Safe Heaven House Of Prayer

 Then the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. Ezra 6:16 Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who associate worship with despondency, cheerlessness and even fear. Their attendance of church services is little more than a duty for habit’s sake. The tragedy of an attitude like this is that it deprives people of the greatest of all joys, joy in the Lord. Through Christ, God invites you to find peace in Him and to receive the fullness of life that He offers you. If you turn to Him you become increasingly aware of His life-giving Spirit that works in you. Seemingly unattainable goals are suddenly within your reach.  Adversity does not overwhelm you because in Him you find the strength to overcome it; a newly found confidence replaces your nervous pessimism and feelings of failure. Day by day your faith grows stronger.  As you open yourself to the Holy Spirit, you will find that your worshi

 Do everything without complaining or arguing.  Philippians 2:14 The Christian’s life is a life of service and submission. It may be that you are called to work among people in distress, or that your calling is administration, preaching or another form of service. Whatever it is, it will demand that you sacrifice your time and yourself in the service of Christ.  Unfortunately many people have the habit of performing their task for Christ with a negative attitude. They will do their work and often do it well, but they are unpleasant people with poor interpersonal relationships. This spoils the quality of their deeds, which should manifestations of compassion or mercy in the name of Christ. The result is that people hesitate to approach them because of the attitude that they encounter. You must always remember that whatever task you are assigned to do for Jesus is to be done in His name, and therefore your attitude will have a positive or negative influence on the Christian faith. To ens

 I will put breath in you; and you shall live. Ezekiel 37:6 If your faith has lost it’s energy, the time has come for you to take stock spiritually. It is not the will of your Heavenly Father that your faith in Him should be a burden to you. Therefore, the cause of your spiritual deadness lies in yourself and not in Him.  Perhaps, in your zeal and enthusiasm to serve Him, you have set your mind more on getting things done, than on following the will of the Lord. The courage of your faith carried you for a time, but has now decreased fast. You discover that though you were busy working for God, you have lost the consciousness of His divine presence in your life. Something indispensable has vanished from your life. There is but one way to revival. In order for you to taste the joy of an experience with God through Jesus Christ again, you must make heart the home of His Holy Spirit. Through God’s in dwelling Spirit, you will start living a victorious life in Jesus again. The greatest joy,

 He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  1 Corinthians 6:17 Joy and gladness are not the main goals of a Christian’s faith, but important by products of it. When you have experience the inflowing of Christ’s life-giving Spirit, the joy of a Christ-filled life becomes yours.  To be united with Him and to share in Christ’s life, presupposes that you will have a relationship with Him and that you will experience the peace and power of His indwelling presence. Such an experience is much more than an emotion because it is founded on a living faith of someone who has accepted His forgiveness and only lives to portray Christ in the midst of life’s harsh realities.  Forgiveness, which goes hand-in-hand with a Spirit filled life, gives tremendous joy is to all who strive to live “in Christ.” But the summit of this joy is to be conscious of Christ’s living presence.  You find yourself in fellowship with Him at all times and in every place. The more you become aware of His closeness

 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Psalms 100:2  Strange as it may sound, most people feel worship is a burden and not a joy. They feel that they have to lay down so many things that are precious to them and enter into a life of seriousness and hardship. They forget the fact when God asks us to lay down our old life, we can be confident that He will replace it with something much better.  Don’t believe for one moment that when God requires total obedience from you, that your life will lose it’s joy and gladness. God probably finds it easier to use an obedient, happy person in His service than one who is overwhelmed by the idea of the heavy responsibility he believes is required to serve the Lord.  He promised to bear our burdens if we obey and trust Him. If He calls you to obedience, trust Him completely and have a positive and cheerful faith. Many of God’s servants have great responsibilities, but they don’t bear them on their own, because they are t

 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 Many people experience their religion as a somber burden which they feel compelled to bear. They feel compelled to attend church services and to worship, and when they don’t do it, they feel very guilty. Bible study and prayer have become a form of duty to them which they have to do in order to please a formidable God. The result is that their submission to the Christian teachings and objectives is simply a colorless habit which doesn’t have any deeper meaning to them.  This approach is a total misrepresentation! There is nothing colorless or boring about Christ’s life here on earth and there is nothing dull in the abundant life which Hd offers us. As with everything else in life, it depends on what you make of it. If you are experiencing a colorless spiritual life, you should take a serious look at yourself.  Jesus Christ invites you to become part of His life. He wants to become a part of your life, in order that

 You are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19 There is a song with the title: “A stranger is just a friend you do not know.” This reveals one of life’s great truths. Every day you meet people you may never see again. Like ships in the night you move past each other. Yet circumstances sometimes force people to spend time in the presence of strangers, even if it is only for a short while.  You might stand in an elevator with strangers today. Each person is caught up in his own train of thought and nobody says anything. But when one person suddenly says something pleasant, the silence vanishes. A friendly word more often than not draws a friendly response.  Many people protect themselves in a cocoon of isolation. They believe that the less contact they have with other people, the less the chances there are of getting hurt. Such private people are very sensitive to the moods of others and react to them easily. When you move amongst strang

 “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” John 3:16 It is a glorious and overwhelming truth that you belong to God. Undeserving and unworthy as you may be, the eternal Father has called you and made you His child. The love that He has poured out on you reassures your innermost being and frees your spirit, so that you unmistakably know that you belong to Him. You might not be able to explain this experience, but you know to your own joyous satisfaction that you are God’s child and that you belong to Him. Yet, there is still a greater and more glorious truth born out of God’s love: not only do you belong to God, but He belongs to you.  God, in His immeasurable love, has made Himself available so that you can own Him to the extent in which you accept Him. Once you have accepted Him and made this truth your own, you enter a new dimension of life. God gives you wisdom so that you can deal with your problems in a calm and constructive way. You become aware of a dynamic inn

 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. Luke 24:15 Tragic events paralyzed Jesus first disciples. They were unable to see beyond the darkness of the crucifixion and therefore they could not remember Jesus promises. Consequently, the road to Emmaus was shrouded in despondent darkness for the disciples.  Jesus joined them on this journey, but they did not even recognize Him. Initially He was only a stranger who astonished them with ignorance of recent events. But when He started to explain the Scriptures, He became a Prophet to them, and they listened to Him with interest. After they had invited Him to spend the night with them, they recognized Him as the Master they loved. The events on the road to Emmaus were not unique in Christian experience. Many have walked this path in His company without recognizing Him. He showered His blessings on them and they did not respond to His love. They may have listened to the gospel

 If you love Me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15 Many people regard their surrender to Christ as a strict discipline that adds an unbearable burden on their lives. They feel that the cost of being a discipline is too high a price to pay. As the demands of their faith increase, their grip on Christ weakens until they completely lose it and relapse. They consequently lead an unsatisfying spiritual life that lacks fulfillment. You must never regard your attachment to the cause of Christ as a burden. Your life in Christ should be joyful, and as you grow in Christ, your joy should increase. If you are truly devoted to Christ, your highest desire will be to get to know Him better and serve Him more effectively. As you grow in faith you will constantly strive towards ways of serving Him better because you want to not because you have to. To reach this point in your pilgrimage, you have to get to know Him increasingly better through Bible study and wholesome Christian literature. Howe

 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 It is only when you have earnestly requested the risen Christ to become your life partner that you realize the full impact and implications of your Christian faith. A partnership implies the shared responsibility to achieve a common goal. When Christ is in control, your life undergoes a change and transformation. The purpose of the ministry of Christ is to unify you with the Father. He asks for your co-operation to achieve this by acknowledging His sovereignty and His redemptive power in your life. If you do, you will experience a growing awareness of His presence in your daily life, because you are following the path that Christ has mapped out for you.  Such a wonderful partnership, which is connected to such a magnificent goal, may sound idealistic and impractical, but it is the pin

 God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. 2 Corinthians 7:6-7 The world is teeming with people who are downcast. And with it prophets of doom; people who take a morbid delight in spreading disturbing prophecies and rumors. They are never happier than when they can upset others with their idle gossip. When people are at their lowest, they need the company of someone who encourage them. As an encourager, you should always find something positive to comment on.  A true follower of Jesus Christ will always try to have a stabilizing influence on a disturbing situation. Even though prophets of doom predict disasters, you can bring confidence and encouragement into the lives of those who are insecure and fearful of the future. If you want to practice the Titus ministry of encouragement and convey a spirit of stability to insecure, discouraged people, you need inner spiritual qualities that can on

 If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. Mark 8:34 Paul had probably often watched the Isthmus Games in Corinth and looked on as unarmed Christians fought for their lives against wild animals in the Colosseum in Rome. While a few were fighting in the arena, thousands sat on the grandstand, cheering. In the same way many of us have become spectators on the sidelines of life. Thousands upon thousands are sitting on the grandstand while a handful are fighting courageously. Many people call themselves Christians, but never think of getting involved, or of sacrificing anything for their convictions. And how do the spectators react when their team’s achievements fall short of their expectations? They jeer and criticize.  People who do things for God’s Kingdom are certainly not perfect. Someone was once heard saying, “I’ve got nothing against Jesus Christ, but it’s His ground staff that bothers me.” We may not, however remain neutral because we

 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:17 The communist Karl Marx professed that religion was the opium of the people; a candy-coated pill to make everyday life bearable; a pie in the sky when you die. What he actually meant was that people become so obsessed with religion that the things concerning their daily existence are of little value to them. Unfortunately it is often true that people become so heavenly-minded, that they are of no earthly use. True religion acknowledges the authority of Christ in everyday life issues and applies His message practically. Praise to Christ must be visible in your relationships with other people. Without that your faith has no substance.  It is possible to become so enthusiastic about the content of the gospel, that you forget the call of the Master to apply His message in practical, constructive service. It is also possible to sidestep Christ’s challenge to live a holy and committed life by surrendering only to

 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. Exodus 34:29  People often say that every picture tells a story, and this also applies to a person’s facial expression. Often it is possible to tell at a glance what kind of person you are dealing with, what emotions he is experiencing and whether this is the type of person you can trust all by merely looking vat a facial expression.  However, we often judge other people wrongly, with the result that we are sometimes disappointed. There are also those who formed a wrong first impression of someone only to regret it later. But you never have to doubt a person who has an intimate relationship with the living Christ. It will always be evident, because the love and compassion of Christ is visible in that person since he looks at you through the eyes of Jesus. If you cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus, you will

 The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. Isaiah 50:4 Words have immeasurable power and influence. Because the effect of the spoken word can be so far reaching, it is vitally important that we use our words carefully. In every area of life you will find people who regard it their duty to discourage others. Unfortunately most of the time this is because they are jealous of, and begrudge, the successes of others. As followers of the Master, who strive to follow His example, we must consciously try to say things that inspire and encourage. This does not imply that we must agree with everything, but that we speak a word of wisdom and encouragement to those who require help and guidance. Sometimes it might be necessary to criticize, but this should never be done in an unfriendly or harsh manner. Let it always be in love, constructive and with Christ’s attitude. To be a person who encourages makes you a blessing where you live and work.

 Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Luke 19:38 When we read the account of Jesus triumphant journey into Jerusalem, we cannot help but feel the joy and excitement of those who offered Him such a sincere welcome. He was the  long awaited Messiah who would usher in a era of peace, joy, hope and liberation: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Throughout the ages this same feeling of wonderment, awe and joy has been experienced by people who welcomed Christ into their lives. Jesus said that He came so that you may experience the fullness of life (see John 10:10). This means that you can live in peace and calm in the certain knowledge that He is with you at all times. Just as the people of Jerusalem were a captive nation under the hated hike of the Roman oppressors, so today many people are enslaved by habits that are extremely detrimental to their well-being. The living Christ offers to liberate you from th