BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Before they got there, however, something happened that stopped Jesus in His tracks. A woman with an issue of blood pressed in behind Him and touched His clothes, believing that if she could just touch them she would be healed. Jesus, sensing the healing power of God had flowed out of Him, turned around to find out who had touched Him. When she identified herself, He ministered to her. He stood there and listened while she told Him how many years she’d been sick and how many doctors she’d seen and how much it had cost her. He listened while she told Him how she had suffered many things of many doctors and she’d gotten no better, but rather grew worse. As she talked on and on, Jairus did not yield to the pressure and urgency of his own situation. He didn’t say a word. He just stayed quiet because he’d already said what he needed to say: “Lord, You come and lay Your hands on my daughter and she will be healed and she will live.” That was his faith confession and he wasn’t saying anything else. Period! His faith was sustaining him. As he was standing there waiting, however, he got some news that threatened to be a game-changer. Someone shoved through the crowd and said to him, “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” (verse 35). Those words must have hit Jairus like a brick. Suddenly he’s facing the most serious situation any parent can imagine. His daughter isn’t just sick anymore—she’s dead. What did he say when he found out about it? Nothing. Jesus didn’t give him a chance. As soon as He heard what Jairus had been told He said, “Be not afraid, only believe” (verse 36). Why did He say that? ***article continues on p. 31**** ****************************************************************************************** Victorious Christian Living Stay Connected to the Spirit by Gloria Copeland “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:15-17 We’ll never experience any real success in life without the help of the Holy Spirit. He’s the One who communicates to us the will of God for our lives. He’s the One who shows us the paths that will lead to our divine destiny. The Amplified Bible calls Him our Comforter, our Counselor, our Helper, our Intercessor, our Advocate, our Strengthener and our Standby. Jesus said He is the One who will teach us all things (John 14:26). If we encounter a problem, it’s the Holy Spirit who gives us wisdom so we know what to do. If we find ourselves ensnared in some kind of trouble, He reveals the truth that will make us free. When we’re weak, He strengthens us. When we see what to do but can’t do it on our own, He takes hold together with us and helps us. The more attuned we are to the voice of the Holy Spirit and the more we are led by Him, the more victory we’ll experience in our lives. That’s one reason we must so earnestly endeavor to continually walk in love. Love puts us in position to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. In John 14 through 16, where Jesus gave His final instructions to His disciples before He went to the cross, we see the command of love mentioned repeatedly throughout the Lord’s teaching on the Holy Spirit. Clearly, there is a connection between the two. Since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love, when we step out of love, we are stepping out of His flow. We are interrupting our connection with Him. When we disobey the command of love, He is hindered in His ministry to us. We simply can’t afford to let that happen. We need the Holy Spirit’s help too much. We need Him to help us meet the needs of our families. We need Him to help us plan our schedules and deal wisely with the challenges we face every day. We need Him to constantly guide us so we can avoid the traps and snares of the devil. That’s why we must do what it takes to keep our ears open to His voice, our hearts sensitive to His leadings, and ourselves in position to be controlled by Him. That’s why we must be diligent to live the life of love. V BVOV : 29

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