Blessed Assurance - Jesus Is Mine

Jesus was greatly misunderstood as He ministered to the people. He told the people that you must eat My flesh and drink My blood and at the last day I'll raise you up. They did not know He was speaking in a spiritual sense. They thought He was speaking of cannibalism, and He did not make the correction.

Many of His disciples turned and walked away and did not follow Him anymore. Jesus asked the 12 disciples, "Do you also want to go away? Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." This did not mitigate their confusion but they knew in their hearts that they did not want to walk away. Jesus spoke figuratively and it confused even His closest disciples. But they did not walk away from Him.

Apostle John wrote, much later, that they went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have no doubt continued with us. When false believers walked away they revealed that they did not belong to the Christian community. They were never true believers in the first place.

Jesus said to His disciples, "You did not choose Me, but I chose and appointed you." He also prayed over  the twelve saying, "Those whom You gave Me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." So even though the disciples were very confused at times, they were being spiritually kept and could not turn their backs on the Lord.

I also experienced this when I up and decided to break up with the Lord because we could not see eye to eye. I got down on my knees to pray my good-bye prayer, and when I had said all I wanted to say, I got up to walk away and collapsed back down on my knees in a heap of wailing as never before seen. I could not do it, in the same way that Jesus's disciples were being kept, I couldn't walk away from Eternal Life.

As Christians, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. This impartation is called anointing. It joins us to the Anointed One and we share in His anointing.

There are those falsely professing Christ that don't share in His anointing. Of these people in the last day Jesus will say to them, "I never knew you. Depart from Me."

But of those who ate of His flesh and drank of His blood, they will have everlasting life, just as He said. We are kept by the power of His anointing. Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine 

O what a foretaste of glory divine 

Heir of salvation, purchase of God 

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood 

Perfect submission, all is at rest 

I in my Savior am happy and blessed 

Watching and waiting, looking above 

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love 

This is my story, this is my song 

Praising my Savior all the day long 

This is my story, this is my song 

Praising my Savior all the day long 

Blessed Assurance by Third Day

The Story of My Life

Psalm 139:16 (NLT) You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

God IS done writing our story, but He is certainly not done carrying it out. This is not how our story ends.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Sermon Excerpt from Talbert Swan:

God exercises rule and providential authority over the affairs of our lives. So if He allows us to get to this point, He also has a strategy for getting us through it.

God is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Beginning and the End. That means when God started, He was already at the end looking at Himself start. God does not wait for you to get into trouble to react to what the enemy is doing. God started at the end of your life and backed up, saw you would need a way out of no way, and put it in there. Backed up again, saw you would need healing, and put it in there. Backed up again, saw your child would be strung out needing deliverance, and put that in there. Then when He had backed all the way to the beginning of your life, He said, "Now start."

Your life to God is like Gilligan's Island. It's just a rerun. He has already been there and done that... already worked it out.

Keep your head up, looking toward Heaven. This is where our help comes from.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)

May the LORD bless you

and protect you.

May the LORD smile on you

and be gracious to you.

May the LORD show you His favor

and give you His peace.

Amen.

Unanswered Prayers

Lately I have been seeking the Lord about my unanswered prayers, because it seems like I am starting to lose faith in praying because of the multitude of unanswered ones piling up.

A long time ago I came across a poem that still blesses me to this day.

God's Rebuke

📜 Job 26:11 NKJV

The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at His rebuke.

📜 Isa. 50:2 NKJV
Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst.

📜 Ps. 106:9 NKJV
He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

📜 Nahum 1:4 NKJV
He rebukes the sea and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers.

Satan, the LORD rebuke you!

He Loves Me

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

The LORD your God in your midst,

the Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

When I woke up this morning I grabbed my phone and took it with me to the restroom, intending to play music while I washed up.

Coincidentally, the song next up in the que was I Feel You Moving by Bishop Paul S. Morton. As the song played I knew it was no coincidence that that particular song played first on this particular day.

I have been struggling and praying about my attitude toward a couple of people and I do need the Lord to move in me to help me love them.

The prophet Zephaniah said, "He will quiet my spirit with His love and rejoice over me with singing."

In my morning devotional, the author talked about a photo she received in which both her parents sat gazing lovingly at her.

This is how our Heavenly Father sees us. I am struggling in my attitude towards others, yet His love towards me is still alive and flourishing.

In all these things we're more than conquerors through Him who loved us... and loves us still.

The Journey to Maturity

Not too long ago I confessed to the Lord that I was having a hard time praying for growth because I know that entails some kind of a trial in order for development to occur. Who wants to spend their whole life going through trial after trial? Life is already hard enough.

Then, the other day I was playing a word game on my device and I sensed the Holy Spirit leading me and giving me insight regarding the next move. I had an aha-moment. The Lord was teaching me how to sense His leading by using this word game. If I become continually aware of His presence, He does not have to permit trials only, to teach me.

So often we are scurrying through life unaware of the Lord's presence that we miss His signals altogether. When I received the signal from the Holy Spirit, concerning the word I was looking for, all He showed me was the letter C. When I stopped to notice that letter, it was then that I saw the whole word... N-I-C-E.  He didn't show me the whole word till I stopped to acknowledge His signal. It is the same in life, when we stop scurrying and acknowledge His signal, He can reveal more of the picture.

If I continue to exercise and hone that gentle tug from the Holy Spirit, eventually it will become second nature. If I keep my eyes and ears attuned to Him all the time, life's lessons don't always have to come in the form of a trial.

It is true that the testing of our faith builds endurance, but I no longer have to dread praying for maturity. We can't stay babes forever and we don't have to dread the journey to maturity either.

Hebrews 5:14 (NKJV) Solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Offended at God

I noticed that I seem to have an overwhelming concern when I think I have offended anyone. Though I pride myself on the fact that I follow the Golden Rule in my everday life - while driving in traffic, on the job, in the fast food line, at the bank, in the grocery store, and in my home. I am always mindful of how my actions are effecting others. Yet when others seem to disapprove of my actions, and my well intended behavior, I am laying awake worried about it.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This has been my life's mantra since I can remember, even before I knew it was a Bible verse, I lived by it. But even on my best day when I think I am being my wonderful self, someone is likely to be offended by something I did or said. Why do I allow that to bother me?

I heard Marilyn Hickey say a long time ago, "I love people, and people love me." This was her way of combating the haters. I think people love me too, certainly to know me is to love me. To understand me is even better. Instead of being offended, the offended will say, "I know Dee's heart and she would never intentionally hurt anyone."

Well lately, I have been offended at God, wondering how He can seemingly sit on His throne and allow evil people to treat others so badly and get away with it. I questioned His justice, and His love. If He can see an innocent person being brutally mistreated and not dispatch a warrior angel to help them, how dwelleth the love of God in Himself, to see one in desperate need and not come to the rescue? He expects us to obey Scripture that He Himself won't follow?

But honestly, I think it comes right back down to knowing the heart of God. In the same way that  I can offend someone on my best day, because they misunderstood my intentions, it is the same here. We misunderstand the heart of God and see Him as apathetic and unconcerned when He doesn't respond the way we thought He should in any given situation. We know He has the power and resources to put a  stop to evil but He won't.

I saw a homeless man sitting outside the post office on a  bitterly cold day. I didn't have any cash on me, and my heart was saddened. Even after I drove away from him, I kept apologizing to the Lord for not helping  this man. To the naked eye it looks like I didn't care enough about him to do anything, but I didn't have anything. I know that I am a wonderful person and I love me, and my neighbor as myself. I cannot help that others misunderstand me and are offended by my good behavior.

God is good all of the time, and all of the time God is still good. His behavior is just, and right, and fair. We must trust in the heart of God that He has our best interest at heart, even when it appears otherwise.

The people of Jesus's hometown were offended at Him, and He could do no mighty works in Nazareth because of their unbelief.

I am believing God for some mighty works of my own and can ill afford to be offended by His actions and His  decisions. This is hindering my prayers. I must trust the heart of God, when I fail to see His hand in my situation.

Check out Our God Is Good by Brian Courtney Wilson. Download, and put it on repeat.

God bless you. 🙂

The Heavenly Father's Loving-kindness

I was watching an episode of All In The Family about where Michael Stivic had appendicitis and needed surgery.  He and his wife Gloria were trying to figure out how they were going to pay for it while he kept getting progressively worse by the minute.

Gloria’s father, Archie Bunker and her husband, Michael never really got along that well.  The only reason he approved of the marriage was because he thought he might lose his “Little Girl” forever if he didn’t.  While Michael was in the bathroom throwing up, Archie told Gloria that he would pay for the surgery and they could pay him back whenever they were able.

This act of kindness touched Gloria’s heart very deeply because she knew how Archie felt about her husband.

This reminded me of what Jesus said of our Heavenly Father, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt 7:11)

And… before you let the devil win, go back and pray again.

Don't Limit My Abilities

I was watching an old rerun of Match Game, and a new contestant was being introduced.  The host asked her to tell us something about herself.  She said she was in school to become a Medical Illustrator.  To look at her outward appearance, she did not necessarily look the part of someone you'd think would choose that profession.

The host looked confused.  He said to her, "You know, that is not an easy profession.  Have you thought about this carefully?"  The young lady did not skip a beat, she said, "I am going to be the best Medical Illustrator."

I must admit, I too had also judged based on her appearance, that she was fooling herself thinking she could compete in that field.  This lady was confident and I bet she went on to become exactly what she set out to be.  The host (and me) measured her possibilities based on what we saw.

When the Lord told the prophet Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, He sent Samuel to Jesse's house stating that He would indicate to Samuel which one of his sons was anointed to be the next king.  When Samuel saw the first son Eliab, he knew he must be the one.  He must have looked stately, dignified and kingly.  But the Lord spoke to Samuel and said not to look on his physical stature because He had refused Eliab. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

Seven of Jesse's sons passed before the prophet Samuel, but God had not chosen any of them.  Samuel asked if these were all his sons and Jesse said, "Well, there is my youngest son David."  When he brought all his sons to appear before the prophet, it never occurred to Jesse that it could possibly be David that would be chosen to reign as king over Israel.

Even Jesus was rejected by those in his hometown of Nazareth.  When His wisdom and miracles were on display there, they dismissed Him as just being one of Joseph's and Mary's sons.  Jesus marveled at their unbelief.

I have learned not to speak of my aspirations to Negative Ninnies, because they will soon find a reason why your bright ideas will never work.  But I believe they simply don't know the God I serve, and His power to do the impossible. Dream in private. Let God expose you publicly.

We should never let anyone tell us what we cannot do, especially if they have never done it.  They don't know what is possible for you.  With God, all things are possible.
 
Don't let the attractiveness of playing it safe draw you in either, lest you limit your own self.
 
I don't think that game show host meant to deflate the contestant's spirit on purpose, or disrespect her on national TV, but I must give it to her, she was ready to defend her lofty dreams at a moment's notice.
 
"Somebody said that it couldn't be done, but he with a chuckle replied that maybe it couldn't, but he would be one who wouldn't say so till he'd tried. So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin on his face. If he worried he hid it. He started to sing as he tackled the thing that couldn't be done, and he did it."  >>Edgar Guest

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. 1 Peter 3:15

Who Is My Neighbor?

Jesus told a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a Samaritan (whom the Jews despised) came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the Jew on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The Bible scholar replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Love thy neighbor as thyself, including:

• the one across the street with the incessantly barking dog

• the ones that barrels down my street as if they're on a drag strip

• my self-centered coworkers with a poor work ethic

• the less than caring customer service rep that did not resolve my problem

• the lazy courier who did not properly deliver my packages

• the family member who would not receive my gift

• the friend who tried to talk me into doing what I didn't want to do

• the homeless man who will not work but waits on the street corner for me to come by

Heavenly Father,

Help me to live a life of love for You, with all of my heart, and love for my neighbor as myself, whoever that neighbor might happen to be. I cannot do this on my own but in You I am strong and able to pull off anything. You enable me to do exceedingly, and abundantly, far over and beyond what I can do in my own strength and willpower. When people are not nice, I ask You to help me love them anyways. When people are being inconsiderate, let Your love for them shine through me, and help me to let my guard down so that You may shine even brighter. Let Your love in me, hide the faults in them. Let me be an example to the believer and to the unbeliever in word, in conduct, in faith, in purity, and in love. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Hotter Than Fish Grease

I was boiling some eggs, one time, and a close friend called me to meet her for drinks. Immediately, I grabbed my purse and ran out the door, forgetting that the eggs were still boiling. When I got back the pot had boiled dry and eggs exploded all over the kitchen. There was egg debris everywhere… ceiling, walls, and floor. Weeks later I was still finding shards of eggs hidden in and around kitchen appliances.

I can’t explain the science behind it, but I know that it has something to do with the inner temperature of the egg releasing explosively.

I give this example because something very similar happened to me this week. I am the egg that boiled dry and exploded all over my coworker.

I have worked with this individual for about a year. I know she is self-centered and I have fallen victim to her antics many times. But what I’ve been doing in the name of keeping the peace is going-along-to-get-along. I never confronted her antics, I just figured a way to get around them to keep on track with my assignments. But inside, my animosity toward her was building like steam in a pressure cooker. For a whole year I fumed inside, without any steam being released, and then Thursday morning… the explosion.

As another coworker put it, “I was hotter than fish grease!”

I found out the hard way that this kind of pinned up anger is not healthy and is like a pressure cooker ready to explode. You think you’re keeping the peace by not making waves but the person in chaos is you.

Banish bitterness, rage and anger, shouting and slander, and any and all malicious thoughts—these are poisonous. However...

Not all anger is a sin…

When Jesus had made a whip of cords, He drove all the money changers out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the money changers’ loot and overturned their tables.

When you’re angry, don’t let it carry you into sin. Don’t let the sun set with anger in your heart or give the devil room to work.

Give the Holy Spirit space to keep you at peace. Don’t give that space to any other.

Black Church and White Evangelicals

I don’t like President Donald Trump. I think he’s a racist. Furthermore, it pains me that our White Christian brothers and sisters support him – a known racist. How can we assemble together and worship comfortably when preachers are praising the president from the podium to our detriment? It makes me want to sink under the pew. How can they support this man that is prejudiced toward their African American brothers and sisters? I have read that this is separating multi-racial churches because the African Americans are feeling dejected by our White brothers and sisters.

How can we worship side by side with those that demean how racists make us feel as they spew their hateful words towards us? To me, it seems like they are not walking this journey with us and are unconcerned about how it is affecting us.

Pastor Robert Morris (a White pastor) at Gateway Church said that this is because we are not looking at the situation with the same perspective.

I may be wrong, but this could be the falling away that the Apostle Paul spoke of that precedes the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The church is separating and falling away from one another.

The president could not openly renounce the KKK. Yet our sisters and brothers in Christ enthusiastically support him, no matter what, and no matter how detrimental it is to other church members. When we hear “Make America Great Again”, we believe he is actually saying, “Make America White Again” by taking us back to the 50s and 60s. Trump openly praised white supremacists having a protest march, but he severely criticized our brothers for taking a knee in protest at football games.

During the presidential campaign, there was a lot of talk about how the evangelicals were in support of Donald Trump. From that point on I did not want to be labeled an evangelical anymore. But when I looked up the word evangelical, it actually describes who I am as a believer and the values I stand for. Yet, I don’t want to be identified with those that supports Trump. I take issue with their value system that they continue to excuse his behavior and prophesy that he is a man sent by God to the White House. Does God hate Blacks? No.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church here in Downtown Dallas said the following: “Evangelicals still believe in the commandment: Thou shalt not have sex with a porn star, however, whether this president violated that commandment or not is totally irrelevant to our support of him. Evangelicals knew they weren’t voting for an altar boy when they voted for Donald Trump.”

And… nothing he can do or say about us African Americans will change their minds about him.

True, Jesus said of the woman caught in the very act of adultery, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” I know I have no stones to throw at Donald Trump or anyone else – as much as I have been forgiven for. The difference in Donald Trump and the adulteress is that she went away cleansed, and to do that sin no more.

Donald Trump said that NFL owners should fire African American football players that kneel during the anthem. Nobody seemed to care why we were protesting, and our stake in this thing, they just want us out of the way. Any attempt on our part to peacefully protest and petition the government for a re-dress of grievances, makes us look like the divisive bad guys.

White evangelical families are not the ones losing loved ones to trigger happy police officers. Perhaps if they saw it from our point of view, we might not look so divisive.

I read an article where an African American woman attending a predominantly White church was addressed as divisive because she brought up the young African American teen Trayvon Martin that was killed by George Zimmerman for walking through his apartment complex wearing a hoodie. They had not even heard of Trayvon Martin. Once again, they don’t see this from our point of view.

In Revelation 7:9 the church in heaven is described as a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, people, and tongues standing before the throne of Christ. It is sad that we are so separated down here, and we cannot assemble together down here in that way.

I live in a neighborhood that is about 50% Hispanic. I recently noticed that I was feeling resentful of them. All the businesses in our immediate area cater to them… the grocery stores, salons, and restaurants. I have to go outside of my neighborhood or order online to get the things I want and need. The Holy Spirit convicted me of that and even with that knowledge, it is taking me some time and prayers to shake off my resentment. I don’t want to think I’m a racist because one of my very good friends Maria is Hispanic, but I’ll admit that my love is not pure. If it was, I would not have negative thoughts toward my neighbors, or stereotype them as I do.

Jesus said, “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”

We all have the right to choose our political party. It is my opinion that neither side (Democrats or Republicans) are 100% lining up with the word of God. If we choose Republicans because they are pro-life, they fail to treat the poor as Scripture commands. If we choose Democrats because they support the poor and needy, they are pro-choice and support abortions. Neither side is perfect, obviously.

I have a close friend Rhonda, that just happens to be a White evangelical, who supports Donald Trump. Two weeks after his inauguration, her post on Facebook said, “I wished people would stop rioting and hurting people who voted for President Trump. He’s only been in office a few weeks, he needs our prayers, not opposition.” Because I love her, I had to take a closer look at the woman in the mirror. Am I not praying enough for this president? Did God hear the prayers I have already sent up for him? Is unforgiveness hindering my prayers?

I have seen photos of ministers in the Oval Office laying hands on President Trump and praying over him. Were their prayers heard by God? Most of all, I do not want a falling away to come between me and Rhonda because of my dislike for this man.

Jesus said, “If you love those who love you, what reward have you?” He encouraged us to love our enemies. He admonished us to bless those who curse us and pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us.

So, here is where I stand today, confessing that my heart needs a transformation, that I may put off  this old woman and put on the new woman – and be renewed in my mind and in my spirit – and that I may grow and develop in His likeness and be that Christian walking in the light as Christ is in the light.

Father, forgive me. I pray Your blessing upon the church that we will band together and love one another as Jesus had prayed to You in the 17^th chapter of John. With all my love for You, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

I Have a Testimony to Tell

In the church I grew up in, we had what was called Testimony Service. This was the part of the service where we had Praise and Worship, and the saints would give testimonies about the goodness of God, and miracles He had performed in their lives.

What I particularly enjoyed about Testimony Service was when someone would go forth who was anointed by the Holy Spirit to tell their testimony. It was always moving, and you could tell the ones that was anointed from the ones that wasn’t.

The person full of the Holy Spirit could tell a simple story, but even a simplistic story told under the power of the Holy Spirit could move you to shouting (our slang for dancing in the Spirit).

We also had our special way of beginning the testimony, “Giving honor to God, and to my pastor, and the first lady, and to the ministers on the rostrum, and to the deacons, and missionaries, and evangelists, the Sunday School teachers, the ushers, the junior choir, and all of God’s saints assembled in the house today.” They gave honor to everything from the front door to the back door. Then the person would launch into telling their awesome testimony. Hopefully, it was anointed. Sometimes it wasn’t.

Well… I have a testimony to tell. And in the spirit of nostalgia, I am going to tell it like we used to do it back in the day.

 “Giving honor to God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank the Lord for being here. I thank the Lord for saving me and filling me with His precious Holy Ghost. He didn’t have to do it, but He did. I thank the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me. He woke me up this morning and started me on my way. He kept me from dangers, seen and unseen, and I am truly grateful.

 I want to tell you what the Lord did for me on this week. We have a house right next door to us that was very, very neglected. The gentleman that lived there was in poor health and had not kept it up. He had very large, overgrown trees that hung over our driveway, and the birds would often poop on my car. When ever I came out and saw bird poop on my car, I would pray about it.

Finally, the neighbor’s health declined so much that he had to move out and go live with relatives. I prayed for him too. The condition of the house declined even further and was vacant for quite some time. The trees had pretty much died. The branches had started to fall off and land in the driveway, giving me concern not only for the bird poop, but for the large branches that could possibly land on my car. Finally, the neighbor sold the house to a company that came and started fixing it up. They gutted the entire thing down to the framework. They sent a tree surgeon out to cut the trees back. The trees were so big, he had to stand on the rooftop of the house to cut them down. When he finally finished working on the trees, every single branch that hung over our driveway had been completely removed. In fact, none of the trees hung over on our side of the property at all. Then, this morning my husband took my car keys to go put air in my tire. When he came back, he had washed my car completely. It was beautiful!! My God had taken away the trees the birds used to poop on my car, and spit-shined my car on top of that.

To you bird poop might seem like a small thing, but God shows His love toward us even in the minor things. Because anything that concerns us, concerns Him. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Y’all, pray my strength in the Lord.”

Glory to God!

BE STRONG ! ! !

I like this Scripture because it forces me to recognize that everything in life will not be easy. 

Sometimes I have to just do it even though it gets hard.

If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Jer. 12:5 (NKJV)

A few years back, I was teaching Sunday School (a combined men and women's class). Some of the brothers made it their weekly duty to challenge me. They called me out on any small infraction they could find. Anytime they were in class, they made it their business to weary me. So after a year of dealing with it, I resigned my post as Sunday School teacher and sat down. But that was wearisome too, because teaching is my calling and to sit down on it is like fire shut up in my bones.

The entire class consisted of about 20 students of all ages. These are the footmen.

I know that God has called me to a greater audience at some point in the future. If I cannot contend with 20 footmen giving me a hard time, I will certainly be trampled by the greater audience. These are the horses.

I hate that I stepped down from teaching. Aside from those brothers, it was doing the others a lot of good. I should have turned my focus on them, and them only.

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

And your eyelids look right before you.

Ponder the path of your feet,

And let all your ways be established.

Prov. 4:25-26 (NKJV)

In 1996, a man of God came to me, who did not know me and said that God told him I was going to help a lot of people. I need to keep my focus on them from now on... and if it gets hard, I will just have to do it hard.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matt. 16:24 (NKJV)

Faith Lesson One

Lord, Increase My Faith

I have been struggling with my faith lately so I asked the Lord to help me understand what's wrong.

While I was listening to a preacher teach on the woman with the issue of blood, I asked the Lord what did she do differently that caused her faith to manifest. Out of that, is coming a series of messages. This is Lesson One.

First of all, we have to develop and strengthen a faith mindset. Jesus used a mustard seed as an example of faith.

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:5-6

Now, the mustard seed is smaller than all other seeds on the earth, but when it is planted in the ground and grown up, it becomes bigger than all other herbal plants with the shoots and branches so large that birds can build nests in it and have shade.

Some seeds will fall by the wayside, some will fall on rocks and some will fall among thorns. Those seeds will not yield a crop. But the seeds that fall on good ground will yield a harvest of thirty, or sixty, or even one hundred times as much as was sown. The seeds that fall on good ground are those, who heard the word with a noble and good heart, kept it, and with patience, yield a good crop. How ever much the crop yields, it started with a seed in good ground, then was nurtured and increased to maturation.

Many Christians (including myself) has shouted at mulberry trees (in the spiritual sense) and thought we were using faith to move mountains, but nothing happened. That is probably because our faith is still in the mustard seed phase of life. If we allow the Holy Spirit to make our hearts ready to receive the seed by breaking up the fallow ground (Jer. 4:3), that makes it more suitable for planting.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom. 10:17)

So, here's the process as I understand it.

The Holy Spirit prepares our heart for the seed, which is the word of God. He has to give us ears to hear the word, or else it will do us no good. He removes stones and thorns and weeds and turns over the soil so that it will be suitable for planting. A lot of us have a hard time getting past this stage because it is painful and we don't want to deal with the hard stuff. Therefore the word is choked out and unprofitable.

Once the Holy Spirit has finally prepared us to receive the word of God, we can now hear it and understand what we've heard. Faith is now on the rise.

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)

The word is written on our hearts like files stored on a computer, that can be retrieved by the Holy Spirit as they are needed. He is our teacher and brings all things to our remembrance. He knows what truths we have grasped, and what we still need to learn.

The seed (or the word) grows up in our hearts and is nurtured by the Holy Spirit. He is the Husbandman that works the garden. It grows and grows like that little mustard seed and then when it is fully matured, we know how to say to the mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea," and it will obey us. There will be no doubt that what we say will happen. The mustard seed has become a big tree, and the fruit of it is our faith, all grown up. According to your faith, let it be to you (Matt. 9:29).

The woman with the issue of blood had been sick for twelve years. She had suffered many things from various physicians, but they were not able to help her. Instead, she only got worse. I think her faith was strong because of all she had gone through. She had gotten progressively fed up over the long period of time, and her faith had had enough time to mature. Matthew's account of the story says she said within herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well" (Matt. 9:21).

I believe she kept saying this over and over to herself as she pressed through the crowd on her way to Jesus. I believe when we reach our ultimate fed up stage, we enter another dimension where all fear and doubt is gone, and nothing remains but faith. Her faith made her whole, and the entire disease was wiped out instantly. Jesus did not even know she was there. She did not ask Him to heal her. He did not pray over her or lay hands on her. Her faith connected with His healing virtue and she was made whole as she had said.

I don't know about you but I am tired of the status quo, and ready to move past the hard stuff so I can be free like this woman. Let's yield to the Holy Spirit so our faith can grow.