Monthly Archive

Galatians 5:16 NLT So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Do you want to stop sinning? Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Allow Him to be Lord instead of your flesh. Unfortunately, because of Adam’s sin our natural desire is to allow our flesh to have its way. But there are certain things we can do to overrule our flesh.

When the thought to sin enters our minds, we’ll always have another option in front of us. We can either agree with Satan and do things his way or agree with God or do things His way.

It takes effort to do things God’s way. To be successful in overcoming sin, we must be intentional about spending time with God. The more time we spend with Him, the clearer we’ll hear His voice to do things His way. He’ll tell us in advance to not watch a certain movie because He knows there’s a sex scene that will tempt us to lust and fall.

The more time we spend with Him, the more convinced we’ll become that His way is more beneficial. We’ll realize a successful healthy marriage is more important and impactful to the Kingdom of God than one night with him or her in a hotel.

The more time we spend with Him, the stronger we’ll become to resist sinful urges. We’ll be equipped with power from the Holy Spirit to put down that bottle, turn off porn, or control negative emotions (Acts 1:8).

We may not win all our battles, but don’t quit. Receive His forgiveness and get back in the fight.

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,
Colossians 2:18 NLT

Condemnation comes in many forms. One form of condemnation is through self-denial.

When some people get saved, they deny themselves of certain joys for the sake of “holiness.” They may deny themselves from having a large house, excess money, enjoying a movie, listening to secular music, eating certain foods, or going on lavish vacations. In their minds, they think God is pleased with them because they’re denying themselves of these things. They then condemn people who may have or do these things.

Don’t fall for this condemnation tactic. The bible doesn’t say we can’t have or enjoy certain things in this life. He doesn’t want those things controlling us, but we can enjoy certain things.

If you hear anyone boasting about what they deny themselves for the sake of Christ, they’re full of pride and need to discover their purpose in Christ.

Colossians 3:2 ESV Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

If we have a problem, we’ll never get an answer by focusing on, dwelling on, and talking about the problem. Our answer comes from focusing on the word of God.

If we don’t have enough money for this or that, focusing on our lack won’t change our problem. However, our answer will come if we focus on God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).

If our health is under attack, telling everyone about our ailments is not beneficial. However, telling everyone about our Help is beneficial (Psalm 121:1).

Wherever our focus is, that’s going to determine if we wallow in our problems or receive deliverance from our problems.

1 Chronicles 16:42 NLT They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany their songs of praise to God. And the sons of Jeduthun were appointed as gatekeepers.

We may not have musical instruments to praise God, but we do have other instruments we can use to praise God.

Whatever talent God has given us can be an instrument to praise God. Poetry, motivational speaking, little league coaching, dance, financial strategizing, cooking, etc. can all be used to praise and bring glory to God.

God gave all of us gifts and talents. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you on how to use your talents to bring God glory.

The main pressures we have is the pressures we place on ourselves. We’re anxious about receiving our desires, therefore we put pressure on ourselves to “act holy” to get our desires NOW.

Believers put pressure on themselves through works. We fast for so many days, pray for so many hours, and attend so many church services in order for God to bless us. We think the more we do, the faster we’ll get what we desire. That’s not faith. That’s attempting to earn a blessing through works.

Biblical faith is asking God for the desire, in faith, believing that He’ll bring it to pass. It may be a day, a month, or a year, but we must trust He’ll eventually bring it to pass.

Don’t be deceived into thinking that your works will speed up the response time of your desires. If God didn’t specifically give you a date, relax knowing your faith is at work and it will eventually bring it to pass.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Philippians 4:6 NKJV

1 Chronicles 16:8‭-‬9 NLT Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.

Stop hiding your blessings. People hide their blessings for various reasons. They don’t want to offend people who are less fortunate, they don’t want to be seen as being boastful, or they want to be relatable.

Regardless of the reasons, this thought process is unscriptural. There are multiple scriptures instructing us to tell others about the wonderful things God has done (Ps. 105:1; Ps. 118:1). We’re not boasting and bragging on ourselves. We’re giving God 100% of the credit for what He’s done in our lives.

Satan puts these thoughts in our minds to keep us quiet, limit our praise, and minimize God’s glory. If we don’t tell people who blessed us, how will they know? Our testimony could be the trigger to encourage others to seek the Lord and rely on Him.

After all that God has done for you, publicly give God the glory by not hiding your blessings.

We’ll face challenges. To successfully make it through anything, we must depend on God. Our money, our health, and our relationships may all fluctuate. The only thing that stays constant in our lives is God.

God is the One who has and will always be faithful. He has never left our side. We may have ignored Him from time to time, but He has always been there, patiently waiting on us to acknowledge Him.

As we acknowledge Him, He will direct our path. He’ll tell us what to do, where to go, what to take when we’re not feeling well, and who’s a good friend. The same way we ask people questions and ask for their suggestions, we can ask God. No theatrics are needed.

Let’s depend on God and He’ll make everything work out for our good (Rom. 8:38).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NLT

John 12:42 – 43 NLT Many people did believe in Him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

Back in the day, there were Jewish leaders who believed in Jesus. They knew He was the Christ, sent from God. However, they didn’t want to go public with their beliefs out of fear of losing their status, position, and friendships in the synagogue.

Sad to say, some believers are still doing similar things today. They’ve privately accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. However, they hold on to these friendships and lifestyles where they behave in a manner that doesn’t please God. They fear losing their status in the world instead of gaining praise from God.

We don’t have to disown people we’ve been close to all our lives. Instead, we should invite them up to where we are. Invite them to church, share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them, let them know what they’re missing out on being in the family of God.

Don’t try to straddle the fence by being a closet Christian. Be all in for God and if others follow you great, but if they don’t, it’s their loss.

Daniel 3:19 – 20 NIV Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship the golden image, Nebuchadnezzar was so furious until he used intimidation tactics to get them to reverse their confession and disobey God. Their confession was “if we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s intimidation tactics were heating the fire seven times hotter and using the strongest soldiers to bind them up. His goal was to put enough pressure on them based on what they saw so they would reverse their confession and disobey God. They did not cave under the pressure and they experienced a miracle.

Satan is using this same tactic today. He’s attempting to intimidate us based on what we’re experiencing. We may be declaring and believing for a job. Satan will use the news mentioning mass layoffs to intimidate us to believe there are no jobs out there. If the intimidation works, we’ll say what the news says instead of saying what we’re in faith for. If we’re in faith for a spouse, Satan will attempt to intimidate us with conversations of divorce, infidelity, and drama to make us not want to be married.

The ultimate goal of Satan is to get us to stop believing God, reverse our faith-filled confession, and to say a negative confession. Our job is to believe God’s word in spite of what we’re experiencing. Don’t back off your confession or your belief in God’s word. Continue to believe and confess His word until His promise comes to pass.

John 11:40 NLT Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”

Glory can be defined as high renown or honor won by notable achievements. The glory of God is the manifested victories of God.

Jesus tells us we’ll see God’s glory if we believe. When we believe in all the things that have been made available to us through Jesus Christ, we’ll see God’s glory in our lives. There’s no limitation on this glory. God’s glory can and will be seen in our homes, our marriages, on our jobs, in our fellowship with Him, and with our children.

There’s no place God’s glory can’t be experienced if we believe. Believing with an expectation is the key. Study and believe God’s word to experience His glory.

2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.

All of God’s promises in God’s word have been approved. In Christ, God has already said yes to it.

Yes, healing has been made available by the stripes of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24).

Yes, peace in the middle of any situation is there for the taking (John 14:27).

Yes, you can get the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

Yes, you can have a child (Exodus 23:26; Deut. 7:14).

Yes, you can have whatever you ask for in prayer if you believe (Mark 11:24).

These promises, along with countless others, belong to the family of God. We don’t have to work for it or earn it. It’s been made available through Christ if we believe.

To build and maintain our belief for these promises, study and meditate on the scriptures associated with these promises. Once we’re fully convinced they belong to us, it’s just a matter of time before they come to pass.

Galatians 5:4 NLT For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Some people think that fallen from grace is when we backslide, publicly miss the mark, or have strayed from God. The biblical understanding of fallen from grace is when we attempt to be made right by keeping the law. Grace has been made available through Christ, but those who choose to reject it have fallen from grace.

Keeping the law doesn’t make us righteous or more righteous than those who don’t. We’re only made righteous by one thing: Our belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who died on the cross for our sins makes us righteous.

If you’re keeping the law to earn righteousness, you have fallen away from God’s grace. Believe in the Lord Jesus and be made righteous through Him.

1 John 4:16‭-‬17 NLT We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

There are a lot of people, Christians included, who are scared of judgment day. They think all their good deeds will be compared to their bad deeds. If their bad deeds outweigh their good deeds, they’ll end up in hell.

According to scripture, we new covenant believers no longer need to be afraid of judgment day. Everyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has trusted in God’s love. And our living like Jesus doesn’t mean we live a perfect life, but we’ve made our home in Christ and Christ has made His home in us (Ephesians 3:17-19; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Believing that Jesus paid for the punishment of our sin makes us right with God (Romans 3:22). Since we’re right with God, we can boldly be in the presence of God on the day of judgment. The only ones who should be afraid on judgment day are those who have not made Jesus Lord and Savior.

I encourage anyone who has not made Jesus Lord and Savior to make Him Lord and Savior. If you know anyone who has not made Jesus Lord and Savior, send this message to them (Romans 10:9).

Everyone, it’s time to make Jesus Lord and Savior.

Matthew 18:19 NLT “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, My Father in heaven will do it for you.

The enemy knows that if we’re in agreement, there’s nothing he can do to stop us. That’s why he attempts to get us in strife with one another. If we’re in strife and there’s division among us, it makes it difficult for agreement to take place.

Satan has made it a point to cause division between race, religion, and gender. He continues to influence division within these categories. There are so many versions of Christianity until the church’s power is limited. The scriptures say “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand (Matthew 12:25).

Let’s do our part and get in agreement with each other and go to God. We can make real changes in society as long as we’re on one accord. Satan has already divided us enough. Lets not fall for his tricks any longer and let’s be in agreement, with our foundation being the word of God.

Hebrews 10:23 AMP Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word];

Confessing the word of God, regarding the promises of God, is easy and enjoyable. It’s empowering to say we’re healed, we’re a blessing, we’re loved, we’re wealthy, we’re bold, and we’re strong.

Wavering is where the challenge starts. When life contradicts our confession, we tend to say what we’re experiencing instead of what is written. When a person’s bank account is less than $100 and bills are due, some confess they’re broke. When coughing and sneezing, some say they’re sick. When facing challenges in life, some say they’re struggling.

When our words contradict what is written, we’re wavering. The key is to say what God says in the face of opposition. We’re not delusional. We’re agreeing with what God says about us. When we continue to say what God says about us in His word, what we’re currently experiencing will change to line up with His word. There’s enough power in God’s word to change any situation.

Psalms 18:32 NLT God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect.

Thoughts in Our Mind: If I do it this way, this may happen, but if I do it that way, that may happen. But I need to remember to do that, because if I don’t, that may happen.

There are times where we have to make a decision with more than one good option. Both options have their pros and cons. Of course, we want to make the best decision, but we can’t naturally determine which option is best.

With more than one good option, most people will “go with their gut.” The problem with making a gut decision is, it could work out well, but what if the other option was better? Or, what if the option we chose didn’t turn out as well as we thought?

When there’s more than one option, it’s best that we consult God on which option to choose. He’ll tell us the best path to choose. If we make a decision without consulting Him, don’t beat yourselves up about it. There’s grace available through Jesus Christ to make everything work out for our good. Go to God and He’ll make our way perfect.

Psalms 18:28 NLT You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

When we don’t know what to do, where to go, or where to turn, go to God and let Him light your way. He’ll tell you exactly what to do and where to go. It may not always make sense, but we’ll have the results we want.

The world is comfortable with making impulsive decisions or decisions that feel right. We can do that too, but we’ll regret making impulsive decisions if it doesn’t work in our favor knowing we had a better Source we could have gone to.

Don’t live life full of regrets just because you don’t know what to do. Go to the One who knows how we’re made and knows what’s best for us and He’ll light our paths.

Prior to making a big decision or when we’re in a serious situation, it’s beneficial to fast and pray. Fasting allows us to have clarity to hear God’s voice.

It’s not a law to fast and pray before we make a big decision or when we’re in a serious situation, but throughout scripture we see people benefiting from its use. Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Paul, and Jesus, Himself, fasted so that they might draw closer to God (Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Daniel 9:3; Daniel 10:2-3; 2 Corinthians 11:27; Matthew 4:2).

We should let the Holy Spirit lead us on if we should fast or not. If He instructs us to fast, don’t fight it. Understand we’ll receive great clarity and our decisions will align with the will of God.

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
Esther 4:15‭-‬16 NLT

Ephesians 3:17 NLT Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

In order to overcome the challenges of life, we’ll need strength. Our strength is not through will power. Our strength hinges on our knowledge and belief in God’s love for us.

When we believe in God’s love for us, we know He’s not going to let the challenges of life take us out. When negative situations come, God’s love provides a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13). When sickness attacks our bodies, we must believe that His love has made healing available for us through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:24). When our marriage is under attack, we must believe that God loves us enough to have already made peace available through Christ Jesus (John 14:27).

Whatever the challenge is, God loves us enough to have already provided a way out or a way to overcome. Gain and maintain strength in knowing and believing in God’s love.