Today, I found encouragement in Psalm 49:5;7;15; that says, “Why should I fear when trouble comes, when enemies surround me?”….“But as for me, God will redeem my life.“ I find it encouraging when I am overwhelmed with more questions than answers and more weakness than strength, that God alone has the power to redeem me when all my resources have been frustrated. It’s like the Lord is saying to me; “stop thinking about what you need to do and start thinking about who you need to trust.” There is a promise here to those who trust God. It is a promise that reminds us, we do not have enough resources to ransom ourselves, but He is our Redeemer. Renew yourselves with this thought, that you can do nothing of yourselves, but you can, by Faith, do all things through His redemption power..
Phil 4:13; “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
Tag: faith
In Christ Alone
This morning we heard a word about an enemy who has a plan to engage us in a battle. It’s a battle of entanglement to dishearten us from our weapons and the authority that is ours. However, we heard a word about God as our maintainer and our provider. He does not deal in confusion, but in the position of truth. His provision comes as the living word of truth which he watches over to perform wonders. We heard a word that says God is all sufficient and he works at the place of our surrender. We heard a word that says our God in Christ left us a pattern that we should follow, so that at the pattern of the cross we posture ourselves for success not failure. It is a posture of humility by which he will perform wonders before our very eyes. Today he would say, do not be afraid, and do not listen to the voice of the adversary who would discourage your Faith in Christ alone! When you speak those words “In Christ Alone” you make a bold declaration of surrender about who you’re going to trust. By assuming this posture, you will be speaking forth a prayer of great release. Today, let him release you from the fear, let him release you from the things that keep you from realizing what only He is able to produce! I was impressed this week with something someone had given me to read. It revealed a long forgotten story of a man in New York City, who in 1857 called a meeting to gather people with him to pray. In that prayer meeting only six people showed up. Rather than be discouraged by what may have seemed to some as a failed attempt, they would continue to meet weekly for the purpose of prayer. It would be that within the next year, the Spirit of God would move on upwards of 10,000 people to meet daily in churches all over the city to pray. As a result of a little prayer meeting, it is estimated that 1 million people came to faith in Christ during the course of the next year. There are greater things to be had when we pray in agreement with the Spirit of God. Today, find the authority that belongs to you in Christ and never underestimate the power when His saints pray in faith.
“Are You Saved”
“Are you saved?” I can remember as child a Baptist preacher saying every week without fail the words; ‘Are You saved?’ I believe those 3 words are possibly Baptist’s greatest contribution to the faith. You may know a lot about Him, but do you know Him? If there is no grieving or sorrow over your sinful condition…no witness of the Spirit, then you don’t know Him. For Jesus to truly save you, you must believe you are drowning and in need of saving—otherwise the broken cry for a savior is not heard and He cannot save. It is a matter of need…do you need Him? Do you see your very real need of His love and forgiveness? Or, do you see yourself ‘pretty good’– never considering that one sin…it’s rebellion like witchcraft that has you under a spell of deception never considering yourself that bad; it is your only weak link, but it is powerful enough to destroy your whole life with that one unredeemed failure. I see God is not mocked and sin must be atoned for. What are you doing and where are you taking your sin for atonement? Because what He takes, He covers–what He covers, He redeems, what He redeems He changes, and what He changes He keeps for Himself with a movement of the Spirit that directs my steps to increase as His disciple and witness. So, I ask you again, “Are You Saved…Are You Really Saved?”
She’s Only Asleep
Lk 8:49..; (amp) ‘Your daughter is dead!’ came the word to Jairus, ‘Don’t bother and weary the teacher anymore’, they said. Jesus addresses that situation and those words by saying to him, ‘don’t let your heart be seized with alarm and struck by fear, simply believe that I am able and she shall be made well’. There’s just something about His name, His presence and believing that He can make a way when everyone else gives up hope! They said, ‘don’t bother Jesus’, that sounds just like the ‘spirit’ of the the enemy who want you to ‘stay away from Jesus’. I mean really, consider the alternative as staying away from Jesus so the devil can have the power over your life to keep you bound and alarmed by fear–really? I don’t see Jesus settling for that alternative. Jesus instead urges Jairus to a simple faith and nothing else. He is not interested in mere casual relationship that only wants an encounter with Him because of an urgent or pressing need. He wants to prove Himself to you by arresting your fears resolving them to simple trust by faith in His ability to call back the spirit and say, ‘My Child live!’ He’s interested in the relationship that changes your life and revolutionizes your world changing your belief system, so that in the face of what people say is dead and gone, you see and experience His power over ‘life as we know it’! The little girl in the story had died, her body lifeless, yet Jesus knows how to call her spirit back to life. When Jesus says in Luke 8 (nlt), ‘she’s only asleep’, He meant it. It wasn’t that He didn’t recognize death, but He was ‘The Life’ and her condition was not fatal in His hands. The enemy is likely saying to you right now ‘don’t bother Jesus..don’t bother with Him anymore.’ Jesus, on the other hand would say differently; He would say, ‘seek Me now, I Am the Resurrection and the Life, he who believes in me will live though he dies.’ Look it up, (Luke 8:50) Jesus is saying, ‘do not be afraid any longer only believe’ which is to say, put away your fears of failure, loss, or your lack of ability to change anything and walk with Me and watch and see!
GraceLife 