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Ministry Letters :: Volume 307
March 2007
Dear Partner,
As you read this letter, we pray that you will be greatly encouraged in the Mighty Name of Jesus who is the same yesterday, today, and forever; who never fails, who never slumbers or sleeps, who wants to bless you now in this life; and who hastens His Word to perform it.
Obstacles are what you see
If you are a Christian, you are destined to win and are More Than a Conqueror Through Him That Loved Us. We are living in the last of the last days but Satan is doing his best to stop you, to defeat you, and to cause you to quit. One of the greatest weapons Satan uses against you is discouragement, and it is so important to keep your focus on God’s Word - the pathway to your goal.
Yes, we may know what the Bible promises us; and for a while, we can feel invincible, and start out with “Mountain-moving” faith. But then, if our answer is delayed, we can get discouraged, and begin to doubt. This is a critical time in our faith walk, because we can begin to think: “Maybe God doesn’t want me to have it, or maybe I can settle for less”. NO! DON’T DO THAT! IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GOAL, YOU WON’T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!
We’ll never forget the victorious account that unfolded before us, as we were watching the 2006 Winter Olympics, which were held in Italy.
Chinese figure skating pair ZHANG DAN and her partner Mr. ZHANG HAO, attempted a “throw quadruple salchow jump” (4 spins in the air) - an element which had never been successfully completed in competition before. Zhang Dan took a brutal fall onto the ice and slammed into the sideboards with her legs split apart; and injured her knee – A MAJOR OBSTACLE.
She was in tears, and with Zhang Hao’s help, she limped off the ice doubled over in pain; and made it to their coach. No one expected them to continue skating after taking such a painful fall - no one except Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao! When asked if they wanted to continue, they said yes – to achieve their MAJOR GOAL - and the referee gave the “go-ahead”.
They said “We didn’t say any words of giving up. We said we could go on”; and they did go on and finished their program with a standing ovation as they WON THE SILVER MEDAL!
Zahng Dan was 20 years old in 2006, and she spent most of her life living apart from her family; staying with her coach and continually training - training to win - and quitting was never an option.
Don’t allow obstacles or delays to cause you to take your eyes off the goal. Notice the powerful truth found in MATTHEW 14: 22-33; about Peter walking on the water (impossible in the natural) at night on the wind-blown stormy sea. He started out great, but remember, it’s not how we start, but how we finish that counts. When Jesus told Peter to come to him, Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, heading for Jesus. The Bible doesn’t tell us how far he walked, but it does say that he quit just one step too soon, because as Peter was sinking, Jesus just reached out with his hand and caught him.
When did Peter begin to sink? He began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus (his GOAL), and saw the stormy sea (his OPSTACLE). Peter was almost there, but HE STOPPED ONE STEP TOO SOON!
“THE PEOPLE THAT KNOW THEIR GOD (by meditating in God’s Word day and night - JOSHUA 1:8) SHALL BE STRONG, AND DO EXPLOITS” (heroic, remarkable deeds), and nothing shall be impossible to them.
How long have you been waiting? Are you still feeding your faith each day with the Word of God? Don’t let the devil talk you into discarding your faith. You’ve waited too long and have invested too much of your life into this promise for you to walk away from it now.
God says in 1 TIMOTHY 1:18-19 “This charge I commit unto you son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went on before you, that you might war a good warfare; Holding faith and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. Holding faith / clinging faith / hanging on to faith, and not letting go until the answer comes.
NOW is due season for the manifestation of your dreams. The devil, who comes to steal, kill and destroy wants you to discard your faith in God’s Word so you won’t receive His promises. NOW is the time for you to hang tight, hold on, and keep believing, because it won’t be much longer until you see your dreams come to pass - IF YOU DON’T QUIT!
If you are fighting sickness, remember, by His stripes, you were healed. 1 PE 2:24
If you are in lack, remember that Christ redeemed you from the curse of lack and poverty, and my
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. GAL3:13-14 / PHIL 4:19
If you have any unsaved family members, remember to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved and your house (family members). ACTS 16:31
Don’t limit God, but believe His Word. God-pleasing faith is believing in who He is and in doing what He has said, and that kind of faith always receives. Remember, all things are possible to those who believe.
Say this out loud:
when you take your eyes off your goal
Herb and Jan Schneider <-- Back to all ministry letters |
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