To love and be loved is the greatest joy in the world!
Who understands the mystery of love? Where did it originate? Why is it the force that makes the world go round and round?
Love began with God for God is the author of love! (I John 4:8.) It began before Christ was born in Bethlehem on that first Christmas morning. "For God so loved rhe world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
God flung the galaxies and stars into space. He hung the sun and moon on nothing. He spoke the worlds into existence and when everything was ready, then He made man. God knew the future of all things and knew nothing could move and motivate mankind like knowing someone cared for him and loved him; so He invested in man the capacity to love and be loved and ordained it to be the powerful force that moves the world.
The Bible tells us "...love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love. Rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned." (Song of Solomon 8:6b-7 NIV New Student Bible.) A commentary on these scriptures tells us further: "Death sweeps all things away. It yields to no one, and once you are in its power you cannot escape. The same is true with love. It takes control of your life, and like a gigantic fire, it cannot be doused. Love must be treated with the greatest caution and respect." (Commentary on Song of Solomon 8:6, NIV New Student Bible.)
The Holy Spirit inspired this translation and commentary in order to show us the power and depth of human love in words we could understand. The reason: so that we might comprehend the power and depth of God's love, expressed in His Word, that we could understand, --love so great that we could grasp the awesome purpose of Christ's birth: to be born as a baby, to grow up into manhood experiencing the problems of life, then to die on a cross to redeem us from the power of those problems when we accepted Him to be Lord of our lives. His ultimate purpose was that He might dwell in our hearts with peace, joy and a knowledge that His salvation offers and promises all that He desires to be to us. To confirm this, the Bible says, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height and TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST, which passeth knowledge." (Ephesians 3:17 and 4:16.)
It's Christmas, the greatest story of love! It's the time of giving! Familiar carols and songs are filling the air wherever we go. Decorating, baking, reproducing the drama of that wonderful day, shopping for gifts and remembering those we love and appreciate have taken priority for these exciting days. While busy with your details be sure to prepare a gift for Jesus. After all it's His birthday. Since He is not physically here, give a gift to someone in need who may not be able to return the favor. Jesus said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40) If you cannot bless someone during the holidays, support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by praying peace into their lives while they are far from home and praying that many of them will be able to get long distance calls through to family and loved ones from wherever they are on Christmas Day.
To all who are reading this post, God bless you today! Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Traffic Signals on the way - Warning - A Need to Wait
Waitng is an important part of God's plan for everyone whether we want to believe it or not. We may not always know the reasons for it until after the fact, yet the reasons for waiting are as important as a bank account for security and success.
Who likes to wait? At a traffic light, in line at the supermarket or in front of our microwave we glance at our watch several times in the few minutes we are waiting. We are classified as impatient people though we have the most modern technology in the world for accomplishing twice as much in one hour or one day than our neighbors across the oceans. It's because we don't understand God is working in our behalf while we are waiting.
One difficult area for many people is waiting for answers to prayer. When we have presented a need or prayer request to the Lord we exercise faith that He heard our prayer and we we expect to receive the answer quickly. Between the promise and its fulfillment are the most difficult hours. The tech world has given us so many modern conveniences that can cut a person's work load in half the time so we expect God to understand that and do the same. If we pray about an urgent financial need, because we know that God heard the prayer and He knows the emergency, we want a divine intervention on our time schedule. If the answer does not come when we expected it, our faith begins to disappear; but what about God's reasons? Does He have reasons for delay?
On busy expressways at times there will be unexpected construction, slow traffic for many miles, or even detours but the signs are placed in those critical areas to assure the end result: the safety of drivers and a safe arrival at their destination, not to cause him anxiety for not keeping his personal time schedule. We never question the wisdom of placing signals, signs and detours on busy roads because we know the delays and waiting was for a purpose.
When I returned to Korea to continue my missionary work after my husband went to be with the Lord, I was privileged to be invited to work with Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel (Assemblies of God Church) in Seoul, Korea. In Dr. Cho's daily mail there were usually many letters from young potential pastors looking forward to graduate from college or a university who had great visions and goals to build a great church of thousands of people for the glory of God. But they wanted to know how they could accomplish this in less than the 30 years it took Dr. Cho. These were very impressive young people of a high-energy level and with outstanding personalities. They had heard that membership at the Yoido Church had reached 750,000 (at that time). They heard that people being saved and healed and others delivered from many kinds of diseases was a common occurance in many of the services. Visiting pastors and church leaders said the example of the Yoido Church resembled the story of the early church in the book of Acts.
We wrote to each young man in detail. We explained that great accomplishments begin with faithfulness in doing menial tasks first, with excellence. When God saw their heart and their readiness He could give them more anointing and power but God is the One Who decides.
We asked them how much time they spent in prayer daily. They did not give clear answers. We told them there is a reason why it took 30 years for Dr. Cho to arrive at this juncture. Most important of all he was learning to KNOW God intimately, not just know ABOUT Him. He was daily searching the scriptures, memorizing them, studying the plan of salvation, healing, growth and development of believers and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He was learning to recognize the difference between God's voice and passing thoughts. He learned these truths from the Holy Spirit in great detail, in his steady daily prayer time. He learned the meaning of obeying God when God spoke, not later at a more convenient time.
We suggested that the young men use their time wisely in college to learn to know God while they were not under the pressures and cares of a young family, work, or other needs. We asked them, "If God should open a door of ministry for you today, do you feel you would be ready to step into the role of pastor today? Would you know how to find God's direction for the church and the people you would minister to?"
We explained the long "waiting" period is not really too long. When they would be ready, God would place them in His great harvest field where they would bring the most glory to Him. When He did, the potential would-be pastor will have learned accountability, responsibility, readiness and obedience.
The waiting period is God's personal preparation time for the developing of a life that will feel what He feels and know Him, not just know about Him.
Time is not lost when we give it to God. The farmer waits for his harvest but because of his careful care of his fields, the harvest does come. A Mother waits nine months for the birth of her child but because of care and preparation, the child does arrive. When God gives a promise we may have to wait for the fulfillment but with careful care, preparation and obedience the answer does come in God's time.
Are delays and/or waiting periods always necessary in a Christian's life? Most of the time they are. The waiting time is for you, not God. You are not ready for your answer! Use your waiting time. Learn from it. Watch new potential abilities grow, develop and mature in many ways during the waiting period. If you give God more quality time in prayer the Holy Spirit can prepare you to be ready for you answer earlier than you expected. He is the One Who decides!
Who likes to wait? At a traffic light, in line at the supermarket or in front of our microwave we glance at our watch several times in the few minutes we are waiting. We are classified as impatient people though we have the most modern technology in the world for accomplishing twice as much in one hour or one day than our neighbors across the oceans. It's because we don't understand God is working in our behalf while we are waiting.
One difficult area for many people is waiting for answers to prayer. When we have presented a need or prayer request to the Lord we exercise faith that He heard our prayer and we we expect to receive the answer quickly. Between the promise and its fulfillment are the most difficult hours. The tech world has given us so many modern conveniences that can cut a person's work load in half the time so we expect God to understand that and do the same. If we pray about an urgent financial need, because we know that God heard the prayer and He knows the emergency, we want a divine intervention on our time schedule. If the answer does not come when we expected it, our faith begins to disappear; but what about God's reasons? Does He have reasons for delay?
On busy expressways at times there will be unexpected construction, slow traffic for many miles, or even detours but the signs are placed in those critical areas to assure the end result: the safety of drivers and a safe arrival at their destination, not to cause him anxiety for not keeping his personal time schedule. We never question the wisdom of placing signals, signs and detours on busy roads because we know the delays and waiting was for a purpose.
When I returned to Korea to continue my missionary work after my husband went to be with the Lord, I was privileged to be invited to work with Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel (Assemblies of God Church) in Seoul, Korea. In Dr. Cho's daily mail there were usually many letters from young potential pastors looking forward to graduate from college or a university who had great visions and goals to build a great church of thousands of people for the glory of God. But they wanted to know how they could accomplish this in less than the 30 years it took Dr. Cho. These were very impressive young people of a high-energy level and with outstanding personalities. They had heard that membership at the Yoido Church had reached 750,000 (at that time). They heard that people being saved and healed and others delivered from many kinds of diseases was a common occurance in many of the services. Visiting pastors and church leaders said the example of the Yoido Church resembled the story of the early church in the book of Acts.
We wrote to each young man in detail. We explained that great accomplishments begin with faithfulness in doing menial tasks first, with excellence. When God saw their heart and their readiness He could give them more anointing and power but God is the One Who decides.
We asked them how much time they spent in prayer daily. They did not give clear answers. We told them there is a reason why it took 30 years for Dr. Cho to arrive at this juncture. Most important of all he was learning to KNOW God intimately, not just know ABOUT Him. He was daily searching the scriptures, memorizing them, studying the plan of salvation, healing, growth and development of believers and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. He was learning to recognize the difference between God's voice and passing thoughts. He learned these truths from the Holy Spirit in great detail, in his steady daily prayer time. He learned the meaning of obeying God when God spoke, not later at a more convenient time.
We suggested that the young men use their time wisely in college to learn to know God while they were not under the pressures and cares of a young family, work, or other needs. We asked them, "If God should open a door of ministry for you today, do you feel you would be ready to step into the role of pastor today? Would you know how to find God's direction for the church and the people you would minister to?"
We explained the long "waiting" period is not really too long. When they would be ready, God would place them in His great harvest field where they would bring the most glory to Him. When He did, the potential would-be pastor will have learned accountability, responsibility, readiness and obedience.
The waiting period is God's personal preparation time for the developing of a life that will feel what He feels and know Him, not just know about Him.
Time is not lost when we give it to God. The farmer waits for his harvest but because of his careful care of his fields, the harvest does come. A Mother waits nine months for the birth of her child but because of care and preparation, the child does arrive. When God gives a promise we may have to wait for the fulfillment but with careful care, preparation and obedience the answer does come in God's time.
Are delays and/or waiting periods always necessary in a Christian's life? Most of the time they are. The waiting time is for you, not God. You are not ready for your answer! Use your waiting time. Learn from it. Watch new potential abilities grow, develop and mature in many ways during the waiting period. If you give God more quality time in prayer the Holy Spirit can prepare you to be ready for you answer earlier than you expected. He is the One Who decides!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Traffic Signals on the way: Warning - Detours
Traveling can be adventurous and educational besides getting you to your destination if roads are good and necessary directional signs are carefully placed to indicate any changes, curves or detours. All signs are meant to direct you and they are to be heeded!
A few years ago some of our missionary friends lived and ministered in a limited-access nation in the mid-east. On a very dark night while traveling home at midnight from a gospel meeting in a nearby city, the missionary family and national pastor with his son had just reached the top of a steep hill and started down the other side when suddenly they came upon a large truck stalled in the middle of the road before them, without lights. With no time to go around the truck successfully, their car immediately slammed into the truck. All three of their young daughters were thrown out of the car as well as the national pastor's son, and all four were killed. The missionary wife suffered with many broken bones. After several hours, they were found and everyone was taken to a nearby hospital. Fortunately the missionary and his national pastor were not injured seriously. The three daughters were later buried in that foreign land. A year later the wife learned to walk again. They now reside in the states. The accident might have been avoided if road flares or a detour sign of any kind had been on the road a short distance before approaching the hill, but there was nothing. The tragedy was caused by neglect!
In our walk with the Lord, there will be times when the Holy Spirit will warn us of problems ahead and we must heed the warning and perceive He provided a detour. The detour will cause us to avoid the thing that we could not see immediately. To ignore His warning is to neglect His prompting, His desire, His assignment from our heavenly Father to protect and warn us throughout our Christian journey. Warnings come to us through God's Word; but the decision to heed them is ours: whether we will listen and obey or regard His Word and prompting as not necessarily important at the moment.
The Holy Spirit wants you to remember: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for INSTRUCTION in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16.) There is instruction for you every time you read God's Word! The Word will speak to your inner man and direct you in specific day to day dealings and events. Reading your Bible daily and balancing it with prayer will enable the Holy Spirit to bring back to your rememberance the Word of God that will bring instruction and warning when you need it.
Among the commandments and instructions in scripture, one that gets our attention quickly and stands out as a warning concerns the word neglect.
The area where neglect can be noticed quickly is the road on which we travel most, every day. We can see if maintenance and upkeep were handled on a timely basis. A road that has not been properly serviced by the city can cause small or great accidents or delays.....all because of neglect. Likewise, those who are in the body of Christ, which includes you and me, who have not diligently kept all the Word (the commandments and instructions) can be responsible for lack of growth in the lives of younger believers God has placed in your path. Neglect can be the reason for the lack of vision for the purpose of God in your life, your home or your church. It can be the reason for weak faith: --faith that is not strong enough to produce healings or miracles and it can be the deciding factor for indifference to the preaching of the Word. It's a sobering fact but it's true! When neglect is evident, there are little or no results, and no readiness for the Second Coming of the Lord. Again, the reason is neglect! On your journey of life, detour away from neglect before it affects your relationship with the Lord.
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip. How shall we escape IF WE NEGLECT so great a salvation." (Hebrews 2:1, 3.) Our salvation includes working toward full obedience and fighting the good fight of faith to be ready for the work and ministry that the Holy Spirit desires to do through us!
On several occasions, the Israelites asked God why He did not help them as He had promised since they did prepare and offer their offerings and sacrifices. God told them it was because they ignored his prophets and continued to serve other gods AND Him. He was no longer THE One and Only Lord of their lives! Their hearts were not in their sacrifices and offerings! It had become only a form to them without their hearts involved in true worship. Though believers do not offer sacrifices of sheep and goats as the Israelites did, God would speak to us today and in essence His Words would be, "You see what you want to see in my Word, and change its interpretation to fit the level of your present spiritual condition." Take a detour around the status quo traveling on the road with you if those people pretend to serve the Lord but He is not THE Lord of their lives! Let nothing cause you to neglect the Lord of your life being the Only God of Life to you!
Is it possible that the Lord would visit a church in the disguise or form of a crippled person, a homeless and/or a dysfunctional person, someone in a wheel chair, a blind person, one recently restored from prison, a weathly millionnaire, perhaps a football star or any other person of renown...to see our response or neglect to each one? And if He did, would you recognize Him? If so, how would you respond? Could or would you be God's hand extended? Would you take time to be His hand extended? Do you scale down the Word of God to someone when witnessing to him so he will not be offended? Have you ever asked the Lord to use you to touch the life of a hurting person, or to be His hand extended?
We will one day be judged according to the Light we received and how we passed it on. If the Word of Truth is powerful in your life and understanding, let it be powerful in your speech, action and example! Sometimes we are tempted to "strain at a nat and swallow a camel...." Do we talk about serving God according to rules we made but neglect the needs that are important to God? Neglect!
I think often of a time after the Rapture, when we will stand before the Lord at the Bema Judgment. To some He will say, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited me not." (Matt 25:42-43.) Then our Lord will answer: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto Me." (Matthew 25:44-46.) Why would He say this? Could it be that we might be selective in our work for the Lord, even in our friendships, those we help or things we do for them for God?
When a person has neglected his personal relationship with God, there will soon be signs of neglect in his obedience to certain instructions in the Word. The signs of disobedience will develop into carelessness, and carelessness will cause him to rearrange the commandments he once loved, to fit his strained life style. This is the way some churches and even pople move away from Truth and get into error. The gospel becomes diluted so that it has lost its power to change and transform lives. Neglect can bring change that will cause one to let down his standard of holiness and his love for God. Eventually he will look toward returning to the very things he was once delivered from.
The good news is, God is always merciful to hear our cry of repentance and for help to return to Him so we can be restored. His Word declares, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) Yes! He will abundantly pardon! What a comfort! Today is a good day to think on these things and examine them carefully in your life!
A few years ago some of our missionary friends lived and ministered in a limited-access nation in the mid-east. On a very dark night while traveling home at midnight from a gospel meeting in a nearby city, the missionary family and national pastor with his son had just reached the top of a steep hill and started down the other side when suddenly they came upon a large truck stalled in the middle of the road before them, without lights. With no time to go around the truck successfully, their car immediately slammed into the truck. All three of their young daughters were thrown out of the car as well as the national pastor's son, and all four were killed. The missionary wife suffered with many broken bones. After several hours, they were found and everyone was taken to a nearby hospital. Fortunately the missionary and his national pastor were not injured seriously. The three daughters were later buried in that foreign land. A year later the wife learned to walk again. They now reside in the states. The accident might have been avoided if road flares or a detour sign of any kind had been on the road a short distance before approaching the hill, but there was nothing. The tragedy was caused by neglect!
In our walk with the Lord, there will be times when the Holy Spirit will warn us of problems ahead and we must heed the warning and perceive He provided a detour. The detour will cause us to avoid the thing that we could not see immediately. To ignore His warning is to neglect His prompting, His desire, His assignment from our heavenly Father to protect and warn us throughout our Christian journey. Warnings come to us through God's Word; but the decision to heed them is ours: whether we will listen and obey or regard His Word and prompting as not necessarily important at the moment.
The Holy Spirit wants you to remember: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for INSTRUCTION in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16.) There is instruction for you every time you read God's Word! The Word will speak to your inner man and direct you in specific day to day dealings and events. Reading your Bible daily and balancing it with prayer will enable the Holy Spirit to bring back to your rememberance the Word of God that will bring instruction and warning when you need it.
Among the commandments and instructions in scripture, one that gets our attention quickly and stands out as a warning concerns the word neglect.
The area where neglect can be noticed quickly is the road on which we travel most, every day. We can see if maintenance and upkeep were handled on a timely basis. A road that has not been properly serviced by the city can cause small or great accidents or delays.....all because of neglect. Likewise, those who are in the body of Christ, which includes you and me, who have not diligently kept all the Word (the commandments and instructions) can be responsible for lack of growth in the lives of younger believers God has placed in your path. Neglect can be the reason for the lack of vision for the purpose of God in your life, your home or your church. It can be the reason for weak faith: --faith that is not strong enough to produce healings or miracles and it can be the deciding factor for indifference to the preaching of the Word. It's a sobering fact but it's true! When neglect is evident, there are little or no results, and no readiness for the Second Coming of the Lord. Again, the reason is neglect! On your journey of life, detour away from neglect before it affects your relationship with the Lord.
"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip. How shall we escape IF WE NEGLECT so great a salvation." (Hebrews 2:1, 3.) Our salvation includes working toward full obedience and fighting the good fight of faith to be ready for the work and ministry that the Holy Spirit desires to do through us!
On several occasions, the Israelites asked God why He did not help them as He had promised since they did prepare and offer their offerings and sacrifices. God told them it was because they ignored his prophets and continued to serve other gods AND Him. He was no longer THE One and Only Lord of their lives! Their hearts were not in their sacrifices and offerings! It had become only a form to them without their hearts involved in true worship. Though believers do not offer sacrifices of sheep and goats as the Israelites did, God would speak to us today and in essence His Words would be, "You see what you want to see in my Word, and change its interpretation to fit the level of your present spiritual condition." Take a detour around the status quo traveling on the road with you if those people pretend to serve the Lord but He is not THE Lord of their lives! Let nothing cause you to neglect the Lord of your life being the Only God of Life to you!
Is it possible that the Lord would visit a church in the disguise or form of a crippled person, a homeless and/or a dysfunctional person, someone in a wheel chair, a blind person, one recently restored from prison, a weathly millionnaire, perhaps a football star or any other person of renown...to see our response or neglect to each one? And if He did, would you recognize Him? If so, how would you respond? Could or would you be God's hand extended? Would you take time to be His hand extended? Do you scale down the Word of God to someone when witnessing to him so he will not be offended? Have you ever asked the Lord to use you to touch the life of a hurting person, or to be His hand extended?
We will one day be judged according to the Light we received and how we passed it on. If the Word of Truth is powerful in your life and understanding, let it be powerful in your speech, action and example! Sometimes we are tempted to "strain at a nat and swallow a camel...." Do we talk about serving God according to rules we made but neglect the needs that are important to God? Neglect!
I think often of a time after the Rapture, when we will stand before the Lord at the Bema Judgment. To some He will say, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited me not." (Matt 25:42-43.) Then our Lord will answer: "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto Me." (Matthew 25:44-46.) Why would He say this? Could it be that we might be selective in our work for the Lord, even in our friendships, those we help or things we do for them for God?
When a person has neglected his personal relationship with God, there will soon be signs of neglect in his obedience to certain instructions in the Word. The signs of disobedience will develop into carelessness, and carelessness will cause him to rearrange the commandments he once loved, to fit his strained life style. This is the way some churches and even pople move away from Truth and get into error. The gospel becomes diluted so that it has lost its power to change and transform lives. Neglect can bring change that will cause one to let down his standard of holiness and his love for God. Eventually he will look toward returning to the very things he was once delivered from.
The good news is, God is always merciful to hear our cry of repentance and for help to return to Him so we can be restored. His Word declares, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7) Yes! He will abundantly pardon! What a comfort! Today is a good day to think on these things and examine them carefully in your life!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Traffic Signals on the way:"Warning - Presumption"
Presumption is a belief that a person can do whatever he desires to do contrary to previous instructions and restraints, without experiencing consequences for his behavior.
Your life is your journey on the specific path that God laid out uniquely just for you. By following the Map, God's Word, and detailed Guidelines carefully, scriptures that give you specific directions for your personal journey, you will be amazed how God will reward you with fulfillment of the desires of your heart which in essence are plans He Himself placed in your life. There will be no doubts or guess work how to reach your personal destiny. All you have to do is listen, obey and follow His leading, and watch for warning signals on the way that would cause you to detour from your Christian path. Obey them and keep your eyes on Jesus! Obeying and following God's direction will avoid confusion, chaos and the possibility of losing out with God in the end.
We read examples of men in the Bible who made wrong choices while they were in leadership and suffered bitter consequences. We can learn from their mistakes. When wrong choices are made, it often takes many months and sometimes years to find a place to turn around and return to the place where a person left God, in order to be restored. Sometimes he is able to turn around successully but sometimes he turns around only to carry the baggage of consequences the rest of his life.
While we were on the mission field, we met an impressive young couple full of talent and the possibility of high leadership skills. It did not take long to recognize the wife was living with the consequences of the years she lived in the drug scene when she lived in a commune. When she talked of the goodness of God, she radiated with gratefulness that those days were behind her, but at times in ordinary conversation her mind appeared to be blank and she struggled to complete sentences. I'm reminded of the scripture: "Be sure your sin will find you out." You cannot assume you will be the exception who will have no consequences.
Saul had been chosen by God to be the first King of Israel. When he faced his first national battle, Samuel gave him specific instructions to meet him in Gilgal; wait seven days with the people, and he (Samuel) would come and offer a sacrifice before going into battle. He would ask God for His blessing before Saul would face the would be invading army. Saul did gather the people as he was instructed, but after waiting in Gilgal only six days, he became impatient, restless and doubtful of his instructions. He began to think since he was king he should be able to offer the sacrifice as the priests did. Though God gave Saul a new heart when he became King, Saul's leadership included learning the importance of following directions, not his assumptions. And he offered the sacrifice! This was the first disobedience but more followed until Saul eventually lost his way, lost the kingdom, and lost out with God. His sin of presumption was assuming he did not have to follow the directive God gave through Samuel.
David is known in the scriptures as the sweet singer of Israel. Growing up, as the youngest son he kept the family's sheep. Alone on the hillsides for long periods of time, he probably learned to know the Great God of the universe as few of us could imagine. Worship, prayer, communion and fellowship with God were consistent in his daily life. We remember the stories how he killed a bear, killed the giant Goliath, and had many great victories to his credit. In God's time, he was anointed to be king, following Saul. Fast-forwarding his life as king, after God had used him mightily in winning many battles successfully with the surrounding nations, a time came when David was sorely tempted. He sucumbed to the temptation, committed adultey and then he tried to hide his sin. Though he was known as a man after God's own heart, he was still human and was subject to temptations as the rest of mankind. No one is exempt.
After yielding to the temptation, we see another side of David. It's not only a picture of results that follow temptation but also a revelation how Satan can win in a person's life when just a small crack in the door of his heart is allowed to be opened to fantasy and sympathetic thoughts toward compromise to sin.
We see deception, lying, and trying to hide the consequences of his sin. Disaster after disaster followed David after that. Did God forgive him? Yes, but David paid the consequences for sin. His sin of presumption was thinking as King, he could arrange more deceptions to be carried out by one of his military men and no one would ever know what really happened. The warning signal here is: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Whose heart? Everyone's heart! David's sin of presumption was that he knew God would forgive him, but he did not count on the many consequences that followed because of his sin. From that time, David prayed, "Keep me from presumptous sins."
The lesson from his choice is to heed the signals on your journey of life everyday because they can be warnings in the busy and congested traffic on your road. Today as never before, the enemy of your soul, Satan, is after you. Your only safety is to stay close to God. Recognize and know that everyone is tempted at times and temptation is not sin. It is yielding to the temptation that is sin! If you have sinned or are in a difficult place of temptation, your only hope is to turn to the strong arm of God through His Word. The scripture says, "Submit yourselves unto God, .....THEN....resist the devil and he will flee from you." The next step is to CONFESS your problem to the Lord in prayer, not hide it. REPENT of your part in allowing yourself to be drawn into the problem this far. ASK FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS to cleanse you from your involvement. Accept His forgiveness and cleansing and turn/run from the temptation. Then ASK FOR RESTORATION.
The scripture speaks of "Godly sorrow" with repentance. There are times when you need to spend more than a few minutes before God in repentance. You need to repent with Godly sorrow. This means to realize you grieved and wounded the Holy Spirit who attempted to restrain you from yielding to temptation. Your sin of presumption may have been that you thought you could always repent with a "sentence prayer," a quick and short one, and the presence of God would be restored quickly as before. The Holy Spirit will lead you to full repentance and Jesus will forgive you but you need to know your repentance must be with Godly sorrow. It is the Godly sorrow that will sharpen your will to resist a temptation the next time.
The good news is that the Holy Spirit places special kinds of signals on your your road of life from time to time, often to warn you. Be aware of them and obey them. It's because He wants you to remember always what a great sacrifice Jesus made for you. He desires you to live free from sin.
(This message us for a particular person who happened to find this on the internet today. I don't know who you are but I know Jesus loves you. He waits for you to go to Him and repent and be restored! I urge you to go today!)
Your life is your journey on the specific path that God laid out uniquely just for you. By following the Map, God's Word, and detailed Guidelines carefully, scriptures that give you specific directions for your personal journey, you will be amazed how God will reward you with fulfillment of the desires of your heart which in essence are plans He Himself placed in your life. There will be no doubts or guess work how to reach your personal destiny. All you have to do is listen, obey and follow His leading, and watch for warning signals on the way that would cause you to detour from your Christian path. Obey them and keep your eyes on Jesus! Obeying and following God's direction will avoid confusion, chaos and the possibility of losing out with God in the end.
We read examples of men in the Bible who made wrong choices while they were in leadership and suffered bitter consequences. We can learn from their mistakes. When wrong choices are made, it often takes many months and sometimes years to find a place to turn around and return to the place where a person left God, in order to be restored. Sometimes he is able to turn around successully but sometimes he turns around only to carry the baggage of consequences the rest of his life.
While we were on the mission field, we met an impressive young couple full of talent and the possibility of high leadership skills. It did not take long to recognize the wife was living with the consequences of the years she lived in the drug scene when she lived in a commune. When she talked of the goodness of God, she radiated with gratefulness that those days were behind her, but at times in ordinary conversation her mind appeared to be blank and she struggled to complete sentences. I'm reminded of the scripture: "Be sure your sin will find you out." You cannot assume you will be the exception who will have no consequences.
Saul had been chosen by God to be the first King of Israel. When he faced his first national battle, Samuel gave him specific instructions to meet him in Gilgal; wait seven days with the people, and he (Samuel) would come and offer a sacrifice before going into battle. He would ask God for His blessing before Saul would face the would be invading army. Saul did gather the people as he was instructed, but after waiting in Gilgal only six days, he became impatient, restless and doubtful of his instructions. He began to think since he was king he should be able to offer the sacrifice as the priests did. Though God gave Saul a new heart when he became King, Saul's leadership included learning the importance of following directions, not his assumptions. And he offered the sacrifice! This was the first disobedience but more followed until Saul eventually lost his way, lost the kingdom, and lost out with God. His sin of presumption was assuming he did not have to follow the directive God gave through Samuel.
David is known in the scriptures as the sweet singer of Israel. Growing up, as the youngest son he kept the family's sheep. Alone on the hillsides for long periods of time, he probably learned to know the Great God of the universe as few of us could imagine. Worship, prayer, communion and fellowship with God were consistent in his daily life. We remember the stories how he killed a bear, killed the giant Goliath, and had many great victories to his credit. In God's time, he was anointed to be king, following Saul. Fast-forwarding his life as king, after God had used him mightily in winning many battles successfully with the surrounding nations, a time came when David was sorely tempted. He sucumbed to the temptation, committed adultey and then he tried to hide his sin. Though he was known as a man after God's own heart, he was still human and was subject to temptations as the rest of mankind. No one is exempt.
After yielding to the temptation, we see another side of David. It's not only a picture of results that follow temptation but also a revelation how Satan can win in a person's life when just a small crack in the door of his heart is allowed to be opened to fantasy and sympathetic thoughts toward compromise to sin.
We see deception, lying, and trying to hide the consequences of his sin. Disaster after disaster followed David after that. Did God forgive him? Yes, but David paid the consequences for sin. His sin of presumption was thinking as King, he could arrange more deceptions to be carried out by one of his military men and no one would ever know what really happened. The warning signal here is: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" Whose heart? Everyone's heart! David's sin of presumption was that he knew God would forgive him, but he did not count on the many consequences that followed because of his sin. From that time, David prayed, "Keep me from presumptous sins."
The lesson from his choice is to heed the signals on your journey of life everyday because they can be warnings in the busy and congested traffic on your road. Today as never before, the enemy of your soul, Satan, is after you. Your only safety is to stay close to God. Recognize and know that everyone is tempted at times and temptation is not sin. It is yielding to the temptation that is sin! If you have sinned or are in a difficult place of temptation, your only hope is to turn to the strong arm of God through His Word. The scripture says, "Submit yourselves unto God, .....THEN....resist the devil and he will flee from you." The next step is to CONFESS your problem to the Lord in prayer, not hide it. REPENT of your part in allowing yourself to be drawn into the problem this far. ASK FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS to cleanse you from your involvement. Accept His forgiveness and cleansing and turn/run from the temptation. Then ASK FOR RESTORATION.
The scripture speaks of "Godly sorrow" with repentance. There are times when you need to spend more than a few minutes before God in repentance. You need to repent with Godly sorrow. This means to realize you grieved and wounded the Holy Spirit who attempted to restrain you from yielding to temptation. Your sin of presumption may have been that you thought you could always repent with a "sentence prayer," a quick and short one, and the presence of God would be restored quickly as before. The Holy Spirit will lead you to full repentance and Jesus will forgive you but you need to know your repentance must be with Godly sorrow. It is the Godly sorrow that will sharpen your will to resist a temptation the next time.
The good news is that the Holy Spirit places special kinds of signals on your your road of life from time to time, often to warn you. Be aware of them and obey them. It's because He wants you to remember always what a great sacrifice Jesus made for you. He desires you to live free from sin.
(This message us for a particular person who happened to find this on the internet today. I don't know who you are but I know Jesus loves you. He waits for you to go to Him and repent and be restored! I urge you to go today!)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Thanksgiving - Remembering with Gratefulness
People who influence people the most are those who always show thankfulness!
Thanksgiving time brings warm memories of family gatherings, of the aroma of turkey and its trimmings being prepared, of favorite foods and pies and the joy of spending a few special hours with family again! The rush and busyness of everyday living has robbed many people of their gratitude for blessings we have been privileged to enjoy in our great country of America! Let's remember with gratfulness!
If you counted your blessings and wrote them out, how many could you list on paper? At this time of the year, it is good to remember to thank God again for our beloved land of the free; --for God's protection, provision and guidance during the last ten months, --for our abundance of everything we have need of, for the comforts and conveniences of life such as our home, our telecommumications, medical facilities, and our military personnel serving overseas in order to protect our country, just to name a few.
On the other side of the coin, the Mission Fields of the world tell us that life is very different from our homes, and not without problems and yet they express gratefulness for what they do have. Nations rise and fall and other nations are changing focus in many directions all the time. Missionaries see these factors but they are working hard to bring in their harvest before the winds of change develop into storms that could change the face of missions. They are more concerned about the people God sent them to and they are grateful for the call of God to bring the gospel to them. One missionary wrote:
.....If you own a Bible, you are blessed. More than one-third of the world's population does not even have access to one. In some countries one page is all a national pastor has until he can exchange his page with another pastor.
.....If you awoke this morning with more health than illness, you are blessed. One million people will not survive this week.
.....If you have never experienced war, imprisonment, torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are more fortunate that 500 million people who live with these on a daily basis.
.....If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and money in your pocket, you are richer than 75 percent of the world.
We should daily ask ourselves some questions to measure our gratefulness:
1. Do we talk daily about our blessings or more about our disappointments?
2. Do we complain or grumble about our circumstances,or do we see God working through them?
3. Are we content with life or dissatisfied and always wanting more?
4. How often do we thank others for the little things they do for us, or do we take them for granted and seldom say "Thank you!"
5. Do others say I am a thankful person, or are they silent about that subject? We tell on ourselves by the things we say and the things we do.
As we share thanksgiving dinner with family and friends this Thanksgiving Day, let's take time to express our gratefulness to God who has "...blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3.) Let's pray for our missionaries serving far from home this year and those on assignment to raise more support to fulfill the vision God gave them, --for the families who are missing a family member because he/she is serving in Iraq, --for those in your church or next door who are not well and would appreciate a dinner plate from your home and perhaps those who have been alienated or estranged from their own family and long to return. This Thanksgiving time, let's recall our blessings again with gratefulness and express that gratefulness verbally to our heavenly Father, then to those who shared Thanksgiving dinner with us!
You can become a strong influence in the lives of other Christians when you express gratefulness to them often for their small or great contribution in your life! You can make a difference!
Thanksgiving time brings warm memories of family gatherings, of the aroma of turkey and its trimmings being prepared, of favorite foods and pies and the joy of spending a few special hours with family again! The rush and busyness of everyday living has robbed many people of their gratitude for blessings we have been privileged to enjoy in our great country of America! Let's remember with gratfulness!
If you counted your blessings and wrote them out, how many could you list on paper? At this time of the year, it is good to remember to thank God again for our beloved land of the free; --for God's protection, provision and guidance during the last ten months, --for our abundance of everything we have need of, for the comforts and conveniences of life such as our home, our telecommumications, medical facilities, and our military personnel serving overseas in order to protect our country, just to name a few.
On the other side of the coin, the Mission Fields of the world tell us that life is very different from our homes, and not without problems and yet they express gratefulness for what they do have. Nations rise and fall and other nations are changing focus in many directions all the time. Missionaries see these factors but they are working hard to bring in their harvest before the winds of change develop into storms that could change the face of missions. They are more concerned about the people God sent them to and they are grateful for the call of God to bring the gospel to them. One missionary wrote:
.....If you own a Bible, you are blessed. More than one-third of the world's population does not even have access to one. In some countries one page is all a national pastor has until he can exchange his page with another pastor.
.....If you awoke this morning with more health than illness, you are blessed. One million people will not survive this week.
.....If you have never experienced war, imprisonment, torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are more fortunate that 500 million people who live with these on a daily basis.
.....If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and money in your pocket, you are richer than 75 percent of the world.
We should daily ask ourselves some questions to measure our gratefulness:
1. Do we talk daily about our blessings or more about our disappointments?
2. Do we complain or grumble about our circumstances,or do we see God working through them?
3. Are we content with life or dissatisfied and always wanting more?
4. How often do we thank others for the little things they do for us, or do we take them for granted and seldom say "Thank you!"
5. Do others say I am a thankful person, or are they silent about that subject? We tell on ourselves by the things we say and the things we do.
As we share thanksgiving dinner with family and friends this Thanksgiving Day, let's take time to express our gratefulness to God who has "...blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3.) Let's pray for our missionaries serving far from home this year and those on assignment to raise more support to fulfill the vision God gave them, --for the families who are missing a family member because he/she is serving in Iraq, --for those in your church or next door who are not well and would appreciate a dinner plate from your home and perhaps those who have been alienated or estranged from their own family and long to return. This Thanksgiving time, let's recall our blessings again with gratefulness and express that gratefulness verbally to our heavenly Father, then to those who shared Thanksgiving dinner with us!
You can become a strong influence in the lives of other Christians when you express gratefulness to them often for their small or great contribution in your life! You can make a difference!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Healing is For Today
Do you believe you can be healed today? That question can be answered with two more questions: Has the Word of God changed? Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever?
Prepare your heart for healing through God's Word. First, consider the power of the Word of God as compared to the philosophies of those who would say that healing is not for us today. If "philosophers" never experienced a healing, how could they know if it is or is not for us today? If they came to declare this to me, I would have to tell them they came too late.....because I have already been healed many times. Apparently they do not know the scripture that declares "the Word of God standeth forever," which confirms that God's promises for healing stand forever too!
Socrates, an Athenian philosopher; Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and tutor of Alexander the Great, and Plato, another Greek philosopher,---all world renowned philosophers in their day taught and/or offered their views or theories on questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other fields, with eloquent words. But after their death, their writings have faded from importance except as subjects to be studied in universities and colleges. Today, there appears to be no wide spread need for their philosophies for the average person.
On the other hand, the Word of God that was spoken through prophets and priests centuries ago as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, has outlived philosophers, orators and humanists. Jesus lived on earth, died on a cross for all sinners and returned to His heavenly Father, yet His Word lives on and it has not only endured and withstood many tests through many storms and threats of extinction for many generations but it has brought change wherever it has been taught and received. Missionaries especially, confirm the Word of God has changed cannibalistic nations into civilization. It has brought peace and comfort in times of bereavement and sorrow. In remote areas where medical service was either 4-5 hours away or there was none available for many miles, when prayer was earnestly made to God, healings and miracles happened! When faced with fear and the unknown in the face of death, there is no record of someone asking for a dictionary or a book of philosophy to be read. He asked for the Word of God because its Words brought hope and peace. All of the Word of God has and is life for the reader.
The Bible also brought encouragement, direction for day to day living and answers in times of crisis. It led us to salvation, peace with God and eternal life. To every born again believer it has given life to God's great and precious promises for every circumstance. Why? Its Author is God Himself, the God Who created man in His image. And God knows all about him, .....even his physical needs, and how to restore or heal him.
Scripture confirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." He is the God of yesterday and the future but He is also the God of Today! God spoke through Isaiah, "My Word that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING WHERETO I SENT IT." (ISAIAH 55:11.) Looking at a parade of evidences, we can conclude He is the same yesterday, today and forever in every circumstance! Yes! This means He is the God of healing, restoration and renewal for the future and for today!
Through His Word, God invites you to "Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16.) Here are some factors to know that will help as you prepare for your healing:
1. Faith is needed.
"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Preparation for healing requires that you first have faith to believe God is and that He is a "rewarder of those that diligently seek Him." Your faith grows as you spend quality time in prayer and in the Word of God, and especially when you place your name in the scriptures, for emphasis. Many Christians who do this confirm this has helped their faith.
2. Realize Jesus finished His Work at Calvary.
Healing is a finished work of Calvary as far as God is concerned, but you have to do more than hope or wish for it. To have the "finished work" or evidence of the healing, you must RECEIVE it. Peter declares, "By whose stripes ye were healed," (I Peter 2:24.) Healing was and is for you or your family members but if you have not received it, you need to continue to read the healing scriptures again and again until you have memorized them and they are a part of your confession every day.
3. "Everyone who asks, receives."
Jesus stated those words in Matthew 7:7-11. When you pray for healing, Jesus wants you to receive what you asked for because His Word declares, "By whose stripes ye WERE healed." Rewording it can help your faith by quoting "I believe it was through His stripes I WAS HEALED," and then stand firmly on your declaration without wavering.
4. Jesus healed them all.
Since Christ came to do the Father's will, the fact that He HEALED THEM ALL is proof that it is God's will that all be healed. (If it were not God's will for all to be healed, then how did they all get healed?)
5. Stand in your authority.
At all times, you need to stand in the authority Jesus shared with you in Luke 10:19. BELIEVE that you have the authority over ALL the power of the enemy, even Satan's attack of sickness he is trying to put on you. Speak to your sickness to go in Jesus' Name, commanding it to return to the one who sent it. When you speak boldly with authority, in faith, nothing wavering, the sickness will begin to die; your condition will begin to reverse and in time you will see the full manifestation of complete healing.
(NOTE; See previous blog titled, "The Prayer of Authority," September 7, 2007. To 9pen this blog, scroll to the end of this page. See the words "Older Posts" at the end of the page. Press or double click on the words "Older Posts." Wait, and the previous page with blogs will appear. Scroll down on that page to "The Prayer of Authority" and read the article with additional information on Authority.)
Only believe! This is God's Word. It will never change! He promised that His Word would NOT return to Him void, but it would accomplish what it was sent to do. Dare to believe healing is for you today and witness the power of His promise!
Prepare your heart for healing through God's Word. First, consider the power of the Word of God as compared to the philosophies of those who would say that healing is not for us today. If "philosophers" never experienced a healing, how could they know if it is or is not for us today? If they came to declare this to me, I would have to tell them they came too late.....because I have already been healed many times. Apparently they do not know the scripture that declares "the Word of God standeth forever," which confirms that God's promises for healing stand forever too!
Socrates, an Athenian philosopher; Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and tutor of Alexander the Great, and Plato, another Greek philosopher,---all world renowned philosophers in their day taught and/or offered their views or theories on questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other fields, with eloquent words. But after their death, their writings have faded from importance except as subjects to be studied in universities and colleges. Today, there appears to be no wide spread need for their philosophies for the average person.
On the other hand, the Word of God that was spoken through prophets and priests centuries ago as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit, has outlived philosophers, orators and humanists. Jesus lived on earth, died on a cross for all sinners and returned to His heavenly Father, yet His Word lives on and it has not only endured and withstood many tests through many storms and threats of extinction for many generations but it has brought change wherever it has been taught and received. Missionaries especially, confirm the Word of God has changed cannibalistic nations into civilization. It has brought peace and comfort in times of bereavement and sorrow. In remote areas where medical service was either 4-5 hours away or there was none available for many miles, when prayer was earnestly made to God, healings and miracles happened! When faced with fear and the unknown in the face of death, there is no record of someone asking for a dictionary or a book of philosophy to be read. He asked for the Word of God because its Words brought hope and peace. All of the Word of God has and is life for the reader.
The Bible also brought encouragement, direction for day to day living and answers in times of crisis. It led us to salvation, peace with God and eternal life. To every born again believer it has given life to God's great and precious promises for every circumstance. Why? Its Author is God Himself, the God Who created man in His image. And God knows all about him, .....even his physical needs, and how to restore or heal him.
Scripture confirms that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." He is the God of yesterday and the future but He is also the God of Today! God spoke through Isaiah, "My Word that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but IT SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE, AND IT SHALL PROSPER IN THE THING WHERETO I SENT IT." (ISAIAH 55:11.) Looking at a parade of evidences, we can conclude He is the same yesterday, today and forever in every circumstance! Yes! This means He is the God of healing, restoration and renewal for the future and for today!
Through His Word, God invites you to "Come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16.) Here are some factors to know that will help as you prepare for your healing:
1. Faith is needed.
"Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Preparation for healing requires that you first have faith to believe God is and that He is a "rewarder of those that diligently seek Him." Your faith grows as you spend quality time in prayer and in the Word of God, and especially when you place your name in the scriptures, for emphasis. Many Christians who do this confirm this has helped their faith.
2. Realize Jesus finished His Work at Calvary.
Healing is a finished work of Calvary as far as God is concerned, but you have to do more than hope or wish for it. To have the "finished work" or evidence of the healing, you must RECEIVE it. Peter declares, "By whose stripes ye were healed," (I Peter 2:24.) Healing was and is for you or your family members but if you have not received it, you need to continue to read the healing scriptures again and again until you have memorized them and they are a part of your confession every day.
3. "Everyone who asks, receives."
Jesus stated those words in Matthew 7:7-11. When you pray for healing, Jesus wants you to receive what you asked for because His Word declares, "By whose stripes ye WERE healed." Rewording it can help your faith by quoting "I believe it was through His stripes I WAS HEALED," and then stand firmly on your declaration without wavering.
4. Jesus healed them all.
Since Christ came to do the Father's will, the fact that He HEALED THEM ALL is proof that it is God's will that all be healed. (If it were not God's will for all to be healed, then how did they all get healed?)
5. Stand in your authority.
At all times, you need to stand in the authority Jesus shared with you in Luke 10:19. BELIEVE that you have the authority over ALL the power of the enemy, even Satan's attack of sickness he is trying to put on you. Speak to your sickness to go in Jesus' Name, commanding it to return to the one who sent it. When you speak boldly with authority, in faith, nothing wavering, the sickness will begin to die; your condition will begin to reverse and in time you will see the full manifestation of complete healing.
(NOTE; See previous blog titled, "The Prayer of Authority," September 7, 2007. To 9pen this blog, scroll to the end of this page. See the words "Older Posts" at the end of the page. Press or double click on the words "Older Posts." Wait, and the previous page with blogs will appear. Scroll down on that page to "The Prayer of Authority" and read the article with additional information on Authority.)
Only believe! This is God's Word. It will never change! He promised that His Word would NOT return to Him void, but it would accomplish what it was sent to do. Dare to believe healing is for you today and witness the power of His promise!
Friday, November 9, 2007
Why Prayer is Not Answered - Part 1
God still answers prayer if our relationship is in good standing with Him. If our prayer is not being answered, we only need to ask the Holy Spirit why and then hear His answer well, and obey His word to us.
The following insights tell us why prayer is often not answered:
1. We have been overcome with the cares of life. Needs and pressures of life are with us everyday; yet some people have stepped up to the next level of depending on the Holy Spirit and His strength so that they live above the pressures, --and you can too. Jesus loves you so much that He said He would never leave you nor forsake you. That means you really don't need to be overcome with the cares of life. That means He desires to handle them for you. He knows your way and your struggles. What can you do to live above your cares? Here are some answers:
a. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly!" (Colossians 3:16.)
Draw life and strength from the Word of God early in the morning when your mind is fresh and alert, and hold that Word in your heart all day, --one day at a time. Don't allow yourself to worry whether or not you will be able to keep the Word in your heart tomorrow, because tomorrow has not yet come.
b. "Gird up the loins of your mind." (I Peter 1:13.)
This means to take courage (YOU take courage given by the Holy Spirit) in the face of hardships and remember God said He would be with you always. You can choose to worry about your needs or choose to trust God for them. The choice is yours. When you need an answer, He will bring your answer on time, but it will be one day at a time.
c. Set a goal to be an overcomer of that which tries to overcome you.
Think: To be an overcomer, you have to have something to overcome. "They OVERCAME him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony." (Revelation 12:11.) Start today to be an overcomer. Your effort will bring you closer to the Lord, and when you are close to Him, you will notice you have faith to believe for your answers.
d. Remember God will give you His peace.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect PEACE whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." (Isaiah 26:3.) Count your blessings for one week and you will recognize His peace is greater than the cares of life.
e. Remember He will give you rest.
"In returning and REST shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15.) When you go to the Lord in prayer consistently in the morning or evening, your confidence in God's promises will grow and your prayer will begin to see answers.
f. Remember He will give you strength.
"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
(Isaiah 40:31.)
g. Remember God invites you to commit your way to Him and trust.
"COMMIT thy way unto the Lord; TRUST also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm37:5.) Living with the Word of God everyday gives life to everything you do and supernatural strength to stay above the cares of life so that you can believe God for the answers to every prayer.
2. Wrong attitudes. You may not be aware of this, but you change attitudes many times in one day. Sometimes the attitudes develop wrong opinions which in turn rob you of peace. They cloud your faith and when faith is not fed by the Word, it will become diluted with doubts and negative thoughts which will eventually blind you to the power of God's Word. It's good to examine your heart often. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23.) When wrong attitudes have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, faith will naturally rise again to believe God for the things you discussed with Him.
3. Prayerlessness. This is the greatest reason of all for no answers to prayer.
There's an imaginary channel from your heart to the Throne Room of God, and your prayers travel straight to your heavenly Father. There, God hears your worship and your requests and He desires to give you the desires of your heart. Some people cannot or will not take time to pray so there are many answers to prayer that have not been claimed. For others, their prayer life consists of short "sentence prayers" spoken in generalities with no specific details, yet they wonder why God does not rain down an abundance of specific and detailed blessings on them and their family.
These people usually have many needs and complain that they cannot receive answers. They often have little or no joy or direction in life for employment, promotions or ministry. They have no vision or goals or purpose in life. They have a difficult time making decisions that could lead them into a place of abundance --all because they just don't pray. Their example is taking a toll on their children who are watching the example before them. It is because of slothfulness and indifference to responsibility to care for their own spiritual needs first, then others. They have avoided the call of God to seek Him to know the destiny that God ordained for them. What will happen to them? Who can help them? Usually no one can help them until they see themselves as God sees them, people of prayerlessness.
If you have a tendency to lean toward this lifestyle at times, dare to take hold of your life and seek God again. He is waiting to turn your life around and answer your prayers. It may be that even now there are many answers on hold with your name
on them.
The following insights tell us why prayer is often not answered:
1. We have been overcome with the cares of life. Needs and pressures of life are with us everyday; yet some people have stepped up to the next level of depending on the Holy Spirit and His strength so that they live above the pressures, --and you can too. Jesus loves you so much that He said He would never leave you nor forsake you. That means you really don't need to be overcome with the cares of life. That means He desires to handle them for you. He knows your way and your struggles. What can you do to live above your cares? Here are some answers:
a. "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly!" (Colossians 3:16.)
Draw life and strength from the Word of God early in the morning when your mind is fresh and alert, and hold that Word in your heart all day, --one day at a time. Don't allow yourself to worry whether or not you will be able to keep the Word in your heart tomorrow, because tomorrow has not yet come.
b. "Gird up the loins of your mind." (I Peter 1:13.)
This means to take courage (YOU take courage given by the Holy Spirit) in the face of hardships and remember God said He would be with you always. You can choose to worry about your needs or choose to trust God for them. The choice is yours. When you need an answer, He will bring your answer on time, but it will be one day at a time.
c. Set a goal to be an overcomer of that which tries to overcome you.
Think: To be an overcomer, you have to have something to overcome. "They OVERCAME him by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their testimony." (Revelation 12:11.) Start today to be an overcomer. Your effort will bring you closer to the Lord, and when you are close to Him, you will notice you have faith to believe for your answers.
d. Remember God will give you His peace.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect PEACE whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." (Isaiah 26:3.) Count your blessings for one week and you will recognize His peace is greater than the cares of life.
e. Remember He will give you rest.
"In returning and REST shall ye be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. (Isaiah 30:15.) When you go to the Lord in prayer consistently in the morning or evening, your confidence in God's promises will grow and your prayer will begin to see answers.
f. Remember He will give you strength.
"But they that wait on the Lord shall renew their STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
(Isaiah 40:31.)
g. Remember God invites you to commit your way to Him and trust.
"COMMIT thy way unto the Lord; TRUST also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm37:5.) Living with the Word of God everyday gives life to everything you do and supernatural strength to stay above the cares of life so that you can believe God for the answers to every prayer.
2. Wrong attitudes. You may not be aware of this, but you change attitudes many times in one day. Sometimes the attitudes develop wrong opinions which in turn rob you of peace. They cloud your faith and when faith is not fed by the Word, it will become diluted with doubts and negative thoughts which will eventually blind you to the power of God's Word. It's good to examine your heart often. "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23.) When wrong attitudes have been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, faith will naturally rise again to believe God for the things you discussed with Him.
3. Prayerlessness. This is the greatest reason of all for no answers to prayer.
There's an imaginary channel from your heart to the Throne Room of God, and your prayers travel straight to your heavenly Father. There, God hears your worship and your requests and He desires to give you the desires of your heart. Some people cannot or will not take time to pray so there are many answers to prayer that have not been claimed. For others, their prayer life consists of short "sentence prayers" spoken in generalities with no specific details, yet they wonder why God does not rain down an abundance of specific and detailed blessings on them and their family.
These people usually have many needs and complain that they cannot receive answers. They often have little or no joy or direction in life for employment, promotions or ministry. They have no vision or goals or purpose in life. They have a difficult time making decisions that could lead them into a place of abundance --all because they just don't pray. Their example is taking a toll on their children who are watching the example before them. It is because of slothfulness and indifference to responsibility to care for their own spiritual needs first, then others. They have avoided the call of God to seek Him to know the destiny that God ordained for them. What will happen to them? Who can help them? Usually no one can help them until they see themselves as God sees them, people of prayerlessness.
If you have a tendency to lean toward this lifestyle at times, dare to take hold of your life and seek God again. He is waiting to turn your life around and answer your prayers. It may be that even now there are many answers on hold with your name
on them.
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