https://renewalchristiancenter.org Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/12/a-blessing-from-god Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:36:46 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/12/a-blessing-from-god

"Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.
If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land."
"I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.
I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you.  . . . I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high."  Leviticus 26:2-13.

This is the heart of God toward His obedient children.
My prayer for you today is that you will walk in obedience and harvest all these blessings from God:
May obedience be the hallmark of your life. May you reverence God's sanctuary.
May you follow and obey God's decrees so that He will send you rain in its season.

May your ground yield its crops and the trees their fruit.
May the Almighty grant you peace and may you lie down in safety.
May the sword of destruction never pass through your home.
May your enemies fall by the sword before you.

May God look with favor upon you and make you fruitful.
May God increase your numbers.

You will no longer be a slave to the Egyptians.
The bars of your yoke have been broken by the LORD
You will walk with your head held high.

This is God's desired blessing for you today. Receive it.

PRAYER:
LORD, I believe these promised blessings are my portion because I have purposed to live with you in obedience. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/11/god-rewards-our-obedience Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/11/god-rewards-our-obedience

"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land."
"I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid.  
. . . You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you.
Five of you will chase a hundred and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful . . . 
You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.  . . . I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people." Leviticus 26:3-12

What a picture of divine prosperity!
God wants to send us rain in its season and cause the ground to yield its crops and the trees its fruit. God wants our land to be so fruitful that we will keep harvesting last year's crops until it is time to plant new crops. He wants to grant peace in the land so we will lie down and not be afraid. He wants to make us so prosperous that we will have to move out last year's crops to make room for the new! He wants to establish His dwelling among us and make us His people.
This is a picture of total divine favor and prosperity.

The question is: How does all this become possible?
The answer is bundled in one simple word:  Obedience. Obedience to the commands of God is the primary key to our blessings and prosperity.

God has made it clear that if we will walk with Him in total obedience, His blessings will come upon us and overtake us. We find this delivered both to the entire nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 28 and individually by way of personal application to Joshua, their leader.
God said to Joshua, "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  (Joshua 1:8)

Obedience is the key to divine prosperity. God rewards our obedience. 

PRAYER:
Father, I ask for the grace to walk with you in total obedience. Help me to honor you in all I do so that I can walk in your promised prosperity and be a blessing to your Kingdom. Amen

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/10/a-prayer-for-you-today Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/10/a-prayer-for-you-today

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.
May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
Psalm 20:1-5

I ask all this in the Mighty Name of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

PRAYER:
Lord, please help me to walk with you in obedience so that all these blessings will come upon me and overtake my life. Amen. 

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/09/don-t-be-dishonest Wed, 09 Sep 2026 05:49:08 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/09/don-t-be-dishonest

Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:35-37.

God was clear in instructing the Israelites to be honest in their dealings with one another. In this particular instance, God admonished them not to be crooked but to show honesty in trading with one another. They were to avoid defrauding each other by using honest scales and weights as they sold and purchased items.
Again, He reminded them: "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt." In other words, "I am the source of all that you are and all that you have. I know what is best for your life."

There is a statement I repeatedly make to my children when instructing them about how to conduct themselves. I often say to them:  "This is for your own good." They have gotten to the point where they now finish that sentence for me. Dad, we know, "this is for our own good."
God's decrees about honesty were for the Israelites own good.

These are days when there is a glaring lack of honesty and integrity in society. Greed causes many individuals, corporations, leaders and government officials to use "dishonest scales" in many different ways. This has led to untold hardships to society as a whole. We have seen many highly-placed individuals go down the tubes because they were dishonest and lied about their activities.

The housing crash in the United States was attributed mainly to the dishonesty of financial institutions in their lending practices. A major automobile company was recently fined billions of dollars for cheating on emission standards set by the government and covering up the lie. These are all instances of the use of "dishonest scales" in society.

God wants you and me, as His children, to exercise integrity in all our ways. We must not resort to the use of "dishonest scales." We must be honest. Honesty gives you peace of mind and safeguards your good name and reputation. It invites the blessings of the LORD.

PRAYER:
Lord, please forgive me for any ways in which I have been dishonest. Help me to exercise integrity in all I do. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/08/be-compassionate-to-the-foreigner Tue, 08 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/08/be-compassionate-to-the-foreigner

"When a foreigner resides among you in the land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:33-34

Every regulation the LORD gave the Israelites to observe in the Promised Land was geared toward bringing them peace, prosperity, and blessing. This was the case with foreigners who resided among the Israelites. The LORD did not want foreigners to be discriminated against and disrespected. He reminded the Israelites not to forget that they themselves were once foreigners in Egypt. God's expectation was clear, "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself . . ."

Foreigners are vulnerable people because they live as minorities in a strange land which they now call home. They put down roots and become part of their new homeland.  They set up home, establish businesses and raise families. They can't easily uproot their families and leave.   To them, their new home in the foreign land they now reside in is all they know. When mistreated, foreigners almost have no recourse. They become fearful and lose their sense of belonging and even dignity. Foreigners are among the most vulnerable in society.

Our compassionate God cares very deeply about the plight of the vulnerable, including the alien or foreigner. He cautioned the Israelites not to mistreat them. His words were rather forceful and direct, "When a foreigner resides among you, do not mistreat them . . . love them as yourself." God wants us to love the foreigner as ourselves.

Scripture is replete with many examples of God admonishing His people to be compassionate to the less fortunate. Jesus said, "I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was in prison and you visited me." I believe that every time a society shows compassion to the vulnerable, they show love to the LORD and receive untold blessings in return.
 
After we have prospered, it is rather easy for us not to remember our own needy and vulnerable days. Sometimes, we act as if we never had humble beginnings. We forget that "we were once foreigners in Egypt."  In the bigger scheme of things, we are all foreigners on this earth.

God certainly does not want us to forget our own vulnerable and needy days. He wants our treatment of the vulnerable to reflect the fact that we were once vulnerable ourselves.
Remembering that at all times helps us to treat the less vulnerable, including foreigners, with love and understanding. Be compassionate to the foreigner.

PRAYER:
Prayer: LORD, please help me to show love and compassion to the vulnerable in society, including the foreigner. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/07/respect-the-elderly Mon, 07 Sep 2026 04:32:27 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/07/respect-the-elderly

Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.  Leviticus 19:32

God has a special compassion for the helpless and vulnerable. This includes the aged. The elderly, are oftentimes sidelined, ridiculed, rejected and even preyed upon in society. It is almost as if people lose their value as human beings once they grow old. We see news reports of the elderly being robbed of their life savings by greedy and wicked individuals. We see reports of the elderly sometimes being abused in nursing homes. But, as part of His guidelines for a prosperous society, God directed the Israelites to show respect for the elderly.

We are to "stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and reverence God." There even seems to be a link between respecting the elderly and revering God. It is almost as if God is saying, "respecting the elderly is tantamount to respecting me."

My family had an interesting experience some years ago in Mexico. We were traveling on a public bus when an elderly woman came on board at one stop. Immediately, my daughter got up and offered her seat to her. The aged woman was so thankful that she hugged my daughter and kept blessing her. Obviously, the woman was touched by the respect my daughter had shown her. I believe God was pleased and smiled on my daughter (and a proud dad).  

If you are like me, you've probably driven impatiently to overtake a "slow" vehicle on the road only to realize that the driver was an elderly person! Then comes a sense of remorse for your "disrespectful attitude." 

I am convinced that God smiles and blesses us when He sees us respecting the aged. It shows reverence for God Himself. The elderly are all around us: in our neighborhoods, in churches, in nursing homes, at the grocery stores, on the road and even in our homes as parents. 
May we be filled with godly fear as we relate to the elderly. May we reach out and find ways of loving and caring for the elderly. May we not forget that the elderly were once as vibrant and energetic as we are and that one day, we will also become elderly. 

We reap what we sow. If we sow love and respect, we will reap the same when it's our turn. 
Respect the elderly. It is tantamount to revering God.

PRAYER:
Prayer: Lord, I ask that you help me to respect and love the elderly. For, respecting them is loving you. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/06/does-this-make-sense Sun, 06 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/06/does-this-make-sense

When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.  Leviticus 10:23-25

Does this really make sense? How do you increase your harvest by following what seems to be a rather "absurd" rule? Work hard to plant your fruit trees but don't harvest any for yourself for four years? Simply regard all that fruit as a holy offering of praise to God!

But that was the word of God to the Israelites. The first four years of harvest were not to be consumed by them but to be turned over to God as holy offerings to praise God. It is interesting that God concludes by saying, "I am the LORD."  In other words, I know what I am doing. I am the all-powerful and Sovereign God who is the source of your provision so just trust me even though it makes no sense to you!

Oftentimes the things God requires of us seem not to make much sense in the natural realm. He wants us to feed our enemies, bless those who persecute us, repay evil with good and go the extra mile for those who are unreasonable with us.

But that is how God works to attain maximum results in our lives. The ways of God are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that "The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."  (I Cor. 1:25). What might seem foolish to us is often the divinely ordained way to accomplish the most.

When God asks us to march toward the Red Sea, it might not make sense but it is simply because He is ready to part it for us. When He instructs us to march around the wall of Jericho and look ridiculous to onlookers, it might not look like a sensible military strategy but it is because He is ready to pull it down.

So, what if we adopted the "foolish" ways of God?
Could it be that those foolish ways might be the wisest and quickest way to accomplish the most? God's ways might not always make sense to us but it always works.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you that you are all-knowing and all-powerful. Please help me to obediently follow your instructions even when it seems "foolish" because your "foolishness" is wiser than my wisdom. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/04/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself Fri, 04 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/04/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself

" 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.
" ' Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
" ' Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:16-18.

What a loving God. He created us and He knows what is best for us. The plans he has for us are for our good and never for our evil. His "rules, commandments and regulations" are all designed to bring prosperity and peace into our lives, homes, and society. Think about all the turmoil we invite into our lives and society simply because we ignore God's guidance in relating to each other? How would society look like if we genuinely loved our neighbor as ourselves!

So, what if you and I determined not to slander other people by not spreading terrible things about them? Things that we would most likely not take kindly to if they were said about us?
What if we avoided doing anything to endanger the lives of others?
By the way, we can endanger the lives of others in more ways than we think. There are times when we endanger the lives of others simply by withholding pertinent information from them which could prevent them from costly mistakes.  

What if we consciously worked on not hating anyone in our hearts, bear grudges or seek revenge? What if we boldly rebuked people when they did malicious things? What if we sincerely confronted people when they wronged us in a bid to avoid holding grudges against them? What if we left all vengeance out of our lives and entrusted it to God to whom vengeance belongs? Our judgment can be skewed but God is just and all-knowing.  

In short: what if we loved our neighbor as ourselves and did unto them what we would want them to do unto us?  Jesus reminds us that all that God requires of us can be summarized in two commandments: love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. I believe the peace and harmony in our soul would be immeasurable!
Our loving God has a reason for giving us these guidelines. Let's latch unto them.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for the admonition that I should love my neighbor as myself. Help me to sincerely put this into practice so that I will experience peace and harmony in my soul. Amen.  

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/04/create-margins-to-bless-others Fri, 04 Sep 2026 01:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/04/create-margins-to-bless-others

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." Leviticus 19:9-11

The instructions above might seem rather strange to us but God was simply asking the Israelites to make provision to care for the poor and needy in society. God asked them to leave some margins when they harvested their crops. They were not to harvest everything and consume it. Those margins at the edge of the field were to be intentionally left for the poor and those who were traveling through town, as a means of sustenance. The Israelites were also asked not to go over their vineyards a second time or to pick up grapes that had fallen on the ground.
Again, this was for the benefit of the poor.

Society will always have the poor and needy. The hungry and destitute are important to God.
God has a special concern about whether we consume all the blessings He gives us on ourselves or whether we make room to bless others in need. The Israelites were instructed not to harvest all their produce for themselves but to save some for those in need. They were mostly farmers and food was a direct way they could help those in need.

Today, our situation is different. Most of us work for paychecks and the most direct way we can help the needy is by intentionally creating margins in our paycheck so we can give to God's work and help those in need. God values and honors generosity. The people God truly blesses are those who have learned not to spend everything they make on themselves but they create margins in their time and treasures to help care for God's church and for causes that help those in need.
When others are hit with tragedies such as severe hurricanes that render thousands of people homeless, we should be able to give and help if we have intentionally created some margins.

The reason why many are not able to give is that we spend everything we make on ourselves and leave no room or margin to give to needs outside of ourselves. We don't intentionally budget to give to God or bless others. That is a rather sad way to live. It is amazing that even when we are blessed with more money, we still create no margins to give, but convince ourselves that God understands our situation as we selfishly spend all we make on ourselves. Our acquisitive propensity only seems to increase the more we are blessed.

I wonder what we would say to God when we stand before Him at the end of our days only to realize that we have so little awaiting us in heaven because we created no margin to give on earth! When we give to worthy causes such as God's work and to the needy, we do it for God.
Create margins to bless others.

PRAYER:
Lord, my life is not measured by the abundance of things I acquire on this earth. Please help me to create margins in my life so I can be a blessing to you and others in need. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/03/respect-the-holiness-of-god Thu, 03 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/03/respect-the-holiness-of-god

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.
So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.  Moses then said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke of when He said:
 " 'Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.' " Aaron remained silent.  
. . . Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die.  . . . so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean . . . "
Leviticus 10:1-10

The death of the two priests, Nadab and Abihu seemed to be rather harsh. But God was making a point: "I am a holy God and my holiness should never be taken for granted."
 
All through Scripture, we see very strong judgment when the holiness of God is violated. Achan's whole family was stoned to death when he stole what God had asked the Israelites to devote to Him (Joshua 7). God struck Uzzah to death on the spot when he reached out and took hold of the ark of God because the oxen carrying it stumbled (2 Samuel 6). Ananias and his wife Sapphira were struck to death when they lied to Peter about money (Acts 5).

In our eyes, these might seem to be rather harsh and probably even cruel and uncompassionate acts of judgment. But the point God wants to impress on us is that He is totally holy and righteous. God wants us to remain cognizant of His holiness. But for the blood of Jesus and the compassion of God, we cannot dwell in His presence even for a moment!
Indeed as the Scripture says in Lamentations 3:22, "Because of the LORD's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

It is very easy to be rather cavalier about the things of God and take His holiness for granted.
We take the holiness of God for granted:  when we take His name in vain by making people think we reverence Him when we know in our heart of hearts that God is not our priority; when we grumble about the things we do for God; when we give our leftovers to Him and fail to offer Him the best of our time, talents and treasures; and when we are unfaithful to God and lie about it.

Such an attitude toward God smacks of a lack of holiness and robs us of great blessings.
In His own words, God says, "I am a great King . . . and my name is to be feared among the nations" (Malachi 1:14). Our God is holy and mighty. He blesses when He is honored and revered.  Let's respect God's holiness.

PRAYER:
Father, I confess that there are many ways in which I fail to reverence your holiness. Please help me to honor you with the right attitude and a life of holiness. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/02/thank-god-for-the-blood-of-jesus Wed, 02 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/02/thank-god-for-the-blood-of-jesus

The LORD said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands --
If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.  . . . He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the LORD.  . . . The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar . . . 
If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD's commands . . . the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting.  . . .
When a leader sins unintentionally . . . and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. He is to lay his hand on the goat's head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD.  It is a sin offering.' " 
Leviticus 4:1-24

The Book of Leviticus has detailed regulations about how the Israelites were to worship God and honor his holiness. Life for the Israelites was one of continuous sacrifice of animals, without defect, to atone for their sins -- even unintentional ones. God demanded various offerings to cleanse the sins of His people: Burnt Offerings, Grain Offerings, Fellowship Offerings, Sin Offerings, Guilt Offerings, etc.  Life must have been very stressful with the countless rules and regulations that had to be followed in order to be in right standing with God.

God demanded absolute perfection. Spiritual holiness was symbolized by physical perfection.
The animals used for the sacrifices had to be without blemish; the priests could not have any physical deformities; a man's bodily discharge or a woman's monthly period made them unclean; people with visible skin diseases had to be banished from the main camp because of the presence of God amidst His people. People, who were so banished, could only return to the camp after they had been declared clean by a priest and after they had offered the prescribed sacrifices. All these animal sacrifices were still insufficient to appease a holy God.

The Bible declares, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me . . . 'Here I am . . . I have come to do your will, my God.' "  (Hebrews 10:4-7).  The sacrificial death of Jesus put an end to all the prescribed sacrifices with its rules and regulations. The Blood of Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that cleanses our sins -- past, present, and future. We are made perfect and righteous by the Blood of Jesus.

Would you take some time to genuinely reflect over the sacrificial work of Jesus on the cross?
Would you take a moment to thank God for the Blood of Jesus?

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for the Blood of Jesus. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/01/the-lord-is-my-refuge-and-my-fortress Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/09/01/the-lord-is-my-refuge-and-my-fortress

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 
. . . He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge . . .  
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.   . . . no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 
. . . "Because He loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  . . . I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."  Psalm 91

The words of Psalm 91 were inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are words of assured protection and blessings upon those who place their full trust in the LORD by resting in His shadow.
Because God is not a man that He should lie (Num. 23:19), God will watch over these words and cause them to be fruitful in your life as you walk obediently with Him.

So:
May you continually dwell in the shadow of the Most High.
May the LORD continue to be your refuge and your fortress.
May God cover you with His feathers and may you find refuge under His wings.
May you not fear the terror of night nor the arrow that flies by day.

When thousands fall around you, may it not come near you.
May no harm overtake you and no disaster come near your tent.
May God command His angels to guard you in all your ways.
May the angels of God lift you up so you will not strike your foot against a stone.
May your love for God be so genuine and deep that He will always rescue and protect you.

Because you acknowledge the LORD:
May God be with you in times of trouble;
May God always deliver you and honor you.
May God heal you and satisfy you with good health and a long life.
May you see the salvation of God in every situation you encounter.

The LORD is your refuge and your fortress.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for your goodness toward me. I pray that all these promises will be fulfilled in my life as I walk obediently with you. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/31/don-t-let-god-speak-to-us Mon, 31 Aug 2026 06:12:05 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/31/don-t-let-god-speak-to-us

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." 
. . . Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven . . .  Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you . . .' "
Exodus 20:18-24

When God gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, He spoke to the entire community to the hearing of all. The Israelites did not really want to hear the word of God directly. They were more comfortable listening to God through Moses.
It is interesting, however, that God said, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven. . . ' "
It was almost as if God ignored their objection and went on record to establish indisputably, "I have spoken to you from heaven."

One of our major problems in our relationship with God is that we do not want to be held directly accountable by God. We do not want God to invade our space and deal directly with us. We are uncomfortable in the presence of the Holy God. We are more comfortable listening to what others tell us about God. Spending time to hear directly from God through His word is not that desirable.

It is great to have gifted pastors and teachers.
But the truth is: God desires to speak directly to us through His Spirit and His word.
Would you pause and hear God's voice today?

PRAYER:
Father, I long to hear your voice. Please help me to earnestly desire your word. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/29/the-battle-is-more-supernatural-than-natural Sat, 29 Aug 2026 06:22:39 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/29/the-battle-is-more-supernatural-than-natural

The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 
When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up . . . so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.   
. . . Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. He said, "Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation." Exodus 17:8-16.

Inheriting the Promised Land involved fighting many battles. The battle with the Amalekites was memorable because they attacked the Israelites without provocation and as a result, God decided to wage a ceaseless war against them. The battle was more supernatural than natural. Every time the hands of Moses were lifted up in prayer, the Israelites were winning. Whenever the hands of Moses grew tired and were dropped, the Amalekites were winning. The hands of Moses were held up to the throne of God by Aaron and Hur from morning till evening until Joshua and the army defeated the Amalekites. Effective prayer is hard and tiring work.

The source of the victory was clear. The LORD fought for Israel. So Moses built an altar of worship and called it, "The LORD is my banner because hands were lifted up against the throne of the LORD." When the supernatural is attended to, the natural falls in place. Prayer is one supernatural thing that affects every natural thing on earth, including wars.

Fulfilling your destiny by reaching your Promised Land is not without battles. Until you leave this earth, you will be battling continually toward your destiny. There are many times when the enemy, in the form of Amalekites, will come attacking. Do whatever you can to keep your hands up through petitions to God. Sometimes you might need others to encourage and hold you up as you seek the LORD. Your first line of defense should be the supernatural power of prayer.

As you seek the LORD and keep fighting on, the victory will be released and you will build your altar of worship to God. May God bring you Aarons and Hurs to uphold your hands in times of battle. Keep praying and keep fighting. God has His Banner over you!

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you that your Victory Banner is unfurled over me as I pray and fight on.  

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/28/may-the-fire-in-us-attract-people-to-god Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/28/may-the-fire-in-us-attract-people-to-god

Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.  
. . . Get two bulls for us. Let Baal's prophets choose one for themselves . . .  I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire -- He is God." 
. . . Then they called on the name of Baal . . .  But there was no response; no one answered . . . 
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." . . . and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which had been torn down.   
. . . At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed . . .   "Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."  Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice . . .  When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -- He is God! The LORD -- He is God! 1 Kings 18:21-39.

The people of God had lost their way. They had turned their backs on the God who brought them out of Egypt. They were worshipping Baal and other false gods. Something dramatic needed to happen in order to turn the hearts of the people back to God.
Elijah did three significant things: First, he challenged the false prophets to call on their god to manifest his power. They called, but nothing happened. Second, Elijah called the people of God together and they repaired the altar of God. Third, he called on the LORD to answer by fire, "so these people will know that you, LORD, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again." God answered by fire and it consumed even the stones and the soil.

We live in very wicked times. There is a relentless fight to make the truth of God relative to our personal subjective views. Many Christians and pastors are afraid to either speak the truth of God's word or stand up in defense of it. God's people are worshipping the false gods of money, personalities, power, and politics. We are afraid to declare the Lordship of Jesus either in word or action. In the prophetic words of Paul, "there is a form of godliness without the power."
Just like the days of Elijah, we must challenge the false gods of our time, repair the altar of Yahweh and boldly call on the LORD to answer our cry for the renewal of hearts with His Fire.

The fire of God (signified by the power of God's Holy Spirit) is what will cause people to turn back to God and exclaim, "The LORD -- He is God! The LORD -- He is God!"
The fire of God always attracts. It attracted Moses to the burning bush. It attracted the Israelites at Elijah's sacrifice. It attracted the people at Pentecost. It will still attract skeptics today.

May you and I be so filled with the Fire of God and may God's church be so full of His fire that many hearts will be turned to God with cries of, "Jesus is Lord!" Jesus is Lord!"

PRAYER:
Lord, let me be so filled with your Fire that I will attract people into your family. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/27/stop-grumbling-god-has-done-a-lot-for-you Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:25:15 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/27/stop-grumbling-god-has-done-a-lot-for-you

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai . . .  In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
. . . So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because He has heard your grumbling against Him.  "You will know that it was the LORD when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." Exodus 16:1-8.

The hardness of the human heart is impossible to fathom. Our hearts can be so hardened by ingratitude that our relationship with God can be polluted. Instead of filling the heart of God with joy, we pump sadness into His heart by grumbling and ignoring all the good things He has blessed us with. We do it to God and we do it to those God uses sacrificially to bless our lives. The Israelites did that to God and they did it to Moses and Aaron.  

I can almost see the astonishment on the face of Moses as he cried out in protest against the grumbling Israelites, ". . . He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us but against the LORD."
Can you imagine the scene of over 600,000 men, not counting the women and children, protesting against Moses because they would rather die than miss the pots of meat and food they sat around in Egypt? They were willing to trade their freedom in the Promised Land for the whips, lashes, and bondage of slavery in Egypt all because of food! And why was this the case? I believe one answer is that they were visionless and short-sighted.

Whenever we lose the vision of who God is and what He is working out for our ultimate good, we are reduced to complainers and grumblers. Whenever we become short-sighted and focus on meat and pots of food, we grumble and complain. Whenever we forget all the mighty things God has done for us, we find ourselves grumbling against Him and those He uses to bless our lives. We will not get to our Promised Land if we are unwilling to sacrifice some comforts!

Here are some thoughts: First, be grateful for all that God has already done for you. Second, thank God that the plans He has for you are for your good and not for your evil; plans to give you hope and a future. Third, be willing to sacrifice some comforts; they are temporal. Finally, appreciate the sacrifice of people God uses to bless your life. If you learn to bless the LORD at all times and have a grateful spirit, grumbling and ingratitude will not be a part of you.

PRAYER:
LORD, please help me to bless you at all times and to remain grateful and refrain from grumbling. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/26/i-am-the-lord-who-heals-you Wed, 26 Aug 2026 04:57:10 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/26/i-am-the-lord-who-heals-you

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) . . . Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, "If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.  Exodus 15:22-27

It is interesting that for three whole days, the Israelites traveled in the desert without finding water to drink! Didn't God know that water was essential to their survival? Why did they have to go through that painful experience to the point where they had to grumble against Moses and in reality against God Himself? And how come God led them to a bitter pool of water?

I believe there are several lessons that can be gleaned from the experience, but two are particularly worth noting:
First, the fact that the Israelites had just experienced the miraculous parting of the Red Sea did not mean all their trials and challenges were over. Even though they were still being led directly by God through the Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night, they still found themselves with the challenge of having no water for three days.

The lesson is: we can still have bitter and very challenging experiences (Marah situations) even when we are directly in the will of God. But the same God who parts the Red Sea for us, can bring healing to those bitter experiences because He is the LORD "who heals us." He heals not just our diseases but also our pain and bitter experiences. He has the power to turn our bitter experiences into pleasant testimonies of divine healing and intervention. The Bible describes our healing as a "ruling." This ruling or divine statute is given within the instruction of our obedient walk with God. It is a statute we can appeal to as we walk obediently with God.

A second lesson is this: our Marah (bitter experiences) are temporary! Beyond Marah is Elim, with the awaiting joy of springs, palm trees, and water. We must look beyond Marah to Elim!
Not only will God heal us of diseases and whatever bitter experiences we encounter as we journey with Him, but He will also renew us with fresh springs of water. God heals and renews.

PRAYER:
Father, I thank you for your healing power. You are the God who heals me. I look to you not only for physical healing but also for emotional and spiritual renewal as I drink deep from your fresh springs of living water. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/25/the-lord-is-your-strength-and-your-defense Tue, 25 Aug 2026 05:00:33 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/25/the-lord-is-your-strength-and-your-defense

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
"I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.
"The LORD is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation." He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father's God, and I will exalt Him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is His name. Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh's officers are drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 
Your right hand, LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, LORD, shattered the enemy."  Exodus 15:1-6.

When we are faced with the seemingly impossible, a victory song is the last thing on our minds.
Never in a million years could the Israelites have imagined what they were about to witness with their own eyes. Never could they have imagined that they would soon sing a victory song to celebrate the defeat of Pharaoh. How was death going to give way to victory?

Only the night before, they were terrified as the Egyptian army pursued them through the Red Sea. Death at Pharaoh's hands seemed imminent. But the Bible says, "During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, 'Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt.' When God is your defense, the enemy must run. 

The defenseless Israelites now had a victory song on their lips. They sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation." Fear not; the LORD is your salvation.

The LORD is a Mighty Warrior. The LORD is great in battle. The LORD is full of surprises. During the "last watch of the night," God can throw the enemy into confusion and turn your situation completely around. Don't be afraid of the many chariots and horses of the enemy. The LORD is your strength and your defense. Stand still and see His deliverance. 

PRAYER:
LORD, the numerous horses and chariots of Pharaoh seem overwhelming, but I will be still and wait on you because you are my strength and my defense. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/24/the-bottom-line-fear-god-and-trust-him Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:49:18 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/24/the-bottom-line-fear-god-and-trust-him

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea . . . The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.  The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea.  
. . . Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen."  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen . . .  But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.   
. . . And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant.  Exodus 14:21-31.

After 430 years of slavery, bondage, and oppression, God liberated the Israelites with mighty signs and wonders. The waters of the Red Sea were split into two walls as the Israelites marched through safely on dry ground. The pursuing Egyptians encountered the fighting fury of God as their horses, chariots, and horsemen were drowned by the raging waters.

By all accounts, this was a spectacular display of divine power. All the fears of the Israelites were allayed as they saw the most powerful nation in the world brought to its knees and its elite fighting forces and military prowess decimated by one move of God!
Truly, "Our God is the Lion; the Lion of Judah! Who can stand before the LORD God Almighty?" 

The concluding words of the biblical account are worth noting and meditating upon, "And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the LORD . . . the people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and in Moses His servant."
That is the bottom line! All the goodness of God, all His provision, all His protection should cause us to fear Him (love, adore, obey, reverence) and put our trust in Him and His servants, who faithfully stand in the gap for His children through genuine obedience and intercession.

Has God been good to you? Has He supplied your needs? Has He protected you? Has He healed you? Has He helped you to raise your children in spite of numerous challenges? Has He answered your prayers? Do you believe that He is working all things out for your good? 
Then, the bottom line is clear:  Fear God and put your trust in Him.

PRAYER:
Lord, your goodness to me is too numerous to recount. Help me to fear and put my trust in you. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/23/a-reason-to-give-in-worship Sun, 23 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/23/a-reason-to-give-in-worship

"After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He promised . . . you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb.
. . . In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.' 
And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with His mighty hand."
Exodus 13:11-16

God delivered the Hebrews out by visiting several plagues on the Egyptians. The killing of the firstborn son of every human and animal was of eternal significance. It broke the back of Pharaoh and caused him to acknowledge the mighty power of Yahweh.
God made a distinction between the Israelites and Egyptians by sparing their own sons. The LORD then asked the Israelites to give him the firstborn males of every womb from that point on. This was to remind them of how God had graciously dealt with them in Egypt.

God was aware that future generations, not privy to the experience of the redemption from Egypt, would have questions about worship and giving of the firstborn males to God. He prepared them with an answer, "When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn both of people and animals . . .  This is why I sacrifice to the LORD."
Without a heartfelt reason behind our worship, there will be neither commitment, passion, nor joy to it. We will either refuse to worship or at best worship grudgingly. 

When our worship is based upon God's goodness to us; when our worship is informed by the fact that God shed the Blood of His firstborn Son to save our lives; when our worship is informed by the fact that God brought us into a spacious land flowing with milk and honey; when our worship is informed by the fact that it is Yahweh who gives us breath and the ability to work and obtain wealth, we will have no reason to worship God grudgingly. We will have no reason to be compelled to give of our Time, Talents and Treasures to the God who redeemed us and continues to graciously sustain us. Giving worship to God will be a cheerful experience.

So what is the basis of your worship and giving? Is it out of love and appreciation for what God has done for you? If so, then grudging worship and giving should never be part of your being! 

PRAYER:
LORD, please forgive me for any ingratitude. Help me to worship and give to You with joy and meaning. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/21/no-entry-permit-for-the-destroyer-because-of-the-blood Fri, 21 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/21/no-entry-permit-for-the-destroyer-because-of-the-blood

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover Lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.
When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
Exodus 12:21-23.

I wonder if we truly understand the authority and divine protection we have as Believers. I wonder if we truly utilize that authority and consciously walk in that protection. I wonder if our lives and God's Church would be different if we appropriated all the spiritual resources at our disposal in the daily occurrences of life. Particularly, I wonder if we truly ponder over the power we have through the Blood of Jesus. As I reflect on this passage, I don't think we consciously remind ourselves of the power and protection we have as children of God. Knowledge is great,  but a continual application of that knowledge is what makes the difference in situations.

Moses reminded the Israelites that, "When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood . . . and will pass over the doorway, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down."
The blood of the lamb at Passover, which was symbolic of the Blood of the Holy Lamb of God who was slain on the cross, was a bulwark against the activities of the destroyer. The presence of the blood meant the entry permit had been taken away from the destroyer.

We must take a fresh look at the power of the Blood of Jesus and consciously walk in the victory we have through the Blood. We have forgiveness through the blood, we have access to God's throne through the blood, and our homes are spared from the activities of the enemy because of the Blood of Jesus. 

This means: Our bodies must be spared from the destructive attacks of the enemy. Our jobs, homes, children, marriages, and relationships must be spared. God's Church must be spared.
Because of the Blood of Jesus, none of the weapons against us shall prosper. Surely, they will gather, but not by the Lord, just as the Bible says in Isaiah 54(KJV). The Spirit of God will lift up a standard against him. That is a divine promise.
There is no entry permit for the Enemy because of the Blood of Jesus. 
Question: What if we radically believed this and lived in righteousness and obedience?
The Enemy must give up every false permit he has obtained against us. 
The Blood of Jesus has made him permitless!

PRAYER:
Jesus, I thank you for Your Blood. Please help me to consciously appropriate the victory I have through Your Blood. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/20/my-times-are-in-your-hands Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:30:56 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/20/my-times-are-in-your-hands

But I trust in you, LORD; I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human intrigues; you keep them safe in your dwelling from accusing tongues.
Psalm 31:14-20

My times are in your hands.
What better place to place your life than in the hands of God. David was a man who experienced extreme pain and extreme glory. As the anointed future king of Israel, he found himself running to preserve his life from King Saul for years. He slept in caves and survived by doing odd jobs and security work. But through all his trials, he looked up to God for sustenance and protection. So, he writes, "But I trust in you, LORD . . . My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies . . . let your face shine on your servant."
 
Your times are in the hands of God.
May God deliver you from the hands of your enemies; from those who pursue you.
May the face of God shine on you, and may God save you in His unfailing love.

Because you cry out to God, may you never be put to shame.
May God silence all lying lips against you.
May the lips of those who speak arrogantly against you be sealed.

May you enjoy the abundance of good things God has stored up for those who fear Him.
May you enjoy God's abundance in the sight of all.
May God shelter you from all human intrigues and accusing tongues.
May God shine His face on you.

PRAYER:
Father, I receive these blessings for your glory. May all that I am and ever hope to be bring honor to your name. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/19/stand-still-and-see-the-deliverance-of-the-lord Wed, 19 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/19/stand-still-and-see-the-deliverance-of-the-lord

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses. . .  "It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you. You need only to be still."
Exodus 14:10-14

God had a plan of deliverance that was being diligently carried out. It involved some hair-raising moments when it seemed as if the enemies of Israel had the upper hand over God and His people. But over and over again, God assured Moses that those scary and trying moments were all part of the plan. They were designed to bring Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt to their knees in a way that would cause them to revere Yahweh in a most glorious manner.

At the Red Sea, the Israelites looked back only to see all the elite forces of Egypt marching furiously after them. Terrified, they said to Moses, "It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert."
But Moses simply assured them to stand still and see the deliverance of the LORD. He uttered these memorable words: "The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again."

The workings of God have not changed. His faithfulness and loyalty to His children remain the same through the ages, but neither has the goals of the Enemy. He is still pursuing God's children to steal, kill and destroy. Like the forces of Pharaoh, the forces of hell are relentless in their pursuit of the righteous.

The words of Moses to the Israelites are still relevant today, "Stand still and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you."

These are not empty words. If we take them to heart and believe them, we will see the deliverance of the LORD in our situations. The forces of "Egypt" are no match for the forces of the God of the-angel-armies. The Egyptians we see today, we will never see again because God is fighting for us. Let us stand still and see the deliverance God is bringing.

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you that the battle belongs to you. I will stand still to see your deliverance.
Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/18/wandering-by-divine-design Tue, 18 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/18/wandering-by-divine-design

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.  . . . By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light . . .  
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth between Migdol and the sea.  . . . Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.'  And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.
Exodus 13:17-14:4

God knows the plans He has for us. They are plans to prosper us and not to harm us. They are plans to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). The wisdom of God is infinite; our wisdom is finite. God is omniscient; our knowledge is limited. He knows what is best for us and will give us nothing short of His very best. He knows how to prepare us to adequately handle the blessings He has in store for us. He knows what we can and cannot handle. But the question is: Do we really act as if that is truly the case?

It is fascinating to reflect on why God did not lead the Israelites on the shorter route from Goshen in Egypt into the Promised land of Canaan. The most logical thing was to take the shorter route through Philistine country. But God chose a longer wandering route.

God gave two reasons. First, it was too soon to expose the Israelites to warfare. The shorter and logical route was lined by a string of Egyptian fortresses and there would have been massive attacks against the Israelites. This would have been discouraging and caused a resubmission to Egypt. God wanted to spare them from that experience.
Second, God wanted to give Pharaoh the impression that the Israelites were just wandering aimlessly around in the desert. Pharaoh would come after them and God would gain glory over him in the process.

Divine delays and wanderings are rather frustrating. Many times, those long delays and desert wanderings evoke lots of questions from us. But the truth is, God knows what we can adequately handle. Sometimes quick success can expose us to battles that we might not be able to handle. So, in His infinite wisdom, God might take us around the desert in a long and wandering route to adequately prepare us to handle our blessings and also outwit the enemy.

There is a reason for the desert wandering. Be patient. It is a divine design! It is part of the plan!

PRAYER:
Lord, I thank you that you have a reason behind my wanderings. Please help me to patiently wait on you. Amen.

]]> https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/17/the-protective-power-of-the-blood Mon, 17 Aug 2026 02:00:00 +0000 https://renewalchristiancenter.org/blog/2026/08/17/the-protective-power-of-the-blood

"On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." . . .  
At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt . . . Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people . . .  Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." Exodus 12:12-32.

Pharaoh had resisted God's command to release the children of Israel out of Egyptian slavery.
Releasing them was going to be a massive economic loss to Egypt because the Israelites provided free labor for the king's projects. No plague seemed strong enough to cause Pharaoh to bow to Yahweh. The plague of frogs, gnats, darkness, flies, hail, and locusts seemed to have no effect on Pharaoh. But there was one plague that brought him to his knees: the striking of all the firstborn sons of Egypt. Every Egyptian household, including Pharaoh's, lost their firstborn son but God spared the Israelites because of the blood applied to their doorposts.
God said to Moses, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you."

The blood on the doorposts was a precursor of the blood of Jesus that was going to be shed for our redemption. The Bible tells us in I Peter 1:2 that we are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus.
The blood of Jesus continues to be a spiritual mark on every believer. We are protected by the blood of Jesus. When the enemy sees the blood on a believer, he has to pass over. Destructive plagues must pass over. Every form of evil must pass over us because of the sprinkled blood on our lives.

We must live with confidence and assurance because we are covered and protected by the blood of Jesus. Jesus made a public spectacle of the Enemy through the shedding of His holy blood on the cross. That is the source of our victory and protection.

Would you take a moment today to reflect on the protective power of the blood of Jesus?
Would you take a moment to thank God for sending Jesus to shed His blood for us?  
The power in the blood of Jesus is unrivaled. Thank God for the blood of Jesus. 

PRAYER:
Prayer: Father, I thank you for the blood of Jesus. Thank you for the forgiveness and protection that is mine because of the blood of Jesus. Amen.

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