YOU CAN BREAK THE CYCLE (4)
...he went and washed, and came back seeing. - John 9:7 NKJV
Sometimes Jesus healed sick people by speaking to them, other times He laid His hands on them. But this blind man’s healing was not the work of a moment; it was the result of a process. ‘…He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”…So he went and washed, and came back seeing.’ (John 9:7 NKJV) Question: How far away was the pool of Siloam? For a blind man, any journey is a long one. Picture this man with mud in his eyes, trying to navigate his way to the pool of Siloam. There’s an important lesson here. Even when God touches us, sometimes we’ve got to walk with our mess until we get to the place of healing, freedom and deliverance. Here’s another thought. Whoever told this man about Jesus, and brought him to Jesus, had to keep walking with him until he got his sight back and could walk on his own. You can’t say to someone who’s struggling with a problem, ‘I told you about Jesus, and I even brought you to church but you’re still stumbling around in darkness bound by the same problems, so I give up.’ God never gives up on people, and we must not give up on them either. When someone continues to struggle with an old habit, some Christians say they mustn’t really be saved. Question: How often do you give in to resentment, pride, lust, greed, gossip, etc.? The list is endless, yet God doesn’t give up on you. Sometimes people have to ‘walk out’ their deliverance and healing until it fully comes to pass. That’s how long you need to love them, believe in them, pray for them, and keep working with them.
THE VAST OCEAN OF HIS ABUNDANT SUPPLY
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. JOHN 1:16
Something happens when you receive the abundance of God’s grace, lean wholly upon it and stop depending on your own efforts to see the results you want. The moment you surrender and say, “Lord, I cannot, but You can. Today, I rest in Your unmerited favor,” whatever demand that is upon you disappears into the vast ocean of His abundant supply.
Many a time, as I’m driving to church on Sunday morning, I feel the demand to preach a good message. The demand is real—more than 30,000 people in my congregation show up expecting to be well fed! That’s when I turn to Jesus and receive His abundance of grace. I say to Him, “Lord, today, You are my guest speaker! I rest in You. You speak. You feed them. You provide! You take over and I will watch You in action!” The moment I let go, His grace and His supply rush in!
Beloved, the more you keep receiving and meditating on the abundance of His grace toward you, the more you’ll walk in His abundant supply!
THE HEAD AND BODY ARE ONE
Colossians 1:18 - And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
God’s Word says that Christ is the head and we the church are His body. So Christ and the church are one. Christ and you are one! You cannot say that God sees Christ the head perfect but His body imperfect. Or that Christ is accepted but His body not accepted. The measure of Jesus’ acceptance with God is the measure of your acceptance with God!
So it makes no sense to say that the head is well but the body sick, that the head is rich but the body in lack, or that the head is at rest but the body full of stress. My friend, what Jesus is before God, you His body are. As He is, so are you in this world! (1 John 4:17)
Today, God wants you to lay claim on Christ being your head. Start believing that all His perfections, and the delight and joy that He brings to the Father’s heart, He has set to your account. And you will begin to realize that as Jesus is a sweet-smelling aroma to the Father, so are you!
The more you begin to see that you are one with Christ, the more you will realize that whatever you need right now, He is dispensing to you. If you are sick in your body, Christ your head imparts His health and healing to you. If you lack wisdom, Christ your head freely imparts His wisdom to you. If you have any lack, Christ your head gives you His exceeding riches.
Beloved, have this rich revelation that Christ and you are one. You can never be separated from Christ your head from whom comes all the supply for your body—all the power, wisdom, provision and health. So declare, “As He is, so am I in this world!”
ESTEEM ONE ANOTHER ...
And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us... - Ephesians 5:2, AMP
We don’t often hear the word esteem used in our culture, but the Bible tells us to esteem and delight in one another. One definition of esteem is to hold in high regard. That means we are to honor and value one another. You may not always agree with everyone around you. They may not always act honorably, but we are to honor and esteem people because they are valuable in the eyes of God.
If you had a very costly and valuable piece of jewelry, you wouldn’t just wear it to the gym or leave it on the kitchen sink. No, you would treat it carefully. You would put it in a safe place and protect it. When we see others as valuable, the way God sees them; we treat them carefully as well. We should watch how we talk to other people. We should look for the good in others and honor them for who God made them to be. The Bible tells us that the way we treat others is like sowing seeds, and it will come back to us. Choose to esteem and delight in one another. Sow good seeds, and you will see a harvest of blessing in your own life in return!
DO NOT GROW WEARY ~
"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting". - 1 Timothy 2:8 (KJV)
Doubting is always forbidden because it stands as an enemy to faith and hinders effective prayer. Paul gives us conditions for successful prayer.
All questioning must be guarded against and avoided. Faith must banish doubt.
Great incentives to prayer are furnished in Scripture. Our Lord closes His teaching about prayer with the assurance and promise of heaven. The presence of Jesus Christ in heaven and the preparation He is making there for His saints help us not to grow weary in prayer.
"Lord, please drive away the doubts and fear in my life that hinders my prayers and threatens my faith. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
OUR ANCHOR
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. —Hebrews 6:19
After Estella Pyfrom retired from teaching, she bought a bus, decked it out with computers and desks, and now drives the “Brilliant Bus” through Palm Beach County, Florida, providing a place for at-risk children to do their homework and learn technology. Estella is providing stability and hope to children who might be tempted to throw away their dream for a better tomorrow.
In the first century, an avalanche of suffering and discouragement threatened the Christian community. The author of Hebrews wrote to convince these followers of Christ not to throw away their confidence in their future hope (2:1). Their hope—a faith in God for salvation and entrance into heaven—was found in the person and sacrifice of Christ. When Jesus entered heaven after His resurrection, He secured their hope for the future (6:19-20). Like an anchor dropped at sea, preventing a ship from drifting away, Jesus’ death, resurrection, and return to heaven brought assurance and stability to the believers’ lives. This hope for the future cannot and will not be shaken loose.
Jesus anchors our souls, so that we will not drift away from our hope in God.
Jesus, in the face of all kinds of trouble and uncertainty, help me to have a confident expectation that is grounded in Your unfailing love for me.
Our hope is anchored in Jesus.
JESUS PAID IT ALL
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things - John 8:12-30
This is the second of three times that Jesus spoke of Himself being "lifted up" (1st - Jn. 3:14; 3rd - Jn. 12:32-33). As the scripture explains in John 12:33, this was a reference to crucifixion as the means of His death. The lifting up is speaking of being lifted up from the earth and suspended on a cross in crucifixion. The Jews understood that Jesus was speaking of death.
The crucifixion didn't just happen. It was planned by God. Does this mean that God bears all responsibility and those who were actually instrumental in the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus are not guilty? Not at all. Jesus came to the earth to die in our place and thereby purchase redemption for us. That was His plan but He didn't force anyone to fulfill it. His ministry and message placed Him in direct opposition with the devil and his followers. Their hatred for Jesus caused them of their own free will to crucify Jesus.
God, in all His wisdom, simply knew what man would do and He determined to use their rejection of His Son to accomplish His will. He never controls our will to accomplish His.
If a person truly understands the message of the cross, then he understands grace. Jesus didn't just make a token sacrifice for us. He paid it all. There's no sacrifice that we can make that will add to or replace the sacrifice of Christ. He did it all, and we can thank Him forever!
Apostle
Keith Barr
When
I was in the hospital after about a week the Lord spoke to me. I have been
asking Him to heal me and I was waiting for Him to speak to me concerning my
health. He had not spoken but that day he told me that the doctors were going
to come in and tell me a number of things were permanently wrong with me. He
told me don't accept any of it but believe Him for my total and complete
healing.
Sure
enough a team of doctors came in and told me all the things the test showed
were permanently wrong with me. I could not help but smile. They said my heart,
liver and kidneys were all permanently damaged. any one of those things could
be fatal and I had 3. However I did not believe the evil report and the latest
test prove that I am totally healed and in perfect health. Everything was
either a normal level or slightly stronger than normal. When the doctor took my
pulse his eyes bulged in shock and said your heart is so strong! The week
before they were saying my heart was so weak I could drop dead of a fatal heart
attack at any time. I could go on and on. Now I'm in Mexico, climbing mountains
preaching to thousands, seeing countless miracles and God changing lives every
night. People are talking and and many are coming expecting healing and
receiving it. As far as I can tell almost everybody is getting healed. You talk
about "living the Dream", this is it. I asked the Lord to not just
hear me turn the clock back in my body and make me like a young man inside. I
feel better than I have felt in 15 or 20 years. God is so good.
Exodus
15:26 for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
Isaiah
58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall
spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness
shall
go before thee;the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.
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