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Friday, October 30, 2020

Allow Him to Convince You


 

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)

 

You are a new creation in Christ! Do you know those old things in your life are gone? Now that you are a creation in Him, believe old things are passed away. ALL things in your life are new. But you look at yourself and see the same person. Your body didn’t change when you came to Him. Your mind was the same when you were born again. So what became new? It was your spirit that was born again with His new nature. It was your born-again spirit filled with all the fullness of God where you became new. Your mind and your body were unchanged when you were saved—waiting to be transformed by the fullness of God that you received in your spirit.

 

Your old identity “passed away.” You, as a lost person, were erased. Your old identity—your sin nature—was lost when Jesus Christ found you. You became totally new in Christ. But you can look at yourself—in your flesh, and see nothing has changed. You still have temptations as you had before becoming a new creation in your spirit. When you start to believe what you have received at salvation—the fullness of God living inside of you and that God has given you His righteousness and power, you can turn away from every lustful thought and rebuke evil. When you get to the place where your mind believes in the fullness of God you have received in your spirit, you KNOW the old has passed away. You KNOW you are a new creation in Christ. You believe that the real you is no longer the past which has defeated you for so long. When something from the past rises to tempt or shame you, you can say, “No! That is not me. The real me is in Christ. He lives in me, and that is who I am!”

 

When God sees you, He sees you as the righteousness that Jesus has given you. Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, and you will begin to see yourself as God sees you—as His new creation.

 

You will know your identity in Christ when you start to see yourself the way God sees you. You can listen to teachers and others declare His Truth to you, but until His Word renews your mind and you believe it in your heart, you will not experience the newness you have received in your spirit. You will forever struggle to try to obtain the freedom that you already have in Christ.

 

Knowing your identity in Christ comes from having a deeply personal revelation from God. The Holy Spirit guides you into all Truth. Your mind is where you receive the fullness of understanding of His Truth, and your flesh is where you live what you believe. 

 

You have to take ownership of the Truth. No one else can explain what Jesus has given you on the Cross—and what is now living inside of you just waiting to renew your mind until you believe. The Holy Spirit convinces you of who you are in Christ. Allow Him to convince you that you are a new creation in Him.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/allow-him-to-convince-you.html

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

His Love in Me



Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

—1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)

 

 

What kind of love do I give? Or is my life all about me and what I want? Jesus said to love my enemies and do good to those who hate me, blessing those who curse me and praying for those who hurt me. If someone slaps me, I should offer him the other cheek. When someone demands something from me, I give it to him. Give to those who ask for help. If someone takes something from me, I don't try to get it back. Do to others as I would like them to do to me. (Luke 6:27-30, NLT). 

 

The world has become highly polarized into opposing political parties—opposing views—opposing races. And what is the answer? The love of Jesus Christ flowing in my life—given away as Jesus gave it to me. Christ died for every life, whether that person believed in Him or not. He gave His life for all humanity. Jesus held me in the highest regard, so why can’t I do the same for those who oppose me? The world opposed Jesus, but He loved us anyway. The “me” mentality of “what about my need” pushes people away. And if I think that only others are guilty of this, then I should look at myself. Jesus humbled himself to die for me. Can't I humble myself and lay down my “needs” for someone else?

 

Love is kind. It is not boastful or jealous or proud. Am I boastful and jealous and proud like a Pharisee? If so, I don’t love with His grace. The love of Jesus never demands its way. It doesn't keep a record of those who have caused pain or been unfair. Jesus never demanded anything for himself but, instead, gave His life. Do I keep an account of those who have said things that hurt or slighted me? Christ’s love never rejoices about injustice but always rejoices when truth wins. The justice Jesus offers is full of forgiveness and grace. Do I extend the gift of His mercy? The love of Jesus never gives up. It always has faith to believe in what is not seen or heard. Looking beyond the selfishness of the human heart, His kind of love is hopeful and perseveres through any circumstance. 

 

If Christ's unconditional love is not alive in me, I have nothing to offer but my selfishness. Who bridges the polarized oppositions in this world? Who steps out in faith and loves the unlovely?  Jesus does when He is alive in me. If I feel a need to push my opinion or agenda, I need to remember that Jesus had no plan but to give His life. He had no opinion but Truth, but did He demand that others believe it? No, He died so they could.

 

Our world is starving for the love and grace of Jesus, but it doesn’t realize it. When I allow the “me mentality” or “what I want and what I know is right” is be crucified with Him, I can share His grace that keeps no records. The love of Jesus alive in us can reach others like no opinion ever will. His Gospel of Grace flowing through our lives is the power that changes hearts. His love never gives up and never loses faith in me. And I want His love in me to never give up and lose faith in others.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/his-love-in-me.html

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

A Guilt-Free Conscience



  

Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

—Hebrews 10:22-23 (NKJV)

 

 

There are Christians who deal with debilitating guilt and shame. They have accepted Jesus, but they feel that there is something they must do to make God love them. Are you one of these? Having your heart free of a guilty conscience comes when you believe without any doubt that Jesus took the punishment for your sins. You have nothing to pay because He has already paid for it. 

 

Your loving Father does not want you to endure shame (Romans 10:10). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they do not believe in Him. When a believer sins, he is convicted by the righteousness of God rising within Him to live a holy life (John 16:8-9, NKJV).  And conviction by God’s righteousness does not create debilitating shame. Condemnation by the enemy does. And Jesus did not come to condemn you. He came to save you with the most incredible compassion ever given (John 3:17).

 

God wants you to know that you are free to come right into His presence. Nothing separates you from His love. Jesus has taken care of your guilty conscience with the cleansing of His blood. You are clean with the pure water of His gospel. Draw near to God with an honest heart trusting Him. He will not hurt you—expose you—or demand something from you as payment for His acceptance and love. He loves you when you don’t love yourself. God loves you with an everlasting love that never ends. He draws you with loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3).

 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV).  Faith is substance. It is tangible trust in what you hope. Faith is proof of the things you cannot see. You cannot physically see what Jesus has done for you, but its truth can renew your mind. You can believe it is real. Jesus died for your sins and took your guilt to the Cross. You are guilt-free. There is no reason to live in bondage to something you don’t have. Shame is gone.

 

Choose to believe that you are guilt-free and shame-free in Jesus. God sees you through the precious blood of His Son. As Jesus is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17). Have hope. And hold tightly to that hope without wavering—without a doubt. You can trust God to keep His promise. And what is His promise so you will not know guilt and shame?  

 

The Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM (JESUS) WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME”(Romans 10:10, NKJV). This is your promise.

 

You have a guilt-free conscience, washed clean by the innocent blood of Jesus who paid for your sins. You have no reason to be filled with devastating shame and guilt. Don’t listen to the enemy who says you must earn God’s love and acceptance. You believe in Jesus, and God will never put you to shame.

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/a-guilt-free-conscience.html

 

 

Monday, October 26, 2020

The Good News is Yours



God loves you. Jesus is your Savior—your Healer—your Deliverer—your Provider. Do you know it?

 

Following His forty-day temptation by Satan, Jesus traveled to Nazareth and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He read from the prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19, NKJV). And, then speaking of himself, He told everyone there, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21, NKJV). 

 

In the synagogue that day, Jesus spoke His purpose into being. He had come in the power of God’s Spirit to preach the Gospel to those poor with no hope—to set the captives of sin and sickness free—to heal those brokenhearted and oppressed. The time of the Lord’s favor had come. 

 

The Gospel is God’s good news for man. It is the power of God to save everyone (Romans 1:16), and that salvation is more than just passage to heaven. The Gospel heals, delivers, and brings wholeness. You can’t separate healing from the Gospel. Jesus was healing personified. He healed everyone who came to Him with great compassion. Jesus never denied anyone healing or asked what they had done or what might have caused their sickness. He just loved and healed them. “By His stripes, you are healed,” Isaiah prophesied about Jesus (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus healed then, and He heals today.

 

The Gospel has power, and it stirs faith in those who hear it (Romans 10:17). When you hear the Gospel, it draws you into a relationship with Jesus. It draws you into the goodness of the love of God. It encourages you and sets you free from the lies of the enemy. It breaks through all the bondage of sin, sickness, fear, torment, oppression, and shame. Evil dies, and your needs are met in its power. The Gospel sets the captive free.

 

Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). The word here for salvation is the Greek word “soteria.”  Its meaning includes salvation, health, and deliverance. Whenever Jesus preached the Word, miracles of healing and deliverance followed. It is the same today. When the Gospel is preached, salvation in all its fullness is received. Forgiveness, healing, and deliverance are signs that follow the Word of God being spoken. When you call on the name of the Lord, you are saved in all the fullness of the Gospel.

 

Forgiveness and healing and deliverance and provision all come together in God’s compassionate grace. These are all parts of the goodness of God. When you hear the pure, unmodified Gospel of God’s grace, you know it. Its power changes you. Forgiven, healed, delivered, and lacking nothing—you are whole in the love of God.

 

When you received salvation, you didn’t understand everything about it. You hadn’t read the whole Bible before you prayed to receive Christ. You heard that God forgave your sins and loved you. He wanted to be a part of your life. And you said yes! You received the Gospel with child-like faith. You receive healing in the same way that you responded to the Gospel when you were born again. You accept it without having to understand everything about it. 

 

Do you want to receive the wholeness the Gospel has for you?  Respond in the same way that you asked Jesus into your heart—by faith. Healing begins by hearing the Word and allowing it to renew your perception of God’s love. The Word and faith work together to build confident hope. You receive healing by believing.

 

“All things are possible to him who believes,” Jesus told the father of the tormented boy and healed him.

 

You are loved compassionately. Jesus is your Savior from sin and all its destruction. He is your Healer—your Deliverer—your Provider. The Good News is yours in all of its fullness and power. 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/the-good-news-is-yours.html

Friday, October 23, 2020

Trust God



Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion;

they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

—Psalm 125:1 (NLT)

 

 

Trust is the ability to rely upon or place confidence in someone. When you trust someone, you rely on the integrity of that person and the security he gives. You have confident faith. Those who trust God are protected. They are as secure as Mount Zion and will not be defeated, the psalmist proclaims.

 

The God that Moses encountered on Mount Sinai offered security to the Israelites if their behavior met His law. Their security in God was conditional on their performance. They staggered in fright when God commanded them not to touch the mountain. Moses himself trembled in fear (Hebrews 12:20). God would either bless or curse them based on their conduct. Defeat followed the failure to heed God.

 

On the Cross, Jesus changed everything. Defeat became victory. Death became life. "You have come to Mount Zion,” the writer to the Hebrews penned, “to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people (Hebrews 12:22-24a, NLT). 

 

You have come to Jesus, my friend, the negotiator of the New Covenant between God and man. His Kingdom is Mount Zion—the city of the living God. He is no longer to be feared. God accepts you because Jesus has paid the price for your sins. His love is no longer conditional on your performance. God revealed His real character in the gift of His Son. He is love—grace and truth. Now you run to Him—without shame or dread. He is touchable. He is forgiveness and healing and grace. You are His firstborn, and He is your Abba Father. Your name is written in His heaven. You can trust the God who loved you enough to send His Son to perfectly meet the conditions of His law you never could meet.

 

Do you trust God? Or do you fear Him? If you trust Him, you are secure in Him. You have peace. You have joy. You believe His truth, and you receive His love. When you know what your relationship with God is, you have faith to believe in the integrity of the security that is given. You place confidence in Him because you know how much He loves you.

 

If you are dealing with trust issues in your relationship with God, you need to understand who you are to Him. You are His beloved. You are His child. He is your righteousness—your healer—your provider—your Abba Father. You can go freely right into His presence. You can share your heart and leave your burdens in His care. You don't need to fear punishment. Yes, God is the judge over all things, but Jesus has negotiated a New Covenant for you. Jesus took the judgment for your sins on the Cross and received your punishment. God sees you through the finished work of His Son. You are without blemish—forgiven and healed and whole.

 

When you place trust in the Lord, you exercise faith. You believe you are secure in His love, and Nothing that comes against you defeats you. You continually receive from the spiritual riches Christ redeemed for you. And your greatest promise? You will live throughout eternity in the city of the living God.

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/trust-god.html

 

Thursday, October 22, 2020

His Banner Over You



God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

—Hebrews 13:5b NLT

 

 

You can feel abandoned when you don’t understand the love of God. And when you feel alone, you feel rejected. Those are feelings. The truth is that God has never left you, and He will never abandon you. His very nature is love, (1 John 4:8), and His intention toward you, His child, is only for good. God is consistently revealing His character to you through His Word. He speaks to you and provides out of who He is. God does nothing contrary to His nature.

 

God is grace. When you learn to receive His grace, you begin to know who He is and who He is in you. Your feelings are not what determine your life. The grace of Jesus reveals to you who you are. Jesus has given you the power of His authority by grace. You win battles by His grace. You walk in victory by His grace. When you learn what the gift of His righteousness means in your life, your faith grows to believe in the provision that God promises. Nothing can stand against you or withhold the power of God’s grace in your life when you believe He is good.

 

Grace is the Resurrection power that brings life from death. It is God’s merciful provision for you to receive everything you need. There is grace for forgiveness and grace for healing. There is grace for you to believe and grace for you to receive. There is grace for your financial need and grace for every problem of life. There is grace for your relationships and for those who are difficult to love. And there is grace to defeat the lies and schemes of the enemy—who tries to convince you that grace has no power.

 

When you know by God’s grace that He loves you, you submit to His love. You respond to what you are submitted. You believe in His great goodness and His promises for you. When you receive grace, you experience the power of God in your life. And what brings life to you, you unreservedly give away so others can experience His wholeness and healing.

 

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons,” Jesus told the disciples. “Give as freely as you have received” (Matthew 10:18, NLT). Jesus commands us to do the miraculous. When you receive the fullness of God's grace, you overflow with the power of His Spirit. God’s power lives in you. What He has provided, you unreservedly give away. The power of God flows through your understanding and revelation of His love. His healing in you is the healing for all of His children. His life in you is the life He has for all of mankind. His power in you is His power that moves mountains.

 

The key to receiving from God is believing without a doubt in His goodness and love for you (Matthew 11:23). God will never leave you. He is in you always. The grace of God has brought you to His banquet table, filled with all the goodness of His riches. His banner over you is love (Song of Solomon 2:4). He yearns for you to partake. Believe in His love, and receive from His grace.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/his-banner-over-you.html

 

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Grace Has Appeared


 

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

—Titus 2:11 (NKJV)

 

 

         The grace of God brings salvation. Sozo is the Greek word for salvation. According to Strong's Concordance, sozo means “to save, i.e., deliver or protect (literally or figuratively); heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.” This lexicon presents the idea that there is more to salvation than just the forgiveness of sins. There is healing and wholeness. There is provision, protection, and deliverance. Jesus Christ heals and makes us whole in every way. (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:16-17, Hebrews 2:14, Philippians 4:19, Colossians 1:12-14).

 

          When you read Titus 2:11 in light of Strong’s Concordance, you see the incredible gift of grace that Jesus unselfishly gave His life for us to have. The grace of God that brings forgiveness, healing, provision, protection, and deliverance has appeared to all men. It is true wholeness of life given for all humankind, and it becomes real for us when we accept Christ as our Savior. Salvation in all its depth is ours.

 

         “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17, NKJV). The law, given through Moses, included many curses when the law was broken—such as sicknesses and lack of protection as punishment (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Jesus became the curse for us when He carried our sins to the Cross, and He negated all those curses with His grace. Grace and truth came to us through the love of Jesus. His grace forgives our sins, heals our diseases, provides for us, and delivers us from the enemy. The truth came through Jesus Christ. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, NKJV). When you know the truth, it sets you free from sin, sickness, and every lie of the enemy. You are new and whole in Christ—in every way.

 

         If this is true, why do we live beneath what Jesus purchased for us with His life? Why don't we believe that the Cross provides healing just as we believe in the forgiveness of sins? The Word says that "by His stripes, we are healed." And why are we intimidated by an enemy that Jesus defeated on Calvary? Because we haven’t understood the power of grace and truth in our lives. So we haven’t believed it. 

 

        The Word is the incorruptible seed of God's truth and grace. And faith comes by spiritually hearing His truth in our hearts and receiving what the Holy Spirit reveals it to be (Romans 10:17). What you hear with your heart releases faith in God’s grace. And His grace, which brings forgiveness, healing, provision, and deliverance, has appeared to you. Grace has come to you through Jesus Christ. Forgiveness—healing—provision, and the power to stand against a defeated enemy are all real. Titus 2:11 says they have come to ALL men. Anyone can receive when they believe in Christ.

 

         Do you believe it? The Word of God is the seed that carries His grace to you.  And knowledge of the Word will set you free to receive the promises of Calvary. Faith will grow by hearing the Word in your heart. The moment your faith starts to grow, you step into the power of His grace and truth.

 

         There was grace for the woman with the issue of blood. There was grace for the ruler in the synagogue whose daughter died and then lived. There was grace for everyone Jesus healed, and He healed all who came to Him. And there is grace for you to experience the healing of sin and sickness—to conquer the works of the enemy. There is grace to be made whole. Whom the Son sets free, is indeed free. 

 

         Jesus is your forgiveness—your healer—your provider—your deliverer. You enter into the provision of His precious grace when you believe in God’s goodness and the depth of His love for you. And how profound is His love? That love gave everything so you could be completely whole, lacking nothing. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and receive salvation in all its fullness and glory.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/grace-has-appeared.html

 

 

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

The Revelation of His Love




This is how God loved the world. He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

—John 3:16-17 (NLT)

 

God’s love is about Him loving us. His love isn’t about our ability to love Him. Human love places conditions on love. “I’ll love you if,” it says. Not God’s love! The love of God for you isn't based on anything you’ve done. It’s offered without condition. The promise of heaven is forever, and there are no words to describe it! However, the love of God is also for us right now. He cares about our lives. God loved us so much that He sent His Son to show us how much He loves us. Jesus came so we could receive the eternal and unfailing love of God. His love transforms us to realize nothing can touch the assurance of His peace when His fullness is alive in us. Experiencing the joy of today makes the promise of heaven more real.

 

With all the uncertainty and ugliness in this world, we can experience the joy of Christ’s love. Jesus is abundant life without our circumstances or feelings being perfect. Faith in Christ believes in the love of God no matter what life throws at you. It believes that God thoroughly saved you. Amid your pain or sickness or problem, He healed you and provided for you on Calvary. His love is greater than your understanding. No other love came into the world to save you and not judge you. And when you believe that Truth, you receive all that His love promises. 

 

“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). Don't exclude yourself from God's promises because you feel unworthy. Your feelings aren't Truth. The Truth is that God made you eligible to receive His promises. You are new in Him—worthy in Him—qualified in Him. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13, NKJV). Open your spiritual eyes and get this. You are loved. The enemy is defeated. The kingdom of darkness has no power over you. You live in God’s Kingdom of love. You are His. ALL things are new in you and for you. 

 

Realize how much Jesus loves you. He accepted and justified you (Romans 8:33). The enemy condemns you; God doesn’t (Romans 8:34). Jesus loved you so much that He died for you. Then rose again to provide everything you need for eternal life. He helps you walk in the promise of abundant life now. When God’s love is more real to you than everything else around you, you believe, and your faith abounds. You praise Jesus for the Cross. You declare God’s promises. You speak His life into your need. You proclaim His love and faithfulness.

 

Just ask God to show you how much He loves you. He will give you a revelation that is first-hand and created for you. I pray “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 3:17-19, NKJV).

 

When you have a spiritual revelation of how much GOD LOVES YOU, your heart opens to receive everything that He is. Your revelation unlocks the Word of God to receive ALL the love of Christ. And you are amazed at how you could ever have doubted God’s love—His peace—His joy. When God opens eternity in your heart, nothing is the same.  

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/the-revelation-of-his-love.html

Monday, October 19, 2020

Christ Has Overcome


 

We sing, “Hallelujah, the Lamb has overcome!”  Do we believe it without any doubt?  If we believe Christ has overcome, why do we fear any sickness or financial need or circumstance beyond our control? Christ defeated death, hell, and the grave. He paid with His life for our sin, sickness, and deprivation. And when we believe in Him, all the fullness of God comes to live within us (John 1:16). Paul prayed that believers would understand "what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19-20a, NKJV). God has placed Resurrection power within the life of each believer. 

 

This sounds incredible. But do we allow this Truth to renew our mind and build our faith? If we believe that the power of God lives within us, then doubt and fear won’t eat us up. We would tell our mountains to move, and they would move because we have no doubt. We would ask, believing that we had already received, and we would receive what we ask. We would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that to receive you must believe (Mark 11:23-24).

 

Why would we ever believe that an all-powerful God denies us what His Son purchased for us with His life?  Jesus conquered sin and gave us the gift of His righteousness. He defeated sickness and gave us healing (1 Peter 2:24). His perfect work supplied all that we would ever need to live in His peace and joy. We lack nothing. Yet, sometimes we live beneath what cost Him everything.

 

Praise Him for what He has already given you! Your righteousness! Your healing! Your supply! Your blessings! Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy. And those works of the enemy that He has overcome are the enemy’s plans to destroy you. Allow the Word to transform your understanding of what Jesus has given you until you believe without a doubt that He has overcome those evil plans of sin, sickness, and poverty. Believe in the power God gave you to defeat the lies of the enemy. God “will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ” (Philippians 4:19, NLT). And there is no abundance like the love of Jesus when you believe.

 

"I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12, NLT). Speak to your mountain of sickness—to your overwhelming circumstance—to your financial struggle. You have faith inside of you that can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). You can resist the enemy, and he flees from you (James 4:7). You have not been given a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). You are more than a conqueror through Him who loved you with His life (Romans 8:37).

 

Christ has overcome. He has overcome for you. Do you believe it? 

 

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/christ-has-overcome.html

 

Friday, October 16, 2020

Identify with Christ



 

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)

 

 

Do you trust God, or have you lost hope? Without trust in God, you will not have hope. The writer to the Hebrews defines this trust as being "confident.” Are you confident that God loves you and takes care of the concerns of your heart? Confident trust rises from faith the size of a little mustard seed and grows stronger when nourished with the Word through the insight of the Holy Spirit. 

 

“Remember the great reward confident trust gives you," the writer to the Hebrews proclaims! In Hebrews 10, the writer goes on to share the great reward of eternal life that Jesus promises. When life is hard, patient endurance is needed. Knowing your promise of heaven helps. But do you just get through life by thinking of your reward in heaven and miss His abundant life now? 

 

Abundant life is not everything being in place—running smoothly with no problems. Life forces us to realize the uncertainty of this world and how our lives are upside down. But confident trust in Jesus inspires peace and joy no matter your circumstance and daily news. You choose to believe God is in control. You believe that your Father will never leave you or forsake you. You know the Lord is your protector and healer and provider. You are well aware that the enemy’s purpose is to destroy your faith but that Jesus’ goal is to give you a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10). And that abundant life is something you have when you understand what Jesus has accomplished on the Cross for you. 

 

“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17, NLT).

 

When you know who you are in Jesus—that His abundance lives in you—you experience His unfailing love and faithfulness. You are blessed through confident trust in Him. You discover a peace that cannot be understood. Hope inspires. Fear doesn’t shake you. Others don't wound you. You understand that abundant life comes from the new life Jesus has placed within you. There is nothing you can "do" to make anything happen. You have confident trust because the grace of Jesus has changed your whole perspective. You know Him as never before. 

 

The grace of Jesus has set you free from the lies of the enemy! Do you know it? His grace has set you free from fear!  Do you experience it?  "Learn who I am," He whispers, "and you will find rest for your soul!" (Matthew 11:29). When you learn about the precious gift of righteousness He has given, you begin to see beyond your circumstance with His understanding instead of your own. You begin to hear His promise instead of worry or fear. Confident trust rises and fuels your faith. The rich and satisfying life Jesus promises is yours. It lives in you no matter what else happens.

 

If you are hanging on by a thread—living with fear—just waiting for heaven, Jesus has the rewards of peace and joy that confident trust in Him promises. This life is not just a waiting game. Confidence in God is found when you identify with Him and not with what is happening or how you feel. His Kingdom lives within you right now. Learn who you are in Jesus. Take hold of your identity. Whatever life throws at you, the maker of heaven and earth is your Father. He has already taken care of it.

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/identify-with-christ.html

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Only Believe



Often, we allow our faith in healing to extend to only what we have experienced. “If you believe,” Jesus told the father of the epileptic boy, “all things are possible!” You are familiar with the healing Jesus brought to those tortured and sick during His ministry on earth. He hasn't changed. He still heals now because He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Don’t allow your experiences in life to limit what Jesus can do for you today. The epileptic boy in Mark 9 had suffered forever, and suddenly He was healed. 

 

Let's look at two other people who might not have benefited from the healing power of Jesus because of their different life experiences. The woman spent everything she had seeking healing. She believed if she could only touch Jesus' clothes that she would be healed. The other was a ruler in the synagogue, a man of the law, who feared losing his daughter and reached out to the very person who was held in suspicion by many of his peers. It was a day like none other in the lives of these two people. 

 

Mark 5:21-43

 

Jairus, a ruler in the synagogue, fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to save his daughter. “My little daughter,” Jairus cried out, “lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”  

 

A disturbance held up Jesus and Jairus as they went to his house to see his sick daughter. The street was crowded with the throngs of people following them. On the way, a woman that had bled for twelve years touched Jesus’ garment, and He felt His healing power go out from him. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. He looked around to see who had done it. The woman came to Him, trembling in fear, knowing what had happened to her. She fell before Jesus and confessed what she had done. Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

 

While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, someone came from Jairus' house, who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” As soon as Jesus heard the words that were spoken, He immediately said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 

 

“Your faith has made you well,” Jesus had told the woman. And then Jesus had said to Jairus, “Only believe.” There is not one place in the Bible where someone came to Jesus and didn’t receive healing. The question is not if it's God's will to heal us. The question is, "Do we want Him to heal us?"  

 

This woman had stopped the Teacher from getting to his house in time. And now he was told his daughter was gone.  They had all heard the man’s report that the girl was dead. And it was a real report. She was dead. But Jesus knew that His Father had the final word—the final authority. "Only believe," Jesus had said to Jairus. And Jesus and three of his disciples kept on moving toward Jairus’ house.  

 

Don’t allow what you have experienced or what man has told you to create doubt that Jesus will heal you. Jairus could have been offended, hurt, and mad by the disruption caused by the woman on the way to his house. After all, his daughter was dying. Jairus could have used his authority as a ruler in the synagogue to remove the woman when she halted Jesus, but he didn’t. Jairus waited, and he heard of the woman's healing at the very moment he heard his daughter had died. He thought about what the Lord had told this woman. “Your faith has made you well.” And then Jairus thought of what Jesus had said to him. “Only believe.” 

 

Jesus and the three disciples he had chosen to go with him stepped into Jairus’ house and encountered a tumult of weeping. And Jesus said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." When they ridiculed Jesus, He put them out. He took the father and the mother and the three disciples and entered where the child lay. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl arose and walked. The disciples, Jairus and his wife were all amazed.

 

Jesus asks us to "Only believe." He says, "Your faith will make you well."  He then asks us what He asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, who had waited for thirty-eight years to be healed. "Would you like to be well?" (John 5:1-9).

 

Will you choose to believe what Jesus says instead of the sickness that has come against you? Will you believe that He wants you well? You are loved by God, who desires you to be in health and prosper as your soul prospers (3 John 2). You, too, can hear Jesus say, “Your faith has made you well.” 

 

Only believe. 

 

©Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/only-believe.html

 

Made Perfect in His Love



There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

—I John 4:18 (NLT)

 

 

You have no fear in your life when you know God loves you. The enemy can’t torment your mind with lies trying to convince you that God is mad at you and that you must do something to win His approval. God wants you to experience His intimate and perfect love. He's always reaching for you. But have lies of the enemy filled your mind instead of the Truth of God’s love? If you are afraid, you are scared that God is just waiting to punish you. And there is no punishment in God’s love for you.

 

"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love" (I John 4:18, NLT). The perfect, unconditional love of God drives out fear. If you experience fear, you haven't experienced the depth and height and length and width of such a love. So many have only a limited understanding of the infinite and eternal love of God. Fear comes and goes like the ocean tide. But God wants us to experience all His love died to give us. 

 

How do you cast out fear? You don't. The perfect love of God within you, expels all fear. Fear can't stand against the love of God who loved you so much that He gave His life for you. You have received His perfect love in your spirit, but it must transform your mind for you to believe it. When the Holy Spirit teaches you about God's love, you receive revelation knowledge of what His love means, especially for you. You don’t need a second-hand revelation from anyone else. You need your own revelation straight from His heart to yours. To receive from Him, you choose not to listen to any thought that disapproves of God's love—that says you can never please Him—that continually pushes you to the edge by telling you there is one more thing to do to win His love. His love is not yours to win. Jesus already won it for you. God holds out His arms and says, "Come here. I love you."  Nothing in all of creation can separate you from God’s love. Nothing. 

 

God gave you His power to fight, and it lives within you. But if you don't exercise the voice of authority that Jesus has given you, that power will not make any difference in your life. You will remain defeated and afraid. You choose to exercise God’s power and speak death to the enemy’s lies. You take every thought captive and choose God’s love. And as you choose God’s love over the enemy’s lies, you are renewed by God’s Truth in your mind. You receive a greater understanding of the perfect love that He has given you. 

 

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the Lord, “thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). God does nothing contrary to His nature. God is love. He has good thoughts about you. He wants you to know His peace. There is nothing evil in His intentions toward you. He desires for you to have a future filled with hope. 

 

The battle to defeat fear takes place in your mind. And it has already been won. When you finally believe that God loves you, you receive His perfect love flowing into the depths of your heart. It becomes more real to you than any lie that tries to destroy it.

 

There is no fear in God's perfect love. If you wish to defeat fear, then allow yourself to experience what He died to give you. You are made perfect in His love. Don’t you want to believe and receive it?

 

©2020 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com/2020/10/made-perfect-in-his-love.html

 

Christ My Hope of Glory

  .   And now, Lord, for what do I expectantly wait? My hope [my confident expectation] is in You. —Psalms 39:7 (AMP)   I wait [patiently] f...