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Mark 5:39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.

Our dreams and desires are not dead. They’re only asleep. It’s going to take the consistent exercising of our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ to wake these things up. Sure, people may laugh at us and call us crazy but, these are our dreams on the line. What others think does not matter. The only thing that matters is the placement of our faith.

For couples who are 40+ and want a child but don’t have children yet, wake up that dream by exercising your faith to receive that child. For people who have a desire to own their own business but only have $1000 or less in the bank, wake up that dream by exercising your faith to receive that business.

Whatever dream or desire you have, don’t allow fear, uncertainty, past failures, or anything else stop you from accomplishing that dream.

“Don’t let negative thoughts of fear rob you of what the blood of Jesus has already paid for.” ~Pastor Creflo Dollar

Mark 11:23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

The Bible says we can have what we say. Many of us don’t have anything because we’re not saying anything. We are hoping and wishing things would happen but, we’re not declaring exactly what we want. We’re quicker to say something negative over something positive. Declare the desires of your heart. Declare the favor of the Lord over your children. Declare the protection of God everywhere you go.

Say something!

2 Corinthians 3:7-9 (NIV) 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

When the law was given to Moses, a glory or glow came upon his face. The glory was so powerful until people could not stand to look at Moses. Eventually the glory faded away. The glory of the law faded because no one was successful in keeping the law.

Jesus fulfilled the law and paid the price for our sins, so we are now under the New Covenant. In the New Covenant, we’re no longer living under the law but, under grace. Under grace, we’re made righteous through the belief in the finished works of Jesus Christ. Jesus saved us, redeemed us, healed us, and empowered us. And this glory that we received will not fade away. This glory will last forever.

Jude 1:25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Through Jesus Christ, God has made us both spiritually and naturally rich. Spiritually speaking, we know we have an endless amount of grace, mercy, forgiveness, etc. Naturally, we are operating under the blessing and under the blessing God has made us rich beyond our wildest dreams.

It’s going to take faith to access either one of these riches. On a spiritual level, it’s going to take faith to know that we have access to forgiveness and mercy after we have missed the mark. On a natural level, it’s going to take faith to know we are wealthy when we’re behind on our bills or we have a substantial amount of debt. We are going to have to say we’re rich in spite of what our bank accounts show.

Activate the faith for the riches that God has freely given to us through Christ.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

Many Christians debate the meaning of the word “rich” in this scripture. Some think that rich is referring to a spiritual sense (being rich is grace, mercy, always having access to God). While others believe rich is used literally (money, gold, abundance, etc.).

Has anyone ever considered that rich could be both tangible and spiritual?

By having access to God, through Christ, we have all we need and desire. In Matthew 11:24 Jesus gives us a blank check by saying, Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. The word “whatever” has no limits. God is a big enough God to encompass and make us rich spiritually and literally.

Receive the riches from God, through Christ, and declare yourself rich.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

God is able to supply ALL so that we can have more than enough to further the kingdom. There is no fear in giving to advance the kingdom here on earth because our giving opens the door for abundant increase in our lives. We are then put in a position of always having an overflow to bless others.

2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Ephesians 1:20 Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The only means to receiving the abundantly more that God promised us is through the power that works within us. This presents a need for us to operate within the fullness of God. We are spirit beings who have a soul (mind, will, emotions) and live in flesh. Yes, we are filled with God within our spirits once we accept Jesus as Savior. But, it is a choice to ask Him to be Lord of our souls, and then an ongoing renewal of the mind to allow His Spirit to reign over our souls (Romans 12:2). Through that sensitivity to His direction, we position ourselves to consistently manifest the abundantly more.

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

There are two essential ways that fear enters our lives.

The first way fear enters our lives is through a lack of trust in God. When God says something to us through His word or through His Spirit, we can rest assured that His word will come to pass. However a lack of trust on our part, usually due to being shaken by what we see or experience, causes fear or panic to enter our hearts.

The second way fear enters our lives is through our speech. God has told us multiple times in multiple ways that we have authority with our speech. We have the ability to create or remove things with our speech. If we live our lives making statements such as “that scares me,” “I’m afraid that…” or “that’s what I was afraid of,” we give fear a license to enter our lives and do whatever it pleases. God has not given us the spirit of fear but, we can accept it through our speech.

Our responsibility is to remove fear from our hearts by totally trusting in God in spite of what we see and training our tongue to speak a fear free life into existence.

In the beginning, the Bible says the earth was formless, empty, and dark. Then it says, God spoke and declared the earth have light and take form. The earth being dark and formless was a natural fact. It could be seen, touched, felt, etc. God spoke, and there was enough power through His faith to change the facts.

The great thing about this is God has given us the same ability He used to create the earth (Matt 18:18). All we need to do is exercise the power through our faith. Power through our faith is having unmovable faith in the power of God to do what He said in His word.

That’s why it’s so important not to be shaken/moved by what we see or experience in life because we know our faith has the power to change any natural fact.

Exercise that faith and change facts.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Our life’s goal is continuous quest towards God, constantly going to another place in Him. In this place our maturity is increasing, our faith is rock solid, our witnessing of the Gospel is high, and our love is constant. In this place we’re not moved by what we see or experience, we’re moved by the word of God. In this place we’re not intentionally sinning just to receive His grace. We’re making an effort to do God’s will. And in this place when we do fall short, we’re not haunted by guilt or frustration, we openly receive His grace, forgiveness, and love.

Strive to reach this place. The deeper we go, the more that’s revealed.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Inspired by Micah Stampley

Leviticus 7:1 (AMP) This is the law of the guilt or trespass offering; it is most holy or sacred:

The law in the old covenant was associated with guilt or shame. In our new covenant, we no longer have to worry about guilt or shame because Jesus took care of that on the cross. The Bible says in Romans 9:33 with our belief in Jesus, we will not be put to shame.

Receive this Word today. God DOES NOT hold our sins against us, therefore holding onto guilt and shame doesn’t better our situation and it doesn’t please God. By holding on to guilt, we’re basically saying to Jesus “I need to experience and be punished by this shame because I don’t believe Your sacrifice was enough.”

Receive the freedom and forgiveness of the new covenant and don’t be bound by the law because we are no longer under law but, grace.

Romans 6:14 (NIV) For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When some people think of submitting themselves to God, they think of it in a negative sense. They think they’re giving up all the “fun” and adventure that life has to offer when it’s really the opposite. The negativity comes from the limitations WE must put on our flesh. We can’t do what our flesh wants to do whenever our flesh wants to do it.

Submitting ourselves to God positions us to receive more out of life. It allows us to have fun, joy, and happiness all at the same time. It positions us to receive all the wonderful promises God offers us. It gives us the answers when we don’t know what to do. It gives us peace during trying times.

The battle within us is between desiring to please God versus desiring to please ourselves from the instant gratification from our flesh. The gratification may seem “fun” and “exciting” but, in the end it leads to heartache, disaster, and death. Choose submission.

Proverbs 1:23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings. 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

When unbelievers repent and acknowledge Christ as Savior, they have access to the thoughts and teachings of God through the Holy Spirit. As believers, we have already been forgiven of all past, present, and future sins because of Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Our position is to realize the shortcomings of walking by our flesh, turn away from that, and live a life led by the Spirit. While we have been made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), our power to honor God comes by continuously renewing our minds to hear from and obey the promptings of the Spirit. And with that transformed lifestyle comes peace, confidence, and a more abundant life.

Psalms 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 6You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

As awesome and worthy as our God is, He loves us so much that He bestowed authority and power on us. He elevated us to be His heirs. Let’s bask in the love of God and use the authority God has given us!

Hebrews 10:38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

On college campuses fraternities and sororities represent themselves with their hand gestures, colors, and symbols. In sports events most people cheer for their team with so much passion and emotion. If fraternities and sororities can wear their colors and Greek symbols and sports fanatics can cheer, why does it seem like so many Christians shrink or back down?

We say we love and worship God but, some of us fail to bless our food in public. We fail to correct people’s ignorant statements such as “I guess God wanted them to die.” We fail to raise our hands in praise when the Holy Spirit prompts us to.

Q: Why do we do it?
A: Everyone has their own personal reasons.

In the end, the reason doesn’t matter. God requires and deserves our attention. He desires us to be people of God representing the Kingdom of God. Go get a Christian T-shirt and tell people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and walk it out!

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

For those who have small expectations from God, usually, it takes a little faith and minimal effort to receive that promise from God. But, for those who have big dreams or big desires, it’s going to take unmovable faith and wise, Spirit-led effort to receive those promises.

The bigger the desire, the bigger the opposition. In order to combat that opposition we must seek God when things look uncertain, fast when things seem confusing, confess God’s word when thoughts of doubt enter our minds, and hear God’s word to be full of faith. This is has to be a consistent effort.

The promises are not in our efforts alone. The promises are received by faith. We have to have faith to know whatever it is we desire, we have that desire through the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Be Blessed!

Jeremiah 2:7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable.

If our child has a birthday coming up and we know our child wants a certain new toy, most parents would buy that toy for their child. After purchasing that toy, we would expect our child to take care of it. As a parent, we would be more than upset if our child intentionally destroyed that toy without remorse or thought.

God gave this earth to man to work it, cultivate it, and have dominion over it. God didn’t give us this land to defile it. There are people who trash their residence, their car, and the world around them. All of these things God generously provided for us. These same people don’t use the resources that man has invented to preserve our planet. This is a sign of immaturity.

People of God, let’s be mindful of what we’re doing. Let’s take care of this planet and all of the wonderful things God has blessed us with.

Hebrews 10:32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.

Once we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and make a conscious decision to be sold out for Him, there are going to be insults and persecution. Everyone may not understand the quest we take to be more like Jesus. They may think we’re “selling out” or too good for the hood. That’s okay. That’s to be expected.
As we continue our quest to walk in the light, our blessed lives will appeal to those who are still in the dark. They will eventually want to see, understand, and have a relationship with this God Who gives us peace, joy, and abundantly more.
That will be the time to share the detailed Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Persecution is to be expected. Keep focused on pleasing God and choose not to be distracted by persecutors.

God does not hold us accountable for our ignorance. Praise God for that! We may have assumed or been taught things that contradict the Word of God or were taught out of context.
Things such as…
We need to feel ashamed after we sin. When in reality, for the believer, God is not holding our sins against us. Because of the blood of Jesus, He has forgotten our sins before we committed them (Ephesians 1:7).
or
The reason why we’re going through difficult times is because we are cursed. In reality, Jesus has taken every curse for us so that we can live the blessed life (Galatians 3:13).

Once we get true revelation of God’s Word, we should renew our minds with this new information. We should be flexible enough to change our thought process and conform our old thinking to the true revelation of God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

As believers, we should be like a lantern.

Transparent so that the light of God can shine through us.

Strong enough to protect the flame by continuously renewing our minds and communing with the Word of God so that the flame continues to burn brightly.

Willing to be on display so that the light can be shared with others.

Matthew 5: 14You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all that are in the house. 16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

For every believer in the world, God has provided or made provision for us. We know this because it says in Philippians 4:19 God shall supply all our needs. Some may have more provision than others but, we all still have provision.

With this provision, God expects us to excel in everything we do. Don’t wait until you have better to live in excellence. Live in excellence now. We may only have an older used car, but treat and maintain that car like it was a brand new Bentley. We may only have an apartment, but manage that apartment like it was a 5 bedroom house. We may only have a minimum wage paying job, but excel in that job until we have our own business. Do everything in excellence.

No need to be upset about what you don’t have. Live in excellence with the things that God has provided.

Inspired by Bishop T.D. Jakes

Under the old covenant, tithing was mandatory (Malachi 3). Under the new covenant, tithing is not mandatory but, tithing is an avenue where God enhances the quality of our lives. This is stated in Hebrews.

Hebrews 7:4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater.

Abraham, who was not under the law, gave his tithes to the priest. The priest accepted it and blessed him. This passage is encouraging believers to give their tithes so that God can bless their lives.

Tithing also supports the Kingdom of God. In order for ministries to have nice facilities, outreach ministries, and the ability to broadcast the Word of God to the world, it takes money.

Everyone, let’s open up our hearts to God and give our tithes, offering, and gifts of love.

You feel like you finally got it right, and then thoughts of what if I mess this up again creep in. Know that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of might, power, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). While our souls alone are not enough to conquer our flesh, the Spirit and our souls have dominance over our flesh. And the same power that brought us out, keeps us out. We are free!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

If a random stranger approached us and gave us a million dollars, a new car, and a house to match with no strings attached, any reasonable person would be excited. We would never look at that stranger the same. We would be extra kind, courteous, and loving to the stranger. We may look for opportunities to pay them back. And that stranger may eventually become a friend.

God has called for His people to treat every person with love, kindness, and respect. We are to treat every person as if they have done something nice for us. We are to love others in spite of how they treat us and do good to those who hate us.

People of God, let’s love our fellow man.

Exodus 14:31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Exodus 15:22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

When the Israelites came upon the Red Sea, God parted the waters. Three days later the Israelites were thirsty, and the water they encountered was bitter. Instead of trusting and relying on God and Moses like they said they would do, they began to grumble and complain. It only took them three days to forget the awesome wonder God performed and start complaining.

Unfortunately, some of us do the same thing. We forget how God has blessed us, healed us, or prospered us and start complaining about what we don’t have now. The same God Who enhanced the quality of our life before can and will do it again. We simply have to trust, lean on, and rely on God and the Man He sent.

Think back on what God has done. Now, receive the victory for whatever you’re facing now. Finally, Praise God for the victory!

Inspired by Pastor Tony Evans.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

As we learn to hear, obey, and live by the Spirit, we build our faith in His Word (the voice of the Spirit and the Bible).

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them.

We hear the Spirit the more we commune with God (through prayer). The Spirit then reveals the things that God has for us. Then, we exercise our faith by believing we have received those things before we see the manifestation of them. It is time to go deeper with God, and live by the Spirit.

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit.

Inspired by T.D. Jakes

God has gifted us with His Spirit. It is our choice the extent we choose to communicate with Him and the level of influence we allow Him in our lives.

1 Corinthians 2: 9But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. 10But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Without His direction, we limit ourselves. The Spirit has special information just for us to help us to fulfill our purpose and improve the quality of our lives. As we learn to hear, obey, and live by the Spirit, we build our faith in His Word (the Spirit and the Bible).

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

Inspired by T.D. Jakes

When we sin, for the believer, we have access to forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Just because we have access to forgiveness through the blood doesn’t mean it’s automatically applied to our soul. It’s our responsibility to receive this forgiveness. This will prevent us from feeling bad or guilty about what we did. Forgiveness is available to all but, we must receive it in the time of sin.

For those who think they can abuse the system by living a life of sin then apply the blood of Jesus for their forgiveness, their salvation is up for debate. 1 John 1:6-7 says it this way: If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Remove the guilt, shame, and condemnation from your soul and receive God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.

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.

Daniel 10:12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

As soon as we pray, we are heard by God. We don’t have to wait on flashing lights or a sound coming from heaven to know we are heard. We must have faith to know we are heard. And if we know that He hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of Him (1 John 5:15).

We should never be intimidated over the delay of our prayers. The delay should not cause us to be dismayed, fret, or go into panic. Our responsibility is to believe without a shadow of a doubt that what we’ve prayed for shall come to pass.

There are many things that Jesus took in our place so that we don’t have to endure it today. Let’s take a look at three different things.

1. Abandonment.
For at least 3 days, Jesus was abandoned by God so that He (God) can legally say to us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus was abandoned so that we can always have and be in the presence of God.

2. Cursed.
Every sin has consequences. All of God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus (Who became sin for us) so that we won’t have to endure a cursed life. We experience the blessed life and not a cursed life.

3. Death.
The Bible says the wages of sin are death (Rom 6:23). Since Jesus became sin for us, He had to endure the ultimate consequence which is death. Jesus had to die in order for us to have everlasting life.

Praise God for our true Savior Jesus Who allowed us to live a blessed, care free, Spirit led, abundant life with God.

The role of a shepherd is to guide, provide, and protect its sheep. In life, God is our Shepherd. Most all know the famous Psalm 23 scripture “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” We seem to like the provision and protection part of God but, not too many people care for the guiding part. It seems as if we want to be cared for and protected and at the same time do what we want to do.

When God guides us, it’s not to bind us with rules and regulations to make our lives miserable. It’s to keep us from hurting ourselves with the pleasures of sin. The Bible clearly says the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23). In every way the Lord guides us, He is trying to manifest the best in our lives and keep us from death.

Allow the Spirit of the Lord to guide you in each and every way.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.