Category Archive

An innocent person, we know as Jesus, sacrificed Himself on our behalf. Everything He went through was for us. Jesus was mocked, beat, and spat on. The flesh on His body was literally ripped away. A crown of thorns was pressed down on His head and spikes were hammered into his hands and feet. He was hung on a cross for hours until His death. 

It’s one thing to read someone else’s account of what happened, but Psalms 22 gives us a glimpse of what Jesus was actually going through.

Psalms 22:14-18 “My strength is gone, like water poured out on the ground. My bones have separated. My courage is gone. My mouth is as dry as a piece of baked pottery. My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth. You have left me dying in the dust. The “dogs” are all around me— a pack of evil people has trapped me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can see each one of my bones. My enemies are looking at me; they just keep staring. They divide my clothes among themselves, and they throw lots for what I am wearing.”

‭There was nothing He did to deserve such punishment. He suffered so that we can be saved. He suffered so that we won’t have to experience the wrath of God. He suffered so that we can reconnect with the Father. 

Praise God for Jesus and all He’s done for us. 

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We read this scripture, but what does it actually mean? The context of this scripture is worry. Prior to verse 33, Jesus lets us know not to worry about what we shall eat, drink, or wear. Based on the context, we can extend this list to add worrying about how we’re going to pay the mortgage/rent, when we’re going to get married, or when we’re going to have children.

Jesus is telling us to get our minds off of worry and focus on the Kingdom of God. How is this done? As the Spirit leads us, we get involved at our local church to do our part to advance the Kingdom of God. We participate in giving our finances to further spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. We submit ourselves to God. We focus our attention on Jesus and what He’s done for our lives instead of worry.

Don’t allow the pressure of worry to suck the enjoyment out of life. We have been promised that our needs will be given to us, therefore, rest in that promise; but, in the meantime, focus on the Kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which works by love.

1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

We all have dreams, desires, and goals we want to see accomplished in this lifetime. As believers, we’ve been taught to exercise our faith to obtain these dreams and goals. We’ve been taught to ask the Father in the name of Jesus, believe that we’ve received it when we prayed, and it will be ours (John 16:23; Mark 11:24). However, as we can see, if we don’t have love, our faith is short-circuited.

This is not only love for the Father or love for our closest friends and family members. This is love for everyone. This is love for our enemies, love for people we don’t know, and love for our “so-called” friends.

That means we should have genuine love, with no ill-will, towards our ex-spouse who was extremely hurtful to us. We are to love that boss who belittles us in public. We should love our parents who may not have shown love to us.

If we want our dreams, desires, and goals to come to pass, we must have love. Faith cannot work without love.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

As we submit ourselves to God, we are to be led by the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives. The Holy Spirit may not always lead us down the shortest easiest path. Look at Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Someone may ask, why would a loving God lead us down a seemingly rough pathway? Answer: For Spiritual Exercise.

How would we know how strong our faith is if it’s never tested? How would we know if we’re patient if we’ve never experienced delay? James 1:3 says, the testing of our faith produces patience and 1 Peter 1:7 mentions how our faith needs to be proven. It’s not being tested or proven to God because He already knows where our faith is. Our faith is tested so that we can know how strong or not so strong our faith is.

That’s why the Holy Spirit may lead us to certain banks for a loan, only to be denied by the bank. Or, that’s why the Holy Spirit may lead us to apply for a certain job, only to be turned down for the position. This seemingly negative leading is for the spiritual development of our faith and patience and our faith and patience will reveal what God has promised to us.

Hebrews 6:12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Most of the time, we thank God for protecting us from things that are known to us. We thank God for protecting us from that car accident or the layoffs at our job, but have you ever thought about the unknown? Have you ever thought about and thanked God for protecting us from things that are unknown to us?

It literally is an endless list we can go through regarding the things God keeps us from.  First of all, we can look through all the diseases known to man and thank God He protects us from 99% of those diseases (Ebola, Alzheimer’s disease, Polio, etc.). Secondly, we can look at all the crimes that can be committed and thank God we don’t experience them on a daily basis (robbery, assault, murder, etc.). We can also thank God for protecting us from the many hazards we could experience in our daily commute (accidents, tornadoes, flat tires, etc.).

For those who are looking for a reason to praise and thank God, start thinking about the unknown. It should magnify our appreciation for our Savior (Jesus) and all He has done.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

After a tragic event such as, a car collision, a negative report from the doctor, or even a layoff at our job occurs, the first thing we must do is be mindful of our speech. Death and life are in the power of our tongues and what we say (good or bad) will come to pass in our lives (Proverbs 18:21).

Along with our speech, the second thing we need to be mindful of is our belief. Who do we believe? Doctors, “experts”, or family members will have something to say after we experienced a tragic event. Some things we hear are facts, some things are true, and some things are lies. 

We have to align the things that people say with the Word of God and what God promised us. If what others say doesn’t line up with the Word of God, we must replace their words and believe the truth. 

If a doctor says, you or your wife are prone to miscarriages, we have to replace what they said and believe the truth that you or your wife will not miscarry based on God’s promise found in Exodus 23:26 – and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. 

If someone says, without employment they are going to foreclose on our house. We, in return, must replace what they said with God perfects everything concerning us including a mortgage payment (Psalms 138:8).

Whatever we hear during a tragic event, it’s our choice to believe and receive that word. If it doesn’t align with the Word of God, throw it out and believe the truth. 

Mark 11:23 (NLT) I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.

A person is involved in a head-on car collision with a drunk driver. The person suffers from a broken leg, broken ribs, and concussion like symptoms. One of the broken ribs has punctured a vital organ. The doctors have them sedated to limit their movement and to prevent further injury.

When a tragic event occurs in our lives or in another person’s life, the first thing we must do is be mindful of our confession. Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue. A lot of people may ask questions about the incident. We don’t want to go around speaking death into the situation or talking about what could happen. As long as we’re speaking death into the situation, that’s what it’s going to be.

Prior to the accident, the Word of God says, we are healed, we are in good health, and we shall live and shall not die (Isaiah 53:5; 3 John 1:2; Psalms 118:17). Although the situation changed, the Word of God doesn’t change. We or that person are still healed and we will remain alive. Mark 11:23 also says, we shall have what we say. If we want to see the manifestation of divine health, we need to speak it into existence.

This is not an opportunity to argue with the doctors. The doctors are simply stating facts. What we must remember is the truth, in the Word of God, can override facts. Hear the facts, but override them with the Truth.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Genesis 3:7 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.

Adam sinned therefore, the ground was cursed and mankind has to painfully toil for everything he consumes.

In today’s time, due to the cursed nature of the ground, mankind has invented some of the craziest ways to mass produce our food. We have toxic pesticides to kill the bugs and weeds from the crops, hormones injected into some of our meats, and now we’re cloning animals to eat.

With all that’s going on with our food, it gives us a good reason to pray. In Luke 9:16, Jesus gave us an example of blessing our food when he blessed the bread at the Lord’s Supper. Jesus also told us whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).

With the authority we have granted to us by Jesus, let’s be sure to bless our food that was created by this cursed ground.

Proverbs 3:4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

Prior to the resurrection of Jesus, under the law, people had to earn the favor of God and mankind by keeping all the commandments and with good behavior. Since the resurrection of Jesus, under grace, the favor of God is freely available to everyone who believes. The favor of God and grace can be used interchangeably. They both are unearned, unmerited, and freely given.

The favor of God is great, but God also promises favor with mankind. People have free wills. They can do whatever they desire to do. Favor with man is God inspiring somebody, somewhere, to use their power, ability, and influence to help us. Favor with man allows us to receive employment when we’re not 100% qualified for the job simply because there’s “something” about us. Favor with man allows us to receive the employee discount on an item, even though we don’t work there, simply because the cashier “likes” us. Favor with man inspires someone to let us know they’re leaving so we can have a front row parking spot in a crowded parking lot.

The favor of God and man are available to everyone who believes. Receive this favor, expect this favor, and enjoy the benefits from this favor.

Love, God

Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

Twelve people went to spy on the occupied land that the Lord promised the Israelites. Ten of the twelve spies returned with an evil or negative report by explaining the land was filled with giants and they were too small to overtake them. Based on their negative report, those ten individuals caused millions of Israelites to grumble and complain.

We see that in certain settings today. If a group of individuals dislike a certain supervisor at work, that negativity can cause other people, who haven’t even dealt with that supervisor, to dislike that supervisor. Another example is if a person didn’t like how the Pastor did a certain thing at church, that person may have the tendency to tell the story of what the Pastor did with a negative twist.

What we can learn from the Israelites is spreading negativity is considered evil in the eyes of God. Their negativity caused the majority of the Israelites not to enter the promised land. We can’t expect to receive the promises of God and be negative or spread negativity at the same time.

Let’s speak life, find the positive, and if we don’t have anything good to say, keep silent.

VICTIM’S MENTALITY: Numbers 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 

We’ve all gone through difficult times in our lives. Some of us have faced some unimaginable situations such as, neglect, molestation, sexual assault, verbal/physical abuse, and torment. Our response to these difficult times determines if we’ll develop a victim’s mentality. 

A victim’s mentality has two reactions. One reaction, has the person to put up figurative walls around themselves to avoid being hurt again. That person doesn’t get close to anyone, they avoid intimacy, and it’s difficult for them to receive love. The other reaction leaves a person to have negative expectations. A person expects to be hurt, expects to be cheated on in a relationship, and expects things to go wrong. 

Let’s look at the life of Joseph. He had every right to have a victim’s mentality. His biological brothers sold him into slavery; he was lied on and imprisoned, and passed up on a promotion (Genesis 37, 39, 40). However, having a victim’s mentality didn’t get him to the top. What got Joseph to the top was trusting God and keeping his God-given vision in front of him. 

God gave a vision to all of us. Some see themselves to be doctors, CEO’s, or inventors. Regardless of what we’ve faced, trusting in God and believing in the vision He gave to us will eventually bring us to our destiny. “Protecting” one’s self based on fear and having a negative outlook on life will only hinder all that God has for us. Let’s be mindful not to develop a victim’s mentality by trusting in God and focusing on the vision He gave to us. 

VICTOR’S MENTALITY: Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Wherever we are in life or wherever we want to be is a product of our free will. We could choose to live however we want to live or we can choose to walk in the plan and purpose God has for us. The choice is up to us.

Whether some of us realize it or not, God has been very good to us. He loved us enough to send His Son to die for our sin so that we can have an abundant everlasting life, he healed our bodies, and he blessed us with more materialistic possessions than we can handle.

Based on all that God has done for us, what better way to express our gratitude than to choose to walk in the plan and purpose God has for us?

As we walk in the plan and purpose of God we…
1. Glorify God in our actions.
2. We become vessels for His will to be fulfilled in the earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
3. We experience fulfillment in our lives.
4. We position ourselves to receive every promise God has for us.

Once again, it’s our decision and God is not going to force His will on our lives. I encourage everyone to walk in the plan and purpose God has for us.

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Joel 2:21-22 “Land, don’t be afraid. Be happy and full of joy. The Lord will do great things. Animals of the field, don’t be afraid. The desert pastures will grow grass. The trees will grow fruit. The fig trees and the vines will grow plenty of fruit.”‭‭

These were some desperate times, seeing that the Prophet Joel had to encourage the land and animals.

Joel encouraged the land and animals by faith, letting them know good times shall come again. We know he spoke to them by faith because they were in the middle of a drought and there were no signs of an end.

We too have drought-like conditions in our lives. There are times where nothing seems to be working, the delay seems to be adding pressure in our lives, and seeing others being blessed builds anxiety. It’s during these drought-like conditions we have to, by faith, encourage ourselves, encourage those around us, and speak life into the drought-like conditions.

For instance, if we’re constantly having trouble with our car, we should tell ourselves, things won’t always be this way, I drive a well-functioning vehicle that gets great gas mileage.

If we’re having difficulty in our marriage, let’s encourage ourselves by saying, things will get better and our spouse loves and respects us. Also, in the middle of that difficult situation, we should let our spouse know the marriage is prosperous.

We have to believe things will get better and everything works out for our good. We must also believe our faith-filled words are changing our surroundings. Although, it may not seem like it at the time, our belief in the Word of God, is the only evidence we have of better in our future.
Believe.

Proverbs 9:6 “Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.”

The Word of God instructs us to forsake foolishness. The definition of foolishness is lacking or exhibiting a lack of good sense or judgement; insignificant or trivial. Using this definition, we’re to forsake anything or anyone that causes us to a have a lack of good sense or anything that’s trivial. 

Foolishness comes in many forms. It’s our responsibility to recognize the foolishness in a situation and react appropriately. 

When someone doesn’t speak to us in passing, we have two options. We can either put them on our “do not like list” or we can forsake foolishness, continue to show the love of God, and not allow a trivial thing, such as not speaking, to bother us. 

If we’re in a dating relationship where we’re putting our best foot forward and not receiving anything in return, we have two options. We can continue to devalue ourselves and our self-worth by forcing the relationship, or we can forsake foolishness, make a wise decision to end the relationship, and find someone who can treat us well. 

If we’re disrespected in some way, we have two options. We can either get into a verbal/physical altercation with that person and possibly receive consequences, or forsake foolishness, use sound judgment, lovingly respect them in return, and allow God to deal with their disrespect. 

Let’s stop acting like fools and be the kings and queens God called us to be. 

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.

God could have made Himself be anything He wanted to be. God could have made Himself power. God could have made Himself wrath. But before we knew Him, God made Himself love.

God is the embodiment of love. This love is not only to those who accept His Son Jesus. This love is for everyone. This love does not need to be earned. This love is freely given. This love cannot be taken away. This love lasts forever.

When we have a true understanding of God’s love for us, it makes us look at life differently. It eliminates condemnation, because regardless of what we do, God loves us. It allows us to maintain our faith, because we know God loves us enough to fulfill His promises. It eliminates fear from danger because God loves us enough to protect us.

Everything we have and every promise we have to look forward to is birthed out of God’s love for us. Embrace this love and don’t entertain the lies that will compel questions about His love for us.

People have a tendency to generalize a lot of things in society. We’ll make generalizations about certain topics and include the words “all” or “no one” as if it’s the gospel. We’ll assume because we experienced a thing and we know other people who experienced that same thing, it’s an automatic that someone else will go through the same thing.

There is one factor that people forget about when making generalizations. That’s the God factor. Luke 1:37 says, for with God nothing shall be impossible. We read this, but some of us dismiss Him when facing difficult situations or situations we’ve never seen before.

Generalization: You have to have good credit to get a house.
The God Factor: With God, we can get a house without good credit.

Generalization: You have to be employed here for 3 years before you can get a promotion.
The God Factor: With God, we can be promoted within 2 years.

Generalization: You’re too old to be hired by that company.
The God Factor: With God, we can be hired at any age.

Just remember, with God nothing shall be impossible, and with God, all things are possible if we believe.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Psalms 96:1 Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! 2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

At times, there’s a false sense of humility in the body of Christ. Some individuals believe it’s boasting or being braggadocious to share the goodness of God with someone else. This is a deception from the enemy and it’s not even biblical. The enemy knows if we close the door on what God has done in our lives, it can prevent an unbeliever from being interested in our God.

God blessed a lot of us with a spouse and children. Would it be braggadocious to introduce our spouse or our children to someone else? Of course not. So, why should we feel compelled to hide the other things God has done in our lives?

Never be ashamed of the goodness of God. Let that co-worker know how God blessed you with that raise. Inform your cousin about God blessing you with that new car. Update your status on being a new homeowner.

There is nothing wrong with giving credit, glory, and honor to God about His promises coming to pass in our lives.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

You kindly speak to customers at work about work-related issues and they respond back rudely for no apparent reason. It takes everything in your power not to tell them about themselves. You happily go home to speak to your spouse, however, your spouse’s mood is quiet, distant, and it seems like he/she has an attitude for no apparent reason. That attitude may compel you to start an argument or have an attitude yourself.

When these situations arise, we have to remember it’s not those actual people who are being unkind or rude. It’s an ungodly spirit within those individuals influencing their minds. That ungodly spirit makes them feel justified to have an attitude or to treat someone else poorly. In the middle of the situation, our responsibility is to check our emotions so that we won’t be influenced by the same spirit, be slow to anger, and continue to show the love of God. After the situation, we should rebuke the demonic influences from that person’s mind.

It can be difficult to separate the person from the spirit, but when we’re slow to anger, it gives us enough time to softly pray for that person, and not go off (James 1:19). Showing the love of God, in spite of their behavior, plants seeds of kindness that may heal their wounds from previous pain.

Be disciples of Jesus Christ by displaying the love of God.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Ezekiel 3:10 Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words which I will speak to you and hear with your ears (listen closely).

People are quick to quote “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God,” but as we can see, hearing is not enough. We have to receive the Word of God into our hearts.

How do we receive the Word of God? We continuously meditate on the Word until it becomes as real as the facts we know today (Joshua 1:8). It’s a fact that if we stand on a standard ladder it will hold our weight and allow us to reach higher levels. It’s a fact that if we jump into a pool, we’ll get wet.

The same way we believe and receive natural facts, is the same way we should believe and receive spiritual truths. Eventually, we’ll confidently confess we’re healed regardless of the symptoms displayed (Isaiah 53:5). We’ll boldly state that all of our needs are met in spite of the lack we currently see (Philippians 4:19). We are quickly comforted and at peace after being recently hurt by someone because God comforts us (2 Corinthians 1:4).

We can be confident in God’s Word because we’ve heard His Word and received it into our hearts. Receive the truth in God’s Word.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.‭‭

We all have dreams and goals we want to see accomplished in our lives. The average person desires a family, a debt free home, a couple of cars, and an enjoyable high salary career with great benefits.

These are great goals, but there is one problem. Where is God? How is God being glorified? At the end of the day, our ultimate goal is to glorify God. If we’re not glorifying God, everything we strive to obtain is vanity. 

As believers, we need to make sure we’re not so focused on obtaining tangible desires, meanwhile, neglecting God. If our pursuit of “things” outweighs our pursuit of God, we’ve magnified those things above God. In everything we do, we need to ask ourselves, is God glorified? 

There is nothing wrong with having desires and goals, but our priority should be God and accomplishing His will in the earth. 

1 John 2:17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

 ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—”

In the world, delays are hindrances to realized dreams. For believers, God given delays are blessings beyond what we can ask, think, or imagine.

Joseph received a dream as a teenager of his older brothers kneeling before him. After being betrayed by them and living as a Hebrew slave for years, when he was about 30 years old that dream manifested. In addition, Joseph became one of the richest and most powerful men during that time of delay, and saved an entire nation and bordering peoples from starvation during a famine (Genesis 37-50).

Genesis‬ ‭41:39-40‬ ‭“Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.””

Genesis‬ ‭50:18-20‬ ‭“His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Trust God, His plans and purposes for you, and His timing. God has only the best for His people who will trust Him, and allow Him to direct their paths.

Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭“I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

When a student submits a paper to a teacher or an employee submits a proposal to management, they are giving their work product to them. In those situations, it’s almost certain corrections will need to be made. It could be spelling errors, additional research may be needed, or the entire idea may need to be changed.

If we expect changes after submitting a paper or a proposal, how much more should we expect changes after submitting our lives to God? God may have some changes for our negative attitude by constantly reminding us to be a little nicer. God may correct our definition of forgiveness by showing us how to forgive and genuinely love people at the same time. God may exercise our patience by delaying a desire.

Regardless of the situation, we can expect some changes when we submit our lives to God. Don’t get intimidated or frustrated by these changes. As long as we live, little corrections will always be suggested. These changes are only making us better people in this dark world.

Since the resurrection of Jesus, there has been a decline in the reverence, respect, and honor of God. One noticeable reason as to why the reverence of God declined is the abuse of grace. Grace is the unmerited or undeserving favor of God through Christ Jesus. We deserve a cursed life destined for eternal death, but grace intervened.

In the Old Testament, where grace was not available, those who lacked reverence and respect received public punishments. Cities were destroyed, people lost their sanity, and the curse was apparent in a person’s life. Now we’re under grace and the punishment for our sins was placed on Jesus. We no longer see the plagues and curses we read about in the Old Testament.

Due to the lack of punishment, people become bolder and feel justified to publicly question the existence of God and engage or promote behavior that opposes the Word of God.

Instead of abusing the grace of God because there’s no punishment, let’s live a life of gratitude for the sacrifice made by Jesus. Instead of agreeing with the contrary ideas of the world, let’s keep our stance and promote the Word of God. Let’s enlighten the minds of people in this darkened world to return to reverence, respect, and honor by explaining the correct picture of grace.

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

There are so many people who believe Christians belong in a poverty prison. They think Christians should live a modest life, not owning nice things and giving their excess to those in need.

But in the words of Pastor Carl Lentz, where does modesty begin? To one person, modesty means having a car equivalent to a Honda Accord. To another person, it means using public transportation. To one person it means having a three bedroom house. To another person, it means having just enough house for the size of a person’s family. There’s no set modesty line.

People base this on what they read in the life of Jesus. They read that Jesus was born in a barn; Jesus was homeless because He didn’t have any place to lay His head, and Jesus rode on a donkey instead of a chariot. What some people fail to read is Jesus was raised in a house (Matthew 2:11), some of his first gifts were gold and other expensive items, and He sailed in ships (Mark 4:36). They also misquote scripture saying “money is the root of all evil” when it actually says, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

The will of the Father is for us to prosper.
Psalms 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.
(Also see Deut. 8:18, Prov. 10:22, Prov. 13:22)

Because we have free will, God will allow us to have whatever we desire. Which will you choose? The blessed prosperous life FOUND IN SCRIPTURE or the seemingly “modest” life NOT FOUND IN SCRIPTURE, but accepted by the world?

It’s up to you. Choose life.

John 6:28 Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”…

When Jesus says, “only believe” He really means only believe. It’s not believe and let me figure it out myself. It’s not believe and let me expedite the manifestation of my desire by prayer, fasting, or reading more. It literally means, only believe.

At times, it may be difficult to sit back and only believe because our flesh feels compelled to do something. We want to help God out in answering our prayers. We don’t want delays. We want to show God we’re deserving of this blessing through our behavior. However, the word of God says only believe.

So, believe in the finished works of Jesus. Believe His sacrifice was more than enough for all of us. Believe in Jesus.

Only believe.

Every believer should be standing in faith for something. When that something doesn’t manifest within a certain time period or that something is initially denied, a lot of us back off on our expectation.

We’re disappointed, therefore, we disguise our disappointment by “giving it to God.” We’ll say, “God’s going to do whatever He wants to do” or “whatever the Lord wills.” What we’re really saying is we don’t want to get our hopes up only to be disappointed.

We must remember, God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). We must also remember no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11). What this means is there is a reason beyond our initial understanding for the delay. This reason may be revealed to us in the not so distant future.

God may be withholding that new employment opportunity we’ve been applying for because there is an opportunity for a major promotion at our current company and we don’t have to sacrifice our seniority. There may be a delay in the arrival of our spouse due to the fact there are some things God needs to uproot so that we don’t contaminate the relationship.

Regardless of what’s going on… 

1. Keep pressure on God’s Word – ex: God Your Word says_______. 

2. Stay in faith – ex. I believe that I received my_______. 

3. Thank God for His promises – ex: Thank God, through Jesus Christ, for my______.

Psalms 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

A person chooses to play basketball one Saturday morning. During the game, that person ends up twisting an ankle and has to come out. After the injury, that person is not questioning his faith or questioning the existence of God. He knew the potential risk of playing basketball. He also knows his ankle will get better.

The Word of God doesn’t tell us a potential risk in life, but it guarantees we will have adversities and trials in this life. When trials come, we shouldn’t be surprised and question if God is really for us. In so many ways, the Word of God tells us we will have trials. It doesn’t matter if we’re saved or not, we’ll all experience trials. Like injuries may be a part of the game of basketball, trials are a part of life.

However, for those who are saved, we have a promise of victory over those trials (1 Corinthians 15:57). We have a promise of deliverance from those trials (Psalms 34:19). We have a promise of everything working out for our good in spite of those trials (Romans 8:28). Like the injured ankle of that basketball player, we have a guarantee that things will get better (Psalms 71:20).

Be encouraged!

Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

2 Chronicles 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

We’ve all faced challenges so big until we didn’t know what to do. We’ve tried all we know to do and nothing seems to be working. Instead of staying up late at night worrying about the problem or living in fear, let’s put our focus on God. There is no problem too big He can’t handle.

Regardless if the problem is big or small, God wants us to rely on Him in every situation (1 Peter 5:7). By not looking to God and trying to figure it out on our own brings out the jealousy in God (Exodus 20:4-5). How? We make ourselves and our ideas bigger than God.

Finally, it’s okay if we don’t know what to do. If we don’t know what to do, we are encouraged to ask the Father for wisdom (James 1:5).

The common thread is God. The solution to our problems and wisdom we need will all flow through God. Look to God.

Genesis 14:18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Abraham was compelled to give a tenth of his spoils to God for allowing him to defeat his enemies. Notice, Abraham knew it was God who allowed Him to defeat his enemies. It wasn’t his skills in combat, it wasn’t his strength, and it wasn’t his intelligence. Abraham solely knew it was God who allowed him to defeat his enemies therefore, out of gratitude, he gave to God.

We experience so many great things in our lives. We obtain promotions, scholarships, approved loans for a house or a car, and business ideas. Let’s not forget it was by the grace of God all these wonderful things happen to us. It wasn’t by coincidence we have what we have, our connections, or our skills. It was God and God alone.

Knowing that it’s God who blesses us, out of gratitude, we should be compelled to give our time, talents, and our treasure to Him. Never allow the ideas of the world or the deceptions of the enemy to make you minimize the grace of God. Know it was God.

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

John 15:2 He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Pruning is a process of selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots.

As believers, we are to be led by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14). When we’re in tune with the Spirit, the Spirit will suggest adjustments or corrections in our lives to better reflect the nature of God.

To those who are open and desiring growth, the Spirit will encourage us to do some of the following:
-Have a pleasant conversation with a stranger instead of keeping to ourselves, distrusting everyone.
-Not gossiping about a fellow co-worker knowing that our words have power.
-Speaking life and being positive instead of being negative.
-Trying something new instead of doing the same thing because we’re afraid it may not work out well.
-Spending more time with God instead of being on social media.

These suggestions won’t put us in heaven or hell. These are suggestions to help us become better believers. In a plant, when a person prunes correctly, it encourages healthy growth and allows the plant to be more fruitful. When we allow the Holy Spirit to prune certain attitudes or behaviors in our lives, it too will encourage healthy growth in the ways of God so that we can be more fruitful in the world. Be open to the suggestions made by the Spirit.

Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

“Only believe, only believe. All things are possible if you’ll only believe.” ~Paul Rader

There are certain situations in life that may tempt us to do something else besides believing. Depending on the circumstance, there are situations that can tempt us to be fearful, worried, confused, or anxious. Jesus instructs us to only believe.

In our case, under the New Covenant, we are to believe in the finished works of Jesus. We are to believe, through the sacrifice of Jesus, every blessing and promise from God was made available to and for us. There is nothing that’s unfinished or has to be figured out. It’s already done.

With this understanding, we don’t have to be fearful, worried, or anxious. Our fear or worry won’t better the situation anyway. If we only believe, it’s a matter of time before things change for our good.

Only believe, only believe. All things are possible you’ll only believe.

1 Samuel 1:17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Hannah was depressed and grieved because she was without child. Hannah went to God in prayer and requested a son. After praying to God about the issue, she ate something, forced herself out of depression, and went on with her life. In the natural, nothing had changed. She still was without a child and she was not miraculously pregnant. So, what caused her attitude and behavior to shift? Hannah trusted God and she believed her prayers would be answered.

When we know God heard us and He is faithful to keep His Word, we can go on with our lives. We don’t have to sit there wondering if God heard or will answer our prayers. Unlike Hannah, we are under a better covenant and we have a promise from God.

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.

Regardless of the problem or desire, once we confidently pray to the Father about the issue, in Jesus name, we can pick ourselves up, force ourselves out of depression or anxiety, and believe our prayers were heard and will be answered.

By the way, God blessed Hannah with a son, who would later be a great Prophet of God (Samuel) and three additional sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, all of our needs and desires have been made available to us. Our faith is the tool we use to obtain these promises (Romans 4:13-16). From the time we asked, to the time we physically receive a promise, there are some faith-filled instructions we must follow.

Faith-filled instructions are instructions given by the Holy Spirit that can lead us to the promise we desire. It takes faith to believe Jesus made the promises of God available to us, but it also takes faith to follow-through with the instructions given to us by the Holy Spirit.

For instance, we ask God and have faith for a new car. Three months after we asked, the Holy Spirit may instruct us to go to a car dealership on the other side of town on a Monday evening after work. On the surface, some of us may question if it’s really the Holy Spirit due to the fact that there was a significant delay in receiving these instructions and these instructions are an inconvenience. However, if we go past our comfort zone and believe, these instructions may set us up for our new car. If we’re willing to obey, the Holy Spirit may have us meet with a salesperson who is a friend of the family who can not only sell us the new car we desired, but sell it to us for $3,000 lower than we were willing to pay.

By obeying these faith-filled instructions, we can be led to receive every promise of God.

Mark 6:48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 

John 6:21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Another revelation we can see from this passage of scripture is the embodiment of grace.

When the disciples were instructed to go to the other side, heavy winds were against them making it difficult to reach the other side. They strained and strained, but still were unsuccessful in reaching the other side. It wasn’t until they focused their eyes of Jesus, all their straining ceased and they immediately arrived at their destination.
Like the disciples, we have a tendency to strain and toil to obtain the blessed life on our own. We may think we need to work harder or gain more connections to achieve a certain goal. Spiritually speaking, we’ll have a law like mentality thinking we need to do more (praying, fasting, giving) to get God to move on our behalf. What we fail to realize is it’s not by works that we receive the promises of God. All the promises of God are received by faith (Romans 4:13-16).

All of our efforts are beneficial is some way, but they don’t encourage God to do anything. Our faith is what obtains the promises of God. When we believe that the sacrifice of Jesus has made everything we need or desire available to us and we believe God wants us to have these promises, that faith obtains every promise in the Word of God.

Stop trying to struggle and figure it out by yourself. Focus your eyes on the finished works of Jesus and receive the promises of God by faith.

Mark 6:47 Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48 He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50 because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 

John 6:21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

See the parallel. 

Jesus instructed His disciples to go to the other side. Heavy winds were against the disciples preventing them from reaching their goal. When Jesus came on the scene, the winds died down and the boat was immediately at their destination. 

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the promises of God were made available to us. God instructs us to use our faith to obtain these promises. Delays, thoughts of doubt, and distractions are sent to prevent us from obtaining our promises. However, as we continue to look at Jesus and the finished works He’s made available for us, we not only will obtain the promises of God, but the more we focus on Him, there is the potential to expedite the promise entering our lives. 

Let’s keep our mind focused on the finished works of Christ instead of the problem. 

Have you ever woke up and didn’t feel like yourself? You don’t feel like talking to anyone, everything annoys you, and it seems like it hurts to smile. Or, what about the times when everything is going well, but then someone treats you poorly or you receive some unfortunate news. In an instant, we go from the nice person to Mr./Ms. Moody.

These are negative emotions. The enemy uses negative emotions to affect those around us. How can we show the love of Christ if we’re full of negative emotions? How can we let our lights shine when they’re clouded with moodiness? Some may think they’re justified in being negative based on their situation. What those people don’t realize is they become slaves to their emotions. Whatever their emotions feel, they express.

Anytime negative emotions arise, we need to recognize what the enemy is doing to our minds and adjust. We adjust by asking God to help us with our emotions, be intentional about smiling or being nice in spite of how we feel, and receive the joy of the Lord because the joy of the Lord will be our strength to overcome these negative emotions.

Resist the urge to be negatively affected by negative emotions.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Mark 11:2-3 “and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

As we can see, there was a colt tied up to something, but the Lord needed its use. The disciples were instructed to loose it. Like the colt, some of us are tied to something. That something could be fear, insecurities, selfishness, or past pains. The thing(s) that’s tying us down is hindering or limiting the Lord’s use of us. Through the scriptures, God is instructing us to loose it. Letting it go not only frees ourselves, but brings more glory to God. 

God may be instructing some of us to go into business for ourselves, but we’re afraid. Loose it! God may be instructing some of us to help someone out financially, but we don’t want feel like an idiot if they seem ungrateful. Loose it! God may be instructing some of us to get the attention of that man or woman for a potential relationship, but our insecurities are holding us back. Loose it! 

Whatever God is instructing us to do, if there is any hesitation, loose it. His instructions are for our good and for His glory. 

Luke 21:19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

This is such a simple verse, but it has such a powerful meaning.

As we face difficulties, there will be so many things that will attempt to pull us away from trusting God. We’ll have thoughts of doubt, over analyzing the situation, lies from the enemy, or temptations to let go altogether. As we face hardships, I encourage you to stand firm.

We may not know what’s going on or how long it’s going to last, but stand firm. We may be confused about the reason it’s happened, but stand firm. We may have thought it would be better by now, but stand firm.

As we stand firm, we have a guaranteed promise of a win. No matter what we do, even with tears in our eyes, stand firm.

Deuteronomy 1:27 You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.

We all face difficult times in our lives. Some of us are going through a difficult time right now. Regardless of how difficult the situation looks, it’s not because God hates us. We face difficulties for two reasons.

The first reason is consequences. If we intentionally touch fire, we have to go through the pain of being burnt. The second reason is that difficulty is a component of life. Just because we’re children of God doesn’t mean we’re exempt from tests or trials. The difference between the trails we face versus the trials the world faces is we have a guarantee of victory. The trials we face produce endurance and it tests the genuineness of our faith (James 1:3; 1 Peter 1:7).

No matter the reason behind the trial or how long we’ve been in the trial, it’s not because God hates us. God loves us and He only wants the best for us. As we totally rely on God in the midst of our trial and not waver, our faith is strengthened and destroys the very trial we face.

As we face trials, read the following verse below to continue to stay encouraged:

Deuteronomy 1:29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.

Isaiah 54:4 Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.

We’ve all made some mistakes in our past. We’ve said some things we shouldn’t have said, done some things we shouldn’t have done, and didn’t do some things we should have done. A lot of those mistakes occurred when we were younger, but some are more recent. Regardless if it was yesterday or 10 years ago, it’s still the past and it’s up to us to forgive ourselves and move on.

When we ask for forgiveness from God, God has not only forgiven us, but He’s forgotten the mistakes we made (Heb. 8:12). In order to continue to make progress in our lives, the Word of God instructs us to forget about our past mistakes. It’s our choice to forget and to forgive ourselves. There is no benefit of rehearsing the mistakes we’ve made. God already knew the mistakes we would make, therefore, He’s orchestrated our lives to have those mistakes work out for our good and for His glory. 

It’s time to let go of our past and move on. Anytime the thought of the mistake comes, let’s remind ourselves that God has forgiven and forgotten our mistakes so, we should too. Trust that God will cause everything (good and bad) to work out for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Inspired by Pastor D @ amazingchurch.com