Theinnermaninme

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matthew 12:25) In one of his most famous speeches, Abraham Lincoln uttered this oft-quoted line: “A house divided against itself will not stand.” He took the verse directly from Scripture, and the point he made is just as relevant today. He emphasized that, if America and indeed the world was going to fall, it would collapse from the inside out. Through the pride and arrogance of self-deception and self-reliance, this entire world is destroying itself at so many levels. We believe that we can address all these issues on our own. We can rectify the economy, correct our failing education system, resolve the race issues, and right all wrongs. We can make America great. None of that is true! Jesus declared that apart from Him, we could do nothing (John 15:5). It is time to place Jesus back where He belongs – not in a book collecting dust on the coffee...

"But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes  any  person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand". (Ezekiel 33:6) In the ancient world, the watchman on the city wall was essential to its protection and well-being. The citizens counted on his vigilance and responsiveness to keep them safe within the walls. The watchman was responsible to look out for enemies, to spot danger before it arrived, and to sound the alarm to the townspeople. Watchmen needed a “get to” mindset – not a “have to” perspective. On blistering desert days or frigid winter nights atop the wall, they chose the “get to” attitude of service that no one would be harmed on their watch. In our modern world, God has appointed us as the watchmen on the walls who carry on this tradition. Sober and vigilant, we watch out for others and alert them to coming perils....

"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23 : 19) If we are going to receive the unexpected, overwhelming, beyond-what-we-can-imagine goodness of God, we must willingly make a leap of faith into the hand of a God Who will never fail us. God has already proven that He will do whatever it takes to rescue us – even to the extreme of sending His cherished Son to save us from our sins. He has already demonstrated that He is a generous provider – opening the windows of heaven to pour out overflowing blessings. He has shown us that He will deliver His own – from a worldwide flood to a fiery furnace to midnight chains in a prison cell. He did it in the past, so we know He will do the same in the here and now. As we prepare daily to turn our calendars, we expect that the goodness of God is already waiting for us in the coming days, weeks and even  months....

" Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,  and  into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him,  and  bless His name". (Psalm 100:4) Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks the door! If we drop by a friend’s home without the correct key in our possession, we will not get past the porch. No matter how we twist and turn and force the lock, we will remain outside. The same is true for the Lord. He tells us that thanksgiving turns the key that allows us to enter through His gates, and praise is the ticket that brings us into His courts. They open the doors that usher us into the presence of God where miracles happen. When we begin a conversation with the Lord, thankfulness should take the lead. Jesus modeled this practice: “Our Father Who art in heaven. We honor Your holy name” (Matthew 6:9). What a privilege to boldly approach the throne of grace! Before we pour out our petitions, let us pause to thank God for Who He is and what He has done for us. He is the Potter, and...

"For we walk by faith, not by sight". (2 Corinthians 5:7) To take that proverbial leap of faith and place our trust firmly in God, we often must overcome two very significant adversaries: feelings and facts. Our feelings fluctuate depending on what is happening around us. One moment, we are brave; the next, we are shaking in our boots. One moment, we are quiet and content; the next, we are spewing rage and dissatisfaction. We cannot rely on feelings, because they lead us astray. Jeremiah declared that our hearts are deceitful, that no one can truly comprehend how wicked we are (17:9). We must live according to the truth found in God’s Word, not by what we see or feel. Facts can fool us too. Statistics are not stacked in our favor. The diagnosis is dire. The future appears futile. However, faith says we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. Faith tells us that, with God, all things are possible. Our faith often does not align with our feelings. It will lock ...

"And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation". (Psalm 35:9) One memorial stone stands above all others in the Christian faith, and that is the mount of Golgotha called the Place of the Skull. There, the spotless Lamb of God hung and bled and died so that He might bring us into right relationship with our Father. On that hill, He paid the price that we have no means to pay. If He had not taken our place, God would not receive our thanksgiving. We would forever be separated from Him. But because Jesus chose Calvary, the voiceless can now magnify His name and enter boldly into His throne room. No longer are we orphans and alone, wandering this earth without haven or home.] Give thanks that we have been redeemed. Through the shed blood of Christ, every crimson stain has been washed whiter than snow. We now live and move and find our very existence in Him. Praise Him for the skills and strength to do the work that He has given us each day. Rejoic...

"In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world". (John 16:33) Immediately before His crucifixion, Jesus warned His disciples of coming trials. After promising that troubles would befall them, He gave a strange command: Cheer up! Trials take different forms. Satan recognizes the power and favor in our lives. God has given each of us a divine destiny filled with abundance and promise. Satan schemes to kill those dreams, steal our blessings, and ultimately destroy us – anything to hold us back and push us down. Trials occur simply because we live in a fallen world. Since Genesis, earth has lived under the curse of sin, a fractured relationship with God and with one another. Sin opened the door to every kind of disease and disaster. We suffer its repercussions daily. Maybe a trial comes for our greater good. God is setting us up for more! We have all asked God for more strength, more power, more resources. Remember the prayer of Jabez:...