-Recognizing God's Power

--Recognizing God's Power~~

--HARRY HOUDINI the great escape artist earned his fame by escaping handcuffs, prison cells, and all manner of contraptions designed to confine him. He boasted on numerous occasions that no jail cell could hold him. He had never failed. He always escaped.

Well, almost always.

Urban legend says that on one occasion Houdini entered a cell as he usually did, wearing his street clothes. The authorities shut the cell behind him and left him. Alone, he did what he had done so many times before: he pulled a thin but strong piece of metal from his belt, he began working the lock. But this time the cell wouldn't open. The lock would not yield. He worked feverishly, applying his amazing knowledge of locks and their mechanisms to the task. Two hours later, in frustration and failure, he gave up. The lock simply would not yield. The Great Houdini had finally failed.

-Why? What went wrong?

--'The guards had forgotten to lock the cell.'
All he needed to do was to push open the cell door. The only place the door had been locked was in Houdini's mind.

Sound familiar? Think of those trying so hard to find the power of God for their lives, seeking method after method for unleashing God's power but never quite able to pick the lock behind which the power of God must surely reside. Finally, in frustration they quit, assuming that somehow the power is too elusive, meant for some select few, or for people in the distant past, or only accessed through some method they cannot figure out.

It is no small thing for disciples of Jesus to admit that they do not experience the power of God in their lives. It is, in a way, humiliating. Yet, promises of power are woven inextricably throughout the New Testament, reminding us of the resource God has provided every Christian--the One resource necessary to live victoriously.
--Our Victory is found in Jesus Christ.

--"Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world?
Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
--1 John 5:4-

--The Battle Between Faith and Worry

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
--(Philippians 4:6)

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you ever worry? Don’t look around and point your finger at someone else. Do you ever worry—even the least little bit? And yet the Bible so clearly tells us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything.

There are really only two classes of things for which we ought not to worry: those things we cannot do anything about and the things we can do something about. The best thing you can say about worry is that it is useless. The worst thing you can say about it is that it dishonors God.

--ACTION POINT:
-Worry is the opposite of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
--Adrian Rogers~~

--The Lord is Risen!

The truth of Jesus’ victory over death is able to keep us from despair as we hear reports of these and other despicable acts presently unfolding in this troubled world. One day, the resurrected Christ will right every wrong and bring to justice all who schemed with Satan to perpetrate such crimes upon His beloved Church.

While the great tribulation may be very close, closer still is the resurrected Christ who refuses to be separated from those He has redeemed with His own precious blood.

When the Apostle John inquired about “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes,” one of the elders answered him: “These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Be assured that the resurrection of Christ offers hope not only to the martyrs but to every believer in all circumstances.

Hold on, dear Christian warrior! Stand firm in your faith, and always remember the words of Jesus: “Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Jesus, the resurrected Christ, is coming soon!
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--(Read the entire article. Jesus is ALIVE! He is risen indeed!)
<http://www.thevineandbranches.org/index.cfm/features/the-lord-is-risen-indeed/>
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-CEASE STRIVING/ TRUST IN THE LORD ~
---(Please Read: Matthew 11:28-30)

--We have all experienced temptations, trials, and suffering at some point in our lives. Even as Christians—and sometimes specifically because we are Christians—we must endure pain, whether through loss, bankruptcy, unemployment, or a broken relationship. While no one is immune to hard times, believers are empowered through the Holy Spirit to endure periods of struggle.
Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” The King James Version uses the expression “be still,” indicating that our best response to disappointment is to trust in the heavenly Father.

How humbling it is to know that as God’s children, we have a direct line of communication to our Father, even in the midst of trouble. We don’t have to respond like the world, out of a heart filled with anger, depression, or revenge. Nor do we have to fix everything in our own strength. Sure, we will still be tempted by the flesh. But as we “cease striving,” we’ll learn to trust in God more and more each day.

The truth is, hardship not only forms our character but also reveals it. One common response to difficult times is anger. In moments of frustration, we run the risk of making impulsive decisions that could impact the rest of our life. But instead of getting caught up in the emotion, we should wisely be still and trust in the One who can work everything for our good (Rom. 8:28).

In this world, troubles won’t vanish (John 16:33). But when storms are brewing on the horizon, buckle up and trust God to guide you through. Only in Him can you truly cease striving. ~~
--IN TOUCH~~
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight." ~~~

--WERE THE DISCIPLES LIARS?

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.”
---- (1 Corinthians 15:15)

It’s one thing to be mistaken; it’s another thing to be a false witness. Were the disciples liars when they said Christ was risen? Were they deceivers? If so, why would they lie? People usually lie in order to gain something. But what gain did they have if Jesus Christ was still in the grave?

They died as martyrs. They were tortured, persecuted, and burned at the stake. They reddened the mouths of lions, were stoned, crushed, and humiliated. Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff. People tell lies to get out of trouble, not to get into trouble. A man may live for a lie, but few, if any will willingly die for a lie.
No, they did not lie. Jesus Christ has indeed risen as they said!

If someone were to ask you, “What proof do you have that Jesus Christ really rose from the dead?”—what would you answer them? Are you prepared with a well-thought-out, logical answer?

--Adrian Rogers~~
-"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
--(Ephesians 2:8-10)
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -(John 14:6)~
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"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
--(Hebrews 11:6)

-"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)

-"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
--(Hebrews 11:1)