The strength of God will never fail you!

Take a timeout and draw upon the strength of God!

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“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

The question is facing life on your own or calling upon a power greater than yourself? The world will bring trials and tribulations. They can’t be avoided.

You can tackle life on your own but sooner or later you will reach a place where you will realize your total and incomplete weakness and the need for something bigger than yourself. The attitude of self sufficiency is the biggest stumbling block to finding God. If you believe you can function successfully in life and find happiness on your own, then God will leave you alone. He will allow you to reach a breaking point to prove that life without God is a road to disaster.

God rescues people who call on Him. He takes broken lives and restores them with His mighty power. He breathes His life into your body and gives you the strength to meet all the challenges in your life.

The strength of God is made perfect in your weakness. He rejoices when you rely on Him for all your needs. This is a recognition that you believe in your heart He alone is the source of all good things.

Start each day with a face to face visit with God! Commit your day to Him and ask His Spirit to to fill you with strength. This strength is not human. It comes from the life of Jesus. It is the same strength that delivered the Israelites out of bondage and caused the walls of Jericho to crumble.

Your strength is short lived and temporary but God’s strength is everlasting and unlimited. God’s definition of strength includes the attributes of courage, stamina, wisdom, protection, alertness, and discernment. You can have this strength right now. Ask God for it and receive it by faith!

God is infallible! He is able to overcome any problem in your life. Nothing is too big for God. Reach out to God by faith! He will never fail you!

Have you checked in with God?

Develop the discipline of frequently dropping in to visit God during your day to seek His wisdom or strength for a specific challenge or difficulty. He is always there waiting for you to inquire of Him.

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“These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:13-16

Jesus taught that God is a Spirit and that we must worship Him in Spirit and Truth. He also said that the worldly man cannot receive the Spirit of God and does not see Him or know Him. The idea of God is foolish to the worldly man. This person is living in a void of all things to do with God. He is lost and on a path to oblivion.

The wisdom of the world will never lead you to the truths of God. The Holy Spirit is your teacher and He is the only way you can learn spiritual things and understand the workings of God. The reality is you have the life of Jesus anchored in you and He is your direct line to God. You must be one with the Spirit to discern the things of God.

The spiritual man is yielding to the Holy Spirit and is leading a God directed life. He has the ability to see all things through the eyes of Jesus and determine light from darkness. He does not accept judgment from men because He is listening to God and seeking the purity of God in His life.

The Bible comes to life when you are spiritually discerned. The Word takes on a deeper significance and becomes your life blood. It is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway.

The spiritual man understands that he has the mind of Christ and that the Spirit wants to speak to him and give him wisdom, protection, and guidance. He is in touch with the living God!

Invite the Holy Spirit to reign in your mind. He will place His thoughts in you and fill you with dreams and visions. Learn to be still and listen for the voice of God. Think (or focus) on God and block out all other thoughts or distractions. You will hear His voice and you can accept it by faith!

Develop the discipline of frequently dropping in to visit God during your day to seek His wisdom or strength for a specific challenge or difficulty. He is always there waiting for you to inquire of Him.

The nature of a born again creature!

If you are not changing into a new person, then something is wrong inside of you. Probably self is on the throne and not God. A believer gives up the right to himself and desires to live for God.

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“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

The nature of a born again creature is to reflect the personality of Jesus. This requires a sincere commitment to God and giving Him permission to refine you with His qualities. If you are not changing into a new person, then something is wrong inside of you. Probably self is on the throne and not God. A believer gives up the right to himself and desires to live for God.

The calling from God is to be a member of a “set apart” people. You no longer belong to the world, you belong to God. You live in the world but you conduct yourself differently. Your priority is always God first not the things of the world. You can enjoy the riches of the world but they have no hold on you.

The character traits of a believer are humbleness, gentleness, and patience. You receive these qualities from the Spirit of God dwelling inside of you. Your faith in God and dependence on Him to meet all your needs will bring His righteousness. Nothing else will work! As your faith grows, you will take on more of the nature of God.

The humility of God is placing the needs of others above yourself. If you are honest with yourself, this rarely happens. True humility will come as you let go and give God authority over your life. When you experience the living God you will have confidence and boldness that God will meet your every need. This will give you the freedom to think about others.

The love of God overcomes all things and can be expressed in many different ways. For example, you engage different people every day in conversations. Are you listening sincerely, making eye contact, and speaking words that are edifying to others? Are you genuine and operating with pure motives? This will only happen if you are one with God linked to His Spirit. You can’t do it on your own.

You keep the unity of the Spirit by seeking the peace of God for yourself and in all relationships. You may dislike some people for good reasons but God’s desire is for you to build a peaceful bond to the best of your ability with all.

As a believer, you are a light for God. You reflect His renown, praise, and glory. This happens unconsciously and is created by diligent prayer, reading and applying the Word of God in your life, and your obedience to the leading of His voice.

The sculpting of God is a lifelong process. Just have a willing heart and let God do the work! He loves you.

Learn to rest in our amazing God!

The obstacle blocking many believers is disobedience to God. You fall into unbelief and give up on God during the hard times or you have a hot and cold relationship with God. When life is good, God is good!

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“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:9-10

God created rest for His people. He was an excellent role model because He created the heavens and the earth and all living things in six days and rested on the seventh day. When God tells you to rest in Him, He is saying come to Me by faith and I will provide for all your needs. You don’t have to strive because every thing you need is readily available from My resurrected life. Don’t go to the world or other gods but seek Me out. Follow My example and cease from your works and dwell in My house of rest.

God has made a promise that He will give you an abundant life and bless the desires of your heart. Our great God wants to give you more than you ask or think. To receive this promise you have to hear the truth and accept it by faith. Then you will enter into His rest. The obstacle blocking many believers is disobedience to God. You fall into unbelief and give up on God during the hard times or you have a hot and cold relationship with God. When life is good, God is good!

The works of God have been finished! He created you in His image and gave you His Son. Jesus offers the gift of eternal life! He forgives all your sins and offers Himself to live in you in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit brings life and renewal.

You can experience the rest of God every day of your life! Draw near to God through prayer and develop an inner consciousness of His Spirit dwelling within you. Seek out God for all your needs and be obedient to the leading of His Spirit.

Without faith it is impossible to please God!

How to be one with God?

Don’t practice religion, live it!

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“That they may be one even as we are one” John 17:21

Today can be an amazing day for you whether you are a believer or not! Jesus was one with God throughout His entire life and He prayed that you would be one with Him.

The idea of becoming yoked to God is not a myth. It is reality. If you are an unbeliever, the first step is to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your Savior. This genuine expression from your heart will give you the gift of eternal life.

Now you are on the way but you lack the power and vitality of the resurrected life. Many people stop after the commitment to God and just go through the motions. They lack the ability to be a Spirit empowered believer filled with the attributes of Jesus. They are stranded, weak, and helpless.

It is like a jet airplane on the tarmac ready to takeoff. But it is grounded because the fuel tank is empty. The secret is to understand that at the moment you make a commitment to Jesus, you are given the Holy Spirit. This is the life of Jesus in the form of a Spirit and is your source for life. You can now take off if you ask for the Holy Spirit to baptize and fill you with His Spirit.

This is not about practicing religion. It is about living it. You will have an intimate relationship with God and hear His voice. He will fill you with love, joy, peace and all of the fruit of the Spirit. He will give you wisdom and fight your battles for you.

The Spirit will infuse every aspect of your life including your thoughts, emotions, and decision making. You will think and act differently and life will have a much deeper significance. Your source of life will be the endless reservoir of God’s living water.

It will not be by your might or by your strength but by the Spirit of God. He will be living through you!

How to turn on the power switch?

Sin quenches the power of the Holy Spirit. So instead of operating on a full tank you will have a half tank or less. This is the clash between God and self. The more self in your life, the less of the Holy Spirit.

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“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11

When you make a commitment to Jesus you receive the Holy Spirit. He resides in you and will never leave you. You cannot be effective for God in any role of life without the fullness of His Spirit. If you try to live drawing upon your own resources, you will lack the strength of the hand of God.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the act of becoming empowered by God. It does not necessarily relate to receiving any specific spiritual gift from God nor do you have to possess a gift from God as a sign that you have been baptized by the Spirit.

At some point in time, you will be equipped by God with spiritual gifts but it is God who chooses the gifts and the timing. God knows everything about you and how you can best be utilized to do His work.

The Holy Spirit supplies all the resources to lead a powerful life for God. Apart from His Spirit you can do nothing! You are just a weak and helpless believer.

Pray for God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. This is a commitment to receive new life from the Spirit.  Ask Him to fill you with the fullness of His Spirit. This is how you appropriate the Spirit in you and walk with God.

It is important that you regularly go before God and ask Him to convict you of anything in your life that is not pleasing to Him. Sin quenches the power of the Holy Spirit. So instead of operating on a full tank you will have a half tank or less. This is the clash between God and self. The more self in your life, the less of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is your super charger! He wants to supply you with more than you ask or think. He is the only way you can be one with God!

Faith conquers fear!

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“So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

If you have fear, you believe something bad is going to happen to you. You are giving power to your emotions not to God. This is a sign of unbelief and unfortunately happens at times to all of us.

The key is to immediately recognize the feeling of fear and identify what is causing this emotion to arise within you. Then turn to God and ask Him to replace the fear with His faith. Pray for strength and confidence in God.

God wants you to be steadfast in your faith and never react to the circumstances in your life. You can be on the brink of disaster but have a supernatural peace and assurance that God is at work to deliver you.

Paul and Silas, disciples of Jesus, were beaten, thrown in jail and chained. They were probably facing a tortuous ending. It cannot get much worse than this. They lived out their faith with prayer and praise to God. They did not give in to fear and were miraculously delivered by the hand of God. Jesus delights in you when you trust Him without doubt during a storm. It brings joy to His heart!

God does not give you fear. He gives you power, love, and a sound mind. He is at work behind the scenes to bless you and protect you. His work is endless on your behalf because He wants to give you more than you ask or think.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. You have to believe in the invisible world of God and trust what you cannot see. Moses, Elijah, and David were great men of faith. They experienced the living God and came face to face with His glory and power. They knew in the deepest part of their hearts that the perfect love of God casts out all fear.

You can have this same bold faith if you believe without any doubts! Jesus is next to you right now and is at work to give you an abundant life. He loves you!

The clash between God and self!

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“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4

God kept me awake for several hours last night over the subject of narcissism. The character trait of narcissism is having an excessive interest in oneself and displaying the attributes of vanity, love for self, conceit, and egotism. This is the antithesis of the personality of Jesus. He hates this behavior and gave up His life so you can be free from this character defect.

If you have a narcissistic personality, you are under the influence of Satan. At some point in time, you accepted the lie that self is the most important thing in your life. You have been deceived and are on a road to disaster.

It is impossible for a believer yielding to God to be controlled by narcissism. This is because almighty God is refining you into a new person and old habits are fading away.

The test to determine if you are measuring up to the standards of God should be based on these characteristics:

Live with truth and nobility (honor and decency)

Mediate on things that are just and pure

Look for the love of God in all things

Conduct yourself with honesty and virtue in all things

Praise God for all good things

No one can perfectly measure up to these qualities. It is impossible. This is why God died for you. He knew your weaknesses and your inability to be like Him. When Jesus died on the cross your old self died with Him. When Jesus was resurrected He gave His life to you in the form of the Holy Spirit.

You have to choose to live through your new identity in Jesus or to live for self. The secret is to yield to the Holy Spirit. You do this by praying to God and committing your life each day to Him. He will guide your thoughts and actions and lead you in a godly path.

The process of walking with God is unconscious because you are yoked to Him through His Spirit. You do not have to be concerned with narcissistic behavior and if you do step over the line God will remind you of your actions.

Just be yourself and let God do the work through you!

Are you wearing ear plugs?

There is a richness to hearing the voice of God! It is the one thing you can trust in this world!

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“For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me, says the Lord, that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.” Jeremiah 13:11

Many people think it is impossible to hear the voice of God! Here are some of the more popular responses:

“Why would almighty God take the time to speak to me?”

“This sounds like hogwash! God doesn’t talk to humans.”

A good religious response is “God has spoken. Read the Bible.”

Another religious comment, “Prophesy ended in the Old Testament.”

All of these comments have one thing in common! They are not true. God is alive and desires to speak to all believers.

In this example in the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet explains how God caused the Israelites to cling to Him. You can substitute the “body of Christ” for the word “Israel” to bring this into today’s lexicon. As a believer, you are a “set apart people”. You are special to God and should reflect the renown, praise, and glory of God. In other words, people see God at work in you.

The Israelites rejected the voice of God and His commandments. This angered God to the point that He allowed Israel to be plundered and scattered all the inhabitants across foreign nations. If you go on to read Jeremiah, God said He would fill the Israelites with drunkenness for their disobedience.

There are two lessons to be learned from this story. If you are a believer, God has given you the mind of Christ. He wants to speak to you and guide you through His Spirit that dwells within you. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and be your best friend. Your responsibility is to learn to be still and listen to the voice of God. He will place His thoughts in your mind. Pray for discernment to understand the difference between your own thoughts and the thoughts of God.

Secondly, the scenario in Jeremiah is now being played out in our world. God looks down today from heaven and sees that most nations have turned away from Him and people disregard the voice of God. As He did to Israel, He is planning to send His raging judgment upon the earth and the times ahead will be very difficult.

My intention is not to scare or intimidate you but to prepare you for the coming events of God. The most important step you can take is to become one with God through His Spirit and listen to His voice to guide you through your life and the perilous times ahead.

There is a richness to hearing the voice of God! It is the one thing you can trust in this world!

Nothing rattles God. He is indestructible!

The correct action is to prepare for the storm before it comes into your life!

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“Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me and saw My works for 40 years.” Hebrews 3:9

When things are going good who needs God! But when the dark winds of a storm blow into your life this may change your thinking. Or, you might choose to believe God is helpless and take matters into your own hands.

In this example, the Israelites turned their back on God and fell into unbelief. They did not trust God to provide for their needs, protect them from enemies, or deliver them to the Promised Land.

God punished the Israelites for their unbelief and most of them died in the desert. The storms of life are inevitable regardless of your wealth or success. So the correct action is to prepare for the storm before it comes into your life.

You can do this by applying this Biblical principle into your life, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you”. You are now creating a new foundation for your life built on God through faith, prayer, and the Word. This foundation will be impervious to the storms of life because God is indestructible.

So when the storm comes you do not have to panic, become fearful, or take on feelings of anger or depression. And you don’t have to make the mistake of falling into unbelief like the Israelites.

The response to a storm is to pray for unwavering faith in God and keep your eyes on Him. Do not look at the storm but look at the promises of God. He has created a perfect solution even before the storm appeared in your life. This is the character of our amazing and powerful God. Nothing rattles God!

God will test you with the storms of life to determine if your faith is steadfast and strong. The whole objective of the storm is to strengthen your faith and cause you to be completely dependent on Him.

There is light at the end of the tunnel because God calls things that don’t exist as if they did. He is the perfect solution or remedy (panacea) for any illness or difficulty in life. God loves you!