Use Your Authority!  

I have given you authority, to overcome the enemy... Luke (10:19)

Has Satan singled you out for attack? Are you wondering, 'Why would he even bother with someone like me?' The answer is - influence. Job's influence was a constant irritant to Satan. One day God said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him?' Job (1:8).

Shortly after that conversation Satan attacked Job's health, his children, his marriage and his business. You can't get God's attention without getting Satan's too! Whatever glorifies God, enrages our enemy. But you have the power to overcome him. Jesus said, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

I have given you authority - to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you' Luke (10:18-19). Notice, you haven't been called to defeat Satan; Jesus already did that 2,000 years ago. You have been called to enforce His defeat each day. Jesus already disarmed and made a public spectacle of him at the cross Colossians (2:15). When General MacArthur met the Supreme Commander of the Japanese forces at the end of World War II, he took the sword out of his hand, declared victory and enforced the terms of unconditional surrender.

And that's what Jesus did for you at the cross. When He died and rose again He stripped the devil of his power and declared, '..."All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go", Matthew (28:18-19). Go in His power. Go in His strength. Go in His name. He has given you authority over the enemy - use it.

Cavalier Culture

There is a friend who
sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs (18:24)

A hurry-up lifestyle results in a throwaway culture. Things that should be lasting and meaningful are sacrificed on the altar of the temporary and superficial.

The major fallout in such a setting is the habit of viewing relationships casually. This cavalier attitude cripples society in various ways:

Friends walk away instead of work through.
Partnerships dissolve rather than solve.
Neighbors no longer visit and relax together.
The aged are resented, not honored.
Husbands and wives divorce rather than persevere.
Children are brushed aside rather than nourished.

Relationships! Never sell them short.

If we'll slow down the hurry-up lifestyle for a moment and pause to catch our breath, we'll realize the need to call a halt to our throwaway culture.

Assurance In Trials

Romans (8:32-39)

We all experience hardship, and trials can shake us unless we cling to truth. Let me share three assurances to remember when troublesome circumstances arise.

First, God will always meet our needs. This doesn't mean He provides everything we want. Instead, the Lord will bless us with all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose for our lives. His goal is to sanctify us, not simply to satisfy each immediate desire.

Second, we're never alone. God promised to be with us always, Hebrews (13:5). Loneliness often accompanies hardship, so we may feel deserted or opposed by family and friends. But our Father has sent His Spirit to be with us and in us, until the day He brings us to heaven, John (14:16-17). He is all we need--our advocate, guide, helper, and comforter. Recognizing His intimate presence gives us confidence in the midst of trials.

Third, God's love is eternal. Regardless of our circumstances or poor decisions, His care is unconditional--even when He reprimands us. Loving parents allow disobedient children to experience the consequences of wrong choices; they recognize the benefit of learning from mistakes. Of course, there are also times when we are negatively affected by others' wrong actions. Even then, God is sovereign and allows only what will bring good in His followers' lives.

In difficult times, we can remember that God will meet all of our needs, is always with us, and loves us forever. Though Jesus said we would face troubles in this life, He offered encouragement: The ultimate victory is His. So keep in mind that trials are fleeting, whereas our Father's love is forever.

Yes be assured my friend's I really appreciate you".

Times Of Warfare

Psalm (149:6-9)

This Psalm is not only a call to praise the Lord in times of blessing, and encouragement to praise Him in times of suffering, it's also a call to arms.

Praise the Lord in Times of Warfare
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations
And punishment on the peoples,
To bind their kings with chains
And their nobles with fetters of iron,
To execute on them the judgment written;
This is an honor for all His godly ones.
Praise the LORD! 

In verse 6, the people of God were told, in effect, "While you're singing praises, keep your sword ready!" This may be a word picture drawn from the days of Nehemiah, where the Jews rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem sang praise as they worked and maintained battle-readiness against marauders. The visual picture is a worker with a mason's trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. In other words, "Don't drop your defenses, don't become disheartened, and don't give up! Victory is inevitable for those who remain faithful."

In practical terms, the message is, "Stay faithful to the Word of God-the sword of the Spirit, Ephesians (6:17), the two-edged sword, Hebrews (4:12)." Sickness and suffering have a tendency to weaken our faith if we fail to feed our thoughts with God's Word. Praise, like a fragrant blossom, wilts quickly. The sufferer is encouraged to hold fast to the sword of truth-good counsel. This is one of the reasons a visit with those who are ill should include sharing a portion of the living Book, the Bible. It helps the sufferer keep a firm grip on the two-edged sword.

Psalm (149:7-9) these verses are the most difficult in the song to understand. It is important for us to interpret this psalm historically, with the believing Jew in mind. You see, the enemies of Israel were enemies of God, so Israel was trained to be a militant, aggressive force against wrong (and they still are!). Once they were given the land of Canaan, they were never permitted by God to conquer other lands, only to defend their own.

The land given to Abraham and his Hebrew descendants was considered holy ground, the territory owned by the kingdom of God. Therefore, invaders were subject to God's judgment. Consequently, He used Israel to "execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples" who desecrated the kingdom of God. This work of judgment was actually "written" (verse 9) in such passages as Deuteronomy (32:41–43), Joel 3, and Zechariah 14.

Practically, however, verses (7–9) exhort the Christian today to stand and fight against Satan and all his hosts of demons. Our warfare is not in the realm of the seen, but the unseen; not in the tangible realm of guns and bombs, but the spiritual realm of Satan's deception and sin's temptation. This is precisely what 2 Corinthians (10:3–5) is saying:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

So then, let us be just as aggressive and militant against our spiritual foe as Israel was against its national foes. After all, "this is an honor for all His godly ones" (149:9). To think that God would even allow us to be a part of His combat unit is an honor, indeed! May He be praised for equipping us for battle, empowering us for the fight, and encouraging us with the absolute promise of victory. Praise-less times are often times of demonic warfare, but the victory is ours!

Woe

Job (19:1–29)

Job longed for his words of "woe" to be etched into granite so that people through time could enter into all the things he was enduring. He thought his words would be forgotten. He had no idea that his words would survive him. Yet, think of it, God chose to include them in His eternal Word! Along with Scriptures like Genesis 1, Psalm 23, Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 13, and Revelation 22, we call to mind Job (19:25–27) to this day!

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!
Little did Job realize in his dreadful anguish that his Lord would honor his name by preserving his words for all the world to hear and sing!

I need to pause right here and speak to you whose God is distant and silent. And, perhaps (like Job), your friends have begun to turn against you. There is a future that is brighter than your wildest dreams! As Job will one day experience, justice will win out, God will replace evil, and right will eclipse wrong. In the end, God wins. And so will we. Job will be vindicated and remembered and respected. And all the Zophars, Bildads, and Eliphazes will be judged, silenced, and forgotten. "Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, so that you may know there is judgment"

In all his misery, Job had not lost sight of who was right and who was wrong. He reminded all three men that "judgment and punishment are not coming my way; they're coming yours."

Focus on the future!

Spirit Of Wisdom

Our enemy is demonic and deceitful. Though identified 'he is a coward to the core. He tries his best to intimidate us through repeated and savage acts of aggression and thereby paralyze us in fear. The limitless depths to which he will go to bring us down.

But those of us who believe in Jesus Christ will neither fear nor fail. We will not consider any sacrifice too great or any cost too high. Because we know that in the end God always wins, we know we will win. As a brave brother of the faith, Martin Luther, wrote over five hundred years ago, "His rage we can endure, for lo his doom is sure."

And so, let us follow our earthly commander in chief with fidelity and loyalty. Let us walk directly into the sneer of the enemy with relentless resolve. Let us kneel before the Lord our Sovereign God with fresh faith. Let us trust Him through Jesus Christ our Savior with repentant hearts, with quiet confidence, and absolute dependence. By doing these things we can be certain of this final outcome, as the Psalmist once declared: "Through God we shall do valiantly" Psalm (60:12).

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom. Isaiah (11:2).

During His earthly ministry Jesus needed 'the Spirit of wisdom' when it came to making decisions and dealing with the enemy. As believers, that same Spirit lives in us. James (3:15), says there are three kinds of wisdom: Earthly wisdom, which isn't always dependable because 'Sometimes what seems right is really a road to death' Proverbs (16:25).

 

Sensual wisdom, which is based on emotions that can lead to confusion, hurt, and jealousy. Demonic wisdom, which is selfish, lustful, and ungodly. Godly wisdom, which 'comes from above is pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and hypocrisy' James (3:17). The Bible says, 'When you need wisdom, ask God, and he will give it to you, James (1:5).

 And when you're praying, ask yourself these questions: 

1) Are my motives pure or will I be ashamed of them later on?

2) Will my decision result in mercy and compassion or strife and stress? 

3) Have I considered all the people who'll be affected by the outcome? 

4) Am I willing to submit to what God wants or am I determined to plough on regardless?

5) Will the end result cause me to have a harsh attitude or will it produce an environment where love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control can grow? Galatians (5:22-23).

 

6) Is it fair and impartial or does it favor a particular person or group? 

7) Can I in good conscience pursue this particular course of action or does it involve some level of deceit and selfishness?

God's Holy Spirit

Zechariah (4:6)

This verse is often quoted when speaking of doing the work of God, and doing so follows a correct spiritual principle. When God does something, it is not done through physical strength. It is interesting that might literally means "arms," and power refers to physical activity. The work of God is not going to be done through feats of arms, military victories, or anything that requires physical fighting or contention. Nor can it be accomplished by any amount of physical activity.

As much work and effort as men put into it, they are not what will get God's work done properly. They will be helpful, certainly, because God works through men, and men must exert themselves in order to do God's will. Nevertheless, He says clearly here that all the credit goes to His Spirit. God Himself is at work! Our job is to submit, to do the things that must be done. We must do what the Spirit directs us to do, but God will receive the credit, not us. We could do none of these works by our own means.

God gives the ability. He gives the inspiration, the strength, and the endurance. He opens the doors. He supplies the manpower, the money, and the other resources to go through those doors. He supplies favor so that the doors can be opened. We merely walk through them.

We could say that God's work is an act of grace. It is a kind of oxymoron to say that work is done by grace, since we think of work and grace as two extremes, but they are not! What comes first? The grace comes first: God grants favor and gives gifts, then the work is done. So where is the glory? It appears in the grace. The effort comes afterward and accomplishes God's will.

Walls

Do we have a wall to keep the enemies of God's way out of our lives and homes? Have we set boundaries against the world, or have we torn down the wall? If we have a wall, are we leaving the gates open and unguarded? Are we willing to fight to defend our families and our church? Or do we just let the enemy stream in unchallenged? Are we willing to stand up to the world?

This particular wall is not one of brick and stone, but a spiritual wall anchored by God, designed to keep spiritual problems out. I Timothy (5:8) says that if we fail to provide for the needs of our loved ones-both physically and spiritually-we are worse than an unbeliever! Have we done anything to protect our families-or has worldliness hurdled our puny walls, totally pervading every aspect of our lives?

Satan hates walls. "Let's all be one happy family," he whispers in our ears. "Walls are for the immature. You're spiritually mature now, so you can handle immorality without a problem." Do not fall for this line.
God supplies this spiritual wall to those who seek His Way, His providence, and His will. The work of rebuilding our personal wall is the effort we put into seeking a strong relationship with Him, and He then provides the defenses for us. God becomes our wall.

God puts a wall around His people to keep Satan at bay, as in the example of Job. Satan complains, "Have You not made a hedge [wall] around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?" Job (1:10). Only after God removed the wall could Satan attack Job-and he wasted no time doing so! Surely, we see the lesson in this.

If we reject God, break down the wall or neglect our relationship with Him, what happens? "Whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent" Ecclesiastes (10:8). The Bible depicts Satan as a serpent. Many of our brethren have allowed their walls to crumble, and Satan has struck.

Character

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles (16:9)

Our culture is overly impressed with the externals. You must look good on TV to win the political race. It’s the image you need to polish. Spin it just right. But we all know--and all have seen-that a leader without character is a tragedy getting ready to happen.

As pastors, we know about the importance of character, of course. But knowing it isn’t our assignment. Your congregation requires your character. Your role is filled because character is present, or it decreases if it is absent. The church where you serve as senior pastor may have a respect for you and appreciates your efforts (all your weaknesses not withstanding). But this respect hangs on the fact that you're committed to modeling character, and that you're not going to let it slip away in the stuff of leadership.

You don’t follow the crowd when they go against what you believe. If that means being unpopular, be unpopular. Who cares? It’s about character, not others’ approval and applause. Character is modeled not just mandated.

Our roles as pastors are invaluable roles. So, let’s never forget our roles begin with our character. Call it swimming upstream. Our flock learns this more from our lives than from our lips.

Reading Scripture verses won’t make our lives automatically change, but it sure will motivate us to cultivate character. God expects it, and rewards it, when He finds character: “

Character is not some ancient biblical term that gets lost in the dust of the Minor Prophets. It’s what makes you contagious. It’s what gives you the right to lead without ever having to remind anybody you’re the pastor.

A Man Of Ministry?

Genesis (12:3)
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.


There was a man who would go into the church service, going directly to his seat, never look up, rarely shake anyone's hand, and sort of grunt a response when someone said good morning or greeted him. In time he left the church complaining to others that the church was not friendly!!

Most times people who digress into the state see themselves as right and will not concede they have any faults of their own. They act like they think they were put on earth to correct everyone else.

Yet, in reality, they are seeking their own interests and are not really interested in others. They think themselves something special because they can see the faults in others.

This man whispered to his pastor in private, “Hey, if you call on me in church I would be honored to pray publicly.” His pastor said, “Great, I’ll call on you sometime.”

A few moments later this man's spouse approached the pastor and said, “I really wish you wouldn’t call on him to pray in church. He can do it and has prayed very eloquent prayers before its just, well uh, I know he never has a quiet time and rarely prays to God alone. He believes in it; he just doesn't do it.

Also, I have begged and begged him to have family devotions and family prayer times with the children and myself but he never does. In fact, he usually calls on the kids to pray during meal time. It would bother me to hear him pray at church when I know he never prays alone or with his family.”

The point is none of us can have an effective ministry unless we have established in our lives the altar of dedication and worship. If you seek to minister before building these types of altars then you will simply be performing. I know you will agree with me that we have had enough of this in church.

Abraham demonstrated faith by moving into an uncharted course with one guarantee--that God was with him. Christianity is not complicated. The neglect of your walk is complicated'. And the secret is to distill this walk through the filter of simplicity so that you come back to basics, which is faith.

Handling Criticism Constructively 
 
A wise person stays calm when insulted.

Proverbs (12:16)
How can you tell constructive criticism from destructive criticism? By practicing these principles from God's Word:

1) Resolve that whatever it is, you'll handle it constructively. 'A wise person stays calm when insulted.' Angry responses only short-circuit rational thinking and trigger emotion-driven reactions. 'If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding', Proverbs (15:31-32). Always ask yourself, 'Can I learn something here?

2) Consider the character of your critic. 'An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies. Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing',Proverbs (12:17-18). Is your critic trustworthy? Are their words meant to help you? If so, appreciate them and grow wiser. 'Better to be criticised by a wise person than to be praised by a fool', Ecclesiastes (7:5). Are their words intended to demean you and damage your self-worth? Words that humble you have a godly purpose, but words that humiliate don't; so reject them.

3) Check your conscience. Paul wrote: 'My conscience is clear. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide', 1 Corinthians (4:4). If you're in the clear, leave the outcome with God. He alone sees the whole picture.

4) If you are criticised because of your faith, consider yourself blessed. 'If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you', 1 Peter (4:14). Rejoice, your life is pleasing to God.

Results Of Waiting 

Esther ( 4:12-17) Isaiah (40:31)


Now, don't think for a moment that God is whiling away His time, busy with other things. Remember, He may be invisible, but He is at work. That's the beauty of His invisibility. He can be moving in a thousand places at the same time, working in circumstances that are beyond our control. During a waiting period, God is not only working in our hearts, He's working in others' hearts. And all the while He is giving added strength. Remember Isaiah's words about waiting?

Yet those who wait for the LORD

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.

Even though the prophet's pen put these words on the sacred page centuries ago, that verse of Scripture is as pertinent and relevant as what you read in the paper this morning--and far more trustworthy. From this verse we learn that four things happen when we wait.

1) We gain new strength. We may feel weak, even intimidated, when we turn to our Lord. While waiting, amazingly we exchange our weakness for His strength.

2) We get a better perspective. It says we "will mount up with wings like eagles." Eagles can spot fish in a lake several miles away on a clear day. By soaring like eagles while waiting, we gain perspective on our situation.

3) We store up extra energy. "We will run and not get tired." Notice, it's future tense. When we do encounter the thing we have been dreading, we will encounter it with new strength--extra energy will be ours to use.

4) We will deepen our determination to persevere. We "will walk and not become weary." The Lord whispers reassurance to us. He puts steel in our bones, so to speak. We begin to feel increasingly more invincible.

We'll gain new strength. We'll get a better perspective. We'll store up extra energy. We'll deepen our determination to persevere. All that happens when we, wait.

Refocusing 

Psalm (78)

Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Savior died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, "Follow Me," and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.

We have a gracious God who even though, see us complaining sometimes He "is in the sanctuary" pleading for us! If we want to get out of our depression we should use the gift of thankfulness which is one of the most powerful gifts God offers for healing and deliverance!

"Nine tenths of the trials and perplexities that so many worry over are either imaginary, or brought upon themselves by their own wrong course. They should cease to talk of these trials, and 'cease' to magnify them. The Christian may commit every worriment, every disturbing thing to God. Nothing is too small for our compassionate Savior to notice; nothing is too great for Him to carry."

"If there is any one who should be continually grateful, it is the follower of Christ. If there is any one who enjoys real happiness, even in this life, it is the faithful Christian. If we appreciate or have any sense of how dearly our salvation was purchased, anything which we may call sacrifice will sink away into insignificance."
"We need not keep our own record of trials and difficulties, grief's, and sorrows. All these things are written in the books, and heaven will take care of them." In Heavenly Places.

God's Deliverance 

Exodus (6:2-8)

We can not endure these time's until we fully rivet our full attention on the Lord".
Those time's that go from bad to worse. We must contemplate the Lord's sovereignty and goodness. As well as His compassion, power, love and wisdom". Especially when we find ourselves sinking into treacherous waters!

Because of who God is, we can be confident that He is in control of our circumstances.
And we can look to Him for strength and victory.

As we see God's awesome power at work, we discover afresh that doing God's will God's way demands both our availability and our obedience. Are we really prepared to respond obediently to God's will as revealed in Scripture?

And are we really willing and ready to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar at the moment God tells us to go? Will we be available and obedient  when He calls us?

God never gives us a goal that we cannot accomplish in His strength. I want to assure you that you can glorify God, you must glorify God".

But we have to determine deep within our hearts that we are going to do it, His way.
That's right-His way. Not our own!

So therefore take heart. When God is involved anything can happen. The one who split the Red Sea down the middle and leveled the wall around Jericho and brought His Son back from the dead takes delight in the incredible!

Don't Be A Fool

The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God. Psalm (14:1)

The atheistic fool. It's said, 'An atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman.' Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without God, you become your own god, which means there's no higher power than yourself! But the God of the Bible proves His existence in three ways:

1) Creation. Many people are in prison today who weren't caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime. What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God's fingerprints and DNA. 'Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Isaiah (40:26).

2) Calvary. In creation you see God's power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at the cross you see His heart.

3) Conscience. 'Gentiles even without having heard it demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right' Romans (2:14-15). Conscience is like having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one.

Voltaire, the French atheist, said, 'It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman can destroy it.' After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe's most famous Bible distribution center. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives! Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before Him one day?

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Luke (12:20)

The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, 'I will pull down my barns, and build greater. Evidently he was a good businessman and planner. But then he said: 'I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. So is he that layed up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God'.

This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It's said that the average body has enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten dollars' worth of nails.

The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you're a fool.

This man told himself he had 'many years,' but God said, 'This night thy soul shall be required of thee.' Don't you realize that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?

Draw On His Power Within You

To him who is able to do immeasurably more.
Ephesians (3:20)

There are words in your Bible which have so much power in them that they're more effective than any therapy. God can illuminate a Scripture that goes back into the past and heals your wounds, gives you direction in the middle of despair, and provides hope for the future. Satan will try to fill your mind with so much junk that you don't have an appetite for God's Word. That's because he knows the Scriptures unmask him, and release the potential lying dormant within you. Before Jeremiah rose to national prominence as a prophet, God told him two things:

1) 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Jeremiah (1:5). Your parents didn't get the first look at you, God did. Nothing about you surprises Him. In spite of what you've been through, He hasn't changed His mind about who you are or what you're destined to become.

2) 'Before you were born I set you apart. You say, 'I've always felt different.' That's because you are. Celebrate it! Stop looking for acceptance where you don't belong. You're on a mission for God; that's why the enemy has tried so hard to take you out. Once you understand that, your struggle will begin to make sense.

As you study God's Word you'll begin to experience the mind-renewing, life-changing power He's deposited within you. 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.' So start drawing on that power today.

The Just Shall Live By Faith"

Habakkuk (2:4)

Heavenly Father!I praise You and honour You! I thank You for being with me always and loving me with Your eternal love! You are in control of all things and I thank You for that.O Lord! 

Your Scripture clearly tells that without faith I can neither please You nor receive any answer for my prayer. Please forgive me for not believing in Your love, power and goodness. Many times I've been discouraged by my circumstances and many times I have failed to trust in You. 

Please forgive me Lord! Your are the God of all hope and I acknowledge that nothing is too difficult for You. I am confident that You will meet all my needs as I seek to live according to Your word! Thank You Lord for helping me get over my unbelief removing all my fears and anxieties! Let me not lose heart on seeing the circumstances Lord! Strengthen my faith through which alone I can receive miracles from You Lord. 

You have said whatever I ask in prayer, believing, I will receive. Thank You for this promise Lord! I love You and trust in Your awesome power! I know You are with me right now to take care of my needs and I thank You for that. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Show Grace

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians (1:7)

Have you ever noticed how quickly we judge somebody else's shortcomings while making all kinds of allowance for our own? Paul talks about 'the riches of grace' that God lavished on us. But we strain that grace when we refuse to extend it to others. Jesus said, when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so your Father may forgive you', Mark (11:25).

You don't get to decide which offences you'll forgive and which ones you'll keep holding over somebody's head. We are commanded to 'love mercy', Micah (6:8). That means we must pursue it and make it our goal. Don't say, 'I'll forgive him when he proves he deserves it.' Biblical forgiveness isn't conditional, can't be earned, isn't deserved, and you can't bargain for it. Jesus said, 'Give as freely as you received!' Matthew (10:8).

'If I forgive him he'll have got away with it.' You're not letting anybody get away with anything, because even when you've forgiven the offender there's still a penalty to be paid. It's just not your job to enforce it. 'If I forgive him he'll keep hurting me.' Forgiveness doesn't mean the relationship always stays the same. It takes time to rebuild trust and make sure repentance is genuine. In fact, if the offence is abusive or puts you in danger - forgive, but maintain a safe distance. 'If I forgive him he's free to hurt me again.' The truth is, he's free to do it again anyway, just like you're free to show grace even when the offender doesn't ask or show any sign of repentance.