“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Genesis 50:20 KJV
from Genesis 37:
An inspiring account in the Bible is of the life of Joseph of old; which is a story that turned out well, though his brothers gave him up to be sold.
Jacob, his father, had great love for him, and Joseph’s mother was dear to Jacob’s heart. Through others, he had had sons, too, but he’d really loved Rachel from the start.
To this son of his later years, he provided a colorful, distinctive coat–which gave his favoritism away. Due to seeing this, Joseph’s older brothers hated him; and then his dreams caused an even greater fray.
Joseph told them of those dreams. In one, they were binding sheaves in a field. Then, his sheaf stood up straight–while theirs gathered round in a circle and bowed down to his, as if prophetic of something at a future date.
Another dream that he shared, including his father on the telling, was of seeing the sun, moon, and eleven stars. These, too, were all bowing down to him, Joseph said. So Jacob pondered this, but told him it was going too far.
One day, Jacob sent Joseph out to meet his brothers, who were in Shechem, watching over the flock. He looked for them there but was told they’d gone to Dothan. They saw him coming and began to mock.
“Here comes this dreamer!” Then they planned to kill him, until Reuben put a stop to their schemes. He told them to leave Joseph in a wilderness pit, intending to rescue him from their anger over his dreams.
But when Reuben was away, they came up with a new plot–to sell Joseph to some traders in a passing caravan. The Ishmaelites purchased Joseph from his own brothers then, putting twenty shekels of silver into their hands.
Jacob’s sons took Joseph’s tunic and stained it with blood from a goat they’d killed–then brought the coat back home. There, they asked their father, Jacob, if it was Joseph’s coat and allowed him to think a wild animal had been responsible alone.
This was a crushing moment in the life of Jacob–he refused to be comforted in his mourning for this favorite lad. Meanwhile, Joseph was sold in Egypt to an officer of Pharaoh’s; but God had a plan amidst something so bad.
P. A. Oltrogge
The story of Joseph will be continued in the next post.
…we’re only a little past Christmas and Epiphany (the visit of the wise men), so I’m sharing still a lovely hymn….
There’s a song in the air; there’s a star in the sky… There’s a mother’s sweet prayer, and a baby’s low cry. And the star rains its fire, while angelic choirs sing, for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
There’s a tumult of joy, o’er the wonderful birth, for a virgin’s sweet baby is the Lord of the earth. Lo, the star rains its fire while angelic choirs sing, for the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
In the light of that star, angels sang of His worth, and their song from afar has swept over the earth. Every hearth is aflame, as we join in and sing, in the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!
We rejoice in His light as we echo the song that was heard in the night from the heavenly throng. The shepherds rejoiced and also made known that the Savior had arrived from God’s heavenly throne.
Josiah G. Holland/Karl P. Harrington
Since this was authored long ago, I adjusted the song somewhat to a bit more modern thought… It is a beautiful Christmas hymn.
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“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’
“So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” …from Luke 2
…and of the journey of the wise men, we read:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'” Matthew 2:1-2
“…and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:9-11
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:12-14
…a few more poetic thoughts:
In the Light of His Star
In the light of a brilliant star that was shining in the East…was found the prophesied Savior and our great High Priest.
There’s only one Mediator between God and man–Jesus, our Redeemer, who was sent to us by God’s plan.
Mankind needed to be saved from this world’s evil foe. Now Christ’s redeeming blood makes sins as white as snow.
For guidance to the Messiah, God had used a star. Wise men came to worship Christ–they’d seen it from afar.
Those who see their need for the redemption that Christ brings…do worship Him, as well–our Mighty God and King of Kings!
P. A. Oltrogge
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 KJV
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all….” 1 Timothy 2:1-6
“…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17
“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Revelation 19:16
I started this blog to share the love of Jesus–other Christians have done the same. I share what God has put on my heart, praying over it, in Jesus’ name.
But I may, at times, post messages a bit too often…it’s become a habit of mine–to head out onto the Porch of the Lord for a visit with its friends on line.
Therefore, if I don’t show up some days, I know the Lord will meet you there. He, by His Spirit, and through your own beloved Bible, has the highest, most personal, and the best things to share.
P. A. Oltrogge
Many of you are already established in this, but I wanted to still share the following…on hearing the Lord’s voice, by Kenneth Copeland, titled, “God has Something to Say”
The sheep listen to [the Shepherd’s] voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out. John 10:3, The Amplified Bible
Don’t ever be so afraid of making a mistake you miss out on the joy of acting on the voice of the Lord. Instead, trust the leadership of the Holy Spirit and let Him show you how. He’ll begin by speaking to you about the little things in your life, and as you grow accustomed to hearing and obeying, He’ll speak to you about weightier things.
That’s how it happened with Gloria and me. When we first accepted Jesus as Lord, we didn’t have any idea how to hear God. Our spirits weren’t yet trained to distinguish His leading. But since the Bible promised we could do it, we began to approach our prayer time and Bible study time expecting to hear God’s direction and He began to give it.
I’ll never forget the first time it happened to Gloria. She’d been reading the Bible and she just stopped for a few minutes to see if God would say something to her. Right down on the inside of her, she heard the Lord say, The light is on in your car.
It didn’t occur to her that God would speak to her about something so trivial, so she just brushed that thought aside and went on listening. Pretty soon, He said the same thing again. He kept on repeating it until finally, she got up and walked out to the car. Sure enough, the light was on.
Why would God bother with something as insignificant as a car light? Because He cares! He knew Gloria was home alone that night with two small children, and if that battery had run down, she’d have been stuck there. God was watching out for her, and He told her just exactly what she needed to know right then.
Yet, at the same time, He knew she was a beginner where listening to His voice was concerned, so He gave her an instruction she could follow without much risk. I mean, what if she had gone out there and the light hadn’t been on? What if she’d missed it? She would have felt foolish but that wouldn’t have hurt anything.
If you’ll trust Him, the Holy Spirit will do the same thing for you that He did for Gloria and me. He’ll bring you along one step at a time in a way that will help you, not hurt you.
The biggest mistake you can make is to be afraid to follow that inward witness which is the No. 1 way God leads all His children (Romans 8:14). So don’t be afraid. Take time to listen today. Expect to hear in your spirit. God has something to say to you.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14 NKJV
Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries
As we continue into the new year, we’ll want to, of course, keep helping others through the many Christian outreaches we know of. A number of them have been mentioned on this blog, such as http://www.ob.org and http://www.samaritanspurse.org
Many ministries, such as those of Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Keith Moore, and others are constantly giving into other various missions and ministries.
Another is the Jerusalem Prayer Team. If you would like to pray, help, or receive updates from them, (one of their latest updates is below), you can do so at http://www.jerusalemprayerteam.org
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When we stand before the Lord to give an account for how we used the time and resources He gave us, what will we say? I want to be able to tell Him I did my very best, especially for His Jewish brothers and sisters, the least of these. I’m sure you feel the same way, and that’s why I’m asking for your help with a very important outreach of Christian love.
During Hanukkah, we hosted a party at your Friends of Zion Center for 400 Jewish widows and orphans, and in the following days took presents, food, and other necessities of life to over 3,000 more. But we cannot limit this vital outreach of Christian love just to the holidays…the needs are all year long. There are so many in Israel who have lost husbands and fathers to the deadly terrorist attacks motivated by the evil of anti-Semitic hatred. These people are being targeted and murdered simply because they are Jewish. It’s time for us to take a stand and show God’s Chosen People that they are not alone.
The only way we are able to continue all of the outreaches of the Jerusalem Prayer Team, in Israel, in Ukraine, and all around the world is with the generous support of friends like you. Your gift today is vital as we seek to do all we can to help those in need. This is our “such a time as this” moment, and we must not miss it.
Your support of the Jerusalem Prayer Team today allows us to purchase food, medicine, clothing, and other necessities of life for the poor Holocaust survivors, as well as to continue to operate the Friends of Zion Museum, to stand up and speak out for Israel, and to meet urgent humanitarian needs among the poor Jewish people in Israel and Ukraine. Thank you so much for being part of this vital worldwide prayer movement.
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 NKJV
It’s a new day–not a “blue” day…
It’s a “God will see you through” day;
and it’s an “expect a miracle, too” day!
P. A. Oltrogge
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.'” Mark 9:23 NKJV
The booklet below by Lindsay Roberts is great encouragement on the possibility of the miraculous–not from testimonies of present-day miracles; but she uses examples from the Bible. She challenges people not to think it’s crazy to believe in them, but to think it can be amazing to believe in them. And, of course, the Roberts family (her father-in-law was Oral Roberts) is very much noted as believers who encourage others to “expect a miracle.” In her own life, she’s experienced many challenges, some very difficult, but she kept right on believing. To order, visit the bookstore at http://www.richardroberts.org
After the rain, the sun will come out… Of the Lord’s faithfulness, we must not doubt.
Rain is most often a life-giving thing… May the “rains” of life be faith-strengthening.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy….” Psalm 107:1-2
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:8-9
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3 NASB
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart….” Luke 18:1
Jesus said: “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” …from Matthew 7:24-29
(Scriptures NKJV, or as noted)
At http://www.kcm.org are prophetic words for 2023 by Kenneth Copeland under “Make God’s Word Final Authority in 2023”
Also visit today’s encouraging post by Dutch and Tim Sheets at:
The Lord was working out a major plan to set free–the captive Hebrew people of old. There would be ten plagues, so the actions of Moses and Aaron would need to be brave and bold.
When they came before Pharaoh, they had commands from the Lord on what to say or do, to warn him of, or initiate, every plague that his nation was soon to go through.
The ninth plague of darkness was so severe that the Egyptians couldn’t get around. For three days, the darkness was “felt” and thick, in the air and on the ground.
One of Egypt’s chief deities was the sun “god,” so such darkness proved the Lord’s might, to prevail over any of the “gods” of the Egyptians. Only His power could end the dark night.
But the Hebrews were under God’s protection; and, in the midst of that constant night, there was light in Goshen in their dwellings because God was in charge of their fight.
Today, people experience darkness, not of God and not a kind where you can’t visibly see, but darkness in their minds when they’ve not recognized “the door,” through which anyone’s able to go free.
Jesus pointed the way, saying, “If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.” You can experience “Goshen” through God’s Son yet today, and you’ll have all of the light that you’ll need.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23 NKJV
“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 KJV
“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.’” John 8:12 NKJV
“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.’” John 10:9-10 NASB
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV
with the Lord as our Shepherd, we’ll have nothing to fear.
In fact, we remember, Jesus told us to be of good cheer…
He has overcome the world, and it’s His voice, we’ll hear.
“My sheep hear my voice.” Jesus, You will lead the way.
“I am with you always.” We’re listening for what You’ll say.
Lead us on pathways, Lord, to show acts of Your love and grace…
after we’ve made time spent with You priority, seeking Your face.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow us each and every day…
You’ve assured our petitions are heard and answered when we pray.
Help us not to be anxious, but, instead, to sense Your peace.
Your mercies never come to an end–Your love will never cease!
P. A. Oltrogge
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulnrss.” Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV
“…and the sheep hear his voice; and hecalls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.’ Psalm 27:8
“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, oh Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Psalm 138:8
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV
“Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3
“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4 NASB
“So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.'” Mark 11:22-24 (and the following two verses on the importance of forgiving)
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:1, 6
Jesus, the Son of God, was birthed by Mary and laid in a manger. King Herod sought to kill Him, but He was kept from danger…for His earthly father, Joseph, having been enlightened and driven, by instructions in a dream that the angel of the Lord had given, took the Child and His mother away to a distant Egyptian location. And, there, the family stayed for a specified duration.
In later years, during Jesus’ ministry, others opposed Him, too. But no one could actually harm Him until His ministry days were through. The devil himself confronted Jesus, with temptations to disband from loyalty to the Godhead and to all that was divinely planned. Jesus was obedient, however, to His Father throughout His days. Then, even death, with its finality, couldn’t hold Him—God be praised!
Today, some seek to downplay Jesus’ divinity or worldwide fame, or they deny acknowledging the Lordship of His name. But His is a name that’s above all names—an everlasting name, a name through which we’re made righteous, for He took all our blame. And one day every knee shall bow, acknowledging all that’s been said, of Jesus Christ as Lord of all, who is surely the Church’s head.
Some, who are doubtful, try to put Jesus completely out of thought, abandoning the Christian truths that they were previously taught. But His is a name which we should praise, and certainly not ignore, for there IS no other God—Jesus said, “I am the Door.” How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which God has freely offered to all people of every nation?
It is through Jesus Christ that God has sought to bless us all. He’s the one and only Savior sent to redeem us from man’s fall. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…and about whom the scriptures most assuredly were penned. And, thankfully, we can bring to Jesus any problem, large or small. He’s “The Everlasting Father,” on whom we’re privileged to call.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 KJV
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be the Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Micah 5:2 NKJV
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17 NKJV
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58 KJV
“All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:8-10 NKJV
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:27-30 NKJV
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” John 14:6-9 NKJV
“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:19-21 NKJV
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV
“And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18 KJV
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17 NKJV
“For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” Hebrews 2:2-4 NASB
“…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11 NKJV
“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11-13 NKJV
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18 KJV
Teacher and minister Mark Hankins has shared that you can’t rise above your confession…that is, if you confess that you’re down, discouraged, can’t win…then you won’t be able to rise above that, unless you change what you are saying. Often, as he reads healing confessions, for instance, he’ll say, “Our confession is…” (then, he goes on to confess (agree with) the Word of God and its truth by quoting a particular scripture). _________________________
I’m victorious in every matter through my Lord, Jesus Christ. There hasn’t been a problem in which the Lord’s faithfulness hasn’t sufficed.
Victory in Jesus, through His sacrificial blood and through His name…and through God’s precious promises, is that which I, as a believer, claim.
Just as those who mined for gold in California once “staked their claim,” I claim the “gold” of victory that is found through the Word, Jesus’ blood, and Jesus’ name!
P. A. Oltrogge
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6, 7
“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 KJV
“…but the mouth of the upright will deliver them.” Proverbs 12:6 (Proverbs 10:11; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 13:3; Proverbs 15:4; Proverbs 18:20-21; Proverbs 21:23 and others)
“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11 KJV
Scriptures: NKJV or as noted
The book, The Spirit of Faith and many other encouraging books and materials are available at: http://www.markhankins.org
And the booklet, Our Covenant with God, by Kenneth Copeland, explains how Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb that established your covenant with God:
“Your covenant with God, sealed in the blood of His Son, is a powerful agreement that makes you joint heirs with Him. Not only does this covenant assure that He will be your God forever, but it provides, as His beloved child, a faithful and loving Father who will never leave you nor forsake you. Discover how, as a child of the Most High God, the power of sin has been broken, THE BLESSING is yours, and your victory is assured!”
The Porch of the Lord 