Dec. 28 SparkysHeart — REVELATION 12-14

Dec. 28 SparkysHeart — REVELATION 12-14
Sparky's Prayer: Lord God, help us to remember that although Satan is strong and powerful — his attacks fierce — his time is short and that he is a defeated foe and to remember that pain, suffering, and hardship will not last long. Help us remember that Satan is an eternal enemy of the church and to remember that as God protected Jesus, He can protect us from Satan. Help us remember that pride will fall and that victory is won at Calvary. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
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Colossians 4:2-6 — Fullness of Love
PAUL'S PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, Grantor {One Who transfer} of wisdom: Help us conduct ourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let our speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, and help us to always know how to answer. Help us and all Your saints to show ourselves to be a people who live our life to the fullest, because we live in the fullness of Your love shown in Jesus Christ! In the saving name of Jesus we ask You to fill our lives with Your holy life and to claim all our motives and deeds as Your own. In Jesus' mighty saving name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?362

VERSE: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." ~ Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV)
THOUGHT: Every earth-made empire will eventually topple. Every man-made structure will decay and fall. God, however, has given us a kingdom that cannot rust, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for us. It will not rot or ruin and no thief can break in and steal it away.
PRAYER: Father God all praise and adoration be Yours, O great King of the Ages. Thank You for giving us a place in Your incomparable, indestructible, and unconquerable Kingdom. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray and praise You. Amen.
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WHAT JESUS DID! — No Plan Can Stand
Matthew 28:11-12 (NLT) As the women were on their way into the city, some of the men who had been guarding the tomb went to the leading priests and told them what had happened. A meeting of all the religious leaders was called, and they decided to bribe the soldiers.
WJD THOUGHT: They made a plan! We have heard this before. They had been planning for a long time how they would get rid of Jesus. When Judas accepted their deal, they thought they had this "Jesus Problem" figured out. Little did they know that their plan was going to put them in opposition to God. Little did they know that their plans would not only furnish the early disciples a Savior, but also furnish it the fire to spread their message all over the world. But for now, they needed a plan because they had been defeated at their execution of Jesus. He arose from the grave! It was a grave guarded by Roman soldiers. They had even asked for the soldiers to keep this kind of thing from happening. But when you oppose God and His work, your plans are doomed to fail. We are the living proof of their failure, and the failure of generations like them. Jesus' followers still know that He the Living Lord of all creation and no plan can extinguish that faith.
WJD PRAYER: We know, all powerful Father God, that there are those who plan the ending of all Christian believers from their country, and some even dream of the day that we be eliminated from the face of the earth. So we pray now for all our brothers and sisters, and all those close to believing in Jesus as Lord, who find themselves in hostile circumstances. Please give them hope that while some plan to silence them, if they keep telling the message, it will never be stopped. We join with thousands of other voices today heavenly Father, and pray for the victory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world. In Jesus' mighty saving name and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/matthew/1228-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — He Is Not Here!
Mark 16:6 (NLT) But the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, Who was crucified. He is not here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body."
THOUGHT: "He is not here! He has been raised from the dead!" What incredibly powerful words and what an even more gloriously important truth. As we reach the end of the Gospel of Mark, we know Jesus, because of three things.
First, He is the Nazarene — The One from Nazareth Who did the work of God.
Second, He was crucified — He died to ransom us from sin.
Third, He has been raised from the dead — He conquered death and brought life to us. He is not in the grave. He lives. He is Lord.
WJD PRAYER: Praise to You, O Father God, for Jesus' glorious triumph over sin and death. Thank You for what His resurrection means. Thank You that because our lives were joined to Jesus, we can be sure that it will be joined with Him in resurrection. Thank You that the tomb is empty and Your Son, our Savior, lives. In Jesus' mighty saving name, and to Jesus' glory we offer this prayer. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/mark/1228-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — We Had Hoped!
Luke 24:13-27 (NLT) That same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles out of JerUSAlem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. Suddenly, Jesus Himself came along and joined them and began walking beside them. But they did not know Who He was, because God kept them from recognizing Him. "You seem to be in a deep discussion about something," He said. "What are you so concerned about?" They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, "You must be the only person in JerUSAlem who has not heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days." "What things?" Jesus asked. "The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth," they said. "He was a Prophet Who did wonderful miracles. He was a mighty Teacher, highly regarded by both God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders arrested Him and handed Him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified Him. We had thought He was the Messiah Who had come to rescue Israel. That all happened three days ago. Then some women from our group of His followers were at His tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. They said His body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, Jesus' body was gone, just as the women had said." Then Jesus said to them, "You are such foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Was it not clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His time of glory?" Then Jesus quoted passages from the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining what all the Scriptures said about Himself.
WJD THOUGHT: What do you do when hope is gone? This passage gives us a pretty good example to follow. Even though the disciples did not realize that they were doing it, they confessed to Jesus their disappointed hope. As a result, He helped them to understand the scriptures related to what they thought were their dashed hopes.　 We also need to take our problems to Jesus, and then go to the Scriptures and ask the Lord to teach us the truth about our disappointments. You see, the resurrection ensures that Jesus is the Messiah Who saves us. Jesus' resurrection ensures that He teaches truth. This truth, however, is far more than a set of facts. This is truth we can trust in the face of our disappointments and disillusionments … and yes, even in the face of death.
WJD PRAYER: Holy Father God, there are places of disappointment and discouragement in our hearts. Please have Jesus open our hearts as He draws near to us. We want to understand Your truth and live faithfully in response to that truth, but we're not sure that our faith is strong enough to stand with all we sometimes have to face. We believe, dear Father God, but help our confusion and unbelief. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/luke/1228-wjd.html

WHAT JESUS DID! — The Third Time
John 21:15-17 (NLT) After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied, "You know I love You." "Then feed My lambs," Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: "Simon son of John, do you love Me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "You know I love You." "Then take care of My sheep," Jesus said. Once more He asked him, "Simon son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, "Lord, You know everything. You know I love You." Jesus said, "Then feed My sheep."
WJD THOUGHT: Do you think Peter heard the rooster crow again when Jesus asked him the question the third time? Three times he denied his Lord by a charcoal fire. Three times beside another charcoal fire his Lord asks Peter about the genuineness of his love. Jesus was creative and sensitive, but He was also determined — Peter had to face his failure. So Jesus confronts him three times. Peter claimed his dedication was stronger than the rest. Jesus asks him if he still claims to love his Lord more than the rest. Peter claimed that he would never deny his Lord, but he did so three times. Jesus loving confrontation of Peter wasn't about shaming Peter, but reclaiming him. Peter had to face his failure, so Jesus asked him three times. Jesus also reaffirms Peter's call to ministry three times. Have you failed the Lord? Don't despair. He can and will use you if you will be open about your failure and let him "re-call" you to ministry and service.
WJD PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for our failures, sin, and moments of unfaithfulness. Restore us to Your service, renew us in our passion for holiness, and rekindle us with Your Holy Spirit. We want to honor and serve You always. In Jesus' mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/john/1228-wjd.html

Daily Guide to Miracles from Oral Roberts Ministries
Hearing God’s Voice — Lindsay Roberts
One day Richard and my mother and I were to attend a baseball game, which was being played at the baseball stadium on the campus of Oral Roberts University. Our team was playing to qualify for the NCAA championship.
My mother and I arrived at to the stadium early and took our seats before the crowd gathered. As we waited for Richard to arrive, Mother and I were observing all the activity that was taking place down on the field. Suddenly my ears perked up and I said to my mother, "Richard’s in the stadium." She asked, "How do you know?" "I can hear the click of his heel," I said. Richard does something funny with his left heel as he walks, and it clicks. I knew he was there, because I could hear the click of his left heel. Sure enough. As we turned around we could see him coming up the walkway.
My ears are also attuned to my children. When I hear their voices, I can tell if they’re mad, happy, or sad. I can tell, because they are a part of me — bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. And I know their voices!
God knows us the same way. We are His children, made in His own image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew translation of that verse says that "every fiber and particle of our being is of God." If I can know the click of my husband’s heel and the sound of my children’s voices, how much more should I know the voice of God, my Creator, in Whose image I am made?
Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” The question is, Are we listening and are we obeying?
My Declaration of Faith for Today: Father God, I am listening to hear Your voice. Speak to me and I will obey.
Remember, "Something GOOD is going to happen to you!"
prayer@orm.cc
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The Word Made Flesh
John 1:14a — The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (NIV)
For many years, Aunt Sarah was known to me only through letters, cards, and gifts for special occasions. She was my mother's sister, so I visualized her looking like my mother, acting like her, and concerned about me because we were related.
Years later, after my mother's death, I met Aunt Sarah. What a surprise! She was as different from my mother in looks and actions as any two people could possibly be. I quickly developed a love for her, because of who she was and not as a relative with an obligation. The one who had written me so many words was quite different in the flesh.
The writer of the Book of John was attempting to tell us something similar in today's Scripture verse.
Others had told about the Father, but until the Son came to earth in the flesh and walked among us, we were not able to understand truly what the words meant.
Christ came to earth as the Word — as the sum total of all things. He spoke to us as one of us. In this way, we are given to understand truly the role of the Father and the Son.
We come in agreement with Ivie’s Prayer: Thank You, Father, for sending Your Son to dwell among us for a short while that we might understand what You desire us to be. As Jesus taught us to pray to You, our Father, we offer You our prayer. Help us to truly know You and love You as You are. In Jesus’ mighty saving name, we pray. Amen.
Ivie Bozeman — ivie@rose.net
Thomasville, Georgia, USA
http://daily.presbycan.ca/

WHAT JESUS DID! — Testifying to the kingdom of God
Acts 28:23-24 (AMP) So when they had set a day with him, they came in large numbers to his lodging. And he fully set forth and explained the matter to them from morning until night, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. [24] And some were convinced and believed what he said, and others did not believe.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IBGN-IBEGOODNOW-NEWSLETTER/

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK OF DEC. 27
Since we are born spiritually dead, our greatest need is spiritual life. We received physical life and psychological life and a spirit, which was dead to God by our human birth. This physical birth gave us temporary human life. Unfortunately, every human will die. To escape this living death condition, we must be born again into a spiritual life by a spiritual rebirth (John 3:3).
Rom 5:10 　For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
PARIS — GraceNtheTruth@Cox.net