Desperation - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Desperation

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot.” (Psalm 34:6, The Message)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary states that desperation is the “loss of hope and surrender to despair.” Loss of hope is a terrible thing. When there is no hope, not much else is left to cling to.

There will certainly come a time when many will reach a point where things get desperate, with no seemingly place to turn, people to call, or even a hopeless prayer to be said. Of course, having no belief in God, with many of these it is happening already.

Those who have no faith, whom have denied the factual proof of the Living God of Israel in their heart, head and history, trusting instead in their deceived mind, may never reach the point of salvation. Instead of giving up the pride that has exalted them to lofty human levels, they continue to lift their fists of anger and hatred to Him Who sits on the throne.

How ironic. They deny Him in every step of their being, and yet demonstrate their despite of the very Creator when something goes terribly wrong in their life, and those around them. Rather than call on the Name of the Lord, Who alone is salvation, they choose to continue down their path of destruction, heading further into the pit of darkness.

This need not be so.

All through Scripture we read where saints of old had to cry out to the Lord, desperate for Him to respond. David on the run from Saul; Job in the middle of his not-so-helpful friends; Paul while being stoned by the religious. Each were to experience those times of desperation, where no human answer was readily available to change the situation they had been brought to.

Yes, we are brought to situations where we have the choice - to call on the Lord and His salvation, or continue to deny His very presence, and reap the consequences that are promised to follow.

The Bible, that book which has remained accurately constant since the days it was put down on stone and paper, is our only hope. For anyone who seeks an answer, needs the truth, and is willing to repent of their own ways, it is THE ANSWER for all who will. For all who will call on the Name of the Lord.

“…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." (Romans 10:9-13, NASU)

If you are reading this, I hope you have already trusted in the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, to deliver you from your sin and haughty ways. You thus know now that He who delivered you in the beginning will continue to deliver you to the end. He is faithful. He never changes.

For those who have yet to come to the realization point, where nothing else can or has changed your life, having tried all else, this is now the time where you need to make that decision, to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, Savior of the World, and rest in His assurance that no matter what comes your way, He will be there to save you through it. He happened for those saints of old – He will happen for us too.

“Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors,  to the Servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise, Princes also shall worship, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel; and He has chosen You."

(Isaiah 49:7, NKJV)

The One whom the nations abhor, the Redeemer of Israel and those who come to Him, is the faithful One, the Solid Rock on which to stand.

As we see and hear of many in desperate situations, now is the time to stand on the solid rock of His Word, and see Him once again save His people in their time of need. May we also do our part in being His, the Body of Christ, His arm of hope and salvation, and show Him as the answer to those who need Him even more so now.

For those yet to come to the Messiah, the Lion and the Lamb of God, who has already come once and is soon coming again, my prayer is that you will know firmly in your heart that He will come and save you, for no other god or human can do as He alone can and will do for you.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Yeshua, Yeshua, Yeshua. The only Name that saves.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now through our website using the DONATE buttons on either side column of our blog.

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. (And all other social media platforms!)

Now Think On This - in the Year of our Lord 09.02.17 - #310 – “Desperation” – Saturday, 8:15 am

Forgive, Forget, Move On - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Forgive, Forget, Move On

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-15, NASU)

Have you ever noticed the “tools of the trade” that fishermen, who want to catch the bottom-feeding fish, use? One of them that I am aware of is the sinker, the little lead ball-shaped object. Once tightly fastened to the fishing line, not too far from the hook and bait, its purpose is to take the fishing bait to the bottom of the pond or lake. That is where the bottom-feeders are sucking up what garbage and other less-nutrient food particles end up once they have fallen to the bottom. Down to where it is dark and murky.

The enemy of our soul likes to hang around bottom-feeders. These are the ones who have been hurt, wounded and continue to walk around in bitterness. They too would rather live where it is dark and murky; where leaden lines bring down more bait to subsist on. Rather than forgive and forget, as we are commanded to do, they choose to hang onto the hardness of heart which has resulted, and stay as they are. Living in darkness, in the basement, means you don’t have to face the light. "No more chance to get hurt again by others" is your mindset.

But in fact, it is the light which will save you from the darkness. It is getting the infection out, the scab removed, the hurt and wounds healed that will give you the life you were meant to be free to participate in. The cross of Jesus sets us free from all this.

I have seen many people wounded in their walk with Christian brethren, both from leadership and other members of the church congregation. Rather than walk in forgiveness and forgetting what lies behind, they instead make the choice to not let go of the hurt and carry their wounds. What once was great fellowship and sharing a common bond in the Lord’s grace and mercy, it has instead become an infected sore, which never seems to go away. Another church, another day, another attempt at hiding it away doesn’t make it go away.

“Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.” (Colossians 3:13, Complete Jewish Bible)

The ones who resist the command to forgive will continue to grow in the hardness of heart, the darkness, that robs all of the freedom to walk in love. By not letting go, through the act of forgiveness, will keep you from the trust and forbearance we need in walking with one another. The new relationships you will endeavor to make will have the shadow of the previous ones preventing you from true fellowship.

We must learn to forgive each other continually, forgetting the past, and move on to fulfill the call and purpose we each have in the Body of Messiah. There are too many dying people out there whom we are sent to help, but will not be able to if we insist on protecting our space and not letting these things go.

“Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart’s decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body.

And be thankful - let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:14-17, Complete Jewish Bible)

  

We don’t have the “luxury” of being bottom-feeders. We can't continue to let offenses, being offended, and petty arguments keep us from walking in the light.

We must bring everything to the His light, to forgive those who hurt us, and get on with the work we instead must be doing. There are bigger issues to deal with, so walking in forgiveness daily is a necessity.

I have been hurt. You have been hurt. Insisting on living in unforgiveness will only deepen the infection that Jesus Christ died for, to save you from.

We must repent from our sin of allowing unforgiveness to rule in our hearts. There must not be any place for it in your life, nor mine.

I am still learning how to live in forgiving others. Some days are better than others, but I have no choice but choose forgiveness, if I am to do that which He has saved me to do, and requiring of me to walk out.

I hope you are too.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

 
Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

I recorded this also: Arms of Love video message - "Forgive, Forget, Move On"

Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now through our website using the DONATE buttons on either side column of our blog.

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc. 

P.O. Box 414   

Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. (And all other social media platforms!)

Now Think On This - in the Year of our Lord 08.23.17 - #309 – “Forgive, Forget, Move On” – Sunday, 5:55 pm