Pastor’s Thoughts 9-7,2024-Sept. 17-2024
Challenges are inevitable…but with faith…nothing is impossible.
Keep believing…even when the road is tough.
God is not just a God of second chances…He’s the God of endless chances!!
I am so thankful for THAT!! ❤️
OUR HELP IN WEAKNESS: God has provided us with an inexhaustible source of strength.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17
Following the Last Supper, Jesus took time to teach the disciples more about His mission and what would happen after He left the earth. He knew their darkest times were ahead. So in today’s passage, He promised a Helper who would stand alongside them in the coming trials.
We often face life with a stiff upper lip, trusting our own abilities to get us through. Choosing to follow the Lord, however, involves a totally different mindset: We’re weaker than we could have imagined…but through the Holy Spirit…we are stronger than we dared to hope.
Whether our struggle is spiritual, emotional, or physical…we can rely on the Holy Spirit to help us. Paul shows us what this looks like. The apostle prayed that the Lord would take away what he referred to as a “thorn in the flesh.” Instead, God said His power would be “perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Too many Christians operate under the misconception that God helps us only when we have gone as far as we can go. In reality, His Spirit doesn’t simply add to our strength…rather, He is its inexhaustible source!
When we admit we are powerless to help ourselves, the Holy Spirit gives us the strength we need to face any challenge…with absolute confidence in God! ❤️
—Charles Stanley
2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
This verse reassures us of God’s limitless ability to provide for us in every circumstance. Paul emphasizes that God’s blessings are not just sufficient…but abundant and overflowing…to meet our needs and empower us to serve others. This is a reminder that God’s provision is comprehensive—covering all aspects of our lives…and it equips us to carry out His will.The phrase “in all things at all times” highlights the constancy and reliability of God’s provision. Whether we are in seasons of plenty or in times of need, God’s grace is sufficient. His blessings are not limited to material wealth but encompass spiritual strength, wisdom, peace, and everything necessary to live a life that honors Him. When we trust in God’s ability to provide…we are freed from the anxiety of self-reliance…knowing that He will always supply what we need to fulfill the purpose He has set before us.
As we go through this day, let’s hold onto the truth that God’s blessings enable us to “abound in every good work.” The resources God provides are not meant to be hoarded…but to be used for His glory and the benefit of others. This abundance is given so that we might be a blessing, reflecting God’s generosity in our actions and attitudes. Let’s approach each task and interaction with the confidence that God has equipped us for every good work.
Today, may we be channels of His grace…using the blessings He has given us to make a positive impact in the lives of those around us. —Cathy C. Charles
Remember….you’ve got the upper hand because the hand of God is on your life!!
The hand of God represents the plan and provision of God, The hand of God is mighty, The hand of God is strong, The hand of God is guiding you, and anything you put in His hand will multiply. —Steven Furtick
OUR SOURCE OF COMFORT: God sent His Spirit to live inside every believer, and He’s always available to help us.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
The world’s definition of comfort is the alleviation of suffering or despair. However, God has a different view: It’s a teaching tool. Because we mature spiritually when we exercise faith, our Father doesn’t remove our troubles but instead gives us the encouragement and strength to work through them.
God sent His Spirit to dwell within everyone who believes, and in that way, our source of help is as close as our own beating heart. When we face affliction and feel as if we can’t bear it,…He whispers into our soul, “Yes, you can, because I am here.” There is no healing balm like the voice of God’s Spirit.
In some circumstances, the Spirit directs our mind to a Bible passage. Reading God’s Word is a way to hear directly from Him. A scripture’s personal meaning and application may not be apparent immediately, but God will bring the verse to mind at the time it’s most needed.
When we receive Christ, we are sealed as God’s child. The Lord promises us, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). He will walk beside us in every trial—and since He is omnipresent…He’s always available to help and comfort us! ❤️–Charles Stanley
RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS US: Genesis 39:20-22″But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.”
It’s safe to say that all of us, at different times during our walk with the Lord, feel like we have been sent far away and locked up. We feel distanced from God and unable to change our circumstances. Others seem to be controlling our every move and we sink into a deep despair.
But is it possible God is much closer than we think? “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
Is it possible He is working (even now!) this terrible situation toward the good? “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28).
And is it possible that in the middle of our “prison” God has much work for us to do?
While in jail, Joseph interpreted dreams for Pharaoh’s officials (Genesis 40) and was then called to interpret a dream for Pharaoh; “I’ve heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it” (Genesis 41:15). Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was placed in a position of great responsibility; “You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders” (Genesis 41:40). It was God’s plan to place Joseph in control of the distribution of food, and therefore, to save many lives…including the lives of his father and brothers (Genesis 42-48).
No matter what this day brings – no matter how trapped we feel – we must keep looking for God’s good…and trusting that His plan is unfolding.
He is using our circumstances to mold us and draw us close to His side…and He is using our testimony of faith to encourage others to love Him more.
We must believe that…even in the middle of our prison…God is in control and we are right where He wants us! ❤️❤️—Steve Troxel
SALVATION SHOUT OF PRAISE…HE IS WORTHY!! ❤️
He RECEIVES us and DELIVERS us…based on who He is…and what He has already done!!
The gospel saves…and KEEPS saving us!!
Run TO HIM in the midst of our struggles…He wants It ALL…He wants us just as we are!!
Freedom is found only in JESUS!!
“May we be LIT UP WITH LOVE.. so others can receive the Light…and be rescued from the darkness” (Derwin Gray)
OUR DEFENSE: Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.” Revelation 12:10
The devil is a liar. But that is not all. He is a defeated liar! Though he accuses us before God for our weakness and sin, Jesus answers on our behalf in an instant, “Father, forgive them.” Denied in heaven, the work of the accuser seeks to find a foothold among the fleshy ears of those who are vulnerable to criticize others in the Body of Christ. His words seek to be heard in the minds of those downcast and discouraged by failure in their own lives. But rejoice, beloved. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The accuser has been defeated. Confess your sins and be healed, and reject the lying words of a defeated foe. Our debt has been paid. Our ransom is complete. Our shame has been covered by the grace of God.
Rejoice…the One who saves you is the same One who accepts you…and by the work of the Holy Spirit continues the process of His renewing work in you! ❤️ –Jack Hayford