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FORTIFIED FOR THE MISSION

“For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.” Jeremiah 1:18   REFERENCE: Jeremiah 1:17-19   We all have a sense of mission, a driving conviction that our life is about something, and we ought to be doing it. We often desire to be or do more than we presently are, and we have an innate desire to want to better our lot. In several instances, what keeps us immobilized...
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RESPONSE TO LIFE: COGNIZANCE

“…And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight…” ~ II Kings 1:13   REFERENCE: II Kings 1:2-15   Cognizance is not trendy; it means knowledge, awareness, or notice. To take cognizance of something is to take note of or consider things or events around you. It is opposite to ignorance, and as seen yesterday, an arrogant man will rarely be cognizant of things...
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RESPONSE TO LIFE: ARROGANCE

"Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: "Man of God, thus has the king said, 'Come down quickly!'" ~ II Kings 1:11   REFERENCE: II Kings 1:2-15   We established that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it. The three captains of fifty sent to arrest Elijah vividly teach us this truth. Yesterday we saw how the ignorance of the first captain led to his death. His approach to life was rooted in ignorance. Enter the second captain of...
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RESPONSE TO LIFE: IGNORANCE

“Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him (Elijah), and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ” ~ II Kings 1:9   REFERENCE: II Kings 1:2-15   Life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it. We face the same challenges in life, have the same hours in a day, are tempted by satan and men, have bills to pay, deal with emotional challenges,...
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FURNISHED IN ABUNDANCE

“And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].” ~ II Corinthians 9:8 (AMPC)   REFERENCE: II Corinthians 9:7-9 (AMPC)   I love this main verse because it begins by saying, “God is able to...” It introduces God as having the ability to do, make, give, transform, heal, etc. Paul further says that God can make all grace...
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DEPENDABLE GOD

"The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence." – II Samuel 22:3   REFERENCE: II Samuel 22:1-4   In a world of variables, we unconsciously seek stability or assurances. We seek things or people we can lean on or trust to hold up or stay with us through tough times. However, experience has shown that men disappoint, money develops wings and flies away, friends leave, and positions or offices of influence do not endure forever. The only dependable One...
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BE STILL: STRENGTH IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

"Be still, and know that I am God…" ~ Psalm 46:10   REFERENCE: Psalm 46:1-11   Trusting in God's plan and provision can be tough in times of uncertainty. But trying times come to test and refine our faith. The secret to finding strength in uncertain times is relying on God's faithfulness and the assurance we have when we place our trust in Him. World events may scare us, but our anchor remains secure in His unchanging love and faithfulness.   God said, "Be still, and know that I am God." It is God's call to us in times of uncertainty....
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THE BLESSING TRIGGER

“…Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me… 14 For thus says the Lord… ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”” ~ I Kings 17:13-14   REFERENCE: I Kings 17:8-16   What Elijah did would have made headlines in modern newspapers: “Itinerant Prophet defrauds poor widow of her meager resource” or “Fake pastor cons helpless widow.” How do you go to a poor widow...
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FAITH REACHES OUT

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘stretch out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.’ And Joshua stretched out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.” ~ Joshua 8:18   REFERENCE: Joshua 8:14-20   There are things God wants you to have in life that you may not have because you have not been able to reach out in faith to receive them. Faith demonstrates to God your absolute conviction that He will do what He says He will, your expectation to receive your desire, and your willingness...
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RESIST THE SCATTERER

“He who scatters has come up before your face. Man the fort! Watch the road! Strengthen your flanks! Fortify your power mightily.” – Nahum 2:2   REFERENCE: Nahum 2:1-6   In our text, God warns Nineveh that ‘he who scatters’ had come and that they should man the fort, watch the road, strengthen their flanks, and fortify themselves. Today, it is a call to us to be alert and ready to fight back when life throws you into situations that steal from you and drain you. It is a call to vigilance because if you don’t, life can rob you of...
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