“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”
(Mark 5:36)
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Contradicting is rebellion and offense to God. Our Heavenly Father always speaks the TRUTH and contradicting God is rebelling against the TRUTH. (Titus 1:2) “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” “God cannot lie.” The foundation of our faith is trust in God’s character. Because He is TRUTH and cannot LIE. We should build our faith on the foundation of a TRUSTWORTHY GOD who will not lie. Let us look at some EXAMPLES of contradicting GOD:
I – “GOD DOESN’T LOVE ME” – “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”(Jeremiah 31:3).“Everlasting love.” God’s love is PERMANENT. It does not last for just a day, week, month, or year. God’s love is ETERNAL. (Isaiah 49:15) “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Fathers and mothers may forsake their own children. Husbands and wives may separate. But God’s love is constant and dependable. When we feel that God has deserted us, we must ask if we have deserted God. (John 11:3) “Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” “He whom THOU lovest is sick.”
LESSON: When Mary and Martha sent to Jesus their message, it was not: “Lord, he loveth Thee” but, “Lord, He whom Thou lovest is sick.” It is not our imperfect love to Him that comforts us, but HIS PERFECT LOVE to us. It is not my love to God, but God’s love for me, that I should be thinking of. It is comforting to know that despite our inconsistencies and sins, God loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. Eternal life is not achieved on the MERIT SYSTEM, but on the MERCY SYSTEM. Understanding that God loves us no matter who we are and what we have done. (Matthew 10:29-30) “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” You are a great worth to God. You are never lost in God’s INVENTORY. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms, persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. These could cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ.- But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death and resurrection is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can stop His constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is – so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid. (Ephesians 3:17-19) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
God’s love is TOTAL. It reaches every corner of our experience.
1. It is LONG – it continues the length of our lives.
2. It is DEEP – it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death.
3. It is WIDE – it covers the breadth of our own experience and it reaches out to the whole world.
4. It is HIGH – it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation.
When you feel shut or isolated, remember that you can never be lost to God’s love.
(Psalm 30:1) “I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.”“For thou hast lifted up.”
God’s love can lift the drunkard, God’s love can lift the thief, God’s love can lift the prostitute, God’s love can lift the sinner out of the miry clay of sin.
CONCLUSION:
1. We must depend on God’s love DAILY. He is abundantly ABLE to fortify us against the stresses of life. (Philippians 4:13) “ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
2. We cannot OUTGIVE God’s love. The Lord is bountifully able to supply all our needs.
(Philippians 4:19) “ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
3. God’s love is not changeable. The Lord never leaves nor forsakes His own. He is eternally able to stand by us and sustain us.
(Psalm 55:22) “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
4. God’s love will take God’s children to Heaven when their earthly journey has ended.
(Revelation 21:4) “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” “For the former things are passed away”
5. God’s love knows no defeat! No mountain is too steep, no valley too deep. “We are more than conquerors through Him that LOVED US”.
(Romans 8:37) “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
II – “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE” For with God nothing shall be impossible.”(Luke 1:37).“ NOTHING shall be IMPOSSIBLE. (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. (Jeremiah 32:27) Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? “there is NOTHING TOO HARD for me.”
LESSON:
1.Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out. Don’t panic, God can open up a way. Example: The Red Sea. (Exodus 14:10) “ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.” (Exodus 14:13) And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
2. IMPOSSIBLE is a hopeless word. In daily life, we face many apparently impossible situations that would be hopeless if we had to handle them with limited human strength alone. But God specializes in the impossible. A situation that seems impossible with human means is simply an OPPORTUNITY for God. Example. Miracle of the Bread. (Matthew 14:15) . ...”And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to [his] disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.”
3. If we want to have our prayers answered, we must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And we must wait for Him to work in His way, in His time. Example: Abraham and Sarah.
(Genesis 21:1-2) “ And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Abraham did not know whither he went; but he knew WHOM he went.
4. What God promises, He delivers. And He delivers ON TIME! You can have complete confidence that God will keep His promises. It may not be the next day, but it will be at His PROPER TIME.- If you are waiting for God to answer some request or fill some need, remain patient. No matter how impossible God’s promises may seem, what He has said in His Word will come true at the RIGHT TIME.
I – “GOD DOESN’T LOVE ME” – “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”(Jeremiah 31:3).“Everlasting love.” God’s love is PERMANENT. It does not last for just a day, week, month, or year. God’s love is ETERNAL. (Isaiah 49:15) “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” Fathers and mothers may forsake their own children. Husbands and wives may separate. But God’s love is constant and dependable. When we feel that God has deserted us, we must ask if we have deserted God. (John 11:3) “Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” “He whom THOU lovest is sick.”
LESSON: When Mary and Martha sent to Jesus their message, it was not: “Lord, he loveth Thee” but, “Lord, He whom Thou lovest is sick.” It is not our imperfect love to Him that comforts us, but HIS PERFECT LOVE to us. It is not my love to God, but God’s love for me, that I should be thinking of. It is comforting to know that despite our inconsistencies and sins, God loves us UNCONDITIONALLY. Eternal life is not achieved on the MERIT SYSTEM, but on the MERCY SYSTEM. Understanding that God loves us no matter who we are and what we have done. (Matthew 10:29-30) “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” You are a great worth to God. You are never lost in God’s INVENTORY. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms, persecution, illness, imprisonment, even death. These could cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ.- But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death and resurrection is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can stop His constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is – so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid. (Ephesians 3:17-19) “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
God’s love is TOTAL. It reaches every corner of our experience.
1. It is LONG – it continues the length of our lives.
2. It is DEEP – it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death.
3. It is WIDE – it covers the breadth of our own experience and it reaches out to the whole world.
4. It is HIGH – it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation.
When you feel shut or isolated, remember that you can never be lost to God’s love.
(Psalm 30:1) “I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.”“For thou hast lifted up.”
God’s love can lift the drunkard, God’s love can lift the thief, God’s love can lift the prostitute, God’s love can lift the sinner out of the miry clay of sin.
CONCLUSION:
1. We must depend on God’s love DAILY. He is abundantly ABLE to fortify us against the stresses of life. (Philippians 4:13) “ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
2. We cannot OUTGIVE God’s love. The Lord is bountifully able to supply all our needs.
(Philippians 4:19) “ But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
3. God’s love is not changeable. The Lord never leaves nor forsakes His own. He is eternally able to stand by us and sustain us.
(Psalm 55:22) “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
4. God’s love will take God’s children to Heaven when their earthly journey has ended.
(Revelation 21:4) “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” “For the former things are passed away”
5. God’s love knows no defeat! No mountain is too steep, no valley too deep. “We are more than conquerors through Him that LOVED US”.
(Romans 8:37) “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
II – “IT IS IMPOSSIBLE” For with God nothing shall be impossible.”(Luke 1:37).“ NOTHING shall be IMPOSSIBLE. (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. (Jeremiah 32:27) Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? “there is NOTHING TOO HARD for me.”
LESSON:
1.Sometimes we find ourselves caught in a problem and see no way out. Don’t panic, God can open up a way. Example: The Red Sea. (Exodus 14:10) “ And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.” (Exodus 14:13) And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
2. IMPOSSIBLE is a hopeless word. In daily life, we face many apparently impossible situations that would be hopeless if we had to handle them with limited human strength alone. But God specializes in the impossible. A situation that seems impossible with human means is simply an OPPORTUNITY for God. Example. Miracle of the Bread. (Matthew 14:15) . ...”And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to [his] disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.”
3. If we want to have our prayers answered, we must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And we must wait for Him to work in His way, in His time. Example: Abraham and Sarah.
(Genesis 21:1-2) “ And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Abraham did not know whither he went; but he knew WHOM he went.
4. What God promises, He delivers. And He delivers ON TIME! You can have complete confidence that God will keep His promises. It may not be the next day, but it will be at His PROPER TIME.- If you are waiting for God to answer some request or fill some need, remain patient. No matter how impossible God’s promises may seem, what He has said in His Word will come true at the RIGHT TIME.
Poem:
Waiting! Yes trustworthy waiting!
I know, though I’ve waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.
Waiting! Yes trustworthy waiting!
I know, though I’ve waited long,
That, while He withholds His purpose,
His waiting cannot be wrong.
5. Sometimes we become preoccupied with problems when we should be looking for OPPORTUNITIES.
Instead of focusing on the negatives, develop an attitude of expectancy. To say that God CANNOT rescue someone or that a situation is IMPOSSIBLE demonstrates a lack of faith.
6.PRAYER should be our FIRST RESPONSE in any CRISIS. Our PROBLEMS are God’s OPPORTUNITIES.
Example: Paul and Silas. (Acts 16:22)” And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
(Acts 16:31) “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
7. Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.- Faith is not necessary when we think we can do it ourselves. Faith comes along when we realize that we cannot do it on our own. Too often, we are in the habit of handling our problems to God and then taking them back to worry ourselves sick again.
God wants us to commit once and for all our impossible – to work – our burdens to Him. “It is not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
Instead of focusing on the negatives, develop an attitude of expectancy. To say that God CANNOT rescue someone or that a situation is IMPOSSIBLE demonstrates a lack of faith.
6.PRAYER should be our FIRST RESPONSE in any CRISIS. Our PROBLEMS are God’s OPPORTUNITIES.
Example: Paul and Silas. (Acts 16:22)” And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
(Acts 16:31) “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
7. Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends.- Faith is not necessary when we think we can do it ourselves. Faith comes along when we realize that we cannot do it on our own. Too often, we are in the habit of handling our problems to God and then taking them back to worry ourselves sick again.
God wants us to commit once and for all our impossible – to work – our burdens to Him. “It is not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”
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