God Is Preparing You For Victory

Looking back over my short life I have concluded, there are times in life when we all face situations that seem impossible, difficult and hard. It’s easy to get discouraged and think that things won’t ever work out. But the Scripture tells us that God goes before us and makes our crooked places straight. In other words, even though you may not have the connections you need right now, you don’t have to worry. God is going before you arranging positive breaks, and creating life changing opportunities. He is preparing the way for your victory!

If you are facing difficulties, don’t fall into the temptation to get negative and sour. That adversity is no surprise to God. He’s not up in the heavens scratching His head and thinking, “Oh, no. Now what am I going to do?” No, He already knows every day of your life.

Today, I want to remind you that before you had that problem, God already had the solution. He is going before you right now preparing the next chapter of your life. So your focus must be on God and not on the problem. I encourage you to stay in faith and keep the right positive attitude, because He is moving you forward, despite what you see, into the victory He has prepared for you! Hallelujah!

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…” (2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I love You and thank You for ordering and directing my steps throughout my life. Father, thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf, moving me forward into the new chapter You have for my life. God, I choose today to trust in You, knowing that You are moral, magnificent and meticulous, and You will always lead me into victory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

You Can’t Have Your Cake And Eat It

On becoming a Christian, I resisted change. I wanted to remain sinful but also be a saint. There are people who want to follow Christ and remain the same. They want to have their cake and eat it as the saying goes. When you become a follower of Christ, your life should be different. Everything about you becomes different. When we follow God’s commands, it means we do things differently from our life before Christ and people without Him.

It means, instead of being offended, we choose love. Instead of insisting on our way, we serve others. It means, instead of trying to be right all the time, we build and lift others up. This may not be the way most people in the world act, but that’s okay. We are called to be different. We are called to rise higher. We are called to be examples of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Today, being different may not make sense to those that don’t know Christ, but that’s okay. God will promote you to a new level of blessing, favour and victory when you commit yourself fully to Him. Don’t live a life of mediocrity, live a life of excellence for God. Life a life pleasing to Him and don’t be afraid to be different!

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

(1 Peter 2:11, NIV)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for transforming me into Your image, and allowing me the privledge of being Your disciple. I know that means I can’t be like the world, as I am now set apart for Your good. God, teach me how not to comprise and stand up even when it’s not popular. Teach me to embrace difference for Your kingdom. Help me to love like You, and be a light everywhere I go. In Christ’s Name! Amen.

Don’t Just Think Your Thanks, Show It!

What a great weekend ministering on Adventist Radio London. On Friday we praised and thanked God. On Saturday we learnt to thank God in advance. Then on Sunday we thanked God for 2 years of broadcasting the Ray of Hope Show. Are you overflowing with thankfulness today? Is your thankfulness spilling out on to the people around you? Don’t just think your thanks, show it! Don’t let the kindness of others go unnoticed.

It’s easy to take for granted the people who are closest to us, but those are the people we should thank the most. Your family, your friends, the ones who love and support you are the ones who should feel your thankfulness the most. Today’s scripture says to live in Christ and be built up in Him. When you build yourself up by studying the Word and praying in the Spirit, then the second part of the verse will happen naturally, you will be strengthened in your faith, and your heart will be filled with thankfulness.

Today, take a step of faith and begin to show your thankfulness to those around you. Let it overflow! Sow seeds of gratitude and blessing, so you can reap an abundant harvest of blessing in return!

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” 

(Colossians 2:6—7, NIV)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for an awesome weekend and for strengthening me with Your faith and love. Father, help me be a blessing to those around me, and give me creative ways to let my life overflow with thankfulness. God, I bless You today and give You thanks, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

Stay Focused On What You Have

As we lockdown and isolate, our goal will be to focus on what we have to do and things which are enjoyable. The scripture talks about how God has given us the power to enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us. That simply means that you have the power to enjoy your life. You may have success, money, friends or a good job, but if you put God in your life, you are going to enjoy more. God has uniquely designed us to run our race.

Don’t be tempted to compare yourself or wish you had what someone else has. You shouldn’t think, “if only I had their talent”¦” No, if God wanted you to have that talent, He would have given it to you. Instead, take what you have and develop it. Make the most of it. Don’t think, “if only I had her looks”¦” No, God gave you your looks. That’s not an accident. The life you have has been perfectly matched for you so enjoy and stay focused.

Today, you’ve got to do your part and get excited about your life, isolation or not. Be excited about who you are whose you are – your looks, your talent, your ability, your personality. When you’re passionate about who you are, it brings honour to God. Then God will breathe in your direction, and the seeds of greatness in you will take root and begin to flourish! Remember God has given us the power to enjoy what is allotted and appointed to us.

“Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.”

(Ecclesiastes 5:18, NKJV)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, I thank You for giving me the gifts, talents and abilities to enjoy life and accomplish Your will, even in these difficult situations. God, today, I will put my trust and hope in You, knowing that You have equipped me for the destiny You have for me, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

By Your Deeds

He Holds All Things Together

I’m Sure you’ve heard the Bible text “faith without works is dead.” implying that If we don’t put our faith into action, it’s not really faith, it’s just nice ideas. You see, when God truly does a work in our lives, it affects everything about us. It affects our words, our thoughts and our deeds or actions. 

How do you know someone is generous? By their generous deeds. How do you know someone is kind? By their kind deeds. How do you know someone is loving? By their loving deeds. How do you know someone is a Christian? By their Christ-like deeds. Can people tell by your actions that you belong to God? We all have areas where we can come up higher, but as believers in Jesus, we can be confident that God is at work in us.

Today, know that God is faithful and will complete what He started. As we invite Him to search our hearts and minds, as we surrender every area of our life to Him and put our faith into action, He will finish His perfect work in us!

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.”

(Philemon 1:6, NLT)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for changing me, for making me more like You. Father, I invite Your love to do a work in my heart, so that I won’t be someone who just talks the talks, but also walks the walks, reflecting You in every deed that I do in, Christ’s Name! Amen


CategoriesDEVOTIONAL

Be A Reflector Not Just A Light

Growing up, all I heard from family and close friends was that I looked and behaved like my father. From my walk to my talk I reflected him. When we reflect something, we are exhibiting its likeness.We are displaying its characteristics. Like a mirror, the Bible tells us that we should reflect the character and likeness of Jesus. We should have His same walk and talk.

That may sound impossible; after all, Jesus was the Son of God. But remember, when we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, the Bible says, “we become sons and daughters of God,” too. We become empoweredby the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. That means we have the same power, the same spirit of humility, the same strength, and the same love on the inside. We are equipped to do what He did. What did He do? Scripture says that Jesus went arounddoing good and bringing healing to others; physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Today, open the door for God to work in your life. Humbly invite Him in. Let that be your goal today–open your heart to Him, Let His mind be your mind, so you can reflect Him in your attitude and actions!

“Have this same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus [look to Him as your example in selfless humility].” (Philippians 2:5, AMP)

(Philippians 2:5, AMP)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, right now I invite You to dwell in my thoughts, heart and attitude. I choose to follow Your example and bring good to others. God, help me be a pure reflection of Your love in everything I doand say, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

More Hope Than Optimism

Talking to some of the youth at school yesterday, amidst their optimism, there also seems to be a lot of hopelessness. It’s time to set our hope on God so we are not easily swayed by the trials of life.

Setting our hope on God means we set our lives in the right direction. One translation of today’s verse says, “look forward to more and more of God’s favour.” God wants to pour out His goodness and grace on you. He wants to help you get ahead in this life. He wants to lead you to the right job. He wants to lead you to the right relationship. But here’s the key: we have to be on the lookout for more and more of God’s favour. More and more of God’s hope. More and more of God’s grace. That tells me that we can’t get stagnant.

Today, meditate on the truth that God wants to do more than you can even ask or think. It says in Ephesians that He wants to show us the immeasurable, limitless, surpassing greatness of His free favour. In other words, God wants to go above and beyond what we’re used to! He wants to show you favour in unusual and extraordinary ways. Set your hopes dynamically higher today, and increase your expectations of what God will do in your life!

“…set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favour) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed.”

(1 Peter 1:13, AMP)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for Your abundance in every area of my life today. Father, I will set my hope on You, knowing that You want to do more in my life than I can ever imagine. God, by faith I receive more of Your favour, grace and hope. God, teach me to be a vessel used by You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

Love From The Red Sea

This morning I was reminiscing about when Jen and I were sitting on a yacht on the Red Sea, overlooking Egypt on one side and Israel on the other. It was amazing, the lights, the stars and the bright half moon all seemed so surreal. But what was clear was God’s love. All through this region, throughout its history, we see God’s love for His people. There is tremendous power in love! In the same way that a tree will grow taller and stronger when its roots grow deep, you will be stronger and rise higher when you are rooted and established in God’s love.

You may ask the all important question, how do you establish yourself in love? It starts with a choice. When you say “yes” to love, you are saying “yes” to God, because God is love! Then, you choose love again, according to 1 Corinthians 13. Love means being patient and kind. It means not seeking your own way, not being jealous or boastful. 

Today, When you choose love instead of choosing your own way, you are showing the world that God is first place in your life. The more you choose to walk in love, the deeper and stronger your roots will grow. Let me remind you, love is the greatest thing, and it is all that will last in eternity. Choose to establish yourself in love, and let it be firm within you. Let His love build security in you, and empower you to live the life of blessing He has in store for you.

“”¦May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love.” 

(Ephesians 3:17, AMP)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, today and everyday, I choose love. Father, show me how to love You and others the way You love me. Give me patience and kindness. Take away selfishness, jealousy and pride. God, thank You for setting me free and empowering me to live the good life You have prepared for me, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

Spiritual Maturity: Steps to Growing as a Disciple of Christ

Spiritual Maturity: Steps to Growing as a Disciple of Christ

Life has taught me that just because God puts a dream in your mind, it doesn’t mean it’s going to come to pass without any opposition. God wants to grow us up. He wants us to mature. He wants to prepare us to handle the blessing He has in store.

Like Joseph in Genesis, he didn’t have a whole lot of wisdom when he had his life changing dream. He was young and immature, and God had to do a work in his life to get him ready. Maybe he shouldn’t have told his brothers about his dream that they would one day serve him! As you can imagine, his brothers were not nearly as excited as he was. Joseph had to go through some things to grow up and be ready for the blessing and promotion God had in store.

Today, like Joseph, you may have a dream in your heart that seems a million miles away, but you may have to go through the pit and the prison before you get to the palace. This is called the growing or maturing process. During the growing process, keep yourself focused on Him and allow Him to do His work in your life. Keep a humble attitude of faith before Him, and He will lead you and guide you into the dreams, goals and destiny He has prepared for you!

“You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

(Matthew 5:48, AMPC)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, thank You for working Your growing process in my life. Father, I will focus on You during this growing season. I submit myself to You, knowing that the process to victory may be hard and long. However God, I know You have a life changing plan in store for me, which will propel me to my God-given success, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

How can I teach my children to resist temptation?

How can I teach my children to resist temptation?

It seemed to Eve a small matter to eat of the forbidden tree, the fruit was pleasant to the eye and to the taste desirable to make one wise. But what terrible results!

It was not a small matter to forfeit allegiance to God. It opened the floodgates of sin to our world. Oh, the amount of evil which can come from one false step in life! Our eye must not be fixed on earth, but upward to Heaven. We must pass through dangers and difficulties, making advance at every step, gaining victories in every conflict, still rising higher and higher our standard of Christianity. As you do this the earth’s attractions will sink out of sight and the heavenly landscape opens with clearness and beauty. You will see the crown, the white robe, the harp, the palm branch of victory and immortality will be within your reach.

If we lose everything else, we should keep conscience pure and sensitive. When asked to go where there is the least danger of offending God, doing that which you cannot do with a pure conscience, do not fear or hesitate. Look the enemy of God firmly in the face and say, “No; I will not imperil my soul for any worldly attraction. I love and fear God. I will not venture to dishonor or disobey Him for the riches of the world or the love and favor of a host of worldly relatives. I love Jesus who died for me. He has bought me. I am the purchase of His blood. I will be true to His claims, and my example shall never be an excuse for any to turn from the straight path of duty. I will not be the servant of Satan and of sin. My life shall be such as to leave a bright track heavenward.”

The time has come when every Christian must stand or fall according to his own merits. A few righteous acts, a few good impulses, may be presented to the mind as evidences of righteousness, but God requires the our whole heart. He will accept no divided affections. The whole being must be given to Him or He will not receive the offering.

We must now be learning the lessons of faith if we would stand in that time of trouble which is coming upon all the world to try them who dwell upon the face of the earth. We must have the courage of heroes and the faith of martyrs.

10 Ways To Resist The Devil

God gives us specific guidance to counteract the devil and his influence.

1. Be Ruled by the Word.

2. Beware of Grieving the Holy Spirit.

3. Labor for Wisdom.

4. Resist the First Stirring of Temptation.

5. Labor to Be Filled With the Spirit.

6. Keep Humble.

7. Be Constantly on Guard.

8. Continue Communing With God.

9. Do Not Engage Satan In Your Own Strength.

10. Pray Constantly.

A Prayer to Guard Your Heart  
Lord God, Captain of my heart, Satan knows if I follow Your Greatest Commandment — to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) — he is powerless over me. Guard my heart, Lord Jesus, so that it beats for You alone. Don’t let me grow complacent toward You or be lured to love anyone or anything more than You. Remove the idols from my heart so that You alone command my allegiance and utmost affections Help me to love and forgive others as You have forgiven me so the enemy can get no foothold through hate or bitterness on my part. Cultivate in my heart Your love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NASB). Finally, Lord, set my heart on things above, not on earthly things. Help me to remember that You died for me and my life is now hidden which Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-2). Increase my longing for heaven so this world holds no power over me.   

Renewal, Of People Of God – Knowing Jesus

Renewal, Of People Of God - Knowing Jesus

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

Ephesians 3:16.

Have you ever heard the phase – you’re living on borrowed time? Meaning living after the time you would have expected to have died. Well, there is some truth to the saying as we are all living in probationary time. 

However, isn’t it wondering that Jesus has paved the way and that those who truly and earnestly desire eternal life and strive for it with desire and effort should have it. What a comfort it is to know that the Lord wants us in His family above.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.

(John 3:16)

We need to cherish and exercise faith. Our faith must work. We must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The leaven has a vital energy, penetrating and absorbing all the elements into which it is introduced. So likewise, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

The Word of the Lord is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word is a power as we practice it. The great change that the truth makes is inward. It begins in the heart, and works outwardly. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. “Burnt offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not.” The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. God is not pleased with false pretence.

We should hide in Jesus Christ and trust in His love. We should believe day by day that He loves us with a love that is infinite. Let nothing, absolutely nothing discourage you, and make you sad. Think of the goodness of God. Recount His favours and blessings hallelujah.

I am labouring constantly in writing and speaking. The Lord has been my very best Friend, and you can testify the same.

Let the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ the be ever in your hearts and in your minds and upon your lips. In this way you can magnify the truth. The Holy Spirit will witness with your spirit that you are indeed children of God. Be of good courage; Jesus is our personal Friend and Saviour. He loves us, and if He notices the little brown sparrow, how much more will He love and care for us. The memory grows weak when it is not exercised. So will our faith and hope and courage become feeble unless we look unto Jesus with all the confidence that a little child looks to its mother. By beholding Him, we become changed into His righteousness. Let not one thought of unbelief be woven into your religious experience. 

The Lord will be our efficiency and exceeding great reward. Amen

Life with Christ shouldn’t be shallow

The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2 Timothy 2:19.

Pray for the impartation of the Holy Spirit and believe that it is for you. Search your own hearts, and prepare your mind for the reception of the Holy Spirit. Do not be satisfied with your present experience. Sincere Christians universally want to “go deeper” in faith and knowledge of the Scripture. 

Prayer should be the natural outflow of the soul – you should pray because you must pray, not because the set time for praying has arrived – but because your heart must cry unto your Lord.

It is the privilege of every believer in Christ to possess Christ’s nature, a nature far above that which Adam forfeited by transgression. He who sees the Son by faith and believes in Him, is obedient to the commandments of God, and in this obedience he finds everlasting life. You will not have a firm religious experience unless you dig deep, and build your house upon the Rock. But spiritual depth isn’t simply about knowledge (a common misconception), but about everyday life and relationships. And where better to begin than reflecting on how to have deeper joy in Christ?

Satan works through many who will be worked, blinding the perceptive faculties, paralyzing the senses with selfish ease and love of the world, and unless a special message direct from heaven comes to them they will not discern their peril.

Many believers waver between different opinions and actions showing feelings of hesitancy when studying the word of God. Many grasp the truth with their perceptive powers, but they sometimes refuse to separate themselves from the world.

Many will not consent to be God’s peculiar people. They know the truth of the Bible, but they do not want to obey, and they turn from the truth. They act out their unbelief, and darkness comes upon their souls. Choosing their own way they are left to be filled with their own devices. Truth is insulted, Christ ignored, and perdition will be their portion unless they turn and repent in the name of Jesus.

While these opposing influences are at work to lead away from the truth, away from conviction, away from heaven into the broad path of self-gratification, the agents of God are to work to save souls that are ready to perish.

Prayer to Seek Truth

Lord, help me to seek truth today
To find it in places and people I wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Teach me that in truth there is wisdom and understanding.
May seeking truth help me overcome my fears and frustrations.

Lord, help me to strive for truth in all that I do today —
That my thoughts, words, and actions may reflect Your goodness.
Show me that only in truth will I be free —
To live honestly and courageously,
To love wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

Lord, help me to cherish truth —
Knowing that You are the author of all that is beautiful, good, and true.
May truth reign in my heart, no matter what I encounter today —
Lies, mockery, confusion, or betrayal.
Your truth gives me clarity and peace.

Lord, You created truth.
You are Truth.
Help me to know truth when I see it;
Learn truth when I am taught it;
Love truth,
Live truth.

Help me to share truth with others today —
Those who are lost and lonely,
The brokenhearted and weary,
Anyone who is suffering from visible or invisible pain.

When I am a son or daughter of truth, I am free to be
Fully alive
Fully myself
And an honest reflection of You.

Truth leads to greater knowledge
Compassion
Understanding
Respect
Charity
And excellence in all virtues.

Truth strengthens me
Guides me
Leads me
Protects me
Keeps me.
I am constant when I dwell in Your truth.
I am unafraid of what I may face.
I am vigilant and poised for speaking
The witness of who You are in truth.

Your Word is truth — may the truth of Your Word ring in the ears of all who are perishing and bring many perishing people to salvation in Jesus name we pray, 

Amen.

25 Faith Strengthening Christian Quotes

Believing in God has a fundamental impact on your life and is not easy. It’s not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obedience to Christ risks losing all these things. At the same time, being a devoted believer in Christ will encourage you to let go of sin and to start living a righteous life. It will help you to behave with integrity, kindness, and moral righteousness in a world that is filled with wickedness, deceit, and greed and in the end, such a life finds its reward in Christ as he is more than enough for us. To celebrate the joy of being a Christian and to celebrate Jesus, we’ve compiled the following selection of inspiring faith-strengthening Christian quotes.

  1. “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us”- Augustine
  2. “He who lays up treasures on earth spends his life backing away from his treasures. To him, death is loss. He who lays up treasures in heaven looks forward to eternity; he’s moving daily toward his treasures. To him, death is gain.” —Randy Alcorn
  3. “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” —Hudson Taylor
  4. “Let God’s promises shine on your problems.” —Corrie ten Boom
  5. “Christ literally walked in our shoes.” —Tim Keller
  6. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” —Jim Elliot
  7. “Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.” —Lysa Terkeurst
  8. “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” —Francis Chan
  9. “The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.” —Matt Chandler
  10. “You are the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read.” —John MacArthur
  11. “The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, ‘O God, forgive me,’ or ‘Help me.’” —Billy Graham
  12. “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” —Mother Teresa
  13. “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile” — Max Lucado
  14. “Always, everywhere God is present, and always He seeks to discover Himself to each one” —A.W.Tozer
  15. “God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go.”  —Tony Evans
  16. There is no one who is insignificant in the purpose of God.” —Alistair Begg
  17. “If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things.  It is we, of course, to whom things look ‘little’ or ‘big’.” —Elisabeth Elliot
  18. “Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done.”  —C. S. Lewis
  19. “Your potential is the sum of all the possibilities God has for your life.” —Charles Stanley
  20. “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” —Helen Keller
  21. “Continuous effort — not strength nor intelligence — is the key to unlocking our potential.” —Winston Churchill
  22. “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” —Chuck Swindoll
  23. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” —John Piper
  24. “God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  25. “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” 
    Martin Luther

Justin Bieber Drops a Kanye Bombshell as He Opens up about Leading Worship

“I like making the music that I make,” Bieber said when asked if he would be recording a worship album.

Justin’s has immersed himself in religion in recent years, attending both Churchome and Hillsong services, and now it looks like he’s taking on a bigger role.

On Wednesday night Justin Bieber led worship at a Churchome service in Beverly Hills. Clips from the performance went viral on social media.

He wrote,

Sang at church last night. God is pulling me through a hard season. Having trust in Jesus at your worst times is the absolute hardest. But he is faithful to complete what he started. I also want to thank my wife for being such a huge support in my life through this season ”¦ it says in the Bible count it ALL JOY when you face trials of various kinds. Sounds insane considering when u face trials u feel terrible. But if we are grateful and worship god for what we do have in that season there is so much power in that”¦ whatever pain you are going through just keep telling yourself THIS WONT LAST! Love you guys we in this together

According to TMZ, pastor Judah Smith explained to the congregation that it was time for Bieber to help lead the flock in song after years of being a worshipper.

Bieber says his breakout moment was part of a larger message he wants to spread.

The 25-year-old has been open about his faith – particularly in recent years – attending services at Churchome and Hillsong.

In the caption to an Instagram post featuring a few clips from the evening, Bieber alluded to some recent struggles in life during this “hard season”, but also said he is leaning on his faith to get him through. He also encouraged others who are experiencing difficult times to rely on Christ.

It’s Ok To Be A Christian And Go Through Tough Times

Keeping Faith in God During Hard Times

It is often in the very toughest of times and trials that God brings us to a crisis of faith, and it’s through that experience that we begin to pray. I’ve heard it said that, “when you’re swept off your feet, get on your knees.” Whatever broken conditions you are facing today – in your marriage, your home, your family, through a child that’s wandered away, or the collapse of a career?

]How many times through our pain do we discover our purpose? How many times through our pain do we discover power?

“It is so often pain that drives us to dependence upon God.”

Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient and that His power is made perfect through our weaknesses. With God all of your cares will be cared for. All that is His will be yours. Through prayer you can experience the delightful nearness of God and lean into His warm embrace.

Today, kneel before God in prayer until He communicates with your spirit. Surrender your weaknesses to Him and exchange them for supernatural strength. Pray this day for the power of Jesus Christ in your life to deliver you and the ones you love from temptation.

Trust in Him at all times, pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Psalms 62:8 NKJV 

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

II Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

Quotes by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

We have been become so accustomed to TV preachers that sugarcoat everything or take things out of context, that a Christian needs to switch the ‘looking box’ off and get stuck in the Bible to drown out the filth. If we are looking for good Christian material to read, look no further than books authored by Mr Spurgeon. He was a man who understood his position as a Christian, delighted in GOD’S Word, and sought to strengthen the faith of his hearers.

Often referred to as the ‘Prince of Preachers’, he was a man who never minced his words when it came to his faith. He said himself, “I am perhaps vulgar, but it is not intentional, save that I must and will make people listen. My firm conviction is that we have had enough polite preachers.”

A preacher during the Victorian era, he was a man that offended many, but never flinched from strong preaching.

Below are just a few quotes to give you a taste of his steadfast and strict adherence to GOD’S Word.

  • “There is no form of sinfulness to which you are addicted which Christ cannot remove.”
  • “The law is meant to lead the sinner to faith in Christ by showing the impossibility of any other way.”
  • “We hear complaints that the minister speaks too harshly and talks too much of judgement. Saved sinners never make that complaint.”
  • “Self is the worst enemy a Christian has.”
  • “We shall not grow weary of waiting upon GOD if we remember how long and graciously He once waited for us.”
  • “You do not know who the elect are. You do not know whose heart will be broken by the divine hammer of truth. But it is your responsibility to use the divine hammer on the hard heart. And as the Gospel is preached, it will attract to itself, by its own power, through the Holy Spirit, those whom GOD has ordained into eternal life.”
  • “It is a good rule never to look into the face of a man in the morning till you have looked into the face of GOD.”
  • “Beware of those who say there is no hell and declare new ways to heaven.”
  • “The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same Gospel which melts some persons to repentance hardens others in their sins.”
  • “Satan tells me that I am unworthy; but I always was unworthy, and yet You have long loved me; and therefore my unworthiness cannot be a barrier to having fellowship with You now.”
  • “You stand before GOD has if you were Christ, because Christ stood before GOD as if He were you.”
  • “The Scripture does not say ‘Ye must be improved,’ but, ‘Ye must be born again.”
  • “It is not the doctrine of justification that does my heart good, it is Christ, the Justifier.”
  • “Prayer and praise are the oars by which a man may row his boat into the deep waters of the knowledge of Christ.”
  • “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.”

Don’t Panic, Cos God Ain’t

Christ, god, Holy Spirit, Jesus, panic, Pray

Listening to a conversation the other day, made me realise that many of us think that God gets surprised, or goes into panic mode when things go wrong. We may be surprised by the unexpected,  because we believe just because we’re good or doing the right thing, then we are exempt from trouble. The scripture says, “the rain falls on the just and the unjust.”

When something unexpected happens, or you find yourself facing a crisis, don’t automatically go into “panic mode,” or just fall apart emotionally. Realise that the crisis is no surprise to God. It may be unexpected to you, but God knows the end from the beginning. He has solutions to problems that you haven’t even had yet. He has equipped you for every battle, and He goes before you to make your crooked places straight!

Today, don’t panic about the situation you’ve found yourself in,  instead of focusing on your problem, focus on your God. Focus on the fact that He is with you. Remember that He doesn’t panic or get surprised by life’s difficulties. He walks with you, leading and guiding you to a place of peace and victory. No matter what has happened, He will take what the enemy meant for evil, and turn it around for your good. He always leads us into victory. So keep moving forward, knowing that He has already made a way of escape for you! Hallelujah!

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph”¦”

(2 Corinthians 2:14, AMP)?

Pray With Me
Yahweh, I come to You with an open and humble heart. Father, I thank You for the victory that You have in store for me, even when I can’t see it. Please remove panic mode from my life when unexpected trials come. I’m so glad that You don’t panic. Teach me how to stay focused on You, and not get bent out of shape by the unexpected. God, I want to trust You more, knowing that You are always faithful, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.

 

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