Thursday, May 31, 2012

Remember the goodness of God

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NIV)

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Genesis 32:30 NIV)

In the Old Testament, when men of God had an encounter with God, they would name the place to remind them of God's goodness. So when they passed a certain area, they would recall what God had done for them.

When you are faced with a trial in life, look back at your milestones. Remind yourself of the goodness of God. If He could do it in the past, He is more than able to do it again.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

No trial = No testimony

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11 NKJV)

If we did not run the marathon, there is nothing to testify about. If we did not scale the mountain, how can we point the way for others? We overcome the devil by what Jesus did on the Cross AND by the testimony of our trials.
  • Believing in "Effortless Christianity" is naive. Such beliefs leave the believer wide open, weak and unprepared for life's challenges and an easy "push over" for the enemy.
  • We have been redeemed by the work of the cross, but we still live in a sinful broken down world.
  • Bad things still happen to good people and Christians too, though it is not their fault. The world will only be redeemed after Christ's 2nd Coming.
  • So do not see your trial as a burden, but view it as an opportunity to fight back at the devil.
  • "No devil, you cannot oppress me anymore. I overcome you with the Blood of Jesus and with my witness of God's goodness! "