True Riches

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We believe in "ELOHIM," the plurality of God. Singular but plural. One God in three persons. Genesis 1:26 says, "Let US make man in OUR image...." GOD the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit existed even before the beginning of creation. Come and join our fellowship!

"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

Miyerkules, Nobyembre 15, 2023

RIVERS OF FAITHFULNESS

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.)

John 7:38–39 NLT

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the apostle Paul tells us, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (NLT). Jesus has borne the responsibility of sin entirely on our behalf. That truth displays God’s faithfulness, which is a fruit of the Spirit. The strength of faithfulness is that its origin is in God. It’s His faithfulness—not my own—that sustains me. It’s not that I am faithful to Jesus but that Jesus is entirely faithful to me. And He is entirely faithful to you. This is evidenced by His Spirit in us, pouring forth “rivers of living water” (John 7:38) that refresh our souls.

What an invitation! To relax upon the “rivers of living water” is to rest from our work and yet still be moving. We are progressing by the river’s power. Faithfulness, then, is the substance upon which we rest (see Hebrews 11:1). Jesus’ faithful work on the cross made us alive together with Him (see Colossians 2:13). His faithfulness freed us from sin and made us children of God! It’s in being who we are—God’s children—that we reflect our Father’s faithful nature.

What about the responsibilities of life that rush all around? I relate to Martha who had her own sink full of dirty dishes to clean. Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41 NKJV). On the other hand, her sister Mary was praised for choosing the good part—the sitting-at-Jesus’-feet part. The good news is the Spirit’s indwelling empowers us to be Mary and Martha at the same time.

Jesus said, “It is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (the Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you” (John 16:7 NLT). Jesus baptizes us with His Spirit, gracing us with the ability to sit at His feet while we wash the dishes! Both are possible because “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me” (Galatians 2:20). Our union with Jesus enables us to work faithfully while also resting in His faithful work! This is the power of relaxing in the river of living faithfulness that is His Spirit in and through us.

Prayer

Thank You for Your faithfulness, Jesus. You are the strong and dependable One in this relationship! Holy Spirit, please remind me of God’s faithful love. I choose to relax in receiving the Spirit that You pour into me and through me. Thank You that I am empowered to progress in life by the current of Your living water. In relaxing, I worship You. I trust You! I sit at Your feet and behold You, even as I meet the demands of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

Spend some time purposely relaxing. Get comfortable. Set your head back on the couch. Turn the eyes of your heart to God. Ask Jesus to pour His Spirit into and through you like living water. As you breathe, rest in the reality of His power carrying you. What does the Holy Spirit want to say to you about this?
What responsibilities worry and trouble you? Decide to approach those demands with a heart turned toward Jesus. Choose to worship God by “sitting at His feet” as you do your work. In what way does this inner awareness change the burden of the job?

For Further Study

2 Corinthians 5:21 Colossians 2:13 Galatians 2:20

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"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

WHO IS JESUS?

Matthew 5:38–48 Psalm 25:6–7 Psalm 42:8 Psalm 143:8

Sabado, Nobyembre 11, 2023

THE GOD KIND

A 21 day Daniel Fast Devotional (Nov. 1-21, 2023)

Day 11

THE GOD KIND

by Thomas Miller

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.

Psalm 63:3 NKJV

I struggled to “get” it. It was just so difficult for me to understand. I knew it was true, but it was hard for me to feel like it was true.

You see, for several years of my life, from my late teens to my early 20s, I just didn’t live for God. Although I grew up in church, I had chosen to walk away from what I knew to be right. My words, my actions, my thoughts—my life—were focused on me. Partying, promiscuity, and pretending were all parts of day-to-day living.

But then God in His power and providence turned my life around. He stepped into the mess of my life and showered me with His kindness. I repented of my sins, wholeheartedly started following Him, and for the first time in my life had a deeply intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He loved me!

Yet I struggled to comprehend and fully receive it. God was so unrelentingly kind to me, but I didn’t deserve it. It was difficult for me to look at the life I had been living and feel like I could receive His kindness. It felt like I was taking something that didn’t rightfully belong to me and that I didn’t deserve. I was embarrassed by my past choices. How could God continue to be so kind to me when I had been so apathetic toward Him for so many years?

As I’ve continued to follow Him, though, God has time and time again showed me that this life I live is truly about the love relationship I have with Him—the love relationship that starts from Him. Who He says I am is who I am. I am not defined by my past; I am defined by His love for me. What a kind Father He is!

Even to this day, if I look at my daily mistakes, mess-ups, or missteps, it’s easy to feel puzzled by God’s kindness. Why would He still be so kind to me? Well, the truth is that His kindness is zero percent based on my failures and 100 percent based on His love for me. And that is true for you as well. His kindness toward you flows completely from His character, not from your flaws, faults, or failures. He is kind because of Who He is. His kindness is greater than, bigger than, and beyond any of our understanding. It’s mysterious. But it’s real! We may not “get” it, but we get it. In other words, we may not fully understand it, but we are daily recipients of it. And it flows from Him in every season and every second, through the highs and the lows, the successes and the failures. Moment by moment, you can count on God’s kindness.

In Psalm 63:3, David exclaims to God that His lovingkindness is better than life itself. How could anything be better than the precious gift of life? After all, if we don’t have life, what do we have? But let me ask you this—: what is life without the kindness of God? David knew that this life has true joy, meaning, and fulfillment only in God’s kindness toward us.

So then the next question is this: since we’ve received such great kindnesses from God, how should we treat the people around us? There will definitely be times when others do things that annoy us, hurt us, or offend us. Their words and actions may even be malicious. So how should we respond? In those instances, the typical (and understandable) response is to either avoid, ignore in a passive-aggressive way, snap back, or retaliate. Those are all natural responses. But as followers of Jesus, we have His Spirit dwelling in us, and we’re called to respond supernaturally—by showing kindness.

You might be thinking, Wait, does this really apply to everyone? My family, my friends, and those I work with? What about those people I just casually meet throughout the day? Am I supposed to show kindness to every single person with whom I come in contact? The answer is actually yes. I’ve discovered that when you show God’s kindness throughout your daily life, it’s like shining a light in the darkness. That warm glow of kindness stands in such stark contrast to what people experience in other parts of their lives. It’s like a cup of cold water to the thirsty. Kindness is truly a gift. And it shines the light and love of God, even if people don’t realize that it’s God they are experiencing.

God’s kindness flows directly from Who He is. It’s not something He just shows on the outside yet in reality feels different on the inside—kindness is fully connected with Who He is. And His kindness can flow from His heart directly to you and then through you to others. It can be fully connected with how you feel on the inside and who you are as a person. The God kind of kindness always loves from the inside out. It is gracious to all and flows freely no matter how the other person acts. It is constant.

God’s kindness is a gift you can give so many times throughout the day every day. Through your words and actions, your small, medium, and large acts of kindness can show God’s love to so many. His type of kindness is better than life. And you get to give it to everyone!

Choose today and every day to give kindness—the God kind.

Prayer

Father, Your kindness to me is better than life and anything else in this life. I ask You to live Your life through me so I can show Your kindness to everyone around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

Reflect on the times when God has shown His amazing kindness toward you. How did His kindness change your heart?
Think about those who have offended you. Ask God to soften your heart toward them and show you ways to demonstrate kindness to them.

For Further Study

(Just click the verses to read it)

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"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

WHO IS JESUS?

Ephesians 4:32 Colossians 3:12 2 Timothy 2:24 Philippians 2:4

Biyernes, Nobyembre 10, 2023

BE KIND, BE INTENTIONAL

A 21 day Prayer and Fasting Devotional (Nov. 1-21, 2023)

Day 10

BE KIND, BE INTENTIONAL

In the New Testament, kindness is translated from the Greek word chrestotes, which means ‘the quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane, gentle, and sympathetic.’ It can also be described as a characteristic of true love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4: “Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant” (AMP).

An illustration of kindness in the Bible can be seen in the actions of the Roman centurion (officer) in Luke 7:2–6. The centurion had a servant who became ill, and the centurion did everything in his power to heal this servant. Now, the centurion could have used his resources in a different way, such as hiring a new servant. But kindness compelled him to use every resource at his disposal to help his servant find healing. When the centurion appealed to Jesus, the Lord could see his intentionality. Jesus knew the centurion was motivated by compassion and kindness, and He could feel his faith. Jesus spoke a healing word from a distance, and the centurion’s servant was instantly made well.

How often do we see someone in need from a distance? How often do we hear the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts to help someone with groceries, assist someone who is struggling, or speak a word of encouragement to someone who needs uplifting? As we act on what we hear and feel in these times, we are intentionally giving kindness to others. We are being the hands and feet of Jesus. Intentional kindness is the heart of God. Intentional kindness can—and will—change the world.

Prayer

Father, please give you me Your eyes for those around me and help me see where I can show kindness today. Search my heart thoroughly, Father, and give me a heart of kindness. Highlight those around me who need a word of encouragement from You. Thank You, Lord, for Your intentional love toward me. Help me give what I have received from You to others and show me what intentional kindness looks like so I can love people well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

Reflect on a time when someone was kind to you. How did it make you feel?
What would your life look like if you made the decision to walk in intentional kindness for 10 days in a row? Do you accept the challenge?

For Further Study

(Just click the verses to read it)

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"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

WHO IS JESUS?

Miyerkules, Nobyembre 8, 2023

PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE

A 21 day Prayer and Fasting Devotional (Nov. 1-21, 2023)

Day 9

PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE

God may allow us to experience difficult and uncomfortable situations on the way to our promised destinations. But the journey was going to be worth the pain, while we will have temporary discomfort, for sure we would get there. All you need to do to enjoy the trip was to embrace the journey and be patient.

Many people fail to realize that patience doesn’t begin working in our hearts until we’re irritated. Waiting for something and having patience are two different things. When we are waiting, we are simply pausing in expectation that the coming promise (answer to our prayers) is near and inevitable. Our waiting turns to patience when our expectations are not met, and our timing is violated. In other words, when we get tired of waiting, that’s when patience begins!
There is a word for this process in the Bible: suffering. The apostle Paul wrote, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance [patience], and endurance [patience] produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4 ESV). Painful waiting (suffering) has the by-product of patience, and patience has the by-product of character.
Jesus lived this way. He experienced more suffering than any other person who has ever lived. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (Hebrews 12:1–3 MSG).
Jesus led the way for us. He plowed through the suffering. He knows that waiting will turn into patience, and patience will turn into character.
We will get there. The journey will be over one day, so maybe we can quit asking, “Are we there yet?” and start asking, “God, am I done yet?”

Prayer

Father, I desperately need the patience Jesus had when He walked in Your perfect will. I depend on Your grace as I allow Your character to develop in my heart. The waiting may be difficult at times, but I choose to trust in Your unfailing love. You have good plans for my life, and the desire of my heart is to be with You always. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

What are some “journeys” God is taking you on? Do you find yourself asking Him, “Am I there yet?”
Think of a time where your waiting had to turn into patience. How did you handle it, and what character lessons did you learn from it?

For Further Study

Romans 2:6–7 Luke 8:15 Ecclesiastes 7:8 2 Corinthians 6:4–6 Galatians 5:22–23

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"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

WHO IS JESUS?

Martes, Nobyembre 7, 2023

A PERFECT WORK

A 21 day Prayer and Fasting Devotional (Nov. 1-21, 2023)

Day 8

A PERFECT WORK

by Bridgette Morris

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2–4 NKJV

The first chapter of James opens with this charge, which is both encouraging and

challenging: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4). I would love to be that, wouldn’t you? I mean, who doesn’t want to be totally complete, lacking nothing? What catches my attention about this passage is the phrase “let patience have its perfect work.” How does patience have work? As I investigated the original language, the word translated as patience in Greek is hypomonē, which means ‘cheerful endurance, constancy, or patient continuance.’ In the New Living Translation, it’s translated as “endurance,” and in the English Standard Version, it’s translated as “steadfastness.” What all these words have in common is the picture they paint—they showcase actions we take and how we can do our work. Patience can absolutely be waiting and stillness, but it can also be an act of continuing to walk out what has been laid before us for the purpose of refining and perfecting us.

Letting patience have its perfect work in you requires being on God's timeline, not your own. “Active patience” is having an attitude of submission and gratitude for His timing instead of demanding God work on your timeline. Let’s be consistent with what God has placed before us and patient with the trials we go through so that we can be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and showcase the goodness of God in the world around us.

Prayer

God, thank You that the trials we face in our lives can be used by You to better equip us for our destinies. Today we choose to let patience have its perfecting work in our lives. Please give us wisdom on how to live patiently day after day as we seek to glorify You and see Your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activation

How have past trials produced fruit you are currently enjoying in your life?
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas in which you need to let patience have its perfect work in your life.

For Further Study

(Just click the verses to read it)

Colossians 3:12–13 James 5:7–8

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"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." - 1 John 1:3

WHO IS JESUS?