Acts 26:24,25 -- Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you MAD! But He (Paul) said, "I am not MAD, most noble Festus, but speak the word of truth and reason."
The words 'beside yourself' mean to rave as a maniac, and it's the idea of incessant craving. Festus accused Paul of being crazy. Modern culture is not drawn to Christianity because the little they are exposed to is not extreme enough for them. W
1 Corinthians 13:13 -- "So faith, hope love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
The power of love is the greatest power in the universe. It's beyond defeat. It never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
When you release love into a situation, you have released God into it. When you release love into a situation, Jesus becomes responsible for it's success.
Mark 12:30,31 -- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
1 Corinthians 1:9 - "God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on)."
SEEDS OF AFFIRMATION, MEDITATION, PRAYER, WORKS, GIVING AND OTHER ACTS OF OBEDIENCE ARE READY TO BURST FORTH IN BUD AND FRUIT.
HARVEST AWAITS THOSE WHO DO NOT YIELD TO DISCOURAGEMENT AND REMAIN CONSISTENT IN OBEDIENCE AND DILIGENCE.
GRASHOPPERS OF DISCOURAGEMENT WILL ASSAULT US WHEN WE'RE WEARY. OUR STRENGTH IS DIMINISHED WHEN WE ALLOW OUR M
Proverbs 13:12 - "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy." Without God hope is reduced to the powerless level of fate. While life can take people from hope to disappointment the God of hope leads people in the other direction. No matter what the circumstances look like for you, the heart of God is that your dreams will come true. Affirmations: WHEN DISCOURAGEMENT STARTS TO SET IN, I FOCUS ON GOD AND THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT HIS WORD PROMISES BELIEVERS
John 8:39 - "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, 'If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.'"
Abraham was an alien and a stranger on the earth. The goal of his life was to have a place in what God was building, not men.
We are not the heirs of faith because we know that we must live by faith, but we become the heirs of faith by actually having faith, by doing the same deeds that Abraham did.
We must devote ourselves to finding
Isaiah 9:7 - "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end......"
How important is increase to God? Jesus once cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit out of season (Mark 11:13-14)! A man in one of His parables was cast into outer darkness for burying his money and not obtaining an increase for his master (Matthew 25:24-30). When the main goal of our faith is keeping us safe from the devil, our faith becomes inferior to what God expects. Jesus had in mind more fo
In Luke 4:1-13, satan tempts Jesus with the offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world... Jesus rejects this proposal. Jesus' Kingdom in this age is not a kingdom of this world(John 18:36-37). He refuses to seek a kingdom for Himself by the worldly methods of compromise, earthly power, political maneuvering, external violence, popularity, honor and glory.
Jesus' Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom ruling in the hearts of His people, who have been taken out of the kingdoms of th
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me." - John 10:27
The Lord said that His sheep know His voice -- He did not stay that His lambs did. Young Believers (in spiritual age) often need to follow (be discipled by) other Christians until they mature.
One of the primary ways we mature and become sheep is by knowing His voice (walking in the Spirit). We should also be devoted to building on a foundation of sound doctrine and an understanding of who we are i
In Luke 4:1-13, satan tempts Jesus with the offer of rulership over all the kingdoms of the world... Jesus rejects this proposal. Jesus' Kingdom in this age is not a kingdom of this world (John 18:36-37). He refuses to seek a kingdom for Himself by the worldly methods of compromise, earthly power, political maneuvering, external violence, popularity, honor and glory.
Jesus' Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom ruling in the hearts of His people, who have been taken out of the kingdoms of t
Philippians 3:12 -- "But I keep going on, trying to grasp that purpose for which Christ Jesus grasped me." Psalm 63:1 -- "O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You: my inner self thirsts for you, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." OBSERVATIONS: I do not want to just give mental assent to Christian doctrine. I want to see, have contact with, and live in the experienced reality of Christ's actual presence. I want to press into God to lay hold of the purpose for which Chris
Zechariah 12:1 -- "Thus says the Lord, Who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him."
God is spirit, and Zechariah 12:1 tells us that God formed the spirit of man within him. This human spirit is what makes relationship and fellowship with God possible at all. Through his spirit, man can walk in step with God. In the spirit he is one with God. Through his spirit he knows of God and receives everything God wants to communica
Matthew 12:28 -- "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." The unseen world has influence over the visible. The Kingdom is here and now.
We must acknowledge that it's in the invisible realm. Just as Jesus worked only through the Spirit of God, we need to do likewise as His agent. The enemy's attempt to anchor our affections to the things that are visible is easily resisted when our hearts are aware of the presence of the Kingdom of God. 2 Corint
Romans 15:13 -- "May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing -- through the experience of your faith --that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope." Hope is a divine dream. It's an inner image that's bigger than you are because it's built on the promises of God. Example: If the doctor told you that you will never walk, then you see yourself climbing mountains and bringing the word of God to hurting people. You find
Revelation 4:1 - "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.'" THAT VOICE IS STILL CALLING TO ALL WHO WILL HEAR. THERE IS A DOOR OPEN IN HEAVEN AND THE SPIRIT IS BECKONING US TO COME UP THERE. THE ULTIMATE QUEST OF EVERY CHRISTIAN IS TO WALK THE EARTH FROM A POSITION SEATED WITH CHRIST JESUS IN THE HEA
2 Chronicles 17:9 -- "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him..."
The word tells us that God shows Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are "perfect" toward Him. "Perfect does not mean that we have to do everything just right and live without making a mistake. I means "devoted" -- a heart consecrated, dedicated, loyal and faithful to God.
Who is faithful? T
Exodus 16:4 -- "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or no." God took a little insignificant matter, the food they ate -- and used it to see if they would listen to Him or not. He told them how much of it to gather, when to gather and when not to, and what to do with it after the brought it in.
And the Israelites went right out and v
Deuteronomy 30:19 - " I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life."
He was saying, "Stop procrastinating and hoping you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether you're going to get a curse or a blessing. Decide whether you're going to die or live."
Affirmations: I AM NOT DESIGNED TO DRIFT - I AM DESIGNED FOR DESTINY.
I AM NOT GOING TO PROCRASTINATE ON MY DREAM AND DRIFT ALONG, ENDING UP WHEREVER THE LUKEWARM TIDE TA
Genesis 4:3,4 - "And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering."
Cain's offering was rejected because he offered the fruit of his own labors while Able offered a blood sacrificed that prophesied the coming of Christ. This led to a rage in Cain that caused him to slay his brother. T
l Chronicles 14:2 - "And David perceived that the Lord had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high, because of his people Israel."
David had been anointed king by the prophet Samuel when he was just a teenager. He'd known for years that someday he'd rule over Israel. Yet somehow, it hadn't really sunk in. Finally it dawned on him - he was actually king! At that moment, being king ceased to be something David had only thought about. It became something he
Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the entire renewal of your mind so that you may prove for yourselves what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you."
The only way to consistently do Kingdom works is to view reality from God's perspective. The mind is the essential tool in bringing Kingdom reality to the problems and crisis people face. God has made it to be th
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness...for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:10
Outwardly when we are persecuted or suffer abuse - inwardly we experience "heaven" as God deals mightily with our soul, breaking its addiction to man's approval and liberating us to truly live for Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
The Scripture instructs us to
2 Corinthians 10:4 - "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to tear down strongholds."
Wherever a stronghold exists, it is a demonically induced pattern of thinking. Specifically, it is a "house made of thoughts" which has become a dwelling place for satanic activity.
The strongholds upon which demons rely consist of our own thoughts, attitudes, and opinions which are in agreement with evil.
The strongholds that a
Each of us has a cup to drink en route to our DESTINY. We will swallow the full dregs, and though it kills us, we shall live. Yet it shall not be us, but Christ living in us.
God takes things to another level as we press through into a new place in Him. Transitions are healthy and good for us. When we allow ourselves to be stretched into a new place, we will experience fresh joys on the other side.
SEE YOURSELF WITH THE CONFIDENCE OF GOD'S STRENGTH
Imagine awakening every mornin
Worship is the spiritual equivalent of the power of magnification. When you begin to worship, you ascend to join the Object of your adoration. If you are soaking in His presence, then you are looking down on your problems.
"Oh, magnify the Lord with me." - Psalm 34:3
Times of difficulty give us an opportunity we don't have otherwise, and that is the opportunity to demonstrate sacrificial love to Him by ministering to him instead of attending to our pressing needs. This is what makes s
"Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." - Matthew 9:38
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.." - Matthew 28:19
FOUR STEPS TO EFFECTIVE STREET EVANGELISM:
1) Pray! It's important to talk to God about people before you talk to people about God. Start out by prayer walking in the area that you want to do evangelism. Ask God for insight and direction. Pray for the people that you see. Pray for the Holy
