Don't Delay To Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 15, 2020
Hear, Accept, Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 22, 2021
Listen, Obey, Trust - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 12, 2022
God's Best is for His Children - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) January 3, 2023
Obedience - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 2, 2023
On Fear, Disobedience, & Correction - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 26, 2023
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There once was a man named Cornelius. He was a Roman officer living in Caesarea after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Although not a Jew, he and his family believed in God. The Bible makes a point to tell us more about Cornelius in Acts 10:2 - ... he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. And because of all this, Cornelius was visited by an angel of the Lord who instructed him to invite Apostle Peter to his house.
When Peter showed up, Cornelius had invited his family and friends to hear what the man of God had to say. By the time the visit was over, every single person hearing Peter speak was filled with the Holy Spirit. Each bore the evidence with the speaking of different tongues.
What's the moral of the story? Be a Cornelius! Be the sort of person whose faithful actions cause God to visit and transform yourself and all those around you.
Cornelius was a blessing to his family and friends but his status as a powerful Roman officer had nothing to do with it. He blessed them because He was faithful to the Lord, honoring His instruction to pray and care for the less fortunate. It is hard to believe that that was all it took to move God's heart, but it was. Cornelius was faithful and God showed him faithfulness in return, filling himself and so many others with the Holy Spirit. Up to that time, that was a blessing that had been limited to Israelites alone. And each of these non-Israelite believers was empowered with the gift of speaking in tongues - a mighty weapon that confuses and overwhelms the adversary. Just like that!
So often, people pray for finances in order to become a blessing to others. However, the story of Cornelius highlights that faithfully obeying God is all it takes to become the blessing God wants you to be. Never forget Matthew 6:33 - Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (NLT). That's what Cornelius did in his own little way and God's response was a mighty one.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather today for fellowship, let us keep Cornelius in mind. Let him inspire us to honor God faithfully so others will benefit. Let that inspiration fuel us today and throughout 2023 to make the choices that please God and cause Him to move. It could be offering Him worship, paying tithes, giving alms to the poor or interceding, among many things.
May we each do the simple things God has called us to do in honoring Him that we may become blessings to many by His grace and to His glory, IJMN Amen.
Come on back for the last P&P of 2022 at Noon EST, when we shall give God raucous praises as well as set our own needs aside so we pray for others with zeal. I pray to see you then!
God is repeatedly described as faithful in the Bible. Moses called Him faithful in Deuteronomy 7:9. The Psalmists lauded Him for being steadfast in Psalm 119:90. Paul did the same in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 1:9.
Yet many of us struggle to understand what that means. This is because we've seen our fellow human beings fail to be faithful in all manner of situations.
Yet, there's a part of us that yearns for faithfulness, desiring to see it in others as well as in ourselves. The reason is that at our core, we know what faithfulness is. We experienced it when we were with the Lord before He sent us to this earth for His purpose (Jeremiah 1:5). Having known it in the beginning, we want it now.
And God wants us to know that we can bask in that faithfulness right now if we choose to walk with Him. For He is faithful to those who choose to become His sons and daughters. He is calling on each of us to make that choice. Doing so requires us to equally be faithful to Him. To choose Him over everything else and be loyal even when it hurts.
This might sound like a difficult task, but once we experience God's faithfulness, He teaches us how to be completely faithful to Him. And only then can we be completely faithful to somebody else.
There's another reason why we need to be familiar with the concept of God's fidelity to His children - satan is very familiar with it. The devil knows that if God's children are ignorant of God's faithfulness then they will be ignorant of the power and protection this provides them. When that happens, satan is can create chaos in their lives and prevent them from enjoying the fullness of life that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10.
As we close out 2020, let's turn to the Bible and see the many examples of God's faithfulness. He promised Abraham that he would be the father of nations and that's what happened. Through Jesus Christ, He promised His disciples they would receive the Holy Spirit and that happened with evidence of speaking in other tongues.
Now, look at your life and identify how God has been faithful to you over the years. Think of the bad things you thought would come but they never did. Remember how certain things happened smoothly after you fasted and prayed. Consider the fact that you made it to this day when so many others unfortunately didn't.
God has been faithful. God is faithful. God will be faithful to the very end. Don't let the devil blind you to this reality and the security it provides to the children of the Lord. He who called you unto Himself is faithful and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
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