Graced To Do God's Will

The Word of God instructs us to love one another at all times. The main reason why we don’t love each other is because of fear. People are afraid to love.

People don’t want to position themselves to get hurt in some way, shape, or form. It’s understandable why people don’t want to get hurt, but the concept of love is bigger than ourselves. 

God is love (1 John 4:16). Every time we extend love to one another, we give God to someone. By not loving, we’re behaving selfishly. WE don’t want to put forth the effort, to take time out of OUR day, to extend love to someone else, so that WE won’t get hurt. That’s not the spirit of God. 

The spirit of God is extending love on all occasions. A sign of maturity can be seen if we can love one another and not expect anything in return. 

While we’re still in the spirit of giving, let’s continue to give love. 

John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Psalms 118:2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.

God doesn’t want us to wait to speak about His love, grace, and mercy. He wants us to speak about it right now. Why now? Because people, who we don’t know that are listening, can benefit from our praise to God. If we wait, a person can miss out on an opportunity to learn about what God has done for us.

Once we truly believe God is responsible for every good and perfect gift, the Word of God instructs us to “say” something. It didn’t tell us to keep it to ourselves and it didn’t tell us to think about it. The Word instructs us to say something about the love, grace, and mercy of our God.

If God has done anything for you, right now and for the rest of your lives, say something.

Acts 20:35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ 

This scripture shows up often around the holidays encouraging people to give. It is more of a blessing to give than to receive. Although it’s more of a blessing to give than to receive, we still have to learn how to receive.

Receiving may not come easy to everyone. Several factors get in the way that prevent us from being good receivers. Some of those factors include, pride, fear, or obligation. Some have too much pride to take handouts from anyone. Some fear being in debt to someone else. Some don’t want to obligate themselves to give back to the person who gave to them. 

There’s one thing we must remember. It’s not the person who is giving to us. It’s God working through the person to give to us. If we don’t realize this, we’ll turn down blessings God’s attempting to give to us simply because it’s coming through a person. 

So, remove all the pride and fear and become better receivers. 

If someone, you didn’t really know said, “there’s just something I like about you.” They then proceeded to pay all your student loans, car note, and mortgage. We may respond by asking if there’s anything we could do for them as a token of our appreciation. The person only says, freely receive my gift to you. By the person declining any labor intensive offer from us should compel most of us to ask if there’s anything we could do again. 

This is what Jesus did for us. He paid ALL of our debts and He didn’t require any labor intensive chore from us. All He asks is that we believe that He paid all of our debts and receive the gifts He’s made available to us through His sacrifice. 

Some may say, “doesn’t God require obedience, tithing, prayer, and church attendance?” The answer to that question is no. If He required service for salvation that wouldn’t be considered The FREE gift of grace. God’s freely given goodness and grace should eventually compel us to obey, tithe, pray and attend church, but just know, it’s not a requirement for salvation. 

Thank God for His goodness and mercy He’s shown through Jesus. It can compel anyone to do better. 

Romans 2:4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not byworks, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

Psalms 59:16 But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.

Anyone can praise God when things are going well in their lives.

Got a new job…Praise God!

Got married…Praise God!

Got a raise…Praise God!

But what about praising Him in the times of pressure? How often are we praising Him when things are not looking so good? 

Are we praising Him when our house gets foreclosed? Are we genuinely praising God when a loved one passes away? Are we praising God when things don’t seem like they’re getting better? 

We should. The same God who blessed us with good and prosperous things is the same God that can cause our seemingly negative situations to work out for our good.

So wherever you are in life. Give God the praise. 

We live in a world of the next best thing. We hear something big or exciting, but after awhile, that news gets old and we want to hear something bigger or different.

However, when it comes to God and all the wonderful things He’s done, we should never get tired of hearing of His goodness. There should be no such thing as “old testimonies.” 

Hearing of God’s goodness encourages us to believe for the miraculous. It will remind us of how good, merciful, and kind God is towards us. Sharing God’s goodness continues to allow His glory to spread all across the world. 

As we celebrate the day of thanks, think back on some old things God has done for you, share it with someone else, and tell God thank you. 

2 Corinthians 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 

Jesus was our example of how we should operate in the earth using our God-given authority. When Jesus was resisting the devil using the Word of God in Matthew 4, He was showing us how to resist the devil. When Jesus spoke to and calmed the storm in Mark 4, He was teaching us how to use our words to speak to our negative situations. When God raised Lazarus from the dead, He was teaching us how to raise people from the dead.

Some may say, “I can’t do all that Jesus had done. Jesus could do the miraculous because He is the Son of God.” Well, according to John 14:12, we have no more excuses.

John 14:12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

The only thing stopping us from doing the miraculous in the earth is ourselves. We have our example (Jesus) showing us the way, our faith, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We’re a triple threat against opposition. Use your authority to make changes aligned with the Word of God.

God has given us authority to operate on the earth. One key area of authority we should master is the power of confession. Our confession has the ability to literally shape and enhance our world.

The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead is very familiar. Without touching him or placing anything on his body, Jesus used His words to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44).

What some may not realize is, prior to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus confessed what was going to occur.

John 11:1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Jesus confessed Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. Knowing His authority and using the power of confession, Jesus had enough faith to raise Lazarus from the dead.

We have the same authority to operate like Jesus did on the earth (John 14:12). Confessing the Word of God over our situation will feed our faith and our faith will eventually change the situation.

Begin confessing the Word of God over your life, the lives of others, and the Kingdom of God.

Inspired by Apostle F. Price

Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The world has placed a negative connotation around the concept of work. A lot of us complain about it and our ideal lifestyle is to become rich so we don’t have to work. We’ve been deceived into thinking work is a problem. Based on the scripture, work was originated by God.

We view work negatively because a lot of us are working outside of our purpose. God has given everyone an assignment here in the earth. Our assignment is attached to our gifts and talents. Some of us are called to be teachers, while others are called to be truck drivers.

Regardless of where we work, our additional assignment is to be a light at our work environment. What would the world look like if we had believers operating at their maximum potential, enjoying what they did, in the assigned area where God called them? It would be epic.

Let’s renew our minds around the concept of work. Work is God-ordained and it can be beneficial to the Kingdom of God and the world we live in.

Inspired by Pastor Bill Winston.

Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

God can do some awesome and amazing things in our lives if we let Him. The key words in that sentence is “if we let Him.”

God is a lover and He’s given mankind free will, therefore, He’s not going to force His will or His blessings on our lives. The magnitude of the promises we receive from God is going to be according to our faith (Matthew 9:29). If we have faith for a multitude of God’s promises found in the Word of God, we’ll receive numerous promises; and if we have faith for the bare minimum of God’s promises, we’ll have just that. One is not better than the other. It’s up to us.

Regardless if we desire a multitude or the minimum, we should stand in faith for those promises. We stand in faith by acknowledging Jesus sacrificed Himself and made every promise available to the believer. After asking God for a certain promise, we thank God that Jesus has made it available to us.

We often have a tendency to make a blessing ourselves. We get married to a person we’re unsure of, buy houses we can’t afford, take jobs we shouldn’t have accepted, but want God to bless it. However, if we stand in faith, totally relying on the wisdom of God, we’ll receive every promise from God, at the right time, with no sorrow.

Trust God, stand in faith, and receive the promises of God.

Psalms 107:22 Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.

It can be a sacrifice to give thanks to God. For instance, when we don’t feel like being thankful, we sacrifice the moodiness of our flesh to give thanks to God. When our life is not going the way we desired, we surrender our negative emotions, think on what God has done, and offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

The very breath we have in our lungs to give thanks is a reason to thank God. The fact that we’re not dead is a reason to thank God. The promise that God is always with us, guarantees to protect us, and continuously blesses us is a reason to thank God. What we’re thankful for is a direct result of a sacrifice. That sacrifice was made by Jesus. If we can’t think of anything else to be thankful for, thank God for Jesus.

We may not always feel like it and thanksgiving may not always seem warranted based on our current conditions, but if we really look closely at our lives, God deserves all of the praise, glory, honor, and thanks for what He’s done.

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

There are some who attempt to over-complicate salvation. They feel like confessing with our mouths “Jesus is Lord” and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead is not enough. They feel like it’s too simple.

Contrary to religious belief, we don’t have to ask for forgiveness before being saved, we don’t have to be baptized before being saved, we don’t have to be filled with the Holy Spirit before being saved, and we don’t have to be in a church to receive salvation. All those things are good, but it’s not a requirement of salvation. In context, Romans 10:9 and John 3:16 tells us all we have to do is confess and believe.

Complicated salvation pushes unbelievers away from the cross. Who wants to get saved when it’s a ten step process and it takes an hour? The grace of God makes salvation quick, easy, and free. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord today and/or encourage others to make that same painless step as well.

Inspired by Pastor Tony Evans

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

1. “Everyone has sex before marriage.”
2. “I can’t forgive them.”
3. “God made me homosexual.”
4. “Marijuana is from the earth.”
5. “The Bible doesn’t say cursing is a sin.”

These statements are not to single out anyone or to bring condemnation on anyone, but some people use these statements to justify or suit their own desires.

Our flesh craves things contrary to the Word of God. That craving can be so intense until we’ll use scripture to justify our cravings or ignore the Word of God and label it archaic.

Times may have changed, but the Word of God remains the same. Instead of having the Word of God conform to our lives, we need to conform our lives to the Word of God. We also must want our lives to conform to God’s Word.

Conforming may not be easy, but God’s grace is all we need. To overcome the cravings of our flesh, we must remind ourselves we are the righteousness of God in Christ, believe God loves and has forgiven us regardless of what we have done or are doing, and receive His grace to overcome our flesh (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:13; 2 Cor. 12:9).

Resist the cravings and submit to God.

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

As believers, we should be standing in faith for something. It could be a new car or a new job; it can be something for someone else, or something for the Kingdom of God. Regardless of what we’re standing in faith for, faith is always accompanied with patience.

In the Kingdom of God, patience is consistently doing what we know to do according God’s Word until our desires manifest.

Initially, we pray for our desires according to Mark 11:24 which states, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. At the time we pray, we are to believe that we’ve already received our desire. In between our prayer and the physical manifestation of our desire should be persistent patience.

Persistent patience is continuously focusing on the promise and not the delay. Satan will always throw darts of doubt in our minds regarding the delay. He’ll make us think we need to do something extra, like extended prayer or fasting, to get God to “move.” If he’s successful, he’ll have us focus on the delay so much until we’ll give up on our desires.

Persistent patience includes praise and thanking God for our desire, confessing that we’ve received our desire, and countering those darts of doubt with the Word of God. Once again, this doesn’t get God to speed up the manifestation of our desires, but this helps us from being anxious and impatient by keeping God’s promise in front of us.

Be patient, the manifestation is coming.

Acts 26:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before you concerning all the things of which I am accused of the Jews:

God made our minds so powerful until we can change our disposition. He’s given us the ability to think ourselves happy.

Paul was imprisoned, surrounded by rats, roaches, and probably barely fed because he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the midst of that situation, he utilized his God-given ability to think himself happy.

We may be facing or will face unpleasant circumstances. Some of our circumstances seem downright awful. In the midst of that situation, we have the ability to think ourselves happy.

We think ourselves happy by meditating on the goodness and promises of God. It may be a trying situation, but thank God it’s not worse. We may be struggling financially, but praise God we have a place to stay and food to eat. We meditate on how God delivered us out of a terrible situation in the past, and how He’s already made a way for us to escape this current situation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Meditate on God’s saving power, His healing power, and His love towards us.

Thinking ourselves happy WILL have to be done continuously because we have an enemy who will bombard our minds with thoughts focused on our current situation and not the promises of God. So, remember Proverbs 23:7 which says for as he thinks within himself, so he is. We embody what we think. 

Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

A lot of us have been so accustomed to people leaving us, turning their backs on us, and changing their minds about us until it can be difficult to believe there’s a person who can be continuously consistent. That’s what we have in God. God won’t change.

Having an understanding that God won’t change will assist in our complete trust in God. It’s easier to trust in a person when they’ve told us they’re not going to change and they have around 4000 years of faithfulness and millions of positive testimonies on their resume.

What God’s Word says about us and our lives is true and it won’t change. When God said He will never leave us nor forsake us in Hebrews 13:5, regardless of how far we’ve gone away from Him, His consistent presence won’t change. When God’s Word says nothing can separate us from His love in Romans 8:38, regardless of how many times we’ve missed the mark, His love won’t change. When God said, His plan is to prosper us in Jeremiah 29:11, no matter how much we think we’ve messed things up, His plan won’t change.

We might as well place our total trust in God because He won’t change and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Psalm 107:6 “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses.”‭‭

There are four additional instances in this chapter alone where it says, “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses” (v. 9, 13, 19, & 28). Do you think God is trying to tell us something?

In each case, mankind found themselves in trouble, however, when they cried out to the Lord, He delivered them from all of their distresses. God hasn’t changed. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever more (Malachi 3:6). He’s still willing and able to deliver us out of our distresses when we cry out to Him.

This is not a pitiful whimpering cry to God. This is a bold focused declaration to God, informing Him that we need Him. So, instead of trying to figure out the problem using our finite logic, cry out to God informing Him of His necessity in our lives. 

Everything we do or say contrary to the Word of God begins with a thought. Lust, greed, selfishness, and gossip all begin with a thought. If we get our thoughts together, our actions will follow.

Philippians 4:8 says, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.‭

The key to having our actions and words align with the Word of God is to control our thought life. Philippians 4:8 tells us how to think. If we think on things that are true, we won’t believe the lies. If we think on things that are pure, we won’t have impure thoughts that lead to lust. If we think on things that are of a good report, we won’t spread gossip and negativity.

It all starts with our thoughts. Think or meditate on the things God instructed us to think on and be a brighter light in the world and live a holier life unto God.

Proverbs 18:21 says, death and life are in the power of the tongue, so, whatever we’re speaking about on a daily basis is what we’re giving life to. If we’re talking about how hard life is or how bad a situation is, we’re feeding or giving life to that bad situation.

What we say also magnifies what we believe. Luke 6:45 says, what we say flows from what our heart is full of. So, if we’re constantly speaking doom and gloom over our lives or about the negative situation, at our core, we believe more in the negative events in front of us than the Word of God.

The spiritual solution to kill any negative event in our lives is to keep silent. Stop feeding the negative situation through our speech. Begin saying what we want to see instead of saying what we’re seeing. Correct believing will birth correct speech and correct speech will produce a positive life. Speak life.

Proverbs 10:19 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

Acts 8:1 And Saul approved of their killing him…

Our background can sometimes intimidate us from doing the work of the Lord. We look at how many times we’ve missed the mark, how many marriages we’ve had, or our criminal background, and think someone is going to judge us based on our past. Unfortunately, some people will judge, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing the work of the Lord.

Think about this. Paul, who was once called Saul, was murdering the family members of people he would eventually preach to. If Paul would have focused on his past, he wouldn’t have had the revelation to do what he did and write the majority of the New Testament. It was imperative that Paul received his forgiveness, forgot the things of his past, and pressed towards what God called him to.

We can’t be concerned about the opinions of men regarding our past. We must do what God has called us to because God’s opinion of us is the only opinion that matters.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 105:24 The LORD made his people grow rapidly in number and stronger than their enemies.

We have enemies. We have natural enemies and we have spiritual enemies. It makes no difference what type of enemies we’re facing, God made us stronger than our enemies.

Do you have a manager who is deliberately making your life difficult? God made us stronger than our enemies. Do you have a disease that keeps reoccurring? God made us stronger than our enemies. Do you have strife in your marriage? God made us stronger than our enemies.

God made it so that nothing can stop us. There is nothing in Satan’s arsenal that can stop us. We don’t have to accept being under the thumb of our enemies. We don’t have to live below God’s best.

So how do we activate our strength? By faith. We must believe that we’re stronger than our enemies. We must believe that the One in us is greater than the one in the world (1 John 4:4). We must believe that with God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies (Psalms 108:13).

Regardless of how it appears as we see it today, if we would believe the word of God regarding overcoming our enemies, we will maintain our victory.

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Since the beginning, one of the first things some of us do when we miss the mark is attempt to hide from God. In our case, some of us avoid the very place that can help us. We avoid the house of God.

Some of us get so filled with guilt, shame, and condemnation until we avoid coming to church and avoid our accountability partners. Religious leaders haven’t made it any easier by preaching guilt and shame from the pulpit. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is about grace, forgiveness, and love no matter how many times we fall. Sin is still displeasing to God, but where sin has increased, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20).

The correct way to handle a situation when we’ve missed the mark is to do the following:

1. Acknowledge that we’ve missed the mark and thank God that forgiveness has been made available through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:9; Colossians 2:13).

2. In the midst of having a temptation to feel guilty, come into the house of God and worship God because of His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness in spite of what we’ve done.

3. If necessary, rededicate our lives to God and make a commitment to live a holy life.

Don’t run from God. Nothing good happens when we avoid God. Run to God. He’s waiting there with loving, open arms.

There are some of us who buy new things, get new jobs, and go towards a different path without consulting God, but we want God to bless our decisions. That’s not the operation of God. This is floundering.

Floundering is when we essentially try new things, without the leading of the Holy Spirit, using our own reason and logic. If everything works out smoothly in our new endeavor, we continue on and appear wise, however, if we face difficulties and setbacks, we claim it wasn’t God’s will for our lives.

We can skip the guessing and floundering by acknowledging God before every decision we make. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things (John 14:26). He will tell us when, where, and how to start something new or He’ll tell us to be patient and wait on what He has for us.

Stop attempting do life on your own. Let God lead you to the prosperous place He has for you.

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

Everything our flesh desires to do, everything that seems logical to our minds, and everything the world teaches us, the Word of God instructs us to do the opposite. 

Matthew 5:43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Matthew 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! 

Love and pray for our enemies, give to get, and forgive continuously are just some of the opposite ways God desires of us. 

God requires opposite ways from us to set ourselves apart from and provide light to a darkened world. Following God’s opposite ways is also an outward expression of our trust in God. We can say we trust God with our mouths, but can we trust God when it doesn’t make sense in our heads. 

No matter how weird they seem, when we follow God’s ways God guarantees that success follows, and there are numerous testimonies in the body of Christ supporting that promise. Get with the law of opposites so that God’s opposite ways can lead you in the right direction.

Psalms 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

The world has taught us that trust is earned. According to the word of God, that’s not true. Trust is simply given. It’s a matter of our will to trust God or someone else.

Look at it from another perspective. We’ll trust someone to prescribe us medication or operate on our bodies simply because they have the initials “M.D.” at the end of their names. That trust wasn’t earned. We don’t know if they’re educated enough to prescribe the correct medication and we haven’t seen them be successful in the surgeries of others, but we’ll put our trust in them.

As blindly as we’ll trust a doctor we just met to operate on our bodies is the same way we should trust God and trust others. God hasn’t done anything to corrupt our trust in Him and most people haven’t done anything themselves. It’s fear that causes us not to trust God or others.

Let go of fear so that you can trust God wholeheartedly, love others completely, and live freely.

Inspired by Pastor D @ amazingchurch.com

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

We often read this scripture and associate it with blessings to come. We think about of the house, car, or job God will manifest in our lives. In this scripture, “do” is an action word and it can be replaced with any promise from God (forgiveness, protection, etc.). For today’s message, we’re going to emphasize His love towards us.

If we would replace “do” with “love,” the scripture would read; Now unto Him that is able to love exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. 

God’s love goes exceedingly beyond all that we ask, think, or imagine. Think of the most evil thing a person can do. God’s love goes beyond that. What if they committed that evil act multiple times? God’s love trumps it all. God’s love is immeasurable.

When we understand God’s love towards us, we can look at life differently. We’re not ashamed when we’ve missed the mark because we know God still loves us. We’re not here by accident because God loves us. We’re not too far gone because God loves us.

God loves us and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Romans 8:39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Philippians 1:28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself.

The Word of God tells us not to be intimidated or afraid of our enemies. These enemies can be physical enemies such as actual people or they can be spiritual such as sickness, poverty, failure, or death.

Although the Word tells us not to be afraid of our enemies, it’s definitely a temptation to allow fear to dictate our lives. The most common type of enemy that attempts to dictate our lives is spiritual.

Some of us are afraid of the enemy known as failure, therefore, we don’t start the business God called us to start. Some of us are afraid of the enemy known as rejection, therefore, we miss out on meeting the spouse of our dreams. Some of us are afraid of the enemy known as death, therefore, we don’t get on a plane and we limit ourselves to only seeing what is drivable.

Regardless of the enemy, we must not fear. For the believer, there is too much God in us, around us, and working through us to allow fear to dictate our lives. Rest and be assured that if we trust God, God’s got us and He won’t allow our enemies to win.

Think of all the seemingly negative events in your life. Some of us have faced things such as layoffs, a passing of a loved one, or eviction. If these negative events were handled correctly, meaning, continuing to trust, rely, and praise God during the circumstance, that negative event can be a tool for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

It’s called a testimony for a reason. We can’t have testimony without going through a test. If we pass that test, we become a voice of hope when reaching others going through the same thing. No one wants to hear from a person who’s never lost a child when grief of losing a child is staring them right in the face. It’s difficult for us to relate to someone who hasn’t experience what we’ve experienced or are experiencing.

Facing and overcoming negative events allows us to have a testimony on how we made it through. We’ll be an encourager to those in difficult places and we’ll be a light to those facing darkness. It’s all perspective.

Use the negative events we’ve faced or are facing to advance the Kingdom of God and to be a blessing to others.

Philippians 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evidence to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Psalms 105:13-15 “When they went from one nation to another, From one kingdom to another people, He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.””‭‭

Romans 2:11 says, God does not show favoritism meaning, if He did it for one, in principle, He will do it for another. 

As believers, these are scriptures we can stand on regarding not being wronged, not being physically or emotionally harmed, and not even being touched by anyone.

While everyone else in the world is on high alert or has a bit of uneasiness when contacting unfamiliar faces, we can maintain our joy and peace because we serve a covenant-keeping God Who promised to protect us if we would put our faith in His Word.

Know that you are safe and nothing can harm you.

Proverbs 4:20My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings. 21Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. 22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Our belief is tied to our meditation and confession. What we continuously allow ourselves to think about and what we say are what we ultimately believe.

For example, if we continuously say that we just cannot get through the winter without getting sick, then we are, in a sense, willing our bodies to receive illness, when the Word says that by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).  And, if we instead would confess that truth and allow the Spirit to lead us, He can show us how to avoid sickness in practical ways (taking vitamin C, or wearing socks around the house, etc.).

It’s time to change our confession, not just on the ‘big’ things like confessing for financial breakthrough, but also in the day to day things like being disciplined and self-controlled, or being patient and kind rather than irritable. Confess and meditate on what the Word says about you, and you will eventually see that reflected in your actions.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.

Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,”

In elementary school, many of us had a conduct grade. The conduct grade was measured on how well we followed classroom rules such as, no talking, staying on task, etc. If we did well we received an “A” or “E” for excellent. If our conduct was poor, we received an “F” or “U” for unsatisfactory. 

As believers, our conduct is still being graded. This time, our conduct is being measured with the gospel of Christ. Having conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ means living in a manner that honors God, unifying ourselves with other believers, and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We all have areas of growth, but the more we make an intentional effort to honor God with our lives, the more Christ can be magnified. One person praying with the homeless is good, but think of how more impactful we could be if we would do the work of Christ in unity. The lost are out there and the logic of God not existing is increasing. Knowing the little or a lot that we know, if we can preach Christ, spirits can be saved. 

Do what God has called you to do and align your conduct with the gospel of Christ.

Psalms 105:5 “Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,”

We all face difficult times in our lives. What helps us get through those difficult times is remembering what the Lord has done for us.

When we can recall how the Lord delivered us from that terrible situation, or when we can recall how God provided exactly what we needed, it strengthens our faith to know God will do it again. It gives us something to hope for. It gives us peace of mind.

So whenever you’re going through a difficult circumstance, do yourselves a favor, and remember everything the Lord has done for you.

In part 1, we revealed there are some skeptics of God’s existence due to the negative things they see. They see “incurable” diseases, premature death, and other negative things and are skeptical of the existence of God.

We discovered the introduction of sin and Satan’s reign in the earth because of Adam’s disobedience caused every negative thing we see (the curse). We also revealed that mankind has free will and our decisions are influenced by God or Satan. So, the heinous acts people commit are a direct result of Satan’s influence.

For those in Christ, there’s hope. Jesus was sent to take mankind’s authority back from Satan. Jesus disarmed Satan, therefore, He could say all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me (Matt. 28:18; Col. 2:15). For those in Christ, we have God-given authority over heinous acts, diseases, and premature death, but if we don’t use this authority, we’re no different from an unbeliever.

We activate our authority by faith. We must have faith in the authority we have in the name of Jesus, have faith that our words have power, and have faith in the blessing of God. When we have faith in all that God says we have in His Word, nothing can stop us.

No disease can overtake our bodies because we’re healed (Psalms 91:10; Isaiah 53:5). No premature death can overtake us because we’re promised long life (Gen. 6:3; Psalms 91:16). No heinous act can be done against us because we’re protected (Psalms 91:11).

This is the authority and covering we have in Christ. Believe God’s Word and never be a skeptic of God nor His Word again.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Based on the conditions of the world, there’s been some skepticism on the existence of God. People say, if God is real, why does He allow terrorist attacks, “incurable” diseases to kill good people, and premature death of babies.

Well, there’s a little thing called sin. When sin entered the earth, through the disobedience of Adam, who represented mankind, it destroyed the life God intended for us to have. Also, when Adam disobeyed God, Adam relinquished his earthly authority to Satan. We see this in Luke 4:6-7 where Satan was trying to tempt Jesus and told him “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” So the diseases and premature deaths are a direct result of sin and Satan’s reign in the earth.

For those who question why God doesn’t intervene when a person commits a heinous act against other, let’s look at it from another perspective. We haven’t been sweet perfect little angels all our lives. If we’re going to question God’s intervention of the heinous act of another, we should also question why God didn’t intervene when we were rude to this person, said hurtful things to that person, or fought that person. It’s because God has given mankind free will and authority in this earth (Gen. 1:26) and the decision mankind makes will be influenced by God or Satan.

So instead of questioning the existence of God based on the negative things we see, look at Satan and the influence mankind allows him to have in their lives.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

After receiving a high school diploma, some of us will go to college and get our bachelors, masters, and/or doctorate degrees. We work at a career we desired. We receive promotions, pay increases, and notoriety. We get a nice house, nice car, and have a beautiful family.

Regardless of all the good we have in our lives, it was grace that provided those good things. We can get caught up thinking it’s our skill, talent, or luck that got us to the place we are today.

It’s grace that allowed us to have the funding to go to school. It was grace that allowed us to receive our desired career. It was grace that allowed us to have a beautiful family. Every good thing in life has been provided by grace. Even if we don’t like where we are in life, it is grace that keeps us alive and provides the opportunity for change.

This grace was provided through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ and it was freely given to all of us.

Don’t dismiss or diminish grace thinking it was your skill, talent, or connections that got you to the place where you are today. It was grace and grace alone.

1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them–yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Went to church this week, CHECK. Read a verse for the day, CHECK. Prayed for the day, CHECK. Helped someone this week, CHECK.

What makes us feel good about our day or week is filth to God (Isaiah 64:6).

God doesn’t want our relationship with Him based on religious check marks. God desires an intimate relationship with us. He wants to be a part of our day, evening, and night. He wants to be a part of minor and major decisions. He wants to be in constant communication with us throughout the day.

We can have that continuous connection to God through the Holy Spirit. By recognizing the Holy Spirit and asking Him to lead and guide us at the beginning of each day, the Holy Spirit will direct us in ways that please God.

The Holy Spirit will tell us which move to make, who to give to, and where to go. The Holy Spirit will also tell us who to pray for, what scripture to read that will be most beneficial to our lives, and how to help someone.

Stop living life by the check mark. Develop an intimate relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

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

God made a decision to love us. It wasn’t because of anything we did or didn’t’ do. He made the choice to love us and offer a sacrifice for our salvation.

The same way God chose to love us is the same way we should love others. We shouldn’t wait on someone to do something for us before we love them. Love is not a feeling, but a decision.

Some may say, I’m not loving someone who hasn’t proven themselves to me. What we’re really saying is we’re afraid of loving someone because it makes us vulnerable to be hurt. That’s fear. 1 John 4:18 says, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Not loving also highlights pride. With pride, we’re saying, we’re not going to look like a fool for loving a person who hasn’t done anything deserving of our love. If God would have taken that same stance, we all would be headed for hell.

God wouldn’t command us to love EVERYONE if we were incapable of doing so. It’s a decision. As we unconditionally love others, this world will be a better place.

John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

We can all identify areas of fear in our lives. Some of us are afraid of change, some are afraid of failure, and some are afraid of making ourselves vulnerable to someone else.

Regardless of the fear, we can see that fear is not natural because it’s not of God.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

The only appropriate way to face fear is with faith. We need to have faith that God’s Word will do what it says it will do. However, faith requires trust. So, if fear is present in our lives, that’s an area where we don’t trust God. If we’re afraid of flying, we don’t trust that God will be our Protector. If we’re afraid of failure, we don’t trust that God will cause everything to work out for our good. If we’re afraid of opening up to someone else, we don’t trust that God will protect our hearts.

To overcome our fears, the first thing we must do is become mentally prepared to face our fears. If we don’t have the correct mindset, we’ll always avoid the challenge to overcome our fears.

Secondly, we need to hear biblical teaching on overcoming our fears. Faith comes by hearing. When we hear the Word of God regarding overcoming our fears, the Word of God motivates us to face our fears.

Finally, we face our fears.

It may be a little challenging, but the more we face our fears, the easier it becomes. Eventually, we’ll look back and wonder why we allowed that fear to cripple us in the first place.

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

When we’re driving to an unfamiliar location, most of us use a navigation system. Prior to driving to our destination, we type in the address in our phones or GPS units and expect the navigation system to take us to our destination. There’s usually no thought, no anxiety, or no fear if the navigation system will get us to our destination. It’s because we trust the navigation system. It’s guided us to our destinations before and without any hesitation, we expect it to guide us again.

The same way we have the ability to trust in a man-made device like a navigation system, is the same way we should trust the Almighty God. God has proven to us time and time again that He’s faithful. Our initial trust in Him may have been a little scary, but after a few years of relying on Him, without hesitation, we should rely on Him again.

The devil is crafty. Every time we place our trust in God, no matter how long we’ve trusted God, Satan will throw thoughts of doubt into our minds making us wonder if God will come through. If we can just ride it out and rely on God, like we would do with a navigation system, God will take us to greater places than we could imagine.

Trust God. He is faithful. If He did it before, He can do it again.

Inspired by Enock Ddamulira

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3:27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

As we can see, we have a double portion of Jesus Christ. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us.

With this double portion, we have certain benefits.

In Christ
In Christ, we’re now alive to God (Rom. 6:11).
In Christ, we are perfect (Col. 1:28).
In Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us every day of our lives (Eph. 1:13).
In Christ, we’re not only going to be in heaven. At this very moment, we are in heaven, seated with Christ (Eph. 2:6).

Christ In Us
Christ in us allows to be overcomers in any situation (1 John 4:4).
Christ in us keeps us rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17).
Christ in us allows us to have understanding of the Word of God (Col. 1:24-27).

Jesus paid an awesome price so that we can be in Him and He can be in us. All of these benefits are for everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Maximize on these benefits.