The Redeemer Coast Podcast: Recent Episodes
Redeemer Coast
Messages from the heart of Redeemer Coast, a Sunshine Coast based church that exists to glorify by God reaching those who don't yet know Jesus, and championing those who do.
Romans 12:1 "Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship."
Oh, the wonderful mercies of God!
In Romans chapter twelve, Paul has just finished talking about the overall plan of God for both the Gentiles and the Jews, how His plan for them will come to pass because His call is irrevocable. Our behavior does not change God's plan for our life. Paul goes on to say, in Romans twelve, "In view of the mercies of God..." Or because of the mercy of God, let us present our bodies and minds to our God. It's because of God's mercy that our bodies and minds are holy and pleasing to Him. When Jesus made us righteous, our nature was transformed from sinner to saint, from unrighteous to righteous. It is from this transformation that we can now live our lives well pleasing to God.
Romans 10:12-13, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved.”
Oh the mercy of God! How rich is He in His mercy!
It is vital for us to understand the nature of our Heavenly Father. Wrong beliefs about God can hinder our faith and negatively impact our view of ourselves and how we perceive God's view of us. But as we grow in our understanding of who He is, how He works, and how He views us, it strengthens our faith and we become more skilful in His Word and how to walk in who we are in Christ.
In Romans chapters 9 through 11, we can see the abundant mercy of God upon all those who would receive it. God has a plan for the Jews and the Gentiles, and within that plan is each person's choice to be involved in that plan.
Romans 8:31-32 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?“
We all go through challenges and trials in our lives, but the good news is that no matter what we may go through, we don’t have to let the trial overwhelm and overtake us. We have already been given the victory in Christ and we overwhelmingly conquer over every test and trial!
Paul asks a good question is Romans 8 verse 31, “What shall we say to the things that come against us?”
That’s a god question to ask yourself, “How am I going to respond to these circumstances that I am facing?”
Sometimes, when things get tough, we get lost in the confusion and questions. But rather than meditating on what we don’t know, let’s talk about what we do know!
Romans 8:3-5 “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.“
Now that we have been made righteous, how do we walk out this righteousness?
Romans 6:4-7 “Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin.”
In the first five chapters of Romans, Paul established the truth that righteousness is received by grace through faith. Then in Romans chapters 6-8, he talks about how to live out that righteousness.
When Paul wrote the letter to the church in Rome, he was addressing two groups of people coming from different backgrounds. Those who were once Gentiles were the ones who lived life their own way, without the Law. And then there were the Jews, those who tried to earn righteousness through their own ability, but now that they are In Christ, their identity is neither in their past sin, nor in their works, their identity is in Christ.
Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand…”
When we know that we have peace with God, it brings boldness and confidence in how we live. So many people live their lives looking for peace—peace with themselves, in relationships, and most importantly, peace with God. However, we aren’t the ones who determine how we have peace with God. It is God who sets the standard; we’re His creation, and we come into alignment with how He works.
Romans 4:16, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…”
The wonderful truth of the Gospel is that Jesus has paid the price for our sin. Often we don’t understand the magnitude and the depths of what this truth means, which is why righteousness is revealed by faith. As we grow in our understanding in what Jesus has done for us, we begin to grow in boldness, knowing who we are in Christ.
Romans 4:3-5: "For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.”
The truth of the Gospel is life-changing! When we begin to understand the revelation of who we are in Christ, it changes everything. It changes how we talk, act, make decisions, think, relate to others, and, most importantly, connect with God.
For most people, their natural default is to judge themselves by their own works. People who tend to compare themselves with others tend to justify their actions based on their motives, meanwhile judging others based on their actions.
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
This weekend, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ! We celebrate His victory over sin, death and the grave! In Ephesians chapter one, Paul magnifies this place where Jesus has been seated, at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. Far above all principalities and powers and might and dominion, and every named that is named. When God raised Jesus from the dead, it wasn’t just Jesus that He raised, He also raised us up with Him!
Romans 3:21-22 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.”
When Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, he addressed two different people groups: the Gentiles (who were irreligious) and the Jews (who were religious).
The Gentiles believed that they could find life outside of faith in Christ. Even though they knew God, the Bible says that they chose not to glorify Him as God. They wanted to live life their own way and develop their standard of righteousness. They exchanged God’s truth, which is the only truth, for a lie that they wanted to believe. The more they ran away from God, the darker their heart became and ran further into deception. The life they were looking for could not be found in their own opinion or standard. Faith in what Jesus had done for them was, and is the truth, they are looking for.
Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."
What is more transformative than the new birth?! When someone receives Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, one of the most amazing miracles takes place within them; they become a brand new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17) We don't see any change on the outside, but the inward man becomes a brand new creation, a recreated spirit, a born-again child of God! That person who was once in darkness, separated from the life of God, unrighteous, sinner, becomes, in a moment, righteous, holy, and blameless in the sight of God! (Colossians 1:22)
Romans 1:5-7 "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;
to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church of Rome, he hadn't yet been there in person, so his introduction of himself and the way he chose to greet them had to be specific.
We can glean much light from the first seven verses in Romans chapter one.
1 Peter 5:5-7 “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
The way God’s kingdom functions and the world operates are very different. In order to get ahead and promoted in this world, people have to cheat, lie, and step on and over others to achieve their dreams. They are driven by pride and compare their success to the standards of those around them.
However, in God’s Kingdom, the humble are those whom God can exalt and lift up.
Ephesians 2:8-10 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
The Kingdom of God is different to how this world operates.
This world operates through striving, earning, deserving, self-effort, labour and wages. But the way the Kingdom of God operates is by grace through faith.
John 10:10 "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
God's will for us is always good! He knows how to make things turn around for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Luke 17:20-21 "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."
We don't have to wait until we get to heaven to enjoy the blessings and provisions of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within us! Praise God!
Heaven is such a wonderful place because we know that God’s will is being there. Pure love, pure peace, pure righteousness, pure holiness, everything that is good and right is done there because God’s will is being accomplished there.
Jesus prayed, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
We are told to pray in like manner. (Matthew 6:10)
Of course, God wants His will to be done on earth. But He needs people who are willing to find, follow, and fulfil His will.
God has a purpose and plan for every single person on the earth! But it is up to the person whether they are going to choose to follow that plan.
It is our joy and responsibility to seek God’s will for our lives!
Romans 8:16-17 "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ..."
Part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to remind us of who we are in Christ.
Many people live their lives under a cloud of guilt and same. They identify with their past and view themselves as a sinner.
But that's not what God says about us, and that's not the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-46. While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God“
Oh the wonderful Person of the Holy Spirit! The Father knew that we needed divine help to live this Christian life and He did not leave us on our own to figure it out, He sent the Holy Spirit to help us!
John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."
Jesus said it is to our advantage that He goes back to the Father so that you and I can receive the Holy Spirit. One of the members of the Godhead lives inside us! The Holy Spirit is our divine Helper. He is the Spirit of truth whose job is to show us things to come!
Colossians 1:15-18 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
A kingdom is a place where a king has dominion and reigns. It’s where his will and purposes are done. The Kingdom of God is where God’s purposes and will are accomplished. Jesus prayed, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus prayed that the Father’s purposes in heaven would be fulfilled on the earth. There are principles in which the Kingdom of God operates that we need to learn so we can function properly as sons and daughters of the Most High God.
John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”
God has chosen us to bear fruit for His glory! In order for us to produce fruit that remains, we need to abide in Jesus. Abide in His love and abide in His Word.
John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the wordwhich I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus knows He is about to leave this earth and be with the Father once again; He knows He only has moments left to be physically with His disciples. What He says to them in these last chapters is significant for His disciples to ensure that the work He began to do is carried on through their lives.
Jesus is the True Vine, and we are the branches. That means if we want to truly live a life that matters, a life that produces fruit that carries into eternity, and one that glorifies God, then we must abide in Him.
John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
This time of year is the celebration of our Lord and Saviour and the wonderful truth that God the Father fulfilled His promise to send His Son, born a virgin. When Jesus came to the earth, the course of mankind forever changed. We were once in darkness, full of sin, separated from our Heavenly Father. Shame, guilt, condemnation, and judgment were all we knew. But God! He had a plan already set in motion for our freedom since before the foundation of the world!
John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
God, the Father, has made it so simple for us to come to Him. His desire for fellowship with us shines through the heart of Jesus. Jesus came to reveal the heart of the Father to us. He demonstrated the Father's heart through His words, His actions, how He healed people, showed mercy, and showed us the truth. In John chapter one, John says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (verse 14)
Jesus was full of grace and truth. When you encountered Jesus, you encountered grace, and when you encountered Jesus, you encountered truth.
John 10:10-11 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."
Jesus is our good Shepherd. He is faithful to call, lead, provide, and protect us. As His sheep, we hear when He calls, follow where He guides, and enjoy His provision.
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?””
Jesus is the resurrection and the life! He doesn’t just have life, He is life. Anyone who believes in Him shall live. This resurrection power that Jesus talks about is not just referring to eternal life when we get to heaven, it is also talking about right now on this earth.
John 10:7 -9“So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door of the sheep; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and go in and out and find pasture.”
Jesus is the door; it is through Him that we have access to the Father and everything that the Father has for us. Many people try to get to God through their own efforts and goodwill, however, Jesus said so Himself, that He is the door, and it is through Him that we go in and out and find pasture. Everything we would ever need, He, Jesus, is the access.
John 6:35: “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
There is a hunger within each person that can only be satisfied by a true and genuine relationship with Jesus. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus live in a state of hunger and thirst that they try to satisfy with other things that the world has to offer. Only in and through Jesus can a person truly be satisfied. It’s in Jesus where we find our Saviour, our Redeemer, and our Provider. In Jesus is how we discover who we are, what we have, and what we can do.
Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”
How wonderful it is to know that the same God who was with Abraham, the same God who was with Moses, the same God who was with David and Daniel, and all of the wonderful patriarchs of old is the exact same God who is with us.
In John chapter eight, Jesus says to the Pharisees, “Before Abraham was, I Am.” He was letting them know that He was the One that had been there since the beginning. He was the one present in Abraham’s life and Moses’s life, and now He was living amongst them, right in front of their eyes.
The wonderful truth is that because Jesus lived on the earth as a man and won the victory over the devil and the kingdom of darkness through the cross, now the very Spirit of God, His presence, lives on the inside of anyone who receives Jesus as Lord of their life.
Mark 10:50-52 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."
The way we see ourselves is so important when it comes to walking out the promises of God for our lives. In the story of Bartimaeus, we can see that he was convinced that Jesus could and would heal him, despite the discouragement of the crowd telling him to be quiet. We can see his faith shine forth as he cried out with all of his heart, "Jesus! Son of David, have mercy on me!"
He wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity to receive healing, no matter what anyone said!
Mark 5:36 “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
We will all face challenges and difficulties at some point in our lives, but the good news is that even though problems come, we don’t have to let our hearts be fearful. In Mark chapter five, Jairus received some horrific news about his daughter, but even in one of the worst situations a parent could ever face, Jesus made a statement that clearly explains the power that we have to choose. He said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
We have the choice to believe; we don’t have to let fear be the determining factor in our lives.
Mark 11:22-23 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
We have been made in the image of God, after His likeness and nature. (See Genesis chapters one and two).
As God's children, we can operate just like God does on the earth. Jesus told us to "Have faith in God." Another way of saying that is to have faith like God has faith, or have the God kind of faith.
Mark 5:35-36: "While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader's house and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore?" When Jesus overheard what was said, he told the synagogue leader, "Don't be afraid. Only believe."
We all will come across times when we receive bad news. We will face challenges and difficulties, but as believers, we can have a different response to bad news.
Mark 16:19-20 So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.
There is a God-given assignment upon your life. Whether you realise it or not, God has called you, graced you and equipped you to reach others.
It can be so easy to think that preaching the Gospel is intimidating. It's only for preachers or special types of people with bold personalities, but the truth is that if you are Born Again, God has called you to preach the Gospel. It may not look like standing behind a pulpit and speaking publicly, but you do have a ministry, and God needs you to fulfil His plan for your life.
Mark 5:27-28 “When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
This woman in Mark chapter five was dealing with a long-term illness. One that the doctors at that time pronounced incurable.
What is amazing about this woman was that when she heard about Jesus, she didn’t shrug off those reports and think that her situation was too hopeless for any sort of power to fix her. When she heard the reports of Jesus that He healed, hope in her heart began to arise. She opened her heart to the possibility that this was the answer she had been waiting for.
Living in this world that we do, discouragement comes quickly. When we constantly look at the problem we are facing, it can be easy to become bitter and think that this is all we will ever experience. This is how the woman with the issue of blood could have done. After twelve years of failing treatments and spending everything that she had on these treatments, she could have become bitter. But we can see from Scripture that when she heard about Jesus, she didn’t shrug off what she heard. She opened up her heart and allowed herself to believe that Jesus was the answer she needed.
She kept saying to herself, “If I touch His clothes, I will be made well.” In some translations, it says, “for she kept saying to herself.” In other words, she kept talking her answer rather than her problem. It came to the point where she was fully convinced that her next step was to go to Jesus and touch His garments.
She acted on her faith. She wanted her miracle and was prepared to do whatever it took to receive it. Even if that meant walking into a crowd of people, she most likely crawled on her knees to get to His garment and take what was available to her based on the reports she had heard about Him.
Of course, we know how it ended: Jesus felt power go from Him, and He looked around to see who touched Him.
The disciples were shocked at the question Jesus asked because everyone was touching Him, but only one person received power for their healing, and that was this woman who was now healed from her disease!
Receiving from Jesus is simple. No situation or circumstance is too difficult or complicated that the blood of Jesus can’t redeem. That includes your situation. Whenever you face something that looks hopeless, do what this woman did in Mark chapter five: open your heart to become fully persuaded by what God has said, and then act on what you believe.
Remember, under the New Covenant, we’re not trying to get healed; we are the healed; we’re simply reinforcing what already belongs to us as children of God.
Mark 2:5, 10-11: “And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.”
In this passage, we read about a man who had been paralysed. He had been in this situation long enough for four friends of his friends to drag him over to see Jesus. These friends knew that the only answer for their friend was to bring him to the feet of Jesus.
Can you imagine the effort that these friends put into dragging this paralysed man to get to Jesus? And when they had finally gotten to the house, there was no room for them! The effort it would have taken for them to drag him to the roof of this house, dig a hole large enough for this man to be lowered into, and slowly lowered him down in front of Jesus.
The scene that this would have been is comical to think about.
But this was not some random act. These men believed in what they heard about Jesus. They believed it enough that they were determined to see their friend healed. They were determined to act on what they heard and wouldn’t let any inconvenience hinder them from acting on what they knew to be true.
It was this action of faith where Mark 2:5 says, “And Jesus SEEING their faith…”
Faith can be seen! When we act upon what we believe, the power of God is activated in our lives.
It’s important that we take time to meditate and locate where our faith is.
To what extent do we believe God and His Word?
How much do we meditate and ponder His Word?
Are we willing to stand on His Word regardless of what the situation says?
Are we willing to act on His Word even when, in the natural, it seems ridiculous?
These four men would’ve looked crazy to others. I’m sure they would have experienced thoughts of doubt and unbelief as they saw how full that house was, But what they believed in their heart about the healing power of Jesus was what caused them to continue to ensure that their friend made it to Jesus, no matter what.
That man came into that house one way, but he left that house totally different! He was forgiven and healed!
What do you sense in your heart the Lord has been prompting you to act on?
Never underestimate the power of obedience to God’s promptings. The smallest instruction can lead to marvellous miracles.
As you grow in faith, the Holy Spirit will lead you to do things that are in line with God’s Word; He will help you to act on your faith. Trust God’s leading, He knows exactly how to help you receive your miracle.
Mark 1:40-41 ”And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
In order to have faith for healing, we must be fully convinced that it is God’s will.
Faith begins where the will of God is known. If we are not fully persuaded that it is God’s will, we can easily be swayed and veer off track when circumstances contradict what God has said in His Word.
When the man who was full of leprosy came to Jesus, he knew that he could heal, but he wasn’t yet fully confident that Jesus was willing.
But praise God, we can look at Jesus’ answer and this question of “Is it God’s will to heal” is settled forever. What was Jesus’ response?
“I am willing.”
Healing is God’s will. He is no respecter of persons, He is simply looking for someone who will believe Him and take Him at His Word.
This where people so often miss it. They look to their bodies, or doctors reports to see if they’re healed. They let outside circumstances tell them if God’s Word works or not. Faith doesn’t work like that.
Rather than looking to circumstances to tell us what is true, we look to what God has said in His Word and believe that His Word is true; His Word is our final authority.
That doesn’t mean we go around denying the issue, but it does mean that we stand on God’s Word, and His report says, “By His stripes we were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
We choose to believe that God’s Word is true and we continue to speak His Word over our circumstances. We don’t allow the symptoms and the reports have the final word, we talk to the symptoms and command them to leave because we’re the healed!
If you aren’t yet fully persuaded of God’s will, that’s okay! Identify where you’re at in faith and ask God for His help. Like when the father cried out to Jesus, “Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!”
Jesus is faithful to help you grow strong in faith (Hebrews 12:2), but He requires our cooperation. It is our responsibility to take time to meditate on His Word and grow in our understanding of what He has said.
As you do, you will notice your faith growing stronger and stronger, being fully convinced that what God has promised He is also able to perform.
Matthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”
There are only two recorded instances in the New Testament where Jesus marvels at a person’s great faith. One was the Roman Centurion, and the other one was the Canaanite Woman, as mentioned in the above Scripture.
What was it about these two accounts that caused Jesus to marvel at their level of faith?
It can be so easy to neglect and become passive about our faith. We tend to think, “Oh, I know all about this faith stuff. I’ve heard this message so many times.”
The danger of that way of thinking is that we think we’re actively believing God because we say we are, but it is important to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith or not. (2 Corinthians 13:5) Just because we say we’re believing God, doesn’t mean that we are actively and expectantly believing God. It is essential that we continue to feed our faith on the Word of God and spend time in fellowship with the Father.
We looked at the account of the Canaanite woman yesterday, and there are three key takeaways that we can learn from her great faith.
- Great faith is bold.
- Great faith knows and argues its case.
- Great faith persists.
This woman was willing to stand strong in faith because she knew that Jesus was the only answer for the deliverance of her daughter. She was willing to humble herself so she could access to the grace of Jesus to receive what was not, at that time, available to the Gentiles. By faith, she reached into the New Covenant and accessed what would soon belong to her after the death and resurrection of Jesus!
But now, living on the other side of the cross, everything that Jesus bought and paid for belongs to us! Healing is part of our In Christ identity! So we now say “Yes and amen” to God’s promises and it brings God glory when we walk in His promises!
Luke 13:11-12, 16: “And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”…
And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
One of the key things that we need to know is what to yield to and what to resist. If we are unsure or confused about God’s will and purpose, we won’t have the boldness to resist what is not from Him.
In this story of the woman who had bent over for eighteen years, Jesus made it clear that it was satan who had bound her. It was not God who had caused her to suffer with that condition. Instead, it was God’s will that she be made whole! After all, she was in covenant with God, she was a daughter of Abraham.
When we know who the source of sickness is, we know what we are to resist.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy. But I have come that they may have life.”
Jesus made it very clear that anything that has to do with stealing, killing and destroying was of the devil. Anything that had to do with life is from God.
Based on that statement alone from our Lord, we know that we have the God-given authority to resist sickness, disease and pain. Jesus came so that we may have life! We can yield to God’s will and fully be assured that anything that God does is always good and that sickness is never God’s will for us.
It is our responsibility to grow in our faith so that we may understand what already belongs to us in the new covenant that Jesus purchased for us. That’s why we encourage everyone at Redeemer Coast to read their Bibles and listen to sound teaching that emphasises the truth of what we are in Christ and what belongs to us. We build our faith for healing by listening to healing messages and meditating on God’s Word.
Some great verses to meditate on healing are:
- Exodus 23:25-26
- Isaiah 53:4-6
- 1 Peter 2:24
- Matthew 8:17
Acts 10:34-35 “And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons, But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him].”
It is so common for people to filter the Word of God through their experience. We may read a passage of Scripture that we don’t understand, or we haven’t experienced in our personal lives, so instead of raising our beliefs to what God’s Word says, we change it to match our experience.
However, where the victory lies is in believing what God’s Word says no matter what we have experienced or what others have experienced.
When Peter saw that the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles, too, he understood that God is truly no respecter of persons. God’s Word is the truth and all of His promises are available to anyone who would simply believe it.
This is true for all of God’s promises, whether healing, provision, restoration, relationships, or emotional and mental healing. God’s promises are true and available to all who would believe!
We can look at people’s lives who have amazing testimonies and stand in awe of what God has done in their lives, and it can be easy to think that they’re that “blessed person” who God chose to heal that day, but truthfully, God’s healing is available to anyone who would choose to believe Him. We can’t allow our feelings and experiences to determine if God’s Word is true or not; we have to be the ones who see His promises and rejoice that they belong to us because Jesus has paid it all on the cross!
The way Jesus lived on the earth, healing all those who came to him in faith, He is still the same today because He is the same yesterday, today and forever!
We have a good God!
Luke 15:31-32: “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
How the Kingdom of God operates is different from the rest of the world. When the prodigal son arrived home, there was a new way of thinking and speaking that he had to learn.
However, the older son remained in the father’s house, but even though he wasn’t the one to leave, he never operated in the inheritance that was rightfully his. He thought that he had to earn the favour of his father. He wanted to prove his worth to, but the truth is that everything that the father had belonged to to him.
To operate in the Father’s house, we have to learn who we are and what belongs to us as His children.
The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life.”
One of the major areas that we must guard our heart is in the area of being offended.
Being offended is a choice. It means allowing hurt and unforgiveness to fester in our hearts, and it skews the way we perceive things.
The older brother felt mistreated. He felt that his younger brother didn’t get what he deserved in terms of judgement and that he didn’t get what he deserved for all the work that he had done for his father.
This way of thinking hindered the older brother from walking in what was rightfully his the entire time. When the older brother refused to go in to celebrate the return of his younger brother, the father came out and said to him, “son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours.”
The truth was that the father loved the older son too, and that everything that his inheritance was his to take!
As believers we need to guard our heart against offence because in order to appropriate what is rightfully ours, we need to think, talk and act in line with how God sees things.
Luke 15:22-24
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”
To overcome emotional pain and trauma, we need to know how valuable we are in God’s sight and apply that truth in our lives.
We are God’s creation; we have been made in His image, therefore, He’s the only one who can determine our worth. To God, you and I are so precious. He knew us before He created the world (Ephesians 4:1), He knew us before we were even born, and He already had a plan for our life. (Psalm 139). Not only that, but to God, we were worth the price of His Son. He knew that mankind would fall into sin, but He already had a plan that all the forces of darkness could not shake to win us back so that we would be forever sealed in His family.
However, we live in a fallen world, and the Bible says that “satan is the god of this world”. (2 Corinthians 4:4). People have free will, and people will choose to do evil things to one another, and as a result, hurt, rejection, torment and pain are experienced. God never intended for us to live in that state, which is why when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us, God ensured that all the effects of sin would be dealt with on that cross so that we would not have to live in a constant state of torment. Instead, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can rule and reign in this life! (Romans 5:17).
Total emotional healing and victory are available to us, but we choose what we identify with. Do we identify with the pain and hurt we experienced, or do we choose to identify with what God has said about us?
If we choose to identify with the hurt we experienced, we have limited ourselves and won’t walk in all that God has for us. But if we decide to believe that what God has said about us is true and let His Word become the final authority in our lives, then we will experience all of the good things that He has for us!
Luke 15:21: “Then the son said, ‘Father, I was wrong. I have sinned against you. I could never deserve to be called your son. Just let me be—’
“The father interrupted and said, ‘Son, you’re home now!’
In this parable of the prodigal son, Jesus demonstrates the heart of our Heavenly Father towards us. After the prodigal son wasted all of his father’s inheritance and ended up losing everything, the son finally came to the realisation that he could go home and perhaps he could be a servant in his fathers household.
Little did the son know that his father was looking for him, waiting for him to come home to where he belonged. When the son was still a long way off, the father saw him and ran to greet him! The kindness and mercy of the father restored his son to his rightful position as son, not as a servant.
This is God’s heart towards us! When we gave our lives to God and made Jesus Lord of our lives, He restored us to our rightful place as God’s sons and daughters. In God’s eyes, we are completely holy, blameless, and above reproach (Colossians 1:22). Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ!
How wonderful and kind our Heavenly Father is that we would be called His sons and daughters! Right standing with God is not based upon our works or self-effort; it is based upon what Jesus did for us! We can’t grow in righteousness because we have been righteous in Christ, but we can grow in our understanding of who we already are in Christ. When we take time to read and meditate upon God’s Word and what He has said about us, the way we see ourselves begins to change, and we can start seeing ourselves the way God does.
We don’t have to let condemnation and guilt dictate our worthiness; God has already defined our worth through the death of His Son!
In God’s eyes, you are completely holy and righteous! Believe it and speak that over yourself on a consistent basis because it is the truth!
John 3:3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
When Jesus died on the cross, it wasn’t just for a select few, Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. Salvation is available to everyone, but just because it is available to everyone doesn’t mean that everyone will accept it. It is the Father’s will for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
Jesus said in John 3:3 that in order to see the Kingdom of God, we must be born again. When me confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for us, it is in that moment where our inner man, our spirit, is made into a new creation! (2 Corinthian 5:17) This new creation completely changes our spirts, our hearts. Our hearts are created after God, in His image and after His likeness.
Being born again changes everything about us! We now have the capacity to act, speak, and live like God! We are made holy, righteous, and blameless in God’s sight. (Colossians 1:22)
We couldn’t change our nature on our own, there is no amount of will power or self-discipline that would make us right with God, we needed Jesus, we needed Him to change us from the inside out.
Being born again means that we are in Christ, we have His nature working in us! And as we continue to walk with God and grow in our faith, our soul (our mind, will and emotions), will begin to be transformed according to what God has said about us. Renewing our minds is a process, but it is how we walk out what God has done in our hearts.
I want to encourage you this week to say over yourself what Paul said about himself in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
What a divine privilege it is to be born again and represent God’s nature to those around us!
Romans 10:13-15
“for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
You are a sent one from God to this world. You are alive in this time, in this generation, in this nation, in this city and this community for a purpose.
There are people in your world right now that are looking for help, looking for answers, looking for something more and you are the one who has been sent by God to reach those people. So often we overthink what these opportunities and encounters are supposed to look and sound like and because of fear, we don’t act.
But the good news is that sharing the Gospel is simple. Our lifestyle, how we treat others, how we talk, how we do our work, and our attitudes all impact those around us.
When people see that we love others and bring joy and peace into the atmosphere, people will notice.
When people ask what you did over the weekend, you can tell them you went to church.
When we get a prompting in our hearts to go and talk to someone, it is simple to invite them to church or to our upcoming outreach event.
Don’t allow fear to hinder you from being bold and sharing your faith. Jesus promised us in Matthew 28 that He would be with us always! He gave that promise right after He told His disciples to go into all nations and make disciples.
God is with you as you step forward in faith and have that conversation. There is truly no greater joy than getting to be part of someone’s Salvation journey.
So this week, be bold and ask God to show you who you can talk to this week. Being a sent one, with beautiful feet with a message of salvation is the biggest honour God has commissioned us with. Grant Peterson
JUL 7
John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
True freedom is found in the truth of who God is and the truth of who we are in Him.
David, in the book of Psalm and repeated again in Romans says “how blessed the person is who sin is covered and forgiven.”
There are many people who live this life weighed down with the burden of sin, living in a constant state of guilt and shame. This is the norm for many people. But when they come in contact with the truth of how good, kind, merciful God is, that weight is lifted and true freedom is experienced.
We have been set free from:
- Condemnation, guilt and shame. (Romans 8:1)
- The bondage of sin. (Romans 6:6-7)
- The fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
These are powerful truths that has set us free! We have the right and authority to enjoy this freedom! That means we can resist condemnation and guilt, we can resist sin because Jesus gave us His victory to overcome sin we can resist fear so that we are not hindered in living this life the way God has intended for us to live.
I encourage you this week to begin to see yourself the way God sees you, the way God sees you is the truth. He sees you as righteous, holy and blameless. (Colossians 1:22) You can say that over yourself and as your mind renews to the Word of God, there will be a new boldness in you that equips you to share this good news with those around you! Grant Peterson
Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. Revelation 2:5 ESV
A great trap, especially for those who have been Christians for a little while, is to neglect their love walk.
In Revelation 2:5, Jesus gives us the love cure; remember, repent, and re-act. Three simple steps to 'falling' back in love.
Firstly, remember. Do you remember how, when you were first saved, all you could think about and talk about was God? When I was first saved, I couldn't wait for Wednesday night Bible Study, Friday night youth and Sunday Church. I had my white-covered 'Good News' Bible on the bedstand and played every Christian song I had, all twelve of them, repeatedly. That's what it's like to be in love.
Secondly, repent. Repent sounds like a big religious word- it's not. It has a straightforward meaning, change your mind, change your direction. We have a new highway pass-over near our place, and I have missed the turnoff to home a few times. I found myself going to wrong way at 100 km per hour. So instead of going the wrong way, I repented. I found the first available turnoff, took the overpass and started heading home. That's repentance.
Thirdly, re-act. Do the things you did when your love for God and others burnt hot. C S Lewis once wrote that Christians shouldn't worry about 'feeling' love. They should do love, and the feelings will come. When you're first in love, you think, speak and act differently. You work like you value that person. So you honour them in how you talk about them, to them and how you treat them.
That's it. It's simple—Jesus' three step program for staying in love. Remember, repent and re-act.
Natural love is conditional on our ability to love, and the feedback we get from the object of our love. God doesn’t have emotional hang-ups. He isn’t needy. His love for us is a knowing love. His love is poured out to meet our needs- not His.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To read the accompanying article for this talk, click here: https://www.redeemercoast.com/blog/2018/11/2/hidden-in-plain-sight
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To read the accompanying article for this talk, click here: www.redeemercoast.com/blog/lookout
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To read the accompanying article for this talk, click here: www.redeemercoast.com/blog/return
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
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Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @redeemercoast
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com.
You can find us on Facebook and Instagram @redeemercoast.
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
For more information about Pastor Colin and Faith For Life Ministries, visit https://www.facebook.com/Faith-For-Life-984128664930938/
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to recieve fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com
For more information about Pastor John and Impact Nations Ministries, visit www.impactnationsministries.ca
Thanks for listening to the Redeemer Coast podcast! We hope you've enjoyed the message today, and ask that you consider writing a review and subscribing to receive fresh content as it releases.
To learn more about Redeemer Coast, visit our website at www.redeemercoast.com