Christians-Today Ministry

Some time after Jesus returned from being led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil for 40 days, he heard that John the Baptist was put in prison; so he returned to Galilee. He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew 4:17 tells us: From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

One day as Jesus was walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, he came across two brothers who were fishermen. These two brothers were to become disciples of Jesus. Here is what it says in Matthew 4:18-22:
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Notice that not one of these men hesitated to drop what they were doing to follow Jesus. Not only did they drop what they were doing, but they completely and immediately gave up their life as they knew it to follow Jesus. How could one explain why grown men would just simply walk away from the life they were accustomed to and surrender it to someone they barely knew… or did they actually know him? You see my friends, God’s chosen are not mere flesh and blood, they are spirit - living inside of flesh, waiting to return to the heavenly place that they came from. The bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:9-12:

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Christians do not just “stumble” upon their faith. They are actually drawn to God, with a calling that one recognizes only when the time is right. Jesus put it quite frankly in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

So therefore, the answer to the question that I asked previously: “…or did they actually know him?” is yes, they did actually know him. I suppose you are wondering “how” they knew Jesus. Quite often, the followers of Christ have been referred to as “Sheep” and Jesus himself, referred to as “Master”. As followers of Christ, we are his sheep and he is our Master; and If you know anything about sheep, you will understand that sheep will only respond to their master’s voice - because that is the one voice they recognize. When we are drawn by the Father (God) to follow Jesus, we will recognize our Master’s voice and in turn will instinctively drop whatever we are doing and follow him. Following Jesus means to put faith in our Savior, even though we cannot see him; but because we recognize his voice and obey, our crooked paths are made straight and our salvation is at hand.

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That’s right, God DOES have a plan for you! It says in Jeremiah 29:11-13:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

You see, God loves you so much that even before you were born, He had a plan for you. He had a plan to make you prosperous, a plan to protect you and keep you from harm and therefore giving you hope and a future. Although God had a plan for us from the very beginning, He also threw a “clause” in there. He gave us free will. He did not give us free will so that we might stray from His divine plans, but so that we would come to Him freely, willingly and by choice. Think about it. If God did not give us free will, how rewarding would it be for Him, if He were to force us to love Him, instead of giving us a choice in the matter? If you have ever loved somebody who did not love you in return, would it have made you feel any better if that person loved you, only because you forced them to? Wouldn’t you rather that they sincerely love you by their own free will? Well, that is how God feels about us. He would rather us love Him with the deepest sincerity and straight from the heart - and by our own free will.

Ok, now back to His plans that He has for us. Because He has given us free will, many of us have turned a blind eye to God. Many feel that their accomplishments are their own and that God had nothing to do with it. WRONG! God has everything to do with EVERYTHING! It is His exclusive right to allow any of the following: success, love, heartbreak, illness and failure in a person’s life, according to His will. Many of you might say that well, if in Jeremiah 29:11 He says He plans to prosper us and not to harm us; you have to stop and think about the choices you’ve made on your own, and decide if it was the choices you made that brought you harm, or was God using you for another purpose? Becoming a Christian isn’t always the easiest or most glamorous life to follow, but Jesus Christ’s road to the cross was not easy either; and he did it for US. Once you have decided to follow Christ, God will want you to become stronger and stronger, especially now, in the end times.

It says in Malachi 3:3: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Do you know how a silversmith refines silver? He takes the silver and holds it in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest, as to burn away all the impurities; keeping his eyes on the silver the entire time it is in the fire. If the silver is left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. Do you know how the silversmith knows when the silver is fully refined? It is when he can see his own image in it. This is exactly what God does with us. He puts us in the middle of the flames where it is the hottest - the whole time keeping His loving eyes on us and removes us not even a fraction of a second too late. This is what is meant by ‘times of trials’. Our trials are what makes us stronger and therefore, as time goes on, God is able to start seeing His own image in us; because remember, we were created in His image.

I suppose the point I am trying to make here, is that God has a plan for each one of us, and if we do what is right and seek God before all things, His plans will begin to unfold in our lives. However, as long as we are still living a sinful life and not respecting God or putting Him first, we may not begin to see those glorious plans. Matthew 6:33 says: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Personally, I would rather put God and His kingdom first, seek His righteousness, live obediently according to His Word, and discover the awesome life He has in store for me! Wouldn’t you?

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The Psalmist in Psalm 46:10 tells us:

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

So what do you think was meant by those words? Have you ever had a problem that no matter what you tried to do to resolve the problem - NOTHING WORKED? That no matter what resources you exhausted, the people you contacted or the money you tried to access to make things right - things still weren’t right? As Christians, God totally wants us to rely upon Him to do the “Impossible”. It is His way of loving on us and making us understand that “WE NEED HIM”. I have been in so many seemingly impossible situations in my life, that no matter what I tried to do to fix a problem, my hands were tied to the point that I was immobilized. I recall that during those times when I finally let go of my pride, let go of my independence and let go of my problem… and just LET GOD… Then, and only then, were the issues resolved. I can even recall a quite a few miracles taking place that would have been impossible for me to accomplish on my own.

God is the Author and the Finisher of Our Faith (Hebrews 12:2) and therefore, when there is a situation that we are dealing with that is either out of our league or out of our own control, just remember that God has it all under control because His plans are flawless. It says in Romans 8:28: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. In other words, what may seem like a catastrophe at the moment, may not be what it seems. God can take any bad situation and turn it around for the good.

Let me use one of my friends as an example. She was working at a job that was paying the bills “just fine” and her husband was working at a job that was “ok”. Her husband decided to go into ministry knowing that they could still ’survive’ off of her paycheck. My friend felt her job was secure, and trusting in the Lord, her husband went into ministry. Lo and behold, don’t you know that a short time passed and my friend’s job was in jeopardy; it turned out that she was to be terminated in a month’s time! She suspected that this could happen, but kept trusting that God would take care of everything. At first there was panic and worry, which is very normal under the circumstances but my friend knew that God’s plan for her would be sufficient, and although it was difficult to let it go and give it to God, she finally did - and a miracle took place! A couple of months prior to losing her job, my friend found a group “by chance” on the internet that travels all over the the United States and occasionally around the world singing and dancing in cultural shows. She had auditioned and was accepted part-time with this group, knowing that there wouldn’t be a lot of monetary compensation. She was having a great time, as it was something she had dreamed of doing her whole life, but figured there was no way she could earn a living from her “hobby”. Anyway, to make a long story short, something happened within the group she belonged to, where one of the artists (on the payroll mind you) had to leave the group for good… and guess what!?! It was my friend who was chosen to take her place. Right as her other job ended, she started her new career and is now traveling all over, singing and dancing and getting paid to do what she loves the most! God is so faithful to those who trust in him.

To sum things up, the next time you are faced with a problem that no matter what you do, it seems impossible to fix. . . That is when it is time to Be Still and KNOW that God is God, and leave it to Him to do the impossible. In Matthew 17:20 Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

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In Ephesians 6:11-13 it is Written:
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

So each and every day, as you get up in the morning, remember to put on the Full Armor of God before leaving the house. Here is how you can do this:

The Belt of Truth: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” Ephesians 6:14
The Shield of Faith: “In Addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16
The Sword of the Spirit: “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:14
The Helmet of Salvation: “Take the helmet of salvation…” Ephesians 6:17
Your Feet Fitted With the Gospel of Peace: “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Ephesians 6:15
The Breastplate of Righteousness: “…with the breastplate of righteousness in place….” Ephesians 6:14

TO PUT ON THE ARMOR OF GOD:

In the name of Jesus, I put on the whole armor of God, that I may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for I wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Therefore, I take unto myself the whole armor of God, that I may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. I stand therefore, having my loins girt about with truth. Your Word, Lord which is truth, contains all the weapons of my warfare which are not carnal, but mighty through God to pulling down strongholds.

I have the breastplate of righteousness which is faith and love. My feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. In Christ Jesus I have peace, and pursue peace with all men. I am a minister of reconciliation proclaiming the good news of the Gospel.

I take the shield of faith, wherewith I am able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, the helmet of salvation (holding the thoughts, feelings and purpose of God’s heart) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. In the face of all trials, tests, temptations and tribulation, I cut to pieces the snare of the enemy by speaking the Word of God. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

Thank You, Father, for the armor. I will pray at all times — on every occasion, in every season — in the Spirit, with all (manner of) prayer and entreaty. To that end I will keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints. My power and ability and sufficiency are from God Who has qualified me as a minister and a dispenser of a new covenant (of salvation through Christ). AMEN

Scripture References: Eph.6:11-14a, John 17:17b, 2 Cor.10:4, Eph.6:14b,15AMP, Eph.2:14, Psalm 34:14, 2 Cor.5:18, Eph.6AMP, 1 John 4:4b, 2 Cor.3:5,6AMP

Taken from “Prayers that Avail Much” by Germaine Copeland

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Are you tired, weary and so burdened that you just feel like giving up? Have the worries of this life and of this world broken you down to almost nothing? All of us face tough times in our lives, however Jesus will always bring us through those hard times. He is our anchor during the storms of life. He is our rock in times of trouble, and if we ever feel that things are getting to be too much, and we feel like we are sinking, his gentle loving hand is right there to lift us up and bring us out. All you have to do is call upon the Lord and cast your cares upon him. Some people are able to cast their cares upon the Lord with no problem, but unfortunately, they don’t always leave them there. Sometimes we take things to the Lord, we leave our burdens at the foot of the cross, only ..to take them back again.

The Bible says in the Book of Matthew, chapter 11:28-29:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Psalm 55:22 says:
Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall

1 Peter 5:7 says:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The Greek word for “cast” means to throw it away. So cast (i.e. throw) your pain, your disappointment, your broken dreams, your heartache upon the Lord for he truly cares for you. You don’t have to carry it around any longer like baggage that goes with you every where you go. Let go of it and lay it down at the cross of Jesus. You do not have to carry that heavy load any longer, just lay it at the feet of Jesus.

Jesus loves you and does not want you carrying that heavy burden alone, in fact, he would rather you not carry it at all. Won’t you take a chance and trust in Jesus to lift your burdens from you today?

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Have you ever heard the phrase “Ask and you shall receive”?

It says in Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV):

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

You see, I never fully understood the meaning of this scripture until I realized that I was grumbling, complaining and worrying about what God was NOT giving to me. It wasn’t until I came close to losing my life 3 different times that I finally realized that I had it all wrong. I had been full of pity and despair saying “why me”, but wasn’t really praying to God and asking Him for anything in particular. Finally, through all my nonsense and pity, I started seeking God’s face and telling Him the desires of my heart - and He actually started giving me the desires of my heart!! But if I ever teach you anything, let it at least be this one thing. God does not condone sin, so He will never give you anything sinful. It says in Matthew 6:33 (NIV): But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When you seek God, His kingdom and His righteousness first - the desires of God’s heart will become the desires of your heart. He places certain desires in your heart, and when you pray to Him asking for those desires, He will grant them to you. He loves you and wants you to be happy, but happy in a way that is pleasing to Him.

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PRAISE THE LORD!! For He is good ALL the time!! Welcome friends to our ministry! We hope and pray that we will be a blessing to you and will be able to help provide you with the wisdom, knowledge and understanding needed to ‘press on’ as Christians in this present day and age.

This isn’t another one of those “Feel-Good” ministries already out there on television, the radio and the internet - nor is it a Fire and Brimstone and “you’re all going to hell!” ministry either. This is basically a “Let’s Get Real and Get It Right” kind of ministry.

Have you been wandering through life thinking, “I have done so much in my life, but for some reason, it’s not enough and there must be something more…”? I have been down that path, but fortunately for me, I discovered what that “something more” is… or should I say “WHO” that something more is! As humans, we all want and long to feel needed, serving an extraordinary purpose in our lifetimes. It wasn’t until I found Jesus Christ (actually, he found me) and made him Lord over my life, that I felt I had an extraordinary purpose in life. Sure, I was a wife, a mother, a young grandmother, but there was always something “missing”.

I hope that as I share some of my knowledge, along with some of my experiences with you and explain how they relate to the Word of God, maybe you too will come to find out that you also have a very extraordinary purpose that lies ahead in your life. It says in Jeremiah 29:11-13: (NIV): 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

You see, God has a plan for you - a plan He’s prepared since the beginning of time. He is just patiently waiting on you to call upon Him and pray to Him with all your heart, so that He might reveal those plans to you. He has done this for me, and will do the same for you and anyone else that cries out to Him with all their heart.

Praying many blessings upon you,

Always In Christ, Cindy

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