Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
Early in my pastoral ministry I received one of those middle-of-the-night telephone calls that every pastor dreads: "Pastor, our son has been in an accident. They don't expect him to live. Could you please come to the hospital?"
Where there is no guidance, the people fall, but in abundance of counsellors there is victory (Proverbs 11:14)
No one person has complete knowledge, and everyone has a limited perspective on the truth. God has structured the church in such a way that we need each other. I have made some dumb decisions that would never have been made if I had consulted someone. However, some people will only consult those who agree with them. That's a sign of immaturity.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (Romans 8:14).
The Bible says there is only one intermediary between God and man, and that is Jesus. False prophets and teachers often function like intermediaries. When God sent the prophet Nathan to David, it was for the purpose of bringing conviction in order to establish righteousness. In the church age, bringing conviction is a primary ministry of the Holy Spirit.
As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people (Leviticus 20:6).
He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies (John 8:44).
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation (Romans 10:9,10).
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself (James 2:17).
The righteous man shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
Believing that you can succeed at Christian growth and maturity takes no more effort than believing you cannot succeed. So why not believe that you can walk in faith and in the Spirit; that you can resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil; and that you can grow to maturity as a Christian. Allow the "Twenty Cans of Success" you began yesterday to encourage you.
Twenty Cans of Success (continued)
I do believe; help my unbelief (Mark 9:24).
Someone has said that success comes in cans and failure in cannots. The 'Twenty Cans of Success' taken from God's Word, will expand your knowledge of our faith object, the Almighty God. Building your faith by internalising these truths over the next two days will help lift you from the miry clay of the cannots to the reality that in Christ you can do all things.
Twenty Cans of Success
[Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
When Mandy came to see me, she appeared to have her life all together. She was a Christian who was very active in her church. She had led her alcoholic father to Christ on his deathbed. She was pretty, and she had a nice husband and two wonderful children, but she had attempted suicide at least three times.
‘How can God love me?’ Mandy sobbed. ‘I’m such a failure.’