Post by mommadee48 on Mar 27, 2023 14:37:02 GMT -5
A NOTE FROM GARY WILKERSON:
DEAR FRIENDS, "THEREFORE, HAVING THIS MINISTRY BY THE MERCY OF GOD, WE DO NOT LOSE HEART." (2 CORINTHIANS 4:1, ESV).
Do you have continued hardships that cause you to be disheartened?
How do we not lose heart in such times?
It is always appropriate to pray, fast and read our Bibles, yet Paul shared an important, often unrecognized means of not losing heart. He said it happens by the mercy of God, testifying that the Lord sustained his joy through the hardest times. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:16). Outwardly, things may not improve, but God's mercy "our inner self" is renewed, and our heart kept in peace, joy and fullness of life. I pray this month's message will encourage you to trust God's mercy. He loves to provide it, if only we ask. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We do not lose heart because you are a sign of God's mercy to us. With you in Christ/Gary Wilkerson.
DON'T LOSE HEART
HIS ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER IS COMING" by David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
Our ministry receives letters from many Christians who have somehow lost heart. These are followers of Christ who have truly been saved. They've tasted the mercy and goodness of the Lord and experienced joy, peace, hope and gladness of heart. Then something happened; they fell into some kind of sin or compromise, and the joy of the Lord left them. Now they live in turmoil and fear, completely defeated.
When you talk to these dear ones, you realize their hearts are still toward the Lord. They're not really mad at God---they haven't totally rejected him---but they're convinced, "I can't make it." They're loaded with guilt and living with condemnation.
Once after a prayer service, I was approached by a precious young man. He said, " Pastor, I love Jesus, but I'm really being tested." He pulled off his hat to show me a big scar on his shaven scalp. He had been operated on for a brain issue.
He opened his Bible to an underlined verse, and he stumbled over the words. "My verse is found in First Cappalonians..." The verse he read was 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (NKJV).
When the young man finished reading, he fell to his knees, raised his hands and cried, "Hallelujah for that verse!" My heart melted. This dear young man carried his Bible with that underlined verse as if his life depended on it. I laid my hands on him and prayed, "OH, God, put a wall around him and keep him." Beaming a big smile. he told me, "I know Jesus is going to make a way for me." He kept his finger on that passage in Corinthians. He was going to face the world with one Bible verse. That young man will not lose heart because his heart is on Jesus and his eternal Word.
Simply put, Jesus told us to pray our way to victory. Ge was saying to pray with feeling and persistence and not lose heart. If an unjust judge can be moved to action by one lowly person's persistent, continual coming to him.
How much more will our loving Father be moved by our persistence with Him?
"Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to hi,, though he bears long with them? (LUKE 18:6-7).
Jesus was saying, in essence, "won't your heavenly Father protect and deliver his own elect?
You are son, his daughter, part of his family; you belong to him. He cares; he sympathizes. He has tender, loving concern; and he will not allow the devil to bring down one of His own."
Think of your unsaved loved ones.
Can you count how many tears you've shed over them, how many hours you've prayed?
God is bearing long with you in your request. He is also bearing long with that lost loved one.
Why the delay?
Why do your prayers seem not to prevail?
It is because God is faithfully working on those lost ones. Perhaps he is bringing them into necessary hardships and despair. He may be waiting for them to get sick and tired of it all.
Has your cry and prayer been delayed?
Does it seem your deliverance will never come?
God has a very good reason, and you may not know it until we get to glory. He will delay until he sees that everything He wills is accomplished.
WHEN GOD's ANSWER COMES, IT ARRIVES QUICKLY.
To many Christians give up early, thinking, "It's no use, my prayers are not heard. I don't see any evidence that I'm getting through." Jesus replied, "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily" (LUKE 18:8). This verse does not say "soon" but "speedily," meaning "suddenly". God's answer comes, it comes instantly, in a millisecond.
Jesus was saying something very important to us here. He was telling us, "When your heavenly Father sees the time has come to answer, he will act suddenly. It will all happen in an instant." Sadly, many times the answer comes after we have lost heart.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?" (LUKE 18:8).
This question has to do with more the Lord's return to the earth. Jesus was also talking about answers to our prayers. He was saying, essentially, "The day is coming when all your prayers will be answered in an instant.
Will you be expecting me then?
When I come to deliver you, will I find you still holding fast in faith, persistent in prayer?
Or will you have lost heart?"
Has there been a time when you gave up on your petition to God?
Did you lose heart and say, "It must not be God's will. I guess it will never happen" only to discover later that the Lord was on His way with your answer?"
I know what it is like to be brought to deep regret because I didn't hold out in faith and gave up too soon. I turned to my own strategies, moving ahead in my flesh instead of trusting God. How foolish I felt. I thought, "Oh, Lord, if I had only held out a little longer. You were in the process of answering, and I quit on you."
Give Him your burden right now, whatever it is. Pray like the widow, "God, I'm not going to give you any rest. You're going to save my son, my daughter, my spouse, my friend. I'm going to keep coming to you until you answer. One day, my problem will be answered overnight, in an instant. I believe and trust you, and I won't give you rest until it happens."
Don't lose heart; He is faithful. Your answer is coming!
God Bless.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?"
DEAR FRIENDS, "THEREFORE, HAVING THIS MINISTRY BY THE MERCY OF GOD, WE DO NOT LOSE HEART." (2 CORINTHIANS 4:1, ESV).
Do you have continued hardships that cause you to be disheartened?
How do we not lose heart in such times?
It is always appropriate to pray, fast and read our Bibles, yet Paul shared an important, often unrecognized means of not losing heart. He said it happens by the mercy of God, testifying that the Lord sustained his joy through the hardest times. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:16). Outwardly, things may not improve, but God's mercy "our inner self" is renewed, and our heart kept in peace, joy and fullness of life. I pray this month's message will encourage you to trust God's mercy. He loves to provide it, if only we ask. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We do not lose heart because you are a sign of God's mercy to us. With you in Christ/Gary Wilkerson.
DON'T LOSE HEART
HIS ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYER IS COMING" by David Wilkerson (1931-2011)
Our ministry receives letters from many Christians who have somehow lost heart. These are followers of Christ who have truly been saved. They've tasted the mercy and goodness of the Lord and experienced joy, peace, hope and gladness of heart. Then something happened; they fell into some kind of sin or compromise, and the joy of the Lord left them. Now they live in turmoil and fear, completely defeated.
When you talk to these dear ones, you realize their hearts are still toward the Lord. They're not really mad at God---they haven't totally rejected him---but they're convinced, "I can't make it." They're loaded with guilt and living with condemnation.
Once after a prayer service, I was approached by a precious young man. He said, " Pastor, I love Jesus, but I'm really being tested." He pulled off his hat to show me a big scar on his shaven scalp. He had been operated on for a brain issue.
He opened his Bible to an underlined verse, and he stumbled over the words. "My verse is found in First Cappalonians..." The verse he read was 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (NKJV).
When the young man finished reading, he fell to his knees, raised his hands and cried, "Hallelujah for that verse!" My heart melted. This dear young man carried his Bible with that underlined verse as if his life depended on it. I laid my hands on him and prayed, "OH, God, put a wall around him and keep him." Beaming a big smile. he told me, "I know Jesus is going to make a way for me." He kept his finger on that passage in Corinthians. He was going to face the world with one Bible verse. That young man will not lose heart because his heart is on Jesus and his eternal Word.
Simply put, Jesus told us to pray our way to victory. Ge was saying to pray with feeling and persistence and not lose heart. If an unjust judge can be moved to action by one lowly person's persistent, continual coming to him.
How much more will our loving Father be moved by our persistence with Him?
"Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to hi,, though he bears long with them? (LUKE 18:6-7).
Jesus was saying, in essence, "won't your heavenly Father protect and deliver his own elect?
You are son, his daughter, part of his family; you belong to him. He cares; he sympathizes. He has tender, loving concern; and he will not allow the devil to bring down one of His own."
Think of your unsaved loved ones.
Can you count how many tears you've shed over them, how many hours you've prayed?
God is bearing long with you in your request. He is also bearing long with that lost loved one.
Why the delay?
Why do your prayers seem not to prevail?
It is because God is faithfully working on those lost ones. Perhaps he is bringing them into necessary hardships and despair. He may be waiting for them to get sick and tired of it all.
Has your cry and prayer been delayed?
Does it seem your deliverance will never come?
God has a very good reason, and you may not know it until we get to glory. He will delay until he sees that everything He wills is accomplished.
WHEN GOD's ANSWER COMES, IT ARRIVES QUICKLY.
To many Christians give up early, thinking, "It's no use, my prayers are not heard. I don't see any evidence that I'm getting through." Jesus replied, "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily" (LUKE 18:8). This verse does not say "soon" but "speedily," meaning "suddenly". God's answer comes, it comes instantly, in a millisecond.
Jesus was saying something very important to us here. He was telling us, "When your heavenly Father sees the time has come to answer, he will act suddenly. It will all happen in an instant." Sadly, many times the answer comes after we have lost heart.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?" (LUKE 18:8).
This question has to do with more the Lord's return to the earth. Jesus was also talking about answers to our prayers. He was saying, essentially, "The day is coming when all your prayers will be answered in an instant.
Will you be expecting me then?
When I come to deliver you, will I find you still holding fast in faith, persistent in prayer?
Or will you have lost heart?"
Has there been a time when you gave up on your petition to God?
Did you lose heart and say, "It must not be God's will. I guess it will never happen" only to discover later that the Lord was on His way with your answer?"
I know what it is like to be brought to deep regret because I didn't hold out in faith and gave up too soon. I turned to my own strategies, moving ahead in my flesh instead of trusting God. How foolish I felt. I thought, "Oh, Lord, if I had only held out a little longer. You were in the process of answering, and I quit on you."
Give Him your burden right now, whatever it is. Pray like the widow, "God, I'm not going to give you any rest. You're going to save my son, my daughter, my spouse, my friend. I'm going to keep coming to you until you answer. One day, my problem will be answered overnight, in an instant. I believe and trust you, and I won't give you rest until it happens."
Don't lose heart; He is faithful. Your answer is coming!
God Bless.
Jesus asked his disciples, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?"