Monthly Archive

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.