What I Do Have, I Give You

Welcome, friend! This is the day the Lord has made, and we rejoice in it!

Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you? (Matthew 18:32 NKJV) This is where the master had forgiven his servant a HUGE debt. Then this SAME servant had his fellow servant put in jail, who owed him a small amount of money! Shouldn’t he have shown the same compassion that he had received?

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 KJV) Since God has forgiven us of ALL of our sins, shouldn’t we extend that same forgiveness to others?

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6 NKJV) We can only give out of what we have received (or experienced) ourselves!

These verses teach us several things, among which are: (a) We must acknowledge the good things that we, ourselves, have received from our heavenly Father before we can minister those things to others. When we acknowledge that we have received compassion, we’re able to share compassion. (b) We’re told by the Lord in His Word that we should be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to others, because we HAVE received those same things from God through Jesus Christ. (c) We can only give out of what WE DO HAVE! Are you aware of all that you HAVE in Jesus Christ?

Study what you DO HAVE in Jesus so that you may minister those wonderful blessings and gifts to the hurting and the needy. The world is waiting . . . yearning for the manifestation of the sons (children) of God. (Romans 8:19)

Would You Like to Flourish?

Photo courtesy of: trostle (www.morguefile.com)

Greetings and salutations! What does it mean to flourish? It means to be green, thrive, grow, increase, prosper, do well, enlarge, or multiply. Who wouldn’t want to experience this?

Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (Psalm 92:13-15 NKJV)

The word fresh means: full of oil or fruit; fat. In modern times, fresh means: new, clean, unmarked, unsullied, innovative, inventive, or creative.

1. The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (Psalm 92:2 NKJV)
2. He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. (Proverbs 11:28 NKJV)
3. The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish. (Proverbs 14:11 NKJV)

These are promises of God for the righteous. These verses explain that when we are planted in God’s house (His family), we’ll receive these wonderful blessings:

• We’ll bear fruit in old age;
• We’ll be fresh – fruitful, innovative, creative;
• We’ll thrive, grow, increase, and prosper – spiritually, physically, and emotionally;
• We’ll have a heart to declare that God is upright, and that there’s NO unrighteousness in Him;
• We’ll know Him as our rock, our anchor;
• Our tent (home, household) shall flourish.

Plant yourself in the house (family) of God. Center yourself in God’s will for your life, and become a functioning member of your local church. Serve God as a member of the body of Christ, and enjoy the blessings that the Father pours upon you according to these verses!

God Has Given POWER!

Hello and welcome!

Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled (were afraid) and glorified God, who had given such power to men. (Matthew 9:8 NKJV, explanation added)

Jesus had just forgiven the sins of a paralytic man and then, Jesus healed him! The man took his bed and walked away. This was demonstrating Jesus’ delegated authority to forgive sins, and also His power to heal the sick and to perform miracles. The crowd gave all the glory to God.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19 NKJV)

Jesus was speaking to His followers in this verse. The same power and authority that Jesus had, He gave to us in order for us to set the captives free, heal the sick, perform miracles, and bring glory to God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit who has been given to us IS the Spirit of power, love, and self-control.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21 NKJV)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18, 19 NKJV)

As Jesus was sent to earth by the Father to accomplish the Father’s will, so WE are sent by Jesus to continue Jesus’ assignment here on the earth: that the will of God may be done on earth as it is done in Heaven. We’ve been given authority and power to fulfill our assignment. Exercise your God-given power and authority, and you will have an exciting and fulfilling life. God has anointed you for this purpose.

God is Ready to Forgive

Photo courtesy of: Jeremy Flanagan

Greetings, friends! Our Savior God is READY to forgive! Ready means completely prepared, duly equipped, immediately available for use, willing, eager, or predisposed.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5 NKJV) To receive His forgiveness, simply call upon Him and ask Him for what you need. The Lord is ABUNDANT in mercy—it is one of His beautiful character traits.

Mercy means a) kindness or forgiveness; b) compassion; c) a welcome event or situation that provides relief; or d) the easing of distress or pain. Jesus is always willing to ease our distress or pain. (Matt. 8:3; Luke 5:13)

God is good (1 Chron. 16:34), and His mercy endures forever. (2 Chron. 7:3; Ps. 100:5; 106:1; 118:29)

He is always ready to forgive for He is the author of salvation. (Psalm 3:8; 130:4; Acts 5:31; 13:38; Ephes. 1:7; Col. 1:14) Trust in His mercy and love, and receive His forgiveness today, friend.

In His Presence

Photo courtesy of: Jeremy Flanagan

Hello, and thanks for joining this meditation today. We’re thinking about all of the beautiful blessings we receive when we REALIZE that we are in the presence of the Lord always!

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14 NKJV) When we set aside special time to listen to the Lord and to talk with Him, we are entering into the rest of the Lord. When we can just sit in His presence and allow His love to wash over us and to cleanse us from the cares of life, we are entering into His rest.

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11 NKJV) In His presence, we receive direction (the path); complete and comprehensive joy; and His good pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 36:8)

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Psalm 31:20 NKJV) We have to be sure that we’re following the Holy Spirit obediently so that we do not contribute to strife ourselves. When we’re in the secret place of God’s presence, we’re protected from evil, strife, and gossip. Realize this: God is WITH US always! He is Jehovah Shammah—the God who is present.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1 NKJV) It’s a “secret place” because most Christians don’t realize or acknowledge that the Lord is with them always! We DWELL—live every moment—in His presence. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. (Hebrews 13:5) We abide under the shadow of His protection; the covering of His peace, and the shelter of His love. (Psalm 78:52, 53)

Part 2: But--They're Only Words!

Welcome! We’re continuing yesterday’s topic about the importance of words.

Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. (Proverbs 17:28 NKJV) You’ll be considered wise and perceptive if you are economical with your words!

The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. (Psalm 37:30, 31 NKJV) If we hide various Bible passages in our heart, by memorization, it will become easy to express wisdom and justice. But this will never come “naturally” to us; it only comes through meditating and memorizing the truths of the Bible. This is also a promise that if we will hide the Word in our hearts, our foot will not be snared. (Proverbs 3:21-23 KJV)

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11 NKJV) Our mission on earth is to speak as the oracles of God, and to bring God glory and honor! A key to completing this assignment is each one guarding his mouth and tongue, and being thrifty with one’s words. Of course, this can only be done by relying upon the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If we’re careful with words, measuring each one to be sure it’s needful to say, we’ll take control of our entire life. We might even determine to speak only in order to build up and strengthen—never to tear down or weaken—never to whine, complain, or criticize. Love always edifies the hearer (1 Cor. 8:1), so speak and walk in love, friend. The Holy Spirit has already given each of us the grace that we need to live this way.

Part 1: But--They're Only Words!

Photo courtesy of: eos53 (www.morguefile.com)

I’m so glad you’ve joined me! Today, let’s think about our words. There was an old saying we chanted when we were kids: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Of course, we all know that words can pierce and wound like a sword.

There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. (Proverbs 12:18 NKJV) If our words are grounded in the Scriptures and full of faith, then they will promote health—not only to the hearer but also to the speaker! Hallelujah!

The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant. (Proverbs 15:26 NKJV) The pure have a pure heart, and from the heart the mouth speaks. (Matt. 12:34; Luke 6:45) This explains why the words of the pure are pleasant—they arise from an unpolluted, undefiled heart. These are words that will bless the hearers.

He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. (Proverbs 17:27 NKJV) One who has Godly knowledge is frugal with his words; and as a result, he has a tranquil and serene spirit. He isn’t concerned with showcasing what he knows, or with dominating a conversation. A person who trusts the Lord in all circumstances of life has peace reigning in his or her heart.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. (Ecclesiastes 5:2 NKJV) This is good advice friends: LET OUR WORDS BE FEW for God above is a witness to our words. He understands the thoughts and intents of our hearts! (Heb. 4:12)