Posts Tagged ‘Trust’
He Knows Me
He Knows Me
I saw this bumper sticker today. “Jesus knows me this I love” (It is a play on the Children’s Sunday School song, Jesus Loves Me.) When I thought upon the bumper sticker’s play on words, these passages came to my mind.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
He Knows I’m His
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
He knows My Struggles In Life
Deut 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
He Knows Where I’m At
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
He Knows My Weaknesses
Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
He Knows I Trust Him
Nah 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
He Knows My Needs
Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mat 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Mat 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
Mat 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mat 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
His Eye is On The Sparrow
Civilla D. Martin, 1905
- Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
- “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
- Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
The Highway In The Sea
The Highway In The Sea
Psa 77:19 Thy way is in the sea.
There is a path through your problem. I’m sure that when the psalmist penned this, his first thought was the crossing of the Red Sea. He was no doubt trying to encourage himself by recalling the saving power of God in Israel’s past. “Thy way is in the sea.”
To Israel, The Sea Was As An Object of Dread
There were two places above all others dreaded by the Jew. The one was the Desert and the other was the Sea.
1. The Desert
Because It Was The Home Of:
- The home of wild beasts.
- The haunt of robbers who plundered the Jewish villages.
- The pathway of those enemy armies, which came against Jerusalem.
- Merciless in it’s heat and lack of water.
2. The Sea
Because it was:
- Full of storms and treachery
- Cruel and unforgiving
- Deep
- It is very difficult to cross
- A great divider
The Sea was the first problem that Israel encountered in their escape from Egypt. The Desert or Wilderness was their next source of dread for forty years
We are sometimes slow to learn the lesson that God’s way is in the very thing we dread.
We are so quick to feel that God has forgotten us when the very thing which we dread, appears.
- We all love health, but dread disease.
- We love success, but we dread disappointment.
- We love friends, but we dread rejection.
- We love money, but we dread financial loss.
- We love comfort, but we dread distress.
The Way Of The Lord Of Is In The Sea.
Sometimes His way is through our problem and the very thing we dread, and not around it.
We must believe that He is working out His purposes for us in the dark of night as well as in the broad daylight. We must believe that He is working out His purposes for us in the sea as well as on dry land.
What is the object of thy greatest dread, O Hebrew? Is it the sea? Well then remember, “God’s way is in the sea.”
The Sea Is Almost Alway Restless
The sea was the element of constant change, the home of restlessness. One day the sea might be calm; the next day, it may rage in a storm. It was all of this that the writer understood when the word came to him that God’s way was in the sea.
- Is there unrest in our life?
- Are there storms you must face today?
- Are the waves threatening you?
Remember, He makes a way, a highway, in the sea of your problem. He makes a way through the very thing that you dread and fear.
Trust Him!
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
“If I Can Just Make It Through Today…”
“If I Can Just Make It Through Today…”
How often have we met someone who was at their wit’s end? Their pain and problems maybe obvious to their family and friends. Yet there is always that unspoken deeper pain that they don’t freely share, that drives that last nail in their coffin.
With much anguish, and often with tear rimmed eyes, we have heard someone make the remark… “If I can just make it through today.”
Every day life and every day people can be overwhelming even on good days. Yet no one can truly know how much heartache their friend or family member feels when their world crashes around them.
We may have sympathy and maybe even empathy for their situation. Most of the time however, we just stand helplessly on the sidelines and watch.
Sometimes we offer words, sometimes we formulate a plan of action to help them, but too many times, we just say we’ll pray. God knows some of our praying for others is sadly without much sincerity or desperation.
Yet, to those who face things that are so overwhelming that they feel hopeless. To those that feel the unbearable pressure of life’s worst problems crushing the very life from them, I have a good word for you today.
Deut. 33:25 …and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.
God WILL give you enough strength for today. Trust Him. Tomorrow? He’ll give you enough strength for tomorrow too. God ALWAYS comes through.
Surviving Your Nightmare
Surviving Your Nightmare
Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Worse than that, events happen that knock your feet out from under you. The pain is like a nightmare that won’t stop. Thank God we have the Holy Ghost, a church, a pastor, a Bible, family and friends to help us through. Job didn’t.
What happened in the book of Job is hard for human minds to fathom. The book starts out with a special meeting. The sons of God came before the Lord. Satan came also.
The Lord asked Satan where he’d been and what he’d been doing, then the next question He asked was, “What do you think about my servant Job?
Unbeknown to Job, he was God’s favorite person in the whole world. Being God’s favorite has the greatest of benefits. God loved him so much He put a hedge around him.
Satan was sure that Job only served God for the financial blessings. God gave Satan permission to find out for sure.
Satan’s First Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.
Satan took Job’s most prized possessions in one day.
- His Beloved Children
- His Herds
- His Wealth
- All Gone in One Day
Satan’s Second Day Of Trying To Destroy Job.
Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
Job 2:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Job 2:4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 2:8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
Satan Attacked Job physically. He couldn’t make him curse God by destroying his possessions and his family. He was still reeling from the loss of his children and his financial empire. But Satan wasn’t done. His second attack on Job was physically and emotionally. Physically with the boils, and emotionally with critical ‘friends.’
- Boils
- Critical And Fault Finding Friends
By this time, Job is feeling pain in every part of his body and soul. His own wife pushes him to reject God. She has had it with living for God. Job was not a weak man and would not budge.
He kept trusting God and said, Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
Job vowed to maintain his ways. He promised God he would keep on doing what he’s always been doing… serving the Lord.
In the end, God blessed Job with double what he had before, yes and double the number of children too.
There may be days in your walk with God that you feel what you are going through is an attack from Satan. You may be very well right.
I can only imagine how devastating it is to feel the cold icy hands of Satan trying to destroy you in your labor for the Lord. I am sure it is very easy to focus on the pain he has inflicted upon your life. Pain comes in many forms, such as the loss of finances, the loss of health, the loss of friendships, and the loss of life. It is a very personal nightmare to watch him tear down everything you have built.
On top of all the pain that Satan brings, he will talk trash to your mind as well. He will tell you that you are, “Out of the will of God. God hates you. You have sinned in the past and this is God’s judgment upon you. You are not qualified to be in the work of the Lord. Get out now.”
He will push you to resign whatever office or position you have in the Kingdom of God. He will tell you to withdraw and lick your wounds. He will tell you that you are not loved or appreciated either.
Satan plays dirty. He is not a gentleman. He will kick you when you are down. He did it to Job, and Job didn’t even have the Holy Ghost.
I am not sure that Job even knew he was God’s favorite man in the whole world. I don’t think that he even knew God had his picture hanging on heaven’s wall. Job didn’t know he was heaven most prized earthly possession. All Job knew about was the pain. He hurt so bad, that pain was all he could see.
To those of us today who feel the harshness of Satan’s handiwork in our lives, I wish to remind you of these things:
- Don’t believe Satan’s Lies.
- God does not hate you. In fact He loves you dearly.
- If pain and problems mean you are out of the will of God, then the Apostle Paul never was in the will of God.
- Job was God’s favorite and he still went through this and God brought him out victorious.
- God’s loves you. You enjoy a better relationship with Him than just being on in His list of Favorites, You are His Child.
- He will bring you out victorious, just like He did Job.
- God knows what you are going through. He has not forgotten where you are.
- He will bring you out
- He will give you back all that the enemy has taken from you… and more!
You Are God’s Favorite Child, In Spite Of What Satan Does.
God Has A Hedge Built All Around You.
It’s God Who Is In Control Of Your Situation.
Be Faithful Like Job, And He Will Bring You Through Your Nightmare.
You Will Survive, In Jesus Name!
15 Things To Do In Church Before You Die
15 Things To Do In Church Before You Die
1. Pray
- Pray till you get the absolute Victory.
- Intercede for a lost or wayward soul.
- Let God use you in the Spirit of Travail
- Pray till the Fire falls.
- Pray someone through to the Holy Ghost.
- Pray before church.
- Pray around the altar after church
2. Sing
- Don’t make the Song Leader beg you to sing.
- Don’t let the Praise Singers do your singing.
- Sing till you cry.
- Sing till you shout.
3. Shout
- Dance in the Spirit
- Leap for Joy
- Lead. Be the first one to shout.
- Run the aisles
4. Believe God
- Believe God for a Healing.
- Trust Him to supply your needs.
- Believe Him for a Miracle and see it come to pass.
5. Get ‘Lost in the Spirit’
- Be taken home drunk in the Holy Ghost
6. Witness
- Teach a Home Bible Study
- Win a soul
7. Say Amen
- Say Amen from your heart. Be willing to Obey.
- Stand to you feet and say Amen
- Say Amen from even if you’re the only one.
- Say Amen even when the Scripture or the Preaching touches a sore spot.
8. Give
- Give your last Dollar, if God impresses you to.
- Become faithful in your tithe and offerings
- Give without expecting anything in return.
9. Read
- Read the Bible through.
- Have a daily Scripture reading.
- Get a Revelation of One God.
10. Testify
- Don’t give some narrative about “he said, and I thought to myself.”
- Just brag on Jesus!
11. Fast
- Fast to crucify your flesh.
12. Love Your Brother and Sister
- Prefer them. Put them first
- Let all jealousy die
13. Refuse To Listen to a Rumor
- Tell the talebearer, “I really don’t want to hear this.”
- Refuse to pass a rumor on.
14. Forgive
- Put all your yesterdays behind you.
- Empty yourself of all Bitterness.
- Be merciful.
15. Get the Pastor’s Heartbeat.
- Try to feel what he feels.
- Work with him for Revival.
- Feel the Spirit of Unity
Now, Let’s Have Some ‘Church’ Around Here!
Bumpy Roads
Bumpy Roads
Is. 40:3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.
Is. 40:4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”
The Old Testament saints understood the Prophet’s words. He referenced the custom of Kings requiring that their chariot rides were to be made on smooth roads. Servants of the King spent much time maintaining the roads for their master.
If the season’s rains had washed out the road, it was important that the potholes and washouts be filled and leveled. All bumps were to be removed also. The road was to become straight… or level.
John quoted Isaiah and warned his generation to prepare the way because the King of Kings was coming.
- John 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
We modern-day Pentecostals have an understanding of the words of the Prophet and of John the Baptist. The arrival of the Messiah was being announced. His servants were preparing the way.
There is one scripture that is often overlooked in the book of Proverbs, however. The same word is being used about man who is used about Kings. The word ‘straight’ is spoken concerning our personal life.
- KJV Prov. 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
- KJV Prov. 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
- NIV Prov. 3:6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
- GOD’S WORD® Translation Prov. 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth.
The wisest man in the world understood that if we trust in the Lord:
- Don’t allow our own intellect to solve our problems,
- Allow God to take control.
- He (The Lord) will make our paths straight.
- He will smooth out our road.
Is your road a little bumpy right now? God is willing to make your life smooth.
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 