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2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

As we can see, faith is important to our livelihood on earth. We should walk by faith, live by faith, and please God through our faith. In Galatians 3:14 the promises of God are received by faith. Seeing the importance of faith, the most targeted area in our lives by Satan is our faith.

Satan’s weapon of choice against our faith is doubt. If Satan can get us to doubt God’s Word coming to pass in our lives, he was successful in his attack. When trials and tribulation come, Satan’s goal is to have us doubt God’s ability to deliver. If someone gets laid off at their job, Satan’s goal is to have us doubt God’s ability to deliver provision. If someone gets sick in their body, Satan’s goal is to have us doubt God’s ability to deliver healing. If a dearly loved born-again believer unexpectedly dies, Satan’s goal is to have us doubt God’s existence.

Don’t be ignorant of Satan’s method of attack (2 Cor. 2:11). He’s after our faith. If he can capture our faith, he can control our lives. Regardless of what we see and regardless of the circumstances, take your faith back and place it in the ability of God.

Under the Law, to receive a promise from God there was an “obey, then” clause. If we did our part (obeyed) then God did His part (bless).

Deuteronomy 28:1 “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. (Also see Isaiah 1:19; Exo. 18:23)

Under grace, to receive the promises of God, we have a “believe, then” clause.

Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Also see Luke 8:50; John 14:12)

Although we’re under grace, a lot of people still have this “obey, then” mindset. They pray to God and believe for the promise (Matt. 21:22), but they will also fast, pray longer, and diligently read their bibles to get God to move on their behalf. It’s as if they’re working to receive a blessing. If we thoroughly read our roles under grace, we’re to ONLY believe. Believe in what? The finished works of Jesus.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, all the promises of God have been made available for the taking (2 Cor. 1:20). Obedience to God is important, but it’s not the prerequisite to the promise. Once we’re confident the promise is ours and we’re patient, we’ll receive whatever we believe in due time. No works are needed. Receive every promise through belief.

Unfortunately, marriage has been diminished to a piece of paper in the world’s eyes. People have been convinced that marriage is a modern form of slavery, it’s archaic, and it’s unnecessary for today.

Marriage is a beautiful creation by God. It’s where two people become one in holy matrimony. Its design was established in earth before people could receive tax benefits and be beneficiaries.

Since marriage is a creation of God, of course Satan will attempt to destroy His creation. What better way to destroy a creation like marriage than to convince people that marriage is a waste of time, money, and energy? What better way to pervert marriage than to “act” married, but not officially be married? What better way to stop people from getting married than to instill the fear of divorce?

As we can see, Satan has done a great job in minimizing marriage because people haven’t recognized the spiritual benefits of marriage.
A Holy Marriage Produces:
-Unconditional Love (Eph. 5:25).
-Lifetime Companionship (Gen. 2:18).
-Favor from the Lord (Prov. 18:22).
-Help (Ecc. 4:9-11).
-Agreement (Matt 18:20)

If people will magnify the promises from God in marriage instead of being convinced otherwise, more people can maximize on the abundant life Jesus provided.

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be kept honorable in every way, and the marriage bed undefiled. For God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

Commit to doing things God’s way.

God’s way is opposite, weird and unusual from the world’s way, therefore, don’t expect it to always make sense. If someone wrongs us, the world will tell us to hurt them back, however, God tells us to love, pray for, and forgive them. If we desire to increase in our finances, the world will tell us to work longer and hold on to everything we receive. God, however, tells us to give a portion of our finances away and trust Him.

God’s way is not always going to be appealing. If we have that lustful itch, the world will tell us to scratch it, however, God tells us to resist temptation. Or, if we know we had enough food, but, it just feels good to have one more slice of cake, God will tell us to discipline our flesh.

God’s way is unusual, not always appealing, and sometimes even difficult, but it’s not to be mean. It’s for our own benefit. When we commit to doing things God’s way, our life is not as stressful, we position ourselves to hear God clearly, and we will enjoy more of life.

While the world continues to live in a manner contrary to the will of God, continue to hold up the righteous standard and do things God’s way.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Hebrews 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

There are all kinds of temptation and we face temptation every single day. People are tempted to lie, tempted to cheat, tempted to lust, curse, and so much more. Of course we want to overcome every temptation, but there are times when temptation wins and that’s frustrating.

Regardless of the temptation, the Word of God says Jesus will come to our aid when we’re tempted. It doesn’t matter how enticing the temptation is, when we call on the name of Jesus, His grace is available to help us overcome. We have to first want to overcome the temptation and secondly, we must remind ourselves Who to go to when temptation is present.

Jesus is our help. He overcame temptation, therefore, we can overcome temptation. Jesus overcame temptation by speaking the Word of God. We overcome temptation by speaking the Word of God at our temptation using, our authority: the name of Jesus.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

When we fully receive God’s love for us, we no longer live life in fear because we understand that He loves us so much so that we don’t have to worry about anything.

For example, when we understand that God loves us, we aren’t afraid to give our resources to others because we know that God is our provider and will cause others to give to us when we give (Luke 6:38).

Or, when others wrong us and God tells us to continue to be kind and demonstrate His love to them, we can do so without fear of looking foolish, or being taken advantage of, or not getting the satisfaction of putting those people in their place because, we know that God has us covered and has promised to fight our battles (Romans 12:19).  

Or, when the world says we should worry about our children, we don’t fear because we know that God loves our children more than we do. So we pray and trust Him and proceed with confidence that He keeps our children protected and that the seed of the righteous is blessed (2 Thessalonians 3:3, Psalm 112:2). 

When we receive God’s perfect Love, we live life with no fear; we trust Him completely and live a life of love freely. 

There are people who complicate salvation. Salvation can be summed up in these three scriptures.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
*John 3:16 provides a reason why God decided to save us. God’s motivation to save us was based on love. Also, this scripture tells us Who saved us.

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
*This scripture is the crux of Christianity. It gives us step by step instructions on how to be saved. Declare Jesus is Lord, believe God raised Him from the dead, and receive salvation.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
*This scripture lets us know salvation is not anything we’ve earned or deserve. It’s God’s free gift to us.

By combining these scriptures regarding salvation we can say:
God loved us enough to send and sacrifice His Only Son on our behalf and if we declare “Jesus is Lord” and believe God raised Him from the dead, we’ll receive the free gift of salvation.

That’s it. It’s not living a holy life for a year, being baptized, or speaking in tongues. If we understand why we’re saved and how to be saved, we can enjoy an abundant, liberating life.

*Share this scripture with those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and with those who lack understanding of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:18 “For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—”‭‭

Since we’ve all faced different challenges and circumstances, we all have a different story on how God blessed, used, and delivered us.

Our story of God blessing, using, and delivering us can inspire someone else. Personally, I can’t speak on being delivered from an abusive situation because I never went through that, but someone else can. That testimony of deliverance creates hope for someone else. That hope turns into faith and faith is the tool for deliverance from their abusive situation. Don’t lie or over exaggerate the truth. What God has done is just enough.

If God has done anything in your life, tell your story. Our stories will cause others to believe, encourage people to submit to God, and replace people’s fear with faith.

Romans 15:2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me.”

When was the last time you did anything nice for someone without expecting something back? When was the last time you simply wanted to be a blessing? When was the last time you gave someone a “just because” gift? As the majority of the world is thinking of themselves, it’s important for the believer to please someone else.

Being a blessing to someone else can go a long way. Our kind act could be the very thing that encourages someone else to get through the rest of the week. We could be the blessing they prayed for, thereby solidifying their faith in God. Our actions could be the beginning of a ripple effect that blesses someone we’ve never met.

Our kind acts won’t go unnoticed by God. God promises to reward us knowing that whatsoever good thing any person does, the same shall they receive of the Lord (Eph. 6:8). So go out and be a blessing.

The disrespect to God seems to be at an all time high. People confidently confess God is a myth, Jesus was just a man, the Holy Spirit seems to be a joke, and the Bible is a fairy tale that’s similar to Harry Potter. The spirit of the antichrist is strengthening and the standard of God is lax.

These signs are proof we are in the very last days. Based on the signs, the window of salvation through Jesus Christ is slowly closing. As believers, our responsibility is to lead others to Christ while there’s still a chance. Unfortunately, the Bible lets us know that people will become lovers of only themselves which means, the love that goes into sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be hindered (2 Tim. 3:2).

We must recognize this temptation to only think of ourselves and our immediate family and continue to hold up the standard of righteousness. We must continue to let the world know that God is real, Jesus is The Only Way, the Holy Spirit is our Helper, and we must continue to walk and tell the truth in love. We can’t stop the disrespect to God from everyone, but we can do our part by continuing to be a light in a world that’s getting darker by the day.

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus knew He was going to be beat, whipped, separated from the Father, and die and yet, He still maintained His joy. What gave Jesus joy was knowledge and faith. Jesus knew and believed His sacrifice would save mankind whom He dearly loves. Jesus also knew and believed His sacrifice would honor the Father, therefore, rewarding Him with the name higher than any other name, a seat at the right hand of the Father, and The only Way to God. For these reasons, Jesus maintained His joy and endured the cross. 

If Jesus can have joy in that situation, we too can have joy. If we follow the same pattern of Jesus, in any situation, we can maintain our joy. When facing negative situations that impact our joy, we must know and believe there’s a promise of victory over that situation. After a breakup, we must know and believe the blood of Jesus can remove the hurt from our consciousness and God has a spouse available for us (Hebrews 9:14; Mark 11:24). After a layoff, our joy is held together by believing God will supply all our needs and we will receive our desired career (Philippians 4:19; Mark 11:24).  

Whatever the situation is, maintain joy by knowing and believing in the promises of God coming to pass in your life. 

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Although it appears like death can strike at any moment, death no longer has dominion over those who believe. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of death. Like any promise found in the word of God, our faith must be applied to receive this redemption. If we doubt or don’t believe that Jesus defeated death for us, we can’t expect to reap the harvest of long life (James 1:6-7).

God, Himself, promised us 120 years (Genesis 6:3). Now that we’re redeemed from the curse of death, we don’t have to be worried about what may happen to us. We can calmly go into the worst neighborhood at night because we know we’re covered. We can maximize our abundant life by trying new things and traveling to exotic places because we’re protected. We can live a fear-free life because death is defeated.

Apply faith to this promise and receive a high quality abundant life.

There are a lot of us who chase after our dreams with a Pit-bull like intensity. We’ll move to a different city, work long hours, and are willing to live below our means just to see that dream come to pass. Some may applaud us for going after our dream while others question if it’s worth it. Regardless of what other people think or say, we’ll vigorously go after that dream.

The same tenacity and intensity a lot of us have when going after our dreams is the same tenacity and intensity we should have when going after God. We should make time for God, be willing to live below our means to give to God, and die to our flesh to please God.

Let’s be real. God is the One who gave us our dream. It would make more sense for us to go after God to receive instructions on how to make our dreams come to pass. Make God the prize and our dreams will follow.

Psalm 42:1 For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

Proverbs 13:22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Just because God promises the believer wealth doesn’t mean wealth is going to automatically fall into our laps. The scripture says, “Wealth is stored up for the righteous.” To access this wealth, it requires faith. Like our money is stored up in a bank and we need a debit card and a PIN to access this money, likewise, to access the promise of wealth, we need faith (Heb. 6:12).

Faith is not magical and it’s not some cheap trick. Faith simply believes what God has promised us through Jesus Christ in spite of our surrounding conditions. We may not have a dime to our name naturally, but if we continue to believe for the promise of wealth, obey God to position ourselves to receive wealth, and have patience, we’ll eventually receive this promise.

Does this mean that everyone will be a millionaire before they die? No, but, everyone has the potential to receive millions if they work the process.

Enhance the quality of life by standing in faith for wealth.

Romans 13:9-10 “For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

God is love, therefore, it’s safe to say, He created us to love. Love is so potent until it fulfills all the commandments of God. If we love a person, we wouldn’t steal from them. If we love a person, we wouldn’t murder them. Love is all God requires.  

Not only will love fulfill the commandments of God, but since we were created by Love with love, love will bring fulfillment in every area of our lives. It’s something about love. It feels good to love. If feels good to help out that person who is less fortunate than ourselves. It’s exhilarating to give and receive genuine love from our family. It feels good to know that love made a difference in someone’s life. 

Finally, love provided salvation. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus. Love kept Jesus fulfilling the will of the Father. Love kept Jesus on the cross instead of sending a host of angels to destroy everyone abusing Him. Love, through Jesus, provides us eternal life with the Father. 

Magnify love. Love the Father, love yourself, and love everyone else. 

Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When Jesus instructed Simon to go out into the deep and let down his nets to fish, it was at the inappropriate time. It was at the hottest part of the day and Simon, a fisherman, already attempted to catch fish at the appropriate time, night. But because of his obedience and his belief in Jesus, Simon caught more fish than he could ever imagine (v. 6).

In Matthew 9:20-22, we see God healing the woman with the issue of blood at the inappropriate time. According to the Law, the woman was not supposed to be outside her house or touching a Rabbi while bleeding nevertheless, when she touched the garment of Jesus, at the inappropriate time, she was healed.

What can we learn from this? God can bless us at the inappropriate time. When people and statistics say it’s the inappropriate time to believe for this or that, we have contextual proof that the time is irrelevant to God. If we’re 45 years old and we desire a child, we can receive that child if we’re willing to undoubtingly believe God’s Word. If our credit is bad, statistics say it’s the wrong time to desire a house, however, if we’re willing to believe God, we can receive that house even with bad credit. People say it takes 2 years of experience before it’s best to put in for a promotion, but with God, we can receive that promotion within a few months.

Even if the time is inappropriate, we can we receive the promises of God if we’re willing to believe.

Everyone gets angry at some point in their lives. People get angry while driving, angry with their spouse or children, angry with their co-workers, or angry with situations.

If we break down anger, we’ll discover the root of anger is fear. If we’re angry with our spouse, we’re really afraid that we’re being taken advantage of in some way. If we’re angry in traffic, we’re fearful that the other person doesn’t respect our positioning. If we’re angry with a boss, we’re fearful that we’re being disrespected.

Anger is a normal emotion but, God doesn’t want us harboring anger for more than a day (Ephesians 4:26). Anger is a gateway emotion to all other ungodly emotions (hate, bitterness, etc.). We manage and dismiss our anger by magnifying God and His Word within the situation. If we’re angry with our spouse, do what the Word says in spite of our anger. Continue to love, honor, and respect them and trust that God will help us not become so sensitive or trust that God will deal with our spouse. If we’re angry with that rude person in line, we must remind ourselves who we are in Christ, and continue to love that person in spite of their actions.

Let go of the anger by rebuking the fear in our lives.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

There’s a reason why the Word of God tells us to seek God and His righteousness first. The main reason we seek God first is because it makes God a priority in our lives and we don’t allow anything or anyone else above Him. 

A second reason why “first” is in this scripture is because there will be something else we’ll have to do secondly, thirdly, etc. After seeking God first, there will be instructions God gives to us pertaining to our situation. 

For instance, if someone desires a job, the first thing they should do is seek God on how to obtain that job. After seeking Him, God may secondly tell us to network with people we know in that field. Thirdly, He may tell us to search for jobs online. Finally, He may tell us to apply. The problem occurs when we go out of order. If we desire a job and immediately begin searching online, applying online, and after getting the job, we seek God for help in the job, we’re working out of order. 

God wants to be first, then He’ll tell you what to do secondly, thirdly, etc. Prioritize Him and trust His plan for your life. 

Many believers claim they want to go “deeper” in God, however, a lot of people don’t actually know what that means. Some may say it’s reading our Bibles more or spending more time in prayer. In actuality, the Bible defines this “deepness” a lot of us are trying to obtain.

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

This deepness comes as a result of our relationship with the Holy Spirit. When we pray in the Spirit and are being led by the Holy Spirit in all our decisions, we make ourselves available to receive “deep” revelation from God.

In 1 Corinthians 2:1-10, it tells us by praying in the Spirit, we speak the hidden wisdom of God. We speak the things that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” God can tell us what to prepare for in our future, when to act, and how to act.

This deepness is not privileged to those who appear to have it all together. It’s for anyone who is willing to receive it. Look at Noah. Noah was sensitive to the voice of God. Noah received and acted on detailed instructions from God about building a boat to escape a flood before rain ever existed.

Let’s strengthen our relationship with the Holy Spirit and gain this deepness with God.