CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?
Luke 1:18, "And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."
Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous people (v. 6) who prayed for a child for many years. They felt the same disappointments and frustrations that any of us would feel and yet they kept believing God. The Lord finally answered their prayers and sent His angel to announce the good news.
What was Zacharias' reaction? He couldn't believe it! The very thing that he had been praying for was granted and he doubted that it was true. In Zacharias' case he received his miracle anyway. Perhaps his wife's faith pulled him through.
Likewise, you may be praying for the right things. You may even be sincere and earnest, but would you be surprised if those prayers were suddenly answered today? Have you made preparations for your prayers to be answered?
Before the children of Israel were actually delivered from Egypt, they ate the passover meal by faith. Their bags were packed and ready to go. We need to anticipate our prayers being answered.
Right now, imagine how you would feel or what you would do if the answer to your prayers was manifested this very minute. Then, as much as possible began to think and act that way. You'll find out that your whole attitude will change as you focus on your answer instead of the problem.
PREPARE FOR YOUR BLESSINGS ...
The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity... - Deuteronomy 28:11, NIV
God has a place of abundance in store for you! It’s a place where all needs are supplied — a place of joy, happiness, and victory. But in order to experience all the great things that God has prepared, there are some conditions that need to be met in the natural. God already did His part to make provision for the blessing. You must do your part to obey the Word of God and aggressively pursue the abundant life that’s rightfully yours.
In this new year, stir yourself up to pursue wholeheartedly the dreams God has placed in your heart. Don’t settle for a life of mediocrity! Get the Word of God in your heart and walk in the abundant life God has for you. This can be your best year yet!
IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON ...
You will forget your trouble...as water gone by. - Job 11:16 NCV
No matter how bad things look, always remember the words, ‘it came to pass’, not ‘to stay’. Life doesn’t stand still; there will always be challenges. Don’t let them destroy your confidence; instead, use them as opportunities to grow. Once you have grown in the areas where God thinks you need additional maturity, the season you’re in will pass. Nothing lasts forever. Although it’s hard to believe at the time, ‘You will forget your trouble and remember it…as water gone by.’ Forgetting doesn’t mean losing a block of memory. It means reaching the point where the memory is free of pain, just as poison is pulled from a snake bite. As healing begins, the mind’s continual replay of the event reduces and the memory becomes like ‘water gone by’. Kristin Armstrong says: ‘When someone died in Old Testament times, those who were in mourning marked their faces with ashes. They allotted a specified season, after which they scrubbed up and moved on. How much healthier is that than our society? We put on make–up, or a happy or stoic face, and prohibit people from having compassion and respecting the limits of where we are. We’re so busy hiding, we’re buried under ashes on the inside. God will call us to arise and shine when our light has come (Isaiah 60:1). Ask Him to set your time limit, and be ready to wash your face.’ Then move on.
LET GO AND SEE GOD’S SUPPLY FLOW
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7, NLT
There is a story of a young man who struggled to make ends meet. One day, he got six pieces of white cardboard paper and wrote down these six letters: “L-E-T G-O-D.” This was to remind him to stop worrying and striving to provide for himself and his family, and to let God take over. He placed the cards upright on his dressing table so that he would be reminded each day to let God provide for him.
Well, days passed and nothing changed. He was still in lack and became even more worried, anxious and frustrated. One day, out of desperation, he prayed, “God, please, I really want to know how to ‘let You.’ I want You to take over and supply all my needs, but I don’t know how to! God, please answer me.” The window in his room was open. A wind blew in—whoosh!—and one of the cards fell off the table. It was the last card with the letter “D.” The man looked up and saw the remaining cards spell the words, “LET GO.”
My friend, the way you LET GOD provide for you is to LET GO! Let go and stop worrying about the problem. Cast it into the hands of Almighty God who cares for you and leave it there, and you will begin to see His grace and provision flow freely in your life!
THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE
The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. —Revelation 19:7
I have officiated at a lot of weddings. Often planned according to the dreams of the bride, each of the weddings has been unique. But one thing is the same: adorned in their wedding dresses with hair beautifully done and faces aglow, brides steal the show.
I find it intriguing that God describes us as His bride. Speaking of the church, He says, “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7 ESV).
This is a great thought for those of us who have become discouraged about the condition of the church. I grew up as a pastor’s kid, pastored three churches, and have preached in churches all over the world. I’ve counseled both pastors and parishioners about deep and troubling problems in the church. And though the church often seems unlovable, my love for the church has not changed.
But my reason for loving the church has changed. I now love it most of all for whose it is. The church belongs to Christ; it is the bride of Christ. Since the church is precious to Him, it is precious to me as well. His love for His bride, as flawed as we may be, is nothing less than extraordinary!
Lord, we look forward to the day when we will be robed in the fine linens of purity and join You at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Until then, remind us to love Your bride and to live beautifully for You.
Since Christ loves His bride, the church, so should we.
YOU MUST EXERCISE FAITH ...
He couldn't do any miracles among them... And He was amazed at their unbelief.' Mark 6:5-6 NLT
God answers prayer in a manner directly related to our level of faith. ‘According to your faith, be it unto you.’ (Matthew 9:29 KJV) Yet sometimes in spite of our doubts and human reasoning, He comes through for us anyway. The believers praying for Peter’s release from prison were amazed when he suddenly appeared on their doorstep (Acts 12). When Jesus returned to His home town and began to teach in the local synagogue, the people were amazed by His wisdom. Because He lacked formal education and credentials they wrote Him off as ‘just a carpenter’. (Mark 6:3 NLT) And the result? ‘Because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.’ Question: How often does your unbelief tie God’s hands? The truth is: (a) sometimes our faith is so weak that we don’t expect Him to answer at all; (b) we fail to pray with confidence; (c) we don’t prepare ourselves for what He wants to do for us. You can’t ask God for forgiveness, then continue to live under condemnation over sins He has put under the blood. Or pray about your financial situation, then worry yourself sick about how He’s going to meet your needs. You can choose to live by your feelings, or in a way that reflects total trust in God. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He…is a rewarder.’ (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) So you must exercise faith.
Luke 1:18, "And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."
Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous people (v. 6) who prayed for a child for many years. They felt the same disappointments and frustrations that any of us would feel and yet they kept believing God. The Lord finally answered their prayers and sent His angel to announce the good news.
What was Zacharias' reaction? He couldn't believe it! The very thing that he had been praying for was granted and he doubted that it was true. In Zacharias' case he received his miracle anyway. Perhaps his wife's faith pulled him through.
Likewise, you may be praying for the right things. You may even be sincere and earnest, but would you be surprised if those prayers were suddenly answered today? Have you made preparations for your prayers to be answered?
Before the children of Israel were actually delivered from Egypt, they ate the passover meal by faith. Their bags were packed and ready to go. We need to anticipate our prayers being answered.
Right now, imagine how you would feel or what you would do if the answer to your prayers was manifested this very minute. Then, as much as possible began to think and act that way. You'll find out that your whole attitude will change as you focus on your answer instead of the problem.
PREPARE FOR YOUR BLESSINGS ...
The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity... - Deuteronomy 28:11, NIV
God has a place of abundance in store for you! It’s a place where all needs are supplied — a place of joy, happiness, and victory. But in order to experience all the great things that God has prepared, there are some conditions that need to be met in the natural. God already did His part to make provision for the blessing. You must do your part to obey the Word of God and aggressively pursue the abundant life that’s rightfully yours.
In this new year, stir yourself up to pursue wholeheartedly the dreams God has placed in your heart. Don’t settle for a life of mediocrity! Get the Word of God in your heart and walk in the abundant life God has for you. This can be your best year yet!
IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON ...
You will forget your trouble...as water gone by. - Job 11:16 NCV
No matter how bad things look, always remember the words, ‘it came to pass’, not ‘to stay’. Life doesn’t stand still; there will always be challenges. Don’t let them destroy your confidence; instead, use them as opportunities to grow. Once you have grown in the areas where God thinks you need additional maturity, the season you’re in will pass. Nothing lasts forever. Although it’s hard to believe at the time, ‘You will forget your trouble and remember it…as water gone by.’ Forgetting doesn’t mean losing a block of memory. It means reaching the point where the memory is free of pain, just as poison is pulled from a snake bite. As healing begins, the mind’s continual replay of the event reduces and the memory becomes like ‘water gone by’. Kristin Armstrong says: ‘When someone died in Old Testament times, those who were in mourning marked their faces with ashes. They allotted a specified season, after which they scrubbed up and moved on. How much healthier is that than our society? We put on make–up, or a happy or stoic face, and prohibit people from having compassion and respecting the limits of where we are. We’re so busy hiding, we’re buried under ashes on the inside. God will call us to arise and shine when our light has come (Isaiah 60:1). Ask Him to set your time limit, and be ready to wash your face.’ Then move on.
LET GO AND SEE GOD’S SUPPLY FLOW
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7, NLT
There is a story of a young man who struggled to make ends meet. One day, he got six pieces of white cardboard paper and wrote down these six letters: “L-E-T G-O-D.” This was to remind him to stop worrying and striving to provide for himself and his family, and to let God take over. He placed the cards upright on his dressing table so that he would be reminded each day to let God provide for him.
Well, days passed and nothing changed. He was still in lack and became even more worried, anxious and frustrated. One day, out of desperation, he prayed, “God, please, I really want to know how to ‘let You.’ I want You to take over and supply all my needs, but I don’t know how to! God, please answer me.” The window in his room was open. A wind blew in—whoosh!—and one of the cards fell off the table. It was the last card with the letter “D.” The man looked up and saw the remaining cards spell the words, “LET GO.”
My friend, the way you LET GOD provide for you is to LET GO! Let go and stop worrying about the problem. Cast it into the hands of Almighty God who cares for you and leave it there, and you will begin to see His grace and provision flow freely in your life!
THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE
The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. —Revelation 19:7
I have officiated at a lot of weddings. Often planned according to the dreams of the bride, each of the weddings has been unique. But one thing is the same: adorned in their wedding dresses with hair beautifully done and faces aglow, brides steal the show.
I find it intriguing that God describes us as His bride. Speaking of the church, He says, “The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7 ESV).
This is a great thought for those of us who have become discouraged about the condition of the church. I grew up as a pastor’s kid, pastored three churches, and have preached in churches all over the world. I’ve counseled both pastors and parishioners about deep and troubling problems in the church. And though the church often seems unlovable, my love for the church has not changed.
But my reason for loving the church has changed. I now love it most of all for whose it is. The church belongs to Christ; it is the bride of Christ. Since the church is precious to Him, it is precious to me as well. His love for His bride, as flawed as we may be, is nothing less than extraordinary!
Lord, we look forward to the day when we will be robed in the fine linens of purity and join You at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Until then, remind us to love Your bride and to live beautifully for You.
Since Christ loves His bride, the church, so should we.
YOU MUST EXERCISE FAITH ...
He couldn't do any miracles among them... And He was amazed at their unbelief.' Mark 6:5-6 NLT
God answers prayer in a manner directly related to our level of faith. ‘According to your faith, be it unto you.’ (Matthew 9:29 KJV) Yet sometimes in spite of our doubts and human reasoning, He comes through for us anyway. The believers praying for Peter’s release from prison were amazed when he suddenly appeared on their doorstep (Acts 12). When Jesus returned to His home town and began to teach in the local synagogue, the people were amazed by His wisdom. Because He lacked formal education and credentials they wrote Him off as ‘just a carpenter’. (Mark 6:3 NLT) And the result? ‘Because of their unbelief, He couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them.’ Question: How often does your unbelief tie God’s hands? The truth is: (a) sometimes our faith is so weak that we don’t expect Him to answer at all; (b) we fail to pray with confidence; (c) we don’t prepare ourselves for what He wants to do for us. You can’t ask God for forgiveness, then continue to live under condemnation over sins He has put under the blood. Or pray about your financial situation, then worry yourself sick about how He’s going to meet your needs. You can choose to live by your feelings, or in a way that reflects total trust in God. The Bible says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He…is a rewarder.’ (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV) So you must exercise faith.
JESUS
IS GOD http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-1BH
DO IT http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-27m
YOU MUST BELIEVE GOD http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-Fc
A HEALTH AND WEALTH CHRISTIAN http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-24v
DO IT http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-27m
YOU MUST BELIEVE GOD http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-Fc
A HEALTH AND WEALTH CHRISTIAN http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-24v
JESUS
HEALS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-27K
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