Good morning everyone. Oh give thanks unto the Lord for He is good yes He is good and worthy of all the praise we can give Him. The word of the day is Balance. I come today with a repentant spirit because I let myself fall out of balance yesterday, but God put my spirit in check right away by using words through a pastor friend of mine, Newton Fairweather. Consume this meal with me today because it came from a lesson learned by me.
Today’s Prayer
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). Father as I read this verse this morning I was instantly convicted. Please forgive me of being guilty just yesterday of not letting the most encouraging and beneficial things come out of my mouth. Please give me strength and wisdom through your Spirit to think before I speak. I want the words that come from me to be words of truth, words of light, words that are appropriate for the moment and the person or people who hear them. I want those words to be honoring to you and instructional, inspirational, motivational, encouraging to others. I want to be one who supports others in whatever it is they need, so that they are lifted up and motivated to reach their potential…to glorify you…to be blessed and be a blessing. Thank you for hearing me, God. Thank you for your forgiveness and your light. In the name of Jesus I come to you, Amen.
Let’s eat.
Balance the Natural and the Spiritual
“No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save” (Psalm 33:16-17).
The Bible tells us not to put our confidence in things the world considers to be our protection, defense, or strength. However, the man or woman who does not perform well on the job is left behind in today’s competitive world. Not only is this typical of the world at large, but even many Christians promote the importance of identifying our strengths and encourage us to move in them to accomplish God’s will. Yet, throughout the Bible, we are discouraged from depending upon our own strengths. Instead, we are urged to rely totally upon the Lord. I know that this hits some of our spirits like a ton of bricks but it is no less true.
God wants us to depend upon Him, and He demonstrates this throughout Scripture. For example, in Judges 7, God wouldn’t let Gideon fight against another army until he reduced his own army from 22,000 soldiers to a mere 300, so that Gideon could not boast about his army’s strength. In Joshua 6, God told Joshua to walk around Jericho seven times and blow trumpets instead of relying upon his mighty army to overpower his enemy. In 2 Samuel 24, God judged David when he counted his troops to determine the size of his army’s strength, apparently because David took the census out of pride or overconfidence in the strength of his army.
On the other hand, Jesus instructed the disciples in due diligence through the parable of the builder, who is cautioned to consider the cost before beginning to build. “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish'” (Luke 14:28-30).
This is what I feel the Lord is saying to us in this hour; from this day forward, bring every project and endeavor before Him as you ask for His power and grace to accomplish it using both your natural gifts and the Spirit of God working together.
Quote of the Day
All born-again people are in training for rulership. Since the supreme law of that future social order, called the kingdom of God, is agape love, therefore their apprenticeship and training is for the learning of deep dimensions of this love. But deep dimensions of this love are only learned in the school of suffering. Purity is one thing, and maturity is another. The latter comes only through years of suffering. If we suffer, we shall also reign – because where there is little suffering, there is little love; no suffering, no love; no love, no ruler- ship.
Paul Billheimer
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Rev. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
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