Mar 6, 2013 @ 3:29 PM edit | delete
Will you pay the price of holiness? When a deserter was brought to Alexander the Great, the general asked the soldier his name. "Alexander," came the trembling reply. The general roared: "Change your life or change your name!" Our Scripture continues, "If my people, who are called by my name . . ." The "name" of God denotes his personality, power, and presence. To be called by his "name" meant to be associated personally with him, in the same way a surname identifies a person with a particular family. There is no greater honor than to be included in the family of the King of Kings. Now our King invites us to join the movement of his Spirit in bringing awakening to the nations. As "Christians," we bear the name of our Messiah and Lord. To honor his name and join his movement, do you need to change your behavior? What step into holiness is your holy God calling you to take today?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 4, 2013 @ 10:02 AM edit | delete
Will you join the global movement of God? David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia states that 82,000 people are becoming Christians every day around the world, the largest number in Christian history. More Muslims have come to Christ in the last 15 years than in the previous 15 centuries, many after seeing visions and dreams of Jesus. Our Scripture continues, "If my people, who are called by my name . . ." A movement that began with a dozen men now encompasses more than two billion people, and is the fastest-growing religion in the world. Every believer is part of one faith family: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29). There are more Christians in Africa than in America. Christianity is growing most quickly among people who don't look like Anglo-Americans. More than 82,000 people come to Christ every day, but only 6,000 are in Western Europe and North America, combined. What will you do today to help your church join this great awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:10 AM edit | delete
Friday March 1st Lenton Devotion Do you believe that God hears your prayers? When Alexander the Great died, his generals discovered that they had marched off their maps. They had no idea where they were. Their leader knew where he was going and how to get there, but they didn't. They were lost, with no idea what to do. Do you sometimes feel that way with God? Shakespeare spoke for us all, "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts never to heaven go." Does it some-times seem that your words ascend no further than the ceiling, that God has turned a deaf ear to your prayers? He has not. Your Father hears your every prayer, whether you have understood his answers yet or not. As we pray for awakening in our nation, be encouraged by God's response to Solomon's prayer of dedication: When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices" (2 Chronicles 7:11-12). Solomon was wise, to be sure, but he was still a fallen human. God heard his prayer, not because Solomon is more deserving than us, but because our Lord is gracious. As you pray for awakening, know that your Lord listens to your every cry and will answer in his perfect will.
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:05 AM edit | delete
March 1, 2013 Becoming More Fruitful Gwen Smith Today’s Truth “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 1:2, NIV). Friend to Friend On a family visit to the beach, our room had a balcony that overlooked the swimming pool. I sat on the balcony one morning and watched as a maintenance man for the resort approached a palm tree and pulled a brown, life-less branch from under the green leaves. Oddly, before he pulled the dead branch, I hadn’t even noticed it was there. After he pulled it, however, I noticed that the palm tree looked fresh and vibrant. Healthy. The pruning made such a difference! Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, thatyou bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8, NIV The maintenance man at the resort didn’t pull the branch off to hurt the palm tree. He pruned it to increase its beauty, health and vibrancy. God does the same for us. He prunes His children to increase our beauty, health and vibrancy for our good and for His glory - to make us more useful to Him and more fruitful. Are there any dead branches hanging on the tree of you? Let’s Pray Dear Lord, thank You for Your perfect love that longs for me to be fruitful and beautiful in You. Please remove any life-less branches in my life. As the psalmist prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV). In Jesus Name, Amen. Now It’s Your Turn How fruitful is your life? Read John 15:1-17 and spend some time reflecting on God’s plan for you to become more fruitful. Click over to my Facebook page and tell me how today’s devotion spoke to your heart. What lessons are you learning? I’d love to hear about it. Visit me at www.facebook.com/GwenSmithMusic. More from the Girlfriends It seems kind of weird that we should want to go through the pain of pruning, doesn’t it? It reminds me a bit of the old workout saying, “No pain, no gain.” When you allow the Lord to expose dead branches in your life and to strip them away, a simple, radiant beauty remains. You become a more vibrant reflection of Him and become better equipped to bear fruit. Trust Him, friend...no matter what or whom He may call you to give up. Gwen has a new website filled with videos, posts, songs and resources that we believe will be a deep well of encouragement to you. Please swing by to visit: www.GwenSmith.net. (Get a FREE song download when you sign up for her newsletter!)
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 28, 2013 @ 9:40 AM edit | delete
Did you deserve to live in the prosperity of your community and not the deprivation of North Korea? Did you deserve to hear the gospel, a privilege more than a third of the world has yet to experience? Did you deserve the physical abilities you enjoy? All people who come to God seek him for one of two reasons: either so he will help us or because he already has. Either so he will love us, or because he already does. Solomon and his nation concluded their week of temple dedication with gratitude for all God had done for them: So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel (2 Chronicles 7:8-10). God wants us to experience awakening no matter who we are. Have you thanked him for his grace today?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 27, 2013 @ 1:55 PM edit | delete
What price would you pay for awakening? Cash is going the way of the phone booth. Last year, currency accounted for an estimated 29 percent of U.S. retail payments, down from 36 percent a decade ago. For those who earn more than $60,000 a year, cash comprises just two percent of point-of-sale payments. Merchants are replacing cash registers with hand-held devices. Web-based retailers don't accept cash at all. Toll booths are fading on the highways. The next generation of adults has grown up with debit cards, prepaid cards, and iTunes accounts. Many don't know what "ATM" means. Convenience is the expectation of our day. A discerning Christian leader once said of his church, "We have all of Jesus we want. Not all we need, but all we want." By contrast, when Solomon and his nation completed their dedication of the temple, "the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats" (2 Chronicles 7:4-5). When last did it cost you something significant to serve Christ? Would you pray with passion and work with dedication for awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 26, 2013 @ 11:01 AM edit | delete
Would you ask God to empower your worship? When I was a preacher in college, I once conducted a youth revival. During the fellowship after the service, we heard the sounds of nearby fire engines. To our shock, they stopped at the church. Someone had left a lit candle in the sanctuary, which set off a smoke detector and alerted the firemen. People came running from around the neighborhood to see what was happening. I thought of evangelist Charles Finney's pronouncement, "If the church is on fire, people will come from miles around to watch it burn." His words once came true, literally: When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever" (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). When last did you encounter God in worship so powerfully that your life was changed? Would you pray for such "fiery" worship for your congregation and soul during these weeks of preparation for awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City Mo Feb 25, 2013 @ 8:19 AM edit | delete
Would you pray for your secular leaders? Nero was one of the cruelest emperors in Roman history, ordering the beheading of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter. And yet we find this statement from the Apostle Paul: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4). He wanted God's people to pray for their emperor and other leaders, knowing that God wanted them and all people to come to salvation. Solomon offered a similar prayer for himself: "O Lord God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant" (2 Chronicles 6:42). "Your anointed one" was the king himself. He prayed that God would not "reject" him, despite his sins, but would bless and use his life and rule. Have you prayed today for spiritual awakening in Washington, D.C. and your community? Have you prayed for your president by name and for his advisors, for your governor, mayor, and city council? If they were to join the awakening, what would be the result for your community and country?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 24, 2013 @ 9:00 AM edit | delete
Would you pray for your spiritual leaders? The Apostle Paul was by any measure one of the most courageous and spiritual Christians in history. Yet he knew that he needed God's people to pray for him: "Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" (Colossians 4:2-4). Paul was not the first to emphasize such intercession. As King Solomon continued his prayers for the nation, he said to God: Now arise, O Lord God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness (2 Chronicles 6:41). As he prayed for the "priests" of his day, the spiritual leaders of his nation, so we should pray for the "priests" of our day. Peter taught the "shepherds of God's flock" to serve "not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2-3). Would you take time today to pray for your minister and the spiritual leaders of our day? Ask God to help them depend on his Spirit and join the awakening of our day. We cannot lead further than we are willing to go, or give what we do not have. Pray for the spiritual leaders of your city to join the Great Awakening, to the glory of God.
Will you pay the price of holiness? When a deserter was brought to Alexander the Great, the general asked the soldier his name. "Alexander," came the trembling reply. The general roared: "Change your life or change your name!" Our Scripture continues, "If my people, who are called by my name . . ." The "name" of God denotes his personality, power, and presence. To be called by his "name" meant to be associated personally with him, in the same way a surname identifies a person with a particular family. There is no greater honor than to be included in the family of the King of Kings. Now our King invites us to join the movement of his Spirit in bringing awakening to the nations. As "Christians," we bear the name of our Messiah and Lord. To honor his name and join his movement, do you need to change your behavior? What step into holiness is your holy God calling you to take today?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 4, 2013 @ 10:02 AM edit | delete
Will you join the global movement of God? David Barrett's World Christian Encyclopedia states that 82,000 people are becoming Christians every day around the world, the largest number in Christian history. More Muslims have come to Christ in the last 15 years than in the previous 15 centuries, many after seeing visions and dreams of Jesus. Our Scripture continues, "If my people, who are called by my name . . ." A movement that began with a dozen men now encompasses more than two billion people, and is the fastest-growing religion in the world. Every believer is part of one faith family: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:26-29). There are more Christians in Africa than in America. Christianity is growing most quickly among people who don't look like Anglo-Americans. More than 82,000 people come to Christ every day, but only 6,000 are in Western Europe and North America, combined. What will you do today to help your church join this great awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:10 AM edit | delete
Friday March 1st Lenton Devotion Do you believe that God hears your prayers? When Alexander the Great died, his generals discovered that they had marched off their maps. They had no idea where they were. Their leader knew where he was going and how to get there, but they didn't. They were lost, with no idea what to do. Do you sometimes feel that way with God? Shakespeare spoke for us all, "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; words without thoughts never to heaven go." Does it some-times seem that your words ascend no further than the ceiling, that God has turned a deaf ear to your prayers? He has not. Your Father hears your every prayer, whether you have understood his answers yet or not. As we pray for awakening in our nation, be encouraged by God's response to Solomon's prayer of dedication: When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, the Lord appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices" (2 Chronicles 7:11-12). Solomon was wise, to be sure, but he was still a fallen human. God heard his prayer, not because Solomon is more deserving than us, but because our Lord is gracious. As you pray for awakening, know that your Lord listens to your every cry and will answer in his perfect will.
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Mar 1, 2013 @ 9:05 AM edit | delete
March 1, 2013 Becoming More Fruitful Gwen Smith Today’s Truth “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 1:2, NIV). Friend to Friend On a family visit to the beach, our room had a balcony that overlooked the swimming pool. I sat on the balcony one morning and watched as a maintenance man for the resort approached a palm tree and pulled a brown, life-less branch from under the green leaves. Oddly, before he pulled the dead branch, I hadn’t even noticed it was there. After he pulled it, however, I noticed that the palm tree looked fresh and vibrant. Healthy. The pruning made such a difference! Jesus spoke to His disciples and said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, thatyou bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:1-8, NIV The maintenance man at the resort didn’t pull the branch off to hurt the palm tree. He pruned it to increase its beauty, health and vibrancy. God does the same for us. He prunes His children to increase our beauty, health and vibrancy for our good and for His glory - to make us more useful to Him and more fruitful. Are there any dead branches hanging on the tree of you? Let’s Pray Dear Lord, thank You for Your perfect love that longs for me to be fruitful and beautiful in You. Please remove any life-less branches in my life. As the psalmist prayed: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV). In Jesus Name, Amen. Now It’s Your Turn How fruitful is your life? Read John 15:1-17 and spend some time reflecting on God’s plan for you to become more fruitful. Click over to my Facebook page and tell me how today’s devotion spoke to your heart. What lessons are you learning? I’d love to hear about it. Visit me at www.facebook.com/GwenSmithMusic. More from the Girlfriends It seems kind of weird that we should want to go through the pain of pruning, doesn’t it? It reminds me a bit of the old workout saying, “No pain, no gain.” When you allow the Lord to expose dead branches in your life and to strip them away, a simple, radiant beauty remains. You become a more vibrant reflection of Him and become better equipped to bear fruit. Trust Him, friend...no matter what or whom He may call you to give up. Gwen has a new website filled with videos, posts, songs and resources that we believe will be a deep well of encouragement to you. Please swing by to visit: www.GwenSmith.net. (Get a FREE song download when you sign up for her newsletter!)
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 28, 2013 @ 9:40 AM edit | delete
Did you deserve to live in the prosperity of your community and not the deprivation of North Korea? Did you deserve to hear the gospel, a privilege more than a third of the world has yet to experience? Did you deserve the physical abilities you enjoy? All people who come to God seek him for one of two reasons: either so he will help us or because he already has. Either so he will love us, or because he already does. Solomon and his nation concluded their week of temple dedication with gratitude for all God had done for them: So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel (2 Chronicles 7:8-10). God wants us to experience awakening no matter who we are. Have you thanked him for his grace today?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 27, 2013 @ 1:55 PM edit | delete
What price would you pay for awakening? Cash is going the way of the phone booth. Last year, currency accounted for an estimated 29 percent of U.S. retail payments, down from 36 percent a decade ago. For those who earn more than $60,000 a year, cash comprises just two percent of point-of-sale payments. Merchants are replacing cash registers with hand-held devices. Web-based retailers don't accept cash at all. Toll booths are fading on the highways. The next generation of adults has grown up with debit cards, prepaid cards, and iTunes accounts. Many don't know what "ATM" means. Convenience is the expectation of our day. A discerning Christian leader once said of his church, "We have all of Jesus we want. Not all we need, but all we want." By contrast, when Solomon and his nation completed their dedication of the temple, "the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats" (2 Chronicles 7:4-5). When last did it cost you something significant to serve Christ? Would you pray with passion and work with dedication for awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 26, 2013 @ 11:01 AM edit | delete
Would you ask God to empower your worship? When I was a preacher in college, I once conducted a youth revival. During the fellowship after the service, we heard the sounds of nearby fire engines. To our shock, they stopped at the church. Someone had left a lit candle in the sanctuary, which set off a smoke detector and alerted the firemen. People came running from around the neighborhood to see what was happening. I thought of evangelist Charles Finney's pronouncement, "If the church is on fire, people will come from miles around to watch it burn." His words once came true, literally: When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "He is good; his love endures forever" (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). When last did you encounter God in worship so powerfully that your life was changed? Would you pray for such "fiery" worship for your congregation and soul during these weeks of preparation for awakening?
Ms Marie
Kansas City Mo Feb 25, 2013 @ 8:19 AM edit | delete
Would you pray for your secular leaders? Nero was one of the cruelest emperors in Roman history, ordering the beheading of Paul and the crucifixion of Peter. And yet we find this statement from the Apostle Paul: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4). He wanted God's people to pray for their emperor and other leaders, knowing that God wanted them and all people to come to salvation. Solomon offered a similar prayer for himself: "O Lord God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant" (2 Chronicles 6:42). "Your anointed one" was the king himself. He prayed that God would not "reject" him, despite his sins, but would bless and use his life and rule. Have you prayed today for spiritual awakening in Washington, D.C. and your community? Have you prayed for your president by name and for his advisors, for your governor, mayor, and city council? If they were to join the awakening, what would be the result for your community and country?
Ms Marie
Kansas City, MO, US
Member since
Sep 14, 2012 Feb 24, 2013 @ 9:00 AM edit | delete
Would you pray for your spiritual leaders? The Apostle Paul was by any measure one of the most courageous and spiritual Christians in history. Yet he knew that he needed God's people to pray for him: "Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should" (Colossians 4:2-4). Paul was not the first to emphasize such intercession. As King Solomon continued his prayers for the nation, he said to God: Now arise, O Lord God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, may your saints rejoice in your goodness (2 Chronicles 6:41). As he prayed for the "priests" of his day, the spiritual leaders of his nation, so we should pray for the "priests" of our day. Peter taught the "shepherds of God's flock" to serve "not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2-3). Would you take time today to pray for your minister and the spiritual leaders of our day? Ask God to help them depend on his Spirit and join the awakening of our day. We cannot lead further than we are willing to go, or give what we do not have. Pray for the spiritual leaders of your city to join the Great Awakening, to the glory of God.