Overwhelming Obstacles

by Greg Laurie, Harvest Ministries

Bible Reading Joshua 6

Focus Verse: Joshua 6:1-2 "Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.  Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men."

Have you ever faced what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle, something that was so big and so overwhelming that you wished you just could turn and run away? Maybe you’re facing something like that right now: an incurable illness, a prodigal child, or a marriage that is unraveling. Maybe you think it will never get fixed. If you have ever faced something like this, you have a general idea of how the nation of Israel felt as they stood before the massive, ancient city of Jericho, the city God said they were supposed to conquer. His battle plan was one of the most unorthodox ever envisioned in human history. They were to march around the city once for six days, and on the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times, blow trumpets, and shout. It was a plan designed by God to show His power. Sometimes God will allow a Jericho in our lives, something big and scary. It might be a problem. It might be a challenge. It might even be an opportunity. But all you know is that it’s massive, and there is no way you can deal with it in your own strength. For many, the greatest difficulty is getting to the place where they are willing to admit they need God. It’s that place where they are willing to admit the thing they’re facing is too big for them and that if God doesn’t come through, then they won’t get through it. That is not a bad place to be. God has a plan for you, but He won’t force His plan in your life. You can botch or sabotage the plan, or you can cooperate with the plan. That is up to you. God will not force His purpose in your life.

"When you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God."

by Greg Laurie, Harvest Ministries

 

Seeing The Invisible

 

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Focus Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:17   “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them all, and will last forever.”

God has put inside us a desire and a motivation for something more.  A sense that there is something more to life than what we are seeing.  Many people search their whole life looking for something.  They may not even realize what they are seeking.  They follow all kinds of paths as they search: alcohol, drugs, sex, making money, and the list goes on.  They will even switch from one thing to the next, thinking this next thing will bring them happiness.  

 

No matter what experiences you have had, good or bad, it’s good to remember that the best is still to come for the believer in Christ.  The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11  “God has put eternity in our hearts.”  God has put a desire and a sense that there is more to life and this motivates us to keep moving on towards Him.  Just as God has given birds a homing instinct to migrate to different parts of the world during different seasons, God has put a desire for a place we have not seen yet, and that place is Heaven, where God lives.  

 

Many people are going through very difficult times right now. What struggles do you have?  The apostle Paul says these troubles will not last very long, but they are getting us ready for eternity in Heaven.  So don’t let the troubles that you see today discourage you, but knowing that God walks with us, let’s look forward to the future that we can’t see.  Praise God that the good things He has planned for us in Heaven will last forever!  As a Christian we have a hope of a place that is too wonderful to describe.  By faith we are able to see the invisible.

 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

What Do We Say When We Come Back?

Bible Reading: Luke 15:17-21

Focus verse: John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives”

The reading in Luke talks about a son who after living a wasted life, a life of sin and separation; he realized that it was time for him to go back to the father.  He is reminded of the good social life he used to live while with the father and he now carefully plans how he would win back the heart (love) of the father. He identifies that his sins have separated him from the father and is not worth to be called a son. He as well knew that he had no authority to reinstate himself, only the father could make him as one of his again. All he had to do was to accept his sin and ask for forgiveness.

We all at one time have wronged our friends, our bosses, our families, our spouses or people we really love and cherish. We have made them be broken in the hearts so that they could not find peace. We’ve made some of them to regret if surely they made right choices to have us as friends or spouses. Some have lived with the pain and agony we have caused then so that anytime they are reminded about the pain/scars we caused them, they still weep bitterly. To some, the pain is today completely healed while to others it has remained a fresh sore/pain always. Why? The difference lies on what we said when we came back to them, whether we said the truth/confessed and asked for forgiveness or denied/lied further and remained with the guilt. The Bible says “Truth sets us free”.

Equally we have all sinned against God. All sins whether one or hundreds is enough to separate us from God. He is not happy when we are separated from him and wants us back all the times. Many desire to come back when they realize they are far from Him. We should remember that it is what we say when we come back that unites us back to Him. Many people come back but still live under the guilt of the sins committed because they did not truly confess to Him and repent. They want to falsely justify their own mistakes. God is not pleased when we walk under the guilt of sins that separated us from him. It’s not coming back to the church or Christian family or walking with Christian friends that tell we have come back to God. The major concern is whether we confess to have sinned and ask forgiveness when we come back. Unless we do that, we still live under separation and the guilt of our sin.

Our repentance can set us free and bring healing to the hearts of our friend or loved one that we have made to suffer. Our marriages and broken relationships with friends can blossom again if we accept to confess our wrong doings and ask God to reestablish us again. Do we have friends who are living with scars/pain because of our wrong doings?  Are we responsible for the regrets in the lives of our loved ones? Only a statement of “forgive me for all the wrongs I did to you” is enough to help them heal.

Eliazar Wambo
Bethesda Faith Ministries and
Repairer Christian School

The Unstoppable Church of Christ

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 5:11-16

Focus Verse: Matthew 5:14  “You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

The year 2020 has been a very difficult year for so many people around the world.  The pandemic has brought about many hardships.  Since we have never seen a pandemic like this in our lifetime, people and governments around the world are unsure of how to handle this problem.  But this virus did not catch God by surprise.  God knew this virus was coming long ago, and we have seen how God is using this virus to accomplish His purposes.  Jesus said His Church is a light to the world and that light is set on a hill and will not be hidden.

I am reminded of the "light on a hill" when I go to the ocean.  I remember a very tall and thin house with a strong bright light on the top.  It is called a “lighthouse”.  When there are storms out in the ocean the lighthouse will guide the ships and boats safely into the harbor without running aground.  

 

We are in the middle of the storm with this pandemic.  Let us look to The Light of the world.  The Church of Christ is unstoppable.  This pandemic will not stop God's Word from going forth. Sometimes the future doesn’t look very bright.  Right now our culture seems very dark spiritually. As believers we are called to live in this ungodly world, and sometimes we are tempted to give up and quit fighting against the forces of evil that are around us.  We wonder how can we effectively share the good news of the Gospel that Jesus called us to proclaim?  Let’s never forget that Jesus gave us a command to impact this world as both salt and light as His ambassadors.  So how can we do that?  The answer lies in where our power comes from.  Our power comes from The One who created the universe and He cares about us deeply.  We can’t do this in our own power, but we tap into our God who has limitless power.  God will give His church all the power and resources necessary to complete His purpose and plan.  So align yourself with God’s unstoppable church today where we can receive unlimited power, so that nothing can stop us from completing the plan He has for us.

 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

I Have Come to God

Bible Reading: Psalm 16

Focus Verse: Psalm 16:8 "I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me."

David writes the Psalm 16 and proclaims that when he came to God, he found refuge, a Master, good things, heroes, pleasure, inheritance, blessing, a guard, pleasant land, a guide, an instructor, fellowship with the Lord, stability, gladness, safety, the way of life, joy of God's presence and the pleasures of living with God forever!  David's discovery is a direct result of his heart toward God.  When David humbled himself, didn't trust in his own pride, didn't seek other gods or even speak their names, but instead came to the true God, he found all these things, but his joy above all was the very presence of God.  David found that in looking for safety, he found so much more!

We can struggle with our safety, our pain, our sickness, our sorrow, our worry or anything else that the world has to give us.  Troubles come to every human, but what matters is that we respond in the way that leads to life.  Verse 4 talks about those who look for answers in other gods.  A false god can be through your own prideful efforts, a sin that gives a temporary pleasure or distraction, seeking other spirits or witch doctors, or even just an obsession that keeps you occupied. These things will take your troubles and multiply them and leave you feeling empty and unsatisfied.

God is the one who satisfies.  God is the one who brings joy by His presence.  When we have lost everything and are all alone, we can still have the presence of God to show us the way of life and the pleasures of living with Him forever!  Do you have God's presence because of trusting Jesus with your life?  Have you come to God through Jesus?   "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16  Do you have the joy of His presence?

~Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Serve God and be a Blessing

Scripture reading: Acts 9:36-42 

Focus verse: Acts 9:39 – "Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."

I have often seen different kinds buildings but whenever I see them I am able to judge their workmanship differently based on how the builder did his job. Whereas all the builders may have the same material and time to do the job but the outcome can widely vary. A good job markets the builder by its self while a poor workmanship fetches no market for the builder. In other words, your service can always market you and may want people to wish that you still serve with them for a longer period. 

Dorcas is a good example in the Bible for us to copy. She lived an impactful life and spent her time, skills and talents to serve others. She could make robes and other clothing and share them with the poor. She had done so much so that when she fell sick and died, the people she had served felt a big void and wept bitterly for her life. We are told that the ladies carried the robes to where she laid upstairs and showed Peter all these evidence of a great work that she did while a live. Dorcas had lived a life of love for others and served from the bottom of her heart. She used a thread and a needle to work out different robes and never used her skills to exploit others but for God’s service. 

Just like Docras, we all have the chance to serve God. We all have God given gifts and talents and God wants us to use them to serve others. God has given us different resources but He desires of us to use them in touching other peoples’ lives. Have we served in a manner that when we are absent then we are missed by the people we have served? Can the people around us give some evidence of our work to the Lord as the ladies did with Dorcas robes? What is it that we have that the people around us will remember and thank God for? Are there something’s that the people can show/point as your evidence of service to the Lord even in churches we serve at? Each day that we pray for God to give us a new day to live, then we should ask ourselves how we spent the previous days He allowed us to live. God wants us to spend every moment of our lives to serve Him and be a blessing to others. The Christian life is not a life of self-centeredness but a life of giving for the sake of others just like God did to us through his Son. Colossians 3:23 – "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

 

Pastor Eliazar Wambo

Bethesda Faith Ministries

Blind and Seeing, Saved and Unsaved

Blind and Seeing, Saved and Unsaved

Scripture Reading: John 9:13-34

Focus Verse: John 9:25   “The blind man answered and said, Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

The Pharisees questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The Pharisees accused Jesus to be a sinner for healing on the Sabbath.  The blind man could not speak bad about the man who healed him.  He testified about what he knew to be true.  He was blind, but now, after the mud applied by Jesus, he could see.  The man knew this had never happened to anyone before and believed that Jesus was from God.  There was no doubt that he was blind and now he sees.

There are over six billion people on planet earth, and they all fall into one of two categories, saved or unsaved.  Our Bible story is about a man that was born blind.  Jesus had compassion on this man and healed his blindness so that he could see.  Do you know before you were saved you were blind.  Not physically, but spiritually.  Before you received Salvation, Satan had blinded your spiritual eyes to the truth that God wanted you to know.  When I was six years old I accepted Salvation into my life.  At that point of being saved I didn’t know everything about the Bible.  About all I knew was that I was once lost, but now I was saved.  The blind man didn’t know much about Jesus, who had healed him.  All he knew was that he was once blind, but now he could see.

That is the power of a changed life.  There is power in the message of the Gospel.   We can’t always expect God to do things the way we would.  If your friend was having a problem with their eyes I don’t think you would spit on the ground and then put mud into their eyes.  But when Jesus did this, it changed the man’s life.  After that the man testified “One thing I know, once I was blind, but now I can see.”  The world is full of people that are blind.  They need to be healed, so they can see the truth of God’s love for them through Jesus.  We all have a story to tell.  So go find a spiritually blind person today and share with them how they can see the truth of God’s love.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries