Tag: Power

A Perseverance of Faith

Mark 5:25-34

25 ”And there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

We’ve all been there, a question of when is my healing coming? When is my breakthrough going to get here? Why is it taking so long?

For me, I’ve been there myself. At the young age of 21 just being called into the ministry I had a question that wouldn’t have been answered for more than 15 years, but I had to persevere and not let the question hinder me.

This woman most likely questioned God all the time about why am I still sick? Why couldn’t the doctors treat me?

“But she had heard the reports of Jesus.”

But all that had changed when she heard about a man named Jesus. You see, I’m sure there was talk about the miracles that she had heard from the townspeople. Remember that faith comes by hearing. (Roman’s 10:17)

27 “…and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”

She didn’t let her sickness, or the crowd stop her from getting to Him. 

Women with issues like hers, had no business being touching distance from anyone. Jewish law made that clear (Leviticus 15:25–27). Her issue marked her and everything she touched. She couldn’t worship at the temple. And whoever touched her would be contaminated by her impurity.

Q: What is stopping you from getting to Him?

At times we have to push adversity out of the way, When the crowd around says it’s not worth it, it’ll never happen. Keep pressing in.

I believe she was saying in her heart

I’ve got to get to Him! Despite the crowd that’s in the way, despite the opinions of others because with men this would be impossible but with God all things are possible.”

29 “and immediately the flow of blood stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.”

30 “And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”

It’s not that Jesus didn’t know who touched Him, he asked the question so that she would know why she was healed. 

— It was her faith that touched Him.

Hebrews 11:6 “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.”

Whatever it may be that you’re waiting on. A healing, direction, deliverance. Don’t stop persevering, don’t stop pushing through the crowd.

Speaking the Word of God: Over Your Temptations

The greatest example of speaking the Word of God over our temptations is found in Matthew 4. When Jesus was taken into the Wilderness after fasting forty days and nights he was hungry and then it says the tempter came. The enemy was questioning Jesus and who He was. I want to stop there and elaborate on one of the enemy’s tactics. The enemy will always question our authority in Christ. He knows us, our weaknesses and in those moments of temptation we must ask ourself what are we going to do and who are we going to?

We Must Realize the Problem:

The enemy’s goal is nothing more than to steal, kill, and destroy you. That’s it, however, he can find a way. It all starts with a temptation.

We Must Know the Solution:

We read in Matthew 4 that with every temptation that was presented to Christ, He always came back with the Word of God, spoken to the enemy. The solution to every temptation is to speak the Word of God and declare it!

  • Our words have power

Proverbs 18:21

21  “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

ESV

(Christians who constantly talk doubt, in effect, talk “death.” Those who speak the Word of God speak “Life“) – Jimmy Swaggart Crossfire Bible ©

What we speak determines the outcome, are you speaking life into that situation? Submitting to God when a temptation arises?

James 4:7

Submit to God, resist the enemy and he will flee from you.

ESV

We Must Remember the Promise

God says His Word will accomplish, succeed in the thing, in the temptation, in the season that you are in and will not return empty! When you speak God’s word in that temptation that same power goes with it! That’s the Promise that the child of God has!

Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

ESV

Where is Your Faith?

so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:5

We are living in strange times, who would’ve thought that some virus could devastate the economy? It has shaken every part of our world as we know it. Our jobs, our families and more than that it has shaken the economy. And for some it has shaken a lot of things that you would’ve never thought possible. What will you be left with when all of this goes away? Will you have more money than before? Will you have your job? What will remain when the dust settles? or more importantly, will you be moved by this storm? Or will you take refuge in the Lord?

Paul reminds us in Hebrews 12:27 “This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken — that is, things that have been made — in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.”

Every distraction that has been the priority, our careers, our lives has been shut down. And we have been driven back to the basics of family and faith. I believe that God sometimes has to shake our world to re-focus our priorities in order to wake us up and for us to realize that He is our priority.

So where is your faith? Is it in man, money, possessions?

Or is it in Christ alone?

God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power – to overcome the obstacles  and love – to help others and sound mind – ability to not panic, make wise choices, to choose faith over fear. – 2 Timothy 1:7

Purpose of His Presence

There is nothing like going on vacation to see those who you haven’t seen in such a long time. Knowing the activities and adventures that you will embark on are priceless. The time that you will spend together laughing, maybe crying about stories that you have experienced in the past are priceless. Maybe it’s just a phone call to hear their voice that you haven’t heard in a long time. That time together is priceless.

That is how it is with the Lord, David says in Psalms 63:5

“Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart. My arms will wave to you like banners of praise. I overflow with praise when I come before you, for the anointing of your presence satisfies me like nothing else. You are such a rich banquet of pleasure to my soul. – Passion Translation

Q: So What is The Purpose of His Presence?

A: He, the Holy Spirit keeps you from wandering and causes you to separate (consecrate) anything else that is trying to take His place.

Matthew 4:18-22

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”[a]20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

There was something about Him that made these men leave behind their lives their livelihoods all that they have ever know they threw it away for the cause of Christ. What was it? They saw His Presence so valuable.

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me cthe path of life; 

in your presence there is dfullness of joy; 

at your right hand are epleasures forevermore.”

Do you see His Presence so valuable and so priceless?

The Blessed Hope

blessed hope.jpg

 

The Resurrection of Christ brings hope. The late Emil Brunner once said, “What oxygen is for the lungs, such is hope for the meaning of human life.”

As the human organism is dependent on a supply of oxygen, so humanity is dependent on its supply of hope. Yet today hopelessness and despair are everywhere. Peter, who himself was given to despair during the episode of Calvary, writes in a triumphant note, “Blessed be the God and who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.”

There is hope that mistakes and sins can be forgiven. There is hope that we can have joy, peace, assurance and security in the midst of the despair of this age. There is hope that Christ is coming soon-this is what is called in scripture “The blessed hope”

Our hope is not in our own ability or in our goodness or physical strength. Our hope is instilled in us by the resurrection of Christ!

 

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When Is It My Turn?

For many it’s called the waiting game. I like to call it the unbelief that has settled in the hearts of many Christians. What do I mean? Many Christians have dis-valued the power of God of His healing power, promises and His authority. How? This generation has become impatient, lazy and expect miracles to happen overnight. God never changes, God doesn’t compete with us, and He never will. For some, many people test the Lord, they do things that so they think “make” Him respond of the situation. This can dangerous, and very stupid. We have to realize the character of God and to know that He sends us what we need, when we need it and the time that He allows it to come into your life. We can’t rush God to do things. God’s delivery system is called faith, and without it, no man can please God. Take a look in the book of John 5. A man who had an infirmity for 38 years, who was bedridden, and not able to walk, until one day.

 

5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

 

They once were the first ones to the altar to have prayer; first to stand and worship after offering was taken; first to shake hands to the people around them. Now they are the first ones out the door. Months, maybe years has passed. The miracles, and healing’s that they had read over and over in the Bible; the countless testimonies that they have heard; The hands that have been laid on them for the miracle and healing and has not yet seen manifested in their own life. They desperitly need a miracle but nothing has happened yet. The lies of the enemy has been planted. Now they begin to have thoughts “Does God love me?” “Does God still perform miracles?” “Is there a God”. Yes! Yes! and Yes! The man who once laid for 38 years at the gate by the pool of Bethesda had the same thoughts. When is it going to be my turn? Why are all these around me have gone before me and received their healing? Think of how many people in his time of laying their being the spectator instead of the participant has seen others be healed. They stepped in as a diseased, lame, blind or paralyzed body but came out healed; a miracle had just happened in their life. 

 

“Our disability has no excuse for His ability”

 

From the age of 9 I knew God had big plans for me. The scripture that the Holy Spirit had gave me at that age was the discussion at the burning bush when Moses fights with God as to say he is slow of speech, that he is not able to do what God is calling him to do. I too was a Moses.

I had always dreamed of preaching in front of people. The messages that God would give me before I was even called at the age of 22 was like a fire that was shut up in my bones, but boldness I did not have. I too was frail and paralyzed by fear. The moments that led to where I am at today had to take radical, daring faith outside of my comfort zone.

Maybe this man had given up, maybe at one time he was near the pool, but he had said to his friends “Just put me over there away from the water”, “I’m never going to be healed”, “It’s not my time.”

What’s keeping you from the water?

 

His ability can overcome our disability, it takes faith, just a little faith.
One day, a man who he had never seen before. Maybe he had heard of Jesus, the news about Him being the Messiah, this so called Son of God according to the Pharisees. He found out that He truly was the Son of God, the prophecy that was spoken by Isaiah ” This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah “He took our illness and bore our diseases.” – Matt 8:11

“Take up your bed and walk”

When we rely on the natural instead of the spiritual, the doctors instead of the Lord, medicine instead of the Holy Spirit. We become less dependent on the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, doctors and medicines are a gift from God but we should never come to a point to where we totally depend on them. This man relied on the waters to heal him, but when he had the personal touch from Jesus his whole life changed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing Lines in the Sand

line-in-the-sand

I’m a very independent person, I don’t like to bother anyone. I never like to ask and feel like I’m a nuisance to somebody if I do. I always find a way or should I say try to resolve my own issues and problems…most of the time. Ever since I got saved in 2009, I still have that “I can do it myself” attitude that God is still helping me break off. We all have that one area I believe that we need help in. Yes He can free you from anything. But in some cases God will allow an area of discomfort in your life so you will be dependent on Him. It’s not that He’s doing it out of spite but to let us know how weak we are, the reality of how much we really need Him.

” What you allow God to do in you will be the only limit to what He will do through you”

When God speaks, whatever He says happens, His Words are Power.

Isaiah 55:11 

“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

> If we have faith in Him He will do great and mighty things beyond our understanding. If we have absolute faith in Him His absolute power shall accomplish His absolute will.

Sometimes God restrains His power because of our unbelief, In Mark 6 we read, “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief.

The town people could not receive what Jesus was there for because they put their own limitations on Jesus.

What limitations are you putting on a limit-less God?