Becoming the Best ( by Fenny West)
Tag Archives: growth
What Next? ( by Fenny West)
What Next?
Now That You Believe: What Next?
This is to help those who have just given their lives to Jesus Christ; those who have just being born again, received salvation to grow in grace in the knowledge of the Lord.
If you know of anyone who has recently surrendered to the Lord, please send them this link to help them grow in grace.
If you have recently given your life to the Lord, then use this article to help you.
1. What has happened? Know ( Be conscious of ) what happened.
I am assuming that you have realised your need to have a relationship with God. Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with the living God. We were separated from God because of the sinful nature we inherited from our parents and because of the fall of man. But God in His mercy sent Jesus to reconcile us. This is the provision that is essential for our reconciliation. Jesus took our place on the cross when He died. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. John the Baptist saw Jesus and proclaimed,” Behold the Lamb that takes away the sin of this world.” God made the provision or gave the remedy or solution for the sin-sickness. But it is only those who accept it that can benefit from it. It is just like you given a present wrapped up at Christmas or your birthday or any other occasion. Unless you unwrap the present, you cannot enjoy whatever was wrapped up for you. So it is with salvation. You must personally invite Christ to take His rightful place in your heart after asking Him to forgive you of your sins. All have sinned and come short of His glory.. Everyone is separated ,alienated and far from God, no matter how good they may be externally, until they invite Him to take His place. If our good deeds could save us then He died in vain.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,Rom3:23-24
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom6:23
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isa53:6
Jesus told not just religious man but teacher of religion, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John3:3
So How do you get born again?
Good question.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom10:9-10
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
No one will find themselves in heaven by accident. It must be a deliberate decision you make at a point in time in your life when you accepted the finished work on Calvary as sufficient to save you or reconcile you to the Father and not your morality or lack of it.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph2:8-9
So if you are not sure you have been saved, pray this prayer and make sure you mean it from your heart.
Prayer of Salvation
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the opportunity to come to you as I am. I realise and accept that I cannot save my self by my morality. Jesus was my sacrificial Lamb and today I accept what He did on the cross as sufficient to save me.
Forgive me my sins and cleanse me from every unrighteousness. Today I make Jesus, Lord of my life and my Saviour. Thank You for this New Life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Now what happened?
- You are now a child of God. (12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: John1:12 Rom8:16-17)
2. You are born again, born of the Spirit and born of the Word, born from above ( John3:3,5,8, 1Pet1:23)
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
3. Heaven is now your home.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,Phil3:20
4. You are Now a New Creation and old things have passed away and all things have become new. (17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2Cor5:17)
5. You now have Eternal Life, Zoe- God’s kind of life. You are incorruptible and indestructible. (16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John3:16, 1John5:11-13)
6. You are complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)
7. God has washed your sins away and looks at you as someone who has never sinned. When He looks at you He sees Jesus.
This is what justification means.
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Rom5:1)
8. You are righteous before God. God inputs His righteousness to you. You are accepted in the beloved. You are an object of God’s love. All things are yours. You are an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. ( 1Cor1:30,2Cor5:21)
9. You name is written in the Book of Life.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. Rev20:12
10. There is a party in heaven as a result of the decision you have made.
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke15:10
11. You are now a saint of God. If you do not know who you are in Christ, the enemy will short-change you and you will not be able to enjoy your inheritance in Christ. Paul of addressed his letters to the “Saints in …” He was addressing believers and disciples. Therefore if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are a saint.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eph1:1-2
2. Church Attendance
After being born again you need to know the importance of fellowship. Church attendance enables you to have fellowship or communion or relationship with other believers. And this is essential for spiritual growth. We are enjoined not to forsake the assembling of saints. When you are born you were immersed or baptised into the Body of Christ.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;Eph4:4
You are part of the World Wider Church of Jesus Christ. You are not an Island but part of a vibrant ever growth Spiritual Body of Christ, made up of all of those who are born again, regardless of the Church they attend. And we need each other.
Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 1Cor12:12
It is like the human body with different parts that have their part to play to make the body function effectively. Your head needs your hands and your feet and other parts of your body, so it is with the Body of Christ. We all have a purpose or function and unless we are playing our part in the Body of Christ we will not be fulfilled. So join a Church that is vibrant and sound in teaching and fellowship with other believers. That is part of how you grow strong in the Lord.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb10:24-25
A believer who does not fellowship with other believers is just like a coal removed from other coals in a coal fire. Just as the coal will burn out so will the believer who does not fellowship with other believers. The person will be weak, anaemic and unfulfilled.
Unity and Diversity in One Body
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
So make up your mind to attend Church regularly. There you will get to know other believers who would encourage you in your walk of faith. You will also feed on the word of God and be under a pastor who will look after you and ensure that you grow in grace. You will also learn many foundational truths including the essence of the Word of God, baptism in water, Baptism in the Spirit, faith towards God, laying on of hands and Baptism in the Spirit amongst other doctrines.
3. The Word
The importance of the Word of God in the life of a believer cannot be overemphasized. Every living organism has its environment or habitat where it grows. You were born of the word of God and therefore need the word of God to sustain you. Take a fish out of a river and leave on the land and it soon dies. So it is with a Christian who does not feed on the word of God regularly. Just as you have three square meals or need food regularly so you need the Word of God.
Jesus said “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
The Word of God is Powerful, dynamic, living, sharper than any two-edged sword. ( Heb4:12)
There are many benefits that come from studying and meditating on the Word of God. You get stronger. You get to know who you are in Christ. It gives your direction and counsel in the face of uncertainties. You get to know your inheritance and claim them in Jesus Name.
God said,” 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge,…”
When you are unaware of your inheritance in Christ you cannot enjoy it you will live beggarly and malnourished, so to speak.
This was why Paul encouraged the believers: 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. Acts20:32
The psalmist also said: 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Ps1:1-3
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Josh1:8
Do you want to be a successful, fruitful, healthy, strong and vibrant Christian? If so do not joke with the Word of God. Cherish it, love it, meditate on it day and night. Delight in it. Memorise it. Pray it back to God. It shows you the will of God and shows you who you are in Christ.
You cannot know God more than you know His Word.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.Job23:12
Pray this before your read it:
18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. Ps119:18
Expect light, instruction, direction and illumination to come out of it as your read it.
Someone said when you pray, you are speaking to God. But when you read the Word prayerfully, God is speaking to you. Another person said that the word of God has 66 books and these are the 66 broadcast channels of God. However God speaks in other ways as you will discover as you grow in grace. Besides prayer should not be a monologue but a dialogue. As you grow in Christ you will be a able to discern God speaking to you even as you listen to a pastor preaching on a Sunday or when you listen to other messages in other formats including books, videos etc. God is interested in every aspect of our lives and would address them if we will let Him.
Find time and read through Ps119
It is all about the word of God. Notice how the psalmist applies the Word of God in prayer and enumerates the benefits of God’s Word. Make a note of the benefits as you come across them.
Notice his attitude towards the word of God:
47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.Ps119:47
Notice his resolve to meditate on the word of God.
48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.
You must have the same attitude to grow strong in Him.
Note a few benefits he discovered:
It brings Light.
130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
Direct comes from the Word of God.
133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Great peace comes from the Word of God.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
See how he applies the Word of God in prayer:
154 Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.
Unless you know that the word of God brings revival, rejuvenation, energy, you cannot pray like that.
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isa40:31
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col3:16
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Tim2:15
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work 2Tim3:15-16
15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1Tim4:15-16
When you are studying the word of God, be diligent. Have a notebook and note key words and phrases. Look up their meanings. Underline passages that address issues in your life. That is God’s voice to you.
20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Ps103:20
4. Prayer
Prayer is very important for every Christian, especially if you are a new believer. You need to know how to pray and assured that God is hearing you.
Pray is simply talking with God. It is not just talking to Him. It is communicating with God. And communication to be effective must be a dialogue. When you speak to Him, expect to hear from Him. This is what makes your relationship with God exciting. This is one major difference between religion and having a relationship with God. No one teaches you to hear from God in religion.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Phil4:6-7
There are different kinds of prayers requiring different rules and you must not only know the different kinds of prayers about the rules required for each of them if you want to get results.
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — Eph6:18
God answers prayers that are according to His word and His word is His will and His will is His word. You can see how important the word of God is. Without knowledge of the word of God you will not have the confidence require in prayer.
Confidence and Compassion in Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
1John5:14-15
There is a prayer of faith which you pray once and expect result. There other prayers like intercession which involves other where you may be required to pray again and again until the answer comes or get a positive result.
I developed a Pneumonic to remember the different kinds of prayer and it is
ACTSIT:
Adoration- praise and worship
Confession- here you affirm the Word of God after mediating on it.
Supplication- where you ask other to pray with you
Intercession – where you pray for other. It is good to remember other in prayer.
Thanksgiving-We often forget to thank God for answers prayer. It is important to thank God when we receive our answers. When you than God for answered prayer you open the door for more answers. Beside it shows that you are noting what God is doing in your life. And that will encourage you to pray more. This is why it is important to know the things you have prayed about so that you can remember to thank God for the answers. Imagine A child who comes to ask something from their dad but does not thank him when he answers. How rude!
4
5. Baptism in the Spirit
Baptism in the Spirit means being immersed in the Spirit of God. Baptism is from the Greek word Baptizo which means immersion. On the day of Pentecost as the believers waited in the upper room they were baptised in the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. Baptism in the Spirit is an essential experience for everyone that is born again.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
When you are baptised in the Spirit there will be an initial evidence of speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives you the utterance. It is a heavenly language.
Usually someone prays for you or you can pray for yourself to receive this baptism.
Why do we need to be baptised in the Spirit, Without the baptism in the Spirit You be weak as a Christian and you will not live a victorious Christian life. Before the disciple received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, they were timid and ineffective. However after the baptism of the Holy Spirit they became bold, vibrant and unstoppable.
The Name of Jesus Forbidden
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.Acts4:13
After the Baptism in the Holy Spirit they had a prayer prowess and when they prayed the place where they prayed shook.
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Acts4:31
Is the Baptism in the Spirit for some special people?
Definitely no; it is for all believers.
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
So if you have not received this gift, ask for it in prayer or tell some one to pray for you.
There are many benefits of receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit moved people to write the Word of God. With Him you cannot get much from reading the word of God. It will just be like reading a novel. But with the baptism of the Spirit, illumination comes. This why Paul prayed: 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power Eph1:16-19
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
Eph5:18-19
Ignorance can keep people from receiving the Holy Spirit.
Paul went to Ephesus and asked the believers if they had received the Holy Spirit. They told him they knew nothing about it. He then payed for them and they received the baptism of the Spirit.
2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.Acts19:2-6
The Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak and do not know how to pray as we ought. He gives us divine direction. He teaches us the scriptures- breathes life into them. He empowers us to witness. He gives us boldness. He comforts us in times of distress. He helps us to pray as indicated above.
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Rom8:26-27
He gives us advantage in life.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. John16:7
He empowers us
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts1:8
He is the Helper and we can avail of His help in any situation. He is like a standby Generator that kicks in when we lack power.
He reminds us the scripture when we witness to other.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.John14:26
He gives us guidance.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and
declare it to you. John16:13-14
6. Witnessing
With the baptism of the Holy Spirit, be expectant the move of God in your life as never before. You will be energised, vitalised, propelled and divinely directed and used by God to do new things, now that you are Born Again. Keep a diary of testimonies that will be evident in your life and you need to tell others of what God has done for you. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel. It is the power of God that brings about salvation and deliverance and wholeness. The more you testify about your new found love, the stronger you will be and more you will be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18
7. Baptism in water
Baptism in water is essential for the new Christian. It should be done as soon as the opportunity presents itself. You will be following in the footsteps of Jesus when you get baptised. Jesus was baptised and his word enjoins us to be baptised. Baptism is symbolic- an outward demonstration of what has happened within you. This will make a lasting impact on you as you identify with the burial (being immersed in water) and resurrection ( being raised up with Christ.
The word of God commands that we be baptised. It should be by immersion and not sprinkling of water.
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Rom6:4
37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. Acts8:37-40
Notice that they went down the river for the baptism after which they came up. This is how baptism should be.
God Bless you richly.
Fenny West
Moving From Milk To Meat ( by Fenny West)
Moving From Milk To Meat
Moving From Milk To Meat
Is the perfect will of God.
From learners to teachers
Is God’s desire and passion.
So lay a good foundation
And begin to build an edifice
Of mammoth proportion
One of a lasting legacy.
Study, show yourself approved.
Make your calling, election sure.
Make the most of each moment.
Dig deep, Meditate and review.
Climb the ladder from rung to rung
Making inroads, making progress
Going from glory to glory
And going from strength to strength.
{Heb 5:12} For when
for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one
teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles
of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not
of strong meat. {5:13} For every one that useth milk [is]
unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
{5:14} But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full
age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.
Chapter 6
{6:1} Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of
Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, {6:2} Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of
laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. {6
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.2 Pet3:18
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Eph4:11-16
Stay in the Word1(by Fenny West)
STAY IN THE WORD
Stay in the Word
For a great reward
Stay in the Word
To get ahead.
Stay in the Word
To be well-fed.
Stay in the Word
To be the Head
And not the tail.
Stay in the Word
and you’ll not fail,
And will not trail.
Stay in the Word
and you’ll soar in your sail.
Stay in the Word
For Good Success
Stay in the Word
Meditate on it,
Proclaim, confess;
Renew your mind;
Mind your mind
And goodly heritage
you’ll find.
Stay in the Word
For healing and health.
Stay in the Word
For wisdom and wealth.
Stay in the Word
For insight and foresight.
Stay in the Word for the
Power of His might.
Stay in the Word
For faith-fuel
Stay in the Word
To win every duel.
Stay in the Word
To stay ahead
Stay in the Word
Because it’s bread.
Stay in the Word
It’s spirit and life
Stay in the Word
For abundant life.
Stay in the Word
Act on the Word
Work out the Word
War with the word
Walk in the Word
Win with the Word.
.
Say what God said;do what God said; and you will have what God said.
Heb 13: 5-6
Gen 12 :1-4, Josh 1:8, Col 3 : 16,Matt 4:4, John 15:1-7,16, John 17:17, Ps 1 :1-3, Act2:42,-6:4,-20:32,Deut6:6-7.Jer 17:7-8, Eph6:17, Ro10:17,Ro4:17-18Jer23:29, Job23:12, Ps119:9,11,47,89,105,130,165,1Tim4:15, 2Tim2:15, John17:17, Prov18:21, Heb4:12, Gen12:1-4,2Chro20:15, 20,25, Gen22:1-8,14, Gen26:1-6,12-13,1Sam30:6,18-19 Prov3:5-6,
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
Have a great day.
Prepare Them (By Fenny West)
Prepare them
Impact them
Sow into them
Give them roots
And then wings
Push them out
Of the nest.
So they can fly
So they learn
Let them leave
Give them tools
Give them wings
Let them fall
And learn to rise.
Let them fail
Learn to prevail
Like the eagle
Trains her young
Let them go
To be strong.
![209[1]](https://inspiration4generations.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/2091.jpg)
God trains us
so we reign
learn to soar
learn to stand
in this life
Show His light
and His life
And His power
and Glory
Point to Him.
. ‘Fathers [mothers], do not…provoke [engage in contention, debate and strife] your children to anger [irritation, exasperation, embitterment]’ (Ephesians 6:4 AMP).
https://inspiration4generations.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/in-this-brand-new-year-2/
©Fenny West2013
Which Dog Are You Feeding?
Three dogs in everyone: persevere in your training for reigning
There is the story of a man who performed tricks with two dogs. He will take them to a park and there instigate a fight between them. On lookers were to bet and guess who will win the dog-fight.
Now, this may sound distasteful to animal lovers, but the truth is that people have different tastes.
The owner of the dog usually predicts who will win the dog- fight and his prediction was always right, to the amazement of onlookers.
Someone in the audience was curious and enquired how he could predict the winner each time with such precision.
He was hesitant initially to let out the secret, but the spectator kept insisting. Then he told him, ‘It’s easy. The day before the fight I feed one of them and starve the other and the one I feed wins the battle.’
Secret revealed!
So what has that got to do with you and I ?
Everything!
There are three dogs in everyone:
The spirit, the soul and the body.
And they are at war with each other.
But how do we know who will win?
That’s a very good question!
The one you feed more wins the war.
So let your spirit be the dominant dog.
Feed him fat with the word of God.
Give him a good walk-exercise in prayer.
Let him socialise, else he will be selfish.
So be wise and take him to church
There he will see the bigger picture
And will find out that iron sharpens iron.
As for the other dog, called the mind
My advice is that you mind your mind
He was awake in the world long before the spirit
Was woken up or regenerated- born again.
He walked in the way of the world
And thought in the way of the world
He needs rewiring, renewing, retuning;
He needs complete transformation.
You do this by exposing him to the word,
No just when you feel like it, but daily.
You chew it, digest it, meditate on it
Until it permeates you and propels you.
Yes, without a doubt it is hard work!
But you cannot afford to let the mind reign
He has to be subject to the spirit-man.
Believe me, it’s a struggle and a doddle
From the day you become a New Creature.
‘So, what about the third dog?’Good question!
This is the most unruly one amongst the three
So, should we just get rid of him by casting him out?
Unfortunately, that option is not available to us.
You need the body and all its ‘embodiments’
This dog has a place but he has to be subordinate.
Whereas in some people, the mind is stronger,
In others the flesh is the dominant force.
However, the spirit has to be the top dog
Therefore, the flesh has to be starved to death.
I know it sounds cruel, but this is the gospel truth.
The body remains with you, but for the spirit to reign,
He has to die daily like Paul said. That is the way out.
So, when you wake up in the morning
And your body is craving a cup of coffee
And tells you, ‘Coffee, please! I want it now, it’s urgent!
Tell him, ‘In this house, the spirit rules
And the agenda is: the word and prayer first,
Coffee can take a back seat, ok?’
The flesh may be cross, have withdrawal syndromes.
Never mind, know that you are training the old dog
And it will take some time before he learns a new trick.
It will not be days or weeks but many, many years.
But you have to persevere in your training for reigning.
Walking in the Spirit
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 12: Living Sacrifices to God
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Rom12:1-2
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “Mat4:4
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.1John2:15-17
Colossians 3: Not Carnality but Christ
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
Character of the New Man
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Col3:1-17
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Gal5:19-23
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, Matt3:7-8
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’Matt7:21-23
The Truth Shall Make You Free
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John8:31-32
Striving for a Crown
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1Cor9:24-27
Teens charged with killing man over cigarette January 29th 2013
Two teenage boys were charged with the December beating death of a man on the West Side after an argument over a cigarette, prosecutors said.
Derrick Burns, 15, and William Davis, 16, were initially charged with aggravated battery as juveniles but the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder with the two now being charged as adults, prosecutors said in court today.
There is a story of a lady who was having a heavy row with another woman on a Sunday. One of them was a Christian. She looked her watch and saw that she was getting late, so she told the other woman: ‘ I am going to the service now, but when I come back we will continue from where we left off.’
There was recently another story of a man who shot another dead because he refused him a cigarette.
Not long ago, it was reported that two men decided to feed their flesh to the full by going to a restaurant which offered: ‘eat as much as you like’
They descended on the restaurant like eagles and wanted to come as elephants. They ate and ate and ate until the restaurant owners were furious and threw them out.
Feed the right dog, then it will do right!
Remained blessed and highly favoured!
©Fenny West2013
https://inspiration4generations.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/in-this-brand-new-year-2/
©Fenny West2013
Keep God’s Word Close at Hand (by Rick Warren)
|
|
“He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life.” (Deuteronomy 17:19a NCV)For most of the 2,000-year history of the Church, only priests got to personally read the Bible, but now billions of us have access to it. In spite of this, many believers are more faithful to reading their daily newspaper than their Bibles.It’s no wonder why we don’t grow. We can’t watch television for three hours, then read the Bible for three minutes and expect to grow.Many who claim to believe the Bible “from cover to cover” have never read it from cover to cover. But if you will read the Bible just fifteen minutes a day, you will read completely through it once a year.If you cut out one 30-minute television program a day and read your Bible instead, you will read through the entire Bible twice a year.Daily Bible reading will keep you in range of God’s voice. This is why God instructed the kings of Israel to always keep a copy of his Word nearby: “He should keep it with him all the time and read from it every day of his life” (Deuteronomy 17:19a NCV).But don’t just keep it near you; read it regularly! A simple tool that is helpful for this is a daily Bible reading plan. It will prevent you from just skipping around the Bible arbitrarily and overlooking sections.Talk About It– With what projects or hobbies do you show great discipline in your attention to them? How can you apply that same discipline to your daily Bible reading?– How do you think 15 minutes a day in God’s Word would change the way you approach your everyday life? |
We are Fellow-Workers (by Fenny West)
We are Fellow-Workers
We are fellow-workers
All co-workers.
Some plant, others water
So let’s be united ministers.
Let’s fend off factions
That cause distractions,
Contention and division,
Sowing seeds of confusion.
Let’s focus on Jesus
Who died on the cross
For you and I–for us.
Let’s know, unity is a plus.
All have their role
And make us whole
Pillars and preachers
Ministers and teachers.
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Eph4:1-6,11-13
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.1Cor12:12
:
©Fenny West2012
Go from Glory to Glory
Go from Glory to Glory
Romans 8:23
Ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit.
Present possession is declared. At this present moment we have the first fruits of the Spirit. We have repentance, that gem of the first water; faith, that priceless pearl; hope, the heavenly emerald; and love, the glorious ruby. We are already made “new creatures in Christ Jesus,” by the effectual working of God the Holy Ghost. This is called the firstfruit because it comes first. As the wave-sheaf was the first of the harvest, so the spiritual life, and all the graces which adorn that life, are the first operations of the Spirit of God in our souls. The firstfruits were the pledge of the harvest. As soon as the Israelite had plucked the first handful of ripe ears, he looked forward with glad anticipation to the time when the wain should creak beneath the sheaves. So, brethren, when God gives us things which are pure, lovely, and of good report, as the work of the Holy Spirit, these are to us the prognostics of the coming glory. The firstfruits were always holy to the Lord, and our new nature, with all its powers, is a consecrated thing. The new life is not ours that we should ascribe its excellence to our own merit; it is Christ’s image and creation, and is ordained for His glory. But the firstfruits were not the harvest, and the works of the Spirit in us at this moment are not the consummation-the perfection is yet to come. We must not boast that we have attained, and so reckon the wave-sheaf to be all the produce of the year: we must hunger and thirst after righteousness, and pant for the day of full redemption. Dear reader, this evening open your mouth wide, and God will fill it. Let the boon in present possession excite in you a sacred avarice for more grace. Groan within yourself for higher degrees of consecration, and your Lord will grant them to you, for He is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we ask or even think.
C.H.Spurgeon
Walking Well With God
Walking Well With God
Walking well with God
Requires talking to God
Talking with God
Cherishing His word
Even above your food.
Walking well with God
Requires finding your purpose
Facing that purpose
With zeal and passion
Until you finish and finish well.
Walking well with God
Entails walking well
Even with your fellow men
By serving them
To serve your God.
Walking well with God
Requires self-sacrifice
And loads of humility
and shedding any weight
or sin that easily besets.
Walking well with God
Includes loving the brethren
Fellowshipping with them
Upholding one another
Since we need each other.
Walking well with God means coming to know Him in His own terms
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph2:8-9
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom10:9-10
-
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John3:3
Walking well with God means having a short account with God.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1John1:
Walking well with God means hating sin with a passion
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
Walking well with God means looking forward to His appearing
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1Jon3:2-3
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2Tim.4:8
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. John17:14
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.
1John2:15-16
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Rom12:2
Walking well with Him means growing in grace and being fruitful.
1Pet2:2
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen 2 Pet3:18
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.2Pet.1:5-6
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John15:8
Walking well with God means living a disciplined life
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
2Tim2:4
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
1Cor9:24-27
Walking well with God means fighting the good fight of faith with courage.
Eph6:10-18
Walking well with Him means being filled and empowered by His Spirit.
2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
Acts19:2
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Acts10:38
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, Eph5:18
Walking with God requires whole-hearted obedience
19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;Isa1:19
Walking Well with God Requires unqualified faith: reliance and trust absolute dependence
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”Heb10:38
Hebrews 11
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”Rom4:3
17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed — God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.Gen5:22
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.Heb11:5
16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.Gal5:
Walking well with God means self-sacrifice
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Walking well with God means walking in Love
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.1John2:15
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Rom5:5
And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.Eph5:1-2
Eph5:2
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
1Cor13:4-8
Walking well with God requires imitating Him
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.Eph5:1-2
Walking well with God requires renewing your mind.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Walking well with God means constant communication with Him
17 pray without ceasing,1Thess5:17
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Phil4:6-7
Walking well with God means loving His word more than your daily bread
Job 23
12 I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
Colossians 3
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
Heb12
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb10:25
Walking well with God requires finding, facing and finishing your purpose.
18 ” The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
Luke4:18
16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, Acts 26: 16-19
49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
Luke2:49
John19:30
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Walking well with God means persevering in trials
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed —
2Cor4:8-9
23 Are they ministers of Christ? — I speak as a fool — I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness —
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
2Cor11:23-28
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2Cor8-10
Walking well with God requires periodic intensive waiting on God.
Moses did, Jesus did, the disciples did, Esther did, Nehemiah did, Jehoshaphat did you too should.
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “
Matt4:1-4
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Luke4:14
31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Isa40:31
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Neh1:4
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
2Chro20:3-4
16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
Esther4:16
Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts13:1-2
http://christian-talk.forumotion.com/t5576-fresh-and-flourishing#10883
https://inspiration4generations.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/journey-of-jesus/
©Fenny West2012
inspiration4generations 
