Don't Be Afraid of Shadows

Since I started studying photography, I am constantly looking for photo opportunities, my favorite being trees. Today I was looking at a tree beside a building and I notice that the shadow, like most shadows, was way larger than the tree and distorted. Immediately the 23rd Psalm popped in my head, the part in verse 4 where is says “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. ” ll these years of hearing that scripture, I thought he was walking through the valley of death, but he was the valley of the SHADOW of death. Then after that part of the scripture, it says “I will fear no evil.” When we walk through the shadow of death, we aren’t actually in danger. We are walking in fear!!! It made me think of the cartoon where the person sees the big scary shadow and gets really afraid and then when they go around the corner, it is a little bitty mouse. I know I have been walking at night and seen a big shadow in front of me and thought someone was behind me and it was actually my own shadow. That is where they get the saying “afraid of your own shadow.”

In the book of Job, many people love to quote the scripture where Job says,
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” Job is talking about God in this passage saying that God was the one that did those things to him. When in actually, it is obvious in chapter 1 of Job that Satan did that to him. Job was in error when he made that statement and actually repented of it later in Job 42:3-6. Job admitted that he didn’t understand what he was saying. Although it was Satan that did those things to Job, it was his own fear that allowed it to happen. Job 3:25 says “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”

All throughout the Bible, God is telling us to “Fear not”. Fear is the opposite of faith. Jesus said in Matthew 8:26 “ Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” Also, in Hebrews it says “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” Why is that? God knows that our lives are formed by either our fear or our faith and he loves us and wants the best for us, that is why it pleases Him for us to have faith

A shadow is defined as a dark figure or image cast on the ground or some surface by a body intercepting light. God is light and we see shadows when we allow something to come between us and God.

A shadow is defined as shelter or protection. Psalm 91 says “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” So we have a choice to allow ourselves to be in the shadow of something in between God and us and allowing fear to come into our lives or to live in the shadow of God’s wings where there is protection and safety.

A shadow is usually magnified or bigger than the actual object. David said in Psalms 34:3 “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” By magnifying the Lord, we don’t make Him any bigger. We only make him bigger in our eyes. When we magnify God, we are simply focusing on Him rather than our circumstances.

So, I want you to ask yourself “Am I going to let that thing that you fear come upon me?” or “Am I going to live by faith and speak to storms and move mountains out of my life and live in God’s shadow of protection and safety and be more than a conqueror?”

I Must Confess

Confession, or speaking the Word of God out loud has a very important role in the life of the Believer. Unfortunately, the majority of Christians are not consistently confessing God's Word into their lives.
The basic definition of faith is believing that the Word of God is true and acting on it. II Corinthians 4:13 says, "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;" If you truly believe something, then you are going to be speaking it. Matthew 12:34 of the New Living Translation says, "For whatever is in your heart determines what you say." So if you believe what the Word of God says, then what you say is going to line up with it. If you always say, "I can't win for losing," then you are not believing the Bible when it tells you that you always triumph in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 2:14). Romans 10:10 says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The Greek word for salvation, soteria, in this verse not only means the saving of our soul from hell, but it also includes deliverance, healing, well being, peace, and prosperity. So our prosperity, healing, well being, etc. is tied to us speaking what the Word of God says about these things. Of course, you have to know what the Word says about these things in order to speak it. Proverbs 18:21 says that our words have the power to bring death or life to us. So please stop saying, "This job is killing me!"
In the beginning, God created the world by speaking and he created us in his image. We create our world by what we are speaking. If you don't like your life, then check out what you have been saying. Choose life today. Choose to speak the Word of God not your negative circumstances. You might say, "I don't want to lie." You are not lying when you speak God's Word. His Word is truth. In Romans 4:17, it says that Abraham spoke of nonexistent things as if they already existed. He wasn't lying, he was speaking what God had already promised him. Now this is not a magic formula where you can say something and it pops up. You must believe in your heart what you are saying (Mark 11:23) and your actions must line up with what you are saying (James 2:20). In the next post, I will explain how confession works.

Radio Interview on the Cynther Jones show 3/25/10

Minister Michele Benson from doc murphy on Vimeo.

I'm a Believer Sermon 3/21/10

Are You Walking the Walk?

As Christians, when we accept salvation we confess Jesus as Lord of our lives. Actually, most people accept Jesus as their savior, but very few accept Him as the Lord of their lives. Lord is another word for master. That means that we should consult him about every aspect of our lives. Every person has a specific purpose in their lives given to them by God. Your purpose is your original intent or the reason you were created. Ephesians 4:1, the Amplified version says this "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, appeal to you and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the divine calling to which you have been called--with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God's service." Paul is talking here to the whole Ephesian church here, not just the Pastor or leaders which means each person in that church has a divine calling. Your purpose given to you by God is not going to be sinful, of course. It will in one way or another be used in building His kingdom. You may not be called to be a Pastor or evangelist, but you may be called to be a light in the business world or sports arena. Paul was begging the church to lead their lives worthy of the calling God has called each of them to which shows how important it is to God.We must live our lives and fulfill our callings in a way to is pleasing to God. II Thessalonians 1:11 says this "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill and the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power. The first step to walking worthy of our calling is to do it with faith and power. Faith is absolute reliance on God. Power comes from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. Paul said in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." That word salvation there means much more than just saving your soul from Hell. It means rescue, safety, deliverance, health, and prosperity. So the Word of God is power for deliverance into every area of our lives including fulfilling our purpose. Power also comes from the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised us that power to help us fulfill what he asked us to do. But you shall receive power--ability, efficiency, and might--when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends--the very bounds-- of the earth.Step two to walking worthy of your calling is live a holy life. When people call themselves Christians and act otherwise it only turns off people that could have potentially come into the Kingdom of God. Also, when you are not living a holy lifestyle, you are cutting of your power source.Step three to walking worthy of the call is to stop making excuses! When you say you can't fulfill something God has told you to do, you are not living in faith. Jeremiah 1:5-9 says this "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold I have put my words in thy mouth. Jeremiah was trying to make excuses here why he could not do what God had asked him, but God would not allow it. God told Him he would give him what he needed to fulfill his purpose. Don't say I am too young, I am too old, I don't have any money, I am shy because whatever it is that you need to fulfill your purpose, God has it!Step four to walking worthy in your purpose is to pursue it with all diligence. Diligence means giving every effort to something or working hard at it. II Peter 1:10 says "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall." Once again, he is talking here to the brethren which means people in the church, everyone not just certain people. It says here that if you give every effort to knowing what your calling is that you will never fall. It says never. Now, I know that people tell you that you are going to fall, but the Word of God here says you will never fall.Step five to walking worthy of your calling is concencration or setting aside time to be with God and hear what he wants you to do and then, of course, obey what he says. In Genesis 22 starting at verse one, God asks Abraham to do something very difficult for him. Earlier God had told Abraham that he would be a father of many nations which is what the name Abraham means. Then in Genesis 22 God asks Abraham to give up His only son. That seems very contradictory. God told Abraham that he was a father of many nations and then asked him to give up his only son and he was already over a hundred years old by that time. Many times God will ask you to do something and it will not make sense. That is where trusting in God comes in. Abraham was obedient to God and when he was ready to sacrifice his son, God had a ram in the bush that he could sacrifice instead. Because Abraham was obedient, this is what an angel of the Lord said to him starting at verse 16. And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and and in multiplying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.As Paul begged the Ephesians to walk worthy of the call that God has given them, I am doing the same. If you follow the steps I have given you which are (number one) walk in your calling with power and faith which are obtained by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit; (number two) lead a lifestyle that is holy and pleasing to God; (number three) stop making excuses and remember God has everything you need to fulfill your purpose; (number four) to pursue you calling with diligence or with all of your heart; and (number five) spend time with God to hear from and be obedient to what he says. As you do these things, you will experience power and joy in the Holy Spirit like never before.

How To Activate the Power of God in Your Life

First, I would like to acknowledge my Pastor, William Doc Murphy. This blog is actually taken from my notes of a sermon he preached. It is such a important message that I wanted as many people as possible to get it. I pray that I communicate it as well as he did.If you are a born again believer, then God has given you power to live a victorious life. Luke 10:17-19 says, "And the seventy returned again with joy saying, Lord even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Satan is subject to us through the name of Jesus. Satan does have power, but that is not the problem. The problem is that the people of God are not using the power given to them.What exactly is the power that is given to us: two things, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." The word "salvation" in this passage not only means saving your soul, but also deliverance, preservation, well being, prosperity, and healing. Notice it says "to every one that believeth." The "-eth" on believeth means that we must continue to believe. We can't believe one minute and doubt the next. You must believe the Word when you read it and when you speak it. Even if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you must know the Word also. You must know you have that power in order to use it.Acts 1:8 says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This says that you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The Greek word for power there is "dudamus" which means dynamite. The power of God will blow up everything in your life that is not supposed to be there. Power also means "the ability to do." It also refers to the power of God and influence.Ephesians 3:7 says, "Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power." Paul is saying here that God gave him power to do what He called him to do. God is not going to ask you to do something without giving you the power to do it.Ephesians 3:16 says, "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; " We get strengthen by the Holy Spirit from the inside out.Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." The power must be working in us. We must have the Holy Spirit in us and continually put the Word of God in us and continually speaking the Word.The power of God will bring ability, influence, and exceeding abundance and above, as long as the power works in you. Like I said earlier, Satan does have power, but if you have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit working in your life, then there is nothing he can do to harm you. God has given us the power to obtain wealth, be a witness for him, heal the sick, and be victorious in every area of our lives. I am going to use mine, how about you?

A HARDENED HEART--THE MAIN CAUSE OF DIVORCE

Matthew 19:3-8
Some Pharisees came to Him to test Him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"" Haven't you read,' He replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together let man not separate." "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hardened. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness and marries another woman commits adultery."

A hard heart is the only cause of divorce. No matter what has happened, it can all be traced back to a hard heart. If someone commits adultery, their heart has hardened toward their spouse. Abusiveness--hard heart. If a couple fights over finances, one or both have hardened their hearts to the other by putting finances first either by being inconsiderate of the other's wishes in managing the finances or placing the importance of money over their spouse. No matter what the situation is, it all can be attributed to a hard heart. Either one or both had a hardened heart from the beginning or they allowed it to happen over time.

The good news is that a hardened heart can be fixed. Much of what goes on in marriage counseling is trying to get both parties to see the other's point of view. Why? Because when you understand what the other is really going through, your heart is softened toward them. Also, it helps you prevent yourself from doing the things that caused your partner's heart to be hardened in the first place.

Steps to a softer heart
Put yourself in the other person's shoes. You must understand each other's point of view. If it is your spouse that has a hardened heart, then put yourself in their shoes to see why this has happened. After you find the cause, then take practical steps to reverse it. For example, if your spouse desires a clean house and environment and you are a slob, then this may be why their hearts have hardened. Once you discover this, then create a clean environment for them and watch how their hearts will soften towards you. This may take time because people are generally skeptical. They may not think it will last, so you must remain consistent.
Prayer. Many times a person's heart is hardened due to past hurts. It may be nothing you have done and nothing you can change in yourself to fix it. If there is nothing you can do, then there is one thing you can do--prayer! You can pray that your spouse be free from all past hurts. Jesus not only came to heal our bodies, but He came to heal the broken-hearted (Luke 4:18). God said he would replace our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19). Well, what is stone? HARD. That is simply saying that God can soften our hearts. You can pray that the love of God can be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). If you spouse is not saved, there is still hope. God can not only soften our hearts toward each other, but towards Him.
Intimacy. Intimacy softens the heart. Spending time in worship with God is intimacy with God. Worship doesn't change God, but it changes us. It softens our heart. Spending intimate time with your spouse will soften your partner's heart towards you. Intimacy is focusing solely on that person and blocking out distractions.

Throughout all of this, the key is to be patient. When dealing with people, it sometimes takes time. While you are waiting, remember that God honors marriage and it is His will that every marriage be successful. If you seek Him with all of your heart, He will not only repair your marriage, but make it better than it has even been.