Meet Jesus: Fire Baptizer Matthew 3:11

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meetjesusfireMatthew 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

 Be ready for change when you meet Jesus.  John gets us focused in our preparation.  Meeting Jesus can make you different from the inside out.  He brings the Holy Spirit and fire to pour over you and change you.  Think of it this way.  It is like having chemical fire on the inside (the Holy Spirit) and liquid fire on the outside. However, the real you is strengthened not burned.  The stuff that is between you and Him will be cleansed.

Conflict is one of those baptizers in the Holy Spirit.  We want to avoid it, yet it is the right thing.  God used conflict to cause us to dig deeper into understanding of relationships and life.  The deeper we dig, the stronger we become.  In talking to a leader, it struck me to provoke him that leaders love resolving conflict.  They don’t love the conflict or the anger and frustration that may accompany it.  They do love the process of resolution and the end result.  Through conflict we are baptized in Holy Spirit fire.  He strengthens our resolve and our ability to move ahead.  He causes us to face hard items that need to be removed.  It is one way He baptizes us with fire.

 ACT!  Pick an item that needs to be burned away in your life.  Put it in front of Him for handling.

 PRAY!  Father, I am not afraid of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire.  I await continually meeting with Jesus to be continually cleansed. Let Your faithful and just character enter into my life as I confess my sin before You.  Forgive me and cleanse me from all ways that are unlike You.

If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know.  Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer.   www.prayermetro.com   Phil

Meet Jesus: Fruit Inspector Matthew 3:7

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Matthew 3: 7: But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

John’s preparatory help is worth really reviewing.   Fruit inspection is worth our time.  Fruit inspection should best be done by us.  Fruit inspection should best be done on us.  John noted some tough untended stuff in these leaders because they were standing in the way of others meeting Jesus with their bad fruit.  Hopefully, we do enough personal inspection that God doesn’t have to resort to outside help to get our attention.

ACT!  Take a little time to inspect and prune.  What in your life is preventing someone from seeing the real Jesus inside of you?  Can you cut it off?

 PRAY! Father, when I meet Jesus, He is so gentle, yet so true to the point.  Help me to be honest before You inspecting my attitudes and life.  Help me be a preparer of the way to Jesus, like John instead of being a hindrance to the way like the leaders in this story.  I open myself to Your Holy Spirit for inspection and pruning to bring forth fruits meet for repentance.

Meet Jesus: Destined Matthew 1:16

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meetjesus4Matthew 1: 16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Born of men, born of a woman, and born to destiny was Jesus, the Christ.  Meeting Jesus means meeting a human full of humanity.  Jesus meets us in this frail human family of Joseph and Mary.  A simple husband was Joseph.  This family came from a line of prostitutes, murderers, connivers, kings, and faithful men and women.  They look just like our families.

Jesus is a family man.  While He is the Christ, the anointed, the Messiah, He is a simple family man from a flawed, fractured, but persistent family life.

ACT!  Thank God for your family line.  Don’t worry about the problems.  Praise Him that you exist at all through that family line.

PRAY! Faithful Father, You brought me to this time and place in life.  You gave me the family line.  You gave me a father and mother.  I exist.  No matter how flawed that line, I have destiny.  There is an anointing in Jesus for me through You.

Meet Jesus: Life Giver Matthew 1:2

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Matthew 1: 2: Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

 Jesus comes from the line of Abraham.  Abraham was a giver of life.  Abraham turned faith into a lineage of ability and more life.  Abraham was an investor in the future.  His sights were always set forward.

Meeting Jesus means meeting the future.  He is future focused.  He intends to begat.  He intends to birth new life, new dreams, new ways, and new opportunities for you.

ACT! Take that dream of yours.  Think of who else could be involved.  Give them the opportunity to be a part.

PRAY! Gracious Father of Life, Jesus challenges me to be like You.  You are a Father.  Abraham got his ways from You, the Father of fathers.  Teach me to birth newness through others

Meet Jesus: Prepare Matthew 3:3

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meetjesusstorm2Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 Meeting Jesus takes preparation.  So many times we want our friends to meet Him so quickly.  But that meeting takes preparation.  We have the opportunity to be John The Baptist’s for others to prepare.

Meeting Jesus in our daily life takes preparation.  Sometimes we need to adjust our attitude and thoughts to be ready to receive Him into our day’s activities.

ACT! Think about a friend who needs to meet Jesus.  Speak one sentence to them that will help prepare them for that moment of their first meeting.

PRAY! Holy Father, prepare me today to meet Jesus.  Help my attitude and approach get focused.  Surely Jesus has acted in my day, and I don’t want to miss Him.  Give me the words to speak to help another sojourner come one step closer to their first meeting with Jesus.

Meet Jesus: Nazarene Matthew 2:23

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Matthew 2: 23: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

 Later in life when brother told brother about Jesus, one replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”.  Nazareth was just simple and probably had a more than ample share of troubles.  There was nothing good or outstanding about being from Nazareth.

Jesus wasn’t who He was because of  where He was raised or  a tremendous good family name.  He gives us the same opportunity to be the best of the best according to our calling and destiny.  Hometown, family, community standing, and other accolades of men mean nothing when we meet Jesus.  All of us can succeed.

ACT!  Erase out of your mind the idea that some status to men makes the difference in succeeding in Jesus.  If you take pride in it, put it out and stand tall in Him alone.  If you take shame in it, stand tall in Him alone.

 PRAY!  Father of Birthright, you placed me in the time and circumstance of my upbringing.  You will bring it to good in Jesus.  You will bring me to success in Jesus, the Nazarene.

Meet Jesus: Escape From Trouble Matthew 2:13

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meetjesusMatthew 2:13: And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14: When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

 When trouble arises, Jesus is an escape artist.  He is totally able to get us to a place of escape and safety.  That’s necessary sometimes.  Sometimes facing the issue won’t help.  Sometimes trying to bring the trouble under rule won’t help.  Sometimes we need a place of escape.  Sometimes we need Jesus to take us to a place to let trouble blow over.  Then we can go back.

 ACT! Trouble comes in many forms.  Do you need escape from one form or another?  Take time to listen to God.  Where is Egypt for your trouble?  Where can you wait it out until it passes?

 PRAY! Father, troubles surround us every day.  You know all my troubles.  You know the ones I can face and conquer.  You know the ones I can give over to the  governance of Jesus.  You know the ones that need a place of escape.  Show me the difference.  Guide me.

Meet Jesus: Joy Initiator Matthew 2:9

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meetjesusstorm2Matthew 2:9: When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Exceeding great joy is a powerful expression.  Meeting Jesus is indeed  life changing to the point of exceeding great joy.  Connecting with Jesus means all the hopes of your life being activated.  Connecting with Jesus means all the dreams of a life being put into motion.   When He comes on the scene. He is a bright light shining on the greatest dreams you have.

ACT!  Take a dream out of the shadows.  Let His light shine on it, and bring it back to light and life.

PRAY!  Father of Gifts, Father of Love, Father of the Light-Giver, cause the exceeding great joy of meeting Jesus to birth in me.  Light up my dreams with the star of Bethlehem.

Meet Jesus: Receiver of Gifts Matthew 2:11

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meetjesusstorm2Matthew 2:11: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Abundant living is a promise of Jesus.  He comes to give us life and life more abundantly.  The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus brings abundance.  In that abundance is our capacity to respond in giving to Him.  He is never embarrassed in receiving.  He is a receiver of gifts as well as a giver of abundance.  Abundance is the capacity to give.

ACT!  Give to Jesus.  You may not have gold or frankincense, but you have something.  It may be finances for the kingdom.  It may be an ability that will bless the kingdom.  Give out of your abundance.

PRAY!  Father of Giving, You have enabled me with more than I need.  Jesus told me that when I give to the least, I have given to him.  Show me where to give of myself of Your abundance.

Meet Jesus: Simple Governor Matthew 2:6

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Meet Jesus: Simple Governor

meetjesusstormMatthew 2:6: And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Life deals us situations that need governance beyond our human capabilities.  While they may be simple situations, they nonetheless need a Governor, who can rule and reign over them.  Tough stuff gets out of control and needs to be brought back.  Thoughts, emotions, actions, mindsets, addictions can get out of hand in us.  Jesus is a Governor, who can help us get rule over them.

ACT! Think of a tough situation that needs governing in your life.  How did it get there?  Can it be that someone who can rule over it can solve it?  Let Him start on it.

PRAY! Holy Father, You know the areas of life that are out of control for me.  You provided Jesus to be a Governor.  He came from a simple place to apply simple principles in my life.  I give You my out of control life in need of a Governor.  Embrace me in Your peace and solution.