Do the work - June 17, 2014

Scripture: 1 Chronicles 25-29

9 “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 So take this seriously. The Lord has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong, and do the work.”
20 Then David continued, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly. 21 The various divisions of priests and Levites will serve in the Temple of God. Others with skills of every kind will volunteer, and the officials and the entire nation are at your command.” 

-1 Chronicles 28

18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.” - 1 Chronicles 29
Message:
Be strong and courageous and do the work.

Observation:
God has called us for a specific purpose. Many times it is laid before us by the family that GOD has given us, other times, GOD calls us out of our families like David was called from being a shepherd to be a king. Whatever that GOD has called us to do, we ought to remind ourselves and be faithful to do it.

Application:

Be faithful to the calling of GOD in your life. Many times we forget, we get busy with the mundane things instead of what we were called to be, remember GOD's purpose and plan for your life and do it with all your heart for there is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than being able to do what GOD has created you to do.

Seeing Wisdom - June 12, 2014

Scripture: Proverbs 11-12

25 25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 

- Proverbs 11

1To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.

4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

10 10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

11 1111 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.
24 Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.

- Proverbs 12

Message:
Understanding and Enjoying the wisdom of GOD

Observation:
It is true that we ought to do good to people and to always be honest in everything. But so many times we are tempted to lie and be cruel especially to those whom we think that do not deserve our kindness. But GOD sees our hearts and HE judges every thought that comes to our mind even before we act on them. If we do good to others, good will also happen to us. This is the golden rule that everyone knows about. But did you know that if you want to be a learned person we should have a love for discipline? It's true that learning can happen in school but without the discipline to go to school everyday and listen to what the teacher is saying, then it is impossible to learn. Why is it that godly people care even for animals while the wicked never do so? Animals are like secondary being to humans. Godly people are sensitive to everyone's needs around them, even those that are secondary to people which are animals. If you want to be a leader, you have to work hard, hard workers always get promoted and earn leadership positions, while lazy people stay where they are never moving up to progress.

Application:

We ought to meditate on the wisdom of GOD and not just read through them. We become wise when we try to understand a certain proverb and meditate on them in our hearts. There's always a reason behind everything that happens, an effect to a certain cause. If we want to have wisdom, we have to sit down, take in the word of GOD, reflect and try to understand the passages of his proverbs, parables and stories written for us in HIS word. When we value the word of GOD, we begin to see wisdom, we begin to realize what we ought to do, and understand that we have to be effective in what we do and intentional to achieve what GOD wants us to do. We cannot just sit down and dream about things, we will not achieve anything, we become senseless. If we want great things to happen in our lives, we need to feed on GOD's word until we see wisdom. Are you seeing wisdom?

Assignments - May 8, 2014

Scripture: Judges 1-6
12 Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 13 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.
14 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”
15 She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. - Judges 1

9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. 11 So there was peace in the land for forty years. - Judges 3
Message:
We are all called to do special assignments from the LORD.

Observation/Promise:
Caleb's daughter was a special girl, though she was only mentioned in the bible for a few lines, her story was that she married a man who was going to be a great leader and judge for Israel. Othniel might have been just a regular guy with simple dreams, a guy in love with a woman named Acsah which caused him to leave his simple life so he can fight the battle, win and have her hand. But Acsah was a girl who knew what she wanted, she wanted a field and asked her father for it even though it was not legitimate or usual at that time for daughters to ask their fathers an inheritance since it was only the sons who were allotted an inheritance. But her faith brought results for her and she not only asked her father first but she asked her husband before she had to ask her father. Her husband may not have agreed to it at first but eventually allowed her to ask. After a while the story of this couple continues as Othniel, Acsah's husband becomes a great leader and judge of Israel. Othniel may not be a person who dreamt of being a great leader but Acsah had a bigger perspective in life and from the start she always knew and wanted greater things.

Command/Application:

Men are called to be leaders, some great some small. But wives make a huge impact and difference in a man's life. They are the ones that help form leaders by the way of their support and love for their husbands. A single woman can alter the destiny of a man's life, and this is their special assignment from GOD. We all have assignments in life. What is yours? What is your partner's assignment? Know this and work on it!

DO's for everyday godly living

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 
- 1 Thessalonians 4
5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5


To live a quiet life is to not make a fuss, a thought, a mess out of other people's lives because GOD has an assignment for each of us, we have work to do for His Kingdom. We cannot compare ourselves with others or be mindful of what others are doing or whatever struggles they are going through because we are all in a battle and fighting for GOD to reign and be victorious in our lives. If we keep on watching others lives, we cannot win our own battles, because we are distracted. Taking time to even talk about others that is unnecessary to you because it does not affect or relate to you is already mind the business of others. This is a distraction from the devil. We lose our own battles when we are not focused on GOD and what He wants us to do.

Since we have been called to live for GOD, our lives should be striking difference from the lives of the ungodly or rebellious. Be alert at all times spiritually, it is easy to fall asleep because of boredom. If you are truly engaged in the spiritual war, there's no time to sleep, every soldier assigned on his post are in an alert mode. We have to be like this at all times and be clear minded because one of the enemies tactics to distract us is confusion and doubt. Let the word of GOD rid us of any confusion and cleanse our hearts from doubts. That is why GOD has called us to always rejoice, and pray endlessly being thankful no matter what happens in life because this is how we win the battle, when we are on guard so that when the enemy strikes, we are protected by GOD's armor of faith and love. These are the Do's for everyday godly living for every follower of Yeshua.

Doing Comes From Thinking

22 “You must keep all my decrees and regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise the land to which I am bringing you as your new home will vomit you out. 23 Do not live according to the customs of the people I am driving out before you. It is because they do these shameful things that I detest them. 24 But I have promised you, ‘You will possess their land because I will give it to you as your possession—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from all other people. 
- Leviticus 20

The LORD has many commands and decrees, it is all written in His word for us to know and keep them but it's not enough to read them, we have to take them in our hearts and into our thoughts so that we understand and remember them. How do we take them in us? We meditate on GOD's ways, and put them into practice. It's not hard to understand the laws of GOD such as Leviticus 20:10 “If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death. But it is a hard thing to NOT do when a man whose thoughts have already been consumed about committing such adultery with another woman, and she doesn't even have to be another man's wife. 

Sin does not bear fruit without being planted a seed first in the thought life of a person. So we have to be careful with whatever we sow in our hearts, because everything starts with our thoughts before it can become an action.So if all things starts with our thoughts, then it is important to guard our thought life and fill it with the laws and commands of GOD. Filling it with His word is an offensive of being strong in the Spirit realm. We cannot allow ourselves to be empty minded because the enemy can fill such thoughts and it is our responsibility to feed ourselves by filling our minds with the words and ways of GOD. So make a decision to fill your mind with GOD. If you do not chose, the enemy will fill them. Do not let your thoughts be taken captive to someone or something else but JESUS. All "Doing" always comes from "Thinking".

Guard Your Heart

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.

- Proverbs 4

There's many things we can do whatever we feel like it. We can do whatever we like but according to 1Corinthians 10:23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. Not everything is for us. Therefore we should find our path in GOD and protect that one thing that drives us to where we want to go - our hearts. We will do anything we don't like, we will only do the things that are from our hearts therefore our source for determining the course of our life should be protected because if it wants the wrong things in life, then we are bound to destruction. The Lord gives us this wise advice in Proverbs saying Guard your heart! Do not anything captivate your thoughts and your heart, let GOD captivate you!

What do we feed our hearts? We feed ourselves with whatever is in our surroundings  we can't help it because we can't stop things from happening, but we can feed our hearts the right way with GOD's word, listening to His Spirit, continually meditating on His promises and His laws. This is how we guard our hearts, by not letting us be corrupted with the talk of idlers, we can talk to people, but let's be alert not to conform to them, we don't have to be influenced by people around us, instead we should be an influence to them. Focus on the LORD, for He has already marked out a straight path before you. Since we cannot see the LORD, it takes discipline to train our spiritual ears and eyes to understand God's heart in every moment and matter in our lives. Guard your heart let it be GOD's alone. 

Works of Faith bring Life

18 “So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”
The True Family of Jesus19 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn’t get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to see you.”
21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God’s word and obey it.”

- Luke 8

Pay attention to how you hear. What does this mean? Pay attention to what you listen to, what you watch, for these are the things you feed your spirit. Are you listening to the radio more than to GOD's still small voice? Are you watching worldliness more than reading His word and watching for His return? It is very crucial that everyday we take into account the things that we put into our hearts for these are the things that will reap into fruits in the future. If we listen to GOD's word, we gain faith, for faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of GOD. Without listening to His word, how can faith grow? But if you are not even paying attention to what you hear, or listen to, if you don't screen what you allow to come into your thoughts and dwell in your mind, then it is possible that all you ever feed yourself of is all trash. To know and love GOD is intentional. You don't just wake up one day full of GOD's Spirit, wisdom and peace. You have to work at it for faith without works is dead -James 2:26 

Whoever is seeking GOD and listening to His words by reading the word of GOD will gain even more understanding. When we seek GOD and His righteousness we feed our spirit. This is where faith begins. But when we only hear GOD and not do what HE says we should do, that counts as nothing. No matter how much we listen to GOD yet not put His words into our hearts that results in action, faith is useless. Therefore, listening without doing is void and whatever faith you think you may have will be taken away from you, faith alone is nothing without actions. It is works based on faith that bring true life.

Know Your Season

4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
8 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let your prophets and fortune-tellers who are with you in the land of Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams,9 because they are telling you lies in my name. I have not sent them,” says the Lord.

- Jeremiah 29

There comes a time in our lives that GOD will instruct us the things that we think HE may not want for us as His people. There are many voices and ideas that come to us during the day but only one is the truth that leads to the perfect will of GOD. How do we know which is which? We cannot put GOD in a box and assume just because it makes sense or it seems like it is what GOD most likely would want for us doesn't necessarily mean it is from HIM. We have to be sensitive to His prodding and discern what the Spirit is saying to us. For GOD wills for us to know HIS ways and HE communicates to us HIS plan so that we will understand clearly what His will is for our lives.

For all you know it is a terrible thing to be exiled to another place. For HE has lead Israel from a foreign nation to a place where they can call their own. But during this season, GOD has called them out of Israel to be exiled. Certainly it is not GOD's will for His people to be scattered and be bound in slavery again to a foreign nation that will oppress them? Surely GOD would grant peace to HIs people living in their promised land? The religious who only assume what GOD is, would probably think this way. But we cannot afford to put GOD in a box and be sincerely mistaken of HIS will. We have to know what GOD is saying! It may be a bad thing to be exiled and the most unbelievable thing to be sent to work for another nation, being a stranger in a foreign land but if GOD has called you to be sent at this season you better know it and obey or else you will miss out big time. Seek and know your season in the LORD and whatever HE is telling you make sure you are sure it is HIS and do it!