There is no such thing as a faithful ministry that is not costly. In order to work through the pin of ministry, we must be willing to persevere till the end. In the book of Nehemiah, we are told about how God worked in the heart of Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall of that great city. The world understood that the rebuilding of the Walls would also mean that Jerusalem would once again move toward a city of prominence. Any time we are attempting to do a work for the Lord, we will incur opposition. We can do all the prayer preparation, and presentation of the work, and we will still face those who will oppose what we do. Like Nehemiah we need to turn to God in the face of opposition, and understand that our true strength lies with the Lord. Zechariah 4:6 reminds us that “not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” Take time to look at Nehemiah 4:13-23 and see how to persevere through the work that God has called you to do. Don’t loose heart, but continue to stay focused on the goal set … READ MORE

In the burial of Jesus, found in Matthew 27:59-66, we see how God is working in everything. He used Joseph of Arimathea providentially to fulfill prophecy. He used the two Marys providentially to give first-hand testimony to the resurrection. And He used the chief priests and Pharisees providentially to give forceful proof that Jesus indeed rose from the dead. How does this relate to us? An examination of Romans 8:28-29, reminds us that “All things work together for” . . . WHAT? . . . “good, to those who love God” What is the purpose of these events? Verse 29 tells us that it is to “conform us into the image of His [God’s] Son” and to be “The firstborn among many brethren.” God controls all things to fulfill His eternal purpose for His own beloved Children. This idea of God’s sovereignty and God’s providence is not some distant doctrine only for theologians. This is where the rubber meets the road. It is essential when we can’t explain the trouble we are going through and we need to understand that the providential power of a sovereign God will take every bit of the diverse data of the universe and control … READ MORE

Through first-hand testimony and through fulfilled prophecy even in the burial of Christ, God is at work vindicating Jesus Christ as His Son. God controlled every element of the death and burial of Christ. In Matthew 27:62-66 we see that the Chief Priests and Pharisees are so aware of the teaching of Christ that they attempt to thwart any effort of the disciples to continue his “error” They approach Pilate about making sure that the tomb is secure so that no one would steal Jesus’ body to attempt to make His teaching on His death “appear” to be a reality. God uses this to verify the deity of Jesus, by securing the tomb, there would be no empty tomb because of a stolen body. The only way that Jesus could get out of that tomb was through His bodily resurrection. All the soldiers had to do is guarantee that the body was still there on day three, and all he said could be discounted. But they were not able to do that, because it is God who is at work, and no man can stop the plan of God. As we approach our lives, this same God is the God … READ MORE