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| That Tsunami Wave |
Matthew
24:11-13 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures
to the end shall be saved.
That “endures”
is hupomeno ( hoop—ahm—en—oh. This has the meaning to hold ones’ ground in
conflict, bear up against adversity, hold out under stress, stand firm and to
persevere under pressure, waiting calmly and courageously.
So in
essence this word has the meaning to stand in activity that is energetic
resistance to defeat that appears as the calm and the brave indeed!
Today the
pressures seem to mount daily. If one would keep in touch with the news, one
would find their daily existence will be interrupted by an attack of a vengeful
virus, their mind will be bombarded by economic pressures and down-turns of the
markets, there will be seen persecutions in how you worship God and what truth
you believe the Bible to hold as that standard in a decaying culture and
society! There are social pressures: you find no one liked the last posting you
placed just before bed last night. And the family pressures mount in how many
children you might have and what activities that they are tied to weekly
outside of all their school activities that takes up much more time than seems
available in a twenty-four hour period of time.
There seems to be this mounting
tsunami wave that grows higher and wider to come into your seemingly quiet neighborhood
and find you are very much wet and bothered without leaving the sanctuary of
your bedroom but find quickly that you are exhausted beyond measure and oh, so
tired at the barrage of activity that mounts to take you down into the sewer
system and out of sight! YIKES!
If we know
scripture then we know these things will only mount further into more pressures
on your health, your wealth ( if you have any) and a bad tsunami hit against
your family, your children and your
home. Pressures build but we have an answer.
Philippians 4:8-
to think on that which is true and noble not fantasy…
Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things
are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are just, whatever things
are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if
there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy ----meditate on these
things.
You do not need those networks that make up news as you go kind of news. No, you require that which is truth inside and out. YOU need the truth
to make those decisive answers in regard to all the upheaval and chaos that
appears in the streets, your local grocery market and on television
commercials!
Proverbs
25:19 instructs us, "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time
of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint." Faithfulness
always indicates a person who deals truthfully; he can be trusted. Yet, dealing
with unfaithful people is usually painful because one never knows whether they
will come through.
Thus, our evaluation of ourselves comes down to this
question: How can God trust us if
we are not striving to be honest now? For you and I must be trusting in God and
faithful to continue in this walk with Him. We are to be found with Him and
speak as He would speak.
Find a noteworthy news that gives details that are accurate
and not made up for that which affects you and yours! But even more important, find those scriptures that detail where you want to go today and tomorrow into
your future with the Lord.
2 Corinthians
4:1-2 sets a standard: “Therefore, since we have this ministry,
as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the
hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God
deceitfully, but by manifestation of the
truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
Christian maturity is revealed by how we behave in everyday
life, particularly under pressure.
1. How do we act in the car in traffic that outnumbers the lanes on the highway we travel or how do we act at the grocery
store when we cannot find the item we require and the lines are back up to the bathroom area of the store?
2. As
businessmen, do we pad the expense account? How do we act on our own in the
little things? Are we honest in all financial matters?
3. How
do we treat other people? That’s where the real Christ is evidenced in our
lives!
4. What
do we do in our homes away from the church folk? It’s not how we act in the church that counts
so much; anyone can act really nice there!
We sometimes forget that God is not only at church, He’s
everywhere. He sees the corners of our heart that we’d rather not have Him (or
anyone else) see. He sees what goes on behind our closed doors. He is the only
one who can help us overcome the pressures of this world, the devil, and our
flesh.
The Bible says that we must discipline ourselves for the
purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7).
Discipline, by definition, means going
against my feelings. I may not feel like exercising, but if I’m disciplined, I
do it anyway. I may feel like spending money impulsively, but if I’m
disciplined, I go against my feelings because I have decided to live by a
budget. And we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves!
Paul wrote Timothy this: 1 Timothy 4:6-7 NKJV If you
instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have
carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, & exercise
yourself toward godliness.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of everyday life, can at times be difficult
in keeping our minds on the Lord. WHAT we watch for hours will have an effect
on our thinking! The devil is always
trying to divert us to think carnal thoughts instead of keeping our thoughts in
subjection to the Word of God.
How can we be free of worry and anxiety? We must
deliberately change our thoughts. We must look to the Lord and ask Him to free us of our
fears, and then we must think on things that bring peace. Philippians 4:8…….
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things”
Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for
they shall be called the children of God.”
The Lord not only wants us to know His peace, but also He wants us to
distribute His peace. The body of Christ needs healing and needs those who sow
seeds of peace instead of discord. If we want peace in our churches and homes,
then we must be the ones who are the peacemakers. If we obey the Lord and walk
in His light, His peace will come to our entire family. “And all thy children
shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children”
Peace is one of the most beautiful treasures that we inherit
from our Lord. Money cannot buy HIS PEACE! BUT it is free to all who will come
unto Him.
1. We
can have His peace even in the midst of our wrestling match with the enemy.
Even when Satan sends His biggest giants our way, we can like David, stand firm
in the fact that the God we serve is greater by far than anything else in the
universe. Praise God!
2. We
no longer have to base our confidence in ourselves! Instead, we can rely on
Him, the Rock of our Salvation. If David had tried to stand against Goliath in
his own strength, he would have been completely destroyed. But David knew who
was with him and he knew that he had overcome because “greater is he that is in
you than he that is in the world”
3. 1
John 4:4 NKJV You are of God, little
children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he
who is in the world.
If you remember the
story of Pharaoh, he had the Hebrew nation to build his store cities…that is he
had them build that which is filled not just what he desired, but what he thought he needed! Our heart is to filled
with all the treasure that is Jesus Christ the Word! (can find this in
Revelation 19:11-16)
By the power of the HOLY SPIRIT we all can be victorious in
our everyday lives. We can overcome the devil and our flesh. We can be
ministers of peace and reconciliation on this earth, and walk in perfect
communion with God. We can be free from pressure by learning to yield to the
Lord and resisting the devil (James 4:7).
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you.
1. The
Bible says that the devil will flee with his pressure. How do we resist the
devil?
2. By speaking the word of the Lord over our
situation. For example, if we are being pressured with fearful thoughts, we
should quote scriptures that speak of victory over fear.
Today you and I have victory over fear: James 4:7-10 Therefore
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and
mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.
Freedom from Oppression is submitting to
God. In confessing God’s Word we come to His rule in truth that is righteous.
CONFESSIONS: For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear, but
of power, and of love, and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy
staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
Father, You have warned me in Your word not to believe every spirit but to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 O God, as You increase my belief, teach me also what not to believe.
In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be
far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not
come near thee. Isaiah 54:14
Any strength or action is to come from God that
makes for peace. By any coercion, or compulsion will
force one to be led into the place of oppression to be intimidated &
harassed.
Father, thank You for showing us that we are to be patient and enjoy friendships without a " culture pushing vanity on parade before us". Now may the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ Jesus.
May I live according to the Lord’s purpose for my life and not try to change to fit that mold of any culture for that only can be an opening of a door to
possible dangers
Thank you Lord God
for purifying my heart by faith. (Acts 1:5,9) How I thank You that a lack of
faith will never nullify Your faithfulness. (Rom.3:3) If I am faithless, You
will remain faithful, for You cannot disown Yourself. (2 Timothy 2:13)
Father, Your Word says that faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the Word of Christ Jesus. (Romans 10:17) Cause me
to continue to listen to Your word! Without Your Word, my faith will never
grow.
For I know pressures will mount, but You are with me. You
will never leave me nor will You forsake me. Thank You for walking me through
the trial upon trial, I have the victory in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
New teaching at: Voice of Prayer
But I Say to You Who Hear
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New teaching at: Life Giving Wells
The Spiritual Recognition
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