1 Peter 4 speaks of judgement in the house of God. This is not the wrath of God, but a deep purifying work in our hearts. He wants no compromise in His church. We must actively battle our flesh or it will be victorious in our lives. Inversely, we are called to be holy, self-controlled and sober-minded, but most of all filled with love for others.
As Christians we have within us the true God who spoke the universe into existence. The frailty of our vessels will not stop God from being God to us. When God allows us to go through difficult times we sometimes question if He is able to do the impossible in our situation. This message reminds us to take our eyes off our failures and fix our eyes on Jesus. Thank the Lord for what He has done for you. God will lead you into the secret place of thunder where the impossible becomes possible and the natural ends and the supernatural begins.
What would be the outcome if we would simply choose to obey God? At some point we have to realize that the same God who created the universe lives inside of us and will enable us to accomplish all that He's called us to do. There comes a time when God doesn't have to speak anymore because you already know what He wants you to do. God says put away the old man and put away the old nature. He is seeking for a man after His own heart who would simply walk in obedience with Him. Are you embracing something that God has clearly told you to put away? The word of the Lord to you today is obey God! Obedience is the beginning of the journey of dancing.
It doesn't matter how high the tides of anxiety rise, the Lord has made provision to comfort and delight our soul. How does Jesus break through an anxious and distracted heart? He speaks the same word to you that He spoke to Martha, “one thing is needful”. What did He mean by this? He is saying to His church that He has provided a place for us to sit beside Him. A place reserved just for you. When this truth pierces a Christian's heart we will find ourselves in His presence and the power of anxiety will be broken. He invites us to a place of divine participation and it is our privilege to wake up each morning and be found sitting at His feet. The cry of God to His church is to wake up and pray!
[1 Peter 2:13–3:7] In our modern culture we don't want to be told what to do. Peter tells us we are called to be subject to authority — in government, on the job, and in the home. All of these positions of authority have been ordained by God. We are to submit even when we suffer wrongfully. In the example of Christ, we are to endure these trials. The reward of this suffering is a life in Christ like we have never known.
Blessed is the man in whom there is no guile. God calls us to walk with Him in truth. When we get to the point where we try to cover the sin that God puts His finger on, we open a door of deception that leads us into a dark season. God in His mercy will send a messenger with a message for you to deal with your sin. If we have the courage to turn from our sin, He will forgive and cleanse us. God is not against you He is for you. You can be free from sin, surrounded by His mercy and shouting for joy. Don't wait one more minute, deal with your sin!
When God wants to move or call His people to take a step of faith, skeptics will speak up — whether a person in your life, the enemy himself, or your own inner skeptic. The skeptic has arguments like, it’s easier to stay where you are; this takes too much effort; you’re going to offend someone; it’s impossible; now isn’t the right time; it’s too risky; you might fail; or they paint a negative picture of the outcome. No matter what the skeptic says, know that Christ has already given us all the resources and authority we need to fulfill God’s calling on our life. We’re not called to be comfortable, or to please men. God’s timing is perfect, and He will work all things to fulfill His purposes.
This message is for those who feel like giving up and have been wrestling with the following questions: Why does it seem like the unsaved are so much better off than I am? How come my walk is so narrow and strict while others in the body of Christ seem to be at liberty to enjoy a broader walk and are free to enjoy pleasures that I am deprived of? Your cry is God just give me one reason to go on with this journey. The reason is for the salvation of souls. Those who walk narrow will have something of God revealed through them so that many souls can be snatched out of the fires of hell. Judgment is coming and God wants you to be a testimony to every lost soul. Will you live your life for the betterment of others? You are going to heaven and God wants to use you to take some souls with you.
Christ is the cornerstone of the spiritual habitation that God is building. When we lose sight of Christ we will stumble over the placement of that stone. We need to focus on Christ, the foundation, as we too are living stones built upon Christ. The good news is that God has chosen us and He is forming us to fit into this spiritual house.
Acts 8:26-39 is the story of the Ethiopian eunuch’s salvation and spontaneous baptism by Philip. The word “baptism”, or “mikvah” in Hebrew, first appears in Genesis 1:10 when God gathered the waters together. The people of Israel were very familiar with baptism. There were 48 baptismal pools in the temple that were used for ceremonial and preparatory cleansing, all of which focused on the external. Jesus changed everything! Through repentance, He focused the cleansing on the internal, and reduced all those Old Testament baptisms to just one — in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.