Graced To Do God's Will

Romans 4:21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

In order to receive the promises of God, we have to be convinced of His Word. We can’t doubt His Word, we can’t be partially convinced; we have to be fully convinced of His Word.

We have to be convinced of His Word in spite of our behavior or shortcomings. A lot of times we think God’s Word won’t come to pass because of our mistakes. We may think His Word will work for this other person because they lead a Bible study, work in a soup kitchen, and pray every day, but our good behavior is not the prerequisite for God’s Word coming to pass. Our belief in what Jesus accomplished on the cross is the only thing that’s needed to receive the promises of God.

If we made Jesus Lord at an older age, if we made numerous mistakes in our past, or if we don’t have it all together now, we’re still eligible to receive the promises of God.

Don’t let anyone, including yourself, talk you out of the promises of God. If God said it, be convinced that it will come to pass.

Luke 16:10 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.

Time plays a factor in faithfulness. God’s Word tells us if we’re faithful in little, we will be faithful in much. Matthew 25:23 says if we’re faithful with a few things, we can be entrusted with many things. We all want more, but our faithfulness cannot be displayed without time.

We want a better car, but we have to be faithful with the car we have. Over time, we have to clean the car and keep the car well maintained. We want a better job, but we have to be faithful at our current job. We have to consistently arrive at work on time and work unto the Lord (Col. 3:23).

Even the world’s system honors faithfulness. People honor commitment. It’s difficult to show our resume of faithfulness if we’ve been at 6 jobs within a year.

Don’t be so anxious to move on to the next best thing. Understand that during the delay of more, we have an opportunity to exercise our faithfulness. Place your faith in God and exercise faithfulness, and God guarantees we’ll receive more.

If a farmer plants an immature tree in the ground and tells everyone it’s an orange tree, would anyone doubt him? Most people wouldn’t. We would think the farmer is knowledgeable about plants and he knows what type of tree he bought. That tree is watered and cared for. It grows taller and stronger, but still has no oranges. The farmer tells everyone that the tree is an orange tree. Would anyone doubt him? Probably not. Most people would think it’s a matter of time before the oranges appear. After some time, the tree eventually produces oranges.

What’s the point? Just because the tree didn’t produce oranges at first, doesn’t negate the fact that it still was an orange tree.

Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are perfect, holy, righteous, and blessed. Although we may not produce the fruits of holiness, righteousness, or manifested blessings at first doesn’t negate the truth that we’re all that God says we are.

We can honestly tell everyone that we’re holy, perfect, and righteous through Jesus Christ. Unlike that orange tree, people may doubt us or tell us we’re not because they don’t see our fruit. But, if we continue to declare who we are in Christ and take the necessary steps to produce that fruit, people will eventually see the truth.

We don’t have to have it all together before we declare the truth about our lives. By faith, we can declare who we are in Christ and eventually the fruit will follow.

Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Inspired by Pastor Creflo Dollar

1 Peter 1:24 For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

What has the final authority in your life? Is it logic, the popular opinion, how we feel, the Word of God, or a mixture? Of course, the final authority should be the Word of God but, it’s easier said than done.

When decisions need to be made concerning our lives, everything must reflect the Word of God. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense or how we feel about the situation. What does God’s Word say about the situation?

When the doctor says we have an “incurable” disease, do we believe the doctor or do we stand in faith that through His stripes we’re healed (Isaiah 53:5)? When the popular opinion says it’s okay to fornicate or be homosexual, do we go along with the majority or do we reserve our sexuality in a heterosexual marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18)? When the news says the economy is bad and we should prepare for the worse, do we believe the news or believe regardless of the situation, all our needs are met and we are victorious in every situation (Philippians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 15:57)?

When our final authority is based in the Word of God, we honor God with our lives. When we honor God He assures us that our lives will be prosperous (Isaiah 1:19; Job 36:11). Resist the urge to conform to the ideas of this world and make your final authority the Word of God. Our logic, the popular opinion and how we feel will all change and pass away, but the Word of God remains forever.

Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus had a choice. He could do the will of God and sacrifice Himself for mankind or not suffer or be separated from the Father. Praise God He chose to do the will of God for our benefit.

There’s a lesson in this for us. Although it was uncomfortable, Jesus put His feelings aside to do the will of God. Everything God calls us to do may not be easy or comfortable, but as we put our feelings aside and choose His will above our own, we’re putting God first.

Since Jesus put God first in His sacrifice for us, God awarded Him with the greatest reward ever. God made His name higher than any other name. If we would push past our discomfort to do the will of God, there’s a reward in it for us. It may be a breakthrough, wisdom, or favor, but God promises us a blessing for our obedience.

Do the will of God. We may be tired, it may be uncomfortable, and it may be intimidating, but choose to do the will of God over the will of self.

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

One man is attempting to justify himself before God based on self-righteousness. He boasts about all the good works he’s done and how he’s better than others. What he failed to realize was all of his righteous works are filthy works in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). The other man understands he doesn’t deserve anything from God and he’s totally relying on God’s grace and mercy. Jesus informs us the second man is justified in the sight of God.

For those of us who’ve been saved for a little while, if we walk around with an attitude of self-righteousness based on what we’ve done, we’ll never be in position to be justified by God. But if we understand that we’re nothing without the grace and mercy through Jesus Christ, then we become justified.

For those who are still trying to understand their righteousness through Jesus Christ, realize the devil is deceptive. He’ll make us think that because we’re not perfect in our behavior and we’ve missed the mark in a certain area, we’re not worthy to be in God’s presence. That’s not true. The very fact that we have and acknowledge our flaws, but rely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, qualifies us to receive God’s grace and mercy. Through Jesus we’re made perfect, holy, and acceptable in the sight of God.

We should continue to improve in our ways to be more Christ-like in the world, but always remember it is through Christ and Christ alone, that we’re justified.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 91:11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.

Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

After looking at the news or reading an article online, it can make the toughest person be afraid to go out of the house without feeling a sense of paranoia. God never intended for us to live our lives looking over our shoulders every five minutes.

In God’s Word, He promises to be our fortified tower, He has His angels protecting us, and He vowed to not allow anything to harm us. With these scriptures in mind, God established an ultimate protection package. This protection is not automatic. With any promise from God, it requires our belief in what He said to receive these promises.

Our belief and confidence in these promises, causes us to have unusual peace. While everyone else is freaking out over the things that are occurring in this world, the believers in these promises are cool and calm because of their confidence in God’s Word. The difference between the believers and the unbelievers of these promises should be so apparent until it causes the unbelievers to question our behavior.

Get your ultimate protection package by placing your unwavering belief in God’s promises. This offer never expires.

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

This is a popular verse that everyone seems to know. A lot of us like to highlight the second half of this verse. We like to know that God is our Provider and He’ll never cause us to lack. Praise God He’s our provider, but in order to maximize on His provisions, we have to allow Him to be our Shepherd.

The job of the shepherd is to lead his sheep. David made the decision to be led by God and we must make the decision to be led by God. We must ask ourselves, when times are comfortable or uncomfortable, are we willing to allow God to lead us or will we wander off the pathway He set for us? Will we forgive our enemies, walk in the ways of righteousness, and do everything without complaining? These are all things the Shepherd leads us to do.

God knows and only wants what’s best for us. Let’s be good sheep and follow our Shepherd. 

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endures but for a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

A lot of people read this scripture and conclude joy comes after weeping. That’s not what the scripture says. The scripture says weeping may endure for a night. That means it’s a choice to weep during difficult times. To be honest, there are difficult times that rock us to the core. During those difficult times, we may weep and it’s okay. But, weeping is not a requirement for joy.

God promises us joy without weeping. God promises us everlasting joy (Isaiah 35:10). This means during difficult times, we can decide to maintain our joy. In spite of all we may be going through, we still can have joy.

Our joy is maintained because our trust and hope is in God (Romans 15:13). We understand that this difficult time is temporary and God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). He delivered us from tough times before and He will do it again. We believe all things work together for our good (Romans 8:28). Finally, we can use our God-given authority to command joy to remain in our lives (Mark 11:23).

Understanding all these promises, we can magnify God’s Word above the difficult times and make the decision to maintain our joy. Whether times are good or not preferable, choose to have joy.

We all are or should be standing in faith for something. Some of us are standing in faith for healing in our bodies, a new career, or simply a better situation. As we stand in faith, at times, it seems like the situation gets worse. Additional complications occur in our bodies, we lose the job we currently have while in faith for our new career, or our situation gets worse. What do we do when the situation gets worse?

We remain consistent. When things worsen, two opportunities are presented. We can quit and say this faith stuff doesn’t work or we can remain consistent in applying our faith for the desires we want to see. Worse situations will also tempt us to place limits on our faith. Initially, we stood in faith for a new car, but when too much time passed, we’ll settle for a used car. Be consistent.

Consistency is the key to our breakthrough. When we remain consistent in our faith and don’t waiver or doubt, our desires MUST manifest themselves. Our confidence in the manifestation of our desires is based on our confidence in God’s Word. God set His Word higher than anything else and He vowed that His Word will not return to Him without producing results (Ps. 138:2; Isa. 55:11). Based on His Word, it’s a matter of time before things change in our favor.

We may not have complications in our bodies or an uncomfortable situation, but we still have God’s unchanging Word and a mouth to declare what we desire to see. When things worsen, don’t quit, remain consistent.

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

When we get saved, some of us feel like we can just sit back, wait on our blessings, and go to heaven when we die. We have work to do and we work unto the Lord.

Our work of the Lord consists of the following:
Preach the Gospel – Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Make Disciples – 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,
Feed Sheep – John 21:17 Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things; he replied, “You know I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Preaching the gospel, making disciples, and feeding the sheep of Jesus are not responsibilities only for the pastor. This responsibility is for every born-again believer. Some people may not respect a minister, but they will listen to us. They may not visit a church, but they will visit with us.

Not only do we have work, but we should be abounding or flourishing in our work. Our Lord has done everything for us. The least we can do is do work by reaching out to people to preach the gospel, make disciples, and feed the sheep of Jesus.

Ezekiel 17:24 All the trees of the forest will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. “‘I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'”

Some of us are unsettled with where we are in life. We want better for ourselves and we want better for our families. Don’t be discouraged about where you are. In an instant, God can take us from a low point to a more successful state. Regardless of our background, if we’re willing to believe, God can prosper us far beyond our imagination (Ephesians 3:20).

Even if we appear successful in other people’s eyes, if we want better, God can give us better. Let’s be clear, this better must be accompanied with a heart of selflessness. Having better can’t just be to have more money, more cars, and a bigger home. We must have a mindset to expand the Kingdom of God and to be more of a blessing to others in need.

Never settle and don’t be discouraged. Stand in faith and believe God’s will is for us to continuously prosper.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Faith: When we pray for a desire, the moment we pray, we are to believe that we have received it from God. This is faith in action. We haven’t seen the desire materialize in front of our eyes and the situation may not have instantly changed, but we are to believe that we have received our desire when we prayed. We don’t have to ask for it again just because it hasn’t manifested yet. He heard us. We are to maintain our belief that it has been received.

Praise: Since we’ve received our desire, what’s stopping us from giving God praise? We’ve received it, so let’s praise Him. We praise God because we know it’s been given to us. We praise God because we know it’s only a matter of time before our desires manifest. We praise God because He heard us and since He heard us, we have whatever we asked for in prayer (1 John 5:15).

Faith should always be accompanied with praise. Even if it takes two years or more, combat thoughts of doubt of our desire not coming to pass and continue to praise God for that desire.

Psalm 118:21 I will praise you: for you have heard me, and have become my salvation.

John 9:41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

The Word of God is always giving birth to new revelation. Once we know the truth and have received its revelation, we’re now liable to act on what we know. We can no longer say we didn’t know or we didn’t understand. It’s our responsibility to act on what we know.

For instance, everyone who has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, being the One Who came from the Father, sacrificed Himself on our behalf, and is the only pathway to God, is now liable to act on that truth and receive Jesus as Lord. A person who dies and hasn’t received Jesus Christ as Lord is held accountable for their inaction. They can’t tell God they didn’t know. They knew, but they rejected or didn’t act on the truth.

We’re liable for many topics throughout the Word of God. We’re liable to live by grace instead of the Law, receive and be led by the Holy Spirit, give tithes and offering, and much more. It doesn’t matter how we feel about the topic, if it’s in the Word of God and the message is given in the correct context, we’re now liable to act on the truth.

Don’t be stubborn. Change your mindset and act upon the Word of God once it’s known and received.

God has promises available to everyone who is willing to believe. Not everyone knows or is willing to research His Word for those promises. We can’t release our faith for a promise if it’s not known. Here is a small list of promises available to every born-again believer. 

We are blessed (Galatians 3:14). 

We are healed of all sickness, disease, and pain in our bodies (Isaiah 53:5).

We are forgiven of all our past, present, and future sins (Hebrews 10:1-18).

We are righteous, in spite of our behavior (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We are protected (Psalm 91:11).

We are loved by God in spite of what we do (Romans 8:35-39).

We can prosper in any area of our lives (relationally, educationally, etc.) (3 John 1:2).

 We can be wealthy (Psalm 112:1-3). 

We can have children (Psalm 127:3).

We can have sweet sleep (Proverbs 3:24). 

We can have a long satisfying life up to 120 years (Psalm 91:16; Genesis 6:3).

There are more promises but, if we’re willing to believe, we can have at least every promise mentioned above. It doesn’t matter how old we are, how many sins we’ve committed, or where we are in life, we’ve been given a “yes, let it be done unto them” to receive all of God’s promises. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Teenagers endure violence to be accepted into gangs, college students endure hazing to be accepted into fraternities or sororities, and people do things outside of their character to be accepted into a certain group. With God, He accepts us just the way we are. We don’t have to put on airs, act like fools, or be tortured to be accepted by God.

We often value the opinion of others and some of us are willing to do whatever needs to be done to gain their acceptance. If a certain person or group rejects us, that rejection has the potential to negatively impact the way we view ourselves. It hurts to the core if a parent rejects us. We feel bad because we put our best foot forward and they still reject us. When everyone else has rejected us, our confidence should be in knowing that God has accepted us.

We’re humans living in a sin contaminated body and we’ll miss the mark from time to time. Satan will attempt to make us feel like God has rejected us based on our sin. Lies!!! The blood of Jesus has forgiven all of our sins (past, present, and future) and although we’ve missed the mark, with flaws and all, God accepts us (Hebrews 9:26).

Receive this acceptance. Know that you are God’s beloved child. No matter how many people reject us, through Jesus Christ, God has accepted us and vowed to never let us go.

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT) 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.

There’s a difference between the parents of biological and adopted children. Parents tend to accept biological children a little bit more due to the fact they see a little bit of themselves in that child. It doesn’t matter if they have tantrums, misbehave, or have a bad attitude; most parents are willing to endure their children’s issues and raise them.

Parents of adopted children can be a little bit different. There’s a reason why everyone is not rushing out to adopt a child. It takes a special person to truly love and embrace a child who is not their own and who looks nothing like them. If adopted children have too many issues, some parents are quick to put them back into the system.

Parents of biological children tend to intensely love their children by default, while good parents of adopted children make the decision to love.

With flaws and all, God chose and decided to love us. Not only did He love us, He sent Jesus to save us from eternal damnation. He could have stopped there, but He loved us enough to adopt us into His family and give us an inheritance we didn’t deserve. This is our Father. He decided to love us and not allow anything to separate us from His love.

Romans 8:39 (NLT) No power in the sky above or in the earth below–indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 

We’re living in a time where it seems like everything offends everyone. What people say, how people act, and what people stand for all have an opportunity to offend us. It’s a choice to be offended, and as believers, we shouldn’t be so easily offended.

What keeps us from being offended is the Word of God. The Word of God keeps us in a state of great peace. We’re at peace because we value the promises in the Word of God over what someone else may say or do. 

If someone says something harsh or negative towards us, our first response should not be to react with anger because of offense. Our response should be love and blessings based on Matthew 5:44. When we respond with love, we’ll reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7), we’ll receive good from God (Eph. 6:8), and God is glorified because we let our light shine (Matt. 5:16). 

If we think about it long enough, we can be offended by anything, but what good will that do in our lives or in the world? Throughout our lives, we’ll have an opportunity to practice not being offended. Sow that Word in your hearts and don’t take offense. 

Ezekiel 2:6-8 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words or dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house. You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. 

There are some people in our lives that need to hear the truth through the Word of God. They need to know that Jesus is the only way, they need to hear that their behavior doesn’t honor God, they need to hear that there’s a better path than the one they’re taking. 

Unfortunately, everyone is not going to respond to this truth with gladness and most of us know this. The idea of possibly offending someone or no longer being accepted by them after speaking the truth causes us to shrink. We see the pathway some people are headed on and we do nothing because of fear. 

As the Spirit of God leads us, we can’t be worried about or held back by people’s responses. If God (and only God) gives us a Word to tell to someone, with boldness, we need to speak the truth. It doesn’t matter if they’re our elders or our 4 month old children. It doesn’t matter if we’ve known them all of our lives or for 2 minutes. God’s Word must be shared. Shake off the fear of people’s reactions. The only person we should desire to please is God. 

Jude 1:24 Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

When we were younger, do you recall making something for your parents in art class? We took our time and did our best on that art piece. When we finished, we would be so excited to show what we made to our parents. If we had good parents, our parents would encourage us, tell us what a good job we did, and proudly display our art on the refrigerator or on the shelf.

Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus sacrificed His time, His status, and His life to clean up and save our lives. Because of His sacrifice for us, with exceeding joy, Jesus presents us faultless before His Father. Not only does He present us faultless, He continues to keep us from falling. God, being a good Father, proudly displays the names of everyone who believes in the sacrifice of Jesus in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27).

Thank God for the presentation of Jesus. It’s through Jesus and ONLY through Him that we can be presented faultless before a holy and perfect God. Without Him, all of our notable efforts to please God would be as filth in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). Praise God for Jesus. He is our Redeemer. 

Ecclesiastes 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.

God’s Word tells us that money answers all things. Not some things, but all things. Since this is known, people will go to extreme measures and do something God hasn’t called them to do to obtain money. People will prostitute themselves, sell addictive poison to people in their communities, and work multiple jobs for long hours all to obtain money.

Since money answers all things, it’s God’s biggest competition for our hearts (Matt. 6:24) Money can be the determining factor in our decisions instead of God. If it pays us a lot of money, we’ll do it without consulting God.

There’s nothing wrong with money, but money shouldn’t govern our lives. Give that responsibility to God. Instead of chasing money, run towards The Source of all provision. Run towards God. Seek God on how to obtain money. It may not seem logical or popular, but if God is backing our decision, it’s blessed and the blessing of the Lord brings wealth and adds no sorrow (Prov. 10:22).

Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

We get so excited after reading scriptures similar to the ones above. We’re happy to know that we have the victory over every situation. But in order to be victorious, we have to have something to overcome. We can’t be more than conquerors if we don’t have any trials to conquer.

Jesus lets us know we’ll have trials (John 16:33). There are several reasons we have trials. One of the reasons for trials is it forces us to trust God. Trials are something we can’t overcome in our own strength. It is our reliance on God who always causes us to triumph.

Secondly, trials develop patience (James 1:3). Philippians 4:6 tells us to not be anxious for anything. This includes trials. During our trials, patience must be applied. Patience applied to trials builds character and hope; and hope never disappoints (Romans 5:4-5).

Finally, our trials will benefit someone else. How can we relate to someone going through if we’ve never gone through ourselves? We can encourage and give someone else advice on overcoming their trials based on how we’ve overcome our trials. We can let them know to totally rely on God.

We will face trials. Don’t allow trials to make you miserable. Seek God to see how our trials can benefit the Kingdom of God, ourselves, and someone else.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Inspired by Joyce Meyer

In sports, a game changer is when a specific play changes the momentum of the game for one team, or when a person’s talent forces the other team to change their game plan.

In our lives, The Game Changer is God. God’s Word changes the situation up entirely for anyone who is willing to believe.

A woman may be 45 years old without any children. Science says she’s too old to have children, however, believing in The Game Changer, she can have children at any age. A man recently got out of prison and is looking for a career. Popular opinion says he will work at a minimum wage job for the rest of his life, however, if he’s willing to believe in the Word of The Game Changer, he can have a successful career at a company or possibly be a CEO of his own company.

Science, popular opinion, and historical facts can change by believing in God, The Game Changer. The question is, are you willing to believe?

Mark 9:23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Every promise in the Word of God can be followed by, “because God loves me/us.”

Everything God did, He did it because of His love for us. When we’re at our wits’ end and we don’t know what to do, we must remind ourselves of God’s love for us. This keeps us from going insane or being overly anxious when things don’t appear to be working in our favor.

With His stripes we’re healed…because God loves us (Isaiah 53:5).
God always causes us to triumph…because God loves us (2 Corinthians 2:14).
All things work together for our good…because God loves us (Romans 8:28).
In the midst of trying times, make it personal by saying, “because God loves me.”

Once we have it settled in our minds that He loves us, there is nothing the devil can say that will make us doubt God’s promise coming to pass in our lives. Even in the worse situation, we can be confident of the victory we have over that situation because God loves us.

Daily Reminder: God loves me therefore I have__________ (pick your promise).

Ephesians 2:4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved!

Satan is the king of guilt. He attempts to make us feel guilty about everything we do. One of the areas that Satan attempts to make us feel guilty in is prioritizing God.

If we haven’t prioritized God like we should (prayed, read the Bible, gone to church), he’ll try to make us feel guilty. If we’ve made an effort to prioritize God, Satan will try to make us feel guilty because we haven’t done more. This type of guilt could make someone have a nervous breakdown and give up. He’s attempting to use our desire to please God against us.

When it comes to prioritizing God, there needs to be balance. We should want to spend time with God, but we don’t need to feel bad if we didn’t do as much as we could. If we get the unction to do more, carve a little more time out of our day to spend with God. If we feel bad or guilty because we haven’t spent as much time with God as we could have, rebuke the devil, and know God is pleased with us.

The amount of time we spend with God doesn’t determine if He’s pleased with us or not. If it’s 1 minute or 1 hour, God loves and is pleased with us. He’s pleased not because of our efforts, but because of the efforts of Jesus Christ. Since we’re in Christ, all of His efforts have made us as righteous as we’re ever going to be.

Colossians 1:19-20 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We’re never alone, God is there. We’re never by ourselves, God is there. He is there during rough times, happy times, sad times, uneasy times, and confusing times.

When we’ve made our biggest mistake, God is there. When we’ve made our 700^th mistake in the same area, God is there. In the midst of our shortcomings, God is there.

When we’ve left God, God is there. When we’ve said no to His will, He is there. When we’ve cursed God, He’s there.

When we don’t feel like He’s there, He’s there. When we can’t sense His presence, He’s there. When nothing seems like it’s working, He’s there.

No matter what the situation is, no matter how far we’ve strayed, and no matter how we feel, God has vowed to ALWAYS be there for us.

Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.

There are some believers who go to church week after week, hear the Word of God, but don’t obey. There are other believers who hear the word of God, but pick and choose the things they want to obey. God knows who’s being obedient to His Word and who is not.

It’s important for us to obey the Word of God in its entirety. Our obedience leads to our success (Joshua 1:8). Our obedience shouldn’t be limited to the written Word of God and what comes from the preacher’s sermon. Everything, we know in our hearts that God is telling us to do, we should do. That may include, apologizing to someone even though we may not feel like we’ve done anything wrong, work on a business proposition, or applying for a job we’re not qualified for.

Our obedience doesn’t benefit God. He’ll still be God even if no one obeys. Our obedience benefits us. If we want to reap the maximum benefits of God’s blessings, we must obey. Obey God in word and in action.

2 Corinthians 9:10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

When we tithe and given an offering, God obligates Himself to enhance the quality of our lives. Not only does He obligate Himself to bless our lives, we prove to Him and to ourselves that we can be trusted to sow a financial seed, which causes Him to give more seed to the sower.

This additional seed allows us to enjoy more of life and more importantly, it gives us additional seed to sow. This additional seed shouldn’t only be limited to our local church. This seed can be used for improving the schools in the inner city, building shelters for battered women, or cleaning the streets in gang infested areas. How awesome would it be to have the additional resources to single-handedly improve the housing in lower-income areas? That’s why God wants to put additional resources into our hands. But, we must first prove that we can be trusted in the least by giving our tithes and offering in order to be trusted with greater additional resources.

Luke 16:10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

PROSECUTION: Your Honor, I’m accusing Johnny of adultery. Last year, he cheated on his wife.
DEFENSE: Objection! Your Honor, let the record show that Johnny’s act of adultery was paid for by Me.

PROSECUTION: Your Honor, last Saturday Tiffany got drunk, became angry, and used foul language.
DEFENSE: Objection! Your Honor, Tiffany’s transgressions were also paid for by Me.

PROSECUTION: Your Honor, Michael is living with his girlfriend, having sex with his girlfriend, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to have sex again.
DEFENSE: Objection! Any past, present, and future forms of fornication have been paid by Me.

JUDGE: Sustained! In the case of Johnny, Tiffany, Michael and every person in the world, you’re free to go.

Jesus paid for our past, present, and future sins (1 Peter 3:18). Satan constantly accuses us of the marks we’ve missed. His goal is to make us feel guilty, ashamed, and unworthy of God’s love. During the time of accusation, we must remind ourselves that Jesus paid an awesome price for all of our sins. Through that price, we receive God’s forgiveness and He’s not charging our mistakes to our account. Praise God for Jesus. He’s our everlasting advocate.

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Luke 19:37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Recently in the body of Christ, people have highlighted grace, faith, and being more Christ like. This is excellent teaching because we all need a better understanding in these areas, but before we continue to go forward let’s take a moment to simply tell God THANK YOU.

Giving thanks is something we tend to do in November for Thanksgiving and maybe at the beginning of the year. Giving thanks is something we should do at least once a month. God has been so very good to us. He’s done more for us than we can imagine. Each time our hearts beat is an opportunity to tell God thank you. He’s kept us, continues to love us, and continues to bless us, made us righteous…. The list goes on and on.

So before we move on with new teachings and deeper revelations, let’s take time out to reflect, come back to the basics, and tell God THANK YOU.

THANK YOU LORD!!!

Daniel 2:22 “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.

If someone told us we had a sticker on the back of our shirt, most of us would thank the person and remove the sticker. We wouldn’t see the unwanted sticker and leave it on our shirt. We’ll do whatever is necessary to remove the sticker.

God’s methodology of revelation is similar to a person who points out a sticker on our shirt. Instead of a sticker, God highlights areas where we can improve. He’ll reveal things about ourselves in the hopes that we’ll seek Him on improving ourselves. For instance, He may reveal that we’re prideful in a certain area or we were selfish the other day at work. After the area of growth has been revealed, God expects us to ask for assistance in that area and change. We shouldn’t maintain the excuse of “I can’t help how I am.” If God reveals it, He’s given us the ability, with His assistance, to change.

We all have areas of improvements. Work with God and make the adjustments to become a better person. Once God reveals a certain thing to us, allow Him to uproot that thing from your life.

Matthew 15:13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

In the Kingdom of God, there is no retirement. We should always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. Whether we’re 19 or 91, the work of the Lord needs to be accomplished. The work of the Lord is key to getting God’s agenda implemented in the earth.

Unfortunately, some of us are not even employed in the Kingdom of God. Some of us go to church, sit and listen, then go home. Some don’t serve in any capacity at the church (children’s ministry, greeters, etc.). They come to be served instead of serving. If we’re being blessed by our church, we should keep the momentum going by getting involved in some area of ministry.

The work of the Lord is not limited to the church. There are homeless shelters that need people to serve/minister, local food banks that need donations, or a friend who needs an encouraging word. The work of the Lord is whatever God prompts us to do.

Don’t be selfish. Get out in the world and do something. If no one is willing to work, God’s will can’t be fulfilled. The work of the Lord is waiting on us. Get employed. 

John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Everything the devil tells us is a lie. During adversity, it’s important for us to remember that. The devil will tell us to partially obey God when the task seems difficult; he’ll tell us we always get sick around this time of year, or he’ll tell us our relationship will never be as good as it once was with our spouse or children after a certain incident. These are lies. The devil appeals to our emotions and if we’re not aware of his tricks, he will sound logical, comforting, and truthful, but he’s a liar.

The truth is in God’s Word. God’s Word says, if we’re obedient, we shall prosper (Job 36:11), we are healed (Isaiah 53:5), and our families are blessed (Gen. 12:3). Don’t believe the lie. Whatever we face, discover and believe the truth in God’s Word.

Psalms 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Have you ever felt like you were missing something in life? Everything seems to be going well, but you feel like something is missing. That void in our lives is God’s presence.

The reason why our joy appears to be waning is because we haven’t spent time in His presence. In His presence there is a fullness of joy. That void between where we are and fullness can be filled by spending time in His presence. It doesn’t seem like His presence can fill that void, but if His presence won’t fill it, what else will? We can’t expect to think a new career, debt freedom, or entertainment in general will fill that void. Only being in His presence can fill our void.

On top of the joy that only God can fulfill, at His right hand there are endless pleasures. God wants to give us stuff. Whatever our hearts desire, that aligns with godliness, God wants to give it to us.

The commonality between fullness of joy and endless pleasures is being in the presence of God. We can try, but we’ll never be truly satisfied without His presence. At a certain time of the day, remove all distractions and let’s quiet ourselves to spend time in His presence. In His presence, there is an abundance of joy and endless pleasures.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. The scripture doesn’t say God takes no pleasure in killing the wicked. It says He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. God desires that all men be saved and have eternal life (1 Tim. 2:4). The wicked die based on the consequence of their actions.

If God doesn’t kill the wicked and He takes no pleasure in their death, how can we, as believers, say He takes the righteous? When people die, believers have the tendency to say “God took that person home.” Because everyone handles death differently, that saying gives some people a sense of peace, but for others, it leads to them blaming God. That blame can ultimately lead people to having a grudge against God or worse, unbelief.

God is not in the habit of killing people. Don’t blame God for death. He’s not an assassin. God promises us 120 protected years on this earth. Releasing our faith for those 120 years, His protection, along with our obedience to the Holy Spirit regarding how we should live, will allow us to have long abundant life, just as He promised (Psalm 91:16).

Matthew 26:39 (NLT) He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Jesus had a point in His life where He almost choked. He knew His assignment was to separate Himself from His Father, take on sin, suffer and die for mankind, but His flesh didn’t want to comply. Jesus begged His Father to have mankind be redeemed in another way, but He forced His flesh to comply with the will of the Father.

Some of us know God has called us to do or say something, but because of fear or rebellion, we choke. Don’t choke. If God has called us to do something, He’s given us the grace or ability to complete the task (2 Corinthians 12:9). We may not feel like we’re qualified or have the resources to complete the task, but God sees victory at the end of every God-given assignment if we don’t choke.

From tithing, to starting a business, to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God will be with us and see us through if we don’t choke.

Inspired by Bishop I.V. Hilliard

You go to the store to pick up some groceries for the week. While you’re at the store, you see an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time. It would be odd if you would close your eyes, bow your head, and put your hands together when having a conversation that friend. You simply would have a conversation.

People have made prayer an event when in actuality, it’s just a conversation between us and God. The same way we would speak to someone in the natural is the same way we can speak to God. Nowhere in the Bible does God require some of the things people consider to be prayer. Our face doesn’t have to literally be on the ground, we don’t have to bend our knees, and we don’t have to sound sophisticated when we pray. Some may say it’s a sign of humility to God when doing those things. That may be true, but it’s not a requirement. God simply wants casual communication with His creation.

If we want to hear God more clearly, it would be in our best interests to be in a quiet place, but if we’re intentional and know the voice of God, we can hear God in any setting. People of God, seek God through prayer and don’t make it so complicated. He only wants to hear from you.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Job 36:5 “God is mighty, but despises no one; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

If you lied, engaged in homosexuality, fornicated, committed adultery, got divorced, an ex-con, a non-believer, or more, this scripture is for you. Contrary to religious beliefs, God DOES NOT despise or hate you.

God is so in love with EVERYONE until He sent His Son to redeem us from the pit of hell (John 3:16). It doesn’t matter what occurred in your past, what’s happing in your present, or what you plan to do, God loves and He’s forgiven you.

Don’t allow some religious fanatic to tell you God hates, is upset with, or is punishing you because of some sin you’ve committed. God loves us unconditionally.

Let’s be clear, God hates the sin itself, but He loves us. God hates sin because sin is the very antithesis of His nature. The majority of us have labeled a person based on their actions. If we stole something, we’re a thief. If we lied, we’re a liar. God does not label us based on our actions. God sees us as His beloved. That act does not define us. For those who’ve accepted Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and are labeled as children of God and nothing more.

Know that regardless of what you do, God does not despise you.

Unchecked moods and emotions have cost people their lives, cost people their jobs, ended close relationships, and simply ruined people’s lives.

We were never meant to be dominated by our moods and emotions. Our moods and emotions were given to us to enjoy more of life. Contrary to popular opinion, we have control over our moods and emotions. We see this in scripture. John 14:1 says, Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. The key word in this scripture is “let.” We have the ability to allow or not allow our hearts to be troubled. It’s up to us.

We were designed to be led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God should overrule every emotion (good or bad) we have. If we’re extra excited about doing something, we need to consult the Spirit to see if it’s the right thing for us. If we’re angry about something, we need to allow the Spirit to help us get our emotions under control. If we’re sad about something, we need to receive joy in the midst of our sadness.

Our emotions can be inconsistent. With the help of the Holy Spirit, let’s get in control of our moods and emotions to be more stable people and create a more stable environment.

Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Genesis 24:1 Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

Society attempts to convince us that we’re too old to have children, too old to go back to school, too old to start a new career, or too old to do things a younger person would do. That’s simply a lie.

God lets us know, through Abraham, that in spite of our age, He is willing and able to bless us in every way. Abraham was 100 and his wife was 90 years old when they had their first child. Their age didn’t stop God’s promise from coming to pass. Not only was Abraham blessed with a child, he was blessed financially, in his health, and was a blessing to others. God is not a respecter of people (Acts 10:34). If He will do it for Abraham, He will do it for us.

Our age won’t hinder God’s promises toward us. If you have a dream, that aligns with God’s will for your life, don’t give up on that dream based on your age. Rely on God and He will allow that dream to come pass.