“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)
In the preceding verse the Apostle Paul alludes to gifts that the believers in Corinth had already promised to give. These were not gifts that were to be exacted by the Apostles upon those at Corinth, but rather these were “free will” offerings that the believers at Corinth had already promised. The Apostle Paul was communicating a principle here which is simply stated that “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6 ESV).
To be ultra clear, this is not a magic formula that if you do this you get that. I think it is often misused to increase financial gifts in error by those who simply seek to enrich themselves. However, just as some carry it too far in the direction of money multiplication, it would be equally erroneous to deny the truth herein. What you get out of your Christian walk is directly proportional to what you put in. You can skate by on the grace of God, but why would you want to? God loves a cheerful giver, and if you give reluctantly it is my belief that God does not desire that gift, because it is not really a gift if you give with reluctance or out of obligation.
Sadly, seed principle giving has been twisted from the cheerful giver who gives prayerfully and according to their means, to begrudging, guilt ridden giving, or giving that is born out of greed in that the giving comes out of a desire for what is expected to be multiplied in return. Both are wrong attitudes. The focus on giving is on the gift; it is not a gift if you expect a return. Not that there is anything wrong with a return, but does this promise that the return is always financial? No, it does not. It promises that if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, but if you sow bountifully you will reap bountifully. I know for a fact that sometimes the most bountiful harvest is in fact the joy we get from giving. So I encourage you all to give prayerfully, with consideration and according to your means. You will never ever out give God, period. I will share a verse that illustrates this point.
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” (Malachi 3:10 ESV)
You cannot outgive God, period. If you want to see bountiful harvests then sow bountifully, but do so as a cheerful giver who leaves the return harvest in the hands of the Almighty God. Besides God will always bless us better in every way than we could ever hope to.
Father, I pray that the praise of the Lord will always be in our hearts, and upon our lips. May we bring glory and honor to You always, in everything we do. Lord, help us to give with the right attitude, and with good and pure motivations. Let us sow in abundance, expecting a return but not forgetting that it is You that is the Sovereign God, and not us. Let us leave the return to You, and the harvest in Your hands. We will surely be busy enough with the giving if it is done with joy and cheer, that we can leave the harvest in Your hands where it belongs until You entrust it to us. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. I ask these things in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” James 1:22-24 (ESV)
We live in a time where everyone does that which is right in their own eyes. We have people who claim to believe in Christ and in the Gospel, yet they pervert the truth of the Word and insist that we can be partakers in some hyper-grace movement that allows us to live as we want to live, to be hearers of the Word and not doers. Nothing could be further from the truth! James faced this very same problem in his day, and the Holy Spirit speaks to the faithful of all ages through the words of this little book which gives the believer such wonderful insight into the practical walk with God in Christ Jesus.
In the preceding verses, James had just addressed those who were slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to get angry. Just as in our day, James faced people that were so wrapped up in themselves and in what they thought and what they felt that they missed the more elemental points of the faith. While many spend great amounts of time investigating words and doctrines and origins of teachings, the more necessary and elementary teachings of salvation and repentance and a call to holy living are ignored and sometimes even taught against. The reason is that they cannot have the Lord and the pleasures of the world, yet they want to be hearers and partakers in the promises of the Word, yet they do not want to partake in the doing of the Word. One cannot partake in the promises of the Word, if the do not partake in the Word by allowing it to work in and through their lives by doing what is commanded. We must not be deceived — if we want the benefits of Jesus and the promises of His Word we have to be all in. There are no part-time positions available in the Kingdom. We must be both hearers and doers. Our doing is not what gets us into Heaven, that is God’s grace. Our doing is, simply put, the proof that we believe what we are hearing. James addressed those who were being hearers in his age to be doers as well. He encouraged us in the preceding verses to shift our thinking and become quicker to hear, slower to speak, and slower to get angry.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:19-21 (ESV)
We cannot focus on ourselves so much as though we look in a mirror and do not allow the Word to change us and identify who we truly are in Christ. The Word is a mirror — who is it reflecting in your life? Who are you looking for in its reflection, yourself or Jesus? Do you want to see more of Jesus in your life or more of yourself?
Be a doer of the Word, not simply a hearer. Seek Christ, and who you are in Him; therein is the real power of life — in the knowledge of who you are in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Father, we praise Your mighty and holy name and the name of Jesus. Lord, empower us to be doers and not simply hearers. Let us not be deceived by those who would have us to believe we do not have to obey your Word. Lord help us to be obedient and righteous servants, for Your Glory and Honor. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. I ask that You bless those who labor in and support this ministry. I ask this in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21 (NKJV)
We make lots of plans in our lives. Many spent time coming up with New Year’s resolutions, but how many of us actually followed through with them? We make all kinds of plans in our hearts, but it is not those plans that last, it is the counsel, or purpose, of the Lord that stands.
What we do in life matters, and as human beings we want to plan for our future, even if we do not write those plans down. Our heart has its goals, and those goals are often changing. It is a good thing that the Lord’s purposes and His counsel stands and does not change like our plans.
God’s Word is the anchor for our life. We know we need wise counsel for life, but how many of us seek it in His Word? As believers it is not as if we see things from an unbelieving perspective, but sometimes it appears as though we behave as if we are unbelievers. We know TRUTH, and we know it is found in the written Word of God. We know that the written Word of God is infallible and perfect in every way, yet how many of us who profess to believe in God actually read our Bibles? How many of us actually have read our Bibles completely through? We must be in the pages of HIS story if we want to be anything other than a footnote in history. You cannot live an effective life for Christ apart and outside of the Word of God, you just cannot do it.
We must seek Wise Counsel! It is time that believers develop a hunger for the Word of God. We must go beyond a desire for just the milk of the faith as though we are newborn babies. We must seek out the meat and potatoes of the faith, piece by piece and bite by bite. If you have not read your Bible through, I encourage you to do so. We must go through the Word of God daily. I encourage you to be in your Bible every day. Start the day out in the Word. You do not have to start with an aggressive reading such as trying to tackle the Bible in ninety days. You can start with a Bible reading plan that will get you through the entire Bible in one year. I am going through the plans, the Bible in 90 days and the Bible in a year on YouVersion’s Bible app. You can find me on there. After I finish the plans I will likely start again but invite you to join me this time. If you set aside just as little, and I am not encouraging you to ever offer God your least, time as fifteen minutes you could have the entire Bible read in a year.
In this life I cannot guarantee you much. What I can guarantee is that Jesus is Lord, and if you have a relationship with Him your life will radically and dramatically change. I can guarantee that God will never leave you or forsake you if you truly are SURRENDERED to Him. I can guarantee that reading your Bible daily will absolutely change your life. I can guarantee that you have many plans in your heart, many of which will not last or even see the light of day. I can guarantee you that what will last is the Counsel of the Lord. Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life? Have you SURRENDERED FULLY to JESUS? If not, today is the day, now is the appointed hour. You can always reach out to us privately and confidentially. We are here for you if you would like to know more about salvation or want someone to pray with you.
Father, we praise Your mighty name! Lord, and we ask You to place a severe hunger and thirst for Your Word in our HEARTS. Give us a burning desire to want to know You intimately and deeply and earnestly. Lord bless all who read, hear, and share these words. Bless those who receive them with peace and full acceptance. Bless all those who labor in this ministry for Your glory, honor, and purposes. Counsel us, Lord. In Jesus’ MIGHTY name I pray, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10 ESV)
What a marked contrast from how we view things in this world. It is almost an unspoken rule in politics and society that being dishonest is acceptable. It is not acceptable, not even a little in God’s eyes. We treat it as if it does not matter, but it matters to many people, and more importantly it matters to God.
We can fall into the trap of thinking that we do not need to be faithful with the small things, as if the small things do not matter. I would like to share an anecdote my grandfather used to tell me about the importance of the penny. He said: “If you watch out for your pennies, your dollars will take care of themselves”. What Grampie Jim meant was that if you’re faithful in how you handle the little things, you will not have to worry about the larger things as the faithfulness and diligence you showed in watching your pennies would cause dollars to just pile up. It also means that if we spend wisely with the smaller we will certainly spend wisely with our dollars. This illustrates to me that we will be faithful in whatever we do that is big if we are faithful in the small and that is exactly what today’s verse is talking about.
Are we faithful in the small things God asks us to do? How we handle what God asks us to do, that we consider small, will determine how we handle bigger things for the Lord Jesus. Everyone wants to reap of the blessings of the Lord and do the socially noteworthy work of God to partake of its benefits. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to be faithful in sowing the little seeds of faith in our daily conversations. We may figure it is no big deal to be dishonest, we may not even see it as being dishonest, and remain silent about our faith. We could faithfully sow seeds of truth in every situation. We could boldly proclaim the power of the Gospel, not because of our boldness but because of the boldness of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who dwells within us.
As believers we know that there is one way to God, the Bible tells us so, why then are we unfaithful in sharing that? Not to say that is a little thing, because it is not. We hold the key to eternal life, yet we watch people blindly walk of the edge of life every day and do and say nothing about it. We have been conditioned to be so fearful of offending people, that we actually have lost the whole point of loving them as Christ loved us. You can love someone and tell them the Truth. You cannot love them and withhold the Truth. You may feel that you are not a big evangelist with thousands of people following you, but you hold just as much power to radically and dramatically change lives for the Kingdom. If in fact the Living God Christ Jesus dwells in you the power that created the universe is in you! Nothing can stop you except yourself. Fully surrender to the Father by accepting Christ Jesus today! Be faithful in what God gave you, because when He gave us Jesus He gave us everything. Jesus is not a way, He is the way!
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)
Father, I praise Your mighty name and I ask that You would touch each and every one of us right now. Lord, turn our hearts to You through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior! Align our minds with your Word, and our will with Your Will! Sanctify our lips and our speech Lord that we might lead others to salvation in Christ and not to destruction. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. Bless all who labor for this ministry and support and pray for it. Help us all to be faithful in the little things, that we might prove faithful in the big things even as Your Word says. In Jesus’ MIGHTY name I pray, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” Psalms 105:1-2 (ESV)
How do people know about Jesus unless we preach His Gospel? Some people say that they are not called to preach, and while they may not be called to be a pastor, the fact is all are called to preach and to make disciples of Christ. The Great Commission given by our Lord and Savior is found in Matthew 28:19-20 and says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We do not have to go and preach the Gospel and make disciples in our own power, nor should we, but we do have to obey this Great Calling that we are all called to. Fortunately, the preceding verse assures us that we do not have to do this of ourselves. “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Because all authority in Heaven and earth is given to Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can bodly “Go therefore into all the world preaching the Gospel” because we go in the power and authority which Christ has, and that He has commissioned us with to carry out the work of preaching the Gospel.
How can people know Jesus if they do not hear the Word preached? The book of Romans assures us that we must preach or people will not hear the Gospel. “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14)
Today’s verse reminds us that we are to “give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” The work of preaching is not all done from behind a pulpit as we have been conditioned to believe. The work of preaching is done in our praise of God, our proclamation of His deeds and wonderous works, even in our thanks to Him. The Gospel is preached far more by how we live, act, and in what we say in the presence of others than it is from the pulpits. We have been conditioned (by design of our adversary, in my opinion) to believe that being effective means title, authority, and numbers. Nothing could be further from the truth. It has always been my belief that with modern technology we could see revival sweep the world in less than a week, and probably in one day if the body of Christ actually engaged in the fight and lived as Christ lived. Even Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. “”Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
How is that possible? How can we do greater works than Jesus did? It is possible when we surrender our body to THE body of Christ and become the hands, feet, and mouth of God. Rather than allowing the sinful and lost world to define what it means to be a Christian, why do we not allow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to define what it means to be a Christian. You do not take years to pull someone from a burning building — you yank them from the flames! Why then do we allow fear and intimidation to rule the day and keep us thinking that we have to just keep living in secret as if somehow our neighbors will get the Gospel through osmosis? People will never just absorb the Gospel you hide in your heart, but they will hear the Gospel you boldly proclaim, and they will see the Gospel that you unapologetically live out.
We have to realize that if we love JESUS we must obey Him. If we say we love people, how can we be silent? We need not believe that we have to be an eloquent speaker to be effective;Moses was not and he even tried to argue that point with the very God who chose him! God chose you too! Just like Moses we are called to lead people out of bondage and slavery to sin by preaching the Gospel. Do you not believe that the God who spoke through Moses and parted the Red Sea, stabilizing water into two walls and forming dry ground so that the nation of Isreal might pass through the Red Sea, is capable of speaking through you and stabilizing your shaking voice and knees? God will hold you up! It will be Him that speaks in you and through you, you just have to let Him. The good news is that it gets easier as you obey, and it is His power that sustains you, not your own.
Who needs prayer today? Who needs the Gospel? Who is that person whose life is in flames and needs to be snatched out of the fire today? Who will do it if not you?
Father, I praise Your MIGHTY name. Lord, empower us to preach the Gospel today. Show us who needs You right now. Show us the approach to take and the words to say to connect with them. Empower us to proclaim the Gospel, to speak of your GREAT and wonderous works and to lift up the precious name of Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, wherever we go. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. Bless all who labor for this ministry and those who support us in prayer. In Jesus’ MIGHTY name I pray, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18 KJV)
If you have a broken heart today, be of good courage because God draws near to the brokenhearted! The good news is that even if you are broken today, you do not have to stay that way. God wants to see deliverance in your life, not just from brokenness and pain, but from everything that is weighing you down. The word contrite is defined as meaning: “Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.” That expression of remorse is called REPENTANCE. The Webster’s 1828, which is the standard for any serious student, says contrite is defined as: “Literally, worn or bruised. Hence, brokenhearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God; humble; penitent; as a contrite sinner.” While words may be used differently, that should never take away the true meaning they have, because words have power.
The words of this verse have power and they cut to the heart. They SCREAM into your brokeness, your pain, your guilt, shame, self-doubt, self-loathing, into whatever burdens sin has caused you to be ensnared by, and these words say “I the Lord am near to the broken hearted”. God is near to the brokenhearted for two reasons, in my opinion. Number one, God cares about all your hurts and needs. Number two, and most importantly, God is near to the brokenhearted because when you are broken you are no longer puffed up with pride and you are able to see your own pain, brokenness, and limitations. When you can see that it is a very short step to conviction of sin or to a contrite heart. God wants you to have a contrite heart because it causes you to be lead by that guilt or remorse into a repentant state wherein you pour the brokenness and sin out of your heart and allow God to pour Himself in. Salvation is a work of God; even repentance itself is a work of God in you. Allow the brokenness to shatter the darkness of your heart, the human heart condition and blood disease we call sin. Allow the brokenness to bring you to your knees and be real with God. You do not have to find God, He is right there with you; He has never been lost, it is we who have been lost. Cry out to God in recognition that it is He who, like a good shepherd, has left the ninety-nine and has come to find YOU, the sheep that has gone astray. Do not allow pride to get in your way. We all like sheep have gone astray the Bible says. None of us are righteous, no not one.
The Bible tells us a lot about salvation, but here is all you truly need to know to begin your walk with Christ today. We need to recognize the sin in our life, and turn from it. Literally tell God your sin and ask Him to take it away. He will.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 KJV)
Just cry out to God. You could say something like this:
Father, forgive me of my sin. I ask that You come into my heart and save me. Cleanse me of the wickedness and corruption and power sin has over me. Free me by the blood of Jesus which was poured out for me. I confess that Jesus is Lord and I believe that You raised Him from the dead that I might die with Christ and have new life through Him. Pour out Your Spirit into my heart; take me and remake me as You have always wanted me to be. Jesus, be my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’s PRECIOUS name I pray, Amen!
Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you SHALL be saved.
Are you broken, hurting, in pain, feeling lost, depressed, guilty, or dealing with shame and regret? The answer is a relationship with Christ. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, dive deeper into the Word and allow it to perform the necessary surgery in you! If you do not know Jesus, now is the time! Why cling to the sufferings and brokeness of this present age when you can have FREEDOM, HEALING, and RESTORATION now and everlasting life in Christ?
Father, I praise Your MIGHTY name, and I ask that You speak to the hearts of the broken today. Lord, I know what it is like to spend years, even more than a decade, broken physically and sometimes mentally and emotionally. However, Father, the worst is when we are spiritually broken. It is worse because it often brings the other forms of brokenness with it and because it leads to so much pain and condemnation, both here on earth and after we die. The biggest reason, Father, that spiritual brokenness is the worst is because You are right there the whole time, reaching out, speaking through even creation itself testifying that You are God and You want to deliver us. Spiritual brokeness is the worst because the consequences are eternal and the solution is so simple yet some refuse to just believe in You. The answer is simply faith in Christ and Christ alone. Heal the brokenhearted who come to You today by faith in Christ and empower them to do so. I thank You, Lord, for all things that You do. Bless us in Jesus’ precious and Holy name I pray, Amen.
If you have asked Christ into your heart today, reach out and let us know so we can encourage you.
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:6 ESV
Let’s be honest, too many of us want to exalt ourselves or we know some who do. If we say we have no issue with pride, we likely have an issue with lying. If we did not suffer with pride how would we explain the litany of sins in our life and in the lives of those who surround us. Pride permeates ever member of society in varying degrees. Some are delivered of past pride, some engage in current pride, some are bitter due to past pride of others or themselves, but all of us face the trap of slipping into the sin of pride like the pit that it is. We must guard against pride in our lives least we become like the devil whose pride caused him to fall.
Maybe the reason Christ tells us the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven must be least on earth is not merely a law governing the position of the Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, but a principle of protection from pride. Elevating ones own self never results in a good end. Even if you elevate yourself and achieve the title, status, riches, power or posessions you seek to achieve it comes at a cost you cannot bear. Why do you think there is such distinction and debauchery among most of the worlds rich and powerful? The elevation of ones self initiates the pitfalls of pride, which results in levels of sin that one could never have expected. The darkness of the heart that pride ushers in places blinders on the heart of man as well as on our eyes. We wickedly and wrongly think we are owed something in this life and we justify stepping on and stepping over others to achieve that which we think we are owed. If we are owed it in the first place why must we achieve it? Shouldn’t that be an indicator that we are not truly owed something if we have to step on others and exalt ourselves to posses it? If you want to be truly exalted surrender to Christ, for then it will not be you that is exalted but Christ in you for His Glory and Honor.
I would be remiss if I did not mention those in ministry here for the sake of reproof, correction, and edification as Scripture commands. To those in ministry, including myself, take heed that the position of influence is not misused. Some misuse their position for power and influence. Others misuse their influence for wealth and prosperity. Still others neglect their influence all together, as though they have a right to forsake the gift and calling to which God has called and gifted them with. I know there are times I could and should study a little harder for the benefit of those I have influence of as well as with my own walk with the Lord. If you cannot see some error in your life and in your ministry, even if it is that you have failed to pray enough then you likely are so blinded by pride you have no business in ministry. Some exhalt themselves to positions they were never intended to fill, perhaps this is why they exibit so much rampant carnality. Maybe it is a marker that God did not call them, rather than a falling of God to lead a man of God called for true purpose. I believe whole heartedly God will direct a true man of God, but that does not excuse us of recognizing we need not exalt ourselves. If God has called us for a purpose He will fulfil that purpose in our lives, He will exalt us at the proper time.
Take heed lest you fall brothers and sisters, let God exalt you when the time is right. He did not make a mistake, He has not forgotten about you.
Father, in the MIGHTY Name of Jesus I pray that we would see the areas of our life where pride has control, that we might surrender them to You. Lord, let us humble ourselves before You! Teach us to walk in humility and service to Christ and to our fellow man for the Glory and Honor of Jesus our Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/AliveMinistriesUSA) “send message” button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@Alive_USA), on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa), on Parler (@AliveMinistriesUSA), and our website at www.aliveministriesusa.com
“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” John 18:36-38 (ESV)
We live in a world where society says what is right and wrong, good and bad. Politicians, Hollywood, the media, and ‘pop culture’ tries to define truth in whatever way is convenient for their agenda at that time. We have turned our backs on God because of the hardness of our hearts, and exchanged His truth for a lie. We tell ourselves all sorts of feel good things because if we do not fan the flames of our wickedness constantly, we will burn down to the bitter ashes the enemy wants us to be instead of being on FIRE for God.
It is for this reason our society has tried to erase the existence of God, as if we could actually do such a thing. We have exchanged the government, which God and the founders gave to us, for a corrupt system of wickedness in which we reward lawlessness, corruption, and deceit. In our grand experiment, we have tried and failed to legislate morality. Not once, but over and over again. We have changed from God’s ways to our ways so that it can be more difficult not to offend people. We have become obsessed with our ever-growing infatuation with not offending anyone but Christians and those who stand in the defense of Christians and the nation God intended us to be. We spend every penny and nearly every waking moment worrying about either what people think or how to please ourselves or others. Little, if any, time or anything is allotted to God.
As humans, we establish our self worth based on what people think of us. Even those of us that are very strong and can blow off the criticism of others can be deeply wounded by what our friends and loved ones think of us. We think that we can live good lives and be rewarded by others for doing so in the form of respect and appreciation. Some of us try to live good lives because we should, yet we look to the world for guidance and a measure of success. Why do we look to the world and not to God? We want to live in this kingdom but have the power from God’s kingdom to enjoy the pleasures of this one.
How can we really know the truth when we see it? Sin has so corrupted every aspect of our being that it takes the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to us through God’s Word. It is the same reason you can read a passage over and over and it means something new every time while remaining the same truth it has always been! No matter how noble our intentions are, it is pride and arrogance that we are guilty of when we look to others for validation in our sense of self worth instead of God and His Word. When we look to others instead of God, we disobey His truth. No matter how noble and pure we think our intentions may be, if they contradict God’s truth they are evil and sinful. We live in a world where we think change can only be affected by us through our works and good intentions. We have even done all that we can to draw away from the fact that God is the creator and we are the creation.
Some will say: “But God created us to have free will, right?” “So only we can change our situation, right?” “We have to do the best we can for ourselves, right?” The danger about that way of thinking is we disarm ourselves just like the enemy wants. Yes, God gave us free will and He will let our choices play out. Yes, God wants us to have good lives, but not at the expense of a relationship with Him. We also have that same free will to choose to live and walk in the power that Jesus Christ has left for all of us (who choose to believe in Him) – the Holy Spirit.
The enemy wants us to talk about what WE can do instead of what GOD can do. He wants us to believe in the self-help nonsense. Self-help. Think about it. If you are having trouble, does it make sense to expect that you can fix the problems you created? I will tell you what, if you want strength and freedom – give up and give in! Give up yourself, your ways, your problems, and your weaknesses. Give in to Jesus, to His way, to His solution, and to His power!
Only Jesus can change you, help you, heal you, strengthen you, save you, and restore you! He does that through His Word, His Spirit, and His Body (other believers). Do not be comfortless in the wicked world of worry and shame because of sin. Do not give up hope or be powerless by believing the lie that God no longer works in us anymore.
Does your life revolve around trying to be the best for God and everyone else that you could be, yet it never is enough? Just the idea that we can live like that causes so much pain and heartache because you can never achieve that without Christ. Or does your life revolve around being obedient to God’s will in your life, which causes you to do good? There is a difference.
I had to accept that my worth has to be rooted in Christ’s righteousness and not in my own. As hard as it was for me to accept, God did not just see my intentions and forgive my actions. God sees all the heart and all the mind. He finds us all unworthy. Once I accepted that God was not wanting a relationship with me because of my worth, but because of His love for me, I found the freedom I had been looking for. Find your freedom in Christ today!
My worth is now based on the FACT that God robed Himself in flesh as Jesus Christ and died on the cross for my sins, to redeem me to Him, because I had value in His eyes, not my own. I fought the fact that I would have to throw out the way of thinking that I grown accustomed to. However, when you are faced with truth, what can you do? I always wondered what the answer would’ve been to Pilate’s question, “what is truth?”. Do you wonder that? Do you know what truth is? I know now that the truth is that the lies of the enemy and his system of judgment and condemnation, of questioning yourself and God, has been absolutely CRUSHED in Jesus Christ and the redemptive work He did for you and I on the cross.
Find out for yourself the power of freedom that exists for you in Jesus Christ! Let the Holy Spirit indwell you and fill you, empowering you to Always Live In View of Eternity to Understand and walk in your Spiritual Authority! Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. Commit to walking with Christ! Walking is an action, and you will need to take action. If you are expecting to have a light switch moment, you are going to be in for disappointment most likely. Very few times do I believe that happens. I think God wants us to take that step of faith. Peter walked on water because he had faith and he took action on that faith. Take action on your faith! Believe on Jesus and receive Him! Do not look to yourself or feelings and emotions to evaluate your walk – that is when Peter sank! Keep your eyes on Jesus Christ through His Word. Let His Spirit guide you in the TRUTH of HIS WORD!
Father God, let me take action today by believing that Your word is truth! I want to stand on the truth and live my life for Jesus Christ, empowered to speak His truth to others that they might know You. Father, help my self worth to be based on Your love and what I am worth to You, which is everything. Give us strength to break free of the bondage of condemnation and judgment. Free us of doubt and fear. Teach us your ways, Lord. I pray that You bless those who read this. Protect them and keep them safe. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship ALIVE Ministries USA
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 (ESV)
We live in a volatile time, there is no doubt about it. We must always remember what it says in Ephesians 6:12, “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”.
We must first identify our enemy, who we are fighting against, before we can decide what armor and weapons we will need. The Bible leaves no question about who we are at war with, “the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (v. 12).
Just as the Bible leaves no doubt about who we wrestle with, it also leaves no doubt as to what armor to take up against evil.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you will be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:13-18 (ESV)
Do not attempt to fight this fight alone. Take up the ‘whole armor of God’ and stand for Jesus Christ. Confess Him as Lord and Savior. Let Jesus equip you to fight life’s battles in His power, and with His armor!
Father God, I pray for the spiritual armor of God spoken of in Ephesians 6. Equip me to do battle for You, Lord Jesus. Train me in Your ways. Bless and protect all who read this post. Bless those who share it. Help us to resist the enemy in Your power, in Your strength, and in Your Armor, Jesus. Bless and protect us all. Bless Your ministry Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!
Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort!” What better way to begin today’s post than by praising God!
I noticed that the Apostle Paul said that God comforts us in “all” our afliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in “any” affliction. I found it interesting that God equips us through “all” of our affliction to comfort others in “any” affliction that they may be going through. This made me ask the question: How can we comfort someone going through anything based only on what we have gone through? I immediately realized that we can comfort those going through any affliction because we have the answer for “any” situation, and that answer is Jesus Christ.
We serve the God of all comfort — hallelujah! It does not matter if you’re suffering from a broken spirit, a broken back, a broken heart, a broken home, or a broken financial life; because, Jesus Christ is the God who comforts all, Jesus is the answer to your problem. I know some of you are thinking, “‘Jesus is the answer’, how cliche of him”. Let me assure you that Jesus is the answer, and let me ask you have you tried Jesus? I do not mean have you tried religion, because religion is of man and Jesus is of the Father. Religion will not help you — Jesus can. Religion cannot transform you into a new creation — Jesus can. Religion cannot wipe away every tear, but Jesus will. Do not let preconceived notions about Christ keep you from experiencing who He truly is, rather, experience Him for yourself.
For those who know Jesus, let us comfort others with the comfort which God has shown to us. Let us seek to bring the truth of the Father and the Son to all, so that they might receive the Son and experience life under the God of all comfort.
Father, I thank You that You are the God of all comfort. I thank You for sending Jesus to save us of our sins. I thank You that in the darkness of all my pain that Jesus has been my light and my strength. I thank You that You are the God of all comfort. Help us to comfort those who are hurting, especially those who do not know Christ. Father, I thank You for sustaining me through the difficult times in life. Bless all who read, hear and share these posts. Bless this ministry, Lord, for Your purposes. Help us to comfort the hurting in the knowledge and power of Jesus Christ. I ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen!
God bless you all, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
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