MORNING WITH JESUS< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

John 21:1-14

It does not matter how long you have been toiling or what you have been getting from toiling, when your morning comes with Jesus, your day will be filled with blessings that do not come with sorrow. After the death of Jesus on < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Calvary, Simon Peter and some of the disciples carried themselves back into their former business, which was fishing. They toiled all night and caught nothing. They were professional fisher men, but a time came that no fish responded to their net. Is your case like that? Have you taken a step backward from where the Lord has placed you? He is a merciful God; ask Him to visit you with favor and He will not fail. When He visits you, He will settle you with blessing that will move you forward, not backward into the past. Peter and the other disciples struggled all night before their morning came. John 21:4, ÒBut when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.Ó When Jesus showed Himself, there was a command he gave, a command that required obedience. They did not recognize Him but they took His word with obedience. The disciples did not question His qualification as a fisherman. Do you know whom He will send to you or when He will show up? There is gain in following direction. The disciples placed their net into the water and caught fish beyond what they could handle. John 21:11, ÒSimon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one-hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.Ó The disciples did not catch just any fish they caught large fish that was enough to break the net. When your morning comes with Jesus, you will get a blessing the will not tear your container. Proverb 10:22, ÒThe blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow.Ó Ask God for your morning to come with Jesus so all your toiling will become a thing of the past.  

GOING AND COMING< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Jeremiah 7:1-12

In your going and coming to the house of the Lord what have you been doing? Have you limited yourself to entering and not dwelling? Jeremiah 7:1-3, ÒThe word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 ÒStand in the gate of the LORDÕs house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ÔHear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!ÕÓ 3 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Israel: ÒAmend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.Ó It is clear that the word was for the people in the house of God and not those that do not know God. It is definitely not enough going and coming to gain entrance but going and coming to begin to dwell is all that counts. No wonder David stated in Psalm 27:4, ÒOne thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of And to inquire in His temple.Ó If your going and coming is not to dwell ask for GodÕs help that will cause you to begin to dwell in His house. He who comes to God must believe that He is. You have been coming long enough and nothing has change in your spiritual life. What is the basis of your coming? Is it religion? There is a need to begin to come and seek Him diligently. Your level of belief is what will determine how you seek Him. Seek Him diligently and He will reward you because He is a faithful God. It is possible to come to Him and not believe. In the days of Jesus Christ, so many came to see Him; some to ridicule and some did not go to him because they did not believe. So many go to church on Sunday or any given day not being able to identify in themselves if they actually believe Him. Many went to Him and did not seek Him. When you come with belief, you will no doubt seek Him diligently. It is enough of just coming; come to seek Him. Seeking Him diligently is what brings the reward.

PRESENT YOURSELF< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

1 Kings 17, 18:1-19

Elijah has caused the whole < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>land of Israel big trouble when he prayed for rain to cease. Where there is lack of rain, evidently, famine will reign. Having put the whole land in trouble, he fled for his life. Elijah was doing a just cause; he was on the LordÕs side. Elijah became the enemy of the land because he was doing the work of God. Elijah could not present himself as much as he would because he became a wanted man to the government of King Ahab. Are you in any position that is keeping you away from presenting yourself in places that you love to be? Elijah could not present himself; he was hiding and running for his life because destruction was ahead for him. Psalms 107:20, ÒHe sent His word and healed them and delivered them from their destructionsÓ What you need is the Word to come into your direction to deliver you from destruction. The Word came forth for Elijah and he presented himself in the face of the enemy and agent of destruction. 1 Kings 18:1, ÒAnd it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, ÔGo and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.ÕÓ The word of God is undeniable, undisruptive, and its power is beyond any circumstances. Elijah went and presented himself to the enemy, but they could not pull a single hair out of him. Do you really take the Word of God as living? Everything that you need to hear for your transformation–from hiding to riding–is in the Word of God. If you will, ask God to open your ear of understanding so you will begin to move in the direction of His word of healing and deliverance from your enemies.

BUILDING< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

1 Chronicles < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>22:17-19

Whenever a building construction is halted, it suffers stagnation. For you, as a temple of God that is constantly under construction, are you rising or stagnated? David was charging his son Solomon, and the leaders, for the construction of the temple, 1 Chronicles 22:19, ÒNow set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the LORD.Ó DavidÕs statement can thoroughly be applied to the life of a believer that desirers to grow in the Lord. As a living temple of God, it is absolutely evident that to lack growth in the things of the Lord is to remain stagnant. Have you examined yourself lately and determined if you can honestly and sincerely identify growth in your life as a believer? Acting impressively in the church is not a growth determinant. Growth is not determined by how long you have been going to church; growth is not only when you are constantly in the church with active and noticeable work. Growth is when His presence in your life is active by powerful demonstrations. Take DavidÕs charge as your own for your growth. Begin to set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. A heart that is set for God will settle itself for nothing but seeking God in deed and in truth. The grace to set and seek Him will bring a rise in you as a building, a living temple of the Lord. Ask God for a heart to seek after Him.

PRAISE-FULL< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Psalms 100

To be praise-full is to be God-filled. David, once described as a man after GodÕs heart (1 Samuel < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>13:14), was a praise-full man. Without doubt, by the testimonies of DavidÕs writings, he was a man that takes praising God into a different level. As a result, God established him on a level that is different from any other Bible character. Psalms 18:3, ÒBut you are holy, enthroned in the praise of Israel.Ó It is in the praising of God that creates His place of habitation. It is evident in the life of David that he will not consider or put anything above how he praises his God. David was once despised by Michal for getting so low in his praise to God. 2 Samuel, ÒNow as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Micah, SaulÕs daughter, looked through a window and saw king David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.Ó David was praise-full. He set no limit or bounds to where, when or how he praises God. Praising God is a powerful way of provoking the hand of God. So many battles were won in the Bible by praising God. Remember the wall of Jericho? The wall of Jericho came down flat when God gave the command of praise, and the children of Israel were able to round the wall up by the power of God through praise. How is your praise life? Are you giving praise a serious attention? Consider changing your weapon of offence against your wall of Jericho by increasing your time of praising Him. Psalms 100:2, ÒEnter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His court with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.Ó Giving thanks will only see you through to the gate. Stop yourself from being stopped at the gate, let your praise take you into His courts where He sits and reigns, then you will be God-full.