It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Giving Thanks Before We Receive is Faith

November 30, 2016

Faith believes God’s Word is true and the ultimate act of faith is giving thanks to God for what was promised even before we have received it. In the world system we are taught to give thanks when we receive something from someone, whether it is a complement, help or a gift. We are trained to wait and sometimes anxiously in anticipation until we obtain the promise and then express our thanksgiving.

In God’s kingdom, in the realm of His people, we are instructed to give thanks when we receive the promise of God. Thus displaying with the very act of thanksgiving, the certainty of our belief and faith that we have what was promised. Though we may not have received it in this natural state yet and though it has not arrived in our possession, we believe God has answered our prayer and that it is coming so we give God glory with thanksgiving for what we have asked.

John 11: 41b-42 And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Jesus started His prayer with giving God thanks for having heard His prayer before and for always hearing Him. Jesus was praying again not a prayer of vain repetition of saying the same thing over and over but a prayer for the benefit of the people so they would believe. Though Lazarus was still dead at that moment Jesus thanked God for hearing Him knowing God would perform His promise. Many may say Jesus is the Son of God and could do anything and that is right but Jesus limited Himself as a man operating under the knowledge of God’s truth and by the power of the Holy Spirit. The same things we as sons of God have access to, God’s truth and the Holy Spirit.

We can truly give thanks in everything when we see everything in the light of God’s word, truth and promises. He will never leave us or forsake us and in every problem or trial God has provided a way of escape that will be for our good and bring Him glory. If we truly believe this and trust God we can give thanks in hard situations by the power of the Holy Spirit with expectation to see how the Lord will settle the issue. Not to say things we are experiencing are not hard, difficult and possibly overwhelming at the moment, but giving thanks to God in the midst of our hardship helps move us from self-focus and self-serving to faith in the hope God will do a great thing in this situation.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

It did not say it was joy when we go through life struggles and trials but we can consider and reckon it to be part of a larger process that in the end will produce faith and patience in our lives which is pleasing to God. When we are able to remove our self from the equation, our wants, our desires, our preferences, then it is easier to let go of the pain and wait on the greater good and glory of God. It is when we hold on to our desire to enjoy and be with what we have lost, that we cannot free ourselves to enjoy the present and be full of hope for our future.

When we put self on the throne of our lives, problems are hard to overcome because our needs, yearnings and cravings become so magnified that we lose sight of the things God is doing in our lives. It is only when God is seated on the throne of our lives, high and lifted up that He is exalted above all else and is magnified larger than our painful situation. It is then we are able to press through the pain and difficulties and walk in expectation, waiting to see the glory of the Lord to come as a result of that condition.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We know these situations did not take God by surprise and what we are going through is the will of God for us at the moment. More importantly how we act and display our faith in God in the midst of those circumstances will testify who God is in our lives.

Gratitude is giving thanks to God for what we have received. Thanksgiving is giving thanks to God for what we want to receive in our future. This is a true display of our faith. Faith believes God has heard our request though it is not seen it in the natural God has made provision for it spiritually and we can wait with expectation for it to manifest itself in the present. We believe our request has transpired in the spiritual kingdom of God and we are now waiting to see how the Lord will settle the matter in the physical realm.

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The Spirit of Thanksgiving is a Spirit of Gratitude

November 16, 2016

To have a spirit of thanksgiving is to keep ever before us a sense of appreciation and gratefulness for the lives we were given and the things we are experiencing, which displays the love of God to a dark world. The lives we have and the things we suffer may seem hard and not what we wanted, or may seem to be an impossible life to live. It is our perspective that is off course because we allow our values and our philosophies of life to teach us to see our lives through our culture and how it relates to self. Thus we become self-centered and self-focused when in reality we should have a spirit of gratitude knowing God sits on the throne of our lives.

It is only when we see our lives through the lens of God that we can truly be grateful and rejoice with thanksgiving in everything. We must understand that we are an eternal spirit that came from God. We have a Divine purpose to let the light of God shine through us in every dark place in which we find ourselves. God has created us to be more than conquerors and to be victorious in every situation. If we focus only on the adversity, hardship and misfortune of the darkness, we will fail to let the light in us represent God in that situation. It is only in presence of opposition we can see the victor; it is in darkness that we can see a clear light. We experience God and bring Him pleasure when we are able to show and display a spirit of gratitude in dark places because we display a trust in God’s nature; His Faithfulness we can trust.

A newborn has no recollection of the life he had in his mother’s womb. Just as many of us live ignorant to the life and purpose the spirit of God has in us to destine us to live victorious over our circumstances for His glory. A child is fed, nourished and he develops a sense of self from his family and culture. We who are adopted into the family of God must be fed and develop our sense of Divine purpose through our Father Who is in us and speaks through us to a dark world.

Philippians 4:4-7        Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!  Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

We can rejoice in every situation and even hard circumstances when we let our response to these concerns be with a spirit of gratitude toward all men, even our adversary. This happens when we recognize Jesus as Lord of this situation and we may have to let go of our selfish wants so His light is seen through us, even in that sad and depressing situation. When our lives are about us being on top, getting what we want and keeping our pride, and when things do not go our way we become worried, concerned and even fearful. But if we can be grateful for the life we do have, and for the things we have already been given, our gratitude will turn our fear to thanksgiving. Our thanksgiving develops into trust and faith in God to do what He has done all the time, defend, provide and protect us.

If we know God is in this situation and He has orchestrated it for our good and His glory, we can walk through the process knowing we will be victorious. Many times it is in these difficult conditions that we stop and talk with God. We will pray, which is just a conversation with God, seeking His direction and plan regarding the state we are in. When we give God thanks for allowing us to represent Him in this hard situation, most times we will see the peace of God rest upon us. Our hearts and minds are protected from fear through our relationship with Jesus in gratitude and thankfulness. This is true faith.

Romans 2: 28-30        And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

This is why we are to give thanks in every situation, because it shows the faith and trust we have in the God we serve. This is the faith that pleases God; it shows trust in Him even in spite of these obstacles we face. Faith will give thanks to God even in a dark place because it knows God is true to His word.

We need to understand the purpose for which we are called is to be changed into the image of Jesus. Jesus came to restore us back into the right relationship, likeness and the family of God. God is our loving Father Who is working all things together in us so we will know Him and we will demonstrate His love in these hard places. We were predestined by God to show His love. We can give thanks because we know we are here with a purpose, called for His good pleasure, justified by the blood of Jesus so God’s glory will be seen in the earth.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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Ingratitude Is Wicked In The Eyes Of God.

November 3, 2016

God calls people who are ungrateful, unthankful, complains and mummers, wicked and evil. God had just freed Israel from Egypt and performed mighty miracles, signs and He even destroyed Israel’s enemies without them having to fight, and with all this they were complaining about what they did not have. What an insult to the Almighty God, Jehovah the God of Israel Who brought them out of slavery, gave them riches, silver and gold as they left the land of their captivity and yet they were complaining about what they would eat. This is a strategy of the enemy of God to get the people focused on what they think they want and not be appreciative for the things God has already given.

We are living in a time where people are particularly self-centered, self-focused and self-absorbed to the point they are unable to appreciate what they have. People are constantly looking for the next thing, looking for more and for more of the next thing. We see so much greed in a society that has so much to be thankful for but they are not content with what they have. No matter how much people possess it is never enough, even if they have more than they or their children’s children will ever spend they are not satisfied and envy and desire for more. This need for more has been cultivated by the commercial industry and the drive for more consumes us to the point that we are never satisfied or thankful for what we have.

Numbers 14: 26-28 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27 “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. 28 Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: NKJV

We are always wanting more, envying and coveting what others have, is what this culture feeds on. All commercial ads create in us dissatisfaction with what we have and then cultivate a longing, yearning a desire for more or something different. The Bible calls this lust, wanting something that is not ours to the point we will get it at all costs, even at the cost of family, friends or character. This is a strategy of our enemy to have us so focused on what we do not have at the moment to cause us not to appreciate what we do have.

When we complain and grumble about our situation we are complaining and grumbling against God. Sometimes we will start saying things and gripe about our situation and complain about what we do not have and we do not realize this is God’s will for us and we are, in our ignorance, criticizing God. God said He heard the complaints against Him and they have spoken these complaints against Him in His hearing. Sometimes God will give us what we say. It was not the plan He had but your words are stout and hard against Him.

Malachi 3: 13-14a      Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance…

Words are powerful and they are the seed of all things that exist. God created this world with the spoken word in the power of the Holy Spirit. We created in His likeness have the same potential, to create things with our words. God gave authority to man to reign over the earth. So our words can work with God or they can be harsh against God’s plan for our lives.

God has given us principles and laws of nature that reveals the spiritual principles of God and how His kingdom operates on the earth. Seedtime and harvest is one of the greatest principles given to us. Our words are seeds and we can plant what we want to harvest in our future with the words we speak. Most people are ignorant of the power they possess with the spoken word. Their enemy would have them to stay ignorant so to keep them saying destructive things about themselves, their family and to keep them from God’s plan for their future.

The culture we are living in helps develop and shape the way we view and value things. This culture is built on commercialism and with specific intent media, cultivates an attitude and atmosphere of discontentment which leads us to not being thankful for the things we have but constantly looking at others and wanting more. Instead of giving thanks to God for all He has given and praising Him for what He has done we are quick to forget the state we were in, as Israel did when they left Egypt, and we too began to complain about God in His ears.

 Philippians 2:14         Do all things without complaining and disputing,

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

God has given us the remedy to thanklessness, ingratitude, covetousness, for the need of always wanting the biggest, the best and the latest thing and that is to be content with such things we have. Halleluiah! This is a revelation! We can be content, happy with the lot we have, the place God has given us reign. Just as Joseph started out as a slave he changed his circumstances by not allowing bitterness and ingratitude toward God to have a place in his life. It is in this attitude of thanksgiving that allows us to be content and we are able to see the blessing of God and know He is with us and He will never leave us.

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We are wrestling with principals of darkness and wickedness in high places

October 26, 2016

This is not just another place in time, it is a pivotal time in history. Just as in the past every great nation or kingdom had a deciding moment that translated a powerful nation into a spiral downfall. We have an opportunity to stand in the gap for our families, this nation and for the kingdom of God.

Jesus came and with His life, death and resurrection He purchased for all mankind the forgiveness of sin. This allows us to become children of God and citizens of the kingdom of God on earth. We are called ambassadors because we represent our King while we are here on earth. We saw Satan come and establish a kingdom of darkness that has taken man into a downward spiral, but Christ came that we may once again choose life and become heirs of God where we are adopted into the family of God.

During the month of October we see a stirring of occult and dark practices as the enemy would have us to be ignorant to the things that are going on. Yet God said My people are destroyed because they do not know the truth or has rejected the truth. We see in the Bible, Jesus speaks of demons and Satan and how they attacked mankind. It was by the power of God that the disciples were able to stand against the power of darkness. Just as we must, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, stand against the power of darkness in this age.

We are not here by coincidence or happenstance. We were chosen and predestined to be here, at this time, for the glory of God and for the blessing of mankind. We all have a purpose. We are at a crossroad and we are wrestling for our identity, our future, our children, our family, our home, even our nation, to choose who we will serve. Call it what you will and cover it up if you want, but the truth is the same; we are destroyed for lack of knowledge and for rejecting the truth we have been given. We are in a battle, the kingdom of darkness versus the kingdom of Light, and the battle is for our desires, our minds, our lives and where we will spend eternity.

Though we may live this life oblivious to the spirit world around us, it does not negate the fact that it is real. Just as Jesus battled the enemy in the wilderness when He was tempted to take the easy way out, we will be tempted to ignore the things around us. Jesus chose to fight with the world of truth as we must choose to stand on truth as well. Just as we are tempted to take the quick and easy way, it will not last and it will end in destruction.

Hosea 4:6        My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

We see Satan’s tactics in Egypt when the ruler of the world took a stand against God’s people to oppress the Hebrews by putting on them great labor and cruelty. First Pharaoh enslaved them, and then he started oppressing them and yet they grew. The hatred for God’s people grew and then Pharaoh called for the killing of all the Hebrew males that were born but the Hebrew people feared God more than Pharaoh. Satan is afraid of God’s people and he wants to destroy them and he will use fear to cause mankind to destroy one another.

With the completed work of Christ, Satan has no authority over mankind. Satan now tries to get mankind to give him permission to come into our lives through the forms of amusements, diversions and games. They may appear to be fun and pleasurable especially at first, but Satan’s ways will end in destruction. The enemy’s plan is to get mankind to self-destruct by denouncing the truth of God’s word. Satan does this through lies, deceptions and the ignorance of a man’s heart. We must know the truth of God’s word so we will recognize the enemy’s deceptions and be victorious.

 

Ephesians 6:12-17      For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

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During this time of October festivities let us teach our children not to open themselves up to the demonic forces, which are looking for a place to settle, during those seasons of deceptions with festivals of the dead, witches and warlocks, talking with the spirit world and Halloween. It may start as a game but it will open access to spiritual wickedness in high places. Let us give them healthy alternatives, fall festivals and celebrate the Lord of the harvest, Jesus and take this opportunity to teach them truth and not open them up to lies and the darkness of this world.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 17-21           Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Remember this is hope for our future no matter our past failures or deeds. Jesus gave His life that we may be saved, His Blood has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. No matter how long or how dark we may have gone down that path, Jesus came to make all things new. When we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, His Blood pays the sin debt we owe and we become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and now we can stand in the gap for our homes, families, communities and nation.

 

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The You God Knew- Before You Were Formed

October 20, 2016

Psalm 139:13-18a

Before the Foundation of the World was laid God knew us and designed His perfect plan for our lives. This was before the world distorted our view of ourselves. God had a plan and a purpose for our lives, for us to prosper and to have hope for our future. When we look at this world and the destruction and hatred of mankind against one another, we can hardly imagine God could have a plan to bring prosperity to our lives, to our family to our home and community. This is because we have listened to the voice of this world and our enemy too long rather than search out the truth of God’s voice which is found in His word.

We find ourselves in the very same place as Adam and Eve, who had the word and the promise of God that they were created in His image to rule and have dominion over the earth. As we have discussed before, an enemy came and planted seeds of doubt and rebellion against God and Adam and Eve chose to believe the lie of the enemy rather than the word of God.

 Jeremiah 29:11           For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The word tells us God formed our inward parts and God covered us in our mother’s womb. We should praise God, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made! God saw us when the millions of possible life producing seed went racing to the egg in our mother’s womb and He called out our name and spoke life and began to form our inward parts for His purpose and glory. The world would call us an accident, a slipup, a mistake but God called us by name for a purpose.

The enemy tries to destroy us before we are born just as he did in the times of Moses and Jesus because he is afraid of our purpose. When he cannot abort our lives to destroy us then he will try to oppress us with heavy burdens of life just as he did with the slaves in Egypt. And if all else fails the enemy will come to try to kill, steal and destroy the people of God. God has made provision for His people and will be with us even until the end of the world.

We are wonderfully made, we are full of wonders; no man can predict or determine our future. God has made us, formed us and fashioned us in such a way that people are amazed, surprised and marvel at all we can do. Some are even astonished and become full of fear of what can be accomplished through God. When we learn the truth of who we are in Christ, the enemy cannot come and trick us into hating ourselves or others who are unlike us. We will know God has a divine purpose for us all and He is able to make us all successful and blessed, with nothing missing and nothing lacking.

Our frame was not hidden from God, when we were made in secret God’s eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. God sees every unborn child and has a plan for every life. God knows the parents, the race, and the culture He has placed us in. He knows we have the ability to win in life even with all the strikes that may be against us, no matter the problems, handicaps or disadvantages we may have. God has a purpose to use those issues to bring Him glory. When others see us rise out of darkness and ashes they will know only God could have done such a wonder in our lives and people will give God praise for Who He is.

If God be for us who can stand against us? No man can stop you; you can only give up on yourself and God’s purpose for you. If Joseph would have given up when he was sold into slavery he wouldn’t have made it to Egypt. Had he given up when he went to prison, he would not have met Pharaoh or saved his family. As long as there is breath in our lungs and life in our bodies God is able to turn our lives around and to work the things the world meant for evil for our good and His glory.

Psalm 127: 3-5           Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

How do we view our children? Are we telling them what God has said about them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made? Do we let the world tell us about ourselves and our children? God has said our children are a heritage from the Lord, a reward and so are the children of our youth. Children are like arrows in our hands. Where are we sending our children? Whether we know it or not, like it or not, we are sending our children into their future… Where are we directing them? What weapons are we equipping them with as warriors to be prepared for the battle they will face in their lifetime? Whose armies will they march with; what drummer will they be hearing; who will they be fighting for and who will they be serving? God or Satan-choose…

We must tell our children they are made in the image of God and they are full of wonders and the God of this universe loves them and will be with them. They will have trouble but God will see them through if they will not give up.

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The Good Soil – Soil of the Soul

October 12, 2016

Hearts that are open to the truth of God’s word are not absent of hard times and these hearts have allowed the problems of this world and their personal struggles to draw them closer to God. Hearts that are plowed with truth in the hard places are opened and they are ready to receive the word of God. It is the word that is planted in the good soil of the heart that can produce much fruit.

We must learn how to turn our hardened hearts into good soil to receive the truth of God’s word. We are born with a heart of stone as the result of man’s fall from his created purpose. God promised to give us a heart of flesh that gives us a heart of compassion and a desire to know Him. We see in the parable those who refuse the word of God and do not continue in the word of God, their hearts were never changed. Those who allow the word of God to penetrate their hearts and change their lives are those who hearts God changed to flesh.

Mark 4:8-9  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh

People who are soft to the problems of others and to their fellow man who is struggling in this world are moved with compassion. Jesus, when He saw the multitude, was moved with compassion to act on their behalf. He did not just feel sorry for them and shake His head in disbelief as many today often do when they see atrocities and do nothing. It is the heart of God in us that moves us to action, to right the wrong, to help the needy, to seek justice for those who are not being treated justly. A heart that is open to God’s word will receive the word and act on it even at the cost of self-sacrifice. This is the example Jesus left us and told us to follow. This new commandment He gave was that we love one another as He has loved us and gave His life for us.

Matthew 9:36 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

John 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

When a seed is planted it must be watered in order for it to grow. Those who receive this word and are watered by the word grow and produce some thirtyfold return on their investment. Some received sixty and some a hundred fold return on their investment in God’s word. God is not playing favorites. Some believe God lets some people do well and others do poorly. But God has put His word in motion and says it is up to you and it is according to your faith in the word it will be done unto you.

Ephesians 3:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 3:6  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

 

This is a principle; a seed will produce after its own kind as long as the earth remains. When a seed is planted it goes into the ground and dies to its self. It is no longer one seed, for it becomes a sprout with roots and when watered it becomes a plant that will grow and produce more fruit. It is a process and God gives us this example to show us how we may grow and produce much fruit. Every farmer knows soil must be turned to soften the soil and some soil needs preparation and added nutrients to get the soil ready for the seed. Just as we need to keep hearing the word to grow in our faith and prepare our hearts for the work God has for us.

Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Once the seed is planted it must be watered for it to produce fruit. Those seeds that are well watered produce much fruit and those that are without water produce less or no fruit. God has no respect for person but He honors His word. People get a return on their invested in God’s word. Our faith allows us to give in quantities that we are comfortable with. We may give in the measures of ones, some in the quantity of tens and others who venture to give in the measures of hundreds and thousands. The world calls them crazy and foolish until they began to see the harvest or the return on their investment.

God says their return will come in the same measurements that they gave. We will receive according to our planting. If we give with teaspoons God will bless us with multiplied abundant teaspoons of blessing and if we give in the measure of a dump truck, God will give us a multiplied abundance of blessing.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

It takes faith to put good seed in the ground, seed that could be used for food and profit at the moment. A farmer may know he has only a little seed left but when he chooses to plant the seed, this shows his faith in the process of sowing and reaping to obtain the amount of seed he needs for the next season. A harvest is received later than when it was sowed but it is also greater than what was sowed. So many people fail to stand firm and wait for their harvest. They give up before the harvest God promised matures. Remember we are told we will reap if we faint not. Sowing and reaping a harvest is a promise from God but we must be willing to persevere the difficult and dry times and wait on God’s abundance of thirty, sixty and hundred fold.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

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The Soil of the Soul – Rocky Soil

October 5, 2016

We have seen so many people accept Jesus as their Saviour with joy at the beginning only to see them spiral down into a pit of darkness. When life comes to test our commitment to the truth and principles that we so joyously received, it is then we will demonstrate our loyalty and dedication to the word. When the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy all that we represent as the image bearers of God, this is a test to see if we will stand or will we give in to the pressures of life. Life will come to test and see if we truly believe what we said and if we are really devoted and steadfast to our principles and to our God.

Jesus explains this process in the parable of the seed sown in rocky soil and good soil. Jesus described the different ways people act in response to hearing God’s word in the parable of the seed. If the word of God is sown and falls on a heart that is hard, the enemy can come devour the word, so they cannot receive it. Unfortunately many people will give up at the first challenge or testing because they are not grounded in the word.

Mark 4: 3-7 Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

Many people hear the word of God preached and yet they refuse to receive or comprehend it because their hearts are too hard. They are like the wayside, well-traveled road where the soil is so hard a seed will not be able to penetrate the hardness of the surface. Some people have been so hurt by life they have hardened their hearts and they do not trust anyone and refuse to believe in God or anyone else due to the lies of the enemy and the pain that life has given them.

Other people’s hearts are like stony ground where the soil is soft to receive the seed, the word of God, but the soil is shallow, the rocks, boulders and obstacles in their lives block their roots and when they are tested they wither. They do not have much knowledge of God’s word and there is no place for the word to take root in their hearts and minds. They may start out on fire for the Lord but again, at the first wave of testing, they get angry at God for letting things happen and may give up at the first sign of trouble. There is still too much of the hardness of the world in their hearts and not enough of God’s word, God’s truth rooted in them.

They are not deeply rooted in the word so when the heat of life comes to test their faith, they will burn from the heat of life’s pressure because their roots are not deep enough to bring the word to their hearts.

Others receive the word and begin to grow but they allow the thorns and problems of this world to grow greater in their hearts and minds, which chokes the truth of God’s word. They that allow the challenges and pressures of trying to pay bills get food for the family and provide housing to become greater than the truth of God’s word, are then unable to fulfill God’s created purpose for them. They tend to focus on the things the world is going after, food clothing and shelter.

Jesus told us not to worry about the things we will eat and wear, but to seek the kingdom of God and His right way of living and all these things will be given to us. The two things Jesus told us to do are to get into the kingdom and then line up with the ways of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is entered by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Jesus says He is the Door and no man enters except by Him.

Matthew 6:25, 31-34   Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. NKJV

Once we seek the kingdom of God and enter by faith in Jesus, we are to live in right standing with the kingdom ways and learn the constitution of our kingdom. The Spirit of God gives us the ability to live in right standing with God by seeking the truth of the word of God.

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The Level of Our Integrity Determines the Level of Our Success

September 29, 2016

It is imperative that we stand with integrity. The enemy and the world would have us to believe we can be halfhearted and not fully committed to integrity and it will be ok in the end because they will say it does not matter.   But we are told to be like God and He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God is One with Himself and we are called to be one person at all times. We are to be followers of Christ, people of integrity every day of the week and in every circumstance.  We are to be people of integrity, to be the same today when things are going well and the same tomorrow when the bottom falls out of our lives.  We must hold fast to same level of integrity, being the same whole, one person at all times.  We are not multiple personalities, not knowing what person and attitude will show up.  We are call to holy and holiness is being the same person at all times just as God is the same, He does not change and we should not either.

Integrity is the covenant we make with ourselves and God to commit to live to His standard of ethical behavior and conduct, especially when life comes to test our convictions. Everyone will be tested or tempted to take the easy way out and the results will be measured according to our integrity.  The testing of a metal is important in finding the weak areas or where it may crack or fail.  Our areas of strength or weakness are found when the test of life comes and the pressures of life are applied and our true self is revealed.

Holy comes from a Hebrew word, qadash, the root meaning clean, to dedicate, or to set-apart, or being whole. This is who God wants us to be when we are with our friends or family dedicated to being the same person at all time, being whole and not split into several personalities depending on who we are around. We are to be the same person on the job as we are at church or in the community. So many of us have multiple personalities living in one body and it is difficult for others to know who the real person is.  Many of us have different personas that we display depending who we are interacting with.  People may not know which personality will show up on any given day or which persona they will be talking to.  It is important to remember that we are called to be one person at all times.

It has been drilled into our minds that holiness is associated with our appetites, cravings or desires.  But holiness is a commitment to live as one person at all times and live an informed life and not be ignorant of God’s word. The truth we know and accept can change the way we think about ourselves and others.   If we are one with ourselves and know who we truly are, we will worship and be committed to our Sovereign King.  We are foreigners living in a strange and different country and culture and God has called us to represent Him.  We will find ourselves in some major battle and we are to be prepared to stand and not let our appetites or the world’s opinions rule over us.

Hebrew 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever NKJV

1 Peter 1: 14-17   As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. NIV

When we know in our hearts and minds that we were created for greatness in the image and the likeness of God, the enemy and the world cannot have us trick us with their lies. We can only stand by knowing what the word of God says about who we are and how God loves us. It is our knowledge of God’s truth that will keep us from destruction.  It is our commitment and integrity to God’s word that propels us to success. It is not just intellectual knowledge but it is the truth that we commit to and do that sets us free.

Our commitment to integrity is what will keep us from being swayed by wrong motives, society, family or friends. It is our commitment and the decision we make when we are alone with ourselves to live by integrity that will give us the strength to stand when the waves of life come crashing in on us.  Many of us think we will be ready when the storm hits, and we will be able to just say no to life’s pressures. But they will find that they were not prepared to stand the test because they were without the truth of God’s word nor had they committed to the integrity of God’s way. That is why so many people fall to the ways of the world when they are under pressure.   When the flesh is fighting for its life that is not the time to stop and try to figure out what God said or try to make a decision on the spot.  Military personnel know they cannot do strategic battle planning in the middle of the fight. Those decisions must be made before they are in the battle and then their actions are automatic based on the planning and training beforehand. We too must know the battle plan before the battle.

Again, a covenant to God and commitment to ourselves is made in the quietness of our heart, and then we make a choice to stand for integrity.  It is in the quiet times we will make a decision to stand for truth while we take into consideration the cost and the repercussions that will follow our decision not go along with the world’s way.  It is at this time we make peace with ourselves and commit to God’s love and then we are able to stand against the pressures of the world and are able to fulfill our purpose. Knowing Who God is, His love for us and His purpose for our lives will give us the will and the strength to hold on to our integrity.

Integrity is to have a steady devotion and allegiance to act and adhere to just and ethical principles of God and to have the soundness of moral character to be honest in every situation. Only the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is more important as Christ followers and eternity than our commitment to integrity.

John 8:31-32     To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” NIV

Psalms 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You NKJV

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. NKJV

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. NKJV

Our integrity is the most valuable asset we have, beside the Holy Spirit living in us, and is a primary weapon against the enemy and against self-destruction. Integrity is our steady allegiance to God’s principles which aid to our success and to the success of our children.  The right and ethical conduct according to God is found in the word of God, the Bible.  It is virtually impossible to stand committed to integrity under presser apart from the commitment to God’s truth and knowing His word by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Most people are committed to doing the right thing and they will try as long as things are going well. But when life brings chaos and shortages the nature of man will return to the fallen state of survival and self-preservation. Integrity is an individual choice to trust God in all things for our provision, health and even our life.  No one can give us integrity and no one can take away our integrity it is a personal commitment.  Our integrity is linked with our God given will, which is our ability to choose to live by a standard of conduct and principles outlined by the God our Creator to ensure our good success in this life and life eternal.

Our integrity is what allows us to be one with ourselves, that is to say we are one person all the times. Whether we are alone with no one looking or if we are before thousands of people, we are the same person at all the times. God calls this Holy, to have the character of God, to be the same yesterday, today and forever no matter the situation.

Our integrity is our contract or our pledge we make to ourselves and God to uphold His word and to trust God to be with us in the challenges of this world and to help us stand against the cravings of this world and the flesh. We all live in this fallen world and fallen humanity with the pride of mankind railing against the word of God with passions of the flesh if left unbridled would send us all into a vortex of corruption and decadence. It is our integrity that holds us to a commitment of control and restraint and it is because of the decision we made before we entered the battle that sustains us.

Remember, it is our integrity that brings glory to God, which is why the trails of life comes to test us and to see if we are really committed to the truth, we say we know and have.   The world knows how it will respond in difficult times and expect Christ followers to do the same. We have seen it all too often in a time of crisis people lose their concern and compassion for others and become self-centered and self-absorbed.  To see someone committed to their word and hold to their integrity even at a cost to them, is an example to the world the love of God and the power of God to uphold and keep His people.

God will be praised when we are able to stand against the chaos and pressures of life and for our ability to live integrity which come from our God.

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Successful and Not So Successful People

September 20, 2016

We all were created to succeed. We have been given by God all we need to succeed and yet there are so many people who are barely making it in life. The level of our success is determined by the level of our knowledge of God’s principles and our choices to obey His word. God says His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. They lack the knowledge of who they truly are so they never grow into their maturity and their life’s purpose.

We want to blame the devil, sin, drugs and all the appetites of the flesh. But God says His people are destroyed because they do not know who they are, their purpose or the God Who created them. God is talking about the people who are in His family being destroyed. They have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and their souls are saved, but their minds are still enslaved to the lies of the world. This is why we are told not to conform to the ways of the world but for us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. God says as a man thinks so he is. If our minds and thoughts are open to the lies of the enemy, this will affect how we live.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God. I also will ignore your children. NIV

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. NKJV

Some people are ignorant to the word of God and they do not know the right path to take. Others reject knowledge and refuse to accept God’s word. Those who blatantly reject God, He says, He will reject them on judgement day. Their actions will not only affect them, their children will be affected because they will not have the knowledge of God and will follow after the patterns and lifestyle of their parents.

God has given us everything we need to be successful. We have Jesus Who paid for our sins and gave us a new life; we have the Bible to reveal God to us, to teach how to live; and we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to be successful and fulfill His purpose for us. Jesus has defeated the devil, our sins have been forgiven by His blood, but we continue in a depraved lifestyle because our minds have not been renewed and we do not have enough truth in us to direct us.

For anything to grow, it must be attached to its life source natural environment. God gave instinct to all the creatures in the world for them to grow. But for them to be successful, they must stay in their given environment. Plants must stay attached to the soil; fish must stay in the water and animals in their habitat. To take anyone of these creations out of their environment for very long, they will become unsuccessful in accomplishing their purpose. The same is true for mankind we were created by God, in His image and our spirit is the life source from God. When we are ignorant to God’s word then we do not know how to live and be successful, and any lie might lead us on a path away from God.

God told Joshua how to prosper and be successful; to keep the word of God always on his lips and to meditate on it day and night. God is telling Joshua to say and do what the word says and you will not go wrong. When people come to talk, slander or suggest some evil scheme, we are to say what the word says on the matter. If we continuously meditate day and night on the word of God, it will become embedded in our hearts and become the foundation of our character. Our faith is increased by reading and hearing God’s word and it is faith in God that gives us hope so we can be strong, courageous and not be afraid or discouraged.

Joshua 1:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” NIV

It is when we read the word of God we will learn who we really are and the way God sees us, which is our only true identity. The Angel of God appeared to Gideon saying, the Lord is with you mighty warrior. God saw Gideon as a mighty man of valor at the same time he was hiding in a winepress from his enemies. Gideon started sounding like most of the people today, if God is with us, then why are we going through all of this trouble?

The world would have called him a coward but God saw the man He created Gideon to be, and not what he was doing at the moment. People want to label us by our faults and mistakes. We all have failed at something in the past but that was an event in time and it does not define who we are today and God’s purpose We can change our actions and therefore change our future according to God’s purpose for us.

 

Judges 6:12-13a, 14-15 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us….

Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” NKJV

 

 

God told Gideon to go and save Israel and again Gideon started speaking what society and the world had taught him about himself and his family. Gideon was saying his family was the least in their clan and he was the least of his family. That made him the last one in this hierarchy to do great things. This is the way the enemy and society want to make us feel, that there is nothing good in us, but God has called us children of the Most High King.

Life is a never ending process of learning the wisdom of God through His word. When we know God’s word and mediate on it, we will live by moral character with a covenant and commitment to do the right thing no matter if there is an audience or not. We must be strong and courageous to stand against big business, political agendas and the pressures of this world. Our integrity will protect us from making wrong decisions under pressure. It will keep us at a weak moment because the commitment to moral character has already been made. We know God will be with us no matter what we go through.

Remember, God wants us to change the way we think about ourselves and others by renewing our minds to His word and having the mind of Christ.

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Our Success Lies Within – Endowed By Our Creator

September 13, 2016

God has placed success in all His creation because all of God’s creation was given the ability to reproduce after its own kind. Every fish, every bird, every beast and every plant has inside of it the ability to be successful in its created purpose to reproduce after itself. God has placed a continuous link in every creature that allows it to be and do what it was created to do by instinct. Instinct is a natural inborn tendency or pattern of activity that exists in one from birth and it exists in someone or something that is a permanent and inseparable element or attribute.

The animals and birds glorify God in their life, living and doing what God created them to do. Birds fly, fish swim and the horses and animals run and roam this earth reproducing and bringing glory to God. When a bird flies and soars in the sky and the fish swim and inhabit the sea, this brings pleasure to God. God sees His creation doing what it was created to do. In Genesis it says God looked at all He had made and it was very good.

Genesis 1:21-22 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” NKJV

Mankind is the pinnacle of all God’s creation. How much more would God do to insure humanity’s success? God created man in His image, to be like Him. Humanity was given a will, a soul and a spirit to reflect God’s ability in the earth to have a choice of will with the ability to decide to glorify God in the earth. All other creations live by instinct, the inborn actions that glorify God.

God in His own mind, out of His thought and imagination created man in His likeness and image. The word formed is a Hebrew word “yatsar” which means, through the squeezing into shape, to fashion for a purpose, and to determine its character. God spoke all other creatures into being but He formed Adam and fashioned Eve in His image.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[ the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” NKJV

Mankind was given much more than instinct. We were given a soul and a living spirit and told to be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue and have dominion over the earth. Humanity was created to be like God to rule and to reign on the earth with all the abilities, attributes and wisdom of God. God commanded man to have dominion over all the animals, fish, birds, plant life and even the things in the ground, gold and precious stones.

We must marvel at the lack of mankind to be successful in the task God had given, to subdue that is to conquer their enemies, to overcome their circumstances and thereby bringing glory to God. Mankind had the ability and the authority to defeat Satan and yet they chose to disobey God. Humanity has been in a spiral downfall ever since because Satan in his subtleness deceived Eve.

She lost sight of her crated purpose and was convinced she was created in a lower state less than what God had made her to be. The enemy continues with that same lie of deception to keep us from becoming the person God created us to be.

Every child is born with a purpose to glorify God in the earth. God has put in them everything they need to be successful in fulfilling their created purpose. Just as God has put in all His creation the things they need to grow, reproduce and be successful in their purpose, God has done even more for mankind. God made mankind like Himself with a will, the ability to rule, but sadly we see so many people living below their God given calling.

Every manufacturer that creates a product has a manual that explains the purpose and use of that product. . The manual tells the consumer things to do and not do, to ensure it performs effectively and to prevent malfunction. God has given us a manual, the Bible, which tells us how, why we were created and gives us principles that will prevent our malfunction. God knew we would need this, because He says His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Hosea 4:6        My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge,     I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God,  I also will ignore your children. NIV

Society says people are destroyed because they are not educated, or they do not have a job, or because they are on drugs and have an addiction or they are promiscuous, or prostitutes or unwed mothers and single parents. Then society sets out to correct all these ills, but they are only byproducts of the original problem; they lack knowledge of the truth or rejected the knowledge of God. Now their children may suffer because they too may ignore God’s principles and may not know who they are or their created purpose.

Success in this life, while we are still on the earth, is to accomplish God’s purpose for us. We must know the truth of our purpose and understand the operating manual, the Bible. God’s word is simple and yet it is difficult to apply, especially when we do not know the truth.

When we read the parables of Jesus, they sound simple; love your enemies, pray for those who abuse you and give to the poor, looking for nothing in return. Applying these truths to our lives is difficult. We cannot forgive or pray for our enemies in our own abilities. It takes the power of God through the Holy Spirit to give us the will and the ability to perform His good pleasure.

 Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. NIV

This is why we must train our hearts and minds and then teach our children to believe, that we are endowed by our Creator to be like Him and to be successful no matter what this world throws at us. God has provided for us everything we need to be successful, the Blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, the Bible to change the way we think about ourselves and the Holy Spirit to lead us, to empower us to fulfill our purpose, to have dominion over our circumstances and to accomplish all God created us to do.

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