Graced To Do God's Will

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.

As followers of Jesus Christ, everyone should be resisting the urge to do things contrary to the Word of God. We should resist the urge to drink alcohol in excess, resist the urge to become angry, or resist the urge to hate our neighbors because they’ve treated us poorly.

Interestingly enough, society seems to accept some of the things believers encourage others to resist that align with the Word of God. For instance, society doesn’t seem to have a problem with believers telling others to resist the urge to commit adultery against their spouses and society may not have a problem with believers telling single people to resist the urge to fornicate. However, if a believer tells a person to resist the urge to be involved in a same-sex relationship, society calls the believer a spreader of hate, homophobic, or an unbeliever in love/happiness.

Yes, people can be physically attracted to the same-sex, but just like a married person should resist the urge to cheat and a single person should resist the urge to fornicate, a person who’s attracted to the same-sex should resist the urge to follow-through with that attraction.

God, our Creator, knows and wants what’s best for us. God’s Word even declares no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Ps. 84:11). If He’s withholding the permissiveness of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and more from us, it’s probably because it’s not a good thing.

At the end of the day, with every temptation, a decision needs to be made. Are we going to honor God with our lives, or satisfy the cravings of our flesh? You decide.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Mark 9:17-18 “Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.”‭‭

A man came up to Jesus, asking Jesus to cure his son of this mute spirit. Before Jesus cured the man’s son, He asked the man how long has his son been this way. The man stated his son has been this way since he was a child. After no the time, Jesus cured the boy of the mute spirit. 

What is God saying to us? No matter how long we’ve been in a negative situation, there’s enough power in the Word of God to free us from that negative circumstance. 

You’ve been in debt for ten years? There’s enough power in the Word of God to free us from debt.
You’ve had that sickness for six months? There’s enough power in the Word of God to cure us from any sickness.

You’ve been single for a long time and you desire to get married? There’s enough power in the Word of God to bring us a spouse. 

Anything we need or desire can be obtained through the Word of God. All we have to do is believe. 

23 “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Have you ever woke up and you felt sad, angry, or depressed for no apparent reason? It’s like anything or anyone can set you off at any given time. Well, those negative emotions are spirits and we have a choice to make. We can either accept those emotions and use the excuse of “I can’t help how I feel,” or intentionally resist those emotions. It’s up to us.

Those negative emotions are designed to remove the quality of life God desires for His people. How can we say we have an abundant life if we’re sad, angry, or depressed? Those negative emotions also have the ability to taint the life of someone else. How can we have a joyful relationship with someone if one minor thing sets us off? We can’t.

We must be intentional in resisting those negative emotions. Using our God-given authority through our speech and our understanding of the fruit of the spirit, we must declare what types of emotions we desire to have.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit the result of His presence within us is love unselfish concern for others, joy, inner peace, patience not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

When we’re feeling down, we will tell ourselves to receive joy. When we’re angry, we’ll confess we have peace. It’s easy to give in to our flesh and display negative emotions, but like everything else with God, we must resist the flesh and walk in the Spirit.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, guard and keep the deposit entrusted to you! Turn away from the irreverent babble and godless chatter, with the vain and empty and worldly phrases, and the subtleties and the contradictions in what is falsely called knowledge and spiritual illumination.

We’re living in a society where people are constantly searching for the latest greatest newest thing or idea. Cell phones, cars, and electronics are looked down upon because they were released last year. This quest to discover something new has impacted some of our beliefs. In return, some of us are leaving our “old” Bibles behind.

When so called “new” revelation is discovered in books or historical texts, it can be enticing. For some, it’s like discovering buried treasure. If one is not grounded in the Word, that person will be tempted to study more from those historical texts than the Word of God. And if one is not grounded in the Word of God, it can negatively impact our beliefs. People will go around thinking they know the “truth” and they’re more enlightened than others when in fact, they’re simply deceived.

The Word of God tells us to turn away from godless chatter, worldly phrases, and so called spiritual illumination. That doesn’t mean we can’t gain knowledge by reading historical texts, but if those texts contradict or attempts to nullify the Word of God, it would be in our best interest to turn away from such things.

Be mindful to know that everything that’s supposed to be spiritually enlightening is not heaven sent. Some things are created to distract us, get us off our course, and ultimately uproot our belief in the Word of God. Be grounded in the Word of God.

There are times where we as believers don’t want to get our hands dirty. We’ll pray, confess, and believe that God will do something in someone else’s life that we can do ourselves.

For example, we may know that our friend has a financial need. Instead of coming out our pocket to meet that need, we’ll pray that our friend’s need is met through another means. Another is example is with salvation. We may know someone who needs to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We’ll pray and intercede for that person but, have we done anything ourselves? Have we taken the time to speak to that person about Jesus Christ or are we waiting on someone else to do it? 

In some cases, we are our answered prayer for someone else. 

Stop waiting on God to use another person when He has equipped us to handle it ourselves. God blessed us to be a blessing. Now go…and be a blessing. 

Romans 12:13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Inspired by Joyce Meyer

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.

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.

The Word of God tells us, in this life, we have a fight on our hands. There’s no way around it and no amount of good we can do to avoid it. We’re going to have to fight. Our wrestling opponent is not with an actual person, but with demonic forces in the spirit.

In this wrestling match, there may be times our opponent seems to have the upper hand. Our finances may be low, our health may be negatively affected, or our marriage may be rocky. Regardless of how the upper hand appears, we’re guaranteed to win.

What causes us to triumph is our faith. When we have faith to believe that everything the Word of God says regarding our situation will come to pass, we’re guaranteed the victory.

No matter how sick we are, if we’ll believe and confess we’re healed, the Word of God will give us the victory over sickness. No matter how confused we are, if we believe in the guidance and direction of the Lord, we’ll have victory over confusion. No matter how bad it appears, if we believe all things work out for our good, we’ll have victory over negative circumstances.

Believe the Word of God and wrestle to win.

Matthew 18:18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Jesus gave us the authority to bind or stop, and loose or release anything we desire in this earth.

A lot of people have the tendency to bind a certain thing. They may bind the spirit of pride or they may bind every cancerous cell in a person’s body, but they don’t loose anything in its place.

For instance, a person may bind the spirit of anger in his/her spouse, but in addition, that person also needs to replace that anger with what he/she desires to see. Most people would replace anger with joy or peace. To complete the circuit, that person should bind the spirit of anger and loose the spirit of joy in its place. The same rule applies with our health. If we’re going to bind the spirit of cancer, we should loose divine health that Jesus provided according to 1 Peter 2:24.

Binding and loosing comes in package form. If we don’t replace what we bound with something we desire to see, we’re only partially using our authority. Benefit from everything Jesus provided by binding things contrary to the Word of God and loosing what aligns with life and godliness.

Genesis 15:1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

When was the last time you had a conversation with a person you didn’t know and during that conversation, you shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ? A majority of us probably haven’t shared the Gospel and due to the climate in today’s world, most of us don’t make it a habit to have a conversation with a person we don’t know. All of this is because of fear.

We’re afraid of how people will view us if we share the Gospel. We’re afraid of being criticized because of our beliefs. We’re afraid of offending another. We’re afraid to speak to them because they’re a stranger and we don’t know what they’re capable of.

Regardless of the reason, fear is playing a role in the perishing of people. Fear is planted by Satan to hinder us from doing what God has called us to do. While we’re operating in fear, Satan is adding souls to join him in the Lake of Fire.

Our responsibility is to be bold enough to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and share how good God’s been with others. The Gospel we share has enough power to change the hearts and minds of the listener.

Let’s come out of our comfort zone of fear and be willing to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our reward is on the other side of fear.

Inspired by Pastor D @ amazingchurch.com

Genesis 6:13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

When rain was a foreign concept in the world, God instructed Noah to build an ark before the rain. As we know, it was designed to save his family and a pair of all the animals on the earth. It took Noah around 100 years to build that ark.

Notice something. The Bible never mentions how Noah received provision. It didn’t say he farmed part-time for food, crafted items for trade, or did anything for income. From what we know, Noah, being the man of the house and having a wife and three children, worked on the ark day in and day out for 100 years.

Based on these 100 years of Noah, what can we say about God? What it says is, when we fulfill the purpose God has for us, provision is automatic. Matthew 6:33 says it this way, Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto us.

When it comes to God’s purpose for our lives, it doesn’t matter how out of the box it seems to others; when we fulfill His will for our lives, God guarantees all our provision will be met.

Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Matthew 24:48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It’s been over 2000 years since Jesus walked the earth and the apparent miracles we read about in the Word of God are few and far between. The longer Jesus stays away and the fewer miracles we see, the bolder people become to do things contrary to the Word of God.

Unless there is a major catastrophe, for some, there is no motivation to do the will of the Father. Like a teenager who has the house to themselves over the weekend, some people tend to act unruly in the world. The climate has changed. We’ve become numb to violence. We work around injustices. We’ve accepted ideals contrary to the Word of God.

Some of us figure we’re still successful and happy, so there’s no need to deny ourselves of something our flesh desires and live a holy life acceptable unto God. Some say, what’s the point?

First of all, living a holy life positions us to reap the maximum benefits of God. Secondly, we don’t know when Jesus will return. Would it be in our best interest if Jesus saw us getting high when He returned or having sex with our boy/girlfriend? I don’t think so.

Begin and/or continue to honor God with your life. It will be worth it in the end.

Mark 11:20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.

Everything we see has a spiritual root. The troubles we experience, from cancer, racism, poverty, a troubled marriage, and fear, are all based in the unseen realm. The unseen or the spiritual realm is more real than the natural realm.

So anytime we’re facing a problem or situation we can see in the natural, we need to attack it from its spiritual root. For instance, if someone is having a troubled marriage, most people want to “fix” their spouse. That person is attacking the problem from the leaves (the things we can see). Eventually, the problem will rise again. Let’s discover the unseen culprit behind a troubled marriage. John 10:10 says, the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The root of a decaying or troubled marriage is Satan. Using our authority over him, we bind and rebuke his presence from our marriage.

We have the same authority over other unseen troubles. We can speak to poverty, cancer, or fear and they must obey our faith. Begin attacking the troubles in your lives from the root and all the developments from that root will eventually disappear.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Obviously, based on these three scriptures, drama and chaos are not God’s will for our lives. This peace, we’re meant to have, can be received by faith. The same way we exercise our faith for a new job or a car is the same way we need to exercise our faith for peace.

So, if we find ourselves in a situation where we’re surrounded by drama, we need to ask ourselves a few questions.

1. Are we truly in faith for peace? Faith and doubt can operate in the same space. We can desire peace, but if we doubt that we’ll have peace between our spouse, our supervisor, or our children based on the situation, we won’t have peace.
2. Are we participants of drama? The Holy Spirit, Who should be leading our lives, is telling us when to keep silent, when to submit, and when to pray for those who are attempting to cause drama in our lives. If we’re not heeding the voice of the Holy Spirit, we’re participating in drama.
3. Do we trust God? A lot of drama is self-inflicted. Some of us are worried about this or that and we’re not placing our trust in God. If we can cast our cares on the Lord and trust that He can handle the situation, we can live a peaceful life.

Receive the peace that Jesus’ blood provided. It’s ours and anything that’s not of peace is not the will of God.

John 5:45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.

Jesus was speaking with Jewish leaders who had not accepted Him as the Messiah and who were committed to keeping the law (Law of Moses). In verse 45, Jesus lets them know that He won’t accuse them before the Father, but Moses, whose law they follow, will accuse them before the Father. Ultimately, what Jesus is saying is anyone who attempts to keep and live by the Law of Moses, the law itself, will accuse them before the Father.

The law consists of the Ten Commandments along with 600 additional do’s and don’ts. There are rules ranging from what we should wear to what we should eat. If we break one of the laws, we’re guilty of breaking them all (James 2:10). Romans 3:20 says, for no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Jesus freed us from the law, but there are people who still desire to live by the law. Freedom from the law is not giving us license to live recklessly, but if we’re attempting to live by the law to gain right standing with God, we’re dishonoring what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

So we have a choice. We can be accused by the law before the Father by attempting to keep all the commandments using our self-effort, or we can receive the freedom and forgiveness that came through Jesus. Just FYI, no one was able to keep the law except Jesus. Be free.

Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

The “F” Word is finances.

There are some who can quote scriptures, attend church every week, and are disciplined to pray daily, however, when it comes to finances, they’re lost. They may give their tithes and offering, but beyond giving, they’re lost.

For those who do give their tithes and offering, the good news is we’ll never lack. That’s a promise from God (Philippians 4:10-19). But to start gaining wealth, we have to educate ourselves on the financial opportunities available to us. These opportunities include investments, getting high interest rates in our bank accounts, and trust funds for our children.

For the longest time, mentioning finances in the church was seen as taboo. It was seen as humbling ourselves if we had less than enough financially. Meanwhile, unbelievers in the world obtained wealth. Does that seem like God’s ideal plan for the believer? I think not.

There are numerous opportunities to obtain wealth, increase our savings, and leave a legacy for our children. Along with living out our purpose, let’s seek God on the ways we can gain wealth. That wealth will not only positively impact our lives, but positively impact the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 15:8 These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

God is not only about rules. He’s about relationship. 

Anyone can follow rules, but following rules alone is not God’s desire for us. How much satisfaction do we think God gets because we’ve abstained from pork or required women to wear floor-length dresses? These are rules introduced by men that have been mixed with the law. 

Romans 6:14 says, we’ve been free from the law and 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, the Spirit of God lives inside of us. 

By these two verses alone, we can see God desires a personal relationship with us. He wants us to go to Him and ask what’s the best option in a particular situation. He wants us to worship Him as we think back on all He’s done for us. And yes, He wants us to hold ourselves to a higher standard of holiness because it’s a way to show appreciation for all that He’s done and it’s in our best interests. 

People of God, let’s not limit God to being a rule giver. He’s our Father and He only wants what’s best for us. What’s best for us is an intimate relationship with Him. 

Romans 4:18 (Abraham) who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

There are a few ways Abraham showed us how to keep the faith.

1. Believe the Word of God.
   Abraham believed the Word of God. If we’re going to receive anything from God, in spite of everything we see, we must believe His Word.
2. Ignore Contrary Facts.
   Abraham understood the fact that he and his wife were too old to have a child, but he chose to ignore contrary facts and stay in faith. There are going to be facts we see that make it difficult to believe God’s Word will come to pass. In the face of every contrary fact, we must ignore those facts and focus on the promise.
3. Give Glory to God.
   As we believe God’s Word, ignore the facts, and give glory to God we position ourselves to receive anything we want from God. Keep the faith.

When Abraham ignored the contrary facts and focused on the promise of God, he freed himself up to give glory to God. He gave glory to God because it wasn’t a matter of if the promise was coming; it was when it was coming. When we believe, it’s just a matter of time before we receive our promise, we don’t have to wait to see the promise to give glory to God. We can give glory to God now.

John 5:5 (AMP) There was a certain man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus noticed him lying there helpless, knowing that he had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 The invalid answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am coming to get into it myself, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man was healed and recovered his strength, and picked up his pallet and walked.

The man relied on everyone else except God. He relied on someone else to put him into the pool and he relied on himself.

NOTE: When we try to accomplish things using our own self-effort, we’ll always come up short.

God never intended for us to use our logic, strength, and limited reasoning skills to get blessed. God’s original design is for us to rely on Him for every blessing. But doesn’t God help those who help themselves? No. God helped us when we couldn’t help ourselves.

From the early days, God told us through our earthly father, Abraham, that He will bless us, He will make our name great, and He will cause us to be a blessing (Genesis 12). He never intended for us to do it ourselves.

Know that anytime we attempt to make a blessing, it has fifty-fifty chance of being successful; however, if we totally rely on the finished works of Jesus, the Word of God guarantees success. Don’t try to make a blessing because the blessing we make won’t compare to the blessing God has for us. Rely on God.

Hebrews 11:25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,‭

Based on this verse, the Bible refers to sin as pleasurable. It feels good to let loose and become intoxicated. It feels great to allow lust to take over and do what you please. It’s exhilarating to lie, cheat, and get over on people to get to the top. Although, everything is permissible for us, everything is not beneficial for us (1 Cor. 10:23). At the time sin seems pleasurable, but deep inside we know it’s not the correct way to live. For those who have no problem enjoying the pleasures of sin, you’ve desensitized yourselves to the Word of God.

When God tells us not to do this or to live a certain way, He’s not saying it to take away our fun or to make our lives boring. He’s providing instructions for our good. God is the Master Architect. He knows what we need to operate at our maximum potential and He knows what we need to reap the full benefits of abundant living. Sin is not one of those things.

Although sin is pleasurable, it’s only pleasurable for a moment. The joy we experience in doing things God’s way, is far greater than any pleasure sin can offer. Live holy.

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

John 4:49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

Prior to any evidence of his son being healed, the nobleman believed the word of Jesus. The man believed without seeing. It wasn’t until a day later the nobleman received confirmation of his son’s healing (v. 51-53).

Can you imagine the doubt that attempted to flood his mind? The last time he saw his son, he was at the point of death. All his faith was wrapped in the word of Jesus. The nobleman had a choice. He could believe the word of Jesus or believe the thoughts of doubt. His belief in the word of Jesus caused his son to be healed.

There are going to be times where we don’t have any sensory evidence to confirm what we’re standing in faith for; and what we’re standing in faith for may not happen instantly. All we have is our belief in the Word of God.

During our time of belief, thoughts of doubt may attempt to flood our minds, but like the nobleman, if we can continue to believe the word of God, what we believe will come to pass. Only believe.

Isaiah 46:9-10 “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”

God knows it all. He knows what happened in the past and He knows what will happen in the future. For Him, the past and the future exist in the now. By God knowing it all, qualifies Him to be the best counselor.

Understanding that God knows it all, it would be wise for us to sit under His counsel concerning our past and our future. So many of us want to know why certain things happened in our past. Through our time with God, He may reveal that we went through a situation because of our disobedience or fear, but that situation forced us to totally depend on Him.

Regarding the future, God knows it all. When we spend time under the counsel of God, He will reveal if the person we’re with is someone we should marry. Regarding our finances, He will tell us where we should invest our money. He will tell us where to apply for a job.

Anything that concerns our past and our future, God will reveal it to us, but we must be willing to take time out of our busy schedules and listen to His wonderful counsel (Isaiah 9:6).