MOVING TO A NEW LAND :
And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham... - Exodus 6:8, NIV
In Scripture, the Israelites had been in slavery for many years. That was the land of “Barely Enough.” They were just enduring, surviving, barely making it through. One day God brought them out of slavery and took them into the desert. That was the land of “Just Enough.” Their needs were supplied but nothing extra. It says their clothes didn’t wear out for 40 years. They were probably grateful, but who really wants to wear the same clothes for 40 years?
Well, God eventually took them into the Promised Land. This was the land of “More Than Enough.” The food and supplies were plenteous. The bundles of grapes were so large that two grown men had to carry them. It’s called, “the land flowing with milk and honey.” “Flowing” means it didn’t stop. It never ran out. It continued to have abundance. That’s where God is taking you.
Now, you may be in the land of “Barely Enough” right now. You don’t know how you’re going to make it through next week. Don’t worry. God hasn’t forgotten about you. He’s leading you to a new land. Just keep following His leading and move forward into the abundance He has in store for you!
COMING SOON!
“Surely I am coming quickly.” —Revelation 22:20
A “COMING SOON!” announcement often precedes future events in entertainment and sports, or the launch of the latest technology. The goal is to create anticipation and excitement for what is going to happen, even though it may be months away.
While reading the book of Revelation, I was impressed with the “coming soon” sense of immediacy permeating the entire book. Rather than saying, “Someday, in the far distant future, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth,” the text is filled with phrases like “things which must shortly take place” (1:1) and “the time is near” (v.3). Three times in the final chapter, the Lord says, “I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). Other versions translate this phrase as, “I’m coming soon,” “I’m coming speedily,” and “I’m on My way!”
How can this be—since 2,000 years have elapsed since these words were written? “Quickly” doesn’t seem appropriate for our experience of time.
Rather than focusing on a date for His return, the Lord is urging us to set our hearts on His promise that will be fulfilled. We are called to live for Him in this present age “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Live as if Christ is coming back today.
HEALING ALWAYS COMES :
And these signs shall follow them that believe...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. – Mark 16:17-18
I used to get upset over people I'd lay hands on who wouldn't get well. I was praying one day and seeking God about it when He spoke to my spirit and said, "Healing always comes."
I remember I said, "What do You mean, Healing always comes? Not everybody gets healed."
"I didn't say they all received it," He answered. Then He spoke very sternly to me. "I do My part. And I said they would recover!"
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. He said they would recover. He never lies. So if He said they would recover, then that means healing always comes. It's not God who's holding back. It's the receivers who aren't receiving.
Since then, I've never had any trouble laying hands on people and believing for them to be healed. Whether they walk away well or not, I just keep standing in faith for them. In fact, I know if that fellow who went away still sick ever lines his faith up with God and me--I don't care if it's five years from now--he'll be healed.
If you've laid hands on someone who didn't receive his healing, don't cut off the flow of God's power by withdrawing your faith. Stand fast. Keep believing that "healing always comes" and somewhere down the line that poor sick fellow may just decide to stand up and agree with you!
GOD CAN TURN YOUR EVIL DAY INTO GOOD DAYS :
ESTHER 9:22 - …rest from their enemies…sorrow to joy…mourning to a holiday…
Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.
Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.
Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!
So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.
My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality, and evil assault the devil can throw at you. (Ephesians 2:6) Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic and doing things to save yourself.
Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed. (Esther 7) She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!
Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!
JESUS SHARED HIS FATHER'S GLORY :
John 5:18, "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."
When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God "my (own) Father", they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy, to be punished by death, or else Jesus was who He claimed to be.
Jesus never associated Himself with His disciples by using the plural pronoun "our" Father. Rather, He always used the singular "my" Father, since His relationship was unique and eternal, whereas theirs was by grace and regeneration.
We should ponder carefully our Lord's own conception of who He was. He said "I am from above" (Jn. 8:23); "Before Abraham was, I AM" (Jn. 8:58); "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30); "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9); and "I am not of the world" (Jn. 17:16). He also declared His eternal pre-existence and that He shared the Father's glory (Jn. 6:62; 17:5).
We can't just honor Jesus, but we have to honor Him "even as" (in like manner or the same way) we honor the Father. This is what separates true Christianity from the religions of the world. Most religions honor Jesus as a great man (examples: Islam, Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.), but they are violently opposed to making Jesus equal with Almighty God (1 Jn. 2:23). The names and titles given to Jesus in John's gospel clearly present Jesus as being equal with God. He is all you need Him to be.
And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham... - Exodus 6:8, NIV
In Scripture, the Israelites had been in slavery for many years. That was the land of “Barely Enough.” They were just enduring, surviving, barely making it through. One day God brought them out of slavery and took them into the desert. That was the land of “Just Enough.” Their needs were supplied but nothing extra. It says their clothes didn’t wear out for 40 years. They were probably grateful, but who really wants to wear the same clothes for 40 years?
Well, God eventually took them into the Promised Land. This was the land of “More Than Enough.” The food and supplies were plenteous. The bundles of grapes were so large that two grown men had to carry them. It’s called, “the land flowing with milk and honey.” “Flowing” means it didn’t stop. It never ran out. It continued to have abundance. That’s where God is taking you.
Now, you may be in the land of “Barely Enough” right now. You don’t know how you’re going to make it through next week. Don’t worry. God hasn’t forgotten about you. He’s leading you to a new land. Just keep following His leading and move forward into the abundance He has in store for you!
COMING SOON!
“Surely I am coming quickly.” —Revelation 22:20
A “COMING SOON!” announcement often precedes future events in entertainment and sports, or the launch of the latest technology. The goal is to create anticipation and excitement for what is going to happen, even though it may be months away.
While reading the book of Revelation, I was impressed with the “coming soon” sense of immediacy permeating the entire book. Rather than saying, “Someday, in the far distant future, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth,” the text is filled with phrases like “things which must shortly take place” (1:1) and “the time is near” (v.3). Three times in the final chapter, the Lord says, “I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). Other versions translate this phrase as, “I’m coming soon,” “I’m coming speedily,” and “I’m on My way!”
How can this be—since 2,000 years have elapsed since these words were written? “Quickly” doesn’t seem appropriate for our experience of time.
Rather than focusing on a date for His return, the Lord is urging us to set our hearts on His promise that will be fulfilled. We are called to live for Him in this present age “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
Live as if Christ is coming back today.
HEALING ALWAYS COMES :
And these signs shall follow them that believe...they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. – Mark 16:17-18
I used to get upset over people I'd lay hands on who wouldn't get well. I was praying one day and seeking God about it when He spoke to my spirit and said, "Healing always comes."
I remember I said, "What do You mean, Healing always comes? Not everybody gets healed."
"I didn't say they all received it," He answered. Then He spoke very sternly to me. "I do My part. And I said they would recover!"
Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. He said they would recover. He never lies. So if He said they would recover, then that means healing always comes. It's not God who's holding back. It's the receivers who aren't receiving.
Since then, I've never had any trouble laying hands on people and believing for them to be healed. Whether they walk away well or not, I just keep standing in faith for them. In fact, I know if that fellow who went away still sick ever lines his faith up with God and me--I don't care if it's five years from now--he'll be healed.
If you've laid hands on someone who didn't receive his healing, don't cut off the flow of God's power by withdrawing your faith. Stand fast. Keep believing that "healing always comes" and somewhere down the line that poor sick fellow may just decide to stand up and agree with you!
GOD CAN TURN YOUR EVIL DAY INTO GOOD DAYS :
ESTHER 9:22 - …rest from their enemies…sorrow to joy…mourning to a holiday…
Today, many Jews still celebrate the feast of Purim. The name Purim is derived from “the lot” which a Gentile, Haman, cast concerning the fate of the Jews when they were in Persia under King Ahasuerus.
Haman, the villain in this story in the book of Esther, hated the Jews and sought to exterminate them. He got King Ahasuerus to allow him to issue a decree to annihilate all the Jews in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar. But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai, both Jews, to turn the tables on Haman and save the Jews.
Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he had constructed for Mordecai! Then, the king allowed Queen Esther and Mordecai to issue a counter-decree to allow all the Jews to defend themselves and destroy their enemies in one day—the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar!
So instead of the Jews being exterminated on that fateful day, their enemies were destroyed! God turned an evil day for the Jews into good days. He turned their mourning into rejoicing and gave them victory over their enemies.
My friend, God can do the same for you today. He only wants you to remain in your position of rest in Christ. You see, because of Jesus’ finished work at the cross, you are seated in heavenly places in Christ, far above every principality, and evil assault the devil can throw at you. (Ephesians 2:6) Just as Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, and refused to stand up and bow to Haman, let’s not “bow” to the devil by being persuaded to move from our position of rest in Christ. Don’t allow him to get you worried, frantic and doing things to save yourself.
Queen Esther was also in a position of rest before Haman was executed. (Esther 7) She was seated on a couch as Haman pleaded with her for his life. While doing so, he accidentally fell over the couch where the queen was. The king, thinking that Haman was assaulting his queen, sent him to the gallows!
Beloved, remain at rest in Christ’s finished work, and He will turn your evil day into days of rejoicing and feasting!
JESUS SHARED HIS FATHER'S GLORY :
John 5:18, "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."
When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God "my (own) Father", they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy, to be punished by death, or else Jesus was who He claimed to be.
Jesus never associated Himself with His disciples by using the plural pronoun "our" Father. Rather, He always used the singular "my" Father, since His relationship was unique and eternal, whereas theirs was by grace and regeneration.
We should ponder carefully our Lord's own conception of who He was. He said "I am from above" (Jn. 8:23); "Before Abraham was, I AM" (Jn. 8:58); "I and my Father are one" (Jn. 10:30); "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9); and "I am not of the world" (Jn. 17:16). He also declared His eternal pre-existence and that He shared the Father's glory (Jn. 6:62; 17:5).
We can't just honor Jesus, but we have to honor Him "even as" (in like manner or the same way) we honor the Father. This is what separates true Christianity from the religions of the world. Most religions honor Jesus as a great man (examples: Islam, Unification Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.), but they are violently opposed to making Jesus equal with Almighty God (1 Jn. 2:23). The names and titles given to Jesus in John's gospel clearly present Jesus as being equal with God. He is all you need Him to be.
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