Go When You're Ready

"With long life will I satisfy [you], and shew [you] my salvation." (Psalm 91:16)

Did you know that it's not God's will for you or anyone to die young? His will for you is to live the full number of your days. You ought to live 70 or 80 years, and if you are not satisfied, live a while longer! The Bible says that when Abraham died, he died at a good old age, full of years. That's the way it ought to be with all of us.

Some believers don't realize that and they've gotten themselves in a mess. When they get sick instead of just believing for healing, they start wondering if it's God's will for them to die. "Maybe He's ready to call me home," they think.

Don't ever entertain thoughts like that. If God has His way, He won't call you home until you're good and ready to come. The Apostle Paul understood that. In 2 Timothy 4:6-7, he said, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Paul didn't die until he and Jesus were ready for him to go.

Don’t Settle For Less—Receive God’s Best

By Andrew Wommack

A few months ago, I dreamed all night long of preaching a message entitled How to Receive God’s Best. I’ve spent weeks meditating on this and feel like the Lord gave this to me to share with you.

Before I can share the heart of what the Lord spoke to me, I need to point out two very important things in that title: You have to learn how to RECEIVE God’s BEST.

The Lord really impressed on me that the main reason we aren’t receiving His best is because we are willing to settle for less. Very few are committed to God’s best. We have been influenced more by the world than by God’s Word and “dumbed down” to accept far less than what God has provided. As long as you can live with less than God’s best, you will. That is a powerful truth.

You have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired before you will aggressively pursue God’s best. You have to have a holy dissatisfaction with mediocrity before you can experience all that God has for you. It doesn’t happen accidentally or automatically. If you don’t pursue it, you won’t get it.

The Healing Hand of Jesus

… And grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend your hand to heal. Acts 4:29-30

When I was in tenth grade, I experienced my first broken bone. I was playing basketball for Cypress Creek High School. We were playing our archrivals, the Cy-Fair Bobcats. The stands were filled, the energy level was up, and the gym was rocking. Early in the game, I was fouled and went to the free throw line to shoot a one-and-one (if you make the first one, you get another one). I shot and missed. Drag. When I went in for the rebound, I was pushed in the back with my left leg in an awkward position. I heard a nasty-sounding crack and went down hard.

I had broken my tibia right above the ankle. It was painful and debilitating. I was in a cast for nearly six weeks and missed the rest of the season. As much as I wanted to play, I could not. The bone needed to heal before I could be whole again.

Defeat Your Giant

"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26)

You may be facing a giant today. He may be a giant of sickness or failure, of financial shortage or another kind of trouble. But don't let him scare you. You have a secret weapon. A weapon that once turned a shepherd boy into a bear-busting, lion-killing, giant-slaying champion. That weapon was a blood covenant with Almighty God.

Back in David's day, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. So, when he called Goliath uncircumcised, David was saying: This guy may be a giant; he may be strong; but he has no covenant with God and that's why I can kill him.

Like David, you, too, have a covenant. But yours is better. The covenant David had offered a wealth of blessings to those who kept it, but it also included curses for those who broke it.

Yours doesn't. Yours is a New Covenant that Jesus bought with His own blood. It doesn't depend on your ability. It depends on Him and what He has already done. He has done it all! All you have to do is believe it and receive it.

Right now, read Deuteronomy 28:16-68. That's a list of the curses Christ has freed you from. You might even call it a list of the giants Jesus has already slain for you. It contains every diabolical thing the devil could ever use to destroy you.

Read it and rejoice. God has healed you and delivered you from those things!

Don't let any giant intimidate you. You have a blood covenant with Almighty God. There's no uncircumcised circumstance on the face of this earth that can take your victory away from you.

Scripture Reading: Galatians 3:13-29

The Hour To STAND!

by Jeanniene Lee

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth...(Ephesians 6:11,13, & 14).

After you have done all to stand, this is the hour that you must stand your ground like never before. The Bible has much to say about standing. We are exhorted to stand still, to stand fast, to stand fast in faith, to stand fast in the Lord; and, then after we've done all, just stand!

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..."
(Exodus 14:13).

Never to Late to Get Back on Track

Written by Barbara Alpert

Take today’s next step: Not sure what it means to rely on the Holy Spirit? Read this

“[L]et us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

Multitudes of people make a resolution to change at the beginning of the year. Most have every good intention to correct the problem, but many give up by February, if not sooner.  Here we are in March. Think back on your own resolutions, are any of them still going strong?

As followers of Christ, often we too set out to renounce particular habits and behaviors, along with solemn promises to embark a more dedicated walk with the Lord. We might pledge to read our Bibles and pray on a daily basis, to faithfully attend church and tithe or to serve in an outreach. However, just like the majority of people who break their New Year’s resolutions, we too may have fallen off track, abandoning our commitment and forfeiting the victory we earnestly desired.

Don't Speak--Shout Your Victory!

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised." (Psalm 113:3)

Praise God. Praise Him in the morning. Praise Him at noon. Praise Him at night. If you've never praised God in your life, then get started right now. Praise Him for freedom. Praise Him for healing and Calvary. Praise Him for the Name of Jesus.
You ought to be shouting your way to work and shouting your way back home! If there's anything the devil can't stand, it's praise.
If you've taken territory from the devil and he's coming against you to get it back, this is not the time to sit down and whine about how things aren't working out. It's not time to decide that God has taken His hand off your life.

Transparency or Wisdom in Marriage?

I go back and forth between thinking that my spouse and I need to communicate and be completely transparent with each other so that our trust level and relationship can grow vs. thinking that I need to be wise and hide some things from him because if he really knew all about me then he would feel too safe, would get bored and will go find his adventure somewhere else. I’m still not sure which one is the right answer, but I do know that when you hide things, it gives Satan a foothold. It allows him to come in and whisper lies in your ear like, “he doesn’t really love you and he never did” or “you are completely worthless and your husband knows it, so you need to pretend”. I’ve always went with transparency in the past and it hasn’t served me too well, but with this different way I find myself wanting to sin more and slowly wanting to distance myself from him, I don’t think it is good either. Maybe I’ll just go with transparency and hope that he chooses me despite his boredom….or is that stupid? Still don’t know.

"And It Came To Pass ..." - the verse that changed one man's life forever ...

The story is told of a Sunday class that had been asked the question, "In your time of discouragement, what is your favorite Scripture?" A young man said, "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Psalm 23:1." 

A middle age woman said, "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1." 

Believe what the Word says; speak to the mountain

No matter what your situation in life may be God has a plan for your victory. Thank you for allowing us to minister the Living Word of God to you regarding your debt.

No matter what your situation in life may be, God has a plan for your victory. God has already made provision for your every need. He has made available to you all things that pertain to life and godliness through the exceeding great and precious promises in His Word (2 Peter 1:3-4). Through these promises, we are able to partake of His divine nature.

See yourself exactly as God sees you. Second Corinthians 5:17(KJV) states, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. Agree with God’s Word, not with your position in the natural. See yourself as a mature, healthy, prosperous Christian, possessing all the blessings Jesus Christ Himself purchased for you on the cross of cavalry.

The Blessing of God has been released from heaven, and you have the God given right to use His authority and take dominion over all the circumstances Satan is trying to use against you. Satan’s authority has been broken.

Believe what the Word says; speak to the mountain. This mountain can be any kind of debt, lack, sickness and disease or even unemployment. Just know and understand that any situation you are facing today is under your feet, remember you are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. You are seated in heavenly places with Him. God is not holding back His blessings from you. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

The blessing of God is yours right NOW!

Avoid Big Failures

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness." (Ephesians 4:17-19)

There's a subtle strategy Satan uses to take control of our lives. The Bible calls it lasciviousness and it means "to have no restraint."

Lasciviousness has been preached as being extreme immorality, but it doesn't start out that way. It begins with just a few seemingly innocent thoughts. Then those thoughts grow and grow until they begin to produce serious sin.

One afternoon as a nine-year-old boy, for example, I just yielded to the desire to curse. I knew better, but I did it anyway. I had a relative who was so good at West Texas cussin' that I thought he invented it. I was intrigued and I wanted to try it.

When I let go of all restraint and began to say those curse words, something evil moved in on my thinking that seriously affected me for some 20 years. A law was set in motion. As a result, my flesh gradually became boss over my entire being.

See Yourself Risen With Jesus

"Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ, the Messiah, [as] risen from the dead." (2 Timothy 2:8, The Amplified Bible)

This is the key to holding onto the blessings of God. When pressure comes, when troubles and trials are bearing down on you, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Remember that when Jesus arose, you arose. When He came out of hell and defeated the enemy, you came out of hell and defeated the enemy. His victory is your victory because you're in Him.

In the hard places, remember that. When the devil tells you you're not going to get your answer this time, remember that. When he tells you there's no way out, you remember Christ, the Anointed One, the Victorious Conqueror, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father!

If there's an image Satan hates more than any other, it must be that image of Jesus, rising from the dead, stripping him forever of his authority, and openly displaying his defeat to all of heaven and hell. That's the picture you need to keep in the forefront of your mind. Think about it until it's etched into your heart so deeply that nothing Satan says or does can get it out of you.

That's when the gifts of God will be established in your life. That's when the devil won't be able to talk you out of your inheritance with trials and tribulations. Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible.

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1-13

Claiming God's Promises

Whatever your situation is, whether you lost your job, lost a loved one, going through a painful divorce or diagnosed with a life threatening disease, do not loose faith! 

There is always light at the end of the tunnel, just as there is calm after the storm. The God who delivered the Israelites out of slavery is still the same God yesterday,today and forever! 

You can take comfort knowing that He will never forsake you or leave you! The bible is full of God's promises, those are His words. Because His words are true and gives life we can use His words to get out of a sticky situation. 

This lens is about learning how to claim God's promises in the midst of the storm. To pray God's words through a time of crises and coming out victorious! 

This lens is for all of you who are facing the storms of life.

http://www.squidoo.com/claim-gods-promises-in-the-storm

Untangle the Knots...One Day at a Time

by Joyce Meyer

Picture your life as a jumble of shoestrings all tied up in knots, each shoestring a different color. The different shoestrings represent the different elements of your life, such as your family, your job, etc. This jumble of knots could represent many of our lives—with everything all knotted up. 

Hang On

"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." (Isaiah 55:11)

Did you know that the battleground for the problem you're facing right now is in your mind and on your lips? If you'll hit the devil with the Word and cast the care of the situation over on God, you'll win.

Let me warn you though, hanging onto the Word isn't always easy. The devil knows that if he doesn't steal it from you, you'll use it to enforce his defeat.

So don't be surprised if he sends an evil spirit to exalt itself against the Word of God. If you're sick, he may begin to tell you, "You're not healed. You know that healing's not for today. Even if it were, it wouldn't work for you. It might work for somebody else but not you."

Arise My Daughter

Written by Barbara Alpert

Is it time to take a step of faith?

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)  

My beloved daughter, it is time for you to arise and take your stance in the light of my Son. I, your heavenly Father, am calling you out of darkness. Arise from your affliction for my power within you is greater than your despondency. Healing, restoration, and freedom await but you must have faith. I beckon you to arise to the new things I seek to do within, for, and through you.    

Cleary, you do not perceive that your prison sentence, inner turmoil and suffering, is over. I, the Lord, have removed the chains that bound you. Your shackles are loose, and your prison doors are open. In your darkness, I heard your weeping and now I offer you my joy. Freedom and new life awaits but you must choose to come out of captivity. My precious one, it is time for you to step forward and partake in the new things I set before you.