Storms
"Going
To The Other Side"
Part II
February 2012
Speaking God’s word releases God’s
power.
“So shall My word be that goes forth from 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.” (Isaiah
55:11) The devil threatens
believers. He wants to neutralize our faith. Goliath tried to
intimidate David. “And the
Philistine said to David,
“Come to me, and I will give
your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (I
Samuel 17:44) Lies deceive, bind, and destroy. Believing a lie
affects us. Somebody might tell you there’s a snake under your
chair. If you believe that person; even though there’s no snake
under your chair, it will induce reactions. You’ll become tense.
Your heart rate will increase. Sweat will flow down your face. Satan
wants us to live in fear. That’s when he gets the upper had. Don’t
believe what the devil says. David responded to Goliath’s threat.
“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword,
with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of
the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I
will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will
give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of
the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may
know that there is a God in Israel.” (I
Samuel 17:45&46) David knew God was
with him. He had experience beating the odds. David killed a lion
and a bear. Goliath was a giant. He was battle tested. He was the
Philistine’s champion. In the natural, it didn’t seem like David had
a chance. David didn’t deny that Goliath was a giant, and great
fighter. He put his faith in the Lord. David slayed the giant. Faith
prevailed.
Storms may bring extreme hot or cold
temperatures. Wind, rain, ice, or snow accompany storms. Life’s
storms bring unpleasant situations. We don’t deny those factors. We
assert the supremacy of God’s word.
“We are hard-pressed
on every side, yet not crushed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck
down, but not destroyed.” (II Corinthians 4:8&9)
We’re victorious in every circumstance. Faith grows when it’s used.
Faith believes God and his word over momentary conditions. Obstacles
are opportunities. It demonstrates God’s power, and develops our
faith. Bodybuilders develop muscles by lifting weights. The stress
of lifting weights causes muscles to strengthen and grow. Likewise,
overcoming problems can strengthen and develop our spiritual
muscles.
“And not only that,
but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces
perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
(Romans 5:3&4) Pressure reveals
what’s in us. A bottle may be labeled a ketchup bottle. The label
says it’s a ketchup bottle. It may look red. If you take the lid off
and squeeze the bottle, and mustard comes out: you know, that
although it was labeled a ketchup bottle, it wasn’t.
When everything’s going our way; it’s
easy to speak victory. Are we speaking victory when the tide turns
against us? “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”(Matthew
12:34b) A consistent confession brings possession of God’s
promises.
“Let us hold fast the confession of
our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is
faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) To hold
fast is to hold firm. When I was a boy I helped my older brother on
his paper route. Early on Sunday morning I walked up 40 or 50 steps.
After throwing the paper on the porch, I turned to walk down the
steps. A bulldog took hold of my pant leg. I tried to shake loose
from the bulldog’s grip. The more I shook, the more determined the
dog was to hold on to my pant leg. It took awhile to free myself.
Whatever was in that bulldog, the church needs. You might call it
tenacity, perseverance, or rugged determination. Don’t give up.
“And let us not grow weary
while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
heart.” (Galatians 6:9) Many times people relinquish their faith
before their manifestation. Stay the course.
“Therefore do not cast away
your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of
endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may
receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35&36)
The key to weathering a storm is to
keep our eyes on Jesus and his word. We must do this on a daily
basis. Christ told us to pray for daily bread. We stay alive by
breathing, eating, sleeping and moving. Breathing occurs moment to
moment. “For in Him we live
and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28a) Our life is in him.
Let’s be conscious of his presence. He lives in us. That enables us
to overcome. People need to eat on a regular basis. When our body is
deprived of food, it begins to weaken. If it continues very long, it
can be life threatening. The same thing is true with our need of
spiritual nourishment. “But
He answered and said, “It is written,
“Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) The word of God is food for our
spirit. It will fortify our faith. I’ve watched people give their
heart to the Lord. Those that make the bible a priority are strong
in the Lord. People that don’t read, meditate, and study the word of
God become weak. A man strong in faith and the word will cause havoc
in the kingdom of darkness. “And being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is
fulfilled.” (II Corinthians 10:6) Strong believers pose a threat
to the devil. We’re going to the other side.
View Part I of "Storms" In Mikes Archive Evangelist Mike Manuel
"True Love"
True love comes from God; it’s not just a feeling. Love is a
powerful action word: it expresses good deeds.
“Love
suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not
parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not
seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in
iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.” (I Corinthians 13:4-6)
Love comes from God. “Love
never fails.” (I Corinthians 13:8a) February is the time of year
when the world thinks an angel, named cupid, shoots arrows into
people, which causes them to fall in love. Valentines Day will come
and go, but God’s love will remain. The opposite of love is hate:
which comes from satan. Hate causes trouble. We choose what to do.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone
who loves is born of God and knows God.
He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (I
John 4:7&8) It’s like CHRISTmas & Easter: these are not just two
times of the year when we should think of Jesus. We should
have a lifetime relationship
with him. February shouldn’t be the only time we celebrate love.
Love should be our lifestyle. It’s easier to love than hate. God
commanded us to love. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
(John 15:12)
Love accomplishes more; because it’s from the Lord.
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his
friends.” (John 15:13)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) There are
situations when it’s hard to show love. Saints, we can have true
love by allowing God to fill us with his live.
“That Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in
love.” (Ephesians 3:17)
“To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)
There is a time and season for everything. There’s a time to
hate. We need to hate sin, sickness, pain, death, destruction, and
war. “To everything there is
a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born,
And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is
planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down,
And a time to build up; A
time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to
dance; A time to cast away
stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time
to refrain from embracing; A
time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to
throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep
silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A
time of war, And a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
The love walk is filled
with promise. Let’s travel that road, and show God’s love.
In Christ, Sister Cathy
For God so lo V ed the
world
That He
g A ve
His on
L y
Begott
E n
So
N
T hat whosoever
Believeth
I n Him
Should
N ot perish
But have
E
verlasting life
John 3:16