Graced To Do God's Will

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, it’s important to look at all that Jesus has done for us.

Jesus created us and everything surrounding us (Colossians 1:16).

Jesus made us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). We don’t have to work to be righteous. We’re righteous through Him.
Jesus made us holy (Hebrews 10:10). We don’t have to work to be holy. We’re holy through Him.
Jesus healed us (Isaiah 53:5). We’re not going to be healed. We’re already healed through Him.
Jesus has completed us (Colossians 2:10). A spouse, a family, or a good career doesn’t complete us. We’re complete in Him alone.

Jesus took our sins (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus freed us from the penalty of our sins (Romans 3:24). We don’t have to walk around feeling condemned. All our sins have been paid for by the blood of Jesus.

Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:14). Jesus is the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The faith it takes to believe the Word of God is orchestrated through Jesus.

Jesus intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). After all that Jesus has done for us, He’s still presently, interceding to the Father on our (the believer’s) behalf.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THANK YOU JESUS

Ecclesiastes 10:20 Curse not the king, no not even in your thought; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

Our words have power (Prov. 18:21). With this powerful tool, we’re instructed to not curse the king. For most of us, we don’t have a king, but we do have a president. Whether you agree with their policies or not, we have a mandate to keep negative words away from their lives.

Why? Because whether we like them or not, they have been put in charge over the country where we reside. They make decisions that can affect our way of living. If we’re hoping they fail or die, what type of life do we expect to have? What type of love are we showing?

Let’s pray that they operate in the spirit of wisdom, pray that their decisions are Spirit led, and pray for peace in their lives. As believers, it’s the best thing we can do for our leaders.

Too many times we think we need to be on a platform or accomplish something no one has ever accomplished to say we’re being used by God. Doing great and mighty things for the Kingdom of God is important, but the little and seemingly insignificant things matter too.

1 Corinthians 12:15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

When we tell someone an encouraging Word, post something uplifting, or volunteer our time, we’re being used by God. It doesn’t matter if we’re famous or if we’re acknowledged for our service. All that matters is God is glorified and we’re letting our light shine in this darkened world.

Let’s not always look for recognition for our services. If God tells us to do something (big or small), do it to be a blessing for someone else.

Judgements:
Can you believe she’s pregnant again?
How stupid can you be to go to prison again?
You know he has a problem with pornography.

Some people have a tendency to judge and criticize others as if they’ve never done anything wrong in their lives. We fail to realize that we’re only one Jesus away from hell ourselves. If all our shortcomings could be displayed, we would hold our heads in shame. It’s because of Jesus that we’re saved, forgiven, and made the righteousness of God. Just because all of our sins aren’t on display, doesn’t give us the right to judge or criticize others.

Compassion, love, and wisdom are what we should be expressing to those who have missed the mark. Not judgement. Let them know they’re only one Jesus away from heaven, forgiveness, and a prosperous, abundant life. Pray that demonic influences are removed from their minds. Give them hope.

We’re looking and living good now, but never forget we too needed a Savior to save us from all of our sins.

Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

How do we know if we really believe the Word of God? We may say we believe the Word, but when the trials of life arrive, that’s when we truly find out what we believe.

Trials have a way of exposing our belief. If we respond to trials with worry, fear, panic, stress, or sadness, we should be honest with ourselves and say we believe more in the possibility of a negative outcome than the Word of God.

True evidence to show that we believe the Word of God in any situation is rest. Rest doesn’t mean inactivity. Rest is taking our hands off the situation and constantly reminding ourselves that through the blood of Jesus, this situation has already been worked out. It’s placing our belief in what Jesus has already done and not what we can do.

We may not know how or when it’s going to be worked out, but because the Word says it (healing, provision, deliverance, etc.) is already done, we believe it and move on. Rest by believing the Word of God over everything.

Hebrews 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

“For your peace, let the Lord fight for you.” –Hezekiah Walker

For those who had an older brother or maybe an older sister in the same school, there was a type of peaceful confidence displayed. Those people knew that if anyone would tease them, they could tell their older sibling who would intimidate or fight the bully.

We have Almighty God on our side. Who or what can stand against Him? Trials, sickness and disease, a problematic marriage, and lack attempt to bully our lives. Instead of trying to fight these things ourselves, we need to tell our bully about our God. We need to let the Lord fight our battles.

It does us no good to face these situations alone because these problems are too big for us to solve, but they’re not too big for God to handle. Placing our trust in God’s abilities and knowing His love for us, will give us a peaceful confidence we need when these situations attack our lives. Let’s be still and let the Lord fight our battles.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

The difference between sanity and insanity is the presence or absence of peace. How we handle the difficulties we all face determines who we trust. We can attempt to handle these difficulties ourselves and be stressed, worried, and in fear, or we can give our situations to God.

When giving our situations to God, it doesn’t mean that stress or fear won’t attempt to invade our minds, but we can (by faith) apply the peace of God in our lives. When God’s peace is present, fear, stress or worry can’t stay. It’s an ongoing battle to maintain peace in the time of the storm, but it’s well worth the fight. God’s peace keeps us from having nervous breakdowns, diseases, gray hair, and more.

So whenever we go through spiritual warfare and trials, remember to apply God’s peace. It’s the only thing that will keep us joyful, sane, and focused on His plan for our lives.

The schemes of the devil are obvious to some, but deceptive to most. Today, this generation is claiming to be “woke” which means, they’re not being fooled anymore by the norms, rules, and regulations of society.

Unfortunately, this “woke” theology has infiltrated the minds of some believers. People are starting to believe God isn’t real based on the conditions of the world, the Bible is a book written by man, “religion” is a tool to enslave our minds, and we are our own gods. These deceptions are popular because it appeals to our logic.

No one questions where these ideas came from. Revelation 12:9 says, Satan is a deceiver and he deceives the whole world. Obviously, these thoughts, ideas, and suggestions that contradict the Word of God came from Satan. If we looked into the mindset of Satan, we would see he would suggest anything that would lead people astray. We shouldn’t be too surprised by this infiltration because in 1 Timothy 4:1 it says, in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

There’s nothing wrong with obtaining knowledge from other sources outside of the Bible, but when this knowledge begins to affect our beliefs and the truth in God’s Word, we’re not being “enlightened” we’re being deceived. Be aware of the devil’s schemes because it could impact our eternity.

2 Corinthians 2:11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.

Hebrews 10:28-31 (The Message Translation) If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: “Vengeance is mine, and I won’t overlook a thing” and “God will judge his people.” Nobody’s getting by with anything, believe me.

God desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). We are saved by confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:19). If we reject Jesus, Who is the payment for our sins, we are destined to eternal damnation.

In the Old Covenant, under the law of Moses, the penalty for breaking the law was physical death. The benefit of dying under the Old Covenant after breaking the law was a second chance. If these people believed the Messiah was coming prior to their death and they received Him once His sacrifice was available, they were saved. For those who reject Jesus and die under the New Covenant, there are no more chances (Hebrews 10:29). It’s eternity in a tortuous hell based on unbelief.

This is not meant to scare anyone to receive Jesus, but it’s the truth. Regardless of what’s being said in the world, popular theories, and new ideas, accept Jesus as Lord. It’s better to accept Him as Lord and be wrong than to not believe and spend eternity in hell. Receive Him.

This message is for those who can’t seem to “get it right.”
This message is for those who find themselves right back at the place they were delivered from.
This message is for those who feel like the moment has passed.
This message is for those who feel like they’ve done too much wrong.

Everybody’s got a blank page
A story they’re writing today
A wall that they’re climbing
You can carry the past on your shoulders
Or you can start over
Regrets, no matter what you’ve gone through
Jesus, He gave it all to save you
He carried the cross on His shoulders
So you can start over. –Flame

Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). Once we’ve received Him, we are forgiven, holy, and made righteous. It doesn’t matter how far we’ve strayed, we’re His beloved. Even if we’ve received Him, but for the past 10 years we’ve been living like a hellion, we are still children of God. God has forgiven us and He doesn’t remember our sins (Hebrews 8:12). So, although we may remember everything we’ve done wrong, God doesn’t see anything except a righteous being that has done no wrong.

Don’t get discouraged because it seems like every time you try to live a holy life, something pulls you back the other way. Start over. Claim the victory over that vice. Don’t settle for less because it didn’t work last time. Start over. Declare prosperity in that area. Jesus did it all for us. We just have to receive EVERYTHING He’s made available for us.

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

If we go to arboretums or see beautiful flowerbeds in front of homes, they don’t always look that way. Weekly, if not daily, someone is out in the flowerbeds performing maintenance clearing out ugly weeds that attempt to choke flowers and invade beautiful landscapes.

God provided a beautiful world for us; however, because sin is in the world, ugly schemes and attacks from the devil attempt to invade this world of ours. People are demonically influenced to drive a vehicle through a crowd, shoot at large gatherings, or provoke war. Like a person in a garden, believers have to perform maintenance. Using our God-given authority, we have to rebuke every influence or plan of the devil on a daily basis. A quick, “I cancel every demonically influenced plan today” will do it.

It’s our responsibility to continue the work of Jesus. His quest was to destroy the works of the devil and we should too. Begin to do maintenance and destroy the weeds in the world.

1 John 3:8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit–fruit that will last–and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

My one-year-old daughter enjoys eating. When she’s at the dinner table and she’s not getting food fast enough, she may start to whine. Understanding that whining is not acceptable in our house, my wife and I taught her to say “More Please.” We want her to use her words because she won’t receive anything by whining.

Some may think this style of parenting is harsh, but we’re only using the same principles that our Heavenly Father uses on us. When facing a difficult time in their lives or a pressing desire, some people go to God crying, whining, or complaining. God doesn’t respond to tears. God responds to faith.

When we boldly ask God for our needs or desires and know that we have our needs and desires met the moment we prayed, we can expect to receive our requests. It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed or pressured by the issues of life, but there’s no need to whine and cry about the situation. If we’re truly asking in faith, we’ll receive our needs and desires from God.

1 John 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

In the Old Covenant, our sins could only be covered annually through the sacrifice of animals. We still would have been held accountable for our sins and behavior at the end of our lives. This gave people great uncertainty because they never knew if their behavior was good enough to please God to the point of having a blessed afterlife.

Under the New Covenant, there was a great removal. The sacrifice of Jesus didn’t cover our sins. His sacrifice removed all our past, present, and future sins (Hebrews 9:26). This is great news for the New Covenant believer. Although we may sin, through the blood of Jesus, we’re not held accountable for our sins (2 Corinthians 5:19).

Praise God for Jesus. It’s He that makes us holy, righteous, and has removed all our sins. It’s not our behavior or “sin count” that keeps us out of heaven. It’s the rejection of that payment (Jesus) that keeps us out of heaven.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Sowing and reaping is a principle found throughout the Word of God. The concept is whatever we sow, that is what we’ll reap (good or bad).

If we know someone has a desire, we can sow a prayer for their desires. We can pray that they’ll get a new job, house, or car. When we’re in agreement with someone else for their needs or desires, it shall be done by God (Matt. 18:19).

When we act on the principle of sowing a prayer, we then set ourselves up to reap a harvest of a prayer on our behalf from someone else. Someone we know or don’t know can be praying that we receive our needs and desires. By knowingly or unknowingly having that agreement with someone else, we can expect to receive the promises of God in our lives.

Begin to sow a prayer because it can greatly benefit our lives.

The most forgotten people are those in prison. Unless we have a close friend or relative in prison, a lot of them are forgotten.

We forget there’s an enemy trying to destroy their lives too. We forget they face temptations that attempt to lead them astray. We forget they have needs and desires just like anyone else. We forget that some of them are in prison based on false accusations.

Yes, the majority of them committed a crime against society, but they need love and prayer too. As a believer, it’s not our job to judge or criticize the poor decisions of others. We are to continue to express love to all, preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and encourage those we encounter.

Let’s not forget those who are incarcerated. Say a quick prayer for their salvation, protection, and the renewal of their minds with the Word of God.

Hebrews 13:3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Emotional pain is a deception of comfort. If we’re in enough emotional pain, we get use to the feeling of sadness and depression, we like the attention we receive from others, and we don’t want to get out.

Staying in this sunken place can cause us to lose hope, not capitalize on the opportunities God provides, and minimize God’s blessings.

Regardless of the addictive feeling emotional pain can provide, it’s not God’s best and it’s not where we should be. We have to fight the attack of the enemy against our minds by enjoying life on purpose. Things may not look good, but we should still smile. Our funds may be low, but we can still enjoy our day. Everything may not be perfect, but we should choose joy.

Fight off the spirit of emotional pain and choose to enjoy each and every day.

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.

Throughout our lives, we’ll have people speak over our lives. Some of the things they will say will be positive and some will be negative. We have a choice to receive what they’re speaking into our lives or leave it.

Some of us have had parents tell us we’re no good, sorry, or stupid. We can receive it or leave it. Some of us have had supervisors call us incompetent or slow. We can receive it or leave it. Some of us have had spouses call us fat, ugly, or selfish. We can receive it or leave it.

Here’s the key: if what a person says about us is not based on the Word of God, we should leave it. It doesn’t matter if what they’re saying seems reasonable, if it’s not based in scripture, it’s not true. God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).

It doesn’t matter if we’re 500 pounds with acne. God’s Word says we’re fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). It doesn’t matter if it takes us a bit longer to understand things. We have the mind of Christ and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:6-16).

Let’s maintain our stance and receive what God says about us.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

We all face difficulties in life. Understanding that these difficulties happen to everyone, there are some of us who choose to always face these difficulties alone. We don’t want to bother or tell anyone about our problems. We simply want to handle our issues ourselves.

It’s understandable that we want to face our problems ourselves, but sometimes our problems are too overwhelming. They’re so overwhelming until we slowly begin to lose ourselves while attempting to face them. Some of us say all we need is God to handle these problems. That is 100% correct, however, if God is prompting us to get wise counsel from a friend or a professional, we need to heed that advice. God may be trying to help us through that friend or professional.

It’s pride, fear, or embarrassment that compels us to face these situations alone. It’s never a good idea to face every situation alone. Use the vessels that God put in the earth and get help.

Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Mark 5:19 However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”

It’s Thanksgiving. Enjoy the turkey, the family, the football, and all the festivities, but on this day, don’t forget to tell God thank you.

He’s done so much in our lives and He’s been so good. Don’t forget to tell God thank you. He saved us from death. He increased our finances. He blessed us with a new house and car and so much more. It’s not bragging about what we have and what we’ve accomplished. We’re simply expressing our gratitude to the One who made it possible.

Thank You God for everything you’ve done in our lives. Amen.

Inspired by Eddie the Encourager

The dreams and desires we have can be accomplished, but a lot of the time we are the ones stopping those dreams from coming to pass. It’s not the devil, it’s not the man, it’s us. Two of the main things that stop us from reaching our goals are fear and laziness.

Fear is a satanic weapon that’s used to stop every good thing from flowing into our lives. Fear will tell us our dreams cost too much, we don’t have the education, or we’re too old to start something new. By agreeing with fear, we’re limiting what we can accomplish on this earth. Agree with God’s Word that says with Him, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).

Laziness is also a satanic weapon. Laziness tells us it’s too difficult to reach our goals, we don’t feel like it today, or it’s taking too long. We want the notoriety and fortune, but some of us don’t want to put in the work.

Like anything in Satan’s arsenal, we have authority over these devices. We can overcome fear and laziness and accomplish the dreams God deposited inside of us. Don’t allow anything to stop you from reaching your goal. Dream big. Then, accomplish that dream.

2 Chronicles 15:7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

You have to live holy. You can’t listen to secular music. You can’t watch “unholy” TV or movies. Women, you can’t wear pants or makeup. You have to ask God to forgive you at least 3 times a day. You have to fast at least twice a week. You must pray at least an hour a day. And more…

These rules and regulations are a byproduct of the Law. The Law was designed to increase sin, show people their faults, and let everyone know they need a Savior (Rom. 5:20; Gal. 3:19). We’re no longer under the Law but, there are people who still choose to live by all these rules. They’ve convinced themselves that following these rules makes them holy and righteous. The problem with living by these rules is if we violate these rules, people often feel guilty or ashamed before God. This guilt is detrimental to our desires.

Hebrews 10:19 says, therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the Holy of Holies by the power and virtue in the blood of Jesus,
In verse 35-36 it goes on to say, So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. You need to persevere, so that after you have done God’s will, you will receive what He has promised.

If we feel guilty, we won’t have the confidence to come to God and receive what’s been promised.

If we’re living by the Law to be accepted by God and to receive the promises of God, we’ll be greatly disappointed. Our righteousness, holiness, and our desires comes through our faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:22; Heb. 10:10). Let’s be free from the shackles of the Law and totally place our faith in what Jesus has accomplished for us.

Romans 5:20 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It’s great to know God loved us enough to send His only Son to die for us, but He also removed the label of sinner from our lives.

Some of us may hear people say, “We’re all sinners saved by grace.” That’s not true. We were sinners, but now we’re saved by grace. When Paul wrote this scripture, he wrote it in past tense. Paul lets us know, “While we were sinners, Christ died for us.” We were sinners, but since Christ died for us, we are no longer sinners. Jesus’ sacrifice relabeled us as righteous.

We may still sin, but that doesn’t make us sinners just like putting a donkey in the Kentucky Derby doesn’t make it a race horse. Praise God for our new label and identity. We are no longer sinners. We are righteous.

“A victim’s mentality says, the reason why we are where we are is because of someone else” –Pastor Tony Evans

The reason why I have relationship issues is because my father wasn’t there.
The reason why I don’t have more in life is because no one supported me.
The reason why I’m in debt is because my husband left me.
The reason why I don’t trust is because my ex-wife hurt me.

There’s no denying that these situations are real and they can impact us emotionally. However, if we keep this victim’s mentality of blaming someone else for where we are, there will never be motivation for us to change our view and our situation.

We need to move past a victim’s mentality to a victor’s mentality. We move to a victor’s mentality by acknowledging God in the areas where we’re in need. No father? That’s fine. God said He’ll be a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). You need support? God will help and sustain us (Psalm 54:4). You’ve been hurt? God will heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3).

Whatever we need God for, God will be and if we trust Him, He guarantees victory in every area of our lives.

2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in the Christ and makes manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Be victorious!

Ephesians 1:5 God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.

During the adoption process of natural children, potential parents have the choice to choose who they want to adopt. Some parents want new-born babies, some desire a toddler, and some want to take on a project and love a developing teenager. Regardless of the situation, adoptive parents make a quality decision as to whom they want to adopt.

God saw us from afar and wanted us. He saw our scars and our baggage and still wanted us. He saw us deliberately go against His ways, but He still wanted us. Regardless of how we look, what we’ve done, and what we’re capable of, God desires for us to be part of His family.

He could have looked the other way or magnified our faults and passed on making us sons and daughters, but He desires for every person in the world to be part of His family.

That’s the loving God whom we call Father. That’s the magnitude of God’s amazing love for us.

Receive God as your Father by making Jesus Christ Lord.

Galatians 3:26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Are we children of God because we’re simply born into this world? No. Are we children of God because we perform acts of kindness? No. Are we children of God because we attend church? No.

We are children of God through faith. When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, we become children of God. Ephesians 1:5 says, God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

Seeing that we’re children of a great Father, there’s no reason to fear because a great Father protects His children. There’s no reason to worry because a great Father provides for His children. There’s no reason to think we’ll always be in a frustrating situation because a great Father delivers His children.

We could have been servants or friends to God, but God wanted a close relationship with us and so, He made us His sons and daughters.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward 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 that we have asked of him.

If we desire for our prayers to be answered and if we want to have a prosperous life, it’s not difficult. All we have to do is believe. Believe what? Believe Jesus made this prosperous life available for us (John 10:10). Believe that through Jesus, we can receive whatever we desire that aligns with life and godliness (Mark 11:24). Believe that God will give us our desires in the name of Jesus (John 16:23).

Notice, it doesn’t say we have to be perfect, fast five days a week, pray three hours a day to receive, or give up everything we enjoy to have this prosperous life. All we have to do is believe.

The most difficult thing about this process is continuing to believe during delay when it seems like nothing is happening. It has nothing to do with our performance or behavior. This prosperous life has everything to do with our belief.

So, like a small child who is capable of believing anything, have child-like faith and believe the Word of God.

Exodus 35:5 Take from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and bronze,

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

God doesn’t want our money. God doesn’t need our money. He owns it all. God wants our hearts. He confirms our hearts are for Him by asking us to willingly give of our finances to Him.

There are some who say, “I can give God my heart without giving Him my money.” Well, that’s not scriptural. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” So, we can say we love God and we’ll do anything for Him, but if we’re withholding finances from Him, we’re deceiving ourselves.

God is not asking for much. He’s asking for a dime out of every dollar and if we desire extraordinary abundance in our lives, an offering of at least a penny ($0.11 of every $1.00).

So, let’s consistently give God our hearts based on His goodness towards us by financially giving to Him through our local church.

1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

There will be times when no one is around to minster to us regarding the situations we’re facing. No one will be available for a pep talk. No one will be there when we’re awakened by the issues of life in the middle of the night. No one will understand the stress we’re facing. That’s when we have to minister to ourselves.

We have to tell ourselves, it will get better. We have to tell ourselves, God is working out everything for our good. We have to tell ourselves, “don’t give up.” That’s why it’s so important to consistently read the Word so that when we face situations, the truth in God’s Word can be recalled and spoken over ourselves.

We may have to minister to ourselves every 5 minutes, but through our ministry, we defeat the attacks of the enemy who’s throwing thoughts of doubt in our minds and we’re creating a future we want to live in.

Don’t wait until Sunday morning to get a Word from God from the pulpit. Let’s speak the Word over our own lives now.

When we’re young, we all grow up with big dreams such as becoming a professional athlete or musician, having a high-profile job like a doctor or a lawyer, joining the military, or entrepreneurship. From those dreams, we envision a life that includes a big house, nice cars, taking nice vacations, and freedom in our finances.

For some of us, those initial dreams didn’t manifest. We didn’t become that successful pro-athlete, we didn’t finish school, or we made some mistakes that seemingly killed our dreams. For those of us who feel like we’re settling with a life and a job that’s beneath our standards, there’s one Factor we may be forgetting: with God ALL things are possible.

That same life we envisioned (big house, nice cars, etc.) is still possible with God. It may not happen the way we planned it, but it’s still possible if we believe. In fact, by placing our belief in God, He promised to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). This means, we can’t even imagine all that God can do in our lives.

So, don’t give up on any dream or lifestyle you want to live. God is able and desires to fulfill our dreams if we only believe.

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

There are people who read scriptures such as, “be holy for I am holy” in 1 Peter 1:16 and “sanctify yourselves” in Leviticus 20:7 and automatically conclude that a “good Christian” needs to strive for perfection in all we do. Striving for perfection to please God sounds good in theory, but it’s detrimental when we realize it can’t be done.

We may start off strong reading our Bibles and consistently praying, but the first time we miss the mark, the spirit of condemnation can overtake our lives. We’ll feel guilty and feel like we deserve some type of punishment. The next time we miss the mark or marks, an attitude of “what’s the point” can enter our lives and we’ll give up on honoring God altogether.

We must realize God’s standard of perfection will never be accomplished by us. That’s why He sent Jesus. Through Jesus, our perfection was obtained. No matter what we do and no matter how many marks we miss, through Jesus, God’s sees us as perfect, holy, and righteous (Heb. 2:10-11; Heb. 10:10; Rom. 3:22). Does this mean we can do dishonorable things because we’re covered? Of course not, but if we should miss the mark, we’re forgiven and still viewed as perfect through Jesus.

Hebrews 10:14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

A misconception in the body of Christ is rule following. A lot of people view Christianity as a bunch of rules one has to follow in order to be a “good Christian”. With these rules, people feel like their freedom of being themselves is being taken away. Yes, there are a set of commands for us to follow, but that’s only for our best interest, not God’s approval. Following God’s commands is no different from following instructions to assemble a table. For best results in our lives, follow His commands.

To make matter’s worse, there are people who create rules and traditions not based in the Word of God. They’ll tell a woman not to wear make-up, tell people it’s a sin to listen to secular music, or condemn someone for playing cards. That’s not scriptural.

Jesus came so that we can have freedom (John 8:36). We can be free from the 600 laws in the Law of Moses (Rom. 7:6). We can be free from the traditions of men. We are free. By having a relationship with God through Jesus, the correct way to live this life is being led by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14). The Spirit will tell us when to read our bibles, when to relax and watch a movie, and when to handle business.

Don’t be intimidated by Christianity by attempting to accomplish all these Old Covenant rules and traditions of men for God’s approval. Be free and enjoy life as the Spirit leads.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Romans 6:10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Another misconception in the body of Christ is going to hell because of sin. There are so many people who still believe that if people are “living in sin” prior to death, they’re going to hell. What most people mean by this is if people are living together unmarried, doing drugs or alcohol, or doing unholy things and don’t confess their sins and/or change their behavior prior to death, they’re going to hell.

People don’t go to hell because of sin. People go to hell because they reject the payment of sin. Jesus paid for our past, present, and future sins with His blood (Rom. 6:10). If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God Who paid for our sins, we WILL NOT go to hell (Rom. 3:22; Rom. 10:9).

For those who don’t believe in Jesus and His payment, those are the ones who are technically “living in sin.” Our acts of righteousness cannot put us in heaven and our acts of unrighteousness cannot put us in hell. Our good conduct should be in appreciation towards all that Jesus has done for us, but if it’s not, the quality of our life will suffer, but we won’t go to hell.

In this misconception series, we’ll look at some of the biggest misconceptions in the body of Christ. This next misconception has to do with punishment. Many people believe if we’ve missed the mark or sin, God will punish us. This is understandable seeing the consequences people received in the Old Covenant, however, we’re under a New Covenant. 

What living under the New Covenant means for us is we’ll never experience God’s wrath or punishment for sin because all of the punishment for sin was literally put on Jesus. 1 Peter 3:18 says, Christ suffered for our sins. Romans 4:8 says, God is not charging sin to our account. Romans 6:10 says, Jesus died once and for all to sin.

Based on these New Covenant promises, God is not dishing out punishment for our sins or the sins of the world. It was poured out on Jesus. So, anytime there’s a catastrophic event that occurs in our lives or in the world, and someone says God is punishing us, we can confidently say God is not punishing us. We’re simply experiencing the trials of life that He warned us about in John 16:33. 

This understanding will prevent people from blaming and despising God for the things that occur in this world. Praise God for Jesus for taking the punishment of sin.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

There are so many misconceptions about being a believer in the body of Christ. One of the biggest misconceptions is that believers won’t face difficulties. People become born again thinking, nothing bad will ever happen to them again. As soon as they experience a tragic event, they question the existence of God and if He’s really for them.

God never promised that we wouldn’t face difficulties. In fact, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). In the Old Testament it says, “The righteous person faces many troubles” (Psalm 34:19). The good news about the difficulties we face is God promised to deliver us out of all our troubles (Psalm 34:19).

Don’t give up on God because of the difficulties we face. Trust that God will bring us out of these situations and He works out everything for our good.

Psalm 34:19 A righteous person will have many troubles, but the LORD will deliver him from them all.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride is evil and destructive. Nothing good comes from pride. Pride is also deceptive because we think we’re saving ourselves from embarrassment or showing weakness, but in reality, it’s destroying our lives.

Pride will hold a happy marriage hostage. It will cause one person not to apologize because they think the other person should apologize first. If we know there’s tension in our marriage, apologize and move on. Pride ruins relationships. It causes a person to hold a grudge against their former friend because of something they did years ago. Forgive them and let it go and enjoy the friendship that once was.

Pride cancels careers. When people feel like they’re being mistreated at their jobs, instead of handling it appropriately, they want to tell their supervisor how they feel in an unruly manner. In return, they are demoted or terminated from their jobs.

A lot of us have pride in one area or another. Let’s allow God to show us in what area pride is destroying our lives and be big enough to overcome it.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

As we can see, God promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Understanding this promise, a believer should never say they’re alone or lonely. We may not have anyone physically present with us but, God is always with us.

There will be times where we’re tempted to feel lonely. We may feel alone when we’re going through a difficult time or we may feel lonely during the holidays but, our feelings can be deceptive and unreliable. Regardless of how we feel, the truth of the matter is we’re never alone. We’ll also be tempted to think God’s presence is not enough. If we truly understood all the Lord has done for us, we’ll realize God is more than enough.

Let’s renew our minds to the truth that we’re never alone because God is always with us. This truth will keep us confident, fearless, and free from depression. Praise God we are never alone.

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

In today’s world where we have mass shootings, bombings, and an increase in crime, peace is a luxury. For the believer, we have an opportunity to access this luxury on a daily basis; however, it requires our minds to be focused on God.

When we keep our minds focused on God, we can live in a constant state of peace, but if we get like Peter, and look at all the circumstances around us, we’ll panic and sink into fear. When we focus on God being our Protector, we’ll never have to worry about the dangers in this world. When we focus on God being our Provider, we’ll never have to worry about lack. When we realize God hears us when we pray, we’ll never have to worry about our prayers not being answered.

Focusing on God is how we stay in perfect peace. It doesn’t mean our peace won’t be tested, but if we discipline ourselves to focus on God during that test, we’ll always have the luxury of peace.

Isaiah 40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless. 18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

No matter how much success we experience in the world and no matter how much notoriety we have, we are less than nothing without God. Never get it misunderstood. It’s not because of our work ethic, our education, or our connections that we’re successful. It’s because of God.

Through His grace and mercy, God allows us to experience this success. He allows us to be alive to enjoy this abundant life. God allows our bodies to function properly. God’s angels keep death and destruction from our lives. God… God… God.

As soon as we become “I minded” where we believe that I did this or I did that and not give credit to God, we become living fools. With every success in life, realize it’s all because of God.

As we get older and our immediate family begins to grow, we have a tendency to focus inward. We become content with the fact that our family is saved, blessed, and prosperous, but meanwhile, our extended family and friends are lost and hurting.

Our immediate family is saved and going to church every week, but our cousins are being deceived into the delusion that there is no God. Our spouse brings the biggest smile on our faces, but our friend’s family is slowly being torn apart. We’re excited about our promotion, but our uncle just lost his job.

Periodically, it’s important to continue to reach out to our extended family and friends. We could speak a word of encouragement that may save someone’s life. We can see if they have any prayer requests. We can see if they need or desire something. We can be personal ministers of the Gospel to them.

Let’s not forget about our brother or sister. We are the blessing that God can work through.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

John 1:12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

There are some whose identity is built around the mistakes of their past. They were promiscuous in their past and now they see themselves as a whore. Some committed criminal acts and now society calls them and they see themselves as a “thug.”

There are some whose identity is built around their present. There are some who are and always have been an athlete. There are some who have elite status in society. If sports and status are taken away from those people, they’re lost.

Finally, there are some whose identity is based on what they will be. They’re attempting to gain wealth and status. Once they acquire the wealth and status, then they’ll see themselves as successful, but for now, they see themselves as nothing.

Our past, our present, and our future doesn’t define who we are. Our identity is found in Christ. If we’ve made Jesus Lord over our lives, we are everything God said we are regardless of our past, present, or future. We are righteous (Rom 3:22). We are holy (Heb. 10:10). We are rich (2 Cor. 8:9). We are blessed (Gal 3:14). We are victorious (1 Cor. 15:57). It’s not because of what we do or what we have. It’s because of Jesus.

Let’s look outside ourselves and our performance and look to Jesus Who did it all for us. Our identity is found in Christ.