4GIVEN

We thank God for a lot of things. But when was the last time you said, “Thank you Lord for given us the authority and power to speak life over every situation in Jesus’ name?”
“Behold I give you authority over all the power of the enemy–over all the powers of the devil–over all the powers of hell–over every diabolical spirit or demon.” (Paraphrased from Matthew 10:1 and Luke 9:1-2.)

Now, there is a difference between power and authority. No one has the power to heal, but we do have the power to exercise His authority. We have the authority to use His power. Then that power will bring healing—the Apostle Peter said, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,” Acts 3:6

So today, remember that in Christ we not only have authority, we also possess the power to speak those things that be not as though they were; only in the name of Jesus!!

Have you ever felt that God abandoned you? Well, I got good news for you. The devil is a liar. Hebrew 13:5 declares that God will never leave nor forsake you! 
If this message hits home please stand with me in this prayer:
Father, I thank You for the nail-pierced hands that reached out in love and took me by my hand. You have led me by Your right hand throughout my entire life and I trust that You will continue to hold me and keep me safe to the end. Great is Your faithfulness O’ God. In Jesus’ name, amen and amen!!

The enemy desires nothing more than to fill our minds with guilt, condemnation, and fear. He incessantly reminds us of past faults, sins, and wrongs. OTH, God by way of the Holy Spirit reminds us that in Christ we are forgiven, reconciled, set free, and completely cleansed. We are set free by His blood. Jesus erased our sins and He victoriously took the sting out of death! Therefore, we are alive in Christ! Hallelujah, we are God’s adoptive sons and daughters! Ephesians 2:5, “That even though we were dead because of our sins, God gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that we have been saved!)” Don’t get it twisted; the devil don’t wear prada. However, he is a liar! When the stone rolled away, so did your past!!  

Social media has been dubbed the devil’s playground. People, news media, and businesses across the globe use this platform for a variety of reasons good, bad, or indifferent. However, this platform isn’t the devil playground. His strategy hasn’t changed since day one; manipulation. Proverbs 16:27, “Idle minds are the devil’s workshop.” Sin originates in the mind; an idle mind means that your mind is not occupied with good or Godly thoughts, which in turn leaves your mind wide open for satan to fill with evil thoughts. We need to take our thoughts captive and replace them with the Word of God. We need to condition our minds to respond Godly in adversity rather than dive into self pity, cursing or rage and impatience. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” How do we do this? By Philippians 4:8.  Meditate on those things. Meditate on God and His word, His handiwork and majesty. Social media is not the devil’s playground rather it’s the idled mind! 
  

Ever wander why Jesus was buried in a brand new borrowed tomb? Well to answer this question we must first go back to the beginning. When mankind sinned the penalty for that sin was death. God said to Adam in Gen 3:19,”By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken;For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Notice Jesus body was resurrected? Although Jesus was 100% man, He was also 100% God. Now for the answer. Jesus was spotless, sinless, and innocent. He died so that our sins would be forgiven. John Gill put it this way, “Christ was laid not in his own, but in “another’s” tomb, which is expressive of his humility. In his lifetime, Jesus had nowhere to lay down his head to sleep, and at his death had no tomb of his own to lay his dead body in. Thus, it denotes that what he did and suffered, and what was done to him, were not for himself but for others. He died not for his own sins, but for the sins of others, and he was buried, not so much for his own sake, but for others, that they and their sins might be buried with him.” Alfred Plummer said, “Jesus’ life began in a borrowed stable and ended in a borrowed tomb.”

Can we trust God? The real question is can God trust us? God has undeniably proven in years past and present that He is faithful whereas we have regrettably proven to be faithless. Thankfully, God is patient despite our many follies. 2 Tim 2:13 days, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown himself.” What would happen if God ran out of patience? Although this would be impossible, I certainly don’t ever want to experience God on that level. Fact is, God doesn’t just show us patience. He is Patience. Need Proof? His Word tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:16) and also that “Love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4). I repeat, “Can God trust you?” Faith is a communicable attribute originally dispensed and later amplified throughout our lives by God if we choose to exercise it!  

My prayer today Lord, is that you give me a heart of purity. Lord, You said in Matthew 5:8, ” Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Lord, oh how I want to see You in my life, marriage, and family every day! Lord forgive me for the times when You showed up and I ignored You. Forgive me for the times when I muted Your heavenly voice. Forgive me for the times when You touched me and I failed to acknowledge You. Oh Jesus, in Your presence there is peace, comfort, freedom, liberty, and understanding. Lord, I acknowledge Your presence today and I thank You for never turning Your back on me!! In Jesus name, amen!!