JESUS At A FUNERAL by Paul White

Luke 7:11-18

Only Luke shares this remarkable story of the day that Jesus attended a funeral procession. This event takes place just outside the city gate of the little village of Nain, some 21 miles south of Capernaum. We do not know what other things that Jesus did in this village, or even whether He made it into the village, but this was a miracle that shook the countryside and caused stories to be told of Jesus that would carry all the way to John the Baptist in prison (Luke 7:18-19).

A widow woman had lost her only son, meaning that not only was the love of her life gone, but her entire means of income had died with him. It was not the dead boy that moved our Savior to perform a miracle, but rather it was the pain that He saw in the heart of the mother. When He saw her he said to her, “Weep not” (Luke 7:13).This seems like a bizarre thing to say to a mother who is attending the funeral of her son. Would you dare say this to someone who has lost a loved one at a funeral? Coming from Jesus, we know that it was not a reprimand against showing emotion, for Jesus shows as much Himself at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). His instruction to the mother is a foreshadow that something awesome is about to happen. “Weep not” is Jesus’ way of introducing hope into a hopeless situation.

Jesus approached the “bier”, which was a funeral couch upon which Jews would carry their dead for burial. When Jesus touched the bier, the procession stopped. Touching a casket as it goes by in a funeral procession seems like a momentous gesture to us in the Western world but for a Jew, it represented something horrific. By touching the bier you were touching a dead person, thus you were ceremonially unclean. The party stopped because they were stunned that anyone would dare breach the laws of God’s cleanliness by such an act.

We know that Jesus completely fulfilled the law without ever sinning, so how could He commit such an act at the funeral in Nain without being considered ceremonially unclean? When Jesus touched the bier, it was Life touching Death. When the Life of God touched Death, Death cannot win, for the Life of Jesus Christ ensures that there can be no Death while He is around. The moment that Jesus made contact with the bier there was life that entered into the boy. The fact that he was now alive meant that Jesus had not touched a dead body at all, for no one could prove that there was anything that was dead!

No one ever died in the presence of Jesus. In fact, the criminals on the cross could not die until Jesus had given up His life first, for death has no place when Jesus is near. You cannot dwell for long in your dead ways when you look to Jesus as your hope and your life. His great hand touches the various areas of our life and we spring to life. He is the calmer of the storm and the bringer of streams in the desert. If He could visit a funeral in Nain and bring the boy to life, He can visit your life and bring you a life more abundant. Hallelujah!


Source : http://paulwhiteministries.com/site/

In Loving Memory of my dear friend, Ginger Pearce

My dear friend and sister, Ginger, has gone home to be with her Beloved. I miss her uplifting and faith filled posts, her touching messages to me and most of all, her beautiful spirit. She was such a wonderful sister, filled with love for the Lord and for the Body of Christ. Even in her pain and sickness, she touched so many people on Facebook and left grace filled imprints on our lives. Ginger dear, you will continue to live on in our hearts forever. Till we meet again, we love you ♥

Here is one of Ginger's beautiful notes which she shared on Facebook :



Stop it! You are loved beyond any thing you can imagine.

by Ginger Pearce on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 10:41am

some times we get this thought that we are not important
well i use to be like
i was picked up by God at the good will
i wasn't good enough to the world to keep
but God in HIS mercy would have me
oh forget it
HE took the cross
He took the cross
i wonder why we think that God would take the cross and then get disgusted with us
i think it is because we don't get how insanely impossible it was
He sweat great drops of blood just thinking about it
He had to stop thinking about it or HE would have died
but HE went...
gladly, for joy...
YOU were that joy
yes HE was love sick
He was like if i cant have you then i don't want nobody
you know that is true
because HE gave up all HE had
HE had you in HIS mind
He thinks of you more in one day than all the grains of sand
because of Hubble we know HE is still making universes
but YOU are HIS thought
YOU are what fills HIS mind
and He knew when He cried out
IT IS FINISHED!
He knew you were HIS signed sealed delivered for eternity
and now He can live in you
and that rested HIM
and that is the only place HE dwells
in YOU HIS body
and that is just how HE likes it
the God of the Universe
having the time of HIS life in YOU!!!

WILL GOD SHOW UP TO HELP ME by Joyce Meyer

Can you be in God’s will and be miserable?

Well, yes. But you can also be in tremendous peace.

For people who are saying, “I’m in a tough situation right now because I believe it’s where God wants me, but I’m miserable, frustrated and unhappy,” there’s good news.

When God asks us to stay in a difficult situation, He provides a special grace for us to get through it. It’s the kind of grace that leads others to look at us and think: Wow! I can’t believe they’re dealing with this and still have such peace! That’s faith.

When we say things like, “I just don’t think I can make it,” we’re essentially giving up, when we could just as easily trust God to help and sustain us.

Learning to trust God for His grace on a daily basis will help you keep your thoughts and words in line with His Word.

What Trusting God Can Do for You

I’ve heard grace defined as God’s riches at Christ’s expense, and that’s a good definition. But to be honest, it’s just a little bit too spiritual for me.

I like to define grace as God’s power to help us do whatever we need to do.

Grace is power. And it all comes to us through faith, which God also gives us. In fact, Romans 12:3 warns us not to think too highly of ourselves, because God is the one who gives us our faith.

You need to ask yourself: What am I doing with my faith?

Are you trying to change things that you have no ability to change? Are you trying to get yourself promoted instead of just doing your best to please God? If so, you’re probably burning out because you’re focusing on works.

When we simply do what God asks us to do, His grace flows through.

Faith Isn’t Just for the Finish Line
To learn how to trust God for His grace, I used to put up signs around my house that said things like, “Works of the flesh equal frustration.”

Every time I became frustrated, the signs helped me to remember God was with me.

One thing I learned is that His grace isn’t just for last minute miracles. God doesn’t just throw you a Hail Mary pass at the last minute when you’re all worn out and ready to give up, and then say, “Okay, now go make the touchdown.”

God’s grace is something on which you can constantly rely.

How to Have Peace in the Now
Because grace is available to you right now, there’s no reason to struggle with your circumstances, trying to figure them out—or even fight your way out.

Galatians 5:16 tells us to …walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit…then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh.
Notice how it doesn’t say “conquer the flesh so you can walk in the Spirit.”

When we concentrate on the Spirit, we won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh because we will be focused on our relationship with God and His love for us.

The same way we receive Christ is the same way we are supposed to live each day of our life—in total, complete dependence on Him.

Your circumstances don’t have to control you, because you have the power of God’s grace in your life. And it’s available to you in whatever amount you need, right now.


Source : http://www.joycemeyer.org/default.htm

A PERFECT MISTAKE

My Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for the clothes his church was sending to orphanages in China. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed his earlier actions, he realized what had happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to Your work, and now this."

Months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago.

The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this."

"Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top." The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued, "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."

The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas. But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized that the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

There are times we want to blame God instead of thanking him! Perhaps it is something we ought to try more often, "Thank you God for not allowing my car to start this morning." He may have been saving your life from a car accident. "Lord Jesus, thank you for letting me lose my glasses; I'm sure they'll be put to good use or there is a lesson to be learned."

It may sound like an oxymoron, but you will have an entirely different perspective on life if you are willing to look for the "perfect mistakes."

-Author Unknown

Source : http://www.christinyou.net/pages/perfectmistake.html

KEEP ON KEEPING ON BY JOYCE MEYER

Various thoughts run through our minds every day—some good, some bad. Our natural temptation is to focus on the bad, so accepting them doesn’t take any effort. The effort comes in being determined to cast down the negative thoughts and take a firm grasp of the positive ones.

Positive minds full of faith and hope produce positive lives. The opposite is also true—negative minds full of fear and doubt produce negative lives, which can ultimately destroy your life. Some people have been hurt so many times that they don’t think they can face the pain of another letdown. Therefore, they refuse to hope so they won't be disappointed.

Battles are fought in our minds every day. When we begin to feel the battle is just too difficult and want to give up, we must choose to resist negative thoughts and be determined to rise above our problems. We must decide that we’re not going to quit. When we’re bombarded with doubts and fears, we must take a stand and say: "I’ll never give up! God’s on my side. He loves me, and He’s helping me! I’m going to make it!"

No matter how bad the battle rages in your mind, don't give up! Step out and regain the territory that’s been stolen from you. Even if it’s only an inch at a time, make sure you’re leaning on God's grace and not on your own ability. In Galatians 6:9 the apostle Paul simply encourages us to keep on keeping on! Don't be a quitter! Don't have that old "give up" spirit. God’s looking for people who will find the courage to rise above all the negative and pursue the positive.

Whatever you may be facing or experiencing in your life right now, I want to encourage you to stay positive and refuse to give up! God is with you, and He’ll help you make spiritual progress—strengthening and encouraging you to keep on keeping on during rough times. It's easy to quit, but it takes faith to press on to victory.

When the battle seems endless and you think you'll never make it, remember that you’re reprogramming a "worldly" mind to think as God thinks. In the same way that computers are programmed, our minds are programmed. From the time we’re born, our minds are like computers that have had a lifetime of garbage programmed into them. But God, who’s the best "computer programmer" around, is working on us every day to reprogram our minds as we cooperate with Him (see Romans 12:2).

This process of reprogramming or renewing our minds will take place little by little, so don't be discouraged if progress seems slow. Don't get down when you have setbacks or bad days. Just get back up, dust yourself off and start again. When a baby is learning to walk, he falls many, many times before he develops the ability to walk without falling; however, the baby is persistent. He may cry for a while after he falls down, but he always gets right back up and tries again.

Learning to change our thinking works the same way. There will be days when we don't do everything right—days when our thinking is negative. But never stop trying. God is gradually bringing us around to His way of thinking. Just don't give up!

Source : http://www.joycemeyer.org