THESE THREE AGREE IN ONE

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 30, 2012

THESE THREE AGREE IN ONE


This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. I John 5:6-8

The Spirit, the water and the blood each bear witness in the earth; they proclaim that Jesus is Lord.  The Spirit dwells within the believer letting us know that we are His.  The water of redemption flows forth for our sanctification, proclaiming the cleansing power of Christ and life anew in Him.  The blood of Christ was shed for our salvation; for "without the shedding of blood  is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22).
Today, let us agree with these three: Jesus is Lord!

IMPRESSIVE!

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 24, 2012

IMPRESSIVE!

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,
And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:
Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it:  and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.
And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.
And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.
And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;
Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.
And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:
And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.
For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. 2 Chronicles 9: 1-23

Today, let us be impressive, for the glory of God!

SET

IN THE BEGINNING…THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 23,2012

SET
For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. Luke 7:8

When we are set under authority, we are properly positioned.  We have things placed in an orderly manner.  In like manner, the Kingdom of God is set in order. As children of God our lives are not random occurrences.  We must submit to our Lord’s authority and walk under his rule.

Today, let us get set, in preparation for all God has promised us!

SET UNDER AUTHORITY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 19, 2012

SET UNDER AUTHORITY
Luk 7:2  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
Luk 7:3  And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
Luk 7:4  And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
Luk 7:5  For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
Luk 7:6  Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Luk 7:7  Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
Luk 7:8  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Have you given up the control of your life to Christ Jesus?  If not, you have perhaps grown weary of your life being out of control.  Jesus was a man set under the authority of His Father.  When Jesus taught His disciples to pray he said, pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Christians are to be set under the authority of Jesus Christ, doing the will of the Father.  To be set under authority is to have one's daily routine and course of life arranged and appointed by superior authority.  As Christians ,our lives should reflect orderliness, industry, self-control and the goodness of God.

Today, let our lives be set, daily, under the authority of Christ Jesus.

THE TIME OF SPIRITUAL REFORMATION

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 19, 2012

THE TIME OF SPIRITUAL REFORMATION

Heb 9:1  Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Heb 9:2  For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary.
Heb 9:3  And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;
Heb 9:4  Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Heb 9:5  And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
Heb 9:7  But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Heb 9:8  The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Heb 9:9  Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:10  Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

The time of spiritual reformation has come.  God has sent His Son into the world , bringing mankind salvation and the power to reform.  The word reform means to set things right.  We are set right when we accept that our righteousness is no longer in meat or drink or any carnal ordinance, but our righteousness is in Jesus Christ alone--His blood and sacrifice.  The church of Jesus Christ is reformed because Jesus made us new and His blood washed us clean.

 Spiritual reformation takes place in the mind, the spirit, the heart and soul. The blood of Jesus will purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God, according to Hebrew 9:14.   As is prophesied in Ezekiel, you will will be reformed in a new spirit and a new heart.  Ezekiel 36:26 reads:  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. Furthermore, the soul is reformed through salvation as expressed in the psalms:    My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed" (Psalm 71:23).

Today, let us be reformed in Christ alone!

THE PEOPLE SHALL RISE UP

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 16, 2012

THE PEOPLE SHALL RISE UP


  Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain. Num 23:24


Oppression comes, but through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, oppression must go.  For God will quicken us to subdue our oppressors: persons, places or things.  A mound of dishes, loads of laundry, research papers that seem to  never end...these can feel oppressive; but real oppression is clearly seen in the realities of terrorism, racism, classism, sexism.  All of these oppressive forces are real, yet with the power of our Christ they, too, can be overcome.  What is it that stands against you?  Behold, you shall rise up as a great lion, and through the power of the Holy Spirit you will eat of the prey.

Today, let us pray this psalm:

  Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. 

  And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant. 

Psalm 143:11,12

SAFE!

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 15,2010

SAFE!

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. Ezekiel 34:27

God so beautifully leads his sheepfold to fruit-yielding pastures full of peace. With great provision he provides for our every need and makes us safe from our enemies.  Do you have any enemies, any mean men in your life? The word of God tells us that if you are diligent in your business you shall stand before kings; you shall not stand before mean men (please read Proverbs 22:9).  The church of God must be diligent in seeking God, diligent in hearing and doing his command, diligent in worship and praise.  Then, God will deliver you out of the hand of those that serve themselves of you-- those who look for your weaknesses, to magnify; those who find your faults, to exploit;  those who take advantage of you while you are "in their hand"  for the moment.  

Ezekiel continues to declare the day of safety for God's people:

"And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord GOD. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 34:28-31).

Today, let us rejoice because we are safe with God and in the land of his provision! 

WHOM DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY,  APRIL 13, 2012

WHOM DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 16:13-16

For some, Jesus is just an idea or theory, but for the true believer Jesus is the Son of the living God.  Only the Spirit filled believer can say this, not the carnal man.  The Spirit of God will bear witness to the Son.  It is on the testimony of the Spirit- filled believer that the church of God is built.  And it is only through the life of the Spirit- filled believer that the church of God moves and increases.  We must be filled with the Spirit, and we must not draw back from walking in the Spirit.  Yes, it will be unreal...supernatural. 

Today, believe!

CONVERSATIONS

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 12, 2012

CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD


Jdg 6:16  And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Jdg 6:17  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Jdg 6:18  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
Jdg 6:19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
Jdg 6:20  And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
Jdg 6:21  Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
Jdg 6:22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
Jdg 6:23  And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Gideon had conversations with God, as recorded in this passage in Judges 6.  "Shew me a sign that thou talkest with me" Gideon requests in verse 17.  After realizing that it was indeed an angel of the LORD, Gideon declares: "Alas, O Lord GOD" (judges 6:22). His heart had been satisfied; God was indeed speaking to him.
God has many conversations with Moses, as well.  Here is one conversation that is recorded in Exodus:

Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exo 33:12  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Exo 33:16  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Exo 33:17  And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
Exo 33:18  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Exo 33:19  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.

How wonderful to know that God will speak to us.  As we dwell in the oneness of Christ Jesus, God will fellowship with us; He will guide us and direct us, cover us and befriend us.  And when we need to talk...He loves to hear us call and He will answer us.  And yes, we can have a conversation with God!

Today, Let's talk!

FULL OF HIS GLORY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 11, 2012

FULL OF  HIS GLORY
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6:3

Yes, the earth is full of the glory of the Lord--but are you?  Jesus wants us, his church, his bride, his body, his beloved, to be full of His glory.  He wants us feasting on His word through daily devotion.  He wants us in communion with Him in thought and in purpose.  He wants us to be cleansed of the ways of man and filled with the Holy Spirit.  And out of this fullness, we shall bear fruit which satisfies the Father.  This is the creative power of the Spirit that comes with the fullnes of His glory.

Today, let us be filled to the full with the glory of the LORD!

WORSHIP

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 8, 2012

WORSHIP

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. John 4:23

Are you a true worshipper?  Are you able to-- in a quiet space or a chaotic one--  climb into the presence of God?  Have you become acquainted with His throne room?  The time is now for the church of God to transcend into the spirit realm and touch heaven--touch the Father's heart.  No longer can we wait for a call to worship, or next Sunday.  Now, we must have a life and a lifestyle of worship.  That means that we must make room for God--sanctifiying ourselves and separating from worldly distractions. 

Today, let us worship!

WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD?

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 6, 2012

WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD?

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is  none good but one, that is  God.  Mark 10:17,18

When we begin to understand that we are servants of God, we will then be effective in ministry.  A servant is not greater than his master.  Nor does a servant take the glory from his master.  A servant comes to proclaim his master's goodness.  A servant works to magnify his master's goodness.  Our God is good, and there is none good but God!
Today, let us remember our good is God!

WALKING IN INTEGRITY

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL5, 2012

WALKING IN INTEGRITY

Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; thereforeI shall not slide. Psalm 26:1

Integrity implies completeness, innocence and simplicity, prosperity and uprightness.  When we trust in the Lord we are empowered to walk in integrity because it is Christ Jesus that causes us to be complete.  True, trusing in Jesius is a decision that takes work and commitment.  We must be accontable for our actions, always choosing the way of wisdom which God provides.  Thankfully, walking in integrity gives us the reward of grace and sustainability.  God promises that our foot shall not slide and we shall never be put to shame.

Today, let us continue walking in integrity, for Christ's sake.

BLESSED

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL 4, 2012

BLESSED

Great blessings belong to those who depend on you for strength! Their heart's desire is to make the trip to your Temple. Psalm 84:5(ERV--easy to read version)

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.   Psalm 84:5KJV

As I depend on the Lord for strength, I see His hand of blessing.  How much better it is to accomplish a task by praying through it, praising through it, and trusting through it, instead of leaning on the arm of flesh, or trusting in one's own strength. Scripture tells us: "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians 4:6).  Jeremiah 17:7 declares a truth:  "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." Yes, great strength is in our God, and we know that he will empower us  and enable us to accomplish all of our work with power and grace, and will anoint us to achieve our heart's desire.

Today, let us be blessed!



 

DOMINION

IN THE BEGINNING...THE WORD
 DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, APRIL,2, 2012

DOMINION OVER RACE, CLASS, GENDER

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: Psalm8:6

God gave His Son, Jesus, dominion over all the works of His hands and put all things under his control and authority.  Jesus rules over class, race, gender and nationality.  From the moment we are "in Christ" we are no longer subjected to class, race, gender or nationality, but liberated from these defining characteristics-- as we are now all consumed with Christ Jesus.As the scriptures tell us in Galatians:  "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28).
Today, let us kiss the Son; for he is King!