Let Your heart not be troubled and lose hope

Let your heart not be troubled and do not lose hope

Sometimes some of us may feel so lost because of our circumstances. Be it our health issues, family issues, financial issues and etc other forms of frustration that keeps us from serving God. Do not lose hope because God is there to hold your hand and carry you every storms of life if you allow Him to help you. Let's hang on and see breakthrough comes as we keep our eyes on God who is sovereign in His majestic ways and miraculous power to overcome every sickness, pain, hurt, etc.

Mediate on Proverbs 3 : 5-6

5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Prayer :

Lord Jesus, let us fixed our eyes on You and You alone despite our circumstances. Keep us from any danger that have been lurking around us. We know You are a God of Breakthrough. Nothing is impossible with you. All things are possible. We cannot thank you enough for what You are going to do for us. All glory and praise goes to You and You alone. All these i ask in Jesus name, Amen!

What are we saved from by Pastor Rony Tan on 22 May 2011

What do Jesus save us from?
- From the power of sin
- Penalty of sin which causes eternal destruction to Hell
- Save us from the person of sin

1) Saved us from the power of sin

Romans 6 : 14
¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 3 : 23
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Isaiah 53:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

1 Peter 2:24

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Psalm 103:3-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies

He will crown us with lovingkindness and tender mercies.

Psalm 103 : 12

¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We have a recourse with Jesus Christ. Jesus will declare us as righteous when we go to Him. Sin will not have dominion over us.

2) Saved from the penalty of sin

Romans 6 : 12 - Saved from eternal death

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Read Mark 9 & Luke 16 --> In hell, our bodies don't die. Being cast into the lakes of fire.

We are all accountable to God for what we do.

Isaiah 14 : 9

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁹ “ Hell from beneath is excited about you,
To meet you at your coming;
It stirs up the dead for you,
All the chief ones of the earth;
It has raised up from their thrones
All the kings of the nations.

Turn to Christ and deny hell. Without Jesus Christ, people are pulled to the bottomless pit.

Galatians 6 : 7-10

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. ⁸ For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. ⁹ And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

The law of sowing and reaping. Galatians 7 : 9 speaks of do not grow weary while doing good.

3. Saved from the person of sin.

His top priority is to destroy our faith in Christ during our decision in life. When our attitude is excellent, it will cause our faith to be very high.

Genesis 4 : 6-7 (The beginning of bad attitude)

So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Psalm 17 : 12

¹² As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

1 Peter 5 : 8-9
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because^[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Faith and attitude goes hand-in-hand.

Ephesians 4 : 27
²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold.

James 4 : 7-8
⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Consequences of an absence of revival on 20 April 2008?

Consequences of an absence of revival on 20 April 2008

To be revived means to be awaken again.

Reviving the deepest part of our beings – our hearts.

A revival will always attract huge crowds. A revival will attract masses to come to Jesus.

Why is a real revival necessary?

We were all born in sin. We tend to take good things for granted.

Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

An apostacy is a revival.

Habbakukk 3: 2
O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

Only a revival can save us from the point of no return. When a person repents, God will become real.

7 possible consequences of an absence of personal revival

1. The risk of losing the purpose of life
Our purpose of life is hinge on God and eternal things. That is the foundation of purpose in life. Communication with God is important.

Serving God in ministry, involve in winning souls for Jesus Christ.

Build on eternal things that have value. We are created for time and eternity. Do our business and aspirations with Jesus. Don’t lose our purpose in life.

2. The risk of tormenting conflicts in the heart.
When our hearts is so full of God, we will live simple life. We simplify a lot of things. You will learn how to simplify.

You tend not to be involved in complicated tussles. Be a proper person in Jesus Christ.

Once you are anchored in Jesus Christ, you can tell right from wrong.

3. The risk of forfeiting spiritual inheritance
We are a royal priesthood. We enter into a role of royal priesthood.



4. The risk of being vulnerable to Satan’s deception and attacks
Satan is like a roaring lion. If your heart is revived, Satan is not able to attack you.

A revived Christian is not intimidated easily.

5. The risk of being in bondage.
There is a tendency to compromise. Compromises caused us not being able to stay in the boundaries of God. Eg. Surfing the net mindlessly.

Give up sin and live a proper life in God. Bondages make people lukewarm.

6. The risk of being a stumbling block to others.
Our life can either be a stepping stone or a stumbling block to others.

Determine to be alive in God.

Always present Christ in a possible light.

7. The risk of backsliding to the point of no return.
A heart of a person can shift. Love is based on commitment. When you are committed , that is real love.

Hebrews 6: 4-6
For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” And again in this place “ They shall not enter my rest.” Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience.

What is real revival on 6 April 2008

What is real revival on 6 April 2008

Revive means to resurrect or to make a life again.

Revival that will impact 3 groups of people. They are:
a) Christians who are dry and dying spiritually in the Church
b) Backslidden Christians who have left the Church
c) Non-Christians ( pre-believers) who have no spiritual life at all

A real revival have the power to change a complete family, an entire society and a whole nation. It can be done at a God-sent revival. It is important to understand what a personal revival is all about.

10 points to what is a personal revival

1) A personal revival is believing and trusting God again in everything I do and say.

Seek God and trust Him more. Whatever I do and say, make it count.

2) Realizing, repenting and rejecting specific sins out of my life.

True revival always come by deep repentance.

3) Getting into a closer relationship with God again.

Renew our mind with the word of God.
Pray and communicate with God.
Draw closer and closer to God, God will share with us some secrets through our intimacy with Him.

4) Giving God and is kingdom 1st priority.

God will honor us when we give Him 1st priority.

5) To be on the side of God and His word again.

We must defend the gospel.

6) An emphasis on spiritual and eternal things.

7) Being more conscious of God’s presence and power in me.

Immensing in the word of God and praying unceasingly. Only the prayer and the word will cause the anointing to flow in Your life.

8) To surrender and die to self so that the new life is manifested.

Dying of ourselves to God.
It’s no longer that I live but Christ that lives in me.
True power can only come when we are dying of ourselves to God so that we can be a clean vessel used by God.
Ask God to walk in and through us.

9) Living a life of love and faith

Falling in love with God.
We serve God by faith.
We don’t give up when the going gets tough (stickability).
A revived soul did not think of quitting.

10) Acting as God’s ambassadors of great destiny.

The eternal well-being of people. We are Christ’s ambassadors representing Jesus.

3 Hallmarks of a Real Revival

1) The self life is crucified.

2) The new life of Christ is being resurrected and reflected.

3) Other lives are being impacted by our revived lives and also to live a crucified and new life.

Galatians 2: 20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 6: 8
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

John 12:24
I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Matthew 10:38,39
Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Lead so Your Children Will Follow

Michelle Weber, She Speaks Graduate


“Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

Devotion:

I get so excited when I see examples of God’s Word at work in my life, don’t you? Just the other night I experienced the wisdom of today’s verse. In this scripture, the word “bring” is so brilliantly chosen. The dictionary defines “bring” as meaning “to lead, to accompany, to convey.”



In order to “bring” my children up in the training and instruction of the Lord, I must first be within His training and instruction myself, striving to live His word out in front of them. Our children will reject lessons if we merely preach “at” them, so we must seek to set the examples through our very own actions, leading the way and then “bringing” them along with us.



Recently, as everyone was just sitting down at the dinner table, the whining began. “I really need a new cell phone”, “I hate my freckles”, “When can I redo my room?”, “Mom we really need to go to the mall”. I was not in the mood to hear “I need ...”, “I want...”, “When can I...” or “I hate...” How dare they start this sacred time of our day with these petty self-centered complaints and requests? Did I mention they were 11 and 13 year-old girls?



Rather than letting my frustration get ahead of me and begin the familiar lecture on needs vs. wants, and how we need to appreciate what we have, I quickly changed the tone of the conversation and shared what a great day I’d had. It was nothing special or out of the ordinary. In fact, it was quite ordinary. I shared how thankful I was for each of the very ordinary things or events in my day. Hoping to “bring” them along with me, I handed the proverbial ball to my daughters and asked them to tell me about some things in their day for which they were thankful.



Some thought was required at first, but soon they were on a roll. They began rattling off things such as: “I’m thankful for the rain this afternoon,” “I’m thankful mom came and jumped on the trampoline with us today,” “I’m thankful Haley came over today,” “I’m thankful for Bella and that she didn’t run through the invisible fence today,” “I’m thankful everyone worked hard at practice today,” and, “I’m thankful Emily didn’t get hurt today at practice.” Now we were getting somewhere! Through their thankful hearts, they had been “brought” into a loving relationship with God and with each other.



We each revisited our ordinary day with a new perspective. We each shared how our lives had been sprinkled with God’s protection and blessings. We all looked back at a day that could have been easily forgotten and turned it into something special. There was no lecture, no hurt feelings, no exasperated children (or parents), just a great ending to a great day for which we were sure to thank God.



Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for Your instructions on raising strong and Godly children. I am also thankful for the example Your Son is to me as I strive to emulate Him in raising children who glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.



Related Resources:

Family Enrichment Toolkit, by Michelle Weber,

Bring the Fruit of the Spirit into your heart and home, and strengthen family relationships as you raise virtuous, confident children.



What Happens When Women Walk in Faith, by Lysa TerKeurst



Do You Know Jesus?



Application Steps:

Tonight at dinner ask your family to share even the tiniest things in their day that they’re thankful for. Continue this conversation on a regular basis. Soon, rather than just remembering when asked, they’ll recognize God’s blessings as they’re experiencing them. Now that’s living in God’s presence!



Reflections:

What attitudes and actions can I change in myself so that I can become a better example to those around me?



How can I bring my family to the dinner table more?



Do I notice God’s blessings throughout my day, starting with my children’s sweet faces as I wake them up in the morning?



Power Verses:

Galatians 5:22 “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.” (NIV)



Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (NIV)



Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.Proverbs31.org

God Can Handle Even My Greatest Fears, Part One

God Can Handle Even My Greatest Fears, Part One

Lysa TerKeurst



“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)



Devotion:

Last week my sister called to tell me that she’d gotten an urgent call from the school nurse. The bad news - her son had gotten choked on a piece of apple. The great news- the nurse was able to successfully do the Heimlich maneuver and he was going to be fine.

I must admit, instantly when I heard the word “choked” my heart seized and my pulse started to race. Even when I heard that my nephew was going to be fine, it still took my heart a while to calm down. You see, I know sometimes these stories don’t end with, “and he’s going to be fine.”

When I was 18 years old, my baby sister tragically died after having surgery. Before the surgery, everyone thought she would be fine. Even the doctors were shocked by what happened.

Do you ever fear something happening to one of your children? For most moms, this is their greatest fear. You see your teenage son drive away from your home and fear grabs your heart. You hear of another child getting diagnosed with cancer and you start asking the “what if” questions. You watch the news reports on a child that has been abducted and you hold yours just a little tighter that night. You know that children die every day from drowning, accidents, and choking and it can make you feel helpless and overly controlling all at the same time.

Having 5 children, I know these fears well. I know their paralyzing affects. I know how it can make you want to just tuck your kids under your wing and never let them leave your side. But I also know that this is not how God wants us to handle our fears. And I know it would not be healthy for my kids to never be able to spread their own wings and fly.

So, I pray. I read God’s truths. I verbalize my trust in Him. And I make the choice to walk in assurance.



In tomorrow’s devotion I’ll expand on each of these steps.



For now, think on that key verse from 2 Timothy 1:7. God does not want us to be held captive by a spirit of debilitating fear. We must believe that with God we have the power to deal with anything life brings our way. We must cling to the reality that God loves us and He loves those that we love. God is a merciful God who keeps our best interest in mind. We can put our runaway minds at ease when we are grounded in God’s truths. The more truth we fill our minds with, the more sound our minds become. Then we can make wise decisions where our kids are concerned not from a worrisome place of fear but rather a wise mindset of complete trust in God.



Dear Lord, help me know You are good even when circumstances are not. Help my unbelief. Help me to make the choice to live fully trusting You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.



Related Resources:

Visit Lysa’s Blog today for more on how to handle our fears



Order Lysa’s CD message on this topic, “Fear-LESS, Thank-FULL.”



Who Holds the Key to Your Heart by Lysa TerKeurst



Application Steps:

List your greatest fear(s).

How has fearing that affected your choices and behaviors?

Reflections:

How you would you live differently if you were able to fully release that
fear to God?


Power Verses:

1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” (NIV)



1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (NIV)







Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.Proverbs31.org

The Cost of Unbelief

Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Thursday, March 13, 2008


"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

How is your faith quotient? On a scale of 1 to 10 where would you rank yourself? Everyday, I marvel at the faith most of us exercise without even thinking about it.

We drive our cars 60-70 miles per hour with an oncoming car doing the same with only a white line and six to eight feet separating us. We place our faith that every car will not cross into our lane. We fly on airplanes that take us over oceans, trusting the pilots with our very lives. We ride on thrilling amusement rides that take us several stories into the air and travel fifty to seventy miles per hour down a winding slope. We trust the operators of that ride with our own mortality.

There is a great irony in the fact that we can place our faith in such things but cannot place our faith in the hands of our Creator. God got angry with one of his priests named Zechariah when he questioned his angelic messenger about his wife becoming pregnant with John the Baptist.

"Zechariah asked the angel, 'How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.' The angel answered, 'I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time'" (Luke 1:18-20).

Zechariah was struck mute because of his unbelief for nine months until the birth of John the Baptist. What consequence have you suffered from a lack of faith? Jesus is always looking for faith on the earth. Is there an area in your life where you have not been able to trust God? Why not repent of your unbelief and place your faith totally in His hands today.

The Eight Points Of Testing

2 Corinthians 2:14

"... thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ ..."



Some of the characteristics of faithfulness are honesty, reliability and a deep concern for truth. Another characteristic is the quality of carrying through on all God's commands to us --- keeping faith to the end.



To help us come through the times of testing everyone has to face at some time, the Holy Spirit builds into us the ability to see things through to the end. One writer has listed the eight fiercest tests a Christian faces in this world in this order:



(1) Humiliation -- a savage and plausible attack on our reputation.

(2) Suffering -- physical, mental or spiritual.

(3) Bereavement -- especially in relation to a loved one whose death was "untimely."

(4) Estrangement or treachery from one's family and friends.

(5) Doubt -- deep, dark and awful.

(6) Failure -- the breaking up of one's life work.

(7) Dereliction -- the sense of being forsaken by God.

(8) A slow, painful and unillumined death.

Not all of us have all of them to meet, but meeting any one of them can be a strong and severe test. How does a Christian triumph in the midst of such fierce testings as are listed above? Any triumph we experience at such times is the triumph of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in us, not just for the pleasure of inhabiting our beings, but to lead us to victory over all our problems. Perhaps you are being called to face one or more of these eight points of testing this very moment. Then take courage -- the Holy Spirit is with you and in you to take you through the fire and bring you out triumphant.

Prayer:

Father, I am grateful that Your Spirit dwells within me to lead me through to victory. Even in my darkest trials You are there, inspiring me and causing me to triumph in all things. Thank You, Father. Amen.