Wisdom is the principalthing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. ( Proverbs 4:7 ) (1)
What would you say if God, suddenly, in all his power and glory appeared to you and said—What do you want me to do for you? Let’s look at the following possible responses–
For the single woman–a husband
For those in financial lack–Money
For the sick–Healing
For the tormented–peace
None of the above is wrong in itself, but we are going to see Solomon’s response to God’s question ( 2 Chronicles 1: 9-11) …
And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
Now, O God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? (1)
Notice that the first thing that Solomon did was to remember God’s promise to David, his father and him. He put God first in the equation and asked for wisdom. His desire was to be a king that could be used by God. Solomon saw the big picture and the tremendous responsibility that was before him.
He saw that in his kingdom, there were many things that people needed help with. Fairness and justice was in his heart. Upon pondering on these things, he asked for wisdom. Oh, that God would give our leaders wisdom. That gift is needed in all aspects of life, especially in the political realm.
King David, Solomon’s father, had wisdom, too. Israel was a mighty nation under David. He knew the secret to what made his kingdom great. Did you know that in his kingdom, he had a praise and worship team praising God 24/7? ( I Chronicles 9:33) King Solomon saw this example in his father’s life.
Two key applications to gather in this teaching. First, to pray that God will give wisdom to our leaders and second as parents to give our children an example to follow. A parent’s example can be influential and impact generations to come. In our next study, we will see the benefits of wisdom. God bless.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)
In our last study, we saw how giving was an important part in the Old Testament. God had commanded his people to give and none was to come before him empty-handed. (For details, refer to our last Bible devotional post) As we analyze our fundamental verse of John 3:16, it goes beyond just a nice verse of salvation. It shows how one offering can impact you and others for a lifetime.
God, himself, gave us an example. He gave a sacrificial offering. He gave us his best and that was his son Jesus. As he planted him through his death, burial and resurrection, the church was born. We have seen through history how it has impacted generations to come.
We saw how Solomon, as he approached God in prayer, gave a thousand burnt offerings. (II Chronicles 1:6) Even in today’s economy, it was a big offering. I want to make something clear, you cannot buy God’s blessing. Yes, we need to be expecting a return on our giving, but we do it because we love God. We can’t give with impure motives.
Even Cornelius, when he gave his alms, called God’s attention. (Acts 10:4) Your giving before God is not in vain. He keeps records and rewards accordingly. Concerning Solomon, the results of his giving impressed God that he personally visited him in the night time.
The first thing God asked was —What I shall give thee? (I Chron 1:7) Solomon did not ask for riches nor material things, but he asked for wisdom. As a result, his wisdom would be known for generations to come. He made an impact that blessed him and his family. More on wisdom tomorrow-God willing.
Prayer–Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me. Give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation concerning the subject of giving. Help me to give with a pure heart. Make me a vessel of blessing that will bless me, my family and future generations to come. Thank you, Father, for teaching me about giving. In Jesus name, amen.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16)
Greetings. I want to share some thoughts on giving. No, I am not here to raise money for my ministry, so stop holding on to your wallets. I do want to share some highlights on the subject of giving that will bless you. When you study the Bible in the Old Testament, God commanded his people to give. (Exo. 34:20, Lev. 5-6-11)
In Old Testament times, the Biblical economy was, mostly, agricultural and was different from ours. People had no choice, but to give. From the rich to the poor, they had to bring an offering. Yes, there were poor people in the multitude, but God had a simple and just plan for them to participate just as well.
A lamb was an expensive commodity, even for the rich, but God in his mercy saw the different levels of how much the people could give. There were some that could not give a lamb, so God had a different plan. For some, it was two young pigeons, and if they could not afford it, then it was a grain offering. I wanted to give you an idea of how giving was conducted during the Old Testament. In the New Testament, giving is voluntary.
Now, having clarified that, I want to state that you can choose not to give to the different ministries of the Lord and hold on to your money, but you will be missing out on your blessing. Clearly, as you study the Old Testament, giving has blessings and benefits. In the New Testament, it is no different.
We see the example of God. He gave his only begotten son. He gave his best and he planted him as a seed through his death, burial and resurrection. As a result of that one seed, we have the church that was born that would impact the world for centuries to come. Solomon gave his best. When he was praying in the temple, he offered one thousand burnt offerings. (II Chronicles 1:6)
Solomon was not twisting God’s arm for riches or vengeance upon his enemies. He, just, did it because he loved God. His father David taught him about giving and the blessings that came with it. In our next Bible study, We are going to see how that offering impacted Solomon and would affect his life in the years to come. So, on this day, pray on how God would lead you to partner, financially, with a ministry that is doing God’s work. If you want to just offer prayer, that is good, too, but please get involved. Your life and destiny depends on it. God bless.
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (I Cor 1:30)
Greetings. We are going to begin a new series of studies on wisdom. Wisdom is defined as knowledge. It involves the use of Knowledge and its application to prosperity and happiness. (1) In other words, having the answers that you need, applying it to your life and seeing results in your favor.
In everyday life, we run into people who are stressed out. We hear people saying – “ I don’t know what to do,” and living a life of hopelessness and despair. Issues like health problems, finances, troubles in family relationships, etc. are hitting people hard in this society. Christians are no exception to this. What is the answer to all this?
The above verse (I Cor 1:30) tells it all in a nutshell. Christ (The anointed one) is made unto us wisdom. As you do a study on the word Christ, you will find out that it was not Jesus’ last name. The word Christ involves the Holy Spirit and it’s power. It is the yoke (bondage) breaking and burden removing power of God.
The Bible has many ways to define wisdom. There is the wisdom that is creative and is manifested in man’s handiwork. Noah was an example. It is believed that the ark that he built was the size of an aircraft carrier and was state of the art for it’s time. Tradition has the ark as, barely, floating and sustaining the load. Nothing could be further than the truth.
Exodus 31:2-4 gives us more on wisdom and its ability to create. Bezaleel was gifted in the art of construction and God gave him the wisdom to construct a temple. It was, not, just an ordinary temple, but one that had silver and gold. It was a class act and all done by God’s wisdom.
I come from a Hispanic family. My uncle was gifted in creative wisdom. He, barely, knew English, but he can put anything together simply by looking at the pictures of any item he brought. My friend, wisdom is there for the asking. You can, also, be anointed for creative wisdom. Just ask for it and watch God move in your life. We will have more on wisdom tomorrow, but I want to leave you with this thought–You have wisdom and it’s waiting for you. All you need to do is ask God for wisdom today and watch what happens next. God bless.
Prayer–Dear Lord, Thank you for teaching me about wisdom. Thank you for letting me know who I am in Christ and what belongs to me. Christ has been made unto me wisdom. I have a genius inside of me. Lord, give me wisdom for any problems and challenges I will face. Help me to apply it and see victory. I thank you that you heard me and I declare that I am more than a conqueror. In Jesus name. Amen.
” And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11)
As we studied on the importance of communion, we saw how it is more than just a ritual-It is remembering our covenant with God! Our failure to know about the covenant had created religion and doctrines of men. Communion is a powerful thing that will release healing, prosperity and the power of God in our life! In this study, I want to show how powerful the blood can be in the elements of communion.
First, a misunderstanding of communion is why the Jews lost their chance to be blessed. Jesus was taking his disciples on a deeper walk with him. Traditions and misunderstandings caused them to miss this wonderful insight of communion. When he spoke of eating his flesh and drinking his blood, many thought he was speaking of cannibalism. Cannibalism was prohibited according to the law. (John 6:60-61, Lev 17:10-11)
We need to know that it is, not, enough to take the Bible literally but to have revelation knowledge. Revelation knowledge will give us deep insight in order to be blessed. The blood of Christ is, not only, shed for salvation-it is a tool for battle! It was, symbolically, used in the Old testament and protected the Jews against judgement in Egypt.
The blood of Jesus can flow through our veins if we believe. Medically speaking, sickness and disease comes thru the blood. The word says that we are one blood. (Acts 17:26) Understanding the power of the blood in the communion elements can break any generational curse in our family line. It saddens me when people don’t understand about pleading the blood. Pleading the blood is scriptural and it works! (Isa 43:26, Rev 12:11)
So, let’s not forget the power of the blood in the communion elements. Let us remember that it protects us. Let us remember that it heals us! Let us remember that it can justify us! There is great power in the blood. Learn to use it today!
When we think of bread, the first thing that comes to our mind is food, but in the spirit realm, it goes beyond that. When Jesus used the word bread, he compared it to a host of things. There are a couple of points to ponder concerning communion—
It was compared to his body, creating a stir among the Jews. They misunderstood his message and thought he was encouraging cannibalism. (John 6:50-52)
It was compared to healing. One scripture that stands out is when Jesus compares healing to the children’s bread. To all who doubt or say that it’s pending his will, I, respectfully, disagree. What father would not feed his child with bread (Food)? (Matt 15:25-28) Children’s bread indicates the healing power of God. This woman of Canaan refused to take No for an answer. She was persistent and her daughter was made whole. The word whole comes from the Greek word “Laomai” which means healing. There is a lot that we need to know about healing. Healing is a very misunderstood subject and if you want to learn more about it, please read Christ the healer (1)
It is compared to wisdom. In our last post, we discussed how communion will open the door for you to receive wisdom. (Prov 9:1-6)
Discernment against mixture or false doctrines. Leaven was a part of the bread that was removed before preparing it. The Jews ate unleavened bread which produced bread that was flat, similar to the Matzo cracker. Leaven will cause a bread to rise and is symbolic of sin. False teachings will mislead you and hurt your loved ones in the long run. When celebrating communion, ask for discernment against wrong teaching. His Spirit will help you discern from what is true and what is not. (Matt 16:6)
As I conclude my studies on the bread elements of communion, I want to call your attention to Ecc. 11:1. It says to cast your bread upon the waters. This verse talks about giving. Giving is, not, a popular theme within the churches, but the Bible speaks a lot about giving. It is, actually, a way to worship the Lord. When you give of your tithes and offerings, you honor God and open a wave a blessings in your life. Think about this, who would, not, want to live under an open heaven? (Mal 3:10)
When you have an open window from heaven, you get God’s best. People would equate it with money and that’s part of it, but there is more. An open window will create favor with others, open doors of opportunities and even bring about answered prayers. God’s covenant contains about 58 promises and they are yours under an open heaven. Many would say that I am implying that you have to buy God’s blessings.
Truth of the matter is that God has given us all things that pertain to life. (II Peter 1:3) Jesus brought it for us through his blood. God’s word is based on seedtime and harvest. (Gen 8:22) Your life is a garden. What you sow, you will reap. (Gal 6:7) His promises are given to you as a seed and your life is a garden.
When you give, you are bringing about the open heavens that waters the fruit on your garden. It allows the blessing to bring forth his promises for your life. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. So, friend, when celebrating communion, it might be a good idea to speak God’s covenant promises concerning your finances. Put your checkbook and bills on the table. As you do this with a heart of faith, you will see God move on your life regarding finances. God bless.
“Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.” (Prov 9:5-6)
As you look at this picture above, I can guess what you are thinking–What does a light bulb has to do with communion? In my younger years as a child, I used to look at cartoons. It used to amused me when a particular cartoon character had an idea, a bright light bulb with a caption used to appear, indicating that it had a bright idea. Bright ideas never grow old, they are always welcome in this sin-ridden, full of problems world in which we live in.
As we read Proverbs 9:1-6, we notice the two communion elements mentioned in these verses (Bread and wine.) It, also, mentions the word Wisdom. The word tells us that Christ is made unto us wisdom, so this is Jesus calling out to us and trying to get our attention. He has a house built for us and it has 7 pillars. This speaks of identification. Hebrews 3:6 says that we are the house of Christ. We are in him and he is within us. We have a genius who live inside of us!
The word of God tells us that we are hidden in him. He is our protector and wants to bless us. He is inviting us to the table. My question to you is-Will you come? Notice he says–“Eat of my bread…Drink of my wine!” He wants to give you wisdom and understanding. Understanding of your financial problems. Understanding of your sickness and healing. Understanding of what you are going thru.
Communion is something that you can have NOW and don’t have to wait until the church gets together. You can have communion by yourself and ask God for wisdom and understanding. Abraham had communion in the old Testament and his life was never the same (Gen 14:18-23) Communion caused Abraham to make the right decision and have discernment when the king of Sodom came with an offer. Abraham knew that his offer wasn’t wise. He wanted to give Abraham money, but he had an ulterior motive.
Many Pastors should take heed to this when accepting big sums of money. Sometimes, a person would give in order to control the church. Having communion can help Pastors see thru this deception. These communion elements can, also, work for the body of Christ, too. So, my friends, spend some time meditating in this and remember to eat the bread and drink of the wine. It will give you wisdom and understanding. God has prepared a table in the midst of your enemies. (Ps 23:5) The communion table is a powerful weapon to use in the arena of spiritual warfare and will avoid pitfalls in your life. God bless!
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19)
In our last post, we saw the importance of revelation knowledge and communion. Communion has been a misunderstood topic. In this study, we will look at its symbolic meaning. Some churches do not celebrate communion because it is symbolic. While they are half-right, Jesus himself said to do this in remembrance of me. ( Luke 22:19) This speaks of action, not just in a symbolic nature.
Proverbs show us how communion can be in a symbolic sense. When you read the whole chapter of Proverbs 9, you will see two comparisons. A communion of wisdom and communion of the foolish woman. A foolish woman is compared to a seducing spirit. While some compare this to adultery, this goes deeper than that. It talks about having communion with the devil, the flesh, and the world.
Anytime you sin, you are having communion with the devil. You are bowing your knees to the enemy and placing yourself in enemy territory whether you realize it or not. Seducing spirits are compared, also, with idolatry and behind it is a demon. (Lev.17:7) When you commune with the enemy, the bread turns into wickedness. The wine is compared with violence. (Prov 4:17) What kind of violence does this speak of? You fill in the blanks and, as you do, you will get an idea of what Satan has planned for you and your family. It is wise to see what the word says in not giving place to the enemy.
The good news is that God has his own communion for you. When you confess your sins, you are eating his bread in a symbolic sense and receiving cleansing with his blood. As you do this, your fellowship with God is restored. (I John 1:9) So, friend, make it a point to fellowship with God. When you sin, don’t run from God. Run to God and get it right. He is waiting to break bread with you and drink the wine of redemption. In fact, the root Greek word for communion is fellowship. Choose in this day to eat the bread of life and drink the wine of his redemption today.
Some final thoughts to consider. When Christians in the New Testament had communion, they would celebrate it in a two fold sense—-
1- Having the elements of bread and wine and remembering his promises. This tangible celebration is a remembrance of God’s covenant with us and the church. It helps seals the importance of covenant in our consciousness.
2- In a symbolic sense, Fellowship was celebrated with a meal. True communion was celebrated with a meal after remembering God’s covenant. That is why the Apostle Paul had to set some things in order because they were bringing in alcoholic wine (getting drunk) and engaging in overeating. (I Cor 11:20-34) When fellowshipping with others, let’s honor God and one another. This, in turn, will please God and bless us in the long run.
Prayer–Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me today. Lord, help me to see the importance of fellowshipping with you on a daily basis. I thank you for making me a new creation. I love righteousness and hate iniquity. I have the mind of Christ working in me today. I receive all that you have for me thru my covenant with you. Use me, Lord, and show me your perfect will for my life. I give my all to you in this day as a living sacrifice. Thank you for your covenant with me, Lord. In Jesus’s name..Amen.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)
In our past studies, we saw the importance of revelation knowledge and how important it is to have it for our Bible studies. We saw how deep Jesus took his disciples when teaching the word. He was sharing a new dimension and a new level. Up to now, they were happy. Jesus was performing signs, wonders and feeding the multitude. Now, this was different. Jesus was going to go deep in his teachings,
Jesus shared about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Now, to us, when we hear this, we think of communion. No biggie. Just a cracker and grape juice. You may ask–What’s the big deal? First, let’s go back in time and imagine ourselves with his disciples. If you were brought up in the Jewish tradition and you heard the words–Eating my flesh and drinking his blood, what’s the first thing in your mind? This man is into cannibalism.
Some may have thought that he was crazy. Others thought, if he wants us to eat his flesh and drink his blood, what will he do with us? Their traditions taught that cannibalism and drinking human blood was strictly forbidden. They had a choice to make—leave Jesus because he was talking crazy and go back to the law or stay with him. It’s no wonder that many were offended because of his teachings. Out of the 70 disciples, 12 stayed with him.
Those 12 knew better. The whole picture was not, yet, revealed to the disciples, but they knew that somewhere, somehow there was an analogy and a deeper level of revelation knowledge. Revelation knowledge can bless you , but it will cause the following —-
1-Cause you to be misunderstood- -They thought that Jesus was going crazy and misleading his disciples.
2-Cause a shakeup in your ministry–More than half of his disciples left him, aside from the multitude that followed him because his miracles.
I know that I was reviewing our last lesson on communion, but I wanted to share the pros and cons. When God starts to reveal deeper revelations of the word, you can’t look at the people or situations around you. Look unto Jesus and you will not be disappointed.
Scripture reading–John 6:48-68
Prayer–Lord, thank you for speaking to me. Help me to count the cost when you give me revelation knowledge. I thank you that I am your sheep and I hear your voice. Lord, help me to discern from what is your word and what is not. Reveal to me in this day, your good and perfect will for me. In Jesus name. Amen.
What is Revelation Knowledge? Revelation knowledge is when God’s word opens up to you. It is when he manifests his will to you. It will enable you to be in a position to receive God’s best for your life. It is the knowledge that will bring salvation in all areas of your life. (Hosea 4:6)
It is very important that when you pray, especially before your Bible studies, you use God’s word. Enclosed is a series of prayers that you can use to enhance your Bible studies. It will bring about the presence and revelation of the Holy Spirit—
The prayer of Ephesians is a powerful prayer and whether you agree with my teachings or not, this prayer is one that every believer should pray before his/her Bible studies. Instead of fighting one another, we should be praying this prayer for ourselves and the body of Christ. I guarantee that if we do this, we will see many receive the revelation of God and his word! I have personalized this prayer so that, whosoever will, shall pray this prayer before their Bible study-God bless!
(Ephesians 1:17-23) God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of my understanding being enlightened that I may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(Ephesians 3:14-21) For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he may grant me, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in my heart by faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that I might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that worketh in me, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Praying for others. Please include the name of the person you are praying for!
God of our Lord Jesus Christ , the Father of glory, may give_______________ the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of their understanding being enlightened that they may know what is the hope of their calling, and what the riches of the glory of their inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come , And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That he may grant __________, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in their heart by faith; that ____________, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that _____________ might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power that worketh in me, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
As a good rule of thumb, you should always end it with the words…In Jesus Name! Next time, we will dig deep into the meaning of communion. Don’t miss it. God bless.
The Christian Corner Ministries 