Fourth Woe

PRAYER: LORD, I rebuke the spirit of wavering from over my life and those around me. Like Your prophet Elijah asked so boldly before Your people; "How long will (we) waver between two opinions?" How long will we think that we're able to serve 2 masters? How long will we try to be of this world, instead of being of God and just living in this world? I pray that we learn and hold tight to Your Truth LORD. Your mighty Word, that is so powerful and without fault, no matter what others may say. You are a perfect God. And I'm not lucky to know You. It's not luck that brought You into my life. It was purpose, Your loving desire that brought me to You. Thank You LORD! Just thank You for being with me always. For bringing me out of darkness, confusion and misconceptions -- and replacing it with sound wisdom and great discernment. To not accept everything and anything that comes my way. To lay down my emotions and the way I want things to go. And to just surrender to You LORD. To let everything go. Not when I'm ready but right now! Whatever I am holding on to. Show me how to let it go, to make way for what You have for me. LORD, let me hear Your voice. Let it be known today, through what You do and have done in my life that You are God, that I am Your servant and am doing all things at Your command. As it is written in the book of Psalm, I know that the LORD is great, that our LORD is greater than all gods. That You do whatever pleases You and that we should consciously decide to do what pleases You in everything that we do; from our thoughts to our actions. Your Name, O LORD endures forever, your renown, O LORD through all generations. For You, LORD, will vindicate Your people and have compassion on Your servants. I praise You LORD! In Jesus' name. Amen (1 Kings 18/Psalm 135

The following song came to my spirit, when meditating on the prayer above. If you know it, sing it. If you have it, turn it on. If you don't know it, just say the words. Praise the LORD!

Praise is what I do
When I want to be close to You,
I lift my hands in praise.
Praise is who I am,
I will praise Him while I can.
I'll bless Him at all times.

Chorus
I vow to praise You
Through the good and the bad.
I'll praise You,
Whether happy or sad.
I'll praise You

(this is my testimony)
In all that I go through,
(somebody said why)
Because praise is what I do,
Cause I owe it all to You.

Verse 1
(come on church)
Praise is what I do
(come on church)
When I want to be close to You,
(I lift my hands-somebody lift Him)
I lift my hands in praise.
(somebody say it so the devil will hear you)
Praise is who I am,
(come on praise the Lord)
I will praise Him while I can.
I'll bless Him at all times.

Chorus
And I vow to praise You
Through the good and the bad.
I'll praise You,
Whether happy or sad.
I'll praise You
(Somebody lift your voice and say)

Verse 2
Praise is what I do,
Even when I am going through,
(see I've learned...)
I've learned to worship You.
(see I want to let the devil know tonight, even though...)
Though my circumstance doesn't even stand a chance,
My praise out weighs the bad.

(so I vow to praise)

Repeat Chorus

Now somebody lift your voice
And just go to praising him right now
Somebody lift your voice in this place
Lift up your voice in this place.

MATTHEW 23 part 7

SEVEN WOES:

4th Woe-

^{Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples:}

²³ Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

In this world, we're trained to just go through the motions. How many of you go to a job that you hate, yet you go through the motions to get that paycheck? How many of you are in a relationship that makes you feel horrible, but you've been in it so long-you just go through the motions because you don't know what else to do? How many of you, hang with someone who gets on your nerves and doesn't treat you like a friend, but you continue to go through the motions of "friendship" in order to not hurt anyone's feelings or because of the longevity of it. How many of you, just go through the motions of life because you don't know what else to do? When we only go through the motions, we lack what God is about. And that is purpose. We don't act by whims, wishes, or miracles. We are suppose to move with purpose. We get discouraged because we don't know the whole picture, but we do get pieces of information that are suppose to help us make purposeful decisions. And yet, we don't even use that. Faith is not just a feeling of hope. It's making moves. For when you have faith, you are not just hoping and praying. You are making decisions based on the hope for things which are not seen, but which are true and centered in Jesus Christ. True faith requires that we believe everything God has said about Himself and what He will do in our lives and for the people in this fallen world.

The Pharisees strained their water so they wouldn't accidentally swallow a gnat-an unclean insect according to the law. Meticulous about the details of ceremonial cleanliness, going through the motions of outward appearance; they nevertheless had lost their perspective on inner purity. They were ceremonially clean on the outside but had corrupt hearts. It is possible to obey the details of the laws but still be disobedient in our general behavior. For example, we could be very precise and faithful about giving 10% of our money to God but refuse to give one minute of our time in helping others. This doesn't make tithing any less important, but giving a tithe or saying a prayer or going to church does not exempt us from fulfilling God's other directives. Directives that usually concern other people. Directives that would have us step out on faith and make what seem like ridiculous decisions. We're too busy trying to understand everything, trying to make sense out of things. Because God usually only gives us things in pieces (read the Bible, He rarely gave a person the entire picture), we have to step out of the motions and act, regardless of if it makes sense or not. Your testimony will not be the same as mine-but it will give all the glory to God when you begin to really trust Him...what are you waiting for?

IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE BOLD ABOUT ANYTHING... BE BOLD FOR GOD AND IN WHAT HE HAS PLACED BEFORE YOU.

Third Woe

PRAYER: Gratefulness is flowing from my heart dear LORD. Thank You! In Jesus' name, Amen!

MATTHEW 23 part 6

SEVEN WOES:

3rd Woe-

^{Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples:}

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' ^{19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.}

Blind guides today are those individuals who claim to know God and know what He wants and yet do not know His Word. They are living from their opinions and not from the Truth. They place emphasis on the things instead of the God that has created all things. I hear so many people say, "I think God just wants you to be a good person." This is usually used by those who don't want to go to church and/or don't believe in the Bible. Forget what you think. What do you KNOW? I know that I can never be good enough- and yet, my God loves me anyway. I know my God knew all the mistakes I was (and am) going to make and SAVED me anyway from the pit of hell. I know when no one else is listening, my God is listening to me. I know God is continuously correcting me, not because He wants to prove Himself right, but because He loves me and desires that I live life in Truth. I know when I'm discouraged, God gives me encouragement in the most perfect ways. I know when I'm confused, God leads me even before I ask Him. I know God carries me when I'm weak, because there are too many circumstances that I've been through, that only God can explain how I got through each one of them. And there is still so much more to learn about my God. It's about thinking heavenly, while still living on this earth. Check yourself and what you place importance in. If it is not God, it's wrong.

IT IS NOT ABOUT ACTS OR THINGS. IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD!

Second Woe

PRAYER: Dear God, I thank You for the spiritual possessions you have given me through the experiences of life. If it were not for the trials I have come through; the things I have experienced, done and seen; the manifestations of Your Grace in my life, I would not be as spiritually rich as I am. I pray that I will be able to share my testimonies with others; that my life and words would help to draw people to You; that I will be able to make a positive difference in some one's life because of what you have allowed me to experience and to share with others. Thank You for the lessons I have learned. Most of all, thank You for being there with me through it all and for carrying me so much of the way. I love to feel Your Presence. I seek Your face. Strengthen my faith and grant me the strength I need for daily living... and for the unexpected things that come my way. Bless me, LORD, that I may be a blessing to others. I praise You and thank You for who You are and all You do. In Jesus' name. Amen

MATTHEW 23 part 5

SEVEN WOES:

2nd woe-

^{Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples:}

¹⁵ Woe to you, teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

The Pharisees' converts were attracted to Pharisaism, not to God. By getting caught up in the details of their additional laws and regulations, they completely missed God, to whom the laws pointed. A religion of deeds puts pressure on people to surpass others in what they know and do. Thus, a hypocritical teacher was likely to have students who were even more hypocritical. We must make sure we are not creating Pharisees by emphasizing outward obedience at the expense of inner renewal. If you ever feel The Good News is emphasizing the wrong thing, speak up on it. None of us are going to ever be perfect or ever get everything right, but my desire is for all our spirits, minds, and souls to be continually transformed by God, to live a life that honors Him and shows our love for Him and His love for each of us. Allowing supernatural things to be done through us for His Kingdom.

WHAT IS YOUR ATTRACTION: BELONGING/FITTING IN OR GETTING TO KNOW GOD?

First Woe

PRAYER:  Thank You Heavenly Father for family.  I ask that You allow responsibility to grow in each of our hearts, so that we can be accountable of our actions towards one another.  So that we become aware of why we're connected through blood to one another and therefore not take for granted the time we have with one another.  Whether it's through phone calls, emails, text, letters, bbms, and face to face visits- let us not place communication and staying in touch at the bottom of our living agendas.  I pray that we don't trample on each other's feelings- that we treat each other respectfully and with love.  Not with bitterness, nor under the curses of past generations.  I pray that we grow in Your Spirit in dealing with one another LORD.  It is my Your Spirit and Power that we can get anything done, and I depend on You today for change.  Let love dominate between parents and their children.  Let love dominate between cousins, aunts, nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers, with grandparents; between husbands and wives.  Let love dominate.  Let forgiveness fill our hearts to allow the past to be the past but to take the lessons You have desired for us to learn with us.  Thank You LORD for family.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

MATTHEW 23 part 4

SEVEN WOES:

1st woe-

^{Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples:}   

^{1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:  2 "The teacher of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.  3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.}  

^{5 Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries (boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm) wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'}   

^{8 But you are not  be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.  9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  11 The greatest among you will be your servant.  12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.}  

^{13 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces.  You yourselves do not enter, not will you let those enter who are trying to.}  

Being a religious leader in Jerusalem was very different from being a pastor in a secular society today.  Israel's history, culture, and daily life centered around its relationship with God.  The leaders were the best known, most powerful, and most respected of all leaders.  Jesus made theses stinging accusations because the leaders' hunger for more power, money and stauts had made them lose sight of God, and their blindness was spreading to the whole nation.  Jesus calles the teachers and Pharisees hypocrites.  Why?  Because they were so preoccupied with earthly honor that the Kingdom of Heaven was not on their hearts or minds.  The people that they had the privelge of leading were missing the most important part, because their leaders were so fearful Jesus.  They didn't want Jesus to take their places.  Their mission to prove Jesus wrong had nothing to do with the Truth and everything to do with losing thier status.

As I've stated before, once you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart-you become a leader and you HAVE to take responsibility over your leadership.  Leaders are not just preachers and people in charge of something.  They are you and me.  As we follow, we also lead.  There is at least one person paying attention to your actions, everything you say, and what you believe.  You don't have to shove Bible verses down their thoarts, but what you can do is live what you believe.  You can honor Jesus in everything you say and do, by choosing righteousness over sin.  By replacing and forsaking wrong thinking with the Word of God, you can not only enjoy the abundant live God has promised you.  But you can lead someone else to this life in Glory- just by living truth and not being a hypocrite.

The most precious thing is that you may never know how you touched someone's life for God, but God will know and honor that.  Awesome!

ASK THE LORD TO FORGIVE OUR LEADERS TODAY AND PRAY THAT THEIR SPIRITS, HEARTS AND MINDS RETURN TO GOD.