Promise for Today - No Bounds

On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.

Acts 16:13-14 NLT

Paul and Silas went outside the city because Philippi prohibited bringing an unrecognized religion within the city limits. There they met Lydia, a wealthy woman, who listened to their message and received Jesus Christ as her savior - she and members of her household.

Later, they were harassed by a demon-possessed servant girl (vvs 16-18), until Paul commanded by the demon to leave her and it had to obey. That caused a world of problems for both Paul and Silas, and they wound up in prison after having been stripped and beaten.

You may know the story of Paul and Silas after midnight, praying and singing hymns to God. Acts 16:25-28, The Bible says "and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

ALL of them - not just Paul and Silas. All the prisoners were still there! None of them left. They WERE listening...I think all the prisoners became believers that night! We certainly know the jailer did and all of his household.

The salvation message knows no bounds. It crosses all socio-economic boundaries, from the wealthy to the servant, to the prisoners, and their jailer. All of them listened. All of them believed. All of them forever changed. God's perfect love knows no bounds. Aren't you glad?

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You that Your "whosoever will..." includes everyone, no matter who or what we are. Help us to hear and know the Truth of Your Word and to be as eager to share it with others as Paul and Silas - no matter the circumstances. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Whose Legacy?

The previous generation has set boundaries in place. Don’t you dare move them just to benefit yourself.

Proverbs 22:28 TPT (The Passion Translation)

Today, Gentry Burton delivered a powerful teaching on this Scripture. I encourage you to hear it for yourself (see below for a link to the recorded sermon). She is a gifted speaker.

The footnote in the Bible for this Scripture offers the following explanation about not moving the boundary stones to benefit yourself. "This refers to moving property lines of your neighbors to take more land, or it could mean moving landmarks and memorials placed there by ancestors. It also speaks to the moral boundaries that the previous generation modeled—they are to be upheld."

Gentry's most powerful point today was this - "What we give permission to operate in our lives, we give authority to operate in our legacy." One illustration was David who was known as a man after God's own heart who gave himself permission to lust after Bathsheba which later manifested in the next generation in Absalom who raped his sister, and also in Solomon who according to Scripture had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray (1 Kings 11). King Solomon gave permission for false gods and idol worship in the latter days of his reign, and a handful of subsequent generations later found King Ahab abolishing any and all worship of the one true God.

So the points to ponder:

The Grace of God is not there to excuse our disobedience. 

Are we setting up boundary stones for the benefit of our legacy or have we moved them? 

What ARE the boundary stones in our lives?

Ephesians 6:12 in the Passion Translation reads, Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage.

We must keep fighting with faith to set the boundary stones for the generations of our legacy until Jesus comes!

Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for a great Word today. Drive it deep into our spirits so that we fully embrace Your legacy to set the boundary stones for those coming after us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

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Gentry's teaching begins at 27:21. It's less than 25 minutes long. https://www.facebook.com/lifecc.tv/videos/466153758151277