When you don't see any solution... -- Cast your cares unto the Lord!

Philippians 4:4-9 

(New International Version)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  

⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  

⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  

⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 

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The psalmist wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). Paul exhorted the Philippians to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:6). And Peter instructed his readers to cast all their cares on God, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7).

How can someone stop worrying and be “still”? Only through prayer and trust in the loving God (Phil. 4:6-7). Those who cast their cares on Him can set aside the noise and confusion, ambitions and strivings, and enter into the peace of God (v.7).

This doesn’t mean that those who are “still” before the Lord will escape life’s dangers and dilemmas, but it does mean they will have the ability to live with tranquility in the midst of them. Though trouble may remain, the confusion, apprehension, and despair begin to fade away. Such people show poise under pressure; they’re unshaken by life’s alarms; they radiate peace wherever they go.

If you’ve never acquainted yourself with the depths of God’s love and His call for you to live in that love, your life will be filled with anxiety and cares. You’ll often be fretful and restless—always looking for that illusive “something more.”

When you learn to turn your confidence toward God and cast your cares on Him, you can be calm in the midst of life’s demands.

________________________________________________________________

I love to dwell upon the thought
That Jesus cares for me,
It matters not what life may bring—
He loves me tenderly.  —Adams

________________________________________________________________

Because God cares for us, 

we can leave our cares with Him.

Don’t Quit!

Galatians 6:9 

(Amplified Bible)

"And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint."

Don’t Quit!

 “I’ve been a Christian for twenty-three years,” Cheryl said. “I’m just not getting anywhere. I’m as weak as I was when I first accepted Christ as my Savior. I still fail. I just don’t know if it’s worth it.” –Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued to talk about her failures. “By now I know all the right thing to do, but I don’t do them. Sometimes I deliberately do something mean-spirited or unkind. What kind of Christian am I?”

“Probably a growing Christian,” I said.

A startled look appeared on Cheryl’s face. “Growing? Did you hear–?”

“Yes, I heard. But if you weren’t growing, you wouldn’t lament your failures. You’d be satisfied about your spiritual level or tell yourself how good you are.” I said.

“But I’m so discouraged, and I fail God so many times.” She said.

I went on to tell Cheryl she was correct—that she had failed. All of us do at times. None of us is perfect. If we’re not careful, we allow the devil to point to what we haven’t accomplished and where we have been weak. When that happens, it’s easy to feel bad or want to give up.

That’s not the way of the Spirit. No matter how we mess up our lives, God doesn’t give up on us. The Spirit constantly nudges us.

We can allow our thoughts to dwell on what we haven’t done, why we ought to be more spiritual, or how spiritual we ought to be after all these years in our Christian faith. That’s a trick of the devil—to make us think of our defects and short-comings. If we focus on what we’re not or what haven’t accomplished, we are allowing the devil to make advances on the battlefield of our minds.

The fact that my troubled friend was upset was a healthy sign, even though she didn’t see it that way. With the Holy Spirit’s help, she can push back the devil. She can regain the territory Satan has stolen from her.

Cheryl seemed to think that holy, victorious living came from one major victory after another. Yes, we do have times when we have great breakthroughs; however, most of our victories come slowly. They come little by little. It’s as if we moved an inch forward. Because we move slowly in our spiritual growth, we are often unaware of how far we have moved. If the devil can make us think that we must have one decisive spiritual victory after another or we’re losers, he has gained an important stronghold.

My advice to Cheryl, and to all Christians who face those dark moments, is to listen to the words of the apostle Paul. He exhorted us not to grow weary, or as another translation says it, “not to lose heart.”  He is saying, “Don’t quit! Keep fighting!”

Life is a struggle, and the devil is determined to defeat and destroy us. We don’t ever reach the place where we never have to fight. But it’s not just our fight. Jesus is not only with us, but He is for us. He’s at our side to strengthen us and to urge us onward.

My friend kept remembering the times she had failed, but I reminded her of times she had succeeded. “You think the devil is in control, but that’s not true. You have failed, but you have also succeeded. You have stood your ground and you have made progress.”

“Don’t quit. Don’t give up.” That’s the message we need to hear. I think of the words of Isaiah: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you….; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.” (Isaiah 34:1b-2).

This is God’s promise. He doesn’t promise to take us completely out of troubles or hardships, but He does promise to be with us as we go through them. “Fear not,” He says. That’s the message we need to ponder. We don’t need to fear because God is with us. And when God is with us, what is there to worry about?

Let’s pray:

“God Lord Almighty, despite my failures, You are with me, encouraging me not to give up. You never treat me as I deserve, because your love, mercy and forgiveness is renewed toward me every morning. Please help me to remember that, with Your help, I can win this battle. So, Lord, help me to overcome my unbelief and trust in You totally from now on. In the precious Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!”

By Joyce Meyer

The Results of Decisions

Joshua 24:15 (New International Version)

¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

The Results of Decisions

The Bible presents a powerful, dramatic scene of the end of Josuah’s life. The aging leader faced the people and challenged them to make a decision. He told either to serve God or to serve the pagan influences around him, but that he and his family were committed to God.

Most of us don’t have those big decisions often. For most of us, it’s like the dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille said, “No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently.”

We make choices every day and most of them seem insignificant and perhaps trivial. Most of the time we have no way to foresee that those simple choices will alter our lives. For instance, when I drove away from the Trinity Pines Conference Center, I had a choice of which way to drive to reach Alvin, the Houston bedroom community I lived and where I was the pastor. I could have chosen Highway 59 and headed west. That was the way I had always gone. The other way was to take the Gulf Freeway I-45 to Houston. The distance was about the same.

I made a choice with no concerted effort and didn’t pray for guidance or hear a voice say, “Go that way.” It seemed like a simple decision. But after I made the choice, there was no way I could have known that an eighteen-wheeler truck would crash into my Ford at 11:45 that morning while I was on the middle of the bridge. Hundreds of times over the years, I’ve thought of how life would have been different if I had decided to take the other route.

I had made a decision. And accident was the result. Aside from the big choices such as a career change or getting married rarely do we realize the seriousness of our choices. Only when things go wrong do we look back and ask, “What if I had…?” “But if I had only…?”  We can’t undo those events, and we need to be mindful that every decision has consequences—even decisions as simple as choosing which seat to take on a bus or which flight to book to reach a destination.

Who would have dreamed of the results that would follow my simple option to take one road instead of the other?—But think of this: Who would have believed that I could tell my story and that lives would be eternally different? That people would make life-changing decisions based on listening to me share my experiences?

Next to my death-to-life experience, the one decision that most changed my life happened when I was sixteen years old. I accepted and invitation from three people I didn’t know. After that, I could never go back to my former way of life.

I lived in Bossier, Louisiana, a city across the river from Shreveport. One summer afternoon, the doorbell rang. My mother went to the front door and I heard her as, “Who?” Then she turned around and called, “Don, there are three kids here to see you.”

I went to the door and there stood a boy and two girls. They introduced themselves as Barry, Carmen and Jan. Because of those three teens, I began to attend church and eventually made a decision to become a Christian. But my salvation story started with the simple act of talking to three high school students. The decision at sixteen years of age determined where I went when I died in that car accident. There is another place people go when they die, and that could have been my destiny.

In the hundreds of times I’ve thought about my life, I can always see the loving hand of God stretched out toward me. God sought me and I surrendered when I had no serious problems. When the really big moment in my life came, I was ready because I had chosen correctly.

Let’s pray:

“God, I have no idea why some things happen or how minor decisions determine my destiny. But I do know you’re involved in my life, even in those dark moments. Remind me of your love, which never leaves me, and help me to make wisely decisions every day. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen."

By Pr. Don Piper – He is the author of the book “90 Minutes in Heaven” where he tells us his story about when he was driving back home from a minister's conference, and his car collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Pastor Don Piper experiences heaven where he was greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace. While back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man was dead. Pastor Piper miraculously comes back to life... and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery. For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story in the book, we strongly advise you to read if you can.

Solving Problems Through Prayer

2 Chronicles 20:4-15 

 (New International Version)

⁴ The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

 ⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard ⁶ and said:
       "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. ⁷ O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? ⁸ They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ⁹ 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

 ¹⁰ "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹ See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

 ¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

 ¹⁴ Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

 ¹⁵ He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.

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When the king of Judah called for a nationwide fast to seek God's help, the people from every town responded and came together to pray. Jehoshaphat's actions and words teach us some important truths about solving life's problems through prayer.

Our Father is bigger than our problems. The king stated God was the all-powerful ruler of nations against whom no one could stand (v. 6). While many difficulties are beyond our ability to solve, nothing is impossible for Him "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."(Matt. 19:26). If we pray while focusing on His greatness, our troubles will shrink into proper perspective.

God often wants to involve others in praying with us. Whole families from all over Judah answered the king's call and came together before God (2 Chronicles. 20:13). Prayer had a central role in the life of the early church as well (Acts 2:42).

Through prayer, the Lord will give us a solution to the problem. His answer could be just what we asked or something entirely unexpected; He might tell us to wait in our current situation instead of taking action, or He could direct us to become involved in something new. In any case, God's direction will be according to His perfect will. What's more, He may ask us to take a step of faith. God uses every opportunity to strengthen our trust and grow us in righteousness.

We don't know how long the people had to wait for an answer, but they didn't act until they heard from the Lord. He told the nation not to be afraid or discouraged, but to trust in Him. Through prayer, we, too, can enter into His presence and receive strength and direction for life's challenges.

(By Dr. Charles  F. Stanley)
InTouch Ministries
Atlanta, Ga  

Creating Your Own God. . .

Psalm 146 

 (New International Version)

 ¹ Praise the LORD.
       Praise the LORD, O my soul.

 ² I will praise the LORD all my life;
       I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

 ³ Do not put your trust in princes,
       in mortal men, who cannot save.

 ⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
       on that very day their plans come to nothing.

 ⁵ Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
       whose hope is in the LORD his God,

 ⁶ the Maker of heaven and earth,
       the sea, and everything in them—
       the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

 ⁷ He upholds the cause of the oppressed
       and gives food to the hungry.
       The LORD sets prisoners free,

 ⁸ the LORD gives sight to the blind,
       the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
       the LORD loves the righteous.

 ⁹ The LORD watches over the alien
       and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
       but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

 ¹⁰ The LORD reigns forever,
       your God, O Zion, for all generations.
       Praise the LORD.

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I’ve built a bathroom. I’ve wired an addition to my house. I’ve finished an entire basement. I enjoy do-it-yourself projects—as long as there’s a good hardware store nearby.

But some people take this do-it-yourself thing too far. They create their own God. A report in Newsweek magazine said a youth pastor asked his teens who they think God is. One said He was like his grandfather: “He’s there, but I never see him.” Another suggested He is “an evil being who wants to punish me all the time.” The last teen concluded that everyone is right because that’s what they really believe.

Do we decide who God is by taking a poll? Is He a being we can make up as we go along? This create-your-own-deity idea is increasingly popular today. And it is extremely dangerous. It robs us of knowing who our heavenly Father really is—as Scripture describes Him. He is, after all, the One “who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 146:6) and “the only true God” (John 17:3).

One historical confession of faith says: “God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, and truth.” Examine the Scriptures. Find out who God really is and establish a relationship through Jesus. Then trust and obey the one true God.

The gods of this world are empty and vain,
They cannot give peace to one’s heart;
The living and true One deserves all our love—
From Him may we never depart.  —D. De Haan

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The infinite God cannot be measured by finite man.

The Keys to Eternal LIFE!!

The Apostle Peter wrote in his letter that Jesus Christ paid for our salvation with His death on the cross, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.  It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.” (1 Peter 1:18-20). 

But for us to accept this gift is as simple as using these keys to unlock the door:

ACKNOWLEDGE YOU HAVE SINNED

“If we claim to be without sin, 

we deceive ourselves and the 

truth is not in us.” 

                             (1John 1:8)

“For all have sinned and fall short 

of the glory of God.” 

                              (Romans 2:23

 

BELIEVE IN JESUS

“For God loved the world so much that 

He gave his one and only Son, 

so that everyone who believes in Him 

will not perish but have eternal life.” 

                                             

                                                    (John 3:16)

 

CONFESS and RENOUNCE YOUR SIN

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” 

                                                (Romans 10:9-10)

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” 

                                                       (1 John 1:9)

Sinner's Prayer - Recognizing the Need

After you’ve got these keys on your hands, and you believe it, now it is the time to pray the "Sinner's Prayer". The sinner’s prayer is a term that describes the words spoken by a person when he or she has recognized their sin and their need for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Read this prayer out loud and with the sincerity of your heart and soul:

Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

If you decided to repent of your sins and receive Christ today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20)
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible. (Joshua 1:8-9; Psalm 1)
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you. (Hebrews 10:25)
• Find a local church where you can worship God.

Did you become a follower of Jesus today? 

If yes, please let us know writing to us on our email listed on our profile. We want to pray for you and send you some other blessings. May the Lord bless you.

What to Do When You Feel LONELY...

When we feel lonely, with the feeling that the whole world forgot about us, when we feel that even our family and friends somehow, gave their backs to us, here it is portions of Scripture that will build up your faith and confidence in the Lord and to help you get up on your feet and be victorious.

Hebrews 13:5

God has said,
   "Never will I leave you;
      never will I forsake you."

Matthew 28:20

"And surely I am with you always, 

                  to the very end of the age."

1 Samuel 12:22

 "For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own."

Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

John 14:18

"I will not leave you as orphans; 

                            I will come to you."

John 14:1

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. 

                           Trust in God; trust also in me."

Deuteronomy 33:27

"The eternal God is your refuge,
       and underneath are the everlasting arms.
       He will drive out your enemy before you,
       saying, 'Destroy him!'

Psalm 147:3

"He heals the brokenhearted
       and binds up their wounds."

Romans 8:35-39

"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."

Deuteronomy 4:31

"For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath."

Deuteronomy 31:6 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Psalm 27:10

"Though my father and mother forsake me,
            the LORD will receive me."

Isaiah 54:10

"Though the mountains be shaken
       and the hills be removed,
       yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
       nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
       says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

1 Peter 5:7
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Psalm 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble." 

Now, if you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal savior and Lord, today is the day for you to do it.  Romans: 10:9-13 says:
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.".

After you read this Scripture, please make this prayer by faith:

Heavenly Father:..........................................................................
I come to you in prayer asking for the forgiveness of
my Sins.  I confess with my mouth and believe with my
heart that Jesus is your Son, And that he died on the
Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have
Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Father, I believe
that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you right now
to come in to my life and be my personal Lord and
Savior. I repent of my Sins and will Worship you all the
day's of my Life!. Because your word is truth, I confess
with my mouth that I am Born Again and Cleansed
by the Blood of Jesus!   In Jesus Name, Amen.

If you read this Prayer and truely believe the words you read, then Praise the Lord as you have been saved and your name will appear in the

"Lambs Book of Life!"...................................................

---

The (1st) step is to purchase a Bible, so that you can start your relationship with God!  The next step is to find a church where you and your family can go to worship.  Did you know that, God and his Angels Celebrate, when his children that were lost, come home?  Well, they do! Praise God for Mercy.

Moment of Prayer for The Miners in Copiabo, Chile

" Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."  

(Ephesians 6:18)

As the workers are testing the capsule that will pull out ALL the Chilean Miners trapped in that dungeon Mine for 69 days, let's lift their lives into the presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, asking Him to send His Angel to stay close to them as they are coming up on that narrow scape whole and inside that capsule. Our hearts and prayers are with each one of them and with their family that suffers with anxiety out side. - May the Lord bless all the Family and the Miners. 

What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up

Luke 9:51-62 (New International Version)

Samaritan Opposition

 ⁵¹As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵²And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" ⁵⁵But Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶and they went to another village.

The Cost of Following Jesus

 ⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 ⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

 ⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."
      But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

 ⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 ⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

 ⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” Somewhere between beginning and ending we’ve all felt like giving up. Discouragement, disillusionment or disappointment, and we felt like saying, “I quit.”

So, what do we do when we feel like giving up? In a word, God calls us to persevere. To persevere means “to persist in any purpose or endeavor; to continue striving for one’s goals in spite of difficulties; to stay on course.” The New Testament Greek word translated “perseverance” is hupomone and means both passive endurance and active persistence that presses on for the goal in spite of difficulties.

Perseverance makes the difference in life between success and failure. Perseverance is more than talent, ability, aptitude and resources.

The Christian life demands perseverance. The gift of faith is free, but the life of faith is a fight. When asked to what level he attributed inspiration to the success of his work, William Faulkner, American author, replied: “Two percent inspiration, 98% perspiration.” The Christians who suffered persecution in China used to have an affirmation: “Christians are like nails; the harder you hit us, the deeper we go.”

One of the most important affirmations of faith is found in Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal.” The watchword of the hour is, Press on!

Press on, there is a:

•  Heaven to be gained
•  Reward to be received
• Dream to be fulfilled
• Finish line to be crossed
• Calling to be answered
• Enemy to be defeated
• Victory to be won
• Church to be built
• Harvest to be reaped
• World to be evangelized
• Kingdom to be established.

If anyone ever modeled perseverance, it was Jesus. His family questioned His validity. His disciples often doubted Him. The religious leaders by and large regarded Him as a fraud. Manny followed Him only for His miracles and never accepted Him as Messiah. Sometimes I think we lose touch with His humanity. He was tempted as we are (Hebrews 4:15). He was rejected (John 1:10). Isaiah said that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (53:3).Yet, He persevered. In Luke 9:51-62, we see the great model of perseverance Jesus set for us to follow.

I. – Jesus Functioned out of His Will, Not His Emotions (v. 51)

1. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  He “set (his) face like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7). He was unmovable in His direction and purpose. Jerusalem meant arrest or even death. His disciples tried to discourage Him from taking this course. The fact that He functioned out of His will enable Him to finish what He started. His last cry from the cross was, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
2. The power of the human will. Too often we are led by our emotions instead of our decisions. Emotions enrich our lives, but we cannot make the mistake of letting our emotions rule our lives. The issue is not what you feel but, rather, what you will. It’s not what you feel but what you will that determines your success!!

I am sure that:

• Noah didn’t feel like building an ark – but in holy fear, he built an ark to save his family.
• Abraham didn’t feel like taking Isaac to Mount Moriah – but he arose early in the morning and set out to the place where God showed him. There he learned the meaning of Jehovah Jireh.  
• Moses didn’t feel like going to Egypt and confronting Pharaoh – but he went in obedience to God’s command and saw the power of God displayed.
• Deborah didn’t feel like leading Israel as a prophetess – but she took the challenge and led the nation to victory.
• David didn’t feel like facing the giant Goliath alone in battle – but he took his sling and five smooth stones and declared, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts” (1 Samuel 17:45).
• Jesus didn’t feel like going to Calvary – but “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross”  (Hebrews 12:2).
• Paul didn’t feel like preaching at the cost of rejection, imprisonment and, eventually, a martyr’s death – but he declared, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7).

When Olympic gymnast Kerri Strug was asked by her coach, Bela Karolyi, if she could do the vault that helped earn the U.S women a gold medal in team competition, she said, “Yes I will, I will, I will.”

II. – Jesus Was Proactive, Not Reactive to Life’s Difficulties.

1. He set out for Jerusalem.  In spite of the cost, He set out; He acted. Had He been a reactor, He would have retreated from the challenge. Let me ask you: What have you set out to be and to do in life? Are you still on course toward those goals, or have you been distracted?
2. Take action in life.  Don’t wait for life to happen. Do out there and make things happen!  - Mohammed Ali was once asked by a young man in college what he should do with his life. The heavyweight champion replied, “Stay in college, get the knowledge and stay there until you’re through. If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you.”
3. The four lepers teach us that victory comes through action, not passivity: “Why stay here until we die?” (2 King 7:3-11). God started working when they started walking. The victory doesn’t come until we take the action we need to take to make things happens. Maybe it’s time for you to stop waiting and start walking!

III. – Jesus Weighed the Cost in Light of Heaven’s Rewards (vv. 57-62)

The punch line: “No one who put his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God” (v. 62). Weigh the cost in light of rewards.

Three men that day offered Him three reasons why they couldn’t follow Him. They thought the demands were too great, so they missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime to walk with Jesus.

When we devote our lives to Christ, we can know that there is an eternal reward for us. There are five crowns in Scripture promised to us. The word crown speaks of the victor’s wreath used in the Olympic Games, not a royal crown that belongs only to Jesus.

1. Incorruptible Crown  (1 Corinthians 9:25)
2. Crown of Righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8)
3. Crown of Life (James 1:12)
4. Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:4)
5. Crown of Reward (Revelation 3:11)

Whatever cost you have to pay to be a disciple of Christ will be rewarded by God in this life a hundred times over and in the life to come with everlasting life!

By Dr. David Cooper - Senior Pastor of Mount Paran 

Church of God in Atlanta, Ga.  -  USA

Overcoming Anxiety: There is still hope!!

Isaiah 41:10-14 (New International Version)

 ¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

 ¹¹ "All who rage against you
       will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
       those who oppose you
       will be as nothing and perish. 

 ¹² Though you search for your enemies,
       you will not find them.
       Those who wage war against you
       will be as nothing at all. 

 ¹³ For I am the LORD, your God,
       who takes hold of your right hand
       and says to you, Do not fear;
       I will help you. 

 ¹⁴ Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
       O little Israel,
       for I myself will help you," declares the LORD,
       your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

=  =  = 0  0  0 =  =  = 

Fear is a powerful emotion. It shows up without warning, tends to dominate our thoughts, and does not depart quickly. But as Christians, we have an even more powerful weapon to stop anxiety from overcoming us—the Word of God.

When anxiety strikes, key truths can help us stand firm. First, remember that God is sovereign over all circumstances and people: "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11). When He decides to act, no leader, army, or nation can stand against Him. We may not understand why certain things happen, but we can know for sure that our Lord is still in control.

Next, keep in mind the promise that He causes all things to work for the good of those who love Him “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. “ (Rom. 8:28). Just as the Father orchestrated the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to accomplish our salvation, He also works circumstances for our good and His glory. The disciples didn’t comprehend what Jesus was telling them about the future; nor could they initially see how His dying was beneficial. But in the end, they understood that God had carried out His plan of redemption through the crucifixion and resurrection.

We may be in the midst of hard times and wondering where the good is. Do not lose hope. God is sovereign and true to every one of His promises “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Cor. 1:20). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33). “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4).

Verses that proclaim God’s sovereignty can help us overcome fear “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.” (Ps. 22:27-28). Studying the lives of saints like Abraham, Joseph, and the apostle Paul will remind us that God is mighty and He can use difficulties to bring about gain. As we believe His Word, our anxiety will be replaced by His divine peace “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22,23). “For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your ONLY personal Savior, we adviser you to read more about Him in the Bible and in this Blog. Try to know Him and to receive Him into your heart and to confess Him publicly as your Lord and Savior. Jesus loves you matter the situation you are, no matter what you have done: He loves you and wants to save you, giving you an ETERNAL life.

(By Dr.Charles F. Stanley)