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The hope of victory in all of the battles you face in this world starts with absolute surrender to Jesus Christ. It is only when you are willing to trust him with your weaknesses that he can make you strong in his power. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For when I am weak, then I am strong-the less I have, the more I depend on him”. Paul understood that he could not endure on his own all the persecutions and hardships he suffered. His strength came from knowing that Jesus was using the pain he suffered to overcome his weaknesses. Paul was made stronger with every battle that Jesus took him through. He knew that even death had no power over him. For that reason Paul was able to say in Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is for Christ and to die is gain.”
It is only by the strength of Christ who lives in us that we can overcome all the forces of evil that try to defeat us everyday. There is no stronghold in your life that can destroy you when you have put your faith in Jesus. He is all that you need because he alone can do all things. By his death and resurrection, Jesus has freed you from the chains of bondage to sin. You now can have peace in the midst of a storm because you know that God’s purpose for your life cannot be stopped. The enemy cannot steal your joy when you are in a painful trial because Jesus is always with you and he has promised you a reward that far outweighs all that you are going through. Although we live in a lost world, we can stand firmly in the hope that Christ has made us joint heirs with him in a kingdom that will never be destroyed.
The struggles of this world may make you weary but they are no match for the promises of God who has made us more than conquerors. The enemy roams this earth trying to fill you with his lies of hopelessness and defeat. But Jesus came to bring light and truth to a dark world so that we can live without fear knowing that he will bring us through all of our problems. You need to know that you have an eternal hope in Jesus Christ and he will never fail you. It does not matter what heartache or pain you are in, his love is able to heal and comfort you. The peace that God brings can sustain you in even the darkest storm if you are willing to trust him. We read in 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him”. Jesus is the only force you need to stay strong in the battle because his blood on Calvary paid the price for your victory
The best thing about the love of Christ is that he is willing to meet you where you are. He wants to give you his power to overcome your weaknesses. He wants to restore your life and give you a future. He wants to give you victory over all that comes against you. And most importantly, Jesus wants to give you eternal life with him in heaven. Your problems and failures can never stop God from restoring you to wholeness and giving you a future despite the hopelessness of your situation.. He will always make a way when there is none!
Salvation is found only in Jesus. There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) It is my prayer that you will call upon his name today. His love will be sufficient to do the rest.
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THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD
It does not matter where you are in your life; it only matters where God is going to take you. His light is our solace in a lost and perishing world. The word of God promises us that we will have peace despite our situation and that he has a plan to give us a future with hope. Jesus has paid the price for our victory in every circumstance. There is never a battle that can defeat you. It is only when you understand that you are more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ that you can believe that God’s strength and his perfect plan for you life are all that you need.
Too often the storms of life can leave you weary making it a struggle to stand in faith. The enemy who roams this earth seeking to kill, steal and destroy will use every effort to make you doubt that God cares about your difficult situation. Satan is the father of lies and he will try to use your heartache and pain to rob you of your joy. The truth is that he cannot steal the purpose and plan for which God sent his only Son to redeem for us.
We read in 1 Peter 5:10 that, “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” The storms that this life brings will be turned around for your good and will bring you to the knowledge of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.(Ephesians 3:18} It is only after you have been in a painful battle and watched as your God defeated all of your problems that you can grow in unwavering trust.
Nothing can overcome you when your life is in Christ. He is your power and the force to go on even despite the pain you may be experiencing. God is never limited by the impossibility of your situation. He who spoke the world into existence has a way out of every trial you endure. In Scripture we read that it was God who shut the mouth of the lions and saved Daniel when he was thrown into their den for not bowing down to the king. It was God who went with young David to defeat the giant. It is always the strength of God who meets us at the battle and takes down our enemies. We have nothing to fear because the word of God promises us that we cannot be destroyed.
You may be facing a serious illness, an addiction, a broken marriage, or financial problems but you need to know that God is willing and able to take you through your struggle that you may be anxious for nothing. We are told in Isaiah 26 that God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in the one who can do all things.
You can be hard-pressed but never crushed by your problems. God knows your name and saw all of your days before one of them came to be. Jesus will guide your steps and be the light when the darkness of your situation is overwhelming. And he will never leave your side.
There will always be battles that come against you in your life, but Jesus tells us to take joy for he has overcome them all!
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The still, quiet voice of God will lead you
Believing that God can take you safely through all of the storms of this life can be difficult.God’s timing doesn’t always line up with our way of doing things and it may seem that we are alone in our battles. Life can be tough, but God’s word says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Our prayers in difficult times unleash the limitless power of God, who is the only one who can make things right and restore us to wholeness. Believers have access to the Throne of God to present their request and the God who hears you will answer you and give you his peace. He knows how to rescue his people from trials.
The still, quiet voice of the Lord is a strength that can be trusted. In 1 Kings 19:11, the prophet Elijah was told to go out and stand on the mountain, for the glory of the Lord was about to pass by. After Elijah reached the height of the mountain, a powerful wind tore the mountain apart and shattered the rocks; and after the wind there was an earthquake and then a fire, but the Lord was not in any of these things. The Lord actually came to Elijah in a gentle whisper. This is true for us today.
There may be times that you feel drawn by God to a position in life only to have your dreams appear to crumble. You felt sure that God was leading you in a certain area but now that situation has become difficult and you begin to doubt if you heard from God at all. The truth in this matter is that if you want to avoid the valleys in life and just experience the mountaintop, you had better be ready for the high winds and earthquakes of life that can attempt to take you down. There are many struggles we face in our lives, but if we can trust the still, quiet voice of God who never leaves us, there is nothing that will be able to defeat us or take us from the place that God has brought us. Christ is the fulfillment of all that we hope for and there is always hope because he directs our steps. Any dream or desire that he has placed in your heart, he will make a way! One thing we must remember is that God never changes. It was God who parted the Red Sea to help save the Israelites and he has the same power to part the river of your tears that seeks to pull you under. You may feel that you are drowning in your own tears but God has the power to give you the victory no matter what you are going through.
Whatever you face in this life, you will never be alone and God has promised you glory if you run the race he has set for you. It is not always easy, but the prize of being in eternity with Christ is worth it! You must always remember that there is no power that can defeat the Sovereign God who is over all things.
Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil”. Be wise and take the opportunity to read your bible each day and give to God more time in prayer. Put your trust in Christ who has already paid the ultimate price for you.
The battle in life is not to be feared for God has already made you more than a conqueror through his son, Jesus. You now have his power, his strength and most importantly, his love that will keep you from ever being destroyed. This is the truth that Jesus died to give you. Take heart, for he is with you today!
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To remain strong during difficult times requires that we stand in faith. There is nothing sadder than to see believers react defeated at a hill of trouble when Christ has given us the power to move mountains. The storms that blow through your life may be strong, but the Master of the wind is still Christ and he alone determines the outcome of your situation. There is no doctor’s report, no financial problem, no heartache and absolutely no other trial that can hinder the perfect plan that God has for you life. Jesus came to this earth to die for each of us so that we can live life to the fullest despite our problems. The hardships of this world cannot defeat us but will always be used for our good if we keep our eyes on Jesus. His power has no limit; therefore, your impossible situation cannot stand against Christ who is the Author and Finisher of our lives.
In 2 Corinthian 4:16 we read, “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Those struggles that seem to weaken us can actually make us stronger as we trust in our Lord who has said that He would never leave us. It was the love of Christ who willingly took our sins upon himself and bought for us an everlasting inheritance in heaven with him.
When you can understand that the painful situations you must endure are only allowed to bring you closer to the image of Christ, you can have the peace that surpasses understanding. Even though it may not make sense to you, God has an eternal reason for all that he allows to touch your life. And God, who knew your afflictions before he even formed the earth, has prepared a way for you to be taken through them.
The enemy of our soul will always look for ways to discourage true believers. Satan knows that he cannot stop God’s perfect plan for you so he must work to convince you that your problems are bigger than your God. He wants you to forget that Jesus can still heal our diseases; that he can strengthen us against addictions; that he can restore broken homes and that he can overcome all of our weaknesses. Jesus is the only one who can make us whole and give us a future with a promise. The devil cannot take from us what Christ has died to give us.
The enemy wants to keep us blinded to the truth, but the light of God’s word will be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Jesus is the light of this world and all those who turn to him can never be held in darkness and bondage by any stronghold. Your situation is never hopeless because we have a Savior who is the God of all hope. There is nothing that he cannot and will not do for those who put their trust in him.
Whatever troubling situation you may be going through right now, may you know that peace and victory can be yours if you will just call upon the name of Jesus. He is with you right now. You are never without hope.
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Our prayers reach God!
The final words Christ spoke as He died on the cross were “It is finished”. As he gave up his spirit, the earth rumbled, darkness fell and Scripture tells us that at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom.
In biblical times, the temple had a thick curtain which separated the people from the Holy of Holies where God dwelled. Only the high priest could enter this area on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. When Jesus died on the cross, His blood covered our sins once and for all. As the temple veil was torn, we were now given access to the very throne of God. Christ who became our high priest was also our mediator between God and man. We can present our requests directly to God and he will hear us. God looks upon believers as the righteousness of his Son Jesus. We are now joint heirs with Christ in the kingdom of heaven and nothing good will be withheld from us.
With this knowledge in mind, the prayers of believers are the most important tool a Christian has. God only works through the prayers of his people. Jesus taught us the meaning of prayer while he was on this earth. All through the gospels we read where Jesus would go off alone to commune with the Father. Jesus knew that his prayers were the power behind all that he did. Prayer led him to follow and do only what he saw the Father doing.
Prayer is seeking the mind of God. It is submission to have your ways line up with the ways of God. It is trusting that God is going to see you through your difficulty and keep you safe. As you pray you also open up your heart to hear from God. In those moments when you have turned to him for guidance, his still quiet voice will lead you in the paths you are to take.
There is not a trial or struggle that you go through that will not be lifted as you present it in prayer to God, Those who are trying to carry their own burdens should know that God never intended for anyone to go through trials alone. He will always put someone in your path to help you with your pain if you trust it to him. Your circumstance cannot keep you from the plan that God has for your life. The veil between heaven and earth has been torn open so it doesn’t matter what you have done in your life or what you have been though, the power of God can restore you and give you a new life. It is by prayer that you can move mountains of trouble and break the chains of bondage that seek to destroy you. This access to the throne of heaven was paid for by Jesus at the cross so it is never a burden but a true gift to be able to meet with our Creator in prayer. Satan himself knows well that heaven and earth can be moved by the prayer of one believer.
You need never fear about your situation because Christ himself goes before you to the Father to intercede for you. If you are going through a dark time in your life be assured that right now Christ has burdened someone’s heart to pray for you. You are not alone and you never will be as long as there are believers who trust in the power of prayer.
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Trusting God with the impossible!
There is a real joy that comes with completely trusting in the truth of God’s word. The problems of this world are too much for us to bear and unless our hope is grounded in the unfailing love of God there is no real peace. It doesn’t matter what your socio-economic standing is, trouble finds us all. The rain falls on the poor as well as the rich. Sickness, disease and death have no barriers. The only foundation that stands firm is for those who put their trust in Christ. We read in 2 Peter 9 that the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and Psalm 32:10 says, “… the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him”. The only strength that we have in this world comes from God. God’s word says in Proverbs 28 that he who trusts in himself is a fool.
So what do we do when we find ourselves in a painful trial or struggle? My friends, we should do what we read God’s people did in Scripture when they faced trouble. In 2 Chronicles, King Jehoshaphat heard that armies were coming against his people from two sides. The Israelites did not have the power on their own to stand up to these armies so they turned to their only strength as they stood trusting before the Lord. King Jehoshaphat cried out to God saying ,“We have no power to fact this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you”. The Israelites were saved that day and their enemies were destroyed.
The greatest honor you can give to God is to trust him when all seems lost. It was God who sent his only Son, Jesus, to come into this world and die for us so that we may have eternal life. Jesus suffered for us knowing that he would be rejected by many. Is there any greater love then that? He has also promised to never leave us alone. Many people are trying to carry the burdens of this life by themselves. That was never God’s plan. He knew there would be troubles in this world but he also knew that he would help us through them. Jesus says in Matthew 11:29, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. To those who call on his name, he will lift you up and give you his peace that surpasses understanding.
God already has his people praying for those who are hurting and who feel alone. If you can trust him, God will send someone into your life to help you through your hopeless situation. The most wonderful thing about this is that God offers his love to all. It is his will that none should perish. Jesus says in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”.
Jesus cares about everything that touches us in our lives. He wants to give us a life of joy that that the thief cannot steal, kill and destroy. In Deuteronomy,30:19, God tells the people, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” The choice is yours.
Receive the gift of a full life that God has for you now as you ask Christ to reveal himself and come into your heart. It will not only change your life, it will change your eternity!
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You cannot be destroyed!
Of all that comes against us in this world, death is probably the one most feared. Yet, for believers, death is the only thing that releases us from this evil world and frees us to be with our LORD who has planned great things for us. The prophet Isaiah says in chapter 25 that the Sovereign Lord will swallow up death and wipe away the tears from all faces. Death only came to us when man sinned. But God had a plan to save us from death by sending his only Son, Jesus, who paid the ultimate price for our transgressions and bought for us eternal life in heaven. It is a free gift that cannot be earned. Jesus says in John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life”.
To those who have Christ in their heart, death has no power to harm but only to release us to be with God who has riches and reward with him. We will be clothed in heavenly garments for with Jesus, death has been swallowed up in victory. Isaiah 25:8 says, “Where,O death, is your victory? Where O death is your sting?” My friends, death cannot destroy a child of God.
Our life on this earth is just a waiting period for God to come a rescue us and bring us to him. While we mourn those who pass on before us, we take joy in knowing that we shall be united with those believers that have gone before us in a place that Jesus has prepared for us. In Revelation 21:4 God word says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”. For that reason, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 not to store up treasures on earth where it can be stolen or destroyed but to store up treasure in heaven which will last forever. Our bodies may be on this earth, but our spirits should be longing to be with our God forever in heaven. The temporary joys of this earth hold nothing compared to the eternal unspeakable joys that God has planned for those who love him.
Friends, heaven is not just a state of being, it is a real place filled with glorious rewards. The word of God says, “No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him: (1 Cor 2:9) It is so wonderful that Satan is committed to getting believers to forget that we cannot be destroyed but only freed to receive all that God has planned for us. What destroys our body cannot destroy our spirit. In 2 Corinthian 5:1, Paul tells us, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven , not built by human hands.”. That is a promise from God for all who believe.
Those who are facing a serious illness, take heart for God is with you and nothing can stop the perfect plan that God has for you if you have asked Jesus into your heart. Jesus is able to heal and restore you and bring you to wholeness. He will not leave you to fear or be afraid. He is with you right now. For those who have lost a loved one and the pain is still with you, you have the promise that God willl one day wipe every tear away.
I pray for the peace of Christ to fill you at this time and to help you to understand that his love is sufficient for all of your needs. You are being prayed for right now. You are not alone in your pain and you never will be.
God's Promises Are Real 