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Writer's pictureP L U N D E R E R
Sep 5, 20222 min read

Focus on God's Works - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) September 6, 2022

John 14:11 - Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.


Show me a person who's never struggled with their faith. I daresay such a person doesn't exist. The reason for this is that humans are made from dust (Psalm 103:14). They are extremely fragile and not just in body. Human minds are even more so, which is why we are encouraged to be very careful what we allow our minds to meditate on (Proverbs 4:23).


Nevertheless, throughout the Bible believers are told to trust God and have faith in Him (Mark 11:22). And God does many things to help us achieve this. God, in His grace, shows us His power through miracles in our lives as well as in the lives of others. He doesn't just do these things to show off. No, He does them for you and I. His power is manifested and made visible in this world so we can remember that our God is mighty and uncontestable.


Take a look at our scriptural basis. In it Jesus tells us to believe He is from God and if that's too hard for us, to believe in the good works He's done.


Now, why did He give us a 'compromise'? Because having lived among mortals, He understood humans (Hebrews 4:15). He knew that people would not believe in Him without a showing of God's power (John 4:48). That is why His ministry was filled with miracles. He healed the sick, raised the dead and turned water into wine so wedding guests could keep having fun. All to the glory of God.


If you're struggling to believe that God can do something for you, please know that He understands. Your faith level is not a shock to the Almighty. However, don't get complacent. Ask the Lord to increase your faith. And as you grow in that area, do as Jesus commanded and look to the evidence of His works. Open your journals and read over the blessings and miracles you've experienced. Seek out the testimonies of others. Read the Bible and take note of the miracles within it. Find God's word on your issue and pronounce it over and over. Do these things knowing that God has never failed and He won't start failing with you. There's nothing you're going through that can stomp Him for with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).


Use these tools as the works spoken of in James 2:18 which discusses faith without works. By taking active steps to stand on the faithfulness of God, you are doing deeds that drive you in the direction of more faith instead of the direction of apathy and fear.


May the Lord bless you.




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Writer's pictureP L U N D E R E R
Sep 1, 20221 min read

Topic: Blessings and Curses

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Writer's pictureP L U N D E R E R
Sep 1, 20223 min read

Don't Curse Others - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) September 2, 2022

Have you ever been treated so badly by someone or a group of people that you've wanted to curse them? I don't mean insulting them with foul language or mean words, which would be wrong according to the word of God. No, I mean placing a curse upon them. There are some who come from a heritage where laying a curse on a disliked person is normal. Also, in this age when occult practices have been normalized, millions actually think that they should place curses on other people. I've also come to understand that many people don't understand that some of the words they speak can be considered a curse, which can impact the lives of those they pronounce them against.


If you've ever thought about speaking a curse on someone else, Don't do it! In fact, the Bible warns Believers not to curse others. Consider the words of Jesus Christ in Luke 6:27-28 - “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Paul also instructed in Romans 12:14 - Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. We are supposed to pray blessings over those who treat us badly.


As you can see, those who believe in Christ and obey Him have been charged not to curse others but to pray blessings over them. Yes, that's contrary to our modern understanding but it's God's way. Sadly, the average person would call you a wimp or worse, if they knew you applied this instruction in your life.


Yet, God's children are called to obey Him no matter what unbelievers think. That means resorting to cursing others is not an acceptable way of dealing with the feelings that erupt when someone does us wrong. To do so is to follow in the path of the wicked and they shall be silenced in the darkness (1 Samuel 2:9).


The Bible also tells us in Proverbs 26:2 - Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. Just as God will protect you from undeserved curses, so also will He protect others. This is because He loves all His creations, even those who have gone astray. Indeed, Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 - ...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God, in His wisdom, extends grace even to those you don't think are deserving. It is only God who can decide who is deserving at any point in time. So be careful not to think you know who should specifically fall under judgment. Remember that He has determined in His word that He will show mercy and grant compassion to whoever He chooses.


God is the judge, please do not try to take His place for satan attempted this and was kicked out of heaven for his pride and rebellion (Isaiah 14). If you have been offended by anyone, forgive them. If you are so embittered, then take the matter to the Ultimate Judge and call on Him for justice. He has promised to answer prayers and that's what He will do (1 Peter 3:12). Don't take matters into your own hands for doing that can indeed produce a curse and not on the person you thought would receive it.


Finally, do you remember the story of Balaam (Numbers 22-24)? He'd been hired by an angry king to curse the Israelites. Instead God used him to bless them. Please don't curse anyone, no matter how angry you are or how justified you feel. As we've looked at blessings and curses over the last two weeks, today's message is one to keep in mind. Never forget that God has the final say so just take your grievance to Him and ask for justice. He has promised to give justice to those who deserve it. Let Him decide and remain blessed.



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