"But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand." ~ Act 28:3 REFERENCE: Acts 28:1-6 Paul had a strange encounter with a viper (a highly venomous snake) on the Island of Malta. Upon exposing a bundle of sticks to a fire, a viper fastened itself on Paul's hand, injecting venom into him. Venom is a poisonous substance secreted by animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions, injected into prey or aggressors by biting or stinging. Figuratively, 'venom' is extreme malice...
“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” ~ Jeremiah 33:3 REFERENCE: Jeremiah 33:1-3 On the popular TV program, ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,’ the contestants have lifelines they can use when they are stuck on a question; one of these is a phone call to a friend who is supposed to be knowledgeable and able to provide answers. The contestants are often a call away from getting thousands of pounds added to their win. However, in some cases, the person called has been as clueless...
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21 REFERENCE: Proverbs 18:20-21 In the tongue lies the power of life and death. The tongue can open doors of joy and prosperity; if misused, it can open the door of misfortune and losses. The tongue has started wars, broken marriages, destroyed great men and women, and led to scandals; it has also forged strong marriage bonds and great destinies. Man has diverse body parts, but the supremacy of the tongue is irrefutable. God created the world...
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” ~ II Corinthians 2:14 REFERENCE: II Corinthians 2:14-17 My late pastor used to say, “If you were the only bible someone had to read, would they follow Jesus?” He would often pray, “May your kind increase.” Anytime he prayed that, I went home and wondered what the church would be like if everyone was like me; it made me shape up. If someone copied everything you did, would they end up ‘at’ Jesus? You...
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom…” ~ Ezra 1:1 REFERENCE: Ezra 1:1-6 “That the word of The Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled…” It was the word of the Lord, but it came by Jeremiah’s mouth; the word of God in his mouth was as powerful as God’s word in God’s mouth. Hence, the power of prophecy extends to...
“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring…” ~ Isaiah 44:3a REFERENCE: Isaiah 44:1-3 Welcome to a new month. I hear the spirit of God say that He will give ‘Divine Supply’ to His children this month. He wants to supply you according to His riches in glory through Christ, and I can bet you that God has all you need and more. His compassionate nature and the sacrifice of Jesus are your qualifications for His divine...
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom…” ~ Ezra 1:1 REFERENCE: Ezra 1:1-6 The Bible is a book of prophecies,’ containing over a thousand eight hundred prophecies. A prophecy is a prediction of future events (near or far). The power of prophecy is revealed in the fulfillment of many prophecies like the one in our verse of consideration today. Jeremiah gave a prophecy...
“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”~ Proverbs 22:9 REFERENCE: Proverbs 22:29 You cannot write off a man ready to give himself wholeheartedly to his work. His commitment to excel in his work can make him bounce back from failure, revive his struggling business, restore his passion for life, and turn him into a prosperous man. A student who excels in work will move from failure to being on the honor roll, and an employee will become the boss. To excel in work...
“Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” ~ Genesis 18:14 REFERENCE: Genesis 18:9-15 The picture that comes to my mind is that of a young man who is about to leave his fiancée to travel abroad to study for four years. She is worried and uncertain about the future of their relationship if he would still marry her considering the ‘exposure’ to other ladies abroad. But he assures her thus, “I will keep my words, I will return...
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” ~ Jeremiah 29:12 REFERENCE: Jeremiah 29:12-14 A plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. In contrast, a building plan is a drawing or diagram made to show the layout of a building and the arrangement of the spaces. As the new year rolls around, remember that God has a specific plan or pattern for your life; your goal will be to build according to plan. Do not enter the year casually or live through the year randomly....