The Word Restores

You know, it’s so easy for us to tell someone that we are disciples of Christ. The very label “Christian” means that we belong to Christ. But, are we really there yet in terms of belonging to Christ? This belonging means that we are part of Him, we are following him, we are His disciple as we learn more about Him. In the end, we will have such a relationship with Him that we know with certainty that we are His! But first, discipleship. So are we following Him?

Let us delve into the word of God to determine what is a disciple, what is discipleship, then move on to how Jesus views discipleship. As we unfold the scriptures, I pray that each one of us will individually gauge where we are in our discipleship walk with Christ, and where we are in our relationship with God our Father.

Let us talk about and think about how God is revealing Himself as faithful, even now. Then when the tough times come, we can remember to draw on His faithfulness in the face of the enemy. You see when the tough times are upon us, that’s when the enemy decides to truly attack. He may send someone from our past, or send a reminder of a wrong or hurt that was done to us. He may send a close friend or relative to dissuade us from doing what we know is right to do. He may even send a stranger as an angel of light with “good intentions” to muddy our pathway so that we veer off our God-ordained path. There are so many tricks that seem to pop up during our times of trial. But God is faithful! How do we know?

The way for us to know confidently that of His faithfulness is through His Word, His witness, and our own experience. So, let us start by getting into His Word to glean some examples of His faithfulness. I pray that we will get them deep down into our spirits so that the next time the enemy comes at us with both barrels, we will be able to confidently draw our strength from His faithfulness.

God bless you, my brothers and sisters. You know, it’s so easy for us to lose our footing in these perilous times. When those people, places, and things that used to be our compass are no longer there; when the compass has shifted ever so slightly until the familiar becomes unfamiliar; when we have shifted ever so slightly until we become unfamiliar even to ourselves, it’s time for a recalibration! Are our moral values in alignment with what is right? Are they the same values as when we went into the pandemic? Whatever we considered right before, do we still consider it right? Conversely, whatever we considered wrong; do we still consider it wrong?

Fortunately for us, as God’s children, He has left us signs and warnings in His Word to remind us of the dangers of the “slippery slope.” Let us take three examples from Luke 15, then conclude with a ray of hope about God’s grace.

In this episode, we will address praying and believing for others as we walk alongside them on their Christian faith journey. We will look at examples of intercessory prayers through the scriptures. Some examples include Jesus’s prayer of intercession for Peter that his faith would not fail and the Apostle Paul’s intercession on behalf of the Thessalonian believers that they would increase in their faith. It is incumbent upon the faithful, mature believers who are further along on the faith continuum, and strong in their faith, to earnestly pray and believe on behalf of others. These others may be believers in danger of slipping into sin as a result of creeping doubt, whether it arises from within or without.

Do you find it easy to pray without wavering and without doubting that God would come through? Praise God! Good for you! But for those who are honest about our need for strengthening in this area, let's have a discussion on what the Word of God is telling us about praying and believing, in other words, praying in faith.

In this episode, we will begin with praying in faith, Jesus style, as we break down Mark 11:12-24. Then we will look at why we should pray in faith, and finally consider our attitude of the heart while praying and believing. I pray God's blessings over you as you listen to this message, in Jesus' name. Amen!

This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13 (King James Version)

We have had a rough season in our lives. There have been so many crises that we are still looking back in dismay. But the question is during this season, have we examined ourselves, our emotions, our thoughts, our actions, and our motives? Are we sure they measure up to God’s standards for His children? What if we were told that this was just the beginning of sorrows? Would we have passed even the first test? Or, what if we were told that this is all part of God’s strategy to bring us back in alignment with Him? Would that make it more palatable to us? Can we understand what God is saying to us?

We come once again to the Throne of Grace to find grace to help during these unprecedented times. Yet, there is only One who can help us, strengthen us, and walk with us on this perilous journey.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the apostle Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing. We may not have attained this goal yet, however, we must do our best to pursue it so that we may clear the way for God's blessings on us, our families, friends, fellowship, and our nation(s). In this episode, we are joined by some of our praying sisters-in-Christ as we all approach the Throne of Grace interceding for specific needs. May God bless you!

We thank God for allowing us to see another day, despite what we have heard, are hearing, or will hear. There are so many events, and so many unexpected twists and turns, yet some of us can’t seem to consider turning to God in the midst of all this mess! So, we try to do it on our own, worry on our own, talk about it on our own, fuss and cuss about it on our own…

BUT we, as Christians have a better solution. We can take it to the Lord in prayer. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, we are admonished: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

So, let’s go to the Throne of Grace to find grace to help in time of need.

As we entered this new year, did you notice that no one spoke of last year in positive terms? As a matter of fact, there was vitriol coming from the news media. Even the televangelists found themselves struggling to use any terms more positive than “challenging.” We began to look forward to this new year as though when the clock struck twelve, 2021 would be magically transformed into a new, shiny year with balloons and celebration. But when the celebration ended, it didn’t take us long to find ourselves still embroiled in the continuing pandemic with its mutant strain, reports of vaccine missteps, presidential power struggles, and the prediction of even more deaths.

My purpose for this episode is to remind us that despite the circumstances we see, the thoughts we think, the actions we take or wish to take, the feelings we have — we cannot give up hope! We’ve got to hold fast to our anchor, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, that solid Rock — our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So let us delve into this topic on hope and encourage one another, through the scriptures, to hang on to our hope, and to refuse to give up in 2021 — no matter what!