"And said, Verily I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." - Matthew 18:3
It is very important that the foundation upon which we stand is "The Rock," our Lord Jesus Christ, and that our life is hidden "in Christ." If our spiritual experience is resting on sand, that is, if we are trusting our own abilities, we will fail when the pressures of life increase.
We can walk in stability and confidence
Ephesians 4:6 - "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
It does not matter what the enemy brings to you, or tries to bring; the God of power, majesty, and glory can bring you to a place of dethroning everything else! Do you dare to believe it?
We have to apprehend who we are in Christ; we have to understand our right standing with God based on the New Covenant; that we are brought to the place where He is with us in all power, dethroning the
Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." For the "substance"; we must look on Jesus. It is the most blessed object that the eye of the mind can possibly fix upon; of all the objects under heaven Jesus has the pre-eminence in perfection, and he should have the pre-eminence in our meditation. It is He that makes us most happy since we possess Him, and we cannot but be joyful to look upon Him, for the name signifies Savior. "He is able to sav
Matthew 24:45 - "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household?"
Who is faithful? The one who spends his time doing what God has called him to do. Or as Jesus put it, the one who takes up his cross and follows Him. The one who denies his fleshly desires and spends his life on the things God desires him to do.
God may be calling you to pray for the sick or to disciple a new Christian. But you're busy, so you glide on with good intentions an
2 Peter 1:3,4 - "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and VERY GREAT PROMISES, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature..."
If you are facing a faith challenge, the very first thing you should do is go to the Word and find the promise of God that covers your situation. 2 Peter 1:3,4 is our assurance that
Acts 14:3 - "Therefore they stayed there a long time speaking boldly in the Lord who was bearing witness to the word of His grace granting signs and wonders done by their hands."
There has to be a demonstration of this King we serve. The evidence of His resurrection is in the power of your words and the power of the actions that follow your words.
Throughout the book of Acts it says, "They spoke boldly and God confirmed the situation and confirmed the Word." That boldness actually draw
2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
We have been created to carry the glory of God. Hebrews 2 says that through Christ's suffering He brought many sons to glory. It was always God's intention to dwell with mankind.
Once we understand God's purpose for our life we have boundless potential to advance His Kingdom. There are those who prefer to inhabit their comfort zone, thinking
Proverbs 24:16 - "For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity."
Some people keep going when life is difficult, but others park at the point of their pain. They decide to stay where they are instead of pressing through the difficulties.
Those who are hungry and thirsty will be satisfied. It's time to drink the living water of life and begin to release healing on the earth. Creation is groaning (Romans 8:19, 22) and waiting for you to
In Joshua's day, before crossing the Jordan River and moving into their inheritance, God said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Joshua 3:5).
This is an exhortation for us today!
DRAW NEAR TO GOD
The word consecrate, in Hebrew, is actually a relational term. "Qadash" means to separate or set yourself apart unto God. God's heart isn't, "Clean up your act so I can restore and bless you." He says instead, "Come to Me so
Acts 20:24 - "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus."
The ministry of the Spirit has been entrusted to us. We must be in the place of edifying the Church. We are the representatives of Jesus. He was eaten up with zeal (John 2:17). This intense zeal changes us by the operation of the Word; we do not rest in the letter, but we allow the blessed Holy Spirit to lift us by His power
Psalm 62:5 - "My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him."
Our world today is very noisy, busy, and at times stressful. When you feel stressed or frustrated go somewhere that is silent you will find that your soul begins to calm down. Inner peace and quiet are vital for hearing from God or sensing the direction He wants us to take. Outer silence helps promote inner silence.
At a time when Elijah desperately needed to receive direction from God he had to wait until a
Isaiah 26:3 - "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you."
If your peace is disturbed, there is something wrong. Apply the blood of Jesus, and keep your mind stayed upon Jehovah, where hearts are fully blessed, finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Keep your mind on God, gaining strength in Him day by day. We must keep in the spiritual tide -- God supreme, the altar within the body. Faith is the evidence, the power, the prin
Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
It is easy to say "Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!" when times are good. It is easy to believe the God loves you when you are on the mountaintop enjoying the sunshine. But what happens when you are down in the dark valley surrounded by your enemies?
When King Jehosaphat was surrounded by his enemies, He acted with wisdom
"Before she went into labor, she had the baby. Before the birth pangs hit, she delivered a son...So I open the womb and not deliver the baby? Do I, the One who delivers babies shut the womb?" - Isaiah 66:7-9
Soul travail is an impassioned deep level of intercession (prayer) that affects the spiritual atmosphere so that the lost can hear the gospel and make a decision to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
We literally push back the blinding oppressing power of the enemy so that
1 John 3:21,22 - "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him."
Walk in obedience in the light you have. Take the time to listen and be responsive to the Spirit of God. When He tells you to do something, do it.
A life of obedience will give you a spiritual boldness you've never had before. It will give you boldness in prayer, a boldness in faith. It will give you a confidence towa
Jesus said to Nathanael, "You will see greater things than these...I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. - John 1: 50,51.
Most Christians see the heavens closed. Few see with open vision either into the heavenly realms or into their own hearts.
Romans 14:17 - "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
The Kingdom is contained by the presence of
1 Corinthians 1:30 - "And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,"
Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made ours manifestly.
The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in our mortal flesh. Sanctification is "Christ in you." It is His wonderful life that is imparted by faith as a g
Luke 13:16 - "And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
The teaching that says that sickness is actually a blessing in disguise, because the Lord is working His plan in one's life is not found in scripture. Nowhere do we find Jesus refusing to heal anyone. His actions are proof enough that it is always God's will to heal!
Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. The very
Romans 8:11 - "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
The measure of your true potential is in your spirit. God has always intended that we would always live from the inside -- from the spirit-man in communion with the eternal Spirit of God. Without that relationship, you are limited to the potential of your soul and your body. "For those who
John 7:38,39 - "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive..."
Christ calls us to believe in Him, confident that the Holy Spirit will work powerfully in us according to the measure of our faith in Christ. The surest way to remain filled with the Spirit is to focus our attention on Christ.
Begin every morning in the presence of God and th
Psalm 62:5 - "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."
Our world today is very noisy, busy and at times stressful. When you feel stressed or frustrated, go somewhere that is silent -- your soul will begin to calm down. Inner peace and quiet are vital for hearing from God or sensing the direction He wants us to take.
Outer silence helps promote inner silence. Learn to love silence and you will be more inclined to hear the still, small voice of G
Mark 3:14-15 says, "Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sickness and to cast out demons."
Luke 9:1 says, "Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases."
He gave it to them. He just said, "Here, take it." And they took the impartation He gave them, and they healed the sick and ministered to everyone they met.
John 20:21-22 says,
Acts 9:6 - ..."Lord what do You want me to do?..." (NKJV)
As soon as Saul was willing to yield, he was in a condition where God could meet his need, where God could display His power, where God could have the man (Acts 9:1-22).
Maybe you are searching for God's purpose for your life. The place of yieldedness is just where God wants us. The main thing today that God wants is obedience. When you begin yielding and yielding to God, He has a plan for your life, and you come into tha
Hebrews 2:1 - "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip."
You can really slip into unbelief about the promises of God. And when you do, it will cost you dearly. Hebrews 4:11 tells us, "Let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
We must labor! Not by working with our hands or feet or struggling to get God to do something, but by
In Ezekiel 37, the Prophet Ezekiel was carried in the Spirit to a valley of dry bones. These bones represented the house of Israel, but also speak of structures, as well as anything that has been dead for so long it no longer even resembles its former appearance. God led Ezekiel to walk around the dry bones, and in verse 2, the Bible makes three things very clear:
1. Ezekiel had to walk around the bones very many times.
2. The amount of bones was enormous, so much so that they couldn't be co
