Monthly Archive

Psalm 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord,Who made heaven and earth.
(Read Psalm 121:1-8)

If we magnify or place our focus on the sickness the doctors say we have, we minimize the truth that God has healed us. If we live in fear or worry about someone harming us or our family, we minimize the truth that God is our protection. If we magnify what the media says regarding the economy, jobs, and healthcare, we minimize the truth that God is our provider and He meets ALL of our needs.

We will not be shaken or moved by any negative events that occur in the world. We may be in the world but, we don’t operate in the world’s system. Our operational system says we always have enough in spite of how things appear, we are complete in God and no sickness will enter our bodies, and nothing/no person can harm us.

We have to receive these truths and operate in these truths.

Be Blessed.

Ephesians 1: 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

When we say “Jesus is all I need,” that is because in Him we have everything we need and more. Focus on that relationship. Seek Him, love Him, and allow Him to direct you onto a path of manifesting your needs and desires.

Matthew 6: 33But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Ephesians 3: 20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Psalm 99:5 Exalt the LORD our God And worship at His footstool; Holy is He.

As we worship God distractions will invade our mind attempting to make us feel like we’re not doing anything. The enemy will attempt to make us think we have no business worshipping God based off our shortcomings and sin. Finally, at times, our flesh won’t feel like worshipping God.

Once again, we have to move beyond our feelings. Worship is THE only thing we can give God. We worship God for His goodness, His grace, and His mercy. We worship God because He made us righteous and made us His sons and daughters. We worship God because He has forgiven us of all our sins and gave us new life through Christ.

Our feelings don’t matter. We worship God forever because that how much He deserves it.

The enemy will attempt to make us focus on our feelings during prayer. The enemy will make us think our prayer is in vain because we don’t feel like God is listening. For those who get past the thought of “God is not listening,” he will make us think our prayers won’t get answered because we don’t see or feel anything is happening.

When we pray, we won’t feel anything. It’s called the prayer of faith. We have to believe (without a doubt) because we are righteous, our prayers are heard by God and will come to pass. We have to believe it’s already done without any proof from our senses.

Pray, and know that you’re heard by God.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

James 5:16…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

When we can’t physically, see, smell, or hear something we often want to feel something. Sometimes churches may use statements as “I feel the Spirit moving” or “I feel the presence of the Lord.” What people are really trying to do is explain the emotional excitement they’re receiving in their soul at that present time. This makes the believer think they have to feel something in order to know whatever they’re doing (praying, worshipping, standing in faith) is working.

The truth is whether we feel it or not, the Holy Spirit is with us and God is ever-present. We know this not because of our feelings but, because the Word of God says so. As we mature spiritually, we need to move beyond our feelings and rely on the Word of God when it comes to spiritual matters.

1 Samuel 10:7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Isaiah 30:18 (AMP) And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

As we grow in our relationship with God, people will tell us to read our bibles, pray, listen to the Word, and attend church. Most of us will go through the motions of reading, praying, etc. without knowing why and without having an expectation to receive any benefits.

As we read our bible, we should have an expectation to receive knowledge of the Word of God to apply the Word of God in our everyday life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As we pray, we should have an expectation to receive our desires and needs met in every situation (Mark 11:24).
As we listen to the Word of God, we should have expectation for our faith to be established and strengthened (Romans 10:17).
As we attend church, we should have an expectation to flourish in life (Psalm 92:13).

Stop going through the motions of just doing something. Have an expectation attached to everything God tells us to do.

God does not need our tithe; He owns it all. But, He provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate our love for, faith in, and priority of Him through our discipline in our finances. He then provides us with incentive by making 90% extend further than 100% ever could. Humanly illogical, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Hebrews 6:20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7: 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

Galatians 3: 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise

Inspired by Bishop T.D. Jakes

Genesis 2: 16The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Why would God, Who can create whatever He wants, make a tree that Adam could not eat from and put it in the Garden that Adam had access to?

God gave Adam the opportunity to exhibit his love for God through his discipline over his possessions. By Adam tithing obedience over that tree he was sacrificing part of his possessions to God. At that time there was no need for Adam to bring God a slaughtered lamb because Adam had everything he wanted with no toil. If he killed a sheep, more would have appeared with no work from Adam. But, Adam’s discipline in obedience to God over the tree was his opportunity to demonstrate his love for God beyond words. When he failed to do that, he lost the Garden and became subject to a life of strife and toil (Genesis 3:19).

Inspired by Bishop T.D. Jakes

When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He made salvation available for all men. In order to receive this salvation, we had to receive it by faith (Romans 10:9).

Jesus not only made salvation available to us, but all spiritual blessings. Those spiritual blessings are in Christ and according to John 14:19-20 Christ is in us. Spiritual blessings include our health, careers, finances, etc. Just like salvation, in order to receive our spiritual blessings, we have to receive it by faith. We have to believe and receive that those spiritual blessings are in Christ and Christ is in us.

We may not be able to see how we’re going to be healed, but receive with His stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24). We may not be able to see how we’re going to be debt free, but we receive wisdom in our finances to be debt free (Isaiah 48:17). We may not be able to see our spouse on the horizon, but we receive everything we ask for in faith including our spouse (Mark 11:24).

Receive everything Jesus has readily made available to us.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

John 17:²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.

Before Jesus left the earth, His desire was unity for all believers. His intention was to never leave us broken and quarrelsome. We may have a difference of opinion regarding certain topics but, those opinions should never divide us from the truth. The truth is in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ should be our common denominator. Love should be the driving force in everything we do. And bringing glory to God should always be our goal.

Let’s fulfill Jesus’ desire and live in unity.

In Numbers 22:12 people emphasize on the truth that no man can curse what God has blessed. This is true. There is no hex, voodoo, witchcraft, or sorcery anyone can place on the life of a believer because we are blessed.

However, many people miss the role Balaam played. Balaam was operating in the authority God gave him (to bless and curse). Before Balaam even attempted to curse the Israelites, he consulted God. Numbers 22:8 says, Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the Lord gives me.” After consulting God, Balaam informed Balak he could not curse what God has blessed. He didn’t worry about his reputation or the future of his business, he simply obeyed God. (Read Numbers 22:1-14)

Before making any decisions in our own life, we need to consult God. God knows everything and we don’t. Who else better to consult besides the One Who knows all? Confirm with or acknowledge God in all things and He will direct your path.

Proverbs 3:6 In ALL your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Previously we mentioned how God’s plan is to use people to give unto us (Luke 6:38), use people to help release our desires (Matthew 18:19), and use people to bestow His blessing upon us (Psalm 133). We also mentioned how God wants us to be connected with one another instead of attempting to go through life “proudly” on our own.

With this is in mind, we have the opportunity to be a vessel for the Kingdom of God and enhance the quality of someone else’s life. We can be that person to help release the desires of someone else or we can be that person to sow into the life of another. We shouldn’t always think about what we can get out of the deal. Show the love of God to someone else.

The more people we can connect with, the greater the opportunity God has to bless our lives. The more lives we can touch, the greater the Kingdom of God becomes. The greater the Kingdom of God becomes the more we can impact this world.

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Reach Out!

In today’s society, for whatever reason, people make it seem like it’s a badge of honor to say I did X, Y, and Z by myself. God never intended for us to live this way. From the beginning, God made it clear that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18).

There are certain things God has for us but, it can only come through a person. The following scriptures make this clear:

People shall give to us: Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again.

People help release our desires: Matthew 18:19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

People in unity bestow God’s blessing on us: Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

For us to arrogantly say, “we don’t need anyone,” is a slap in the face to one of God’s methods for prospering us. We’re saying we’re not interested in God’s plan and we would rather sweat and toil for our victories.

Let’s open ourselves up, trust in God’s plan, and allow God to bless our lives through people.

Reach Out!

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Has someone you know made an appearance in your thoughts or dreams? Take that as a reminder to pray for them. If you do not know their salvation status, pray for them to be saved and know The Lord (1 Timothy 2:4). Then, pray that they walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25). Pray that all of their needs and more are met (2 Corinthians 9:8). And as you pray for your situation, remember to pray God’s best for others as well (Ephesians 3:20).

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Hebrews 10:38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”

We live by faith. We overcome the attempts of the adversary by faith knowing that we’ve already been declared victorious through Christ (Romans 8:37). And we do not shrink back from our God-aligned desires because faith is the evidence of their existence (Hebrews 11:1). Continue on in faith, continually seeking God and declaring His Word in every situation!

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Hebrews 10:38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.”

We live by faith. We overcome the attempts of the adversary by faith, knowing that we’ve already been declared victorious through Christ (Romans 8:37). And we do not shrink back from our God-aligned desires because faith is the evidence (Hebrews 11:1).

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you.

God will keep us in perfect peace if we keep our mind stayed on Him. We start losing our peace when we take our eyes off God and onto our situation (good or bad).

In a positive situation, we can focus so much on our career or family until we start losing sleep and becoming frustrated. However, if we keep our mind on God and His way of doing things, every situation will work out for our good (Rom 8:28).

In a negative situation, people have the tendency to focus on the problem instead of the Problem Solver. We give so much attention to what’s not going right or what can be better until we miss the fact that in spite of what we’re going through, God is with us and has blessed us.

This is a process. It may not happen overnight. Our mind will want to revert back to our problem or situation but, we must keep our focus on God.

Keep Your Peace

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Have you ever been driving and off in the distance you see a thick cloud of black smoke in the air? This usually means there is a fire somewhere. We may not be able to see the fire, but we can see the smoke. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Our faith works the same way.

The fire represents our needs or desires. Faith is the smoke to the fire. Faith is the evidence that something we need or desire exists. If we can have faith for our desires, our desires exist somewhere. Faith is believing that Jesus Christ has made whatever we need or desire available to us. The longer we stay in faith (without doubting), the closer we’ll get to receive our desires. Eventually, we will see the fire. We will see the manifestation of our desires. We will receive the things God has promised.

Stay in faith.

Psalm 12:7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked,

As we read the scriptures, we are walking in total protection and NOTHING can hurt us.
How do we know this? According to Colossians 2:15 Satan literally cannot hurt us because Jesus stripped him of all of his power. As we read before in Isaiah 54:17 no weapon formed against us shall prosper. 1 Peter 2:24 says by the stripes of Jesus we are healed. Finally, God’s Word says He protects us forever (Psalm 12:7).

Let’s review:
We are protected from Satan (Colossians 2:15).
We are protected from any weapon of the wicked (Isaiah 54:17)
We are protected from all sickness, disease, or pain (1 Peter 2:24)
God protects us forever (Psalm 12:7).

With this being known, we should never be afraid again. Our faith should rest in these scriptures of protection and trust that God has us covered. Don’t be afraid. Live the life God has promised. Don’t be afraid of death, any criminal offenses, or disease. Continue to read these scriptures over and over until you are convinced that God is our Protector and He is forever on His job.

Psalm 12:7 You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked,

Remember that time when you almost died in the hospital of that disease that had no cure? Remember when you were almost killed by that drunk driver on the highway? What about that sexually transmitted disease you almost caught?

Some of us may have experienced these things and some of us may not. Either way, if you’re reading this, you’re still alive. God protects us from dangers seen and unseen. As a child of God our enemy wants to take us out any way he can. He will use our own foolishness to attempt to kill us or the wicked spirit in someone else. Whatever method he attempts to use, we must remind ourselves that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17) and God is our ultimate protector.

Receive and walk in this protection that Jesus has made available.

To be continued…

Psalm 3:8 From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

Deliverance cannot be obtained through our relationships, education, or finances. Deliverance is received from God. God is the only One Who has the ability to deliver us out of our current situation(s). For those desiring change, look to God and seek His face and His way of doing things.

The deliverance we seek is not something that’s going to happen. Our deliverance has been made available for us for at least 2000 years. When Jesus rose from the grave with all power in His hands, our deliverance was in that package.

Receive this deliverance by faith and expect God to show you ways to change your current situation. We’re not looking for deliverance, we’re delivered.

John 8:9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Here we have a woman who is caught “red handed” in sin. The people who followed the law wanted to kill her based on the law’s punishment for adultery. They bring her to Jesus and Jesus responds with his famous saying “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7).

This is one of the first times someone had the opportunity to receive grace. The law wanted to punish her but, Jesus offered grace. As believers, we are under that same covenant. We are under the covenant of grace. Whatever sin(s) we have committed, we have been forgiven and have the opportunity to leave our life of sin. We don’t have to experience any guilt or shame. We have to learn to receive this grace and walk out this sinless life.

1 John 3:8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

When we’re practicing something, we’re aiming to get better. A singer practices to get better at singing and an athlete practices to get better at their sport. With this being said, we can conclude that someone who continuously sins without remorse is practicing sin and anyone who practices sin is not a child of God.

Praise God for the blood of Jesus. With the blood of Jesus we can stop practicing sin and receive our forgiveness. We can officially become a child of God instead of leaving our salvation up for question. We can live the abundant life Jesus promised. We can be made righteous and practice righteousness.

Inspired by Pastor F. Price

Have you ever heard a sermon that got your faith stirred up? You feel like you can do anything, say anything, and receive everything in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah!

But, then a month or two goes by and you don’t see anything happen. You don’t see the thing(s) you were believing God for. That passion and fire you had a month ago seems to be out. This is the most important time in the faith process. This is the make or break moment for most believers.

The most opportune time for the enemy to strike is when our emotions are detached from the promise. He’ll say, “This won’t happen or you would have seen something by now.” If we allow this mindset to enter our hearts, we can expect to receive nothing from God. Faith is not an emotional thing. Faith is based on 100% belief in the Word of God. When the enemy says things contrary to what we’re standing in faith for, we combat his voice by declaring what we believe. We may have to do this multiple times but, we’re standing firm in our faith.

Stand strong believers and receive the promise God has for you!

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.

There are challenges, difficulties, and mindsets that were never meant to be in our lives. God wants to root these things up and replace them with something far better.

If all we experienced is drama, bickering, and foolishness in regards to a relationship, what do you think we will have to offer in a marriage? The same thing. Foolishness and drama can be rooted up.

If all we heard people say is “do you” and “get money,” how do we expect to lend a helping hand? We can’t. Selfishness can be rooted up.

If all we see are people barely making it working from paycheck to paycheck, how can we expect to have and live out big aspirations and goals? It’s extremely difficult. Minimalistic expectations can be rooted up.

By hearing and receiving the word of God, applying it to our lives, and being Holy Spirit led, Our Heavenly Father promised to root up everything He did not plant. Open up and receive the garden God originally wanted us to have.

Matthew 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

-Inspired by Pastor B. Winston