A group of friends brought a paralyzed man to the Lord and Jesus gave him a three-stage command. “Stand up on your once useless legs, pick up and carry the mat you were brought here on, and go home and witness. Jesus was asking the paralytic to do something he couldn’t do before …”Stand to your feet.” Jesus then commanded him to pick up his only means of transportation and carry what had carried him in the past. And finally, He said, ” Go home and testify of your healing to everyone that has only known you as a paralytic…and take the mat as a remembrance. “
Tag: inspirational
Philippians 3:9 ” …that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
There’s the Law of works and the Law of faith. The Law of works tell you that if you’re perfect and do enough good works down here on earth, you can somehow “work” your way into heaven. But in the end, the only thing you’ll see is depression, anxiety, and discouragement…for no one can live a perfect life, and despite how many good works you do, it’ll never be enough. On the other hand the Law of faith frees us from that condemnation and self-loathing that loves to torture us when we fail. Within the Law of faith there is not only that freedom, but saving grace and mercy… all in the name of Jesus.
I Corinthians 12:12 ” The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”
“No one will miss me…nobody will even realize I’m not in Church.” The enemy does it all the time – convincing us that we don’t count, that we aren’t important enough, or that no one will even notice if we’re not in Church. But if someone took your brain, or your heart, or your lungs you’d notice real quick! Just like the human body, the Church is composed of many working parts, each with a specific task, but all working together for the common good of the body. No one part can function separately from the body…it will die. Never allow the enemy to persuade you that you aren’t important, or that your presence in Church is insignificant…you are very needed within that Body of Believers for it to function well.
John 14:2 ” 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.”
We all long for a place to call our own. A safe, quiet place, full of peace and security, where we can feel loved. That’s what your Heavenly Father is making ready for you right now. A place for you to dwell and remain in, not like anything else you’ve ever lived in before. It is beyond anything you can imagine…but it will be perfect for you in every way.
Acts 26: 16 ” Now get up and stand to your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of Me and what I will show you.”
Jesus was speaking to Saul, but He could well be speaking to any of us. “Get up out of the gutter I’ve found you in and stand to your feet. You’ve been called out of the muck and the mire to follow Me. My plan for you in this journey will be a lifetime of Me revealing Myself to you…of you experiencing revelations and being changed by them.”
Psalm 41:12 ” In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.”
If you’ve asked Jesus Christ into your life…if you call yourself a Believer…if you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind – nothing can or will ever take you from Him. Your destiny and eternal life is securely established in Him forever.
Daniel 1:6-7 “Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
Daniel’s Hebrew name meant – God is judge, while Hananiah’s meant – the Lord is gracious. For Azariah his name meant – the Lord is my help, and Mishael’s was – who is like God? Their new names incorporated Babylonian foreign gods and thus contradicted and maligned who they really were. We all get labeled by the world…we’re fat, or old, ugly, or dumb. But that’s not who we are inside, and any negative label doesn’t have to define us. For the Lord has given you a special name…precious child of God. So anytime the world hits you with a cruel label…remember your name.
Mark 11:23 ” I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.”
What makes a person a prayer warrior that people think of first in times of trouble? The simple explanation is exercise. They exercise their faith and trust of God’s promises…and like exercising any other muscle group when you go to the gym everyday, their faith strengthens with use also. Each time we pray and exercise our faith with confidence, we are built up…each time uncertainty is less because each time we’re standing stronger to start.
Luke 21:34 ” Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”
Dissipation…such an interesting word to be used here. It’s disgust and self-loathing, not to mention the hang-over from too much alcohol consumption. When our lives revolve around partying …it starts to take a toll on us physically and emotionally. We think we’re having fun…but are we? None us know the day we will die, and thinking that we’ll get right with God when we’re older and have sown our wild oats may never happen.
I Corinthians 1:10 ” I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
There is nothing sadder than a Church that is divided and then splits…it’s a no win situation for everyone. Family and friends are forced to take sides they don’t want to…words are taken out of context…feelings get hurt. The very first thing we must do when Church gossip and problems are getting out of hand is to recognize it as a ploy of the enemy. A divided Church is a weakened Church, is a dying Church. We need to agree in a Spirit of unity to work through conflicts and attitudes in an open, respectful fashion. The Church Body can become healthy again when it is united in mind and sentiment.
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