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Mark 11:22 And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. 23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 

 At the beginning of the week, the meteorologist stated there will be snow in the middle of the week. Without seeing any evidence of snow, people heard the meteorologist, believed the meteorologist, agreed with the meteorologist, declared there will be snow, and prepared for snow. Does this seem familiar? Isn’t this what God is asking us to do with His Word?

The same faith we used to believe the meteorologist is the same faith we should use to believe the Word of God. There may not be any evidence of what we’re standing in faith for but, just like the meteorologist, we should believe God’s Word just the same.

Any time thoughts of doubt enter our minds, reject those thoughts, and only believe.

Colossians 2:9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Satan is defeated. He’s been stripped of all power and authority. For those in Christ, Satan can’t make us do anything and he can’t force his will on our lives. Satan can only place thoughts, ideas, and suggestions that are contrary to the Word of God in our minds. If we choose to resist him, there is nothing he can do. No longer can we say, “the devil made me do it.”

However, there are some ways we give Satan access into our lives. One of the main ways we give Satan access in our lives is by carrying out the thought that was contrary to the word of God. Before every unrighteous action, there was first a thought. Another way we give Satan access is with our words. Because we are speaking spirits and we have power in our speech, what we say will manifest itself (Prov. 18:21). If we say something contrary to the Word of God, that’s what we’ll have. Finally, we give Satan access through unregulated emotions (Eph. 4:26-27). When our emotions are uncontrolled, we’re more likely to be influenced or tempted by the suggestions of Satan.

Don’t give Satan access into your life. Rebuke contrary thoughts, monitor your speech, and be in control of your emotions. Satan is defeated and He is under our feet.

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The scripture says we should rightly divide the word of truth. This means, there is a wrong way to divide the word of truth. One of the main ways people seem to wrongly divide the word of truth is to take word of truth out of context.

For instance, believers often quote Philippians 4:19 which says, And my God will supply all my needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. If we take Philippians 4:19 by itself, it sounds great and encouraging but, as we can see, there are many believers who are struggling and all of their needs are not met. Is God not standing by His Word? Of course He is, but some have been taking this scripture out of context.

If we look closer at the context of Philippians 4:19, we can see this scripture is about giving. After the people gave to Paul and met his needs, Paul declared that all of their needs would be met by God (Phil 4:14-19). So, if we’re not giving and meeting the needs of the Kingdom, we can’t expect all of our needs to be met by God.

When studying the Word of God, remember to rightly divide the word of truth and keep the Word in its proper context.

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

A lot of people seem to be focused on what pleases them. Unfortunately, those same people are pleased with obtaining materialistic things on the earth (designer clothes, purses, shoes, expensive cars, etc.). There is nothing wrong with having materialistic things, but those materialistic things shouldn’t be our primary focus.

God desires for us to seek those things which are above because the things that are above are the most important things to God and the most beneficial for us. We see throughout the scriptures what is most important to God.
1. Salvation- God desires to see mankind saved through Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:4-5). The salvation of mankind will come through our witnessing about Jesus Christ.
2. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and visiting those in prison (Matthew 25:35-40). Once again, this is our responsibility.
3. Being a blessing (Genesis 12:2).

If we’re so focused on gaining our desires, how will we be able to seek those things above? How will we be able to do the things that are most important to God?

Let’s make God’s priority our priority. Seek those things above.

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Since the beginning of time, Satan has been using the same tricks to deceive mankind. The trick he has used is thoughts, ideas, and suggestions contrary to the Word of God. Satan told Eve that if she ate of the fruit, she will not die but, be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). What Eve failed to understand was mankind was already like God because we are made in His image.

In 2015, Satan is still doing the same thing. He has no new tricks. He is still forming thoughts and ideas that are contrary to the Word of God. Unfortunately, some people have believed and received these ideas and labeled them as relevant or modern. Meanwhile, God’s commands are considered outdated and archaic. Although times have changed, God’s Word has not. God desires for us to still live a life that pleases Him. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and other sins will not send genuine believers to hell, but those lifestyles do not honor God and will certainly affect the quality of their lives.

Magnify the Word of God over everything else. Whatever the Word of God says, within its proper context, do it.

James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”

God opposes the proud. The proud take pride in the things they’ve accomplished. They are proud to say they read their Bible twice a day, fast once a week, and pray three times a day. Praying, fasting, and reading are beneficial to a believer but, the proud are satisfied with their self-effort alone. (See Luke 18:9-12 as an example of the proud.)

The humble recognize their need for God. The humble understand that they can’t make it without God and everything they have is because of Jesus. The humble realize that all their righteous self-effort fails to compare with what Jesus has accomplished. With this humility, God provides more grace to the humble. (See Luke 18:13-14 as an example of the humble.)

What the proud fail to realize is no matter how many acts of righteousness they do, they still need a Savior in Jesus. The trap the proud walk into is they magnify their acts of righteousness over what Jesus has accomplished. Any acts of our own righteousness that attempt to outdo what Jesus has accomplished are as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6).

Take a look over your life and determine if you’re magnifying the accomplishments of Jesus or your own acts of righteousness.

Humility Over Pride

Psalms 56: ³ Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. ⁴ In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

In life, there will be situations we face that will provoke fear. How will I pay the mortgage when I recently lost my job? Will I ever find my husband/wife? Will my child ever receive salvation? These are situations that will cause fear to arise, however, on the other side of fear is faith. In this pivotal point in our lives, we have a decision to make. Will we choose to go down the road of fear or will we stand in faith?

Faith requires a certain level of trust in God. Of course, God wants our total trust, but for some, a small amount will do (Luke 17:6). When we trust God, we turn our backs on fear. We let fear know our faith in God is greater than any situation.

When we choose to trust God, we walk in the peace of God that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Others may see our situation and can’t understand why we’re not freaking out, having a nervous breakdown, or living in depression. It’s because of our trust in God.

Focus on building your faith, removing your fears, and placing your trust in God.

Mark 3:24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

The Kingdom of God is divided more than ever before. We have numerous denominations that believe they are somewhat better than another denomination based on their interpretation of the Word of God (Catholics against Methodists or Church of God in Christ against Baptists, etc.). We have people who choose to live under the law upset with people who choose to live under grace. These are distractions created by the enemy and a lot of us seem to be falling into his trap.

When are we going to get over ourselves? It’s not about us. It’s about Jesus and the Kingdom of God. Daily, people are being deceived by Satan and his empire while we, the children of God, continue to focus inward. Then, we’re upset and want to protest because the government is allowing homosexuals to be married or a child is being suspended because he prayed over his friend in school. If we aren’t so focused on debating over doctrine, theology, and interpretations and instead focus on being ambassadors for Christ, we can prevent a great deal of unjust issues.

Let go of these trivial issues and look at the big picture. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct you to see what He has you to do in the Kingdom of God.

I declare today that the Kingdom of God is divided no more. In Jesus’ Name.

Exodus 19:12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death.

In Exodus 19, God instructed Moses to put limits around the mountain because, at that time, the mountain was considered holy. The Israelites, who were unholy, were not worthy enough to stand in the presence of God.

This way of life applied in the old covenant. We are under a new and a better covenant and this concept DOES NOT apply to us. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we have been made holy, therefore, we are worthy enough to be in the presence of God (Hebrews 10:10). We no longer need a priest or a “Moses” to speak to God on our behalf. We have the luxury of being in the presence of God anytime and anywhere.

As holy people in the new covenant, we should learn from the ways of God. God limited His contact with the unholy. At times, we should limit our contact with unholy people and unholy things. THIS DOESN’T MEAN WE ONLY ASSOCIATE OURSELVES WITH CHRISTIAN PEOPLE & ACTIVITIES. But, it does mean we need to place limits on what’s around our holy temple. Unlike God, because we’re still wrapped in sinful flesh, if we spend too much time around unholy things, we may be persuaded to do unholy things.

Let’s examine our lives to determine what unholy thing(s) we need to limit in order to stay focused on God and His will for our lives.

Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

What’s troubling you? What’s going through your mind day and night? What has you worried, afraid, or confused? Whatever it is, give it to the Lord. Worrying and staying up all night won’t fix the problem. It’s not even in our DNA to find a solution to these issues. We know this because God asks us to give Him our cares and concerns and God won’t ask for something we can handle ourselves.

When we give our problems and issues to the Lord, we humble ourselves and let God know we can’t do it without Him. We also display our trust in God because we trust Him enough to handle these issues and have them work for our good. Finally, we don’t allow the enemy to steal this abundant life Jesus provided. When we place our issues in God’s hands, in the midst of the issue, we can still be thankful and have joy, and, peace.

Those issues may attempt to creep back into our thinking but, every time the anxious thought occurs, continue to cast your cares, worries, and anxieties on the Lord.

Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭9-10 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Salvation is received by faith, through grace. It’s not because of our works of giving, praying, or even behaving correctly. Salvation is received by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and God raised Him from the dead, we are saved.

Now, those works of praying, giving, edifying behavior, etc. should accompany our salvation. Because we received this free gift of eternal life, our lives should reflect our gratefulness to God. When people see us, they should not have to question if we’re saved or not. By our actions of love, respect, and encouragement, people should know that we are saved.

Accompany your salvation with Christ-like actions.

Ephesians 4:20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

When it comes down to the things of God, there may be something within us that doesn’t feel like participating. That something is known as our flesh. Our flesh is our old sinful nature and in our flesh dwells no good thing (Romans 7:18).

Whenever we get that feeling of not wanting to participate in the things of God, we need to remind ourselves that our participation is beneficial for our lives. It’s not a waste of time and it’s not too difficult to accomplish. We need to realize that those thoughts are from the devil through our flesh.

How we overcome the enemy’s trap of not participating is to do the exact opposite of how we feel. So, whenever we don’t feel like reading the Word of God, that’s when we need to move past our feelings read the Word of God. Whenever we don’t feel like going to church, that’s when we need to move past our feelings and attend church. Whenever we don’t feel like praying, that’s when we need to move past our feelings and pray. As time progresses and the more we move past our feelings, we will experience the benefits of participating in the things of God.

Start participating in the things of God and watch all parts of your life change for the better.

Psalms 53:2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

What are we doing with our time? Are we spending the majority of our time watching TV or on Facebook? Or, are we seeking God and His plan and purpose for our lives? There is nothing wrong with watching TV and being on Facebook, but there should be balance in our lives.

God specifically created each of us with a unique purpose (Jeremiah 29:11). Some of us should be feeding the homeless, others having their own construction companies to build churches, and others ministering to teenagers. If we don’t fulfill our designated purposes, no one else will. Others may have similar purposes or callings on their lives but, no one will be able to fulfill our callings like we can.

So, while there is breath in our bodies, let’s wholeheartedly seek God regarding His plan and His purpose for our lives. Be the one God observes continuously seeking Him. That way, we can make a greater impact in the Kingdom of God.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Obviously, God is concerned about how we think. God knows that how we think will affect how we believe, and how we believe will determine our behavior, and our behavior will determine our quality of life.

For instance, if a person thinks they won’t ever get a good job, then that thought will invade their belief system. Once that thought is in their belief system, then their behavior will reflect a person who won’t ever get a good job. They may obtain a nonchalant attitude about life, start smoking/drinking to ease the pain of perceived failure, or turn to a life of crime. This downward spiral started off with a thought.

However, when we change our thoughts, we change our lives. Regardless of how the situation may appear, if we think correctly, we will believe correctly. And if we believe correctly, we can have every promise found in the Word of God.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

God no longer desires the sacrifices of burnt animals as an allegiance towards Him. The sacrifice God desires now are broken spirits and contrite hearts. Essentially, this scripture is saying, God desires total submission to His will and His way.

When we stop trying to do it our way and submit ourselves to God, then God is pleased and we will have sustained success. But as long as we continue to do things our way, on our terms, in our own timing, we will continue to have surface level successes that ultimately fail in the end.

A lot of people are waiting on God but honestly, God is waiting on us. Let’s submit and humble ourselves to God’s will and His way.

Romans 5:20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

As believers, we have added benefits through grace that the world does not have. One of those benefits is the forgiveness of every past, present, and future sin. Our forgiveness comes through the blood of Jesus.

So, if we sin, we don’t have to feel guilty or ashamed. We can simply receive our forgiveness that has been made available through Jesus and move on. Does this mean we can continue to sin whenever and wherever we want because of our forgiveness through grace?…No (Romans 6:1).

Although our sins have been forgiven, those sins will have consequences attached. For instance, if we become upset and decided to curse out our supervisor, we’ve been forgiven of that sin but, the consequence is we may be fired from our job. Or, if we continue to heavily drink alcohol and continuously get drunk, we’ve been forgiven of drunkenness but, the consequence of that sin may be long term health issues with our liver or other parts of our body.

Know that you have been and will always be forgiven. Receive and thank God for this forgiveness.

John‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

Jesus is the Son of God however, while He was in this earth, He operated like a man. As a man, Jesus knew all things that would come upon Him.

How did Jesus know all the things that would come upon Him? A religious answer would be because He is the Son of God. Once again, He operated in the earth as a man, not the Son of God.

I submit to you that Jesus knew all of the things that would come upon Him because He spent quality time with the Father. How else will mankind know what the future holds unless we spend quality time with the all knowing Father?

As we spend time with the Father, the Father will reveal things to us about our future. Everything may not seem positive. Some of those things that God reveals give us the time to spiritually, mentally, and emotionally prepare ourselves for the next trial. God loves us enough to show us these things so that we’re not blind sided by negative situations that may occur.

Whatever the negative situation may bring, remember, Jesus has overcome the world and since we are in Christ, we too have overcome every negative situation. Spend quality time with the Father and discover your future.

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.

In the body of Christ, there are a number of vacancies in sales. No, we’re not selling diet pills, books, or herbal teas. We are selling the gospel of Jesus Christ and it’s absolutely free.

People say to be a good sales person, you have to believe in the product you’re selling. Has God ever done anything good for you? Has He blessed you when you didn’t deserve to be blessed? Has He made you righteous through the blood of His Son? If so, you need to be a sales person for the gospel of Christ.

What some of us have done is received the benefits and blessings of the gospel of Christ and kept it to ourselves. We’ve become selfish. We haven’t shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with any of our lost friends, family members, or acquaintances. We’re content because we know we’re saved and we can’t be concerned with someone else. Some of us choose not to share the gospel of Jesus Christ because we don’t want to be considered a hypocrite or holy roller in the eyes of others. Question: Who are you serving? The opinion of men or the one true God?

I encourage you to be a full time sales person for the body of Christ.

Psalm 49:6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him—8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever—9 That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit.

In today’s society, people seem to value the wealth and riches of others. We seem to be concerned with the types of cars people drive, the types of clothes people wear, the types of houses people live in, and the net worth of celebrities. It seems like the latest rap songs revolve around “getting money.” Wealth and riches are not the issue because the Word of God promises us wealth and riches (Psalm 112:3); it’s the value we place on wealth and riches.

As much as wealth and riches can do for us in this world, it has no significance on our salvation and the salvation of others. People are dying and going to hell, but some of us are more concerned with having the latest fashion trends, buying the latest Jordan shoes, and posing on Facebook with cash in our hands.

Once again, there is nothing wrong with having nice things but before you go on a shopping spree, make sure your brother and sister know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, make sure your relationship with God is strong, and make sure you’re making a positive impact in your community.

When some people get over 30 years old, they label themselves as old. They say they can’t stay up late, play an active sport, or eat a certain way because of their age. Unfortunately, those same people may have a tendency to say they can’t recall things like they used to or refuse to learn new things around 60 years old.

There are two scriptures that come to mind regarding our mentality as we get older:
Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…
Matthew 9:29b “According to your faith let it be done to you”

Those scriptures simply mean, whatever people believe, that’s what will manifest in their lives. If people believe they can’t do this or that because of their age or some other issue, they won’t be able to do that thing.

We are instructed to (and I choose to) believe the Word of God.

In Genesis 6:3, God promised us 120 years on the earth. According to Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. Since God does not show favoritism, and whatever He does for one He can do for another (Acts 10:34), I choose to believe that I will live a long, healthy, abundant life with great vision and strength.

It’s all about what we choose to believe. We can choose to believe the Word of God or choose to believe what we commonly see in the lives of the elderly. The choice is up to you.