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Showing posts with the label Christ Jesus

More Worship & Less Worry

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Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Cast your burden upon Yahweh and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalms 55:22 LSB) What we give our attention to magnifies. Let us spend more time praising our great GOD than we do talking about what the enemy is doing. Proverbs 19:21 (NLT) says: You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail. No matter what the enemy is planning the battle still belongs to Yahweh and Yeshua has already won the victory. O magnify Yahweh with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Psalms 34:3 LSB) He will keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him, all whose thoughts are fixed on Him! (See Isaiah 26:3 NLT)

Walk in Union with Him

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Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude. — Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) Let us live and move and have our being in Christ, the king of kings and Lord of lords. (See Acts 17:28 & Revelation 19:16) In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. (Colossians 3:11 NLT)

Perfect & Complete

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“I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” — Philippians 1:6 (AMP) Yahweh is faithful to complete the good work He is doing in each believer. Know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (See James 1:3-4 NASB1995) “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 NLT)

Continue to Follow

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“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow do wn into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”  — Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) As we have received Messiah Yeshua as Lord, let us continue to walk in union with Him [reflecting His character in the things we do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], (See Colossians 2:6 TLV & AMP). “What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways! He won’t walk in step with the wicked, nor share the sinner’s way, nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat. His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM,” meditating day and night on the true revelation of light. He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever ...

Reaching Forward

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Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:13-14 (NASB1995) In order to move onward and upward with Yeshua, we need to forget what lies behind. Forget those who did you wrong, who falsely accused you, or abandoned you, etc. We need to let go of any material things or accomplishments we hold onto so dearly, and strive to know and become personally acquainted with our Lord and Savior. In Philippians 3:13 (TPT), the Apostle Paul says: “… I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.”  Another thing that will enable us to press on toward the call of God is stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, and run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, looking away from all that will...

Consider Him

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Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. — Hebrews 11:3 (AMP) Consider: think carefully about our Savior. Look attentively unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (See Hebrews 11:2 NKJV) When we consider all He did for us, our trials pale in comparison. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5 NASB1995) Like those in the church of Ephesus, persevere, have patience, and labor for His name’s sake and do not become wea...

No Condemnation

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Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. — Romans 8:1 (AMP) “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37 NKJV) For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But— When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:3-5 NLT) Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 TLV) Let go of the old, dead things and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (See Phi...

Await His Return

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Just as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment, so the Anointed One, our Liberating King, was offered once in death to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to rescue those who eagerly await His return. — Hebrews 9:27-28 (VOICE) What a glorious destination we have in Christ. Eagerly and confidently wait for His return. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB1995) Glory hallelujah! Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul...

No Condemnation

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There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. — Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV) There is a sure way for us to know that we belong to the truth. (Our actions will show that we belong to the truth.) Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things. (1 John 3:19-20 VOICE/NLT)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) …having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, (See Acts 17:30 NASB1995). Let the kindness of God lead you to repentance. (See Romans 2:4) Then, be led by the Holy S...

Come to Worship

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” — Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV) Wise men and women still seek the King of kings and the Lord of lords, each and every day. They acknowledge the fact that He is Christ, the Son of the living God. (See Matthew 26:63) In Revelation 1:8, Jesus says:  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (See John 1:29). “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (See Revelation 5:12 NKJV) In Matthew 2:11, when the wise men had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they present...

Press On!

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 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. — Philippians 3:14 (NLT) Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, (Philippians 3:13 NASB) Stop longing for things of the past and reach forward. We have an upward call of God in Christ Jesus. A call to go higher and deeper. Let us press on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). Hosea 6:3 says, let us press on to know the LORD. I will press on—moving steadfastly forward along Your path. I will not look back. I will not stumble. — Psalm 17:5 (VOICE)

Join Him

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Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! — Ephesians 2:7-8 (MSG) God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. (Ephesians 2:10 MSG) Since God woke you up this morning, He has a good work for you to join Him in today. He is calling you to a higher level. So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He’s the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. (Hebrews 3:1-2a  MSG) Let us follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and be faithful in everything the Father has given us to do.

Always Trust

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But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. — Psalm 52:8 (NASB) Always trust confidently in God’s unfailing love. He is not only a Promise Maker, He is a Promise Keeper. He is faithful to watch over His Word and perform it. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6 NLT) The work God is doing is IN us. Be assured that whatever circumstances God is allowing in your life, will eventually bring about the good intended by the LORD. You have heard of the patient endurance of Job and you have seen the Lord’s outcome [how He richly blessed Job]. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. — James 5:11b (AMP) 

An Everlasting Love

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The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” — Jeremiah 31:3 (NASB) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. (Ephesians 1:4 NLT) He pursued us, and at the appointed time, He revealed Himself to us. He lifted us up out of the pit and set our feet on a firm foundation. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39) Amen. I am filled with joy and my soul vibrates with exuberant hope, because of the Eternal my God; For He has dressed me with the garment of salvation, wrapped me with the robe of righteousness. It’s as though I’m dressed for my wedding day, in the very best: a bridegroom’s garland and a bride’s jewels. — Isaiah 61:10 (VOICE)

Make Your Life a Prayer

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Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (TPT) Make your life a prayer (a conversation with your heavenly Father). In every circumstance and situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your specific requests known to God. Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:6-7 TPT)

True Joy & Contentment

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…You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment. — Psalm 16:11 (VOICE) We find true joy and contentment when we continually walk with the LORD, each day of our lives. May we fix our gaze upon Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the eternal King of kings. In Philippians 4:11-13 (VOICE), the Apostle Paul says, “… I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances. I know how to survive in tight situations, and I know how to enjoy having plenty. In fact, I have learned how to face any circumstances: fed or hungry, with or without. I can be content in any and every situation through the Anointed One who is my power and strength. ” Amen.

Be Deeply Rooted

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And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. — Colossians 2:6-7 (NLT) May we be deeply rooted and securely grounded in Jesus and the love of God. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. (Ephesians 3:17 NLT) Your roots nourish the rest of your body. If your roots are in an environment that is not conducive to growth, it will cause you to be weak and die spiritually. Being deeply rooted in Jesus gives us the nourishment to grow strong, thrive and bear much fruit. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], having been deeply rooted [in Him] an...

Brought Near

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But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. — Ephesians 2:13 (NASB) The nearness of God is our good... (Psalm 73:8). Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. (Ephesians 2:18 NLT) We have been given 24-hour access to the throne room of God. That's better than backstage passes for your favorite artist/performer. This is more exciting than club or box seats at the football game of your choice. What an honor and privilege, that we can approach the throne of God with confidence. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness. (Hebrews 4:16 TPT) Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. — Isaiah 55:6 (NASB)

Good Works

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For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. — Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) We were created in Jesus, for good works. Many believers focus so hard on the work they are doing for Him, that it becomes a chore and they totally lose sight of the Savior. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Stay focused on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit do the work in you and through you to bring about the Father’s perfect will. And always remember, whatever God has called you to do, it is a “GOOD” work. We can also be confident that whatever God has called us to, He has already given us the victory. Amen! No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. — Romans 8:37 (NLT)

Rest in God’s Faithfulness

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Believe in the Eternal, and do what is good— live in the land He provides; roam, and rest in God’s faithfulness. — Psalm 37:3 (VOICE) The Amplified Bible says to trust, rely on and have confidence in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and feed securely on His faithfulness. (Psalm 37:3) When we rely on Him to work in us and through us, His perfect will is accomplished. Let us put more confidence in our great God than we do earthly events, that doctor’s report, or the balance of our bank account, etc. Trust God to handle everything that concerns you and He will keep you in perfect peace. God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) He is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. Amen.