Tag: God

Against All Hope

If the ups and downs of our lives were pinpoints on a graph, what would yours look like? Would it be one straight line going up? Or would it look like a mountain range with highs and lows? Throughout our lives, we encounter blessings, victories, trials, and hardships. But how are we remaining hopeful even in the lows of life?

Jesus told his disciples in John 16:33 “In this world, you will have trouble but take heart! I have overcome the World.”

So when you’re against all hope when it feels as if the odds are stacked against you. Ask yourself

  1. Will I still believe it anyways?
  2. Will I let anything stop me from believing?
  3. Will I always expect God to answer?

Abraham was “against all hope,” it says in Romans 4:18 “In Hope, he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told.”

Abraham hoped when there was no hope. The hope he had made no human sense, Abraham hoped when the facts were contrary to logic. They were both well past the age of childbearing but “Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age since she considered him faithful who had promised.” – Hebrews 11:11

They didn’t let what was contrary become the roadblock to their promise, they were against all hope but yet they still believed. What is it in your life that you’ve been believing for? Are you hoping against all hope?

Because of the Blood

Part 1 – He made us Righteous

Have you ever stopped and realized what the Blood of Jesus has done for you? Have you ever thought of what He has bought for us? What do we get to experience because of the Blood?

  1. He made us Righteous
  • Question: What is righteousness? Answer – A right standing before God.
  • Romans 5:9 “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Christ lived a life that completely fulfilled God’s demand of righteousness and thus offered himself on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Our own doing, and our own achievements could by no means compare to the sacrifice of what Christ gave.

Without Christ paying the penalty for sin, we would have never been justified

Isaiah 64:6 “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the ind, take us away.”

Nothing makes us good enough to be accepted in God’s family than only through the Blood of Jesus, that’s when we become justified, that’s when we become righteous before God, He sees the blood when He sees you, He doesn’t see your past, he doesn’t see the mistakes, he sees a blood-bought child of God.

Question: What made Christ become the ultimate sacrifice for us to be made righteous? His Love.

JOHN 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whosoever would believe in Him, would not perish but have eternal life.”

— Christ became the lightning rod, absorbing all of God’s wrath so that you and I could stand justified, righteous in his presence!

– When you question the love that God has for you, look to the Cross!

“God made Him who knew no sin to become sin so that you and I might become the righteousness of God” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Do You Have Room For Him?

You’re begging to the attendant at the service counter, “Please make room for me!” But every attempt goes unheard of. You go from hotel to hotel and motel to motel, still no room can be found.

She brought forth her firstborn Son…and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7 NKJV

In the gospel of Luke we read that Mary and Joseph having this same ordeal. Their trip was planned though, much anticipated and I’m sure Mary was anxious to get the child labor out of the way. But why couldn’t they find a room? Really? The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Messiah, The Chosen One, Son of God, the Creator, they were told to go away. Jesus, Mary and Joseph got rejected at every Inn (motel) they came across. They came to one Inn and all they had was a stable, a stable for animals. Not the best amenities but it worked.

  • Do we make the same mistake of the innkeeper? Do we tell Jesus that you have no time for Him today, ignore the prompting of the Spirit because its not convenient?
  • This Christmas, give to God your life, your time, and especially your heart. Listen for that urgent knock, and every time you hear it, move aside and make room for Him.

The Position, Posture & Place of our Worship

Part 3 — The Place of our Worship

In the book of Mark is a story of a woman’s act of love, service and devotion to the Lord. Her story is lost to time, not even her name is given in this passage. We don’t know her life story, we don’t know her past but we do see a glimpse of her heart. It is a story that shows us the position, posture and place of our worship.

Mark 14:3-9 ESV

3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

  1. The Place of our Worship

When I think about the place of our worship, my mind goes back to the verse when Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well. He says in John 4:23 ” But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” Jesus then says this in verse 24 “For God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth.

We can go deeper into what Jesus is saying here but put it simply this way; we don’t have to go to a building (church) to worship. Our worship should not only be contained within the four walls of a building, but outside, in your car, in your home, in your workplace. His Spirit is what is living inside of us! Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.”

God, His Spirit is what is living inside of us. He is our place of worship!

In Him: We Are Forgiven

It’s a fact: Satan tries to remind us of our past mistakes, our past sins and intimidating us that they are not forgiven. We then if we believe those lies begin to step back, become weak or even retreat from God in shame.

But we have this promise 👇🏼

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrightesouness”

We have a responsibility to confess, bring them into the light and repent from them.

“…he is faithful and just.”

It’s not because we were faithful to come to him that sets us free, it’s because when we do come to him, he is faithful and just.

It’s all because of what happened at Calvary that sin has no power over the believer.

Today remind yourself that because he has risen we no longer have to be that person. That sin no longer has a hold on you. You stand today forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness — holy in his sight!

In Him: FEARFULLY & WONDERFULLY MADE

PSALM 139:14 “I PRAISE YOU, FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE; WONDERFUL ARE YOUR WORKS, MY SOUL KNOWS IT VERY WELL”

I believe that what is said of us from others can alter the perception of who God says we are. 

Identity – the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

We can be Influenced by so many voices. Telling us of how we should look, act, or speak. Society today is telling us that we are not fearfully and wonderfully made but we may have been a mistake, or an accident.

YOU WERE BORN ON PURPOSE FOR A PURPOSE!

THE WORD OF GOD CLEARLY TELLS US THAT WE ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE AND THAT HIS WORKS ARE WONDERFUL.

MY NOSE — NOT A MISTAKE, FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

MY BODY— FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

MY PERSONALITY – FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

— JUST AS A POTTER PUTS A PIECE OF CLAY ON THE WHEEL, THERE’S A PURPOSE BEHIND EVERY INDENTION OF THAT CLAY.

WHEN GOD FORMS SOMETHING HE SHAPES IT SPECIFICALLY FOR HIS PURPOSE.

WE ARE ALL MADE DIFFERENTLY WITH UNIQUE SKILLS, PERSONALITIES AND TRAITS THAT GOD USES FOR HIS GOOD AND GLORY. HE DIDN’T CREATE YOU ALONG WITH THE MASSES, HE IS INTENTIONAL WITH ALL THAT HE DOES.

WE ARE HIS MASTERPIECE

“FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED UB CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM.” — Ephesians 2:10

— WHEN THE WORLD TELLS US THAT WE ARE DEFINED BY OUR STRUGGLES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR APPEARANCE, HIDE IN GOD — THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR LIFE AND SOURCE OF TRUE VALUE IDENTITY AND WORTH. IN HIM ONLY OUR TRUE IDENTITY IS FOUND AND OUR WORTH CAN NEVER BE SHAKEN.

PRAYER:

I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM.

I CAN DO WHAT GOD SAYS I CAN DO.

I CAN BECOME EXACTLY WHAT GOD SAYS I CAN BECOME.

I’M NOT DEFINED BY MY FEELINGS, MY WEAKNESSES, OR MY INCLINATIONS.

I AM COMING OUT OF THE LIES.

I AM COMING INTO THE LIGHT.

I WAS BORN ON PURPOSE FOR A PURPOSE!

There is a Plan for You

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

Romans 8:28-29 NKJV

Some of us from time to time we may think about our future. Maybe it’s a goal or a desire that you haven’t seen fulfilled yet and the thought keeps nagging you. It feels like at times you missed the opportunity or the setbacks put you off track. Maybe it was a relationship and things didn’t work out like you wanted it too. 

When our future looks bleak and we ask, “What is my purpose in life? Why am I here? I just want out! Am I any good to anybody? It all looks so hopeless.” We are looking at our world system credentials, our world system status as a person, and for the encouragement that comes from the world.

 It isn’t your responsibility to plan your future. That has been planned before your life began (remember He saw every day of your life before you were born). You are being conformed to His image. Every incident, every setback, every disappointment, every unexpected tragedy are to be used to further His purpose of conforming you to His likeness in your life and in my life.

It may seem that God’s plan are interrupted but hold fast to the promise that God is working behind the scenes. And to believe that all things work together for good for those those who love God.