The walk with God is not for the faint at heart. How do I know this? Well, Jesus said as much in Matthew 10:22 - You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. In addition, there's the plain fact of this all over the Bible. Think of Job, for instance. He was a man described as blameless, upright, God-fearing and righteous in Job 1:1. Yet, he experienced the sort of challenges that would make the average individual shudder at the mere thought of such happening in their own life.
And, if you don't want to take the word of Jesus for it - or the experiences of the men and women in the Bible for that matter - then take a look at your life. Since becoming a believer, has your life been all roses and fun? Or have there been some serious challenges that only God could get you out of?
Yet, we hang in there. We don't give up. We hold onto our faith and the knowledge that God is working things out for our good even if it doesn't look that way. We read His word to encourage ourselves, play music from our favorite music minister and let the tears fall. No matter what, we hold on to the God who's come through for us before, believing He will do so again. We fast, pray, and strive to live righteously, obeying His instructions as best we can.
And, when we don't do things as well as we should, we get on our knees and plead for forgiveness. We raise our hands to the Lord, convicted by the Holy Spirit placed within us, to repent. And His grace, being sufficient for us, speaks through the blood of Jesus, bringing mercy.
This is the walk of a believer in God. It's not easy and oftentimes it won't be fun. Nevertheless, we must carry on with a stubbornness that defies logic. We must be staunchly determined to never return to the days when we didn't know the word of God or His power, for then we would be in error. We must reject sin habits, day by day, and allow God to fashion us into the new creatures we became once we gave our lives to Christ and submitted wholeheartedly to Him.
And we must remember, particularly on the days when we haven't done our best, the word in Ephesians 2:22 - And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What must we remember about this scripture? That we are being built into dwelling places for the Lord. These dwelling places - our bodies - will be inhabited by His Holy Spirit while we walk the earth. The term "being built" means we are continuously under construction for God. In His grace, He is molding us over time to suit Him. That way, we grow each day, becoming a place from which His power does great works.
Do not imagine that because you are 'under construction' there are no rules to be followed. Rules exist for a reason and in construction, then ensure worker safety and that the final product will be solid, sound and safe for its inhabitants. Similarly, observing God's rules during our construction phase ensures we are being built so God lives in us through the Holy Spirit. Paul cautioned in Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. In order to not grieve the Holy Spirit, Paul instructs believers to turn away from a sinful life which he details in Ephesians 4:17-32. As long as we keep this in mind, construction shall continue and be completed for God, just the way He likes it. There is great reward here on earth and in heaven for a successful final product and these include a good relationship with the Lord, His protection and provision in all areas.
So, though the walk be long and tiring, never forget, you are being built for His glory. So is the person to your left and your right. There is therefore hope of salvation for all in the Lord as He builds us into grand residences for Him to dwell in comfortably. Glory be to His Holy Name!
See you at Noon EST.
CLOSING PRAYER
We've come to the end of another hour of fellowship. Praise be to God Almighty for this wonderful grace!
I pray the Lord open Your eyes to what He is doing in and around you today. May your sight increase and be to His glory. May the Lord cover and keep You under His wings and may He guide Your feet, IJMN, Amen.
Have a blessed weekend and be a blessing to someone else.
LAST 10 MINUTES You look at your life and sometimes, all you see are your mistakes. However, can you believe that in spite of your failures, God still has a plan for you? Do you believe the Lord is working on you? You need to believe it and you need to remember this. Not so you can go on sinning, after all the word tells us to crucify our old self and leave sin behind. This means we have to take active steps toward righteous living even as we acknowledge that God's still building us up for His purpose. Take some time right now, to thank God for not letting you go. Thank Him for seeing past your flaws and deeming you exactly who He needs. So much so that you are being built by Him to be a worthy dwelling place for Him to reside in. Use your own words. They don't need to be fancy or long. Just talk to God and tell Him thanks. He is listening so take the time to listen for His response by turning down your music or going somewhere quiet. Tell Him you want to hear Him back then listen for His still, calming voice. God bless you!
From MFC - Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for the blessing of another day. My heart is heavy for the families involved in the shooting last week here in Raleigh and D'Vonne Pritchett from my hometown of Seattle. He was gunned down right in front of his family's business.
We pray today for those who have died because of gun violence. Draw them near to You, Lord and let Your face shine upon them. May they be greeted with choirs of angels and experience your eternal peace and joy.
Be near to all those who have been touched by violence: those who have been hurt, lost their loved ones or lost their sense of security. Be for them a steady comfort and safe resting place. Soften the hearts and steady of the minds of those who would do violence to others. May hate be replaced with love, violence with peace and darkness with Your light in Jesus' Holy name. Amen
Sweet God, loving Father, the Lord of Hosts, gracious and compassionate -- I invoke Your covenant names, my God, to pray that the needs of the needy are met.
Remember oh Lord, how You promised that You will hear the cries of the orphans and widows when they're mistreated, and how You will be their Just Avenger -- let now be the time that You hear their cries and lift them up. Please do this so they can serve You in a greater capacity. IJMN, amen.
Good God. You who made the earth and all that is in it. Praise be to You, God who owns everything. Thank You Sovereign Lord for being almighty and all-sufficient. To You be all the glory, IJN, Amen. Ezekiel 36:29-30 - I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you. I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine. Father, the land suffers because of our wrong choices and the devil is pleased. It taunts and mocks that our God cannot bring the rains and cannot bring from the ground what is needed to feed the nations. Lord, for the sake of Your Holy and precious name, we call on You to preserve the greatness and honor of Your name. To not allow the enemy to gloat and claim that it could create famine and the chaos that stems from it. Therefore, Lord, we call on You to do as You promised in Your word. Cleanse Your people and cleanse the land, IJMN, Amen. In Your mercy and because You protect Your very name, bring about harvest where the land has been written off. Bring food of all kinds to the hungry. Break apart that which serves to prevent food provision. All things hampering food getting to those in need are destroyed now, IJMN, Amen. Take all the glory, Lord. Thank You for bumper harvests and miraculous provision. Hallelujah!
*From PBS* - Heavenly Father—-THANK YOU!
For every blessing, breakthrough, miracle—seen and unseen, known and unknown, expected and unexpected.
Your Grace and Mercy endures forever!
Oh how wonderful it is to be Your child, and to call you Father.
I LOVE YOU, LORD!
You know all of my prayer requests, but in this moment I just want to say that I love You and thank You!
Dear father, I come before You to pray for that stranger who needs a timely prayer at this moment. You have instructed us to "pray for all men", so even though I don't know who this person is, You know them intimately, even down to the number of hairs on their head (Mt 10:30). Gracious God, please, let Your mercy find them. Let Your light pierce through the chaos in their lives (Gen 1:3) and heal them (Psalm 107:19-20). This I ask, trusting in the name of Jesus -- amen.
PRAY
By now, we're familiar with the way our prayer time goes - we don't pray for ourselves, we pray for the needs of others.
Kindly lift up the hungry, the weary, orphans and widows. In addition to strangers, please pray for the people you know who are going through difficulties.
The Lord told us to ask that we receive in Matthew 7:7. What a great blessing! Now imagine how great it would be if you applied that blessing to somebody else?
May the Lord guide you to pray in alignment with His will, IJMN, Amen.
Thank You, Father, for next P&P. It shall be the 200th time we've gathered on this platform.
To You be all the glory. Thank You for making such a thing possible and bringing all of us together for Your purpose.
Thank You for the success of that gathering and for the way You will touch each of us.
Thank You for what You have done, are doing, and will do. IJN, Amen!
From MFC- Sovereign God, Thank You for being in complete control of the intensity and the duration of my afflictions. Only You could use these tough times to make me more like Christ. I'm so grateful that your grace and mercy never cease. You will never leave or forsake me. Lord, I am grateful You hear my prayers. AMEN!
God understands the way to it, and he knows its place. For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28-:23-24
Oluwa! Thanks for your gracious provision this week!
Thanks for food, water, and even snacks!
Thanks for progress on my gifts and ventures (things I've been saying I'll do but never got around to -- I finally started today)!
Thanks for giving me time for my family today too.
Thanks for things to look forward to this weekend.
Psalm 91:2 - I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Heavenly Father, I worship You. For You are the Rock of my Salvation. The Fortress and Stronghold of my life.
You are my security and Your grace is indeed sufficient for me.
Hallelujah!
Glorious God! You created the heavens, the earth, the seas and all that is in them.
Builder of Everything. Thank You for creating my loved ones. Thank You for creating me.
Thank You for You foreknew us all, having created us for a purpose. Thank You for knowing us long before we entered our mother's wombs.
Thank You for being the God whose good will for us shall come to pass because You are working in and on us to Your glory.
IJMN, Amen.
From DR14U-
Lord, thank You. Thank You for mercy and grace. Thank You for the kindness You have shown to me and mine. In spite of our failings, You deem us worthy to receive Your love and never withdraw that love from us.
I am truly grateful, my great King.
From MFC - Good morning....THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!!!! We are gonna have a praise & prayer party likes it's 199 My prayer list is ready!
Hallelujah! When things get tough in our lives, we have to harness our inner Jacob and say "I'm not gonna let go until you bless me!"
Also, that stubborn love reminded me of this clip from Bishop Jakes I saw this morning...
...
Stubborn Love, Tenacious Love, Relentless Love... To God be the glory, AMEN!
Amen! One of my favorite things about our fellowship is the timely teaching. @FFJ, you broke this thing down today. Our hearts are under construction. And when our construction zones are right in the middle of this sinful world and our sinful desires? Well, it ain't easy!
Glory to God that we’re not alone in this soul renovation. The Lord has given us the Holy Spirit as Project Manager over our hearts. (Galatians 5:16-17) He is there to oversee the process, empower us to persevere and point us back to truth when we are feeling discouraged.
So if, today, you’re feeling as though your heart is a bit of a mess, don’t lose hope! The Lord is lovingly tending to the sanctifying repairs and improvements we need. Progress is being made. And wherever our roads may take us, we can confidently rest in the ways of the Lord and He will direct our path.
Dear Lord, You are the Way-Maker. Thank You for overseeing the “construction” of our hearts and never giving up on us. Please fill us with renewed hope today as we pursue You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
From HC - Psalm 119:33-40
New International Version
He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.[b]
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.[c]
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
From AC - Abba, thank You for the "NO". Thank You for that "not yet", even when it hurts to hear, for I know that Your ways are higher than my ways and that Your timing is impeccable. Thank You for working things out for my good, even when it doesn't look that way and thank You for Your patience when I am slow to do what is right and fail to obey Your instructions. Forgive me for my sinful ways and construct within me a righteous heart and mind, that is pleasing in Your eyes. Guide my steps with Your firm but gentle hand and may only Your will and Your purpose manifest in my life. In the name of the Almighty King Jesus, Amen.
Happy Friday fam. I have an important engagement to attend today, so will check in a bit later. Thank you Plunderer for this crucial message. I have received it and I give God all praise.
From BI - Thank You Lord for all that You have done for me, all that You are doing for me and all that You are yet to do. Thank You my Abba Father for not giving up on me.
From IA84 - Peace and blessings to everyone! I want everyone to know to be not discouraged if every day isn't full of sunshine and happiness. The world we live in, is chaotic, unbalanced and so unknown. No matter the surroundings, trust in God, trust in yourself and trust the process. Give yourself room to be human, but know that you can overcome any struggle or frustration that gets the best of you. Life was never meant to be perfect. If only EVERYONE understood this...........
But it does not make us less than or unworthy of happiness, love, prosperity, abundance, joy, health and well-being. To be perfect, is to be imperfect! But you are worthy and deserving of the best and never forget that. God hears you when you speak, and he hears you even when you're silent. He knows what's on your mind and deep within your heart. Even if no one in the world shows you the love and respect you deserve, just know that his love and respect is all that truly matters.
Your sadness, your broken heart, low bank balance, unhappy relationship/marriage, job frustration, struggling grades, living in poverty, drug & alcohol addictions, family issues, depression, anxiety, are all temporary and not forever. Let it be known to him, and let him bring you out, in his time and his way. Though he may not fix it in minutes, hours or a few days, in time, God will see you through. It may take months and sometimes years, but trust him! You are not alone. You never have been and you never will be, no matter your circumstances.
Hold your head up and keep living. God's got you!