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Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Our Spirit—Soul—Body

 

 

And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

—1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)

  


1 Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that we were created by God to have three parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body.

 

The body is our physical part. Through our senses we feel pain; we see with our eyes; we hear with our ears; we taste with our mouth; we smell with our nose. The physical part of the body experiences things based on the perception of our five senses.

 

The soul is often referred to as the mind. The mind makes up our mental and emotional state—our personality. It is where we think and reason and where we feel the full range of human emotions like happiness and sadness—compassion and anger. The mind is where we have the aptitude to make choices. 

 

We are more than just a physical body and a soul. God also gave us a spirit. Our spirit is who we are. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6 (NKJV). Our spirit is where we are reborn in Christ. It is in our spirit that we receive the fullness of the Spirit purchased for us by Christ. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truthfulness” (John 4:24, KJV). God created our spirit as the way to commune with Him. Through our spirit, we pray, receive, and worship God. 

 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV). When we are reborn by the Spirit of Christ, we become a new person in our spirit. We receive the full atonement of Christ, and He comes to live in us. In our spirit, old things have passed away and all things are completely new. However, the soul and body are not immediately changed. As our soul (mind)—receives the Truth of the Word through our reborn spirit in Christ, the understanding of our mind is transformed.”

 

“Do not be conformed to this world,” Paul writes, “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2, NKJV). The Holy Spirit, as our teacher, brings a spiritually-revealed understanding of God’s Word. Our mind receives the Truth of the new life of the spirit that became ours at salvation. The way we think and our emotions renew over time to the Truth of God’s Word. When we apply faith to what the Holy Spirit reveals, we believe all things are new. And when we believe this Truth in our mind, the Holy Spirit can flow from our spirit—healing us in spirit, soul, and body. 

 

Before the Holy Spirit became the new person within our reborn spirit, our thoughts and desires determined our decisions. We did what we wanted, based on our feelings and judgments. We might have lived a good life or a life that wasn’t good, but either way, how we lived was determined by our soul. But when we were reborn by Christ in our spirit with a new life, we received all things new. It is our choice to be renewed in mind and action by the new life we have received in our spirit.

 

Do we allow the Holy Spirit to change us in the spirit of our mind—in the way we think and respond and act (Ephesians 4:23)? We can either live by our feelings and emotions or by the new life of Christ within us. We choose to take in God’s Word and allow the new life we have received to transform our minds and actions.

 

We have a spirit within us created to hold God. We have a soul (mind) to express the new life we have received in our spirit. Our spirit contains the new person as the person of the Holy Spirit. Our soul (mind) reveals the transformation the Spirit brings. By continually choosing to live by our spirit, our soul and even our body will be renewed and changed by the flowing and unlimited power of God.

 

Understanding who you are in spirit, soul, and body helps you to understand how you receive from God. The fullness of God flows from your spirit to every part of your being. “And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, KJV).


 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/our-spiritsoulbody.html

 

 

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Seventy Times Seven



“Lord,” Peter asked Jesus, “how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” 

—Matthew 18:21-22

 

Forgiveness should never stop at one or even seven times. It should flow without hindrance. Jesus knew the cost of forgiveness for the pain of bitterness and hatred. His mercy paid the ultimate price at Calvary. “Seventy times seven” becomes immeasurable forgiveness for those who receive God’s love. But do we forgive with the mercy that Jesus gave to us? Do we love others no matter their ugliness as we are loved despite ours? 

 

There is a lot of sin in this world, which stirs grief and despair and hate. The world is full of the anguish of death, illness, and prejudice. The list of pain is endless. We, who believe in the redeeming love Jesus, don't need to be a part of the grief. We need to be the forgiving hands and feet of Jesus. If we can't offer the compassionate love of Jesus, what good did His mercy do for us?

 

The only answer for peace and healing is Christ. And that is not a politicized Jesus. Only the pure grace of Jesus, with no other agenda, gives freedom from alienation and brings healing. Only His grace heals the sin and sickness of a broken world and says, “I love you.” 

 

Jesus replaces the burned-out ashes of life with a beauty that nothing on earth has the power to give. He gives a life of peace and joy instead of one defined by grief. He inspires praise, which rebukes fear and offers hope. Having received the mercy of His righteousness, we have nothing to prove self-righteously. We are free to forgive because we are so generously forgiven. Does His love strengthen us during challenging times so that we love others during theirs? Are peace and joy our anchors?

 

How do you experience the mercy of Jesus? Do you have peace and joy despite the world's plagues and hatred? Do you have forgiveness that heals grief? Jesus has planted His life in you, but have you grown in the revelation understanding of God’s love? Until you have grown, your roots will give you little strength. Peace and joy will be elusive. Fear and anger will be your initial responses to what you hear or see. Jesus is forgiveness and healing. Jesus was moved with compassion to heal. The only ones He condemned while on earth were the self-righteous Pharisees. He loved and forgave those considered dirty and sinful and unlovable. Jesus forgives the world despite its hatred for him. If someone doesn’t know that truth and hasn’t received the forgiveness of Jesus, he will experience frustration and bitterness at man’s inhumanity to man. Jesus is the only answer to man's cruelty. And if we, with the love of Jesus, can’t offer grace to a hurting world, then what use are we?

 

Right before us is a broken world desperate for peace and seeking the answer. Man doesn’t have the answer with political or public health opinions. The world needs more than an opinion. It needs forgiveness. The grace of Jesus awakens the hearts of those who don’t know Him—and also our hardened hearts—if we allow. Let His grace awaken yours. Receive His mercy in depths that you have never before allowed. His grace is your freedom to love an angry and hurting world as He has loved you in your anger and hurt.

 

“Lord,” Peter asked Jesus, “how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!”

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/seventy-times-seven.html

 

Monday, September 28, 2020

Width—Length—Depth—Height



 

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

—Ephesians 3:16-19 (NKJV)

 

 

To comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of the love of God is a remarkable gift of grace! The untouchable God of the Old Testament—the God of holiness—the God of perfect forgiveness and healing—the God of infinite power—became entirely accessible through the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus summons us to receive this love and allow it to transform our minds and hearts. His love surpasses human reasoning. Human insight cannot discern it. We discern God's love, spiritually. The Word changes us in the spirit of our mind, and we receive the infinite width, length, depth, and height of the mind of Christ. His eternal love dwells in our hearts through faith. When we grasp the revelation of God’s love in our inner man, we are strengthened and rooted in His love and filled with ALL the fullness of God.

 

Do you believe this in your deepest being? God gives you His love at no cost to you? Jesus paid the price for you to receive God’s love. The source for everything with which God loves you is His riches in glory. And that is the widest—the longest—the deepest—the highest source of ALL! God abundantly strengthens you with ALL His power! He lavishly forgives with ALL the forgiveness He purchased for you. God generously heals with ALL the healing Calvary won. He liberally provides with ALL His riches in glory. The Holy Spirit reveals the unending depth and length and height and width of the love of God in Christ Jesus.

 

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace, he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7, NLT).

 

The love of God is made known to us in the gift of His Son. To understand the depth of this unconditional love, we need a divine revelation of it. If we ask for that revelation and seek it, we shall find it. He never withholds the Truth of His love! God desires us to have a supernatural understanding of His love because He wants a Spirit-to-spirit relationship with us.

 

God's love is not because of anything we have done. He is passionate about us because of His great mercy. Jesus washed away our sins and gave us new birth and life. The grace of Jesus forgives us and makes us right in God’s sight. It gives confident trust in our relationship with Jesus. Forgiven—healed—His mercy has purchased new everlasting life for us. And God liberally pours out His Spirit into our hearts.

 

Jesus has given us the gift of eternal life. We have an eternal relationship with God that is real. His love is not just for life to come in heaven. The abundant and overwhelming love of God is for us right now. When we are and rooted and grounded in God’s love, we believe we receive its width—length—depth, and height. We never doubt it. Human reasoning and feelings are overcome by spiritual understanding. We rest and have peace in His love. Filled with all the fullness of God, we live the Truth of His abundant life now.

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/widthlengthdepthheight_28.html

 

Friday, September 25, 2020

Never Separated from His Love



“Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else” (Romans 8:32, NLT)

 

We are loved. God loves us so much that He did not even spare the life of His Son. And if He let His Son die for us, what else would He possibly keep from us? Nothing. He gave us the most exorbitant gift. Nothing else can surpass it. God would never give you His Son and then hold back forgiveness. Why would He hold back the healing of your spirit, soul, and body?

 

“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Romans 8:33-34, NIV).

 

Even before you knew Him, God chose to love you. You responded to His love, and He delivered you from the power of darkness and moved you into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. You’re no orphan! You BELONG to Him. The enemy has no power over you. Nothing and no one has any authority to condemn you—not Satan or the opinions of men. God is the one who validates and justifies you. Not only is your sin nature crucified with Christ, everything about you is whole. Sickness is crucified and under His blood. Your spirit has been reborn with the Spirit of the living Lord. You are a new person with a new lineage. The enemy may try to tell you that you will never be well, but the love of God says differently. God is the author of life, and the enemy is the author of death. You are delivered from the power of darkness and the enemy’s clutches. You are saved, healed, and whole in God.

 

Jesus Christ, who was dead and then raised to life, now sits at the right hand of God interceding for you. Jesus doesn’t beg God for His blood to be enough for you. No! Jesus reminds His Father that the work of the Cross is complete—that His blood is enough. Jesus intercedes for you with God with the freedom His life purchased for you. Your intercession doesn't beg God either. It reminds God what Jesus has purchased for you—forgiveness of sins, healing, and abundantly fulfilling life. 

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35,37, NIV).

 

NOTHING separates you from the love of God. You fight the power of darkness with the power of God's Resurrection love. You fight sin. You fight sickness. You fight fear. You fight hardship and persecution. When you know how much God loves you, you fight every lie that comes against you with the Truth of Calvary. In all these lies, you are more than a conqueror. Every sin, symptom, sickness, emotion, feeling, and attack of the enemy is defeated. You more than conquer Satan with a revelation of God’s love. You don’t just get saved. You get healed through and through with His miraculous grace.

 

“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV).

 

Are you convinced that nothing that comes against you—no death or life situation—no power of darkness—nothing in all creation can separate you from the God of love you have received in Jesus? Nothing can separate you from the power of God's love. When you believe this Truth, you are convinced of God's love. You live the confidence that His love gives you. You persevere and believe in what you are promised.

 

“Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (Romans 5:4, NIV). Persevere for the promises of God. Develop a strong character that exhibits confident hope. Faith increases, and you believe the finished work of Jesus is more than enough. If God gave His Son, won't He give you all things? Confident hope blossoms as God's Truth transforms your spiritual understanding.

 

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36, NLT). 

 

Hold on to God’s Truth, and claim the promises of your new life in Christ. He is the Lord who completely restores—your Healer of sin and sickness and fear and grief and every pain of life. God’s will for you is living life in the fullness of His grace. Persevere and believe by faith. You will receive from the bounty of His overwhelming love for you.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/never-separated-from-his-love.html

 

 

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Someday is Now


 

 

Guess what? “God SO loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV). God had SO much love in His heart that He had to do something with it. God came to us with the greatest love. His compassion gave us the gift of His Son. He didn’t have to do anything for us, but He did. God always moves toward us—never away from us. 

 

God doesn’t stand back with His arms crossed, shaking his head and saying, “Now you do better. I'll love you when you do good enough to please me." The enemy tells us that the love of God has to be earned and then kept by still earning God's acceptance. Religion says that if we do certain things, we will receive God's blessings. But God says that He loved us so much while we were sinners, He came to save us. He didn't ask anything of us. He offered His life for ours and gave us the gift of everlasting life.

 

Have you ever looked at everlasting life as being yours now?  You received the promise of eternal life when you were saved. You became joined to God in spirit, and your soul became one with His forever. Christ came to live in you, the hope of God’s glory. God has made known the riches of His glory to you through His Son (Colossians 1:27). Jesus gave His life so you could experience the Kingdom of Heaven. The peace and joy and healing of heaven are found in God’s gift of abundant life now. Do you know what I mean—that abundant life the enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10)? All the fullness of God lives inside of us, and we have the power to rebuke the enemy’s lies that tell us we will never have God’s abundant life now.

 

God didn’t save us to burn us out. That is not the love of God. We don’t have to prove that we love Him by what we do. He loves us, and we love God because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). While we were still sinners, He loved us enough to give His life for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to reveal the love of God to us. It was His love on the Cross that destroyed sin and death and the separation between God and us. And it is the revelation of God’s love that now fills us with His overflowing love and grace.

 

To comprehend the width and length and depth and height of God's love (Ephesians 3:18), we need to know what His love is—what it looks like—how to receive it—and how to walk in it. A revelation of God’s love unlocks the Word of God. The Bible is His love letter filled with His promises!

 

Do you realize that He loves you so much that the promises in the Word are yours personally? Perhaps, you are a "someday" person. Someday, I'm going to have that peace the Bible promises.  Someday, I'm going to experience healing. Someday, I'll have no more fear and no more pain. And your list of “somedays” goes on. God’s promises are real for you now—not just someday. The fullness of God’s love breathes within you. You have a thriving everlasting relationship with Jesus now. 

 

The Bible is not a “someday” Word. If it is, then you have to work for peace and joy and healing. But you can’t manufacture those in your life. They are gifts of God. When you have a spiritual revelation of how much God loves you, you receive His gifts of peace, joy, and healing. The truth is there is nothing you can do to earn God's love. You will never be good enough. It is a free gift of His grace. 

 

If the Bible is a “someday” book, then someday the Cross will save you, and someday victory will be yours. But when you have a revelation of God’s love for you, you realize that your someday is now. And when the love of God tells you that your someday is now, trying to earn what you already have is torturous.

 

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has given us everlasting life now. "My love for you is manifested through my Son," He declares (1 John 4:9). When you realize the love of God that was manifested for you, you live the victory of His abundant life. You have manifested peace and joy and healing through the finished work of the Cross.

 

Would God give you all His love on the Cross and then hold back His blessings from you?  That isn’t love. And He doesn’t hold back. He freely gives us ALL things (Romans 8:32). He paid the price. Not you. That is His love for you now and not just sometime in the future. When you realize how much He loves you right now—how deep His love for you is—you are abundantly free to be His. Your someday is now.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/someday-is-now.html

His Finished Work



Healing is not just for people who are regarded as “super saints.” It is for everyone who believes that Christ paid the price for their sins. One evening, after Jesus had healed Peter’s-mother-in-law, many came to Jesus.

 

“When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses’”

(Matthew 8:16-17, NKJV).

 

In this Scripture in Matthew, Jesus healed all who were sick. In Isaiah 53:5, healing is mentioned with the coming Messiah being “pierced for our rebellion and crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NLT). This verse is Isaiah's prophetic word of the Savior, who would one day come to forgive sins and heal. Jesus healed the demon-possessed and sick that night, revealing that He was fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy. 

 

What does this mean? Not only was the forgiveness of sins purchased for us by Christ on the Cross. Healing was also purchased for us. Healing is as much a part of salvation as the forgiveness of sins. God doesn’t want us to be sick as much as He doesn’t want us to sin. If we look at healing as part of the atonement, our view of healing changes. We are not only redeemed from sin but also from sickness. Jesus did a perfect work on the Cross.

 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2, NKJV). What gives you access to God’s grace is not your goodness or good works, but faith in what Jesus has done on the Cross. When you put your faith and trust in His finished work, He saves and heals. You believe and receive healing the same way you do salvation.

 

Jesus “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you WERE healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NKJV). The verb tense in this verse is in the past. When this was written Jesus had already paid the price for our salvation. Healing had happened on the Cross. The new covenant of grace was in place. In the New King James Version of Isaiah 53:5, the present tense is used— "by His stripes you are healed." The present tense in Isaiah is used before the finished work of Jesus, and the past tense in I Peter indicates the work of Jesus has been completed. Jesus has already paid for our sins, and He has already healed us.

 

“Let all that I am praise the Lord,” the psalmist declared. “May I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3, NLT).  God’s forgiveness of all sins and His healing of all diseases come together in this verse. Jesus brought forgiveness and healing to us.

 

When I believe healing is as much a part of salvation as the forgiveness of sins, I believe my healing has already been accomplished. I’m redeemed from sickness in the same way I’m redeemed from sin. I can believe in healing just as I can believe that I'm forgiven. Just as I have a choice about sin, I also have a choice about sickness.

 

Not only did Jesus take my sins, but He also bore my infirmities and took my sicknesses to the Cross. I choose to take my thoughts captive and believe that Jesus has healed me. I resolve that I will receive the healing Jesus suffered and died to give me. I won’t allow the healing that cost Him everything to remain dormant because I choose not to believe. 

 

Faith is my response to the grace of Jesus and all that He has purchased for me. Before I ever asked for forgiveness for my sins, Jesus had already paid the price for them. There was never a question in my mind if Jesus would forgive me. He already had. Now I believe there is never a question if Jesus will heal me. I believe He has healed me. I choose to believe it no matter how I may feel. I won’t doubt it because I won’t receive what I don't believe.

 

I believe that He is the Lord who heals me! So I am healed!

 

“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."

(Jeremiah 17:14, NKJV).

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/his-finished-work.html

Monday, September 21, 2020

God Heals


 

There is power in the living Word of God. It is absolute Truth. When the Word is believed and received, nothing can hinder its power. Many are fighting illnesses and are struggling to believe in healing. The Word of God clearly states that God’s desire is for us to be well. But so many have trouble believing it.  

 

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” (3 John 2, NKJV). “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NLT). “He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death” (Psalm 107:20, NLT). “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies” (Psalm 103:2-4, (NLT). 

 

Let’s never forget the good things He does for us. By His wounds, we are healed. He sent His Word to heal us. He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. He redeems us from death. God sends His Word to accomplish His purpose in our lives, and that purpose is to believe and receive His Truth. 

 

“And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38, NLT). Jesus didn’t do anything on His own. God was with Him, anointing Him with power. Jesus healed all those who were oppressed by the devil. He never placed sickness on anyone, because illness is not of God. It is of the enemy. 

 

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14, NLT). God is abundant life. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). But Jesus in dying for our sins, broke the power of Satan and of death.

 

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, NKJV). We receive healing like we receive salvation. We take the gift Jesus offers. We choose by faith to receive Jesus' gift of salvation. In the same way, we also accept His gift of healing. We believe in our hearts that God wants us to have good health.

 

In the Lord's prayer, Jesus prayed, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9, (NKJV). Jesus prayed that God’s will would be the same on earth as it is in heaven. What is God’s will in heaven? There is no sickness or pain or fear. Jesus prayed the same to be done on earth. 

 

If God wants us to have good health, then it is His will for us to pray for healing. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (I John 5:14-15, NKJV). We can pray for healing because it is God's will. And we can have confidence that if we ask, He hears our requests and grants what we ask.

 

Why do we have trouble believing in healing? Because we often don’t see immediate results. We must hold on without wavering. A double-minded man who wavers in belief can’t receive what he only believes some of the time. We must ask in faith, without doubt, for anyone who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. He won’t receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8). Don't waver. Sometimes God heals immediately, but most often, He heals progressively as our souls prosper in Him—as the Truth of God's Word transforms our minds.

 

Believe in His precious promise that "by His stripes, you are healed."  Believe for yourself and other believers because God is no respecter of persons. He regards each of us the same (Romans 2:11). Take in the Word of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into His Truth. Choose to believe what you find without wavering. Pray with confidence according to His will. Keep on believing no matter if what you pray for is not seen or felt. Often, we have trouble holding on because we base what we believe on what we experience instead of the Truth of God’s Word.

 

Do you need healing? Who do you love and believe for their healing? God raises up believing prayer warriors to pray in agreement. When two or more agree, they can pray, and it will be done by their Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19). Ask someone who believes in God’s healing to agree with you in prayer. Pray and believe without wavering. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16). Put two or more praying people together who believe in God’s Word, and how much more powerful will their prayer be? 

 

Have confidence when you pray that you have asked according to God's will. You know your prayer will be answered. Believe that you receive what you pray for and that one day it will happen. Don't doubt, and don’t waver. Believe that God wishes above all things that you be in health and prosper even as your soul prospers. And believe the Word instead of what you feel or see or experience. 

 

“My child,” God instructs, “pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body” (Proverbs 4:20-22, NLT).

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/god-heals.html

Be Still and Know



Have you ever felt aggravated when life doesn’t go as you planned? You become frustrated if you believe that only you can take care of something. You can’t control life or make anything happen. God has patiently (and sometimes painfully) taught me that I’m not the only one He can use for a specific purpose. When you believe that you alone can take care of an issue, you become inflated with pride. You place confidence in your ability above God’s ability. And when you put more faith in yourself than God, you exalt yourself above Him.

 

BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD; I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, AND I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH” (Psalm 46:10, NKJV)!  

 

We have no peace when we believe everything will fall apart if we're not in control. When we exalt ourselves, it is impossible to be still before God. Yet, God tells us to be still and know He is God. He is the one to be exalted—not us. He calls us to humble ourselves and honor Him in total dependence. God will take care of everything we entrust to Him. If we are just still and allow the Holy Spirit to have control, we will discover the precious gift of God’s peace when we draw close to Him (Philippians 4:6-7).

 

You may feel responsibility overpowering you, and God is calling you to rest in Him. What can you do with your need to be responsible? You realize that you’re not the only one who can take care of something. You estimate God's ability as more significant than your own. You trust that He will raise others of His choosing. Perhaps, you don’t consider your need to be in control as prideful, but isn't it? If the need to be in control robs you of God's peace, is it worth it? 

 

Do frustration and lack of peace make you question how intimate your relationship with God really is?  Don’t you want one where you trust Him explicitly—where you experience the depths of His grace within you? Quit struggling to take care of everything. Be still and rest in Him. Pray and open yourself to new revelations and experiences in His Word that He has for you. Humble yourself and receive His Truth. He will exalt you when His time is right. Give your cares to Him. Let Him have control. It is His anyway. It just frustrates you when you try to claim it as your own (I Peter 5:6-7).

 

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Your way is not the best way. God’s way is. Exalt Him by letting go and trusting Him. You will find His strength in quietness and trust (Isaiah 30:15). And when you are still and tranquil in His presence, something miraculous happens. You KNOW that He is your God. He is in you, and He is in control. You let go in peace. Just be still and know.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/be-still-and-know.html

 

Friday, September 18, 2020

You Can



Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

—John 12:24 (NKJV)

 

 

Jesus speaks in this Scripture, knowing His time is almost upon Him. His life—given for the sins of the world—will produce much grain and much fruit in the lives of believers. But that one grain must die; Jesus has to die for this miracle to happen. What is the miracle? Death is the lie. Newly Resurrected life in Him is the miracle of Truth. 

 

How many of us allow a lie to hold us back from what Jesus wishes to produce in our lives? We latch on to “I can’t” because of a lie we have believed. You might believe one of these lies: 

 

“You will never amount to anything. You will never be good enough. Jesus loves someone else more than He loves you. Jesus doesn't have time for your problem. Jesus doesn't forgive you. You will always be a failure. You will never change. You will be sick forever. If you don't feel something, it is not real.”

 

And the enemy berates you and continually throws your lie in your face.

 

The lie you believe—just like a grain of wheat—must die for you to live in the fullness Jesus has given you. When the lie, which has owned your life instead of Jesus, is finally rooted out, then the Holy Spirit—without any hindrance—produces fruit in your life. That lie is not Truth, and it rules your life. Instead of trusting God, you put all your energy into trusting a lie. And without realizing it, that lie becomes your idol.

 

What you go over and over again in your mind is what directs and consumes your life. If it is a lie, then you are in bondage to that lie instead of living in the freedom of God’s Truth. When your mind is fixed on God’s Truth, you live in perfect peace.

 

The Holy Spirit will reveal the lie that has held you back from living a free life. What have you rehearsed over and over in your mind? Perhaps, a condemnation that was hammered into you as a child or something done years ago keeps you from understanding God’s love for you. When you don’t know God’s Truth, you have no weapon to destroy the lies the enemy uses.

 

What are you battling right now? If you want to get to the lie that holds you back, look at what you are going through. The struggles in your life and how you handle them reveal the lies you believe and the truths you need to defeat them. You choose to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you His Truth.

 

Do you realize Jesus has healed you in spirit, mind, and body? Until you believe what Jesus says about you, you will continually struggle to know who you are and what you have as a new person in Jesus. When you allow the Word to transform your mind and defeat the lies that have stolen your freedom, you will know who you are in Jesus. 

 

The knowledge of His Truth sets you free. Allow your struggles to reveal the lies you have believed. Allow God to be on the throne of your life and not a lie. Die to the lie of the old person you were. When you know the Truth of who you are in Jesus, the Holy Spirit flows freely and produces more than you ever believed possible.

 

You CAN in Jesus!

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/you-can.html

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Complete Dependence on God


 

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:5b-7, (NKJV)

 

 

True humility is being totally dependent on God. A person who chooses to humble himself under the mighty hand of God realizes that he can do nothing in his own strength. When a person trusts in his ability above God's knowledge, he has a prideful spirit. A person who promotes himself believes that he is the author of his success. God’s power doesn’t flow through someone who does things his own way. Exalting yourself never invites God’s grace. God exalts when you depend upon His guidance and trust His timing. You don’t have to promote or prove yourself. Remember that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

 

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:5, NKJV). God gives more grace to the humble. Do you need more grace in your life?  How are you before God? Are you entirely dependent on Him? Do you trust Him? The humility that you have before God determines the amount of grace you receive. 

 

Humility is not debasing or demeaning yourself or having low self-esteem. Remember that humility means you totally trust God and are utterly reliant upon Him. He directs your life. You seek Him in all things. Demeaning yourself and feeling unworthy can actually be pride. Hang with me here. Look at Peter in John 13 telling Jesus he wasn't worthy enough for Jesus to wash his feet, and Jesus told Peter if he didn't allow Him to wash his feet, Peter could have no part of Him. Not allowing Jesus to wash his feet was not humility in Peter. Think about the fact that the Lord told Peter he could have no part of Him if he didn't allow Him to wash his feet. Jesus wished to grace Peter by washing his feet, but Peter's resistance came from pride. Until Jesus explained the result of his refusal, Peter rejected the grace that Jesus offered him. Remember that God gives grace to those who are humble and resists those who are proud. Pride is not just arrogance. In its simplest form, it is nothing but self-centeredness. If you focus on yourself believing you are less than others or focus on yourself thinking you are better than others—either way—it is just pride.

 

Looking at where you focus your mind will reveal if you have pride or humility. When your thoughts are on yourself—whether you promote yourself or think less of yourself, you are consumed with thoughts of “you.” It doesn't matter if you are focused on what makes you great or what makes you weak. You are thinking about yourself! God desires your thoughts to be on Him. When your mind focuses on God—instead of what you want or your ideas or your failures or your feelings or situation, you approach God with a humble spirit.

 

“Therefore submit to God,” James wrote, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8, NKJV). The only way you can draw near to God is with a humble spirit. You don’t have to prove yourself to God. Resist the temptation to think about yourself. Just cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you. When you cast your cares upon the Lord, that tells God you need Him, and that is humility. God didn’t make you able to handle things without Him. When you hold your life back from God, you limit His grace in your life. When you give God your worries, you tell God that you trust Him, and He blesses you with a peaceful heart. Not only does He take your fears, but you also humble yourself and receive more grace. 

 

When you understand your relationship with God, you won’t need to promote yourself or suffer from feelings of insecurity. You will humble yourself under the mighty hand of God. His grace will be yours. You will experience His favor—not based on anything you have done or haven't done. 

 

You receive more of God's grace when you choose to be less so He can be more.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/complete-dependence-on-god.html

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

God Grants Wisdom



My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace. They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble.

—Proverbs 3:21-23 NLT

 

 

Discernment in the natural world is common sense—the ability to make a good decision. From a spiritual perspective, discernment is the ability to receive God’s guidance and understanding. This Scripture gives importance to discernment and common sense. It says not to lose either one of them. They bring wealth to your life and keep you safe.

 

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences" (Proverbs 22:3, NLT). Someone who is prudent exercises common sense. As a Christian, the judgment we make about something should consider both the practical and the spiritual aspects—with the ultimate decision made through our spiritual understanding of God's direction. We often rush to judgment without God's guidance, and what appears as sensible proves to be disastrous. And we suffer the consequences.

 

If common sense and discernment keep us safe, then why do so many of us fall short?  Because we make decisions based on our natural feelings—how we see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. We "feel" what our choice should be. Often, that decision considers not only how we "feel" but also the responses we “feel” from others. Natural perception may use common sense, but our choices can prove wrong without God's spiritual perspective. The Holy Spirit teaches and guides us into God's Truth. He speaks directly to our spirits with the best advice, but our feelings often determine our choices instead of what the Holy Spirit attempts to reveal to us.

 

Never rush to decide. Never make decisions based on how you feel. Seek God’s assistance. With guidance and spiritual understanding, God uses common sense He has given you to help you make the best choice. And that is wisdom.

 

“If you need wisdom,” James declared, “ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5, NLT)!  God is generous—especially with wisdom. Just ask for His guidance. It is yours. And listen. It may be against what you “feel,” but His advice is always the one that speaks peace. 

 

“Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them” (Proverbs 4:5, NLT). “For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6, NLT). “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy” (Proverbs 2:10, NLT)!

 

Do you want to make God's right decisions—to be filled with understanding, knowledge, and joy?  Don’t choose anything by what you feel. Ask God, and you shall receive His best.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/09/god-grants-wisdom.html

 

 

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