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there's a maturity that we need to have
when we experience pain although it's
unpleasant although it's it's not
enjoyable God will always use pain to
ultimately serve a
purpose and you may be listening and
thinking that it's easy for me to say
all of this without knowing the true
extent of your
situation all of which is
true however
may I remind you that nearly every
single person used by God every person
who has experien the power of God had to
overcome something they had to face
something first and and then God
intervened and then God showed his
mind I need God because life is
complicated I have problems problems
that I care not to discuss with anyone
because people will often judge before
they reveal their own
struggles so I desperately need Jesus
Christ he's the only one who has given
me an open invitation in Psalms
55:22 where the Bible reads cast your
burden on the Lord and He will sustain
you he will never permit the righteous
to be moved as we mature as Christians
and as we grow as Believers in Christ we
need to understand that some
difficulties some problems and some of
the trials that we Face they're
presented to us for a purpose they're
placed before us not to destroy us but
to build us to strengthen
us and these challenges are placed
before us so that we can
overcome so that we can inch closer and
closer to the Lord so that can progress
from strength to strength in
faith I believe that challenges can even
be presented to us so that we can be
that much more
convinced that much more sure and
persuaded that we serve a living God a
powerful
miraculous and wonderwork
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God Joseph he had painful experiences
with his
family Hannah Hannah had a painful
experience with
barrenness the woman with the issue of
blood blind
bardus the 10 lepers they all had
something to deal with something that
was
painful but the one thing that they all
had in common is that when in
pain they turned to the
Lord they called on the name of
Jesus the Amplified translation for
Lamentations
3:25 says the Lord is good to those who
wait confidently for him to those who
seek him on the authority of God's word
the Bible tells us here that God is good
to those who wait confidently in
him not those who wait and complain not
those who wait and get frustrated but
those who wait confidently in him
so where's your
confidence before a breakthrough there
is always a battle but despite that
where is your
confidence before a breakthrough there
is always opposition that will test you
but despite that where is your
confidence I encourage you to raise your
faith as you wait with confidence on the
Lord there is an appointment with God
for your life to change
there is an encounter with the Lord that
is scheduled to remove the stronghold of
the enemy over your life there is a date
set a time set for things to turn around
for you but you have to keep pressing on
you have to keep waiting confidently in
Jesus
Christ have faith in
Jesus and by definition faith is having
firm trust in
God it's trusting that he is the way out
it's trusting that he is a Pillar of
Strength when you feel
weak faith is you saying I am in God's
hands despite what
comes faith is believing that God will
honor and execute his word in your hour
of
need to have faith is to trust in the
almighty God and believe that he will
come through for you in all
circumstances now it's my belief from
personal experience that a breakthrough
comes when you really get into God's
word when you immerse yourself and
completely cover yourself in God's word
and his
promises and make no mistake the Lord
honors his
word so if you are there and you've been
praying for a breakthrough in any area
of your life I would like to encourage
you
today and the place of encouragement
where I will refer you to isn't some
book is it not a song or it's not a hym
but the only place where we should look
for encouragement is God's
word and so if you need a break through
in your life hold on to Philippians 4:
19 which says and my God Will Supply
every need of yours according to his
riches and glory in Christ
Jesus if you need a breakthrough I
encourage you to meditate on Romans
8:31-32 which says What then shall we
say to these things if God is for us
who can be against us he who did not
spare his own son but gave him up for us
all how will he not also with him
graciously give us all
things should you be in need for God to
meet your heart's desire then I
encourage you to meditate on psalms
37:4 which says delight yourself also in
the Lord and He Shall give you the
desires of your
heart a breakthrough will come when you
stand in faith when you stand and wait
on the Lord a breakthrough will come
when you take God's word and stand on it
when you meditate on it and when you
believe in his
promises don't give up now keep
believing God for a change keep
believing in the Lord for a breakthrough
now maybe you can relate to this
have you ever noticed how the enemy
attacks you when you decide to get real
with God it's when you decide to fully
give your heart to the Lord that's when
the enemy tries to attack distract or
discouraged it's when you repent from
your sins it's when you give God your
fears and your concerns it's when you
cast your burdens on the Lord that's
when the devil takes notice and begins
to devise an attack to get you to
quit and that's because he knows that if
you persist then your breakthrough is
just around the corner but I want to
encourage you there is nothing that the
Lord Jesus cannot do there is no area in
your life that God cannot touch whether
the enemy attacks you or not the Lord
will always have the upper hand the Lord
will always have the Victory and we all
need a breakthrough in some part of our
lives but to get that we are going to
have to fight we have to fight on our
knees we have to fight sometimes to
guard our faith and so when the devil
attacks that's the time we need to press
on and be
persistent now the thing about faith is
Faith becomes more
defined and refined in difficult
circumstance
ances and don't be fearful and start
thinking that you need Faith the size of
Noah's
Ark in his teaching on faith Jesus
requires us to have faith as small as a
mustard
seed everyone has a Measure of Faith
when they receive Jesus and the Bible
indicates that it has to grow the
increase in faith however is a personal
responsibility
Romans 10:17 says so then faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the word of God
the food that feeds faith is the word of
God the nutrients that grow Faith come
from the word of God the ground for
Faith to thrive and grow is the word of
God and you may ask why such emphasis on
the word of God as a seed of Faith why
not worship why not fast to grow your
faith well it's because the grass
withers the flowers fade but the word of
God stands forever according to Isaiah
40:8 it's because Isaiah 5511 says so
shall my word be that goes forth from my
my mouth it shall not return to me void
but it shall accomplish what I please
and it shall prosper in the thing for
which I sent it so people of God look to
the Bible and look to Jesus as your
source of
faith if you're in a situation that
seems hopeless you don't have to despair
you don't have to lose heart because God
has the power to Grant you Victory
Against All
Odds turn your
pain over to
Jesus don't feel it and grow bitter from
it turn it over to
Jesus there have been seasons in my life
where I've been up against it there have
been Seasons where I've been in the
middle of a rock in a hard place and you
know in those moments underneath that
crushing feeling I've looked at my pain
I've looked at my
circumstances I've looked at everything
falling apart and I have asked the
question Lord why
me are you really still in control of my
life because I'm in
freeold and if you ever have felt these
emotions if you've ever wavered for a
moment if you've ever wrestled with
doubt I want you to know that it's
important to remember that faith and
present circumstances don't always go
hand in hand you can have faith in God
but still find yourself going through
hard
times you can have faith in the Lord but
your circumstances may still be
challenging faith and present
circumstances don't always go hand in
hand think about David going up against
Goliath Goliath was 9 ft tall
he was a skilled warrior with
specialized armor and weapons David was
just a Shepherd boy from an average
family with no experience on the
battlefield by all measurements David
didn't stand a chance but David was able
to overcome this impossible situation by
trusting in the Lord David said to
Goliath you come to me with sword Spear
and Javelin but I come to you in the
name of the Lord of Heaven's armies it
didn't matter how weak how inexperienced
or how unprepared David was he put his
faith in God and God enabled him to defy
all human logic we can depend on God for
that same miraculous power today Against
All Odds you can defeat your
Goliath Against All Odds you can
overcome whatever TR trial whatever
difficulty you are facing right now some
of the trials that we Face they're
presented to us for a purpose they're
placed before us not to destroy us but
to build us to strengthen
us and these challenges are placed
before us so that we can
overcome so that we can itch closer and
closer to the Lord so that we can
progress from strength to strength in in
faith the Lord is faithful regardless of
our
circumstances sometimes tough situations
come around to serve a purpose that
purpose could be to remind you that God
can make a way where there seems to be
no way that purpose could be to glorify
God that purpose could be for the Lord
to demonstrate his healing power so be
encouraged your situation will serve a
purpose
how many times have we heard the words
don't
worry fathers say those two words to
Sons wives say those two words to
husbands pastors say those two words to
their Church congregations and the word
of God even says those same two words to
us the children of God but no matter how
many times we hear those words
regardless of how many times we read
those words in the Bible somehow
some way there just always seems to be
something that makes us
worry sadly it's an inescapable Truth
for many people but for the person who
wants to live their life in the way God
intended you have to
decide you have to make a
choice how will you handle
worry at one point or another you will
face something that will make you
worry Jesus said in this world you're
going to have
trouble you will face some hardship not
everything will go your way you might
have to deal with the trials of sickness
tragedy natural or economic disasters
and oh yes the
devil being told something like that
would certainly make you worried but if
you're patient enough to read the second
part of that verse in John
16:33 Jesus said yes you will face
troubles in this world but take heart be
courageous be of good cheer I I have
overcome the world so take
heart it doesn't matter how unworthy how
unqualified or how unlucky you think you
are if God is for you then no one can be
against you if he says he's on your side
you better believe he's going to March
you to victory 100%
guaranteed no guesswork involved his
promises are greater than the
predictions of man so when the world
tells you that you've got no chance or
when the devil tells you to just give up
stand firm in your faith keep on pushing
forward your ability to overcome
hardship is not predetermined by a
statistical analysis or a roll of the
dice your future rests in the hands of
God and he will equip you with whatever
you need for the battle
ahead because of the favor and
Providence of God you can look at any
situation and say with man this is
impossible but with God all things are
possible you know one of the things I
love about the Lord is that he loves to
go to the places where he can find those
who have been
rejected those who've been hurt and
abandoned he loves to go to places that
nobody puts high on the map in fact he's
a God who makes it his business to go
and find himself in situations where are
those who have been forgotten denied
shunned away and pushed to the side and
have you ever noticed that we all have a
tendency to attract people who are in
the same boat as us people with the same
kind of drama you're facing the same
kind of problems you're going through in
your life and I wonder how many people
are listening right now who because of
whatever drama they face in their lives
don't feel connected they don't feel
plugged in and find themselves standing
AAR are off people who are smiling on
the outside but crying on the inside
people who are going to church but
aren't really plugged in and you may be
one of those people today you may have
found yourself emotionally void you may
be there feeling rejected and a far off
but I have news for you today God loves
to connect with the people who others
consider to be outcast fix your your
eyes on him the King of Kings and the
Lord of lords your cry should only be to
him he's the one that can transform your
life and it doesn't matter where you are
or what you're situated in if you cry
out to God in the midst of your dilemma
he will bring Deliverance if you cry out
to God right in the middle of your
situation he will bring freedom don't be
the type of Christian who just wants
Jesus to save them from a problem and
after that he becomes secondary we let
our anger call the shots we let our
bodies control us we let our friends in
high places call the shots but we need
to get to a place where the word of God
calls the shots for our lives we need to
be crying out to God we need to be
crying out for his hand to touch Our
Lives we need to be crying out for his
love Grace and tender mercy and the
thing about Mercy is you need to thank
God for Mercy the Bible says the
steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
his mercies never come to an end they
are new Every
Morning hold on to the Lord because he
will get you through it all this is what
he promised us in Psalms 34:1
17-18 which says the righteous cry out
and he delivers them from all their
troubles the Lord is close to the
Brokenhearted and saves those who are
crushed in
spirit John 9:31 says we know according
to your tradition that God does not hear
sinners but if anyone fears God God and
does his will he hears him a child of
God fears the Lord a child of God does
God's Will and God's will can be found
in his word a child of God does not have
a form of godliness they do not act or
pretend but a true child of God
practices righteousness they walk by
faith not by sight they turn the other
cheek when attacked a true child of God
is Meek and humble they are a
peacemaker when you get to the stage
where you don't care whether you look
good or not doing the work of God then
you have reached a mature stage in your
walk with
Christ when you find yourself being
joyful even when
inconvenienced when you find yourself
easily forgiving others when they offend
you then you know you're a child of God
when you get to a stage where you have
accepted Christ in your heart and your
outward actions begin to reflect the
love of Christ the prayerful Spirit
Jesus had while here on Earth it's only
then that you'll know you're on the
right
track Saints I encourage you to be
attentive to the voice of God be
attentive to the holy spirit that still
Small Voice that tugs your heart be
attentive to how how the world tries to
pollute your mind and to entice you to
sin Saints if we are to see heaven then
we need to follow God's will and his
will is in his
word and so if I may share my own prayer
to the Lord my prayer is that I would be
a true follower of Jesus
Christ I want to be a believer who is
Spirit-filled
someone who has substance someone who
has
Integrity I desire to be so intrenched
in God's word I want it to be to such an
extent that I won't have the time nor
the energy to focus on the worldly
things and so I encourage you saints of
God let's be men and women who pay
attention to the things of
god let's be people who give their
undivided attention to Jesus Christ
instead of to the temporary things of
this
world our Pursuit should be a righteous
life a life that is rooted in the
kingdom of God Philippians
2:12 says therefore my beloved as you
have always obeyed so now not only is in
my presence but much more in my absence
work out your own salvation with fear
and
trembling in order to work out your
salvation you need to be paying
attention pay attention to whether or
not you're feeding your faith or you're
starving
it pay attention to what you allow
yourself to hear to
see because it impacts
you I would like to close by reading the
Amplified translation for Philippians 2:
12 it says so then my dear ones just as
you have always obeyed my instructions
with
enthusiasm not only in my presence but
now much more in my absence continue to
work out your
salvation that is cultivate it bring it
to full effect actively pursue spiritual
maturity with awe inspired fear and
trembling using serious caution
and critical self- evaluation to avoid
anything that might offend God or
discredit the name of
Christ
self-examination is needed for every
believer self-examination is important
if you desire to grow
spiritually so let's conduct a short
exercise if a spiritual mirror was put
up in front of you right now what would
we see
would we see a Godly attitude or a
worldly
attitude would we see stains of
unforgiveness and bitterness or would we
see you dressed in a garment of
forgiveness because you yourself have
been
forgiven if a spiritual mirror was put
up in front of you right now what would
you be
wearing the full armor of God or the
lust and pleasures of this
world we need to pray that Our Lives
reflect a Godly character we need to
pray that our lives really reflect Jesus
Christ don't be a Christian who loves
the name and the title but behaves in a
completely different
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manner you cannot really encounter Jesus
Christ and remain the same you cannot
experience the love of Jesus and remain
the
same when you are in Christ
he makes you a new creature he invades
your heart and
soul the Holy Spirit Will convict you to
such an extent that you'll be unable to
pretend because God is too real to
you 2 Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if
anyone is in Christ that is grafted in
joined to him by faith in him as Savior
he is a new creature reborn and renewed
by the Holy Spirit the old things the
previous moral and spiritual condition
have passed
away behold new things have come because
Spiritual Awakening brings a new
life the old things mentioned here are
to do with the pretending aspect of your
life you know before you've truly
encountered Jesus Christ you can pray
because you were taught how to pray
you can pray because it's what you know
but if your heart is not given to Jesus
if your heart is not in right standing
with the Lord then it's in
vain you see in order to fully trust God
you have to relinquish full
control to put it another way to trust
in the Lord is to abandon trust in
yourself or in another human you stop
trying to fix it yourself and you allow
God you yield to God you surrender all
control to him and to do that in this
day and age is to go against everything
we're taught and train to
do we have to take control of our career
our business we need to take control of
our future our kids
Futures so much of of our lives today
requires
control but the Lord operates
differently when it comes to the aspect
of
control the lord requires us to have
faith in him to relinquish control and
stop trying to fix it yourself but hand
it over to
Jesus and let's be realistic there are
some aspects in our lives where we need
to accept that the only things we have
control over is the amount of effort we
put in the attitude we have on a daily
basis that's what we can
control the rest we have to leave it up
to
God in the middle of your challenge
remember that Jesus Christ remains
King he remains Seated on the right hand
of the
father he remains to be
the only one who has said the words come
to me all you who are weary and burdened
and I will give you
rest and yes he still loves
you having this knowledge my friends is
the key to finding our way back to a
place of strength a place of joy and
victory we're backed by Angelic forces
that come come to our Aid when we shout
the name of Jesus in desperate need of
help we have Security in our father's
faithfulness he has never lost a battle
he has never been defeated nor can he
ever be
defeated this fight before you is one
that you should fight on your knees and
not with your fists this fight before
you is not one that you should be
fighting with your own strength but it's
one that you should be fighting with
God's word
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