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1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.

Everything God said in His written or audible Word, He will do. In fact, since there’s no time with God, it’s already done. Our belief in that Word (faith) will cause it to come to pass.

Since God’s written Word says, “by His stripes you were healed,” that settles it. We are healed of any sickness or pain. Since God’s Word says, “with long life You will satisfy me,” that settles it. We’re destined to have a long satisfying life. If God told us we’re getting that promotion, we might as well tell our family and friends about it because it’s ours.

Once again, it takes faith to bring it to pass. If we allow negative influences or circumstances to cause us to doubt, we won’t see manifestation. It also takes corresponding action (works) with our faith to bring it to pass (James 2:17). We must be willing to do what God says to position ourselves to receive what God promised.

Regardless, whatever God said, He will bring it to pass. It’s already done in the spirit realm. Use your faith to bring it in the natural world to enjoy now.

Jonah 3:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.

God initially told Jonah to preach His message. Jonah disobeyed God and as a result of his decisions, he was swallowed and left in the stomach of a big fish for 3 days. Eventually, the fish vomited him up on land.

Here’s the good news. God can still use us even if we blatantly disobeyed Him. As we can see, Jonah’s purpose was not lost. God gave him a second chance. God instructed him a second time to preach. This time, Jonah obeyed God. The people believed the man of God, they turned from their evil ways, and God decided not to destroy the city.

Don’t ever think you’ve gone too far to be used by God. Your purpose is still on the table. Even after messing up a million times, we can be used by God to bring people to Christ, provide opportunities for others, or encourage someone else. God can use us even if we’re destined to spend the rest of our lives in prison.

Let that guilt and shame of your past go. Open up your spiritual ears to hear what God is instructing you to do and DO IT!!!

Revelations 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

The one thing the devil attempts to do on a daily basis is make us feel guilty about “displeasing God.” God is not displeased with us, but the devil will use things we did or didn’t do to make us think that.

If we’re not saved, he’ll attempt to make us feel guilty about certain sins to make us feel unworthy to give our lives to the Lord. Once we get saved, he’ll guilt us into thinking God is not pleased because we haven’t read our bibles, listened to sermons, or prayed. When we start reading our bibles and listening to sermons, he’ll try to make us feel guilty by letting us know we could have done more.

God is not behind any of this guilt. That’s not His nature. He’s not going to guilt us into salvation, reading the Word, or praying. He desires that we establish and build a relationship with Him, but He’s not going to make us feel guilty. The Holy Spirit will remind us of ways to better ourselves, but don’t let the devil pervert this reminder and turn it into guilt.

So, if the devil or anyone else tries to make you feel guilty about something, rebuke them and declare no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Proverbs 10:17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

If God came down from heaven and began speaking to you about how to live, what you should do, and how to experience blessings, would you ignore Him? Would you walk past Him as if you didn’t see Him? Of course not. Most of us would listen to every word He says.

Well, in a sense, God is attempting to speak to us. He’s attempting to speak to us through His written Word. Unfortunately, some of us ignore it or prioritize something else. We leave God’s Word on the table collecting dust or our bible app is only opened when we attend church. If we can value His Word as much as we value TV series or social media content, we can experience God’s best in our lives.

Stop ignoring or putting other things in front of God’s Word. Get the instructions to a successful life by spending time studying God’s Word.

Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, 5 who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

When some of us accepted Jesus as Lord, we’re happy that we got our ticket to heaven and we’ll miss hell. There’s more to salvation than this.

The benefits of salvation are having and enjoying abundant life now. It’s being able to communicate with God anytime we desire. It’s having access to God’s peace when we’re experiencing troubling times. It’s living a guilt-free life knowing God has forgiven everyone of their sins. It’s having more than enough so that we’re able to be a blessing to others. Salvation is being completely free from all fear. It’s having the right to divine healing from all sickness, disease, or pain in or on our bodies. God wants us to have it all.

Some of us were just fine with avoiding hell, but suffering here on earth. What kind of witness are we if we’re suffering more than the world?

Let’s exercise our faith and take hold of all the perks of salvation. Not just missing hell. Our goal before we die is to truly experience ALL of God’s promises in abundance.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,

The grace of God is something we don’t have to earn. It’s God’s gift to us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It’s unearned and undeserved favor.

What’s included in this grace package?
1. Reconciliation with God.
2. Forgiveness of past, present, and future sins.
3. Access to divine health through Jesus Christ.
4. Redemption from poverty, sickness, and death.
5. Heard and answered prayers.
6. Abundant (earthly) life.
7. Wealth.
8. The wisdom of God.
9. Prosperity in every area of our lives.
10. Eternal life with God and our Savior, Jesus.
…And more.

How could anyone deny this deal? It’s FREE!!! Once again, we don’t have to pray 5 hours a day, read a book of the bible a day, or live a perfect life to receive everything grace provided. When we receive Jesus as Lord, we get access to everything He provided. Faith is what takes everything grace has provided.

Receive Jesus and take everything He offers us.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

We feed our natural selves around 3 times a day. It fuels our bodies for us to complete our daily tasks. A lot of us feed our natural selves consistently, but it’s even more beneficial to feed our spirit.

We feed our spirit with the Word of God. Studying and listening to the Word of God is very important. Feeding our spirit keeps us with a positive attitude, it helps us make the right decisions, and it encourages us to keep our faith in God. If we don’t feed our spirit, we’ll find ourselves making decisions based on how circumstances look or how we feel. Feeling and circumstances are temporary, but God’s Word is forever.

So, consistently feed your spirit the Word of God to maintain peace, joy, and wisdom.

We have desires. We may want a child, a car, a job, a spouse, or a house. That desire typically grows in our minds and we have to control ourselves from being anxious. We ask God for that desire and until we get it, we stay in faith. Finally, when we get the desire, we’re overjoyed.

As time goes on, that same desire we so desperately wanted may feel like a burden. Some of us may complain about raising that child we wanted. Our boss at that job we believed God for may be getting on our nerves and now we’re ready to quit. That house we were so excited about 2 years ago may become burdensome as we have to spend our weekends cleaning it up.

This feeling of being burdened by these previous desires is nothing more than an opportunity for the devil to minimize God’s blessing. Don’t let him bring you down by diminishing God’s gifts. Keep that same energy. Continue to be grateful for the things you prayed for. Things may not be operating the way we want, but it’s our role to find the good in those blessings.

Be grateful and don’t let anyone or anything stop God from getting the glory.   

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

John 4: 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”

There are some who have been condemned by others to keep their testimonies to themselves. They have been conditioned to think that it’s bragging or not humble to tell all the wonderful things God has done.

As we can see, our testimonies can inspire others to believe. It will motivate people to make Jesus Christ their Lord. It will encourage people to put their trust in God. Our testimony can light a spark in someone to continue on even though they want to give up.

So, ask yourself this question… What spirit do you think is behind silencing our testimony under the guise of humility? Answer: The spirit of the antichrist.

Don’t let anyone silence you or make you feel ashamed about all the good that God has done. When you get that new job, tell people Who did it. When all your bills are consistently being paid, publicly give God the glory. When everyone else is complaining about their marriage, let them know Who causes your marriage to thrive. You never know who’s listening and how your testimony can impact their lives.

John 2:3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

A request was made to Jesus for more wine. For the longest time, I assumed Jesus physically did something to make this miracle come to pass. I thought He touched, blessed, or waved His hand over the water in some way to make it turn into wine. He didn’t do anything besides provide instructions to the servants. As the servants obeyed Jesus, the water was turned into wine. This entire miracle hinged on the servants’ obedience to Jesus.

This is a prime example of how certain manifestations will come into our own lives. Once we’ve made our request to God, detailed instructions may follow. He may tell us to research something, meditate on something, or talk to someone. As we follow these instructions entirely, we’ll walk right into our miracle.

So, even if it seems foolish, far-fetched, or “beneath” us, obey God’s instructions to receive His promises.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.

“Bow down, pray to God hoping that He’s listening.” -Tupac Shakur

Tupac made this statement back in the 90’s, but unfortunately so many (Christian) people still feel this way. They’re praying to God hoping that He’s listening. Where’s the confidence? When we pray to God, we don’t have to hope and wish that He’s listening. His Word tells us He’s listening. Not only is He listening, when we boldly come to Him, He will manifest that prayer.

It doesn’t matter if we’re asking for a better marriage, a new job, or a parking spot. He’s listening and truly desires to answer our prayers. Come to God about anything and everything and give Him the opportunity to answer your prayers.

Be sure to have a relationship with God and not religion or religious experiences.

The Differences:
People in relationship with God talk to God every day of the week, throughout the day. A religious person only spends time with God for a couple of hours on Sunday.

People in relationship with God read their bible daily. A religious person keeps their bible on the nightstand for decoration.

People in relationship with God read the Word of God because they want to know God more. A religious person reads a scripture or two just to “check a box.”

People in relationship with God seek His ways of doing things. A religious person acts and hopes God will bless their decisions.

People in relationship with God strive to honor God with their lives, behavior, and decisions daily. Religious people have the appearance of being holy in church settings, but they sin better than the world when no one’s looking.

Now that we understand the differences between a person who has a relationship with God and a person who is religious, ask yourself, “Am I religious or am I continuously developing my relationship with God?”

Religion: Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Relationship: Psalm 119:147 I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words. 148 My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.   

Psalm 23:4 (MSG) Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.

Every human being needs to feel secure. We want to have provision and protection. We can have that security with God, through Christ.

We don’t have to own an entire arsenal of guns, we don’t have to know the latest martial arts moves, and we don’t have to worry about where our next meal is coming from. When we rely on God, He’ll protect us and take care of all our needs.

Be secure for the rest of your life by allowing God to be your Shepherd.

James 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

From our president’s decisions to our little brother’s career path, it’s not our responsibility to judge. We may disagree or not prefer someone else’s decisions, but to say what’s right or wrong, based on our opinion, is judgement. There’s only One true Judge. That’s God. Who are we to judge?

What we can do is pray for people to make decisions that align with the Word of God. We can pray for the removal of demonic influences that cause them to make unwise decisions. We can pray their hearts are submitted to God. If they’re close to us, we can give them facts, wise counsel, or tell them what the Word of God says and let the power of God’s Word change their thinking.

Let’s not judge one another. It benefits no one and it doesn’t glorify God. Instead, pray for people to make wise, Spirit-led decisions.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

In God’s Word, there’s something for everyone. It doesn’t matter what we’re facing, we can benefit from God’s Word.

If we are facing attacks against our health, we can turn to 1 Peter 2:24 and declare by Jesus’ stripes we are healed. If we’re going through a difficult time in our marriage, we can turn to Ephesians 5:25-33 to learn our role in the marriage and we can turn to Luke 10:19 to understand our authority over demonic influences that are attempting to attack our marriage. If we need to make an important decision, we can understand how we should allow peace to be the deciding factor in what we should do (Col. 3:15). If we feel lonely, we can read in Deuteronomy 31:6 that God is always with us and He will never leave.

God’s Word can handle it all, but none of this will work if we don’t believe and act on it (James 1:22). So, read it, believe it, and receive it.

Deuteronomy 10:13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

Everything God instructs us to do in His Word (in context) is for our overall benefit. God will still be God whether we obey Him or not.

God doesn’t need our money, but He instructs us to tithe and give an offering so that He can bless our lives (Mal. 3:10). It doesn’t impact God in any kind of way if we forgive others, but He instructs us to forgive to be free from anger and hurt feelings (Eph. 4:32). Forgiveness has also been scientifically proven to maintain a strong immune system. All the sins God instructs us not to do doesn’t benefit God. It benefits us. Through Christ, we’ve been forgiven of all (past, present, and future) sin, but sin has natural consequences that negatively impact our lives. For instance, if we consistently eat too much (gluttony), we may suffer the consequence of obesity, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol.

Understand that God’s instructions are not trying to take something from us. He’s the Creator of mankind and He knows what is beneficial for His creation. Trust that His instructions are best for us.

Psalm 19:11 (MSG) There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure.

It’s extremely exciting when we hear the voice of God telling us to expect a blessing, but God does more than just tell us the things we want to hear. He also gives us warnings.

He may tell us to mentally prepare for difficult times in the next 6 months. He may tell us to be mindful of someone we call our friend who is taking advantage of us. He may tell us our spouse is cheating on us without any evidence. These are things we may not want to hear, but out of His love, God tells us anyway.

It’s not always the devil telling us things we may not want to hear. By knowing the voice of God we’ll understand when it’s God warning us and preparing us for our future.

Luke 10:33 But when a Samaritan on a journey came upon him, he looked at him and had compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he said, ‘and on my return I will repay you for any additional expense’.

People praise the Samaritan for his wonderful acts of kindness, but in order for him to be extremely helpful, he needed a surplus of money.

The Samaritan needed money for bandages, oil, wine, and hotel fees. The Samaritan had compassion and out of his compassion mixed with his surplus, he was able to be a blessing to the wounded man.

In verse 37, Jesus instructs us to do the same as the Samaritan, but how can we help someone if we only have enough for ourselves? How can we help the poor, homeless, or abused if we only have the bare minimum? How can we be a blessing if ministers continue to stand in front of their congregation opposing prosperity?

We can have all the compassion in the world, but without a surplus of money, our compassion is limited. Believe God for financial excess to be the blessing He has called us to be.

James 1:20 (GNT) Human anger does not achieve God’s righteous purpose.

Emotional control regarding our anger is very important for any person. If we’re not in control of the emotion of anger, we can do something that can negatively impact our lives forever.

There are people who have gotten divorces because they couldn’t control their anger. Some of us have lost jobs because we couldn’t control anger. Some people turn to drugs and alcohol because they don’t know how to deal with anger. And unfortunately, some people have died due to a lack of control of their anger.

We control all our emotions by giving our cares, worries, concerns, and anxieties to God. Situations are going to come. When we let God handle our situations, we gain control over our emotions. Our flesh may want to abruptly leave, curse, punch, or even shoot, but by suppressing our anger and letting God handle those situations, He’ll perfect those situations and cause them to work out for our good (Psalm 138:8; Rom. 8:29).

Let’s do ourselves a favor and keep our emotions in check. It will benefit us for a lifetime.

Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

One of the hardest things we have to do is patiently wait on the manifestation of God’s promises. We see God’s promise in the bible or He told us it was coming to pass, but now we have to wait.

Most of us want God to speed it up, but He knows what’s best for us. He knows what we can currently handle, He knows our maturity level, and He knows how responsible we are. He’s not going to give us something too quickly and then we lose it or it destroys us. No, He’s going to make sure we’re ready for the promise and everything associated with the promise.

While we wait, the best thing we can do is to continue to thank God for the promise and position ourselves to be a good steward of the promise. We can read and make ourselves knowledgeable of the promise, we can seek wise counsel on how to maintain that promise, and we can meditate and see ourselves with that promise.

Don’t get discouraged. The promise will manifest. We just need to do our part and position ourselves for the promise.