Touching Jesus

Matthew 9:22 (KJV) - But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour

In the midst of a crowd that was thronging Jesus this woman made Him stop and turn around. There were people shouting and jostling all around but this little lady managed to get Jesus’ full attention. What was it about her that day that made The Lord address her need? ...Some might have been there for the excitement. Some because they wanted to be seen. But this woman was different.

Have you ever heard someone say “Actions speak louder than words.”? She had made up her mind that Jesus was the answer. She sought Him with all her strength until she was able to touch Him. Pressing through the crowd she reached out and touched the hem of his garment.

The Hebrew word for hem is “tallit”. It was a series of four embroideries or what we might call tassels these represented the name of God and His commandments. The Hem of the garment came to represent a man’s status or authority in Jewish culture. In Matthew 23:5 Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for enlarging their fringes thereby attempting to enlarge their importance and authority.

Do you remember when Elijah was taken up into Heaven, Elisha was given Elijah’s mantel. This was most likely his “tallit” and symbolized the transfer of authority to his disciple. The prophet Malachi said that “the Sun of Righteousness” would “arise with healing in his wings” (Mal. 4:2) The word “wings” is the same as the word “borders” in Number 15:38 referring to the “tallit”.

This woman did not reach for the hem of his garment by accident. She was touching the name of God and invoking the authority in the name of Jesus. By faith she was touching The Living Word! With all that was in her she was crying out “I Believe In God! I Believe in His Word!” That is what will make the King of Kings stop and turn around. You just got His undivided attention.

Do You Believe?

Matthew 9:28-29     And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

 

“Following Jesus”  These two blind men had been following Jesus crying out for mercy.  Jesus had performed several miracles in the previous verses and it goes without saying that people were talking.  These blind men had heard what was happening and decided that today was their day to receive a miracle, so, they began to follow Jesus.  If you want to receive your miracle today that is exactly where it begins – Seeking Jesus.

 

“Do You Believe”  God is not up in Heaven worried about what His next step will be or how He is going to help you.  He is able!  The question that must be addressed is what do you believe?  Is God able to open blind eyes?  Is He able to heal cancer?  Is He able to restore your marriage?  When you look at your situation and you cry out to God in desperation have you fully settled the matter in your heart?  A double minded man will receive nothing from God.  We cannot say God is able and then act like God has abandoned us.  Yes, Lord!  I know you love me.  Yes, Lord! I know you died for me.  Yes, Lord!  I know you are able.  God is waiting for us to settle this in our hearts.  What will our answer be today?

 

“Yes Lord”  When Jesus asked if they believed He was able to do this, heal them, the blind men did not hesitate.  They didn’t have to work through a lengthy mental exercise or weigh all of the facts.  They said two of the most important words we can speak in response to God.  Yes, Lord!  Not, “I think so.” or “if it is your will.”  Their response was, Yes, Lord!  I know that you can do this.  All power is in you.  You created the heavens and the earth.  You created every nerve ending in my body.  You are the breath that I breathe and the bread that I eat.  You are in control and at your Word mountains tremble.  Do I believe?  How could I not believe in you?  You are Lord!  You spoke and the world was created.  If you get the right perspective on who Jesus is you cannot help but believe.  He is not dependent on any mortal man.  He is God!  Lord of all creation and He is able.

 

“He Touched Me”  The song goes, “I was shackled by a heavy burden.  Neath a load of guilt and shame.  Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same.  He touched me…”  Have you been struggling with the weight of this world pressing on your shoulders?  Has worry and fear tried to steal the joy of your Christian walk?  Does every step you take feel like you can’t go on?  Cry out to Jesus right now.  Don’t wait for a better time.  There is no better time than right now to feel His touch and know His love.  Burdens are lifted and hearts are restored in the presence of the King.

 

“That’s Why He Came”  When we cry out to Jesus He will surely rescue us.  He is not far away and He is not deaf that He cannot hear.  He doesn’t have to “give it thought” or determine our worth.  So often we picture God like a celestial banker with a big ledger keeping track of the good and bad each of us has done and paying us back in kind.  But that is not why Jesus came.  He came while we were yet sinners.  He came when we were morally bankrupt.  He owed us nothing and we deserved death “But God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever…”  The truth of the matter is that He came looking for us.  He wants to touch us and when we call on His name there is nothing that can separate us from His love.   Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.  He wants to touch you, to heal you, to save you, to restore you, after all, that’s why He came

 

 “According To Your Faith”  It is God that creates and sustains.  It is by His hand that we are made whole and it is by His Word that we are saved.  He is our all in all and there is nothing too hard for him but let no man think that he will receive anything from God without faith.  God has ordained that without faith it is impossible to please Him.  We are commanded to believe and to not waiver in James 1:6-8 and that principle still holds true today.  Jesus did not make this statement only once but Scripture is replete with this truth.  In Matthew 8:13 he told the centurion, “Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.”  In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, “What things so ever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”    

 

So the question becomes, “How can I increase my faith?  How do I believe in the midst of this storm?  Paul tells us in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the word of God.  But have you ever read the rest of that chapter?  He goes on to rebuke Israel because they heard and remained disobedient.  In fact the very next verse says “But I say, have they not heard”.  Just hearing God’s Word is not going to magically give you faith.  You must believe that God is and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.  You must hide His Word in your heart so that you will not sin against Him.  Again, just memorizing the Scriptures isn’t enough.  You must do it SO that you might not sin against God.  This implies that you are living to please Him, desiring to not offend God in even the smallest thing.  Faith is like the nucleus of an atomic particle.  A particle so small, yet within that tiny structure is power so great that when it is released the power takes on a self sustaining life of its own.  Faith in God is just like that.  Deep within the core of your being is something as small as a mustard seed that can lay dormant and inactive for a lifetime.  But when you come face to face with the Creator, its Creator, that faith can be activated and things will never be the same.  It truly is a gift from God and as Jesus said, “All things are possible”, only believe.

The Spirit of Truth

 "Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." Psalm 31:5 (KJV)

Only Believe! Those words can’t be bad after all didn’t Jesus speak them to the ruler of the Synagogue when he received word that his daughter had died. Jairus was standing before Jesus asking for a miracle when suddenly the world came crashing down around him. He was part of the established religion. He lived and worked in the influential world of the Pharisees and Sadducees where Jesus was not welcomed. He was risking everything to come to Jesus and ask Him to his house. His daughter, the love of his life, was sick and needed a miracle. He had seen the women with the issue of blood healed, he had watched the Gadarene with the demons be delivered, surely this man could heal his daughter. He too had pressed his way through the crowd not caring what people thought about him. He needed a miracle!

Then it happened! His servant tugged on his robe and said,

“Come on don’t bother the Master, your daughter is dead.”

The thoughts came rushing over him in waves of despair. His heart fell from his chest and darkness began to fill his mind. The world was spinning in a kaleidoscope of empty images. Dead! He was too late! Hope was crushed on the rocks of despair.

Then he heard the words of Jesus. Like a light piercing the darkness of His mind.

“Do not be afraid, only believe”

The voice startled him! It was not loud or boisterous. Yet, the coldness of despair gave way to the warmth of truth. He could feel his heart beat, hear the breath fill his lungs, and everything stopped spinning. His eyes opened as if for the first time and he saw Jesus looking at him. There was something about His eyes that seemed to look right through the confusion. Hope began to sing once again.

At the house people laughed and ridiculed Jesus for saying that his daughter was only sleeping. She was dead! Everyone knew it! The doctors had pronounced it! Still there was something about His voice. When Jesus spoke those words, even though everyone else laughed, he found a peace in them that seemed to defy understanding. Against all reasoning he believed!

He was standing there when Jesus took the cold hand of her lifeless body and spoke,

“Talitha cumi” which means “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

Let me tell you, when Jesus speaks peace there is peace. When He speaks life there is life. What He says will come to pass and there is no shadow of turning in His voice. Just ask Jarius.

There is an old song that we sang often when I was growing up. Written in 1886 by Kelso Carter

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

There are more verses and each one makes me want to stand up and give God all my praise! You see in this day and age there are many who have put their faith in the gods of this world. They preach faith but they fail to ground their faith in Truth! A.W. Tozer said it this way,

"I do not recall another period when ‘faith’ was as popular as it is today. ‘If only we believe hard enough, we'll make it somehow.’ So goes the popular chant. What you believe is not important. Only believe. ... What is overlooked in all this is that faith is good only when it engages truth; when it is made to rest upon falsehood, it can and often does lead to eternal tragedy. For it is not enough that we believe; we must believe the right thing about the right One."

That was written a generation ago but it can be applied to our generation just as well. Unless our faith is grounded in the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Gospel we are travelling a road that cannot end well. Faith in God must stand upon His Word and be centered in Christ alone. Jesus told us in John 15:26,

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”

There is only one Truth! God! The Holy Spirit is that Spirit of Truth that comes from the Father and He speaks only of the Son! Jesus! When we “only believe” let’s make sure that we place all of our hope, our trust, our faith, in Him.

Unfulfilled Expectations

Unfulfilled Expectations

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV)

The little boy woke up early on Saturday. He wasn’t exited about watching cartoons or playing video games today, no, he was going fishing with his Dad. He had waited for this day for two weeks. He remembered the night when they were eating dinner and Dad had promised him that they would go fishing and today was the day. He got himself up, did his chores and even had his tackle box and pole ready to go. This was going to be the best day ever! Time passed and he didn’t hear any noise from his Dad’s bedroom. They usually got an early start maybe Dad was sleeping in. He sat on the porch dreaming of the fish they were going to catch and the great time he would have talking to his Dad and comparing their trophies. The morning was slipping away when Mom came out the front door. He jumped up ready to go when the words fell on him like a rock slide crushing his spirit. Dad had to go into work this morning and left before he had gotten up. There would be no fishing, no talking, no special moments spent together.

We have all experienced the sadness of unfulfilled expectations. Those moments when we were let down by someone that we thought we could trust. It might have been a parent, an employer, a co-worker, or friend but no matter who it was, the moment is easy to recall; it was if our boat was capsized on the sea of life. Sometimes those disappointments could have been avoided, sometimes the person could have chosen us over someone or something else but they didn’t and it hurt. Sadly, in some lives there is a litany of unfulfilled expectations that scar the fabric of our souls and leave us insecure and unwilling to trust anyone.

These unfulfilled expectations can leave us angry and that anger can lead to bitterness. Our view of the world becomes jaded and we find it hard to put our hope, our dreams, and our heart in the hands of others. People can’t be trusted so we turn inward to ourselves and believe that we are responsible for our own happiness. This manifests itself in many ways but the driving force behind all of the behaviors is that we feel insecure and compensate by placing our trust in money or possessions, perhaps we throw caution to the wind and “live for the moment” never finding any hope for tomorrow. But in all of this the most tragic part is that the enemy subtly steals our faith. We cannot put our trust in a God that allows us to suffer.

The essence of “el hanne eman”, The Faithful God is faith! We can trust Him. Satan loves to play the shell game with us. Moving the shells around on the table, diverting our eyes, and deceiving us into believing that God is playing tricks on us and He doesn’t have our best in mind. Isn’t that what Lucifer did in the Garden of Eden? He convinced Adam and Eve that God wasn’t faithful, you just can’t trust Him. He is hiding something from you. He knows that if you eat of that fruit you will be like Him! So don’t listen to God! Go ahead and eat. Attacking God’s faithfulness to us is the most effective way of destroying our relationship with Him.

We walk by faith and not by sight! If we can’t trust God with our lives then we won’t give our lives to Him. Knowing that God is working, even now, to bring about His will requires us to trust Him when we cannot see where life is taking us. We must understand that His love for us will never fail. Our God is holy, righteous, and in Him there is no shadow of turning. We have a firm foundation on which to stand and are built on nothing less than His Truth. Like the little boy who didn’t understand why his Dad had to go to work we often miss the bigger picture that God is working on because we are self-absorbed and see only our needs, our desires, and our passions. Believing that God is for us when things don’t work out the way we had planned allows us to take another step in our journey of faith.

The Quickened and the Dead

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,..   Ephesians 2:4 (KJV)

The story of Lazarus has always fascinated me.  Lazarus was sick and Jesus delayed going to him.  He could have made it to the bedside of His friend and simply healed him but Jesus waited two days before leaving and by the time that He had arrived Lazarus had been dead four days.  Twice John tells us that Jesus loved Lazarus. This wasn’t just another resident of the city this was a dear friend.  Why did Jesus delay?  He could have simply spoken the word and Lazarus would have been healed as He did for the Centurion’s servant.  There has to be more to this story.  God is pulling back the cover and revealing hidden truth.

Lazarus had two sisters and John makes sure to tell us that Jesus loved them too.  These were special people.  Mary was the woman that came to Jesus and anointed His feet with costly perfume and wiped them with her hair.  They both met Jesus before He came to the house and they both told Jesus that if He had been there my brother would not have died.  They believed that Jesus could heal.  They had seen him heal the sick.  Martha told Jesus that she still believed that whatever He asked God would do it but her faith was not complete because when it came to her dead brother her hope was that her brother would rise again in the resurrection at the last day.  That is like many today who believe that Jesus can do all things but when it come to their circumstance they limit the power of God.

Finally, Jesus is taken to the grave where the body of Lazarus had laid for four days.  They had wrapped him up, laid him in the grave and rolled a stone in front of the entrance.  Lazarus, while mourned, was placed in a dark, cold tomb.  Death had won!  Life was gone. 

But God! 

There are those two words again.  God had a different plan!   Jesus wasn’t winging it and hoping for the best.  He had planned to arrive exactly when He did.  He knew Lazarus was dead before He ever started His journey and you can rest assured that He didn’t come there to mourn.  He came there to help us believe.  Consider John 11:15

“Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”

In the midst of the darkest night God is still in control.  When the storm is raging and the ship is tossed, God is still in control.  When life has been crushed beneath the weight of deaths call, God is still in control.  That is the message Jesus was teaching us.  There is never a time when God cannot step onto the stage of human affairs and change everything.  Our faith may be incomplete.  Our understanding may fail but none of that hinders God’s mighty plan.

Lazarus was dead, buried for four days, his body rotting, his life gone.  Mary and Martha had given up hope, their tear stained faces had lost their glow as they stood outside the tomb.  They had watched him die, they had wrapped him in the cloth, they had lain in the grave, and they knew he was dead.

But God! 

In the darkness of the tomb a light began to shine.  A voice began to rise and hope began to stir.  A quickening was taking place.  That which was dead heard the call of a voice so kind and tender.  A voice of love and grace that was calling,

“Lazarus, come forth”

There in the darkness of the tomb where death had reigned morning had broken!

They Alone

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7

      Jesus was emphatic about who would be blessed as He spoke this beatitude. “Blessed are the merciful, for they..”. They Alone! The word leaves no room for distraction. The blessing of being merciful is that you stand in a class all by yourself. God gives mercy only to the merciful.

      James writes to us, “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shown no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.” James 2:13

      Jesus told us, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

      Those that are prone to legalism misconstrue this passage to think that salvation and mercy from God can be earned by acts of mercy. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Salvation is through the grace of God and cannot be earned in any way.

     “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. Ephesians 2:8-9

      Let’s just stop for a moment and let that thought permeate our spirit. “Not of works.” By grace through faith! There is nothing you can do or will do that saves you. It is the gift of God received through faith! Soak that in. Let it overflow you. Free you. Empower you. This is settled by the Word of God and cannot be debated or argued away.

      So what did Jesus mean “If we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven?”

     To understand we must turn it around. Those that have been forgiven by a merciful God and have the Spirit of God living in them will be merciful. We are the product of what lies within us. If the Spirit of God dwells in you then you will bring forth the fruit of His Spirit. Mercy will rejoice deep in your spirit as it springs forth to those that are in distress.

      The old song says, “I’ve been changed. I’ve been newborn now. All my life has been rearranged.” That is what the love of God living in the heart of men will do. I am forgiven and I can’t help but forgive those that have trespassed against me. I have received mercy and mercy now overflows my soul. I can’t hold it back and I don’t want to hold it back.

      Yes, I am blessed! Not because of work that I have done but because of the work that Christ has done in me.

Firm Footing

Matthew 5:5 (NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
 
     When Jesus taught us the third beatitude He was opening the truth of God’s word from Psalm 37.  The Psalmist was writing to the Israelites who were living in the Promised Land but did not truly possess it.  They had never fully obeyed God’s command and evil men plagued their existence.  Not just evil men in the heathen lands but evil men in their own ranks.  Reading the history of Israel one might wonder why God had ever chosen them as their priests, kings, prophets, and their children failed to live for God time and time again.  Imagine living in that day as a servant of God.  Knowing that God had promised you countless blessings and victories.  Obeying God’s word and living God’s way but never receiving the promise.  This was the world that the Psalmist was living in as he wrote, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not yourself in any wise to do evil.  For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.  For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea they will diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  BUT THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH…”

    It is in the face of promises delayed that God’s people must stand.  When the enemy roars and it seems that evil abounds we must stand in the strength of God’s Word.  The battle belongs to the Lord, Creator of Heaven and Earth.  Knowing this allows us to plant our feet on the solid rock and stand.  Paul told the Ephesians, “Having done all to stand, stand!”  By faith holy men of old believed God and waited for the revelation of His word to come.  They wandered this earth holding fast to what they believed, trusting God, and patiently enduring the hardships of this life and the attacks of the enemy. 

    Life has not changed.  The enemy still fights against the people of God, sometimes from within our own ranks.  Giants possess what God has promised us defying the armies of the Lord to take it from them.  We seek after God and at times look up in the heavens and wonder when His Word will come to pass.  The temptation to take control and try and run the race our way is overwhelming.  We want to push God into action and perhaps force his hand.  Resist the Devil my friend.  Close your ears to his call to be god and turn your face toward the throne.  Waiting requires the strength of steel to accomplish.  We either want to run from the danger or make the danger go away but God wants us to stand!  Stand knowing that He is God.  Stand trusting that His Word is true.  Stand and possess that place where God has placed you in calm assurance that He is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him against that day.

Knowing

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

      Christ came to reveal the Father to us. He said that if we saw Him we saw the Father and no man can come to the Father but by Him. Paul tells the Romans, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God”. Faith is a gift that God has given us. But that gift comes from the revelation of who God is. The more we know Him the greater our faith grows. In our Scripture this week Christ unpacks faith building knowledge. “I will give you rest.” “I am meek and lowly in heart.” “My yoke is easy, my burden is light.” Stop for a minute and consider the revelation that Jesus is speaking into our lives. When I come to Jesus there is rest. There is a place of peace where I am safe from the storm. I will not accept a word that contradicts this truth. Christ beckons us to Him and says “I am meek and lowly”. The word “meek” means gentle. The Spirit of the Lord is gentle. I love the time that I spend in His presence. When I humble myself before Him and in that moment of brokenness He wraps His arms around me and I know that I am loved. I know that He loves me and nothing the world says can change that truth. Faith is knowing! And knowing affects my daily walk. When I hear God’s word and receive God’s word into my heart my steps are ordered by the Lord and I begin to walk in His promises. That is the culmination of faith. Faith isn’t hoping it is the substance of those things you hoped for. Faith isn’t things not seen it is the evidence of those things.
     Today the Holy Spirit wants to unleash a powerful faith in your life. Not something you work up in an ecstatic state but something that grabs hold of you from the Word of God. A revelation of who God is that will never change. No circumstance, no enemy, no trial will ever change the truth that God wants to birth in your heart by His Word. Receive it today.

If The Glove Fits...

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus beckons us, Come unto Him and take His yoke upon us but in verse 30 he tells us that His yoke is tailor made for us.  The word “easy” means “well fitting”.  We can rest assured in the knowledge that God is in control and He will not put anything on us that we cannot bear.  Jesus knows our strength and our weakness.  He knows where we struggle and where we overcome.  There is nothing hidden from our Lord.  So many think that they have covered their failures from His eyes and masked their weakness with vain activities and religious pursuit but the eyes of the Lord have searched us and know our motivations and desires.  In Matthew 7:21 Jesus tells His Disciples, “Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?  and in thy name have cast out devils?  And in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”   What a sobering thought!  Some who held high position and filled their days with “church” activities will stand before God and be rejected because of their hidden motivations. 
     But to those that cry out “Search me, O Lord!  Know my heart.”  To those that are willing fitted for the work that God has designed for them will find that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.  There is no “burn out” when we are properly fitted in the work of the Lord.  His yoke is “easy”  and that means “fitted well”.  As we come along side the Lord he doesn’t drag us or push us.  The Holy Spirit fills us and prepares us for the work ahead.  We can take comfort in knowing that “all things work together for good to them that love God, and are called according to His purpose.”  There is no reason to fear what lies ahead when we are walking with the King.

Climbing the Ladder

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)  -  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You can be sure that when you find yourself in a deep dark pit God will extend a ladder to you, but you have to be willing to climb out.  Grace is the ladder that reaches from Heaven to sinful man and faith is all you need to climb.  Throughout Scripture God extends an invitation to us “Come unto me”! He calls to the nation of Israel in Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”  Jesus cried out in John 7:37, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”  No matter how lost you are or how desperate your situation God is not far away.  He has made a way that you might be forgiven, restored, and blessed.  There is a blessing waiting for you today!  It is not to be found in the riches of this world or the treasures of man.  This blessing is found in the service of God.  When we come to the Lord there is rest for our souls.  The storms of this life must cease and the our feet are established on the solid Rock, Christ Jesus.  If you are struggling under the burden of sin and despair, your despair can be turned to hope your sorrow to joy!  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, by faith take hold of His promises and begin to climb today.

I Ain't 'Fraid of no Ghost

Psalm 27:1 (KJV) - The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Do you remember what movie theme song that line was from? Our enemy has used fear as a weapon against the children of God from the beginning. Creating a crisis in our lives and then motivating us to respond out of fear. Fear of losing, fear of pain, fear of humiliation, fear for our life, fear we won’t have enough, the list goes on and on. Satan loves to make us feel insecure. I have seen men cower behind cars in the face of gun fire or freeze in their place when confronted by an attacker. One of the greatest dangers of fear is inaction. It can paralyze the strongest among us and stop us in our tracks. I remember once as a patrol officer my partner and I were dispatched to a “man with a knife” call. There were four police officers that responded to the call and I was trying to reason with the man. I had my baton and mace out as I was talking to the man, a former Laotian Army Captain, who was very drunk. The other officers were standing behind me with their guns drawn. The man was about 20 feet from me and there were civilians around that I felt were in danger so I sprayed mace in the man’s face to disable him. I expected the man to fall to his feet but instead he became enraged and ran at me. In a split second he had covered the 20 feet. He was holding the knife in an attack position like an army commando would. His training was proficient and he was going to kill me. The police officers behind me should have opened fire and shot the man but instead they froze. Fortunately I was able to defend against the attack and disable the man. In that moment, facing the same threat, some allowed fear to overcome them and other trusted in their training and stepped into the battle.
Often our lives are just like that confrontation. The enemy is upon us without warning and we must trust in what we know to be truth in order to overcome him. Paul says in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Let me warn you right now! Lots of people and things can be against you. The enemy hates you and the image of God that is in you. He will attack you and try to destroy you. People will lie about you, slander you, undermine you, try to tear you down, and set in wait for you. The idea of Romans 8:31 isn’t that our lives will be a bed of roses with everyone just falling over before we get there, it is that with God we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord! You are a vessel of the Holy Spirit! God lives in you and when you learn to trust Him and follow His ways there is no weapon formed against you that can prosper.
When that knife wielding, former jungle fighter, lunged at me I had no time to reason. I had to trust my training. My baton blocked his knife and using a technique that I had practiced time and time again in the police academy I disabled his arm and used his own momentum to place him on the ground. The battle was over and I had won. When the enemy comes at you like a flood overcome your fear with the faith. Faith that God has equipped you with everything you need to stand against the attacks of the enemy.

A Face for the Name

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

One of the four conditions given to the people called by God’s name is to seek His face. Too often, in the midst of our trials, God’s people look for his hand. Our prayers are full of requests and our faith is exercised to “move the hand of God”. Imagine a bride that loves the money and gifts her husband brings to her and keeps asking for more but avoids spending time with him. She doesn’t take time to talk to him, won’t read his letters to her except to find out ways to get more stuff from him, and never spends any time thinking about him. Once a week she spends an hour in the same room as him listening to others talk about him. This bride tells the world that she loves him but she really doesn’t behave like a woman in love. To this people God cries out “If you will humble yourself and pray, and seek my face, and turn from your wicked ways; then I will hear, forgive, and heal your land.”

Imagine the sorrow of the Bridegroom. He loves His wife so much that He gave up everything to redeem her, even laying down His life for her. He is powerful, rich and lacks for nothing but His desire is for her to desire Him. It is His great pleasure to give her the kingdom. Why won’t she love Him? Not in words but in deeds! God cries out “Seek my face! Spend time with me! Get to know me!” What will our answer be? Words and intentions can never be of value unless they are carried by the heart to a place of fulfillment. Remember faith without works is dead and so is love without sacrifice.

I Can Do It

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

“I Can Do It” The human condition is one of struggle. We struggle to come into the world and from the moment that we take our first breath we begin to adapt and overcome. Some have described this struggle as survival of the fittest. Watching a child we see them move from dependence to independence whether it is in the struggle to feed them self, to walk, or to find work and make a living each person lives their life struggling from one goal to another. We are fortunate to have this ability because without it the human race would soon be extinct. But as always what is a blessing on one hand becomes a curse on the other. From our first breath we are conditioned to “do it ourselves” so when we have to lay aside our pride and self reliance to seek God and His help we find that we must overcome a strong fleshly desire that springs up from our core being. To truly humble ourselves and pray means overcoming our survival instinct. Perhaps that is why so many find it hard to pray or turn prayer into a time of demanding God do what we want Him to do.
Abraham knew that God had promised him a child. He had faith and trusted that God was going to keep His word. Yet, we still find Abraham trying to solve the problem on his own. Sarah was only being helpful (she thought) when she suggested using Hagar, her handmaid, in the socially acceptable way for barren women to give their husbands a son. Abraham saw that this way worked for everyone else. Why not give it a chance? Survival instinct on display! To truly come before God in humble prayer we must cease from our labors. Still our mind from it’s fleshly pursuit and wait upon the Lord. The promise of God is that “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” God is able! He is my strength! He is my deliverer! He is my ever present help in times of trouble! So today, I will believe! I will trust not in my wisdom or strength but in God alone. I will humble myself and pray.

X4

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

In this verse God makes four proclamations; no need to fear I am with you, no need to be dismayed I am your God, Need strength I will help you, and finally here is my hand to hold you up. In every aspect of our lives God wants us to know that he is more than enough. There is no problem that God did not foresee. He is not up in Heaven wringing His hands and worrying about what is going to happen. He has it under control. As Christians we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and walk by faith. That is not just a colloquialism but an intricate and vital part of our daily life. Walking by faith through the valley of the shadow of death I can fear no evil. Walking by faith as I navigate the rocks and crevices of the mountain top I know that God is with me. Walking by faith though the storm howls in my face I am secure in His arms. The righteous hand of God is upon me! Whom shall I fear? I can say with Paul “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord". Romans 8:35-39 (NIV) Each time God proclaims a truth into our lives He punctuates it by reminding us that He is able to deliver everything that He has promised. I am with you! I am your God! I will strengthen you! I will help you! I will uphold you! It is MY righteous hand! Now that’s something you can depend on.

I Got Him

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

As a rookie policeman I had to spend six months with a training officer learning the department procedures. I was fortunate to ride with a Training Officer that was a fifth degree black belt in Karate. He was not big in stature but in my years as a police officer I never rode with anyone that remained as calm and cool in the face of danger as he did. I witnessed him take down men twice his size and never break a sweat. After a couple of months I stopped standing back and observing and instead began to step up to the subjects and deal with them myself. It was always reassuring to know that that when I faced uncertain danger he had my back.
As we live our lives for God, we are often called to stand in places of uncertainty and danger. When those times come it is natural to focus on the problem. Our minds begin to run the scenarios and try to find the solution – our path to victory. When we discover that we are out of options with nowhere to turn or the problem seems to overwhelm us we begin to fear. I have been there and I’m sure you have too. That is when God whispers to us “Fear not, for I am with you”. That giant in front of you is no match for God. The fear that you feel is a product of sight not faith and 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that is not the way to walk. We, like Peter, begin to look at the wind and the waves and we take our eyes off of Jesus. It is easy to forget God is there when we are focused on the problem. So today I encourage you to “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” So when Satan is staring you in the face and asks what you are going to do say to that old devil with faith that pierces the dark as you point to Jesus, "I don't know but I got Him!"