Faith To Endure

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Endurance, Endure, faith, Father, God, Jesus, joy, rejoice, Temptations, Trials

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

In order for us to continue in whatever we have purposed to do this year we’re going to need endurance.   We won’t be able to continue unless we’re able to endure.   

First, we must realize and come to grips with the fact that at some point we are going to come into divers temptations.  It’s a biblical fact, the above scripture tells us so.  But somewhere along the way we believed the lie of the enemy that as Christians we’re not supposed to have any problems or that if we do, they won’t be of long duration.  My Friend, this is the lie the devil wants us to believe so that when trouble and problems come, we’re so focused on the problems and trouble that we’re not using our faith.  And if we’re not using our faith, how can we endure or stand up or hold up under the pressure?  You see endurance is an outflow of our faith.  Jesus is our faith.  We don’t use our own efforts to endure, it’s not our own strength, it’s Christ in us.  We have His endurance to continue pursing the promises of God.   Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Christ endured the cross, despised the shame so that you and I could have victory in the midst of it all.

However, if you continue to believe the lies of the devil and cry and complain when trouble comes as if some strange thing is happening to you, how can you see victory?  You’re too busy looking at the trouble.  Listen to what Peter says,

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I Peter 4:12-13

In other words, get up from that place of pity and petting and start rejoicing.  Because while the devil is meaning it for evil God is working it for your good.

So, listen when you find yourself in the midst of divers temptations know that your faith is being tried. And if you would focus on your faith who is Christ.  You will find that from your faith there will be an outflow of strength and power so that you are able to endure through it all and not only endure but continue pursing your dreams.  Rejoice my friend and again I say rejoice.

Separated From Evil

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evil, God, Jesus, love, Separate, Truth

This world is full of evil. Jesus said in praying to the Father in John 17:15, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of this world, but that thou shouldest keep them from evil.” How will the Father keep us from evil? Jesus tells us how in verse 17. “Sanctify them through thy Truth, Thy Word is Truth.” Jesus Christ is the living Word of God and the Word of God is the Truth that will sanctify or separate us from all the evil that’s in the world.

Evil is of the devil. It is right there in his name. Jesus called him a murderer, a liar, and the father of lies. Therefore, we can say that all evil is based on lies. Evil entered the world because Eve believed the lie the devil told her in the Garden of Eden. If you are doing anything evil whether morally, ethically, or physically it is because you have believed a lie. Somewhere at sometime you believed the lies the devil has told you. And know this, you will continue to be imprisoned by the evil that you are doing until you know the Truth. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.” John 8:32.

The devil will tell you lies about who you are, what you have and what you can do. He’ll tell you that you are not loved. That your mother doesn’t love you, your father doesn’t love you and most of all that God doesn’t love you. When you believe these lies not only will you practice evil, but evil in the form of sickness, disease, depression and other mental illnesses will come upon you. All of these are evils in world from the devil. Now here is the good news! John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but should have everlasting life.” That’s the Truth! Believe it and hold on to it because it is the Truth that set you free. It doesn’t matter what your background is, whether you’ve been abandon or abused. Knowing this Truth will set you free from the lies of the devil and all the evil that is in the world.

God Is Bigger Than That!

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Big, Bigger, challenges, God, Great, Greater, Jesus, No body greater

Psalms 34:3
“O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”

To magnify something is to make it be bigger.  When David said “O magnify the Lord with me…” he was saying let’s make the Lord bigger.

The question is bigger to who?  Not bigger to God for He knows who He is  and surely not bigger to the enemy for he too knows how big God is having been in the presence of God.  It remains then that there is a need for us to make God bigger to ourselves.  How we see God is how He will be in our lives.

Look at David when he went up against Goliath.  Saul and all of Israel were looking at Goliath, his height, his weight, his armour, his spear and all that  they saw was all that they talked about.  Unless you have a revelation of the truth you will not be able to speak life when confronted with death.  What you see is what you will speak.  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13 “… we believe therefore we speak.”   When David went before Saul Saul said “…Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth” I Sam. 17:33.  As Saul magnified Goliath David begans to magnified God “Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.  David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…” I Sam. 17:36-37.  What David was saying was my God is Bigger than that!

Child of God, don’t look at the problem confronting you, see Jesus and what He has done. Notice when David went into the camp and Goliath presented himself David didn’t even mention Goliath (I Sam. 17:23).  It wasn’t that David didn’t see and hear Goliath, it was just that he saw his God being bigger and heard the voice of his God louder.   Because David saw God bigger, he saw Goliath defeated and he was ready to collect his reward (I Sam 17:26).   No matter what you’re facing today, God is bigger than that and the reward is yours!

The Goodness Of God

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Changed by God, God, Good, Goodness, moses, renewed, see

Exodus 33:19
“And He said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will show mercy.”

It is impossible to see the goodness of  God and not be affected by it.   Even though God’s goodness only passed by Moses, Moses was never the same.  He was changed on the inside and outside.

Moses was an hundred and twenty years old  when he died and scripture says “…yet his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated” (Deut. 34:7).  Notice it said his eye not eyes I believe that Moses hadn’t become weak spiritually he still was able to see the goodness of God.  And likewise his natural eyes and strength didn’t fade.  Moses was affected by the goodness of God that passed by him.

Now if Moses could reap the benefits of God’s goodness that only passed by him, how much more are we reaping the benefits of God’s goodness now that He resides in us.  Our eye and eyes  will not go dim and our natural strength is renewed like the eagles.  Even in our old age we will run and not be weary; and we will walk and not faint (Isa. 40:31).  Thank God for His goodness that’s resting in and upon you today!

God’s Grace Abounds Towards You!

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abounding grace, abounds, deliverance, favor, God, grace, help, Jesus, love, provision

2 Corinthians 9:8

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

Nothing can stop God’s grace towards you, nothing.  God is able to cause His grace to continuously increase in your life so that no matter what crops up in your life His grace is there to provide.  In other words you will never be without His grace.

Here is what this really means to us.  It means that unemployment can’t stop His grace of provision; sickness can’t stop His grace of healing; depression can’t stop His grace of joy and tribulation and persecution can’t stop His grace of deliverance.  Nothing can stop His grace from flowing in your life.  Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”  Paul goes on to say in verse 37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that love us.”  God commended His love toward us when He gave us His Son and God doesn’t give and take back. Even amidst all these things God’s grace abounds towards us.

Therefore, stop thinking that God doesn’t see, hear and know your situation.  He does and He is providing for you.  Throughout Israel’s journey in the wilderness God’s grace was abounding towards them.  Their clothes didn’t get old, their shoes didn’t wear out, and they had food to eat and water to drink right in the midst of the desert because God’s grace was abounding towards them. But they were too busy complaining instead of looking for God’s grace.

Take the time today to see how God’s grace is abounding toward you in your situation. If you are unemployed and believing for a job, don’t look at what you don’t have, look for God’s grace instead.  See how God’s grace is providing for you in the midst of your situation.  When you do you will see that you always having all sufficiency in all things are able to abound in every good work.

God’s Hands Are Open To You!

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gave, gift, God, hands, Jesus, love, Loved, Open, Opened, Receive

Luke 12:32
“Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
God wanted so much for you and I to be blessed that He gave us His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.  And the magnitude of His death is the magnitude of how much God wanted to receive.

God’s hands are open towards us, they are always open towards us. The gift that God gave continues to give and give and keeps on giving all you need to do is receive.

The devil wants you to believe that God’s hands are closed, that God is withholding what you need.  He wants you to believe that God has it but He’s just not giving it to you.  And that God is blessing some very special people but when it comes to you, well God is still thinking whether or not to bless you.  Listen, the devil is a LIAR always has been and always will be.  First of all if God’s hands were closed what He has already given is more than we will ever need.  He gave us Jesus Christ His only begotten Son.  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?” See how much God wants you to have all?  See how open His hand is toward you? Another lie the devil tells is that God’s got what you need and He will give it to you in His own sweet time in other words you may have to wait for years and years and years to get it even though you need it right now.  The devil always wants you to see God as a cruel Father not the loving, caring, concerned Father that He is.  Before the foundations of the world God gave us Jesus (1 Pet 1:18-20).

My child God loves you and He never wants you to beg or plead with Him for what you want  or need.  It’s His good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  He opened His hands to show you His heart receive it all today in Jesus name.

Think Of The Father’s Love

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compassion, God, help, Jesus, love, mediate, strength, think

John 3:16

“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.”

Whenever I am faced with a situation or circumstance in life that could cause me to feel down I think of the Father’s love for me.  And as I mediate on His love for me, it releases in me His strength.

In the natural when you know that someone loves you, you know that that person has your back.  You know that you can call on them anytime and they will do whatever they can do to help you because they love you. Well, how much more our heavenly Father?  Isaiah 49:15-16 says, “Can a women forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

However, the enemy doesn’t want you to think on God’s love for you, he wants you to think that you are all alone and nobody cares and God loves everybody but you.  He knows that if he can get you to think like that he can get you to feel like that.  His plan is to drain you of your strength and make you feel weak and hopeless.  Your thinking affects how you feel.  Change your thinking and change how you feel.

Instead mediate on the love God has for you.  Think of how God loved you so much  He gave you His Son as surety that every term of the new covenant will be fulfilled in your life (Heb 7:22).  Think of how it please the Father to bruise His Son to save you (Isa 53:10).  Hear his voice saying I love you so much that I given you my only begotten Son.

Be Still And Know

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God, help, refuge, safe place, trouble

Psalms 46:10

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

God is our refuge, our safe place our very present to help in times of trouble. When we think of a refuge and safe place we tend to think of a place that we have to run to. But as children of God we don’t have to run to the house of refuge, we live in the house of refuge. God is our refuge, our safe place our very present help because we are in him and he is in us.

When things of this earth are shaken and moved out of place, when the mountains, those things that we thought were safe and secure are being removed and carried into the midst of the sea, there is no need for us to fear because we are in the house of refuge. Psalms 91:7 says, “a thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” Nothing has the power to penetrate or overthrow the house of refuge.

So listen, stop screaming and running around the house thinking that what’s on the outside can get in; be still and know that he is God and that you are in the house.