Limiting the Ministry of Jesus

John 4:11 (NKJV) 
¹¹ The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
Just like the woman at the well we can limit Jesus' ministry in our lives by not understanding who Jesus really is, the power He has, and not understanding His care for us. He is unlimited in His ability to do for us what we really need in any circumstance or situation we find ourselves in as the woman at the well found out. The thing that limits Jesus' working in our lives and situations is us alone. Sometimes the well of our problems, worries and doubts are so deep we don't think Jesus can draw anything good from them. The woman at the well had a life of many deep troubles and problems, but when she allowed Jesus to draw out of her bad situation, she received the most wonderful gift of eternal life which changed everything in her life for the best. When we think and say our situation or circumstance is to deep for even Jesus to draw anything good out of it, we limit His working in our lives. Suppose our hearts are deeply troubled and we read God's word where Jesus says " Let not your heart be troubled." Then we say, but Lord even You can't draw up comfort and quietness out of this trouble.  Mine is an impossible situation. Jesus does not draw up anything good out of human resources. We must remember that His supernatural abilities are unlimited. He will bring what resources we need down from above out of God's unlimited supply. We limit God by holding on to past failures and disappointments. We must open our hearts to what God is trying to do in our lives. When we doubt God's ability or desire to move in our situations, we limit what He wants to do in our lives. Then we forget that God loves us with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV) 
³ The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Any limit to God's working good in our situations and circumstances comes from within our hearts, not from God's inability. We have to come to the place in our lives that we allow God to do in our lives what He tells us in His word that He wants to do. He loves us this verse says with an everlasting love. Everlasting means just what it says. God will never change from that promise because He can not lie. No where in the word of God does it ever indicate God will withhold His blessings and favors from those who seek Him with all their heart. In fact, God tells us as His people what His plans are for us in His word. Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV)
¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Look at these scriptures and then believe them with all your heart because God cannot lie nor does He ever change. Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.                                                                                                                                                  

God says He thinks thoughts of peace and good toward us. He will never change His mind about that. Believe it! Then He says He wants to give us a wonderful future and a hope. That hope is based on the word of God. This is God's will for all of those who belong to Him. Those that have confessed and repented of their sins and asked God's Son Jesus Christ to forgive them. Those that have invited Jesus to live within their hearts and are trying to live for Him each day. If you haven't received the salvation Jesus provides, then do it now. Read the scriptures at the bottom of this page and act on them. Those who have already received Jesus' salvation, are you limiting God's working in your life because you have slipped away from that close relationship you used to have with Him? You are not as interested in the things of God as you once were. You can change all that right now by asking Jesus to forgive you of that. Verses 12&13 of Jeremiah tell us that if we call upon God and pray to Him, He will listen to you. (verse 12) That's His promise to you! He also says if we seek Him we will find Him when we seek for Him with all our hearts. (verse 13)

Beware of your sinking back and saying-"It can't be done;" when you know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of our incompleteness is great, but we must make every effort and look to Jesus as we seek Him through the word of God. Remember the scriptures we have read. Let's believe God and seek Him with all our hearts and experience the blessings and favors of God as they flow into our lives and change our situations. Do not be guilty of limiting God in your life. Stop and pray right now! Invite God to invade your life with His presence. You will be glad you did. 

Time Alone With God

I would like to ask you a personal question. How much time alone do you spend with just God and you away from all distractions? Since I am not there to look you in the eye you can be honest with God about that question. The reason I ask is because I see so many Christians going and doing for God but never take time themselves to get alone with God and just relax and enjoy His presence. God wants to spend time alone with each of His children. He is more than happy to have us take time with Him. We can not serve in the power of the Holy Spirit if we never take time alone with God to let Him talk to us and fill us with His Spirit. God is wanting us to take more time with Him so He can fully bless us. He is jealous over us and our time.
The bible says in: Galatians 5:17 (NKJV) 
¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another. Each day of our lives we have to make a decision to do what God wants or do what we want. We are free to make our own decisions because God will not make you do anything. We are also responsible for the decisions we make. If we do what God wants we are fully blessed of Him. If we choose to obey self, we suffer loss because God will not bless our choices because without Him to help us we will always make the wrong choice. That's why we need to spend time alone each day with God. It makes for a blessed day whereas if we don't spend time with God we pay the price with pain and misery of one kind or another. God is not punishing us, we just will not have His blessings for our disobedience. All choices have a consequence attached to them. If we could just begin to realize it's not God's fault when things go wrong, but it is due to our wrong choices. Time alone with God will make us strong to stand up to the trials and troubles of life.

The bible says in:  Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.The filling of the Spirit is a continual filling, not just a one time filling. We will face something each day that we must have the fullness of God's Spirit in us if we are going to handle those situations that surprise us in life. If we are not filled with God's Spirit we will wind up frustrated and upset. We will give up. To be filled with the Spirit each day takes time alone with God. The filling of the Spirit does not come automatically. We have to break away from the hustle and bustle of the day and take time to be in God's presence where we can hear Him speak to our hearts and minds. This also helps to keep our focus where it belongs which is on Him and not the worries and cares each day might bring.
We have a personal invitation from Jesus to each of us in:  Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) 

²⁸ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Look at those verses! What an invitation! If we heed this invitation we will be blessed as He promised. The yoke represents our daily frustrations and cares. The burdens of life. He promises He will share our concerns as we allow Him to share that burden with us and He will give us the soul rest we need to keep from fainting under the pressures of life. What a wonderful Savior and Lord. Help your self and take time to be alone with God. You will be glad you did. Your life will change for the better and you will be able to face whatever comes your way with Jesus' help.

There may be some of you who are reading this and you don't even know Jesus as Savior and Lord. You do not have His blessings on your life and you will not go to heaven when you die. But the good news is you can change all that right now if you choose to do that. Simply acknowledge that you are a sinner as the bible says we all are.  Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Ask Jesus to forgive you and ask Him to save you from Hell. Then invite Jesus into your life and let Him take charge of you and He will share your burdens and you will begin to overcome those things in your life which now seem to hold you down. You will experience the most wonderful blessings from God when you make Jesus your personal Savior and Lord. He will always be with you to help you. He will never leave you.  Hebrews 13:5b (NKJV) 

^{5 b}For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

     You will want to go to church and make a public profession of your salvation. Then be baptized and begin to attend services there. 

Jesus said if you are ashamed of Him He would be ashamed of you before the Father.                            Mark 8:38 (NKJV) 

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
Don't be ashamed of Jesus but tell everyone that will listen. He will not be ashamed of you when you stand before God.

May God help each of you to do what He is telling you to do in Jesus' name I pray. Amen!