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“… when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”   --1 Peter 2:20b As a pastor, I’ve seen just about every reaction there is to crises. And one of the most devastating reactions there is has to be bitterness.   You know, from a human perspective, the Old Testament hero Joseph appeared to have a right to be resentful and bitter. His brothers hated him, threw him in a pit, and sold him into slavery.   Joseph had no way of understanding why this crisis had come crashing into his life. In his heart he knew God had a plan for him, but this awful, unbelievable twist threatened that dream. Yet something amazing happened in Joseph’s life. He yielded to God, he was faithful to God, and he rejected bitterness and resentment.   As a result, Joseph was able to forgive his brothers and eventually provide for their needs… not to mention all of Israel’s needs as well! So today I want to challenge your thinking. How do you respond to a painful, faith-shaking, life-altering crisis? Do you have a tendency to get angry and bitter? If so, God wants to help you with that.     Anger and resentment are part of a vicious cycle that the devil uses to destroy God’s people. Bitterness is like an acid that destroys its own container. It will devour you.   So the next time you are hurt by someone’s actions, don’t become a victim to bitterness. As a child of God, you never have to bow down to bitterness in your life!   If you’re tempted to be bitter… or would admit that you are bitter… ask God to give you the quiet confidence that he is in control of every single event in your life. Ask him to take your hurt and your pain, and to help you begin anew through Jesus Christ.   REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S HAPPENED TO YOU, DON’T LET SATAN WIN BY GIVING IN TO BITTERNESS! If the prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. Deuteronomy 18:22

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

The Power of Prophecy

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

Matthew 1:21–23

Nothing associated with the Christmas story was a coincidence. Instead, it is the story of God acting on individuals and empires alike to fulfill the things that He had promised to the final detail. Many times because of our own limitations, we do not fully believe that God is truly able to do what He has said. But Matthew reminds us that the prophecies will be fulfilled, regardless of what is required for that to happen.

Dr. Tom Malone said, “When God is going to do something wonderful, He starts with the difficult. When God is going to do something miraculous, He starts with the impossible.” Over the centuries, all those who have trusted Him and claimed His promises in faith, despite their circumstances, have found Him faithful. There is no such thing as hopeless when God is involved.

When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent an urgent message to Jesus, asking Him to come and heal their brother. Instead, Jesus delayed until Lazarus had died. The situation was completely hopeless, yet when Martha went out to meet Jesus on His arrival, she expressed faith. Martha knew that Jesus could have kept her brother from dying, but she also believed that death was no obstacle to God’s power. She said, “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:22). The same power that raised Lazarus from the dead and arranged the miracles of Christmas is at work in our lives today.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The promises and prophecies of God are able to overcome any and every difficult circumstance.