Christ Centered - Devotion-Charles Darby

Jesus Christ is Lord
Let's Live A Life Of Praise Unto The Lord
Psa 108:3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

Quote
The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. OSWALD CHAMBERS (1874–1917)

Verses - KJV
Psa 112:5-8 A good man showeth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

My Thoughts and Comments
Psa 91:2-16 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.
Are we careful about the things we do and say - knowing that we represent the Lord in this world? Is our trust in the Lord so we don't fear when we hear of evil tidings? Is our heart established unmoveable in the Lord?
No one is good, in a biblical sense, unless the Lord be in him. It is not us that lives but Christ in us. Christ working through us will love everyone and use us as ministers. Everything a Christian does reflects good or bad on Christ.
Do we consider Christ in all we do and say? One whose heart is fixed on the Lord (his heart is established) will not be afraid when evil tidings come their way. Their trust is in the Lord and Him alone. His enemies are the ones who are in trouble, not him! Fear of God causes you to lose your fear of everything else.
How do we handle our business affairs? Do we handle them as the world handles theirs? Do we try to take unfair advantage of others? When we are buying do we belittle something to get a better price on it? Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. We should consider - what would Christ do in the same situation. A Christ like person should always consider others as well as themselves. A self centered person is not Christ centered.
Do we truly believe Psalms 91:2-16? Are we opening our mouth and saying so to every evil tiding we hear? Meditate on it!
Prayer

Lord God, thank You for the honor You have given us as Your representatives in this world. Grant us Your anointing, guidance and wisdom to be effective witnesses. May we truly be vessels of honor unto You. May we never do or say anything that brings dishonor unto You. We ask, believe we receive and give thanks in Your Name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Christ Centered Devotion - Devotion 10/01/2010

Let's Live A Life Of Praise Unto The Lord
Psa 118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

Quote
Psa 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psa 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Verses - KJV
Psa 111:1-3 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

My Thoughts and Comments
Do we desire to be blessed? Are we doing what it takes to be blessed? When we praise the Lord - do we do it with our whole heart?

What does the word "Whole" mean? (Webster - the sum of all the parts. entire. intact. not a fraction. nothing left out.) When we say "with our whole heart" we are saying our whole heart is committed to do the will of God. They sought the Lord with their whole heart so they would not wander from His Word.

We should have pleasure in finding out what the Lord says and then becoming a doer of it. Our whole heart should be fixed on the Lord and not be going up and down, in and out, according to how we feel. Our whole heart should be filled with the Word of the Lord. So we can say as Psa 40:8 "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."

Have we been filled with His righteousness? If we have not, it is our own fault! Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. When you ask, with your whole heart, you will be filled. His righteousness is not up and down but the same every day. With His righteousness in us, we should be the same.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Along with the filling of the Holy Ghost comes not only righteousness but peace and joy as well! He also takes the things of Jesus and shows them to us. He is also the power to be an effective witness unto the Lord. Why would anyone not desire, with their whole heart, to be filled with the Holy Ghost?

When we praise the Lord is it with our whole heart or do we just go through the motions? Are we just doing what we see others do; trying to fit in? Beloved, when our whole heart is filled with praise and thanksgiving it will show in all we do and say.

As we walk in The Spirit we will not go astray from His commandments. Let's examine our own heart and see if we have sought the Lord with our whole heart or not. Meditate on it!

Prayer
Holy Father, You said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. We desire to be blessed and filled with Your righteousness. We have no righteousness of our own. We ask, believe we receive, and give thanks in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Please Pray For America and for your country according to 2 Chr. 7:14

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Jesus Christ is Lord
Devotion 9/26/2010
Let's Live A Life Of Praise Unto The Lord
Psa 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Quote
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Verses - KJV
Psa 107:5-9 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
My Thoughts and Comments
Do we have a hunger and a thirst for righteousness? Have we been filled with His righteousness or are we still trying to establish our righteousness? Do we have rivers of living water flowing from within us?
We have an "easy believeism" that is being taught and preached in many areas today. No need to get hungry and thirsty for God, just make a statement of faith and you are forever saved no matter what you do thereafter. No repentance is necessary, just say you believe.
Sad, but many of these have never had a change of heart, they just added the Lord to their way of living. Beloved that is not a biblical experience. John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. One who has been Born Again is a new person. They are not living like they did before. These can see the kingdom of God and are entering into it!
The Lord says "you will find me when you seek me with your whole heart." Have you done that and has He satisfied the hunger and thirst of your heart? Are you hungering and thirsting to be filled with His righteousness? He promised it to everyone who is hungry and thirsty. Have you received your in-filling? If so, you should be praising the Lord for His goodness and wonderful works in you.
Here is where the Kingdom of God is and it should be in us. Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Beloved, when you are hungry and thirsty for righteousness this is where it will be found!
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Beloved, we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That is seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire! The Holy Ghost is the power to be a witness unto the Lord, Jesus Christ. The fire is to thoroughly purge His floor of everything that is not pleasing to the Lord.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God in action. Luke 9:1-2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Beloved, the Kingdom of God has authority over the works of the devil and over all manner of sickness! Teach it - preach it - and live it!
Everyone who has been filled with the Holy Ghost has a great desire to be continually praising the Lord. Not only with words and song but in deeds and actions as well. Meditate on it!

Prayer Lord God, grant Your servants the anointing of Holy Spirit to minister Your Word to all who will hear. Give us Your love for everyone. Give us grace so we may warn the unruly and comfort the ones who love you. May everything we face cause us to draw closer to You and never turn away from You. We ask, believe we receive, and give thanks in Jesus name, Amen.

Devotion 9/23/2010
Let's Live A Life Of Praise Unto The Lord
Psa 104:33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Quote
James 1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Verses - KJV
Psa 106:13-15 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
My Thoughts and Comments
Do we understand that Christian growth takes place in trials, in testing's, in storms of life? In these times what do we do? Do we see them as opportunities or not? Do we, sometimes, get in too big a hurry?
In the business world, it's not what you did yesterday that they are interested in. It's what did you do today? You will quickly fall out of favor if you don't keep on producing more and more.
In the Christian's life, sometimes, it gets the same way. We forget what God did for us before and are just concerned with what He does for us today! Some get discouraged because their prayers are not answered quickly, as before. They don't feel His presence as before and began to fall back to the old ways.
Israel did that after the Lord delivered them from bondage. In the wilderness, God was testing their faith in Him and they, all but Joshua and Caleb, failed the test. When your faith is being tested God is moving you toward perfection. Don't turn aside to anything.
Most of the time, when we learn a truth of the Lord we will soon be tested to see if we are going to believe it when everything seems to go against that truth! If we hold on to that truth and refuse to turn from it - it will become a part of our life!
So many Christians, especially young ones, desire to stay on the so-called mountain top all the time! Beloved, very little growth takes place on the mountain top. Real growth takes place in the valleys of life! When a storm happens - on the mountain top is the most dangerous place to be. In the valley He restores our soul! He leads us in the valley where the still waters are.
Be patient and wait on the Lord; no matter what you are going through. Keep on doing what you know to be truth. God Has not left You. Do all you know to do that is according to the Word of God. When you have done all; stand and praise the Lord for victory - for the battle is then the Lords!
Don't always be asking for things, find out what God desires for you to learn and grow up with Him! When you ask - ask for a better understanding of the Lord and His desires for you. Make the majority of your prayers be seeking the Lord and His desires not yours. Israel, while being tested, failed to do this and was only interested in getting what they wanted! That generation failed their test and didn't get to enter the promise land.
Let's not let that happen to us. It won't, if we do as He says and become doers of His Word, walking in the light with Him. Believe His Word and refuse to doubt that He is able to bring it to pass in our life, no matter what others say! Meditate on it!
Prayer
Lord God, forgive us. Sometimes we behave like babies always crying for something. We have been fed with milk, not meat. Help us to wait on you and learn from everything that comes our way. Sometimes, You desire to bring us through a storm, not deliver us from it. In all things give us grace to learn what You desire us to learn. Forgive us when we act in haste instead of with patience. We ask, believe we receive, and give thanks in Jesus name, Amen.

Christ Centered - Devotion
Charles Darby
Let's Live A Life Of Praise Unto The Lord
Psa 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Quote
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Verses - KJV
Psa 101:1-4 A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
My Thoughts and Comments
Do we consider ourselves a new creation in Christ or do we say we are an old sinner saved by grace. Have we changed our thoughts, lifestyle, friends, conversation or did we just add Christ to our old way of living?
It seems that many, who claim to be Christians, have just added Christ to their life and joined a church. 2 Cor 5:17 is not a reality in their life. There has been no real change in their relationships or in their life style. They still watch the same filthy movies, the same raunchy television shows and still have the same friends as before.
These still like to hear the filthy jokes and will curse those made in the image of God. Some even use God's name in curse words. Righteousness has not become a way of life but sin still dominates them. Beloved, that is not the mark of a Christian. The one who is in Christ has been made new, old things are dead and buried.
These will set no wicked thing before their eyes and they part company with those who turn aside to a wicked way. The Word of God has become the lamp to their feet and the light to their way. Who do you associate with and what do you set before your eyes?
As we watch television and something that is ungodly comes on do we change the channel quickly? Do we bring cursing into our home by way of a movie or program we watch? Do we allow adultery or fornication into our home by way of television or friends? Are we very careful about what we set before our eyes? Beloved, a Christ-like person should be very careful what they set before their eyes and their children's eyes.
Do you live one way in church and another way when at work, home or play? That should not be in the life of one who has Christ in them. For one who has Christ in them - old things has passed away and has been buried with Christ and raised with Him to live a new and living way. Praise the Lord for ever!
2 Cor 6:16-18 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
This should be the consuming desire of every Born Again child of the living God. They have set their desire on Christ and pleasing Him and walking with Him is their total desire. They have allowed His blood to cleanse them of all sin. They are reading and studying the Word of God. They are washing away, by His Word, what is not according to godliness. Does that describe you? Meditate on it!
Prayer
Lord God, help us to set a guard before our eyes that we set no wicked thing before us. Forgive us when we get our thoughts on things that are ungodly. Help us to choose those we associate with wisely, as those who love You and desire to walk with You. We ask, believe we receive, and give thanks in Jesus name, Amen.
Please Pray For America and for your country according to 2 Chr. 7:14

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