Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Talk Tuesday-We Are Being Called Forth

I feel the Spirit of God calling forth His people to a deeper walk with Him. It is as though He is calling us through the Refiner's fire, moulding and shaping us for His Kingdom purpose here on earth. We have been chosen live in such a time as this, in such a season as this and we must seek His will for our lives, not our own. It is difficult. Jesus says, “24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour,” John 12:24-26.

If you have sin in your life, or feel unworthy of His calling, you only need to repent and receive His forgiveness. Don't let Satan deceive you into believing that you will never amount to anything, or that the clay cannot be reshaped for use by the Potter. Know that the blood shed on Calvary's Cross is meant to wash away your sins.

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 John 2:1-2 “8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-9

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:7

Let the Holy Spirit guide you in your quest to deepen your walk with God. Know Him and let the power of His Word feed your soul. He requires that we put HIM FIRST in our lives. “15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you,” John 14:15-17.

“33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Commit your ways to Him. Seek Him and you WILL find Him. Know that He desires to bless you. Hold on through the fiery trial, and He will redeem your suffering. This life is short, filled with hills and valleys. If you choose Him, then CHOOSE HIM. Walk faithfully before the LORD. Let us take up our cross, follow Jesus Christ and encourage one another.

“12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

Be blessed in Christ!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Talk Tuesday-After Having Done All, Then Stand

This seems to be a season of great trial and testing for many Christians. It is as though the earth is groaning, hearts are breaking and temptation is pulling at the resolve of the most stout-hearted in the Lord. In times of confusion, when 'sight' is trying to drown out your faith, stand on the Word of GOD to keep you afloat, and remember, JESUS IS IN THE BOAT WITH YOU! HE IS THE ROCK!

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; 
never will I forsake you.'” Hebrews 13:5

“When the enemy comes in like a flood,
 The Spirit Of The Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord, 
the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier
 than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.” Psalm 93:3-4

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

“'No weapon formed against you shall prosper, 
and every tongue which rises against you in judgment 
you shall condemn.
 This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,'
says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17

“And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.'” 2 Corinthians 12:9

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High 
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; 
My God, in Him I will trust.'” Psalm 91:1-2

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-11

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“ 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:37-39

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:10-18

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Talk Tuesday-Don't Be Discouraged By Your Fear

Faith and fear co-exist in an unequal balance throughout most of our lives. It is almost impossible to know what faith is without experiencing the fear that doubt brings. The Apostle Paul boldly proclaims that, “...we live by faith, not by sight,” 2 Corinthians 5:7. Fear is driven by sight, and its offspring is doubt. Faith, while unseen, is built on trust. This trust is predicated on the knowledge of who GOD is, and that HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO. “God is not a man, that He should lie,
 or a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfil it?" Numbers 23:19. Faith exists in spite of our fear, and trust overcomes doubt. Doubt and fear exist in the shadow of faith when we, as earthly sojourners, hold on to the power of our resurrected Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who promises eternal life to all who believe in Him. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see,” Hebrews 11:1.

How can we increase our faith, and diminish our fear? Hebrews 4:12 states that the Word of God is sharper than any double-edged sword, while Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God's Word will not return to Him void; it will accomplish His will in our lives. Faith rooted in God's Word provides us with the power to stand in the midst of painful circumstances. Jesus Himself exemplified this by His response to Satan's temptation in the desert, “But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,’” Matthew 4:4 (Deuteronomy 8:3). Paul writes to the church in Ephesus and calls the Word of the God, 'the sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).

We at BGO want to encourage you to stand firm in your faith. We have witnessed God work miracles in our lives and continue to see Him move mountains that appeared unshakeable to our human eyes. Many of you know that I have faced health issues in the past. After my initial diagnosis and two subsequent surgeries, I was left with some residual mobility deficit. Each year I was told that I would not see much more improvement. Each year I did. During my last annual check up, I heard the words, “You are going to deteriorate.” Yet the truth is that I am continuing to see remarkable improvement.

Don't be discouraged by your fear, just take it to the cross. Line it up against the Word of God, and watch it crumble as your faith starts to take an immoveable shape. Jesus never said our sojourn would be easy. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world,” John 16:33. Hold on to God's Word and remember, “Those who trust in the Lord
 are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
 so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever,” Psalm 125:1-2. Be blessed!

We invite you to share your testimony of the many times that God's Word strengthened your faith and crushed your fear. Click on the comments link below to do so. You never know who you might encourage today!