Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

One thing that saddens me in this ministry is when I see believers pull back from their relationship with the Lord. If you are struggling in your relationship with the Lord or are finding it difficult to trust Him, then renew your mind with the truth that God is good all the time! He is not withholding anything from you that Jesus has already purchased and what He has already established in His Word. If you stop fellowshipping with Him it will only prolong your situation, and the pain and emptiness you are feeling. God is not your enemy; He is for you, not against you, which means He is on your side!

I WILL bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Ps 34:1 (Amp)

King David, who wrote this psalm, is a great example to us because he knew how to strengthen and encourage himself in the Lord in tough times (1 Sam 30:6). He constantly meditated on and reminded himself of who God is. He often said of the Lord:‘He is my fortress, my tower of strength, my refuge in times of trouble’. The main reason why David was chosen as King over all of Israel and over all his brothers was because he had a heart after the Lord.

I encourage you to run to God and spend time with Him, getting to know Him for who He is. Remind yourself of all the attributes and benefits of God; He has forgiven all your sins and has healed all your diseases (Ps 103:1-3). Meditate on the truth of who He isand on what he has already done for you through His Son! When you know the truth you will realise that God is on your side and that you have already been giveneverything you need in life to experience your breakthrough.

So go forth, be fruitful and multiply!

Copyright 2009 God's Plan for Pregnancy by Nerida Walker [Waiting for the Promise] - All rights reserved.

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Your Breakthrough is not EARNED but LEARNED!

It is so easy to caught up in works, self-effort and in following methods and formula’s trying to get our breakthrough.  I remember a time when I used to beg and plead with God and do everything in my own strength to make things happen. I thought that if I just prayed hard enough or believed hard enough then I might get my breakthrough.  Instead, I was left feeling worn out, confused and discouraged.  But praise God I soon discovered that the victory does not come by trying to get God to move or to do something for us because if you understand the finished work of the Cross you will realise that God has already moved and has already given us everything we need!

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…2 Pet 1:3 (NIV)

For this reason, we need to come to a place where we get past our own ability and performance to receive from God because receiving from God isn’t about what we can or cannot do (or about what we have or have not done).  God’s provision comes only by His glorious grace! And His grace has already come in the presence and person of Jesus! And the price that Jesus paid on the Cross was enough for you to walk in victory in every area of your life - it is a free gift available to ALL who believe in Him. So, if you are ‘trying your best’ to receive your breakthrough or to earn favour from God then you have the wrong focus. Instead, shift from works, methods and formula’s and from your performance to Jesus finished work and to His performance!

Renew your mind with this truth!  The breakthrough you need isn’t going to be earned(from what you can or cannot do) but rather learned (by discovering what Jesus has already done).

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Hos 4:6(NIV)

Knowledge is an important element to faith because if we don’t know what is available then we may not be able to experience the breakthrough we need.

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Prov 29:18 (Msg)

I love what the Amplified Bible says of this Scripture….

Where there is no vision, no redemptive revelation of God, the people perish… Prov 29:18a (Amp)

When you both know and understand what God has already done for us through His son then you will realise that redemption is not just the payment for the forgiveness of our sins because what Jesus purchased was for every area of our lives.  Jesus was the 2ndAdam who redeemed us from ALL that the 1st Adam brought upon us.  And when you also know that what you do does not earn you anything then you will understand that praying, fasting, and declaring doesn’t earn BUT simply positions you to receive what has already been done!

I therefore, encourage you to stop focussing on your own performance to earn from God what you need and instead dig into God’s Word to learn what Jesus has already provided!  Then when you have discovered the truth do as Paul says in Phil 4:9 (NIV):

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The rest will be history!

If you would like to know more on how to position yourself in Jesus for your breakthrough check out my audio message “How to receive your breakthrough by Faith”. Or grab a copy of my new book www.itisfinishedbook.com

Copyright IT IS FINISHED – transforming your life through the finished work of the Cross.  Nerida Walker 2010 – all rights reserved

Are you a Servant or a Son?

How do you view your relationship with God?  Do you approach Him as a Servant or as a Son?  Many believers struggle in how they relate to God and they get caught up in performance mode in serving God trying to earn favour with Him.  But God is not after your service…

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.  Matt 20:28

God isn’t after slaves or after someone’s service instead He is after companionship, relationship and intimacy.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Gal 4:6-7

You are not a slave but a son! God is our Abba Father. Abba is another word for father but is in closer relationship with the word “daddy”.  When you come to God in prayer do you approach Him as “Dear God in Heaven…..” or “Daddy, Father?”

Rom 8:15-17 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,

There is a difference between servant and son. As a son you have a position in God’s family. A servant or slave in a household doesn’t receive an inheritance BUT a son does! We DO NOT have to work or earn to receive Salvation or anything else that Jesus redeemed us from because all of this has ALREADY been provided!

Many of us fall short of the goal because we are trying to work for it - or - the opposite, if we feel we are unworthy (not good enough) to receive.  But God doesn’t show favouritism!  We don’t have to strive!  Salvation (along with everything else that Jesus purchased for us) is a free gift from God. This means that we don’t have to work to earn favour with God or to see the answer to our prayers.  Instead we need to discover what God has already provided for us in His Word and as Paul said….

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:9 (NIV) 

Understand God's love for YOU!

Last time we covered some of what God's Word says about His unchanging character. We saw that God is LOVE and in Him is no darkness or wickedness at all.  Today I want to share on God’s love for you.

Did you know that God doesn’t just want to know that He loves you But He also wants you to EXPERIENCE His love?  You are His child and as His child you can partake, which means to share in or take part in and grow up in a full revelation of His love for you personally.

Look at what His Word says…

May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, 18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; 19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Eph 3:17-19 (Amp)

Remember always that He is your loving Heavenly Father who longs to have open fellowship with you.  The word Fellowship is synonymous with the word Communion and means companionship, intimacy but most importantly joint participation!  It is not much fun when any relationship is one sided, so in order for you to grow closer to the Lord I encourage you to spend time getting to know Him.  This comes from meditating on His Word and also time resting in Him, where you learn to hear His voice and then line up what you hear with the truth in His Word.

I therefore encourage you to take this scripture in Ephesians and mediate upon what it says until you do not just KNOW that God loves you but you start experiencing His Love for yourself!

New Message: How to Experience your Breakthrough By Faith

New Message 'How to receive your Breakthrough By Faith'. http://hannahsvictory.com/blog/2010/08/30/new-audio-message-how-to-experience-breakthrough-by-faith/

Relationship, Relationship, Relationship!

This week I am going to post some scriptures to encourage you to develop an intimacy in your relationship with God.  I find that many believers struggle in this area.  They see God as the ‘man upstairs’ that they need to appease rather than a loving Heavenly father that they can fellowship with.

My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.Hos 4:6 (NLT)

The Bible tells us that Israel only knew God’s acts BUT Moses knew His ways.  I believe that is time for us as His New Covenant children to get past just hearing about Him and instead start getting to KNOW Him, personally for ourselves.  I encourage you to spend time mediating on the Scriptures I post so that your thinking can be renewed and your life transformed as a result!

This first message is a simple one.  Let’s look at what the Bible says about God’s nature and character.  I have already listed these on the Hannah’s Victory web site under Hannah’s Story but wanted to post them again here.   These are powerful truths that need to form the foundation of our belief on God’s unchanging nature.

The Known Character of God

These are just some of the many references throughout the Bible that describe the loving nature and character of God:-

• God is love (1 John 4:8-10,16)
• God does not change (Mal 3:6, James 1:17)
• God does not lie (Num 23:19, Rom 3:4)
• God cannot act contrary to His own character (1 Cor 13 Amp)
• God does not alter His Word or break His Covenant (Ps 89:34)
• His Word is true and stands forever (1 Pet 1:25)
• God does not test or tempt us with evil (James 1:13-17)
• God’s Kingdom does not work against itself!  A house divided against itself will fall!
• ONLY good gifts come from God (James 1:17)
• God does not withhold any good thing from those who are righteous (Ps 84:11b)
• He is looking to show Himself strong to you (2 Chr 16:9)
• All God’s callings and gifts are irrevocable (without repentance), which means that God does not change His mind (Rom 11:29 see Amp and MSG versions).
• God does not show partiality or favouritism (Acts 10:34, Rom 2:11), which means that He does not bless one person over another.  His gifts and what He has ALREADY provided are freely available to all who believe in Him.
• God is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)
• There is no wickedness in Him (Psalm 92:15)
• God is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)
• God is Slow to anger, abounding in love, faithfulness mercy and compassion (Neh 9:17, Ps 86:15, Jonah 4:2)
• The goodness of God leads to repentance (Rom 2:4)
• God’s mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13)

Copyright Nerida Walker 2010  All rights reserved.

This message has also been posted on my Hannah's Victory Blog.