God's Formula for Success

So many of us want to live a life filled with prosperity and success. In order to achieve this goal, we run after job positions, at any cost, to satisfy the need within us to have more. We sacrifice our family life, our health, and our integrity to pursue after frivolous things, that are merely temporal and worthless. We see from those who have gone before us, diligently seeking after the things money can buy, that after death, the riches they have acquired over a lifetime have been laid up for others to enjoy. But, God has provided a formula for us to follow if we intend to relish the good life, where we, the redeemed, can truly experience victory in our everyday lives. 

Joshua 1:8 teaches us that, ‘this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success’. Here, God obviously shows us that if we follow certain criteria, then we will have great and marvelous rewards. We see from this scripture, that if we meditate moment by moment (think intently about what God is saying) and make a diligent effort to do the things we are being taught, then and only then can we prosper and have good success. 

We must be willing then to pay the price of making time to firstly read the Word of God that has been provided to us. Its not about making excuses, but to get serious about God and about our walk with Him. Secondly, we have to literally eat the Word as often as the air we breathe. The more we do this, the more we shift our focus from the problems, the challenges, the situations and the difficulties we face, to the Way Maker - Jesus Christ. The more we fill ourselves with His Word, the more we build our faith and our trust in Him, and thus the more confident we become in our God, knowing without doubt that the impossible is about to become possible in our lives! Finally, if we take what we receive from the Word, and put it into action by applying it to our daily lifestyle, then we will be rewarded handsomely.

As we fulfill these requirements, we will see prosperity and success in every area of our lives. We will have faithful, loving relationships with our spouses, children and family members. We will be happy and at peace, enjoying the rest provided in God alone. We will have strength to endure the journeys of life. We will move to new places in ministry and servanthood, and go from glory to glory as the blessing of God will overtake us! Be certain, that the luxuries of this would will certainly come, our barns will be filled, and our food baskets will never go empty. We will be protected and defended by the Most High. We will be healed, delivered and set free, as we live in the liberty of Christ Jesus!

The door to a greater depth of success has been unlocked. Apply the formula and watch God work in your life today!

Throw off the Grave Clothes

Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead, by calling him out of the grave. When Lazarus walked out, Jesus told the people around them, to remove the grave clothes and let Lazarus go, as a man alive…

As a Christian, I learn everyday that we are nothing, and God is everything. Recently, I had begun asking God to gut out the impure things that may be hiding within me, and replace those ugly things with more of Him. As He begun to move in me, I saw somethings surface that made me so ashamed of myself at first. But, God quickly reminded me, that He can and will free me from death as He did Lazarus, and that He will indeed loose me from the grave clothes - the old sinful ways, the lusts of the flesh, the worldly desires that I was once so comfortable with in the world. 

God is so awesome! Loose me Lord, and throw off my grave clothes, so I can be filled with more of You!

God and Marriage

Mark 10:9 KJV

‘What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.’

God Himself joined man and wife together. He created marriage as we see in Genesis 2:21 -24. Here, God sees Adam alone, and decides it should not be so. He causes Adam to fall asleep and takes one of his ribs to make a woman. He presents the woman to him and the two are joined together as man and wife. Later, as they both sin and are sent out of the garden, we see that Adam is allowed to take his ‘blessing’ with him. Ecc 9:9 explains that ‘the wife is the husband’s portion' in this life. In other words, she is his blessing - from God Himself! WOW!

God designed marriage for us to be able to understand the love and intimacy God requires us to have with Him. It is written in Hebrews 13:4, that marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled…’ God takes pleasure in marriages and is also a victim of adultery when one spouse leaves. Again, the Word tells us in Malachi 2:14, that ‘..the Lord had been witness between the husband and the wife..’ Therefore, when we choose to leave the promise we made to God to be there for this person for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part, we hurt God.

Church, the Amplified version of the Bible reads in Malachi 2:16, ‘…I hate divorce and marital separation…’ Many people in the world, and in the body of Christ are choosing divorce without a second thought. The lives of faithful spouses and children are being destroyed because of prodigals who desert their blessings for the lusts of the flesh. Choose life today. Choose Blessing. Choose to let God be the centre of your marriage and your family. Stand up for your hurting marriage knowing that God can heal and restore that which he originally ordained. 

Today, it is my plea, that you rethink your marriage vows before choosing the pleasures of sin. Hold fast to your first love, Jesus Christ… He remains faithful, won’t you?

Birthday Tribute

~~Tribute to a special friend on her birthday~~

 

“An extraordinary woman of God”

 

Beautiful.....Kind......Compassionate....Caring,

Pure at Heart.....Hardworking.....Dedicated,

Gentle....Humble in all her ways.....Graceful

are some of the many words one can use to describe our dearest Lisa

 

Lisa is an extraordinary and mighty woman 

in the Kingdom of Christ

and it is because she is most humble, 

surrendering her life unto the Lord,

for his will to be done in her life, 

that she continues to shine whenever she goes

and be a beacon of light for the world to see.

 

Lisa inspires us to worship King Jesus, 

with all our heart, mind and soul,

She inspires us to shout praises unto the One True God,

She inspires us to stand strong in the wonderful name of Jesus

.....

Lis, you have inspired me to persist 

even when I felt as though I was on the verge of giving up

& you reminded me that we all have a great purpose in this world, 

because we are of great worth and importance to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit within you truly speaks to others,

to give support and encouragement in the most timely manner

and I pray that God will continue to use you,

to bring glory and honour to his name.

 

Lisa's heart is pure,

filled with love, care, devotion and affection. 

She is certainly, 

one of the most amazing persons you will ever meet;

one of the best moms you will ever be around;

and she will go to the ends of the earth,

to protect & provide for her dearest Sicily,

her little angel, her bundle of joy,

who brings warmth to her life and makes her smile.

 

Lisa represents the wonderful grace of the great God we serve

she overlooks the faults of someone 

to see the goodness in them

she will ask for God to extend his mercy towards them

and work diligently to bring them into God's kingdom

Lisa is an angel from heaven in every sense of the word

 

 

Lisa, may the Lord continue to bless you and keep you; 

May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 

may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

May God bless you with extra long life 

and forever more send his angels 

to take charge over you wherever you may go 

and be with you always

 

Happy Happy birthday.....God bless you always

from Nate 

 

 

The cry of the broken vessel...

Father, can You unlock the door to your throne room and let me enter in?
Will You allow me to sit at Your feet and lay my head upon Your lap?
Will You stroke my hair and wipe the tears as they stream down my cheek?
Will You expand my comfort zone by breaking the barriers I have constructed around myself?
I have no words in the moment
But my Spirit is melancholy...
My pain drips from every pore of my being
Yet Your Glory comforts me
With unspoken communication
You understand everything I am trying to say
And with the warmth and gentleness of your smile
I know I am going to be alright

Where men have failed Lord,
You continue to stand strong...

If thou doest well....

Recently, I have been facing a situation where I was at fault and had to be taught a lesson by God Himself. Its never easy when we are wrong, but as long as we can submit to God's authority, we will pass the test and advance to new levels with Him.

Genesis chapter 4 talks about two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the older, was a tiller of the soil, a farmer, while Abel was a keeper of sheep, a shepherd. They both knew God, but it becomes clearer that they each had a different relationship with Him. When the time of sacrifice came, both men were faithful in presenting an offering unto God, one that God accepted and the other, rejected.

A bible study service at church taught me that Abel's relationship with God was evidently deeper and Abel respected God more than his brother. When Abel brought his sacrifice of an animal, in my understanding, it means that he had to take time to prepare it for the offering. By the time he presented it, God was satisfied with Abel's gift, since he did it with an unblemished heart, out of love.  Cain's offering of crops was rejected by God. He questioned God about His decision, and God told him, that if he had done well, his sacrifice would have been accepted, like his brother's. In a wave of jealously, we later learn, that Cain killed his brother over the matter. 

The thing is, what we bring to God is not the question of weather it be rejected or not. It is how we do it. For example, do we give God worship from our hearts, or do we just allow sound to escape from our lips? Do we meet with God in the early hours of the morning to speak to him in prayer, or do we just utter some words when we remember to pray? Did Cain bring crops that were left over, or rotting among the few good ones? Did he intentionally decide to give to God after he had taken for himself? Did he give God something that costed him or did he give Him something that meant nothing? 

Church, after the offering, God gave Cain an opportunity to do the right thing when he told him to do well, so that his sacrifice will be accepted. I believe for myself today, that there are many areas where I have grown comfortable and have not been doing well in the eyes of God. I have learned in this time to give God something that will be accepted - not rejected. Let us take God more seriously, for He is our Creator. He stands over us in all power and authority. If we do well in His sight, blessings will follow... if not the curse will overtake us - Cain became a vagabond and a wanderer - a cursed man!
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice... He gave his body over to torment, persecution, beating... He was spat upon, insulted, ridiculed, abused... and He did it out of love for you and me. Let us therefore NOW, give Him a sacrifice that He deserves... I chose to do well... what do you choose?

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

by Joyce Meyer

Do you suffer from fear or insecurity? What about the fear of lack? Are you worried that God won't come through for you? 

I have been there too. 

I have been literally worried sick about so many things, including my past, my future, my finances, what people thought about me. And because I couldn't get my mind off of my problems, I found myself in a place of utter torment. 

But we do not have to fear that God doesn't love us or that He won't come through for us in our time of need. We need to learn to accept the reality of His love for us, so that our fears do not control us. 

First John 4:18 says that perfect love casts out fear. If you're afraid of facing a person or a situation in your life, God's love can help you put your fears to rest. 

The Cure for Insecurity

Because I had been abused in my childhood and was fearful of being hurt or taken advantage of, I became very insecure. And I spent many years trying to control everything and everyone in my life. 

Instead of trying to control and manipulate people, I needed to learn to trust God, pray, and believe that He would do what was best for me at the right time. Most of all, I needed to abide in His love. 

First John 4:16 points out that we should be conscious of God's love. It needs to be more than just a biblical fact for us…we need to experience it daily. 

Several years ago I was so desperate for a revelation of God's love that I began to keep a journal of the things He did in my life that I believed displayed His love. No matter how small they were, I recorded them. 

When people gave me things, I recorded it. When I was shown favor in situations, I recorded it. When God answered prayers and did things for me that I had requested, I recorded it… 

This process helped me become conscious of His love, and I began to heal. I found out that the love of God is the cure for the insecure. 

Overcoming the Fear of Lack

Another major fear people face is the fear of lack. The fear that your needs won't be met—that God won't come through for you in time. 

You may be in a situation that you've never been in before, facing all kinds of new responsibilities. You may have needs that are beyond your resources and the spirit of fear is attacking you, telling you that you aren't going to make it. You may feel like nobody else cares. But God cares. 

In fact, Hebrews 13:5-6 says you can trust God to come to your rescue. 

Even when it seems that absolutely nothing is happening in your life, He is working. Beloved, God has a good plan for you, and He'll manifest it right on time. 

If you need financial support, He'll provide. If it's physical support you need, He'll sustain you. If you need emotional support, He'll comfort you. He'll nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength. 

God is for you. He is not against you. Satan is against you, but the greater One lives in you! 

Let Nothing Separate You from God's Love

During hard times and moments of insecurity, Satan works overtime trying to convince us that God doesn't love us—that if He did, either we wouldn't be in this situation, or He would've delivered us by now. 

I confess with my own mouth the truth that God does love me during these attacks of fear. And I encourage you to say several times a day with confidence, "God loves me!" Don't allow the devil to steal this truth from you. 

Romans 8:38-39, which I pray will comfort you right now, says: 

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

As long as you refuse to let anything separate you from God's love, you will have the victory. 

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This article is taken from Joyce's DVD teaching, One Life.