The work of the ministry is to change unbelieving sinners into praying and believing saints. Prayer introduces us to a life of faith. Paul declared that the life he lived, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him – that he walked by faith and not by sight.
Let’s talk about doubt and fear. What I call the twin enemies of faith. A simple, confident faith, living day by day, and casting its burden on the Lord, each hour of the day, will drive away fear, and deliver you from doubt. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by supplication and prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. That is the cure for all fear, anxiety, and undue concern of the soul, all of which are closely similar to doubt and unbelief. This is the divine prescription for securing the peace, which passes all understanding, and keeps the heart and mind in quietness and peace. The devil's job is to unsettle your belief in Christ. You tell the devil, "It is written, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and that includes believing in my Savior!". Read the Word every day. Faith comes by hearing and reading the Word of God. Anytime doubt and fear rise up, it's make you lose focus. Have the mind of Christ, put on the helmet of your salvation and do not let the lies and deceptions of the evil one cause you to stray from the truth. God's Word never returns void and when you let doubt and fear in you are effectively voiding your prayers. You have the Word and the Word never fails!
The work of the ministry is to change unbelieving sinners into praying and believing saints. Prayer introduces us to a life of faith. Paul declared that the life he lived, he lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him – that he walked by faith and not by sight.
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by Ward W. Bond, PhD
How many of you let thoughts race through your mind causing depression, stress, anxiety and emotional instability? Did you know your thoughts only have power if you give them power? Millions of Americans are taking prescribed medications to deal with depressive and emotional instability simply caused by the mind games they play. There isn’t a drug to erase our thoughts. There’s an old saying that 90% of the things we think of never happen, so why are we allowing our thoughts to control our destiny? We all live in a life that has many emotions and we are the ones who control those emotions. It’s time to get a grip on our thought life. The Bible tells us, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Take a look at the last two words, ‘sound mind’ which is also interpreted as ‘self-control’. We were designed to have free will and not created as robots. We have the power to ignore the thoughts in our head or to act upon them. Most people never act upon the thoughts; they just stick the memory bank on repeat until it drives them into emotional instability. Many think self-control is a physical action, but every physical action is linked to a mental action. Mentally we are always asking ourselves: What? How? Why? If you ask yourself these things, can you honestly give yourself the answer? If you can answer ‘What’, ‘How’, and ‘Why’ then you should stop the emotional mind games. The mind games are usually a result of the unknown or unanswered questions. We’ve all been hurt, taken advantage of, wounded, or self-diagnosing an undiagnosed condition and wonder if we are coming down with a dreaded disease and that’s just the short list. We trap ourselves in a mental cage with no bars! “Banish emotional stress from your mind, and put away pain from your body; for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.” Ecclesiastes 11:10 We must not let unforgiveness, bitterness and resentment live in our minds and even our hearts. Life is too short and those who hurt us usually don’t realize it or they are too embarrassed or prideful to make the wrong right. In life, we are not going to get everything and that includes an apology. The Bible also tells us “love doesn’t keep track of wrongs…”(1 Corinthians 13:5). Just reading that stings us all. Love isn’t all joy, happiness, flowers and candy. Love is the action that heals all wounds and it takes an act of love to forgive, stop resentment and bitterness from leading us down a self-destructing path. I write this article from personal experience. I know what it’s like to be wronged. For me, the thing that can be hard to overcome is why people just can’t apologize and make a wrong a right? This world is full of pride, self-centeredness, and self-agendas and it’s not going to change. What has to change is how we deal with the disappointments in life or what we perceive as disappointments. Some things we feel are disappointments can come from miscommunication in our lives and that’s when we have to ask ourselves some questions. Listen closely to the following words. “Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. Commit your future to the Lord! Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.He will vindicate you in broad daylight, and publicly defend your just cause. Wait patiently for the Lord. Wait confidently for him! Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner, a man who carries out wicked schemes. Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!” Psalm 37:3-8 In a world of mind games, you must seek the source of those thoughts. Are they real or they imagined? Let’s say the mind games you’re playing are coming from a past or recent hurt or betrayal. The above words direct you to one thing. To seek the high road and let go and let God. Move on. Don’t give another thought to your thoughts! We all deserve peace in our hearts and peace in our minds and it all comes down to us making the decision that we will do just that! Medication has its purpose, but it can’t cure mind games and in some cases medications can cause terrible thoughts in the mind, so read your labels and see what the side effects are. Maybe your mind is being controlled by a controlled substance and you need to seek a better way. Christian counseling is one way to receive the help you may need. The Bible says to seek wise counsel. In certain times in life, we are not to live it alone. Let me leave you with this scripture, "Resist the devil and he shall flee from you." James 4:7, the devil is the author of mind games and untrue thoughts. The Lord gives us the mind of Christ and when we desire to have the mind of Christ, we will know the thoughts which are true and those which are false. I pray this article will help you lead a much peaceful, happier life full of truth and freedom. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
In the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging. If a tree is too large to be chopped down, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. Woodsmen with these so-called special powers creep up on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at it at the top of their lungs. They continue this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works. Today, husbands yell at wives, wives yell at their husbands, both yell at their kids. We yell at the telephone, the lawn mower, the TV and the newspaper and our pets. People yell at their cars a lot. We modern, urban, educated folks yell at traffic, umpires, our bills and the banks and machines--especially machines from iPhones to computers. Machines and relatives get most of the yelling. Don't know what good it does? As for people, well, the Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts. The Bible says, "You have been ensnared by the words of your mouth..." (Proverbs 6:2) and the Bible also says, we will sow what we reap. Yelling at our loved ones or other people does nothing more than show our insecurities and lack of wisdom. It also shows are lack of trust and faith in the Lord. We need to stop taking out our shortcomings, failures, frustrations on others around us. Eventually, we will kill the spirit in those around us and the spirit within us will reap the very thing we sowed in others. I encourage everyone to read a chapter of Psalms and a chapter of Proverbs every single day. You will learn how to handle yourself and anything that life throws at you. When you do that, the words you speak will one of love, encouragement and wise. Those around you will grow mightily and you will reap that benefits in which you plant in others. Rise up and walk. Those were powerful faith-filled words Peter spoke as he took the hand of the lame man. Rise up and walk. Four small words, which should ring in our ears, encouraging us and telling us that all things are possible, when we only believe. Maybe you need to rise up and walk and take the hand of healing before you. Maybe you need to rise up and walk and find help. The Lord doesn’t bless those filled with unbelief. He gives to those who rise up in faith. Ask, seek, and knock. Faith without works is dead. Are you one of those who never give up because you know the Lord will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory? We need to walk by faith and not by sight. In a situation where you desire to receive, rise up, reach out and walk. You’ve got nothing to lose. Arise and see your world change. It can happen, just got to believe.
Matthew 10:20 says, “For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you.” Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to speak, but didn’t know what to say? Sometimes we say the wrong things instead of allowing the Holy Spirit speak for and through us. At other times, we want the Lord to speak through us, but go into a situation completely lost for words. If you read Jeremiah 1:9, it tells us the Lord will put forth his hand, and touched your mouth and put His words in your mouth. We need to realize that we can depend on our Lord for all things, including His words, which can heal, forgive, and take us to victory. The Lord is amazing that not only will He provide us with the things we need, He will fill our mouth with the very words to say in all situations. Let him speak through you today. Amen?
by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Some of you never knew the pain you are experiencing could hurt so bad. You never know sleep so restless. Some of you never dreamed you could cry so hard. But you keep telling yourself, “that’s not the way it's suppose to be?”. And some of you feel the power of love is dead, all faith is gone. You feel there is no cure for the pain, but I’m here to tell you Christ knows pain. He knows restlessness. He knew what it was like to cry. His hands were pressed together in prayer while tears fell from His eyes. In one moment of time Jesus experienced all of it on the cross. Those nailed pierced hands, spilt blood to cover sin. You can win this fight in your life, because Christ’s blood will forever stain your very existence. And that very thing can simply be believing in someone greater than yourself, your situation or maybe even greater than your doctor. Seek ye first the kingdom and Christ will show you the way and meet every need along the way. by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Let’s talk about faith for a moment. Faith does the impossible because it brings God to undertake for us, and nothing is impossible with God. Prayer projects faith on God, and God on the world. Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God. In His cursing of the fig tree our Lord demonstrated His power. Our prayers need to be focused on the present. We must trust God today, and leave tomorrow entirely with Him. The present is ours; the future belongs to God. As every day demands its bread, so every day demands its prayer. No amount of praying, done today, will suffice for tomorrow’s praying. Today’s manna is what we need; tomorrow God will see that our needs are supplied. This is the faith, which God seeks to inspire. So leave tomorrow, with its cares, its needs, its troubles, in God’s hands. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof; and, most assuredly, if we possess faith, sufficient also, will be the good. by Ward Bond, PhD
. The Lord shared with me this morning something that I want to share with you. The body may have cancer, but one’s faith doesn’t. With all the advances in medicine, sometimes cancer can’t be defeated. You see, the body can be weak from the battle of cancer, the countless treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. Faith, can be low, poor or strong. If a tumor is the size of a grapefruit and faith is the size of a mustard seed, guess which one is more powerful to overcome the other? The mustard seed of faith! The faith the size of a mustard seed can defeat the enemy. How will that faith grow into a mighty tree with deep roots? Reading the ever living Word of God and praying by faith in the name of Jesus grows your faith. When we read His Word, it’s alive and never returns void. It has a message and a mission. We have the power to send His Word on a mission and defeat the enemy, whether it be cancer, arthritis pain, a blind eye, a deaf ear, a broken heart or depression. We start with a mustard seed of faith. So have you been watering your seed? by Ward W. Bond, PhD
Before the fateful day on Calvary when the Son of God was crucified, He went around forgiving sins and healing all who came to Him. Remember the day in the temple when He chased the moneychangers away? Those people were selling sacrifices that did not line up with the law at that time. His Father deserved the very best, and Jesus called them on it. They were profiting from selling doves, lambs and goats that were not pure, but less than, meaning they weren’t the first pick of the herd and were not without spot or wrinkle. If the sacrifices at that time were not good enough for God, think of the many things today that aren’t good enough for you? God wants the very best for your body, mind and spirit. Think for a moment, are you giving your body the very best? Are you putting the right things into your mind? What are you feeding your spirit? Everything matters. In Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Let’s take the body first. What are you feeding it? Our body is designed to house the Holy Spirit and to be a strong, vibrant being so we can commune with the Lord as well as go out into the world and spread the Gospel. A morning donut is not going to make you strong and vibrant. A raw fruit/vegetable smoothie will make you strong and vibrant. Remember Daniel refusing the king’s food and to live off of vegetables and water? He became stronger than the others and the king saw it and granted him and his three friends favor. It pays to be healthy! So many people are being raised without the knowledge that healthy food creates a healthy body. We are living in a world full of disease and things aren’t getting any better. More cancer, more viruses and bacteria are growing and man is helpless to stop it. They spend billions to find cures that will never be found. Seems money outweighs the health of society, so it all comes down to us. We need more education to help ourselves and others that the Lord gave us seeds to grow our food and to nourish our bodies. I always say, ‘eat life, get life back.’ Eating food full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzyme will provide every cell in you to prevent disease, thrive in good health and fulfill the purpose the Lord has for your life. Every bite of food will have a consequence upon your physical and mental state, not just today, but five, ten even twenty years down the road. Yes, providing yourself the best food pays you back more than the quick meal of a donut and coffee. What about your mind? What are you feeding the gray matter between your ears? The Word of God is a lamp upon our feet, ready to guide our every step when we move upon His Word with delight! “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart,” Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight in the Lord. Reading His Word daily is showing delight, not because we have too, but because we want too! In today’s society, we have our faces planted in our smartphones counting ‘likes’, ‘favorites’, ‘replies’, retweets’ and it’s nothing but wood, hay and stumble that will not stand the test of time. It’s making us mindless dummies and robots. Our minds are becoming mush instead of focused, steady and creative. In 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (NEV) We can either fill our minds with the things that are directing our actions toward the Lord or towards sin and the Bible says we are keep all thoughts captive. “We tear down arguments and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. You are in control what goes into your mind via your ears, eyes and thoughts. Be mindful of everything. God gave us a brain to use for His glory, so keep it healthy with the right thoughts and visions. What you store into your memory bank matters, the gray matter that is. Your spirit deserves the best too. Do you make time for solitude in your life? Jesus woke up early each morning to go pray before the sun came up. He made time to feed is spirit by communing with His Father. As His ministry grew, He knew one could not fulfill the great commission by not praying. It’s where He got His daily bread, instruction and power. We have to be the same way. In a world of distractions, we need to be still and know God. Do you serve? Do you spend time with others who are less fortunate? We need to look upward and outward to reach out and help others. I like to spend time with those who are sick and hurting because it allows me to see the real world and get me out of my own. There are many needs and causes for all of us to get involved in and make a difference. By making a difference in somebody else’s life, you will be making a bigger impact in your own. Being around others is both healing and edifying. We need to make sure we are taking time to fellowship with other believers. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” The body of Christ becomes stronger the more time we spend together. Remember, this isn’t all about us, but the Great Commission and to go out into the entire world to proclaim the Gospel. As the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, so is our body, mind and spirit. One doesn’t work without the other. Give each one the very best. You’re worth it. Jesus: I can forgive you.
World: There is no way you can forgive me. Do you know what I’ve done? Jesus: There’s nothing I can’t forgive. It’s your sins that I died for, so you could live again. World: Look Jesus. I’ve robbed, murdered, raped, committed abortions and had abortions, fornicated, prostituted, lied, called people names, disrespected my parents, overpowered nations of innocent people to gain material goods, sold people into slavery, used children in many horrible ways, abused drugs both legal and illegal, got drunk so many times who knows what other sins I’ve committed. I’ve committed unethical business deals, taken advantage of the elderly, partaken of the homosexual lifestyle, encouraged racism between cultures, dabbled in the occult thinking Satan had more power than you. I’ve been divorced, committed adultery and so much more. There is no possible way you can forgive all of that. Jesus: I died for all of the sins of the world. Again, there is nothing I can’t forgive. I can even remove the guilt of the sins you’ve committed. Not only will I forgive you, it will be wiped from my memory forever. You see, once I forgive you of your sins, I forget them too. It’s one of those things creation has a problem with doing on their own. My adversary, the devil likes to remind people of their past, a past that I’ve completely forgotten about when you come to me to ask for forgiveness. It’s an extra perk to help you realize that I love you unconditionally. No matter how dirty your sins are, I have washed you clean of them. It doesn’t matter what other people think, what matters now is you can move forward clean and I’m here with you always to encourage and strengthen you with my Spirit. World: I don’t know what to say. My mind is swirling. I need to sit down, this is so dizzying to me. A world you created and we as people have turned into a cesspool so vile that you died on a cross for us. So let me get this straight. If I come to you and ask for the forgiveness of my sins, you’ll forgive them and I can start my life anew, right now? Jesus: Not only can you start anew, you will have eternal life with me once this Earthly life is over. The eternal life is nothing in comparison to your Earthly life, as you’re just a vapor here. When I forgive you, go and sin no more. Forgive others too, my Father really likes that. Let others know about me. Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to be a preacher, but I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to be. Just walk in love with everyone you meet. I’ll be next to you each and every day. If you mess up, I’m quick to forgive again and we move forward together. So what do you say? Ready for me to forgive and forget everything you’ve done? World: I’m going to have to take this by faith…right? Jesus: Yes (smiling), you have to accept me by faith, the very thing in life that pleases me, but truly pleases my Father. Get this, when you come to me to repent of your sins and I forgive you. All of Heaven rejoices! There’s an instant party in Heaven in your honor the moment you say you believe. All of Heaven is on your side. So what you say? World: So you’ll forgive and forget all that I’ve done right now. Jesus: Let me show you something. See my hands? This is what man did to me and hung me on a cross. See the stripes on my back? I endured all that and more so you won’t endure an eternity of pain beyond anything you could ever imagine. But don’t just accept me to escape hell, but accept my forgiveness for your sins so you can live with me forever here and eternity. Can I guarantee you Heaven? Yes, because I’m the way, the truth and the life. I am the door to Heaven, so again what do you say? World: You really love me that much? Jesus: Well, I have been to hell and back for you. World: Indeed you have. I’m ready. Are you ready? There is nothing you have ever done that can’t be forgiven by Christ. Some people know when they are ready, but many must receive Christ by faith. You are not promised tomorrow or even promised the next minute. Accepting Jesus is the most important act of faith anyone will do. So what do you say? Are you ready? Pray this prayer: Jesus, I come to you to ask for the forgiveness of my sins. I receive you into my heart and repent of my sins. I believe you are the Son of God and that you died on the cross for my sins and rose again. I am now saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, we encourage you to get into a Bible-based church and surround yourself with people who can help you in your walk and life in Christ. Welcome to the family! by Ward W. Bond, PhD |
AuthorWard W. Bond, PhD is the daily TV host of Think Natural, a natural health program. See DrWardBond.com - He is an ordained minister and focuses on the faith and healing power of Christ. Archives
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