Grateful
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God, Thank You
Grateful
Miracle
Dear Lord
So many friends and loved ones are going through some very hard things right now. I’m praying so much for them all. And in case any of you are too, I want to pass this prayer on to you:
Dear Lord God,
You are my Shepherd.
You watch over me.
You tend to the needs of my heart and my life.
Help me to trust Your guidance in this time of uncertainty.
It is so hard to look ahead and not see a clear vision for my future.
Please help me to trust in Your timing.
Let me always seek Your will.
Please fill me with Your peace, knowing that You are the one true God and You love me.
You are…
…my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.
Psalm 91:2
Thank You for watching over me.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
The Real Deal
We have an expression that says, “She’s the real deal.” What we mean when saying this is the person is really who they are appearing to be. They aren’t trying to convince you that they’re someone they’re not. It’s a compliment. It means you’re aren’t a hypocrit or trying to be someone you’re not.
I had a situation where someone wanted to say something about someone that was out of character for the person being spoken of. I didn’t need to know the details. I knew the person. She’s the real deal.
GOD did extraordinary miracles through Paul…. Acts 19:11
Paul was the real deal. GOD began using Paul in amazing ways and there arose people who saw this power who also wanted to do the same acts as Paul. The problem was they weren’t the real deal. They were trying to be someone they weren’t. They were trying to appropriate the same Power Source as Paul without ever having a relationship with the Power Source, and it nearly killed them.
It is impossible to be the real deal without tapping into the real Power Source. The Holy Spirit is our Power Source. Do you want to experience the extraordinary with GOD? If so, tap into the real Power Source.
Miraculous Faith {Part 1}
What happens when you run out of something, like milk, at your house? Most of us put it on our grocery list, so we can buy some more at the store. But what if you had no money to buy groceries? And what if you had no hope of earning any money? This was the case for a widow woman in Elisha’s day.
In 2 Kings 4:1-7, a woman came to Elisha. Her husband, one of the prophets, had died. Her husband owed money to someone, and she was unable to pay the debt. The person to whom she owed money to was going to take her children to be slaves in order to pay the debt. This woman was desperate. She came to man of God for help. And, she came to the right place.
The woman told Elisha that the only thing she owned was a little bit of oil, but it was almost gone. Elisha told her to get empty jars from all of her neighbors, and to start pouring her oil into the jars. One by one, the jars would be filled with valuable oil.
Right away, the widow woman went to her neighbors and asked for empty jars. Right away. This action proved that she believed God would perform a miracle for her.
Sure enough, the woman began to pour her last drops of oil into an empty jar, and the oil kept right on pouring! Soon the house was filled with jars that were brimming with oil! The woman could sell the oil, pay the debt, and have money to care for her children. Can you imagine the look on her sons’ faces as the oil poured and poured? God had provided; they would not become slaves!
Only God could do a thing like this. Only God can create something out of nothing (Genesis 1:1), or fill an empty jar with oil. The Lord loves His people, and He is happy to take care of their needs (Matthew 7:11).
Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? – Matthew 6:26
Every person is important to God. You are important to God! He delights over you, and He wants to provide everything you need (Zephaniah 3:17)
Our God is a God of miracles! Our God is a God of abundant provisions! Our God is a God of the unimaginable!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20 NIV84)
Just like this woman, we had a debt that we couldn’t pay. She was powerless. We were powerless, too. Miraculous provision came from heaven down to earth in Jesus. HE is our miraculous provision.
2 Kings 4:1-7:
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
Miraculous Faith: Part 2
We often feel like we have nothing to offer, “Your servant has nothing there at all….except a little oil (2 Kings 4:2) ”
The widow’s little bit of oil was already dismissed as being useless for the cause. GOD took this little left over and rocked their world with it! He provision was both for today, AND it overflowed into the future. God wants to make a message out of our mess. That message? Nothing is impossible with God…absolutely NOTHING. His power is available for your life both today, and all you need in the future.
That’s how just God works. He takes what we, in our finite minds, consider useless and hopeless and uses it to radically change lives. In our weakness He is made strong. Feeling weak? Good! Feeling useless? Good! Really messed something up? Good! You’re ready to pray that seemingly impossible prayer. When is the last time you asked GOD for something only HE can do? That’s the kind of faith HE’s looking for. That’s the kind of GOD we serve…..that is miraculous faith. A faith that believes for a miracle.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20)
photo credit:Crosschurch TV
When Division = Multiplication
“Bring them here to me,” (Matthew 14:18)
I love this story in Matthew 14:14-21. Jesus had spent hours teaching and ministering to the people. It was around 3:00 pm and well passed lunch time. The disciples were concerned that they were out in a remote place with nowhere for the people to go and get food. The Bible says 5,000 men. Traditional calculations say around 15,000 when you include women and children (How would you like that kind of crowd popping in unannounced this Thanksgiving?).
The people just couldn’t leave. They were surely hungry, but it was another kind of appetite they needed satisfied.
The disciples saw things as getting desperate and were worried about the outcome. Jesus said, “they don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
God wants to do the supernatural, and He wants us believe for it too
They were still thinking too small…..all we have are these five loaves of bread, and two measly fish.
We do that too!
Daddy says, I’m here….cast your cares on Me….I go before you…..I go behind you….no weapon formed against you will prosper….I have plans to prosper you…..I give you the Comforter….I give you my Son….you’re in the palm of my hand….I divide the seas…..I raise people from the dead….bring fire from heaven……create something out of nothing….and I’ve got this too
Sometimes things seem impossible. We’ve tried in our own strength and we’re still not seeing the big picture.
Daddy says, “Bring them to me.”
When a child has a broken toy, and tinkers away for a while trying to fix it, Daddy says, “Bring that to me.” What the child has put so much effort into attempting to do seems so effortless now as Daddy fixes it with ease.
Jesus says, “Bring them here to me”
“Them”
those issues
that mess…
your brokenness…
that marriage…
that potential man/woman…or lack thereof…
that job…or lack thereof…
your family…
that past…
that child that has stepped away from the church…
that situation you just can’t seem to forgive…
that situation you just can’t seem to get forgiveness for…
all…..them ALL
Bring them all to HimAnd don’t hesitate at the multiple problems….”them” is plural….take it ALL
Jesus told them to sit down. Bring them to me and sit down—-I’ve got this…..sit down and rest while I do my thing.
Then…..and don’t miss this….Jesus broke the bread, and then it multiplied!
Did you catch it? Multiplication happens out of brokenness!
It’s when that thing breaks me–when I let it go–take it to Him–and sit it out–and let Him work–that His blessing multiplies
Whatever measly things we have….whatever seems hopeless, or too big…..take it to your Daddy first. He’s reaching for you and asking you to Bring them to Him. Obey. Take it to Him and sit down and watch Him do His thing.
Happy Thanksgiving from all the gang here! We love you all and pray abundant blessings for you, your family, your calling, your church, your work. This office will be closed through Monday. Give everyone great big hugs as you celebrate and enjoy Thanksgiving together.
Walk closely with the King!
Love,
Christy
Christy Rawls :: Encouraging, Equipping, Empowering Others 