Before You Say “I Do”
Posted on December 4, 2012 8 Comments
What type of marriage do you want? One lady said that she got married looking for the ideal, but ended up with an ordeal and now she wants a new deal. The good news is, if you do marriage God’s way, you’ll be blessed with the ideal, and you won’t be asking for a new deal.
Tony Evans writes, “For many people, marriage is like Read More
All You Need Is Grace
Posted on November 27, 2012 7 Comments
Do you know what God’s answer to all your weaknesses, shortcomings, and inadequacies is? It is His grace!
Listen to what the Apostle said in 1 Cor. 15:6: “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Now, think about this. This was the Apostle’s testimony: “I am not what I am today because of my extensive experience, first-class education, wonderful upbringing, great national heritage. I am what I am by the grace of God!”
Paul had one explanation for his success—God’s grace. Grace made him the man he had become and grace empowered him to do what he had done. And that same grace will make you! What you could never do or be because of your shortcomings, you can be and do by the grace of God.
Romans 6:14 reads, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.” Men succeed under grace, who fail under law. Why? Because the man who is under law is trying to work for God, but the man who is under grace has God working for him! No wonder he succeeds. You see, grace is God’s ability at work–at work for us, in us and through us, even though we do not deserve it.
My spiritual son, Rev. Patrick Wleh, writes:
“Grace is not in search of good and clean men whom it can approve. On the contrary, grace does not approve goodness; only Justice does. But rather grace is in search of the condemned, guilty, speechless and helpless, whom it can save, sanctify, and glorify…Where grace is at work, every other law is disabled!”
Grace is at work when we are trusting in Jesus and not in ourselves.
“And of His fulness have all we received and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:16-17)
Are you conscious of how weak and needy you are? Are you facing impossible circumstances? The grace of God is your answer. And His grace is available without measure through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Savior.
Can You Keep a Secret?
Posted on November 20, 2012 4 Comments
You are stronger than a lion, more powerful than a thousand enemies. More than a conqueror, the Bible says!
Remember Samson? He was chosen from his mother’s womb to be a hero for God, a deliverer for his people. He was blessed with a supernatural birth, godly parents and upbringing, and was so strong he could do things no other mortal man could do. On one occasion he Read More
How to Be God’s Friend
Posted on November 13, 2012 3 Comments
How would you like God to place a plaque on your wall that declares you His friend? Not everybody gets that honor. No higher honor can be bestowed on any man—far greater than any honor you could ever receive from men; far greater than what your boss could give you; what your business could give you; what your nation could give you. It is an honor worth living for and dying for.
Abraham received this high honor. God Read More
If Money Talks, What Is Yours Saying?
Posted on November 6, 2012 2 Comments
Do you know the Bible talks more about money than about prayer, fasting, heaven, or hell? Knowing how important money is, God spends a huge amount of time teaching us how to view it, obtain it, increase it, and use it. In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Clearly, what we do with money is an accurate indicator of Read More
Who Speaks For You?
Posted on October 30, 2012 3 Comments
God forbid that you should ever be charged with a capital crime, but if you were, won’t you consider yourself blessed to be represented by a lawyer who has never lost a case? Having a lawyer with such superior legal experience and knowledge of what it takes to obtain a “Not Guilty” verdict would be the best thing that could happen to you. It would be highly advantageous for you, instead of you trying to defend yourself, to let such a representative speak on your behalf.
Sin is a capital offense punishable by death. It is written in the Code of Moral Law that governs the universe that the soul that sins shall die. And since all men have sinned, all are under the sentence of eternal death. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)
But because of His great love for us, His commitment to justice, and His desire that we be represented by the best, our Heavenly Father appointed none other than His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, to be our Savior and Advocate before His Throne.
Listen to these wonderful words from Scripture.
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1, 2 NIV)
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27, 28 NIV)
What an Advocate He is! He obtains a “Not Guilty!” for everyone He represents. He never loses a case.
Who is representing you before God? Are you trying to speak for yourself, or are you letting Jesus speak for you? He stands ready to plead your case, if you will only put your faith in Him.
You Will Have What You Say
Posted on October 23, 2012 5 Comments
As a child, they told me, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” That was the biggest lie ever told me! Words are the most powerful forces available to human beings, and they can actually cause things to live or die. I did not say that–God did!
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:20, 21 NKJV)
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. (Proverbs 13:3 NKJV)
Jesus knew the nature of words and warned His disciples to be careful what they allowed to come out of their mouths.
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:36, 37 NKJV)
Remember, we are made in God’s image, and God uses the power of speech to make things happen. He framed the world with words. It is with words that He is holding all things together. And we, being His children, partake of His divine nature! We can make things happen with our words.
To teach His disciples this lesson, Jesus did something unusual for Him. He walked up to a fig tree that had no fruit on it and cursed it, saying, “Let no one eat fruit from you again.”
Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:20-23 NKJV)
Peter marveled, thinking that this incident pointed to Jesus’ unique power as God’s Son. So he must have been shocked when Jesus said to him, “Peter, this is not the result of me exercising my divine powers. Whosoever believes that the things he is saying will come to pass will get similar results. In fact, with words, he can even move an entire mountain.”
This is how David managed to defeat Goliath. He spoke words, believed God would make them come to pass, and it happened just like he said. This is how the woman with the issue of blood received her healing. She spoke words she believed would come to pass, and it happened, just like she said. This is how Abraham became a father in old age. He said it, believing the thing he was saying would happen, and it did!
We have been given access to the power of God through our words. Every time we speak, we are causing things to happen, either good or bad. Our circumstances can worsen, or improve, as the direct result of what we are saying.
By understanding the authority you exercise over your own life and destiny, you can begin to cooperate with this principle of God to frame your world according to God’s will and start being “satisfied with the fruit of your mouth.” Bridle your tongue; do not open wide your mouth to allow just any type of word to come out. Instead of cursing yourself with words that steer your life toward destruction, use your faith in God and the power of words to steer in the direction of life and peace.
Words will either work for you, or against you. Why not make the quality decision today to make words work for you always. I did this years ago, and I am so glad I did.
Did God Do That?
Posted on October 16, 2012 14 Comments
Have you ever heard someone blame God for evil? Just the other day I heard a Christian lady, distressed about the senseless murder of her friend by a suicidal man high on drugs, say, “I don’t know why God took him like that. He was such a good person.” My heart grieved. God took him?
Friend, God is good all the time. He does not commit murder. He does not destroy human life. God did not kill her friend. A crazy man, influenced by drugs and devils, did.
Now, if her friend was trusting in Jesus as his Savior, then he was a child of God. And the good news is that God’s born-again children never die. They have eternal life. Instead of murdering him, God was there to welcome him and usher him into Paradise. God is good.
James writes:
“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:16-17)
The evil that is in this world is the result of sin and disobedience to God. And unfortunately, innocent people do suffer sometimes because of their lack of knowledge, the harmful choices of others, and the evil influences Satan has upon society. This is sad, but this is the consequence of living in a world where men, who are free to obey or not to obey God, often choose the path of disobedience.
This was what happened in the case of Joseph. He was betrayed by his own brothers, sold as a slave and imprisoned falsely for a crime he did not commit. But in all that Joseph went through, he did not blame God. He knew that God was not the source of evil. He continued to submit to and place His trust in the goodness of God. And though times were tough and his suffering lasted a long time, God was with him through it all. In the end, God turned it around and richly rewarded Joseph’s faith.
So what should we do when we are confronted with evil and suffering? Let’s not err and blame God. Instead, let’s give thanks to Him for being the good God He is. Let’s acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes from our loving Heavenly Father. Then let’s choose to submit to Him because He is good and resist the devil because he is evil. And let’s be confident that ultimately good will triumph over evil!
Incline Your Ear
Posted on October 9, 2012 2 Comments
What is your relationship with God’s Word like? If you are a typical Christian, it is extremely shallow. You spend very little time listening to it preached and no time meditating in it. And that is a big mistake, because the Word of God contains the power of God that produces salvation: deliverance from sin, sickness, poverty, and every curse.
Jesus underscored the importance of the Word when He spoke to His disciples and said: “If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will and it shall be given to you.” Notice that Jesus links the power of answered prayer to a relationship with both Him and His Word.
Here is an illustration to help you understand how hugely critical the Word is to you. Supposed you were extremely ill and decided to seek medical help. You went from doctor to doctor seeking a diagnosis and cure for months to no avail. Then someone recommended you see a particular doctor reputed to be the best in his field. You took the advice. He examined you, diagnosed your condition, and prescribed medication for you to take three times a day the rest of your life. He also required you to see him regularly.
You begin taking the medication and it works! It keeps you alive, as long as you take it daily, as prescribed. Now, tell me, what type of relationship would you have with your doctor? And what type would you have with your medicine? Undoubtedly, extremely close!
Because you know your life depends on being under the doctor’s care and taking your medication faithfully, you would follow his instructions diligently. You would see him as often as he required, would listen closely to his instruction, and would make taking your medicine three times daily a major priority. You would keep your medication near you all the time. The first thing you would do upon waking would be to take your medicine and you would never travel without making sure you had it with you. If you noticed you were without it, you would turn around. And as soon as you noticed your supply was running low, your priority would be to see the doctor for a fresh supply.
Now, this is an apt description of what our relationship with Jesus and the Word of God should be like. Our well-being depends on both. Like the doctor, Jesus is our Great Physician. He is the only one who can make us whole. But like the medication, His Words are spirit and life to us (John 6:63). They are the means by which we receive the benefits of His finished work. And our well-being depends on us hearing and feeding His Words into our hearts consistently.
Listen to the advice of a wise man:
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:20-23 NKJV)
Child of God, now that you have received Jesus as your personal Savior, you can rest assured that He is always willing to attend to you and minister to you. But remember He can only do so if you cultivate a strong relationship with His Word. So decide to let His Words dwell in you richly. Make it a priority to hear His Words continually and meditate on them diligently. The more you allow His words to dwell in you, the more His Spirit and His Life will fill you. And the more you will experience the benefits of your salvation!
Where Are Your Blessings?
Posted on October 2, 2012 2 Comments
Let me tell you where your blessings are.
Do you remember your junior high Science? Then you know, for thousands of years, water has been moving in a cycle, from earth to the air and back to the earth again. During this water cycle, its chemical composition, H20, does not change, but the form it exists in does. It can go from being a gas, to a liquid, to a solid. That’s right–water can exist as a gas, but under the right conditions become as solid as ice. What does this have to do with your blessings? A lot! Read on.
Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Notice, He has already blessed us with every blessing we will ever need. God has fulfilled every promise, having provided righteousness, health, peace and godly prosperity for us already. You already have what you think you lack.
“But if so, why don’t I see them? Where are these blessings you are talking about?”
Remember the water cycle? Water can exist as an invisible gas, but under the right conditions change into solid ice. While in its gaseous state, it exists, but is unobservable to the senses. But it’s there, as much water as it will ever be! You would be wrong to conclude no water is in the air just because it is invisible. Create the right set of conditions and it will manifest itself to you.
Your blessings are right there, in Christ, in you. They exists in their spirit form, but they are as real as water in its gaseous state. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because they are unobservable they are not already present with you. They are there because God declared it so. Create the right set of conditions in your heart and they will manifest themselves to you. Like water, God gives those blessings the power to change their form, to go from being just spiritual to being emotional and physical. To becoming the type of blessing you can feel and touch!
Water needs cold or heat to change form. And spiritual blessings need faith in God’s Word and patience to materialize. “Therefore, whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe you have already received them, and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)
The woman with the issue of blood said, “If I but touch the hem of his garments, I will be healed.” She believed her healing, though invisible, was already present in Him. She released her faith with her words and her health materialized; instantly, in her case.
Are you asking God to bless you? You are too late. He already has! Therefore, when you pray, do not beg God to bless you. Instead, believe He has already blessed you and release faith out of your mouth with your words. Then continue to confess God’s Word, to give thanks, to believe–knowing that the blessing which today exist in spirit form will surely manifest “tomorrow,” in the form of a blessing that is as solid as ice! It may not happen instantly, but it will, if you faint not.
Now that you know where your blessings are, enjoy!
A Moment of Grace 