Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 25, 2010
Receive more grace for your race.
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1.] JUST THINK OF HIM Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. – Hebrews 12:1-3 AMP
Considering Jesus and what He did for us will quickly bring us up and out of any pity party! Verse 3 of Hebrews 12 says to think of Him so that we will not grow weary or exhausted…faint in our minds…
We must remember that He did all that He did (endured the shame of the cross) because of the joy that was set before Him. He empowers us with that same joy as we look to Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. That joy of the Lord is our very strength and He is the very source of our faith. God will do exceedingly abundantly above anything that we can ask or think ACCORDING TO the power that is at work within us! Let His power work within you today as you think about Him and consider what He did for you and realize that He lives in you!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 21, 2010
Plug into the power source.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, – Jude 1:20 NKJV
He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, … -1 Corinthians 14:4 NKJV
He has the power, we must tap in. The way that we tap in is to pray in the spirit. Praying in the spirit builds you up or energizes you from the inside. The Holy Spirit lives in us and empowers us as we yield to Him by praying in other tongues. (More on being filled with the Holy Spirit) Do you have to pray in an unknown tongue? No, but you get to, if you want more of His power! (The Lord will not make you do anything, but has made the baptism with the Holy Spirit available to all.)
The great thing is that we can choose at any time to hook up to the power source. He has made Himself available to us 24/7/365! He is ready, willing and able to strengthen us when we put ourselves in that “hook up” place by hooking up our spirit to His spirit. When we begin to give utterance and speak the words that He gives us, His power flows through us. The Apostle Paul said that when he prayed in the spirit that his understanding was unfruitful. (meaning that he did not understand with his mind what he was saying with his spirit, because it was not in a language that he understood.) There are times where it is to our advantage that we do not know what we are praying. But all the while we know that every time that we choose to pray in the spirit we are being charged up and connected to the power of God. Connect today…and power up!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on December 22, 2009
Joy to the world, the Lord has come!
“…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
Joy is a powerful thing. It is a spiritual force.
The angels said to the shepherds that they the news that they brought was GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY! The birth of Jesus brought JOY and GOOD NEWS! This tells me that we were created to be full of joy. When we get just a glimpse of Jesus and who He is – JOY comes!
We need the joy of the Lord because it strengthens us, and boy do we need His strength in these days. Joy comes from God and is part of the fruit of the spirit. It does not depend on outward circumstances because it comes from God and God is above all circumstances.
We must re-joice each day (have a new dose of joy). Getting deeper into the GOOD NEWS of Jesus brings the joy that we need and keeps us strong so that we can do His will. Dig in and go deeper in the things of God – rejoice! for unto us a Savior is born and He lives in reigns on the throne today!
Be filled with JOY!
