ANGELIC EXPRESSIONS!!

Angelic expressions!

Verse for Today: Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Acts 6:15 - All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

When the world falsely accuses us, it is likely that we become tense and disillusioned. It is likely that our face is down cast and we responds negatively. Such occasions exhibit whether we are controlled by our situations or by the Spirit of God. God expects to be Christ-like in our unfavorable circumstances, and not react with curses and abuses like the worldly people. When the world treats us with mockery, despising and ridicule, we must respond with a spirit of humility and forgiveness. God challenges us to respond exceeding gladness because we are privileged to be treated the way the Lord Jesus was treated by the world. When people revile against us, we ought to show joyful expressions rather than getting irritated and upset. If we allow the accusations to control us, we would respond in a reactive way and exhibit irritation and anger instead of praising God which ought to be our natural response. If we are controlled by the Spirit of God, we would react like Stephen when he was falsely accused. In the most trying moments of his life, Stephen did not lose his composure. He didn't react wildly with anger or irritation. He kept his heart at peace with God and rejoiced because of the privilege of being persecuted for the sake of His beloved Lord. His joyful heart was reflected on his face.  When he was rejoicing in tribulation, there was no wonder that his face was shining like that of an angel. There was no resentment, irritation or tension on his face, but it was full of godliness.  

Dear friend, are you going through a time of false accusation and ridicule by those around you? Are you dragged into controversies and conflicts not because of your fault? Are you forced into face difficulties, tests and tribulations in life? Do you react wildly and show burning anger on your face or do you exhibit peace and rest? Do you spit restlessness like a cobra or contentment like an angel? Will you look like an angry bomb or an angel of the Lord who is worshiping and praising the Lord in His presence? Your expressions in trying times show your true spiritual stature. Your reactions reveal your inner peace in spite of circumstances. It is likely that Stephen knew that his end of was near. Yet he was not agitated, but calm and at rest in the Lord. But he was still very bold to present the claims of Christ to his detractors. He was not shaky or fearful. He knew that either he will win the Sanhedrin for the Lord or that they will execute him which will mean that he will go to the presence of the Lord who suffered publicly for Him. So Stephen knew that either way he would gain rather than loose. Thus Stephen rejoiced in the Lord and reacted in a Christ-like manner. His heart was throbbing for Jesus which reflected on his face. Dear friend, the life of Stephen is a challenge for you to learn from and follow his example in exhibiting contentment in times of severe testing of your faith. Let the people who see you in trying times witness the grace and joy of a true believer in Jesus. Let others see you with a shining, angelic face. Because your times are in the hands of the Lord, you only need to confide in Him and rest as you face tough situations in life by faith. 

Isaiah 60:1 - Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  

Thought for Today

Our reactions in trying times prove whether we are controlled by the Lord and His Spirit or not.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to be filled with Your Spirit to enable me to respond to my tough situations in a calm and peaceful manner. Amen!

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LOCKED-UP FAITH!!

Locked-up faith!

Verse for Today: Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Acts 5:19 - But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.

The world often creates prison-like situations and locks up God's children to frustrate them and make them ineffective. The world and its master Satan think that the message of God and its heralds can be locked up to shut them up. These prisons are often places of persecution, suffering, poverty, sickness, misunderstandings, gossip and brutal criticism. Once a person is in one or more of these prison cells, it is very difficult to come out. The enemy does everything possible to weaken us by taking us out of circulation and making it difficult for us to get out. Our prisons give us experiences which are dark and cloudy where we become lonely and friendless. There may not be any one to sympathize with us in these prison cells. Some of our dear friends and associates will even dare to say that these prison cells are God's punishment in our lives. They add insult to our injuries. When we are thus deeply wounded, Satan will come to whisper that our prison cells are because God doesn't love us anymore. Perhaps God has His purposes in permitting prison experiences in our lives as in the case of Joseph, Paul and Silas. God uses it to strengthen our faith. But God also opens the doors of prisons to release His children through divine intervention. God can change our prisons into places of victory. He will send His angels to open the strong iron doors of hindrances in our situations. The key to open these strong doors is faith and trust in the Lord. To the shame of the enemy, the Lord gives us peace, patience and praise as He prepares for our release from the prison experiences.  

Dear friend, perhaps you are going through prison experiences in your life today. Are you imprisoned by your dark circumstances of poor health, debt, business failure, job loss, false allegations, gossip, and family concerns? For sure, these prison experiences are hard, bitter and painful. The lonely days and nights in the prison cells of situations would caste dark clouds around us, no matter how strong we are. But we can trust in the Lord who knows our situation which He has permitted in our lives for our good and His glory.  He will rule and overrule our situations and give us release from our prisons at His time. He will send help at the right time to strengthen us and take us out of our situations. Sometimes it is physical release, but at other times He gives us the release of our spirits from our situations.  God’s Word will often be our guide in our prisons until He accomplishes His purposes in our lives through prisons. He gives us hope against hope for a timely divine release and until then, He will fill our hearts with hope and great expectation for an imminent release. God who released Joseph, Peter and the disciples from the prisons will release us also, because He still has missions for us to accomplish outside our prisons. His Spirit will fill our hearts with His Word to give us hope and to fortify our hearts from falling into discouragement. So dear friend, be encouraged. Your help is on the way. Keep hoping for the Lord's time and His means to come to your help. In the meanwhile pray for faith and patience to wait for Him. Let us use the key of faith to open the prison cells of circumstances and enjoy His peace in spite of the prisons of life.    

Psalms 107:14 - He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart.

 

Thought for Today

The school of faith sometimes holds classes in prison cells to teach us great lessons of trust in the Lord.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to see Your glory shining in my heart and in the prison cells of life that You have permitted in my life. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

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OBEYING FAITH!!

Obeying faith!

Verse for Today: Monday, December 16, 2013

John 21:6 - Jesus said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.  

There are times when our efforts bring forth no results and we feel like we are a failure. Sometimes we face a series of failures in our lives which come in procession. This may be true in our secular occupation or in Christian ministries. These failures often make us deeply discouraged. But we must understand that the Lord achieves His purpose for us even through our failures and teaches us precious lessons in faith which we may not learn otherwise. Some failures come because we make decisions outside the will of God. Failures are also seen when we depend on our experience and expertise rather than on God. It is also likely that the Lord wants to use our failed efforts as an opportunity to demonstrate His supernatural power to interfere in our lives. No matter what the reasons behind our failures and defeats are, it is true that the Lord will use it for His glory. But it has to be the Lord's way and not our way. He turns things around when we give Him total and unconditional obedience to His instructions. When He says where we ought to launch out, that is the way we should go even when it is the same spot we toiled all night in vain. Even when there was no catch all night, if we cast the net at His command, it becomes His responsibility to give us the right catch. He will surely accomplish His purpose in us through our obedience. Our absolute obedience to Him is the practical expression of our commitment and allegiance to Him which will be used by Him to bring glory to His name. Thus we become His and our catch becomes His. It is now His fish, not ours. Where our skills and aptitudes fail miserably, the Lord becomes victorious through us.

Dear friend, when was the last time you were ready to quit because you felt that you were a failure? It is at such times that the enemy of our souls mocks us and drops doubts in our hearts about our faith. But our Lord works in very different ways. He often makes us realize our inadequacy before filling us with His power to accomplish what He has planned in our lives. In our efforts, we would not have caught 153 large fish in one night, but it has pleased Him to give us such results in our ministries because of His faithfulness. Such results come when we commit our ways to Him and obey His instructions. Today we must rise up from the ashes of our failures, listen to the instructions of the Lord and obey unconditionally. Let us today examine and confess our backsliding and get back to full obedience to the Lord and walk by faith. Let us commit the results of our obedience for His glory. Let us commit our ways to Him and give Him our total allegiance. Let us cast our nets exactly at the direction at which He wants and expect great things from Him. When the catch is very large, He will guard our nets so that it won't be torn. He will give us the capacity and grace to pull it to the shore where we will continue in commune with Him and forget our catch. When the Lord demonstrates His glory in and through our efforts, we do not any longer dwell on the catch, but on the Lord who is the cause of it all.  

John 11:40 - Then Jesus said: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Thought for Today

Our obedience to God carries with it His power to accomplish His will in our lives.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help my unbelieving heart to experience Your power in restoring my failures to victory. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Write for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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LOVED AND ACCEPTED!!

Loved and accepted! 

Verse for Today: Sunday, December 15, 2013

John 14:18 - I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  

The feeling of being an orphan is a formidable experience in life. When one is abandoned, ignored and rejected by the dearest and the nearest, it leads to the deepest sense of loss and depravity. When we are not accepted by our own family, home, church, work place and neighborhood, it is a devastating experience. It shatters us emotionally when no one cares for us and show love and compassion. It leaves us to struggle in life with the deepest desire to belong to somewhere and to someone. But the world denies us of such experience of belongingness because it shows us love basically with selfish motives. Our search for true acceptance often plunges us into deep despair. It is a stage when there is no one to understand and support us in our struggles. We feel friendless, lonely, isolated, insulated and cornered. Then our enemy starts to bark at us and spread false stories about our hopeless future. In seasons like this, we desperately need an anchor which is our Lord Jesus. Today His words of comfort and strength come to fortify us to look to the future with great hope that the Lord is there for us. He has assured us that no matter who forsakes us, He will not abandon us because we are His precious possession. He values us so much because He poured out His very life and blood to purchase us for now and eternity. He lifts us up at in our dark valleys and tells us that He will not leave us as orphans. When we listen to His voice, the feeling of being forsaken will vanish. This was the experience Paul had when he was in the prison and in a storm in the middle of the sea. Daniel, David, Joseph and Jeremiah faced such abandonment, but the presence of the Lord was with them which strengthened them to continue to do what the Lord has entrusted with them.  

Dear friend, are you feeling lonely and abandoned in life? Have your kith and kin forsaken you because of the stand you have taken for Jesus? His words come to comfort and encourage you today and reassure you that you are not alone. When you meditate on His promises, He will reveal Himself in glory to your heart and give you fellowship. There is no shadow of turning with our Lord. He will fill your heart with the feeling of being loved, possessed, led, strengthened, comforted, guided and held in His everlasting arms. When you feel lonely, the place to go is the presence of the Lord. When you feel all alone, the person to go to is the Lord Jesus. He is there is speak to you and fill you with the richness of His fellowship. His Spirit will fill you with the peace that passes all understanding. His Word will fill you with His potent promises. His angels will encompass around you and put a firewall of safety around you. When the eyes of the servant of Prophet Elisha were opened, he was able to see horses and chariots of fire. If we look through our eyes opened by the Lord, we will be able to see such firewalls around us. So there is no need for us to be frustrated. Even when we do not know, the Lord is at work to fill the vacuums in our lives. The Lord will come to us at the very hour of need to take away the feeling of loneliness. He is always there to fill our hearts with Himself and take away the feeling of being an orphan. 

Psalms 68:6 – God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing.  

Thought for Today

God’s children are part of God’s large heavenly family where He is our Father who makes all of us accepted in the Beloved Jesus.  

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to look unto You and feel accepted for what I am into Your heavenly family. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Write for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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SHELTERED AND SHADED!!

Sheltered and shaded!

Verse for Today:  Saturday, December 14, 2013

Isaiah 25:4 - (The Lord) has been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.  

During turbulence, turmoil and trouble, we seek a strong refuge, firm shelter and a thick shade. When we encounter physical and emotional difficulties, we seek to confide in a tower of strength to escape the perils that try to prevail over us. But we are grossly frustrated not to find such a tower of strength in this world because all that looks strong have serious limitations and tend to fall apart over time. But God comes in and offers Himself as our strong pillar and tower in all situations and at all times. He is able to take away our spiritual poverty and provide us with manna, living water, protection from the storms of hell and the continuing heat of this desert world. He provides us with His sustained protection all the time. He provides for our daily physical and emotional needs. When we are in distress because of the attack of the enemy and the luring of the world system, He gives us refuge, comfort and strength. When we suffer from the heat of the daily battles, He protects us under His wings and gives us the coolness of His shade in His presence. He is our protector, provider, defender, keeper and comforter all the way. He lifts us up from our distress, anguish and tears and helps us to live joyfully in spite of our situations. He gives us liberally and abundantly, but it is our privilege to go and ask Him to protect us and meet all our needs. On the one hand, He gives it to us out of His grace and mercy, and on the other hand, we are given the prerogative to make our requests known to Him like children to their Father. When He cares for us, we do not need to be afraid of the storms and the waves in the sea of life.

Dear friend, are you feeling the heat of the battles and the buffeting storms of life which blow against you? Do you find it difficult to bear your bitter situations? Do you feel that stress of your situations seem to tear you apart? Are there times when you do not have a place or a person to go to and take a break? Please know that your Lord is at hand to give you total and absolute refuge and comfort in all your situations. When you feel that no one understands your sincerity and transparency, the Lord is there for you to confide. He knows you in and out and recognizes you for what you are. You are precious to Him and so He will take care of you when you undergo stress, shortages, storms and the parching heat of this world. His Spirit is indwelling in you to remind you of the great and powerful promises He has made for you to fit your requirement in all situations. No storm of this world will touch the Lord and so when you are under His wings, no harm will ever overtake you. If you are in the fiery furnace of situations, it will not burn you because you are under the cool shade of the Almighty. He takes full responsibility to keep you without harm or hurt because you are His precious child. So today let us not allow ourselves to be discouraged by looking at our circumstances, but be encouraged and strengthened by the shelter and shade the Lord has spread over you for your protection, peace and rest. 

Psalms 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Thought for Today

Those who dwell under the shadow of the Heavenly Shield have no reason to fear their earthly situations.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Fill me more and more with the vision of the heavenly protection and provisions to dim my view of my earthly cares. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Write for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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TIMELY HELP!!

Timely help!

Verse for Today: Friday, December 13, 2013

Psalms 38:21 – O Lord, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God.

It is when we feel abandoned by all around us that we get to experience God as our ever present help. He teaches us through life’s rough experiences that ultimately all those who are near and dear will either forsake us or keep away. Some will escape with their busy schedules while others blame it on their lack of capacity. They only sympathize with their empty words. Some who had received ample help from us usually will keep a convenient distance while others will pretend ignorance about the depth of our plight. Through it all, our God helps us to learn that only He is there for us in our hours of dire need. Only God will hear our cries and show qualitative support. Only He will answer our prayers in our times of desperation and despair. But sometimes when we do not get instant response to our prayers, we might also plunge into impatience and give up hope too quickly. As we wait we might think that God seem far away. But all the while our God is working for us and preparing our situations to our favor. God has promised that He will never forsake those who call upon His name. He has promised His permanent presence to us because we are His beloved children. His mercy and compassion will never depart from us. He helps us not because of our merit nor because we deserve it, but because of His magnanimity. When we go through various needs and when we are caught in dire straits of life through cluttered circumstances, God will reveal His power for us in our situations. But He acts according to the perfect time which might be different from our estimates. Today He wants us to be patient and waiting for Him to act at His perfect time which will bring forth far greater blessings to us. Let us today learn to cry unto Him and wait for His time to see His answers ushered into our situations.

Dear friend, have you been going through desperate situations in life lately? Are there unexpected events which take away your peace and rest? Are you feeling miserable when there is no positive change in your situation even after praying and waiting for some time? Are your circumstances battering and buffeting you with unanswered questions when time seems to be ticking off? But all the while, your cries for help are seriously registered in the presence of God. He is not far from you, but is the present help in times of dire need. He stays close to you and keeps reassuring you of His care. He fills you with the magnificence of His presence. He is not far away from you, but very near and stays closely. He is working on the answers to your prayers which will come only at His perfect time. Any untimely answer will not glorify His name and will not prepare you adequately to enjoy His solutions to your situations. So while you keep calling, your God is at work in your own situation. He rescued David when all hope seemed to be lost. He gave Abraham a child when all hope was gone. He appeared to Jacob when he least expected it. He released Joseph from prison at an unexpected moment. He rescued His disciples at the height of dangerous waves in the lake. He pulled Peter out of the prison just hours before his execution. He is with you today in your situation and will deliver you at the right time. He is never late nor early, but will come at the right time with right answers for your joy and His glory.

Psalms 40:1 – I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. 

Thought for Today

In our times of severe testing, our Lord will travel with us on our pathways to carry us forward.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help me today to trust you to come to my help at your best time for my ultimate good. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Write for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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BELIEVING FAITH!!

Believing faith!

Verse for Today: Thursday, December 12, 2013

Mark 9:23 – “If you can”? said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

Man often develops doubts in his mind about God’s unchanging promises and unlimited capacity. God can do all things which are good and righteous. He is committed to resolving the difficulties of man. God intervenes in the natural process of life and impart instant support and help to restore man’s broken life. God has promised to help man, but man has to come to God with full and unconditional faith without the shadow of a doubt. God desires faith without wavering and doubting in His capacity to perform the usual and the unusual. When we develop doubt and unbelief, it questions the credibility of God which is unacceptable to Him. When we pray in unbelief our prayers will not be answered because it questions the authenticity of God’s promises and His strength and power to change situations. There were a lot of people who didn’t experience any miracles from Jesus because their unbelief prevented them from submitting their needs to Jesus. But those who had relentless faith in Jesus kept going to Him with their intimate needs and found solutions. When there was a shortage in a banquet hall, Mary knew who to go to. Even the Roman Centurion knew who to go to with his daughter’s sickness. Blind people who sat on the wayside had the faith and tenacity to go to Jesus with importune cries for help. All of them found solutions to their problems and the fulfillment of their needs. Today Jesus invites us to present all our needs and problems to Him to handle. If we go with faith, we will come back with our needs met. Those who have doubts can still go to Jesus and ask that their doubts might be forgiven and wiped away from them. Today whether we are doubtful or doubtless, we all need Jesus to intervene in our situations. His help emerges at our willingness to go to Him and submit our needs to Him with confession of our dependence on Him.

Dear friend, do you have deep conviction that Jesus is capable of handling your situation no matter how cumbersome it is? Is there an iota of doubt or unbelief that governs your heart? Are you wavering when Jesus delays? Do you get tired of praying for long and waiting? As you keep waiting and praying, if the answer is still eluding you, you might consider it as God’s test on your patience and faith. If you have genuine and ardent faith, you will not relent even if you have to wait for long. Isn’t it true that we believe in the return of our Lord in the mid-air to take us all home to be with Him forever? Even after more than two millennia of waiting, we still look forward to it because we believe in His promise to return. Isn’t it true that we believe in our eternal salvation? Isn’t it true that we believe in His daily provisions, protection and power for us? If so, it should be possible for us to believe that all His promises will come true. When He has promised, that settles it for us forever. Today Jesus confirms to us that He will not change His promises and wants us to be relentless our faith in Him. He will definitely do His part, but we must respond positively by faith in believing and claiming it by faith. Are we today asking ‘if’ He could do it for us? Or will we say ‘amen’ for all His capacity and willingness to do it for us? Today let us cling to our Lord and wait for His perfect will at His perfect time to give us what He has promised and see that it will be done with divine precision.

Mark 9:24 – “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Thought for Today

Man’s unbelief and doubt will not reduce the capacity and willingness of God to fulfill His promises.

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord Jesus: Help me to overcome my unbelief and doubts in your loving concern for me. Amen!

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Your comments, feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Write for prayer support and counseling without cost or obligation to todayintheword@gmail.com

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