Victory in the Word!--April

We are continuing in our weekly scripture discipline to encourage you to read and study God's Word more and also meditate on the key thoughts of our recent articles.  We pray this will encourage and assist you as you grow in the Kingdom.

April--Week Fifteen

Article:  ​There’s No Giving Just 50 Percent in the Kingdom

  • We want the King’s best for our life, but don’t always want to give Him our best. Have you heard the saying, “having your cake and eating it too”? Often, that is what people want! You want His healing for your body, but don’t want to submit your body to the King’s commands. We want all of His blessings in the Kingdom, but still want to enjoy all the pleasures of the world, while ignoring His commands.  “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 Too often, Believers enjoy the pleasures of the world, while praying for His continued grace and mercy, and wonder why their lives are filled with chaos, pain, worries and woes. When I see troubles and chaos increasing in my life, I don't start blaming the devil, I start evaluating what I've been doing, my attitudes and my time with the Lord. Something is off-track and I need to focus to get it back on track! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit He has placed within us should be faithful to Him. And He gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

    So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. James 4:4-8 NLT     ​

  • As citizens of the Kingdom of God, there is a standard that we must adhere to and that is told in His constitution. It contains the Lord God’s laws, commands, principles, rights, benefits and responsibilities. Then He tells us to choose to follow Him. We live with those choices. Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep His commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in His ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
     
    But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.
     
    Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! Deuteronomy 30:15-19 NLT  
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  • Keep in mind, we are talking about Kingdom living here and now in our daily life. Through our choices we will live under His blessings or His curses. But first we must accept God's Son, Jesus, and be born again of His Spirit. Accepting Jesus  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". John 14:6  King Jesus is the door, our entrance into His Kingdom. The Lord God set us up with everything we would need for our life with Him in His Kingdom. He sent His Son to give us access to Him and His Kingdom, He gave us His Kingdom constitution to guide us through this life and let us know everything He wants us to do, and He sent the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us and give understanding of God's constitution.  All we need to do is to want Him more than the things of this world! He even helps us with that, if we will listen. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
​All scriptures are NKJV unless noted.

​As you read your Bible (God's Constitution for the Kingdom), highlight key scriptures and phrases as the Holy Spirit guides you. What scriptures touch you and minister to you? We have also included links to Bible Gateway in case you don't have a Bible with you at the moment.
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​This week, read and meditate on 1 Thessalonians 1 and Psalm 55.  1 Thessalonians 1: Paul, Silas and Timothy's introductory letter to  to the church in Thessalonica.  Psalm 55: David prays concerning the treachery of friends.

Have a victorious, fruitful week! We pray your hearts are filled with gratitude for His grace and mercy! Keep seeking the Kingdom! ​
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April--Week Fourteen

Article:  ​God's Unchanging Kingdom Principles

  • Worshiping the King is the expression of the citizens' gratitude and appreciation for His favor, privileges and security of being in the Kingdom.  To worship also is an indication of the perceived value and priority the King is to the citizens.  Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Psalm 96:2-5  The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and He saved me from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22:2-4 NLT  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24  
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  • The Lord God's supernatural favor rests on His obedient citizens in His Kingdom.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield. Psalm 5:12  And let the [gracious] favor of the Lord our God be on us; confirm for us the work of our hands—Yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 AMP Remember that Noah had favor in the eyes of God because of his obedience to the Father, even thought his culture thought he was crazy for building the ark! But Noah found favor with the Lord. Genesis 6:8  NLT  
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  • A king's reputation is created and sustained by the conditions of his citizens and his kingdom.  That is why the King acts in ways that are favorable to His name's sake. For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 
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  • OUR behavior can misrepresent our King to the world. For many in the world, the only thing they know about Jesus is our behavior. Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:17-20 NLT

​ All scriptures are NKJV unless noted.

​As you read your Bible (God's Constitution for the Kingdom), highlight key scriptures and phrases as the Holy Spirit guides you. What scriptures touch you and minister to you? We have also included links to Bible Gateway in case you don't have a Bible with you at the moment.
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​This week, read and meditate on Colossians 4 and Psalm 53-54.  Colossians 4: Paul's final words of encouragement and exhortations to be faithful in prayers and thanksgiving, to the church of Colossae. Psalm 53-54: David's contemplations about evil in the world and prayers for deliverance.

Have a victorious, fruitful week! We pray your hearts are filled with gratitude for His grace and mercy! Keep seeking the Kingdom! ​