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testing of your faith

PRESSURE, by Greg Lancaster

by Greg Lancaster

Have you felt like you’ve been under a great amount of pressure lately? Do you feel like you are being hard-pressed on every side? Are you feeling like your best efforts are coming up short, no matter how hard you try? Do you feel like the current of life is coming against you and you are ready to surrender to the tide and let it just take you wherever it goes?

You are not alone. Paul, the apostle, wrote a letter once where he shared that it is exactly how he was feeling at one point. He wrote, “We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” It was like everything was coming in on him to destroy him, and in all natural understanding of these kinds of events, they would have, but they didn’t. David wrote a lyric about it writing “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because You Lord, are with me.” This is a powerful reality that helps us when we’re going through difficult times that seem like they are going to crush or destroy us. Since God is with you, who can be against you? Since God is with you, as a believer, who can destroy you? Since God is with you, then He knows what you are going through and He is able to keep you even in your life’s greatest storms.

More Beautiful than Pure Gold

Faith and love are so beautiful, but it’s tested faith and love that bring the greatest beauty and glory to God. Very few people as children enjoyed being tested in school and truth is, as adults, we still do not like to be tested. Peter wrote in a letter saying that “it’s the testing of our faith that is more precious than gold,” and that when we see Jesus, it will only be our “tested faith” that we’ll have to offer Jesus when He returns or our life ends here and we stand before Him. You see, faith is a substance that can’t be seen, but it’s more real than what you can see. Notice the storms of life always toss the things that can be seen, but it is the eternal things, which can’t be seen that are never tossed by life’s storms. For our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is our ever-present help in our times of trouble. Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see. For what we see, that which is tossed by life’s storms is temporary, but that which we don’t see, those things that are never tossed by life’s storms are eternal. Every storm is an opportunity for us to reach out and grab a tighter grip on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Genuine

Surviving trials that test our love and still being able to love is a beautiful thing. It’s only when we go through trials with someone and they stay faithful to us can we know that their love is genuine. It is the same with the Lord. Jesus told us that in this life, we will have storms, but He has overcome this life.

The Anchor in Your Storm

Jesus is our anchor in life’s storms. Life storms do exactly what I just shared; they toss us, break us, bruise us, and damage us. There is nothing like the formerly solid things of your life suddenly becoming tossed like we’re in a ship on a rough sea. Everything that was once was solid begins to be tossed. Things you just laid around and didn’t pay attention to suddenly become missile hazards and they begin falling from the loosely placed positions on the shelves of your life. Forty-five-degree rolls of a ship and your life takes everything you once held tightly to, off-kilter. It is then, we realize that it’s Jesus and Jesus alone we’re to be holding on to. It is our love and trust in Him, the One who is with us through the storms. For no matter what, Paul writes, nothing can separate us from God’s love for us. It is God’s love we hold on to as a raft in a stormy sea. It is our love that we allow to be tested so that we have something to offer our Lord; something greater than pure gold, our tested faith.

The Love Test

I want to challenge you to begin to see the pressure in your life differently. Begin to see it as a “love test”, a “trust test”, for your confidence/faith in Jesus through it all. Remember, whatever you focus on becomes the biggest thing in your life. At one point, Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water in a storm. He asked Peter to step out on the water, in the storm. Peter did and began walking on the water, but at one point, Peter took his focus off Jesus and put it on the storm and the storm became bigger in his eyes than Jesus. Up to this point, Jesus had empowered him to walk on top of the circumstances of his life during the storm he was in. When Peter changed his focus, he began to suffer the consequences of the storm and lost the solid traction he had in Jesus which enabled him to walk upon the water and he began to sink. It’s important to know, Jesus didn’t change, Peter changed, he changed his focus from the One Who could empower him to walk on top of the pressures he was experiencing, the stormy waters, in his life at the time. Peter then returns his focus to Jesus, cries out for help, and Jesus reached out and saves him.

Shift Your Focus

Shift your focus from that which is causing you the pressure to Jesus to the pressure He went through for you. There was so much pressure on Jesus when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane. There was so much pressure on Him that His blood began to come out of the pores of His body. He was about to take on everything that mankind, including us, had done wrong upon His life. He had never done one thing wrong. He was and is the “Perfect Son” to God. It was His love, now being tested, that led Him not only to leave the splendors of heaven where He was with His Father to be born as a man but to pay the price for the sin of the world. Here He was all God and all man, and though God, He never chose to operate in of His God qualities. He wanted to “feel” what we go through in life’s pressure and storms. He wanted to experience all the things that we go through and yes, even the temptations we have to give up and allow the current of life to take Him wherever it wants to, but He never let the current take Him away. His love for you, me, and all mankind and His love for the Father brought Him through this great pressure. For the Garden was the beginning of his pain, which really was the pain that He took in our place. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was bruised. He was whipped till His flesh came off His back. Why? Because He wanted to pass the test of love for the Father and you to make healing available to you. Then He allowed men to place Him on a cross, drive nails in his feet and hands and hang Him to be crucified upon the cross. His love was and is so genuine as His last few words were kindness towards those who were abusing Him and crucifying Him. He asked His Father, “Father, forgive them…” Wow, now that is love, that is passing the “Love Test” with an A+. Jesus demonstrated to us that in life’s greatest storms, we can trust God and even forgive those who are being used by the adversary to do these harmful things to us. Finally, “It was finished,” Jesus said, and then He committed Himself into the trust of His Father; God. Even in death, Jesus knew God can be trusted. When we shift our focus from our own storms and focus on what Jesus went through for us, His tested love for us, proven genuine on the cross gives us the love perspective of God. In our storms, under the pressures of life, we can say “Into Your hands, I commit myself.” In other words, “God, you’ve got this, and I love and trust you.” Paul wrote in a letter when the Holy Spirit led him to write it, “All things work out for the good of those who love God and who are called according to His purposes.” It’s going to all work out just as God planned it when you trust Him through the pressure, through the storms of your life.

Become a Source

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son, though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:7-9 (NIV)

Notice, though Jesus is and was God’s Son, He learned obedience. If Jesus the Son of God had to learn obedience, we too have to learn. You see obedience is how we love God. Jesus spoke about it saying, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” John 15:9-10 (NIV)

Training for Reigning

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV)

Hardship, trials, pressure, and life’s storms are not a surprise to God, they just are to us. He uses them to help shape us, mold us, and yes, discipline us. The word discipline has become a negative word to so many in today’s society. Denying God’s discipline doesn’t eliminate it, it just confuses you when it happens.

A good father or parent disciplines their child if they love them. How would the child know unless he or she was taught? How would they know how to read, how to have good hygiene, how to treat others, how to be safe, how to know God, less their parent disciplined them? Discipline is teaching; teaching someone something. Human fathers or parents are imperfect, but God, our Father is perfect. He’s proven His love for us by giving His One and only Son, Jesus, to die for us to pay the price for our sins, so we can choose Jesus to be the Lord of our lives and be in relationship with Him. Now that is tested and proven love of our Father. Though God may not cause the storm, He never allows a storm or trial to go to waste. He will use it to teach us more and more about Himself, ourselves, others, and His Kingdom. He is not only training us up for this life, but for eternity. This life is a time to learn and be discipled so that in the life to come, eternity, He can entrust us with greater things. As Jesus explained in the parable of the talents, when we are faithful with a few things in this life, God will place us over many things. You could call life’s hardship “Training for Reigning,” not just for this lifetime, but even for the lifetime to come; in eternity.

Perspective

Jesus learned obedience by what He suffered. There is something about going through times of suffering, storms of life, trials that bring us to a place of making clearer decisions. These are the times we are able to see more clearly the things we once thought we couldn’t let go of or just had to have, including relationships, we are able to see what God is leading us to do in these matters. I once heard a minister say something that really fits right here in what I’m sharing with you. He said, “When I first got into ministry, I had a lot of answers and very few questions. But now that I’ve been in ministry for these many years, I have lots of questions and very few answers, but I will give my life for those answers.” Life’s trials humble us and make us more dependent on God. A person’s pride would see this as a negative thing, but God sees it as a wonderful thing. For He rejects the proud but gives grace to the humble. He will never turn away from a humble person. Humility is defined as being totally dependent on God and having respect for other people. It is a good and right thing to trust God, and trust God we must even under great pressure. He was God before your great pressure, or life storm, He is God in your storm, and He will be God after your storm when the pressure is gone. The question is, will your faith, your love, stand the test? If Jesus is who you focus upon through the pressure it will, and you’ll be the better for it.

When we go through trials and stay faithful to Jesus, it is in these moments we are getting to “know Jesus” more in the “fellowship of His suffering” as Paul wrote when He was longing to know Jesus better. It’s not the suffering as much as it is “loving through the suffering” keeping your faith through it all.

Once you make it through these intense times of pressure, life’s storms and your faith and love remain, just like Jesus, through Jesus, you too become a source. This is more of what Paul was writing in his letter when he mentions the pressure he was under. He wrote, “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (NIV)

Transcendence

It is the trials of our lives and us staying faithful to our God in them, even storms meant to destroy us but doesn’t succeed, which magnifies Christ Jesus to others. It is then, like the writer of Hebrews wrote, we like Jesus, become a source for others. Our trials, once completed, bring us to a place of transcendence, where we no longer see life or life’s pressure and storms the same again. It is then, this transcendence gives us a greater understanding of the Lord, life and our mindfulness or as Paul wrote, where we “know Him more” or more about Him and we are able to be there for others in their life’s pressures and storms more effectively. It is when we “feel” the “pressure” that someone else is going through, empathizing with them, they will be able to understand our compassion for them and we can minister to them, even out of our own brokenness and under our own pressures. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to know Jesus more intimately when life’s pressures and storms begin to toss your life. This is your one chance, one life; you have to demonstrate your love for God by imitating those who have gone before you to God and others.

Greg Lancaster
Greg Lancaster Ministries

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VFNKB #SuccessSecret THREE KEYS to SUCCESS, Jentezen Franklin, a Butler, a Baker & a Pharaoh

by Greg Lancaster

LISTEN or WATCH FULL PROGRAM!

In this VFNKB Success Secret Jentezen Franklin shares on the Joseph example and gives us three keys to success for our dreams to come to pass. “When God has a dream for your life, He will put people in your life that will open doors that you can’t open on your own. God will use them as a door opener.” A butler opens doors. A baker takes the raw ingredients, puts it all together, which we would call a mentor. And He will bring a Pharaoh into your life to finance the dream! “These things happen when you forgive…or you can get bitter and angry and lose the call and the purpose of God on your life. ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’ Genesis 50:20 “Sometimes God puts you in the Holy Ghost slingshot…If you pass the test of forgiveness, forgiveness can rewrite your future…it looks like you’re having set back, set back, set back, but God just has you in the slingshot, and He is going to release you into the purpose that He has for your life.”

If you study the life of Joseph, you see how God moved in his life. It is amazing that God chose to work through human beings. Many people have a religious mindset, instead of thinking that God can speak to anyone to help solve their problems. Joseph did not get offended when he was forgotten in prison, but most people do get offended when they are forgotten. As Jentezen Franklin shared, “or you can get bitter and angry and lose the call and the purpose of God on your life.” Joseph did not get bitter or angry and because he kept the right mindset God made him the second man in charge, second to Pharaoh! Don’t have the mindset that because someone doesn’t know Jesus, they can’t talk to you. God loves people! You can’t do this life alone. Maintain your perseverance and keep pushing forward. God created ALL men, and He wants us to impact people and all mountains of culture for Him. Understand that if you follow God and stay faithful to God, suddenly like Joseph you can be promoted. Remember that favor is not fair so don’t pick and choose. We want to hear from you and what you think about these three keys. Tell us your story so we can learn together out loud. You can also check out VFNDreamCenter.org where Greg shared about the life of Joseph in a recent series. Also shared in this segment: Jim Bakker Show, Jesus, VFN Dream Center, Test. Greg and John shared in this segment.

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WATCH! VFNKB #SuccessSecret THREE KEYS to SUCCESS, Jentezen Franklin, , No 2nd Amendment, there is No 1st Amendment Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech

by Greg Lancaster

LISTEN NOW!

VFNKB #SuccessSecret THREE KEYS to SUCCESS, Jentezen Franklin, a Butler, a Baker & a Pharaoh

In this VFNKB Success Secret Jentezen Franklin shares on the Joseph example and gives us three keys to success for our dreams to come to pass.“When God has a dream for your life, He will put people in your life that will open doors that you can’t open on your own. God will use them as a door opener.” A butler opens doors. A baker takes the raw ingredients, puts it all together, which we would call a mentor. And He will bring a Pharaoh into your life to finance the dream! “These things happen when you forgive…or you can get bitter and angry and lose the call and the purpose of God on your life. ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.’ Genesis 50:20 “Sometimes God puts you in the Holy Ghost slingshot…If you pass the test of forgiveness, forgiveness can rewrite your future…it looks like you’re having set back, set back, set back, but God just has you in the slingshot, and He is going to release you into the purpose that He has for your life.”

GUNS & POSERS! NO 2^nd Amendment, MEANS NO 1^st Amendment Freedom of Religion & Speech

The facts about guns are revealed in this segment, and it is so powerful as we hear and read these truths! Actors are asked to read the Center for Disease Control, CDC, TRUTH about gun violence in America, and we are shocked to find out, they believed the posers who were lying to Americans about the facts around gun violence in America. The truth is, the posers are after the ENTIRE Second Amendment, NO GUNS IN AMERICA! If there is no Second Amendment, that means there is no First Amendment which means no Freedom of Religion or Speech; we can’t allow the posers to steal America’s freedom!

The judiciary, executive, and legislative branch all come from the U.S. Constitution, and it is how everything functions. How the Constitution keeps peace in America makes it a very precious document. The First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” If we don’t have the second amendment, we don’t have the first amendment. You should be able to speak your mind, that is a First Amendment right, and we have the Second Amendment to hold the First Amendment in place. The Second Amendment, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” There are over three hundred million guns in America which is not wrong; it is wrong when evil things are done with what we have.

What are the facts? The Center for Disease Control, CDC, invited in some actors and had them read from a teleprompter the facts about guns. As these actors read these facts they are in shock! “I just kind of blindly chose a side on the whole issue without really thinking about facts,” one of the actors said after reading the facts. “It’s interesting to actually take the time and see what the facts say as opposed to what I personally feel,” that actor added. “I mean, I’m gonna be honest. For me, I don’t really, like, go to the main news sources ‘cause a lot of it’s always… pushed by an agenda, you know what I mean? So, to get the real facts, you always have to do more research,” another said. “I mean, it definitely makes me want to do more research about everything that’s happening right now with gun violence,” one actress added. Another actor said, “Gun control does not really mean crime control.”

People are taking advantage of these tragedies that are taking place in America, and these tragedies do not measure out to the entire population. The goal is to take guns away from Americans. Our hearts go out to the young people in the nation who have faced tragedy.

Facts are facts! These facts are reported by the CDC and are some of the facts the actors read.

· “According to the CDC, there were roughly 38,000 gun deaths in 2016 (13,000 were not suicide)— two-thirds of them were suicides.”

· “There are over five times more murders by knives than by rifles.”

· “The U.S. has the highest gun ownership in the world but ranks 28th in gun murders. That’s a rate of 2.97 deaths per 100,000 people.”

· “Handguns are responsible for more than 80 percent of total mass shootings.”

· “Between 1993 and 2003, gun ownership increased by 56 percent, while gun violence decreased by nearly half.”

· “Since 1950, nearly all public mass shootings have occurred in ‘gun free zones.’”

· “There is a clear correlation between higher firearm ownership and reducing police killings.”

· “Switzerland, a nation of about 8 million, is armed with an estimated 2 million guns in circulation with limited gun legislation. Switzerland’s overall gun homicide rate is practically zero.”

This whole plan is not about the type of gun, but it is about doing away with our Second Amendment. The fact is we are free, and we determine who goes to Washington, D.C. with our votes! But our rights come from God not government. We want to hear from you and what you think about this. Also shared in this segment: Statistics, NEA, Marches, Politics, Freedom. Greg and John shared in this segment.

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Encouraging Testimonies of the Faithfulness of God!

by Greg Lancaster

LISTEN NOW! WATCH FULL PROGRAM! Recently, Greg was able to take a trip to a nearby IMAX theatre. In this particular theatre, he was drawn to a movie about the process that water goes through in Africa; BBC Earth’s Wild Africa. In the dry season of Africa, elephants will travel miles after miles in search of a single mud puddle, as will many other species of animals. But, when the seasons change and the rain comes, Africa comes alive. Streams become rivers, and what was once dry and parched, is now flooding with currents of water. Yet, the seasons change again, the waters dry up, and the dry season is in full effect once again. This brings a starting reminder to Isaiah 55:10-11; “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the Earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” When we abide with God, this is exactly what takes place within our souls. God touches the dry places with the water of His word. Everything then begins to grow.

Presently, we are seeing people plotting and planning against our government; scheming against God. Do not be alarmed. This isn’t anything new. Ever since the beginning of time, satan has been warring against God. Just as Psalm 21:11 highlights, “Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed”, we know the plans of evil will not succeed. The biggest test of our faith, is doubt. There are going to be threats in this life, difficulties and trials. But, God has revealed that ‘the seat of evil is coming down and the seat of righteousness will rise’.

Greg continues to share just a few of the testimonies from what he has seen God do in his life. When he first came to the Lord, an offering was being taken for a new roofing project. Greg resolved that he would give a pledge for $1,000. As the time arrived to pay the pledge, Greg was realizing that he didn’t have the $1,000. He had set in his heart that he was going to fulfill his promises and take out a loan if that’s what it took. Surprisingly, God had spoken to someone to write a check for the very amount that Greg had pledged to give, $1,000.

In another instance, early in his marriage, it was time to pay the tithes to God. After paying the tithes to God, there wasn’t enough in the account in order to pay the power bill. It was time to simply trust God. After getting the phone call that the power was about to be cut off, Greg stood by the faithfulness of God. He arrived home early just in time to see the mailman dropping off their mail. In the stack of letters, one was a check for almost the exact amount that was needed. Greg also shares about how God miraculous paid off nearly the entire amount of their mortgage which enabled them to be in the ministry as they are today.

You can hold on to what God has said in His word. If God said it, then that settles it. Be lifted in your faith in God, as well as His promises for you in the Word, and so much more. Also shared in this segment: The Living Word, trusting in God, belief, politics, Jesus is Lord, tithes and offerings, faithfulness of God, The Glory of God, testing of your faith, and hope. Greg and John shared in this segment.
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