Category Archive

Zechariah 7:8 Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, 9 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother.

Compassion requires us to look outside of ourselves and focus on others. It forces us to look past our hopes, dreams, and desires and see the needs and desires of others.

As we focus our attention on others, God will instruct us to do compassionate things. He may tell us to pray for their well-being, befriend them, encourage them, or give to them.

Even if they look like they have it altogether, it’s important that we’re compassionate. We never know what a person is going through, and we may never know how our compassion benefits someone else.

Since God has been so compassionate towards us, it’s only right to be compassionate towards others.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Fear brings bondage. We are enslaved to what we fear. If we’re afraid we’ll get sick, we’ll be a slave to that disease. If we’re afraid we’ll be rejected by someone, we’ll be a slave to a person’s opinion. If we’re afraid we won’t have enough, we’ll be a slave to lack.

What we must do is focus on our adopted Father (God). As we believe and focus on God, we’ll realize God is bigger than our fears. Understanding Who God is in our lives, we can face our fears knowing NOTHING will happen to us. We won’t get sick, we won’t die, we are loved, and we’ll always have enough.

Fear will knock on our doors, it’s up to us if we let it in. Keep fear out and focus on God.

1 Samuel 17:37 David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”

People often say, “believe in yourself.” That sounds nice, but if we’re honest, that’s short sided. We know our limits and we know what we can and can’t do. We can only believe in ourselves to the point of our limits. However, when we rely on God, we become limitless.

If the task in front of us is great, when we rely on God, He’ll show us what to do. He’ll give us step by step instructions to accomplish the task. When everyone else is racking their (limited) brains trying to figure it out, we’re tapping into the supernatural to get answers with ease. David knew that, which is why he was fearless in taking on something that everyone else was afraid of (the giant).

The more appropriate thing to say is, “believe the God in yourself.” We, on our own, can only do so much. But with God, we’re unstoppable.

1 Samuel 17:32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of this Philistine. Your servant will go and fight him!” 33 But Saul replied, “You cannot go out against this Philistine to fight him. You are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

Saul underestimated David’s chances of winning. They looked at his size and compared him to the giant on the other side and didn’t believe he would win. Although people doubted David, David never doubted God. He had confidence in God being with Him and he knew God wouldn’t let him fall.

Since God is in us, there’s nothing we can’t do. People may underestimate us based on what they see, but what they can’t see (God) is greater than anything that stands in our way.

Rely on God and get promotions, inventions, business ideas, favor, and scholarships for school. Believe that anything is possible with God.

Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;

Job 36:11 If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

Looking at these verses can cause someone to expect immediate results after obeying God. If they obeyed God when He told them to give a $200 offering, they want their harvest within the next couple of months. Or, if they quit their job to accept a lesser paying job than what they currently have, they want some type of promotion within a year.

God can give us immediate results after obeying Him, but that’s not always the case. The promise in these scriptures is future tense. You shall eat the good of the land and they will spend their days in prosperity. Our reward after obedience can be the next day or within the next ten years. It’s up to God. We may not know when the rewards for our obedience will manifest, but we have a guarantee that they will come to pass.

Philippians 4:6, tells us not to be anxious for anything. This includes when God will reward us for our obedience. In our lives, God will give us numerous instructions. Some are minor, and some are major. As we obey them all, we position ourselves to consistently receive rewards from Him. Let’s not concern ourselves on when those promises will come. Let’s be satisfied in knowing that in God’s perfect timing, they will come.

Proverbs 3:6 (MSG) Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. 7 Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! 8 Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! 

Track coaches are there to help runners perform to their highest potential. If athletes have been with a coach for a long time, at anytime during the race, they can hear their coach. They can hear them telling them drive, move your arms, or pick up your knees. If the athletes trust the coach, they’ll make the corrections and hopefully have a great race.

The Spirit of God is no different. The Spirit of God is there to help us live to our highest potential. If we spend time with God, at any point in our lives, we can hear His voice. We can hear Him telling us to not watch that show, don’t eat that, turn right, or let them go. If we trust the Spirit of God, we’ll make the necessary corrections. The corrections we’ve made will maintain good health, bring stability to our minds, provide peace in our lives, and improve our marriages.

If people can trust earthly coaches for improvement, we should be able to trust the Spirit of our heavenly Father for improvement in life.

Just trust Him.

Proverbs 4:20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

There are a lot of things fighting for our attention. There’s politics, diseases, family cares, finances, and more. We can choose to focus our attention on these cares or we can attend to God’s Word.

When we focus on God’s Word, we’ll minimize the cares of the world. The facts of potential doom and gloom will be in front of us, but we’ll realize God’s Word will override the facts we’re facing.

So, no need to worry about finances because God supplies our needs (Phil. 4:19). No need to concern ourselves with sicknesses because God redeemed us from sickness (Gal. 3:13). No need to care about anything because God will perfect everything that concerns us (Ps. 138:8).

Let’s prioritize God’s Word and make it the final say in our lives.

Society has done a fantastic job focusing our attention on the coronavirus. The media covers cases of coronavirus throughout the day, our jobs send us health precaution emails, and we see what people on social media are saying about it. The more we hear about it, the more it dominates our thinking. It’s okay to have basic knowledge of it but hearing about the coronavirus in such high volume brings fear.

Some of us focus on the coronavirus so much until we forget about Christ. Galatians 3:13 says, Christ has redeemed or rescued us from the curse of the law. One of the curses we’ve been rescued from is the curse of sickness (Deut. 28:61). Since we’ve been rescued from every type of sickness, the coronavirus, Ebola, bird flu, or whatever else has no right to invade our bodies. In the words of Isaiah, no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isa. 54:17).

Whatever we focus our attention on will control our lives. By putting our faith in God and what Christ has redeemed us from, we can live a freeing fearless life. What will you focus on?

Deuteronomy 28:61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the LORD bring upon you until you are destroyed.

Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

Confessions: Now, if you have a particular sickness, say, “This (name the sickness) is part of the curse of the law. But Galatians 3:13 says that Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I have been redeemed from (name the sickness)!” Believe and confess that every day, and as surely as Jesus took every curse of sickness, your healing will break forth!

Psalm 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.

If we want to know if a product is good or not, some of us look at the reviews. If there’s enough positive reviews on the product and the price is right, we’ll consider buying the product. When we see someone going through a difficult time and they don’t know what to do, we can give them our reviews on the ultimate product known as God.

With God, it’s important to keep record of all the wonderful things He’s done. We can tell others how He handled this situation and that situation for us. We can let them know He’s free of charge and available 24 hours a day. Hopefully those positive reviews will encourage that person to rely on God.

So we won’t forget, write down all the things God has done (minor and major) in your phone or computer. Don’t be ashamed to share those positive reviews with others because it could be the difference maker whether someone is uplifted or discouraged.

John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

The fact that Jesus uses the word let in this verse shows us we have options. We can either let our hearts be troubled or not let our hearts be troubled. It’s up to us.

Trials, circumstances, and situations will come. When those situations arise, what will we do?

Our hearts being troubled means we’re focused on negative “what ifs.” What if it doesn’t work out, what if I end up sick, or what if I don’t have enough?

Jesus gave us the answer to not letting our hearts be troubled. He tells us to believe in God and believe in Him. It’s not just believing in their existence but believing and trusting in what they’ve made available to us. Focusing our attention on the finished works of Jesus, won’t allow our hearts to be troubled during trials.

When it doesn’t seem like we have enough, we focus on God supplying all our needs (Phil. 4:19). When we’re tempted to worry about getting sick, we can focus on our redemption from the curse of sickness (Gal. 3:13). Whatever the situation is, don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe, focus, and trust God’s Word to stay in a constant state of peace.

1 John 5:9-10 (MSG) If we take human testimony at face value, how much more should we be reassured when God gives testimony as He does here, testifying concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God inwardly confirms God’s testimony. Whoever refuses to believe in effect calls God a liar, refusing to believe God’s own testimony regarding His Son.

We’re living in a time where everything is seemingly acceptable. Whatever a person feels, thinks, and believes should be okay. As believers, who should be loving people, there’s one thing we shouldn’t give up on. That’s encouraging people to believe Jesus is the Son of God Who died for our sins (Rom. 10:9). We can’t make anyone believe, but we definitely should encourage them to believe.

Unbelief in that area has so many consequences. There’s living in lack, unfulfillment, no internal guide, no protection, no hope, and ultimately eternal damnation. If we truly love a person or people in general, we shouldn’t want them to experience those consequences. On top of all of those consequences, an unbeliever insults their Creator by calling Him a liar.

If we know a person who doesn’t believe, or if one comes across our path, let’s be bold enough to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a loving, non-condemning way.

When a tragic event happens, and someone suddenly dies, one of the first things people like to say or post is “life is short.” That statement totally opposes the Word of God.

Psalm 91:16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

As we can see, God Himself promises us long (not short) life. When we say, “life is short,” we think we’re being philosophical, but we’re actually canceling God’s promise of a long life. Long life is something we must stand in faith for. Despite what we’re dealing with and the circumstances surrounding us, we must believe God’s Word of long life.

So, what’s long life? Some may think 80 years, and some may think 90. Looking at Genesis 6:3, God said our lifespan should be 120 years.

Genesis 6:3 So the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years.”

We can continue to speak death over our lives by saying “life is short” or, we can agree with God’s Word and declare 120 satisfying years of life. It’s up to you.

2 Timothy 3:1 You must understand this: In the last days there will be violent periods of time. 2 People will be selfish and love money. They will brag, be arrogant, and use abusive language. They will curse their parents, show no gratitude, have no respect for what is holy,

There’s a temptation to think only of ourselves. We’re ecstatic when WE got our needs and when WE get our desires. If WE and our immediate family are happy, we’re happy. But, what about others?

There are people out there who are truly hurting. They need an encouraging word, they need some money, they need understanding, they need prayer. By only thinking of ourselves, we become callus to the issues of others.

So, lift your head up and look outside of yourself and be the blessing that God has called you to be.

Acts 28:3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.” 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

Ouch! Paul was bitten by a snake. I’m sure the fangs of the snake going through his skin hurt, but by God’s grace and mercy, it didn’t kill him.

We’re going to experience things in life that will physically and emotionally hurt. These things were sent by the devil to steal, kill, or destroy something in our lives. It could be sickness, divorce, death of a loved one, or a loss of a job. Although these things hurt, when we rely on God’s grace and mercy, they won’t kill us. That’s encouraging news.

Certain things in life will hurt, but as we rely on God to see us through these difficult times, it will hurt, but it won’t kill.

Isaiah 43:7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

The reason we’re here is not some deep complicated thing. We were created to give God glory.

Don’t let religion confuse you about glory. It simply means to honor and give Him credit through praise and worship.

When we praise and worship God for all the wonderful things He’s done, God is glorified. A form of praise and worship is giving. Yes, giving. When we give an offering (financially), we’re tangibly giving God glory (1 Chron. 16:29).

We glorify God through our obedience. Jesus says in John 17:4, “I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.” By fulfilling our God-given assignments (small or great), God is glorified. Some of our God-given assignments are to believe in the finished works of Jesus, love, be blessings, etc.

Glorifying God is not optional. It’s something God is due according to 1 Chronicles 16:29. So, in every situation (pleasant and unpleasant), give God glory.

1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Every person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for our sins is spiritually alive. Every person who does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He died for our sins is spiritually dead. It’s that simple.

When people believe, they become spiritually alive, but until then, they’re the walking dead. It doesn’t matter how nice or sweet a person is or how many good acts they do. Without belief, they’re spiritually dead. They may be millionaires and have the appearance of being blessed, but they’re dead to God.

Unfortunately, based on their decision to not believe, the spiritually dead’s final destination is hell. God doesn’t send people to hell; people’s unbelief sends them there. Don’t walk around spiritually dead just to end up in hell and don’t let people walk around spiritually dead. Make Jesus Lord and let’s encourage others to make Him Lord so we all can be alive forevermore.

1 Timothy 6:17 As for the rich in this present world, instruct them not to be conceited and arrogant, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

For so many years, a lot of Christians were the image of “no fun.” They didn’t smile, they had hundreds of rules, and they couldn’t do anything without it being called a sin. What outsider would want to be associated with people like that? Why would any person want to give up fun for that type of Christianity?

Christianity is not meant to be some somber experience where everyone is serious and in deep thought all the time. God’s design is that we enjoy ourselves in every aspect of life. We can enjoy ourselves at church, reading God’s Word, and in prayer. We can have fun with our children and relatives. We can watch a movie, play games, go on vacations, or just lounge around the house.

Let’s change the perception of Christianity by enjoying ourselves as we follow Jesus.

Ecclesiastes 2:24 (NLT) So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Satan is on the attack. He’s attempting to steal, kill, or destroy something in our lives (John 10:10). He takes no days off.

Understanding that Satan’s attack will never end, it’s important that we put on the whole armor of God. It didn’t say put on part of the armor of God, but the entire armor. We put on the armor of God to protect ourselves from Satan’s onslaught.

God’s armor consists of truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. To sum it up, the armor of God is knowledge and application of the Word of God. When we properly apply the Word of God, we effectively combat Satan’s attacks.

When the armor of God is in full effect, we’ll no longer be influenced to do the wrong thing, we won’t overthink ourselves into depression, and we won’t react based on how we feel.

If it hasn’t been done already, be sure to put on the armor of God and never take it off.

Proverbs 19:11 A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

Offense is optional. It’s our choice to be offended or not. One way to not be offended is to never take it.

It’s up to us to be offended if our boss belittles us in front of coworkers. It’s up to us to be offended by the looks of others. It’s up to us to be offended by the comments of others.

Part of not taking offense is knowing who we are in Christ. If we know that we’re wonderfully made, intelligent, successful, and righteous, we’ll never be in bondage to someone’s approval of us. Therefore, we’ll never be offended.

The option to be offended will always be present. We can either pick it up or leave it there. It’s in our best interest to leave it there. Don’t take it!

1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.

Our sins are not going to be forgiven. They already are forgiven. Everything that we have done wrong and will do wrong has been forgiven. It doesn’t matter how minor or major the fault was, it’s all forgiven.

Our sins are not forgiven because of the good things that we do. There is no amount of works we can do to be forgiven by God. Our sins are forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus. He took on our sins and took the punishment for our sins (1 Peter 2:24).

For God or anyone else to hold our sins against us is an insult to the sacrifice of Jesus. We have been forgiven. Receive this forgiveness and know that through Christ, we are in right standing with God.

Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

Without Jesus, we’re nothing. With every wrong thing we’ve done in our lives, we would die from guilt standing in the presence of God if it wasn’t for Jesus.

Jesus taught us how to live. He’s given us abundant life. He was whipped so that we can be healed. He sacrificed His life so that our past, present, and future sins can be forgiven. He put us in right standing with God. He gives us 24-hour access to God.

With all that He’s done, He’s still presently working on our behalf. Our Savior keeps us from sin and error. You may say, “I still sin periodically.” Yes, we all sin, but through Christ, He spiritually holds us up. And although we have shortcomings, His blood keeps us clean in the sight of God. When God sees us, He doesn’t see our mistakes, faults, and shortcomings. Thanks to Jesus, He sees us faultless.

If we don’t feel like we have anything to thank God about (although we do), let’s remember and thank God for Jesus.

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

We put on a hat to protect us from the sun, we put on a coat to protect us from the cold, and we put on a rain jacket to protect us from the rain. We understand the concept of protection in the natural. It’s even more important to be protected spiritually. That’s why we’re instructed to put on the Lord Jesus.

How do we put on the Lord Jesus? By looking in God’s Word to see how He behaves, His thoughts, how He treats others, how He responds to negativity, and how He deals with pressure.

Notice, the scripture tells us to put the Lord Jesus on, but it never tells us to take Him off. So, put and keep these spiritual clothes on to be protected from the vices in the world.

There are some who are deceived into thinking God’s ways are archaic, unnecessary, or burdensome. With this mentality, those people search for another option. Instead of praying, they choose to mediate. Instead of reading the bible, they choose to read self-help books. Instead of treating everyone with love and respect, they only love and respect those who love and respect them.

Turning from God’s ways leaves us hollow. It may look like we have it altogether, but when life gets at its most difficult, we’ll crack under the pressure. We’ll start having nervous breakdowns, easily give into temptation, and start doing things we never thought we’ll do. We’ll settle for things below God’s best, we’ll get jealous of those who prosper, and we’ll find faults with elements of Christianity.

Meanwhile, God is there, waiting for anyone to turn and submit themselves to Him. The moment we turn to Him, He’s not holding anything against us (Rom. 4:8). He’s excited about enhancing the rest of our lives (Psalm 35:17). Stop searching for fulfillment in other things. Only God can bring true fulfillment in life.

Isaiah 55:2 “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. 3 “Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

1 Corinthians 2:9 Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

13 And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

We know all things. We don’t know all things based on how much we’ve studied. We know all things because the Creator of the universe anointed us and lives inside every born-again believer. And since He knows all things, we know all things.

This knowledge is not automatic. It must be revealed. We tap into this knowledge by spending time with God, reading His instruction manual for life (the bible), receiving the knowledge by faith, and obeying His voice.

With this knowledge, God can provide the wisdom we need to solve problems that so-called experts can’t solve at our jobs. We can provide solutions to our friend’s martial problems. We can come up with the next invention that can change the world. We can find a cure for “incurable” diseases. We have the potential to solve any of the world’s problems. With God, there’s nothing we can’t do.

There’s nothing we can’t know and there’s nothing we can’t do. Let’s tap into this knowledge and change the world.

1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

From the poor to someone God placed on our hearts, it’s important that we use our faith and resources to help people. It was never the government’s job to be the financial aid for the people. It’s the believer’s responsibility to help.

Not only should we help people financially, we should help people emotionally too. If someone we know is going through a difficult time, we should be the people to give them a God-inspired encouraging word. Spiritually speaking, we can sincerely pray for a person and their situation.

We can even help people with the simplest task like, helping a struggling person with groceries or helping someone who’s lost.

Whatever the need, it’s important that we seek God to determine how we should help.

1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

No, Jesus’ commandments were not the Ten Commandments and it’s not the Law of Moses.
The following are Jesus’ commandments:

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Based on these verses, we can conclude the commandments of Jesus are to love God and love people. That’s it. It’s that simple.

Some of us may be wondering about following the Law or the Ten Commandments. First, we’re not under the requirements of the Law (Rom. 6:14). Secondly, when we truly love God and love people, we won’t steal, kill, bear false witness, etc. By default, our love for God and for people will fulfill all the commandments of God (Gal. 5:14; Matt. 22:39).

Don’t go crazy attempting to fulfill the Law. Just love God and love people and we’ll fulfill our responsibilities.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

A continuous renewing of the mind is probably the most important thing we can do as born-again believers. It’s the catapult for our transformation.

We can go from thinking the bible is just a book to believing the bible is the true Word of God. We can go from thinking there may be a God somewhere to knowing God is our loving Father. We can go from being in a state of anxiousness and depression to contentment and comfort.

Circumstances may not have changed, and we could still be in the middle of chaos, but by renewing our minds to the Word, we’ll have joy, hope, peace, and a positive perspective in the midst of trials.

Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin.

Admission to wrongdoing is not the most popular thing nowadays. A lot of like the image of being flawless and above mistakes. The truth is, we’re all going to miss the mark. By being in this earthly body, we have the potential to sin.

David acknowledged his faults and received forgiveness of sin. There was no guarantee that David’s sin would be forgiven because Jesus had not sacrificed His life for the forgiveness of sins yet. If David received forgiveness without a guarantee, how much more will we be forgiven? For every born-again believer, we have a certainty our sins are forgiven. It’s not “will be forgiven.” All our past, present, and future sins have been forgiven (Rom. 6:10).

When we acknowledgment our sins to God, we let go of the feeling of guilt associated with sin. At the same time of our acknowledgment, we thank God for the blood of Jesus that wipes away all our mistakes (1 John 1:7). Since we know that God has forgiven us, we can let it go and move on with our lives.
Praise God for His forgiveness.

Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

When we choose to disobey God or when we see others disobey God, that’s a demonic spirit at work. The spirit is not making them or us disobey God, but it’s a highly influential spirit at work telling us to do things contrary to the Word of God. It’s ultimately up to us whether we follow the influences of the spirit or not.

Since Jesus disarmed the power of the devil according to Colossians 2:15, the only power Satan has is the power of influence. In Luke 10:19, Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. So, we have authority over the influences of every demonic spirit.

As he’s talking to us or we see him at work in someone else, we can use our authority and the power of our words, and command him to go. Whatever he’s telling us or someone else to do or however he’s telling us to feel, we can counter that thought by opening our mouths to declare what God’s Word says.

Don’t be or let someone else by a vessel of disobedience through demonic influence. Use your authority over demonic spirits.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Business decisions, the person to marry, the job to take, how to parent a particular child, the church to attend, and people to give to. God will instruct us in the way we should go. He’ll teach us how to problem solve and improve on a thing. It may not be easy or seem logical all the time, but with God, we’ll get the best results.

This is only based on our submission to His instructions. If we choose to do our own thing and not submit to God’s instructions, we may get good results, but there’s a chance we’ll have horrible results.

Don’t gamble with life’s decisions. Allow God to instruct and teach you in every way you should go.

Mark 5:28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Luke 17:14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

Matthew 8:8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

We see three methods of healing. The woman believed she needed to touch Jesus to be healed. The lepers followed instructions to be cleansed. The centurion believed Jesus only needed to speak healing from afar for his servant to be healed.

In all these cases, their healing didn’t manifest until they applied their faith. Notice, Jesus didn’t ridicule their faith. He didn’t tell the woman, “If you really had faith, you would have been healed just by looking at me.” Jesus was happy they all relied on Him.

The point is, we all have different methods in our faith. Some believe they need to be touched by a person of God, in the name of Jesus. Others feel like they can receive breakthrough by following Spirit-inspired instructions. Some others feel like they can speak healing over themselves. All are acceptable according to scripture. God is happy that we’re relying on Him.

No one should ridicule another person’s method of faith and we shouldn’t feel bad because we’re not using a “higher” method of faith. Whatever method we’re comfortable with, God is simply happy that we’re relying on Him. Apply your faith today.

As God’s promises start to come to pass in our lives, it’s important we don’t let these promises consume our lives. Don’t let the blessing get bigger than the One Who blesses.

If God blesses us with a new car, let’s be mindful not to spend all our time keeping it clean or looking up ideas to improve its appearance. Some of that time should be spent with God. If God blesses us with a free moment, after being so busy for so long, we shouldn’t only use that time to do “randomness.” Spend some time with God.

It’s easy to forget God after we’ve received what we’ve prayed for. Let’s make the effort to continue to spend time with God even after the blessing. Not because we want something from Him, but just because we want to be with Him.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

When tragedy strikes, and we get devastating news and our heart is hurting, the Lord is near. We can call on Him, with all our emotions (anger, sadness, confusion, etc.), and tell Him how we feel. God is mature enough to take it. He’s not going to strike us down or curse our lives because we’re expressing our negative emotions to Him.

Depending on the circumstance, some may have thought God left them, but His Word confirms, He’s near. He’s available to talk, possibly give us an explanation, and to bring us comfort.

So, whether you’re praising your way through the tough times or upset with God, He’s near. And if we stick with Him long enough, He’ll ease our pain and get us through every difficult situation.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Our flesh wants to eat a lot of sweets, lust after men or women, curse the next person out who talks to us wrong, get drunk or high, stay up late, watch foolishness on TV, and do whatever feels good at the moment.

However, as a born-again believer, we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice. That means we discipline our flesh to do the will of God. This discipline is a form of appreciation for everything Jesus did for us. We say no to this or that, even though our flesh wants to indulge, just because we appreciate the ultimate sacrifice that was made for us.

We may not have conquered everything in our flesh, but daily, let’s make the effort to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

This verse is easy to read and do when everything is going good in our lives. But, there will be a time in our lives where difficult circumstances will attempt to stop our praise. Difficult circumstances may tempt us to curse, complain, or say nothing.

Whether we’re facing divorce, death, financial uncertainty, or delay, it’s important to bless the Lord. Praising God during difficulty keeps us in the right mindset. It lets us know Who will help us through these times. It reminds us of everything God has done in our past. Our praise tells the devil, despite His attacks, glory will always belong to God. It will be difficult, but praise in necessary.

So, whether we’ve just experienced breakthrough or it seems like we can’t get out of the hole of difficulty, bless our great and loving God.

Matthew 18:19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Our son, our mother, a friend, our co-worker, or our student. If we partner with someone and agree on something, that aligns with God’s Word, it shall come to pass. This is an automatic guarantee stated by the Son of God.

Yes, we can get things done using our own faith, but there’s power in agreement. There are several benefits we have when partnering with someone. Agreeing with someone about a particular thing keeps us accountable. If we start to lose hope, our partner should hold us up. We can tag team the problems of life by opening ourselves up to that person and requesting prayer for an issue. We can learn from each other and teach each other at the same time.

Let’s take advantage of the benefits of grace and partner with someone to manifest all the promises of God.

The concept of holiness has been terribly manipulated in the body of Christ. People have used holiness to mostly condemn people. The phrase “holiness or hell” is the front runner for that condemnation. People have also taken things in the bible out of context and created a man-made version of holiness.

It’s extremely important to be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 says, just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. This means obeying God’s voice, doing the things in God’s Word (in context), and not yielding to sin. This is all important but missing the mark in one or more of these areas is not the reason for our eternal damnation.

What a lot of those holiness condemners don’t factor in is the grace of God. It’s our responsibility to strive for holiness, however if we miss the mark, we receive and praise God for His grace. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it and we shouldn’t make others feel guilty either.

Let’s live a holy, guilt-free life, relying on the grace of God to fill in the gaps of our shortcomings.

1 Peter 1:15 But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Thoughts contrary to the will and way of God will enter our minds. When those thoughts come, it’s our responsibility to intentionally remove them from our minds.

Thoughts of disobedience, lust, deceit, gossip, and even fear will enter our minds. Whatever thought that comes, we must counter that thought with things agreeable to God’s will. We won’t be able to counter those thoughts with things agreeable to God’s will if we don’t know God’s will.

God’s will is in His Word. Since God’s will says we are healed (Isaiah 53:5), we can counter thoughts of worry regarding our health. Since God’s Word says we can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13), we have the ability to overcome any addiction. Since God’s Word says we’re delivered from the bondage of sin (Rom. 6:6), we can resist the temptations of sin.

Don’t let thoughts linger in your mind. Take authority over those thoughts and replace them with the Word of God.

Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].

If you’re watching the news in the morning and the meteorologist says there’s going to be a serious storm in the afternoon, most of us would get an umbrella and possibly a coat so we won’t get wet. We haven’t seen or felt a drop of rain yet, but because the meteorologist told us it’s going to rain, we prepare ourselves.

If we can believe a meteorologist, we have the ability to understand and utilize faith. Faith is simply believing something’s there (based on the Word of God) that we cannot see.
We couldn’t see rain in the morning, but we expected and prepared for it in the afternoon. We can’t see healing, financial provision, or how we’re going to be protected now, but because God said it’s there, we can expect and prepare for it in our future.

Let’s not overcomplicate faith. It’s believing God’s Word and expecting it to come to pass.

2 Corinthians 10:7 You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.

There are some who look at a person’s tattoos, gold teeth, or see them smoking and judge the validity of their Christianity. They’re judging people based on their appearances.

Some people think if a person is not wearing a suit only listening to Christian music, then they’re not saved or holy.

What judgers don’t realize is people who have tattoos or look a certain way can reach people that the suit wearer can’t reach. They’ll listen to a person smoking a cigarette talk about Christ quicker than they would a person wearing a suit and tie.

Just because a person doesn’t look or act the same as we do doesn’t mean they’re not a follower of Christ. Let’s be less judgmental and more loving towards all.