In my Christian walk, I have heard so many people misquote the above scripture. I have listened to people try to manipulate others in pursuit of money. As I was reading this scripture, I thought about the word motive. Motive is why we do things. Why we do things is often times more important that what we do. The why has to do with our hearts, and this is what God searches. So let us not seek riches, but seek God alone! When we seek God, He will provide us with what we need. Joy and peace will be attached to what He gives to us. Pursue His will and His kingdom and He will add everything else to you (Matt. 6:33).

#hope-in-Christ


Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New American Standard Version were found on Bible Gateway.

Loving God is the number one commandment!  I often wonder about the world around us today. I see so much evil that the Word of God predicted would take place. All of this is due to the lack of love and reverence for God today. You see, when we truly love God, then and only then can we love and have regard for others. God teaches us how to love because He is love! We don't have the capacity within ourselves to truly love anyone or anything. Today, let us pray for hearts to return to the true and living God! Let us pray for individuals to flee from evil and allow God to restore their souls and cleanse their hearts. Today let us fall in love with Jesus! For this is the will of the Father!! He loves us and desires us to seek and find Him as we search for Him with all of our hearts!!!

#hope-in-Christ


Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

As I got up this morning to pray, I felt God leading me to this scripture. I have been rereading Genesis and all of my Daily H.O.P.E.'s have come from there, but God wanted to speak to someone today. There are so many today that are sick in their bodies, heartbroken, or even emotionally scarred. Jesus wants to heal you today. I begin to study every word from Isaiah 53:5 and I was so amazed at what Christ has done for each and every one of us. I came to an understanding that Jesus was correcting what sin had done to our lives. It had separated us from Him. He was righting our wrong. We don't deserve His redemption, yet He did it anyway. What a mighty savior indeed!

Today He wants to give you true peace! Peace from rejection. Peace from failure. Peace from everything that you might encounter in the here and now. He is our healer! No one else has the power to do what He did on the cross. So receive your healing today and walk with the living, eternal savior and Lord of all, Jesus Christ. Be healed in Jesus!

#hope-in-christ

Enjoy this worship song by Hillsong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5qoQmjwv-0

Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

All throughout biblical history, people turned away from serving God. In the midst of this turning away, God would always raise up one to speak His truth to the people. This is an example of God's grace. God knows that He designed us with a free will. He didn't want robots and He knew what it would take to reach us. I remember praying and asking God one day, "Lord why did you create us? We are so disobedient at times! We want what we want and that want is separate from You. So why did you create us, you didn't need us?" Then I heard a still small voice say to me, "I wanted a family."

Therefore, God continues throughout history to raise up men and women to speak His truth, so that He might redeem His family back to Himself.


Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

I believe that society today truly resembles the above scripture. Just as the enemy deceived Eve into believing that she didn't need God if she had the knowledge of good and evil, the enemy is doing the same all around us. People have walked away from the foundation of our lives, God's Word. They are listening to the enemy whisper that they don't need God and that they have full control of their own lives. He is whispering that they are able to make the right decisions with God's intervention. However, one essential truth is left out by the enemy. God is greater than mankind! He is infinite! He created time and space and He is eternal. He knows our end from the beginning. We need His guidance. For without Him, we truly perish.


Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

All too often, we see individuals that want to look like this person or have a shape like that person. We hardly ever see individuals that are content with who they are. Contrary to popular demand, we were created in God's image. This makes us beautiful just as we are! Outside of God, there is no image at all. Yes the world tries to delete God from our daily lives. This is done because the world understands that to be made in God's image means to submit the life that God gave to Him.

Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

When we read about Abraham, we may be thinking, "Why did God have to change his name?" Well at least I thought that. If we really stop and think about our own lives, we would love to erase some of the choices we have made or some of the horrible things that may have happened to us. When we come to Christ and allow Him to restore us, we are no longer who we used to be. Our name changes from sinner to saint. It is nothing that we have done, but God wants us to look ahead to where He is taking us in Christ. We can't hold on to our past and look to our future at the same time.   

Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

How do you define self-worth? Is it in friendships? Is it in your outer appearance? Is it even in possessions?

In this very self-centered world, we can easily lose focus of our true worth!

What is worth anyway and why is so important? Is it the way that people define us? Or Is it how we feel about ourselves from day to day? The simple answer to this question is No!

The Webster's Dictionary defines worth as the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held; the moral or personal value of something.

After viewing this definition, the word value stood out to me. I was reminded of how I didn't realize that I had value and that my worth was far greater than the choices that I made in my past. Like myself, many others place value on things and even other people, but they rarely stop to reflect on their own self-worth.


So where is our true worth found? Our true worth is found in Christ! This may not be the popular answer, yet it is truth!

In Genesis 1:27 the following words are recorded, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

So we must first understand that we were created in God's image, not the images that we create for ourselves nor how others view us. 

And just what does it mean to be created in God's image? The Strong's definition of image is likeness; of resemblance to. The Webster's Dictionary goes on to define image as a visual representation of something.

Furthermore, Job 33:4 states, "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Isaiah 64:8 records, "But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Therefore what can we conclude from these scriptures? We were made by God, for God, and in His likeness. We bear God's image! 

What a life changing revelation! We are so much more than the world's standard and even the false picture that we paint for the world to see! We were made body, soul and spirit. Our spirit man is eternal as God almighty is eternal! We were made beautiful just as we are! No changes needed! No opinions accepted!


We are beautiful because God is beautiful, and we are made like Him! Nothing more, nothing less. We have to accept this truth for ourselves. It begins with surrender and recognizing the divine nature of Jesus Christ! And as we surrender our lives to Christ, He reveals our worth to us. He restores our souls, delivers us from bondage and, through His power He helps us love the beauty that we are in Him.  Then we can come to a realization that no matter what we have been through, no matter what choices we have made; we were created by God and are valued by Him! We have worth and our worth is found in the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth! The Alpha and The Omega, Jesus the Christ!

 If you haven't already, place your trust in Christ and in Him you will understand your value!  Let Him be glorified in your life! He is alive and is the giver of life! In Him, you will never again question your worth!

Enjoy this worship song by one of my favorite gospel artists, Kari Jobe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKzS4SjBeb8

#hope-in-Christ


Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

Scripture Focus:
Romans 6:16 NKJV - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

Word Analysis (Blue Letter Bible):
Present - (yield; stand with)
Slaves - (servants)
Obey - (submission)

What is the thing or person that keeps us from fully surrendering to Christ? Is it religious tradition? Is it family? Is it our careers? Friends? Spouse? or fleshly desires?

I ask this question because I had to personally reflect on this myself. First let's look at the definition of surrender?

Dictionary.com and the 1828 Dictionary define surrender in the following way:
To yield to the power of another; to resign; to give up; to relinquish

This definition is very powerful and eye opening! I don't think that we realize how much things or people cause us to draw back from seeking God with our whole heart. Or how we have surrendered to many things, but not Christ.

The scripture above from the book of Romans describes the effects of surrendering to anything other than Christ our Lord. The result is sin and death.

This scripture comes to life for me because recently I walked in stagnation and I had not surrendered my all to Christ. I was reflecting on my past and what man (people) had done to me or spoken against my life. I experienced heartbreak, disappointments, and  even abuse. I was confused and didn't understand why those things had happened to me. One example, I watched my dad suffer through sickness and die from kidney failure. As a result of all of this, I struggled with trusting others. I struggled with religion because somehow I knew that there was more to God than that. I internalized my pain and wanted acceptance and affirmation from others. Sometime later, sickness came as a distraction as well. I was diagnosed with asthma and then Type 2 Diabetes. The Diabetes was partly the result of steroid treatment for asthma.  

Then One day, I begin to have a "But God Experience." God begin to remind me of His promises for my life! He spoke to my heart and helped me to understand that He is all that I need! He showed me that even in the absence of everyone else; I am not alone! He is with me and He will never leave me nor forsake me as other had. You see, He never left my side; I pulled back. I got distracted and begin to surrender to the voices of my past and the voices of my pain. God showed me that some of my faith died with my earthly father. Yet, in His great mercy, He reminded me that He is my father. He is eternal. He is the giver of life, sovereign, just and He created me for His glory. I needed to surrender my heart to Him and so my journey began with a simple "Yes."

Each day Christ continues to draw me nearer as I continue to say "Yes"! I thank Him for His grace and mercy. By His power and great love, He is causing me to surrender it all to Him. Now as I go into my prayer room every morning, I want to stay there and commune with Him. I know where He brought me from and I don't want to return. He is my peace. He is my joy. He is the only hope there is for my life. He is life, life eternal!

So I say you today, put your trust in Him; lean not to your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him (Proverbs 3:6)! The things and the people of this world can not fulfill what is only found in Him. Find our whatever your "it" is and begin to say "Yes" Lord I surrender it all. Then seek after Him with all of your heart. There, in the secret place of the most high (Psalm 91), you will find rest for your soul!


Let us be found only slaves of Christ!


Enjoy this worship song:

I Surrender All!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx8tFO7Plm8


#Hope-in-Christ



Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.

Scripture Focus:

Romans 10:9 - that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 Cor. 15:47 - The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is from heaven.

Phil 2:9-10 - Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth

As we continue in the affirming truth series of scripture, Jesus is now identified as savior and Lord of all!

In the above scripture references, we find that we must confess and believe in our hearts to be saved. Christ is the only way to be saved from our sins. Therefore, this is another confirmation that Christ is Creator and one with God the Father because no earthly man can save one from sin.

He is the Lord from heaven above according to 1 Corinthians 15:47. His name is above every name according to Philippians 2:9-10.

This devotional causes me to reflect on my own personal experience in coming to the knowledge of truth. From the time I was a young girl, I was not aware of this eternal truth! It wasn't until I was in my 20's that I learned I needed a relationship with Christ and that He is the only way to the Father. I didn't know how to do it or what to even say. I knew in my heart that there had to be more, but I had been raised in religion not relationship.

One day after going through many years of heartbreak and pain. I entered a salon and met the woman that would lead me to this very truth. I went in to be made beautiful on the outside, but God had another plan for my life! He wanted to make me whole! He had been drawing me by His spirit for some time. I had gone through depression and somehow knew that something was missing from my life. God wanted to give me true beauty. Eternal beauty in Christ!

A few minutes after entering, I sat down in the beautician's chair and soon learned that she was an evangelist. I felt very comfortable talking to her and I then begin to open up. She spoke the words that would change my life forever. She stated, "Want God more than you want anything else." I was confused so I asked her to repeat what she had just said, and she did.

As I was headed home, I begin to weep. I begin to talk to God. I told Him that I was sorry for wanting anything more than He. Through supernatural intervention, He led me to the cross of Christ. That day I asked Christ to be my savior and Lord, and I have not looked back. I have been walking with Him for over 10 years now and He is so very faithful!

I am a living witness to this affirming truth! Christ is savior and Lord! In me, He turned a mess into a message. Call upon that name by faith and He will do the same for you. He is that very peace and joy that  we all long for!

Enjoy this worship song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vec_kfgD6Mc

Your turn, leave your answers in the comment section:
H - How do these scriptures help you to know God?
O - What other observations did you notice in these scriptures?
P - Why do you think the words were recorded? Purpose.
E - How do these scriptures encourage you more?

What do you think is the overall message of hope?

Be blessed,
hope-in-christ
 

Copyright © 2016 by Denise Walker/Project H.O.P.E. Ministries, Inc.
Bible Verses from New King James Version were found on Bible Gateway.