Storms of Adversity

When we come face to face with adversity, let your faith arise and know that God has a greater plan He’s working. We cannot look at our circumstances through our own eyes, we cannot judge by our own standards, but what we must do is – in everything give it to God. God will not leave you, His providential hand is always at work in your life. In every trial or trouble, no matter how hard it may seem or how unbelievable things have turned out, we must give it all to God.  The only way we face adversity is by faith in Jesus Christ. Our understanding of things is never on the level as God’s, thinking we can see beyond the mountains and over the hills and through the valleys as God can, we are only deluding ourselves. Our perspective is very limited and often involves only what we want to see.

We must walk by faith knowing that God sees and is aware of everything, and that our involvement of things that are happening cannot change the true outcome. We must declare our dependency upon a sovereign and Omnipotent God who loves us despite our wayward ways. Step out in faith, believe and trust that God can deal with your situations. Peter was told by Christ that he would deny Him three times before the roster crowed on that night, the night that he was betrayed. But before all of this, it was during the Lords supper, Jesus revealed something that Peter could not have ever imagine: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk. 22:31-32).

Even in the most difficult of times we may make the mistake of acting the way Peter did. We question God’s faithfulness to us, we question His love, we even question our faith towards Him. But just as Peter, Satan is right there waiting to sift you as wheat, he is wanting you to keep this attitude of faithlessness going. Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy your faith and for you to turn away from pursuing God; he wants to be your god and if you open that door just a tiny bit, he will take you like a storm.  As hard as it may be, turn a deaf ear to the lies of the enemy and fill your mind with God’s Word, His love and His promises. I’m sure Peter would never had believe that he would deny the Son of God, after all he walked with Him, he heard the teachings and he had seen the miracles first hand, and now the thing that Christ spoke of has come to past.

Adversity has no standards to consider first, it has no qualifications to look at, it is not bias or racial, it is all inclusive. But God be praised, Jesus is praying for you, He is your intercessor, He has the ear of God and He is lifting you before the Father. He is praying that your faith does not fail and that you be strengthen in the difficulty you are facing. He is placing angels in your path to lead you, He is speaking a Word in you through the Holy Spirit – God has not forsaken you. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith fail not, the Lord has shown compassion, forgiveness and now restoration of Peter’s Apostolic office that he though he lost. We see his restoration here, when an angel appeared to Mary “but go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mk. 16:7).  

Peter was strength by this message, it brought him the peace of mind and heart that he was still in God’s good grace. Just as Jesus is praying now for you that your faith fail not, so stand strong on your conviction, stand strong on the promises of God, and don’t allow the enemy to have any place in you. As hard as it may be for you to believe, God has a plan for your life, even when it feels as though you can’t breathe or that you can’t go on, He’s right there with you. God is a God of Love, seek His forgiveness, get to the Word of God and believe it. Ask God to lead you to scriptures that will keep you strengthen and walking in faith, pray with fervency and perseverance – never give up. Trust that even in your most difficult moment, in your troubles and in your trials, God is in absolute control – and you can be sure that He will deliver you and then you will give Him all the Glory.

Chosen2Prayer

SEEDS...

I love the story of the "Seed and the Sower" and as much as I have read this story I always come away with something different. This time, as God showed me how we meet people and when we talk with people, we can see them in one of these scenarios. Some may receive a word from you with joy, some may debate you on every scripture you speak and others will blatantly refuse to believe what you say as truth.  I can say I have met many who I could relate to the four stages of  heart condition.  But, truth be told, I have found myself to have visited each of these stages at one time in my life. I give all glory to God for HE IS a God of His Word, for He never left me to my own foolish thinking, He has kept His hand upon me guiding me and directing back on His path. I may have wondered here and there, but He never let me go too far out of His sight. I pray that this insight from the God above will be enlightening to you as well as a blessing...

 The wayside

Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord... (Hosea 10:12) For we need to prepare our hearts and this is done through much praying and diligently seeking God on a daily basis. “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)” 2 Cor. 9:10.   God is the supplier of the seed as well as the bread that we eat for all comes from His hands. Our hearts seem to have been seared as with a hot iron, we are stubborn, high minded and arrogant“…he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief” Prov. 28:14.  Our pride says we can do better, we have given ear to the enemy in following all his ways, unknowingly, we have let him have control of our lives, for when the Word of God is sown he comes immediately and takes away what we have heard. Our pride says this is rubbish, but now something is breaking within us, something is changing our way of thinking, let us strive to break up that fallow ground of our heart, let us begin with fervent prayer; we must fight off the lies of the enemy who will try to destroy the Word which we have heard, and we must not give him an opportunity to whisper in our ears to deceive us any longer. Don’t give him any place in your mind and your heart, “…resist the devil and he will flee” James 4:7.

The stony, rocky ground

When we hear the Word, it is received with great joy, it is sown within us but our foundation is shallow and weak and we don’t have the ability to receive the deeper meaning of the Word.  And because this is the condition of our heart for it has no deepness in which to take root, the Word says; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” Jn. 6:66. Those who walked with Jesus, those who saw His miracles and heard His teachings, suddenly turn away, they allowed doubt, fear of persecution from others, and unbelief to come in and they chose to turn away from Christ.  Our soil is partially prepared not all the stone have been removed for the seeds cannot fully develop. Many times, we hear people say that the Word is too difficult to understand, or it's just confusing. Because there are still many obstacles (stones) that still stand in your way, Jesus says: "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). He knows that we all face the temptation to doubt, and we may even turn away for a while, but we will all come back to the only source who is able to help us when we call upon Him. Our faith is critical in fully believing in what we hear, tribulations and all sorts of evil that arises may come, but knowing that God is on our side we are assured to be an overcomer just as Jesus. Whatever the hindrances are to the Word being planted deeply with you must be dealt with immediately. For that stony ground is covered with more and more rocks that prevent the seeds to fully grab hold of the richness of earth.  Therefore, when you hear the Word, resist the lies of the enemy when he comes to take that away which was planted. You must keep striving never give in to fear or doubt, but believe that God desires to give you another heart: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” Eze. 11:19. Continue to break up your fallow ground, don’t give up.

The Thorny Ground

“…break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” Jer.4:3. As we come to God, as we truly receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, a cleansing starts within and this is where we agree with God that this bad habit, arrogant attitude or this selfish way of thinking must go.  Our ground is receiving good seed, and it’s beginning to take root in us, but the cares of this life, the things we find ourselves so concern with daily are beginning to chock the seeds. There are so many concerns that many of us face daily and it may seem hopeless at times but we must grab hold of the Word and believe it with all that we have. We must let go of the negativity, we must break away from the naysayers and we must close our ears to the lies of the enemy. There is no justification for holding onto things that displeases God. You must learn to let go, to relinquish control and know that all is in God’s hands. Don’t allow the cares of this world to smother your seed, don’t think that your way is better for this is just lies from the enemy to make you stop pursuing God. And don’t allow the “deceitfulness of riches” of this world, rob you of your glorious riches in heaven. The Word is in you and the Word is doing what it’s supposed to do – and that is, helping you to produce fruit.

The Good Ground

Now this is the place where we should strive to be, we hear the Word, we receive it and now we are beginning to bear fruit. This is the level that we all should desire our hearts to be, the soil is plowed up and made ready for good seed. Our soil is supple, we are receiving the Word and cherishing every moment to read it; and its roots are deeply planted.  The Word of God is within us, it feels as though we have finally come home. It took some time for us to reach this point, but in the struggle, we found the strength to keep breaking up our fallow ground. There were struggles about letting go, there was doubt as to if this Word is true, and there was spiritual warfare that we had to engage in to battle the lies and to turn our focus onto God. Now, God’s Word is firmly planted, we have complete access to His throne of mercy at any time of the day and we know how to respond to those who ask us of our hope. Our faith grows stronger every day, our knowledge of God enlightens our understanding and His love fills us with not only assurance but with a sense of awe. We are producing fruit that pleases God, we are sharing, helping, encouraging, and praying with others on their journey to the Good Ground.  

Chosen2Prayer

Promises and Power of God

Jn. 3:27 “…a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”

Rom. 8:25 “…then do we with patience wait for it.”

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2Peter 1:3). All that we will ever need is in Him, for He is our source for strength, ability, might, and power and He has given to us these thigs where we draw strength, endurance, faith to work the work He has given for us to do. His Word is His promise that we can trust completely in: “for all the promises of God in him are yea (yes) and in him amen (truly, so be it), unto the glory of God by us” 2 Cor:1:2.  What a wonderful blessing to know that in God His promises are sure, His Word is sure, and that not one promise of God is “no” to those who will believe. If He said it will he not do it?

As we look in Matthew 17:20 we see Jesus speaking; “… if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove...” this is a powerful statement, the story here was that the disciples were unable to cast out a demon from a young man and the father went to Jesus to see if He could help his son. Of course, Jesus was successful but He told the disciples "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" Mat. 17:21 (NASB). unbelief or doubt is a killer to faith, it hinders our prayers from being answered, it stops the Word from producing fruit when we speak it because our faith is mixed with doubt.

If you have faith it will be done – whatever you say – but if you do not have faith it will not be done. We need this mustard seed of faith that which is pure and unmixed with doubt, to know that we can move every mountain, every obstacle, every road block that tries to hinder what God has given us to do. As you begin to search the Bible for the promises of God your faith will awaken, there will be a knowing that is birth within that is indescribable because faith has been stirred.  Never should doubt or fear come in us when God has called us to do something, in fact just kick those out of your vocabulary right now and know that “…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Mt. 17:20).

Our Mustard seed faith is very powerful, if you have ever seen an actual mustard seed you will know that, that tiny seed is like an atom bomb waiting to be connected with your belief and what God’s Word says we have. And when it is released, it becomes the power of God, and the faith of God that will move the mountains and all that stands in our way.  There is great power even in a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act. The next time you feel weak or powerless, examine your faith, make sure you are trusting God’s power and not your own ability to produce fruit. 

A good example of this is in 1 Samuel 15, here you will find Saul who was anointed King over Israel, who was victorious over many of the enemies of Israel because of God’s hand upon him. But something went wrong in his thinking, he didn’t follow God’s command completely, he disobeys God in the taking of the king and the best of the animals (1 Sam.15:8-9).  Then, he intruded into the priest office by offering a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8-15), If men could only learn to obey God and be patient until He sends help in times of need, it would be a great lesson learned. Then he sought guidance from one with a familiar spirit, the same people he had vanquished and destroyed he was now seeking their help (1 Sam. 28:7-25).  

 Saul chose to do these things because he feared the people more than God, he was prideful and then in desperation he totally disobeyed the laws of God, the one who had given him victory over many of his enemies. But he never realized that disobedience to what God called him to had such a dire consequence.  You see, when God has given you a word, a task or a calling, and you fail in obeying or you half-heartily follow it or you are fearful of what people would say, the one at fault is you. Saul did not see himself as one at fault, he thought it was the people he feared, it was his impatience, and it was Samuel who had died and left him. He was the king the people followed him, as his faith weakened and an evil spirit rested upon him the people’s faith was lacking and as he disobeyed the people followed.

Saul is an example that shows us how life can become when we walk in our own ways and thoughts. Remember, we have the power of God in us, that is, those who have truly received the atoning work of Jesus as Lord of their lives. We have been given a precious gift when Jesus said; “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). This comforter, is the precious Holy Spirit, He is living in us, He is that power behind the mustard seed faith, He is that power that raised Jesus and Lazarus from their grave, and He is that power that worked when God said “Let there be…” When God calls us, we should let nothing stop us from going forth to do the will of God. And as we walk in obedience to God’s will good fruit will come forth.

Accessing the promises of God requires that we “have faith in God” and doubt not. For when we meet this condition we can thus know and believe that “…what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). We must ask according to God’s will our desires, what is your desire you ask? God’s will is God’s Word and God’s Word is your desire.  Ask in faith, believing and never doubting, for the deeper we get into Gods Word, and the more time we spend in His presence a relationship develops, an intimacy that you have never known is being formed.  And suddenly, all that you thought was vital to your existence no longer has priority, and every trial or situation has lost its urgency because now you know what it means when God say’s “but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

The desires of your heart are no longer worldly, for God does see the condition you’re in, He knows what you are facing, He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. So, let your faith stand strong knowing that he is an on - time God, let God handle the issues of your life and let Him work everything out according to His plans for you – in the meantime, continue to praise him, to pray unto Him, to seek Him, to study His Word and to love His presence, for He is faithful.

One other condition I want to mention is that “if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7). Abiding in Christ, means living free from condemnation, knowing we are no longer bound to our sins, for Christ has freed us, he has washed us white as snow and we are now adopted into the family of God.  And therefore, we have the privilege of coming to the Father in prayer at any time with our desires, needs and wants. And with unwavering faith, God will do nothing in our favour without faith. It is right that we should have confidence in him; and if we have confidence, it is easy for him to help us, and he willingly does it. (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament) Because we understand that “…all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mk 9:23). Because “without faith it is impossible to please God for when we come to God, we must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). For God, cannot deny His word or Himself.

Chosen2Prayer