It is the 19^th Book of the Bible, and it has 150 divisions, 2,461 verses, 43,743 words, and 164 questions.

The Hebrew word for “gladness” is sasown’, meaning cheerfulness, welcome, joy; rejoicing.  In the Greek it is agalli’asis, meaning exultation (greatly rejoicing, triumph; very abundant, lavish, overflowing); exuberant joy (abounding in health and spirit; overflowing with good cheer).

People of God, our Heavenly Father has destined us to live in “gladness” [happiness; cheerfulness; joyfulness]!

“REACHING THE MASSES”!

TEXT:  St. Mark 1:14-17 (KJV - Thompson Chain Reference Bible)

The Gospel of Mark portrays Christ as our “servant”.  St. Mark 10:45: "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many".

Jesus came so that He might “reach the masses”, and He did by way of His death, burial, and resurrection.

Isaiah 9:6:  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:  and the government shall be upon his shoulder".  This “government” or misrah’, meaning empire [realm, domain, sovereignty, authority], would be the method through which He would “reach the masses”!  This word “government” is also translated sarah’ meaning to prevail or have power!!  THAT HE DID!!!

A Counted Member!

Text: Ephesians 5:30 (KJV)

“For we are members of His body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”

Text: Romans 12: 4-5 (KJV)

"For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

Each part of the human body is important. While we don’t sit around pondering each part’s function, we definitely notice when one part isn’t working.

Ephesians 4:16 says:  "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love".

The body of Christ is held together by that which each individual body part supplies. We may think some parts are less significant than others, but 1^st Corinthian 12:15-24 says that each part is “significant.”

DEVELOPING KINGDOM MENTALITY

TEXTS for this message are from the King James Version – Life in the Spirit Bible & Thompson Chain-Reference Bible

St. Matthew 4:17:  "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, 'Repent:  for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'."   
St. Luke 17:21:  "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or,  lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you". 

The denomination I grew up in defined the “kingdom / heaven" – as a place we have to go to beyond the blue.  Apparently Jesus had difficulty making Himself understood regarding the kingdom, which accounts for numerous parables with comparisons He gave of the kingdom.

In all the parable illustrations Jesus gave relating to the kingdom, never did He describe it as a place located in some distant realm.

Guarded From Behind

Text:  Isaiah 52:12 (KJV)

“For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.”

God being our “rereward” lets us know that He is our recompense (to reward with something for a service); our reparation or repairer; restorer; re-establisher; reviver.  All we need Him to be to us and for us He is!

Many people get caught up in the fear of what could happen rather than what has happened. Fear is anxiety caused by approaching danger; the emotion or condition of being afraid; or an unrecognizable event.

UNFORK YOUR TONGUE!

TEXT:  JAMES 3:1-12

SUBTOPIC:  “CONTROL YOUR SPEECH”

The Book of “James” is the 59^th book of the bible; 5 chapters; 108 verses; 2309 words; and 24 questions; 100 verses of history, and 8 verses of fulfilled prophecy.  So Brother James had a lot to say!

This James was the actual half- brother of Jesus and he was writing to the Christians who were dispersed or scattered abroad.  He wrote about testings, gave them warnings, Christian living, the rich, human and divine wisdom, exhortations, and the tongue. 

We are going to talk about the “tongue”.  James had much to say concerning it.  It is the most difficult member of the body to control!  It is also the most powerful, yet being the smallest!  James called it a "little member and boasteth great things" (James 3:5).  How many of you have ever said something that you wish you could take back?  Words from this little member (or the pink tornado) have brought about great victories and defeats.  It has ever changed the course of history.  We need to ask God to “unfork our tongue”!  When I use the term “unfork”, it is in the sense of letting it speak things that are wholesome and not divisive.  To be “forked” is to be split.  Our words should be those that will edify (build up) and not destroy (tear down).

THE MAN GOD - Part 2

Part 2 of "The Man God"

Talking about the “Man God” – as He is so are we right here!  It doesn’t happen “up yonder” because there is nothing beyond the “blue” but endless space.  God is not only with us, but He is in us!!  As the “Man God”, we are not going to self-exalt ourselves as Lucifer did.  God brought him down to the pit!  He was a “God Man”, but got the “big head”, and God took him off his “high horse” so to speak (Isaiah 14:12-16).  The nerve of him [Lucifer] trying to exalt himself above God.  It didn’t happen then with him, and it will never happen with anyone else because God Himself is the “most High God".  Even in Genesis 11 with the building of the tower, they were trying to make themselves a name [vs 4] instead of walking after the name of God.  But God handled that too!  No one can get to the Father except through the Son, and no one can get to the Son except the Father draw him [St. John 6:44].  Jesus had to be manifested because He is the chief cornerstone [St. Matthew 21:42].  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” [St. John 14:6].  Keep in mind St. John 10:34 where Jesus said, “Ye are gods” so that makes us Gods in the great big God!

“THE MAN GOD”! (Part 1)

 TEXT:  Hebrews 2:6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  Or the son of man, that thou visitest him”?

Hebrews was written to newly converted Jews, and it was written at a time when the temple in Jerusalem was ready to be destroyed.  They were going to have to face the fact that the sacrifices were being done away with because Jesus their Intercessor has now become the ultimate sacrifice!  Now all they had to do was look to Christ!

In this Chapter, Christ is united with “man”.  God created “man” to have “lordship” over all things.  We are not just little peons running around down here with a great big God sitting up beyond the blue.  According to the Prophet Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”.  Immanuel means God with us!  Then in St. Matthew chapter one, it was manifested because Jesus was born.  Verse 21 tells us that he was also called Jesus “for he shall save his people from their sins”.

This lets us know that we are not separated from God with us being here and God up yonder!  God is in us!  Now with Him being in us, God created man to have lordship over all things.  I’m talking about the “man God” (we His people) having lordship!  This means that Christ has become one with man, sharing with man His temptations and sufferings and even death itself.  Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:  that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”.  Through this sharing, Jesus might enable “man” to become one with Him – to share with Him [Jesus] His nature and His dominion.

Because of this, Christ has been crowned with glory and honor.  Also because of this, “Man” (mankind; male and female), in his efforts to become one with Christ, doth qualify for His glory and His inheritance!  Because we are joint heirs with Christ, everything that He had or has belongs to us!  Romans 8:17 “And if children [sons], then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together”.  So God wants us to be assured that Christ is gracious, kind, and understanding and will be helpful to those of us who love Him!  We’re talking about the “Man God”!

Move Forward!

TEXT:  Exodus 14:14-16 (KJV)

14) The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
15) And the LORD said unto Moses, “Wherefore criest thou unto me?  Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:”
16) But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it:  and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

 I’m sure every believer here today can attest that there is and has been a point in our lives when it seemed like there’s one storm after another.  You felt like you were in a tornado in the spirit with only momentary relief here and there.  Though there are many storms, you are only fighting one devil.  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy". (John 10:10)  The devil is behind it, and we need to use our authority against him and keep pressing forward.

God Says: "I've Got You Covered!"

In the 3rd week of February, we had a fast and furious snow storm to hit the Triangle.  It came in so fast that people could not get to their destinations before the roads became crowded and slick.  This was the storm that left thousands stranded on the highways with some people abandoning their cars.  For others it took 4+ hours to make a 30 minute drive home. 

The triangle area was covered in several inches of beautiful white snow.  I had decided to spend the night at work in case I could be of help in the residential buildings if staff could not make it in to work.  By that evening, the ground and every building/ structure and vehicle was covered.  As I looked outside, all I could see was white and ice that sparkled as the light from the street lights shone down.

What a beautiful sight that was!!  And the next day, the scene was still beautiful even though workers had begun the task of cleaning sidewalks so that staff could move easily from 1 building to another.  By afternoon, the snow again came fast and furious but with larger white flakes.  It only lasted a couple of hours, and then the storm had finally passed.

I love watching the snow when it is coming down and seeing how it changes the landscape from green and brown grass to white.  From trees with no leaves to trees with snow covered limbs.  From vehicles of varying colors to all white.  From bushes with varying-shaped leaves and colors to all white.  As the snow begins to accumulate, even the shapes begin to look a little different.  The railing on our front porch is flat on top, but with a couple of inches of snow on it, it becomes rounded on top.

I also love that time after dark when no one is on the roads, and all is  hushed and quiet like we have never heard before - no children playing outside, no vehicles on the roads, no wildlife making sounds in the woods.  As I looked at the snow the 2nd evening I was there, I heard God say to me "the robe of righteousness, clean and white".   "The robe of righteousness, clean and white".  Just like the snow had covered the earth, God was telling me that I am covered in the robe of righteousness, clean and white. 

The Benefit of Having the Holy Ghost!

TEXT:  ACTS 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance”.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT PENTECOST!!!

Pentecost is the Greek word pentekoste’ meaning fifty.  It was the fiftieth day from Passover.   In the Hebrew, it’s pe’cach, meaning exemption, the festival or victim.  In the Greek, pas’cha, it's the Passover or special sacrifices connected with it - Easter.  It commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage and the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us.

The day of “Pentecost” was with the Israelites “the great feast of the harvest” (qatsiyr-kawtseer), as reaped or the victim thereof; sacrifice.  Exodus 23:16:  "And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field:  and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field."  (or “the day of first fruits”)  Numbers 28:26: "Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work."  It was celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover.

Release That Inside Fire!

 

This Book I’m ministering from shows Jesus Christ as “Our Righteous Branch”.  It’s the 38^th book of the Bible; it has 14 chapters; 211 verses; 6,444 words; 27 questions; 35 commands; 4 promises; 226 predictions; 122 verses of prophecy; 31 verses of fulfilled prophecy; 91 verses of unfulfilled prophecy; and 59 distinct messages from God.

TEXT:  ZECHARIAH 2:5

 “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her”, meaning the Church, the body of Christ! 

What does releasing mean?  Releasing comes from the Greek word lu’o, meaning to loose, let go, destroy or untie.  Inside comes from the Greek word eotos, meaning within or among.  Last but surely not least fire.  Fire comes from the Greek word pur.  Fire in the scripture is often used figuratively.  Like with “the fire” of God, which transforms all it touches into light and likeness with itself.  Let me ask you a question.  When there is a fire, does it not spread and consume everything in its path?  And after it has taken its course, the only evidence left is the soot and the ashes.  Fire symbolizes great dominion and power.  Is not God the all great and powerful God?  He wants us - the people of God - to have that same burning everlasting fire that He does!  But people of God, you must understand that all fires don’t start off big and powerful.  There are four stages of fire, and you will better understand as I explain. 

Living Waters

I am an avid kayaker.  I love getting into the cockpit of a tiny boat that is only inches above the water, launching from the shore, and paddling nearby rivers and lakes.  There is a calmness and serenity that comes with paddling.  You become more connected with nature, oneself, and I find myself drawing closer to God.  These are special times for me, and as I paddle, I find opportunities to meditate and pray, thanking God for all His goodness and grace.  One end of a dripping paddle blade rises out of the water while the other blade plunges under the surface, pushing against the water’s resistance.  I settle into a rhythmic stroke with one paddle blade rising high while the other dips low below, and in this manner  I propel myself across the surface of the water.  Time and distance blur and blend together, and the only sensations are the movement of the paddle and boat, my body moving and twisting, dripping water, and the wind across my face.  It is here in this moment, in a tiny boat alone with God, that life makes the most sense to me.

This connection to water and of water with man is deliberate and has purpose.  God, in His infinite greatness, designed man to thirst after both natural and unnatural   waters.  Another term for unnatural waters would be spiritual waters.  Spiritual waters are God’s Word that flows like a never ending stream of life from Him to man.  In both cases, man will die from lack of both kinds of water.  In the first instance, it is a physical death.  In the second, a spiritual one. This brings me to the title of my message – Living Waters.

Is it Luck or Coincidence or Something Else?

Philippians 4:19:  "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus".

Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose".

Has it ever seemed to you that some people always get the breaks in life?  How often have you heard someone say "Boy, was I lucky today!"  OR "What a coincidence that this money came in the mail today just when I needed it"?  Sometimes it sure seems like some people are favored more than others.  It also seems that some people are just in the right place at the right time, and good things happened to them. 

Think about the words "luck" and "coincidence".  The word "luck" means "the things that happen to a person because of chance; the accidental way things happen without being planned".  "Coincidence" means "the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection".

I don't believe that God does anything by accident or chance.  I believe in God and His mighty power 
to supply all of our needs and work all things together for the good of those He has called to His 
purpose. 

The Benefit of Having the Holy Ghost

St. Matthew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:  but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:  he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire”.

The synonyms for “Benefit” are:  profit, advantage, gain, good.  Each of these words is suitable for all the Holy Ghost is to and for us!  There is nothing better for us to have than having the Holy Ghost because it is God’s Spirit.  Holy because it is pure, perfect, and it is God Himself with us!  He is not just with us; He is in us.

God's Benefit Package

Prophetic Scripture: Psalms 103:1-3

"Bless the LORD, O my soul:  and all that is within me, bless his holy name

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases".

A lot of people work a job only because they need the benefits.  There are also a lot of people who are retiring from their normal jobs only to discover that they have to go back to work just to afford or to qualify for healthcare insurance.  You don’t realize how much that benefit is worth until you don’t have it anymore or you are forced to pay for the full amount without the company kicking in a percentage.  Public jobs have decent benefits most of the time.  But people of God, I come to tell you today about a job that has the absolute greatest benefits of all time.  That’s working for THE LORD.  Working for the Kingdom carries benefits no company can measure.

Clay in the Hands of God

Text: Jeremiah 18: 1-6

God uses many images to describe His relationship to His people.  He speaks of the shepherd/sheep relationship; husband/wife relationship; Father/children relationship and so on.  All of these are wonderful and teach us many valuable lessons on life, ourselves, and our God.  We, like sheep, are protected and provided for by the shepherd.  As a wife, we are loved without condition by the husband.  As His children, we’re constantly under the watchful eye of the loving Father.  There’s another aspect of our lives that must be factored into the equation. The parable of the Potter and the clay.

A parable is a simple story of every day life that reveals Kingdom truth about God to those whose hearts are prepared to hear.  But to those whose heart is unprepared, the truth is concealed.  This parable is one of the greatest portraits of God and His people to be found in the scriptures.

Powerful Praise Births Victory!

Text:  2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 13-17

Have you heard the saying that there are two times to praise the Lord - When you feel like it and when you don’t?  Any other time you don’t have to praise Him.  David said in Psalm 34,  "I will bless the Lord at ALL times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth".  "Continual" means repeated without pause; uninterrupted.  Praise is to be an everyday part of life no matter what’s happening.  Whether I’m having a high moment or low moment, my focus should stay on God basically because of who He is.  He is Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end; King of Kings; Lord of Lords; Creator; The Great I Am; He’s Jirah, Our Provider; Great Physician.  He is worthy of our praise all day and everyday no matter what kind of day it may be.

Will return soon! New posts resume February 3

The GWM staff thanks all our readers for checking in with us in 2013... and we look forward with great anticipation to what God will bring to fruition in 2014!

We are taking a short break from writing new posts. Reminder - there are over 100 posts on the GWM blog and we encourage you to read, study, and explore these writings as God leads you!

If you have questions, comments, a prayer request, or want to learn more about God's Word, we encourage you to leave individual comments or contact us via the Contact Us link at the bottom of this page.

New posts will resume on February 3, 2014.

May God bless you deeply in the New Year!

- GWM Staff