January 2010 Faith Building Devotions

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of theLord is sure, making wise the simple…More to be desired are they than gold,Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”(Psalm 19:7,10).

There is a blessing that comes to those who set aside time every day to dig deep into God's Word—the Bible. As you spend time feeding on His Word, your faith is built up,and you receive vision, wisdom and direction for your day. My prayer is that these daily devotionals will help you get connected with God and His Word every day. You are about to embark on an exciting adventure with Jesus!

How do you get started? First of all, find a quiet place where you can get alone for a good 5-10 minutes without being distracted or interrupted. Start off your devotional time by talking to God – praying, and asking that He would speak to you through the Scriptures on these pages. Pray that God would give you a spirit of wisdom, and a revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17-18). Then slowly read through the devotional for the day, thinking about the Scriptures as you’re reading them. Some of them will be challenges with action steps for you to do. Others are words of encouragement to strengthen you in your relationship with God, and your knowledge of His wonderful love for you.

Once you’re finished the devotional, finish off your time with God in prayer, thanking Him for His love, and asking Him how He wants you to apply the Word you have just read. Then go about your day, ready to be a blessing to all of those you encounter throughout the day:

JANUARY 2010:


Day:           Titles:                                      Key Scripture:

1             New Beginnings                 (Isa 43:18-19)

2             I Was Glad                           (Ps 122:1 ; 27:4)

3            Passion for His Presence (Ps.42:1; Rev. 3:20)

4            Are You Weary?         (Matt. 11:28-30; John 16:33)


5           It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over  (Micah 7:7-8; Isa 40:31)


6           Feed on the Word          (Matt. 4:4; Ro. 10:17)


7          Will You Forgive?          (Prov. 10:12; 1 Cor. 13:4-7)


8         True Worship       (Rom. 12:1; John 4:23)


9         Practical Tips for Bible Study         (2 Timothy 3:16)


10      The Most Famous Verse    (John 3:16; 14:6)


11      Abundant Life of Joy      (John 10:10; 1 Pe 5:7)


12      A Time to Die   (Ecc. 3:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:51-58)


13      Lord, Teach us to Pray  (Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:6)


14     It’s Time to Grow Up   (1 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)


15     God’s Wonderful Kindness  (Eph. 1:3-7; James 1:17)


16     The Beginning of Wisdom   (Prov. 1:1-7; James 1:25)


17     Look What the Lord Has Done  (Mark 5:19; Acts 10:38)


18     Prayer, Worship & the Psalms    (James 5:13)


19     God’s Got a Tattoo of You      (Isa 49:16; Ps. 103:13)


20    Two Are Better Than One  (Ecc.4:9-12; Gen. 2:18)


21    Do You Love Jesus?  (John 15:12-14; John 14:15)


22    Are You Ready for Heaven?   (Rev. 4:1-2; 2 Cor. 5:1-11)


23    Don’t Forget His Benefits   (Ps. 103; 2 Peter 1:3-5)


24     Choose Joy      (Phil. 4:4; Prov. 17:22)


25     Why I Listen to Christian Music  (Col. 3:16; Phil. 4:8)


26    How God Anointed Jesus  (Acts 10:38; Matt. 11:5; 4:24)


27     Extreme for Jesus    (Mark 8:34-38; Gal. 2:20)


28    Do Not Be Afraid   (Ps 91 & Mark 13:7)


29    Resisting Temptation  (Ps 119:9-11; Mark 14:38)


30   The Generation Who Seeks God (Ps 24:1-6; Psalm 14:5)


31    Boldness   (Acts 4:13; Acts 3:1-10)



Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!


God bless
Enim

Merry Christmas

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

God promised redemption for mankind, and He provided for this in such an incredible way! Put your trust in Him because He is Able to do what he has promised.

For God so loved the world that

he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish but have eternal life

God first loved us, so lets also show love towards others this Christmas.

Lets make this Christmas count by showing love to the lost, homeless, disabled,poor,enemy and the World. May His Peace which surpases all understanding be Unto U this Christmas!!

Have a wonderful Christmas wherever you are in the world, just remember you're not  forgotten and Jesus Knows your name! Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year 2010, wishing you God's Blessings and Protection. May He keep you safe from harm,May He anoint you with oil of Joy and give you a Garment of Praise, May He cause his face to shine upon you,May He incline His ears towards your prayers, May He set you free from every bondage, May He Bless you and give you a Fat inheritance among the saints, may he expand your tent in 2010 and may Jesus be your portion and unlimited land of supply in 2010.

Once again Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Enim

God Kind Of Faith

For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment......Luke 1:37 (Amplified Bible)

God is not limited like man. We cannot even  fully understand the fact that He is God because we're limited in faith.God is not a man, that He should lie,Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?You only have faith for what you have heard, because faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God only. You cannot have faith for what you havent heard.Thats why its necessary to hear the word of God everyday.Its for the growth of your faith espercially in these last days when the word of God says faith will grow cold for many believers.

God's Faith: The Faith that the Holy Spirit imparts as a result of His pure and perfect Word is the Faith of God, or the God kind of Faith. This kind of faith comes from (Prov 3:8)  trusting in the Lord with all your heart, and leaning not on your own understanding.God has complete confidence in Himself. He is certain concerning His Word and His ability. Unlike man, God does not even remotely consider that He could fail or that He may not be able to accomplish that which He has said He would do. He wants His children to have that same confidence in Him that He has in Himself. Yet, even if we don't, God will continue on with His plan. We see that God cannot deny Himself from  2 Timothy 2:11-13: This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,We shall also live with Him.If we endure, We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,He also will deny us.  If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

The ability of God not to deny Himself is Power in Himself because he is God, and He expects us the believers to have that kind of confidence in Him because He is in our Spirit ( John 20:22) .When God says something  into being He considers it Done, nothing less.  The God kind of faith operates in the realm of the spirit. It takes hold of the Word of God in the unseen realm and brings that Word to pass in the natural world. That is the kind of faith God used to bring this earth into existence. It's a powerful force. And when it flows from the hearts and mouths of believers, real spiritual faith changes natural things. Sense-knowledge faith, on the other hand, has no real power. It doesn't change things. On the contrary, natural things change it! Everyone in the world has sense-knowledge faith. They believe certain things just because they can see them, or because they've experienced them. People believe, for example, that when they flip a light switch, the light will come on. They have faith in that process because they've seen it work time and again. But the light switch kind of faith comes strictly from the mind. When you exercise it, your spirit is dormant. Believing only what you can see and feel does not activate your spirit.

God Swears By Himself

When making an oath to Abraham, there was no one else He could swear to. So who did He swear and make His vow  to? Himself. Why did He make this oath confirmation to Himself to keep His promise to Abraham? Because He is the greatest in the universe. He is the creator of the universe. He cannot lie or break a promise. His immutability will not even allow Him to change His mind concerning any promise that He has made. So He could swear to Himself simply because He has complete confidence in His own ability and character.  We see this from Heb 6:13-18 :

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,  saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

As Christians we must live our lives by faith. (II Corinthians 5:7) For we walk by faith, not by sight: That means the man of God walks by faith. He doesn't walk by what he sees. He bases his action on the word of God. That is why it is so important to know what the word of God says. God's word says, "While we look not at the things that are seen, but at things that are not seen." Don't look at the cancer or heart disease in the natural. Look at them through God's words. "Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness" (Matthew 8:17). Why did He bare them if He wants us to bare them?(I Peter 2:24 ) "by whose stripes you were healed" YOU WERE HEALED, not going to be, you are! You might say, well how come I'm sick? Because you are saying you are sick. The word of God says you are well. But as long as you take sides against the word of God, the word of God can not work on your behalf. When you get in line with the word, by his stripes I was healed, sickness and disease will flee. It will not be able to stay there because the word of God says so.

Acting on God's word will bring the evidence of things hoped for, (our healing, or whatever blessing you are in need of) into the natural world. As Jesus said over and over again to the people He healed, "Your faith has made you whole." Jesus took spiritual gifts from the spirit world into the natural world. Jesus blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
 
How do we know we have God kind of faith?

Would you like to have the God kind of faith, the kind of faith that Jesus had? If you are a believer, if you have been born again, You already have the God kind of faith. "Yes but I don't feel like I have it." It has nothing to do with how you feel. It's so because God said it is so, not because you feel like it.

(Romans 12:3) ... according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

God dealt it to us. We must clarify that Paul didn't mean every man in the world. As he was talking to the church in Rome He meant only the believers in Christ.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast.You can not work to get this ... it is by His grace.How did you get faith to begin with and if you want more how do you get it? (Romans 10:17) So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. That's how it comes and the only way you'll get it.

Just Remember these points:

1.God speaks things into Existence
2.When He Declares something,He believes it will come to pass because He is God.
3.We have been created in his image/likeness and have His Spirit as believers.
4.We first need to submit to him and seek to do his Will.
5.He authorises us to speak on his behalf and with his authority and decree things into being.

Job 22:28--Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.



Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!



God bless,
Enim

Power of Faith (אמונה )

 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

The Power of Faith

Faith is the power that brought the worlds into existence. Faith turns defeat into victory, sickness into health, darkness into light, and dreams into reality. The Word says that God has given us a measure of His faith to every born-again believer ( Romans 12:3).The power of faith is real. Today some people are exercising human faith in the natural and psychic spheres. The people of Jesus did the same thing. Jesus said, " The sons of this world are more  shrewd in their generation than the sons of light- Luke 16:8". His words apply to the cults that invoke the laws of faith which properly belong only to the children of God. They use the power of faith to obtain material benefits, without reference to spiritual things. Faith produces results in  the natural realm as well as the spiritual  sphere.

Definition of Faith

What is Faith? Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see....Hebrew 11:1. Lets look at the meaning of the word Sure as used in the context above:

Sure means: 1.Impossible to doubt or dispute; free from doubt.

2.Not hesitant or wavering, firm; become convinced.

3.Confident as of something awaited or expected i.e. bound to happen or come about, inevitable  or having one's course directed; destined or bound.

4.Steady   5.Worthy of being trusted or dependable on; reliable 6. Safe.

Faith And Works.

Faith is a verb, an action word, therefore faith needs to be exercised with works.You have to do more than just believe. You have to act on what you believe! You have to act on God's word! And that action is what faith is. The word of God works when you do what it says.

James 2:14-What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Pleasing God By Faith

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. "Man can live about forty days without food and water, about eight minutes without air, but only for a second without faith.Men see you without your faith  and God can only see you by your faith. So you decide who sees what then.How firm is your faith in God?

Living By Faith

Hebrew 10:38-But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.

Habakkuk 2:4-See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 -For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.

Galatians 3:11-Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

2 Corinthians 5:7 -For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Hebrew for Faith : Ehmunah

The Hebrew word for faith is Ehmunah (אמונה ) and is an action oriented word meaning support. This support is depicted  in Aaron and Hur's support of Moses hands in Ex 17:12 during a battle with the Amalekites.

Ex 17:10-So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Therefore faith in God is a kind of support that every believer needs to win life battles.

Greek for Faith : Pistis

 “Pistis”— Is the release of faith by confession; thats the Conviction of the truth of anything, belief. Word of Power. It is the confession of faith by word of mouth. Pistis from Mark 11:12-14 and 20-23.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

"12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

20-23: In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

22"Have[f] faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

Here is the secret of faith, the means by which the power behind the name can be released: Faith does not look at circumstances nor conditions, but at the promise. Christ spoke the above words in connection to the cursing of the fig tree. At  the instant He spoke the words, nothing appeared to happen. The desciples looked at  the tree, and  the leaves seemed as healthy as ever. But they saw only with their natural sight. They were merely believing what they saw. Thats why we fail to receive what we desperately need. We look at circumstances, at conditions, at our symptoms or at our feelings. We believe only what our natural eye sees. But a believer must look past these things, at the Word, at the promise. He or She must believe he/she receives. Later he/she will see with the natural eye. Jesus did not look at the leaves of the tree after He cursed it. By the eye of faith He saw the roots dry up.

So we must remember that faith is only faith when we believe in spite of the fact that we dont feel anything or see anything. Thats excercising faith.We should  always exercise faith toward God in prayer ( Supplication or Ehmunah) and this precedes the release of the command of faith (word of power ) that is Pistis.

Go and exercise your faith today in God's promises and be victorious!!

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Enim

Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I am a disciple of

Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,

back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present

makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,

small planning, smooth knees, colourless dreams,

chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,

promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by

presence, lean by faith, love by patience,

lift by prayer, and labour by power. My pace

is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my

road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my guide is reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,

diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander

in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until

Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,

and work until He comes. and when He comes to get

His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear.

I am not ashamed of the gospel...Romans 1:16

Are You Also  not  Ashamed of Jesus Christ??

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,

Enim

God Does Big Things with Small Deeds

 

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”...Zech 4:10

Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane.

On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded.

Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive charge. They were clean and harmless and with one exception, empty. The exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language. Translated, the note read: "This is all we can do for you now."

A courageous assembly-line worker was disarming bombs and scribbled the note. He couldn't end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn't do everything, but he could do something. So he did it.

God does big things with small deeds.

Against a towering giant, a brook pebble seems futile. But God used it to topple Goliath. Compared to the tithes of the wealthy, a widow's coins seem puny. But Jesus used them to inspire us. And in contrast with sophisticated priests and powerful Roman rulers, a cross-suspended carpenter seemed nothing but a waste of life. Few Jewish leaders mourned his death. Only a handful of friends buried his body. The people turned their attention back to the temple. Why not?

What power does a buried rabbi have? We know the answer. Mustard-seed and leaven-lump power. Power to tear away death rags and push away death rocks. Power to change history. In the hands of God, small seeds grow into sheltering trees. Tiny leaven expands into nourishing loaves.

Small deeds can change the world. Sow the mustard seed. Bury the leaven lump. Make the call. Write the check. Organize the committee.

Moses had a staff.
David had a sling.
Samson had a jawbone.
Rahab had a string.
Mary had some ointment.
Aaron had a rod.
Dorcas had a needle.

All were used by God.

What do you have?
God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed. He cures the common life by giving no common life, by offering no common gifts. Don't discount the smallness of your deeds.

From Cure for the Common Life
(Thomas Nelson, 2006) Max Lucado

Comments from you: What verses or insights stand out to you in this reading? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!



God bless,
Enim