Spiritual Gifts
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How to Pray for Others
2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21 God has made us kings and priests unto God (Rev. 1:6). Because we are kings and priests, it is helpful to look into the Old Testament to see what the early priests did. We need to know how they ministered to the people and exactly what their office as priest required. The good news is that we can be even more effective as priests than the priests of the early days. We now have a high priest, Jesus Christ, who through His blood shed on the cross has given us boldness to enter into the holy of holies to find grace whenever we have a need.
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Warfare Through the Dance
Psalm 149:1-9 Most of us are familiar with the Indian war dances, which always occurred before they entered warfare with their enemies. Dancing and rejoicing before the Lord is also an effective weapon before we go to war against Satan. We have the scriptural example of this when Jehoshaphat sent the singers ahead of his army and ambushments against their enemies were established. "And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever" (2 Chron. 20:21, KJV).
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The Power of Praise
Acts 16:16-40 Picture Paul and Silas in stocks in prison. They should have been so discouraged and depressed, but this was not their state at all. They had been beaten, and I am sure the stocks were irritating their fresh wounds, yet they made a quality decision. They decided to praise the Lord anyhow. They began to sing praises to God. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, and the foundations of the whole prison were shaken, causing the doors of their cell to fling open. The guard of the prison awakened and was in great fear. This guard was about to kill himself because he knew he would be killed if Paul and Silas escaped. Paul cried out, "Do not harm yourself, for we are here." Then this prisoner fell at their feet and asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your house will be saved." The guard took them to his house, where Paul and Silas explained to the whole household about the Lord. The guard washed their wounds and then everyone in his household was baptized.
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What Do You Love the Most?
John 21:1-25 The water gently washed over the heart-shaped rocks that were formerly pillars to an ancient temple. We looked in the distance across the Sea of Galilee and relived the story written in John 21. We were standing in one of my favorite spots on the shore of the Galilee. The place is called Peter's Primacy, and it is the place where Jesus cooked a meal for His disciples after He was resurrected. It was at this place that Peter had the opportunity to confirm his love to the Master three times after denying Him three times. This was Jesus' last meal with His disciples before He ascended, and something essential for their future happened here during their dinner conversation. Jesus told them of their future occupation in the kingdom.
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Illumination
Psalm 119: 113-131 The Word of God is a light to our path, as we learned yesterday. Through the Word of God we can receive instruction, correction, reproof and doctrine that will keep us moving forward in our spiritual walk and also prevent our stumbling along the way. The Word of God not only shines a light on our path as we walk through this life, but it also shines a light into our hearts.
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Give Me the Mountain
Joshua 13:1-14:15 Caleb was forty years old when Moses sent Joshua, him and others to spy out the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb were the only two who came back with a good report and were the only two adult men who survived the wilderness experience for forty years. They survived because they were men of faith. God honored their faith by granting them the privilege of entering into the Promised Land. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and nothing pleases God more than to see a man of faith. Caleb was a great man of faith.
