Posted by Pastor Bruce on May 3, 2010
What is greater than all sin?
Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. – 1 Peter 4:8 AMP
The love of God is greater than all sin! Jesus’ love for us and in us will conquer any and every wrong.
1 Corinthians 13 says that one aspect of love is that it never fails and never quits (it never gets to a place where it gives up) Sure there are times where we want to give up but instead of giving up we would “tap into” the love of God on the inside of us…we would receive the strength that it takes to love and win!
The opposite of cover is expose. Love does not expose sin. It is not our job or calling in life to go around shining a light on every one’s sin to expose them. (we don’t go to the other extreme and pretend as though sin doesn’t exist either…) By “covering sin” the Bible means that we forgive, forget and look past the sin of others in order that we keep ourselves from judging and criticizing those that we see in sin. Jesus ministered to the woman that was caught in the act of adultery by saying “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” There is no condemnation in Christ. Operate in the extreme love of God and release people from their sin. Allow the love of God on the inside of you to cover sin not expose it.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on March 4, 2010
Face it, God would not ask you to do something that you could not do.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Phillippians 4:13
Following God requires that you walk in His strength. His strength in us is His ability flowing through us by His Spirit.
There is nothing that you can not do that God is leading you to do.
For example, from His Word we can see that it is His will for us to love our spouse and our family. This can not be done through our own strength, it requires the power of God working in us. He does not expect us to fulfill His supernatural will with our natural means. Through God we can do all things.
You may feel like you can not do what you know that you should and what you know that God is asking you to do, but remember:
- God is just and can not ask you to do something that you can not do
- He wants you to rely on Him and His strength to do all that you must do
Don’t say that you can’t because through Him and with His strength, you can! Rise up in the power of His might and show all those around you that you can do it! Declare I CAN DO ALL THINGS through HIM!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 26, 2010
What do you do when fear “comes-a-knocking”?
Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ” – Isaiah 44:8 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27 NKJV
Do you accept fear as just something that is natural and something that helps us recognize danger? (This is what is being taught to the Body of Christ in these days…and it is absolutely from the enemy!) Fear is not now (and has never been) from God to help us in any way. It is a spirit that attempts to steal, kill and destroy! 2 Timothy says that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind!
You have the choice to reject fear! The Spirit of God in us is more powerful than any fear that is coming against us and as we resist the devil he MUST flee.
We have authority according to Matthew 18 and we can bind thoughts of fear and command them to leave in Jesus Name. We choose to take the Word of God (which is our sword of the Spirit) and run off every thought of fear that the enemy throws our way. We choose to dwell on the Word of God and think on the things that are in line with the Word and the peace of God begins to guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus. It develops a shield over us that fear cannot penetrate. Say out loud with your mouth, “No fear here!”
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 24, 2010
Ever felt like giving up?
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. – Acts 2:42 (KJV)
We all have the opportunity everyday to quit, run and hide. BUT we must continue steadfastly!
Continue in: 1) The Word – Read, study and meditate the Word of God as much as you can daily. 2) Fellowship – Get involved in a local church where iron sharpens iron and your church family can exhort you. 3) Breaking of bread – Receive communion – the Lord’s Supper – regularly, at home and at church. 4) Pray – without ceasing and before you do anything. Give yourself to prayer, listen to the voice of God.
It is our job to continue. To continue steadfastly means to make a choice to do what you know to do. God can only give you the strength to do what you have determined in your heart to do and then begin to move toward it. Don’t sit down in the mully grubs and whine and complain, get up, dust yourself off and get moving! Re-focus, re-fuel and get moving towards all that God has for you! Jer. 29:11 You can do more than you ever thought you could do but you must CONTINUE!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 19, 2010
Study must become a habit.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Tim 2:15 (KJV)
Growing up spiritually does not happen naturally, it requires a great deal of time and attention. The responsibility of knowing Him and growing up in Him is ours. We have been given His Word and He took great effort to get it to us. If we completely comprehend how much value there is in the Word of God each of us would become totally devoted to the study of God’s Word. (This responsibility is not just for people who are in the ministry)
“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed…” – Acts 17:11-12
Giving yourself to the Word of God produces a faith in God that is necessary to accomplish the will of God. Daily is key. Feeding from the Word daily, searching and pouring over the Word brings you face to face with the Author, the Holy Spirit. He is the One that takes us by the hand and leads us into a deeper understanding of the truth. He opens our eyes to show us things that we have never seen before.
We become approved by God by studying the Word enough that we handle the Word with confidence and boldness. Get deeper in the Word and watch it transform your life.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 10, 2010
Feeling faint?
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; – Luke 18:1 (KJV)
When we reach out in faith and begin believing God for something that He has promised us the number one thing that the enemy wants us to do is to give up, give in, faint and quit. He knows that if we stay in faith and operate patience that we will receive the promise of God everytime! (Heb 10:36)
We must continue to thank God each time that we think about what we have prayed and believed that we receive. (Mark 11:24) The “you shall have them” time will take “some time”…it could be a day or it could be a year. The time part is not in your control and should not affect your “standing in faith”.
The way not to faint is to “keep the switch of faith ON” like Abraham.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. – Romans 4:19-21 (KJV)
Giving glory to God is the same as thanking God for the answer before you see things change in the natural realm. The highest kind of prayer is worshipping God for who He is in your life and every situation in your life! If you are feeling faint, don’t sit down or lay down stand up throw your head back and praise God with every bit of strength that you have left. God will begin to strengthen you with His might and you will be made strong in faith!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 4, 2010
Dealing with opposition? Is his name Goliath?
Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’S, and he will give you into our hands. – 1 Sam 17:45-47 (KJV)
There was once a young man named David that faced a giant named Goliath. The odds were totally against him and everything in the natural pointed to David’s defeat. By all outward appearance he was doomed before the battle started.
But God…
God was for him! David had God on his side and he was convinced that he had all that he needed to show all the earth that the God of Israel was the only true God! David knew in whom he had trusted and that God was well able to empower him for victory.
If you are facing a giant right now, don’t look at the size of “Goliath”, instead look at the size of God and begin to get bold! Stand in the armor of God and declare that “since God is for me then no one or nothing will defeat me. I will win because greater is He that is in me than he that is against me. I walk in victory because I walk in the faith of God. The battle is the Lord’s and He wins everytime. I am on His side and therefore I win everytime!”
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 27, 2010
You have authority whether you use it or not.
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 18:18 NKJV
Jesus gave us authority to bind and to loose. This is one of the most powerful New Testament principles that we have as born again believers. When we realize this there is no excuse for allowing the enemy any ground in our lives or our families. We are held accountable and must be responsible.
It is always our “move”. There is always something that we can do. We take authority in the Name of Jesus and bind the works of the enemy, the lies of the enemy, the tactics of the enemy and command him to stop, to cease.
God has trusted us with His power, the Name of Jesus and His blood. What more do we need? We just need to begin to discover what we have and then use it, boldly! Resist the devil and he will flee…(play patti-cake and he will surely stay) Get aggressive and stand against him using the authority that you have been given.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 26, 2010
Be a winner every time…as you do what love would do.
Love never fails. – 1 Cor. 13:8
God will guarantee our success when we act like He acts. We act like God when we “walk in love”. 1 John 4:7-8 says that God is love and in Ephesians 5:1 we are told to be imitators of God as dear children (act like He acts). When we act like He acts we will experience the same success that He experiences. It is just that simple!
We were made to win, every time. And we can win every time.
Our daily goal should be to win by saying everything that we say in love. Our prayer should be, “Lord show me the right thing to say each and every moment today so that I will constantly manifest the love of God in every situation.” The reason that we do not walk in the love of God more is because we do not expect to. By giving voice to your desire to walk in love, it begins to involve the Lord and the power of His love more in your life. You are opening the door so to speak.
Also, our daily goal should be to win by doing all that do motivated by love. Judging our actions before we act to see if they line up and conform to the love commandment will keep us from losing and failing. We are destined to win as we love like Jesus loves!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 22, 2010
Sitting still?…waiting to die?
Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? – 2 Kings 7:3 NKJV
And now the rest of the story…These four lepers got up and went into the city and the Lord supernaturally caused their enemies to flee! They took back all that the enemy stole (and then some) all because they refused to sit around until the died. They got up and went toward the problem and God caused the problem to flee! Action will put the enemy on the run.
It is important that we pray. (most important) But after we pray we must put feet to our faith and get up and move. The power of God could not part the Red Sea until Moses stretched out the rod over the waters. We have a part to play and God can not (and will not) do our part for us.
Do something lest you do nothing. Begin to move toward the answer in faith even if you do not see the end result. God will make a way where it does seem like there is one. (He loves doing the impossible!) Trust Him, obey Him, get up and move. Don’t wait for your life to pass you by, jump up, dust yourself off and get moving. God created us to move and grow and go. He said GO into all the world and preach the Gospel. If you are going to go then you have to rise up and move out. Quitters never win and winners never quit! Keep moving and God will dispel your enemies before your face!
