Luke 2:52 (AMP)

And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus increased. He did not stay the same year after year, His life bore fruit of progress. He was not stagnant. Sometimes people just talk a good talk, yet their life has no evidence of real change or increase. They make no effort to see increase in their life. They do the same things;  year after year, yet they expect different results in their lives. They want results that they see others have who are really doing what it takes to get results. In all reality their spirit man has not grown in years.

The will of God for every child of God is that we increase in every area of life. Our increasing gives witness of God’s goodness.We become a living testimony bearing witness that the Word of God is true. The bible tells us that God proved His love to us. God is always seeking ways to prove His love in our lives. God is a good God. Our lives should bear fruit of His goodness. There is so much more for you. Rise up in the grace of God, and increase. God is on your side, fear not, He will not allow your foot to slide. Be bold and seek His face and glorify Him in your race. The day will soon come when we will all see His face. Rise up and take your place, you are on the increase in Christ Jesus!

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Genesis 3:13

And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 

Beguiled defined:

• To mislead or deceive somebody.

• To rob somebody of something, or cheat somebody out of something.

Eve was stripped of life by a mean crafty serpent. He cheated her through deception. Jesus has thus warned us to guard ourselves against deception. The enemy comes to mislead or give the wrong impression about something. He lures through lust and attracts through curiosity.

God sent the Holy Spirit to us to guide us in all truth; He will never mislead or deceive us. God told Adam the truth about what to eat and what not to eat. The Father was guiding them in truth, He was not trying to lure or deceive them. The word of God is safe we can trust God and His word.

There are many serpents slithering seeking to beguile innocent souls. Stay with what the Word of God is and has spoken to you. “ … It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

It is the word that God speaks that we are to live by, not the words of crafty serpents. So be sober and vigilant, keep the standard of the word of God before your eyes being loyal to hear and do it. When we esteem and honor God’s word above any other word it will keep us from being beguiled.

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1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMP)

For one who speaks in an [unknown] tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the [Holy] Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things [not obvious to the understanding].

It is such an honor to be able to talk with God. We not only get to talk to Him but He also talks with us. Prayer is a form of communication. Jesus made if possible through His death, burial and resurrection for believers to communicate with God. God is our Father and He enjoys talking with His children just like we enjoy talking with our children. However God is God and there are times when we may not know quite what to say or how to express ourselves in our natural language to Him. God has made it possible for believers to receive a supernatural prayer language whereby we may communicate things that are beyond our natural understanding. We don’t know everything but God does. There are situations , circumstances and much more that we need God’s insight and discernment to know what is going on or to know what to do next. The scripture above says we utter or speak secret truths and hidden things, by the Holy Spirit, that are not obvious to the understanding. God is always willing to help us but we must be willing to be helped. It is not logical or natural to pray in a language you don’t understand but it is of God and it is supernatural. Just because we may not fully understand this gift God has given to His church to communicate with Him doesn’t mean we should not use it. We may not know how our car does everything it does to get us from point A to point B but that doesn’t keep us from driving it. God is a good God, every gift from Him is good. God would never give us anything that would destroy or hurt us, He loves us. We must trust Him in everything and never hesitate to do what He ask of us. If God says we should pray in unknown tongues then we obey. If God says love your enemies the we must obey. If God says resist the devil and he will flee from you then we must obey. Whatever He says to do, just do, regardless if you understand it or not, prove your love and trust to Him by obeying what He says without doubting or complaining.

The Holy Spirit helps us to communicate to God in an unknown tongue or language. We who love God count it an honor and privilege to communicate with Him and we take full advantage of every good gift and available help He has provided for us to do so. God knows what we need to live as an over -comer in this life. We must not reject or neglect the precious things He has freely given us. Take advantage of the free gift of unknown tongues and benefit from its power. You won’t regret it!

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We live in a world today where people esteem things, customs, traditions, sports, occupations, entertainment, ideas, inventions and other people more than they ought to. These things are nice and can be very convenient but they were never to be exalted to the place where people have exalted them today. Inventions like air-conditioning help keep us cool in hot temperatures and furnaces that help warm us during those cold seasons are welcomed and enjoyable but they are not indispensable to life. If you didn’t have those things you could still live and enjoy life. I remember as a young girl growing up, in the summer months it would be so hot outside that you could literally see the heat waves in the atmosphere. We did not have air-conditioning most of my childhood but we went about everyday life and did just fine. There are things that are greater than modern day conveniences. Some people would rather die than give up their conveniences. These things may help in making our every day life easier but they can never provide life or true peace. Life and Peace only come from God.

The bible says, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26

Exchange defined:

• To give something and receive something different in return.
• To hand something over and receive as a replacement something more suitable or more satisfactory.

The above scripture challenges us to evaluate our lives and to weigh those things in life that we deem profitable to us. What one person may consider to be profitable may not seem profitable to the next person. What do you value in life? What do you give most of your time and energy to? These are the things that can easily distract us from our soul prosperity. The soul is comprised of our mind, will and emotions. What things have you exchanged for true peace of mind? What things have you exchanged for a will that is totally surrendered to fulfilling God’s plans and purposes in your life and the lives of your children and family. What things have you exchanged for sound, stable emotions?

Sometimes the exchange is subtle and seemingly unnoticeable until it has robbed us of years of productivity and fruitfulness. Sometimes people don’t even realize they have replaced valuable time spent with love ones with sitting in front of a television set until they look up and suddenly wake up to what they have lost.  They exchanged or replaced a relationship with their family with something they thought was more satisfying or suitable to their leisure. However the bible says what does those things profit a man if he loses his own soul. How suitable are those things when you find yourself in the midst of a hard situation? Can those things that you have given weeks, months and sometimes years of your time, attention and devotion to help you?

Nothing can ever replace or be more suitable than the presences of God. When we devote time and energy to God and His will we always come out profitable. Our soul belongs to God. We must be alert and watchful to guard our lives of those things that would come to steal our affection and attention from God.

The bible says, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 1Peter 2:11

God loves you. God loves spending time with you. God loves to encourage, strengthen and build you up. It is God’s delight to bless you and multiply you in good things. It is so wonderful to hang out with God and let Him teach you and show you things to come. God loves to share His plans, thoughts and ways with His family. Nothing is of more greater value than God. Life is short, so we must choose to invest our time and efforts wisely if we are going to have good success in life.

Don’t you think it’s time to exam your own life and begin to allow God to show you all of those things that need to be eliminated or exchanged for the greater things of God’s Kingdom and purposes. Your life is valuable, you are important to God. Don’t exchange the greater for the lesser but rather lay hold on the greater and see your life and future soar like an eagle!

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Psalms 102:13

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

There are things that God has already predestined to happen at certain times and nothing can stop them. All the armies of the kingdom of darkness cannot stop what God sets in motion to do.

Set defined:

• Previously established, arranged, or decided upon.

When God decides to do something who or what can annul it. Our God is God. There is no one greater than Him. Our God is the Almighty God; no foe can withstand His power.

The word Zion when mentioned in the Old Testament is synonymous with the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. So when we read the above scripture we can think of the Church, God’s people. God’s mercy is upon His Church and is new every morning. God is faithful to have mercy upon His people and I’m so glad He does. The scripture also says that God has set a time for favor for His Church. You and I are living in God’s set time where we can freely enjoy the favor of God.

Jesus made this announcement when He was here in the earth, “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound. (Luke 4:18-19 AMP)

God’s favor is here for us, we must expect that favor to be available and working on our behalf every day. So expect supernatural favor to show up every day and then thank God for it. You have been blessed and highly favored of God, so rejoice and be glad!

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Nehemiah 4:14

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

I love this scripture because it is for the family. In today’s society the family is many times talked about as if it is something not needed or optional. God created the family and He is for the family. The devil is a thief and a destroyer of relationships. God is a God of unity, peace and love. Love will never seek to tear apart or destroy a family. The above scripture is a scripture rooted and ground in the love of God. Love is not selfish; it does not seek its own way. Love fights diligently for what belongs to it. Many times people say that they are acting like God or doing something that supposedly He told them to do, yet it is not consistent with love. Jesus said, you will know a tree by the fruit it bears. Love will never abandon what belongs to it, love will always shelter and protect. No parent in their right mind would leave a child unguarded for someone to come along to destroy. Love will always stand guard to protect and not neglect. Jesus loved His disciples until the end even though they betrayed, forsook and denied Him. He never changed or compromised His love for them no matter how unfaithful they were to Him. Jesus never lowered His standard He remained in unconditional love. Perfect love cast out fear.

The scripture above says be not afraid but remember the Lord. God will be your strength and shield; He will never allow you to fight alone. God has never lost a battle and He never will.

Courage defined:

• The ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.

It’s time to stand up and fight the good fight of faith for your families. Cowards turn their backs and run because they are selfish. Courage stands tall and endures to the end. Courage is a product of love and it always wins. Courage will sustain wounds and afflictions during battle yet it will not quit. Courage will endure the cross of suffering because it knows that in three days RESURRECTION POWER will show up and show out. God is counting on you to be strong and of good courage. Fight for your families and fight to win!!!!!!

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Judges 18:9-10

And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 

When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth. 

God wants His children to live large! But we must be willing to rise up and go get what He has already given to us. The things God has provided for us are worth the effort. The scripture says to not be slothful. Well that word slothful means don’t be lazy. Laziness is a deadly hindrance to our destiny. It will pickpocket your divine vision and steal your dreams.

Laziness defined

• Unwilling to do any work or make an effort

• Moving slow

We must arm ourselves against this enemy of our faith and destiny. You must never allow your will to oppose God’s will for your life. Don’t argue and resist God’s plans and purposes for you by being lazy or complaining and  focusing on your inabilities. Make an effort to get up and go where He wants you to go. Get excited about things He has called you to do and then do them with the right attitude. Enter into your land of promise with the intent to take over. This is not a time to window shop, it’s time to possess.

God is extravagant; don’t limit your land to a small square foot. It’s a large land. Let God stretch your imagination and boost your expectation through meditation and supernatural insight. Be ready to see with your heart the things God reveals to you. Believe and receive! God has a place for you where there is no want or lack of anything that is in the earth. He is our Shepherd we shall not want!

So rise up and live large today!

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I know your [record of] works and what you are doing. See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut; I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and guarded My message and have not renounced or denied My name. Revelations 3:8 (AMP)

God’s plans for your life are amazing. The gifts and callings that He has specifically designed for your earth walk are nothing short of wonderful and glorious. However they are also serious business. God never develops plans and purposes that He doesn’t intend to come to pass. Your presence in the earth today is no mistake or merely coincidental. Oh no my friend, you were strategically placed here for a Divine purpose and it’s time for you to acknowledge that plan and purpose and get down to business. Some of you reading this blog know just what I’m talking about, you’ve played “hooky” and/or been MIA (missing in action) long enough. God needs your active participation in His vineyard. Why are you sitting idle in the field as if there is no Kingdom work to be done? God has set doors for you to walk through at set times in your life. Don’t be lazy and miss your moment of entry or exit through the doors of opportunity God has placed in your path.
You must decide to “keep (God’s) Word and guard (His) message for your life and the lives of those whom He has chosen for you to influence. There are people who need you to mature and develop in your place of purpose. There are people who need the gifts God has placed inside of you. Don’t be afraid! Be strong and courageous. God needs YOU! He’s counting on you. Jesus asked His disciples to pray with Him during a very crucial time in history but they fell asleep right in the middle of the battle. Again, God needs YOU! Please stay awake during this very crucial time, your participation is needed in God’s business. Don’t let past persecutions or afflictions distract and/or keep you from your future obedience. Stop trying to amuse yourself with empty trifles of this life, in an attempt to fill time. Look up! Look up! There is a door open before you that no man can close. A door leading to a room filled with unimaginable opportunities specifically designed with you in mind.

Isaiah 25:1 (AMP)

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old [and fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth.

The plans and purposes God has for you can never be aborted by anyone or anything but you. When you and I decide to live by faith (the unseen) and not by what we see we choose to please God. (Hebrews 11:6). It takes faith to walk through new doors and access new opportunities afforded to you by God. It takes strength and courage to have good success in the purposes of God. Shake off the bad attitudes that lead to unfruitful and reckless lives and throw away the old baggage (childish ways etc.) that are no longer useful. “Put on the new man” and suit up for success. You’re on your way to brighter days as you fulfill the purposes of Christ for your life with joy!

Just start by daily putting one foot in front of the other (trust and acknowledge the Lord in all your ways and He will direct your path – Proverbs 3:5-6) and before you know it you’ve already walked through the door.

1 John 2:17 (AMP)

And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

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2 Corinthians 10:4-7 (AMP)

For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), Being in readiness to punish every [insubordinate for his] disobedience, when your own submission and obedience [as a church] are fully secured and complete.

You have the God given right as a child of God to cause whomever or whatever is devising evil against Christ to desist from its purpose and submit to Christ.

Whenever a thought comes to your mind that is contrary to the Word of God it is rebelling against God and His kingdom. We must then as kingdom citizens enforce the law of God by bringing that thought under the obedience of God’s rule. The bible teaches us to cast down; meaning to throw down with the use of force, every opposing thought or imagination. We have a right to demand that this offender and violator of God’s Word submit itself to Christ. When the enemy sends an opposing thought to your mind he is in essence opposing Christ because we are a part of Christ’s body and we have the mind of Christ. When someone opposes Christ’s body, they are opposing Christ. The same is true in the natural if someone threw a baseball at your head; you would consider it an attack on your whole person not just the head.

It is Satan’s nature to try and exalt himself above God’s creation.

Isaiah 14:12-18

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? 

In the life of the believer Satan attempts to do this in the mind. The devil many times tries to use a device called; blindness, to dominate his prey.

Blind defined:

• To blunt (to make dull) the mental discernment: to darken the mind.

• Obstruction: anything that blocks the free passage of light, sight, or air.

The devil will unrelentingly try to block light from getting to your mind. He will try to dull your discernment through neglect, idleness and worldly distractions. When we meditate and fixate our minds on thoughts sent from the kingdom of darkness we allow rebellion to dominate and be exalted. Wherever Christ is named, the enemy will try to exalt himself because he is driven by an evil compulsion to be worshipped like God and exalt his wicked throne above the things of God.

Thoughts are seeds, seeds are produced by reproduction. Every seed produces after its own kind. A good tree cannot produce corrupt fruit and a corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit. Satan’s words or we can say his seeds, can never produce good fruit, he is the source of all evil and corruption. Satan is the author of all adultery, pride, hatred, lying, stealing and the like. Never think for one minute that when he sends a thought to your mind that its harvest will ever bring about good.

If you were in a natural physical war your enemy would study you to see how to defeat you. If your enemy knew that there were areas where he could possibly besiege and get an advantage and precipitate surrender then he would study those areas to devise the best strategy to defeat you. When we neglect to renew our mind and fortify our soul we become vulnerable to the harsh, many times sudden, assaults of the enemy. We must not only possess a strong spirit but a strong fortified soul. We must never be caught unarmed. We must always be prepared with the full armor of God. We must always be ready to revenge all disobedient and inferior thoughts and imaginations, bringing them under the authority of Christ. We must forcefully reject and eject all opposing forces that would try to exalt or dominate in the place of Christ. Jesus is our King; we will have no other God besides Him.

Stay alert, you are in a war. God has already equipped you with everything you need to win in every battle!

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John 5:38-40 (AMP)

And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.] You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life.

Jesus said that these people did not have His word living in their heart because they did believe on Him. Isn’t it amazing that people can read and study the word of God and yet not believe in God. Jesus said that these people even searched and investigated the scriptures diligently and yet they would not come to Him. God is a wonderful loving Father, He wants to do good to all who come to Him. Jesus said that the scriptures testify of Him, yes, they tell of all His mighty acts and reveal His awesome ways.

Search defined:

• To discover, come to know, or find something by examination.

God says we can have a deeper knowledge of Him but we must want to know Him, we must search or seek Him out with all our heart. Evidently the people to whom Jesus was referring to in John 5 were searchers but for another purpose other than to know God. They investigated and searched the scriptures to find information to increase their natural knowledge base and human intellegience not to grow spiritually and get to know God more. They were not willing; as a matter of fact, they simply refused to yield their lives to God. They wanted to be the Lord of their own lives. They wanted to make all the decisions and develop the plan and course for their lives. They had no intention of yielding to God even though they had searched the scriptures diligently. Many searched the scriptures just through mere religious tradition. Many searched just for quick relief from life’s problem but not to know or fellowship with God.

God loves you and He wants you to love Him without strings attached or without coercion. God will never bully anyone into living for Him.

Jesus came to this earth so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. Seek God with all your heart and find out the true meaning of total surrender and splendor in His presence.

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