Graced To Do God's Will

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

It’s 2016 and a lot of us desire to make some changes. We desire to get closer to God, exercise, buy a home, or let go of people and things that are hindering our progress from accomplishing God’s will. We can desire all these changes, however, these changes will not manifest until we have a change in our thinking. Nothing is changed or transformed without the renewing of the mind.

For those who desire to get closer to God this year, our thinking needs to change by intentionally making Him a priority. For those who desire to buy a home, our thinking needs to change regarding how and where we spend money. For those who need to let things or people go, our thinking needs to change as we consult the Holy Spirit regarding what or who we need to let go and having the boldness to let go and not look back.

Whatever changes we desire to see in our lives, the first change needs to take place in our thinking. Correct thinking will cause correct believing and correct believing will manifest the things we desire to see.

Inspired by T.D. Jakes

Happy New Year!

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Come ALL. No one is exempt from the word all. We don’t have to have special permission, know someone in the ministry, or have our lives together to come. 

If you just had an abortion, come.

If you recently were released from prison, come.

If you’re confused, come.

If you’re hurting from past or present pains, come. 

If there is an addiction you just can’t seem to break, come. 

If you want to do right, but you just don’t know where to start, come. 

If you want better, come. 

God is waiting on us to approach Him, through Jesus Christ. He’s not going to kidnap us or take over our minds. He wants us to make a quality decision and choose Him. As we approach 2016, make the decision to come.

*Please share this message with all, even those who you think are unsaved.

Matthew 6:33 essentially tells us to put God first in everything we do. We usually don’t have a problem with putting God first, however, it can be problematic to keep God first. Keeping God first takes discipline.

There are distractions set in place to remove God from being first in our lives. We can be distracted by the things that are going on at our jobs, the events surrounding our children and family, or entertainment (TV, social media, games). It takes discipline to block everything surrounding us in order to prioritize God all the time, in every situation.

So, how do we discipline ourselves to keep God first? First of all, we ask God to reveal our distractions. Secondly, we allow God to give us some strategies to minimize and eventually remove those distractions. Some of those strategies may include, repeating Matthew 6:33 in order to have seeking God first constantly flowing in our minds, writing out “Did you seek God?” all throughout our home, or have us partner with someone who can hold us accountable regarding seeking and keeping God first.

Whatever God tells us to do, just do it. The discipline we exhibit is for our benefit so that everything we need and desire will be added to our lives.

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Ephesians 4:15 “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—”‭

-Everybody knows Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

-You need to stop being so critical of someone else’s life and focus on bettering yourself.

-You know they need to stop smoking weed and cursing. 

-You need to be in church. 

-You need to serve in church.  

These statements are all true, but were they done in love? Or, were they done in judgment, condemnation, or mockery? 

As mature believers, we need to put ourselves in another person’s shoes. Would we receive the truth about Jesus Christ if someone was critical of something we’ve believed all our lives? Would we change our ways if someone told us to change with an undertone of judgment? Of course not. So how can we expect people to receive the truth if it’s not given in love? Also, allow the Holy Spirit to direct us on our timing. We can speak the truth in love, but the other person may not be ready to receive it. 

God is love and as His ambassadors, we need to be operating in love. It’s love that sent Jesus for ALL of us, it’s love that compelled Jesus to stay on the cross, and it’s love that covers a multitude of sins. 

Do everything in love. 

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap. For with the same measure that you measure it shall be measured to you again.

As a result of our giving, God promised that people would give back to us. However, if we’re filled with pride, we’ll miss out on an opportunity for God blessing our lives. 

If someone wants to give us some “just because” money, offer to take us on a expense-free vacation, or have us over for dinner, we sometimes have the tendency to have this false sense of humility. We’ll deny the offer as if it puts us in a better light. In actuality, what we’re doing is denying God the opportunity to bless our lives because we’re prideful. We want God to rain His blessings down from heaven, but God will send His blessings through people. We’re also denying the other person the opportunity to sow a seed because we’re prideful. 

This mindset was implemented by the enemy. It’s pride disguised as humility. If we’re not willing to receive blessings and others  don’t have the opportunity to sow seeds for their own lives, God can’t receive the glory. 

Let’s remove our pride and be willing to receive everything God has for us. 

1 Timothy 3:5 For if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

God’s Word said He wants us to seek Him first in everything we do (Matthew 6:33). We seek God first by initially asking ourselves, how can where we are and what we have benefit God and His Kingdom? 

By saying God should be first implies there are things we can seek second, third, or fourth. God being first doesn’t mean the things that come after Him are not important. A few of those things after God include family, finances, and stability. Some of us have even more such as, running a business or helping another family. 

It’s great we want to please God,  but we can’t be so spiritually minded until we neglect the things outside of God and His Kingdom. We shouldn’t be in church seven days a week meanwhile, our family is falling apart. Unless God specifically instructs us to, we shouldn’t give our last dollar to the Kingdom and not have enough for insurance or relying on the church to pay our bills. The Bible says seek God first not, seek God alone. 

As we celebrate Christmas and begin the New Year, let’s not neglect our families and our finances. If we’re truly seeking God first, He will give us a plan to manage the things that come second, third, and fourth. 
Merry Christmas

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Contrary to religious belief, God is so loving that He’ll meet some of our needs even if we don’t give financially. However, the needs God promises to fulfill without our participation in sowing are the bare essentials. The bare essentials include food, water, and shelter.

What most of us desire is surplus. Surplus includes everything else in addition to the bare essentials. When we financially give to the Kingdom of God, God fulfills so many layers of surplus. Such as…the classic promise of God opening up the windows of heaven and pouring out so many blessings we won’t have room enough to receive them in Malachi 3:10. God stops the devourer from taking the things we have according to Malachi 3:11. We have God meeting ALL (not some) of our needs for every situation and circumstance (Phil 4:10-20). God provides opportunities for other people to be inspired to give blessings into our lives (Luke 6:38).

All of these promises fall under the surplus of God. God loves us enough to not let us starve, and has designed an opportunity for us to live in surplus. Thus, His love and these great benefits should compel us to give to His Kingdom.

Psalms 136:1-3 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

Every verse in Psalms 137 ends with “For His mercy endures forever.” Is the Word of God trying to tell us something? Maybe God’s mercy endures forever.

The definition of mercy is: a kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly. What does that mean for us? That means, we all deserved death and worse out of life, but because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to receive God’s mercy. This mercy is not for a limited time only. God’s mercy endures forever.  

With God’s mercy, we don’t have to walk around in shame after missing the mark. God’s mercy endures forever. We know our sins are truly forgiven because God’s mercy endures forever. The blessing is on our lives because God’s mercy endures forever. Every good thing we experience is a result of God’s infinite mercy. 

Praise God for His mercy!

Psalms 135:13 “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.”

“Our job on the earth is to make God famous.” -Kirk Franklin 

In the early days of civilization, God’s name was famous based on the great miracles He performed through Moses. God’s name was again made famous through Jesus Christ. Finally, we see God’s name made famous through the apostles. Since biblical times, it appears, God’s name has been slowly pushed towards the background. 

In these last days, our job is to resurrect God’s name. How??? By witnessing to others about Jesus Christ. By boldly believing God for our needs and desires. By only trusting and relying on God. By living a life that pleases God. By having the characteristic of God, unconditional love. Finally, by publicly giving credit, glory, and honor to God when good things happen to us. 

Let’s keep God’s name famous. It may be the only thing an unbeliever hears to intrigue them to get know God, through Jesus Christ. 

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

The final fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Self-control refers to the control over one’s emotions and impulses. If we can control our emotions, we can control our behavior.

Every behavior is attached to an emotion. For sadness, some may sink into depressions, over eat, or drink heavily. For anger, some may become violent, reckless, or destructive. For happiness, some may party, shop, or exercise. For compassion, some may give or help.

God created emotions within mankind, however, these emotions were never meant to govern our lives. We were never meant to live this life based on how we feel. We are to live this life by faith, being led by the Spirit.

God put us in control and it’s a choice to pick up or put down an emotion. Emotions just don’t overtake our lives unless we allow them to. When we control our emotions we can have a better diet, better relationship with others, and a better outlook on life. There is only one emotion God desires for us to constantly display. That emotion is love. This brings us back, full circle, to the first fruit of the Spirit.

Be in control over every emotion and display God, Who is love.

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

Some may say kindness and goodness are self-explanatory, but it goes a little bit deeper than what most people think.

If we’re allowing the Holy Spirit to govern our lives, kindness and goodness should be displayed on all occasions. We shouldn’t just be kind or good only if someone deserves it. Our kindness and goodness should be demonstrated regardless of if someone deserves it. These two fruits can cause any relationship (marital, working, parental, etc.) to flourish. How? Because we’re not waiting on someone else to be kind to us in order to demonstrate our kindness.

Honestly, maintaining kindness and goodness on all occasions forces us to apply the fruit of self-control. Everyone will not respond the way we desire after we’ve shown our kindness. In fact, some may get meaner depending on what’s going on in their lives. That meanness by the other person may have our flesh ready to react in an ungodly manner. But, by applying self-control and being consistent with our kindness and goodness, we’ve sown a seed into our lives and possibly into the life of that person.

Our kindness and goodness may lead a person to repentance (change in thought/behavior) and it may help them be a better person, but if it doesn’t, don’t be discouraged. We have a promise from God that says “whatever good any person does, the same goodness they shall receive from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:8).

Be good and be kind because this hurting world needs it.

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

Let’s face it, we have difficulties. Our relief for those difficulties may not happen immediately. While we wait on our relief, we need longsuffering. 

Another word for longsuffering is patience. A definition of patience is doing what’s right even if what’s right doesn’t seem like it’s working. If we separate the word longsuffering, it simply means to suffer long. 

With the Spirit of God operating in our lives, we have the ability to remain patient during difficult times because of the other fruits operating in our lives. When we activate love, joy, and peace in the middle of our situation, we have the ability to stay in that position for however long it takes. 

For those in the middle of a difficult situation, activate the other fruits of the Spirit within you so that you can correctly get through this time, allowing yourself to totally place your faith in God. 

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

How do we know the Spirit is governing our lives? Because we have joy and peace.

Joy goes beyond happiness. Happiness depends on the situation. Joy maintains its consistency regardless of the situation. We have joy in the midst of challenging circumstances and we have joy when we’ve overcome those circumstances. Joy arrives because we know the One we trust can never fail. No matter how bad the circumstance appears, He can never fail. This joy is then spread towards others. It’s like spreading Christmas cheer every day of the year.

Joy is accompanied by peace. When the Spirit of God is operating in our lives, we’re not worried or stressed. We should have the peace of God that surpasses everyone else’s understanding (Phil. 4:7). Some may say they can’t help but to worry, however, worrying is a choice. Our peace and lack of worrying is associated with Who we trust. When we truly trust God to handle all of our affairs, we have peace.

It’s a choice to allow the fruit of joy and peace to be evident in our lives. We can join in with the crowd and be depressed or stressed over life’s situations, or we can operate in the Spirit by having joy and peace.

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

As the Spirit of God is operating through us, the attributes listed above should be present. 

The main attribute that should be present is love. As we know, God is love therefore, His Spirit, which is made of love, should yield the fruit of love. Although God is love and His love should be radiating through us, God gave us choice. It’s a choice to express God’s love towards others. It’s not a feeling or an uncontrolled emotion. It’s a choice.

At no point does the Word of God say loving will always be easy. We love when others treat us poorly. We love when the other person didn’t do anything to earn our love. We love because Christ, our example, loves. As children of God, it should be a pressing desire to love. As we can see from above, God’s desire is for us to love too. 

So, drop your rocks, anger, bitterness, and resentments and share the fruit of love. 

*Share this with others. More to come. 

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

A tree is known by its fruit. If we see a tree that has apples on it, we know it’s an apple tree. If we see a tree with oranges on it, we know it’s an orange tree. This concept is easy to understand in the natural, but the same concept applies in the spirit. 

The fruit of the Spirit, or the way we know the Holy Spirit is evident in our lives, is if we display the attributes mentioned above. In order to have the fruit of the Spirit operating in our lives, the Holy Spirit Himself must be planted and reigning in our spirits. The Holy Spirit is the tree from which all of the fruit is developed. 

If we’re not operating in the attributes mentioned above on a consistent basis, we have to ask ourselves, are we allowing the Holy Spirit to reign in our lives? Or, are we allowing certain events to have us respond according to the flesh? (Flesh response: Galatians 5:19-21)

Let’s take some time to think about our responses regarding certain issues in life. Let’s make a conscious effort to respond based on the fruit of the Spirit.  

Stay tuned. More to come tomorrow. 

Genesis 8:16 Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.”

‭‭At this point, Noah has obeyed God in the most illogical ways. He built an ark when rain was nonexistent and he allowed wild animals to reside with him and his family for over 150 days. Now, after the rains have stopped, Noah obeys God again by coming out of the ark.

The storm is over and dry land can be seen. Why should Noah continue to obey God? Because everything the Lord told him came to pass. As a result of Noah’s obedience, Noah and his family didn’t perish with the rest of mankind. Noah and his family were safe and all their needs were met during the flood.

With God, we seem to be on our best behavior when going through a storm. We pray, read, and are obedient like never before. However, when the storm is over, some of us go back to doing things our way. We don’t consult God or we limit our time with Him. The same God that got us through the storm, should be the same God that leads us to our destiny. Just because the storm is over doesn’t mean we don’t have to obey God. Let’s obey God until the end.

Psalms 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.”‭‭

Are you attempting to live this life on your own, using your own knowledge, skills, and intellect? If so, you’re living this life in vain. 

There are actions we take and decisions we make. If God is not involved with those actions and decisions, a possibility of failure is on the horizon. We may miss an opportunity, increase the problems in our lives, and end up working harder. It magnifies the grace and mercy of God if we’re not consulting God in our decisions and everything still seems to be going well because legally, any decision without Him leads to death (Proverbs 14:12). 

This is just a quick reminder to include God in all of your decisions and experience the peace, joy, and favor that result from putting Him first. 

Imagine, for lunch today, we want to eat at a fast food restaurant. We want a burger, fries, and a lemonade. We desire certain toppings on that burger, our fries lightly salted, and no ice in our lemonade. A successful cashier will carefully listen to our order and get the order correct. 

To be successful in life, we have to be cashiers to God’s order. We have to be the ones to listen carefully and allow God to order our steps. 

God may request forgiveness to a person who has wronged us. He may have us to remove pride and mend a relationship with our friend. He may also have us return back to school, buy some property, or spend more time in His Word. 

These orders are not to enslave us, but to allow us to be all God has called us to be. Be a good cashier and get God’s order correct. 

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–

God did not have to do anything for us. He could have left us alone to die in our sins. But, because of His grace, He allowed us to receive salvation through His Son Jesus. There was nothing we did to receive salvation. This gift of salvation was free and undeserving. It’s by grace we’re saved, through faith. 

If there was nothing we did to receive salvation, why do we think there is something we must do to receive the other promises of God? Every promise in the Word of God is undeserving. It’s by grace, through faith, we have an opportunity to receive anything from God. 

It’s by grace, through faith, we are healed.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are blessed.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are delivered from lust, anger, and pride.

It’s by grace, through faith, we are forgiven.

There is nothing we can do to receive any of the promises of God. All of them are a free undeserving gift. If we could simply believe that Jesus obtained them all for us, we can receive all the promises of God. Receive these promises by grace, through faith. 

Exodus 23:25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless your bread, and your water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Trust

Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God” knowing, He was the Son of God. By testing Jesus’ identity, Satan simultaneously tested Jesus’ faith. If Satan could make Jesus question Who God said He was, he could have Jesus walking in disbelief. By offering Jesus an easy way out at His weakest moments, Satan tested Jesus’ trust in God.

Our Lesson: If we don’t trust God, how can we have faith in what He said about our identity? We can’t believe someone we don’t trust. In spite of what we’re going through, we must trust in God, His plan, and His direction for us. Trust that everything will work out for our good. Trust that God has our best interests in mind. Trust that God is always with us.
Let’s maximize our trust in God.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Faith

As previously we stated, Satan already knew Jesus was the Son of God, but in times of trials, Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God.” What we also see is that Jesus’ identity was tied to His faith. If Jesus did not believe or doubted everything God said He was, His faith, His identity, and His mission would be in jeopardy.

Our Lesson: In times of trials and tribulations, what untrue thing has Satan said? Has he said the reason why we’re going through difficult times is because of something we did in our past? Has he said you’re not loved or forgiven by God? Has he said God is not going to bless you with a certain desire?

We must combat Satan’s lies with our faith. Once again, our faith is tied to our identity. Because we are the righteousness of God and children of God, we are forgiven, loved, and are worthy to receive the desires of our hearts. If we fail in the area of our faith, our mission is compromised. Stay in faith.

Matthew 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.

When Satan came to tempt Jesus, he tested Him on the three following things:

1. His identity

2. His faith

3. His trust.

Identity

Satan already knew Jesus was the Son of God, but in times of trials, Satan tested Jesus’ identity by saying “IF thou be the Son of God.”

Our Lesson: In times of trials, tribulations, or troubles we need to know who we are in Christ. We need to know we are still righteous even after we did something wrong. We need to know we have a blood-bought right to receive the promises of God. We need to know we are sons and daughters of God Himself.

If Satan can talk us out of our identity, he can talk us out of every uplifting thing God said about us or our future. Ultimately, Satan’s end goal is for us to feel low, unworthy, and wanting to die. Don’t allow Satan to mess with your identity.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Praise God, by the acceptance of Jesus Christ, we’ve been brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light. We are no longer bound by sin, under the curse of the law, or doomed to death. Since God called us out of darkness, let’s not voluntarily go back to the ways of darkness from time to time. 

Through the acceptance of Jesus Christ, we’ve been blessed with the Spirit of God living and leading inside of us. He’s letting us know where to go, what to say, what not to do. When we get that urge to go back in the ways of darkness, if we’re seeking His advice, He’ll let us see the consequences of those actions or explain how those dark ways don’t honor God.

Praise God He called us out of darkness. Let the Holy Spirit keep us out of darkness. 

Psalms 126:2-3 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.‭‭

If you’re reading this today, God has done some great things in your life. However, what is our response to those great things? Are we saying anything? Are we letting the world know how good God’s been to us or are we keeping it to ourselves?

Another trick of the enemy is to have us keep silent after we’ve been blessed by God. He’s made it seem as if it’s wrong or a form of boasting to speak on the goodness of the Lord. Unfortunately, the main people who adopted this philosophy are some members in the body of Christ.

When we speak on the goodness of the Lord, we’re not boasting. We’re giving credit, glory, and honor to God for all He has done. We are the only forms of advertisement for the Kingdom of God. How else do we think the lost will be attracted to the body of Christ? If we don’t let the world know about the goodness of God, who will?

From salvation to a new car, don’t ever be ashamed of what God has done for you.

Lamentations 3:22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

God’s compassion never fails. Since we’re made in the image and likeness of God, we have the ability to be compassionate towards others for the rest of our lives. 

The enemy’s job is to magnify negative life experiences to remove our compassion towards mankind. The enemy will use racist individuals to make us less compassionate towards people of that race. The enemy will use radical religious extremists to make us less compassionate towards people of that religion. The enemy will use the emotional pain caused by a man or woman in a relationship to remove the thought of compassion towards anyone we get close to.

Don’t allow the enemy to remove God-like compassion from our lives. Be that person who prays over someone who is sick. Use that compassion to not only forgive that person who wronged us, but as the Spirit leads, continue to be a blessing in their lives. 
People of God, it’s time to let our God-like compassion shine brightly. 

We may know sweet devout believers who have served the Lord for many years. Every time we see them, they’re going to church, talking about the goodness of the Lord, or reading the Bible. If those people become sick, die suddenly, or something tragic happens in their lives, people around them question the existence of God, ask where was God, and how come.

Christ has made a great number of promises for us (healing, deliverance, etc.), however, if we don’t believe and receive those promises, we can never experience those promises on earth. 

Those sweet people mentioned above may have believed Jesus was the Son of God, but did they believe by His stripes they were healed? Or, did they believe whatever happens concerning their health (good or bad) is the will of God? If they believed the latter, they may be subjected to all sorts of diseases. Why? It’s according to their faith. Not God’s will, but their faith.

The same concept applies with protection, desires, or any other promise. Are we confidently believing we are protected and nothing shall hurt us (Luke 10:19) or are we fearfully hoping nothing bad happens? Are we believing to receive our desires the moment we ask in prayer (Mark 11:24) or are we accepting whatever life hands us? 

However we experience life, it’s going to be according to our faith. Don’t limit or reduce your faith to the standards of your logic. Raise them to expectation of the Word of God. 

Matthew 9:29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Acts 20:2 “Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece”‭‭

Paul encouraged his disciples. 

Living in this world as a believer is not always the easiest thing to do. We have people questioning the validity of our faith, people making a mockery of what we’re standing in faith for, and so called close friends leaving our lives as we mature in our relationship with God.

Understanding the Christian walk is not always easy; it’s important for us to encourage each other.

We must encourage each other to keep the faith even when it seems like nothing is working. We must encourage each other to walk in the ways of righteousness even though the world seems so enticing. We must encourage each other to know God loves us no matter what we’ve done wrong. 

As we seek God for ourselves and walk in our purpose, don’t forget to encourage someone else.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

The delays and detours in life rarely make sense in the moment, but as our patience is developed and our trust in God increases, we learn the meaning of Romans 8:28. 

 In hindsight God may provide revelation of the delay or detour and we get a hint at how well our Creator knows our hearts and how well He positioned us to receive the best instead of the mediocre we were once striving for. The best will include perfect timing and holistic betterment beyond just the object of desire. 

So be encouraged. Continue to seek and trust God. Remain in faith, holding on to the Truth of His Word and the promises there in. And, be assured that He loves us and has only the best for us, His children. 

James 1: 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

Salvation is free (Eph 2:8), but surrender costs. Salvation assures our position in heaven. Surrender gives us access to experiencing heaven on earth (Matt 6:10). Surrender will cost sacrifice for each of us: ideologies, acceptance from friends, career goals, familial relationships, sexual preferences, comforts, popularity, and more. This is where trusting God comes in. 

In the moment of surrender we must focus on God and not our loss. Because as we honor Him above ourselves, we have a guaranteed promise that we receive a hundred times better than what that surrender costs us both now and eternally. As believers, It’s time to stop denying the inner part of us that knows there’s more, and surrender ourselves to Christ (Phil 1:21). 

Mark 10: 28Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭AMP‬‬ “For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.”‭‭

When Adam sinned in the Garden, Adam gave his dominion and authority to Satan, making Satan the god of this world. The death, destruction and chaos we see, are a direct result of Satan’s operations in this world. How do we know this? Because Satan’s only plans are to steal, kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). 

With this understanding, we can shift the blame for all the problems in the world back to Satan, instead of blaming God. 

Christ was sent to undo the works of Satan, taking back the authority for everyone who believes. Satan is still the god of this world but to everyone who believes in the finished works of Christ, we not only are protected from Satan’s plans, but through Christ, we have the authority to undo his plans. 

With this authority, begin to remove Satan’s influences from all terrorist organizations. Begin to speak peace in a chaotic atmosphere. Pray that the blinders be removed from people’s minds and they see Jesus Christ as Lord. 

This is the authority we have. Use it.  

Over the past decade or so, the term “generational curse” has infiltrated the body of Christ. It’s a term that represents sinful behavior throughout generations. If a person’s father and grandfather were alcoholics then, the generational curse would state, that person and their children have a high chance of being alcoholics unless, the curse is broken. 

The term generational curse derived from scriptures such as Exodus 20:5 which states, You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. (Also see: Exodus 34:7; Deut. 5:9; Jer. 32:18)

The majority of these verses, if not all, are associated with the law of Moses. We are no longer under the law, but under grace. Under grace, every punishment of the law and sin has been poured out on Jesus. Christ rescued us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). Sin is not counted against us (Rom. 4:8). Christ freed us from the penalty to of sin (Rom. 3:24). 

With all that Christ has done for us, how can we still say there’s a generational curse? Christ redeemed us from every curse and there is nothing that can harm us. 

Romans 3:24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, place yourselves under your husbands’ authority as you have placed yourselves under the Lord’s authority.

In the first couple of years of our marriage, I realized that my lack of submission was because I had a lack of trust. I thought that I was not trusting Marvin to make the best decisions. But, God showed me it was a lack of trust in Him. God has told me to submit to my husband. So I trust God to bless my obedience to Him (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). 

Please note the following two points to Ephesians 5:22.

1.) Submission to God is first. If you refuse to submit to God you will not submit to your spouse. 

2.) And if your spouse wants to contradict God’s Word, your submission is always to God first. For example,

a) If one spouse wants to tithe and the other doesn’t. Tithe. God first. He has made a way for us to have access to ample promises in His Word, and not tithing would contradict your statement of trust and obedience to God and block the manifestation of those promises in your family’s lives. 

b) If deciding between making a right or left turn, submit to God. Don’t waste time arguing, or being disgruntled about his choice. And, if his choice led you into traffic, then don’t constantly remind him of how your route would have been better. Trust God when He said He will cause ALL things to work together for your good, even when it doesn’t look like it (Romans 8:28). That extra time in the car could lead to a great conversation, or that traffic may have diverted you from being in an accident, or you may show up right on time to get a perfect parking spot. Whatever the outcome, know that God blesses our obedience (Deuteronomy 11:8-15). 

Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

God is the Alpha and Omega which means, He’s the beginning and the end. By God knowing the beginning and the end, He knows everything. He knows what’s good for us and He knows what’s bad for us. 

God said His plans are to prosper us, to give us hope, and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Since God knows all and His plans are to give us the best in life, it’s just a matter of us trusting all that He knows and putting our lives in His hands.

We don’t know what tomorrow brings, but He knows the day we will leave this earth. We don’t know the traps the enemy set for our lives, but He knows our way of escape.

Trust in the Alpha and Omega in every area of our lives. 

There is a way to pray and get your prayers answered. Understanding how God wants us to petition Him and understanding all that He wants us to receive helps manifest our desires.

2.) Ask for what you want and believe you have received it.

John 14:13 whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.

When we pray a prayer of petition, the structure of our prayer should be: Father, I ask for… In Jesus’ Name. And I know I have it because Your Word says…

There is no need to ask repeatedly for the same thing. When the Word says pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that means we participate in an ongoing conversation with our Father as we go through our day. When it says ask and keep asking (Luke 11:9), it’s saying to continue bringing our different requests to the Father, not asking for the same thing repeatedly as if we don’t believe His Word is true when it says He hears our prayers or that we have what we’ve asked for (1 John 5:15). There’s no need to ask for it again because that would be like doubting (James 1:6).

Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

~Inspired by the teachings of Dr. Frederick K.C. Price