God's Army Ministry

God's Army Ministry Ministry helping broken people and showing God's love.

08/18/2021

The man near the pool of Bethesda didn’t use the word stuck, but he could have. For thirty-eight years near the edge of a pool, it was just him, his mat, and his paralyzed body. They must have made a miserable sight. Crowds of people—blind, lame, despondent, dejected, one after the other—awaiting their chance to be placed in the pool where healing waters bubbled up.

All the gospels’ stories of help and healing invite us to embrace this wonderful promise: “Wherever Jesus went he healed people of every sort of illness. And what pity he felt for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for help” (Matthew 9:35–36 TLB). Jesus had a heart for the hurting in his day. He still does today.

08/17/2021

After a few moments of flailing in the water, Peter turned back to Jesus Christ and cried, “‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down” (Matthew 14:30-32 NIV).

Now Jesus could have stilled this storm hours earlier, but he did not. He wanted to teach the followers a lesson: storms are not an option, but fear is.

God has hung his diplomas in the universe. Rainbows, sunsets, horizons. His résumé includes Red Sea openings. Lions’ mouths closings. Goliath topplings. Lazarus raisings. And his lesson is clear: he is the commander of every storm. Are you scared in yours? Then stare at him.

08/16/2021

A wall of water eclipsed Peter’s view. A wind gust snapped the mast with a crack. Peter shifted his attention away from Jesus and toward the storm, and when he did, he sank like a brick in a pond. Give the storm more attention than the Storm Walker and get ready to do the same. Whether or not storms come, we cannot choose. But where we stare during a storm, we can.

God’s call to courage is not a call to naïveté or ignorance. We aren’t to be oblivious to the overwhelming challenges that life brings. We are to counterbalance them with long looks at God’s accomplishments. The scripture says, “We must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1 NASB). Today do whatever it takes to keep your gaze on Jesus.

08/13/2021

“‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:28-29).

Peter never would have made this request on a calm sea. I doubt Peter would have ever stepped out of the boat. Storms prompt us to take unprecedented journeys. For a few heart-stilling moments, Peter did the impossible. He defied every law of gravity and nature.

Matthew moves us quickly to the major message of the event, and that is where to stare in a storm. “But when [Peter] saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!'” (v. 30). Focus on Christ, you can do the impossible. Focus on the storm, you begin to sink.

08/12/2021

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus said. ‘Take courage. I am here!’” (Matthew 14:27).

Power inhabits these words. To awaken in an ICU and hear your husband say, “I am here.” To lose your retirement yet feel the support of your family in the words “We are here.” When a Little Leaguer spots Mom and Dad in the bleachers watching the game, “I am here” changes everything.

Perhaps that’s why God repeats the “I am here” pledge so often. “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can sn**ch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). We cannot go where God is not. Look over your shoulder; that’s God following you. Look into the storm; that’s Christ coming toward you.

08/11/2021

When Peter and a few other disciples found themselves in the middle of the Sea of Galilee one stormy night, they knew they were in trouble. “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary” (Matthew 14:24). The disciples fought the storm for nine cold, skin-drenching hours, and about 4:00 a.m. they spotted someone coming on the water.

They didn’t expect Jesus to come to them this way. Neither do we. We expect him to come in the form of peaceful hymns or Easter Sundays or quiet retreats. We never expect to see him in a bear market, pink slip, or war. We never expect to see him in a storm. But it is in storms that he does his finest work, for it is in storms that he has our keenest attention.

08/10/2021

When we are in the midst of the problem, it’s difficult to see a way out. When we have limited resources, it’s difficult to imagine being able to work with what we have. But God already knows how he will solve your problem, my friend. And God has infinite resources. You are the human; he is the divine being. Let Him help you. Let him intervene.

The next time you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself of the one who is standing next to you. What bewilders you does not bewilder him. When you present your needs to him, he never, ever turns to the angels and says, “Well, it finally happened. I’ve been handed a code I cannot crack. The demand is too great, even for me.”

You may feel outnumbered, but he does not. Give him what you have, offer thanks, and watch him go to work.

08/09/2021

If you see your troubles as opportunities to trust God and his ability to multiply what you give him, then even the smallest incidents take on significance. Turn and look at the One standing next to you. Count first on Christ – he can help you do the impossible. You simply need to give him what you have, and watch him work.

“Jesus took the loaves” (John 6:11). When Jesus fed the five thousand hungry people he didn’t have to use the loaves. He made manna fall for the Israelites; he could have done it again. Instead, he chose to use the single basket of the small boy.

What’s in your basket? God can take a small thing and do a big thing. If God can turn a basket into a buffet, don’t you think he can do something with your five loaves and two fishes of faith?

08/06/2021

Andrew said to Jesus, “There is a boy here with five loaves of barley bread and two fish. Oh, but what are these things when there are all these people?” (John 6:9).

What is your version of “all these people”? It might be something as pedestrian as “all this homework” or “all these long days.” The disciples counted the hungry people, the money in their bag, and the amount of bread and fish. They did not, however, count on Christ. And he was standing right there! The idea of soliciting his help did not dawn on them. Even so, Jesus went straight to work.

The impossible challenge of feeding “all these people” became the unforgettable miracle of all these people fed. What we cannot do, Christ does. And he will help you.

08/05/2021

The scripture says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Could you use some calm? God is ready to give it. It will require some work on your part. In fact, for some of you, God’s healing will include the help of therapy and/or medication. If that is the case, do not for a moment think that you are a second-class citizen of heaven.

This much is sure: It is not God’s will that you lead a life of perpetual anxiety. He made you for more than a life of breath-stealing angst and mind-splitting worry. He has a new chapter for your life, and he is ready to write it.

08/04/2021

The Scripture Hall of Fame that contains the twenty-third Psalm, the Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16 should also display Philippians 4:4-8.

Celebrate God’s goodness. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (v. 4). Celebrate who he is, what he has done in your life, and celebrate his goodness, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

Ask God for help. Verse five says, “The Lord is at hand.” Because of the Lord’s nearness, we can ask him for what we need.

Leave your concerns with God. Verse six says, “With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” State your concerns, then leave them in the hands of the father.

Verse 8: Meditate on good things. “Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise” (v. 8). We can transform our minds with conscious meditation on the good.

C.A.L.M. Calm.

08/03/2021

Anxiety is not a sin; it is an emotion. Anxiety can, however, lead to sinful behavior. If toxic anxiety leads you to abandon your spouse, neglect your kids, or break hearts, take heed. Jesus gave this word: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with…the anxieties of life” (Luke 21:34 NIV).

Look for these signals: Are you laughing less than you once did? Would those who know you describe you as increasingly negative and critical? Given the chance, would you avoid any interaction with humanity for the rest of your life?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, I have a scripture for you. Consider Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.”

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