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Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

God loves us with an unconditional love with no strings attached. We don’t have to work for it or earn it. God loves us because we’re His creation. Even when we’ve missed the mark and people say we don’t deserve His love, He still loves us. God’s love is better than a good parent’s love towards a newborn child.

Knowing He loves us this much, we can boldly proclaim His Word over our lives. We can say, He loves us, therefore, all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). He loves us, therefore, all of our needs are met (Philippians 4:19). He loves us, therefore, He gives us victory in every situation (2 Corinthians 2:14).

God’s love is far from the love mankind developed. His love is unconditional with no limitations or requirements. Stop trying to earn His love and freely receive it. Wherever you are, whatever you’ve done, God’s love is available to you. Receive it.

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”‭‭

When we keep our focus on God, instead of the distractions of the world, God promised to keep us in perfect peace. We see this acted out in Matthew 14:28-30 when Peter walked on water. As long as Peter was focused on Jesus, he was at peace, doing the impossible, in the midst of a troubling situation. As soon as Peter took his mind and focus off of Jesus, he began to look at the trouble surrounding him, forfeiting his peace, and slowly started sinking.

If we keep our mind focused on the dangers of the world, the financial crises, and provision instead of Him, we too will forfeit our peace and sink. As tempting as it is to focus on the things outside of God, let’s maintain our peace and focus on the finished works of Jesus.

Matthew 14:28 Peter replied to Him, “Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Isaiah 22:12-14 “And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, “Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord GOD of hosts.”‭‭

A couple of years ago, people were using the saying, “YOLO” which was an acronym meaning, You Only Live Once. With this saying, people had the thought process to do whatever they felt whenever they wanted because we only live once. Unfortunately, most of the behavior was contrary to the Word of God.

As we can see from the scripture, YOLO is nothing new. In this case, God called for weeping and mourning but instead, they were going to party and die.

Living the “YOLO” life displays a lack of discipline. When we live an undisciplined life, we limit what God can do in our lives. How can God bless the undisciplined? How can He trust us with blessings if we’re not willing to yield ourselves to Him? Although it seems like we have one life to live, what we do in this life will determine the quality of living and maybe determine if we’ll have everlasting life. Live a life that honors God.

Exodus 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

In this case, Pharaoh represents opposition. We are gods and have dominion over anything attempting to hold us back, keep us hostage, or stop us from fulfilling the will of God in the earth.

Many times, people have a tendency to dread opposition and worry how they’re going to come out on the other side of opposition. What they don’t realize is, through the sacrifice of Jesus and the validity in God’s Word, we have authority over everything that tries to stop us or stand in our way. We are gods (Psalm 82:6). 

Jesus gave us a prime example of owning opposition as He stopped the storm that attempted to stop Him and the disciples from going to the other side (Luke 8:22-25). He also verbally informed us of our authority in Luke 10:19. 

No matter if it’s satanic delay, unruly relatives, or sickness and disease, we are gods over opposition. It won’t work unless we SEE ourselves lording over opposition. Solidify this in your minds to walk on top of your problems instead of allowing your problems to walk on top of you. Be blessed gods. 

1 Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is edifying.

There’s a lot of great entertainment in the world today. We have Netflix, great musical artist, sports, and more gaming systems than a person can handle. These things are permissible, but every type of entertainment is not edifying. We must have balance.

There’s nothing wrong with being entertained, but when, not if, life’s challenges arise, we must be able combat life’s challenges with the Word of God. It seems like a challenge is intensified if the only thing that comes to mind during the challenge are the lyrics to a song or a sport’s stat. How is it that a person can know the lyrics to a song or a sports stat from the 1970’s, but they can’t completely quote a Bible verse? It’s because they don’t have balance.

From the point of view of our flesh, edifying ourselves in the things of God doesn’t seem entertaining. In fact, it seems boring. However during trying times, it’s the most beneficial thing we can have in our souls.

At minimum, let’s equally divide our time in the things of God such as, praise and worship, studying the Word of God, and prayer. Let’s have balance.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We all face challenges in life, but just so you know, you’re not the only one going through challenges. The devil loves to make us feel isolated, as if we’re the only ones going through a difficult time. He also makes us feel like we’re the only ones facing that particular challenge, but we’re not. The Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun (Ecc. 1:9). 

If allowed, challenges have a funny way of messing with our memory. The challenge itself may have the tendency to make us forget about all of the other challenges that we’ve overcome. It’s like we forget the same God who gave us victory over our last challenge has the ability to give us victory in our current challenge. 

The devil has no creative power. All of life’s challenges are recycled. The same tactic used in each challenge is an attack on our faith in God. From the beginning with Adam and Eve, Satan tries to make us think God won’t fulfill His Word. Regardless if it’s provisional, relational, or a delayed desire, God’s Word will come to pass in your life. 

Don’t allow the devil to make you feel isolated and don’t forget about the victories of your past. Rely on the faithfulness of God to see you through every difficulty that you face. 

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The scripture says to let our light shine so that people can see our good works. Our light can’t shine if we’re isolated from the rest of the world.

Believers have a tendency to stick with each other. When we’re not with each other, we tend to be in the comfort of our own home engaging in wholesome activities. That’s fine for a little while. Eventually, we’re going to have to go out into the darkness, better known as the world, and let our light shine. Like an insect drawn to the light, people in darkness will be attracted to the light inside of us.

In the age of social media, what better way to let our light shine than to share a post, magnify a scripture, or record ourselves sharing a testimony and giving glory to God. Believers, it’s time to get out of isolation and allow our light to shine.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Some of us have done some things we don’t want anyone to know about. We may have hurt people, cheated, or were engaged in criminal activities. Others may be living in regret regarding something we didn’t do or should have done. Instead of rehearsing the negative events in our past, it’s time to forget, and move on to fulfill the purpose God has for our lives. 

Notice the scripture says, “one thing I do.” Paul was a murderer who killed followers of Jesus Christ, but after his conversion, he chose to forget his past. We must forget the negative things of our past. No one, including God, is going to do this for us. This is something we must do. 

We are humans and God gave us a memory for a reason. Some of us may easily forget the negative ways of our past, but for others of us, the goal is to not allow the guilt, shame, or condemnation of our past to control our present or future. We can’t be fully focused on what God wants us to do if we’re so busy looking at our past. It’s time to forget the past. 

Philippians 4:9 “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”‭‭

Paul was so confident in his relationship with God until he instructed the church to follow his example. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says to follow him as he follows Christ.
Looking at Paul’s life, after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I never read where he got “high” on marijuana or on any other type of drugs. I never read where he got into petty arguments over things that really don’t matter. I never read where Paul was a swindler, fulfilled the lust in his flesh, or was critical or judgmental of others.

How many of us can confidently say Philippians 4:9 to another person? We’re not talking about being perfect. Paul even mentioned his flaws. We’re talking about living a life, in Christ, where every day’s goal is to please God. The things we were convicted of yesterday are areas we are willing to work on today. We’re talking about being free from the bondage of sin and free from condemnation.

A good way to advance the Kingdom of God is to sow a seed into another person’s life. Let’s be followers of Jesus Christ so that we can say to another, the things you learned and saw in me, do them.

Matthew 14:29-31 “He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?””

What Peter consistently did was trust God. He trusted God that through the power of Jesus he could walk on the water. And, when Peter got fearful from the storm raging around him, he trusted God to save him.  Peter called out to God to help him attain the impossible, and he called out to God to save him in the midst of turbulent circumstances. So, although his faith in accomplishing the impossible task wavered, his faith and trust in God persisted. Keep trusting and believing our faithful, loving God.

1 Timothy 4:4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

We’re living in a time where social media is a giant in our society. People post pictures of themselves and their families. It’s great to see the growth and development of our friends and acquaintances. There should be a lot of “likes,” but unfortunately, there are people who choose to view others critically.

What we sometimes forget is God created that individual. They didn’t have a say in their appearance. Regardless if we think they’re attractive or not, everything God created is good. When we choose to criticize a person’s appearance, we’re essentially criticizing God’s creation. Who made us critics of God?

Criticism of others also displays insecurity within us. Some of us may not like our own selves, therefore, it makes us feel good to criticize someone else. With so much hate in the world, let’s not add to hate by criticizing others. Lift up people’s spirits and confidence by being positive and if we don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Imagine, you walk into your child’s room and find cocaine in a drawer. Immediately, you’re shocked because your child never showed signs of drug use. You question your child about the drugs and your child says the drugs were received from a friend and they like how it makes them feel.

Most parents wouldn’t be okay with this behavior. Everything in us would tell our children NO and we would want to get them some help. We would have this reaction because we love our child, want the best for our child, and we know drugs won’t benefit our child.

God has the same reaction when it comes to homosexuality. God’s dissatisfaction towards homosexuality is not based on hate, but love. Although some people may enjoy the lifestyle and it makes them feel good, God knows it won’t positively impact our lives.

Like the parent who wouldn’t hate their child who is on drugs, God doesn’t hate the person who engages in homosexuality. Just like all sin, including gluttony or fornication, God detests the sin of homosexuality and not the person committing the act. Also, like all sin, homosexuality has been paid for by the blood of Jesus.

God is our Father and He loves us and knows what’s best for us. If He, the Creator of our lives, tells us not to engage in certain behaviors, it’s safe to say those behaviors will not benefit our lives. God’s instructions come from a place of love and not hate.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,

Prayer is communication between us and God. A good communicator has the ability to articulate what he or she is saying as well as the ability to listen. A lot of the times, we’ll tell God about what we need or desire, but some of us are poor listeners. If we will listen to God, the very thing we asked for yesterday could be answered today.

Some of us pray for clarity. If we will spend about five minutes listening, God will lead us in what we should do in chronological order. Some of us ask for a new career. If we will listen, God will tell us when and where we should apply. Some of us asked to be used by God. By listening, God will guide us to the person we need to help.

When praying, take a moment to listen. The answer could be on the other side of our silence.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

As we mature in Christ, we may get motivated to be used by God in certain areas. We’ll hear songs saying, “Use me Lord” and we’ll read about the great leaders in the Bible such as Moses, Joshua, or David and want to be used ourselves.

We’ll ask to be used by God, but no one said it was going to be convenient. God may want to use us on our day off or immediately after working a long day. As soon as it’s inconvenient with our schedule or lifestyle, some of our motivation begins to diminish.

As the inconvenience factor arises, that’s our defining moment. If we can go beyond our comfort zone and do what God has called us to do, then we can make a big impact in the Kingdom of God and in the world. Jesus didn’t come to earth and sacrifice Himself because it was convenient, but because He was obedient in spite of the inconvenience; His name is above all names. If we want to be used by God, effort from us must be given.

It’s been said that the greatest bondage a person could ever have is the bondage of people. People are in bondage because they’re worried about what people think if they do a certain thing or act a certain way. People won’t even purchase an outfit they actually like because they’re too concerned about what someone else may say. People miss out on potential relationships because they’re afraid of how people will view them if they get turned down. This is bondage.

Jesus not only freed us from all bondage (Gal. 5:1), but He specifically taught us how to be free from the bondage of people. Jesus made no reputation of Himself. Think about it… He ate with sinners, He went against the customs and norms of society, and although He was the Son of God, He took the attitude and the behavior of a servant. The only thing that keeps us in the bondage of people is trying to uphold a reputation. If Jesus, the Son of God, didn’t make a reputation of Himself, what makes some of us think we need to uphold ours?

Let’s free ourselves from the bondage of people. Have your hair however you want to have it, drive whatever car you desire, and wear what you like without being concerned about the opinions of people. We only need to please God. Be Free!

Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The scripture tells us to boldly or confidently approach the throne of grace. It’s not the throne of the Law or the throne of good behavior, but the throne of grace. Grace is the free unearned unmerited favor of God. We don’t have to work for or earn this grace. This grace was made available by Jesus. All we have to do is receive it.

Now that we understand that grace is a free gift given by God, we can confidently come to God’s throne requesting whatever we desire that aligns with His will. We’re confident in approaching God’s throne of grace because we know it’s not because of what we did or didn’t do. Our access to the Father is totally based on what Jesus has accomplished.

So, even though you may not have been to church in a while or your behavior has not been holy all the time, don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to go before the throne of God with your request. Your access has been made available by Jesus Christ Who is the embodiment of grace.

Praise Jesus for His sacrifice which made God’s throne available to us.

This is Jesus’ declaration to the Father.

John 17:26 (AMP) and I have made Your name known to them, and will continue to make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them [overwhelming their heart], and I [may be] in them.”

Unfortunately, the world still doesn’t acknowledge God. They still make God out to be a myth. His wonders are replaced with science, and His love is reduced to an emotion.

As believers, living Christ-like, we should imitate the ways of Jesus. We should not only make the name God known to the world, but make known the only name that can save: Jesus. Using our mouths and our social media posts, we can spread the name of Jesus to everyone across the world. We may have a circle of like-minded believers surrounding us, but we should continue to make His name known to all those who have not received Him.

We’re not introducing the world to the God of wrath, guilt, judgement, or punishment. The wrath of God, guilt, or punishment has already been paid for by Jesus. We’re introducing the world to a Savior who loved us so much until He took our place on the cross. We’re introducing them to a God who has forgiven us of our past, present, and future sins. We’re introducing the world to a God who loves us regardless of ANYTHING we’ve ever done.

People of God, it’s time to boldly introduce the world to God, through Jesus.

The thing that causes someone to contribute to society, be productive, and walk in their purpose is a solid foundation. A solid foundation begins and ends with God. If a person is built on something else, they’ll crumble whenever pressure arises. But, if they’re solidified in God, they’ll last forever.

We build contributing people by parenting according to the Word of God. As parents, it’s important to train the youth in the ways of God according to the Word of God. Even if they stray, we have a promise of their return. We can’t pick and choose parenting methods in the Word of God that make us feel the most comfortable. In order to have the promise of their return if they should stray, we must comply with the Word of God completely. That means, we may have to tell them no, physical discipline may be necessary, and restraint on our part may be needed.

The Holy Spirit will guide us in all things, including parenting, and the Holy Spirit will not deviate from the Word of God. However, the Holy Spirit instructs us to parent our children based on what is best for our children and us.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

On Part 1 of Belief & Faith, we discovered a difference between belief and faith. Belief is in our head, but faith is the action that accompanies our belief.

We discovered one way to activate our faith is through speaking (2 Cor. 4:13). After believing God has made a promise available to us, we speak it into existence. We literally say what God says about the promise in the midst of negative circumstances.

In addition to speaking, we can activate our faith through God-appointed actions. If we desire a house, we audibly declare,  “I believe that I have received the house of my desire according to Mark 11:24.” Afterwards, God may lead us to begin packing before we get approved for the loan on the house. Another example is with a car. We believe that we’ve received the car and although we don’t have the money for the car, God may lead us to sit in and test drive the car on a weekly basis.

We must be sure an action is God-appointed because if it’s our own actions, it can appear as faith, but it’s really foolishness. A foolish action is if a person believes God for their eyesight to be healed, therefore, they take their glasses off to drive. If God didn’t tell us to do an action, He’s not obligated to manifest the miracle.

Believe AND have faith to manifest the desires of your heart.

2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,

There’s a difference between belief and faith. We can believe God has made a certain promise available to us but until we activate our faith to receive that promise, that promise will remain a belief.

A simple way we can understand the difference between belief and faith is with a chair. We can look at a chair and believe without a doubt that the chair will hold our weight. Our faith is not activated until we take a step and actually sit down in the chair.

Likewise with healing, provision, or whatever we desire from God. We can believe God has healed us or provided for us but until we activate our faith, healing or provision will remain a belief and not come to pass in our lives. Belief is in our head, but faith is the action.

2 Corinthians 4:13 says, we believe; therefore we speak. The faith or the action accompanied with belief is speaking. When we’re sick, we say “By His stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).” When our provision don’t appear available, we say, “All our needs are met (Phil. 4:19).”

Regardless of what we need or desire, let’s accompany our belief with faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,

Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Imagine you have a child. You work hard to ensure that child has a roof over their head, food, clothes, and shoes. You even pay for and allow your child to participate in extracurricular activities. You spend your time, money, and effort to ensure your child has a bright future. All of a sudden, at the age of 13, your child internally disowns you. They’re unappreciative, they don’t want to spend time with you, and they call someone else mother or father. Wouldn’t you be a little upset? All of the sacrifices you made for that child would seem to be irrelevant.

That’s the same way some of us treat God when we put someone or something before Him. God paid an awesome price for us. God used the currency of Jesus to redeem us back to Himself. He took us back with our flaws and He literally gave us everything. We are healed, blessed, forgiven, and forever loved because of His sacrifice. We belong to God and no one else.

There should be no relationship, no amount of money, or no desire that should come before God. He is a jealous God and He is the only One Who is justified in being jealous.

Judges 6:15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

God tasked Gideon to save Israel, however, when Gideon was requested, Gideon began to make excuses as to why he couldn’t save Israel. The solution to Gideon’s excuses was the comfort in knowing God will be with him. Eventually, Gideon obeyed God and defeated the Midianites. 

This magnifies Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5 which ultimately says, God will never leave us nor forsake us. Knowing that God is with us helps us to summon the courage to do whatever God has called us to do. 

At times, it may seem a little scary to step out on faith and do what God has called us to do. We may not think we have enough money to complete the task, we may think we don’t have the education, or the task itself may appear too daunting, but when we have the assurance of God being with us, the outcome is guaranteed victory.
Praise God for His presence!

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

The President and CEO of Wal-Mart is Douglas McMillon. Let’s say John Brown desires to build and be a General Manager of a Wal-Mart franchise in South Florida. The Wal-Mart is opened, however, the Wal-Mart has damaged merchandise, a lack of security, and poor customer service. If a customer wanted to complain about everything that’s going on at John Brown’s Wal-Mart, who would be at fault? The answer would be John Brown. Although, Douglas McMillon is the CEO of Wal-Mart, it’s the responsibility of John Brown to make sure his store has good merchandise, great security, and great customer service.

The same way Douglas McMillon is not responsible for the events that occur at the South Florida Wal-Mart is the same way God is not responsible for the events that occur in the world. God gave us dominion over the world. We are the franchise owners of this world. Every event (good or bad) that occurs in this world is a result of what we allowed. All the wars, diseases, and violence we see are a result of our lack of action. It’s not God’s fault.

God gave us spiritual authority to decree whatever we desire, to speak life, and authority over all the power of the enemy (Job 22:28; Prov. 18:21; Luke 10:19). If we want to see a better world, we need to take spiritual action. God is the CEO of this world, but we have to manage this world to reflect heaven’s desires.

Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Based on the Word of God, there are the benefits of trust.

When we place our trust in the Lord, we’re established or grounded in the Lord. We shouldn’t be moved or shaken by the issues of life. Our spirit and soul are locked into God.

Since we’re grounded in the Lord, when the trials of life come, we shouldn’t fear. We’ll continue to remain confident, healthy, and strong. When the world is in a panic about the economy, wars, or diseases, we continue to prosper financially, prosper in our health, and prosper in our well-being.

This promise if for anyone who places their trust in God. The hard part is letting go of our plans, fears, worries, and “what ifs.” Let go of everything and place your trust in God.

Hebrews 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

We are forgiven. God is not counting up our sins against us and He’s not waiting until judgement day to reveal all that we’ve done. We are totally and completely forgiven of all past, present, and future sins.

In the Old Covenant, God held people accountable for everything they’ve done and everything their parents had done. In this New Covenant, the sacrifice of Jesus paid for all of our sins and there is nothing left to owe.

No, God doesn’t want us to continue to engage in sinful behavior. God hates sin. But, if we should sin, God still loves us and views us as righteous. God’s righteous love is not based on our actions or behavior. His love is based on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. Because Jesus paid for our sins, we are righteous.

Get rid of guilt and shame and know because of Jesus, we are the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Most believers desire to be on the receiving end of God’s hand, but how many of us are eager to be on the”Use Me List” of God?

Everyone of us can look at situations and circumstances in the world around us and desire to see a change for the better. Some of us know they’re selling drugs at the end of the block and we want better for our communities, but we won’t go to God and ask for a plan to spearhead change. Some of us know that friend needs to stop gossiping about others, but we tend to avoid confrontation and keep silent.

The common thread for the lack of initiation in Spirit-led change is fear. Some of us are afraid to get involved, afraid of getting too deep into the situation, or afraid of persecution. Remove that fear and do what God has called you to do.

As the Spirit leads, initiate the change you wish to see. If we, the believers, won’t do it, who will?

Let’s take the time to think back to when we were around 16 years old. We had the whole world in front of us. We had big dreams of becoming professional athletes, singers, or simply famous in something. We wanted wealth, maybe living in a mansion, and driving a nice car. What we dreamt came to pass for some of us but for everyone else, as we’ve gotten older, some of our dreams have either collapsed or the window to obtain that dream has narrowed.

For those who have a flicker of light left in that dream, cheer up! There’s hope! The Word of God says our youth is renewed like the eagle (Psalm 103:5).

When most people read this verse, they limit this verse to the physical body, but with God all things are possible. If we choose to believe God’s Word and have faith, the dreams and big ideas we had in our youth can also be renewed.

The only limits God has are the ones we place on Him. We’re never too old to fulfill a dream; we’re never too settled to pursue a desire, and we’re never too financially unstable to fulfill the calling God has on our lives.

Be like the eagle and allow God to renew the ideas, dreams, and visions from your youth.

Psalm 103:5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

There are two ways we can approach this scripture. The first way is with our flesh. Our flesh uses human effort to get the job done. The second way is working unto the Lord by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

People working unto the Lord using their flesh feel justified when they work 16 hours in one day on a project they could have completed in three days. They feel like they’re doing the Lord a service when they work in the hot sun without taking breaks or drinking water. They feel like if they work long and hard, God will be pleased. Once again, this is working unto the Lord using our flesh, but according to Romans 8:8, we cannot please God in our flesh.

God is not pleased because we’re not acknowledging Him as we work. God gave us His Spirit to be led in everything we do (Romans 8:14). He may have us work a couple of hours on a project then take a break and socialize with our co-workers. Even though we have a lot more that needs to be done, He may have us stop working on a project for the day and continue it the next day. God may have us work 16 hours in one day, but the only difference is He led us to work the 16 hours and not ourselves.

If the Holy Spirit is leading us, we’re working unto the Lord. Our long and hard hours don’t always confirm working unto the Lord. This week, let’s be led by the Spirit as we’re working unto the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.‭

As we can see, we have a natural body and a spiritual body. We’re more familiar with the natural body. Our natural body requires food, sleep, and it’s beneficial for it to have exercise. If we choose to neglect some of the requirements of our natural bodies, our health can deteriorate. 

Just like the natural body has some requirements to stay healthy, our spiritual bodies have some requirements as well. A healthy spiritual body needs food. Food for the spiritual body comes in the form of the Word of God. When we feed ourselves the Word of God, we starve doubt, unbelief, and fear. 

Secondly, our spiritual bodies need constant communication with God. John 4:24 tells us God is a spirit. Who better to tell us how to develop our spiritual bodies besides God? God will tell us when to fast, pray, or study the Word. 

As we feed ourselves the Word and communicate with God, God uproots everything He did not plant (Matthew 15:13). Anger, bitterness, and hatred can’t be seen, therefore, if it’s displayed in our lives, it must be associated with the spirit. As we continue to develop our spiritual bodies, God promised to uproot anything He did not plant from our lives. 

In this time where exercising seems to be popular, let’s not forsake nurturing our spiritual bodies.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Most of us know or have heard the “all have sinned” scripture. We tend to magnify and tell everyone that all have sinned, but not too many people know the next verse. The next verse is contextually connected to verse 23.

Verse 24 says, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We all have sinned, but through Jesus Christ, we all are freely justified by His grace.

Telling people we’ve all sinned without telling people we’ve all been justified by grace leaves people sin conscience. It has people feeling like they’re just an old sinner hoping to make it to heaven. Knowing we’ve been freely justified through Christ leaves people liberated and free from the bondage of sin.

Regardless of the sin, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we’ve been justified or made righteous in the eyes of God. Praise God for Jesus who freely justified us by His grace.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Inspired by Joseph Prince

Psalms 118:17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

God’s Word promised we would live and not die. With this promise, we don’t have to worry or live in fear of terrorist attacks, airplane crashes, or dying in a foreign country. We can enjoy ourselves and live.

We’re not living so that we can satisfy our flesh or reap worldly desires. We’re living to proclaim what the Lord has done.  We are to proclaim that Jesus is Lord and the Savior of the world. We are to proclaim that Jesus has healed us. We are to proclaim that regardless of what we’ve done, God’s love is everlasting.

When we have a need or desire, we are to boldly proclaim that God will meet that need or desire. When that need or desire is met, we are to boldly proclaim that God answered our prayer. Everything we have and everything we do should bring glory to God.

Praise God He promised us life, but the reason why we’re living is to proclaim the works of the Lord.

Isaiah 3:10 Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 

Extremists are attempting to destroy villages and terrorize cities; new viruses and diseases seem to be discovered every month, and racism is very obvious.

Regardless of what’s going on in the world, it shall be well with the righteous. Righteousness is not something we work for. Righteousness is freely given to everyone who believes in the works of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Through our belief, we are made righteous. 

Since we’re righteous, we have a promise of wellness. We have a promise of wellness at our jobs, in our homes, and in our daily lives. God is faithful and He will never go back on His promise. If we go through something that is attacking our wellness, we can be encouraged by reminding ourselves of this promise. 

Regardless of how it appears, all is well. 

When someone in the world observes a person praying or hears them mentioning the Word of God, they’re quick to label them as religious. As believers, we should quickly correct them from using the term “religious.”

In Christianity, religious actions are mainly done out of habit. These actions have little to no meaning. The motivation for these actions are usually incorrect and are based in condemnation. For instance, a religious idea says, “I’m going to read the Bible so that God can bless me.” For those who may adopt this idea, what we’re really saying is, our efforts are going to earn favor with God so that He can be bless us. There’s only one problem with this idea along with other religious ideas. It eliminates Jesus. 

If we can earn a blessing by reading the Bible and going to church, who needs Jesus? Someone may reply we needed Jesus to take away our sins. This is true, but through His sacrifice, we also needed Jesus to allow the blessing to come on us (Gal. 3:13-14). 
Because of all that God has done for us, we should be developing a relationship with God.

We don’t fast, pray, etc. because a preacher told us to. We do it because we desire to commune with our loving Heavenly Father. Let’s remove religion and develop relationship. 

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

OPTION 1:

-I have to go to Sunday service and weekly bible study so that God is pleased with me.

-I have to pray two hours a day so that God can bless me. 

-I have to read the Word of God two hours a night so that I can be healed.

OPTION 2:

-I get to go to Sunday service and weekly bible study to fellowship with like-minded believers and worship a risen Savior.

-Through Jesus Christ, God has blessed me, therefore, I get to pray to stay in constant communication with my God and the time I spend praying is inconsequential. 

-The stripes of Jesus Christ have already healed me, therefore, I enjoy spending time in God’s Word to fully comprehend the promises of God.

Option 1 is a religious mindset many Christians had in the past. God never intended for us to follow rules for the sake of following rules. God desires a relationship with us. He wants us to enjoy spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word. He doesn’t want it to be a chore or out of necessity. God sent Jesus to flawlessly complete all of the requirements to regain our right standing with Him so that we won’t have to. 

If we don’t make it to church, God still loves us. If we don’t read as much as we intended to read, we’re still blessed. If we haven’t fasted, we’re still healed. Once we get know God and have a true revelation of how good He’s been to us, our desire to do all those things will become automatic. Seek a relationship with God and not religious rules. 

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

There are desires in each and every one of us. If we’re not mindful, anxiety can enter our lives and cause depression if we reached our delay limit.

We may feel like we should have been married by now, had children by now, or gotten a higher paying position by now. If we continue to rehearse the delay in our minds, we’ll experience anxiety and if we rehearse it too much, we may experience anxiety attacks.

However, if we place our trust in God, He knows when the appointed time should be to receive our desires. Another thing we have to be mindful of is that our desires are not only designed to bless our lives; our desires can be a blessing to people we haven’t met yet.

We may feel like it’s taking too long to receive a promotion at our current job, but God has other plans. God may have us apply to another job that pays a higher salary and at that job, we meet our future spouse who will assist in having future children. That’s how God works everything out for our good (Romans 8:28).

When you can’t figure it out, trust the plan and timing of God.

Matthew 6:27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

In the movie, Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks plays a lawyer representing a Russian spy who was arrested in America. Throughout the movie Tom Hanks’ character would ask the Russian spy if he was worried or nervous about what was going to happen to him. The Russian spy always responded by saying, “Would it help?”

The Word of God has been teaching us this concept for years. It wouldn’t help one bit if we worried about anything. It won’t change the outcome to anything in our lives and worrying will only cause detriment to our health.

Spiritually, worrying is a lack of trust in God. It’s letting God know we don’t trust Him or His plan, therefore, we need to negatively meditate on the next best solution we can comprehend.

Release all cares, worries, and anxieties to God and trust His plan.

When a problem arises, some of us ask people to pray for our situation. There’s nothing wrong with asking for prayer as long as our motivation is only for agreement. Any additional reason is a lack of faith.

There are some people who use prayer like tickets at an amusement park. They feel like the more prayers they have going towards a certain subject, the better their chances are to get their prayers answered.

The Word of God says, God hears our prayers and our prayers are effective. It doesn’t matter if 100 people are praying for us or if it’s just our prayer. If we believe our prayers are heard and are effective, our prayers will come to pass.

It’s great to have people in agreement with our prayers, but we don’t need people to have our prayers answered. Praise God for giving us the power to have our prayers answered.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

We all were raised in a different environment. Some of us had a great childhood with great loving parents and others experienced great difficulty growing up. Some of us were abused, raised without one or both parents, or lived in poverty. How we were raised has a great impact on how we view life and the decisions we’ll make. 

If someone grew up without a father and they never had the needed attention from a mother, when they’re an adult, that person may desire to overload their children with the love and attention they never had or they’ll repeat the patterns of their parents.

Regardless of how we were raised or what we went through, we (the believers) have a common denominator. The common denominator is the Word of God. The Word of God promises us an abundant life (John 10:10) and God’s plans are to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11). It doesn’t matter if we were raised like royalty or if our parents were addicted to drugs, we all can have the same promises. 

Knowing we all can have a prosperous abundant life, we don’t have to allow our past to affect our future. We can rely on the Word of God to guide us to the prosperous life God already planned for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

On part 1 of “It’s Not Their Fault” we mentioned how the actual people are not our problem, but demonic influences within a person (Ephesians 6:12). With that being known, we are not permitted to get even with the person who wronged us (Proverbs 24:29). Our responsibility is to continue to walk in love, cast out the demonic influences within the person, and allow God to seek vengeance for us (Luke 10:19). 

Although we are to remain loving to the one(s) who wronged us, God’s Word provides instructions on how to separate ourselves from the people who caused us pain. Romans 16:17 tells us to avoid those who offended us. 

We can still be the nice loving Christians without being close to the people who were influenced by our enemy. I submit that we should continue to pray for them and do whatever God says regarding their lives, but to keep ourselves from being hurt again and to keep us in the right frame of mind, let’s do ourselves a favor and avoid them. 

Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them.

Proverbs 24:29 “Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

When someone does us wrong, our flesh wants to get them back. We don’t care how, but we want vengeance for the hurt they caused us. If we’re a Christian, our flesh desires God to get them back quickly so that we say, “You shouldn’t have messed with God’s child.”

The Bible clearly tells us not to seek our own vengeance against that person. In fact, it’s not their fault. Ephesians 6:12 says, for we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. This means, our enemy is not the person, but the unseen demonic influences within the person. Even if the act appears deliberate and intentional, it’s still not their fault.

Let’s use our God-given authority found in Luke 10:19 to cast out the demonic influences within that person and know what the devil meant for evil, God will turn it around for our good (Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28).