How can we preserve our faith in Jesus during the year of 2008, part 1?
15th of January
Part 1
I wrote last time about the confessing of sin, the importance of forgiving and I warned againt growing a bitter root. I mentioned a few of the prophesies i had gotten myself and a few of those I had heard. More have come to me in the beginning of the year and they all go in the same direction. IT WILL BE TOUGHER TIMES IN THE WORLD AND THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE PEOPLE OF GOD. IT WILL NOT BE SO EASY TO BE A CHRISTIAN. THE OPPOSITION AGAINST US WILL INCREASE IN MANY PLACES. THERE WILL BE A SWORD OF JUDGEMENT AND A DIVISION DRAWN WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST. WE CANNOT SLEEP OR PLAY CHRISTIANS ANYMORE. WE HAVE TO TAKE A STAND. THE UNITY WILL INCREASE AND RELIGIOUS AND UNNATURAL WALLS WILL FALL DOWN. MANY WOMEN WILL BE RELEASED AND MANY WILL COME INTO THE MINISTRY GOD HAS ORDAINED FOR THEM. MANY WILL BE DELIVERED DURING THE NEXT MONTHS. PEOPLE WILL COME TOGETHER IN PRAISE AND WORSHIP AND MANY WILL GET A NEW PASSION FOR CHRIST. THE GLORY OF GOD WILL COME OVER INDIVIDUALS AND PLACES WHERE THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS AND THERE PEOPLE LIVE IN PURITY. I SEE AN INCREASING DARKNESS IN THE WORLD AND AN INCREASING LIGHT OVER HIS CHILDREN.
I repeat these prophesies since we have to take a stand. We must prepare ourselves. When we are in the middle of a crisis, it is often too late. We might not see clearly then.
Most of us want to live an easygoing life. We want a life without suffering and pain. We want to do as little as possible. We say that we want to be free to do what we want. Only Christians can become really free. We read in John 8:36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” IN CHRIST WE ARE FREE FROM SIN, SHAME, GUILT, FEAR, PAIN AND SICKNESS. Jesus carried that for us, but we have to receive the truth and apply it in our lives. It is IN Christ we have the freedom. We cannot live exactly how we want and only circle around our own navel. God has only good desires for us. You can read 3.John 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” God wants the best for us in all areas of our lives and He does not send sickness in order to punish us. He asked His Son to carry them for us. IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAND IN TOUGHER AND DARKER TIMES, WE HAVE TO RECEIVE WHAT JESUS HAS ALREADY GIVEN TO US. HE HAS GIVEN US GIFTS AND THEY MUST BE USED. Jesus has paid the price for your sins. If you have not received that gift, you can say: “Jesus, I confess my sins (you can be concrete) and I thank You for paying the price I should have paid. I want You to become my Lord and Master and I invite You into my heart. Thank You for giving me Your nature. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You were raised from the dead. I want to follow You.” If you prayed that prayer, you are now a child of God and you and I have the same Father.
Most of my readers are already Christians, but maybe you are sick or suffering in some way or the other. If you are sick, you can in faith receive what Jesus did for you on the Cross for over 2000 years ago. By His stripes, you are healed. Another way of receiving is to lay hands on yourself or ask somebody else to do it. It is written in Mark 16:18 that every believer can lay hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover. You can also ask an elder to anoint you with oil. (Jam.5:14) BELIEVE, WHAT JESUS DID, HE DID FOR YOU.
If you have a problem or some worries, you can read the words by Jesus: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28) Many burdens are too heavy and we get an offer to give them to Jesus. We are not supposed to carry what He already has carried. During the year ahead of us, we must make a decision to leave our problems with Jesus. We might give them to Him, but so often we take them back either at night or some days later. When we throw our garbage away, we do not look for them the next day again. Don’t waist your energy. We cannot afford that in the year ahead of us. Look up Matt.11:29. It says: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We are supposed to carry a yoke of gentleness and lowliness. In other words: We are supposed to become more like Jesus. In order for us to do that, we must put aside our own burden.
IN ORDER FOR US TO PRESERVE OUR FAITH IN JESUS AS OUR SAVIOUR, WE MUST RECEIVE HIM AND EVERYTHING HE HAS GIVEN TO US AND EVVERYTHING HE WANTS TO DO FOR US DAILY. WE MUST BE RECEIVERS!!!!!!!
WE MUST THROW AWAY ALL THE HEAVY BURDENS ON HIM!!!!!!!!!
IN ORDER FOR US TO PRESERVE THE FAITH IN JESUS, WE MUST BELIEVE THAT HE LOVES US. Nothing can seperate us from His love in the months ahead. Read with me Rom.8:35: “Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” NOTHING CAN SEPERATE US FROM HIS LOVE. This word is not for everybody else, but for you and me. His love is poured INTO me, is OVER me, UNDERNEATH me, on BOTH MY SIDES, BEHIND me and IN FRONT of me. CIRCUMSTANSES CANNOT SEPERATE US FROM HIS LOVE.
WE MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS FOR US AND NOT AGAINS US.
Jesus is always for us. Yes, but I have done so many wrong things, you might say. Maybe you wonder if He really wants any companienship with you. Jesus is always for you. Your Father and Jesus will get sad about your sins. They know that sinning is bad for you. They have sent the Holy Spirit to help you to live a Christian life. GOD LOVES THE SINNER, BUT HATES SIN.
What can you do? You can confess the sins and then He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrigheousness.(1.John 1:9) It is important to confess our sins in order to live in an open and intimate relationship with God. Just think about a family-relationship or a friendship. It is very difficult to keep an open relationship if you knew that you had stolen from that person or spread rumors. That would be like an invisible wall between you. The fact is that we cannot hide anything from God, but we pretend that we can.
Pride is often behind the omitting of confession. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1.Pet.5:5) The pride will stand between you and God. It blocks an intimate relationship. PRIDE AND SIN WILL BE HINDRANCES OF OUR FAITH IN JESUS IN THE YEAR OF 2008. HATE THEM AS POISON.
KEEP CLOSE TO JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mother Else