If thou doest well....

Recently, I have been facing a situation where I was at fault and had to be taught a lesson by God Himself. Its never easy when we are wrong, but as long as we can submit to God's authority, we will pass the test and advance to new levels with Him.

Genesis chapter 4 talks about two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the older, was a tiller of the soil, a farmer, while Abel was a keeper of sheep, a shepherd. They both knew God, but it becomes clearer that they each had a different relationship with Him. When the time of sacrifice came, both men were faithful in presenting an offering unto God, one that God accepted and the other, rejected.

A bible study service at church taught me that Abel's relationship with God was evidently deeper and Abel respected God more than his brother. When Abel brought his sacrifice of an animal, in my understanding, it means that he had to take time to prepare it for the offering. By the time he presented it, God was satisfied with Abel's gift, since he did it with an unblemished heart, out of love.  Cain's offering of crops was rejected by God. He questioned God about His decision, and God told him, that if he had done well, his sacrifice would have been accepted, like his brother's. In a wave of jealously, we later learn, that Cain killed his brother over the matter. 

The thing is, what we bring to God is not the question of weather it be rejected or not. It is how we do it. For example, do we give God worship from our hearts, or do we just allow sound to escape from our lips? Do we meet with God in the early hours of the morning to speak to him in prayer, or do we just utter some words when we remember to pray? Did Cain bring crops that were left over, or rotting among the few good ones? Did he intentionally decide to give to God after he had taken for himself? Did he give God something that costed him or did he give Him something that meant nothing? 

Church, after the offering, God gave Cain an opportunity to do the right thing when he told him to do well, so that his sacrifice will be accepted. I believe for myself today, that there are many areas where I have grown comfortable and have not been doing well in the eyes of God. I have learned in this time to give God something that will be accepted - not rejected. Let us take God more seriously, for He is our Creator. He stands over us in all power and authority. If we do well in His sight, blessings will follow... if not the curse will overtake us - Cain became a vagabond and a wanderer - a cursed man!
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice... He gave his body over to torment, persecution, beating... He was spat upon, insulted, ridiculed, abused... and He did it out of love for you and me. Let us therefore NOW, give Him a sacrifice that He deserves... I chose to do well... what do you choose?

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

by Joyce Meyer

Do you suffer from fear or insecurity? What about the fear of lack? Are you worried that God won't come through for you? 

I have been there too. 

I have been literally worried sick about so many things, including my past, my future, my finances, what people thought about me. And because I couldn't get my mind off of my problems, I found myself in a place of utter torment. 

But we do not have to fear that God doesn't love us or that He won't come through for us in our time of need. We need to learn to accept the reality of His love for us, so that our fears do not control us. 

First John 4:18 says that perfect love casts out fear. If you're afraid of facing a person or a situation in your life, God's love can help you put your fears to rest. 

The Cure for Insecurity

Because I had been abused in my childhood and was fearful of being hurt or taken advantage of, I became very insecure. And I spent many years trying to control everything and everyone in my life. 

Instead of trying to control and manipulate people, I needed to learn to trust God, pray, and believe that He would do what was best for me at the right time. Most of all, I needed to abide in His love. 

First John 4:16 points out that we should be conscious of God's love. It needs to be more than just a biblical fact for us…we need to experience it daily. 

Several years ago I was so desperate for a revelation of God's love that I began to keep a journal of the things He did in my life that I believed displayed His love. No matter how small they were, I recorded them. 

When people gave me things, I recorded it. When I was shown favor in situations, I recorded it. When God answered prayers and did things for me that I had requested, I recorded it… 

This process helped me become conscious of His love, and I began to heal. I found out that the love of God is the cure for the insecure. 

Overcoming the Fear of Lack

Another major fear people face is the fear of lack. The fear that your needs won't be met—that God won't come through for you in time. 

You may be in a situation that you've never been in before, facing all kinds of new responsibilities. You may have needs that are beyond your resources and the spirit of fear is attacking you, telling you that you aren't going to make it. You may feel like nobody else cares. But God cares. 

In fact, Hebrews 13:5-6 says you can trust God to come to your rescue. 

Even when it seems that absolutely nothing is happening in your life, He is working. Beloved, God has a good plan for you, and He'll manifest it right on time. 

If you need financial support, He'll provide. If it's physical support you need, He'll sustain you. If you need emotional support, He'll comfort you. He'll nourish you and bring you back to a place of strength. 

God is for you. He is not against you. Satan is against you, but the greater One lives in you! 

Let Nothing Separate You from God's Love

During hard times and moments of insecurity, Satan works overtime trying to convince us that God doesn't love us—that if He did, either we wouldn't be in this situation, or He would've delivered us by now. 

I confess with my own mouth the truth that God does love me during these attacks of fear. And I encourage you to say several times a day with confidence, "God loves me!" Don't allow the devil to steal this truth from you. 

Romans 8:38-39, which I pray will comfort you right now, says: 

For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

As long as you refuse to let anything separate you from God's love, you will have the victory. 

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This article is taken from Joyce's DVD teaching, One Life.