I read a powerful quote on something Billy Graham said many years ago he said that 75% of patients in hospitals would be made whole if they would only forgive think about that some people hold on to certain emotions certain negative emotions for so long and eventually those emotions manifest themselves in sickness Proverbs 14:30 says a heart at peace gives life to the body but Envy rots the bones Envy is a feeling of jealousy it's resentment and the Bible tells us that Envy an internal emotion rots the bones meaning it has a physical external result Hebrews
12: 14 to 15 says pursue peace with all people and Holiness without which no one will see the Lord looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble and by this many become defiled notice that this verse doesn't even warn us to be cautious of bitterness itself it warns us to be cautious of the root the root of bitterness now the root of a plant is not visible to the naked eye we may only be aware that a seed was planted when we see the
fruit so when the Bible says see to it that no root of bitterness Springs up it's because this emotion of bitterness is so destructive that it needs to be uprooted as soon as the seed germinated the Bible is telling us not to even wait until you see the fruit of bitterness cut it off at the root and so dear listener I'm aware that in this life all of us will experience unpleasant emotions at one point or another we will experience the pain of betrayal we'll experience heartache and loss we might even suffer maltreatment and Injustice
but my message to you is that you should learn to forgive learn to Let Go Don't hold on to everything negative pray for the Lord to heal your wounds pray for the Lord to mend your broken heart pray that you would be someone who doesn't repay evil with evil but instead have the love of Christ and repay evil with good I encourage you to pray for God to give you the capacity to be able to forgive and move on don't live a life where you're imprisoned by toxic emotions no Jesus Christ offers you peace Joy
Victory despite what people do to you in Jesus you can have freedom you can have life and have it more abundantly have you ever been in a situation where you don't understand whether God is trying to teach you something or if he's punishing you have you ever been brought to your knees and prayed Lord help me to trust you even though I don't understand this situation help me to have faith in you even if I don't understand my present circumstances I'm sure we've all been through this in our walk with Christ and in these moments
these moments of being tested and facing difficulties it can be hard to remain positive or prayerful and the Bible actually tells us to expect afflictions in our lives and there is no denying that pain is real there's someone listening right now and they're in pain there's someone listening right now and they're suffering in some sort of pain but allow me to encourage you and tell you that the longer you live the more you come to understand that there will be times when it feels as though God is breaking you when in actual fact he is
building you you may look at pain and suffering and heartache and say God where are you but perhaps that kind of perspective is wrong because I firmly believe that God can can use pain to shape us to mold you to prepare you and even to build you think about the story of Joseph Joseph was a faithful servant of God yet was betrayed by his own brothers sold into slavery falsely accused imprisoned and forgotten Joseph suffered setback after setback in his life even though he did nothing wrong and even though it might have felt like God
was breaking him God was actually building him God was building his faith his tenacity and his strength so that at the proper time God might Elevate him to a position he never would have thought possible the Bible says in James 1: 2:4 count it all joy my brothers when you meet Trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing the suffering that we know is temporary as children of God because the only suffering
we will know is on this side of the Grave because in heaven there will be no pain where there is loss there will be restoration where there is defeat there will only be Victory where there are tears there will only be joy in God's presence do you know what Joseph said in Genesis 50:2 at the end of his trials Joseph said as for you you meant evil against me but God meant it for good what would happen if we had that same attitude towards our own suffering what would happen if we adopted the same mindset
in times of tribulation I find it interesting that Romans 5: 3:5 says not only that but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces care and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us rejoicing in suffering does not mean that we enjoy pain on the contrary rejoicing in suffering means that we fully understand the size of our troubles but we trust that our God is bigger we know that through
our suffering God is refining our character teaching us the value of hope and making us more dependent on him none of these things are Pleasant in the moment but they are necessary for our maturity our growth and our ultimate Joy the word of God says in Proverbs 3:5 to6 trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths trusting in the Lord with all your heart means trusting when you don't understand trusting in the Lord with all
your heart means trusting in Him when it's painful to do so trusting in the Lord with all your heart means that you might have no answer to all the questions you have you may have no answers to all the questions of life but you will still have faith that God can and will make a way one thing that cripples our faith as Believers is the tendency to want to understand everything we are humans trying to understand the workings of An Almighty Heavenly all knowing god but Saints we need to get to a stage where we
pray that God would help and teach us not to lean on our own understanding because our understanding is limited and flawed so even without the full plan and detail I want you to know that it's God who orchestrates all of the challenges in your life so that each test each Mountain each Goliath might serve a purpose in strengthening your character or solidifying your faith I want you to know that it's God who orders our steps through both the good and tough situations so rather than always praying for answers why don't you try praying that the
will of the Lord would be accomplished God is faithful regardless of my present circumstances he is faithful regardless of your present circumstances Romans 8:28 says and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called according to his purpose this means that if God sends a storm my way it's for my good if he sends a blessing my way it's for my good if he allows pharaoh and his army to chase after me it's for my good I truly believe that when the Bible says all
things work together for good to those who love God it means that I may have to embrace tough or difficult circumstances sometimes but joy is just around the corner if God has to take me through a test in order for me to find out that he can make a way where there seems to be no way then may his will be done should God choose to send enemies to surround me so that I can see him prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies then may his will be done allow me to
offer some encouragement to you the first thing I'd like to tell you is that regardless of everything seemingly going wrong I want you to know that Jesus is still King he still rose from the dead he still loves you Job 13:15 says though he slay me yet yet will I trust him even so I will defend my own ways before him those are deep words people of God those are profound words after everything that job has suffered after everything he has lost after facing some incredibly difficult challenges this man is able to say though he
slay me yet will I trust him pray for Faith like this pray for grace like this so that in the middle of your challenge you can still say I will trust in God in the middle of your challenge remember that Jesus Christ remains King he remains Seated on the right hand of the father father he remains to be the only one who has said the words come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest and yes he still loves you having this knowledge my friends is the key to
finding our way back to a place of strength a place of joy and Victory God is good all the time not sometimes not some days but all the time and should you face the hardships of life should you encounter the many afflictions that we all face in life then we have a promise to hold on to and that promise is that many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all regardless of the type of trouble you face or the form it comes in so long as you are in
the Lord you will overcome when I read Jeremiah 33:3 which says call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know when I read that scripture I hear the word of God telling me to pray about it whatever situation you face today whatever circumstances or situation God wants you to call on him Psalms 50:15 says call on me in the day of trouble I will deliver you and you will honor me that means pray about it so let your hope be found in God he says trust
me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you he says abide in me and I will restore you he says come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest as Christians we're not immune to the hardships of life and in fact many would argue that we face more hardships than non-christians after all the Bible does say in Psalm 34: 19 many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all take note here how the Bible says many are the afflictions now
I'm not telling you this so that you would be discouraged but rather so that you would be grounded in your perspective loving Jesus Christ living for Jesus Christ doesn't mean you'll have a life that's free from any problem s equally when You Face challenges or pain this doesn't mean the lord loves you any less than someone else you see God doesn't promise us a life that is devoid of suffering pain problems or difficult situations as a matter of fact he tells us the opposite in John 16 Verse 33 the Bible says these things I have
spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world but you see after Jesus warns us of the many troubles we're to face in the world in the same verse He commands us to be of good cheer for he has overcome the world and so I may not know what you're going through but here's my message to you today be of good cheer because in Jesus you are an overcomer things might be tough right now everything might not be
all right but be of good cheer have faith in the Lord and I declare to you that he will see you through there are times you have to encourage yourself there are times that you'll have to learn to talk to yourself and tell yourself the promises of God tell yourself who God says you are and when you do this you will find that it will lift you up to walk on top of your situation rather than underneath it it will lift your faith tell yourself the word of God such as nahem 1:7 the Lord is
good a refuge in times of trouble he cares for those who trust him tell yourself Isaiah 40: 29 he gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak tell yourself Deuteronomy 31:8 the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you he will never leave you nor forsake you do not be afraid do not be discouraged I'm about to read to you a very crucial passage of of scripture that's in the Bible as I read these verses I want you to take special note of what the Bible says about your heart
your mouth your eyes and feet Proverbs 4: 23- 27 says keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of Life put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you let your eyes look straight ahead and your eyelids look right before you Ponder the path of your feet and let all your ways be established do not turn to the right or the left remove your foot from Evil it's a key thing to note that this passage of scripture begins and starts by talking about the heart think
about your physical heart if you have a bad heart then the rest of your body's in Jeopardy if the heart quits work working then everything else quits working you can't have a dead heart and a healthy ear same is true with our spiritual heart if the heart is good then What flows out is good however if the heart is bad what flows out of our heart will be bad guarding your heart can be challenging because the heart is attacked from so many different angles this world and its Pleasures are after your heart Satan is after
your heart and our own sinful flesh wants to attack and fill our hearts with sin and when we're having a hard day or going through tough times it can be easy for our hearts to drift away the next area we need to be careful of is our mouths we are to put away our perverse speech our mouth actually reveals what's going on in our hearts there's evil in our Hearts if there's sin our mouths will reflect that the words and actions that flow from our mouths reveal where our heart is actually at we may look
spiritual from the outside however our words will reveal our spirituality and now to the eyes we're to keep our spiritual eyes directly forward think about your physical eyes if you're driving and you don't keep your eyes directly forward you're going to get in some real trouble some of the worst crashes are because our eyes are focused on something else such as a phone or somebody in the back seat and our spiritual eyes can do the same thing when we turn our eyes away from the Lord we're prone to stumble and the final area mentioned and
this passage of scripture is all to do with your feet when we focus on keeping our feet on the path we move in the right direction if you're going for a walk on a trail and you decide to get off the trail you're much more likely to get lost however if you focus on keeping your feet on the trail your path is laid out yet again the same is true spiritually if you follow the moral path God's laid for you you will not stumble however as you seek your own path it becomes so much easier
to stumble I encourage you to pray that your heart would not be drawn to sin pray that your mouth would not be filled with perverse words pray for your eyes to remain focused on God and for your feet to be led by the lamp that is the word of [Music] God we have to be guarded even in a season of pain because sometimes that's when we're most vulnerable everyone one has and will suffer hurt in life we all have to endure some kind of wound suffer some type of disappointment suffer wounds and scars that should
have could have and probably still can destroy destroy your faith kill your hope destroy the trust in a marriage steal the future of a young man or taint the eyes of a young lady the enemy does come to steal kill and destroy if you're not guarded he doesn't need an invitation to come in and attack but the mistakes that we think is that when the devil attacks a Believer it should be fire and brimstone do something of a Grim Reaper look like but no it's problem after problem it's issue after issue one thing after another
with an intention to wear you down get you to a state of being sick and tired why do you think the Bible tells that they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength it's so you won't get tired of this enemy for every season in life the word of God has an answer when you are worried Philippians 4:6 says do not be anxious about anything but in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your request to God should you be in a season where the future appears to be uncertain and the unknown
makes you fearful 2 Timothy 1:7 says for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind now perhaps you are unsettled within you maybe there are issues you are dealing with and and they've left your heart in a Restless State well John 14:1 let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me I urge you today to get to know the word of God for yourself get God's word within you read scripture as often as you can memorize Bible verses and
meditate on them as often as you can because when you go through the many seasons of Life the ups and downs of this life it's only what is in you that will sustain you and if the word of God is in you then you will survive you will make it by the grace of God and the power in his word now the reason why it's so vital for us to meditate on on God's word is because we're told in Joshua 1:8 that keep this book of the law always on your lips meditate on it day
and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it then you will be prosperous and successful the word of God has an answer for us throughout every season of life and so we must be anchored in God's word and our prayers must be rooted in scripture and what I mean people of God is that we need to speak the word of God over ourselves we need to declare the word of God in our lives we need to confess it and I believe that we need to assert the word of God as
the governing authority over our lives and what I mean mean by saying that we need to assert the word of God is when you look at the definition of the word assert it means State a fact or belief confidently and forcefully it means to state with Assurance with confidence or to State strongly so that's what I'd like to encourage you to do state the word of God confidently at all times State the word of God forcefully when the enemy tries to attack you when he tries to attack your home when he tries to attack your
family State the word of God with power state it strongly and speak with Assurance I say all of this because when God speaks things happen things change and dear Saints God has spoken to us through his word this is what why we're told in Matthew 24:35 Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass [Music] away have you ever seen a professional pianist play have you ever heard how they can command the keys and their hands just seem to Glide up and down that piano when you see a Pianist per
performing on stage and in front of hundreds of people you see them perform as the finished article what you don't see is the years and years of dedication the years and years of commitment and practice behind them are years and years of doing the same things over and over again day in day out they developed strong habits habits that that eventually help them achieve remarkable things and this is the key what you do daily what you do consistently shapes a lot more than you think in your life let's take this concept of reaping and sewing
Galatians 6:8 says whoever SWS to please their flesh from the flesh will reap destruction whoever SWS to please the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life think of it this way if you develop a habit of satisfying your sinful desire if day in and day out you are engaged in that which is worldly if you consistently invest in the flesh then the Bible says you will reap corruption because all things relating to the flesh are tempor they will pass away but whoever SWS into the spirit when you seow into the spirit that means that
day in and day out you're investing in the things of the Lord you are about your father's business in Practical terms it means you're living a Christian Life where your prayer is a daily habit reading the word of God is a daily habit and you see it's these habits that will begin to transform your life the more time you consistently spend in God's word and in prayer the more you will grow as a Believer if you were impulsive you will find that the holy spirit will enable you to have self-control if you were judgmental to
others or full of Pride the holy spirit will enable you to have humility and and love your neighbor and of all the habits that we need to develop I believe daily communion with the Holy Spirit is absolutely Paramount Ephesians 5:18 says don't be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life instead be filled with the Holy Spirit when you are filled with the Holy Spirit this means that you are constantly Guided by him you're always led by the spirit rather than our sinful nature it's a state of dependency you are no longer dependent on
yourself on your resources or your circle of influence but you are dependent on the Holy Ghost day in and day out this is why it's so important to be filled with the holy spirit so look at your habits and if they are not causing you you to grow in faith and grow in the Lord pray for [Music] change we can't always change our circumstances but we can change our attitude and our Outlook we can choose to feed our spirit with God's word and reject the spirit of fear so wherever you're at right now you are
not there by accident God has placed you where you are the fight you face the battle you're in it all has a purpose in the fullness of his timing the Lord will make a way for you let us pray King Jesus the almighty one teach us to be more trusting help us to build our faith May the Holy Ghost teach us and remind us that to troubles we Face serve a purpose the pain that we feel the people who reject us can all be a blessing in disguise the tough situations and trials we go through
can be the Lord ordering our steps positioning us for increase for healing for breakthrough we ought to hold on to the promises like those found in psalm 55:2 2 which says cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be moved you see in times of difficulty we have to remember God's nature and his nature can be found in his word in the Bible God is described as a refuge and a deliverer he is described as faithful he is described as Alpha and Omega he is the
beginning and the end he is patient caring and loving and so I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord regardless of what you are facing whether you are in a valley or on top of the mountain we should be seeking the Lord alls we need him to lead and guide us we need his grace we need his Mercy we need his protection to keep us safe as we go about our business and above all we need God's presence some of us are so comfortable that God has to send a challenge into our lives
just to get our attention and get us to pray so before you go questioning God about your healing or why did this have to happen to me be mindful that God loves you however his ways are higher than our ways Mark 8:36 for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul friends I would like to ask you what would it profit you to live a healthy life but be so comfortable that your relationship with God suffers you end up being cast in Hell Jesus said it's better to enter
eternal life life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell then I pray that you see it's better to suffer pain in this body and go to heaven a place where there is no pain or sorrow for eternity it's better than living a pain-free life only to be tormented in Hell For the Rest of Eternity now as we continue to place Our Hope and Faith In Jesus we need to know know that one day the storm will be over you will make it through to the other
side God will make rivers flow in the desert so dear friend whatever you are going through it shall pass maybe you're in a dry season a season where life seems meaningless and you feel as though you're simply drifting perhaps you're at a place where God seems as distant as the Stars maybe you're in an impossible situation where no matter what you choose you just can't win for some of us that tough place has become a stronghold of sin and you can't seem to let it go no matter what your problem may be it will pass
and God will do a new thing in your life furthermore or all of us despite what we Face we must keep moving forward and believing Philippians 3: 13-4 says brothers and sisters I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it but one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called called me heavenward in Christ Jesus in other words Saints press on God is faithful to empower you to stand strong and Victorious and not
to be defeated remember that Jesus is Victorious over Satan he's Victorious over death hell and the grave and this is good news this is good news for you and I because if we have accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts then we too can walk in Victory so whatever situation you face today whatever circumstance or situation you're up against God wants you to call on him Jeremiah 33:3 says call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know Psalm 5 : 15 says call on me in the
day of trouble I will deliver you and you will honor me and so I want to encourage you when you look at God's word when you look at his promises he says trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you he says abide in me and I will restore you he says come to me all who are weary and heavy ladened and I will give you rest so let your hope be found in God he has the perfect solution each and every time so call on him whether it's day or night when
the bills are paid when there's money in the bank when there's plenty to laugh and be happy about do you remember to say Thank you Lord I know where you've brought me from I remember when it wasn't like this or how about when you're struggling work is tough the business isn't performing well and you have problems do you remember to say thank you thank you Lord because I may be hardpressed on every side but I'm not crushed I may be perplexed but I'm not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroy in
Acts 16 Paul and Silas didn't see the prison they were in they didn't focus on the guards the chains or the fact that they were uncomfortable they focused on God acts 16:25 and 26 says about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken at once all the prison doors flew open and everyone's chains came loose I pray that this may be the reality in our lives today as we praise and
thank God in advance each of us will also experience a suddenly movement in our situation when things will turn around be thankful Saints be thankful always and in all circumstances how could I not thank the Lord how could you not thank the Lord I am living I am healthy I am of a sound mind I am blessed to have a family blessed to have food on my plate and a place to stay this is not to say that everything has been perfect but the message I want to tell you is be thankful find something find
one thing to be thankful about we should be Believers that rejoice and give thanks to God Almighty through the good and through the bad sure the car broke down but I thank you for legs that I can walk maybe I lost my job it's a problem but I can still thank God that I haven't lost my health yes you may not be able to afford the most luxurious dining experience but thank God that you have never missed a meal people of God we ought to have a spirit of thankfulness Let It Be Your disposition in
life to stop for a moment and say thank you Psalms 107: 1-2 says oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he has redeemed from [Music] trouble fear is a liar because fear leads you to forget all that God is done one description of fear that I like says fear is false evidence appearing real fear creates a cloud that makes you think you are alone it creates a cloud that makes you blind to God's promises and his word and
one way fear manifests itself in today's society is in the prevalence of anxiety disorders stress related diseases and health conditions anxiety and stress are both the children of fear we fear the future we fear the past we fear things we cannot control and we don't want to admit that most of life is out of our control we are not in control of when we're born or when we die we are reminded of our lack of control when faced with an unwanted diagnosis or a natural disaster this is why Jesus invites us and commands us not
to worry Matthew 6:25 tells us therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing Jesus goes on to say in verse 33 but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Jesus is telling us to let go of the illusion that we are the ones in control because while we are not in control God is
Sovereign he's always in control while we don't know the future future God is already in the future while we can't let go of the past God is already in the past working out your present and your future the devil is the father of fear but God is the master of the future the devil is the Warlock of worry but Jesus is the Prince of Peace the devil is the architect of anxiety but the holy spirit is the kind conduit it of comfort the Lord tells us in Isaiah 41: 10 so do not fear for I
am with you do not be dismayed for I am your God I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand as Believers Our Lives should not be dictated by fear but rather our faith Our Lives should not be crippled by worry but rather empowered by encouragement now we all have that one Bible verse that one passage of scripture that speaks to us like no other and for me I find Psalm 16:8 to be that one Bible verse that I can always turn to and this verse says I have
set the lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved many times when I have been afraid I have held on to this word many times when I have been wrestling with uncertainty I have turned to Psalm 16:8 and this is how I apply the verse in my life I have set the lord always before me in other words God orders my steps the Lord goes ahead of me to clear my my path or rather God is in front of me he is already in my future and when
it says because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved I claim and declare that the Lord is by my side I am Anchored In Jesus I am rooted in Jesus I am joined with him and therefore I cannot be moved I will not be shaken not because of My Own Strength or might but because of the one who lives inside my heart so I would like to offer some advice to you today find your scripture find a passage in the Bible that speaks to your heart find a verse to hold on
to Psalm 16:8 gives me hope because I can say whatever the future holds whatever is in store for me I have set the Lord always before me if Tomorrow Comes If Tomorrow Never Comes I have set the lord always before me if my friends leave me and abandon me in the near future if my boss at work doesn't honor his promises if my pastor Falls from Grace I will not be moved or shaken because I have set the lord always before me so I encourage you to do the same find your verse find the verse
that will shift your focus from the problem in front of you to The God Who has promised to fight your battles the word of God is there to offer us Direction it's there to inspire and strengthen our faith if you've ever seen someone with bad eyesight you'll find that the simplest of activities will become difficult now a Christian who hasn't got the word of God in them is like a person with bad eyesight without the word of God you have no idea the protection you've been given without the word of God you cannot see that
you've been offered peace Beyond understanding the word of God reveals things to you you begin to see the devil for who and what he really is a deceiver and the father of all lies you begin to see The Passion of Christ the love and passion that led him to be wounded for our transgressions to be bruised for our iniquities the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed the word of God reveals all of that the word of God is sight to a Christian this is why it's important that
you obey Joshua 1:8 which says this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success you must meditate on the word so that you can keep your eyes on the Lord when you have the word hidden in your heart you will always have a reason to say say it Is Well with me if you're struggling and
can't seem to find a way out of the mess you're in fix your sight keep your eyes on Jesus and on his word whether the economy is good or not whether my friends are there or if they have abandoned me your eyes are to always be on the word of the [Music] Lord if you were asked these three questions about the word of God how are you using it how well do you know it and how are you being changed by it what would your response be to those three questions when we make it a
practice a routine to read the Bible we are spending quality time with our heavenly father we are in effect reading the letter he wrote for us the word of God changes us it cuts through every thought and every attitude how do you know if you're doing something right hold it up against the word of God 2 Timothy 3:16 Says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness God speaks in his word for us to be corrected for us to know the ways of
righteousness for us to know how to navigate this life the Bible tells us John 1:1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the word of God has been there from the beginning of time as we know it and the Bible is very clear the word was with God and the Word was God and when you see the Bible as God's own words then Hebrews 412 makes sense for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division
of Soul and Spirit and of joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and here's why we need to take the word of God seriously in every aspect of Our Lives the characteristics of the word of God is that it is living it has life it brings life and it is life to the believer God is the giver and source of life the source of eternal life therefore his word is just that so how do you say you're a Christian but not have the word of God in you
you don't have life if it's not in you and I mean when it's really in you not just memorize but when it tells you no that's fornication when it tells you no that's pride no that's stealing it corrects you when it's really in you just just like fire his word can refine you of all impurities just like a hammer it destroys evil and builds and strengthens a Godly character in your life just like a mirror it exposes our blemishes against the true likeness of Christ just like a lamp and a light that guides us and
gives us Direction in life just like food it provides nourishment man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that comes from God the word of God cleanses and washes over your life it helps you to renew your mindset let's be encouraged to take the word of the Lord more seriously apply it to your life so that you may have Direction nourishment and strength my brothers and sisters as Sons and Daughters of God we need to speak God's word over our lives Romans 15:13 says may the god of Hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit so you and I should be speaking this verse over our lives and saying the god of Hope fills me with all joy and peace because I trust in him and I declare that my life overflows with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit Isaiah 26:3 says you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you make that verse yours and apply it to your own life I am steadfast
of mind God does keep me in perfect peace because I trust in him Psalms 103: 1-5 says praise the Lord my soul all my inmost being praise His holy name praise the Lord my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your disas diseases who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles if we were to go back in time right back to the days that Jesus walked the
Earth there is an occasion where the Lord was speaking to a large crowd and then the the Bible says in Luke 8:41 and behold there came a man named jaras and he was a ruler of the synagogue and he fell down at jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house for he had an only daughter about 12 years of age and she was dying but as he went the multitudes thronged him and if we stop there for just a second so here is Jesus with that distressed father a father concerned about his little
girl and they are going to the man's house perhaps hurrying since the girl was dying imagine the tussles with his disciples trying to make way through the crowd and all of the people around them and in that crowd there is a lady I believe she was on her own because the Bible mentions nobody else with her now this lady no one knows her name no one knows how she got there and no one notices her but she's on a mission she has a problem that she's been dealing with with an issue that needs to be
addressed the Bible describes the woman as having a flow of blood for 12 years and she had spent all of her livelihood on Physicians and could not be healed by any so she had tried the best medical Minds within her reach in fact the Bible says she'd spent all her savings on doctors none of them had been able to cure her and now the bleeding is worse than ever this was a woman who was not only suffering but also desperate and let me tell you something about crowds whenever you find a crowd there are people
there with different agendas just because you're in the same place that doesn't mean you're of the same Accord it doesn't mean that you're unified simply because you're in a crowd together some people were in that crowd following Jesus because they wanted to be associated with the man who can perform Miracles others were in that crowd to watch because they were skeptical about Jesus other people may have just been curious to see and hear from this Jesus that they heard can heal the sick raise the dead and give sight to the blind but this woman was
in that crowd for her own reason she was in that crowd because she needed access to someone to a power that could do what every other doctor had failed to do so now she is pushing through the crowd she is working Her Way Forward she is saying to herself if I can only touch His Garment and as soon as she touched him the bleeding stopped and when Jesus turned he asked who touched me he knew this touch was different from everyone else's in the crowd this was a desperate touch a touch of Faith a touch
filled with hope and expectation the Bible says when the woman grabbed at his coat Jesus felt power had gone out from him in all the jostle and press of the crowd Jesus had detected that something was different this touch was a different touch all Jesus said to her is daughter your faith has healed you go in peace be free from your suffering now I want you to see how Jesus deals with people one by one each one of us are dealt with differently by the Lord when he noticed power leaving him Jesus didn't say to
himself something like that's good another person healed no need to stop the disciples will get the details and I'll keep hurrying on to heal the little girl no every time Jesus meets an Earnest person he gives them his full attention one person is important to him you are important to him none of us is just another number or another name on a list you are significant in the eyes of God you are worth him stopping when you touch him with an Earnest sincere prayer it doesn't matter if you are like this woman it doesn't matter
if you have no savings left in the bank if the crowd you're in doesn't notice you if you call on the name of Jesus if you reach out in faith and touch him he will give you his full attention and it doesn't make any difference if you are the opposite if you got it all together if you're in a good place and you don't need a healing but simply desire a relationship Jesus will meet your need with the same Grace and power our lord is good because he pay attention to your need in any situation
this woman was in a crowd she was approaching Jesus when he was busy with something else Jesus wasn't told Master there's a special case you need to deal with before we go to jus' house there was nothing like that this woman was unknown Jesus hadn't been paying attention to her no one was paying attention to her everyone was thinking about the little girl yet this lady's touch stopped Jesus in his tracks he quickly changed Focus he turned and gave this woman the things she desperately needed so I encourage you my brothers and sisters in Christ
you can come to Jesus anywhere at any time if you have heavy burdens Jesus said come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest he can give rest he can give you peace he can make you whole we don't have to be in a special place or perform per a sacred ritual he can meet a need even in the middle of a crowd he can pay attention to someone on the side of a dusty road he can be stopped by the smallest Touch of sincere Faith just as this
woman went away healed and free we can too if only we touch the Hy of His Garment most people in a time of struggling in a time of despair in a season of Trials will ask God to rescue them they will ask God to deliver them but what happens when you ask God to take this problem or situation away and he doesn't what happens when you've told the mountain to move and it doesn't what now I'd like to submit to you that during these times times when trouble just doesn't go away when the rain just
doesn't stop should our prayer actually be Lord go through this storm with me give me the strength to face this problem look at the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into a fiery furnace God didn't deliver them from being thrown in the fire God got in the fire with them God didn't deliver Daniel from being thrown in the Lion's Den God was there with him Psalms 23:4 says even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death even though I walk through walk through this isn't a case of saying God don't let me
walk through the valley of the shadow of death or God save me from the Valley of the shadow of death but it's even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me the key part is for you are with me and I want you to know that God is with you [Music]
