Building wisely in 2022
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Matthew 7:24-25
All of us want to make wise choices in our lives- especially in choices that affect our future. We want to have wisdom in the new year and plan wisely for our future. At the end of His most famous sermon, Jesus talks about wise and foolish builders. He uses this easy-to-understand yet profoundly vivid picture to direct us in building the right foundation for our lives and our future.
Jesus talked about two builders and both of them built their houses. One was wise and the other was foolish. While both of their houses appeared to be similar on the outside, the only difference the wise builder made was the foundation, which is, “Putting the words of Christ into practice”. And it made all the difference!
We normally want to grow wider and taller but do not give importance to grow deeper. Because depth is unseen may not get any appreciation. The parallel passage in Luke records the wise man as one ‘who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock’. (Luke 6:48). The foundation of the building is unseen but it is what helps the building stand against the storms.
Storms are an inevitable part of life. Jesus also talks about the storms that attack from all directions. Attack from above: rain that came down, from below:streams that rose and from sideways: wind that blew and beat. If we think we will not face attacks or challenges in 2022, we will only be deceiving ourselves. The depth of our foundation will help us stand and not fall during any attack.
Even those do not put the word of God into practice also build their houses. Only their foundation is too weak to withstand the flood and the wind. That’s why it’s important to help one another to put God’s word into actual practice in our daily lives, so we will be wise builders and our foundations are strong to stand the flood, rising streams and beating wind.
There’s no shortage for knowledge of God’s word today. But wisdom is putting “His word and His truth into practice” in your daily life. That’s the way you can make your foundation deep and strong. Think of one truth from God’s word you can apply this week in your life. Do it each week and help others to do the same!
It is my prayer and desire that you will be a wise builder and will remain strong at the face of any storm or any adversity throughout 2022.
Blessed Week & Happy New Year!
Joseph, PROFIT Singapore
Word of God Accomplishes!
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it
yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55: 10, 11.
Seriously? Even after reading those long lists of Do’s and Don’ts, genealogical verses, widths and heights in cubic feet for building arks and sanctuary for God, number of blue, purple and scarlet pomegranates with golden balls in between them in the garments for priests, you still believe this quote to
be true? Are these really making sense? You find it tough to say yes? If yes, then, this is definitely for you. Recently I have heard about two life changing
testimonies over a casual conversation.
Adultery: This friend of mine got impressed when her friend doesn’t ogle at other beautiful girls when the rest of the team’s time pass is just that. There was only one guy who was different
from the rest of the men around her workplace. She was amazed at this quality of him and while checking on this he has explained why he doesn’t dare to look at girls in the same way his colleagues do. These verses act as a guardrail for him not to. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5: 27, 28. I have never heard of such verse to touch someone’s heart and change their life! Even most of the Christians these days would think that His standards are way too high and are not practically possible to reach. But she
was touched by what he said and her curiosity to know about the one who has established such high standard for holiness grew more and more on every passing day. That was all!!! Today she is a fervent believer of Christ!
Revelation – I can’t remember how many years have passed by since I have read this book! This takes the place of the most ignored book in my Bible as I feel really bored of it when I don’t understand what it says! After seeing changes in my college friend, her brother started probing her with lot of questions to which she has quoted some references she knew from Revelation! “Seriously you mean you read revelation?”, I
asked her in surprise. Yep, she did! She herself is fairly a new believer and it would take so much courage for someone to take that book and meditate and to quote references from
it. You know what!? It touched her brother’s heart and today he is also a strong believer. Together they are inspiring their parents now! After hearing these two divine appointments,
I could not stop believing the above quoted verse. Yes, none of His Word would return void. It would definitely establish its purpose before it returns to Him!!!I liked this quote from my
friend! What are you waiting for, now?! Just pray that God would use your time, words and life to touch others’ lives. You never know when God is going to use you and your words as divine appointments in others’ lives! Not just your word, but the way how you live according to
His standard would definitely create that divine appointment for sure, and you would be amazed when you hear testimonies like these!! Try it!!! God bless you!!
Author: Jansi D –Rockers fellowship of IT MNC, Chennai.
Joy is a weapon of warfare that cannot be overthrown
Irrespective of your prevailing situations today, express and feel the Joy of the Lord over every contrary situation, be it your work-place or family, church, social etc.
The Father says today, receive of My happy heart. Let joy be your portion. Let the celebration ring in your rafters. Joy is a weapon of warfare that cannot be overthrown, says the Father. Joy is the only container you can offer up that is capable of holding the fullness of My glory. Open your eyes and receive of My fullness. Know that in a moment of time I will turn the tide of circumstances that are ranged against you and cause you to be the last one standing when all the forces of the enemy are in retreat.
There are more with you than those that are against you. Say to your eyes be opened and to your ears “hear the marching of angels in the Mulberries…” This is going forth unto victory time. This is that season when walls of opposition are pulled down, and the spoil of the earth comes into your hands as a recompense to My glory. Feel My strength coursing in you this day. Receive of My vitality and My dunamis* power to manifest the miracle and receive of the full measure of all that I have promised you even this day, says the Father.
Courtesy: Father’s Heart
Footnote*
*Dunamis (Ancient Greek: δύναμις) is the philosophical concept of potentiality and actuality. The Greek dunamis is used 120 times in the New Testament. Loosely, the word refers to “strength, power, or ability.” It is the root word of our English words dynamite, dynamo and dynamic.
The Greek dunamis is used 120 times in the New Testament. Loosely, the word refers to “strength, power, or ability.” It is the root word of our English words dynamite, dynamo and dynamic.
In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), the servants are given wealth based on their dunamis, or their “ability” to handle money. In Mark 9:1 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” “Power” here is dunamis.
However, dunamis is not just any power; the word often refers to miraculous power or marvelous works (such as in Matthew 7:22; 11:21, 23; Mark 5:30; Luke 5:17; 9:1; 10:13; and Acts 8:13). Dunamis can also refer to “moral power and excellence of soul,” according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon.
Prophetic Word for March 2019
“God says to you this day you are moving from a season of PROCESS to YOUR season of OUTCOME!”
I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.I will give you the treasures of darkness And riches hidden in secret places – Isa 45:2-3
The Father says I am bringing you into your wealthy place. Leviathan is brought down this day, says God. The children of pride will no longer triumph over you. Provision is your portion this day. The resources of My treasuries are now available to you. Impoverishment and lack flee away. Fullness and benefit are pouring to supply you. Open your mouth wide in expectation and know that things are changing even now. I am bringing the hand of My favor over you for promotion and for increase. The new is coming and the stale, old religious experience is being swept away. Lay hold on this word and war with this word and it will surely become manifest reality in your life.
You have experienced downturn and you have faced denial after denial says God. All of that changes today. I am bringing you out to the land that flows with the logos and the rhema – the milk and the honey. You will drink deeply and taste fully of My goodness says the Father as you step up to take the land and the territory I have accorded you even now. Are you willing to lay hold on your NOW says the Father? I say to you that you have dwelled in the land of disappointment long enough. You are coming out of the thorny place and the waste howling wilderness. Your feet will walk the pavements of the palace. I will set you before kings and potentates. I have seated you this day in heavenly places in Christ. This is the day that you will ascend in worship and descend in warfare.
Let loose from your mouth this day says God those prayers – those warfare prayers that defeat the enemy and remove him far from your borders and your boundaries. I am bringing up your rear guard and going before you with hail stones, with fire and with vapor of smoke. I will melt the heavens and shake the mountains. I will come down and draw you out of many waters. This is your day of deliverance. This is your day of upturn and ascension. Refuse to accept the limitations of the enemy intended to limit your blessing and rob you of your inheritance for I am with you as the God who wars and in your behalf I am showing Myself strong and mighty to defend you and defeat the strategies of hell against your life.
Courtesy: Feather’s Heart
Leadership Lesssons from the life of Gideon
Judges chapter 6 and 7 talks about a powerful story of God using a weak, insignificant man to give a great victory and deliverance to a whole nation. Here are some of the lessons God taught me through this great story.
- No complex solutions but simple trust and obedience (7 v16)
When faced with a powerful enemy, human inclination is to think of a complex solution with complex logistics and several other factors! No one would have come out with a solution involving trumpets, jars and lights. With God on our side we don’t need complex solutions all the time. We just need to be in a place of quietness and trust and simply obey God.
- Sometimes our own actions can limit God (6 v35)
It was Gideon who sent invitation to all the people to join him in the battle(chapter 6 verse 35). But God said to Gideon (chapter 7 verse 2), “you have too many people I cannot the enemies in to your hands.” Sometimes our actions can limit God from doing what he wants. So we need to make sure we are in tune with God before taking any major decisions.
- God is interested in quality than quantity (7:6)
God asked Gideon to send the people back home who are fearful. He then sifted the people based on how they drink water. God chose the three hundred who drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. Some bible scholars say, that drinking water with cupped hands shows alertness as others who kneeled down must have kept the weapons down when they drank the water. Whilst we don’t know the actual reason behind God’s selection, one thing is sure. God is not interested in how many people we have. He is interested in what kind of people we are.
- Our enemies are afraid of us and they know we are capable of destroying their kingdoms (7:13)
Gideon was a fearful man by nature. God asked Gideon to “eavesdrop” his enemy’s conversation about him. Gideon heard his enemies were afraid of him that he is going to destroy them. This revelation totally transformed him! Our enemy satan is well aware of what we are capable of through Christ. He is afraid of us and he knows that we are capable of destroying his kingdom when we join hands with God.
- A leader has to be transformed first before he can transform a nation (7 v15)
Chapter 6 and 7 contains 65 verses in total. Out of these, 57 verses are about Gideon’s transformation from a fearful man to a confident leader. The victory for the nation was summarized in just 4 verses. A leader has to be transformed first before he can transform a nation. God will wait however long it might take because he knows what a transformed leader is capable of.
- God can give victory to a nation with just empty jars that are ready to be broken (7 v19)
God didn’t give a submarine or a sophisticated military weapon to Gideon. He gave victory with “empty jars which were broken”. Throughout the bible God chose weak people who were flawed and insignificant. God loves empty jars that are ready to be broken. Our brokenness can result in healing for many. God does not call the qualified, but he qualifies the called. Paul said, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us”.
- A leader should lead an exemplary life (7 v17)
After Gideon got transformed he told the people, “Watch me, Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.” A leader should live such a life that he can boldly say, “Watch me, follow my lead and do exactly as I do.”
This message is written by Bro. Davidson Samuel who is an IT Professional / Subject Matter Expert in Banking domain, based out of Scotland, UK.