Graced To Do God's Will

John 8:42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.

Jesus tried to let these religious Samaritans know in so many words that He was sent by God and He is greater than anyone else who came before Him.

As Jesus speaks, the Pharisees attempt to converse with Him using natural logic. They’re not even on the same page. Jesus is speaking spiritually, but they are responding logically. If the Pharisees would’ve believed and taken Jesus at His Word, they would have been in right standing with God. They chose not to believe based on a disconnect between what Jesus was saying and their logic.

Some of us (believers and unbelievers) do this today. We attempt to understand spiritual things using natural logic. We’ll never understand spiritual things using our natural minds. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14). If we can’t fathom what the Bible or ministers are saying logically, we’ll choose not to believe.

We can only understand spiritual things through our faith. Every spiritual thing requires belief that goes beyond our logic. It may not initially make sense or it may be difficult to comprehend, but choose to go past your logic and believe.

Deuteronomy 8:7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

God has great promises for us. One of those promises is being in a position where we lack nothing.

Think about that for a minute. The mortgage/rent is paid, the bills are paid, we have plenty of food, and our bank accounts are steadily increasing. God not only wants us lacking nothing financially, but He doesn’t want lack in any other area of our lives. He wants us to have a great marriage, peace in our minds, and a healthy body. He’ll even be a parent if we lack an earthly parent (Psalm 68:5).

Some may think having all we want and need is impossible however, when we place our faith in this promise, God must deliver based on His Word. Believe that you have received a life where you lack nothing.

Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

When we read these verses, we usually think about forgetting the negative events of our past and reaching towards the prize set before us in our futures. These verses don’t specify forgetting negative events only. It says, forgetting the things that are behind. That means bad and good things of our past.

It’s easy for us to understand why we shouldn’t think about the negative events of our past. We’ll open old wounds, we’ll allow sadness to set in, or we’ll harbor unforgiveness in our hearts. Not dwelling on seemingly positive events of our past may be a little harder to understand.

Dwelling on positive events of our past may not allow us to appreciate the present or our potential future. We’ll compare our now to our past and not fully appreciate what God is doing now. We may recall how we or someone else used to be and be disappointed in what we see now. We may fantasize and romanticize our past and doubt we can experience that same level of joy in the future.

Does this mean we can’t think about anything in our past? No. It’s simply telling us to not let the past hinder, cripple, minimize, or distort what God is doing now or what He can do in the future.

John 6:69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Although the disciples were hand-picked by Jesus Himself, it took time for them to truly believe. Prior to their belief, they observed Jesus in action preaching great sermons and performing wondrous miracles. It came to a point where the disciples had no choice, but to believe Jesus was the Messiah.

A lot of us do or have done the same thing. We hear about Jesus, but we won’t fully believe until we get a full revelation of Who He is and experience Him operating in our lives.

Unbelievers go through the same thing. They too must get a full revelation of Who Christ is to them. As believers, we shouldn’t get upset or frustrated with people who haven’t fully given their lives to Jesus. Give them some time. Let them experience the true love of God through Christ. Pray that they get a revelation of Who Jesus is and experience miracles in their lives. So much so until they have no choice, but to believe.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Have you ever felt like blah? Does it seem like life has become mundane and there’s no real excitement? It’s probably because there’s a lack of joy in our lives.

The only way to replenish our joy is to spend time in the presence of God. This time doesn’t have to be religious with incense and candles. It’s simply thinking of the goodness of God. It’s recalling all that He’s done. It’s asking Him what we should do about a certain task. It’s thanking God in advance for the things we’ve prayed for. That’s spending time with God.

Being in God’s presence produces the promise of joy. We’ll experience joy in the simple things like, watching the sunset, playing with our children, or finding humor with people at work.

So if your joy is waning, go replenish it by spending time with God.

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

There’s a big push in the church, based on the great commission, to bring people to church for salvation. Salvation is the greatest experience a person can have, but we must remember we can’t make people accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We shouldn’t guilt or condemn someone into accepting Jesus as Lord and we definitely shouldn’t scare them into salvation using the “you’re going to hell” card.

The only way people will genuinely accept Jesus as Lord is if God draws them. We’re instructed to preach the Gospel and show them the way, but only God can draw them. This drawing doesn’t have to be in a church. God can draw them in a hotel, in the middle of a work day, while they’re in prison, or a minute before they’re about to commit suicide.

Just know it’s our responsibility to get people excited about salvation, but it’s God Who draws.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Throughout our lives, there’s always going to be a struggle between our will and the will of the Father. We may want to stay, but God may be prompting us to move. We may want to get divorced, but God is telling us to stay.

If Jesus, our example, didn’t come to do His own will, but the will of the Father, we should discover God’s will for our own lives.

Knowing God’s will doesn’t come automatically. It takes continuous communication with God. Once knowing God’s will, the fight is on. We must resist the urge to do our own will or get sidetracked from doing God’s will.

Let’s find out what God’s will is for our lives and do just that.

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

God initially gets our attention by blowing our minds and we have no choice to admit that it was God. He’ll supernaturally drop some charges we may be facing, reduce our debt, deliver us from a terrible situation, or open doors of opportunity.

Those mind-blowing events will have us going to more church events and wearing our “Blessed” t-shirts. Although this is great, those types of blessings may not come as frequently or be as spectacular as they once were. They may slow down. If we’re not mindful, we’ll become spiritual junkies itching for our next blessing.

This deceleration requires us to deepen our relationship with God. God wants more from us than our hands out. He wants a relationship. He wants us to tell Him about our problems, He want us to take His advice, and He wants us to get to know Him better.

Let’s not only associate ourselves with God because of what He can do for us. Let’s associate ourselves with God because we truly desire an intimate relationship with Him.

Numbers 13:33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

How we see ourselves, is how we’ll appear to others.

If we see ourselves as small, insignificant, or unequipped, that’s how we’ll appear to others. If we see ourselves as unattractive, unintelligent, or unable, that’s how others will view us. On the other hand, if we see ourselves as kings/queens, prosperous, and capable, we’ll be just that. If we see ourselves as confident, complete, and courageous, we will be that in the sight of others.

How we want people to see us is how we need to see ourselves.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Some of us want to make prayer a big long event in the morning or at night. That’s fine if that’s what you desire, but it doesn’t have to be. Prayer is simply communicating with God. We can do this throughout the day.

We can pray while driving to work, we can pray during our lunch break, and we can pray while working out at the gym. We can pray over our bosses, we can pray God’s protection over our children, and we can pray for peace in a certain situation. Whatever comes to mind or whatever we see that doesn’t line up with the will of God, we can talk to God and apply our God-given authority over that situation.

Don’t wait to pray or feel like it needs to be an event. Talk to our heavenly Father throughout the day.

James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

When we truly understand that every prayer we pray that aligns with the Word of God will come to pass regardless of how long it takes, we become unstoppable. It’s literally a super power.

We can just go around praying over anything. We can pray that our finances increase, our hair grows longer, and our strength is revived. This is a good time to intercede on the behalf of others. We can pray for their unborn baby to be blessed, we can pray that they get a revelation of who they are in Christ, and we can pray they’re disciplined in their finances. Don’t just limit this power to people. Nothing’s off limits. We can pray that a dying tree comes back to life, we can rebuke insects from entering our house, and we can declare no issues with the car.

Use this power throughout the day and expect to see positive results in your environment.

Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, so that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions.

Have you ever been in that confused place and you don’t know what to do next? When clarity is needed, start a fast. A fast is not the most popular solution for clarity, but if done correctly, it can be the most impactful.

As we see in this scripture, a fast requires humility before God and a seeking of God. During a fast, we must approach God with a “You’re my only option” mindset. We strip away things that appeal to our flesh (food, TV, social media, etc.) and actively pursue the voice of God. A fast benefits our lives, our children’s lives, and it accomplishes God’s will in the earth.

We don’t have to wait to be prompted by our church to fast. We can fast whenever we need clarity.

Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

These scriptures go hand in hand. The common theme in these verses is “good.”

Everything God does or doesn’t do is for our good. When we immediately get what we prayed for, it’s for our good. When there’s a delay in the manifestation of our desires, it’s for our good. When we didn’t get what we wanted, it’s for our good. Everything God does is for our good.

When we understand the wisdom behind God’s timing, we’ll go through those times where it seems like nothing’s happening with joy. We’ll realize God’s not being unkind or punishing us. He’s simply waiting for the most opportune time to display His goodness in our lives.

He wants good for us and don’t you forget it.

Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

We get excited about prosperity, however there are seasons to prosperity. Every season is not the season of prosperity. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

There are seasons of reaping a harvest (prosperity), but there’s also a season of sowing which includes: learning, investing our time without immediate results, and simply being patient and waiting. We celebrate the season of prosperity, but we discredit the season of sowing. There’s real benefit in the season of sowing.

The things we obtain during the season of sowing are everlasting. The things we learn can last for a lifetime. The time we invest in being a blessing to others can have an everlasting impact. The time we spend waiting on our harvest is a time we can deepen our relationship with God.

Let’s not discredit the season of sowing. It can greatly impact our lives.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

One fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Self-control is needed in a lot of areas.

For a healthy body, we need to have self-control regarding our eating. For a productive work day, we must control ourselves with the amount of TV we watch at night. To have a healthy relationship with our children, we need to control ourselves with how often we discipline our children.

Luke 16:10-11 says, “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. If, then, you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?”

When we pair self-control with faithfulness, we can see how it impacts our future. If we don’t have self-control regarding our spending habits now, how can God entrust us with that great financial increase we’ve been praying for? If we overwork ourselves because we don’t know when to stop, how can we be faithful to that spouse we’ve been believing God for? A lack of self-control can hinder the manifestation of our prayers.

Receive everything God has promised by being led by the Spirit and practicing self-control.

Hosea 6:3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord . His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

As believers, our ultimate pursuit in life is to deepen our relationship with God by growing in the knowledge of God.

Knowing God is a provider, healer, deliverer, forgiver, etc. minimizes thoughts of doubt. We don’t question if He can, but by spending time with Him, we know He can and He will.

We all have busy lives, but it’s important to set aside a portion of our day to get to know God a little bit more.

The bills are overdue, the car is about to be repossessed, the children seem to be sick every other week, fatigue has set in, and it seems like there’s no end in sight. What do we do? One thing we can do is thank God.

From a natural perspective, it seems foolish to thank God because it seems like everything is going wrong. But from a spiritual perspective, it’s beneficial to thank God during tough seasons.

We’re not thanking God for problems. We’re thanking God while we’re going through the problems. We thank God for a healthy body to work to pay a portion of our bills. We thank God for the funds to pay for the bus if our car gets repossessed. Thank God the children don’t have a terminal disease. We thank God for His strength that got us through the day. If we can’t find anything to be thankful for, we can thank God for Jesus.

Our thankfulness in troubling situations changes our perspective. Instead of focusing on everything that’s wrong, it reminds us of all the good God has done in our lives.

So, in every season, be thankful.

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

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The best way to better any relationship is getting to know the other person. It’s no different when bettering our relationship with God. How do we better our relationship with God? By getting to know every part of Him (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) through intimate time in His Word and conversing with Him.

There are several benefits through our knowledge of God. As we see, an abundance of grace and peace can be obtained through the knowledge God and Jesus. Wisdom and revelation comes through the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17).  Finally, all things (needs / desires) that pertain to life and godliness come through the knowledge of Him. Obviously, getting to know God is important.

Let’s stop all the theatrics and religious duties and build an intimate relationship with God by getting to know Him more.

1 Samuel 2:1 “My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

Hannah could smile in the face of her enemies because of her expectancy in the salvation of the Lord.

When we face various attacks from the enemy (Satan), we should smile. We don’t smile because the attacks are fun and exciting. We smile because there’s an opportunity to experience the salvation of the Lord.

We get to see how God’s going to save us from certain situations. We get to see how God will provide for us. We get the see the miracle working power of God.

Although it’s natural to get upset or frustrated with problematic events in our lives, don’t get frustrated. Change your perspective and smile and expect to see the salvation of the Lord.

Judges 15:15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi.

After Samson killed 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey, he was thirsty. Once he communed with God and drank from the water God provided, Samson’s strength returned and he was revived.

In our own lives, we will have to fight. We’re not fighting physically like Samson, but we will have to fight spiritually. Like Samson had to destroy 1000 men, we may have to destroy 1000 demonic thoughts a day (2 Cor. 10:5). One thought may be a thought of worry about how we’re going to pay our bills. Another thought may be a thought of lust. They’ll come one after another. After fighting for so long, we may be mentally exhausted.

In the scriptures, one metaphor for water represents the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). When we commune with God and spend time in His Word, we too can be strengthened and revived. We’ll get the strength to continue on from day to day until we get what God has promised.

So, if you’re feeling mentally, spiritually, or even physically fatigued, spend time with God and His Word and expect your spirit, soul, and body to be strengthened and revived.

Psalm 91:5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

There’s a lot of reasons to fear. We can fear someone harming us, we can fear getting sick, we can fear going broke, we can fear failure, etc. With all these reasons to fear standing before us, it’s still a choice to be afraid.

With God on our side, there’s a lot of reason not to fear. Throughout His Word, He’s told us numerous times to not be afraid. He’s told us He’s with us, He protects us, He’ll fight for us. With all these promises from God, some of us still choose to fear. Either we’re going to believe in His promises or be afraid that His promises won’t pan out.

Make the decision today that you’re not going to be afraid of ANYTHING anymore.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.

There’s an old hip-hop saying that says, “Wave your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care.” Although it originated in hip-hop, there are some spiritual components with that saying.

When we don’t care about our problems, struggles, issues or concerns because we’ve given them to God, we don’t have cares weighing us down. We become free to lift our hands, wave them in the air, and praise our great God.

We’re praising God because He’s handling everything we gave Him. He’s handling every concern about our children, every uncertainty with our health, and every issue with our finances. He will perfect everything that concerns us (Psalm 138:8).

Don’t wait to be prompted by music. When we give our cares to God, we can wave our hands in the air (in praise) and wave them because we just don’t care.

Matthew 14:29 (AMP) He said, “Come!” So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Peter was frightened, confused, and unsure during this time in his life, but his fears and uncertainty was cleared as he went towards Jesus.

When we have fear or uncertainty in our own lives, it’s best that we come towards Jesus. It’s best that we spend time with Him. It’s best we read His Word and tell Him all about our fears and uncertainties. It’s best that we see Him as our Savior.

As we come towards Jesus, all our fears will be transformed into faith and our confusion will turn into clarity. And like Peter walking on water, as we come towards Jesus, we’ll do extraordinary things.

Go towards Jesus.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Throughout God’s Word, it tells us that we have joy however, there are times we don’t feel joyful. But, just because we can’t feel joy doesn’t mean it’s not there. With healing, there are times we don’t feel healed, but it doesn’t change the truth in God’s Word that says, “we’re healed.” It’s the same way with the feeling of joy or any other promise from God.

Like any promise of God, the feeling of joy must be received by faith. The feeling of joy may not always be there, but since His Word says we have joy, we should use our authority to command the feeling of joy into our lives.

God gave us joy. The devil attempts to steal it from us. We must hold on to the feeling of joy with our faith.

Confession: “I believe God gave me joy and I declare the feeling of joy in my life, in the name of Jesus.”

We may have to make our confessions multiple times throughout the day, but as we fight the feelings of heaviness, sadness, or depression, the feeling of joy must reveal itself.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

Most of us don’t have a problem with humbling ourselves. With a little motivation, we’re willing to let go and let God direct our lives. None of us have a problem with exaltation. We’re happy to be lifted, promoted, or increased. The problem most of us have is with “due time.”

We’ll humble ourselves for a couple of months, but after that, we’re ready for exaltation. Unfortunately, there’s not a time table for exaltation. It could be a couple of weeks, but it could be 3 years. We don’t know.

Regardless of how long it takes, our role is to remain humble by doing the things God has instructed us to do. We may not know when, but there’s a guarantee of exaltation if we humble ourselves. Don’t worry about the time because every delay works in our favor.

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Q: What does a body without self-control like?

A: Eating sweet, salty, savory things in large quantities.
A: Lusting over attractive people that are not our spouse.
A: Sitting around and not exercising.
A: Getting drunk or high on drugs.
A: Not sleeping or sleeping too much.

As we mature, we need to discipline our bodies (flesh) to do things that honor God and that are going to be beneficial to our health. A good way to discipline our flesh is with a fast.

When we fast, we intentionally take the keys away from our flesh and sensitize ourselves to hear God’s voice. He may tell us to exercise, read more, or limit the amount of sweets we eat. Whatever He tells us is going to bring Him glory and be beneficial for us.

Take control over your bodies.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Whatever God called us to do, He is able to see us through.

God called some of us to go back to school, but due to our finances or other circumstances we stopped our pursuit of getting our degree. If He called us to do it, He’s able to see us through it.

God told some of us to start exercising. We started, but due to minor ailments or the feeling of fatigue we stopped. If He called us to do it, He’s able to see us through it.

God told some of us to start a business. We started it, but looking at how hard it’s going to be we stopped our business to remain at a “safe” 9 to 5 job.

Whatever He told us to do, He’s able to see us through. He’s not concerned about our finances, how we feel, or how hard it is. He knows that we can’t do it within ourselves. All He’s requiring is our belief in His ability and our participation with His plan. Know that through Him (Jesus), we can finish God’s plan (Phil 4:13).

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

We’re living in a time where we’re glorified by how much money we have, what type of house we have, what type of cars we drive, and what type of vacations we go on. When we have all of that, we want to post it on social media.

The amount of likes we get from our posts makes some of us feel important. We want to keep that image up so that we can appear successful.

As we can see, the Bible tells us not to think of ourselves more highly than we should. The amount of likes we get can go to our heads. Don’t let the likes go to your head.

We are important because we’re blessed and made in the image of God. Continue to remain humble.

1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

As David was preparing for battle with Goliath, he gathered five smooth stones for his slingshot. With God at his side, he only needed one stone.

Like David, we often feel like we need more than we actually do to succeed. We feel like we need a degree, with a good grade point average, and connections to get that desired job. All we need is God and His favor will open up doors of opportunity. We feel like we need, good credit, a certain amount of money in the bank, and a certain amount of income to get our desired house. With our trust in God, we can get a house with one or none of those things.

We feel like we need these extra things because we’ve been convinced by the world that these other factors will make us successful. Let’s shift our confidence. Instead of having confidence in grade point averages and credit scores, let’s put our confidence in God. Now, if He tells us to get those additional things, so be it. But, let’s not solely depend on that.

Seek God, and you’ll find out you won’t need as much as you think you need to succeed.

Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

Reading the Bible is not something we do just to say we did it and it shouldn’t be a chore. The Bible is the written Word of God. It’s not just a book to be read, but it’s God’s Word that should be studied (2 Tim. 2:15).

God’s Word gives, revelation, wisdom, and understanding. We can study the Word of God and get an answer to a dilemma we’re having at our job. Studying the Word of God can improve our marriage. Studying the Word of God can increase our business. A lot of us have this great book, but it’s only read at church.

Start taking the time to study a verse, a chapter, or a book and expect revelation, wisdom, and understanding to upload into our minds.

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

When we make Jesus our Lord and Savior, we become adopted into the family of God. God is our Father. We are His heirs. This is our new family.

Every spiritual promise is based on our belief. If we don’t believe we’re a part of the family of God, we won’t reap the benefits of being in the family of God. One great benefit is divine health.

Whatever health issues we may have had with our old families is cancelled. Our old families may have had a history of high blood pressure, sickle cell disease, depression, alcoholism, or early death. All of that is cancelled. We’re in a new family now. We’re in the family of God.

In this new family, every cell, organ, thought, and chemical within us functions the way God intended for it to function. In fact, 1 John 4:17 says, as He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world. Jesus is not walking around heaven with arthritis, bad kidneys, or a bad hip, so neither should we.

Don’t accept the old issues with our old families. We’re in a new family, therefore new benefits are available. Believe and receive them today.

Inspired by Pastor Bill Winston

Psalm 91:14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

When we set our love towards God, we have the following promises to look forward to:

Deliverance, Promotion, Answers, Companionship, Honor, Long Life, Satisfaction, and Salvation.

Setting our love towards God is more than saying, “God, I love you.” Setting our love means we honor God by doing His will, we make the adjustments to align our lives with His Word, and we put our faith, trust, and hope in Him.

All God wants is a devoted loving relationship with us. Let’s give God our love and keep it there and expect His promises to follow.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

The temptations Satan presents are enticing and they appeal to our flesh. They are tailor-made temptations based on our sin tendencies, our upbringing, and what we’re exposing ourselves to.

It may seem fun to relieve the stresses of work by getting tipsy at happy hour. If cheating on our spouses was glorified in our upbringing, we may be tempted to do the same.

Certain temptations may not lead directly to sin. They just may lead us away from something more beneficial. For instance, Satan may tempt us to binge watch Netflix shows instead of spending time with God. There’s nothing wrong with watching Netflix, but the temptation to binge watch shows leads us away from quality time with God or being more productive with our time like studying for a test.

We must recognize and not succumb to temptation. God has blessed us with the wisdom to know when we’re being tempted and has given us the strength to resist. Use these tools to honor Him and have a better quality of life.

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

Have you ever heard the statement “You changed,” as if it’s a bad thing? In life, we’re supposed to change. There are two ways we can change. We can either change by renewing our minds with the Word of God or change by renewing our minds with something else.

When we renew our minds with the Word of God, we make our thoughts align with His Word. Any change in our thinking compels us to change our behavior. Consistently hearing the Word of God on love, service, and giving will change us into more of a loving, serving, and giving person.

This type of change is good. People often highlight the change in us because it makes them aware of areas where they need to grow. It puts pressure on them to change. It isolates them because now there’s one less person who thinks like them.

Don’t be resistant to change. It’s beneficial to our lives.

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

God thinks about us often. He’s not just some giant in the sky demanding our praise. We’re always on His mind. He’s the lover of humanity.

God wants the best for us, He wants to see us prosper, and He wants us to tell others about Him. Even if we hadn’t done right by Him, we’re still on His mind. He hasn’t forgotten about us, He hasn’t disowned us, and He still loves us.

Just know, God loves you and He’s always thinking of you.

John 6:9 “Here is a boy with five barley loaves and two small fish. But what difference will these make among so many?”

The miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the little boy voluntarily giving up his lunch. Although it wasn’t stated, we know his lunch was given voluntarily, and not forced, because God never makes anyone do anything. That would violate our free-will, which would violate His Word.

Because the boy voluntarily gave his lunch for the Kingdom of God, his lunch was multiplied. The boy’s gift positively impacted his life and the lives of 5000 other people.

God is not going to owe anyone. When we cheerfully give, we can expect a harvest in return. If we give an additional $2.00, we can expect a harvest on that $2.00. If we give $200.00, we can expect a harvest on that $200.00. That’s God’s promise to us.

Even if it feels like your last, don’t be afraid of giving. God promises that He will multiply any seed we sow.

2 Samuel 6:14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].

David danced in his undergarments. Is this how a king is supposed to act? Absolutely not. But, when it came to praising God, all protocol went out the door.

God has been so good to us. He’s saved us and delivered us from the bondage of sin. He blessed and continues to bless us. He’s healed our bodies. He’s kept our sanity, and so much more. With all that He’s done, breaking protocol for praise shouldn’t be an issue.

The problem is we think about other people. We don’t want to “embarrass ourselves” or look foolish, and we want to appear dignified. If lifting our hands, crying tears of joy, yelling, jumping, and running are foolish in the eyes of other people, then so be it. God is worthy of our praise.

In praise, break protocol by doing things you don’t normally do. God is worthy of all of our praise.

Inspired by Pastor Bill Winston

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

Mark 6:6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

The things that make Jesus marvel….

In one instance, Jesus marveled at a man’s belief. In another instance, Jesus marveled at a group’s unbelief.

Be a person that makes Jesus positively marvel with your belief. Choose to believe God’s Word no matter how you feel or what your senses tell you. It will advance the Kingdom of God, benefit your life, and benefit the lives of others.

Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

Isn’t this like some of us today. We want to believe, but unbelief keeps showing up.

Most Christians want to undoubtingly believe the Word of God. We want to believe all things are possible with God. We want to believe we are healed and whole. We want to believe we are protected from all danger. We want to believe, but our five senses and the circumstances surrounding us cause doubt to enter our minds. Doubt is the seed of unbelief.

We eliminate unbelief by renewing our minds with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). If we read and say something long enough, we’ll eventually believe it. When thoughts of doubt enter our minds, we should read/confess something in God’s Word that counters those thoughts. We do this until there’s manifestation. It may take days, months, or years, but we maintain our belief through the confession and meditation on the Word of God.

You want help with unbelief? Meditate and confess God’s Word.

Luke 12:48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

There are many of us who desire things such as marriage, a house, and children. Some of us have them now. For those who are still waiting, know these desires require great responsibility. If we have these things, know these things can improve by fulfilling our responsibilities.

A good marriage requires compromise, effective communication (even when we’re upset), and a daily dying to self. A beautiful house requires consistent cleaning, maintenance, and more money. Good children require sacrifice of sleep, pushing our desires aside, and effort without laziness.

If we don’t fulfill our requirements, we’ll have these desires in name only. The quality will be poor. If we’re not willing to fulfill our required responsibilities, we might want to hold off on obtaining these types of desires.

Fulfill the required responsibilities for every desire received.