After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples. The 20th chapter of John tells us about His appearances to His people. Look at verse 9, 21 and 26. It's apparent that Jesus was saying, "Stay in peace."
Look at 1 Corinthians 14:30: Jesus gave us peace, but it will certainly slip away from us if we are not determined to hang onto it.
Look at Proverbs 17:1: How many people come to church fighting all the way there? Then when they reach church, they put on their "church face."
God isn't looking for phony Christians. He wants the real thing and not just people who talk the talk, but those who walk the walk.
We have many promises in God's Word that He will bless and prosper us. God is faithful and true to His Word.
Look at 1 Corinthians 1:9-11: Where there is strife, there will be no power or prosperity.
We like to read God's promises without the "buts" and "ifs." In this scripture Paul says God is faithful to His promises, but we must get along with one another. The Corinthians were people just like us. They were people in relationship with one another arguing over trivial things they should have left alone. Look at verse 12:
Only the names have changed in today's arguments: I'm Catholic; I'm Lutheran; I'm Baptist; I'm Pentecostal or I'm Charismatic. Look at verse 13:
Paul was telling the Corinthians to keep their minds on Christ and not men. We must do the same thing.
The blessings are abundant for those who will pay the price. Look at Matthew 18:19:
The prayer of agreement will not work for someone who gossips about the pastor, then gets sick and asks the pastor to agree with him for a miracle in his body. The Amplified translation states that this power in the prayer of agreement is only effective when it's prayed by those who "harmonize together, make a symphony together" in verse 19.
Turn to Psalm 133 (Amplified): I love this Psalm. It says it is good and life is enjoyable when people live in unity and keeps strife out of their homes and lives. There is nothing worse than a home or relationship filled with an angry undercurrent of strife. Unity is like the oil of anointing upon the priest. Where there is strife, there will be no anointing. Where there is unity, God will command His blessings.
Strife is a killer. It kills the anointing, the blessings, the prosperity, the peace and the joy. Keep it out of your life. Be determined that strife isn't going to steal from you that which is rightfully yours as a child of God.
You may not be able to walk in peace with every single person you know. The Word says in Romans 12:18, "If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" If you are a peacemaker, then God's blessings will flow to you as they did to Abraham.
We know from scripture that Abraham was a very rich man. Look at Genesis 13:2: But let us look at one of the reasons riches and prosperity flowed into his life. Look at verse 6-8. The first thing we see is that Abraham dealt aggressively with strife.
God spoke some powerful words to Abram and Abram evidently was determined not to let strife come in and steal the blessings of God.
Do you have strife in your home? On the job? In your church? You must treat strife like some dreaded disease. Do all you can do to keep it from coming near you.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Seed To Plant continued from last blog
People can talk to you, they can counsel you and they can pray for you. But, it's your faith alone that brings the final results in your life.
When you were saved, for example, others could pray for you; but it was your faith alone that brought regeneration to your life and reconciliation with God the Father.
We must stand alone in this life. And, we must begin to believe God and receive what God has told us belongs to us. I know there's such a thing as prayer of agreement, but in the final analysis, when you begin to study the Word, you find in almost every incident that when Jesus met someone, He turned to them and said, "Thy faith has made you whole." He didn't say, "The crowd's faith had made you whole." He said, "YOUR FAITH has made you whole." That means their faith alone did it.
Turn to Mark 5 to read the familiar story of the woman with an issue of blood. The Bible says she "spent all she had, was nothing better, but rather grew worse."But, look what happens next. When she heard of Jesus, faith came into her heart and she said, "If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole."
When you hear of Jesus, it causes faith to come into your heart. ( Look at Romans 10:17 ). The Word tells us in John 1 that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Who was the Word? JESUS.
Notice something about both Bartimaeus and this woman. Both made up their minds to believe God-when faith began to arise in their hearts, they both did something with their faith that brought success.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked down the dusty road outside of Jericho the day Bartimaeus was healed. His every step was ordered by the Holy Spirit. He was on a mission with an objective from on High.
Notice what brought Him to a halt-the cry of faith from a blind beggar who cried out, "Jesus, have mercy on me!" that cry stopped the Son of God in His tracks.
Jesus looked around to see who it was. He said, "Bring him to me." Those who had been telling Bartimaeus to keep quiet were now quiet themselves. Those who wouldn't give Bartimaeus a helping hand before were now quick to lead him to the Master.
Jesus said," Bring him here." God Incarnate, the Sustainer of the universe, was brought to a halt. Was it somebody's preaching that stopped Him? Was it someone's emotionalism that stopped Him? NO. Emmanuel-God with us-was brought to a halt on that roadside by the cry of faith from a human being in need.
That same cry of faith from the lips of any person God has created-regardless of color or language, man or woman, boy or girl, young or old-will find a response from God.
But, too many of us are relying on someone else. We need to get it out of our heads and into our spirits (down on the inside of us) that all it takes for us to be a success is to stand alone before God.
Look at blind Bartimaeus who stood before Jesus. He didn't have the nicest clothes and he probably need a bath. He had no right or authority to even think he could be in the presence of the Nazarene whom he heard was going about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed.
The day Bartimaeus got up and called for Jesus, Jesus had looked at him and said, "What would you have?" And, Bartimaeus' response was, "Lord that I might see." Jesus said, "You've got it."
That same Jesus who had only done good was taken from the judgement hall and whipped with a cat-o-nine tails across His back. The Word tells us "by whose stripes ye were healed" in 1Peter 2:24.
If you were healed then you are healed; it's already done. What you have to do is accept by faith what God has given you.
Look at Mark 9:23. That verse of scripture is still real today.
Maybe you have a sickness in your body or any need in your life. Can you believe right now-alone? Are you ready to believe? Are you ready to receive? Today is no different from the day Jesus stopped on the road outside of Jericho at the sound of Bartimaeus' crying out. Today is no different from the day a woman touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed.
That very same Jesus who had the power to heal then has the power to heal today. And, He has sent that power down through time. Today, you can be healed if you dare to stand and believe God's Word.
It may seem black or even bleak. You may be in the same position as the woman in Mark 5. The physicians told her there was no hope and that she was going to die. You may be like Bartimaeus, sitting by the wayside, broke and blind. But, God is saying, "If you will step out in faith and act on My Word, then you can walk free in the power of the Most High." Are you ready to act in faith? Are you ready to rise and be healed? Are you ready to receive right now? Who's going to do it for you? YOU ARE.
When you were saved, for example, others could pray for you; but it was your faith alone that brought regeneration to your life and reconciliation with God the Father.
We must stand alone in this life. And, we must begin to believe God and receive what God has told us belongs to us. I know there's such a thing as prayer of agreement, but in the final analysis, when you begin to study the Word, you find in almost every incident that when Jesus met someone, He turned to them and said, "Thy faith has made you whole." He didn't say, "The crowd's faith had made you whole." He said, "YOUR FAITH has made you whole." That means their faith alone did it.
Turn to Mark 5 to read the familiar story of the woman with an issue of blood. The Bible says she "spent all she had, was nothing better, but rather grew worse."But, look what happens next. When she heard of Jesus, faith came into her heart and she said, "If I can but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole."
When you hear of Jesus, it causes faith to come into your heart. ( Look at Romans 10:17 ). The Word tells us in John 1 that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Who was the Word? JESUS.
Notice something about both Bartimaeus and this woman. Both made up their minds to believe God-when faith began to arise in their hearts, they both did something with their faith that brought success.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, walked down the dusty road outside of Jericho the day Bartimaeus was healed. His every step was ordered by the Holy Spirit. He was on a mission with an objective from on High.
Notice what brought Him to a halt-the cry of faith from a blind beggar who cried out, "Jesus, have mercy on me!" that cry stopped the Son of God in His tracks.
Jesus looked around to see who it was. He said, "Bring him to me." Those who had been telling Bartimaeus to keep quiet were now quiet themselves. Those who wouldn't give Bartimaeus a helping hand before were now quick to lead him to the Master.
Jesus said," Bring him here." God Incarnate, the Sustainer of the universe, was brought to a halt. Was it somebody's preaching that stopped Him? Was it someone's emotionalism that stopped Him? NO. Emmanuel-God with us-was brought to a halt on that roadside by the cry of faith from a human being in need.
That same cry of faith from the lips of any person God has created-regardless of color or language, man or woman, boy or girl, young or old-will find a response from God.
But, too many of us are relying on someone else. We need to get it out of our heads and into our spirits (down on the inside of us) that all it takes for us to be a success is to stand alone before God.
Look at blind Bartimaeus who stood before Jesus. He didn't have the nicest clothes and he probably need a bath. He had no right or authority to even think he could be in the presence of the Nazarene whom he heard was going about doing good and healing all who were sick and oppressed.
The day Bartimaeus got up and called for Jesus, Jesus had looked at him and said, "What would you have?" And, Bartimaeus' response was, "Lord that I might see." Jesus said, "You've got it."
That same Jesus who had only done good was taken from the judgement hall and whipped with a cat-o-nine tails across His back. The Word tells us "by whose stripes ye were healed" in 1Peter 2:24.
If you were healed then you are healed; it's already done. What you have to do is accept by faith what God has given you.
Look at Mark 9:23. That verse of scripture is still real today.
Maybe you have a sickness in your body or any need in your life. Can you believe right now-alone? Are you ready to believe? Are you ready to receive? Today is no different from the day Jesus stopped on the road outside of Jericho at the sound of Bartimaeus' crying out. Today is no different from the day a woman touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed.
That very same Jesus who had the power to heal then has the power to heal today. And, He has sent that power down through time. Today, you can be healed if you dare to stand and believe God's Word.
It may seem black or even bleak. You may be in the same position as the woman in Mark 5. The physicians told her there was no hope and that she was going to die. You may be like Bartimaeus, sitting by the wayside, broke and blind. But, God is saying, "If you will step out in faith and act on My Word, then you can walk free in the power of the Most High." Are you ready to act in faith? Are you ready to rise and be healed? Are you ready to receive right now? Who's going to do it for you? YOU ARE.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Seed To Plant
The heroes of faith mentioned in the Bible all had something in common...they stood alone.
Abraham, for example, was called alone. He followed God alone and did what God told him to do. He didn't have anyone to help him. He made mistakes in his life, but he stood alone.
Look what the Bible says about Abraham in Isaiah 51:2 "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah who bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
Romans 4:20-21 says that "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform."
The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, stood alone in faith on what God had told him.
Look at the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Most of us have read this story since childhood. Mark began "And they came to Jericho." he's speaking about Jesus, the Disciples and those who were traveling with Jesus (everywhere Jesus went, a crowd followed). In blind Bartimaeus, we find a man who was alone. He had probably suffered from severe loneliness. He couldn't see. No one volunteered to help him get to the Great Physician...Jesus. He simply heard a noise and he sought to find out what was happening around him.
The crowd around him said, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could hear and he used what he had to secure and get what he lacked. When he realized Jesus was walking by, faith must have leaped in his heart.
This poor, blind beggar had sat beside that road every day. He felt the dust, the wind and the rain touch him. He probably heard the birds chirping. He probably heard others talking about what a nice day it was or what a beautiful sunset it was.
But, the eyes in his sockets had never seen a sunset, had never seen a bird, or seen another person. All he could do was try to imagine what it was like to see. And now, the man known as the Son of God was walking his way.
Bartimaeus rose to his feet (notice no one said "here let me help you" and no one reach down and said "Here, let me help you to Jesus." No, Bartimaeus had to push himself up from the dust. He began to scream, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!"
Bartimaeus stood alone. He had faith alone and began to cry out to Jesus of Nazareth alone. The crowd around Bartimaeus turned and said, "Be quiet."
Realize that the Word is telling us that God wants us to cry out to Him. When we cry out to Him, then He meets our needs.
Bartimeaus never would have gotten his need met if he had just sat there. The crowd would have engulfed him, Jesus would have walked by and he would have remained "Blind Bartimaeus."
Thankfully, faith arose in his heart and caused him to stand up and cry out in the face of all contradictory circumstances. "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me."
Was he too far out?
The cry of faith will not be silenced by any circumstances or opposition that stand in it's way. The only effect such obstacles have on real faith in God and His Word, will be to cause faith to be more determined than ever to receive what belongs to it.
Real faith stands alone. Look back over your own life. You will see that your faith alone brought you everything you've ever received from God.
People can talk with you; they can counsel you; they can pray with you; but it's your faith faith alone that brings the final results in your life.
Abraham, for example, was called alone. He followed God alone and did what God told him to do. He didn't have anyone to help him. He made mistakes in his life, but he stood alone.
Look what the Bible says about Abraham in Isaiah 51:2 "Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah who bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."
Romans 4:20-21 says that "He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform."
The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, stood alone in faith on what God had told him.
Look at the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Most of us have read this story since childhood. Mark began "And they came to Jericho." he's speaking about Jesus, the Disciples and those who were traveling with Jesus (everywhere Jesus went, a crowd followed). In blind Bartimaeus, we find a man who was alone. He had probably suffered from severe loneliness. He couldn't see. No one volunteered to help him get to the Great Physician...Jesus. He simply heard a noise and he sought to find out what was happening around him.
The crowd around him said, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." Bartimaeus couldn't see, but he could hear and he used what he had to secure and get what he lacked. When he realized Jesus was walking by, faith must have leaped in his heart.
This poor, blind beggar had sat beside that road every day. He felt the dust, the wind and the rain touch him. He probably heard the birds chirping. He probably heard others talking about what a nice day it was or what a beautiful sunset it was.
But, the eyes in his sockets had never seen a sunset, had never seen a bird, or seen another person. All he could do was try to imagine what it was like to see. And now, the man known as the Son of God was walking his way.
Bartimaeus rose to his feet (notice no one said "here let me help you" and no one reach down and said "Here, let me help you to Jesus." No, Bartimaeus had to push himself up from the dust. He began to scream, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me!"
Bartimaeus stood alone. He had faith alone and began to cry out to Jesus of Nazareth alone. The crowd around Bartimaeus turned and said, "Be quiet."
Realize that the Word is telling us that God wants us to cry out to Him. When we cry out to Him, then He meets our needs.
Bartimeaus never would have gotten his need met if he had just sat there. The crowd would have engulfed him, Jesus would have walked by and he would have remained "Blind Bartimaeus."
Thankfully, faith arose in his heart and caused him to stand up and cry out in the face of all contradictory circumstances. "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me."
Was he too far out?
The cry of faith will not be silenced by any circumstances or opposition that stand in it's way. The only effect such obstacles have on real faith in God and His Word, will be to cause faith to be more determined than ever to receive what belongs to it.
Real faith stands alone. Look back over your own life. You will see that your faith alone brought you everything you've ever received from God.
People can talk with you; they can counsel you; they can pray with you; but it's your faith faith alone that brings the final results in your life.
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