Posted on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Finding Victory

Over the years I’ve seen so many Christians go through very difficult things. Many have gone through very similar things whether it was betrayal, divorce, grief, sickness, depression, addiction or the lost of a loved one. And yet upon going through some of the toughest things life may ever bring I’ve seen two very different things happen. I’ve seen some do everything right so to speak, pour their heart out to the Lord, bring Him their pain, stay in community and deal with their difficulty. They do so well because they do everything right that many times months removed from their struggle you would never have guessed they greatly struggled and went through a very difficult time at all.

However I’ve also seen the opposite take place and it breaks my heart! I’ve seen believers stay in the place of discouragement, depression and defeat for years (even a lifetime)! Where some have chosen to be better on the other side of their struggle, many have chosen to be defined by it, they take on a victim mentality and they stay in their misery. They often become bitter, critical and extremely negative about almost everything in life!

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not the abundant life that Jesus has promised us! Some have preached that it is, but I am here to declare to you today that this is not the gospel! God is not only with you in your suffering but if you’re willing to follow Him He will lead you to a place of wholeness. God doesn’t call us victims, He calls us victors! Yes Jesus suffered but He did it for the joy that was set before Him! Yes Jesus said that in this life we would have trouble but in the same breath He also said take heart and be of good courage because I’ve overcome the world! And in Christ through faith we overcome the world as well! As believers we will suffer trials and tribulations, persecution and suffering but nowhere in Scripture does God tell us that we then are defined by these things! Like the saints of old that we read about in Scripture we are not defined by our experiences, rather we are defined by God’s great love for us and the victory that He has won for us through Jesus Christ our Lord!

I read in my Bible that we are the ones who overcome! We are more than conquerers through Him who loved us! We are to rejoice even in the midst of difficulty for our God has given us the victory! He ALWAYS leads us into triumph! He is the one who leads us from the place of defeat to a place victory! How you might ask? It’s through His love!!! As we bring Him our pain He surrounds us with His healing presence! He comforts us, heals us, strengthens us, gives us hope, peace and a reason to rejoice again! He makes us whole and gives us purpose where there was pain.

Maybe this message is for you or maybe it’s for someone that you know and love. Whoever it’s for hear this clearly: You don’t have to stay in the place of your suffering!God loves you! And it’s through His love that He invites you to rise up and find the healing and wholeness you’ve been longing for! Believe God for your healing! Believe God for your peace! Believe God for your joy! He makes all things new and He is wanting to make all things new with you! And when He’s done the world around you will know!

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” Corinthians 2:14-15

Father, I pray for healing and wholeness over all those who are stuck and feel defeated. I pray that you would lead them to you that they may experience the great exchange! In the place of their pain you would give them purpose, in the place of their mourning you would give them joy and in the place of their heaviness you would give them the garment of praise! Touch, strengthen and heal your children for their wholeness and for your glory in Jesus name, amen!

Blessings!

John

Scriptures referenced: John 16:33, 1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:37, 1 John 5:4, Isaiah 61:3;

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Posted on Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Overcoming Faith

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus said it, we will have trouble in this world, trials and tribulations, we will face difficulty and yet in the same breath he tells us to be of good cheer! Why? Because He has overcome the world (and He invites us to share in His victory)! But how?

How can we be under the weather and at the same time overcomers? How can we face difficulty without allowing it to rule our lives? How can we suffer loss and still have peace? How can we be angry and sin not? How can we be glad in the midst of suffering? How do we rise above it all and overcome the world and all that it throws at us on a daily basis?

Our answer is found in 1 John 5:4, “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”

That’s it! FAITH! It’s through our faith that we overcome the world! Through faith we receive God’s promises of victory and joy! Yes we face difficulty but we do so in light of eternity! We have God’s precious promises that give us the ability to live supernaturally (above the natural). When we face loss, depression, discouragement, defeat, sickness, suffering and the like it’s natural to fall victim to those things which leave us feeling pitiful and in the dumps! But by God’s grace He invites us to rise above those negative emotions through faith. He invites us to live “above” the natural where we walk in His peace, overflow with joy and experience His promises being fulfilled in our lives. Some of you have been struggling for far too long, carrying weights that God has invited you to let go of months ago and yet you’re still carrying them. The struggle seems to be unbearable not only for you but for those closest to you as they don’t understand and feel helpless.

I hope you can hear the voice of the Lord today! Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Yes, you will have trouble but it doesn’t have to be as hard as it’s been, Jesus says when you come to me it becomes easy.” Because it’s in His presence that suffering cannot compare to the glory that is revealed! When we walk closely with the Lord we are filled with faith and it’s through that faith that we overcome the world! Rise up in faith today! You are an overcomer so overcome!

Blessings,

John

Posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2015

It’s Time To Act!

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

All throughout Scripture God uses action verbs in order to get us to take action (Love one another, serve one another, go into all the world and make disciples and so many more). And here in the book of James it’s clearly worded that God wants us to DO what the word says. What’s interesting about this is James says that those who only hear the word and don’t put it into practice deceive themselves! The word deceive means, “To believe a lie.” This implies that many who hear the word are actually deceived and are believing a lie as James later states that they forget who they are and they never truly benefit from all that God wants to do in their lives. I wonder how many of us have been there before? Where we thought we were really living what we heard and believed only to be humbled and discover we were just going through the motions, not actually doing what we heard, deceiving ourselves the whole time. I wonder how many of us are there now?

In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus says that if we hear his words but don’t practice them the storms of life will come and bring destruction in our lives! However if we hear his words and we do put them into practice, not only will we be blessed and have a strong foundation but the storms won’t be able to take us out! There are so many blessings, rewards and benefits to hearing God’s Word and actually putting it into practice!

And so today I ask you, “Are you putting the things you hear into practice?” I’m not asking if you’re studying scripture or going to church and bible study regularly, I’m asking if you’re doing the things that God has already spoken to you?

God, help us to love, go, do and serve. Keep us in the truth as we practice what we hear. Grant us great grace to do all that you’ve put on our hearts to do and help us be faithful in Jesus name, amen!

Blessings,

John

Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

The Lord Reigns!

Psalm 99:1-5 “The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name– he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice– you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.”

The Lord reigns and He is going to shake everything that can be shaken! People may say that we live in uncertain times and although this is true from a world perspective this is not the case for those who call themselves believers. See although everything around us may be shaking our God reigns and He promises us that all these things must come to pass. For even now He is shaking the government, the economy, the social structures of our day. And just as we’ve seen unusual patterns in the weather we will see unusual things happening all over the earth in what seems like unprecedented ways. And yet God is saying “Be encouraged, for I am doing this shaking, I am causing people to not put their trust in any other thing for it is only I who you can count on. I am the Lord your God! I promise to go with you even to the ends of the earth. Be not afraid nor shaken for I am in all this and even this will be for my glory.”

I feel like the Lord has been taking His time raising us up, teaching us over weeks, months and years (even decades). And although at many times we have not seen the purpose in things, soon we will see that it has all been working for our good and that God has been preparing us for such a time as this! So don’t be afraid or unsettled rather rest in God’s love for you! And as you rest know that He is preparing you for what He has in store for you this next season. The instructions are simple: rest, remember all that the Lord has done, set your eyes on God, stay in faith, use the gifts He has given to you and be faithful in all that He has called you to. As we do these things we will indeed see God’s great reward! So let us exalt His name together! Let us rest in His love and be encouraged by the truth that no matter what we see around us, the Lord reigns!

Blessings,

John

Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Understanding the Times

We are on the eve of an unprecedented move of God. Soon we will hear and see things we never thought possible as God is positioning his church and setting the stage for His hand to be greatly seen in the world today. Much money has been spent on wickedness in recent days, months and years but the tables are turning. God is exposing what is in darkness and bringing it all to light. Soon you will see a great outpouring in the Church, it will be an outpouring of not just wealth (although that is part of it), it will also be an outpouring of love, maturity, growth, joy, peace and the miraculous!

Although this past season has been a difficult one, filled with uncertainty and confusion for many, God has brought about a greater dependence in our hearts. And as we’ve looked to Him, He has brought about a maturity as well. We’ve been tested so that we can be approved for the increase that God is about to bring. And although it is coming quickly we must wait just a little longer.

In this time of waiting God is calling us to Himself. He is the access point for which all blessings will flow but he is calling us to Himself not just so that we can access His blessings but so that we can experience His heart. God is calling His Church into a place of greater intimacy, not just of knowing His word, but knowing His heart! In this busy season do not be distracted, do not be fooled. Give yourself over to spend time with the Lord, sit as His feet and allow Him to speak to you in the silence. Yes, pray and pour your heart out to the Lord but also wait before Him and listen to Him speak. Remember to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

It’s a new season, let’s pray in anticipation!

“God, prepare my heart for the things to come. Strengthen me in the areas where I need to be strengthened. Stir up my faith and draw me closer to you. In all of the changes and all that is happening around me help me to focus on you. Remove distractions from me and give me grace to sit at your feet and hear your words. Jesus, I want to fall more in love with you! Keep me close, in Jesus name I pray, amen.”

Our best days are ahead,

John