Tag: #2Thessalonians1:11

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Follow Me

Jesus said, “Follow Me” (Matt 4:19, 21; Matt 9:9; Mk 2:14; Jn 1:43).

It’s how He called His disciples, and it’s how He calls us into a life-flow of covenant blessing.

Jesus knows His believers as His sheep, who hear His voice and willingly accept His invitation (Jn 10:27).

2 Peter 1:3-4 TPT remind us that “Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.”

Paul, Silas and Timothy constantly prayed for the believing church in 2 Thessalonians 1:11 saying, “that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience” and “that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely.”

As believers, we understand that covenant blessings are linked with the knowledge of and obedience to God’s goodness and glory.

Followers discover that Jesus is the Source of living water that never ends (Jn 4:13). 

We can trust that the same water that flows underground, like a spring in our secret places and during wilderness times, will continue to flow without end in the new places of blessing our Lord is leading us into (De 11:11). 

This is the same living water that flows to connect dots of understanding from one scripture to another, and the same living water that flows out of our bellies as we express His Words of faith, believing for what is to come, according to His plan (Jn 7:38).

In Luke 7:35 TPT, Jesus says, “…I say to you, the wisdom of God will be proven true by the expressions of godliness in everyone who follows me.”

He describes His true followers as those who build wisely, saying in Luke 6:47-48 TPT,  “Let me describe the one who truly follows me and does what I say. He is like a man who chooses the right place to build a house and then lays a deep and secure foundation. When the storms and floods rage against that house, it continues to stand strong and unshaken through the tempest, for it has been wisely built on the right foundation.”

Believers understand that following Jesus’ spiritual laws produces maximum growth and fruit production throughout our lives, leading to a cumulative effect of a good end and lasting legacy.

Therefore, it is critical to yield to God’s will, make wise decisions and faithfully persevere from beginning to end. It is in this commitment to go where He leads and do the work at hand that we experience our best life on earth.

And rewards in Heaven (He 11:6).

This is where we experience His “marvelous grace” and a glorious life (2 Th 1:12).

This is limitless living.

Even operating in mighty miracles as His power flowing through us. 

In John 14:12 TPT, Jesus says, “I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!”

So, friends, are we willing to believe God at His Word and put action to our faith for what He has called and assigned us to do?

Are we wisely following Jesus, even in the seemingly small things now, knowing those small choices will lead to a big impact over time?

At the end of our lives on earth, will we end up with a good cumulative effect of our choices that will affect others, whose lives are closely connected with ours? 

Since we will be judged by God’s truth, let’s choose beauty over ugly (1 Th 5:15, 22, Jn 12:48).

Let’s choose to follow Jesus on the righteous path of true and everlasting life filled with a constant supply of holy joy that God longs for us to share with Him (1 Th 5:16).

Let’s choose the lavish legacy of Ephesians 1:3 TPT, which says, “Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus—all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts!”

So, friends, pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for Your plan for my life (1 Th 5:18). I repent of following others above You. Help my unbelief. I invite You to get my life more on track with You as my sole Source of life. I invite You to uproot weeds of my soul that try to limit You as Love. “Lord, don’t allow me to make a mess of my life, for I cling to your commands and follow them as closely as I can” (Ps 119:31 TPT). Help me to trust You and take courage, knowing that You have Your very best for me as Your daughter, Your heir as You prove me worthy. “Place your hands of strength and favor upon me, for I’ve made my choice to follow your ways” (Ps 119:173 TPT). Help me to have a good journey and ending of my life on earth, as I commit to follow You all the way into eternity (Jn 13:36).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen. 

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

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Confidence In God: Your Bold Assurance

Hebrews 11:1 TPT says, “Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.”

Friends, faith pleases God.

Faith is a persuasive power that works on our behalf.

God is faith-full. He is full of faith. God actually deposits His faith in His redeemed people as part of the fruit of His Spirit, living on the inside of us. In this way, God’s “substance of things hoped for” is made available to be received in our soul, as we trust Him.

God uses faith’s persuasive power to convince us of His will.

One Bible commentary (HELPS Word-Studies) says, “The Lord persuades the yielded believer to be confident in His preferred-will (Gal 5:10; 2 Tim 1:12).” It involves our “obedience, but it is properly the result of God’s persuasion.”

Philippians 2:13 AMP affirms this by saying, “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.”

Friends, as we grow in faith, we walk in God’s higher ways. He gives us everything we need to be successful.

Paul says in Philippians 1:6 TPT “I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this glorious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you and will put his finishing touches to it until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

So, friends, because of God’s unwavering faithfulness, we can choose to be fully confident in His will, His ways, and His Word.

The question is, “Do we choose obedience to His faithfulness?”

Do we even believe this?

Do we trust God?

Do we hearken to His instructions?

Do we believe He is good and that He desires His best for us?

Or do we shrink back in distrust and fear, and turn to other things for help?

Do we want our way above God’s way?

Confidence in God requires that we first be persuaded by faith that He is trustworthy.

Isaiah 30 illustrates the conflict in value between trusting and distrusting God:

Isaiah 30:7 reveals that the help the Israelites sought from Egypt, which represents wicked bondage in the Bible, is worthless. Consider this compared to the help from The Lord, who is worthy.

The outcome of choosing God’s way is guaranteed victory, whereas by-passing God for sinful bondage will lead to an outcome of disaster that shames and disgraces us, causing us to feel worthless and wanting to give up (Is 3, 5).

Friends, we are worth more than that (1 Jn 4:4).

God calls us His treasure and give us the advantage of holding our head up.

We can be confident and courageous in our decision to follow The Lord. But any action that is not founded on faith is sin and will lead to loss.

This includes fear-based decisions, where we lean toward what’s familiar to us—our own understanding—above God’s instructions.

It all resorts back to what we put our faith in.

When we put our faith in faithful God—the giver and Source of faith—above ourselves, we can rest in knowing that we can trust Him and that He will protect us as we obey Him.

We can have full confidence in our limitless, eternal God to keep us safe all the way to manifest victory.

Hebrews 3:6 TPT assures us by saying, “But Christ is more than a Servant, he was faithful as the Son in charge of God’s house. And now we are part of his house if we continue courageously to hold firmly to our bold confidence and our victorious hope.”

According to Strong’s concordance, Bold confidence, in this verse, makes reference to fearless confidence, cheerful courage, and freedom of speech. Victorious hope in this verse refers to expectation and trust.

To anticipate or welcome what is sure, what is certain (HELPS Word-studies).

Friends, this assurance of victory is our confident hope in Christ.

So, what are you trusting God for?

Is your confidence in Him above your circumstances?

It will be if your faith is in Him.

Pray with me, if you will…

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are my Treasure. Thank You for valuing me as treasure, so much so that You desire Your best for me in life. Lord, I repent of trusting my ways above Yours. I repent of leaning on my understanding, of self-reliance and self-justification. I trade in my self-reliance for Your bold assurance. I repent of all other forms of sinful bondage, and I renounce all agreement with falsehood that has come against my faith and confidence in You. Bring me deeper into Your truth, Lord. I invite You to flood my heart with Your confidence and strength (Pr 14:26). “For you are the confidence of all the earth” (Ps 65:5). Please help me to remain in You so that I “may have a joyful confidence and not be ashamed” (1 Jn 2:28). Thank You, Lord, for Your “confidence in times of crisis” and for keeping my “heart at rest in every situation” (Pr 3:26). Thank You that as I continue to believe, trust, and rely on You, and put my “hope and confident expectation” in You, I will be “blessed with spiritual security” (Jer 17:7).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

Amen.

Friends, I pray that God will persuade you that He is faithful and trustworthy in everything He calls you to. I pray “…that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith” (2 Th 1:11). I pray that as you continue to run to God, you will experience His “wrap-around presence every moment” and that your “confidence will never be shaken” (Ps 16:8). I pray that others will observe your confidence in The Lord and will be amazed (Acts 4:13). I pray for recompense for every time the enemy of your soul attacked your faith, confidence, trust, and courage in The Lord. I pray that your confident expectations will always be full of truth, faith in our Lord, and manifest victory.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name.

To God be the glory!

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.