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Jesus taught that false Christs, false prophets, and ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing would arise and mislead many; even the elect of God. Indeed, while Paul was alive, many false teachers had already infiltrated the Church with the explicit intent to destroy Christianity and Church-age doctrine, most of which was given through God's holy apostles and prophets and recorded in the New Testament. The way to counter any false doctrine is to know the truth which is recorded in the Word of God. This is why Paul and the other apostles labored to share the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ, to share the whole counsel of God, to teach sound doctrine, and encourage the daily study of Scripture so that we may be mature in the faith, wanting nothing. Despite the many false Christs, false prophets and relentless attacks by the enemy on the Christian Church, the pure gospel of grace has reached our ears. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We heard the good news, because the gospel was passed on from Paul through many witnesses, faithful men, and 'others' and is recorded for our learning in the Holy Scriptures. Let us be part of Paul's 'others' as we Share The Good News of the Christ crucified, risen, and ascended for the redemption of mankind so that whosoever believes on Him for salvation, will not perish but have everlasting life. 2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the Word of life that we have received from Paul, the other apostles, many witness, faithful men, and others. Thank You for those men and women who have shared the gospel of God, through centuries of time so that by grace through faith in Christ we have been born into Your family and become Your children. Give us the will and opportunity to share the truth of the gospel of grace with others, and bring many into the kingdom for Your name's sake. This we pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.
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The Lord Jesus in His humanity is the visible revelation of the invisible God. This is a great mystery, but it is a truth that has been given to us from the Creator of the universe. The only way for sinful humanity to be reconciled to a holy God is through the shed blood of the eternal Son of God, Who died to pay the price for our sins so that we might be covered with His righteousness and reconciled back to the Father. The only way to discover the invisible God is through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is The Visible Image Of The Invisible God; God manifest in the flesh. The only way to know our Creator intimately is through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the firstborn over all creation. The word firstborn does not refer to time for the uncreated Son is from everlasting to everlasting. The word firstborn refers to His preeminent position in God's creation; His superior standing; His predominant place; His supreme status. Christ is the firstborn over all creation because as the eternal Son of God He was born into our race as the perfect Son of Man. The incarnate Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us making Him first in significance and first in status. Jesus Christ is first in importance over all His creation, and at the name of Jesus every knee will bow for all creation is subject to His authority, and He died so that we might live. Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  Our United Prayer:
Thank You, Father, that You sent Your only begotten Son into the world which He made, to become one of us so that we might be reconciled back to Yourself and become children of God and joint-heirs with Christ, Who is the firstborn over all creation and before Whom we bow in reverend worship and praise forever and ever, AMEN. Throughout the Word of God, we discover the Lord knows those that are His. He looks on the inside and reads the hearts of all. The Lord knows the thoughts of our mind and the motivation of a our hearts. God can read the thoughts of our inner mind, and He knows all those who trust His Word and have their heart turned towards Him. Jeremiah reminds the faithful remnant of believing Israel (and also those of us that are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord), of the wonderful fact that The Lord Examines The Heart and gives to each what they deserve, based on what they have done, by faith: "I, the Lord search the heart. I, the Lord test the mind of man. I, the Lord even give to each one according to their ways, for I, the Lord reward man and woman according to the results of their deeds." God is righteous and must punish sin, but He is also faithful to fulfil His promises to those that love Him and to reward those that place their trust in Him. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. He or she who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jeremiah 17:10 “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are a faithful God to those that put their trust in You. Thank You for the prophecy of Jeremiah and for the knowledge that You are a righteous God Who will not only reward those who trust in You, but will punish the wicked who reject Your long-suffering mercy and gracious offer of salvation. Search our hearts, we pray, and help us to abide in Christ, day by day, so that we may be like trees that blossoms and buds and brings forth much fruit, for Your praise and glory. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. The primary focus of the epistle of Jude is about the perils of apostasy. It warns of the dangers of apostates creeping into our churches and tainting our ministries. Jude reminds us of various apostates in past generations and explains how they rejected authority, walked in error, manipulated others, and were self-seeking individuals. Apostates have toxic characters that leave a trail of havoc in their wake, causing division within the Body of Christ. They are people who criticize and find fault with others, as they follow after their own selfish ambitions and speak arrogantly. However, Jude does not leave us wondering how to deal with these toxic types of people. He encourages us to Build Ourselves Up In Our Most Holy Faith by praying in the Spirit and keeping ourselves within the loving protection of our Heavenly Father. Apostates divide and conquer. They seek to achieve their objectives through division and control. May we discern the creeping cancer of apostasy in these days and reject the toxic nature of apostate individuals whose influence will only taint our testimony and dishonor our Lord. Jude 1:19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the many warnings of apostasy creeping into the churches of our land and the toxic nature of worldly minded, apostate teachers who come into churches and slowly infect other believers. As we look around and see people who find fault, grumble, boast, flatter, and follow their own evil desires, help us to remember that You told us it would be this way just before Jesus returns. We pray that You would protect us and our loved ones from stumbling and from being polluted by their influence. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. Old and New Testament saints discovered the power of prayer and the importance of prayer in the life of a child of God Paul lists Four Types Of Prayer That Should Be Used in both a communal prayer group and in one's individual prayer life: 1) entreaties 2) prayers 3) intercessions and 4) the giving of thanks. Whether praying in public or communing with the Lord in private, prayers should be offered for all. As believers we should recognize the distinct privilege and value in approaching our Heavenly Father in prayer. The first type of prayer Paul lists are entreaties or supplications which talk of earnestly, yet reverently pleading with the Lord for some very specific purpose. The next on the list is simply called 'prayer' which refer to general prayers or be a reminder of the incredible privilege believers have. The third type of prayer in Paul's list is intercession, where we employ our God given position to mediate on behalf of others who, for one reason or another, may not be able to lift up their needs to the Lord in prayer. Finally Paul entreats us to offer up thanksgiving and praise to the Lord at all times and for all things. Our whole approach to God in our prayer-life should be one of reverence and thankfulness, humility, trust, and love. We should not be biased in our prayers for we are called to pray for ALL, the saved and the lost, the rich and the poor, the hurting and the self-satisfied, and we are even to pray for our enemies and those that despitefully use us. Let us boldly approach the throne of grace and make supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all people to the glory of God. 1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift and privilege of prayer. It is amazing to realize that by faith in Christ's sacrificial work on the Cross, we have been given access into the very throne room of Almighty God to intercede on behalf of others and to offer our prayers and supplications to You. Teach us to pray properly and help us to develop ongoing attitudes of prayerful thanksgiving and reverential praise, for You alone are worthy. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. 'Divide-And-Conquer' has been an effective weapon that has been implemented since the creation of the world, and the crooked serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, is the greatest manipulator of this insidious strategy. 'Divide-and-conquer' exploits humanity's deceit, envy, pride, and fleshly lusts, and is designed to achieve greedy plans to seize control of unwitting victims. The nefarious plans of the enemy, have all too often been employed to overthrow or undermine powerful political, military, economic, and religious machines. Today, we see an increasing propensity towards this evil strategy, not only in the world of governmental economics, politics, social and religious platforms, but also within the very Body of Christ, which should remain pure in heart and united in the Spirit. Sadly, inter-denominational feuds, doctrinal differences, and a willingness to compromise the truth of the gospel, is causing the Church to become fractured and weakened. Instead of being a voice crying in the wilderness to the lost and executing our ministry of reconciliation between the fallen and a holy God, we have weakened our very voice and become a play-thing in the hands of the enemy. Nevertheless, let us become bright lights in a darkened world, which point the way to Christ, the one and only Mediator between God and mankind. Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, as we see the world being 'divided-and-conquered' by wicked people, we pray that You would enable us to stand fast in our beliefs. Help us to speak the truth and refuse to be manipulated by foolish controversies, genealogies, strife, doctrinal disputes, and other areas of Christian compromise. We know that these things are unprofitable and worthless and are used as a tool of the enemy to hinder the glorious gospel. Make us effective witnesses to Your greater praise and glory. In Jesus' name, AMEN. As Christians, we are citizens of heaven who are passing through a cursed world which is filled with condemned sinners who are in need of Christ's forgiveness; and God has given us everything we need to live a victorious Christian life in this fallen world. But too many Christians wrongly think that a victorious Christian life is a happy, trouble-free existence where every whim of our heart is magically fulfilled by some person in the sky, cherry-picking Scriptures that 'prove' this false interpretation of the Word while proclaiming that the problem of others results from their lack of faith. This could not be further from the truth. But how few even turn to Scripture to discover the principles and practices of what it really means to live godly in Christ Jesus? Over and again, we are warned that All Believers Will Face Fiery Trials which will come to us in many shapes and disguises. Nevertheless, we are promised Christ's sufficient grace because we are in union with Him, and His strength is perfected in us as we depend upon Him. We have already received all spiritual blessing in abundance, simply because we are in Christ, and in Him we have all that we need to live godly lives, but nowhere in Scripture are we told that we will have the trouble free life that much of Christendom teaches today, rather we are informed of the opposite. Our life trials are not, as some suggest, a lack of faith or God's punishment, but a purifying tool that God uses to hone and refine His children, to develop our trust and dependence upon Him. 1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, there is a part of us that wants to have a nice, easy, trouble-free existence and yet we know that this life is a training ground to draw us closer to You and to conform us, day by day, into the likeness of Christ. May we not be surprised at the fiery ordeals that we are called upon to endure, but embrace them as Your gracious children training and program us to make us more like Christ. Use us in this sin-sick world to comfort others with the same comfort that we receive from You. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. As believers, We Are Called To Live In Unity with one another, but all too often people can deliberately or unintentionally quench our joy, causing our mind to spin out of control and our spirits to become discouraged, so we are called to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly and to let Him guard our hearts. It is hard enough when the criticism and contention comes from the outside world, but when the unity of brothers and sisters in Christ is broken through false teachings or disagreements within the Body, the pain is so much greater. But in all cases, the sure remedy is to take every thought captive to Jesus. 'Unity' of the Body however should not be confused with 'uniformity'. Spiritual unity is from the heart. It comes from within, it is guided by the Spirit of God, and founded upon the Word of God. Uniformity is a reaction to the outside pressures of a worldly mindset. It compromises the truth of God's Word and is spawned from a carnal worldview. Let us seek to keep away from contention, factions, strife, and selfishness which are so often birthed from pride, conceit, arrogance, or ignorance, and let us live a spirit of lowly humility where we regard the needs of others as more important than our own. Let us submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and walk in spirit and truth so that we may live godly in Christ Jesus. Let us seek to live in total dependence on our Heavenly Father and in godly unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, what a glorious truth to realize that we are new creations in Christ and have the Holy Spirit of God living in us. Help us to live in complete dependence on You and in godly unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Keep us from contentions and strife, and help us to consider the needs of others before our own. Lord, we pray that the mind that was in Christ Jesus may dwell in us richly so that we may act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before You, all the days of our lives. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. It is the Holy Spirit of God that imparts life into the dead spirit of mankind and it is that same Spirit of life that broods over the child of God and breathes hope into the heart and life of those that trust His name. The Lord has promised, on many occasions, that the man or woman who seeks the Lord will find Him, if they search for Him with all their heart. But too often we forget that we seek Him because He first sought us. The good Shepherd of the sheep is the One Who searched us out first and convicted our hearts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. It was God Who searched for us, found us, and convicted us of our need of a Savior, and it is the Spirit of God Who breathed the breath of life into our inner being by faith, when He found his sheep that was lost and we trusted Him as our God and Redeemer. When we were hopelessly lost to His love and dead in our trespasses and sins, it was God, Himself Who searched us out and found us. We formerly walked according to the course of this world and lived according to the prince of the power of the air who is the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. But God In His Grace Found Us And Saved Us, By Faith. Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You are worthy to be praised and we will bless You at all times and in all places. We will make our boast in the Lord, for we sought after You and You heard our cries and answered us. You have redeemed our lives from the clutches of evil and delivered us from all our fears. You have forgiven our sins and clothed us in Christ's own righteousness, for His name's sake and You alone are worthy of our praise and thanksgiving forever, AMEN. A unique relationship and unbreakable unity existed within the eternal Godhead before the uncreated God spoke the created universe into being and formed man from the dust of the earth in His own image and likeness. The eternal Word was with God in the beginning, and through this second Person of the Trinity, all things were created that were made. By Him All Things Were Made in heaven and on earth; things seen and things unseen, authorities, lords, rulers, and powers. All things were made by Him and all things were made for Him. He was sent by the Father to accomplish salvation in the power of the Spirit. Only God the Son was dressed in human flesh and became the Son of Man, and for this reason, all power has been given to Him to judge the living and the dead. The Word can never be identified as a god, as certain apostate religions and unbiblical denominations declare, to consider Him so would be to deny His claim to eternal divinity and render Him as inferior to the Father. Similarly, God can never be classed as one unity, as Unitarianism teach, where the Father is the Son Who in turn is the Spirit. Nor is God one 'Person' with three different roles, or faces. Every such aberrant teaching that denies the deity of Christ, denigrates His humanity, and opposes the truth and inerrancy of God's Word. NO, as the Bible records: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Our United Prayer:
Father in heaven, we worship and praise Your holy name for Your wonderful plan of salvation. Thank You for sending Jesus, the Word, Who was with the Father before the world began. He came to earth willingly, in human flesh, so that sinners such as us may be redeemed by His precious blood. Praise Your name and praise Jesus, in Whose name we Pray, AMEN. As God's blood-bought children We Are Called Into Union With Christ, identified with His righteousness, seated with Him in heavenly places, and exhorted to live and walk in a manner that is worthy of the divine calling with which we have all been called. Our behavior should be such that it honors God and gives credit to the position of responsibility with which we have been entrusted. We have been made ministers of a New and better Covenant, we are kings and priests to our Lord, and we are instructed to go into all the world as Christ's representatives, and share the good news of the gospel of grace with others. In addition to all the amazing privileges we have already been granted, we have also been given grace. The Lord has bestowed on each of His blood-bought children His unmerited grace and favor: "To each one of us grace was given – according to the measure of Christ's gift." We are all saved by grace through faith, and God's Holy Spirit has individually and selectively conferred different and individually selected gifts and graces on all His children so that we are enabled to live by grace and serve Him in newness of life, by grace. Jesus gave HIMSELF willingly for us. Should not we give ourselves rejoicingly to Him? Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your amazing grace and for Your unmerited favor to all Your children. Thank You for bestowing Your grace onto each of us individually, in different ways, and in proportion to the measure of Christ's rich and bounteous gift. We honor You for Your amazing gift of salvation through Christ and pray that we may live humbly, righteously, and in the fear of God all the days of our lives, for His greater honor and glory. In Jesus' name we Pray, AMEN. Paul lays out a clear picture of the make-up and function of the Body of Christ in his epistle to the Ephesians. He discusses the unity of the saints and the importance of thinking of others as better than ourselves. We are to speak the truth in love and hold fast to the Word of God. The harmony to which we are all called, should be manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts that are bestowed on each of God's children who are grounded in Scripture. Gifts of leadership are given to pastors, teachers, prophets, and evangelists, so that the saints are built up in the faith until we all live in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Some members of the Body of Christ are equipped for evangelism or teaching. Others may be graced with the gift of giving or helping. ALL however, are part of the whole. All gifts and graces should be used to help us grow Together In The Unity Of The Body and to build one another up in the faith. All we do should be done to the glory of God. ALL members of the Body are equally beloved of the Lord and all are accepted by grace through faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary. Whether the service we do for the Lord is open and visible to others, or whether we work quietly behind the scenes, Christ is the Head of the Body and we are all members together. He is the One Who equips us for service and fits us together as He chooses, in order to fulfil His plans and purposes in His perfect way. Let us be thankful for our great salvation, and may we be willing to fulfil our own unique role in Christ's Body in the place where He has planted us. Let us look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You that we are part of Christ's Body and thank You that we are united together in Him. Thank You for the unity we have in Christ and for the diversity of people that have been saved by grace through faith in Christ. Thank You that we are all one in Him and are being fitted and held together, as we live and work according to Your plans and purposes. May we live, and work, and grow together in Him, and help to build each other up in the unity of the faith. This we ask in Jesus' name, AMEN. The Household Of God' refers to all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, and Paul qualified this by spelling out, in no uncertain terms, what he meant, "the household of God is the Church of the living God. Christians are the pillar and support of the truth." The household of God are the believers who make up the Body of Christ. We are like living stones that are being fitted together into the temple of the Lord. The household of God are the men and women who are positioned in Christ, by faith, and have become the pillar and foundation of the truth of God's glorious gospel of Christ. Some people erroneously teach that a denominational church is the foundation of truth and that the only way to be saved is to follow their rules and regulations, but this is unbiblical. Scripture teaches that Christ Himself is the Truth, and that He alone is the foundation upon which our faith is anchored. Indeed, the Word of the living God testifies to this unchangeable truth. As a spiritual body of believers, we are; both individually and collectively, spiritual pillars in a crumbling world of lost souls. We are not the source or foundation of truth, Christ is the Source of truth and He is the Foundation upon which our faith is founded. However, we are those that teach, support, and defend the truth of the glorious gospel of grace and we do it for love of the Lord Jesus and for the praise and glory of His holy name. 1 Timothy 3:15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the Word of God and the wonderful truths that are contained within its pages. Thank You that we have everything we need to live pure and holy lives and have been taught how to conduct ourselves in this fallen world system. We praise You that by faith in Christ, we are members of the household of God and part of the Body of Christ, which is identified as "the Church of the living God." Help us to stand firm in these evil days, and be strong and established pillars of truth that points lost sinners to Christ, Who is the source, the seal, and the consummation of our faith, and in Whose name we Pray, AMEN. In the time of Israel, the first temple was a physical building which was constructed out of great blocks of hewn stone. In this dispensation, Christians Are A Spiritual House and all believers are living stones that are being assembled together as a fitting dwelling-place for God, with the Lord Jesus Christ being the chief Cornerstone. Christ is our merciful and faithful High Priest. His death tore down the barrier between mankind and God so that all who believe on His name are born from above, adopted into God's family, are living stones, a spiritual house, and holy priesthood. Because of Christ's sacrifice, we can come fearlessly before the Father to intercede for others and offer up our spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise. We should never take this sacred privilege lightly. It is a gift from God and a blessing to us. We have been endued with heavenly gifts and holy graces so we can offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God, in our service to Him and in our ministry to others. We should never forget that even our most consecrated praises, sanctified service, and holy prayers can only be accepted by God, THROUGH Christ. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  Our United Prayer:
Loving Father, how we thank You that we have been accepted in Christ. What a blessing to be members of the holy priesthood and able to come boldly into Your presence to offer our sacrifices of praise to You and to humbly lay our petitions before Your throne of grace. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN. It is very important to get a biblical understanding of the word 'baptism' as recorded in the Bible. Some baptisms are wet, such as John's 'baptism of repentance'. Other baptisms are dry, such as the baptism of the Spirit when we are placed into Christ's mystic Body by the Holy Spirit, at salvation. Because we are saved by grace through faith, we are identified with JESUS and so we receive the benefit of identification with Jesus. Having been convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, righteousness, judgement, and recognizing our need of salvation in Christ, we are placed into His Body. We are positioned in Christ by the Spirit. We are placed in union with Christ by the Spirit, we are baptized, by the Spirit, into the Body of Christ, by faith. The moment that inner, heart-conviction takes place, we are born-again, born from above, born into The Family Of God, baptized into Christ - and identified with Him and His righteousness. In this verse, Paul is describing the process of our justification in the eyes of God. Christ died for our sin, and at the point of our salvation we became identified with Him We became fully identified with Christ, we died in Christ. Although we still live in a body of sin, we are nonetheless identified with Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection, and all that it stands for. Whether talking about our spiritual baptism into the Body of Christ by faith, or our water baptism as the outward sign of our trust in Christ's finished work as Savior, we can say, with all other members of the Body of Christ. Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.  Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You for Your wonderful plan of redemption. How amazing to think that Christ identified with us and our sin so that we could be identified with Him and His righteousness. Thank You that by faith we have been crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and raised into newness of life. Thank You that we have been taken out of the old creation in Adam and identified with the new creation in Christ. How we praise You that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is now working in us so that the power of sin and death is broken in our lives. Thank You, in Jesus' name, AMEN. |
Prayer
We are a growing group of people praying daily for and with others. We were led to start an online ministry to deliver what is needed more now than ever, a place where you can go to easily to submit a prayer request or requests involving others to pray for your needs. The Power of Prayer. Matthew 18:20- For where two or more come together in my name, there I am among them. You are never alone in prayer. The Power Of Numbers Praying.
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