cannyben

At that time a great persecution arose against the church… Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them Acts 8: 1 & 5 This persecution forced Philip out of Jerusalem. He was pushed out of his comfort zone. What’s interesting is that previously God had poured out His Spirit upon the believers in Jerusalem. The same God who showed them that powerful sign could have stopped the persecution, but it was for a purpose—a plan to push them into their destiny. It was in Samaria that Philip saw the greatest days of his ministry. If he had stayed in Jerusalem, he would never have reached his full potential. God knows how to get you out of your comfort zone. He opened the door; He can close the door. Maybe you’ve been pushed out of Jerusalem, so to speak, through a bad break, a disappointment. Don’t be discouraged. If it weren’t going to work for your good, God wouldn’t have allowed it. Jerusalem may have closed, but Samaria is about to open. God wou...

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”---He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house Mark 2:10-11 In the Scripture, four men carried a paralyzed man to see Jesus. When Jesus saw them, He said to the man, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Some of the religious leaders were offended and began to murmur, “Who does He think He is? Only God can forgive sins.” Challenged by His critics, Jesus said to them, “Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’?” To prove to them that He was the Son of God, He turned to the paralyzed man and told him to rise up. Jesus could have just forgiven the man’s sins and moved on, but when His enemies murmured about it, Jesus healed him. When people are talking about you, trying to push you down, don’t worry—God sees and hears them.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians !0:4 We know God has forgiven us from past mistakes and failures, but some of us still have a sense of unworthiness as though we don’t deserve it. God’s mercy was there for you before you made the mistake. It’s time for you to shake off the shame, to shake off the guilt. This is a new day. Don’t let negative events become your identity. You are a child of the Most High God.

Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you. Judges 6: 11-12 Gideon was hidden from his enemies, threshing wheat on the floor of the winepress, when God said he was to deliver the people of Israel from the Midianites. But Gideon was insecure and didn’t feel qualified to do anything great. The threshing floor was where the wheat was separated from the chaff, and symbolically it became the place where God separated Gideon from what was limiting him. When God called him a “mighty hero,” it separated him from his low expectations and little dreams and empowered him to great valor. We all go through the threshing floor of difficulties because God is preparing us. He’s separating what’s holding you back, and you’re about to see new growth, new opportunities, new friendships. You’re coming out refined, polished, stronger, and matured. On th...

Then Pilate said to Him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against You? But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marvelled greatly. Matthew 27:13-14 It’s interesting that the people who were most against Jesus were the religious people. He didn’t try to convince them to change their mind. He didn’t spend hours arguing over doctrine. He ignored the critics and just ran His race, even when His life was on the line before Pilate. You have to accept the fact that not everyone is going to accept you, like you, or understand you. Jesus had more critics than anyone, but He didn’t waste His time trying to convince people who He was.