Power in the Word!--July
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.
July--Week Thirty
Article: How Do You Address Him?
- Keep in mind, whenever the Lord Jesus spoke to His Father, He always addressed Him as Father or Abba Father throughout His prayer. After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so He can give glory back to you. For You have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth. I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We shared before the world began. John 17:1-5
- Those who are filled with the Holy Spirit--our Governor in the Kingdom--are children of the King. The Spirit that we have gives us sonship, where as we cry Abba Father. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Romans 8:14-16
- If you are His son or daughter, the Spirit within you responds to His Spirit. But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir. Galatians 4:4-7
All NLT scriptures unless noted.
This is a season to grow in God's Wisdom, and our ability to praise and pray to our Lord. We are moving into Proverbs and Psalm:
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.
This week, read and meditate on Proverbs 9 & Psalm 15-16. Proverbs 9 Wisdom and foolishness compared. Psalm 15 The character of Kingdom citizens, who are in right-standing with the Lord. Psalm 16, David's conversation and prayer to his heavenly Father.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
July--Week Twenty-Nine
Article: Kingdom Faith
- The story of Lazarus shows us what Kingdom faith looks like. It is a faith that the world would call crazy! Mary, Martha and Lazarus were Jesus' dear friends. They believed He was the Messiah, believed He could heal people and loved Him. But even with that knowledge and close personal relationship, they didn't have complete faith and total trust in what Jesus could do. But the Lord Jesus wanted to teach them the lesson that faith is not limited to what the world can do. But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days. Finally, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” John 11:4-7
- Jesus was dealing with little faith and unbelief all around Him. Even His disciples didn't understand or have faith! They were afraid that the Lord Jesus would be stoned there. They were finally obedient to go with Him, but believed they were going to their deaths! Thomas, nicknamed Didymus, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” John 11:16
- Then we come to one of the most well known and most misunderstood verses in the Bible: Jesus wept.
Then the Jews who were standing nearby said, “See how much He loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t He have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Jesus was still angry as He arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. John 11:36-39 Notice it was the religious people who thought Jesus was mourning for Lazarus. Why would the Son of God mourn a death when He had the power and authority over death?!
- I encourage you to increase your faith to the level of miraculous! If you've already seen it done before, or you can do it in your own strength, it doesn't make a demand on your faith. I believe that we don't see miracles because we don't really have the faith to believe for the miraculous. Have faith in Jesus Christ and completely trust Him always! Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP
This is a season to grow in God's Wisdom, and our ability to praise and pray to our Lord. We are moving into Proverbs and Psalm:
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.
This week, read and meditate on Proverbs 8 & Psalm 13-14. Proverbs 8 The characteristics, benefits and excellence of wisdom. Psalm 13 We read here a prayer for help in troubled times. Trust in the Lord. In Psalm 14, it tells of the foolishness of the wicked and Godless.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
July--Week Twenty-Eight
Article: Living in a Fallen World--Part 2
- The Lord Jesus knew that His Kingdom citizens needed a comforter and helper while living in this fallen world. If you love me, obey My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you. John 14:15-17
- Before King Jesus left to be in His heavenly Kingdom with His Father, He instructed His disciple to wait until the Holy Spirit--our Governor--came to empower them. Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5
- Keep in mind that it is the Governor--the Holy Spirit--that gives us the power to live victoriously in this fallen world. God's Word working in us makes us victorious! What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58
All NLT scriptures unless noted.
This is a season to grow in God's Wisdom, and our ability to praise and pray to our Lord. We are moving into Proverbs and Psalm:
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.
This week, read and meditate on Proverbs 7 & Psalm 11-12. Proverbs 7 gives wisdom about immorality and dealing with "immoral women". It is wisdom for women also! Psalm 11-12 encourages us to trust and praise the Lord for He is our refuge and our defender; our constant helper against evil that would seek to oppress and destroy us! Such timely scriptures for the times in which we are living. Praise the Lord!
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
July--Week Twenty-Seven
Article: Living in a Fallen World Part 1
- Keep in mind, the very first incident of manipulation was Eve listening to the devil. Once you succumb to his manipulations, the deception falls away from your eyes and the foolishness of your actions are clear. The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:1-7
- The Lord God put Adam in charge of all that He created, not Eve. The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:15-17
- This fallen world is Satan's territory, where he rules. Because of that, thoughts and temptations come our way. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit living in us to resist temptation and not be manipulated in to sin. Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. Ephesians 2:1-3
All NLT scriptures unless noted.
This is a season to grow in God's Wisdom, and our ability to praise and pray to our Lord. We are moving into Proverbs and Psalm:
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.
This week, read and meditate on Proverbs 6 & Psalm 10. Proverbs 6 is lessons for daily living. Psalm 10, confidently praising God for triumphing over evil in life.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
