"Then He took the cup, and gave thanks..."
- Luke 22:17
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Oh what a blessing it is for us to be able to say thank you to the living God. "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it", Psalm 118:24. We acknowledge this day as the official day to give thanks. We are thankful for things, family, friends, enemies, good times and even bad times. We eat, enjoy family and continue on with the rituals of this beautiful holiday. While being thankful to God for all He has done let's realize how Jesus was a thankful person.
Did you know that Jesus said thank you? Throughout the new testament Jesus gave thanks to the Father. This describes Jesus as being an outstanding leader. Yes, He is perfect in all of His ways and with that in mind it should humble us when we see how humbly He, who is all powerful, all knowing and all seeing, is thankful. Good leaders are humble and know where their help comes from. He wasn't boastful but knew that gratitude was important if He was going to fulfill the Father's plan and purpose. As Jesus walked the earth He knew that God was the head of His agenda. We should follow His lead.
Jesus gave thanks in good times. One of those good times was when He fed the five thousand. In Matthew 15:36 "And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude". We can imagine how grateful the multitude must have been to Jesus in return. It could have been almost like how thankful we are today for what we have on our tables regardless of the amount. Jesus feeding the multitude must have been a time of great rejoicing.
Jesus was thankful in the good times but how about the times when we would think it wasn't so pleasant for Him to give thanks? There was a time in the bible when He gave thanks in advance for Lazarus' resurrection. Jesus was grateful in the midst of a situation that He needed God to come through for Him as soon as possible. John states in verses 11:41-43 "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me. Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!". How awesome is that? That goes to show us that we are not exempt from saying thank you when times are difficult or when we are in need of a right now answer from God. Beside Jesus being thankful another awesome point to this story is that God answered Him. He did it immediately for Jesus because with Him all things are possible! First let's selah (think about it) then I think we should take a praise break right here. Thank you Jesus!
Another time Jesus gave thanks was at the Last Supper. In Mark 26:27 & 28 He gives thanks for the cup which represents His blood, this would redeem the world. Jesus knew His time of physical death was near. But what did He do anyway? He gave thanks. He is such a gracious God. Not only does He provide grace to us that need it but He does everything with grace. He's a tasteful God. Psalm 34:8 "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him".
I encourage you today on this wonderful holiday. Let's be like Jesus and be thankful. Let's thank God for the things and people in our lives that bring us joy. Then let's go ahead and be thankful for the unsure things, the hurtful things and even the downright wrong things. God is faithful and He honors our gratitude to Him. "For all things work together for the good to them that love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose", Rom. 8:28. Let's be thankful and He will continue to provide us with reasons to be thankful. Just like He did with Jesus. He never failed Jesus. Let us follow Jesus' lead. God will never fail us!
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's pray...
Dear Father, THANK YOU for everything. We sanctify this day to say thank you. Thank you for health, strength, family, purpose, life, and YOU. Help us to not only say thank you with our mouths but to be grateful with our actions, through our obedience and our giving. Once again but definitely not the last time, we say THANK YOU JESUS! Amen.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
The Constant God
"Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever more".
- Hebrew 13:8
Constancy. It's something that we all desire as humans. We seek it from things as well as from people-our loved one and friends. These things and people are there for us when we need them. But at one point these things and people had us thinking they were a one hundred percent constant in our lives. Usually, because these things and people are tangible to us we put our trust in them believing that they will always be there. Real talk, many times we do find constancy in these people and things but only to a limit. One of the reasons why God is so special is because there is no limit in Him. Sooner or later we find that these very things and people can disappoint us. It could be a minute disappointment or a great one. Maybe a need isn't met, a promise is broken, an unedifying word is spoken, or even the death of a loved one let you down. Either way the constancy we believe is in tact is not always present as we may think. It, at some point, let's us down. It's hard to realize it in the midst of a let down but let downs should be understood because nothing and no one has ever been nor ever will be as constant as God!
God's genuineness is so pure that He is unable to be inconsistent. He tells us that He will never leave or forsake us. "...He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you..." Deut. 31:8. He also says in Matt. 28:20 "...And Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". The end of the age? Yes, it's that powerful? We can rely on Him at all times, with all things, in all circumstances. Even until the end of whatever it is that we're facing, good or not so good. He never wavers. He will always be with us. The beautiful things is when He says something He means it. His track record is flawless. I guarantee that if we look back on our lives individually we will see the many times when God was a constant and very loyal to us and our circumstances. No one and nothing can compare to Him!
God is so bona fide in His constancy that even when we fall He makes sure He reels us back in. As mere mortals we tend to fall into the mentality of our forefathers and mothers, like Adam and Eve. We give in to our flesh but David reminds us in Psalm 103:13-19 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone,and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all". The awesome part is that God, just like what He did for Adam and Eve-provide a way for vindication and redemption-He will do for us. He is not a respecter of persons. There is nothing or no one that can compare to His CONSTANCY!
I encourage you to know that Gods constancy will always be. It will never cease nor will it ever lack. If someone let;s you down look to Jesus. Your help comes from Him. If something you planned on didn't work out, God can rearrange any plan. He can make it better, whatever it is. He always has and knows what's best for each and everyone of us. Know that He is on your side. He's the Almighty constant God!
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's pray...
Dear God, thank you for being the only true constant in our lives. If you were not around we would be like a ship tossed and driven like a ship without a sail. You hold us upright so that we can fulfill your will on this earth. Because of your constancy we can always rely and depend on you for strength, support and reassurance. Keep us as we keep your word in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.
- Hebrew 13:8
Constancy. It's something that we all desire as humans. We seek it from things as well as from people-our loved one and friends. These things and people are there for us when we need them. But at one point these things and people had us thinking they were a one hundred percent constant in our lives. Usually, because these things and people are tangible to us we put our trust in them believing that they will always be there. Real talk, many times we do find constancy in these people and things but only to a limit. One of the reasons why God is so special is because there is no limit in Him. Sooner or later we find that these very things and people can disappoint us. It could be a minute disappointment or a great one. Maybe a need isn't met, a promise is broken, an unedifying word is spoken, or even the death of a loved one let you down. Either way the constancy we believe is in tact is not always present as we may think. It, at some point, let's us down. It's hard to realize it in the midst of a let down but let downs should be understood because nothing and no one has ever been nor ever will be as constant as God!
God's genuineness is so pure that He is unable to be inconsistent. He tells us that He will never leave or forsake us. "...He will be with you. He will not leave you or forsake you..." Deut. 31:8. He also says in Matt. 28:20 "...And Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". The end of the age? Yes, it's that powerful? We can rely on Him at all times, with all things, in all circumstances. Even until the end of whatever it is that we're facing, good or not so good. He never wavers. He will always be with us. The beautiful things is when He says something He means it. His track record is flawless. I guarantee that if we look back on our lives individually we will see the many times when God was a constant and very loyal to us and our circumstances. No one and nothing can compare to Him!
God is so bona fide in His constancy that even when we fall He makes sure He reels us back in. As mere mortals we tend to fall into the mentality of our forefathers and mothers, like Adam and Eve. We give in to our flesh but David reminds us in Psalm 103:13-19 "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone,and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all". The awesome part is that God, just like what He did for Adam and Eve-provide a way for vindication and redemption-He will do for us. He is not a respecter of persons. There is nothing or no one that can compare to His CONSTANCY!
I encourage you to know that Gods constancy will always be. It will never cease nor will it ever lack. If someone let;s you down look to Jesus. Your help comes from Him. If something you planned on didn't work out, God can rearrange any plan. He can make it better, whatever it is. He always has and knows what's best for each and everyone of us. Know that He is on your side. He's the Almighty constant God!
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's pray...
Dear God, thank you for being the only true constant in our lives. If you were not around we would be like a ship tossed and driven like a ship without a sail. You hold us upright so that we can fulfill your will on this earth. Because of your constancy we can always rely and depend on you for strength, support and reassurance. Keep us as we keep your word in our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
It's All In Worship
"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God".
- Psalm 86:9&10
We lack nothing when we worship. Worship invites God and He reveals Himself to us including His plan for our lives. Even while we’re in the waiting place for God to manifest His divine will we can realize that He is still at work in us when we worship. True worship always brings us to an intimate plane of openness and surrender to the King of kings. He communes with us. He becomes evident and tangible. When we are vulnerable it allows Him to speak. We are able to see clearly, hear clearly and receive openly from Him. Miracles, signs and wonders are sure to follow; all of this when we worship.
At times we experience things that seem to be setbacks but if we worship through these shadows we will remain in a good place. Yes, it's just a shadow, whatever it is that we may be facing. "Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff comfort me" Psalm 23:4. In the end we always win. We are comforted by God when we draw nigh to Him.
In worship, among many other things, God provides wisdom, understanding, knowledge and empowerment. He provides a way out if we feel trapped. He gives joy if we are in despair. He sheds light when darkness seems to be present. His presence will cause our enemies to scatter. Psalms 68:1 says that God's enemies will be scattered when He arises. Guess what? Our enemies are also God's enemies because we belong to Him.
Spending time in the presence of God allows Him to download Himself into us. Just like a big computer file, because we love a big God, in worship Gods download may take some time. It’s always best to not rush or pull the plug while He’s downloading. We are to bask in His presence and let Him fill us completely with what it is that He wants to fill us with. The only way Moses was able to direct the people of Israel was because He made himself available to God and His presence. He was able to hear from God. What would have happened if Moses didn’t wait on God to finish revealing His will, like the ten commandments, Exodus 20? Gods will is full of glory, therefore the vibrancy of the desires that He placed in our hearts will come alive again when they seem to have faded. His presence assures us of all of His goodness. There is no evil in Him. He is kind, merciful and just. And yes, He’s patient. Experiencing God is so beautiful and exciting. It’s not a onetime experience but a daily experience. Daily we should worship God.
When we worship we join the angles. We honor the one who created us. What an overwhelming thought. He’s the one who made all things and is in control of all things. We are allowed to approach His holy throne as He so openly accepts us. Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of such a privilege? Not only does He meet us where we are, He gives us all that we need, whether it's immediate or not.
I encourage you that if your life is filled with things that you don't want it to be filled with get into worship. In this experience God will change your situation and/or change you. All you have to do is let Him. In His presence your perspective will change regardless of what God sees fit to do. He will never fail to give you what you need when you give Him what is due to Him. He will meet you but what’s so amazing is that the God of the universe wants to meet you.
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's Pray...
Dear God, Thank you for the day and loving us. Thank you that your presence is like no other. In your presence we find peace, direction and everything else we need. Be our dwelling place now and forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.
- Psalm 86:9&10
We lack nothing when we worship. Worship invites God and He reveals Himself to us including His plan for our lives. Even while we’re in the waiting place for God to manifest His divine will we can realize that He is still at work in us when we worship. True worship always brings us to an intimate plane of openness and surrender to the King of kings. He communes with us. He becomes evident and tangible. When we are vulnerable it allows Him to speak. We are able to see clearly, hear clearly and receive openly from Him. Miracles, signs and wonders are sure to follow; all of this when we worship.
At times we experience things that seem to be setbacks but if we worship through these shadows we will remain in a good place. Yes, it's just a shadow, whatever it is that we may be facing. "Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff comfort me" Psalm 23:4. In the end we always win. We are comforted by God when we draw nigh to Him.
In worship, among many other things, God provides wisdom, understanding, knowledge and empowerment. He provides a way out if we feel trapped. He gives joy if we are in despair. He sheds light when darkness seems to be present. His presence will cause our enemies to scatter. Psalms 68:1 says that God's enemies will be scattered when He arises. Guess what? Our enemies are also God's enemies because we belong to Him.
Spending time in the presence of God allows Him to download Himself into us. Just like a big computer file, because we love a big God, in worship Gods download may take some time. It’s always best to not rush or pull the plug while He’s downloading. We are to bask in His presence and let Him fill us completely with what it is that He wants to fill us with. The only way Moses was able to direct the people of Israel was because He made himself available to God and His presence. He was able to hear from God. What would have happened if Moses didn’t wait on God to finish revealing His will, like the ten commandments, Exodus 20? Gods will is full of glory, therefore the vibrancy of the desires that He placed in our hearts will come alive again when they seem to have faded. His presence assures us of all of His goodness. There is no evil in Him. He is kind, merciful and just. And yes, He’s patient. Experiencing God is so beautiful and exciting. It’s not a onetime experience but a daily experience. Daily we should worship God.
When we worship we join the angles. We honor the one who created us. What an overwhelming thought. He’s the one who made all things and is in control of all things. We are allowed to approach His holy throne as He so openly accepts us. Why wouldn’t we want to take advantage of such a privilege? Not only does He meet us where we are, He gives us all that we need, whether it's immediate or not.
I encourage you that if your life is filled with things that you don't want it to be filled with get into worship. In this experience God will change your situation and/or change you. All you have to do is let Him. In His presence your perspective will change regardless of what God sees fit to do. He will never fail to give you what you need when you give Him what is due to Him. He will meet you but what’s so amazing is that the God of the universe wants to meet you.
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's Pray...
Dear God, Thank you for the day and loving us. Thank you that your presence is like no other. In your presence we find peace, direction and everything else we need. Be our dwelling place now and forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Countless As The Sand
"How precious also are thy thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them. If I should count them they are more than the number of the sand: when I wake up, I am still with thee".
- Psalm 139:17&18(KJV)
God thinks of us constantly. Sometimes it may seem like there are too many people on this earth for God to focus on individually but He does. In the bible, Ps. 139, David says that "...Gods thoughts are precious toward us and great are the sum of them. If we were to count them they would be more than the number of the sand". What a wonderful thing to grasp and understand. Thank you Jesus.
Our thought patterns are what usually determines our outcomes in life. When thoughts that are negative or evil try to take residence in our minds we are to rebuke them. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word rebuke as to express sharp disapproval. It is our responsibility to bring our minds under subjection. We are to tell ourselves what Gods will is and His purpose for our lives. If we don't these thoughts will dominate our thought process and ultimately our lives. They will try to abort our purpose. We are supposed to pull these thoughts down and make them obey Christ and what He says about us. We should ask God to let Christ's mind be in us. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, anything of good report and praiseworthy. Meditate on these things. Before the foundations of the earth God knew that we would have to deal with attacks on our minds. God let's us know over and over in the bible that we are victorious and strong in Him. We are more than conquerors, Rom. 8:37. We are to put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds, Eph. 6:17. God let's us know what we need to do to overcome the forces that try to make us question ourselves in Him and who He created us to be as individuals and/or even collectively as His church.
If these thoughts take residence in our minds they will cause harm. They get attached to our souls and will affect the way we think and that in turn will negatively affect our behavior. There are a lot of things in this world wanting to feed into our lives. We must be careful of what we internalize. We should filter out those things that are contrary to who God says we are and where we want to be in life. We should always seek to have a mind that is like Christ. He thinks greatness toward us. He's constantly thinking about us. That is so comforting. He holds us so dear that he says that we are like the apple of His eye, Psalm 17. To know that the God of the universe thinks about ______ (put your name in the blank) on a regular basis is wonderful. He's not fickle but He is the constant in our lives. He's constant! I had to repeat that. There is no variation in Him. He won't change. He never has and never will.
Gods thoughts toward us will always be good. Jeremiah 29:11 says Gods thoughts are of peace not of evil and to give us an expected end. I encourage you to take on the thoughts that God has about you. Don't let the devil change your mind on what He says about you. The devil will try to send evil and negative influential messages your way but remember what the bible says, pull these thoughts down! Speak what God says about you. Here's a reminder of what God thinks about you. He loves you. He thinks you're awesome. He sees you. He cares about you. You are blessed. You are more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ. He's ALWAYS thinking about you.
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's pray...
Father, in Jesus' name thank you for always having us on your mind, collectively as Your church and individually. We believe what You say about us and we embrace that by faith. Help us to resist and pull down the thoughts that would derail us. Thank you for thinking of us so precious that you sent Jesus to redeem us so that you could seat us with Him as joint heirs in heavenly places. We are now royalty because you love us so dearly. Thanks again Father. In Jesus' name. Amen.
- Psalm 139:17&18(KJV)
God thinks of us constantly. Sometimes it may seem like there are too many people on this earth for God to focus on individually but He does. In the bible, Ps. 139, David says that "...Gods thoughts are precious toward us and great are the sum of them. If we were to count them they would be more than the number of the sand". What a wonderful thing to grasp and understand. Thank you Jesus.
Our thought patterns are what usually determines our outcomes in life. When thoughts that are negative or evil try to take residence in our minds we are to rebuke them. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word rebuke as to express sharp disapproval. It is our responsibility to bring our minds under subjection. We are to tell ourselves what Gods will is and His purpose for our lives. If we don't these thoughts will dominate our thought process and ultimately our lives. They will try to abort our purpose. We are supposed to pull these thoughts down and make them obey Christ and what He says about us. We should ask God to let Christ's mind be in us. Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, anything of good report and praiseworthy. Meditate on these things. Before the foundations of the earth God knew that we would have to deal with attacks on our minds. God let's us know over and over in the bible that we are victorious and strong in Him. We are more than conquerors, Rom. 8:37. We are to put on the helmet of salvation to protect our minds, Eph. 6:17. God let's us know what we need to do to overcome the forces that try to make us question ourselves in Him and who He created us to be as individuals and/or even collectively as His church.
If these thoughts take residence in our minds they will cause harm. They get attached to our souls and will affect the way we think and that in turn will negatively affect our behavior. There are a lot of things in this world wanting to feed into our lives. We must be careful of what we internalize. We should filter out those things that are contrary to who God says we are and where we want to be in life. We should always seek to have a mind that is like Christ. He thinks greatness toward us. He's constantly thinking about us. That is so comforting. He holds us so dear that he says that we are like the apple of His eye, Psalm 17. To know that the God of the universe thinks about ______ (put your name in the blank) on a regular basis is wonderful. He's not fickle but He is the constant in our lives. He's constant! I had to repeat that. There is no variation in Him. He won't change. He never has and never will.
Gods thoughts toward us will always be good. Jeremiah 29:11 says Gods thoughts are of peace not of evil and to give us an expected end. I encourage you to take on the thoughts that God has about you. Don't let the devil change your mind on what He says about you. The devil will try to send evil and negative influential messages your way but remember what the bible says, pull these thoughts down! Speak what God says about you. Here's a reminder of what God thinks about you. He loves you. He thinks you're awesome. He sees you. He cares about you. You are blessed. You are more than a conqueror. You can do all things through Christ. He's ALWAYS thinking about you.
~ Royalbutterfli
Let's pray...
Father, in Jesus' name thank you for always having us on your mind, collectively as Your church and individually. We believe what You say about us and we embrace that by faith. Help us to resist and pull down the thoughts that would derail us. Thank you for thinking of us so precious that you sent Jesus to redeem us so that you could seat us with Him as joint heirs in heavenly places. We are now royalty because you love us so dearly. Thanks again Father. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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