GET UP:

GET UP: When Jesus saw him lying there...he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” Jn5:6 wp.me/p29yfQ-3H #Jesus#healer #faith –Theresa

FREE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH – Dr. Neil Anderson

FREE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH – Dr. Neil Anderson

1 Corinthians 15:55 

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

Most phobias can be reduced to a fear of man or death. Death looms over many as the ultimate fear-object. The fact that death is imminent is clearly established in Scripture: "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

But Christians need not fear death. Jesus removed death as a legitimate fear-object by taking away its power when He died for our sins. Jesus Himself said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25, 26). Even though we will eventually die physically, we will continue to live spiritually.

Every child of God is spiritually alive, and even physical death cannot separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38). Paul says, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Why? When we physically die, we will receive a resurrected body and be far better off than we are today. Try putting something else into Paul's formula; for instance, "For me to live is success." Then to die would be what? Loss! "For me to live is a good physical body." Again, to die would be loss.

I often ask people, "What is the worst thing that could happen to you?" "Well, I could die," they answer. To which I respond, "Then you have nothing to fear, since the Bible says death may be the best thing that could happen to you!" The ultimate value is not physical life but spiritual life. If our life is hidden in Christ, then we won't suffer loss when we physically die. We can only gain. We can say confidently with Paul, "O death where is your sting?" The person who is free from the fear of death is free to live today.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that You have freed me to live fully in the here and now. I leave the time of my departure in Your hands

–Sid

REMIND YOURSELF:

REMIND YOURSELF: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?...Hope thou in God....” Ps42:5 wp.me/p29yfQ-3F #hopeintheLord#alwayspresent –Theresa

DOING GOD'S WORK – Dr. Neil Anderson

DOING GOD'S WORK – Dr. Neil Anderson

Isaiah 58:11 

The LORD will continually guide you  

An important concept of God's will is that God can only guide a moving ship. He is the rudder, but if the ship isn't under way, it can't be directed. Willingness to obey His will gets the ship moving.

In Acts 15:36, Paul had decided to revisit the churches he helped establish on his first missionary trip. The churches were being strengthened and increasing in number (Acts 16:5). Luke reports:

And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a certain man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:6-9).

Sometimes God's leading does not make sense. If God wanted Paul to go to Macedonia in the first place, why didn't He make it easier and faster by having Paul travel by land to Caesarea and sail to Macedonia? Because God starts us out on a life course to fulfill a certain purpose and then, only when we are ready, He gives us course corrections. Like a good river pilot, He steers us away from troubled waters, and like a good coach, He never puts us in the game until we are ready.

I believe in divine guidance as described in Isaiah 58:11. But the context reveals that there are prerequisites that have to be satisfied. We are sometimes like a person who seeks to be an athlete by simply suiting up for the race. That's not how the skills are gained. It's in the course of dedication, training, and the contest itself that one gains the skill of an athlete.

It's in the doing of God's work that His will becomes known.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that You oversee every turn in the road of my life. I want to faithfully heed Your guidance today.

–Sid

SIGN SEEKERS:

SIGN SEEKERS: "...he sighed deeply in his spirit & said, ‘Why does this generation seek a sign?..’”Mk8:11-12 wp.me/p29yfQ-3B#believe

–Theresa

Things That Cannot Be Shaken – Dr. Charles Stanley

Things That Cannot Be Shaken – Dr. Charles Stanley

Hebrews 12:25-29

As a rule, people like security. We seek what is comfortable. Yet the reality of our world is that much instability exists. For example, finances, health, and even a country’s ability to survive are not guaranteed.

When our foundation is shaken, we often feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes
Satan causes the difficulty—with God’s permission, of course. At other times, challenging circumstances are brought about by the Lord’s hand. Regardless of the source, we have the promise in Romans 8:28 that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And in either case, the Almighty’s purpose remains: to glorify Himself in our world and in our lives.

There are different reasons the Lord permits turmoil, but for now, let’s focus on one: He won’t allow anything that enables man to seem self-sufficient in his own eyes. Therefore, God may lovingly allow enough trouble for us to realize our need of Him. Consider the trials the Israelites faced each time they turned away from Jehovah to worship other gods. In many ways, we do the same thing today. Individually, in our churches, and as a nation, we often glorify “gods” like money or status. But the One who created us will not tolerate this.

In our pride, we tend to think we’re able to manage without God. But out of love, He may stir up our lives to reveal our dependence upon Him. If you are basing your security on anything except Jesus Christ—even something as seemingly innocent as comfort—it will prove to be sinking sand.

–Sid

Shhhh!:

Shhhh!: “Be still, and know that I am God....” Ps46:10 wp.me/s29yfQ-shhhh#bestill #quiettime #listen #Godspeaks

–Theresa