What Does It Take To Beat The Odds?

Life is pretty good when everything is in your favour. It is a time of growth, expansion, prosperity. It is easy to worship Jesus, to sing and pray. Being surrounded by people who love and encourage you allows you to be who you were meant to become. It is easy to maintain a great attitude and to walk in faith. But what about when things go wrong? What happens when people come against you and there are circumstances as big as mountains in front of you? What if you are in a hostile environment where no one believes in you or lends you any encouragement and support? Can you still pray, worship, sing, trust and walk in faith? I hope so, because it is one of the keys to success in Jesus.

You have to have a solid relationship with Jesus if you expect to be able to stand in the storms of life. You can't have a simple relationship of acknowledging his existence, praying over your food, attending church and trying to be good. That isn't a relationship at all; it is a system. A relationship is where you get to know Jesus; everything you can know about him. You trust his promises and act on them. You spend a good amount of time with him and realize he is always with you so you chat all day long. We become dependent on our friends and so we learn how to trust and lean on Jesus. But we also realize that he is more than a friend.

Jesus paid for us. I realize that sounds funny but we belonged to Satan. Jesus went into the enemy's camp and ransomed us with his own life. He paid for us and we now belong to him because in the nature of things "man" never belongs to himself. We may think we can be our own god and be the captains of our own destiny but it is all a lie. We belong to someone and Jesus made it possible for us to belong to him. In belonging to him then we should want the most intimate relationship possible and when we have such a relationship we realize that Jesus will see us through anything. The great kings of Judah knew this.

Asa was one of the good guys. He purged the kingdom of anything that was not related to Yahweh. Like some of the kings before him, he did some house cleaning and he encouraged the people to obey Yahweh. He knew what was good for his people and he set the example. As a result, Yahweh allowed him to enjoy a time of peace. He spent that time building and fortifying cities. Asa knew he lived in hostile times and that peace comes and goes, so he prepared for the worse. And then it happened.

Judah was invaded by an Ethiopian army, over one million three hundred thousand strong. King Asa had an army of over five hundred thousand. Talk about a bad day. They were outnumbered almost 3 to 1. In the flesh things looked hopeless. All of us can relate to having faced hopeless looking situations. But Asa had a fantastic relationship with Yahweh. His faith was not just a "fair weather" faith. Asa trusted Yahweh.

And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11)

I really appreciate that prayer, "It is nothing for you to help". What appears to be impossible for use to face, deal with or overcome,is nothing for our God. It is Asa's knowledge of Yahweh and the incredible relationship that he had that allowed Asa to trust. Asa knew his history and was able to say with great confidence, "whether with many or with those who have no power". In fact, if you understand the history of Israel you will quickly take note that Yahweh prefers to use the least in order that he will receive the greater glory.

Needless to say Yahweh responded and sent the Ethiopians fleeing. Asa defeated them so soundly that they could not recover. This experience, instead of destroying Asa, prospered him as he came away with a lot more than he went in with. This is how it is with the challenges we face. We think these things are to defeat us but Yahweh always uses the victory in these things to increase us. Don't ever forget this scripture:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

I am not going to pretend everything is all butterflies and daffodils in life. Some people are dealt a really hard hand and must make the best of it. Some days are filled with despair as hope seems to be sucked dry from us. Sometimes it seems there is no direction to head in and we see no purpose in going on. But these are the lies of the enemy designed to keep our eyes down, on ourselves, instead lifted up to see Jesus. However we cannot know this, see it, understand it or walk in it if we have a "system" relationship with Jesus.

If you want a relationship that will allow a growing faith, a faith that permits you to know that Jesus will overcome everything for you, then you have to focus on Jesus. In fact, do some house cleaning. Get rid of anything and everything that distracts you from Jesus. If it is not used in the relationship development or in the out reach to others then trash it. When you dedicate yourself fully to the Lord you are able to experience him fully. If you want to be strong and unbeatable in the good and bad days then develop a relationship of trust. As long as you want both the world and Jesus you will never experience the kind of faith you need to prosper spiritually. Seek him with all your heart and get rid of all your other gods. Faith gets you going and trust will sustain you in the relationship.

A Word To The Discouraged Heart

Discouragement is a very powerful thing that does not always come with roots. By roots I mean legitimate causes. Sometimes we can easily see the reasons we are discouraged; our expectations are not met, things are not where we want them to be, failure even though we tried our best. Sometimes it is because of circumstances beyond our control or even caused by us. Then there are other times when there is not justifiable reason, we simple feel discouraged by things in general.

Discouragement does not belong to the children of God. I know we will face it at times but it doesn't belong to us; it is foreign. Discouragement should never be left to take root in us but should be dealt with right away. Confess your feelings. Admit that it is what you are facing. Then ask the Spirit to deal with this thing that is inside of you. Sing, shout, declare the Lordship of Jesus in all things.

The only effective way of dealing with discouragement is to go deeper with Jesus. It won't seem to be working at first and you will really have to push through to get there. I mean, you are going to have to fight. It is a battle to make your flesh submit to your spirit but you can't afford to lose this battle. Why do you think Jacob wrestled with God?

Jacob was facing a very difficult situation. He was running away from one problem only to face another that he had created a long time ago. He had wronged his brother and now he was about to come face to face with him. I am sure you have felt stuck between a rock and a hard place with no easy solution. Jacob did what most of us do in desperate times, he sought assurance from God. Perhaps for the first time in his life Jacob realized that his fast talking would not get him out of this. Filled with fear, anxiety, uncertainty, perhaps discouragement, he would not let go of God until he received his blessing.

I don't think many of us have ever been in this place with God, but we should be. We should all have to face such a time as this, when we are forced to be honest with ourselves and admit our only hope is Jesus Christ. We should all be in that place where we refuse to let go of God, because we have no other hope, until we receive his blessing, his assurance, his promises, his hope, his love.

We are in a time in history when the enemy of our soul is doing everything he can to discourage us. We will have discouragement without root and we will have discouragement with deep roots, like Jacob. Our Father's enemy will accuse us of failure. He will accuse us of what God has forgiven. He will make sure that we see the discouraging things around us and hear the discouraging reports as the Israelites did. And most of it will focus on us. What we did or did not do. Our failures. Our lose. That is how you will recognize him, by his emphasis on you, to provoke your emotions. But knowing this will not be enough to protect your heart. You are going to have to learn to wrestle.

We are warned in Scripture:

My friends, watch out! Don’t let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called “today.” If you don’t, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let’s hold tightly to our faith until the end. (Hebrews 3:12-14)

The Scripture encourages us not to be like the Israelites who listened to discouraging reports and refused to enter into what God had promised. My friends, the end is in sight; now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to press on and we need to watch out for each other, to testify to each other, to lift each other up, to pray, encourage, and love each other.

Don't you dare give up: Don't! Jesus is coming!

In The Face Of Discouragement, Dance

Discouragement comes in many different forms and for many different reasons. It can come due to finances, relationships, lost opportunities, unrealized dreams. It can result in depression, lose of sleep, irritability, lack of energy, quitting, lost focus, self-centered thinking. Discouragement can be a destroyer of worlds if we allow it to be.

Discouragement has many different triggers but we have a choice in it. We can't stop it from knocking on the door but we can decide not to invite it in. Just because it comes looking through the window does not mean we have to allow it to take up residence. Discouragement will come but we have the power over what to do with it when it does.

Discouragement will take up residence and set about in it's destructive nature when we decide to dwell on circumstances instead of faith. Because of Jesus we do not believe "what you see is what you get". Our life, hope and the actions we take are based on the promises of Jesus, our Lord and King. When we realize these promises and place our hope in them instead of the strength of man, the door becomes locked against discouragement. There may be a knock on the door but we are too busy praising our God to answer.

That is the only real and proper response to discouragement: praise. We know this as a fact because the Word tells us and we have already experienced it for ourselves:

Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless?
    I trust you!
And I will praise you again
    because you help me,    and you are my God. (Psalm 42:11, CEV)

It is a decision, a conscience act of faith, to turn our back on the facts of this world and say to Jesus, "I trust you". It is when we decide to turn away from the welcoming darkness of discouragement and fill our soul with the sweet praise of Jesus. It is when we choose to remember his goodness, what he has done and what he has promised to do. It is when we decide to dance instead of sit down. It is when we decide to laugh instead of cry. It is when we decide to press on instead of lie down and sleep.

Discouragement and depression are soul destroyers but Jesus is the lover of our soul. You are a child of God and have no part in discouragement. Nothing can separate you from the love of Jesus. Nothing can stop you from dwelling in him. He has given you peace and joy that no one and no thing can take from you. It is all a matter of choice and decision. Who will you choose to trust? Who will you decide to serve? Who will receive your praise today? For the sake of your peace let your choice be Jesus.

The Day Is Approaching

It would be great if I could cheer your heart with tales of better days ahead of us, but I can't. Have you read the end of the book? Do you know how it all ends? Dark days are upon us and it is only going to get worse. If you can't handle life and faith and trust now I fear for you in the days ahead. Now is the time to increase our faith and learn to trust, to rely only on Jesus for all our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. But, in saying this we also recognize that neither are we a people of despair.

I guess that is one of my greatest concerns for us, followers of Jesus, at this present time; we so easily fall into despair. How can the children of the light, of the Creator of all things, the bearers of God's righteousness, be a people who so easily fall into panic and despair over trivial matters? Does that sound like the trust Jesus told us to place in him? It doesn't matter what it looks like to us; we know Jesus has the victory. Read the end of the book!

As evil seems to increase and the Church appears to decrease, we must increase in our relationship with Jesus. As more and more "Christians" fall for the tricks and lies of the enemy, we must increase our strength and brilliance in the Spirit. We must become better trained, more submitted, fully obedient and on fire for Jesus. The darker the world becomes the more active we must be in rescuing the perishing. The more the enemy spreads his lies the more we must be shouting the truth from the roof tops.

We can't allow ourselves to fall into the trap of the enemy. We can't allow the patterns and philosophies of this world to take root. We have to spend more time in the Word not less. We need to stand on the truth of the gospel and on the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Church must rise up and cut all ties from the thinking of this world and cleanse herself in the holiness, the righteousness of God and start living the difference. And we have to encourage each other as the darkness not so slowly moves through the land.

As the world calls us stupid, relics of the dark ages, superstitious, religious, narrow minded, to be pitied, we will encourage each other to stand in the knowledge of the truth and in our relationship in the Lord. We will not despair but instead stand shoulder to shoulder in this great battle as we refuse to yield our ground to the enemy. We will shout out to each other with great words of encouragement, singing together and sharing God's Word to remind ourselves to press on. This is the attitude we must adopt as the darkness increases:

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-20) 

If it was important then, how much more important now? My friends, things will not get better for us, dark times lay ahead, but we know how it ends. We are heading to victory and we need to encourage each other. We do not cry. We do not weep and mourn. We celebrate, rejoicing at all times, trusting in all things, knowing God uses it all for our benefit. We speak to one another. We encourage with a song in our heart and a smile on our face. We know how it ends. So, let us encourage each other to be brilliant in the Lord, to keep on serving in joy and strength, to continue to pray and worship, to continue to lay down our lives for the lost and deceived:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Day is approaching!

Encouraging The Hopeless

It is an unfortunate fact that some Christians have as much emotional problems as those without Jesus. They suffer loneliness, depression, anger, despair, thoughts of hopelessness. When difficulties cross their path what they called faith dries up and they fold like a house of cards. There is no power, just a propped up façade.

I am not being critical because most of us have been there, but if we are going to be an encourager, a people person, then we need to know how to deal with these Christians. We need to know how to help them go from wretchedness to a powerhouse of faith. It starts by praying for them, that they would receive a revelation of who they are in Jesus, because a lot of Christians don't know. Consider three of the things Paul prayed for the Ephesians:

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19)

Paul first prayed that God would enlighten them, give them greater understanding of the hope to which we have been called. When we realize the truth of the promises of Jesus and where our real treasures lie we realize that everything can be stripped from us in this place and we would still be rich beyond compare. If our hope is in anything in this world, be it money, possessions or friends, then it is a flimsy hope that will eventually fall apart. There is only one hope that is eternal and it is found in Jesus.

Christians without hope are Christians who have lost sight of Jesus or who have yet to receive their own personal revelation. Jesus is not someone we can know by second hand knowledge. If our hope is to remain intact in all circumstance we must have a vibrant and growing relationship with the source of our hope.

We must also pray for these struggling Christians that the promises of Jesus would become the most certain thing in their life. Their attitude must be "Jesus said it, I believe it" and they must be willing to act on those promises. They need to come to know the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. He has given us these promises to act on so that he will be glorified in us, so the world would look at us and marvel, so that people would see him in us in all situations and circumstances. We rob Jesus of his glory when we lose hope.

We need to pray that these cowering Christians would realize the power that possesses them. I guess that must be the most tragic thing about struggling Christians. It is like a man dying of thirst because he didn't realize that the jug in the room was filled with water. The resurrection power of Jesus Christ is in us so that we would live powerful lives for his glory, so that every shadow of the enemy would be vanquished from our sight.

Jesus is not glorified in our complaining. He is not glorified when we express despair and hopelessness. He is not glorified when we give up and walk away. He is glorified when we live in the power he has filled us with. Power to defeat the enemy. Power to overcome all our circumstances. Power to live above any persecution that we may face. Power to stand our ground and defend what belongs to the King of kings. There is nothing in this world that can come against the power of Jesus in us. "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." 1 John 4:4

So perhaps these are things we need to refresh ourselves in as we pray for our struggling brothers and sisters. Don't criticize them. Don't become impatient. Don't give up. Pray for them. Encourage them. Be with them. Pray for these things in their life and watch what Jesus does. Be faithful in your prayers. You are here, mighty warrior, to defend the weak, suffering and blind. Your weapon is prayer.