Power Of Personal Resurrection

Key Scripture:  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:2

Power Point:

     What would my life be like without Jesus? It’s a good question to ask isn’t it?

When I remember the person I was when I first asked Jesus to come into my heart, I realize how different my life would be if I hadn’t done that.

It would have been a downhill slide. Oh, not that I was a murderer or a bad person but I definitely thought more about “me, me, me”, than I did about others. Even though I was kind to people, I was also very much concerned with how what I did affected ME!

Jesus changed all that. He’s given me a new focus and a new purpose and even though it blesses me, it’s not about me!

I was also very fearful.  And shy.  And I didn’t enter in to “life” as freely as I should have because of that. I lived in a tug-of-war in my mind over whether I would be safe or whether something bad would happen to me. Fear framed my thoughts.

Jesus changed all that.

     I often felt “alone”.  I knew God to be someone “up in heaven”, someone who observed me from a distance and checked off my poor choices each day.  Jesus changed all that.

     On this Resurrection Day, I can see how He brought total resurrection into my life, by making God a personal, loving, and kind part of my life.

He introduced me to the concept of a good God and when I began to see the real nature of our Father, it began to erase fear, and loneliness and selfishness and pride. As I sit here this morning, I am amazed at the difference Jesus has made already, and I’m pretty sure He’s not done yet.

We’ve got miles to go before I sleep!

     I’ve seen Jesus bring resurrection to my thoughts, my plans, my hopes and dreams.  I’ve seen Him resurrect dying relationships and harmful situations.

He has this thing about working things out for our good doesn’t He?

     How about you? Can you “add up” the changes Jesus has made in your life? Is there evidence of His resurrection power? There should be. There can be.

All you have to do is ask, believe, receive and take Him at His word. When Jesus was raised from the dead, the graves were emptied.

He is risen.  Have you?

Power Thought:

There’s a resurrection in your future.  Why not today? Death cannot hold you either.

Power Of Grace As A Force

Key Scripture:  “There remains a rest for the people of God.”  Hebrews 4:9

Power Point:

    Grace looked silly to the Devil. Every brutal blow that struck Jesus; every harsh word spoken to Him; every nail that pierced His body led the Devil to imagine that he was destroying the power of God. It appeared to him that he finally had God right where he wanted Him;dead and buried.

     Recently I was listening to Jeremy Pearsons and he made a remark that has given me fresh wind beneath my wings. He said, “Grace is working.  I am resting.”   

     In Hebrews 4 you hear the sad story of the children of Israel who missed the Promised Land altogether. Why? They heard what God told them but they had no faith in what He said. Wouldn’t you think that with a pillar of fire at night and a cloud of His presence over them during the day, they would have had a little more faith?  It seems that they didn’t. They never got to enter into the “rest” that comes as a result of taking God at His word and believing that He is always working on our behalf. Always.

     I saw a note in my bible this morning and I wanted to share it with you. It’s from the New Spirit Filled Bible, a note on Ephesians 2:8. “Grace is a force as well as favor, a verb as well as a noun.”

     Sometimes we think that grace is just a word on a page. But Beloved, GRACE, God’s character of Grace, His desire for Grace in our lives is a VERB!

It’s active all the time. It is a FORCE!  It’s moving people and things and situations to work for good in our lives. You can REST in that fact. Grace is a VERB!  It’s always doing something. Grace never RESTS, so that we can.

Ah! Peaceful Rest

     For every problem in your life; for every discouraging thing; for every “impossible” situation, God has a promise for you. It’s all there in black and white between the covers of your Bible. Do you believe Him?  Those promises can remain just words on a page or they can become a living, breathing grace force in your heart. Those promises are your own pillar of fire and your cloud of His presence. If you mix them with faith, they begin to work; but Beloved, they work for you ONLY if you mix them with faith.
      How can you know you are resting? You’ll find yourself peaceful hopeful, and joyful in abundance. You’ll find an anticipation and expectation of His goodness. You’ll keep your eye on a future wrapped in His promises.

     Are you ready to stop marching around your mountain of problems and add some faith to the promises He has for you? Or would you rather just keep going in circles, ignoring the obvious?  If you are worried, or anxious or frantic, you will never enter His rest. There’s a startling statement in Hebrews 4:3:
“…they shall not enter My rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”  You cannot enter God's rest if you don't believe Him or if you refuse to obey Him. Grace has been active on our behalf from the very beginning of the world. He has a grace place prepared for you.You can rest there. Don't fall short of it.  

     It may look silly to you.  It certainly did to the devil on that Good Friday. But Sunday was coming. And so was the Grace of God. Thank You Jesus.

Power Thought:

Gaby Resting

Grace is working.  Are you resting?

Are you resting?  Grace is working.
It's a force to be reckoned with.

Power Of Grasping

Hold On Tight!

Key Scripture:  "And what is His exceeding power toward us who believe..far above every power and every name that is named, not only in this world but in the world to come."   Ephesians 1:19-21
Power Point:

In Hebrew, the word “obey” means something very special. It means that you “See the Name”.  The word “name” means the One that destroys chaos. To obey means to hear, understand, and obey the One who destroys chaos. How’s that working for you?

The word “grasp” is a great picture of this.  When you “grasp” something it means that you reach out and take hold of it. You allow it in your life. You hold on tightly to something. If it’s a truth, you comprehend it. If it’s a lifeline, you take a firm grasp on it and you don’t let go. 

I lived for many years as a Christian never grasping the truth of what the Name could mean in my life. I didn't "see" it. I thought God was a little removed from my situation and I never grasped hold of the fact that He was good and He wanted good things for me. Unfortunately I believed a lot of lies about Him. You’ve probably believed some of them yourself! You’ve heard the one that says He gives you disease or struggles because He wants to teach you to love Him more. I really believed that for a while. I grasped the lie and not the Truth that was shouting to me from the pages of scripture. God SO loves me. God is my healer. God provides everything I need. God is GOOD!

Baby Grasping Doctor's Hand

Imagine my relief when I grasped that Truth.

When we “grasp” the Truth, it means that we are grasping the fact that the Name of Jesus is above all other names. Period. It means that He will destroy chaos anywhere and any time. It’s who He is and what He does. He’s the Savior for heaven’s sake. When we call on His Name, it releases Him to destroy any chaos in our lives. 

If you grasp those facts, you won’t be tempted to believe the lies the Enemy is trying to tell you.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. It means His desire for us is peace. The Hebrew and Biblical concept of peace includes wholeness, health, finances and favor in every area of your life. It means nothing missing or broken. It means, NO chaos. If you can grasp that truth, you are well on your way to a “whole” life.

You have to “SEE” and grasp the Name and what it means for you. You have to get a firm grip on Who He really is and not let go. Chaos is not our friend, Beloved, Jesus is.

Can you GRASP that?

Power Thought:

What you think on, the things that you grasp firmly, will set the course of your life. What are you holding on to?
Are you gasping for air or grasping the Truth?

Power Of Certainty

Power Of Certainty

Look at the birds of the air

Key Scripture:  “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all else will be added unto you. Therefore, do not worry….”  Matthew 6:33

Power Point:

     Uncertain times. We all go through them don’t we?  In this world we never know what we will wake up to in the morning.  The economy, wars, and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Jesus said, “and there will be earthquakes in various places and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”  Well, that’s encouraging!

I guess you could say that uncertainty is a certainty today couldn’t you?

     But I’ve got GOOD news for you.  In the real world, in the kingdom that’s ruled by the King of kings, everything is certain-everyone is secure. Why? Because Jesus said so. He has taken the time and the trouble to introduce us to His Father and to the Holy Spirit. They rule in His kingdom. He has taken the time and the trouble to make sure that we can now live with certainty in the midst of uncertainty. Why? Because He loves us SO much!

Are there financial issues looming in your life?  Your Father says He will provide all your needs, AND that He will fulfill all your desires. It’s a certainty.

Are there health issues beating you down? You know what? No problem! Jesus says that one of the main things He loves to do is heal the sick. Why? Because He hates disease and His heart is pure compassion.

Consider the Lilies

Are there relationship issues tearing you apart? Well guess what! The Holy Spirit is all about unity. He’s the “uniter” not the divider. And if you ask for His help, and do what He tells you to do, those relationships will be restored.

     At any rate, today I want to give you some specific good news that should touch every part of your life.  They are YOUR promises from YOUR Father.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts I think toward you…thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Jeremiah 33:6  “Behold I will bring health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them an abundance of truth.”

Isaiah 45: 2 “I will go before you and make the crooked places straight.”

Proverbs 2:7,8  “I store up sound wisdom for the upright. I am a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of His saints.”

Psalms 84:11  “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Psalms 37:3,4  “Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.

Delight yourselves in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, And HE shall bring it to pass….Those who wait on the Lord will inherit the earth.”

So Beloved-your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to:

Trust Him in uncertain times and in certain times.

Possess the place where you are and stuff yourself full with the truth of His faithfulness.

Be determinedly delighted in Him, in His goodness, and His love.

Give the reins to Him with perfect trust and confidence that He will do what He has said He will do.

Jesus said: Abide. Dwell.  Believe. Trust. Receive. That’s your job.  He’s already done everything else.  That’s what Easter is all about.

Power Thought:

 You can be certain in any uncertainty because God never leaves you or abandons you. He is your safe place.