Overcoming Strongholds

I received an inspiring note from Jim Utter, a member of the Tomoka Christian family. After many years of battling alcoholism, Jim finally surrendered it to the Lord. Now, his struggle with this sin is over!

After 12 years of receiving God's personal gift of grace, not only am I a changed person, but now feel compelled to share my life-changing experience with others who may be struggling with the same bondage that I had become a slave to.

That bondage was alcohol. That's right... WAS alcohol, past tense. The struggle for mind control was won by God and has been removed from my thought patterns entirely!

For 15 years I battled the demon of alcoholism, through self will, through family intervention, through hospitalization, alcoholics anonymous, mockery, thoughts of suicide, and more significantly a complete surrender to its mind control.

One night I felt deeply compelled to go outside. It was the wee hours, cold and still. The side light was on. I cried out to God, "Please God remove this demon of mind control. I cannot do it alone. I need your help as only Your will can provide me."

I went down on my knees. All the weight of my body was gone. I put my cheek to the cold Earth. To my right was a single sea grape leaf. Next I held it up to the light and there I saw outlined was the "tree of life" represented by the veins in the leaf, shaped like a tree, with its trunk and branches.

All this happened in only a few seconds, yet it seemed timeless in scope and power. It was the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ filling me with a "new life," beginning at that very moment.

Pastor Joe, God's truth is AMAZING! My prayer was answered! I truly believe that it was that prayer of total surrender that removed my struggle and most importantly, my sin of alcoholism was forgiven.

You see, about one month ago you boldly stated that alcoholism was a "sin" and not a disease. I, for one, can honestly say with my whole heart that you are right: alcoholism is a sin. Mine was forgiven completely. Now I have my life with God as my co-pilot and Jesus as my navigator. We have an awesome GOD!

Confessions For Overcomers

My body is a temple for the Holy Spirit, (1Cor. 6:19) redeemed, (Eph. 1:7, Ps. 107:2) cleansed, (1 John 1:7) and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus (Heb 13:12). My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness (Rom. 6:13), yielded to God for His service and for His glory. The devil has no place in me, no power over me, no unsettled claims against me. All has been settled by the Blood of Jesus (Rom 8:33-34). I overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony, and I love not my life unto the death. (Rev. 12:11) My body is for the Lord and the Lord is for my body. (1 Cor. 6:13)

I am not just an ordinary man or woman: I am a daughter of the Living God. I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I am one of God’s people. (Gal. 4:6-7, 1 Peter 2:9) My mind is being renewed by the Word of God. I pull down strongholds. I cast down imaginations and I bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4, Rom 12:2). I am accepted in the beloved. If God is for me, who can be against me? Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. (Rom. 8:35-39)

Satan is defeated; the Son of God came in to the world to destroy the works of the devil. No longer will he oppress me. I defeat Satan and all demons by the Blood of Jesus and the word of my testimony not loving my life unto death. I submit to God: I resist the devil and he must flee from me now. (Rev 12:11, James 4:7-8)

No temptation will overtake me that is not common to man, but God is faithful; He will not let me be tempted beyond my strength but with the temptation will also provide a way of escape that I will be able to endure. (1 Cor. 10:13)

I give no place to fear in my life. That which a man fears comes upon him. The fear of man brings a snare, but perfect love casts out fear. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears (2 Tim. 1:7, 1 John 4:18, Ps. 34:4) The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear. (Ps. 27:1, Ps. 46:1-2)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to those who believe. (Rom. 1:16) I am a believer not a doubter, I have faith towards God. My faith is not in myself or the realm of my feelings, but in a living God who will never fail me nor forsake me. I walk by faith and not by sight. (Heb. 11:1-6) I will be anxious for nothing. He will keep me in perfect peace, for my mind is stayed upon Him. (Phil. 4:6-7, Is. 26:3) I choose this day to love by faith, to walk by faith, and to see with the eyes of faith. I will go from faith to faith, from strength to strength, from glory to glory. (Rom 1:17, 1 Cor. 5:7) I look not to the healing but to the healer; Jesus Christ, my Lord. My body is for the Lord and the Lord is for my body. He took away all my illnesses and carried all my diseases. By His stripes I am healed. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is a work in my body giving me life. (1 Pet. 2:24, Mat. 8:16-17)

Making the Most of Adversity

I received an interesting e-mail note from my friend, Gene, that I thought I’d share.

“Someone broke into my car when it was parked at work this past weekend. I had probably one to two hundred dollars of music CDs in two storage cases and a few sitting loose in the car. But all that they took was my Bible and a flashlight!

While it hurt me deeply that they didn't like my taste in music, I hope and pray that with the flashlight and the Bible that whoever did this will come to the Light and find the Way in Life!

This happened on Saturday. We worshipped at TCC on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning (at my workplace), I parked my car in the same place. My new Bible, which is in plain sight in my car, has a blue polka dot cover. Inside is a sticker that says, ‘If you steal my Bible ... please call me and I will talk to you about my JESUS!’ “

Who Am I?

Every time I turn around someone is putting a new label on me. Here is a partial list of who people may state I am.

• Fundamentalist
• Bible thumper
• Anti-abortionist
• Anti-equal rights
• Homophobic
• Right wing extremist
• Environment hater
• Climate change denialist

Wow! Now, I think I'll write down my thoughts of who I am.

• Created by the Almighty God
• Saved from sin by the blood of Jesus
• Bible believer
• Pro life
• Pro marriage – man/woman
• Pro child
• Pro adoption
• Pro truth
• Pro freedom
• Pro grace
• Pro personal responsibility

Jesus said in Matthew 5 that I am the light of the world. I love who Jesus makes me to be!

Aim at the Target, Part 5 of 5

The Book of Acts is a record of the missionary work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit works through men such as:

• Peter
• Mark
• Philip
• Luke
• Paul
• Silas
• Stephen
• Barnabas
  

Each of these men served as a missionary, men who were sent by God. These men were sent for a purpose, a purpose of helping others find salvation in the Messiah! Whenever a denomination, church, or person loses their passion for God’s purpose paralysis can set in, which is followed closely by death. Jesus came that mankind might have life, not spiritual death.

It is the belief of this author that the churches which remain strong, healthy and vital in a community are the churches that give themselves away. A church gives herself away through:

• Replication church plants
• Humanitarian aid - food, clothes, Christmas, benevolence, adoptions, school outreaches
• Prayer
• Financial support of missions
  

Jesus taught, “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.” He truly gave Himself away!

Get Me My Hat!

In front of 65,110 screaming fans in Pittsburg, the 2009 NFL season got under way. The Steelers against the Titans, a showdown of powerhouse defenses on display at Heinz Field.

At the end of regulation, the score was a 10-10 tie. As the Steelers were about to get the ball, Ben Roethlisberger, the defending Superbowl champion quarterback, turned to a ball boy and said, “Get me my hat. I’m about to take us down the field for the winning score and I want to cover my sweaty hair when I do the postgame interview with Andrea Kremer.” That play yielded the game-winning drive in overtime.

Now I have to tell you that from age 5 to at least 23, if I wasn’t in class or church I had a baseball cap on. I had dozens of options. I had my St. Louis Cardinal caps, of course, caps of teams I played on, caps bearing the logos of banks, farming equipment and seed companies. I’m not sure why I wore them — security perhaps, or team pride. Or maybe cap-wearing was just a habit that made me feel more like others around me. What I do remember is that I never left home without a cap.

While I never will lead an NFL team or drive for a final score, I have a much larger task: Leading people to heaven. The Bible is quite clear about who will go to heaven. In Acts 4:12, we read: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Research shows that on our current course, America will be less than 14% Christian in the next generation. Christ followers need to be more aggressive in sharing the story of Jesus. After all, the opposite of heaven is hell.

Heaven = In God’s presence, joy, worship, peace, rest, celebration
Hell = Cut off from God, weeping and gnashing of teeth, fire and pain. See Matthew 25

The apostle Paul reminds us that Jesus will be returning soon in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 to 18:

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
Are you ready to go?

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:37-38.

• Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior?
• Have you repented (turned from sin)?
• Have your been baptized (buried in water)?
• Have you committed to following Jesus even unto death?
  

We all want to go to heaven, yet most are unprepared for the most important trip they will ever take. So are you ready?

I guess what I’m saying is, get your hat!

Scripture memorization: Romans

One of the best ways to keep God's Word close at all times is to memorize Scripture. The Bible is full of truths that can help keep you on His path, as well as help you minister to others you know during the day.

Below are a few of my favorites. From time to time, I'll publish others. You might choose to write or type the verses on index cards or paper and tape them up here and there around your house.

Romans 1:16-17: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Romans 2:1: You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Young girl aches for a family of her own

Cara and Kevin, friends of the Tomoka Christian family, are working through paperwork to adopt a young girl, Ruth, from Ghana. In their visits to Ruth at her orphanage in Ghana, they met another child, Sheila, who is Ruth's best friend. Sheila's deepest desire is for a family of her own. Adoption requirements are few and costs have been reduced, but time is running out. Below is a note Cara sent me about Sheila's situation. Please e-mail me if you can help her.

I am sending out a desperate plea to all my God-fearing friends: We need to find a family for Sheila, a sweet, godly, wonderful 14-year-old girl living in Ghana.

Sheila has been praying for a family for years. I told her that I would make it my personal mission to help find her one. A few weeks ago she got the chance to call me and the first thing she asked was, "Did you find me a mommy yet?" I had to tell her no. When I go to Ghana next week, I would love to be able to tell her that God has brought her a family. Someone, please be the answer to this sweet girl's prayer! Time is running out for her as she is about to turn 15. The U.S. government will not allow children to be adopted once they turn 16. The process has to be finished before they turn 16. Sheila is such a kind, humble, peaceful, loving soul. The only thing she needs is a family and a chance.

Says Sheila: "My prayer is that someone that you will send my picture to will accept me as their child and have mercy on me because I am no one. People always say that I don't have a mother. Please, please have mercy on me."

The enemy has sold this sweet girl a lie: Having her believe, because she is an orphan, she is no one. Who is willing to show Sheila that she is not "no one"? She is someone very special in Christ. He cares for her! As the body of Christ, so do we. Please allow Jesus to come to her rescue through you!

Because of her desperate situation, the fees for her adoption have been greatly reduced and several people already have volunteered to raise money to help with the cost of her adoption. Please don't let money be an obstacle!

Requirements for adoption:

• Must be 21 years older than the child. In this case, one of the parents must be at least 35 years old
• Must be married
• Must be Christian

The first time I met her, she was bent over stirring a pot of banku over a small charcoal stove. When I looked a little closer, I saw that she was silently weeping as she worked to make lunch for the 30 children living at her orphanage. I bent down to look her in the eye and asked her what was wrong. She wouldn't return my gaze, but instead wiped away her tears and said, "I am so happy that my best friend, Ruth, has found such a wonderful mother. I am going to miss sister Ruth and I pray one day a woman will come for me and she will be my mommy forever."

Needless to say, my heart was broken for sweet Sheila. I promised her that day that I would help her on her journey to find a mama and a family.

Sheila looks just like her birth mother. They both have light skin and a long face. They both radiate beauty from the inside out. Sheila loved her mother dearly, but her mother passed away. Unable to care for her, Sheila's father took her to the orphanage and left her there.

Sheila is a smart girl and loves school. Unfortunately, the orphanage where she is staying cannot pay for her to go to school anymore and she had to drop out of school this year. Sheila is very sad about this. She has dreams of one day becoming a journalist.

Sheila loves to sing and dance to Jesus. As the oldest girl in the orphanage, Sheila has had to take on the mother figure role for 30 other children. She is very nurturing and a hard-worker, but she has been robbed of her childhood and forced to grow up far too early.

Death: The great equalizer

“He is the most popular man in the world,” said Shepard Smith for Fox News, speaking of Michael Jackson. “He’s the greatest entertainer on the planet.” Another news anchor questioned, “How could this happen?”

Here is the simple answer, written 2,000 years ago in Hebrews 9:27: “…Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment…”

In fact, 3,000 years ago King Solomon said it thusly: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Death is the great equalizer. Death knows no talent, race, economic situation or political position. Death comes to all. Armed with this information, we are once again reminded to make eternal preparations our priority. Secondly, we should help others with their own preparations.

What should we do? Our task is spelled out in Acts 2:38.

• Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord
• Repent, which means to turn from sin
• Confess Jesus publicly
• Be baptized
• Follow Jesus
  

The reality is that death is a transition into eternity, not the end. But there is no certainty of our own day of transformation. Therefore we need to work now — starting, restarting or renewing our relationship with King Jesus. As I’ve heard stated, “You can live without Jesus, but your eternity will be a mess if you die without Him.”

Perhaps the Apostle Paul’s words to the church of Philippi in Philippians 2:5-11 will serve as motivation for us:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heads Up!

Anytime you are near a baseball field you might hear someone yell, "Heads up!" This announcement means that you have a split second to look up and locate a sphere hurtling at you with the velocity of a bullet shot out of a rifle. Quickly, you must make a decision to dodge it or attempt to catch it. Someone is in danger when "Heads up" is heard.

As a pastor serving our Lord Jesus Christ, part of my job is to yell "Heads up!" to what is happening spiritually and historically in our day. Take a moment to read the Apostle John's words around 90 A.D.

1 John 2:18-23
"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."

1 John 4:3
"but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

2 John 1:7
"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist."

"Heads up" - John told us 2,000 years ago that we were in the last days. Then just where are we now? The spiritual showdown is near at hand. Now is the time to grow strong in the following areas:

• God's Spirit - Soak God into your pores
• God's Word - Soak God into your mind
• God's Love - Soak God into your heart

The church of Jesus is called to stand firm on both the humanity and deity of Jesus.

"Heads up" - Antichrists are everywhere. Be aware that those who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ is antichrist. Jesus is the anointed one sent from God to be our Savior. He was the sinless man, God in the flesh, who died to bring forgiveness to every person on earth who accepts the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. Paul stated in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

"Heads up" - The antichrist is coming. There is one man who will rise to power, be proclaimed as the savior of the world. He will be religious; pulling all religions into a one-world religion. He will create a one-world government. The only ones not accepted will be the true followers of Jesus. Those of us who are labeled as fanatics, even fools for beliefs such as:

• There is only one God, the creator of the universe. (Genesis 1:1)
• There is only one way to Heaven — through the blood of Jesus. (Acts 4:12)
• Jesus was born of a virgin. (Luke 1:34)
• Jesus rose from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
• Jesus is returning for His people. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
• Jesus is God in human form. (Colossians 1:15)

We as Christ followers will have to anchor ourselves to Jesus, His Word, and His people for surely tough days are ahead. Days of persecution, loss of jobs, imprisonment, perhaps even death. All of these persecutions are going on in one form or another in nearly every nation in the world. The days of soft American Christianity have come to an end. The weak or half-hearted will not survive. Dig deep, fellow followers of Jesus. The last days are upon us.

"Heads up!"

Spiritual Death

Spiritual death is the result of a person, church, or nation turning its back on God. This is not done by rejection of God but by not obeying and fulfilling Jesus’ commands for His people. In Acts 1:8 we get the mission that keeps us alive.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Without God's vision being a vital part of our lives, we will shrivel up and die.

I am excited to call your attention to TCC's new missions blog that will keep you updated and alive in your walk with Jesus! Spiritual death occurs long before real death occurs. It happens the moment we cease to be a part of the mission.

Visit the blog here and sign up to get automatic updates on missions happenings that you are a vital part of and that transform the world every day!

Recognize this Sight?

This is the sight venerated since the 4th century as the spot where our Lord Jesus was born. Exact spot or not, it is an emotional place to stand and imagine. It is an incredible place to pray and remember.

Strip away all of the marble, silver, gold and art work and you find yourself in a simple cave under the “Church of the Nativity” in Bethlehem. Sometimes we let the trappings of life prevent us from seeing Jesus and ourselves as we should. Perhaps we should all take some time away from our worldliness and see Jesus and His Word the way He intended.

Remember Paul’s words to Timothy, “Jesus came to SAVE sinners.”

Strength in Jesus

The need for Biblical-style bold faith is a daily requirement. I suppose that it has never been easy to live by faith as each generation and nation has its own struggles and difficulties. I am writing to motivate all of us to hang on tightly to Jesus as we walk through our current valley. Our faith is stronger than the battle that we face daily.

Psalm 46

Transformation

The dock, boat and body of water pictured here could be located just about anywhere in the world. But they are not. A transformation of this scene took place when Jesus walked across this body of water, the Sea of Galilee.

As we look at the photo or even as one stands on the dock, there are no apparent signs of greatness. The Sea of Galilee feels no personal pride for being the spot in the universe where our Creator defied nature's laws by walking on water. Yet one cannot look upon this scene without feeling a sense of awe.

The Almighty does the same with all of us who will make ourselves available. He makes the ordinary extraordinary through His presence. God-sized work is in store for us if we will simply be available.

Why not ask God to make your life extraordinary? It could be by praying this simple prayer: “Jesus, I am available. What would you like to do with my life today?”

Going To Church With Jesus

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Matthew 4:12-17

This photo shows the ruins of a fourth century synagogue (meeting place for Jewish believers). The synagogue was used for worship, education for children, as well as public meetings. This building was built on the ruins of a 1st century synagogue, the very place where Jesus came to worship His Father. This synagogue is found in the city of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee (pictured below).

This is just another amazing fulfillment of Scripture. Messiah born in Bethlehem; called a Nazarene; called out of Egypt; light will shine out of darkness out of Galilee.

Jesus' message - repent (change) for the Kingdom is near. How should we live with the Kingdom of God just a split second away?

Where Jesus Sleeps

This might look like a strange photo to you. This is the ruins of the Apostle Peter's house in Capernaum. Why is this sight of importance to us two thousand years later? Well, frankly, it sounds like "Washington slept here." Jesus spent a lot of his time in the last years of His life in this home with Peter and his family. Peter's mother was delivered from a great fever by Jesus at His touch (Matthew 8:14-15).

Will our house, not physically but spiritually, be know 2,000 years from now because Jesus was in our home? Do we just go to church or do we take Jesus into our home? Does He transform our lives, marriages, or our ethics? Does Jesus sleep in your house?

Jesus Tempted

Matthew 4:8-9 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."


Hebrews 4:15 is a text of great grace for all of us when it states that Jesus was tempted in every way, yet he was without sin.

The third temptation that satan hit Jesus with was the glamor of this world. This temptation took Jesus to the top of a mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world at one time. Satan then said, "All this I'll give you if you bow down and worship me." What did Jesus see? Here are just a few...


Inca









India








New York City








Egypt








Mexico City











England







Jesus replies, "Get away from me satan - the Word says you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." He stuck to the Torah for it's words are life. All the great kingdoms of man are temporary where as God's city is eternal. No remodeling ever. God is there and sin and temptation are not. The supreme architect and builder has erected the heavenly city for us.

Observations:

1. If satan has this power, what does God have?
2. God might let us see all of history in eternity - cool!
3. Heaven must be beyond description for Jesus to see all of the kingdoms of man and walk away.

Mayan Thoughts

Months ago, I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala. Spending just a few days there reignited my passion for the Mayan people and their ancestors. Give me an old archeology site and I'm as happy as I can be. Yet I know how desperately the modern Mayan people need Jesus. Centuries ago the Mayans were the master of the calendar and according to their calendar the world will end suddenly on December 22, 2012. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if this is true. I am, however, confronted with a few nagging thoughts and questions. If there are only 5 years left until eternity...

...how should I live?
...how should I pray?
...how should I love?
...how should I forgive?
...how should I give?
...how should I serve?
...how should I believe?
...how should I change?
...how should I reach?
...how should I share Jesus?

How many will not make it to 2012? Is there even more of an urgency to think on these things? Time races by for all of us as James reminds us that our lives are but a mist, here for a moment and gone. Jesus did say that no one knows the day or the hour of His return, but we should recognize the time. "Does anybody really know what time it is?" - Chicago

Pray Continually

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray continually." We could save a lot of grief, anxiety, counseling, and pain if we would just put these two words into action in our lives.

What's Your Wall?

We all feel at times that we are up against a wall in our lives. We're out of options and we're not so good at scaling walls. It is in those circumstances that we find out just how faithful our God is to each of us. Now, I have to tell you that it may not always be on our schedule, but God is faithful.

I am reminded of God's faithfulness in so many ways, yet no passage is more inspiring than Isaiah 66:8: "Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children."

No doubt for centuries this little text inspired God's people to hope in the midst of desperation and persecution. The literal fulfillment happened on May 14,1948. According to Jesus in Matthew 24, this prophetic fulfillment is the start of the final chapter of the end times, which we've been in since Jesus' resurrection.

Never in the 6,000 years of earth's history has a nation been reborn, except Israel, in the fulfillment of this grand text. If you are willing to write this off as coincidence then you are mixed up. God will fulfill His scripture. He does provide a way out when up against the wall.

Remember the words of the Archangel Gabriel who should know, "Nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37.