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children of god

Love As Your Life, God As Your Giver

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Romans 8:1-26,34-39

[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
[3] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
[4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
[5] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
[6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
[7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
[10] And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
[11] But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
[12] Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
[13] For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
[23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
[24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
[25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
[26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

[34] Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
[36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
[37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
[38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
[39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When I consider all of the parts of my life that could have led me to far worse a place, I thank God so much for each and every time He has brought me out. Most of all, I thank Him for the one time that counted more than all the others: the time I began to believe and allowed the spirit of God to work in my life! I have never been the same and the trials of life have disseminated from the dominion of God’s power!

John 17:13-20

[13] And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
[14] I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
[15] I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
[16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
[17] Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
[18] As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
[19] And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
[20] Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

When you live in love in your life FIRST, it is so much easier to go out and to provide it for others. We often live in the “receive first, then give” mentality; God wants us to learn to be a people that give out all the virtues that He has poured out into our lives. That is the only real way we have joy “fulfilled” in our life. The prayer of Christ here was that the power of God preserves people through their trials and that the word be ENOUGH! And it is! The word of God, Christ living in us, and the spirit that dwells to bring life is enough!

Replacing Old Things With God’s Brand New

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I thank God for the many blessings I have been given. There is no doubt that I have been blessed beyond measure, even when one would beg to differ in comparison to worldly possessions. All the great things of the wonderful God that we serve do not always necessarily come as things in monetary value. If you consider this concept with me, you would also know that some of the best gifts that God has given are to replace things that you have lost.

I have lost many possessions, but nothing compared to the day when I came to the truth in my mind and realized that I would lose my soul without a relationship to Christ. God gave me the gift of salvation to replace my hopelessness of feeling so lost and is by far my single greatest possession.

You have to understand something today: the decision to replace it was not hard. The part that proved difficult was dealing with the part of me that was intimidated by what others thought about me. After I realized that beginning to believe in Christ was what I needed, the feelings grew stronger. I had fear, plain and simple. God was wonderful in replacing my fears with confidence. How? Through the work of other children of God, of course!

So this is my simple thought today: we must allow God to be the strength in our weakness, regardless of what it is. You could be in bondage to addiction, or having problems at home or at work; however I assure you that there is nothing too hard for God. Simply believe and submit to the call that He places in your life and do not fear. Be established and help others in their time of need!

Learning To Adjust To Adversity With God As Your Guide

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One of lifes unpredictable pieces represents the part of it that changes it the most: the people around you. This is something that with each and every one of us at some point I’m sure have tried to fight or change the opinions or perspectives of, but never succeed. As you are reading this, please consider your own life as well as to how much you are able to adjust to others.

When I walk in the wilderness or mountains, there are so many different objects that you can interact with in many ways and with all senses. By comparison you can find unique things and people that differ all around you. I have walked through the mountains and seen some people admire the beauty of the rocks while others would throw them. I have seen others take plants as something special while others step on over it without even knowing what it is. In essence we are the same way with the way that we become preferable to some and not others. That’s how you can classify why it is easier or harder to love; for in a lot of the cases it is within how we perceive them to direct our feelings. I have also seen people destroy trees and smash rocks to try and fit them for other purposes as well. Even if you alter the original state of an object, it still does not negate from the fact that it was an object before it was changed, right? So what are we getting at today?

There are going to be plenty of people out there that you attempt to reach out to that may be totally different than what you are used to (or even prefer!), but that does not mean that God does not love them the same nor that the opportunity for salvation and deliverance isn’t just as free. We as children of God must learn to love all of God’s creation and learn to appreciate and love one another. With that said, doing this is a huge adjustment but not impossible!

Trust God to help you stay adjusted to have a love for all and and charity for those in need. Never forget that you are God’s creation regardless of all of life’s adjustments. Hang in there and cling to the promises of God today!

Motivation? More Like Procrastination!

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Who is ready for a top ten? Well, actually we only need one today.

One of the worst things we can possibly do as children of God is actually know what God has spoken in our hearts and not do it.

I can relate this point to an easy illustration: Just imagine someone that just fell into a pool on accident and did not have the ability to swim. And as you stand there someone yells out to you “you know how to swim, jump in there and save them!”. As soon as you hear this, immediately you think to yourself, “I know that I should, but I have so much going on in my life right now…I’m so busy at work…and I have a lot that I never get done at home…and besides…there is at least 3 other people here that could save this person other than me…so I will just chill out and know that I could but don’t really have to”, all the while the person that was drowning lost their life struggling to swim.

For some that might be a little much, but I hope it got you to this very sentence. When God speaks to us to help the lost and dying world and we present every excuse in the world, there are people that we are losing each and every day to things that are destroying them. God wants to work miracles in their life; there is no doubt about it. Sometimes, however, there is an appointed time for you to be that lifeguard and to launch out there and be obedient to the voice of God that speaks to you to say “God loves you” or “you’re not alone”. If there was ever a time that people needed the Savior, it is today! Don’t stand back and act like you have little reason to obey the Lord, for the lives of those that need God should be MORE than enough for us to remember to stay constant and always pressing forward to all!

Don’t put off your obedience anymore, step out and be a willing vessel today!

God Can Be Everywhere, Right?

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One of the toughest things that we have to be continually reminded of is that God is “always with us”. I preach it and write it so often that it makes me begin to wonder if that part of the mind refuses to believe it. I then begin to realize that it’s not the believing part that is hard, but the hanging on to the belief once it is there that is.

You see, a person can believe that God is everything and ever present in a time of trouble all day long. I know that with all that is in my mind, heart and soul! The part that begins to increase the difficulty is when things begin to happen to loosen the grip you have on that belief. When and if something comes up to discourage or remove your focus from about God, we lose it little by little. Before you know it we eventually go from feeling completely secure to feeling completely lost sometimes in as little as months, days, hours, or even minutes.

To me, the grip is as strong as your faith is. The more I am able to have faith in a time of trouble, the easier it is to hang on to God and to see a trial through to victory. I encourage you today to hang on to your faith. I am here to remind you that no matter how bad things look right now, that God has not left! God does has no intentions on going anywhere! The only thing that does is our faith! Keep the faith today in God! Remind yourself today by keeping the blessings of yesterday in your heart! Keep what you have today in your mind and know that there is more in your future!

The children of God are not a defeated people! We live in victory, and we should learn to live it! Get your minds and hearts in the mindset of Christ! Continually remind yourself daily that things WILL not be perfect around us, but as we strive for perfection God will prevail!

I hope that as we all continue to serve God together that we all play a role in being the “reminder” for someone, or in other words, that witness!

Recognizing Our Bondage

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In Galatians 4, Paul explains the difference between a slave and a child. He wanted to make sure the Galatians were enjoying the path made by Jesus Christ. The epistle to the Galatians shows other missionaries were in conflict with Paul at that time. The Jewish-Christians from Palestine had visited the congregations of the Galatians after Paul’s visit there and was trying to teach that what Paul had taught prior to them coming was not complete. They were trying to persuade some of the Galatians that salvation required observance of the laws of the Torah, which included circumcision. Paul writes to rebuke and to persuade the Galatians in this letter. Paul communicates in this letter that Christianity, with its emphasis on faith in Christ, is antithetical to religion which approaches God based on good works. He also argues that nothing can be added to Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin, nor circumcision or any other external religious forms.

Galatians 4:1-3

[1] Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
[2] But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
[3] Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

When we were in bondage of the elements of the world, as an heir I differed not from a slave, or in other words anyone else in bondage. When I was saved, I was set free from the bondages of sin, and brought forth from the slavery of being lost (and being in bondage to the world as well). That should excite anyone that has a relationship with God if you really begin to think about it long enough! If we cannot begin to learn to live as children of God and mature to be the people God wants us to be, we will continually be as slaves to sin!

Acts 15:8-11

[8] And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
[9] And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
[10] Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
[11] But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Galatians 4:4-7

[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
[5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
[6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
[7] Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Jesus Christ was sent to redeem, we receive the redemption and adoption as sons, and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus Christ.

Galatians 4:8-9

[8] Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
[9] But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

When we did not know God, it was our instinct to turn to which by nature were things other than God. So how in this world could we begin to turn back to what we were before after we start to know God or are known by God? I do not know about you, but I have no desire to go back into the bondage I was freed from!

Galatians 5:1

[1] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Do not walk back into what you came out of!

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he emphasizes in the passage below:

Romans 8:15-17.

[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We are accepted, and the victory comes when the kingdom is fully realized!

Rest Remains

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Hebrews 4:9-12 – Rest Remains!

[9] There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
[10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
[11] Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
[12] For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

There remains therefore a rest to the people of God! We cannot enter into rest until we cease from our own works! It’s there for you if you are willing to come into rest!

Rest can only come for the children of God when we begin to surrender the things that keep us away from our focus to God. It’s hard to acknowledge things in this manner, but when done can truly unlock a powerful virtue within you! To be able to be in the middle of a trial and enter in the rest of God is far more of value than anything you could use to replace it! That should speak to each and every one of us!

Luke 6:35-38 – Rewards For The Benevolent!

[35] But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
[36] Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
[37] Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
[38] Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

There is rest for the benevolent! Learn to be selfless and your reward can be great. Learn to be merciful! When we learn to live with the mind of Christ, our quality of life as well as the qualities of our character will begin to change. We will begin to become strong witnesses of God and the clear distinction of separation from the world will be truly present in you.

Matthew 10:40-42 – Rewards For The Humble Servants!

[40] He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
[41] He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
[42] And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

When we lose our lives for Christ we find that eternal life! When we give to other fellow servants, we shall not lose our blessings! Amazing! If we can we learn to unlock this as individuals and as a church, the blessings will absolutely begin to flow in an abundance in your/our lives!

2 Timothy 2:10-13 – The Word Not Bound

[10] Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
[11] It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
[12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
[13] If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

The word of God is not bound. If we live, we live. If we deny, we deny. When we read into it like that, it paints a pretty simple picture. Let us learn to not be ashamed and not only come into acceptance but to start learning to advertise how wonderful God is in our lives!

2 Corinthians 4:15-18 – Light Afflictions!

[15] For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
[16] For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
[17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
[18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our outward man will always come short and fail, but the spiritual person CAN continue! Those things that are not seen are eternal (and spiritual). We can through faith continue in life and have joy while we are here until we get to inherit those things far eternal!

Romans 8:18-26 – The Glory Will Be Revealed!

[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
[20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
[21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
[23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
[24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
[25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
[26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The spirit will help our infirmities! The infirmities are not worthy to be compared to the testimony and experiences that you will be able to speak of once you have conquered and came through!

1 Corinthians 15:24-26,46-58 – Staying True

[24] Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
[25] For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
[26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

[46] Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
[47] The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
[48] As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
[49] And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
[50] Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
[53] For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
[54] So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
[55] O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
[56] The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
[57] But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
[58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord! The church of today needs to step up and be the true example for the church of tomorrow. We cannot be the church of the past. Let God lead you into that new life! The Lord will come quickly, you better be ready!

Is It Really Worth It?

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THE WORD

Ephesians 4:26 – Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath

Proverbs 18:19 – A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We as Christians are the light of the world for Jesus Christ. We are the example and outreach that people come into contact with each and every day. Without the witness and light of God in our lives, people cannot be drawn. Knowing this duty and responsibility we all share, I ask this question: Is it really worth it when we overreact and destroy our witness?

More often than not, we let our emotions and pride steer the outcome in the direction we so choose. Is it really worth it to be irrational over silly things? There are many arguments and battles that we are not in control over that are going to come up, and whether you choose to handle it correctly or not, the decision is going to be before you. Is the love of Christ being shown in what we say and do? If it is then we will not say things that we do not mean that hurt others (even when we are justified). Is it really worth that extra pat on the back? You see it in the workplace every day, while the consensus that justifies the behavior is that it is “just business”. Even though we may gain a little bit of popularity by using or taking advantage of others, I honestly do not feel that it is okay for the children of God to be on anyone’s business but God’s. We must learn to demonstrate love by being team players and not doing anything unethical or with reason to gain an advantage. If you are serving God with all of your heart, God will teach you! You can ask of him your desires and not have to pick and prod the business life!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you behave negatively out of your emotions take a moment and examine the choices made. Ask yourself if what you got out of your actions was really worth the expense that was invoked when the other person was hurt. You will be surprised to what you find if you approach with an honest mind and heart. And as you pray the Holy Ghost will help you learn what to do next time.

You Are Made To Overcome

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Romans 12:21 – Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

– – – –

We hear the phrase so often that “you are made an overcomer”, right? That part of the phrase is empowered with the part of “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony”, right? One would be quick to say yes in words, but as I observe in the ministry each and every day I find people that sit persuaded that they are “powerless” and have yet to realize the fullness of the power of an overcomer.

Being powerless was not the mindset that God laid out before us to possess. Power was endued from on high so that we could obtain all the qualities of God to fulfill in the areas that we lack in and need strength! Peace came so that we could find joy in the middle of our tough trials. You start unlocking more peace with faith, and faith begins to build and is brought out in you as it comes with works in your life! I work through my troubles by using the blood of the Lamb. I am a redeemed, blood-bought child of the living God! We should never forget the almighty powerful God that we serve! His provision is far greater than this world, and gives me more than enough and far more than I could ever fathom!

When I am in the midst of personal trials I remind myself to use the words of my testimony to stir myself.  When I begin to grow stale in the midst of a routine life: going through the motions, feeling like everything is the same thing, I go back to a time where I remember that I was in desperate need, and God met my every request! I should never doubt that power and should never feel like that I am powerless! We as the children of God have to stop being deceived by our own discouragement and use the very things God gave us to get up and overcome!

– – – –

Put Into Practice:

Here is a challenge that I encourage you to do the next time you are at a church service or function: give your testimony! Simply follow your heart and share the great things that God has done for you in your life. Let the spirit of God lead you in your words and do not be afraid to be humble! Surprise yourself by opening up and giving God glory for the multitude of things that have been done and are yet to come!

I can honestly say that I took this challenge a long time ago and that my life has never been the same. In fact, I can honestly say that I wish that I would have stepped out speaking for God a long time ago.

Remember God Is Able

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We all know the classic phrase: “I’ve Tried and I’ve Failed”.

With a few pieces of scripture, I hope that we can remember the general phrase that God is able!

We have to remember that he is able:

To Deliver – Daniel 3:16-17

[16] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
[17] If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

They believed! They clung to the promise of God, even without the guarantee of victory. And that is something that we have to remember to do. We can’t always have the clause that it is always going to be easy and without conflict. Going through the fire means that we have to face a little heat sometimes. However, in the end we all know who is the great and mighty deliverer, the one who is able to bring us through all that we must endure!

To Fulfil The Promise – Romans 4:20-21

[20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
[21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Abraham Believed! Belief is the difference that separates churches that succeed and churches that fail. It separates when you see mountains move or when you see them stand there and always tower over you with no change. If God has promised you something through spoken word or by the word of God itself, then it is SO! Do not be persuaded by anyone or anything otherwise! Discouragement comes in many forms, and tries to change the belief of the children of God every single day. Stay true to the promise, and God will stay true to you!

To Guard Your Treasure – 2 Timothy 1:11-12

[11] Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
[12] For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Paul Believed! And by his words even today that I am still persuaded! I am also going to press on and not be ashamed. Why should we be? We are such a blessed people, and we have nothing to hide! Guard the wonderful treasures and gifts that God has given you by taking a stand for what you believe. Have some standards, live right, and show it to others each day. Let them know in whom you are fully persuaded to trust with your life!

To Keep You From Failing – Jude 1:21-24

[21] Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
[22] And of some have compassion, making a difference:
[23] And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
[24] Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

Jude was exhorting to people to be reassured! And I come to you today to give that same assurance! We are going to be okay! We will make the difference! Leaders are born from hanging tough and enduring the tests. Followers are drawn from leaders. I urge you church leaders don’t give up, just endure. Numbers might come and go, but God will not change. It’s not in the numbers anyway. God will still be the same even if you were not able to attend church! Stay encouraged!