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Receive

Believe The Lord And You Shall Be Established…

by Seun Odumbo December 7, 2020

In 2 Chronicles Chapter 20, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat, Judah’s king. Jehoshaphat believes in the Lord, and he seeks the face of the Lord with the people of Judah, and God spoke through His prophet Jahaziel (son of Zechariah). Verse 14-15 says, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.'” All we must do is believe the Lord.

The prophet further said to them in verse 17, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” (also see Exodus 14:13). Jehoshaphat believed the word of the prophet (Jahaziel) spoke as led by the Spirit of God, and Jehoshaphat was at peace, and so his people.

Believe The Lord, The Battle Is His

In verse 20, Jehoshaphat stood before the people and said, “believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established, believe His prophets, so shall you prosper.” The people agreed with Jehoshaphat, and they all began to praise God. They were at peace and able to sing praises unto God instead of running helter-skelter only because they believed the battle is not theirs but the Lord’s.

If Jehoshaphat had reacted to the enemy’s invasion with fear, he would not have even probably remembered to consult the Lord. But instead of been fearful, he chose to have faith in God, and a word came from the prophet to him, “the battle is not yours but the Lord’s.” So, fear is a reaction, and faith is a decision. What are your choices based upon in times of challenges, faith, or fear? Our victory in all circumstances is anchor to our faith in God, without faith it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6).

The Widow’s Olive Oil

One of the wives of the sons of prophets cried to Elisha that her late husband’s creditor is coming to take her two sons for slaves because she doesn’t have anything to pay the debt. The prophet asked her what she has in her house, and she replied, nothing but a jar of olive oil. Why did the prophet ask what she has in the house? Because the solution is within, and so are you, the King of kings’ dead raising power lives inside you – the Holy Ghost.

The prophet replied with specific instructions. 1) Go and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. It doesn’t matter whether your neighbors like you or not. Ask all of them and don’t be afraid to ask. 2) Don’t ask for just a few: that is. She should collect as many as possible. “Ask, and it will be given” to you 3) Then go inside and shut your door behind you and your sons, why? The solution is in the secret place of the Lord ). Pour oil into all jars and fill each of the jars: that is, make full use of God’s given potentials and do not underestimate the mighty power of God (See 2 Kings 4:1-7).

Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7)

Believe The Lord & Receive

The widow believed the prophet’s word, she did as instructed, and she was able to pay the debt and prospered. But note, the oil only stopped when they had no more jar to pour the oil. You can only receive from the Lord according to your ability. Remember, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (see Romans 8:11).

Your challenge might be different from this widow, but the answer to all desires remains the same. Spiritual growth, grace to work with Christ daily in truth, health, finance, family, marriage, career, promotion, peace, joy, etc. are all in one source. The Word of God the power of God. You only need to do what the widow did, she believes in the Lord, and she was established; she believed His prophet, and she prospered (See Proverbs 3:5-6, 1 Thessalonian 5:24).

2020 has been a challenging year, But I pray that 2020 shall end in praise for you and your family. In Jesus’ mighty name.

December 7, 2020 0 comment

Faith

Position Yourself to Receive; You are Designed for Greatness!

by Jim Leamon October 26, 2018

written by Jim Leamon

“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring.” (Isaiah 44:3)

Recently my wife Kathy and I stayed at a well known hotel chain. Kathy prepares raw food dishes when we travel. Hence, a kitchenette is a necessity for a raw vegan on the road. On this trip her need for a kitchenette would position us for a new life lesson from God.

To clarify, the kitchen sink in our room was a major source of frustration. The faucet poured water onto the counter instead of into the sink basin. The neck of the faucet wasn’t long enough to place the spout over the sink. Or the hole cut in the granite wasn’t deep enough to allow the water cascading from the faucet above to land in the basin. Regardless the sink was not operating effectively. Water poured directly out onto the counter top instead of into the sink.

But the sink design wasn’t faulty. The drain functioned properly. Any water that found the bottom of the sink was whisked efficiently down the drain. If the hole was cut larger it would accommodate the faucet in its current position. But the granite was cut to match the outline of the sink. Thus, any change to the hole size in the granite would also require a new larger sink.

The design of the faucet was also fine. It was a problem of position, not design. The designer would doubtless be frustrated to see his faucet rendered useless. By default, the sink was also unusable. The root of the problem was execution, not design.

You Were Designed for a Purpose

Looking at the sink, I wondered how disappointed God must be when we ignore His plan for our lives? Many of us, like the faucet were designed with a purpose in mind but operate far below the plans our designer intended. Personally, I’ve wasted years of my life on useless things that are of no value to my life purpose. Being out of position can be costly.

The great cellist Pablo Casals was a man that passionately pursued his purpose. At the young age of 11 he decided to dedicate himself to playing the cello and did so until his death at 97. As a young boy, he practiced Bach’s cello suites for 13 years before he would play them publicly. He reportedly practiced five and six hours per day up into his 90’s. When asked at 95 why he still practiced so many hours daily after being recognized as the greatest cellists of his time, he responded, “I feel that I am making daily progress.”

My prayer is that all of us would make daily progress in drawing closer to God and our Purpose! May we all approach the Living God with the same commitment and passion Pablo Casals did with his cello. You may never have asked Jesus to save you, or you may have fallen away. No matter how far you’re currently away from God, His grace is still available to you today! Call out to Him and ask for forgiveness to restore or establish your position in Him! If you do know Him then answer the call to run hard after Him daily. The Lord has promised to pour water on him who is thirsty! Stretch your neck out if you need to but make sure you are in position to receive!

October 26, 2018 0 comment

Faith

God Loves It When We Ask Him for Things! Have You Ever Noticed How Often Jesus Mentioned This?

by Beth Jones April 17, 2017

written by Beth Jones

There’s this crazy thing about God – He loves it when we ask Him for things!

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:11

Have you ever noticed how often Jesus mentioned the word “ask”?

Jesus tells us – that God loves to give good gifts – to whom? To those who ask! He said, “Ask and you shall receive…” There is something about “asking” that God likes. The Lord wants us to ask Him for good things! James tells us that “…we have not because we ask not….” Perhaps asking puts us in a place of dependence on the Lord, rather than being self-sufficient or presumptuous. When we ask God for something, it’s a humble acknowledgment that we are needy and He is our good and benevolent Father – willing to give us the things we desire.
Think about it, God is a good Father! He’s more generous than the very best human father we could think of. The Lord is not a withholder. He’s not stingy. Like any loving human father enjoys giving good things to his children, our Heavenly Father is that much more giving. In fact, the Bible tells us that God our Father is love and love gives. That means by His very nature, God is a loving giver.
Sadly, many people don’t know much about God’s love or willingness to answer our prayers generously. Even fewer seem to know how to cooperate with Him in faith, by asking. Some people feel guilty or selfish when they ask God for things. Don’t shrink back from asking. God wants us to ask for things according to His will, which is His Word. Listen to this amazing promise: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Are you getting stirred up about asking God for the things on your heart?

Here are a few more verses to meditate on today, and then – just ask!    ”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-8

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” John 15:7
“Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My Name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20   ”In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name. Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” John 16:23-24

Get the idea? Go ahead – just ask!

Say This: “Father, I am going to spend some time in Your Word. I ask You to saturate my heart with Your Word and Your will. I have been negligent on ‘asking’ – so I am going to get busy ‘asking’ You for things! I believe You will be glorified and my joy will be complete! I thank You in advance for answering my ‘asking.’ In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

April 17, 2017 0 comment