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"I NEED YOU, JESUS"
"The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. The LORD sends poverty
and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them
with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. … My heart pants, my strength fails me. Hear my cry, O God, attend
to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the Rock that is higher
than I. … I cry to You, O LORD; I say, ‘You are My refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Listen to my
cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. Set me free from my prison, that
I may praise Your name.’… For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He
will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in His sight. “…and He began to teach them saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will
see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because
of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'... 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance,
the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick
and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me,’ … ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you
did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for Me.’” … “ My grace is sufficient
for you, My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s
sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”
(1 Samuel 2: 6-8; Psalm 38: 10; 61: 1, 2; 142: 5-7; 72: 12-14; Matthew 5: 1-10; 25: 34-40; 2 Corinthians
12: 9).
Believers in Christ Jesus need to have relationship with other believers recognizing them as brothers and sisters in the "family of God". God calls on each of us to share what we have with one another, so all within the body can benefit. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10: 7-9) for by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1: 16, 17). It is tempting, especially if we have material wealth, to cut ourselves off from one another, each taking care of his or her own interests, each providing for and enjoying his or her own little piece of the world. But, as part of God’s spiritual family, it is our responsibility to help one another in whatever way God asks you to. Jesus has called each of us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28: 18-20). He also told us His two most important commandments in Matthew 22: 37, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." Rather than thinking about all that we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others.
Many of us are not sure how to approach anyone with the Gospel message of hope. We feel unworthy, threatened, shy, that you have nothing to offer because your life was so bad before Christ, etc. We hide our identity in Christ by being quiet when we should speak out, going along with the crowd, allowing sin back into our life, not witnessing Jesus to others, and by basically ignoring the needs of others. However, this is a lie of the enemy; for if Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, they are of little value to God and to the lost people God has placed in the vicinity of your life! The very FACT that God’s power is displayed in those who are weak should give us courage! Praise JESUS!
When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to do God’s work on our own and that leads to PRIDE. When we can openly acknowledge to Him that we are weak without Him, and we allow Him to fill us with His power, then we are stronger than we could ever be on our own. God does not intend for us to seek to be weak, passive, and ineffective—life produces enough hindrances and setbacks without us creating them, but when obstacles come, we MUST acknowledge our NEED for HIM and we must depend 100% on Him.
Carol Cymbala directs the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and she is the wife of Senior Pastor Jim Cymbala. The choir is 285 in number and is a "people mixture" of both ethnic and economic backgrounds. It is a snapshot of some of God’s family. Pastor Cymbala stated something that I think is representative of God’s heart for the world, "None of us would have met if it weren’t for Christ. Our backgrounds are just too diverse. But all of us have ONE THING in COMMON; we have all been lifted up and saved. So the Choir sings; not about a theological position, but about what has happened to them. It’s not a theory; it’s a reality."
Praise the LORD, JESUS SAVES! The LORD would say unto you…
"Child, I am on your side and I will help you meet each and every obstacle. My power is never stagnant; it is always actively working on your behalf and for your good. I fight against the forces of evil on your behalf; there is no human strength or spiritual power that can deter or change My power which is at work in your life. As you grasp this truth you will begin to understand the strength that you have. The power that set the galaxies spinning, that holds the earth in place, that calmed the seas, and that turned water into wine—that power, MY POWER is in your life! Trust in My power that is made perfect in your weakness."
Believers in Christ Jesus need to have relationship with other believers recognizing them as brothers and sisters in the "family of God". God calls on each of us to share what we have with one another, so all within the body can benefit. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10: 7-9) for by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1: 16, 17). It is tempting, especially if we have material wealth, to cut ourselves off from one another, each taking care of his or her own interests, each providing for and enjoying his or her own little piece of the world. But, as part of God’s spiritual family, it is our responsibility to help one another in whatever way God asks you to. Jesus has called each of us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28: 18-20). He also told us His two most important commandments in Matthew 22: 37, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." Rather than thinking about all that we should not do, we should concentrate on all we can do to show our love for God and others.
Many of us are not sure how to approach anyone with the Gospel message of hope. We feel unworthy, threatened, shy, that you have nothing to offer because your life was so bad before Christ, etc. We hide our identity in Christ by being quiet when we should speak out, going along with the crowd, allowing sin back into our life, not witnessing Jesus to others, and by basically ignoring the needs of others. However, this is a lie of the enemy; for if Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, they are of little value to God and to the lost people God has placed in the vicinity of your life! The very FACT that God’s power is displayed in those who are weak should give us courage! Praise JESUS!
When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to do God’s work on our own and that leads to PRIDE. When we can openly acknowledge to Him that we are weak without Him, and we allow Him to fill us with His power, then we are stronger than we could ever be on our own. God does not intend for us to seek to be weak, passive, and ineffective—life produces enough hindrances and setbacks without us creating them, but when obstacles come, we MUST acknowledge our NEED for HIM and we must depend 100% on Him.
Carol Cymbala directs the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and she is the wife of Senior Pastor Jim Cymbala. The choir is 285 in number and is a "people mixture" of both ethnic and economic backgrounds. It is a snapshot of some of God’s family. Pastor Cymbala stated something that I think is representative of God’s heart for the world, "None of us would have met if it weren’t for Christ. Our backgrounds are just too diverse. But all of us have ONE THING in COMMON; we have all been lifted up and saved. So the Choir sings; not about a theological position, but about what has happened to them. It’s not a theory; it’s a reality."
Praise the LORD, JESUS SAVES! The LORD would say unto you…
"Child, I am on your side and I will help you meet each and every obstacle. My power is never stagnant; it is always actively working on your behalf and for your good. I fight against the forces of evil on your behalf; there is no human strength or spiritual power that can deter or change My power which is at work in your life. As you grasp this truth you will begin to understand the strength that you have. The power that set the galaxies spinning, that holds the earth in place, that calmed the seas, and that turned water into wine—that power, MY POWER is in your life! Trust in My power that is made perfect in your weakness."
If you need
prayer or a word of encouragement
in your life,
please email your request to: judy@willtheseboneslive.com
Sharing by Permission 10/26/09, Written
by: Judy Smith, Website: www.willtheseboneslive.com
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*The Power and Presence Ministry * Ione, CA * 95640
* USA
* Office: 209-274-2802 *
Chuck Cell: 209-217-7057 * Gail Cell: 209-256-1590