Joshua chapter 6 tells the story about how the odds were
stacked against Joshua and the people of Israel. They were standing at the
massive walls of Jericho that many thought were impenetrable.
I’m sure as Joshua was standing before the well-fortified
walls and gates of the city, many around him didn’t think his future was too
bright. But you see, Joshua had something others overlooked; he had a promise
from God.
Joshua had faith because He knew God was on His side and
that God had already determined the victory. Sure enough, just as God promised,
the people marched around the city for six days and on the seventh day they
shouted the victory and the walls came tumbling down.
Friend, don’t look at the walls in your life; look at the
promises of God. The bible says, “What then, shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us?” This is the promise I want you to
meditate on today – because God is for you, nothing can stand against you!
Get a vision of victory for your life and don’t let it go.
There is no wall too high, no situation too difficult, no person powerful
enough to stand in the way of God accomplishing His great plan for you. So keep
moving forward in faith and obedience knowing that when you do, the Creator of
the universe is on your side!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
What Are You Believing For?
Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:19 that we would understand the
exceeding greatness of God’s power for those who believe. But notice that the
power is only activated when we believe. That means right now the Creator of
the universe is just waiting on standby to release healing, restoration, favor,
promotion, abundance. The only catch is that we have to believe.
I think about Mary, the mother of Christ. When she was a teenager, the angel came to her and said, “You’re going to have a child without knowing a man.” Her first thought was, “That’s impossible. That’s never happened before. That defies the laws of nature.” She said to the angel, “How can this be?” He answered back, “The Spirit of the Lord will come on you and cause it to happen.” I love the way Mary responded. She didn’t argue with him. She didn’t try to talk herself out of it. She simply said, “Be it unto me even as you have said.”
I’m very quick to surrender my questions and doubts to God now. There was a time I would wrestle with an issue and try to figure it out in my own understanding. But usually I just ended up frustrated and confused and no closer to an actual answer. After years of this fruitless practice I finally wised up and started believing God for Who He said He was and for what He said He would do in my life if I would only believe Him for it. I can say now that I’ve never experienced so much peace and security. There’s immense relief, freedom and comfort that comes from truly surrendering to God and trusting His will, His purpose, His timing, His goodness.
Has God placed a dream in your heart that seems impossible? Friend, let me assure you, if you will choose to believe then His strength will rise up in you. His ability will supersede your ability and the greatness of His power will bring to pass every dream and every desire He has placed within you!
I think about Mary, the mother of Christ. When she was a teenager, the angel came to her and said, “You’re going to have a child without knowing a man.” Her first thought was, “That’s impossible. That’s never happened before. That defies the laws of nature.” She said to the angel, “How can this be?” He answered back, “The Spirit of the Lord will come on you and cause it to happen.” I love the way Mary responded. She didn’t argue with him. She didn’t try to talk herself out of it. She simply said, “Be it unto me even as you have said.”
I’m very quick to surrender my questions and doubts to God now. There was a time I would wrestle with an issue and try to figure it out in my own understanding. But usually I just ended up frustrated and confused and no closer to an actual answer. After years of this fruitless practice I finally wised up and started believing God for Who He said He was and for what He said He would do in my life if I would only believe Him for it. I can say now that I’ve never experienced so much peace and security. There’s immense relief, freedom and comfort that comes from truly surrendering to God and trusting His will, His purpose, His timing, His goodness.
Has God placed a dream in your heart that seems impossible? Friend, let me assure you, if you will choose to believe then His strength will rise up in you. His ability will supersede your ability and the greatness of His power will bring to pass every dream and every desire He has placed within you!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Mastering Over Yourself
The sermon at church yesterday was based around what Paul
had to say to the Roman Christians of his day. I’m not going to quote it
because the way it’s worded just might confuse more than anything, lol, but you
can find it in Romans 7:15-20. Basically he’s saying that even though we’re new
creatures, born again in Christ we still keep sinning. He was questioning
himself, saying he WANTS to do good but often times he does what he knows is
wrong, then feels guilty about it. Can you relate? Me, too!
I’ve heard preaching on this many times but this time the pastor put it in a way that some of us rebels may find quite useful. He said it’s like sin is asking your permission to take over control of you and you allow it to have its way. For example, before you curse someone out, it would be like sin asking permission to use your mouth and you say, sure. Or, you know you shouldn’t dwell on those negative thoughts but sin asks to borrow your mind and you bow down and let it be your boss. And you do it even though you know you’re going to feel bad afterward, guilty, condemned.
The good news is that you do have the power to overcome this (with God’s help, of course). You can grant permission to the wrong choice… or not. I’m not suggesting that it’s going to be easy but I am saying that you do have the physical ability to deny this voluntary enslavement. You can say, NO. You can choose to think on positive thoughts, switch to water before you become drunk, grilled chicken instead of fried, truth instead of lying.
Here’s a light at the end of the tunnel fact, even though it might be difficult at first – the more you choose wisely the more it becomes your norm. Anyone who’s ever quit smoking or gotten over an ex or started an exercise regimen knows that repetition is the key. The more you do it (or don’t do it), the easier it becomes. When you start a new job there’s brand new information that can seem daunting, but once you do it over and over enough times it becomes second-nature to you.
Today, I want to encourage you to start looking at your wrong desires/habits/weaknesses as unwelcomed intruders that only mean you harm. You wouldn’t invite robbers into your home to steal and destroy it so why invite the bad choices to steal your joy and destroy your peace?
What are you really clinging to anyway? Allowing yourself to get drunk and cost you a DUI or a relationship or at the very least, feeling sick the next day. Allowing yourself to have sex with someone you barely know and now you may have a disease you can’t get rid of or feel disgusted with yourself. Allowing yourself to yell at someone so you feel vindicated, until you realize it only made you look immature and childish. Allowing yourself to eat or drink something you know is only going to make you feel fat and guilty. Allowing yourself to curse all the time so you appear uneducated and ignorant, like you’re not capable of contributing more than that to a conversation.
Don’t keep giving the wrong desires of your flesh permission to control you. Turn your areas of weakness over to God and ask for His help in replacing the wrong choices with better judgment. If you will commit to this I believe and declare that you will triumph over these temptations and be able to become all that God created you to be and take hold of all that He’s lined up for you to have!
I’ve heard preaching on this many times but this time the pastor put it in a way that some of us rebels may find quite useful. He said it’s like sin is asking your permission to take over control of you and you allow it to have its way. For example, before you curse someone out, it would be like sin asking permission to use your mouth and you say, sure. Or, you know you shouldn’t dwell on those negative thoughts but sin asks to borrow your mind and you bow down and let it be your boss. And you do it even though you know you’re going to feel bad afterward, guilty, condemned.
The good news is that you do have the power to overcome this (with God’s help, of course). You can grant permission to the wrong choice… or not. I’m not suggesting that it’s going to be easy but I am saying that you do have the physical ability to deny this voluntary enslavement. You can say, NO. You can choose to think on positive thoughts, switch to water before you become drunk, grilled chicken instead of fried, truth instead of lying.
Here’s a light at the end of the tunnel fact, even though it might be difficult at first – the more you choose wisely the more it becomes your norm. Anyone who’s ever quit smoking or gotten over an ex or started an exercise regimen knows that repetition is the key. The more you do it (or don’t do it), the easier it becomes. When you start a new job there’s brand new information that can seem daunting, but once you do it over and over enough times it becomes second-nature to you.
Today, I want to encourage you to start looking at your wrong desires/habits/weaknesses as unwelcomed intruders that only mean you harm. You wouldn’t invite robbers into your home to steal and destroy it so why invite the bad choices to steal your joy and destroy your peace?
What are you really clinging to anyway? Allowing yourself to get drunk and cost you a DUI or a relationship or at the very least, feeling sick the next day. Allowing yourself to have sex with someone you barely know and now you may have a disease you can’t get rid of or feel disgusted with yourself. Allowing yourself to yell at someone so you feel vindicated, until you realize it only made you look immature and childish. Allowing yourself to eat or drink something you know is only going to make you feel fat and guilty. Allowing yourself to curse all the time so you appear uneducated and ignorant, like you’re not capable of contributing more than that to a conversation.
Don’t keep giving the wrong desires of your flesh permission to control you. Turn your areas of weakness over to God and ask for His help in replacing the wrong choices with better judgment. If you will commit to this I believe and declare that you will triumph over these temptations and be able to become all that God created you to be and take hold of all that He’s lined up for you to have!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Your Appointed Time
God has an appointed time to fulfill the vision for your
life and desires in your heart. Just because it may be taking longer than you
want or because you’ve tried and failed doesn’t mean it’s not still going to
happen. Don’t give up on them! Don’t allow yourself to become complacent about
pursuing what God has placed in your heart. Our God is a faithful God. No
matter how long it’s been, no matter how impossible things look, your appointed
time is coming.
Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that’s taken root, God is the One put it in there. And not only that, He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision because your time is coming! God is working behind the scenes on my behalf! The bible says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time...though it tarry, wait for it...”
As you continue to hold on to this promise and speak positively and without question over your dreams, you’ll see them begin to take shape. God is saying to you today, if you’ll just stay in faith you will see your hope strengthen and you will see yourself step into the destiny He has prepared for you!
Every dream that’s in your heart, every promise that’s taken root, God is the One put it in there. And not only that, He has every intention of bringing it to pass. Hold on to that vision because your time is coming! God is working behind the scenes on my behalf! The bible says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time...though it tarry, wait for it...”
As you continue to hold on to this promise and speak positively and without question over your dreams, you’ll see them begin to take shape. God is saying to you today, if you’ll just stay in faith you will see your hope strengthen and you will see yourself step into the destiny He has prepared for you!
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Take Hold
If I stopped by your house with a beautifully wrapped gift
for you and set it in your living room, that gift would be yours. It’s in your
home, I gave it to you. There’s nothing you could do to make it “more” yours or
“less” yours.
Now, you could see that present and be so excited. You could call your friends and tell them about it. But you really can’t enjoy the gift until you open it. It wouldn’t do you any good until you take hold of it and put it to use.
It’s the same way with spiritual gifts. God has packages of grace, favor, mercy, forgiveness, blessing, joy, peace and so much more available to you. But you have to receive it by faith in order for it to affect your life. You can’t earn it. You can’t pay for it. You simply have to receive it by faith.
Today, you can take hold of these promises because God made them to YOU. Choose to finally let go of your plan, let go of what didn’t work out, let go of whatever negative thing or person that’s been holding you captive and take hold of these gifts that your heavenly Father is calling you to receive.
Now, you could see that present and be so excited. You could call your friends and tell them about it. But you really can’t enjoy the gift until you open it. It wouldn’t do you any good until you take hold of it and put it to use.
It’s the same way with spiritual gifts. God has packages of grace, favor, mercy, forgiveness, blessing, joy, peace and so much more available to you. But you have to receive it by faith in order for it to affect your life. You can’t earn it. You can’t pay for it. You simply have to receive it by faith.
Today, you can take hold of these promises because God made them to YOU. Choose to finally let go of your plan, let go of what didn’t work out, let go of whatever negative thing or person that’s been holding you captive and take hold of these gifts that your heavenly Father is calling you to receive.
Friday, October 18, 2013
In An Instant
Throughout the Bible, we see examples of how God suddenly
showed Himself strong on behalf of His people. But sometimes when we’ve
struggled in an area for a long time it’s easy to just give up and accept
things the way they are.
One of the enemy’s favorite lies is to tell you that nothing is ever going to get better for you. He’ll tell you that you’re never going to get ahead financially, that you’ll never find the right mate, that you’re never going to break your bad habits.
Friend, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in your tough situation because God can change things and He can do it in an instant! The bible says, “...In an instant, suddenly, you shall be visited and delivered by the Lord...” In a split second of time, He can turn it all around. One touch of His favor can promote you. One touch of His goodness can bring that special someone into your life. One touch from your loving, heavenly Father can change your life… in an “instant!’
I want to encourage you today to keep believing, keep standing, and keep hoping. Don’t let the enemy drag your thoughts down because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Your time is coming and I declare that your breakthrough is going to happen suddenly — in an instant!
One of the enemy’s favorite lies is to tell you that nothing is ever going to get better for you. He’ll tell you that you’re never going to get ahead financially, that you’ll never find the right mate, that you’re never going to break your bad habits.
Friend, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in your tough situation because God can change things and He can do it in an instant! The bible says, “...In an instant, suddenly, you shall be visited and delivered by the Lord...” In a split second of time, He can turn it all around. One touch of His favor can promote you. One touch of His goodness can bring that special someone into your life. One touch from your loving, heavenly Father can change your life… in an “instant!’
I want to encourage you today to keep believing, keep standing, and keep hoping. Don’t let the enemy drag your thoughts down because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Your time is coming and I declare that your breakthrough is going to happen suddenly — in an instant!
Thursday, October 17, 2013
What defines you?
Most people’s thoughts were programmed by the people who
raised them or by what somebody is speaking over them now. Maybe they even
think they’re doing the best they can by you but their words are still limiting
you today. As long as you believe what they said/say about you, their words are
defining you.
The key to breaking those limitations is to start meditating on what God says about you. Transformation will take place when you seek God’s help to renew your mind. Reprogram your thinking with what God says about you instead of the things that flawed, human beings say. Most of the time it’s people who have been hurt themselves and don’t know how to process it correctly so they just lash out at others, maybe even subconsciously.
But friend, regardless of why, you don’t have to let what they say about you define you. God says, “The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter.” All through the day you need to say to yourself, “I’m rising higher. My future is limitless. I have yet to see my best days. Something good is going to happen to me.”
As you meditate on these truths from God instead of the lies from people you will begin to move beyond the limitations set by others. People may have spoken negative things over you but the good news is that people don’t determine your destiny. You are not who people say you are. You are who GOD says you are! Don’t be defined by the limits of others. Believe God’s word and let Him reconnect you to the amazing plan He has waiting for you!
The key to breaking those limitations is to start meditating on what God says about you. Transformation will take place when you seek God’s help to renew your mind. Reprogram your thinking with what God says about you instead of the things that flawed, human beings say. Most of the time it’s people who have been hurt themselves and don’t know how to process it correctly so they just lash out at others, maybe even subconsciously.
But friend, regardless of why, you don’t have to let what they say about you define you. God says, “The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter.” All through the day you need to say to yourself, “I’m rising higher. My future is limitless. I have yet to see my best days. Something good is going to happen to me.”
As you meditate on these truths from God instead of the lies from people you will begin to move beyond the limitations set by others. People may have spoken negative things over you but the good news is that people don’t determine your destiny. You are not who people say you are. You are who GOD says you are! Don’t be defined by the limits of others. Believe God’s word and let Him reconnect you to the amazing plan He has waiting for you!
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