Lo! I am with you always!

Father, I pray that you will give me the words to write this morning, just the right words that will speak to the hearts of the people who read this. In Jesus name.



Good morning! My name is Charlotte and I am writing to help us give our first thoughts to the Lord.

Luke 4:31 continues And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority (KJV with power).

In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are - the Holy One of God!"

But Jesus rebuke him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" (Dake's note: Be muzzled or speak no more, proving demons are intelligent beings capable of speech, and obedience, and can enter men, leave them, and cause physical maladies.)

And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people (Dake says Greek word here is a medical term for a convulsion), he came out of him without doing him any harm.

My friend, Shelly, came to visit me one time right after I moved to Conway. She is a mighty lady of God. I lived in Mansard Apartments, in fact I was the night and weekend manager at Mansard. There were a lot of college kids there and they played their music really loud. Before she came, I said, Lord, don't let these kids play that music loud while she is here. But sure enough, the first day, right out by my apartment, the music went off. I remember Shelly looking out my window and saying 'Devil, Jesus did not suffer you to speak and neither do I.' Needless to say, we had quiet then and for the rest of her visit.

Now, me on the other hand. I had heard some teaching on we had power over the elements. I worked at Blue Cross-Blue Shield in Little Rock and had to walk two blocks to work from my parking space. One morning there was a flash flood - no place to hide - I was rebuking in the name of Jesus all over the place and I have never gotten so wet in all my life. I had to go back home to Benton and change my clothes. I guess you can't get a quarter's worth of action on a nickel's worth of faith. You gotta give me credit, though, I tried.

And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, "What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out." And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district. (Dake says Greek word echoes, a noise, like the sea waves roaring. In other words, there was quite a BUZZ)

Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon's home. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!"

But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

Dake's note here says Demons acknowledged that He was the Messiah or Christ, but Jesus refused their testimony, lest He should be accused of being in league with them and of accepting testimony from Satan who sought to discredit His work and doctrine.

When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.

They came to Him. He didn't have to advertise, sensationalize or promote gimmicks like a lot of preachers do today. The Word says 'If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me.' This is still true today. There is only one preacher that I know of that bases his ministry on this scripture and that is Brother Mike at Rock Solid.

No matter who you are, there is a place in every heart that longs for God. There is a place in every person that only God can fill, and when He and only He is at the heart of a ministry, people will respond. What a wonderful thing to promote only Jesus. I hope and pray that my only motive in doing this Charlotte in the morning is to promote Jesus and no other reason. He is what fills my heart. He is what I want you to hear when you read this. He is what I want to touch you with when you read this.

But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Jesus had a mission here on this earth. He had to be about His Father's business. He had to rest. He had to be in seclusion. He had to be away from the people to refresh himself.

Today, He is with us always. In our hearts and He never leaves. His Father's business was accomplished and when He left, He sent the Holy Spirit to fill our lives so that He could be with us every day, every minute of our lives. That old song says 'He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line.' He is there if we will only acknowledge His presence.

Lord, thank you for always being there for us. I am so glad that you don't have to take time out in my life to refresh yourself anymore. Teach us more about You and give us a desire in our heart to know you more. In Your name we pray. Amen (it is done)

Have a great day!

Charlotte