Before Jesus was crucified, He made it very clear that he would be resurrected. He knew that death was not the end of His story.
In John 2:19-20, Jesus goes in and clears the temple and calls out the religious leaders for making His father’s house into a place of profit for them instead of a house of prayer. The leaders were upset with Jesus and asked him to show them a sign that He had the authority from God to do these things. Jesus then tells them that if they destroyed this temple that he would raise it up in three days. They were spiritually deaf and dumb and assumed that He was speaking of the physical temple that took 46 years to build. However, Jesus was speaking of His crucifixion and resurrection.
After He was crucified, the religious leaders went to Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it” (Mathew 27:63-66). Little did they know that no security on their part could stop the supernatural work of God. On the third day, Jesus shook death off of Him and He was resurrected just like he said!
As believers, Jesus’ resurrection has powerful implications for us. God’s intentions are always for life, and that more abundantly. Some of us are facing dead situations, but God has already told us that death is not the end of the story. However, with the passing of time, we can allow the devil to convince us that death is how our story will end. But it is not so! I want to encourage you to partner with God and begin to believe and speak life! Speak what God has already spoken in your ear. Rehearse the promises. Hold on to them regardless of how dead your situation may appear. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that is able to raise your dead situation. The devil can try to put stones and His guards in the way to block life and hinder the promises of God. However, there is no devil in hell that can hinder what God has spoken. This upcoming Resurrection Sunday I want to encourage you to not only rejoice for the resurrection of Jesus but let out a crazy praise for the life that is coming to your dead situation!
Mathew 21:1-5 gives the account of Jesus telling the disciples to go and get a donkey and its colt and bringing them to him. This command fulfilled a prophecy given by the prophet Zechariah over 500 years earlier. Yes, 500 years later the word came to pass!!!! This reminds me that no matter how long it takes, I can be confident that the promises of God will manifest. The passing of time can cause us to second guess what God has spoken. Don’t yield to the temptation to give up on the promises because it didn’t happen when YOU thought it should happen. God is faithful
What are some promises that God has made you? How long have you been waiting? Have you given up on believing because you think it is taking too long? I want to encourage you to go and get those promises and dust them off. Begin to rehearse them because God is faithful! Don’t remain hung up on it taking too long that you miss the valuable lessons God is trying to teach you in the process of waiting.
The enemy is relentless. When he sees us making progress in what God has called us to do, he will attempt to hinder us. One of the ways he tries to hinder us is through lying. After all, he is the father of lies and no truth dwells in him. Nehemiah chapter 6 gives the account of the near completion of the wall. From the very beginning of rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah’s enemies attempted to deter him and this time didn’t prove any different. They tried four times to get Nehemiah to meet with them. However, he had enough discernment to know that they meant him harm. He responded by telling them he was doing a great work and couldn’t come. The fifth time they sent a letter that was filled with lies that accused Nehemiah of plotting to become the King. They tried to instill fear in him, telling him that the news would get back to the king, so it would be in his best interest to meet with them. Nehemiah was not moved. Instead he replied to his enemies with such boldness. He called them liars. He then prayed and asked the Lord to give him strength to continue the work.
As we seek to do what God has called us to do, it is a 100 % guarantee that the enemy will try to hinder us. But let us respond like Nehemiah, tell the devil he is a liar and keep it moving! Spend enough time in prayer so that you are able to discern when the enemy is trying to trick you. The closer you get to completing what God has called you to do in this season, the more the enemy will step up his game. Don’t be distracted by the lies of the enemy. Remain focused on what the Lord is calling you to do. Don’t cower away in fear. Don’t become a victim to the devil’s bullying. Rebuke him in Jesus’ name and keep working, keep praying, keep praising, keep serving the Lord!
Oftentimes we focus on our inability to give people what they are asking for. We then hesitate to pray for them. We can learn a lot from Peter and John in Acts chapter 3. They met a man who was lame from birth on their way to the prayer service at the temple. The man was placed at the entrance of the temple so he could beg for money. When the man saw Peter and John he stretched out his hand begging. Peter says to the man in Acts 3: 6 “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” He then stretches out his hand and helps the man up and the scriptures says that the man leaped up and ran off praising God! I love this account because it reminds me that while I may not have what people are asking for, I have what they need. I have Jesus. The man was asking for money, but when Peter called on the name of Jesus this man received even greater than what he asked for. He received healing. We can assume that the man was reduced to begging because he was a lame and could not work. Peter didn’t have money to give him but he prayed for the man’s healing in the name of Jesus! The money would have met a temporary need because it was not the answer to the real issue which was his need for healing. There is something about calling on the name of Jesus that answers more than the initial request. Today I encourage you to step out in boldness and offer Jesus to others. It is not about what YOU cannot do, instead, it is all about Jesus’ ability to do the impossible!
In Ezra chapter 8 we have the account of Ezra leading the second group of exiles returning to Jerusalem. The trip was about 900 miles and would take approximately 4 months on foot. The exiles would have to travel through dangerous territory before reaching Jerusalem. In vs 22, Ezra says he was embarrassed to ask the king for soldiers and footmen to protect them. Ezra had already made a bold declaration to the king that God would protect those who worshipped Him. Instead of looking to the king for protection, Ezra got together with the leaders and they prayed and fasted and asked God to protect them. Verse 23 tells us that God heard and answered their prayers. Ezra’s action matched his confession. How many times do we make bold confessions about God but when faced with difficulties our actions prove otherwise? Do we claim that God is a provider but begin to worry when lack threatens to overtake us? We get stressed and forget to seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. We sometimes fail to stand with assurance knowing that all the other things we are in need of will be provided! We can make bold declarations but challenges will come to reveal if we believe what we have declared. To stand on those confessions we must do like Ezra and fuel our faith with prayer and fasting. Let us not neglect these necessary aspects of our walk with Christ.
Be Blessed
Anika
I was writing a blogpost to complement my YouTube video, Why are you so stressed? I had the intentions to finish the post this morning. But somehow it got deleted. I was not happy! In the process of looking for it, I came across some thoughts that I wrote down not too long ago about having a shaved head that I hadn’t published. Why? I am trying my best not to make every blogpost and YouTube video be about my hair or lack thereof. Why? I don’t want to dwell on it. I suppose I want to appear strong. I want to act normal. Wait, you don’t think I am normal?
But truth is while I am seeing all that God is doing in me and realize this process is necessary, I have had some low moments. Some days I feel so free and then other days I am very much aware and self-conscious about not having hair. I have to fight to not invite shame back in. This morning happens to be one of those days. I woke up and shaved the new stubbles that had grown in to avoid looking like a balding old man. I then realized I had some razor bumps in the back of my head, the lemons are working well as a deodorant but not going too well for razor bumps! Talk about feeling deflated and super self-conscious! My conversation with God through my tears went something like this, “God can you at least take away the bumps. I mean I just got the courage to go out bald. Please God, please take the bumps away!” More tears.
I was just telling a close friend that I found myself thanking God for this process because so much has been revealed to me. THAT conversation took place on a really good day a few weeks ago. I am human and my feelings will go up and down. I know that I don’t have to hide my tears and as I am typing they are flowing. No I am not pretending that it doesn’t feel awkward, it does. No I am not pretending like I don’t care that I don’t have hair, I DO CARE. BUT I CAN’T stay stuck here. On a day like today, I have a choice to both go with my feelings and wallow in self-pity, or I can chose to magnify God above my less than ideal situation. Today I choose to praise, grab a scarf and keep it moving!
How about you? What situation in your life is less than ideal? Are you remaining stuck on how you feel and allowing self-pity to overwhelm you? Have you been magnifying your situation more than God?
Just in case you are interested, below are the thoughts I wrote out a few weeks ago.
NO Hair and I Do Care
NO hair and I wish I could say I don’t care
But the truth is, I care a lot
I look back at old pictures when the hair on my head was actually mine
And I long for yesterday
Funny how the girl back then was so discontent with what she had
And the girl today sees the beauty that the girl in the past couldn’t see
Funny how that happens…you don’t know what you have until it’s gone
I compared my hair to others
It wasn’t thick enough
Long enough
Straight enough
But I now realize
IT WAS ENOUGH, more than
FOR ME
Cause
That’s what God gave me
But this attitude of discontentment was not just about my hair
I look back at the girl from yesterday
And she had no clue
She never saw herself as enough
How DO I, today, become content in my new reality even if it’s not what I want it to be?
How do I keep myself from sinking into self-pity?
I say to God, please restore my hair
I cry, I beg
But He has shown me that even without much hair on my head, this process has caused Him to restore so much in me
Much that was lost that I did not know about
Much that was lost that could not be seen
So no hair and I do care
But not to the point where I will allow it to define or hinder me