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The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.-John 10:10 NLT

Wherever you are in life and whatever you have, God has more.

Abundance means a very large quantity of something. Jesus died so that we can have abundance.

A lot of us are satisfied with the basics. We have a decent job, a place to live, a vehicle, and some money in the bank. We’re not looking nor are we asking God for more. In some circles, it’s almost sinful to desire more, but that’s not what the word says.

God wants us to have more. More to enjoy life AND more to dispense goods to others. How can we show our children the world if we only have enough to pay our bills? How can we be a blessing to others if we only have enough for our immediate family? How can we advance the Kingdom of God if we can’t give over and above our tithes and offering?

It’s not sinful to desire the best. This is what Jesus died for. If an upgrade in some area in your life is in your spirit, request it from God. The blood of Jesus has already purchased it for you. It’s up to us to receive it by faith and don’t feel guilty for enjoying it.

Genesis 12:2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

Between the recession in 2008, staying healthy from Covid, the increase in unemployment, and the possibility of inflation, people have adopted a survival mindset. Whatever they have or get, they’re trying to keep it all to themselves.

Regardless of what’s going on in the world, believers are still called to be a blessing. We can be blessings because we receive the blessing given to Abraham through Christ Jesus. This blessing allows us to prosper in any season (Psalm 1:3). The more we bless others, the more God blesses us (Ephesians 6:8). Luke 6:38 says give, and it shall be given back to us. And as we give to the Kingdom of God, blessings will be showered down on us (Malachi 3:10).

Don’t rearrange and make adjustments to your life based on what the news or so called experts say. Continue to follow the word of God, continue to be a blessing, and continue to be a giver because God is the One Who is working through us to bless others.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

There are so many people trying to create their own righteousness with God. They’re trying to do so many good things they think please God. They’re not eating a certain food, they’re not wearing makeup, they’re not enjoying themselves because they think God is pleased with their seriousness.

These same people torture themselves when they miss the mark. They punish themselves by reading the bible all day, they fast to punish their bodies, they may go into mild depression.

The righteousness Isaiah prophetically spoke about was a righteousness through Jesus Christ. This righteousness realizes that we’re at peace with God. This righteousness understands there is nothing we can do to earn His love or be more righteous than we can be through Jesus. This righteousness is not beating ourselves up because we know God’s not mad at us.

Don’t attempt to earn your righteousness through works. Be at peace and know you’re righteous through Christ.

Mark 5:19-20 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

Revelation 12:11 says, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

When God blesses us with that new job, healing in our bodies, that new husband or wife, or that raise, it’s our responsibility to tell our testimony.

Some people have been deceived into thinking we need to keep it to ourselves to “remain humble” or not “flaunt” our blessing in the face of someone who’s experiencing a difficult time. That’s a lie. We’re not boasting in how great we are. We’re giving all the credit to God for blessing us with our desires. Psalm 34:2 encourages us to boast in the Lord.

When people hear us giving glory to God through our testimony, it shouldn’t make them feel bad. If it does, they have some maturing to do. Our testimony will hopefully encourage them to place and keep their faith and trust in God for all their needs and desires.

Fear is not okay. It robs us of the abundant life God made available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus.

The fear of getting hurt stops some of us from getting into a relationship with another person. Fear stops some of us from enjoying vacations because of a fear of flying or getting on a cruise. Fear of being turned down stops some of us from putting in for a promotion. Fear of failing stops some of us from starting a business.

We can allow fear to hinder our lives or trust God for a favorable outcome when we face our fears. Either way, it’s up to us. God’s not going to make us deal with our fears or love us any less if we have fear in our lives. Fear reveals an area where we don’t trust God completely.

Be free from the bondage of fear and enjoy the life God wants you to have.

But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
Mark 5:36 NLT

I wish I had that job.
I wish I had that house.
I wish I didn’t have to go through this treatment.
I wish things would be easier.
I wish I had that much.

A lot of times we wish for things when God has given us the ability to ask and decree for what we desire. Wishing we had something will never get us what we want. It’s only by following the instructions in God’s word we are guaranteed to receive what we desire.

God’s word tells us whatever we desire when we pray, believe that we’ve received it and we shall have it (Mark 11:24). It also says we’ll receive whatever we ask in the name of Jesus (John 16:23). Matthew 18:18 says whatever we permit or forbid on earth shall be permitted or forbidden in heaven.

As we can see through the scriptures, it’s totally up to us. When we use our faith and get God involved with our desires, they will come to pass. If not, we’ll be wishing forever.

John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

Titus 1:2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.

God’s ultimate plan, before the world began, was for every person to have eternal life with Him. Sin derailed that plan. Because of sin, some people perished and no longer have the choice to be with God forever. God never intended for this to happen. 2 Peter 3:9 says He didn’t want anyone to perish.

God set a new plan in motion through Jesus. Everyone who believes and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will have eternal life. Eternal life doesn’t start when we die. Eternal life starts the moment we believe.

God has always wanted us to be with Him. That’s His desire. Through Jesus, we can be with Him forever. Since God is always giving us our desires, let’s return the favor and give Him His desire. Let’s give Him people. Encourage someone else to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ so they won’t perish.

Proverbs 4:22 for they (God’s words) are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

The bible is not just a book. It’s the printed word of God.
God’s word is not something we read to check a box. The word of God provides revelation of who He is, what He’s done, and what’s to come.

As we can see, the word of God is health to our entire body. The pain in our knee, the sickness floating in our body, and the pain from that divorce can all be healed by reading God’s word.

Don’t neglect the word of God. Even if we’ve read it from cover to cover, it continues to provide benefits to our lives.

James 3:2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

Some of our mistakes start with our tongue. We speak it first and because our tongue has the power to create, what we speak comes to pass.

Mistakes with our tongues, that impact our lives include, constantly telling our spouse we’re leaving when a disagreement arises, saying we’re never going to get promoted or married, or saying you’re always getting sick.

Stop speaking this into existence. Think before you speak and minimize the mistakes.

Revelation 5:12 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Hopefully, we can agree Jesus is the Lamb who was slain. He was slain to receive power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise.

In Romans 8:17 it says, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. We are joint heirs with Christ. This means, whatever Jesus has, we have it too.

Since Jesus received power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise, we too have power, wealth, strength, honor, glory, and praise. Jesus wasn’t slain so that He could hoard all of these attributes to Himself. He was slain so we too can also have access to these things.

When we truly understand what we have in Christ, regardless of how it looks in the natural, we should never feel powerless, poor, or weak. Why? Because Jesus died so that we can be powerful, wealthy, and strong.

Praise God for Jesus and making us joint heirs in Christ so that we can live an abundant victorious life.

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:25‭-‬26

There are some bible beaters out here. Bible beaters are Christians who are beating people up with scripture after scripture attempting to get them saved or turn from their unholy ways. What a lot of them are missing is gentleness.

If we gently instruct those who oppose the truth, God can potentially work on their hearts to escape the deception of Satan. The key word is gently.

Like anything else, if we come too heavy-handed or harsh, that can be off-putting. No one likes anything to be shoved down their throats. In Ephesians 4:15, it tells us to teach the truth in love.

Based on everything we see, it’s important to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach the truth, but let’s do it in a gentle way.

Proverbs 29:25 NLT Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.

There’s a fear that’s not mentioned much. That’s the fear of people. Fearing people because they think differently than us, fearing people because they look different from us, and fearing people’s opinions.

All this fear is detrimental because we’ll have to deal with people for the rest of our lives. The answer to this fear is putting our trust in God.

When we focus on God, we won’t get distracted by what other people are doing or saying. We’ll be so focused on what He tells us to do until we won’t have time to consider what people are doing and saying.

Don’t let fear rob you of your peace, joy, and freedom. Trust in the Lord and don’t look elsewhere.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Every believer comes equipped with two stalkers. Those stalkers are grace and mercy.

Their only mission is to follow us everywhere we go. If we start a new job, goodness and mercy are present with us. If we open a business, goodness and mercy are present. If we’ve done something terrible, goodness and mercy are present. If we feel like we’re not going to make it, goodness and mercy are present.

When we understand that they’re present, we can release our faith to receive what they have to offer. If we’re feeling low, we can say, “I release my faith for goodness to improve my life.” If we’re feeling unworthy of God’s love, we can receive the mercy of God that’s presently there with us.

Embrace these stalkers because these stalkers will never leave us alone.

There are some who are more logically minded. They typically make their decisions based on facts, evidence, and logic they can understand. There’s another group of people who are more emotional. They make their decisions based on how they feel.

Since the logical person uses facts and evidence, if the facts and evidence change, they can change. It can be a little more difficult for an emotional person because it’s dealing with their feelings. If an experience makes them feel a certain way, they feel justified in responding in certain way.

Sometimes, the more emotional person’s responses don’t make sense to the outsider and appears very knee jerk-ish. Since they’re acting out of their emotions, they’re not trying to appeal to logic. Their decisions and responses typically have negative consequences. They’ll say something they’ll later regret; they’ll do something that will have them in jail, fired from a job, or divorced.

It can be difficult to convince a more emotional person to understand how their feelings are affecting their decisions which is ultimately affecting their lives. But that’s why we have God.

Both the logical and emotional person need to silence their logic and feelings and submit their decisions to God. That’s the only way we can ensure our decisions are sound and will work out in our favor. Trust God, not logic or emotions.

Colossians 3:15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

A lot of us use this scripture when we’re dealing with sickness, disease, or physical pain in our bodies. That’s great, but this scripture can also be applied to emotional wounds that haven’t healed.

This scripture can be applied to the pain a person experiences during a divorce, death of a loved one, abandonment from our parents, rejection, or abuse.

This scripture works the same for emotional pain as it does physical pain. When that emotional pain comes in our minds, we must literally open our mouths and say, “by His wounds, I’m healed of (whatever emotional pain)” We’ll also have to say, “I receive the peace and joy of God in exchange for this pain, in Jesus name.” We’ll say this multiple times until the pain is removed.

Praise God for the sacrifice of Jesus that heals us from physical and emotional pain.

1 John 4:16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Some of us sit in a room and wait to feel or experience God’s love. He may give us a good feeling when we’re by ourselves, but a lot of times, God’s love is shown through people.

God’s love can be experienced through our parents, our spouses, and our children. That good emotional feeling we get when laughing and playing with them is an expression of God’s love.

For those who may not have had the best parents and you don’t have a spouse or children, God’s love is being expressed to you in some way. It may be through a close friend or an extended family member who is actively present, offers money, or words of encouragement in our situation.

God’s going to make sure His love is being expressed in some way. It’s up to us to recognize it so we’re not going through life thinking nobody loves us and nobody cares. God loves and cares. Recognize it and receive it.

Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
Our emotions can deceive us.

Fear is going to knock on all of our doors. Just because fear is present doesn’t mean we have to let it in. Some of us think because fear is present, that means it’s natural and we’re justified to be afraid. In order to gain victory and be in control of our lives, we must fight off fear.

We fight fear with faith. And faith is activated by the words of our mouth. When fear knocks, we must open our mouths and say, “God has not given me the spirit of fear. Fear, I cancel you now and I trust God to handle this situation.”

When we cancel fear and focus on God’s promises over the fear that’s present, we’ll experience victory every time. But be on guard, because fear will return.

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

We all are tempted by something. Most of us know what we’re tempted by. The key is not to put ourselves in situations where we tempt ourselves.

For instance, if we know we’re tempted with pornography, we don’t need to watch movies where there’s a lot of nudity. If we know we’re tempted to gossip, we don’t need to stand around listening to others gossip about someone else. That will tempt us to gossip about that same individual. If we’re tempted to drink in excess, we don’t need to go to events where they’re serving alcohol.

We may think we can handle being in those situations, but why chance it? Know yourself and be responsible and strong enough to remove yourself from that temptation.

As we close out 2021, start a detailed list of all the things God has done. Don’t limit it to 2021. Make a list of all the significant things God has done in times past.

This list does a few things. It helps us appreciate God even more. As we look on this list, we’ll thank, praise, and worship God for all He has done.

Secondly, it gives us a grateful attitude. A lot of times we’re complaining about what we don’t have now when we haven’t truly thanked God for what He just did. This list keeps us grateful and free from complaints.

Finally, this list stirs our faith. We may have current desires that haven’t yet manifested. Periodically reading this list will reignite our faith and let us know if He did it before, He can do it again.

Keep this list going throughout 2022. If we keep our faith in God, we’ll be amazed from all the Lord has done.

Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.

Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

When we hear the word blessed, some of us think of stuff (house, cars, money, etc.). Someone else may think of having good health, happiness, and having everything we need. Both are correct and one is not better than the other.

For those in Christ (those who made Jesus Lord) we’re blessed. We’re not blessed because we have stuff or all that we need. We’re blessed because of the blessing. Notice, it’s not plural. This blessing was spoken by God to Abraham and his seed.

Galatians 3:16 the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say “and to seeds” as of many but “and to your seed” as of One, who is Christ.

If we’re in Christ, we’re blessed. Not because of the stuff that we have, but because of Jesus and the fact that God said it. The blessings (plural) we have come from the blessing.

Since God spoke it, it has to come to happen for everyone who believes. It’s not going to happen automatically. We must believe in the blessing He spoke over Abraham and His children. We must believe we’re children of Abraham and the blessing is for us.

Don’t get down because your life is not matching up with this blessing. Once we believe, watch all these blessings start pouring in our lives.

Mark 6:3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

If they rejected Jesus, they could possibly reject us too.

The people looked at His outward appearance and remembered His past and they rejected Jesus. They may do the same with us. They may say, didn’t she have five husbands, didn’t she get an abortion, or didn’t he go to prison. We may have an entirely new nature and truly living Christ like, but because of our past, they may only see us as we were. We’re trying to tell them about God and how He changed our lives, but because they can only see our past, some may not be willing to receive what we have to say.

Don’t get frustrated or flustered. It can happen. It doesn’t mean you’re any less of a person and we shouldn’t feel guilty about our past. Once again, if they rejected Jesus, they may reject us too. Use your message/testimony as a seed. They may not be willing to give God a shot based on what we said, but hopefully, what we said can be a seed for them to repent in the future.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Some of us feel like you need to be reading the bible 3 hours a day, have perfect church attendance, and be relatively flawless to do something for God. This is a deception. God can and wants to use us where we are.

If we feel like we have to “get ourselves together” in order to be used by God, we’ll always have an excuse because there’s always something to work on.

Sit with God and ask what you can do for Him. It may be as simple as volunteering at a homeless shelter. It may be inviting your friend to church or sending them a link of a good sermon. We may not be at the point of preaching on the corners, but there’s always something we can do.

Don’t always look to the pastors and ministers to do all the work. Let’s do our part assisting in the expansion of the Kingdom of God.

Psalm 103:10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

It doesn’t matter if we’ve been saved for a day or 20 years, we’re going to miss the mark. It may be as simple as complaining or being critical. Regardless, the mark has been missed.

Instead of feeling bad because we think God is upset with us or thinking we’ve missed our blessings, tap into God’s grace. God’s grace let’s us know no matter what we do and how long we’ve done it, God’s not mad at us and He still desires to shower us with blessings.

We may feel undeserving or feel like we wouldn’t bless a person who has disobeyed us, but that’s not God’s nature. The punishment for all sins was placed on Jesus. And because He took our punishment, we can experience a life where God will never be upset with us. He only wants to prosper us. Receive this amazing gift of grace.

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
John 4:28‭-‬30 NLT

Major companies pay millions of dollars to advertise their products. They understand its importance to the success of the company. It’s no difference with the Kingdom of God. To increase its success, advertisement is important.

In the verse above, we have one of the first advertisers for Jesus. She went all through town telling people about Him. If she could advertise about Jesus regarding what He said and the not so great things He pointed out in her personal life, we can advertise about Him and the positive things He’s done in our own lives.

We don’t have to yell in the streets about Jesus (although we could). It can be a one on one conversation with a coworker, in a small group setting, or a post on social media. We are advertisers for the Kingdom of God. Let’s do our part in keeping God and Jesus famous.

John 8:15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone.

If anyone had the right to judge someone, it was Jesus. He was innocent and perfect, but even in His perfection, He didn’t judge anyone.

We are not innocent and outside of Christ, we are far from perfect, but some of us still choose to judge others. There are Christians who judge other Christians basically saying, “You’re not holy because you do/don’t do __ and God is not pleased with you.” There are pastors criticizing and judging other pastors from the pulpit. Some of us may not say a word, but we’re judging someone else in our hearts.

All judgement is wrong. If we find ourselves with a mindset of judgement because we read a few books in the Bible, we should recognize that this is an attack from Satan. He’s trying to tear down the Kingdom of God internally by having us tear each other down through judgement. We all need grace and judgement doesn’t strengthen the body of Christ; it makes us weaker.

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.
1 Corinthians 3:6‭-‬7 NLT

As believers, we should be sowing seeds of love, encouragement, and the word of God in the lives of others.

As God leads us, we should speak to that cashier and tell her about how much God loves her. She may say to herself, “that was weird.” But this was only a seed. A year later, another believer comes along and says, “Jesus loves you.” She may remember what we said, coupled with what this believer said, which may inspire her to learn more about God/Jesus and receive His love.

What God instructs us to do may not be the sole thing that leads someone to salvation or rededication. So, don’t get discouraged thinking what we said or did was for nothing. Jesus Himself couldn’t convince everyone. It’s only a seed.

We drop the seeds and God works on their hearts to ensure that their life experiences and our seeds will hopefully lead them to surrender to Him.

Criticism is easy. We can always find someone who may be making poor decisions, doing something the wrong way, or not doing something the way we would do it, and then criticize them.

But what do we gain by criticizing someone else? How do we benefit the person we’re criticizing? When we criticize, all we do is deceive ourselves into thinking we’re better, smarter, more fashionable, etc. than that person. It’s a false sense of being worthy.

If you see a person who can improve in a certain area, with a heart of love, present them with a better option. They may accept or reject it, but we’re not being critical.

Let’s work on not being critical of others and choose to love.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In everything, we should give thanks. Not for everything, but in everything we should give thanks. This includes negative events and during difficult times.

During negative events and difficult times, we should give thanks for the alternative. For example, a person may have been in a car accident. They can choose to be upset and complain about their car being totaled or they can thank God for the alternative: they’re still alive. We can focus on not getting the promotion or we can thank God we still have a job. We can complain about things not going our way or we can be grateful for God’s promise of restoration (Joel 2:25).

There’s always an alternative to thank God for. We must be intentional focusing on that alternative and give thanks.

Psalm 34:3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

To magnify means to make something bigger. If we choose to magnify the Lord, we’re saying God is bigger than everything else around us.

God is bigger than what they say about us on social media. God is bigger than cancer and covid. God is bigger than that job we may have lost. God is bigger than what we see in our bank accounts. God is bigger than the difficulties we face in our marriage. God is bigger than the emotional pain from that divorce. God is bigger.

We’re not saying the problem doesn’t exist. We’re simply making God bigger than our problems. By choosing to magnify God over everything, problems won’t take a toll on us; and because we understand God is bigger, everything will work out for our good.

Jesus is slowly being replaced with other names and things. People are calling Him and God the higher power and they’re minimizing what He’s done.

If it wasn’t for Jesus, there would be no connection to the Father. Our works can’t get us there and our righteousness couldn’t get us there. Only Jesus can give us access to Father God. If it wasn’t for Jesus, we all would pay the price for our sins. That price is punishment, poverty, and eternal death. Jesus is our sacrifice. Jesus is our righteousness. Jesus gives us eternal and abundant life. We don’t have to worry about a thing. Jesus is our everything.

So, the next time someone is belittling Jesus, remind them He was the only One who cared enough to die for us and exchange His righteousness for our sins. Jesus is Lord.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Luke 1:37 For the word of God will never fail.”

Most of us are certain about gravity. We know if we stand on a chair and drop a ball, it has to come down. We’re 100% certain of this. The same certainty we have in gravity, is the same certainty we should have in God’s word.

When we say, by His stripes we’re healed, we’re not hoping that it works. There should be 100% certainty that it will come to pass. No if, ands, or buts about it. And just because you didn’t see any changes the first couple of times you said it doesn’t mean it’s not working. It worked the first time you said it. It may (not always) take some time for the pain or sickness to align with the word of God.

So, we continue to confess we’re healed. Not because God didn’t hear us. We continue to confess because our words have power and to remind ourselves of our expectation of our healing through God’s word.

The same thing applies when it comes to our needs, desires, our children, and our future. Trust the word of God and know that it has to happen.

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.

If Jesus came back now, would you be ashamed? Would you look at your life and think about your behavior and feel bad about what you’ve been doing? If so, you need to change your position.

Here’s the thing, we all have something we can feel ashamed about. But it’s a choice to take on that shame. When we position ourselves in Christ and take on His righteousness and not our own, we’ll never be ashamed. We’ll see our forgiveness in Christ, we’ll see our righteousness in Christ, and we’ll see our holiness in Christ.

When we take our position in Christ, we’ll understand that shame can’t stand up against what Christ has done for us.

Allow the Holy Spirit to work on you to change certain behaviors that don’t honor God. At the same time, realize we’ll never be perfect in our own strength. Perfection with no shame comes from positioning ourselves in Christ.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
1 Peter 5:2 NLT

Some of us will be pastors and ministers with a typical congregation flock, but for the rest of us, will have an atypical flock. Our flock includes our children, relatives, and close friends we can minister to.

It’s important to talk and minister to the people closest to us. We never know what they’re going through. They’re smiling on the outside, but they may be going through hell on the inside.

As God leads, reach out to people. Encourage them and let them know that God loves them. Let them know there is value in the word of God. Be a minister to them and let them know that God cares. Be a vessel for Love.

Philippians‬ ‭2:14-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”

Be the light in a world of darkness. While others complain, recite negative reports, and succumb to the fears and norms of this world, we are called to be filled with the light of Christ.‭‭

When others meditate on the news, we meditate on God’s Word. When others complain, we praise and thank God because He is good to us. When other argue, we live peaceably with others. And they will be attracted to our light as we point them to receiving Jesus as Savior and walking in relationship with God.

Some of us deal with shame when it comes to God. We feel ashamed to pray in public, talk about God with our friends, or worship openly. Satan is the architect of this shame and we shouldn’t let him win.

Here’s a thought. What if our praying in public is the thing that someone sees that encourages them to get in right standing with God? What if our singing of a Christian song at the gym reminds someone to go to church that Sunday? What if our public praise to God after getting that promotion motivates someone else to have a more intimate relationship with God?

Our transparency with our relationship with God could be the tipping point for someone else to get saved and reestablish their relationship with God. Don’t be ashamed. It could be the difference maker for someone else.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Acts 2:21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

People have been deceived into thinking that there’s a lot of time left regarding accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. They know it’s an important thing to do, but for whatever reason, they keep putting it off.

If you look at the signs of the times, there’s not a lot of time left. Jesus is returning soon. I know we’ve heard that for hundreds of years, which leads to the deception of a lot of time, but it’s true. For the unsaved, there’s no guarantee you will live to see tomorrow, so why play with your eternity?

Even if Jesus doesn’t return for another hundred years, accepting Jesus as Lord will improve the quality of our lives and the lives of our children.

Don’t wait. Take this time to make Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. Secure your ticket to be with the Father forever. Don’t squander this moment claiming you need to do more research on the subject. The devil will make sure you stay “too busy” to do research. Don’t wait.

*Please also send this message to everyone, you know, who has not made Jesus Christ Lord and Savior. 

1 John 4:9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

God’s love is the foundation of every promise in His word and for all of His actions. He could have just left us down here with nothing to look forward to but because of His love, He gave us hope.

God’s love compelled Him to send us a Savior. God’s love is what motivated Him to give us the promise of everlasting life. God’s love made the promise of abundance, healing, peace, and joy available to us.

So, thank God for His love because without it, we would be miserable here on Earth.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
Romans 3:21‭-‬22 NLT

The law was given to show we need a Savior. It was meant to show us that we can’t keep all the law in our own strength. No matter how good we are, we’ll fail in one area which makes us guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10).

Jesus came to keep all the law on our behalf. He was perfect and innocent. Although He was perfect and innocent, He gladly took on the punishment for our sins. That punishment He experienced satisfied the punishment for breaking the law.

Praise God for Jesus. Our belief in Him fulfilling the law, taking the punishment for our sins on our behalf makes us righteous. Give Jesus the praise that is due to Him.

For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
Romans 3:25 NLT

People are not right with God because they help people, behave correctly, or do good things. People are right because of Jesus. Isaiah 64:6 says, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God’s eyes.

We’re ONLY made righteousness through our BELIEF in the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST. That’s it!!!! There’s nothing we can do to be made right besides that. That’s why we should thank Jesus daily.

We didn’t have to do anything, but believe. How awesome is that deal? We get the benefits of heaven, healing, and holiness based on our belief in what Jesus has done.

Glory to God for Jesus. He is and forever will be our Savior.

Yes, our protection comes from the Lord, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
Psalms 89:18 NLT

You can buy 20 guns, but our protection comes from the Lord. You can pay $300 for a security system, but our protection comes from the Lord. You can learn all the martial arts created, but our protection comes from the Lord.

Emotionally, you can have all your guards up in order to not get hurt again, but our protection comes from the Lord. You can sabotage the relationship, but our protection comes from the Lord. You can never be in a relationship again, but our protection comes from the Lord.

All of this protection God provides is on the table, but it’s up to us to pick it up and rely on it. He’s not going to force His protection on us. If we feel guns and security systems are a better form of protection than He provides, He’ll allow us to put those things over Him. If we feel like our guards are better than His guard, He’ll let us go through life emotionally incarcerated.

Let God do His job. Let Him protect you however He sees fit. He may tell us to buy a gun or be mindful of another person’s actions, but that’s God being our ultimate protector. Don’t be your own protection. Let God protect you.