Free To Worship!

Tags

condemn, condemnation, free, free to worship, joy, peace, worship

Hebrews 9:14

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Every time we go to pray and worship God, the enemy is there to try and bring us under condemnation.  Of course his purpose is to stop us from worshiping God to worship him.  He comes early in the morning even before you get out of bed with some thought to bring you under condemnation.  But thank God we have God’s promised that “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…” (Rom. 8:1).

Paul says in Hebrews 9: 13 that if the blood of bulls and goats was enough to cleanse the body, how much more the blood of Christ purge our conscience from dead works to worship the living God.  In other words the blood of Jesus answers to anything the enemy brings to our minds to condemn us.

Condemnation robs us of our joy and peace and it kills.  It stops us from receiving from God and most of all it robs God of our worship.   Thank God for the blood of Jesus.  We live, move and having our being in the blood of Jesus.

Therefore, when you get up in the morning and the enemy begins to give you thoughts of condemnation, remind yourself you are living in the blood.  When you lift up your hands to worship and the enemy brings to your mind something you did or didn’t do, remind yourself that you’re lifting up your hands in the blood of Jesus.  The blood of Jesus answers to any and every thing the enemy brings our way.  The blood of Jesus has purged our conscience from dead works and freed us to worship the living God.  So do it now!

God Expects You To Receive!

Tags

Gifts, Jesus, Lengths, Receive, Sacrafice, Thanks

Isaiah 53:5

“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.”

Giving implies that someone will receive.  Even if you really don’t want to give or assume that the person will not receive there is still the expectation of someone receiving and when you really want someone to receive something you will go to whatever lengths to see to it that they get it.

This is exactly what God did for us.  He sent His only Son into this world to take our sins upon Him and receive the wrath and punishment of sin and die on the cross so that we could receive His life.  God crushed His only begotten Son to give to us His life.  That’s how much He wanted us to receive; and His giving was born out of His love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  God gave to us with the expectation that we would receive.

However, the devil wants you to believe that God really doesn’t want you to receive.  He wants you to believe that God has a tight hand, and that He’s not as free giving as He says He is.  Or that God only gives based on your efforts and merits.  If you’re good you might get it and if you’re bad you can forget it.  He wants to block you from receiving what God has freely given.  Because if you think that God doesn’t want to give or that you have to work to get it you might not receive it.  Romans 8:32 says, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”  God crushed His own Son to give to us His life.  That’s how much he wanted us to receive.

So why do you take so little when He has given so much?  Receive ALL because He expects you too.

All Things Well

Tags

All things well, future, God's timing, perfect, timing

Mark 7:37

“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

I’ve heard many people say and have even said so myself that “He may not come when you want Him but He’s always on time.”  Of course this statement is not scriptural and therefore not true. Psalms 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble” which means He’s always on time because He’s always there.

However, we all have experienced times in our lives when we feel as though God is late or too late.  Like Martha who thought Jesus was too late when she said “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died” (John 11:21).  Or like Sarah who thought God was late when she told Abraham to go unto her maid even though God had told them they who conceive a child (Gen. 16:2).   God is never late or too late.  His plans are always right and on time because He does all things well.

To the man that had been blind from birth Jesus was passing by at the right time He was neither late nor too late (John 9:1).  To the woman at the well who had been through five husbands Jesus sat down at the right time in the right place neither late nor too late (John 4:7).  God’s timing is always right, His works always perfect. Nothing ever be added to it.  He completely saves, and completely heals. He even takes care of things we don’t know about.  He told the woman with the issue of blood “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (Mk 8:48).  Not your blood has stopped but your faith hath made thee whole. Even the areas in her life she didn’t know need healing He healed.

Therefore, don’t be discouraged today in thinking that God is late or too late for you.  He wasn’t too late for Martha nor was He late for Abraham and Sarah.  Trust God, He is your very present help never late or too late but always on time to work a perfect miracle in your life.

No Fear!

Tags

Afraid, Courage, Drowning, fear, Fearful, Keep focused, Looking at Jesus, Perspective, Spirit of fear

II Timothy 1:7

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Fear is a spirit not an emotion. Fear is a spirit that attacks us in the area of our emotions and courage is not the absence of fear but courage is having the right perspective.

Look at Peter, when he was in the boat trying to fight the wind and the waves fear was there. As he put one leg over the boat fear was there, as he begin to walk on the water fear was still there. But while fear was there power, love and soundness of mind was also present and as long as Peter kept his eyes on that power and love fear was not able to dominate him. (Matt. 14:22-33)

Fear was first presented to man in the garden after the fall.  When God asked Adam where art thou? Adam said he heard God’s voice in the garden but was afraid because he was naked. Adam lacked God’s glory and now was afraid.  Satan took advantage of what Adam now lacked to cause fear.

Therefore, fear presents itself every time we think we lack something.  If you think you lack the ability to pay your bills, fear is there to tell you you’re going to be put out of your home.  If you think you lack the ability to be cured, fear is there to tell you you’re going to die.  Fear can only dominate us when we look at what we lack.  Courage is having the right perspective.

As long as Peter had his eyes on Jesus who is the power and love, he had soundness of mind. But when he took his eyes off Jesus like most of us he lost it.  Peter saw his lack of ability to save himself from the sea.

Jesus came to give us back what Adam lost, the glory of God.  When we look at Jesus we see that we lack nothing.  David said in Psalms 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not lack.” Therefore we have no fear because we lack nothing and God is always with us.  And just as Jesus reached down and pulled Peter up from the sea, He’s right there to do the same for you and give you peace in every circumstance you’re faced with. Isaiah 41:10 says “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

Fear has no power when you’re looking at Jesus.  Stay focused.