Chris Buscher's Blog, page 3
October 8, 2017
Living By Faith In God
Our theme of study is taken from the book of 2 Corinthians 5:7. This is bane of our practical life as Christians.
Have you ever wondered why how you became a Christian believing in the existence of God and that Jesus Christ is the son of God, who came to die for our sins?
Have you ever wondered why you would close your eyes in prayer to God, make some demands and receive answers to your requests?
Have you ever wondered why a word of knowledge would come through prophecy and require you to do or not to do one thing or another and we see the prophecy manifest without putting much effort?
Have you ever wondered why you would call the name “Jesus Christ” in the time of trouble and received immediate deliverance from the problem before you?
Have ever wondered why you would pay your tithe, believing in the word of God in the book of Malachi and see God increase all that concerns you?
Have you ever wondered why the moment you gave your life to Christ and became born again, everything about your life changed and there is this special, overwhelming joy that came upon you which, till date, you are yet to describe?
All these and more are the evidence of the role which faith plays in the life of Christian. However, we shall be discussing this theme of study under the following subheadings:
Understanding faith; people who lived by faith in the 
bible; our application of faith and the expected benefits.
Understanding Faith
The bible in the book of Hebrew defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
This is the general definition of faith, that is, believing in that which in the existence or occurrence of something which you have not seen.
This can be illustrated by the faith shown in the book of Matthew by the Centurion, who had faith that if only Jesus could say the word that his servant would be healed without needing Jesus to come under his roof. Even Jesus reacted to his level of faith when he said, “verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”
Another important feature of faith is that it goes with work. This is stated in the book of James which states that “for just as that body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead”
This is an important feature of faith which has worked wonders in the life of many especially in the past. We shall have a one or two case studies.
The first case study is the woman with the issue of blood, when she came to the realization that Jesus could heal her, she did not just relax and wait for Jesus to come to her one on one and probably lay hands on her to get her healing, rather she concluded that by mere touching the hem of his garment, she would be healed. Despite the crowd, she forced herself through the crowd to touched Jesus’ garment and she received her healing. That is a typical example of accompanying faith with work. She did not just have the faith but also worked towards it.
Another instance of having faith with work is seen in the book of Mark, it states “and they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, son thy sins are forgiven thee”
The above is a perfect example of supporting faith with work.
People Who Lived by Faith in the Bible
By faith Abraham was ready t sacrifice his only son Isaac because of the promise God made to him.
By faith Noah built the arc to convey his family and other creatures as the lord had commanded him.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks (Hebrew)
By faith Sara received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
All the above and more were done by faith, even when there were no signs of them occurring but because they believed in the being (God) they are dealing with. And he never failed them.
Our Application of Faith And The Expected Benefits
We have discussed faith to this extent and I implore you brethren to live by faith and not by sight.
Sara, who was past the age of conceiving, did not assess her condition by sight because going by sight, it would be foolish of her to believe the promise to her but she worked by faith and believed the promised and it was done unto her according to her faith.
The woman with the issue of blood did not let the sight multitude of people to discourage her rather she held on to her faith because she knew that the moment she touched his garment, she would be made whole. And it was done unto her as she believed.
There are countless instances to buttress this from the scriptures but the important thing here is that in our lives as Christian, there are instances we would find it difficult to have faith in God due to the circumstances surrounding us, we should not be dismayed, rather, we should look beyond that which we can see and know that God is able to see us through.
Generally, the hope of every Christian is to make heaven and nobody has seen or heard what the Lord has prepared for us.Our steadfast faith in the God would help us run this race till the end. That is practically the summary of our study today.
Therefore, brethren, no matter what you are passing through in life, even if it appears insurmountable, do not get discouraged rather put your trust in the God and have him take charge of the situation.
As we live by faith and not by sight, the almighty God whom we serve will continue to bless and manifest his glory in our lives.
The post Living By Faith In God appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
October 6, 2017
THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD
The Mighty Power of God
Today, our theme of study is taken from the book of Ephesians 6:10. In this discourse, we shall be exploring the mighty power of God in the following instances: where he had shown his power, how to tap into his power, how to retain his power, application of these principles in our daily life and the expected benefit.
God is the creator of the universe. We can appreciate his mighty power by the fact that he created the universe by mere commands from his mouth as stated in the book of Genesis.
He showed his mighty power by turning Joseph’s ordeal from been sold by his brothers to the Egyptians to a ruler in the land of Egypt.
He showed his mighty power to Pharaoh, who was adamant to release the children of Israel from the land of Egypt to go and serve him in the promise land.
When pharaoh released the children of Israel, the Lord turned his heart and made him go after the Israelites. God showed his mighty power at the red sea by keeping watch on the Israelites with a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire by the night. He divided the Red sea for the Israelites to cross over. He also stopped the Egyptians with a pillar of fire so that they would not have access to the children of Israel.
In the book of 1 king, he showed his mighty power by answering prophet Elijah with a consuming fire just to prove to the children of Israel that he is the one and only true God, and a jealous one at that.
In the book of Daniel, he showed his power to king Nebuchadnezzar, when he sent his spirit to protect Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being consumed by fire set by the king for anybody who wouldn’t bow down and worship his image.
The Lord also turned the lions in the den to become friends with Daniel when he was thrown in to the Lion’s den for refusing to stop worshiping God.
In the New Testament, he showed us the Supreme power by giving us his beloved son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He protected the new born king from the mad king Herod, who tried to kill the new born king.
He healed the sick, raised the dead, prevailed over death and raised Christ Jesus from the dead. The crowned it all by taken Christ up by the power of ascension to be with him in heaven. The instances in which God has shown his mighty power are countless and would amount to recounting the bible if we decide to mention all of them.
He remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. He is still the same God with the same mighty power even in this our generation.
How to Tap into God’s Power
We have mentioned a few instances where God has shown his mighty power, however, a close study of the instances mentioned above reveals that they all have one thing in common, and that is the fact that they all believed that God has the mighty power to attend to their cases.
For you to benefit in the power of God, you must believe that God is able to solve your problem and save you from the problems you are passing through.
Your believe in God’s power will build your faith and make you appreciate God. Joseph believed in God and never gave in to temptations from Portiphar’s wife. Even when he was thrown behind bars, he never lost faith in God and in the end, he came out victorious and mightier and a ruler in the land of Egypt.
Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego believed so much in God’s power to deliver them that they even stated that even if God did not come to save them from the fire, they would not bow down to the image of the king. And God did not fail him.
Daniel believed in the mighty power of God that when it was decreed that anybody found worshiping God would be thrown into the lion’s den, he never stopped worshiping God.
Moses, who grew up in the house of Pharaoh and witnessed how dangerous Pharaoh could be, still believed that God could save the Israelites from the land of Egypt.
Elijah believed that God is the only true God when he challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest so as to prove to them that there is only one true God. The lord never failed. They are too numerous to mention.
Therefore, for you to be a beneficiary of the mighty power of God, you must believe in his mighty powers to save and to deliver you.
How to Retain the Mighty Power of God
For you to have the mighty power of God abide with you, you must thankful. Show appreciating to God for the things he has done for you, even for the things you are yet to receive from him.
King David is regarded as the man after God’s heart simply because he was in the habit of thanking and praising God. The bible reveals that whenever it comes to praising God, King David brings himself to nothing because of his love for God. We read in the bible, how God on several occasions destroyed his enemies even without him going to war with them.
Also, the bible reveals, how King Solomon was made wisest King ever simply because of the sacrifices he made to God.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the first thing he said was “father I thank you”. He thanked God for the things he had used him to do and God answered and brought Lazarus back to life.
Therefore, always be thankful to God for everything he has done for you in order to receive more from. Thanksgiving can be in the form of worship, praises and prayer. Thank god today and have him bless you the more.
Application and the Expected Benefit
We have learnt that God is supreme. We have also learnt that believing in God’s power to do all things is the way we can attract God’s power in all that concern us. And through thanksgiving which could be in the form of praises, worship or prayer, we retain the power of God in our life.
Therefore, be strong in the lord through believe and thanksgiving and see the mighty power of God work in favour.
Are you facing any life challenges today, are you at the verge of giving up on God, are your expectations been cut short due the things you see around yourself? Our theme of study says, “Be strong in the Lord and his mighty powers”.
Remember the wall of Jericho and how the power of God was brought down through songs and praises. Remember the children of Israel stuck in between the Red sea and the Egyptians and how Moses through believe in God’s command, was able to lead them through the Red the sea.
Therefore brethren, I urge you to put your trust (believe) in the Lord and see him work wonders in your life.
The post THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
October 5, 2017
THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD
The Mighty Power of God
Today, our theme of study is taken from the book of Ephesians 6:10. In this discourse, we shall be exploring the mighty power of God in the following instances: where he had shown his power, how to tap into his power, how to retain his power, application of these principles in our daily life and the expected benefit.
God is the creator of the universe. We can appreciate his mighty power by the fact that he created the universe by mere commands from his mouth as stated in the book of Genesis.
He showed his mighty power by turning Joseph’s ordeal from been sold by his brothers to the Egyptians to a ruler in the land of Egypt.
He showed his mighty power to Pharaoh, who was adamant to release the children of Israel from the land of Egypt to go and serve him in the promise land.
When pharaoh released the children of Israel, the Lord turned his heart and made him go after the Israelites. God showed his mighty power at the red sea by keeping watch on the Israelites with a pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire by the night. He divided the Red sea for the Israelites to cross over. He also stopped the Egyptians with a pillar of fire so that they would not have access to the children of Israel.
In the book of 1 king, he showed his mighty power by answering prophet Elijah with a consuming fire just to prove to the children of Israel that he is the one and only true God, and a jealous one at that.
In the book of Daniel, he showed his power to king Nebuchadnezzar, when he sent his spirit to protect Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from being consumed by fire set by the king for anybody who wouldn’t bow down and worship his image.
The Lord also turned the lions in the den to become friends with Daniel when he was thrown in to the Lion’s den for refusing to stop worshiping God.
In the New Testament, he showed us the Supreme power by giving us his beloved son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He protected the new born king from the mad king Herod, who tried to kill the new born king.
He healed the sick, raised the dead, prevailed over death and raised Christ Jesus from the dead. The crowned it all by taken Christ up by the power of ascension to be with him in heaven. The instances in which God has shown his mighty power are countless and would amount to recounting the bible if we decide to mention all of them.
He remains the same, yesterday, today and forever. He is still the same God with the same mighty power even in this our generation.
How to Tap into God’s Power
We have mentioned a few instances where God has shown his mighty power, however, a close study of the instances mentioned above reveals that they all have one thing in common, and that is the fact that they all believed that God has the mighty power to attend to their cases.
For you to benefit in the power of God, you must believe that God is able to solve your problem and save you from the problems you are passing through.
Your believe in God’s power will build your faith and make you appreciate God. Joseph believed in God and never gave in to temptations from Portiphar’s wife. Even when he was thrown behind bars, he never lost faith in God and in the end, he came out victorious and mightier and a ruler in the land of Egypt.
Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego believed so much in God’s power to deliver them that they even stated that even if God did not come to save them from the fire, they would not bow down to the image of the king. And God did not fail him.
Daniel believed in the mighty power of God that when it was decreed that anybody found worshiping God would be thrown into the lion’s den, he never stopped worshiping God.
Moses, who grew up in the house of Pharaoh and witnessed how dangerous Pharaoh could be, still believed that God could save the Israelites from the land of Egypt.
Elijah believed that God is the only true God when he challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest so as to prove to them that there is only one true God. The lord never failed. They are too numerous to mention.
Therefore, for you to be a beneficiary of the mighty power of God, you must believe in his mighty powers to save and to deliver you.
How to Retain the Mighty Power of God
For you to have the mighty power of God abide with you, you must thankful. Show appreciating to God for the things he has done for you, even for the things you are yet to receive from him.
King David is regarded as the man after God’s heart simply because he was in the habit of thanking and praising God. The bible reveals that whenever it comes to praising God, King David brings himself to nothing because of his love for God. We read in the bible, how God on several occasions destroyed his enemies even without him going to war with them.
Also, the bible reveals, how King Solomon was made wisest King ever simply because of the sacrifices he made to God.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the first thing he said was “father I thank you”. He thanked God for the things he had used him to do and God answered and brought Lazarus back to life.
Therefore, always be thankful to God for everything he has done for you in order to receive more from. Thanksgiving can be in the form of worship, praises and prayer. Thank god today and have him bless you the more.
Application and the Expected Benefit
We have learnt that God is supreme. We have also learnt that believing in God’s power to do all things is the way we can attract God’s power in all that concern us. And through thanksgiving which could be in the form of praises, worship or prayer, we retain the power of God in our life.
Therefore, be strong in the lord through believe and thanksgiving and see the mighty power of God work in favour.
Are you facing any life challenges today, are you at the verge of giving up on God, are your expectations been cut short due the things you see around yourself? Our theme of study says, “Be strong in the Lord and his mighty powers”.
Remember the wall of Jericho and how the power of God was brought down through songs and praises. Remember the children of Israel stuck in between the Red sea and the Egyptians and how Moses through believe in God’s command, was able to lead them through the Red the sea.
Therefore brethren, I urge you to put your trust (believe) in the Lord and see him work wonders in your life.
The post THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
October 2, 2017
Dear Worshiper
Dear Worshiper: The Core of Praise and Worship” is a book for those who desire to worship God in spirit and in truth. This book is designed to inspire worshipers to look past tradition and delve into the significance of true worship. Praise is more than something we give to God in churches. Worship is more than a song. “Dear Worshiper” uses various topics to teach readers that intimate time spent in the presence of God is the true source of peace, fulfillment, wisdom, and joy needed for life’s journey.
“Dear Worshiper: The Core of Praise and Worship” will be released in January of 2018. For information and updates, visit www.rockydania.blogspot.com
The post Dear Worshiper appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
September 26, 2017
Hold on to Your Faith In God
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an external glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eye not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The above passage of the bible is our theme of study for today and we shall be treating it in details with practical examples in the bible as well as its application to our daily life style.
Generally, as Christians, the bible is our daily guide which has provision for virtually, all facets of life. Our aim here is to give you a good insight into the bible, its provisions and proper application of its provisions into our normal life.
We shall break the above into sections so as to have a better and in-depth understanding of the priceless principles contained in it.
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
In the above quote from the theme of study, the Bible acknowledges the fact that the life of Christian is sometimes faced with difficulties which may pressure him to backslide. The Bible in lending credence to it states that we are in the world but not of the world, which is ruled by the devil himself. We all know the mission of the devil, which is to kill, steal and to destroy but Christ himself came that we may have life and have it abundantly.
Therefore, the devil, in his usual and relentless effort to turn man against God brings many challenges to him in order to make him turn away from God and renounce his Christian life.
Deductively, if you are a Christian and do not have challenges that threaten your faith in Christ Jesus, then you have got to check your Christian life. Christ was tempted by the devil and was even asked to denounce God and bow to the devil but he appreciated his mission on earth, his faith in his father and did not yield to the devil’s temptation. To surprise you the more, Christ was never appreciated by his people. They never had any regard for him; they simply addressed him as the carpenter’s son. But all these things did not deter Christ from fulfilling his mission on earth.
From the above instances relating to Christ, who is the author and finisher of our faith, it will be absolutely right to state that, and just as the Bible simply puts it, the temptation is not sin but only becomes sin when one yields to it. So as Christians, many are our afflictions but the Lord delivers us from them all.
Although, these challenges and temptations may tarry, make us waste away or even give us strong reasons to give up on God, our selected quotes from the theme simply reminds us that though these things will make us waste away, we should not lose heart. These momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Simply put, the Bible states, that if as Christians our hope is only in Christ then we are of all men most miserable. Therefore, our eternal hope should not be restricted to Christ but to make heaven, which is the external glory discussed in our theme of study.
The second quote from our theme of the study states “So we fix our eye not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
The above quote has been partly discussed above; however, it reminds us that we are mere strangers here on earth and our eternal hope should be to join the father in heaven and the host angels to worship him.
Christ lent credence to the above quote when he told his disciples “in my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also be where I am.” Christ also told his disciples “no eyes have seen nor ears hear what the Lord has prepared for those who believe in him.”
All the above-mentioned statements by Christ are the bane of our faith as Christians and not the things we toil and kill ourselves for. They are the unseen things which are eternal. This is the meaning of our second quote from our theme of study today.
Therefore, brethren, are you passing through hard times? Have your people turned against you because of your faith in God? Have the people you love and hold dear to your heart betrayed you and make you want to backslide and turn away from God? Have you been mocked for declaring your faith in Christ? Have you seen the people you consider sinners succeed more than you do? Have you ever been in a dilemma and almost lost faith in God?
Remember, God does not change, he sees everything and there is definitely a reward for your faith in him. Do not give up on God, do not set your eyes and hope just on the things of the earth, which are temporal but be strong in faith, hold on to his word and set your eyes on the things unseen, which is the eternal life with him in heaven with the father and the host of Angels.
The post Hold on to Your Faith In God appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
September 25, 2017
Here I Am Lord
In growing up and by his grace continuing to grow in my Christian walk, I find myself on many occasions reflecting back to many songs and hymns that I heard as a child. I must confess that hearing those songs and hymns now as opposed to back then gives me pause to make the commitment to gain a greater understanding of what many of our great hymns are about. All of us I am sure have fond memories of songs and hymns that are part of our
2) Christian journey. Those hymns and songs I am sure have helped to shape and guide us along this road of life. More often than not I find myself being drawn back to a particular hymn. I can recall hearing this hymn as a child. And yet even as I hear it today it continues to resonate with my soul and serves as a reminder to me personally as it sheds light on my relationship with God. “A Charge To Keep I Have.” On numerous occasions I find myself going back to
3) Read and reread the lyrics of this song. In particular, there are lyrics within this song that constantly remind me of what I am to be about in this life.
A Charge To Keep I Have.”
All of us, no matter who we are have a charge and assignment that God has established in us.
Acts 10:34 reminds us of the fact that God is no respecter of person. Thus no matter who, what, or where we are in life God has an assignment for us. In the eyes of God
4) Each charge that he places before us is of the utmost importance. What also stands as absolute is the fact that the charge that each of us have been given is for us alone. It isn’t for someone else. Nor is it to be thought of as not as important as the next person’s charge. For ultimately the charge that we have been assigned is not to glorify us but to give God the glory.
5) “A God to glorify”
In all that we do, we are called on to give God the glory. Each day that we are blessed to awake and start out on our way provides us with the opportunity to give God the glory; not just by our words, but most of all by our actions.
1 Corinthians 10:31 declares that “whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Each of as members of the Christian body recognizes
6) that we have been bought with a price. A price that Christ paid for with his life. With each day we are called on to give God the glory. In doing so we are reminded of the need to put off our old self, and to be renewed daily by the spirit. For we know that we are not our own, but belong to God. As we continue to grown daily and gain greater understanding, let us remember that when it’s all said and done, it’s not about us, it’s about God.
7) “To serve the present age” This world in which we live in has many challenges. Diverse in needs and desirous of help, ours is a world that truly is in need of God. It would seem that day after day we find many amongst us crying out in search of help. Not merely help as such which are of the physical needs, but as much as anything help with that which is the greatest thing of all, with their souls. This world and the current times we are in presents
8) before each of us a challenge of being of service. We are all witness to the reality that there are so many who are in need. Serving in this present age is a reflection of Christ’s purpose with his own ministry. Christ came not to be served, but to be in service to others. Therefore if we are to be a reflection of our Lord and savior we also are called to embrace his commitment of being in service to others.
9) “Oh may it all my powers to do my Master’s will” With the charge that each of us accept and commit ourselves to move forward in, let us do so with a spirit of full immersion. Christ’s ministry provides us with the penultimate example of full immersion. He came into our world with his mind and spirit fully focused on doing his father’s will. Part and parcel to his ministry were his thoughts and actions that declared that it was not his will but the will of his father that would be
10) done. As we who are the body of Christ, my prayer is that each of us as well will also give it all of our powers. Though each of us perhaps are at different levels as to all that we can give, we do so knowing that though what may appear to be little to others isn’t what is important; what matters is that in God’s sight he sees and knows that we have given it our all.
“A Charge to Keep.” The time and season is daily for each of us. God is not concerned about our ability; his
11) question is, are we willing to be available. May each of us embrace our own unique charge, proclaiming to God that we are ready, willing, and able to step forward and carry out our charge to keep.
To God Be the Glory Amen……
DID YOU LIKE THE FIRST CHAPTER OF AUTHOR Alan T. Black’s NEW BOOK?
DON’T STOP NOW! GET IT TODAY ON AMAZON!
The post Here I Am Lord appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
September 23, 2017
What It Really Means To Be Strong In The Lord.
(Finally,be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.)
“…be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Ephesians 6:10
If you have ever felt that you can’t win your battles on your own, I have good news for you: you can’t.
You were never meant to fight alone.
Paul makes our source of power and strength clear in Ephesians 6:10-20
. It is God, Himself, who holds the power to fight and win. Verse 10 commands us to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might”.
No human power alone can stop the devil’s schemes, but God can and has already “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Colossians 2:15). The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in believers by the power of the Holy Spirit and can empower Christians to fight and win in their spiritual battle.
The Time David Almost Gave Up
1 Samuel 30 records a powerful situation faced by David and how he battled in the Lord’s strength. One day while returning from speaking with the Philistines, David suddenly arrived at their camp where their wives and children were—only to find out that the Amalekites had burned the entire camp and captured everyone who resided there.
Here’s how David and his men responded: “David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4). Not only were all of their wives and children in the enemy’s hands, but David’s men wanted to kill him!
David had no strength left and was greatly distressed. How did he respond?
Before answering that question, it might be helpful to learn what not to do.
How Not to Respond to Adversity
Two chapters previously, in 1 Samuel 28, Saul found himself in a similar situation as David. Saul feared the army of the Philistines who were great in number and ready to fight against Israel. After not receiving a quick answer from the Lord, Saul resorted to do something forbidden: he consulted with a witch to find out what to do.
Like Saul, we often can try to solve our problems or numb our pain by seeking things other than God.
Some people turn to bitterness, mindless distractions, self-indulgence, or blaming others instead of turning to God, who is the only source of real strength. Some actually turn back to the sin that was the cause of such pain in the first place!
The Right Choice
David did not respond like Saul but rather, “…David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). David knew the source of his strength was outside of himself and was in God—and so he ran to Him. He knew that while he was at his weakest and was unable to fight in his own strength, he could “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).
You could even say that David preached the gospel to himself—that is, reminding himself of who God is and what He had done.
For us today, we can remember the victory won on the cross by our Savior, Jesus Christ. If God loves us enough to sacrifice his only Son, won’t he help us in our times of weakness? Romans 8:32says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
After strengthening himself in the Lord, David cried out to him and was led to defeat the Amalekites. He recovered all he had lost and also claimed some of the Amalekites’ possessions for Israel.
The Battle Belongs to the Lord
Our enemy knows our weaknesses as humans and will seek to exploit them to make us fall. Even at our best, we are weak and need God’s strength.
God has given us armor and weapons, but their power comes from God. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” In God we have divine power to destroy strongholds, fight battles, and gain victory.
Cry out to Him to fight foryou and with you. You can’t do it on your own. Rely on God, put on your armor, pick up your sword, and fight. By doing this,God will always grant us victory over our adversaries. God bless us all as we remain strong in Him and His mighty power.
The post What It Really Means To Be Strong In The Lord. appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
Faith Is Focusing And Seeing The Unseen
key Bible Focus( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
(Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.)
God can move mountains. But we can move God himself! Faith is the means to move God.
Faith is trusting God for something to happen which we have not seen or experienced before. It is different from belief. We believe some thing that is already known to us. I don’t need faith to believe that I am wearing a wristwatch. Belief is past tense and faith is future tense. St. Augustine said, “Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.”
Faith is also construed as trust. The dominant modern tendency is to widen the distinction between faith as belief and faith as trust. Some one said, faith as belief is the Martha of Christian existence, and faith as trust is the Mary (Lk. 10:38-42). In the classical traditions, the content of belief (truths) as well as the ability to believe were held to be God’s gifts; so also for faith as trust.
1. Faith Is Seeing The Unseen
In Berkeley’s translation we read in Hebrews 11:1, that, “Faith is the conviction of unseen realities.” By faith Noah being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark. By faith Abraham obeyed God and went out not knowing where he was going. By faith Sarah herself received ability to conceive beyond human possibility (Heb. 11:7-11).
a) The Object And Source Of Our Faith
Life has no questions that faith cannot answer. But where do we get this faith? We get it from the word of God, which is the source of our faith. George Mueller, the father of faith always prayed with an open Bible. We must learn the secret of transforming God’s word into faith-filled petitions. Charles Spurgeon always prayed, “Do as thou haste said.” In this way, we shall also be definitely praying according to the will of God. We read in l John 5:14,15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Faith is confidence in action. It not only passively waits on God, but also actively seeks to know and do His will. Faith must be accompanied by works. Once a desert traveler said, “I will loose my camel and commit it to God.” ‘Friend’ said the fellow traveler, “Tie thy camel and commit it to God.”
The object of faith is God himself. We have to trust him where we cannot trace him. Nothing is too difficult for him (Jer. 32:17, 27). For nothing is impossible with God (Lk. 1:37). Jesus said, “The things impossible with men are possible with God.” (Lk. 18:27).
The disciples of Jesus could not heal the epileptic boy. When Jesus arrived on the scene of their failure, what did He find them doing? -Praying? Repenting for their failure? No, Jesus found them having a discussion. This is what is happening in our churches today- endless debates, seminars, and discussions! The kingdom of God does not consist of discussion, but of power and authority, and this power comes through faith in God.
What we need today is not Abraham’s faith, but Abraham’s God. It is not the question of whether you have enough faith, but in whom you have faith. It includes two elements: The belief that God is; and that he is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek him (Heb. 11:6).
To believe that “God is” means much more than accepting Him as a supreme being; it means to believe in the character of God as He has revealed himself in His works, in His word and in Christ. Thus to believe that “God is” is to exercise faith upon Him as such a being as the word declares Him to be: supreme, sovereign, in-affably holy, almighty, inflexibly just, yet abounding in mercy and grace.
Now from this stage we must pass on to the stage of exercising faith particularly regarding the graciousness of God, and the belief that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.
What does seeking God mean? It is forsaking, denying our worldliness and taking him alone to be our Lord and master. To seek him diligently is to seek him early (Prov. 8:17); wholeheartedly (Ps. 119:10); earnestly (Ps. 27:4); and without being weary (Lk. 11:8). It is seeking him like a thirsty man seeks water. The Lord has promised: “And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:13; 2 Chron. 15:15).
b) Walking By Faith
Paul says, that we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Here, sight not only refers to our physical eyes, but it includes all the five senses of hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Hence, in other words what Paul says is, we cannot live by the five senses alone; we need to have faith. Faith is the sight of the inward eye. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who do not see, and yet believe” (Jn. 20:26-29). “Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible” Faith is daily walking hand in hand with God. If we truly walked by faith instead of sight, our prayer life would be revolutionized, totally.
2. Faith Is Believing God Inspite Of Circumstances: Faith’s Master Key Is Patience
When the situation looks hopeless, keep hoping. When everything looks impossible, refuse to accept defeat. You are not defeated until you lose your patience and faith. Jesus said, “The things impossible with men are possible with God. ” (Lk. 18:27). For nothing will be impossible with God (Lk. 1:37).
Conclusively,let’s focus more on the unseen and focusing more on the unseen means we are keeping our faith real strong. By doing this,the unseen promises of God will come to pass in our lives. The Lord will strengthen us all to focus on the unseen in Jesus name. God bless you all.
The post Faith Is Focusing And Seeing The Unseen appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
Focus on the unseen promises(faith)
Ephesians 6:10(Be strong in the lord):
On this powerful passage of the Bible,we will divide the devotion into two which are:
1: The preparation.
2. Our power.
1. THE PREPARATION : “Finally…”
The word finally reveals that this is Paul’s final section of his letter to the Ephesians. And Ephesians 6:10-20 is the final instructions. It is interesting, because if you were to do a study of the book of Ephesians, and take note of all the key terms and ideas found throughout the book, you would discover that Paul repeats them all in these next eleven verses.
So these are his summary words to the rest of the letter. Paul directs these final words to his brethren. By using the term here, Paul is associating himself with those to whom he writes. He is saying, “Look. I am not your general ordering you around in this war. Rather, I am your brother and your are mine. We are fellow soldiers in this war. We are “A Band of Brothers.” We fight side by side. We watch each other’s backs,protect each other and defend each other, We go to the wall for each other, We march with each other.
This is key for us to understand, and especially for us to practice. When you see another brother or sister in Christ who is facing problems, you need to come along side them and help them. See what you can do to serve and support them. In a battle, the heroic soldiers are those who stay and help the wounded get off the battlefield. Those who flee just to protect themselves are seen as cowards.
As Christians, we are in this battle together, which means we must help those around us who get injured and damaged in the fight. We must come around them and give them the encouragement and support that they need.
That is good to know in a war like this. It is good to know that we are not fighting alone, It is good to know that we have friends and allies, It is good to know that we are watching out for one another. That is what Paul means here by using those encouraging words, my brethren. So throughout this letter, Paul has been instructing us about how to live the Christian life, and now he comes to the final, summarizing instructions.
Do you want to be fully prepared to live the victorious Christian life? Here, finally, is how to do it Here, finally, is how to be fully prepared. And what is this final step of preparation? We need, according to the rest of Ephesians 6:10, our power.
2. OUR POWER: “…,be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power”
The second half of Ephesians 6:10 tells us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Verse 10 tells us that the power we get for spiritual battle is not ours, but God’s. It is given to us the moment we first believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
At the moment we believe, all of God’s power and resources and strength and might are put at our disposal. In fact, this power from on high is a common theme right here through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 1:19, Paul tells us that the exceeding greatness of God’s power has been given to us who believe. And in Ephesians 3:16-20, Paul prays that those to whom he writes will know and experience the great power of the Spirit in their lives. Paul was not the only Biblical author to speak of such power.
Almost every New Testament book speaks about the power that Christians have been given through the Holy Spirit living in their lives. So let me ask you a question. Why is it, if every Christian has this infinite supply of power available to us—that our lives do not reveal this power? Why is it that we don’t feel it, or experience it, or see it’s effects in our lives and Why is it that we rarely feel God’s presence in our lives? Why is it—if we have all this power—we rarely, if ever, see any evidence of it in our lives? Picture your life as a spiritual fuse box.
No matter how much power is available, the fuse box only lets a certain amount of power through. If too much power tries to get through, or if there is a power surge, the fuses break. They don’t allow the current to flow through. And that is the way it is in our lives. We’ve got this infinite source of power over here in heaven, and this terribly dark and cold room that is our lives over here. But right in the middle, is this silly little ten amp fuse. And no matter how much power you pump into that fuse box, only ten amps are going to get through, and if you try to send in more, you keep experiencing the frustration of having your fuse break.
But guess what? There is a way you can allow more power to get through, and that is what Paul means here when he says be strong. You can get a bigger circuit breaker. You can get a bigger fuse. You can let more power through. How? Well, to answer that, let me remind you of the overall picture of the section we are in. Paul is telling us about the armor of God.
Conclusively, we all know from physical exercise, the only way to become stronger and stronger is to keep working out, and pushing yourself, and exercising and lifting weights. You become strong in direct proportion to the time and effort you invest. That is exactly the way it is with the Christian. Do you want to become strong? It won’t happen automatically.
You will only become strong in direct proportion to the time and effort you invest in practicing the Christian disciplines. And I would go even further than this. I would say that it takes more strength, and more discipline, and more courage to practice the spiritual disciplines than it does to become physically disciplined.
It is harder to pray than it is to perspire. It is harder to pay tithe than it is to spend money on things of the world. It is harder to lift your Bible and turn its pages in Bible study than it is to bench press your own weight. It is harder to attend church services faithfully than it is to attend the club house and parties. I know the spiritual disciples are difficult to do, but we must do them if we are going to survive the Christian life.
If we are going to survive spiritual warfare, we must constantly be in training for battle so that we can become stronger. However, when we do these things, we need to remember that we ourselves are not getting stronger, nor is it our strength by which we are doing these things. It is only as you begin to work out spiritually that you will become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and the Lord will help us all to grow stronger spiritual in Jesus name. God bless you all.
The post Focus on the unseen promises(faith) appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
Be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10)
Faith-unseen promises(2 Corinthians 4:16-18):
According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The things which are seen are the things of this present life. The things which are not seen are the things that God has promised in the future.
We can only ‘see’ them with the ‘eye’ of faith. Faith is belief that what God has promised he will certainly fulfil. Taking note of the book of Hebrews 11:6 ‘But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”.
Also,Abraham was commended for his faith according to the book of Romans 4:21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” By faith he looked forward to Jesus’ day. Jesus was his promised offspring. John 8:56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
God told Noah that he was going to destroy the earth with a flood and Noah believed him and acted accordingly. Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Jesus was the promised Messiah that Old Testament prophets and many men of faith believed was to come. They saw him with the eye of faith but did not live to see him in the flesh. Matthew 13:17 “for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
In context Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that the afflictions of this life are endurable because we can look forward to what God has promised to those that endure to the end.
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment (temporary), is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, We are sustained by hoping for the things which as yet have not happened.
Romans 8:24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
What we have been promised is eternal life following resurrection from the dead. 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Referring this Bible passage (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) to our daily life encounters and experiences,when we remain righteous and follow God’s words to attain the promises he made to us which are the unseen, mainly the promise is that at Christ’s return, the dead (in Christ) will be raised incorruptible and those that are still alive in Christ will be changed from mortal to immortal. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery:
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
This has not happened before, but we believe it will happen. What we see at the moment are the trials of everyday life with no visible tangible evidence that God is in control. The order of things that we see is nonetheless temporary and will one day pass away to be replaced by the kingdom of God. By faith we await the return of Christ to set up that which will last forever.
With this devotional content,we will have the knowledge that the appropriate aspect of life we will work towards achieving is the UNSEEN which serves as the promises of God made to us and are yet to manifest. The Lord will strengthen us all as we walk righteously towards achieving and taking part in these UNSEEN promises of God. God bless you all.
The post Be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) appeared first on Lay Me Down Ministries.
