I want tot share a couple of things from my Bible reading today! First is Psalm 14:1:
1 THE [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right.
THEY like to refer to themselves as "atheists", but God has His own name for them! Empty-headed fool! THAT really sums it up well! All of creation around us SHOUTS of the God of creation! From the vast to the intricate, none of it just happened by chance! Here is what God says about them and about us! Verses 2-5:
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. 3 They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? 5 There they shall be in great fear [literally--dreading a dread], for God is with the generation of the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright and in right standing with Him).
GOD is with US! In fact, if you are a born again believer in Jesus Christ, GOD is IN you, by His Spirit! HALLELUJAH! The next thing I want to share is how to react to bad news! In Matthew 14, when Jesus heard about the beheading of His cousin John, He went off to be alone at first, but then, when the people came to Him for help, He did this in verse 14:
14 When He went ashore and saw a great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sick.
THAT is how we repay the devil for stealing, killing and destroying in the lives of those we love! When YOU receive bad news, spend some time in His presence, and then go out and share the Gospel, lay hands on the sick, pray for people and snatch back those whom the evil one has claimed as his own! YOU have the same authority as Jesus has to do these things (Mathew 28:18-20)! GO FOR IT! The last thing I want to share is something I have shared before, but every time I read it, I want to shout! We continue reading in Matthew about Jesus walking on the water and Peter telling Jesus to call him to come! Verses 8-33:
28 And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. 29 He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. 30 But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]! 31 Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat knelt and worshiped Him, saying, Truly You are the Son of God!
As far as I have ever heard, no one else has ever walked on water! DID Peter waver in his faith? YES! But DID Peter walk on water? YES! Have you? Enough said! Stop concentrating on Peter's "failure" and appreciate his boldness and moment of courage! Remind yourself, when YOU venture out in faith, that Jesus was right there to save him and He will be for you, too! AMEN! SO, be bold and obey God! Here, to encourage you in that, is Hillsong United with "Oceans - Where Feet May Fail":
Shalom in Him!
