Thoughts of Our Fathers (TOF)

READ: Nehemiah 6:1-16
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Nehemiah 6:3

Nehemiah refused to leave his work and follow vain things. You will be distracted when you try to impress people. People who love to impress on the outside are rarely impressive on the inside. It takes time and effort to impress people and this becomes the greatest distraction from the time and effort needed to be impressive on the inside. You will have to cease the good work you are doing on the inside so that you can attend to impressing people on the outside.

Do not be distracted from your original calling. Do not be distracted from the “real” thing. Give your attention to the main thing. When you spend a lot of time doing your hair, nails, skin, eye lashes, eye brows, finger nails, toe nails and face, you will obviously not have much time to do the chores that make a home a great place to be.

Women who spend a lot of time and effort to look good and impressive are completely distracted from their main role of being good wives. They may be good fashion models but poor wives. You see them parading themselves at weddings in fancy colourful yellow and orange dresses while their homes are filthy and smelly.

Ministers of the gospel who love to be pleasing and friendly to everyone rarely have time to be pleasing and friendly to God who called them. Useless socializing and watching television are key distractions from your principal calling.

He was zealous for my sake . . .
—Numbers 25:11

It is strange that the world accepts enthusiasm in every realm but the spiritual. The world appreciates and understands emotion and enthusiasm, until it becomes a religious fervor—then immediately it is suspect. When you bring a grand and glorious abandon to your dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ, you are thought by many of your neighbors to be mad, to have “gone too far” in religion.

The whole history of missionary enterprise is filled with names like William Carey, Hudson Taylor, John Paton, David Livingstone, and others, who were thought by their generations to be mad. Their dedication was beyond the understanding of those who loved the smugness and the ease of contemporary life . . . And yet, in the last analysis, who are the mad ones? Are they not the complacent, self-centered, and smug who are so selfish that they tire of their own smugness, tire of their pleasures, and even tire of themselves?

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another…even as Christ forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13

Living in a home filled with the love and the peace of God Himself is almost like living in heaven right here on earth. We all know that's true. And we long to live in such a home. Yet, time and time again, we shortchange our families. We spend our kindest words and our most winning smiles on those beyond our front door.

Have you ever wondered why?

The answer is simpler than you might suspect. Spiritually speaking, your family is under attack. You see, it is not only one of your most precious gifts, when it's operating in harmony, it's one of your most powerful resources. Satan knows that even if you don't—and he's out to destroy it.

His battle plan is simple. He will do everything he can to create strife in your home. He'll stir up feelings of self-pity and jealousy. He'll encourage you to nurse resentments and harbor bitterness. And through it all, his purpose remains the same: to divide and destroy your home.

When God's people get in harmony with each other, miracles start to happen. Their agreement creates an atmosphere in which God's supernatural, miracle-working power is free to flow! So Satan is constantly tempting us to spoil that atmosphere, to foul things up by being at odds with each other. All too often we fall prey to his tactics simply because we don't realize just how dangerous strife really is. One close look at the Word of God will solve that problem, however. James 3:16 says, "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work."

Don't open the door of your home to Satan by allowing your family the "luxury" of a few quarrels.

Stop the destruction before it starts. Anchor yourself to God's Word. Find out what He has to say about the power of agreement. Stop looking at your family from your own limited perspective and start seeing it as God sees it—as a powerhouse! That way you won't drift helplessly into an argument every time a gust of emotion blows through your home.

Determine right now not to let the devil have your family. Instead, pray for them, support them and love them. Bring them together, so you can all enjoy a little bit of heaven on earth.


Scripture Reading:

Colossians 3:12-25

Psalm 1:3

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

When darkness covered the face of the earth, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) When a certain man paralyzed for 38 years lay helpless at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” and immediately, the man was healed, took up his bed and walked. (John 5:8–9)

You don’t say such words unless you see something others don’t. God does not see the way man sees. Man, however, must see the way God sees. We must see the vision of the Almighty.

The prophet Balaam saw the vision of the Almighty when the Spirit of God fell on him. As he looked down from a mountain at the camp of the Israelites, he found himself saying, “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters.” (Numbers 24:5–6)

Balaam would not have said this unless he saw Israel not in the natural, but as God saw it. At that time, the Israelites were a discontented lot, always murmuring and complaining in the wilderness. But when God looked at them, He saw them like flourishing gardens planted by the rivers—fruitful and prosperous.

Beloved, God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you—“like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper”. So see yourself like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in your season. See yourself as one who will not wither, whose health will not fail. See whatever you do prospering!

See the vision of the Almighty. That vision is always a good vision. Whenever you see your situation through God’s eyes, you will find that your situation will change because when you see as He sees, you allow Him to work as the Almighty in your life!

Laughter is just what the doctor ordered.

The positive impact of laughter is well documented.

Studies show that it lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and boosts immune functions in the body. It cleanses the lungs and body tissues of accumulated stale air since it empties more air out than it takes in. In addition to these benefits, laughter triggers the release of endorphins — those “feel good” chemicals in the brain that make you feel joyful and elated — and even helps to relieve pain. Endorphins are the same chemicals released when some people, after an extended period of running, get “runners high”.

We should take advantage of every opportunity to have a good hearty laugh. Humorous situations surround us each day. We just have to be on the lookout for them. Here are some ways to get more laughter into your life:

- Let people know that you enjoy a good laugh and ask them to share their favorite jokes with you via email, etc.

- Visit joke sites on the Internet.

- Plan to attend a live comedy show with a group.

- Share your embarrassing or humorous moments (let good taste prevail here).

- Laugh at yourself and your shortcomings – especially on the job. Be a good sport. When others do imitations of you, laugh and pay attention. It can be a real eye opener to some of your eccentric ways.

Don’t allow life’s pressures and negative circumstances to snuff out your sense of humor.

Laughter can take your mind off of what’s stressing you—providing temporary emotional relief. Laughter can improve your social life as well as your marriage or romantic relationship since it makes you more fun to be around; nobody enjoys a sourpuss.

Laugh often and let others find strength in your joy.

Memorise: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 2nd Timothy 4:7

Read: 1st Timothy 6:11-14 (KJV)

11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.


13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;


14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:




Bible in one year: Leviticus 13, Psalms 123-124
Message
The basis for all spiritual warfare can be explained as the opposition or hostility between light and darkness. Darkness is associated with blindness, emptiness, uncertainty, inactivity, stagnancy, ignorance, failure, wickedness, fear and evil. Darkness was dominant authority over the universe in the beginning, and this was evidently the status quo at the time of creation in Genesis 1:1. Then God said let there be light and there was light. Light is a very powerful force. Open Heavens Monday 19 December 2016:- the good fight of faith. When there is light, darkness has no choice than to disappear. John 1:5 says,


“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”


However, the truth is, not all light can outshine darkness. For instance, Genesis 1 talks of categories of light.


“And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.”
Genesis 1:16


There are lights of the sun, moon and stars. Then there are man-made lights of varying sizes. If you put on tiny torch in the midst of total darkness, you will only see the spot that the torch is pointing at. Everywhere else will be surrounded by darkness. The size of a light determines the area it will dominate or rule over. Open heavens devotional 2016. The sun rules over the day because it is far brighter than the moon. If the moon were to replace the sun during the day, there will be darkness during the day. Similarly, if you bring sun to replace the moon during the night time, the night will turn into day. This tells us that what determines the result of a situation is the amount of light it is exposed to. This means that exposing varying degrees of light on the same situation will give you different results. The volume of the light of God’s Word that you are exposed to will determine the degree of the change you will experience.


The intensity and size of God’s light in you will determine the sphere of domination. Although, God has commanded you to dominate everything, the actual scope of your dominance will be determined by the amount of God’s Word that is in you. The Word is the light of the world. If you lack the Word, you lack the light that gives definition to your ability to dominate. As you increase your Word content, you enlarge your coast. Staying away from the Word automatically reduces your glow and ultimately your ability to control forces, situations and circumstances. On the other hand, the moment you stop shinning as light, darkness will swallow you up. If you want to be victorious over forces of darkness, you should daily expose yourself to the light from God’s Word. The Word is the sword of the Spirit and the chief weapon of our warfare as Christians.

I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life.
—Deuteronomy 30:19

In John 16:8, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would "convict and convince" the world about sin and righteousness. He didn't say anything about the Holy Spirit bringing condemnation. He said He brings "demonstration . . . about sin and about righteousness." The Holy Spirit reveals the results of sin and the results of righteousness so people may understand which path to follow. He makes clear distinction between right and wrong, between blessings and curses, between life and death so people can ask God to help them choose life.

People who live in sin have wretched, miserable lives. I occasionally run into people I knew years ago and haven't seen in quite some time. Some of these people have not been living for God and the rough, rugged lifestyles they have chosen have taken a toll on them. The sour, sad, miserable choices they have made are visible because sin has left them looking sad and often older than they are. They are unhappy, negative, and discontent individuals often filled with bitterness because their life has not been a good one. They fail to realize that their life is the direct result of bad choices they made.

The result of sin may be observed everywhere. The line between those who love and serve God and those who don't is becoming quite clear. God pleads with us to make right choices, ones that will lead us into the life He desires for us to enjoy. There are two paths before each of us; a broad path that leads to sin and destruction and a narrow path that leads to life (see Matthew 7:13-14). I encourage you to choose life today and every day.

READ: Exodus 1:1-22
Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Exodus 1:8

Pharaoh forgot the history of his own country . His nation would have been wiped out if it had not been for the good works of Joseph. Yet, he forgot who the Israelites were and began to persecute them. Perhaps if he had read his history book, he would not have persecuted Joseph’s descendants. He repaid the good that Joseph had done to the nation of Egypt with evil.

Pharaoh’s failure to read history cost him dearly . By being ungrateful to the Israelites, he sowed the seeds of the destruction of Egypt. God stepped in and wiped out the economy of Egypt. He destroyed their farms, their infrastructure, their water, their cattle, their vegetation and their personal comforts.

“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the Lord our God commanded you?' then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand. 'Moreover, the Lord showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household;” (Deuteronomy 6:20-22, NASB)

I think that history is one of the most important subjects ever to be studied. Please read your history books! Please read biographies of men of God. In them, you will find great lessons of life, which must never be forgotten.

What joy there is for anyone whose sins are no longer counted against him by the Lord.
—Romans 4:8 (TLB)

A number of years ago I was stopped for driving too fast in a speed zone, and in the courtroom I pleaded guilty. The judge was not only friendly but embarrassed for me to be in his court. The fine was ten dollars. If he had let me go free, it would have been inconsistent with justice. The penalty had to be paid either by me or someone else! Judgment is consistent with love. A God of love must be a God of justice. It is because God loves that He is just. His justice balances His love and makes His acts of both love and justice meaningful.

God could not consistently love men, if He did not provide for the judgment of evil-doers. His punishment of the evil-doer and His separation of the righteous is a manifestation of God’s great love. We must always look at the cross on the dark background of judgment. It was because God’s love for man was so intense that He gave His Son, so that man would not have to face judgment.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
James 1:2-3

I admit, it's tough to be enthusiastic about going through tests and trials. But can you get excited about being totally supplied in every way, in want of nothing? Well, according to the Word of God, if you'll use your trials to develop patience, you're going to be in precisely that position!

You see, patience doesn't mean what you thought it meant. It does not mean settling sweetly for second best. It does not mean standing meekly by while the devil romps all over you.

No, patience is a powerful word. The New Testament meaning of it as translated literally from the Greek is "to be consistently constant or to be the same way all the time, regardless of what happens."

To understand how much power is involved in that, you have to realize that it's one of the most outstanding attributes of God Himself. The Bible says He's the same yesterday, today and forever.

Think about that for a minute. The guy who absolutely cannot be changed by anyone or anything is an extremely powerful fellow, wouldn't you say? Obviously, God has that much power.

But you know what? You do too!

By the power of the Holy Ghost working within you, you can be the same every day no matter what happens. If you'll put your trust in the Word of God and let patience go to work, it won't matter what happens. You won't ever have to accept anything less than victory again.

Now that's something to get excited about.


Scripture Reading:

2 Timothy 3:10-17