Takes a licking and keeps on ticking
Talk about quitting. How easy it has become in our generation to just quit. Marriage, Job, life, walk with God.
Continue from the last days.
We learned of the wars, and rumors of wars. The U.S. alone is now in the middle of at least 3 major conflicts. For Nation shall rise against nation. Jesus told us that in the last days that many would come in his name saying that they are the Christ. We know that there are many religions out there, trying to get you to believe anything but Christ.
He also said that there would be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. The word of God also tells us that all eyes will be upon Israel in the last days. I know that people have said this for years, but now is the time when it is literally possible for every eye to be upon Israel.
I believe that the bible says In the last days I will pour out my spirit………..If we are truly living in the last days of the earth, then the church is about to give birth to one of the greatest revivals that this world has ever seen. It is right in the middle of the labor process when a woman goes through the hardest time, and tries to quit.
The doctor is yelling just push harder, one more and the woman feels like that she just cant go on, but as it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. God is telling us if we can just keep pushing, no matter what the circumstances look like we will experience the birth of the great outpouring that God has in store for us.
2 Cor. 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, we are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.
Pray
Quitters never win! Life will throw so many curves at you, that sometimes it seems like quitting is the only way out.
In order for us to be victorious in this battle that we are in, we must stand firm in the faith of God, and the shed blood of Jesus.
No one has ever won a race when they have fallen down and stayed down. No fighter has ever won a fight by staying down after they get knocked down the first time, and you cannot win eternal life, by falling down and staying there. We as Christians have to learn to get up, and dust our selves off, stick out our chest, and tell the devil that we are not going to stay down.
Reach over and slap somebody, and tell them, Its not over yet.
I may be broke right now, but I’m coming out of this. I may be sick right now, but I’m coming out of this, I may be confused right now, but I’m coming out of this. My mind may be a mess, but I’m coming out of this.
The bible says in Ps. 30:5 weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Just because you are going through a night time experience, does not mean that the sun wont shine again. Weeping may endure for a night…….
It does not matter what your going through right now, or how slim the odds are of you making it, God has told me to tell you that you are coming out of this. It does not matter what the doctor told you, and it does not matter what the bank told you, because Rom. 3:3 tells us to Let God be true and every man a liar.
It does not matter if you have fallen down, or fallen out, it doesn’t matter if you are nothing but a corpse sitting there, because the ressurection power of God can bring back anything to life.
The thing that we have got to remember is to get back up again. When we fall (and we will) the important thing is to get up.
Pr. 24:16 The righteous man falls down 7 times, and rises back up again, but the wicked are overthrown by a calamity. The difference between a winner and a loser, is that a winner will get back up when he falls down, and continue to fight.
A lot of times we will look at what we are going through in life, and get confused and think that this is where we are staying. Do not confuse what you are going through, with where you are going to. In order to get to the top of a mountain, you have got to climb up one side or the other. You cannot see a rainbow without first seeing a little rain. In order to get away from the bondage of slavery, and get to the promised land, we must go through the wilderness.
Just remember the storms that you are going through, and the fire that seems to keep getting hotter and hotter, is just shaping you and refining you for what God intends you to be.
Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. You might be down, but you are not out.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, we are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed.
But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. The quitters will never make it to see the finish line.
1 pet. 1:6-7 Wherin ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Peter said that the trying of our faith is much more precious than gold. Because Gold and all of the things of this earth will eventually perish, but our spirit, will live forever with Jesus Christ if we are just obedient to his word.
In order for Gold to be brought down to its purest form, it has to be melted by extreme heat. What the heat does is burn out all of the impurities that are in it, until it becomes pure. And then when it is melted down, it is beaten and molded into what the craftsman or jeweler would have it to be. In the same sense we are sometimes put to the fire, to have our imperfections and blemishes smoothed out. And then we are shaped and molded into what God would have us to be.
Job was a man who lost everything in his life…….but he still said thou he slay me yet will I trust in him. And in the end, God gave Job double for his trouble. But he remained faithful to God.
James 5:11 behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy
We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. NO weapon formed against thee shall be able to prosper. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in this world. I can do all tings through Christ who strengthens me.
Paul told timothy to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Tell someone I’m coming out of this.
I’m coming out of this and I don’t care what it takes. I’m trusting that God will bring me through and I am confessing victory in life from this day forward. I have tried everything that man has given me, and it did not work, I’m pressing through the crowd.
The woman with the issue of blood in Mk. 5, had tried everything that man could offer her to be healed, but nothing worked. In fact the bible says she spent all that she had, but nothing got better, in fact it grew worse. But she had heard of a man named Jesus was coming to town.
She could have easily quit, and just given up and died, but she said unto herself If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I will be made whole. The greek word for said here means she repeated to herself…. She repeated If I may but touch, If I may but touch, If I can just get close enough to touch him, I’ll come out of this.
She knew that there was more to life than what she had been living and experiencing.
So she came through the press behind and touched him, and was made whole from that very hour. She pressed her way through the crowd. We have got to press our way through all of the doubters and non believers and decide that we are going to touch him.
You can stand back and look funny and roll your eyes at me all that you want, but I’m pressing through. I’m going pressing through for the promise that God has spoken in my life. I’ve come too far to quit now.
God has brought me through too much for me to turn back and run now. I’ve been through hell and high water, and I’m not going to quit now. The devil should have killed me when he had the chance, cause I’m pressing through now.
Paul said, I count not my self to have apprehended, but this one thing aI do, forgetting those things which are behind, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
You may be here tonight and tried everything that this world has to offer, and are stil not satisfied. The reason is because there is a hole in side of you that nothing else can fill besides God.
God told the children of Israel: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
This day is recorded in heaven, as an opportunity for you to choose life. It is no mistake that you are here today. It is hard for anyone to make time in their life to do anything anymore, but God made a way for you to be able to show up today. It is your confession that you make in this very minute of time that will determine where you spend eternity. If you are here and you know that God is knocking at your heart, now is the time for you to let him in. You may never have this opportunity again.
He said I set before you a choice, choose life.
Rom. 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
It is not only with our hearts, but with our confession that says we are saved.
