Don't Fear - August 30, 2014

Don’t Fear – Keep Going

“If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?] Romans 8:31

 We must learn how to deal with fear before it goes too far because it will never completely go away. Feeling fear is part of being alive. We may feel fear when we are  doing something we have never done before, or when the obstacles seem insurmountable, or when we don’t have the natural help we feel we need. None of this means we are cowards, it means we are human. We can only be cowardly when we allow our fears to dictate our actions or decisions, instead of following our hearts and doing what we know is right for us.

We must accept the fact that fear will never go away completely, but also know we can live boldly and courageously because God has told us that He is always with us. Because of that knowledge we can choose to ignore the fear we feel. It’s okay to feel fear; it’s not okay to act on those feelings. You see, the word fear means “to take flight” or “to run away from” and it causes us to want to flee from what God wants us to confront.

The only acceptable attitude for a Christian to have toward fear is “I will not fear.” Do not shrink back from anything in fear. You may be going forward with something you feel God has spoken to you to do. Then something happens to make it appear that it’s not working out or that people are not in favor of it. You realize that if you do what God wants you to do, you may risk losing some friends, some resources, or your reputation.

When you feel that fear, the first impulse is to shrink back, isn’t it? God knows that, and that is why He says, “Do not fear.” When He tells us not to fear, what He means is, no matter how you feel, keep putting one foot in front of the other and doing what you believe He has told you to do because that’s the only way to defeat fear and make progress.

Trust in Him Thought: Trust the Word of God more than you trust the lies of the devil, and keep making progress!

Excerpt – Trusting God Day By Day, Joyce Meyer, FaithWords pub. 2012, p.288-89

May God Bless It!!! August 15, 2014

21 Days of Prayer - Day –13 May God Bless it!
Zechariah 4:6
6 Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’[a]”

The rebuilding of God’s temple! God let’s the people know that they need to depend up on Him and trust Him and not their might or abilities.

Three things: Not by force, nor by strength but my His spirit.

The answer is coming!!!

Not by force – referring in this verse to military; today we would say any outside resources that are available at our touch. But sometimes God says, not even by all of your resources. Not by force!

Not by strength – referring to one’s individual strength. This work that God’s people needed to do would not be finalized in their own individual strength or ability. It is not to be done by our own understanding. Sometimes when we need that breakthrough, God reminds us that it’s not to be accomplished by our own strength because ultimately the flesh, our strength is too weak (Matthew 26:40-42).

By MY Spirit – God’s work – the building of this temple or in your life what God is doing or about to bring about – is ultimately going to be accomplished by His Spirit. By His Spirit mountains are turned to molehills.
It is by God’s Spirit that what God has planned will be accomplished.
9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. 1 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Note verse 7 – Nothing not even a mighty mountain will stand in the way – it will be a level plain! -- Also note – “When”.. not maybe .. but “when” .. it’s going to happen. God’s temple is going to be rebuilt. “when” God is going to do that work in your life if you will just let HIM.

Don’t rely upon outside resources or your own abilities.. but let His Spirit work in your life – and every thing that seems insurmountable and huge will be overcome!

“When” God bring the work to completion – the result is that the people will rejoice. They’ll shout “May God Bless it!, May God Bless it!”

So today, let the Lord work in whatever your situation! When He accomplishes His work, be ready then to share and shout “May God Bless it!!”

Our Situations and God's Solutions August 12, 2014

2 Corinthians 1:20-22New Living Translation (NLT)

20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.

 Today we discuss and pray about our situations and God’s solutions.

2 Truths:

1)     When we pray – God says “yes.”

We have fears that we think our prayers may go unheard or unanswered

But God promises to answer our prayers – but sometimes in ways we don’t expect. We can trust HIM.

4 Ways in which God says “yes” or answers our prayers:

A.   When all is right, God says “let’s go.”

B.   When the timing is off, God says “slow.”

C.   When we may need God to work more in our life, God says “Grow.”

D.   God may also say, “let me answer this prayer, but in my way.” He says “Woa.”

2)    When we pray – we say “Amen”

Amen = “may it be” or “so be it.”

 When God says “let’s go,” we say “so be it.”

When God says, “slow,” we say “so be it.”

When God says “grow,” we say “so be it.”

When God says “Woa,” we say “so be it.”

How can we do this – For the Glory of God!

Thought: God’s glory is more important than our agenda.

God has given us these added promises making it all possible: (v.21)       

-       He enables us to stand firm in Christ.

-       He has commissioned us.

-       He has identified us as his own through the Holy Spirit

-       It’s the Holy Spirit’s presence in our life that is the guarantee of all the He has promised us.