Category: Christian Life and Faith

Breaking the Power of Delay

Kynan Bridges says breakthrough is when God’s power, purpose and Presence move against delay!

Kynan Bridges says breakthrough is when God’s power, purpose and Presence meet discouragement and delay. Angels of breakthrough are waiting to make it happen!

Hello. Sid Roth here. Welcome to my world where it’s naturally supernatural. My guest says expect unusual miracles beginning this year. Like a raven with money in its mouth, dropping this money into your hands, this actually happened to a woman and she was continually struggling with finances and the supernatural raven money gift which was verified by her friends that were present, from that moment on she has never struggled financially. Are you ready for your unusual miracles? Next on It’s Supernatural!

Is there a supernatural dimension? A world beyond the one we know? Can we tap into ancient secrets of the supernatural? Can our dreams contain messages from heaven? Is God ready to bring a tsunami wave of healing on to planet earth today? Sid Roth has spent over 40 years researching the strange world of the supernatural. Join Sid for this edition of It’s Supernatural!

SID: You know, there’s a popular word and it’s almost … it kind of bounces off of you but it’s an important word. It’s called breakthrough. Tell me what breakthrough means based on the Bible, based on what God has shown you.

KYNAN: You know, breakthrough is a very powerful concept in the Bible. I believe that a breakthrough is when the power, purpose and presence of God bursts forth in someone’s life and transforms their lives forever.

SID: Well, you not only teach from the word of God, but from hands on experience.

KYNAN: Yes.

SID: You desperately needed a breakthrough when you were starting in ministry. How bad were things?

 KYNAN: Very bad. I even questioned whether or not I was supposed to pastor. Because you know, sea bites sometimes. I had a lot of sea bites and I was wounded and hurt and a lot of times, ministers don’t … they’re not honest with themselves when they’re burnt out, but I was burnt out and I said, “God, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing anymore.” I can remember coming home after a very tough time evangelizing and my wife and I were in the living room and she looks at me and I didn’t realize that she was as prophetic as she is, but she said, “What do you see?” I said, “I see you.”

SID: I would have done the same.

 KYNAN: I mean, what do you mean what do I see? She said, “No Kynan. What do you see?” I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I was discouraged, I was frustrated. She said, “What do you see?” I said, “I don’t know.” Then finally the light bulb came on. I began to prophesy. I said, “I see women and children getting saved. I see young people coming to the Lord. I see nations being discipled. I see crack addicts coming off the street.” What was happening in that moment is that God’s purpose was breaking through in my life. I was getting a revelation of what heaven intended for my life, which looked different from my situation.

 KYNAN: As I began to prophesy, the atmosphere began to shift and all of a sudden, I tapped into that breaker anointing which I’ll talk about in a moment. That next Sunday, we had the largest service we had ever had in the history of our church because things shifted. A lot of people are waiting for as shift to happen in heaven, but heaven is already open. The earth needs to shift because when your mind shifts and you tap into what God has already promised you, then you enter into the place I call manifestation.

SID: Talking about breakthrough, tell me about a healing breakthrough with the person with cerebral palsy.

KYNAN: Yeah this is a very powerful testimony. I was in California doing a revival meeting. It was a lot of warfare leading up to that meeting and we were in the night meeting and a woman comes in with cerebral palsy of course from birth and she’s had her whole life, has not been able to function normally her whole life and they bring her into the sanctuary. Now one of the things I think is important Sid is that if we’re going to see the miraculous, we have to have an attitude of expectation. Because the attitude of expectancy is the atmosphere for miracles. So, what happens is that this woman comes in and she comes to the altar. Her son brings her and she said, “What do you want God to do for you?” She’s like, “I want God to heal me. I want him to touch me.” I could feel her faith.

KYNAN: I know what Jesus meant when he said he saw their faith. You can see people’s faith. As I was praying for the woman, all I did was this. I said, “You know what? You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” I didn’t realize it then but I was activating the anointing that was already on the inside of her. See, Christ lives on the inside of us. See, when we want a breakthrough, when God can breakthrough in you, he can breakthrough for you. This is so important.

 KYNAN: As I’m whispering this in her ear, I said, “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” Every time I said that she took a step. When I would say it again she would take another step and then another step and eventually she started running throughout the sanctuary and the faith of the people just exploded. Sid, the glory came into that building and that was the beginning of many miracles that night.

 SID: You also talk about putting a demand on heaven.

KYNAN: Yes.

SID: Explain that what that means to you.

 KYNAN: You know, just like in economics there’s supply and demand. God has an economy. Heaven is a system, not just a place and when we look at the kingdom of God, that’s why the Bible says ask and you shall receive. In other words, when I ask, I’m placing a demand on heaven’s supply. I was praying one day and as I was praying I saw a vision. In this vision, there were two golden double doors and in the vision, I pressed through the double doors and as I pressed through the double doors, there was an endless storehouse. I mean there was gold, there were rubies, there were all kinds of precious metals. There were four angels guarding this storehouse.

KYNAN: As I came out of the vision, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “You just stepped into the treasury of heaven where there is unlimited supply. Heaven has no restrictions. Heaven has no limitations.”

SID: Boy there’s such a presence of God on the statement you just made.

KYNAN: Yes. Heaven has no limitations. The only thing that limits us is the demand that we place. I just feel this so strongly. I feel like there’s somebody watching right now you need to place a demand on heaven. Listen. You’re not waiting on God. He’s waiting on you. He has already made it available to you. That transformation, that miracle, that salvation, that healing, it’s yours. You need to go where the table is spread. The Bible says…..

SID: So, when someone, Kynan, says “I’m expecting. I’m waiting on you God. I’m waiting. I’m waiting,” there’s a more aggressive stance than that passive stance of waiting on God.

KYNAN: Yes. : Go ahead.

KYNAN: Okay Matthew 11:12 says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Christianity is not a spectator sport. You can’t see the kingdom manifested from the bleachers. You have to engage heaven. You have to engage the realm of the spirit. Let me give you an example. Imagine if you found out that there was $5 billion behind the door in your back room that you never go in to. Would you stand at the door and say, “Lord, open this door if it be your holy will.”

SID: No, I’d knock it over.

KYNAN: You would knock it down because why? What’s behind the door is more valuable than the door itself. What God has on the other side of your hindrance, on the other side of your wall is greater than the limitation and it’s time for the church to burst through and see the manifestation of what God has planned. Yeah.

SID: I tell you what. I’ve been a believer a long time and what you’re saying with the presence of God on it, I’m ready to knock that door down. Now, we read about unusual miracles in the Bible like God sending a fish with money in its mouth but these unusual miracles are once again erupting. I want to learn about the raven giving money to a woman and supernaturally she never struggled with finances again.

We’ll be right back. We’ll be right back to It’s Supernatural. [music] [commercial] [music] We now return to It’s Supernatural.

SID: I don’t know about you, but my expectancy is up. I’m expecting unusual miracles, but this takes the cake. Tell me about the supernatural raven.

 KYNAN: You know, you can’t make this stuff up. One of the precious sisters in our ministry, she was going through kind of a challenge at the time and she went to the store and a supermarket and spent pretty most of what she had buying some things, but there was a few things she needed to get at another store so she left that store and went to another one. As she’s pulling up in the parking space, a raven comes down in the parking space. When the raven comes down in the parking space, they notice that he has something in his mouth. As they get out of the car, they go toward the raven, he doesn’t fly away. This a bold raven, Sid.

SID: This is.

KYNAN: He starts walking toward them. As they get closer, he gets closer. They get closer, he gets closer. They reach down and they realize that he has money in his mouth and he just stands there. When they get closer, he drops the money and he flies away. It was $50. The exact amount she had just spent at the store before. Now here’s the part that’s so interesting. These were fresh crisp bank notes like they had just come from the bank.

SID: Brand new printed.

KYNAN: Brand new crisp bills in the raven’s mouth. This miracle changed her life. You see, it only takes a moment to change your world. It only takes a moment to manifest a miracle, but we have to learn how to maximize our moments.

SID: Tell me about the breaker anointing.

KYNAN: In Micah two, it talks about the breaker anointing. That word breaker actually comes from the Hebrew word (Hebrew) and it means to break through. It’s the same in Genesis 38 when the baby broke out. It’s the same word. That breaker anointing is being released in the earth to break off limitations of all kinds. To break off financial limitations. To break off family limitations. To break the brick walls that people have. The people that are saying, “You know what? Why haven’t I gotten my miracle?” Because there’s a spirit of prevention arresting the manifestation of what they’ve asked for. But the good news is that this anointing that has been released not only in the believer, before the believer is stronger than the limitation on the believer. I believe that this is a season where we’re going to see mass breakthroughs in the body of Christ.

SID: Give me a hands-on example in your own life.

KYNAN: Yeah.

SID: With the breaker anointing.

KYNAN: I’ve seen it so many times. I went through some of the most difficult seasons I’ve ever been in ministry. I remember being in this place where this darkness was in my life and I just wasn’t really feeling God, hearing God. I just wanted to just stay inside all day. One day the Lord came into my room and he said this to me. He said, “How long are you going to tolerate this?” I said, “What do you mean?” He said, “I’ve given you the authority. I’ve given you the authority.” I said, “Lord, you know what? I want to change. I want something to happen in my life.” All of a sudden, Sid, I experienced supernatural breakthrough. Something lifted off of my life. Something was released off of my life and I’ve never been the same since that day. I’ve seen it so many times.

SID: When we return, I want Dr. Kynan to explain how to reverse the spirit of delay in your prayers, dreams and destiny and break this spirit once and for all of delay off of your life.

SID: Angels of breakthrough are here now.

KYNAN: Yes.

SID: Example.

KYNAN: There are angels in the earth right now. In fact I go preach all the time and one of the angels that accompanies me is called Breakthrough. His assignment, the assignment of this angel is to arrest the spirit of delay in a believer’s life. I’ll give you an example. I was preaching in England and we had this activation where I said, “You know what? It’s time to receive. Receive.” Right? So I had everybody reach up prophetically and receive what the father had already supplied. When we did that, the atmosphere shifted. People started getting healed, but that wasn’t the kicker. The kicker was the person co-hosting the event with me, their daughter called them and around the same time, this person had lost a pair of earrings about a year earlier.

KYNAN: Couldn’t find them for a year or whatever it was and all of a sudden, during this same time, they’re walking up the steps and the earrings are perfectly set on each step. One two. Perfectly aligned with each other. I said to the host and she said to me, “Kynan, I believe that an angel delivered those earrings.”

SID: How could that be though? People have walked there for a year.

KYNAN: Because it’s angelic. It’s supernatural. It’s naturally supernatural, Sid. One of the things is that this is what the Lord told me. He said, “We have to partner with the angelic realm.” How do we do that? Psalm 103 says that the angels harken to the voice of God’s word. Which means they can not operate in their assignment until the word of God is spoken. So, one of the ways we partner is that we have to align our earthly conversation with the heavenly conversation concerning our lives and we have to speak. I’ve seen this so many times, Sid. I’ve seen people be healed. I’ve seen people be delivered as they begin to engage the atmospheres that they were in with the words that they were speaking.

KYNAN: We have to give a voice to God’s word. God’s word is written. It’s settled in the heavens, but when we speak it, that’s when heaven begins to invade the earth.

SID: Can you pray for those viewing right now and break the spirit of delay?

KYNAN: Yeah. You know you’re watching right now. You may be going through discouragement, delay. In fact, delay has a couple cousins that he always operates with. One is called distraction. The other one is distress and the other one is discouragement. Right now, by the power of the blood of Yeshua, we take authority over the spirit of prevention operating in your life. Just like it was with me when my wife and I prayed and we saw a net, a spider’s web with all of our blessings caught in it, we spoke to that web and we said, “Be broken in Yeshua’s name. I declare over your life right now by the power of the Holy Spirit that everything that’s held up, hindered, everything that is stagnant, everything that has been arrested by the enemy, that right now from this day forward, it must come back to you in Jesus name.

KYNAN: That you must receive the restoration of everything that the locusts have stolen, that the cake worms have eaten. This is your season of restoration and reconciliation. May the power of the blood of Jesus accelerate every promise in your life that Isiah 43:19 will be your portion, that behold he does a new thing and it shall spring forth. He will make a way in the wilderness and rivers shall spring up in your desert right now in Jesus name.

SID: Yeah. Kynan, you’re a prophet. You have seen things that are going to begin this year that are so wonderful. Tell me one or two.

KYNAN: One of the things that’s going to happen beginning this year is the increase of angelic activity. Another thing that’s going to happen this year is the increase of the prophetic anointing. Because it is prophetic declarations that release breakthrough. If you don’t believe me, ask Daniel who in Daniel 9 and 10 when he proclaimed over Israel angels were dispatched. We’re also going to see, Sid, the manifestation of unusual miracles and guess what? It’s not going to be from pastors. It’s not going to be from clergy. It’s going to be from ordinary people who have the audacious faith to believe that what God said is going to be reality in their lives and they’re going to walk in miracles, signs and wonders like we’ve never seen before.

KYNAN: The glory, the latter ring glory is hitting the earth so that the glory of the latter house will be greater than the former. Our churches are about to explode. You not going to have to beg folks to come to church. You’re going to have to push people away because the capacity is not big enough to contain them. I see churches leaving sanctuaries and going into soccer fields, to stadiums. To all kinds of open fields where we’re going to see creative miracles, instant miracles and ultimately mass salvations that will shift the culture around us.

SID: That’s what my next question was. How is this going to change society?

KYNAN: Because you see the Bible says this. The Bible says the children the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders. As we begin to walk in the power of the kingdom, Mark chapter 16 will become our reality. The Bible says they went about proclaiming the kingdom. The Lord working with them confirming his word with signs and wonders. I believe what happened in the book of Acts is going to happen in this generation. We’re going to see millions of people come to the Lord. We’re going to see people come out of addictions and bondages and immorality and come into the kingdom of God and know that Yeshua is the name above all names.

SID: You shared another word that God gave you. Now. Now! Now!

KYNAN: Amen.

SID: Next week on It’s Supernatural! Jennifer Eivaz: Hello. I’m Jennifer Eivaz. Join me on It’s Supernatural! with Sid Roth as I share how God wants to awaken your heart to experience his glory in every area of your life. [music]

Sid Roth’s Television

Powerful Prayer

GEORGE MUELLER, the great Christian, pastor and social reformer, tells a story of persistent prayer in his diary:

“In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted.  I thanked God for the second, and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted.  I thanked God for the three, and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.”

Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, son’s of a friend were still not converted.  He wrote, “But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be.” In 1897, fifty-two years after he began to pray daily, without interruption, for these two men, they were finally converted—but after he died! Mueller understood what the Apostle Paul meant when he said that he “night and day praying exceedingly….”  In 1 Thessalonians 3 Paul shares some good news that he heard about the faith and love of the Thessalonian believers.  This good news was the result of powerful prayer.  What was Paul praying for that resulted in such good news?  I believe he gives us a hint in verses 11-13.

First Paul prayed for connection and fellowship with those believers.  He had been forced away from them through persecution and had to leave them unexpectedly.  During Paul’s time with them he taught them the gospel, which they received and it transformed them.  While Paul was worried that in his absence they may have drifted away in their faith, he heard in the “good news” from Timothy that they were established in their faith and in their love for one another.  Paul prayed that he could soon be back in their presence.

Secondly Paul prayed for their love to increase.  While in the “good news” report he learned that they did have love, he also prayed for it to abound more and more.  He prayed that they would not just love one another, but they would also love the lost and even their enemies.  Love in this epistle is always seen as an action, “labor of love.”  In other words love has a purpose, it is not an end in itself.  Love is not simply an emotional feeling, but love results in action.  Paul prayed that their love result in more action “toward all men.”

Finally, Paul prayed for their hearts to be established in holiness.  The Thessalonian believers were taught that Christ is going to return and we need to be ready. Paul wanted them to be ready.  How do we get ready?  How do we get our hearts established so that when He comes we are not embarrassed? Repent of your sins and believe in Christ, His death, burial and resurrection.  By faith and grace we become His child.  But being His child does not mean that we will be blameless and holy at His coming.  The holiness here is separation from sin in our daily lives.  This is speaking more of our sanctification.  We must protect our hearts from hooks of sin by repenting of it immediately.  Additionally, we should seek to obey God’s instructions and find our delight and joy in His Word and in Him rather than sin. My prayer for us is the prayer of Paul, “that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”

The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Th 3:13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

By Ryan

Forgive Others

What a glorious Sunday we have at Church Service today, everyone was happy and cheerful. Nicely dressed as occasion demands. Sunday Church Service at Village side.

Pastor Dan Lartey preached from Luke Gospel, 23:1-12, it was all about, the Lord Jesus when he came under trails and facing judgement from sinful men he came to save, and to give then eternal life. He was falsely accused of things he did not do or say by his own people and nation.

 Kings could not find any wrong doing about him, after thorough examination they say “I see no false of death about him” as his accusers demanded. Yet he was commend to death and was crucified and died on the cross on behalf of all. What a Great demonstration of the Father’s love shown to us sinners by allowing his own begotten Son to died to save sinners like us. 

Jesus gave up himself willingly so that through his death and resurrection, He might bring us back to God. He sacrifice himself as ransom, he was betrayed, accused, condemned and crucified on the cross. It happen to show us how to love and learn to forgive others who trespass against us no matter the degree of the offence committed. The Lord Jesus Christ coming down here on earth was a full demonstration of his Father’s love for us even though we are all dead in sin and trespasses.  He, Jesus became a sinner, one who knew no sin so that we all must live through him. 

If God has done this and so much for us, how do we also treats our neighbor and people around us. As we see year coming to a close we need to reexamined ourselves in the light of what Jesus did and the scriptures so that we all repent and turn our hearts full to God for forgiveness and salvation in his Son Jesus Christ.

We must stop accusing and cursing people that have hurt us in the past, or hurting us presently and those who will hurt us in the future. Instead we ought to pray for them and love those who have wrong us painfully, whether in the pass, present and future. Our everyday life should reveals the Love God in and through us wherever we are or may be. The Love of God and love for our neighbors or enemies means we have Jesus in our hearts and we are also living for Him at all time.

Rev Arcton led them to pray the sinners prayer and to invite Jesus into their life as Lord and Savoir.

After the message many gave their life to Christ and Lord and personal savoir and rededicate them to the Lord for revival.

“COWARDS BE GONE”

There has never been a better time to be alive. God’s plan since before time began is about to unfold all over the world and He wants you to be a part of it. Jesus said in Matt. 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God is advancing forcefully, and forceful men lay hold of it.” God is going to establish His rule and cover the earth with His glory by pouring Himself into those believers who throw off the cloak of passivity and put on the whole armor of God. We live in a world at war and we’re supposed to fight back. To kill the lion you’ve got to run to the roar. For many this is a difficult reality to embrace as witnessed by the passivity that marks much of Christianity. Most people want the Christian life to be all about the sweet love of Jesus not knowing that Christianity is not a life of comfort but of conflict. Anyone who chooses to become a Christian automatically enters God’s military and is immediately engaged in the longest war ever fought. Our God is a Warrior because there are things worth fighting for. 
The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten” (Jer. 20:11). The late Nelson Mandela once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not out darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates them.”
Ex. 15:3 says, “The Lord is a man of war; The Lord is His name.” Is. 42:13 states, “The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.” David wrote in Ps. 24;8, “Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” God made man a warrior in His own image because He intends for man to join Him in the battle. Life is a battle, a struggle, and there is no such thing as an easy life. To win the battle you must rise above your circumstances and be the victor instead of the victim. There is a real divine power that can be resident in your life that helps you overcome whatever obstacles you face in life. God in you will make you stronger than whatever trial you are facing. You have greater capacity than you think. There is truly a God who lives inside of you, a Godly Spirit that makes you stronger in the heat of battle. 1 John 4;4 says, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
The Message Bible says, “For the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.”  What comes to mind when you think of courage? Many think of a lion as a symbol of strength, courage, and gallantry. In “The Wizard Of Oz” the lion is missing the one quality that should define him the most: courage. Fear crippled his ability to see himself as he actually was. As the movie unfolds he discovered he always had courage, he just didn’t show it. In the Bible the phrase “do not fear” is written 365 times. Every day of the year God gives you a personal message that says “do not fear.” You can not always control your circumstances but you can control your response to your circumstances. The word “fear” is used to describe lack of faith (Matt. 8:26; Mark 4:40) and the cowardly are “timid ones, persons showing fear in a shameful way.” The wicked and lazy servant hid his talent in the ground out of fear rather than investing it for the Lord’s benefit. He was rebuked by the Master and cast into outer darkness (Mark 25:25;Luke 19:21).
Those who deny Jesus before men, possibly out of fear, will not be confessed by the Son of Man before God and His angels (Luke 12:8,9). Many of the religious rulers believed in Jesus but for fear of being put out of the synagogue by the Pharisees would not confess Him. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43). During the tribulation the beast worshipers took his mark out of fear of losing their lives (Rev. 13:16,17). They were among those who,because of fear, saved their lives for a season but ultimately lost both their soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28). In Rev. 21:8 the cowards are the first who are thrown into hell, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars have have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” God hates cowardice and it is His will that all cowards be gone from His kingdom. This is why Deut. 31:6 gives the command to “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
You are stronger than your enemy. You are tougher than anything the forces of hell can throw at you. You can have a strength that gives you peace, stability, and assurance because Jesus has already conquered the world and He lives inside of you. Rom. 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” You are stronger because God has made you stronger. The Message Bible says, “It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, He’ll do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to Himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With His Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!”
 
Everybody is battling something. That is not always a bad thing because every victory must have a battle beforehand. Every champion had an opponent and every comeback had a setback. You can win from within if you have an understanding of what God’s Word says about having the spirit of a warrior. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The Message Bible says, “See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the enemy. No one can put a hand on you.” The only way you can be strong and have this power is to be connected to the One who gives this power. Webster’s Dictionary defines “courage” as ‘the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it; it’s the quality of being fearless or brave; valor.’
The apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 16:13,14, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” The Message Bible says, “Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your conviction, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping.” The NIV states, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” Every person is born with the potential to show courage and without it you can not produce and other virtue with consistency. You can’t be kind, true, sincere, merciful, generous, or honest without courage. Like the cowardly lion in “The Wizard Of Oz” you already have courage but you will need major challenges that you must face so that you can display courage. You are a warrior and you are called to win major battles in life. Those who are fearful and weak don’t take risks. They choose comfort and security over opportunity. Warriors, on the other hand, don’t run for cover. They run toward danger knowing that they have the God-given ability to overcome any obstacle that comes their way.
Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s acting in the face of fear. Warriors eat problems for breakfast, lunch, and supper. They do it for fun. They see it as part of who they are. They look at every problem as a set of weights that will help them grow stronger. Danger is your opportunity to awaken courage. Courage sleeps quietly until it is awakened by an opportunity to confront danger head-on. Sometimes low self-esteem is connected to a lack of godly courage. If so, then having courage is the recognition of your potential. A warrior reflect courageous energy and is characterized by initiative, protection, provision, and perseverance. A warrior is a man of action, a person who tackles life head-on and wins. He takes the other guy’s best shot and still stands strong and continues to move forward. He looks fear in the eye and spits in its face. He does not allow fear to handicap his ability to fight and move forward leaving him in a worthless position.
A warrior works the hardest and the longest and outlasts the competition. He perseveres in the midst of all kings of adversity and fights for what matters most. He takes the initiative and does not run away from problems and is most comfortable on the battlefield. He has an inner supply of conquering energy and with holy boldness makes an impact on the world. A warrior is assertive but gets his direction from God. This is not about power, it’s about strength of character. It’s not a destructive force, it’a a positive energy force. A warrior fights with purpose for noble things and eternal values. He has a reason to fight and is constructive and intentional. He runs the race to win staying alert and in top condition at all times. Warriors are those who “mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall run and not faint” (Is. 40:31). They fight the good fight of faith and lay hold of the eternal life to which they have been called (1 Tim. 6:12).
 
Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, and perseverance are not easily seized in any person’s life. You must fight for these qualities and it takes courage to obtain them. There is a warrior inside of you and you must reach down and call him out. Is. 40:28,29 says, “Have you not known? have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. There is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” David was a fearless warrior and 1 Sam. 17 tells the story of David and Goliath. What helped him display his courage? David practiced courage before he faced the giant. He killed the lion and the bear before he killed Goliath. He worked his way up the ladder of courage. You must climb the little mountain before you climb the big one.
Michael Jordan once said, “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” No one ever becomes a success in life without first having had multiple failures. Real men practice climbing out on the limb until it breaks. They then dust themselves off and do it again. Real men take risks. If you haven’t failed, then you haven’t taken enough risks. All of the fruit of life is out on the limb of the tree. Warriors go after it, those who are fearful cling to the trunk of the tree. Become a professional limb-walker and do what David did. Practice! Practice! Practice! If you practice enough, when reality strikes you’ll be ready for it. Become numb to failure. Courage is having radical obedience in the face of what scares you the most. It doesn’t pull back. It’s pressing into your fears, not denying your fears.
Courage is a maximum gain strategy. Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, and Colonel Sanders all had multiple failures in the quest to accomplish a great work. Would anybody call these men failures? Of course not. Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important. In 1 Sam. 17:29 David said, “Is there not a cause?” Esther said, “And so I will go to the King, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” (Esther 4:16). Sometimes people have to do things they’re afraid to do. Being brave doesn’t mean you never get scared. It means that even when you are scared you step up and do the things you have to do. Courage is a choice so choose to be brave. Make your life count. Billy Graham once said, “Courage is contagious. When one brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”
The Bible describes Jesus as the second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45-47) and He set the pattern for how life was to be lived. Every person will walk in the shadow of one of these two Adams. They’ll either walk in the darkness of the first Adam or the light of the second Adam. The first Adam was passive in the garden (Gen. 3:6) but Jesus rejected passivity. A warrior does not just stand around and do nothing. Jesus did something. He acted. He turned over the tables of the money changers. He called the religious leaders “hypocrites” and children of the devil. He looked at Peter and said, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” He touched lepers and women who were unclean. People are passive because they wimp out. The army of Israel feared Goliath but David ran toward the giant. Elijah faced down the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel but wimped out when threatened by Jezebel. Jonah ran away from Ninevah and Peter denied Jesus three times.
Those who are passive are uncomfortable doing what they have to do. They lack courage. It’s easier to do nothing. They think if they ignore a problem maybe it will go away. Vince Lombardi once said, “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of will.” When you are passive you put yourself in a position to fail. Consider Paul who got stoned, got up, and walked back into the city from which he came. Consider also Jesus who went into Jerusalem knowing that torture and death awaited Him. Declare war on passivity, comfort over courage. Man up!  When you don’t operate in courage a part of you dies. Every action you take that lacks courage is like cutting yourself with a knife. There will be times in your life when you will be confronted by Goliath and fear will grip your heart and try to stop you from standing up to him. Call it fear, anxiety, concern, or hesitation, the fact is we all face moments when fear tries to keep us from something better.
Fear in and of itself isn’t your problem. Your problem is not facing your fear head-on. The solution? Man up! Do it anyway. If you have to, do it afraid. You have to learn to do what you have to do, even if you’re afraid to do it. Josh. 1:9 says, “Be strong and of good courage; Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever you go.” If you will move forward and do it afraid you will find that fear loses its grip. If you don’t you will miss many opportunities and the good life will pass you by. For a warrior life isn’t about getting comfortable where they’re at right now. Wimps have retirement on their mind and a comfortable life as their goal. Warriors know that life is about breaking barriers and going to the next level. When you’re scared and want to draw back, that is exactly the time you should go faster, move forward, and do more. Life is a continuous journey that requires you to stay in motion. That takes courage. Fear runs much faster than courage but it never has enough energy to finish the race.
 
Phil. 4:13 says, “You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.” Courage is a confidence in God’s ability that says “you can do it” while fear says you can’t. Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land. Ten spies said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are” (Num. 13:31,32). Caleb along with Joshua said, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it” (Num. 13:30). Warriors display courage simply because that is who they are. They know their worth and can increase the display of courage by creating very tangible rewards. David asked what the reward would be for killing Goliath. He was told his descendants wouldn’t have to pay taxes and he could marry the king’s beautiful daughter. David kept these benefits before him as a mechanism to eliminate fear and help him act with courage. Caleb and Joshua’s reward for facing their giants was a land flowing with milk and honey.
Real warriors always expect a great reward for what they do. They also capitalize on their own strengths rather than copy someone else’s. David tried on the king’s armor but it didn’t fit because it was too big and too heavy for him to wear. He goes back to what he was good at: slingshots. He chose to focus on his strengths and that increased his confidence and his courage. David was a man after God’s own heart and he used his connection to an infinite God to overshadow the fear of what he saw and what he heard. Goliath had better equipment and was physically superior in size and strength. David’s only defense was God, and that was enough. Having God on your side is a confidence booster that allows you to display more courage. It’s about seeing what needs to be advanced and what needs to be accomplished as being greater than your personal comfort. Warriors explore their spiritual nature. They look to God for guidance and strength. It gives them the confidence to take on any giant that stands in the path that leads to victory.
Paul told Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).  1 Tim. 6:12 (MSG) states, “Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.” You must go beyond the mechanics of this scripture and grab hold of the spirit of what’s being said here. Paul is talking about having the spirit of a fighter. If you’re going to make it in this world of hardship and trial you are going to have to be a fighter. You have to seize and lay hold of what God has given you. Eternal life does not just mean life that goes on and on without end. It is a quality of life, life as God has it. Paul is saying that in order to enjoy this God-kind of life you have to fasten on to it and take it. It won’t come to you automatically so you must wrap your arms around it and pull it to you.
You have an adversary who comes to kill, steal, and destroy and 1 Peter 5:8 says, “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.” There is no fight unless there is first an enemy to fight and Peter is saying to wake up, watch, stay alert, and stay sharp. If you snooze, you lose. Those who lack courage and don’t like to fight are defeated right now. They’re gone, they’re history. Your adversary doesn’t fight fair and he is always looking for an opportunity to get the best of you. He seeks to devour you and he comes to attack you and tempt you and to throw obstacles in your path. Verse 9a tells you to “Resist him, steadfast in the faith…” You may have to resist him more than a minute or two. It could take weeks, months, and even years. Resist and keep resisting. Don’t give up. If you get tired and quit, then that is when you are defeated. Life is rough and can be hard but if you’ll trust God and fight the good fight of faith with courage He’ll give you the victory every time.
 
Prov. 18:14 (AMP) says, “The strong spirit of a man will sustain him in bodily pain or trouble.” God will give you the victory but He needs something to work with. Faith is the determining factor but it takes a strong spirit to fight the good fight of faith. You will be more inclined to fight if you are strong and not weak or passive. If you are weak you will give up and quit before the fighting even starts. There is a war being waged and a battle to fight. Don’t allow the devil to keep you from possessing what God has already given you. Don’t lay down and give up. Fight the good fight of faith and take hold of what is yours. The devil is not big enough to defeat you. He is under your feet. You are more than a conqueror and the devil picked the wrong person to mess with when he attacked you. All things are possible to them who believe, not to those who quit. In 2 Kings 7:3 four lepers said, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” They then stood up and did something great. 
 
It is now time for you to step forward and do that which you were born to do. Your destiny is calling out to you and it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. Fight the good fight of faith! God is talking to you and this is not a suggestion. Do it! Don’t try to do it, do it! You were born to be great. Recognition is not greatness. Greatness is being faithful and doing what is right with dignity and courage. God is calling you to do great things and with His grace you can fight the good fight of faith and do it. Ps. 118:6 says, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” The Message Bible says, “God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me?” The psalmist then said in vs. 17, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” That is a fighting spirit. Warriors are eager and enthusiastic about advancing the kingdom of God and pushing the devil out of the way. So what are you waiting for? Let the battle begin!
BY RANDALL J. BREWER
http://www.destinywithchrist.com

The Power to Live a Holy Life

It is a wonderful thing to realize that all Christians have the Holy Spirit. “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9, NIV). Therefore if you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit.

How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? You could not have trusted Christ for your salvation in your strength alone. The Holy Spirit enabled you to become a Christian. Nobody can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit.

If we really have the Holy Spirit, why is it such a struggle to live a holy life? Conversion to Christ does not perfect us. We are still sinners. “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:17, NIV).

Some people think that new Christians proceed to holy living automatically, with no help from other believers. After all, the Ethiopian eunuch was left to himself when Philip was whisked away. But the story of the eunuch is exceptional. Once Philip led the eunuch to Christ and baptized him, the Holy Spirit took Philip away to preach in another city. The main reason we have the New Testament is for our spiritual growth. Most of the Apostle Paul’s epistles are written to saved people to motivate them to holy living.

When I was pastor at Westminster Chapel, we had a ministry called Pilot Lights, where we witnessed to passers-by in the streets of London. We saw a surprising number of people come to faith in Christ between Victoria, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. Many of them we never saw again because they were from outside London, but when we did have the opportunity to follow up with these new Christians, the growth results were quite wonderful. This is an example of how the Holy Spirit works through means.

The Holy Spirit works through the motivation and encouragement of fellow Christians. Nothing is more encouraging than a fellow Christian who knows what it is to struggle but perseveres nonetheless. One of our greatest examples of a person maturing into holy living after being converted on the streets of London was almost entirely due to the loving follow-up of the person who led him to Christ. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24, NIV).

The Holy Spirit works through accountability friends, people who are both caring and impartial. In nearly all cases I have known where Christians have fallen into some sort of scandal, they were not accountable to anyone. We need to become vulnerable by seeking out those to whom we can be accountable. “Submit to one another out of reverence to Christ” (Ephesians 5:21, NIV). This honors the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit works through the church— a church where Christ is honored and the Bible is preached. No one that I know of is so mature and spiritual that they do not need to fellowship with the Body of Christ. Otherwise we may come to think we are above the Word, that our relationship with God bypasses the church. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV).

The Holy Spirit works through our regular, disciplined time alone with the Lord.Whether we call it personal devotions or quiet time, we get to know the Lord and His will largely through how much time we give Him. Children judge how much we love them by the amount of time we spend with them. If God were to assess our love in this way, how much would He say that we love Him? In my time alone with God, I use a Bible reading plan, one that keeps me in the Word every day. And I make it a point to spend time alone in prayer. These moments—usually mornings—are the most valued time of my day. The Bible is the Holy Spirit’s greatest product. He wrote it. If you want to experience the power of the Spirit to live a holy life, get to know and love the Bible more than you do anything else in the world.

The Holy Spirit works through sound doctrine of sanctification. This presupposes good teaching. I was brought up in a church that encouraged you to believe that you could be sinlessly perfect. I am thankful for my background in many ways, but this teaching did me no great favor. Christians who think they have reached perfection will certainly fall, soon—and hard! God knows our frame. He remembers we are “dust.” Jesus, our High Priest, is touched with the feeling of our weaknesses and is always there to uphold us. Sanctification is progressive. We will not reach absolute perfection until we are glorified and made just like Jesus.

By R.T. Kendall 

John Newton, author of the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace,” said to his friend William Cowper (also a great hymn writer): “I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I will be. But thank God I am not what I used to be.” The progress may be slow, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus we will become more and more like Him and can encourage others to do the same.

You Are Who God Says You Are

While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)

He sat alone with pigs.

Not long ago, he dressed in fine clothing, drank the finest wine, and laughed with what he called his friends. He smiled at women who smiled back, before he learned that friends could be bought and love could be rented. When the money was gone, so were they. When he needed them, they gave him nothing (Luke 15:16). Now, he sat covered in mud.

If you would have joked that he, a Jew, would be working as a pig-feeder, he would have said he preferred death first. But here he was, envious of what the unclean swine ate. He wondered how much longer he could take it. He missed home.

He grimaced. How shamefully he had treated his father. He asked for his inheritance before his father died — slapping him in pursuit of his pleasures. As he saw his father’s house disappear upon the horizon, he had smiled. He thought he was heading into freedom, into joy, into pleasure. Now, he lived to feed pigs. He reasoned, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!” (Luke 15:17).

A Son Appears on the Horizon

There it was, just as he had left it. He rehearses his lines in his mind, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19). But as doubts begin to cloud his mind, a figure appears from the house. There his father is, just as he had left him.

But something happens that he doesn’t expect: his father begins to run to him. Had he ever seen his father run? He always composed himself with such dignity, but here he is, an elderly Jewish man, running to him. Is he coming to chase me away?

The wayward son braces himself for a slap but receives an embrace. He expects banishment but is met with kisses. His mumbling apology and thoughts of unworthiness are swallowed up by the love of a Father who will not call his starving son a servant. A ring is placed on his finger; the best robe is placed upon his back. Sandals adorn his dirty feet. The fattened calf is slaughtered, and the celebration begins. The son who was dead, has come alive again; he was lost, and is found (Luke 15:24).

Life is where this Father is.

A Son Died on the Horizon

You may wonder, given all your past and remaining sin, Who am I that the highest King would welcome me? You recite your unworthiness to yourself, you sit in the pigsty of an old sin, and not only wonder how you got there, but how your King can receive you. The answer is not found in your inherent worthwhileness, nor in God’s neediness for you. You are celebrated, crowned, kissed, and loved because your true elder brother, the one who does not moan when you are welcomed home, went into the city after you and paid off your debts with his own life. He suffered for our sin, and purchased our acceptance.

The ring you wear is his. The best robe that now covers you is his. His sandals, which John the Baptist was unworthy to untie, now rest upon your feet. God isn’t so cheaply sentimental as to forget all your crimes, but he is so loving as to sacrifice himself for all of them.

I Am a Child of God

If you have been reborn, if you are repenting of your sin and believing the gospel, you are a child of God. And this status comes with authority: “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave authority to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12–13).

You may not feel particularly childlike, you may not be enjoying his word every morning, but do not let the Liar convince you that you are not a child of the King. The question can never be, “Who are you to go to God in prayer?” The question now is, “Who are you to stay away when the King has invited you?”

You are chosen, not forsaken. You are free, not a slave. He is for you, not against you. You are his child, not an orphan. That is who you are. Because that is who he says you are. And that is who he died for you to become.

He loves you. He embraces you. He crowns you. Never settle for living in the mud, feeding pigs.

 Greg Morse Photo   Article by Greg Morse Content strategist, desiringGod.org

Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shane’s The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns.

Greg Morse is a content strategist for desiringGod.org and graduate of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He and his wife, Abigail, live in St. Paul.

When God Withholds Something Good

Few things are more terrifying than being left to yourself. And if we refuse to listen to God, he may choose to leave us with our own thoughts and plans. But if we listen to him, nothing in this world will have the right to terrify us.

After God saved his people from the awful affliction of slave labor in Egypt, they grumbled and complained in the wilderness, even wishing he had left them in bondage. He rescued them from oppression, promised them prosperity, and how did they respond? With mutiny.

“My people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:11–12)

God rescued them from Pharaoh, only to deliver them over to themselves. They walked out of slavery, only to realize the worst chains were wrapped around their hearts. They had to be liberated to realize they had become their own oppressors.

One of the worst things God can do to us is leave us alone with our hearts, because if we’re left to ourselves, our sin remains, and festers, and our slavery never ends. That makes “Follow your heart” an anthem of judgment, not inspiration — in the wrong hands. But if God makes our hearts his own, then he removes our sin and gives us the joy that never ends.

Why Do We Refuse to Listen?

How could God’s people refuse to listen to him? They bore the scars of violent oppression. They witnessed the carnage of the plagues — the bloody Nile, buildings destroyed by hail, ground covered in frogs, locusts, and dead livestock, bodies covered in boils, a dead son in each Egyptian family. They left slavery without lifting a hand, at least not in battle. They watched the Red Sea open like a tulip in May, and walked across on dry, firm ground.

And yet as hunger and thirst, stress and fear, grew in the wilderness, they grumbled against the God who had delivered them. God’s people, like sheep, went astray. They turned to their own way. And the Lord let them have their way.

Why did they refuse to listen? The answer is in the previous verse:

“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.” (Psalm 81:10–11)

They did not listen because, despite all the evidence, they did not really believe God would satisfy them. They would not simply open wide their mouths, because they feared he would leave them wanting. They listened to the hunger pangs in their hearts rather than the promises of their Savior.

And still today, one of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that God can do absolutely anything, except make us happy.

The Test

When God rescued his people from slavery, why did he send them into the wilderness for so long without easy access to food and water? He could have ushered them immediately into the Promised Land. He could have made mouthwatering meals out of sand and turned rocks into bread. Instead, he let his treasured people go even more hungry than they had been while in bondage. He let his chosen children, his prized possession, walk for days and days without basic refreshment.

But forty years in the wilderness was not an accident; it was a test. “I tested you at the waters of Meribah” (Psalm 81:7). There the people quarreled with Moses because they were thirsty (Exodus 17:1–2). Moses pled with God for help, and received the reply, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink” (Exodus 17:6). Moses struck the rock, and God quenched their thirst.

By withholding food and water — and comfort and security and familiarity — God was testing them: Now that you are free, will you feed on me? And if God withholds anything good from his children today, he wants to know if we’re happy to be left alone with him — or if we’ll retreat from him until he gives us what we really want.

God Gave Them Over

If we want something from God more than we want God himself, we should be terrified that God might give us what we want — and withhold himself.

When sinners see the magnificence of God and prefer something else, God may give “them up in the lusts of their hearts ” (Romans 1:24). He may let them follow their hearts. Why? “Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” (Romans 1:25).

What does it look like when God gives sinners over to themselves? It looks like grumbling against the God who redeemed you from slavery, which soon multiplies into all manner of sin:

God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:28–31)

Every sin, however socially respectable or deplorable, is a lashing out of deep and unfulfilled desires and longings. Every sin is the fruit of following a heart that is not satisfied in God. If the spiritually famished do not feed on God through his word, and drink from his well of living water, they will always try to bury their neediness in every manner of evil.

Listen to Me

So, what should we do when we are hungry or thirsty — when our circumstances press in on us, causing us to doubt that God will deliver, provide, or come through? God says, “Oh, that my people would listen to me” (Psalm 81:13).

Relieving our hunger and quenching our thirst begins with listening to God. Israel tried to grumble their way out of pain and suffering. They spoke. They raised their voices against God rather than opening their ears and hearts to him. But they only dug themselves into deeper hunger and dried out their mouths more with complaining.

If we want God to fill our hearts, we will open our ears to his words. And if we will trust God’s heart revealed in his words more than our hunger and thirst, he promises to be so much more for us than our petty and fleeting cravings:

“I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:14–16)

Wheat and honey are but whispers of someone more nourishing and more satisfying. If we find ourselves resenting God for withholding wheat and honey (or whatever he seems to be keeping from you right now), we’re not hearing what God is whispering in wheat and honey: “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55:2–3).

Open your mouth wide, and he will fill it — with the finest wheat, the coolest stream, the sweetest honey. Himself.

Few things are more terrifying than being left to yourself. And if we refuse to listen to God, he may choose to leave us with our own thoughts and plans. But if we listen to him, nothing in this world will have the right to terrify us.

After God saved his people from the awful affliction of slave labor in Egypt, they grumbled and complained in the wilderness, even wishing he had left them in bondage. He rescued them from oppression, promised them prosperity, and how did they respond? With mutiny.

“My people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:11–12)

God rescued them from Pharaoh, only to deliver them over to themselves. They walked out of slavery, only to realize the worst chains were wrapped around their hearts. They had to be liberated to realize they had become their own oppressors.

One of the worst things God can do to us is leave us alone with our hearts, because if we’re left to ourselves, our sin remains, and festers, and our slavery never ends. That makes “Follow your heart” an anthem of judgment, not inspiration — in the wrong hands. But if God makes our hearts his own, then he removes our sin and gives us the joy that never ends.

Why Do We Refuse to Listen?

How could God’s people refuse to listen to him? They bore the scars of violent oppression. They witnessed the carnage of the plagues — the bloody Nile, buildings destroyed by hail, ground covered in frogs, locusts, and dead livestock, bodies covered in boils, a dead son in each Egyptian family. They left slavery without lifting a hand, at least not in battle. They watched the Red Sea open like a tulip in May, and walked across on dry, firm ground.

And yet as hunger and thirst, stress and fear, grew in the wilderness, they grumbled against the God who had delivered them. God’s people, like sheep, went astray. They turned to their own way. And the Lord let them have their way.

Why did they refuse to listen? The answer is in the previous verse:

“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.” (Psalm 81:10–11)

They did not listen because, despite all the evidence, they did not really believe God would satisfy them. They would not simply open wide their mouths, because they feared he would leave them wanting. They listened to the hunger pangs in their hearts rather than the promises of their Savior.

And still today, one of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that God can do absolutely anything, except make us happy.

The Test

When God rescued his people from slavery, why did he send them into the wilderness for so long without easy access to food and water? He could have ushered them immediately into the Promised Land. He could have made mouthwatering meals out of sand and turned rocks into bread. Instead, he let his treasured people go even more hungry than they had been while in bondage. He let his chosen children, his prized possession, walk for days and days without basic refreshment.

But forty years in the wilderness was not an accident; it was a test. “I tested you at the waters of Meribah” (Psalm 81:7). There the people quarreled with Moses because they were thirsty (Exodus 17:1–2). Moses pled with God for help, and received the reply, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink” (Exodus 17:6). Moses struck the rock, and God quenched their thirst.

By withholding food and water — and comfort and security and familiarity — God was testing them: Now that you are free, will you feed on me? And if God withholds anything good from his children today, he wants to know if we’re happy to be left alone with him — or if we’ll retreat from him until he gives us what we really want.

God Gave Them Over

If we want something from God more than we want God himself, we should be terrified that God might give us what we want — and withhold himself.

When sinners see the magnificence of God and prefer something else, God may give “them up in the lusts of their hearts ” (Romans 1:24). He may let them follow their hearts. Why? “Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” (Romans 1:25).

What does it look like when God gives sinners over to themselves? It looks like grumbling against the God who redeemed you from slavery, which soon multiplies into all manner of sin:

God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:28–31)

Every sin, however socially respectable or deplorable, is a lashing out of deep and unfulfilled desires and longings. Every sin is the fruit of following a heart that is not satisfied in God. If the spiritually famished do not feed on God through his word, and drink from his well of living water, they will always try to bury their neediness in every manner of evil.

Listen to Me

So, what should we do when we are hungry or thirsty — when our circumstances press in on us, causing us to doubt that God will deliver, provide, or come through? God says, “Oh, that my people would listen to me” (Psalm 81:13).

Relieving our hunger and quenching our thirst begins with listening to God. Israel tried to grumble their way out of pain and suffering. They spoke. They raised their voices against God rather than opening their ears and hearts to him. But they only dug themselves into deeper hunger and dried out their mouths more with complaining.

If we want God to fill our hearts, we will open our ears to his words. And if we will trust God’s heart revealed in his words more than our hunger and thirst, he promises to be so much more for us than our petty and fleeting cravings:

“I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:14–16)

Wheat and honey are but whispers of someone more nourishing and more satisfying. If we find ourselves resenting God for withholding wheat and honey (or whatever he seems to be keeping from you right now), we’re not hearing what God is whispering in wheat and honey: “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55:2–3).

Open your mouth wide, and he will fill it — with the finest wheat, the coolest stream, the sweetest honey. Himself.

Few things are more terrifying than being left to yourself. And if we refuse to listen to God, he may choose to leave us with our own thoughts and plans. But if we listen to him, nothing in this world will have the right to terrify us.

After God saved his people from the awful affliction of slave labor in Egypt, they grumbled and complained in the wilderness, even wishing he had left them in bondage. He rescued them from oppression, promised them prosperity, and how did they respond? With mutiny.

“My people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.” (Psalm 81:11–12)

God rescued them from Pharaoh, only to deliver them over to themselves. They walked out of slavery, only to realize the worst chains were wrapped around their hearts. They had to be liberated to realize they had become their own oppressors.

One of the worst things God can do to us is leave us alone with our hearts, because if we’re left to ourselves, our sin remains, and festers, and our slavery never ends. That makes “Follow your heart” an anthem of judgment, not inspiration — in the wrong hands. But if God makes our hearts his own, then he removes our sin and gives us the joy that never ends.

Why Do We Refuse to Listen?

How could God’s people refuse to listen to him? They bore the scars of violent oppression. They witnessed the carnage of the plagues — the bloody Nile, buildings destroyed by hail, ground covered in frogs, locusts, and dead livestock, bodies covered in boils, a dead son in each Egyptian family. They left slavery without lifting a hand, at least not in battle. They watched the Red Sea open like a tulip in May, and walked across on dry, firm ground.

And yet as hunger and thirst, stress and fear, grew in the wilderness, they grumbled against the God who had delivered them. God’s people, like sheep, went astray. They turned to their own way. And the Lord let them have their way.

Why did they refuse to listen? The answer is in the previous verse:

“I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.” (Psalm 81:10–11)

They did not listen because, despite all the evidence, they did not really believe God would satisfy them. They would not simply open wide their mouths, because they feared he would leave them wanting. They listened to the hunger pangs in their hearts rather than the promises of their Savior.

And still today, one of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that God can do absolutely anything, except make us happy.

The Test

When God rescued his people from slavery, why did he send them into the wilderness for so long without easy access to food and water? He could have ushered them immediately into the Promised Land. He could have made mouthwatering meals out of sand and turned rocks into bread. Instead, he let his treasured people go even more hungry than they had been while in bondage. He let his chosen children, his prized possession, walk for days and days without basic refreshment.

But forty years in the wilderness was not an accident; it was a test. “I tested you at the waters of Meribah” (Psalm 81:7). There the people quarreled with Moses because they were thirsty (Exodus 17:1–2). Moses pled with God for help, and received the reply, “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink” (Exodus 17:6). Moses struck the rock, and God quenched their thirst.

By withholding food and water — and comfort and security and familiarity — God was testing them: Now that you are free, will you feed on me? And if God withholds anything good from his children today, he wants to know if we’re happy to be left alone with him — or if we’ll retreat from him until he gives us what we really want.

God Gave Them Over

If we want something from God more than we want God himself, we should be terrified that God might give us what we want — and withhold himself.

When sinners see the magnificence of God and prefer something else, God may give “them up in the lusts of their hearts ” (Romans 1:24). He may let them follow their hearts. Why? “Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” (Romans 1:25).

What does it look like when God gives sinners over to themselves? It looks like grumbling against the God who redeemed you from slavery, which soon multiplies into all manner of sin:

God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:28–31)

Every sin, however socially respectable or deplorable, is a lashing out of deep and unfulfilled desires and longings. Every sin is the fruit of following a heart that is not satisfied in God. If the spiritually famished do not feed on God through his word, and drink from his well of living water, they will always try to bury their neediness in every manner of evil.

Listen to Me

So, what should we do when we are hungry or thirsty — when our circumstances press in on us, causing us to doubt that God will deliver, provide, or come through? God says, “Oh, that my people would listen to me” (Psalm 81:13).

Relieving our hunger and quenching our thirst begins with listening to God. Israel tried to grumble their way out of pain and suffering. They spoke. They raised their voices against God rather than opening their ears and hearts to him. But they only dug themselves into deeper hunger and dried out their mouths more with complaining.

If we want God to fill our hearts, we will open our ears to his words. And if we will trust God’s heart revealed in his words more than our hunger and thirst, he promises to be so much more for us than our petty and fleeting cravings:

“I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” (Psalm 81:14–16)

Wheat and honey are but whispers of someone more nourishing and more satisfying. If we find ourselves resenting God for withholding wheat and honey (or whatever he seems to be keeping from you right now), we’re not hearing what God is whispering in wheat and honey: “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55:2–3).

Open your mouth wide, and he will fill it — with the finest wheat, the coolest stream, the sweetest honey. Himself.

Marshall Segal PhotoMarshall Segal

Are You Chasing Happiness or Holiness?

Such a question actually reveals a common mistake of pitting holiness and happiness against each other. “God is more interested in you being holy than happy,” so the line goes.

Some of my favorite theologians fall prey to this subtle dichotomy. And this includes one of the best thinkers I love (David Wells). In charity, and in much gratitude for everything I have learned from his writings, I’ll post a few paragraphs from his 2014 book where this tension arises, and I’ll make a friendly amendment later.

“By distancing holiness from happiness, we create a false dichotomy.”

In attempting to criticize the therapeutic definition of the faith in so many pulpits, he writes:

In this psychological world, the God of love is a God of love precisely and only because he offers us inward balm. Empty, distracted, meandering, and dissatisfied, we come to him for help. Fill us, we ask, with a sense of completeness! Fill our emptiness! Give us a sense of direction amid the mass of competing ways and voices in the modern world! Fill the aching emptiness within!

This is how many in the church today, especially in the evangelical church, are thinking. It is how they are praying. They are yearning for something more real within themselves than what they currently have. This is true of adults and of teenagers as well. Yes, we say earnestly, hopefully, maybe even a little wistfully, be to us the God of love!

Those who live in this psychological world think differently from those who inhabit a moral world. In a psychological world, we want therapy; in a moral world, a world of right and wrong and good and evil, we want redemption. In a psychological world, we want to be happy. In a moral world, we want to be holy. In the one, we want to feel good but in the other we want to be good. . . .

God stands before us not as our Therapist or our Concierge. He stands before us as the God of utter purity to whom we are morally accountable. He is objective to us and not lost within the misty senses of our internal world. His Word comes to us from outside of our self because it is the Word of his truth. It summons us to stand before the God of the universe, to hear his command that we must love him and love our neighbors as ourselves. He is not before us to be used by us. He is not there begging to enter our internal world and satisfy our therapeutic needs. We are before him to hear his commandment. And his commandment is that we should be holy, which is a much greater thing than being happy. . . .

It is true that there are psychological benefits to following Christ, and happiness may be its by-product. These, though, are not fundamentally what Christian faith is about. It is about the God who is other than ourselves, who is the infinite and gracious God.

Now it’s certainly appropriate to push back on culturally defined “happiness” (like consumer-centered materialism, sexual liberation, and self-centeredness in all its many forms). And it’s certainly right to push back on the idea that holiness is non-essential in the Christian life. And it’s certainly right to attack the idea of God as nothing more than a Santa Claus for our felt needs. God self-exists outside of us. He is the wholly pure Creator to whom all creatures will give an account.

But by distancing holiness from happiness we create a false dichotomy.

Happy or Holy?

 When in doubt, glance at the Redwoods of the church: the Puritans. Two in particular can help us respond to the modern attempt to separate happiness from holiness so cleanly. For example, Thomas Brooks (1608–1680) authored a 450-page book under the apt title: The Crown and Glory of Christianity: Or, Holiness, The Only Way To Happiness (1662). It’s a massive defense of the interconnectedness of human happiness and holiness that runs on and on, point after subpoint, to make the case irrefutably clear from Scripture.

“Holiness differs nothing from happiness but in name,” Brooks boldly writes near the opening of the book. “Holiness is happiness in the bud, and happiness is holiness at the full. Happiness is nothing but the quintessence of holiness.”

“The soul’s true happiness is no incidental byproduct of holiness. True happiness is true holiness.”

Near the end of the book, he reiterates the point, “An absolute fullness of holiness will make an absolute fullness of happiness. When our holiness is perfect, our happiness shall be perfect; and if this were attainable on earth, there would be but little reason for men to long to be in heaven.”

Or we can cite the formidable Matthew Henry (1662–1714), a celebrated Bible scholar who saw the same thing. “Those only are happy, truly happy, that are holy, truly holy,” he wrote on Psalm 1:1–3, going so far as to write “goodness and holiness are not only the way to happiness but happiness itself.”

These Puritans knew it well. The soul’s true happiness is no incidental byproduct of holiness. True happiness is true holiness.

More recently, John Piper dialed in the point with an even finer adjustment in an Ask Pastor John episode: “Happiness is part of holiness,” he said. “If you tried to describe for me what it means to be a holy person, leaving out happiness in God, you can’t do it. There is no such thing as holiness minushappiness in God. Happiness in God is — I will risk it — the essence of holiness.”

But do the Scriptures support such claims about how inextricably intertwined holiness is with happiness?

True Happy-Holiness

 The Psalms are incredibly helpful here. The Psalmists often address those who are “blessed” — and by “blessed,” they mean those who are “truly happy.”

So who are the blessed, the truly happy?

The truly happy are those who are, in some measure, truly holy, and it’s a theme that carries right through the Psalms in places like Psalms 1:1–2, 19:8, 32:8–11, 34:8–14, 40:4, 106:3, 112:1, 119:1–2, 22–4, 69–70, 143–4, 128:1–6.

But not only are holiness and happiness (or blessedness) joined in the Psalms; they get linked together in the Proverbs, and very tightly by Jesus in his Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2–12).

“At the core of our being, we don’t want to be happy or holy. We want to be happy-holy, like God.”

And preceding any possibility of finding true happy-holiness is the profound reality that our sins must be permanently and forever removed before a holy God. The beautiful reality of justification in Christ bridges the happy-holiness of the Psalmist and our forgiveness in Christ, by faith alone (Psalm 32:1–2, Romans 4:7–8).

However incompletely, Christians taste this true happy-holiness as we live out our union in Christ. In him, we find the inseparable organic connection between our obedience and our joy, between our pursuit of true holiness and our experience of true happiness (John 15:1–17).

The Happy-Holy God

 So, at the core of our being, we don’t want to be happy or holy. We want to be happy-holy, like God. God is the fountain of joy and delight; he is a happy God, satisfied in his eternal self-delight, and this happiness is part of his glory (1 Timothy 1:11). And our glorious God is, at the same time, an awesome blaze of unpolluted holiness, revolted by all of man’s depravities (1 Timothy 1:8–10).

What, therefore, God has joined together, let no theologian separate.

The Choice We Face Today

 In reality, our quest for happiness is driven by a primal urge, an urge as ancient as the first man and woman, an urge that predates postmodernism, modernism, the enlightenment, and Freud.

“What, therefore, God has joined together, let no theologian separate.”

Like every generation before, we face the same ancient choice, and it’s not a choice between happiness and holiness, but between two different quests for happiness (one evil, one holy).

Quest #1 is a pursuit of the happiness promised by the false securities and comforts and idols of our world, but it turns out to be false lies that can only grieve us in the end.

Quest #2 is a true happiness found in God, a genuine delight in him, an eternal and unending treasuring of his glory and holiness above all else.

People avoid holiness to pursue happiness not knowing that the two are one. So there’s the key. The battle for this true holy-happiness is a daily spiritual battle for the faith to choose the right happiness.

To return to that same podcast episode, Piper well summarized the daily faith-battle of this happy-holiness: “When we say God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him, we are saying the essential warfare of holiness, or sanctification, is the warfare to be satisfied in God.”

There’s a weight of truth in that statement worth deep and long reflection.

Author tony reinke.jpg?ts=1452019446&ixlib=rails 2.1    Article by Tony Reinke

 Senior writer, desiringGod.org

PRAYER IS HARD WORK

(Don’t let anyone deceive you)

A dear friend of mine emailed me and said:
“I am losing faith in God.  I’m struggling through tough times and I don’t see God anywhere around me. I keep fighting and praying and I still can’t get any answer. I notice people who don’t even pray to Jesus are well-off and having an easier life. All my life, I have prayed and, fasted and yet still, I live in poverty and misery. How long, how long, will God see me like this? I am a single mum struggling hard to raise my child and can’t find enough money to survive…where is God? And why me?”
“I’ve been separated from my husband for 5 years. He is enjoying his life and doesn’t take up any responsibility of our little child. He never cares, he never gives a penny and I’m still struggling. He is running away from his responsibility. How long, how long will I keep on asking? Where is God, why God can’t do anything…?”

I really felt sorry for her. Believe it or not, there was a time I almost lost faith in God too! It seemed I had more problems than one person could handle. Many Christians today are facing similar situations.
Unknown to me at the time, God was preparing me for my ‘fight’. Thankfully, He did not allow me to give up… even as things went from bad to worse. If I had given up, you’ll probably not be reading this now.

As I thought of what to do with the email from my dear friend, the Holy Spirit nudged me to have a chat with her. I found out that she had some marital and financial challenges and needed help. The problems started 4 years back and have gotten worse.
I double-checked her background and noticed that time, she had not joined or made any commitment to any local church or prayer fellowship. She is fighting alone and standing alone. This is dangerous to be found alone without any support.

She should joined a Bible-based Church or prayer based ministry in her community which could have help her through a time of prayer and deliverance as well as instructions in the Holy Scriptures.

I wish I could have just said a few words and to let her problems disappear. But it does not work that way.
Prayer is HARD WORK, especially, the kind of prayer that brings answers. Developing great interest in Bible study and applying scriptures into your everyday life is a hard work and demands personal spiritual discipline. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

But the rewards, in terms of answered prayers and God interventions make this whole process worthwhile. The testimonies that would come out of it alone are outstanding.

Prayer is a hard work but it produces fruits that last a life time.

Sometimes, the challenges in your life are used by God to train your hand for war, your

fingers to fight. (Psalms 144:1-2)

Most often it takes consistency, commitment, perseverance and determination in

PRAYER to deal with stubborn problems that confront our way to Victory. God sends us

Breakthroughs whenever we come before him in prayer. In such time, it calls for hard work, always looking ahead and never backwards. Let no one deceive you or tell you otherwise.
Praise the LORD.

 

Talking about prayer; it’s a spiritual warfare, dealing with unseen forces of evil in high places, as Apostle Paul said:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the

devil.”

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high

places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in

the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of

righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery

darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which

is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and

watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”; 

(Ephesians 6:10-18) (KJV)

This scripture passage tells us that, prayer is not an easy job for the lazy, idle and careless people but a call for well prepared and well armed soldiers of Christ, always ready to go to war, to confront the attacking force of darkness in the spiritual realms which have been assigned to harm the children of God.

The problems and challenges we face are either out of disobedience to God or caused

by activities of the powers of darkness to make life miserable, bitter and to cause harm.

Their purpose is for the children of God to question God wrongly, doubt, disbelieve and

reject God.

These forces of darkness’ prime aim is as the scriptures put it

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:” But Jesus said

“I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly”. (John 10:10) (KJV)

 

God is still God, no matter the struggle in our lives. Total victory always comes from the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. Our dependence on God and obedience to his Word matters a lot if we are to overcome.

Bible says:
“See that you refuse not him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. – Heb 12:25-27 (KJV)

No matter the struggles and challenges you are going through today; let me remind you that “Jesus is Lord over all”. Trust in him and never give up on your faith. Keep on talking to him in prayer, never doubt or be unbelieving. It is a dangerous path to take.

Dear friend, have HOPE in thy God. He is more than able to turn our bitterness to sweetness and make our curses a blessing. God is able to turn our disappointment to divine opportunities in a trickle of an eye. HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY, rest upon his Word and trust in Him.

Dearly beloved, Jesus loves you more than you can imaging. He gave his life for you and me, and died for you and me so that we may live and have eternal life in him alone. Today if you hear his voice calling never harden your heart, choose to respond in total obedience and whole heartedly surrounded and you will find complete rest of your soul. What you and I need is to throw our life fully into his hand and rest in him. He will take our burden and break off the yoke on us forever. He will give inner peace and eternal life, he alone has to give.

Dear friend let me remind you that Jesus is Lord of all. He always hears us when we pray and do answer when we call on him. Don’t allow the present challengers makes you doubts God and his power to help you today. The God we serve today is all powerful, all knowing and ever presence all the time. He has not forgotten you and will not leave you alone to suffer for nothing. The Prophet Isaiah says”

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel”. (Isaiah 41:10-14) (KJV)

My dear friend, don’t live in fear and be wounding in your mind, you are not alone. The presence of God is with you even though you fill sometime lonely; the truth is that you are not alone. God is with you and me all the time. Trust him and rest upon his Word. Jesus is our savoir and Lord.

 

PRAYER: Say aloud; Lord Jesus today I give my life to you and rededicate myself unto you today, be merciful to me and forgive all my sins. Come into my heart and give me eternal life. Be my Lord and savior, I surround all to you alone. Amen.

Be Blessed and Overcome in Jesus’ Mighty Name.

REMEMBER: JESUS IS LORD.

By Rev Ed Arcton

 

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN FIND PEACE WITH GOD

“THE GOD OF PEACE, GIVE US THE PEACE OF GOD WITHIN YOU”

There are four reasons why we lose our Peace of Mind and why we need the Peace of God in our hearts and Minds.

1.     We try to change the people in our lives. 

As you grow wiser you begin to realize that you can’t change other people, only God can! And He does when you back off, and love them as they are. This doesn’t mean you agree with everything they do. It means committing to love them regardless, claiming God’s promises on their behalf and allowing Him to deal with them in His own way. In His time and for His Glory. And you stay out of it, let God have His own way. The reason you are stressed out is because you keep trying to do something about something you can’t do anything about. It is better for you to commit yourself to God in Prayer. For it is written.. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and again “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the PEACE OF GOD which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6-7) KJV. Chose to spend time alone with God than to get yourself worried about thing only God can handle.

2.     We try to make things happen when it’s not the right time.

 The Holy Scriptures declares “There is time for everything”….. (Ecclesiastes 3:1). NIV. If you’ve raised children you know one of their main characteristic is impatience; they can’t wait for anything because they do not understands why they must. God want us to outgrow our childishness so He makes us wait, trust, and mature. A man of patience understands the times and opportunity in life, but never rush in doing thing he knows only belongs to God. Never force yourself into situations to do anything you know you can’t. Know what you have to leave in the hands of God. And don’t think you can make thing happen by force or at all course. There is always an appointed time for everything under the sun, so be patient and learn to wait, you will not burn out or be left behind. God is in full control. Trust and obey Him.

3.     We get upset because we’re not progressing fast enough.

Who told you so and how did you know that you are not progressing?  You can slow down your spiritual growth through neglect, but ultimately, “We all …. Are being changed… by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18) NCV). So learn to enjoy your life while God works on your problems, for you will always have problems to face! The Lord Jesus said “in this world you will have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Scriptures says “……. We through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God”.  (Acts 14:22b). Again scripture say “….. but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us”. (Roman 5: 3-5). If you love God nothing shall “separate us from the LOVE of CHRIST” ……. Instead “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:35-37) KJV. In the Book of Romans 12:12 the Scriptures declares “Rejoice in Hope; patience in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer” (KJV).  Again we were admonished not to be discouraged because of suffering that we goes through in everyday lives, it is for our glory not shame. (NIV).

4.     We push ourselves harder and harder.

 We do what we think God wants without consulting Him as to what He actually wants, or how He wants it done. As a result we wear ourselves out. What‘s the solution? “You will keep him in perfect PEACE, whose Mind is FOCUSED, STEADFAST, STAYED on You, because he trusts in YOU” (Isaiah 26:3). Are you focus in life or total confused, is your Mind steadfast or wondering in the desert. Do your Mind stay always on the Lord and the Promises in His Word or your mind are on the things around you and the problems that surrounds your life every day. You always want to fight your ways out according to your own strength and wisdom. You cannot continue that way all the time. Turn and tune your mind to God and rest in his faithful promises in the Word of God. If you chose to give Him your everything, the God of Peace will take your everything and rule your Mind with The Peace of God that transcends everything you can imagine because your Minds stayed on Him alone. To push ourselves always hard and hard will one day break you down and you will not be able to rise up again. It’s better to rest in the Lord and let your mind be at peace and steadfast on the Lord no matter what you see around, feared or trouble about. Remember the battle is the Lord’s. Don’t get trap in duty waters, if you do you wore out and faint on your way. Remember His name is Prince of Peace.

CONCLUSION

To be well FOCUS you need the God of Peace to give you the Peace of God to stay on track in the race set before you, or whatsoever you are committed to do. Don’t ever think you can help God in anything to succeed; neither thinks without you God can’t accomplish His plans and Purposes. The truth is this “God don’t need us, we need God in every area of our lives. Whatever God does for us, it’s for His Name sake and for His own Glory sake, nothing less.” Miracles happen when God is around and in Full control of affair. Let God rules your mind, your heart and your total Life for you.

 

Sermon preached at Liberation-House Chapel today. By Rev Ed Arcton

 

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