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Wednesday, 24 May 2006

NEVER GIVE UP
Mood:

crushed out
Topic: Hebrews 11:23 - 29
Winston Churchill, the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister during World War II, included a now - famous quote in a speech to students of his former school: “Never give in - never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty… Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

As Christians, we are called to wait on God until He acts on our behalf. In order to resist the urge to give up, we must not focus on our circumstances. (Hebrews 11:17) says that Moses endured his trials “as seeing Him who is unseen” - he consistently looked for God and His will. Standing on the shore of the Red Sea while the Egyptians prepared an attack, Moses clung to God’s promise of protection and called out, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13). The sea parted and the Israelites escaped what seemed to be an impossible situation.

Moses triumphed over many dangerous and difficult situations because he was committed to doing God’s work. Too often modern believers are devoted to pleasure, comfort, or our “rights.” When the Lord’s will interferes with those priorities, we falter. But a genuine commitment to God with no exceptions means nothing can induce us to give up.

Our unchanging Lord never deserts His children; He encourages us to cast our cares on Him. (Hebrews 13:5, 8; 1 Peter 5:7) These beautiful assurances are ours to claim when we are tempted to quit. Put your faith in Him, cling to His promises, and commit to His way. Never give up!

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 4:46 PM CDT

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Tuesday, 23 May 2006

THE FAITH TO HOLD OUT
Mood:

caffeinated
Topic: Hebrews 12:1 - 3
Sometimes our life seems like a long, dark tunnel. Perhaps we are unable to discover a solution for a problem, or we cannot find relief from pain. Regardless of the direction we turn, we find no hope for anything better than our present circumstances.

Thankfully, we serve a God who feels our pain and knows our limitations first - hand. Jesus Christ walked through the valley of the shadow of death and cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”(Mark 15:34). This means that when our faith is stretched to the breaking point, our strength is exhausted, and our dreams are broken like shattered glass, Jesus understands. And He asks us to hold out when everything in us screams to give up.

Giving up means abandoning God’s help for our own puny strength. We try to manipulate a situation or simply avoid pain. In essence, we’re choosing to believe that Satan in his worldly power is stronger than Christ within us - which is the exact opposite of what the Bible says is true. (1 John 4:4) Of course, the Devil is not more powerful, but we let him win a battle if we give up on the assurance that God will see us through difficulty. When we have that attitude, we miss the Father’s blessing and limit our usefulness in His kingdom.

Even when we cannot detect His involvement, God is working every moment on our problem. But we must trust His perfect timing for revealing the answer. Your Father knows your hurt, and He will bring you through that dark tunnel. Do not give up before reaching His blessing.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 2:57 PM CDT

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Monday, 22 May 2006

STAGES OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
Mood:

hug me
Topic: 2 Peter 3:14 - 18
Just like us, the early church faced many trials and heartaches. Persecution of Christians was ever on the increase. In writing to the churches, Peter admonished believers to be diligent in their faith and secure in the peace of God. But how can we be peaceful in restless times? And how can we remain hopeful when injustice is increasing?

The answer is found by looking at the object of your affection. What gets most of your attention? If your mental focus is set on the difficulty of your circumstances, then more than likely you will struggle with maintaining a good attitude and an awareness of God’s presence. But if your attention is centered on Christ and the promises He provides in His Word, then you will experience a residing peace that lingers deep inside.

Perhaps your life has gotten off course. You find yourself complaining to God and wishing you were in a different set of circumstances. God has a plan for you right where you are.

The Christian life is a process. We learn as we grow through life’s difficulties, and God uses each one to teach us more about His faithful love and care. If you have drifted in your devotion toward Him, go to Him in prayer and confess your wayward attitude. Then ask Him to restore the sweetness and joy of the fellowship you once shared with Him.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 4:07 PM CDT

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Sunday, 21 May 2006

OVERCOMING SWAYING FAITH
Mood:

hug me
Topic: Matthew 14:22 - 32
The Lord wants to do far more in believers’ lives and through their witness than most are willing to allow. We believe that He can do great things, but the problem is that we are not sure He will act on our behalf. Consequently, we feel we are unable to trust Him fully for personal answers. Vacillating between faith and doubt like a boat in a squall makes for a sick and tired Christian. If we desire to calm the sea of faith, we must first act on our will rather than simply making choices according to feelings or sight. Peter walked on water because he proceeded in trust instead of by reason. As believers, we will not become stable in our faith until we recognize that believing God is a choice. The second action of a faithful believer is to focus attention on God. When we look at our circumstances, we are restricted to our own limited view of the situation. As long as Peter was staring at Jesus, his feet stayed on the water’s surface, but the moment he looked at the wind - whipped waves, he began to sink. Finally, we are to maintain our focus on the Lord by keeping our mind in the Word. We cannot trust our sight, reason, or knowledge to steer us through a storm of doubt. All we can truly depend upon is Scripture. Choose to believe that the Lord will work on your behalf. Then focus your attention upon Him, and claim a promise from Scripture that applies to the situation challenging you. When those three actions regularly become a part of your life, you will stop swaying. The heavenly Father will honor our steadfast faith.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 8:09 AM CDT

Updated: Sunday, 21 May 2006 8:11 AM CDT

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Saturday, 20 May 2006

WHY WE HESITATE TO TRUST
Mood:

cool
Topic: Luke 5:1 - 11
On the Sea of Galilee, the optimal time for fishing had passed hours earlier, so the fishermen cleaned their nets instead. But one lowered his into the water at the request of an itinerant preacher. The reward for Peter’s trust was a net - breaking catch.

As believers, we want equal success in overcoming doubts so that we can courageously follow God. But sometimes we rely on our own faculties to decide whether or not we will trust Him. Perhaps what He is asking of us seems unreasonable. For instance, the principle of tithing goes against human wisdom: When we give God one - tenth of our income, He makes the remaining 90 percent spread farther than a hoarded 100 percent could.

In other situations, we hesitate to trust the Lord because our knowledge or experience contradicts His plan. All of Peter’s expertise indicated that fishing at such an hour would be useless. Sometimes God challenges believers to act even when they do not understand how they can be successful.

Listening to others’ opinions is another stumbling block to unswerving faith. There is a time for seeking godly counsel, but when the Lord makes His will clear, we are to act. We are not to pick up the phone to ask a few friends what they think. No opinion matters except that of Jehovah, who does not make mistakes in presenting His plan.

The next time you find yourself in doubt, think about what is causing you to hesitate. Then you can pray specifically to overcome the faith hurdle and move on to receive your reward.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 3:32 PM CDT

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