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Showing posts from March, 2023

Ignore the Lies!

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  “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 Ignore the Lies You can’t stop the enemy’s lies, or pray away the negative thoughts, or get so determined that you’re never going to feel fear. But you don’t have to be intimidated, and you don’t have to live worried. The lies are a sign that what God promised is on the way, that there are great things in your future. He wouldn’t be telling you those lies if healing, freedom, and abundance aren’t around the corner. Start ignoring the lies. Quit living worried about your health, your finances, or how you can accomplish your dream. Quit letting the lies dominate your thought life. The battle is taking place in your mind. The enemy is a liar and a bully. He knows if he can control your thoughts, he can control your life. When you recognize his tactics, when you know he comes at you with lies and distortions, you can ...

God’s Peace!

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                          God’s Peace And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.  (Philippians 4:9) Peace is a rare commodity. People spend billions of dollars to find peace through drugs, alcohol, pleasure, and other experiences. Paul shows us the only way to true peace. Peace comes from God: Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage” (John 14:27). Paul, who experienced a lot of conflict and trouble in his life, shows us how to tap into the source of this peace. So, what can we learn from Paul? First and foremost, Jesus was the focal point of his life: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, NIV). Everything in Paul’s life centered on Christ. We need to ask ourselves:  What is the center of my ...

Double!

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  Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. Isaiah 61:7 Double When we go through a loss or someone does us harm, a victim mentality will always come knocking at our door. We have to make the choice. Are we going to live bitter, discouraged, thinking we’re a victim of our circumstances? Or are we going to believe that God is in control, that He’s ordering our steps, that His plans for us are for good? Instead of having a victim mentality, switch over to a victor mentality. That bad break is not how your story ends. God says that He will pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened. If you’re going to see the double, you have to know that God is going to make it up to you. He knows who hurt you, what you lost, and what you’re struggling with. He’s not going to just bring you out, He’s going to bring you out better. What you can’t see is that it set you up for...

Our Source of Help!

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                    Our Source of Help I constantly trust in the Lord; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. So my heart rejoices and I am happy; my life is safe.  (Psalm 16:8–9) The psalmist made it his life habit to trust the Lord. When we face problems, we often focus on the problem. However, focusing on the problem can sap our energy and often leads us down the path to disappointment, discouragement, and depression. When we focus on Son Power, our problem becomes a means through which our relationship with God is strengthened. The psalmist also said, “For with you [God] is the fountain of life; in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). God’s light makes all of our problems look different. We see his power his strength, his provision, and his glory. Strength, joy, and help flow from the Holy Spirit. If we focus on a problem, it can consume our life. When we look to the Lord, we learn that everything is sourced in ...

Not by Might!

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  “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 Not by Might You may be feeling worn out, just trying to make it through your days. But God is about to breathe new life into your spirit, new passion into your dreams. It won’t happen by your might or power, but by the Spirit of the living God. He’s going to make things happen that you couldn’t make happen, bring things out of you that you hadn’t known were in you. He’s going to give you a greater anointing, greater talent, greater opportunities. You’re going to see a new level of strength, a new level of stamina, a new level of endurance. What used to bother you is not going to bother you anymore. What used to be too much is going to be easy to overcome. Where you used to be intimidated and fearful, there’s going to be a boldness to step up to who you were created to be. You have not seen your best days. You have not accomplished your biggest dreams...

A Pen Filled with Ink!

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                A Pen Filled with Ink My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.  (Psalm 45:1) We use this key verse to help us with the  Kingdom of God  concept of Soak, Sow, and Flow. As we soak our heart in the Word of God and recite our verses to the King, the Spirit causes our heart to overflow with spiritual impact. This discipline strengthens us so the Holy Spirit can prompt us to continue his ministry in this world. Let’s focus on the word  pen  mentioned in Psalm 45:1. You and I are like pens. A pen is an instrument used to communicate a message to others. Without ink, the pen is useless. The Spirit is like the ink needed for a pen to function. In order for us to be “pens” or instruments God can use to continue “writing his story” to this generation, we need to be filled with the ink of the Holy Spirit. If we are to be fruitful in our kno...

Out with the Old!

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  “To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3 Out with the Old When someone hurts you, takes advantage of you, or breaks their promise to you, if you keep thinking about it, you’re letting them continue to hurt you. Don’t give them your power. You have to let it go. Give it to God. He saw what they did. He saw your tears and heartache, and He knows how to pay you back for the wrongs. He has beauty for the ashes, but you have to let go of the ashes before you can see the beauty. God says, “You give me the ashes, you quit dwelling on the hurts, you forgive them, you move forward with your life, and I’ll give you the beauty. I’ll give you the oil of joy and a garment of praise. That old spirit of heaviness has to go.”  The new thing God is going to do for you is going to be supernatural. The new people, the new opportunities, the promotion, healing, and influence that He has for you will be better th...

Don’t Forget to Pray!

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                  Don’t Forget to Pray! Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord.  (Isaiah 37:14–15) Someone once told me that it takes three things to accomplish the purposes of God in this world: prayer, leadership, and money. Often, in our haste to get started on a project, we forget to pray for God’s blessing and direction. This is a big mistake. Hezekiah, after receiving a threat to his kingdom from the King of Assyria, took the letter defining the threat, went to the temple, spread it out before the Lord, and prayed about the problem. In response, God moved in a miraculous way and destroyed the enemy. The power to change, the power to overcome obstacles, the power to overcome sin, and the power to defeat the evil one is sourced in almighty God alone. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Therefore let us confidently a...

You’re on the Way!

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  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:10 You’re on the Way Too many people go through life with this nagging feeling that something’s wrong inside. Someone has said, “I’ve discovered the enemy. It was me.” Are you your enemy? Are you defeating yourself, limiting your dream, sabotaging your relationships—all because you don’t like yourself? You have enough people and circumstances against you, so don’t be against yourself. Don’t think of everything you don’t like about yourself or relive your mistakes. “I’ve done so many wrong things. I am so undisciplined. I got angry yesterday.” Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with you, start focusing on what’s right with you. You have weaknesses, you’ve made mistakes—we all have—but there’s a lot more right with you than there is wrong. Quit beating yourself up for past mistakes, quit dwelling on your flaws, overanalyzing your weaknesses. You’re not a finished product. God is still...

Son Power in Us!

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                      Son Power in Us O Lord, you make us secure,for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us.  (Isaiah 26:12) For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!  (Isaiah 64:4) For the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.  (Philippians 2:13) Certainly the  Lord  watches the whole earth carefullyand is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.  (2 Chronicles 16:9) It is important that we live our lives in constant communion with the Holy Spirit. This is a central theme throughout the New Testament. Throughout the entire Bible we see that God works in and through the lives of those who wait and hope in him with an attitude of expectation. Our responsibility is to keep our hearts loyal to him and not to something else. It is so easy to become en...

PRAY!

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  Lord God, you hear me when I call out to you, and I wait for your help. I trust in your love and mercy, knowing that you forgive my sins and hold me close in the safety of your love and care. Amen.

The Lord Will Provide!

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                The Lord Will Provide So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  (Genesis 22:14) What an incredibly intense encounter with God! Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. Nothing was more precious to Abraham than his son. But Abraham had faith in God, and was obedient to the point of preparing to sacrifice Isaac when God. At the last moment, God provided the lamb needed for the sacrifice. What can we learn from Abraham’s encounter with God? We are called to sacrifice the big “I” at the foot of the cross. We do this by trusting in God’s provision for our salvation. We renounce, reject, and repent from trusting in self-justification by works, behavior, or anything else for our salvation. Instead, through faith, we accept the gift of Jesus’s sacrifice of his own life on our behalf. God has provided for us. We ne...

Soaking in the Word of God!

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          Soaking in the Word of God But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean . (Luke 2:19) Can you imagine Mary’s reaction when the shepherds told her about the supernatural events they experienced when Jesus was born? We learn an important lesson from Mary in this passage. She treasured and pondered all of these things in her heart. When we treasure things in our heart, they are special to us and we think of them often. They are the things we reflect upon. These thoughts develop into convictions that impact our behavior. In  Kingdom of God , we believe in soaking our heart in the Word of God. The heart absorbs whatever it is soaking in, so a cursory reading of the Word of God is not enough. We must treasure the words we read and ponder what they are saying to us. Scripture is living and powerful; it impacts how we think, feel, and act. As we soak our minds and hearts in the Word of God, we will be empowered by the...

PRAY!

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  Faithful God, you are the source of all blessings. I can do nothing without you. How thankful I am that you alone are God; I place my trust in you and stand on your holy Word. Amen.

The Source of Your Worth!

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  “They shouldn’t trust in what has no worth, for their reward will be worthless.” Job 15:31 The Source of Your Worth Too often we’re trying to get our worth out of what we do, how well we perform. We wonder if others think we’re good enough, talented enough, strong enough, or successful enough. We think that if we work harder, outperform our coworker, or drive an expensive car, we’ll feel good about ourselves. We live in a proving mode, with a need to impress. The problem is that we’re getting our value from the wrong place. If you don’t know who you are, if you don’t know that you’re a child of the Most High God, you’ll spend your energy trying to get other people to validate you. But when you’re secure in who God made you to be, when you’re comfortable with your gifts, your looks, and your personality, then you don’t go around competing with others. You’re not living to impress someone’s who’s more attractive than you or jealous of a friend who’s more talented. You know that you...

Take Time to Pray!

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                    Take Time to Pray Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6–7) I was having a conversation with a friend and was sharing about some of the difficulties I was facing. As I finished talking, he said to me, “Fix it with Philippians 4:6.” Wow! Each one of us faces turmoil and challenges and disappointments that we need help in overcoming. Philippians 4:6–7 gives us a formula to face these situations head-on. The key to overcoming challenges is learning how to pray. Everything good is sourced in God, and all of his promises have their “yes” or fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we have a relationship with God, our heavenly Father! He hears our prayers an...

What’s Your Cause?

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  “The more lowly your service to others, the greater you are. To be the greatest, be a servant.” Matthew 23:11, TLB What’s Your Cause? There should be something we’re involved in that’s bigger than ourselves. It’s good to have personal goals and dreams that we want to accomplish, but if you’re only focused on yourself, you won’t reach your highest potential. You were created to help someone else, to be a blessing, to lift and encourage those who are down, to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves. You need to have a cause that you’re passionate about, some way that you can make the world a better place. It may be to volunteer at the women’s shelter, to mentor a young person, to do repairs for the elderly neighbors, to support great organizations, or to pay a single mom’s rent. When you live cause-driven, you’ll get up early, make sacrifices, take risks, and show up when you have other things to do. Your attitude is, “I’m on a mission. Somebody needs what I have, somebody’s...