February 2016 Spirit Food
Once you are presented with what the Word of God has to say about an issue, you are responsible for receiving His love, grace, & favor; and the gift of His righteousness. Remember, you are greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved by your Heavenly Father.
This month, let’s focus on how God desires to bless you!
Isaiah 55:11 - So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
I encourage you to prepare your heart to receive from the Lord. Righteousness, health, stress-free living, wisdom, good relationships—all the blessings and promises of God are found in the person of Jesus and they are yours because of His finished work at the cross. Pain, guilt, shame, and condemnation no longer have authority over you!
In Romans 1:7 - …Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace = His righteousness, His undeserved favor towards us because of what Jesus did on the cross.
Peace = the possession of adequate resources to accomplish whatever God has instructed you to do … a stress free existence in this life.
Joshua 24:13 - I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.
God is more willing to bless you than you are willing to be blessed! In fact, He is so keen for you to enjoy His abundance that in His mind, giving you over and above what you need is a settled matter.
God has already promised: “I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.”
He did not say, “I may give,” which means that it may or may not happen, but He said, “I have given,” which means that it has already happened. It is only a matter of time before your revelation of what you have through the work of Christ brings forth the abundance that He has already blessed you with.
As we develop our relationship with Our Heavenly Father, we come to expect divine provision in our life because we comprehend we are already richly blessed in Christ. Jesus took your place of poverty at the cross—“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9) In Him, you are poor no more.
Keep your focus on how much He desires to bless you … stop looking at the lack in your natural resources. Look to the cross and say, “Because of Jesus' finished work, I can expect to walk in all of His blessings!”
Our heavenly Father cares for you as an individual, the same way as He lays out His plans for you. You are on His heart all the time as He carefully considers and makes plans for every aspect of your life, both big and small. Understand, the very thought of you puts a smile on His face because He knows that the plans He has for you are plans to bless you. (Jeremiah 29:11) Almighty God is so Almighty that each one of His children has “favorite child status” with Him! Now that’s shouting grounds! Glory To God!
So no matter what problems you are facing right now, you can rest in His love for you. There is no problem that is too insignificant for Him to handle. He is not just God Almighty; He is also your heavenly Father who loves you!
Philippians 4:19 - And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
People of this world feel helpless as the systems of the world (stock market, etc.) go up and down. They turn on the television and they hear, this war will blah, blah, blah; this disease will blah, blah, blah; is plunging the world into blah. They open the newspapers, and they read about the unemployment high. Thank God that because you have accepted Jesus as your redeemer, we’ve been redeemed from all the fear and dis-ease that comes with this world.
Beloved, God does not want you to feel helpless because you are not of the world. (John 17:16) You are of God, and therefore need not be subject to the world’s systems. Whatever the world’s situation is, fear not because “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.
Notice that Philippians 4:19 says that “God shall supply all your need”. It does not say that God may supply some of your needs. It also says that God will do it “according to His riches”. It is not out of His riches. If a millionaire gives you a hundred dollars, it is out of his riches. But if he gives to you according to his riches, it means that he is lining up his millions for you!
Lastly, the verse says that God does it “according to His riches in glory”. It is not according to the riches of your company or the company you work for; or even how well the economy is doing. No, it is according to God’s riches in glory!
So how do you stop yourself from feeling helpless in uncertain times? By keeping your focus on the love God has for you, and your relationship with Him. When I fixed my focus on the unshakable, unwavering love my Heavenly Father has for me, even though the times may be turbulent and the economy may be bobbing up and down like a ship in the rough sea, I know my Heavenly Father is watching over me and I am very blessed.
1 John 1:7 - But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Understand, the devil will always attempt to make you feel that you are not qualified or clean enough to develop a good relationship with Father God. But the truth is, regardless of how you feel and what you have done, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
In the original Greek text, the tense for the word “cleanses” denotes a present continuous action. This means that once you are a believer, the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing you from every sin! Therefore, you can rest knowing that you are always forgiven in this continuous “wash cycle” of Jesus’ blood. Because you are continually cleansed, you are always in the light. Of course, you will fail here and there, but you are still in the light because the blood is continuously washing you!
The Bible says that we overcome the devil, the accuser of our brethren, by the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 12:11) If you have sinned, remind yourself that Jesus’ blood keeps on cleansing you from every sin—24 hours a day, seven days a week—and move on with God! The devil cannot defeat you when your faith is in the blood that cleanses you continuously.
Many Christians are guilt-ridden because their consciousness of their sins condemns them. Although Jesus’ blood continuously cleanses them, they would rather hold on to their past mistakes and feel bad about them, thinking that they are being humble and holy when they do this. But this is nothing more than self-righteousness.
Just keep your focus on the truth, that the eternal blood of Jesus Christ offers you eternal redemption and everlasting righteousness. Accept the payment of His blood as the final, perfect and only sacrifice you will ever need!
If you’re reading this, but you have not made Jesus the Lord of your life, and would like to, pray this prayer out loud in an audible voice:
Heavenly Father, your Word says in Romans 10:9-10- “that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, that I would be saved. For with the heart one believes unto salvation.” I believe your Word, Heavenly Father, and confess Jesus Christ (the anointed one and His anointing) as Lord of my life now. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess that I was a sinner, but now I’ve been saved by Your grace, and in Your thoughts, I am now in right standing with You. I denounce Satan and all he stands for. Write my name in the Lamb’s book of Life. In Jesus Name. Amen (so be it).
Congratulations! If this is your first time praying this prayer, please write and let us know!
Should you decide to give and financially support this ministry with gifts given in faith, I join my faith with yours to see the devourer rebuked (Malachi 3:11) and for you to receive a harvest; pressed down, shaken together and running over (Luke 6:38). Please remember to name your seed!
Dr. Mark Krom, Ph.D., D.Psy
Minister/Clinical Pastoral Psychologist
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