December 29 2018

Into the Wilderness

However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Luke 5:15-16
Jesus was busy.  
The multitudes pressed in close to him for healing. 
The more he healed, the more they came.  
What did He do?  
He withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  
What should we be doing in our busiest times?  
Setting aside our prayer time until we have more time?  
No! 
If Jesus required to go into the wilderness to pray as the multitudes pressed in, then surely we need to go into the wilderness to pray when life gets busy.  
Think about the one thing you wouldn’t think about missing each day – maybe it is your meals, your sleep, your coffee, your work……. 
Now, consider why you won’t miss that thing.  
That’s why it is so important to you and what helps you to commit to it regardless of what else is going on.  
Now, begin to think about the fact that prayer is EVEN more important than that important thing.  Should you be missing it?  
No! 
Prayer needs to find a place of supreme importance in our life.  
When it does, we like Jesus, will learn to withdraw into the wilderness and pray.  
And when we begin to do that we will be much better equipped to deal with the busyness that surrounds us.

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December 28 2018

Shout for the Lord has given you the city!


Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. The LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. “You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. “And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.“It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.” Joshua 6:1-5

 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20
The gates of the enemy are severely shut up because of you, even now.  
The enemy knows that you are already victorious; that the Lord has already given you your Jericho.  All you have to do is walk in the obedience he has called you to.  
There won’t be a great battle and fireworks to achieve the defeat.  
Your Jericho, like the Biblical Jericho will require obedience, willingness to look a little silly and absolute faith in the Lord. 
The battle is not yours, it is the Lord’s!  
The Lord is working behind the scenes to win the victory.  
He has asked you to walk around your city, blow your trumpet and shout out your victory!  
What does your Jericho look like?  
What obedience has the Lord called you to?  
Perhaps it is time to sit with Him as the year draws to an end to listen to His heart for you, to get some direction and some clarification, so you can begin to prepare for the victory He has for you in this New Year.  
Your seventh day is coming and when it comes your only direction will be: Shout for the Lord has given you the city!

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December 27 2018

Why Should the Work Cease?


Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. Nehemiah 6:1-4

Nehemiah was not deterred by the voices around him because he was focused on the Voice of the Lord that gave Him his original direction. 
We are approaching the end of 2018, but there is still time left.  
What did the Lord give you for 2018?  
Has it been accomplished?  
There is still time.  
Don’t focus on the voices around you that are telling you that the year is over and your chance to accomplish those things you have set out to is past. 
The Lord has given you a direction; stay focused and keep moving. 
Why should the work cease because the voices around you are speaking?  
The Lord has given you your directions………keep building!

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