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2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
God’s grace is complete and perfect, and God works best in our lives when we are humbled, weak, and insufficient. The truth is our sufficiency is of God alone. 2 Corinthians 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” We must let go, and let God. Our prayer must be, “O Lord I can’t, but you can”. Trials in our lives may certainly help us reach to a point of weakness. There isn’t anything impossible or too hard for the Lord. The grace that is greater than our sin, is also complete and perfect to see us through the darkest nights, the highest mountains, and our deepest struggles. God’s grace is greater than all our problems. What is impossible with man is possible with God. 1. God’s Grace helps us to Give Benevolently 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” This giving was amazing… it is without a doubt a sacrificial and miraculous way of giving. The only explanation one can give to this kind of giving is the grace of God. 2. God’s Grace helps us to Labour 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 3. God’s Grace to Witness with every God-given opportunity Colossians 4:5-6 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” 4. God’s Grace to Forgive others as we have been Forgiven Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” 5. God’s Grace to Endure Hardness and be Faithful to Please God 2 Timothy 2:1-3 “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 6. God’s Grace Strengthens us in Christ Alone Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I thank my God who enables us through Christ to do what pleases Him. It is only by God's grace we can do all that He wants us to do, but we must be very careful not to blame the grace of God for our unfaithfulness, because God is able. We must have faith in His saving Grace and sanctifying Grace. Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
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John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This verse (John 3:16) is a famous Bible verse amongst the believers and non-believers. It is a rich verse that proves God’s love through one of the greatest promises ever given to man – the promise of “everlasting life”. DL Moody once said, “God never made a promise that was too good to be true.” God planned, prepared, and promised eternal life with Him in Heaven before the world even began. Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Unfortunately, in the beginning of creation the devil effectively deceived people into rebelling against God and living life without Him, causing them to miss out on God’s greatest promise. To rebel against God and live without the Creator is sinful and has brought about an eternal death, which has been passed on to all of humanity. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” Notice what Jesus said prior to John 3:16…John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:” In John 3 Jesus is speaking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus, and Jesus points him back to the time when the children of Israel fell into sin as Moses was leading them to the Promised and Land (which is a picture of eternal life). Jesus was reminding Nicodemus of God’s Great Salvation that he offered them. John 3:16 reminds us about a few things regarding Salvation: 1. The Source of Salvation John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…” 2. The Sacrifice of Salvation John 3:16 “…that he gave his only begotten Son…” 3. The Scope of Salvation John 3:16 “…that whosoever believeth in him..." 4. The Seriousness of Salvation John 3:16 “…should not perish..." 5. The Security of Salvation John 3:16 “…but have everlasting life.” Jesus said in John 10:10 “...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” We all desire to have our prayers heard by our Heavenly Father; and our great God desires to hear our prayers. However, there are some things that hinder our prayers from reaching the ears of our God. When we look at Scripture we see a few things that encourage us to make sure we are in tune with God and have our prayers heard.
Sensitive to the Word Proverbs 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” It is of the utmost importance to value and be serious about the Word of God. If we take God’s Word seriously, He will take our prayer seriously. If we would love to seek God through prayer, and have them heard, then we must love to seek and heed God’s Word. Spurgeon once said “Philip was a searcher after Christ in the place where Christ loves to be—in the pages of Scripture—and you must be the same if you desire to find Jesus!” Standing Upright Psalm 84:11 “…no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Unconfessed sin in our lives will stop us from walking uprightly and in return will hinder our relationship and communication with God. The psalmist mentions that “no good thing” will God withhold from those that walk in integrity and truth. God also states that their prayers will have strength and prevail; in others words their prayers will be heard by God like God answered Elijah’s prayer. James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Standing with Forgiveness Mark 11:25-26 “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Vs 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” A heart that harbors resentment toward others will defiantly hinder our prayers to God. Sensitive to our Wives 1 Peter 3:7 “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” The Bible mentions that when the husband has an insensitive spirit towards the needs of his wife, his prayers will be hindered. Standing with Faith 1 Timothy 2:8 “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” A life that is lived by faith will cause us to pray in faith. George Muller once said "“I believe God has heard my prayers. He will make it manifest in His own good time that He has heard me. I have recorded my petitions that when God has answered them, His name will be glorified.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” 1. Love
Negative thinking: Nobody cares Positive thinking: Everybody cares Biblical thinking: God cares 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 2. Purpose Negative thinking: I am nothing Positive thinking I am something Biblical thinking: I am made by God Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works…” 3. Sufficiency Negative thinking: I am not sufficient Positive thinking: I am sufficient Biblical thinking: God is my Sufficiency 2 Corinthians 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” 4. Christlikeness Negative thinking: I cannot change Positive thinking: I can change Biblical thinking: In Christ I can change 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 5. Victory Negative thinking: I am a looser Positive thinking: I am a winner Biblical thinking: I have victory in Christ 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 6. Trust Negative thinking: I can’t wait Positive thinking: I will wait Biblical thinking: I’ll wait on the Lord Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” 7. Forgiveness Negative thinking: God won’t forgive me Positive thinking: God will forgive me Biblical thinking: God can forgive me 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 8. Success Negative thinking: I will fail Positive thinking: I will succeed Biblical thinking: I must obey Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” 9. Faith Negative thinking: I am fearful Positive thinking: I fear nothing Biblical thinking: God is with me Joshua 1:9 “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” 10 Strength Negative thinking: I can’t do it Positive thinking: You can do it Biblical thinking: I can do it through Christ alone.  Nehemiah 6:9 “For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”
As we strive to put God first in all that we do and seek to bring Glory to God by the way we live, we will face various discouragements. Nehemiah had discouragement come his way as he was doing the Work of God. Sanballat and Tobiah found out that the “walls of Jerusalem” were being rebuilt, and they wanted to make sure it didn’t happen. So they invented lies (that he was planning to cause a revolt against the king, and that he wanted to be king) about Nehemiah to cause him to fear so the work would cease. Nehemiah 6:8 “Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.” The devil at some point will use someone (whether they know it or not) to discourage you from the work of God. They will falsely accuse you and pursue you so that you would be fearful. This is to weaken and cripple you so will not be effective in the Work of God. Remember, the enemy does not want you to be used for God’s glory. What do we do when we are discouraged? 1. Cry out to God Nehemiah 6:9 “For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” King David was accustomed to cry out to God when he was discouraged. Either by his enemies or by his own sin. Psalm 59:1-12 2. Continue to do right Nehemiah 6:10-11 “Afterward I came unto the house of She-ma-iah the son of De-la-iah the son of Me-het-a-beel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. Vs 11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” Nehemiah didn’t need to hide like a criminal as if he was guilty of the accusation. These were just lies trying to manipulate Nehemiah to do wrong. Nehemiah 6:13 “Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.” Fear can grip our hearts and therefore cause us to react and act in haste with our decisions; fear can leads us in a way that demonstrate a lack of Faith in God. As a result we can lose our testimony, and defame the name of God…Nehemiah knew that God will not encourage him to do wrong and go hide in the Temple of God. Nehemiah 6:12 “And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him…” Cry out to God, Continue to do right, and God will give you the grace you need to battle against discouragement. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 3. Commit the Discourages to God Notice how Nehemiah goes to God in prayer, entrusting his discouragers - Tobiah and Sanballat – into God’s hands. Nehemiah 6:14 “My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noa-diah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.” As the temptation arises to try clear your name, resist the urge and leave it to God…As the flesh desires to move forward to avenge itself, pull back and leave it to God. Romans 12:17-19 “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Vs 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Vs 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” When you react the enemy has you where he wants you. They want you to act in fear. They want you to make hastily decision, greatest of all, they want you to lose your testimony. Notice what happens when you choose to cry out to God, continue to do right, and commit them in God’s Hands. Nehemiah 6:15 “So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.” Nehemiah 6:16 “And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.” You’re able to finish the work God has entrusted to you, and your discouragers will see God’s power and know that they cannot prevail against Him or God’s people. The way you respond as a Christian will play a big part in the eyes of others. Let people see Jesus in you! 
John 3:1-3 “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: vs 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Vs 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
It is amazing how Jesus answers Nicodemus’ statement. Nicodemus identifies the power of God upon Jesus by the miracles He has performed, and Jesus cuts to the chase regarding a very important factor. There was no beating around the bush with Jesus. If there was anything that would be so important in a person’s life it would be their current relationship with the Creator and their Eternal Destiny. By the way, when Jesus demonstrated miracles, it was for the glory of God but also that the World would believe on Jesus for their soul’s salvation. Jesus makes it very clear to Nicodemus that a person cannot see the “Kingdom of Heaven” without being “Born again.” In John 3:5-6, Jesus will explain what it means to be “Born again.” John 3:5-6 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Vs 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” To be born again is to be born of God. We all have been born in the flesh (by our parents) and we need to be born again (by His Spirit) into God’s family. Part of the reason we must be born again is because we have inherited the sinful nature from Adam and Eve. Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” God will not let a natural sinful man into His Kingdom. They must be born again from His Spirit. They must become a child of the Living God. How does a person become a child of God, and born into God family? There are many people that think being a good/religious person or keeping the Ten Commandments will get them to Heaven. This concept of being born again to Nicodemus would have been confusing to him, as good works and keeping the law is what Pharisees lived by to earn God’s favour. I heard a story "In June of 2008 Phuljharia Kunwa, a rich 80-year old Indian widow, spent thousands of dollars on a feast for 100,000 people hoping it would please the gods and open the doors of heaven for her. She fed lunch to people from surrounding villages and towns for two consecutive days. She has no family or relatives to bequeath her property to. Mrs. Kunwar spent $37,500 on the feast." Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. No amount of benevolence can earn someone the right to dwell in Heaven or forgive their sin. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: vs9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” The only way a person can have their sin forgiven is through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is having faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Jesus died in our place, receiving judgment for our sin, giving us eternal life and God’s righteousness. This is the greatest gift ever given. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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