Are You Bitter? - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) January 31, 2025

Have you ever seen the videos of couples where the wife reveals that her husband took too long to marry her? Have you ever noticed the bitter undertone in her voice?

Some Christians, male and female, have that same bitterness toward the Lord. King Asa's story is a cautionary tale. That and Job 22:21 - Agree with God, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you (ESV).

There are many reasons why this attitude may arise. One is because you've walked with God for years and have long waited for something you feel you prayed for or were promised by Him. You might be a faithful church goer who even fellowships with the brethren outside of Sunday services. From all appearances, you may seem to be a serious Christian. However, at your core, you're bitter toward God and feel let down. You've decided to 'stay' but you've become spiteful toward Him. The things of the Lord no longer bring you joy and have become routine. The other blessings He provides don't quite matter because He is yet to do what you value the most.

This message is not for everyone but if you suspect you are bitter or becoming bitter, the solution is to desire a change of heart and attitude toward God (Psalm 51:10). Why is the onus on you to make a change and not on Him? Simple. He is God and thus perfect in all His ways (Psalm 18:30). He loves all those He created but that doesn't change the reality that everything about Him is higher than you (Isaiah 55:8-9). Ergo, the one who needs changing is you.​

Put bluntly, please humble yourself before Him (Micah 6:8). While the Bible tells God's children to approach His throne boldly, it doesn't tell anyone to come to Him in pride (Hebrews 4:16). Indeed, pride is a precursor to shame and is not appreciated by the Almighty (Proverbs 11:2).

The devil whispers lies that plant bitter seeds in people's hearts so don't give in. Where you have, it is best to repent for succumbing to such attitudes and fast and pray for grace to change. Ask Him to remove from you what does not resemble Him (Psalm 139:23). Pray for a new heart and spirit. Plead that things be the way they were when you first fell in love with Him (Psalm 51:12). Identify then fight every thought and attitude that fosters bitterness and heed the warning in Isaiah 45:9 - “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker..." Remember, He uses waiting to deepen the relationship with His children and strengthen their faith.

Although He is patient, nothing good can come from fighting the Lord. May we always know our place and seek to be in right standing with Him. May every root of bitterness be uprooted that we may know peace, IJMN Amen. Please, brother and sister, do not be bitter toward the Lord. Let our God finish what He is doing in and for you, that you may become a well-fashioned tool for His glory.

Fellowship starts at Noon EST and I pray you will join us today. God bless you.

To learn more, please click the hyperlinks included in the message and read:

1. Wait on God

2. Patience: A Fruit of The Spirit

3. Patience

4. Hold On

5. But, can you wait?

6. What are you waiting for?

7. Waiting on the Lord's Solution

8. The Intercessor Will Wait

9. God Is Waiting On You

Topic: The Wait

1. Let God Have His Way

2. Wait on God

3. Patience: A Fruit of The Spirit

4. Patience

5. Hold On

6. The Pruning

7. But, can you wait?

8. What are you waiting for?

9. Waiting on the Lord's Solution

10. The Intercessor Will Wait

11. God Is Waiting On You

Is Your Name Written In Heaven? - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) January 28, 2025

When Jesus walked the earth, He trained disciples to share His word wherever they were sent. He empowered them to cast out demons, heal the sick, cure diseases and tell everyone that the Kingdom of God was upon them (Luke 9:1-2). Luke 10 tells us He sent out 72 disciples and when they returned, they rejoiced, telling Him that demons submitted to them at the very mention of His name. Instead of joining them in their jubilation, Jesus corrected them. Luke 10:20 - However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

If I had been one of those disciples who'd seen the power of God flowing as they did, I too would have been overjoyed to know that I was capable of doing such in Jesus's name. And yet, we know that was not what the Savior wanted. He wanted them to not focus on the power but on what that power represents - that God had deemed them worthy to be included on a list in heaven.

Just as those disciples needed to refocus, so do we. If we truly believe in Jesus and are His disciple today, we need to ask ourselves, are our names written on heavenly lists?

The answer to this question is only known to God. Nevertheless, because of His revealed nature and word, we know He wants us to be on those lists. The people on these lists enjoy certain privileges that other do not. For instance, when they proclaim His Son's name into any situation, the devil and its demons must fall back. All the power of the Almighty backs up such individuals. No matter the circumstances, He will show up to favor them.

God said as much in Malachi 3. There, He'd spoken to His remnant in Jerusalem and instructed them to stop withholding their tithes and offering. Those who feared the Lord gathered and agreed to change. These people pleased Him so He ordered the angels to write a scroll of rememberance with their names on it (Malachi 3:16). Malachi 3:17-18 - “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

And we should want to move in that reality because that is what God desires for us. Hebrews 11:6 states that He is a rewarder of them who eagerly seek Him. When we do this, our names get added to heavenly lists. This goes beyond saying we are Christians. It is about being a Christian in every facet of our lives. We must therefore voraciously consume His word, fervently stand in the gap for others, give Him our worship, fast per Isaiah 58, and listen to the Holy Spirit as He changes us to become more rooted in Christ.

Therefore, let us pray to be a vessel through whom the gifts and the power of God flow for His glory. And as we do so, we shall cry out to Him to make us the sort of person whose names are in the books of heaven. Today, we shall ask God to show us how to become those whose eternal spirits will reside forever with Him. We shall allow Him to teach us how to live, yield to His direction, obey His commands, and be ever mindful that this world is not our home. The lists of this world are inconsequential. Heaven is all that matters.

To learn more, please click the hyperlinks included in the message. God bless you.