Category: Devotional

Grace and Peace to you beloved. We are on day nineteen of our fast and you are almost done with your journey. This has been a time of prayer and expectation. You are doing so well and you are to be commended. Congratulations!

Today I would like the privilege of speaking a word into your life. I want to prophesy into your life a word from God that was also given to a group who were fasting before the LORD. This was given to them just before their victory. Just like you. Here is the word of God to you:

HCSB:
2Chr. 20:15 and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

As you go forward in this fast for the next two days, what God would say to you is “Don’t be afraid”. Do not fear what has been plaguing you. Walk into your miracle without fear. Now, the word of God is not saying, pretend the issue does not exist. What God is saying is do not fear it.

Often, especially in scripture, the word fear is tied to respect. Even in our relationship with God, the bible talks about us fearing God. Now the word fear does not really mean we should constantly be afraid of God, but that we should respect him. If this analogy is true, and it is, we should also take from this, in regards to our enemies that we should not respect our enemies more than God and his word. One thing I have realized, is my fear of a thing often occurs because I respect a thing more than I should. If I fear being alone, I respect the fear more than the witness that tells me “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”. Once I begin to respect the word of God more than what I am afraid of, I find my fear lessens. Do you fear what your supervisor will do? You may find that you respect his authority more than God’s authority to provide for you. Are you afraid of losing that relationship? You may respect that persons value more than God’s promise to take care of you. Don’t respect your fear. Don’t be define by fear. Even if there are more things to fear than you can handle. God said, the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Today, walk without fear. Live without fear. Don’t be afraid and don’t respect that which you fear. God said, you will not need to fight this battle.

Beloved, Sunday is upon us. Did you make plans to bring someone to church with you? It’s not to late. Bring someone to church with you. Think about someone you would like to share the Gospel of Christ with and bring them with you to church. Remember, no matter what church you belong to, evangelism is a vital part of every believer’s faith. Don’t come to church by your self. Bring a guest and share the Gospel. Why? Because Christ commands us.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

God wants his house filled. Do your part. Be a part of God’s plan to fill his church. Think of 10 people you want to come to church with you this week. Write their names in your prayer list and make the sacrifice to get them to church. God commands it. Stay encouraged.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our LORD.

Today we are on day number Eighteen (18) of our twenty-one day fast. Beloved, as our late Bishop use to say, you don’t have three (3) days left, you have two (2) days and a wake up. You are to be commended. You are counting down. There is less time ahead of you than there is behind you. I want to encourage you, drink as much water as possible, and least 10 to 12 glasses of water today. Have your bowl of soup and remember to pray from your prayer list. You want to be specific about what you would like God to do for you.

Today, I want to encourage you by letting you know that one of the goals of this fast is to get direction from God. Do you need direction? I do. I need to hear from God as to what is the right direction for me, my vision and my plans. All these things are very important to me. So I want to get the benefit of seeking God and getting a reply. Let’s look briefly at the word of God.

New International Version

Acts 13:1 ¶         Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.

Acts 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

In this passage, leaders of the church were praying, worshiping and fasting. The leaders were prophets and teachers. Prophets and teachers are revered for being intelligent people. They are not the type to not have a clue as to what to do. So understand, you are not seeking direction because you have no idea what life is about. The issue is there are many things one could do and you would not be wrong, but there maybe one thing that God wants you to do that will be right. Because that is an issue, you do not want to flap in the wind, so to speak. I know I want clarity. Clarity in my vision, clarity in direction and clarity as to where my life should be going. So as you fast and seek the LORD to the 2 days and a wake up, you have left, expect God to inform you of his plan. Now be aware, this is God’s plan for your life and it may not be what you expected. Don’t reject it because it is not what you thought it might be. Don’t imagine it either. You will know it’s God because he will confirm his word. I believe God will speak to us during this fast. I believe we will come out of this fast victoriously and we will get direction and clarity from God.

Again beloved, I want to encourage you at the mid-week point, to make plans to bring someone to church with you. Bring someone to church with you. Think about someone you would like to share the Gospel of Christ with and bring them with you to church. Remember, no matter what church you belong to, evangelism is a vital part of every believer’s faith. Don’t come to church by your self. Bring a guest and share the Gospel. Why? Because Christ commands us.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

God wants his house filled. Do your part. Be a part of God’s plan to fill his church. Think of 10 people you want to come to church with you this week. Write their names in your prayer list and make the sacrifice to get them to church. God commands it. Stay encouraged.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and Peace and God Bless you on this Day Sixteen of our 21-Day Fast. You are doing so well. Congratulation on the victory God has assured you. You are on your way. Today, as promised, our friend and brother Pastor Paul Dean, Pastor of Visions of God Family Worship Center, in Plainfield New Jersey is our guest blogger. Here is Part One of “Right Relationships Means Right Living”. Those who have an ear, hear ye him.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a privilege to be a part of this year’s blogging under the leadership of Pastor Leo. As I have studied the Apostle Paul I have come across some great information and also some personal experiences concerning the text. I have realized that in all of his letters, Paul concluded with a list of practical duties that were based on the doctrines he had discussed. In the Christian life, doctrine and duty always go together. What we believe helps to determine how we behave. It is not enough for us to understand Paul’s doctrinal explanations. We must translate our learning into living and show by our daily lives that we trust God’s Word.
The key idea in this section is relationships. The term “relational theology” is a relatively new one, but the idea is not new. If we have a right relationship to God, we will have a right relationship to the people who are a part of our lives. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20).

1. 1.Our Relationship to God

There are the fourth “therefore” in the letter. Romans 3:20 is the “therefore” of condemnation, declaring that the whole world is guilty before God. Romans 5:1 is the “therefore” of justification, and Romans 8:1 the “therefore” of assurance. In Romans 12:1, we have the “therefore” of dedication, and it is this dedication that is the basis for the other relationships that Paul discussed in this section.
In the midst of our annual fast this year, let’s focus on the dedication of our lives to God.
What is true dedication? As Paul described it here, Christian dedication involves three steps.
You give God your body (v. 1). Before we trusted Christ, we used our body for sinful pleasures and purposes, but now that we belong to Him, we want to use our body for His glory. The Christian’s body is God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20) because the Spirit of God dwells within him (Rom. 8:9). It is our privilege to glorify Christ in our body and magnify Christ in our body (Phil. 1:20-21).
Just as Jesus Christ had to take on Himself a body in order to accomplish God’s will on earth, so we must yield our bodies to Christ that He might continue God’s work through us. We must yield the members of the body as “instruments of righteousness” (Rom. 6:13) for the Holy Spirit to use in the doing of God’s work. The Old Testament sacrifices were dead sacrifices, but we are to be living sacrifices.
There are two “living sacrifices” in the Bible and they help us understand what this really means. The first is Isaac (Gen. 22); the second is our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaac willingly put himself on the altar and would have died in obedience to God’s will, but the Lord sent a ram to take his place. Isaac “died” just the same—he died to self and willingly yielded himself to the will of God. When he got off that altar, Isaac was a “living sacrifice” to the glory of God.

Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect illustration of a “living sacrifice,” because He actually died as a sacrifice, in obedience to His Father’s will. But He arose again. And today He is in heaven as a “living sacrifice,” bearing in His body the wounds of Calvary. He is our High Priest (Heb. 4:14-16) and our Advocate (1 John 2:1) before the throne of God.
The verb “present” in this verse means “present once and for all.” It commands a definite commitment of the body to the Lord, just as a bride and groom in their wedding service commit themselves to each other. It is this once-for-all commitment that determines what they do with their bodies. Paul gives us two reasons for this commitment: (1) it is the right response to all that God has done for us—”I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God” (italics mine); and (2) this commitment is “our reasonable service” or “our spiritual worship.” This means that every day is a worship experience when your body is yielded to the Lord.

God Bless you, Heaven smile upon you. Go in peace and may your Peace be multiplied.
Paul Dean

Thank You Pastor Paul Dean. Tomorrow we will continue with part two of this blog. Join me in thanking Pastor Paul Dean for his steadfastness and service to the Kingdom of God.

Again beloved, I want to encourage you early in the week to make plans to bring someone to church with you. Think about someone you would like to share the Gospel of Christ with and bring them with you to church. I said this on Saturday, no matter what church you belong to, evangelism is a vital part of every believer’s faith. Don’t come to church by your self. Bring a guest and share the Gospel. Why? Because Christ commands us.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

God wants his house filled. Do your part. Be a part of God’s plan to fill his church. Think of 10 people you want to come to church with you this week. Write their names in your prayer list and make the sacrifice to get them to church. God commands it. Stay encouraged.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
www.ihpfwc.or

Grace and Peace and God Bless you on this Day Seventeen of our 21-Day Fast. You are doing so well. Congratulation on the victory God has assured you. You are on your way. Today, as promised, our friend and brother Pastor Paul Dean, Pastor of Visions of God Family Worship Center, in Plainfield New Jersey is our guest blogger. Here is Part Two of “Right Relationships Means Right Living”. Those who have an ear, hear ye him.

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a privilege to be a part of this year’s blogging under the leadership of Pastor Leo.
In the midst of our annual fast this year, let’s focus on the dedication of our lives to God.
What is true dedication? As Paul described it here, Christian dedication involves three steps.
Here are steps two and three.
You give Him your mind (v. 2a). The world wants to control your mind, but God wants to transform your mind (see Eph. 4:17-24; Col. 3:1-11). This word transform is the same as transfigure in Matthew 17:2. It has come into our English language as the word “metamorphosis.” It describes a change from within. The world wants to change your mind, so it exerts pressure from without. But the Holy Spirit changes your mind by releasing power from within. If the world controls your thinking, you are a conformer; if God controls your thinking, you are a transformer.
God transforms our minds and makes us spiritually minded by using His Word. As you spend time meditating on God’s Word, memorizing it, and making it a part of your inner man, God will gradually make your mind more spiritual (see 2 Cor. 3:18).
You give Him your will (v. 2b). Your mind controls your body, and your will controls your mind. Many people think they can control their will by “willpower,” but usually they fail. (This was Paul’s experience as recorded in Rom. 7:15-21). It is only when we yield the will to God that His power can take over and give us the willpower (and the won’t power!) that we need to be victorious Christians.
We surrender our wills to God through disciplined prayer. As we spend time in prayer, we surrender our will to God and pray, with the Lord, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” We must pray about everything, and let God have His way in everything.
For many years I have tried to begin each day by surrendering my body to the Lord. Then I spend time with His Word and let Him transform my mind and prepare my thinking for that new day. Then I pray, and I yield the plans of the day to Him and let Him work as He sees best. I especially pray about those tasks that upset or worry me—and He always sees me through. To have a right relationship with God, we must start the day by yielding to Him our bodies, minds, and wills.

God Bless you, Heaven smile upon you. Go in peace and may your Peace be multiplied.
Paul Dean

Again beloved, I want to encourage you early in the week to make plans to bring someone to church with you. Think about someone you would like to share the Gospel of Christ with and bring them with you to church. I said this on Saturday, no matter what church you belong to, evangelism is a vital part of every believer’s faith. Don’t come to church by your self. Bring a guest and share the Gospel. Why? Because Christ commands us.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

God wants his house filled. Do your part. Be a part of God’s plan to fill his church. Think of 10 people you want to come to church with you this week. Write their names in your prayer list and make the sacrifice to get them to church. God commands it. Stay encouraged.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
http://www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our LORD.

Today we are on day number Fifteen (15) of our twenty-one day fast. Beloved, as our late Bishop use to say, you don’t have six (6) days left, you have five (5) days and a wake up. You are to be commended. You are counting down. There is less time ahead of you than there is behind you. I want to encourage you, drink as much water as possible, and least 10 to 12 glasses of water today. Have your bowl of soup and remember to pray from your prayer list. You want to be specific about what you would like God to do for you.

Today, I want to encourage you as you continue on your fast by sharing with you an email sent to me by one of my good friends and colleagues, and one of the stalwarts of IHP, Michael Faulkner. Here is the issue that I hope encourages you. God does not make mistakes. Even the fact that God has called you to this fast, and he has, is no mistake. You may not realize what God is doing, but trust God. He knows what is best for you. Please read this blog, enjoy it and share it with your friends. I am looking forward to hearing your reactions and to know if this is a blessing to you.

 
“God Is Never Wrong”

 A king who did not believe in the goodness of God, had a slave who, in all circumstances, said: My king, do not be discouraged, because everything God does is perfect, no mistakes!
 
One day they went hunting and along the way a wild animal attacked the king. His slave managed to kill the animal, but could not prevent his majesty from losing a finger.
 
Furious and without showing his gratitude for being saved, the nobleman said “Is God good? If He was good, I would not have been attacked and lost my finger.”
 
The slave replied: “My king, despite all these things, I can only tell you that God is good, and he knows “why” of all these things. What God does is perfect. He is never wrong!”
 
Outraged by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his slave.
 
Later, he left for another hunt and was captured by savages who made human sacrifices.
 
In the altar, ready to sacrifice the nobleman, the savages found that the victim had not one of his fingers, so he was released. According to them, it was not so complete to be offered to the gods.
 
Upon his return to the palace, he authorized the release of his slave that he received very affectionately.
 
“My dear, God was really good to me! I was almost killed by the wild men, but for lack of a single finger, I was let go! But I have a question: if God is so good, why did he allow me to put you in jail?”
 
“My King, if I had gone with you in this hunt, I would have been sacrificed for you, because I have no missing finger, therefore, remember everything God does is perfect. He is never wrong.”
 
Often we complain about life, and negative things that happen to us, forgetting that nothing is random and that everything has a purpose.
 
Every morning, offer your day to God, don’t be in a rush.
 
Ask God to inspire your thoughts, guide your actions, and ease your feelings. And do not be afraid. God is never wrong!
 
You know why this message is for you? I do not know, but God knows, because he never makes mistakes…….
 
The path of God and his word is perfect, without impurities. He is the way of all those who trust in Him, as he says in 2 Samuel  22: 31
 
What you do with this message is up to you. May God put it in your heart the desire to send it to someone. God knows why He chose you to receive this message. Please bless someone with it.
 
God is never wrong !!

 Melba Clement.
 

Again beloved, I want to encourage you early in the week to make plans to bring someone to church with you. Think about someone you would like to share the Gospel of Christ with and bring them with you to church. I said this on Saturday, no matter what church you belong to, evangelism is a vital part of every believer’s faith. Don’t come to church by your self. Bring a guest and share the Gospel. Why? Because Christ commands us.

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

God wants his house filled. Do your part. Be a part of God’s plan to fill his church. Think of 10 people you want to come to church with you this week. Write their names in your prayer list and make the sacrifice to get them to church. God commands it. Stay encouraged.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
www.ihpfwc.or

Wow, Day Thirteen. You are doing so well. Grace and Peace to you. You are on your way to VICTORY. Keep going, and we will rejoice together before you know it.

Beloved, today let’s continue our push to be transformed. Part of renewing our mind is making adjustments to our habits. The Apostle Paul did not just leave us out there after telling us to renew our mind. He gave us some concrete actions to consider as we transform. Verse 11 encourages us to make sure we are on point in every facet of our lives. Let’s look at the text:

HCSB

Rom. 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.

Beloved, diligence in all facets of our lives can not help but to make us better as believers. This is meant to be an all inclusive mantra. Be diligent in your spiritual life. Be diligent in your finances. Be diligent in your love life. Be diligent in the way you take care of yourself. I hear the LORD preaching to me right now.

The word diligent in the context means earnest, universally, earnest in accomplishing, striving after. Ask yourself, are you universally striving after what’s right and best for you? If we are diligent in our life then our life has to have a clear purpose. Why? How can you be diligent about what you are not sure of? If I intend to be diligent about ministry, I must first be clear about what ministry I need to be diligent about. Will it be pastoring? Then I need to understand what about pastoring is my calling and go after it. If it is in my marriage, then I need to know what to focus on and strive after it. I should not expect it to come to me, I should strive after it. If I approach life in a lackadaisical manner, then I “Lack Diligence”. Let’s strive for the year, the month, for today. Be diligent today. How, get a plan. Every day I will have a plan for the day. Now a plan is not ‘I will go to work today’. A plan tells me what I will achieve at work today. How can I diligently strive for my personal best today. Remember, “Plan Intentionally”. “A great day usually starts the night before”. Be diligent. Strive after the best. You are transforming, don’t settle for what you are used to. Think Abundantly. How will you strive today?

Remember, drink as much water as you can, and make a point of cleaning toxins out of you body during this process. You are doing well.

Again, remember to start planning now, to bring someone to church with you this Sunday. Whichever church you belong to, make up your mind to bring someone with you. Go get them and bring them with you. Treat them to lunch afterwards. Invest in the Kingdom. There is no more important goal for the believer than to share your faith. Go public with your faith. Ask several people to come to church with you. I believe there is a miracle for you, in your obedience.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,

Yours Because I am His,

Leo Colon

pastor@ihpfwc.org

www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Beloved, today you have moved into a new phase in your 21 day journey. Today is day number 12. You are well into double digit days on your journey. Congratulations to each and every one of you. That is awesome. Remember this is a process. You don’t have to be perfect, but you want to be committed.

In yesterday’s blog, I mentioned one of my favorite and key verses in my journey to transformation. Today I would like to look at it and I invite you to meditate on this. Let’s look at the text:

KJV

Rom. 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

In the HCSB it is rendered this way:

Rom. 12:12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Three short but powerful clauses. Rejoice in hope. This imperative teaches me not to wait for proof that God has come through in order to praise him. I, in my transforming, need to praise God before my miracle is in place. Again, this is a ridiculous paradigm for the secular world, but verse one of this chapter states that I need to be holy and acceptable to God. So when I have a promise from God, when I read his word, his word, that gives me hope, is a reason to rejoice. Don’t just be glad, rejoice. What are you hoping for? It means when dealing with God, don’t take on the posture “I’ll believe it when I see it”. Have you ever reserved your praise for fear of looking stupid? Have things you were hoping for that have not appeared yet, made you reluctant in your praise. Change your perspective today. Operate in expectancy today.

Be patient in affliction. The word affliction means, pressure, distress of mind, distressing circumstances, trials, affliction. Affliction is always a problem. No one is ever glad to be really distressed. The Apostle teaches us, this is the time to be patient. Do not rush to make decisions “under pressure”. Don’t make life decisions when you are in distress. In distressing circumstances, wait, examine your choices, be deliberate in making decisions. How many wrong decisions have we made under the proverbial gun, then regretted the choice? Often, you will realize that what you thought was an emergency was not really an emergency at all. If you waited a moment longer, a better alternative would have been available to you, that is not available now that you have made the decision. Be patient.

Finally, we all need to be persistent in prayer. This actually means, pursue prayer. You need prayer. You are saying to yourself, I pray. I understand that. So do I, but what I had to ask myself is, do I pursue prayer? Do I go after prayer the way I pursue my degree? My goals? My wife? (SELAH!!!!) Sorry, back to my point. We need to pursue opportunities for prayer. That said, let’s pray.

LORD, bless this reader. Prosper there way. May their transformation, please you and improve them. Be with them today, as you have been. Finally, I speak hope into their lives. I speak a reason to praise you, into their lives. And I believe you LORD, for a testimony in their lives. I speak this and prophesy it, in JESUS name.

Amen.

I believe it and I have no Doubt. Rejoice in hope, Today. Be patient in affliction, Today. And Pursue Prayer, Today.

Remember, drink as much water as you can, and make a point of cleaning toxins out of you body during this process. You are doing well.

Also, remember to start planning now, to bring someone to church with you this Sunday. Whichever church you belong to, make up your mind to bring someone with you. Go get them and bring them with you. Treat them to lunch afterwards. Invest in the Kingdom. There is no more important goal for the believer than to share your faith. Go public with your faith. Ask several people to come to church with you. I believe there is a miracle for you, in your obedience.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,

Yours Because I am His,

Leo Colon

pastor@ihpfwc.org

www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Beloved, today you have moved into a new phase in your 21 day journey. Today is day number 11. You have moved into double digit days on your journey. Congratulations to each and every one of you. That is awesome. Remember this is a process. You don’t have to be perfect, but you want to be committed.

For me, day number 11 is always a good time to rejoice. Why? Because at this point, I have passed the half way mark. So I want to give God the credit. I am transforming, by renewing my mind today, by rejoicing in hope. This is what the Apostle Pail tells us to do in Romans 12. Here is the text:

KJV

Rom. 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Rejoice in the hope of victory. Rejoice now in what God said he will do. So rejoice with me today.
This text is awesome because it encourages us to praise the LORD for the victory he has brought us to. Let’s look at the text.

NLT

Psa. 98:1 ¶ Sing a new song to the LORD,

                 for he has done wonderful deeds.

         His right hand has won a mighty victory;

                 his holy arm has shown his saving power!

Psa. 98:2 The LORD has announced his victory

                 and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!

Psa. 98:3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.

                 The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

Psa. 98:4 ¶ Shout to the LORD, all the earth;

                 break out in praise and sing for joy!

Psa. 98:5 Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp,

                 with the harp and melodious song,

Psa. 98:6          with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.

                 Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!

Psa. 98:7 ¶ Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

                 Let the earth and all living things join in.

Psa. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

                 Let the hills sing out their songs of joy

Psa. 98:9 before the LORD.

                 For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.

         He will judge the world with justice,

                 and the nations with fairness.

Beloved, this text is encouraging us to sing and new song, shout to the LORD, break out in praise and sing for joy. We should sing our praises with the harp, with trumpets, and make a joyful symphony before the LORD. Nothing about our worship should be subdued.

Rejoice beloved because VICTORY belongs to you. Drink all the water you can and hang in there.

Live Life on Purpose and Not By Mistake,

Yours Because I am His,

Leo Colon

pastor@ihpfwc.org

www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Beloved, today you have moved into a new phase in your 21 day journey. Today is day number 10. You have moved into double digit days on your journey. Congratulations to each and every one of you. That is awesome. Remember this is a process. You don’t have to be perfect, but you want to be committed.

Today let us revisit the text we looked at yesterday. Yesterday we talked briefly about the point that we do not want to be hypocrites. We want to behave in a way that Christ says is appropriate, for those of us who seek him. We are believers. Today let’s take another look.

NLT

Matt. 6:16 ¶ “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.

Matt. 6:17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.

Matt. 6:18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Hypocrites short change themselves by receiving the reward of men whom they are trying to impress. This reward, I assure you, at best, lacks the luster of any reward God can give to us. Here is the assurance the we receive from the word of God. Fasting produces rewards. There is the reward from Man, that is the result of showing man how pious you are. Which is nothing more than their assent that you are a pious person. This for me is worthless. Then there is the reward from our heavenly Father. Which reward do you want? I know I have made up my mind. I would much rather have the assurance of Holy Writ, which tells me he will never forsake those who seek him.

King James Version

Psa. 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

I would much rather have the reward of knowing that God who answers prayer, will hear my request and grant them.

King James Version

Job 6:8 ¶ Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Beloved this is a goal worth reaching for. Who cares what man decides about me. I want to obtain the ear of God, and the assurance that he hears me, and can grant my request. Again I ask, which reward do you want? What is more important to you? If the reward of God is more important, then you are on your way to receiving your reward.

Hang in there. Just do today. Drink all the water you can. At the very least drink 8-10 glasses today. You are doing so well.

Live Life on Purpose and Not By Mistake,

Yours Because I am His,

Leo Colon

pastor@ihpfwc.org

www.ihpfwc.org

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Again, thank you for visiting our blog site. I would like to take this time to invite you to our church, In His Presence Family Worship Center. It is a friendly church where the praise and worship is sweet and the word of God is preached with power and without compromise. Join us at four (4) PM at 154 Lexington Ave @ 30th Street. Our midweek bible study services are at Seven (7) PM. We would be honored to have you as our special guest. Make plans now to come and prepare to receive from God. You will not be sorry.

This is day number NINE of our fast. Congratulations, this is a great reason to celebrate. You have made it to day number Nine (9). You are in the big leagues now. You victory is nigh beloved. Listen, you are doing great. Just do one more day. Don’t worry about the rest of the fast. Just do today.

Beloved, today I would like to encourage you as you begin day number NINE (9), to continue on your journey of transformation. In our Christian walk, sometimes we need to remember the basics. I have found that sometimes the basics can be a challenge. Like many I understand that being a believer is absolutely about submission to the will of God, but how often do we forget that belief comes with requirements that God expects us to follow. In chapter twelve of the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul gives us a litany of things we need to obey. This ‘code of conduct’ is what makes us different and it is expected of us. God expects it of us. Let’s look at the text:

HCSB

Rom. 12:9 ¶ Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good.

Paul, instructs us how to live as believers. We are commanded to love. Here the teacher says that our attitude when we love should be sincere. The word here hypocrisy suggests that it should not be an act. Don’t be an actor when you love. It should be genuine. Not always easy, but I am a believer. My goal according to verse one (1) (of chapter 12) is to be “holy and pleasing to God”. This means that even if loving sincerely makes me look crazy to people, it does not mean it is crazy. If I am pleasing God, then he is what matters.

Detest evil. Key point, evil is not synonymous with sin. Evil means to cause harm. We should detest the causing of harm. Either personally or when done by someone else. Don’t be happy about someone’s affliction.

Then lastly, “cling to what is good”. This is pivotal. The Apostle says that we should cling to what is good. Cling means I should hold on to what is good. If I cling to what is good, when good moves in one direction, I am pulled along with it. If good goes up, so do I. If good makes a left, so do I, because I am attached to, clinging to, purposely connected to good. This means, “Good” defines my direction. It tells me what to do. Good tells me what is good and not reason. I have notice that I often determine good by what makes me comfortable. Does good make sense to me? That was usually my reasoning. My transformation means I need to develop new habits. I need to step back and ask what is good independent of my feelings and search God, even the scriptures to make my mind up and pursue good as God defines it.

Today I will cling to what is good. How about you?

Remember, drink as much water as you can, and make a point of cleaning toxins out of you body during this process. You are doing well.

Also, remember to start planing now, to bring someone to church with you this Sunday. There is no more important goal for the believer than to share your faith. Go public with your faith. Ask several people to come to church with you. I believe there is a miracle for you, in your obedience.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,

Yours Because I am His,

Leo Colon

pastor@ihpfwc.org

www.ihpfwc.org