Last night I went to bed. Fear imprisoned me. It has been years since I literally felt as if I am arguing face to face with the enemy. Last night I experienced it once again. I could do nothing but pray. I kept repeating over and over "Greater is MY GOD. Greater is HE who is in me than he who is this the world!"
Phil Wickham sings of claiming the victory that Jesus won. That verse stuck out to me when listening to that song. I looked up "greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world." It is found in I John 4:4
4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
The Spirit that is in us (The Holy Spirit) is greater than the spirit or spirits of this world.
I became so frustrated with myself last night. Why was I so fearful, where was my faith? I went to a Christian highschool and we were responsible to memorize scripture every week. Romans 8 was our assignment once. Last night I fully understood the importance of memorizing scripture. It is for use in battle.
Romans 8:31-39
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Jesus was tempted in the desert, each temptation was refused by Jesus by quoting scripture. Jesus is showing us here the importance of scripture.
Luke 4:1-13
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'[a]"
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'[b]"
9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[c]"
12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[d]"
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Burnt cookies
I was speaking with my dad today on the phone. My love for my father is very overwhelming. He is such a compassionate man. He truly inspires me. He has sacrificed so much for me and my sisters it is ridiculous.
He reminded me of a card I sent him years ago, of a shepherd lifting up a sheep. "Feeling low? Let the Shepherd lift you up!" He found it comical that his father's day card this year from me had a dad lifting his daughter up in the air and said, "A father is one who lifts you up."
A father is one who lifts us up.
Praise be to God, who lifts me up!!
If it were not for Him where would I be.
Praise to the Lord who lifts me up!!
Luke 5 Message version
25-29A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
30At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"
31His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!"
32-33But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
34Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague."
There are so many things that separate us from experiencing that father-like intimacy of God. Many of the reasons in my life are due to my own doubts.
I would love to be in this woman's mind as she were getting ready to go out to see Jesus. All we get in scripture is that she knew Jesus would heal her, but as a woman I highly doubt she didn't question it for a second as she was leaving her home.
First off, she is hemorrhaging, pretty much embarrassing to even be seen out.
Secondly, she was a woman. Did she honestly think that it would be alright for her to speak to Jesus, much less touch him?
Thirdly, she was seen as unclean due to the bleeding, and to touch someone unclean you would become unclean.
This woman must have left her house that day with a mountain of insecurities.
Speaking with my sister today, I shared with some of her my insecurities. As I was speaking I felt God's assurance. Who cares what I look like, who cares who does or doesn't like me, who cares? God the creator of all things, created me with a passionate plan. He designed my face, he loves my personality, he loves me for me.
I love that this woman was not overlooked by Jesus. She touched Him and was healed. He felt the power leave Him and asked HIs disciples who had touched Him. I am sure the disciple thought He was crazy they are surrounded by people, everyone was touching Jesus. But you see, this woman's touch was different. She touched Him with expectancy in her heart. Due to that she was healed.
I am in a season of expectancy with the Lord. I am expecting change in my life. I am expecting healing. I am expecting a touch from Him. I am expecting for Him to lift me up, for He is my father.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
He reminded me of a card I sent him years ago, of a shepherd lifting up a sheep. "Feeling low? Let the Shepherd lift you up!" He found it comical that his father's day card this year from me had a dad lifting his daughter up in the air and said, "A father is one who lifts you up."
A father is one who lifts us up.
Praise be to God, who lifts me up!!
If it were not for Him where would I be.
Praise to the Lord who lifts me up!!
Luke 5 Message version
25-29A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
30At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"
31His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!"
32-33But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
34Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague."
There are so many things that separate us from experiencing that father-like intimacy of God. Many of the reasons in my life are due to my own doubts.
I would love to be in this woman's mind as she were getting ready to go out to see Jesus. All we get in scripture is that she knew Jesus would heal her, but as a woman I highly doubt she didn't question it for a second as she was leaving her home.
First off, she is hemorrhaging, pretty much embarrassing to even be seen out.
Secondly, she was a woman. Did she honestly think that it would be alright for her to speak to Jesus, much less touch him?
Thirdly, she was seen as unclean due to the bleeding, and to touch someone unclean you would become unclean.
This woman must have left her house that day with a mountain of insecurities.
Speaking with my sister today, I shared with some of her my insecurities. As I was speaking I felt God's assurance. Who cares what I look like, who cares who does or doesn't like me, who cares? God the creator of all things, created me with a passionate plan. He designed my face, he loves my personality, he loves me for me.
I love that this woman was not overlooked by Jesus. She touched Him and was healed. He felt the power leave Him and asked HIs disciples who had touched Him. I am sure the disciple thought He was crazy they are surrounded by people, everyone was touching Jesus. But you see, this woman's touch was different. She touched Him with expectancy in her heart. Due to that she was healed.
I am in a season of expectancy with the Lord. I am expecting change in my life. I am expecting healing. I am expecting a touch from Him. I am expecting for Him to lift me up, for He is my father.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
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