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Miracles Come From Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a time when even those who don’t regularly practice gratitude try to. Social media posts are filled with challenges to be grateful for something every day, while others post funny turkey cartoons wanting to spread some laughter and joy. It’s the one time a year that we emphasize remembering the details in life that really matter and for which we should be most grateful. There is something about gratitude that compels us. We want to give to those who have given to us.

In 2 Kings 4:8-17, we read of one such event. Elisha, on many occasions, travels through the town of Shunem. Each time, an unnamed woman invites him to stop in for a hot meal before continuing on his journey. She senses that he is a man of God and wants to bless him. So she talks with her husband, and they build a room especially for him so that when he passes through, he not only can have a meal but a place to stay and refresh.

This act of generosity so impacts Elisha that he asks his servant to call her so he can speak to her. He asks her, “is there anything I can do for you?” But because she gave her gift out of pure generosity and with no expectation of reciprocation, she responds with “no. My family takes good care of me.” She wanted nothing in return, only to be a blessing.

Her response made Elisha more determined. He asked his servant, “what can we do for her?” Gehazi, his servant, perceived a great need. She had no child, and her husband was old. She may not need anything now, but without a son, her future might look very different.

So Elisha calls her back and tells her, “next year at this time, you will be holding a son in your arms!” She cried out, “No, my lord! O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.” But the scripture says that sure enough, by that time the following year, she was holding a son.

Friends, it was gratitude that prompted her miracle. It was gratitude that brought back to life a dead dream. It was gratitude that did the impossible. Saints, let gratitude birth your miracle. And this time next year, we can testify once more to the goodness of God, continuing the blessing of Thanksgiving.

Jaime Luce

Photo 188329241 / Gratitude © Maria Marganingsih | Dreamstime.com
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Surviving The Waiting Season

Hang on, saints! God is faithful. And He is going to see to it that the promise He made you comes to pass. Staying encouraged in the waiting season is key. But to do that, we need to look at the first promise. In that promise, we see three important factors about promises.

God told Noah to build an ark of safety for the coming flood. He was asked to prepare for something that no one had ever experienced before. Everything about this call would sound crazy to anyone who heard it. He would be mocked and ridiculed for years. Yet despite public opinion, Noah obeyed and survived a flood that destroyed everyone else.

After a year on that boat, God told Noah to leave the ark of safety. Noah’s first act once off the boat was to build an altar and make a sacrifice to the Lord. The scripture says that the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and promised that he would never again flood the earth and that as long as the earth endures, there will be seed, time, and harvest. It was a tremendous promise that their future would be secure and blessed.

Then, to give Noah a continual reminder, God placed a rainbow in the clouds as a symbol of His promise. So in every time of rain, Noah wouldn’t need to fear. He knew where to fix his gaze. He could look up and see God’s promise.

The first point in this promise is that it would not only affect Noah. Its reach still covers us today. When God gives us a promise, it endures. Our God is eternal, so His gifts are eternal. Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” No matter how much time has passed, God hasn’t changed His mind about you. The promise stands, and it will bless you and those after you.

Second is the necessary element of time. God said there would be seed, time, and harvest. The promise is the seed. But after you receive the seed, there will be time. How much time? The right amount of time. God’s perfect plan has a perfect time. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” Habakkuk 2:3-4 (NKJV) If you remember that time is part of the promise, you won’t be so discouraged in the waiting.

The third element of this promise is perspective. God put the promise in the sky. For Noah to see it, he would need to lookup. Luke 21:28 (KJV) “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” This scripture reminds us that even when we face the chaos of a fallen world, we can look up and know God is faithful to His word. Just as Noah was safe on the ark, God will keep you.

Your promise is for an appointed time. Look up. It will come to pass.

Jaime Luce

Photo 2600043 © Steven Ramsdell | Dreamstime.com
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Expect it!

There is a book available to those who are pregnant, or as we say, expecting. It’s called “What to expect when you’re expecting.” The irony is if you expect something, you already know what you are expecting. We sometimes fail to see we have this same upsidedown idea of prayer. We pray but then act like we have no idea what will happen.

Mark 11:24 (NIV) says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

If you don’t expect anything, then why pray? Why waste your time. Even in football, the quarterback may throw the last chance throw that seems improbable, hoping for a score, and we call it throwing up a Hail Mary. They don’t expect to get it, but they throw it up just in case. If you expect nothing, you’ll get nothing. You will get what you have expected.

Don’t pray as you play. Pray believing. This Father’s Day, Be like Father Abraham. He is known to the Christian world as the Father of Faith. He never staggered at the promise of God. He never considered the condition and deadness of his or his wife’s body. He was fully persuaded. Romans 4:21 “And begin fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” And he received!
Pray differently today. Expect to receive what you are believing for, not by mind over matter but by faith! It is by faith you will receive. Believe the One who promised and expect it!

Jaime Luce
Photo 97576772 / Expect © Elen33 | Dreamstime.com
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The Masking of Christianity

The parallel seems uncanny. The apostles were continually told to keep silent. Acts 4:18 NLT “So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.” Acts 5:40 NLT “The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.”

Don’t speak. Like a parent covering a child’s mouth. This is exactly how I feel walking around with everyone’s face covered. You can see the eyes but the voice is muffled and sometimes not understandable through the cloth covering it. How many movies and tv shows have we seen where in order for the assailant to subdue his target, he covers the mouth and nose of the victim with a cloth laced with chloroform and the victim collapses into submission.

Acts 5:18 says, (NIV) “And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.” This is simultaneously happening to the church of Christ around the world right now. The governing systems and leaders are telling us to be quiet. Be quiet about meeting together. Be quiet about Biblical righteousness. Be quiet about what the Bible says about abortion. Be quiet about Biblical marriage. Be quiet about equality and justice. They are trying in every way and by every means to put their hands over our faces and shut us up.

How did the Apostles respond? They refused to wear the mask! What happens to the psyche of those who see people with their faces covered all around them? It say’s be afraid! Be afraid of the person behind the mask. Be afraid that they will infect you. That what they have is dangerous and can hurt you. The church needs to understand the danger and deceit of what is happening spiritually. There is a war going on. The enemy wants to silence you and cause those who see you to fear you and your message. He wants to cause those who see you to think that what you carry is dangerous instead of empowering and cause contamination instead of freedom. The strategy is deception. People are told to watch us, report us and ticket or arrest us if we even try to meet. And if we meet, we are to do so in very small numbers while standing far apart.

Just think about that strategy. Don’t allow them to muster the troops. Don’t let them link arms and comfort one another. Don’t allow them to sing and rejoice. Don’t allow them to pray for one another. In essence it’s an attempt to dismantle the body of Christ systematically and stop the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

So what is the church to do? Let’s look at the passage again. Acts 4:13-20

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Peter and John reasoned that they answer first to God. They were not criminals. They had hurt no one. On the contrary, a man had just been healed. These were not men of terror or chaos but instead men of peace and compassion. Their boldness was called rebellion. Their fearlessness called insurgence and revolt.

We must not silence our voices. We must continue to stand boldly and proclaim the name of Jesus. We must go around healing the sick and delivering the bound. We must advance the Kingdom of God in the face of opposition, tyranny and imprisonment. The apostles didn’t back down and neither should we. Jesus was led to the slaughter so that we could walk in His power and authority. I challenge you not to lay down your sword!

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

When Jesus ascended and sat down at the right hand of the father he was proclaiming His victory. He had finished the work. His victory has wrought ours. We are to be valiant in our stance and full of courage. According to Matthew 11:12 (NASB) “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” There is still a work to be done and it is we who are to do it.

So today, stare your enemy in the eye. Rip off your mask of silence and proclaim the Kingdom of God is at hand. Wield your sword and stand your ground. You are a conquerer! You’re the called of God and heirs to the throne. Child of God march forward and claim your victory over every sphere in your life and free others while you do!

Blessings to you and yours,

Jaime Luce

ID 177378326 © Michel Egloff | Dreamstime.com