For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. 1 John 4:18 (AMPC) When it comes down to it, fear is just negative meditation. It’s simply the result of holding a negative picture in your heart. When you continually picture things, you don’t want to happen, all the emotions involved with that picture course through you. These emotions bring torment according to 1 John 4:18 (NKJV). However, fear can only torment you if you maintain the fear-filled picture. For example, if you receive a cancer diagnosis, you may begin to see yourself lying on a hospital bed filled with pain. You might picture …
It’s As Good As Done
Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. Matthew 21:21 (NKJV) Children do not need to know where the electricity comes from when they hit a switch. They just believe in it. That’s how your faith needs to be. Confusion, doubt and fear try to stop us from receiving what is ours. In Mark 9, we find the story of a man who brought his son to Jesus to be healed. This was the man’s request to Jesus: Have mercy on us and help us, if you can …
What Stops You From Believing?
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) Faith is not a function of your rational, analytical mind. Faith is a matter of trusting in Jesus. No matter what your experience or what you have heard, choose to trust Him at His Word. He will do what He says. Some are always wondering if they have attained the required level of faith to earn their miracle. They think they need to work up a certain emotional feeling or power. Faith is not like that. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ (NLT). Hearing the good news that Jesus earned all of …
What Is Faith?
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) Is your faith the denomination you belong to? Is it your belief in Jesus? Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (NKJV). Imagine a close friend becomes very wealthy and tells you they are buying you a new house. You are very excited because you know that you can trust them to keep their word. Immediately, you can already see yourself in your new house. Faith is much the same. It is seeing your answer to prayer before it actually happens and calling things which do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17, …
Dark Before The Dawn
[I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Hebrews 13:5 (AMPC) God is in the business of turning the darkest night into the brightest day. You may be facing a situation that seems hopeless, but there is always hope with God. God wants to be with you to help in absolutely every situation, no matter how dark it may seem. It is no accident that in Hebrews 13:5, God repeats Himself three times! He wants to get your attention. He will not let you down! Remember, just when the darkness seems that it will never end, the sun rises. In I Samuel 30, David faced …