How to Handle the Storms of Life

What do you do when the storms of life rise up and hit you when you are not looking? What do you feel like when things are going well and all of a sudden you get nailed right between the eyes with devastating news? Have you ever been in a place, maybe in the early morning hours, when you immediately can’t breathe and you feel very panicky and alarmed because of anxiety over a situation?

Life will sometimes come at you hard when you least expect it. It can even clobber you when you have done everything you now how to do in order to prepare for the unexpected. And that does not even include the times when you are always seemingly at the bottom of the barrel in life. You may even feel that you are under the barrel and the barrel is on top of you. What do you do when you have reached the bottom of life and there is nothing, but the storm all around you?

There is a story in the bible that we can learn from that will give us tips and some inside information as to what to do in such cases. It is the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves. The story can be found in Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25. One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So his disciples took him just as he was and they got into the boat and started out. There were other little boats going along also. All of a sudden a huge storm starts and the boat that they are in is filling up with water very fast. The waves are crashing and splashing over the sides of the boat. The wind is just whipping around and blowing hard.

The disciples are getting scared. Keep in mind that a few of these guys were fishermen and they knew the lake and how to handle a boat. So if they are scared it is for a good reason. Jesus is asleep on the one end of the boat on a cushion. Now he was either a very sound sleeper or there was something else at work here. The disciples came to him and woke him up in a panic saying that they were all going to die by drowning and why didn’t he care? That sounds familiar doesn’t it? The storm of life hits you or your family and in your fear and anxiety you ask that one who seems not to participate in your panic why they do not care about you or your situation.

Let’s bring this up to speed. Let’s say the economy is in shambles and some say it is getting better and others who are being smacked down by the bad economic circumstances are feeling the effects so bad that they can’t even talk about it. Or you were going along just fine in life and you go to the doctor for an annual physical and they find a terminal disease and you find out you have only a short time to live. Maybe you found out that your spouse was cheating on you and you had absolutely no idea. Your children, who did so well in school and in life, are now being arrested for drugs. Get the idea?

So you lash out because you are angry and scared at the same time. Here we have the disciples of Jesus doing the same thing to him. What did he do? He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” And immediately it was calm. But then, he turns to his disciples and says to them, “Where is your faith?” Let’s examine the events to give you a step by step process on how to handle the storms of life.

Jesus had been teaching the people about the kingdom of heaven. This is the first point. Stay focused on what the bible says and not what the world deems important. Turn off the news. There is nothing in there that will build your faith. Watch out what you put into your mind with what you see with your eyes and hear with your ears. If it does not line up with scripture cut it out of your life. You don’t need it. It will not build your faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

The next thing we find is that Jesus told his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” When Jesus said, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake,” it was settled. Any storm could have blown and it would not have affected the outcome of getting to the other side of the lake. Remember that our number one point was to feed on the Word of God and cut out stuff that steals your faith or does not develop it in any way. The second thing is to speak that which is not as though it were and not to change it after you say it. Once you say something it is “out there” and will not return void. I heard a story of a woman who kept saying she was coming down with cancer. She did come down with cancer and died. Watch what you say and keep what you say in line with God’s Word.

The third thing is that the disciples took Jesus just as he was into the boat. You cannot possibly be ready for everything all the time. Your faith must be settled in the Word of God and in his divine protection for you and your family and for every area of your life. The third thing involves acting by faith by believing what the Word of God says no matter what life may throw t you.

The fourth thing is that life will throw everything at you including the proverbial kitchen sink. It will do it when you are not looking for it and definitely not expecting it. What should you do? Rest in the Lord. You have entered into the rest of God when you have done all you know to do from the Word of God. God will make up the difference and provide the balance so that all things work together for your good. Where people mess up is because they think that things should work out a certain way or a way of their liking. That is not always the case. Trust God to work all things together for your good.

The fifth item is that Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” If the storms of life come at you then you speak to them and tell them to be the way they should be. They should be according to the promises of God’s Word and not the way they are in regard to causing damage and panic. If your mind has been renewed to the Word of God then your thinking has changed to be like God’s. Why? It is because God’s thoughts have been written down and we call the book of his thoughts the bible. The more you read and meditate on the Word of God you will find your thoughts being like what is in the bible. And when the words that you speak are lined up with the Word of God your words will be filled with power.

The sixth thing is that you need to act on your faith. Always act on your faith. People get frozen from fear or act foolishly from anxiety and panic. Don’t be that way. Act on your faith which has come from the Word of God. And trust God that he will bring to pass that for which you believe. If you do these things you will find that you will be doing well when the storms of life come at you.

How to Work Miracles

If you are a Christian and want to know how to operate in the spiritual gift of working of miracles then the following is for you. The first thing that you need to know is that to operate in this gift you need to love your neighbor as yourself. This is the primary foundation for working miracles. Why? Let’s find out.

In Galatians 5:22,23 we read, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. The key to start with is that “against such there is no law.” When you work a miracle it means that you are superseding the laws of nature, but not the law of God. What comes into play is the scripture in Romans 8:2, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” It is this law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that allows us to operate with the gift of the Holy Spirit of the working of miracles.

Also keep in mind that even though we are working a miracle, it is in reality the Holy Spirit who manifests the miracle or brings it to pass. So what is needed to operate in this particular gift of the Spirit? The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus means that Christ is living his life in and through us as Christians. This involves the fruit of the Spirit in its entirety: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. That is why against such things such as these there is no law, because this is the highest law you can get. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus or the very life of Christ Jesus is being lived and manifested through us as Christians.

The other side of the coin is the law of the law of sin and death. Galatians 5:19-21 indicates what is involved so that a person does not inherit the kingdom of God. They are the works of the flesh which are: adultery, fornication (which is where we get our word for porn from), uncleanness (homosexual activity and other deviant sexual behaviors), lasciviousness, idolatry (you can throw the love of money in here too), witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such things like these which increases and compounds this list with everything else in like manner.

Let’s examine each of the fruit of the Spirit and how it pertains to working miracles.

Love covers working a miracle in the spiritual realm of man. The greatest miracle is that of a person receiving Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior and being born again. When you have this fruit being manifested and you are working a miracle it means that you are giving the love and the very life of God to someone through the preaching of the gospel. God wants all men to be saved and it is only through the preaching of the gospel that this can be done. So by speaking words of life to another through the preaching of the gospel of Christ you work a miracle in their spirit when they receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and are born again by the Spirit of God.

Joy covers working a miracle in the emotional realm of man. The bible says that the joy of the Lord is your strength. This miracle can be worked by kind words to a troubled soul. It can be worked by thinking of things that make you laugh and then following up with action by putting a smile on your face. When you smile it changes your thinking to happy. So smile and give a smile to others as you greet them. And when you smile say only those things that are uplifting in nature. And smile and use your own will to dwell on those things that make you happy and that would make you happy as opposed to those things that make you sad or bad as far as circumstances. Finally delight yourself in the Lord and not in anything that is part of or offered by this world.

Peace is working a miracle in the financial or provision realm of man. If you trust anything or anyone as your provider other than the Lord you are in trouble. The Lord is your provider. Your job or business is just an avenue through which the Lord provides. True peace in finances in the face of job or financial loss comes only when you know and trust the Lord as your provider. That does not mean that you do not work. You do work. And the best work that you can do and get paid for it is preaching the gospel of Christ. The bible says in John 4:36, “And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.” When the Lord is your provider he will cause you to be provided for no matter what happens contrary as long as you don’t limit him with how he provides with your own ideas.

Longsuffering is working a miracle in the protection realm of man. Many times whether we know it or not we need protection. We need protection from others, from Satan and demonic activity, from things and circumstances, and even from our own mistakes and failures. Longsuffering will give us physical and emotional strength as well as strength of mind. It enables us to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage and grit, backbone and guts.

Gentleness is working a miracle in the social realm of man. It is the standing firm in moral excellence of your character and not giving in to the temptations and the sins of this world. It will cause your light to so shine before men that they will glorify God. For blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. And you will see God for it is this gentleness that will open up the spiritual realm for you to overcome in your life and command evil to leave in the lives of others who desire to be set free.

Goodness is the working a miracle in the physical realm of man. Goodness is the very strength and vigor and vitality of God flowing through you and that can flow into others when you lay your hands on them in the name of Jesus Christ and they are healed by the power of the Spirit of God.

Faith is the working a miracle in the natural realm of man. This is where the laws of nature are suspended or altered in line with the higher law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. When this miracle is worked you either call that which be not as though it were and bring it into existence or you do something as lead by God and when you act on it you supersede the laws of nature. This will always bring glory to God and shut down evil and save.

Meekness is working a miracle in the mental realm of man. Meekness is humility and not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Your thinking is in line with God’s thinking which is his Word. The bible says that we have the mind of Christ and it his mind that gives us ideas and knowledge and insight into the future. It is being lead by the Spirit of God and not by our own motives or choices. When we are lead by God we find that we are free from the snares and traps of Satan and of mankind.

Temperance is working a miracle which makes a Christian reign as a king in this life. When the words that we speak are controlled by the Holy Ghost and we watch what we say our lives become better. The bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and that life and death are in the power of the tongue. When we choose life we choose to speak words that are lined up with God’s Word. We know that God’s Word does not return to him void and that it accomplishes that wherein it is sent.

Working miracles comes down to speaking a miracle into existence or taking a certain action to perform a miracle or a combination of both. When you have the fruit of the Spirit manifested in your life then you have the very life of Jesus Christ being manifested in your life. And when that takes place you are in partnership with the Holy Spirit. And when that takes place the kingdom of heaven is at hand and is manifested in the earth.

Romans 8:19-23, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope; Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

Gospel of Christ-An Outlined Summary

Many people do not know what is included in the Gospel of Christ. Here is an outlined summary along with scripture references for you to use when either sharing the gospel with others or to simply use for yourself.

Gospel of Christ

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Mk. 11:25
Matt. 25:34-40
Mk. 16:15-18
Matt. 28:18-20
Lk. 10:19

Watch for ministering opportunities
If someone is hungry give them something to eat
If someone is thirsty give them something to drink
If someone is a stranger take them in
If someone is naked clothe them
If someone is sick visit them
If someone is in prison go to them

Practice being nice to people

Would you consider yourself to be a good person?

Do you think you have kept the Ten Commandments?

Ten Commandments – Ex. 20:1-17

Thou shalt have no other gods before me

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy

Honor thy father and thy mother

Thou shalt not kill

Thou shalt not commit adultery

Thou shalt not steal

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

Thou shalt not covet

Did you know that whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point is guilty of all of it? James 2:10
And did you know that if you break the law you have sinned and are under a curse of death and wide open to attack from Satan and every one of his demons?

Glory of God

I have good news for you!

Today is your day for a miracle!

Are you ready for a miracle?

Do you suffer from Satanic or demonic attacks?
Do you suffer from crushed financial dreams?
Do you suffer from a broken heart?
Do you suffer from the guilt of sin or a fear of death?
Do you suffer from a feeling of hopelessness?
Do you suffer from physical problems?
Do you suffer from failure in life?

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me – Lk. 4:18,19

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor

There is salvation for your crushed financial dreams

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me to heal the broken hearted

There is salvation for your broken heart

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me to preach deliverance to the captives

There is salvation for your guilt from sin and your fear of death

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me to preach recovering of sight to the blind

There is salvation for your feeling of hopelessness

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me to set at liberty them that are bruised

There is salvation for your physical infirmities

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has sent me to preach the acceptable year of the Lord

There is salvation for your failure in life

Now is the day of salvation

God doesn’t want you to suffer from Satan or any of his demons
God doesn’t want you to suffer from crushed financial dreams
God doesn’t want you to suffer from a broken heart
God doesn’t want you to suffer from guilt from sin or a fear of death
God doesn’t want you to suffer from a feeling of hopelessness
God doesn’t want you to suffer from physical infirmities
God doesn’t want you to suffer from failure in life

Love of Jesus
Jesus loves you and took away your curse and has provided salvation for every area of your life through the promise of the Spirit – Galatians Chapter 3

Christ died for your sins
When Christ died for your sins he took away your curse through his shed blood
When Christ died for your sins he took away your bondage to Satan and his demons
When Christ died for your sins he took away your crushed financial dreams
When Christ died for your sins he took away your broken heart
When Christ died for your sins he took away your sins and fear of death
When Christ died for your sins he took away your feeling of hopelessness
When Christ died for your sins he took away your physical problems
When Christ died for your sins he took away your failure in life

Christ was buried
When they buried Christ your curse was buried with him
When they buried Christ he suffered in Hell at the hands of Satan and his demons
When they buried Christ your crushed financial dreams were buried with him
When they buried Christ your broken heart was buried with him
When they buried Christ your sins and fear of death were buried with him
When they buried Christ your feeling of hopelessness was buried with him
When they buried Christ your physical infirmities were buried with him
When they buried Christ your failure in life was buried with him

Christ was raised from the dead
When God raised Christ from the dead you were redeemed from your curse
When God raised Christ from the dead he defeated Satan and his demons
When God raised Christ from the dead you got the Kingdom of God
When God raised Christ from the dead you got joy and happiness
When God raised Christ from the dead you got reconciliation with God and eternal life
When God raised Christ from the dead you got guidance and protection
When God raised Christ from the dead you got healing and health
When God raised Christ from the dead you got success in life

God has given you the promise of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ

It is the Holy Spirit who works miracles for you in the name of Jesus
In the name of Jesus receive your deliverance from Satan and his demons
In the name of Jesus receive the Kingdom of God
In the name of Jesus receive your joy and happiness
In the name of Jesus receive your reconciliation with God and eternal life
In the name of Jesus receive your guidance and protection
In the name of Jesus receive your healing and health
In the name of Jesus receive your success in life

In the name of Jesus receive your miracle

In the name of Jesus receive this gospel of peace because if you don’t…

Death and Judgment Await You

“…it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” Heb. 9:27

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mk. 16:16

Description of Hell
Sorrows – 2Sam. 22:6
You did not make the right choice
Unsatisfied Desires – Lk. 16:24
You want everything, but never have anything
Everlasting Destruction – 2Thess. 1:9
You are by yourself and very lonely
Outer Darkness – Mt. 22:13
You have absolutely no hope of salvation
Torments – Lk. 16:23
You are constantly tortured by evil demons
The Worm does not Die and the Fire is not Quenched – Mk. 9:44
You constantly feel physical suffering and pain
Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth – Mt. 25:30
You failed and face the final Judgment
No Rest – Rev. 14:11
You will be punished forever and ever

The Bible Says:

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan of salvation for your life
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God’s love and plan of salvation for his life.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…”
Romans 6:23a – “For the wages of sin is death…” (spiritual separation from God)

Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Because Jesus died for your sins on the cross, you can know and experience God’s love and plan of salvation for your life.
Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 6:23b – “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We must individually receive Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan of salvation for our lives.
Romans 10:9,10,13 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST BECAUSE WHEN YOU BELIEVE IT BECOMES THE POWER OF GOD FOR YOUR SALVATION
Turn away from sin
Confess Jesus as Lord
Believe God raised Christ
Receive baptism into life

Laying On of Hands-Healing by Spiritual Means and Prayer

You’re not going to get a higher authority for healing by spiritual means than by the commandment from Jesus Christ. In Mark 16:17, 18 we read, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Laying on of hands then is healing by spiritual means which can be and is often accompanied by prayer.

First Jesus said that signs would take place. What signs? The signs of the sick recovering from being sick are the signs Jesus is referring to. Now the word recover means to “begin to amend” according to the definition of the Greek word used in this scripture. As a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit you can lay your hands on a sick person in the name of Jesus Christ, and that person will recover from being sick. Now the signs follow them that “believe.” That means you are not hoping that the sick person will recover. You are not wishing the sick person well. That means that you are acting on the authority of Jesus Christ and that you will see the sick recover when you lay hands on them in his name. You are not pretending or hoping that it will work. You know it will work. And because you know it will work, you act on it and obey what Jesus said to do.

The bible gives us an example to follow in Luke 4:38-41 and in Mark 1:29-34. Jesus went to Peter’s house and they besought him on behalf of Peter’s mother-in-law because she had a great fever. Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever and took her by the hand and lifted her up. The bible says that she immediately arose and ministered to them. Most likely, and this is my guess, she made them something to eat. But then something else happened when the sun was setting. Everyone in the area that had any sick brought them by and those that had various kinds of diseases showed up at Peter’s house so that Jesus could lay his hands on them too. And in addition, the bible says that devils came out of many while this was all going on. That makes sense because in Mark 16:17 Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they shall cast out devils.” And he said this before he said “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

This also means from the scripture we have used that some sicknesses and diseases are caused and are a result from demonic activity in the person’s mind, emotions, or body. Once these are cast out then the sick can recover. This is in addition to laying on of hands in the name of Jesus Christ and having the sick recover. In these last days before Jesus Christ returns we need to carry out this portion of the Great Commission. We need to preach the gospel, but this is what makes us different from any other religion. We have the Holy Spirit working with us and it is he that heals the sick. We lay hands on them and even pray for them, but it is the Holy Spirit who heals them.

So how do you pray for the sick? Follow these steps when laying hands on people and you will have success.

1. Say this to the person for whom you are praying:

“The bible says that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. What that means in this day and age is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sicknesses and sins and that God raised him from the dead for your salvation, deliverance, and healing. It means that God has anointed me as a believer with the Holy Ghost and with power so that when I pray for the sick in the name of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will heal you and work a miracle in your life as well as deliver you from any oppression of the devil. May I pray for you right now?”

2. Take their hands and pray for them if they say yes for you to pray for them.

3. Bless and praise the Lord and thank him for his presence.

4. Ask God to remove any pain from the sick person’s body.

5. Ask God to heal their body.

6. Bind Satan and loose the person from his grip.

7. Cast out any spirit of infirmity.

8. Cast out any pain.

9. Command the sickness to die and leave their body.

10. Command them to be healed.

Remember to do every step in the name of Jesus Christ.

And here is where people can mess up. Sometimes when you pray for someone you might find that you are intimidated and fearful wondering if God will do what he said. You don’t want to look foolish so you might skip this next part. Do not skip this part!

Act on your faith and have them act on their faith by commanding them to do what they could not do before. Even help them do it initially. You must command them in the name of Jesus and they must act on their faith in the name of Jesus. Remember the story about Peter taking the lame man by the hand and lifting him up. As soon as he did the strength returned to the legs of the man and he went into the temple with Peter and John, walking and leaping and praising God.

If we as Christians consistently do this part of the great commission along with the preaching of the gospel then the gates of Hell will surely not prevail against the Lord’s church.

Be Set Free from Unclean Spirits

There is a very unique story about Jesus found in Luke 4:31-37. Jesus came down to a city in Capernaum in Galilee and taught the people in the synagogue on the Sabbath days. And the bible says that they were astonished at his doctrine because his word was with power. So what was it that he was teaching and preaching to these people everywhere he went?

In Luke 4:18-19 we find our answer. Jesus preached that 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 broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” So everywhere Jesus went he was preaching this message. Now back to our story.

In the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil. Can you believe that there was a man in church that had an unclean spirit in him? I looked up that word unclean because I had a hunch as to what it meant so I checked just to make sure. It means impure and lewd. So I looked up unclean and impure and lewd in the dictionary. Here is what I found. “Unclean means morally or spiritually impure. Impure means unchaste and foul. Unchaste means involvement in unlawful sexual intercourse and impure conduct and intentions. Foul means offensive, detestable, and loathsome. Lewd means evil wicked, sexually licentious, and obscene. Licentious means lacking legal or moral restraints or disregarding sexual restraints and is marked by disregard for rules of correctness.”

All you have to do is watch or listen to the news and it is easy to pinpoint that there are a lot of people that are afflicted and controlled by unclean spirits. The one in our story was in church. These people who have these unclean spirits are all over the place. You can find them in government at all levels. You can find them in the marketplace. You can even find them in the church. They are in your neighborhood. They could even be your neighbors or relatives or members of your own household. These unclean spirits might even be afflicting or controlling you.

While Jesus is preaching his message this unclean spirit cries out from within the man and using his voice says, “Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.” Did you see that the unclean spirit said “let us alone” and “what have we to do with thee?” The man had an unclean spirit, but the unclean spirit indicates that there was more than one around. You may be afflicted by one or more of these unclean spirits or you may know someone who is. The good news is that through Jesus Christ you can be delivered right now. You do not have to wait.

Jesus said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him to preach deliverance to the captives and to set at liberty them that are bruised. If you have a problem with an unclean spirit then you are free through the blood of Jesus Christ. He broke the power of that unclean spirit or spirits that afflict you and that cause you to do the things that you do not want to do. Through his death he took your sins upon himself. When he was buried he went to Hell in your place to suffer your punishment. When God raised him from the dead it was for your justification. Jesus Christ has set you free.

Jesus spoke to the unclean spirit and said, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.” Basically Jesus told the unclean spirit to shut up and get out. Do you know what the devil did? The devil threw the man down, tore at him, and cried with a loud voice before coming out of the man. But the man was not harmed. The devil does not want to go, but he has to go.

The people were all amazed because the word that Jesus preached was with authority and with power and even the unclean spirits were coming out at his command. In John 14:12 Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” And in Mark 16:17 Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils.”

You do not have to put up with the unclean spirit or spirits that have been tormenting you. You can be free right now. I will pray for you and write as I pray. “Lord Jesus, you know the situation that the person reading this article is in. You know if they or a loved one is afflicted with an unclean spirit or spirits. In your name, in the name of Jesus Christ I command that unclean spirit and those unclean spirits to shut up and come out right now.” Now friend you need to act on your faith. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and be your Savior. Believe that he died for your sins and was buried and went to Hell in your place to suffer your punishment. Believe that God raised him from the dead for your justification. Believe that God loves you and wants a relationship with you. Call upon the name of Jesus Christ and receive your salvation right now. Confess Jesus as your Lord.

Need a Miracle? First Believe Then Receive

Sometimes when people are in need of a miracle they get things backwards because of their desperate state and desire to see that they have their miracle first before they can believe that they actually have one. It’s possible that they get this from society because many just will not believe first because they have been let down so many times in the past.

They do not want to be hurt again so they resign themselves that it is safer and better for them overall if they see that they have received their miracle first and then it will be okay to believe that they have one. That way they will not be hurt or disappointed or feel like a failure.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the way it works. There is a story in the bible found in John 4:46-54 where a certain nobleman had a son who was sick and a miracle was needed. His son was at the point of death. Let’s pick up the story starting at verse 46 and find out the right way to receive a miracle from God.

So we start off with Jesus coming again into Cana of Galilee where he had made the water into wine. Here we also find a certain nobleman whose son was sick over at Capernaum. When the father heard that Jesus had come to Galilee from Judea, he went to him and besought him that he would come down and heal his son who was at the point of death.

Here are the points to what we just found out regarding our story.

The father has a son who is sick enough to be at the point of death so we know that it is a serious case of physical infirmity. The father loves his son and will do what has to be done to save his child.

The father hears that Jesus is close by and immediately seeks him out. If you have a sick child who is going to die soon if you don’t get the best help, doesn’t make sense that you drop everything and go and get the very best help you can find in order to save them?

So the father beseeches Jesus to come and heal his son because his son is at the point of death. When you are faced with a life and death situation in your life or that of a loved one, you really don’t care what you have to do to save either yourself or your loved one. You will do what it takes. This man was a “certain nobleman.” He was used to giving orders and having them carried out. He was in control of every situation he ever faced. He was successful otherwise he would not be a “certain nobleman.” He had his act together. He was a mover and a shaker. But because he was a person who had to always be in control of himself and his environment, which included all those around him, if he had a situation that he couldn’t control, what was he going to do?

He naturally would use his influence and all his resources to make things happen so that he would be able to maintain control. Sometimes you can find yourself in a situation that no matter how good you are or think you are you are not in control. So what will happen? You will look stupid or not in control and you might panic. This man was a nobleman so he was high society. He went straight to the top (to Jesus) to get what he needed which was a miracle for his son. That part he did right. You go straight to Jesus when you need a miracle.

Friend you need to know something about Jesus. You will never and I mean never manipulate him into doing anything. Your control freak attitude might work around the people that are intimidated by you, but you can forget it when it comes to Jesus Christ.

You need to know two things. Jesus loves you and has compassion on you and your situation and will use his power willingly to help you and give you a miracle. The second thing is that it takes faith to receive a miracle from Jesus, not manipulation. For you to use faith you need a humble heart. Yes, you will have to ask in faith and humbly for your miracle. As great as you are God is greater and people who need to be in control all the time have a hard time being humble.

Jesus told the father that except he, the father, sees signs and wonders he the father, would not believe. It is hard for controlling people to believe they receive something before they see it. They need cold hard facts and surefire never fail signs given first. They want this because anything else would place them in a position where they are not in control.

So the nobleman starts panicking. He says to Jesus, “Come down ere my child die.” As controlling as the father is he is even more desperate to save his son. This is a very important point. The moment he put someone else ahead of himself he humbled himself and got a miracle from Jesus. The most important person in the world to a controlling person is themselves. For them to humble themselves they have to put others before themselves. This means they have to love others and stop being selfish and self-centered. If you need a miracle then you need to operate in faith that works by love. No love no miracle. You might have mountain moving faith, but it will not do you any good if it does not operate by sincere love.

Jesus told the father to go his way because his son lives. There was no proof of a miracle. All there was to go on was the word of Jesus. But here is another very important point. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and went his way toward home. No more control freak personality. The man had a dire situation and had to make a change in himself in order to receive a miracle. He had to stop being controlling and walk in love as well as operate in faith by believing the word of Jesus.

Stop trusting in yourself and start trusting in Jesus. He does not lie and he loves you and will use his power on your behalf because he loves you. You need to forgive those who have wronged you and trust in God for your salvation and your miracle. As the man was on his way home his servants met him and told him that his son lives. That is great news. That is the first proof that a miracle had happened. Until then the man was just going on the word of Jesus. He believed he had a miracle based solely on the word of Jesus before he had any proof that he actually had a miracle.

The man naturally enquired when his child started to amend and was told the exact time. Then the father realized that it was the same time that Jesus told him his child would live.

Do you need a happy ending to your situation? It is available through Jesus Christ. Go to him and humbly ask for a miracle. Do it in love with the attitude that others are more important than you. Put away selfishness and self-centeredness. Forgive those who have wronged you. Stop being a controlling person. You can’t control everything. Sooner or later you will run into a situation you can’t control. But you can go to Jesus Christ and get it fixed. Need a miracle? Believe first and then receive.

How to Turn Negative Problems into Positive Opportunities

Have you ever had a problem or negative situation arise that if there was some way of turning it into an opportunity that you would do it in a heartbeat? We all have at one point. Maybe it was a financial setback. Maybe it was a heart break from a relationship. It could be that you fear for what happens when you die. It could be an emotional or a very stressful situation. Maybe you are up against the wall with a physical infirmity or sickness or disease of some kind. It could even be that you just have never fulfilled your potential in life.

Whatever it is I am telling you that you can turn it around for the positive and I will show you how. I will be using the example of Jesus and the very first miracle that is recorded which he did. The miracle is turning water into wine and it can be found in the bible in John 2:1-11.

When a good situation goes bad what do you do?

Here we have a couple who is getting married. Mary, the mother of Jesus is there and Jesus and his disciples were invited. So, we find that they wanted wine. Okay, so far so good. But then the mother of Jesus comes to him and says that they have no wine. Here we have a good and festive occasion that has just gone bad.

Jesus’ mother comes to him and says they are out of wine. Jesus says, “Woman, my hour is not yet come.” Did you ever have a situation or many situations that arose that were not life threatening, but fell into a category that if possible you could do without them? Yea, they won’t do anything except hurt your feelings or embarrass the daylights out of you, but you will live through them. They are the kind of situations that if you are already having a bad day it could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back so to speak.

So Jesus’ mother ignores him and tells the servants to do whatever he tells them to do. First you need to realize that even in those trivial and meaningless situations that are annoying, but livable, God still loves you and wants all things to work together for your good. You have to understand that. So you go to God for help and instead of complaining about your life or murmuring about the circumstances you are in just do what Jesus says to do. And what does he say to do? Let’s find out.

Here in our story we find six stone water pots that are used for purifying. Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots and these fellows filled them to the brim. Jesus told them to use what was right in front of them. Did you ever look so hard for an answer to your situation that you missed what was staring you right in the face? We all have. You need to slow down and allow yourself not to be in a rush. You need to get yourself in a neutral frame of mind and just get quiet and think things through in a more simple way. When you spend time in the Word of God on a regular basis I can assure you that when pesky circumstances arise and you quiet yourself down and pause for a moment that the Word of God will return to you and you will have an answer rise up from within you and you will know what to do.

So then Jesus says to draw some water out and give it to the head person at the feast. And the servants obeyed. When you obey Jesus by obeying the Word of God you will not fail. Usually obeying the Word of God will be contrary to what you think should be done. But you must ask yourself if you want to do things your way or do you want things done right and successfully? That would entail consistently doing things God’s way. If you want a life then lose yours in Christ. Let Christ reign in your life and I promise you that you will be delivered from every affliction that life throws at you.

Now the ruler tastes the water that had been made wine and he now calls over the groom to come and see him. Did you notice that the water did not become wine until the head person at this wedding was ready to drink it? Did you ever wonder why God doesn’t do a miracle based on your time frame? The ruler of the feast compliments the groom by saying that the good wine is usually served first and when people have drunk freely then the worst wine is served. Sounds like they water down the drinks as people get more and more drunk.

But in this case what happened? The water that was made into wine was the best that had been served. So let’s summarize what happened.

A situation arose making a positive occasion into a negative one.

Immediately a person went to Jesus for help instead of looking to the world or to personal knowledge or to any number of things that might have solved the situation.

When Jesus speaks you should listen and obey. This the same as reading your bible and obeying what is in there as well as getting quiet and allowing God to speak to you through that inward witness you have on the inside of you.

What Jesus tells you to do might be contrary to what you want to do or even abnormal in regard to even the laws of nature. This means that a higher law that you are not aware of might be available to use and work if you act on it. For example in Galatians 5:22 and 23 we read, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Did you see that? There is no law against such things. That means if the fruit of the Spirit is developed in you as a born again Christian then when needed there is something that even lifts you above the laws of nature. Hence we have the gift of the Spirit of the working of miracles available to us when we need it.

And here is something that I want you to notice. You can do things in a natural sense or the way the world teaches and get by or you can do things God’s way and really do much better. If you do things the world’s way you won’t please God and you take your chances with the end being that you are the loser. Turn your life over to Christ Jesus and find out just how good life can be even when life throws every affliction and piece of garbage at you.