Each of us has a call on our lives to go into the world and make disciples. If we call ourselves followers of Christ, then we need to be actively following Him where He is calling us. Are we walking in this calling? To truly walk out the call God has placed on our lives we must obey His commands, looking at our lives to see where they don't align with His Word.
If God is not merciful to us we would never be able to occupy the place He has called us to. When we get in the presence of the Holy God and realize how different we are from Him we will begin to feel undone. It is in this place that we realize there is nothing in and of ourselves that we can bring to Him. God will give us revelation of His mercy and faithfulness. God will open our hearts and make us understand that it is not about our promises to Him, but rather His promises to us. It is not about what we can do for Him, but what He has already done for us. It is only by the mercy of God that we are able to stand in His presence. God wants to show His mercy to all of humanity. The ministry of the church here on earth is mercy.
Nicky Cruz shares about the importance of seeing people the way Jesus sees them. We must be able to recognize the needs of others and take a detour from our own lives in order to minister to the lost and hurting around us.
Sometimes we make a decision to obey God and immediately our life seems to become more difficult. We may not understand that we can be in the will of God, but go through struggles. Even Jesus dealt with this upon the cross, as he fulfilled God's plan of redemption, asking why he was forsaken. Through these difficulties there is always a changing point, a conjunction when you see the plan of God. He is teaching us to trust Him completely.
This message is a wakeup call for those who started out with a passionate whole-hearted trust in God and are now beginning to move from walking in the spirit to walking in the flesh. You can cut off the source of the strength of God by coming to church and worshipping God even though you know clearly that you are doing something God told you not to do. Be careful of the mindset that thinks you can do whatever you want in spite of God is telling you to do, and thinking you will not be held accountable for it. When your faith is tested on the altar beware of turning from walking in the spirit to walking in human reasoning. You do not have to finish poorly. God is drawing us back into His Word and calling us to lay down our lives as a living sacrifice. Today is the day to put away all that would hinder your walk with the Lord. Stay in God’s presence until you heart burns again for the Word of God.
All systems of the body must function properly in order to be healthy. One important system is our immune system. Just as our physical immune system guards us from germs, bacteria and viruses, our spiritual immune system must guard against sin, our fleshly carnal nature, and Satan himself.
We live in a time that makes it so easy to be fearful. Day after day we are inundated with statistics that bring fear to our heart. In these last days God will do such a profound work in our hearts that fear will lose its power. You might ask the question how will God keep us from giving into the power of fear? We must understand His love brings incredible hope and power into our hearts. God will bring us to the full understanding that He loves us with a perfect love. His love for the genuine believer will give us an incredible security about the future. God's love covers and empowers us to join Him in His redemptive purposes. By faith, receive the incredible love of God and allow His love to flow through you to those around you.
We are not to despise the chastening of the Lord. There is no one who escapes the Lord's correction and discipline. It is important not to faint or give way to the enemy when we are in a season of chastening. God will cause us to endure so we don’t break relationship with Him. This message reminds us not to just listen to God but to do what He is asking us to do. The power to obey comes from our love relationship with the Father. He is patient with us until His will becomes our will and we get back on track with Him. Always keep this truth in your heart, “whom the Lord loves He chastens”.
The church is Christ's body, made of many members — young and old, many races, rich and poor — with different gifts and functions. Just as we must maintain the health of our physical bodies, we are to maintain the spiritual health of Christ's body, both individually and corporately. This is done through love for one another. A lost and hurting world will not receive Christ if they are hurt and rejected by His followers. The church is to be an agent of transformation and a haven for the hurting. The body must breathe in Jesus if we are to be healthy — unified and aligned to God's purposes.
No one knows what 2011 will brings us. All of us will go through situations we haven't thought about; some for tragedy and some for miracles. The truth of the matter is the people who go through trouble will end up in a better position than the people who are seemingly blessed because when hard times come it gives us an awareness of our need for God. In the parable of the ten virgins half of them thought they were ready for Jesus and they weren't. If Jesus Christ came today would you be ready? In the beginning of this new year examine yourself and make sure you are ready. It is imperative to get right with Jesus.