Power in the Word--March
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.
March--Week Thirteen
Article: Preserved for His Purpose
- When the Lord God preserves you for His purpose, nothing can prevent you from reaching His goal, except you because He gave us free will. As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Acts 28:3-6
- Those people whom the Lord God has a purpose for are under His protection. About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.
Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.
Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.
“Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother.
“Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.
Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”
- Only when you have completed your purpose and assignment (divine assignment), will He receive you from this present world. Ambassador Paul made this statement: As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
Paul's letters to the church in Corinth:
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 2 Corinthians 5-6. Continuing in Paul's letters to the church. He writes about the our new bodies, his hardships in ministry and being ambassadors for Jesus Christ.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
March--Week Twelve
Article: In Times of Crisis
- Long before a crisis comes, we should always lean on and trust in the King, our Lord. Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6
- When you are walking in the Spirit of God--living by His Word, being guided by the Holy Spirit--you are always under His protection. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. Galatians 5:16-18
- Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him. For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. Psalm 91:1-12
- It is not enough to believe that there is a God. You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. James 2:19 You must act upon your faith in the King's Word. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.” James 2:18
Paul's letters to the church in Corinth:
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 2 Corinthians 3-4. Continuing in Paul's letters to the church. He writes about the new covenant, the Gospel and we are fragile jars of clay.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
March--Week Eleven
Article: Only One Race in the Kingdom
- The Lord God only created one race, the human race. So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27
- When the Lord God separated the people and made them into nations, He did it through language. At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.
They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”
But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”
In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way He scattered them all over the world. Genesis 11:1-9
- In the Lord God's Constitution, He never referred to mankind by race, but by language and nations. Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”
And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.
Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. Revelation 10:11, 11:9, 17:15
Paul's letters to the church in Corinth:
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 2 Corinthians 1-2. Continuing in Paul's letters to the church. He writes of comfort in suffering; deliverance from suffering; being led by the Spirit; and the necessity of forgiveness.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
March--Week Ten
Article: Separate and Conquer
- The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit--our Governor--are never in chaos or confusion. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV
- All religion separates the citizens of the Kingdom in some form or another. Usually it is through their denominational bylaws and traditions. The devil knows that his time here isn't long. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” Revelation 12:12
- The devil's purpose in this world is to distract you from your divine purpose and assignment. Always respond with God's Word! Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.’" Matthew 4:1-10
All NLT scriptures unless noted.
Paul's letters to the church in Corinth:
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 1 Corinthians 15-16. Paul's letters to the church at Corinth. Christ's resurrection, our hope, defeating our last enemy--death.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!
March--Week Nine
Article: The Kingdom Mentality
- One sure way to have a Kingdom mentality is by changing the way you think. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
- The element that will bring you to a Kingdom mentality is consistent reading and studying His Word. It is your nourishment. Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 AMP
- Those with a Kingdom mentality are united. There shouldn't be factions and different beliefs that separate them. There is no division between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of the main characteristics of a religious denomination is division from other Believers. Religion uses laws and doctrines to be separate from other Believers. It is not a reflection of God's Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is very difficult and quite rare for denominations to have a Kingdom mentality because of this. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me." John 17:20-21
All NLT scriptures unless noted.
Paul's letters to the church in Corinth:
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 1 Corinthians 13-14. Paul's letters to the church at Corinth. Gifts--Love, tongues and prophecy. All things done decently and in order, including worship, with the focus of the culture of their day.
Keep seeking the Kingdom!