Wiped out!

Wiped out!
- Pastor Ashish Mathews

1 John 2:12
I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

What an awesome thing it is to know that our sins have been forgiven. Everything wrong we ever did has been wiped out by the blood of Jesus. In Christ, God treats you as if you never sinned because the blood of Jesus has made you new. Glory to God.

God does not remember your sins and He finds no fault in you. Now you may find fault in you and others may find fault with you but God finds no fault in you. The only thing that matters is what does God say. That's all. He sees you perfect, holy and blameless. It's time we see ourselves the way God sees us. Have a God view of yourself. Your sins don't exist because the blood of the Lamb has wiped it out. Under the old covenant, by the blood of animals, sins were only covered but not taken away. Sins existed but it was covered as if there was a veil over it. But you are not in the old covenant, you are in the new covenant where you sins are taken away and wiped out by the blood of Jesus. Your sins are forgiven. God doesn't remember your sins. It's time we make a quality decision to forget all that God has forgotten. Many a times, believers struggle with the memories of their sins. The blood of Jesus is more powerful than your memories. The blood of Jesus cleanses your conscience from dead works. Have faith in the blood of Jesus.

Do not receive accusations from the wicked one concerning your sins, because your sins don't exist. You are in the new covenant, where every sin of yours have been erased and wiped out. Know your privileges and stand in the victory that Jesus has purchased for you. Don't be afraid and intimidated when the devil brings pictures of your past life, just be bold and say, 'The blood of Jesus has wiped it all out. It doesn't exist. I am a new creation in Christ, old things have passed away and behold all things have become new'. Once you know who you are and what you have, you will live in victory over sin all the days of your life. This is your time to reign in life.

"The blood of Jesus has wiped out my sins. I am forgiven. God doesn't remember my sins. I am a new creation in Christ, old things have passed away behold all things have become new"

Living sacrifice!

Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

The book of revelation says Jesus has loved us and washed us with His blood and has made us kings and priests to God. Every believer is a priest of God. You are a priest of the Most High God through Jesus Christ.

See yourself the way God sees you. As a priest of the Most High God, He has chosen you to serve Him, to represent Him and to reveal Him. It's a huge privilege and an awesome responsibility. As priests in the new covenant, we are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. We offer our bodies as living sacrifice to God. Our body belongs to the Lord and is for the Lord. Jesus purchased your spirit and your body with His own blood. Our body is not ours, it is the Lords and because it's His, we offer it to Him. In times past, we offered our body members to uncleanness, lust and sin but now as priests of God, we offer our body members to God for righteousness. Your body is not an instrument of sin, its an instrument of righteousness. Declare, 'My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. My body and every member of my body is the Lord's and is for the Lord because He has purchased my body with His own blood and I offer my body to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to God.' This is true and proper worship.

Friend, your eyes are the eyes of Jesus. Your hands are the hands of Jesus. Your body is the body of Christ. Be conscious, that He owns your body and offer to Him what is His, simply because He loves you and you love Him. Such sacrifice pleases Him and is holy and acceptable in His sight. Never doubt God's love for you. He has the best in store for you. You will see the goodness of God in the land of the living. This is Your time.

God's word is God's power.

Matthew 22:29
Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

The word of God is the power of God. God's word is full of God's power. If received and spoken by faith, the word can turn any situation around.

The word of God is a container of God's power. When God gives you His word, He's giving you His power. Peter could walk on water because He received the word of Jesus, 'Come'. The moment He received and acted on that word, God's power was released and He could walk on water. Release God's power into every area of your life by believing and speaking God's word. What human power and human strength cannot do, God's power can do. Nothing is impossible for God. God can turn around any situation in your favour. His power is available to you in His word through Jesus Christ. His word carries His DNA and his overcoming power.

Friend, God is no respecter of persons but He is a respecter of His word. God's power will be released for anyone who believes His word. The Pharisees and Sadducees refused to receive God's word and hence they never experienced God's power. Always be hungry for the word. Be a student of God's word for life. Be a hearer and a doer of God's word. Give God's word first place in your life and you will walk in God's power all the days of your life. This is Your time. Jesus is Lord and the best is yet to come.

The priority of prayer.

I Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

We are living in the last of the last days and Jesus is coming back very soon. The Holy Spirit wants us to be alert and disciplined in our prayer life in these last days. Too much is happening all around the world and it is quite possible that believers can get distracted and lazy when it comes to prayer.

As believers, prayer is the priority of our lives. We can learn about the priority of prayer from the life of our head, Jesus Christ. Jesus, in his earthly walk was a man of prayer. Prayer was a vital and major part of his life. The disciples understood the importance of prayer in the life of their Master, no wonder they asked Him, Lord, teach us how to pray? In the early church, Peter refused to give up on his prayer when there was a food distribution issue. He managed the crisis in such a way that his prayer life wasn't compromised. Just like Jesus, Peter refused to let anyone or anything steal his prayer time. Prayer is the foundation for an effective life and ministry. Prayer is simply spending time with God, communicating with Him, worshipping and acknowledging Him and honouring Him every moment of your life. One of the ways you can be serious and watchful in your prayers is by setting your priorities in order. One of the reasons, Jesus didn't miss out on his prayer is because prayer was the number one priority of his life. Prayer must be the number one priority of our lives and it must not be compromised for anyone or anything or in any situation.

Friend, much happens in the world today and it can easily distract you and cause you to stumble if you let it. Keep your eyes on Jesus and pray without ceasing and He will turn all things for your good. Prayer gives God permission to get involved in your life. We need God's involvement and intervention, for without Him we can do nothing. If this was true in the life of Jesus, how much more for us. Be with Him, walk with Him and work with Him. This is your time.

Use your gift.

I Peter 4:10
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

As a significant member in the body of Christ, you have been given a gift by the head of the church, Jesus Christ to serve the church. It's imperative you identify your gift and use it to serve and bless the body of Christ.

The verse says each one has received a gift. Jesus didn't miss anyone. He has given His grace to every member of His body. You have a gift. The Lord needs you to discover and use your gift so that the His chruch can be blessed and edified. What's your gift? What's your grace?  People who have the gift of singing, they never struggle to sing because it's their grace, they do it with ease and passion. One who doesn't have the grace of singing struggles in doing so. May be you can speak well or probably sing well or manage and organise well or may be you can easily connect with people or you have real passion for children or you are passionate about playing some instruments or whatever your gift is, identify it and develop it. Your gift is your grace and thats the place where you won't struggle in serving the Lord and His people. The purpose of the gift is to serve the church for the glory of God through Jesus Christ.

Friend, the church needs your service. Don't let your gift die, don't wait for the right moment, now is the right time, Jesus is coming back. Start serving and blessing the believers by using your gift. God's grace has given you the gift and you use it by your faith. Believe that you are gifted and start contributing to the body of Christ. Refuse to be only a recipient, become a distributor of the manifold grace of God. Stay deeply connected to Jesus and your service will be fresh, joyful and impactful. This is your time.

Speak what you believe, not what you feel.

Genesis 1:3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Your life hangs on your words. Your words are your ceiling. You will never go beyond your words. Your words are your limit. Your words have the power of life and death. You are made in the image and likeness of God. Therefore we are to be extremely careful with our words.

I have heard people say, 'I speak what I feel'. The most dangerous way to live is to live by your feelings. Feelings are ever changing and unstable. You can't base your words on your feelings and expect to live the higher life that God has for you. God saw darkness all around but he said, 'Let there be light'. When we see darkness around, challenges, disappointments, injustice, bad reports, delays and failures, we don't feel like speaking the word. We feel like speaking what we see, hear and think. Like God, we have to refuse to let feelings dictate our words, we must refuse to let feelings decide what we speak. We must speak what we believe irrespective of how we feel. Think with me, "I see darkness and I feel it's all over but that's not what I believe in my spirit, I believe the word of God therefore I refuse to speak what I feel and choose to speak the word because I walk by faith and not by feelings." You can't speak the word only when you feel like speaking the word. Speaking the word is a decision. Feelings are governed by your five senses and your thoughts. One who is led by their senses or feelings can never talk light when they see darkness. God wasn't moved by what He saw, He wasn't moved by His feelings. He didn't let what He saw control His words. He was moved by what He believed. He believed His word and released it and it changed darkness into light. Hallelujah.

Friend, refuse to speak your feelings. Refuse to give voice to your feelings. I may not feel healed, blessed or anointed but I believe I am healed, blessed and anointed, therefore I say I am healed, blessed and anointed. To say what you feel is carnal or baby believers, to say what you believe irrespective of how you feel is spiritual or mature believers. There is creative power in your words. Think. Meditate. Speak what you believe and not what you feel. This is your time.

Why don't I receive from God?

James 1:7‭-‬8
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he  is  a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Many a times, I hear people say, Why don't we receive from God? It could be a job, promotion, a spouse, healing or may be a house or something else. Why don't we get it? You see, God gives you everything by His grace, which is His unmerited and unearned favour. You receive His grace and everything else His grace provides by faith alone.

James says one of the reason believers don't receive is because they are double minded. A double minded says Yes in one moment and in the other moment says No. James compares a double minded person to a wave of the sea which is driven and tossed by the wind. A double-minded person is one who is unstable in all his ways, one who prays one thing but believes another thing and acts like some other thing. There is no stability, no agreement. Winds drive the waves to any direction they want but the same winds cannot move a mountain. One of the main causes of double mindedness is lack of word foundation. When you have no word foundation, you can be tossed and driven by anything people say, by anything you senses tell you and by any pressure that Satan brings across your path.

Friend, take some time and meditate on the scriptures that promise your answers and build a strong and lasting foundation on those verses because you know winds of challenges will come across your path to stop you from receiving what God's grace has freely provided for anyone who will take it. Refuse to waver, refuse to doubt God's word. Build a word stronghold and a word foundation in your mind. Be single minded on the word of God and you will receive everything God has for you. This is your time.