Joy and Peace (Continued, Part 2)
Joy and Peace (Continued, Part 2)
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https://www.todaysword.org/library/teaching-series-faith-joy-and-peace
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday we saw how Martha’s frustration came out as she told Jesus, “Lord, if you have been here, my brother would not have died.” And you and I can identify with her. Her pain is obvious and it is understandable. But what Jesus said should have caused her faith to leap. When Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again,” she should have started praising God. But she was past any possibility of hope for Lazarus at this point. Since he had been dead for four days her belief system was closed to any possibility of a resurrection. Maybe if it had been four hours she might have thought that Jesus could still do something about it. But four days? Four long days?
This is where the series I taught on expanding your capacity to believe God comes in. Often God is looking to bless us, but we fail to even fathom the possibility of what He wants to do. When we expand our capacity to believe God we take our artificial limits off of our limitless God. Jesus plainly told her that her brother was going to rise again, but she missed it altogether. She said, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” In other words she was saying, “Oh, I believe he will be part of the end time resurrection.” But Jesus was not talking about some distant thing, He was ready to MOVE right then and there in their lives. The problem was that she was closed to the possibility of it. She had lost her joy and lost her peace in believing God. She was no longer believing God for Lazarus. To her, Lazarus was part of the past.
Jesus gave her another try. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” That was a powerful statement. That should have shocked her faith back into action. That should have awakened her belief. That should have resurrected her hope. And I like the way that Jesus offered the statement to her. After He said it He asked, “Do you believe this?” In other words Jesus was saying, “If you can believe this, if you can believe that I can do anything, if you can believe that I have resurrection power, if you can believe that I can bring the dead back to life, then I can turn your dead and seemingly hopeless situation around.” But we will see tomorrow that she was not ready for it. What Jesus said went right over her head.
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things:
1. Once you lose your joy and peace, it is just a matter of time before you stop believing God in your situation.
2. Once you stop believing God your faith will stop.
3. Once you relax the hold of your faith and you let go of your joy and peace, then you will soon stop believing that “it” is even possible.
4. Once your belief system is closed to the possibility of something in your life, you are no longer open to God in it. Even if God speaks to you about it, it will be hard for you to receive.
5. So never believe something is over unless God tells you it is.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I know that You are the God of no limits. There is nothing too hard for You. So no matter what things humanly look like, I will maintain my joy and peace in believing, I will continue to believe that You can and You will move in my life, unless You tell me different. My belief system is open for You to move in my life. I refuse to close the door to possibilities. I am open, I am ready, and I am receptive to whatever You want to do in my life today and any day! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XI
(John 25-28 NIV) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday we saw how Jesus basically told Martha that He was ready and able to do something about her brother’s situation, but it went right over her head. Although she was saying religious sounding words, they were not backed by belief or faith. What Lazarus needed was a resurrection. Jesus told Martha that He was the resurrection and the life. He was ‘resurrection’ in the flesh. What she needed for her brother was standing right before her. Jesus even asked her, “Do you believe this?” In other words, “Do you believe me?” But look at how she replied. She said, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” But that’s not what He said! It is obvious that Jesus and Martha were not on the same wavelength.
So after seeing that He was getting nowhere with her, Jesus asked to speak to Mary. After all, Mary was a worshipper. Even if Mary did not come to Him with faith-filled words, at least she might come to Him in worship. Jesus was ready, willing, and able to resurrect Lazarus, He was just looking for a trigger on the part of the sisters. One sister had come and failed. Even after repeated attempts by Jesus to explain to her who He really was and what He was capable of doing, she had missed Him altogether. One sister down, one more to go. Mary was coming and she would have her chance with Jesus. As I show you what she did I want you to observe the differences in the two. We will see that Mary said things very similar to her sister, but it was HOW she said them that made the difference. It was her posture, her position, her worship. She came to Jesus in a different way and she received completely different results.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever been somewhere where God is moving mightily, where people are getting healed, where you can visibly see others getting their breakthrough, but then some seemingly receive nothing? The writer of Hebrews tells us that two people (or two sets of people) can hear the same message, but the message heard will only impact those that receive it and mix it with faith (Heb 4:2). That’s how you can be at the same place, at the same time, hear the same Word, by the same person, and still miss what God wanted to do in your life, even though others received their blessing. In that case the problem is not on the part of the transmitter, but rather the receiver.
That’s why this series has burned in my heart for so long and that is why I believe it is so important. When you maintain joy and peace while you are believing God, while you are waiting on Him to move in your situation, then you are ready, receptive, and postured to be responsive to what He says and does. It is when you lose your joy and peace and you allow frustration to creep in that God speaks and you miss Him altogether.
So what does this mean to you today? It simply means that maintaining your joy and peace will keep you in a position and posture to hear and receive from God. Allowing frustration to set in will hinder your ability to receive and you can easily miss what He wants for you.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I declare, by faith, that I resist fear, doubt, worry, unbelief, and frustration. I will not allow an internal uneasiness to keep me from Your best. I declare that I maintain my joy and peace while I believe You, while I walk with You, and while I expect from You. My joy and peace enable me to be in a position and posture to hear, believe, receive, and walk in Your best. Speak Lord, your servant is listening! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XII
(John 11:32 NIV) When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday we saw how Jesus did not get anywhere with Martha and how He asked to speak to Mary. I told you that I believe Jesus was looking for a trigger from one of the two sisters to move on their behalf. He was ready, willing, and able to resurrect Lazarus, but He was looking for something; some act on the part of the sisters that would move Him to action.
When Mary got word that Jesus was asking for her she quickly and abruptly got up. She was in the middle of mourning with all those that came by to mourn with them and when the others saw how quickly Mary got up they followed her to see what was going on. The Bible says that some thought she was going to the tomb to mourn there, but she was actually going out to meet Jesus. See, Jesus had not made it into town yet. He was still waiting just out of town, in the same place where He met Martha. He had sent word for Mary to come to Him, so He remained where He was until she showed up. I am convinced that God is similarly waiting on some of us.
So there He was, God in the flesh, waiting on the second sister and hoping that she would trigger Him to move in their lives. Martha had come, held a long conversation with Jesus, but had done nothing but frustrate Him. He attempted several times to get her to understand that He was ready to resurrect Lazarus, but she just didn’t get it. Mary had her shot now. When she got to the place where Jesus was she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” That’s it, that’s all she said. If you look through this entire story you will see that these are the only words that Mary uttered. As a matter of fact, these are the SAME 12 words that her sister had spoken when she first saw Jesus. But somehow they were different. When Martha said these 12 words nothing happened. When Martha said them it caused Jesus to enter a lengthy discussion with her, trying to get her to see what He was really up to, but she never really got it. But Mary was different. All she had to say was 12 words.
Although WHAT she said was exactly the same, HOW she said it was completely different. Mary had spoken these 12 words from her knees. Mary was in a position of worship. The mourners that followed her were there. They were expecting Mary to fuss as Jesus like Martha had, but Mary did not fuss. Her words were words of surrender. She fell down at His feet, the place of surrender and worship, and expressed her pain. She cried as she laid there at His feet and next week we will see that the reaction of Jesus was completely different to that of Martha’s. She released everything she had, everything she was feeling, all the pain she was carrying, and all the hurt that was haunting her, as she laid at His feet in worship. Jesus could not help but be moved by that.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that worship is powerful and it is necessary in your walk with God. You were created to worship Him and He expects you to worship, to praise, and to maintain your relationship with Him, no matter what happens. I have shared with you before that you may not be able to praise God FOR everything, but it is definitely God’s will that You praise Him IN everything (1st Thes 5:18). Mary worshipped and it caused God to move in her life. Does it look like you have tried everything else? Then why not try worship?
Confession for this day: Lord God, Jesus said in Your Word that You are looking for true worshippers. I declare, by faith, that I am one of them. I worship You with a pure heart. I worship You at all times. I come to You as my King, my Ruler, my Daddy, and my God. I acknowledge no other gods and I call upon no other name. You alone are Lord in my life. You alone sit on the throne and I will worship You all of my days! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XIII
(John 11:33-35 NIV) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. In our last message we saw how Jesus finally had His encounter with Mary and when He did she said exactly what her sister had initially said, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Her sister had spoken these same 12 words to Jesus, but they did not move Him to action. Although WHAT she said was the same, HOW she said it was completely different. Mary spoke these words from her knees; from a position of worship; a position of surrender. She laid at His feet, crying, worshipping, releasing her pain, and Jesus had to do something about it. Although Martha had not gotten anywhere with Jesus, while she was on her feet, her sister did; not because of her words, butbecause of her heart. Mary touched Jesus from her knees.
The Bible says that when Jesus saw her weeping and He looked around and saw all those that had come with her weeping as well, He was deeply moved. Jesus was often compelled with compassion and this was certainly one of those times. He looked past her words of frustration and saw a pure heart; a heart of worship, a heart surrendered to God. It was as if He was so moved that He decided right then and there that He had to do something about Lazarus’ situation. Instead of going through a lengthy discussion, like He had with her sister (a discussion that had gotten nowhere), He asked, “Where have you laid him?” Just like that! Jesus was ready to move to action. Her heart had touched His and He was ready to do something about her pain. He just wanted to know where they had laid the body. If they could take Him to where the body was, then He was ready to do something about it.
But wait, before I get too far with what He did when He got the body, verse 35 says, “Jesus wept.” That’s it, just two words. Verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, but one of the most powerful. Jesus was moved to tears, because of the tears of Mary and the others. He literally wept. He cried. He sobbed. He identified with their pain. He connected with their hurt. He was moved by their situation. Why? Because He loved them. See, part of the reason why Jesus came down from heaven to live like we live, walk like we walk, get tempted like we get tempted, feel like we feel, and hurt like we hurt, is so that He can identify with our pain. The writer of Hebrews said, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned” (4:15). Jesus is our High Priest. He is in heaven as our advocate with the Father and He can identify with us. He knows what it is like to feel pain, discomfort, and disappointment. He lived down here so that He can connect with our situations from up there. Jesus wept. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. We don’t serve a distant God that cannot identify with our situation.
2. HOW you say something is sometimes more important than WHAT you say.
3. We serve a God that searches our heart. So even if your words are right, if your heart is corrupt, God will not move. But then if our heart is pure, God might overlook flawed words.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I ask You to search me afresh. Search my heart and my motives. I know You listen to my words and words are very powerful in my life, but I also know that You will not be moved by empty words spoken from a corrupt vessel. So as I seek to speak the right words I ask You to identify with my pure heart. I want to please You and I ask You to identify with me, my frustrations, my pain, and my situation. Connect with me, Lord, in ways that only You can and as You do, I ask You to move on my behalf! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XIV
(John 11:33-35 NIV) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday we saw how Jesus reacted to Mary. It was much different than His reaction to Martha. Instead of going into a discussion about the resurrection and the life, He was ready to spring into action. He was moved to action by her position of surrender and worship.
This morning I want to focus in on the words, “Where have you laid him?” With this question Jesus was asking, “Where is the dead situation?” Or, “Are you willing to take me to the cause of your pain?” Remember, the sting of death was still fresh. It had only been four days. Four days was long enough for the pain to still be strong, but too long for their hope to still be alive. See, they stopped believing when Lazarus stopped breathing. Jesus was asking, “Are you willing to take me to where you stopped believing?” Or, “Are you willing to open up the possibility of life in your seemingly dead situation?” I know it had been four days. I know rigor mortis had already begun to set in. I know the body was already in the tomb. I know Mary, Martha, and the family friends had already accepted the fact that Lazarus was gone. I know the door of possibility was already closed in their minds and in their hearts, but now Jesus was wanted them to OPEN it all up again. “Where have you laid him?” Can you take me there? Can you bear to OPEN the door that your heart has already closed? Remember, there is nothing impossible in God!
This series is about not giving up. It is about believing God, about maintaining your faith, about allowing patience (the force of consistency) to have her perfect work while you are waiting on God to move in your situation, and about tapping into the excitement that comes from joy and the settling stability that comes from peace while you wait on God. Mary and Martha had lost their joy and peace. I don’t blame them. The situation looked beyond repair. Not only was Lazarus dead, but he had been dead for four days by the time that Jesus showed up. But Jesus was ready to do something about Lazarus, even when the situation looked impossible. There are many things that are impossible with man, but nothing is impossible with God(Mat 19:26). If they were willing to allow Him access to the dead situation, then He was willing to turn it around for them. Jesus would not (then) and He will not (now) force Himself on us, but He was ready if they were ready. He was willing if they were willing. He was wanting if they allowed Him access to it.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that the same is possible for you. Sure, you may have given up hope a long time ago. It might not be four days for you, it might be four years or even forty years; but that does not matter in God. If you sense God leading you to open up the door of possibility – a door that you may have closed a long time ago – then it is time to open it back up. Allow God access to the place where you stopped believing. Is it painful to even bring it up? Yes. Is it something you may not even want to think about anymore? Sure. But if this series has caused you to resurrect some dead dreams, hopes, and desires, then it is time for you to spend some time with God about them. Remember, it is never too late and nothing is ever too hard for God!
Confession for this day: Lord God, I realize that I have given up on several things while I was waiting on You. I have relaxed the hold of my faith. I did not have the proper patience and I lost joy and peace while I was believing You. As You lead me, I will resurrect the dead dreams, hopes, and desires that You still want to bring to pass in my life. I get past the pain of my past and I grant You access to the burial ground of dead possibilities in my heart. Nothing is impossible in You and by Your grace I start believing Again! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XV
(John 11:38-40 NIV) Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday we saw how Jesus was so moved by Mary’s position of worship and the condition of her heart that He was ready to act. He asked, “Where have you laid him?” And He busted into tears. Mary’s heart touched Jesus’ heart and He was ready to move on her behalf. The gravesite was a cave with a large stone in front of it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” I taught yesterday how God will not force Himself upon us. Jesus was there, He was ready, He was willing, and He was able, but He was not going to move the stone. He was not going to open up the door. He was not going to peel back the pain. This was something that they had to do. They had to grant Him access to the situation. Once they allowed Him access, He would do the rest.
I trust by now that you have seen the difference in the two sisters. Martha had a long conversation with Jesus, but she basically got nowhere with Him. All she did was frustrate Him and what He wanted to do for them. Mary only said 12 words; the same 12 words that Martha initially said, but since she said them in a different way – from a position of surrender and worship – Jesus was moved to action. If that were not enough, this morning we see Martha jump in and almost mess up what Mary had already started. Mary had touched Jesus and He was ready to move on their behalf. They had already walked to the gravesite. The stage was already set for the miracle. Mary did not have to say anything else; her heart had already spoken volumes. Mary was ready, Jesus was ready, and Lazarus (although dead) was ready. Everything seemed to be going well. The only thing left was the removing of the stone. But here comes Martha saying, “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Martha was so blinded by her situation that she had no clue what was about to happen. If she had realized that Jesus was about to raise her brother from the dead, then the odor would have been a small thing. But sometimes our situation stinks so bad to us that we fail to see what God wants to do in our lives. Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” We will deal with that statement tomorrow.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that joy and peace are critical while we walk with God. Martha lost her joy and peace, so she gave up on the faith that she had for her brother. The door of possibility was closed in her mind and in her heart. Even when Jesus was physically present and obviously willing to move on her behalf, she could not see it, receive it, or believe it. She had been blinded by the pain of the situation and she did not want to peel back the possibility of Jesus doing something ‘now,’ because it would reopen the wounds. Learn from her life. Learn that there are no impossibilities in God and learn to never fully close the door of possibilities, unless God tells you to. Learn to maintain joy and peace, no matter what the situation looks like, because without them you might get blinded by the pain. You might hurt so bad that you fail to receive from God, even when He is ready to move on your behalf.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I am a believer, not a doubter, and I don’t take that lightly. I believe You and I keep the door of possibility open in my life. Not everything that happens is good, but by Your grace, I will maintain joy and peace in my life, while I walk this walk of faith. Joy and peace will keep me from getting bitter and from being blinded by pain. I am learning to remain stable internally, even in the midst of ever changing external circumstances. I am at peace, because I know that You are with me wherever I go and for whatever I face. I am never alone and in Your presence I have the fullness of joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XVI
(John 11:38-40 NIV) Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. Yesterday I further highlighted the differences in the two sisters. We saw that even after Mary had touched Jesus and even after He had traveled to the gravesite ready to resurrect Lazarus, Martha stepped in and mentioned that the body was stinking. She was obviously not helping, but it was because she was definitely not believing. This led Jesus to say, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
Martha’s problem was that she had stopped believing. Now, I am convinced that she was believing while Lazarus was still alive. She was confident that Jesus would show up and heal Lazarus, while he was still breathing. She had faith in Jesus, faith in His power to heal, and faith that her brother would get better. But once Lazarus died, her belief died. Once she stopped believing, she released the hold of her faith. Once she gave up her faith, she lost her hope. Once she lost her hope, her mind and her heart closed the door to the situation. As far as she was concerned that situation was now in the realm of ‘past-tense.’ It was something in her past and it had no possibility of crossing back over into her present. As far as the case of Lazarus was concerned she was no longer a believer. She might have believed God for other things, but not for this. This was, “case-closed,” “end of story,” “game over.”
Jesus came. He was ready, willing and able to bring Lazarus back to life, but Martha was no longer believing. Jesus said, “…if you believed,” but that was the problem. Martha was no longer believing. See, belief is a powerful thing. Belief is not faith, but without belief you will never get to faith. Belief opens the door of possibility for you. Faith exercises confidence in God for it. Belief says, “It can happen.” Faith says, “It will.”
We are called “Believers” for a reason. Jesus said, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes” (Mark 9:23). There are no impossibilities in God, but there are all sorts of impossibilities for people who don’t believe. For example, if a Christian is sick and God wants to heal them, but they don’t believe in healing, then healing becomes an impossibility for them. Healing is not impossible, it just becomes impossible for them. Why? Because they have closed the door to it through unbelief. That’s what Martha had done and that’s what many do everyday. Please don’t make the same mistake.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that God wants you to be a believer. He was you to believe in Him, His power, and His limitless ability. He is the God of no-limits, but we put limits on Him when we fail to believe. Don’t be like Martha. Don’t put artificial limits on our limitless God. No matter what your situation looks like, don’t stop believing. Continue to believe, continue to operate in faith, and continue to trust God.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I am a believer, not a doubter. I refuse to give up on my belief. I will not allow my situation to cross over into the realm of the past-tense in my mind or my heart. I will not allow unbelief to stifle my belief and faith. Belief is choice. Faith is a choice. Doubt is a choice. And unbelief is a choice. I choose to believe. I choose to operate in faith. And I choose to continue to believe until I see Your glory manifested in my life. I maintain joy and peace while I believe You. My joy and my peace help me to continue to believe, even when situations seem hopeless. I believe in You, the God of NO LIMITS! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Tale of Two Sisters (Mary and Martha), Part XVII
(John 11:41-44 NIV) So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
This morning continue our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing,” by wrapping up the story of the Mary and Martha. I trust by now you see the differences in the two sisters, how they interacted with Jesus, and the different ways Jesus responded to them. Today we see the conclusion to the matter.
They took away the stone and then Jesus was ready. They had done their part and He was ready to do His. He had already prayed. He already knew what was going to happen, but He spoke out loud with the Father, for the benefit of those standing there. He was already a believer. He already believed that Lazarus was coming back from the dead. He already trusted God. But He wanted this act of God’s power to be a witness to them. He knew that this miracle would cause them to expand their capacity to believe. He knew that this would stretch them and their faith. He said, “Lazarus, come out!” That was it. He spoke just three words, but these were three words spoken in faith. Three words declared in complete confidence in the power of God. And just like that, the spirit of Lazarus rushed back into his four-day-old dead body.
Lazarus struggled his way out of the cave, covered from head to toe in strips of linen. I am sure he looked like a mummy from an old movie. He was alive, but he was still wrapped up in grave clothes. He was alive, but he was still covered in ‘dead stuff.’ So Jesus said to the others who were there, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” I like the way the King James Version puts it: “Loose him, and let him go.” Lazarus was alive, but bound. He had life, but he did not have freedom. And what I like about it was that he could not get free all by himself. Jesus sent others to help him get free from the ‘dead-stuff’ that was keeping him bound. That’s how it is with us when we get Born-Again. Are we alive in Christ? Yes! Do we have eternal life in Him? Absolutely. But we come out of the cave of our old life wrapped up in ‘dead stuff.’ As much as we try, we cannot free ourselves of all the dead stuff that keeps bound. We need the help of others, co-laborers in God, to walk in the freedom God desires for us to have.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Determine within yourself to be the “One” that gets results from God. That means that you will come to Him in with a pure heart and strong faith.
2. Continue to believe, no matter how dead the situation seems. We serve a God that can give life to dead situations!
3. Don’t allow frustration to blind you from possibilities. Once you lose your joy and peace, frustration will set in. Once frustration sets in, you are no longer in faith.
4. Know that you can’t do it by yourself. It’s time-out for lone rangers in Christ. Lazarus could not get free by himself and Jesus did not expect him to. Jesus literally sent people to help him and He will do the same with you. There is strength in numbers, so allow others to help you in your Christian journey. There are people who want to help, receive their help and grow in Christ!
Confession for this day: Lord God, I thank You for giving me real examples in scripture that I can identify with. I can connect with the pain of Mary and Martha. I can relate to their frustration and I can learn from what they did (both good and bad). I will maintain my joy and peace as I walk with You and I thank You for surrounding me with great brothers and sisters in Christ. I don’t have to walk this walk by myself and I am glad about it. You send people to help me and I will receive their help. We grow together in this walk with You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Unmovable
(1st Cor 15:58 GW) So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.
This morning start to wind down our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing.” This series has been a blessing to me and I trust you have been blessed by it as well. I will share a few final messages about faith and patience, joy and peace.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 15 Paul teaches about one of the greatest realities for the believer – the Resurrection! He talks about how Jesus was raised from the dead and how we will be as well. It is because of the resurrection that we don’t have anything to fear. In my series on fear (Overcoming the Fear Factor) I taught how the fear of death is the mother of all fears and if you are able to overcome the fear of dying, then you are on you way to conquering fear altogether. In this chapter Paul explains how Jesus took the sting out of death through the resurrection. For believers death is not the end of the story. Death is turned into victory. Death is the door through which our mortal puts on immortality and our time is clothed in eternity.
So this is the backdrop to our text. After teaching about the reality of the resurrection – both Jesus’ and ours – Paul says, “So, then, brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith… ” The King James Version says, “Be ye steadfast, unmovable…” I like those words. They say it all. We can be steadfast and unmovable, because we know that the bigger issues, the weightier matters, are already taken care of. Our eternal destination is set in Christ, so that frees us to trust God for the smaller things. If God has already taken care of what is going to happen when we die, then what we face today seems to pale in comparison. Then I like how Paul goes on to say, “Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless.” It was like Paul was saying, “Since what is going to happen when you die is already settled, then you can be strong in faith in what you face today. Don’t let anyone shake your faith. Believe, have faith, and determine that you will not be moved! Knowing that what you do for God will work out in the end.” No matter how difficult our challenges seem and no matter how hard the opposition comes, God, through Paul, tells us that our hard work in Him will not be pointless; it will not be in vain. Holding on to our faith is never a bad idea. Refusing to throw in the towel while we wait on God is never futile. Remaining steadfast in our belief is never pointless.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God has already settled the weightier matters for us: eternal life, the resurrection, and life after death.
2. Whatever we are facing today is nothing in comparison to eternal life.
3. If God has already settled the weightier matters, then we can rest assured that He can help us overcome whatever obstacles and challenges come our way.
4. The enemy can’t make us do anything, all he can do is suggest. Paul tells us not to allow anyone to move us from of our faith. The choice to move is ours to make. We can either move or remain unmovable. God wants us to remain unmovable so we can see His best!
5. Living by faith is never pointless. We will see the manifestation of what we are believing Him for, if we refuse to quit! That’s why we need faith and patience, joy and peace!
Confession for this day: Lord God, I know that remaining in faith is a choice. I thank You for giving me the right and the power to choose, to make decisions that affect my own life. I choose to walk and live by faith. I also thank You for taking the sting out of death and for robbing the grave of its victory. Death has no power over me. I am not afraid of death and I am not in bondage to fear. I am free to operate in faith, to hold on to what I believe, and to be unmovable! I hold on because I know that my faith is not pointless! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Sowing the Seed of Peace
(James 3:18 ISV) And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.
This morning we continue to wind down our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing.” The book of James is a short book, but it is power-packed with truth. In the third chapter James teaches about the power of the tongue. We took a good look at the power of the tongue in our series entitled, “The Message in Your Mouth.” After dealing with the tongue James teaches about wisdom. Actually, he addresses two types of wisdom: wisdom that comes from God and wisdom that comes from the world.
James tells us that the wisdom that comes from the world pays no attention to things like harboring envy, selfish ambition, disorder, and evil. Worldly wisdom seeks success at all costs, without taking account of the evil done to others. James says that those who operate this way, those who trample over others, those who stab others in the back to move up, those who have no regard for anyone but themselves, are operating in wisdom that is earthly, unspiritual, and of the devil. However, James also says that, “Wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Those that operate in Godly wisdom care about others, they are considerate, they are careful to treat others the way they want to be treated, and they walk in the love of God.
This is where we get to our text and James says, “And a harvest of righteousness is grown from the seed of peace planted by peacemakers.” I oftentimes say, “Everything in the Kingdom of God is a seed.” My point is that everything in God’s system works by sowing and reaping; and I mean everything. If you sow love, you will be loved. If you sow hate, you will reap hatred. If you sow discord, you will find that you life will be in disarray. If you sow compassion, others will be compassionate towards you. And the list can go on and on.
In this series we have been dealing with faith and patience, with a special emphasis on joy and peace. I meet people all the time who are seeking peace. Peace seems to elude them. But James teaches us something very important about peace here in this scripture. He teaches us that if we want to reap the right harvest we need to sow the right seed. James tells us that peacemakers – those who are inclined to seek peace and not strife out of every situation – are literally sowing a seed of peace in the lives of others. He tells us that they will reap a harvest of righteousness from the seed of peace. Believe me, this is the harvest that you want. But to reap it, you must sow the right seed.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The Kingdom of God operates by a system of sowing and reaping.
2. Everything in the Kingdom of God is a seed.
3. If you don’t like the harvest you are reaping, then it is time to check the seed you are sowing.
4. How you treat others is important.
5. You don’t have to trample over anyone to make it up the corporate ladder.
6. If you sow the seed of peace you will reap the harvest of righteousness.
7. If you reap the harvest of righteousness it will affect every area of your life and you will enjoy the life that God wants you to have.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I declare, by faith, that I am a peacemaker. As a peacemaker, Jesus said that I am a son of God. I walk in peace with others. I seek to make peace in every situation. I sow the right seed and I reap the right harvest. You open doors for me that no man can close. You close doors that no man can open. I don’t need to trample over anyone, because I know that promotion comes from You. I sow the seed of peace and I reap the harvest of righteousness that spills over to every area of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Living Your Life as a Sower!
(Gal 6:7-9 MSG) Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others — ignoring God! — harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.
This morning we continue to wind down our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing.” This message flows in the same vein from yesterday’s where I told you that, “Everything in the Kingdom of God is a seed.” Paul, like James yesterday, talks about those that who plant selfishness and those who plant as a result of being led of God. One group reaps a harvest of weeds, while the other reaps a true harvest – eternal life.
The latter portion of our text (verse 9) is where we focus in on for today. Paul said, “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.” The King James says, “Let us not be weary in well doing.” Paul knew what we all know, and that is that although the Bible promises a harvest, harvest time does not come right away. It would be foolish for a farmer to plant corn today and expect a harvest of corn tomorrow. He knows that it is going to take time. He knows that there is a ‘space’ between planting and reaping, between sowing and receiving, between work and reward. This reminds me of a passage in Mark 4 where Jesus taught a parable about this. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. Days go by and whether the man is up or sleeping, it does not matter, the seed is still working. The seed produces and guess what, Jesus said that man does not even need to understand the process. The man that sowed the seed does not need to have a degree in agriculture to reap a harvest. The bottom line is that he will reap what he put into the ground. However, there is a process. Jesus explained how the soil produces grain: first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. And then said Jesus, “As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (see Mark 4:26-29).
The problem with all of this is that it takes time and the person doing the sowing is never really sure how long it will take before he can enjoy the harvest. That’s why Paul told us not to get weary. That’s where Joy and Peace come in. Maintaining our joy and peace while we are waiting on the harvest is a surefire way to keep a good attitude. Paul went on to say, “At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” That is dangerous statement, because it tells us that if we quit, if we give up, if we throw in the towel of our faith, we might actually miss out on our harvest. That’s why it is so very important for us to maintain the proper attitude while we wait on God!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God has set it up for us to reap whatever we sow in life.
2. There is an undefined time between sowing time and harvest time.
3. You don’t have to try to figure out how God is going to do it, just know that harvest time will come. Even the person that doesn’t understand agriculture can reap a harvest.
4. Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated, because then you might quit before harvest time.
5. There is a due season for you to receive what’s due to you, just hold on!
6. If you seek to sow the right seed every day, then you find yourself always reaping a harvest.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I declare that I live my life as a sower. I sow seed daily into the lives of others. I know that I will never be completely sure how long it will take between sowing time and harvest time, so instead of sitting around and waiting on one harvest, I will seek to sow seed daily. That way I will always reap a harvest, because I am always sowing. I am too busy sowing to get weary in well doing. I will reap because I won’t quit! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
What to do while you wait on God
(Romans 15:13 NASB) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This morning we continue to wind down our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing.” I am just about to close out this series and I pray that you have been blessed by it over the last few months. I am sure that ‘Joy and Peace in Believing’ will be part of my vocabulary for many years to come. This scripture (Romans 15:13) has really changed the way that I look at space between hearing from God and seeing the manifestation of it. No matter how long it takes for something to develop or materialize for me in the future, I am sure that I will remember to maintain joy and peace while I wait on God. It’s the expectant excitement of joy and the settling power of peace that will keep me stable and strong for many years to come. Tomorrow we will close this series out for good, but for this morning I want to share with you four things to keep a close eye on while you wait on God. I am convinced that what you do while you wait can affect how long you wait. They are:
1. Your Mouth – what you are saying. Now, if you remember the series entitled, “The Message in Your Mouth,” then this is self-explanatory. If you carefully examine your life you will realize that your tongue plays a major role. In many ways, you have what you say. The reason why this is critical to understand while you wait on God is because I run into people all the time that PRAY one thing in the morning, but then SAY something else all day long. They PRAY words of faith, but the SAY words of doubt. What they SAY all day long cancels out what they PRAYED in the morning. You can’t pray one thing and then say another. Your words of prayer must be confirmed by words of faith.
2. Your Mind – what you are thinking. Basically, you are who you think that you are. The question, “Who do you think you are?” Is a very important one. In our series entitled, “Mastering Your Mind,” we looked at how important your thoughts are. If you think defeat it will be very difficult for you to receive victory. If you think something is not going to happen, then you might miss it, even if it is staring you in the face. You must learn to control your thoughts to line up with your expectation and resist every thought of failure, fear, doubt, and unbelief.
3. Your Methods – what you are doing. The reason why thinking and speaking are so important is because what we think and what we say ultimately determine what we do. Our actions are outward indicators of what we believe internally. Meaning that what you REALLY believe and what you DO normally line up. You can fool anyone for a short time with empty words, but at the end of the day, your actions will tell me what you expect in your heart. In other words, your audio must match your video. If you really believe something is going to happen; if you are convinced that God is going to do something for you, then you will ACT like it NOW! Acting like it is going to happen, even before it has happened, is called faith!
4. Your Motives – what you are harboring in your heart. If you harbor unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, and the like in your heart, while you SAY that you are believing God to do something in your life, then you definitely have a conflict. Faith works by love (Gal 5:6). When you fail to walk in love and hold on to things that God wants you to let go of, then you hinder yourself (and God) from moving forward. These things become BLESSING BLOCKERS and you must learn to let go of them if you expect God’s best to manifest in your life.
Confession for this day: Lord God, I take control of my mouth. My words will line up with Your Word. What I speak lines up with what I believe and what I am expecting. My words of prayer are followed by words of faith. I also take control of every thought. I cast down mental images that did not come from You. I bring every thought into subjection and alignment with You and what I expect from You. My thoughts and my words help dictate my decisions and my decisions will determine my actions. My video will match my audio. I act like I am a believer. I will do things, in advance, with full confidence that You will do what You said You would do in my life. And finally, I don’t harbor bitterness or unforgiveness in my heart. I don’t hold on to any blessing blockers. I walk in love and I experience Your best! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Closing Prayer
(Romans 15:13 NASB) Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
This morning we close out our series entitled, “Faith and Patience Volume II – Joy and Peace In Believing.” Over the last 21 weeks we have looked at this topic and sought to learn by both precept and example. We have gleaned many golden nuggets from both the Old and New Testaments and have sought to learn from the lives of Abraham, Caleb, Joseph, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus, and others. But like all things, this season has come to an end. Next week we will start a new series that I am very excited about. I have wanted to teach through the book of Proverbs for years and the Lord has given me release to do it. So starting Monday we will seek to Unlock the Power of Proverbs – The Wisdom of God.
I trust that you have been blessed by this second installment of teaching about faith and patience and my prayer is that joy and peace become a vibrant part of your life and vocabulary. With that in mind, I feel led to close out this series with a prayer for you:
Closing Prayer: Father God, first of all I thank You for the person reading this prayer. You have connected me with them and them with me. You have anointed me to teach Your Word via the Internet and You have opened a door for this person to be one of the people that You bless through me. I pray that You continue to use me to be a vehicle, a channel, a vessel through which You instruct, edify, and encourage this person. I pray that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened through Your Word, so that they would know the hope of their calling, and the exceeding greatness of what You have for them in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus. I pray that as they daily read Your Word, these messages, and other anointed resources, that You speak to them clearly, that they would know and understand their purpose and their destiny. I also pray that You provide opportunities for them to develop discipline. I declare, by faith, that they have the discipline to make the proper decisions, that will take them incrementally closer to Your expected end for their lives. I pray that they walk in discipline daily, so that they will ultimately arrive at Your desired destination at the end of their journey here in the earth. My desire is that they die empty; that they fulfill every assignment and complete every task. To accomplish that, to live a life that is pleasing to You, to be the person that You have destined, designed, and desired for them to be, I know they will need both faith and patience. Without faith it is impossible to please You. I know they need faith, but they also need patience. Without patience they will give up too early and they will quit in the space between the promise and the performance. So I ask that You send people their way and set up circumstances in their lives so that they would develop the patience they need to arrive at Destination Blessing! With faith and patience – both working in their lives – I am confident that they will get there. And then Lord, I know that You don’t just want them to make it heaven, but You also want them to enjoy the ride. You don’t just want them to arrive at Destination Blessing, but you want them to have been blessed and have been a blessing along the way. That’s why they need Joy and Peace. Even now, even while they are reading this prayer, I ask You to flood their bodies with the overwhelming excitement of Your Joy and the settling force of Your peace. Help them to physically feel Your presence as they sit in front of their computer and Lord, manifest Your glory in their lives today. With faith and patience, along with joy and peace, I trust that they will develop into the person that You want them to be. And finally, I pray for their soul. I pray that they submit their mind, emotions, and will to You. I know You will not force them to do anything, so I pray that they train their mind (their thinker), their emotions (their feeler), and their will (their chooser) to line up with Your Word. As they submit, they WILL see Your best manifested in their lives. I pray this prayer by faith. In the name of Your matchless Son and my Savior, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Faith