With Him
The disciples are in the boat and Jesus is there too. When the storm stills He wonders where their faith was. He never said have you any faith but where is it? Your faith is misplaced! Our faith is sometimes focused upon us - Can we be sunk? Instead of on Christ can he be sunk? No! Our faith is in whether He is in control of the storms in our life. The question should be... “ Is God in control of the storms that are coming against Him? Of course! He is in control over all the storms that are coming against Him and His purpose. Against His boat and against anyone in His boat. If no weapon formed against us can prosper it certainly is not going to prosper against the Lord of hosts. He is the Ruler of the universe. Waters winds storms and devils are nothing to Him.
Friend, when a storm from the enemy comes into our life, freshly submit to God. Say “Lord, I'm on the mission with you. You are in the boat and this is your storm!” Matthew 28 tells us that as they went the Lord worked with them because it was His work they were on.
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Self pity
The ten spies returned to the camp from the Promised Land, focused upon the giants and forgetting the promise. As the talked about what they couldn’t do but there were two who talked about what they could do. The difference was how they saw themselves. Sometimes we don’t realise the problem is with us. We may not get on with other people but not realise it’s not them, it’s us. Were unable to love them or relate to them and connect with them because we don’t love or like ourselves. When someone is insecure it’s hard to talk to them. If they feel bad about themselves, it conveys to everyone around them. “I don’t deserve God’s blessing because I am too unworthy; I don’t think He wants to bless me.”
It won’t be the size of the task before us or the lack of experience but it will be how we see ourselves that stop us from touching our world. When you have a bad attitude about yourselves, everything is too hard. We have to see ourselves in Christ! In Christ, we are everything to God. Not only do we have everything in Christ we are everything to God in Christ.
We are not worthy of any kind of blessing but Jesus is worthy of every blessing. Christians do not get what they deserve they get what Jesus deserves. We deserve punishment but we get a blessing because Jesus deserves it.
Friend, you are going to be a great leader in the house of God. You will make a difference in the kingdom of God. He’s not looking for people whose upbringing was perfect. He’s not looking for people who have a lot of money but He’s looking for people that can believe that in Christ they can do everything God desires them to do and be.
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Don’t just sit there
God uses His power not to interrupt free choice but to turn evil for good. He uses the tribulation of the world and the temptations of the devil all for good. We know all things work together for good to them that are called but does that mean we just accept them all blindly? No, we don’t just accept it or give in to it. Joseph didn’t say well it Gods will for me to be in prison forever so here so I won’t take any opportunity to get out. When the apostles ended up in prisons they didn’t say it is the will of God, no they prayed till there was an earthquake. When troubles come or we lose our job, we don’t say Que - sera sera - instead, God wants us to rise up in faith and trust Him for the new job. Sometimes you have to fight the devil off. This builds our character, forges perseverance, opens our understanding and grows us into the mighty image of Christ.
Friend, if the enemy is seeing to depress you or sap your strength, rise and fight him off by declaring God goodness and His promises.
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Free But Warned
The garden looked pristine and beautiful and Adam and Eve walked slowly through the trees, looking at all God had given them. God said "I have made it all for you but don’t touch the one tree in the midst of the garden, or you will die". God gives us freedom but He is not irresponsible. He shouts and cries out wisdom in the streets and in our lives. If you do somethings it will kill you. If you do other things you will end up in bondage so don’t commit adultery, don’t steal and don’t worship false Gods. You are free to choose but often the way that seems right to a man is the way to death. Often men choose to do things that will hurt themselves or other then when there are consequences, wished that God had of stepped in to avoid it happening. Why doesn’t He step in and stop the young man from crashing off the road while drunk. Why doesn’t He step in and stop people from their free choice and their harmful actions. If someone is drunk He doesn’t take the keys but He has already said don’t be drunk. Why doesn’t he stop the teenager from getting pregnant? He has already said do not fornicate.
Friend God gives His intervention up front by way of warning. If we fail to heed them He will not interfere with our choices.
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Who’s in Control?
The sovereignty of God doesn’t mean he makes everything happen that does happen. God is not behind the murderer or the rapist. He is not the planner and the plotter of tragedy, in fact there are many thing that are not Gods will that happen every day. God is not willing that any person should perish but some do every day without Christ. Both Christians and non-Christians fail to do His will every day. He forces no one. In so many ways the world is now disconnected from Gods perfect will. God operated in two modes His perfect sovereign will and his permitted will, have if you like; Gods will and his accommodation of free will and sin in creation. The ordination of King Saul was not Gods perfect will but He allowed it to happen. He was able to work around it and through it. He always can. The fall of man in the Garden was not god will but he chose not to interfere with man free choice. But part of Gods perfect will for us to be to love him and choose him freely; therefore he had to give his free choice. Mans freedom of choice was a necessary risk. God will not force men to worship but neither can he force people not to sin. Here is Gods dilemma: Shall I make people good or shall I make people free? Free to choose Good or evil.
Friend we are free to choose Gods way or our way but only God way ends in relationship with God and man in peace and joy.
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All dried up?
Elijah walked down to the river as he always had for months but it seems that the river from which he drank each day was becoming just a trickle. He was about to find out why. When the place that God brought you to becomes dry and unsustainable it is because God is getting ready to take you to a new place. God never takes you to a place that dries up and leaves you there. Though God had provided for Elijah at the river with obedient ravens, He had more in mind. That meant getting Elijah’s attention through a provision that dried up. God was not caught out. God knows everything all the time; He knows everything about the present the future and the past and He has known it from eternity. He has perfect understanding and wisdom. With perfect control and power He ensures all things work together for good.
Friend, if wherever you have been placed is drying up- look up; it may be a sign that He has a new thing, place, ministry and encounter with God, perhaps a increase of His supernatural power or a new people to be a part of.
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Key to everywhere
Cars, buses and taxis ply the streets of our town. Men and women walk to work and home again. It is easy to think that there is only the world we live in but high above and deep beneath there are other worlds. Three realms exist. There is heaven, the spiritual realm that God dwells in. There is earth on which the masses of humanity live, which we to reach with gospel and there is under the earth. The cross is the key to opening all three. The cross opened heaven for us. It restored our relationship with our Father in heaven. Through the cross of Christ, we are reconciled to God. Praise God that through cross we are able to fellowship with Jesus. The cross is also the key to authority with men in the earth. When a man or women speak as one truly carrying the cross of a disciple of Jesus there is a ring of authenticity about them that has impact in men hearts. Also between believers, it is the cross that reconciles brother with brother as the cross is embraced. It is the cross that releases ministry to men and women. Certainly the cross is the key to authority under the earth. It was the victory of the cross that destroyed the authority of Satan. The cross is the only badge of authority the devil recognizes. So the cross is the key to authority in every realm. The cross gives you recognition in heaven, recognition in earth, and recognition under the earth.
Friend, it is not a uniform of bright colours or a flag that flutters proudly that gives us authority, but the cross. Not a physical cross to be lifted or carried through the town but a cross clung to in faith and embraced in our heart that gives us power in every place above, on or the under the earth
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Dress to Impress
Esther was getting ready to appear before the king and she asked Hegai what she should wear. She trusted him completely as he knew what the kings liked and disliked. All the girls in the palace selected for the king all knew that they could have anything they wanted to wear and no doubt they went shopping to look stunning in their own eyes. The bible challenges us to please the Lord and not to please ourselves. One thing we sometimes struggle to grasp is the difference between being accepted in the Beloved and living in ways that please God.2 Corinthians 5.9. It not a works salvation but of pure grace. We don’t try to please Him to be saved but we will want to please him if we are saved.
Friend, the key I see to pleasing God, is not to live in a special way in order to get to heaven but to live a special way because we are going to heaven.
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