Monthly Archive

The world is experiencing a lot of drama. Racial tensions are high, accountability is lacking, and violence is apparent. This should be no surprise to the believer. The world is paralleling what’s stated in the Word of God.

–Daniel 12:2 “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.

-Matthew 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

-2 Timothy 3:1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

For thousands of years, the Word of God has foretold what we’re seeing today. 

Instead of living in fear, let’s see what the Word of God says about the righteous (believers of Jesus Christ) living in these last days.
–Isaiah 3:10 Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

-Psalm 37:25 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

-Psalm 91:10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

Although the world is experiencing the prophesies of the last days, we can receive the promises of the Lord. Focus on His promises. It shall be well with us and we are protected. 

A terrorist’s tactical advantage is the element of surprise. No one knows when and where a terrorist attack is going to occur, therefore, they’re able to harm multiple people at one time. This leaves a majority of people worried, stressed, and in fear.

But God has an answer to their surprise. The answer to terrorist’s element of surprise is love. Yes, love.

Psalm 91:5 (AMP) You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. 14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness – trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].

When we love God and have a true understanding of God’s love towards us, this love will keep and protect us. This love applied by faith, guarantees our safety from all surprises around every corner allowing us to rest comfortably and enjoy life without looking over our shoulders in fear. Receive and apply love to free ourselves from all fear.

In the old days, people consistently went to church. Some went to church out of religious obligation, some went because their parents told them to, and some went in a desperate attempt to get something from God. Regardless of the reason, they positioned themselves to consistently hear the Word of God. By consistently hearing the Word of God, they were able to pass their knowledge and understanding of the Word to their children.

Today, the world has given people more opportunity to be “successful” through better education, employment, and more money than our ancestors could ever dream. With this “success,” there seems to be a generation that doesn’t need God. They may be okay with the idea of God, but there’s no desire for relationship and knowledge of God because there’s no need for God to better their already “successful” situation.

As this generation gets older, they want to tell their children about the loving God they heard about as a youth, but because of their lack of knowledge, they have limited information to pass on to their children. Therefore, the next generation becomes even more ignorant of God and more dependent on the world’s system for their “success.”

As some of us know, there are areas in our lives that our external success can’t reach. There are pains and difficulties we face that only the Word of God can handle. So let’s hear the Word of God on a consistent basis in order to edify ourselves and teach the next generation about the grace, goodness, and power of our God.

Colossians 2:6 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
If we can be honest with ourselves, we haven’t been the kindest people at all times in every area of our lives. What if during those times of not being so nice, God gave us what we deserved? What if God caused someone to treat us poorly every time we were short with people, inconsiderate, or simply mean to someone? We would be mindful not to treat a person however we felt. 
But, God doesn’t work that way. Instead, He shows us His love through His grace and mercy. We don’t get everything we deserve and neither should others. I know it feels good to verbally assault someone who is speaking negatively of us, but that’s not God’s plan for the believer. 

God’s idea is for us to love. Love those who not only treat us well, but love our enemies and those who persecute against us. We are to love people in their ignorance. Love people in the midst of their verbal attack against us. Love others even when we’re hurt by their actions.
If we can love others in spite of how they treat us, we can create an environment similar to heaven. Love them. 

Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

One of the hardest things we have to do is deny ourselves. We have so many ideas, plans, and goals we want to see accomplished, it’s hard for some of us to discern which ideas or plans came from God and which ideas and plans came from us. Although it may seem like a good idea, we have to be ready to push our egos aside and fulfill the calling God has on our lives.

Another area of denial is through our flesh. God gave us free will. We can do whatever we desire (good or bad). Although we’re permitted to do anything, everything is not beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23). It takes maturity and discipline to deny the cravings of our flesh. It may give us a rush to give that micromanaging boss a piece of our minds or it may seem exciting to explore the physical side in an unmarried relationship, but according to the Word of God it’s not beneficial (James 1:19; 1 Cor. 6:18-20).

Every idea or goal that comes across our minds should be confirmed with God or God’s Word to ensure we’re fulfilling our purpose in the earth.

What are you really in faith for?

Examples

A) You can be in faith to keep a certain job. But, the heart of the matter is that you want provision for you and your family and a positive work environment.

B) You can be in faith for a scholarship. But, the heart of the matter is that you want provision to complete school debt free.

C) You may be in faith for the manifestation of a specific dream. But, the heart of the matter is that you just want to be happy and you may not yet realize that dream may not produce that happiness.

The Word says no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly and that He does exceedingly beyond what we can ask think or even imagine (Psalm 84:11 and Ephesians 3:20).

God knows our hearts. There are times where the manifestation may not occur in the manner in which we requested it because what we’re really requesting is not what we’ve voiced. But, He will always address the heart of the matter and exceed our expectations as we continue on in our faith. Maybe you didn’t keep that one job, but He had a better one for you. Or maybe that one dream didn’t manifest, but you got the happily ever after that exceeded your expectations and realized that was really what you always wanted. So keep asking, believing, and trusting God to manifest your heart’s true desires.

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

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

When our children go to their favorite cousin’s house, an amusement park with their friends, or the college of their choice, we’re happy for them because we know they’re enjoying themselves.

Most of us would be happy if we saw our children or someone we love enjoying themselves; there should be no difference between an amusement park and heaven. In fact, heaven is a whole lot better than every amusement park put together.

When a believer passes on, that’s exactly what they’re doing, passing on. The Bible says, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. If they’ve accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, our family members and friends have passed on from this physical world to the spiritual world, with Christ. There’s no better place to be.

Yes, we may miss them, but know they’re in a far better place than we could imagine. If the passing on of a loved one can’t be viewed from a different perspective, it will always scare, torment, or depress us.

Be excited for them, they’re with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Have you wondered how one man, Adolf Hitler, influenced an entire country to support his evil, sadistic views? It started with Hitler’s book called Mein Kampf (My Struggle). The book circulated through the streets. People were freely given the book as a wedding present, birthday gift, and it was taught to children in schools. The repetition of Hitler’s views, through that book, ultimately corrupted the minds of millions of people to agree with his views.

The effectiveness of Hitler was the repetition. By constantly feeding the public his views through his book and speeches, he corrupted minds. If the repetition of a sadistic man’s book can influence an entire country, how much more should the Word of God influence the mind of the believer?

If we would make it a point to hear and read the Word of God on a daily basis, doubt, fear, and confusion won’t have a place to sit in our minds. People would actually believe ALL things are possible with God. They would look at sickness in the face and say, “I am healed.” They would laugh at debt and call it canceled using the power of their words. They would believe.

Faith comes by hearing. It’s continuous. The more we hear the Word of God, the more faith we have in the Word of God.

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

As a parent, when we tell our children to sit down, listen, or do their homework, we have an expectation for them to obey. It would shock most of us if our 7-year old defied our orders and did the opposite of what we requested.

The same confidence we have in our authority over our children, is the same confidence we should have in authority over everything we see that’s contrary to the Word of God. If we’re experiencing sickness, lack, or drama, we should speak to that issue with our parent-like authority and command it to leave our bodies. And like a parent raising a young child, we should expect that issue to leave our lives.

We’re not operating in an authority we’ve made up ourselves. We’re operating in the authority Jesus gave to us through His death and resurrection. So, regardless of the issues we face, operate in your parent-like authority based the following scriptures found in the Word of God:

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
Matthew 18:18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
Mark 11:24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

Daniel 3:21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

As we can see, anytime Jesus is involved, we have freedom, protection, and deliverance. His mere presence caused these men to be freed from their bondage, protected from the fire, and delivered from their circumstances. Just to be clear, these three men received freedom, protection, and deliverance prior to Jesus manifesting Himself in the earth.

When Jesus manifested Himself in the earth, 600 years later, His modus operandi (MO) didn’t change. Jesus Himself said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

And today, He’s doing the same thing. If we receive Him, His presence in our lives has the capability to free us from the bondage of sin, save us from the fires of hell, and deliver us from all of our circumstances.

Praise God for Jesus. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Society has accepted the norm of fornication mixed with cohabitation. Before you think I’m about to judge others, keep reading. We all have sinned and probably will sin in the future. The blood of Jesus has cleansed us from ALL sins, including fornication and cohabitation, and made us righteous. However, for those who choose to engage in fornication mixed with cohabitation, you’re missing out on some of God’s promises. 

Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

What people are missing out on is additional goodness in their lives and favor from the Lord. Life may seem great and your relationship may seem splendid, but what if it can be better? In fact, God makes everything better. 

People have numerous excuses as to why they choose to live with someone without being married. At the end of the day, it boils down to people being afraid and not trusting the plan God has for their lives. 

It’s time to make a decision. Are we going to honor God, Who has been so good to us, by living in a manner that pleases Him or are we going to satisfy the cravings of our flesh and do what feels “right” to us? If you choose the ladder, just remember, there is a way that seems right to us, but at the end of that way is death (Prov. 14:12). Don’t miss out on the great promises of God. 

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

A lot of us heave heard a version of this scripture. We’ll clap our hands after hearing it, nod our heads in agreement, but do we really believe it concerning every area of our lives?

If someone says they’re believing God to be debt free within two months or they are going to start up a business by the end of this year, would we have the thought of disbelief, tell them to be realistic, or confidently stand in agreement with them? If we truly believe with God, all things are possible, thoughts outside of the norm shouldn’t shake us or give birth to thoughts of doubt. Thoughts outside of the norm should solidify the possibilities with God.

Don’t tear someone else’s dream down just because you haven’t seen it done before; and don’t limit your faith to possibilities you find within your own power. Whether it’s finances, marriage, goals, or due dates, with God, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Isaiah 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:

Do you have a dream or a goal that feels too far out of reach or hard to obtain? Does it seem like every time you make strides towards that goal, something keeps pulling you back?

God’s Word declares that He will make those crooked or hard to reach goals attainable for us. What appears to be locked or not accessible, God will give us entry. We don’t have to worry and overwork ourselves to obtain these goals. By believing that God, through Jesus, has made these dreams easily accessible for us, we will see our hearts’ desires come to pass.

Other scriptures confirm Isaiah 45:2.
Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.
Revelations 3:8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

It doesn’t matter if our dreams seem impossible because no one has ever done it before, or our previous mistakes make our goals appear farfetched. God has made the crooked, hard-to-reach places straight for us.

Isaiah 48:8 Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb.

As we can see, the Word of God states we’ve been transgressors or sinners from our mother’s womb. We didn’t have to go against the Law, wrong our brother or sister, or commit any obvious act of sin to be known as a sinner. Simply by being born, we are sinners.

Every sinner needs a Savior. Since Adam sinned, which left the stain of sin on all mankind, God implemented a plan so that all of mankind can be saved. That plan came through Jesus Christ. To be saved, made righteous, and free from sin, we simply have to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He died for our sins. Nothing else is required.

There was nothing we intentionally did to become sinners and besides believing on Jesus, there is nothing more we have to do to be saved and made righteous. Receive the gift of Jesus because through Him, we have been saved, made righteous, and free from the bondage of sin.

Romans 5:15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many!

Romans 11:29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

Some of us know, without a shadow of a doubt, what God called us to do, but some of us don’t. For those who don’t, I encourage you to settle yourselves and seek God regarding the gifts and call God has on your life.

Once we discover the call on our lives, situations and obstacles attempt to make us limit, second guess, or totally go against what God has called us to do. For instance, we may have been in some legal trouble or had a child earlier than we liked, and because of these issues, we think we have to readjust the call God has on our lives. That’s not the case.

Regardless of what we’ve done or what we’ve gone through, God’s call on our lives remained the same. His gifts and call on our lives are unchangeable. People may have written us off or we may have taken ourselves out of the fight based on what we’ve done, but God did not. God still sees us as the qualified person to fulfill a specific call that He’s purposed in the earth.

Don’t disqualify yourself. Fulfill the will of God in the earth with the gifts and talents He’s specifically given to you.

We are living in the last of the last days. Violence seems to be happening everywhere, terrorist attacks, the innocent are being executed, and hate appears to be stronger than love.

During these times, one of the first things our flesh wants to do is go into a state of fear. Some of us may be afraid to travel because of terrorists, people of color may be afraid to be in the presence of law enforcement, and some are afraid of their children growing up during these days.

Now is the time we need God more than ever. Through God, we can have the assurance of peace knowing God is our protector. Through God, we have the guidance of the Holy Spirit to tell us where to go, what to say, and when to leave. Through God, we have the God-given authority to declare peace, joy, and prosperity in our communities.

When people in the world are afraid, confused, searching for answers, and wondering why we (the believers) are so calm and confident during this time, we can point them to God who gives us peace in the midst of the storm.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

We all face difficulties. Some of those difficulties make us feel like we don’t want to go on. What we’re in is a faith fight. Have you ever felt like giving up or felt so weak until you didn’t want to go on? God’s Word promises that He will give strength to the weary and increase power to the weak.

During our toughest hour of our faith fight, our flesh desires to mope and continuously rehearse the negative events that occurred in our lives. We need to activate our spirits. When we find ourselves in this rut, we need to remind ourselves of what God promised. To not lose the faith fight, we need to receive strength and power from God.  With this strength and power, we have the ability to continue on day-to-day, continue to confess the Word of God, and continue until better is visible.

Like every other promise in the Word of God, this promise must be received by faith. We have to believe for the manifestation of strength and power before we feel the strength and power.

All those who are weak and weary, activate your faith and receive the strength and power from God.

Acts 15:9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

We, the believers, have been purified or cleansed by faith. Our belief in what Jesus accomplished on the cross has cleansed us. We’re not going to be purified, but we already are purified by faith.

There are some who think we have to work to be purified. Some say we have to fast 40 days, remove ourselves from all of our old friends before salvation, and only listen to or watch things involving God to be purified. This doesn’t purify us. The scripture is clear. Our faith, and our faith alone, purifies us.

Quit working to be purified. Receive purification through the finished works of Jesus.

Yes, you too are pure.

It’s been incorrectly stated that if we don’t live a holy life, God is going to put us in hell. God is not putting us anywhere. Where we go after this life is solely based on our beliefs and not our actions.

God putting us in hell is like committing a criminal offense and saying, God put us in jail. We don’t go to hell because we’ve sinned. Jesus paid the price for our past, present, and future sins (Rom. 6:10). People go to hell because they’ve rejected the payment for sins. They go to hell for rejecting Jesus.

Some people still have the image of God to be this angry, wrath giving, city destroying God. That was before Christ, where blood had to be shed for the payment of sins. Now that Christ has paid the price for all, God sees every believer cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

Let’s stop making God out to be the bad guy. He loved us enough to give everyone an opportunity to have eternal life. God’s not putting us in hell, but our rejection of Jesus will.

Daniel 12:2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.

Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 

Today in the United States, we celebrate Independence Day. It’s a day where Americans celebrate their independence from England. Although this is an exciting day, let’s not forget the freedom we can all celebrate at anytime. That’s the freedom we have in Christ.

The freedom we have in Christ was not a fifty day battle where lives were lost. This freedom doesn’t have to be earned through our works of righteousness. It was One Man taking on the sins of the world so that anyone who believes in Him can be free. That One Man is Jesus. With this freedom, we don’t have to be bound by the law, bound by guilt and shame, or be sin conscious. We can be free to experience an abundant life all because Christ died in our place. 

This day and in the days to come, give praise, glory, and honor to God for sending His Son to make us free.

If carnally minded people see us praying, reading our bible, or going to church, they’re quick to call us religious. As believers, knowing what religion is, we should quickly respond by saying “No, I’m developing my relationship with God.”

Praying, reading our bibles, not engaging in this or that activity can be religious, but more importantly it can be relational. It depends on the motivation. If we’re praying, going to church, and fasting to get something from God or to make ourselves acceptable in the sight of God, we’re operating in religion. However, if we’re doing these things to deepen our relationship and understanding of God, we’re being relational.  

Look at it from another perspective. If financial adviser and billionaire, Warren Buffet, moved next door to us and we started to ask him questions about investments and other financial ideas, most would say we’re being wise by befriending him. The same concept applies with God. When we continuously develop our relationship with our Creator and Author of our future, we’re not being religious, we’re being wise to develop our relationship with the only true God.  

Don’t behave righteously out of religious duty. Change your motivation. Think, talk, and behave righteously to honor God and strengthen your relationship with Him. 

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