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Yesterday, I was overwhelmed. I had a period of weakness, of doubt, and of frustration. I felt confused and angry. I felt alone… I began to journal and as I did, the following excerpt began to materialize:

Every time I turn around, there is another obstacle. There is another pain. There is another set back. There is another roadblock. There is another something to make me question everything I believe in. I keep asking myself what good I can do for God by struggling constantly? How can I bring glory to the Almighty God if every time I pray, my words seemingly fall on deaf ears? I’ve gone from believing the impossible to finding it nearly impossible to believe. I keep asking myself why God never just delivers me from my troubles… why it seems as though I am able to depend more on people than on God Himself. Where is God in MY circumstances? I am starting to feel like the only reason I have faith is because I need to… or because I’m afraid not to. God, where are you?!

When I got to this point, memories of all the goodness God had shown me over the years began flooding my mind and I started to realize that my fear of God not coming through for me was clouding my perspective and disallowing me from focusing on the fact that He has never let me down. In telling myself that I am able to depend on people more than on God, I am overlooking the fact that God makes connections between people at particular moments in time for the purpose of provision for whatever their current needs may be. He orchestrates circumstances in order for His Will to be facilitated.

My spirit was in knots today, asking God WHERE He was in my circumstances and HOW I can bring Him glory when all I see is struggle. I needed the reminder that just because the way hadn’t been manifested today, doesn’t mean the way hasn’t been made. What was more important, however, was recognizing that I had questions for God I had buried within my heart. I had doubts and fears within my spirit that I had tucked away and ignored, refusing to allow them to process. In doing this, I had compromised not only the strength of my faith but my relationship with God. Most significantly, I undermined my own faith by ceasing to expect God to work in my favor.

REFLECTION

How many times have you allowed fear, doubt, and frustration to overwhelm you so much that you stop operating in expectation of God working in your life? Be reminded of what built your faith in the first place, and above all else never allow fear to keep you from being honest with God about your feelings. He already knows your thoughts, feels what is in your heart, and sees into the depths of your soul. You cannot deceive Him. You can only deceive yourself… and in the process, you destroy the intimacy you have with Him.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” John 21:15 [show] When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." (ESV)

As followers of Christ, we can’t do everything on our own! We have to acknowledge that God gifted each and every one of His children and never intended for us to become SO confident in our own abilities that we lose sight of the fact that we haven’t really done anything on our own! We also cannot just idly praise Him in our hearts – He calls us to be ACTIVE in our participation and do our part.

Pastor Beeson of Granger Community Church in Granger, IN said in last week’s sermon, “When you follow Christ, you are called to influence others with integrity and intentionality toward what is good and right and true!” What this means is that none of us were called to simply follow. We are called to follow Him so that we can lead others to Him through our loving example! We are all essential parts of the body of Christ. If we aren’t operating in our intended purpose, there are jobs not being done and the “machine” of the church is not going to function in its full capacity. God can do His will without our help, but why would we want Him to?

Informational Background

Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christian liturgical year. It is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, which occurred on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter Season lasts for fifty days until Pentecost (Eastertide, the season of Easter, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts until the day of Pentecost, seven weeks later). Easter is linked to the Jewish Passover not only for much of its symbolism but also for its position in the calendar. The Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples before his crucifixion was a Passover meal.

In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of the forty days of Lent, a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter which begins on Ash Wednesday. The week before Easter is very special in the Christian tradition. The Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday and the last three days before Easter are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Silent Saturday. Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem, the Last Supper, and the Crucifixion.

The Betrayal, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection

(a wonderful depiction brought to you by ChristianAnswers.net)

Jesus knew that His hour to die had come, so He gathered His disciples together for a Passover dinner. As they ate, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it to them, saying, “Take, eat: this is My body, broken for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” This is what Christians today call communion.

He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, he gave it to them; and they all drank. And He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I say unto you, I will not any more drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it again with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Jesus said, “Don’t let yourselves be upset: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions, and I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again to get you, so that you can be with Me. And you know where I am going and you know the way to get there.”

But Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, so how could we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father except through me.” That evening, Jesus also warned the disciples of difficult times to come. He said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me before it hated you. He that hates Me, hates My Father also.”

After supper, Jesus walked to a garden called Gethsemane for a time of prayer. His disciples followed Him to this secluded place. After His prayer, the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders arrived there, looking for Jesus. Judas, who had just eaten with Him, was leading the group. Judas approached Jesus, greeting Him with a kiss of betrayal. Suddenly, Jesus identified himself to the mob by saying, “I AM.” The crowd went backwards and fell to the ground. After that, Jesus allowed himself to be tied up and brought into the high priest’s house. The temple officers who held Jesus ridiculed Him and spit in His face. And when they had blindfolded Him, they punched Him and slapped Him on the face, and then said, “Prophesy you holy man. Who hit you?”

Early the next morning, the crowd led Jesus to the Roman governor, Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow corrupting our Jewish nation.” But after questioning Jesus, Pilate told the chief priests, the rulers and the people; “He has done nothing worthy of death. I’ll just order Him to be beaten and then release Him.” But they called out all at once, saying, “Get rid of this man. Crucify Him. Crucify Him.” Pilate, wanting to satisfy the people, had Jesus brutally whipped, and then turned Him over to be crucified. The Roman soldiers braided a mock crown of thorns, placing it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. They said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they beat Him with their fists.

Afterwards they took Jesus and led Him away, making Him carry a wooden cross up to a place called Calvary, also known as Golgotha or the place of a skull. There in the same area, where many years before God had told Abraham to sacrifice his only beloved son Isaac, they nailed Jesus, God’s only beloved son, to the cross. As they did this, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they are doing.” While Jesus hung between two criminals who were also being executed, soldiers took His clothes, gambling for His robe, which fulfilled the prophetic words spoken by David. For three hours, the people watched. The rulers with them mocked Jesus, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” Then a darkness came on the land which stayed for three more hours as the prophet’s words were fulfilled: “The Lord laid the sins of us all on Him.”

Jesus then cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Jesus, knowing that everything was now accomplished, fulfilled scripture when He said, “I thirst.” The soldiers ridiculed Jesus as they offered Him vinegar by saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Jesus tasted the vinegar, then called out, “It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” Then He bowed His head, and let His spirit go. As He died, the sun darkened and the earth quaked, and the thick veil of the Temple ripped down the middle. Now when the Roman captain in charge saw what happened, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two thieves who were hanging on the crosses beside Jesus. But when the soldiers saw that Jesus was already dead, they didn’t break His legs. Instead, one of them pierced His side with a spear, allowing blood and water to pour out. All of this happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled: “None of His bones will be broken,” and “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

Afterwards, two believers (Joseph and Nicodemus) took Jesus’ body, wound it in linen grave clothes dipped in spices, and laid His body in a tomb. Then, as requested by the Jewish leaders, the tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers. Now, after three days, there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolled back the stone from the tomb’s door. In fright, the Roman soldiers trembled and then ran away. When followers of Jesus came to the tomb and saw the stone moved, they were confused. Suddenly, two men stood by them in shining garments, saying, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen. Remember how He told you before that He must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again?”

Then they remembered His words.

The same day in the evening, Jesus came to the disciples and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified, thinking that they were seeing a spirit. So He said, “Look at my hands and my feet, it is really Me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, like you see I have. Everything happened as I told you it would because all the writings that described me in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, had to be fulfilled.” Then He opened their understanding, saying, “It is written in the Scriptures that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name among all nations. And you have seen these things.”

Jesus continued appearing to many people, showing them that He was alive, which gave infallible proof of His resurrection. And He instructed His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” At the end of forty days, Jesus announced to His disciples, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall tell others about Me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.” As they watched, Jesus was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. Two men in white clothing said, “Why are you standing there staring up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was just taken up into heaven, shall come back again in the same manner as you saw Him go.”

So the followers of Jesus went throughout the land, preaching and baptizing, telling everyone that Christ the Savior was risen from the dead. They showed in the Scriptures how by Adam came sin and death, but by Jesus Christ came forgiveness and the resurrection of the dead. They told how one day all the new bodies of those who have trusted God and believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be raised from the dead and, together with those who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. God’s book also says that Heaven will open, and Jesus will return to earth as the conquering King and righteous Judge. And the name written on his clothes will be KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And the armies which are in heaven will follow him upon white horses.

Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives (just as the prophet Zechariah said), and the mountain will divide. And Christ will reign over all the earth. But when a thousand years expire, Satan will once more go out to deceive the nations, but fire will come down from God and devour those who follow Satan. Then finally, Satan, the deceiver, will be thrown into the lake of fire and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And then, in front of a great white throne, the dead, both small and great, will stand before God; and who ever is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

But in a new heaven and a new earth, God will be with His people. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no night and no need for candles, nor light from the sun; because the glory of God and the lamb will be the light; and They shall reign for ever and ever. And the Tree of Life will be there and the curse on mankind will be gone.

Jesus says, “Let those who are thirsty come. Let them freely drink the water of life. Behold, I come quickly; blessed are they who obey My words. He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not be condemned; but is passed from death unto life.”

This is God’s Story for you. These are the wonderful things God was working through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

StepInFaith Ministry hosts More Than Conquerors Fellowship every Wednesday at 2pm EST. Today’s topic was, “Family Structure: Understanding God’s Divine Hierarchy” and we concentrated on Ephesians 5:23 [show] For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. (ESV)
which says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.”

God’s Word provides us with a very specific order of responsibility.

Here is the outline for the live video fellowship. You can watch the replay here: More Than Conquerors: Family Structure {Hierarchy}

1. Everything starts with God.
   • Focus your attention on Him firstly and mostly!
   • The god in your life gets the most attention from you. Honestly consider what in your life gets most of your attention. Is it your spouse? Your kids? Your job? Your finances? If it isn’t God, begin evaluating what you need to change in order to officially make GOD the Lord over your life!
2. After God comes man.
   • Men being the headship of families has become a lost concept.
   • Societal acceptance of casual sex has single-handedly ruined the sanctity of marriage which is the most integral part of our worldwide community — that destruction has trickled down throughout the balance of the hierarchy like a ripple effect in the water.
3. The third level in the family hierarchy is woman.
   • In our modern age, we’ve made a movement out of trying to abandon the definition of God’s structure.
   • Men are not to be in “control” of women — his responsibility to God for his family is greater than hers because he is expected to make the most sacrifices.
4. Most families that fail end up separating due to one of three reasons:
   • Lack of attention being paid to the marriage (neglecting intimacy)
   • Financial issues (too much money/not enough money, differing ideas of how to manage money)
   • Infidelity (often stemming from lack of attention)
5. God gave man dominion over the family.
   • Having dominion over the family does not mean ruling by control — it means guiding and guarding them with your life. Guiding by example and guarding by protection.
   • If more husbands fashioned their guidance and leadership in the family after the loving guidance and leadership of Christ, more wives would trust their husbands enough to submit to their gentle authority.
   • Men who have abused their authority have caused women to resent and reject their leadership and men who have been lax in that role have caused women to in turn take up the slack and reverse the structure of the family.
   • Man determines whether or not his family hierarchy is what God intended.
6. God designed women to be maternal, emotional, and intuitive.
   • Women influence men through respect and honor, not by means of manipulation or deceit.
   • Spouses should never resort to punishment or rejection as a way to get what they want from one another.

Today’s fellowship had a couple of interruptions (the baby re-busted her lip *awww* and my browser froze completely) so please forgive the two separate recordings!

Key Scriptures

Philemon 1:6 [show] and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. (ESV)
My prayer is that our fellowship with you as believers will bring about a deeper understanding of every blessing which we have in our life in union with Christ.

1 John 1:7 [show] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (ESV)
But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.

For those who have been missing the More Than Conquerors teleconference fellowship, you will be happy to know it is BACK! What’s even better is that now, our fellowship is going to be streamed LIVE via MingleMediaTV‘s online network! Over the next few weeks, we will be also implementing additional ways to listen in, such as video replay, online radio, and our existing teleconference line (for those who appreciated our old school way!)

We will be streaming our video fellowship LIVE on MingleMediaTV every Wednesday from 2-3pm EST. That is 11am Pacific, 12pm Mountain, and 1pm Central time!

There are several ways to participate in the More Than Conquerors fellowship:

1. To simply watch the fellowship’s video stream, visit the More Than Conquerors page on MingleMediaTV’s online network: http://minglemediatv.com/MoreThanConquerors.html… the stream will automatically begin!
2. To watch the video stream and join in the fellowship via text chat, visit http://minglemediatv.com/MoreThanConquerors.html and click the button below the stream that says “Click here to enter chat” … when prompted, enter the required information. If you already have a Stickam.com account, login. If not, enter a chat name in the last field and click on “Chat” – Your text chat will be enabled.
   • If you would rather chat via Twitter, click the Twitter tab above the text chat area and then click the button that says “Click here to log in to Twitter” … that’s it!
3. To watch the video stream and join in with your webcam, you will need to sign up for an account at Stickam.com. Once you’ve registered your account, visit http://minglemediatv.com/MoreThanConquerors.html and be sure you are logged in. Click on one of the six screens that say “Ask the host to enable your video” … I will activate your stream and you can participate! Anyone is welcome!

While you’re watching, you have the option of popping the screen out of the window so that you are able to browse or work on other things on your computer while still viewing the stream. Simply click on the “Popout” button above the text chat area! If you have any issues, questions, or concerns before, during, or after our initial show, please leave a comment here and we will work to resolve, answer, and assess them all in the order they are received!

All of the fellowship meetings will be available for replay immediately after it ends via the MingleMediaTV website and will be available on our website within an hour.

Thank you SO much for your continued support.

If you would like to donate to StepInFaith or sponsor our More Than Conquers fellowship in any way, please contact us at donate@stepinfaith.org!

Lord God I come before You this morning seeking Your face and asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit. So often I find myself walking away from my commitments because I feel I don’t have the strength to persevere. There are so many things I want to do, but only one me. I have allowed myself to become overwhelmed in many ways, accepting more than I can handle and in turn making all areas of my life suffer. I can feel it in my entire life when my time with you takes a nosedive… when I let other things cloud my focus and preoccupy my time. Father please forgive me for not giving my all to my purpose in You - to turning away from where You are taking me in my selfish pursuance of my own desires.

Thank You for being a loving God and for providing for me and protecting me in spite of my imperfection. Lord, I thank You for choosing me to be a part of this day… I am so grateful for an unfinished purpose – for a reason to be in Your grace. So many are hurting today and I ask that You comfort them. My needs, you secure… my burdens, You carry… my pains, You take away… from my troubles, You rescue me. I ask not for myself today, but for all my brothers and sisters who are not yet sure they can lean on You. I pray that You lift them into Your arms and show them how amazing You love is. I stand before your throne in the name of Jesus. Amen.