Tag Archives: expectation

Meet Jesus: Lord of Take Back Matthew 4:6

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meetjesustakebackMatthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. :7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

Satan had trouble with meeting Jesus. His intent was to trick him and cause Him to slip. He met his match. He met the Lord, God.

Meeting Jesus means meeting the Lord, God. His is able and willing to deal with any situation. He is Lord.

Stuff trys to put us down.  Stuff trys to break our spirit.  Stuff trys to rob our joy.  Jesus is joy.   His kingdom is righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit.

With success after success, lately, Prince had defeat after defeat.  No one wanted to work with him.  They were envious and defeatist.  Somewhere from deep inside, he summoned up some joy.  “Good gracious”, he declared aloud.  “If no one will walk with me, then I will walk alone.  They can follow, can’t they?”  Those thoughts seemed good.  His smile came back.  He took charge of his life again.  He began to work out issues and others joined with him.  Sometimes you just have to rob the joy back to get going again.

ACT! Bow to the Lord. Give up. Meet Him on terms of surrender.

PRAY! Father, I give myself to the Lord, Jesus. He is Lord. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. I surrender to His love and mercy and Lordship.  I surrender to His joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.

Phil’s Other Home

Meet Jesus: The Word Matthew 4:3

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Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. :4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but meetjesusstorm2by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

As Jesus answered, He simultaneously declared His existence. Meeting Jesus means meeting the very living expression of God’s word. John tells us “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” It is not the bread of this world that meets our need, but the living bread of life, Jesus that will give us strength in the deserts of life.

Words are important to growth.  So many times how we present a word or phrase to someone else means everything in the world for the next step in our relationship.  A friend struggled with a key relationship.  There was just an accusatory bend to every conversation with a new friend.  After looking for solutions and probing for what was wrong, we were surprised.  It seems in the first meeting with the other person, this friend acted before he spoke.  The speaking was important to the other person.  They had harbored an offense from the first action wanting words to come first.  Getting through that misunderstanding was tough and touchy, but they are doing better.  It has taken words to find the problem and begin healing it.  Words count.  The word of Jesus in us can heal.

ACT! Are you dry and hungry in an area? Spend time talking to Jesus about it today. He is the bread, the word of God that brings strength.

PRAY! Father, bring the bread of life, Jesus, into my dryness, into my hunger. Apply the word of life, Jesus, to my need that I might stay strong in Your strength, not my own. 

Meet Jesus: Led of the Spirit Matthew 4:1

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meetjesusfireMatthew 4: 1: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Interesting that Jesus, the Son of God, would be led by His own Spirit.  A man’s spirit is an incredibly powerful guiding force.  When we meet with Jesus, we meet with His Holy Spirit.  His Spirit becomes available to us to lead us and guide us.  His Spirit communes with our spirit to build us in the right direction.

The consistency of those led of the Spirit is born of the Spirit, Himself.  So often we can encounter like-hearted men and women, who seem to be thinking the same thoughts at the same time we do.  They are.  It is a connection born of God.  He brings us to the same place to make life move forward in His plan more rapidly.

A friend asked for prayer for Godly relationships and connections.  That strengthened me.  He has been struggling to step away from those that want him to go out and party and dance like he did before he met Christ.  He wants good, God connections.  That is an easy prayer for me.  To ask God to connect us with the right people is to ask God to be God.  His Spirit yearns to connect us that way.

ACT!  God is Spirit.  The separating force in us that distinguishes us from animals is our spirit created in His image.  Think on that for a minute.  Write down five aspects of you as a human that separates you from other forms of life.  Note that they are spiritual in nature.

 PRAY!  Father, let Your Holy Spirit of Jesus instruct me in the way I should go.  You showed me in Jesus that it is Your Holy Spirit that can guide me even in the hard times.  You showed me that it is Your Holy Spirit that will even ask me to do what I am unable to do without Him.  Keep me connected.

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: 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.