Tuesday, November 18, 2014

MORE THAN ENOUGH


  THE GOD OF MORE-THAN-ENOUGH

Luke 5:9 - For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken;

As a young Christian, I grew up hearing preachers say that God only supplies our needs, not our wants. Yet, in the Bible, God clearly shows us that He wants to meet not just our needs, but also our wants.

For example, the famous “shepherd psalm” begins with “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want”. (Psalm 23:1) Another psalm says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:9–10)

One of the names of our God is Jehovah Jireh, which means “the all-providing One”. He provides more than enough. The God of more-than-enough came in the flesh and walked among His people. And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He did not give His disciples small blessings. That is why He said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets [plural] for a catch,” (Luke 5:4) and not “let down your net [singular]”. And what a catch it turned out to be—a boat-sinking, net-breaking catch! It was such a big and unexpected blessing that Peter and all who were with him were “astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken”.

Beloved, see God’s heart for you today. He wants to prosper you. Don’t settle for anything less, thinking that He only supplies your needs and not your wants. If you need a job, know that He wants you to pray not just for a job, but for a position. When you have a position, you have influence and you are able to impact lives.

Maybe what you need is a pay increment. Then, pray not just for that, but also to be in a position to give increments!

You may start out poor when you follow God. But you cannot remain in lack when you follow the God of more-than-enough. In fact, like Peter, you too will be astonished that God supplies more than what you need and beyond what you have asked!

Thought For The Day

The God of more-than-enough wants to meet not just your needs, but also your wants.

You’re God’s beloved, and He’s on your side (see Rom 8:31). Trust Him to win the fights of life for you!

WORDS ARE CHEAP BUT ACTIONS ARE PRICELESS

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Jesus Christ, whom God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, didn't just go around teaching, talking and exhorting peopleall day but went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil  for God was with Him. And similarly He instructed His true disciples to go and do the same  and to that end He Baptized them with the Holy Spirit and power and gave them the gifts of the Spirit. Of course Jesus didn't go around selling books and tapes of His meetings and telling people to buy His messager like today's false ones do! Rather He stated:

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

STRESSED OUT ABOUT MONEY?

'Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.' Psalm 56:3 NKJV

The solution to financial worry isn’t necessarily having more money. Indeed, the more money you have, the more you have to lose. And the thought of losing it can cause you to worry more, not less. It’s a vicious circle. Trying to find security in money is like tying a boat to a dock; when a big enough storm comes along, the ropes will break and it’ll be swept away. So since we allwonder when the next economic storm will hit, what’s the answer? More rope? Stronger rope? Tighter knots? No—that just gives you knots in your stomach! For the next few days let’s look at some Bible answers to money worries: Tackle your fear head–on.The Psalmist said, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’ Now, since David was a king, he probably didn’t worry a lot about money. But he did worry about his enemies stalking him, catching him off guard and killing him. We each have different areas of worry, and the ones that control us are called ‘core fears’. Sometimes you can keep them at bay; other times they control and consume you and make you act in ways you’re not proud of. Christian financial advisor Ron Blue says that for years he was trapped by the fear of not having enough money, or losing what he had. The people around him didn’t know it, but that’s what drove him. Today he’s a best–selling author and financial counsellor to multitudes. But to get there he had to confront his core fear, and trust more in God than he did in himself. And so will you.

When the Lord your God blesses you as He promised you, then you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you. Deuteronomy 15:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)

EACH DAY IS A GIFT ...

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12, NIV

Have you stopped to consider that today is a special gift from God? Sometimes, our days can be so full and busy that we forget how fragile life really is. The little things try to creep in and steal our peace and joy. Maybe something doesn’t go your way, or someone says something upsetting. Even traffic can cause you to lose focus if you let it. We have to remember that each day is ordained by Almighty God. If we choose to focus on the wrong things, we’ll miss the blessing that each day has to offer.

Today, don’t let the precious moments of life pass you by. Don’t wait for holidays and birthdays to show people that you care. Remember, each day is unique and irreplaceable. You have been given time that can be invested or wasted; hours that can be used or misused. That’s why the psalmist prayed to God, “Teach us to number our days.” He was saying, “Teach us to value every moment we’ve been given.”

 ROOTED LOVE

Do not forget to do good and to share. —Hebrews 13:16

When I think of all the wonders of God’s magnificent creation, I am especially awed by the giant sequoia tree. These amazing behemoths of the forest can grow to around 300 feet tall with a diameter that exceeds 20 feet. They can live over 3,000 years and are even fire resistant. In fact, forest fires pop the sequoia cones open, distributing their seeds on the forest floor that has been fertilized by the ashes.
Perhaps the most amazing fact is that these trees can grow in just 3 feet of soil and withstand high winds. Their strength lies in the fact that their roots intertwine with other sequoias, providing mutual strength and shared resources.

God’s plan for us is like that. Our ability to stand tall in spite of the buffeting winds of life is directly related to the love and support we receive from God and one another. And then, as the writer of Hebrews says, we are to “do good and to share” (13:16). Think of how tough it would be to withstand adversity if someone were not sharing the roots of their strength with us.

There is great power in the entwining gifts of words of encouragement, prayers of intercession, weeping together, holding each other, and sometimes just sitting with one another sharing the presence of our love.

Lord, thank You for entwining Your strength into my life. Lead me today to someone who needs the love of shared strength from resources that You have given to me.
Let the roots of God’s love in your life be entwined with others who need your support.

 DRAW ON GOD

…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… - Mark 10:45

God wants to do wonders and perform miracles in your life. He loves doing good to His people. He loves to use His power to love His people. That’s why He wants you to draw on and “use” His goodness. Faith is nothing more than—and I say this reverently—seeing and using God’s goodness. He loves to be utilized because He “did not come to be served, but to serve.”

Just look at how Jesus ministered to people. When the woman with the issue of blood used His power, it pleased Him. He didn’t want to leave until He got to speak with this woman who had touched Him (Mark 5:25–34). When He was weary and tired at Jacob’s well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water and ended up drawing from Him—at His invitation. He was even strengthened and rejuvenated as He ministered to her and gave her the water of life (John 4:5–34).

Beloved, God’s love waits on you to be used. God wants to be your bread of life. He wants to be your water of life. Bread and water are of no benefit to you if you don’t consume them. So feed on Him. Drink Him up. Depend on Him for everything you need in life. He loves it when you look to Him and allow Him to work wonders in your life!

HEALING IS AN EXPRESSION OF GOD'S MERCY

Luke 22:51 "And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him."

Jesus often healed people by touching them, and others received their healing as they touched Jesus. You can transmit the power or the anointing of God through the laying on of hands (Mk. 16:18; Heb. 6:2). The virtue of God can even be transmitted to objects and then brought to the person who needs healing or deliverance.

Jesus provided physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. Many scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of our sins. Healing is an expression of God's love and compassion for our physical man. Healing miracles also draw men to God to get their spiritual needs met. Physical healing acts like a bell to get man's attention so that the Lord can minister to the inner man as well.

Healing has been purchased for us as part of the atonement of Christ. The Lord would no more refuse to heal us than He would refuse to forgive us. That does not mean that we deserve healing - we don't. It is a gift from God, just as salvation is a gift from God (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8). We don't deserve to have our sins forgiven. We cannot demand salvation from the Lord, but we can expect it. Likewise, healing has been purchased for us through the atonement of Christ. Healing belongs to us, but it is still the mercy of God that provides healing. Every act of healing is an act of mercy.

ARE YOU BEARING FRUIT?

'He came seeking fruit on it and found none.' Luke 13:6 NKJV

Jesus said: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?” But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilise it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.”’ (Luke 13:6–9 NKJV) How long have you been serving the Lord? What are the tangible ‘fruits’ of your service to Him? We’re not all capable of the same level of productivity. Jesus taught that some of us have thirtyfold potential, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold (Matthew 13:8). The faith and giftings given to each of us by God are what determine our level of productivity. For example, God doesn’t expect a ‘thirtyfolder’ to produce a sixtyfold harvest. He’s not an unreasonable taskmaster. But if this parable teaches us anything, it’s that God won’t let you just sit on your hands and do nothing. The words, ‘cut it down’, are a sobering reminder of this. God is patient. He will work with you year after year in an attempt to bring you to the place of spiritual maturity where you can fulfil the purpose for which He brought you into His Kingdom. But if after all His efforts you refuse to produce fruit, He will go elsewhere and find what He’s looking for. The main thing is, in the end, God’s purposes willbe fulfilled!

CHRIST IS THE TREASURE IN YOU ....

2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

The verse tells us that we have “this treasure” in earthen vessels. Who is the treasure? Christ! Who are the earthen vessels here? You and I! Thank God the treasure is in the earthen vessels.

My friend, Christ the treasure is in you. So don’t get frustrated when you see your “earthiness”. You will always be “earthen” as long as you are in your mortal body, but remember that Christ the treasure is in you.

Should you lose your cool with your spouse or children, remember that Christ in you is your patience. When I feel impatient, I don’t pray, “Lord Jesus, give me patience...now!” No, I look to Jesus and I say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are my patience.”

In my younger days and even when I first got married, I had a bad temper. I tried all sorts of anger management techniques, but I never got very far until I told God, “God, I am so frustrated trying to overcome my anger. I give up! I cannot. You can. I rest and depend on You.” Not too long after that, my wife commented, “You know, you have improved in the area of your temper.”

I thought about what she had said and realized that I was not even conscious of the change in me. When family members can see the patience of Christ manifesting through a naturally impatient person, God gets the glory.

Perhaps you are frustrated with your smoking and drinking habits. Or maybe you are discouraged by your feelings of jealousy, distrust, bitterness, depression and defeat. Don’t condemn yourself for being earthen. Don’t try to “cast out” your earthiness. Just realize that you have Christ the treasure in you.

The more you see that treasure in you, the more Christ’s brilliance shines forth in you. And in the midst of your earthiness, God gets the glory as you yourself are transformed from glory to glory! (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Thought For The Day

The more you see Christ the treasure in you, the more Christ’s brilliance shines forth in you.
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