"YOUR FAITH WILL CARRY YOU" - CONTINUED. . . Part 3

Posted on March 9, 2011 @ focusontheheart.org
For the "hope for the heart" page

Remember, it's so very important for us to be used of God and live a life, free from sin's bondage!

Why would anyone want to remain bound by sin?

The next passage we'll look at is about a woman who had been experiencing a continuous flow of blood for twelve years and she had been to many doctors trying their remedies and she spent all that she had, but on this day she had heard that the Lord Jesus was coming and she knew if she could only touch His robe, that she would become healthy and have a normal life again! She had come this day with unwavering faith; faith in the power of the Lord Jesus. She believed it with all of her heart! Imagine the joy that filled her life this day!

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said,"Who touched my clothes?"
His disciples said unto him, "You see the multitude thronging thee, and you say, "Who touched me?". He looked round about to see her that had done this thing, but the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth and he said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague". ~ Mark 5:25-34

There was a woman of Canaan who had heard that Jesus was going to be at the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and she believed that Jesus could perform miracles and that He was the Lord. She also knew that she was not of Israel, like others who followed Jesus. Yet she knew what she believed and she wasn't going get discouraged and give up because of her ethnic origin, as often times this could be a major social and religious barrier in this region of the world. She knew Jesus could help her daughter who was controlled by a devil! She had to go in faith.
Her "friends" probably warned her that she wasn't going to be able to be helped, as she was not socially accepted by the nation of Israel. She likely had battled with those thoughts as she made the journey to where Jesus was, but by the time she had arrived she was so sure of His power that she knew if she could just get a few crumbs from the true Bread of Life, that her daughter would be free from being possessed by demons! Let's look at this passage in Matthew and see what happened,

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil".
But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and besought him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us". But he answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel".
Then she came and worshipped him, saying, "Lord, help me".
But he answered and said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs".
She said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table".
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt", and her daughter was made whole from that very hour. ~ Matthew 15:22-28

Men and women who were made whole or who were freed from evil spirits were all changed forever! What I'd like for us all to focus on now, is what made the difference in the lives of the men who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus, what made the difference in the life of the woman who had spent at least a quarter of her life in pain, sorrow and doctor's offices trying to find an answer and what made the difference in the life of the mother and the daughter who suffered from control of a demon that had planned to destroy her body, mind and soul.
The thing that made the difference in the lives of these people and others throughout the Word of God, is that these men and women had come to an understanding; a major realization of the hope that was found only in the Lord Jesus, who had come to earth as a man to seek and to save that which was lost.

You see, they had all come to understand the fear of the Lord's Power through respect and reverence; they had come to understand the love of the Lord in His grace and willingness to forgive people of their sin. That realization was what brought each and every one of them to the understanding of His compassion on them all, as He always recognized their faith and trust in Him as their Savior!

Your FAITH in GOD will carry you through the difficulties and bring you amazing deliverance from the circumstances and troubles of this world.

You will be able to live above the times of crisis and sorrow, when you trust GOD to CARRY YOU as Your Faith will also make You Complete in Christ Jesus!

Many are facing disasters and troubes beyond their imagination internationally today , but my friend, I assure you, "Christ is there for You!"

Let's learn from and take comfort in the words written and passed down to us by David the psalmist.

"Cast your (troubles) burden on the Lord and He will (keep) sustain you! He will not allow the (to live & do right) righteous to be (weak) moved!" ~ Psalm 55:22

Also the words of Isaiah the prophet will give comfort, strength and guidance for you in this time when things may seem so hopeless! You can rely on this prophecy of hope!

Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?

There is no searching of his understanding.
He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increases strength.

Even the youth will faint and be weary, and the young men will utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary;

and they shall walk, and not faint.

~ Isaiah 40:28-31 ~

SO YOU'RE A WISE GUY?

James 1:5

Who needs wisdom?

Take a minute to ponder this question. Do you have all the wisdom that you will need to handle any situation that could arise in your lifetime? If we answer this in all honesty, we would all have to admit that we couldn't possibly have the wisdom now that we will need for the rest of our lives! So, how can we be sure that we will have the wisdom when we need it, so we will make the right decisions? Is it possible that you may have an important decision to make right now, as you are reading this Daily Light post today?


Now let's ask ourselves this, "Do you understand why we sometimes lack the wisdom that we need in order to make the proper decisions and choices for your life and your family"? I know that is allot to think about all at once and I really just wanted you to take a minute to think about this predicament of decision making without possessing true wisdom. We often find it much easier to just ignore this crucial missing link to making decisions wisely! This can effect the outcome greatly concerning some of the most important decisions of our lives. The choices made out of ignorance often lead to regret and emotional injury and those injuries take a long time to heal. Then why do we still make these kind of decisions when we know the risk of injury to follow?

Many times we'll tell ourselves that we just don't have the time to find out everything we need to make an informed decision. So we act in haste and bulldoze our way through life, leaving casualties all along the way or paying highly with the loss of friends and relationships. Does this describe you or someone you know? Most of us know someone else like this, but today we all need to stop and take a look at ourselves. We all are just as capable of this as the next guy.
Sometimes our decisions are made out of ignorance because we are just too stubborn to let anyone else offer you any helpful advice. Has anyone ever shared a reference with you and you just brushed it off like a piece of lent; acting s if it was an annoyance to you that they even offered to help. This stubbornness stems back to pride and pride is a characteristic that takes us down every time, as Jesus taught His disciples this throughout the Word of God. Is it wrong for us to ignore this teaching? Of course it is, but it could be that we often feel that we have no other choice but to move ahead ignorantly because we don't have time or resources at our fingertips.

Let's look at what a writer who was inspired by God wrote about this very need that we all face when we are making these critical decisions.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Can it really be this simple brothers and sisters? James speaks from experience. James was called a "pillar" of the church at Jerusalem by Paul.(Galatians 2:9) He must have had times when he felt that he lacked the wisdom he needed, but he knew where he could turn for help. Let's look a little more in depth at what James is teaching the scattered followers of Christ in this passage. He says first of all without any judgement or piety, "If any man lack wisdom"; and that's going to include every man, isn't it? So James didn't specify any nationality, religious group, occupation, class or race. Next he said, "let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally". The Greek for the word "liberally" used in this passage is "haplōs" and it literally means "bountifully". So we are to ask for wisdom and God will give us wisdom bountifully!

With James spiritual strength and being a follower of Jesus, he would know firsthand just how much God would give when we ask! As if that wasn't enough, James followed that great news with this,"and upbraideth not; and it will be given him.". That should excite everyone to know that all we have to do is ask and it WILL be given to us! But look at this small added piece of detail that James added in his statement,"upbraideth not". "And God upbraideth not." Why did he include such a statement in between telling us to ask and telling us that we will receive?

The word "upbraideth" in the Greek is "oneidezō" and is pronounced on-i-did'-zo. This Greek word literally means to defame, that is, rail at, chide, taunt ; also (suffer) reproach, revile or upbraid. Have you ever felt that maybe God would look at you in disbelief if you dare to ask Him for direction with a situation? Have you ever been too embarassed to ask God about a decision in your life?

Believe me when I tell you that you should NEVER EVER feel like God will embarass you for your requesting His help you brothers and sisters! Our God loves us so and cares for our every need. That is our assurance today! Ask and you will receive bountifully from a God who will never embarrass you or give you a hard time!

With our Lord God of Abraham,Isaac and Isreal, the only silly or embarassing question you may have is the question that you didn't ask God!

If any man lacks Wisdom, let him ask of God....James 1:5

"IS IT POSSIBLE?"

If You'll Believe, All Things ARE Possible!

Have you ever had a problem that seemed so big that you just couldn't see any possible way to get through it?

Have you ever had a sickness or a family crisis at a time when your job stress was at it's peak?

Do you have something going on in your life right now that just seems like it will never end and the struggle seems to be pulling you down to the point of giving up?

If you are a mom, dad or grandparent you could probably say "yes" to at least one of the above, if not all. I'm going to be short and to the point today, since Christmas is past and you probably have allot of activities planned as the new year approaches. As you plan your next year, take a moment to look at a man who couldn't plan his year. His life was full of despair. Pay attention as I tell you about his life, my friend! Take a minute to look at his circumstances, not yours!

There once was a man who had dealt with a problem for most of his parenting life. He had a child that was filled with evil spirits. His son would foam and thrash about on the ground like a lunatic. The spirits would throw him onto the fire to burn him and into the water to try and drown him!
Can you imagine what this child must have looked like? He was probably covered with scars and scabs. Maybe he had long dirty broken nails on his hands and feet and most likely hair matted and dirty like an animals would look in the wild. But this young man's father had not given up hope for him. He had heard that Jesus was coming to town! He went to Jesus for help. Take a look at the passage where I read this in Mark;

Mark 9:22 "And often it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us."

Before the father called out for help, he most likely had been thinking,"Lord, if you can; please feel my pain; please understand; please don't run away from us like everyone else does; please "HELP US"! The response that Jesus gave was so awesome! Let's look at what happened next;


Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes. "

Need I say anything else? Let's look at what happened next.


Mark 9:24 And immediately the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief!"

This man was blown away when Jesus told him that "all things are possible". He had come to Jesus asking him if He could help his son and Jesus sent him away on that day, knowing that all things are possible for those who will just believe in the power of His name.

Do you want something that to happen in your life today that seems impossible?

Do you need help with unbelief?

It's ok! Jesus loves for us to come to him with those kind of requests! Jesus knows we are human and we have times when our faith grows weak, due to overwhelming circumstances.

Believe today and You too will experience what others may see as impossible! You might ask,"How does he know this? How can he say this with so much confidence?"

Because Jesus said," ALL things are possible to those who Believe!"

"Drop by "Daily Light" on facebook and ask to be added & get a little light for each day!"

"CHEER UP"

What makes us cheerful?

"Trust in the LORD and delight thyself in Him" (Psalm 37:4). Joy is always associated with trust in God. St. Paul on his way to prison said, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Jesus met men and women who were burdened with care, and he told them, "Be of Good cheer!".

Trust and sing your worries away. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy changes our outlook upon the world. When the soul thrills to heaven's purpose and joy abounds, problems become less difficult and the way grows brighter. Be of good cheer and people will look different. Be of good cheer and toil will be sweeter. Be of good cheer and all nature smiles upon you.

Learn a lesson from the birds. Two cardinals built their nests in a bush near the house. They sang and toiled day after day. When finally the nest was ready for occupancy, one bird settled down in it. The other bird brought food and stood on guard. They had no troubles or worries till one afternoon there came a storm out of the west. The wind blew and the rain came down in torrents, but the mother bird clung to her nest. Then came a sudden rush of wind that tore the nest from the branch and hurled it to the ground. All the eggs were broken and all loves labor was lost.

About an hour later the storm was past; the sun was shining and from the top branch of a tree in the yard came the sweet song of the cardinal. The two birds that had lost their all in the storm were singing cheerfully as if nothing like that mattered much. The next day they were busily engaged in building another nest.

Trust in the Lord and sing His praises. Listen to St. Paul in the midst of the storm: "Be of good cheer! For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." Sing in the face of adversity! Sing and drive the clouds of doubt away! Sing and believe that all the ills of life work together for good to them that love the LORD and are called according to His purpose. That means that God undertakes for those who commit their ways to the wisdom of His will.

Are you willing to commit your way unto God and trust in Him? If so, He will order your steps and lead you right. He will not let you be cast down. He will uphold you with His hand. He has promised this. Trust Him! Put yourself in His hands and sing:

He leadeth me, Oh Blessed thought!
Oh words with heavenly comfort fraught.

Finally, you must "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Do not become nervous and anxious. Hold steady and be patient. Remember, Jesus never fails. Some things at the moment may be puzzling and trying and you may be tempted to question God's wisdom in permitting them; but tomorrow or the next day, or the next year, you may see how God made the things which perplexed you to become the ministers of His rich and fruitful purpose.

"Rest in the Lord." What is the secret of rest? It is thought without worry, care without anxiety, knowledge without fear and faith without misgiving. In other words, look the situation in the face and give it careful thought, but do not worry. Exercise care, but do not be anxious. Know and face the issue, but do not be afraid. Trust God to direct and help you, but allow no doubt to enter your mind. Then you may rest in the Lord.

Let me warn you that if you have been given to worrying you may be tempted to worry again. This temptation is to be rejected the same as any other temptation to do wrong. Instead of yielding to it, call to mind immediately the promises of God and remember His faithfulness in the past. Then sing and delight thyself in Him.

Dear brother or sister in Christ, you must not worry. God's invisible presence is vouchsafe to you every step of the way. He says, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age." If God be with you and for you, who can be against you? With God, the way is never so steep that it may not be climbed. With God, the river is never so deep that it may not be crossed. With God, the furnace fires are never so hot that they may not be endured. With God, you may master your circumstances and smile at difficulties.

Through it all, you will improve your health, enjoy life and be a help and blessing to to others. It is a well proven fact that absence of worry and cheerfulness of disposition helps to promote good health and a long life.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace In Believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

Today's message was from the book titled, "The Victorious Life" about the life story and best sermons of the famous evangelist Charles F. Weigle 1871-1966. Author - E. B. Toles

"WHEN YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T LOSE"

Winning with the right attitude!

The LORD had spoken to Judah;the inhabitants of Jerusalem and king Jehoshaphat saying, "This saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's."

The first thing that the LORD wanted them all to realize was that He had the battle taken care of and they would not need to be afraid. What would it be like in each of our lives if we all could feel like that whenever something came up that we couldn't handle?

My daughter called me one day about something she was going through and I suggested that she pray and ask God to fight that battle for her. That's when she told me that she had been learning to whisper prayers to God all through the day. What a blessing it was to hear that she has already been doing this at the early age of twenty-two. Oh that we would do just that every day and fear not nor be dismayed! The literal Hebrew translation for "dismayed" is to "break down or be confused". The LORD was saying to those who faced sure destruction, "Don't be afraid and don't get confused and break down emotionally either! Don't give up!"

Let's look at the next thing that the LORD said through his servant Jahaziel;

2Chronicles 20:16-17 Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

The LORD sent them to the enemy. They had been trusting in God up to this point, to say that He would fight the battle for them and they liked that part. Now the LORD is telling them to go out to meet the armies that want to defeat them! Have you ever thought about approaching a situation in your life, knowing you were destined to loose? Not a chance! But think about this for a minute! What if you knew you were going to win? How did you feel about approaching a situation in your life when you knew you would come out on top? You knew you were sure to win and you probably couldn't wait for the moment to arrive, could you? Were you feeling the thrill of victory? Did you throw your hands up in the air and shout the winner's "YES!"?

Have you ever noticed the different ways that Pro football players react whenever they scored the winning point? They all react differently,don't they? Some of them hold the ball over their heads and point at their chest,showing everyone who should get the praise. Some will turn and bang chests with their team mates and then get carried off the field in praise. Some will even kiss the ball as if it had some great power of it's own. But the player that catches my attention the most is the one who drops down on one knee and points his or her hand up to God! That is exactly how Jehoshaphat reacted when he knew his victory was sure and it was his humble attitude that also influenced the attitudes of all of Judah and Jerusalem! Just think about how different it would have been for their entire nation if he had started whooping and hollering and praising himself or his nation? But think about it, isn't that what the United States of America has been doing for a long time?

I remember when our military went over to bomb Iraq or Iran and all these songs began to emerge about the US and how proud we were to be an American and about our victory over there when we demolished their military forces. Songs like "Born In the USA","Proud to be an American" and "Bomb Iran" came out and people chanted the words to these songs publicly with a smile on their faces. I saw the pride of our nation begin to swell up it's proud head and the leaders even boasted publicly about how no one will mess with the USA. Think about how different that is from Jehoshaphat's attitude in this passage?

2Chronicles 20:18-19 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

One of the most influential nations of their time had been influenced by a leader who loved and worshipped God. His attitude of thanks and praise to God showed as their king bowed his head with his face down to the ground worshipping God. The amazing thing is that a nation of people that love God will follow the leadership of a man of God with the right winning attitude!
Whooping and hollering, chest pounding, heads held high or singing songs of pride in the USA doesn't reflect the attitude of a nation that humbled themselves and prayed before offering up songs of praise to the LORD God of Israel. Can you see the difference in the attitudes of the leaders and citizens of our nation today and the attitude of king Jehoshaphat and the nation in this passage? Don't forget the key that makes all the difference between nations as we look back at the end of verse seventeen..."for the LORD will be with you." To be Continued.....

In the next chapter we will look at the outcome of having the right winning attitude and praising the LORD. We'll see what happens with those situations that look so hopeless!

Until then, remember to trust and praise God even when you are surrounded by impossibilities and the people, whose lives you impact, will be watching and following your example!