An Invitation to Abundant Life

Yoohoo! Everyone who thirsts, come drink of the everlasting Word of God. He invites us to dive into His Word so we will not be Spiritually thirsty. He asks us to come and eat (chew on) what is good, delighting our souls in the abundance of His love as we read. While in His Word, listen and absorb it, so we might live the everlasting life of joy and live it in abundance. When you except His invitation He will make an an everlasting covenant with you, as He did David. You become a heir to the throne of God, for He has glorified you. Hallelujah!

Don't give up once you have God in your sight. His promises and words are as sure of fulfillment as the fact that it rains and snows. Keep at it, read the Word and Pray through all the seasons of your life with confidence that the Father in Heaven will fulfill what He has began in you.

When you absorb the Word you can in turn share it with others. By planting seeds and helping them bud into maturity that they may too receive the promised joy.

-Bits and Pieces of the Word by Debi Webster Perry-

Father, Your Words are top priority to me. They are spirit and life. I let the Word dwell in me richly in all wisdom. The ability of God is released within me by the words of my mouth and by the Word of God. I speak Your words out of my mouth. They are alive in me. You are alive and working in me. So, I can boldly say that my words are words of faith, words of power, words of love and words of life. They produce good things in my life and in the lives of others. Because I choose Your Words for my lips, I choose Your will for my life, and I go forth in the power of those words to perform them in Jesus' name.

I exalt Your Word, hold it in high esteem, and give it first place. I make the Word final authority to settle all questions that confront me. I choose to agree with the Word of God, and I choose to disagree with any thoughts, conditions, or circumstances contrary to Your Word. I boldly and confidently say that my heart is fixed and established on the solid foundation - the living Word of God! Amen -Germaine Copeland's Prayers-

Notes to Ponder:

Evangelism (the spreading of the God News) and expansion (the enlarging of life's potential under God) both multiply by the "seed" of God's Word. Jesus described the Word as "seed" also (Luke 8:11), the source of all saving life and growth possibilities transmitted from the Father to mankind. All increase of life within His love comes by His Word, as human response gives place for His blessing. When received, God's word of promise will never be barren. The power in His Word will always fulfill the promise of His Word. We never need wonder how faith is developed or how fruitfulness is realized. Faith comes from "hearing" God's Word (Romans 10:17), that is, by receiving it wholeheartedly and humbly. Fruitfulness is the guaranteed by-product -- whether for the salvation of a lost soul or the provision of a disciples"s need -- God's Word cannot be barren or fruitless: His own life-power is within it! (James 1:23-25/2 Tim.2:15)

• Yahweh addresses the exiles. He summons them to detach themselves from Babylon's influences (v.2) that they may enjoy His gracious, abundant meal (true satisfaction in Him as returnees to Jerusalem). (Is. 55:1-5)
• Have no money: God's abundant life is free (Is. 55:1)
• The sure mercies of David defines God's covenant in terms of God's acts of faithfulness to David. Paul applied this to life in Christ (Acts 13:34).
• A witness to the people: A new Leader will assume David's role. (Is.55:4) This is a reference to Christ (see Rev. 1:5); Isaiah still has the Servant in view.
• In anticipation of the restoration of His people, Yahweh calls Israel to repent. He addresses any who doubt that He is about to move by reminding them that His plans transcend man's; man cannot always accurately read God's ways; nothing can stop His decrees. (Is. 55:6-13)
• God's promises and plans (words) are as sure of fulfillment as the fact that it rains and snows. (Is. 55:11)
• These verses symbolically depict creation's joy at God's redemptive action. Fulfilled in part in the postexilic return, the verses unlimately messianic and eschatological. They depict cosmic joy at the reign of Christ (see Luk 2:13, 14) as well as prophesy the world to come when "creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption" (Romans 8:21).
  

-NSFB-

The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer

My son, Vincent, posted this on his FB page, "Can the Middle Class Be Saved?, and it made a lot of things a little clearer, like when you have that "Ah hah" moment, thus it is today's post.

The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer? Is that right?

Dan Borchert

1. Last week we mentioned briefly, caring for the disadvantaged, this week we go in depth on that subject.

2. James is addressing the local congregation.

3. As it turns out they are not much different then we are today.

There are three points I would like to make today. And they all have power in him.

1. Power Ties

2. Power Pockets

3. Power Plays

To view this sermon visit Sermon Central.com

The Parable of the Rich Fool Study By: Hampton Keathley IV

The Point

Because we cannot take our material possessions with us, we should concentrate on storing up eternal treasures in heaven.

The Relation To The Kingdom Program Of God

Christ is going to be the judge in the kingdom. What started the whole parable? The question by the greedy man. He wanted Jesus to be the judge. Jesus says, “Who made me judge over you?” As if Jesus isn’t the one who is judge. Remember what Jesus said in 12:4 and 5. Don’t fear the one who kills the body, but fear the one who can cast you into hell. That of course is God. But God is going to hand all judgment over to Christ. But that is not yet known. Luke is hinting at it and will reveal it later.

If God is the king and we are the sons, then we are heirs of the kingdom and if we own the kingdom, then barns, grain and goods are such trivial matters. We don’t need to worry about earthly inheritances. That is the right perspective. It is so ironic that we lust for acres while here on the earth and God has kingdoms waiting for us in the future (cf. vs31). What a stupid investment to leave God out of my life and devote my time on earth to build up the very thing that God is going to use for asphalt in heaven - gold. Streets of gold. Get it in perspective. The asphalt of heaven.

The Principles

Don’t put your emphasis on material possessions because they don’t last. Like the guy who was walking back from the funeral and someone asked him, “How much did the guy leave behind?” And the man smartly replied, “Everything.”

Greed is wrong, but at the opposite pole, so is self-sufficiency or self-satisfaction.

If you define life in terms of money, you leave God out of the definition and you end up bankrupt. What counts is your relationship with God. Remember Jesus said in 12:9 just before the parable, “He who denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.”

The rich man made at least four mistakes:

1. The rich man made the mistake of thinking he was the owner of his stuff when he was just a steward. We are just stewards of our stuff.

2. He was worried about the present and forgot about eternity.

3. He was concerned only for the physical and forgot about spiritual things.

4. He treasured stuff more than people. He lived an isolated life

This parable tells us how to define life. Most people define life in terms of material possessions, physical fitness or the future. This parable speaks loudly to our generation. Have you been defining life in your career, your house, your stock portfolio, in terms of what you can do physically, or the assumption that you will live much longer? What is going to happen when you lose one or more of those things? What happens when you get laid off? What happens when the stock market crashes? What happens when you get some disease which takes away your physical ability. What happens when you find out you only have six months to live? If you define life in these things, you will be devastated.

Having possessions is not wrong, it is putting your security in them that is wrong. The rich man is not condemned for being rich. He is condemned for being self-centered, for not using his surplus to help others, for leaving God out of his life...(Continued at Bible.org)

According to Martin Luther, greed causes unbelief, and unbelief causes greed. Luther took the fourth request of the Lord's prayer, “Give us today our daily bread”, as a call to shun greed. He also urged every Christian to undertake regular and earnest prayer against this dangerous vice. My prayer is that we would all seek first the Kingdom of God and his will for our lives. May we never be content in our relationship with God and always desire to be closer to him.

The Passage: Luke 12:13-21
The Message (MSG)

The Story of the Greedy Farmer

¹³Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."

¹⁴He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"

¹⁵Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."

^16-19Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'

²⁰"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'

²¹"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

Other sources: Unmasking Greed ; A Matter of Greed ; Generosity vs Greed

God Uses the Speckled Person

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases …” (Psalm 103:2)

I would like to focus on a few words John Paul Jackson shared on one of his video's. God uses the speckled person when there has been true repentance. This may not be the exact quote but it impacted me years ago and has helped me with my renewed walk with the Lord.

God forgives all the speckled things we have created in our lives and uses them for His Glory, if we truly repent and desire to stay with Him the rest of our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can clean us from the inside out and make us new creatures. Hallelujah!

As a drop of water ripples in the water, the sin of our lives can ripple into other peoples lives, so when God has cleansed us from the inside out, there is another work which needs done, the reverse side of the ripple effect. Through building others up in prayer or by acts of kindness we can reverse the ripples, sending out healing for the wounds made by careless words. Pray that the damage which created in others will also be repaired by the Holy Spirit.

When looking closely at your ancestors you can see some repetition going on with things happening in your life. Those ripples of sin were created long ago by generational curses from our ancestors and have been rippling down the family tree. If we do not stop that "River of Mud", the damage is continued to our descendants.

How can we stop this ripple effect? By calling on the Lord and using the equipment He has given us to tear down the spiritual wickedness in high places. Use His Word, the sword, and His Holy Spirit for discernment against the powers of darkness, and cover them with the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ our Savior.

Taking that first step of faith and believing in Jesus as your Lord and Savior you are now a child of God. Every sin was washed away with the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus and you were transformed into a new person. You have become a part of the royal family God. Being an heir to the throne of God you now have the privilege to use that power Jesus has given us through the Holy Spiritagainst All the power of darkness.

Some good books to read on this topic is the , "Deliverance Manual" by Gene and Earline Moody (free for use) and Bible-Knowledge.com.