CARE ENOUGH TO CONFRONT :
'Warn... those who are out of line.' 1 Thessalonians 5:14 AMP
'Warn... those who are out of line... encourage the timid... help... the weak.' Sadly, we'd rather stay quiet and be popular than speak difficult truth into the lives of others. A member of the Blackaby family writes: 'A church isn't a group of individuals who happen to meet in the same place every week; it's a spiritual body... a loving family. It's far easier to comfort and encourage than to warn or exhort, but both are necessary. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love so that the whole body may grow up in all things. If we don't take the time to exhort, encourage, warn, comfort, uphold and be patient... we [all] suffer in the end. Your body doesn't function properly when one part is hurting or performing poorly. And the church suffers when one of its members is unruly, fainthearted, weak, or falls into bad doctrine. Letting a body part fester, or not supporting a part that's hurt, can lead to irrecoverable damage... letting serious issues go unaddressed does a grave disservice to the member in question.' As parents we love our children too much to let bad behaviour go unchecked. Down the road we know it will negatively affect their attitude toward authority, relationships, accountability and personal discipline. We care enough to correct and guide them. Paul says, 'If a person gets trapped by wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should help that person turn away from doing wrong. Do it in a gentle way. At the same time watch yourself so that you also are not tempted.' (Galatians 6:1 GWT) The truth is the only safe ground to stand upon, and your goal should be to speak it in love.
NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD :
Jeremiah 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Our minds tend to see our problems as big or small. Even when we pray for the sick, we say things like, “You have a headache? No problem. Let’s pray for your healing.” But when it is cancer, we say, “Oh, let’s tell the senior pastor about it. It would be better if he prayed for you.” We think of headaches as small problems and cancers as big ones.
But that is not the way God thinks. There is nothing too hard for Him who made the heavens and the earth! With God, there is no such thing as a “big” problem. In fact, the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him! In the feeding of the 5,000, it took only five loaves to feed the multitude. (Matthew 14:15–21) But in the feeding of the smaller multitude of 4,000, it took seven loaves. (Matthew 15:32–38)
In man’s scheme of things, it should take more loaves to feed more people. But this is not so with God. It took fewer loaves to feed more people. This is God’s way of telling us that the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him. I am not saying that small problems are hard for God. But it is so encouraging to think that it is “easier” for God to heal cancers than headaches!
Imagine coming to God with a big problem. “So, what is your problem, son?” God asks. You say, “Father, it is a huge financial debt—not thousands but millions!” He says, “Easy. It is already cancelled.”
In another scenario, God asks, “So, what is your problem, son?” You say, “Father, I have lost my job and I can’t find a new one. I am already in my fifties and I don’t have the necessary qualifications.” He says, “No problem. Consider yourself employed. And in this new job, you won’t just have a job, you will have a position.”
Beloved, with God, it is never a problem because there is nothing too hard for Him!
Thought For The Day :
With God, your problem—small or big—is never a problem because there is nothing too hard for Him!
LEAVING THE LOW LIFE BEHIND :
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. – Matthew 16:25
The high life...or the low life? God's kind of life...or the world's kind of life? You can't have them both. It's one or the other. You have to choose.
You may try to put off that choice. You may try to hang on to the low life while reaching out for the high life at the same time, so you can see if it's something you really want before you give up everything the world has to offer. But, believe me, you're not that tall!
You'll never be able to sample the high life for yourself until you're willing to let go, until you're willing to take God at His Word and trust Him to take care of you.
What will happen to you when you do that? You'll start living the kind of life God describes in Psalm 1. You'll be like "a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in season; your leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever you do shall prosper."
In West Texas talk that means your roots will go down so deep that no drought can dry you up and no storm can blow you down. No matter what happens in the world around you, you'll prosper.
The stronger the wind blows, the more you'll bend in the breeze. Depression and inflation won't be able to break you. When the rains stop coming and everyone else is withering away, you'll just keep on thriving and bearing the fruit of the Spirit because you're drawing up nourishment from the riverbed!
That's what the high life is like and there's nothing that the world has to offer that can even compare. I know that from experience. Once you dare to let go and trust God...so will you.
BREAK THE YOKE OF AVERAGE :
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20–21, NKJV
God never created you to be ordinary. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. God wants you to do something big. He wants you to go further than anyone in your family. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. That yoke of average that’s been around your neck is coming off. God is about to thrust you to a new level of destiny. It’s going to be exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ever imagine! This is a new day, and you’re going to see the yoke-destroying, burden-removing power of our God like never before!
If you will receive this into your spirit and not talk yourself out of it, it will ignite your faith and become a reality. Let it go beyond being an encouragement and grab hold of it in your spirit. Believe, “This is for me. This is my destiny. Something new is being birthed. Yokes are coming off of me. Chains are being broken. I am stepping in to the fullness of my destiny!
KEEPING DARKNESS AT BAY
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father. —Matthew 5:16
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit, the wizard Gandalf explains why he has selected a small hobbit like Bilbo to accompany the dwarves to fight the enemy. He says, “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
That’s what Jesus teaches us as well. Warning us that we would live in dark times, He reminded us that because of Him we are “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14) and that our good deeds would be the power against the darkness for the glory of God (v.16). And Peter, writing to believers in Christ who were facing severe persecution, told them to live so that those accusing them would “by [their] good works which they observe, glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).
There is one force that the darkness cannot conquer—the force of loving acts of kindness done in Jesus’ name. It is God’s people who turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and forgive and even love their enemies who oppose them who have the power to turn the tide against evil. So look for the privileged opportunity to perform acts of kindness today to bring the light of Christ to others.
Lord, teach me the folly of trying to repay evil for evil. May I be so grateful to You for the loving act of kindness that You have shown me that I gladly look to share good deeds with others as well!
Light up your world with an act of kindness.
'Warn... those who are out of line.' 1 Thessalonians 5:14 AMP
'Warn... those who are out of line... encourage the timid... help... the weak.' Sadly, we'd rather stay quiet and be popular than speak difficult truth into the lives of others. A member of the Blackaby family writes: 'A church isn't a group of individuals who happen to meet in the same place every week; it's a spiritual body... a loving family. It's far easier to comfort and encourage than to warn or exhort, but both are necessary. Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love so that the whole body may grow up in all things. If we don't take the time to exhort, encourage, warn, comfort, uphold and be patient... we [all] suffer in the end. Your body doesn't function properly when one part is hurting or performing poorly. And the church suffers when one of its members is unruly, fainthearted, weak, or falls into bad doctrine. Letting a body part fester, or not supporting a part that's hurt, can lead to irrecoverable damage... letting serious issues go unaddressed does a grave disservice to the member in question.' As parents we love our children too much to let bad behaviour go unchecked. Down the road we know it will negatively affect their attitude toward authority, relationships, accountability and personal discipline. We care enough to correct and guide them. Paul says, 'If a person gets trapped by wrongdoing, those of you who are spiritual should help that person turn away from doing wrong. Do it in a gentle way. At the same time watch yourself so that you also are not tempted.' (Galatians 6:1 GWT) The truth is the only safe ground to stand upon, and your goal should be to speak it in love.
NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD :
Jeremiah 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Our minds tend to see our problems as big or small. Even when we pray for the sick, we say things like, “You have a headache? No problem. Let’s pray for your healing.” But when it is cancer, we say, “Oh, let’s tell the senior pastor about it. It would be better if he prayed for you.” We think of headaches as small problems and cancers as big ones.
But that is not the way God thinks. There is nothing too hard for Him who made the heavens and the earth! With God, there is no such thing as a “big” problem. In fact, the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him! In the feeding of the 5,000, it took only five loaves to feed the multitude. (Matthew 14:15–21) But in the feeding of the smaller multitude of 4,000, it took seven loaves. (Matthew 15:32–38)
In man’s scheme of things, it should take more loaves to feed more people. But this is not so with God. It took fewer loaves to feed more people. This is God’s way of telling us that the “bigger” the problem, the “easier” it is for Him. I am not saying that small problems are hard for God. But it is so encouraging to think that it is “easier” for God to heal cancers than headaches!
Imagine coming to God with a big problem. “So, what is your problem, son?” God asks. You say, “Father, it is a huge financial debt—not thousands but millions!” He says, “Easy. It is already cancelled.”
In another scenario, God asks, “So, what is your problem, son?” You say, “Father, I have lost my job and I can’t find a new one. I am already in my fifties and I don’t have the necessary qualifications.” He says, “No problem. Consider yourself employed. And in this new job, you won’t just have a job, you will have a position.”
Beloved, with God, it is never a problem because there is nothing too hard for Him!
Thought For The Day :
With God, your problem—small or big—is never a problem because there is nothing too hard for Him!
LEAVING THE LOW LIFE BEHIND :
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. – Matthew 16:25
The high life...or the low life? God's kind of life...or the world's kind of life? You can't have them both. It's one or the other. You have to choose.
You may try to put off that choice. You may try to hang on to the low life while reaching out for the high life at the same time, so you can see if it's something you really want before you give up everything the world has to offer. But, believe me, you're not that tall!
You'll never be able to sample the high life for yourself until you're willing to let go, until you're willing to take God at His Word and trust Him to take care of you.
What will happen to you when you do that? You'll start living the kind of life God describes in Psalm 1. You'll be like "a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in season; your leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever you do shall prosper."
In West Texas talk that means your roots will go down so deep that no drought can dry you up and no storm can blow you down. No matter what happens in the world around you, you'll prosper.
The stronger the wind blows, the more you'll bend in the breeze. Depression and inflation won't be able to break you. When the rains stop coming and everyone else is withering away, you'll just keep on thriving and bearing the fruit of the Spirit because you're drawing up nourishment from the riverbed!
That's what the high life is like and there's nothing that the world has to offer that can even compare. I know that from experience. Once you dare to let go and trust God...so will you.
BREAK THE YOKE OF AVERAGE :
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:20–21, NKJV
God never created you to be ordinary. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. God wants you to do something big. He wants you to go further than anyone in your family. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. That yoke of average that’s been around your neck is coming off. God is about to thrust you to a new level of destiny. It’s going to be exceedingly, abundantly above and beyond what you could ever imagine! This is a new day, and you’re going to see the yoke-destroying, burden-removing power of our God like never before!
If you will receive this into your spirit and not talk yourself out of it, it will ignite your faith and become a reality. Let it go beyond being an encouragement and grab hold of it in your spirit. Believe, “This is for me. This is my destiny. Something new is being birthed. Yokes are coming off of me. Chains are being broken. I am stepping in to the fullness of my destiny!
KEEPING DARKNESS AT BAY
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father. —Matthew 5:16
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit, the wizard Gandalf explains why he has selected a small hobbit like Bilbo to accompany the dwarves to fight the enemy. He says, “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”
That’s what Jesus teaches us as well. Warning us that we would live in dark times, He reminded us that because of Him we are “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14) and that our good deeds would be the power against the darkness for the glory of God (v.16). And Peter, writing to believers in Christ who were facing severe persecution, told them to live so that those accusing them would “by [their] good works which they observe, glorify God” (1 Peter 2:12).
There is one force that the darkness cannot conquer—the force of loving acts of kindness done in Jesus’ name. It is God’s people who turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and forgive and even love their enemies who oppose them who have the power to turn the tide against evil. So look for the privileged opportunity to perform acts of kindness today to bring the light of Christ to others.
Lord, teach me the folly of trying to repay evil for evil. May I be so grateful to You for the loving act of kindness that You have shown me that I gladly look to share good deeds with others as well!
Light up your world with an act of kindness.
NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
Hezekiah Walker "Every Praise" http://youtu.be/0dHjgFiISLk
Gordon Williams http://gordwilliams.com/
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