Growth Daily Verses

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Pressing-In To Jesus

Zechariah 10:1 - "Ask the LORD for rain in the spring — the LORD who fashions lightning thunderstorms, giving rain showers to mankind along with grain in the fields."
James 5:7 - "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains."

These scriptures are not just referring to natural rain but to that bright shining cloud of God's Glory that would usher in the outpouring of the Spirit and open the way for the end time harvest of souls. Both Zechariah and James were looking ahead to the time immediately preceding the return of Jesus.

Because of the time in which we live we cannot afford to just sit around and play church. It is our responsibility to follow the example of the Apostle Paul and make it our determined purpose to know Him, the Anointed One and His Anointing, to know His burden-removing, yoke-destroying power, and to know the power of His Resurrection, which, according to Romans 6:5, is the Glory of God (Philippians 3:10).

It's our responsibility to press on in to Jesus until we come to understand God's purpose for our life and experience the Glory! (2 Corinthians 4:6). "Christ in us is the hope of Glory" - Colossians 1:27

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Faith In The Blood

Exodus 12:13 - "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you..."

It is the blood of Jesus alone that delivers you. If you think that it is because of your faith, then you will always be wondering "Do I have enough faith?" When God sees that you see that it is the blood alone that saves, He calls that faith in the blood, and every plague will pass over you!

Every time you think that your deliverance depends partly on God and partly on you, you will not have a settled peace in your heart. But when you know that it is the blood alone that saves, you will have an unshakable peace.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Opening Eyes To The Light

2 Corinthians 4:3,4 - "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Since God doesn't save anyone against their will, does it really do any good to pray for people who consciously refuse to receive Jesus as Lord?

YES IT DOES!

Unbelievers who have purposely refused to receive Jesus as Lord think they've made that decision of their own free will -- the truth is, they haven't. The Word of God says they've been blinded by Satan. He's Blocking their perception of the truth. So their decision hasn't been freely made at all.

Through the prayer of intercession, you can interfere with the satanic forces and help take those blinders off! You can also change circumstances with your prayers and help create situations that will bring them in contact with the Lord.

Believe when you pray and open their eyes to the glorious gospel of God.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - The Reason Believers Are Sick

1 Corinthians 11:29 - "For if you eat the bread or drink of the cup without discerning the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died."

He tells us clearly that the one reason some Christians are weak and sick and die prematurely, is that they don't discern the Lord's body when they partake of the Holy Communion. Many believers don't understand that the bread which represents the Lord's body, is for their health and healing. and when they partake without discerning this truth, they partake in an unworthy manner.

Unfortunately, the church down through the years has misconstrued this teaching and taught that if you have sin in your life, you are unworthy and cannot partake of the Holy Communion, lest you become weak and sick, and even die! We have turned a blessing into a curse. Because of this, many Christians are afraid to come to the Lord's table and are, therefore, robbed of the health-giving power of the Holy Communion.

Come to the Lord's table with boldness and partake because Jesus has qualified you with His precious blood. Don't treat it as a ritual, but release your faith for health and healing as you discern that Jesus' body was broken so that yours can be healthy and whole today.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Using Wisdom With Your Words

Proverbs 12:18 - "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

If you are in need of healing in your body, believe that God is working in you right now and that every day you are getting better and better in every way. Use wisdom with your words and talk about how you believe God is working His healing in you, instead of talking about how bad you feel and giving voice to all kinds of unfounded fears.

God has a good plan for you, including healing in all areas of your life, but in order to have God's will, we need to agree with Him. The power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and with each word that we speak, one or the other is released. You have the ability to release God's power in your life today by speaking words of life.

God's healing power is working in your right now -- affirm it, meditate on it, imagine it coming to pass and watch yourself get better each day.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - The Cost Of Living For Christ

Luke 9:57,58 - "As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied, 'Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.'"

The reason why Jesus had nowhere to lay His head was because of persecution. The Samaritans, because of a religious prejudice, had just refused Him hospitality, and a place to stay as He journeyed to Jerusalem. Persecution is part of the cost of living a Christian life. Jesus was communicating to this man that not having a place to stay at times was part of that cost.

There are many forms of persecution. Having your life threatened because of your faith in Jesus is one way you can be persecuted. A more deadly form of persecution is, because of your faith, men speaking evil of you or separating you from their company. It's more deadly because it's more subtle. Many who would never directly deny the Lord will fall into self-pity or strife because of someone's criticism.

It helps to recognize that it is not you that they are persecuting, but rather Christ in you. You are actually becoming a partaker of His sufferings and will share His rewards. With this in mind, we can actually shout and leap for joy in persecution!

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - The Effect Of Sin On Mankind

John 9:2 - "And His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?'"

The disciples asked a question that many ask today. Why is a child born with a physical defect? Is it a judgment of God upon the parents for some sin, or is it God's judgment upon the child for sins that God knows he will commit?

This has led many people to interpret the rest of this verse as saying that God made this man blind just so that He could heal him and be glorified thereby. From this thinking, many doctrinal teachings have risen about how sickness and other problems in our lives are actually blessing from God, intended to bring glory to God and correction to us. This reasoning, however, does not line up with the other truths of God's Word.

It was not God who made this beggar blind. This man was not born blind because of any one person's sins, but because sin, in general, had corrupted the perfect balance that God had created in nature. Therefore, some maladies happen not as a direct result of an individuals sins, but as an indirect result of sin in general.

Deuteronomy 28 settles forever the question of whether sickness, poverty, and oppression are really blessings in disguise. God says that sickness and poverty are curses -- not a blessing from God. Christ redeemed us from these curses of the law so that now blessings may come upon us through Him (Galatians 3:13). God's curses have been placed on Jesus and removed from those who accept Jesus' sacrifice.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Being Mindful of Christ's Obedience

2 Corinthians 10:5 - "Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

Have you ever felt condemned because of the bad thoughts you have had? You may have felt that you had to confess every one of them and seek God's forgiveness. But that is not what God's Word exhorts us to do. God wants us to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Whose obedience are we to focus on? Christ's obedience and not our own obedience!

This means that when our thoughts condemn us, we are to focus our thoughts on Jesus' obedience at the cross. The devil can only make inroads into our minds when he gets us to focus our obedience instead of Christ's obedience. His strategy is to point us to our obedience or the lack of it to determine our standing before God.

But just as our position as sinners is not based on what we do, but what the first Adam did, in the same way, we are forever righteous today not because of what we do, but because of what Christ, the last Adam, did on the cross. (Romans 5:19)

Affirm the following when your thoughts seem to condemn you:

"My righteousness has nothing to do with my obedience. Jesus' obedience at the cross made me righteous."

Then go ahead and pray, knowing that you have access to God and His favor, and the He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture of The Day - GOD ENCOUNTER

Matthew 22:29 - "You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor God's power."

In this passage Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their ignorance of the scriptures and God's power.

What was the cause?
They didn't allow the scriptures to lead them to God. They didn't understand......not really understand. The word "know" in this passage speaks of "personal experience." They tried to learn apart from such an experience. Their study didn't lead them to an encounter with God. It became an end in itself.

Christianity is not a philosophy; it is a relationship. It's the "God encounter" that makes the concepts powerful. We must require this of ourselves.
How?
We must seek until we find.
We must be moved with the love of God to the point that we seek His face until we are "clothed with power from on high!"

Luke 11:10 - "For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door will be opened."

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Walking in Grace

Luke 11:38 - "When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal."

If we are still "doing" acts of holiness to get God to move in our lives, then we are still operating under a "law" mentally that is not faith (Galatians 3:12).

The legalist thinks, 'I can GET God to heal me by confessing "by His stripes I am healed.'" The person who understands God's grace will not confess God's word with the motive of trying to GET God to heal him but will confess "By His stripes I am healed" because he really believes it has already been done at Jesus' finished work at the cross.

If the motive for our actions is to be accepted by God, that's legalism. If we live wholly out of faith and gratefulness for what Christ has already done, that's grace. Grow in Grace!

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Achieving Holiness

Luke 11:42 - "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over justice and the love of God: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

When Jesus said, "and not to leave the other undone," it is clear the He is not arguing against doing what is right. God's word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisee's error was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God.

You must be born again. If you are born again then holiness is a by-product and not the way to a relationship with God. Presenting holiness in any way other than as a result of salvation is denying Jesus as our Savior and places the burden of salvation on us.

Improper emphasis on achieving holiness or salvation through one's own actions can separate us from a relationship with God. We must trust Jesus completely.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Disconnected Feelings

Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."

Satan wants us to feel alone and abandoned. We are never disconnected from the Lord because He lives in us. We don't always feel the presence of God but He is always in us.

We stay "God-inside minded." We live by and through Him. He is our wisdom, strength, peace, righteousness, and everything else we will ever need. We simply need to believe that Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

He is our hope of our finding and living in His purpose for our life and bearing fruit that remains for the Kingdom. He promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). Meditate on the fact that God lives in you and you are never disconnected from Him no matter how you feel.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Speaking The Oracles Of God

Romans 8:11 - "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

As the dead body of Christ was given life and brought out by the Holy Spirit, may we be given eyes to see and ears to hear and a tongue to speak as the oracles of God. "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11). We are dependent on the Holy Spirit to breath through us. It is by the Spirit of the Lord giving vent, speaking through us. We live in the latter days when God is pouring forth His Spirit, and rivers of power are available at our word. We need to live by Mark 11:22,23 - "Have faith in God...Whoever...believes...will have whatever he says."

Let God arise. Let God breathe His Holy Spirit through your nature, through your eyes and tongue -- the supernatural in the natural for the glory of God.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Praying in Accurate Prayer

James 4:2,3 - “You have not because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss.”

What does it mean to pray wrong? In many cases, it simply means to pray without expecting results. Many Believers use prayer as a kind of spiritual wishbone. Start praying to in the Name of Jesus according to the Word of God, and expecting to receive what you ask for every single time – this is bold and you have a scriptural right to be bold.

According to scripture, you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to “come boldly unto the throne of grace that you MAY OBTAIN” (Hebrews 4:16). That word “obtain” is a word of certainty meaning to “get possession of.”

When you go to God in accurate, Word of God-based, Spirit-inspired prayer, you DO know that He’s going to meet your need exactly as you asked Him. Start expecting Him to do it today.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of the Day - Prisoner of The Lord

Ephesians 4:1 - "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

Observing others can help us set the bar of excellence hight for ourselves. But at some point, there must be a breaking point -- where one respects, admires, and learns from others but then turns inward to be what God called him to be.

You have to know for yourself that you have been created with gifts and skills and made for a purpose to advance His Kingdom. When you know who you are in Christ, you can be happy for the success of someone else.

You are grateful to have examples to gain information from; but you also know that there's a point where you break free from following others and live out the destiny in Christ for which you were preordained.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Praying For Non-Believers

2 Corinthians 4:3,4 - “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

Since God doesn’t save anyone against their will, does it really do any good to pray for people who consciously refuse to receive Jesus as Lord? YES IT DOES!

Unbelievers who have purposely refused to receive Jesus as Lord think they’ve made that decision of their own free will – the truth is, they haven’t. The Word of God says they’ve been blinded by Satan. He’s Blocking their perception of the truth. So their decision hasn’t been freely made at all.

Through the prayer of intercession, you can interfere with the satanic forces and help take those blinders off! You can also change circumstances with your prayers and help create situations that will bring them in contact with the Lord. Believe when you pray and open their eyes to the glorious gospel of God.

 

[Albert Finch]

Scripture Of The Day - Personal Revelation Of God

Job 42:5 - "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."

When Job told the Lord, "My eye sees You," he was not saying that he saw God physically. He was referring to the moment when he had a personal revelation of God? God wanted Job to know that without a personal revelation of Him, the devil could easily steal from him. But from the moment that Job had a personal revelation of God, things got a lot better for him, with God restoring to him double of everything that he had lost. (Job 42:10-16).

When you are reading your Bible and affirming and meditating on God's Word and suddenly you exclaim, "I see it, Lord!" that is when your personal revelation of God has come. And you are in a position to receive all that He has for you!

 

[WalterandDebbie]

In my morning devotions I am running across some very excellent Verses I'd like to share. Let this thread be about that. Share your daily verse or verses (in context). Just one per day and not a whole list of them. Make a pithy comment and let the Spirit speak to the reader.

'Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ' 1 John 4:7-11 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1JN.4.7-11

God's love for us is foundational to our faith. It's not that we loved Him, but that He first loved us. For God is love. May this truth cover you today. God is the source, the well of love. Drink deeply from the well.

May your day be blessed in Him and may you shine before all with whom God brings you into contact. Have a blessed day.

~Papa

Amen! Beautiful.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Scripture Of The Day - Personal Revelation Of God

Job 42:5 - "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."

When Job told the Lord, "My eye sees You," he was not saying that he saw God physically. He was referring to the moment when he had a personal revelation of God? God wanted Job to know that without a personal revelation of Him, the devil could easily steal from him. But from the moment that Job had a personal revelation of God, things got a lot better for him, with God restoring to him double of everything that he had lost. (Job 42:10-16).

When you are reading your Bible and affirming and meditating on God's Word and suddenly you exclaim, "I see it, Lord!" that is when your personal revelation of God has come. And you are in a position to receive all that He has for you!

View attachment 8794

Amen

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Amen

Once we have a personal relationship with GOD our Father and his Son Our Lord Jesus, we need to keep that by following his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.