SOUL FOOD: good shepherd

Sunday, January 6, 2013

True Faith

Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless.

--Isaiah 1:16-17

New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE

Do you find it easy to replace service to those in need with religious rituals? I know I do! But God wants us to not get so caught up in talking about him and celebrating his deeds, that we forget we're supposed to care for others like he does. Whether it is Jesus defining his ministry in Luke 4:18-19 or James talking about the kind of piety that pleases God (1:26-27), we must realize true faith is treating others as God would. Today's verse defines what God does and asks us to live the same.

MY PRAYER

O Great God of all comfort, open my eyes today to see those who need your love and give me the attentiveness, time, and compassion to serve them. May Jesus' work be seen in my life today. Amen.

VICTORY IS ALWAYS ON THE WAY

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ...”

(2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God promises to always lead us into victory? That means no matter what is going on in your life today, no matter what’s happening in the world around you, no matter what anybody says, you should always be thanking God because victory is always on the way!

You don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to celebrate what God is going to do in your life. Praise is putting action behind your faith. In the middle of adversity or a tough time, start making a list of who you’re going to invite to your victory celebration. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re going to do when you get out. If you lost some money when the stock market went down, start planning your coming-out-of-debt party. When things don’t look good in the natural, remember, we serve a supernatural God. With God leading you into victory, you can always plan for increase. You can plan for restoration. You can plan for a comeback, and you can plan for victory because He is leading and guiding you in Jesus’ name!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, I give You thanks and praise today for the promise of victory. Give me Your vision for the future so that I can move confidently into the abundant life You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

By: Joel Osteen

source:

http://olivyaz.blogspot.com/2012/02/cease-to-do-evil-isaiah-116.html

http://17oldelmroad.wordpress.com/page/24/

http://ww2.joelosteen.com/Pages/MessageViewer.aspx?date=2012-11-21

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Jayson Cabrera Gali

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Thursday, December 13, 2012

The Good Shepherd

[Jesus said,] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

--John 10:14-15

New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY'S VERSE

The goal of our walk with Jesus is to come to know him as our shepherd just as intimately as he knows the Father. A key thing for us to remember: In a world where so many people want to attract our attention and are willing to give us advice, we can refuse their voice. We listen to Jesus because he has shown his love for us by laying down his life for us. He is not a hireling, he is the Good Shepherd.

MY PRAYER

Holy Father, you are wonderful and generous beyond description. You have shown your love by sending your Son to be my Shepherd. Help me hear his voice through your Word. Help me hear his voice through the wise counsel of spiritual friends. Help me hear his voice through the words sung by my brothers and sisters when we are assembled. Help me hear his voice in the Holy Spirit's work on my conscience. Father, I want to follow your Son as my Shepherd and Lord because I know he, like you, is good! Through my Shepherd and Lord I pray. Amen.

Anger Management

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26–27

When you encounter someone who is nasty to you, how do you normally react? Many of us tend to get angry, and if we really lose our cool, we end up saying or doing things we regret later.

My friend, the Bible says, “Be angry, and do not sin.” It’s not a sin to feel anger, but don’t allow that anger to cause you to sin. And don’t give place to the devil by letting that anger take root in your heart.

“How do I do that Pastor Prince?”

Focus your attention on how much God loves you!

Once, I was walking to my car and I saw a man walking in front of me with his wife. His car was parked next to mine. When he opened his car door, he did it with such force that it hit my car with a loud “thud!” Then, he glared at me as if I had wronged him. Without a word of apology, he got into his car and slammed the door. His wife quickly went into the car like a meek little lamb.

I was on my way to church, full of the Holy Ghost, ready to preach on God’s love. But now, I was angry! I sat in my car, nostrils flaring. I said, “Lord, I am angry!” The Lord said to me, “Do you know that I love that man?” I said, “Yeah, but I don’t want to know about it right now, Lord.” The Lord then told me that the reason that man behaved that way was that he really did not know how much He loved him. So he was grouchy. He was angry. He was bitter toward life.

“Now, you experienced it only once,” the Lord said, “Imagine living with him like his wife does.” Then, He said, “Son, do you know that I love you? You are blessed because compared to him, you know how much I love you.” As I focused on God’s love for me, my anger melted away.

Beloved, in moments of anger, the devil wants you to focus on what the other person has done to you. But God wants you to focus on what He has done for you at Calvary. Today, feed on His love for you, and let Him turn every bitter situation sweet!

By: Joseph Prince

source:

http://tracyberta.blogspot.com/2009/04/who-is-jesusi-am-part-5.html

http://wallpaper4god.com/en/background_john-101415/