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Keep On Fighting The Good Fight

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Jared Meredith

There may be some of you have been praying for strength in tough situations because you may have felt or feel like you are defeated. I know this sounds silly when it is being said, but sometimes one of the best things we can do is to keep on fighting through the confidence of faith in God. There is a lot to be said about people that still have the willpower to fight even when they are being knocked down. I like to call these sorts of folks “scrappers”. Scrappers may get beat up or overwhelmed from time to time but never lose the confidence to believe that if they keep fighting that they will win. Some of the most successful athletes in sports today were not the most talented or athletic but possessed the ability to keep fighting. I would take a scrapper any day over anyone who is not used to staying strong in the fight!

Though we may have moments where we feel like we are down for the count, I speak to your weariness and tell you to get back up and keep on ‘scrappin’. The devil can only go so far into your life before (through your faith) you take a stand and declare defeat unto the enemy! Paul, towards the end of his life, acknowledged his perseverance through his life and ministry by stating that he had fought the good faith and reiterated the same analogy to his real thought that he had kept the faith! As we are faithful to God when our human nature attempts to decline in confidence God will move in kind (through the holy spirit) to bless you in that right-now time. The bible identifies this by stating that God is a present help in a time of trouble. So when you are in the middle of the fight you can expect the second wind of the spirit to come! You are not alone in this fight. Do not let the struggle of the fight keep you from still believing that through Christ that you can still win.

Do not be discouraged. Stay confident in God. And as Paul encouraged his people I encourage you today with this same exhortation that God placed within my heart for you: Keep on fighting the good fight.

Those Who Love God First Stay Together

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Jared Meredith

I could not count the amount of messages that I have either posted on the site or preached in person that has been in reference to unity or coming together. God has been laying upon my heart over the past few months to stay on this topic, and I cannot help but wonder why (but of course it’s for a good reason).

When you begin to consider the building up of your church or ministry, you have to really consider how solid your foundation is and what exactly it is based on. In continual seeking of God you will find how much that you are a part of that wonderful family. On the same token, church and ministry need to be built on the same premise. As you work with people, remember that they are people that you must love as Christ has loved you.

With that said, strive to keep love in your hearts and as the center for your personal willpower to keep helping others and showing charity. Remember that though you may not be direct family but in God’s family that we are all one! The more that we remember this simple thought, the more we can learn to come together more often with success!

It makes me think of the phrase that repeats from that old hymn, “Makes me love everybody and that’s good enough for me”. God bless each and every one of you.

Once An Overcomer, Always An Overcomer, So Come On!

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Jared Meredith

Let’s take a moment and ponder about how terrible life is….WAIT…that’s what we’ll do if we are not too careful. When we read in the word of God, each and every indicator that you study on about where people found the willpower to go on was from the strength of God and their foundation of belief. When I consider my own foundation, I find that it is solid based on the many (countless!) times that God has came through. There were times where it was in my prayers or through the prayers of others. There were times where it came after a period of time or when it came suddenly in a second. There were even times when God moved when I wasn’t even aware of things to come ahead in my future! So when I think upon these things, it helps me to stay grounded and not easily moved when events try to occur to shake it up.

We are “made” over-comers, right? I have to put myself in a position where I “make” my mind up to overcome things. I have to be strong in times where weakness wants to prevail; faith must dominate doubt each and every time. I know that there might be some critics out there that are saying “you are a bunch of talk, just wait til you walk it”. Trust me, I might not have been alive 50-75 years yet, but it doesn’t take me a thousand loops through life to realize where my help and strength comes from! So come on! Get yourself out of the “doubtin” and “poutin” and “doin withoutin” and think yourself happy. Continually stir the part of you that God needs to be strong in.

Make yourself an over-comer today by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony!

The Inner Well

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Jared Meredith

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The Well – close and local in its refreshment

Isaiah 12:1-6

[1] And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
[2] Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
[3] Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
[4] And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
[5] Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
[6] Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

We draw our Joy of life when we draw from the living waters of the spirit through our obedience and praise! If we have any willpower and desire whatsoever, we have to remember to push with all that we have, for God is always worthy through what we receive and through our salvation that we received through Jesus Christ! We can continually draw from our prior experiences, but how your spiritual waters are refreshed as you create new experiences by trusting God for new things and seeing them come through faith!

The Brook – for the one who is lost (as a pilgrim) and intermittent in its flow

Psalms 110:7

[7] He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

We can come to the brook to be lifted up, encouraged, and strengthened when we are weak! You can always draw from the brook! I found myself once as a pilgrim and a stranger that came to the river without understanding of the spirit of God. Now that I know, I know that it is something that will NEVER run dry and something that I can always draw from and as God pours into me equips me to be able to give to others!

The Inward Well – of spiritual experience

John 4:7-15

[7] There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
[8] (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
[9] Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
[15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Everlasting life, salvation, the waters of the spirit are always freely available and ready for you! There are many things that always come with a cost, but all of the previously listed qualities are there for whosoever will that would be willing to come! That excites me! I’m glad that the way was made for each and every one of us!

The Inward Well – becomes a flowing river of blessings (after the baptism of the Holy Spirit)

John 7:36-39

[36] What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
[37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
[38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
[39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

This reiterates what was spoken to the woman at the well. And as we apply it to us in the day that we live in, we have to remember to distinguish the difference between the inward and outward well. Leaning on the outward well (our flesh) is a formula for failure. Putting our faith and trust on the inward well (the spiritual person) is the only thing that will hold strong in times when we are required to endure through trials and temptations!

The River – Gives life wherever it flows

Ezekiel 47:9

[9] Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

Wherever there are obedient vessels and boldness to be what God wants us to be, there is life and abundance of life. As we see churches in our modern day, obedience is becoming frowned upon and discouraged. We need to come back to the place where we have churches that welcome free obedience, and to take the time to allow people to participate in free worship to Christ. This way was not made just for us to try and close it back up! Do not allow forms, fashions and traditions stand in the way of the living waters of the spirit of God!

The River – Unaffected by time or season

Zechariah 14:8-9

[8] And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
[9] And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

The waters of the spirit are always freely available and are always in season! There should not be a non-spiritual service. It’s always there! We often wait on this and that, but the rivers are continual, and are always ready for those that will draw. If you could ever see now more than ever we need to be more than just existing; we need to be living from the waters of God!

The River – Never runs out, it is inexhaustible

Revelation 7:16-17

[16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
[17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

We draw from something here on earth that keeps us in peace! We do not hunger or thirst for the world any longer!

The River – It will make you fruitful

Revelation 22:1,2,17

[1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

We can become free and we can be fruitful in this life! We can draw from the waters of Christ and Christ will flow out of the depths of us!

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Jared Meredith

I love life when life is good: my friends and loved ones are well, there are no general problems standing out, there is food on my table, the bills are paid, etc. I found it strange when I was praying today that God would reveal to me this interesting thought.

We have to remember to utilize the strength and willpower that we have through obedience during the good times so God can be glorified. I don’t want God to only be my “bailout plan”, to be the one I only call out on in sheer desperation. We can all honestly say at one point in time in our life that we found it easier to lose our focus on God when life was easier to live because the burdens did not carry a significant weight, right?

Let’s remember to move and praise God when it counts, in the GOOD times as well as the times when we are in trouble. If we are always spiritually in check by being humble in both times of our life, we have strength to be able to handle things when they come unexpectedly or out of the middle of nowhere.

So to paraphrase, obey God, and don’t wait until it’s too late!