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Genesis 39: 20bBut while Joseph was there in the prison, 21the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
41: 39Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 41So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”

Joseph kept believing God when things seemed to be going wrong (Genesis 37, 39-45). He was given a big purpose and dream. He persevered through betrayal, slavery, promotion, demotion, and prison before receiving the manifestation of the purpose that God called him to. If Joseph had given up, or quit believing that God loved him and that God is good and reserves good things for His people, Joseph would have never reached the other side of the trials. Victory is guaranteed for the believer who trusts God and perseveres through the trials to the victory.

I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,

The Word of God clearly states we should not lie. If the Word of God states we should not lie, why does society view lying as a norm? Many people lie because of fear. They may be afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, of how others’ will perceive them (image), or of not getting the best.

Although fear appears to be the root of lying, I recently discovered a lack of trust in God is the reason why people lie. If we truly trust God, we would allow God to handle the other person’s feelings when He directs us to tell them the truth. If we truly trust God, we wouldn’t care how our honesty makes us look to the world because our lives are governed by God. If we truly trust God, we wouldn’t be afraid of not getting the best deal because we know with God, through Christ, we always receive the best.

Be honest with others and be honest with yourselves. Eliminate lying from your speech and truly trust God.

Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Life presents so many areas where we could worry. We could worry about our children, our finances, our health, and our careers, but God’s Word instructs us not to worry. God understands that worry causes stress, and stress causes disease, and disease can affect the quality of life or in some cases, jeopardize the very life He has given us.

At times, it’s difficult to not worry about certain things in our life. It seems like we’re helping our problem when we worry but, that’s a deception by the enemy. The truth of the matter is when we worry, we mentally, physically, and emotionally let God know that we don’t trust Him.

I encourage every born-again believer to let go of worry and truly trust the living God Who is more than capable of handling EVERY situation we go through. Truly trust God and give EVERY situation to Him.

Malachi 3:10 Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Due to the greed of a few deceived ministers in the body of Christ, good ministers have been viewed as only wanting our money. This satanic deception, leaves on average only about 3% of the members at each church (large or small) giving their tithes and offering.

Question: If you were Satan, what would be the best way to stop or limit the expansion of God’s Kingdom?

Response: I believe it’s safe to say, through the closing of people’s wallets.

Logic: How else do we expect to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ through television, internet, and radio without money? How else do we expect to obtain buildings for the Kingdom of God without money? The bible even says in Ecclesiastes 10:19 that money answers all things. All things include the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Inconsistent Reasoning: Well known minsters such as, T.D. Jakes and Joel Olsteen, have been criticized for their success with some people buying into the satanic deception that if ministers are successful, they must be  deceiving the congregation by taking people’s money. Yet, pornography is a billion dollar industry and few question that Hugh Hefner is a multimillionaire; professional basketball is also a billion dollar industry and few debate Michael Jordan’s claim to millions. If people so freely give to worldly industries, then why question successful ministers in the body of Christ and attempt to assign shame to their success when God promised abundance for all believers with the faith to access it?

Don’t let one bad apple spoil the bunch. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to the place(s) He wants you to sow your finances. The Kingdom of God needs you.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

God loves us. God wants the best for us. We know this because He loved us enough to give us His best; His Son Jesus. God doesn’t want to see His children struggle and it displeases Him to know we don’t trust Him.

The enemy will distract us by having us focus on the delay of our desires. The enemy will magnify the fact that the situation appears to be worse than when it started. But, if we can continue to believe in the face of adversity, our desires will be met. In fact, more than our desires will be met because God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Finally, God will cause everything (the difficult situations and the time delay) to work for our good.

Make the step of faith and trust God today.

‭I Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,

A religious or a deceived mind would magnify verse 17 which instructs those who have a lot of money not to trust in uncertain riches. This verse would be justification on why it’s unnecessary to receive riches, however, we must continue reading. Verse 18 instructs the rich to do good works, be ready to give, and be willing to share.

Question: How can the Kingdom of God be advanced without someone doing good works? How can the homeless eat if someone is not ready to give or willing to share? Someone has to be rich or else the Word of God would not have given instructions to the rich. If someone has to be rich, why not let it be you?

For years, people have criticized people in the body of Christ for being wealthy but, why? Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we can be redeemed from poverty and be entitled to the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:14). Is it their fault they are maximizing on a promise of God?

Just like any good Father, God desires for His children to have the best. God also desires the advancement of His Kingdom but, we can only do so much with limited or no resources. People of God, it’s okay to desire wealth (Psalm 112:1-3). It’s a promise of God and we (the believers) are entitled to it.

Receive your wealth.

Genesis 39:11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

On several occasions, Joseph was sexually tempted by Potiphar’s wife. Joseph refused to yield to his flesh and he continued to honor God. On the last temptation (v.12), Joseph escaped from Potiphar’s wife by running out of the house.

We all face temptations that go against the Word of God. One person’s temptation is sex and another person’s temptation is alcohol. Regardless of the temptations we face, before creation existed, God established an escape plan. We know this because in 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says, The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.

God understands we will be tempted with sin but, the good news is we don’t have to yield ourselves towards its desires. Whatever temptation you’re facing, sincerely bring it to the Lord. Wait and listen and He will reveal His escape plan for your situation.

Receive Freedom!   

John 8:58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.

Although, Jesus was in their (the Jews) presence, He was able to escape from being stoned. No one could kill or do harm to Him without His permission.

This same Jesus who escaped death at one point in time, lives inside of us. We have the same abilities Jesus had and even greater works shall we be able to do (John 14:12). As a born-again child of God, we are protected and nothing can hurt us (Luke 10:19). This promise includes every man, disease, or virus.

Everyone else can be afraid of assaults, shootings, and Ebola but, we are covered and protected. Since we are protected, there is no need to fear. Death, fear, and destruction may be in our presence but like Jesus, God provides us with an escape plan.

Continue to live life free from fear.

For many years, I believed the more spiritual things I did, the more I would be blessed. If I read so many chapters a day, went to church, prayed so many minutes a day, and prayed in my heavenly language I was destined to receive my desires. If I failed to do these things, there would be a delay in receiving my desires.

What I didn’t realize is, I was creating laws for myself and Galatians 3:18 says, if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in His grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. There is no set amount of works we can do to receive the promises of God. If we could have done the works ourselves, God would have never sent Jesus to make us heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29) and we would boast only about our works (prayer, fasting, etc.), rather than give Him glory.

In order to receive the promises of God, there is ONE thing we must do: believe in the finished works of Jesus Christ (John 6:29). Jesus has made everything available to us. All we have to do is believe. If we have a desire, we ask the Father in prayer, believe that we received it when we prayed, and it will be ours (Mark 11:24).

Let’s stop creating religious laws for ourselves and do what the Bible instructs us to do. In order to receive our desires from God, we simply have to believe.

John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

There are some things that some of us are experiencing that we don’t have to accept in our lives. Some of us experience sickness, lack, and loss and we say, “That’s just a part of life.” We’ll accept failure as if it’s normal. We’ll settle for 50% of a thing rather than going for the entire 100%.

That’s why it’s so important to read, believe, and receive the Word of God. The Word of God informs us about everything we’re entitled to through the blood of Jesus. The Word of God informs us about the authority we possess through Jesus Christ.

We can read these scriptures multiple times for years but, if we don’t believe the Word of God and apply it to our lives, we’ll continue to accept less than God’s best. God’s not going to force this prosperous abundant life on us. If we want to live below average, God will let us but, if we want God’s best, it’s up to us to believe and receive His Word for our lives.

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

James 1:22 (NLT) But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

1 Samuel 17:26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

45: David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

When situations in life arise, we should take a page out David’s book and question the reason for its existence in our lives. Once we question its existence, we should use our authority and come against that issue in the name of Jesus.

If cancer attacks our bodies, speak to cancer and ask…what is this cancer that defiles the temple of the Lord? I come against you in the name of Jesus.
If strife attacks our marriage, speak to strife and ask…what is this strife that defiles a holy union of the Lord? I come against you in the name of Jesus.
If lack attacks our finances, speak to lack and ask…what is this lack that defiles my finances? I come against you in the name of Jesus.

Everything that God did not intend for our life, we have the authority to come against it in the name of Jesus. And just like Goliath, every issue will fall.

‭I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Who we are
God made us in His image and He is a Spirit. We are eternal spirit beings who have souls and currently live in a body. (Genesis 1:27, John 4:24, Hebrews 4:12)

Making Him Savior:
When we accept Jesus as the Son and tri-part being of God, Who died and rose again, we receive salvation. Once we accept Jesus as Savior, our spirits are made perfect because the Holy Spirit (God the Father, Son, & Spirit) comes to reside in our spirits. We are made righteous and, regardless of our actions, will go to heaven.
If you are ready to accept Him as your Savior, simply say, “God I confess my sins to you. I believe Your Son was crucified and rose up from the dead and because of that all of my past, present, and future sins have been forgiven. Thank You that I now get to spend eternity with You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Making Him Lord (Knowing God’s Thoughts)
To make Christ the Lord of our lives is to decide to surrender our souls to Him. We choose to no longer accept the world’s twist on biblical principles, and choose to fully believe God, even if it’s not popular or doesn’t feel good to our flesh.
The BEST way to make Him Lord is to be led by His Spirit. While we receive His Spirit at salvation, it is a distinct on-going choice to be filled with and led by His Spirit. The benefits are endless as His Spirit is the Word of God catered to every situation in our lives. His Spirit will ALWAYS lead us down the optimal path for our future. To better discern His Promptings, we commune with Him through prayer, worship, reading and listening to His Word and Word-based teaching. Not because we have to, but because it helps our souls get on board with our Spirit-filled spirits. (Please note: the process of getting our flesh to submit to the Spirit is ongoing, but we continue on, not being discouraged by our shortcomings, but growing in our faith.)
If you are ready to make Him Lord and live out the abundant life God has for you, simply say, “Lord, fill me with Your Spirit and help me on this daily journey of following Your Lead. I pray that I easily distinguish Your Voice and always promptly obey as You direct me in every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Exodus 17:6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

Numbers 20:8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites complained of thirst. God instructed Moses to strike the rock in order for the Israelites to receive water. In Numbers 20, the Israelites complained again of thirst but this time, God instructed Moses to speak to the rock in order for the Israelites to receive water. Out of frustration, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock to receive water.

In Numbers 20, there was a need. Moses reverted back to what he did in Exodus. He reverted back to what was familiar to him and what worked in the past. Moses was familiar with the process but, he didn’t trust the new plan. Because of his disobedience, he was unable to enter the promise land.

Some of us may be like Moses. We’ll revert to what worked in the past not trusting the new plan of God. For instance, we may have needed a financial breakthrough in a certain area. God may have instructed us to sow a seed at our church. Two weeks later, we received our breakthrough. Now, we’re in the same predicament. We need a financial breakthrough in a certain area however this time, God instructs us to ask a specific person for the money. Instead of being obedient, some of us will revert back to what worked in the past and sow a seed at church. We receive our financial breakthrough but, who knows what else we’re missing out on.

We are to trust and have faith in the right now plan of God believing all our needs and desires will be met. Because with God, all things are possible.
Trust His plan.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

We are what we are because of the grace of God. It’s not our education, training, or experience. It’s not who we know through our connections. We are what we are because of the grace of God.

And because of this grace, we cannot boast in ourselves. We can’t say we’re successful because of ________. We have no choice but, to give credit, glory, and honor to God. It’s because of His grace we have the careers we have. It’s because of His grace we have the spouses we have. It’s because of His grace we are not dead, sickly, or poor. Every good thing we have is because of the grace of God.

Praise God for grace! It’s the funnel through which all blessings flow.

1 Corinthians 1:27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

If you’re looking for logical solutions to your problems, Christianity is not the way. God will use the most illogical methods to solve our problems. Why? Because God is looking for us to trust Him in spite of how things appear.

We can see this all throughout the scriptures. In Exodus 17:6, when the Israelites were thirsty, God told Moses to strike a rock in order to receive water. In Joshua 6, God told Joshua and his men to walk around the walls of Jericho seven times in order to capture the city. In John 9:6, in order to heal blindness, Jesus spat on the ground, made mud with His saliva, and smeared it on the man’s eyes. Many would agree that these are some of the most illogical methods to solving problems.

We have to move from only trusting in things we can understand to trusting in God. God’s ways will always be higher than our ways and our limited minds will never comprehend His abilities. Let go of logic and totally trust in God.

Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

Face value is a term that people often use when referring to the true value of something. An example would be, John means what he says, you can take him at face value.

The Word of God is THE only thing we can take at face value. Every promise in the Word of God, we can take literally. All conditions and criteria to receive God’s promises are found in the Word of God. There are no hidden terms, conditions, or agreements. When the Word says have faith, we must have faith. When the Word says believe, we must believe. When the Word says give, we must give.

The promises of God are for everyone who is willing to believe and receive these promises. We don’t have to be perfect or a preacher to receive God’s promises. All we have to do is take God’s Word at face value. When God said it, He meant it and when He said it, He meant it for you.

Receive the blessings of the Lord. 

Mark 10:³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” ³⁶ And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

On the surface, it appears that James and John were demanding Jesus to do something for them. It seems so disrespectful. But notice, Jesus didn’t rebuke them. He asked them what they wanted. How could they talk to Jesus in this manner? Didn’t they know He is the Son of God?

John and James were able to talk to Jesus in this manner because they were in close relationship with Him. They realized He is not a respecter of persons. If Jesus can heal and deliver random people, surely He could do something for them. Although John and James had selfish motives in their request, Jesus was willing to do whatever they asked.

When we have a close relationship with God through Jesus, God is willing to do whatever we ask. Jesus makes this clear in the very next chapter of Mark 11:24 which says, therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. We must ask ourselves the following questions: Are we asking the Father? Do we believe? Have we received?

Ask for the desires of your heart and know that, through Jesus, God is willing to answer your request.

1 John 3:5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.

For every born again believer, Jesus has taken away our sins. There is no confusion or debate. We can see clearly in 1 John 3:5 that Jesus took away all of our sins. The only reason God sees us as righteous is because we have no sin. If it were not for Jesus, we would still be considered unrighteous. If Jesus took away all of our sins, why do some of us work so hard to keep them?

For instance, some of us hold on to mistakes we have made in the past and we are still asking God for forgiveness. What some of us fail to realize is we have been forgiven over 2000 years ago. Jesus has taken away every past, present, and future sin. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven.

Stop holding on to things you have done in the past. Receive your forgiveness and believe your sins have been taken away.

John 8:23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

There are people who spend a lot of time, effort, and money searching for extraterrestrial beings, also known as, aliens. They look into far distances and galaxies for other forms of life. Meanwhile, they fail to realize that the aliens they seek are right in front of them.

Everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior becomes a new creature and by default, they are not of this world. Jesus proclaims He is not of this world and in John 17:16 He proclaims that we (the believers) are not of this world.

What this means is, we act differently than those of this world. For instance, when Ebola has the world frantic and afraid, we have peace because we believe that nothing can harm us (Luke 10:19). When people of the world are stressed or worried about losing their jobs, we have joy because we believe that God shall supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19).

This strange behavior we display during seemingly difficult times will cause others to become curious and look at us in a new way. This curiosity will draw people into our inner circle. Then we can declare we are not of this world and our home is in heaven where our Leader is God Almighty. Finally, we can invite them to become citizens of this world through Jesus Christ.

We are not of this world; be proud of it.

John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

We often look past the point of salvation and look towards the building of our faith, the building of our relationship with God, and getting the desires of our heart. Those things are important but, not as important as leading others to Christ.

Daily, people are going to hell because only a few are reaching out to the lost. Salvation is THE most important thing in the Kingdom of God. Luke 15:10 says, angels rejoice when one sinner repents. Everyday, we should be ministering to someone in some way. We can verbally minister to a complete stranger, we can encourage friends and family members, or we can update our status with a Word from God.

I encourage everyone reading this scripture to update their Facebook or Twitter status with John 8:24 to encourage the world to believe in THE ONLY savior, Jesus Christ.