Everything's going to be alright

"And My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  
                                                                                                               Philippians 4: 19 NKJV

When we look at this scripture we are tempted to think that it is concerned with money. It is, but that's not all. Look at it again. It reads 'all'. This includes our finances -  not for greed but for need. The 'all' stands for everything that we will need in our life with Jesus. It includes our material, spiritual, social and emotional need, and that is where the 'all', comes in.

God is concerned about every little detail of our lives and this is why He tells us to seek Him and not the world. He is our source, our provider. He knows what we need and will ensure that we have it.  (See Matthew 6:31 - 34) But let's try and move away from the money side of things for a moment. God is concerned with our health and whether we are sick. He wants us well. He's interested in our life style, whether we eat and drink sensibly. If we allow Him to; He will help us manage diets and our fitness control. You may ask, 'Is He interested in this?' You bet He is.

He's interested in where we live; what job we have or if we're unemployed, He's interested enough to help us find some work. Further to this, He's interested in disabilities, and how livings standards can be improved. He's devoted to marital status and wants married couples to live their marriages for Him. When a couple place Jesus at the centre of their marriage, they are on a sure route to be blessed.

So why are we worrying about things? We know Jesus tells us not to worry (Matthew 6:31), so why are we disobeying Him? What are you worried and scared about? You don't have to carry this alone; Jesus wants to help. But you've got to ask Him, trust Him and be patient whilst He sorts things out for you.

Sleepless nights are not the answer. Worrying yourself sick isn't either. If you can do anything about what you're worrying about, then do it. If you can't, what's the point in worrying. You'll make yourself ill and the problem will still be there.

God is saying to you, 'Everything's going to be alright.' Do you believe this? What you're carrying around is too heavy, isn't it? Could you do with some help? Then give it to your friend, Jesus. He cares for you so much.

'Lord Jesus, You tell me not to worry so I need Your help. The burden of.......................................
has become too much for me to bear. So I ask for Your help, Lord.

Amen

The darkness trembles

Read Acts 16:25 - 34 (To get the whole story)

Text for today:
"But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed."   Acts 16: 25 - 26 NKJV

Praise brings release! Paul and Silas had been arrested for forcing a demon out of someone and they were beaten with rods and placed in the inner prison  - that is like the basement where it is filthy, dark, rat infested and very smelly. They were chained into stocks.
What would you have done in their position? Their backs must have been cut and bleeding and they would have been in agony. Again, I ask, what would you have done?
Paul and Silas prayed loudly and sang hymns, praising God. They sang so loud, that the other prisoners were listening to them and were probably amazed.

All of a sudden, there's an  earthquake and the chains fall off every prisoner. The jailor woke up fearing for his life and was going to kill himself, because he would probably suffer much more at the hands of the authorities, for this.
Paul shouted and stopped him, telling him that no one had escaped, they were all there. With this, the jailor raced in with a light to check for himself. Everyone was there. He was so amazed, grateful and blown away that he asked Paul how he could be saved and follow Jesus. Paul told him and when taken out, prayed for him and his family to become Christians.

Praise open doors - chains fall off - lives are changed. Let me tell you, Jesus makes the darkness tremble. Paul, Silas and the other prisoners, had all been in the dark but when Paul and Silas praised and prayed, the darkness trembled, the chains fell off and freedom came.

Satan tries to block our every path. He attacks us and does all he can to cause disruption. But praise and prayer stops him in his tracks. He can't cope with that, at all.

Many people throughout the world are suffering for their Christian faith. Many are killed or locked in prisons until they denounce Jesus. Many still stay faithful to Jesus. Organisations like Open Doors help these suffering and persecuted Christians. Here, in this country, we have freedom to worship God but even that is difficult at times.

What about the chains in your life? What is keeping you imprisoned? Don't you think it's time you started praising God again? He wants you to be free. He has work for you to do. Praise Him and shout your victory as He makes the darkness tremble; as He breaks the chains that are holding you back. It's time to move on and stand your ground.

What is your giant?

"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel , whom you have defied.' "   1 Samuel 17: 45 NKJV

Goliath must have been an awesome sight as he stood there, over nine feet tall and clad in all his armour. He was intimidating and the Israelite army were scared of him and no one would go forward and take the challenge to fight him. For 40 days he carried out the intimidation, standing there  laughing and goading King Saul's army. But no one had the bottle to take him on. That is until David came along.
David, a young shepherd boy, only very small in build, saw the sight of this Philistine parading up and down and asked, 'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?' He then made plans to see King Saul and go out to face this giant.

After much discussion and trying on Saul's armour, which was ridiculous to even consider as Saul was very tall, where David was very short. David decided he didn't need this. He chose 5 smooth stones for his sling and went to face this Philistine in the Name of the Lord of hosts. As we can see from our scripture above, David stayed the giant with one small stone and cut off his head, as he had told the giant he would do. David triumphed over this formidable creature' yet he had only been the willing instrument. God had been the victor.

We all have giants in our lives and many times they can be very daunting. I would describe a giant as something or someone that appears too powerful to overcome. This for some, can be alcohol, smoking, overeating, adultery, pornography, fornication, jealously stealing, spending money they don't have, credit cards just to name a few. There may be many more that I haven't mentioned here.
If these are relevant to you, you may have tried and tried to shake these off but they are still clinging like sticky buds. David would never have won over Goliath had he gone in his own strength. It would have been quite difficult for someone who probably wasn't even five foot to take on a nine foot giant warrior. He would have been ripped to pieces. However, he went in God's power. He knew God and, even though very young, he had a close relationship with Him, writing his poetry and songs to worship Him.

This account of David and Goliath teaches us a great lesson. It shows believers how to defeat giants in life. We need to remember that God is bigger than anything or anyone we face. He will give us the victory everyday as long as we turn to Him in faith and seek Him.

Now are you going to carry on letting your giant/s slay you, or are you going to stand up, in the Name of Jesus and be a giant slayer?

Don't listen to the enemy's lies

"Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."  1 Peter 5:8 - 9. NKJV

Stand firm and don't be intimidated when you're under attack. The devil's time is short and he knows it. RT Kendall says, 'The next time satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. He knows his time is short. ( Revelation 12:12 )'

The devil is the great accuser and he'll do all he can to heap condemnation upon you so that you feel awful and sinful, guilty and that you've blown your place in Heaven. This is not true and you need to hang onto scripture at times like this. Romans 8:1 says, 'There is therefore now, no condemnation to those  who are in Christ Jesus.' You may have let yourself down just lately - argued with someone, let bad words come out of your mouth, looked at something you know you shouldn't have or just been like a bear with a sore head as you pointed your finger at someone who has wound you up. Relax, you're normal and Jesus knows that. This is why John wrote:

'If we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'  1 John 1:9

How many times have you felt worthless and in a hopeless position? You may have felt isolated and unable to cope and felt so bad that you even wanted to die because there is nothing left for you or nobody seems to care. Well, Jesus does. He cares enough to have died in your place and He wants you to be free. You're not worthless; you're a priceless jewel in God's eyes and He loves to spend time with you. But really, isn't it time that you left the past behind? Your memories of the past may not be good, so bury them. Don't let them live in your life anymore. They're holding you back from the best. If you're a Christian, the past has gone, you're a new creation. Live in that.

Why not say this prayer with me:

'Jesus, I come to You and ask for Your help. I'm not living my life the way You would want me to. I've been living the past, re-living the bad memories and feeling angry and hurt. I've been living under condemnation and listening to the lies of the evil one. Please forgive me and help me to live my life for You from this moment. I forgive anyone who has done me wrong right now and come to You

Amen.

Don't be Afraid

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled , neither let it be afraid" John 14:27 NKJV

'Why has this happened to me, Why? I've never hurt anyone. It's not fair.' This is the kind of stuff that we come up with when the chips are down. When we have done all we can to sort something out and the problem is still there. Why?
We may be dealing with major problems such as our health - a serious diagnosis, or someone who is close, who needs help. It may be a work problem or the fact that no matter how hard you've tried, you find out that your job is coming to end and you'll be unemployed. 'What about the bills? or 'What about the mortgage?' These fears may be upper most in your mind. Someone may have been robbed, credit and debit cards cloned and are penniless. Then again, it may be something very tragic that has all of sudden taken place.

Certain emotional issues can hit us hard and when this happens we can feel totally inadequate and helpless. Some of the things that we may face are:

Immobilisation. We can feel numb to the situation and can't make any sense of what has happened. Confusion begins to set in and it is probably very difficult to think things through.
Minimisation. Some may try to deny what has happened because they need to be strong - for the family and can't be seen to be weak at a time such as the.
Anger. Tempers can erupt as the mind cannot process why it has happened and has a defence mechanism which can fly off the handle, because we're scared and unable to change things at this time.
Depression. This is always around, waiting to take us under its wing. It can be a safe place to be, especially if we can't cope with life at the present.
 However, it should not be allowed to carry on for a length of time without seeing a doctor.

Take another look at the scripture above. Jesus tells us that He wants to give us peace in the hurting time. He also tells us not to be afraid. He is in control, if we allow Him to be. Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue came to see Jesus one day and fell at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house as his daughter was very ill and close to death. Jesus agreed but on the way, He got held up with another person who also needed a healing touch. This took a little time and someone came from Jairus' house and told him that his daughter had died. Jesus heard this and said to Jairus, 'Do not be afraid; only believe and she will be made well.' And she was.  Luke 8:40 - 56.

That is the requirement. Inviting Jesus to come and help you and believing He can. He may be the only one who can and He can give you the peace you need whilst He is helping you.

Why not say this prayer:

"Lord Jesus, I am so confused and full of panic. I just don't know what to do. Please will You help me with this....................................................... I really am quite scared but I see that You don't want me to be this way. You don't want me to be afraid. You want me to believe, which I do right now.You promise me peace and a troubled free time as I go through this situation. You're all I've got that can really help me and I'm pouring my heart out to You at this moment. Please come and help me/us because I believe that you have the answer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Now try and relax and keep believing Jesus.

Unsatisfied longing

"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. then when desire has conceived , it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown, brings forth death"
                                                                                                          James 1:14 - 15 NKJV

This is something that effects us all. We can be so easily drawn away to temptation - whatever that temptation is. It happened to Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3). There was one particular tree that she knew she wasn't to eat from. The fruit must have been wonderful and the devil knew this too as he led her to look at it. As she looked, desire filled her soul. She was drawn away and enticed and she fell to the temptation. The longer you look into the face of temptation, the more dangerous it becomes and one can easily be enticed. Remember, Joseph ran out of the house when Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him. We have to run from the temptation before it overcomes us.

As Christian's, we are in a never-ending battle with spiritual attacks. They come from everywhere. This is why we need to put on God's Armour. (Ephesians 6). There is temptations and struggles at every corner and we have to be so careful that we're not drawn in.

One root of desire is 'Unsatisfied longing.' This is probably something that has been resident within certain people and they never knew. Perhaps there was something that you never received as a child, whether that be love, attention or affection etc. There is a unsatisfied longing element that is burning away and it is demanding some attention. This may be a need to drink, take drugs, bet money, have adulterous relationships, spend money that you don't have but with a credit card you do have or whatever else you have the need for. It is a battle and one in which needs attention before it goes too far.

God can deal with this unsatisfied longing. It may be too embarrassing to tell someone about it. That is for you to decide. However, you do have access to God 24/7. His office door is always open.

Our 'Soul'

"Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!
Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits. 
Who forgives all your iniquities. Who heals all your diseases. Who redeems your life from destruction. Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles."  Psalm 103:1 - 5. NKJV

The word 'soul' mentioned here in this scripture is made up of your Mind, Will and Emotions. The dictionary explanation is:

'The animating and vital principle in humankind credited with the faculties of thought, action and emotion.' ( Reader's Digest Universal Dictionary )

So in a nutshell, it is connected with our thoughts - what we think about things, our action - what we do about certain things and our emotion - how we handle each and every situation. In this Psalm by King David, he is encouraging us to bless God in all things, with everything that we have got within us - our mind, will and emotions. It is so important, that he mentions it twice 'Bless the Lord O my soul'. God has given us life and everything we have and will have in the future. There are many people who have left this world who would give anything to be able to do this.
Let us take a look at what is on offer here:

BENEFITS
We are not to forget His benefits. Now, let me say this. God's benefits are not means tested. What He offers us, we get. It is not given in one hand and taken back out of the other. We get it all.
FORGIVENESS
Whatever we do wrong, as we confess this to Jesus, he forgives. We make many mistakes and He knows we will continue to do so, but He is forgiving. That doesn't mean though, that we can go out and paint the town red, white and purple, sinning here, there and everywhere because we know He'll forgive us. A word of caution, we should never test the Lord. He is patient but He will not be messed about by this type of deliberate action.
HEALS
He is a healing God and His desire is that we should be in good health. He is Jehovah Rapha, which basically means the Lord heals. The meaning in Hebrew is that He mends and cures. We should go to Him, believing that he can and will heal us of all diseases. The healing can be instant, and I've seen this happen. At other times, it can be long and drawn out and He may not heal us the way we expect Him to. However, we should never doubt. Always live in biblical hope.
REDEEMS
He redeems us from destruction. I can certainly testify to this. Just over a year ago, I was washed out to sea as I walked along the beach in a storm. Try as I may, I could not get back to the shore line so that I could get out, as large waves washed me back. Out of nowhere, the hand of a lady, pulled me out to safety. I don't know who she was or where she came from. But I was rescued. That is one way of being redeemed from destruction. However, He also redeems us from death. One day we'll all have to stand before Him and give an account of our life. If Jesus is your Saviour, you are redeemed. If not it'll be too late.
CROWNED
He crowns with His kindness, His love and helps us be content, giving us His mercy. He loves us so much.
SATISFIESS AND RENEWS
He provides all we need, from clothes and food, to friendship, love and security. He is all we need.He makes us feel content, blessed and satisfied. He also revitalises and refreshes us giving us the strength to get through each and every situation. And He reserves a place for us in Heaven.

Now, I don't know about you, but that is my God. His love is endless. He is faithful and with us always. The thing is, if you don't know Him, I could talk alike this forevermore. You have to try Him out for yourself. You'll believe me then.