Monday, November 30, 2009

You ARE a Leader

Whether or not you are in any type of leadership position, you have the potential to lead people to Christ. You have people who follow you in one way or another. Paul was full of wisdom as he beckoned the people to follow him but only as he followed Christ. Essentially, he was leading people to Christ through his life and the example he set with his daily activities and ministry outreaches.

Interestingly, Paul didn't say "Be ye followers of me" and just leave it there! The words he added bring us to today's thought . . . "Follow me as I follow Christ!"

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1)

We must be careful that our lives (public or private) always point to Christ. We can't afford to let our guard down, to treat our leadership influence lightly or carelessly. It's important to remember that as a leader (and we're all leaders), there are people who look to us to give them direction and guidance, many times without ever asking us to utter a word. In fact, the way we live our lives very often speaks louder than the words we utter. We can have degrees in theology and divinity, we can have certificates from Bible Colleges and Institutes, we can subscribe to every form of Bible correspondence course, have a library full of reference material, but if our lives don't show Christ in our words and deeds, our public and private life, everywhere we go and do not go, then we've missed our objective as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Take some time today and consider those who look up to you, who come to you for answers, who consider you to be a leader whether they realize it or not. Are they following Christ in you? Or, are they just following you? If they are following you, you have failed to accomplish your goal. If they are following Christ in you, you have displayed the attributes of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, one whom God can trust to lead His people to Him.

Father, help me to remember that as Your child and as one whom You have called to lead, that every moment of every day must be focused on You so that I can say in the words of Paul, "Follow me as I follow Christ"! Lord, I submit myself to You again and commit my life to be that of a beacon of light in the darkness of this world. Lord Jesus, shine through me as I follow You! In Jesus' name, by His blood, for His glory, amen and amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Friday, November 27, 2009

Obstacles

Obstacles are sometimes hard to overcome; they can cause people to quit trying, or they can cause people to develop more determination than ever!

Mark 2:4 talks about an obstacle. A friend was sick, unable to walk and needed the healing touch of the Lord. Yet because of the throngs of people it seemed to be an impossibility to reach Him. Immediately the friends tried to find a way to reach the Lord regardless of what they had to do! Finally, they climbed up on the rooftop, removed some of the tiles, and lowered their friend down to where Jesus was . . . to receive from Him a healing touch.

"And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay." (Mark 2:4)

Sometimes it takes determination and fervency in our requests for help of any kind from the Lord. These men, acting on their faith that Jesus would heal their friend, withstood every barrier and acted on their faith.

Probably in an attempt to gain entrance into the house, they were ridiculed (this man had been lame since birth), pushed out of the way by others anxious to receive His touch . . . they may even have been told to leave, that there was no possibility for them to get their friend inside on this stretcher. Yet, they withstood the opposition and persevered.

When you need a touch from the Lord, do you seek Him and soon give up when you are unable to "reach" Him . . . or are you fervent in your prayer? The Bible tells us in James 5:16 that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." That lets us know that we may be called upon to persevere against all opposition from the enemy. Folks, we cannot cower down in the face of opposition to our prayers . . . we have to have an attitude to prevail against all odds. The Christian walk was never meant to be one of weakness . . . that's why we're told in Ephesians 6:10 to "be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might". This is a war we are in; we've been given the armor to wear and weapons with which to fight. To run in retreat would be to surrender to the enemy.

The next time you pray and feel the opposition from the enemy, remember that you are a prevailer. You are an overcomer. You are equipped to push through opposition. Stand firm and don't give up when the hindrances to prayer begin to bombard your mind. Remember that Jesus was right there for the lame man all the time. He was in his midst, He never moved -- the lame man and his friends had to push through the opposition to reach Him.

Jesus is always there to hear our prayer, to meet our needs, to give us that healing touch that we so desperately need. Press into Him until you "reach" Him!

Father, so many times I begin to pray and my mind becomes muddled with things that I need to be doing, with problems I am facing, with business that needs tended to. Help me, Lord, become that one You call an "effectual, fervent prayer" so that I won't succumb to the enemy's temptation to disregard prayer for things that distract me. Lord, help me to persevere and stand firm when I am hindered during my time with You. I thank You, Lord, that You are always in my midst; help me to remember that it is I who must move closer to You day after day, in every way! Amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Give Thanks

Giving thanks should come naturally to all believers simply because of the victory that has been given through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)

But, what exactly does it mean to "give thanks"? The word "thanks" in today's verse comes from the Greek word chairo, a verb meaning to rejoice, to be glad – but not just any kind of rejoicing but to rejoice exceedingly. It also means to be well and to thrive.

When you think about today's verse, our thanks giving should be more than mere words, giving thanks infers action – it means to not only be glad but to act glad. To not only say you're rejoicing but to rejoice exceedingly in your daily activities. It not only means to give thanks, but it also means to live a thankful life – to thrive in your rejoicing and thanks giving . . . it's about living out the victory that was given us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Years ago, when I sang in our choir at church, we faced the congregation; it was impossible not to notice people's faces. Some were truly rejoicing; others were saying the words but their faces failed to show it, their actions didn't prove it and their sincerity was truly questionable.

Take some time today and get serious with the Lord, let Him know that you are exceedingly grateful for the victory that was given us through Jesus Christ our Lord—more than enough to cause us to "rejoice in the Lord always"!

Be thankful . . . the price paid for your redemption is worth more than anything money can buy, and it's yours absolutely free. All God asks is that you be thankful.

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks unto the Holy One,
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say "I am strong",
Let the poor say "I am rich",
Because of what the Lord, has done for us
Give Thanks!

Father, I am glad—exceedingly glad for the victory that You have given me through Jesus Christ my Lord. Your bountiful blessings are immeasurable and Your love unfathomable. Lord, help me to live a life of thankfulness not hiding my joy from anyone. Help me to rejoice always, to bring glory to You in all I do and say from a heart that is overwhelmed with thanks and gladness. Thank You, Lord . . . Thank You! Amen and Amen!

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A Problem Exposed

The words of the prophet Haggai exposed a problem: "Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." (Haggai 1:6-7)

The people worked hard and spared no effort to insure prosperity. But, their yield was more than disappointing. They had clothing, but no amount of clothing they owned could keep them warm. In fact, nothing seemed to be sufficient to them – food, drink, or clothing. They had money but it fell through their hands like holes in their bags. Why? God was forgotten and when God is forgotten, all is futile, without profit, and in vain.

Doesn't this sound familiar? It could have been written today rather than hundreds of years before the advent of Christ.

We are never satisfied. We're more concerned about tangible riches than we are about spiritual riches. We've forgotten what Matthew 6:33 means when it says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." We see the "all these things shall be added unto you" but we neglect the first part "Seek ye first the kingdom of God".

The prophet Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:40, "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD." This prophet's cry still resonates throughout the earth, calling us to search our hearts AND our ways. Our hearts cannot be pure unless our ways are parallel to the passion of our heart.

Proverbs 4:26-27 says, "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil."

When the prophet said, "Consider your ways", he was speaking to each one of us. Do our "ways" cause us to toil without profit, to gain wealth and have nothing to show for it, to have closets of clothes and yet remain cold? If so, we must heed the word of the Lord through His prophet, "Consider your ways!" We can't blame it on anyone or anything other than ourselves – we're responsible to consider our ways and to remove ourselves from evil.

If we aren't careful to follow the words of the Lord found in Matthew 6:33, when we find we have holes in our bag and dissatisfaction with everything we work for, we too will hear the voice of the prophet saying, "Consider your ways".

Father, forgive me and teach me to seek You first (and the kingdom) and then I will be content with whatever You give me, with little or much, with lack or abundance, but most importantly, with You. Help me to search and try my ways and turn again to You in all things! In Jesus' precious name, amen and amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Faith of Our Fathers

I love the traditional songs of Thanksgiving and am sharing some with you today. It matters not whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day where you live, what matters is the heart of the worshipper who hastens to make known God's manifest blessings to all who will hear! Take the time to read the words penned by Frederick W. Farber centuries ago and join in the chorus proclaiming your faith in this hymn of thankfulness . . .

Faith of Our Fathers
Lyrics Frederick W. Farber, 1814-1863
Music: Henry F. Hemy, 1818-1888

Faith of our fathers! Living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
When e'er we hear that glorious Word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers! We will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
Mankind shall then be truly free.
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Faith of our fathers! We will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

I hope you carefully read those words carefully as they can be a competent tool by which we judge our own faith.

Do our hearts truly "beat high with joy whenever we hear that glorious Word?"

Can we truly say "we will strive to win all nations unto thee?"

Will we make a commitment to "love both friend and foe in all our strife" and to "preach thee, too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life?"

Are we committed to "be true to thee till death?"

Spend some time to consider the faith of those we passed before us while examining our own evidences of faith. Then, show your thankfulness to God for all He has done and every blessing He has given—His provision is abundant even when we lose sight of it.

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:30)

Father, I am so grateful to You for life, for breath, and for the ability to live for You. I'm thankful for Your great salvation, for Your provision, for Your healing touch, for Your redemption, for Your grace, Your mercy, Your compassion, and Your love! There are no words to convey my heart as it swells with overwhelming praise because of Who You are, not just because of What You have done! I love You, Lord, and I offer You my heartfelt praise as I celebrate Your goodness in my "thanksgiving!" In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Monday, November 23, 2009

What Motivates You?

My heart is full—overwhelmed would be a more accurate word. There is little hope I will ever be able to articulate every detail, let alone absorb everything I've heard and witnessed these past two weeks to my own personal satisfaction. But nonetheless, I want to attempt to share a few thoughts with you which have been weighing heavily on my heart.

As an American Christian, I have learned that in contrast to Christians around the world, especially in gospel-hostile nations, we have lost sight of the real reason we have been redeemed and adopted into the family of God. Throughout the years, so many of us have allowed a false gospel to become the only "truth" we know and share with others. All too many of us have turned the Gospel of Jesus Christ inward, concentrating on "us" rather than on what our Messiah left as His most important commission to us:

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV)

Instead, however, we have turned Christianity into a "me-centered" gospel by focusing inwardly…how can I grow, how can I prosper, how can I be healed, how can I build my church or ministry, how can I fulfill God's purpose in me, etc. And while none of these questions are wrong in the right context, we have allowed the "me-centered" gospel to disassociate ourselves from the most important responsibility we have as believers … go, make disciples, baptize, and teach them to obey.

If our relationship with God is more about building "us" up rather than fulfilling His commission to us to build the kingdom, we have fallen into the trap of the enemy to hinder and eventually stop the growth of the Kingdom of God.

What are you doing relative to the Great Commission? Do you mourn for lost souls? Do you grieve for those who are blinded and deafened by this world? Is your life's motivation more inward-focused or more outward-focused? Are you making disciples?

There is a lost and dying world out there. Shame on us if we neglect such a field ready for harvest while we are distracted with a "me-centered" gospel.

Turn your focus outward … look around you and see the needs everywhere. Then, allow the Holy Spirit to stir within your heart with boldness to fulfill the Great Commission in your own sphere of influence.

Go! Make Disciples! Baptize! Teach them to obey … teach them to obey the Word of God and to fulfill the Great Commission by starting the cycle over again. Go! Make Disciples! Baptize! Teach them to obey …

Live a "Great Commission-Driven Life" to the Glory of God and the increase of His Kingdom.

Father, forgive me for being so inwardly-focused that I've lost sight of the reason You commissioned and equipped me as Your child. Help me to Go! Help me to Make Disciples! Help me to Baptize! And, help me to Teach Them to Obey! I want to live a Great Commission-Driven Life for Your glory and the increase of Your Kingdom so that all should come to the knowledge of the Truth. In Jesus' name, amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Friday, November 6, 2009

Total Surrender

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength." (Isaiah 40:29)

There is a place in God where we can find increased strength . . . strength to live a holy life according to His will for us. It seems ironic that what we call "surrender" is actually the means to the most powerful place found in God.

A soldier in wartime dreads the moment when he is cornered on all sides by the enemy and forced to surrender . . . he willingly gives up all his personal rights, leaving him totally vulnerable to his captor. But with God, this is exactly what He desires for us, to totally surrender to Him . . . to willingly give up all our personal rights and become totally vulnerable to Him. He wants to "captivate" us totally through our surrender to Him.

"To them that have no might he increaseth strength." When our might and our strength to do things our own way are surrendered to Him, we lay down our will to the Father enabling Him to increase His strength in us; He is able to empower us for service . . . He is then able to provide everything we need that pertains to life and godliness.

"We must decrease that He may increase" . . . "to them that have no might he increaseth strength"!

Have you totally surrendered? Have you decreased that He may increase? Is the strength in your life His strength or are you living on your own might? Examine yourself today and make a decision to totally surrender to Him so His strength will be increased in you so He will be seen in all you do, everywhere you go, and in whatever you set your hand to. Glorify Him today through total surrender . . . it's our highest calling.

Father, I long to be totally surrendered to You. It is a place I desire more than anything . . . not for the empowerment, not for the blessings, not for any other reason other than to glorify You. Father, I recognize total surrender as my highest calling, but I'm calling upon You for help as I fall so short of the mark so many times. Help me surrender to you totally; help me decrease that You may increase. Help me walk in my highest calling—total surrender to You, amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Simplicity in Christ

"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

The simplicity that is in Christ! That's a profound statement to me as I consider how difficult we make our walk with the Lord. Man's doctrines are enough to choke the life out of some of the strongest Christians.

The simplicity that is in Christ was summed up by Jesus when He was asked which was the greatest commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matt 22:37-39) The simplicity that is in Christ is summed up in two commandments that cover both our relationship with God and our relationship with each other.

I love this! The Lord covers every one of the commandments in two simple statements. However, if we use those are our guideline for life, we won't have to worry about maintaining a proper relationship with God or with man!

We can be so easily beguiled through the subtlety of the enemy. He has led many to believe that the way to victory is difficult, burdensome, restricting, and weighty. He continually hurls guilt and condemnation at us and we quickly buy into his accusations. He even quotes scripture to us to convince us that we're not saved or we're not walking in the fullness of Christ . . . "All have fallen short of the glory of God!" or "There is none righteous, no not one!" We also deal with the mixture of philosophy and man's doctrines and it is there that we lose sight of the simplicity that is in Christ.

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) The simplicity that is in Christ!

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) The simplicity that is in Christ!

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) The simplicity that is in Christ!

"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation." (Psalm 91:15-16) The simplicity that is in Christ!

Listen to the words of Truth today . . . don't let your mind be "corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ!"

Love Him, obey Him, and live for Him-it's that simple!

Father, I confess that I get weighed down with things concerning You that separate me from You rather than draw me toward You. Lord, the subtlety of the enemy is real . . . I need discernment. I need to focus on You, devoting my every waking hour to my pursuit of You in simplicity. Father, teach me how to love You, obey You, and live You a life devoted and consecrated to You. Break the chains that hold me, Lord, and set me free to serve You to the fullest as I walk in the simplicity that is in Christ. In Jesus' name, for His glory, and by His blood, amen and amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Living Water

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." (Revelation 21:6)

As I read this scripture, it seems to have special significance to me. As you may recall, I've had the privilege of being in a remote village in Kenya when a well sponsored by Heart of God International Ministries was dedicated-a well that gave an entire tribal community access to clean water. The faces of the children seem permanently imprinted in my mind . . . the excitement they showed at tasting cold, clear, clean water for the first time. We can't fathom it - most if not all of us have always had access to clean water running freely from the faucet! We never thought about having to walk miles to get water that was unfit for human consumption but still necessary for survival, knowing that if you give it to your children they will likely get sick.

But not only did we provide fresh, clean, clear, cold water to these precious children, we provided Living Water - the kind that flows from the Fountain of Life freely to all who would drink . . . young and old, man and woman, everyone. It does little good to offer life-sustaining water to someone who will, without the Living Water, spend his eternity separated from God. But, give someone the life-sustaining water and along with it offer him the Water of Life, he will gladly drink of the natural and spiritual water - freely.

When was the last time you truly "thirsted" for the Living Water? When were you so driven to "drink of the Fountain of the Water of Life"? When was the last time you felt the desperate need to study the Word, to spend time with the Fountain of Life, and to drink until you were satisfied?

Isn't it time to pray that your heart would be stirred until you developed such a hunger and thirst for His Word, His Righteousness, and Fellowship with Him - a hunger and thirst that cannot be satisfied in any other way?

The people we met in Kenya knew there was no other way to satisfy their physical thirst than by drinking water. They prayed for water and when it came, they rejoiced. And, now they drink the water freely. If we can simply pray and ask for God to supply the need to satisfy us with Living Water, God will meet the need and bring satisfaction to our souls!

We're good about praying and giving thanks for our food . . . let's pray and give thanks for the hunger and thirst to satisfy the deepest longing in our soul - for the Water of Life which flows freely from the Fountain.

Father, I long to hunger and thirst after You with desperation! Fill me with the Living Water flowing from the Fountain! I pray that I would be satisfied with nothing less than my daily portion of Manna from Heaven and the Water of Life that sustains me and strengthens me. Lord, I pray that I would never be satisfied with anything less than that which comes from You! Stir my heart, Lord, an ignite a fire in me that burns with passion for Your Word, for relationship with You, for worship, for being a vessel You can flow through! Lord, prepare me to be all that You have called me to be and let me be satisfied with nothing less! In Jesus' name, amen and amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Note: If you are interested in sponsoring a well in Uganda, a team is being formed to oversee this project during the June 2010 Uganda Outreach. Even if you cannot go, you can pray and support this endeavor to provide clean, life-sustaining water in a village where there is no access to fresh water. Contact Denise at dmatthews@heartofgodinternational.org for more information.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Name

The name of Jesus is above every name, whether on earth, in heaven, or under the earth! There is no name like the name of "Jesus"!

The name of Jesus reflects His person . . . He's Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Rose of Sharon, Light of the World, Saviour, Redeemer, Bread of Life, Shepherd, Messiah . . . and much, much more!

The name of Jesus reflects His passion . . . "we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15)! In the name of Jesus we find love for the unlovely, joy for the downcast soul, peace for the fearful, longsuffering for the anxious, gentleness for the hurting, goodness for those in need, faith for the targets of the enemy's attacks, meekness for the humble, temperance for those who are struggling . . . oh yes, Jesus, the Name above all names, the very essence of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

The name of Jesus reflects His power . . . the power to forgive sins, to heal the sick, and to raise the dead. The power to move mountains, to cast out devils, to create worlds, to bless us with all spiritual blessings. Oh yes, the name of Jesus, full of power, full of might, full of authority.

The name of Jesus reflects His promise . . . He's promised never to leave us nor forsake us and He's promised to come back for His Bride, to take her home to be with Him forever!

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15)

Make it a conscious effort to offer up to Him praise . . . and let it be the fruit of your lips CONTINUALLY. All it takes is to briefly reflect on His Name – His person, His passion, His power, and His promise. Praise Him . . . it's so easy when you stop to think about the Name, the wonderful, blessed name that is above every other name, the name of Jesus.

Father, as I meditate on the person, the passion, power and the promise all reflected in Your name, help me have a greater revelation of Who You are as revealed in the Word of God. Lord, may my mouth be filled with Your praise . . . may my lips speak forth Your praise . . . CONTINUALLY! Amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Monday, November 2, 2009

What Can We Do?

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." (Proverbs 29:2)

Matthew Henry brings greater understanding to today's verse:

The people will have cause to rejoice or mourn according as their rulers are righteous or wicked; for, if the righteous be in authority, sin will be punished and restrained, religion and virtue will be supported and kept in reputation; but, if the wicked get power in their hands, wickedness will abound, religion and religious people will be persecuted, and so the ends of government will be perverted.

A Biblical description of this process is given by Jesus in Matthew 13:24-26. In the parable, good people had a good field growing good seed. However, an enemy came in and planted bad among the good, thus contaminating the entire field. What afforded the enemy such an opportunity? The stark answer is found in verse 24: "While the good men slept, the enemy came in." Jesus never faulted the enemy for doing what he did, for it was his task and purpose to destroy; Jesus placed the fault on the good men who went to sleep, thus allowing the enemy to do what he did. Very bluntly what has occurred in America happened first because the church went to sleep, and then because the enemy came in and caused the damage.

What can we do? "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for [leaders] and for all that are in authority." (1 Timothy 2:1) Prayer is the key! Remember always the words of Abraham Lincoln in his statement:

The truth announced in the Holy Scripture, and proven by all history [is] that, "Those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord."

Now is NOT the time to be silent, but rather now IS the time to join our testimony with Paul's in saying, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ"! (Romans 1:16)

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34) Simply put, if a nation stands for righteousness, God will exalt it. However, if the nation's choice is sin, it will be a reproach in the nostrils of a holy God and bear the consequences! The same principle holds true in our personal lives . . . righteousness exalts us (makes us pleasing in His sight), yet sin in our lives is a reproach to the One who loves us most.

Let's pray . . .

Father, we lift up all men in authority and we pray that righteousness would be birthed in their hearts. Father, we ask You to draw them to repentance, to a heart that is sensitive to the basis for moral justice. Father, hinder the work of the enemy to kill, steal, and destroy through the hands and hearts of evil men. Father, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Thank You, Father, for Your prevailing love and sovereign justice over all. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved