Links to FREE Articles
Links to Special
Financial Services
"Owe no man
anything..."
-Romans 13:8
"...the borrower becomes the lender's
slave."
-Proverbs 22:7
"...the
righteous man shall live by faith."
-Romans 1:17
"...without
faith it is impossible to please Him."
-Hebrews 11:6
"No one can
serve two masters..."
-Matthew 6:24
"The Lord
will make you abound in prosperity..."
-Deuteronomy 25:11
"...God
loves a cheerful giver."
-2 Corinthians 9:7
"...the
Lord... is giving you power to make
wealth..."
-Deuteronomy 8:18
|
|
|
Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus!
Thanks be to God who ALWAYS gives us the
OVERWHELMING victory!.
Does it seem to you that many Believers (maybe even
most) are just as worried and concerned these days
as non-believers about the HARD TIMES? Every
Sunday our churches see lots of folks who're anxious
about their finances, afraid they might lose their jobs,
fearfully in pursuit of additional work and income,
worried they might be downsized, concerned about
whether or not they're going to make ends meet
tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. Their
FAITH is being challenged by the HARD TIMES and so
far it hasn't been strong enough to stand up to all the
related trials and tribulations. Christians are
supposed to live by FAITH (Romans 1:17) but when
we don't, we live by FEAR instead, worried, anxious
and stressed.
Why is this important? Because there's a biblical
principle involved that we need to pay attention to
during HARD TIMES expressed most notably in the
verses of Job 3:25-26: "For what I fear comes upon
me, and what I dread befalls me, I am not at ease, nor
am I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes."
In sum, the biblical principal is that FEAR actually
ATTRACTS the negative consequences we're so
concerned about. Therefore, those who're currently
having to live through some negative situations need
to examine whether or not at some point their own
worry and anxiety over something that hadn't
happened yet actually caused those negative things to
come to pass. Many of us are searching for
explanations these days and even blaming God for
the HARD TIMES we're having to deal with; but God
didn't cause our problems and the Truth could very
well be that we have ourselves caused at least some
of our problems to manifest, maybe lots of them. Job
was a righteous man who worried about his children
and what he feared eventually happened.
The Bible says God has plans for your success and
prosperity (Jeremiah 29:11) but those wonderful plans
won't be able to manifest in your life if you're walking
in FEAR. The fact is Jesus was chastened so you
could have peace instead of turmoil (Isaiah 53:5); but
peace is something that has to be actively pursued
(Psalm 34:14) by FAITH. Either you'll live by FEAR or
by FAITH; there're only two choices and they're
opposites. FEAR always attracts the things we're
worried about: decrease, defeat and insufficiency;
FAITH in Christ always attracts the things of God:
increase, victory and abundance.
|
|
|
|
Instructed to Resist Anxiety |
|
That's why we're repeatedly instructed in Scripture to
RESIST FEAR by casting our cares on God. But
instead of doing that a lot of Believers have come to
the point of accepting worry and anxiety as just a
natural part of life, something we all have to learn to
deal with. So, like the World does, they just allow
anxiety to happen and then struggle to deal with it. The
result is an epidemic of folks, Believers included,
Friend, God does NOT want His people to live like
this. He has a much better way. Indeed, the Bible says
that a person who trusts in the LORD, who RESISTS
the pressure when it comes and REFUSES to be
anxious in a time of drought (a time of trouble) WILL
BE BLESSED (Jeremiah 17:7-8). But the converse of
this is also true: a person who does NOT trust in the
Lord, who GIVES IN to the pressure when it comes
The bottom line is that God wants Believers to live a
life of blessing and victory even in HARD TIMES.
That's what Jesus went to the Cross to purchase for
you to enjoy. Jesus said "I came that they (Believers)
may have life, and have it more abundantly" (John
10:10). But worry and anxiety bring to non-effect
almost ALL the things Jesus won for us because
those things ONLY come by FAITH. Worry and anxiety
It should be apparent then that God wants us to learn
to RESIST anxiety instead of just accepting and
tolerating it like the World does. We should not
tolerate FEAR in any respect. Following are just a few
of the scriptures that instruct us not to worry:
If we're instructed in scripture after scripture to not
worry and to not be anxious, then it means that we
have the ability within us to do it. Jesus wouldn't tell us
to do something we aren't able to accomplish. Some
folks think everything in life has to be perfect and
wonderful to be able to overcome worry? But that's not
the case; there will always be trouble to deal with and
we're supposed to overcome FEAR in the very face of
|
|
|
|
How to Overcome Worry |
|
When we're facing HARD TIMES, what we most
desperately need in order to overcome concern for our
immediate circumstances is a special ability, a divine
empowerment, something supernatural that only the
LORD can provide. Another way to say this is that we
need the FAVOR of God in order to be victorious over
worry. There's nothing we can do or say to deserve
His FAVOR but the good news is we don't have to
Now in the New Testament the word that's most often
used to mean God's favor is GRACE and the most
popular definition of GRACE is that it's "the
undeserved or unmerited FAVOR of God." We don't
deserve to receive GRACE but because of God's love
for us we can receive and possess it by just believing
(Romans 5:15). You need God's GRACE to receive
salvation and you need it on an ongoing basis to
The next thing we need to know is HOW to obtain
God's GRACE in a particular time of need and
fortunately the Word tells us clearly what we have to
do. Hebrews 4:16 says the following:
"Draw near with confidence to the throne of
GRACE, so that we may receive mercy and find
GRACE to help in time of need."
So to obtain the GRACE of God for a particular need,
we have to go to Him in CONFIDENCE and receive it.
Most people withdraw to their own devices when they
have a problem, particularly if it involves their finances,
instead of approaching the Throne of GRACE. In
essence, because of our fallen nature the Flesh
thinks it can do a better job of taking care of a
particular problem than God so we tend to try to solve
But there's something else that needs to be done
when we approach the Throne of GRACE and this is
why it's so important that Believers become students
of the Word. In 1 Peter 5:5-9 it's clear that we have to
also HUMBLE ourselves so that God won't RESIST
giving us the GRACE we're seeking. What does it
mean to be HUMBLE? It does NOT mean what
tradition has tried to convince us it is and what most
But once we've humbled ourselves and made the
EXCHANGE, the Scripture goes on to say that we have
to RESIST the devil because he'll come around trying
to convince us to take back the trial so we can worry
about it again. Worrying though only demonstrates our
pride and a lack of FAITH that God is willing and able
to solve our problem; therefore, we have to insist on
casting our worry on Him so we can keep the GRACE.
|
|
|
|
Some Final Thoughts |
|
It's vitally important that we consistently RESIST FEAR
when it tries to attack because if we're passive and
allow it to prevail, FEAR will ALWAYS impede the
purposes of God in our lives. Friend, God is offering to
EXCHANGE your trial for His GRACE so you won't
have to be anxious about anything. Jesus died for you
to have it so receive it, possess it and live in
VICTORY!
Thanks for reading PLN today and we'll be looking for
you again in three weeks on Friday, October 9. In the
meantime, may God overwhelm you with the fullness
of His love and spiritual blessing! Enjoy your victory
over HARD TIMES!
|
|
|
|
Sinners' Prayer |
|
If you've never invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life,
you can
do so today just by saying the following simple prayer:
Jesus I believe in you and I believe that God
raised you
from
the dead. I receive forgiveness for my sins and I ask
you to
come into my life today. I receive you as my Lord and
Savior.
If you were sincere as you prayed this prayer, God has
already
come into your life and you are a new creation, a totally
new
species recreated in His image. Now ask the Lord to
lead you to
a good faith-based, bible-teaching church where you
can be
equipped to fulfill your potential in the Kingdom of God.
|
|
|
|
|
� Make A Way Ministries, Inc.
10621 North Kendall Drive - Suite 120
Miami, Florida 33176
|
|
|
|
|