Happiness and joy are two totally different things.

Happiness and joy are two totally different things because they each spring from a different source. Happiness comes from the world around you. Joy originates directly from the Spirit of the Living God. Happiness is conditioned by and often dependent upon what is “happening” to you. If people treat you good, if things are going well in your life, then you’re happy. If your circumstances aren’t favorable, then you’re unhappy.

Joy is a compelling quality of life that surpasses the events and disasters which may drag you down. Joy is a divine dimension of living that is not shackled by circumstances.  To have the fruit of joy ripen in your life you need to recognize the journey involved in getting there. It takes time, diligence, patience, and hard work to make joy ripen in your life. If you want to see this fruit ripen in your life, you desperately need the Holy Spirit to prune away whatever it is that hinders your joy and then empower you to make some choices that move you closer to the lifestyle of rejoicing..

A spirit of discontentment can rob you of joy. The secret of being content with what God has given you is in Philippians 4:12: “When you know what it is to be in need, and you know what it is to have plenty. Being content in any and every situation, whether your fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

You’ll learn the “secret.” in contentment for there is a mystery about it. You also have to “learn”  how to live with unsatisfied expectations. Likewise, you must learn to live with plenty or with little. Contentment doesn’t come when you have everything you want but when you want everything you have.

If you want the kind of joy that is complete, lacking nothing, then you must remain close to Jesus. Apart from Him you can bear no fruit. Jesus said it clearly in John 15:4: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Him.

(Matthew 11:28-30) Trying to pull the plow with your own strength?

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

A yoke is a dual harness used to attach oxen and plow fields. Jesus said to take up His yoke and join Him in working His field. He's already pulling the load and wants you to attach yourself to the other harness. As you do, you will discover weeds scattered In your field and in need of plowing. You will also find a load which is easy to bear.

But plowing can become tedious, and often many try to increase the pace. To look for ways to accomplish more, and then if you do you’ll begin to see the many weeds scattered in other rows and other fields. In an attempt to pull as many weeds as possible, you begin to wander from your row and your load becomes increasingly heavy. You will soon find you have unhitched from His yoke and are trying to pull the plow with your own strength - not a smart move!

More is not always better, and faster is not always the desired result. Jesus said your main task as you take up His yoke is to "learn from Him." It's as if walking by His side is really enough; as if walking by His side IS your ministry. The field will still get plowed, but in the process you will be blessed with a closer and deeper relationship with the Son of God.

If your burden has become heavy - an you're feeling weary and ready to quit.  Determine if you are properly "hitched" to His yoke and aligned to His row. A heavy burden requires some adjustments - maybe an adjustment in attitude, maybe an adjustment in priority. Ask the Father for guidance and where to find rest for your soul. Take up His yoke and remember: His burden is light!

As you DIE temptations of the world lose their pull

Jesus said that anyone who would come after Him must "take up his cross daily and follow" (Luke 9:23).

But what does it mean to take up your cross? The cross has only one Biblical association: Death! The only time you would carry your cross was when you were about to die.

Yes, you are called to die. But the call is not to a physical death - that death will eventually come to you, and there's never a need to hasten its arrival. The call of Jesus is to a death of "self," the old sinful nature with its evil desires, dreams, and ambitions: "You have been crucified with Christ and you no longer live, but Christ lives in you. The life you live in your body, you live by faith in the Jesus the Son of God" (Galatians 2:20).

You are called to a death which leads to true contentment and peace. But this death is not a onetime event; you are called to die daily! And this death is never easy. Don't be surprised when every day seems to breathe life into your old nature - when you begin to talk, act, and think contrary to the way of Christ. When this occurs, simply praise God for the conviction of His Spirit, take up the cross once again, and continue to follow down His path.

As you "die" and completely surrender control to God, temptations of the world lose their pull and anxieties lose their source of concern. As you no longer live, you no longer focus on the cravings of your flesh or about what tomorrow may or may not bring. As Christ lives in you, the enemy loses ability to effectively attack – he is no longer attacking you but Christ...and the Lord always wins!

Your call is to become a follower of Jesus Christ and be transformed into His image. But to follow you must die! Become His worthy disciple as you love Him and trust Him with all your heart. Set aside all that is not directed by God and take up your cross.

Sadly once you made it into the world.

 

God did not just throw together some arms, legs and other body parts to create you and then slapped a brain inside to get things running. He did not just whip you together and set you on your way. God is The Creator. He used His Good Judgment to create you of value and worth. He defined who you are and what you are capable of long before you arrived on the earth. He packed purpose, power and promise in you and a heart that would one day turn to Him! God does the unthinkable in the final moments of your big debut. The Lord gave you a free will!

Sadly once you made it into the world, your perception of your purpose became limited. Your life became defined by society and media. Your Mind was molded to exclude God and thereby miss His Plan and Promise all together.

Even when your heart is on God your eyes are on people and suddenly there is confusion of self. Wherever your eyes are, the body soon wanders until one day you have lost your identity with the Lord and you’ve become fixated on what the world sees. Suddenly all of your power is drained and you are bound by the opinions of others and deceit from the enemy. Your life becomes more about what people see rather than who you really are.

If you’ve been wounded, or feel inferior or threatened, the normal will be to cower in submission until someone or something reaches out to you! This is the condition of humanity. Hurt, frustrated, angry, wounded and failing, you will focus on your current state of decline and your fears. When you look at people with your spirit eyes beyond the cosmetically perfect exterior you’ll see their desperate heart deep within.

While you Live minute-by-minute of your wonderful life that God gave you think of it as a gift just for you by the Father who loves you! He had His Eye on you before you were born…actually before you were formed! Ask God to expose your anxious and faulty thoughts that tell you anything less than you were created with value and worth! He will point the way to the supernatural life He designed for you if you keep your eyes on Him!

Jesus said, “It is finished.” He was talking about you.

To bring your life into agreement with Jesus requires careful attention and time. It is a constant review of your actions and attitudes in comparison with the Word of God. The more you strive to live in harmony with God day-by-day, the less likely you become completely unsettled when trouble arrives.

Jesus declares you innocent before God. So your sins are covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ which makes it “just-as-if” you have never sinned. To live by faith, you have covered yourself in the Blood of Jesus so God does not see your sin therefore He does not make a requirement of you to pay any penalty or price for your sin. When you were an unbeliever you lived in fear of repayment for your sins, not covered under the Blood of Jesus because through disbelief the Blood had been rendered insufficient. A commitment to Jesus made your sin invisible to God because faith covered you through the Blood of Jesus. Whatever you were whatever you were facing is not punishment able. The Blood of Jesus is enough!

Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. “It is finished.” He was talking about you. Your mistakes, faults and failures were erased in that moment. Your inability and insufficiency accounted for in an instant. Immediately you were made right with God through the Words of Jesus as He gave His Life just for you. If you are having trouble making sense of things and life does not add up, meet Jesus at the Cross today and allow Him to show you His Wonderful Plan for you once again. His Unconditional Love will change you from the inside out. His Knowledge will plant seeds of faith and righteousness that will blossom into the life you have dreamed of and hoped for. Your life will add up and equal the Fullness of God!

The more you know and understand the Purpose of Jesus what was fulfilled by His Death and Resurrection, the more faith you will develop. Such faith has the ability to make sense of your life as the missing factor you have been looking for. Life reconciled with God satisfies the soul. Life makes more sense when God is a factor. Without the Lord, it is like trying to balance your checking account without the bank statement or not having all the receipts from your purchases. It just doesn’t add up! With Jesus, not only are your sins forgotten, but they are no longer subject to accusation from your enemy. Your account has been settled. You are debt-free.

There is no one righteous, not even one

God's love is unreasonable. How can you explain His love, a love that does not make sense, a love that does not respond to logic?

Why would God commit himself to a group of people he knew would not be faithful to him? It doesn’t make sense. If God was going to make a commitment to a being why wouldn’t he choose a being he knew would be faithful? Why wouldn’t he choose people who would be grateful for his love and thankful for his blessings? Why wouldn’t he select those who would be inclined to follow his laws and appreciate the wisdom of his ways?

According human way of thinking, God is unreasonable. You choose to love others who love you. You look for those you think would be faithful to you. But God chooses the faithless, at one time you were. “Even If you are faithless, He will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). When God enters into a covenant of love with you, the covenant does not depend on your faithfulness, but on what God did by sending His Son.

You keep thinking that God only loves good people, but God loves sinners. He pursues them. In his pain he goes looking for them. God has been betrayed by you but he longs for you. When you had become enslaved by your sins, he bought you back. “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

But in spite of that, God did something completely irrational — he loved you and sought for a way to buy you out of your slavery to sin. “it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of His Son Jesus, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

For all have wandered far away all have disgraced themselves. Dont think that it is too late, or what you have done you cannot be forgiven. But all you have to do is say, “Lord, I want to come back. I want to come home. I will no longer live in unfaithfulness. I give myself totally and completely to you.” When you do, you will find his arms wide open.

GOD WANTS YOUR LOVE

The whole purpose of salvation and the reason you are called to holiness is in order that you can come to KNOW God!  There is nothing "beyond being saved."  There is no other experience that goes beyond being filled with the Holy Spirit and finding God's strength.  But being saved is not complete until you are comfortable in God's PRESENCE!

Seeking God's FACE?  You do seek God for forgiveness of your sins. But you must seek Him for His strength and sanctifying grace. You will seek God's face when the crises come.  But learn that you are made for God, and that you desperately need God all the time. If you listen, if you pay attention to His Word, you will see how very much God is reaching out to you! 

Somehow you get the idea that God's greatest interest is destroying sin, and making you feel guilty so you will quit the sin business.  And there is no question that God is sick of injustice and sin in this sin-sick world. But that is not the end God has in mind. Or, as a Christian you think God is primarily interested in what you can GIVE to Him, and what you can DO FOR HIM. Even though God has commanded you to go into this needy world and spend and be spent for Him. But God is not impressed with your great gifts or your talents. There is something important that God is concerned about.

GOD WANTS YOUR LOVE! He wants you to leave sin because you LOVE Him!

He wants you to spend and be spent because YOU LOVE HIM!  And He wants you to learn to love Him because HE FIRST LOVED YOU!

God wants to fill the deepest need you have:  THE NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED!  Most of the sins of the world are twisted LOVE.

Becoming a friend of God is a life-time project. It means a never-ending SEEKING! But once you seek the FACE of the Lord you will find that along with the seeking comes a wellspring of JOY!  And the seeking gets better, and goes deeper as you grow in the knowledge of God.

First you had to seek and find the reality of being saved from your sins. Then you begin to discover the purpose of God, and being saved from self-worship, and then you begin to know the satisfaction that comes from your accomplishments in Him. It is one of the open secrets of faith: If you SEEK TO live in God's Presence you will know JOY.  

View your life from the perspective of eternity

Weigh your trials on the scale of eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17

"Therefore you do not lose heart. Though outwardly you are wasting away, yet inwardly you are being renewed day by day. For your light and momentary troubles are achieving for you an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

Here it is "The secret of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12). This secret involves knowing who you are in Christ and viewing your life from the perspective of eternity. This secret will also give you a new understanding of your trials.

Your life must no longer be viewed with a beginning and an end, but truly as being eternal. Though your days on earth may sometimes be difficult, your days are very few. A hundred years is not even a visible speck on the canvas of eternity - your days are momentary! And the weight of your burdens will vanish to nothing when compared to the glory of Heaven - your burdens are truly light! This is the lasting power of an eternal perspective.

God's peace and contentment require you to expand your view to include an eternity you cannot see and a glory you may not understand; "Jesus has told you these things, so that you may have peace" (John 16:33). His peace is available today; it's available in your relationship, your work, your finances, your health, and your ministry.

Allow the world to see your confidence in His promised eternal glory by the peace which fills your life. Live by the faith of an eternal perspective and be renewed as you rightly consider ALL your trials to be light and momentary.

Sin you can not win with your own strength!

Fully submit your life to God and the leading of His Spirit - place your life in His hands and release your "self" control. Desire to be in His perfect will and serve Him with all your heart.

You were born into slavery...born a slave to sin. The only way to be set free from the mastery of sin and death is to ask for a transfer of ownership and become a slave to God. Your new Master then has the grace and power to shatter the bonds of sin and give you the gift of true freedom. You are never free unto yourself, never your own master. Many live under the illusion of freedom, but you are either a slave to sin or a slave to God. If you refuse to be directed by God, you are directed and controlled by the sinful pulls of the world.

If you are struggling to break the bondage of sin, you must first stop fighting and submit your life to God. Sin is not a battle you can win with your own strength! The only way to be set free is to receive forgiveness through faith in Jesus...and submit. Submission is not just an optional step for the "mature" Christian; rather, it is the essence of a saving faith. A saving faith first understands you cannot save yourself but must submit to the grace of God. You then continue in submission by daily trusting in His grace to live according to the ways of His Spirit.

Romans 8:5-6 "To live according to the sinful nature your mind is set on what the nature desires; but to live in accordance with the Spirit your mind is set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful you is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

God is sending out His call around the world. In the stillness of your heart you've heard Him call you to a closer and more intimate relationship - a more consistently submitted life of true devotion and praise. But He is requiring you to make a choice: "Choose whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). You have been offered freedom from the power of sin and death. Fully embrace His gift, submit to the leading of His Spirit, and continue to submit at every opportunity, worship Him with all your heart, and forever become...His devoted follower.

Your part of a nation upon whom God has rained His blessings.

Don’t be like most of the American culture that forgets to thank God for what they have, to pull the blinds and forget that you are a part of the 6 percent of the world that has enough continually to eat again and again and again. ‘Enter His courts with praise; enter His gates with thanksgiving.' While you eat your Thanksgiving turkey, consider this: 600 people will die of starvation while you're eating that meal. On Thanksgiving Day, 14,000 people will die of starvation. Eight hundred million people in this world have not had enough to eat today. One of every 10 babies born this week will die within the first week. Twenty-five percent of those babies never will reach age 5. Understand what it means to be a part of a nation upon whom God has rained His blessings. Most of the world is not dying under nuclear annihilation; rather by the thousands, many die whimpering in the night.

A heart without thanksgiving is empty

A heart that has not been transformed by the Spirit of God cannot truly praise, and a transformed heart that does not praise will surely cease to pump Spiritual life through the body.

Giving thanks in the form of prayer, praise, song, celebration, or simply as an attitude of thankfulness is mentioned well over one thousand times in the Bible. It's no surprise that having a heart filled with thanksgiving should be an integral part of your walk. You need to see this world and the entirety of your life with new eyes - eyes that see God's hand at work in every moment of every day.

Believing in the One True God as the Creator of the Universe and when you accepted the gift of eternal life through Jesus, you should be compelled to give thanks...regardless of your circumstances. You should begin to see the evidence of God all around, and praise Him even for the air you breathe.

A heart without praise and thanksgiving is empty and does not yet understand a sovereign God or His plan. If your surroundings are continually dictating the thankfulness of your heart, perhaps you ought to ask God to reveal His loving plan in even greater clarity. Yes, God wants to see you live a life of true peace and contentment; but first and foremost, He desires for you to surrender your life to Him and bring Him glory and honor in ALL you do. Only then, and only with the power of His Spirit, will you be able to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thes 5:18).

You cannot produce thanksgiving by simply trying to be more thankful. You only become thankful by taking your heart back to the very origin of our new nature - back to the saving grace of Jesus. Return to the point where your life was made new and once again learn to rejoice; once again learn to absolutely trust; once again learn to live with a true heart of thanksgiving.

How is your life saying thanks?

Look around you - find that which is good and thank God for it - Find that which is caring and thank God and the person who is doing it - look around - look inside - look outside - and think on that which is noble and true and beautiful and express your praise for it - express it no matter what the bad or the ugly may be.

God is hid in the ordinary routine events of your life – your practice of thank-giving will bring him to your sight and in so doing bring to others and yourself a better world.  Thanks be to God for all that he has done.

Your best moments as a human being, are not just the moments when you show care to one of the least of your brothers and sisters, it

is when you do so in the awareness that you are ministering to the Lord: when you are aware that Christ inhabits the least of your brothers and sisters - whether these brothers and sisters are the less

Fortunate of those who are joined to Christ - or the pagans and gentiles among you - the ones in whom no form of blessed can be detected - those whom, you do not consider to be your brothers and sisters because of who they are or what they have done. Such awareness serves to keep you humble such awareness serves to keep you alert. This is an awareness that you should cultivate, this awareness that Christ may be found and found especially, among the poor and the lonely and the sick, among those in prison and those who simply need a drink of water.

You are a channel of God’s kindness in the world, you’re to create hope and healing, and the rippling effect is dramatic. What a privilege you have - when you reach out and touch someone, For in doing so you are reaching out to touch God.

How are you thanking Jesus for all that he has done for you? Jesus gave his life so that you could know him and be set free. How is your life saying thanks? It’s not about you just saying “Thank you Jesus!” It’s your life that is saying thank you when you reach out, because of all that he has done for you.

Your acts of kindness radically impact people who may never change, and those acts may break them to transform. God puts you in each other’s lives to impact one another. Look for God in others.

The CROSS the lowest shame to the highest glory.

Even while the darkness covered the earth, faint rays of light began to be seen. The thief on the cross sees a ray of light and asks…"Remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom." -Luke 23:42 The centurion likewise:"Truly this man was the Son of God." Mark 15:39

The CROSS the symbol of the lowest shame, had then became the symbol of the highest glory. There, full payment had been made for your enormous debts. The curse of the Law, which you had broken, had come down on JESUS the One who suffered for you.  The demands of that law were all satisfied; payment had been made in full for you.

The Cross has affected your life. Christ died for you a sinner upon that cross. This was the complete and perfect sacrifice for sin, which He offered up when He gave His body to be crucified.

You must come to the place where you do not think about yourself, how you have suffered thru your life, about all the goodness you've done. You need to think about what Christ has done for you, and rightly give Him the glory that is due His name. He suffered death to bring you back to the Father. You can and should glory in the righteousness, the atonement, the blood, and the finished work of Christ. These are what you are to glory in, for they are the very light of your soul."The life you now live in the flesh, live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you." Galatians 2:20


The Bible is your map, your guide to the life that God intended it to be, but if you do not know this crucified Christ as your sure foundation, then you are building upon a sandy foundation. The Cross is the golden thread which runs through the Scriptures.

Unless you have the power of Christ's experience on the Cross, you will not fully grasp that blood that was shed, which covers away your sins. If you can't confess that the work of Christ on the Cross is all that you need, and that your salvation depends upon it, then your salvation profits you nothing. Just knowing about Him; just knowing His name is not enough! You must know His Cross, and that you have been purchased with a price through your Savior and His dying love.

You must encourage others.

People need Encouragement when they are struggling. People need Encouragement when they need to be challenged to do something that may seem out of their normal range of ability. What does a person who is struggling need from you? They don’t need to have you tell them they are worthless and they can figure it out themselves. They don’t need for you to just ignore them and hope things will change! If you Flatter them, they may not believe you. If you Criticize them, they may not like you. If you Ignore them, they may not forgive you. But if you Encourage them, they will not forget you. Encouragement is what can change the life of another person.

When others are struggling, be careful that you are not only pointing out what they are doing wrong; make sure you are encouraging them to stay in the game. To encourage means to “come along side of.” If you are going to encourage others, you need to come along side of them and help them. An important part of encouraging another person is the willingness to step in and walk beside them. People will receive your advice better if they know you are in or willing to get into the trenches with them. If you are going to encourage others, you MUST maintain a positive attitude. You can encourage someone while pushing them past what they think they can do, they have to see that you have a positive attitude. People will achieve great heights if they know you believe in them.

You need to encourage them that God is still in the mix. They need to know that God has a plan. But realize It is a difficult thing for them to see, when they are in the midst of their struggles.
You should always be trying to help make others have a stronger faith. You need to make sure you are investing yourself in other people in order to help them.

Hebrews 10:24-25 “You must encourage each other to show love and to do good things. You should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some have. Instead, you must continue to encourage each other even more as you see the day of the Lord coming”.  Help give one another a push when they need it! A little encouragement will go a long way! You are called to be a blessing to others.

Where are you?

How do you strengthen your relationship with God? To Never more drift from His path to become entangled in the weeds. You never plan to leave God's path and become entangled; rather, it seems you simply take a wrong turn and then drift through small steps of compromise. And then think how did this happen? And once you've drifted, how do you return and guard against drifting once again?

The very first sin caused the delusion that it was possible to hide from God Genesis 3:8-9. This delusion continues today! You sit among the weeds and think God doesn't notice - that He doesn't see you in the midst of your sin. But the all-knowing Creator of the Universe knew exactly where Adam was hiding. God wasn't searching through the bushes trying to find His lost creation. No, God was speaking directly to Adam: "Adam, why are you in this condition? Do you know where you are and how far you have drifted?"

Adam's willful disobedience caused him to tremble as he answered: "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid" (Genesis 3:10). Adam was lost. Somehow, even in his garden paradise, Adam and Eve had wandered in their relationship with God. The devil had found them alone - not walking with the Father - and began his great deception. Now, sin had caused shame, fear, and separation.

ALL sin has its beginning with a drifting from the presence of God. No one "falls" into sin by a momentary slip; rather, sin is the result of a long slow drift away from intimate fellowship with God. Drifting from His presence causes you to become more susceptible to sin, which continues the cycle of even further separation. Soon, you have become entangled and completely lose sight of His path.

The way back always begins with a humble and repentant heart. You must confess you have strayed, admit your straying as sin, and ask for the strength and guidance to return. God will immediately shine His light, strengthen your steps, and ask you to simply focus on loving Him with all your heart.

Return to the presence of God and be determined to never leave. Continually look at your life and make sure you're walking right by His side whenever God asks, "Where are you?"

A NEW LIFE must HAVE A CHANGE OF PURPOSE.

You are to have a new purpose. If you want to change, you need a change of purpose for your life. The new attitude is the one Jesus has toward others! You are called to be renewed to a true knowledge of Christ. You cannot be renewed to a true knowledge of Him if you do not know anything about Him.

Many of your problems come from a lack of knowledge concerning God. Your ignorance of God and His word will hold you back on the transformation process. You cannot be transformed into an image you do not know. A true knowledge of Christ will lead you to a new life. By obtaining knowledge of Christ and His will, your spiritual being is being changed into the likeness of Jesus. You will learn to feel, act, and think like Christ.

(Romans 12:2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Your new purpose is to be transformed into the image of Jesus!

(2 Corinthians 3:18) You with an unveiled face, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, from the Lord.

That is your calling in Christ! It is all about trust; it is about trusting God with your life. It is about seeking Him in every area of your life. It is about letting God have you; it is about pursuing God’s agenda instead of your own. To have the faith and relationship you want, you will need to change some things. Quit fighting God, it is time to quit playing church. It is time for a change. Doing what you always have done will give you what you have always got.

Looking and keep on looking till an answer is given.

Habakkuk 2:1-2 STAND at the guard post. You must be looking to receive. You are to be observant. You will not receive if you don’t see. Notice it does not say "SIT" at the guard post. It says to “STAND”. Sitting doesn’t take as much effort as standing does. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9Ask, seek, knock all take effort – so does standing. Also notice what Habakkuk says – “I WILL stand”. He has expressed his intent. His will is involved. His choice is activated. He was determined to actively listen to what God had to say. There are times it takes effort to hear God’s voice. There are times it takes effort receive God’s voice. There are times you have to work to have a daily quiet time with God. To “STATION” yourself speaks of perseverance. It talks of sticking it out. It talks of waiting till the answer is given. It talks of looking and looking and keep on looking till an answer is given.

The reason you don’t hear God is because you are too busy. It’s hard for you to station yourself and get quiet. Hurry is the death of prayer. If you want to hear God you have to become quiet. Not only do you need a quiet spot to pray you need a quiet mentality.

Find a quiet place to pray and slow your mind down. You may be resting but your mind is still racing. Your thoughts flip from one subject to the next. You think of all the unfinished tasks you have. You think of all the things you could be doing. Focus is the key.

The next step to receive is to record the insights that you receive. All humans have a tendency to forget. The best way to remember is to write it down. The shortest pencil is longer than most people’s memory.

All have a tendency to take simple things and make them complex. Jesus said it this way: “See the birds of the air. They don’t spin nor reap. Yet the Father above takes care of them. And you are worth more than birds.”

To clarify is to come to understand. Once you understand you can apply and when you apply God’s Word you become Doers of God’ Word.

"Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!" James 1:22

Throw off everything that Hinders.

Your life can be a long and sometimes difficult race. Often you can grow weary and in need of rest; but this race is not like any you have ever run. You do not compete against the other runners, nor do you even run the same course. You run the race marked out by your Heavenly Father; and yet, ALL must strive toward the same finish line.

Hebrews 12:1-2 " Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for you. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith." Patiently run the race, and keep on running with determination and endurance, in spite of the opposition or discouragement.

In your race Hindrances can be represented by weeds which try to wrap around our legs and slow you down. This "sin that so easily entangles" can often be difficult to even recognize. You may be running a clear path without a hint of weeds; everything has been going well and you feel immune to the temptations of this world. But without your eyes fixed on Jesus - without your heart fully trusting Him for every step - your path can become covered before you even realize there's a problem.

You must maintain an awareness of the condition of your path. Weeds are not acceptable and must be cleared away (the word of God and prayer is an excellent weed killer!). There are no circumstances where weeds are beneficial they ALWAYS hinder!!

Remember that your race is a long marathon, not a quick sprint. And in order to persevere, you must prepare for many hills and valleys (and weeds) along the way. Develop a burning desire to one day say; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). As you keep your eyes on Jesus as your eternal joy, you "will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:3).

No matter what each day may bring, you must persist with your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus until you hear Him say: "Well done, good and faithful servant....Come and share your Master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:23). Some days you may only be able to take small baby steps, but still you must continue and run with the sole purpose of bringing Him glory and honor in ALL you do. Your race can be filled with joy and peace, but you must commit to a life of absolute trust and run with perseverance!

The Entire family is being prepared.

You are often encouraged to patiently wait for God's direction as well as for His rescue in the midst of your storms. And your reminded that God's timing is always perfect and always with a purpose, and that He is faithful to work in your life according to His perfect plan. But waiting is hard! Even when "you know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28), It's still hard!

 God will always make His way clear. But also understand that His timing almost always requires more patience than what you've been given. When you gave your life to Jesus, transformation began He gave you His Spirit to dwell within you to produce fruit: " Love, joy, peace, patience..." (Galatians 5:22-23). You have been given a certain measure of patience, but I sure need more!

 Look back at the last few years, “You’re in the End Time Years” God’s family has been in a continual search for God's directions. Each in His Family has been called to ministry work; however, you have never completely understood the extent of this call. God’s entire family is being prepared to follow, but clear direction has been lacking...and so you wait. The result has been that your eyes and thoughts are daily focused on Jesus waiting to see if the cloud will move as it did with Gods people when they were taken out of Egypt. And through the process you are learning the importance of patience.

 James 5:7-8 "Be patient, then, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." Notice that the farmer is waiting for things completely out of His control. He has done the work of plowing the ground and planting the seed; now He must wait for God to produce the crop.

 No matter what your circumstances are, if you have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, you can rest assured that He is at your side directing your steps. Sometimes God's direction comes by way of outward events and changes that you can see with your eyes, but often His direction comes in the form of inward changes and growth - such as more trust, more love...and more patience. Your "work" is to take each step He reveals and then wait for God to produce the crop and love Him with all your heart.

 Deeply appreciate your extended time until His arrival. Encourage each one in your life and pray for the clarity of God's direction and the boldness to follow where He leads you.

Come out of the Wilderness Wanderings.

Psalm 139:4:11 there remains therefore a rest for the people of God. …  Therefore be diligent to enter that rest, don’t fall according to the same example of disobedience.

Think of the children of Israel as they stood victorious on the shores of the Red Sea. The power of the tyrant had been broken by a series of marvelous miracles. The Promised Land and a settled home all lay within two or three months’,  an easy march. But only two of all those men were destined to see the land flowing with milk and honey; and they did not for forty weary years. The others all died in the wilderness. Their wilderness wanderings are a frightening picture of a restless, aimless, and unsatisfied life.

It Is typical of the lives of many Christians today. Are you really satisfied – spiritually speaking? Or are you stuck somewhere between Egypt and the Promised Land.

 Are you, like the Jews in the wilderness the victims of murmuring and discontent; or deceived by a heart of jealousy and passion, some even of hatred and ill-will? Is your experience in your life a matter of broken promises and shattered hopes, or maybe feelings of purposeless wanderings?

If so Pass the boundary line today, and leave behind forever the bitter, unsatisfactory experiences which have become the normal rule of your existence. Come up out of the wilderness, in which you have wandered so long. For Christ is the Promised Land that flows with milk and honey, in which you eat.

For you have become a partaker in Christ Heb 3:14. You are His partner that shares your life and your destiny with Him and in Him. He is the vine and you are a branch (John 15). His life-force should be flowing through you causing you to grow and bear fruit. Take comfort in the assurance that there is a rest for you in God Heb 4:9. It means that you don’t have to live a weary, aimless life.

SURRENDER will change Everything!

Your first obligation to the Lord is complete surrender! God cannot use you in the body of Christ until you surrender you to Him. Don’t allow your life to be poured into the world’s mold. Salvation begins as an inside job. You will never change outwardly for real until you change inwardly. Your behavior will not be altered unless your thinking has been altered. Your appearance won’t be one that will glorify God and draw others to Him until there’s a change beneath the surface. When you look at others…what you see is a reflection of what they are on the inside…so focus on the inner person.

Surrender and service always go together. It’s impossible to be surrendered to God, and not be busy serving Him. You cannot be a living sacrifice, and be lazy and indifferent toward the ministry of Loving Others. Talk is cheap. You can talk about total dedication, radical separation or inner transformation, but the proof is in the pudding. If your dedication doesn’t lead you to service, to serve Christ to the next level, then your flesh is fooling you! Complete Surrender will lead you to service…devotion will lead you to your duty!

You have spiritual gifts, given to you at salvation. But don’t expect to know for sure what yours are until you have (Surrendered) to use them in His service, no matter what. The Lord makes it abundantly clear that you are under the same obligation with all. No one is excluded from serving God with/ their gifts!

It is Very important to have humility. There is a temptation to take pride in your gifts, and to compare them with the gifts of others. You must resist that, and humbly seek out your gifts. SURRENDER will change Everything!

Really knowing Jesus is much more than simply knowing "about" Him.

After being confronted by Jesus, your focus should be forever changed; you’re every desire now to be centered on faith in Jesus and the good news of His gospel. (Philippians 3:10) "You need to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."The only way to experience the power of Jesus is to live as a new creation to have your sinful nature crucified with Christ; and as a new creation, continually desire to know your Creator.

Really knowing Jesus is much more than simply knowing "about" Him. You can fill your head with every possible biblical fact and still never know Christ. To know Him is to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; to trust Him regardless of your circumstances, and to draw close to His side in your joy as well as your suffering. Nothing else in life has any real meaning; “Consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus as your Lord" (Philippians 3:8a).

Turning up your passion for Jesus will allow you to lose hold of all your worldly attachments; “Consider them rubbish that you may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8b). By Turning up your passion for Jesus it will allow you to be "content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12). By giving yourself fully to knowing Christ, you will gain true contentment and peace.

You will never achieve Peace and contentment through more possessions, activities, or relationships - these are ALL temporary and will fade away with time. Your life will only be truly content when you give yourself to Jesus and love Him without reservation; you will only be filled with His peace as you seek to know Him. You have the ability to know Christ to be close with God’s son and you are promised powerful results!

You may never be asked to give up much for the sake of the gospel; but then again, you may be asked to give up everything! Either way, your heart must always hold loosely to the things of this world. Anything which cannot be released has effectively become a god and crowds the throne which MUST be reserved for the King of Kings. Reconsider your priorities - where you spend your time and what commands your thoughts and consumes your energy. Give yourself fully to Him and make sure nothing has become more important than knowing Christ.

Forever God is faithful, Forever God is strong, Forever God is with you, Forever and ever.

Death of ALL which would pull you away!

The sinful temptations of your flesh, the misguided priorities of your selfish ambition, or the vast number of trivial activities which consume your time, they all hinder your intimacy with God. These "hindrances" of the world keep you from knowing Jesus, and keep you from walking closer with God and glorifying His name. That’s why Jesus says, you must crucify the things of the flesh; "If you would come after Christ, you must deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow Him" (Luke 9:23). "Crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20) - a complete death of ALL which would pull you away!

You are not called to the glum and dreary dead life so many Christians seem to be living - the life removed from the entanglements of the world but also removed from any and all form of joy. No, you have been called to much more; you have been called to a glorious new birth! You deny yourself so you can live in Christ and give Him full control to work in and through your life.

Jesus came for the single purpose of dying on a cross for the forgiveness of sin. But Jesus was not just crucified and buried...He rose!! His resurrection was God's declaration to the world that Jesus was His Son (Romans 1:4); and it was confirmed, with absolute assurance, with complete victory over sin and death. This life of crucifixion and victorious resurrection is the full life to which you have been invited.

You have been called to take up your cross and follow Jesus up the hill to die to self. You must put to death your sinful desires. But you are not locked inside the dark and lonely tomb. (Matthew 28:6). You thru Christ have truly risen and are born again.

Walk as a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17), and declare to the world through your joy and peace that you are a child of His. Arise with new desires and dreams - those formed in your heart by The Father - and live by the guiding power of His Spirit. Praise Him all of your days as you joyfully live the resurrected life.

You are still progressing from what you once were.

There are days when you just don't feel like being thankful-you wake up and don't seem able to praise. You know you should "rejoice in the Lord always" you’re trying to learn "the secret of being content in any and every situation" (Philippians 4:12); and you want to believe that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). But sometimes it's just difficult.

When you take your eyes off Jesus and begin to look at the gathering storm (Matt 14:30). You then will become entangled in the weeds and get choked by "the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth" (Matt 13:22). Or you may simply become tired and weary.

Days like this are to be expected. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33) - and your trouble will sometimes strain your relationship with God. But even in the midst of your trouble, you are being "transformed into His image" (2 Cor 3:18). When you place your life in His hands, He begins the process of transformation - a process which WILL continue; "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion" (Philip 1:6). Even though you may sometimes struggle and find yourself in a dry desert, you are still progressing from what you once were to what you will yet become. God will use these difficult seasons to mold your heart if you will simply continue to trust, love, and praise Him.

You must NEVER forget that Jesus also said of your troubles; "take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). You must continue to grow in your relationship with God until He is so near that you can truly see how He has overcome; and praise Him all day and every day. He desires your praise, and He is, without a doubt, deserving of your praise!

No matter what your situation is, remember He is worthy of your praise! He has picked you up, cleaned you off, and adopted you into His Family. You often forget how many reasons you have for being thankful. Use every moment of the day to rejoice with thanksgiving in your heart. Don’t miss another opportunity to praise The Creator of even the Air you even Breath .

the big Earthquake's coming (Rev 6:12–17). It is bigger than you can imagine.

There is the big Earthquake coming (Revelation 6:12–17). It is bigger than you can imagine. It is so vastly bigger than your imaginations can conceive. For the stars will be falling, the skies will be rolled up like a scroll, and the earth will come out of its foundations and collapses, and all the islands and the mountains vanish, and there is only God with whom all will face. None are secure and safe outside of Christ you should tremble at the thought, because you will face God someday with nothing to stand on but what was is your heart!

Open your eyes to read the signs of the times so that you will not be taken off-guard when the calamity comes. It is coming, and the Lord has warned you that it is coming. Before this end comes, God has appointed that this great final shaking be preceded by smaller earthquakes and other calamities to give notice of something awesome, the way contractions and labor pains precede the birth of a child and tell you that it's coming.

That’s the meaning—they are warnings. And there will be an increasing number of calamities, so that there is growing a sense of unsettledness in the world. But people still hang onto money and some cling to power and some go after sex and most have had their love grow cold because of the lawlessness that has multiplied. Each will hear the voice of the Lord in the shaking of the world in those last days. Open your eyes to read the signs of the times so that you will not be taken off-guard when the calamity comes. It is coming, and the Lord is warning you that it is coming. Again and again and again he is shaking people to the reality of the instability of this world and to desire the unshakable kingdom that he offers.

Worship the unshakable God, don’t worship shakable possessions. Fix your heart on God. For God is your treasure. God is your security, not your retirement plan. Stand with reverence and awe before the power and holiness of God.

When you look at what you treasure, you will know where your heart really is.

The things of this earth will not last, and yet it is in them that you so often choose to put your hope. When you put your hopes and dreams into bricks and mortar…or more likely wood and aluminum siding…eventually you discover how true are the words of Jesus in Matthew, (Matt 6: 19-24) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” God’s desire for you is that He be your dwelling place. That you store up all your hopes and dreams in him. When God becomes your dwelling place the the stuff of this world, houses and all, can be put in their proper perspective. They are blessings from God and resources to be used for His glory. These things come and go. There are times of plenty and times of want. At any moment you may be called to give them up or they may be taken from you. But if your hope is in the Lord then your home is always secure.

 Whatever you have in life, be it money or possessions or even time, you aren’t given them in life so that you can store them. When you store them, and tend them, and become afraid at the thought of letting them go, then they have become your treasure – and they have your heart.

 The issue Jesus is getting at in His teaching is not that you should rid yourself of all material possessions. The issue is where your heart is. The issue is loyalty - what are you going to do with your possessions rather than what they are going to do with you. If you are loyal to Christ, your money and your possessions will be used properly – and what you do with them will prove that Christ is your treasure or He’s is not.

Jesus wants you to recognize that no matter how much lip service you give to honoring Him, when you look at what you treasure, you will know where your heart really is. And once you know, ask yourself if you are satisfied with what you can see.

Your thinking has to be reprogrammed.

Be assured, if you have no other enemies, the devil and his demons are all the enemies you’ll ever need. You can’t outlive them in human years or outwit them but in Christ, you can outlast them if you stand firm in your faith and resist them. So you need not still battle with the same thoughts and feelings that you had before you became a Christian. “You are human, but you don’t wage war with human plans and methods” (2 Cor. 10:3). You still live in the world, but you don’t go to war as the world does. There is the problem; the battle for your mind cannot be won using the same thinking you had before you accepted Christ. YET YOU STILL TRY TO WIN THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND THE SAME WAY YOU ALWAYS DID. When you became a Christian no one put your old way of thinking into the “recycle bin” and then permanently deleted it. Everything you learned through life and all the feelings that came along with it are still programmed into your mind even after you accepted Christ as your savior. The battle for your mind continues to this day. Your thoughts can still conform to the pattern of the world; your thinking can still be skewed. “Conform no longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Your thinking has to be reprogrammed; you have been given the mind of Christ only now you need to learn to use it.

You have walked in circles around this mountain long enough.

What are you truly accomplishing in this life? Life has often been compared to a rat race, where you are forever on the move, only to discover that you keep coming back to the same starting point with every lap around Life’s block.

God has placed the cage around you as a human, set the terms of your existence and then set your world in motion. Now it is up to you to run the race according to his terms; so you have no choice but to run. The only question that remains is, where are you going to be when the race is finally over? Will all of your running in this life bring you to a destination of reward; or will it only bring you an end without meaningful results?
You will come to the end of this race sooner or later! There is a Finish Line waiting for you. But it’s what is beyond the Finish Line that you must be ever concerned about. Life is nothing more than a race; a journey to an ultimate destination. You will not escape that preset course. You are forced to run. The clock never stops ticking; time marches on and you cannot escape the spinning wheel of life.

Some struggle with the same old habits and many are trying as hard as they can but nothing is changing. The Lord is encouraging you to just keep running, but run where He tells you to run.
God won’t give up on you. You can win this battle. You can overcome this mountain in your life, if you just remain faithful until the race is won. In Deut2:2-3 the LORD is saying: you have walked in circles around this mountain long enough turn you northward. It’s time to quit circling mount Seir! It’s time to move on. Their backs were facing the Promised Land, meaning they were going in the opposite direction of where God wanted them to go, so God will turn you as He did them around and place you back on the right path.

God looks beyond all those things that people might consider ugly.

The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do. You judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at your heart and your thoughts and intentions’ (1 Samuel 16.7). All humans are made in the image of God. In an image-obsessed world, that’s something to think about. The Bible isn’t talking about what God looks like, but how he is - a Creator God who loves others for who they are, and seeks their love in return. God looks beyond your nose, which you might think is too long, and your feet, which you might think are too big. He looks beyond whether you think you are too tall or too short or too heavy or too thin. He looks inside your heart and sees what is there. He searches for a heart that will accept His love. God is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t make any difference what you look like. He wants a heart that is ready to receive his love, and reflect that love to others. God doesn’t see the imperfections, the scars and scrapes. He looks straight into your heart. Is there love inside of you that reflects the love of God so that others can see Him? According to Jesus, ‘purity of heart’ isn’t about believing the right things. It isn’t about going through the right motions. It’s doing the right things with right motives. Before God can deliver you from yourself, you must undeceive yourself. You need unmixed motives, and transparent integrity. Purity of heart isn’t just the absence of certain negative things in your life; it’s the very presence of God in you. Jesus wants you to have a ‘pure’, ‘clean,’ ‘unmasked’ heart. A pure heart is a forgiven heart. It’s a heart that has been cleansed by the purifying blood of Jesus Christ. A pure heart is one that is in a relationship with God; that repents of sins and seeks inward purity. Purity of heart cleanses the eyes of the soul so that God becomes visible. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart,” he was pronouncing blessing on those who are pure at the very centre of their being, at the very source of their every activity, not those who appear pure on the surface. In fact, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for symbolically washing the outside of their lives, while leaving the inside dirty. If you are experiencing loneliness and rejection, then know that God looks beyond all those things that people might consider ugly and unattractive. He looks at your heart. He looks for love. He looks for purity. If you have those things, you’re beautiful in God’s sight.

Never stop requesting if you’re pray is not answered yet.

Do you remember times when God has been silent to you? Have you not thought, because God has not answered your prayers, that there was a mistake about his graciousness, that he was not the God that had His Son give the invitation when he said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;” that he desired to tantalize poor soul, making you pray and cry to him while he meant to be deaf to your requests? Have you not had hard thoughts of Christ like those? Put them away, and do not fall into this snare of Satan. Ever heard the enemy say to you; “Your prayer is not of the right sort; and, therefore, you never will be heard.” Don’t listen to him, never stop requesting if you’re pray is not answered, faint not; but continue to pray. The Lord will yet reply to your petition; He will open the windows of heaven, and shower down his mercy upon you.
Close your eyes and look back to the moment to see His thorn-crown, with the thorns piercing his blessed brow, and the tears streaming down his cheeks already spotted with his bloody sweat? Can you see his hands and feet, pierced by the nails, His wounds have become fountains of blood! For you he hangs, naked, despised and rejected. Yet he endured all this agony that he might save you. Then how now can you think so wrong of Him as to suppose that He, who once died for you, has no thought of compassion for you? No, by His wounds, you can trust Him; by His bloody sweat, continue your request unto him; pray with him yet again, for he will hear you, his mercy shall come unto you. Keep on seeking God, until your prayers are answered.
Jericho’s walls did not fall down the first day the hosts of Israel went round them; but they went around the city seven days, and, on the seventh day, the walls fell flat to the ground. “Prayer is the rope which hangs down to earth, and there is a bell in heaven which it rings, and God hears.” Pull that rope again to-day, praying to the Father for answers. Make the great bell in heaven ring again and again, and let its notes be heard, “Your prayers shall be heard, and God does grant requests.”

There is one thing worse than going to hell.

The rich man in (Luke 16:19-31) was crying 2,000 years ago to have a finger dipped in water to touch his tongue. He is still crying 2,000 years later! He will still be crying 2,000 years from now, and so on, and yet there is something worse than going to hell?" The one thing that is worse than going to hell is.... GOING TO HELL AND TAKING SOMEONE WITH YOU. In hell there will be many a dad and with them, some will see their son. Their sorrow will be doubled to hear their son cry and say, "Daddy why didn’t you warn me about this place?! Daddy, why didn’t set a better example before me? Hell will be full of children cussing their parents, and brothers crying to their brothers, and cousins crying to their cousins, and classmates crying to their classmates for their poor example and bad influence. Very few will go to hell alone, the power of influence is much stronger than you would like to imagine. Perhaps the rich man in Luke 16 was so concerned for his 5 brothers because he knew he had set a bad example for them, and as bad as hell was it horrified him that his brothers would wind up there also. You see there is one thing worse than going to hell, and that is taking someone with you. There is a place for persuasive hellfire talk these last days. Not only is there a place for you to tell others about the fires of hell and the only way to escape them, but true pleading and living right for the gospel is not complete without it.

Discover your destiny – the good plans that He has for your life.

There is within you, a longing to be useful, to be needed, to contribute to the lives of others in a meaningful way, a desire to know that you’ve made a difference to someone, to be a part of something important, worthwhile, and great. God desires that you as one of His children would discover your destiny – the good plans that He has for your life. The starting point for this is a God encounter where you hear His call, and respond with faith and obedience. Then, your life becomes something great. You will never fully realize your destiny until you have had an encounter with God!

God wants to set you free and have you do your part of the destiny to impact other people’s lives with His love and power. (Acts 10:38)  God calls you to go around doing good and healing people! So He said, "I will be with you…So I will stretch out My hand…with all My wonders…” (Ex. 3:11-12-20). • Moses made excuses but God answered them all - I will be with you! • You may feel inadequate like Moses - he stuttered had a bad past, etc. • But God says, “I will be with you! I will stretch out my hand with my wonders” • God isn’t looking for your ability, but rather your availability!

WHAT’S IN YOUR HAND?
 (Exodus 4:1-3). • God said, “What’s in your hand?” All he had was an ordinary stick! “And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.” (Exodus 4:20b). • Moses’ stick became the rod of God. Your hug can become the hug of God! • What’s in your hand? An encouraging word, love for children, music – use it for God!          • God’s Holy Spirit upon you will turn your natural into something supernatural! • “It’s not the golden vessels or the silver vessels God is looking for, only willing vessels.”• What are you called to do? “Find a need and fill it.”

DISCOVERING YOUR DESTINY:
God has given gifts to you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you. Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.

Do you realize what happened at your conversion?

Do you realize what happened at your conversion? God came into your heart and made it His temple. In Old Testament days God dwelt in a temple made of stone; today He dwells in a temple composed of living believers. When you really see that God has made your heart His dwelling-place, a deep reverence will come over your life! Has it really come home to you that wherever you go you carry with you The Holy Spirit? You do not just carry your Bible with you, or the great teachings about God, but God Himself.

If you do not experience the power of the Spirit, though He actually dwells in your heart, it is you lack reverence. And you lack reverence because you have not held to the fact of His Never Leaving presence. Some Christians are living victorious lives while others live in a state of constant defeat. The difference is not accounted for by the presence or absence of the Spirit (for He dwells in your heart and the heart of every child of His) but that some recognize His indwelling and others do not. True revelation of the Spirit's indwelling will revolutionize your life.

(1 Cor. 6. 19, 20). This verse will take you to a stage further, for once you have made the discovery of the fact that you are the dwelling-place of God, a full surrender of yourself to God will follow. When you see that you are the temple of God, you will immediately recognize that you are not your own. The difference between a victorious life and a defeated life is not that others have the Spirit while you have not, but that some know His indwelling and others do not, and that some recognize Gods Divine ownership of their lives while others are still their own masters.

Accept His forgiveness so you can move on.

If your life’s being polluted today, it could be because you haven’t washed off where you came from. God will open doors for you, but until you’ve dealt with your past, you won’t be ready to walk through them. You can’t receive what He has for you now, if you’re still contaminated by what you went through then. Whether it takes five months or five years, wash it off; you can’t move on with God until you do! Sure, you might be prepared to move on; you might associate with people of influence and affluence. But none of that matters. You’ll keep losing your blessing until somebody has the nerve to tell you to wash off your past. Maybe you have been delivered from things in your past, but because you haven’t washed your face; you still look like where you came from. You can’t enjoy what God has for you today, until you leave behind all your emotional baggage from yesterday. So get up and wash it off! God has forgiven you for everthing in your past so accept His forgiveness so you can move on.

How to release the power of God into your circumstances.

God has given you a powerful method to obtain His promises, and it is up to you to use it. That method is to declare the Word of God. Or to Confess God’s Word written in the Bible, or speak God’s Words out loud. Every time you speak, you are activating spiritual forces that will affect your life. This is why it is so important to be mindful of the words you speak. The law of confession will work for anyone who will get involved with it. If you feel defeated in life you are defeated because you believe and confess the wrong things. Realize that your words are activating a spiritual law that is working for or against you. Understand you have been given access to the power of God through your words, which are weapons against the enemy. Satan is constantly applying pressure to your mind in order to get you to quit in these last days; however, you do not have to allow hard times or pressure to defeat you. You can use the Word of God as a weapon against the enemy, and win.

In order to be victorious over the attacks of the enemy, you must think, believe, and speak in line with God’s Word. In fact, believing the Word in your heart is the requirement for your confessions to have a significant impact in your life. Faith is the force that must be in operation in order for your confessions to come to pass. You must believe that the things you confess from the Bible are coming to pass as you pray and speak them.

The same creative power that God possesses has been invested in you. As a spiritual being you possess the nature of God, you have the ability to speak things into existence just like God did. This isn’t some mystical, New Age idea; it is scriptural. When Jesus walked the earth, He imitated His Father by speaking what the Father spoke. As a result, He saw results everywhere He went. Likewise, you must be an imitator of God. When you speak His Words, you release His creative ability into the earth, and something always happens. When you believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the words you speak will come to pass, you will see Gods hand move. (Mark 11:22-23).

All things are possible for you when you believe. Confessing God’s Word is so powerful because every time you hear yourself speaking the Scriptures, you are actually planting faith in your heart. The more you become established in the Word of God through speaking it on a consistent basis, the more your faith will grow. And faith, when acted upon, will always produce the desired results.

There shouldn’t be a day that passes that you as a Believer do not speak the Word of God. It is the Word that strengthens your faith, and releases the power of God into your situations and circumstances. By making daily confessions, you structure your world with the Word of God, shut the devil out of your life, and plant faith in your heart. It is the key to victory.