FAITH IS

 Without Faith It Is Impossible To Please God

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:1-7

Faith, motivated by love, not logic or reasoning, is what pleases God! Sincerity and presumption have nothing to do with it. The children of Israel were sincere and presumptive and they still were defeated by their enemies. The bible records for our profit and instruction:

“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”  And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.

“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: ‘The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.  ‘Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.  ‘But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.  ‘But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.  ‘And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.  ‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

‘I the LORD have spoken this; I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ”

Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,  those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.  But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

Then Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.  And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!”

And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed.  “Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.  “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”  But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp.

Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah. Numbers 14:25-45

The children of Israel rebelled and refused to listen to the LORD when He told them to go in and possess the Promised Land. As a matter of fact they believed the cowardly and unbelieving spies rather than Joshua and Caleb. They took up stones to stone Joshua and Caleb and brought the glory of the Lord to come down. The Lord would have destroyed all of them had not Moses interceded for them that God would forgive them. So God forgave them and granted them their stated desire to die in the wilderness of their own choosing.

The men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, and brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.  While Joshua and Caleb remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land. The children of Israel repented and rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!”  But Moses told them that it was too late, “Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed.  “Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.  For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

But the children of Israel presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp. As a result  the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

The children of Israel did not use their faith to please and obey God the first time and would suffer the consequences of their sin and disobedience. The second time they substituted reason and presumption for faith and still did not obey God but went up to the mountain top to fight the Amalekites and the Canaanites, not believing, that the LORD, was not with them because they had turned away from the LORD.  So they were defeated and fell by the sword before their enemies.  These kind of things do happened in life when men base their decisions and actions on reason and presumption rather than faith and obedience!

Nevertheless by faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  For God’s word is unchanging:

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.

By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:  who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented- of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,  God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. Hebrews 11:30-40

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Prayer Against Sicknesses

Prayer Against Sicknesses and Other Demonic Spirits

Heavenly Father by Your divine holy authority, I take dominion and authority over every spirit of infirmity. I nullify every wicked dart of sickness and illness that the enemy can possibility use to attack me in any form or shape. I decree and declare that no weapon of sickness or illnesses fashioned or formed against me by any spirit of infirmity shall prosper. I destroy every sickness plan the enemy can possibility have against me and I reduce it all to nothing!

In the mighty name of Jesus, I declare that the LORD Jesus is my Healer and by His holy stripes, I am totally healed. I soak myself in the atonement blood of Jesus and I cancel every general illness plan upon my life. I engulf the camp of infirmity spirits with Holy Ghost fire. I consume every power of illness with the fire of the Holy Ghost, and I render every satanic sickness power the occult can possibly use against me useless.

I rebuke every spiritual foundation of sickness and I command every infirmities spirit to bow right now to the authority that is in the name of Jesus Christ. I decree that it is perfectly well with my soul, and I decree that my entire being shall manifest the healing power of the LORD Jesus in all aspects of my existence.

I declare that the blood of Jesus is against every spirit of sickness ( and other demonic spirit) that can possibility try to attack me. I say with confidence that I am the healed and redeemed of the LORD and by the precious blood of the Lamb, it shall continue to be well with me. I release the judgement fire of the Holy Ghost upon every stubborn spirit of sickness and illnesses and demonic spirit. I confess and declare that total healing has taken place by the blood of Jesus in all aspects of my life, and I forbid by the authority of the Holy Ghost any reoccurrence of sickness or demonic spirit in my life. I cover myself with the atonement blood of Jesus, and I declare that I carry the mark of Christ therefore, let no infirmities spirits or demonic spirit ever trouble me! In Jesus holy name and by His righteous authority I have decreed and declared! Amen.

NOTE: There are other demonic spirits besides the spirit of infirmity that create havoc in the life of believers which can be named, rebuked and taken authority over by this prayer. Demonic spirits such as lust, poverty, adultery, immorality, lying, addiction, thievery, etc!

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).

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Daily Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, I give You thanks and praise for sparing my life to see another day. I rejoice in Your presence oh LORD in this day and I exalt You for renewing Your mercies upon my life daily. I commit this day into Your hands. I pray You will keep me in Your Holy Spirit presence as I come and go. Clear my path oh LORD from every obstacles. Remove every evil mountains and stronghold from my path of destiny. Fill me up oh LORD with Your knowledge and wisdom. Order my footsteps daily and let Your glorious light shine brighter upon me. Keep me in Your righteous path. Honour Yourself in me daily oh LORD my God. Count me always amongst your redeemed living souls. And keep me daily in perfect steadfast walk with You. Increase my faith, hope and trust in You and keep me far away from every unholy and ungodly associations.

Bless me daily oh LORD with Your divine attributes of patience. Help me to discern right from wrong and enable me to always choose right between right and wrong. Open wider the eyes of my understanding and save me from erroneous judgements and from wrong conclusions. Counsel me daily with Your holy counsel and let Your counsel always guide my conscience and let it always be the only source for my decision making in life.

Help me to serve You daily in righteousness diligence and in good faith. Increase Your authority and boldness in me so I can without fear declare Your truth across the earth. Consume the spirits of fear with Your judgement fire and destroy every plan of the enemy to cripple me with fear. Watch over me daily oh LORD my God with Your watchful eyes, and as I come and go, let me remain in uprightness position with You. Let no evil spirit come near me and let no evil ever befall me. Let no evil weapon of the enemy ever prosper or work against me.

Anoint my feet daily with Your holy oil and make me daily a bearer of the Gospel Good News. Encourage me oh LORD to encourage others. Enable and inspire me daily so I can be a source of inspiration and enablement for others. Provide in Your abundance for my needs and equip me financially so I can be perfectly positioned to minister to the needs of others for Your goodness name sake. Let Your joy exceedingly increase in me oh LORD my Maker. Let Your laughter fill my soul. Let Your praise fill my heart. Let the meditations of my heart please You. Let my desires be of Your holy will. Let me always honour and glorify You in all that I do oh LORD my God.

Sanctify my tongue daily and make it always an instrument of righteousness and holy worship. Make me a true worshipper daily and let me always worship You in spirit and in truth. Let no corrupt conversation take place in my mind. Let no evil communication proceed forth from my mouth. Let no sorrowful thoughts form in my mind. Sanctify my lips for Your praise and purify my heart daily oh LORD to be obedient to Your divine Will and humbly recipient to Your perfect ways.

Shield me from the confusion darts of the enemy. Protect my mind from the wicked suggestions of the enemy and let no subliminal messages of the evil ones gain entrance into my mind to pollute it. Help me to be obedient to You daily and protect my soul from rebellious thoughts. Increase Your holy anointing upon my life. Deliver me from all evil and lead me not into temptations. Guard and shield my heart, my soul, body, spirit and mind oh LORD with Your whole armoured shield. Have Your perfect way in me always oh LORD my God and faithful Redeemer.

Open the floodgates of heaven and pour Your blessings generously daily upon me. Let Your anointing rain of power fall upon me non stop and let me always operate and function in the overflow of Your anointing power. Focus my attention on You daily oh LORD my Christ. Make a way for me daily my LORD where there seem to be no way. Perfect my ways daily and let Your joy continually be my strength oh LORD my God. Let Your blessings in my life in this day and for the rest of my life be permanent oh King of glory! Let Your grace and mercies continually rest and abide with me now and for ever.
In Jesus mighty name I have prayed. Amen.

Psalms 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”

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PERFECT LOVE

OVERCOME TRIBULATION …

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

Jesus said we would have tribulation. He did not say that He was the one bringing the tribulation or what the tribulation would be, but He said it would come. Then He made the amazing statement that in the midst of tribulation we were to be of good cheer.

Tribulations exist because there is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. When we operate in faith, God is able to grant us such victory that we are actually better off because of the battle. It’s just like when a army goes to war. If they win, they gain spoils. But if they embrace their enemy because of the spoils they were expecting to receive, they will be killed instead of blessed. First, you have to fight and win the war and then, and only then, will the spoils be available. The enemy doesn’t come to be a blessing, but a blessing can be obtained from the enemy if we are victorious.

Likewise, tribulations and adversities are not blessings from God. They are attacks from the enemy intended to steal the Word of God out of our lives. No man should say that the temptation came from God, for God is not the one who tempts any man (Jas. 1:13).

If problems were what perfected us, then most Christians would have been perfected long ago and those who experienced the greatest problems would be the greatest Christians. However, that’s not the way it is. God’s Word is given to us to make us perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:17). God’s Word does not need to be supplemented with problems to accomplish its work.

PERFECT LOVE …

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear… – 1 John 4:18

God is love. He is perfect, and His love for us is perfect. There is nothing you can do right now to make God love you more, and there’s nothing you can do to make Him love you any less. His love toward you is steadfast; it’s unchanging. His arms are always stretched out toward you. He’s always ready for you to come to Him.

Sometimes people aren’t sure how God feels about them. They think He might be mad at them, but Scripture tells us just the opposite. God’s not mad at you; He’s madly in love with you! It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve come from, God’s arms are open to you. He’s longing to show you His goodness and grace.

Today, meditate on the truth that it is His kindness that leads us to repent and change our ways. Open your heart and receive His love. Let it give you confidence and make you new. Trust His perfect love and let Him transform every area of your life!

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MISTAKES

…he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.’ – Proverbs 15:32NKJV
In spite of his faults, flaws and failures, God called David ‘…a man after My own heart…’ (Acts 13:22 NKJV) And one of the qualities that made David great was his willingness to acknowledge his mistakes. Here were two instances of it:

(1) When fleeing the wrath of King Saul, he sought the help of a certain priest—a decision that caused Saul to order the death of eighty–five priests and their families. Devastated but not defensive, David told the surviving son of the slain priest who had assisted him, ‘…I have caused the death of all your father’s family.’ (1 Samuel 22:22 NLT) Can you imagine taking responsibility for such a tragic consequence?

(2) When the prophet Nathan confronted him about his affair with Bathsheba and his attempt to cover up her resulting pregnancy by having her husband killed, David acknowledged, ‘…I have sinned against the Lord…’ (2 Samuel 12:13 NLT) Would you have the emotional and spiritual maturity to make such an admission? Or do you have a tendency to defend your actions for fear of being judged, criticised or rejected? Do you sometimes feel attacked when someone offers feedback, whether it is positive or negative? Do you retreat in silence? Do you counter–accuse or blame your attacker? Do you make hostile comments? Do you become sarcastic? Making mistakes doesn’t make you a lesser person, but defending them does. Don’t let pride rob you of the wisdom that comes from acknowledging your mistakes and ultimately growing through them. ‘He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.’

CLOTHED

Leviticus 1:6 – And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces.

Do you know who first clothed man with coats of skin? It was God Almighty Himself, when He found Adam and Eve hiding behind the bushes because they were afraid of Him. They had become fearful and conscious that they had sinned against God. In their sin-consciousness, they realized that they were naked and that the glory of God, which had been their covering, was gone.

So God killed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve with coats of skin. (Genesis 3:21) An animal had to die and its bloodied skin became their covering. This speaks of the blood of Jesus that covers you when He became your burnt offering. The Lamb of God did not just take away your sins. He also gave you His righteousness.

Beloved, you are covered by Jesus’ blood. You are righteous by His blood. God has clothed you with the robe of righteousness, which was paid for by Jesus’ blood. I am not talking about a physical robe made of cloth. I am talking about the robe of righteousness that was on Jesus when He said to the storm, “Peace, be still!” and there came a perfect calm (Matthew 8:23–27), when healing flowed from Him to the sick and when He raised Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:38–44)

When you believe that you are righteous because of Jesus’ blood, you will see the effects of wearing His robe of righteousness. You will see miracles happening before your very eyes. You become a blessing magnet, a favor or grace magnet. It is not your own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus which you have put on, that is attracting all these blessings of God into your life.

My friend, have the consciousness of being clothed with Jesus’ robe of righteousness. Every day, come to God and say, “Father, I thank You that Jesus is my burnt offering. He covers me from head to toe with His righteousness. What He is to You, I am. As He is now, so am I. I am in Him.” And you will see the manifestations of the blessings of health, wholeness, protection and provision that the robe attracts!

THE PLACE OF BLESSING …

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there. – 1 Kings 17:2–4

As a child of the Most High God, your steps are ordered by Him. He has a specific place of blessing prepared for you. When you live a life of obedience to the Word of God, He promises to supply every one of your needs. Just as God directed Elijah to his place of blessing, God is directing you, too. He’s aligning the right opportunities for you and causing the right people to come along your path to help you. He’s constantly working behind the scenes. But in order to get to that place of blessing, you have to do your part to keep your heart open and stay in step with Him.

A major key to keeping your heart in the right place is choosing peace and unity in Christ. The Bible says that when we live in unity, there He has commanded the blessing. When your heart is in the place of blessing, then the rest of your life will be in the place of blessing, too!

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FIGHTS FOR YOU

The Promise

As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Colossians 2:6-9

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:1-3

Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by Him. But deceivement is a real problem for many Christians because they go off tangents and worship a truth or a man who brought them the truth. However, we are not to worship no one or nothing but God, and God alone.  As we have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so we are to walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. We are not to allow anyone to cheat us through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition and ideas of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him alone dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and He has the answers to every problem that we face!

Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States (1801-1809) and author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the greatest men who ever lived, stated:

I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent.. – Thomas Jefferson Letter To Francis Hopkinson, Paris Mar. 13, 1789

“Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author of nature, because necessary for his own sustenance.” –Thomas Jefferson: Legal Argument, 1770.

The harmony of life is based on One’s understanding of who your Creator is. He is not a thing out there, He is a Person and He has feelings. Your relationship with Him is not like any other relationship you have experienced in this Universe. He is both sensitive and rational. He is warm and tender, yet wise and full of judgment. He is both caring and ready to do justice. He loves to be loving and compassionate, but if He must, He will be judgmental and assertive.

He is all things to all men that some may be won to His Kingdom, but He will not compromise His values and position to avoid doing what is an unpleasant thing. He does not try to avoid the unpleasant. If you arouse His anger enough He can become very angry. If you do what is wrong, you will be punished, in this He is unflinching. He is the great Creator and He will not be moved by men’s moods, attitudes or black-mail. He will only be moved by faith and a deep trust in Him.

Yes, God does have His timing and His choosing and His ways. He does not necessarily fit into people’s perception of Him. They think He is only a God of love, mercy and grace but He is also a God of judgment. He forgives but He also brings the consequences of people’s behavior upon themselves. He even brings it upon their children to the third and fourth generation.

Many think that He is a liberal God but He is not a liberal. Some think He is a republican God but He is not a republican. He is the LORD of this universe and what He says goes!  Men can think as they please, they can do as they please and they can go where they please. But if what they think and do, does not please Him they have missed Him and the consequences of their actions will be exacted from them. For He is a person of great price! He demands their all! He demands their hearts! He demands their souls raised to Him! No, He doesn’t ask little He asks all for He is the Great I AM!

Those who persist in doing things their own way will eventually pay a terrible price for it. Though it may appear that no price has been paid, looks can be deceiving. We as men, love to deceive ourselves that all is well with us and wrong with everyone else while we betray God and is calling for our lives. We forget that we have to have an intimate relationship with Him that transcends all our desires, plans, purposes and goals in life.

If our goals and plans are totally submitted to Him, we can expect He will probably change them for the better if we just trust Him. He is in a far better position to guide us into a deeper more meaningful life than we could ever think up on our own. He is able to do what we could never think out or dream of. He is able to deal with our out of control inner man who only wants things for self. He is able to set our compass straight and chart the right kind of course for our life. He is just the kind of God. He loves us so much.

But, we must give Him a chance. Not for a week or a year but for a lifetime. If we don’t we’re the losers and so is He because He loves us so much He will lose the love He desired from us. Our place in the Kingdom will be empty because only we can fill that place. His is able to lead us to the special place just for us in the Kingdom but we have to follow Him with great fidelity and respect. He is able, not because we say so in words, but because in His own strength and power He is truly able to lead us out of our Armageddon into the Promised Land! The choice is ours. Do we really want Him at all costs, or do we want our own way and our own desires because without Him we are not going to make it no matter what the world says.

The world is not making it without Him despite how they act and what they say. They may appear to be very successful in terms of worldly success but that has nothing to do with real spiritual success. It doesn’t mean we should not try to be financially accountable and successful in the world, but it should not be our priority. The Lord should be our priority. As we lean on Him and do what He has called us to do we will be both spiritually and carnally successful.

If we are not successful we have to look to the Lord to show us why, so we can turn it over to Him to change with the understanding we can’t change ourselves only He can. Our relationship with Him is based on a mutual trust. We trust Him to change us, He trusts us to remain faithful and true to Him. This cycle of success breeds more success until we begin to see one victory after another in our life.

Then, this cycle of success breeds a lifestyle of success until we are truly more than conquerors through Christ Jesus and can now lead others into this right kind of lifestyle in Him. This is true success! What more can you ask except to know you are in harmony with your Lord and Savior and the world around you. There can be no greater satisfaction than this. That we have helped others toward the right kind of life that will bring them health and freedom to be themselves and in turn love those around them. A world set free from sin and death there can be no better victory!

Imagine a world walking in the victory Jesus Christ provides. People free from emotional upheavals, depression, despair and grief. People genuinely happy to see each other and love one another helping one another when needed. Open to the Commandments God has given them to follow. Doing it out of the gladness of their yielded hearts. Doing the will of the Father with all of their soul and very being. Avoiding backbiting, gossip, slander, evil speaking and all other forms of nasty qualities such as envy, jealousy, cowardice, selfishness, anger, rage, strife, rejection, pride, arrogance and many other such evil behavior. All of it is not of Him. He is the author and finisher of our faith and we need to take all of our faults, flaws and problems to Him and He will give the power to overcome because He is able.

How often we have come across carnal Christians who have not given their sinful nature over to God and witnessed the devastating  results in churches and para-organizations world over. We need Jesus. We need the Spirit of Jesus in Christians today. We need to get on our knees and stop looking to our neighbor. Yes, they have their problems but so do you. Look not on the speck in your brother’s eye before you care for the beam in your own eye.

Take care of that beam first then gently remove the speck in you brother’s eye. Gently, beloved! Not roughly, cruelly or without regard for the destruction of your manner. Love is the rule. We all respond to love even when we don’t appear to. We all need it. We’d rather scrape and fight for it than admit we need it, so we scrape and fight and wonder why no one loves us.

It’s because we are going about it the wrong way. If we knew we were loved unconditionally we would yield if we’re smart. If that is our true goal? If not, even our wrong motives will be revealed and we will be exposed to God and man. No one gets away with their behavior and wrong motivations!

God is no fool. He knows us intimately. He loves us purely. He defends His own when they surrender and become humble before Him and others. He is the greatest forgiver on this entire planet. No one escapes His piercing glaze. It is we who must swallow our pride and admit we are wrong! Ouch! That hurts! Wrong! Ouch!

But once the thorns are removed what sweet relief. It’s even better if we can walk with Him in personal fellowship and watch Him guide us through life with the wisdom from above. Those who chose to follow us can do so. Those who chose not to, are equally free. But, I know from personal experience that only those who humble themselves and yield to the Heaven Father are the truly successful on this planet. The Lord marks a man’s success by the purity and motives of His heart and He alone knows what’s in the human heart!  His word is unchanging:

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:12-14

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.   For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:11-15
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STRENGTH

EMBRACE THE HOLY SPIRIT

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. – John 16:7

The Greek word translated “expedient” means “to be an advantage; profitable.”

How could any situation be more advantageous or profitable than having Jesus physically with you?

When Jesus walked on this earth in His physical body, He was subject to many physical limitations. For instance, He could not always be with every one of His disciples all the time. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He could. Instead of Satan getting rid of Jesus, 120 “little Christs” (that is literally what the word “Christian” means) came out of the upper room on the day of Pentecost.

Jesus taught His disciples as no teacher ever had, yet they had very little understanding because they were not born again. However, when the Holy Spirit came, He lead them into all truth and even showed them things to come.

The list of advantages of having the Holy Spirit in us as compared to having Jesus with us in His physical body, goes on and on. The advantages can all be summed up in that Jesus’ power is now complete (Mt. 28:18) and no longer confined to one physical body.

There is no such thing as victorious Christian living without a moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day dependence upon the Spirit of God. Not only is the Christian life hard to live but it is impossible to live without the power of God Himself.

THE LIFE OF JESUS IS IN YOU

John 10:10 – …I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Though Jesus is completely God, He was born completely human. He went through temptation after temptation and conquered every one of them. (Hebrews 4:15) And all that overcoming power is found in His life. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He conquered sickness, the winds and waves, the powers of darkness and death. It is His life that brings victory over the devil and all his works. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

Finally, Jesus went to the cross. And that life in Him put an end to everything that was natural of the Adamic race—sickness, poverty, failures, pains, curses and death. All that was natural ceased to be in that life of His. But all that was supernatural remained in Him. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

Then, Jesus rose from the dead. And in that life of His was added the power of resurrection. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

After His resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven to His Father. Today, He is seated at the right hand of God, resting in His finished work, occupying a place of the highest authority. And He put that life in you—the life of Christ is in you!

And because Jesus went back to the Father, the Holy Spirit came to indwell you (John 16:7), so that you will live life with His anointing in you and walk in His overcoming power.

All that Jesus is, God meant for you to be. All that He has, God meant for you to have. All the exciting things that you read in the Bible about Jesus, all the treasures of Him hidden in the Old Testament and the unsearchable riches in Him that you find in the New Testament, all of that life of His, is not out there somewhere. God has deposited all of it in you, so that you can live the abundant life that Jesus came to give you!

GOD’S FORGIVENESS, MERCY, AND GRACE (1)

…perfect love expels all fear… – 1 John 4:18

God cares about you too much to leave you in any doubt about His love. The Bible says His ‘perfect love expels all fear.’ If God loved us with an imperfect love, we’d have cause to worry. Human love is flawed; it keeps a checklist of our sins and shortcomings—and consults it often. God keeps no such list. His love casts out our fear because it casts out our guilt. John writes, ‘…if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart…’ (1 John 3:20 NKJV) When you feel unforgiven, question your feelings but don’t question God. Go back to His Word; it outranks self–criticism and self–doubt. Nothing fosters confidence like a clear grasp of God’s grace, and nothing fosters fear like ignorance of it. The fact is if you haven’t accepted God’s grace, you’re doomed to live in fear. No pill, pep talk, psychiatrist or earthly possession can put your mind at ease. Those things may help numb your fear, but they can’t eradicate it. Only God’s grace can do that. Have you accepted Christ’s forgiveness? If not, get down on your knees and do it now. The Bible says, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9 NKJV) The place of confession is also the place of cleansing and restored confidence towards God. Your prayer can be as simple as this: ‘Lord, I admit I’ve turned away from You. Please forgive me. I place my soul in Your hands and my trust in Your grace. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’ Now, having received God’s forgiveness, mercy and grace—live like it!

YOU MISSED THE CHANCE

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. —1 Corinthians 13:2

I heard the saddest words today. Two believers in Christ were discussing an issue about which they had differing opinions. The older of the two seemed smug as he wielded Scripture like a weapon, chopping away at the things he saw as wrong in the other’s life. The younger man just seemed weary of the lecture, weary of the other person, and discouraged.

As the exchange drew to a close, the older man commented on the other’s apparent disinterest. “You used to be eager,” he started, and then abruptly quit. “I don’t know what it is you want.”

“You missed the chance to love me,” the young man said. “In all the time you’ve known me, what has seemed to matter most to you is pointing out what you think is wrong about me. What do I want? I want to see Jesus—in you and through you.”

Had this been said to me, I thought, I would have been devastated. In that moment I knew the Holy Spirit was telling me there had been people I had missed the chance to love. And I knew there were people who couldn’t see Jesus in me either.

The apostle Paul tells us that love must be the underlying motive in anything we do; in everything we do (1 Cor. 13:1-4). Let’s not miss the next chance to show love.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you today who it is you’ve missed the chance to love. Then ask Him to give you another opportunity. Start your conversation with these words: “I’m sorry . . .”

Love beats lectures every time.

ALWAYS KEEP A GOOD ATTITUDE

‘…meditate on these things…and the God of peace will be with you.’ Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV

When you’re going through bad times, your goal should be to keep a good attitude. And with God’s help you can. Dr Viktor Frankl, a Nazi Holocaust camp survivor, said: ‘If a prisoner felt that he could no longer endure the realities of camp life, he found a way out in his mental life—an invaluable op-portunity to dwell in the spiritual domain, the one that the SS was unable to destroy. Spiritual life strengthened the prisoner, helped him to adapt, and thereby improved his chances of survival.’ Here is some practical advice on keeping a good attitude in bad times: (1) Always believe the best about others, but don’t get bent out of shape when they disappoint you. Nobody is perfect, including you. Just be grateful for the people that bring joy and endeavour to be counted among them. (2) When you are tempted to retaliate, judge or become impatient, say to yourself, ‘This is an opportunity for me to model a great attitude for the glory of God.’ You say, ‘But this person is driving me crazy.’ Then refuse to be a ‘passenger’ and go along with them. Take back the wheel, get into the driver’s seat of your life, and determine which direction you’ll go and what attitude you’ll have. The Bible says: ‘…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things…and the God of peace will be with you.’

EXPECT PERSECUTION …

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. – John 15:19

We should not think it is strange to be persecuted. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). We can actually rejoice because we are being persecuted for Jesus’ sake, and the Lord will be with us in the midst of the persecution. When we stand before Him, there will be more than ample reward.

Persecution is a token that those persecuting you are under conviction. They realize that they are not living what your words or actions are advocating and in self defense, they attack you, who they perceive is the source of their conviction. If you understand this, it makes persecution much easier to take. They aren’t just mad at you; they are convicted. When the gospel is presented in the power of the Holy Spirit, there will always be either revival or riot, but not indifference.

In the midst of persecution, Satan will try to convince us that the strife is all our fault. If he succeeds, then we back down and the pressure is off his followers. However, Jesus suffered continual rejection and persecution, yet we know that the problem was not with Him, but with those who rejected Him.

Jesus makes it clear that persecution is an inevitable part of living a godly life, so that we will not fall prey to introspection and self-condemnation when rejection comes. If our sinless Savior was rejected, then certainly we will be too. Don’t feel guilty or condemned when persecution comes. The Word strips people of the disguises they have been hiding their sins behind, and the result is persecution.

POSITIONED FOR BLESSING …

How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity…for there the Lord has commanded the blessing… – Psalm 133:1–3, KJV

God loves you so much. He longs to bless you in every area of your life. Deuteronomy says that He wants to bless you when you come in, and when you go out. He wants to bless you when you’re in the city, and bless you when you’re in the country. He wants to bless and prosper everything you set your hand to. When you are living in peace and unity with the people in your life, you are positioning yourself for God’s blessing. Living in unity doesn’t mean you always have to agree with everyone. It means that you look for common ground in Christ and refuse to allow strife to enter into your relationships.

Today, focus on the things that bring you together. Focus on your faith in God and dependence on His Word. Build one another up and watch how God will pour out His favor and blessing!

SET YOUR THOUGHTS …

Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. – Colossians 3:2

Faith is simply seeing what God sees. It’s choosing God’s way even when things look differently in the natural. When you set your thoughts on higher things, like today’s verse suggests, you are looking at life through your eyes of faith and seeing what God sees. For example, you may have a financial need today, but when you look higher, you see that God promises to supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. You may have sickness in your body today, but when you look higher, you see that Jesus paid for your sickness and disease. You may feel lonely today, but when you look higher, you see that God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you.

As you meditate on God’s Word, you are setting your thoughts on higher things and setting your life in the direction of the good plan He has in store for you!

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VICTORY

The Answer to Every Problem

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? “Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. Luke 14:31-32

The American Heritage dictionary defines victory as:

Defeat of an enemy or opponent. 2. Success in a struggle against difficulties or an obstacle. 3. The state of having triumphed.

No matter what problem we are facing, be it our sins, the wrongs that we have done, the injustices of others, and the things that we have not done, victory is found in surrendering to the Holy Spirit totally and completely and letting Him work unhindered, unrestricted and unlimited in our hearts and lives. For Jesus said something that is still true today:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. John 14:15-19

Surrender to the same Holy Spirit that was on Jesus and about whom was said of Him and others:

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. Isaiah 11:1-5

But it all starts with the first step of recognizing we have a problem that we cannot solve nor deal with and recognizing who is the solution and the answer to the problem – Not us but the Holy Spirit! It requires an act just like another son did, a son who journeyed to a far country, and wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all he began to be in want. So he worked fields feeding swine and wanted what they had. But God’s word states:

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ‘ “And he arose and came to his father.

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. Luke 15:17-24

The answer was simple, he came to himself and recognized his problem. He took action and went to his father and stated he had sinned against heaven and in his sight and was no longer worthy to be called his son. He humbled himself and asked forgiveness and was ready to face the music.

What did he get for his deeds? Compassion and a feast and they began to be merry. Well our Heavenly Father is more than willing to forgive those who admit their sins, turn from them and ask for his forgiveness and for the best that heaven has to offer them.

The problem is that the enemy has deceived and blinded God’s people of  how good God is to those of humble and contrite hearts. To those who say “I have sinned and failed you but with your help and power I am willing to change and make amends.” To such as these, heaven is wide open with blessings and riches of God Himself that men have not ever seen yet.

Otherwise those who take their sins and deeds lightly and continue in their way will find themselves facing a furious king who will destroy them and their kingdom. Just like King Saul was destroyed. It might take some time but it will happen.

It’s our choice we can return back to our Heavenly Father and that wonderful Holy Spirit who alone can do all the things that we cannot do or face the music? For this is the beginning of sorrows for those who have too long pretended to be God’s good shepherds. This is the beginning of the exposure of these evil men. God is here in our midst, He will move on our behalf in a spectacular way. We can not imagine what He has in store for us if we surrender. The Healing and Victory He has in store for us is only the beginning. We have to cling to Him as we would to our mother’s side when we were children. He is the breath of our life. He is the healing breath of our soul. He is the healing change of our spirit.

Our road and walk with Him can be full of His blessings and healing and changes. It can be truly marvelous and spectacular. Then our good fortune will be the envy of others. But few will desire it because they don’t understand what it is to pay the price for it all. But nevertheless it’s our choices that determine the resulting consequences.

God is setting His people free. He is delivering them from the bondage of wicked, corrupt men. He is moving, moving, moving. He is the great Whirlwind and He is changing the very fabric of the social landscape around them. He is changing it and placing Him mark upon it. It will never be the same again. It is changing right before their very eyes. For change comes with His Presence. God’s true ones can watch and witness His great changing Power on the land around them! It is marvelous to behold. The Nation will never be the same again. All will see His great change upon the land and the people! This is only the beginning!  For God’s word is unchanging:

‘But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the LORD of hosts.  ‘For the seed shall be prosperous,  The vine shall give its fruit,  The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew- I will cause the remnant of this people  To possess all these.

And it shall come to pass  That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel,  So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.  Do not fear,  Let your hands be strong.’ Zechariah 8:11-13

“Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”  Luke 18:6-8

God desires and wills that His children have  total and complete victory in all the battles of life and be more than conquerors and overcomers. He doesn’t want them to just get by but to live in victory and prosperity and abundance. His wants to fight for them and to triumph gloriously on their behalf against all their enemies. His word is unchanging:

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord.  Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness;  And let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”  Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”  Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion  Who rejoice at my hurt;  Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor  Who exalt themselves against me. Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause;  And let them say continually,  “Let the LORD be magnified,  Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”  And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long. Psalm 35:23-28

God’s seasons are not at the command of mortal men.  Just because at the first stroke of the flint does not bring forth the fire, doesn’t mean there will not be a fire?  God’s delays are not His denials. For His trusting true ones God always hears their prayers and will answer them in due season. Hence they have need of perseverance and endurance for the miracle answer will come from the God of miracles. They need not fear but are to let their hands be strong for God will save them and they shall be a blessing. As God’s power and resources are unlimited and not dependent on their limited power and resources. His word is unchanging:

And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;  ‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;  “and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?

“I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Luke 11:5-10

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 2 Corinthians 1:3-10

We should hang on to FAITH, regardless of the circumstance. Our Lord owns everything.  There is not anything that is not His. If Jesus did not defeat Satan what good came of His dying? We are to pray and say:

Oh Holy God, we lift up the Words You have given Your Prophet. We hold on to our Faith regardless of circumstances. Oh Jesus, it is You that walks with us everyday. It is You that gives us the power to say to the mountain, be gone in the Name of Jesus. You, Jesus, are the Good Shepherd. You tend to Your sheep. You pick us up and brush us off. You hold us gently in Your arms. Help us to remember Your love. Help us to know that before we were born, all of our needs had been met through Your Bloodstained Cross. We thank You for everything You have done for us.

Father God in the mighty name of Jesus we ask that you to open the windows of Heaven on our family and pour out a blessing that they can not contain as it is written. We rebuke the devourer in this family, and command the devil to give back what he has stolen from their finances, wealth and heath in Jesus name.

Yes, God has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness according to His divine power.  As we meditate in the Word, faith comes.  God’s power arises to do exceeding abundantly more than we can ask or think.  It is faith in the heart that works!  As we dwell upon and talk God’ Word and see our need met by God’s solution, the power within us becomes activated.  When that power is released in words, “We have those things which we say.”

Yes, God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to us in abundance so that we may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need, be self-sufficient, possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation. For God’s word is unchanging:

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

When Moses stretched out his hand over the Red Sea and the Lord commanded the waters to divide so that the children of Israel could cross over to safety, no one had ever witnessed anything like it. God did a new thing in the eyes of His children.  He fulfilled His word:

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.  The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. Isaiah 43: 19-21

Yes, God can make a way where there is no way, He’s a WAYMAKER!!! We serve a miraculous God that is able to create a new thing to meet our need. He sees what we are going through and He wants to help us. He is a God that promises He will take care of us. “He’ll meet our every need,” not only in our finances, but in all areas of our life. But to make sure our prayers aren’t hindered, we must go before the Lord, repent of any sin and release anyone we are holding unforgiveness towards.  Through our faith in God’s Word we will see our every need and desire met! For God’s word is unchanging:

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-20

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THE HIGH HILLS

ONLY JOSHUA AND CALEB WENT INTO THE PROMISED LAND

God gives His many promises to all His people but they are not automatic nor are they accepted by all His people as seen with Joshua and Caleb who believed God while the majority did not!

Numbers 13: Spies Sent into Canaan
25    At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land.
26    And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.
27    And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28    However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.
29    The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
30    But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31    Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”
32    So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.
33    And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Numbers 14: The People Rebel
1    Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.
2    And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
3    Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
4    And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5    Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.
6    And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
7    and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
8    If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
9    Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
10    Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
11    And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?
12    I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

God Promises Judgment
20    Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word.
21    But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,
22    none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,
23    shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.
24    But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

32    But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness.
33    And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness.
34    According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.’
35    I, the LORD, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this wicked congregation who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall come to a full end, and there they shall die.”
36    And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land—
37    the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the LORD.
38    Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.

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TO MY CAUSE

Stir Up Yourself

Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah Psalm 3:7

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord.  Vindicate me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor Who exalt themselves against me. Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” Psalm 35:23-27

There comes a time in life when we have to grab hold of the horns of the altar of God and ask Him  to stir up Himself and to arise for our help, and redeem us for His mercies’ sake (Psalm 44:26); just like the Psalmist did on many occasions when he was beset by his enemies. We are not to let Him go until He blesses and changes us and deal with our enemies; just like He did with Jacob who wrestled with God. The bible records for our profit and instruction:

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.  Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”  So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:24-30

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.” And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. “Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.  And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother. Genesis 35:1-7

God is more than willing to bless His sons and daughters with all kinds of blessings, spiritual, physical, material and ministerial and with Himself; but they must stir themselves up to seek and go  to God and not let Him go until He blesses them.  The bible encourages us to stir ourselves up and seek God and be greatly rewarded by Him:

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 34:10

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.2 Chronicles 14:7

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:6-7

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Yes there is a rest and prosperity for the people of God who will seek the Lord their God and take by force all that He has for them in His word. God has pleasure in the prosperity of His servants and wants to bless them greatly. He wants to take care of all their needs, fight all their battles, and give them victories over all their enemies whoever or whatever they might be. He wants them to serve Him so that He could bless their bread and their water. And He will take sickness from their midst and fulfill the number of their days. His word is unchanging:

“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.  “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.  “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.  “For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.  “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.  “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.  “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. Exodus 23:20-27

God by giving the fullness of His blessing to His reconciled enemies proves His perfect and unlimited love for us and we can respond by trusting Him at all times. Yes, Jesus is our redeeming God, “The Lord our righteousness,” and that those who accept Him as Lord and Savior can know forgiveness of sins and peace with God and be healed and made perfect, whole and complete. And our Redeeming Lord will baptize us in the Holy Spirit and gives the gifts of the Spirit so that we can see others become redeemed believers made complete in Christ who is all that they need for body, soul and spirit for Christ is unlimited in power and richest.

The doctrine of Christ’s unlimited ability has a very practical application to us in our daily lives. Jesus is omnipotent; He can save, deliver and keep us. Jesus is our omniscient and all-wise Lord, He knows all about us, and can guide us in all our problems. Jesus is omnipresent; He is with us in every situation. Christ is the Great I Am; He knows and is in control of our future. Jesus is the Lord of unlimited love, He really cares for us. What a comfort these Divine attributes of Jesus give to those who love and serve Him. God’s word is unchanging:

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, My servants shall eat, But you shall be hungry; Behold, My servants shall drink, But you shall be thirsty; Behold, My servants shall rejoice, But you shall be ashamed; Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, But you shall cry for sorrow of heart, And wail for grief of spirit.  You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord GOD will slay you, And call His servants by another name; So that he who blesses himself in the earth  Shall bless himself in the God of truth;  And he who swears in the earth Shall swear by the God of truth;  Because the former troubles are forgotten, And because they are hidden from My eyes. Isaiah 65:13-16

Yes, in times when a great tempest comes against God’s trusting ones, it’s wonderful to know that a vessel with Jesus in it cannot sink for even the winds and the sea obey Him as well as everything else, including demons.  Jesus will bring them safely to the other side of plenty and prosperity and victory.  But this is something that some of God’s people do not seem to understand that no matter what is going on the miracle working God of all power and unlimited riches and resources is on their side. He is for them and with them and not against them and wants to see them get safely through to the other side.  His trusting ones must not be fearful but are to faithful to stand against all the wiles of the enemy who seeks to destroy them by any means.  For the enemy walks about like a roaring lions seeking whom he may devour by any means.

God has not and doesn’t change one single bit. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!   He is the living God, steadfast forever and a great miracle working God as well as the Judge of all the earth and a man of war.  His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall endure to the end. He still delivers and rescues, and He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. Signs and wonders which bless some and destroy other.  There are no sickness, famine, pestilence, poverty, suffering and lack in heaven and should not be on earth.  The LORD who IS A GREAT MAN OF WAR AND UNCHANGING will bring His trusting ones into abundance of prosperity and give them every victory. His word is unchanging:

“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.  “So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people. “And he shall say to them, ‘Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;  ‘for the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you’ (to give you victory, KJV). Deuteronomy 20:1-4

The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.  “I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once. I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the pools. I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them. Isaiah 42:13-16

“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.But to you who fear My name  The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:1-3

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In Abundance

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”  He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  “And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,  And seeing you will see and not perceive;  For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing,  And their eyes they have closed,  Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ Matthew 12:10-15

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them,  “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:23-24

Jesus Christ the author and finisher of the Christian faith told us “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. So the burden to having an abundance or poverty  and even be saved is on us, not on God! We alone determine what we get out of the kingdom of God through God’s word and through His Spirit.  Jesus clearly taught us this in His words:

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.  “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  “yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:18-23

And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”  Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”  And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. Matthew 9:28-31

And Apostle Paul told us the word of God which is in our mouth and our heart will produce great results including salvation:

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”   How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,  Who bring glad tidings of good things!”  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:9-17

God has provided us with a great and complete salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed, to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:3-4).

God wants us to become complete, stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, be perfect and complete lacking nothing and He is able to sanctify us completely so that our whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word “save” comes from the Greek word “sozo,” which means the complete salvation for the spirit, soul and body. The Word of God affects all three parts of the human being.  As a result our soul needs to be renewed, to be re-adjusted to think like the Word, to feel like the Word. When our soul is renewed we will have the full assurance of faith and not only partial assurance, half assurance, quarter assurance.  When the Word of God has its perfect work in us, we will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We will have a perfect and complete answer to all our prayers, all the things that we want.  Our soul will be lined up with our human spirit, which is born again.   God will come forth to overcome the circumstances in our life when we have the Word of God rooted in our soul.

Wise King Solomon told us in the book of Proverb says the Word of God will become flesh to our bones.  But it had to flow through our soul.  It has to become a part of our thinking life, the way we think, act and talk. It has to be predominating in our lives and then we will be prosperous and successful just like Jesus told us:

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “Matthew 4:4

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. John 15:1-8

The fruit that we bear has to do with the character of Jesus in our lives, and the character of Jesus will result in the power of God and prosperity and healing in our life.  These things flow from that fruit that is developed in our life.  It’s according to the strength of our inner man that the outward man can function.  And the strength of our inner man is determined by the amount of change or the transformation of the character of Jesus in our inner man.

Jesus Christ is the word made flesh. To abide in Christ is not only to walk and live in His Spirit but to walk and live in accordance to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. When the Word of God becomes predominate factor in our life, the resulting words that we speak by the Spirit of the LORD will conquer and overcome all things.  When we receive the Word of God we digest it until it becomes a part of us. We allow it to be to be digested by our spirit and to renew our soul until our soul is steadily held by the Word of God.  Then the Word of God produces faith in our human spirit and confidence in the Word of God.  And then we speak forth those things which we desire based on the Word of God and it becomes a reality!

Yes, when the word is the Word and is already on our inside and we can make a decree to any mountain.  And what we decree we believe that our words will come to pass.  And so when we tell the mountain, move from hence forth to yonder it will obey because God’s word shall not return void but will accomplish that for which it is sent. God’s word is unchanging:

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?  “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; “but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” Mark 4:30-32

Since the fall of man the soul of human being have been wavering.  Doubts come from our soul, distress come from our soul and emotions, and all the wrong things that is coming from our soul.  Hence the human soul needs to be girded with the Word of God to be stabilized.  An unstable soul will not receive the promises of God for one tiny doubt will cancel the whole process.  Doubt is the quality of the fallen soul. That is why we need the renewal of the mind and the Word of God to stabilize our soul.  The more Word we have in our life, the more we are stabilized in our soul. We need patience which is not an attribute of our human spirit.  It’s an attribute of a renewed soul and renewed mind.  Patience is an attribute of our human soul according to the Word of God. Hence we count it all joy when we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces patience and if we let patience have its perfect work, we will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Tribulation works patience, and patience develops character in us. Tribulation works character in our lives.  But it may not be good character.  Whether it’s good character or bad character is determined by how we react to the tribulation.  If in the tribulation or difficulty, we react wrongly and keep on reacting wrongly, it becomes a part of our life and character. Whether we are changed in the wrong character or changed in the good character is determined by how we react.  How we react is determined by our understanding of choices that are available for us. There are always many ways we can choose to react in response.  Now we may have natural feelings and emotions being human in all kind of tribulations.  But we are old enough in life to know that we don’t need to yield to our emotions or to react with our emotions.

It’s to be noted that between tribulations and character is an important word called perseverance.  The word perseverance also means patience. As we abide in Christ and in His word and His word abides in us, He gives us perseverance or patience.  In other words we get power of God in our life and the character of Jesus from abiding in Christ and His word.  The developing of character comes by experiencing tribulation and tribulation comes from being on this planet earth.  Jesus said in the world you shall receive tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.

It’s to be noted that between tribulations and character is an important word called perseverance.  The word perseverance also means patience. As we abide in Christ and in His word and His word abides in us, He gives us perseverance or patience.  In other words we get power of God in our life and the character of Jesus from abiding in Christ and His word.  The developing of character comes by experiencing tribulation and tribulation comes from being on this planet earth.  Jesus said in the world you shall receive tribulations but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.

It’s also to be noted that Temptation is not from God but it is more our own internal inclination and weaknesses that need to be overcome.  Temptation is not found in our spirit.  Temptation is found in our soul and our flesh. When those areas are renewed by the Word of God, our human spirit now works together with our soul.  The Holy Spirit becomes available.  He is the free gift of grace and promise of God to our lives.  But He is limited according to what we ask or think, limited according to the limitations of our soul.  Our human soul is a conduit by which the Holy Spirit flows.  Therefore we need to develop our soul in the Word of God.  Then we will be a real man or woman of God who is like Jesus, all our r thoughts are always in line with the Word of God.  The closer we are with Jesus the more our thought conforms to His image.

If we walk with Jesus we are in perfect will of God.  And we’re doing God’s perfect will. And as a result the power of God will flow in us and through us and God will grant us all our desires.   We can cry out to God for His supernatural help now and the supernatural help comes.  It flows forth from our abiding in Christ our abiding covers all our beings. Our abiding is so strong and the character of Jesus is so strong that we can be poked left, right and center and it doesn’t change our life.  We know how to abide in and have patience in tribulation; we stand like the rock of Gibraltar, against the storm and until we see our desired result. God’s word is unchanging:

“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him  “and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Acts 7:9-10

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.  For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,  2 Corinthians 1:3-10

Yes we might have seasons when we meet with losses and crosses in the world, but the joy of the Lord is still our strength. And He will make our feet like deer’s feet, and He will make us walk on our high hills. The great redemptive work of our Lord covers the complete person—body, soul and spirit. It reaches even into the realm of physical necessities. Jesus said to his disciples, “Take no anxious thought, saying, What shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, How shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:31–34).

We don’t live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and God is our source of our total supply, our provision, our exceeding great reward and all that we need. Through God’s grace and Spirit we can be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and stand until the victory and our breakthrough is manifested proving the faithfulness of our God. In the midst of all our troubles Jesus is still a balm for every wound, a cordial for every care. He is still a friend who sticks closer than a brother!

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THE LIGHT OF LIFE

THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Before Jesus went back to heaven, He told His disciples to “wait for the Promise of the Father”. (Acts 1:4) There are thousands of promises in the Bible, so which promise was He referring to?

The early church knew which promise Jesus was referring to because He had told His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which you have heard Me speak about. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5) Jesus was referring to the baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues. (Acts 2:1–4)

Jesus wants you to know the value of the Promise of the Father because He said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…” He did not say, “You shall do witnessing,” but “You shall be witnesses”. In other words, your very person will be a witness to Him!

This is because the power you receive when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is the same power that so anointed Peter that the sick were laid on the streets for his shadow to fall on them and heal them. (Acts 5:15) Even handkerchiefs and aprons from Paul’s body were so saturated with the anointing of the Spirit that when they touched the sick, people witnessed diseases and evil spirits leaving the sick! (Acts 19:12)

That same power caused a Holy Spirit-baptized church member, who prayed in tongues, to experience God’s healing power when he laid hands on his mother who was in an advanced stage of cancer. And because she was healed, she became a witness of the love and power of God to her friends and unbelieving relatives.

Beloved, when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you will be a witness to others that no problem, trial, disease or sickness is a match for the power of the Spirit in you!

SEE YOURSELF IN CHRIST

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

I remember going through a terrible time of depression when I was 18 years old. Believing that I was demon-possessed, I sought out a great man of God to have him cast the devil out of me. But when this man of God laid hands on me, he began to prophesy over me. He said, “Joe, I see you preaching to thousands and used by God to impact thousands of lives. Joe, you are called by God and the devil is attempting to stop you.”

“What? I came here for deliverance! I am only interested in saving my own life, not preaching nor impacting lives,” I thought to myself then.

You see, what happened was that at that moment, God allowed this man to step into the timeless zone He exists in to bring my future before me. As far as God was concerned, my future had already happened, though I was only 18 years old then. Today, I am a pastor of a church which has more than 30,000 members. Today, I am seeing what was told to me long ago.

God does not see as we see. Abraham was a childless, 100-year-old man. His wife, Sarah, at 90 years old, was doubly dead in her womb. (Genesis 17:17) Yet, God saw him and talked to him as if he were already the father of many nations.

My friend, God wants you to see the way He sees. Right now, you may see yourself going through a trial in your marriage, work, finances or health. But God sees a blessed marriage, success at work, supernatural provision and a healed body because He tells you that you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

You see, God sees you in Christ. So when you see yourself in Christ, who is outside time, you step into the timeless zone. In that timeless zone in Christ, whatever needs and trials of yours are already removed, repaired, restored or resurrected! In that timeless zone in Christ, you are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places!

FOR THIS I HAVE JESUS

The Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. —Isaiah 49:13

There is rarely a problem-free season in our lives, but sometimes the onslaught is terrifying.

Rose saw her entire family, except for her two little daughters, slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Now she is a widow among many widows with little money. But she refuses to be defeated. She has adopted two orphans and simply trusts God to provide for the food and school fees for her family of five. She translates Christian literature into the local language and organizes an annual conference for other widows. Rose wept as she told me her story. But for every problem in her life she has one simple remedy. “For this,” she said, “I have Jesus.”

God knows exactly what you are facing today. Isaiah reminds us that God’s knowledge of us is so intimate that it is as if our names were written on the palms of His hands (Isa. 49:16). We may sometimes neglect the needs of others, even those who are closest to us, but God is aware of every detail of our lives. And He has given us His Spirit to guide, to comfort, and to strengthen us.

Think of the challenges you face at this moment, and then write these words beside each one as a reminder of His faithfulness and care: “For this, I have Jesus.”

Thank You, Jesus, for being near to me right now. I’m grateful for Your faithfulness.

Life takes on perspective in the light of Christ.

GOD IS OUR COMFORT

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; – John 14:16-17

Remember that Jesus was saying these things to His disciples so that they would not be offended. Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is the front line of defense against the devil and his devices of defeat. The phrase, “The God of all comfort” carries the idea of a divine comforter who encourages, refreshes, strengthens, aids, assists, and is an ever present help in the time of need. The ways that God chooses to comfort are not always the same. He may deliver you or remove the cause of the affliction, or He may comfort you with words giving you a hope for the future.

He also uses people to share their faith with you by prophesying. He sends fellow-laborers to serve and strengthen you by the ministry of the Word, and uses the body of Christ as a channel to comfort you, using prayer.

The point is that the source of all comfort is God, no matter what channel He chooses to use.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, God revealed to Paul that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Paul, who had experienced God’s comfort in a way that perhaps no other man has, now reveals how the Lord accomplished this. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit. True Christianity is not the absence of trials, but the strength and comfort of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, that will bring us through to the other side.

Even a strong metal container with a vacuum inside will be crushed just by normal atmospheric pressure. But that same container, with an equal or greater amount of pressure inside, will be just fine. Likewise, an individual who is void of God’s comfort inside will be crushed by the pressures of this life. But a believer who takes advantage of the comfort available to him through the Holy Spirit, can withstand anything. Victory is not dependent on the pressures without, but rather on the comfort within.

JESUS IN THE FLESH

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. – John 14:28

Jesus stated His union with the Father so clearly that He was accused of blasphemy more than once. This statement about the Father being greater than Jesus must harmonize, not contradict other claims.

A key to understanding this is given in Philippians 2:6-8, where Paul states that Jesus didn’t think it was robbery to be equal with God, but humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant (speaking of His humanity). Jesus was equal to God in His divine nature but He made Himself inferior to the Father in regard to His humanity. Jesus didn’t lose any of His deity when He became a man, but He did clothe it in flesh and submit it to the consequent limitations. In this sense, the Father was greater than Jesus.

Jesus is the pre-existent God who chose to become a man so he could redeem us by His own blood sacrifice. When He became a man, He was still one hundred percent God in His spirit, but His physical body was one hundred percent human. His body was sinless, but it was still flesh and subject to the natural things we all experience. The physical Jesus had to grow in wisdom and in stature.

When Jesus was born, His physical mind did not know all things. He had to be taught how to talk, walk, eat, and so forth. He had to learn that He was God in the flesh and accept that by faith. His physical mind grew in awareness of who He was. He had the witness in His spirit, but His physical mind had to “take it by faith”-the same way that we do when we believe who we are in the spiritual realm. Jesus’ mental comprehension of His deity was something He learned and accepted by faith. Jesus had to become aware of His true identity through revelation and knowledge.We must do the same.

PERFECT LOVE …

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… – 1 John 4:18

The Scripture tells us that God is love. He is perfect and His love for us is perfect. There is nothing you can ever do to make God love you more, and nothing you can do to make Him love you less. His love toward you is steadfast, it’s unchanging. His arms are always stretched out toward you.

Sometimes people aren’t sure how God feels about them. They think He might be mad at them, but Scripture tells us just the opposite. God’s not mad at you; He’s madly in love with you! It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve come from, God’s arms are open to you. He’s longing to show you His goodness and grace. It’s His kindness that leads us to repent and change our ways.

Today, open your heart to receive His perfect love. Let love drive fear out of your life and make you new!

LET NOT YOUR HEART BE TROUBLED

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The night before Jesus died, He gave His peace to His disciples—“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…” This peace was not just for His disciples, but also for us today. We have His peace.

The moment you believe in Jesus Christ, He who is the Prince of Peace comes to live inside you. And when the Prince of Peace resides in you, every blessing that you will ever need pertaining to your soundness and wholeness is already inside you.

“Pastor, if this is true, then why do I still see problems in my health, finances, family and relationships?”

The answer is a troubled heart. That is why after Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you,” He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

A troubled and fearful heart works like fingers that clamp down hard on a water hose. The supply of water is flowing from the tap, but little or nothing is coming out at the other end of the hose. God’s ever-present supply of blessings toward you is like the water flowing freely from the tap. But you don’t see the blessings when you allow your heart to be gripped by worry or fear.

So when fearful, anxious thoughts come, remind yourself of Jesus’ words: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Even when things appear to get worse, say, “Lord, I refuse to worry about this. In the midst of all this, I see the finished work of Christ. He said, ‘It is finished!’ So my child’s healing is accomplished. My marriage is blessed. My debts are cleared. I will let not my heart be troubled by these things.”

Beloved, I cannot “let not” for you. Your family and friends cannot “let not” for you. Only you can “let not your heart be troubled”. So guard your heart from being troubled. You don’t have to guard your career, reputation, children or even health. When you guard your heart, God will guard everything else for you!

THE JOY OF YOUR PRESENCE

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. —Psalm 96:4

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” says the Westminster Catechism. Much of Scripture calls for joyful gratitude and adoration of the living God. When we honor God, we celebrate Him as the Source from which all goodness flows.

When we praise God from our heart we find ourselves in that joyful state for which we were created. Just as a beautiful sunset or a peaceful pastoral scene points to the majesty of the Creator, so worship draws us into a close spiritual union with Him. The psalmist says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise . . . . The Lord is near to all who call on him” (Ps. 145:3,18).

God does not need our praise, but we need to praise God. By basking in His presence we drink in the joy of His infinite love and rejoice in the One who came to redeem and restore us. “In your presence there is fullness of joy,” the psalmist says. “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11 esv).

Dear Lord, You are the great and mighty God, the Creator of the universe. I will praise Your name always. There is no God besides You.

Worship is a heart overflowing with praise to God.

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