Got-Fruit(?)

February 18, 2010

A Prayer for Godliness – MacArthur devotional (20100218)

"This I pray"
Philippians 1:9

As we come to our study of godliness in Philippians 1:9-11, we note that this passage is a prayer. Typically, Paul’s prayers reflected his concern that his readers would mature spiritually.  That is impossible without prayer because spiritual growth depends on the Holy Spirit’s power, which is tapped through prayer.

Prayer is so vital that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray at all times (Luke 18:1). Paul commands us to "pray without ceasing" (1st Thessalonians 5:17). Peter said we should be "of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer" (1st Peter 4:7).

Scripture gives many other commands to pray, but the true test of your spirituality is your compulsion to pray, not simply your obedience to commands. As a Christian you exist in a spiritual realm in which prayer is as natural as breathing is in the natural realm. Just as atmospheric pressure exerts force on your lungs, compelling you to breathe, so your spiritual environment compels you to pray. Resisting either brings devastating results.

The more you see life through God’s eyes, the more you are driven to pray. In that sense your prayers reveal the level of your spiritual maturity. Paul prayed with urgency day and night because he shared God’s love for His people and His concern for their spiritual maturity.

Examine your own prayers. Do you pray from a sense of duty or are you compelled to pray?  Do you pray infrequently or briefly?  Do your prayers center on your own needs or the needs of others?  Do you pray for the spiritual maturity of others?  Those important questions indicate the level of your spiritual maturity and give guidelines for making any needed changes in your pattern of prayer.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Thank God for the privilege and power of prayer.
If you have neglected prayer or if your prayers have been centered on yourself rather than others, confess your sin and ask God to give you a sense of holy urgency in praying as you should.

Is there someone for whom you should be praying more consistently?

For Further Study:
Read Daniel 6:1-28.

What was Daniel’s pattern of prayer?
What accusation did the political leaders bring against Daniel?
What was the king’s attitude toward Daniel?
How did God honor Daniel’s faith?

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur Copyright © 1993. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.

 

Link: http://www.gty.org/PDF/DrawingNear2182010.pdf

July 27, 2009

O(hh)-bama!?! No… Oh, my God.

This past weekend I happened to watch a documentary titled: “The Obama Deception”; which caused me to SIGNS,tin foil,conspiracy,Got Fruit reflect a little deeper on the current financial,social, and more importantly, spiritual condition of the country.

Before moving on, I hope it’s understood by readers that the intentions of posting the link to the video mentioned above is not an endorsement, political statement, nor a call for patriotism over God and faith.  I’m also not suggesting that the film is 100% accurate in any of it’s assumptions or that anyone should become occupied with conspiracy theory hunting as a means to finding a solution.

What is suggested, in view of the descent of the country (spiritual,moral,social,financial etc;), is a concern especially for those of the faith that appear to be so wrapped up in their dissatisfaction with the present administration, that they miss seeing the bigger picture (Biblical implications) of the turn of events, this in my opinion due to misplaced ideas and desires to place blame on  someone.. anyone.

pulpit,sermon,church,Got Fruit The sermon below which was forwarded to me via email this morning “connects the dots” so to speak as for how I believe we as Christians are called to view the present situation.  Given that the sermon was emailed it could very well  be made up, however, in principle I agree with most of the thoughts from this “sermon”.   In the final few paragraphs the “preacher” makes reference to the president, of which I’m assuming that the “preacher’s” intentions were not to make any political statement on the pulpit, but rather a plea to his congregation to not put faith in anyone other than Christ; regardless of their political ties, nationality, race,denomination or what have you.

The Spanish philosopher said, "Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

This is a sermon from a church in Virginia …. Genesis 47:13-27

Good morning, brothers and sisters; it’s always a delight to see the hall crowded, and so eager to get into God’s Word.  Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will, to the 47th chapter of Genesis; we’ll begin our reading at verse 13, and go through verse 27.

Brother Ray, would you stand and read that great passage for us?…. Thank you for that fine reading, Brother Ray..  So we see that economic hard times fell upon Egypt , and the people turned to the government of Pharaoh to deal with this for them. Pharaoh,Egypt,Old Testament,Got Fruit

And Pharaoh nationalized the grain harvest, and placed the grain in great storehouses that he had built. So the people brought their money to Pharaoh, like a great tax increase, and gave it all to him willingly in return for grain.  And this went on until their money ran out, and they were hungry again.
So when they went to Pharaoh after that, they brought their livestock – their cattle, their horses, their sheep, and their donkey – to barter for grain, and verse 17 says that only took them through the end of that year.

But the famine wasn’t over, was it?
So the next year, the people came before Pharaoh and admitted they had nothing left, except their land and their own lives.  "There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land.  Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land?  Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh."  So they surrendered their homes, their land, and their real estate to Pharaoh’s government, and then sold themselves into slavery to him, in return for grain.

What can we learn from this, brothers and sisters?
That turning to the government instead of to God to be our provider in hard times only leads to slavery?  That the only reason government wants to be our provider is to also become our master?
But look how that passage ends! Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt , in the land of Goshen .  And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly."  God provided for His people, just as He always has!  They didn’t end up giving all their possessions to the government, no, it says they gained possessions!

Ecclesiastes,sun,meaningless,Old Testament,Got Fruit But I also tell you a great truth today, and an ominous one.  We see the same thing happening today – the government today wants to "share the wealth" once again, to take it from us and redistribute it back to us.  It wants to take control of healthcare, just as it has taken control of education, and ration it back to us, and when government rations it, then government decides who gets it, and how much, and what kind.

And if we go along with it, and do it willingly, then we will wind up  no differently than the people of Egypt did four thousand years ago -  as slaves to the government, and as slaves to our leaders.

What Mr. Obama’s government is doing now is no different from what Pharaoh’s government did then, and it will end the same.. And a lot of people like to call Mr. Obama a "Messiah," don’t they? Is he a Messiah? A savior?  Didn’t the Egyptians say, after Pharaoh made them his slaves, "You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh"?

Well, I tell you this – I  know the Messiah; and Mr. Obama is no Messiah!  No, brothers and sisters, if Mr. Obama is a character from the Bible, then he is Pharaoh.

Bow with me in prayer, if you will.

"Lord, You alone are worthy to be served, and we rely on You, and You alone.  We confess that the government is not our deliverer, and never rightly will be.  We read in the eighth chapter of 1st Samuel, when Samuel warned the people of what a ruler would do, where it says "And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."  And Lord, we  acknowledge that day has come.  We cry out to you because of the  ruler that we have chosen for ourselves as a nation..Lord, we pray for  this nation.  We pray for revival, and we pray for deliverance from those who would be our masters. Give us hearts to seek You and hands to serve You, and protect Your people from the atrocities of Pharaoh’s government."

1st-Peter,aliens,world,Christian,sin,soul,Got Fruit,New Testament,Epistle

Grace and peace be with you.

July 23, 2009

Prayer quote –Max Lucado

Filed under: Quotes — Tags: , , , — Christopher @ 4:25 am

God,prayer,Max Lucado,Got Fruit“Faithful servants have a way of knowing answered prayer when they see it, and a way of not giving up when they don’t.”

~Max Lucado

April 29, 2009

National Day of Prayer – 2009

Filed under: Miscellaneous — Tags: — Christopher @ 8:00 am

download

Reminder that the National Day of Prayer is Thursday 7 May, 20009

Ephesians 6:17-18
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Grace and peace be with you.

April 13, 2009

A Fatal Moment – Blackaby devotional

Filed under: Devotionals — Tags: , , , , , — Christopher @ 1:08 am

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Mark 14:38

At times your spirit must demand supremacy over your flesh. You spirit will know what your Lord wants you to do, but your flesh will cry out for its own fulfillment. There are times when sleep must be denied, even when you are exhausted, because it would be disastrous for you to rest at such a time. When the Lord commands you to "watch and pray," it is crucial that you obey.

The Garden of Gethsemane,Got-Fruit?,Jesus,prayer,disciples As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew that the pinnacle of His ministry was quickly approaching. He was aware that the legions of hell were marshaling their forces to defeat Him. If there were ever a critical time for His closest friends to be undergirding Him in prayer, this was it. Jesus told them that He was deeply distressed, even to the point of death. Surely they could have sensed the intensity in His voice and the urgency of His demeanor, and surely they could have found the strength to obey His request. Yet He found them asleep. No excuses. They had fallen asleep at the most pivotal moment in human history, not once but three times!

Jesus asks you to join Him in what He is doing. He may ask you to watch and pray for an hour. You may have to deny your physical needs and desires in order to pray with Him. You may have to leave the comfort of your bed or your home. You may even have to sacrifice your safety in order to be where Jesus is. Seek to bring every physical desire under the control of the Holy Spirit so that nothing will impede your accomplishing what Jesus asks of you.

Henry and Richard Blackaby
Experiencing God Day-by-Day

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