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Monthly Archives: July 2015

Take a Stand!

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Ephesians 6:10-14

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

When you are doing the best you can and are being hung out to dry it is hard to keep a smile on your face. When you feel alone in the struggle and no one hears your cry on earth it is easy to feel abandoned by everyone. It could be your family, your friends, your church members, your coworkers, and your closest companion. My reminder to you is that when your armor has been tested and you are standing when no one else will to continue to stand until God has the final say. If you give up before your breakthrough then all of your endurance was for the enemy to have glory and say “look what I did to this one”. If you walk away before your appointed time then you may miss out on the blessing that was meant for you at the end of the trial.

Stand, my friends. You are not alone. You have someone with you who will not give up. You have someone that will be with you where you are and will open the door to the next exciting chapter of your life! God will be with you as you take your stand!

Strength out of Weakness

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2 Corinthians 12:10

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Sometimes we find it hard to be strong in what we face because we cannot see the strength that we truly carry inside of us. God wants us all to know and understand that we are walking with more than just our own strength, more than just our own thoughts, and more than just what we see on earth.

  1. Gideon had a weakness in not believing in himself, but God saw a mighty man of valor

Judges 6:11-16

11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

  1. Moses had a weakness in not trusting the confidence of himself in following God’s command but God was stern in reminding Moses that

Exodus 4:8-12

8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

3) Elijah had a weakness in being afraid of the enemy and feeling alone in the battle that was ahead. Yet God revealed to him that there were others that were still standing. What an assurance to know we don’t stand alone.

1 Kings 19:13-18

13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

15 And the Lord said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:

16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.

17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

4) Even though Samson was lured into giving away the secret to his physical strength his biggest weakness was not realizing where his strength came from. Once he asked God for strength it gave him the ability to finally use it for God’s glory.

Judges 16:26-30

26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.

27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28 And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Even when we cannot see our strengths God’s grace is there to help us become stronger than we have ever been before.

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The Son of the Vineyard

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Luke 20:9-19

9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.

11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

  1. Creation was done by God. He made the garden to which we and all of life were planted

Genesis 1:9

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

  1. God’s people have been planted and nourished by God, this would eventually be the fruit to which would be profitable

Psalm 80:8

8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

  1. The farmers or tenants were the Leaders in Israel whom did not want to pay the rent

Luke 14:28

28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Planting a vineyard on a hillside has to be a long-term investment. Initially there would be considerable outlay and expense. God invested so much in these Old Testament people – his covenants and promises, the feasts, the sacrifices and the law code, but God has also invested so much in you. What God did was to put people under wise leaders and to give them many encouragements to do his will. So they had prophets, and they had the Scriptures; they had priests and Levites who taught them God’s way so that they were without excuse for sinful behaviour, and these leaders became the very people who opposed his word. They led the people astray. They were naive at the stoning of the prophets. They preached ‘Peace!’ when there was contempt and hostility against God. What was happening in Jerusalem when Jesus walked into the Temple? The chief priests and elders and scribes who taught in the synagogues, the very men responsible for the nurture of the fruit of faith in Israel, were plotting to destroy their Messiah. 

  1. The messengers sent to them were the Prophets

Jeremiah 7:25-27

25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:

26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

27 Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.

5) The son that was sent is Jesus Christ

So what happens next? Does he send them all into exile? Does he send fire from heaven and treat them all like Sodom and Gomorrah? No. The Lord speaks and he says, “Let’s go to them, my Son. You will be my representative, as if I were going right to them. 

Isaiah 53:5

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6) In order to receive the inheritance of the Kingdom of God you must receive Jesus love for you!

John 3:18

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.