PROSPERITY

God’s Will Is Prosperity

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners,  Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

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

Because Jesus Christ, the Word, was given to us we can be prosperous and successful in all things as we abide in Him and in His word and do whatever He commands us. He is a God who desires that we prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (3 John 1:2). The wealth of the heavens and universe is in the Word and the Word dwells within us as God’s children.  Everything we need and desire, for it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom and to shower on us all of His goodness and mercy.  His word is unchanging:

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,  Who delights greatly in His commandments.  His descendants will be mighty on earth;  The generation of the upright will be blessed.  Wealth and riches will be in his house,  And his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3

     The American Heritage Dictionary defines ‘prosperity’ and ‘prosper’ as:

pros·per·i·ty n. The condition of being prosperous.

pros·per v.  To be fortunate or successful, especially in terms of one's finances; thrive.

Biblical prosperity means great riches, honor, silver and gold in the current time of life. We have an example of biblical prosperity in the life of Hezekiah:

Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.  He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. For he held fast to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. The LORD was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 2 Kings 18:1-7

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered. 2 Chronicles 31:20

Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;  storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.  Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. 2 Chronicles 32:27-29

As a result of his God given prosperity, King Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. He made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;  storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.  Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property. So true prosperity is not just our soul being prosperous but also our whole man body, soul and spirit?

The devil, who is a liar and a thief and is jealous of man, doesn’t want man to be prosperous, rich and wealthy but poor and sick. Through a religious spirit he has lied to many of God’s people that abundant prosperity is not God’s will because he knows that whatever a person believes for he or she shall receive. And as long as person believes a lie he will not know the truth. The devil doesn’t want God’s people to know that Jesus endured absolute poverty and degradation for their sakes. Imagine if they believed that it’s their divine call and destiny to have abundance in all things and to be blessed in spirit, soul, mind and body? Imagine if they prayed and believed God that the healing and restoring power of God will come upon every area of their life, upon their spirit, upon their soul, upon their body and upon their finances? Imagine if they would break every curse and command every evil thing and every bad circumstance to flee from them? Imagine if they prayed that every attack spiritual emotional physical and financial would turn into victory right now? Imagine if they prayed and received an anointing that would break every yoke and destroy every bondage and wile of the devil? Why God’s people by grace and faith would be living and walking in divine health and prosperity here on earth and no demon would want this to happen?

But the truth is that all that belongs to God belongs to Jesus and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to God’s people, heirs of salvation and brothers and sisters of Jesus.  The truth is that all good things of heaven, including salvation, the baptism of the Spirit, divine health and abundant prosperity, come by faith from a God whose thoughts towards His children are good and not evil. From a God who made His sons and daughters to be royalty, kings and priests, who are reigning with Him (Revelation 1:6 & 5:10)!

Which normal parent delights in seeing his children poor, destitute, naked and sick? None! And neither does God. He delights in seeing His children blessed, be made perfectly whole, and minister like Jesus in the power of the Spirit with miracles, signs and wonders. Now all this is something that must be made real and true by the Holy Spirit or the carnal mind will not accept it.   But God’s word is unchanging:

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

Jesus Christ, who made all things, became a man for our sakes that we through His poverty might become rich, spiritually and financially. But Jesus Christ was not financially poor on earth just because He was born in a manger. The three wise man had given His parents expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11) which was at their disposal. Later during His ministry Jesus had his own house. The Bible records:

Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). John 1:38-39

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities-Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,  and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. Luke 8:1-3

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." Luke 9:58

Yes, Jesus  had many of donors who gave to His ministry and  He had no place to stay in a  local area  problem, for the Samaritans cancelled His meeting and He was not welcome in the city as they did not receive him . (Luke 9:52-53) But Jesus who sometimes have as many as 120 people traveling with him bought food for the disciples (John 4:8) and had a treasurer Judas, who was a thief (John 12:6).  And Jesus was also extremely rich as God had anointed Him with the Spirit in unlimited measure and angels miraculously ministered to Him whenever needed (Matthew 4:11).

When Jesus was betrayed and arrested according to the plan of God, Jesus could have asked His Father, and He would have provided Him with more than twelve legions of angels, but then the Scriptures would not be fulfilled. Jesus didn’t have a problem turning the water into wine at the wedding (John 2:6-9)or giving Peter and friends net breaking boat sinking loads of fish (Luke 5:4-7).

Yes, the disciples of Jesus, Peter and Andrew, James and John, and Matthew,  were not poor.  A study of Caperanum, the home of Jesus Christ during His Galilean ministry after He left Nazareth reveals this. Capernaum was also the home of Matthew, the tax collector; Peter and Andrew the fishermen had left Bethsaida and had settled in Capernaum, and there was James and John there in Capernaum also.

Matthew, as the tax collector, certainly had accumulated assets from his duty of tax collection, particularly along the busy Via Maris which brought a great deal of trade to Capernaum, and a tax on products, particularly fish would have given Matthew a substantial income.

The home of Peter has been excavated and is relatively unquestioned. It was a multi-roomed home with two courts, probably two stories with 14 rooms opening onto the two courts. Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen, and fish was a productive product on the busy market where caravans transversed from Damascus and Caesarea Maritime on the Mediterranean Sea. Dried fish was sold to be delivered all over the area.

Jesus Christ definitely was not anemic, impotent, and poor like many of God’s people who are bound by religious spirits and in a Satanic cycle of poverty rather than God’s cycle of prosperity unable to get or perform miracles! Yet God’s word is unchanging:

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;  He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust  And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,  To set them among princes  And make them inherit the throne of glory.  "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, 1 Samuel 2:7-8

Yes, the LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory.  God doesn’t have a problem in making His people rich and prosperous. Jesus Christ suffered on the cross intense pain and shame to set us free from sickness and poverty. By His stripes we were healed in every sense of the word.  Jesus was made manifest to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) including sickness and poverty. He is still the great Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Provider and Miracle Worker. It’s Satan, our arch enemy, who wants God’s people to suffer spiritual, physical and financial insufficiency and be sick and weak for he is a thief, a murderer and a destroyer  (John 10:10). God’s word is unchanging:

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."

The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound-think of it-for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke 13:10-17

Yes, the devil kept this woman sick for eighteen years and Jesus delivered her from her bondage. And because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever He can and will deliver any one from any bondage. There are many forms of bondage besides sickness. A person could be physically well but be bondage in his finances. But God who owns the cattle on the thousand hills and all the silver and gold will deliver him from his or her bondage (Isaiah 61:1-5). The lack of money is a great bondage but Jesus delivers from all forms of bondage. Contrary to what some people believe money is not the root of all evil. The LOVE of money is the root of all evil! Money is just a means of payment.  It’s is neutral. What a person does with money makes it either good or evil.  What is important is does a person possess money or does money possess the person?

Now the devil wants God’s people to be blind and ignorant about God’s desires for them to be healthy and wealthy and powerful. The devil is not stupid and he knows that whatever part of the Word of God is rejected by God’s people it will not become a reality in their lives. So he causes many religious folks to believe that sickness and poverty are the will of God and that prosperity and wealth and prosperity are from the devil. But all this is nothing but a lie from the father of all lies – the devil.  Poverty is like an infectious disease. It is like a virus Satan brings upon the Body of Christ. He has infected many individuals, families and whole churches with the "poverty virus".  As a result for them poverty and sickness have literally become a way of life.

But the truth of the matter is that Jesus had died on the cross to give us 100% victory over all things including to set us free from sickness and disease and poverty. He doesn't want us to be even 1% sick or poor. He gave His blood for us. He purchased us. We are His own and all that belongs to Jesus belongs to us- all of it!  That is the reason why Jesus wants us to live a 100% healthy life. Every sickness in our life and poverty is defeated by the blood of Jesus. Jesus gave His blood -- He died naked on the cross -- to set us free from sickness or poverty. Every financial lack in our life is defeated by the blood of Jesus. He wants us to live 100% wealthy and healthy lives. And All we have to do is to receive and confess God's Word concerning our health, healing, blessings  and prosperity and to act according to it. God’s word is unchanging:

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

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17



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BLESS THEM ALL

Father, in the name of Jesus, bless everyone while they reading this prayer in a special way. Lord Jesus, Open supernatural doors in their lives today. Save and set free Lord. Give them a double portion of Your Holy Spirit as we take back everything that the DEVIL has stolen from them. Emotional Health, Physical Health, Finances, Relationships, Children, Jobs Homes, Marriages. 

Lord, I cancel every plot, plan and scheme the enemy has devised against us in the name of Jesus. And I declare, NO weapon formed Against us will prosper. I speak LIFE into every dead situation. And, I thank You that nothing is over until YOU say it is over! I speak prophetically into their lives and to their situations.
Their Households are blessed
Their health is blessed
Their finances are blessed
Their businesses are blessed
Their jobs are blessed
Their ministries are blessed
Their grandchildren are blessed
Their children are blessed
Their parents are blessed
Their Husbands are blessed
Their Wife’s are blessed
Their decisions are blessed
Mortgages are paid and debts canceled
Their heart’s desires are on the way according to Your perfect will and plan for their lives. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

IT IS BETTER

THE CYRUS CYLINDER

The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. —Ezra 1:1

In 1879, archaeologists discovered a remarkable little item in an area now known as Iraq (biblical Babylon). Just 9 inches long, the Cyrus Cylinder records something that King Cyrus of Persia did 2,500 years ago. It says that Cyrus allowed a group of people to return to their homeland and rebuild their “holy cities.”

It’s the same story told in Ezra 1. There we read that “the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” to make a proclamation (v. 1). And in that proclamation, Cyrus said he was releasing the captives in Babylon to go home to Jerusalem, re-establish their homes, and rebuild their temple (vv. 2-5).

But there’s more to the story. Daniel confessed his sins and his people’s sins and pleaded with God to end the Babylonian captivity (Dan. 9). In response to Daniel’s prayer, God sent an angel to speak to Daniel (v. 21). Later He moved Cyrus to release the Hebrews. (See also Jer. 25:11-12; 39:10.)
Together, the Cyrus Cylinder and God’s Word combine to show us that the king’s heart was changed and he allowed the exiled Hebrews to go home and worship.

This story has great implications for us today. In a world that seems out of control, we can rest assured that God can move the hearts of leaders. We read in Proverbs 21:1 that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord.” And Romans 13:1 says that “there is no authority except from God.”

The Lord, who is able to change our own hearts as well as the hearts of our leaders, can be trusted for He is in control. Let’s ask Him to work.

Dear Father, the world so often seems out of control. We know You are sovereign over everything. We pray that Your will be done in our homeland and in the hearts of our leaders.

Rather than complain, pray.

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6, AMP

Do you need guidance or counsel about something in your life? One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to be your Wonderful Counselor. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Counselor, the Spirit of God comes to live inside of you.

Notice He’s not just any kind of counselor, He is the Wonderful Counselor. He’s the very best counselor you could have because He knows all things!

Do you need counsel today regarding your job? Do you need counsel regarding your relationships or an important decision? Do you need a counselor to act as your defender today? Call on the Wonderful Counselor. Open your heart and let Him show you His wisdom. Receive His truth from the Word of God. Receive His counsel from the godly people in your life. Keep your heart open to Him because He promises to show you paths of life and victory!

Because of Jesus you qualify for salvation, healing, deliverance, favor, soundness, wholeness, prosperity and everything you will ever need in life!
(2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. )

God I give you full freedom and access to get involved in my situation. (Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. )

God’s love for you isn’t based on your performance; it’s based on who He is. He never changes, and His love for you never changes!

What do you need today? Do you need healing in your body? Do you need to get out of debt? Maybe you need deliverance from harmful habits, or you’re asking God to mend a broken relationship. Whatever it is you need, God has the answer. It’s right there in His Word.

FREEDOM FROM TEMPTATION

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. - Luke 10:19

Although these are examples of God's protection from harm caused by the physical creation, this scripture is also speaking of mastery over the spiritual realm of the enemy (i.e., Satan). This Scripture does not say that Satan cannot inflict any harm. The scriptures abound with examples, and warnings of the enemy's damage on the godly and the ungodly alike (2 Cor. 2:11, 2 Tim. 2:26, 1 Pet. 5:8-9). However, he cannot harm us when we are walking in faith in Christ's redemptive work.

There are no unique temptations. The devil likes to make us think there are. If he can convince us that no one understands, no one has ever had this problem before, then he can isolate us and take away our hope. But any temptation we face is just some variation of the same old thing. It may come in a different sized box, be wrapped in a different paper, and have a different bow, but the contents are the same. Understanding this diffuses much of the power of temptation.

Even though temptation is universal to mankind, we are not left on our own. God is faithful. Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, and yet He overcame every time (Heb. 4:15). Part of His ministry is to specifically aid us in overcoming temptation (Heb. 2:17-18). Most of us have experienced times when we thought we couldn't resist another minute. Either we were wrong, or we were on the verge of a breakthrough. The Lord promised that He would not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to bear. So, at those times when you can't stand another minute, stand two and this promise will pull you through.

FORGIVE

YOU CAN'T COLLECT A DEBT FROM SOMEONE WHO CAN'T PAY. THEREFORE, FORGIVE!

The word "forgive", as defined in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, means "to absolve from payment"; that is, to cancel a debt.

Unfortunately, many people try to force others who have hurt them to "pay" for their actions. Rather than forgiving -- "absolving from payment" -- such people try to force others to pay them back.

Other people may have committed evil against you; however, the Bible says that we overcome evil with good(Romans 12:21).

An excellent example of this principle of overcoming evil with good can be seen in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). He had many opportunities to be bitter toward others, yet he refused to do so. Indeed, he kept a good attitude even during greatly unfair circumstances.

When Joseph was seventeen years old, his brothers sold him into slavery (see Genesis 37). The slave traders took him to Egypt, where, Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, had a dream, which Joseph interpreted to mean that Egypt would have seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh was so impressed by Joseph that he placed the young man in charge of the entire food supply of Egypt. Joseph stored food during the first seven years so that the country would survive during the subsequent seven.

After just a year or two of famine, Egypt was the only place around that had food left. And, sure enough, Joseph's brothers came to get food. Joseph could have demanded that his brothers repay him for abusing him, mistreating him, and selling him into slavery. But instead, Joseph forgave them -- he canceled their debt.

In your life, you will certainly be presented with situations in which you must choose either to try to force others to repay you for what they did to you or in which you can simply forgive them. Like Joseph, forgive!

IN THE FACE OF DEATH …

In Western culture, many people place great value on possessions and on what one owns. This greedy mentality is embodied in the phrase: "He who dies with the most toys wins."

Yet when you die, you can't take anything with you: Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs (Ecclesiastes 5:15). It's no wonder that, when faced with the immediacy of death, one most easily realizes that everyday things are meaningless in the scope of eternity.

In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul lists many reasons why he could boast about himself. Yet, he recognizes that they pale in comparison to eternity, which is why he considers them rubbish in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:9).
All this "stuff" we chase after will be gone. Therefore, make it your aim to live with eternal purpose and invest in eternal things; to spend all you have on what lasts forever.

YOUR BLIND SPOT (4)

May...the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You... - Psalm 19:14 NLT

Jesus said when the Holy Spirit came He would convict us of sin, but conviction is not the same as ‘getting caught’. When we get caught doing wrong we feel pain, but it’s not necessarily conviction over sin. Often it’s just embarrassment over how others are thinking about us. If we thought no one would ever know, we wouldn’t be in pain. And conviction isn’t the same thing as fear of punishment. Conviction is when you get a glimpse of what you’re capable of: ‘How did I become the kind of person who can lie, cheat on a test, have an affair, claim credit for what I didn’t do, act in a cowardly way instead of courageously, or use people for my own ends?’ These aren’t questions you’d normally ask yourself. The Bible says, ‘This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light…’ (John 3:19 NIV) When God is at work in your life, the pain isn’t about other people knowing, or even about the consequences. That’s all external. The pain of conviction is internal—it’s over who you are. Unless your car windscreen is clean, you run the risk of ending up in a ditch and you can’t clean it yourself while you’re driving—that’s why you have windscreen wipers. Similarly, the Holy Spirit’s job is to reveal sin, let you repent of it, and cleanse you so that you can go where God wants to take you in life. Each day you need to pray, ‘Lord, send as much light as I can stand. Clean off my windscreen so I can see more clearly. Cleanse me.’

 YOUR ANSWER IS FOUND IN THE PERSON OF JESUS

…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory…give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.  EPHESIANS 1:17–19

The solution to all your problems can be found in the person of Jesus.
My friend, if you are worried about your daily provisions, see Jesus as your provider—the One who multiplied five loaves and two small fish to feed more than 5,000 people with 12 baskets full of leftovers. If you need wisdom for a particular situation, see Jesus as your wisdom—the One who always has the right answer and response to every challenge. And know that He is in you and with you to guide you in your decision-making.

Beloved, ask the Holy Spirit to give you a personal revelation of Jesus in the area of your need. He Himself is the solution for your every need!

SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM AND HE WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS

Romans 14:17 - …the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Are you troubled by many things today? For example, are you concerned about your rebellious teenager? Perhaps you see him as your problem, so you do your best to discipline him, only to end up with a heart full of worries and pain. And he is no better!

God says to you, “Don’t focus on controlling your rebellious teenager. Instead, seek first My kingdom, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Be conscious of the righteousness you have as a gift from My Son. Keep your inner man flowing with My peace and joy, and I will take care of your child.”

We tend to think that the people around us are the problem. When we don’t get the promotion we want, we blame our bosses and colleagues. When we lose our temper, we blame our wives and kids. However, God wants us to stop looking outside and to start looking within because His kingdom is within us. (Luke 17:21)

The abundance of the kingdom of God is already inside you. As you seek first God’s kingdom, and follow His righteousness, peace and joy, the abundance within you will flow out and become a reality in your circumstances.(Matthew 6:33) You will find that God has not only taken care of what is troubling you, but has also added blessings to you, be it a promotion, well-behaved kids or a loving wife.

“But Pastor, how do I keep my inner man flowing with righteousness, peace and joy?”

Be conscious of your righteousness in Christ. Don’t be conscious of your sins and problems. Listen to anointed sermons that remind you of how righteous you are because of the perfect sacrifice of Christ. Peace and joy flow when you know that all your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ finished work.

So the next time something troubles you, don’t focus on correcting the problem. Instead, seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Make it a priority to have your inner man flowing with His peace and joy, and He will take care of that problem for you!

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HE WILL FIGHT FOR YOU

I Have Overcome The World

"Then I said to you, 'Do not be terrified, or afraid of them.  'The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,  'and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.' Deuteronomy 1:29-31

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

There is nothing in this world that can defeat God who in Christ Jesus has overcome the world. He has promised to fight for His trusting ones according to all that He did for His people in Egypt where God judged and plagued and dismayed a whole nation along with Pharaoh’s with destructive miracles, signs and wonders. The God of Abraham, Isaac and  Jacob using a murderer named Moses saw the oppression of His  people n Egypt, knew their sorrows and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, and had  come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

The king of Egypt would not let His people go, not even by a mighty hand, so God stretched out His hand and struck Egypt with all His  wonders and caused Pharaoh to let them even saying  to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn. "So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn (Exodus 4:22-23). He gave His people favor in the sight of the Egyptians and when they went they did not go empty-handed but plundered the Egyptians. And to ensure their safety and peace and to avenge them He caused Pharaoh with his mighty army to purse His people and then He destroyed them as a result miraculously at the Red sea where God miraculously parted the waters and enabled His people to safely cross on dry land to the other side. And then He closed the same waters on their enemies and caused them all to drown. God’s word is unchanging:

Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians.  And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians." 

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen."  And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained.  But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses. Exodus 14:24-31

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying:  "I will sing to the LORD,  For He has triumphed gloriously!  The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him;  My father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war;  The LORD is His name.  Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;  His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.  The depths have covered them; They sank to the bottom like a stone. "Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power;  Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath; It consumed them like stubble. Exodus 15:1-7

The same God whose right hand is glorious in power and dashed the enemy in pieces, consuming them like a stubble, has promised to fight for His trusting ones and to give them victory over all their enemies (Deuteronomy 20:1-4, 28:1-15, 33:26-29). He has promised their enemies would submit to them, and they shall tread down their high places. He has promised to give them every place that the sole of their foot will tread upon; no man shall be able to stand before them all the days of their life; as He was with Moses, so He will be with  them. He would not leave them nor forsake them and would be with them wherever they go (Joshua 1:4-9). He has promised to do whatever they ask in Jesus name (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-26). His word is unchanging:

Though the LORD is on high, Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar.  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.  The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:6-8

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.   "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. John 14:12-17

Though we walk in the midst of trouble, God  will revive us; He will stretch out His  hand against the wrath of our enemies, and His right hand will save us and give us concrete victory over all our enemies.  The LORD will perfect that which concerns us and we will do the works that Jesus did and great works also because God, Himself, is for us, with us and not against us. It’s to be noted that  God’s character and nature does not change just because we had a bad day. He doesn’t stop loving us just because we were overcome in some area. He doesn’t disqualify us because we made a wrong turn or didn’t heed His voice again telling us what to do or where to go. He doesn’t become angry with us when we become tired and discouraged. He doesn’t disown us because we require His correction. His love and care for us is constant and there is no searching of His understanding. His word is unchanging:

Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name,  By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD,  The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:26-31

When circumstances are negative in our lives, it is not a sign of God’s displeasure with  us. On the contrary sometimes God allows us to experience attack so that we can learn to war and to overcome the enemy and be dependent on the LORD and not ourselves. So that we can see great and wonderful victories just like the bewildered and besieged children of Israel did at the Red Sea where God miraculously made a way where there was no way and in the process destroyed their enemies. Yes, there are times when God appears to silent to our cries for a season because He wants us to learn to stand in faith and to trust in His goodness, His love and His faithfulness which He has demonstrated to us over and over again and see the great and wonderful things that He will do for us. God’s word is unchanging:

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.  Then they said to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? "Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?' For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness."  And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.  "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:10-14

God is our loving Father and He will always remain our loving Father. That is part of His nature and that is Who He is.  He does not change. He doesn’t behave towards us like a human. He is not a man and His ways are far above the ways of man. He is not fickle. A bruised reed He doesn’t break and smoking flax He doesn’t quench. He doesn’t abandon His children because they have gotten lost once again or misread His signs and direction. He doesn’t remove His calling and anointing on them because had failed once again or were discouraged by the enemy. No! He loves them at all times and forever and they must stop listening to the lies and accusations of the enemy.

He has adopted them into His family and has put His indwelling Spirit within them.  He has shown them His faithfulness, and His mercies are now every morning. He has demonstrated His love and His forgiveness to them.  While circumstance might change He doesn’t change. He is the same yesterday today and forever – faithful and true and dependable and full of integrity.  Just because they go through difficulties and trials doesn’t negate any of His promises towards them.  He is still the great Deliverer, Redeemer and Restore of His people who break the strong gates of iron that have been over His people.

In due season He brings release from the hand of the oppressor and with His strong hand rids His people of the giants in their land. He makes them victorious people to rise to the occasion and walk in His freedom and in the Jubilee season. He increases the anointing in their lives so that the yoke of the enemy over them can be broken. He teaches them  to know that it is not by might or power but only His Spirit that they can live, breathe and have their being and success and victories. He rains  down His  Holy Spirit afresh upon His trusting ones to give them  season of refreshing. They learn from His gentle hand that He is their provision and their everything. They learn to know His Spirit as their Sustainer and their source of Strength. They come to understand the concept of His being the vine and they being the branches and the fact that without Him they are disconnected and without stable ground.

As they remain in Christ and allow Him to be their source, He leads them their abundance and give them all the wisdom that they need.  He has paid the price for their total salvation, healing, abundance, victories and prosperity. He teaches them to war in the Spirit on a higher level than they have known and to serve Him out of love for Him. He wants what is best for them at all times for they are precious to him. He desires that they be healed body soul and spirit and be blessed financially. Though the world may despise them and use them, He is able to sustain them and lead them through it as they hear His voice and heed the call He has placed upon them.

God’s true ones don’t allow the circumstances that surround them affect their faith in Him. They don’t allow them to effect their sense of well-being or their relationship with the LORD. They don’t allow circumstances to define them but instead look to His character, faithfulness and goodness. Mind you for many of God’s people provision is a word God’s children don't fully understand.  It’s difficult for them to rely on God when they have so long trusted in the toil of their hands and the sweat of their brows. But God’s hand will provide to those who trust in Him. His provision can be in an instant and His timing is perfect. It gives God great pleasure as their Heavenly Father to provide their needs as they than and praise Him for it. He causes their spirit to soar like an eagle far above all power and principalities and to reach out to the brethren with love and encouragement so that they can overcome in the onslaughts of the enemy. He wants to bring all His children into victory and not just some special few.

He wants to teach them not to give up on Him promises to them when they see no positive results to their prayers, especially when it looks like things are getting worse.  They need just to stand on His word which is the truth for everything else is a lie.  They are not to go by what they feel or see, but by what they believe in their heart through His word given to them. The enemy is defeated in their life if they stand on what He did at Calvary and not lose vision of His victory when they see things growing worse around them. The best is yet to come.  In the heavenly realm they are  seated with Christ  at the right hand of the Father and can rejoice and reach out a helping hand to those in need and give encouraging word to those who feel defeated.  They can share His love, peace and joy for their God is in control and He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords forever.  They can pray with faith believing that God will hear and answer all their prayers and enjoy the spoils of war just like the children of Israel did and so did Hannah. God’s word is unchanging:

And Hannah prayed and said:  "My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD.  I smile at my enemies,  Because I rejoice in Your salvation. "No one is holy like the LORD,  For there is none besides You,  Nor is there any rock like our God. "Talk no more so very proudly;  Let no arrogance come from your mouth,  For the LORD is the God of knowledge;  And by Him actions are weighed. "The bows of the mighty men are broken,  And those who stumbled are girded with strength.  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,  And the hungry have ceased to hunger.  Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble. "The LORD kills and makes alive;  He brings down to the grave and brings up.  The LORD makes poor and makes rich;  He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust  And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,  To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.  "For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,  And He has set the world upon them. He will guard the feet of His saints,  But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.  "For by strength no man shall prevail.  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;  From heaven He will thunder against them.  The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.  "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." 1 Samuel 2:1-10

 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:4-16

Yes, God’s true anointed ones are mighty men of War   who through faith subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtained  promises and do great exploits. They  pull down the strongholds that are effecting God’s people for many don't know how to war for themselves and need those who will stand in the gap and roar on their behalf.  They let out mighty power of God’s love that repels the powers of darkness so that many can receive His love.  Many are so bound with deception that they don't even know that they are bound in chains and fetters and the enemy must be commanded to let God's people go.

God’s anointed ones follow the leading in the fight of their Commander in chief. They are full of compassion, and do not stop warring until they know in their hearts that they have conquered the land. Their travail is not in vain as they hold on to their faith in God’s word and promises and do  let go of them until they get their  mighty breakthrough.  They don’t look at circumstances stating that things are growing worse and that they have lost the fight.  They don't believe the lies of the enemy by confess that the nations are their inheritance. God’s word is unchanging:

Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. Psalm 2:8

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.  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, Hebrews 11:29-33

EXTRACT FROM Be Not Ignorant
http://walthope.tripod.com/ignorant.htm
http://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts

INFIDEL

What's an Infidel ?
This is so appropriate today... 
The author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry. The man who walks with God always gets to his destination. If you have a pulse you have a purpose.

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States , especially in the minority races.

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session 
there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who each explained their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Muslim gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers. When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Muslim and asked:
'Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, 'Non-believers!'

I responded, 'So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie 
jar.'

He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'

I then stated, 'Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine The Pope commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr.
Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'

The Muslim was speechless.

I continued, 'I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you 
a question:

Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?'

You could have heard a pin drop.

Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with my way of dealing with the Islamic 
Imam, and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President.

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us 
sends it on! This is your chance to make a difference.

FOR CHRIST'S SAKE....SEND THIS ON

Br. Timothy Arthur
Mission San Luis Rey

YOUR CHOICE

IT'S  YOUR CHOICE ALL THE BLESSINGS OR ALL THE CURSES
Deuteronomy 28: 
1 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
3 "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
5 "Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
6 "Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 "Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
17 "Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
18 "Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
19 "Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
20 "The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

Some people are really stupid in that they do things wrong and expect things to turn out right which is impossible. The Word of God by which heaven and earth were established, are created and are sustained,  promises blessings or curses on whether you obey or disobey the voice of God.  But if you are not born again by the Spirit of God, filled with the Spirit of God with the evidence of speaking in tongues you cannot hear proeprly the voice of God never mind operate in the gifts of the Spirit which are always flowing from the Christ who lives in true believers. You cannot deny the word of God and have true success in life for God's word is unchanging:
And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:16-20

So the disobedient ones, rebels, unbelievers and fools are doomed to die in the wilderness of their own choosing because they have willfully disobeyed and not heeded the word of God in Deuteronomy 28 and Mark 16 and have no one to blame but themselves for all the curses that have come and will come upon them!

THIRD WAVE REVIVALS http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-2L

THIRD WAVE COUNTERFEIT  http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-1ZS

THIRD WAVE WEALTH TRANSFER IS BUNK http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-dr

THIRD WAVE OR CLOWNS FOR THE DEVIL http://wp.me/s2M7AJ-clowns

Drunk and Laughing "in the spirit" - Slaughter of the Sheep  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HBXGPAhd24

THIRD WAVE DECEIVERS http://www.scribd.com/doc/14708726

THIRD WAVE CHURCHES ARE VERY DECEPTIVE http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-53

THIRD WAVE SEDUCERS http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/news/with-real-concern-for-the-third-wave-word-of-faith-signs-wonders-laughing-charismatics

Strange Fire - Gold Dust and Gems Falling From Heaven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb15EhgbvHA&list=UUNuuCQ3f4O6HM_gvmdqWGjg

FALSE Prophetess Heidi Baker and her "strange fish" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScRO7sa4uXs

Roy Aldrich, a retired school teacher, who was robbed of a $100,000 by Dan and Karl Strader, knew that Pastor Karl Strader was an enemy of good men. http://www.scribd.com/doc/33762241

THE STRADERS   http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-c0

Karl Strader is History http://www.scribd.com/doc/56459981

RANDY AND PAULA WHITE PARASITES  PROSTITUTES PIMPS http://www.scribd.com/doc/35148151

ASK

KEEP ASKING ...

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. - Matthew 7:8, NIV

Is there something you are believing God for? Does it seem like it’s taking a long time to come to pass? Be encouraged today because the Bible says that through faith and patience, you will inherit God's promises. So don’t give up! Keep thanking God for His faithfulness in your life. Trust that His Word is true. Keep praying and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking on the door, and it will be opened to you. It may seem like it’s taking a long time, but know this: God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. He is orchestrating things in your favor. His timing is always perfect! As you stay faithful in your prayers and thanksgiving, the Lord will move mightily on your behalf. He’ll take you places that you’ve never dreamed!

REST AND FIND GOD’S GRACE

Luke 2:40 - And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The verse says that the grace of God was upon Jesus. The Bible also says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. (Romans 5:20) And when you put the two together, you may find yourself asking, “If the grace of God was upon Jesus, does it mean that He sinned?”

No, Jesus did not sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) So there must be another explanation as to why God’s grace was upon Jesus. There must be another explanation as to why someone can abound in God’s grace even when he has not sinned.

Let’s look at the word “grace” when it is first mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 6:8 says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”. Noah’s name means “rest”. So the verse is telling us that rest found grace. In other words, when you rest, you find grace!

So grace was upon Jesus because His life was a life of rest and trust in His Father. He said, “The Son can do nothing of Himself. He can do only what He sees His Father doing.” (John 5:19)

Likewise, grace comes upon you when you rest and trust God. If you have a wayward child, stop nagging at him and trust God to handle the problem. Say, “Jesus, I commit this boy into Your hands. I cannot control him. You can.” If you have a persistent pain in your body, bring it to the Lord. Say, “Jesus, I hand all my worries about this pain to You. You work on the pain.”

“Pastor, what if nothing happens?”

Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do? If Jesus Himself can’t do anything about it, do you think you can? But praise God, once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you!

So live a life of rest. Have this attitude and tell the Lord, “I can do nothing of myself. I just rest in You Lord and I trust You.” Beloved, what you will see is the grace of God upon you in every situation of your life!

SHARING GOD'S LOVE

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. - Luke 10:2

It is commonly thought that an evangelist is someone who has a passion to lead people to the Lord. But every believer should have a passion for souls. When presenting the Gospel, we are not just presenting a theory about God but the factual account of God's dealings with man as revealed through His Word, with the ultimate witness being the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Our personal witness of the reality of Jesus being alive in our lives brings Christ from theory to reality

The early Christians had experienced the love of Christ in an intimate and life-transforming way. This motivated them to reach their known world with the Gospel of Christ more than any generation of Christians has done since. They didn't have the benefits of our modern technology, but they did have the benefit of being full of the love of Christ. Experiencing the love of Christ causes us to be filled with the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19) and makes us a witness that the world cannot resist (John 13:35).

Today, much of the emphasis of the church is placed on techniques of evangelism or spiritual warfare. We motivate people to witness through feelings of guilt or punishment if they don't. Much of our evangelism has become as dead and non-productive as that of the cults who knock on doors and argue people into their way of thinking. The early Christians had a much greater impact on their world because they were full of, and motivated by, the love of God. The church today needs a revival of our personal relationship with the Lord. When we can say with Paul that the love of Christ constrains us, then we will impact our world for the Lord too. You can't give away what you don't possess. We need to personally know the love of Christ in an experiential way before we try to share it with others.

 YOUR BLIND SPOT (1)

...Cleanse me from these hidden faults. - Psalm 19:12 NLT

There are parts of yourself you’ll never see without God’s help. In one sense, you know yourself better than anyone else does. You alone have access to your inner thoughts, feelings and judgments. In another sense, you know yourself worse than anyone else does. Why? Because we rationalise, justify, minimise, forget, and embellish—and we don’t even know we’re doing it. We all fall for the self–serving bias. We claim too much credit and accept too little blame. We pay attention to experts who agree with our opinions, while ignoring or discounting all evidence to the contrary. Our memories are not simply faulty, they’re faulty in favour of our ego. The book Egonomics cites a survey in which 83 per cent of people were confident in their ability to make good decisions, but only 27 per cent were confident in the ability of the people they worked closely with to make good decisions. We’re stunned when someone sees past our defences into our souls. It’s not that they’re geniuses, it’s just that we’re sitting in our own blind spot and without the work of the Holy Spirit within us, much of the time we can’t even see our sin. The psalmist wrote: ‘How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep Your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.’ (Psalm19:12–14 NLT) That’s a prayer you should pray—every day.

SHARING WORDS OF HOPE

Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV) "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching".

Are you a hopeful, optimistic, encouraging person? And do you associate with like minded people?

Hope, like other human emotions, is contagious. When we associate with hope-filled friends, we are encouraged by their faith and optimism. But if we spend to much time in the company of naysayers and pessimists, our attitudes, like theirs, will tend toward the cynical and negative.

As a child of God, you have every reason to be hopeful, and you have every reason to share your hope with others. So today, look for reasons to celebrate. And while you're at it, look for people who will join you in the celebration of God's blessings. As you share hope, you'll build hope. We urgently need people who encourage and inspire us to move toward God..

CHRIST THE REDEEMER

I know that my Redeemer lives. — Job 19:25

The famous statue Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro. The statue is a model of Christ with His arms extended so that His body forms the shape of a cross. Brazilian architect Heitor da Silva Costa designed the figure. He imagined that the city’s residents would see it as the first image to emerge from the darkness at dawn. At dusk, he hoped the city dwellers would view the setting sun as a halo behind the statue’s head.
There is value in keeping our eyes on our Redeemer each day, during the good times and the difficult times. As he suffered, Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth” (Job 19:25).

The cry of Job’s heart points us to Jesus—our living Savior who will visit the earth again one day (1 Thess. 4:16-18). Keeping our eyes on Jesus means remembering that we have been rescued from our sin. Jesus “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people” (Titus 2:14).

Anyone who has accepted Jesus as Savior has a reason to be glad today. No matter what we endure on earth, we can have hope today and look forward to enjoying eternity with Him.

Dear Jesus, You are my rescuer. Because You died and rose again, I am free from the consequences of my sin forever. Thank You for redeeming my life.

Through His cross and resurrection, Jesus rescues and redeems.

THE COST OF LIVING FOR CHRIST

And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. - Matthew 8:18-22; Luke 9:51-62

This verse has often been used to support the misconception that Jesus and His disciples lived in poverty. However, in this instance, the fact that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head was because of persecution. The Samaritans, because of a religious prejudice, had just refused Him hospitality and a place to stay as He journeyed to Jerusalem. Persecution is part of the cost of living a Christian life. Jesus was communicating to this man that not having a place to stay at times was part of that cost.

There are many forms of persecution. Having your life threatened because of your faith in Jesus is one way you can be persecuted, but it is not the most damaging. History shows that the Church has always flourished under persecution with increased numbers and zeal. During intense, life-threatening persecution, people's priorities get straightened out and the Lord assumes His rightful place. This always works for our good, regardless of what our outward circumstances might be.

A far more deadly form of persecution is men simply speaking evil of you or separating you from their company. It's more deadly because it's more subtle.

Many who would never directly deny the Lord will fall into self-pity or strife because of someone's criticism. This will render one just as ineffective as a negative reaction to having one's life threatened would.

It helps to recognize that it is not you that they are persecuting, but rather Christ in you. You are actually becoming a partaker of His sufferings and will share His rewards. With this in mind, we can actually shout and leap for joy in persecution!

IT’S ONLY TEMPORARY ...

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. - 2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV

Your troubles and trials in this life are only temporary. In fact, today’s verse tells us they are momentary. Compared with eternity, our troubles don’t last long at all. As you stand strong in faith during times of adversity, Scripture says that you are achieving eternal glory. When you confess your trust and reliance on God, you are passing the test.

If you are in the middle of tough times today, look to Jesus! The Bible says that He is the Author and Finisher of your faith. He is the one who deposits faith in your heart and then tends to it until it is fully developed. Your part is to keep your heart open and choose words of faith and victory.

Remember, your words set the course for your life. Confess your faith in the Father. Set your mind on Him. Look for His hand moving in your life. Focus on that eternal glory because your troubles here are only temporary!

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