Ready, Set, Glow!

Voice of Prayer

Luke 11:34-41   nkjv   34 "The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 " If then your whole body is full of light having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."
37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees, make the outside of the cut and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.40 "Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 "But rather give alms of such things you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.


In the above reading, the lamp is useful for light. With regard to the eye having light, our lives are to be useful providing light to others. Letting our light shine is " that which produces words of life" to another. We are to have a positive affect. Serving God is about serving the needs of others. Washing can make you clean on the outside, but what do we hold inside our hearts that prevents us from helping a neighbor, giving time, or counsel that is of compassion revealed?


Matthew 6:22-24    nkjv  22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 "But if your eye is dark, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness." 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

As mammon represents the materialistic of a system, that which is considered the "bad eye" is one of being selfish, covetous and miserly. It looks like looking out for number one!
Being loyal to God counts for everything. Making a commitment for some is hard to make. We see from the rise of divorces among Christian couples, that work is hard and communication is greatly needed. It is commitment and hard work to raise children together. So if two people within one house cannot get along, how can a whole family get along?


Being sensible about what is right and wrong, means looking toward God always, making the adjustments, learning not to make the same mistakes, and be led in peace without any compromise anywhere in our lives. We can find at times the need to lose weight. We implement some workout time, but fail to cut out the sweets.  Eating healthy can be expensive, too, and take some time of learning what is best for any age group. Even healthy eating desired for a young child takes a lot of work and much planning. Ask a parent with a young baby and what it takes to get the child to try new foods! In truth, ask an older couple when one or both must change their eating habits!

Being responsible is looking how to care for those around you with a compassionate love that speaks words to edify, yes correct  some, too. If a child is not corrected, and goes on with their own desires they can end up, well, "like front page news". (for those who still like to read a newspaper that you can hold in your hand)

Are we glowing with light to guide others? Are we illuminating truth? Or are we like the Pharisees' and caught up with ceremony and not really taking care to see our heart is right?

In writing this about glowing, I think of when a woman finds out she is pregnant. And many take notice as to the woman's look of vitality and brightness. The woman's face appears to exude healthiness out of her pores. I remember that of our daughter when she and her husband were expecting our grand-child. She was already planning to have one of those pillows that had a cassette or some type CD player in it, so she could have the word of God played in our grand-baby's hearing before she was born. In our daughter's rest time, that pillow was centered on her abdomen, and that baby heard Johnny Cash read the Bible.

Then after her birth, her room was wired with the Word of God that sounded a lot like Johnny Cash. (I can only imagine that day she meets Mr. Cash for the first time in heaven, and wondering what she will say to him.)
Our giving to others starts well before conception of a child. Our giving begins in our hearts and grows. But if we choose to believe that other's owe us because of whatever reason, then we lose the truth that God can and will bring to us a wonderful life that is filled with many diverse people and who all love God. He desires us to be open-handed to receive all the good He has to give us.



When our grandchild started to read a couple of years ago, she really like the picture books. She would point to those pictures when 2 or 3 years old and we would read to her. That was so much fun. And we loved when she spent the night with us, as we could read her many, many bedtime stories. But now she reads to us! And she does not read books with lots of pictures anymore. Her reading has certainly changed in these few years.

If we are a picture book to someone lost, without hope, without Jesus, could they read us, that is read our hearts and know that we have something that they need within their heart as well?

Finding light should give us light!

When giving that light, we should be bringing others to the light of the Lord. God sowed His Son for a family.

Luke 6:30-36   nkjv  30 "Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 "And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great; and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judge. Condemn not and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Yeah, heard that one taught as "offering message" at church.

But in truth, it has to do with every area of our lives, not just money.

Too many hold on tightly to "things" when God is wanting to release into their lives an abundance of  blessing to them. Yielding all to God, means yielding all to HIM!
Being tight-fisted does not allow God to get anything into our hands.

Are we giving out of every area of our life: spiritually, physically, financially, socially, and mentally? Yeah an area or two needs some work, right? But if our giving is to be pressed down and running over........remember the measure God uses....does ours come up to His standard?
How much needs to be sowed into other people and their children? How much needs to be sown into our kids and grand-kids? What about that weight loss program?

 In the essence of these verses we are to sow our lives into others. OUR Light is to glow and give a direction of where to meet Jesus. Do our lives do that?

Is any persuaded by what I write or what I teach? Is anyone directed to maybe changing something......and focus on Jesus........and then see if any "can read us like a picture book"?

Could we be a light shining out of the dark, with no chains, and give a loud voice that expresses glory to God? In this day and hour, let your light shine! 

READY, SET, GLOW!

Notice:

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching:

Persuaded: Finishing the Race to Receive the Crown  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K5rD5HJcqc

You can also visit my You Tube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at:  http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

EMPTY WORDS OR USEFUL WORDS

I STAND IN AWE READING ABOUT THOSE EMPTY WORDS!
Ephesians 5:1-14


5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:

"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light."
NKJV

We are not to  be deceived. Empty WORDS are bad!

The main thought though is for us to WAKE UP! Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.

Imitating God is good, right? In that I walk in love that Christ has loved me and you with. When they mention that disobedience in verse 6....that is "unbelief".

So they are talking about those in "unbelief". They do not have any belief in God.

In the latter days as in reference to the Tribulation time, we are reminded that many will turn from the belief or trust in God. There is a day coming when many will turn from the "faith" in God. We are to "know" His Word. We are to hear "his heart speak" to our hearts. We should be infused with the Holy Spirit knowing that in Him, we move in power of God. Standing in right standing with Him, we are those who have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. We are to expose them for what they are: the work of the enemy.

Filling our hearts with His Word declares we are the victor in the day to come. We stand as those who have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Jesus Christ will light you with His glory, and darkness dispelled means you have peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. That LIGHT is making visible everything you must see clearly. No more stumbling in the dark. We choose wise words that the Lord has directed us to. Our path is clear and is seen. It is where the hilly becomes level. The weary become the rested. Finding Jesus is the best thing possible. The yoke is easy and the burden is light. Amen. Matthew 11:28-30)

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Notice: 

The Voice of Prayer  has a new teaching published:

AUTHORITY: HIS WISDOM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpvmfoKg98s

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV

Rings of Gold

Proverbs 11:22..........22 As a ring of gold in a swine's snout,
So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion. NKJV

Without character....yes, a woman  without discretion is compared to a sow with a gold ring! But I found other things while looking over this passage and was intrigued and taught much about it.
Yikes, am I trying to impress someone by getting the "extra work " done? Do I think I am the only one who can do it? Have I forgotten who is God around here? Believe me, I am one who tried to control a whole family. You know the comings, the goings, the eating times, the trips out of town, the party times, the family gathering times, and oh yeah, even when everyone needed to sleep. I felt like the control tower for an airport. No, seriously, I wanted everything just right. You know the right clothes, the right hair-do, the right time, the right-weather! Seriously, Shelley, the right weather..............well, you get what I am saying. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT TO STAY IN THE WORD OF GOD!

In ....2 Peter 2:20-22.... 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." NKJV
Wow, returning to the "old way" of doing things.............not good .........!
It is literally one who turns from the clean to the unclean, the one "without taste" [Taa'am (OT:2940)]....one without moral perception, without morals, running after lusts that are filthy. But I also found that is also the word translations as a meaning for "fool".

Again, is it possible that one would try to flaunt that, " I am really good at my job", or "writing", or "raising children", or "exercising to sport at size 4", or "climbing the corporate ladder"?
Is it possible when the plea comes for whatever kind of help, am I the "only one who can do the job"?
We certainly can see the importance of God's Word when we are raising our children, for we have a book to guide us and teach us in directing our children to life. And when we read in Proverbs, we find much about "the fool".

I also found this in :Proverbs 12:15...............15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But he who heeds counsel is wise.  NKJV
Wow, right in "his own eyes"........
My daughter and I have had very little time together the last few weeks, for me, getting over "this fatigue thing" and she, well, a "a coughing thing".
Now we both are those who spend time in the word of God and prayer. We certainly have the "God of Glory" move on our behalf numerous times. But one thing is certain, and that is we need to heed the advice of the Holy Spirit when He says "to REST"!

We came to that "thought" over the weekend. We had a meal together and of course, it is always fun time with our grand-daughter. But from the time of our trip back East in the Fall, we took "No Time" to recover from such a long trip. And as you know your body will certainly tell you when it is time to stop and "do nothing"!  Right?
Well, long story made short, we both each had a choice. We could do things, the right way and in character with God and His grace or do things our way, and keep doing and doing and doing with no rest.
So, were we finding OUR counsel better than God's? I will let you be the judge!
Just like our children who should be raised in admonition of the Lord, we too, should continue to follow His plan for wholeness and goodness to us!
One thing is certain, we had a choice and chose the wrong way to walk. I tell you today to choose His plan that keeps you safe everyday. Just because someone needs you to go above and beyond today or tomorrow may not be in the best interest of you or your family or God's plan.
Keep in mind that we are always forgiven when we confess "being foolish" and thinking we know the best for ourselves.  There are many nice people out there in the world, and would love to have our help, but is it above and over the amount any sane person should try to do? Do we ask the Lord for His wisdom or do we like the stroke my fur kind of thing?
If we keep doing the same thing over and over, and the result is the same, then we should be asking, "Lord, what can I change today in my life that will help me do what You have asked me to do and not become weak in my body?" "Where Lord, am I missing the mark to write and pray and study Your Word and keep watch on my home and family as well?"
This is from my perspective and will different from yours. But "choose life" today!
Lord, I do not want to be like those who refuse to pay attention to You. Help me to turn my back on being stubborn. Help me to not make my heart like flint and refuse to listen to the words that You have sent by Your Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 7:11-12)

Father, today I thank You for Your grace to us. I am thankful for the Blood of Jesus shed at Calvary. I am thankful that I have a new day in YOU. I pray for all who read this and who feel that they have at times strayed from truth and YOUR guidance and chosen their own way to do something specific. Father, in Your Word, You define who is wise and understanding among us: the one who shows it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13) Deeds that follow You and by being disciplined to listen to instruction in being wise with our health. Today, I want to encourage others to follow YOU and choose life for their bodies. May they find "the security" that lies in knowing You KNOW the best for each of us. When our flesh rises up to make a "foolish" decision, may we quickly discern the threat of such deception and to walk in truth of what YOU show us to follow in righteous and peace. As Your eyes look into the inmost places of our hearts and minds today, please help us to allow YOU Almighty God to show us things we need to see and teach us how to be free from the attitude that we can do it ourselves. Create within us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Remind us daily Lord that we are "not to trust our feelings and emotions" for they make terrible masters. Thank YOU Lord for hearing and answering our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

You can also visit my Youtube channel The Voice of Prayer for more teaching at http://bit.ly/1tNyBhV