When I was a soldier, I often felt alone in the world around me. I was overseas and far from the securities of home.

An air force chaplain and his wife opened up their home to the soldiers as a part of his personal ministry.

They created an atmosphere for Christian fellowship. Each Friday evening, there would be a meal where single soldiers and married couples would gather. After the meal, he gave a Bible study. Then his wife played the piano and we sang songs of praise. When all was done, I would sit for hours talking with fellow soldiers, or the chaplain, and we spent time learning what it meant to have true fellowship. This time became an anchor for my soul.

It has been twenty years since I sat among those believers, and to be honest, I remember very little of the doctrine, but I hold the fellowship we had in my heart as a treasure. Although doctrine is important, doctrine without fellowship carries little weight. If love is absent, the hearts of the people will be hard as stone.

Fellowship was the power of that chaplain’s influence. His love for us, and our love for each other created an eagerness to grow in the faith. Because I had a heart full of desire, I carried myself to the Scriptures and studied. His influence was not to teach me doctrine, but to teach me how to walk in fellowship with Christ and other believers so I was drawn to the doctrine. A desire to know the Word came out of the communion with like-minded believers. Fellowship without truth is a social club. Truth without fellowship is like seeding a barren ground. But when both are present, we will have given every person the opportunity to grow into the fullness of Christ.

To obtain these things, there must be intentional communion among the saints. It doesn’t just happen. It happens because you extend your soul to those around you. It only happens when we are not forgetful hearers, but doers of the word. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know you are my disciples, because of your love for one another.” You cannot expect God to add to the church if we are not investing our lives in cultivating love among the brethren – all brethren.

(EDDIE SNIPES)

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? How do you do it? Many people put this into practice by reading the Bible and praying first thing in the morning. Many even get up earlier so they have time to do this. For many people,  though,  it   ends  there.

They go about the rest of the day and do not even think about God. Also, with this schedule, what happens when they get up late? What usually gets cut? It’s their Bible reading and prayer time.

Instead of only doing morning devotions, you should seek God first in everything you do, all day long. How do you do that? Acknowledge Him, talk to Him, praise Him, and ask Him for help and guidance. As you are getting ready for work, thank God for all that He has given you. Thank Him for everything going smoothly and for good traffic so you make it to work on time and being calm and peaceful when you get there.

At work, thank Him for your job. It may not be the perfect job, but thank Him for it anyway and do your best. If you run into a problem, instead of complaining and worrying, say “God, you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Help me Lord to know what to do in this situation.”

God is always talking to us, but we are not always listening. When we do listen, many times we do not do what He says. So, we need to listen and obey, all day long.

Seeking God first should also include the plans and goals for your life, your relationships and even your recreation. God has a plan for your life. When followed, that plan will have the best possible outcome. You need to know that God is Love and anything that He has for you is for your best interest. The problem is that many people come up with their own plans and then want God to bless it. Well, folks, it doesn’t work that way. You need to seek God first in your plan making, find out what God wants you to do and then go do it.

In conclusion, do not make God part of a list that you do first thing in the morning and then check it off and then go about the rest of your day without Him. Include Him in everything you do.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;   don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;   He’s the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3: 5 & 6, THE MESSAGE)                                               (EUGENE WILLIAMS)

Jesus is the perfect Intercessor for us. He prays for us daily. He does not turn us away when we need help, but He offers His strength. He does not condemn us when we fail, but He is patient and merciful with us. Let us think about three ways in which the Lord Jesus intercedes for us.

1)  Christ prays for us when we are tempted.

The Lord Jesus prays especially that we will not yield to sin when we are tempted by Satan. As long as we are in this world, we will be tempted. But the Lord Jesus is praying for us, and the Father has promised that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist. He will always make a way of escape for us. Does this mean that we cannot sin? No, not at all. We can sin, but we do not have to sin. We can say “No!” to temptation.

Are you troubled with temptations that you cannot seem to overcome? Then come to the Father through the Lord Jesus and ask Him to give you victory over them.

2)  Christ intercedes for us when we have sinned.

When we sin, our fellowship with the Father is broken. Our relationship with Him as His child is not broken, but sin breaks our fellowship with Him. The Lord Jesus pleads for us when we have sinned. He asks the Father to forgive us for His sake. It is because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us that God forgives us of our sins. Our fellowship is restored the moment we confess our sins to the Father. Does this mean that we can decide to sin every day and then confess it to God and think that everything will be all right? No! No! No! If we are thinking this way, we should examine ourselves to see if we are really in God’s family. A true child of God will want to please his Heavenly Father, and he will hate the things that God hates.

Have you sinned? Are you out of fellowship with the Father? Have you lost your joy as a Christian? Then come to the Father through your great Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. The Lord Jesus will restore your fellowship with the Father.

3)  Christ presents our prayers to the Father.

When we pray the Lord Jesus is our great Intercessor. He presents our prayers to the Father. He asks the Father to grant our requests for His sake. It is because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us that God hears and answers our prayers.

Do you have a great need? Are you troubled about some problem in your life or in the lives of your loved ones? Then pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. The Lord Jesus is God’s beloved Son, and He will present your prayers to the Father. The Bible says, “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14, 16, THE MESSAGE)

(UB DAVID & I’LL B JONATHAN, INC.)

Jesus taught us – we should always pray and not give up.

We should be like the 3-year-old boy who went to the grocery store with his mother. Before they entered the grocery store she said to him, “Now you’re not going to get any chocolate chip cookies, so don’t even ask.”

She put him up in the cart and he sat in the little child’s seat while she wheeled down the aisles. He was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section. He saw the chocolate chip cookies and he stood up in the seat and said, “Mom, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you not even to ask. You’re not going to get any at all.” So he sat back down.

They continued down the aisles, but in their search for certain items they ended up back in the cookie aisle. “Mom, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?” She said, “I told you that you can’t have any. Now sit down & be quiet.”

Finally, they were approaching the checkout lane. The little boy sensed that this may be his last chance. So just before they got to the line, he stood up on the seat of the cart and shouted in his loudest voice, “In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?”
And everybody round about just laughed. Some even applauded. And, due to the generosity of the other shoppers, the little boy and his mother left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies.             (Jeff Strite)

Don’t stop praying about something just because it hasn’t been answered within a few days or weeks. Keep pressing on. This is exactly what Jesus commands us to do. In Luke 18:1, the Bible says: “And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart.” The fact that Jesus told a parable to this effect indicates that He knew we would be tempted to lose heart. Which means He knew that many of the answers to our prayers wouldn’t come right away. And His point was: “Keep praying. The fact that it doesn’t seem like the answers are coming does not indicate that they won’t. Sometimes you have to be more persistent than you think.”

(Matt Perman)

“The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere. If they desire anything for God’s glory, they should pray until they get it.”

(George Muller)

Abraham receiving the blessing from Melchizedek

One of the most mysterious people in the Bible is the king of peace, Melchizedek. He appeared one day in the life of Abraham (then Abram) was    never   heard    from    again.

However what happened that day would be remembered throughout history and eventually became the subject of a New Testament letter (Hebrews).

This meeting between Abram and Melchizedek was most unusual.  Although they were strangers to each other, they shared a most important characteristic: both worshipped and served the one God who made heaven and earth. This was a great moment of triumph for Abram because he just defeated an army and regained the freedom of a large group of captives. If there was any doubt about whose victory it was, Melchizedek set the record straight by reminding Abram, “Blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:20). Abram recognized that this man worshiped the same God as he did with this statement.

Melchizedek was one of a small group of God honoring people throughout the Old Testament who came in contact with Jews (Israelites) but were not Jews themselves. This meant that the requirement to be a follower of God is not genetic, but is based on faithfully obeying His teachings and recognizing His greatness.

Are you aware of the similarities between yourself and others that worship God, even if their form of worship is quite different than yours? Do you know the God of the Bible well enough to know if you truly worship Him? By reading the Bible and getting insight into these great men of God, we begin to understand who this great God the Creator of heaven and earth really is. It will show you how much He loves you and desires that you know Him personally. It will show you His awesome power and love He has for you. What a great feeling in knowing that your Father in Heaven is so powerful that no one better mess with you. What a feeling to know that your Creator and Father in Heaven is so powerful that He could lift one finger and destroy an entire nation. Yet He calls you His child, and wants to have a personal one on one relationship with you. Try asking the President out to lunch and see how far you get. Ask God and He will be there for you!

Live for God and you’re likely to be at the right place at the right time. Examine your heart: To whom or what is your greatest loyalty? If you can honestly answer God, you are living for Him.      (SOURCE UNKNOWN)