(by pastor Jean)
“Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid or dismayed before the King of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there is Another with us far greater than (all those) with him” (2 Chron 32:7; AMPC). The writer of Chronicles is encouraging the children of Israel that God was greater than all the opposition they were facing as they were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. He went on to say in verse 8, “With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles”. A similar reminder is found in Psalm 20 verse 7,” Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (NIV). How often we need to remind ourselves of this when we try to sort our problems ourselves instead of relying on God. (See also Prov 21:31). When the Egyptians were pursuing the children of Israel, Moses assured them, “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Ex 14:14; NLT). A similar encouragement was given when Jehoshaphat was preparing for a huge battle, God told him, “Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s” (2 Chron 20:15; AMPC). In the New Testament Jesus told His disciples that after He died, He would send them “Another Helper, so that He may be with you forever” (Jn 14:16; NKJV). This “ANOTHER Helper” is still with us today, referring to the Holy Spirit and He is still helping us fight our battles!
When Jesus lived on the earth and spoke to the people, they “marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22; NKJV). As Christians, we should take note of this and check our own conversations. The apostle Peter wrote that in our conduct we should aim to be like Christ in all we think, say and do (1 Peter 1:15). This may seem like a tall order but remember that the apostle Paul taught us that the power of Christ in us enables us to do everything (Phil 4:13). We are told to, “Speak as though God Himself were speaking through you” (1 Peter 4:11; NLT). At the end of our lives God will judge us for our words (Matt 12:36). Paul taught his spiritual son, Timothy, to be an, “example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim 4:12; NKJV). In Proverbs we read, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov 18:21; NKJV) and “gentle words are a tree of life” (Prov 15:4a; NLT). All our words originate in our heart or spirit (Matt 12:24) and therefore should be directed by and approved by God’s Spirit (Eph 4:30) who speaks to our spirit. Our words should bless and build people up (Eph 4:29). James, the Lord’s brother, admonished us to be good listeners and only speak once we have heard and thought (James 1:19), in other words hear, process and then talk. Wow! What comes out of our mouths is so powerful, let's make sure it always meets God’s approval.
(by pastor Jean)
Habakkuk 3:17-18 was written during a time of disaster, it seems from these verses that nothing was stable and nothing could be relied upon – the fig trees and grape vines were not producing, there were no crops and the livestock were dying in the fields. That was a dire situation. However, despite all this, Habakkuk says in verse 18, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” (NLT). Impossible, you may be thinking – how could he rejoice in the midst of such loss? Habakkuk was putting his trust in God, not his circumstances. Why? Because he knew God was faithful, He had performed so many miracles for the Israelites in the past and he knew He would come through for them again. Habakkuk made a decision to be joyful and to trust. Verse 19 of this chapter often gets overlooked. Habakkuk makes the bold confession that God is his strength and then goes on to say that “He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (NLT). So, what has that to do with all the barrenness that he was just talking about? I think that he is saying that God will enable him to rise above what he is seeing in the natural realm and to focus on God because He has all the answers. (See also Col 1:1,2, Heb 12:2). He is getting his strength and resilience from God because he cannot solve all his problems in his own strength. If we do what Habakkuk did when we go through difficult situations then we will also share His victory (2 Cor 2:14).
(by pastor Norman)
Christ is our example, as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He showed complete surrender to the will of God saying, “Not as I will, but as You will” as He faced His crucifixion (Matt 26:39; NKJV). Jesus said earlier in His ministry, “I always do the things that please Him” (John 8:29; NKJV). Is this a confession we could make? The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1; NKJV). We are to surrender our whole lives in worship, relationship and service to Him. Jesus taught His disciples that to truly follow Him and enjoy the God-kind of life, they needed to leave behind any selfish, worldly desires and surrender their lives to Him (Matt 16:24-25). “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33; NKJV). We are to give our hearts to God (Prov 23:26) and love Him, “With all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt 22:37b). As we humble ourselves, submit to God and draw near to Him, He will come close to us, care for us, bless us and use us (James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:6, Col 1:9-12). The apostle Paul prayed for the people of Colossae, “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Col 1:10; NKJV), now that’s real surrender!
(by pastor Jean)
The disciples were in a storm on the sea of Galilee, Jesus came to them walking on the water and He said, “Don’t be afraid, take courage, I am here” (Matt 14:27; NLT). He told them not to fear because He was with them. That is not the only time in the Bible that God tells us He is with us. The 23rd Psalm in verse 4 says that when we walk “through the valley of the shadow of death” we have no need to fear because God is with us. Also, the final words of Jesus to His disciples were, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20; NLT). In fact, the name of Jesus, Emmanuel, means God is with us (Matt 1:23). God also told Moses that He was, “I am who I am” (Ex 3:14). This name reveals God’s eternal existence and presence with us. Like the disciples we also go through storms from time to time (Ps 34:19, 1 Peter 1:6) but what Jesus told His disciples is still true today, “I am” is still with us. I am what? I am whatever you need – help, healing, deliverance, provision, comfort, joy, peace and the list goes on. If you are going through a storm today look to “I am” to help you. The apostle Paul experienced many storms in his life but he said, “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Rom 8:37; NLT). Because Jesus was victorious over death, we share His victory. “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).