Category Archive

Romans 7:18‭-‬20 NLT For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

The main struggle we have is the struggle between our flesh and God’s will. Whatever’s in God’s will, our flesh wants to do the opposite.

God says forgive, but our flesh wants revenge. God says abstain from premarital sex, but our flesh craves it. God says give, our flesh says hoard.

Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort to go against our flesh, but it’s worth it. It’s worth it because there’s a blessing on the other side of our obedience (Isaiah 1:19).

As long as we continue to allow our flesh to have dominance, it will get harder to resist and we ultimately may become callus to the word of God. This will negatively impact the quality of life, but if we recognize the enemy’s trick, and go against our flesh, it becomes easier each time and we’ll experience God’s best.

For the rest of our lives on earth, there will be this internal struggle, but once we realize God’s blessings outweigh the gratification of our flesh, it becomes easier to please Him rather than our flesh. Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7).

A prayer request is the easy part. Just ask God for what we desire in Jesus’ name.

The hard part is maintaining the belief that it will come to pass. The negative circumstance, the feeling, the delay, and how it looks can make us think it won’t come to pass. However, if we maintain our belief in what God said in His word, it will eventually come to pass.

We have to be willing to wait forever and magnify God’s word above everything else. People may think we’re foolish for believing God for a desire for so long, but who cares? If we’re determined and only focus on the word of God regarding our desire, it must come to pass.

God is not a liar. If He said it, it will come to fruition. Are you willing to believe Him in spite of everything you see? Well, walk and continue to walk by faith and not by sight. Don’t stop, turn around, or go in another direction. Walk by faith towards the promises of God.

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

Luke 6:38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

If you are a giver, you should expect to receive.

When we give, God’s word promises that we’ll not only receive what we gave, but more. Giving is not just some ritual they do in church and it’s not some scheme playing on the emotions of believers. Giving is an opportunity for God to get something to us.

Our return is not just in the form of money. It could be in the form of favor, gifts, and blessings. The company could be laying people off, but because of our giving, they keep us. We could have a disease, but because of our giving, we could unexpectedly come across a specialist at the park. And of course, our giving could allow us to receive a raise on our jobs. If we’re only focused on the return of money, we could miss what God has done as a result of our giving.

Givers, be on the lookout. Understand that because we give, it must be given back to us. If it doesn’t, God is a liar and this entire universe will fall apart. Just FYI… God can’t lie (Titus 1:2). It has to come to pass. Be vigilant.

Luke 16:13 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Money is not good or bad. Money is simply a tool we use as an accepted payment for goods and services. Our perspective on money is what can either be good or bad.

1 Timothy 6:10 says, for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. How do we know if we love God or money more? You must ask yourself the following questions… Are you craving or have a strong focus on money more than God? Are you constantly thinking about how to get more of it instead of spending time with God? Are you willing to disobey God to keep the money you have? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, money is your master.

The good news is your master can change by renewing your mind with the word of God. As we obey God through giving and we’re Spirit led about what we spend and what we save, we say to ourselves and the spirit of money that God is our Master.

God understands how tempting money can be to takeover our lives. That’s because money can seemingly fix anything (read Ecclesiastes 10:19). But, let’s put our trust in God and allow money to be a tool that God uses, through us, to fix the world.

1 Chronicles 16:43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David turned and went home to bless his own family.

We all have the ability to bless someone else. We don’t have to be a pastor, a deacon, or have it all together to bless.

The formula to bless can be found in Genesis 1:28. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” It can be also seen in Genesis 27:27 where Isaac blessed Jacob and said a list of positive things towards him.

Based on this formula, if we open our mouths and believe what we’re saying, we can bless anyone. So why not bless your family?

It doesn’t have to be formal. In passing, we can release a blessing over their lives. We can say…
“I declare that you prosper at school, in your finances, and in your career.”
“I declare that the favor of God is on your life. You have favor with God and people.”
“I declare you are protected from every disease, accident, or tragic event.”

Whatever we desire for our families can be released through belief in our words. Take this time, whether they’re present or not, to bless your family.

I Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

God wants us to spend time with Him. He doesn’t just want us to acknowledge Him on Sunday. He wants us to have daily communication with Him. Just because He knows everything doesn’t mean He doesn’t want to talk to us about everything.

God wants to help us in problematic areas, He wants to show us how He blessed us that day, He wants to show us where our next opportunity will come from, He wants to show us how to parent our children, He wants to reveal areas where we can improve, and He wants to show us areas where we have grown.

All of this can be done by spending time with God. Some think they need to be on their knees in a quiet room to spend time with God. That’s not necessarily the case. We can talk to God at work, in our cars, while working out, before we go to sleep, or all the above.

As much as we value earthly relationships with our parents, children, or siblings, we should value time with God. Spend time with the One who loves you the most.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 NKJV Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Sometimes, Christians have a tendency to be sin focused. They make everything a sin. If a person listens to secular music, that’s a sin. If a person watches a movie, that’s a sin. If they dress a certain way, that’s a sin. If they have too much money, that’s a sin. Even if they’re doing something innocent like watching a football game, a sin focused person would think they’re doing something wrong because they could be using that time to spend with God. Some are so sin focused until they can’t enjoy life. That’s not what God wants for us.

No wonder some reject Christianity. Why would people want to accept a Savior who makes them feel bad for every thing they enjoy doing?

We can still believe in a risen Savior, serve an awesome God, and enjoy life. John 10:10 lets us know Jesus came so that we can have an abundant life. An abundant life doesn’t mean depriving ourselves of things. We can be in the world, but not of the world.

There may be things, individually, that we should abstain from. For instance, if a person has a tendency to lust, they should abstain from movies with nudity. If a person is quick to be angry, they should avoid listening to music associated with violence.

Allow the Holy Spirit to show you what you should or should not do. But, not everything’s a sin.

Ephesians 5:1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Along with loving like God and forgiving like God, we’re to imitate God by calling those things that be not, as though they were. Romans 4:17b says God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.

Someone may emphasize that GOD, not us, calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Once again, we’re His children and have been instructed to imitate Him.

So, how do we do this? We open our mouths and say what we desire to happen and believe what we say is going to happen. God looked at the darkness, opened His mouth and commanded light (Gen. 1:2-3). When we look at dark circumstances in our own lives, we have the authority and ability to change that negative circumstance into a positive through faith in our words. Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue. We, not God, can speak death to our lives or life to our lives. It’s up to us.

When our health is under attack, instead of saying how bad it is, we can call our bodies healed (Isaiah 53:5). It doesn’t matter how we currently feel, what we say and believe will change our situation. It works the same way when we see lack in our finances, problems in our marriages, or drama on our jobs. We can declare increase and peace in those situations and it must come to pass.

Let’s understand our authority and speak the solution instead of the problem.

Inspired Charles Capps

1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

In the body of Christ, there’s division from denominations. People are telling others how Christianity “really” should be. There are people with a platform and the only thing they want to do is tell others what’s wrong in the church. There are pastors who openly speak negatively of other pastors. Some people want to highlight other people’s flaws.

The most important thing to God is having a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. From that relationship, we should be renewing our minds, making an impact in our family, our community, and ultimately the world. We should be talking to God on how to advance His Kingdom or how to solve the world’s problems. It could be as big as ending world hunger or as small as telling a manager how to be more efficient.

We, the believers, easily have access to the God of the universe, but because we’ve been so divisive, negative, and inwardly focused, we’ve allowed unbelievers to come up with billion dollar industries. That should be us. Can you imagine what we can do for God’s Kingdom with multiple industries valued at a billion dollars each?

Let’s not focus on how this person is representing Christianity or pointlessly debate about the meaning of a scripture. Instead, let’s focus on strengthening our relationship with God, completing our assignments, and fulfilling our purpose in the earth.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Genesis 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

It’s often overlooked, but God has commanded mankind to subdue the earth. A definition of subdue means to overcome, quieten, or bring under control.

It’s our responsibility to bring this earth under control. It’s not God’s responsibility, but ours. So, anything we don’t like seeing (pollution, violence, sex trafficking, division, etc.) is our responsibility to bring under control.

We’re not to subdue the earth using our will power or our limited intelligence. It has always been God’s plan for us to invite Him in as an unseen partner. Under the new covenant, we have the authority to use the name of Jesus to get God involved in whatever we’re doing (John 16:23-24).

If what you’re seeing or experiencing on this earth doesn’t align with God’s will, use the authority God has given you to change it. Stop waiting on God to automatically change it for you. Speak to that situation and command it to go, in Jesus name.

Romans 3:20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Romans 6:14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Romans 7:4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

As we look at the scriptures above, it should be clear that we are no longer under nor should we practice the law to be made righteous or holy. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. With all this evidence, there are people who still feel like we should keep the law. It’s like they don’t know what to do with themselves if they’re not keeping the law.

First of all, the law was written to Jewish people by Jewish people to be made righteous. If you’re not Jewish (a Gentile), the law was not meant for you. Jews and Gentiles have a new justification system. Our belief that Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf makes us righteous (Rom. 3:22).

So what should we do with ourselves? Continously remind ourselves we are righteous through our faith in Christ. As saved believers, we will still miss the mark. Instead of beating ourselves up about it, give God praise because through Christ, our sins are forgiven and we’re still righteous.

What else can we do? Be led by the Holy Spirit to renew your mind (John 14:26; Rom. 12:2). The Holy Spirit will tell us areas where we need improvement. Follow His leading to renew your mind to the word of God.

We don’t have to force the law in our lives to be made righteous. It’s not a little bit of the law and a little bit of grace. It’s all grace through Jesus. Galatians 2:21 for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Understand, we all have been made righteous through Jesus.

SITUATION: Someone is in a relationship and is actually trying to make it work, but ultimately the relationship fails and they’re hurt.

There are some who use this hurt to selfishly do whatever they feel like doing. If that means becoming a womanizer or a gold digger, so be it. If people get hurt along the way, oh well. They don’t care.

Now, we have this hurt person hurting other people. These newly hurt people could continue the cycle of hurting others.

Because they’re emotionally hurt and can’t think clearly, what the original hurt person doesn’t realize is they’re setting themselves up to be hurt again. Galatians 6:7 says, whatever we sow, that is what we’ll reap. So by them hurting all these people along the way, they should expect to be hurt again.

We need to bring our pain to God. Ask God to help us properly deal with this hurt. He’ll give us strategies and put people across our paths to overcome this hurt.

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble. -2 Corinthians 1:3‭-‬4 CEV

Genesis 14:20 CEV All praise belongs to God Most High for helping you defeat your enemies.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.

We can express appreciation by thanking Him with our mouths, but another way we can express our appreciation is to honor God with treasure.

Abram gave Melchizedek, a priest of the Most High God, 10% of everything he had as an act of appreciation for God’s help. God didn’t demand it and Melchizedek didn’t ask for it. Out of Abram’s appreciative heart, he voluntarily gave God 10% of everything.

God has and is still doing some wonderful and amazing things in our own lives. The simple fact that He’s defeated Satan is a reason to be appreciative. Based on our appreciation, it would be fitting for us to give to God praise and a portion of our finances. Some may say we MUST give 10% of our finances to God, but that’s not true. God wants us to voluntarily give (not grudgingly) based on our appreciation (2 Cor. 9:7).

And of course, God’s not going to owe us anything, so anytime we give, He’ll give it back to us in a multiplied way (Luke 6:38).

Let’s financially give to God to express our appreciation to Him.

Acts 4:12 NLT There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Salvation is not built on our good works. Salvation is not from Mohammed, Osiris, or Buddha. Salvation comes through only One and that’s Jesus the Christ. As much as we want to be inclusive, the scripture says salvation is in no one else, but Jesus.

Salvation through Jesus doesn’t require a burnt or blood sacrifice from us. It doesn’t require a weekly tithe of our income. It doesn’t even require a change in lifestyle. Salvation requires a mindset change. If we take off the religious things we’ve heard over the years, salvation through Jesus simply says, I believe Jesus is the Son of God and He died to pay the price for all my wrongdoing. That’s it! Forget everything else people claim we must do to be saved. It’s a belief that Jesus paid the price for sin.

God made it extremely easy for us to get back in right relationship with Him and have eternal life. Stop second guessing the validity of the bible and listening to false teaching. Make Jesus Lord and Savior today.

*Send this to everyone God puts on your heart.

Genesis 15:5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

God reinforced Abraham’s faith by showing him the stars. He told him every star in the sky will represent his offspring.

We can reinforce our faith by getting a picture of what God promised us. It could be a picture of a happy family, a better job, more money, or a healed body. Whatever promise we’re believing God for, we can get a picture and see ourselves with that promise. Some people call it a vision board, but for the believer, it’s a faith booster.

Get whatever desire you want and put a picture of it in your phone, on the refrigerator, on your bathroom mirror, and at work. Meditate on it, see yourself with it, believe it’s yours, speak it into existence, and it shall come to pass.

The devil’s goal is to make us believe that God’s word won’t come to pass. To combat his attack, we need faith. The only way faith comes is by hearing the word of God.

We gain faith by continously hearing ourselves read/quote God’s word, hearing the teaching of God’s word, or listening to the voice of God. It’s not just a one time event. The word must be heard constantly. The more word we hear, the stronger our faith becomes.

The devil will tell us all the reasons why it won’t work or come to pass. Our hearing the word of God builds confidence in God’s word. That confidence is what’s going to manifest God’s promise.

One man usually can’t defeat an entire army by himself. He’ll need reinforcements. One coat of paint usually won’t cover the surface properly. It will take multiple coats. Hearing God’s word one time won’t keep our faith strong enough to withstand the enemy’s attacks. It will require multiple listening sessions of God’s word in that area.

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

John 11:40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

The key to experience God’s glory is belief. What is God’s glory? Miraculous things that cannot be explained with logic, reason, and coincidences. In this case, it was God raising Lazarus up from the dead.

There will be things in our own lives that will require God’s glory. Once again, to experience that glory, it’s going to require our belief. Do you believe that God has already made a solution to this problem? Do you believe God has made this promise available to you through Jesus Christ? Do you believe anything you want or need has already been made available and is waiting on your faith? If you answered yes to all these questions, get ready to experience God’s glory at its finest.

We don’t have to do anything spooky, religious, or weird to experience the glory of God. Just believe and His glory will manifest itself in your life.

1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

We’ve been called to do good. It doesn’t matter what the situation looks like or how we feel, we’ve been called to do good.

If we’ve been instructed to talk to that friend dealing with the same problem we’ve given them the answer to a month ago, do good.
If that means politely talking to that customer who’s being rude, do good.
When our spouse is in the wrong, but God tells us to get them something nice, do good.
We may be ministering to people who call us hypocritical, fake, or lunatics and we want to punch them in the face, but do good.
When our children don’t deserve a thing, but God tells us to get them some ice cream, do good.

Doing good doesn’t always mean the other person deserves it or the situation warrants our goodness. But when we’re called to do good, obey and know that same goodness we’ve given will be given back to us by God.

Ephesians 6:8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Everything God has done for mankind since the beginning of our existence was to help us.

He helped us by making us in His image, likeness, and giving us dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26).
He helped by giving mankind His law to be our trainer until Christ came (Gal. 3:24).
He helps by being what we don’t have in the earth (Ps. 68:5).
He helps by giving us angels to protect us (Ps. 91:11).
He helped by sacrificing His own Son, Jesus, so we can be made right with Him (Rom. 5:1).
He helped by allowing us to receive healing from all sickness and physical or emotional pain through the stripes of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:24).
He helps by giving us His unlimited grace, mercy, and forgiveness when we’ve missed the mark (Lam. 2:22-23; Heb. 8:12).
He helps by allowing us to have anything we want or need when we pray (Mark 11:24).
He helps by allowing His Spirit to live inside of us to lead and guide us in the most beneficial direction (Eze. 36:27).
He helped by compiling His instructions and promises in a book so that we can know our inheritance (2 Tim. 3:16).

As we can see, His mindset and ultimate goal is to help us. Allow God to be your helper in every area. He’s good at it.

Usually in a church setting, people like to say “let’s bring in the presence of God with praise and worship and thanksgiving.” They usually say this before a song. This sound nice, but it’s unscriptural.

For believers, the presence of God is always with us. The bible says His Spirit lives in us (1 John 4:13). He’s with us when we go to the gym, to the store, to the club, or sitting quietly at home. Praise and worship through song may make us more aware of His presence, but He’s been with us the entire time.

So, if you need to talk to Him or if you need answers on anything, realize He’s right there. We don’t need to break out in song or go through a whole religious experience to hear Him. God has and will always be present.

Deuteronomy 31:8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

1 John 4:13 And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us.

Matthew 25:21 CEV “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”

A lot of people make statements saying, if they had a lot of money, they would do…then they list the good things they would do with that money. We can determine if that’s true or not by looking at what we do with the little extra finances we have now. Matthew 6:21 says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The same things a person claims they would do with a lot of money is the same things they could do with a little money. It would just be on a smaller scale. Instead of a person giving $100,000 to the church, they can give $10. Instead of a person building a women’s shelter, they could donate to a women’s shelter. We can show our faithfulness with the little extra we have now.

Put your money where your mouth is. If you claim you would do all these wonderful things with great riches, do a portion of these great things with the little you have now. Be faithful.

Galatians 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When He was hung on the cross, He took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

In religious circles, when people see a person abuse alcohol, cheat on their spouse, or have any other bad habits as the generations before them, they are quick to say they are under a generational curse.

That may be true for an unbeliever, but for a believer (those who have made Jesus Lord and Savior) that’s unscriptural. The generational curse thing came from a group of old covenant scriptures, under the law, where God punished children for their parent’s sins (Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9). Even those scriptures never mention children destined to commit a sin because their parents committed a sin.

For believers, Christ has rescued us from the curse of the law. We have been rescued from any curse associated with sin. The fact that a person is committing similar sins of their parents is based on their exposure and desire. Believers are not bound by a sin of their choice or their parent’s choice (Romans 6:14). There is no guilt, shame, or condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1) and God is not holding our sins against us (2 Corinthians 5:19).

So, let’s stop empowering sin in ourselves or in other people by saying we or they are under a generational curse. Christ took every curse associated with sin.

Genesis 12:2 AMPC And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].

The sole purpose for the blessing in our lives is to be a blessing. We are to dispense good to others. We can enjoy some of the things ourselves, but we’re to dispense good to others.

If we have this mindset of wanting only what God has for us or having just enough to be comfortable, we’re not in agreement with God’s plan. We can’t be a blessing to others if we don’t have surplus.

So, don’t get mad at pastors and believers because they desire more than enough. Everyone may not have the same mindset to be a blessing, but now you know we are to be a blessing with our excess.

John 14:27 NLT “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

In Romans 5:15 God has given us the gift of forgiveness. In Romans 6:23, He gave us the gift of eternal life. God gave us spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10). Now we see, He’s given us another gift through Jesus. He’s given us the gift of peace.

With all that’s going on in the world, peace is very important. It allows us to keep calm when chaos is surrounding us. It allows us to trust Him when we don’t know what He’s doing. It keeps us stress free when fear attempts to enter our hearts.

Peace is something we can’t buy or earn. It’s something we have to receive by faith. Since we see He’s left us peace in the scriptures, let’s literally open our mouths and say, “I receive the peace of God.”

Praise God we have such a gift giving Father.

In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us.
2 Corinthians 1:9‭-‬10 NLT

Once we learn to totally rely on God instead of ourselves, meaningful things will happen in our lives.

Totally relying on God allows dreams we’ve had for years to come to pass (Gen. 37 – 41). It allows ailments in our bodies to be healed (Luke 8:44). Relying on God allows broken relationships to be mended (Genesis 45). Anything we need or desire can be obtained by relying on God.

When we rely on ourselves, we’re limited to our strengths, our knowledge, or our networking. We’ll never be strong enough, smart enough, or know enough people to truly be satisfied. But, if we rely on God, we can be satisfied as we continue to be more and more successful.

In your marriage, in raising children, in your career, and in your health, totally rely on God.

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. 5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us.

When people say a person has fallen from grace, they usually mean that person has committed a publicized sin. As we can see, the true definition of fallen from grace is a person attempting to keep the law to be made righteous.

No person can be made righteous by keeping the law. If a person attempts to keep the law to be made righteous, they’re essentially saying, they don’t need Christ. They’re rejecting God’s grace and relying on self effort to please God. Those people will fail every time.

We are made righteous by placing our faith in what Jesus has done. Jesus kept the law, Jesus was punished on our behalf, and Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sin. Our belief in what He has accomplished makes us righteous. Nothing else from us is needed.

Don’t fall from grace by keeping the law. Embrace His grace knowing the law has been fulfilled by Jesus.

We’re encouraged to bless the Lord at all times.

Easy Times
When everything is going well in life, it’s easy to praise and thank God. We can easily see all the good things He has done and show our appreciation through praise. When we’re at church, we sometimes get a good feeling during praise and worship. So, even if everything is not going well, those praise and worship leaders can encourage us to praise God.

Hard Times
There will be difficult times in our lives. We may have recently gotten a divorce, we may be struggling financially, or our health may be under attack. These difficult times may wake us up in the middle of the night and there’s not a worship leader to encourage us to praise God. It’s during these tough times we find out if we really trust God. We’re either going to allow our emotions to take over and think of all the reasons why we shouldn’t praise God or put our feelings aside and praise THE only One who can help us.

We may not be initially excited to praise God when things are going badly, but if we force ourselves to praise Him anyhow, we’ll be strengthened to get through difficult seasons in our lives.

Whether things are going well or not, let’s bless the Lord at all times.

Psalms 34:1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

God has made everything we need or want available to us for free. Everything from a new washing machine, to a yacht, to wisdom on a test, to a lawnmower has been made available to us through Christ for free.

We don’t have to earn it by fasting for 6 months, praying for 5 hours a day, or witnessing the gospel on street corners once a week. Our belief that God made these things available to us for free through Christ is enough.

Satan will send thoughts that will try to attack our belief. Thoughts of delay, unworthiness, past failures, and thoughts of how impossible it seems are certain schemes he uses to get us into unbelief. We resist his attacks by spending time in the word, listening to faith-filled ministers, fasting to get clarity from God on what to do, and financially giving to consistently reap a harvest. These actions don’t make God’s promises come to pass, but they settle our belief in what God said in His word.

Do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do to maintain your belief in what God has made available to us for free.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

Comfort has been made available to us as a promise in God’s word, however comfort won’t automatically come when we’re hurting. Like other promises in the bible, comfort has to be received by faith.

When a tragedy happens, we must place our faith in the comfort that has been made available to us by God through Christ. How do we do that? We read scriptures like 2 Corinthians 1:3 and literally say, “God I receive Your comfort from __________.” When the pain of losing a loved one, getting a divorce, or losing a job comes, we must open our mouths and say “God I receive Your comfort.” We may have to do this 30 times a day.

Otherwise, we’ll be sitting around waiting indefinitely for that painful feeling from that tragedy to go away.

The pain is not going to go away on its own. Faith is required to provide comfort during times of pain. Faith is not only to get goodies from God; it’s a lifestyle.

2 Corinthians 1:12 NLT We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.

Human wisdom will only get us so far. It’s always changing. God’s grace provides stability in our lives. How?? God’s grace is backed by a God Who has never been defeated.

Grace can be defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.” In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously.

Grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thessalonians 2:16).

John 1:17 says, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, the grace of God was made available to all of us. Through grace, we have everything we need or desire. If you need wisdom for anything, realize grace has made wisdom available. If you need money, grace has made money available. If you need deliverance, grace has made deliverance available. Whatever you need, grace has made it available.

It may take luck and a lifetime to get the wisdom and positioning to be successful, but with grace, we have everything we need to be successful at our disposal.

I’ll never have…
I always get…
I can’t do..

These are the reasons why we’ll never, we always, and we can’t. It’s our words. What we say is what we’ll have (positive or negative).

Unfortunately, we’ve been conditioned to speak negatively over our lives. People don’t mind if we say I always get sick this time of year or I can’t seem to get ahead of these bills. That makes them feel comfortable about where they are.

However, if we speak positive, which is based in God’s word, we’ll be viewed as boastful, delusional, or a liar. If someone said, “I’m rich and very successful,” that person would probably get talked about. If someone said, “I never get sick,” that person would probably receive comments saying, “everybody gets sick.”

We must speak God’s positive words even when the circumstances don’t line up with what we’re confessing. With $20 in your account, confess “I’m rich.” People may call us liars or crazy, but faith in God’s positive words we’re confessing can change our bank accounts from $20 to $2,000,000.

If we want positive results, our words need to agree with God’s will. God doesn’t call us broke, sick, worthless, or problematic so why should we call ourselves or anyone else that? Agree with and say what God says.

Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ ” -Joel 3:10

Psalms 105:2 NLT Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.

While in worship, worship in song. It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing. God’s not looking for high notes and vocal runs. He’s desiring our heart. So, sing to Him. While in church, at home, or in the car, sing to the Lord.

We’re to tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. Not just to other believers, but to everyone. We’re to tell the cashier, the homeless, or that family member we haven’t spoken to in a long time. We’re not boasting of ourselves, but boasting in the Lord. Tell everyone.

Let’s sing and tell of the Lord’s goodness.

2 Corinthians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.

We all face challenges. When those challenges come, we must go to God. We shouldn’t initially go to our spouse, our friends, or even our pastor. We must go to God. We shouldn’t find comfort in food, alcohol, or drugs. It must be God. As we go to God, all we have to say is HELP!!!

God is the source of our comfort. He’s going to make us feel better and give us the steps to take to overcome any challenge. He’s going to get the glory when we realize the pain is gone and we’ve overcome that challenge.

God may direct us to see a therapist or a pastor, but we’re depending on Him to lead us to them.

Allow God to be your comfort. His comfort far surpasses any comfort we can obtain ourselves.

Revelation 21:8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

This is a scripture some people take out of context. Some point to this scripture and say “If you’re committing these sins, you’re going to hell.” They especially like to pull out the sexual immoral part to condemn fornicators and homosexuals. They’re basing a ticket to heaven on behavior.

If we take this scripture literally, there are only 8 sins listed that are not going to heaven. What about abusers, kidnappers, thieves, etc.? Are they safe? Of course not. So, we can’t just point out a few sins to be hell bound.

Are those 8 sins not worthy to receive God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy? If a person committed murder, are they destined to hell regardless if they asked God for forgiveness? Of course not.

This is a category of people who are under the umbrella of unbelievers. If a person hasn’t believed and received payment (through the sacrifice of Jesus) for murder, idolatry, or any other sins, they will die in their sins (John 8:24). A murderer who hasn’t believed in the finished works of Jesus will die a murderer. A liar will die a liar.

When we believe and accept Jesus as the payment for our sins, God WILL NOT hold our sins against us. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.

Sin won’t send us to hell. Unbelief in the payment for sin (Jesus) sends unbelievers to hell.

Galatians 5:1 NLT So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Jesus freed us from the bondage of the law (Romans 7:6). This means, we no longer have to obey the law of Moses in order to be made right with God. We’re made right with God through our faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22).

Although it’s written clearly in the bible, people often want to revert back to the law or create a law in order to be made righteous. There are people who still think wearing makeup, eating lobster and crabs, or dressing a certain way makes us unrighteous or unholy. If we’re listening to this kind of teaching and not studying the word of God for ourselves, we can go back into bondage. We’ll think we have to do so many things in order to be declared righteous when the truth is, it’s never enough (Isaiah 64:6).

We must understand and continue to renew our minds to the truth that it’s Christ alone who makes us righteous. It’s not how long we read the bible or how often we go to church. It’s Jesus’ sacrifice that makes us righteous. Stay free from the law.

Job 1:21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

People quote this at funerals and when they’re going through a difficult time. This scripture is truly stated in the bible, but it’s not a statement of truth.

God doesn’t take from us. God doesn’t take away people, jobs, marriages, or houses from us. God is only a giver. In the Amplified version of Romans 11:29 it says, for God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. He never withdraws them once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.

Job also says in Job 23:8‭-‬9, I go east, but He is not there. I go west, but I cannot find Him. I do not see Him in the north, for He is hidden. I look to the south, but He is concealed. Are we also to say God leaves and hides from us also? Of course not. In Deuteronomy 31:6, it says He’ll never leave nor forsake us.

Whether it’s people or property, God doesn’t take them away from us. If it feels like it’s been stolen, we can blame the devil because he’s the only one responsible for stealing, killing, and destroying (John 10:10).

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

However Jesus operated in the earth, we’re to learn from Him and follow His example.

Look at all the things Jesus did:
Jesus healed the sick.
Jesus brought dead things back to life (John 11:23-44).
Jesus spoke things into existence (Mark 11:14; 21).

It’s not because He’s the Son of God that He could do all of these things. He operated in the earth as a man. The major difference between Jesus and some of us is Jesus knew His purpose and He knew His authority.

As we learn from Jesus, we can do the same things and even greater things than He did (John 14:12). Follow His example in the earth and we will have an abundant, victorious, enjoyable life.

John 14:12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Matthew 10:1 Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

We have the authority to cast out demonic spirits in a person, but it won’t work unless that person wants those spirits gone and they continue to renew their minds with the word of God to keep them out (Rom. 12:2).

We also have authority to heal every kind of disease in a person. But like demonic influences, it won’t work unless that person wants it gone and they renew their minds to keep it gone.

There are some who believe if they get sick, it’s the Lord’s will. We can attempt to cast out that sickness, but if they feel it’s their cross to bear, that sickness will remain.

There are some who are suffering with sickness and would rather see Jesus. We can attempt to pray that sickness out, but if they would rather be with Jesus than to be healed, there’s nothing we can do. We shouldn’t blame God for them not being healed or think our authority is not working. They believed for life with the Father instead of life on earth and we can’t override their will.

Our faith and authority over demonic spirits and sicknesses will always work, but we must be in 100% agreement with the other person for their deliverance.

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

In part 1 of Why It Doesn’t Work, we discovered our prayers won’t work if it violates someone’s free will. If someone desires to continue a bad habit, our prayers won’t be impactful unless they want to change.

Again, we have authority over demonic influences that encourage people to do things contrary to God’s will. Another reason why our prayer won’t seem to work on someone is because they let demonic influences back in by not renewing their minds.

Let’s say we rebuke the spirit of fear in a person who wants to be delivered from fear. A week later, they’re saying how scared they are of what’s going on in the economy. Why didn’t it work? If that person lets the news tell them how bad the economy is all day and they never spend any time renewing their mind with God’s word, they’ve allowed the spirit of fear back in.

The same thing applies to pride, anger, worry, or negativity. If a person keeps mentally rehearsing or speaking on how they were treated, the influence to be angry will remain.

The impact of our prayer will be short-circuited because they allowed the demonic influence of whatever back in. After we pray out the demonic influences in a person, we should encourage them to renew their minds with the word of God (Romans 12:2). Then, we will see transformation.

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Jesus gave us (His followers) authority over demonic spirits. That means any demonic influences within a person, we have the authority and capability to remove. There’s one caveat. No one can override another person’s free will.

So, if a person likes what that unclean spirit is producing in their flesh, we can “in the name of Jesus” that spirit all day long, but it won’t work.

For instance, demonic influences encourage people to smoke. When a person smokes, they may like how it makes them feel to the point where they don’t want to quit. We can’t override their will and make them quit in Jesus’ name. It won’t work unless they want to quit. The same thing applies to excessive drinking, sexual sins, drugs, overeating, or any other bad habit.

So, what are we to do? Continue to bind demonic influences within that person and loose ministering spirits that will hopefully encourage that person to want to quit (Matthew 16:19).

Don’t be discouraged. Our God-given authority over demons still works. It’s just some people simply have no desire to stop something that’s negatively impacting their lives.