2 Samuel 11:1-5 (please read the full scripture text but I have verse 1 here), “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.”
Failure Is Not Fatal!
This chapter opens by telling us what time it was and where David was supposed to be. However, those verse ends with But David stayed in Jerusalem. This verse tells us about David’s disobedience. It seems a small thing, but David was not where he should have been. Because he was in the wrong place he found himself at loose ends and this opened the door for the enemy to come in.
Yes, we all fail and fall into temptation at one time or another. But understand failure is not fatal.
Please listen and enjoy the message.
During this month for fasting and prayer understand this is the perfect time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in line. Trust God through YOUR process.
Those week we will be discussing recharge during Wednesday Bible study.
I pray that you continue to seek the Lord during this month of fasting and prayer.
If you need prayer or counseling, please contact us via email at otp.ministry1@gmail.com.
Ephesians 4:23, 24, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Colossians 3:1-17– (however verses 8-10 are here), “But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
The mind is powerful. No matter what we may say with our mouth, it is what we believe that dictates our life. Proverbs 23:7 says “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:” Most believers speak Bible very well. We can quote scripture with the best of them. But there is a difference between speaking Bible and believing Bible. It is the latter that will allow you to live a victorious life.
It is those who truly believe what the Bible says, that will actually apply the word of God to their lives. They will make conscious choices to walk out the word in their life. They will seek to love, to forgive, to give, to repent, to walk in healing, to bear spiritual fruit, etc. all because the Bible says it is God’s will for his people.
But this takes faith, dedication, and diligence. When we are fighting the good fight of faith, after a while we tend to lose heart. We can get worn out (if we are not careful). It is during these times when we need spiritual renewal – of our mind and body.
By definition renewed is having been resumed, re-established, or revived. To give fresh life or strength to; revive. To replace (something that is broken or worn out).
Bible.com says of Spiritual renewal “In fact, the word renew can be defined as “changing into something new and different, something better.” That really sums up what renewal in Christ means in that we were remade into something better. For some of us, it may have been quite a struggle to remove the old sinful self and totally renovate our lives.”
A renewed mind and spirit can be viewed as a lovely spring breeze that blows through your home after a hard winter. This breeze brings the possibility of new life and blows out the staleness that has accumulated in the house.
It causes the home owner to want to spring clean. To clean out all the areas that have become overcrowded and dusty. To bring the home once again to a near pristine state.
We need a spiritual spring cleaning. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to blow out the dust and cobwebs that have accumulated in our hearts and minds. We need to remove the debris that remains from tough times and trouble, from heart aches and pains. We need to allow the glorious light of the gospel, the love of Jesus, to illuminate those places within us that the enemy would like to keep darkened. Once exposed – we can clean that out too!
It is time re-establish and revive the zeal we once had with our walk with Christ.
It is time to replace our mourning with joy.
It is time to be renewed!
How can I be renewed, you ask? You must be willing to let go and release all of those negative emotions, thoughts and doubts, in exchange for the joy of the Lord. This is your strength.
It all comes down to your choice. You must choose to be free. You must choose to believe God’s word over that of the enemy. You must make these choices every day. Because the enemy comes after you every day. Some times several times a day.
You must protect yourself by putting on the whole armor of God daily. See Ephesians 6. Verses 11-12 explains our fight, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Verses 14-17 details the pieces of the armor. Verse 18 identifies what should accompany the armor – Prayer!
Finally, trust God. Trust him with everything and trust him over everything.
Pray this prayer with me,
“Father I come to you with praise in my heart. I love you and appreciate your great sacrifice so that I might have life and that more abundantly. I pray that you will renew me in the spirit of my mind daily with your word. I pray that you will renew me in the inner man daily with your word. I choose you. I choose to believe your word. I pray, oh God, that you allow your presence to remove the debris that has developed and accumulated in my heart and mind. I choose to walk in freedom and peace being fully outfitted in your armor and love. I receive this renewal faith. In Jesus name I pray, amen.”
Now, you are not only renewed you are also prepared for battle – because you will need to fight to keep the victory you have won.
2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Welcome to week 2 of our prayer month!
I have been enjoying and celebrating God. We have had family celebrations this week as well. Our oldest son got married and extended our family. Adding a wonderful woman and our first grand child. we are truly blessed.
With that said please take a moment to enjoy I Remember, I Remember, from pastor Kyle Adams Sr.
This week we are going to be discussing “Renewed.”
A renewed heart and a renewed mind. Oh, the blessings of God!
God bless you and I look forward to hearing from you and sharing the word with you.
Isaiah 40:29, “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”
2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Isaiah 41: 10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
During this month of prayer and fasting we need to first focus on refreshing ourselves. We need to refresh our outlook, our mindset, and our goals. It is time to realign with God’s will and plan for our lives.
A perfect example of the need for a refresh can be seen with computers. A refresh is the process of re-installing a computer’s operating system and updating outdated applications, drivers, and settings on the device. Refreshing is done to restore your computer to its original performance and stability, usually in order speed it up or fix errors.
We need a refreshing in the spirit.
We have all been in one form of struggle or another for a while. Life post COVID-19 is different for everyone. I do not believe there is a soul alive who has not been impacted in some way from this global pandemic. To some extent we all have experienced post traumatic stress as we try to walk in our new normal. But we survived. We are survivors!
However, God has more for us.
Spiritually, many of us find ourselves in a weakened state. Some of us have lost faith in God. Some have stopped attending church. Some have lost track of God in our life. They say they cannot see or feel him as they did before. Society or government is doing all it can to talk or legislate God out of our lives.
But God is faithful. Even in our weakened state, God is still with us. God is still speaking to us. We just stopped listening. We allowed life to take some of what we used to have in Christ. Our walk with him is not as paramount to some as it once was.
The definition of refresh is give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate.
Some common synonyms of refresh are rejuvenate, renew, renovate, and restore. While all these words mean “to make like new,” refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power.
We have to understand God knows us and he knows what it is like to walk in this flesh. (Hebrews 4:15-16). The emotions that we experience – God knows all about them. But he also gave us power when he filled is with his spirit (Acts 1:8). With this power also comes expectation. God expects us to stay connected to him. To turn to him in times of trouble. To ask him for what we need (John 14:14).
As believers, as followers of Christ, we have a responsibility. A responsibility to God and to the people we serve. But we are still human. We experience low times where we are weak and may get discouraged. However, we cannot allow ourselves to wallow or remain in this state. We must take action.
-We must shake this off in praise.
-We must find encouragement in the Bible.
-We must find joy in fellowship with other believers; for we gain strength from one another.
A lot of times we need to move in silence. We cannot afford to alert people to what our plans are. Why? Because when we do we open the door for people to prey on us. To sway us to remain in this same pitiful state. Understand, not everyone wants to see you free or delivered. Some people feel better about themselves when they see you struggling just like they are.
These are the same people that need us to get ourselves together. Luke 22:32, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”When are back in our place we can turn around and help others.
Isaiah 40:29, reminds us that God gives us power and increases our strength.
2 Corinthians 12:9, reminds us that God’s grace is abundant toward us. He understands when we are weak. That is when his strength is abundant in our lives.
Isaiah 41:10, reminds us that God is always with us. That he will not only strengthen us, he will also help us.
This is our refreshing.
We surrender our burden to God. We give him our weakness in exchange for his grace, his power, his help, and his strength. We lean on him and trust him to be God.
This is key – in prayer, we must verbally confess to God just what we have been feeling. We have to tell him our truth. Expose all to God. By doing this we free ourselves and our heart is opened to accept that free exchange from God.
Welcome to the first Sunday of our February prayer month!
Our goal is to refresh, renew, revive and rededicate ourselves to God. The first step towards that goal is to have your “and at midnight” state of mind.
It is that place where you forget all about your current troubles and struggles and choose to focus on God. A place where you lose yourself in praise and worship towards God. It is in that place where God reveals himself to you.
It is in this place where we understand that everything is going to be alright, and we begin to encourage ourselves.
Please enjoy the message from Pastor Kyle Adams.
Please join us on Wednesday as we discuss the first part of our goal – refresh.
If you need prayer or counseling please email us at otp.ministry1@gmail.com.
Isaiah 58:6-7, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?”
As we head into the month of February – our dedicated time for seeking the Lord, I wanted to share some fasting information that you may find helpful.
I do not want to regulate your fast for it is your sacrifice to God. It should be something you talk about with God before hand.
What I do recommend is that you set aside time to seek God.
– Set aside time where you can meditate on the word of God, on the goodness of God.
– Limit your time exposure to foolishness (only you can define what this is in your life).
– Limit your time on social media because it can actually add stress to your life. At the very least stay away from sites that do not edify you spiritually.
– Take this time to make changes you have been considering. Start an exercise program, learn what is healthy eating and incorporate that into your daily eating routine. Learn how to become financially sound based on biblical principles.
– Choose a playlist of songs that speak to your spirit. That helps you draw closer to God. Update your music streaming sites accordingly. Play this on a loop in your home and car.
Most importantly, enjoy your time in the Lord. Remember this is not a chore. It is not penance. It is a time to bask in the presence of a loving, great God.
It is a time of refreshing, of renewal, of revival, and of rededication.
I look forward to checking in with you on Wednesdays and Sundays all month long.
Tomorrow is February 1st. Let’s start this off with a bang!
Isaiah 55:6-9, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,”
We are approaching that time of year again – the month February. It is the time that we have set aside each year to turn our faces toward God. A time to seek him and get direction for a new year
This is a leap year. We have and extra day this month to dedicate our selves to God.
We will be fasting and praying, settling our hearts and minds to hear from God. It is a time to:
– recharge
– refresh
– renew
A time to prepare to receive the blessings of God. For this is the time to walk in our purpose.
We will seek the Lord in February, so we can “March” into our destiny!
Please join us for our services here online or in person.
John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
I always thought the commandment from “If you love me, keep my commandments” was both powerful and daunting. But God is faithful. He knows our human frailties and limitations. He came with a plan, even from the foundation of the world. What was his grand plan? What was the answer for us? The Holy Ghost (also see Acts 2:38 which explains how access this great plan).
By taking a closer look at the 14th chaper of John we will obtain greater insight. Let’s walk though the chapter together.
See -The definition of see isto perceive with the eyes, discern visually. -To discern or deduce mentally after reflection or from information. -To understand.
Our vision does more than show us our surroundings. In fact, weather you know it or not, our ability to see automatically imparts knowledge. For example, if you are out taking a hike in the woods and come across a foot bridge, automatically your eyes are scanning to determine if it seems visually able to support your journey across. Your sight automatically pulls on your other knowledge base or experience to determine if you should even risk the journey. You are able to visually discern and deduce. Your are able to understand what your next step(s) should be. Amazingly, this all occurred in th matter of seconds just from the power of your sight.
The ability to see spiritually is extremely important in the life of the believer.
There are 3 verses in John 14 that talks about this: -John 14:7, “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” –John 14:9, “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast though not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me has seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” -John 14:19, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”
Verse 7 is an example of [see – understand]. Jesus shows them they have seen him to a degree that they should understand just who he is. The were present with him to see first hand the many miracles he performed. The witnessed first hand how he dealt with people. They saw love in action. Because of this intimate experience with Jesus, they should have been able to perceive the Father. And seeing Jesus, they saw the Father. They are one.
Verse 9 is an example of [see – discern]. Let us look quickly at the definition of discern: to perceive or recognize (something); to distinguish (something or someone) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. At this point in the disciples journey with Jesus, he expected more from them. Jesus had to ask, (I paraphrase here) after all this time together, you still do not recognize me? By seeing me, you have seen the Father, They are one.
It is important to note – in verse 10 goes on to provide some additional context for Philip. Jesus goes on to explain, if you cannot believe (or have bit yet discerned who I am), or if he did not believe the words that he spoke – the same words that came from the Father, he should at least believe the works (miracles) that he has done. Basically, something you have witnessed while you have been with me should have allowed you to discern just who I am.
Verse 19 is an example of [see – perceive with the eye]. Jesus explained (because of his soon coming death, burial, and resurrection) the world would see him no more. But Jesus also provided then with insight regarding their future and comfort. Because he lives they shall live also. In their living, they must carry on the work of Jesus. Just as we must continue to carry the message of Jesus to the world. No, Jesus is no longer physically walking the earth, but he is definitely with us, always.
Taking a deeper look at see. We have 2 options: 1). We can believe Jesus is the Father by the words that he speaks 2). We can believe Jesus is the Father by the works he has done (and continue to do even today),
Bottom line – we must believe!
Just as the disciples were to go on and do greater works that those that Jesus did. We are aslo to walk under this same command. Jesus goes on to say in verse 13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” There is power in the name of Jesus. So much so that Jesus promised that when we ask in his name he will do it. But lets be clear here – we must be working the will of God. As we are doing the work he has called us to, whatsoever we ask in his name he will do it. Why? So God gets the glory. This should be the mindset of the believer – use me God so that you get the glory! If we are trying to ask for things that do not bring God glory, I will say your request is not covered under this promise. As God works and moves on our behalf we are to give our testimony along this journey. Our testimony of the goodness of God. Our testimony gives strength and hope to those that hear it (see Revelations 12:11). For if God had done it for us, he can do it for them too.
Learn, Remember John 14: 23, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
The Comforter or parakletos. Let’s look at the definition of Comforter – advocate or helper. Paracletos, the Greek word is translated as advocate, In 1 John 2:1 as applicable to Christ. It means properly “one who is summoned to the side of another to help him in a court of justice by defending him. One who is summoned to plead a cause.” Advocate is the proper rendering of the word [Comforter] in every case where it occurs. Paraclete (the original word): Comforter is the name given by Christ to the Holy Ghost. Paraclete means first advocate, a defender, helper, strengthener, as well as comforter. The Holy Ghost = The Spirit of Truth.
In John 14:26, Jesus tells us the comforter will teach us all things, and will bring all things back to our remembrance – the things that God has said.
Teacher – one who is able to impart truth and wisdom for life. Keep this in mind – you cannot claim Jesus as savior if you are not ready to submit to him as teacher. Nehemiah 9:20: “Though gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them…” Luke 12:12: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” 1 Corinthians 2b “…which things also we speak, not in the word which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 John 2:27: “…but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him”
It is because of the Holy Ghost or comforter that we are able to recall scripture at those times when we need it most. It is the Holy Ghost that causes you to remember the things that God spoke to your spirit so long ago. It is the Holy Ghost which gives you strength to stand on those memory of that word or promise.
It is the Holy Ghost that allows us to walk in love toward people that do not like or respect us. It is the Holy Ghost that allows us to witness and share our testimony with others. It is the Holy Ghost that gives us wisdom to win souls to Christ.
For these reasons, we need to lean on and trust the indwelling spirit of God (the Holy Ghost). He will teach us all things. Our duty is to take the time to study the word of God, so that the Holy Ghost is able to bring that same word to our remembrance, and to open up our understanding to that word. It then becomes our duty to apply that word to our life and walk according to it.
This is how our faith grows. Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Our Journey: Pathway to Purpose: Navigating the heart transplant process
They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. In my case, looking back over our journey, I have learned to appreciate life more. Our Journey is full of ups and downs, heartbreaks, life-threatening diagnoses, humor, and getting support from unexpected places. What was supposed to be a tragedy was actually a catalyst to purpose. Our Journey tells the story of our experiences while navigating the heart transplant process. It offers hope to those who have found themselves in situations that seem were meant to destroy them.Our Journey offers hope and encouragement and challenges the reader to look at their situation from a different perspective and to understand that a new perspective can change a life.
I am pleased to announce that my book is now available for purchase.
It is a short read with a powerful message .
Overview
They say hindsight is twenty-twenty. In my case, looking back over our journey, I have learned to appreciate life more. Our Journey is full of ups and downs, heartbreaks, life-threatening diagnoses, humor, and getting support from unexpected places. What was supposed to be a tragedy was actually a catalyst to purpose. Our Journey tells the story of our experiences while navigating the heart transplant process. It offers hope to those who have found themselves in situations that seem were meant to destroy them.
Our Journey offers hope and encouragement and challenges the reader to look at their situation from a different perspective and to understand that a new perspective can change a life.
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Please support our ministry by purchasing and sharing.
Now on Barnes & Noble, Booktopia, Bookshop.org, and other online retailers. Coming soon to Amazon.
Onward To Perfection.com 