Monthly Archive

John 7:15 The Jews were astonished. They said, How is it that this Man has learning [is so versed in the sacred Scriptures and in theology] when He has never studied? 16 Jesus answered them by saying, My teaching is not My own, but His Who sent Me.

The Jews were astonished because Jesus never took the traditional route to gain knowledge of the scriptures. Jesus didn’t need to learn the traditional way. He allowed Father God to reveal things to Him.

This is wonderful for the body of believers. This means whatever we’re doing, we can allow God to reveal things to us. We may have never gone to college for a certain position at our jobs, but God can reveal some things to us that will make us stand out and be offered a position. We may not have all the ideas and plans for a business, however, He’ll reveal some things we’ve never thought of before.
If we mix God’s revelation with His favor in our lives, there’s no telling how far we can go in life.

This revelation will astonish those who are privileged to witness this miracle. It’s not for our applause, but to glorify God. Seek God on your next endeavor and allow His revelation to astonish those around you.

John 7:1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.

Jesus, the Son of God, chose not to go to Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Was He afraid? Of course not. He could have called angels down to take them all out (Matthew 26:53). He simply chose to exercise wisdom.

Some Christians have allowed their faith to turn into foolishness. People have driven cars without their prescribed glasses, in faith, attempting to rebel against poor vision. Someone was killed after believing God would protect him as he walked through a pride of lions. Now, believers are intentionally gathering during a virus, without any protective gear, claiming God is their protection. This is foolish. If God has not specifically given us instructions to do certain things that appear to be foolish, we should exercise wisdom. It’s all about letting the Spirit lead us. And, it’s not always fear. We can wash our hands, wear a mask, and maintain separation without being in fear.

If Jesus chose to exercise wisdom to preserve His life, we should do the same. Let’s be wise and in faith and not foolish.

Deuteronomy 6:10 And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, 11 with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,

Some of us want our first house and some of us want a better house. It’s one of the great feelings we experience as adults. The good news is there’s a promise from God for those who desire a house.

Poverty-minded or religious people may have a problem with asking God for a house based on His Word. They may feel like we should be satisfied with the bare necessities, but that’s not God’s desire for us. In Mark 11:24 Jesus says, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. That whatever He’s referring to includes a house.

We don’t have to have the money, the credit, or a hookup to get a house. The house has been made available in and through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). All we need is our belief in what Christ has done to obtain God’s promise of a house.

Psalm 4:5 (AMP) Offer righteous sacrifices; Trust [confidently] in the Lord.

Giving is a financial plan for God to bless our lives. When we give our tithes and offering, it’s an opportunity for God to positively impact our lives.

Sacrifices made in the old covenant were associated with the killing of animals unto the Lord. Under grace, we no longer need to offer a blood sacrifice, but a financial sacrifice is advantageous to the quality of our lives.

There will be times where God prompts us to give a sacrificial offering. It’s usually over and above our normal tithes and offering. In some of our minds, every time we give it’s a sacrificial offering. God is not trying to take money from us. He’s giving us the opportunity to strengthen our trust in Him.

If we can show that we trust Him with our money, He’ll blow our minds with blessings we can’t imagine. Trust God more than money. If He tells you to give more, just do it and God will give you something money can’t buy (favor).

Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” 3 Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague.

Due to the coronavirus, people across the world are experiencing a shelter-in-place. The government and doctors tell us the safest place to be during this time is in our homes. Shelter-in-place is not a new concept. The original shelter-in-place is the shelter of God.

The great news about being in God’s shelter is He delivers us from traps and deadly plagues. Another benefit about the shelter of God is it’s not limited to one place. We can be in God’s shelter while we’re on the go. We can be at stores, at work, and enjoying life while in the shelter of God. We can be care-free because we’re in the shelter of God.

That same comfortable peaceful feeling we have by being in our natural homes during this time is the same feeling (if not more) we should have by being in the shelter of God. From this day forward, declare you’re in the shelter of God.

There are some people who get multiple degrees, prestigious careers, and fancy cars or houses because they want to feel important. A lot of times, people use these accolades to get approval and praise from others. They want people to look at their life and applaud how well they’ve done for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with having accomplishments but using accomplishments to make you feel important is hollow. We’re not important because of things. We’re important because God said we’re important.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

As we can see, we’re special and wonderfully made. We don’t need external things or accomplishments to feel important. If no one else tells us we’re special or important, God calls us important and that settles it. Accolades are just extensions to our God-called importance.

God desires and deserves more from us than an hour on Sundays. He wants to be a part of every aspect of life.

He wants to be part of our mornings as we thank Him for another day and seek Him for our daily assignments. He wants us to be sensitive to hear His voice on the best route to work. He wants us to obtain His wisdom while working. He wants us to seek Him on parenting advice. He wants to provide martial counseling.

Overall, God simply desires an ever-increasing relationship with us. The time and energy we give to building earthly relationships is the same time and energy we should give to building a heavenly relationship with God.

We may not seek or acknowledge Him on every little decision we make, but our goal is to get better with time.

Leviticus 26:11 And I will make My dwelling place among you, and My soul will not despise you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

Romans 13:7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

These verses are telling us to give credit where credit is due. This is often overlooked in close relationships because certain things are an expectation.

A husband may be expected to take out the trash or mow the yard, but there’s nothing wrong with sincerely appreciating him for fulfilling his role. A wife may be responsible for cooking dinner or grocery shopping, but it’s beneficial to appreciate her for cooking and even more beneficial to tell her how good the meal tastes. Even with our children, it’s good to tell them how well they’re doing in school and how well they maintained a positive attitude while doing their homework.

People like to be appreciated. Let’s do our best to consistently appreciate them and not take their goodness for granted.

Psalm 4:3 (AMP) But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself [and given distinction to] him who is godly [the man of loving-kindness]. The Lord listens and heeds when I call to Him.

One of the great benefits of being God’s children with preferential treatment is God hearing us when we call. How awesome is it to know that the God of everything hears AND answers us when we call to Him?

Nothing is off limits. We can ask Him anything from wisdom in a situation to understanding why a situation went the way it did, to asking for a parking space.

Don’t be confused about life and don’t live in lack. Call to your Father and He’ll answer you.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

For born-again believers, we have preferential treatment because we’re in the family of God. Like any good father, God wants His children to have more than enough. Our more than enough is through Christ. By placing our faith in what Christ has done for us, we’ll always have all our needs met, we’ll have protection, we’ll have favor, and wisdom. It doesn’t mean we’re exempt from problems, but our problems won’t take us out. God will always give us a way to escape (1 Cor. 10:13).

Every person is not a child of God. We all were created by God, but God is not everyone’s Father. In John 8:44, it tells us the unbeliever’s father is the devil. They can’t expect to receive anything from God. They’ll just experience God’s goodness every now and again in the hopes that one of those moments will lead them to repentance (Rom. 2:4).

Know who you are in Christ. Believers are sons and daughters of the Most High God. Expect to receive preferential treatment.

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

Forgiveness is something believers are required to do. It’s best for ourselves, for the other person, and for the situation. Unfortunately, some people have a bad habit of reliving the incident and bringing it back up to the person who wronged them.

True forgiveness requires us to let it go. Yes, they betrayed our trust or said some harsh things to us, but we must forgive them and let it go.

If we want to cause division between our spouse, our friends, or family member, keep bring up what they’ve done wrong. Things will never get better. From husbands and wives to parents and children, it’s in our best interest to forgive them, let it go, and never bring it up again.

Proverbs 17:15 (AMP) He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both an abomination [exceedingly disgusting and hateful] to the Lord.

There are a lot of “high and mighty” Christians out here who make it their life’s goal to condemn people. They want to tell others how shameful they should be for dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, or being around certain people. Some may think they’re being helpful by being honest, but they’re condemning people. Condemnation is making other people feel bad about what they’re doing. And according to this scripture, condemning the righteous (2 Cor. 5:21) is an abomination to God. They want to tell others about this sin or that sin being an abomination to God, but their own actions of condemnation are an abomination.

If we see someone doing something outside the will of God, with all sincerity, let’s pray for their deliverance. If, and only if, the Holy Spirit tells us to say something to that person, He’ll lead us to say something in a non-condemning way. He’ll have us speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

Don’t be an abomination to God by condemning others. There is no condemnation in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Be a disciple of Christ by displaying the love of God.

Proverbs 24:14 Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

If we want to get revelation about our next steps, financial wisdom, parenting tips, ways to be more efficient at work, or beneficial tools, we must seek God. This information is available to us, but we must actively seek Him.

We can’t expect to get all this wisdom if we’re only giving Him 10 minutes of our day. We can get some, but not as much as we may desire. Let’s seek God by reading His Word, spending time with Him through prayer, and consulting Him in all our decisions. Obtaining God’s wisdom is like getting answers to a test.

Go get that wisdom in every area of life. He’s not hiding it from us. We just have to prioritize Him.

Romans 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

When we see people on social media or people in our circle appearing to live an enjoyable prosperous life, that’s when Satan attempts to plant seeds of jealousy. He’ll show us people who have nicer houses than we do, have the family we desire to have, or show us people who appear to be having so much fun.

When that spirit of jealousy enters our thoughts, that’s when we must recognize Satan’s attack and reject it. Reject that thought of jealousy and turn it around on him. Genuinely praise God for that person’s blessing he’s showing us and tell him if God can prosper them, He can prosper us too.

From major to minor things, don’t allow jealousy to enter our hearts. Reject it and praise God for your blessing.

One places the devil likes to apply his attack is in our emotions. Anger, sadness, and just moodiness in general are things we must recognize as demonic influences. The devil does a good job highlighting situations in our lives to make us feel justified in our emotions. He’ll have us recall what someone said to make us feel disrespected which will lead to anger. He’ll magnify what we don’t have to make us feel sad.

It’s during these times where we must recognize Satan’s presence. Instead of wallowing in these emotions and allowing them to control our attitudes, let’s counter these emotions with the Word of God.

The Word tells us we have the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). As we see, we have self-control, therefore, we can’t use the excuse of “I can’t help how I feel.” We can help how we feel by replacing a negative emotion with a positive emotion. It may take some time and some positive confessions, but we have that ability.

Don’t be depressed and live in self-pity any longer. Fight back by controlling those emotions.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Praising God is what we do. We open our mouths, lift our hands, and express how awesome God is to us. It can be as short or as long as we want it to be. It can be loud or a whisper. There are no rules on how we’re to praise God. The important thing is to consistently praise Him.

Don’t get tunnel vision looking at negative circumstances. Those negative circumstances will have us ungrateful and holding God’s praise hostage. Choose to look on the brighter side. We may not have all the money we want, but God supplies our needs. We may not have the employment we desire, but we’re employed. We may not have a house yet, but we have shelter.

Just think for a second. There are a million reasons to praise God. Choose a handful of reasons a day and keep the praise going.

Revelation 19:5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both great and small!”

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

If we took this verse seriously, we’d have nothing to fear. We can go out at night, go to the grocery store during a pandemic, or get on an airplane without worrying about getting sick or dying.

We can have this freedom if we build a solid relationship with our Father. We can spend time in His Word, commune with Him in prayer, and get to know His nature. Based on this foundation, we would have an assurance that He’s with us and He’s not going to allow anything to happen to us.

It takes courage to stare in the face of fear and still choose to trust God. This is a great time to reconnect and reestablish your relationship with God. We’ll either live freely by trusting Him or live fearful by avoiding Him.

When we first got saved, we were all in. Every day and every night were all about God. As time went on, our zeal may have left, and we started engaging in behavior we haven’t done in years. Some of us haven’t gone to church in years and our bible is just for decoration. We may have backslid to the point where it seems like we can’t hear God and we don’t know if God is listening to us.

Here’s good news. No matter how far we’ve strayed from God and righteousness, God is still available. If we turn to Him, He’ll hear our prayers and act on our behalf. He’s not hearing and answering our prayers based on how good we’ve behaved. He’s acting on our behalf because of His love towards us through Jesus. Jesus sacrificed Himself for mankind and because of His sacrifice, we’ve been reconciled with God.

Never think you’ve gone too far, and God is not listening. At any point in our lives, we can turn to Him and God will hear and answer our call.

Isaiah 44:21 Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are My servant, O Israel. I have made you; you are My servant; O Israel, I will never forget you. 22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

With this coronavirus, the government has instructed us to wash our hands, use hand sanitizer, and stay in our homes. A lot of us heeded this advice without a second thought. Most of us haven’t experienced or seen the effects of the virus, but we’ve taken the necessary preventative measures. When we believe and act on something we hadn’t experienced yet, we’re acting in faith.

If we follow God’s advice as easily as we did the government’s advice, think of where we could be. We could have been delivered from pornography, received that promotion, or been married by now.

The difference between obeying man’s instruction about this virus and obeying God is consequences. People quickly obeyed the government because they’re afraid of getting sick. God’s not using fear and consequences so, there’s no sense of urgency. There’s also a trust issue. Some of us trust the government more than God.

Take this opportunity to evaluate your life. Are you trusting man more than God? There’s nothing wrong with heeding wise counsel from our leaders, but let’s heed God’s instructions about our lives and watch our lives elevate to another level.

When events like the coronavirus take place, one of the first things people want to do is attribute it to God. Some call it an act of God and others say it’s the wrath of God. Neither are correct. God’s not involved.

Long ago Adam, who represented mankind, gave his authority in the earth to Satan after obeying him in the Garden of Eden. Since the fall of mankind, Satan has ruled the earth. The bible calls him the prince of this world (John 12:31). Looking at the characteristics of Satan, we see he wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). Based on this, God’s not involved with anything associated with death, disease, or destruction in the earth. People want to blame God, but, it’s Satan.

Jesus’ sacrifice took the power out of Satan’s hands and gave it to us. As believers, we have the privilege to get God involved in our affairs and the affairs of the world. If we see something that’s not lining up with God’s Word, we can use our God-given authority to change that situation. We have power over Satan, power in our words, and victory through Jesus in any situation.

Instead of allowing God to take the blame, let people know God’s not involved, but it’s Satanic forces that need to be removed by born-again believers.

Ezekiel 18:32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”