Fully Persuaded

Here’s a simple Bible Study I did just in my journal:

Romans 4:KJV 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Romans 4:NIV 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

  • Abraham received a promise from God: “I have made thee a father of many nations”
  • Abraham put his trust in God “in whom he believed”
  • Getting to know God’s character and ability a little better: He gives life to the dead and calls things that be not as though they were


Romans 4:KJV 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Romans 4:NIV 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

  • When there was no reason in the natural for Abraham to believe he went ahead and believed God anyway
  • God told Abraham, “look at the stars, so shall your offspring be”
  • Because he believed and continued to believe he now has become what was promised: the father of many nations

Romans 4:KJV 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
Romans 4:NIV 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.

  • If he had considered his own body he would have become weak in his faith
  • If he had considered the fact that he and his wife had been trying for years to have a child but Sarah was fruitless – it seemed her womb was dead.

Romans 4:KJV 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Romans 4:NIV 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

  • Abraham did not give up. He still counted what God had said as bigger, stronger, more important than what he saw with his eyes.
  • He gave the prize of his faith, the prize of his attention, the prize of his judgment to the promise God spoke to Him rather than giving all that to the circumstances

Romans 4:KJV 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Romans 4:NIV 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

  • Fully Persuaded

Romans 14:23 whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Hebrews 11: 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

What Has God Promised You?

Be Fully Persuaded!

From my book: 21 Days To Hearing The Voice of God

To be released soon… 

Introduction  

If a child could never hear the voice of their parents that would make for a very sad story. The communication that happens from a parent to a child builds a bridge; it builds a relationship. All future communication between them happens on that bridge. 

Our Heavenly Father has not written a story for you that is without connection. He wants to build a bridge between you and Himself; a relationship that will last through all your years. The heart-cry of God is throughout the scriptures… 

Jeremiah 31:33 NIV

…I will be their God and they will be my people. 

He has always been longing for us.

Most of man’s religions have relegated God to simply sit on a throne somewhere far away and quite aloof. They hope that He is pleased enough with them that He will allow them entrance to His hallowed home upon their demise.

But His desire stands, I will be their God and they will be my people. God’s desire for you is now. He’s not asking you to come to heaven right now, He’s asking you for an invitation into a conversation; a relationship. The actual answer to the very first thing He disapproved of in creation. He never wanted you to be alone and has always wanted to be with you. 

With your permission, the relationship begins anew today. He wants to speak to you in such a way that you can actually hear Him. He wants to communicate with you in a personal, helpful, encouraging, and loving way.

It’s always been His desire. Is it yours?

Dive into these pages. They’re not perfect, but they’re helpful.

God invited me on a journey many years ago, it has made my life one that I would gladly live again. Mainly because He was with me all along the way and I knew it. His voice has been there for me. 

My prayer for you is to know Him as closely or closer than I do.

Be hungry! 

Seek Him! 

He’ll reward you!

Podcast 25-02 Guarding Your Heart – How? Even When There’s A Fire?

Latest Podcast Episode: 25-02

Or you could watch it on YouTube

2 Peter 1:4
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Friends, there is a lot of corruption in this world. We are given the opportunity in Christ to rise above it. We are not to be subject to this world and all the corruption and mess.

Jesus said in

John 16:33  I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Jesus overcame the world. He wants us to overcome the world, not to undergo it.

Do you have a plan to rise above all the mess and corruption in this world? Do you see yourself as a victim, helpless and hopeless?

No! No! No!

In all these things we are more than conquerors. We must have the mindset that we live in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God rules over the kingdom of this world. We win. But we have to get this mindset. We have to get His word in our hearts. We have to get these very great and precious promises ready on our lips. Let’s prepare to be victorious. Draw close to God. Let Him draw close to you. Do business with Him. If He seems far away then call on Him. He promised He would answer. He promised He would draw close to you if you draw close to Him. He promised that whoever would join themselves to the Lord, He would be one with them.

Be one with God.

From there you can’t lose. You can’t be defeated.

Friends, Jesus is the only way to rise above all the mess of this world.

Blessings

Joe

James 4:1-10 Paraphrase

VerseKJVBarlow Paraphrase
James 4:1From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?Hey, where are all these fights among you coming from? Remember, if there are outward fights there are inward fights. You are conflicted within yourselves and its leaking out.
James 4:2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.You’ve got strong, even sinful, desires and they are not satisfied. You’d even kill for things and you still can’t get them. Why? Simple! You don’t have because you didn’t ask God!
James 4:3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.Even if you do ask Him, you’re still messing it up. If you ask for the objects of your lust it would be wrong of God to give it to you. He loves you too much for that.
James 4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.What you are doing is like adultery. You are married to God yet you are in love with the world. Choose. Who are you going to love? God or the world? You can’t have both. If you choose the world, God will be your enemy. If you choose God, the world will be your enemy.
James 4:5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?Even the scripture lets us know that the Spirit He placed in us is jealous. Jealous for our love and if we love another He feels it and knows it.
James 4:6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.But we have an empowerment from God. His grace is on us. So, standing in that grace, let’s resist pride, when we do He pours out His grace on us. The humble will receive from God; the prideful will not.
James 4:7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.So get control of all your sinful desires, trust God and submit to His way. In doing this you are literally resisting the Devil. You’re not trusting the Devil anymore by following after the desires he’s trying to give you. The Devil flees when no one listens to him.
James 4:8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.So pull your hearts right in with God. Set your desires on Him. Not on far away places. This is like washing your hands and purifying your hearts. Now we are not split in our desires wanting to go to God and the world at the same time.
James 4:9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.God helps us turn away from the world and its desires. Sometimes there’s a sadness with that. A true repentance where your heart is sorry for the things you’ve done. Go ahead and be sorry. Let that work in you for a time.
James 4:10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.Bring yourself to the point where you completely realize that you totally need God. From that position you don’t think you can do anything and you realize you have to totally rely on God. God answers that! He can tell when your heart is pure.

A Paraphrase of Isaiah 61

Years ago I worked at Tyndale House Publishers and was able to spend time with Dr. Ken Taylor, the founder of the company who wrote the Living Bible. One thought I had about him was of all the people who ever read the Living Bible, who got the most out of it?

Dr. Taylor did.

He wrote it.

So, I decided to try this method of Bible study. Paraphrase the verse and see if you can get all of the original meaning into your paraphrase.

Here is my attempt at Isaiah 61. See how you think I did.


Verse
KJVBarlow Paraphrase
Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;The presence of God is with me. His Spirit is on me empowering me to proclaim the gospel to those who are so weak and poor. I have a commission from Him to wrap up and bandage the hearts that have been shattered and to tell the captives that they are now free.
Isaiah 61:2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;Jubilee has come! God is ready to set the record straight, to balance the scales, to right the wrongs and bring deep comfort to those whose hearts are mourning.
Isaiah 61:3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.Here’s how He’s going to fix it: for those whose lives seem nothing but ashes He’s going to make them beautiful, green and full of life. For those who are weighed down with heavy sadness, just like a brand new garment He’s going to adorn you with praise! These children of God who God does this for are going to be planted firm in Him, like beautiful, fruitful trees. Giving God constant glory.
Isaiah 61:4And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.After God affects these people in this way, the effect they will have on others will be amazing. Places that have been totally destroyed, just like their lives were will be restored as well as they are. The generational curses on families will be broken. The blessing has come.
Isaiah 61:5And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.You’ll be amazed at who God will send to help you. People from foreign countries and those you don’t even know will feed your flocks, plow your fields and tend your vines,
Isaiah 61:6But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.because you will be too busy for that. People will call you Priests of the Lord and Ministers of the Most High God. The wealth of those who don’t even know God will come looking for you. God has appointed it to you. Their glorious riches will be yours.
Isaiah 61:7For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.For all the shame, pain and confusion you’ve endured God will give you double blessing. In your land you will have twice as much blessing as the pain you endured. Oh the joy that will be on them! It won’t end.
Isaiah 61:8For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.I, your God, love fixing things this way! I hate when people try to work their own salvation. I want to do it for them. I want to do the cutting so they don’t have to. It’s my covenant with them and it will pass down to their kids,
Isaiah 61:9And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.Their children will be known all over the world. Everyone that sees them will be confronted with how much I’ve blessed them. They will acknowledge the ones I have blessed as chosen by me.
Isaiah 61:10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.Lord, I am overwhelmed with joy and thankfulness for everything you’ve done. I’m completely clothed and protected with your salvation and you make look great in your eyes with your gift of righteousness. I feel as well taken care of as a the groom at a wedding; I’m totally decked out. Or like a bride covered with her dress and beautiful attire; your salvation on us is so beautiful.
Isaiah 61:11For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.It’s amazing how soil grows what’s sown it; the seeds bud and flourish. Just so, Lord, you are causing your praise and glory to spring up throughout the nations because of how extravagant your salvation is.

Hang On To Your Favorite Scriptures

HEY FRIENDS, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A QUICK THOUGHT WITH YOU AS YOU’RE ATTEMPTING TO LEAD A GOOD LIFE. THERE ARE SAYINGS THAT GUIDE YOU AND SHAPE YOU. THERE ARE SCRIPTURES THAT FEED YOU AND KEEP YOU ON TRACK. THIS IS A JUST A QUICK REMINDER, GO BACK AND READ THOSE SAYINGS AND SCRIPTURES AGAIN. IT’S AMAZING HOW REFRESHING IT CAN BE. FOR ME, I LIKE TO JUST PAGE THROUGH MY BIBLE AND READ THE VERSES THAT I HAVE UNDERLINED. I ALSO LOVE TO READ THROUGH MY JOURNALS AND SEE WHAT SCRIPTURES I WROTE IN THERE AND WHAT SAYINGS I WROTE OR COPIED DOWN. VISITING THESE SAYINGS AND SCRIPTURES WILL FORTIFY YOU AGAIN, HELP YOU GET BACK ON TRACK OR STAY ON TRACK. IT MAY BE THE FUEL YOU NEED.