Trust and Thank God, Knowing It's Already Done!

Sometimes we like to complain to God about how we don’t see anything manifesting, but many times we’re the hindrance to our own deliverance and blessings.  Our doubt and unbelief can cause God’s promises for us to be hindered and/or delayed.  Why?  Because there is unbelief.  God doesn’t operate with a person’s unbelief, but rather their belief in His ability to do specifically what He said He would do.

I want to let you know that just because you can’t see physically what’s happening in the spiritual realm doesn’t mean nothing is happening.  This is where our continuous faith in the Lord takes place and is tested.  Faith is the substance of things hope for and the evidence of things NOT SEEN.  This scripture tells us that faith requires us to believe in what we do not see.  This scripture also, in my opinion, lets us know that we can’t make a judgement call based upon what our eyes do or do not see;  though we may not see what’s happening physically right away, spiritually (by faith) it’s already done and it’s just awaiting for its appointed time by the Lord to happen physically.  However, you become a hindrance to yourself when you start to doubt and second guess what God has told you.

In many of the scriptures given in the Bible, when a person confronted Jesus with his or her problem or need, notice that Jesus says, “thy faith has made thee whole”, “according to thy faith you are healed”.  On the other side of this, we also see that Jesus won’t move or perform miracles when doubt and unbelief are dwelling within a person.  Furthermore, when God tells you, “your healed” “your delivered” “your saved”; you must believe and receive that at that very moment it is done.  You may say, “it doesn’t feel like it was done”, but know that our feelings are deceiving.  If it was okay to go based upon how we felt, the Bible wouldn’t urge us to crucify our flesh daily.  There are times when I don’t feel saved, but I know it’s the devil at work.  There are times when I don’t feel like reading the Bible, but I read it because that’s the only way to know the Word of God which is to know God.  Don’t go based on how you feel, go based upon who made the promise.  We all fall short of the glory of God.   Friends and family may not always fulfill their promises, but the Word of the Lord never comes back to Him void and unaccomplished.

So today I encourage you, as I encourage myself also, to be obedient to God.  Whatever God said to you, praise God for it already being done because it is indeed done (praise Him in advance).  Know that the enemy will play with what you can’t see being manifested; this is why you must read the Word of God.  For you must “replenish” and increase your faith, and this only comes by reading and hearing the Word of God.  When the enemy comes and feeds you doubt, rebuke that spirit and rebuke him in Jesus name, and praise God all the more for the blessing He’s bringing your way.  Continue to bless the Lord, even when you think nothing is happening –when it really is.  Stand on the spoken Word of God and on His promises and rest in Him knowing that unlike us, when God makes a promise, you can rest assure knowing it’s already done.

The Word keeps our spirit fed so we will have the strength we need to fight a good fight, keep the faith, and finish the race.  The Word helps us to understand better, and more and more as the days go by, Who God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are and what relationship we should have with them.

When we sit down in a chair we trust it to hold us up.  Why can't we trust God, the Creator, Who created the being that made that chair!
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity, is an active force at work in the lives of Christian believers.  The Holy Spirit does his work by making Christ present among us, and using us as a vehicle to do His work here on Earth.  He provides and guides us through scripture to be Christ-like in our thinking and actions; in our love and compassion for others; in our confidence in knowing that Jesus not only saved us but provided another to carry us through whatever happens.  The Holy Spirit gives us joy, peace and the knowledge that we are never alone. 

Whenever the Holy Spirit is at work, so is self-surrender (humility) and freedom.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, our flesh is under control and we can be used by God to do His will.  The Holy Spirit is our guide, not only to show us the way, but to go with us by providing gifts and influences to do God's work and will.

" He shall teach all truth, and keep back nothing profitable, for he will show things to come." John 16:15 (NIV). 

To be led into a truth is more than to know it; it is not only to have the notion of it in our heads, but to relish and savour the power of it in our hearts.

All the gifts and graces of the Spirit are to glorify Christ.  It behooves all of us to ask, whether the Holy Spirit has begun a good work in our hearts?  Without clear understanding of our guilt and danger we never can understand the value of Christ's salvation; but when we are brought to know ourselves truthfully, we begin to see greater the value of the Redeemer.

Thank you Holy Spirit!

 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment John 16:7-8 (NIV)

Calling All Christian Soldiers!

This is a shout out to all my fellow Christian soldiers in the army of God.  Don't get caught sleeping in this season.  Just listen (with spiritual ears) to what is being said, and see (with spiritual eyes) what is going on around you in this world today.  You know what I hear and see?  I hear and see the world embracing what is wrong and resisting what is right.  Satan is a busy boy, he never gets tired of doing His job.  [John 10:10 New International Version (NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.]  The devil has all sorts of people, from all walks of life, believing that they have to accept what is wrong by being polite and supportive of things that God disapproves of.  We are in this world, but not of it.  We cannot afford to be tricked by the wiles of the enemy.  We must remember to stand on the Word of God, the only truth that exists.  If Jesus said it, that settles it!  How any body feels or thinks (you know - in my opinion) doesn't amount to a hill of beans.  There are three sides to every conversation - yours, mine, and the truth.  You can be the President in the White House, or a homeless man in the out house, it doesn't matter who is talking, because right is right and wrong is wrong.  There are no shades of grey when it comes to the Word of God.  We must stand for something (righteousness) or we'll fall for anything.  And, getting back to John 10:10, I love this scripture.  It starts out exposing the enemy's diabolical agenda, but it leaves us with the hope of a better outcome through living for our Lord and Savior.  Remember to stay focused.  We must keep our minds on things above and not below.  We must sease every opportunity that we can to offer Jesus to a dying world.  We are called to be disciples first and most of all.  Brothers and sisters-in-Christ, put on the whole armour of God, grab your Sword and go forth in the battle in Jesus name.

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Mark 8:36 (NLT)

" It's A Blessing To Be Alive" by Debra Snipes

It's a blessing to be alive, it's a blessing to be alive.
When I think about all the things, that the Lord is
doing for me, I count it as a blessing to be alive. (repeat)

I could have been sleeping in my grave a long time
ago, but Jesus he intervene for me to stay a while
longer.

But ohh when I think about all the things that the Lord
is doing for me, I count it as a blessing to be alive.

Now you may think that your not blessed at all, but
just remember Jesus hung there on the cross.

But ohh when I think about all the things that the Lord
is doing for me, I count it as a blessing to be alive.

I count it as a blessing to be alive.
I count it as a blessing to be alive.

The song says it all!

Messages from God

I heard this story told on several occasions and in different versions, but it basically goes like this - "A man was drowning in a body of water far from land so he prayed for God to help him and not let him drown.  A boat pulled up beside him and a person on-board offered the drowning man a hand, but he refused and stated: "God will rescue me."  Next, a helicopter hovered over head, a ladder was let down and a person over a bullhorn said: "climb the ladder to safety, but the man exclaimed: "I prayed for God to rescue me, so I will wait for Him."  The man began to lose patience, hope, his strength, and his breath.  He was going under the water and coming back up, and with his last breath he asked God why He had not helped him?  God replied: "I tried to help you twice.  I sent a fisherman, and a helicopter pilot to rescue you, but you refused their help."  How may times does God talk to us through family, friends, strangers, children, television, music, writings, tough times, His Word, and a host of other ways, but we miss His voice and our blessings (help) because it didn't come the way we expected it!  We have to pray and ask God to increase our understanding in hearing His voice.  We must practice waiting and listening to hear from Him.  These are crucial times and we can't afford to miss what God is saying.  Speak Lord, speak to me, I'm listening!

Jeremiah 7:23-24 (NIV)

...but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.  But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

BUT GOD!

Today's blog was inspired by Rev. Gregory Dickow, who preached: "But God."  It is a good practice to add "but God" to the end of negative statements.  This way we cancel out the negative with good, because God is good.  Also, saying "but God" reminds us that no matter what, God is still in charge and in control. District attornies and a wife were murdered by a disgruntled Justice of the Peace in Kaufman, Texas, but God.  There was an intentional bombing at the Boston Marathon, but God.  The president of the United States, and others received posionous letters, but God.  There was a devastating explosion at a fertilizler plant in West Texas, but God.  And, let's not talk about the numerous unheard of atroscities that are going on around the world; and let's not forget our own personal struggles, BUT GOD!

No matter what we see and/or hear happen, God is still on the throne.  He sits high and looks low.  He doesn't look down on us, He looks down upon us, because He is interested in us and concerned for us. 

Self-Gratification vs. God's Glorification!

What and who inspires us to do the right or wrong thing (hanging with certain people, watching television, over indulging with food or drink)?    We lose focus when we allow worldly things to contaminate our thinking (minds).  We must determine to, no matter what, do what is right.  We know how to gratify ourselves only too well.  In fact, we practice self-gratification so much and so well until we hardly have time to do anything for any body else, if at all.  First of all, in order to do things to God's glorification, we need new minds, hearts, and spirits (keep our minds on things above and not below, read the Word).  When we do things to glorify God we bless others and ourselves.  What a beautiful thing; it's a win, win situation, and all to the glory of God.  We must seek inspiration from on-high, rebuke contamination, and walk with Holy Spirit determination, and all to God's glorification!

What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You desire but do not have, so you kill.  You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.  You do not have because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?  Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:1-4 (NIV)