"Not Impossible"

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible".  Matthew 19:26

We have been going through something that looks impossible to solve.  All those who are, and have been, in the path of Hurricane Harvey have been going through something that looks impossible to handle.  Many of you are going through something that looks impossible-- it looks impossible to solve, impossible to handle, impossible that it will change, impossible to have hope.  I am here to remind you this morning-- don't abandon the ship of faith.  With men, with you, with people, with humanity it may be impossible but with God all things are possible.

Remember that no matter what you are going through, God saw it before you did.  He knew about it before you did.  And He made a provision for it before it even happened.  He is the God who "sees ahead and provides accordingly"-- Jehovah-Jireh. 

He saw the fall/sin/rebellion of mankind before He even created man.  And He provided for it accordingly by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  He saw the needs of man before He created him on the sixth day, and He provided accordingly, working on the first five days of creation to provide everything we needed to be able to live.  He saw the darkness and provided light.  He saw the chaos and provided peace. 

God sees what your "impossible" situation is.  You can't figure it out, you can't handle it, you can't make it happen, you are at your "wits-end", you can't buy your way out, cry your way out, shout your way out, connive your way out, manipulate your way out, beg your way out, scream your way out, bull-doze your way out, bully your way out, educate your way out, you can't rationalize your way out, but God can make a way out.  He already has.  He saw the situation before it existed and He has already provided for it and will move accordingly.  Just look to Him and trust Him.

Have a great day.  God saw your impossible situation before you did and has already made a way.  It is not impossible for Him.  

"Embrace Faith"

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth". Hebrews 11:13 

This verse is the testimony of countless numbers of followers of the Lord throughout history.  But it appears that this testimony has stopped.  It isn't the testimony of the majority of  modern day believers.  Instead we do more embracing of the things that are seen with the natural eye, heard with the natural ear, spoken by the lips of men and felt by our emotions.  These are what we embrace as truth-- not the Word of God. 

The just live by faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  Without faith it is impossible to please the Lord.  Faith is a fight and we aren't fighting.  We are allowing worry, anxiety, frustration, hopelessness, fear, sickness, confusion, weakness and depression to overtake us.  Faith is what keeps us grounded and anchored.  Without it we are like a ship drifting out to sea.  We are like a house that has no solid foundation under it.  We are like the waves that are tossed to and fro by the wind.  We are like a bird whose wings have been clipped.  A lion who has no roar.  A bridge with no support columns under it.     

Let's face it-- we need a revival.  A revival of the Word of God.  Our faith level overall is at an all time low.  We believe everything else accept what the Lord says.  We aren't persuaded of His promises.  When we go through a trial, we act like He has abandoned us instead of trusting by faith that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  When we hear the doctor's bad report, we accept it without question and lose all hope instead of believing that by the stripes of Jesus we are healed, and healing is the children's bread.  When we hear distressing news, we allow it steal our joy and peace instead of looking to the hills from where our help comes.  When we are under a spiritual attack, we surrender to the enemy and give up instead of stepping out in faith knowing that we are already victorious through Jesus.   

The Lord Jesus scolded His disciples for not having faith, and for having little faith.  He referred to them as a "faithless generation".  Is that what He sees when He looks at us?  He asked the question-- would He find faith on the earth when He returns.  (Luke 18:8)  Will He?  Will He find you standing in faith?  Will He find you trusting in His Word?  Will He find you embracing His promises?  Or will He find you living by sight instead of faith?  Will He find you faithless?

Have a great day.  We need a revival of the Word so that we will embrace faith again!

"Call On That Powerful Name"

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Romans 10:13

I woke up early this morning, fell back asleep, woke up again and both times I woke up this one chorus kept repeating over and over in my mind and heart--- and has not stopped.  Let me share it with you:
"You have no rival, You have no equal.  Now and forever, God You reign.
Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory.  Yours is the Name, above all names.
What a powerful Name it is.  What a powerful Name it is.  The Name of Jesus Christ my King.  What a powerful Name it is.  Nothing can stand against.  What a powerful Name it is.  The Name of Jesus."

I think we tend to forget how powerful the Name of Jesus is.  It is more powerful than any demon and the devil himself.  It is more powerful than any weapon he forms against us or any device he throws our way.  It is more powerful than his plans to destroy us.  It is more powerful than the storm that rages, the fire that burns hot, the mountains that loom over us, the lions that roar, the giant that threatens.   It is more powerful than the lies of the enemy or of men.  It is more powerful than any name of any person on earth-- no matter how powerful or influential they may be.  It is more powerful than sickness and disease.  It is more powerful than temptation. It is more powerful than fear.  It is more powerful than the grave.

At the Name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.  At His Name the mountains shake and tremble.  At His Name the demons cry out in fear.  At His Name darkness flees.  At His Name nothing can stand. 

Whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.  Saved from sin, eternal judgment and the wrath of God.  But we will also be saved in the hour of temptation.  We will be saved from falling if we will call upon Him.  We will be saved from the destruction of the enemy's schemes, devices and weapons that he forms against us.  We will be saved from giving into the sins that so easily beset us. 

Whatever you are facing.  Whatever you are going through.  Whatever is coming your way.  Whatever attack is upon you.  Call upon the Name of the Lord.  It will bring Him into your situation.  Call upon the Name of the Lord and it will bring His power, might, grace, strength, mercy, wisdom, etc. into whatever it is you are going through.  "What a powerful Name it is, nothing can stand against it-- the Name of Jesus".

Have a great day.  Don't forget there is power in the Name of Jesus-- so call upon Him.   

"Reasoning About Your Sins"

“Come now, and let us reason together,” saith the Lord. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  Isaiah 1:18

What a beautiful picture of love, grace and mercy we see here.  The Lord God Himself has invited us to come to Him and talk about the matter of our sins together.  

Picture this-- you committed a traffic violation and received a summons to come to court.  You are standing there in court and the judge calls your name.  You go before him and begin to plead your case with him.  There is some dialog between you and him-- how do you plead, do you have anything to say for yourself, etc.  Then he tells you what your fine is and how to go about paying it, or he dismisses it altogether. 

This verse paints a similar picture.  When the Spirit of the Lord begins to convict your heart of sin, He is "calling/inviting" you to "appear" before Him to talk about this matter of your sin violation.  There is usually a dialog of reasoning together back and forth between you and the Lord.  For me it was something like this:

Me:  I am a sinner God and I need to be saved. 
The Lord:  Yes, you are.  I will save you.
Me:  But I am too bad.  I have done too much.  I can't be saved.  I have neglected You for years.  I have turned my back on You.  I have rebelled against You.  I have cursed You.  I am unworthy of Your forgiveness.  I have gone too far and reached the point of no return. 
The Lord:  I know you have.  I know what you have done.  But I love you and will forgive you.  Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, I shall make them as pure as wool.  I will wash you completely clean from your sins.  I will make you brand new.   I love you and desire for you to be My child and live with Me forever in my kingdom.  I have sent My Son Jesus to die for you so that you can be forgiven.  Will you accept my gift of salvation and eternal life? 
Me:  Yes, Lord... Thank You... I love You, Lord.  I love You, Jesus.

Have you had this conversation with the Lord?  Have you received Him as Savior?  Has He cleansed you from your sins?  Has He taken your life which was red like crimson and made it white as snow?  If not, then accept His call, and invitation, to come and reason together about your sins.

Have a great day.  The Lord is calling you to come to Him and discuss your sins.  You should go. 
  

"Do The Time"

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is a time for everything.  What time are you in?  Are you in a time to hold on?  Hold on to your faith, hold on to your profession, hold on to that broken relationship, hold on to your confidence in the Lord?  Then hold on.  Are you in a time to let go?  Then let go of that which you should let go of.  Let go of grief, let go of fear, let go of anxiety, let go of unforgiveness, let go of what the Lord is telling you to let go of.  Are you in a time to go forth?  To go forth in your ministry, to go forth in that career opportunity, to go forth with that relationship, to go forth with the plan?  Then go forth.  Are you in a time to be still?  Then be still and don't move, wait.  Are you in a time to stand?  To stand on a promise from the Lord, to stand for a need, to stand in faith for restoration, to stand for your healing, etc.?  Then stand.  Are you in a time to rest?  Rest from struggling, rest from trying to make it happen, rest from confusion and questioning?  Then rest. 

Whatever time you are in, it will require action on your part.  You are going to have to do the standing, the letting go, the holding on, the reframing, the moving on, the remaining unmovable, the anchoring in faith, the time of waiting, etc. 

Find out what time/season you are in.  Seek the Lord about it.  Then as you "do" that "time" rest assured that the Lord will be there with you.  He will give you grace, strength, guidance, wdom and everything else you need. 

Have a great day.  Whatever the time that you are in requires, do it. 

"It Will Bite You"

"And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.  And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.  And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand."  Exodus 4:2-4

When the Lord told Moses to throw down his staff, it became a snake.  The purpose was for a work and miracle that Moses was to do later in Pharaoh's presence and in leading Israel.  I want to talk about something else that relates to us today about Moses's staff turning into a snake.

When Moses threw his down, there was something in it that he didn't expect-- a snake.  The word I have for us today is this:  whatever you are holding on to it may actually be something that will come back to bite you. 

If you are holding on to the staff of bitterness and self-pity because someone close to you did you wrong, it can come back to bite you later by keeping you from enjoying any other relationship.  If you are holding on to the staff of unforgiveness, it will come back to bite you later.  I know many people who have held on to unforgiveness for a family member and have gone for years without speaking.  They were later bitten by that unforgiveness because the person died and they then lived with regret.  Unforgiveness will bite you when you stand before God.  How?  If we don't forgive others, the Lord won't forgive us.  If you are holding on to pride, it will certainly come back to bite you.  Pride always goes before destruction.  It will destroy relationships between family members.  It will destroy your goals and ambitions.  It will keep you from surrendering to the Lord and cause you to be eternally destroyed. 

The shepherd's staff was used as an instrument in tending the sheep.  It was used as a weapon to defend the sheep and himself.  It was used to give the shepherd support-- something to lean on when he got tired.  We all hold a "staff".  But what is in it is what's important.  Are you using it as a weapon against others?  Is it a self-defense instrument to keep others at a distance so you won't get hurt again?  Are you using it as an instrument to keep others subject to you and what you want?  Making them line up with your will?  Is it your crutch that you lean upon?  Does it make you feel secure and less vulnerable? 

What ever "staff" you are holding, it may have a "snake" in it, you need to throw it down.  Moses threw his down-- symbolic of giving it to God.  Then the Lord told him to pick it back up-- symbolic of mastering the staff and what was in it.  You need to "master" your staff and get control over it in the Lord.  Once you do, it cannot come back to bite you.

Have a great day.  Does what you are holding on to have a "snake" in it?  If so, you better throw it down or it will come back to bite you.   

  

"There In The Dark"

"If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me."  Psalm 139:11

The other day many people were covered in darkness for a few minutes as the eclipse passed over.  What started out as a beautiful sunny day became darkness.  I was thinking about this in regards to life.  We can get up in the morning with no cares, no problems, no worries, everything is "sunny" in our world and then "darkness" comes. 

As I was thinking about the darkness from the eclipse I was reminded that even though the sun was hid from view, the Son (The Lord) was still there. 

This is what I want to encourage you with this morning.  Darkness may be coming, or has come, upon your life but the Lord is still there.  He hasn't left you.  He hasn't forgotten you.  He is still right there in your darkness just like He was in your "light". 

Daniel faced a time of darkness-- the lion's den.  But the Lord was there with him closing the mouths of the lions.  The three Hebrews faced a time of darkness-- the fiery furnace.  But the Lord was with them.  He was the fourth man that the king saw in the furnace.   

With each new day comes good, bad, the expected and the unexpected but whatever comes the Lord will still be right there.  He has not left.  He never will.

Have a great day.  In your dark times the Lord is still there.   

"Borrowed Time"

"My times are in thy hand..."  Psalm 31:15a

We have all heard the expression-- living on borrowed time.  It means that a person lives after the time that they were expected to die.  I know people who have been told by doctors that they only had a few weeks or months to live but they have outlived the prognosis by years. 

The truth is, whether you have outlived a "death sentence" or not, we are all living on borrowed time.  Time doesn't belong to us.  It belongs to someone else.  That someone is the Lord God who created time.  He is only letting us "borrow" it. 

We are all under a "death sentence" because of Adam's sin.  The wages of sin is death.  It is because of the Lord's mercy that we are still alive.  He doesn't owe us the time we have.  But He loves us and gives it to us.  And He is giving us a certain amount of time.  One day our "borrowed time" will run out.  That being the case,  what are you doing with the time you are "borrowing" from Him?  How are you using it?  Are you using it wisely?  Or foolishly?  Are you squandering it on self-centered, self-destructive things?  Are you using it to accomplish His work, will and plan for your life?  Are you using it to accomplish your own will for yourself?  Are you using it to prepare for the time when it does run out?  Are you using it to honor and glorify the Lord?  Are you like the good and faithful servant who used the talents that his master gave him to gain more treasures for the master?  Or are you like the foolish servant who hid it, who neglected it, who would not take advantage of it, and who would accomplish nothing with it?

Time is not ours.  It is borrowed.  It is a gift.  One day we will give an account of what we did with it. What will your account of time reveal?

Have a great day.  We are all living on borrowed time, so use it wisely.   

"Ask, Wait And See"

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."  Jeremiah 33:3

Every person has a favorite verse.  And there are verses that they are more familiar with.  The verse above is one of those.  But is it just a favorite, or a familiar one, or is it one we take to heart and practice. 

Do we call on the Lord when we need guidance and direction, or do we assume we know what to do, what the answer is, what His plan is and what His will is?  Do we call upon Him in faith expecting an answer?  Or are we just "calling"?  Do we wait for His answer?  Or do we get impatient and move on before we hear? 

Perhaps this is why we aren't seeing "great" and "mighty" things happening in our lives, the lives of our families, the church, the nation, our ministries, our businesses, etc.  We either aren't calling, or we aren't waiting for the answer from the Lord when we do.

This verse has a condition and a promise attached to it.  If we want to receive the promise then we need to meet the condition.  And when we meet the condition we need to be willing to wait for the promise to come.

Have a great day.  Ask and wait and you will see great and mighty things. 

"Ignore The Answer And Suffer"

"But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Matthew 19:22

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he needed to do to have eternal life, Jesus gave him his answer.  He told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow Him.  The young man couldn't, or wouldn't do it, and went away sad.

When we have our answer, we then have a choice to either do what we need to do or neglect it.  For example, we have been talking about other people's expectations of us and it causing us to have an unchristian-like attitude or become offended.  Once we see the problem, we then also have the solution.  But it is up to us to apply the solution or not apply it.

When we realize that it is the enemy trying to steal, kill and destroy us, then we know what our answer is to keep from being destroyed.  We submit ourselves to the Lord, resist the devil and he will flee.  We rebuke him in the Name and Authority of Jesus.  

When we see that we have become offended, then we need to go to God and repent.  We need to ask Him to cleanse our hearts from all offense, hurt, malice, bitterness, unforgiveness and any other unrighteous attitude that we have allowed to inhabit our hearts. Then we need to ask Him to heal our hearts from any damage or scars caused by the offense.

The point is, we can't ignore it and hope it goes away.  We can't sweep it under the rug.  We can't allow offense to stay.  We can't keep holding on to it like the rich young ruler held on to his money.  He wanted eternal life but he wanted his money too.  There is no place for both in our lives.  And if we ignore our answer-- the way out of offense-- then just like that rich young ruler we will miss out on the peace and joy we could be experiencing.  We will miss out on the joy of the relationships that are suffering.  And perhaps we will miss out on eternal life.  Others may suffer because you ignore it, but you will suffer more.  Just ask the rich young ruler.  

Have a great day.  Don't ignore the answer.  Apply it.  Do it.  Or you will miss out.   

"Offended"

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"  Luke 17:1

When I said yesterday that I had been battling trying to keep my emotions and attitude in check because of the expectations of others and their demands upon me, I didn't realize that three things were going on. 

1)  These expectations by others and the way I would handle them was a test that revealed what was in My own heart.  Was anger there?  Was bitterness there?  Was revenge there?  And so on.  It showed me something about what was in my own heart.

2)  It was also the enemy trying to get to my heart and "poison" it.  He had come to steal, kill and destroy.  Steal Christ character and the Fruit of the Spirit in me.  Kill my desire to be who I should be to others regardless of how they are to me.  Destroy my relationships, my witness and my heart of compassion.

3)  I didn't realize what the "biggy" was that the enemy was trying to do to me until later.  He was trying to get me to be offended and thereby plant a root of offense in me.  Offense is a terrible thing.  It is like a root on a plant and when it gets a firm hold in the soil of your heart it will begin to produce a weed which will produce fruit.  That fruit is not good fruit either.  It is poisonous.  

One minister calls offense the "bait of satan".  Jesus said that offenses will come.  Everyone is tempted to take offense over something.  Usually that something is something small-- though not always.

None of us escape the temptation to be offended.  It is a weapon of the enemy that he uses at one time or other against us all.  Offenses will come, that is not the issue.  The issue is what will you do with them when they do.  If you embrace them, if you hold on to them, if you act upon them, if you let them hardened your heart, if you let them breed unforgiveness, bitterness, hate, malice, resentment, revenge, etc. then in the end you will be the one who will be destroyed by offense.  That is just what the enemy wants.

If you are offended toward someone, for whatever the reason, you need to let it go.  You need to repent for taking up the offense.  You need to ask the Lord to cleanse your heart.  When you do, you will be freeing your own self from the snare that is meant to destroy you. 

Have a great day.  We all have opportunity to be offended-- the devil will see to that-- but what will you do with the offense when it comes?   

"Expectations And Suffering"

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."  Philippians 3:10

I have to admit that for the last several days I have been fighting to keep a Christ-like attitude and my emotions in check.  I deal with lots of people from all walks of life-- family, friends, acquaintances, strangers.  And especially because I am in the ministry and help people in various ways.  The reason I have been battling my emotions is because I have been bombarded with other peoples expectations of me. 

They expect me to make sacrifices for them but are unwilling to make any sacrifices for themselves.  They want me to do what they want me to do and if for some reason I can't, they get upset and angry with me.  They don't mind giving you a piece of their mind whether it hurts or not.  They act like they are the only ones who have feelings, you don't.  Their feelings are the only ones that matter.  They don't have anything to do with you until they need something from you.  Then once you give it to them, they forget you-- until they need you again.  They expect you to drop everything you are doing for them.  Yet, they don't want to take the time for you when you need something.

Does it sound familiar?  I am sure most of you can relate to dealing with people who have these same expectations of you.  I wanted to throw myself a pity party but then the Lord reminded me that I was in good company because they did, and still do, Him the same way. 

People get angry at Him when He doesn't do what they think He should do.  They neglect and forget about Him until they need something.  Once He gives them their request they forget about Him until the next time.  They expect Him to do His part but are unwilling to do their part.  He makes all the sacrifices.  He knows what it is like to be rejected, used, abused, taken for granted, accused, betrayed and lied upon even by those closest to Him, as well as the strangers.  He experienced it on earth and is still experiencing it today. 

So, if you are going through something concerning other's attitude and expectations toward you.  Throw yourself a party-- not a pity party, but a party to celebrate the fact that you are fellowshipping with Jesus' sufferings. 

Have a great day.  Other people will always expect more from you than from themselves.  But rejoice because they did, and still do, the same thing to Jesus. 

"Judged By The Original"

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."  Revelation 20:12

The Word of God does not change.  It is the same yesterday, today and forever.  It is forever settled in heaven.  It means the same thing today as it meant when the writers pinned it thousands of years ago. 

You can try to change and rewrite it to make it mean what you want.  You can rewrite it by adding to it or taking away from it.  You can twist it, compromise it, water it down, misinterpret it, write your own rules, but it has not changed.  You may change. Society may change and rewrite it to fit in.  Culture may change and try to rewrite it to fit in.  The times may change and try to make it relevant to the day. 

Regardless of how you, society, public opinion or culture tries to change it, the fact remains that you will be judged by the Word when you stand before God one day-- the same Word that you have tried to change.  But He will not judge you by your version.  He will say to you that although you tried to change the Word, I haven't changed it and that is what you will be judged by-- the unchanged Word. 

He is going to use the Word that He gave to judge you by, not the word that you have twisted and rewritten.  Twist it to fit your lifestyle if you want.  Rewrite it to condone popular opinion.  Rewrite it to fit with the times.  But when you stand before Him, He will judge you from the original Word-- the Word that He gave, which never changes-- even on the Day of Judgment.   

Have a great day.  God's Word hasn't changed.  You can try to change it, but He won't judge you on your version but on the original version-- the one He wrote.

"Reshaped Thinking"

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ."  1 Corinthians 2:16

When Daniel and the other Hebrews were taken captive by Babylon, they were placed in the king's palace.  There they were to be trained in the Babylonian language, ways and customs.  Their minds were to be "reshaped" to forget their Hebrew roots and conform to the Babylonian way. 

The enemy is still trying to do the same thing with us today.  He is trying to "reshape" our minds.  He wants us to have a worldly mindset.  He wants us to conform to this world's way of thinking. 

I wonder if he isn't succeeding to a decree.  I have observed that there is very little Christ-like thinking in the church.  We are embracing the world's way of thinking.  We no longer call sin, sin.  We have become accepting of the things that the Lord rejects and condemns.  We have removed the "absolutes" of the gospel and watered them down to mere individual preference.  We are condoning immorality.  We call evil, good.  We use humanistic reasoning to decide what is right and what is wrong-- instead of God's Word.  We are compromising the gospel and replacing it with worldly philosophies.  We don't stand for truth, because we don't know the truth, because we are accepting the world's mindset.  We think more like the world than like Christ.    

This is why we are weak and powerless.  This is why our churches have been reduced to mere "clubs".  This is why we are lukewarm.  This is why we stay in a state of constant confusion.  This is why we can't discern right from wrong.  The only remedy is to first repent.  Then secondly, begin to renew our minds with the Word of God.  If you are a Christian, you are suppose to have Christ's mind in you.  That means you think like He thinks.  Do you?

Have a great day.  Has your mind been reshaped to think like the world? 
 

"Praying Or Pressing?"

"And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me."  Luke 8:43-46

This woman did not pray for her healing.  She did not petition Jesus like many others had.  Instead she pressed through the crowd and came behind Him and touched Him.  There is a difference in praying and pressing.  We tend to confuse prayer for pressing.

When we pray, we make our petitions, our requests, our needs, desires and wants known to the Lord.  But pressing involves getting to a different level with the Lord.  Prayers are answered-- ask and ye shall receive.  But when we press, we receive more than an answer, we receive virtue from the Lord-- not just an answer but an "impartation".

Many people are content to only have an answer.  As long as they got what they wanted, as long as the Lord met the need, that was fine-- that was all they were after.

But we need to be people who will not only ask but press.  We need more than just answers, we need His virtue to flow into us.  This virtue that flows from the Lord is defined as power, strength, miraculous power, ability.  When His virtue flows into us, we are changed.  We are empowered physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc.  We receive miracles.  We gain added strength.  We are made whole.  We are enabled to do what we could not do, go where we could not go, be what we could not be otherwise, endure what we could not once endure, overcome what we could not previously overcome, be bolder than we ever have, be more productive, be more loving, gracious, kind, compassionate, tender-hearted, faithful, bear more fruit, resist temptations, and be strengthened in faith. 

When His virtue flows into us, it is His very nature, character, power and ability that flows into us.  We are no longer weak from our "infirmities".  We are no longer bound by those things that held us captive for years.  His virtue healed this woman, and of more than just a physical disease.  It still does the same today, and will if we will do more than just pray, but press.

Have a great day.  Are you praying or pressing? 

"Expectations"

"Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth."  Luke 8:22

Last night at Bible study we talked about expectations.  We looked at Luke chapter 8 and discussed in each account the expectations of Jesus toward the people and their expectations toward Him.  As I was pondering the account of the disciples in the storm and Jesus in the back of the boat asleep, I drew a conclusion as to Jesus' expectations of His disciples--- us present day disciples included.

First, He expects us to believe His Word.  He told them that they were going to the other side of the lake.  He didn't tell them they were going to drown.

Second, He expects us to take Him at His Word.  Again, He told them they were going to make it to the other side.

Thirdly, He expects us to act upon His Word.  When the storm came up, they tried to control the situation in the natural-- they bailed water.  They tried to handle the effects of the storm, instead of dealing directly with the storm like Jesus did.  They had authority to speak His Word to the storm and command it to stop just like Jesus did, because they had His Word on the situation-- we are going to the other side. 

Lastly, He expects us to have faith.  Faith in His Word.  Faith in what He says.  Without faith we can't please Him.  We live by faith.  Faith carries us to the other side.  Faith makes a way through the storm.  Faith speaks peace to situations.  Faith isn't moved by sight.  Faith hopes, trust and believes what He says-- we are going to the other side.

Are we meeting, or living up to, His expectations for us?  Probably not.  At least not all the time.  I know I don't.  But we should desire to.  We should strive to.  And if we are having trouble, we should do like Jarius did at the end of this same chapter-- pray.  "Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief."

Have a great day.  Are you living up to the Lord's expectations? 

"Destroyed Life - Part 2"

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."  Romans 8:37

Yesterday we talked about how life doesn't always bring us good things, along with life comes the bad.  This morning I feel impressed to continue this subject because the Lord wants to bring a word of hope to someone who is feeling hopeless because of the "bad" in life.

There are bad things that happen to us.  We will have "tribulation".  This is not a negative statement.  I am repeating the words of Jesus.  Many things that happen to us are a result of bad choices and decisions we have made.  But most of what happens to us in life is beyond our control.  We didn't cause it.  We didn't do anything to warrant it.  It just happened. 

When bad things in life happen, we do, however, have a choice as to whether we will let them destroy us or not.  That is one thing we have control over.  The word of hope this morning is-- if you are a Christian, a born-again child of God, it does not have to destroy you. 

You can live in victory over it and in spite of it.  The Lord has equipped you with everything you need to be victorious.  He has given you His Word, His power, His authority, His Holy Spirit, His Presence, His mind, His strength, His grace, His righteousness, His fruit, His armor and His promises.  In all things you are more than a conqueror through Him.  Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.  No weapon formed against you shall prosper.  Your weapons are mighty and powerful to even pull down strongholds.  You have been given the keys of the Kingdom.  Use them!  Don't sit back, sit down or sit still while grief overcomes you, while fear captures you, while bitterness consumes you, while depression controls you.  Jesus has given you abundant life.  Draw from that life, take hold of it, cleave to it, believe it and act upon it.  Exercise your faith and walk in the power and victory that is part of this abundant life that He has given you. 

The "bad" of life does not have to destroy you.  The Lord has provided everything you need to destroy its hold on you.  Through Him you can run through a troop of troubles, problems, tribulations, and leap over a wall of anger, bitterness, resentment, self-pity, and hurt, because He has given you victory over it.

Have a great day.   The "bad" that comes your way in life does not have to destroy you.... so don't let it. 

"Destroyed Life"

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Life doesn't always bring good things with it.  More often than not it brings the bad.  It brings sickness, disease, heartache, disappointment, trouble, problems, brokenness, death and tribulation.  We can't get away from bad things happening in our lives.  We can't have all "sunshine" and no "rain". But when life happens-- namely when it brings the bad and unwanted-- don't let life destroy you.

Often, we let life destroy us when it brings that which we don't want or when it brings the bad and the things we have already mentioned.  We let it destroy us by us giving into our emotions and feelings.  Our emotions will trigger wrong attitudes.  These attitudes will destroy us when we give into them.  These attitudes are bitterness, anger, resentment, depression, hate, unforgiveness, anxiety, fear, condemnation, shame, guilt, a hard heart, etc. 

The attitude Jesus told us to have was one of "good cheer".  The word cheer means:  comfort, cheer, courage, bold.  In those times- when bad comes our way- we need to take courage and not give up and lose heart.  We need to stand boldly against the temptation to yield to our emotions.  We need to receive the comfort that the Lord has for us.  When we do, the circumstances may not change, things may remain bad, it may not get better, but in the midst of it you won't be destroyed.  You will have the peace of God that passes understanding that Jesus spoke of and promised to give us. 

You can't always choose what happens in life, but you can choose whether or not you will let it destroy you.  So which will you choose? 

Have a great day.  Don't let life destroy you.       

"Who You Are"

"But ye are ..."  1 Peter 2:9a

I wear many "hats" and "roles" in life.  I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a friend, a business woman, etc.  Spiritually I have many roles as well.  I am a Christian, a minister, light, salt, an ambassador for Christ, a prayer warrior, a worshipper, a teacher, a witness, an encourager, etc.

My roles in the natural are not "compartmentalized" I am all those things.  It is who I am as well as what I do.  There is no separation, although there are times when one is more predominant than another.  This is true of my spirit life also.  Each one rises to the occasion when it is most needed. 

For some reason we think we are only one role instead of all.  We are not.  We are whatever is needed at the time-- naturally and spiritually.  This is seen more in our spiritual lives.  When a need arises in a particular area, we think we can't do it-- it is not our gift or calling.  Many Christians don't share their faith because they say-- I am not a preacher, or a minister.  Many won't pray for someone who has a need for the same reason.  They will call someone who they know is a "prayer warrior" and get them to pray. 

Let me encourage you this morning in this--- if you find yourself in the situation, then God put you there.  And whether you need to be a prayer warrior, a witness, an encourager, a teacher, or anything else, He has not only equipped you to do what is needed, but He has made you into what is needed.  You are that which is needed for the moment.  You are that to meet the need.  So stop putting it off on someone else because you "can't" do it.  It isn't a matter of "doing".  It is a matter of "being".  And He has made you into what you need to be to meet the need. It is Him in you that does it anyway. 

Have a great day.  It is who you are, therefore, you can do it.     

"Unworthy Praise"

"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God."  Psalm 50:23

Don't withhold your praise from the Lord!  Too often we will withhold it when we have messed up, made a mistake or sinned.  We allow our shortcomings, our faults, our failures to cause us to withhold our praise.  We allow guilt and condemnation from the enemy and self to cause us to hold back our praise.  We allow our emotions and our feelings to cause us to withhold praise. 

Praise is not about us.  It is about the Lord.  We should never withhold it.  When we are feeling all the things that I have listed above, that is not the time to withhold praise from Him.  It is a time to praise Him even more. 

We should praise Him even in our mistakes, faults, sins and failures.  If for no other reason than because He is worthy of the praise.  You may say, "but the praise isn't coming from my heart, just my mouth".  That's all right.  That is why the Bible also calls it a "sacrifice of praise"-- so don't withhold it.  If you make a step of faith to praise Him, your heart will soon catch up. 

Don't withhold your praise because God is worthy of it.  You may not feel you are worthy to give it, but give it anyway.  One day multitudes who are "unworthy" - actually they are on their way to hell and the devil is with them, but before they are cast out into the lake of fire, they will give the Lord one last praise and confess that He is Lord. 

Lastly, don't withhold your praise because it is a powerful weapon.  And though it is directed to the Lord, as you are praising Him and giving Him the glory-- in spite of your mistakes and unworthiness-- a change will begin to take place in you.  The guilt, condemnation, the chains of sin, will begin to fall off and repentance will come, your heart will be refreshed and your mind will be set at peace. 

Have a great day.  Don't withhold your praise from the Lord because you feel unworthy of being able to give it. 

"Mercy"

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:22,23

For the last several days the song, "Mercy Came Running", has been on my mind and heart.  Mercy is an attribute of God.  It is like grace, it isn't earned or deserved.  Most people never give a thought to mercy.  They never think about it being because of God's mercy that they woke up this morning, have a job to go to, had food to eat, clothes to wear, have a sound mind, or any other good thing that is in their lives.  You have heard the expression, "Living on borrowed time"?  Well, we are living on Mercy. 

Mercy is defined as- mercy, charity, clemency, grace, leniency, a disposition to show kindness or compassion;  mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

It was because of mercy that Adam wasn't killed in the garden when he disobeyed God.  It is because of the mercy of God that we aren't consumed when we commit a sin.  Many have this idea, when they are living in sin, that God is "all right" with it, or that He approves of it.  They reason in their own minds that if He wasn't "condoning" it they would have already faced His wrath or punishment.  Not true!  Mercy comes to all just like the rain does-- it rains on the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. (Matthew 5:45)

Never think that He is condoning your sin, especially because He has not judged or punished you, or because it appears that you are being blessed.  He loves you, but He hates the sin you are living in.  The only reason you haven't already been consumed is because the Lord God is a merciful God who does not want any to perish.  His mercy is at work in your life withholding punishment so that you will have time to repent.  It is not because it is His "stamp of approval".  

But, there will come a time when His mercy will end.  It ends once you leave this earth in death.  Then you will face the punishment.  Or it will end before that day when He determines you have had plenty of chances to repent and He is not going to overlook it any longer.  Mercy is part of who God is.  Therefore, He can decide to give it or withhold it.  The choice of whether He will extend mercy or not is solely up to Him.  If you are living under His mercy, while living in your sin, you don't need to take it for granted.  You should not think that He approves.  You need to repent and turn to Him and turn from your sin before mercy runs out.  

Have a great day.  God does not condone your sin.  He is only showing you mercy. 

"Trust And Obey"

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land".  Joshua 1:19

When it comes to receiving the answers to our prayers and petitions, there are times when we just have to trust and there are times when we have to trust and obey.

When Jarius came to Jesus about his sick daughter, Jesus told him to believe--  just trust.  But there are other times when our trust has to have some obedience behind it.  Here are some examples of what I am talking about.  We are told to give and it shall be given unto us.  We are told to bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse and He would pour out a blessing on us.  We are also told to "cast our bread upon the water and it shall come back to us in abundance".  The Bible tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only.  There are times the obedience may simply be to ask-- you have not because you ask not.  Naaman was told to dip seven times in the Jordan River.  Today we are told to call for the elders of the church and be anointed and prayed for to be healed.  And so on.

There is an old hymn that says to trust and obey.  It always takes trust-- belief, faith.  But it may also at times require obedience.  We have to be willing to do both.  If you are wondering why you aren't seeing more answers and blessings, you should seek the Lord to find out if there is an act of obedience that you need to fulfill.

Have a great day.  It takes trust in order to receive from the Lord, but it may take obedience as well.   

"The Active Word"

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."  James 1:22

When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life.  Jesus answered him.  The young man responded by telling Jesus he had done all that He said.  Then he asked another question--- what do I still lack?

Many of you are wondering-- what do I lack?  What do I still need in my life?  What is missing?  Where's my peace, my joy, my victory?  The thing that you lack is the Word of God active in your life.  When I say this, I am not talking about just reading the Word in a devotion each day, or following along with the verses in the sermon on Sunday.  I mean having it "active" in your life. I mean you have it in your hand like a sword, in your mind renewing it and in your mouth speaking it.  I mean it governs, and dictates, your thoughts, actions and deeds.  I mean that it transforms your character and changes your attitude.

The Word of God is life.  It is health-- health to our spirit, soul and body.  It is truth -- truth sets us free.  It is deliverance.  It is wisdom.  It is grace.  It is powerful-- more powerful than a two-edged sword.  It is hope.  It is faith.  It is enlightenment.  It is strength.  It is victory.  It is joy and peace.  We overcome every, any and all obstacles, plans, schemes and devices of the devil that he tries to use to steal, kill and destroy us.    

If you know without a doubt that you are a Christian but you feel like you are lacking something in your life, check your relationship with the Word.  Is it active in your life?

Have a great day.  What you feel like you are lacking in your life is most likely is the Word of God.