Topic: God's Word

To learn more about the concept of God's Word, please read the following messages

1. Idle Words Block Blessings

2. Praise For The Written Word & More

3. God's Written Word

4. Listen & Check the Word

5. God's Mysterious Word

6. Know God's Word & Power

7. God's Word & Good Works

8. Don't let the devil choke the word of God from you

9. Empty Words

10. The Word Purifies

Angels At Work - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 9, 2024

Angels are a popular part of culture. There have been countless books, TV shows, and movies about angels. Human beings have been fascinated by them long before our modern forms of entertainment and story-telling. However, what do we really know about angels?

The one place to learn more is the Bible because it mentions a variety of angels doing a variety of things. One instance is in Matthew 4:11 - Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus (NLT). Here we see that angels took care of the Savior after He resisted satan in the wilderness. There isn't much detail on what this entailed but we gain some understanding via Hebrews 1:14 which states, What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation (GNT).

We see that angels are God's servants whom He sends to assist people. And all over the Bible, they performed this role, doing God's will for those He sent them to. He dispatched angels to Abraham, Gideon, Samson's parents, the parents of John the Baptist, and so many others. In some cases, angels provided prophecy and wisdom. In others, they showed up to give immediate and practical assistance to individuals such as when an angel was sent to Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-7. There, the prophet was in mental, physical, and spiritual distress but an angel brought him food, restoring his strength.

In the case of Daniel, an angel entered the den with him to shut the mouths of the lions (Daniel 6:22). His enemies had schemed to have him unjustly thrown into the lion's den because they were jealous of his success. The Lord saved Daniel, while the conspirators, and their families, were thrown into the same den where they were eaten.

Notice that the people God sent His angels to were not wicked people. These were individuals who sought to live by God's rules and not the ways of the world. They were far from perfect but the fear of the Lord guided them. And God, in His mercy and patience, allowed them to encounter His agents.

Also, be aware that no single angel encouraged or permitted any human to pray to or worship them. They always stopped such from happening and instructed humans to serve and worship God instead. They never permitted idolatry. The only 'angel' who sought glory for himself was Lucifer and the result was that he was evicted from heaven and made less than nothing by God.

Angels play a crucial role in the work God is doing here on earth. Let us all be careful to not diminish or dismiss their part in the Lord's kingdom work. Instead, having learned of their significance, let us pray that we will be like those whom God sent His angels to. We must open our Bibles to study the types of people who experienced angels and strive to be more like them so we can also enjoy the benefits of heavenly assistance when we call out for it.​

God's Witnesses - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) August 6, 2024

When the time arrived to bring the Israelites out of ancient Egypt, God told Moses to tell them He had been sent by the I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). "God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’" (Exodus 3:15). When the elders heard this designation, they recognized him as the God of their ancestors and fell to their knees in worship (Exodus 4:31).

However, the Lord didn't stop there. He didn't just want to be the God of their forefathers, He wanted to be the God they were intimately familiar with. And so, to introduce Himself to them, He performed signs and wonders that convinced all of Egypt that it was time to let them go.

To this day, God remains interested in introducing Himself to people. He doesn't want individuals to merely see Him as the God of their Big Mama or their father, He wants them to know Him as their God. For this reason, He takes great strides to show up in people's lives displaying His power on their behalf.

In addition to wanting that personal relationship, God wants every believer to become His witness. He says so in Isaiah 43:10 - You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. He introduces Himself to people so that they will believe in Him and be able to declare that He alone is God. He wants His people to boldly share how powerful He is in the face of any challenge.

Isaiah 43:12 - I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God.

When people know who God is, they become confident in what He can do. This happens to be everything that is exceedingly and abundantly more than anyone could ask or imagine. And when that realization sets in, they can distinguish His greatness from the pretense satan peddles when it tries to convince people that it has more power than it has. In such cases, God's children can ignore satan's lies and rebuke them, resting in their knowledge of God's character and might.

How many of us have testified about God to someone else? Have we shared our experiences with others? How many have verbally attested as a witness that He is all-powerful? Or have we shown through our actions that we serve the One and only God?

Daniel's friends - Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego - showed everyone through their words and actions that they knew their God's character and had faith in Him. They walked in the fear of the Lord and served as His witnesses when they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3). They didn't care about the consequences of disappointing mere mortals. They cared about pleasing the Lord alone.

That very God is calling each of us to do the same. He wants us to show through actions and words that we believe in and know Him. He wants us to stand in our faith, knowing that the God of all creation can contend with the challenges looking to destroy us. This is not simply a matter of lip service but of true conviction displayed through what we do, say, and think.

As God's Witnesses, we must remember that we can assure people that He exists and encourage them to get to know Him. Plus, we can help newer believers to grow in their Godfidence. This is part of our duty as ambassadors and representatives of God's Kingdom.

If you believe in God and His Son, Jesus, the Lord wants you to stand confident in who He is. He desires that you understand what He can and will do for yourself and others. The more you choose to do this, the easier it will become and the more you will mature into the witness He has empowered you to be.​

See you at Noon EST for fellowship.