Revelation 2:9-11 (AMP)

I know your affliction and distress and pressing trouble and your poverty–but you are rich! and how you are abused and reviled and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). He who overcomes (is victorious) shall in no way be injured by the second death.

Listen defined:

• To pay attention to something and take it into account.

Many times we hear God but are we listening with the intent to do. In order to be faithful one must first hear instruction. How can a person be faithful or loyal if they won’t listen? Faithfulness is partner to passion. If a person is not passionate about a cause they are generally not faithful to it. When a husband or wife lose their passion or excitement about each other and their marriage vows, they will soon become unfaithful. When a person is passionate about something it usually is a priority to them. When something is priority you will fight for it. God said you would be willing to die for it. The cause of Christ is a greater priority then our feeling during a time of persecution or suffering.

Faithfulness is a fruit of the spirit therefore it cannot be accomplished in the flesh. The bible says that the flesh profits nothing. A person can never be faithful to anything or anybody apart from God. God enables us by His grace to be faithful unto death. That’s why when people make promises out of their flesh thy soon renege.

I believe being faithful unto death speaks more than just about physical death. I believe it is also speaking of dying to self in order to be faithful to God. We must deny fleshly desires and lust and cleave to God. We must be faithful to God above our feelings and selfish thoughts and ways. Jesus said if any man will come after me let him first deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. When something is important to us we will chose it over other things. Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments. How can we say that we love God or others when we habitually are unfaithful to them? Unfaithfulness is a characteristic of love of self or selfishness.

We must be willing to suffer for godliness rather than deny Christ.There is nothing we could go through or suffer on this earth that would be worth being unfaithful to Him.

God knows our struggles here on the earth and therefore He has given us access to everything we need to win in this life.

2Peter 1:3-4

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

Remember to be faithful to the one who has never been unfaithful to you! God is forever faithful.

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2Corinthians 4:4

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Have you ever tried to shine light in a room that is already brightly lit? The light has little or no effect because light is already there. However, if you shine the smallest ray of light in a dark room you will see immediate results because light is at it’s greatest function in darkness. Light is the opposite or opposing force of darkness. Light is always effective over darkness. Nothing dispels darkness like light.

The Bible tells us that God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world,” he was talking about Christians. No matter how great the darkness maybe in a place or situation, light can always overcome it. Light is only effective against darkness when it is turned on. No matter how much light you have, if it is turned off or hidden, darkness will continue to prevail. The scriptures remind us to let our light shine before men, why, because the Light is the only power that can set men free. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.”The world is hopeless without light because it is dark. If the world had no need of light, why would the body of Christ be here in the Earth. There is no other true light except that which comes from God. The Bible says that Satan transforms himself into an angel of light but this is not true light, it is fake. Fake or artificial light has no effect on darkness. It pretends to bear light fruit but in all actuality the fruit is dead. When you slice open his fruit it is rotten to the core, it looks good on the outside but the inside is corrupt just like it’s source. However, the only way to see the corruptness in Satan’s fake fruit is to have your light on because you can’t see anything in darkness.

Let your light shine bright and continue to represent the Kingdom of God being a true light-bearer! Expose the darkness and set the captives free.

Shine! Shine! Shine!

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Mark 16:16-20

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The Lord said here, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…” Well, what should they believe?

The book of Acts chapter 16:30-32, explains it quite well, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.”

Wow, what a powerful display of the grace of God! These people got saved because Peter spoke unto them the word of the Lord and they believed and were converted.

Romans 10:13-15 declares, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

God loves people, all people and He sent His Son to prove that love.

The only way that people can get saved is that they first hear the gospel and then they must choose to believe and receive. The only reason that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is still here in the earth is to preach the gospel and make disciples of men. We have been given this great commission by the Lord Jesus Himself. Let us not lose sight of the true reason we are here. Let us stay focused and tell the Good News so that people won’t be damned, but rather saved. It’s not about us, it’s about Jesus! The world must hear about Jesus, our Redeemer, our Savior!

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Stumble defined:

• To trip when walking or running.

• To walk unsteadily, as if intoxicated.

Have you ever seen someone walking and BAM, they just trip or stumble? You quickly look to see what they stumbled over and nothing was there. Then you look up at them with sort of a puzzled look on your face. The person who seemed to have tripped over thin air will normally have an embarrassed look on their face as well.

Many things in life can cause people to stumble, sometimes things that are actually invisible to the naked eye. Nobody else could see it, but it was real none the less. There you are walking along life’s narrow path, just whistling a merry tune and minding your own business, two seconds later you’re on the ground.

“What was that and where did it come from?” You thought to yourself. You look at your body, and to your surprise find many cuts and bruises. Who could have done such a careless thing as to leave something lying there right in your path? You get up, dust yourself off, look around to see if anyone saw you then proceed to get back on the path as if nothing ever happened. Unfortunately, two blocks down the path and you’re back on the ground. Why didn’t you stop the first time and investigate to  see what caused you to stumble and fall? Just because you didn’t see anything with the natural eye doesn’t mean nothing was there.

Christians must stay awake and alert; we have an unseen (with the naked eye) enemy. We should not be getting caught off guard every other day. Our enemy is persistent and if he knows that you tripped once from something that he did, he will try it again and again and again. You must stay full of the Word of God and the Spirit of God. YOU DON’T HAVE TO KEEP TRIPPIN! God, our God, can keep you from trippin, stumbling and falling! We need to keep our spiritual eyes open big and wide so that we can see clearly where our feet are landing. Look……….. because sometimes the dogs mess on the path and you need to know when to step over the enemies mess and keep on steppin!

Jude 1:24-25 (AMP)

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]—

To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it).

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Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 

Are you a peace-maker?

It is necessary to possess peace in order to be a peace-maker. However, everyone who possesses peace is not an active peace-maker. By that I mean, a peace –maker is someone who is actively involved in keeping peace. They go out of their way to insure peace is achieved and maintained.

Many situations in life we could just sit over in a corner, quietly minding our own business while chaos and confusion abound. We sit there reasoning and excusing within ourselves saying, “Well that’s none of my business.” As a Christian we have an advantage in every situation in life because we have the greater one, the Holy Spirit, living on the inside of us. Being a peace-maker may not always involve you standing up in the middle of a fight and physically prying two people apart, like an umpire. Your part maybe to pray for all parties involved. The Holy Spirit is your Helper, commune with Him and find out what He would have you do in every circumstance and situation. Our part is to be mindful that as Christians we are the only true peace-makers the world will ever see. God is counting on us to be available to Him; so that He can continue to show forth His love to all.

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Self imposed limitations can often-times keep people from experiencing God’s best for their lives. God has said to us in His Word that we can do all things through Christ that strngthens us. The strength and the ability lies in Him. Therefore we have no need of worry or concern. There is nothing that God can’t do and He has never failed at anything, …ever. Our God is the ALMIGHTY GOD!

The problem many times is in our believing that we could ever possibly do something like what we see God do. God never asked us to be Him but rather believe in Him. Do you believe,  “with God all things are possible.” God asked the question, “Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard  for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

Jeremiah said this to the Lord, “Ah Lord  GOD ! behold, thou hast made  the heaven  and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:” (Jeremiah 32:17)

What restrictions have you allowed to cloud your mind? Who told you that it couldn’t be done? Why have you been hesitant to do what God has instructed you to do? Are you concerned with what other people may think? Are you afraid of persecution? Who set the limitations on you as to how far or how much you could do? Have you allowed the devil to talk you out of your blessings?

Well these are just a few questions that you can ask yourself to assess the nature and root of your progress or lack of progress in fulfilling your God given destiny.

Remember Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He goes before us and is with us and will always bring up the rear when the job is near completion. Oh dear friend we can never fail if we stay hooked up with the Greater One! So release yourself from every self-imposed restriction and go forward in the plans and purposes of God for your life. If God be for you who can stand against you! Live BOLD in CHRIST!

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Proverbs 18:21 (AMP)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].

Why speak death when you can speak life? Let’s practice speaking life and we shall see life!

I am the righteousness of God in Christ.

I am more than a conqueror.

I am the head and not the tail.

I am a lender and not a borrower.

I am healed.

I am free from the hand of the enemy.

I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

I am treading on scorpions and serpent and they can never harm me.

I am a witness for the Lord.

I am endued with Holy Ghost power.

I am anointed and appointed by God.

I am a new creature in Christ.

I am born of God, therefore I overcome the world.

I am walking in the light and I have unbroken fellowship with God.

I am lead by the Spirit of God.

I am a son of God.

I am seated in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I am a laborer with God.

I am ruling and reigning in Christ with God.

I am transformed because I consistently renew my mind in God’s word.

I am an heir of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

I am in love with God.

I am, I am, I am who God says I am…..every day, not just when I feel like it but because He said it!

I am, I am, I am!

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Influence defined:

• The effect of something on a person, thing, or event.

• Power to sway: the power that somebody has to affect other people’s thinking or actions by means of argument, example, or force of personality.

Another word for influence is persuading.

Today I pose the questions, “Who has influence in your life? Whose life are you influencing?

What things or people do you allow to sway your life? TV, radio, ancestors, tradition, your past or someone elses past, fear, culture, the opinions of natural unchanged men/women, etc.

Whether we know it or not throughout the course of our earth journey there are those in whom our lives greatly influence or sway and there are those who influence our lives. We affect those around us for good or for evil everyday by what we say and do. We can affect the way others dress, eat, wear their hair, train their children, and treat their spouses. We can sway peoples self-image, the way they think and speak, money management, the way they interact with God, their perception of God, etc.

In the book of Acts chapter 18:12-13

… the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 

Here we see that Paul’s influence among the people was perceived by some to be contrary, although Paul was sent by God. Power persuades. The limited power of the kingdom of darkness persuades and the ultimate limitless power of God persuades. People and things can be greatly influence by power, even if it is weak power. Paul lived a life that demonstrated true power and therefore many people were willing to listen to what he had to say. Paul told the people to follow me as I follow Christ. In other words allow my life to influence your life in respect to my relationship and fellowship with God.

In 2Corinthians 5:11, Paul says:

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 

Paul knew that he would someday have to stand before God and give an account of the life he lived and the influence he had in the lives of others here on the earth. Influence carries with it great accountability. The children (natural and spiritual) that God entrust to us here on the earth are influenced by our lives; we can sway their hearts toward good or evil. If we influence children to be partial and have respect of persons because of our own fears and pride we will have to give answer to God for that misguided influence. We can by precept and example influence our children to love and honor then we our responsible for that influence as well.

What kind of a sway do you have on people around you? Are you the kind of Christian that influences everyone around you to be carnal? Or does your life persuade and stimulate spiritual hunger in people? Do people follow and emulate you because you follow and emulate Christ?

Jesus delegated the power of influence to His Church. He told Paul, in Acts 26:18, that he was chosen and appointed by God:

To open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me.

You too are a light and influence in somebody’s life, whether they are young or old. So let that light shine bright before them so that they may see your good works and glorify God by following in your footsteps.

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Psalms 2:4

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. 

You can be assured that when God laughs He is not being funny or carnal. God does nothing without purpose. God never speaks an idol word. Whenever God utters anything from His mouth; no matter if it is a word or just a sound or groan, it has a specific purpose. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Laughter is a form of communication through expressive sound. People laugh for different reasons and purposes. For instance, you may think that someone is laughing because they are happy but in reality they are laughing because they are nervous. I believe laughter can come from your spirit, soul or body. Every time you and I laugh it is not coming from our spirit man because the purposes for which you are laughing maybe different at any given time.

The scripture declares that God laughs not giggles. Giggling is synonyms with nervous or silly laughter. I believe that when God laughs at the enemy His laugh releases power. I believe when God laughs demons tremble. I believe when God laughs chains of bondage are broken and captives are set free. I believe when God laughs blind eyes (spiritual and physical) are opened. I believe when God laughs doors of opportunity swing open for the fulfillment of destinies. I believe when God laughs depression flees like a defeated coward. I believe when God laughs drug addicts are instantly set free and stay free.

God does nothing in vain. He is not just sitting in the heavens laughing for sport. So the next time you meditate on the truth that God laughs, go deeper and see Him destroying the works of the enemy!

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1Corinthian 9:24-25

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

In the Olympics, there are various types of races. They range from short sprints to marathon style long distances. In every race the runner must determine the pace that will help him/her win that race. Many factors may influence the pace of any particular race. For instance, the speed of the other runners you are running with can greatly influence your pace, that’s if you want to win.

The environmental temperatures and wind direction can also influence your pace. But whatever conditions you find yourself running your race in, be determined to win. Many people settle to just finish, they have given up on mastering their course. They resolve to just make it across the finish line. Everyone who crosses the finish line in an Olympic race does not receive a prize.

God desires for us to master our course in life and not to allow our course to master us. We should not expect to cross our heavenly finish line all beat up, barely making it, just making it in by a tread. We should see ourselves running full force until the end, strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We must see ourselves crossing that finish line full of joy and victory.

There maybe times that you have to pace yourself for a sprint and at other times a marathon but whatever the pace be determined to win your race!

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