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NEW NAME

CALLED BY A NEW NAME

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’ – Judges 6:12   REFERENCE: Judges 6:11-16    Gideon was at his lowest point in the context of this story. A man who was to become a valiant soldier was hiding in a cave to pick grains, afraid and unsure of himself and his future. Unknown to him was the victory he would later win for his people that he looked nothing like. Things around Gideon were not adding up; whatever he had heard about God seemed...
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BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION

“So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” ~ Genesis 45:8   REFERENCE:  Genesis 45:3-11   I often wonder why some ‘ugly’ paintings sell for astounding sums of dollars at auctions. A painting by Willem de Kooning, “Woman III” (see here), was sold for $137.5 million in 2006. It looks like money wasted, but in its seemingly meaningless brushstrokes, there is beauty worth paying millions for. The billionaire, David Geffen, who bought it, saw...
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TAKE UP YOUR CROSS

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” – Luke 9:23 REFERENCE: LUKE 9:23-27 The call to follow Jesus is not a call to a lifestyle of convenience or a bed of roses; although it has privileges, it comes with great responsibility. It is impossible to be a Christian without letting go of yourself and your ways. Christianity involves thorns and a cross, self-denial, total surrender, and absolute obedience to the Father’s will. When Jesus said, “Take up your cross,” He meant that following Him will take sacrifice and...
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FEET

LIFT YOUR FEET AND GO

“Then Jacob lifted up his feet and went to the land of the peoples of the east.” – Genesis 29:1 (TLV – Tree of Life Version) REFERENCE: Genesis 28:16-29:1 What a beautiful image this story paints for the weary and discouraged. Jacob was running from a family feud with his brother, running away from all he knew, headed into an unknown future. Wearied, worn, and rendered hopeless by the whole experience, he found a stone, used it as a pillow, and slept. In his dream, he saw a ladder reaching from the earth to heaven with angels ascending and descending...
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HELLO, GOD CALLING!

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace…” – Galatians 1:15   REFERENCE: GALATIANS 1:13-17   Paul lived his life doing what he thought was his life's mission – preserve the traditions of the fathers, strictly observe the laws of Moses, and zealously persecute the church of Jesus Christ. He sincerely did these with all his heart, considering all as pleasing God and running on the lane assigned to him by God. Little did he know that he would soon receive a call from God. While on his mission of...
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PROSPEROUS THINKING

“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field…you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 19:9-10   REFERENCE: Leviticus 19:9-10   Prosperity is a product of the conscious effort of man to succeed and the blessing of God. Men work hard, invest in businesses, invent, produce, or buy and sell to get wealth. These are legitimate means to wealth, but there is a divine dimension to prosperity. Solomon said riches do not necessarily go to men of skills, but time...
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HELPFUL CHRISTIAN HABITS – WORSHIP

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. – Psalms 95:6.   REFERENCE: PSALMS 95:3-7   Worship is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. To worship God is to be devoted to Him, to adore, stand in awe, and revere Him and His Majesty. Worship must be a habit for you to be a successful Christian, beginning with making God the Adonai (Lord) and Savior of your life. ‘Adonai’ is a Hebrew word for Ruler, Sovereign, Master, and Lord over all men, the heavens, the earth, and all its...
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HELPFUL CHRISTIAN HABITS – FOLLOWERSHIP & FRIENDSHIP

“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.” – John 12:26a   REFERENCE: JOHN 12:24-26 Jesus said, “If you want to be my disciple, follow Me...” To live successfully as a Christian, you must develop the habit of followership – following Jesus and calling others to follow Him. Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” He meant you should be a disciple and be habitually involved in making disciples. The call of Jesus to you to follow Him also entails your calling to be a...
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HELPFUL CHRISTIAN HABITS – STEWARDSHIP

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” – 1 Peter 4:10 REFERENCE: 1 PETER 4:7-11   Everything you have has been given to you by God; it is not yours; you hold it in trust for the actual Owner, God. Webster’s dictionary says stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. It is managing something on another's behalf. Stewardship is about living your life knowing it is a loan from God until you return to Him. Ultimately, the test of stewardship is...
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HELPFUL CHRISTIAN HABITS – PRAYER PARTNERSHIP

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” – Jeremiah 29:12   REFERENCE: JEREMIAH 29:10-14   The word Partnership is a business term. It is a form of business where two or more people share ownership and the responsibility for managing a company, including its profit and losses. In partnership, both parties work together, leveraging the strengths of each other. Prayer is partnering with God to see His will done on earth. In this partnership, man needs God’s power to do God’s will on earth, and God will need a man...
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