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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:9 – Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
The second hardest thing in the world is to keep a good attitude. The hardest thing is to not let others know how you feel when you have a rotten attitude. Longsuffering and patience are fruits that need to be worked into our lives. The only way you can be proficient in these fruits is to experience the difficulties that give opportunity to practice them. The Lord is judging our actions as we go though those difficult times to see what fruit we are producing through trials. What is He finding on your tree today?
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:11 – As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
We all need heroes in life. Real heroes are those who come up strong and persistent in trials and live life to the fullest. The scriptures are full of those people we should and could model our lives after. Has there ever been a more powerful example for us than Job? He gained great wealth, influence, power and happiness and lost it all almost instantly. He lost his wealth, children, fortune and the ability to trust the advice of his wife but never his confidence in God. He is to us an example of knowing that the game of life is not over and how to live when the chips are down. His convictions always kept his faith intact even when there were days and moments of doubt.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:10 – Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Sometimes the best way to learn something is to watch others and take note of how they respond in similar situations. The Bible is full of godly examples of people who responded both well and not so well to the tests of life. Study them and you can learn both what you should and should not do. Suffering is not pleasant, but it does produce in us the fruit of righteousness.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:11 – As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy! Wow, how glad we should be that those attributes describe our Lord. We would be consumed if it was not for the Lord's mercy to us. In our deepest and most desperate trials He is there to love and protect us. In some situations it is only the Lord that can save us. He not only can save us in our time of trouble, He wants to save us. Call on the name of the Lord and He will answer you. Trust in the Lord and you will find Him to be trustworthy
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:12 – Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.
We should never make promises that are beyond our ability to keep. It is okay to say you will give it your best effort or that you will do something if the Lord wills you to do so. We never know what a new day is going to bring. Only God is eternal and never changes. We, on the other hand, change and our circumstances change every day. Only commit “yes” and “no” to those things that are within your power to affirm.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:13 – Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
It is okay to express outwardly what one is feeling inwardly. Too many times we are reserved where we should be expressive. If you are sad and hurting it will not shake the heavens if you let others know. Your witness will not be destroyed because you are honest about your feelings. Neither is it out of order for you to express happiness because of the blessings of the Lord in your life. The world needs to see people who are real and authentic. They need to see people who are blessed of the Lord and are not ashamed to express such. They need to see people who don't fall apart during difficulty. God's grace seen through your life is the best way for men to experience God's love!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:14 – Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
The request for prayer during sickness is not a sign of weakness in the believer. It is an opportunity for several things to happen. It is an opportunity for love to be expressed by others in their prayers. It is an opportunity for humility to be practiced on behalf of the sick believer. It is an opportunity for miracles to happen in the sick person’s life. It is also an opportunity for unbelievers to see God work through prayer, people and pain. Lastly, it is an opportunity for God to express His power, presence and love to His people.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read 1 Chronicles 12:21-22 – And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God. (NKJV)
Fight Like a Man
David was still in the process of being established as the new king. Each day more men came to David to help him in his new role. They were referred to as “mighty men of valor.” There is something about that phrase that excites me. These men were coming together as a mighty force. Every Christian man has access to the two most powerful weapons in the world—prayer and God’s Word. Men, we can be a mighty force—a prayer force. Use the Word of God and pray.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:14 – Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
Is there a correct process in praying for the sick? I don't think there is a wrong way to call on God for healing. I think the important thing is that you call on God. You should also call on others to pray with you. If we are not careful, pride will cause us not to request prayer from others. Maybe calling on others and the oil application is as much humility in prayer as it is a procedure of prayer. The main thing is to call on God in your time of sickness.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read James 5:15 – And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
God moves when faith is present. He is not moved by formality and organization. He does not seem to care about our pride and style. Come to Him in faith and you will get His attention. Faith will bring God right into the middle of your situation. So when you pray, be sure that you are praying in faith, believing for an answer.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read 1 Chronicles 12:23 – Now these were the numbers of the divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord. (NKJV)
Fight Like a Man
I am sure the equipment these men had would be considered crude and obsolete in comparison to the equipment a soldier would have in the army today. However, they were equipped. A competent military leader would never send the troops to battle without fighting equipment. Even Gideon’s army had equipment. Fortunately for us, God has provided equipment to do spiritual warfare. God’s equipment will never go out of date. Prayer allows us to carry on “modern” warfare with the enemy. Go ahead and fight like a man – pray and intercede until God gives the victory.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Luke 14:28-30 – Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
Make a Plan!
You would never begin to build without a plan of how each worker adds to the project. It would be total chaos! The same is true with your character. To build character you have to be the contractor. You can have sub-contractors to come and help, but you have to lead the project.
We must all figure out what we want to be before we get to the end of the project. If you don’t have a plan, you may be doing the right thing at the wrong time. Like laying carpet before you build a floor. If you want to become a man of God then you have to put the right materials in the structure to make it happen. Why not sit down and count the cost? You will be proud of the results and so will those for whom you are building the man of God!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Jonah 1:13-14 – Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."
Do It Even if It’s Difficult
Men, we have to set our mind that we are not going to quit because things get difficult. No great thing is ever accomplished by weak efforts. Building your character at times is very difficult. Body builders will push their body to the limits of their strength and then somehow push a little further. It is then that the muscles are stretched and caused to grow. For us, it is in those times that we feel we can go no further that we realize we need to depend on God. In those desperate times of difficulties you are growing into a man that trusts God and not yourself.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Matthew 12:36 – But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Take Responsibility (Part 1)
Building character means that one is going to be responsible for his own choices, actions and consequences. All of us have had the unfortunate circumstances of something going wrong when we did our best. We know the agony of a borrowed piece of equipment that breaks while in our possession or an item that was lost while in our care. We could deny that we lost or broke it if we wanted to be irresponsible. We could do a lot of things that might pass in others’ eyes but not God’s. The One that you want to think the most of you, knows the most about you!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Matthew 12:36 – But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Take Responsibility (Part 2)
Have you ever made a choice that you wish you could change? Well, you can’t change yesterday’s choice but you can change the course! Don’t deny the mistake or ignore the consequence of the choice. Have you ever told an untruth that was so close to the truth that others would not know the difference? Sure you have, and so have I! The man who is building character in his life forces himself to correct his untruths before they become lies. As a man building character, we don’t need God to judge or measure us, because we are measuring ourselves by His standards that we have embraced as righteous.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Read 1 Chronicles 12:24-25 – Of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred armed for war; of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred. (NKJV)
Fight Like a Man
In the Monday Prayer Force devotionals we have been looking at the listing of the people that made up David’s army. A few weeks ago we learned that the word “valor” speaks of force. The author of this passage also refers to these men as “mighty men”. That means they were intense and powerful. These men had one purpose – to defeat those enemies of King David. Men, let’s approach prayer the same way – intense, focused and not sidetracked by the unimportant things. Fight in prayer like a “mighty man”. As we know from Scripture, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Ezekiel 13:7 – Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares," though I have not spoken?
Know Why You Do What You Do (Part 1)
When was the last time you really answered the hard questions your children asked you? Children deserve good answers from dads who know them. Sometimes through the years we come to accept the way things are and should be without any valid reason for the action. We have all had mores and moral traditions that seem to guide our steps. Only we find out later in life, that they were good for their day but were not biblical standards. Sadly, some have cast off some moral standards that are Biblical. Our nation is paying a price for that today.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Ezekiel 13:7 – Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, "The LORD declares," though I have not spoken?
Know Why You Do What You Do (Part 2)
Why do you go to church? Why do you pray? Why do you pray for healing? Why do you keep your word? Building character has to have clear understanding about the things you believe and practice. The world admires men who have convictions! But to have blind convictions is nothing admirable! Ask yourself the hard questions about what you believe and why you believe the things you profess. What has the Lord really said about that which you think and embrace? If you want to be a man that others can trust for strength and stability, then know why you do what you do!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Matthew 5:37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Be Honest and True to Your Word
The only thing that you have that is of real value is your name. Your name is what people know about you and believe about you. Your name is what will last when you are gone. If you are going to build character, you need to be true to your word. If you make a verbal commitment, follow through with that word. Sometimes that may mean you take a loss financially. At other times it may mean you attend a function that you really wish you didÿÿ€™t have to attend. Each commitment kept is like a deposit in the bank. The more you invest, the larger your account will grow. When one begins to slip on his word it gets easier and easier to let it happen. You are the guardian of your word. If you want to build the character of a man of God, then keep your word and build your name by doing it!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 10/7/2008 Posts: 2,854 Location: Caldwell Tex
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Building Character
Read Philippians 4:11 – I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
Identify Your Strengths, But Know Your Weaknesses (Part 1)
A man who is building character must come to terms with both his strengths and his weaknesses. Too often the strength of a man is usually the weakness of the man. How many men have fallen because their strength blinded them to the pitfalls around them? Paul said, “I have learned to be content in whatsoever state I am in.” This wasn’t to deny or ignore difficulties in his life. It was the calm acceptance of knowing who he was and who Christ was in Him!
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