It is important that we have a heart that desires to search the Scriptures. Not only are we commanded to search the Word, but we are also commanded to do so carefully. Through this we will learn the whole council of God and know whether our lives line up with Scripture. Being rooted and grounded in the Word will change our lives. The truth certainly will set us free.
Although trials may cause suffering in our lives, there is a tremendous growth in our faith. God uses these times to refine our faith and draw us to deeper levels with Him. Even through difficult times we can rejoice knowing that God is doing a great thing in our lives. As our faith grows, Jesus will be lifted up and glorified.
This message is for those who are in a struggle that no one understands and instinctively you know that only God can get you out. There is an oil of joy that comes into our heart with the knowledge that God is for us and the enemy will not prevail. We must understand that everything God allows in our life is a classroom to teach us that He is everything we need. He is our hope, provision and the only one that has the promise of life for us. In the last days there will be a trumpet sound and a shout from the heart of Jesus and we will be caught up to meet Him and dwell with Him forever. God is calling us to get our eyes off the here and now and know that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning. Don't give up the fight. Declare Him faithful in your trial. Realize deep in your heart that forever and always He will never fail you!
How can God be glorified if His people live to escape every trial He allows? There is a physical, spiritual and cultural shaking coming in these last days. All those with a false sense of religion and security will be shaken. Those who call themselves Christians have been called to stand for what is right and true. We must determine in our heart to fight in the trenches of society and snatch people out of the fires of hell. We must fight for every man woman and child. We are not on this journey for a picnic we are here for the Glory of God and the souls of men.
Scripture speaks of several things God has foreordained about our lives. We have been sanctified, which allows us to be obedient to God. All this is accomplished by the sprinkling of Christ’s blood. Not only does this blood cover past sin, but continues to have power today. Through this blood we have an unmovable inheritance with God.
This message is for those who are in despair and are wondering how they will ever get free. The cry of God to you is, “don’t make peace with your sin, and don’t try to break free in your own strength”. Sin is waiting at the door of our hearts ready to usher us through life. But God declares that sin shall not master you but you shall master it. Sin loses its power over us because of Jesus Christ. We are not called in our own strength to get the victory we are called to believe in Jesus. When Jesus cried, “It is finished”, He broke the power of sin. It is not something we have to do. It is something He did for us! Give up your struggle, repent and believe that this is your hour of freedom!
You can resist and run from truth, but you can never escape it. When we have a wrong view of success we will develop a wrong method to achieve it. We are not called to live the Christian life with a wrong focus of what we can get for ourselves. There are no big or small players in the church. We are all moving as one body and we are a small part to a large picture. If we serve God for personal gain and reputation, we will end up pretending to be fully with the program, but in reality we have our own agenda. Pretending to be led of the Holy Spirit and to obey God is a very dangerous thing. God calls us to walk before Him with an honest and humble heart.
The Bible says submit to God and resist the devil. Sometimes we can be an enemy to ourselves. This message speaks about what happens when we embrace the values of a fallen world and have thoughts and plans that do not line up with God. We must resist the temptation to be other than what God has called us to be. The question is, “how do we humble ourselves”? Humility says not my plans, not my strength or wisdom. We finally acknowledge that we cannot live this Christian life on our own. True humility comes when all self effort dies! His life must become our life, His plan becomes our plan. That's when the power of God comes upon us! Humble yourself and He will lift you up.
Seasons of hardship in our lives often leave us wondering. The children of Israel were familiar with hardships through numerous seasons of exile, but God had a purpose in these exiles. God allows these times to strip away things that have taken His place in our lives. When we understand God's purpose, we will look at our times of exile differently.