Special Announcement

If you would like to read the interview I did with the creator and writer of Saved M.O.M (Mommy on mission) blogger, Shonte' Press, clink the link below and read her Friday entry. Enjoy!

http://savedmom.blogspot.com/

Teaching Notes

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" - Psalm 40:16

Love results in praise. The psalmist states may all that seek God rejoice and be glad. Why? If you seek God, you will find him. If you are in need of his help, his direction, his wisdom or power, you will receive what you need.

I do not know about you, but I get happy knowing that what I need, I can have from God. So the psalmist tells us to rejoice and be glad in God. And if we love the salvation of God we will shout "The Lord be exalted".

Maybe you are not using those same words, however if you are praising God, that is only done out of your love for him. Did you know you really cannot praise God if you do not love him? It's like a person trying to say something nice about their enemy. If you really do not like someone, the "praise" or the good things you say to them or about them will be false, not sincere.

God wants sincere praise and that comes from our love from him. Today let us say together, "The LORD be exalted". Maybe not in those words, but in the words that express your love for God. Maybe it is hallelujah, or simply I love you Lord. Whatever it is, shout the praises unto the king.

Lord, today we thank you for hearing us when we call unto you and because of it we can rejoice and be glad in you being our God. Help me today to continue to show forth the praises of my love to you. Let me praise you in my home, and every where I go. In Jesus name, amen.

Teaching Notes

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. - Psalm 20:7

What are you trusting in? This is a short verse of scripture but it has valuable lessons held within it. The psalmist writes what some people trust in. Some trust in chariots and some in horses. What does that really mean?

Chariots and horses were valuable in war against one's enemies. Have you ever watched those old movies of kings fighting against other kingdoms? Those on chariots or horses were able to out run those on foot. Many of the chariots and horses for that matter had special armor attached to them so they could do great harm to the enemy. So to relate that to today would mean we are trusting in our abilities, our our stuff, our strength to be able to win against others. We may feel we are smarter, faster, or better and can out run our enemies.

But if you ever watched those old movies, those on chariots or horses did not always win. Sometimes they fell at the hand of their enemies. This is true for us today, we cannot always depend on our strength or other things to always work things our for us because sometimes they fail.

The psalmist however tells of one way that is always sure. He says he will trust in the Lord. The Lord our God is the only one that is able to win all the time, in every situation and in every battle. The psalmist is encouraging us to place our trust in God. The question I asked was, what are you trusting in? Are you trying to work everything out yourself? Are you trying to do everything with power or strength? Well the encouragement today is place your trust in God. God's strength is far greater than yours or mine. Will you release your life into his hands today and trust him to take care of you? Do you trust?

Prayer: Lord today we ask that you help us to trust you in everything and in every situation. We often try to work things out ourselves to often find out we were not able to handle the burden. Help us to take our trust out of ourselves, or people, or things and place is solely in you. Help us today to trust in you, Amen.

Teaching Notes

Who's doing the Leading?

BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Being lead means someone (or something) gives the direction and you follow them. A good example of this is when someone takes your hand, were ever they take you is the direction you go. A problem that arises with being lead is, “WHO’S DOING THE LEADING?” I’ll explain this statement.

Imagine two people are holding your hands. One person is pulling you in one direction; the other is in the opposite direction. Notice what happens. First thing that happens is when you are being pulled in opposite directions; you won’t go forward in either. The second thing that happens is eventually one of the forces that is pulling you will be let go. Lastly, if either forces pulling on you is not let go, you will be pulled until something breaks, gets torn, or gets hurt. Now let us analyze these examples.

Those two people holding your hands represent the Holy Spirit of God and Satan. They are trying to lead your life in opposite directions. If you try to live a life lead by the Spirit and a life lead by Satan, you will not achieve success in your life. In trying you will eventually let go of one life or the other, as stated in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other, you cannot serve God and mammon.” Lastly, if you do not let go, then trying to live both a saved life and an unsaved life, will eventually break your spirit, tear your strength in two and hurt your spiritual life.

In order to be lead successfully by the Spirit, you must take hold of the Spirit with both hands. If you leave that other one dangling at your side, somebody can come and take hold of it. Let the Spirit give you the direction and then follow without complaining. As soon as you begin to complain, to point to what is wrong, your hand is dangling again. Know that the Spirit leads to righteousness, holiness, love, truth, success in the spirit, joy and all the other gifts of God.

How do you learn to be lead by the Spirit? Imagine its like entering boot camp. You go in with your own ideas, habits, will and other preconceived ideas. You must first go through basic training. You must relearn even the very basic things you do, even something as simple as when to go to bed. It might seem silly, but in God’s plans, you might need to be in bed at a certain time so he can use you in a certain way. You will learn to do the things, which will condition your body and mind (as well as the spiritual man) for warfare.

This is how you must envision being trained in spiritual warfare. We are first saved (enter in boot camp.) All the things we thought were right and all our ideas must now be whipped into shape, the shape of God. God shapes us when we read his word, take his correction when we falter, and live righteous lives.

When we have gone through some basic training, we are ready to go to war, to take our orders. Take hold of the Spirit of God and let him direct us in our decisions we make. Whether to buy a car, to take this job or wait for the one God has for us. When we begin to be lead by the Spirit, we then are walking as sons and daughters of God.