Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.One of the most difficult prayers in life is to ask the Lord to search our hearts. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. I know mine is. Many times, I think I know what is best for me, only to find out later that what I thought was best was completely wrong. God sometimes will give us what we want to show us what we really need. I'd rather know now than later what is the pure and perfect will of the Lord, even if it means I don't get my way. I am not afraid to ask the Lord to test me. Why? Because I know my thoughts are continually anxious. I always want things my way instead of His way. I go ahead of God instead of going with God. This gets me into a lot of unneeded trouble. A Bible teacher once taught "frustration equals flesh." In other words, when you are frustrated in your walk with God, in your relationship with others, in your daily work or anything in life, it is most likely because you are trying do things in your own strength rather than His. When we do things God's way and our led by the Spirit what we do is never frustrating, but there is a peace in our hearts that surpasses all understanding. We are confident in Him and walk in perfect love.
One of the best ways to save us from unneeded anguish, pain and regret is to pray
"Lord search my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, if there is any offensive way in me that does not please You, if there is anything in my heart that it selfish, self seeking, or proud, my Lord my God change my heart and turn me back to You and I ask You to lead me in the right way, in the way everlasting. Amen."During these recent days I simply keep praying, "Lord do not let me have my way, but let Your way be done in me. Give me a greater hu
nger for You and You alone. Be my satisfaction. Not these other things. For You alone are worthy!"
So I took up a new sport "golf" I'm lovn it! I hit under 100 on my first game which my golfing buddy Jinder say's aint to shabby :P haha, he says I'm a natural..."I'm like are you serious?" Well, I don't think I'll be the next Tiger Woods, but you can just call me "Tiger Ma" hahaha....my favorite thing in life to see is "green hills" that's probably why I like golfing so much. It makes me chill and feel God's peace. Word. Golf is GOOD!
Psalm 119:73-77
73Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.There is nothing better than to seek God in ones life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. For many it is difficult to trust God in times of hardship. Many children, when their parents take things away from them it is not to harm them, but to protect them. The child may kick, scream and throw a fit because they think what the parent has done is cruel. They don't understand that the parent loves them and has the best in mind for them.
In life, we won't understand why things happen the way they do. We won't understand why God may take away the very things that we think we need the most. Whether it be our relationships, health, finances, careers, prestige, respect, ministry or anything else we can hold onto in our own strength. Even if God takes away everything, I will always trust that His judgments are right. His ways are above my ways, His thoughts above my thoughts and His wisdom is always trustworthy. God only acts out of love. He is a good Father and we can trust Him always. He knows best and always desires the best for us. In His faithfulness to make us more like Him, to bring us closer to Him and to make us perfect in His love, He will "afflict us". The affliction of the Lord may not feel good, it may not be understood, it may even seem wrong at the moment, but ultimately if we trust in Him it will produce fruit in our lives that will be everlasting. It is in those moments, when all around us fails, when everything we wanted, everything we held onto, everything we thought was God but turned out it was not or so it seems, it is in those precious moments that we pray,
76Lord, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.When Jesus was in the garden being arrested by the soldiers His disciple Peter tried to stop Him from facing the affliction by cutting off one of the soldiers ears. Yet Jesus knew God had brought about this affliction, it was His destiny to be crucified on the cross. Even so, did Jesus make a way for escape from the pain that was due? No, he answered Peter,
"Put your sword away! Shall I knot drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:11)Shall we not drink the cup of suffering, the cup of affliction that Jesus drank? To take up our cross daily with Him? I'm not advocating that we look to "suffer for Christ" in order to prove our faithfulness to God. But the Word of God says those who desire to live a true godly life will suffer persecution. But let us not look to suffering as a negative, but as an opportunity for each of us to draw closer to Christ and to experience His infinite goodness in this temporary finite existence. For what is our affliction compared to His? Nothing at all. All that we lose in this life is for the sole purpose of understanding what He loss, yet what He gained for us.
2Ti 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.His love never fails. His wisdom always knows best. His tender mercies are my comfort. His Word is my delight.
Lord Jesus do not let me have my way. In Your faithfulness afflict me until I am made complete in Christ. Let me decrease so You may increase oh Lord. Amen
Christ the True Vine
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.Apart from Christ we can do nothing. How true this Scripture rings in my spirit as I meditate upon it. Throughout my life, I have witnessed the miracles of God. His love and power never cease to amaze me. Miracles don't happen by chance, miracles happen because we abide in the Miracle Worker. Intimacy is the birthplace of miracles. When we are not close to Him, we tend to do things in our own strength and power. We can do work for God in our own strength, our own power, intellect and ability. But if we only do things for Him, not with Him, what we do is in vain. The more I minister in Hollywood/Los Angeles Ca, the more I realize each day how much I need Him daily in my life to fill me, empower me and give me the grace needed to face this dark dark land. I can't face the day, without spending time in His presence. I'm not talking about 10 minutes with Him, I'm talking about "adequate time" in His presence. Personally, I need at least an hour of just being silent before Him in prayer and meditation. We must daily wait upon the Lord and rest in His presence till we are filled with His tangible joy and then be ready to face the day. If we do not spend time with Him, we can do nothing for Him. I've made many mistakes in the past by becoming too busy for God. The moment I became too busy for time in prayer with God, it was in those seasons of life that I lost track of myself and my purpose. I began to take things into my own hands and the results were frustration, fatigue and fruit-lessness. Yet, if we abide in Him and He in us, the result will be fruit-fullness. Ministry will be easy, life will flow and His presence will be our complete joy satisfying our every need. We will not be in want, but content in Him.
I want to be the branch that bears fruit. Even if He prunes me. Discipline does not feel good at the moment, it can be harsh and even painful. These are the life lessons God brings into our life to humble us and make us more like Him. So this is why I welcome the discipline of God, for without it, I would be like a spoiled child gone astray and doing things on my own. I don't want to do things alone, I want to do things with my heavenly Father. Prune me Oh Lord, even if it hurts, don't let me have my way, but let only Your way be done in me and all of us. Show us Your great love for us this day! In Jesus name Amen
Attached is a clear and Biblical response to the Lakeland Healing Revival and Outpouring from my friend Dr. Gary Greig (a theological expert) who edited my book. What he writes in this article will answer many of the questions and concerns that Christian leaders have had with Lakeland outpouring. I recommend you read the attached and pass it along as appropriate. I want to re-state that I support and encourage the Lakeland revival and what God is doing in this mighty move of the Holy Spirit. I do pray that we put our focus on Christ, the miracle working power that is wrought through His name and seek God's presence with purity and devotion. Lord Jesus send revival to this generation, pour it out wherever and whenever, may You revive us all to declare Your fame and name to all nations!
What is written here is balanced and theologically sound.
Blessings,
JMA
Make sure to open the below link with Adobe PDF
LakelandCORRECTED
Colossians 3 ~ Christian Character & Conduct
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.As I was in prayer this morning I felt the Lord impressing upon my heart the need to put off the old man and put on the new. The closer you get to the light, the more dark the darkness feels. Recently, I've had the chance to experience much darkness in Los Angeles California and how the riches, lusts, temptations, material things, selfish human desires of this world can be so enticing and destructive to the human soul. Yet, the Bible call us to seek those things which are above and not to set our mind on the things of this world. For we are dead to our old nature when we were baptized in Christ and we are no longer to live in the carnal lifestyle that is mentioned above. So I pray this morning we would put off the old nature, that is any evil desire, covetousness, malice, anger, lies, idolatry, wrath, filthy language, strife and that we would pray, "God we pray this day please help us together to put on LOVE and forgiveness, that we would walk with Your peace in our hearts, that we would put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering and bear with one another, forgive each other no matter what wrongs have been done to us, let us not complain towards one another, but let us forgive one another even as Christ has forgiven each of us. Keep us humble and let us walk together in peace. Let us continually praise You oh God for all things and give thanks with grace in our hearts to the Lord. May we do all things, everything in word or deed in the name of the Lord." in Jesus name amen.
I pray that each of us this day would seek Him first and trust Him to be in control. Most of all may each of us be reminded that His presence is all that we need in this life and that we would spend time loving Him and enjoying His love for us this day.Under the mercy,
JMA
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
When the woman asked Jesus for physical water He offered her spiritual water. We understand that the human body can not survive without physical water, so it is that the spiritual body can not survive without spiritual water. Jesus is the "Living Water" of life. He is our life source, our life sustenance and essentially our "very life." Years ago I prayed, "Jesus take my life and be my life" When we draw close to Jesus daily in prayer and obedience, we have the blessing to drink from His presence. His presence is the gift of life. It is eternal life, the very life we were created for. Jesus the Living Water well never runs out. When we come to Him He will give us drink and we will never thirst again. We must drink from His cup daily or we will spiritually die. What a blessing it is that we can have access to His manifest presence daily!
The things of this world can fill our physical and even soulish thirsts, but it will leave us empty in the end. Yet only the Living Water of God can satisfy our longing and thirst to be totally fulfilled.
Jesus take our lives, fill our lives and be our lives forever. Satisfy our thirsts with Your presence and let us not drink from any other well. We need You desperately and ask You please come and fill our hearts with Your life this day. Amen.Blessings bros and sis,
JMA
Psalm 139:23-24
