When It Seems Like Life is Against You

October 27, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

Making positive change, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

If you’re like me, sometimes it seems like everything is going wrong and even life itself is working against you! Stress at work is off the charts; your financial problems are getting worse and your marriage and family life is in turmoil. And to make matters worse, it seems like God has turned a deaf ear to your immediate, desperate needs.

Jacob in the Bible experienced the same thing. It started in his mother’s womb, having to fight with his twin brother Esau, then being forced to leave home as a young man because he took Esau’s birthright. He also had to work 14 years for his wife Rachel because Laban tricked him into first marrying Leah, her older sister.

Jacob’s heart broke when Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Later on he thinks his favorite son Joseph was killed by wild animals as reported by his eldest son.

During a severe famine his finances are devastated and the Egyptians take his sons Simeon and Benjamin hostage in exchange for food. In Genesis 42:32-36 he makes this summation of the state of his life, “All these things are against me”. In other words Jacob is saying, “life itself is against me; how can I survive?”

These important steps will help you if you find yourself in the same position as Jacob:

#1. Don’t let your problems impress you more than the God you serve. Idolatry is when you have more fear and respect for something (your problems) than you do for your God. 1John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love”.

When you truly comprehend God’s love and protection in the deepest part of your heart, fear of failure and destruction will lose its long-term hold on you.

#2. Create an atmosphere of faith by rehearsing what God has done for you in the past, believing He will do it again. We are our own worst enemy when we create a negative atmosphere by complaining and saying our situation is hopeless.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “It’s impossible to please God without faith”. It pleases God to deliver you from your current struggles. Give Him an atmosphere where he can work on your behalf. You have the ability to invite God into your impossible circumstances.

#3. Stop talking with the snake. Yes you heard me correctly! Many of us talk with satan and his gang more than we do with God. You can tell whom you’ve been talking to by your negativity, complaining and hopelessness.

Come into and agreement with what the Lord says about your circumstances…. not with what satan wants you to say. Matthew 18:19 says “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” What an amazing promise! Let’s start agreeing with God from now on.

#4. Don’t judge a thing too soon. Don’t make a permanent decision on a temporary circumstance because God says that what you face today is temporary.

Maybe you didn’t have a good start but your finish is what counts. With God’s presence in your midst, temporary circumstance you find yourself in can suddenly become a blessing.

#5. Remember, God is working in it so don’t quit no matter how it looks or feels. Don’t grow weary in planting good seeds during trials. Galatians 6:7 says, “God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows that he will reap.”

#6 Know that the trials and tests we go through releases God’s glory. So don’t give up, give in, or back down. God’s deliverance from life’s problems is guaranteed. Jacob had Joseph, Simeon and Benjamin restored to him when it looked like life had defeated him. He also was restored financially.

He had moments of weakness but he finished strong in faith. God even named Himself “the God of Jacob”.

When all looks lost and it seems like life itself is closing in on you, remember it’s not over till it’s over and you are on the winning team. There is nothing you and God together can’t overcome.

Put these simple but profound principles into action and watch life turn around for you today.

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God Will Never Do What You Can

September 29, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Finding significance in life, Making positive change

God expects us to use the natural talents and abilities that He has given to each one of us. Yet, too often we ask Him to do the things that we can easily accomplish on our own. He’ll never waste His grace to help us do what we can do alone. No, He is waiting to help us do what we know we can’t do!

You don’t need faith for what you can do. You only need it when your natural abilities can’t meet the challenge of your circumstances. That’s why God will many times lead you into a state where you are needy, a place where you know you can’t possibly fix it yourself.

He told the Apostle Paul, “My grace (my ability) is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect (complete) in weakness”.

Weakness, vulnerability, helplessness and circumstances beyond our control are the places we all fight to avoid. But in those places where we have done all we can do and have nothing left in us to solve our problems, meet our needs or get the answers to our dilemmas—these are the places where God intervenes on our behalf.

Why is it so difficult to just let go and let God? Could it be that we really don’t trust God to do what we can’t do? Or to say it another way, do we trust ourselves more than we trust God?

If that’s true, that would make us a “god” to ourselves and that is called idolatry!

Could it just be that we don’t truly know who our God is? It’s hard to completely trust someone with your entire life if you don’t know who they are and what they can do.

You see, faith is totally trusting in the one you believe. We say we have faith and that we believe in God, but we still insist on staying in control over our own lives.

Many Christians live their life in deception, thinking they truly trust God when in reality they don’t. Here are a few warning signs that reveal your lack of faith in the one and only true God:

1. You can’t forgive those who have hurt you because you don’t trust that God will be just in dealing with them.

2. You stop worshiping God through giving tithes and offerings because you really don’t trust Him to meet your financial needs. Remember… actions speak louder than words. Or as the bible says, “faith without works is dead”

3. You won’t serve God if it’s outside your comfort zone. You choose comfort over servanthood. Advancing God’s kingdom is no longer a priority.

4. Prayer is a last resort because you’ve gotten used to meeting your own needs with our own efforts. It takes faith in a living, all-powerful God to pray. Praying for your daily needs proves your reliance on God as your source. Not praying proves that you trust in yourself.

5. You no longer desire to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus. You’ve become self-focused instead of caring about the lost souls around you.

6. You’ve lost your hunger for more of God and now your passion is directed toward other things.

There are no elevators in the kingdom of God— only steps. The “process” is necessary to bring progress. If you are asking God to do things on your behalf, but you haven’t done all that you can do first, you have held Him back. You’ve delayed the “process”.

Ask the Lord right now if there is anything more you can do in your circumstances. Should you plant more seeds of love, reach out to more people or extend extra mercy to those who have hurt you? Should you give more of your time, talent and resources to advance God’s kingdom?

God desires to show off Himself on your behalf! So, take an honest look at your life and start doing what He equipped you for. God always did great things for people who were busy, not lazy. All of heaven is waiting for you!…

No True Worship Without Sacrifice

September 22, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Finding significance in life, Forgiveness, Making positive change

Jesus tells us in John 4:23-24 that the role of true worshipper is the most important one a believer could ever fulfill. Worship is simply a passionate expression of our love, honor and reverence for God, acknowledging who He is, what He has done and what He will do.

If we want to please God and attract His presence, true worship must include an altar, but also an acceptable sacrifice,

Without an acceptable sacrifice, it’s not true worship. But what is an acceptable sacrifice? It is offering something to God that is valuable to you and costs you everything. Whatever form that sacrifice takes (time, talent, money, praise or just your daily lifestyle), it must be the best you have. Or it’s not worthy of an awesome God!
Giving your best comes at a cost. If it doesn’t, it is not your best. God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac as an act of worship. He didn’t tell him to offer just anything. Neither did He let Abraham choose which son to give. God was specific. Otherwise, Abraham might have offered up Ishmael instead. It may have been easier to offer his illegitimate son because it didn’t cost or hurt him as much as giving the legitimate, promised son. But then it wouldn’t have been an acceptable sacrifice (1 Peter 2:5) or true worship to God.
Don’t give God an “Ishmael offering” in your praise, tithe or commitment. Give Him your best! But remember, giving your best requires that you crucify your flesh. God wants first place in every area of your life (money, family, talent, resources and your most treasured possessions).
The following are a few acceptable sacrifices that attract God’s presence: walking in forgiveness; loving and doing good to your enemies; giving Him thanksgiving and praise when times are tough; giving your first fruits through tithes and offerings; living holy before Him and giving Him the best time of your day—fasting and praying.
Worship is not just paying lip service (Isaiah 29:13). People say they love God, but their body language (actions) tell another story. They say the right things and appear to be giving their all to Him, but their hearts are not with Him.
Your sacrifice has a voice (Hebrews 11:4). What do your sacrifices say to God? Is it telling Him that He is the most valuable and important person in your life? Does it say, “God you are the center of my life and I can’t and won’t live without you”? Does it tell God how grateful you are for the sacrifice, mercy and unconditional love He’s blessed you with? And does it express your honor and reverence to the all-powerful and all-holy God?
Let’s please our heavenly Father and pledge ourselves to be the true worshippers of Yahweh Adonai that He longs for. He is the one and only true God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sacrificed His best for us. He is truly worthy of your worship!

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