Posted by 
WRITTEN BY: His Lordship Bishop Andres Quow OM
Grace and peace to all my Brothers and Sisters in Christ wherever you might be at this moment.
I thank God for this wonderful privilege and opportunity where I can encourage hearts today. It doesn’t matter what you are facing at this moment, I come to encourage you to keep your eyes on Christ. When we face hardship and discouragement, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. But I come to tell you that you are not alone. There is help…. Many have already made it through life, enduring far more difficult circumstances than we have experienced. Sometimes suffering is the training ground for our maturity. It develops our patience and makes our final victory sweet.
Today I want to encourage us from Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Beloved! If you are looking at the bad things that are going on in your life then you are looking at the wrong things. You have to turn from the things you are looking at and start looking at the right things. Start by praising God. Give Him something to work with. Faith is always grateful, faith always praises God. You can’t be a grumbler and be in faith at the same time. God can’t work on your behalf if you are grumbling and complaining all the time. Check yourself, make the decision to be thankful even if circumstances seem to say you are failing, and you don’t feel like you ever going to succeed. You certainly won’t if you won’t look to the One who always causes us to triumph in Christ. You are not praising Him for all the bad stuff that is going on, you are praising Him for His protection, His deliverance and His faithfulness. He has never failed and He never will. If we want to walk in this victory then we have to walk with him.
Faith is what pleases Him and praise is the fuel that activates faith, you can see this over and over throughout the word of God. This is not a formula but a way of life. Let us learn to trust Him and see His absolute faithfulness. God inhabits the praises of His people. Psalms 22:3 says ‘’But Thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel’’. Another way we could say this is God manifest Himself in the praises of His people. He is an active living God and wants to show Himself strong on our behalf.
Psalms 34:1 says ‘’I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth’’. David had a revelation of God’s great love for him, he was grounded in it. He wasn’t afraid to turn to Him regardless of what was going on. He messed up many times yet in the midst of the messes, David would time after time turn back to Him and rest in His great Love. No wonder God said He was a man after His own heart. Sometimes our actions have negative consequences, yet even in this we can and should turn to the One who has all the answers and will show us the way out. I’ve learned this in my own life, when I look to Him I will receive the answers I need to get out of any situation. It is almost never the way you would have chosen to get out, yet it is the way to safety that only He can give. He’s the One who can restore and show us the path to victory. I know He’s done it for me and He will surely do it for you. Learn to trust Him totally and completely. Say to yourself ‘’If God is for me who can be against me? As this mindset grows in you, you will begin to climb to higher heights than you thought possible. Let Him manifest His great love to you and see the deliverance of the Lord.
Ephesians 2:4 says, ‘’But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us’’. Our faith should be anchored in His great love towards us. So many believers have faith in their faith alone, as opposed to the One who is the author and finisher of our faith. The more you know Him the more you love Him. The more you love Him the more you trust Him. The more you trust Him the deeper your faith grows. It’s all tied together. It becomes easier as you walk in this complete trust and confidence knowing He’s for us and not against us. This is something that can be developed, we all have to grow in this. You can be confident that even if you do mess up, He will restore you and show you how to get back on track. This certainly takes a lot of pressure off us.
May We keep our eyes focused on the prize. May we stay grounded in His Love and Keep in mind that without Faith it is impossible to please God. Stay Encourage and Be empowered. I will continue on this topic in my next writing.
Grace and Peace to all my Brethren…….
THE MYSTICAL BROTHERHOOD 