Do You Trust Him Now?

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to trust in God when everything is going well, but when a little trouble comes our way, our faith waivers? Do you think that is why God's Word consistently tries to prepare us for the tough times of life, and why God repeats the promise "I will never leave you nor forsake you"?

Let me tell you something I have learned from Christian experience, if I do not stand firm in my faith, I will have no faith at all! I can't be half-hearted in my devotion to Christ, or I will have no devotion at all. It is not enough just to say I believe, I have to live it out everyday; through the good times and the bad. If I play with my Christianity, Satan will win in his temptations towards me everytime.

I can honestly say I have had my share of hard times. Don't misunderstand, I can clearly see evidence of God's goodness, but the truth is my faith has been tested. I have learned this, when I plant my faith deeply in God, in His Holy Word, and when I lean on Him completely and not on my own abilities, I seem to have a strength about me that overcomes the problems of this world. I seem to be able to conquer the spirit of fear and relish in the peace and joy of the Lord.



Stop Negativeness

Desperation drives people into error." Most people are not bound by demons or others. They bind themselves. The very first enemy is not demon or anyone else. It is "SELF" How? There will be many, but especially, "Self-negativeness." Then, it becomes the stronghold of evil. He starts to do his ministry from it. Later, he binds it to take control. Many Christians are the victims of Satan's strongholds.

This is the root that Demon binds People today.Negative thoughts are the enemies of victorious life. Since our life is very much determined by our mind, our thoughts can make or break our life. Negative thoughts will distract your focus from the important and drain your energy. At the end, you will no longer have the ingredients necessary for success. Knowing how to overcome negative thoughts may make the difference between victory and defeat.

Every believer has the right to use the authority of Jesus' name to bind and take authority over Satan's activities. "No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house" (Mark 3:27). Issue a spoken command to the devil that he is bound and he must leave the stronghold! Exercising authority in the name of Jesus will expel the Devil's influence. "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues..." (Mark 16:17).

Understanding Sin

What is Sin?

Sin means to miss the mark. It is a term borrowed from archery. When the arrow misses the target, it is called a sin.

God created us in His image. What we fall short of His perfect morality, justice and love we miss the mark and sin.

The unfortunate result of Sin is separation from God.

Where Does Sin Come From?

Sin is the consequence of rejecting God. A person rejects God when they have a low opinion of Him. They doubt God. They doubt His power, His justice, His Love and most importantly His Wisdom and Instruction.

This doubt is the seed that the evil one plants in us. Satan attempts to plant this seed in each of us today, just as he did in the garden:

Genesis 3:1-4
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
2The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
4The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!"


The evil one casts doubt on:
1. The wisdom of God's Instructions (the target we need to hit) - "has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
2. The truth of the consequence of Sin (which is eath) - "You surely will not die!"

If you doubt God's instructions (i.e. the target you need to hit), and the consequence of missing the target (death), then you will always fall short of the target. You will always sin.

Without the perfection that comes with an intimate relationship with God, sin is the consequence. We live in a sinful and decaying world because of the choice that was made in the garden to reject God. This choice is repeated daily by billions around the world.

Most people will unfortunately reject God and refuse to repent. What will you choose?

Understanding Repentance

Repentance is essentially choosing to give control of your life over to God. It is deciding to turn away from sin, in return for a loving, intimate, eternal relationship with Him.
To grow your understanding of repentance, pretend you are starving and haven't eaten in days. You need food and you finally manage to find a piece of bread. Then a man comes and offers you a trade. Your piece of bread for the contents of his basket. You can’t see what's in his basket, but he tells you in contains an abundance of food.
Do you make the trade?
The decision you make is determined by your opinion of the man making the offer. If you trust Him, if you have faith in Him, you will make the trade.
If you lack faith in Him, you will refuse the trade.

There is a question that faces each of us. Do you have enough faith in God enough to turn your life over to Him? Do you believe that He has your best interest in mind? Do you trust that what you will get in return will be of greater value?

Matthew 16:25 - For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, you must repent.
That is, hand your life over to God. Trust God enough to exchange your current life for a new one. Turn away from sin for everlasting life with Him.

Luke 17:33 - Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Receiving God's Promises

Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.
How many times have you claimed this promise and wondered if it will work for you? Does the Bible not say that we can ask God for what we need and He will supply it? Yes the Bible does say that. There are however some things we sometimes overlook.
Here are six steps we need to look at when we decide we are going to claim a promise from God;
1) Look at the Promise.
Does Verse 19 say that God will supply all your wants? No; it says all your needs! Now we have to look at what we are asking for and realistically examine our motivation. Is this something I want, or is this something God knows is a need for me.
2) Look at the Premise.
What is the context within which Paul writes to the Philippians stating that God will supply all their need? We need to go back a few verses to see the conduct of the Philippians. Verse 15-16 reads “when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.” When Paul says God will supply their need, he knows that the Philippian Church had taken from the little they had to help the work of God through Paul’s missionary outreach. When we wish to claim supply of our need from God, we understand that God is no man’s debtor. Paul knew that God had ‘riches in glory’. God is able to meet any need for He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and all the riches of earth are at His disposal.
3) Look at the Practicality of Faith.
Hebrews 11:3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The modern versions use the work ‘assurance’ or ‘confidence’. The Greek word here is ‘hupostasis’ – meaning that which is underlying, or supporting. It is the same word used in Hebrews 1:3 for the word ‘person’ who is upholding all things.
4) Look at the Power of God.
We need to understand the foundation of faith is based on the person and character of our God. Hebrews 11:3 declares God is Omnipotent. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” So we learn that if God is God, He can do anything!
5) Look at the Provision of God.
God is not only able but willing to meet our needs. This is what the rest of Hebrews chapter 11 is all about. The writer lists people small and great who experienced God’s intervention in their lives in times of need. He is teaching us that God is willing to meet the need of those who have a relationship with Him.
6) Look at what Pleases God.
Hebrews 11:6 reads; “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Faith is the thing that we have to exercise as we approach the Lord. We have learned that faith knows that God is able and willing to help you. It is based on your approaching the Lord based first on your relationship, second on knowing He can do anything, because as verse 11 says, ‘He is’ and thirdly, He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. You have carefully sought the Lord on the basis of your relationship and your understanding that you have committed yourself to the purposes of God in your life. You know that He can and is willing to meet your need as His child; walking in obedience to His will.

Driven by a Dream.

The Road Builder who put God First! Le Tourneau started out with $20 and worked with it to become a Multimillionaire.
Scripture: Gen. 37:5, Acts 23:11
3 men stand out in my Bible, as men driven by a Dream.

Joseph David Paul
Dreamer Warrior Theologian
Bones/ Promised land Temple to meet God God's Presence in Heaven
Gen. 50:25. 1 Chron. 22:7. Phil. 1:21 & 23.

5 Principles of Men Driven by a Dream.

1) Your Origins cannot limit your Dream.
Slavery in Egypt
Youngest Brother in the sheepfold
Fanatical religionist and Murderer
2) Troubles do not negate Triumphs.
Joseph was falsely accused
David's life was sought
Paul was shunned by the Church he came to lead.
3) They found God's Plan for their life.
God has a divine destiny for every life,
Joseph became Prime Minister but not a King
David became a King but not a Preacher
Paul became a Preacher but not a Prime Minister.

4) Each of them stayed the Course.
They kept the faith and trusted God to the end. (1 Tim. 4:7. Paul)
They endured hardships along the way. (1 Sam. 24:12. David)
They knew that God's plan sometimes takes years to mature. (Gen. 50:20 Joseph)

5) Success did not alter their Ambition.
"Adversity tests Character, Success tests Integrity" - David Exeley. Author.
Paul was a "this one thing I do" person
David could not build the Temple, but he planned for it. (1 Chron. 22:5, 8.)
Joseph could not enter the ‘Promised Land' but he sent his bones (Gen. 50:25.)

What is your Dream? Do you have one?
Is it worthwhile? Eternal? Is it a ‘God's Plan' dream?

The Doctor is In!

There exists in the mind of many the idea that Doctors in the days of Jesus were untutored and lacked skill. The truth is that many were learned men, who were even in those days learning to carry out delicate operations. Instruments have been found that were used for operating on the human skull, to lift a broken piece of bone and relieve pressure to the brain from an injury. While much has been discovered today about hygiene and pain control, we need only to look at what has been found from archeology and the study of ancient writings, to understand that a respected doctor in the first century AD was usually a highly literate and qualified person.

Jerome refers to Doctor Lucas Medicus Antiochensis, that is Dr. Luke of Antioch. Certainly Luke, who traveled widely, writes in much detail of Antioch and seems to have spent some time there. It would seem however that Luke's home at the time he met Paul, was in Philippi, then a chief city of Macedonia, and a Roman Colony. (Acts 16:12)

Paul the Apostle mentions him in his letter to the Colossians 4:14 as Luke the Beloved Physician. In Luke's writings, (Luke and Acts) he makes use of specific medical terms for illnesses. His general writings speak much of his learning. Theologians who have studied Luke's writings comment on his scientific and historic accuracy, in his references to places and people. Disputed points that have been used against Luke have in recent years been found to have been verified.

Souter suggests from the references in 2 Corinthians 8:18 and 12:18 that Luke may well have been the brother of Titus. Certainly we know that Luke became Paul's personal physician and close friend. A careful reading of Luke's account of their shipwreck on the island of Malta would indicate that Luke practiced medicine during their 3 month stay on the island.

In Acts 28:8 we read of the Governor of the Island, Publius, whose father was dying of an advanced case of 'fever and dysentery' as the Revised version accurately translates Luke's Greek text. This disease is still a problem in Malta and has many times been fatal there. Paul and Luke go to see him, and Luke who diagnoses the disease, steps aside as Paul lays hands on the old man and prays for instant healing. The people recognized this instantaneous miracle, and Luke uses the Greek word 'iaomai' that portrays the immediacy of the healing.
In the next verse, Luke speaks of many Islanders then approaching them, and of their being treated, and healed. Here the word Luke uses is 'therapeuo' which speaks of therapy, or treatment of diseases. He goes on to relate that the people 'tim-e' (tee-may) that is paid them for this medical treatment. So here we have a missionary doctor practicing medicine while Paul was actively praying and ministering the Word to the people. So successful was this partnership that when the winter was over, they were supplied with all their needs as they journeyed on to Rome.
Paul in 2 Timothy 4:11 recounts the devotion and continued care of Luke for himself as he approached his execution. It is probable the Luke practiced medicine in Rome to support their needs, during the long time of Paul's imprisonment.
Sometimes we get to take care of, and support a ministry leader; and thereby fill a much needed ministry opportunity for the Kingdom of God.