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Getting More Faith

Posted on February 11, 2018 by admin

Romans 10:17

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Did you know that most people don’t really understand something until they have heard it four to five times. If you see a new commercial on T.V., it usually takes four to five times before you understand what the commercial is all about. The same holds true with God’s Word. The more we hear it, the more we will understand it, and the more we understand it the more faith we get.

I’ve had people tell me that I repeat myself at times with the blackboards, and yes, I do. You see, we all leek! Picture yourself as a vessel filled with water. As time goes on the water will evaporate and even leek because of small holes in the vessel. It is the same with God’s Word. We become filled with His word and as time goes on that Word starts to evaporate or leek from us. That is why it is important to be in God’s Word constantly, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. The more time we spend in God’s Word, the more faith we receive!

It’s a constant battle to stay focused on the things of God in today’s world. There are many distractions designed to make us leek. The enemy is really good at throwing subtle things at us that seem correct. Things like, “God knows if your a good person because He looks at your heart and sees your actions”. Now this might seem like a valid statement, but it implies that if we are good, God sees that and it is a way to our salvation. When the truth is that the only way to our salvation is through Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross!

The goal of our enemy is to distract us in order to get us caught up in the things of the world. People who are not saved are conformed in the pattern of the world. The pattern of the world says abortion is OK, it says gay marriage is OK, it says that if you are a good person you are going to heaven. Some believe that they have the right to heaven based on their own personal beliefs. Again the only way to salvation is through Jesus! (John 14:6)

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Christians are called to “not conform any longer to the pattern of the world,” with its behaviors and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting.

Renew your minds constantly, because we all leek. Staying in God’s Word is an absolute must in order to gain more faith. That faith is what pleases God. It is that faith that heals us, transforms us and gives us the right to call God “Father”.

Cross Conscious

Posted on February 1, 2018 by admin

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, said that he determined to know nothing among them except “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. In other words, Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the New Testament, had his mind full of Jesus and His finished work on the cross. God wants your mind full of the cross of Jesus. He wants you cross-conscious.

So what does it mean to be cross-conscious? To be cross-conscious is to see Jesus, who loves you so much that He willingly died for you on the cross. To be cross-conscious is to look to Jesus, who offered His own body to be punished, so that your body can be free from all punishment. To be cross-conscious is to fix your eyes on Jesus, who has provided for your deliverance and victory at the cross. At the cross, all your enemies were vanquished. All your diseases were destroyed. Your poverty was removed at the cross. Your sins were wiped out at the cross.

When the Israelites tasted bitterness in the waters of Marah, God showed Moses a tree, which he cast into the waters, making the water sweet. (Exodus 15:23-26) The tree represents the cross, which turned the bitter waters sweet. Today, Calvary’s tree has turned your bitter situations sweet. Because of the cross, you can expect to see the bitter situations in your life made sweet!

When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, God told Moses to put a bronze serpent on a pole. The pole represents the cross and bronze speaks of judgment. Those who beheld the serpent on the pole lived because they saw their problem – the deadly serpent – nailed and put to death on the cross. (Numbers 21:6-9)

Today, you too will not die but live when you see all your sins judged at the cross, and with them, all your sicknesses, diseases, pains, failures and defeats! At the cross, all that is deadly in your life has been removed!

The Teacher Of All Things Is In You

Posted on January 31, 2018 by admin

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…

If you are asking whom or where you can go to to get the help you need, ask no more. Just turn to God who has already promised you the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom He has sent in Jesus’ name to dwell in you.

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Yes, teach you all things! Do you really believe that? Or are you like some who believe that you seek God’s counsel only for spiritual things, but consult “professional” help for all other things in your life?

God does not want you to run to and rely on worldly wisdom. Now, there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor or engaging a financial consultant, but God wants you to come to Him first for counsel and direction. That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Counselor (John 16:7, NIV), to teach you all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things… the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things…” (1 John 2:20, 27)

So the way God teaches you is through the anointing within. It is a continuous anointing. In any particular situation, He is anointing you from within, teaching you by the presence or absence of His peace.

For example, a deal you are considering may sound very reasonable. But if you don’t have the peace in your spirit, don’t sign on the dotted line. Sign only when you have the peace. Be led by His peace and you will find that your heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid. (John 14:27)

When you follow that peace which only God can give to you as an inward witness, good things and even miracles will come forth!

A Pure Heart

Posted on January 30, 2018 by admin

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Because we are all born sinners, our natural inclination is to please ourselves rather than God. David followed that inclination when he took another man’s wife.

We also follow it when we sin in any way. Like David, we must ask God to cleanse us from within, clearing our hearts and spirits for new thoughts and desires.

We are all witness to the things that are going on in the world today. These things are happening because of hearts that are turned away from God. People have the ability to do many great things, yet they ignore the abilities given by God in order to hate and destroy. This hatred is found all the way at the top including our elected politicians. They spew hatred from their lips in an attempt to promote their own political agendas.

Right conduct can come only from a clean heart and spirit. Ask God to create a pure heart and spirit in you.

Like A Little Child

Posted on January 29, 2018 by admin

Philippians 4:19

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

I watched the playoff games last weekend and the Carolina Panthers have been giving footballs to children, in the end zone seats, after they score. They did a segment on this and the smiles and excitement of those children sparked me to think about the verse above. Now you see children in the end zone seats anticipating the blessings of receiving a football. And when they do, the excitement overwhelms them beyond expectation. Just as God wants us to receive all that He has for us, He wants us to be like children and anticipate His blessings.

Adults are not as trusting as little children. To feel secure, all children need is a loving look and gentle touch from someone who cares. Complete intellectual understanding is not one of their requirements. They believe us if they trust us. Jesus said that people should believe in Him with this same kind of childlike faith.

It is as though Christ said, “It is not unworthy of my dignity to take little children into my arms and bless them, because by my benediction they become fit for the kingdom of heaven. And if you full-grown men would become fit for my kingdom, you must give up your ambitious aims and earthly contests, and imitate the simple unworldly ways of little children. The simplicity of the little child is the model and the rule for every one who desires, by the grace of Christ, to obtain the kingdom of heaven.

Holy Spirit Teaches And Guides

Posted on January 25, 2018 by admin

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…

If you are asking whom or where you can go to to get the help you need, ask no more. Just turn to God who has already promised you the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom He has sent in Jesus’ name to dwell in you. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Yes, teach you all things! Do you really believe that? Or are you like some who believe that you seek God’s counsel only for spiritual things, but consult “professional” help for all other things in your life? God does not want you to run to and rely on worldly wisdom. Now, there is nothing wrong with going to a doctor or engaging a financial consultant, but God wants you to come to Him first for counsel and direction. That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit, the Counselor (John 16:7, NIV), to teach you all things. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and He will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13)

The apostle John said, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things… the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things…” (1 John 2:20, 27) So the way God teaches you is through the anointing within. It is a continuous anointing. In any particular situation, He is anointing you from within, teaching you by the presence or absence of His peace. For example, a deal you are considering may sound very reasonable. But if you don’t have the peace in your spirit, don’t sign on the dotted line. Sign only when you have the peace. Be led by His peace and you will find that your heart will not be troubled, neither will it be afraid. (John 14:27)

When you follow that peace which only God can give to you as an inward witness, good things and even miracles will come forth!

The Right To Call God Abba, Father

Posted on January 24, 2018 by admin

Matthew 27:46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Do you know that it was at the cross that Jesus addressed His Father as “God” for the first time? He had always addressed His Father as “Father”. But at Calvary’s tree, He addressed His Father as “God”. Jesus lost that Father-Son relationship when He was representing you and carrying your sins at the cross so that today you can call God “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15) and have a loving father-son relationship with God forever.

At the time when Jesus needed God most, God turned His back on Him. God had to turn His back on His Son because His eyes are too holy to behold all the sin that was in His Son’s body. And because God turned His back on Jesus, He will never turn His back on you. Instead, you will see God’s face of favor shining on you all the time! Jesus also took your place of no protection at the cross. For the first time, He gave up divine protection so that you can have it every day of your life! And because He became sin, He took your curse at the cross so that today, as you take His gift of righteousness, you receive only blessings from God. Jesus received the full brunt of God’s wrath in His body once and for all when He carried your sins. All of God’s anger and condemnation fell on Him, consuming all your sins until God’s wrath was exhausted.

Today, God is not angry with you. The body of Jesus absorbed everything – your sins, curses, and God’s anger and condemnation. So live life expecting to see not the judgment, but the goodness and blessings of God!

Let Your Heart Be Established By Grace

Posted on January 23, 2018 by admin

Hebrews 13:9

…it is good that the heart be established by grace…

God does not want your heart full of worries and fears, tossed and turned by every challenge that comes your way. He wants your heart at rest and established by His grace toward you. When you think that the breakthroughs to your challenges depend on your ability to obey God, then your heart will not be at rest. It will be full of worries and anxieties. Why? Because you can never obey God perfectly.

When you depend on God’s grace, which is His undeserved, unmerited favor, the opposite happens – your heart becomes established. When you know that the only thing that qualifies you to receive God’s blessings is faith in the finished work of Christ, your heart becomes established. Then, you will walk without the fear of your troubles swallowing you up. You will walk with full assurance that His blessings will be manifested in your life.

God wants your heart established, knowing that His righteousness, healing, protection and provision are yours – all paid for by Jesus’ finished work at the cross. God’s blessings are sure in your life because they are not dependent on your ability to keep His laws, but Jesus’ perfect obedience.

Under the old covenant, you receive God’s blessings only if you keep all His laws. (Deuteronomy 28:1-2) If you sin and fail to keep even one law, you will be disqualified from receiving His blessings. But today, under the new covenant, your sins no longer disqualify you because God Himself has said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

So let your heart be established by God’s grace. Because of His grace, you have full access to His blessings. You no longer have to worry about whether you are good enough. You can stand firm on the promises made in His Word and enjoy His blessings today because Jesus has paid the price. Your part is only to believe and receive!

No Condemnation

Posted on January 22, 2018 by admin

Hebrews 9:14

…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

There are people who feel depressed all the time because of a sense of guilt, and they “pay” for their sins in terms of illnesses. In fact, doctors are discovering that many psychosomatic sicknesses are caused by guilt and condemnation because the conscience is saying, “You have done wrong. You must be punished.”

That is why you must have an answer that will satisfy your conscience. When your conscience says, “You have sinned. You must be punished for this sin or else God is not a just God,” you say, “Yes, I have sinned. But this sin and every other sin that I have committed were punished to the maximum in the body of Jesus Christ! So there remains no more punishment for me today, for how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse my conscience!”

The only way to bring peace to your conscience is to look to the cross. The cross of Jesus is the only answer that will satisfy your conscience.

So the next time your conscience condemns you because of sin, don’t try to silence it with your good works. Look to the cross and say, “Father, thank You for Jesus and the cross. Jesus was totally condemned on my behalf for this sin, so there is now absolutely no condemnation left for me.” Then, your conscience will look at the cross and say, “peace.” Jesus’ finished work at the cross truly sets you free!

The Battle Belongs To The Lord

Posted on January 18, 2018 by admin

2 Chronicles 20:15

…Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

When faced with a problem or challenge, we tend to ask ourselves, “What am I going to do?” And well-meaning family members and friends will come along and ask, “What are you going to do?”

Jehoshaphat faced a multitude of enemies. But instead of focusing on what he would do, he prayed, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) When we turn our eyes to God, we will hear Him say, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s… You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17)

But standing still is the last thing we want to do when an enemy is coming against us. It is also the most difficult thing to do because we feel that we cannot just stand around and do nothing – we must try to save the situation. But God wants us to stand still and see Jesus our salvation fight for us.

So what do you do the next time you are faced with a battle and don’t know what to do? Jehoshaphat sent his singers to the front of the army to proclaim, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” (2 Chronicles 20:21) Some people will wonder, “Does that mean that I just sing and don’t do anything else when I have a problem?” No, that is not what I am saying. Do what the situation requires, but don’t worry and don’t trust in what you do. Like Jehoshaphat, rest and trust in His mercy that endures forever. When you do that, God will turn your battlefield into the Valley of Berachah. Berachah means “blessings”. The children of Israel gave the battlefield this name because it took them three days to gather all the spoils of war! God turned their situation into a great blessing! (2 Chronicles 20:25-26)

Do you have a battle to fight? Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!