Where Is God When Bad Things Happen?

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 KJV)

God is not the one who causes terrible things to happen in this world. Many confuse the Old Covenant Law (where Jesus had not yet come and the Holy Spirit had not yet been given), with the New Covenant of Grace (in which God has poured out His wrath upon Jesus on the cross, given us His Holy Spirit, and a better covenant with better promises). God does not kill anyone, especially children. He doesn't fly planes into buildings, and He doesn't devastate populations with famine, drought, hurricanes, or tornadoes. When we understand that God is loving and compassionate toward us because of what Jesus has done,  we will run to Him instead of from Him, and stop blaming Him for the things Satan does.

     We gave away our dominion, domination, rule, power, reign, authority, control...,or however you want to say it,  of this world in the Garden of Eden (Gen.3).  Ever since that time Satan has been in control of this world, and still will be until Jesus disposes of Him (Rev. 20:10 KJV). God didn't give him this authority...we did. God gave it to us, we gave it to Satan. Remember God looks upon the seed; in other words, when He looks upon a person He either sees the seed of Adam (corrupted, unholy, a child of Satan) or He sees the seed of Jesus (redeemed by putting faith in the grace extended to us through the precious blood of Christ). 

     God spent the time from the fall of man (Gen.3) till now, making and providing a way for us back into relationship with Himself. He has provided that way through His Son Jesus Christ. He (the Father), along with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit conspired (Acts 2:23) to achieve the greatest legal and military victory ever conceived...spoiling death, hell, and the grave.

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—" (Hebrews 2:14 NIV)

      But it is only by choice that we become children of God. He will not force us. So either we accept Him and His Son Jesus as ruler of our lives and as our eternal God and Savior, or we choose to remain children of Satan and spend eternity separated from the love of God. 

     When the church teaches, as many do, that God - in His sovereignty - is in control of everything that happens, either bad or good, they are deceived and teaching a doctrine that Satan loves ("And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.. 2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV). But this teaching does many things that hurt God's children, two of which are; it makes them angry at God when bad things happen (which Satan is responsible for), and it keeps them feeling helpless and victimized, when in reality they have been given authority in Christ to rebuke the Devil in the name of Jesus, speaking the word of God with all boldness and authority commanding evil, sickness, poverty, depression, etc. to flee. (**see note below)

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 NIV)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV)

Note **As believers in Christ we do have authority over the Devil, but do not fall into the trap of spending more time focusing on and speaking to the Devil than you do Jesus. This will open unwanted doors in the spiritual realm. A simple command proclaiming the truth of God's word over a bad situation or illness is sufficient, and as your faith muscles grow it will become easier to stand believing, because God will establish a track record of faithfulness to His Word in your life. Here is a simple example of one prayer to rebuke the Devil. Notice I speak way more to the Father than to the enemy: 

"Father, I thank you that Jesus bore my sickness and disease upon His body on the cross, and by His stripes I am healed. I thank you Father for the authority you have given me, in Christ, to use His name, and "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth," (Philippians 2:10 NIV). Father I thank you that you have told me to speak to my mountains in faith and they would be removed - (Matthew 21:21 NIV). Now I turn to my physical body and I command sickness (or be more specific and call it by name; cancer, hernia, infection, etc.) to leave this body and never to return. I command this in the name of Jesus Christ. Now that I am cleansed of this fowl, unclean spirit, I command you body to be completely healed, restored and made whole as God intended. All damage be undone. I command every cell to be restored. Body I call you healed, healthy, restored, and made whole...in Jesus name, it is done! 

"Father, thank you for loving me so much. Thank you that it is your will that I be in good health, and prosper, and that you would never put sickness upon me as punishment. You are a good Father. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Bless you Father, Bless you Jesus, Bless you Holy Spirit...my God in whom I trust...Amen.

This is not a magic prayer, it is simply the way I speak to a loving Father who has charged me with the responsibility of interacting with Him through His Word and the Power of the Holy Spirit, in faith, as the way to obtain all the good things He has provided for me through Jesus perfect sacrifice on my behalf, and on yours. As these truths of God's goodness and His Word become revelation in your heart, use your own words and scriptures He has illuminated for you, in your conversations with the Lord.

 Faith released, retrieves Grace already provided. God is good all the time :)

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2 KJV)

Be Blessed, 

Will Brocker 

Victory Over Bitterness

Two sinners hung on crosses to the left and right of Jesus. One stayed bitter, the other got better. One is in hell today, one is with Jesus. Life is hard in this fallen world and people are always going to do evil. Understanding that you alone are responsible for how you react to the things they do and say to you, and that you have a choice gives you freedom. Without that choice to change and control yourself (the only one you can control) you would be in bondage to your environment, other people, and situations. If you don't feel you have any control over your emotions, then you need Jesus. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and during His darkest hour as He hung suspended between heaven and earth, He was loving and merciful to the thief who called out to Him. He will also free you from the bondage of sin and empower you by His Holy Spirit to walk in love, forgiveness, peace...victory. If you already have excepted Jesus and still feel you have no power over your emotions, then you need to renew your mind in the Word. The Word of God is the only truth we have to counter all of the negative and erroneous darkness and philosophy of this fallen world. 

"if we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12 NLT)

 "He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly." (1 Peter 2:23 NLT)

 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2 NIV)

Victory Over Sickness & Disease

"That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick." (Matthew 8:16 NLT)

     I like the way the New Living Translation words this scripture. Jesus cast out these evil spirits with just His words, a "simple command". Brothers and Sisters as the scripture says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) We do not have to deny that a sickness or disease is trying to come against us, but as Christians we are not to stop there, as the scripture says, "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinth. 5:7).
     There are seventeen times in the Gospels that Jesus healed all the sick who were present.
(Mt 4:23-24, 8:16-17, 9:35, 12:15, 14:14, 34-36, 15:30-31, 19:2, 21:14; Mr 1:32-34, 39, 6:56; Lu 4:40, 6:17-19, 7:21, 9:11; and 17:12-17). 
     There are forty-seven other times where He healed one or two people at a time (Mt 8:1-4, 5-13, 14-15, 28-34, 9:1-8, 20-33, 12:10-13, 22-23, 15:21-28, 17:14-18, 20:30-34; Mr 1:21-31, 40-45, 2:1-12, 3:1-5, 5:1-20, 25-43, 7:24-37, 8:22-26, 9:14-29, 10:46-52; Lu 4:33-39, 5:12-15, 17-26, 6:6-10, 7:1-17, 8:27-39, 43-56, 9:37-42, 11:14, 13:11-17, 14:1-5, 18:35-43, 22:51; Joh 4:46-54, 5:2-15, 9:6-7, and 11:43-44) 
     And there was even a time in His hometown when He could not heal many because of their doubt and unbelief spawned by their familiarity and contempt for Him (Mark 6:4); but even in this case it was Jesus' desire to heal them all. 
     Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself but only what He saw the Father do (John 5:19 and 8:28-29). So in light of the fact that Jesus never once refused to heal anyone, we must conclude that it is always God's will to heal. In fact, as the scripture says, "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5) -past tense- meaning all of our healing has already been provided for through Christ by grace, and now we are to obtain it by faith. This starts with being born-again, allowing our minds to be renewed by His Word, using our imagination as God intended to see the promises of His word being fulfilled in our lives, and speaking words of faith and not doubt or unbelief.

   Brothers and sisters, begin to strengthen your faith muscles by believing God for healing in your body. As you begin to walk in victory over sickness and disease, your trust in the Lord will increase and He will show you more and more as the scripture says, "call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known" (Jeremiah 33:3 ESV). There is no greater adventure than knowing  God and walking in relationship with Jesus by the power of His Holy Spirit. It starts now...have fun...be blessed...He loves you more than you know.

 Will

     
   

PURSUE PEACE

When we agree we are powerful, but when we allow strife to enter into our lives (home, marriage, workplace, church...) we open a door to the enemy of our soul. If you are at odds with someone about twenty things, find the one thing you do agree on and build on that. Instead of desiring to always be right, make it your goal to always be reconciled. Give God a place to work in the relationship. You will not be sorry.
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:3)
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3)
"The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." (Genesis 11:6)
"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14)
"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." (James 3:16)
"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." (Romans 14:19)

GOD IS SPIRIT

We can never know God through human intellect. If our relationship with God is purely academic then we have no relationship at all. ~

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5)

the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:17)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21)

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:1)

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Romans 8:9)

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (Jude 1:17-21)

One Way To God

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6)

     Jesus was a great man when He walked the earth. He is the only one who ever lived a sinless life, and He stands as a great example to all of us. But if we stop there we will never know God, and Jesus can be of no help to our eternal salvation.

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)

     Jesus claimed to be the only way, the only truth, and the only life. He didn't claim to be a gate or a point of entry to salvation. He said He is the only gate, indicating there is only one access point...and He is it. Anyone claiming to honor and have relationship with Jesus while advocating other ways to get to God, to know the truth, or to have eternal life apart from Jesus alone is deceived and deceiving others. Jesus' claims about Himself being the only means of salvation leave no room for doubt. He is either all He says He is, or He is the biggest liar in history. The fact is He was God in the flesh. Any other religions, even some claiming to be a form of Christianity, which recognize Jesus and His teachings as great examples but don't believe He is the only way to achieve salvation...are false. Quite simply they are operating under a spirit of antichrist (which is anything that doesn't recognize the precious blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ as a necessity). "and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." (1 John 4:3 ESV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

     John revealed to us that Jesus was the Word made flesh, the Living Word, and Jesus said He is the truth. The words written in the Bible are alive and active, they are the way for all believers to enjoy victory in all areas of life and to come to know and understand God's ways and to discover who they really are as Children of God. The Word is Christ, the Word is truth, the Word is full of faith and grace, but we cannot approach it from a merely academic standpoint.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true--even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

     The Bible teaches that God is spirit, and we must worship him in spirit and truth.  The Bible (The Word of God) is a spiritual book written by men under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps better said, it is a book written by God about Himself. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself to His children. It can not be comprehended with our natural minds apart from the influence of God's Holy Spirit. This is why so many have a hard time understanding the Bible; some saying it contradicts itself, that it is a book written about God by men, claiming some parts as truth and discounting others, or even giving it their own private interpretation.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV) 

     When we read our Bible we must pray for the Holy Spirit to speak directly to our hearts. Our level of education puts no limits on God's communication with us. We must trust God, and humbly open up to His loving ways.

Jesus is the only way to God the Father.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

      I pray He gives you the faith to believe this. If you ask Him I guarantee there is no truth regarding your life and salvation He will withhold, but He will not change and agree with you on any point in which you disagree. You must approach Him with an open heart and mind, and if on some point He shows you to be in error, just repent. Change your mind to agree with Him and move forward. He will help you if you ask, but He is a gentleman and will not impose upon you in any area of your life in which He has not been invited. Let Him in today, put your trust in Him and begin to study the Bible together with Him...He loves you more than you can imagine.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Feeling Unworthy? Trust God

   As we begin to grow in our salvation it can be like a roller-coaster ride for our emotions; all the more reason to learn and meditate on the Word of God.
   When we are born again our spirit is changed immediately. No longer held captive by the spirit of Satan, our old nature is crucified with Christ and our new nature is that of our Lord Jesus. There is no dual nature as some have erroneously taught; The Spirit of God would never share a body with the unholy spirit of Satan.
   Once born again we have the power to always choose God's way... but our body and soul did not change at salvation the way our spirit did. Neither our math skills or vocabulary changed, and if we were overweight at salvation we were still overweight the next day. Our natural mind wasn't changed right away, it is our spirit that was made new.
    Since we can't see or touch our spirit, and this fallen world has taught us to believe a polar opposite of who we really are in Christ...what do we do? How do we handle this colossal identity crisis? God's Word is the only way we can find out who we really are as born-again children of God .
    Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63 ESV). We must fill our minds with the Word of God...then meditate on it until it becomes revelation to us, with the helpful illumination of the Holy Spirit. 
   Our great identity crisis and feelings of unworthiness (sometimes strengthened by religion or well meaning religious folks), will begin to diminish as our faith muscles begin developing. This happens as we begin to believe and to trust in what God's Word says happened in our spirit more than what we can see in the natural. 
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

I'M SAVED, NOW WHAT?

An unsettling number of Christians receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, but then never develop in their Christian life because they don't get proper instruction in the Word. Some say there are over 3000 promises of God to His children in the Bible. It is full of them! From the Bible we also come to understand the true nature of God, and who we really are in Christ. As a new believer it is a natural response to crave more understanding; so we come to God with an open heart, and mind...a clean slate if you will...like a little child.

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." (2 Peter 3:18)
"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation," (1 Peter 2:2)
And (Jesus) said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)

We are born-again as spiritual infants into God's family. It is only proper that we humble ourselves and acknowledge this and not be rebellious children, but instead submit ourselves to His loving instruction through His Word.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1)

God loves us and to the extent we submit to His leading and authority in our lives He will shower us with all the love, affection, and gentle correction we need. But we need to watch out for the influence this world can have on us.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." ~ (Romans 12:2)

When we were saved, we became just like Christ in our born-again spirit. Knowing that helps us to be mindful about the fact that we need to renew our natural mind to agree with the mind of Christ which is in our spirit. 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)
God is growing us up to think and act just like Jesus! Oh how He loves us!

AM I SAVED?

When you hear God's Word, Satan immediately tries to steal it from you. Don't let him. His only weapon against you is deception. The only way he can deceive you is if you don't have understanding. Comprehending your salvation is essential for preventing the devil from talking you out of your benefits for this life. This is why it is not just good, but essential for Christians to be deeply rooted in God's Word.

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Romans 10:9-10 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 ESV

The Word says whosoever, meaning anyone can participate. Aren't you a somebody...a whosoever?
Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord? (confessing Him as Lord means that you recognize Him as master, giving Him complete authority in your life. It means you put your complete trust in Him to do what His Word says He will do)
Do you believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead? (if you do not believe in His resurrection, then all bets are off. This would make Christianity, just another religion. Without the resurrection Jesus would not be who He said He was, and we would still be in our sins)
The moment you "sincerely" committed your life to Jesus Christ, you were saved. Congrats! Heaven is your home.

Grace for Today

Christians are never given more than one day to live. It is called today.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest... So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts... ~ Hebrews 3:1,7,8

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. ~ Isaiah 51:6

Jesus said...
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:35-36

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ~ Psalm 118:24

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ~ John 14:1

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ~ John 14:27

What's In Your Hand This Christmas?

Our gifts do not have to be monetary. Everything in our care can be a gift/seed, whether it be a dollar, time, a smile, an encouraging word, a prayer, or any material thing. But one thing for sure; when we give out of a loving heart...God will always multiply and return the gift to us. Never believe that God doesn't want to use you. He is ready and willing, and is simply asking us to release, by faith, the things He has already given us.
 God asked Moses, "What's in your hand?". He said, "a rod"...and with that rod God worked many mighty miracles and upset the strongest army on earth.
"What's in your hand Samson?"..."the jaw-bone of an ass"...and with it he slew 1000 Philistine enemies of God.
"What's in your hand David?"..."a slingshot and five smooth stones", and with one of the stones David killed a giant who challenged and insulted the people of God.
"What's in your hand son?"..."five loaves and two small fish", and with that little boys lunch Jesus was able to feed 5000 men, plus the women and children.
Today God is asking you to trust Him with whatever you have at your disposal. Maybe it is your time, your love, or some worldly possession. You will never be able to out-give God. If He can get it through you, He will get it to you. Be a funnel of God's love and blessings. You will not regret it.
-"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." ~ Luke 6:38 NIV
-“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. ~ Mark 10:29-30 NLT

The Fullness of Life

Are you a whosoever? Have you confessed Jesus (verbally) as Lord of your life? Do you believe that God raised Him from the dead? If so, U R Saved! Don't let the Devil lie to you and cause you to neglect or miss out on the benefits of your salvation. The Devil is a liar and if he can't stop you from confessing Jesus as Lord, he just switches gears and tries to keep you feeling unworthy and condemned so you will not walk in the fulness of what Christ has for you and wants to give others through you for His glory. Get the truth and promises of God's word deep in your heart so the devil can't steal it from you. God has your picture in His wallet, He loves you, and has great plans for your life...seek Him and find out what they are.

"...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Rom. 10:9-10 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom. 10:13

Contrasting Himself and the Devil (thief), Jesus said "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

"When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." Matthew 13:19

Use Your Authority

Have you ever stomped your foot and told and old dog, or pesky animal to "Get out of here!"? - That's the way you have to treat the devil and his little imps sometimes. Anything troubling you today, if it can be called by a name (e.g. pain, infection, cancer, depression, poverty, lack, strife...) it must bow to, or flee from, the name of Jesus. Try it...speak to your mountain...call it by name and

tell to "GET OUT, IN THE NAME OF JESUS!" - then begin to praise God for the authority He has given you to use the name of His precious Son who died for Y O U :) - You will get better at this as your faith muscle grows, but if you don't try you will never know.

"God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." ~ Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

 

 

Poem by C.T. Studd

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”
— extra stanza —
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”

C.T Studd

Struggling Relationship w/Jesus

If you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but are still struggling with old habits and attitudes - talk to Him about it and let Him know you would like to want Him more than you want this world, but are having a hard time getting there. He will begin to lead you on a better path...the one that involves Him as the most important person in your life. You may need to separate yourself from

some of the people and places you are familiar with. Get a version of the Bible you can understand and start to read about Jesus...His life, and His ways. Ask Him to arrange for new friends and mentors to come into your life, then get excited because I promise He will not disappoint. He is faithful, He is awesome, and He has your picture in His wallet.

Jesus - The God/Man

When Jesus came to earth as a man, He didn't give up any of His rights as a deity. He always was and always will be God. But coming in the form of a man He submitted himself to the limitations of His flesh. (There are great legal ramifications in this, which is how He was able to undo the kingdom of darkness submitting Himself to His own laws. The greatest strategy ever conceived.) He relied upon and was empowered completely by the Holy Spirit during His ministry here 2000 yrs. ago. You and I, as born-again believers, have that same opportunity today.
"Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death —
even death on a cross!" ~ Philippians 2:6-8

Receive God's Grace

If faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (and it does), then doubt and unbelief come by hearing everything the world has to offer. Everything that passes through our eye and ear gates creates something in our souls. The Word of God produces peace, love, holiness - God's character. The World produces doubt, unbelief, rebelliion, evil desires, etc. Thus we have the average carnal American Christian, full of the world and barely allowing for any quality time with the Lord. All anyone has to do is listen to us speak, or read what we write, and see the fruit of our intake...because out of the overflow of the heart our mouths will speak (or we will write).
Remedy = Read & Meditate on the Word of God (Bible), Prayer (two way conversatiion), true Christian Fellowship and Godly conversation, better choices concerning what we see and listen to. Then, all of this will just be works without the power of the Holy Spirit, so ask the Giver for the Gift. He will not turn you down. God loves you. He wants you to connect with Him through the channels He has provided so that your faith muscles will grow. Then you will be able to appropriate, by faith, all that He has provided by grace.

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."~ Romans 10:17

"Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word," ~ Eph. 5:25-26

"I will set before my eyes no vile thing..." ~ Ps.101:3

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." ~ Romans 12:2

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" ~ Luke 11:13

I AM WILLING - BE CLEAN

"While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. " ~ Luke 5:12-13

Jesus was approached by a man with a severe case of leprosy. It would not have been a pretty thing to look upon. He wasn't sure if Jesus would heal him, but he knew He could. Jesus made His will clear to the man by reaching out and touching him, and of course when He touched him...he was healed.

We desperately need to accept a couple of things here. Because our level of knowledge and belief in them have everything to do with living victorious lives as Christians. They need to be documented in our minds, our hearts...our souls. The first is God's will regarding physical healing. That leper didn't know whether or not Jesus was willing to heal him, but that is not the case for believers today. The Bible sets in place all the testimony and precedent we need to establish God's will concerning healing. It is always His will to heal. Never once does Jesus use sickness as punishment. Never once did He turn anyone away or even require anything of them, before He would heal them. He healed everyone who ever came to Him for healing. Yes in the old testament God put sickness on people who were rebellious. He was angry, and He even killed people. He had to deal harshly with people because they did not have the Holy Spirit and the only way to protect the majority of mankind from rebellion and the sin which was so prevelant was to make examples of some. But all of God's wrath has now been unleashed on Jesus Christ. He exhausted His judgment, punishment, and anger on Jesus as a way of reconciling us back to Himself. Now a just and holy God can look upon you, me, and whosoever will except the gift of salvation found in His son Jesus Christ and say 'their sins have been atoned for by the blood of Jesus'.
The other thing is this... His will to heal is not just for the physical body, but for our spirit man and for our soul or personality (consisting of our thoughts, will, and emotions). From the fall of man till the present day, every person born (apart from Jesus and John the Baptist) has been born captive to sin. When we make a commitment to trust in Jesus for our eternal redemption and make Him the Lord of our life, our spirit is set free from the bondage to sin; enabling us to live Godly lives.

 "... just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." ~ Romans 5:18

 This doesn't mean we don't still have the capacity to sin, we do. It just means we are no longer compelled to sin by an uncontrollable force, and if we do we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, praying for us, and HE IS ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE to free us from the burden of guilt, condemnation, regret, and shame that can hinder us from living the abundant life of an over-comer He died to provide us with.

  ^"If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." ~ 1 John 3:20

Dear brothers and sisters, remember this. No matter what sickness you face, and no matter what sin you have committed...Jesus is ALWAYS WILLING AND ABLE to heal you, forgive you, cleanse you, restore your confidence, and set you on a course of victory. Find out more about the superabundance of God's grace available to you through the atonement of Jesus as a New Covenant believer. God is not angry with you, and He has a perfect plan for your life. Learn how to appropriate all that He has for you by surrendering yourself to His love and amazing grace. Before long you will be so full of the love of God, you will be walking in faith, trusting in God, and loving His people with His kind of perfect love.

OPEN UP TO GOD'S WORD AND FIND HIS WILL FOR YOUR LIFE

The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful ~ Matthew 13:22

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ~ 1 John 2:15

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ~ Ephesians 5:17

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:2

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ~ 1 Peter 1:14

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ~ Colossians ~ 1:9

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ~ Romans 10:17

Lighten Your Load

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Stay free of bitterness, unforgiveness, gossip, malice, jealousy, and immorality. Recognize and acknowledge these things are not of God, command them to leave in the name of Jesus, then (verbally) invite God's love, joy, peace, and self-discipline into your heart...in the name of Jesus. The Christian life is impossible by your own power, you need the Holy Spirit. Ask Jesus to fill you today. He is faithful. You will not arrive in a day, it is a journey, but He will free you of the bondage to sin, so you have the ability to live the abundant life of an overcomer He died to provide you with.