FAITH's Blog – December 2023 Archive (34)

We as kings and priests in God's kingdom are the anointed ones, the sons and daughters of fresh oil, endued with gifts of power, strength, and grace to enable us to accomplish the WORK we are destined for in our Christ calling.

"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." - James 2:24

Jesus is not looking…

How much time do you spend in God's Word compared to taking in other perspectives from television, movies, books, magazines, and the Internet?

How will your life change as you become more extreme with your faith? Can you visualize how your relationship with the Father is changing?

WHAT DO I NEED TO…

 The true success of our ministry to others will be by how it brought forth the formation of Christ within the person God has given us to DISCIPLE.

Church members need to be encouraged to "think bigger."  They need to see themselves as ministers to their fellow man.

The Christian life is more than just…

The apostles received the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room and went out on fire to set the world on fire. They didn't stay in the Upper Room enjoying their experience and trying to prolong it. Nor did they keep coming back for more of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not given for self-indulgence. They went out full of His power and proclaimed the truth of what they had received.…

 Maybe you feel like your dreams have died, your hopes have died, and your prospects have died. We live in a dramatic world where you may face great hindrances with excessive drama -- God has drama for you -- divine drama. God has a perfect track record, and His resume for doing special things during dark seasons is flawless.

God created us to move through spiritual seasons. And…

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." -  Ephesians 2:10

We were created to serve God.  We were placed on this planet for a special assignment.  The enemy's strategy tempts us to wear our own identities in a lesser role than what God desires for us (our DESTINY).…

Colossians 3:3 - "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

When Christ died, we died. When Christ rose, we rose with Him. Christ is now seated at the right hand of God and us with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). All the work is finished. When we hideaway with God we become absorbed into His very life. With our hearts yielded to the Holy…

1. Jesus declares Him as the Helper 

John 16:7 - "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

John 14:26 - "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,…

No one wants to make another trip through the wilderness. This is not a time to walk in circles. We are to walk with a true goal, aim, and purpose, making the most of each occasion, because we know the time is short (see Ephesians 5:14-17). Paul, the apostle, instructs us to walk purposefully toward one true goal -- God's PURPOSE for our life (see Philippians 3:12-16).…

We must be a burning and shining people who know where we are headed, fixing our eyes on our destiny, if we are going to awaken broken and disillusioned hearts!

Jesus is not looking at our intentions, wishes, or knowledge of what is right.  He is looking at our works!  Are we allowing the grace of God to produce holy living and ministering to others in our lives, or have we received the grace of God in…

"It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13

God does not see us in ourselves - He sees us in Christ. He does not see us, He sees Christ in us. If we really believed that, we would be delivered from ourselves and would indeed be triumphant Christians.

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Worship is the spiritual equivalent of the power of magnification. When you begin to worship, you ascend to join the Object of your adoration. If you are soaking in His presence, then you are looking down on your problems.

"Oh, magnify the Lord with me." - Psalm 34:3

Times of difficulty give us an occasion we don't have otherwise, and that…

 Matthew 5:13,14,16 -- "You are the salt of the earth......You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Since the moment we first came to Christ, there has been an updraft of the Holy Spirit, a constant drawing from God lifting us upward toward the…

Jesus not only redeemed us from sin, He also redeemed us from sickness.  So it is God's will to heal you.  Never doubt it, because healing is in His redemptive plan.

The Bible says that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established (Matthew 18:16).  The following texts from Isaiah, Matthew, and First Peter all agree that Jesus…