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Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
God uses the law of giving as a way to prevent selfishness. If we never gave (time, money, efforts) to anyone, we would be selfish and never show anyone the love of God. Our desire should be to grow in love and not in selfishness. If God could give His Son, how much more should we give ourselves for the Kingdom of God and the people of God?
Be A Blessing!
Haggai 2:8 The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.
God already owns all the silver and the gold on the earth.
Q: So why would God demand us to give our tithes and offering (that He already owns) back to Him?
A: It’s for our benefit.
God uses our obedience through tithes and offering as another way to bless us. In Malachi 3:10-12 God gives multiple ways in how He will bless our lives because we give. God wants to see us blessed but, we must be obedient.
Be Blessed!
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.
1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Each new moment is an opportunity to start over. God gives us an opportunity to repent, and start in a positive, new direction. Praise God for another chance to get it completely right and live unwaveringly for Him!!
Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Men- When we put God first in everything we do; He will direct us in finding a good wife. Not only will He direct us in finding a good wife but, a perfect wife for us according to James 1:17.
Women- If you are married have confidence in knowing you are a good and perfect thing. Don’t let your husband or the status of the marriage dictate how good you are.
*** The key to a happy marriage is submitting ourselves to God. When we submit ourselves to God it’s easier to submit to each other. I’m not saying it won’t take effort to manage a marriage however, if husbands and wives continue to put God first all marriages can be blessed.
Be Encouraged!
Psalm 55: 16 As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. 18 He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
Psalm 150:6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!
1 Thessalonians 5: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
No matter the circumstance, right in the midst of pain, joy, loss, gain, throughout every life experience, praise God. He is faithful. He is awesome. He is perfectly amazing and although He more than deserves our praise regardless, He rescues, saves, and claims us. Praise God!!
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,
Be Vessels
In order for God to do immeasurably more in our lives, it will have to be done by His power that works in us. This means we must be vessels for God’s power. Stop and ask yourself am I being a vessel for God?
Receive The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the source of the power that works in us (Acts 1:8). In order for God to do beyond great things in our lives, we must receive the Holy Spirit. We can be saved and considered Christians but, not receive the Holy Spirit (read Acts 19:2-4). Ask yourself have I received the Holy Spirit?
Check yourself because you don’t want anything to hold you back from God’s best.
Be Blessed!
Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
God is God alone. He cannot be confined. He needs nothing from us as He is the source of everything good. But, just like any great parent, God wants us to love Him. So, we give of ourselves (time, willpower) to God, and He is such an incredible source and God that He gives back to us. So, whatever we need, we seek God knowing that He is the source.
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
Luke 16:11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?
It’s not God’s plan for His people to be in debit or struggling financially. God’s plan is that we are to be the lender and not the borrower. We are to be abundantly blessed in every area of our lives so that we can be a blessing to others.
We want the nice car, nice house, and nice clothes but, some of us won’t put in the work to have them debt free. We may buy a new phone or new clothes instead of paying the rent, electricity bill, or car note. We have to get our priorities straight.
For those who may be struggling financially and are in debt, seek Godly counsel in where your finances are concerned. Proverbs 1:5 says A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.
Let’s be the debt free people God has called us to be.
Be Blessed!
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service”
A living sacrifice is when we as people of God commit to doing things God’s way. A living sacrifice is when we say “NO” to the flesh. Daily we sacrifice to our flesh. We say “NO” to all the temptations the devil throws our way.
A living sacrifice unto God refuses drugs and alcohol on those Friday and Saturday nights when our friends are going to the club. A living sacrifice resists the temptation of premarital sex when our body desires it. A living sacrifice shows kindness, compassion, and love in the face of those who treat us unkindly.
When we sacrifice ourselves unto God others will be inspired to do the same.
Be the inspiration for others.
Acts 17: 26 From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. 27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
God created us. His purpose for us was that while living this earthly life, we would search for and find Him. He’s right there waiting for our attention – not that He needs it – but He loves us so much that He wants it. So, find life, meaning, and the best love ever in God.
Romans 3:22 says We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That happens to all who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:30 Because of what God has done, you belong to Christ Jesus. He has become God’s wisdom for us. He makes us right with God. He makes us holy and sets us free.
We are only made righteous through the love of Jesus Christ. We can read the bible, pray, go to church; pay our tithes all the time but, that does not make us righteous. Doing all those things is what righteous people do.
A righteous person willingly pays their tithes. They willing pray and read the Bible. They do all the right things because it pleases God.
Praise God for Jesus who placed us in a right position to be righteous in the eyes of God.
Be Blessed!
We should speak to God throughout the day. But, when we sit down for our time of prayer, this method be a guide through what to say. This is not the only way to pray, but it helps when you’re not sure where to start.
ACTS
Adoration – acknowledge who He is (1 Chronicles 29: 10b “Praise be to you, LORD, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Confession – acknowledge who we are and obtain righteousness (1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.; James 5:16b The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Thanksgiving – Thank Him for everything good (James 1:17a Every good and perfect gift is from above)
Supplication – Making requests known to God (Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.)
Isaiah 3:10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.
This is not the first time in history where the world is affected by the economy. In fact, the Bible documents famines in the land. We often here pastors and ministers say that there’s a recession in the world but, it won’t affect the Body of Christ. Isaiah 3:10 gives these pastors and ministers the confidence to make that bold statement to the congregation.
God decreed through the prophet Isaiah it will be well with the righteous. When God decrees something, we can be assured it will come to pass. Even if the situation doesn’t seem well, trust God to know that ALL IS WELL.
But…… you have to be righteous.
Be Encouraged!
Ecclesiastes 7:16 Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? 18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
We should exercise submission to God with a balance of humility in our abilities and full confidence in His. When we fear God, we operate with power and authority (Luke 10:19, Proverbs 18:21), but we balance that with love and grace (John 13:34). Praise God that we fear Him!
Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Many of us are living our life in the past and we’re not thinking about the future. We tend to focus on negative memories instead of positive dreams. We should spend more time concentrating on our God inspired dreams and less time on things that should have been. Get inspired by God’s word to obtain dreams, desires, and all the promises God has for us.
Be Blessed!
Hebrews 13:16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
God called us to love and be a blessing to others. In this verse God directly called us to help the orphans and widows of the world.
Everyone wants to wait until they become millionaires to help those in need. The truth is we can start right now. We can start by giving $1, $5, or $10 to organizations that assist and help those in need. For those who don’t have money to spare, we can give our time by volunteering for these organizations.
When we make things happen for others, God makes things happen for us (Ephesians 6:8).
Be a Blessing!
Deuteronomy 10:12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.
When we truly love someone, we do things that make them happy. We unselfishly find ways to show our affections and appreciation for them. When asked, “do you love God?” It is automatic to respond, “yes.”
So, since we profess to love God, let’s find ways to unselfishly make Him happy. Let’s fear Him; let’s evaluate our actions – what we say, where we go, what we dwell on – to live in a way that pleases Him. So, let’s go beyond a holiday and live to love God!
Judges 16:26 Samson said to the servant who held his hand, “Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.”
When Samson’s eyes were blinded by the Philistines, he had to blindly trust a boy to guide him in the right direction. Logically, a person would wonder how Samson trusted anyone at all considering all the punishment he went through. At the end of the day Samson trusted the boy to lead him
Just as Samson blindly trusted the boy to guide him in the right direction, we should blindly trust God to guide us in the right direction. We may not know when, where, or how’s He’s going manifest our blessing but, we trust God. It may seem like nothing is happening or changing in our life but, we trust God.
Don’t think about it, just trust Him.
“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Be Blessed!
Philippians 3: 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
We do not do things because ‘we feel like it’, or ‘it makes us happy’ or because ‘we want to’. We do things to honor God. When we honor God, we position ourselves to be blessed. We go beyond the vanity of the flesh, and we operate in the more powerful, spiritual realm. So, we choose to think about our actions and allow God to be the judge as opposed to allowing our flesh the authority meant only for God.
Genesis 3:17-19 – “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying ‘You shall not eat of it’: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both THORNS and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.”
Thousands of years after Adam sinned, Jesus Christ, the second Adam, was taken before the religious and political authorities to stand trial as a fraud and a heretic. On the way to Pilate, as they were mocking Jesus, “All hail, King of the Jews,” they saw a THORN bush –the symbol of the curse of poverty on the land. They took some of the THORN branches, wove them into a crown, and placed them on the brow of Jesus until the blood flowed from His head.
The symbol of poverty was placed on the brow of Jesus, the second Adam. When those THORNS pierced His brow, He shed His blood for our redemption from poverty.
We were cursed with poverty by the sweat of Adam’s brow, but we were redeemed from the curse of poverty by the blood on Jesus’ brow.
Now, by the power of the blood of Jesus, not only is the curse of poverty broken, but those who take the name of Jesus and claim His blood are anointed to prosper.
By Albert Finch
Be Blessed
Deuteronomy 10: 13 And you must always obey the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.
Obeying God shows our love, respect, and priority for God. But God has given us certain commands because He knows what actions produce the best outcome. Just as you keep a child from burning their hand on the stove and instead redirect them to kinesthetic or learning toys, God calls us to obey to steer us away from sins that lead to destructive outcomes and to instead lead us to the prosperity that comes from obedience (Deuteronomy 28). Praise God for being such a great parent to us!
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
When we combine these scriptures we can safely say that all things work together for those who obey the Lord.
We can’t do what we want to do and still declare all things will work for our good. We have to walk in the will of God to have all things work for our good. We walk in God’s will by, loving others, treating people right, forgiving others, being a blessing, etc. Everything the word of God says we must do; do it.
Just know wherever there’s a promise or blessing in the word of God there’s a prerequisite of obedience.
Be blessed to be a blessing!
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God uses His splendid power to create human life and those who live in sin are headed for eternal destruction.
God not only hates sin because it dishonors Him but because it destroys the very life He created. Do God and yourselves a favor, accept Jesus as Lord and Savior for eternal life, live a life pleasing to God, and be a witness to others about Jesus.
Be Blessed!
Jeremiah 7:23: But this thing I did command them: Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people; and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
God made this command very clear for us. We are called to listen to and obey His voice and walk in His ways. But, God is so great, that He does not stop at our role, but continues on with an incentive. When we do what He commanded, then He will be our God and all will be well with us. The concept is really that simple.
So, now we work on the follow through, by saturating ourselves in His Word, so that when the enemy puts ideas, thoughts, and suggestions in our head, we can combat them with God’s Word and do what He commands so that all will be well with us in every aspect of our lives.
Proverbs 28:13 13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
God blesses those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). We must confess ALL and I mean ALL our sins to God in order to prosper. We can’t rationalize, make excuses, or hide our sins to God in order to prosper.
We must be honest with ourselves and honest with God to receive God’s mercy (which comes through the blood of Jesus) and prosper.
Inspired by Pastor Creflo Dollar
Be Blessed!
Psalm 18:19He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. 20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me.
When we live for God, we walk in the blessings He has waiting for us. He rewards our righteousness (different from salvation, which only Jesus’s sacrifice could pay for). We are victorious, sustained, and elevated by the most-high God. Continue to walk righteously, and receive God’s blessings.
Jude 1:24 Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]–
25 To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).
When we accept Christ into our lives we appear beautiful in the eyes of God. The blemish of sin is no longer stained on our lives. It’s the blood of Jesus that sets us apart and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness.
It is through the blood of Jesus that keeps us from falling into death and destruction. It is through the blood of Jesus that we can be presented faultless to God with delight.
Praise God for the blood of Christ that saves all of our lives.
Be Blessed!
Luke 10: 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
It’s a given that we have all power over evil. So, we exercise that power with regularity, not with timidity. We do not fear or fall prey to temptation, but we use our God-given authority and trample on the opposition to God’s path for us. And, we so fluidly defeat the enemy that we, instead, get to utilize our efforts in praising God for Who He is and for the knowledge that we get to spend eternal paradise with Him.
Graced To Do God's Will 