Graced To Do God's Will

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. -Psalms 78:4 NLT

As adults, we have a responsibility to tell the next generation about all the wonderful things God has done for us. Even if you’re not a parent, you still can tell the next generation about our loving Father.

How will they know to put their faith, trust, and hope in Him if we don’t tell them what He’s done for us? How will they know how to totally depend on God if we don’t tell our testimony? We must let them know about how He delivered us from that bad habit or toxic relationship. We must tell them how God gave us the free gift of grace through Jesus Christ. We must let them know there is nothing we can do that will stop God from loving us.

Explaining what God has done for us requires transparency and vulnerability. We can’t act like we have it all together or have been saved all our lives to be impactful to the next generation. Let’s be open and honest and tell the next generation ALL the things God has done and continues to do in our lives.

As social media expands, we’ll see more and more people who dishonor God get a lot of the things we desire. They’ll get married, get a new car, get a new house, and have the excess money for vacations. Meanwhile, we’re honoring God and it seems like our blessings are on backorder.

This is a defining moment. Will we continue to honor God or say, “forget it” and give in to our flesh? Galatians 6:9 says, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

If everyone around us is living worldly and it seems like they are living their best lives, we have to be okay with looking at them, but still trusting God with fulfilling our desires in due time. If the majority of people are going right, we must be okay with going left. It may seem unfair at times and it may seem lonely, but what God has for us will last forever. Be okay with doing things God’s way.

Psalms 37:1‭-‬3‭ Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

There are people who don’t trust the bible because it was written by man. They feel like it could be hidden agendas in the bible that cause its followers to behave, act, and think a certain way. They think it makes mankind to be like sheep.

They think they’re outsmarting the system by not obeying what the bible says (in context), but in actuality, they’re being deceived by Satan. If they don’t follow the bible, they’re leaving themselves susceptible to other misleading doctrines or to their own truth which varies from person to person and is tainted.

2 Timothy 3:16 says, all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

It doesn’t say all scripture was written by God. It says all scripture was inspired by God. So, of course it was written by man, but it was man under the inspiration of God. These other doctrines, books, and thoughts are inspired by something else. If it’s not God, it’s Satan.

As much as people may hate to hear it, we were created to have a lord. We don’t have an original thought. Our thoughts are going to be influenced by God or Satan. If the thought doesn’t align with the word of God (bible), it’s from Satan.

The bible should be our final authority. Those who don’t trust it, don’t trust that God’s power can influence its writers. Please don’t be the person who thinks they’re too intelligent to follow the bible. It’s God’s word and it teaches us how to live correctly and have an amazing life. How do I know? Obey it and see.

Grace, through Jesus Christ, has made everything we’ll ever need and want available for us. It’s already prepared, but it’s in heavenly places. Ephesians 1:3 says, all praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

To get these blessings from the spirit realm into the natural realm, we must use faith.

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.

Faith is acting on what we believe. Most of our actions will involve our words. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” If we believe we’re healed by the stripes of Jesus, we act and say we’re healed. The symptoms still may be present, but faith can change the symptoms. If we desire a house, spouse, car, etc., we must speak it with the belief that it will come to pass. Regardless of what you see or delays or the “impossibilities” unbelievers like to speak over us, we must ignore all of that and believe and speak what we desire.

His word says in Mark 11:24, I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. If we’re willing to believe forever, we won’t have to believe for long. Take what God has promised by faith.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

God has blessed us with every blessing we desire on this earth. These blessings have been made available through Christ. Christ Jesus is the embodiment of grace (John 1:14). We didn’t earn or deserve these blessings. These blessings were freely given to us through Christ.

Whatever we need or desire has already been made available in Christ. It’s not being prepared when we make our request. It’s already available.

So when a situation arises, we don’t have to freak out or worry. We should know the answer has already been made available in Christ. As we believe this truth, our expectation to receive increases, our peace increases, and our joy increases. Because we know it already has been handled by God, through Christ, for free, for us. Thank you Jesus.

Where we are now is not the end. We’ve been promised by our Father better.

If we have poor health now, our health will improve. If our finances are limited, our finances will increase. If our marriage is unstable now, our marriage will get better.

The will of God can’t come to pass without faith. As we believe for the improvements in every area of our lives, those improvements must come to pass. If we doubt or we’re uncertain if the situation can change, we’ll never have our desires.

Trust and believe things will get better.

‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.” -Haggai 2:9 NKJV

Psalm 37:1-3 Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

This world has some exciting stuff for our flesh. There’s premarital sex, drugs, alcohol, excessive eating, and so much more. It may seem like people on social media or our closest friends are able to live a life that satisfies their flesh and they appear to be “successful.”

Don’t envy those people. They may seem like they’re having fun, but according to scripture, something is dying. Romans 6:23 says, for the wages of sin is death. They may not know it yet, but something is dying in their lives. It could be their health, their relationships, their intelligence, or their ability to manage their finances.

If we do things God’s way, He’ll give us our desires without sacrificing a part of our lives. Don’t get envious. Trust God’s plan.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3 NLT

Wars, mass shootings, gas prices, viruses, and inflation can tempt us to fear. What do we do when fear knocks on our door? We put our trust in God.

What about God are we trusting? We’re trusting in His promises. Look at verse 4, I praise God for what He has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

He promised to provide for us (Philippians 4:19). He promised to protect us (2 Thessalonians 3:3). He promised that we’re healed (1 Peter 2:24). He promised us an abundant life (John 10:10). If we don’t continously read His word, we can’t know or have faith for what He promised (Romans 10:17).

So, if we give into fear, that’s because we’re looking more at our circumstances than what God promised. Dismiss fear and focus on God.

It’s a choice to stress. We know this because two people could be going through the same situation and have two different responses.

Stress is a response we have when our focus shifts from God to the circumstances. As long as we look at what may happen or how it’s going to get fixed, we’ll stress, worry, and allow fear to enter our hearts. But, if we focus on God before, during, and after the circumstance, we’ll have peace. We’ll realize nothing can outdo God’s ability. We’ll know that nothing is too hard for God.

So, no matter the circumstance, focus on God and what He’s promised.

So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. -2 Kings 6:14‭-‬17 NLT

Faith Can Be Seen

Mark 2:5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Faith is acting on what you believe. In the right circumstances, faith can be seen.

For instance, people who are releasing their faith for employment, their faith can be seen as they vocalize their belief saying, “I believe I received my job” and completing applications. If you desire a house, your faith can be seen by declaring you believe you’ve received your house and going to tour houses. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the money yet. If a person desires health in their bodies, they can act on what they believe by saying, “by His stripes I’m healed.”

In all circumstances, the simplest way of displaying our faith is speaking what we desire. The Holy Spirit will direct us on other ways of displaying our faith. Eventually, what we believe and act on will come to pass.

John 3:30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

Our thoughts, our ideas, and our plans must decrease. His thoughts, His ideas, and His plans must increase. How do we do this? By renewing our minds to God’s word (Romans 12:2).

When we understand that our lives should be governed by the word of God, He becomes greater in our lives. As long as we’re skeptical of His word, the more room we make for deception. Satan uses our skepticism to decieve us into thinking our way is right. When we have a few successes doing it our way, we’ll be even more deceived into thinking our way is best. In actuality, our way leads to destruction (Proverbs 14:12).

Let’s reflect. Have you been doing things your way instead of God’s way? If so, let’s reposition God to be the head of our lives instead of ourselves.

Satan understands the benefits of spending time with God. He knows when we spend time with God, we strengthen our relationship with the Father, we become more impactful to the Kingdom, and we position ourselves to be prosperous.

That’s why Satan makes it seem like spending time with God is a chore. He likes to appeal to our flesh and dangle other things like, Netflix shows, sports, and even time with our spouse in front of us. His hope is to get us distracted or value those things over God.

God’s not going to force Himself on us. We must come to the conclusion that spending time with Him is more important than anything else. It’s not wrong to do other things, but when those things separate us from our time with God, we have a problem.

Don’t be seduced by distractions. Spend time with God.

Mark 1:35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.

I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.”-John 8:26 NLT

We may know someone is lying, we may know someone is being fake, and we may know when someone is being religious. Just because we know something about someone else doesn’t mean we need to call them out.

How is God glorified when we call out their faults? How close do we think they’re going to get to God when a “Christian” criticizes them?

It’s beneficial to keep our mouths shut about someone else’s faults, unless we’ve been permitted by God to speak on them. When God permits us to speak on another person’s faults, He knows that’s the best time for them to receive what we’re saying. Any other time may bring animosity and hostility.

Let’s do better at only saying what God wants us to say and not saying what our flesh wants to say or saying something WE think they need to hear.

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!
John 8:42‭-‬43 NLT

We may have good intentions of witnessing the gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching people how to love and forgive. We may talk/minister to them for a long time, but some of the people we talk to can’t receive anything we’re saying. Don’t get frustrated with them. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

While we’re speaking, they can’t comprehend what we’re saying because their minds have been blinded.

We may want them to do better, have better, and be stronger, but until their minds are renewed with the word of God (Rom. 12:2), they’ll never fully take advantage of what Jesus made available to us. For now, we can use our authority to remove the demonic strongholds from their minds (Luke 10:19) and pray they receive a correct revelation of what we’re trying to convey. Secondly and simultaneously, cast their situation to God. We shouldn’t be carrying their cares on our shoulders. That’s what causes frustration. Give it to God and move on.

Instead of saying that’s impossible, yea right, or that will never happen when it comes to how God is going to manifest our desires, start saying “it could happen.”

When it comes to manifesting the promises of God, it could happen in the most unusual ways. Someone could like your family and want to buy your family a house. Someone can like the way you work and offer you a promotion. Someone may like your children’s behavior and want to pay for their college.

Once again, instead of doubting how God will grant our desires, let’s keep our hope alive by telling ourselves “it could happen.”

Many of us know that with God all things are possible. It’s time to believe it and expect it.

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.
James 3:3‭-‬5 NLT

Our tongue is a small member, but it controls the direction of our lives. The things we say will impact our lives.

If we keep saying we’re broke, tired, or hurting, that’s what we’re going to be. If we keep calling our marriages hard or rocky, that’s what it will be. If we keep saying our children are bad, that’s what they will be.

We must always be mindful of what we say. Our speech may seem insignificant, but it’s creating our future. So, speak what you want to experience.

Acts 16:6‭ Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

Wait a minute. Aren’t we commanded by Jesus in Mark 16:15 to go and preach the gospel to the world? But here we have the Holy Spirit preventing them from preaching.

This let’s us know there may be a general command in the word of God, but the Holy Spirit will give us the details on when, where, and how to fulfill that command. Paul and Silas defying the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even to do a good thing like preach the gospel, could have put them in harm’s way.

We’ll read where we should give to the poor, but the Holy Spirit will tell us when to give and who to give to. Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect meeting together as believers, but the Holy Spirit will tell us what body of believers (church) we should belong to. We’re instructed to forgive. The Holy Spirit will tell us how to forgive.

Whatever God instructs us to do in His word, the details on how to accomplish it will be given by the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.

Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

If God’s word applauds people who are slow to get angry, He must have given us the ability to control of our anger and other emotions.

We don’t always have to fight back, verbalize how we feel, or do something stupid because someone has said or done something to us. We can exercise self-control which makes us mighty.

People have died and prisons are filled with people who couldn’t control their emotions. Because of a lack of self-control, people have lost their jobs and marriages have ended. Due to anger, people have said things they wish they could take back.

Let’s do ourselves a favor. Let’s take control of our lives by controlling our emotions. Don’t give people the power to control your emotions. Maintain self-control.

Everyday we have an opportunity to prioritize God, go deeper in our relationship with God, and set up our lives for continual success. We do this by spending time with God in prayer, reading His word, speaking in tongues, and meditating on His promises.

At the same time, there are other things demanding our time and energy. There’s work, going through social media, watching TV, doing mindless activities on the internet, and socializing with our friends.

We must decide what’s more important. Is it spending hours doing randomness or developing intimacy with our Father?

I’m not saying we can’t do things, outside of God, that are enjoyable. I’m saying we need to prioritize Him. He’ll tell us when we can stop praying and watch a movie. He’ll tell us when we need to get off social media and work on our business plan. He’ll tell us when we can enjoy a night with our friends. As long as He’s included in our decisions, we’ll never go wrong.

Don’t spend all your time doing everything else but spending time with God, because you’ll miss His guidance and fellowship. At the same time, don’t spend all your time in the word, praying, and not enjoying yourself trying to please Him. We can increase our intimacy with God and enjoy this abundant life He gave us through Jesus by allowing Him to direct our lives.

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. -1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

JOHN 8:16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.

As born-again believers, we have the same rights and privileges as Jesus (1 John 4:17). Jesus had confidence in everything He did because He was not alone. Our Father was with Jesus wherever He went.

God will send us on assignments. It may be presenting to management at our current jobs, expanding our business, buying a home, or raising children. Some of those assignments may be too big for our natural minds, but there’s good news. Wherever our Father sends us and whatever assignment we have, we can be confident in knowing our Father is with us. And if He’s with us, we’ll be successful wherever He sends us.

Trust and believe you’re not alone. Wherever God sends us, we’ll have success.

And the one who sent me is with me—He has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases Him.”
John 8:29 NLT

Don’t Be a Pharisee

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. John 8:3 NLT

How did the Pharisees know she was in the act of adultery? It’s not like she had a sign on the door saying, “Committing Adultery.” No. Someone must have watched her go into a house with someone who wasn’t her husband. Or, she was known to the Pharisees to commit adultery, but they didn’t say anything until now.

Either way, the Pharisees didn’t help her, counsel her, or confront her in love. They lived by the law and had every right to see her stoned.

We don’t live by the law (Romans 6:14). If you see your brother or sister going down the wrong path, don’t condemn them. Don’t be like the Pharisees and verbally stone them. Don’t tell them how ashamed they should be. Be like Jesus. In love, confront the person, address the sin, and provide instructions on how to keep them from sinning.

Don’t be like a harsh Pharisee. Be like gracious Jesus and address sins with love.

One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
Acts 16:16-‬18

That boss who’s being mean or unfair, that spouse who’s starting arguments for no reason, children who are misbehaving, and a friend who is living in fear. These are all examples of people who are demonically influenced. They may not know it, but we should.

Demonic influences are behaviors and attitudes in someone that don’t align with the word of God. According to Luke 10:19, we have authority over these influences.

Paul demonstrated his authority in Acts. He spoke to the spirit (not the person), confidently used the name of Jesus, and expected the spirit to leave. We can do that too. We can speak to that demonic spirit in that person, confidently use the name of Jesus, and tell it where to go.

We must believe and be confident that in the name of Jesus, that influence must obey.

Spirit-led Corresponding Actions

James 2:22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.

A dream will always remain a dream unless there are Spirit-led corresponding actions associated with it.

A person can desire to move to a specific location, but if they don’t have corresponding actions associated with moving, they’ll remain where they are. Corresponding actions in this case include, believe you’ve received a home in that area (Mark 11:24), researching the area, applying for jobs in that city, continuously confess to live in that area (Mark 11:23), and drive in that area periodically.

There are corresponding actions and there are Spirit-led corresponding actions. Using the same scenario, a person can desire to move to a location one week and put their house up for sale the next week. That’s impulsive. They probably didn’t consult the Holy Spirit on what corresponding actions were appropriate. They acted from their emotions. For the first 6 months, the Holy Spirit may simply want them to confess they believe they receive a house in that area. Then again, He may want them to immediately sell their house. It’s all about letting Him lead us.

If we don’t act or if we’re too impulsive, we may regret our decisions. But if we’re led by the Holy Spirit in our actions, our desires will manifest themselves beautifully.

Thinking on What’s True

Philippians 4:8 CEV Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.

The first thing listed on things we should think on is thinking on things that are true. Everyone’s truth is different. Let’s go to the word of God to define the truth.

In John 17:17, Jesus says God’s word is truth. So, it’s not my truth or your truth we should be thinking on. The only truth is the word of God.

As we keep our thoughts on God’s word, unwavering faith and belief will come to handle anything that comes our way. Fix and keep your mind on the word of God in order to be successful in every area of your life.

The World’s Sin

John 16:9 NLT The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me.

The world’s sin is not hate, unforgiveness, lust, or pride. The world’s sin is it refuses to believe in Jesus. It refuses to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, who died on the cross for our sins, and was raised from the dead so that we can be made righteous.

The sin of the world is what’s sending people to hell. It’s not sex, greed, or hate. It’s the refusal to believe in a risen Savior.

To be made righteous, God’s not asking us to feed 10,000 people or stop enjoying ourselves. He simply asks us to believe.

So, be free from and encourage others to be free from the world’s sin by believing in our Lord and Savior Jesus.

The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy. -Proverbs 23:24‭-‬25 NLT

Cards, flowers, candy, and clothes are nice gifts for Mother’s day and Father’s day, but the greatest gift we can give our parents is joy. When we honor God with our lives, we give our parents the gift of joy.

When our parents see us prioritizing God, renewing our minds with the word of God, and teaching our children to keep God first, they can experience joy whenever they think of us. This gift keeps on giving and it’s a gift they can receive daily.

Continue to give your parents joy by establishing and deepening your relationship with God.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
Acts 16:25-26 NLT

At the beginning of a lot of church services, there’s prayer and praise and worship songs. People may view this as the intro music to the message preached. It’s not.

Prayer and praise are designed for us to connect with God and worship Him for Who He is, what He’s done, and be in expectation of what He’s about to do. It’s not meant for us to look around and find our friends. Even if it’s not our favorite song, we must be intentional about focusing our attention on praying to and praising God.

Like Paul and Silas, our prayer and praise can not only set us free, but it can set free those closest to us. We may suffer from depression, but our praise can cause the spirit of depression to go. We may be consumed with thoughts about our children, but as we pray, our children will be free from whatever they’re facing. We may be dealing with a health issue and our prayer and praise can cause us to experience deliverance. If we need wisdom or an answer in an area, prayer and praise can be the key.

If you’re at home, in the car, or at church, take the opportunity to pray and praise God. It can definitely benefit us.

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.
Hebrews 5:12 NLT

As believers, when it comes to the word of God, we should be teaching others or being taught. If we’re really focused, we should be learning and teaching the word of God.

At first glance, it looks like a put down for those who still need to be taught, but it’s not. If we still need to be taught the word of God in certain areas, that’s fine. That means our faith and knowledge in those areas are getting stronger.

Eventually, we should transition to teaching others. Don’t hold all of this good information to yourself. Be a vessel for God and teach others what you know. Teaching is not limited to a congregation. We can teach our best friend forgiveness, faith, or unconditional love over the phone.

If we’re being taught it’s a win. If we’re teaching others it’s a win. Let’s be sure we’re not in a position where we’re not being taught or teaching others.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Faith is acting on what you believe. Whatever God says about us in His word, we need to act like it’s so.

You may not have all the money for the house in the natural, but in the spirit, we’re extremely rich. Jesus became poor so that we can be rich according to 2 Corinthians 8:9, so act like you have all the money. Go talk to realtors, builders, and tour houses with the mindset of “I can buy this right now” versus the “I don’t have the money” mindset.

You may not feel well, but act like it because God says we’re healed (1 Peter 2:24). We don’t deny the pain. We ignore it. As God leads and only as God leads, do something to rebel against the pain. If you have to walk with a limp, attempt to walk without a limp while declaring “I am healed.”

If your marriage is rocky, act like it’s wonderful because God says He’ll give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). How do we do that? Instead of telling everyone how bad it is, start declaring that it’s wonderful.

As we use our faith, obey God’s instructions in that area, and act like it’s so, things somehow will begin to position themselves so that it can be naturally obtained. Actual finances will begin to come in our lives so that we can obtain that house. Pain and symptoms will eventually leave us. Our marriage will actually become wonderful.

You won’t know how it will happen, but somehow it will. Let’s use our faith to manifest the things we desire.

Matthew 27:50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,

The first thing God did when Jesus fulfilled the payment for all sin was tear the veil from top to bottom. God tearing the veil of the Holy of Holies is significant in that it symbolizes that God’s presence was now open to all people and not just the High Priest. It was that important for God to reconnect with all of mankind until He prioritized tearing the veil first.

Still to this day, there are people who feel uncomfortable with talking to God for themselves. They feel like God hears a priest or a popular Christian more than them. Having this mentality is disrespectful to the sacrifice of Jesus. He went through hell so that we all can personally talk to God for ourselves.

If you have made Jesus the Lord of your life, you have just as much access to God as the Pope, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, or any other pastor with a large following. Even if you’re fresh off of sinning, you still have total access to approach God and bathe in His grace and mercy and request your needs and desires. It’s not our sacrifice or righteousness He sees. It’s the sacrifice or the righteousness of Jesus.

Psalm 91:14 The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.

When people think about God’s protection, most people have a one dimensional approach to it. They think God not allowing any negative event happening to them ever again. That sounds nice, but that’s not scriptural. There are 4 types of protection.

Protection 1
Protection from danger. God stopping things before they happen. We see this in Daniel 6:22 when God sent an angel to shut the lions’ mouths. This is the protection we like and expect from God, but that’s not His only way of protection.

Protection 2
Protection from the effects of danger. We see this in Daniel 3:26-27 where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went in the fire (danger), but the fire didn’t hurt them. We hear about this when a car flips over 5 times and the person comes out without a scratch.

Protection 3
Deliverance. Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. Although we go through negative circumstances, God provides protection through deliverance.

Protection 4
Life-preserving protection. No weapon formed against you shall prosper…Isaiah 54:17. Negative events such as car accidents or sicknesses may come, but ultimately, they’re not going to kill us.

We must believe and have faith in all the forms of God’s protection. If we don’t understand that there are more than one type of protection from God, we’ll get mad at Him when we face difficulties and we’ll doubt His abilities. That doubt will poison our faith in God. And without faith, we cannot please God or obtain His promises.

Don’t envy sinners, but always continue to fear the Lord. -Proverbs 23:17

When we see sinners having the money, cars, houses, and family, it can be a little bit of a let down. We’re doing our part by disciplining our flesh, but it seems like the sinner has what we want.

During these times, we can’t be consumed with getting things. If our goal is to get things, it will be more of a temptation to envy and act like the world. If our goal is to have a relationship with and please God, He’ll show us how to get those things without compromising our integrity or extreme effort. He’ll show us how to enjoy life, maintain peace, and be a blessing to others.

The unrighteous may have all of this excess, but its been proven a lot of them are unhappy. Keep focused on God instead of what the next man has. He’ll show us how to obtain our desires and remain holy.

Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. -2 Peter 1:12 NLT

There are a lot of things we know in the bible, but we often should be reminded of certain things in order to enjoy this life Jesus died for. We also should remind someone else.

Here are some things we should be reminded of…

1. Our words have power (Proverbs 18:21). We sometimes can forget that our words have power. They have the power to create or destroy things in our life. So, speak life to create the life you want to experience.
2. Forgive (Mark 11:25). Forgiveness doesn’t benefit someone else. It helps us. It gets rid of all the clutter we have so we can focus on what God called us to do.
3. Be led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). It’s not our logic, our feelings, or the opinion of another. It’s the Holy Spirit Who should be leading our lives and making the first and final decision in every aspect of our lives.

These are just a few things that can help us along the way. Continue to read God’s word to remind yourself and others on how to live an abundant life.

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” -Genesis 22:2 NKJV

Abraham was asked to sacrifice something he loved and waited a long time to receive. We may be asked to give up something we love or truly desire. God may ask us to sow a financial offering from money we were saving for a new car. He may tell us to quit a comfortable job. He may tell us to move from everyone we know and love. The question is, do you trust Him?

And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” -Genesis 22:12

Although Abraham didn’t physically sacrifice his son, he already made up in his mind he was going to obey God and sacrifice. Whatever God requests of us, we need to move beyond our logic and feelings and mentally prepare ourselves to make that sacrifice.

and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” -Genesis 22:16‭-‬18

Because Abraham was prepared to sacrifice a precious offering to the Lord, he positioned himself to receive blessings from God. As we trust God to the point where we make a sacrifice, we position ourselves to receive His promises. When God asks us to do a hard thing, He’s not trying to take something from us. He’s trying to get something to us. When we truly understand the heart of God and that everything works for our advantage, we’ll take a deep breath and obey God. So, how much do you trust God?

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. -Jeremiah 17:7‭-‬8 NLT

When we place and keep our trust, hope, and confidence in the Lord, the blessing is able to operate in our lives.

Part of that blessing operating in our lives is being like an unmovable ever-producing tree. When situations get tense, we’re not fazed. The outcome may be uncertain, but we’re not worried. And regardless of what’s going on in the world, we’re able to prosper.

Deep down in our hearts, we know God is able to better our situation. We just have to place and keep our trust, hope and confidence in the Lord.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus gives us (every born-again believer) a command. We are to make disciples and teach them.

So many times, the church as a whole, invites people to get saved, but they don’t have anything to make these new Christians disciples. Just because a person gets saved doesn’t automatically make them disciples. As we can see, they must be taught.

Some people have a violent background, come from an abusive situation, or have been abandoned and we (Christians in general) expect them to live a holy life without being discipled. That’s unfair.

We have been called to disciple and teach our brother and sister. That means encourage them, pray with them, and teach them the bible in context. As they become disciples, eventually they’ll disciple and teach someone else.

Don’t neglect your duty to be a disciple and make disciples.

Inspired by Charles Stevenson

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Luke 17:26‭-‬27‭, ‬30 NLT

When Jesus returns, people will be taking out the trash, brushing their teeth, getting over a hangover, or washing their clothes. When He returns, some people will be living honorably and some people will be acting foolishly.

Jesus is returning. We don’t know when, but He’s returning. Believers have been saying this for years. We’ve been saying this for so long until people are doubting His return or don’t believe in Him altogether. That’s a trick of the enemy. He’s using delay to get people to doubt.

Trust and believe He’s coming back. And when He returns, make sure you’re honoring Him with your life.

“For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Luke 17:14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

1. The lepers asked for help from Jesus.
2. Without any physical evidence of their healing, they were instructed to do an illogical thing and show themselves to the priests.
3. As they followed illogical instructions, they were cleansed.
   Note: Showing themselves to a priest was a sign that they were healed and it meant they could be reinstated into society. Before they followed instructions, they still had leprosy.

To get our desires, of course we must believe. As we believe, God may have us do something extremely illogical. He may have us go through the house buying process knowing we don’t have the money for it. He may have us move a body part knowing we just experienced pain in that body part. He may have us get off of social media and dating websites to obtain a spouse.

Regardless of His instructions, as we obey, things will begin to fall in place. Some how, some way God will put pieces together to manifest our desires.

Don’t tune it out just because it’s illogical. Follow His unusual instructions. He forewarned us by saying, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”-Isaiah 55:8-9.

Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61:9

When we come into the Kingdom of God, we become the people of the Lord or children of God. As children of God, there are special privileges we have. One of those privileges is recognition. Some people call this favor.

When we enter a room, start a new job, or meet people for the first time, there should be “something different” about us. They may not know what it is, but there should be a peace or joy surrounding us. What they can’t describe is the blessing on our lives.

We have to know and believe in this blessing ourselves. We can’t walk into a room thinking we’re ugly, unqualified, not special, or unworthy. We must know the blessing is on our lives and because of this we’ll experience recognition, preferential treatment, and opportunities we didn’t have to work for.

Let’s have a confidence about ourselves because of this blessing and expect favor in every area of our lives.

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

Through Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham is on our lives. We’re not blessed because we have a lot of stuff. We’re blessed because the word of God says we’re blessed.

We may not have all the money we want, but we’re blessed. We may not have a great marriage now or a marriage at all, but we’re blessed. Our health may not be at its best, but we’re blessed.

The blessing works through faith. Faith works by belief and confession. We must believe we’re blessed and confess we’re blessed. Look at those low finances, problematic marriage, or any other negative thing, and say “I’m blessed.” They may be treating you poorly at work but say, “I’m blessed.”

Through our belief and confession of the blessing operating within us, our lives will eventually line up with what we desire. Any negative thing we’re experiencing HAS TO improve. It’s a guarantee.

Believe in the blessing and tell yourself and anyone else, you’re blessed.