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The Flesh should not be our obstacle to obeying God
saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Luk 22:42
In this Easter, the word of God reminds us that the work of human redemption was not easy, but Jesus was able to accomplish it because He was obedient to God, who is His father.
Today we remember one day before Jesus' crucifixion, a day filled with many events, but one of the main events that took place that day was the struggles Jesus faced “the Internal Crisis”, where Jesus was in a state where His body and spirit were contending over God's will.
And it was a heavy battle, with Jesus praying until his sweat dropped like blood from His head.
Jesus Christ, our Savior, endured this trial for us. Here is where Jesus conquered the flesh. Because the flesh was the obstacle for Jesus to fulfill the will of God. You can see this in Mark 14:38 where Jesus Christ acknowledges that "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
The flesh has been a significant obstacle for humans to obey God. Since the beginning of creation, one reason for human fall into sin is the flesh, as the word of God says; "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food... Genesis 3:6," the flesh desired the fruit that God commanded the human not to eat. Eve failure to overcome the flesh desire led her to sin against God.
Even today, the main reason humans continue to sin is that they have failed to overcome the desires of the flesh. And even for Christians, our bodies still hinder us from doing God's will (Galatians 5:17).
You, too, must reach a stage where you no longer follow the desires of the flesh but rather the will of God.
The price of forsaking the desires of the flesh is too high for many Christians, and many have failed God because of this weakness.
The Good News is that Jesus Christ overcame the flesh in Gethsemane for us. Romans 8:3-4 explains that the laws of God that we failed to obey because of the weakness of our bodies, Jesus Christ, through the suffering He endured and His death on the cross, condemned sin in the flesh. So that you and I may be free to live according to the will of the Spirit and not the will of the flesh.
PRAYER: Jesus Christ, thank you for dying on the cross for me and giving me victory over all temptations and desires of the flesh. So that I may do your will. I offer my body to you to be your holy temple. Amen.
Jesus needs your Love
To know God and to love God are two different things, but both are important. Today, God reminds us that what He desires from us is our Hearts to love Him.
In the second chapter of the book of Revelation, you will see that the church of Ephesus kept all the laws and commandments of God, and in human eyes, we could say it was a perfect church. Let me explain to you what Jesus Himself said about this church in Revelation 2:2-3
"I know your deeds" - I can say here, that the Ephesians were Christians who did a lot of things for Christ, this gives us a clue that their focus was on their works which is what they do for Christ.
"and your toil," they were Christians who labored extensively for the church and gospel.
"and perseverance," they had patience unlike many Christians today who lack patience with their God.
"and that you cannot tolerate evil men," they did not tolerate sin and wickedness in their church. If you were a sinner, you were excommunicated… indeed they were people of a holy stand.
"and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;" they knew the Word of God and they measured everything they were taught by the scriptures, this church had no false teachings or teachers.
"and you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary." they were people who did not tire of enduring the sufferings they faced for their faith and the Name of Jesus.
Despite these Christians doing all these things, Jesus told them that He acknowledges them, but He had a word against them, meaning there was one thing that troubled Him as God - they lacked love. So your love for God is something very important to hime, he values your love so much.
Maybe you have been like the Christians of Ephesus, doing many things for God, but in your heart, you lack a personal relationship with God. It's not enough to obey God, we are also commanded to love Him (Deuteronomy 6:5). God wants a father-son relationship he wants an affectionate relationship with you as a good father would. Today, pray to God to restore His love within you and also to increase it every day.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I know you love me, I ask you to enable me to love you too, fill my heart with your love, I cannot do it by myself with my understanding, I ask you to teach me how to love you more. Amen
Don't be carried away by popular opinions; stand your ground.
"But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7
When Micah says “But as for me” the word “me” there shows he's talking about himself, leaving aside the matters of other people, but it also shows a distinction, he's setting himself apart from others.
You must know this child of God, you are different, and God has distinguished you by creating you uniquely.
This could be a moment in your life when you stop following the crowd. There's a great lie in the world, perpetrated by the devil, telling us Christians that we are not different and the world is heavily tempting and pressuring us to be like them, like the people who don't know God.
Prophet Daniel already prophesied about these times in Daniel Chapter 11. The times When the world will be filled with evil and ruled by kingdoms that reject God, but the word of God says in these perilous times, “the people who know their God will be strong and will do great exploits” (Dan 11:32). This is the time you need to truly know your God to stand firm.
But also, in tough times and times when your faith is being tested, you need to stand alone with your God. David went through such a time when he was prosecuted, no one stood by his side to defend him and the Word of God says “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Sam 30:6) and he won the battle he faced.
Wherever you are, you must have your own stance and your personal relationship with God. The disciples of Jesus were very quick to respond when he asked them who people said he was, but when he asked them “Who do you say I am?” (Mat 15:16), only Peter answered.
God wants to have a personal relationship with you, that's why he sent Jesus to reconcile us with him. You must stand firm in your relationship with God. Don't be carried away by popular opinions, stand firm with your God. Obey him as you know you are supposed to obey him, pray to him, and he will answer you, call upon him, and he will respond.
PRAYER: O LORD, I pray you build within me the courage to stand firm in my faith. I ask that my relationship with you remain steadfast in all circumstances and situations. Amen.
Stay pure, no matter what
Philippians 1:10 "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ"
Human nature cannot accept and obey God's commandments. It is only by the grace of God that we are able to turn away from sin and accept the things of God. That is why the Apostle Paul prayed for the Philippians to be able to accept what is good and to have a pure heart.
Without a doubt, you are one of the many people who pray to God every day to cleanse you and give you a pure heart. It has become our custom to pray prayers of sanctification, especially to purify our hearts according to 1 John 3:3.
One thing many people do not realize is that Satan is working hard to push us and tempt us to accept sin and evil. Many governments around the world are passing laws to legalize sins and evils that even our traditional cultures used to reject.
God's word today urges us to accept what is good and hold onto it until the end. And here there is a cost because we are greatly tempted by this world to do evil and offend God and perish in eternal judgment.
There are many Christians who have rejected what is good and accepted evil; they are in church but have rejected God. Romans 1:28 says these people rejected God, and God let them follow their lust.
Perhaps you are in a situation where you are tempted to accept evil; God tells you not to accept it, choose what is good and have a pure heart so that on the Last Day, you will not be judged.
PRAYER: O LORD, I pray that you give me the strength of your Holy Spirit to overcome all the temptations of this world. I ask for the ability to stand firm in purity and in doing good. Amen.
Follow the path of righteousness
Isaiah 48:17 says, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
When God created you, He prepared a life for you with a purpose and a way to fulfill that purpose. This purpose is the reason why you were created and brought here on Earth by God. And I want to assure you that if you follow this path, you will succeed in your life and fulfill God's purpose.
God knows that with your human understanding, you can not know and follow this path. That's why in His word, He says He is the one who teaches you and guides you. First, He teaches you to know this path, and then He guides you on how to walk in it.
The word says he directs you in the way you should go, meaning you don't have alternatives. This is a path you must follow. This path is a set of God's guidance and principles that you should follow as long as you live on this earth.
The question I ask you today is: Which way did you use to get the job you have? What path do you follow in your business doings? In your marriage, what path are you following? In every aspect of our lives, there is the right guidance from God that we should follow.
And if you are unsure whether you are still on that path or if you know for sure that you are not following His path, I want to tell you that you still have a chance to repent and return to God's right path.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I ask for your mercy for every time I have disobeyed your commandments and laws. I ask you to lead me back to your path and guide me so I don't stray. Let your Holy Spirit be my guide. Amen.
Wait on God
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 27:14 NKJV
When you want something and work hard for it, but at the end of the day, you don't achieve it. There's a shame you'll feel. This is called the 'shame of missing out,' and it hurts our hearts and discourages us greatly, especially when you live in a community that expects you to have something you don't. For example, being married but not having children when you want them can bring a certain shame, especially when people discuss the matter.
This situation is very discouraging and heartbreaking. If you lack patience and endurance with God, it can push you to do things that go against your faith, ultimately leading to sin.
God knows the shame and pain you feel when you miss out on something you desire, which is why today He has given us His word to encourage us, so you know and believe that He is with you and is working on your situation, but your time hasn't come yet.
You are a child of God, and children of God are led by the Spirit of God. Don't listen to people or compete with them; believe in your God, He knows the right time to give you what you need.
The biggest challenge of this generation is the lack of patience, especially among the youth. They want everything they see on TV and social media. They forget that life is a process; you start something slowly, work hard, pray to God every day, and have patience until God blesses you.
PRAYER: O Lord, I ask you to touch my heart and give me patience, endurance, and faith in you. Enable me to trust in you that you will give me everything I need in your time, Amen.
Soar Above It
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31
Did you know that 41 percent of the birds in New Zealand can’t fly? Why, you ask? Because there are no predators on the island of New Zealand. These birds have no need to fly because they never face opposition. In the same way, you are never going to “mount up with wings as eagles” if you never have any opposition. Opposition enables you to do greater things because it lifts up your prayer life and makes you more dependent on God. God intends for the winds of opposition to take you higher.
In 1993, the United States Army sent a special force to Somalia to nab a drug Lord. The Blackhawk helicopter was shot down, and many soldiers were taken hostage. Another team was sent to recover the men, and they found themselves completely outnumbered, with bullets flying from every direction. At one point, the captain in charge yells to a lieutenant, “Get in the truck and drive. We’ve got to get out of here!” But the lieutenant replies, “But Captain, I’m shot!” The captain then shouts, “Everybody’s shot. Shut up, get in the truck and drive.”
We have all been wounded. We have all had somebody do something to us that has offended or hurt us. That doesn’t give you license to whine, complain, victimize yourself, and camp in that ditch for months or even years. You have to get over it and move on. Despite being wrongfully imprisoned, beaten, and even stoned, the Apostle Paul didn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself. He said, “None of these things move me. I’m more than a conqueror, and I don’t give up.” Job lost everything and everybody he loved, but he said, “Nevertheless, blessed be the name of the Lord! I will praise him when he’s giving, and I will praise him when he’s taking away.” The number one goal of the enemy is to get you mad at God. If he can make you doubt the goodness of God, then he has won.
Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” You can’t allow offense or wounds to make you lay down in self-pity and give up. Jesus, your Captain is saying to you today, “Get in the truck and drive.”
How Do I Know I Have Forgiven Someone?
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
Sometimes, the best in you can only be brought out by the worst done to you. This usually happens by the people you have loved, helped, and trusted the most. There’s an old saying that “time heals all things.” Well, that is not true regarding offenses. Unforgiveness does not get better if you leave it alone or try to push it down. You either fester unforgiveness or you foster healing but you have to be doing one or the other. And if you choose to ignore the unforgiveness in your heart, it will get worse.
Paul’s letter in Ephesians gives a beautiful plan of action of how to release forgiveness. He says to first “put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, and harsh words.” Start by draining all the damaging emotions of unforgiveness out of your life. He goes on to say, “Be kind to one another and tenderhearted” (which means open-hearted). If you can’t say a kind word about that person or even look at them, you haven’t forgiven them.
Forgiveness may not instantly happen; sometimes, you need to ask God to help you release it. Pray, knock, and ask until love and forgiveness begin to pour out of your mouth, heart, emotions, and attitude. It may take you asking Jesus to change your heart because the hurt is so deep you cannot do it on your own.
A scripture in Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This means there are some people who are never going to be at peace with you, and that is not your problem. If you have forgiven them, you have done your part. What others do or don’t do is not your responsibility. They will stand before God one day and give an account.
Always keep the right spirit no matter what is done to you, and God will take care of everything else. Love God with all your heart, and love others as you love yourself. When you do that, you can rest assured that forgiveness has taken place in your life.
The Mathematics Of Forgiveness
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him,’ I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” Matthew 18:21-22
Jesus’ response to Peter’s question is truly astonishing. Peter may have been ready to write somebody off and be done with them, so he was trying to define forgiveness with a numerical value. We tend to keep mathematical accounts when people hurt us. You may remember that four years ago, at 3:00 in the afternoon, someone said something that hurt you. You may add up words and actions that hurt you and hold on to them for years. Most hurts in life will come from those closest to you whom you’ve loved the most. Maybe you are wondering the same question as Peter, “How many times do I have to forgive a person even if they continue to do me wrong?”
What if someone did the unthinkable? What if you were cheated on or abused? What about the people who keep making the same mistakes over and over, like a drug addict who keeps promising to quit and doesn’t? Peter thought seven times was pretty generous. But Jesus absolutely blew their minds when He said, “No, not seven times. Seventy times seven.” That is 490. Jesus wasn’t giving an exact number; He was giving us a new math formula. He was saying you can never stop forgiving others, regardless of how deeply and how often they’ve hurt you. This doesn’t mean you have to keep every person in your life, but you do have to forgive them with your whole heart.
Jesus set the standard by loving those who lied about Him and by praying for those who persecuted Him. Ephesians 3:17-18 says, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” As you begin to grasp how much Jesus loves you, your heart will start to line up with His, and living by His formula of forgiveness will become easier and easier
Put On The Overcoat Of Love
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14
Maybe the greatest miracle of your life will come when you choose to release forgiveness. Being hurt by someone is a reality, but bitterness is a reaction. Things are going to happen to you that you don’t deserve, and you may even have cause to be angry, but if you want to be like Jesus, you have to choose to put on the “overcoat of love.”
Everybody has the potential to make you mad sooner or later, but the Bible says to put up with each other. Trouble is inevitable, but misery is optional. People are going to wrong you, so you may decide ahead of time that you are going to let it go. Being angry and holding grudges gives the enemy a foothold. The Bible tells us to be angry and sin not. Satan cannot operate in the presence of forgiveness. And scripture encourages us - Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.
Jesus chose to forgive Judas. Even when He knew Judas would betray Him, He called him “friend.” Jesus also said of those torturing Him, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” When Jesus was crucified, and God’s forgiveness for the world was released, tremendous power was released! The earth shook, and even death itself loosened its hold on many who were in the grave. Satan lost complete control of his plan in the presence of absolute forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not some small thing in the Bible. It is a main thing. Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God and to love one another. You will have to give an account of your words and attitude one day. Decide today that you will “make allowances for others’ faults,” knowing that Jesus has been merciful in dealing with you.
How Are Your Management Skills? (Part 2)
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10
So, how do you know if you are managing your money wisely? Well, one question to ask yourself today is, “Am I living within my means, or am I going into crazy debt trying to have things that I can’t presently afford?” Are you saving up money for things before you buy them, or are you maxing out credit cards or, even worse, renting things you can’t currently afford?
Another question to ask yourself is, “Am I being faithful to tithe and give to my church?” You don’t cheat God when you don’t give your tithe. You cheat yourself. The church is a blessing to you and your family as well as the community it serves, so when you choose not to be faithful in tithing, you are actually being cheated.
One thing to understand is that you don’t own anything. Everything on the earth belongs to God, and you are just borrowing it for a select amount of time. Your name may be on the title, but it wasn’t yours 100 years ago, and it won’t be yours 100 years from now. In the end, it will go back to the real owner, who is God, and He will decide to give it to whoever He wants to give it to.
Notice that the master ended up giving the servant who had been entrusted with the most bags of gold the gold that the lazy servant didn’t use. The master said, “Give it to the faithful man, that he might have abundance.” (Matthew 25) Don’t let a religious spirit make you believe that God is stingy. God’s dream for you is a life of abundance. “The thief cometh not, but for to kill, and destroy: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” These are the words of Jesus found in John 10:10.
The clock is ticking on your destiny right now. There are windows of opportunity waiting for you, and God promises that He takes pleasure in blessing you and your family if you choose to manage what He gives you wisely.
Do You Have The Right Mentality?
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3
Some of you may not be able to see how you could be prosperous. Maybe you’re a single mom, have lost your job, or have a huge amount of debt. But when you are born again, you become “Abraham’s seed and an heir to the promises of God.” You have to truly believe that God wants you to be blessed and successful in life. You’ve got to have the right mindset.
In the story of the Prodigal Son, when the lost son came home, the father was waiting and ran out to meet him. He gave him his best robe, a jeweled ring, killed the fattened calf for his dinner, and threw him a big party. His older son expressed his disapproval of this treatment, saying, (paraphrased) “I’ve been around here all this time, and you’ve never killed a skinny goat for me, and you just killed a fattened calf for this guy who didn’t even deserve it.”
Here, we see two different mentalities. You either have a “fattened calf” or a “skinny goat” mentality. A fattened calf mentality will tell you that God wants to do above and beyond all you could ask or imagine, but a skinny goat mentality wants you to scrape by barely and never dream of doing bigger things with your life.
Do you realize how big the Garden of Eden was? If you just read the measurements of that garden, there was enough food and trees to feed thousands of people. God had that whole sanctuary of paradise made for just two people to dwell there because He is a God of abundance. But you will never experience that abundance until you are fully persuaded that God wants to prosper you.
God thinks much bigger than we do. He wants you to put Him first and then trust Him to supply your needs. You can break the curse of generational poverty and create a new start for your family. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “It is God who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Money is not wrong; the love of money is wrong. Live with a positive mentality. God wants you to be blessed despite the cards you may have been dealt in life. Become fully convinced that He is faithful, and watch Him do incredible things for you this year
A God Who Doesn’t Sleep
“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber…he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:2-8
Did you know that you serve a God who doesn’t sleep? Are you worried about something that is keeping you up at night? Maybe you are worried about your health, your children, or a relationship that is having problems. Worrying doesn’t mean you are weak; it means you are human. But if something is tormenting you and causing anguish and pain, God cares about it, and He wants you to bring it to Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Even when you don’t see it, He’s working.
In the story of Esther, things were looking bleak for the Jewish people. Haman, the second in command to the king, had convinced the king to annihilate all the Jews from the land. Not even the children were to be spared. Haman created this plot against the Jews simply because of his blazing hatred for Esther’s uncle Mordecai because he wouldn’t bow to him like everyone else.
There had been an incident in the past where Mordecai had saved the life of the king by sending word that there was a conspiracy to assassinate him. Unfortunately, the king had never been told that Mordecai was the one who saved his life.
When Mordecai heard about the degree to slaughter all these people, he tore his clothes and wept bitterly. Then, because Mordecai refused to bow to Haman again, Haman burned with anger even more and decided to hang Mordecai as soon as the gallows were built. Things went from bad to worse.
Maybe you are worrying and lamenting about things you don’t understand, and you may even think that God isn’t working. But the end of this story is the best part. Oddly, the night before Mordecai was to be hanged, the king had trouble sleeping. He ended up asking a servant to bring the historical records of his kingdom to him, and while reading, he discovered the incident where Mordecai had exposed the plot of the assassins. This led to the king wanting to honor Mordecai! This sudden turn of events was orchestrated by the God who doesn’t sleep. God was working behind the scenes for Mordecai and his people. If you are stressing over stuff you don’t understand, just know that your King has been awake and is working it all out for you. You serve a God who has said, “no weapon formed against you will prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17)
Sometimes we forget who God is. Don’t forget that when He speaks, seas open, mountains move, and demons tremble. God hears your prayers, and He is fighting for you. You don’t have to carry all that worry, anxiety, and fear. Give it all to God. He is on the job, and He works the night shift!
Timing Is Everything
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
Scripture declares in Proverbs that for every purpose, there is a season. This means you can’t just have purpose. Purpose is connected to timing.
In the late 1800’s, there was no standard for keeping time in the United States. Back then, people just went by the position of the sun. Then, eventually, they started to build big town clocks on steeples or towers. They would set the clocks, but the time would vary from town to town. Then, the railroads came along, and they realized that they had to have a unified way to measure time, or else the trains could collide. The railroads wanted every town to set their clocks to railroad time. Unfortunately, many cities refused to synchronize their clocks with the railroad’s clock. Towns were split over this issue, but 35 years later, the standard time system was enacted into legislation in America, and the entire country came under one set time. A greater power decided that they didn’t care what everyone’s own personal clocks said.
We need to get our clock in sync with God’s clock. You may be thinking, “It’s time, Lord. Why hasn’t it happened yet?” And God may be saying, “Get in sync with my clock.” David said, “My times are in your hands.”
Jesus understood this principle. In John 7, Jesus’ brothers urged him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go…my time has not yet come.”
God told Abraham that he would bear a son through his wife Sara, who was already up in age. Instead of Abraham and Sarah waiting on God’s timing, they took matters into their own hands and decided to have Abraham sleep with her younger servant, Hagar. This decision had many ramifications that echoed throughout history. You often miss out on His best when you stubbornly try to force God to conform to your time.
Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman…to buy freedom for us…so he could adopt us as his very own children.” Ephesians 1:10 says, “And this is the plan: At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ.” God has a plan. He knows what He is doing, and you can trust His timing.
Are You In The Right Place?
“The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters; he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalms 23:1-3
To experience God’s provision in your life, you need to make sure you are in the right place. In the Bible, we often see the blessing connected to a location. This was the case for Elijah. When a famine came to the land, God told Elijah to go to the little brook. He said, “I’ll cause the birds to feed you.” But eventually, the brook dried up, and God said, “Go to the widow woman. I have commanded her to feed you.” Sometimes, God will cause the “brook” to dry up in order to bring you back to the real source. Trust Him and follow His lead.
Many times, we tend to trust in systems rather than God. When God is urging you to move, and He tells you to “change locations,” you need to obey. This may not just be a geographical move. God may be urging you to move spiritually. He may be calling you to do a fast for a season or to volunteer in a ministry. He may want you to move some things out of your life or shift your priorities if you have become distracted with the cares of this world.
There’s an interesting story found in 1 Kings. Elijah runs up to Elisha while he’s working in his field and throws his cloak on him. This signified that Elisha would be his predecessor as a great prophet of God. Elisha not only accepts the call, but he runs back and breaks the plow! The plow was his livelihood and was the source of his provision. It represented the system that provided for his family. Elisha had become comfortable being a farmer but broke the plow and ran after Elijah.
Later on, Elisha was told by Elijah that in order for him to get a double portion of God’s anointing, he had to be present with him when he was taken to Heaven. So again, we see that the blessing was connected to being in the right place. Elisha made sure he was there and received the double portion.
God does not want you holding on to old plows that have served their purpose in a different season. Like Elisha, dare to be open to God doing something fresh and mighty in your life. When you position yourself in the right place, God is able to bless you beyond measure.
"If Jesus yielded to the will of the Father, then we are called to do likewise, regardless of the expense."
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GOD IS WITH YOU TO SAVE YOU
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me... (Psalms 23:4 NIV )
The fear of experiencing misfortune is something that troubles many people, especially when they make mistakes and find themselves in a state of confusion.
God is our shepherd, but there are times when we err and stray from His path, following our own ways instead. When David says, "Though I walk," this phrase indicates that he, himself has entered that path. It wasn't God who led him there; if it was God, it would have been written as "Though I am led." Or "Though you lead me"
The word of God says there is a way that appears to be right to a person, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). Surely, David followed such a path.
The good news is that even if you walk on this path, the word of God says, God will be with you, ready to save and help you.
Our God never leaves us, even when we leave Him.
This is especially true for you who have made God your shepherd: If you err and follow the ways of death, our good shepherd will not abandon you; He is still with you to save and assist you. That's why He has sent you this message today.
Today, listen to the voice of God, your shepherd, and follow Him to guide you on the path of righteousness, where you will find His blessings, peace, and prosperity.
PRAYER: O God, search me and know me, look within my heart to see if there is any way that lead me to death, and save me, bringing me back to Your path of righteousness. Amen.
" If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won't correct you for asking." James 1:5
The big problem with many people, especially Christians, is that we seek wisdom on our own, even from people who don't know God.
The Bible says there's wisdom of this world and wisdom from above (James 3:15), which is called wisdom from God.
Many Christians are carried away by worldly wisdom and use it for crucial aspects of their lives. The Word of God says worldly wisdom is foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:20).
What is worldly wisdom?
You will know it this way;
1. You'll know it by its source, who is saying it. Does that person fear God?
2. What does that wisdom urge you to do? Does it prompt you to do good things?
3. Does it align with the Word of God?
Worldly wisdom has many sources, but behind all these sources is Satan, the father of lies.
What is God's wisdom?
The answer is simple. It's found in His Word. If you ask God for wisdom, He'll give it to you by teaching you His Word (Proverbs 2:6). It is the word of God that gives us wisdom.
Now, as a child of God, stop listening to random people on social media. Don't let your life be guided by what entertainers, artists, and motivational speakers who don't know God say and do.
The lives of many popular people whom the world listens to now are evidence that they lack wisdom; they do wrong and evil things.
If you need advice or guidance in any aspect of your life, ask God, and He will give you wisdom. Read his word, if you are in social media, listen to true preachers of the Gospel. That's how you will get wisdom.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Wisdom of God. I ask You to give me Your wisdom because there are many things in this world that I don't know.
God wants you happy and prosperous
For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. Lamentation 3:33
God created us and formed us because He loves us; no one can create something he hates. God created you because He loves you and has a special purpose for you.
The word of God in the book of Isaiah says that our sins are what separated us from God. This means that our relationship with God was broken by sin. When we sin, we directly separate ourselves from God because God is Holy and can not tolerate sin.
After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, all humanity became under the rule of sin, death, and curses as well. These three things have been tormenting humans ever since.
But despite us having sinned and distanced ourselves from Him, He still loved us. He sent Jesus to come and save us by dying on the cross.
So if you're still going through challenges and suffering, it's not because God hates you and is punishing or tormenting you; those are the consequences of sin. We suffer because of sin. We are destroying ourselves in sin.
The sufferings you are experiencing today are not something personal with God, no! Judgment, rules, and laws were set by God even before you were created. The life you live today is a result of your own choices.
In the same way God gave Adam a choice, the same way is giving us today, either to choose life or death, peace or suffering, punishment or forgiveness. If you choose Jesus, you are free from all sufferings and punishments.
Child of God, If you have accepted Jesus Christ, and you are still suffering, keep on praying to Jesus, our Savior, and believe that one day you will be completely free from all kinds of suffering because He is here to deliver you.
PRAYER: Thank you, God, for your love for me. Because you love me just the way I am. Now I surrender to you, Jesus, my Savior, I ask you to forgive all my sins and save me from every kind of suffering and curse. Amen.
God will never be tired of listening to you
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:12
God never gets tired of listening to His children whenever we pray and talk to Him. A human being can not replace God in your life because he will listen to your problems, but after a while, he will get tired of you.
There are times when people may see you as a nuisance because of the problems you express to them every day, and some may not show it openly, but they will be avoiding you.
And there are times when you pray to God and express your problems, but you feel like He doesn't hear you, you feel He is far away from you, and you feel like everyone is against you and no one is listening to you. You feel alone and helpless.
In these moments, know that what you need is to have faith in God's word. Don't listen to your feelings, and don't think God sees you the way people do; His word says He will hear us when we pray, so believe that God has heard you and will answer you.
God is not like humans; when you call on Him, He responds, He listens, every time we come to Him in prayer. He is faithful and will never abandon you.
Our God is the only God who has invited everyone to come to Him, to tell Him our problems, and to unload our burdens onto Him so don't get tired of praying. Today, go to Him in faith through prayer, talk to Him, and He will hear you, answer you, and solve all your problems.
PRAYER: Thank you, LORD, for your grace and your faithfulness to me. I believe you are with me, hearing my prayers, loving me, and never growing weary. Thank you for your love. Amen.
The Number One Ingredient For A Miracle
“And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
NASA has a telescope called the “James Webb’s Miri,” and it offers views of colors on other planets that have never been seen before. This powerful telescope has allowed scientists to determine that the major ingredient for star formation and life itself came from dust. Scientific studies often confirm the truth of the Bible and how God created the world.
When God breathed life into you, He didn’t see a ball of dirt; He saw enormous potential and purpose. He is magnificent, but He works with mundane things. Time and time again, we see in the Bible that Jesus was drawn to the “dirty” people of society. God is drawn to people who are broken. He’s not afraid to help families who are in a mess or people dealing with life struggles. The greater the hurt, the more God is drawn to that situation. God loves to shape and breathe new life into dirt as He makes it a trophy of grace. Where we see dirt, God sees life.
When Jesus healed the blind man, He created a miracle by mixing his own DNA with the dirt from the ground and rubbing it on the man’s eyes. God wants to use the dirt of your life- the failures, humiliations, brokenness, pain, addictions, and shame. What the enemy meant to harm you, God will turn it around and mold it into a miracle.
Confessing our sins and wholeheartedly bringing our dirt to Jesus is the number one ingredient for a miracle. He can take the dirtiest things in your past and use them for good. Where there is dirt, there is grace, and Jesus loves you enough to meet you right where you are.
Overcoming Offense
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In 2 Samuel 10, King David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent two of his mightiest men to this foreign country to show their condolences and comfort King Hanun when his father died. But the leaders told Hanun, “Do you think David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?” Then Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the buttocks area, and sent them away in shame.
In the Middle East during that time, the beard represented distinction, honor, and maturity. These men of David had every reason to be offended. They were humiliated and stripped of their dignity for simply doing what their king told them to do.
Luke 17:1 says, “It is impossible that offenses should not come to you.” In this life, you are going to be offended. Somebody’s going to shame you, insult you, or embarrass you. Jesus said it’s impossible for you to escape being offended in your lifetime, so you may as well learn how to deal with it the right way.
The end of this story gives insight on how to handle offense in a godly way. After David heard what happened, he sent out messengers to meet the men “for they were greatly humiliated.” He told them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then come back.” Jericho means “sweet fragrance.” So David was saying, “I want them to go to that sweet place and stay there until their beards grow back.” When somebody offends you, just “go to Jericho.” Stay sweet and kind, and don’t get mad or seek vengeance. If you just stay in the right spirit, God is going to take care of everything. Your natural reaction will be to retaliate, but Romans 14 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, neither give place to wrath; for ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay’ says the Lord.”
Later in the story, because of how Hanun treated David’s men, David and his mighty army take vengeance on them. If you stay calm when offended, the Lord will deal with that person. He is a just God. You don’t have to defend yourself. Put the situation and the injustice into His hands. Don’t keep talking about it, and stop being angry about it. Just stay sweet and leave the vengeance part to Him, and eventually, “your beard will grow back.” Your hurts will heal. You will emerge better than you were before the attack because you have learned that trusting God to deal with offense brings peace to your life. Let go and let God handle your offense today.
A New Formula
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15
Forgiveness is not about keeping score; it’s about losing count. Think about it. If you had to forgive somebody 490 times in a day, that’s an offense every two minutes.
Microsoft came out with a program many years ago called Excel that changed the accounting world. It made keeping up with numbers more simple. Everything can be easily added or subtracted quickly in neat little columns. Sometimes, we have an Excel doc in our mind that is keeping tabs on what people have done to us. Maybe your spouse has said something rude to you, so you jot it down in their column. Possibly, a friend doesn’t invite you to their party, so you put that into their column, and you continually keep track of wrongs. You can become very administrative in your unforgiveness.
The thing about Excel, though, is that if you put in the wrong equation, it will not calculate your total. It will keep kicking it back and telling you to go back and fix something because the wrong equation is messing up your whole document. God may be telling you that your calculation of what people owe you is off. His equation is seventy times seven. If you are not dealing with these columns of offense in God’s way, you will be affected negatively both spiritually and physically.
You have to decide to abandon your sinful, numerical approach of counting offenses. As representatives of Christ, that is not what we are called to do. Forgiveness does not mean that everyone belongs in your life, but it does mean that you have to forgive everyone from your heart. You may have heard of the saying “forgive and forget,” but forgiveness is not praying for amnesia or denying that it ever happened. Acknowledge that you have been hurt deeply, but stop sitting around waiting for an apology.
Jesus said, “If you refuse to forgive others when they sin against you, your Father will not forgive your sins.” The right kind of math means you think about every time the Father has forgiven you on a daily basis and then take that same formula and apply it to the person who has wronged you. You sinned, and God forgave you. Use that formula with someone else. Jesus always set the bar higher than people expected. He knew what radical love could accomplish if we let it lead our lives.
The Power Of Forgiveness
“Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
In the story of Bathsheba, she had a grandfather by the name of Ahithophel. Ahithophel was a trusted advisor of King David. But one day, he witnessed David abuse his granddaughter Bathsheba and destroy their family by having her husband killed, and he never got over it. In 2 Samuel 15, the Bible says that when Absalom led a rebellion against David, that it was this man, the grandfather of Bathsheba, who sided quickly with Absalom. It was even Ahithophel’s idea that Absalom abuse David’s concubines up on the rooftop in front of all of Israel. He was out for revenge. After 25 years, he still had a root of bitterness over what David had done. Later, Ahithophel ended up committing suicide.
When you don’t get over something, and you let it take hold of you, you commit spiritual suicide. When you carry bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness against someone, then it’s only a matter of time before it spiritually affects your life.
Have you ever heard of Barsabbas? Barsabbas was in the running to replace Judas. It came down to him or Matthias, and he lost the election. Barsabbas didn’t get the job. It would have been a high honor to have been listed among the twelve disciples with his name written in the holy city. So what was his reaction? He could have gotten mad and decided to start his own church. He could have thought, “this man isn’t better than me!” But Barsabbas kept a good spirit. He got over it. It was disappointing, and he wished it would have been him who was picked but he didn’t get angry. Later in the book of Acts, when they were choosing someone who would go to Antioch for the Gentiles to be reached, they said, “Get Barsabbas.” When you keep the right spirit, even when things don’t go your way, your gift will make room for you.
When you choose to get over it and get on with it, God notices. He is pleased when you make loving others your paramount concern. When you choose to forgive, you are putting your love for your brothers and sisters over your own rights and pain. You are being like Jesus. He knew this is the secret to unleashing the greatest power the world has ever known
Don’t Forget About God
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?” Matthew 16:26
Deuteronomy 8 says, “God is bringing you into a good land..a land which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing.” The passage goes on to say, “And when you have eaten and are full…be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.” God doesn’t have a problem with you being blessed. He just never wants you to forget about Him.
This whole chapter reminds the people of Israel of how the Lord provided for them in the past. Verse 3 says that God humbled the people and fed them with manna “to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” He warns the people that when their herds grow large and they build fine houses, their hearts could “become proud,” and they may say to themselves, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” The people are reminded, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”
God wants you to live in abundance, but He cares more about your relationship with Him than anything else. He was warning His people that once they became blessed, they needed to know how to handle that blessing with a right heart. There is a tendency for people to forget God the wealthier they get. In Matthew 19, Jesus met a rich young man. The young man wanted to know how to get eternal life. He told Jesus about all the commandments that he had been obeying, but Jesus looked at his heart. Jesus told him that there was one thing that He lacked. This was a test to see where the young man’s heart really lay. So Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor and then follow Him. The young man went away sad because that was something he was not willing to do because he had great wealth.
God wants to prosper you in ways you cannot even imagine, but He wants you to be able to handle the blessings in a way that honors Him. He loves you too much to give you more than you can handle. So, in life, God will test you to make sure you are grounded on the understanding that everything you have comes from Him. Everything you own are gifts of love from your father. No matter how prosperous you become in life, never forget about your first love.
How Are Your Management Skills? (Part 1)
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:21
The way you manage your money will determine how much God will trust you with it. In Matthew 25, a wealthy man entrusted his finances to some of his servants. He gave them each certain amounts, and when he returned, he found that some had used the money to make more money, but one servant had just hidden his in the ground. The master (who represents God) was very unhappy with this servant and called him “lazy and wicked” and even took away the little he had been entrusted with.
The master was happy with the others because no matter the amount they had been entrusted with, they used what was given to them and increased it. The servant, who was given only one bag of gold, made the decision to bury it. God expects you to use what He has given you to be a productive person. Even if you just have your health and a good mind, you can find a job doing something. God does not bless laziness. The Bible says to get out there and work. Maximize whatever God has given you.
God tests us with how we manage our finances. If you are not wisely handling your finances now when you don’t have much, why would God trust you with more? Have you ever seen the people who win the lottery? If they are broke when they win the lottery, they will likely be broke a year later because it was never a money issue; it’s a management issue.
Notice that the man who had been entrusted with the least was the one who was most prone to fail. Oftentimes, it’s the people who have the least amount of money who struggle with managing it well. They get into a poverty mentality and think they can’t afford to give because they don’t have the opportunities that others have. But holding tight onto the little you have isn’t showing God that you can be faithful with more. He wants you to trust Him. Maximize what you do have, and then you will see His blessings start to flow in your life
God Wants To Bless You
“Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land…” Deuteronomy 5:33
Your Heavenly Father wants to bless your life. Psalms 35:27 says, “Let them shout for joy and be glad who favor my righteous cause: Let them say continually, ‘Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.’”
One of the first ways to experience the wonderful blessings of God is to care about the same things He cares about. When you “favor his righteous cause” by helping the poor and oppressed, you are preparing for God’s blessings. Being compassionate and becoming focused on others brings joy to your life.
Notice the verse didn’t say, “I take pleasure in their poverty.” God doesn’t take pleasure in watching you barely get by. He smiles when His children prosper. He is interested in every detail of your life, and He greatly cares about your house payment, savings account, and college fund. Believe and be fully persuaded that God wants you to thrive in life. He does not have a problem with blessing His children.
God took “pleasure in the prosperity” of Abraham in Genesis 31:1. Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. The Bible says that he reaped and sowed in a time of famine and yielded one hundredfold! His family was also greatly blessed for many generations. Abraham was a friend of God, and he experienced a life of favor and blessing.
Fortunately, you are also a friend of God. Galatians 3 says, “If you be in Christ, you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” God wants you to win in life. He doesn’t want you to struggle your entire life, barely making ends meet.
Trust God with your giving and love His causes. Don’t settle for where you are right now; reach out and dream big dreams. One day, you may be able to buy the company, own your own home, or advance in your career in an astonishing way. Be faithful to work with excellence and manage wisely what you currently have because God is delighted to bless you beyond measure.
You Are A Child Of The King
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…” John 1:12
In the story of Esther, we find a scared and intimidated young woman who is faced with a serious decision. Esther had been chosen by an evil and brutal king to be his next queen. This king had already gotten rid of his first wife simply because she wouldn’t perform a dance in front of his party guests. So Esther was placed in a beauty contest, and the king chose her to be the next queen. As it turns out, another wicked man who was second in command in the king’s administration had decided he wanted to wipe all the Jews off the face of the earth. He was angry at one Jew named Mordecai for not bowing to him. Little did he know, Esther was also a Jew.
Esther was in a place of power and favor with the king and could potentially sway him from this horrible plan to murder all her people. But when her uncle, Mordecai, asked her to try and reason with the king, Esther responded by saying, “All the king’s servants do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called (uninvited)…will be put to death.” (Esther 4:11) She referred to herself as a “whosoever.”
Many times, we don’t remember who we are in Christ. We forget that we are a child of the King and allow life’s challenges to worry and torment our minds. Mordecai reminded Esther who she was. He replied, “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
God wants you to know that you are not a “whosoever.” You are a part of God’s royal family. You are a chosen generation, and you can come boldly to the throne of grace. The King of Kings knows your name. You can have what other people can’t have, and you can ask for what other people can’t ask for because you are not a “whosoever.” Quit asking God for things timidly as if you don’t have a right to go into His presence!
Esther summoned her courage, asked the people to fast and pray, and decided to risk her life by approaching the king. Her faith ended up saving an entire nation. You may have some challenges that you need to trust God with. Don’t fall into a pit of worry and despair. Look to God and give it to Him. One day, you will look back and realize that nothing is impossible for God.
Are You With The Right People?
Pursue righteous living…Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.” 2 Timothy 2:22
If you want to be in God’s will and experience His blessings, you have to be around the right people. The people who are right for you are the people who will be honest with you. They don’t just tell you what you want to hear, but they tell you what you need to hear. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” (Proverbs 27:6). Good friends are not afraid to confront you.
Get around the right people because everybody who comes into your life brings a spirit. Sometimes, it is easy to gravitate to people we can relate to and who are similar to us. But the problem with that is, if you both share the same weaknesses, you will not grow in that area. You need to get around someone who is strong in the areas where you are weak. They know how to help get you to where you want to be.
In 2 Chronicles 10, Rehoboam had just been appointed king. Some of the leaders of Israel met with him and asked him to lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that had been imposed on them. So Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon (the wisest man on earth). They advised him to listen to the people; however, Rehoboam had a group of friends he had grown up with that gave him the opposite advice. They told him to place even harder demands on the people to show that he was even more powerful than his father. Unfortunately, Rehoboam took the advice of his friends, which caused a complete rebellion. This decision eventually led to him being run out of the kingdom. The course of his life was forever altered due to his decision to be around and listen to the wrong people.
David’s story shows us the value of good friendships. David chose to be friends with Jonathon. The Bible tells us that Jonathon loved David as himself. David’s choice of friends paid off. Jonathon saved David’s life and even pushed him into his destiny to be king. Good friends will not try to hold you back. They will help you believe in yourself. Like iron sharpens iron, a good friend will make you a better person.
Remember, “bad company corrupts good character” (I Corinthians 15:33). Being in the company of the wise will keep you in God’s will. If you show me your friends, I will show you your future. Be careful who you choose to let into your inner circle. The people who you surround yourself with will shape your destiny.
Be The Hand
“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; I needed clothes, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36
Many times, we may get into a mindset of “How can I be blessed?” Or, “How will my needs get met?” However, God wants you to look around and be the hand that blesses others. He wants you to be the hand that helps the single mother, or the waitress in the restaurant, or the friend who is really struggling. God may whisper to you, “Go up to that person in the grocery store and pay for their bill,” or “Go tell that family that you’re going to buy them Christmas this year.” Desire to be the hands that help feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and reach out to the prisoners. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
In 1 Kings 17, the prophet Elijah was about to starve to death, and God said, “Go to Zarephath. I’ve commanded a widow there to sustain you.” When Elijah arrived, the widow was cooking her last meal, but he said, “Make me a cake first.” God often will test you to see if you will trust Him with your finances and giving even when times are hard. The widow gave him her last meal, and God fed her for three and a half years! The same God who is able to feed thousands with three loaves and two fish will provide for you exceedingly above all you could ask or think.
In Mark 12, Jesus notices the giving spirit of a widow woman. “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then, a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.’”
God will notice when you take your eyes off of your own needs and start meeting others’ needs. As God sees that He can trust you with the little you have, He will bless you with more. You are never more like Jesus than when you are meeting another person’s needs.