RUSSELL SANDERS

4-27-2023

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU

Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” This was spoken by the archangel Gabriel when he spoke to Mary and announced her conception of Jesus.

It was a miracle of God since she had never had relations with any man. Again, we see in Luke 1:26-38 that Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, also became pregnant miraculously with John. She was old and was clearly past childbearing age.

Although Gabriel spoke those words to Mary, the fact remains that it has always been true and always will be true that nothing is impossible with God.

Nothing is impossible to you also. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “…If you have faith…ye shall say unto this mountain remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” This is done with absolute unwavering faith in the power and name of Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” In John 14:14 he said, “If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it.” In John 14:12 he told us that we would do even greater works than he did during his earthly ministry. It is Jesus’ power working through our spoken word of faith so that the Father may be glorified.

Read John 14:12-14 often until it becomes deeply ingrained in your spirit. Then you will have no need to worry or fret about anything because nothing will be impossible to you.

HELEN SANDERS

4-27-2023

EASILY OFFENDED

Jesus spoke about offense often. In Matthew 11:6 he said, “and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Many people get offended when you talk about the Lord to them. They just don’t want to hear about it. 

Then there are those that get offended when hard times come. In Matthew 13 Jesus talks about the seed and the sower. In the stony ground, which represents a hard heart, it says in vs. 20-21, “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself (seed didn’t take root), but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”

The word offended is skandalizo in Greek, which is interpreted as to entrap, to trip up, to stumble, to be enticed to sin, apostasy. Being offended causes you to be entrapped to sin. We are not to be easily offended. We are to forgive quickly.

How do we avoid being offended? We choose to wear God’s armor so that things of offense, like arrows cannot penetrate. We choose not to allow them to upset us. We cast down the imagination and refuse to think about it. Jesus said In Matthew 24:10, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”  Being offended opens the gate for Satan to control you and causes you to hate other people. When you are offended, you fall into Satan’s trap, and he uses you to betray others.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:6-7, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.”

The Lord does not take it lightly when we offend someone or get offended. If this is happening in your life, then you need to ask God to forgive you. Release that person. Pray for that person. Don’t let offences destroy you. Don’t be easily offended!