Prayer of Epaphras!

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Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely.  I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Colossians 4: 12 - 13

When you study the lives of Bible characters there are some who are almost  never included in the list of notables.  Epaphras is one of them.  He was mentioned twice in the book of Colossians and once in the book of Philemon.  All we know is that he was a follower of Jesus who was in jail with Paul because of his faith.  But Paul tells us in Colossians 4 about how Epaphras prayed, and I suppose that since they were in jail together Paul heard his friend as he petitioned the Father.  Paul says that Epaphras prayed hard that the Colossian Christians would know what the Lord wants them to do and that they would do it completely!

If there is someone you know and love, and perhaps you say that you really don't know how to pray for them, then the prayer of Epaphras would be totally appropriate.  Pray that your friends will know what the Lord wants them to do and that they will do it completely.  There is no better way to address the throne of Heaven with your concerns for others.  And of course, there is no better way to pray for yourself!

"Lord Jesus, show me today what You want me to do and help me to do it completely.  May Your Name be Praised now and forever.  Amen."

Road of God's Will!

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From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.  To God's people who live in Colossae and are faithful followers of Christ. I pray that God our Father will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!  Each time we pray for you, we thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have heard of your faith in Christ and of your love for all of God's people, because what you hope for is kept safe for you in heaven. You first heard about this hope when you believed the true message, which is the good news.  The good news is spreading all over the world with great success. It has spread in that same way among you, ever since the first day you learned the truth about God's wonderful kindness.

Colossians 1: 1 - 6

Paul was already chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus before Paul chose to be a follower of the Lord!  God's plans for Paul were amazing to say the least.  He was the first one to spread far and wide the Gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles.

When you look at the history of Christianity up until this very day, the truly great men and women are the ones who chose Jesus and then asked Jesus what He had planned for their lives!  Paul could not have imagined the work that God had planned for him.  And the same is true for everyone who turns their heart to Jesus.

So instead of trying to find "a way" the serve Jesus, ask Him to show you "the way" He planned for your life!  It may not seem important to other men, but if you are walking in the steps that Jesus prepared for you, then there is no more glorious road you can use in your journey through life!  

When Paul began to walk in the Way of the Lord, the good news spread all over the world and that is still happening as men and women choose the Road of God's Will!

"Lord Jesus, thank You for having a plan for my life and for the grace to let me know what it is!  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen."

Second Wind of the Spirit!

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The angel who explained the visions woke me from what seemed like sleep.  Then he asked, "What do you see?" "A solid gold lampstand with an oil container above it," I answered. "On the stand are seven lamps, each with seven flames.  One olive tree is on the right side and another on the left of the oil container.  But, sir, what do these mean?"  Then he asked, "Don't you know?" "No sir," I replied.  So the angel explained that it was the following message of the LORD to Zerubbabel: I am the LORD All-Powerful. So don't depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit.  Zerubbabel, that mountain in front of you will be leveled to the ground. Then you will bring out the temple's most important stone and shout, "God has been very kind."

Zechariah 4: 1 - 7

When you depend on your own power and strength to deal with any  challenge in your life, you are not depending on the Spirit of God!  When I was much younger I really enjoyed running.  If you are or have ever been a runner you know that it can be addicting.  It is a very pleasurable experience to be able to run a few miles every day.  

And when you run there is a point where you get what is sometimes called a "Second Wind."  Suddenly, and without warning you are able to breathe better and what had been a great burden becomes a pure joy!  

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is like the wind.  And when He fills your heart and takes over the control of your life, what had been a great burden becomes a pure joy!  And the mountain that you see in front of you will be leveled to the ground!

So if you have a mountain in your life that has stopped you from moving on with the Lord, it is time for you to depend on the Spirit of God for everything!  Then, you will feel the Second Wind of the Holy Spirit and watch that mountain be leveled to the ground!

"Lord Jesus, I want to depend on Your Spirit's strength in my life today and every day, as long as I live on this earth.  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever.  Amen."

God Watches Birds!

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Every animal in the forest belongs to me, and so do the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know all the birds in the mountains, and every wild creature is in my care.  If I were hungry, I wouldn't tell you, because I own the world and everything in it.  I don't eat the meat of bulls or drink the blood of goats.  I am God Most High! The only sacrifice I want is for you to be thankful and to keep your word.  Pray to me in time of trouble. I will rescue you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 50: 10 - 15

Did you know that "Bird Watching" is a God-like activity.  God watches the birds and He feeds them as well.  God not only watches birds, but "every wild creature" is in His care.  Knowing that truth helps me know why it is really wrong to mistreat or abuse animals!  

God also watches and cares for you.  He knows everything about you, including the number of hairs on your head.  If God did not care for you, I believe you would not be able to take your next breath!  So according to Psalm 50, the only sacrifice that God wants from you is for you to be thankful for His care and for you to keep your word to Him!  

Spend some time today counting the blessings that God has given you and those you love.  Also look around at the animals that God knows, and remember that He knows each and every one!

God always keeps His Word and if you are to be like God, then you will keep your word as well!  

"Lord Jesus, show me how to be more like You today and everyday!  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever.  Amen."

Billy Graham's Message!

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The LORD said, "Ezekiel, son of man, I want you to stand up and listen."  After he said this, his Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the LORD said:  Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop.  They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the LORD God, have chosen you to tell them what I say.  Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them.  Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not.

Ezekiel 2: 1 - 7

Have you ever wondered why some men are considered to be "better preachers" than others?  Now that Billy Graham has passed away you will hear lots of comments about his life and about why he was such a "powerful" preacher.  The power of preaching is in the message not the messenger!  The Apostle Paul did say that "he became all things to all men" so that he might win some to Jesus, but God clearly told Ezekiel to preach the message whether or not anyone believed it.  

Billy Graham was powerful because of the Message he delivered, not because of how he delivered it!  When you praise a man because of how eloquent he is in proclaiming the Message of the Gospel of Jesus, you are like people praising a man who warned of a fire in their building for being eloquent and persuasive.  If such a man were to receive the highest award for his service to other men by warning them to get out, no one would even think to mention how well the man could speak and how convincing he was with his arguments!  

The powerful message of Billy Graham was this: You have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus you can repent and be forgiven of those sins and live forever with Jesus in Heaven!  

He said that over and over again to millions of people!  That is the powerful, saving message that everyone needs to hear and you don't need to be Billy Graham to deliver it!  Thank God for the life of Billy Graham, but thank Him most of all for Jesus!

"Jesus, You are the Power needed in every life on this earth.  You are the Power to bring us to Glory with You forever.  May Your Name be praised now and always!  Amen!"

False God of Luck!

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What will I, the LORD, do if any of you reject me and my holy mountain? What will happen to you for offering food and wine to the gods you call "Good Luck" and "Fate"?  Your luck will end! I will see to it that you are slaughtered with swords. You refused to answer when I called out; you paid no attention to my instructions. Instead, you did what I hated, knowing it was wrong.  I, the LORD God, will give food and drink to my servants, and they will celebrate. But all of you sinners will go hungry and thirsty, overcome with disgrace.  My servants will laugh and sing, but you will be sad and cry out in pain.

Isaiah 65: 11 - 14

Did you know that Good Luck is not a Fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Luck is not part of the blessed life for those who follow Jesus.  Wishing someone "Good Luck" is the world's way of saying "God bless you" without recognizing God as the Creator of all there is.  These verses in Isaiah 65 say that "Good Luck" is a god, a false god.  

There is not a random force in the world that causes things to happen by chance.  The Good you see around you comes from the Mind and Heart of God Almighty and the Evil in the world comes from Satan!  One of the most cunning lies of Satan is that the good things in your life have nothing to do with God's blessings, and that the bad things that come upon you are not prompted by Satan!  The Enemy of all that is Good and Holy wants to deceive you and make you believe that God is just an idea and not the ruler of Everything!

So I would strongly suggest that you change your vocabulary from "Good Luck" to "God bless."  There is no such thing as "Good Luck" but there certainly are blessings from God!  And by the way the greatest blessing from God is Jesus Christ Himself.  

"Lord, I thank You for all the blessings You give to Your people, but most of all I thank You for Jesus who brings all Your blessings to those who make Him the Lord of their lives!  May Your Name be Praised Now and Forever.  Amen."

Nothing Has Changed!

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I have stumbled, and worthless liars I don't even know surround me and sneer.  Worthless people make fun and never stop laughing.  But all you do is watch! When will you do something? Save me from the attack of those vicious lions.  And when your people meet, I will praise you and thank you, Lord, in front of them all.  Don't let my brutal enemies be glad because of me. They hate me for no reason. Don't let them wink behind my back.  They say hurtful things, and they lie to people who want to live in peace.  They are quick to accuse me. They say, "You did it! We saw you ourselves."  You see everything, LORD! Please don't keep silent or stay so far away.  Fight to defend me, Lord God, and prove that I am right by your standards. Don't let them laugh at me or say to each other, "Now we've got what we want! We'll gobble him down!"  Disappoint and confuse all who are glad to see me in trouble, but disgrace and embarrass my proud enemies who say to me, "You are nothing!"  Let all who want me to win be happy and joyful. From now on let them say, "The LORD is wonderful! God is glad when all goes well for his servant."  Then I will shout all day, "Praise the LORD God! He did what was right."

Psalm 35: 15 - 28

King David sounds like a 21st Century politician.  His opposition was trying to accuse him of things he did not do, spread lies about him, and hate him for no reason.  They said they saw him do something that he did not do, and the list goes on and on!    

So if you listen to the news from the United States today, you will find that nothing has changed since the time of King David.  There are true and false accusations today just as there were then.  So how do you know today what is true and what is a lie?  How do you judge the accusations you hear and know whether or not they are true?  

Here the simple and yet very profound answer to that question.  In the End truth will win and lies will be exposed!  You can trust Jesus and rest in the peace of knowing that His Holy Spirit will be with you as you seek truth in everything!  And as you struggle through the turmoil of your life, know that in the End everything will work together for good to those who are followers of Jesus!

"Lord Jesus, thank you for being the Truth and for exposing the lies that can only come from the Enemy of all that is Good and Right and Holy!  Praise Your Name now and forever.  Amen."