GET RID OF STRESS

Pastor Diane 

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The world we live in is full of anxiety, stress, and pressure.  God has the answer for us.  He tells us what we can do to have peace in the midst of the storm, to rest while others are anxious, and to be calm while others are stressed.  This is something we are going to have to make a decision to do.  We need to make a decision not to be anxious.

Another translation puts it like this: “Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything...” How can we do that?  The rest of the verse tells us how: “…but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

I am so glad we have a God that not only hears our prayers, but is also faithful to answer them!

For the next way to stay at peace, we need to be thankful.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When we decide not to be anxious, to let our requests be known to God, and to be thankful, then we get verse 7: God’s peace, which is beyond human understanding, will guard our hearts and minds.

The Amplified translation puts it this way: “And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Confession:  Today, I make a decision to do the Word.  I will not be anxious about anything, but I will let my requests be made known to God.  I will be thankful.  And I am expecting His peace to mount guard over my heart and mind today!

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THE GOODNESS OF GOD

Romans 2:4 (NKJV) Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

This verse is so powerful!  It says that God’s goodness is what leads us to repentance.  It is not banging people over the head, or telling them what a terrible sinner they are, that leads them to God.  It is sharing God’s goodness with them, and letting them know that God loves them and is out for their good.

I know in my life I have seen God’s goodness again and again, and it has brought me to the place of opening my heart and getting rid of junk.  I have not seen God whacking me and telling me that I am a no-good sinner and that I am a waste in the Kingdom of God.  No!  He is always there to love me and help me get back on track.

I remember as a child I had a figure-eight racetrack, and to keep a car on track there was a little pin on the bottom of the car that fit into a groove on the racetrack.  Whenever the car would get off the track, I would have to pick it up and put it back on.  It is the same with us.  God’s goodness is always picking us up when we mess up, and putting us back on the groove and making sure that we can win our race.

God wants us to finish well, and He helps us each day as our Good Shepherd.  Always remember that God, your Heavenly Father, is for you, not against you.  He wants you to win.  He planned for you to be more than a conqueror.  

So today, lean on His goodness.  When He shows you things, repent and move on, knowing that He is in this race with you.  He wants you to win!

Confession: God’s goodness is what leads me to repentance.  My Father is for me and not against me.  He wants me to win in life.  Since He wants that, I know that, through Him, I will!

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SO WHAT IF THE WORLD HATES US

1 John 3:13 (NKJV) Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

Here we have a short verse, yet it says so much.  We are living in a time when this world is not going for godliness and righteousness, but for darkness and sin.  But the Scripture says that we are the light of the world, and to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

Remember that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more!  If we are to be light and salt, then we need to be the brightest light we can be, and the saltiest salt that we can be.  I heard one person say it like this: “Be so salty for Jesus that people will thirst for Him.”  That is what we need to do with light also.  As people see the Lord shining brightly, they will come to Him.

The wise men saw a light in the night.  It was a star shining brighter than any other light, and they followed that star.  So it is with us.  If we love God and want to do the works of Jesus, people will take notice, and when things happen in their lives and they need prayer, guess where they are going to go?  To a bright light: you!

The world wants to live in darkness, and one day when that trumpet sounds, and we are with the Lord, it is going to get pretty dark down here.  Until that day, we are going to shine for Jesus, and the world might hate us for it, but Jesus will say, “Look!  There is one of my brethren standing up for me.  Let us put more light on him!”

Confession:  I am making a decision to let my light shine brighter and brighter each day.  The closer I get to Him, the brighter I will become.  I want people to have a bright path to our Lord, so I am going to do my part and shine brightly.

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WATCH EXPECTANTLY FOR GOD

Micah 7:7 (NASB) But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Our God hears us, and we hear Him.  Each day, as we hunger for Him, His Word declares that we will be filled.  I have found that there is living for God, and then there is watching expectantly for the Lord.  When we show God a hunger and a thirst for Him, it changes everything.

James said in James 5:16, ”The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  Prayer is good, but effective, fervent prayer is a whole lot better. 

David was a man hungry for God.  He said throughout the Psalms that He thirsted for God like a deer; that He desired God more than His food, and more than silver or gold.  It is when we get hungry like this that we see how our relationship with God changes.  Remember, God does not change, WE DO!

The woman with the issue of blood said, “I am going to touch Him, no matter what.”  Jarius came to Jesus, and it did not matter what everybody else thought.  His daughter was dying, and he heard that Jesus was a healer, so He pushed through and got His prayer answered.

Now how about us?  Are we watching expectantly for the Lord?  Do we desire Him more than food and the riches of this world?  If we do, then look out!  Our God will hear us, and if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petitions that we have come to Him for.

I do not know about you, but the thing that I desire more than anything is Him!

Confession:  I desire God, and I am hungry for Him.  He is my life, and my portion.  I want Him more than the wealth of this world, and I know if I seek Him, I will be found by Him.

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WE’RE NEW CREATIONS

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We are new creations in Christ.  We are not going to be, in the sweet by and by.  We are today!  When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, He opened the door for everyone in the human race to become, as one translation puts it, “a new species of being that never existed before.”

Think about that for a moment.  Before Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, there was no one who was a new creation, but once He did, it became available to every person that would believe on His work, and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

The Scripture goes on to say in Galatians 6:15, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.”

To God, all He requires of us is to receive the gift of His Son and become new in His sight.  This puts you in the family.  This gives you Zoe: His eternal Life.  So if you have not received this gift, do it now!  I will help you by writing the prayer out for you, but you need to pray it with your mouth and believe it in your heart.  Once you do that, you are a new creation; you are a new species of being that never existed before.  Your body and your mind will not be changed, but your heart will. You will be born-again.  You will have received eternal life, or the Life of God.  So go ahead, pray this prayer, and then let me know you did.

Confession: Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for me.  Father, I repent of my sins and ask you, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart and be my personal Lord and Savior.  I believe that I am born again, and I have received the Life of God in me.  Amen. 

(If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, please give us a call so we can help you in your new-found faith.)

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FAITH GIVES US RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans 4:5-8 (NKJV) 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

What amazing verses these are, that God would justify us by faith!  The word justify has the meaning of “just as if I never sinned.”  Can you comprehend that?  That God would make us right with Himself, not by how good we are, or all the works that we do, but by faith.

David, who was an Old Testament saint, was floored by this when he said: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

God does not hold our sins against us.  He already dealt with our sins at the cross.  My sins, your sins, and the sins of the world, were placed on Jesus so that they would not have to be held to our account.   We sing the song “What can wash away my sins?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus,” but do we believe it?

When a person receives the free gift that God offers, they are washed clean like a newborn child.  Now, if a person does not accept this free gift of salvation, their rejection of God’s free gift will send them to a place of separation from God, which we call hell.  Yet God has made a way that no one would have to go there.  

So today, rejoice in your freedom.  Christ has made you free, so be free indeed!

Confession: I am free because the blood of Jesus has washed me white as snow.  Knowing this gives me the power to not let sin dominate me.  God in me always gives me the victory!

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GOD IS EQUIPPING AND WORKING IN ME

Pastor Diane 

Hebrews 13:20-21 (AMP) Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from among the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament), 21 Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of the ages). Amen (so be it).

Today, I would like to encourage you with a scripture.  Hebrews 13:20-21 says that it is because of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and His amazing sacrifice on the cross (His broken body, shed blood, and resurrection from the dead) that we now have peace with the God of Peace.

And then verse 21 says that He is also the One Who equips us for every good work.  He equips us to live the Christian life.  He is the One Who knows what we need for our daily lives, wherever we are and whatever we are doing, and He gives us everything we need for the task.  He fills us with His precious Holy Spirit so that we can do “all things through Him Who strengthens us,” as it says in Philippians 4:13.

Let us look again at verse 21.  Not only does He equip us, He works in us “that which is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ.”  He is continually working in us to produce the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  He is continually working to make us more Christ-like, so the world can see His light in us.

Today, you can rest in His faithfulness to equip you and work in you!

Confession:  Today, I am equipped with everything I need to do what God has called me to do.  Today, God is also working in me to make me everything that I need to be to bring God glory.  I can rest in knowing that He is faithful to His Word.

Join us for our Bible Reading Plan this year.  Use the QR Code below.