In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Luke 1:26-28
Luke
When God shows up!
One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. Continue reading
In Bad Times You are Still More than Conquerors.
When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. Luke 1:5-7
Good people remain faithful in the worst of times. Continue reading
Do you have room?
Linda and I have been married for almost 34 years. In that time we have gone from sleeping in a double bed to a king size, mostly because we have become king sized ourselves.
There are those occasions when we visit relatives or vacation and we have to sleep again in a double bed. Continue reading
I know I would feel that way!
Yesterday’s Morning Thought was about the Prodigal Son’s father. The question is about the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the father while his son was gone.
I asked the same question on Facebook and received these replies.
- That father was doing nothing but praying, probably fasting and trusting God. Continue reading
Love and Compassion
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. Luke 15:13-16 Continue reading
The Gift of YOU!
Jesus said, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” Luke 6:38 Continue reading
The shemittah and financial collapse.
Let’s see if I can try and put this together.
Wednesday evening we watched part 2 of Isaiah 9:10 – Judgment. This final installment had some eye-opening information.
Rabbi Cahn shared with us about the shemittah or the release. Two things would happen. Continue reading
Not a failure in Christ
There are many times I have felt like a failure. I try to accomplish something and it doesn’t work.
I’m reminded of Thomas Edison.
As he tried to improve the electric light, his ideas just did not work to his satisfaction. Continue reading
Fasting explained (part 1)
Isa 58:6
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
- Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
- Lighten the burden of those who work for you.
- Let the oppressed go free
- Remove the chains that bind people.
- Share your food with the hungry
- Give shelter to the homeless.
- Give clothes to those who need them
- Do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Is there a realistic way to accomplish God’s word for fasting? There is in a spiritual way. Now I do not think that God is doing away with a traditional fast but He is expounding upon it.
- Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
Sin is the great imprisonment in our lives. Christian’s hold the key to opening and releasing the prisoners so we can free those that are wrongly imprisoned.
Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah when He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;” Luke 4:18
In the midst of this Isaiah says, “To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isa 61:1
You can allow the Spirit of the Lord to anoint you to also proclaim the Gospel and set free those held captive by sins grasp.
- Lighten the burden of those who work for you.
If you have a business and employees this one is easily possible for you; but does it have an application for those that do not have a business or employees?
There are people always working for you, not necessarily in the monetary or employee sense.
Some are earnestly praying for you, while others are trying to help you behind the scenes.
You can lighten their burden for you by doing them and yourself a favor – live for God!
I know a young lady that is a burden to my heart. She is constantly saying and doing things that are not morally good. She could lighten my burden by getting her heart right with God and living for Him.
Matt 11:28-30 –Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
- Let the oppressed go free.
I know you’re not the governor of the state or a warden, so how can you accomplish this?
I think more people are oppressed by their own attitude. They are held from going forward by something in the past.
Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32
The truth of God’s word tells each of us how to be free from anger, hatred, and malice, which are attitude related.
Share God’s word and pray for someone to be released from these things.
- Remove the chains that bind people
A chain is something that is used to connect or hold something down. These chains take may different forms. Many are chained by fear. Fear of the water will keep you chained to the land.
2 Tim 1:7 – God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Fear does not come from God; fear comes from inside each of us.
Fear keeps us from stepping out by faith. Again, it is God’s word that banishes fear!
More next time.
Morning Thought with Pastor Tim 