A Bowl of Encouragement by Herb Cotton
God Speaks:
Psalm 119:129-136 King James Version (KJV)
129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.
130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts.
135 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.
136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.
My Opening Prayer:
Father, open my heart so that I might see the truth, and open the hearts of your people who are seeking a word from you. Father, may all who pray, ask you to sanctify them by the power of Your Word. Father, we need mercy in this world so that we will not have to face the wrath of God when the time of mercy has expired at the first death.
Father, please save the lost from the penalty of sin, and keep the redeemed from the power of sin, and we look forward to the day when Jesus will deliver us from the presence of sin. Father, may we work while it is the day because night is coming when no man can work. In the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Listen to God Speak & Obey:
Allow me to ask you a penetrating question about what I heard and received in last weekend sermons at my church. I got a double barrel of truth; Saturday night and Sunday morning.
I heard the truth that confession purges your heart of the shame that appears when the light of the Word of God shines into the dark places of your mind, heart; this darkness affects your total body; from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.
My family and friends, we are all imperfect people. We all miss the mark of our creator, and He gets the final word. The Bible says:
Romans 6:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)
22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
It’s time for each one of us to have a real talk with God. The next step is to talk with three to five closest friends of the same sex in our circle of influence. Notice what the Bible says:
Galatians 5:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Prayer:
Father, I pray that men and women who are within reach of this message will surrender their hearts to You, and will surrender their shame in exchange for the deliverance of our mind, soul, and body from the darkness of death, and move into the light of the presence of God now and for eternity. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
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