I have laboured in vain

I HAVE LABORED in VAIN
-by David Wilkerson.

Would it shock you to know that Jesus experienced the feeling of
having accomplished little?

In Isaiah 49:4 we read these words: "Then I said, I have labored in
vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain". Note that
these are not the words of Isaiah, who was called by God at a
mature age. No, they are Christ's own words, spoken by One
"called from the womb; from the body of my mother. The Lord
formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again
to him, (and to gather Israel)" (49:1, 5).

When I came upon this passage, one that I'd read many times
before, my heart was in wonder. I could hardly believe what I was
reading. Jesus' words here about "laboring in vain" were a response
to the Father who had just declared, "Thou art my servant in whom
I will be glorified" (49:3). We read Jesus' surprising response in the
next verse: "I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for
nought" (49:4).

After reading this, I stood to my feet in my study and said, "How
wonderful. I can hardly believe that Christ was this vulnerable,
confessing to the Father that he was experiencing what we humans
face. In his humanity, he tasted the same discouragement, the
same despondency, the same woundedness. He was having the
same thoughts I've had about my own life: "This isn't what I
perceived was promised. I wasted my strength. It has all been in
vain."

Reading those words made me love Jesus all the more. I realized
Hebrews 4:15 is not just a cliche - our Savior truly is touched with
the feelings of our infirmities, and was tempted in all ways as we
are, yet without sin. He'd known this very same temptation from
Satan, hearing the same accusing voice: "Your mission is not
accomplished. Your life has been a failure. You've got nothing to
show for all your labors."

Christ came into the world to fulfill the will of God by reviving Israel.
And he did just as he was commanded. But Israel rejected him:
"He came unto his own, and his own received him not" (John 1:11).

Why would Jesus, or any man or woman of God, speak such
despairing words as these: "I have labored in vain"? How could the
Son of God make such a statement? And why have generations
of faithful believers been reduced to such despondent words? It is
all the result of measuring little results against high expectations.

You may think, "This message sounds like it applies just to
ministers, or to those called to do some great work for God. I can
see it being meant for missionaries or the Bible prophets. But what
does it have to do with me?" The truth is, we're all called to one
grand, common purpose, and to one ministry: that is, to be like
Jesus. We are called to grow in his likeness, to be changed into
his express image.

an intimate relationship..

Many times we get so clogged up in our daily business that we do not spend any time even thinking of God.

Thats where we should start working on making a change. When we get tied up like this we usually turn back to our earthly way of thinking. Then we are like a bullseye sign to the devil. He will start throwing attacks at you trying to bring you down.. and you have your defences down so its not too difficult for him.

Its like walking around in a battlefield with a shield that you dont use..

The Lord is your strong tower.. your ever present refuge. Psalm 91...

Call on the Lord and keep focused on Him.

You are in my prayers. May God bless you!

God's GPS

Times will come where you are going to stumble. Times will get tough and you will reach a point where it seems the road has vanished into a canyon.

Your heavenly father is there, backing you all the time. When you stumble, look up and you will see Him reaching out to help you up. You are going to keep on having obstacles... and God is going to keep on being there for you.

Now the key to overcome these obstacles is obedience...

Obedience towards God's will and towards His Word. The bible is like God's GPS to your life. It directs your path towards your destination (eternal life). Or more specifically, one-ness with Christ.

The bible will always help you get direction to get back on the right path if you took a wrong turn. The bible will always give you best route to your destination, even if you want to argue with it. The differance is, a normal GPS is full of human faults and needs to be constantly updated. The bible (the message contained within it) has always stayed the same and is God inspired.

To be obedient you have to be single minded.. to be single minded you have to focus on the right place.

Find your focus in the Word. Find your focus in God and you will never fail.

God bless!

A Raging War

Some of the biggest challenges faced by Christians are those that come with getting rid of old habits.

Throughout the new testament we see an ever raging battle between our carnal man (your human nature) and your new spirit born man (Led by your new heavenly nature).

Ephesians 4:19-25 [Amplified]

¹⁹In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

²⁰But you did not so learn Christ!

²¹Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],

²²Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;

²³And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],

²⁴And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.

That sums it up pretty well...

In Romans 7 Paul tells us that the war raging inside him causes to do the things that he doesn't want to do, and the things that he desires to do, he ends up not doing.

I describe it as two dogs fighting for survival. The one dog being your sinful nature and the other being your spiritual (Christ) nature. The dog that you are going to feed is the one that will be the strongest between the two and will most likely be the victor when the next battle arises.

When you feed your carnal man with sin he will grow stronger and try to take possession in your heart as the reigning nature. Now the awesome thing is that when you feed your spirit man with the Word of God and obedience to it, you are not only making it stronger but arming him with weapons and armour.

The light of Christ will always prevail!

God bless you!!!

In the beginning...

Genesis 1:1

"IN THE beginning God..."

I don't know how many people have noticed this before but there is a great lesson concealed in these words. Every person has problems, there is not a single person that I know of that doesn't have anything that they worry about. Come to think of it, there has always been troubled times even in my life...

All Christians know... or at least should know... that we can find our answers within the bible. The word of God is filled with promises that God has made with man. Promises that can never be broken. Look at the psalms for example. Psalm 91 promises a safe refuge for those who seek the Lord. Protection even in the midst of a raging war.

God even goes as far as to say that he exalts His word above his own name. The name by which people are healed, mountains moved etc...

Psalm 138:1-3 (Amplified Bible)

¹I WILL confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You.

²I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!

³In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.

Isn't that amazing!

Now I want to let you in on a great revelation that could shape your future!

If you want to know what the key is to overcome all obstacles in life... check the first four words in the bible.

God bless you!