"MI DAILY DEVOTION"

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE LORD IS DOING AND THE COUNTRIES WE'RE REACHING THROUGH "MI DAILY DEVOTION"

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01- 14- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Hebrews 11:32- 34)

GOD’S MIRACULOUS OPERATIONS THROUGH FAITH

32- “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33- Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34- Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

God has not changed and will never change; He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God’s principles will not change, but his method and His way of working miracles and showing His power varies from time to time. His dealings with people from different places and events may be different, but His character will still be the same and His power to work miracle in and through us will always stand strong.

Notice God’s Principles of Operations in (Joshua 2:9- 11) 9- “And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10- For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11- And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”

Here’s my personal view of how the Lord operates and why He performs miracle and show His power in us and through us. First, God revealed to us His promises in the Scriptures. Secondly, God will initiate His purpose/s (so He has a purpose). Thirdly, He is preparing others or the people around you to witness that miracle, blessings or promised fulfilled through you.

Also, notice God’s People in the Lord’s Operations… (Joshua 2:3; 9- 11; 3:15- 17) But in (Joshua 1:17) “According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.” The Israelites were there waiting and willing to “GO” “OBEY” “STEP OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE” and “LISTEN”. The lessons to learn are; God will not work in His church if there is envy, jealousy, disunity or division, selfishness and pride. They (the Israelites) during the time of Joshua stood in unity for the Lord and His purpose.

And finally, the Lord’s Power as being Operated and demonstrated through His children. Here’s an old song but it never lose its power to touch lives;

The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary; The blood that gives me strength from day to day, It will never lose its power.

It reaches to the highest mountain, It flows to the lowest valley.
The blood that gives me strength from day to day, It will never lose its power.

It soothes my doubs and calms my fears, and it dries all my tears; The blood that gives me strength from day to day, It will never lose its power.

In (Mark 12: 24) “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? Wow! Very powerful question and statement.

(II Corinthians 13:3- 5) 3- “Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you. 4- For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 5- Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

THE FAITH OF A BORDERLINE BELIEVER

01- 13- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Joshua 14:11- 12)

THE FAITH OF A BORDERLINE BELIEVER

11- “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12- Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.”

What is a borderline? The definition of borderline as according to Webster dictionary: A line that establishes or marks a border.

2. An indefinite area intermediate between two qualities or conditions: The borderline between love and hate is often thin. adj. 1. a. Verging on a given quality or condition: borderline poverty. b. Of a questionable nature or quality: an applicant with borderline qualifications.2. a. Psychology Relating to any phenomenon that is intermediate between two groups and not clearly categorized in either group: a borderline state showing the characteristics of both neurotic and psychotic reactions. b. Relating to a condition characterized by a pattern of instability in mood, interpersonal relations, and self-image, and manifested by self-destructive, impulsive, and inconsistent behavior: the borderline syndrome.

With just the definition of the word “borderline”, we can already picture in our minds what kind of faith does the borderline Christians has. There are Christians who claimed to be faithful or they claimed to be serving the Lord, but they don’t want to go all the way with the Lord and His Word. The example of the children of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh is an excellent picture of the believers who lives beyond their borderline. (Numbers 32:25- 27; 30- 32) 25- “And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26- Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: 27- But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. 30- But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31- And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. 32- We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.”

We need Christians who could say and do the things, like what Gad and Reuben did in the presence of Moses and of God. (25). Notice, in verse 26, they also made their love ones follow after them which is a good example of a family who are united for the service of our King. In verse 27, we see here not only their courage to go forward for the Lord and to fight in the Name and for the Name of God, but also their faith. They did not hesitate, they were single minded, they were not impulsive or inconsistent with their stand, but they were focus. Joshua chapter fourteen is a good chapter about stepping out of our borderline as we exercise our faith. The faith of the borderline Christians are not as the same as those who really have Faith in God; I’m talking about those whose faith are really active and working not only for them but also for the work of the Lord. The borderline Christians is like a wave says Apostle James, they’re unstable and weak. (James 1:6) “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

(Joshua 3:15- 17) 15- “And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16- That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17- And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

THE FAITH OF A BORDERLINE BELIEVERS

01- 13- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Joshua 14:11- 12)

THE FAITH OF A BORDERLINE BELIEVERS

11- “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12- Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.”

What is a borderline? The definition of borderline as according to Webster dictionary: A line that establishes or marks a border.

2. An indefinite area intermediate between two qualities or conditions: The borderline between love and hate is often thin. adj. 1. a. Verging on a given quality or condition: borderline poverty. b. Of a questionable nature or quality: an applicant with borderline qualifications.2. a. Psychology Relating to any phenomenon that is intermediate between two groups and not clearly categorized in either group: a borderline state showing the characteristics of both neurotic and psychotic reactions. b. Relating to a condition characterized by a pattern of instability in mood, interpersonal relations, and self-image, and manifested by self-destructive, impulsive, and inconsistent behavior: the borderline syndrome.

With just the definition of the word “borderline”, we can already picture in our minds what kind of faith does the borderline Christians has. There are Christians who claimed to be faithful or they claimed to be serving the Lord, but they don’t want to go all the way with the Lord and His Word. The example of the children of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh is an excellent picture of the believers who lives beyond their borderline. (Numbers 32:25- 27; 30- 32) 25- “And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. 26- Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: 27- But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. 30- But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. 31- And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do. 32- We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.”

We need Christians who could say and do the things, like what Gad and Reuben did in the presence of Moses and of God. (25). Notice, in verse 26, they also made their love ones follow after them which is a good example of a family who are united for the service of our King. In verse 27, we see here not only their courage to go forward for the Lord and to fight in the Name and for the Name of God, but also their faith. They did not hesitate, they were single minded, they were not impulsive or inconsistent with their stand, but they were focus. Joshua chapter fourteen is a good chapter about stepping out of our borderline as we exercise our faith. The faith of the borderline Christians are not as the same as those who really have Faith in God; I’m talking about those whose faith are really active and working not only for them but also for the work of the Lord. The borderline Christians is like a wave says Apostle James, they’re unstable and weak. (James 1:6) “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

(Joshua 3:15- 17) 15- “And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) 16- That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 17- And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

GOD IS THE MAIN FOCUS OF FAITH

01- 12- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Hebrews 11:6)
GOD IS THE MAIN FOCUS OF FAITH
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Joshua chapters 10 and 11 demonstrate a good picture of faith in God. There’s no other object of faith but God. Faith in faith is not the object of our faith, but God is. You cannot have faith in something but in God. When Joshua put his trust in God, he did not have faith in faith, but faith in God who promised him. And just to give us a little background of the events and a brief story on how Joshua ends up fighting with the multitude. In verse 1, Jabin king of Hazor heard about the victory of Joshua against his enemies as according to chapter ten. It is very clear that Joshua was celebrating his victory over the 3 kings in (Joshua 10:39) “And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.” And because of what he did to those kings, another king tried to step out against Joshua and the children of Israel. Joshua’s faith in God comes along with his obedience to God’s Word and commands. I believe that the heart of the passages from the Bible verses are the Lord’s instructions and the Lord’s promised in which He fulfilled when Joshua obeyed by faith. (Joshua 11:6- 9) 6- “And the LORD said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hock their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. 7- So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them. 8- And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephothmaim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining.”
It’s so easy for us Christians to be driven away by our emotion, intellectual ideas and selfish motives, when we can just lay everything down in the feet of Jesus at the throne of grace. May we all have the same spirit like the Israelites of old when they said to Joshua in (Joshua 1:16) “All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.” The Lord said to Joshua; “Be not afraid…” so Joshua went and fought against the enemies of God and the Lord delivered them. Faith in God does not just work like a vending machine where you drop some coins, you make a selection, push the buttons and what you want or what you choose will just drop down for you to pick up. Faith in God is more of a God working in you through the Holy Spirit, you response according to His will and according to His Word and you obey His voice. You really have to believe that God knows what He is doing and He knows what lies ahead and God knows our future. Let me give you one of my definitions of faith; “Faith is dropping everything from off your hands and your life and entrusting them to God, knowing that
He is in control. “ Notice what Paul said in (Romans 10:17) “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

DON’T CHARGE, LET GOD BE IN CHARGE

01- 11- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Philippians 4:13)
DON’T CHARGE, LET GOD BE IN CHARGE
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
I love this song by Jaci Velasquez and I hope and pray that you will like it too. I’m actually listening to this song while I’m typing this portion of MI DAILY DEVOTION.
“As long as stars shine down from heaven, And the rivers run into the sea
Til the end of time forever, You’re the only love I’ll need
In my life you’re all that matters, In my eyes the only truth I see
When my hopes and dreams have shattered, You’re the one that’s there for me, When I found you I was blessed, And I will never leave you, I need you
Chorus:
Imagine me without you, I’d be lost and so confused
I wouldn’t last a day, I’d be afraid, Without you there to see me through
Imagine me without you, Lord, you know it’s just impossible, Because of you, it’s all brand new
My life is now worthwhile, I can’t imagine me without you
When you caught me I was falling, You’re love lifted me back on my feet
It was like you heard me calling, And you rush to set me free
When I found you I was blessed, And I will never leave you, I need you”
This is happening everyday and in the whole world as people keep on doing everything with their own strength and power and they put everything in their own hands. And it’s a cycle, because at the end of our rope… we will end up turning up our head to God, and down on our knees in prayer and we will end up putting our trust in Him and let Him finish and clean up our messed. If you would just think of how life would look like without Jesus and without His love. He is the one who set us free from doubt, self- sufficiency and sins. He will still be in charge of everything including those that we put the charged on in our plastic. In (John 15:4- 5) 4- “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5- I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
(Zechariah 4:6) “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

“GOD IS IN CHARGE”

01- 10- 11 MI DAILY DEVOTION (Exodus 31: 3)
“GOD IS IN CHARGE”
“And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,”
(God is the one who empowers His Servants for His Service and Glory) God is the one who empowers us and gives us the grace and the wisdom as we serve Him and Minister in His name and for His Glory. Even from the least and little detail God is into it. God is looking for people who is willing to do right.
GOD’S WILL FOR US IS TO BE COMMITMENT DRIVEN CHURCH OR CHRISTIANS. A church or Christians must be willing to take the responsibilities for God. A church must be willing to make decisions based on the principles of the Word of God. (Exodus 28:3) “And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.” (Exodus 31: 3) “And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,” God provides not just the spiritual but the mental, physical and other needs to finish the job or so His ministry can go through.
WHEN GOD GIVES YOU THE VISION, THAT WILL COME WITH HIS PROVISION” ers (Exodus 31: 6) “And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;” Even in our preaching and teaching, we are able to share His Word with Power and conviction because of the working of the Holy Spirit of God. So don’t take the glory from that good preaching or teaching that you have or you will have. The Glory belongs to God. (Numbers 11: 25; 29) “And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Maintain that momentum for God. Continue serving the Lord even in the midst of problems. Be steady... 29- “And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”
We need to have the right attitude. The actions and reaction we make must be controlled by the Holy Spirit and must be controlled with our right attitude. (Judges 11: 29) “Then the spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.” Even with the physical strength that we need to do what we’re supposed to do for God, He is in charge. He did it to Samson and He can do that to you.