Morning Encouragement for 2/19/2023

 Good morning,

In the old testament, it is recorded many times where the writer admonishes the nation about “going back down to Egypt”. Now G-d did not hate Egypt rather, staying out of Egypt reduced the chances of returning to old habits. When Israel left Egypt, they left not only with alms from the Egyptians, they left with the gods they had incurred during the 400 years they were enslaved to the nation in the same way we left our sinful practices, we brought with us our tendencies, habits, and behaviors. Habits and behaviors, just like the gods of Egypt, will eventually lead us back into slavery if we are not careful. It is, for this reason, we are warned about going back to the places where we lived in slavery.

Before crossing over into the new land, Joshua commanded the people to throw away the gods they carried with them from Egypt. The reason for this is that those idols would serve to remind the people of the place where they came from. In the same way, attitudes and behaviors remind us of the way we used to live. The scripture verse “as far as the east is from the west so far has He cast our sins from us” (Psalms 103:11-12). How far is the East from the West? Does it mean that “never shall you be bothered by the sins or temptation again”? If that were true, then it would also be true that once our debts are paid off, we’ll never have to worry about bills again and we never have to practice good financial management. Understand this, when we step out of the enemy’s camp the hold sin had on our lives is removed and a new pathway is opened before us but it is incumbent on us to make changes in the attitudes and behaviors that kept us in sin. Turning back to old habits is extremely easy all it requires is backsliding just once and the rest is all downhill. It is for this reason that we are told to be “on our guard”.

When the people crossed into the new land, those habits and behaviors would not cease to exist in their new homes no matter how much they changed their living standards. As a child, I had behaviors and attitudes that resulted in me getting bullied. My father was in the military so we moved around. Because I never dealt with my bad behaviors, there would always be another one in the new place and in many instances more than one. It would be the same thing for the nation and for anybody else who decides to move to a new area and start over again without first fixing the problems.

You see, the one person we can never get far enough away from is “ourselves”.  Unless we deal with ourselves by coming to grips with our failures, those “things” will always come back to haunt us often at the most inoperative times. I encourage you today to take an honest assessment of yourself; this is a conversation between you and the Lord.

Verses: Isaiah 31, Joshua 24:14, Psalms 103, Lamentations 3:40-42

Famous Quote: Of all work done under the sun religious work should be the most open to examination. There is positively no place in the church for sleight of hand or double talk. Everything done by the churches should be completely above suspicion. The true church will have nothing to hide.” – A.W. Tozer

Father,

Thank you for all that you do in and through us. Sin causes problems in our lives and it is indiscriminate as to who it hurts or the damage that it does to everyone around us. As long as we allow sin to hold the reigns in our life, it will follow us and take up residence in our family for generations. Please help me to honor you by evaluating my life and taking corrective actions. I pray for my family and friends that you will watch over them and keep them safe. I pray that you will continue to shake the world and its elected leaders so that they may be silenced before you. I pray for the military, law enforcement, and EMT communities that you will be with every one of them and bring them safely home. I pray over our politicians that you will continue to shake them to their core with the message of the Ephod so that they fully understand whom they serve. I pray for the city of Stacy, the state of Minnesota, and the USA may your Spirit fall fresh upon us. I pray for the truckers who carry supplies to our communities. I thank you for healing our land with rain that refreshes the land and the storms that shake the heart of mankind. I pray for those who need a special touch from you today. Finally, I pray that my words will always be an encouragement to all who read these words in Jesus' name I pray. May your peace be upon my family, city, state, nation, and world. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer (Psalms 19:14).

IHS
MK

Morning Encouragement for 2/11/2023

 Good morning,

I read from John 10 this morning and I was astounded by the direct approach Jesus took when talking to the disciples about the days to come. Usually, when death is imminent or has occurred, the survivors are told comforting words like: “he’s going to a better place” or recited comforting scripture like Psalms 91. These words, while meant to comfort the mourners, are just that, “comfort”. When Jesus was talking with the team, the purpose was to comfort them and admonish them. The days that come after Jesus’ death would not be for the weak of the heart and would require a depth of character to withstand the pressures. Jesus had no doubt that the disciples would do well and that they would not disappoint him. I ask you, “how was Jesus so sure that the fledgling group would succeed?”. Remember this, Jesus never spouted a word that he was not sure of, and nor did he give the disciples false hope. The reason I believe Jesus knew the disciples would succeed, was that his personal mission statement was “Holiness to the Lord” in all that he did and said.

When you compare Jesus’ ministry to Moses and Elijah, there are glaring differences and the reason for the events that would follow. Moses was faithful for the most part until the point where the proverbial “rubber hit the road”. Elijah was powerful in word and deed until pushed to his limit.  The problem was that the people, although taught about the ways that please the Lord, would forget all that they had been taught and would cave into the sinful practices of the people. This was the nation where the Lord said, “those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed” (Genesis 27:29). So what happened? The priests were descendants of Aaron, given the honor and prestige of being the priests of the nation. The people had the laws of G-d, the benefit of the special land, and the Mosaic law; in essence, they had everything going for them yet they fell short of G-d’s best. This was the land of the prophets and the heritage of the Messiah. Yet, despite all of this, the nation struggled over its heritage, language, and script. Understand this, it is not what we have going for us but what is within our hearts that counts.

To get through the difficult days, it would not be their history, the prophets, or the Mosaic law that would win the day, it would be their ethics, morality, and quality of character. All of the aforementioned items benefit the nation and would be for naught without obedience and faithfulness. In the same way, when we came to the Lord, just as the disciples did, all of the promises were and still are “yes” and “amen” but unless we set our hearts on honoring the Lord all of the days of our life, those promises will not be fulfilled in us.

Verses: John 10, Psalms 91, Deuteronomy 28

Famous Quote: “With our hearts, we obey the teaching of the truth which has the power to deliver us from death to eternal life.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

Father,

Above all things and irrespective of the promises, the power of a life lived for you is accomplished through obedience to your word. Please help me today to honor your word promises or not. When I honor you with my life, you are glorified and praised in the eyes of those who watch me. I honor you, you are lifted up and you draw the world to yourself. I pray that you will continue to shake the world and its elected leaders so that they may be silenced before you. I pray for the military, law enforcement, and EMT communities that you will be with every one of them and bring them safely home. I pray over our politicians that you will continue to shake them to their core with the message of the Ephod so that they fully understand whom they serve. I pray for the city of Stacy, the state of Minnesota, and the USA may your Spirit fall fresh upon us. I pray for the truckers who carry supplies to our communities. I thank you for healing our land with rain that refreshes the land and the storms that shake the heart of mankind. I pray for those who need a special touch from you today. Finally, I pray that my words will always be an encouragement to all who read these words in Jesus' name I pray. May your peace be upon my family, city, state, nation, and world. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer (Psalms 19:14).

IHS
MK

Encouragement for 2019 - What's Shaking Your Tree

Encouragement for 2019

What’s Shaking Your Tree Today?

Good morning,

For the past few days, the nation has endured the coldest winter in more than a decade.  Now, I am not one for cold weather and would prefer temps in the mid 70’s early 80’s with 10% or less humidity. Nobody likes it when storms come around because it disrupts our life and plans that we had previously made. I would believe every Christian on planet earth if asked, would prefer to always have times of prosperity, gentle rains, and pleasant temperatures. But storms that bring change also come with benefits. For example, hurricanes, help to rejuvenate the barrier reef, kills off the red tide and bacteria that destroy fish, redistributes rain-fall, and cleans the beaches[1]. The sub-arctic temps kill the emerald ash borer and other plant pathogens[2]. Similarly, when bad things like illness, conflicting ideas, and struggles on our shores come about, at first it looks like the worst possible thing to happen at the worst possible moment. As time passes, though, we find within us new talents and abilities and we go on to accomplish great things despite the storms. When you read the reports about the damage caused by storms, one would believe that storms are God’s form of judgment. When, in reality, they sometimes answer to prayer, healing for the land, and they shake us from complacency. It is also my firm belief, that God uses the issues of our day to test the fabric of our faith and redirect the course of our lives in ways we would never think possible.  Trials are a good thing because, when life is good all of the time, people become lackadaisical in their ways sort of like what happened to Solomon in his later days (1 Kings 11). More importantly, if our faith never endured trials, we would be little more than a toy soldier in a pressed uniform with a polished weapon; More importantly, we would become very arrogant in our systems of belief; Consider Paul’s testimony as an example. My encouragement for you today, is that when trials come, struggles pull at the fabric of your life, and you feel at your end, I want you to consider that God gives us good days and bad days (Ecc 7:14); if God is able to guide in good times, he is also able to guide us in bad times; both days benefit our lives. I believe God wants us to embrace our struggles and not run away from them.  

In the crazy storms, the shipwrecks, the starless nights and sunless days, we don’t know how God will save us. But we do have his promises. And when we get to the end of our lives, we will be able to say, “I had no idea how he would save me, how I would make it to the end. But never once did he fail to keep his promise.” Chad Ashby

Father,

When life shakes our tree, we as humans do not always see your hand upon our lives; this requires faith. When the crew aboard the rowboat were quaking in their shoes over the storm that was upon them, Jesus did not add to the fear rather, he simply said, “Peace be still” and the boat was brought to the shore (Mark 4:39). My prayer for my family and friends today who are knee-deep in storms is that you will speak to their lives, “Peace be still”.  

                                                               

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://www.mikesencouragement.org

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[1] Heba Soffar. Hurricanes & Tropical Storms Advantages & Disadvantages. Earth and Universe (6/18/2018). Accessed https://www.online-sciences.com/earth-and-motion/hurricanes-tropical-storms-advantages-and-disadvantages/

[2] Suzan Vinskofski. Sub-Zero Weather can Benefit Your Garden & Landscape. Home Organic Gardening. Accessed https://learningandyearning.com/sub-zero-weather-can-benefit-your-garden-and-landscape.

Encouragement for 2019 - Timshel

Encouragement for 2019

Timshel – Genesis 4:3-7

Good morning,

For 14 years now, I have read the bible cover-to-cover. When I read the account of Cain and Able, I always thought that God was castigating Cain because his offering paled in comparison to Able’s; sort of like saying, “Able’s offering is the gold standard and you should be more like Able”. If this assumption was correct, then God would be complicit in Able’s murder because of the mere appearance of favoritism. The Bible, as good as it is, does not fill in all of the pieces in a single verse add to the mix the issues of translating one language to another sometimes yields to misunderstandings; this requires the reader to do some research to find out exactly what was really said and what was the intended meaning (Acts 17:11). In verse 7 the King James version says, “Thou Shalt overcome” which sounds more like a command “put on your big-boy panties Cain and get over it”. in the original language, though, the term is “Timshel” which means “thou mayest” which, changes the scope of the statement to sound more like, “You have the choice, let it consume you or let this situation grow you. “Thou Shalt” is a moral imperative; the implication is that, “if I am a member of ______ then I must obey the laws of _____. “Timshel” leaves the listener with a choice in how he/she will respond to a situation. In Cain’s case, he had two choices, “get angry about the perceived unfairness and let the situation consume him” leading to murder and self-destruction or, “Check his heart to see if he really gave God his very best”. if Cain could say in his heart, “I gave it my best” then his conscience would be clear, the Devil would have no inroad to control him (Romans 5:1-11).

It must be understood that it is not wrong to be upset about a perceived unfairness. What is wrong, is to accept any given situation at face value without one time checking our facts in the light of truth; this requires checking our heart, re-evaluating what we heard, and consider our contribution to the problem. Self-destruction and sin are rampant in our world today because, mankind more often than not, will take the easy way out by blaming someone else for his/her misfortune.  In every family from the first family to present day, bad things have happened, hearts have been broken, feelings have been hurt, and moral failure has occurred; there is no generation that can proudly say, “we were morally upright”; each generation had its skeletons. The question to ask our self is, “how will I respond to ______”? Will I be just another tragedy or be the one to end the cycle destruction?  My encouragement for you today is, consider the word “timshel” when you are at the crossroads between right and wrong. Remember this, the Devil is very crafty and has the innate ability to twist words in order to get us to do his bidding under the guise of “a concerned friend”. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we need no longer continue in the cycle of abuse. If you would like to get a better picture of this verse, I would encourage you to read “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck as it brings this verse to life in a way only a novelist can do.

¹⁶ “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His[One and] ^[a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17 Amp)

Father,

Your love for us transcends time itself. It would be very nice if all we ever knew was “love but, in this world, we also have “hate” to deal with. It would also be nice if everything we brought to you, you showered us with gratitude and praise; yet, there is a danger in that because we would never strive to do better or ever seek to sharpen our skills for the next offering. When you reject an offering, it is not because you dislike the giver rather, because we did not do our very best or not what we were called to do. Watch over my family and families today. Be with those who are suffering, in trouble, and/or need a special touch from you. Timshel is the word.

Mike

All of my writings can be found on http://www.mikesencouragement.org

Encouragment for 2019 - At the Party's End

Good Morning,

In Christian magazines and in self-help books, the term “victorious living” is tossed around like a catchphrase. According to scripture, it should be the goal of every child of God to live victorious lives (1 John 5:4). The question is, “what does it look like” or how will you know you have achieved it? Does "victorious living" mean you succeed in everything you start, never facing defeat or, experience loss?  Victory, in my view, doesn't imply being the best but rather, giving it your best through the process.  What is your best and who should define it? The first and most popular choice is “me”; but the real answer is “history”. History, unlike man’s view, is not swayed by public opinion nor, can it be bought; because it is an uninterested third party. History records everything! We see its records written in the way lives are affected positively or negatively by our actions. The recorded history I am speaking of is not written in books but in the hearts of the people that are alive or that remain. In the time of Babylon when it was at its Zenith, nations flocked to be allied with it; every nation was a friend of Babylon. After Nebuchadnezzar passed away, the unintended seeds of sin began to take root in the lives of the present and future kings. The end result, all of the wealth of the kingdom was gone and the people attending the party fled for their lives. It is an unpopular truth that everything we do or say, will play out at some point in time and often to our dismay; let’s call these “end of times” or better yet, “the end of the party”. My encouragement for you today is, live your lives in such a way as to please God in and out of the process. Living victorious living is not a mere goal, an item on a checklist, nor a one-time event, it is a culmination of our choices that breeds hope in others or, contributes to their disaster.

 Only let your manner of life be worthy^[h] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents (Philippians 1:27 ESV).

Father,

What is it about living a victorious life that is so endearing to your heart? Your word compels us to live righteous lives not because it makes you look good but, because it leaves a pathway for others to follow. You are not looking for perfect people; rather, for imperfect people who will rely upon you and follow you. Your son Jesus came, lived, died, and was resurrected so that whatever we are facing in life, no matter how dire it is, it would be washed irrevocably by the blood that was shed so that we could go forward from the cross to live victorious lives.

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://www.mikesencourgement.org

Encouragement for 2019 - Victory

Encouragement for 2019

Victory

Good morning and Happy New Year!

As the New Year starts, I’ve decided to change the title of my writings from “Morning Encouragement” to “Encouragement for 2019” with the emphasis on “Victory”. I believe it is God’s cry on my heart to speak to this term and how it applies to all of mankind. Of all of the things we need, the one most needed is “Victory”. Many live defeated lives simply because, “that’s the way we’ve always done it”; which, is an act of surrender or the pathway of least resistance. At issue is the fact that the way we live today is passed down to the next generation and gradually declines over time. In the papers, news, and online access, we hear nothing but of the bad things that are going on across the land like, daily shootings, drug battles, and opposing opinions leading to riots and ultimately to incite fear. There is a word for this problem and that is “defeat”. Anywhere people gather, the Devil will always be right there to incite a listening ear; consider the case of the rebellion in the Israelite camp in the time of Moses (Exodus 32).  The Devil wants us to live defeated because then we can be controlled. Once we are controlled, then the Devil’s desire will become our mode of living and it gets worse as time progresses. Remember this, the Devil has an end game and that is your demise; as long as you live, you are a threat to his rule in this world. If he can get you ensnared by the trappings of this world, it makes him laugh hysterically knowing that you can take none of it with you. My encouragement for you today is that you will take firm hold of the horns of God’s alter and seek his rule over your life. You might say, “I’ve gone too far, my life is near the end, there is no hope for me”. I will tell you, and most assuredly, there is no one on planet earth that is too deep in sin, too old to be healed, nor too destroyed to be of any use to God; because he does not redeem you because of what you have to offer his kingdom, he redeems you because of how much he loves you.

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ¹¹ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel (Hosea 1:10 NIV).

Father,

 If there is anything, we need in our world today, it is a victory not over each other but over the one who creates the problems. Help us today to walk in your love and seek your best for our life. Doubtless, the tragedies of our world will spin all the days we live; yet, in you, there is hope and restoration no matter how far or wide we have gone in sin.  May your Holy Spirit guide us today and every day of our life.

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://krierm.blogspot.com

Morning Encouragement - Happy New Year

Morning Encouragement

Happy New Year

Good morning,

Happy New Year 2019! It is time again to make your New Year’s Resolution(s); time to go back to the gym, give up a bad habit, and/or change your diet.  Resolving to make changes in your life at the start of a new year is an age-old tradition that dates back to the Babylonian period (approximately 1720 – 539 BCE)[1]. Making resolutions sounds good and we do, for the most part, fully intend to see them through. The problem is, they are as Mary Poppins put it, “cupcake promises” easily made and easily broken. You see, we break promises to our self-first because we accept our own justification however flimsy it may be. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, came up with a better idea in 1720 when he enacted the “Covenant Renewal Service”; The purpose of the service is to set a time for the people to reaffirm their vows that they had made to God[2]. During one of these services on New Year’s Eve 33 years ago in Atsugi Japan, at the Pastor’s prompting, I asked God for one thing in 1986 and that was for God to choose a wife for me and to start a family. I did not ask God for a person by name, I did not have one in mind, and I was not seeing anybody. God did not ask for me to make any promises nor, did he demand a sacrifice of any type simply, that I will be obedient and wait for him. Because I was obedient in waiting for him and not following Abraham’s misguided attempt at helping (Gen 16), he came through for me. When I got back from Japan in late April of 1986, I was lying in bed and an angel spoke in a loud audible voice proclaiming that I would marry Janine Christians and the name of my first-born son would be Joshua. I had met Janine two years earlier prior to going to Japan. Prior to the angel speaking to me, Janine and I had not dated nor spoken to each other with the exception of two letters (one from her and one from me) and that was to ask for a Kimono. We went out on a date a day or so later and I fell head over heels in love with her and asked her if she would marry me; we married in May of 86. We have been happily married for now 33 years this May. I am nobody special and what God did for me, he can do for you. The secret is not where you recommit your life nor, is it when you recommit it; simply that you be obedient and wait for him; if you ask God to do something in your life with no preconceived notion He will come through (Psalms 37:4)! My encouragement as you look to 2019, is that you recommit your life to God and then ask him to do something wonderful for you this year.

God said to Solomon, “Because you have asked for wisdom and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice, ¹² behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind) so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you. ¹³ I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days (1^st Kings 3:11-13).

Father,

You do not ask for our riches nor, do you want our stuff; simply, you want us to be obedient to you in all that we do. You have plans for our life that we cannot possibly comprehend. The problem is, many of your plans for our life go undone because we try to help instead of letting go and getting out of the way. Help me to be obedient in this new year 2019 to what you have called me to do. May each and every one of you has the best year of your life.

May God richly bless you this year

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://krierm.blogspot.com

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[1] History Online. History of New Year’s Resolutions. Retrieved https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions.

[2] Johnathan Powers. John Wesley’s Covenant Renwal Services (For Today). Retrieved https://www.seedbed.com/john-wesleys-covenant-renewal-service-today/

Morning Encouragement - Starting From Where We Are

Morning Encouragement

Starting from Where We are

Good morning
For the past week, my wife and I traveled thru out the Phoenix AZ area on vacation from Minnesota. We visited a couple of places of note: the “Orange Patch” which is located just outside of Mesa and “The Olive Mill” which is located in Queen Creek a suburb of Mesa.  The Orange patch is the last remaining orange grove in operation in Mesa which sells fruit and raw honey to the residents and tourists. I talked to one of the employees at the Orange Patch about the urban sprawl and asked how it has affected them. I was told that the area surrounding the patch was at one time lined with Orange tree groves; now, they are not certain they will be in business next year.  When the first homes were built, the draw was “Move into the country and get out of the noisy city”. As time progressed, more of the country was sold and parceled out for new developments until the “country” is now a “noisy city”. As I looked at the layout of the property and the number of developments surrounding it, the thought crossed my mind how the farms appeared to no longer fit in the surroundings; sort of like seeing a parking lot full of brand-new Mercedes Benz and, in the middle is a beat-up old Ford. What is left of the once sprawling farm fields is simply a street named after the former owner or business name; for example, the development that is built on the orange grove has named “Orange Grove Estates”.  Urban sprawl has not claimed every inch of the property as some of the new residents of the land have an orange, a lemon, or some other fruit tree in their backyard as a design.  When I considered these things, the thought crossed my mind how our lives are much like the land. In our youth, our lives are open to whatever life has to offer. Through a process of time, we sell off or give away parts of our life in order to meet ours or our family’s current needs. I think of the number of families whose finances dictate the need to work at the expense of the real treasure, the family unit; everybody at one point in time or another has fallen prey to the demands of life. My encouragement for you today is for you to maintain the areas of your life that uniquely define you that is, your gifts and talents. Never let progress or the demands of life steal away the valuables of your life or your family. Once these are given away, there is no getting them back again any more than one can evict legal homeowners, tear down the developments, and return the land back to a farm.

This is what the Lord says,

He who makes a way through the sea
And a path through the mighty waters, He who brings out the chariot and the horse,
The army and the mighty warrior, (They will lie down together, they will not rise again;
They have been extinguished, they have been put out like a lamp’s wick): “Do not remember the former things,
Or ponder the things of the past. (Isaiah 43:16-18)

Father,

We are powerless to stop progress even if we close our eyes to what is going on around us.   Some of the changes in our life are welcomed others, are dreaded. It is true that we are not here on earth for all of eternity; others will come behind us and we will be forgotten no matter how many buildings we build books we write or time in at the office. Only you and your son Jesus are from all eternity. May your good Spirit guide us today. Be with my friends, family, and readers as they prepare for a new year.

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://krierm.blogspot.com

Morning Encouragement - The King of Glory

Morning Encouragement

The King of Glory

Good morning,

Christmas day is a few days away and I wanted to take a few moments to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas. It is hard to find joy in life in the world we are in currently when all around us are taunts of our common enemy who is bent on revenge. Why is this enemy bent on revenge? Because this Devil held reign over helpless mankind until the birth of the King. Now, we have the word of the Eternal King to hold onto. In the years, months, weeks, and days leading up to the birth of Jesus, the nation Israel, or what was left of it, had endured centuries of spiritual drought, in which the people only had the words that were spoken by Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel centuries prior. Because God was not speaking, the false prophets and government appointed priests filled in the gaps with spiritual non-sense. When all was bleak and apparently hopeless for the nation, a magical thing occurred, the birth of a boy child not by the hands of man but by the move of God’s hand. This very ordinary boy child would one day rule the nations not by fear nor by prowess in battle but by the way he taught the people, cared and provided for them not for his glory but for his Father. This very same boy child one day became the King of Glory; his kingdom was not an earthly kingdom that would fade into history but an eternal kingdom that is alive and well today. This very same King wants you to be part of his kingdom that you will allow him to rule over your life. My encouragement for you today is that you will welcome this king on this very special day into your heart if you have not done so already; if you have welcomed him in, then let this be a day for renewing your vows and sharing the message. You may say, “I’ve screwed up so much that no one wants to help me”; yet, I tell you, there are nothing and no one that can stand in the way of the mighty Jehovah. To those of you in hospitals, prisons, and other places you would rather not be, I encourage you to take hold of the hand that will never let you down; forget about the former days and allow this day to be the first day of the rest of your life.

 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. 

9 Lift up your heads, your gates; lift them up, your ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory (Psalms 24:8-10).

 Father,

Today we celebrate the birth of your son Jesus. The world has witnessed a great throng of men and women who have come and gone. Our libraries are full of the words of these people; yet, only one person’s word in our entire history remains alive; That is the word of your son who came by means that still baffles the wise and the learned. Jesus’ life and testimony are life-changing even in the 21^st century. Thank you for sending your son when it would have been easier to just annihilate the world once more and be done with it. Thank you for this special day in our life.

Mike

All of my writings can be found at http://krierm.blogspot.com

Morning Encouragement - The Power of Prayer

Morning Encouragement

The Power of Prayer

Good morning,

A couple of days ago, I was listening to the news about the incoming political representatives who are preparing to put their signature on the political landscape. I became angry about what I read and what I saw on TV because I felt my values would be ignored. It was then that God spoke to my heart about the power of prayer. Three thoughts came to mind: King Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony (Daniel 3), the 10 kingdoms that would come ending at the time of the Messiah’s death (Daniel 10-12), and the events of Acts 2. The common tie of all three is a call to seek the God of Heaven and Earth and that our hearts would be pliable and usable. I hold in my hands, just as you hold in your hands, the power of prayer when combined with the command to live Godly lives in an ungodly world. When you consider the rebirth of Israel and the 2^nd temple period, you might think that God mysteriously changed the heart of the wicked king by waving a magic wand or scaring them into submission. The truth is, the change was due to God’s servants doing the right thing in the darkest of places and the darkest of times. There is no world leader, no matter how wicked they are or what profession of faith they hold that can stand in the way of the procession of a Holy God. We must understand, above all else, that God is not on our side as to imply “we’ll always get our way”; rather, we must stand on God’s side doing what he asks of us which, includes praying for our leaders (1 Tim 2:2). My encouragement for you today, turns your worries and fears into streams of prayer and pray for our leaders and let God do the changing. If the scriptures and our history should teach us anything, it is that we are powerless to make people do what they do not want to do, and no amount of legislation will change that fact. This is not the time to shrink away but to stand up and seek the God of Heaven and Earth.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-6 amp).

Father

We hold in our hands and hearts the power that will transform the world from hatred to live in you and that is through prayer and petition. The enemy is fully aware of this power and seeks by the form of public disturbance to form laws that only exacerbate the situations of our world. Help your people to ever keep their eyes on you no matter what goes on in the world and always seek your face despite who the leaders may be. I call all of my brothers and sisters in all denominations and all professions to prayer this week.

In his Name

All of my writings can be found at http://krierm.blogspot.com