Do Not Fear For I Am With You
Stand Aside And Let The Spirit Move
ISAIAH 41:8-10
“”But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”
Isaiah 41:8-10 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/isa.41.8-10.nkjv
God chose Israel, not because they deserved it, or because they were great in numbers, but simply because that was His choice. (DEUTERONOMY 7:6-8; 9:4-6).
Despite God choosing the Israelites to represent Him to the world, they failed, so God punished them and sent them into captivity until He delivered them (see PSALM 126-130).
Today all believers are potentially God’s chosen people, Jews and Gentiles alike (EPHESIANS 2:11-13) and all have the responsibility of representing Jesus and presenting His Good News to the world.
Therefore, “”we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
II Corinthians 5:20-21 NKJV
The day is fast approaching when God will bring His people together for all eternity.
We need not fear because God is with us-He is our God and we are His treasured possessions (DEUTERONOMY 7:6).
Furthermore, nothing can separate us from His love (ROMANS 8:38-39).
God gives us assurance of His mighty strength, His power, His willingness to help (JOHN 14:14), and His victory over sin and even death.
But we believers must understand that we have been chosen to serve within God’s ministry and have all been gifted according to one’s calling within the five fold ministry of Christ.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
Service to God is more than attending church once or twice a week, listening to the Pastor preach and sing a few songs of worship.
The whole congregation should actively participate within in the ministry, allowing the Holy Spirit to operate through each member using the spiritual gifts appointed to us individually.
For we are one body in Christ, and all are gifted to do their bit (1 CORINTHIANS 12:7-11).
Whether that is bringing a word, a word of knowledge, or praying in the Spirit, or praying for the sick and helping needy, the whole congregation must be willing to involve both in and out of the meetings, making good use of every opportunity God brings.
My beloved, it is not likely that unbelievers are going mysteriously walk into your church without reason. Therefore, church must extend itself into the streets and communities and reach out to the lost.
Man’s church cannot continue as it has; no longer can church be run by one pastor , vicar, or minister, for Jesus is the head of the whole body (COLOSSIANS 1:18-20).
Put together by the likes of the Pharisees, the old church has pretty much been dismantled to make way for Christ five fold ministry to rise.
My beloved, it is time for the leaders to stand aside, give it all to Jesus, follow His leading, and allow Him to use the whole congregation.
No longer does a priest or vicar or pastor stand between God and His people.
Are we believers not all priests cleansed by the blood of Jesus to enter into even His holy place.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”
I Peter 2:9-10 NKJV
My beloved, it is time to allow God, without restriction to operate through his offices of apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelist.
It is time to lay down religious rules and practices and let go of our man made projects and allow the Holy Spirit to move and do what only He can do.
It is then that church will become productive apostolic centres of Christ and we shall witness the signs and wonders of God, peoples lives will change and the church will grow in power, strength, and numbers.
Furthermore, Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.””
Mark 16:15-18 NKJV
This may sound overwhelming, but in Christ hands we believers have no reason to fear, but rather we shall gain confidence in the Lord to preach with boldness, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.
My beloved, every time you lead someone to the Lord, you raise him or her from the dead.
We will face persecution, troubles and tribulations, but whatever your situation, whatever troubles have come your way, as a believer, you already have the victory through Christ who is your strength (1 CORINTHIANS 15:57).
Indeed, even here in the UK, a supposedly Christian country, believers have been imprisoned for praying in their mind.
But even in this, God is doing something good, for He causes all things to work together for the good of those who are called according to His plans and purposes (ROMANS 8:28).
Maybe, that was His way to reach people inside the prison walls.
We don’t always understand quite why or what God is doing, but He is always right.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:31-39 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
