Category Archives: Living From the Heart

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It’s Not Over Yet

I feel like I could share a million different things particularly in the season that we are currently in. I could remind you of the disciples afraid in the boat because of the storm that surrounded them. I could remind you of Mary and Martha’s broken hearts over their brother Lazarus who was dead. I could share about blind Bartimaeus, the women suffering with the issue of blood for twelve long years and the disciples fishing all day and catching nothing.

I could share all these stories and so many more both from God’s Word and from today. These stories start out with a few things in common like difficulty, suffering and impossibility but the good news is that none of these stories end the same way they started! See Jesus woke up and calmed the storm, he raised Lazarus from the dead, he healed both blind Bartimaeus and the women with the issue of blood and he told the disciples to cast their net onto the other side and the disciples caught more than they could pull in!

I share these stories to stir up faith in our hearts! Many of us are facing things that we’ve never faced before, difficulties, suffering and problems that seem impossible to solve. And it is in this hour that it is vitally important that we remember who it is that we serve! We must remember who it is that we call God and all that he is capable of doing! Will you remember God’s faithfulness to you and countless generations that have gone before you? Will you allow his faithfulness to stir up faith in your heart to believe him to calm the storm, to bring dead things to life, to heal, to provide and to do the impossible?

Some of the most helpful things for me when it comes to stirring up my faith are prayer, worship, reading Scripture and recalling what God has already done for me over the years. So no matter what season of life you might be in right now or the difficulty that you may be facing I encourage you to spend some time with the Lord and allow Him to encourage your heart and fill you with faith!

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37

“According to your faith let it be done to you.” Matthew 9:29

God is the God of miracles, let’s believe Him for the impossible!

Blessings,

John

PS I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you the regular encouragement I send out each week. If you would like to be encouraged regularly then subscribe to receive my free devotionals via email @ http://www.johnsilkauskasministries.com/about/ Do it today & be encouraged tomorrow! SUBSCRIBE HERE

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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;

For more on this subject watch my latest message here – CLICK HERE

PS I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you the regular encouragement I send out each week. If you would like to be encouraged regularly then subscribe to receive my devotionals via email @ http://www.johnsilkauskasministries.com/about/

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God Pleasing Faith

“It is impossible to please God without faith, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

As you know by many of my blogs and messages God is always speaking to me about faith. If indeed we’re called to “live by faith” (Romans 1:17) and it’s “impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6) I believe it’s a pretty important subject that should be addressed often. God is the giver of faith but just like in the parable of talents (Matthew 25:14-30) God is looking for us to do something worthwhile with what He’s given to us. God delights in us when we rise up with courage and exercise our faith rather than shrink back with fear and do nothing (Jesus often rebuked the disciples for being fearful and having little faith).

So, today I write you to encourage you with this knowledge: God is a REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him! When we seek Him we find Him and when we find Him He fills our hearts with faith to believe Him for more! To believe that regardless of our past we are justified and forgiven! To believe that no matter our present condition, God is greater than all that we may be going through and He is able to redeem all that we give to Him. To believe that all of our future work, service, time and gifts given will be blessed and rewarded as we do it all in faith.

No matter our age God is calling us to set an example in faith! We all know 1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for all believers in life, love, faith, speech and purity.” But do you recall Hebrews 11:13, “All these people were still living by faith when they died.” To me this clearly calls us all out (no matter our age, from young to old) we’re called to live by faith until we pass to glory!

So let us look to Him and let us expect His reward for He is faithful to His word and He is calling us to live by faith!

Blessings,

John

PS I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you the regular encouragement I send out each week. If you would like to be encouraged regularly then subscribe to receive my devotionals via email @ http://www.johnsilkauskasministries.com/about/

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The Word of the Lord

Years ago God gave me a word that tremendously helped me then and continues to help me now (especially in the season we’re in). It’s a word that is thousands of years old and yet it’s truths are relevant for us today! People came to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah and told him that a vast army was coming upon him! He immediately called a fast and spent some time in prayer seeking God’s help and wisdom. Jehoshaphat admitted his inability to do anything without God’s assistance and in his uncertainty he said this to the Lord some of the wisest words ever spoken, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12

How many times do we not know what to do and instead of looking to the Lord we look to google or ourselves? Here Jehoshaphat looks to God and invites God’s mighty hand to move on behalf of all of Judah! In this prayer of desperation and transparency Jehoshaphat shows two great qualities:

-Humble Dependance upon God

-Bold Faith that God would be his rescue

And God responds to his faith and assures him by saying, “Do not be afraid or discouraged…for the battle is not yours, it’s the Lords.” 2 Chronicles 20:15 Just that word alone would give you the courage to face any army! Think of the most difficult things you’re facing right now and hear these words, “The battle is not yours, it’s mine says the Lord!” Hearing these words bring immediate peace, they take the pressure and stress off of you and give you reason to trust God and rejoice. And that’s exactly what happened to the people of Judah, they rejoiced! Instead of going to battle with weapons they went with songs! And do you know what happened? The Lord fought for them! God set ambushes against their enemies and caused their enemies to get confused and kill each other. Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah enjoyed all of the plunder and God gave them rest on every side!

In this chapter of scripture there really are countless words from the Lord but I want to leave you with two that have powerfully helped me:

  1. When you don’t know what to do look to God (and keep looking to Him)
  2. Trust God with your difficulty, let Him fight your battle and simply praise Him

That’s it! Look to Jesus!!! He will be your guide, He will fight for you and you can simply trust Him and rejoice in knowing that He is good and He is fighting for you! Rest in this truth and rejoice in your God!

Blessings my friends!

John

PS If you’d like to hear a beautiful song that helps bring this home click here —> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvFTgNd6Iko

PPS I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you the regular encouragement I send out each week. If you would like to be encouraged regularly then subscribe to receive my devotionals via email @ http://www.johnsilkauskasministries.com/about/

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Stay in Faith!

“The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

We are the just, the righteous, the church, we are “the called out ones!” And we are called to live by faith! Life is all about seasons, some seasons it’s easy to live by faith others it’s rather difficult. But regardless of the season we may be in God wants us to stay in faith! More and more in recent years I’ve been able to easily sense when I’m “in faith” and when I’m not. When I find myself easily agitated, discontent, lacking peace or joy, sometimes feeling a lesser sense of purpose or simply feeling empty I know that in that moment I’m not in faith.

The best thing about this though is that I recognize it and simply get back to living in faith. How you might ask? By choosing to! Faith in the greek simply means, “firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing.” I come back to faith by remembering the things that God has already spoken to me. I remember His word, I think on His character, I thank Him for His faithfulness and my heart is stirred to believe! I choose to believe, I choose to live by faith!

If it’s impossible to please God without faith then I dare to believe that our greatest worship is simply to trust God. When we trust God it removes anxiety from our hearts and the areas of life in which we are ‘wanting’ begin to fade. See when the Lord is David’s shepherd David’s cup is overflowing. When our hearts are resting in God’s care for us and filled with thanksgiving rather than anxiety and complaints we are blessed and we are indeed living by faith.

You may be in a difficult season right now, you may find it hard to trust and give thanks nevertheless I speak to your faith even now and I say, “Rise up and believe!” For God is too good for us to complain, He is too faithful for us to be anxious and He is too powerful for us to live defeated lives. We are called to live by faith!

So, here are the things that help me stay in faith:

-A daily diet of God’s Word

-Times of prayer

-Worship

-Community

-Thanksgiving

-Reflecting on God’s faithfulness

-Remembering the things that God has already spoken to my heart

Let’s stay in faith!

Blessings,

John

PS I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you the regular encouragement I send out each week. If you would like to be encouraged regularly then subscribe to receive my devotionals via email @ http://www.johnsilkauskasministries.com/about/