Kategorie: English

You are going the right way

Posted on by Rahel Oberholzer

Have you ever wondered if you are going the right way? If the path you have chosen is really taking you to your destination? A few days ago, I was watching the Instagram Story of an American actress. She and her husband were just on a hike, looking for the trail that was shown on their map. When she said she didn’t know if they were going the right way, he replied, „We’re just following Jesus, of course we’re going the right way.“ You know, this statement really is true. If you follow Jesus, you are going the right way.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14,6

You do not follow just anyone, but you follow THE way, THE truth and THE life. Jesus is the way that never leads you astray. Jesus is the truth that always sets you free. Jesus is the life that gives you fulfillment, future and hope. You can rely on Jesus because he loves you and only has your best interest in mind. Even when you are in the middle of a challenge or facing huge problems, just follow Jesus.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23,4

There may be dark valleys in your life, but you will not stay there. Jesus is with you, he takes you by the hand and leads you through. He leads you to freedom, to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23,2). Fix your eyes on Jesus and focus on what he has done for you on the cross. He bore every sin, sickness, infirmity and pain for you. What He bore, you no longer have to bear. He was forsaken so that you would never be alone again. Follow Jesus by hearing his word and fixing your eyes on him. Let him fight the battles for you. You do not have to know what the solution is, how to overcome the difficulty, or how your dreams will come true. That is God’s business. When worries and fears come up, just say: „Jesus, I can not do it, but you can. I do not know how this situation can change, but my eyes are on you, it is your battle. Thank you for not leaving me. Thank you for having everything under control.“

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32,8

Often we do not know what’s next or which direction to go. But Jesus knows. You may not always understand everything but know that following Jesus will always lead you to your destination. Following him means trusting him. To trust that he knows more than you, to trust that he sees further than you, to trust that he loves you and has only your best interest at heart.

When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply you.” Hebrews 6,13-14

When you follow Jesus, you follow the One who has committed Himself to bless you. Favor and grace follow you all the days of your life simply because Jesus loves you. He has done everything so that you can live a blessed life today. It has nothing to do with what you do or don’t do, but it depends solely on what Jesus did for you on the cross. Follow Jesus and let His grace fill your life. Follow Jesus who deeply loves you and lavishes His blessings on you. Follow Jesus and you are going the right way!

I love you

Posted on by Rahel Oberholzer

Let’s face it, being single on Valentine’s Day is really depressing. Everywhere you see roses, hearts and happy couples. Actually, that is what you are dreaming of as well. Someone who loves you with all his heart and spends his life with you. Did you know that there is someone who loves you passionately? Although you are single, you are not alone. Today, let the one who loves you deeply satisfy the longing in you. His name is Jesus. Listen to what he says about you:

My beloved child, you are wonderfully and uniquely made. You are an original, one of a kind and there is no one else like you and that is good. You are incredibly precious, so valuable and cherished. I chose you and I will never regret this decision. You belong to me and I love you.

I will never let you down and will always be by your side. Even if you feel alone sometimes, you are never alone because I am with you. No matter where you go, I will come with you. I hold your hand and never let go. You can talk to me about everything. You can pour out your heart and I listen to you. If something is important to you, it is also important to me. I care about you because I love you.

If you are unfaithful, I remain faithful. If you no longer have faith, I still believe. When you are weak, I am your strength. When you are depressed, I lift you up. When you cry, I dry your tears. When you laugh, I laugh with you. I cheer you on and believe you can do it. I rejoice over you because I love you.

I know your heart and I understand you. You do not need to change to get my approval and love. You already have it because I love you. I will always protect you and hold my hand over you. I know your wishes and dreams and I will make them come true. You do not have to fight, because I fight for you. Victory is mine, so you are always on the winning side. You are a winner! I bless you beyond all measure because I love you.

My favor, my grace and my love shine on you like a spotlight, therefore you will never be invisible. I will let you be in the right place at the right time. You can trust me, I will not disappoint you. I lead you into a bright future because I have good plans for you. I give you hope, confidence and peace. You are safe in my hands and I will always protect you. Goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. You are my darling and I am proud of you. I love you!

It will not remain dark

Posted on by Rahel Oberholzer

This morning I was reminded of my year’s motto for 2020. Every New Year’s Eve I pick a verse for the new year. Before that I pray that God will guide it so that the right verse will be chosen. To be honest I could not make sense of my verse until today. But now I realised that it fits perfectly into the current situation:

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. Isaiah 9:1

The world is currently sinking into fear and terror because of a spreading virus. Yes, it is a dark time, but it won’t last. This attack will pass. The whole world is waiting for a glimmer of hope, for the light at the end of the tunnel. And we believers have the answer: Jesus is the light! And because we are in Jesus, we too are the light in this world.

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1

If you believe in Jesus, you are also his disciple. Therefore this verse applies to every believer. Jesus gave us His authority and power. We have the right to use the name of Jesus.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. Philippians 2:9-10

The name of Jesus stands above all other names. So the name of Jesus is also above the name of this virus. When we speak the name of Jesus, every knee must bow. Everything that has a name must bow to the name of Jesus. So let us speak the name of Jesus!

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. Luke 17:6

If you have even the slightest hope that something will change when you speak the name of Jesus, you have faith like a mustard seed. The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1). We all hope that this virus attack will pass. But unlike the world, we have a living hope. We know who holds our lives in his hand and we know who is more powerful than anything else: Jesus! Instead of cowering fearfully in our homes and waiting with everyone else, let us stand up courageously and together as the body of Christ use our authority and power. As believers in Christ we have the right to speak the name of Jesus and God himself has promised us that every knee must bow to this name. The world is at its wits‘ end, but we have Jesus, we have the answer. Let us carry out our mission and declare together: “In the name of Jesus Christ I command this coronavirus to be stopped. I say stop, no further, in Jesus‘ name. Coronavirus be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea in Jesus‘ name.”

A simple prayer, yet so effective. By speaking the name of Jesus and stopping this virus in his name, we put all our trust in the one who causes real change: Jesus Christ!

Say Amen to God’s promises

Posted on by Rahel Oberholzer

Did you ever ask yourself if a certain promise is for you too? Maybe you have read something good in the bible and thought how nice it would be, if this were like this in your life also. There is good news for you: You can claim every promise of God for you and expect it to be fulfilled in your life.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 2 Corinthians 1,19-20

The promises of God are always fulfilled. It is not so, that God sometimes says yes and sometimes no. In Jesus is yes, this means the fulfillment of all promises. In the German New Geneva translation it even says that the promises of God all find their fulfillment in the person of Jesus. You can be sure that God says yes to each promise. Now, however, the question arises, if we are entitled to every promise. The answer is a clear yes, because of Jesus. For it says that in Jesus ALL promises are yes. All really means all, so even the promises of the Old Testament.
In response to God’s promise we say Amen. The remark of the German Elberfelder translation of the word Amen reads as follows: Assurance and confirmation formula for the truthfulness of what has been said. With Amen you confirm something and claim something for yourself. For Amen comes from the Hebrew word aman and means to confirm. When you say Amen to a promise, you thereby say: So be it in my life. For example, you read or hear: By his stripes we are healed. When you say Amen to it, you say: So be it in my life, my body shall be healed. Now it is also easy to express your faith. Because Amen has to do with faith.

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15,6

The word for believed in Hebrew is the same as for Amen. So, when you say Amen to God’s promises, you express your faith. You believe that God’s word is true, this promise is for you and that it will be fulfilled in your life, therefore you say Amen. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, you have a right to every promise of God. It has nothing to do with you but everything with Jesus and his work on the cross. It is not about what you do or don’t do, but solely about what Jesus has done. With Amen you express that very thing: It is Jesus who fulfills the promise in my life, not my own work.
Begin to claim the promises of God for yourself and say Amen to it. Your part is to say Amen, Jesus’ part is to fulfill the promises in your life.

Isaiah 53 – Healing is forever

Posted on by Rahel Oberholzer

Did you ever hear that healing and miracles have stopped with the last apostle? The end of the book of Acts is also the end of healing, signs and miracles. But this is not what the bible teaches. Isaiah 53 is the great chapter about healing and talks about how Jesus at the cross carried sin and sickness. Isaiah lived many years before Jesus and what he wrote in Isaiah 53 was a foresight into the future. Isaiah prophesied what would happen in the future.

Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” Matthew 8,14-17

Matthew was a disciple of Jesus and experienced in the present how Jesus healed people. Matthew refers to Isaiah 53 and therefore these verses are the proof that Isaiah 53 talks about physical healing (the salvation work of Jesus also includes mental healing of course). Peter, also a disciple of Jesus, was present also and saw how Jesus healed people. And it is he who wrote the following after Jesus’ death and resurrection:

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2,24

Peter looks back at the cross, where Jesus has purchased healing. By Jesus’ wounds we have been healed. This is an irrevocable fact. Healing is not extinct at some point, but is still the same as it was then. Isaiah looked ahead to the future, Matthew describes the present and Peter looks back to the past. Healing is therefore confirmed by past, present and future.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13,8

Jesus has not changed! He healed people then and he heals people today. Healing is forever and that will never change. So you can be sure that healing is just as relevant to you today as it was to Peter’s mother-in-law then. It does not matter if it is a cold or a life-threatening disease. Jesus purchased healing at the cross for everything and everybody. It is a lie that healings and miracles have stopped. The truth is, you have a right to receive healing because Jesus paid for it. Healing is forever!