Then they came to Jericho and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Mark 10:46-49

Get Desperate and Determined. Blind Bartimaeus was desperate and in need, and he called out to Jesus. So often, when we get under pressure, the temptation is to shift into neutral and zone out in front of the TV. Instead of letting lethargy set in, we need to get desperate and cry out to God for help. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
Mark 10:50-52

Get Specific. “What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to give a specific request. Don’t go through life in generalities. Getting out of the vague and general and making a specific request is an expression of faith. Pray specifically—not manipulatively—and according to God’s Word.

Get in the Word. We learn that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is not based on a feeling but on the Word. As you meditate on the Scriptures, faith will come. A world can be changed by a breed of people who will desperately believe God’s promises and expect answers.

This is our moment to take our stand and take hold of what God has for us. I encourage you to trust God with your situation. As we do life together, forgive, walk by faith, overcome, learn, and grow, we’ll continue to see broken people come to Jesus and watch God heal their lives.

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

God is faithful. Whatever you are going through, Jesus is right there wanting to sustain you and give you direction and breakthrough. He’s in the details. He gave His life to restore your access to God. You can trust Him!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. Isaiah 43:2

What the devil or others have meant for harm in your life, God turns around for good—even for the furtherance of the gospel!

Now I (Paul the Apostle) want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel. Philippians 1:12

And as for you [Joseph’s obnoxious brothers], you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. Genesis 50:20

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Don’t back down for a minute. We’re not in heaven yet. Keep pressing on, knowing that even though life has challenges, the present result is that we are saved from eternal death, and as we keep relying on the faithfulness of God, we will see
situations turn around!

But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:25

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18

God has a way of redeeming everything! Shake off the “what-ifs” and the “could’ve beens” and lift your eyes to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

It’s so good to know Jesus!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

“And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

This statement at the end of Joseph’s life reinforces the providential care of God through the ages. From beginning to end in the Bible, what Satan meant for harm, God turned around for good! (Romans 8:28). And His faithfulness doesn’t stop with the saints found on the stained glass windows. The Bible extravagantly shows us that God’s faithfulness extends to a thousand generations—that means us! (Psalm 105:8)

God is a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1), and He specifically wants to help you through whatever challenge is hitting you now.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” Isaiah 43:2

Don’t misinterpret the way life is. It is filled with challenges and breakthrough. We need to understand the big picture; we need perspective. And we get that perspective by reading the Bible. If you only have a few minutes to read the Bible, go to Romans 8. As we get in the Word, we see that even though we’re in the
groaning phase of our existence, yes, God does answer prayer; yes, promises can be obtained!

We don’t have everything figured out, but if we continue to press on, we will see the breakthrough. Nothing is too big for God!

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You. Jeremiah 32:17

God is faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

The Genesis revelation—that the creation of this world was not a random accident, but was initiated by the eternal God—reveals an origin of value, purpose, hope, and endless possibilities. God made us in His image and He has designed Kingdom purposes for each one of us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:1-4

The God of the beginning is consistent, permanent, and the same all through the ages. Things change and people change, but God never changes! His Word is immutable; He is eternal, the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

When you’re serving Jesus, life is worth living and days are worth planning. Now’s a good time to write down some details of what you want to see in your business, relationships, and finances. Strategize and aim high. Look into the Bible to see just exactly what God’s attitude is about any given subject. Get strengthened and stand firm. As time marches on, dwelling on God’s permanency will help you to be faithful in and out of season.

God Is Faithful!
Pastor Jeff

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Let that verse steep in your spirit. What God begins, He brings to completion. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Whether your life is humming or you feel fatigued, God is faithful yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8; 1 Corinthians 1:9a; Psalm 33:4).

If you feel unsure of where you are in life right now, the confidence-producing Word of God can lock you back into the purpose for which you’ve been set apart. Cast down the weirdness in your head. Get your mind renewed by searching the Scriptures and finding promises concerning God’s faithfulness to complete the good work in your life.

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15

Get confident when you pray. God hears you and He gets a kick out of answering prayer — so pray huge prayers. Find the promises in the Bible that correspond with the problem and take the situation to God in prayer. His ear is inclined to the upright (Psalm 17:6).

Wherever there has been laziness or sin, repent; wherever there has been unbelief and doubt, get single-minded. Keep presenting your heart on the altar and remember that it’s not your performance that saves you, but it’s God who saves you. As Paul said: “We learn to not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

God is completing the work in you. What He initiates He sustains; what He sustains He brings to completion. Your greatest days haven’t happened yet!

God is faithful,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.