God's Promises When - We Feel Despair

God's Promises When We – Feel Despair

      When we find ourselves in a seemingly hopeless situation with no foreseeable remedy, whether it be because of our ill health, or financial difficulties, or personal, family, or moral issues, we tend to fall into an abyss of dark discouragement from which there seems to be no escape. This is where Satan would like to have us imprisoned where he can taunt us with morbid thoughts, and cause us to doubt the love and protection of our heavenly Father. When we allow ourselves to be confined to this prison of despair, we tend to accuse God for mistreating us, and blame those around us for our adverse circumstances.

      When we allow ourselves to fall into a state of despair, we are turning our back on God and contradicting his covenant with his children, to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory.

When we see discouragements approaching which could drag us down deep into the pits of despair, we need to remind ourselves, and ask ourselves this question – If God so loved us that he gave his son to die for us to save us from hell, will he not also give us freely and provide for all our need as we ask, believe, and receive, whether it be for our health, finances, the salvation of love ones or for other problems?

      God has promised to meet our every need. He admonishes us to ask, believe, and receive his blessings, and continue to walk in his light, as he is the light of the world. We never need to be ashamed of our hope, as long as we are hiding ourselves in God. God's law is our hiding place.

      “Uphold me according to thy word that I may live and not be ashamed of my hope.” Psalm 119: 116.

     God promises to revive the spirit of the humble, and revive the heart of the contrite ones. “For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”Isaiah 57: 15.

      God tells us not to cast away our confidence in him. “Cast not away, therefore, your confidence which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God ye shall receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10: 35, 36, 37

      We have a treasure within us – the Holy Spirit, who provides the power for us to accomplish all that God asks us to accomplish. We may be troubled, but with God in us, we cannot be destroyed. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not in us. We are troubled on every side, yet not destroyed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. 2 Cor 4: 7,8

     With God with us we need not succumb to despair, for with God we can overcome and accomplish great things. Nothing is impossible with God.

God's Promises When - You Feel Dejected

God's Promise When – You Feel Dejected

      Almost always, we as Christians bask in the sunshine of God’s Love and mercy and enjoy fellowship and communion with him. We go to the mountain top, as it were, and we, by faith, behold his glory. These are the times that we have the full assurance of our salvation and eternal destiny, and we feel that we are more than conquers with Christ.

      Then, soon after our experiences of great joy and the exhilaration of our victories in serving the Lord, the dark storm clouds of the realities of our daily life gather around us, and we find ourselves to have descended down into the valley of depression and near despair. It is here, during the storms of the reality of life, that we begin to doubt, and fear, and become discouraged, dejected and cast down to the pits, it seems.

      During these cycles in our Christian experience, we must be on the alert of our mortal enemy, Satan, who would grasp every oportunity to persuade us that our faith and walk with the Lord is foolish, unreasonable, and profitless. During these times it is very important to keep in mind the precious promises of God that he has given in his word, the Holy Scriptures, to lift us up and sustain us in our infirmities and trials of affliction.

      David, king of Israel, a man after God's own heart, found himself in the valley of dejection, when he asked himself the question: why art thou cast down, O my soul? “My tears have been my meat, day and night, while they constantly say unto me, where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude. I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holiday.” Psalm 42: 3, 4.

      David had descended from a holiday of joy and praise to a valley of dejection where he asked, where is thy God? Now he asks himself: “why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me?” Verse 5. Then God brings to his remembrance all the ways in which he had blessed David and given him many victories in the past. “O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan. And of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar,” verse 6

      “Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me. And my prayer unto the God of my life. “I will say unto God my rock, why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” verse 9. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” verse 11

      In times of darkiness and despair, we need to remember all the blessings and victories that we have already received from the Lord, and search the scriptures diligently to discover all the precious promises that God has given us to light our darkness.

     Jesus has promised us that if we will draw nigh to him, he will draw nigh to us, and we will find rest for our soul. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Matthew 11: 28-30.

      God has promised to help us in times of discouragement and trouble. “Let us therefore come bodly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4: 16.

     God has promised to lift us up when we come humbly before him. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” James 4: 10.

      If we will diligently search the scriptures, and find and believe all the promises of God, no matter how dark the night, we will find it true that “.......weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30: 5

      “Thou has turned for me my mourning into dancing, thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praises to thee and not be silent, O Lord my God; I will give thanks unto thee forever.” Psalm 30: 11, 12.

God's Promise When You: - Feel Guilty

God's Promise When You: - Feel Guilty

     Appearing before the judgment seat of God, how do you plead – guilty, or not guilty of sinning and breaking the laws of God? The prosecuting attorney, our accuser, which is, by the way, our own guilty conscience, if you will, bears witness, and makes stunning accusations against us before the throne of God.

     Whether we want to admit it or not, we know that the witness of our own conscience is true – that we are indeed guilty of disobeying and sinning against God. If we plead not guilty, we make God out to be a liar, because the Holy omniscient God has already declared that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

     When we try to hide our guilty conscience from God and others, and try to justify ourselves by our own good works, we fail miserably, and we end up bearing a heavy burden of guilty feelings on our shoulders. Living with this heavy burden of guilty feelings on our shoulders day by day, not only effects us, and makes us miserable, but it also effects the lives of those around us as well.

     Why not plead guilty before God. Confess our sins, rely on God's mercy, and claim his promises for the remedy of a guilty conscience. God has given to us precious promises to relieve our soul of guilt, and restore fellowship with himself.

     Sin not confessed, causes us to be banished from God and from his fellowship, but God has made adequate provision for us to be restored.

     “For we must needs die, and are as water spilt upon the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means that his banished be not expelled from him.” 2 Samuel 14:14.

      God in his mercy and love, has from the foundation of the earth, devised means whereby he can forgive sins and set the guilty free, and draw them back to himself. “If thou Lord should mark iniquity, O Lord, who shall stand, but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou might be feared.” Psalm 130: 3,4.

     God offered his son, who knew no sin, to suffer the penalty of our guilt by his death on the cross, and by his resurrection, justified all who will believe and receive him as Savior. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” Romans 8: 1,2.

     “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers with themselves with mankind, nor thieves nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: But you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.

If any one who may be reading these lines is plagued and cast down with a heavy guilty conscience, please believe and accept the promise of God. “If we will confess our sins, he is just and able to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1: 9.

O Sinner, please accept Christ today. Drop the heavy burden of guilt from your shoulders and go free. Oh! Sinner, go free!

Wait For God

Wait For God

       We must learn to wait for God for all things. Our time schedule is not necessarily God's time schedule. In fact, God exists outside of time, because he created it, and time, as we know it, means nothing to God. Past, present, and future, is all combined in eternity - the now with God.

      Man exists in time and space, everything that man does or experiences is controlled by time and space. This is not so with God. God knows the beginning and the ending all at the same time. He sees our down sitting and our uprising all at the same time. He is the Alpha, and Omega, the beginning and end.. Therefore, after all is said and done, no evil can befall a child of God, because all things work together for good to those who love God, according to Romans 8: 28.

      Jesus taught us that we are to be anxious for nothing. God's time is not our time, and God's ways are not our ways; his thoughts are not our thoughts. Jesus said that we are not to be anxious, but to trust God and wait for him. “And which of you by being anxious can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then, be not able to do that which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Luke 12: 25, 26. “But I would have you without carefulness.” 1 Cor 7: 32. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4: 6. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. “Therefore, take no thought , saying what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or where withal shall we be clothed? But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Math 6: 31,33.

      We must learn to always be seeking first the will of God; the glorification of God, and the kingdom of God; and to trust God and wait for God.

      “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man,which built his house upon a rock.” Math 7: 24.

      Wait for God. “My soul wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” Psalm 62: 5

       “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master, and as eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” Psalm 123: 2. “Say not thou. I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.” Proverbs 20: 22.

      Let us learn to wait for God.

The Strange Woman

The Strange Women

      As well as warning us to beware of the folly of the lust of the flesh as it pertains to falling into the sin of adultery, the mention of the strange woman in scripture typifies, and speaks of anything that would draw us away from God. Adultery in scripture also has a twofold meaning, in that, not only does it pertain to the actual act of physical adultery, but it also typifies and speaks of the act of turning away from our first love, who, for the Christian and child of God, is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The command given to us that we should not commit adultery is a twofold command to warn us not to leave our physical mates for another, but also, it is a warning to the bride of Christ for us not to become involved in any affair that would constitute our committing spiritual adultery against our first love. So, the mention of the strange woman in the scriptures speaks of any thing, or any one, that would draw us away from God and his perfect will for us. Speaking of the strange woman, Proverbs 5: 4 says: “Her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edge sword.”

What are the results of yielding to those things that draw us away from God? When we are drawn away from God and commit adultery with other gods we are cast about by every wind or doctrine. We are like the chaff that is blown about by the wind, according to Proverbs 5:6 . an unstable life without foundations , where it says: “Lest thou shouldest ponder the paths of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.”

What are some of the strange women in our lives with whom we commit adultery? Could it be a sin that we have not confessed that draws us out of fellowship with God? Could it be a grievance of the Holy Spirit because of something that we have not made right, perhaps a broken promise, or a vow that we have not kept? Could it be that there is some person - husband, wife, son or daughter, mother, father, or friend, that we desire their admiration, respect, and esteem so much that we would turn aside from God to them? Is the strange woman in our lives our material possessions, our house, our car, our business, bank accounts, our Job? Is it our education? Is it our standing in the community?

Whatever it is that draws us away from God and causes us not to put God at the very pinnacle of our lives, and the seat of our conscious worship, is nothing but an adulterous whore, and we are warned to seek wisdom that we may be kept away from the strange woman which flatereth with her words. Following the strange woman means ultimate destruction. God admonishes us not to be a wanderer away from God. Be true to your first love. Be true to the wife of your youth. Bride of Christ, be true to the one who has bought you and married you.

Thou shalt have no other gods before thee. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul. So shall thou keep his commandments and live.

First Fruits Of Our Increase

 

Thought for Today - November 26, 2022

First Fruits Of Our Increase

By: Robert A. Searles 

 

      “....But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6: 33.

      “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3: 9, 10.

      The first fruits of all our increase not only includes our money and material possessions, but it also includes our time, our health, and our youth, and the freshness, and soundness of our minds.

 When God awakens us from sleep each new day, he has increased our time upon earth. If we truly seek first the kingdom of God, then we will give to him the first fruits of this increase. The first moments, or first hours of each new day ought to be spent in quiet prayer and meditation, and fellowship with God. 

 Often we are content to give to God whatever happens to be left over after we have taken the best of the crop for ourselves. Then we give to God the gleanings. After we have all the sleep we want, after we have eaten all the breakfast we want, after we have done all our work, and taken care of all the necessary things that have to be done for ourselves, then we will try to find time to fulfill our obligation to God. If it is an obligation that must be worked in somewhere in our time schedule, then we ought to forget it, because God wants our first fruits, brought to him with a willing heart, with love, and adoration and gratitude.

      “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” Psalm 5: 3.

 Morning implies newness, freshness, first things. Morning is the first fruits of each new day. How can any machine which depends upon an outside source of power, for its' energy, be expected to function if it is not first connected to its' source of power? How can we, as humans who are dependent upon our creator as our source of power and wisdom, function properly if we are not connected to our source of life?

      Our first act when we awake in the morning ought to be to call upon the name of the Lord. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If we want to be safe in the arms of Jesus all day long, then we ought to call upon him the moment we awake from sleep.

      Seeking first the kingdom of God means that we first want to live in God's presence and kingdom more than we want anything on earth. We ought to seek the kingdom of God early in the morning with the freshness of our minds, and our youth, and our health.

      Don't you think that God is well plerased when his children arise early in the morning and offer to him, with sincerity, gratitude, and love, the first fruits of the new day that he has given to them? When we honor God by opening our eyes in the morning and calling upon the name of the Lord, and say: Thank you Lord for this new day in my life, I want to walk and talk with you today, and have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in all that I do this day; this is well pleasing to the Lord. Each new day the Lord is knocking on the door of our hearts and lives the moment we awake in the morning.

      Jesus said: “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man will hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with me.” The door must be opened the first thing in the morning. If we wait until it is convenient for us to open the door, it may be that we will forget to open the door at all and we will have missed a very important dinner guest. 

 “As for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy. And in thy fear will Iworship toward thy holy temple.” Psalm 5: 7.

      “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will Idirect my prayer unto thee,and will look up.” Psalm 5: 3

      “Lead me O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.” Psalm 5:8.

Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Mnistry 

                                      Paslm 26: 7

Where Is Jesus Today?

Where is Jesus Today?

      Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is no longer in Jerusalem; no longer walks the shores of Galilee; no longer in the fisherman's boat; no longer hangs on a cross; and no longer in the tomb. Our Lord and Savior has risen and ascended into heaven as our great high priest, our advocate with the Father; our lawyer in heaven, as it were, interceding for us, and preparing a place for us in heaven. He is preparing his kingdom and calling his people.

      One day we shall hear the trumpet sound and we who know him as our own personal Savior will be drawn away to meet the King of kings, and dwell and reign with him forever.

      It is a good thing to study history and remember our beginning and consider our roots. It is good to remember and never forget the miracles, and sinless. Holy, unspotted life of our Lord; it is good to remember that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, taking our sins upon himself and bearing all our iniquities; shedding his blood as the only cleanser of our guilt and sin. It is good to reflect and remember, but we must not stay in the past. We must consider where we are today in our relationship with him. We must be constantly in communication with him today to know his will and get instructions for our daily activities.

      He has promised us that from heaven he will hear our prayers; accept our praise; and provide for all our spiritual and physical needs. Let us learn to keep our minds and our hearts stayed and focused on him, and walk in the spirit and grow in wisdom and grace. He has promised to keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on him.