GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

I am here to announce and proclaim Jesus is Lord!! The mission of this online church is to lift up the name of Jesus to all. He is the reason this church welcomes all who enter into this place. We exclude no one in this 24/7 week long, online church service. We hope and pray to reach everyone we possibly can with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The anointed messages we preach here are with purpose. The purpose being to present Jesus Christ to everyone. Not as a person of history or fantasy, but as a living and loving Savior who died a horrible death on a cross at calvary. He was buried but rose again from the dead by the power of his father, the living God above all gods.

It is time for all to understand God is a present time God. Many think of Jesus as someone to read about or to be talked about as if he was dead and a thing of the past. Not so, my friends. Jesus is alive and wants to help you in every situation of life. Psalms 46:1 points this out very clearly. Let's read it together.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Refuge from what? Every situation, circumstance or trouble that comes against you. God, through his son Jesus, is a safe place. The beauty of it all is this. That safe place is open to all who will enter in by their belief in the living savior, Jesus Christ. This safe place is shut up tight to anything or anyone that excludes Jesus from their lives and wishes to do us harm. Psalm 46:1 states God is our strength. It does not state we are our own strength, does it? When we acknowledge God as our strength, nothing is impossible to us in this present time or in the future. Yet, if we choose only to walk in our own strength, excluding God, we walk at our own peril. Success will be very elusive to us on our own power. But, through God, all things are possible to us.

There was a time when the apostles were questioning Jesus about who could be saved. Jesus answered by stating – by men no one could be saved. But, by God, all things are possible. Let's look at Matthew 19:26, Jesus speaking:

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

Let's bring this saying of Jesus' to this date. Because his words still stand true today. Basically, Jesus is telling us to not be followers of men, but God only. With God only are all things possible for you. Man cannot save you no matter how eloquent or believable they may sound. In fact, you follow man long enough, excluding God, and you may end up in the same ditch they fall into. And, you may not ever recover.

God will lead you into victory over all the things Satan and the world system can and will throw at you. I am not telling you bad things, circumstances and situations will not come into your life. But, I am telling you, with God as your refuge and strength, you will be an over comer no matter what comes against you. I have often told my kids, all grown up now by the way, that it is not what comes against you that matters but how you react to it. React as the world reacts – you lose!! React as the instruction book of life (the Bible) dictates, you win. God is a present time help in every situation of life.

You know, when Jesus was on the earth, he went about preaching, teaching and healing the sick (both physical and mental). For example, let's go to Matthew 9:35.

“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues (churches) and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

What was he teaching and preaching? He was explaining and proclaiming the truth and good news of the gospel. Ladies and gentlemen, preaching, teaching and healing are the gospel program. The things Jesus did on the earth are the very same things we as believers are to do today. You don't have to take my word for it. Jesus in John 14:12 says it better than I ever could. 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.”

Very clear instructions, don't you think? God never intended the works that Jesus did while on the earth to die with him, never to return or to only be remembered as a thing of the past. But, they are to continue through the believer. We must continue to preach Jesus as a present time help in this world. We must continue to teach our children, our grandchildren, and all who will listen about Jesus. Every place we go, no matter what city or village, we must teach, preach and proclaim healing is for today. Churches that do not teach that healing is for today, better wake up and read the word of God again. I believe the failure of many Christians to be healed of physical and mental problems are due to the lack of proper teaching and preaching in the churches and seminaries of today.

Even churches that believe in healing for today often link it to the giving of money. And that is wrong, wrong, wrong. It's time we shine the light of the gospel on these erroneous teachings. God has left us so much to help us live victoriously in this life on earth. Let's no longer water the gospel down. Get back in the word of God, my friends, ask God for wisdom and understanding of his Word. He will provide you with all the answers you need to live a life of goodness and mercy.

Jesus left instructions for us before he left the earth. Let's obey them. Turn with me to Matthew 28:20, Jesus speaking to believers of yesterday and today. Jesus said:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Those things include salvation, baptism, the Holy Spirit, healing and deliverance from demonic oppression. We will be teaching on all of these things. Get ready for a good ride!

God Bless You,
Bro. Bob

Prayer Requests: Please pray for my cousin, John Pitts. John has just gone through a lung transplant. Please pray for a quick recovery and a complete and total healing. John, we love you and will pray for you daily.

We ask for urgent prayer for Mrs. Ravelo. She was recently admitted to the hospital. She is battling anemia. We ask our Heavenly Father to touch her with his healing power. Also, we are praying for her family. May God give them the peace that passes all understanding.