2021, Apostolic, Baptism of Holy Spirit, BLogger, Christianity, Faith, Healing, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Word from God, Word's of Wisdom

Hold Fast to the Word of God

According to the Oxford dictionary, hold fast means to remain tightly secured. Are you tightly secured to the Word of God in your daily life? Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV) tells us, “Do all things without complaining and disputing,  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”.

Too often in today’s world, we can get caught up with the flow of complaining or walking in hate, rather than focusing on God. The people of this world will focus on the problems of life, rather than focusing on the Solution which is a life totally submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we are a born-again believer, then we have no right to complain about your present circumstances, instead, we need to speak life to our circumstances according to the Will of God. How do you know what the Will of God is? By reading His Word! When you speak the Word of God into your life or the life of others with full unwavering faith you can expect things to change.

We need to hold fast to the Word of Life if we want to speak life into our lives and the lives of others. You cannot hold fast to the Word of Life by just going to church once or twice a week, there needs to be daily feeding upon the Word! When you speak God’s Word into your life or someone else’s it is not for your own personal gain but, it is to rather glorify God and expand the Kingdom of God. Jesus told us in Mark 11:23 (AMP), “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].”. When we act in unwavering faith, we have the ability to change our circumstances only by the Power of God operating in our lives.

Romans 8:9 (AMP) tells us, “However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God].”. We have the Spirit of the Living God inside of us, the God who does not change. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, everything was created by the words He spoke. When He created mankind, He spoke life into existence. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we have the authority to speak life. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we have the authority to speak His Will (healing, deliverance, and Salvation) into our lives and the lives of others. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we can have the faith it takes to move mountains.

When we operate in the authority that He gave us as believers we do it to glorify Him and to expand the Kingdom. Too often this type of message gets out of balance and people become very self-centered, this is why everything we do must be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP) tells us, “Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]”. How do you know if you are walking in love? Read what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (AMP) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”. If how one operates in the authority of the believer is not done in love, then they have gotten out of balance and are not being led by the Spirit of God.

If the church wants to see revival, then we need to first hold fast to the Word of God. Revival will only come when the church knows who they are in Christ. Revival will only come when the church knows the authority she has and acts upon it. Most importantly we must have a revival that is led by the Spirit of God, rather than by carnality.

2021, Christianity, Faith

Biblical Faith: Relationship with the Word of God

A Lifestyle of Faith: Relationship with The Word

So many Christians today lack a proper understanding of Biblical faith. There are many imbalanced teachings concerning faith, which is why it is important for us to stay within the Word of God rather than drift into our own emotions. The subject of faith is so crucial for the believer, you cannot even receive Salvation of sins without faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8 (ESV), “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”. Some people think they can use faith for their own personal gain such as claiming a Bible verse to have a fancy sports car, that is NOT Biblical faith. Do not hear me wrong, God will provide the needs of His children, and you must keep in mind the difference between a want and a need.

Biblical faith is not someone exercising their big ego, Biblical faith is a relationship with the Word of God and is evidenced by the fruit in the believer’s life. Romans 10:17 (ESV) tells us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”. This is why it is important that we get the Word of God into us on a daily basis. John 1:1 (ESV) tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God. There are many people who say they are Christians but have no relationship with the Word of God.

Let me say something, you do not grow your faith by reading a bunch of commentaries alone. When someone is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit you learn to rely upon the Living Water that is birthed inside of you. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, He is our supreme teacher! Jesus said in John 4:14 (ESV), “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”. When you want to deepen your relationship with God, do not just rely upon commentaries alone to improve your head knowledge, rely primarily upon the Holy Spirit. Now do not hear me wrong, commentaries have their place, but it is important that the believer is led by the Holy Spirit when studying the Word of God.

As believers, we are to have faith in God alone, and fully trust Him. Everything that is written in His Word is true whether you like it or not. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”. We must live a life that is led by the Lord, we must live in God’s Will for our lives. How do you know the Will of God for your life? By getting the Word into you.

Now let me say something else along the lines of faith. Some people just want to have faith in God to have a healthy and happy life and get a hell insurance card. But Bible faith means that you walk in a relationship with the Word of God. This means that you act like the Word of God is so in your life, therefore you obey God’s commandments. It is not possible to be a strong person of faith and walk in a lifestyle of sin. If you think you can walk in faith for having a happy life and live in willful sin, then you have accepted a distorted gospel and are probably not genuinely saved. Jesus said in John 14:15 (ESV), “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”. It does not matter what the cultural trends say about it, if God’s Word condemns it then you should have no part in it. Being a person of faith might cost you everything to follow the Word of God. The world loves promoting sin, and it hates those who are against it. In fact, many colleges and employers and now trying to push the worlds sin agenda on people. Are you going to bow down to it, or are you going to stand firm for God’s Word, even if it cost you everything?

2021, Christianity, Word's of Wisdom

What Are We Doing

In the last couple of weeks, the Lord has pressed my heart about some issues concerning the churches in America. I write this post not to put a particular group of people down, but to rather awaken the slumbering churches in America. Before I go any further, I want you to reflect if you think the average church is truly fulfilling the Great Commission as Jesus instructed in Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV), “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.


For most people going to church means only going to hear a sermon once or twice a week, and maybe a Bible Study. Do not get me wrong all aspects of church discipline are important, but I want us to really ask ourselves are we really doing what Jesus called us to do. You might have good sermons, good staff, good worship, good congregants, sound doctrine, and everything else you can think of with your church seems okay. But what is your church doing about the people who are unsaved in the community? Are we just praying that God would raise up laborers, or are we seeking God on how He might use us to reach the lost souls in our community? When was the last time you wept over someone you know is on the broad road to hell?


Most Christians today would rather drive an hour or more to go to a conference on ‘End Time Prophecy’ than go with a group of people from their local church and witness to people in the community. Most Christians today would rather drive an hour or more to see some televangelist’s ‘healing crusade’, heck some people might even get on a plane to attend one of these, but they will not take the time to go and witness the Gospel to the lost people in their community. The problem with the church in America is we do not want to get our hands dirty with Biblical evangelism, we just want to get busy with other religious activities to make ourselves feel good. I myself have been guilty of this as well, and we must all awaken to what Jesus has truly called us to do which is found in Scripture.


I am not saying every conference is bad, some of them do have their place and produce good fruit. At the same time, we really need to take a step back and seek God on what He is truly calling us to do for His Kingdom. I would like to encourage you to read the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. There is so much to learn just from this one parable, but I would like to make a point. As you read this parable, read this once, and then read it again looking at the rich man as the modern-day church and the poor man as the modern-day sinner. This is an exact reflection of the problem with the churches today, there is no zeal for the lost, instead, we do not even want to bother at all with the lost, we do not want to get our royal garments dirty. Dear church it is time we get dirty with Biblical evangelism!


There are so many people in the world today who are unsaved. Look at how many colleges are indoctrinating students with the very things God hates, and many students are buying it. College campuses are a mission field! Look at how many cars are parked outside your local bar or the nightclub. Look at how many of the youth are reading Harry Potter books. Just take a second and look at how many people are willingly participating in sin; it is all over. We do not need any more conferences instead the local church needs to regularly go out in small groups into the community and witness to unsaved people. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21-25 (NIV), “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”.


This should cause all of us to tremble, even myself. It is time we wake up and do what Jesus truly called us to do. We need to be like those in the Book of Acts who prayed for boldness for when we speak. We need to cry out to God daily for greater manifestations of the Holy Spirit operating in our lives. We not only need to operate in the Spiritual Gifts the Holy Spirit has given us, but we also need to bear the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Please take time to pray about this, and seek God with a pure heart on how He wants to use you.

2021, Christianity, Discipleship

How to Seek God’s Will?

It is dangerous to be living outside the Will of God for your life. I see so many people today living lives that are so chaotic and hectic and do not take the time to sit back, reflect, and seek God. We live in such a fast-paced world that makes it the norm for us to make major life changes very quickly. I want you to ask yourself, when was the last time you came before God and submitted every area of your life to Him?

Proverbs 3:6 (ESV) tells us, “In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”. In every area of our life, we are to acknowledge God, we are to realize His role in that area of our life, along with what His Word says about it. The New Living Translation has this verse as, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”. We need to realize that the moment we are born again, that not only are we a new creation, and our lives are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

In context with Proverbs chapter 3, we are not to lean on our own understanding or strength. Far too often we have allowed our self-image to exceed our view of God in our lives. So many people are so full of themselves today, rather than living a humble life. In Psalm 50:16-21 we are warned of a mistake that is commonly made by people in the church today. Many people today think that God is just like us, and what happens when you do this is you make a god of your own image. We must be certain that we are following the God of the Bible, and not the god of our own self-image.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”. We need to realize that the way God operates is on a totally different dimension than the way we operate. This is why we must get the Word of God in us daily so that we can discern what the Will of God is. If you want to hear God speak to you, do not go searching for an audible voice, go and read your Bible for 15 or even 30 minutes a day. So many people say they want to hear God audibly speak to them, and they get themselves in trouble trying to seek some voice, and they end up actually listening to something that is not of God. It is quite simple to hear God, read His Word if you have to read it out loud.

Let us examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith and living in God’s Will for our lives. Let us begin to seek God on a daily basis on what His Will is for each day, rather than just going with the flow.

2021, Christianity, Discipleship

Why Holy Living Matters

The lifestyle of the Christian is so critical, but it has sadly become neglected in the American church. The Bible tells us that we are set apart from the rest of the world. The Bible tells us that we have the Light of the World inside of us (John 8:12). How will unbelievers know you have the Light of the World inside of you when you blend in with the rest of the world? Is there an obvious difference between your life and the life of an unbeliever? Do you talk the same way unbelievers talk? Do you act the same way unbelievers act? Do you watch or listen to things that are clearly unholy?

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”. The moment one truly gets born again, you become a new creation, your life is no longer the same. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a process of growth that is ongoing during the life of a believer. But let me say this, it is not possible to have a genuine encounter with God and remain unchanged. Why is it that it has become the norm in evangelism for people to get asked to pray a prayer and still months later remain unchanged at all? That is because it is possible to have an encounter with American evangelism and remain the same. American evangelism is built on sinking sand, any preacher can get up and give a 20 minute Ted Talk with a Bible verse on how God has a wonderful plan for your life, and mention nothing at all about why you need a Savior and expect you to repeat some prayer.

The problem with the modern church today is no one wants the full move of the Holy Spirit. People love when the Holy Spirit shows up and someone gets healed or someone gives a prophetic word, but no one anymore wants the Holy Spirit to move in the arena of conviction. Let me be clear, I believe in all the Gifts of the Spirit have continued and are available to all believers today. However, so many people have gotten caught up in one aspect of the Holy Spirit, and have neglected the rest of the work of the Holy Spirit. It is time that we yield to the full work of the Holy Spirit which includes signs and wonders, and at the same time includes conviction of sin and the redemptive work in a believer’s life where they will begin to walk in holiness.

Being genuinely filled with the Holy Spirit will not only empower you with the supernatural Gifts of the Spirit, but you will also have an overflow of the Fruits of the Spirit in your life. When one is truly filled with the Spirit they will have a deep hunger for the Word of God, and a desire to grow in holiness. Being filled with the Spirit will also empower you with boldness to stand firm for the truth, just like the Apostles spoke with boldness in Acts 4:31.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT) tells us, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy”. This verse doesn’t say the believer should be holy, it says you must be holy. We can only achieve holiness in our lives because of what Jesus Christ has done, and through fully yielding to the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and yield to the Holy Spirit we will love the things God loves, and we will also hate the things God hates. God hates murder, therefore we should hate abortion. God hates drunkenness, therefore we should be sober and vigilant. God’s Word tells us to put our mind on things that are above and of good report, therefore we should not get caught up in all of the worldliness of the age.

It is time that we fully surrender to God’s plans and purposes rather than what satisfies our emotions or what is the norm of today’s culture. When people look at our lives they should be able to tell there is something supernatural in our lives that makes it possible to walk the way we walk, and that will point the unbeliever to the Savior they desperately need.

2021, Christianity, Healing, Inspiration, Word's of Wisdom

What is Your Mindset?

The mind of the believer is so crucial, Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”.  We must ask ourselves, is our mindset in line with God’s Word or not? Many people today are living in a lifestyle of fear, bondage, worldliness, and defeat. Sometimes we can even be unstable in our minds and emotions, one day we are joyful and the next day we are struggling with irritability. None of these are a part of God’s redemptive plan. Paul tells us very clearly in 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT), “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”. We must realize that fear, anxiety, and depression are from the devil. Jesus gave us authority over the devil in His Name (Mark 3:15, Matthew 10:1, Mark 6:7, Luke 10:19, and 1 John 2:13-14).

Romans 12:2 (NLT) tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”. This is a verse that I believe every single one of us must continually grow in, even myself. The believer is to have a totally different mindset and lifestyle than the unbeliever. There should be nothing normal about the Christian mindset or lifestyle, when compared to the rest of the world. Our thoughts and lifestyle should continually be put in subjection to the Word of God, we can achieve this by renewing our minds, by getting into the Word of God daily.

Paul even instructs us in Colossians 3:2 (NIV), “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”. We often get so caught up in automatically accepting a worldly report on our circumstances, rather than going to the Word of God. We need to come to the place where we do not run to the world is not our first resort in a time of crisis, but when God is our first and only resort. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”. We are to only set our mind on things that are praiseworthy, if it is not praiseworthy then do not even think about it!

Jesus Christ will return one day, I cannot say when or whether it will be in my lifetime or not, but He will return one day. When Jesus returns, He is not coming for a defeated church, He is coming for a victorious church! How can the church of Jesus Christ be victorious if the people are in a place of mental defeat? We need to continually renew our minds daily, by reading and meditating on the Word of God. We need to speak the Word of God into our lives and the lives of others for the Glory of God.

2021, Christianity, Faith, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Childlike Faith

Why does Jesus say that we must have faith like a child to enter into the Kingdom of God? Do we really know as believers what it means to truly act in childlike faith? The subject of faith is so critical in the Christian walk, you cannot even receive Salvation of sins without faith! We must not only understand the subject of faith, but we must act according to our faith as founded upon Scripture.

Religion vs. Kingdom of God

Too many people today rely on head knowledge of God’s Word and mental ascent. Many people think that great faith is just agreeing mentally with the Word of God or reading a bunch of commentaries. We really need to get back to what the Bible says about faith, rather than going along with the man-made religious system of the world. There is a difference between the Kingdom of God and religion. Jesus was against religion, but yet today we cannot let go of traditions in the average church. Jesus did not come to preach a religious system; He came and preached the Kingdom of God!

Childlike Faith Defined

Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 (AMP), “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”. Jesus also stated this in Luke 18:17 (AMP), “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God [with faith and humility] like a child will not enter it at all.”.

Childlike faith is first founded upon repentance, which is a result of when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. We must have godly sorrow when we repent. Godly sorrow always results in a desire to change, when this happens, we humble ourselves and we place our trust in Jesus Christ.  Childlike faith is a place of humility, it is a place of the believer realizing their total dependence on Jesus Christ. Too many people take pride in themselves, and never truly enter into a place of childlike faith.

Childlike faith also means placing our complete trust in Jesus Christ. John 1:14 (AMP) tells us, “And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception).”. Jesus is the logos, the Word of God. We are to place our trust in the Word of God. Our actions should bear the fruit of us trusting in God’s Word.

Our Inheritance as Citizens

I would like to quote what Jesus said in Matthew 18:3 from the Youngs Literal Translation, “Verily I say to you, if ye may not be turned and become as the children, ye may not enter into the reign of the heavens;”. We do not enter into the Kingdom of God after we die and go to Heaven, we enter into the Kingdom of God the moment we become born again. I have talked about how the believer has authority through the name of Jesus Christ, and how we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). When we enter into the Kingdom of God, we must yield to the teaching of the Holy Spirit so that we can come to the knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus and the authority we have inherited. We are called to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, going about doing God’s business on the earth either until we have lived out our length of days or until the Second Coming.

We must enter into the Kingdom of God fully surrendered with childlike faith. We need to be teachable under the teaching of the Holy Spirit and under the teaching of those who God has called and anointed to minister His Word. We must make it a lifestyle of getting into the Word of God daily and meditating upon the Scriptures so that we can come to the knowledge of who we are as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

2021, Christianity, Faith, Inspiration

Where is Our Faith?

I want to forewarn you that this is a heavy word concerning faith. Please understand I do not wish to condemn or spread hate, my goal is to speak the truth so that a slumbering church will awaken to truth and righteousness I do not care what your doctrine is because if God’s Word says it then it is true, it does not matter what your denomination says. 

James 2:14 (NKJV) poses an important question, “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?”. We see the answer in the 26th verse, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”. Where is the faith today among believers? For too many, we have operated under fear with this man-made “pandemic”. Let me be clear we should always exercise common sense, there is a difference between Biblical boldness and foolishness. This is why we must get the Word of God into our hearts, not just our heads. If you only get the Word of God into your head and lack getting it into your heart you will not receive the fullness of the power of the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and by hearing the Word of God (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Right now, is a test of faith for all believers. Will we put our faith and trust in the Word of God that never fails or in a vaccine funded by wicked men that has zero studies on long-term health effects? This specific vaccine is a false light! The wicked men of the world will point the world to a false light, but the church needs to take a stand and point the world to the True Light of Life! True faith is not just a matter of reading the Word of God and gaining a bunch of head knowledge. True faith is not reading a bunch of commentaries. True faith is reading the Word of God, soaking it into your heart, and living your life like it is so.

Jesus said in Luke 10:19 (AMP), “Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you.”. Jesus said this to His Disciples before He went to the Cross. Today we are under the New Covenant, and as New Covenant believers this same authority has been given to us, the church. Ephesians 2:6 (AMP) tells us, “And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus”. We are already seated with Christ Jesus as born again; blood-bought believers. This verse is not saying we will be seated, it says we were seated with Him in heavenly places.

Dear believer, you are being given two choices right now. You can go with the flow and put yourself in alignment with man’s agenda right now, or you can humble yourself and put yourself in agreement with God’s Word. The true church, when she takes her stand during this wicked spiritual attack in America, will see a revival as there has never been seen before. It is time we place our trust in someone that never fails, and that someone is God, and He is the God who never changes and will not lie to you!

2021, Christianity, Faith, Fruit of Spirit

Our Source of Joy and Peace

Today there are many methods that people of the world achieve joy and peace. We must ask ourselves are we turning to the Lord for our source of joy and peace or are we turning to the things of this world? While there are certain resources on earth that we can turn to we must be certain that our number one source is God first.

Romans 15:13 (ESV) tells us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”. As believers, it is God who fills us with joy and peace. We must realize that our only source of hope is within God. So many people in the world right now are worried and caught up with all the current events taking place and are worried about how much worse things could get. We should rest assured that God’s plan will be carried out till the very end.

I personally believe that joy and peace will go hand in hand. If you are lacking in the fruit of joy, then you are likely lacking in the fruit of peace. Many people often wonder why they go through difficult seasons in their lives. Sadly, many pulpits teach that when you become a Christian that everything in life will be smooth sailing, however, this type of preaching contradicts Biblical and historic Christianity. While God will provide for us according to His Word, He also tells us that we will face trials and that we will even be hated by the world.

However, anything that the enemy has intended for evil, the Lord will use it for our good. James 1:2-3 (AMP) tells us, “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].”. As we go through trials, we are to fully put our faith in the Lord. We are to be fully submitted to His Word. When we are submitted, we will begin to see a growth in spiritual maturity. Meaning that our understanding of God’s Word will grow, our level of holiness and sanctification will grow, and the fruits of the Spirit will produce more in our lives. Furthermore, as we go through trials and fully rely on God, we will notice an increase in true Biblical peace within ourselves, and this, in turn, should also result in joy.

Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”. No matter what it is in life you are going through we must rely upon God and His Will for our lives. We must be believers as the Word of God calls us to be, this means studying and meditating on the Word of God, worship, and praying.

2021, Christianity, Faith, Inspiration, Old Testament

He is Risen

A few days ago, many of us remembered the day in which Christ was crucified, today we are reminded of the fact that He is Risen, and He is alive! Luke 24:6-7 (ESV) tells us, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”.

Today the people of the world will continue on with their pagan rooted traditions but let us mediate on the fact that our Savior is alive! Many people will argue the validity of the Bible and even the death and resurrection of Jesus. Anyone who studies the New Testament and Old Testament will see the many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.

Hosea 6:1-2 (ESV) tells us, “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.”. In the context of these verses Hosea is talking about Israel, but at the same time this is also alluding to what Jesus Christ will accomplish because He is the only hope for an unrepentant Israel and every other person.

Hosea 6:1-2 is related to what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV), “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”. 

Christ died for our sins so that we may get a free ticket to Heaven, right? Sadly, this is the mentality that many people who are in the church seem to have. The finished work of Jesus Christ has such a greater significance than just getting a hell insurance card.

Exodus 34:7 (ESV) tells us, “keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”. This verse shows us the two attributes of God that often get out of balance in the modern church. We see the love of God in this verse, at the same time we see the wrath of God in this verse.

Exodus 34:7 tells us that God will by no means clear the guilty, God cannot ignore sin. Every sin must be punished. Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV) tells us, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”.

We must realize that Christ took our place to save us from the wrath of God. Jesus did not just suffer from the Romans beating Him up, He more importantly suffered the wrath of God the Father. This was the only way for our sins to be atoned for. There is nothing you can do yourself to save yourself from the wrath of God, there is nothing in our own strength we can do to overcome the sin in our lives.

If you ever told a lie, even a white one you are destined to the lake of fire according to Revelation 21:8. But there is Good News! No matter what sin you committed whether you are a liar, an adulterer, homosexual, thief, or drug addict, God provided a Way for us to be saved from His wrath against sin and iniquity.

Today if the Holy Spirit has revealed to you the sin in your life you can simply cry out to God and repent and put your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Not only this but the work of the Holy Spirit is so powerful that you will rise forth as a New Creation in Christ Jesus. As the 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us when we are born again, we have a new nature inside of us. We have a power source inside of us that if we fully rely upon the finished work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can walk in righteousness. Sure, we will slip up from time to time, but the Holy Spirit will convict you and you will run to the Father in repentance.

You might think that it is impossible for God to forgive you because of all the wrong decisions you have made in your life. Simply look at the work God did with the finished work of Christ. Jesus not only died in the flesh, but He rose again. Look at how God delivered the Israelites in the Old Testament. I can assure you that if you truly repent and truly trust in Christ that God will  forgive you, deliver you, and give you the strength to walk the walk of faith. I cannot promise you ‘Your Best Life Now’, there will still be trials and tribulations in this life, but I can tell you that walking this walk of faith is worth it and that there is nothing else in this world that can compare to being put in right standing with God.