One of the problems we have in today's Christian world is we kind of act like God has grown old over the centuries. And that he kind of doesn't do certain things anymore. But if you're not careful, you end up seeing yourself as a child of a lesser God. That somehow or another God's power has diminished Make no mistake, the same God who spoke the world into existence is the same today as he was then. He is and always will be a miracle worker.
Hello and welcome to Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard.
Well, the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's a promise you can count on.
So, if you find yourself in desperate need of a miracle, listen closely to our message today, because the Creator of the universe is still in the miracle business. Remember, in addition to listening here every day, you can also visit pastorpaul.net, where you can listen to any of our recent messages on demand and get details about how to listen on your favorite digital platform. That's pastorpaul.net.
Now, let's listen closely to Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message: When Only a Miracle Will Do. I want to speak a word of encouragement to us today. from this passage. And I've entitled this message, When Only a Miracle Will Do. There come those times in life When we need divine intervention, whether it's about a physical problem, whether it's about a financial problem, whether it's about a crisis in your family, or whatever the case might be, there come those times when we need the Lord, and unless He comes through for us, we're not going to make it.
Some of you have lived long enough to know that. In fact, I'm sure that some of us are there right now. And if you've never experienced such a crisis, such a point in your life, the old folk I grew up around said, just keep on living. Keep on living because sooner or later you will reach a point in life where you say, God, I need you to intervene for me. There is no other source or resource I can turn to.
The old song said, Father, I stretch my hand to thee. No other help I know. And we reach those points in our lives when we need God to come through for us.
Well, I have a word for some who are there right now. And I want to let you know that our God is a present help. when we are in trouble. The Bible tells us that in Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge, it says, and strength, a very present help.
When we are in trouble, and you get to that place in life where you're just in trouble, trouble comes in various ways. The Bible says, in one place, Psalm 27: In the time of trouble, he will hide me in his pavilion.
Sometimes trouble is a time. The Bible talks about a day of trouble.
Sometimes you have trouble for a day.
Sometimes you have trouble for a period of time. And then Psalm 46 just said, God's a help when you're in trouble.
Sometimes you can't even put a day or a time on it. God, I'm just in trouble. And when you're in trouble, I want to encourage you and let you know that God is present with His people and He doesn't bail out on us. when we are in trouble. And I want to also let you know that the God we serve, you know when you read your Bible that God is a miracle working God, that He has power to do that which no one else can do.
But one of the problems we have in today's Christian world is we kind of act like God has grown old over the centuries. And that he kind of doesn't do certain things anymore. You know, he used to, back in his day, boy, I tell you, that God was something. And you know, nobody intends to be that way, but if you're not careful, you end up seeing yourself as a child of a lesser God. That somehow or another, God's power has diminished, or for some reason, he has changed his mind, and he's not as inclined to rescue his people as he used to.
And so, we read stories of divine intervention in biblical redemptive history, and we say, Boy, it was great back then because you could really get God to come through for you in a pinch. And sometimes we even know that God worked miracles for our parents and grandparents when they were in a jam and cried out to the Lord that God blessed them. But somehow or another, for many of us, that never translates into walking by faith now. And one of the problems, of course, is that there's so much bad teaching about faith now until it is easy to overreact to poor teaching, to unbiblical, off-center teaching. And indeed, we do have that brand of teaching in the body of Christ today.
You do have people who act like God will always answer to your beckon call, always give you what you want when you want it. That God is pretty much, when they get through describing it, He's pretty much a cosmic bellhop or a supernatural Santa Claus. And that's inaccurate off-sinner teaching because when it's all said and done, he's God, which means he calls the shops. You don't get to command him, you don't get to make him act. God doesn't jump at your beckon call.
And so sometimes people abuse the scriptures and they act like if you don't get a miracle when you pray, it's because somehow you don't have faith.
Well, that's not always the case. There are people who have, in earnest faith, asked God for a certain answer to a certain need, and He didn't respond the way they wanted. You know why? That's because His ways are beyond ours. His thoughts are beyond ours, and he is God.
When you pray, you are requesting, but you don't get to decide how God responds to your request. And so we do have to get into biblical balance on the subject of faith. But here's my concern: My concern is that too many of us in the body of Christ have thrown out now in overreaction to bad teaching about faith, we have thrown out the ability to even believe God when we're in a crutch. And let me tell you something. God is still the same.
In fact, the Bible says He's the same today, yesterday, and forever.
Now, what does that tell you? That tells you that if God was a miracle worker, He is a miracle worker. That tells you if God used to answer the prayers of his people, he still answers the prayers of his people. That tells you that if God's people call upon him and what they need to do his will is in fact miraculous, that God will answer miraculously to help us accomplish his will now, just like he has done it in years gone by. And so, my desire in this message is to recharge your faith and to help you understand that when you're in one of those places where there's no resource available to you, you've got a God who loves you.
And who has the same power, who has the same nature. The Bible says that God's nature is immutable. It means He cannot change. And so, if God used to love us, He still loves us. If God used to answer prayer, He still answers prayer.
If God used to work miracles, He still works miracles. And I want to encourage somebody who needs a miracle right now in your life. That you should not be bashful, you should not be ashamed to say, Lord, I need you. And I need you to do what no human can do. I need you to do things for me that unless you come through, I won't make it in this area because you, Lord, are my supernatural source.
You're my refuge and strength. And I need you right now. And I want to encourage you by way of looking at this passage that we just read and using it sort of as a case study just to show you.
Now, I've established that God is the same, which means that when we look at this woman's situation, you can relate to many things about it and you are within your biblical right to say, Lord, I need you to come through for me in the same way that you came through for her. Consider the plight of the woman here in Mark chapter 5. She has a number of problems that she needs a miracle about. First of all, she has a physical problem. She has a physical problem.
We saw that Jesus in this passage is on his way actually to minister to somebody else. We read that he was on his way to Jairus' house and Jairus came and requested, would you please come? I have a daughter who's dying. Jesus, would you please come and heal her? I want her to live.
I believe it is your will for her to live. And so if you will come and heal her, I'll be grateful. And Jesus is on his way. to Jairus's house. When there comes to be in that mix, that crowd around him, a woman who has a physical problem.
We read that this problem was severe. We are told in this passage that this woman has been bleeding for 12 years. years. Let's pause right there for a quick timeout, but don't go away. The second half of today's Destined for Victory message with Pastor Paul Shepard is coming right up.
Well, some things go without saying, but this is not one of them. The ministry team at Destined for Victory wants you to know how much we appreciate you, our listening friends and partners. You're the ones who provide all of our financial support, and we're so grateful to you not only for your generosity, but for the positive, eternal impact it's having in the world. To make a generous donation today, please visit pastorpaul.net or call 855-339-5500. Everybody goes through challenges, but sometimes our problem isn't really our problem.
Now, let's get you back to the rest of today's Destined for Victory message when only a miracle will do. Imagine now hemorrhaging slowly for twelve years. Imagine the state she's in physically. She had to be a little anemic, just a little woman, no doubt, less than 100 pounds, just skin and bone. She has been hemorrhaging off and on for 12 years.
She's got a physical problem. She's got, secondly, a social problem. The reason we know that is because A woman in her condition would not have been accepted. in most social circles and settings. because she was ceremonially unclean.
And many people would add to that the stigma that if you have had such a problem for so long, something must be wrong and God is cursing you or punishing you. Or else he would have touched you by now. You wouldn't have an ongoing problem unless somehow you're living under a curse. And she's got the social stigma of people saying she's ceremonially unclean or she is not fit to be around us because God has a curse on her, and I don't want anybody around me who's been cursed by God.
So, you can imagine here she has a terrible physical problem, and now she has a social problem. She is used then to being disrespected. She's used to being disregarded. She's used to being ignored. She's used to people not paying her any attention.
She's used to that feeling that she can be in a room full of people. and all by herself. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever Had that feeling in your life when you feel insignificant, you feel like you just don't measure up to some standard people have set, you just don't fit in. There aren't people that you can rely on to stand with you, to support you, to love you.
If you can relate to that, then you can imagine how this woman felt. To have not only a physical problem, but a social problem. In fact, I noticed when I was studying the passage. That we don't even know her name. Did you notice that?
It says, Now we know the man's name whose daughter needs healing. Jairus, we know his name, and Jesus is on his way to his house to heal the daughter. But the passage then says, and a woman was there. A woman was there. We don't even know this poor lady's name.
We just know that she is used to being disregarded, used to being disrespected, used to being passed over. And it seems to me the passage just helps make the point by saying, and a woman was there. Who had this problem? Listen, every now and then, We feel the pinch of that feeling where you can be around people but alone at the same time. And I want to encourage you by helping you to understand the reason why we even have this passage here is because despite the fact that she was used to being disregarded by others, she was on God's radar.
I've come to let somebody know who feels like you're disregarded by other people, that you have shown up on God's radar. I come to let you know that I don't care who makes you feel unimportant, you are important to God. I've come to let you I'm a preach till you get encouraged. I've come to let somebody know that it doesn't matter who disrespects you, who says you'll never be anything, who says you're not worth paying attention to. The God who created you loves you so much.
That the Bible says, let me tell you something about how much God loves you. Not only did He send His Son to die for your sins. That's the ultimate proof of his love. But let me tell you that he loves you so much, the Bible says things like: the very hairs on your head are numbered by God. Don't tell me you're insignificant.
Don't tell me you're nobody because the Bible says you're such a somebody to God until He has numbered the hairs on your head. Can you believe that? God has, He keeps a running count because some of us are losing some. He keeps a running count. And so, if you are, like some of us, folically challenged.
It means God knows how much you used to have. And he has the new updated number. of how much you have now. God loves you. He hath numbered the very hairs on your head and keeps a running count.
You who have gone and bought some more. Oh, hallelujah. You who have bought some more, I want to let you know, when you bought some more, God updated your account. And he knows now what the new number is. See, don't let anybody tell you that's not your hair.
If you have the receipt, it's yours. Oh. Don't let people put you down. Look at her trying to have long hair. She got the receipt, that is her hair now.
And so, after you went to the place and got all hooked up, God changed your number. Oh, I want to let you know that you matter to God. I want to let somebody know: don't ever let anybody make you feel insignificant again in your life because you are important to God. I don't care if they put you down.
Some folk try to rule you by what they say about you. But please understand, you should never give anyone the power to write the dictionary that defines who you are. I don't care, ladies, if some man told you you're nothing and he walked away because you weren't worth being with, don't you let him define who you are. I don't care, gentlemen, if somebody told you growing up that you never measured up, you can't play sports, you're dumb, you're stupid, you'll be good for nothing. Don't let anybody define who you are.
The God who created you is the only one who writes the definition for your life. And I'm here to tell you that your definition beats you to the planet. This book tells you who you are. This book tells you that you are loved by God, that you are the apple of his eye, that he cares so much for you that before the foundation of the world, he sent his son to die that you might be saved. He wanted you in his family, he wanted you to be part of his kingdom forever.
He wanted to rejoice in you and have joy about you, and you are somebody. Don't let the enemy tell you you're a nobody. He's a lie. Whenever somebody tells you something about yourself that doesn't check out in Scripture, say, burnt, wrong answer. Try again.
Tell me I'm worthless. No, no, I'm not worthless. In fact, Philippians 4:13 says I can do all things. Through Christ who strengthens me. Don't tell me that this is it.
I'm not going to make it known because the Bible tells me my God will supply every one of my needs. Don't tell me that I'm going to lose my mind because my Bible says thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind has stayed on him. You got to make sure that you don't let someone make you insignificant. They can see you as insignificant, but they have the vision problem. You've got to see yourself the way God sees you.
And I just showed up to let you know that you are somebody. Came to let you know that you're important to God. This woman, we don't know her name, but she was important to God. She was so important to God until he had a plan to turn her life completely around. She had a physical problem.
She had a social problem. And this one, a lot of us are going to relate to. She had a financial problem. We know she had a financial problem because the text goes on to tell us that she spent everything she had. seeking help from physicians.
Thank God for physicians back in that day and in our day. Thank God for people who have dedicated their lives and dedicated their mind and their study and research in order to provide relief from suffering for people. But believe me when I tell you that there's only so much that a human being can do for you. And so don't be shocked when a doctor looks at you and says there's nothing more we can do. Because that has always been the case throughout human history.
That has always been the case that with our best efforts, we often come short of being able to meet the needs of people we care about. And this woman had sought help from every fine physician in her region. And the Bible says she would go to one because it says she suffered much under the care of many doctors. What that tells you is she went to one and he said, Let me try a procedure here and tried that. And she paid for that and it didn't work.
So she went to another one and said, Can you help me? This doctor tried this and it didn't work. And so a second one said, well, I've got another alternative plan here. And so she paid for that and they tried, but she didn't get any better. Then she went to a third and then to a fourth.
The Bible says that she suffered under the care of many physicians. And had to pay every time. And she did this until She ran out of money. The Bible says she spent all she had.
So now she's broke. She's got a physical problem, she's got a social problem, she's got a financial problem.
Some of us can relate to the financial problem.
Some of us can relate to getting to a place where you say, God, I need you to come through for me. God, I'm in a place where people, good people, are being laid off of jobs. And oh Lord, I need you to come through and give me favor when people are being laid off. I need you to give me the ability to make and earn a living so that I can honor you and so that I can meet the needs of myself and my family. And she's got a financial problem.
And I want to let you know that despite these problems, the sad reality is, despite her attempts to get help and relief and do all she can, and brothers and sisters, that is God's plan for us. When you are in that situation where you have a need of a miracle, it should be assumed that you have done everything you can. It should be assumed that we are proactive. Don't ask God to bless you when you haven't even put yourself in a position. to help yourself to improve the quality of your life.
You've been listening to Destined for Victory and Pastor Paul Shepard's message: When Only a Miracle Will Do. Thanks so much for being with us.
Now, if you haven't already downloaded our free mobile app, why not do it right now so you can listen to any of our messages wherever you go? Just search Destined for Victory at the App Store.
Well, we have a very special gift to share with you this month. For the first time ever, Let My People Smile is available in video format. Let My People Smile has long been a huge favorite among our listening friends and partners, featuring Pastor Paul's unique blend of humor and biblical wisdom. But now you'll be able to watch these humorous teaching clips in your favorite video format. It's Let My People Smile available on DVD or a streaming link, and it's yours this month for your most generous gift of $25 or more to Destined for Victory.
You can give that gift by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. And as always, you can mail your gift to Destined for Victory, post office box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538. I'm here to let somebody know that if God's not done with you, there's a miracle in store for you.
That if God is not through with your life, He will move heaven and earth in order to bring you to the place where you can fulfill His will and His purpose. And that's next time in our continuing message when only a miracle will do. Until then though remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
