Praying that you had a happy and productive week! If not, you can do it this week. Life is so very precious and you should enjoy every minute.
The Bible says, "Every charge must be confirmed by two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1 (Voice) Meaning that we should get confirmations from more than one source. It has been so refreshing to get responses to my Happy Sunday emails. Many times, what I share is similar to what friends and family heard in their own churches. This week and many weeks, the messages I listened to during the week are right on track with what Dr. Winston ministers.
Dr. Bill Winston continued his series entitled, "The Power of Love", with the subtitle, "Possessing Your Mountain". God has placed you in the world with a special mission and purpose. Nobody can do exactly what you were designed to do. You've probably heard the expression, "Easily imitated, never duplicated". You are unique. You are special. God loves you so much. Part of possessing your mountain is understanding how much you are loved. The Apostle Paul wrote, "And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you. With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of." Ephesians 3:18-20 (Easy-to-Read Version)
After we understand the Love of God, we have to be willing to receive that love. That's where we run into trouble. We've been taught and listened to songs that say we are nothing but lowly worms. We've been trained to see ourselves as old sinners saved by grace. Yes, we were retched, ruthless, and reckless sinners before we were saved by the finished work of Christ. But now we are new creations, we are the righteousness of God, and we are holy! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."(KJV)
Part of knowing and receiving the Love of God is trusting God. Exodus 16 tells the story of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. They blamed Moses for bringing them out into the desert to die. They remembered the food in Egypt as if it was fine dining. God told Moses he would rain down bread from heaven each morning. They were commanded to only collect what they needed for that day. Some of the people did not trust God and collected more than a days supply and it rotted and stank. Verse 20 says, "But some people ignored Moses and tried to keep some of it until the next morning. Overnight it became wormy and started to have a dreadful smell. Moses became furious with them because they had disobeyed God’s instructions." (Voice) What can we learn from this? Good question. God's Word is true. He can be trusted. Give him the opportunity to bless you. The model prayer in Matthew 6:11 says, "Give us this day our daily bread." (KJV) Later in that same chapter, Jesus said, "So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!" Matthew 6:25-30 (Easy-to-Read Version)
Believing the Love, Receiving the Love, Sharing the Love...love and prayers, Cynthia
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