Enough Is Enough

Jesus prayed to the Heavenly Father in John 17:4 what should be the heart cry of every born-again believer, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” This should be our utmost desire as well and the key to our success is commitment. Like Jesus, there is a price we’ll have to pay to fulfill the call of God on our lives and the down payment is commitment. Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.” Likewise, we are told in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.”

Commitment starts out as an act of our will. It is an act of giving and it means to give priority to that which you are committed to. Commitment demands that you apply yourself by giving the very best you have. We must diligently apply ourselves to the dream God gives us and be willing to exert ourselves beyond the norm. Commitment will turn you into the kind of person who goes the extra mile, one who believes that whatever you set out to do will succeed and prosper.

It is your level of commitment that will be the deciding factor as to whether or not you hear Jesus say when you stand before Him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The Amplified Bible calls the act of doing this “spiritual worship.” To be a living sacrifice one must submit their will to God and become a yielded instrument for His service. One’s whole being - spirit, soul, body - must be presented by a decisive act of the will to God to be used by Him. Yielding must not be thought of simply as a willingness to do some specific task. Rather, it consists of commitment and dedication by a person to love God and do whatever He commands.

When you are committed to something or someone there is always a transfer of authority. It is an act of putting in charge or trust, an inward decision based on loyalty and dedication. It is the state of being obligated and it means “to surrender” or “to yield.” When a person enters their work place they automatically surrender their will to that of the authority of the supervisor. More so should we be committed to God and the call He placed on our life. And if we get committed and stay committed, if we don’t shrink back and pull away on the evil day of adversity, then we’ll have the determination and power to rise up and keep going forward when the storms of life blow our way.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Each of us has been created to perform “good works” and God has anointed us to do so. Samson, for example, did what was considered impossible because he was anointed to do so. Contrary to popular belief, Samson did not have bulging muscles like Hercules. No, he was strong because of the anointing and not physical muscles. When he responded to the ability God put inside him he became strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

The Message Bible says in Philippians 4:13, “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One Who makes me who I am.” The enemy will launch an assault against everything God is doing and this is why we can’t be passive where the devil is concerned. We are a mighty generation chosen by God and we must never run from the enemy. Instead, we must rise up and prepare for war.

Much is at stake here. We are the answer to the troubles of our society and generation and God is waiting for us to step forward and do that which we’ve been anointed to do. We are not here to survive the assaults of the enemy; we are here to start them. God is with us and He will not leave us or forsake us. The anointing is a force that cannot be overcome by the enemy. It can only be responded to. The first step in having breakthrough and defeating the enemy is to once and for all get fed up with his efforts to bring you down.

In Genesis 27, Esau found out that his brother Jacob had deceived his father into giving him the blessing of the firstborn. Esau lifted up his voice and wept when he found out the blessing could not be reversed so he pleaded with his father to give him a blessing as well. Here is what Isaac told him, “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck” (Genesis 27:39,40).

To be restless means to be fed up! You don’t get anywhere and you don’t accomplish anything until you get fed up with your present condition. You can wish, hope, and cry all day long but nothing will happen until you get fed up. Things happen when a holy fervor rises up on the inside of you. Your countenance will change, you’ll speak with authority and you’ll walk in dominion. Jesus said in Matthew 11:12b, “…the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Get fed up! Get violent! Draw a line in the sand and tell the enemy, “Enough is enough!” Get aggressive and stirred up once again for what rightfully belongs to you. Get fed up for going without and then rise up and exercise your God-given authority over the devil. Live by the sword and never back off. The victory is yours if you get fed up and never give up!

After the exodus out of Egypt, God led the children of Israel the long way through the wilderness because the people weren’t ready for war. If they were willing to fight the enemy in order to possess what the Lord had given them then God would have led them by the short route. War has been declared and to possess your mountain you can’t have a lukewarm attitude when it comes to fighting the enemy.

Don’t be a weak kneed nobody but rise up and go to war for the glory of God. If you ignore the devil he will destroy you. Don’t be afraid of the enemy. He’s a defeated foe. Instead, make the devil be afraid of you. You are a warrior in the army of God by choice and by command. Your armor is not polished and nice but is tattered and worn. You don’t go over the mountain the enemy placed in your path, you go “through” it. This is why your victory is called a “breakthrough.” You don’t go around, under, or over your trial. You break “through” that obstacle and take back what the enemy has stolen.

Don’t let the devil steal your focus and your purpose. He really doesn’t want to kill you. He wants to control you and if he can’t do that then he’ll try to kill you. But those who know their purpose never give up. Instead, they get fed up and fight! Your purpose stays with you when you give your full undivided attention to it. There is no vacation in the kingdom of God and you can’t be a mediocre weekend warrior. Purpose takes you out of the arena of the soul and puts you in the arena of faith where you rise up and take the kingdom by storm.

God is proclaiming a special message to the body of Christ here in the last days. Christians today are not living up to the potential that their faith would allow and God is saying simply, “Use your faith!” Clearly, it is His desire for all believers to be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4b). Therefore, if the truth be told, sickness should have no part in the life of a child of God because Jesus made provision for it when He bore our sins on the tree and “by Whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Poverty and lack should not be mentioned in the same breath as a Christian because as Paul says in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

Christians everywhere should rejoice because depression and bondage of every kind has been done away with by the life and death of Jesus. The Word instructs us to “stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Jesus Himself said in John 8:36, “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” It is time for believers to get so fed up with the devil that they rise up and walk in the freedom that has been provided for them. For sure, it was bought with a great price.

Christians everywhere should be living on the high clouds of victory, success, and spiritual fulfillment. All this has been made available to the body of believers and 2 Peter 1:2-4 boldly proclaims, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him Who called us to glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Although God in His abundant mercy has given us all things to enjoy there is still a demonic enemy in the world “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). In order to live in the manifestation of Christ’s victory at the cross and the provision thereof it has become the responsibility of all believers “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). This is why Paul tells us to stand up and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).

A “good fight” is a fight you win! 1 Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” There is no failure or defeat in the good fight of faith. Those who suffer defeat at the hands of the enemy have not had a faith failure but, more times than not, have simply given up the effort necessary for the manifested victory to be obtained. They lay back and expect God to do all the fighting for them. Too often people are waiting for God to do something while at the same time He is waiting for them to do something.

People need to understand that they have as much to do with the answer to their prayers as they expect God to be. There is a sign on the Colorado River which instructs white water rafters: “If you fall overboard you must be an active participant in your own rescue!” For those who have the misfortune of falling into the swirling waters of the raging Colorado River, they must take charge of the situation even though thousands of gallons of water are flooding over them. They must actively participate in their own rescue and cannot lay back and let the rescuers do all the work. There is a part they have to play and the same is true in the good fight of faith.

Before entering the Promised Land God told Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you as I said to Moses” (Joshua 1:3). God gave the people of Israel the land of Canaan but wars would have to be fought before they could possess it. Likewise, God gives us blessings to enjoy but we still have to go get them. To fight the good fight of faith we must press in to the things of God with persistence and determination that will not rest satisfied until it receives what is promised.

Hebrews 10:35,36 (AMP) says, “Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised.” Genesis 32:24-30 tells the story of when Jacob wrestled with God all night until the breaking of day. Verse 26 records the tenacity of Jacob, “And He said, ‘Let Me go, for the day breaks.’ But he said, ‘I will not let You go until You bless me!’” When Jacob grabbed onto God, he got grabbed by God and received his blessing.

Perhaps the most fundamental verses describing faith is found in Matthew 11:22-24 which speaks about talking to mountains and telling them to be cast into the sea. Verse 24 says, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.” The word “receive” in this verse means to ‘take by force.’ In Ephesians 6:10, we are instructed to be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” The word “strong” means ‘to seize upon, to not let go.’ This is precisely what Jacob did. He grabbed onto God and wouldn’t let go. He wanted a blessing and he took it by force.

Isaiah 53 foretells the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and the things He suffered on our behalf. Afterward, when the work on Calvary was completed, verse 12 tells us, “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong…” The Amplified Bible says that “He shall divide the spoil with the mighty…” This verse makes it abundantly clear that we must become strong and mighty in order to partake of the vast riches of the spoil that is available to those who believe.

There is strength to be had in being a Christian and it is faith and our faith in God that makes us strong. Matthew 11:12 (AMP) says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time the kingdom of heaven had endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force (as a precious prize) - a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with most ardent zeal and intense exertion.” Another translation puts it this way, “The kingdom of heaven is being taken by storm and the strong and forceful ones claim it for themselves eagerly.”

It is the responsibility of every Christian who seeks to live a victorious life to storm into the kingdom and take it by force. Know with certainty that there is no place on the victory platform for laid-back, easy-going Christians. The only place where “success” comes before “work” is in the dictionary. Philippians 2:12b tells believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” In order to live up to the potential that our faith would allow, we must get fed up, pick up our sword and fight “the good fight of faith.” There is no other way.

** Written by Randall Brewer **

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Be Willing To Let God Mold You

“…as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand…” (Jeremiah 18:6)

Dr. Henry Poppen, one of China’s first missionaries, spent forty years telling its people about the love of Jesus and how He died to take away their sins. One day, after he had finished speaking, a man approached him and said, “We know this Jesus! He has been here.”

Dr. Poppen explained how that wasn’t possible because Jesus had lived and died long ago in a country far from China. “Oh no”, the man insisted. “He died here. I can even show you His grave.” He led Dr. Poppen outside the city to a cemetery where an American was buried. There, inscribed on a crumbling gravestone was the name of a medical doctor who felt called by God to live and die among the people of this remote Chinese village. And when its people heard Dr. Poppen describe the attributes of Jesus – His mercy, love, kindness, His willingness to forgive – they remembered the missionary doctor.

God will use you when you are willing to become ‘clay in the potter’s hand.’ Clay has no aspiration; it’s moldable, pliable and completely subject to the potter’s will. Henry Blackaby says, “When God’s assignment demands humility, He finds a servant willing to be humbled. When it requires zeal, He looks for someone He can fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, so He finds those who will allow Him to remove their impurities.

It’s not a noble task being clay. There’s no glamour to it, nothing boast-worthy, except it’s exactly what God’s looking for.”

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Romance That Never Runs Out

William Jennings Bryan, the great American orator and defender of the faith, was at one point in his midlife having his portrait painted. The artist, in helping to make Bryan “picture-perfect” inquired of him, “Sir, why do you wear your hair over your ears like that?” William Jennings Bryan replied, “Actually, there is a romance connected with it. When I first pursued Mrs. Bryan, she declined my every invitation.

“Later a close confidant of hers whispered to me that it was not that she did not like me but that there was something about the way my ears stick out that turned her off. I decided then and there to remedy the situation. So as to remove the obstacle of our relationship, I grew my hair long enough to cover my offending parts.”

“That was a long time ago and fashions have changed, sir”, the artist responded. “Would you consider cutting your hair now?” “Absolutely not,” said the statesman-orator, “I am still pursuing my romance with Mrs. Bryan.”

True romance never runs out. An advertisement in the Personal section of a local newspaper was headlined “Husband for Sale.” The text below read, “Age 52, in good health. Out or sorts most of the time. No longer verbalizes ‘I love you’. Is only rarely touching and tender. Asking price is 2 cents. Note: Price negotiable!”

According to the wife who placed that message in the newspaper, her husband is not worth even two cents. We chuckle at such advertisement; then we hope for all the world that it really is just a joke. William Jennings Bryan was aware that when romance leaves a marriage, holy wedlock becomes holy deadlock. Something bad has happened to that relationship.

The same is true with our relationship with our Maker. It can deteriorate to the place where it is virtually worthless. We need constant reminders that fashions come and go, times and circumstances change, but our romance with God through Christ must not be allowed to fluctuate. We were made for intimacy with Him, and it is always in our best interests to deal with any part of our lives that offends Him.

In the sacrifice of His Son, God made it possible for us to cover our offending parts. No relationship on earth will ever substitute for this relationship He makes possible. None will ever take its place. Indeed, no relationship on earth will ever be truly right without our intimate connection with God first being in place.

How can I say this with such certainty? First, because the Bible says it is so. Our relationship with God is at the same time the foundation and the model for our relationship with one another. Second, I can testify to this point because of a wonderful personal experience. Barbara (Robert Leslie Holmes’ wife) and I were not committed to Christ when we married. Baptized as children, we were brought up in church but we somehow missed understanding the reality of God’s redeeming grace through Christ. We were married, in the church and had a good and loving relationship from the beginning.

When we married, we were committed to each other for life. We were still not Christians, however. It was sometime after our second wedding anniversary that we each, at separate times, came to faith in Christ. When Christ entered our lives individually and when He entered our lives together, we found a level of closeness and love for one another that we had no idea existed before. This romance of ours, after over thirty-three years of marriage, is stronger than ever, and we agree that it is because God is at the centre of it.

That is not to say that making a commitment with Christ is a Pollyanna recipe for a good marriage nor that all marital problems somehow float away just because a couple commit their way to Christ. It does mean that when Christ is at the centre of a marriage, the issues and concerns that are a normal part of married life are seen from a different perspective.

When Christ is at the centre there is a renewed sense of commitment to working through difficulties in a way that is positive and constructive for both the husband and the wife. The family that prays together really does stay together. The Christian principles that make for better marriages are true for other relationships as well.

*** Written By Robert Leslie Holmes ***

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Here And Hereafter

Life often has been described as a journey, and it’s indeed an endless journey that begins here on earth and continues forever. That means everyone born into this world has an immortal soul – a soul not capable of dying, living forever.

Although death is the termination of life here on earth, the human life actually goes beyond the mortal existence; it continues hereafter and exists forever. In other words, we will all outlive the planet. We will spend eternity in one of two places though – heaven or hell. The question is, where will you spend eternity?

Have you ever pondered on that? You need to accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord, if you want to have a blissful eternity in heaven; otherwise, you will end up in hell.

As a Christian parent, you also need to give a deep thought to where your children will spend eternity. You have probably listened to many sermons on eternity, but have you taken deliberate steps to prepare your children for eternity in heaven? Or are you caught up in the rat race here and neglecting your sacred responsibility of getting your children ready for the hereafter?

You need to awake to the reality of life after death. Heaven and hell are no myths. The Bible tells us that heaven is the abode of God, and only righteous and holy people will dwell there with Him forever. It is a place of rest from all earthly toils, but sinners and backsliders won’t get there (John 14:1-4; Revelation 21:1-27). Living there with the Almighty God for all eternity is a sheer bliss!

Hell, on the other hand, is a place of everlasting punishment where sinners – those who don’t have their names in the Book of Life – will suffer torment forever. It was prepared originally for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41), but God has decreed that those who forget Him and reject Christ will also be cast there because of their sins and neglect of His salvation (Psalm 9:17; Luke 12:4,5; 16:19-31; Revelation 14:10,11; 20:12-15).

And don’t be naïve about God’s judgment. Contrary to some erroneous beliefs, only born-again and sanctified Christians will spend eternity in heaven, not religious or “good”, “moral” people. Also, there is a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell, so that no person can cross from hell to heaven and vice versa.

There is nothing like purgatory in God’s Word (Luke 16:19-26). Besides, not only adults will face judgment. All those who sin against God: young children, youths, adults, “small and great (will) stand before God” in judgment and forever be punished for their sins in the Lake of Fire (Ecclesiastes 11:9; Revelation 20:12-15).

So be wise! Prepare yourself and your children for a blissful life in heaven, by being born-again yourself, leading the children to salvation in Christ and raising them in the way of the Lord. Guide them to live by the Word of God. Train your adolescents to manage peer pressure and lead a life of holiness, obedience, responsibility and service to God.

Make them live with eternity in view through your exhortations and godly examples. When, through your instructions and exemplary lifestyle, you groom your children properly and make them ready for hereafter, they will grow up to become responsible adults, and lead godly lives (Proverbs 22:6). And whether they die young – God forbids they die prematurely – or in a ripe old age, they will live in heaven with you forever.

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Another Year Is Dawning

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.

Another year of progress, another year of praise,

Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;

Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,

Another year of training for holier work above.

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be

On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

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The One Who Is Always There For You

You can hear your parents arguing one night while you lay in bed. They've had a few disagreements before but nothing like this. This time their voices rise louder and you hear them say more hateful things.

Then… silence.

You’re frozen stiff in your bed with uncertainty. The next thing you know, you can barely hear them say that they are done and want a divorce.

Your heart takes a steep drop.

How can your mom and dad just leave each other like that? After all the family vacations you had together and things your parents taught and helped you with… all the good moments with them together.

An uncomfortable feeling that your life will never be the same settles in.

Your home is now broken to pieces…

Many of you can relate to the situation I've described in one way or another. A broken home is the result of whatever tragedy may have happened in your family.

What if one of your parents cheated on the other? I bet you feel torn between them because you love them both and yet feel betrayed by the one who did it.

Maybe one of your parents was abusive and you feel trapped in your own home. It causes you to act up outside of the house and get into trouble. Or you become very timid and hardly talk to anyone. Not to mention, all of the new problems that could come into the picture once you have step-parents and siblings. The family situation can get really messy - really fast.

If you come from a broken family or are experiencing conflict within your home now, how do you feel? Probably confused, hurt, resentful, angry, stressed, and insecure. It seems your whole life has been uprooted and misplaced.

God knows how you are feeling

God understands your torn emotions over your family’s circumstances.

If your father cheated on your mother, you saw your mother’s tears and feel the utter shock and betrayal. But you love them both and try to deal with the separation in your family.

God understands your emptiness from a mom who left you at birth. Your sadness from never knowing her. The bitterness you feel once you learn that drugs were more important to her than you were. God even sees the hostile home you grew up in.

He knows about the mom or dad who abused you. He knows your hopelessness of being stuck. Your stress. Your torment. Your unhappiness. But the pain will not last. Your torment will not continue. God has a plan for your life…

“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11)

This world we live in is not perfect. There is trouble everywhere you turn. It’s a fallen world we live in now, yet God still has a grand plan for your life. He cares about you and His plan for you is good.

You can’t help what has happened in your life. Some people ask ‘Why can’t God stop the bad things from happening?’

It’s important to remember that God loves and cares about you. And when you are in pain, God feels those same emotions.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3)

God cares about what happens to His children and He will raise you up out of your terrible circumstances. Most of the time He will use your ugly past to shape your beautiful future.

Our Father in heaven is so patient with us and loves us unconditionally. Consider how quickly your parents can fall out of love with each other. Yet God will never stop loving you. When your family has crumbled, God is your foundation to rest on.

If your family has always been dysfunctional leaving you with pain, God will carry you through it and comfort you. The world isn’t perfect yet but He is still there for you right now.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, 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 souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mathew 11:28-30)

God has never left you and will never leave you. At times it may feel like He isn’t there. You are struggling and don’t know where to go for relief. He wants you to come to Him. Like the verse above says, ‘Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’

God can give you that needed peace in the storm. The storm may not go away now, but He can help you through it. It is your decision to come to Him. He will not force His way into your life if you do not want Him there. But He has watched over you all of your life and patiently waits for you to come to him. Deuteronomy 4:29 says:

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and all your soul.”

Are you at a point in your life where you don’t know who to go to for help? Consider taking a moment to reach for your Heavenly Father. Even if you don’t know how to pray - that’s OK. He knows you and He knows your heart. He knows everything about you and knows your pain.

He will hear you if you reach for Him with all your heart and all your soul. How do I know this? Because I have reached for Him and He was there. An instant peace washed over me and I was no longer afraid.

Will you come to Him? If you want to be closer to God and know who He is, I encourage you to read His Word the Bible.

If you are blessed by this article, I encourage you to share it with everyone you know. May the God of peace and the peace of God be with you. Amen.

You can also check out www.warriorarise.com for more information on KD4C – a youth movement for Christ coming soon.

*** Written by Sarah Sloan | Warrior Arise Ministry ***

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Let Your Knowledge Of God Become An Experience In Your Life

Being knowledgeable about God does not automatically translate into an experience. You must consciously take and apply the word of God to your life daily.

Text: James 1:23-25; Hebrews 11:1-6; 2 Chronicles 16:9

There are many provisions in the word of God for His children. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him”. This implies that he whom God finds faithful to His promises will receive a visitation from the Lord.

There are general or specific provisions of God for an individual and this provision is determined by what you know about God. God said “because without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The secret to faith is finding out the subject of faith and its capacity to do beyond what you can ask or think. Having a big faith in a small God is not going to help but having a small faith in a big God will work wonders in your life. You must be sure of your faith. The sureness of God is built on the foundation of accurate knowledge and not guess work (2 Peter 1:16).

Jesus is real, He’s not false. God wants you to come to a place that your knowledge and experience of Him becomes a reality. The knowledge and information we get in the Bible is designed of God for us to duplicate it in our lives and make them our own experience. Everything good you see happen to people in the Bible, God can make it happen to you too. God is looking for people that will take Him at His word and stand upon it to determine their experience and outcome in life.

You cannot be surer of anything in life that the experience of God you have. What becomes your experience starts as a revelation or information that you test and discover. The knowledge of God without being proven will never become your personal experience.

Jesus heals the sick, but it will not become an experience or influence on you till either you face a challenge with your health or someone you know faces it, and therefore, takes the knowledge of the Word demanding that Jesus should do what He said He can do. And when it happens it becomes your experience.

*** Written by Olusola Areogun ***

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Take The Junk In My Trunk

Jesus, Please Take the “Junk In My Trunk.”

In my life, I allowed a lot of “junk in the trunk.”

There was so much that my life stunk!

There were many things I collected along the way,

They just seemed to hang around me every day.

Some of the junk were old and some were new,

I was at a loss as to what I was going to do.

As my life began to take a downward turn…

This was the moment I became concerned.

I came to the decision; “this junk has to go!”

My life needed to be cleansed and made whole!

I know my life was burdened and “bottomed out”,

I needed to be cleansed from the inside out!

I cried out to Jesus; “please take the junk of mine”,

“It’s ruining my life and destroying my mind!”

Jesus reached out and did a beautiful work within;

By His power He removed all of my junk and sin!

Praise the Lord! He began a beautiful work in me!

The load of junk is gone! I've been set free!

He can do the same for you! Won’t you let Him?

Won’t you give him your life and simply trust Him?

You too can be forever changed by His power;

He can remove all of your junk this very hour!

*** © Jim Pemberton 2016 ***

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Cultivating Friendship With God

You can wake up each morning knowing that God wants to be a friend to you that sticks closer than a brother. He sent Jesus to die for you so that you could be His friend. Sad to say, you can have a relationship with somebody and not be their friend. The reason this is true is that it takes time, effort, desire, and sacrifice to cultivate such friendship.

Too many people don’t have or don’t take the time to seek God in a proper way. They’re always in a hurry doing this and that. They don’t seem to realize that if you’re too busy for God, you’re too busy. People need to sacrifice whatever it is they’re doing and seek God like never before. They need to know Him and Who He is. Moses and David both had a desire to know God in a close and personal way. Abraham was willing to offer up his son Isaac because he wasn't going to let anything interfere with his friendship with God.

To “seek God” means to have a face to face relationship with Him. This means God has your individual attention and you have His. Hebrews 11:6 says that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” What does He reward you with? A good life.

Too many people know about God but don’t “know” God. Why? Because they don’t seek, crave, and pursue Him with all their heart and soul. God must be sought after to be found. Meeting somebody doesn't mean you “know” them. It takes a face to face relationship to get intimate with somebody and fellowship is the key to really getting to know someone.

When you “know” somebody in a close, personal way you will stick to them like glue. You become one with them and an intimate relationship is the result thereof. Before long your lives will mingle with one another. When you know God you’ll start conceiving things down in your spirit. You’ll get pregnant with a vision that God wants you to live a good life.

A miracle is inside of you and it will be confirmed with signs following. Jesus prayed in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You sent.” Eternal life is a good life and comes when your life is intertwined with God’s. It is interesting to note that when you mingle with God, the devil can’t tear you apart. You’ll look like God, talk like God, act like God, think, love, forgive, walk, and have dominion like God. This is all part of God’s plan to give you a good life and fellowship is the key that will cause this to become a reality in your life.

There are four decisions you can make that will help you cultivate a strong, binding friendship with God. The first decision you can make is to become a worshiper of God. Paul told the church at Rome, brothers and sisters who were friends with one another, to “greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16). To become friends with God we must do the same thing to Him. How does one “kiss” God? Through praise and worship.

Jesus said in John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” If you are a friend of God He will show Himself strong on your behalf and this will cause you to live a good life. Tell the Lord to search no more. Tell Him you’re ready, able, and willing to become His friend.

God is searching for those who will be loyal to Him and become His friend. What do you think will happen when God finds such a person? He’ll “buddy” up to you. He’ll “pal around” with you night and day. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). The word “inhabit” means ‘to settle, sit down, dwell.’ When you praise God and become His friend He’ll sit down and dwell with you.

Let’s face it, everybody likes praise. People like praise, cats and dogs like praise, and God likes praise. When a person compliments you something rises up on the inside of you causing you to respond back to that person in a positive way. You just naturally want to bless them back and this is how God is. So praise God continually because He wants to do something good to you. During times of trouble, back off from the situation and praise God.

You don’t have to memorize and quote every verse in the Bible concerning the trial you’re going through. No, just praise God for Who He is. When you do God will show up and sit down and dwell with you. God is forever looking to give something to somebody somewhere so if you decide to be a worshipper you’ll be right in the center of whatever it is God is doing. It will put you in the secret place of the Most High, a place that promotes and gives to those who dwell there a good life.

The second decision you must make to become a friend of God is to be determined to always live by faith. Let’s face it, we can’t please Him without it (Hebrews 11:6a). When you choose to live by faith you’ve made the decision to please God. Revelation 4:11 tells us that all things have been created for His pleasure, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, and by Your will (for Thy pleasure) they exist and were created.”

Why do you think you were born in the first place? You were created to give God pleasure and your friendship with Him is what He values most. Never forget, you were created to be God’s friend and nothing pleases Him more than when His friends live by faith. You have faith (Romans 12:3) and you need to have faith in your faith. Your faith got you born again and that’s the greatest miracle of all. If your faith can do that it can get you anything else. Begin to actively engage yourself in the lifestyle of faith. Everything you do should be by faith. Never take a vacation from your faith but use and apply your faith to everything you do.

Faith is the confidence of “knowing that you know”, a firm conviction based on hearing the Word of God spoken out your mouth. If you don’t have confidence in whatever it is you are doing then you are not in faith and neither are you pleasing God. Faith is a lifestyle, so live totally and completely by faith all the time. The just shall live by faith and it is a constant expression that we believe God and what He says.

When you believe God with all you've got then your friendship with Him will surely blossom. Faith isn't hard. God is dedicated to faith and He doesn't ask us to do anything that He doesn't do Himself. God lives by faith and when you do what He does you’ll become His friend. How does God walk by faith? He “calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

The AMP Bible says God “speaks of non-existent things that He has foretold and promised as though they already existed” (Romans 4:17). That’s faith! Verse 18 says this about Abraham, “who, contrary to hope, in hope believed so that he became the father of many nations.” Verses 20, 21 says, “he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” Abraham was a man of faith. In fact, he is called “the father of our faith.” Is it any wonder that God called him His friend?

The third thing you can do to cultivate a friendship with God is to make the decision to obey Him at all costs. Jesus set the example in the Garden of Gethsemane when He said to the Father, “Nevertheless, not My will but Your will be done.” God called Abraham His friend because he walked by faith and was willing to obey God even to the point of offering up his own son as a sacrifice (see James 2:17-23).

Walking by faith requires actions of obedience. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son he got up early the next morning. That’s faith. When he reached the place where the sacrifice was to take place he told his servants, “Wait here and we’ll return.” That’s faith. Isaac asked, “Where is the sacrifice?” and Abraham said the Lord would provide one. That’s faith. Abraham obeyed God because he believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. His actions of obedience proved that his friendship with God meant more to him than the relationship he had with his wife and son. To become God’s friend we must obey Him at all costs because obedience is the only proof we have that we believe God.

The story of King Saul in 1 Samuel tells the tragic tale of a man who did not obey God with all his heart. He listened to the voice of the people more than the voice of God and thought he could make up for his disobedience by offering up a burnt offering to God. Samuel confronted him and said, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” Obedience means something to God and you can never make up with sacrifice what you lose with disobedience. Saul’s authority as king was stripped from him and he later committed suicide on the field of battle. He learned the hard way that no matter what the cost one must obey God rather than man. And when you do what God tells you to do, you then are in line to be considered God’s friend.

Consider what Jesus said in John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” Jesus maintained obedience at all costs and had a close relationship with the Father. Let all of us follow His example and do the same.

The fourth thing we can do to cultivate a close friendship with God is make the decision to become a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” The Message Bible says, “God loves it when the giver delights in his giving. God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.”

By becoming a cheerful giver you enter into the realm of God’s love. The word “friend” means ‘to have affection for’ and scripture shows clearly that God showed affection to His friend Abraham. God loves everybody, saints and sinners alike, but His affection is manifested toward His friends. God poured out His affection on Abraham because he was a cheerful giver who was willing to give up his only son in obedience to the Lord’s command.

The Amplified translation of 2 Corinthians 9:7 says this, “Let each one give as he’s made up his own mind (not pressured to give) and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully, or under compulsion, for God loves, that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon a cheerful, joyous, prompt to do it giver whose heart is in his giving.”

Truly, these verses describe Abraham and if we would follow his example we, too, can be called “the friends of God”. When you make the decision to become a cheerful giver God will prize you above other things. He’ll never abandon you and will be unwilling to do without you. You’ll reach a point where you’ll be abiding in His love so much that you’ll reach a point where God can begin to pour out His affection on you. Why would God do this? Because you’re involving yourself in the fundamental motivator of God’s life.

We all know John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...” God is always giving. That’s His nature. That’s Who He is. That’s what He does. When you become a cheerful giver you involve yourself in what He has actively been engaged in since eternity past. When you involve yourself in something He’s interested in, in something He likes to do, He’ll begin to “pal around” with you. He’ll hang out with you. He’ll be your friend and you’ll be His.

Percentage wise, there are not a lot of people who make giving a lifestyle. Thus, very few people enter into a personal friendship with God. But when you become a cheerful giver you put yourself in a very valuable position where God is concerned. Now He can use you as a channel through which He can bless others.

The good news is that you can never out-give God. Your resources are limited and His are not. And when you become His friend by making the decision to become a worshiper of God, to live by faith, to obey Him at all costs, and to become a cheerful giver, God will dwell with you and pour out His affection on you. You have to put yourself in the position to receive in abundance the unlimited favors of God. That is the good life.

*** Written By Randall J. Brewer ***

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