2 Corinthians 1King James Version

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

² Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

⁶ And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

⁷ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

The God of all comfort knows and understands our needs, knows and understands the persecution we face as modern day Christian’s, knows and feels our emotions. He comforts us through this.

modern day persecution may look like judgment, gossip and laughter/making fun of you for praying, worshipping, and overall just being a Christian.

It may come with your posts on social media, your stance on a topical issue, your dress, your morals. Persecution can come from these modern day things and what we must learn that throughout all of this God comforts us because he knew of it before hand. He empathizes with us and he understands us deeper than our own understanding of ourselves. What brought me comfort this morning is that God of all creation comforts me. Rest with that as you step out in faith, or even as you feel defeated by life’s circumstances. You are not. You are so comforted in this moment.

Dear Father, remind us of your love and grace that helps us through the hardest trials, remind us that your word literally says you comfort us, help us to believe that. We have a comforter, we can cry, we can vent, we can be ourselves in your presence. You comfort us, heal us today Lord in Jesus name amen!

us through this

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/php.2.13.NLT

Even when strength feels like it is lost, we can’t always depend on feelings. Believe the word of God. He said he is working in you, let him. He said he is giving you the power and the desire, let him. Let him do it in you, follow his prompt voice, his gentle sway, his leading and go.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:27 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.1.27.NLT

Proverbs 13:3; “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”

Proverbs 18:21 confirms this by saying, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

The bible never lies because it is the word of God and the word of God is truth. He is the way the truth and the life that we should abide in and live by.

Today, watch your tongue, the word declares to guard your mouth because whoever opens his lips wide comes to ruin. It also speaks that pure and genuine religion is to care for orphans and widows and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

In order for us to follow these steps practically, we must ask God to keep our intentions pure and to keep close to his way. Ask him to show you someone in need today, he will not fail to do that, and give to them. Whether it be encouragement, finances, a hug, prayer or help, just give what you can to them today. Spend time watching the words that come out of your mouth.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger James 1:19. Guard your words as the wise do, bever speak out of turn and when that situation you fear arises remember only you are in control of how you react. Practically tune your ears in to what you hear God is saying and do it without a fleshly response.

This takes practice and great self control but the bible speaks on these things that keep us pure and genuine in our walk with him. GOD BLESS YOU today as you go throughout your day leave a comment on how you have helped someone, controlled your tongue or reaction and/or where you plan to.

Dear Father, give us the self control needed to respond in ways that honour your name because we not only represent our names but yours. Help us to remember we are no longer apart of the world so there is no need to act like we do. Let us therefore walk differently, talk differently and respond differently in Jesus name. Show us people who need our service and ministry, swing wide the gates of opportunity to be ou’re in deeds, because faith and action go together, in Jesus name we pray, be with us today! Amen.

Trust

Psalm 42 New International Version BOOK II
Psalms 42–72

Psalm 42

For the director of music.

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One[d] with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. 6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. 8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” 10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

This morning as I was praying I was led to this scripture. Why do we take on so much of other people’s burdens and to pile on top of that, our own?
This scripture serves as encouragement, when your soul is downcast hope in the Lord. Everything we do is in the Lord, we are merely human and we can’t possibly do it in our flesh which is why we become so overwhelmed. Trust in the Lord, your salvation isn’t even of your own doing but it is because of the Lord. So everything that you do, every path you take, even your own salvation is God’s. You are because you live in and through him. He is the one that takes it on NOT YOU.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

² This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

³ Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

⁴ Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

⁵ He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

⁶ Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

⁷ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Galations 3: 1-7

On reading this scripture this morning it reminded me, I am not made perfect by the flesh, nothing the flesh can do for me will push me to perfection in Christ. My works must not be in vain. Everything I do must be from the guidance of the Spirit, that leads to life.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6

“…Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.” These two verses convicted me because many times we start off on fire, moving in the Spirit, learning from the Spirit, then we take things into our own hands. We cannot finish the race by being made whole through the flesh.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1

It’s easy to default back to the ways of the flesh but this reminder is for you to LAY DOWN EVERY WEIGHT AND SIN THAT EASILY BESET (TROUBLES) YOU. Let us run with endurance brothers and sisters, we began in the Spirit who are we now to take back that control, continue in the Spirit.

This morning ask God in what area of your life have you given him control vs your flesh taking control. Let him bring them to mind, and repent as such.

Share this with a brother and sister who may have fallen, tell them to get back up again this time not in their own strength but with the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit. We are all children of Abraham which makes us children of faith. Get up again.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father I admit that I am a sinner, I have started walking with you and have fallen away. My sin is too much to bear on my own but thankfully I know I don’t have to do that anymore, I give it to you. I ask that you wash me in the blood that Jesus died on the cross for me to have and I receive your complete deliverance in everyway, cleanse me. I know this road will not always be easy but I know you are with me. And because of that I can never lose. Be with me always. I receive your Holy Spirirt and I ask that you live within me and guide my life, I surrender. In Jesus’s name amen!!!

If you’ve repeated this prayer leave me a message below on how I can pray for you on this walk because you are not now in it alone.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^(B) 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(E) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(F) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(G)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a](H) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11- 1 – 8

All of this happened by faith a word I feel so strongly in my spirit these days.

Some of you are doing theses some are working on a job, some are believing for a baby and a miracle to visit them specifically. Believe this by faith. Some of the people spoken of in the word died before receiving the promise but the word says they saw it from afar off, some received it. The point is, you need to believe it’s been done and step into it in Jesus name by FAITH.

When you believe in God and what he’s said by faith you will start to walk like it.

Dear God give us the powerful measure of faith needed to step on waters we would’ve otherwise shyed away from. Help us to be brave and dare to trust you in every circumstance. If we claim that you are enough let us believe it, by faith we stand today and by faith we declare to step in Jesus’ name amen.

As I read Galations 5: 13 – 15 this morning it reads:

“For brethren, he have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if he bite and devour one another, take heed that he be not consumed one of another.

This I say then, walk in the spirit and he shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”

The love aspect of this hit me harder this morning for some reason. So often as Christians we forget we’re all going through the same thing, even if not individually specific things, we generally are all going through trials. All of us are going through something together we need by all means to extend grace. We view each other through the eyes of our distorted view and selfish mindset all of this stems from the flesh. The flesh is selfish, unclean, indulges in hatred, wrath, idolatry and strife as the word says.

Why do we trust our flesh so much when all it will do it lead us to destruction? The way of the world would have us to think “do what’s best for you” “indulge in those activities because it it makes you feel good you should do it”. This is not always the case, the things that make us feel uncomfortable is often what is the best thing that needs to happen to us in that moment.

So let us learn to walk in the SPIRIT though uncomfortable at times, the BEST way for us to live. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” Galations 5:22-23. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with it’s affections and lusts” Galations 5:24. I know the flesh will arise at some points but can we be intentional about choosing the way of the spirit that will not lead us to death in the end? I would hope you choose life.

Let us therefore extend grace to others who are experiencing it like us, let us try encouraging someone else for a change and in doing so you will be surprised how much it also helps yourself.

God give us the grace to love others as our self, let us not take the liberty we have been given to indulge in hatred, back biting, gossip, sexual immorality or any other works of the flesh. Let us instead be intentional about serving and loving other people because we are all one in Christ. Our obedience in this manner will break cycles and bondage beyond our knowledge, in Jesus Christ’s name amen.